The Lost Man
The Mortal Realm.
Black Ghost Valley's branch.
The commander of the Seopmyeong Ship and the black-robed elder, Cha Jo-gwi, tilted his skull-made wine cup while admiring his private garden.
He chuckled, taking in the twisted flowers and trees that filled the garden unique to the Ghost Realm.
“Hmm. Judging by the spiritual energy, it seems Baek Rin has found his path.”
He glanced at the steward beside him and continued.
“He’ll return soon and try to persuade the Black Ghost Valley again. What do you think about your approach to convincing him?”
The female ghost in mourning clothes pondered for a moment, then spoke.
“Probably explain the dangers of the cult established in Black Sound Realm and logically demonstrate how that cult would harm the entire Ghost Realm. And argue about the benefits of securing the Gongryeong-ji in Black Sound Realm, the inviolable territory of the famous ghost palace and Bongrae-do, and how it could strike at the pride of the two powers.”
“Tsk tsk. It’s weak. Pathetically weak. Thanks to the favor I received at the Heavenly Person stage, I listen to you. But honestly, that kind of feeble argument won’t convince the main palace. My thought is that if we keep repeating the same claim for about five or six hundred years, the main palace will see the resolve and dispatch a small force….”
“As expected.”
Cha Jo-gwi took a sip and asked.
“Then, in your view, how could the main palace fulfill my friend’s request?”
“Hmm. Perhaps by handing over all the secret arts of Baekmaemun to the main text, swearing to become a slave of the Black Ghost Valley, and revealing a willingness to participate in the experiment… it might be possible.”
“The experiment that will be eroded by the gaze of the Fissure Opening True Person? Tsk, the upper echelons are too obsessed with pointless matters. Where did they find a madman who voluntarily subjects himself to erosion? Even slaves are freed, yet they still hesitate to participate.”
“Haha, so in other words, it’s actually impossible.”
“Indeed, that’s right. Then from now on, that friend will keep coming to me for five or six hundred years, nagging… what should we do about it….”
As Cha Jo-gwi tilted his wine cup,
KWAANG!
A cloud of dust rose from one corner of his garden.
“He came just in time.”
Cha Jo-gwi clicked his tongue and looked at Baek Rin, who emerged from the dust cloud with a fierce ghostly glow.
“Yes, congratulations on finding your path, friend. As I requested earlier, I spread the word that the Black Ghost Valley has designated the Wugeuk Sect of Black Sound Realm as a cult and will soon go to exterminate the cult. But I told you beforehand. That was merely a surface rumor. To genuinely convince the main palace, it will take hundreds of years. So there’s no need to rush. Let’s drink together while….”
“I’ll give everything from Baekmaemun.”
“…Eh?”
“And I’ll become a slave of the Black Ghost Valley. If that’s not enough, I’ll endure anything. Anything!”
Veins of scarlet fire blazed in Baek Rin’s eye sockets.
In his left hand, he clutched a crumpled report sheet.
Cha Jo-gwi stared blankly at Baek Rin for a moment, then met eyes with his steward.
“…Hmph. First, let’s contact the main palace.”
Emergency! Emergency!!
I shone thirty-eight eye lights while keeping the Wugeuk Ghost King unchanged in the underground of the Wugeuk Sect Battleground.
A Wugeuk Sect page wearing a cursed doll ran toward me and reported.
“Currently, from the north in Black Sound Realm, one Seopmyeong Ship and three black-robed elders, thirty black-robed elders are moving toward Black Sound Realm from the Black Ghost Valley side!”
“Chief! Emergency! Right now from the south, news has come in that one Integration-level Ghost King and ten Four Pillars Ghost Kings from the Famous Ghost Palace side are moving to Black Sound Realm!”
“Chief!!! From the Bongrae-do side, one Integration-level Ghost King and fifteen Four Pillars Ghost Kings are leading troops forward from the east toward Black Sound Realm!”
Tap tap—
I knocked on the armrest of the sect leader’s chair.
[Which power moved first?]
Black Ghost Valley!
Then the other powers will be stimulated by Black Ghost Valley’s movement, right?
Yes, but all three powers are initially coming under the pretext of exterminating the cult in Black Sound Realm.
[They will wipe us out first, then fight among themselves to claim Black Sound Realm.]
I raised the qi from my eyes.
‘Five Integration, fifty-five Four Pillars. Plus the Black Ghost Valley brought a Seopmyeong Ship… The Famous Ghost Palace and Bongrae-do side seem to be bringing something similar….’
I chuckled.
[Sufficient.]
[Enough to carry out the operation.]
Don’t be afraid. I will protect you all. I stood up from the sect leader’s chair.
[Hong Beom, the time has come. Prepare.]
“Yes, Master.”
Hong Beom walked to the Gongryeong-ji and began linking the meridians of the Gongryeong-ji and Black Sound Realm through the personnel prepared earlier.
Kung, kung, kung!
I passed through the pages and exited the underground room of the Wugeuk Sect Battleground.
Kung!
And arriving in front of the Wugeuk Sect Battleground, I used the Voice Transmission Blade on the Grand Law Protector, the Left and Right Law Protectors, and all the Guardian Ghost Kings.
[Gather.]
Kworurung—
Red lightning flashed from the sky as Jeon Myeong-hoon descended with six shadows.
Next, with heavy footsteps and a purple aura, Oh Hyun-seok approached half-giantized.
Clang, clang, clang!
Kim Yeon, riding a cauldron carried by countless cursed dolls, appeared.
And Yeon-jin, who was sleeping, also came running frantically.
Flash, flash!
The dull light bursting with qi lined up the twelve Guardian Ghost Kings in front of me.
[All hear me.]
I shouted while flashing thirty-eight eye lights.
Kim Yeon accepted my voice and synchronized it with the formations installed throughout Black Sound Realm, delivering my voice to every corner.
[Currently, three of the four major powers of the Ghost Realm—Yimyu Ghost Palace, Bongrae-do, and Black Ghost Valley—have publicly designated us and are coming to exterminate us.]
A tremor ran through the entire Black Sound Realm at my words.
However, I continued without caring.
[Hear me.]
Kugugugu!
Six shadows erupted from beneath my feet.
Pajik, paji-jik—
Shadows filled with black lightning.
These shadows carried my death aura.
Kwaang!
As I rolled my foot, the shadows beneath my feet spread across the entire Black Sound Realm.
Because of the sky’s gaze in the daytime of the Ghost Realm, no one recognized my death.
But through the Six Extreme Yin Thunder God, it was possible to indirectly and very slightly expel a trace of my death aura.
Swaaaaa—
The ghost creatures of Black Sound Realm covered by my shadows instantly fell silent.
They didn’t directly sense my death, but instinctively ate fear and became quiet.
If I revealed more death here, they would panic and flee Black Sound Realm, but because I adjusted it delicately, that didn’t happen.
[There is one ghost wandering in the Ghost Realm.]
Everyone flinched.
Jeon Myeong-hoon, Kim Yeon, and Oh Hyun-seok’s expressions became a little strange, but I continued without caring.
[That ghost has many names. It is precisely what you are feeling right now.]
The first name of the ghost is sudden death.
You all suffered sudden death and died young, holding resentment, became ghost creatures, and reached the Ghost Realm. You tried hard to avoid the forces of the Underworld because you wanted to live properly. But even in the Ghost Realm, it was always difficult to avoid the forces of death. You were always afraid that one day you would be pulled by the forces and go to the underworld for judgment. Therefore, the main cult gave you flesh so you could stably enjoy life.
The second name of the ghost is disease.
You are already dead, so you have no body to get sick. But the moment you died, the festering resentment brought you as a ghost to wander the nine heavens. That festering resentment is a mental illness. I myself have had festering resentment many times, so I understand your resentment to some extent, though not completely. The resentment of your ghosts comes from where? From the life you lost. Therefore, the main cult arranged for you to find a limited but proper life.
The third name of the ghost is anxiety.
You all, no, we all have no choice but to fear fate. If you are not special people, we will always face death at the end of fate. We know that death is a terrifying creature that causes us to lose everything, and worry is the anxiety. Therefore, the main cult granted maximum welfare and benefits within the range where you could forget your anxiety for a while.
The fourth name of the ghost is poverty, and the fifth is weakness, and the sixth is hatred. The fourth, fifth, and sixth are all the same. The main cult improved the impoverished condition for you, gave strong bodies to the weak, and governed with maximum fairness so that hatred would not bloom.]
Heok-gwak said to me.
The Six Extreme Yin Thunder God is a martial technique that no one has ever perfected.
“Yes. We gave you as much as we could. But! Let me speak honestly here.”
All of it was only my self-satisfaction.
All of it was only a drug to cover your pain for a while.
All of it was only a deception and a very short mockery that we provided to you.
The Six Extremes are a concept opposite to the Six Blessings.
But unlike the Six Blessings, the Six Extremes had no corresponding axis.
The axis of the Six Extremes was just a fictional concept that there might be such a thing.
Like the Deungbongjogeuk concept created by the Wulin heroes in the previous Water Realm.
The Six Extreme Yin Thunder God was a fantasy attempting to realize that fictional concept.
That was why no one could perfect it.
I myself instinctively knew the moment I practiced according to the principles of the Six Extreme Yin Thunder God.
Even I or Jeon Myeong-hoon could not perfect this martial technique.
Therefore, it was impossible to defeat the completed martial technique, the Grand Extreme True Thunder God.
[It was simply arrogance and imagination of mine that arbitrarily judged what was necessary for you and gave you what you needed. Perhaps I, and the Wugeuk Sect, have been wielding arbitrary violence and irresponsible power under the pretext of exterminating this ghost with six names wandering in the Ghost Realm. There may have been those who did not like the governance of the Wugeuk Sect that occupied Black Sound Realm until now. There may have been those who felt it was tyranny. I fully accept it. No doubt our way was tyranny and oppression to someone. Therefore, I will not force you.
To reiterate. Right now, the three major powers of the Ghost Realm—Yimyu Ghost Palace, Black Ghost Valley, Bongrae-do—are coming to exterminate the Wugeuk Sect of Black Sound Realm that we publicize.
[Hear me.]
We are, perhaps, a heretical cult and a demonic cult that have tormented you using a ghost that may not even exist. Therefore, it is never a sin or betrayal to escape this demonic cult and enjoy freedom now that the three major powers are right in front of you. The puppet body given to you can be used for a long time as long as it is repaired well. Those who do not want to experience the sudden death suffered in the past again will all escape from Black Sound Realm to the three major powers that are about to invade here. We will not chase you, nor will we force you. To reiterate, escaping from the Black Sound Realm currently governed by this demonic cult is never a betrayal or sin. Simply, all of you, protect what is precious to you.
The concept of ‘pain’ opposite to blessing is simply the empty space of blessing.
It does not have substance.
That is why the Six Extreme Yin Thunder God can never be perfected.
But… I have endured this substance-less thing for my whole life.
This thing that torments us despite having no substance is the true ghost and the true great ghost.
That is why I only wanted this substance-less ghost to not hurt my precious people.
[Do not experience the pain of losing something again, like when you became a ghost creature. Only with the mad cult leader who wants to arbitrarily chase away the ghost wandering in the Ghost Realm and the mad ones with him…]
Yes, I am struggling to chase away the substance-less ghost…
[…] Stay here.]
Only a foolish lost man who, entranced by the great ghost, cannot regain his senses.]