Chapter 80: Half-Corpse (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 80: Half-Corpse (2)
‘!!!’
...He went to the guest room where I was staying?
My heart felt like it was dropping into my stomach.
I had thought it was strange for him to appear here so perfectly timed; he must have come at Sama-yeong’s request.
But if he had stopped by that room so soon after the heat of our passion had faded...
Ah, and here I was thinking I wouldn’t have to walk on eggshells around my father-in-law, Moon Evil Sword Sama Chak, anymore. I’ve gone and dug my own grave.
‘This is driving me crazy.’
Countless options flashed through my mind.
The first was to simply drop to my knees.
But saying, "I apologize for moving so fast before the wedding," seemed like it would only fan the flames of his anger. It was an incredibly awkward situation.
-Kekeke, why don't you just tell him you were trying to give him a grandchild?
The Blood Demon Sword snickered.
Do you think you could say that with him staring at you like that?
My father-in-law’s gaze was freezing. It constricted my heart more painfully than a dagger wound.
‘...There’s no other way.’
The best defense is a good offense. I should speak first and offer an unconditional apology.
“Father-in—”
Before I could even get a word out, Sama Chak, who had been staring at me coldly, spoke.
“Even when I try to look at you favorably as my son-in-law, you have a knack for disappointing me...”
-Flinch!
Before he could finish his sentence, both he and I simultaneously turned our heads toward the bisected corpse of Wicked Heart Granny Cheol Su-ryeon.
An incredibly sinister energy was pouring out of her dead body. It wasn't visible to the eye, but it prickled my Qi Sense.
“What in the...?”
She was definitely dead. I couldn't understand why she was emitting such an aura.
As I watched in confusion, the chillingly sinister energy flowing from her body suddenly vanished, as if evaporating into thin air. It was an incomprehensibly bizarre phenomenon.
Then, Sama Chak muttered softly.
“The child... the child!”
‘The child?’
As soon as he spoke, Sama Chak blurred, his form flying toward a certain direction.
I was puzzled for a split second, but then I remembered: just before she died, Wicked Heart Granny Cheol Su-ryeon had thrown the corpse of a four- or five-year-old child she had been carrying.
Was he going to check on that?
-Swish!
I threw myself into the air, following Sama Chak.
Soon, I saw him standing still, his brow furrowed. He was looking at a spot with broken branches and slightly disturbed earth.
“It’s gone.”
“Are you talking about the child’s corpse Cheol Su-ryeon was carrying?”
“Yes.”
The situation was hard to grasp. What Cheol Su-ryeon had thrown was the corpse of a dead child. Even when I was fighting her, I had been wary of the bundle on her back, but I hadn't felt even a flicker of life from it. It was, quite literally, a corpse.
‘A corpse moved on its own?’
The idea of a dead body moving by itself was...
Suddenly, a thought flashed through my mind.
‘A Jiangshi?’
In the past, Taoists skilled in the arts of the Maoshan Sect and other sorceries could make corpses move so they could return to their hometowns. This was called the art of Jiangshi, and the moving corpses were known as Hopping Corpses.
If a dead person was moving, that was the only explanation.
“...Could it be a Jiangshi?”
“I cannot say for certain. However, a sinister energy headed this way.”
“Pardon?”
I thought the energy had evaporated?
Seeing my confusion, Sama Chak spoke to me.
“It is the Sixth Sense.”
The Sixth Sense? Did he mean intuition rather than the five physical senses?
It was a more cognitive sensation. Was it really possible to detect sinister energy through a sense closer to insight?
“Those who have broken the wall and reached the realm of superhumans find their physical senses—the five senses—maximized. But that is not the end. Within the wall, another wall exists.”
‘Ah!’
Was he teaching me about the higher realms right now? To think he would show such kindness.
As I stared at him in surprise, Sama Chak touched the disturbed soil and said, “The Sixth Sense is the realm of transcendental perception, a super-sense. Once you reach it, you gain the ability to encompass space itself. Since you use the Sword Control Art so freely, I thought you had already set foot in the Sixth Sense, but it seems that is not the case.”
“.......”
I was using it freely because of the power of the Prison Torture. I couldn't exactly reveal that.
Sama Chak shook his head and spoke in a grave voice.
“It seems we’ve lost it.”
“The child, perhaps, but Cheol Su-ryeon is...”
“I thought it was strange.”
“What do you mean?”
“That an old monster who had opened her Sixth Sense would be so affected by your Lion’s Roar.”
Oh?
Now that he mentioned it, he was right. If she had opened her Sixth Sense and surpassed the wall within the wall, as Sama Chak said, she could have momentarily substituted her hearing with her transcendental perception.
That meant Cheol Su-ryeon might have let herself be hit on purpose.
‘An aging body... a disappearing child’s corpse...’
The connection was subtle. I had thought it strange that she kept the child on her back while fighting. But if the sinister energy from her body had escaped and come here...
“Could it be?!”
“That energy might belong to the realm of the spirit.”
“Then Cheol Su-ryeon might have transferred herself into that dead child.”
“Indeed.”
Sama Chak brushed the dirt off his hands and stood up. He shook his head slowly.
“If Cheol Su-ryeon didn't die but escaped by moving her spirit, then you have let a dangerous enemy slip away.”
Ah...
He was right. Because of this incident, I hadn't formed an alliance with Wicked Heart Granny Cheol Su-ryeon; instead, we had become mortal enemies. Furthermore, she mistakenly believed I was connected to the Jonju, making the situation even worse.
Sama Chak put his hands behind his back and clicked his tongue.
“You have a remarkable talent for making enemies.”
“.......”
That hit home. But I had no excuse.
Sama Chak sighed and said, “I came here to ask a favor, but it seems I’ve only added to my burdens. I will search for that dead child. You, take the infant and leave this place immediately.”
“Father-in-law...”
“Hurry. Once that old hag holds a grudge...”
Before he could finish, I held up a hand, signaling for him to wait. Sama Chak frowned, likely because I had interrupted him.
I felt apologetic, but this was more important right now. The voice of the Lesser Conversation Sword was echoing in my head.
-You see it too, right? What the hell is that?
Through the Lesser Conversation Sword’s vision, I saw something small crossing the river at an incredible speed.
The Yangtze River wasn't far from here. The Lesser Conversation Sword, which was still floating in the air, had spotted it and was following.
I focused the power of the Prison Torture. The vision shared by the sword expanded and grew clearer.
A small child was performing the Water-Skimming Lightness Skill across the river.
‘Ah!’
I could only see the back, but it looked just like that child’s corpse. Just as we predicted, the dead body was moving as if alive.
‘It’s the old hag.’
It had to be Wicked Heart Granny Cheol Su-ryeon. To perform the Water-Skimming Lightness Skill like that, one had to be beyond the realm of a superhuman. To cross the river at such speed with those short legs...
Now wasn't the time to be amazed.
“Father-in-law! The child’s corpse is crossing the river right now!”
“What?”
Sama Chak looked at me with disbelief. I couldn't exactly tell him I was sharing vision with a sword. How should I explain?
Even if I had to make up an excuse later, I couldn't let the old hag get away now.
“The situation is urgent, so please just trust me for now.”
“.......”
Sama Chak gave me a strange look, then nodded and shot toward the riverbank.
‘Blood Demon Sword!’
-Hmph. Get on.
The Blood Demon Sword slid out of its scabbard and allowed me to mount its blade. I flew up into the air, cutting through the sky as I surged forward.
-Shoooooo!
Below, I could see Sama Chak performing Lightness Skill. His speed was incredible. He was so proficient in Lightness Skill that it seemed only my father, the Merciless Wind God, could keep up with him.
As he ran, Sama Chak looked up, spotted me, and grimaced.
‘!?’
He seemed quite shocked to see me performing Sword Flight Art. Indeed, Sword Flight Art was a technique that even masters who had reached the highest realms found difficult to perform without something like the Prison Torture.
Then, an unbelievable sight unfolded. Sama Chak, who had been running on the ground, suddenly stepped onto the air and began to rise.
‘Void Step?’
Void Step. Along with the ability to glide through the air, it was a legendary technique of Lightness Skill. It was a much higher-level technique than the Water-Skimming Lightness Skill, and I hadn't known it was actually possible.
My jaw dropped.
However, it didn't seem like something he could maintain continuously. He leaped upward, tapped a tree branch with his toe, leaped again, kicked the air a few times, and then suddenly flew toward where I was performing Sword Flight Art.
‘!?’
Closing the distance in an instant, Sama Chak grabbed the back of my collar and placed one foot on the sword.
-Whoa!
The Blood Demon Sword wobbled as the weight increased. I couldn't believe he had just leaped up and hitched a ride without warning.
As I struggled with the balance, Sama Chak spotted the small figure crossing the Yangtze River, and his eyes gleamed. It seemed my words had been proven true.
Sama Chak asked me, “Can you close the distance?”
Are you planning to go together like this?
I wasn't sure if it was possible. The speed had dropped noticeably since Sama Chak got on.
“How exactly are you doing this?”
“That is...”
-Damn it. He’s heavy!
I wanted to answer, but the Blood Demon Sword was wobbling violently. It seemed the center of gravity was off, making it hard to maintain balance. I couldn't exactly ask him to get off, either.
Then, Sama Chak said to me, “This won't do. Cross your arms.”
What was he planning?
I did as he instructed and crossed my arms. Then, Sama Chak leaped over me, placed his feet against my crossed arms, and kicked off as if they were solid ground.
-Bam!
“Ugh!”
In that moment, his body shot through the air like an arrow at an incredible speed. It was the Divine Bow Shadow Projection technique.
-Whish!
In a single breath, Sama Chak cleared a third of the river's width. After kicking the air a few more times, he began performing the Water-Skimming Lightness Skill, chasing after the small figure that had almost reached the far bank.
-That damn human!
The Blood Demon Sword cursed at the receding Sama Chak. It was because the recoil from being used as a springboard had pushed us back.
Regardless, the man was truly a freak among freaks. However, because of the initial distance, it seemed impossible for even Sama Chak to catch the old hag immediately.
‘Go higher!’
At my command, the Blood Demon Sword soared further into the sky. Flying at a higher altitude, it gained even more speed as it surged forward. Nothing was faster than cutting through the heavens.
Overtaking the old hag in an instant, the Blood Demon Sword dived down like a hawk. I landed and blocked the path of the pale-faced child who was running with incredible speed, looking every bit like a corpse.
-Thud!
The child, startled by my sudden appearance from the sky, skidded to a halt and grimaced.
“You?”
She clearly hadn't expected me to get ahead of her.
‘...Those eyes.’
The child had White Eyes—nothing but white pupils, just like Wicked Heart Granny. It seemed she was blind as well.
I said to the child, “You’re the old hag, aren't you?”
At my words, the child opened its mouth.
“How did you know?”
To think a thing that looked like a dead body could speak like that. It was truly bizarre. It seemed our guess was right: Wicked Heart Granny Cheol Su-ryeon had indeed transferred herself into the child’s body.
“My father-in-law figured it out. I don't know what kind of sorcery it is, but it seems you can hop between bodies.”
-Snap!
I caught the hilt of the Blood Demon Sword as it flew through the air. Aiming it at the woman inside the dead child, I said, “My father-in-law will be here soon. With that body, your chances of winning are...”
It happened then.
Before I could finish my sentence, Cheol Su-ryeon’s form blurred. It was the Shape Transformation technique.
Was she choosing to flee rather than waste time talking? I couldn't let that happen.
I activated the Wind Shadow Step. To keep up with her speed, ordinary Lightness Skill wouldn't suffice. The moment I used Wind Shadow Step, her blurred path of movement became visible.
-Swish! Swish! Swish!
But the direction Cheol Su-ryeon was moving was toward me.
Since Sama Chak was arriving soon, I had assumed she would avoid a fight in that dead child’s body and flee. I hadn't expected her to target me.
-Boom!
I stomped the ground powerfully and thrust my sword toward her, spinning it. It was the 6th form of the New Path Life-Drawing Sword Technique: the Great Rotating Chasing Return Sword.
The sharp killing intent rising from the tip of the sword created a whirlwind, surging toward the approaching Cheol Su-ryeon.
-Slash-slash-slash-slash!
‘What?’
Faced with the danger of being swept up by the sword technique, Cheol Su-ryeon instead threw herself into the center of it. Like a moth diving into a flame.
Despite her small body, Cheol Su-ryeon spun along the trajectory of the whirling sword and reached out for me. Even with eyes that couldn't see, she was accurately grasping the flow of the sword technique.
She was a monster, through and through. I had never seen anyone respond to the Great Rotating Chasing Return Sword like this.
However, the essence of this technique lay in its two variations. As I slightly twisted the sword's path, the whirlwind of killing intent changed direction and soared upward.
At that moment, Cheol Su-ryeon didn't yield to the second variation but collided with the killing intent with her bare body.
-Slash-slash-slash-slash!
The killing intent carved into her skin. Was she planning to die like this?
Not knowing what trick she might pull, I didn't let my guard down and continued to press the attack. If she possessed such a bizarre soul-transferring sorcery, it might be better to kill her here by any means necessary rather than lingering on the hope of getting information.
‘I’ll take her head.’
I directed the sword's trajectory toward her neck. I would decapitate her in one blow. If she had no more bodies to move into, no matter how skilled she was in sorcery, there would be no way for her to survive...
-Clang!
In that instant, Cheol Su-ryeon grabbed the blade of the Blood Demon Sword. I tried to twist the sword away, but I was stunned by the sheer amount of internal power she possessed. It was incomprehensible how such power could come from that tiny frame.
Cheol Su-ryeon gave a sickening smile and spoke.
“Moon Evil Sword aside, did you really think a brat like you could do anything to me?”
Goosebumps broke out all over my body. I launched a kick at the head of the Cheol Su-ryeon who was holding my blade.
With a swift movement, she clung to my leg.
“Get off!”
I tried to stab her in a panic, but she moved as nimbly as a monkey, climbing up my leg and suddenly appearing behind my back. She was too fast.
“Damn it!”
I surged my internal power, intending to throw myself backward to knock her off. At that moment, Cheol Su-ryeon struck both sides of my head with her hands.
-Bam!
“Gah!”
It felt like my eardrums had burst. From the massive impact of her internal power, I felt blood streaming from my eyes, nose, and mouth. With my eardrums ruptured and my head reeling from the shock, the world began to spin, and my vision blurred.
Amidst the chaos, I heard her voice.
“I shall take your body.”
‘!?’
In that moment, a chillingly sinister energy ambushed me, and my vision was dyed black.
-Where is it? Where is your soul?
Cheol Su-ryeon, having ambushed Jin Un-hwi’s body, searched for his soul. It was her first time entering such a powerful vessel, but as long as she could push out the original soul, taking over the body would be no difficult task.
It was a pity it wasn't a woman’s body, but there was no better vessel than this. Moreover, hadn't he even received some kind of procedure to gain recovery abilities? This might be the most ideal body she had ever inhabited in all her years.
-Soul. Where are you?
Cheol Su-ryeon delved deep into the subconscious. She was confident she could find the soul no matter where it hid. After all, she was the greatest sorceress, having lived for two hundred years.
-Wooooong!
Cheol Su-ryeon sensed a soul deep within the core. She moved toward it rapidly.
-Found you. Kekekekeke. Did you think you could hide from me? Now, leave this body and be set free...
It happened in that very instant.
Just as she tried to push the soul out, it grabbed her. It held her so firmly, as if seizing her by the ankles, that she couldn't hide her bewilderment.
-You think you can resist...?
-Crunch!
Suddenly, the thing that had grabbed her began to consume her. For a moment, she was struck with panic. It was impossible for a living person to manipulate a soul so freely. And yet, it was eroding her?
-You... what are you?
Then, a voice echoed within her.
-If you’ve just moved in, you should stay quiet. You’re noisy, wench.
-What?
She couldn't understand what was happening.
-Crunch!
Then, that something dug even deeper into her soul. She felt a level of evil that was on a completely different dimension from anything she had ever experienced. It was filled with nothing but rage, killing intent, and destruction.
-You... you monster... what are you? How can such an impossible existence be inside a body...?