The Necromancer's Price
The Yangtze River's waves churned endlessly, but at that moment, a commotion erupted outside. The door burst open, and a familiar face from Qingdao stood at the threshold. The bastard who'd pretended to be understanding only to lock her up in here! Cheong's wariness shot up instantly. She'd trusted him because he seemed like a decent guy, and this was how it ended up.
Whether Cheong cared or not, Janggang Ilcheok Pabonmu spoke with a hardened expression. “Lady Eon. I apologize, but I must ask for your help.”
“So it has come to this after all. Did I not clearly warn you?”
“This is quite embarrassing. If that proposal I made before is still valid…”
“Very well. Let us go.”
Cheong's eyes flashed. She's taking that crazy bitch with her. It was the perfect chance to escape this horrific prison. Hurry up and get lost. I need to find my freedom.
But the deranged, antisocial, supreme master murderess was not so easily shaken off.
“And it would be fine if Lady Seomun came along as well, yes?”
“No, why me? I'll just stay here. You two go have a nice trip together. I'll guard the house or whatever.”
“Then… would that not work? Great Hero Pa. You would not mind, would you?”
“If Lady Eon insists, what choice do I have? However, why?”
“Well. Personal reasons?”
Eon Yeonyeong grabbed Cheong's arm and linked it with her own. Cheong's face twisted in disgust. And so, with one arm held hostage, Cheong was helplessly dragged up to the deck.
And, in this godforsaken world! The deck was a complete sea of blood. Torn-off arms and legs lay scattered everywhere. Various organs that should have been inside bodies were now displayed individually. They threw a fun party without me. Those pathetic bastards. I know how to rip off limbs too. I want to show off my organs too! Cheong ground her teeth.
“Oh my. Lady Seomun. Are you angry? After learning such vicious martial arts, could you actually be a surprisingly righteous female hero? Oh dear…”
“What the hell is she on about.”
Eon Yeonyeong had made a huge misunderstanding, but Cheong was too busy feeling revolted to care. Her reaction was exactly as it appeared. What the hell is she on about.
Suddenly, the hand yanking her arm made Cheong's waist bend awkwardly. A whisper from the crazy woman pierced her ear from barely an inch away.
“Now that I think about it. How did you know I was a bad person? That was supposed to be a secret, you know?”
“Not my problem.”
“How cold-hearted…”
Eon Yeonyeong trailed off as if hurt. Cheong would have bet her entire fortune plus her arms and legs that this villain didn't feel even a speck of disappointment.
Cheong's steps halted in the middle of the deck. People stood in a tight circle with grave expressions. When Pabonmu appeared, they quietly made room for him. In the center was a young man bound tightly. He was wrapped so thoroughly in thick ship ropes that only his head poked out from the bundle. The young man kept trying to say something, but with a thick gag stuffed in his mouth, all he could manage were muffled grunts.
“It's a wooden Jiangshi.”
“Can it be treated? Is treatment possible?”
“The original core is already more than half damaged. Even if we destroy the dantian to release the suppression, his remaining lifespan would be around twenty years.”
“Is there truly no other way?”
Instead of answering, Eon Yeonyeong quietly looked at Bok Ha-un. Bok Ha-un replied with a pained expression.
“…If the young lady of the Eon Clan says so, then that must be it. What do you need?”
“Fortunately, I have most of it prepared. My luggage, two fresh hens, and a bundle of eggs… And could you prepare a windpipe as well?”
Eon Yeonyeong pressed close to the rope bundle. She placed her index and middle fingers on the young man's forehead and began chanting incantations. Surprisingly, she looked exactly like a genuine Taoist priest.
Taking the chance, Cheong asked Pabonmu, “What the hell is that woman's real identity?”
“Did you not hear? She is the young lady of the Jinju Eon Clan.”
“I heard that, but so what? What kind of family produces something like her? She's a total crazy bitch.”
“Young lady. I'm saying this because you remind me of my daughter. No matter how prestigious a righteous sect family you come from, calling the Murim Alliance's Grand Inspector like that… Actually, this isn't something we should be saying either. If I had known it would turn out like this…”
Pabonmu's expression was complicated. What the hell? After offering up a person to a crazy murderess. Cheong ignored him and pressed on.
“So, what is it?”
“The Jinju Eon Clan…”
The Jinju Eon Clan were the greatest corpse handlers in the Central Plains. Corpse handlers were Taoists who cleansed bodies, cared for them, and prayed for the deceased's repose. Monks and Taoists did similar work, but there was one unique sorcery only corpse handlers could perform. It was the bizarre art of drawing out a corpse's lingering energy to make it move on its own. Such self-moving corpses were called Jiangshi.
“What? Jiangshi?”
“So you do know about them.”
“Yeah, like this, and then hop hop.”
Cheong stretched out her arms and imitated a Jiangshi. Pabonmu clicked his tongue.
“Tsk tsk. That's what only little kids believe.”
“Then just think of me as a kid. So? What the hell is all this about? And what's a Grand Inspector? The Murim Alliance? Is that woman from the Murim Alliance?”
The Murim Alliance was supposed to be a gathering of the righteous sects. So why was something like her there? Cheong glanced at Eon Yeonyeong, who was writing talismans with chicken blood. Her negative karma just went up again. Did I misunderstand something? Is the Jiangshi the problem? Playing with dead bodies? No, even then, there's a limit. And she admitted with her own mouth that she's a bad bitch.
While Cheong was still uncertain, Pabonmu began explaining. This uncle has a surprisingly loose mouth. If Pabonmu had known what she was thinking, he would have felt wronged. From the beginning, he had assumed Cheong was a runaway daughter from a prestigious righteous family, so he was simply telling her facts she would learn anyway.
“It was about ten days ago…”
The Murim Alliance's Grand Inspector had visited the Yangtze River Water Sect. And what she said right away was that several Blood Jiangshi had been discovered in a secret cave nearby. It took a full hundred lives to create a single Blood Jiangshi. The Alliance estimated these were from people missing in the East Sea and concluded they had been transported along the waterways to Dongting Lake. And in the Yangtze, there was only one group capable of carrying out such heinous, heaven-defying smuggling.
It was the Yangtze River Water Sect.
However, the Murim Alliance believed that given Bok Ha-un's character, he was absolutely not the type to commit such acts. And that was indeed the truth. Therefore, they judged there must be another conspiracy at work and sent the Grand Inspector to inform them and investigate the truth.
“That's different from what you said. You locked me in solitary confinement.”
“That was unavoidable.”
Pabonmu shut his mouth. From here on, it was the Water Sect's internal affairs.
----
The Yangtze River Water Sect had changed. They had moved beyond being waterborne bandits on ships to become something like a proper sect with legitimate businesses. Toll fees? Even the Murim sects collected protection money in their own territories. The heroes guarding the Yangtze collecting a modest toll was actually quite reasonable compared to them.
However, not everyone was satisfied with this change. First, there was the Green Forest. Since the Green Forest and Water Sect had long been evaluated as fierce rivals, the Water Sect's evolution was unwelcome. So the bandit bastards kept running their mouths. Shameful bastards who don't know their place. Don't you dare call yourselves heroes. You're just the Emperor's dogs eating scraps from the government. If it were me, I'd rather cut off my dick and become a nun than suck up to the officials, and so on…
From Bok Ha-un's perspective, whatever the bandit bastards spouted didn't matter. The problem was that some within the Water Sect were agreeing with those words. The so-called Traditionalists, mainly composed of the previous generation's demons. Human trash who couldn't forget the taste of plunder, rape, and cannibalism. And the aspiring human trash who had joined the Water Sect hoping for exactly that added their strength.
And since there had recently been clear signs that the bastards were plotting something, hearing the words Blood Jiangshi made his mind go blank. The Traditionalists weren't plotting an ordinary conspiracy. If things went wrong, the entire Water Sect could get caught up and destroyed. This matter had to be handled without outside help!
It was time to show that these things happened, but fortunately we stopped it. That was why they had 'protected' the Murim Alliance's Grand Inspector. The Water Sect Leader Bok Ha-un thought as he looked at his son.
But perhaps I should have accepted the Murim Alliance's help even if it meant preparing for future interference. If I had, that child might not have…
It was then.
“Hoo…”
Eon Yeonyeong wiped away sweat and let out a long breath.
“How did it go? The child…”
“Fortunately, it went well. He should regain consciousness soon.”
Bok Ha-un let out a deep sigh. Even if his lifespan had been reduced, it was better than dying.
“You said about twenty years?”
“The treatment went well, so he should live a little longer than that.”
That should be enough, Bok Ha-un thought. Now I just need to hurry and arrange his marriage.
Bok Ha-un sincerely brought his hands together in a fist salute. “This Bok Mo offers his gratitude to our benefactor.”
“Benefactor? I'm not.”
“No, you are. You saved my child's life. Where in this world could there be a greater benefactor than that?”
“Really. I'm not…”
Eon Yeonyeong answered with a strange smile. It was clearly an unsettling one. But Bok Ha-un had fire on his feet. And it was the kind of fire that would spread to his entire body if he didn't shake it off. His urgent heart swept away his thoughts.
He had saved his son for now. But the situation was no ordinary crisis. The arm of the Inspector from the Surveillance Office had been severed, and the culprit was the Water Sect Leader's son, Bok Heum-cheok. Moreover, the attacker had loudly declared that it was at Bok Ha-un's command. Not a single one of the government troops who had fled with the Inspector could have missed those words.
How am I supposed to handle this…
It was then that Bok Heum-cheok woke up.
“Ugh… My head…”
Bok Heum-cheok, who had been clutching his head, suddenly trembled. With a startled expression, he looked around before urgently shouting at his father.
“Father! This is bad, it's terrible! At the main base, the main base is swarming with those bastards, those cursed demons! The Water Sect's own family members!”
Cheong was watching the scene with a blank stare. It seemed like the situation had become serious. People started running around shouting to turn the ship immediately and that they had to go rescue the main base. Amidst all the bustle, Cheong stood there alone.
Then she suddenly came to her senses. This isn't the time to be spectating. I need to run before that woman latches onto me.
“Oh my. Where are you trying to go?”
A chill ran down her spine instantly. Eon Yeonyeong was suddenly right beside her. Fucking hell, what a goddamn bitch. Cheong, who was genuinely fed up, put on a serious face.
Whether Cheong did or not, Eon Yeonyeong leaned her head close to her ear. A soft, gentle voice whispered.
Cheong's face crumpled. It wasn't because her pride was hurt by the supreme master saying she was weak. Compared to that monster, it was true that she was weak. It was simply because another unwelcome quest window had popped up.
For real. Fuck. Seriously, fucking fuck.
