The Accusation

"Senior."

"You know your junior respects and cherishes you deeply, right?"

"Please think of it as my own unique way of showing respect."

Behind that dry laughter, I had a strong feeling the word 'bullshit' had been omitted. My body felt like it would collapse if someone so much as poked it with a finger. So-wol and Jeongha were unconscious, while Ryeo-ah's energy seemed incredibly vibrant. Even now, her voice echoing in my head sounded as clear and crisp as if she were whispering right next to my ear.

Things had truly gotten incredibly tangled.

That crazy merchant bastard.

Core Condensation? A Core Condensation merchant group? Where did that bastard look like he belonged to a Core Condensation merchant group? I was starting to wonder if this entire mission had been a trap from the very beginning. A massive trap designed from the start for Hong Ryeo-ah to devour Qi Circulation cultivators under Kang Ha-yeon's faction, like me.

Fortunately, because I had Ryeo-ah, I escaped those demonic clutches. But paradoxically, because of that, an entity far more dangerous than Hong Ryeo-ah might have been unleashed.

I'm fucking terrified, actually.

Surprisingly, that didn't comfort me at all. But since she was saying it herself, I figured if I argued, she'd probably tell me to just go die, so I decided to let it slide for now.

"First, the girls... ugh."

Damn, my body. I had literally pushed myself to the absolute limit, so even taking a single step was agonizing. At least I had that dual cultivation recovery ability I got after taking So-wol's virginity, but even that was a recovery skill that required demonic energy to use.

Ryeo-ah paused for a moment, observing my physical condition.

"What do you mean by that?"

...That sounded incredibly suspicious. Even with a little bit of thought, the right move would be to reject such a shady proposal.

"I told you."

"That I would trust you."

I had said I would trust her, at least for today. It hadn't even been that long since I said those words, so I couldn't go back on them like a petty coward.

"And you did your best to save me and the others."

Above all, whatever her true motives and intentions were, she was the one who had helped save me, So-wol, and Jeongha. In times like this, rather than raising my guard, being suspicious, and pushing her away...

"Senior. Thank you for saving us."

It was only right to clearly express my gratitude first.

"Regardless of everything else, it's the truth."

Looking only at the outcome, the situation wasn't bad. The girls and I had survived relatively intact without being crippled, I had gotten a step closer to Ryeo-ah's true identity, and she had gotten what she wanted. If I considered Ryeo-ah to be on my side, I should actually be happy about her growth. The only thing left was how she viewed me and the girls. To her, was I an enemy, an ally, or just a nobody?

"Alright."

Ryeo-ah, who must have read my thoughts, brushed it off with a playful scolding about my cheekiness instead of giving a direct answer. Personally, I thought it was a good sign. If she only intended to use me, she would have deceived me with sweet, affectionate lies to steer me in a direction that benefited her. Soon, just like when I was being swallowed by Hong Ryeo-ah earlier, a strange sense of synchronization between Ryeo-ah and me began to bind us like threads.

"It has been a long time since I last held a physical form."

Ryeo-ah, who closed and opened my red eyes, looked up at the sky with a gentle expression.

"It feels quite unfamiliar."

A spine and bones branching out like tree limbs, with flesh clinging tightly around them. Various organs pulsating inside the ribcage, and the warmth of blood circulating vividly through the veins. And.

*Cough.*

The pain, and yet more pain, generated by a body that felt like it could give out its last breath at any moment.

"In many ways, this is a chaotic and unpleasant vessel."

Not only ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was it the body of a man with a cock, but it had to be his body of all things. The physical form was weak, and the cultivation realm was merely the first stage of Qi Circulation. Setting aside his talent, controlling it directly revealed countless inconveniences and shortcomings.

"Chaotic, truly chaotic."

And on top of that, the path he was taking was incredibly disorganized.

"Martial arts, demonic spells, and even mental cultivation... it is far too much for a mere first-stage Qi Circulation cultivator to study simultaneously."

Of course, she knew the reason. Because of her, on top of the already difficult path of practicing both martial arts and spells, another branch—mental cultivation—had been added.

"Tsk, tsk. If you wish to pioneer three paths simultaneously, you must at least reach the realm of Samgeuk."

The only reason he had been able to choose such a chaotic training method without facing a major bottleneck until now was, in her eyes, pure talent. To be precise, he had been using his talent to patch up his sloppy training, which allowed him to make decent progress.

"There is a reason why the orthodox path exists. For now, focus solely on the Great Mountain Demonic Wisdom Art. It is a moderately decent cultivation art, perfect for using until you reach Samgeuk before switching to something else."

After giving her physical roommate a piece of her mind, she placed both hands on the ground. Actually, calling it the ground might be a bit of a misnomer.

*Squelch—*

Currently, the ground was covered in all kinds of blood and flesh, resembling a scene straight out of hell. A horrific mire of chaotic, mangled remains lay scattered in every direction.

"Even if they were trash, the quantity is decent. The bodies that need healing are equally fragile, so this should be just the right amount."

Two hands pressed against the plain of corpses. Veins began to bulge on Ha-yoon's fingers, which then started to encroach upon the plain of dough-like flesh. It was as if his fingernails were claiming the entire plain as his own. Like a form of territory marking, the earth, now filled with ominous eyes and veins, began to pulsate. They moved in a spiral, taking on the shape of an altar.

*Gurgle, gurgle.*

Soon, the ominous veins that had sprouted across the entire mass of flesh writhed, and Ryeo-ah, borrowing Ha-yoon's body, chanted.

*Blink, blink.*

The vortex of eyeballs and flesh seeped into Ha-yoon's body at the center, as if to replenish his lacking flesh and blood. Or perhaps, to push him even further, it did more than just fill the gaps—it improved and evolved his body. The evolution of a species, which normally takes several generations, was happening in an instant. As if witnessing a condensed version of that long evolutionary process, every single cell in his body was rewritten into a form optimized purely for slaughter.

And a moment later.

The only living beings left in the vicinity were two unconscious girls who had no idea what had happened, and a red-eyed man looking up at the sky, his thoughts unreadable. Ryeo-ah stared blankly at the stars shining through the night clouds and muttered.

"I know you are a being from another world. How could I not know, having read your thoughts for so long?"

"I took special care to strengthen your body, so it should be quite useful. In the terms of your world, should I call this a 'special service'?"

"Since fate has bound us like this, and setting aside your god-awful lust, you have treated me quite reasonably and well. This is my own gift to you, a token of our future cooperation."

Having said that, Ryeo-ah turned her gaze to Jeongha and So-wol, who were breathing softly on the ground.

"Since I still have some energy left, I shall give them a small gift as well."

The livestock restriction seal engraved on the woman named So-wol. A shackle that forced her submission while simultaneously blocking her cultivation and growth.

"They put some effort into it, but in the end, it is nothing more than a mass-produced seal."

Ryeo-ah easily tore the restriction seal away. Then, she picked up the thin single-edged blade from Jeongha's waist and infused it with crimson demonic energy.

"A dharma treasure that grows stronger the more blood and slaughter it drinks. It is typical, and its limits are clear, but it should serve well enough until she reaches Samgeuk."

She sheathed the now-darker blade and casually hung it back on Jeongha's waist.

"There is much to do. This incident has made me realize one thing clearly. Like you, I do not have time. And just as you wish to make those women yours and turn them into allies, I also need subordinates or allies to handle menial tasks."

They were similar. Their situations, and even their subtle inclinations. Furthermore, they couldn't easily separate from each other.

"So, let us be a little more honest with each other. We must be able to go beyond mere coexistence and achieve mutual prosperity. Only then will it be comfortable for both of us, wouldn't you agree? Rather than engaging in meaningless, self-destructive wariness, we should set up a board where we both win."

It was wise. However, the mutual prosperity she spoke of required mutual trust and belief. She had made the first concession and offered a proposal.

"As you have seen, my primordial soul, my power, and even my memories have been shattered into pieces. I am barely clinging to life."

Let's set up a board that benefits both of us.

In truth, to keep her in check, I had gone so far as to add a mental cultivation art to my already difficult training path. My growth would stagnate, and Ryeo-ah's activities would be heavily restricted because of it. A fundamentally flawed framework where no one could win. There was no reason to reject breaking it. Of course, as I thought earlier, it came with the prerequisite of mutual trust.

"I must digest what I have consumed, so I will not be able to speak for a while. In the meantime, do what you must."

At the same time, half of the control over my body was handed back to me. Ryeo-ah extended her right hand, offering a handshake. There was no reason to refuse. I took half of the control—my left hand—and shook her hand.

"Let's get along."

"Understood."

It was a ridiculous sight—shaking my own hand and answering my own question—but in that manner, we forged our pact. Instead of meaningless suspicion, a promise of mutual prosperity: If I help you this time, you will help me next time. This was truly an intelligent, rational agreement for both of our sakes.

Nice. I could return with a light heart, as if a thorn deeply embedded in my chest had finally been plucked out.

"Ah."

Come to think of it, I forgot to ask who she actually was. I'd have to get a rough explanation once she finished digesting. Carrying the two girls, who showed no signs of waking up, and occasionally squeezing them, I left the village with a much lighter step.

"First."

I should probably go to my sister, right?

"I have heard you loud and clear, brother."

The office, which had become quite familiar after visiting it several times.

"To think our eldest brother would dare commit such an act... and by borrowing the power of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠what is presumed to be an external force?"

Naturally, I couldn't reveal the whole truth. Thus, while keeping the core of the story intact, I had to present a moderately modified and adapted version to Kang Ha-yeon.

"Yes."

"The kind of spellcaster you described does not exist within our eldest brother's faction. That means he recruited them from the outside. If they were simply an ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠independent recruit, it would not be an issue, but if they belong to an external force, the story changes completely."

There was nothing wrong with winning over and bringing in outside figures. Embracing and recruiting others was a display of one's own capability and resourcefulness. However, if that entity belonged to an external faction, it was a different matter.

"If we play this right, we can put immense pressure on our eldest brother. You did exceptionally well."

A candidate who brought in external forces for the crucial family succession battle just to make things easier for himself. That was a line no member of the family could tolerate. Of course, since Hong Ryeo-ah wasn't actually that kind of ally, this wouldn't be enough to disqualify him entirely.

"If I report this to the Elders and the Family Head, and use the investigation as an excuse to make it known to everyone in the family, we can sow seeds of doubt not only among those he might recruit but even among his closest subordinates."

However, if this matter was publicized to everyone under the guise of colluding with external forces, the influential candidate known as the One-Eyed Dragon would take a massive hit. Regardless of whether it was collusion or not, he would be covered in the filth of having tried to brainwash and groom his own family members. I didn't know the details, but his reputation would likely plummet for the foreseeable future.

"I will immediately file a formal request with the Family Head and the Elders to investigate his collusion. As for evidence, those who have been freed from the brainwashing will gladly step forward as witnesses."

Naturally, there were many who had been brainwashed by Hong Ryeo-ah. Aside from Kang Ha-yeon's merchant group, several other factions had been controlled by her, but they were freed upon her death. They knew some strange witch had controlled them, but since they didn't even know who she was or where she lived, no one had dared to step forward. Now, if we revealed the truth to them...

"This will deal him a proper blow."

"Indeed. You should also attend the upcoming meeting. As a witness."

"Of course. More importantly, I went through quite a lot of trouble this time..."

"Do you even need to say it? Your big sister will take care of everything for you, so go rest for now."

"Yes. I trust you."

And as time passed.

Following the summons sent by the Elders, I was able to enter the Hall of Discipline. At the same time, as I crossed the threshold of the Hall of Discipline, a realization struck me.

To think they called me to the Hall of Discipline, of all places.

The Hall of Discipline was where those whose guilt had been established to some degree were interrogated and judged. This meant the Elders and the Family Head were taking this matter quite seriously.

"The Hall of Discipline. The Hall of Discipline, is it?"

The weight of that name was by no means light. At best, I had expected this to end with a fine or a warning due to a lack of concrete evidence or circumstances. No matter what evidence or testimonies we presented, there was ultimately no decisive proof that the eldest young master had colluded with Hong Ryeo-ah. So, I had planned to be satisfied with merely smearing his reputation. The suspicion of everyone in the family toward the eldest young master would have been more than enough of a price.

But today's events might turn out to be much bigger than I thought.

"Have you arrived?"

"Ah, sister."

My sister, wearing red silk robes and a white fur scarf. She, too, looked as though she hadn't expected things to escalate to this extent.

"First... let us head inside."