To Reject Humanity
For the two days following the creation of the Primordial Origin Pill, I took in the altered landscape of Wuyuan County. Places that had once been endlessly beautiful had now transformed into something straight out of a horror game, draped in a grim, oppressive atmosphere. Sometimes, as I walked, I would startle at the sight of a Blood Jiangshi standing in some bizarre spot. Of course, whenever I jumped and stared, the Blood Jiangshi would quickly avert its gaze. In any case, once the two days had passed, I made my way to the headquarters of the Red Fang Gang, just as San Ireong had requested.
The Red Fang Gang's estate was guarded by far more Blood Jiangshis than any other place in the county, likely because it was where San Suhwa resided. Stepping inside the pavilion, I saw the Jiangshi of San Suhwa seated on a grand Taisha chair. Flanking her were Jeok-un and Gakgwi, both of whom had been turned into mindless Blood Jiangshis. They stood guard by her side, their faces completely expressionless and devoid of soul. In life, they were the ones who had snuffed out her breath. Now, trapped in agonizing bodies that were neither dead nor alive, they served as her eternal protectors. It was a deeply bizarre, ironic sight.
San Ireong, perceiving me through San Suhwa's black-and-red eyes, slowly rose using his sister's body and spoke.
"Blood Demon... I have been waiting for you."
"Oh? Your speech has gotten quite smooth, hasn't it? Before, it felt rather disjointed."
Indeed, even just two days ago, San Suhwa's voice had felt incredibly unnatural. Now, while still a bit slow, the jarring, broken cadence was entirely gone.
"I have been thinking... deeply. About what I should do."
"Mmh. And what conclusion did you reach?"
"I know this is twisted... but right now, I hate the world. I hate this world so much it drives me mad. I feel like I'll lose my mind if I don't drag someone, anyone, down to the absolute bottom with me."
"Dear me. Is that so?"
"But I can no longer move with my real body. That is why I cannot leave this place."
Just as he said, ever since San Ireong transformed into a Blood Ghoul, his physical body had become grotesquely deformed, making long-distance travel highly impractical. Furthermore, because he was the caster controlling them, the Jiangshis in Wuyuan County could not wander too far from their master.
At that moment, Lee Hak, who had been listening quietly from the side, raised his hand slightly and chimed in.
"Aha! I happen to know quite a bit about this! Once you become more proficient in the art of Jiangshi necromancy, you should be able to use that Extreme Blood Jiangshi body to travel quite far beyond Wuyuan County! There is no need to be so disheartened!"
"..."
"..."
It was certainly useful information, but his excessively cheerful tone made him seem incredibly tone-deaf. We were in the middle of a highly solemn conversation, after all. San Ireong seemed to feel this as well; he merely gave a small nod and continued what he had been saying.
"You will continue to wander the world, bringing despair to countless humans."
"Pardon?"
"I know. I know that I, too, was one of your victims. But I do not intend to blame you. Even without you, my family would have eventually fallen prey to the Red Fang Gang, and no one would have come to save us. You merely accelerated the timeline."
"..."
He seemed to be under a massive misunderstanding, but since I had indeed played a part in bringing ruin to his life, it felt awkward to make excuses. San Suhwa's right eye, a dark red ghoul eye, gleamed with an ominous hue.
"When you see what I have created, even you will be astonished."
San Suhwa's body reached into her robes, pulled out a small box, and offered it to me.
"What is this?"
"Open it. You will find something interesting inside."
I carefully took the box and opened it. Inside lay a small, glowing crimson pill. For some reason, a powerful, vibrant life force radiated from it. The moment I laid eyes on it, my mouth watered involuntarily. It was just a pill, yet it looked incredibly appetizing.
A high-grade Soul Resentment Pill refined from the souls of one hundred people. It radiates a powerful, vibrant life force that appeals intensely to Blood Ghouls. If consumed by a human, it forcefully corrupts their body with blood qi, transforming them into a Blood Ghoul.
"What is this?"
Standing beside me, Biwol also stared at the crimson pill, swallowing hard as she showed intense interest. However, Lee Hak, who was right there with us, showed no reaction whatsoever and tilted his head in confusion.
"Hmm? I do not feel anything special from it."
Seeing this, San Ireong spoke as if he had anticipated this exact reaction.
"As I thought. It triggers an immediate reaction in Blood Ghouls. This is a medicine refined by melting down human souls—the Soul Resentment Pill. What I am showing you now is the Hundred Soul Pill, which contains the melted souls of one hundred people. Because it contains so many souls, its color is quite crimson and glows with a bright luster."
"The Soul Resentment Pill..." I muttered, staring at the pill as if possessed.
"It seems the color and glow vary depending on the number of souls melted into it. The more souls, the redder and brighter it shines. I made one out of curiosity, but the Single Soul Pill refined from just one person's soul was a truly pathetic sight."
"...How on earth did you make this?"
At my question, San Suhwa's expression twisted slightly.
"You know exactly how. Why even ask?"
"M-mmh." Even without him putting it into words, I could easily guess the process.
"Do you know what the most interesting part of this pill is?"
"What is it?"
A twisted smile crept onto San Suhwa's lips.
"If a human—someone who is not a Blood Ghoul—consumes this pill, they will be instantly corrupted by blood qi and transform into a Blood Ghoul."
"Just by eating this pill, one can become a Blood Ghoul so easily?"
"What do you think? Wouldn't this be quite useful for that amusing little game of playing human you like to run?"
At that moment, Lee Hak, who had been listening from the side, spoke with an unusually serious expression.
"This medicine is incredibly dangerous."
San Ireong frowned and replied, "Of course it is dangerous."
"I must test it first."
With that, Lee Hak naturally reached his hand toward the pill. Sensing his true intentions, Biwol swiftly slapped his hand away.
"I understand your desperate desire to become a Blood Ghoul, but please exercise some restraint."
"Tsk." Lee Hak scratched his head sheepishly and clicked his tongue. "Everyone here is a Blood Ghoul except for me. I felt so left out! Please try to understand my feelings."
Completely ignoring Lee Hak, San Ireong continued.
"In any case, my sister and father will never truly return. They merely move like puppets. I have nothing left now."
"..."
Hearing his words, Lee Hak tilted his head.
"Eh? For a Jiangshi with that level of power, it wouldn't be strange for them to retain some self-awareness. Perhaps it is just because they were reanimated so recently? I have made things like White Jiangshis and Heavenly Jiangshis myself, and in my experience, they gradually regain their past memories over time."
"What?"
At those words, San Ireong, Biwol, and I all stared at him with wide, startled eyes.
Seemingly flustered by the sudden spotlight, Lee Hak rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled.
"Ah, well, that is just based on my personal experience! Haha, it is not an absolute certainty."
San Ireong asked, his voice laced with a sudden spark of hope.
"Is that true? That they can gradually regain their memories over time?"
"Ah, of course, it is not as if they will have emotions like they did when they were alive. But they should be able to hold a basic conversation, answering questions and such."
"Exactly how long does that take?"
As San Ireong pressed him almost frantically, Lee Hak raised his hands in a placating gesture.
"I completely understand the urgency that comes from turning your own family into Jiangshis, but perhaps you should calm down a bit. Right now, you are a bit too..."
"How could you possibly know how I feel? Do not throw around words like 'understand' so lightly. Have you ever personally turned your own family into Jiangshis? Have you?!"
"Yes. Actually, I have."
—A dead halt.
A heavy, suffocating silence fell over the pavilion.
San Ireong spoke slowly, his voice thick with sheer bewilderment.
"You... you have? Truly?"
"Yes."
"Y-you lie. If that were true, how could you possibly be so nonchalant..."
"I personally turned my parents, my siblings, and even all of our household servants into Jiangshis with my own hands."
"...?"
San Ireong stared at Lee Hak, his sister's eyes widening as if he couldn't believe his own ears.
After a long pause, San Ireong asked in a trembling voice.
"Why... why would you do such a thing?"
Lee Hak tilted his head, looking genuinely puzzled.
"My reason is exactly the same as yours, Lord Jigok-do. They were all dead, and I wanted to see them again. So, I turned them into Jiangshis."
At those words, San Ireong stared at him blankly, completely dumbfounded.
"Ah... uh..."
I stared at Lee Hak with a thoroughly bewildered expression, while Biwol shook her head slowly.
"Lord Blood Demon, you must get used to this. That man's way of thinking is fundamentally different from ours."
"My, why is everyone looking at me like that...?"
I cautiously asked him.
"Who... exactly are you?"
"As you can see, I am a human."
Then, San Ireong asked, still unable to comprehend.
"H-how... how did such a thing even happen to you?"
Lee Hak spoke casually, as if sharing a light anecdote about someone else.
"Oh, it is nothing major. I actually hail from the Jinju Eon Clan. The 'Lee' in Lee Hak is my mother's maiden name. My original name is Eon Hak."
"The Eon Clan?!" San Ireong gasped in shock. "If it is the Eon Clan, they were accused of treason against the Imperial Family..."
"It was not treason," Lee Hak interrupted, his voice dropping slightly, losing its playful edge for a brief moment. "In any case, our Eon Clan had been secretly researching the art of Jiangshi necromancy. And as it turned out, the perfect opportunity to put it to use arrived."
I had absolutely no idea what they were talking about, so I simply nodded with a shocked expression.
But what on earth is the Jinju Eon Clan?
To begin with, my knowledge of martial arts lore was incredibly shallow. I barely knew anything about the Five Great Clans or the Nine Great Sects and One Association. When it came to noble clans, I only knew of the poison-wielding Sichuan Tang Clan, and the usual suspects like the Namgung and Zhuge Clans. As for the sects, I only recognized the Mount Hua Sect, the Southern Edge Sect, and the famous Shaolin Temple from webtoons I'd read. At best, before playing this game, I remembered that the Emei Sect was a sect composed entirely of Buddhist priestesses. Thus, I had no clue what kind of standing the Jinju Eon Clan possessed, nor what crime they had supposedly committed to draw the wrath of the Imperial Family. Still, piecing together the context, it seemed Lee Hak was a survivor of the Jinju Eon Clan who had personally reanimated his slaughtered family after they were wiped out by the empire.
"I turned my parents and siblings into White Jiangshis and Heavenly Jiangshis. At first, they couldn't interact at all, but now, most of them can exchange simple conversations. Of course, they do not possess emotions, but they can speak based on their memories from when they were alive. I am quite satisfied with that."
"...If that is true, then I am glad. Truly."
"Of course! Fellow necromancers must stick together. Finding another practitioner of the Jiangshi arts in the Central Plains is like finding a needle in a haystack."
It seemed to bring genuine comfort to San Ireong, as the face of San Suhwa he was controlling brightened, if only slightly. Then, Lee Hak turned his gaze toward me.
"In any case, Lord Blood God? Would you mind granting this pill to me? I wish to see if it truly possesses the effects Lord Jigok-do described. Besides, I wish to become a Blood Ghoul as soon as possible."
Lee Hak opened his squinted eyes slightly, his voice carrying an intense, uncharacteristic sincerity.
"I want to live forever without dying. Forever."
"Uh, sure. Go ahead."
"Ah! Thank you!"
Lee Hak quickly snatched up the Hundred Soul Pill. With a deeply meaningful yet playful expression, he declared dramatically:
"From this moment on, I reject my humanity!"
He popped the pill into his mouth and swallowed it whole. Immediately, his eyes widened, and he began inspecting his own body.
"Oh, oh! Oh! I can definitely feel an unprecedented energy surging and thrashing through my meridians! Should I sit down and meditate to circulate this qi?"
At Lee Hak's question, San Ireong shrugged.
"Well, I am no martial artist, so I do not know for sure. But it probably is not necessary. Those souls will ultimately bind themselves to your body and refuse to leave."
"Mmh, yes! Splendid! Even though I am not actively guiding the energy, it is gathering in my dantian as if being pulled by a vacuum. It seems to be working exactly as you said."
With his eyes squinted once more, Lee Hak offered a bright, cheerful smile despite the slight exhaustion creeping into his face. He clasped his hands in a respectful salute, expressing his gratitude to San Ireong and me.
"Thank you. However, perhaps because a massive amount of qi was suddenly forced into my meridians and dantian, I am feeling rather dizzy. Would it be alright if I rested nearby for a short while?"
I gave a light nod.
"Go ahead. It is not as if staying here for one more day will cause any trouble."
"Then, I shall take my leave first."
His voice brimming with anticipation, Lee Hak stepped out of the pavilion.
With only the three of us remaining, San Ireong asked.
"Where will you go now?"
I stroked my chin, pondering for a moment before replying.
"Well, I do not have a specific destination in mind. I plan to just wander around. Would you like to join us?"
"I think I will stay here with my family. Just as that man—Lee Hak, or Eon Hak—said, if some time passes, my sister and father might return to me."
Hearing the newfound hope in San Ireong's voice made me feel a bit lighter. After bidding him farewell, I stepped out of the pavilion. Looking up, it felt as though the endlessly crimson sky had cleared, if only a little.