Chapter 7 - The Crying Ghost (3)
The Crying Ghost (3)
Translator : Elizabeth
To be honest, I was a little scared.
But hey, if push comes to shove, I can just whip out the identification plaque, so I decided to be reckless.
The reason I pushed this far was simple.
'I want to go back.'
My sister, possessed by the Crying Ghost, had definitely said that.
Then, couldn't this be related to the reason Hyeon-bi awakened as the Crying Ghost?
That was roughly my thought process.
"..."
Her pupils were trembling severely. It was the first time I'd seen her lose her composure since I met her.
"...I do not wish to go back."
Hyeon-bi spoke.
"I never want to go back to that hellish place again. Here, I do not have to starve. I do not smell. I can talk to people, and I do not have to be sick."
"Is that true?"
"Yes. So do not speak such words again. Besides, how can this be called an investigation? Do you not simply wish to mock me?"
Small.
Looking at the trembling girl, I thought she was truly small.
The look in her eyes just moments ago, when she sent everyone out and looked at me with resignation, was still vivid.
She had definitely given up on life. Even if I had drawn my sword, she would have easily accepted the coming death.
I couldn't help but dislike that.
This wasn't the time to be thinking about escaping the Imperial Palace as soon as possible.
Those who know Chivalry (Hyeop) never sit by and watch someone in trouble.
Especially if it's such a small girl.
"As for me. I want to go back."
"...What do you mean?"
"I was also a street beggar like you, Lady Hyeon-bi. An orphan, had jack shit to my name, brats bullied me—anyway, it was a shitty life, but I miss those times."
Hyeon-bi's gaze wavered.
"Why? Are you not Master Baekrok's disciple? Then, surely you are living a better life than before."
"Status, money, power—sure, it's good to have them. I won't refuse them. But I feel stifled here. I liked it better when I just lived however I wanted, doing whatever the hell I pleased. Well, I'm still doing that now, but still, I want to leave the Imperial Palace as soon as possible."
Hyeon-bi stared at me blankly, as if finding it absurd.
"What was so good about such a life?"
"A year ago, I saved a child. It was a young kid kidnapped by bandits. The brat used to cry whenever he saw my face at first, but after a few days, he greeted me with a bright smile."
'Besides that,' I added.
"There were times I saved women from beasts, and sometimes I'd shout for joy finding rare herbs. Even though I didn't have a place to sleep like now, and there were many days I went hungry, I was free back then."
Hyeon-bi didn't answer.
She just quietly stared into my eyes.
"...You are sincere."
Suddenly, Hyeon-bi's eyes widened. Her pale green irises shone.
"How about you, Lady Hyeon-bi? Are you truly happy with your life here?"
I asked.
She was silent for a moment.
"I..."
It was then.
BOOM!
A roar erupted from afar.
Then the screams of women were heard, and the smell of something burning flowed in through the cracks of the door.
"Aaaah! Aaack!"
"Are you crazy? Why suddenly the sword!"
Mine and Hyeon-bi's gazes locked instantly.
Without needing to say who was first, we both stood up.
And when we opened the door—
Sob...! Ugh...!
A young child was crouching and crying.
"It's a hit!"
The arrow shot by the Emperor struck exactly in the center of the target.
At this, the eunuch's thunderous shout was heard, but the Emperor didn't blink an eye.
"Those who reveal themselves on the outside are easy to handle."
The Emperor said in a low voice.
Beside him, Baekrok stood with his hands clasped together.
"However, things like evil spirits are not like that. They hide themselves thoroughly, seep into the cracks of humans, and eventually erase even that existence."
The Emperor slowly pulled out a second arrow.
"An evil spirit living in the cracks of emotions parasites as if it were one with the host from the beginning."
"Your Majesty's words are correct. Evil spirits are nigh omnipotent when it comes to hiding themselves. Therefore, most end their lives without even knowing there was an evil spirit inside them until they die."
"So, the Crying Ghost was exceptional. Because it was openly trying to reveal itself."
It was as he said.
It was rare for an evil spirit to display its influence so blatantly.
"In other words, the Crying Ghost has either finished preparations—"
"—Or it was driven into a situation where it could no longer hide."
The gazes of the two met in the air for a moment.
"If it's the former, it has already become completely one with the host and is reigning while wearing a human mask, so we will have to endure immense casualties."
"And if it's the latter?"
"There is no precedent. There is not a single line of record where an evil spirit revealed itself because it was cornered."
"Then what do you think about the letter that just arrived?"
"..."
Baekrok fell silent.
The Emperor pulled the bowstring fully.
Thwip!
"It's a hit!"
"Summon Mumyeong before me immediately. I have something to discuss with him."
Sob..., Ugh...
The child covered in black shadows looked like a foreign existence to anyone who saw it.
Hyeon-bi unwittingly took a step back.
"...Don't tell me, is this the Crying Ghost? Then how...? Didn't the Crying Ghost only appear during Ja-si on the first day of the month?"
"I don't know either."
Mumyeong picked up the sword he had put down earlier and hung it at his waist.
"What's certain is that it's chaotic as hell."
As he said, the scenery of the Hyeonmu Hall was pandemonium.
Dark red energy was spreading, and fires were rising everywhere.
Some were beating people with their bare hands, while others were swinging swords wildly.
Among the people who had turned violent were Jong-cheon, Hyang-rang, and the Head Maid, who had collapsed earlier.
"...W—We must run."
Hyeon-bi knew. No, everyone in the Four Palaces and the Golden Dragon Palace knew.
An evil spirit is not something a human can ever cut. If you encounter one, run. That was the only strategy one could employ.
"Mumyeong, you must hurry and hide yourself. Then, deliver this news to the Imperial Court and call for reinforcements."
It looks like everyone will die before that.
Mumyeong didn't bother to open his mouth.
"Mumyeong? What are you thinking right now? Surely, you—"
"—Hey, just keep your mouth shut for a moment."
He closed his eyes. He pulled up internal energy from his Danjeon. Whoosh—! His body heated up more and more.
Then Hop— Hop— after lightly jumping in place twice, he put his hand on the sword hilt.
"...Mumyeong, have you perhaps lost your mind?"
Now, that man truly looked like a lunatic. Don't tell me he intends to draw his sword even after seeing this sight?
Drawing a sword in this situation was no different from choosing a dog's death.
No matter if he possessed the martial arts to instantly kill Jong-cheon, that fact didn't change.
However, he only looked around slowly, not shaken at all.
"Just cover your ears. It'll be annoying if you get possessed by the evil spirit."
Hyeon-bi wanted to tell him to stop talking nonsense and run away quickly.
However, the moment she met his eyes, she had no choice but to obey meekly.
He was serious. They were eyes that seriously intended to cut the evil spirit.
Sob...! Sob...!
The Crying Ghost cried even louder.
Shortly after, Shing!
The moment Mumyeong drew his sword, Mumyeong and the Crying Ghost's gazes met.
...
Strangely, the crying stopped.
The young child who had been crying so sorrowfully just moments ago stopped crying and looked up at Mumyeong.
Without a shred of emotion, with eyes so clear it gave one goosebumps.
Then the child's body faded like smoke.
The shadow contracted as if folding up, and the Crying Ghost's presence subsided rapidly.
Mumyeong didn't miss this and swung his sword, but the sword strike only cut the empty air.
'Is it not the main body?'
This is an illusion. An existence no different from a phantom without substance.
Anyway, what a sneaky bastard. Why does it keep running away like a little brat?
A true man should engage in a fair life-or-death battle.
Well, the Crying Ghost is a young girl, so maybe that logic doesn't work.
Soon, Mumyeong quietly looked at Hyeon-bi, who had her eyes squeezed shut and her ears completely covered.
If this wasn't the main body, it was obvious where the bastard was hiding.
"...I want to go."
Hyeon-bi said so while crouching.
"I want to go. Ah, I want to go back. To when I knew nothing. If only I hadn't known that warm warmth. If only I had lived as a worthless orchid. I wouldn't have been in this much pain."
She looked at Mumyeong.
"I want to go back. I want to live just as an orchid. I didn't want to bloom. I was happier back then. Even if I was hungry, smelly, and lonely, I liked those days better."
Mumyeong approached.
He had no intention of cutting Hyeon-bi.
Therefore, he did not point his sword. Just, with his bare hands. He approached the girl.
"Mumyeong. I. I. I..."
Then he reached out his hand.
And released his Qi.