Chapter 157
Chapter 157
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 157
Chapter Title: Butterfly Effect (2)
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There's a saying that deep grudges bring frost, and it's not without reason.
Resentment fundamentally carries a cold nature.
Moreover, the grudges of those sacrificed to create the blood-hardened jiangshi far surpassed the level of ordinary lost souls.
Shudder...
And so, on a summer day thick with green shade, I was struck with chills.
Seeing me like that, my master bellowed at first, then soon let out a sigh.
- Sigh, Yong-un, who could stop you? As always, you're so confident you'll absorb that lump of resentment... But what if something goes wrong?
I clenched my chattering teeth and opened my mouth toward my master.
"...It's a natural phenomenon."
- There's nothing natural about the frost on your face or the icicles in your hair!
With that, my irritated master added one more thing.
- I acknowledge your talent in barrier arts, but absorbing souls into your body is a different matter, isn't it? Even in my time, things didn't go according to your plan.
Well, I could understand my master's feelings.
'He's practically clueless about barrier or curse arts, but he can sense the blood stench clinging to the souls.'
To my master, it must have looked like I was foolishly trying to swallow a densely compressed mass of vicious resentment.
'Normally, carelessly touching something like that could turn you into a madman possessed by grudges.'
Plus, there was the precedent of luring him into Regret.
He seemed worried about his one and only disciple.
But if this level of chill didn't emerge, that would actually be more problematic.
'Otherwise, all this effort would be for nothing.'
And while it might look dangerous to my master, to me, it was no different from eating cold porridge.
'My body's condition is worlds apart from back then.'
The meridians strengthened through cultivating the Heaven-Splitting Divine Art endured the seeping chill—even as frost formed on my skin and icicles on my hair—allowing my inner energy to flow smoothly.
And within that inner energy coursing through my meridians lingered an extreme yang force, absorbed from the Mid-Lotus Pill given by the Medicine King elder, resisting the resentment's cold.
'So the situation is completely different from when I took in Master's soul.'
Rather than explaining every detail to my master, it was a hundred times better to execute the plan first and show him I was fine.
I drew inner energy from my lower dantian up to my chest, where the asura bead was embedded.
Then, wrapping it like a fistfight, I activated the magic circle laid on the floor as I sat cross-legged.
Kieeeek!!!
A horrific wail of anguish rocked inside me, and simultaneously, the resentment held within the asura bead transferred into the drawn-up inner energy.
'To the upper dantian!'
I directed the energy through the governing vessel not back to the lower dantian but up to the upper one.
Activating the cursed script art, I began engraving the prepared curse pattern into the upper dantian like driving in wedges, pressing firmly.
Sizzle—
A branding-iron agony seared through my mind.
But my unique constitution, etched into my soul, kept my mind sharp even in a situation where passing out would be no surprise.
'!'
Using that mental fortitude, I painstakingly engraved the curse pattern into the upper dantian, stitch by stitch.
'Just one more dot in the center, and it's complete!'
Once the curse pattern was finished,
the chattering jaw and throbbing headache abruptly stopped.
'Oh?'
Even though the curse pattern—called the blood wheel or blood mandala—was perfectly drawn, a bit of energy remained.
Not resentment, but pure energy sucked into the blood wheel.
'A bonus, huh?'
I promptly gathered it all through the grand circuit.
As a result, the inner energy that settled in my dantian wasn't much,
but it had the effect of cleansing my meridians, like after receiving the Heavenly Pond Elixir or the Golden Needle Great Method.
In that refreshed state, I couldn't help muttering the words as I lifted my closed eyelids.
'Lucky me.'
As I opened my eyes, my master immediately spoke.
- ...Did it go as planned?
"No."
- No?
"It went better than expected."
His response to my answer made him jump up in rage.
- So you were teasing me after all?! You rascal, mocking your master!
"Pardon? I was just stating the facts. Don't pin your needless panic over your one disciple's safety on me."
- ...I wasn't particularly worried! Anyway, seeing that sharp tongue, you're definitely the guy I know.
"...?"
Our exchange naturally shifted to what I'd gained from the blood infused with resentment.
- Your mind seems fine, and your aura's a bit different, but did you gain some inner energy boost?
"Yes. A slight increase in inner energy. Feels like impurities were flushed out too."
- Hmm. That blood-soaked resentment looked deep, so I thought some ghostly qi might cling to you, but contrary to my expectations, it acted like a spirit herb grown in a sacred mountain?
"No. Your expectation was right too."
- ...Huh? It was?
"Yes. What I just mentioned was the extra benefit beyond expectations. As for the ghostly qi..."
This was better shown than told.
I immediately drew Regret,
pricked my left index finger to draw blood.
Activating the blood wheel engraved in my upper dantian, I used the oozing blood drop as a medium to shape a tiny human figure.
Brr!
It was the Blood Golem Summoning art, one of the blood curse arts enabled by engraving the blood wheel.
- Hm? What's this? Never heard of it. What curse art is this?
'...Oof. Should've shown a different blood curse art?'
I was momentarily speechless, unsure how to name it here.
But my master broke the ice for me.
- You shaped a terracotta soldier from blood? Then, blood terracotta?
Terracotta referred to figures buried with the dead, so it fit perfectly.
I nodded vigorously and replied.
"Yes, exactly."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ - The blood terracotta was cute, but is it actually useful? Maybe for stuffing into a tiny mouse hole...
"...I showed it as a sample. I can make it bigger. Use it in other ways too."
Why are you killing the blood terracotta's vibe?
Blood curse arts had various applications beyond creating blood terracotta.
Plus, using blood as an additional medium made it more efficient than typical ejection-type black magic.
If there was time, I could show my master more uses.
But with the Demonic Cult's forces heading to the Yi Manor, there was no leisure for that.
I left the basement with the two jiangshi I'd brought.
'I wanted to hide that I could control jiangshi if possible.'
But thinking about it, when investigators later asked how we caught Guo Sahong, I'd have no good excuse.
So, since it was out, better to bring all remaining jiangshi and join the Yi Manor battle.
That was when.
Just as I decided to lead all the jiangshi to the Yi Manor.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Urgent footsteps approached from outside the chamber,
and soon an aged voice spat out in panic.
"...Y-Young Master?"
It wasn't calling me, obviously.
"Young Master! How did this happen?"
The cries of "Young Master" were directed at Guo Sahong.
'The old man who led the forces?'
Peeking through the lattice window, despite his broken nose and limp left arm, it was the elder Guo Sahong called Elder Kyung.
'Looks like we won at the Yi Manor, Master?'
- Seems so? The troops he led are gone, and he returned alone. In that state.
That was a silver lining amid misfortune.
But there was misfortune amid the silver lining.
'One thing Guo Sahong said might be spot on.'
Among his last words was that we'd have to face Elder Kyung's wrath.
'...One door. If that old man comes here, we're rats in a trap. He won't just leave.'
Recalling the original story, those with "Demon Lord" in their title were competitors within the Demonic Cult for the next Cult Protector King position, or even Young Cult Leader.
Thus, close aides serving Demon Lords at close range were utterly loyal, convinced their master would rise.
'Even without revenge burning, he'll come to check on the blood-hardened jiangshi at least.'
So, battle seemed unavoidable.
And sure enough.
As expected, Elder Kyung's footsteps approached the chamber.
'The aura I brushed against earlier was almost on par with Professor No Sam...'
That meant at least a pinnacle realm master equivalent.
I'd conserved inner energy fighting Guo Sahong in case of this,
but between me now and a pinnacle master was rock versus egg.
Still, worth a shot.
'If he fled in that state, our pursuit team must be coming.'
Jeong Hyeon, Jeon Jeon-gil, and Yong-myeong had sent him off,
so the Demonic Cult's base being this chamber would be known.
If the Yi Manor battle ended in victory, reinforcements would come.
'Assuming reinforcements arrive, if I pour out all my power...'
I might not match evenly, but could land a solid hit.
'Mix in some bluffing?'
He was fleeing too, so confusion was possible.
'Plus, fourteen jiangshi here.'
And the new blood curse art.
I sent inner energy from my upper dantian to the golden jiangshi ordered to stay in their coffins.
'Get ready, guys.'
As Elder Kyung's footsteps reached right outside the chamber,
I issued the command without hesitation.
"Attack!!"
The two jiangshi already out burst through the door with a boom! charging at Elder Kyung,
and the others kicked open their coffins, piling onto him.
Shing!!
I seized the moment, drew Regret, and leaped out, escaping the rat-in-trap of the chamber.
The sight that met my eyes: Elder Kyung unleashing fierce palm force, punching a hand-shaped hole through the first charging jiangshi's body.
Boom!!!
I'd barely escaped the chamber,
but seeing that left no room to retreat.
One wrong glance at his back, and I'd end up like that holed jiangshi.
Fumbling a retreat here would just get me caught and smashed dead.
'The way out is forward.'
Only clashing head-on could create that hair's-breadth gap between life and death.
Calmly, I maneuvered the remaining thirteen jiangshi into an encircling formation around Elder Kyung.
"Surround him!"
Spotting me, Elder Kyung seemed stunned for a moment,
then spat.
"...So you're that Eon Yong-un. ...But you control jiangshi? Since when? Hah. Looks like Young Master overlooked your hidden card and ended up like this."
He burst into mad laughter.
"Hahaha! To think one scoundrel ruins the Ghost Palace's grand scheme! Unbelievable even seeing it!"
"If you planned to ruin someone else's house, you should've been prepared for yours to burn too. Or were you not?"
"I'll beat you to death and send you as a farewell gift on Young Master's path to the afterlife."
"Why not beat yourself to death and follow? That guy probably wants his attendant elder over some awkward stranger."
"Die!!!!!!"
Unable to contain his rage at my taunt, Elder Kyung launched himself.
I instantly used Shadowless Heaven-Splitting Step, dodging sideways while naturally using the jiangshi as shields.
Bang!!!!!
Another jiangshi exploded in the process.
Slice—
I lightly slashed my left palm with Regret.
Then, flicking the dripping blood onto the blade,
I unleashed sword qi and blood curse art simultaneously.
Regret, wrapped in inky sword qi and blood-red haze, surged with intense energy.
'Guo Sahong's eyes bugged out seeing the jiangshi move like trained soldiers, so this old man won't expect it either.'
Gripping Regret tightly, I directed the jiangshi to open a gap and plunged through.
'Yiho and Samho, flank left and right.'
Using the brief opening, I slipped into Elder Kyung's guard—where one misstep would burst a limb—and thrust Regret.
"!"
Caught off-guard by the unexpected angle and force, Elder Kyung gasped and twisted away.
Yet, even in his crumbling stance, he unleashed a vicious palm strike as if urging retreat.
Whoosh!!!
But this was exactly what I wanted.
I slightly deflected the palm aimed at my left chest to my shoulder,
then,
Crack!!!!!!
used the recoil to slash Regret diagonally upward from the thrust.
"!"
It was a resolve for flesh-cutting bone-severing, so Elder Kyung couldn't escape unscathed.
He had to sacrifice a limb.
He threw his left arm onto Regret's edge,
Splatter!!!!!!!
and desperately pulled back.
I didn't press greedily, retreating while placing jiangshi in front again.
Wiping the blood from my mouth, I smirked.
"Cough. Cut off that dangling left arm since it looked bothersome. Feel lighter now?"
This was the one path I'd found.
Proof I wasn't pushover.