Chapter 208
Chapter 208
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 58
>Chapter Title: Karma (4)
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-Flinch!
'He's... smiling?'
The entity that had taken over Sorcerer Yi Mun-hae's body couldn't hide its momentary bewilderment.
This wasn't the kind of expression someone trying to save the body's original owner from it would show.
On the contrary, it brimmed entirely with malice.
'What the hell is this guy?'
-Slap!
"Ack!"
The searing pain that came with each slap was excruciating.
He didn't know what technique it was using, but the bizarre energy emanating from the guy's hand was inflicting pain on both his flesh and spirit simultaneously.
Thanks to that, unwilling screams escaped his lips.
-Slap!
Yi Mun-hae's cheek turned the other way again.
The agony burning even into his spirit left his mind in chaos.
'Is this bastard planning to keep this up?'
It was right then.
As Mok Kyung-un raised his hand to slap Yi Mun-hae's cheek once more, Defiant Monk Ja Geum-jeong shouted.
"Stop!"
At that cry, Mok Kyung-un slowly turned his head.
Ja Geum-jeong glared fiercely and berated him.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, you long-toothed old pimp?"
"What am I doing?"
"You talked like you could fix this, and now this is how you go about it?"
Ja Geum-jeong was seething with rage.
And with good reason—Yis Mun-hae was as good as a benefactor to him, his one and only friend.
He'd stayed quiet, thinking Mok Kyung-un's exorcism skills could save him easily enough.
But this wasn't saving anyone; it was straight-up torment.
He stepped in, fearing Yi Mun-hae might die at this guy's hands if left alone.
"Let go of him right now, or..."
"If you want him, take him."
"What?"
-Thwack! Whoosh!
Instead of slapping, Mok Kyung-un grabbed Yi Mun-hae by the collar and hurled him straight at Defiant Monk Ja Geum-jeong.
Caught off guard by the sudden move, Ja Geum-jeong hurriedly caught the flying Yi Mun-hae.
With gentle force, he steadied him and asked,
"Hey. Mun-hae? You okay?"
"You monk bastard. That body's looking pretty sturdy."
"What?"
-Grip!
In that instant, Yi Mun-hae—no, the possessing entity—seized Ja Geum-jeong's arms.
The moment Mok Kyung-un released his shoulders, the entity felt its spirit loosen free again and seized the chance to transfer into Ja Geum-jeong's body.
But,
-Whoosh!
The instant it tried to flow along the point of contact, Ja Geum-jeong twisted the entity's arms backward using the Capturing Hand technique.
Then he slammed his forehead straight into its face.
-Thud!
"Urk!"
The headbutt sent the entity possessing Yi Mun-hae's body tumbling backward.
Even if it couldn't feel pain, the infused internal energy made the blow too much for the flesh to withstand.
"Damn it! Help me out here!"
Ja Geum-jeong glanced at the fallen Yi Mun-hae, then yelled at Mok Kyung-un.
Mok Kyung-un smirked and replied,
"Didn't you say you didn't need any help?"
"Help me!"
"Hmm."
"You little shit!"
-Crack! Crack!
In that moment, the entity possessing the fallen Yi Mun-hae's body rose with an even more grotesque face and charged at Ja Geum-jeong.
"Kieeeek!"
-Thunk!
But Ja Geum-jeong caught its throat with one hand.
The entity in Yi Mun-hae's body tried to break or pry the hand away.
-Thwack! Thwack!
But Ja Geum-jeong didn't budge an inch.
With his near double-sized build and thick muscles, his wrists were like sturdy old tree trunks.
Even exerting force two or three times that of an average adult male, all it could do was flail while dangling.
"Hold still, you little shit."
-Crush!
Ja Geum-jeong tightened his grip further and shook the body violently.
"Gurk! Gurk!"
From the entity's perspective, it was maddening.
It didn't hurt, but what the hell was this monster?
Were these guys even human?
As it reeled in confusion, Ja Geum-jeong looked at Mok Kyung-un and said,
"Hey! Please save this guy for me."
"Not really feeling it."
"You bastard! You really gonna play it like this?"
"You're the one who rejected help first."
"You damn punk!"
Ja Geum-jeong spat curses in disbelief, then grabbed the gourd at his waist and chugged the contents.
Naturally, it was filled with strong liquor.
His situation had improved since before, but he still couldn't live without booze.
-Gulp! Gulp!
After downing the gourd in one go, Ja Geum-jeong said to Mok Kyung-un with a flushed face,
"I hate your guts, but if you save him, I'll do anything this monk can for you."
At those words, Seo Chun looked at him with puzzled eyes.
Ja Geum-jeong was infamous for his "Three Madmen" moniker and eccentric antics everywhere he went.
Yet here he was, offering that much for just one acquaintance?
It was a side that didn't match the rumors—truly unexpected.
That's when Mok Kyung-un spoke up.
"You'll do anything you can? Can you keep that promise?"
"No matter how wildly I've lived, I've never once broken my word."
"Hmm."
"You damn punk! As long as it's not some nonsense like 'die for me,' I won't go back on it."
"I see. Now that's tempting."
"Tempting?"
-Swish!
Mok Kyung-un extended his hand toward Yi Mun-hae, still gripped by the throat by Ja Geum-jeong.
A powerful pulling force emanated.
This was the "Adhere" form of the Eight Grasping Techniques.
Of course, to Ja Geum-jeong, who didn't know that, it seemed like pulling something from empty air.
'What a real monster. How does a kid not even in his thirties have such profound internal energy?'
Clicking his tongue in admiration, Ja Geum-jeong released Yi Mun-hae's throat.
-Fwoosh!
In that instant, the body flew straight into Mok Kyung-un's grasp.
'T-This guy's too dangerous.'
The entity possessing Yi Mun-hae paled in fear and pleaded hastily in a servile tone.
"Hey, human. I'll leave this sorcerer's body. So please, let's stop this."
"Who said you could decide that?"
"Aren't you trying to save him?"
He'd clearly overheard that damned monk and this monster discussing it.
So their goal was to save him somehow, right? Then why the hardline stance?
As it puzzled over this, Mok Kyung-un said,
"Your rank's too low."
"What?"
"You're barely Vermilion Spirit level, so you must've gotten help from some other entity to enter the sorcerer's body?"
'!?'
The entity was greatly shocked that Mok Kyung-un had pinpointed its exact rank.
Ignoring it, Mok Kyung-un continued.
"Individually nothing special, but mobilizing this many stray spirits and low-rank grudge spirits like you suggests a pretty formidable mastermind behind it all."
"......You're no ordinary human."
The grudge spirit inside Yi Mun-hae clicked its tongue.
Mok Kyung-un chuckled softly.
"No need to worry about that. Thing is, I'm pretty busy."
"Then just leave. Why help these people? This is their own doing."
'Their own doing?'
Mok Kyung-un furrowed his brow at the grudge spirit's words.
He'd figured there was some reason, but had they actually provoked the grudge spirits somehow?
Come to think of it, the old innkeeper lady had said something similar.
[The boat owner living next door... yeah, the master of that house. He's dying from heavenly punishment for his evil deeds.]
Heavenly punishment.
Words like that don't come lightly without cause and effect.
It's as good as saying they brought it on themselves and now paying the price.
"What did they do?"
At Mok Kyung-un's direct question, the grudge spirit possessing Yi Mun-hae's body glared at Woo Hyang, the innkeeper's daughter, who was staring back in terror with wide eyes.
"She knows damn well."
"She does?"
"Yeah. This is the punishment and karma they deserve."
"Hmm."
Mok Kyung-un glanced at Woo Hyang.
She was trembling in fear, her face drained pale.
What on earth had they done to draw so many grudge spirits and stray spirits here?
As he puzzled, the grudge spirit bellowed loudly.
"Leave, travelers. We hold no grudge against you."
"Get out of that body, you bastard!"
Ja Geum-jeong roared in fury like a lion's bellow.
It echoed so thunderously it pierced even the pounding rain.
The grudge spirit clicked its tongue and said,
"I get you're no ordinary humans. But once He arrives soon, even you won't keep your lives."
"He?"
"Yeah. So leave. Then you might live."
-Rumble! Boom! Boom!
Thunder crashed from the sky then.
Lightning flashed blue alongside it.
It felt just like the heavens raging in anger.
The grudge spirit bared its yellowed teeth and said in a mad voice,
"Heh heh heh. He's angry. When He comes, that wrath will fall on you too. Right now..."
-Slap!
"Urk!"
Before it could finish, the grudge spirit's head snapped to the side.
It whipped its head around to glare at Mok Kyung-un and yelled,
"I'm showing mercy since it's none of your business..."
"Let's flip that."
"What?"
"I need this manor lord. So if you and your 'He' back off nicely, I'll spare you the exorcism."
"You really..."
"Whatever happened is your side's business. I'll count to five."
"Five?"
"If you're not out by then, I'll indiscriminately exorcise every grudge spirit I see in this area. Just a warning: holding the manor lord's life and the villagers' as hostages means nothing to me."
"What?"
"If you're in my way, I'll kill everything alive and dead in this region."
'!!!!!!!'
The grudge spirit's eyes trembled at Mok Kyung-un's words.
What kind of guy was this?
It had planned to possess everyone in the manor and curse them all if pushed.
But this bastard was threatening right back.
Kill everything alive and dead?
'Bluff?... No.'
This guy absolutely wasn't bluffing.
His eyes brimmed with pure malice—so extreme even grudge spirits rarely felt anything like it.
He didn't even seem human.
"......Are you really sane?"
"Not really interested in things that aren't mine."
"Huh?"
It was right then.
"No time, so let's start. Five."
"What?"
"Four."
Was he seriously going to do it?
It was beyond bewildering.
Before the grudge spirit, Mok Kyung-un counted down with a blank face.
"Three."
-Rumble! Boom! Boom!
The thunder grew fiercer then.
The grudge spirit possessing Yi Mun-hae clicked its tongue and said,
"This is on you. If you'd just left, it would've ended with their karma, but you had to..."
"Two."
"......"
"Ha....."
Scarce had the words ended.
-Flash! Boom!
Lightning struck from the sky, hitting the main hall dead-on.
With it came blue flames, and despite the downpour, the building erupted in fire, instantly engulfed in blaze.
-Shoooo! Roar!
Everyone couldn't hide their shock at the bizarre sight.
How could a building burn like this in such rain?
Then, a figure appeared from the burning hall.
Someone cried out at the sight.
"Father!"
It was none other than Woo Hyang, the manor lord's daughter.
'Father?'
Seo Chun and Mong Mu-yak frowned as they eyed the one emerging from the flames.
A man in his late fifties.
Unlike his gaunt, haggard face, his skin bulged with protruding black veins, and his eyes glowed an eerie blue.
'Is he possessed too?'
That's how it looked, no matter what.
But the aura he exuded was worlds apart from that sorcerer Yi Mun-hae.
It was chilling enough to overwhelm everyone present.
That's when it happened.
The grudge spirit possessing Sorcerer Yi Mun-hae's body cried out in a frenzied voice.
"Foolish travelers who lost your fear. All this is your own doing. His fury has reached the heavens, so every living thing tonight..."
"I wondered how impressive it could be since you hyped it up so much. Turns out, it's just this."
'!?'
The grudge spirit glared at Mok Kyung-un in utter disbelief.
This was a grudge spirit of Azure Spirit rank, capable of dyeing the area in blood—and all he had to say was "just this"?
It had exceeded a century of resentment, comparable to a vengeful specter, yet he'd lost all fear?
Not just this grudge spirit was angered by Mok Kyung-un's words.
-Swish!
The Azure Spirit-rank grudge spirit in the manor lord's body pointed a finger at Mok Kyung-un.
-Foolish human. Die.
With that, the raindrops sharpened into thorns, surging to pierce Mok Kyung-un's body from all sides.
But right at that moment.
The thorn-like rain halted as if blocked by something.
Then they reverted to mere water, splashing to the ground.
-Splash!
Seeing this, the Azure Spirit in the manor lord raised one eyebrow.
That wasn't done by the living one.
Some high spirit force had blocked its power.
What the hell was going on...
-Shoooo!
Right then.
The color of the falling rain suddenly changed.
The clear rain turned blood-red, dyeing everything in gore.
"Eek! W-What is this?"
"B-Blood...?"
Everyone in the main hall courtyard was aghast at the eerie scene.
'!?'
The grudge spirit possessing Yi Mun-hae glanced at the higher-rank one in the manor lord.
At that look, the higher-rank spirit shook its head with narrowed eyes.
This wasn't its doing.
It was then.
-Slosh slosh slosh!
From the pooling blood on the ground rose a dignified woman wearing a crown of woven vines, puffing on a pipe, slowly emerging.
'!!!!!!!!!'
Even among grudge spirits, ranks exist.
And the older ones could sense them clearly.
-I-Indigo... Spirit.
It was a rank beyond approach.
The Azure Spirit-rank in the manor lord recoiled a step in panic, without realizing.
[Chapter 58: Karma (4)] End