Chapter 386
Chapter 386
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 101
>Chapter Title: Sudden Change (2)
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The golden pupils staring straight at him left the resentful spirit Wi Maeng-cheon unable to hide his bewilderment.
At that moment, Eldest Young Master Na Yul-ryang curled up the corner of his mouth and spoke.
"This is interesting. So resentful spirits actually exist."
'......How?'
He had clearly recognized him.
Wi Maeng-cheon didn't know what to do.
He needed to escape this place first, but his ethereal body had been sliced in half by Na Yul-ryang, leaving him unable to move.
He had no idea why that had happened, but if he hurried and fled, he could inform others of Na Yul-ryang's scheme and the fact that he could see ethereal bodies.
It was then.
-Grip!
Na Yul-ryang's hand seized his neck.
Wi Maeng-cheon's eyes widened in shock.
Not only could he see him, but he was grasping the ethereal body as if it were solid?
Was such a thing possible?
As he marveled in astonishment, Na Yul-ryang curled up his lip and said,
"But tell me this. Why does the resentful spirit that emerged from Ho Jong-hyeok's body resemble Wi Maeng-cheon?"
At these words, Wi Maeng-cheon froze solid.
* * *
Na Yul-ryang's residence manor.
Having finished his business and returned, Na Yul-ryang scoffed and addressed someone.
"You're coming and going like it's your own home now."
In response, a figure emerged from the shadows beside one of the manor's pillars.
It was the Elder Hall's messenger, his face shrouded in gauze due to horrific burns.
"Even for the Elder Hall, shouldn't you show some restraint? There isn't a single spot inside the inner fortress beyond Master's gaze."
"I took every precaution to avoid notice, Young Master."
Na Yul-ryang shook his head slowly at the man's words.
He welcomed the Elder Hall's active support, but their overzealous involvement was quite disruptive in another sense.
If these retirees kept stepping forward, they would inevitably draw attention.
For now, since he hadn't surpassed the Assembly Leader in martial arts, caution was necessary.
The Elder Hall messenger then spoke in a tone of sudden intrigue.
"But Young Master, it seems you've caught something amusing in your grasp."
'!?'
Na Yul-ryang's eyebrow arched at the remark.
And with good reason—clutched in his hand was a resentful spirit, its limbs severed, writhing in agony.
"You can see this?"
Na Yul-ryang's puzzlement was simple.
The Elder Hall messenger was blind, having lost both eyes to burns.
One could attribute sharpened other senses to lost sight, but this was an entirely different realm.
The messenger approached as he spoke.
"Have you already forgotten who brought you that eye, Young Master?"
"......Are you saying this eye allows me to see it?"
"Of course. That eye belongs to an Immae Mang-ryang spirit beast of the highest grade—utterly different in quality from the one you had before. That's why you can even see resentful spirits."
"I'll grant that for me, but how can a wretch like you see it? Are you just pretending to be blind?"
"Would I do that? This servant truly cannot see. But my spiritual sight is awakened, allowing me to perceive it."
Na Yul-ryang snorted derisively at his words.
What an irritating fellow.
Even after obtaining this demonic eye post-seclusion and advancing his martial arts dramatically, he still couldn't discern the man's limits.
Was it wise to trust a mere Elder Hall messenger?
His suspicions grew with time, and he'd probed several times, but the man vanished like a ghost each time, leaving no leads.
'......For now, I'll play along in your clutches.'
He wasn't one to be trifled with.
It was he who would use them, not the other way around.
Once his goals were met and their usefulness waned, he'd show them what it meant to discard a worn-out shoe.
But not yet.
"Yul Myeong, was it? Whether your spiritual sight is awakened or not is none of my concern. Get lost."
"Dismissing me already?"
"Guests from the Pavilion of Vengeful Slayers will arrive soon."
"The Pavilion of Vengeful Slayers? Ho. What a coincidence."
"What?"
"I was waiting to inform you of something relevant, Young Master. Seeing you're headed there makes it perfect."
"......What are you talking about?"
"No need to wait for their guests, Young Master. Follow this servant."
'!?'
* * *
The Pavilion of Vengeful Slayers' main branch leader's office.
As Eldest Young Master Na Yul-ryang entered with hands behind his back, his eyes gleamed with interest.
Inside sat Pavilion Master In Seo-ok of the Pavilion of Vengeful Slayers, her pale skin giving her a ghastly appearance.
Black smoke leaked from her mouth as she grimaced in torment, craving something, her arms and legs bound to prevent movement.
Na Yul-ryang turned to Elder Hall messenger Yul Myeong.
"Why is he like this? Poisoned?"
"Why not see for yourself with that eye?"
"With my eye?"
Puzzled, Na Yul-ryang soon lowered the eyepatch over his right eye.
Focusing his golden pupil on In Seo-ok, he furrowed his brow.
No vital energy emanated from In Seo-ok at all.
She was no different from a corpse.
"This is...... what?"
"A living corpse ghost."
"What?"
"The forbidden technique known as the Sixfold Spirit Descent has turned Pavilion Master In Seo-ok into a living corpse ghost."
"Corpse ghost?"
"Yes."
Na Yul-ryang asked incredulously,
"I heard this one was an exceptional sorcerer personally summoned by Master—the Assembly Leader himself. How did he end up like this?"
This was the Heavenly Alliance's inner fortress.
How could such a thing happen in a place so thoroughly guarded from outsiders?
As he wondered, Yul Myeong explained.
"It seems another sorcerer intervened."
"Sorcerer?"
"Yes. A figurehead like Pavilion Master In Seo-ok, who was once Fang Il, wouldn't fall easily, but if the opponent outranks him, the situation changes."
"A stronger sorcerer intervened?"
"Yes."
"Have you identified them?"
"I have a suspect."
"Who?"
"The Pavilion Master of Harmonious Immortal Pavilion."
"The Pavilion Master of Harmonious Immortal Pavilion?"
"Sorcerers have hierarchies akin to those of martial artists. At the pinnacle, they are called Sorcerer Gods."
Sorcerer titles divide into God, Sun, Moon, Technique, Mystery, and Loss.
The highest acclaimed is the Sorcerer God.
"So the Harmonious Immortal Pavilion Master is a Sorcerer God?"
"Yes, quite renowned. A troublesome one due to his unique spells."
"Unique spells? You mean the one that did this to In Seo-ok?"
"No. This is a forbidden technique of low utility—anyone could learn it with practice."
"Then what do you mean?"
"Space-folding sorcery."
"Folding space?"
Na Yul-ryang showed keen interest.
Folding space meant free travel anywhere.
Convenient in one sense, immensely dangerous depending on usage.
"Yes, consider it a form of Shrinking Earth. A unique spell only he, master of advanced immortal arts among sorcerers, can perform."
"Only he?"
"Yes, to my knowledge, even within Harmonious Immortal Pavilion, only him."
Na Yul-ryang eyed Yul Myeong, eyebrow raised.
"For an Elder Hall messenger, you know quite a bit about sorcery. Bringing me this eye, too."
"Hahaha. I merely have broad interests in miscellaneous matters."
"Is this mere interest?"
"This servant only seeks to aid your grand undertaking, Young Master. No need for such wariness."
"......"
Na Yul-ryang scoffed.
The more he learned, the more guarded he became.
One question arose.
"But how are you so certain Harmonious Immortal Pavilion is behind this?"
Yul Myeong bowed his head in reply.
"Regrettably, I narrowly missed the woman controlling Pavilion Master In Seo-ok. My failure."
"Woman?"
"Yes, a remarkably brazen one."
Unable to see her appearance due to his blindness, he remembered her voice and scent.
She'd escaped through an opened spatial rift, beyond capture, but he knew that spell had weaknesses.
She likely hadn't gone far.
Judging her still within the inner fortress, he'd sealed the perimeter.
"We'll catch her soon, so worry not. But before that, I can give that brazen wench a taste of bitterness."
"What do you mean?"
"The resentful spirit you've captured, Young Master. May this servant borrow it briefly?"
"I haven't extracted the precise culprits from it yet."
Even wounding the ethereal body yielded nothing; its lips sealed tight. Na Yul-ryang had planned to enlist the Pavilion of Vengeful Slayers' aid.
"Resentful spirits differ from humans. Mere pain on the ethereal body won't loosen tongues."
"......You have another way?"
"Yes. We can even trace its master through it."
"Ho. Is that so?"
"Entrust it to me?"
Na Yul-ryang handed over the resentful spirit Wi Maeng-cheon, gripped by the nape.
Yul Myeong grasped the ethereal body directly as well.
Holding it, Yul Myeong swiftly formed a basic mudra with his left hand.
-Snap!
Lin (臨)
Bing (兵)
Jie (皆)
Dense smoke then crept from Yul Myeong's palm.
-Ssss...
Eerily, without fire.
As the smoke thickened, Yul Myeong's lip curled slyly.
Na Yul-ryang eyed it puzzled, prompting,
"As expected, a familiar spirit."
"Familiar spirit?"
"Yes. A spell binding 'fate' to forcibly enslave as a servant. Unexpected, though."
"Unexpected?"
"Yes. A Harmonious Immortal Pavilion Master at Sorcerer God level or their disciples could easily command lesser resentful spirits as familiars...... but something feels off for one versed in immortal arts."
"What are you saying?"
Na Yul-ryang asked, utterly baffled.
Yul Myeong shook his head.
"Nothing. Regardless, interveners must pay."
"How?"
"As I mentioned, familiars are linked by 'fate.' This fate binds souls as one."
"Binds souls?"
"Yes. Severing it forcibly annihilates the familiar and inflicts severe spiritual backlash on the master."
"Ho. Indeed?"
"With added spellwork, we can pinpoint that brazen wench's location swiftly."
"Quite confident."
"Hahaha. Not particularly difficult."
Na Yul-ryang's eyes narrowed at the response.
Uncommon, yes—but proficient in such sorcery? His true nature intrigued more.
Yul Myeong then formed a mudra with his left hand, stroking the resentful spirit's head with his right.
Soon after,
'This is?'
Na Yul-ryang's right eye caught a red thread-like line.
The instant it touched Yul Myeong's hand,
-Crackle!
Sparks flew, severing the red thread.
Yul Myeong seized the broken end, clasped hands in Immovable Heart Seal, and chanted an incantation.
"Heavenly Pure, Earthly Pure, Sun-Moon Pure, Heaven-Earth Unified Pure, Sun-Moon Unified Fate, Spirit-Demon Unified Form, Twenty United Hearts, Hearts United as One, Heavenly Heart, Myriad Hearts, Myriad Myriad Hearts, Intent United as Heart, Supreme Lord Lao, Hasten to Command as Decreed!"
His chant was a variant of the Summoning Harmony Unification Method—typically requiring talismans, yet he formed the spell with pure incantation.
A feat that would astonish any sorcerer.
But then,
-Boom!
Yul Myeong, hands clasped, staggered backward.
Immediately after,
"Pfft!"
He spewed a fountain of black blood from his mouth.
Na Yul-ryang frowned and asked,
"What are you doing?"
Assuming it part of the sorcery,
-Grind!
Yul Myeong ground his teeth, speaking in a voice laced with anger.
"......The spell was repelled."
"What?"
* * *
-Crack!
"Hoo."
Mok Kyung-un lightly stretched and exhaled deeply.
Unidentified, but someone had tried tracing him by severing the fate link.
However, having reached Life-Death Realm, Mok Kyung-un's hypersensitivity to all energies allowed him to counter it.
Along with a horrific burn-scarred face,
'......Na Yul-ryang.'
He also glimpsed the man beside him.
Mok Kyung-un turned to his subordinates nearby and spoke.
"It seems it's time to head back."