Chapter 745
Song-ak chattered away excitedly, completely indifferent to the hardening of Bu Eun-seol's expression.
"When a child falls into the water, adults rush to save them without hesitation. That proves humans are inherently good."
Bu Eun-seol's brow furrowed deeply.
Suddenly, a conversation he had shared with his grandfather in the past resurfaced in his mind.
—Is a newborn baby good or evil?
In the past, Bu Eun-seol had posed this very question to Bu Jan-yang.
—From your perspective, Grandfather.
Bu Jan-yang had always said that good and evil depended entirely on one's point of view.
That was why Bu Eun-seol had added this condition to his question.
—This old man thinks like this.
Bu Jan-yang had replied:
—Humans aren't born inherently good or evil... but perhaps they are born with natures that are either good or evil?
As Bu Eun-seol blinked, Bu Jan-yang continued.
—Just as every person's face is different, perhaps every person is born with a distinct nature.
—So you're saying some people are born good... and others evil?
—That's right.
Bu Jan-yang had added:
—That's why education and experience are so important. They possess the power to transform even one's innate nature.
Finishing his recollection, Bu Eun-seol's gaze deepened.
He had originally believed humans were evil.
Even without recalling his days as a street urchin,
working as an undertaker had taught him that people would despise and ostracize him for no reason.
But Bu Jan-yang's teachings—
and the existence of Bu Jan-yang himself, an infinitely good man standing before him—had allowed him to change that belief.
And it was why he himself could now walk the Middle Path.
"After saving someone from drowning, demanding they hand over their belongings—that is also human nature," Bu Eun-seol said calmly, brushing aside his thoughts.
"There's no need to draw extreme conclusions about good and evil. Humans are inherently infinitely complex beings."
"Ah, listen closely. According to the teachings of my sect—"
When Bu Eun-seol retorted,
Song-ak only grew more animated, eager to expound on the Wudang Sect's doctrines.
In truth, he had been swaddled in the Wudang Sect's ways since infancy.
The entire world he saw was the world the Wudang Sect had shown him.
Every piece of knowledge and every value in his mind had been instilled in him by the Wudang Sect.
'Arguing won't change anything.'
Remembering this, Bu Eun-seol stopped refuting him and simply listened in silence.
No matter what he said, it wouldn't persuade Song-ak anyway.
[The Killing Ghost has appeared again.]
Just then, So-yo's Thousand-Li Voice Transmission reached him.
[It's in a village about forty li to the north.]
'In broad daylight?'
Those infused with evil qi and afflicted with Slaughter Frenzy had always begun their killings at night.
The sun hadn't even set yet—how could the slaughter have already started?
"What's wrong?"
Song-ak noticed the hardening of Bu Eun-seol's expression and asked.
"A Killing Ghost has appeared in a village forty li from here," Bu Eun-seol replied evenly.
"Stay here. I'll handle everything and bring back the civilians corrupted by evil qi."
Pah-ang!
As Bu Eun-seol unleashed his Movement Technique—
"If the Killing Ghost is active during the day, doesn't that mean a Ghost Spirit is nearby?"
Song-ak muttered under his breath before swiftly following Bu Eun-seol.
Shooo—
The Wudang Sect's Movement Technique wasn't the fastest, but it was as light as a drifting cloud and consumed minimal Internal Energy.
Thud.
Arriving at the village behind Bu Eun-seol, Song-ak surveyed the surroundings and gasped.
"T-This is—"
It was nothing short of Hell unfolding before them.
People lay scattered in pieces, and blood flowed like a river.
"Song-ak."
Bu Eun-seol looked at him and shook his head.
"Don't look any further. Stay where you are."
Then he walked deeper inside.
Song-ak, trembling, ignored the warning and slowly followed Bu Eun-seol.
Grip.
Spotting something, Bu Eun-seol clenched his fist tightly and walked toward the well ahead.
There, a pregnant woman—
had been brutally murdered alongside a young child.
The woman had curled up, clutching the child protectively in an attempt to save it.
But the Killing Ghost had mercilessly torn both woman and child apart.
"Why... is there no fetus in her womb?"
Song-ak, who had approached, asked in a trembling voice.
The woman's torn belly was completely empty.
Bu Eun-seol didn't answer, only closing the woman's eyes with a heavy expression.
"Ugh..."
Flames seemed to flicker in Song-ak's eyes.
Until now, he had only treated civilians who had been seized by evil qi.
He had never imagined that such horrific scenes unfolded wherever the Killing Ghost passed.
But now, witnessing their atrocities firsthand, he found it impossible to contain his rage.
"The Rogue Vanguard detected a Ghost Spirit infusing people with evil qi about eighty li northeast of here."
Just then, So-yo descended from the sky and relayed the information in a low voice.
"It's with the Killing Ghost. We need to capture it quickly."
"Grrr..."
Hearing this, Song-ak, who had been growling lowly—
"RAAAAH!"
—let out a furious roar and activated the Cloud Riding Step, leaping into mid-air.
Consumed by rage, he intended to find and eliminate the Ghost Spirit before Bu Eun-seol could.
KWAOOO—!
As Song-ak charged forward with a violent Sound of Breaking Air, his pupils burned crimson, and veins bulged across his forehead.
Finally arriving at a wide forest clearing, Song-ak discovered a bizarre masked man surrounded by the rogue vanguard of the Muhan Society, and a Killing Ghost drooling thick saliva from its mouth.
The masked man was enveloped in a strange energy resembling an Astral Energy Barrier, effortlessly deflecting every attack launched by the rogue vanguard. Meanwhile, the slobbering Killing Ghost bounded about on all fours like a beast, intercepting assaults with animalistic agility.
"You bastard!"
When Song-ak noticed the Killing Ghost's hands stained crimson with fresh blood, his vision literally inverted with rage.
Shing!
Drawing his longsword with a thunderous roar, Song-ak bellowed:
"Why?!"
Whoooosh!
Hundreds of strands of Sword Qi radiated outward, piercing toward the fatal pressure points of the Killing Ghost with surgical precision. The famously non-lethal sword techniques of the Wudang Sect—known for their moderation—were now unleashed as a Swift Sword Killing Form.
"A Daoist from Wudang, is it?"
Rather than alarmed, the masked man seemed exhilarated as Song-ak charged forward, expanding his Astral Energy Barrier to shield the Killing Ghost.
"Why would you do this?!"
Swish-swish-swish-swish!
As the Pine-Patterned Ancient Sword carved endless circles through the air, the Astral Energy Barrier erected by the masked man began crumbling under the assault.
"How could you brutally murder innocent women and children?!"
Slash! Thud!
Song-ak pushed the speed of his swordplay to its utmost limit. The masked man, clearly unprepared for a Wudang Daoist to wield such devastating Extreme-Speed Killing Forms, flailed in panic.
Swish!
In that instant, the Sword Qi pouring from Song-ak's blade coalesced into a single deadly current, mercilessly severing the meridians in the masked man's limbs.
"Answer me—why commit such atrocious acts?!"
Song-ak's sword, blazing with the flames of wrath, now aimed for the masked man's jugular. There was no stopping the volcanic fury erupting from his heart unless this man died.
Slit.
The masked man's life ended on Song-ak's blade. Without pause, Song-ak unleashed a relentless barrage of Sword Qi at the Killing Ghost still darting around the Ghost Spirit.
Swish-swish-swish-swish!
The Killing Ghost evaded the storm of Sword Qi with frenzied, inhuman movements.
"Heh heh."
Shoulders shrugging mockingly after dodging the tempest of blades, the Killing Ghost froze when a voice spoke from directly behind it:
"Where do you think you're looking?"
Song-ak stood there, eyes burning like coals, having closed the distance without notice.
"Ghk—!"
Sensing imminent danger, the Killing Ghost twisted its body to counterattack—
Bang!
—only for its head to explode upward into the night sky with a wet crunch.
Splat-splat-splat.
Blood rained down like crimson hail. Only when the droplets struck his face did Song-ak regain his rationality.
"I..."
Song-ak had prided himself on having weathered every storm the martial world could offer. He had thwarted the atrocities of infamous Demonic Heads, captured perpetrators of brutal crimes of passion, witnessed orthodox and unorthodox factions turning lakes into Seas of Corpses and Blood during territorial disputes, and survived countless traps laid by sinister Unorthodox schemers.
But never had he encountered something so senseless. So utterly devoid of purpose. This was slaughter for slaughter's sake—the work of demons wearing human skin.
"Have all my experiences amounted to nothing?"
Song-ak's head drooped.
The forces Bu Eun-seol faced were fundamentally different from the typical villains or factional bloodshed of the martial world. These were entities that butchered without reason—devils masquerading as humans.
"Lord."
Song-ak's gaze, now fixed on Bu Eun-seol, bled with glacial Killing Intent.
"From now on, I shall join you in hunting these Ghost Spirits."
Having witnessed their true nature, he could no longer stand idle. Song-ak was resolved to wage full-scale war against the Ghost Spirits alongside Bu Eun-seol.
Swish! Shatter!
Elsewhere, another fierce battle erupted as the Rogue Vanguard located a hidden Ghost Spirit. At the forefront stood Song-ak.
Swish! Whooosh!
Not only did he continuously infuse civilians corrupted by Evil Qi with Jade Dew True Qi to save them, he also spearheaded the assault against the Ghost Spirits themselves.
"Will he be alright?"
From a distance, Do Cheon-rin—leader of the Rogue Vanguard—watched Song-ak's frenzied combat with concern.
"That Daoist... I'm seeing signs of an Inner Demon taking root."
The purer and cleaner something is, the more easily it stains. The Bullet King Bukgung Ryeong, who had spent a lifetime aiding the weak and executing villains, had his lifelong pride shattered upon witnessing the grotesque truths hidden beneath his celebrated title of Renowned Chivalrous Hero. Layer upon layer of turmoil had ultimately plunged him into the clutches of an Inner Demon.
Similarly, Song-ak's pristine character made Do Cheon-rin fear these events might destabilize his very worldview.
"Hmm."
Bu Eun-seol exhaled softly before speaking in his usual detached tone.
"If anything, he likely hopes for a change."
"What?"
"Wudang has many masters with deeper Internal Power and more refined Taoist Cultivation Secrets. Yet Daoist Master Yeong-cheong specifically assigned Song-ak to investigate the Ghost Spirits."
His eyes remained fixed on Song-ak, who was now swinging his sword with near-manic intensity.
"He's a leading candidate to become the next sect leader. They wouldn't want someone destined to lead to remain forever untainted like untouched water."
"I see."
Do Cheon-rin nodded in belated understanding.
The position of a sect leader could never be maintained with an unwaveringly pure and naive disposition.
One had to be willing to dirty their hands without hesitation for the sake of their sect.
It seemed the Wudang Sect had deliberately assigned Song-ak the investigation of the Ghost Spirits to temper his overly innocent nature.
"But they seem to have taken it too lightly."
Having witnessed the atrocities of the Ghost Spirits, Song-ak had shattered not only the Wudang teaching that all humans are inherently good but also their sacred principle of non-killing.
"Not only his temperament, but he seems to have completely forgotten he's even a disciple of the Wudang Sect."
"He'll be fine."
Bu Eun-seol spoke calmly.
"Because he's young."
Bukgung Ryeong had walked a single path for eighty years, living with the pride of the orthodox faction, making it difficult for him to change his deeply rooted values.
But Song-ak was still young.
Though he had been deeply shaken by the cruelty of the Ghost Spirits, his spirit and mind hadn't suffered enough to fall into an inner demon.
"Well, that's a relief then."
Do Cheon-rin shook his head.
"Still, these bastards are endless. Easier to deal with than Ghost Child, but their numbers are incomparable."
"Nothing we can do about it."
Bu Eun-seol gazed at the distant sky.
"We just didn't know. The martial world has been like this for a long time."
"But the Three Realms are strange too. Why didn't they share this information?"
Do Cheon-rin snorted.
"If the orthodox and unorthodox factions had known about these things, they would've united to wipe out the Demonic Cult or whatever in one go."
"It's simple. First, they wanted to research and monopolize the abilities of the test subjects sent by the Demonic Cult."
Bu Eun-seol recited the answer as if it were obvious.
"Second, they made sure the orthodox and unorthodox factions could never unite. If a common enemy appeared, the martial world would join forces to face it."
Man-wol had said the Ghost Spirits and Ghost Child were test subjects, and that the experiments were nearly complete.
That was why Bu Eun-seol could deduce these facts.
"I suppose if a common enemy appeared, that's what would happen."
Do Cheon-rin stroked his chin.
"Then shouldn't we inform the martial world now?"
"She said the experiments are almost over. These Ghost Spirits are likely the last."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes darkened endlessly.
"At this point, they're probably just using the Wudang Sect's strength to make it seem like the Martial Soul Society is doing another good deed for the martial world."
"But how the hell did you even get this kind of information?"
Do Cheon-rin frowned in disbelief.
"Even the countless intelligence networks in the martial world haven't uncovered this. My own family doesn't know about any of this."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head, recalling Man-wol's beautiful face.
He couldn't bring himself to say he had met a shrine maiden of the Demonic Cult.
"I just happened to find out."
"Leader!"
Just then, a wandering swordsman with a scarred face rushed up to Do Cheon-rin and clasped his hands.
"Another Ghost Spirit has been spotted."
"Is that so?"
Thud. Thud.
But at that moment, Song-ak, drenched in blood, approached Bu Eun-seol and Do Cheon-rin after finishing his battle.
"I heard another Ghost Spirit has been found."
His nails were stained red from the blood that had dripped during the fierce battle, yet his gaze was oddly calm.
'His killing intent is fading.'
Bu Eun-seol nodded inwardly.
Song-ak was no longer enraged. Because he had accepted it.
Not all humans were born good.
And the principle of non-killing had to be selectively abandoned when necessary.
To save more lives.
"Right. Let's head there."
Without hesitation, Bu Eun-seol led Song-ak toward the Ghost Spirit's hiding place.
The more battles he fought, the more perfectly Song-ak would learn to control his rage and killing intent.
Before they knew it, five more days had passed.
During that time, Bu Eun-seol and Song-ak had eliminated eighty Ghost Spirits that had been infusing civilians with evil qi and rescued one hundred thirty-two civilians who had been corrupted by it.
But there was no end.
The Ghost Spirits kept appearing, and the civilians infused with evil qi turned into Killing Ghosts, slaughtering endlessly.
'At this rate, there must be a separate root behind this.'
The Ghost Spirits were little more than tools for infusing evil qi into civilians, and their numbers were abnormally high.
Considering how they burst into flames when subdued... it was certain that there was a root behind them, breeding and controlling them.
By noon, Bu Eun-seol and Song-ak climbed the steps of a guest inn side by side.
"Something on your mind?"
Song-ak snorted when he saw Bu Eun-seol blankly staring at the plain noodles he had ordered.
"Even if you've lost your appetite, you should eat. You'll need strength to rip the heads off those vile bastards."
In that time, not only had Song-ak's speech grown rougher,
but his once-gentle eyes had sharpened like a discarded blade, and his voice had deepened endlessly, like a Grim Reaper's.
Having cut down Ghost Spirit after Ghost Spirit in battles that split flesh from bone,
he had unknowingly become a martial artist drenched in blood—one that would make even seasoned killers click their tongues.
From Bu Eun-seol's perspective,
it was the process of a martial artist truly tempered by the harsh realities of the Rivers and Lakes.
But if the Wudang Sect found out, they would be utterly shocked by this unexpected transformation.
Song-ak, who had once been as serene as still water—
Before he knew it, he had become a ruthless swordsman devoid of any mercy in his hands.
'I feel somewhat sorry.'
The Wudang Sect had likely hoped Song-ak would come to understand the cold indifference and cruelty of the martial world in moderation.
But with his flawlessly pure nature, he had accepted the martial world's ruthlessness and brutality in their entirety.
'Had he not sought help from Wudang...'
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
'He would never have stepped into the martial world, nor would he have changed so drastically.'
"Are you listening to me?"
Snapped out of his thoughts by Song-ak's voice, Bu Eun-seol forced a bitter smile.
"I understand."
Just as he reluctantly picked up his chopsticks—
Zzzing.
A strange resonance brushed against his senses.
It was the same ghostly energy he had felt when he first captured a Ghost Spirit.
Only this time, the sheer volume of it was several times—no, dozens of times—greater than before.
Thud. Thud.
Turning his head, he saw a massive man enter the guest inn.
Clad in tattered martial robes,
his disheveled hair revealed sunken eyes, and he had a bulbous nose.
'Neither-Human-Nor-Beast.'
Bu Eun-seol knew instinctively.
That this man was one of the same breed as Yeon-wol—the one responsible for breeding the Ghost Spirits.
"What's the matter?"
Having spent half a month together,
Song-ak had grown so attuned to Bu Eun-seol's expressions that he could read his thoughts just by looking at his face.
"I believe we've found the mastermind behind the Ghost Spirits."
At Bu Eun-seol's telepathic transmission, Song-ak's gaze sharpened.
"That Taoist over there?"
"Yes."
The Taoist happened to be passing by Bu Eun-seol and Song-ak at that moment.
But since the two were communicating telepathically and kept their heads lowered, the Taoist seemed oblivious to anything amiss.
After a brief glance at them, the Taoist disappeared into the inn's special suite.
"Now we see the end."
Song-ak's pupils burned crimson, his fingers trembling faintly.
Bu Eun-seol felt a twinge of unease,
but he nodded, assuming Song-ak was simply exhilarated at the prospect of finally eliminating the mastermind behind this gruesome affair.
And rightfully so—they were about to uproot the very source of these atrocities.
By the time the bright moon hung high in the sky,
the Taoist, having eaten and drunk to his fill in the special suite, stepped out and boarded a carriage.
Waiting outside, Bu Eun-seol and Song-ak silently pursued the carriage using their movement techniques.
The Rogue Vanguard, led by Do Cheon-rin,
had already departed to confront the horde of Ghost Spirits discovered near Western Forest.
Calling for reinforcements from the Demon Hall wasn't an option either.
If Bu Eun-seol were to impersonate a righteous sect hero again, he would lose the support of the demonic factions for good.
Whoa.
The carriage came to a stop deep in the mountains, far beyond the outskirts of Chengdu.
Click.
The Taoist stepped out without hesitation and ascended the mountain using his movement technique.
After a long trek into the wilderness, he finally halted before a sprawling public cemetery, where countless burial mounds jutted from the earth.
"Huuup."
As the Taoist exerted his power, the graveyard trembled, and a blue energy began to rise.
Like a member of the Corpse Handling Sect, he was absorbing the ghostly energy flowing through the cemetery.
"They're dwindling."
The Taoist tilted his head in puzzlement.
"Eighty of them haven't returned."
Bu Eun-seol and Song-ak, hidden nearby, exchanged sharp glances.
That number matched exactly how many Ghost Spirits they had eliminated so far.
"They're not fully matured, but there's no choice."
The Taoist slowly lowered the bamboo case from his back and began adjusting its contents.
In an instant, a ritual table and dharma instruments—tools used by Taoists for their arts—materialized before him.
"We'll have to expedite the process."
Tap.
Biting his finger to draw blood, the Taoist began inscribing a talisman onto the pagoda-tree yellow paper, which immediately began absorbing moonlight.
Simultaneously, the entire cemetery began to hum with a faint vibration.
Whoosh.
Before long, masked figures began emerging from the earth around the graves.
These were the Ghost Spirits who had been infusing civilians with evil qi.
"Why have you awakened us so soon?"
The Ghost Spirit at the front spoke respectfully, though confusion laced his voice.
"We haven't yet absorbed enough corpse qi."
They were not dead corpses—
but rather, like the sorcerers of the Skeleton Cult,
they had buried themselves in the cemetery to absorb the corpse qi and corpse poison emitted by the dead.
Which meant...
The secret to turning civilians into Killing Ghosts was likely the same—a fusion of corpse poison and corpse qi into the Art of Spells, much like the methods of the Heretical Sects.
"There's no other way."
The Taoist's eyes flashed.
"A group called the Muhonhui is hunting you down with their rogues. Under these circumstances, we have no choice but to mass-produce the Killing Ghosts and conclude the experiment."
Whoosh. Whoosh.
Even as they spoke, more Ghost Spirits began bursting from the ground where they had been buried.
The number of Ghost Spirits rising from this vast cemetery reached a staggering five hundred.
Though they hadn't absorbed enough corpse qi,
the sheer presence they exuded was on an entirely different level from the Ghost Spirits encountered so far.
'This is bad.'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened as he watched from hiding.
Having faced Ghost Spirits before,
he knew all too well how bizarre their techniques were—and how formidable their strength.
But five hundred Ghost Spirits?
In martial terms, it was akin to facing a well-trained army of five thousand.
"So it was them after all—the masterminds."
As Bu Eun-seol muttered under his breath,
"Heh heh heh."
Song-ak let out a sinister chuckle and nodded.
"Now we see the end."
Then, drawing the Pine-Patterned Ancient Sword from his waist, he ran his tongue slowly along the blade.
But this was no Taoist priest of the Wudang Sect.
This was the terrifying visage of a human butcher who carved human flesh like meat.