Chapter 101
It has been more than a year since I came to this world.
And now the Heavenly Demon Cult is alive with excitement over the promotion tournament, returned for the first time in a year. Yes — the same tournament in which, last year, Byeong-il leapt in a single bound from Guardian to Hall Master. This time, though, the one at the center of every rumor is none other than Goo Mil-mil. Talk of the former cult leader Goo Sung-yong's daughter burns hottest of all, because she has brought Oh Myung-sung, bearer of the Heavenly Demon Physique, as her partner, and declared that she will challenge the Heavenly Demon in this tournament.
For the record, Heavenly Demon Physique is simply another name for a harvester. At some point people began calling harvesters by that title, and it isn't exactly wrong: once you become a harvester, you can learn the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. Someone brimming over with confidence cannot learn it, though, which is why Oh Myung-sung cannot use the Heavenly Demon Divine Art either. Even so, by means of the internal cultivation method he already possesses, he can draw me forth the way Eun-jae does. In other words, it is not a technique that belongs to only one person.
And yet, surprisingly, no one here has gained a supernatural ability. Is it because they can get by without one? The man in my faded memories seems to think that in this world they call a murim tale, such powers are hardly necessary — or that martial arts alone are enough.
"What business brings you to a place like this?"
Late afternoon. While the Heavenly Demon trained with Soo, I returned to the village, and I had barely arrived when In Sim-won came hurrying over. He was not wearing the Wolje Hall garb that hides the entire body. The reason to cover even his face must have disappeared.
Ordinarily, the people of Wolje Hall carry more parasites in their bodies than ordinary members of the Heavenly Demon Cult. Those things do not merely crush the flesh; they slowly warp it into that of a fish-person. That is why they conceal themselves from head to toe, and why he used to breathe smoke thick with painkillers. For the record, if I dig through Daegon's memories, they are, strictly speaking, closer to bio-robots than to insects or parasites. They can be replicated, of course, but then genetic defects appear, and the soul is so weak that proper offspring never come of it. Left alone, their intelligence gradually degenerates and their bodies shrink. Turn an intelligent being into one of their kind, however, and those side effects do not appear — or the next generation grows even stronger. Daegon's memories are packed with material one might translate as soul-science. I will chew on that slowly and swallow it later.
I answered In Sim-won as he drew near.
"To offer myself."
For now, most of what stood in my way inside the Heavenly Demon Cult has been settled, so if I can, I mean to increase the number of harvesters. But there are simply too few people here. Even if I turned every last one of them into a harvester, the warmth would not be enough — fewer than a hundred thousand, at most. Too few to wring warmth from a slaughter of their own kind. So I intend to go outside. If I can, I would like to make a harvester of the one they call emperor, the man who holds the whole of this realm known as the murim.
I learned it in the first world: a king is efficient. Only a ruler can kill a great many people with ease. An emperor would be better still.
"If you mean a blessing…"
"I can heal even wounds that would never recover, can't I?"
I said it while pointing at In Sim-won, and he nodded in agreement. He and the woman he loves both lived because of my blessing. I had forgotten it at the time, but I somehow kept the rule that only three people a day are possible. I am glad it was not a lie.
Anyway. From what I worked out while Choseol's body was at rest, if I repeat the act of healing someone a few times, I will meet someone high up before long. An ability that regenerates without question or condition — who would not want that? And very few would try to share the profit. Far more likely, someone blinded by gain will snatch me up quickly. Yes. I will not need to scheme my way to a person of high rank. I will meet them simply.
Even in a world where flesh regenerates with ease, becoming a harvester makes you stronger. Not only the body — the mind grows sharper too. Where would you find anyone who dislikes that? But it has to be done outside. Doing it here does not mean all that much. Still, I can prepare for what might go wrong. If the Heavenly Demon loses to Oh Myung-sung, or has a change of heart and tries to erase me, I cannot simply let it happen.
Perhaps because he had seen me heal people, In Sim-won soon nodded. He told me to do as I pleased and took his place behind me.
"See to your business."
"Watching you is my duty."
That was his answer. So he means he is keeping me under watch. I see. That is why, the last time I stopped in the village, the people who moved to hide me were badly hurt.
I left the lively heart of the village and slipped into a tucked-away alley, and there I began looking for people. If I could, I wanted to meet them. But I wandered the back lanes in circles, and before I knew it the sun had sunk low. Unfortunately, I cannot find those people. Even without a separate order from In Sim-won, they are nowhere to be seen. The days are growing longer, but if I stay out too late, Soo will have something to say again. I turned my steps and decided to leave the village.
I made for the main road first, but strangely the sound was vanishing from one side. Silence was spreading. Curious what was happening, I looked toward the place the silence came from. At its center stood a beautiful woman.
"The Holy Maiden…"
In Sim-won murmured it under his breath. The Holy Maiden. Put simply, it means holy maiden — a figure of high religious standing in the Heavenly Demon Cult. In other words, Goo Mil-mil. Oh Myung-sung is currently speaking with the Hall Master of Jigwan, the hall that ranks as the First. Which means Goo Mil-mil is alone.
If I step forward in a religious capacity, she becomes my enemy: an outsider who arrived calling herself a person of heaven, set against an insider revered here since long ago. Ask which of the two people would love more, and the answer is obviously the latter. Turning her into a harvester as well looks as though it would pay handsomely.
Goo Mil-mil seems used to the way people turn toward her. She soothes them with ease and raises them to their feet, and at that the ones who had knelt and bowed all lifted their heads. Seen through Oh Myung-sung's eyes, she is kind at heart, yet so adapted to a vicious world that good and evil have warped in her. If anything, simply keeping a fair measure of goodness in a world like this is worth congratulating. On the other hand, if she acts, she is the sort who will do anything for what she believes is right. In short, if I meet her and tie a thread between us, I expect a great deal more will happen from here on. Hehe.
I walked in among the people who were gradually rising. I had not taken many steps before Goo Mil-mil looked at me in surprise. Well — when a woman a full head taller than everyone around her walks toward you, it would be harder not to look. I am tall enough to match a tall man. As I approached her, In Sim-won, following behind me, grew oddly restless. He is the Master of Wolje Hall; what is he fidgeting for? This man really is neither one thing nor the other.
I had not walked more than a few steps, and already a path had opened, because people drew back from where I walked. I do not know what those who stepped aside to left and right were thinking when they made way. I had expected it would take a while to push through the crowd, but thanks to that I arrived in front of her with ease.
"Hello. Your name is Goo Mil-mil, isn't it?"
"Who are you?"
We have met once, and she does not recognize me at all. It is understandable. Back then I was all height, like a giant stick insect — thin limbs, a flat chest — and in this world plenty of men wear their hair long, so she might even have mistaken me for one. I set the question aside and stood before her. Stretch the comparison a little, and there is a difference of two heads.
"My name is Choseol."
"Choseol? A name I have not heard."
Hm?
Ah — come to think of it, we exchanged a few words, but never our names. We also met at the place where Goo Sung-yong died, but she never got a proper look at me. While Eun-chun dealt with them, I passed them by and leapt down to the ground below. After the assault on the Heavenly Demon failed, they left the cult at once, so there was never a chance to meet.
"Do you have some business with me?"
Back then she spoke in a truly rough voice. Now she is speaking in a proper one. She must be quite good at mimicking voices.
"Yes. I have business with you."
It is not such a large matter. First, to leave my face with someone who might be the next person in power. And second—
"If you wish to know about Oh Myung-sung's change, come to the house north of the Heavenly Demon Cult."
To let people know the house where I am. I thought I had let them know last time as well, but no one came. If I learn that someone went, the next step will be that much lighter.
"A house to the north?"
She looks as if to ask what I mean, all of a sudden. She does not seem to place it right away. Ah. This should do it.
"I live with a child. So if you find the time, come whenever you like. Whoever comes, I welcome them."
Then I offered a courteous bow in the manner of the Heavenly Demon Cult and set off for home at once.
"Why did you invite that person to your house?"
In Sim-won, who had followed me in silence, opened his mouth the moment I left the village. The man who had kept quiet before Goo Mil-mil asks at once. I do not know what he is thinking, but I can watch what he does. So, in order to learn what is in this man's mind, I told him the truth.
"When the Heavenly Demon was a man, we happened to meet. He had a medicine that removes the worms placed inside the body, so I gave it to Soo."
At that his face hardened, and he asked me:
"What do you think of the Three Corpses?"
The Three Corpses. The most basic worms, set inside the body to control a person. Ah — now that I think of it, those kind people had them inside as well. No wonder it is hard for them to act against the Heavenly Demon Cult.
"I dislike them, because they bind freedom. I believe people ought to be free."
"I… see. Do you intend to remove every one of the worms?"
Hmm. An important question. So I thought it over, and answered.
"If I can."
Saying so, I left him there, waved in farewell, and went home.
What choice will In Sim-won make?