Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 379 – Joining (1)

Throughout her story, Cheong-ryeong was filled with anger and sorrow as she recalled the past.

Mok Gyeong-un listened intently to Cheong-ryeong’s tale.

As she recounted everything up to the moment she breathed her last, Cheong-ryeong seemed overwhelmed with emotion and shed tears of blood once again.

How deep must her resentment be to shed tears of blood despite being a bodiless spirit?

Mok Gyeong-un silently grasped her hand.

He felt it was the right thing to do.

-Grasp!

Cheong-ryeong, who was sobbing, held Mok Gyeong-un’s hand tightly.

Like a child clinging to a parent’s hand for support.

Although a vengeful spirit’s body should feel cold as it’s pure yin energy, Mok Gyeong-un found her hand strangely warm.

However, as she recounted her final moments, the strength in her hand weakened.

It was when she spoke of wanting to become “his” bride.

As she tearfully told the story, she looked at Mok Gyeong-un sheepishly, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

‘I got carried away while speaking.’

She felt she shouldn’t have mentioned that last part.

She worried that the mortal might be disappointed after learning about her feelings for him.

That’s how much she loved him.

To the point of thinking only of him even in her dying moments.

-……,

“……”

Mok Gyeong-un stared at her as she remained silent out of embarrassment, then spoke.

“But hearing it all, one thing seems strange.”

-Strange? What do you mean?

“Cheong-ryeong… no, So-wol…… At the end, you clearly lost your father and clan, but it seems you saw ‘that man’ and the junior head of Heaven Vein or whoever die. How did you become a vengeful spirit? Of course, you could remain due to deep resentment from losing your family, but……”

Her fundamental resentment was towards that Bi Yong-heon.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say everything stemmed from him.

But according to her story, it seemed this Bi Yong-heon had likely been dealt with by “him” whom she liked so much.

It was then,

-No, he didn’t die.

“What?”

He didn’t die?

-I too thought he had died because of his scream I heard at the end. But he was alive.

“How do you know that?”

-…… I sensed it.

“You sensed it? That he was alive?”

-…… I may not know now after a hundred years have passed, but at that time, he was certainly alive. He lived on to humiliate me to the very end.

***

How much time had passed?

Deep resentment becomes yin spiritual energy that holds the soul in this world.

A newly formed vengeful spirit doesn’t immediately form self-awareness due to the adaptation period to the spiritual body change and its low rank.

It took quite some time for her to gain self-awareness.

When she finally formed her own consciousness, the first thing she saw was none other than a book.

‘A… book?’

She instinctively knew that she was strongly bound to this book.

This book was a medium that allowed her to remain more firmly attached to the mortal world even as a spirit.

But how could this unfamiliar book be related to her?

Puzzled, she examined the book closely.

And in the process,

‘!!!!!!’

The book was made from none other than her own heart.

Having become a spirit, she could now see the world differently, so she instinctively knew.

What on earth had they done with her heart?

She opened the book made by drying and pressing her heart.

Inside, like any other book, words were inscribed one by one.

The words were the verses of the Moon Sword Technique, which combined the Eight Thought-Shattering Techniques with her Moonless Void Sword[1].

‘What is this……’

It was then.

As if having a headache, she felt pain in her head.

It was strange to feel pain when spirits shouldn’t experience headaches, so why did it hurt so much?

As she wondered, a faint memory flowed into her mind.

It was,

[The heart is the source of life and also symbolizes a person’s feelings. You and I will be together forever.]

‘!?’

She couldn’t hide her bewilderment at his image appearing in her mind.

How…… How was this man still alive?

Clearly, by his hand…… Ugh.

Suddenly, another memory flashed in her mind.

He was inscribing words on her heart.

[…… So-wol. I’ll leave all traces of you here.]

-Clench!

She bit her lip hard and raged.

Was he looking at this constantly after inscribing it on her heart as if doing it for her sake?

-Rumble rumble rumble!

As her enraged spiritual energy spread out, the surroundings shook.

She was so angry.

It was already miserable enough to become a vengeful spirit due to unresolved resentment, but was he humiliating her even after death?

***

-Unable to endure the humiliation from him even after death, I went berserk. Although I hadn’t yet properly gained power as a vengeful spirit, I was consumed by the thought of killing him.

“Were you sealed by him then?”

When he first met Cheong-ryeong, or rather Ryu So-wol, the secret manual made from her heart, which was her medium, was clearly sealed by some magic.

According to her story, it was highly likely that she had been sealed to stop her rampage.

But,

-…… I don’t know. To be honest, I don’t remember anything from this point on.

“You don’t remember?”

-Yes. I have no memory of how I was sealed.

She had tried to recall that moment many times, but couldn’t remember no matter how hard she tried.

To this, Mok Gyeong-un said with a tone of regret,

“Then you don’t know how that secret manual made from your heart ended up in Yeon Mok Sword Manor either?”

-I don’t remember. When I was sealed, I was essentially cut off from the outside world. That period was close to a hundred years. However……

She had endured solely with the thought of revenge.

Because of him, she lost her family and caused pain to the man she loved by making him lose someone precious.

That remained as deep resentment and pain even as she was dying.

-Only this resentment sustained me.

Enduring for such a long time while harboring deep resentment was a battle against loneliness.

She had persevered steadfastly through the long loneliness. However, no matter how strong a vengeful spirit, that terrible loneliness inevitably ate away at one’s own heart.

That’s why she had crumbled in front of Mok Gyeong-un, who shook her.

“……”

After hearing the whole story, Mok Gyeong-un, though unskilled in emotions, could understand in his heart how difficult and lonely a battle she had fought.

Therefore,

-Grasp!

He held her hand and spoke as if making a vow.

“I promise you.”

-……

“I’ll erase everything related to him from this world. Even if he’s already dead and gone, it doesn’t matter.”

Her expression became strange at Mok Gyeong-un’s pledge, which carried a sense of murderous intent.

Until now, she had been a spirit interested in nothing but her own revenge.

She couldn’t help but feel strange that such a person was now vowing revenge for her sake.

But soon, she spoke with tearful eyes.

-I’m sorry, mortal…… My heart is rotten and decayed, as good as dead long ago. There might be no place for you to settle in it.

“That doesn’t matter.”

-You…… You say such things even after hearing this……

“I can’t help that I’ve already come to like you.”

-Ha……

A hundred years had passed since her death.

Despite that, “he” still remained in her heart.

That’s why it was even more difficult for her.

Both in life and death, she had considered only him as her man.

Yet now, she found herself wavering at every word of this mortal whose fate wasn’t even that long, and she felt utterly resentful of herself.

Is it just because of loneliness?

Is that why she wants to lean on him whenever he shakes her?

She couldn’t understand why her heart, which had been like an old tree that would break rather than bend, was now swaying like a reed.

‘I…… I……’

She shouldn’t be like this, but every time she looks at him, “he” strangely comes to mind.

From his manner of speech to his appearance, nothing resembled him at all, yet she couldn’t understand why this was happening.

‘…… I can’t.’

She shook her head repeatedly.

She stared intently at Mok Gyeong-un, who was holding her hand tightly.

Despite being a spirit, her chest ached.

‘Should I have kept it to myself?’

For the first time, she had told this story to someone, and it made her feel somewhat relieved to have shared it.

However, she couldn’t help but feel bitter.

It seemed like she had dampened his spirits.

Even though he said it was okay, he would have realized that “he” still remained in her heart, so even this mortal wouldn’t feel too good about it.

-Mortal. I……

“It’s alright.”

-What?

“Cheong-ryeong…… Ah. I guess I’ve gotten too used to it. Anyway, So-wol has feelings too, and it’s not wrong that she liked someone and kept him in her heart.”

-…… Mortal

This guy is unexpectedly good at touching others’ hearts.

A person who doesn’t even properly understand his own emotions.

For someone so bleak and cold to try to comfort her instead.

Perhaps that’s why her chest feels even more tingly.

“It’s strange.”

-What do you mean?

“Actually, if I followed my heart, I’d want to steal even So-wol’s feelings for someone else.”

-……

“But after hearing the story, I realize that doing so would just repeat another pain for So-wol. I don’t want that for her.”

-……

“So for now, I want to focus on my revenge and resolving So-wol’s resentment.”

At these words from Mok Gyeong-un, her eyes welled up with tears.

Your words like this shake me even more.

She wanted to say those words, but she quickly composed herself and somehow calmed her emotions.

It was the first time her heart had gone to someone other than him.

But she had to suppress this feeling.

‘The fate between you and me must end with revenge.’

There was a predetermined end when a vengeful spirit resolves its resentment.

Because there was a set ending, she couldn’t waver anymore.

Realizing this anew, she firmly grasped her wavering heart.

-Yes. You’re right, mortal. Let’s focus on your revenge and resolving my resentment for now. And……

“And?”

-You don’t have to force yourself to call me Ryu So-wol when it doesn’t even feel natural to you.

“I’ll get used to it soo……”

-Just call me Cheong-ryeong.

“What?”

-I want you to keep calling me Cheong-ryeong.

***

On a dark night.

Two carriages appeared at the foot of a mountain not far from Spiritual Sword Sanctuary.

The ones driving these two carriages were none other than Seop Chun and Mong Mu-yak, subordinates of Mok Gyeong-un.

They had barely managed to catch up to their lord, who had flown ahead using the Shadow Sword Flying Technique.

As they came this far, thinking they only needed to find the treasure bead and wouldn’t have to enter Spiritual Sword Sanctuary’s territory, they had somehow reached a place not too far from it.

Spiritual Sword Sanctuary was the domain of Ou Cheon-mu, one of the Six Heavens, so even their lord wouldn’t have approached this place carelessly, but why was there still no news?

It was then.

-Screech!

“Whoa!”

Seop Chun, who was driving the horse behind, was startled and stopped when the carriage in front suddenly halted.

Seop Chun then shouted towards the front.

“Mu-yak. You should signal when you’re stopping……”

Soon, Seop Chun could see why the carriage in front had stopped.

There were people in front of the carriage who appeared to be sword disciples from Spiritual Sword Sanctuary.

Seop Chun quickly launched himself towards the front of the carriage to support them, but,

-Swoosh!

‘What’s this?’

He saw that Mong Mu-yak had a strange expression on his face.

-Shing!

Although puzzled, he tried to draw his unique weapon, the Gwangmudo, to prepare for a fight, when,

“Stop!”

Mong Mu-yak held him back.

“Stop? Huh?”

Suddenly, something caught Seop Chun’s eye.

In the center of the Spiritual Sword Sanctuary sword disciples was a middle-aged man at the Transcendent Realm, who was respectfully cupping his hands in salute to them.

Why on earth were they doing this? As he wondered,

“His Lordship is waiting. From here on, it will be difficult to move by carriage, so please follow on foot.”

“His Lordship? You mean the master of Spiritual Sword Sanctuary?”

Did they notice our entry and send someone?

As he was thinking this,

“No. Lord Heavenly Demon sent us to escort you all.”

‘!?’

For a moment, Seop Chun doubted his ears.

Lord Heavenly Demon?