Myst, Might, Mayhem (Novel) - Chapter 210 - Karma (6)
Chapter 210 – Karma (6)
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Translated by Jinmu
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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Faced with Blue Spirit’s Domain of Ghost Intent covering even its innate domain, the resentful spirit Ha Yun had already lost the will to fight.
Although it had reached the level of Indigo Spirit, this was still its own domain, so it had thought that while it might not be able to harm her, perhaps it could at least drive her out.
But that had been no more than the faintest hope.
Blue Spirit curled her lips into a bloody smile as she looked at the resentful spirit Ha Yun, whose face had gone hollow.
-Foolish thing. If this Exalted One so wished, driving away not only you but all the stray spirits in this area would be nothing at all.
-……So it seems.
-Therefore I will give you one final chance.
-……..
-Return that body to its original owner and leave this place. If you do that, this Exalted One and this living being will withdraw and interfere no further.
Blue Spirit offered a final mercy.
In truth, her goal was not to destroy or drive out all the resentful spirits in the area.
Her goal was simply to bring the manor owner, the owner of the boat, back to his senses so that Mok Gyeong-un and the others could cross the river.
It was then that the resentful spirit Ha Yun opened its mouth.
-How can a great resentful spirit of your rank obey the command of a mere human?
-A mere human?
-Yes. That is what I wish to know.
Ha Yun had already seen clearly that it could not fight Blue Spirit with force.
So it decided to change methods.
From the look of it, this Indigo Spirit-ranked resentful spirit seemed to be following that human fellow.
Yet though it had lived for a long time as a resentful spirit, it had never seen a spirit filled with han of such high rank bound to a human.
In the first place, that very han was what allowed a spirit body to remain and linger in this world.
So Ha Yun decided to somehow prick Blue Spirit’s pride and cause a crack to open in their relationship.
Blue Spirit drew a puff from her pipe and exhaled.
-Hoo.
Then,
-Boom!
in an instant she appeared before Ha Yun, who dwelt in the manor owner’s flesh, seized its throat, and slammed it back against a wooden pillar.
-Thud!
-Ugh!
-After I went so far as to show mercy, you try playing clever games.
-Creak!
As Blue Spirit heightened her spiritual power, Ha Yun let out a groan as if in pain.
-Guhhh.
-This Exalted One tried to show you mercy because, having remained in this world for so long, you clearly bear a deep han. But if you insist on playing these useless tricks, then the matter changes.
-H-how…
-Do you think destroying one insignificant thing like you would amount to anything for this Exalted One?
-Ughhh.
-I will erase you as you are.
From the hand clutching Ha Yun’s throat, a blood-colored haze flickered.
Blue Spirit was truly about to erase Ha Yun with overwhelming spiritual power.
At that, sensing the danger of annihilation, Ha Yun clenched its teeth and cried out,
-Very well. If you insist on this, then I will remain together with this man’s soul.
-What?
At those words, Blue Spirit frowned.
Mok Gyeong-un, puzzled, asked,
“Why is that a problem?”
-It means to perish together.
To perish together.
It meant walking the road of destruction together.
“Hmm. That is inconvenient. Can we not erase it before that?”
-If a resentful spirit of this high a rank makes up its mind to cling to the original owner’s soul and harm it, then it will affect it in one way or another.
“For example?”
-Even if he escapes death, his soul may be damaged, and he could spend the rest of his life as a breathing corpse, a vegetable who does nothing but breathe.
At those words, Mok Gyeong-un clicked his tongue.
If it was to be erased anyway, then it meant it would at least drag the owner of the body down with it.
From the beginning, their goal had been the manor owner.
He was the owner of the large boat and the one capable of piloting it, so they were trying to keep him alive somehow. If things went this way, it became highly troublesome.
Mok Gyeong-un clicked his tongue, then sent a voice transmission to Blue Spirit.
-Stall for a moment. At this rate, I will have to use occult arts to bind it so it cannot cling to the soul.
If a resentful spirit of such high rank forcibly possessed someone, it was difficult to rip it out by force with occult arts.
But binding it temporarily was another matter.
If they could bind it only for a moment, Blue Spirit could erase it.
Blue Spirit, without showing that she had heard Mok Gyeong-un’s voice transmission, lowered her spiritual power and said,
-Why are you so obsessed with these people that you would even accept your own erasure?
-……..
-Surely this has nothing to do with the root han you carry?
By root han, she meant the true reason this being had become a resentful spirit.
At Blue Spirit’s words, Ha Yun opened its mouth.
-There is much you do not know.
-What is it I do not know?
-How great a karma these people have committed.
-You keep saying karma, karma. Did this Wu family do something hateful to you or the other spirits?
At that question, Ha Yun gestured around with its eyes and said,
-Why do you think this place became my domain?
-……Was this not the place connected to your han, or where you lost your fleshly body?
-It was.
-Wait. If this whole area is your domain, then the villagers here too are intruding upon it, not just the Wu family.
-They are different.
-What do you mean, different?
-The residents of this village tended my tomb and shrine, whose line of descendants had been broken for many years, and they prepared an altar here to honor the souls of the dead.
-Is that so? They are admirable people.
Even those who became resentful spirits through deep han receive some comfort if someone honors their souls.
To receive comfort did not mean the root problem was solved, but that while rites were being offered, the han they carried would slowly loosen, little by little.
-Then what exactly is the problem? What did they do to make you rage to this degree?
At that question, Ha Yun trembled with a fierce gaze and said,
-These people tore down my shrine that had stood on this hill for over a hundred years, dug up my grave, and built their manor there.
-What?
At those words, Blue Spirit frowned.
She had asked only to buy time.
But the moment she heard this, she was left dumbfounded.
-Then you are saying this manor stands exactly where your shrine and grave once were?
-Yes.
-Ha!
Blue Spirit was astonished.
Now she understood why Ha Yun was trying to take revenge on this clan even at the cost of its own annihilation.
But that was not the end of it.
-That is not all.
-If that is not all, then what else is there?
-The owner of this manor, Wu In-yeom, was a military officer of a thousand-man post under the Naval Command Office not far from here.
At those words, Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes narrowed while he continued chanting inwardly.
Just as Blue Spirit had guessed, the manor owner really had been a military officer.
And more than that, he had belonged to the navy.
-Did you see the merit plaque on the gate?
-Yes. It said Fourth-Rank Meritorious Retainer Who Pacified a Crisis, did it not?
-Do you think that plaque was awarded for putting down a rebellion by traitors?
-What do you mean by that?
To the puzzled Blue Spirit, Ha Yun pointed to itself and said,
-Years ago, after continued famine led to people starving to death throughout the country, a plague broke out soon after.
-A plague?
-Originally there had been a county nearby with more than several thousand residents.
-And?
-When plague appeared among some of the people there, even the thousand-man naval post of the nearby Naval Command Office was mobilized to stop it from spreading.
-Mobilized? Surely you do not mean…
-I mean exactly what you are imagining.
-……..
-The soldiers who were mobilized slaughtered the villagers mercilessly.
-……..
-And the owner of this body, Wu In-yeom, drove the fleeing innocents, who numbered in the thousands, all the way here and drowned them all, even though most of them had not even contracted the plague.
‘!!!!!!!’
At those words from Ha Yun, not only Blue Spirit but even Seop Chun, Mong Mu-yak, and Ja Geum-jeong the vow-breaking monk, who were listening, all wore expressions of utter disbelief.
They had guessed that something had happened to provoke the resentful spirits.
But this went far beyond their expectations.
It was then.
“Th-that is a lie! Captain Wu did no such thing!”
The one who shouted was the sturdy man supporting the unconscious Wu Hyang.
The stout man cried out with a face gone white.
-A lie?
“Are you guests really believing the words of that evil spirit? Captain Wu is a pacifying-merit hero who killed traitors and stopped the plague! That evil spirit is slandering him to deceive you!”
No sooner had the words ended than
Ha Yun burst into mad laughter.
-Hahahahahahahaha! As if it were not enough that they committed a crime so grave that heaven and man alike would rage, they even destroyed the altar where the villagers honored the souls of those who died unjustly by drowning, and prevented such rites from being performed. And yet you say something like that? Hahahahaha!
It was laughing, but it was not truly laughter.
It was rage close to lamentation.
As Ha Yun’s laughter spread in all directions, before long the cries of resentful spirits began to sound around them like weeping.
-Uuuuuuuuuu!
-Huuuuuuuuuu!
It was as though the resentful spirits were responding to his anger.
Though they had been pressed back and driven away by Blue Spirit’s immense spiritual power, they were continuing to gather.
As if, like Ha Yun, they had already resolved to be destroyed.
At that sight, Blue Spirit let out a sigh and glanced sideways at Mok Gyeong-un.
She had only continued the conversation to buy time while he completed his spell, but now she understood why they kept speaking of karma and trying to take revenge on the Wu family.
‘Ha.’
To be honest, she did not wish to interfere with what these spirits were doing.
This was karma, pure and simple.
The Wu family should bear the karma of what they had done.
But
‘the boat…’
Right now, Mok Gyeong-un and his party had to cross this river.
Though hidden behind the Domain of Ghost Intent, the downpour still raged outside, and the flooded river was close to impossible to cross for some time.
If Mok Gyeong-un failed to complete the secret mission because they missed the deadline, it might even interfere with resolving her own han.
Their interests were colliding in that moment.
‘But would this fellow waver over something like that?’
Because she had stayed with him for so long, Blue Spirit knew Mok Gyeong-un better than anyone.
Others might waver, but Mok Gyeong-un, who thought on an entirely different track, would never be shaken by another person’s story or feelings when it came to his own purpose.
Even now, no matter how understandable their han might be…
It was then.
“This is quite a pitiful story.”
‘!?’
Unexpected words came from Mok Gyeong-un’s mouth.
Could it be that this dried-up fellow was actually sympathizing with their han?
At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, Ha Yun spoke in an earnest voice.
-Human connected to the high-ranked resentful spirit. If you truly understand even a little the feelings of me and the unjustly dead resentful spirits, can you not simply withdraw as you are?
“I am sorry, but I do not think that will be possible.”
-What?
“However many died, that is your affair.”
-Pak! Pak! Pak!
At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un formed hand seals and then, like lightning, pressed his sword-fingers to the forehead of the manor owner, Wu In-yeom, in whom Ha Yun was residing.
Then,
-Th-this is…
“I would appreciate it if you remained just like that for a moment. It will be over soon.”
Mok Gyeong-un curled up one corner of his mouth in a bloody smile.
At that sight, Blue Spirit said in a tone that was not especially pleased,
-Are you truly going to erase him?
“Yes. This is their story, not something that concerns me.”
-……..
“We need to cross the river quickly. If their story causes problems and I fail the mission, then the position of fourth disciple will go down the drain, will it not?”
-Hoo.
At that, Blue Spirit let out a sigh and shook her head slowly.
As expected, this fellow was not swayed by such things.
If there truly existed a human being devoid of all compassion, it was probably this one.
There was no helping it.
‘Then hate me as well.’
Blue Spirit moved to raise her spiritual power.
At that moment, the stout man supporting Wu Hyang, who had been watching tensely, let out a sigh of relief as if all were now well.
He had been worried that these people might take the side of the resentful spirits.
‘Whatever they are, they are dead things. How can it make sense for Lord Thousand-Captain and the young lady to die because of these creatures, who spread plague and brought harm to the country?’
To him, anything threatening the living was an evil ghost, no matter what.
The stout man expressed his gratitude toward Mok Gyeong-un.
“Thank you sincerely. If you would rid us of those damned evil spirits, the thousand-captain will reward you greatly.”
“There is no need to thank me. I am not doing this for your sake. It merely suits my interests.”
“……”
At Mok Gyeong-un’s blunt answer, the stout man clicked his tongue inwardly.
In the end this fellow still needed the thousand-captain’s help, yet he was insolent beyond measure.
It was then.
“Ah! Blue Spirit, wait a moment.”
-What is it?
Blue Spirit, who had been about to raise her spiritual power and erase Ha Yun, stopped for a moment.
Then Mok Gyeong-un said,
“Come to think of it, there may be no need to go that far.”
-What do you mean, no need?
“Was it Ha Yun?”
At Mok Gyeong-un’s question, Ha Yun only glared at him without answering.
That reaction was only natural.
But Mok Gyeong-un paid it no mind and continued.
“Since you can read the memories of the fleshly body you are possessing, can you not operate the boat in that body?”
‘!?’
At those words, the expression of Ha Yun, who had been soaked in fury, changed.
It understood at once what this human meant by saying that.
And Ha Yun was not the only one who understood.
The stout man who had just been relieved suddenly panicked and cried out,
“W-wait a moment. What are you saying? Surely you do not mean to ask that evil spirit to pilot the thousand-captain’s boat?”
To that, Mok Gyeong-un smiled faintly and replied,
“You understand quickly.”
At that, the stout man said in an incredulous tone,
“No. How can you entrust such a thing to such a wicked ghost when it could be asked of a living human…”
-It is possible.
At that moment, Ha Yun said so.
Hearing that, the increasingly agitated stout man tried desperately to stop them.
“Do not fall for an evil spirit’s words! How could that evil spirit possibly steer the thousand-captain’s boat? Please, guest, do away with that evil spirit…”
“Can you get us across the river at once?”
But Mok Gyeong-un was already no longer listening to the stout man.
To Mok Gyeong-un’s question, Ha Yun replied,
-The downpour is heavy, but if the resentful spirits lend their strength together, the boat can be carried across safely.
“Ho. Is that so?”
Angered that Mok Gyeong-un was ignoring him and speaking with the spirit, the stout man shouted,
“How can you trust the words of such an evil spirit? If you were in your right mind, you would never…”
“Ah. You are noisy. Seop Chun.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Cut him down.”
‘!?’
At those words, the stout man’s eyes widened.
What had this fellow just said?
Then it happened.
“Certainly!”
-Srrrng!
No sooner had the words ended than Seop Chun’s Gwangmu Saber was drawn, cleaving through the falling rain, and then
-Slash!
“Kuh!”
he cut off the stout man’s neck in a single stroke.
As the severed head dropped to the ground,
-Splash!
Mok Gyeong-un smiled and said to Ha Yun,
“There was a brief clash between us due to a difference in positions, but since we have found common ground, please accept this as my small gesture of sincerity.”