Myst, Might, Mayhem (Novel) - Chapter 87 - Origin Kill Pavilion Lord (2)
Chapter 87 – Origin Kill Pavilion Lord (2)
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Translated by Jinmu
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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The Spirit God Gu Poison Art.
It was an occult art called a forbidden secret technique.
More than sixty percent of the occult arts still in existence had derived from Daoism, and there had once been a Daoist sect that made them flourish and ushered in an age of revival.
That sect was the Maoshan Sect.
The Maoshan Sect had been a famous sect within Daoism, but it was exterminated long ago.
Now not even a trace of it remained.
There were many theories regarding its extermination, but the most widely accepted one held that the main reason was that during the sixth emperor of Yan’s persecution of murim, it submitted to the authorities and joined hands with them.
Thus most of the arts that had remained in the destroyed Maoshan Sect lost their lineage, but from time to time parts of those old legacies would be discovered.
And one of those was precisely
‘Ahhh. I thought the Spirit God Gu Poison Art had come to nothing.’
the Spirit God Gu Poison Art discovered by In Seo-ok, the Lord of Origin Kill Pavilion.
The successive Lords of Origin Kill Pavilion, whose base had been in Shaanxi, used to explore the collapsed valley once called Sealed Forest long ago.
In Seo-ok, Lord of Origin Kill Pavilion, was no different, and when he reached sixty years of age, he found several secret arts inscribed inside a cave deep in that valley.
One of them was precisely this Spirit God Gu Poison Art.
[Heaven and earth’s divine spirits have aided this Pavilion Lord.]
The Lord of Origin Kill Pavilion could not hide his joy at finding it.
But that joy did not last long.
That was because over eighty percent of the secret arts he found were ones prohibited by the Sixty-Four Pavilions of the Square and Circle.
And no wonder, because for most of those arts, the price was living life.
‘This cannot be.’
At that, the Lord of Origin Kill Pavilion agonized over it countless times.
The forbidden world that had lain barren until then was one step away from opening, yet as an occult practitioner who pursued the pinnacle of occult arts, he could not accept burying it because of rules.
That was why he left the Sixty-Four Pavilions of the Square and Circle and entered the Heaven and Earth Society.
He made that decision because he was certain that the only place that could fulfill his desire was the Heaven and Earth Society.
-Chiiiiiiik!
“Grrrrrr!”
On top of the cart, the spy Neung Hwa-yang swayed.
No, it was Gyu So-ha, possessing Neung Hwa-yang’s body, who could no longer endure the pain.
And no wonder, because the enormous spiritual pressure made it difficult to maintain the state of possession.
‘Damn it…’
Moreover, the timing was not favorable at all.
Thanks to the thick forest, the sunlight was at least somewhat blocked, but in broad daylight, full of the qi of rising yang, a resentful spirit inevitably had no choice but to weaken.
That was the same even if its rank was high.
-Bulge, bulge!
The black bulging veins were a sign that the possession was weakening.
‘I have to escape.’
Gyu So-ha reached that conclusion instinctively.
The two humans before her were completely different from ordinary people.
Especially that old man holding the cane. He was truly a monster.
The spell force emanating from his whole body was overturning everything nearby.
-Pat!
Enduring the pain, Gyu So-ha leaped from the cart and threw herself backward.
But here another problem arose.
This body had the sinews in both legs severed, and its dantian had been destroyed.
“Damn it!”
If she had not been weakened and if it were not daytime, she could have controlled the body and restored it to some extent, but now she could not.
So after a split second of thought, Gyu So-ha decided to abandon the body.
In any case, in this situation, the body would only hinder her escape.
-Sseureuk! Thud!
Neung Hwa-yang’s body collapsed to the ground.
At the same time, Gyu So-ha came out of the body and tried to soar up into the sky.
But then,
-Gooooooo!
‘!?’
A gray curtain covered the sky and the surrounding fifteen-zhang radius.
Seeing it, she was left speechless.
‘What kind of human…’
Was he saying a human could create something like the Domain of Ghost Intent that only high-rank resentful spirits could form?
That spiritual pressure produced through spell force was absurd as well.
She had been trapped inside the cliff as gu poison, so she knew little, but even at night that was not the kind of monster she could have dealt with.
‘Tch!’
But she could not simply stay still.
-Sseuk!
Gyu So-ha stretched a hand toward the empty air.
Then countless chains rose from the ground and surged toward a single point.
She was concentrating her power because she had to pierce that curtain somehow in order to escape.
However,
“Heh heh heh. Who said I would let you do as you please?”
-Pak! Pak! Pak!
In Seo-ok, Lord of Origin Kill Pavilion, formed hand seals with his left hand.
He formed the Vajra Finger and the Blade-Finger Seal, then swept the Sword Formula Finger along the cane and swung it wide.
Then, strangely enough,
-Chwaaaaaaaa!
The trunks of the trees in the forest lengthened, and then they lashed out like whips and instead seized the chains Gyu So-ha had made.
‘Ah!’
Gyu So-ha hurriedly slashed her hand downward.
Then part of the chains changed direction and turned toward In Seo-ok, Lord of Origin Kill Pavilion.
At that moment, someone stepped in front and blocked the way.
It was the occult practitioner Jo Ui-gong.
-Pak! Pak! Pak! Pak!
Lin! Dou! Jie! Zai!
It was the hand seal of the Nine Word Living Method.
When he overlapped the index fingers and thumbs of both hands and aimed them at the rushing chains,
-Parururururur!
-Paaang!
The chains were flung back and instead flew toward Gyu So-ha.
It was the reverse art of the Nine Word Living Method.
In an instant, the chain that flew back in reverse pierced Gyu So-ha’s thigh as she twisted her body trying to dodge it.
-Aaaaargh!
In her weakened spirit body, being pierced by that naturally caused immense pain.
But if she made the chain vanish, then not only would the tree trunks shatter it, but gathering everything into a single point to break the curtain would also be ruined.
‘I have to endure it.’
-Chwarrrrrr!
The chain struck the gray curtain, and blue flames and red flames burst up like lightning at the same time.
It was a phenomenon caused by spell force and spirit power colliding.
“Where do you think you’re trying to run!”
Occult practitioner Jo Ui-gong pulled a talisman from his robe and was about to chant a spell.
But before he could, In Seo-ok, Lord of Origin Kill Pavilion, drew a talisman first and flung it toward Green Spirit Gyu So-ha.
“Transform the form, sever the flower, bring command down, swift as law!”
As soon as the spell ended,
-Hwarrrrr!
The flames took the shape of a bird and flew toward Gyu So-ha.
Because the chain was lodged in her thigh and she could not move, Gyu So-ha was struck directly by it.
-Paaaaaaaaang!
-Aaaaaah!
With a scream, the chain that had taken shape through spirit power vanished.
Then Gyu So-ha dropped to the ground.
Gyu So-ha’s entire body was blackened by the flames made from spell force.
Her condition was not good.
-You damned occult practitioner!
“Heh heh heh. Your tongue is foul. To you, this Pavilion Lord is like a parent.”
-Sseuk!
When In Seo-ok, Lord of Origin Kill Pavilion, shook his cane, the silver coins chimed, and the red letters engraved on the cane’s surface emitted golden light.
At the same time, hands shaped from earth burst out of the ground and seized Gyu So-ha’s two arms and two legs all at once.
-Grip! Grip!
-Let go!
“Do you think you can really escape?”
-Eeeek!
Gyu So-ha tried to raise spirit power and form chains.
But once both her arms and both her legs were seized, no strength would gather in her body at all.
“It is useless. No matter how high your rank is, once you are seized by a spirit-binding beast, your spirit power scatters and you cannot exert strength.”
-Uuuugh.
Her strength was fading too quickly to deny it.
It was enough that she could feel her spirit body drooping.
Just then, In Seo-ok, Lord of Origin Kill Pavilion, approached Gyu So-ha, leaning on his cane.
Then he lifted her chin with the tip of the cane.
-Sseuk!
“Ho. It ripened better than I expected.”
-Kraaaaah!
Gyu So-ha bared her teeth like a beast and tried to look threatening toward In Seo-ok.
But it had no effect at all.
Rather, In Seo-ok, Lord of Origin Kill Pavilion, clicked his tongue and said,
“Since I have not tamed you yet, you bare your fangs like a wild beast. But do not worry. This Pavilion Lord will refine you into something quite useful.”
-Don’t make me laugh, human!
“Heh heh heh. You have completely forgotten that you were once human. Well, since that is proof your rank has risen, it is not a bad phenomenon.”
In Seo-ok, Lord of Origin Kill Pavilion, was rather satisfied.
Then his disciple, the occult practitioner Jo Ui-gong, approached and said,
“Master, is this it?”
“It is. If it had ripened just a little more, then within a short time I could have made a Blue Spirit. What a pity.”
“Huh. Even so, this is truly remarkable.”
Jo Ui-gong said so with an expression of genuine astonishment.
And no wonder, because in only fifteen years, a resentful spirit of this level had been artificially created.
That was an accomplishment no occult practitioner had ever achieved.
Of course, there would be none who welcomed such an accomplishment.
“Will you mature it further as gu poison?”
“No. That would be too much.”
“What do you mean by too much?”
“Once an art is broken once, it becomes difficult to continue performing the gu poison art afterward. It is regrettable that its rank falls somewhat short of what I expected, but it is enough to be made use of, so I will have to make a new jar.”
-Grit!
At those words from the Lord of Origin Kill Pavilion, Gyu So-ha ground her teeth.
She had not known what they were talking about until now, but hearing it, was it really these people who had created that cliff that was like hell?
Now that she knew the truth, anger surged up within her.
-You damned old man. So it was you!
-Gooooooo!
“Heh heh heh. No one could deny you are a resentful spirit. Merely because your rage rises, you are trying to restore your spirit power. However…”
-Chalang, chalang!
-Aaaaaah!
When he shook the silver coins on his cane, Gyu So-ha clutched her ears and writhed in pain.
The sound made by silver coins engraved with incantation words created pain that stimulated the spirit body of a resentful spirit.
“If you do not want to be exorcised, it would be best to stay still.”
-Uuuugh.
At the word exorcised, Gyu So-ha flinched as if she felt fear.
No matter that she was a resentful spirit, there was no way she could help fearing the words being exorcised.
Watching Gyu So-ha, In Seo-ok, Lord of Origin Kill Pavilion, stroked his beard and said,
“Still, I am truly curious.”
“About what, Master?”
“This Pavilion Lord’s Spirit God Gu Poison Art was perfect. Yet I cannot understand how it managed to escape.”
There was not the slightest flaw in the art.
Yet it had been broken.
If the Green Spirit before him had instead completed into something of Blue Spirit rank, he would have understood.
But since that was not the case, he could not understand it.
“Then could it not be because Junior Brother Yun neglected the management of the cliff?”
“Impossible. This Pavilion Lord also checked it regularly.”
At his master’s firm words, the occult practitioner Jo Ui-gong scratched his head awkwardly.
Then In Seo-ok, Lord of Origin Kill Pavilion, shook his head and pulled a talisman from his robe.
“Well, whatever happened, it does not matter. If it was not caused by uncanny beings, then it is a matter that can be investigated and understood little by little.”
With that, he brought the talisman toward Gyu So-ha’s forehead.
At that, sensing danger, Gyu So-ha turned her head and tried to avoid it.
“I told you it was useless.”
-Pak!
In Seo-ok forcibly affixed the talisman to her forehead.
On the talisman, in red ink, was written this:
[Fate Bond]
In Seo-ok, Lord of Origin Kill Pavilion, spoke as if telling his disciple, occult practitioner Jo Ui-gong, to pay attention.
“Watch carefully. I will show you how to turn a resentful spirit born through the Spirit God Gu Poison Art into a shikigami.”
Expectation spread across In Seo-ok’s face.
And no wonder, because ordinarily, commanding a resentful spirit as a shikigami was something close to impossible.
But the art that followed the Spirit God Gu Poison Art could make possible what was impossible under all existing systems of occult arts.
“Four-Nurtured Fate-Linked Divine General Method.”
With those words, In Seo-ok chanted a spell.
“Beneath the yin and yang of heaven and earth, on this day restore the ancient shrine’s divine spirit, let intention face intention and not be restrained, when completion arrives in this hour, let the lord’s merit enter the shrine, let body and spirit receive what I desire, what I desire and seek, now by my command, body and spirit answer one another, swift as law!”
-Hwarrrrr!
The instant the chant ended, the talisman burned up in blue flames.
Then the ashes gave off a faint light and scattered over Gyu So-ha’s entire body.
Watching this, In Seo-ok, Lord of Origin Kill Pavilion, lifted the corner of his mouth.
At last, the moment he had long awaited had arrived.
‘If a high-rank resentful spirit can be commanded as a shikigami…’
Then it might even be possible to command that thing called a calamity as a shikigami as well.
Smiling, In Seo-ok said to Green Spirit Gyu So-ha,
“Who am I?”
Before long, the words Master would come from Gyu So-ha’s lips.
He watched with eyes full of expectation, and it was then.
-You damned old man.
‘!?’
In Seo-ok, Lord of Origin Kill Pavilion, furrowed his brow.
What?
Clearly, by the Four-Nurtured Fate-Linked Divine General Method, the gu poison was supposed to become his shikigami.
Then why was it not calling him master?
Was it because its rank was high and its selfhood strong?
If so,
“Call this Pavilion Lord your master.”
-Get lost!
“………”
The eyes of In Seo-ok, Lord of Origin Kill Pavilion, narrowed.
Something had gone wrong.
There had clearly been no problem with the art, so why was it not serving him as master?
In Seo-ok spoke in a voice tinged with anger.
“This Pavilion Lord is your master. Obey this Pavilion Lord’s command at once.”
-Who says you are my master? You damned old man. If you want to play the master, then bark like a dog in front of me.
“You wretch!”
At last angered, In Seo-ok brought his cane down on Gyu So-ha’s head.
-Thwack!
Struck by the cane engraved with incantation words, Gyu So-ha let out a scream of pain.
-Agh!
“This Pavilion Lord said that I am your master…”
At that moment, someone’s voice was heard.
“Elder, why are you beating someone else’s dog like that?”
“What?”
At the voice, In Seo-ok, Lord of Origin Kill Pavilion, frowned and looked that way.
There stood an exceedingly handsome boy who had approached without anyone noticing.
It was Mok Gyeong-un.
“Its master is me.”
At that voice, Green Spirit Gyu So-ha cried out with a brightened face.
-Master!
‘Master?’
The expression on In Seo-ok’s face twisted terribly.