Chapter 423 Soul and Spirit (1)

-Wake up.

-Bang!

“Kuhak!”

Na Yul-ryang, the chief disciple of the Society Leader, awoke spitting blood from the shock.

As Na Yul-ryang regained his senses, he couldn’t hide his surprise at the being pressing down on his chest.

“Wi… So-yeon?”

-Don’t talk nonsense.

-Puk!

“Kuk.”

Na Yul-ryang let out a groan as sharp fingernails dug into his chest.

Though he was more patient than most due to his arrogance and strong pride, he strangely couldn’t bear the pain.

He tried to remove the fingernails embedded in his chest.

But something was off.

‘My body?’

It wouldn’t move.

It wasn’t that his body was paralyzed, but he felt pain as if most of his muscles had been severed. He couldn’t understand what was happening.

As he tried to circulate his qi,

-Crunch! Crunch!

“Kuaaaaargh!”

The moment he tried to circulate his inner energy from his danjeon, an immense pain like needles piercing every acupoint in his body surged through him, and a scream, not a groan, burst from his lips.

This wasn’t the kind of pain that could be endured with patience alone.

Na Yul-ryang instinctively knew that all his acupoints had ruptured and even his danjeon wasn’t normal.

‘Why is my body…?’

Beyond severe injury, his physical body was damaged to the point where it was almost impossible for him to recover as a martial artist.

Why was his body so damaged?

Clearly, in his memory…

-Throb!

His head ached, and for a moment, unfamiliar memories flashed sporadically.

what the .... was this phenomenon?

As he wondered, Wi So-yeon, who had dug her fingernails into his chest…

Wait, is this woman really Wi So-yeon?

“You bitch… Who are you?”

She’s different from Wi So-yeon.

A pale white face devoid of vitality.

Though she looked exactly like Wi So-yeon, unlike the innocent-looking girl, this one exuded an aura of dignity and pressure that seemed to encompass her surroundings.

-Grab!

“Hup.”

The sharp fingernails digging into his chest touched something.

It was undoubtedly his heart.

The sensation of something touching his beating heart was filled with a sense of alienation and discomfort he had never experienced in his life.

To Na Yul-ryang, who was at a loss for words, the breathtakingly beautiful woman who looked exactly like his disciple Wi So-yeon, Cheong-ryeong, spoke.

-Heaven Vein gave me the pain of having my heart ripped out alive. That pain is beyond words.

“What… are you… talking… about…”

-The third eye inside you… No, Bi Yong-heon had entered. Even if it wasn’t for long, you shared a body with him for a moment, so surely something must remain in that head of yours.

“Sharing a body…?”

-Throb!

His head rang, and once again, unfamiliar memories flashed by.

It was a scene of him fighting against Mok Gyeong-un.

High-level Heaven Vein sword techniques that were beyond his current level were unfolding from his hands, and Mok Gyeong-un was blocking those incredible sword strikes with equally formidable sword techniques.

‘What is this?’

Why were these memories lingering in his mind?

He couldn’t understand at all.

The last thing he was fully conscious of was when the society members blamed everything on him…

“Mo Yak? Kueup!”

Suddenly, the image of Mo Yak’s abruptly changed appearance flashed in his mind.

That’s right.

She suddenly changed like a different person, put her finger into his empty right eye socket, and pulled out his eyeball…

-Thump! Thump! Thump!

His heart began to race madly, and his head felt like it was about to burst.

“Kuuuugh.”

The moment he recalled her appearance, Na Yul-ryang’s eyes turned bloodshot as if he had entered a state of qi deviation, and the veins on his forehead bulged severely.

Seeing this, Cheong-ryeong’s eyes, which were about to interrogate Na Yul-ryang, filled with disappointment.

She had hoped that something would remain in his head, but judging from his current state, it seemed he was just broken.

‘Bi Yong-heon!’

Anger surged within her.

Whether he was truly human or not was still unknown, but to damage the successor who inherited his own martial arts, Heaven Vein, like this.

Was everything except herself just a piece on a game board to him?

-Pak!

Cheong-ryeong pulled out the fingernails she had embedded in his chest.

This guy, who had lost his martial arts and had his body and mind damaged beyond repair with his danjeon and blood vessels ruptured, seemed unlikely to resurrect as a martial artist.

‘…Just being alive must be a living hell for him.’

She had intended to kill Na Yul-ryang, who inherited Heaven Vein’s martial arts, after extracting information.

However, given that not only his physical body but also his mind was so severely damaged, it seemed this guy was finished even without taking his life.

That’s when it happened.

Sensing an approaching presence, Cheong-ryeong looked in that direction.

-Ta-ta-ta-tak!

There stood a woman with one eye closed, bruised and swollen, breathing heavily.

It was Mo Yak, Na Yul-ryang’s loyal subordinate.

“Young Master!”

As her shout rang out, a strange thing happened.

Na Yul-ryang, who was about to enter an irreversible state of qi deviation, regained consciousness in his eyes.

Then, he was seen looking at Mo Yak with trembling eyes.

‘This bastard…’

The moment he heard the voice of that mortal woman, his crumbling consciousness returned.

It seemed almost impossible for him to recover, but it was surprising.

As Na Yul-ryang’s eyes reddened upon regaining consciousness, Cheong-ryeong felt a peculiar emotion.

‘…’

The reason she had intended to spare Na Yul-ryang, who had inherited Heaven Vein’s martial arts, was because she thought his mind was too damaged for recovery.

But if his mind had returned, that changed things.

She had decided to take everything away from Heaven Vein to wash away her grudge.

-Creep!

Her fingernails lengthened as blood-red spirit energy flowed out.

This might be the perfect moment.

She thought he was an emotionless bastard, but the moment he saw that mortal woman, his eyes became tender.

These two clearly loved each other.

‘That’s it, isn’t it.’

The corners of Cheong-ryeong’s mouth twisted upwards.

-Whoosh!

As Cheong-ryeong lightly waved her long pipe, Mo Yak’s approaching body was suddenly bound by blood.

-Swish!

“Ah.”

“You bitch!”

As she was suddenly captured, Na Yul-ryang tried to forcibly raise his upper body despite his damaged state.

However, with all his blood vessels ruptured and muscles overexerted to the point of tearing, there was no way he could move properly.

“Kuuugh.”

As he struggled, unable to properly raise his upper body,

-Suk!

Cheong-ryeong lifted his body with her spirit energy.

-If you want to see, I should let you see.

She had intended to show him the sight of his loved one dying painfully anyway.

You bastards who inherited the blood and martial arts of Heaven Vein can never be happy.

As Cheong-ryeong was about to extend her long pipe towards Mo Yak, Na Yul-ryang twisted his body frantically and shouted.

“Kuuugh. Stop! What are you trying to do?”

-What do you think I’m going to do?

-Whoosh!

As Cheong-ryeong swung her long pipe,

-Crack!

Mo Yak’s left arm bent backwards, and the elbow bone protruded through the flesh.

“Aaaaargh!”

“Stop! Stop it!”

-Does it hurt? This isn’t even a thousandth of the pain you gave me. It’s just the beginning, so it’s troublesome if you’re already making a fuss.

“Let her go. Kill me instead. If you have a grudge against Heaven Vein, then me… Mmph!”

Na Yul-ryang’s mouth was forcibly shut.

Having lost almost all his strength, he couldn’t even resist.

-Don’t worry. I’ll kill you too.

As Cheong-ryeong swung her long pipe towards Mo Yak again,

-Crack!

“Aaaaaaaargh!”

Mo Yak’s right arm bent backwards, and similarly, the bone protruded.

She was already severely injured from the estate and had lost an eye, causing heavy bleeding. With both arms now broken, beyond the pain, her face turned deathly pale.

Seeing her in this state, Na Yul-ryang shouted as if possessed by rage.

“Mmmmph!”

He had never lost his arrogance and pride in any situation.

But watching the woman he cherished dying before his eyes, he felt his heart being torn apart for the first time in his life.

-Clench!

Seeing Na Yul-ryang like this, Mo Yak, perhaps feeling the same heartache, bit her lip tightly and struggled with all her might to endure the pain.

This was the moment she had been waiting for.

Cheong-ryeong had been waiting to return all the suffering she had experienced before her death.

That’s why she had been waiting so eagerly for this moment, but…

‘…’

Watching them, Cheong-ryeong didn’t feel her grudge being settled or any sense of satisfaction.

Instead, she felt bitter and empty inside.

‘Why? Why is this?’

Hadn’t she decided to eradicate everything related to Heaven Vein without leaving a trace during the hundred years she spent as a vengeful spirit?

Yet, watching their suffering didn’t make her feel better; rather, it made her feel frustrated.

Why was that?

She couldn’t understand.

Could it be that after waiting for so long, she was feeling sympathy for them?

That couldn’t be.

She wasn’t just a spirit, but a vengeful spirit.

She remained in this world solely because of her grudge, so how could she feel such emotions towards those who were no different from her enemies?

‘No. No. How could I have such petty sympathy for them?’

That’s right.

It must be because she learned that Bi Yong-heon of Heaven Vein, the final destination of her grudge, was still alive.

That’s why she didn’t feel much emotion towards the suffering of others who weren’t him.

With the main culprit still around, her grudge couldn’t be easily settled with just these people.

‘I need to see him suffer…’

As she thought that everything would be resolved once she saw him in agony, she saw Na Yul-ryang and Mo Yak staring intently at each other without words.

Though they weren’t speaking, these two who had resolved themselves to death were conveying their feelings for each other through their eyes.

‘…’

It was truly peculiar.

Seeing them like this, Cheong-ryeong momentarily thought of Mok Gyeong-un before ‘him’.

As she recalled Mok Gyeong-un, Cheong-ryeong’s heart ached terribly.

‘Mortal…’

If she were to settle all her grudges, her soul would have no more lingering attachments to this world and would depart from this realm.

That would also mean the end of her connection with the mortal.

That is the fate of the relationship between the living and the dead.

-Throb!

Suddenly, Cheong-ryeong’s heart ached.

What was this?

She was a vengeful spirit made of ethereal energy, so why did her chest feel so tight and painful?

But just then,

“Cough, cough… Ryu So-wol. Please stop.”

Cheong-ryeong’s gaze turned towards the source of the coughing voice, weakened by internal injuries.

“Master?”

Na Yul-ryang said with surprised eyes.

The one who suddenly appeared was none other than the Heaven and Earth Society Society Leader.

The Heaven and Earth Society Society Leader, who appeared with a pale complexion due to severe internal injuries, glanced at Na Yul-ryang once, then,

-Tak! Tak! Tak!

He flicked his fingers in succession.

The small bursts of energy from his fingertips struck Na Yul-ryang’s acupoints, subduing him.

As Na Yul-ryang fell asleep, the Society Leader then flicked his fingers towards Mo Yak as well.

He flicked more times, and,

-Ta-ta-ta-ta-tak!

He struck Mo Yak’s blood-stopping points and sleep acupoints, also putting her to sleep despite her severe bleeding.

Seeing the Heaven and Earth Society Society Leader put them to sleep, Cheong-ryeong’s eyes grew fierce again.

Unlike these young ones, this bastard is a direct descendant of Bi Yong-heon.

An inheritor of that blood.

-Right. You were here too.

Cheong-ryeong began to draw up her spirit energy, about to unfold the blood realm of the ghost domain.

But then,

-Thud!

Suddenly, the Heaven and Earth Society Society Leader fell to his knees before her.

Then he bowed his head to the ground.

‘!?’

Cheong-ryeong’s expression hardened.

what the .... is this bastard doing?

Could it be that now…

“Ryu So-wol. What you want is the extinction of the Heaven Vein bloodline, isn’t it? Please spare their lives.”

-Huh?

“Although I took in and taught Na Yul-ryang, he doesn’t inherit the blood of Heaven Vein.”

To these words, Cheong-ryeong replied curtly with an incredulous look on her face.

-So what? He inherited Heaven Vein’s martial arts, so he’s clearly Heaven Vein. You can’t deny that.

“…I know. But if you go by that logic, your grudge would only be settled by killing everyone in the Heaven and Earth Society.”

Cheong-ryeong let out a cold sneer.

-Hmph! That’s not impossible.

“In the end, although that person, no, Bi Yong-heon took everything away, it was you who laid the foundation and set everything up. No matter how strong your hatred for Heaven Vein is, would you deny and eradicate everything you created with your own hands?”

-Grooooowl!

At these words, the surroundings were suddenly dyed red with blood.

As Cheong-ryeong’s killing intent reached its peak, even the Heaven and Earth Society Society Leader unconsciously swallowed hard at its weight.

It wasn’t because he feared her, but because her hatred exceeded his expectations.

But he understood.

After seeing ‘that’ record of the past, he realized that Heaven Vein had committed an unforgivable sin against her and Moon Vein.

That’s why he wanted to end all the wrongdoings in his generation.

But if her anger was to this extent, it wouldn’t end with just an apology and offering his own life.

The Heaven and Earth Society Society Leader, who had let out a sigh, slowly raised his head to look at Cheong-ryeong and spoke.

“Then… I suppose we have no choice but to make a deal.”

-A deal?

“That’s right.”

-You’re ridiculous. Mortal… No, you’re about to lose everything to the Heavenly Demon, and you think you can make a deal?

To her words, the Heaven and Earth Society Society Leader replied in a low voice.

“If that so-called Heavenly Demon you believe in fails to save my youngest disciple, Wi So-yeon, you will face the worst crisis, let alone your revenge.”

-What?

“If that happens, there will be only one way to save you, Ryu So-wol.”

-Save me? What nonsense are you spouting now?

“…The moment the alchemy that unites the soul and spirit falls into his hands, you will never be able to escape his grasp, even before you can settle your hundred-year grudge.”

‘!?’