Chapter 442 Wicked Heart Granny (1)

-Let me go. If you’re leaving this place soon, there’s no need to keep holding onto me, is there?

Cheong-ryeong, gradually weakening due to the talismans forming a formation with the silver wood, spoke with a strained voice to the woman with blue-black hair who had identified herself as Wicked Granny, a legendary great villain from the old martial arts world.

Of course, her plea fell on deaf ears.

Instead, an irrelevant answer came.

“It’s been so long. No matter how willingly I accepted my karma and protected that person’s arrangements, spending this long time alone hasn’t been easy.”

-……

“Kekeke. Well, I’ve been able to endure thanks to fools like you who enter this place trying to gain something.”

Cheong-ryeong was inwardly disgusted by her attitude of only saying what she wanted to say.

She was anxious as time was running out for her.

Given that he was also after the forbidden technique to unite souls, if she remained trapped here, she might be annihilated rather than perishing together with him.

If that happened, he might unleash all his anger and madness on the world and him in his berserk state.

‘…Mortal.’

Before being an enemy, she had tried to reap everything she had sown for his sake.

She thought that was right, and that Mortal could live his own life.

But nothing was going as planned.

Why is heaven so indifferent?

Why does it block even this one wish she’s trying to fulfill by giving up even her new connection, when she has already lost everything?

Is all of this really predetermined fate that cannot be changed?

-Grip!

Cheong-ryeong endured the pain of her spirit body burning and stood up.

‘No. No. I can’t… give up here.’

She had endured for a full hundred years.

She had lost all the Moon Vein clan members and everyone she held dear, and even parted from her beloved.

But is her will for revenge only this much?

If she were to be annihilated like this, who would avenge the resentment of those wandering in the nine heavens?

Rather than waiting for annihilation doing nothing, it was right to try everything possible.

So Cheong-ryeong shouted at Wicked Granny.

-I hear that person who told you to guard this place said not to kill anyone, but is it okay to imprison and torment even a vengeful spirit like this?

At her cry, Wicked Granny snorted.

“You’re already a dead vengeful spirit, what’s there to torment?”

-Isn’t imprisoning me like this tormenting? Then I wonder if that person would approve of someone like you.

-Grrrrr!

No sooner had those words finished.

Wicked Granny’s expression twisted terribly and an enormous killing intent flowed from her.

It seemed something had touched a nerve.

Of course, this was the intended aim, so it was welcome.

-Why, did I hit a sore spot?

“A sore spot? You, a vengeful spirit steeped in resentment, dare to speak about that person in such a manner?”

‘So that was it?’

It seemed the part that touched the nerve of this old monster called Wicked Granny was the mention of ‘that person’.

She seemed particularly bothered by the mention of ‘that person’ rather than the insult to herself.

To confirm this, Cheong-ryeong said.

-Isn’t that right? Didn’t that person lock you, an old monster, in a place like this and abandon you for a long time because they couldn’t trust you…

-Swish!

Before she could finish speaking.

As Wicked Granny flicked her index finger,

-Thud!

Cheong-ryeong’s spirit body, which had been trapped in the silver wood, floated up and was forcibly slammed against the silver wood.

-Sizzle!

She had been experiencing the pain of burning even without directly touching the silver wood bars.

But when it touched her spirit body, the pain was indescribable.

Moreover, her spirit body was burning and decomposing.

-Urgh.

Though she should have screamed in pain, Cheong-ryeong only glared at Wicked Granny with bitter eyes while suffering.

At this sight, a glint appeared in Wicked Granny’s eyes.

She had intended to teach this foolish vengeful spirit a lesson for running her mouth, but she was showing terrible endurance even as her spirit body burned against the silver wood.

As a master of all sorts of magic arts, forbidden techniques, and spells, she had lived for a long time and seen countless spirits, souls, and vengeful spirits, but this was a first for her.

‘Well, well.’

At a glance, the spell imprisoning this vengeful spirit seemed simple, but it was something she had created through long experience. Regardless of its rank, it wasn’t something a soul trapped in resentment could endure.

At this, Wicked Granny flicked her finger downward.

Then Cheong-ryeong’s spirit body detached from the silver wood bars.

-Haa… Haa…

Cheong-ryeong staggered and stood up straight.

Her spirit body had burned, causing a great loss of spirit energy, and she should have collapsed, but she was enduring through sheer will.

Wicked Granny clicked her tongue at her and said.

“For a vengeful spirit, your tenacity is quite something.”

-Haa… Haa…

“I see you’re trying to provoke me to create some opening, but it’s useless. No matter what you do, there’s no way to escape from here, so give up.”

-Haa… Haa…

Because of the great consumption of spirit energy, Cheong-ryeong still couldn’t answer.

Looking at her, Wicked Granny smirked and then said.

“Well, trying to provoke me through that person isn’t wrong. That person is a benefactor who made me, who was cursed to be blind and unable to bear children, be reborn, and an unparalleled hero in this world.”

‘Hero?’

If she, who was infamous as a great villain in the old martial arts world, spoke so highly of someone, who on earth could it be?

She hadn’t heard of many figures related to the old martial arts world.

At this, she suddenly became curious.

This old monster’s martial arts were monstrous, and even her skill in magic arts was truly terrifying.

If it was someone this supposedly dead woman respected to such an extent, who on earth could it be?

-… You spoke as if… you would soon… meet that person… Who exactly is that? Is it someone still alive like you?

“Alive? Hmm. What an ambiguous question.”

Wicked Granny muttered while stroking her chin.

Cheong-ryeong was puzzled by her reaction.

If they’re dead, they’re dead, and if they’re alive, they’re alive, so why such an ambiguous response?

Then Wicked Granny, resting her chin on her interlocked hands on the table, spoke with a nostalgic expression.

“That person was quite affectionate for a hero.”

What?

Is she giving an irrelevant answer again?

“Having learned immortal arts and realized the immortal way, they could have forcibly suppressed themselves to remain in the world according to the natural order, but they couldn’t do that.”

-Natural order… No way…

“What? Vengeful spirit, you know about the natural order too? This is unexpected.”

Natural order.

It could be said to be the flow that constitutes the world.

She had learned many truths while being with Mok Gyeong-un, more than when she was alone.

Thus, she came to know that ascending to immortality wasn’t simply going to the world of immortals through enlightenment.

She had heard that those who transcend the natural order of this world through enlightenment cross over to the other side of the boundary.

Is the person Wicked Granny calls ‘that person’ such a being?

Then she said.

“That’s good. It’s better than preaching to deaf ears. In fact, I know better than anyone the suffering that person went through.”

-What do you mean?

“What do you think? Do you think it’s easy to watch everyone except me grow old and die?”

-……

The death of loved ones due to aging.

That could be said to be the worst misfortune experienced by those who live for a long time.

“Even if there are some who gain enlightenment and live long lives, not everyone does. That person, being deeply affectionate, found it hard to endure. So in the end, they left, taking only those who had been by their side for a long time.”

-To the other side of the boundary?

Is it possible if one leaves the natural order?

Can one guide others besides oneself to the other side of the boundary?

To her puzzlement, Wicked Granny shook her head and answered.

“No. Of course not. I thought you knew better, but I guess not. Tsk tsk. Only those who transcend the natural order can enter there. Do you think such beings come about easily? Even I, who have honed myself for hundreds of years, haven’t been able to do so yet.”

-Then what exactly…

“I don’t know. According to that person, there’s a hidden place like paradise between the natural order and the other side of the boundary. When the time comes, I too will…”

-… It seems you don’t know properly either.

-Bang!

At Cheong-ryeong’s sarcastic words, Wicked Granny slammed the table with an unsatisfied expression.

“Soon!”

-……

“I will go soon. It won’t be long now. Although I have accumulated karma during this time, it’s nothing compared to guarding this place on behalf of that person’s concerns. Hmph… I don’t know how I ended up having this conversation with a mere vengeful spirit like you, but…”

-Boom!

‘!?’

-Rumble!

At that moment, with a loud noise, the pillar erected in the center of the thatched house shook violently.

Wicked Granny’s head turned at this sudden phenomenon.

“Huh?”

-Bang! Bang! Bang!

Following that, more loud noises erupted in succession, and cracks began to appear in part of the pillar’s center.

Wicked Granny’s expression twisted terribly as she watched this.

From her reaction, Cheong-ryeong could guess that something had definitely exploded.

So, hoping against hope, she shouted.

-I’m sure I warned you. That troublesome things would keep happening from the moment I was trapped here.

“…Are you saying this is happening because of you?”

-What else could it be?

“Oh? So you’re saying it’s because of you. Well then, let’s find out. Let’s see what fool is causing this trouble.”

-Thud!

Wicked Granny grabbed the staff with a ring that she had set aside and stomped out.

Cheong-ryeong’s gaze, watching this, then turned to the pillar in the middle of the thatched house.

It was certain now.

That pillar was undoubtedly the center of the formation maintaining this space.

***

Wicked Granny, who had come outside, immediately struck the ground with her ringed staff.

Then, in the middle of the meadow, the space distorted and a human figure appeared there.

Seeing numerous energies floating around that figure, it seemed this person was the cause of the commotion.

So,

“You’re quite a troublesome fellow.”

Wicked Granny said this towards the distorted space, and then,

-Swoop!

She reached her hand in and grabbed the figure’s head.

The energy felt as it resisted was considerable, but no match for her own.

She gripped the fellow’s head and pulled.

-Swish!

“Ugh!”

Along with this, a man wearing white scale armor, his head gripped, appeared.

‘Hm?’

A glint appeared in Wicked Granny’s eyes.

She had naturally assumed it would be a human, but the mixed energy she sensed from the man made her furrow her brow.

This was no ordinary human.

With demonic energy and true qi mixed together, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he was half spirit beast.

Puzzled by this, she first tried to close the open formation.

But at that moment,

-Thud!

Something flew in, piercing through the distorted space she was trying to close.

“Oh no?”

It was,

‘A formless sword?’

This transparent form with true qi gathered to form a sharp blade was undoubtedly a formless sword.

Then the formless sword began to rotate in a spiral direction.

-Whirl!

Along with this, cracks formed in the distorted space that was about to close, and instead, the space opened even wider.

-Thud!

At this, Wicked Granny struck the ground once more with her ringed staff, trying to forcibly close the formation.

But at that moment,

-Swoop!

Something entered through the crack.

An exclamation involuntarily escaped Wicked Granny’s lips as she saw that being.

‘Ah!’

Though she had lived for hundreds of years, she had never seen such a beautiful man before.

But that wasn’t the only surprising thing.

Judging by his face, he looked like a youth not yet twenty, but the energy he exuded was almost on par with her own.

She could intuitively be certain.

It’s him.

He is undoubtedly,

‘The pinnacle of the current martial arts world.’

Wicked Granny’s lips, which had been displeased due to the intruder causing a disturbance just moments ago, twitched and rose with a competitive spirit.