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Chapter 7

Act 2: Wailing-Infant Dragon Steed (4)

That strike was nothing short of mind-blowing for Yise. It shattered the ceiling of anything that he had ever imagined. Granted, Mong Ryeon wasn’t exactly human to begin with.

“So this is the strength of the Ghostkin.”

His master possessed an overwhelming strength that far exceeded his expectations. Her claim that as long as the stands guard, no ordinary demonic beast would dare set foot near the Ghost Temple no longer sounded like a mere empty boast.

It made the Wailing-Infant Dragon Steed’s suicidal attempt to hunt a Ghostkin all the more baffling. And it made the tragedy that unfolded in her absence all the more painful.

“How’s your body polling in?”

“I’m doing much better now, Master.”

“You didn’t let out a single groan through all of that. Impressive. Get on your feet if you’re up for it; I’ve got a job for you.”

Mong Ryeon Yiseed Yise a small bundle of bells attached to a forked handle, a small brass hinge ring with paper tassels, and a narrow rectangular strip of paper.

“These are ritual instruments for exorcism. They’re made so that even ordinary people with no Spirit Qi can use them.”

“Exorcism?”

“That’s right. Hunting a demon isn’t the end of it. A demon’s corpse holds on to their resentment for a while after death. If you don’t perform a proper cleansing, that resentment wanders the netherworld and eventually spawns another demon just like the one you killed. Meaning, you only killed the outer shell.”

Yise turned the ritual instruments over in his hands. He could feel a faint but distinct auspicious energy in these objects.

“The Snail-Headed Scholar you killed had already let its resentment slip away before you got to it. In other words, leaving aside the mastermind behind the attack, your revenge was incomplete from the very start.”

“…I see.”

“The first line is the Exorcism Incantation. Hold the Spirit-Commanding Bell in your right hand and the Spirit Knife in your left. Keep your mind clear, and recite the incantation with reverence.”

Mong Ryeon clicked her tongue with a touch of regret.

“If you’d awakened your Spirit Roots, you could’ve absorbed a decent amount of Spirit Qi from this hunt. What a shame.”

“Is it alright if it’s me who performs it?”

“Who else? Me? A Ghostkin? Exorcism is strictly a human ritual. It’s half the reason we even bother staying allied with your kind.”

“I’d heard that Ghostkin can devour demons to advance their cultivation. Wouldn’t it be better if you ate it, Master?”

“Forget it, if we were going to eat it, it had to have swallow it. Not to mention this is bang at the Qi Condensation Realm when it died, it wouldn’t even fill the gaps in my teeth. Just this as a chance to get some hands-on experience.”

—Understood. Yise nodded and steadily read the Exorcism Incantation.

Demons scatter and retreat; all things cease and find their peace. (의도대로 수정 없이 출력)

As the eight-character incantation concluded, the Spirit-Commanding Bell jangled from emitting a brilliant yellow light. In the next moment, the black energy seeping from the corpse of the Wailing-Infant Dragon Steed surged spasmodically before burrowing straight into Yise’s body.

“?”

“Done?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Don’t sweat the fact that you didn’t absorb any Spirit Qi. This medicinal pill swallowed earlier is going to sit in your system for a good long while, and it’ll kick in the second you finally awaken your Spirit Roots. You really got lucky from this disastrous encounter.”

“Master, I feel something is off.”

“What is it?”

“I think the Demonic Qi from the Wailing-Infant Dragon Steed jeered out my body… Can humans even absorb Demonic Qi?”

Hearing that, Mong Ryeon fixed her gaze on his body. She could faintly sense something Demonic Qi inside his body, but the energy was so feeble that it was difficult to distinguish from ordinary turf Qi.

“Can you even call something that tiny a Speck of Demonic Qi…?”

Given that the Wailing-Infant Dragon Steed had practically punched several holes through his body, it wouldn’t be particularly strange if some Demonic Qi lingered within its punctured skin.

She shrugged. “Who knows. Never heard of it happening before. That sort of thing should only be possible through the Demonic Arts of Some Demonic Sects. Fundamentally speaking, humans cannot wield Demonic Qi, just as Demons cannot wield Spirit Qi. They come from the same root, but they’re completely different forces. Only those with acute perception or those who have reached a specific realm can even vaguely sense the difference.”

Yise gave a barely perceptible frown. Because to him, both Spirit Qi and Demonic Qi were distinctly two separate forces he could sense without any ambiguity.

“I must have been imagining things.”

“If it keeps bothering you, make note of the symptoms and ask some great Martial Path when you get there. Your master has no patience for theory.”

Mong Ryeon’s fat answer closed the matter, and Yise said nothing more. The vaguely unsettling energy was still churning around inside him, but there was no point ruffling his Master’s feathers over it.

He’d keep watching and ask again later if he had to.

“Now perform the rite for the dead children. Take the Spirit Knife in your right hand. The Consolation Incantation is on the third line.”

One exercises enemies, the other consoles allies.

Yise etched the distinction into his mind.

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“Even though they were born as Demons, put our sincerity into your prayer so they won’t fall into the bottomless abyss of the Demon Realm. Pray that they safely pass through the Gates of Reincarnation, so they may be born as humans in their next lives.”

“—Yes.”

Mong Ryeon and Yise carefully arranged the bodies of the fallen Ghostkin side by side and bowed their heads in a heavy silence.

May your spirit find peace, and may you follow the Way of Light home.

This time, he could clearly feel the warmth of their souls drifting up into the sky.

When the rita was over, Yise looked at Mong Ryeon. Her expression was complicated, but she quickly forced a bright smile, like a mother waving goodbye to her kids on a long journey.

“Smile. It’s Ghostkin custom to show the dead a smile.”

“—Okay.”

Something ached quietly in a corner of Yise’s chest. It was the same feeling he’d had when he lost his family to the Snail-Headed Scholar. That profound sense of loss had finally come to collect its due. Losing the people he had woken up next to for the last six years hit him much harder than he expected.

“You look ridiculous right now.”

Caught somewhere between a sob and a smile, Yise was genuinely glad there wasn’t a mirror nearby.

A few days passed after the Wailing-Infant Dragon Steed’s incident.

Gong II-cheol and Gol Wong-jang were sentenced to ten years in the Penitence Cave. On top of that, a binding restriction was placed on all the young Ghostkin to prevent them from leaving the territory.

Yise stood watching Mong Ryeon and the Ghostkin lined up behind.

They had come out to see him off. Today was the day Yise left Ghost Temple to take the entrance examination at Great Martial Path.

“Tsk. What a stubborn brat. I could fry you there in the blink of an eye.”

“Like I said, I want to take the scenic route and get some real-world experience while I’m at it.”

“Just don’t go getting yourself killed by wandering Demon out there.”

Mong Ryeon nonchalantly shoved a clutch-grade blade into his hands.

“This is…”

What he held in his hands was the Vein-Severing Blade, the rare treasure Yise had used in his fight against the Wailing-Infant Dragon Steed.

“Can I really accept something precious this?”

“Take it before I change my mind.”

Yise quickly tucked the blade away and secured it firmly inside his robe.

“I can’t give you much. Everything here was brought back at the cost of my children’s lives, so it’s precious. Use it well, and when you reach a stage where you no longer need it, bring it back.”

“I will.”

Mong Ryeon stepped back, and the rest of the Ghostkin swarmed him. One by one, they pulled items from their sleeves and shoved them into Yise’s travel bundle.

They packed everything from a boxed lunch and silver coins to small gemstones, an unidentifiable scroll, and a necklace embedded with a red stone.

“That’s a Spirit Stone. It is an item used as currency among Cultivators, and they also grind it up to use in elixirs. Keep it on your person for a while.”

“Thank you.”

“Thanks. But what is this?”

Instead of answering, Gong-ah scurried back into the crowd of Ghostkin.

Mong Ryeon cackled and answered for her. “That’s a milk horn. It’s the horn they shed right before they grow their permanent ones as full-fledged adults. Think of it like a baby tooth before the adult one comes in. It’s actually a rare alchemy ingredient, if you ever need to brew a life-saving pill, grind it up like thinking of our little Gong-ah.”

“—Gong-ah.”

“You might die out there, so you should have at least sown your seeds before leaving. I was somewhat curious to see a half-blood between a human and a Ghostkin, too.”

“—CHIEF!”

Gong-ah’s mortified shriek rang out from somewhere in the back of the crowd. The adult Ghostkin completely lost it, erupting into roars of laughter.

Wrapped in Mong Ryeon’s signature brand of crude humor, the rest of the clan cheerfully said their goodbyes.

Yise bowed his head deep in gratitude.

At some point, this temple had genuinely become his home.

Yise stepped back and offered the Nine Kowtows to Mong Ryeon.

“Once I enter the Great Martial Path, it’ll probably be a long time before I return. We may not share some blood or race, but I will spend my life remembering the grace you all showed by taking me in and treating me like family. Please, take care of yourselves.”

“Alright. Just keep your eyes forward and get stronger. The discipline over at the Great Martial Path is surprisingly lax, so don’t be a stranger. Come visit when you have the time.”

“Yes. I will. Then, I’ll be off.”

He gave one final bow to them.

Gong-ah, the cooking auntie, and the rest of the Ghostkin waved and called out after him.

“Safe travels, Yise!”

“Don’t skip meals!”

“We’ll miss you!”

With a heavy heart, Yise forced himself to take that first step forward.

He marched toward the Verdant Mountain, a place renowned for the flow of its mystical energy.

Subu Village.

There was a time when he had considered this place his hometown.

If his desperate pleas for help had not been ignored during the Demon’s attack.

If just one person had reached out to help a boy who had just lost his entire family.

Maybe this place would still be his hometown.

Because even after all those tragedies, his life in Subu Village had been the second-happiest stretch of his life.

But standing here now, he actually felt pretty calm. Probably because he finally had a real home to go back to.

Yise stepped through the ruined gates of his old house and barely stepped into the front yard when his eyes narrowed.

‘The grave…’

The graves he’d built for his family.

It was gone.

Yise rubbed a hand over his face in frustration. The entire yard looked like it had been picked clean by scavengers, and the old thatched house was practically a pile of rotted wood.

Just as a hot surge of rage began to boil over, his eye caught the broad flat stone he’d used as a grave marker. Something had been written on it in ink.

‘If you are reading this, come see me.’

—Scholar Wi.l

It was unmistakably Scholar Wi’s calligraphy.

Rather than stand there stewing in misery, Yise spun on his heel and marched straight toward Scholar Wi’s house.

Without his family resting there, he had zero reason to ever set foot in this place again. He planned to simply meet the man who claimed to have business with him and leave immediately.

“Teacher, it’s Yise.”

“Come in.”

He was still as Yise had always known him, sitting in his study reading a book. Even with Yise stepping through the door, his eyes didn’t leave the page.

“You asked to see me?”

“There’s a coin pouch in the second drawer of the cabinet on the left. It contains the funds converted from selling the land, the remaining household goods, and the items you arbitrarily left behind.”

“That was a fair payment for services rendered.”

Scholar Wi simply shook his head.

“Leaving your mess behind after unilaterally deciding our business was concluded does not constitute fair payment. I thought my efforts to clean it up would be a beautiful waste of time if you died out there, so I suppose it’s a good thing you survived.”

“Was there really any need to go this far?”

Six years ago, the man hadn’t cared whether Yise lived or died. The unexplained goodwill was genuinely appreciated, but also a little unsettling.

“Do I really need a grand reason to return property to its rightful owner?”

Faced with Scholar Wi’s, Yise was left speechless.

The old teacher finally snapped his book shut and looked Yise in the eye.

“It reminds me of when you first arrived in this village. And the times you used to sneak in and out of my study.”

“I’m grateful you let me borrow books and taught me to read.”

“When you were left on the sole survivor, there were actually people in this village who tried to help you. But it is also true that there was a group of unsavory people made sure that never reached you.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“Fear born of ignorance often turned people into monsters. So not to hate them too much.”

“I do not harbor any particular resentment.”

Scholar Wi gave a faint smile. Yise realized that this was the very first time he had ever seen the man smile.

“Thank you.”

“Off you go, then.”

Now that the business was concluded, the old teacher immediately showed him the door. That was just like him.

On that tragic day six years ago, his heart had been filled with nothing but resentment. Yet, now he found himself continually gaining people to whom he was deeply thankful.

“Yise.”

“Yes?”

“You look well. I’m glad.”

Yise gave a small bow and quietly took his leave.