novelraw Chapter 107 : The Tragedy of Soul Salvation (2)
Chapter 107 : The Tragedy of Soul Salvation (2)
Chapter 107: The Tragedy of Soul Salvation (2)
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Fireworks burst continuously in the sky.
Red flares shot up like arrows, then tore across the night sky and scattered in all directions.
It was an emergency signal.
An alarm resounded throughout the entire Heavenly Sound Cult.
Yeon Sohye looked at the fireworks and said,
"Let's escape now! If we're any later, it’ll get difficult."
She thought she was speaking calmly, but in truth, her voice came out hurriedly.
Those fireworks… were a signal meant for the Cult Leader and the Twelve True Armies. It signified that something urgent had occurred within the Heavenly Sound Cult. Though she didn’t fully understand their signal system, she was sure of it.
“We have to go.”
Jin Geonmu tried to stand but staggered.
His numerous wounds were one thing, but the deep fatigue had seeped into his bones. Blood was still flowing from his shoulder—even after receiving treatment from a physician.
Jang Unhyeok lifted his son into his arms.
His arms trembled as he held Geunsoo. The child’s weight felt as heavy as a boulder.
“Hang in there just a little longer….”
Gugwi grabbed Jang Unhyeok’s shoulder.
Yeon Sohye slung Jin Geonmu’s arm over her shoulder. Supporting his battered body, she helped him to his feet.
“Can you walk?”
“I can.”
Jin Geonmu nodded while leaning on his spear. His face was pale, but his resolve remained firm.
Jin Geonmu's weight pressed down on Yeon Sohye's shoulder. She grit her teeth and endured.
Jang Unhyeok carefully lifted Geunsoo once again. The child’s small frame nestled against his chest.
“It’s alright. Let’s head to a safe place now.”
Jang Unhyeok’s voice trembled.
Gugwi took the lead and cleared the path. To his left and right, he summoned Un Serim and General Madal.
“Make way.”
Blue light spread through the air as the two spirits materialized.
Un Serim took the left, and General Madal took the right. Like invisible shields, they guarded Gugwi.
The energy of the Spirit Flow Core spread in all directions, probing the surroundings.
Boom! Boom!
The fireworks kept exploding.
The group moved swiftly. There was no hesitation in forging ahead. The pulse of the Spirit Flow Core detected potential ambushes, while General Madal and Un Serim prepared against sudden attacks.
Tatata-tak!
Urgent footsteps echoed across the ground.
Jang Unhyeok held his son tighter. To keep him from jolting. To keep his open chest from worsening. No… to keep his heart from trembling.
“That way.”
Jang Unhyeok gestured with his chin.
Toward the river.
Jin Geonmu nodded. The two had already selected a rendezvous point after rescuing the child. The riverbank made for an easy escape and was damp and secluded, a place rarely visited by others.
Swaaa—
The sound of the river striking the rocks faintly reached their ears.
The area bordered a swamp, and the smell was unpleasant. But that made it even safer.
There was a small bay where the river curved. The water had pooled, creating a nearly still spot.
Rotting leaves and branches floated atop the water.
The dark surface glistened like oil under the moonlight. On the bank, drooping willow trees formed a natural curtain, their branches hanging low enough to touch the water.
The air was damp and heavy.
The moisture clung to the skin, turning any previously good mood sour.
More oppressive than that was the stench—an acrid blend of decaying aquatic plants and mud. The foul odor from the swamp was mixed in as well. With every breath, the throat grew dry and irritated.
Dead fish floated belly-up near the water’s edge. Their white scales dimly reflected the moonlight.
No one dared to approach a place like this.
The willow branches enclosed the area from all sides. Nothing inside could be seen from the outside.
The ground was a soggy mire, and water seeped up with every step. But a large rock provided a place to sit, even if it was slick with moss.
The sound of the river muffled any noise. Most conversations wouldn’t be overheard from outside.
“This place is safe.”
Jang Unhyeok looked around as he spoke.
He frowned from the smell, but seemed satisfied with the concealment.
Jin Geonmu nodded as well.
“No one would think to look for us in a place like this.”
Yeon Sohye complained, holding her nose.
“Still, the stench is unbearable.”
Yet that made it all the safer. Even their pursuers wouldn’t suspect such a place.
Jang Unhyeok gently laid Geunsoo down on the rock. The boy’s face was pale, but his breathing was steady.
“Let’s rest a moment.”
Everyone was exhausted.
They needed to treat their wounds and plan their next move here.
The night breeze swayed the willow branches. Ripples formed on the water’s surface.
The fireworks in the distance could still be heard, but were growing faint. It seemed the Heavenly Sound Cult’s search was headed elsewhere.
This place was a perfect hiding spot. As long as one could bear the stench.
With trembling hands, Jang Unhyeok caressed his son’s face.
His son’s body was in a horrifying state—so wretched it looked like he couldn’t even breathe. His skin was cracked all over, as though fine fractures marred porcelain. Deep, clear wounds etched his flesh.
How much must it have hurt?
At the center of his chest, a red symbol flickered like a heartbeat. It aligned exactly with the heart.
“What in the world did they do to him…”
Jang Unhyeok’s voice trembled. Even his lips quivered as he spoke.
Everyone could only listen to Jang Unhyeok. No one had words to offer. Their hearts were heavy.
“It seems like he was experimented on.”
Gugwi spoke calmly.
Jang Unhyeok was the boy’s father—he had the right to know. What had been done to his child.
The cold air intensified the blow.
Caressing his son’s face, Jang Unhyeok said,
“Tell me everything. No lies. What… did they do to my son?”
His voice cracked. The fury that welled from deep within his gut was palpable.
Gugwi told him what he knew.
“It was a Manifest Demon Emperor ritual transplant. Not Soul-Summoning Arts… but directly implanting a spirit into the heart.”
Jang Unhyeok’s face turned pale.
“Forcibly… into the heart? That’s even possible?”
Gugwi nodded.
“They used the Minor Mastery Body as a vessel. So that the Manifest Demon Emperor could obtain a physical body without a Spirit Flow Core. To do that, they had to inject a Stray Spirit… and to implant it properly, they had to open the chest… The success rate of this experiment… was nonexistent.”
Yeon Sohye turned her head away. She couldn’t bear to look.
Jin Geonmu also gripped his spear tightly. Rage surged within him.
Jang Unhyeok held his son’s hand. It was as cold as ice.
“Geunsoo…. Your father was too late. I should’ve come sooner.”
Tears streamed down his cheeks.
Jang Unhyeok—he, too, was a Soul-Summoner. He didn’t need anyone to explain the state his child was in.
He gently lifted his son. The boy’s body felt as light as a feather.
Was it because of what Gugwi had said? There were clear signs of blood vessels having been modified all over the boy’s body, and cuts made across his arms and legs. They had severed the tendons and muscles first so he couldn’t resist.
Jang Unhyeok’s hand trembled as he touched his son’s wounds. The cold skin brushed against his fingertips.
Geunsoo’s body quivered faintly. Even while unconscious, it felt as if he recognized his father. Each time he was touched, the trembling said, “It’s okay,” without words.
Everyone felt as though their hearts were being torn apart.
Yeon Sohye turned her head away.
“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry….”
Jang Unhyeok’s voice trembled. His whole body shook.
“I couldn’t protect you. I….”
His voice cut off. He couldn’t speak any longer.
The boy’s chest rose and fell rapidly. The flame of life was gradually fading.
Jang Unhyeok held his son tighter. Trying to share even a little of his warmth.
“Hold on, my son. Father is right here.”
His whisper was filled with desperation.
The wind blew. Leaves fell. The moon was covered by clouds, and the world grew dark.
Then suddenly, Jang Unhyeok shot to his feet and rushed before Gugwi, dropping to his knees with a thud.
“Please… just wake him up once. Just once.”
Despair filled his voice. He clasped his hands and begged.
“Let me speak to him… just one word… please.”
“Phew…”
Gugwi let out a long sigh.
How could he refuse such a plea?
“Namgung Hoyoung.”
Gugwi called the Physician of Clarity. When he summoned him, he had already explained through the Spirit Flow Core. Wake Jang Geunsoo.
But Namgung Hoyoung only revealed himself—he didn’t move. He didn’t even prepare a needle… He showed no intention of approaching Geunsoo. His condition was already beyond any treatment.
Gugwi pleaded again.
“Just for a moment—couldn’t you?”
Namgung Hoyoung still didn’t move. He didn’t even acknowledge Gugwi’s words, turning instead to retreat back into the Realm of the Threshold.
In the end, Gugwi approached Jang Geunsoo himself. He knelt beside him and placed a hand near the boy’s heart.
Paaang!
He slowly infused the energy of the Spirit Flow Core.
Jang Geunsoo was a Minor Mastery Body, a vessel offered to the Manifest Demon Emperor…. If so, then he would also accept the Emperor’s heart. A blue light seeped from Gugwi’s fingertips and flowed into Geunsoo’s chest.
At that moment, Gugwi felt it. The spirits nestled in the heart.
This is…!
The number of Stray Spirits implanted by the Heavenly Sound Cult—over twenty. They were entangled, tormenting Jang Geunsoo. Each cried out in a different voice—rage, despair, grief.
Gugwi’s face turned pale.
Though unconscious, Jang Geunsoo was enduring that pain in full. The spirits clung to the deepest recesses of his being.
Paaang!
Gugwi activated the Spirit Flow Core with force.
He expelled the spirits from the heart and reabsorbed them into the Realm of the Threshold.
One by one, the spirits were drawn out.
Jang Geunsoo’s breathing gradually stabilized.
Only then… did Namgung Hoyoung move. He quietly approached, drew out silver needles, and began to apply them to the child.
Jang Unhyeok watched every part of the process. He couldn’t take his eyes off it.
“Will he wake up?”
he asked in a trembling voice.
Gugwi nodded.
“For a little while.”
Geunsoo let out a faint groan. A thin and weak sound.
“Uh… mm….”
The group gathered around the child. They held their breath and watched.
Jang Unhyeok held his son’s hand.
“My son! Here! Father’s here.”
His whisper was filled with love.
Geunsoo’s eyelids fluttered. Slowly, his eyes began to open, and with hazy pupils, he looked at his father. His gaze focused.
“Father…”
His voice was faint but clear.
Jang Unhyeok’s heart leapt.
A precious moment began between father and son. Jang Unhyeok held his son’s hand tighter. Tears continued to fall.
“Geunsoo, it’s Father. Do you recognize me?”
The boy nodded weakly. A smile spread across his lips.
“Father… you came.”
His voice was growing weaker. But his consciousness was clear.
Jang Unhyeok held his son to his chest. Wrapped him warmly.
“My son, I’m sorry. I was too late.”
Geunsoo shook his head. He buried his face in his father’s chest.
“It’s okay. I’m glad you came. I’m alright now. Because you’re here.”
Surprisingly, his voice was calm. He seemed at peace. But his voice grew softer and softer.
“Father… stay strong. I’ll… be fine.”
The small voice melted into the night air.
Jang Unhyeok held his son tighter. He didn’t want to let go.
“Yes, you’ll be fine. Father will protect you.”
Geunsoo nodded. Slowly closed his eyes.
“I’m… a little sleepy.”
“No. No. Just a little longer. Keep your eyes open. Please! Son!”
Jang Unhyeok cried out desperately.