novelraw Chapter 110 : The Tragedy of Soul Salvation (5)
Chapter 110 : The Tragedy of Soul Salvation (5)
Chapter 110: The Tragedy of Soul Salvation (5)
The moonlight dyed the mountain slopes in silver. The cold night air brushed past the pine trees.
“Hoo….”
Yun Seoha crouched behind a rock, gazing down at the Silver Soul Pavilion.
Two Heavenly Sound Cult guards lingered in front of the gate.
Their black martial uniforms with red sashes stood out clearly under the moonlight.
One leaned his spear at an angle, pacing slowly back and forth. The other slumped against the wall, nodding off. It was a very lax posture.
Shhhk!
A faint silver energy bloomed from Yun Seoha’s fingertips.
As she quietly summoned White Spirit Swallow, the air around her grew noticeably colder. An unseen presence began circling around her.
It was a windless and still night.
One of the guards yawned loudly, rolling his neck. His bones cracked audibly.
She didn’t miss that moment.
Lowering herself even further, Yun Seoha slid between the rocks like a shadow. Not a sound escaped, even as her toes touched stone.
She approached the first guard from behind.
His rough breathing could be heard up close. The scent of alcohol brushed her nose.
Yun Seoha’s fingers precisely pressed his Amun Acupoint at the nape of his neck.
The guard let out a faint groan, tilting his head back. His body collapsed limply, his sword clattering softly as it hit the ground.
The second guard sensed something amiss and opened his eyes.
“Huh? What are y—”
Before he could finish, Yun Seoha’s hand struck like lightning, hitting the Fengchi Acupoint at his cervical spine.
Thunk.
His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed on the spot.
Both had lost consciousness and lay side by side. Only their steady breathing could be heard.
Yun Seoha shook the shoulder of the first guard. The man groaned and slowly opened his eyes.
“Ugh… Who are you? How did you….”
His voice trembled severely. It seemed he realized what had happened to him.
The moonlight reflected coldly in Yun Seoha’s eyes.
“Be quiet.”
“Heh heh… Do you even know where you—”
“One more word and you die.”
“……”
At her words, the guard clamped his mouth shut.
Only then did he see his fellow guard lying dead beside him. This woman—her threat wasn’t a bluff.
A twitch ran across the corner of his eye.
“There was an intruder, wasn’t there? Tell me what happened in the Silver Soul Pavilion. The more detailed, the better. If I don’t like what you say, I’ll have to abduct someone else… and you’ll die.”
Her voice brimmed with killing intent.
The guard’s face went pale in an instant.
“I-I don’t know. We just….”
When he trailed off, Yun Seoha pressed his Gokji Acupoint without hesitation.
“Aaargh!”
Agonizing pain surged up his arm.
The guard screamed in agony.
Yun Seoha swiftly struck the Amun Acupoint again. He continued screaming, but no sound escaped. Though his mouth was open wide, his cries didn’t leave his throat.
Thunk!
She released the Amun Acupoint once more.
“Huff, huff! Kah!”
The guard gasped desperately for air.
“I’ll ask again. What happened in the Silver Soul Pavilion?”
“A-A Minor Mastery Body! A Minor Mastery Body escaped!”
He blurted out in a trembling voice. His fear-stricken eyes lost focus, trembling.
“Who rescued them?”
When she pressed deeper into the Gokji Acupoint, he cried out again.
“Some unknown people… They looked like Spirit Summoners!”
“Spirit Summoners?”
“Lord Jesagun was furious! Six people were beaten to death by him….”
Yun Seoha’s eyes gleamed. Just as she expected.
“How many rescued the Minor Mastery Body?”
“There were four! One was the Red Spearman—that traitor! The others were the Head of the Intelligence Division, an unfamiliar man and woman.”
“Any other distinct features?”
“A b-blue glow!”
The guard continued, shaking in terror.
“Their aura was terrifyingly strong. When that light touched them, the spirits all vanished at once….”
Yun Seoha nodded. It was certain now.
‘Gugwi’s Spirit Flow Core is fully surfacing.’
A pang of worry struck her as well. If it revealed itself so openly, many would come seeking it.
The guard was no longer needed.
Crack!
With a twist, she snapped his neck.
She dragged the two corpses into the nearby forest and buried them deep. The sound of digging broke the night’s silence.
She washed away the bloodstains in a nearby stream and erased the footprints.
Once every trace was gone, silence returned as if nothing had happened.
Yun Seoha looked up at the sky.
Moonlight trickled through the clouds.
‘Gugwi… is becoming too dangerous.’
The emergence of the Spirit Flow Core’s power meant the threat of death grew ever more imminent.
At the break of dawn, Yun Seoha returned from the Heavenly Sound Cult and arrived at the Citadel Above the Clouds, base of the Cold Wolf Sect. Shrouded in thick mist, the citadel revealed a mysterious silhouette above the clouds.
Yun Seoha walked along the corridor toward the Sect Leader’s chamber.
Torches on the wall cast long shadows of her figure.
Knock knock.
Without even a morning meal, she knocked on the door at this early hour.
“Come in.”
A low, weighty voice replied.
Un Hojin was seated at a massive desk, examining documents even before sunrise. Wearing a gray robe, shadows from the torchlight fell deeply across his face.
“The night dew is cold, isn’t it? Seems you've been quite busy lately,”
The Sect Leader asked, without lifting his gaze from the documents.
“I’ve returned from the Heavenly Sound Cult.”
Yun Seoha spoke as she sat in the chair across from him.
“The Heavenly Sound Cult?”
“Gugwi is in the Heavenly Sound Cult. His potential is beginning to manifest. That power… it can change the future.”
Un Hojin’s eyebrows slowly rose. He looked at Yun Seoha as if asking what she meant.
Yun Seoha gave a detailed report of her visit to the Heavenly Sound Cult.
Spirit Flow Core… It was time for the Sect Leader to know. No, he probably already knew. A Sect Leader with eyes and ears throughout the world couldn’t possibly be unaware of Gugwi.
“His Spirit Flow Core is far more powerful than we imagined. We must protect him actively.”
“Gugwi is already an enemy of the Murim Alliance.”
Un Hojin’s voice turned cold.
He set down the documents and looked directly at Yun Seoha.
“Have you forgotten that the Yeongbi Pavilion Lord died because of Gugwi?”
“To blame it all on Gugwi is a bit much… The Captain of the Blue Blood Unit and the Yeongbi Pavilion Lord were killed by Jinhwa Seong.”
Yun Seoha responded desperately.
“To blame what the Sixth True Army of the Heavenly Sound Cult did on Gugwi is…”
“Then… how do you plan to change the Murim Alliance’s mind?”
Un Hojin stood up. His height and the flickering torchlight made his presence even more imposing.
“The Murim Alliance has upheld the same policy for centuries—remove what’s troublesome.”
“I’m saying at least our Cold Wolf Sect should support Gugwi. If we let this continue…”
Her voice was filled with earnestness.
“You sound like you want to be quietly eliminated.”
Un Hojin slowly approached, his gaze chilling.
“To the Murim Alliance, someone like me is nothing more than a dog.”
Suddenly, a strange smile spread across Un Hojin’s lips.
“Kuhuhuhu…”
His laughter echoed eerily through the room.
“If Gugwi really can change the future, he might save our Cold Wolf Sect. No—he might save all Soul-Summoners.”
Yun Seoha looked up at him.
“But if he fails? Maybe all we’ll be able to do is toss flowers on his grave.”
He spoke like it was a joke. But the coldness beneath his words sent chills down her spine.
Just then, a cold wind blew through the open window.
Whooo…
The candles all flickered at once. Shadows on the walls moved as if dancing.
“Don’t speak of supporting Gugwi out loud. The Murim Alliance believes the Captain of the Blue Blood Unit died because of Gugwi. If you can change that belief, we’ll talk again.”
The Sect Leader spoke firmly, like nailing shut a coffin.
After Yun Seoha left the room, Un Hojin sat back down and tapped his fingers on the desk. The candlelight cast a red glow across his face, highlighting the deep wrinkles.
‘How do I steal the Spirit Flow Core…?’
It was then.
A quiet voice came from outside.
“This is So Taeryeon, Vice Captain of the Shadow Moon Unit. I came as summoned.”
“Come in.”
Shhhk!
Before the sound had even faded, the door silently opened.
A man entered like a shadow and knelt down.
“You called for me?”
“Mm. What have you been up to lately?”
“Watching the Initiates…”
“Forget that. Infiltrate the Heavenly Sound Cult.”
Un Hojin’s voice was low and ominous.
“Pardon? The Heavenly Sound Cult?”
So Taeryeon feigned surprise.
“What’s so shocking? The Captain of the Shadow Moon Unit is in their territory. Even if they’ve clashed with the Murim Alliance, for her to be there… Go bring her back.”
The Vice Captain nodded.
“Understood.”
“But do it in secret. The Murim Alliance mustn’t know.”
Un Hojin’s gaze turned frigid.
“This stays between you and me. If the secret leaks, it’ll mean you’re the one who leaked it.”
The pressure crushed down on the Vice Captain. His shoulders shrank.
“The Murim Alliance’s eyes are everywhere. How can I go unnoticed…”
“Just make contact with the Shadow Moon Captain first. I’ll arrange the extraction location.”
Un Hojin rose from his desk and walked to the window.
“We have contacts inside the Heavenly Sound Cult. Use them. If she refuses to come, tell her I’ll spank her. If anything happens, report it immediately.”
“As you command.”
The Vice Captain bowed deeply and exited the room.
Tap, tap…
His footsteps gradually faded down the corridor.
‘Heh… I’ve raised plenty of spies in the Heavenly Sound Cult. Even gave up a Shadow Moon Vice Captain. Was it all to use him now? If it’s him, bringing back the Captain should be easy enough.’
Un Hojin smirked.
If the Shadow Moon Captain comes, Gugwi will follow.
If those two were so inseparable, they’d surely shared everything by now. Especially since neither Gugwi nor the Shadow Moon Captain had any family in the world—their bond must be intense.
Srrrk!
He opened a hidden drawer beneath the desk.
Click.
Pressing a discreet mechanism with his finger revealed a small box.
As he carefully opened it, a bloody aura seeped out.
A dried piece of a heart was revealed. Its dark red color and visible veins gave it a sinister appearance.
Another Spirit Flow Core.
“If I can just fully possess this core…”
Un Hojin murmured with a twisted smile.
“I can become the overlord of the Murim. Kuhuhuhu… Gugwi… You’re giving me such a precious gift.”
His laughter echoed through the room.
The candlelight warped his grinning face, casting grotesque shadows.
He closed the box and returned it to the drawer.
The Spirit Flow Core Gugwi held was incomplete. Just half of a heart. The other half was in his possession.
The two must be joined.
‘If someone not of the Gatekeeper’s bloodline possesses the Spirit Flow Core, they’ll die of heart failure… But a complete core is different. It can grant power to all Soul-Summoners. You’re handing that to me.’
Un Hojin’s ambition writhed in the darkness.