Chapter 224: Mita (25) |
Mount Seondo, guarding the west of the capital.
Plum blossoms bloomed amidst the snow.
Their subtle and serene fragrance, as if meant to be heard rather than smelled, seemed to reverberate all around.
Seol Young continued to look at the tombstone of his teacher.
“I tried to fill the vacancy that Teacher left within me with my hyungs, but I don’t know when I can come back if I leave now.”
This reminded him of what his teacher said once before.
‘In this world, the right and wrong paths are not defined as if marked with ink. If you walk with the right mind, that path will be the right one.’
Seol Young prayed in front of the tombstone.
“Please take care of this disciple so that he can continue to keep faith no matter what path he takes.”
The three of them looked at the youngest without saying another word. They didn’t want to send him off. Especially after what happened.
But somehow, they thought Seol Young would leave this place.
‘If only the seniors had done better, this day wouldn’t have come. If only I did better.’
This was a time that caused pain for everyone. But the pain he felt was nothing compared to those who were really hurt.
The hyungs tried to calm themselves and smiled. There was comfort in the fact that they wouldn’t be parting ways forever.
Hyo Wol said to Seol Young,
“We will write a letter when we can.”
“Then he will end up writing letters all the time.”
Ignoring Song Ok’s words, Hyo Wol held the cold hands of Seol Young.
“You make sure to reply to us. Please.”
“Of course.”
Seol Young nodded.
“Second hyung doesn’t like to write letters, so we need to meet in person. Since I won’t be able to come here, you all have to come together.”
“Of course!”
Baek-Song-Wol scrambled to answer.
No matter where he would go or what he would do, they were all brothers. It was obvious that all three of them were thinking the same thing, so Seol Young felt his heart hurt.
“I will definitely come back.”
When he turned his gaze, he saw the trainees.
Even the youngest one, Myung Kyung, looked all grown up now. Next to him was Seo Bi, who stood tall.
“Will everyone be alright without me?”
“Yes!”
The loud response shook the winter air. When they meet again, they might not recognize one another, right?
“Make sure to follow the other three hyungs when coming to meet me. That is an order.”
Seol Young looked at each one of them and then looked at his hyungs.
“I will leave now. I will leave like this without saying anything to the Governor or the others…”
“Right, right.”
One way or another, he quit his duties in the middle and left. Although he got permission from Jin Rim, he didn’t have the face to greet them.
“I will leave now.”
While everyone was watching, Seol Young left the place.
He calmly turned and said goodbye to them and then walked out feeling his heart drop.
‘if I had known it would turn out like this, I would have tried the clothes on.’
The white Tiger spirit troops uniform was still untouched.
Why did he have to insist of wearing that only after dealing with the God of Cataclysm? He couldn’t even solve the issue with his own hands.
He could feel the sorrow seeping in when he felt a rustle.
Seol Young stopped walking, and at that moment, several people appeared from the tree around him and surrounded him in an instant.
They were Seo Geom, Hwa Un, and Mu Won.
“Where is this Hwarang going without paying respects to the High Governor?”
Seo Geom looked like he wanted to fight.
Seol Young’s body reacted instinctively to the tone he hadn’t heard in seven years. He stiffened his face and retorted.
“Wasn’t it Seo Geom-rang who said there is no use of a funeral when the body isn’t there?”
“Did you see him? He is alive and fine.”
Seol Geom spoke like he got a look at the man, but his expression said otherwise.
“I do not like what happened, but don’t pass by like a dog. Did I ask something wrong? It’s not right to leave without attending, is it?”
“Enough. It seems like Seo Geom-rang is sad that Seol Young-rang, whom he is close with, is leaving.”
Hwa Un intervened and made Seo Geom go silent, and immediately said,
“Seol Young-rang, do you really think it is possible?”
“No. I didn’t even think about it.”
“Ha! Then, I guess it makes no sense. I knew so.”
“But it wasn’t me who said such nonsense, though. It was the High Governor.”
Seol Young sighed and said,
“Why did he make such a confident statement without any evidence? Even if someone fights thousands or tens of thousands of times and eventually wins, simply having the willpower won’t bring them back to where they originally belonged.”
“If that’s the case, why bother going for something that’s impossible?”
“I cannot say for sure that it wouldn’t work. Since the law of the ghosts got broken once, can it be that other laws of the world are broken, too? Well, it doesn’t matter. The thoughts and intentions came because I wasn’t able to properly do the peace ritual of the High Governor. I will take responsibility for it.”
Silence fell and Mu Won said,
“Good work.”
“Thank you.”
“Let us go. Even the White Tiger Troops must be cursing that there are intruders in their mountain.”
Seol Young couldn’t say anything.
“Endure until the end…”
Seo Geom grumbled and vanished.
‘Such a strange one till the very end.’
Seol Young turned around. At one point, he thought that their unhealthy relationship was solved.
If they continued to meet like this, though, they would go back to their past nature.
‘Such an unfortunate time.’
He went down the mountain, thinking of his hyungs and the trainees, but then he stopped again.
Someone was approaching from the snow covered tree. The most unexpected person.
“Great Heavenly Pavilion Head…”
“Do you realize what you are trying to do?!”
The moment she came out, the woman yelled, and Seol Young responded in a blunt manner.
“Of course I know.”
“You’ll do it despite knowing it? Are you joking? No matter how crazy this world is, there’s one thing that never changes. The dead…”
“Dead people are dead and can’t come back.”
“You know that well, then why are you clinging to these things that go against heaven’s way? Seol Young-rang, that person is dead.”
“I know. I know it all. Who said he isn’t dead? The High Governor himself knew that very well. So, he went into that damned situation willingly.”
Seol Young continued to speak.
“When did I mention bringing a corpse back to life? His body is broken, and his body cannot be brought back. However, if the plan succeeded, then the Dead Slayer Sword would have narrowly missed the body of the High Governor, and since he was already more of a demon than a human…”
“Huh?! What?! What even am I listening to now?”
“As long as his wish to live is strong, there is some way out there where his undestroyed self can be brought back. Just like the High Hovernor’s plan, I might not be able to do it alone, but with help…”
“Haha!”
“Well, I made my choice, and the rest is up to you. But why are you laughing?”
She looked at Seol Young and then sighed.
“Do you think I don’t know?”
“…?”
“Everyone says that my appearance has changed and that I possess more of the holy power, but actually, it isn’t that. I paid a price.”
“What do you mean?”
“If someone tries to cross the line they shouldn’t, they always end up paying a price, don’t they? I made a big mistake when I was young. Well, in the end, I barely managed to turn back and hold my human form.”
She spoke, looking miserable.
“How do you try to gather the scattered and broken souls going against heaven? What if even Seol Young-rang changes into something else while doing such a thing?”
“I would like to avoid it as much as possible, but if I cannot, then it means I am out of luck.”
At the blunt words, she felt enraged.
“I can’t break that stubbornness of yours! Right! I lost! I lost!”
And she turned away, taking huge strikes and disappearing into the forest.
Something was hanging from the branch where she had disappeared.
It was a red silk pouch.
This time, it didn’t seem like it had an owner. And the pouch felt heavy.
Seol Young opened it.
A shiny metal was inside. The engraving on it was noticeable.
A metal square of gold.
The legendary item that was supposedly meant to save people. Unlike the item once used by Mita, called the Golden Square Maiden, which she used to seduce people, this was real.
‘So, you’re saying I should somehow avoid paying the price with this.’
Seol Young kept it in his pocket.
“I will use it well.”
He greeted the empty land and turned. The snow felt hard to walk on.
Now that there was no one left to block his path, he truly became alone. A hefty pile of snow fell from a bent pine branch.
Now that there was no one left to block his path, he truly became alone.
The road ahead wouldn’t be easy.
But as always, he didn’t seek an easy path, and he didn’t lose heart even in the face of adversity.
‘This is the way.’
Seol Young set off confidently.
“Yes, indeed. Back then, I clearly heard such instructions from that nobleman, and I followed them, earning a significant amount of money.”
The old man finally found it after searching everywhere. He guided the mountain path with his staff.
“In this deep mountain, where no one knows, have a strong person build a large tomb and set these stones up there. Then, come back after seven days, cover the tomb, and seal it. you cannot speak to anyone about it…”
“But that person is my hyung.”
“Yes, yes, I know, young master.”
As he followed the old man and looked around, he saw a familiar scene.
The season looked different. And the sense of déjà vu from the large rocks lined up too. It was very similar to the path in Zaha’s memory that he saw.
“Here.”
The old man pointed ahead.
“See, young master? Since we served our ancestors in such a good place, generations of kids will follow you. The tomb is quite nice, too.”
The eyes of the old man looked at the disorganized tomb.
He deliberately looked for a blind retired gravekeeper and made him build his own tomb.
He seemed to think that was how the secret could be kept.
“Thank you.”
After paying tribute to the man, Seol Young sent him away and approached the ruins.
The God of Cataclysm was imprisoned inside. If it got out, everything would be destroyed. Only four empty spots around the tomb remained, indicating that something had once stood there.
Seol Young gazed at those spots for a while before turning away.
Not far off, he spotted a few cabins.
There seemed to be herb gatherers who had tried to settle here.
But it wasn’t an ideal place to live, so they must have eventually left. Seol Young chose one of the cabins that appealed to him and entered.
After clearing away cobwebs and dirt for a while, he managed to make it somewhat habitable. And there wasn’t much to unpack.
He hung the Golden Square given by the Pavilion Head on the ceiling, placed talismans on a small table, and put the ring beside them.
And he took out the other things he needed. He found a place where the qi was freely flowing and sat down.
‘All set.’
Seol Young straightened his back and closed his eyes. He remembered the voice from his memories.
-A person who can sing well can attract even a soul. If such a person writes poems, they will become someone who leaves a mark in the future, and if they sing, they will be one whose name will spread across the seas…
And…
-If they do summons, they can summon the spirits of the living and the ghosts, too. You don’t need anything else. Just call it with all your heart.
Seol Young recalled the words his teacher said.
Then, he recalled the memory of gathering the shattered souls of the people whose souls were broken by the power of the spirit tablets in Mita’s tomb.
Light shone on his fingers.
Seol Young looked at the light.
‘I’ll be using the summoning talisman, and life talisman for peace.’
A talisman that summons a soul.
Gathering his focus, he moved his spiritual qi, and a dazzling figure appeared in the air. It was difficult at first, but soon, his hands moved smoothly through the air.
“Did you know?”
Seol Young mumbled.
“I never ever turned down an offer to bet.”
A talisman rose from his fingers.
It was the first of countless talismans he was going to draw in the future.