It had been trapped in the flesh for a long time. The owner of that flesh possessed a will and resolve far stronger than it had anticipated. When it tried to quickly seize the body, the owner blocked his own qi and blood, shutting down his consciousness. —It is useless to resist.
Taking over the consciousness was only a matter of time. No matter how strong a will he possessed, he was bound to succumb eventually. Once it took over the weakened body and consciousness, it would be able to snatch this vessel. —It won't be long now.
It thought everything was going smoothly. But an unexpected variable appeared. With just a little more time, it could have broken through the blocked consciousness, but an obstacle had arisen. —Who is it?
Ordinary humans could not perceive its existence. Yet this being knew how to control it with a strange art. —Are you trying to cast me out? And so, the being began a power struggle.
It all depended on whether it would be cast out or take possession. Then, the being was deceived by the one who wielded this strange art and ended up inside a wooden doll. —How dare you deceive me. The being, filled with resentment, grew even more furious.
It seemed this rage would only subside if it could seize that flesh again and wring the neck of the one who tried to cast it out. But it was interrupted. So, the being targeted not the body it intended to possess, but the interloper. —A fine body.
A young vessel. Unlike the body it had originally sought, this one was not overflowing with vital energy, but was instead inclined towards yin, making it much better to run rampant in. This body was worth possessing.
Younger and more youthful than the previous one, its ego and will would surely be weaker. —I will take it quickly. I just need to erase his consciousness. If I stimulate and trap his consciousness, his ego will eventually weaken.
But— —This is... The being could not contain its surprise. What in the world was the owner of this body?
A primal desire that felt as if it would pierce its very core. It was the desire of killing intent. —Is this man truly a living being?
Death. Darkness. Rage.
Killing intent.
All these things were mixed together, filling him with a cold yin energy. For the being, this desire filled with death and killing intent was an irresistible instinct. —Magnificent. The being felt a sense of ecstasy from this desire.
But soon, it was seized by disappointment. The ultimate desire, which would have blossomed splendidly if left alone, was being suppressed by something and could not fully bloom. —I will remove the factor that suppresses your desire. If the desire had not yet bloomed, it was better to release it completely.
After all, the finest body requires a perfect spirit. But then, something unbelievable happened.
‘What are you?’
He had perceived it. It had tried to trap his consciousness in a desired reality, but it had failed. —This cannot be. How did he perceive me?
It was impossible for a living being to directly notice or make contact with it.
‘I asked what you are.’
If that's the case, there's no other way. Even if the method was somewhat crude, it had no choice but to proceed with forced corrosion. It chose to corrode him by force.
The corrosion of the flesh was already underway; if it could devour his will and consciousness as well, he would have no choice but to surrender his body. —Creep, creep! —!? For the first time, it felt bewildered. The corrosion was happening in reverse.
The energy that had burrowed into the flesh was instead being absorbed by him. It was happening at a speed beyond imagination. —Stop.
‘What are you babbling about?’ —Stop it.
‘You’re noisy.’ —No. ‘I told you, you’re noisy.’ —I give up.
I will leave, so stop. At this rate, it might be completely devoured. It tried to escape somehow.
But now, he was the one holding it captive.
"Huu."
Occultist Myo Shin sighed as if exhausted, then picked up the sword that had fallen to the floor. He thought it would be light, but the sword was quite heavy. Gripping the sword with both hands, Occultist Myo Shin looked at the Manor Lord with a tense face.
‘Can I do it?’
Although he had exorcised anomalies and the like, he had never killed a living person. That was why he felt nervous now that he was about to do it. But he had to.
‘I have to kill him.’
Only then could he complete the Great Madam's request and pin everything on this brat. He would claim that the brat had been possessed by the anomaly that was in the Manor Lord and went on a rampage, killing the Manor Lord. If that happened, he would naturally be able to deal with this brat with the Great Madam's help.
‘Let’s do it.’
He had to hurry. If the brat’s Guard outside came in, things would go wrong. Occultist Myo Shin was about to take a step towards the Manor Lord.
It was at that very moment. —Flinch! The advancing Occultist Myo Shin froze. Seized by a chill so cold it gave him goosebumps, Myo Shin slowly turned his head, his face stiff.
‘!?’
For a moment, Myo Shin could not hide his bewilderment. He doubted his own eyes. A blurry, massive figure, seemingly two heads taller than an average adult, was glaring at him with a ghastly glint in its eyes.
‘Th... This is...’
A giant monk in blood-soaked robes with Skull Prayer Beads around his neck. The monk's face was utterly pale, devoid of life.
It was...
‘An anomaly?’
Myo Shin knew this being was undoubtedly an anomaly. Occultists like him called them anomalies or vengeful spirits, but common folk also called them ghosts. —Drip! Cold sweat trickled down Myo Shin's forehead.
Had his spiritual sight grown stronger? This was the first time he had seen an anomaly with such a clear, distinct form with his own two eyes.
‘Damn it!’
Myo Shin cursed inwardly. There was no way his spiritual sight would suddenly improve. This anomaly was undoubtedly of a higher class than he could handle, a being with a powerful vengeful spirit.
That must be why it could manifest its form so clearly. —Clang! Tossing the sword aside, Myo Shin formed a hand seal. —Flick!
‘Approach!’ —Flick!
‘Soldier!’ —Flick!
‘Battle!’ —Flick!
‘Fighter!’ —Flick, flick, flick!
Along with that, Myo Shin formed a sword seal and a Vajra fist seal and chanted an incantation towards the anomaly.
“Du-jeon-wi-ryeong ta-in-byeong-jang-gyeon-o-gyeong o-ho-il-seong-ju-bu-jeong yo-sa-gwi-goe-chul-oe-hyang…”
He was in the middle of his chant. At that moment, the anomaly in the form of a monstrous monk moved like mist and approached him. —Ssshhh!
‘It’s useless!’
He was protecting his body with the Talisman of the Seven Stars' Descent attached to his chest. Exorcism would be difficult, but it was impossible for this anomaly to affect him directly... —Thwack!
"Ugh!"
Struck in the face, Myo Shin could not help but stop his chant. The pain was one thing, but the bewildered Myo Shin blinked his eyes.
"H-how?"
The one who hit him was none other than Mok Gyeong-un. He should have been possessed by the anomaly from the Manor Lord's body, unable to even move. How was he moving?
He should have been subdued by the Suppression talisman. As he wondered, Myo Shin’s eyes spotted something and wavered. A faint black substance was flowing out like a thread from Mok Gyeong-un’s chest, connecting to the anomaly of the monstrous monk.
Seeing this, Myo Shin realized something was wrong.
‘…How could this be.’
That meant only one thing. A connection between souls meant it was a Spirit Guardian. A Spirit Guardian literally meant binding a non-human existence to oneself and making it follow.
But the reason Myo Shin was surprised was simple.
‘How can an anomaly be one?’
That anomaly was a vengeful spirit. A soul solidified by unresolved resentment, they do not follow humans. It wouldn't be strange to call them a scourge.
Occasionally, there were skilled Occultists who could handle Spirit Guardians, but those were ancient 'things' or a type of benevolent spirit or goblin.
‘Impossible.’
But how could such a malevolent anomaly, filled with a killing curse, become a Spirit Guardian? Moreover, this brat was not someone who had learned occult arts or Daoist arts. He couldn't understand it at all.
If an ordinary person were possessed by an anomaly of that level, they should have had their body stolen or lost their life.
‘How...’
"Should I take this off?"
"What?" —Rip!
Just then, Mok Gyeong-un reached out and tore something from his chest. The fluttering yellow paper was none other than, "Huh?" The Talisman of the Seven Stars' Descent.
At this, Myo Shin's eyes widened. That very talisman was what protected him from the anomaly. But with it torn off— —Ssshhh!
The pale, gigantic monstrous monk was approaching with a ghastly smile. Flustered, Myo Shin hurriedly formed a seal, intending to chant a protection incantation in place of the talisman.
However— —Thud!
"Kkeueok!"
Mok Gyeong-un kicked him in the stomach. Struck in the abdomen, Myo Shin collapsed, curled up like a shrimp from the pain that felt like his five viscera and six bowels were being turned inside out. He tried to fight back the urge to vomit and form a seal again, but— "Keok!"
Myo Shin’s back arched unnaturally. His face darkened, and veins bulged on his skin. —Throb!
Throb!
Myo Shin could tell. The anomaly was entering him, trying to kill him. If he didn't quickly form a seal and perform his occult arts, he might be corroded by the anomaly and lose his life.
With one hand, Myo Shin strained to form a hand seal.
But— —Stomp!
Mok Gyeong-un stepped on his hand. Making it so he could do nothing. The flustered Myo Shin gasped for breath and pleaded with all his might.
“Hah, hah! Y-Young Master, please spare me. Please… please just let me live… if you do… I-I’ll do… anything…”
"I don't need it."
"If… if this is because I deceived you…"
"No." Mok Gyeong-un shook his head.
"You did what you had to do to survive, what can I say about that. But you also heard where the official seal and the secret manual are, didn't you."
‘!?’
At this, Myo Shin was at a loss for words. Didn't this mean that, regardless of his deception, Mok Gyeong-un had intended to kill him all along? Looking at the dumbfounded man, Mok Gyeong-un smiled brightly and said, "So just die." —Chill!
His lips were smiling, but his eyes were as still as a dead man's. That sight felt even more ghastly than the anomaly.
"Keok! Keok!"
Blood trickled from the mouth of Myo Shin, whose entire face was bulging with veins. Then, his convulsing body slowly came to a stop.