A man in a navy blue Daoist robe, with a book chest on his back, lingered not far from the Lotuswood Sword Manor, a talisman in his hand. -Flap, flap! As he stood there, a shadow with a great wingspan appeared, centered on where he was. Before long, it gradually grew smaller, as if descending.
“Horned Demon Eagle. Did you find him?”
At those words, the shrunken eagle's shadow shook its head from side to side. The man made a face of disbelief, then formed a blade-finger hand seal and pointed somewhere in the empty air. He closed his eyes and concentrated on something.
Soon, the man opened his eyes, his brow furrowed.
‘What is this?’
Having received what the Horned Demon Eagle had seen, he found the situation hard to understand. The entire manor was invisible, as if shrouded in a hazy white fog. Such a phenomenon does not occur easily.
It was created by the strong will of a high-ranking vengeful spirit, a kind of ghost's domain.
‘........ This is no ordinary matter.’
In terms of occult arts, a ghost's domain was close to a barrier. Only a vengeful spirit of at least the Green Spirit rank or higher could form such a domain. This was why the man took it so seriously.
‘What should I do.’
He had intended to observe the target from the outside, but that had become difficult. Even Occultist Sak, whose skill in occult arts was nearly his equal, had been defeated, so he could not rashly approach with sorcery. Moreover, since the Ghost Shadow Pavilion had incurred the Great Madam's wrath, there was no easy way to get inside.
“Hmm.”
He was pondering this. Just then, a drunken young man caught his eye, walking with his arms around two women who appeared to be courtesans. The stumbling young man vomited on the ground and collapsed, and the courtesans tried to wake him.
“Oh my!.”
“Young Master Mok? Young Master Mok? You should go home and rest. You said you'd show us around.”
“Mmm......”
After shaking him several times, the courtesans glanced around furtively. When the young man called Young Master Mok didn't come to his senses, they stealthily began to rifle through his clothes. Seeing this, a slight smile touched the corners of the man's mouth.
According to the Yin-Yang Fundamental Scripture, the Red Spirit, the lowest rank of vengeful spirits, is a type of earthbound spirit and can only exert enough influence on the living to cause goosebumps or a slight chill.
Go Chan had become a vengeful spirit due to his single-minded will not to die, his sense of injustice, and the death energy Mok Gyeong-un had infused into him. And a Red Spirit at that, the lowest rank. Having just become a vengeful spirit, he knew nothing at all.
Thus, he didn't even understand what possession was, let alone how to do it. It was only thanks to the Blue Spirit's advice that he was able to take control of Ha Chae-rin's body. As he suppressed her ego, fragments of her memories seeped into him.
A room stained with blood. A heart filled with resentment.
[Grandpa? Don't tell me you're dead. You're the Flying Kill Flame Assassin, one of the Four Great Assassins of the Central Plains. Get up. You can't die. I said get up!]
[The Sect Master's seat is vacant, and they want me to complete the Hundred Days, Hundred Kills? What kind of damned nonsense is that?]
[I just have to do it! I'll do it!]
[Grandpa....... I'll definitely inherit your position and get revenge for you. No matter who it was.]
Absorbing Ha Chae-rin's memories, he learned that the Sect Master had been suddenly murdered, throwing the Flying Kill Sect into considerable internal turmoil. Ha Chae-rin was carrying out the Hundred Days, Hundred Kills to become the Sect Master of the Flying Kill Sect.
‘Is that so?’
It was quite a surprising revelation. The deceased Sect Master, who held the title of one of the Four Great Assassins, was a master who had reached the Supreme Realm, and as befitting the pinnacle of the assassin world, he had a near-perfect success rate. For such a great assassin to be suddenly murdered.
According to Ha Chae-rin's memories, both she, his granddaughter, and others within the sect suspected it might be the work of one of the other Four Great Assassins. If that was the case, it would be quite difficult for the Flying Kill Sect to seek revenge. Of course, that was their problem.
Go Chan found himself wanting to solve this matter.
“Young Master.......”
“Yes?”
“Please, get me out of this body.” -Shudder!
Even as he spoke, a chill ran down his spine and goosebumps rose on his arms. It was because of his own voice. Anyone might imagine being the opposite gender once, but for it to actually happen was more than Go Chan could handle.
“If I take you out, I'll have to dispose of that woman immediately.”
“........”
She was an assassin targeting Mok Gyeong-un's life. She couldn't be left alive.
“You said she's the granddaughter of the Flying Kill Sect's Master. The next Sect Master, was it?”
“W-well, yes, but......”
“She came here in part because of the retired Guard Gam. If the granddaughter dies, wouldn't it become even more troublesome?”
“........ That… is true.”
Go Chan's voice trailed off. He couldn't deny Mok Gyeong-un's words. Although the members of the Flying Kill Sect struggled with her temperament, their loyalty and respect for the deceased Flying Kill Flame Assassin were extremely high.
Therefore, if his granddaughter Ha Chae-rin were to die, the entire Flying Kill Sect would use every means at their disposal to kill Mok Gyeong-un. In truth, it was what he wished for.
‘I wish he would die.’
But if Mok Gyeong-un died, he would perish as well. The Blue Spirit had told him that was the fate of a Spirit Guardian whose connection had been forged.
‘Damn it.’
What a cruel fate. It was no different from being a slave. His life and death were tied to Mok Gyeong-un, so he couldn't just let him die.
Go Chan was left with a heavy heart. -Hmph. To him, the Blue Spirit, who was puffing smoke from her long pipe, snorted and said. -Why the long face?
Newbie.
You're already dead, you should be grateful just to have possessed a living body. Is this something to be grateful for? If so, couldn't they have put me in a man's body?
But fearing the Blue Spirit, he spoke words different from his true thoughts.
“....... Well, that may be true, but.” -You were pathetically weak when you were alive anyway.
“........” -Retired assassin or not, to be merely second-rate at your age meant you were pretty much hopeless.
“........”
It was like being stabbed with a tiny dagger. Every word the Blue Spirit uttered was a sharp knife that tormented Go Chan. He was speechless in a different sense, when suddenly - Whap!
In that instant, Go Chan instinctively tilted his head back.
“Y-Young Master?”
The sole of Mok Gyeong-un's shoe was right in front of his nose. A moment later, and the kick would have connected with his chin. Mok Gyeong-un said to him, “You're certainly fast.
Faster than Guard Go Chan was before he died.”
“What?”
At those words, Go Chan furrowed his brow. Come to think of it, that wasn't his original movement. He had simply followed the body's lead.
Ha Chae-rin's body, which had reached the Peak Realm, had a spiritual sense so sharp it was incomparable to that of Go Chan, who had been merely second-rate.
‘Ah!’
The Blue Spirit snickered at him and said. -Why are you so surprised? It's only natural, having possessed a strong body.
“I-is that so?” -Still, you'd better get used to it.
Your level is so low that it'll take more time for you to properly utilize that body. Vengeful spirits have ranks. The Blue Spirit, having reached the realm of evil spirit monsters, could draw out power beyond the original body's capabilities when she possessed someone.
However, Go Chan, who was merely at the lowest Red Spirit rank, could not do such a thing. Of course, even so, it was the body of a Peak Realm master, so it could be said that he had become incomparably stronger than he was in his original body.
‘Peak Realm........’
Go Chan felt a strange sensation. When he was alive and training in martial arts, his goal had been to reach the first-rate realm. But contrary to his desperate wish, his martial talent was lacking, and he was never able to cross that threshold.
Now, he possessed a body that had reached the Peak Realm. As he became conscious of this, his mood shifted. -Looks like you're starting to like it now. At the Blue Spirit's words, Go Chan came to his senses and waved his hands dismissively.
He had been captivated by the Peak Realm, but the fact that it was a woman's body, not a man's, still tormented him. -Because you're a newbie, your thinking is still so mortal. The Blue Spirit clicked her tongue.
Once one accepted the fact that they were dead and were now a soul, the physical body was nothing more than a shell. Of course, there was still a difference between a shell one liked and one one didn't. She couldn't understand why he was so repulsed just because it was a woman's body. -Tsk, tsk.
You should be satisfied with obtaining a young and beautiful body.
“I-I'm a man. Being young is nice, but a woman's body is just.....” -If I catch you secretly looking in a mirror and grinning with satisfaction, I'll kill you.
“No. Why would I do something like that?”
He had no such preferences. If he had to possess someone, he just wished it was a man's body. Mok Gyeong-un said to him, “For now, please get used to that body.
I'll let you move to another one when the opportunity arises.” He wanted to ask for a different body right away, but understanding the situation, Go Chan couldn't say anything more. Disheartened, he could only nod his head.
It seemed he had no choice but to live in Ha Chae-rin's body for a while. But will this guy really let me move to another body so easily? A strange anxiety crept in.
Just then. -Thump, thump, thump! The sound of someone running down the hallway was heard. Then, someone knocked on the door. -Knock, knock!
“Who is it?” -Young Master!
It's Bok-hyeon of the inner hall.
“Come in.”
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, the door opened, and a man dressed in the inner hall's uniform entered. The man named Bok-hyeon bowed his head slightly in a simple greeting, then spoke in a voice filled with joy.
“Young Master. Rejoice.”
“What?”
What was he suddenly supposed to be rejoicing about? While he was puzzled, the inner hall guard Bok-hyeon said, “The Manor Lord has awakened!”
‘!?’
At those words, a strange light flashed in the eyes of both Mok Gyeong-un and Go Chan, who was possessing Ha Chae-rin's body. The Manor Lord had not been possessed at the time, but was dying from the Demonic Monk's killing curse. Although he had left the body, it had been in a considerably weakened state.
Somehow, it seemed his life had been saved.
‘Hmm.’
This was an unexpected situation. He had been contemplating leaving this place once he became somewhat familiar with the basic arts, before the Manor Lord lost his life. Staying longer would only lead to unpleasant entanglements with the Great Madam or the second young master.
But the Manor Lord had awakened. Does that mean he has fully recovered?
“Young Master?”
At the call of the inner hall guard Bok-hyeon, Mok Gyeong-un changed his expression, placed a hand on his chest, and spoke in a relieved tone.
“Ahhh. What a tremendous relief. To hear that Father has awakened.”
Seeing his act, Go Chan inwardly clicked his tongue. Of course, the inner hall guard Bok-hyeon, who didn't know Mok Gyeong-un's true nature, had no suspicions.
“It is a great blessing for the Lotuswood Sword Manor.”
“I see. Thank you for coming to tell me.”
“Ah! That's not the only reason.”
“What?”
“The Manor Lord is looking for you, Young Master.”
“Me?”
“Yes. He said to bring you to him right away.”
At these words, Mok Gyeong-un tilted his head slightly. The Manor Lord had called for him as soon as he awoke? What is it? -Isn't it because of that hidden place in the basement of the Medicine Hall?
‘Ahh.......’
At the Blue Spirit's words, Mok Gyeong-un thought to himself that it was possible. Although he had just woken up, he might have checked the place where the secret manual was hidden. If that were the case, he would naturally be the target of suspicion. -What are you going to do?
To that question, Mok Gyeong-un gave a light shrug. Right now, an inner hall guard had come to fetch him personally, so he had no choice but to go. Judging by the inner hall guard's joyful reaction, it wasn't certain whether he had been summoned for the reason the Blue Spirit suspected.
“I understand. I'll go to the main hall shortly.”
“No. He said to bring you immediately.”
“Immediately?”
‘Is it not that, then?’
Hearing this, it was hard to be sure. Whatever the case, it seemed the meeting with the Manor Lord could not be postponed.
“I understand. Let's go then.”
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, Go Chan, possessing Ha Chae-rin's body, instinctively prepared to follow. At this, Mok Gyeong-un shook his head and said, “Guard Go...... Chae-rin, don't you have something to organize in the storeroom?”
‘....... Go Chae-rin.’
The names were mixed. Finding it somewhat cringey, Go Chan scrunched up his face. Then he suddenly remembered what had happened in the storeroom.
‘!!!!!’
It was where he had lost his life. Had they not disposed of his body yet?
“I'll be back. Please take care of it in the meantime.”
“........ I understand.”
After Go Chan replied, Mok Gyeong-un left the room, following the inner hall guard Bok-hyeon. The Blue Spirit followed Mok Gyeong-un as if it were the most natural thing. After they left, Go Chan felt somewhat disheartened.
Now, of all things, he was faced with the task of disposing of his own corpse.
‘Damn it.’
Go Chan shook his head from side to side. Then, he rose from his seat to head to the storeroom.
‘Ugh.’
Go Chan's face flushed for a moment as he looked down at his chest. The weight and sensation, which he had never experienced as a man, felt strange. It even gave him goosebumps for no reason.
He looked in the bronze mirror but couldn't get used to it. It was still Ha Chae-rin's appearance, with her alluring face and flowing clothes, and she was certainly beautiful. Perhaps because she had developed so well, ‘It's more bothersome than I thought.’
Her chest felt a bit heavy. Go Chan glanced around to make sure no one was there, and then, out of curiosity, he unwittingly brought both hands slowly to his chest. -Swoosh! At that moment, the Blue Spirit's face suddenly appeared, passing through the paper door.
“.........”
Go Chan froze on the spot like ice. -Tsk, tsk. Seeing this, the Blue Spirit clicked her tongue as if she found him pathetic, then pulled her face back. -Swoosh! He hastily opened the door and looked out, but she had long since disappeared.
Go Chan felt like he wanted to dig a grave and crawl into it right then and there.
‘Hmm.’ A strange light flickered in Mok Gyeong-un's eyes as he headed for the main hall. It was because he wasn't the only one heading to the main hall. From a diverging path, Mok Yu-cheon, his face a somewhat dark-reddish hue compared to four days ago, was walking under the guidance of another inner hall guard. ‘So it's not about the Medicine Hall?’ Should I consider that a relief? As he was thinking this, Mok Yu-cheon spotted Mok Gyeong-un and approached with quick steps, as if he had something to say.