WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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Episode 6: Evil-Infused (3)

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[Fifth Blue Spirit... Extremely dangerous. Exorcism requires at least ten Taoist occultists. A vengeful spirit that has existed for over a hundred years. It can greatly affect a fixed radius and inflict suffering through auditory and visual hallucinations.]

So it was written in the Fundamental Text of the Yin-Yang School from the Compendium of the Hundred Schools.

Its latter half stated:

A vengeful spirit that has existed for over a hundred years loses its human elements and enters the realm of true aberrations.

True aberrations are spirits and goblins themselves.

‘Ha...’

A seal.

It literally served to confine something.

The old prayer beads.

The moment they compressed and split apart, a spectacle of strange phenomena began.

Rooooar!

Blood cascaded from the ceiling and every wall of the cave like waterfalls, filling the surroundings with blood.

The flowing blood quickly covered the floor, making it slick and muddy.

Mok GyeongUn's grin stretched to his ears.

His anticipation rose.

‘An aberration...’

This was undoubtedly an aberration.

One that could not even be compared to the Demonic Monk.

He had hoped for something on the level of a Green Spirit, yet something even greater had appeared unexpectedly.

It was the sort of moment that would have left a Taoist occultist flustered.

Thump! Thump!

‘A heartbeat.’

The sound of a beating heart echoed through the cave as it gradually filled with blood.

Then something strange occurred.

The heartbeat rang out amid the blood pouring down from every direction, and a heart formed at its center.

Whooosh!

Blood gathered around the heart.

It became one organ, then two, then three.

Bones swiftly encased the organs, and muscles formed around those bones.

Tap! Tap!

Pale white skin soon grew over the muscles.

The entire process was wondrous, as though something was being born.

Whoooosh!

The blood surged upward in a reverse waterfall, wrapping around the being whose skin had formed.

Then, the instant that waterfall of blood was sucked into the ceiling,

Creak.

The being revealed themself.

They had a beautiful, pale face, with long unkempt hair spilling down despite the ceremonial crown upon their head.

Dressed in red inner robes and a black outer robe, they held a long-stemmed pipe between their lips.

Their appearance was far more natural than the Demonic Monk's.

Puff.

The being drew deeply from the pipe with red lips, then exhaled smoke.

They looked no older than their late teens, but perhaps because of their attire, it was impossible to tell whether they were male or female.

Of course, Mok GyeongUn did not care about such things.

“You certainly made a grand entrance. May I ask who you...?”

Before he could finish, a powerful pull forcibly dragged Mok GyeongUn before the being.

Whooosh!

The rolling blood had already risen to his thighs.

The being, who had been puffing smoke from the pipe, leaned their face toward Mok GyeongUn.

They examined him from head to toe.

“What are you doing?”

The being stared at him for a while, their lips curling into a faint smile.

Then the smile vanished. Their expression turned cold, and they flicked a hand.

Whiiirl! Crash!

Mok GyeongUn's body flew into the air and slammed hard into the cave ceiling.

He then fell into the blood-filled cave.

Splash!

Soaked from head to toe, Mok GyeongUn staggered to his feet.

“Puhah.”

He swept his wet hair back.

The being spoke as they watched him.

“Foolish mortal. Empty your soul and offer this venerable one your corporeal soul.”

The voice was perfectly clear.

Unlike the Demonic Monk's murmuring voice, this one rang out distinctly.

No, it seemed to echo from everywhere at once.

Mok GyeongUn scratched his head.

“The Demonic Monk said the same thing. Do all vengeful spirits crave other people's bodies? Can't you do anything without one?”

“Tsk, tsk.”

The being clicked their tongue and gave a derisive snort.

When they lightly struck the blood with their pipe,

Whooosh!

The blood shot upward in several streams, stretching like whips to bind Mok GyeongUn's arms and legs.

Squeeze!

He strained against them, but their binding force was far stronger.

Mok GyeongUn smacked his lips as if troubled.

He thought he understood why the Fundamental Text of the Yin-Yang School described it as extremely dangerous and said that at least ten Taoist occultists were needed.

‘What should I do?’

Though he had read the Fundamental Text of the Yin-Yang School, he still knew little about occult arts.

At that moment, the being drew a straight line at Mok GyeongUn with their pipe.

Slash!

A burning pain flared across his chest, and his clothes were stained red in a straight line.

It was as if he had been cut, and the pain was considerable.

Even so, Mok GyeongUn's expression barely changed.

Perhaps the being had expected him to scream in pain, for one eyebrow rose.

“You are a patient child.”

“I’m used to it.”

“Used to it? Then can you endure this as well?”

The being raised their pipe.

At once,

Whoooosh!

The blood that had risen to Mok GyeongUn's lower body surged upward.

In an instant, it filled the entire cave.

Mok GyeongUn's body floated within the blood-filled cave.

‘Hup.’

He held his breath.

It was no different from being submerged underwater.

The being watched him with a delighted smirk, utterly unconcerned.

The chilling gleam in their eyes reminded Mok GyeongUn that they were a wraith.

Glide...

The being approached him.

They gripped the immobile Mok GyeongUn's jaw and spoke.

“The feeling you are experiencing now is fear...”

They could not finish.

What they wanted to see was a face twisted in fear as the blood choked him.

Anyone would be terrified if they were unable to move in an enclosed space and could not even breathe.

Yet Mok GyeongUn stared at the being without the slightest tremor in his eyes.

“You... are unusual. For a living human to possess such eyes.”

The being showed interest.

Then Mok GyeongUn, who had been holding his breath, ran his tongue over his lips.

‘This taste...’

The taste on his tongue was unquestionably blood.

The blood filling the cave was redder than crushed ripe cornel cherries.

Even its thick texture was exactly like blood.

All five of his senses told him it was blood.

However,

‘It’s different. This contains nothing but death.’

Mok GyeongUn snorted.

How much blood had he seen while being called the Sickle-Slaying Fiend?

When he touched that blood, he could feel that something lived within it. Yet all he could feel from this was death.

‘It isn't real.’

Even if all five senses perceived it, it was all false.

Glide...

All the blood reflected in Mok GyeongUn's eyes vanished as though it had never existed.

In occult arts, this was called Sense Release.

By denying the perception itself, one escaped every illusion that deceived the five senses.

The theory sounded simple enough.

However, even highly trained Taoist occultists found it difficult to escape. Nothing was easier to deceive than the human senses.

The being's eyes shone.

They had expected Mok GyeongUn to eventually fail to hold his breath, suffer, and show the same expression as any other mortal.

Yet he had realized the truth himself and escaped the illusion.

“You are more interesting than you look.”

The being's red lips curled upward.

They stepped before Mok GyeongUn and lightly tapped his shoulder with the pipe.

Thud!

Mok GyeongUn was forced down onto one knee.

It had seemed like a light tap, yet the fact that his right knee had dug into the ground showed just how much force it contained.

The being drew from their pipe, then exhaled smoke toward Mok GyeongUn.

“Mortal. If you offer your corporeal soul willingly, I will grant your wish.”

“My wish?”

“Yes. A child who has not even reached manhood would not possess such eyes after living an ordinary life. Give this venerable one your corporeal soul. Then I shall tear your enemy limb from limb and erase even their soul.”

“...You certainly sound confident.”

The being burst into loud laughter.

“Ahahahahahahahaha!”

Rumble...

The entire cave shook from their laughter alone.

They were on an entirely different level from the Demonic Monk.

A Blue Spirit rank was one that had surpassed ordinary vengeful spirits and crossed into the realm of spirits and goblins.

After laughing for some time, the being smiled coldly.

“The only reason you remain unharmed after speaking so insolently to this venerable one is because I wish to take your corporeal soul. Be grateful while I show you mercy.”

“Is that something I should be grateful for?”

“You have no fear at all.”

Tap!

The being raised Mok GyeongUn's chin with the pipe.

Then they appraised him.

“At least your face pleases me. There is nothing wrong with a corporeal soul being beautiful.”

“You truly covet my body.”

“Once this venerable one has chosen, your corporeal soul belongs to me.”

“What if I refuse?”

The being sneered.

“Your corporeal soul may be damaged somewhat, but I shall take it by force.”

“There is an aberration right above us that tried to do the same and failed, aside from you.”

The being gave a short laugh.

“You dare compare this venerable one to such a petty ghost? If I wished it, annihilating your soul and taking your corporeal soul would not be difficult.”

“If you are so confident, then take it.”

“Insolent. If that is your wish, I shall take it by force.”

The being removed the pipe from Mok GyeongUn's jaw and was about to raise it above his head.

Then Mok GyeongUn, with his head lowered, shook his shoulders.

The being's lips curled upward.

“Have you suddenly become afraid?”

“No. I just thought of something amusing.”

“Something amusing?”

At the being's puzzled question, Mok GyeongUn grasped something and lifted it with both hands.

The being's eyes wavered the moment they saw it.

The instant Mok GyeongUn grabbed it, they knew what it was without looking.

It was the human-skin book.

Unlike before, the book soaked in the deceased Jo Il-sang's blood seemed to shine with a lustrous sheen.

“You...”

“According to the Fundamental Text of the Yin-Yang School, older aberrations have a medium through which they remain tethered. This book is one, isn't it?”

“...You are doing something foolish.”

“Your actions have become cautious, so I don't think it is foolish.”

“You insist on angering this venerable one.”

As soon as the being finished speaking, Mok GyeongUn's body rose into the air and slammed into the ceiling.

Crash! Crash!

That was not the end.

His body fell violently toward the floor.

At the being's gesture, he rose again, this time slamming his head into the ceiling.

Crash!

Blood streamed from his wounded head.

Seemingly unwilling to stop, the being hurled Mok GyeongUn repeatedly against the cave walls.

Crash! Crash! Crash! Crash!

“Ghk!”

Fresh blood burst from Mok GyeongUn's mouth as he struck wall after wall.

After several more impacts, his limp body floated in the air.

The being held out a hand toward him.

“Put that down at once.”

“...Cough, cough.... Why don't you just take it? Why go through all this trouble?”

“Foolish mortal. I am giving you an opportunity.”

“An opportunity?”

“Yes.”

“...It isn't that you can't touch it yourself, is it?”

The being gave no reply to Mok GyeongUn's pointed question.

That was enough for him to be certain.

This ancient vengeful spirit apparently could not touch the human-skin book directly.

Otherwise, it would have taken the book from the beginning rather than inflicting pain to make him drop it.

“You are determined to bring death upon yourself. Even if you possess that, you can do nothing with it. What can someone who is neither a Taoist nor a Taoist occultist accomplish? Fine. I will simply give up on your corporeal soul and kill you...”

Just as the being reached out to do something, something entirely unexpected happened.

Crunch!

Mok GyeongUn tore into the book's cover with his teeth.

The Blue Spirit could not hide their shock.

They had encountered countless Taoist occultists, Taoists, and monks, but everyone had tried to seal or burn the book. No one had ever done such a thing.

That was because the book's demonic aura was so powerful that ordinary methods could not damage it.

Mok GyeongUn was no different.

While his body was being slammed about the cave, he had tried to tear the book apart through sheer force, but it had been useless.

Then, by chance, he discovered that only the book's outer cover was made from human skin.

‘Then...’

Mok GyeongUn's choice was simple.

Munch! Munch!

He tore away only the outer portion made of human skin and chewed it in his mouth.

Gasp!

The Blue Spirit's fine, pale brow twisted as they clutched their chest.

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