Chapter 312

Chapter 312

While Seohwa and Gayeom were plotting to extort the Hwangryongjangju, the rest of us decided to make other preparations.

Specifically, the plan to resurrect the Uicheonmunju.

“How’s your body?”

“San. It’s pretty good.”

As I was checking my body after possessing the flesh created by Muhyeong’s formless ability, Baek Risan looked at me with a strange expression.

“When you said resurrection was possible, I was skeptical, but to think you could actually resurrect someone this way…”

“Didn’t I tell you it was possible? If it’s possible, then it’s possible.”

“I don’t have as much trust in that bastard as you do, Oppa.”

“Haha, that’s because you don’t know how amazing he is.”

“You’re so full of yourself. Really.”

I smiled faintly at Baek Risan snorting and dismissing my words. Though there was some sense of dissonance, I could still move this body like my own.

—Muhyeong can read souls and replicate that person.

Muhyeong’s ability, which I thought simply devoured and revived people, was far more extraordinary than expected. Muhyeong could literally ‘replicate’ people.

While he could share the knowledge and abilities of the replicated human, he couldn’t completely make them his own. It’s like reviving a person, erasing the consciousness in their mind, and inserting a new consciousness called Muhyeong.

—If you can replicate a person by reading their soul, conversely, you can also replicate a body suited to that soul.

Though it would be closer to a yokai’s body than a human’s, either way, he could create a vessel to anchor a soul. Though temporary, it meant resurrection was possible.

True to his confident declaration, the resurrection was successfully carried out, and now I was wearing a yokai’s body while enduring some dissonance.

It’s unfortunate that I can’t use Noegi since this is a yokai’s body.

“How do you use martial arts?”

“I think I can substitute Yoryeok for Naeryeok.”

“What about elemental techniques?”

“I can’t use them. But similar things are possible. Like this.”

As I swept my hand along with my words, Baek Risan flinched and stepped back, seeing the surroundings freeze white. Her nose tip had already turned red.

“What is this? Eumhan Gigong?”

“Yoryeok originally corresponds to Eumgi in Yin-Yang. And the easiest application of Eumgi is Hangi.”

Though I could convert it to Hyeolgi or other things, it goes without saying that using it this way is most common.

“If I substitute Eumgi for Noegi, I can perform martial arts to some extent.”

“Oh, what happens if you use Cheonroesin in that state? Cheonbingsin?”

“…Let’s think of a name separately later. That name doesn’t sound very good. More importantly.”

“More importantly?”

“Did you hear where we’re going next? You looked sleepy during the meeting.”

“…”

“You didn’t hear.”

“I-I did hear…”

Seeing Baek Risan avoid my eyes at my words, I chuckled and sat on a tree stump.

“Sit down. I’ll explain.”

At my words, Baek Risan, who had been gauging the situation, found a suitably cut tree trunk to sit on in front of me and turned her gaze toward me. A smile naturally escaped at her much more obedient appearance compared to before.

“…What?”

“Nothing. It was about where we need to go. We’re heading to Uichang.”

“Uichang? Where the martial competition is being held?”

“Right.”

“Why are we going there?”

“Because we need to help.”

“…? Last time you said we were there in case they failed.”

“I did. That wasn’t wrong either. They will fail.”

Occupy the back of Sangwi and seal Sangwi.

It sounds easy. It might even be possible in terms of power. Even I don’t know all of the Central Plains martial world’s forces, and all sorts of reclusive masters are gathered at Uichang.

But whether that translates to actual combat power is a separate issue.

There’s a problem with the command structure.

“Have you ever heard that there’s nothing more foolish than applying military strategy to martial artists?”

“Well, roughly… It’s because the martial arts and weapons they use are all different, so you can’t group them together, right?”

“That’s right. Moreover, their limits themselves are vastly different from ordinary soldiers.”

People can’t stand being prevented from doing what they’re capable of doing. Let me give an example.

Suppose a martial force needs to cross a river.

This force has such excellent average martial skills that they can perform Deungpyeong Dosu without any significant internal energy loss. However, the commander of this force decides to use boats to cross the river and tells them to leisurely wait for the incoming boats. What would happen then?

“They wouldn’t follow orders?”

“They would follow. Anyone with their wits about them would know there’s a reason for the commander’s order. But that’s the perspective of trained people.”

“…”

“Ordinary people would think this: ‘Why are we doing this so inefficiently? Couldn’t we just cross?’ That’s how they’d think.”

The people gathering at Uichang are untrained martial artists. In other words, martial artists who haven’t been organized into units.

Originally, military forces that aren’t organized into units can hardly exert power beyond a certain level, no matter how excellent their individual skills.

When you gather fifty yokai hunters who are each battle-hardened veterans versus gathering fifty elite Geumui Guards, the Geumui Guards would handle yokai more easily and quickly than the yokai hunters when fighting yokai. Their movements don’t interfere with each other, and that leads to tremendous efficiency gains despite their inferior skills.

But those at Uichang aren’t like that. And.

There’s a high probability that Heukya’s followers on Sangwi’s back have already been organized into units.

Because the opponent is none other than Sinseongokju Heukya.

“Even if they use Yoryeok to repel Heukya when the Daebongin is released, there’s no guarantee that will succeed. You know why, right?”

“…Because Heukya is too strong.”

“Right.”

I smiled bitterly at Baek Risan biting her lip as she answered. She’s probably thinking of Heukya’s majesty she witnessed in Xinjiang.

“Heukya is a monster beyond normal bounds. Even now, he’s already beyond normal bounds, but what if he reaches Beijing from Uichang without any significant injuries or depletion? What if he receives more offerings of fear and reaches the Daebongin?”

“…”

“At that moment, Heukya will truly become a Yokai King. An existence no one can stop.”

No one knows how strong the yokai bound in the Daebongin are.

However, no matter how strong those yokai are, they won’t be stronger than the current Heukya. Heukya, who showed overwhelming majesty against Sipcheon and Chilryun, was literally an unapproachable opponent.

“If we can’t deal with Heukya there, it’s over. That’s why we need to go and lend our strength.”

“But if we die, it’s meaningless. Can we really be helpful if we go? Setting aside me, even if you go, Oppa, I don’t think you’d be much help…”

“No, my very existence already has symbolic value.”

“…Symbolic value?”

“The symbolic value of someone whose death was certain returning alive.”

Half the sects in this world have their roots in Do-Bul-Yu, the three religions. And if someone who was confirmed dead returns alive, performing this miracle, how would that appear to them?

“This fight itself becomes a holy war.”

“Isn’t that too much of a leap?”

“Of course, depending on the atmosphere, it might not go as far as a holy war. But at least morale will definitely rise. Humans are creatures of suppositions.”

If it works, that’s good, and if it doesn’t, there’s no need to be disappointed. After all, my body right now isn’t my real body but a vessel created by Muhyeong’s ability. That means even if I die, I don’t really die—I just return to spirit form, doesn’t it?

“Since I have nothing to lose as a combat force, I should be used diligently. It’s nothing more, nothing less than a matter of efficiency.”

“…”

“Instead, you should actively run away if things get dangerous. I won’t lose my life even if I suffer fatal injuries, but you will.”

“I know.”

Baek Risan received my words sullenly, sighed, and looked up at the sky.

“Oppa.”

“What is it?”

“We’re doing the right thing, right?”

“…”

“Seeing Uncle Jang Il… I had that thought. Is this really the best way?”

The best way.

“This method should be able to save the most people, right?”

“It should.”

“We’ll be able to go back to how things were before, living without worrying about yokai, right…?”

“That’s how it will be.”

“…Then, that’s enough.”

Watching Baek Risan, who seemed to think about something for a moment before smiling bitterly and standing up, I quietly closed my mouth. But without even looking at me, Baek Risan cheerfully continued speaking.

“We’re leaving tomorrow, right? I’ll get things ready.”

“Alright.”

“And Oppa, don’t abuse your body too much just because it’s a vessel. Think about using it for a long time. Understand?”

“I’ll handle it.”

“Seriously, you never say you will.”

“…”

“I’m going.”

“…Alright.”

Watching Baek Risan stick out her tongue and disappear at my words, I closed my mouth and looked at the letter I had tucked inside my robes. A letter that Iryang had given me as soon as he learned I had obtained a vessel.

[Uicheonmunju.]

[Regarding the plan you mentioned, I inquired with the sorcerers, but every renowned sorcerer gave the same response that it’s impossible.]

[This isn’t a matter of the level of sorcery but a problem with the foundation of what sorcery is. No matter how strong Yoryeok is, they say it’s impossible to kill yokai with sorcery composed of Yoryeok.]

“…”

I know. That there’s something off about the operation.

Unlike before when he would present detailed directions on how to act, this plan seems strangely to have huge gaps. Considering my brother’s usual meticulous planning, it’s unthinkable.

[Remember this, Uicheonmunju.]

[Even at this point when everything is nearing its end, your older brother, Baek Riseon gongja, is hiding something.]

[No one knows why he didn’t share his ability to read Cheongi with others since childhood.]

[No one knows what he did while wandering the world.]

Saving Choa, planning the Daejeon, and so many other things were left in my brother’s hands. Everything according to my brother’s will.

[You must be cautious of him.]

Is this the best way?

I read the letter Iryang gave me to the end and quietly infused it with Naeryeok, crushing it.

Whether this is the best way or not.

“…I’ll only know once we reach the end.”

For now, I’ll just do what I can.

Quietly calming my mind, I sharpen a blade in my mental image. Simply to do my best at what I can do now.

…

……

………

***

And the next day.

We arrived at Uichang through Heuksi.

In the city with the most masters in all the Central Plains, where the Cheonhajeil martial competition was in full swing.