Chapter 323
[Episode 104: The title of the best in the world (3)]
How could I forget this scene?
It was clearly when he cut off the head of Ja Kyung-jeong, the excommunicated disciple who betrayed Master Geom-seon in Dohwaseon.
I remember it exactly because it was the last thing I said to him.
I could never have imagined that it would be the evil spirit of vigilantism.
Not only did he cut off my head, but he also burned his body to avoid any repercussions.
There wasn't even a trace left, so how did he come back to life in a white state?
‘ah!'
The memories Baek was remembering as he was puzzled dispersed like fog, the location changed, and something else came to mind.
Then I saw someone's face.
He was a middle-aged man with long eyebrows and a dull look.
My perspective comes from the memories contained in the bag, and right now, I feel like I'm lying on something like a bed.
‘Is it a cave?'
Looking around the middle-aged man looking down, it appears to be a cave cavity.
The cave lit by torches has a somewhat desolate feel.
A middle-aged man spoke to me with a bright face.
[Do you recognize me?]
The white spirit in his memory answered his question.
[......Who?]
At those words, the middle-aged man's impression hardened.
The middle-aged man raised his head, looked somewhere and spoke in an angry voice.
[How did this happen? You don’t recognize me, do you?]
Then a voice came from there.
[I should have definitely warned you. There must be a difference between transferring the soul from the body and putting it in such a bibliography.]
It was the voice of a young woman.
But I feel like I've heard that accent and way of speaking somewhere before.
The middle-aged man irritably urged the woman.
[Do not look down on Taoist techniques.]
‘Taoist techniques?’
So, is this middle-aged man really a Taoist?
That may be so.
He is the one who appeared in Baek’s memories of Vigilante Jeong.
There were Taoists who followed him, so it is quite possible.
A woman's voice was heard again.
[Regardless of Taoist techniques or anything else, this body directly proved the fact that the soul becomes unstable when the body is lost.] [Was there
anything wrong?]
[Is there anything wrong? If there was something wrong, I wouldn't have even remembered you. Noejang.]
‘!!!'
If I didn't mishear, the woman called this middle-aged man a brainiac.
Noejang is one of the three henchmen who have followed Geumsangje for over 300 years.
I was told that he had the greatest military power among them, but I have never encountered him before or even now, about 300 years ago.
It is still difficult to know what this means.
At that time, a middle-aged man called Noejang spoke to the woman in a nervous voice.
[Recall your memory somehow. You must save her.]
[If it was so important, you should have prevented her body from burning to ashes.]
At her words, the head of the brain muttered in a bitter voice.
[If that were the case, I would have died too.]
[You would have died?]
the woman asked in disbelief.
At this, the head of the brain changed his mind.
[It’s none of your business. In any case, whether burned or not, the dead body is bound to decay because so many years have already passed.] [
If so, the soul is bound to become even more unstable.]
Listening to their conversation, I was able to infer one more thing.
Considering that the person named Noejang said that he was burned, it was clear that he meant that I burned him.
‘......Did they break into the fuse?'
Other than that, there was no way to steal Vigilante's spirit.
As expected, this person named Noejang seems to be a Taoist related to Dohwaseon, just like Jagyeongjeong.
Otherwise, you cannot enter or exit the Dohwaseon without permission.
‘He is not an ordinary person.'
Although he did not learn the Tao from his teachers, it meant that a person who could practice Taoist arts to the extent of being able to contain his soul in something like a bibliography was someone who had realized the high Tao.
The man called Noejang spoke to the woman.
[It doesn’t matter how long it takes. You have to get your memories back somehow.]
[I would have said that there is nothing you can do about memories that have already been lost.]
[Are you giving up without even trying?]
[The concept of giving up...]
Before she could finish her sentence, a brain-digger's voice spoke. I stretched out my hand towards the direction I was heading.
Then, a sound of something in pain was heard from there.
[Ahhh....]
It seems like they're putting pressure on me.
[You must have already forgotten. The fact that I am helping him not find you.]
A woman's voice spoke to his words.
[...cough cluck...they said he was a confidant...but...it seems like that's not the case. If you see that… man… calling you so carelessly because he doesn’t exist…]
[It’s not your business to interfere. Iron training.]
‘Iron training?’
So, does this mean that the owner of this voice was Cheolsu-ryeon of Aksimpapa?
A surprising fact was revealed.
I had heard the accent and speaking style somewhere, but the voice was so different that I couldn't immediately recall it.
Now that I know for sure that it is Cheolsu-ryun, I think it must be her.
[Uh...somehow...I wanted to obediently...help....]
[Did you think I would do you good will even though it has no utility? Keep your covenant with me. Otherwise, you will die before you can achieve what you want.]
[Off.]
As soon as he finished saying that, Nojang lost his temper and turned his head to where Baek was lying.
And then he spoke to Baek.
[Whether you remember it or not, from this moment on, you are a vigilante.]
[A vigilante?]
-Srrr!
With those words, Baek's memories dispersed like fog and tried to change again.
In the dark, not everything remains in detail because only strong emotions are remembered.
One thing became clear about this.
The fake Lee Jeong-gyeom that I killed was resurrected with the spirit of Ja Kyung-jeong.
It could be said that it was the same as changing one's body using the same method as Cheolsu training.
However, from what I have seen so far, although he has been resurrected, he has completely lost his memory.
‘If you think about it...'
The fake Lee Jeong-gyeom, who I was angry at, spoke as if he had heard everything from someone, starting with the fuse, and not what he had experienced.
If so, it meant that even now, his memories are not complete at all.
Can such a person really be called a vigilante?
-Srur!
The memory shifted again.
This time, it was a dark cave, but I could see Nojang sitting in meditation through the flickering torches.
He said to Baek.
[Concentrate. What you have achieved now is everything your whole body has already mastered.]
[I understand.]
[Originally, it would have been better to train the Tao again for enlightenment and understanding, but since it is of no great significance, I will teach you the Demonic Tao. I will do it.]
Magic?
Could it be that you are referring to the evil change that caused the energy of the entire body to explode?
The brainmaster continued to speak.
[The Tao is infinitely close to Zen. Just as there is yin when there is yang, there is also the opposite. That is magic.]
[What is magic close to?]
[That's a good question. Magic is close to pure evil. It can become evil and even embraces evil.]
[Is it stronger than the Tao?]
[The Demonic Tao can do everything that the Tao has achieved.]
Baek asked something again as if he was curious about what the Taoist said. .
[Then can I bring back my forgotten memories?]
[I will get them back somehow. Kyeong-jeong, focus on regaining your original strength.]
Baek also seemed to want to revive his memories.
It's natural to feel frustrated because you can't remember everything.
[If I regain my strength, will I be able to kill the descendants of the swordsman who killed my entire body?]
[........]
The head of the brain kept his mouth shut at his question.
Then, he spoke to Baek in a voice full of firm determination.
[I will make sure you can kill him with your own hands. The important thing is not to get revenge on that guy.]
[It’s not revenge?]
[Jeongjeong: You and I must achieve what we set out to achieve. To do that, in your memory...]
What is it?
The brainmaster's voice could not be heard.
Suddenly, my memories became tangled, I couldn't hear my voice, and I immediately moved on to another memory.
‘why?'
I can't understand the English text at all.
If it was memorable, it was definitely something important, but this couldn't be the end.
While I was wondering, another memory began.
Other memories were of Baek being taught by Nojang.
As those memories continued one after another, everything that the newly born Ja Kyung-jeong had learned began to be embodied as if I had learned it myself.
‘Ki Jin-gyeong..... the magic.....'
It wasn't just martial arts.
Things related to magic were accumulated in his memory.
As Laojang said, the Demonic Tao was very similar to Tao and could also perform the magic techniques of Taoists who had achieved a high level of enlightenment.
The representative example was the Chukji method.
However, like a proper Tao, it seemed that Chukjibeop could only be used properly if one had practiced magic for a long time.
The bag inside Lee Jeong-gyeom has not yet reached a smooth level.
However, as I recalled the memory of practicing the Chukji technique, I began to have a doubt.
‘...Could it be that he is a brainiac?'
Looking at this memory, I thought of the person who decapitated Vigilante.
That person was able to practice Chukjibeop.
If I remember, the only people who have properly honed their magic skills are Jagyeongjeong and Noejang, who were reborn.
If so, there was a high probability that he was a brainiac.
‘hmm.'
weird.
He is so attached to Jagyeongjeong that he can bring him back to life with his spirit.
However, they were afraid that he would reveal some secret, so they beheaded him rather than rescuing him.
As if that wasn't enough, Lee Jeong-gyeom, who was carrying that guy's bag, also tried to deal with him next.
What secret does it have?
At that time, the memories of practicing for a while continued and then changed into other memories.
-Srurr!
But something was different from before.
I felt great fear and horror from Vigilante Baek.
‘What is this place?'
Is this really what I remember?
It was a place where the heat was boiling and the air in all directions was shimmering with haze.
It looked like a valley, but instead of flowing water, something hot, scarlet and black, was flowing down.
Vigilante Baek cried out in pain.
The reason was because Vigilante Baek was soaking himself in something hot and bright red.
[Quaaaaa!]
The vigilante's bag broke through it and forced its way out.
His entire body had melted away, and he crawled out with only his upper body remaining, unable to overcome this searing pain.
[Ahhhh! Why on earth did I go in here? Brain... Brain! Where are you? What just happened?]
Vigilante Baek desperately looked for Noejang.
Then I found him kneeling somewhere.
[Thunder?]
Vigilante Baek crawled towards that place.
Just as my body was recovering, my whole body was burning up, and the pain continued.
-Chiiiiii!
[Off!]
Even I felt this memory was terrible.
The voice of the head of the brain could be heard faintly in the ears of the crawling vigilante.
[Ahhh! .........I eagerly waited for this day to come. Kyeong-jeong finally remembered the rules of the law, the law that had bound him for hundreds of years.]
It was difficult to understand what he was saying.
This is based on Ja Kyung-jeong's memories, so if he doesn't understand, I can't understand either.
At that time, a creepy voice was heard in Vigilante Baek's ear.
[................................]
But it's clearly saying something, but it's hard to understand.
What is certain is that Ja Kyung-jeong, who heard this man's voice, fell asleep in pain.
Just hearing the voice seemed painful.
Vigilante, who was almost screaming, raised her head and looked at the voice.
However, there was a human-shaped being whose entire body was blackened by burns, and it was no exaggeration to say that only bones remained, detained in chains with many golden letters engraved on them.
‘!?'
The moment Ja Kyung-jeong saw that person, she was in great shock.
[Ah....Ahh.....]
The person turned his gaze towards Vigilante.
There was no white in both eyes, only black light.
Those eyes seemed to look like those of a snake, not a human.
Ja Kyung-jeong, overcome with fear, collapsed on the spot and lost all memory.
‘What on earth?'
After seeing this memory, I feel confused.
I couldn't figure out what the memory contained in the bag was.
The moment I saw that being, I got goosebumps all over my body, to the point where I felt like it wasn't human.
What on earth is that being?
-Srurr!
As I was having doubts, it led me to another memory.
The place has changed.
It was once again a cave, and the head of the brain was pointing at a sword with intricate designs engraved on a rock.
[This is a scary sword.]
Ah... is that a scary sword?
In response to Noejang’s words, Vigilante Baek spoke.
[A scary sword? Have you finally found one of the five magic swords of Guyaja?]
[Yes.]
[He will be happy.]
[No. I will not hand this sword over to him.]
[I will not hand it over?]
[Yes. We have to hold one bag here so that we can take ‘it' at the decisive moment.] I
agreed with that, saying that Vigilante's bag was right.
[Hoo. Right. If you do that, you can aim for when he finds all the other swords.]
[Okay. But before that, I have to take action.]
[What if it is a measure?]
[I will put your bag here.]
[My bag?] The
head of the brain said with a meaningful smile to the bag of the puzzled vigilante.
[If Geomseon's descendants find out about his plan, they will definitely try to get the sword first to prevent it.] [As expected,
Noejang, you are just like Jangjangbang. But I'm alive and well. How are you going to take my bag and put it in the sword? In the first place, this sword has another bag filled with resentment.]
[She will do it.]
-Exactly!
I snapped my fingers, and someone walking into the cave was holding a metal cage with a bell attached to it.
Ja Kyung-jeong, who saw her, muttered in an unpleasant voice.
[Iron training.]
* * *
“Master. “Why on earth is Brother So doing this?”
“......I don’t know either.”
Former leader Baek Hyang-muk shook his head and answered his disciple Lee Jeong-gyeom's question.
I saw So Woon-hwi, who had taken out what appeared to be a demon from Lee Jeong-gyeom's body, absorbing it.
However, after absorbing this, he closed his eyes and his body began to tremble.
I even broke into a cold sweat.
“Is something wrong?”
“He is a descendant of Geomseon, who was called a sage. He can’t go wrong with something like this.”
Lee Jeong-gyeom frowned at his teacher’s words and said,
“It’s strange. “Ever since my spirit was absorbed into Brother So, his energy has been growing more and more.”
“what?”
“......The energy is subtly changing and becoming stronger.”
Baek Hyang-muk was not only surprised by Lee Jeong-gyeom's words, but also could not understand them.
Why does my energy increase after absorbing the yoseong?
There was no way Lee Jeong-gyeom, who is sensitive to energy, would say something like this out of thin air.
‘under!'
What on earth would happen if someone as strong as a monster gets stronger here?
It was then.
Baek Hyang-muk looked towards the east.
Soon after, Lee Jeong-gyeom also looked in the same direction.
“It looks like the Wulin Federation has moved.”
“I think so.”
A large number of people were flocking here.
“Well, it’s strange that no one notices this mess.”
This place is not too far from the Wulin Federation.
If a fight had just broken out, it would have been so chaotic that it would have been a natural disaster, to the point where a big hole like that would have been opened in the mountain.
Of course it was only a matter of time before I found out.
“What should I do?”
In response to Lee Jeong-gyeom's question, Baek Hyang-mook looked at So Un-hwi, who had his eyes closed.
Soon, people from the Wulin Federation will arrive here.
If you stay here, you will have to explain to them what happened here.
“Hmm...”
How would the Murim people of the Murim Federation react if they saw the mountain in that state?
It's really difficult to know what to say.
If So Woon-hwi was awake, he would have made up a good excuse to talk because he was smart, but Baek Hyang-muk himself was not used to people talking like this.
“There’s nothing we can do.”
However, it was impossible for him to leave and leave So Woon-hwi behind.
“Let’s protect the law first.”
“All right.”
I had no choice but to protect him, as I was afraid that if I left him alone, some kind of problem might arise.
So, the presence gradually got closer to this place.
Seeing the vast energy, it seems that Jingyun is coming from the front of the Ten Kings' Table.
Now their imprints are starting to become visible.
At that time, So Unhwi opened his eyes.
“small type!”
“Have you come to your senses?”
It was fortunate that I woke up at the right time.
So Unhwi spoke to them.
“I have somewhere to go urgently.”
“what?”
-Wooow!
As soon as those words were finished, So Unhwi's new model was suddenly sucked into the curved space.
‘!?'
The two priests were dumbfounded when they saw him disappear out of nowhere.
“What about that just now?”
It wasn't a light attack or anything like that.
I didn't know what this was, but it was absurd for a moment to suddenly disappear, leaving them behind.
-Papa papa pot!
Meanwhile, the vice-leader Yeolwangpaedo Jin-gyun, the elders of the Murim League, and the heads of each party's vice-chief-level warriors appeared where they were.
When they arrived, they were shocked to see a large hole in the mountain and a forest that was almost in ruins.
“How can this be...”
“How can a mountain be like that?”
It was a more shocking sight than when seen from afar.
Baek Hyang-mook and the founding vice-lord Jin-gyun came running like fire and asked.
“Why are you here? And what happened to this?”
Jingyun’s gaze was directed towards the mountain with a hole in it.
At his question, Baek Hyang-muk took a deep breath and exhaled.
Since he was not tactful enough to come up with excuses at the moment like So Woon-hwi, there was only one answer he could think of.
“Ask Sogeomseon.”
“Sogeomseon?”
“He made the mountain that way.”
‘!!!'
? Hanzhongwolya