I spoke to Dokyung, who was bound in chains.
“Why did you target Hamyo?”
“Tch… You think I’d tell you that!”
“If you don’t talk, I could tear your soul to shreds and throw it into a furnace to burn.”
Dokyung’s eyes wavered. But he turned his head sharply, gritting his teeth.
“I’d rather die! The moment I open my mouth, that person’s curse will swallow me whole!”
The mention of “that person” instantly brought Akcheon to mind.
“That person? What’s your connection to Akcheon?”
“Ugh… I can’t say…!”
He writhed in agony. At that moment, golden patterns began to rise across his body.
“That’s…!”
Hamyo stepped forward. She pulled out a talisman, smeared blood on her fingertip, and hurriedly inscribed characters on it.
“This is a binding spell… a technique that suppresses and manipulates the soul’s memories. Master, you were definitely under Akcheon’s control.”
As she spoke, she placed the completed talisman on Dokyung’s forehead.
Instantly, his clouded eyes seemed to faintly clear.
“Urgh… Where am I…?”
“Master, I’m Hamyo, a descendant of the Mosan Sect. Are you coming to your senses?”
Dokyung’s blurry eyes trembled as they fixed on Hamyo.
“…Mosan… Sect? Ahh… Finally… the spell…”
He gasped heavily, pressing his hands to the floor. The golden patterns continued to burrow into his body, occasionally twisting his flesh.
“Are you okay?!”
“…There’s no time. If you have questions, ask quickly…”
“Master, how did you end up under Akcheon’s spell?”
Dokyung panted, his lips trembling.
“That bastard Akcheon… on the day I died, he placed a binding spell and another technique on my soul. Instead of crushing the Mosan Sect head-on, he used me as a tool to erode its roots. I tried to resist, but… his spell was stronger than I expected.”
He continued, his face filled with guilt.
“For years, I was forced to kill Mosan’s children with my own hands under his insane orders. Fortunately, your master, Mohu, noticed my condition and sealed me away… but the seal’s side effects slowly drove my soul mad.”
“Then why didn’t you kill me and instead target my body…?”
“I’m sorry… As the side effects drove me insane, I started craving the bodies of the living.”
Unable to hold back my curiosity, I asked.
“If Akcheon controlled you, what else did you do besides killing Mosan Sect disciples?”
Dokyung’s face contorted. He lowered his head and spoke softly.
“…I gave him the techniques. I couldn’t take the manuals, so… I recited them to him from memory…”
“My God… Then…”
“I’m sorry…”
Dokyung could barely continue, exhaling heavily.
“What he took… was the Life-Death Soul Reversal Technique, the Life-Death Substitution Healing Technique, and the Soul Transfer Technique… The Soul Transfer Technique allows a soul to be moved into another body…”
“Soul Transfer Technique? So, Akcheon could keep living by switching bodies or inserting his consciousness into others?”
Dokyung nodded and closed his eyes. I looked down at him coldly and said.
“If that’s the case, even if we crush the Soul Heaven Society, Akcheon could escape by transferring his soul, and we’d never find him.”
“But… there’s a way. Child, that white flower in your hair is a magical tool he doesn’t know about.”
“This? I knew it wasn’t an ordinary flower since it doesn’t wilt…”
“When someone whose soul and body don’t match is near that flower, it will turn blue.”
Hearing this, Hamyo instinctively reached for the white flower in her hair.
“That’s a relief. At least there’s a way.”
“Ahh… Time’s running out… Child… as the last heir of Mosan—”
He couldn’t finish his words. His body scattered like smoke, leaving only a look of deep regret before vanishing.
“Let’s head inside.”
***
The new stronghold of the Soul Heaven Society, hidden in Namman for future plans, was now empty.
In a dimly lit room, a man sat alone. The candle flickered faintly, and his eyes, reflected in the light, sank like a deep abyss. He muttered softly.
“The spell on Mosan… has been undone.”
At that moment, footsteps approached along the quiet corridor. A man in a black robe strolled in casually, as if out for a walk.
“Leader, what’s your plan now? All our carefully laid plans have gone to waste.”
The leader’s expression remained unchanged. He only tapped his fingers slowly on the table.
“…To waste.”
Akcheon gave a bitter smile and said.
“Plans are always subject to change. And this was somewhat expected.”
The man in the black robe narrowed his eyes.
“You’re saying you foresaw even this situation?”
“Foresaw… If I could see the future, we wouldn’t be in this mess. I just had a bad feeling ever since the original plan went awry.”
The Heavenly Soul Demon Lord Akcheon looked down at Son Baekcheon.
“So, how did your task go?”
“Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the White Lotus Sect’s heir.”
“No choice then. This body is starting to break down, so we’ll have to start anew.”
“You’re planning to transfer your soul?”
“Since Jin Seoyoon knows too much about the Soul Heaven Society, I’ll need to operate with a new face and identity he can’t trace. I also heard he’s disappeared from the imperial court. I plan to use that to our advantage.”
“Ha… Starting from scratch again… what a waste of time.”
“Son Baekcheon, you prepare too.”
“What? Me too?”
“I heard you’ve been exposed to Jin Seoyoon and the Sword Empress. It’s too risky to keep that face.”
“I was quite fond of this body.”
He felt reluctant about the time spent acting as Son Baekcheon, known as the “Guardian of White Lotus.”
“I regret not killing Jin Seoyoon that day.”
“Follow me.”
At Akcheon’s command, Son Baekcheon followed silently. The two descended deep underground through the corridor.
In the depths, a vast altar-like space appeared. The floor was etched with intricate formations, and at the center lay two female bodies side by side. They were clearly vessels.
Son Baekcheon frowned and muttered softly.
“Why female bodies this time?”
Akcheon looked down at the altar and answered calmly.
“These were the only vessels with suitable talent. And I plan to use the prince instead of the emperor, who’s harder to manipulate.”
“You’re not planning to seduce the prince with a female body, are you?”
Akcheon didn’t respond, only gesturing for Son Baekcheon to hurry.
Son Baekcheon grimaced, clearly displeased.
“Ugh. I’m not thrilled about inhabiting a female body.”
“A body is just a vessel. If you cling to distinctions like male or female, your soul will never progress.”
“Damn it…”
“Hurry up and prepare.”
“Fine, fine~.”
Son Baekcheon stripped off all his clothes. The cold, damp air brushed against his bare skin. He lay beside the vessel on the formation-etched floor. The altar’s red patterns began to glow, coming to life.
Akcheon stepped to the center of the altar. Qi rose from his fingertips, stretching out like formless chains in the air.
The formation patterns flashed red, and dark crimson beams shot down onto the two bodies.
***
I moved with Hamyo, now fully mine. She had been bound by spirits, unable to leave Mosan, but now she was free. Standing beside me, she breathed with a noticeably lighter expression.
I unfolded the map. Churyeon’s notes were clearly written on it, and a red line pointed in the opposite direction from Mosan, deep beyond the mountains.
“Let’s go.”
We set off immediately. We circled behind Mosan, crossed a rugged valley, and followed the path marked on the map.
“Myo-ah, have you ever been this way?”
At my question, Hamyo glanced around and nodded.
“Yes. Not often, but… I came here occasionally to check if the formations were intact. I had no idea a note was hidden here.”
Biyeon closed her eyes, listening to the sound of the wind.
“Found it. The winds are whispering. If we go down that cliff… behind a large rock, there’s a hidden entrance.”
I looked down. Below the inconspicuous cliff, covered in dense bushes, a subtle energy emanated.
“Alright, let’s descend.”
I climbed down the cliff first. Seo Ryeo-hwa, Hamyo, and Biyeon followed swiftly.
Up close, I saw a large rock that looked forcibly fitted into the crevice. It appeared ordinary, but touching it revealed a strange energy.
“There’s a formation here.”
Hamyo stepped forward quickly.
“This is a sealing formation. If we break it by force, whatever’s inside will collapse.”
“Can you undo it?”
“Yes. But… it’ll take some time.”
Hamyo knelt and pulled out a talisman. Her fingers swiftly traced over the rock, placing talismans as golden patterns spread like a spiderweb across it.
Biyeon’s eyes lit up as she shouted.
“It’s open!”
The massive rock creaked and shifted, slowly revealing a path into the darkness.
“Let’s go in.”
Inside, glowing pearls embedded in the walls emitted a soft light, pushing back the darkness. It felt like an artificially crafted underground palace.
“Gulp… Night pearls embedded right at the entrance… Selling just a few of these could let us live in luxury forever.”
Seo Ryeo-hwa’s eyes widened in awe, and Biyeon, sparkling with excitement, clung to me.
“Honey~ Are we taking these?”
“No. These are bait. And we’re not exactly short on money.”
“Even so… it’d be nice to grab a few~”
Biyeon pouted.
“No. Touching them leaves traces. We can take plenty after the job’s done.”
“Tch, boring.”
We ventured deeper. Soon, a massive metal gate filled our view. Carved with a craftsman’s skill, it was no ordinary metal.
In the center was a groove perfect for a bamboo slip. Beside it sat a small altar.
“From here, we’ll need the bamboo slip and Oh Ha-rang.”
I scanned the surroundings for signs of prior entry. There were none.
Out of curiosity, I knocked on the gate with my fist.
-Thud.
The sound reverberated, and my qi spread through the gate.
‘I could probably break it…’
But with a gate this meticulously crafted, forcing it open would likely collapse everything inside.
“We’ve confirmed it. Let’s head to the village.”
“Hehe… Leaving Mosan feels so thrilling.”
Hamyo clasped her hands, her eyes brimming with anticipation as she looked up at me, like a child facing a new world.
I chuckled and patted her head.
“No need to be nervous. I’m right here, and your sisters are too.”
“Yes!”
We set off for the city of Nanjing.