Chapter 1207: Scorched World

A walking corpse. I’d heard that phrase before. Back in this life, when I first encountered Sin-ui at Hwasan.

It was what he’d blurted out after taking my pulse. Said I was practically a walking corpse.

Asking what a guy about to die was doing there.

To think I’d hear those words again now. It brings back memories in many ways.

“A walking corpse?”

Hearing this, Pae-jon crumpled his face and asked Sin-ui.

“What does that mean?”

“What do you mean, ‘what does it mean’? It means exactly what it sounds like. This guy is a walking corpse. It’s amazing he can even walk.”

“……Oh.”

I let out a sigh of amazement. Because it was quite similar to what I heard back then.

Back then too, after taking my pulse, he’d said it was amazing I could walk. Or maybe…

“Or… should I say he’s a guy who could explode at any moment?”

Yeah. That’s exactly what he said.

“Explain in detail.”

“Explain what? You already know if you’re him, don’t you? It’s quite astonishing that you took him as a disciple nonetheless. You’d be better at assessing his body than I am, wouldn’t you?”

“…….”

“Physically, it’s astounding. How can a human body be this dense…? It’s a perfectly flawless body, to a bizarre degree.”

Bizarre and grotesque. That’s exactly the right description. It’s a body that broke through its shell once, shedding the human form.

A body incomparable to metamorphosis. If you were to compare it among humans, no physical body would be superior to mine.

So it wasn’t strange that Sin-ui would describe it that way.

However.

“But the vessel… it’s bizarre. This…”

“That’s enough.”

Pae-jon cut off Sin-ui’s words.

“You can hear the rest when we get there.”

At those words, Sin-ui narrowed his eyes.

“Going? Where?”

“Where else? Don’t we have to go home? We can’t keep staying out here.”

“So. Where is that home?”

“…….”

“Answer me, you damned mudskipper.”

A growling tone colored his voice.

That reaction felt a bit strange.

“The reason I went out of my way to come all the way to Sanseo was because I liked the condition you proposed.”

Condition. My ears perked up at that word.

“The only reason I bothered to come to this inconvenient place is solely for that. I’m asking just in case. You’re not planning on going to Gu Clan, are you?”

“…….”

“Answer me, Bi-ju. Was I right?”

Gu Clan. Sin-ui reacted extremely sensitively to that word. Seeing that, Pae-jon chuckled awkwardly.

“It would be strange to just leave after coming all this way, wouldn’t it?”

“……You!”

Hearing that, Sin-ui immediately turned his back.

He walked away, stomping his feet.

“Hey! Where are you going!”

“I’m leaving. There’s nothing more to discuss.”

“Are you really okay with that?”

Pae-jon spoke towards the retreating Sin-ui. Even after hearing that, Sin-ui ignored him and kept walking, but…

-…….

As Pae-jon fell silent…

Halt.

“…….”

Sin-ui stopped walking. From the looks of it, he seemed to have used telepathy. That must be why Sin-ui stopped like that.

Following that, Sin-ui looked back at Pae-jon again.

“This damned bastard…”

His face was filled with anger. But.

“So. Are you going to do it or not?”

“…….”

Pae-jon said with a smile, looking at Sin-ui like that.

Gritting teeth.

Sin-ui gritted his teeth shortly after and approached this way again.

“……There won’t be a second time. Know that well.”

“Of course, of course. That’s only natural.”

It seemed the conversation had gone well.

“Well then, let’s go.”

Pae-jon said, looking at us.

Hearing that, I glanced at Sin-ui for a moment, but judging by his expression, he wasn’t someone I could stare at for long.

“……Ah, yes.”

And so, we ended up returning to Gu Clan.

---

What happened after returning to Gu Clan isn’t next.

Naturally, the handling of the brought-along Do-cheol was the issue.

Regarding Do-cheol, my father had a separate conversation with Gu-seong-yeol. And it was agreed to simply lock him up in prison.

When he wakes up, they’ll interrogate him or do whatever, so for now, they’ve sealed his acupoints and locked him up.

In this regard, I too would have to go for testimony, but I decided not to do that for now either. They said it would proceed tomorrow along with the interrogation.

It was something Pae-jon requested. He said to do it tomorrow because there was something to confirm with me now. Gu-seong-yeol agreed to that.

What’s surprising here is…

‘……It’s that Do-yun guy.’

Do-yun.

Do-yun, Do-cheol’s son and the young master of the Do family, approached Gu-seong-yeol directly and requested to be imprisoned himself.

He is, after all, of the Do family bloodline. And given the situation, he would have been captured and imprisoned anyway, but…

‘I didn’t expect him to show up voluntarily.’

For Do-yun to appear of his own volition in this situation. Although he was in Gu Clan in the first place, still…

Perhaps realizing Do-cheol had been captured, Do-yun appeared before Gu-seong-yeol, pale as a ghost, and immediately requested to be locked up as well.

And so, the head and the young master of the Do family ended up in the Gu Clan prison.

“……Hmm.”

Do-cheol’s words came to mind.

The curse of Gu Clan. That Gu Clan was the one who did this to them.

‘……But the outcome was related to the Blood Demon.’

I suspect it was the Blood Demon’s doing, but…

‘Is Gu Clan really not involved?’

As for whether Gu Clan did nothing to the Do family, it wasn’t certain. Especially since my trust in Gu Clan wasn’t very high.

‘I wonder how Grandfather will react.’

Gu-seong-yeol’s reaction is important. What does he know about the Do family? Since I couldn’t properly see him after returning, I couldn’t judge anything.

Besides, now wasn’t the time to focus on that either.

“Extend your hand.”

“Ah, yes.”

At Sin-ui’s words, I extended my hand again.

Right now, I was inside the lodging prepared for Sin-ui by Gu Clan.

As soon as Sin-ui arrived at Gu Clan, the clan immediately provided guest quarters. As if they had known Sin-ui was coming.

‘Perhaps.’

Had Pae-jon already given them a heads-up? That’s possible. Otherwise, there’s no way things would have proceeded so smoothly.

Sin-ui, with a continuously displeased expression, took my pulse. Touching me with concentration, unlike before.

“……It’s the same no matter how many times I check.”

He said, shaking his head.

“This guy’s vessel is abnormal.”

“Vessel?”

Pae-jon, who was sitting next to me, asked.

“What happened to the vessel?”

“There should be energy, but it’s completely non-existent.”

“……Is that a problem?”

“You’re asking something so obvious.”

Sin-ui said to Pae-jon with an incredulous expression.

“Do you know why Qi Deviation occurs?”

“Because the meridians get twisted.”

“Yes, Qi Deviation occurs when excessive application of energy or damage to the dantian causes Qi and blood to become twisted. The funny thing is, Qi Deviation doesn’t happen to third or second-rate martial artists. What do you think the reason is?”

“Because they have less energy?”

“That’s half correct.”

Sin-ui took a breath and continued his explanation.

“To be precise, it’s because the body and energy are separate. Internal energy starts permeating the body from the first-rate level onwards. And it completely overlaps starting from the peak level, but. Regardless, even first-rate practitioners have their internal energy mixed with their bodies.”

The peak level, classified as the beginning of superhuman status.

The reason, as Sin-ui explained, is because energy starts being contained within the body.

“In this process, martial artists gain immense power. But it becomes a double-edged sword here.”

“A double-edged sword, you say…?”

To my cautious question, Sin-ui clicked his tongue and said.

“Once energy permeates the body, it anchors it as if nailed down. When that energy completely disappears, the anchored body loosens, and the meridians lose their position.”

“……What?”

As it seemed slightly difficult to understand, Sin-ui briefly clarified.

“It means a leg, which was firm supported by internal energy, collapses when that energy disappears. Here, the leg is the body.”

“Oh.”

“That’s usually expressed as Qi Deviation… which is why your body is bizarre.”

Normally, Qi Deviation results in twisted Qi and blood, making movement impossible, but.

“You’re walking around fine, and your breathing is comfortable.”

“How can a body that should have collapsed and vanished be this intact? If this isn’t a walking corpse, then what is it?”

“……Haha.”

If energy disappeared all at once like this, the body should normally have been ruined.

‘……Hmm.’

What could be the reason? Perhaps because I shed the human mold? That’s my guess, but…

‘I can’t explain this.’

It wasn’t something I could tell Sin-ui.

“So that’s the reason. Then, what’s the solution?”

“……Solution? What solution?”

Sin-ui said irritably to Pae-jon.

“Since the energy is lost, it needs to be refilled. However, I don’t know what problems might arise when energy is added in this current state.”

“What kind of irresponsible statement is that?”

“The irresponsibility lies in what you did to me.”

“Ugh…”

Pae-jon pinched the bridge of his nose.

“……It’ll be troublesome if you don’t have a solution either.”

“It’s laughable to expect a solution in this state. At least, as far as I know, there’s no immediate solution.”

Sin-ui removed his hands from my wrist.

“For now, pray for a miracle. That’s all there is. And.”

Sin-ui said, his eyes gleaming.

“You absolutely must give me what you owe me.”

“Don’t worry.”

Swish.

Sin-ui waved his hand upon hearing the reply. It meant ‘leave quickly’.

“Disciple. Wait outside. I have something to discuss with this guy now.”

“……Ah, yes.”

I immediately got up. Then I glanced at Sin-ui.

“What are you looking at?”

“Nothing.”

While Sin-ui’s rejuvenation was fascinating, I was also curious about what he might have been looking for around this time.

‘What could it be?’

The fact that he was lured here by Pae-jon.

I was quite curious about that.

Creak.

Putting that aside, I opened the door and went out. I figured I should head back for now, but.

“You’re out.”

“……!”

As soon as I stepped out, I met crimson red eyes.

It was my father. Why was my father waiting for me? The answer was obvious.

“Is it my turn now?”

“…….”

“Speak, Baek Yangcheon.”

To hear the secret used to summon my father.

“What is the secret?”

That must have been his objective.