693 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

"The master of the Hwalgangshi? What do you mean?" "I suppose I need to explain what a Hwalgangshi is first." The explanation was unnecessary. Intrigued by the unexpected tale, I interrupted Si Wang Elder with a hardened expression. "Elder, did you create a Silhonnin from a living person? Surely not." I knew of the Hwalgangshi—a powerful martial master transformed into a Jiangshi (a kind of mythical zombie) while still alive. A superior version of the Jiangshi without its notorious stiff movements. I had assumed this was some sort of forbidden human alchemy or that he was tampering with cards meant to revive the dead. If the woman in the ice coffin is a Hwalgangshi, we have a serious problem. "You seem to have a clue." "Are you seeking infamy in the martial world? Turning the living into Jiangshi?!" This suggests that Si Wang, known as one of the Ten Supreme Lords, conducted human experiments. "Haven't I told you? It's a Jiangshi but not truly a Jiangshi." "So you've created Silhonnin. Even the Tang Sect forbade their poison-based experiments, and the Jinju Ge Clan was conducting human experiments to make Silhonnin?" Si Wang Elder, what exactly have you done? Even the Jinju Ge Clan’s dealings with Jiangshi barely pass within orthodox practices. Had Si Wang not played a crucial role in the war of righteousness and evil, and had the clan not been led by Eunwoo Jin as one of the Ten Supreme Lords, the Jinju Ge Clan might have remained within the hegemonies of orthodox and unorthodox martial factions. You know too well what happens when bodies are desecrated in a world governed by Confucian ethics. Yet, you resorted to human experimentation. Even the ruling Pa family of Sichuan forbade such acts. There’s a reason I interrupted and spoke plainly to Si Wang Elder. Had I cooperated with the Hwalgangshi, I might have ended up dead. "The soul has not been lost." Si Wang Elder denied my accusation with a resolute voice. "What?" "I've never conducted human experiments. In fact, it would’ve been better if I had attempted such experiments." "You did mention Hwalgangshi. If you didn't engage in human experimentation, then what is that woman?" Seeing my perplexed expression, Si Wang Elder hesitated briefly before revealing a story he seemed to have kept buried. "It's a treatment." "Treatment?" "Your suspicion and concern are understandable. However, the child was neither dead nor soulless. She was simply very ill, afflicted with an incurable disease." "So she wasn't a martial master but a patient." Si Wang Elder nodded slightly, a sigh tinged with regret escaping his lips. He warily regarded my cautious demeanor and then, unable to avoid it, began to speak. "The less you know, the harder it is to comprehend. Let's start with the basic concept of a Jiangshi. Do you know of the soul and the spirit?" "The soul animates the living, while the spirit is the body. That’s about my understanding." "Right. When a person dies, the soul rises to heaven, and the spirit returns to the earth and decays. Yet, sometimes those who die unjustly leave their spirits behind in this world, creating playgrounds for wandering vengeful souls." "A Jiangshi as a kind of vengeful ghost then." This was the tale of Jiangshi that rise from tombs to attack the living indiscriminately, not the ones controlled by necromancers. "Necromancers are adept at manipulating spirits. They strengthen Jiangshi or guide soulless bodies back to their burial sites." "Before bandits can seize an unowned chariot, returning it to the owner's house, as it were. They are experts at repair and refurbishment." "…You have a knack for summarizing." A fleeting emotion of amusement passed through Si Wang Elder’s eyes. "Haha." "That was my thought." "Excuse me?" "As I watched the dying child, I thought of reinforcing the spirit." Si Wang began to confide in me his life’s work and his deepest regrets. "With the weak physical body reaching its limit, I thought strengthening the spirit might work." "You are a master of Jiangshi arts after all." Using Jiangshi arts for treating incurable diseases? Raising the physical abilities of the body to combat the disease itself—it was indeed a necromancer’s thought process. "I understood it all theoretically. I had firm confidence in its success. So I carved a coffin from the ice crystal I procured from the Northern Sea Ice Palace and induced a state of suspended animation." Caught off guard by the mention of such an extraordinary object, I couldn't help but be astonished. "The Ice Crystal? Isn’t it a treasure of the Northern Sea Ice Palace? How did you acquire such a large piece?" It is a supreme item considered invaluable to anyone practicing ice techniques, elusive even as a small fragment. And he crafted an entire coffin from it? It indeed explains why it was unimaginably cold. "When it comes to saving a life, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do." “I see…” Though I anticipated a life’s work, this effort seemed more a venture beyond reason into the realm of obsession. "I left no stone unturned. I poured everything I had learned and accomplished over a lifetime into this child, while enacting the grand arcane rites. It took a long time, but I succeeded in creating a body stronger than any other. However…" "It turned out to be a partial success." "The soul couldn’t endure. I underestimated the fact that, no matter how unconscious, manipulating the spirit would inevitably impact the soul." A mournful sigh escaped from the elder’s lips. "In the end, she couldn’t wake up." "The child ended up in a bodysuit too large for her to bear. With her frail and weakened soul, she couldn’t command the powerful body." Though the patient’s treatment was complete, she remained in an endless coma—a common tale I hear too often. I understood the situation. The woman I saw yesterday wasn’t resurrected from death, but inadvertently turned into a Hwalgangshi in the midst of treatment. However, one small question lingered. "I have a minor question." With a grave expression, I cautiously approached the elder with my query. “Go ahead, ask.” Though there might be nuances and deeper motivations I am not aware of, there was one thing I genuinely wanted to point out. "I understand your intention to treat the woman by putting her into a state of suspended animation. But, given everything, shouldn't she be referred to as a 'Strengthened Human' instead of a Hwalgangshi?" "...?" "In essence, you attempted to create a Strengthened Human for her treatment. You, being an expert, succeeded in enhancing her physique, but her mind couldn't withstand it, leading her to a kind of vegetative state. Isn’t that the case?" It seemed like you were trying to simplify a complex subject. In conclusion, since she didn’t die, she isn’t a Jiangshi. “She is a Hwalgangshi, not a Strengthened Human.” "If others hear about this, they might misunderstand. Perhaps a change in terminology ..." Calling her a Strengthened Human sounds better than immediately thinking of human experiments or questioning if she's undead. Can we change the terms, please? "Do you think the achievement of a lifetime by a necromancer who deals with Jiangshi would be a 'Strengthened Human' or a 'Hwalgangshi'?" Si Wang Elder's brows furrowed slightly. It was a valid point, but he seemed to really dislike it. "Let's stick to Hwalgangshi." Elder, you're quite adamant. —— “You and that child are now connected.” Leaving behind tales of the past, Si Wang Elder began to discuss the Shibyeon issue. “Connected?” “Imagine a large box in the mountains. Inside is a small puppy, tightly bound.” “The puppy is the soul of the woman. The box is the body, correct?" This was an extension of the earlier conversation. Seeing me catch on quickly, Si Wang Elder nodded in satisfaction. “Exactly. If the lid of the box were open, what would happen to a frail puppy left in the mountains?” “It would likely get preyed upon by wild beasts.” The mountain is unforgiving. When wandering in the Middle Kingdom, there have been moments when I thought I might die at the claws of a wild beast. “That is the Shibyeon. If the remaining soul of the child is consumed, the large box will become a haven for resentful spirits.” “I understand.” Revisiting Si Wang Elder's situation sent shivers down my spine. Imagine returning from a brief outing to find that a foreign laborer has turned the soul of a woman you were treating into a meal for resentful spirits. The Strengthened Human, a lifelong endeavor, would now become a bloodthirsty demon—the very face of the woman they tried to heal, transforming into a horrifying calamity in the martial world. "How am I still alive?” Indeed, the vision would have been utterly immobilizing with rage, turning everything dark with fury. Perhaps Si Wang Elder was maintaining a semblance of composure through superhuman patience. “Hiding silent within the closed lid, reacting to no one. It cannot grow without sustenance, but it can exist. Instinctively, the child took such an action. But one day, the puppy realized the presence of someone who could help.” “That would be me.” The mysterious woman's voice I heard over the days was that of the Hwalgangshi. “You, drawn by the voice, opened the box, and the puppy recognized you as its master upon sight.” “For a puppy, its greeting was rather rough.” Did it attempt to bite because it was puppy-like? “It needed to become connected to you.” “What does that mean, being connected?” Was there some kind of personal chat window opened? I haven’t felt any noticeable change. “Remember when you witnessed me controlling Jiangshi with talismans infused with blood and needles?” “I recall.” Seeing Jiangshi with talismans in real life was captivating. “Blood is the catalyst. It can carry the will of the necromancer. But that child is a Hwalgangshi. No method has been able to awaken the child.” “Then what caused the connection?” “The child mixed with your blood.” “…What?” It was an unexpected method. “She engraved your name onto her soul. Like a necromancer replacing a vacant soul within a corpse with a talisman written in blood, she declared through your blood who she belonged to, warning off wild beasts.” Even the beasts grow wary of unfamiliar scents and recognize those that bear human scent. “It’s like being chosen as a protector.” Whether a puppy is a stray without protection or a watchdog playing in a yard makes a difference to wild beasts. Even if a wild beast wants to attack a watchdog, it might fear human intervention. And my protector is against heaven itself. Certainly an effective method. “A beautiful description. Now the box’s lid is gone, and with her outcry, the whole of the surrounding beasts know the puppy’s location. What must you do?” “I must become the master who guards the puppy against the wild beasts.” The answer had been clear all along. —— “Follow me.” I followed Si Wang Elder into the room containing the ice coffin. Despite the winter sunlight streaming in, the room was chilling to the bone. “The Shibyeon is being resisted. Whether it is due to the power of Yeohwa Nang, the process remains exceedingly slow.” “That’s good news.” I responded from the doorway, where I braced myself against the cold. “Are you sticking to the wall right as you enter due to fear?” I shook my head quickly. I’ve barely gotten scratched; nothing here scares me. Standing by the exit is for a different reason. “It’s a matter of contemplation.” “Contemplation?” I carefully stared at the woman’s figure visible within the transparent coffin. “She seems familiar, but I just can’t place who she is.” Yesterday was too tense to muster idle thoughts, but her face was undeniably familiar. The issue is that while I recall key figures, none of them correspond to a Hwalgangshi. No matter how much I try to piece it together, nothing clicks. I even remember Si Wang’s old alias, yet none of this makes sense. “I’ll be here beside you; go take a look.” Nodding reluctantly, I approached the ice coffin. “But is she even part of a maiden’s tale?” I've long resolved never to refuse a heroine's plea for help, but encountering a Hwalgangshi was utterly unforeseen. Could this somehow be the doing of the Heaven-Defying One’s power, akin to a formation technique? It might just be a byproduct of the Heaven-Defying One’s growing abilities. It likely isn't just because she’s a heroine that his power activated. With a skeptical look, I took a moment to study the Hwalgangshi's face. "Indeed." The essential traits of a heroine were prominently displayed right before my eyes. "Hmm?" "It's nothing." No matter how much I examined, it didn’t seem like a malfunction. The Heaven-Defying One’s compass was assuredly in perfect working order. "I said I’d help, but it could become dangerous." "It's the price I must pay to fix the wrong I've caused." Her skin was pale and smooth from long deprivation of sunlight—stunning, really—as I spoke. "I’ll assist you as much as I can, but your life may be put at risk." "When offering a hand to someone in dire need, how can one consider their own safety?" I followed the elegant contours from her strong thighs and waist to where her hips flowed effortlessly. "It may be a considerable burden. Even for me, this is uncharted territory; unexpected hardships may arise." "If it’s a task that must be done and I possess the capability, what’s stopping me?" Some might call it excessive, but I observed her weight—spread as if overcome by gravity—until it no longer appeared so. Then I turned to Si Wang, presenting a smile as impeccable as a selfless hero, doing what's necessary. A gasp of surprise was barely audible. "…I ask this of you." "I'll do my utmost." How could I possibly refuse? Stopping the Hwalgangshi from becoming a demon is imperative. Solving the problem I caused is my responsibility. I'm expanding my business in Hunan, elevating my reputation as the Heaven-Defying One. An ordinary merchant being asked a favor by the Ten Supreme Lords. Putting Si Wang in my debt. There are many reasons driving this. But, how can I resist the title of being the master of a strengthened beautiful maiden?