01.
I opened my eyes.
Every inch of my body throbbed with pain.
It would have been easier to find a spot that didn't hurt than to find one that did.
The air was thick with the stench of blood, and a crimson mist swallowed my field of vision, making it difficult to see even a few inches in front of me.
"I, I am..."
My body lay sprawled on the ground, unable to move a muscle.
A throbbing headache began to set in, and along with the agony, a wave of unfamiliar memories crashed into my mind.
The memories of Lee Seo-hee, a modern-day graduate student.
And the memories of the person who once owned this body.
'The barrier cannot hold any longer!'
'We must decide quickly! We have no time left!'
Beyond the red mist, a presence roared like a beast.
The earth trembled, and the seals carved into the ground began to crack one by one.
'At this rate, the Blood Soul Asura will break free!'
'This barrier... it can never be closed unless someone remains behind.'
'We must choose who will stay.'
The people’s gazes darted rapidly between the red sigils and the awakening presence of the Blood Soul Asura.
Their eyes landed on Yoo Yeon-seo and Yang Ja-han.
'I will stay.'
'...Yeon-seo.'
'Ja-han. Please, live on for my sake as well.'
As Yoo Yeon-seo’s hand touched the core of the seal, a burst of light erupted, and a vibration that felt like it was tearing the soul apart engulfed the entire space.
'I will never forget this choice for as long as I live. I will survive, for your sake as well.'
Through Yoo Yeon-seo’s sacrifice, the Soul Sealing Heaven Formation was activated, and the Blood Soul Asura was successfully sealed.
However, this story was...
It was the opening chapter of a cultivation novel titled *Chronicles of the Heavenly Mandate*.
*Chronicles of the Heavenly Mandate* followed the journey of the protagonist, Yang Ja-han, as he became a cultivator and grew in power.
Cultivators were beings who pursued immortality and the Dao, constantly training to become immortals.
Before Yang Ja-han became a cultivator, Yoo Yeon-seo lost her life, sacrificed as a vessel to seal the calamity known as the Blood Soul Asura.
After Yoo Yeon-seo’s sacrifice, Yang Ja-han managed to escape narrowly and was rescued by a cultivator from the Infinite Mystery Sect, a prestigious cultivation family, eventually becoming a cultivator himself.
'Why! Why me of all people!'
Why did I have to possess a character who was already on the brink of death?
I don't want this.
I want to live.
I don't want to die like this.
Why? Out of all the people in the world, why me?
Why Yoo Yeon-seo?
"I don't want to die!"
I could feel my body dying, every second of it.
I crawled across the blood-stained dirt.
*Fwoosh.*
'What is that...'
Something red was glowing amidst the dark canyon.
Bloody and possessed, I approached it as if under a spell.
Red moss.
Instinctively, I shoved it into my mouth and chewed it ravenously.
"Aah, aaaaaaaah!"
I collapsed, shedding tears of blood from the soul-tearing agony.
That was my first memory as Yoo Yeon-seo after the possession.
***
The Valley of Dead Spirits.
It was a forbidden zone located at the edge of the Hyun Empire.
It was said that long ago, during the Great War of Immortals and Demons, the Divine Demon had breathed his essence into this land, turning it into a dead zone where no human could survive.
Baek Woon-jin, the youngest elder of the Azure Feather Sect, had rushed over with his fellow disciples after hearing reports that the malevolent energy in the Valley of Dead Spirits was spiraling out of control.
Because the land was so saturated with Yin energy, it was a place where vengeful spirits were occasionally born.
"To think the Blood Soul Asura had awakened!"
Reading the earth's energy, Baek Woon-jin could discern what had transpired here.
He saw countless cultivators lying dead in gruesome states near the place where the vengeful spirit, the Blood Soul Asura, had been sealed.
Just as he concluded that there were no survivors.
"What is that..."
In the distance, he saw a child who didn't even look old enough to be a student lying on the ground.
"Senior Brother Baek, what is it?"
"They are alive."
"Pardon?"
"That child is alive!"
Baek Woon-jin rushed to the child to check their condition.
However, the child's state was critical.
The meridians throughout their entire body were in shambles, and Yin energy was tearing their blood vessels to shreds.
It wouldn't have been strange if they had passed away at any moment.
Baek Woon-jin looked down at the child with sorrowful eyes.
If only he had arrived a little earlier—even just half a *gak* sooner—perhaps the child wouldn't have had to be sacrificed so pointlessly.
Just as he was about to channel his internal energy to help the child pass more comfortably.
*Clench.*
The small child, covered in blood, gripped Baek Woon-jin’s robe tightly.
It was hard to believe that such strength could come from a dying child.
"I... want... to live."
With those final words, the child’s body went limp.
He could feel their breathing growing fainter.
Another cultivator who had returned from inspecting the seal clicked their tongue.
"Judging by the fact that they used the child's soul as a sacrifice to seal the vengeful spirit, they must have been low-level cultivators."
When even the people from his own sect told him to give up, the child still did not let go of Baek Woon-jin’s robe.
Baek Woon-jin pulled a Soul Restoration Pill from his robes.
"H-hey! Cultivator Baek! Have you lost your mind?"
"How could you use such a precious item on a child who is already dying!"
"Sell it to me instead of wasting it on that brat!"
The other cultivators were horrified to see the Soul Restoration Pill, one of the twelve great medicinal treasures, which was so rare that one would be lucky to see it once in a lifetime.
"Shut up. This is mine, and I will decide how to use it."
Baek Woon-jin waved the other cultivators away, crushed the pill—known to restore the soul—and fed it to the child.
"If you want to live, swallow it."
At those words, the child, who had shown no signs of movement, used every ounce of their remaining strength to swallow the pill.
As their fading soul was restored, the child’s internal injuries began to heal, slowly but surely.
***
*Chirp, chirp.*
I opened my eyes to find myself lying in an unfamiliar room.
"Where am I now?"
I was certain I had been dying, but when I regained consciousness, I was tucked into a warm blanket.
I had a faint memory of hearing someone’s voice right before I lost consciousness after the possession.
'Do you wish to live?'
'I want to live.'
Something had definitely entered my mouth, and then...
No, wait. Who was that person?
Even when I tried to recall, it felt as hazy as grasping at clouds.
I pulled the blanket over my head and pondered for a long time, but nothing came to mind.
"I can't remember!"
I kicked the blanket off irritably and sat up with a start.
Oh?
Right, he had long hair, wore blue-green robes, and had a tall, elegant appearance.
"That's him!"
"..."
"Huh?"
I, who had been pointing at the handsome man standing by the door, was startled and hurriedly lowered my hand.
*Blink, blink.*
The man and I locked eyes.
When he smiled gently at me, my tension unexpectedly melted away, and I slumped back onto the floor.
'He's handsome.'
No, that's not it!
Who are you? Seriously?
"How are you feeling?"
"..."
"Are you unable to speak due to the shock?"
"No. Um, who are you?"
My mind was a complete blank, and I didn't know where to start or what to say.
Since this wasn't a dream, I was certain I had entered *Chronicles of the Heavenly Mandate*...
The man, who hadn't lost the smile on his face, stepped toward me.
*Pat.*
His hand touched my head gently.
"If you want to ask someone who they are, it is polite to introduce yourself first."
"I... I'm Yoo Yeon-seo."
"Do you remember anything else?"
As his hand, which had been stroking my hair, pulled away, I shook my head vigorously.
In truth, it wasn't that I didn't remember anything.
'The memories of a modern person are useless.'
Even the memories of Yoo Yeon-seo were limited to joining a third-rate cultivation sect, passing through the Valley of Dead Spirits, and nearly dying as a sacrifice to seal the Blood Soul Asura.
After clutching his robe tightly, I shook my head again.
"No."
"..."
"I don't remember anything other than my name."
*Chronicles of the Heavenly Mandate* was, quite literally, a ruthless novel where cultivators would stop at nothing to gain power.
The protagonist, Yang Ja-han, also became a man without blood or tears after awakening following Yoo Yeon-seo's death.
I was truly grateful that he had saved my life, but I couldn't fully trust him yet.
It was true that I enjoyed reading the story because of the satisfying progression where the protagonist grew stronger and defeated everyone, but it was a different matter when it became my reality.
"I see."
"I'm sorry."
"Why would you be sorry for that? You've been through a great shock, so it is only natural."
"You seem to have saved me, but who are you?"
"My name is Baek Woon-jin."
Baek Woon-jin.
That name sounded so familiar... Wait, Baek Woon-jin?!
In *Chronicles of the Heavenly Mandate*, there were eight great orthodox cultivation sects.
Baek Woon-jin was a high-ranking official of the Azure Feather Sect, one of those sects, and a genius who had reached the Nascent Soul stage at the youngest age.
Compared to the Azure Feather Sect, the Red Flower Sect that Yoo Yeon-seo belonged to was nothing more than a crumbling neighborhood shop, and even within the Azure Feather Sect, it wasn't easy to have a private audience with Baek Woon-jin.
In short, I had been saved by someone incredibly important.
As I sat there blankly with my mouth open, not knowing what to say, Baek Woon-jin lowered his body with a benevolent smile to meet my eyes.
'He seemed like such a cold-blooded person in the novel.'
Seeing him in person, I felt he wasn't quite like that.
Just as I was blankly admiring his face.
"You seem confused, so I will be direct. Would you like to become my disciple and become a cultivator of the Azure Feather Sect?"
0 Comments