Book 20 Chapter 21
The Blood Resurrection Festival
―The Price of Resurrection
Murmur, murmur, murmur.
With every step Namgung Sang took, the crowd parted to the left and right as if the sea were splitting. Seeing everyone flinch and step back, Namgung Sang let out a sigh so deep it seemed the ground would sink.
‘Sigh, my fate. I didn’t expect this, but this is…’
The reaction was much more intense than he’d anticipated. How was he supposed to explain the situation to these faces staring at him? Namgung Sang lacked the confidence. He knew all too well what those gazes and contorted expressions conveyed.
“Kyaaaak!”
A scream he’d heard dozens of times on his way here. A scream that echoed in his ears, with no end in sight.
“Who are you?”
Why ask when you already know? Your eyes aren’t just for decoration, are they?
“You, why are you here…”
Don’t treat me like I’m somewhere I shouldn’t be.
“Are you sure I’m not seeing things?”
Don’t rub your eyes like that. You’re seeing clearly.
“Then you’re seeing things too, right?”
I told you, no.
“Why, in broad daylight like this?”
Ah, I told you I’m not a ghost. Have you ever seen a ghost so flushed with life?
“Look at that pale face! They must have died with a grudge. They’ve come for revenge. That’s it, it’s certain!”
“But then what about that handsome young man beside them?”
“Is he her lover?”
“Oh, squeal! How scandalous!”
Whisper, whisper, whisper! Murmur, murmur, murmur!
With every step, Namgung Sang’s face grew redder, and his fists trembled in unison.
‘These bastards, they talk so freely!’
At times like these, he regretted not having a switch for his ears.
The first day of resurrection, when he should have been rejoicing.
Namgung Sang’s heart was filled with shame and anger instead of joy. It was impossible to feel at ease when everyone looked at him as if they’d seen a zombie or a ghost.
“Everyone’s looking at me strangely?”
Gongson Jeolhwi, who accompanied him, said as he looked around.
“Yes.”
Namgung Sang replied weakly. He no longer had the strength to respond properly.
“It’s like they’re seeing a ghost, isn’t it?”
*Crack!*
The thin thread of patience in Namgung Sang’s mind snapped with a ‘snap’.
“Who do you think is responsible for all of this, ah?”
Unable to contain his anger, Namgung Sang pulled Gongson Jeolhwi’s cheeks to the left and right.
“Huh? Huh? Huh?”
If I hadn’t died because of this guy, I wouldn’t have to endure these scornful glances… Thinking this, he felt he wouldn’t be satisfied unless he tormented him thoroughly.
“Gyahaha, s-so-sorry…”
With his cheeks stretched out, Gongson Jeolhwi replied desperately. But this was not enough.
“Sorry is all? Is that all! The ship has already left the dock! It’s not coming back! Do you think a terrible past mistake can be rectified with a single apology? Huh? Don’t think the world is that easy, you bratty young master!”
Stretch, stretch! Stretch, stretch!
With Namgung Sang’s hand movements, akin to a chef pulling noodles, Gongson Jeolhwi’s cheeks stretched like glutinous rice cakes.
“Stop that hand!”
What was that now? Namgung Sang’s head turned naturally.
“That person is definitely from the Wudang Sect…”
If his memory served him right, he was a disciple of the Wudang Sect, like Hyunwoon, so his name was…
“You wicked scoundrel! Take your filthy hands off! If you don’t do it now, I, Hyun Soo, will not forgive you in the name of the Grand Supreme Elder!”
*Crack! Crack! Crack!*
He seemed to have prepared for exorcism with his coin sword in his right hand and a bell and talismans in his left.
Jingle, jingle! Jingle, jingle!
Hyun Soo swung the demon-dispelling bell in his left hand fiercely.
“Hwooooi! Begone, evil spirit! Hwooooi! Begone, evil spirit! Incantation omitted! Swiftly as the law commands!”
*Sizzle!*
“Evil spirit? Who are you calling that!”
Before Gongson Jeolhwi’s eyes, Namgung Sang’s figure vanished.
Seeing Namgung Sang suddenly appear with bloodshot eyes like a ghost, Hyun Soo exclaimed in terror.
“Gasp, the evil spirit is using dark magic!”
Blue veins writhed and pulsed on Namgung Sang’s fist.
“Who’s an evil spirit! Become a star in the sky!”
*Thwack!*
A blow of anger struck Hyun Soo’s jaw directly.
“Kweeeek! Help me~!”
Hyun Soo’s desperate cry as he flew away was tragic, but no one reached out to save the Taoist.
“Huff, huff, huff!”
Namgung Sang, having rapidly depleted his internal energy in his rage, panted. He had put more power than necessary into this blow.
“Are… are you alright?”
Gongson Jeolhwi, who approached cautiously, asked just as cautiously.
“I-I’m fine.”
“Your face is bright red?”
Gongson Jeolhwi pointed out.
“Shut up. If I say I’m fine, I’m fine!”
With a face flushed with embarrassment, Namgung Sang quickened his pace.
Due to the powerful and swift blow from earlier, people, terrified and trembling, fled further away, not wanting to become victims of this violent ghost’s grudge.
‘I need to resolve this situation quickly…’
Just then, a savior appeared before him. His friends from the Vermilion Bird Squad, who knew the inside story, had rushed out upon hearing that Namgung Sang, the vengeful spirit, had appeared. However, through the agile intuition honed under their senior disciple, Bi Ryuyeon, they immediately sensed the subtle atmosphere in the area.
“Hey! Good timing. Say something, will you?”
Namgung Sang, whose friends had never felt more welcome, reached out to his saviors.
“Ah! I can no longer see clearly due to the grief of losing a friend!”
As he approached, Hyunwoon covered his eyes with both hands and cried out, causing Namgung Sang’s eagerly extended hand to freeze.
“Hyunwoon?”
“Ah, ah… Not only that, I can’t hear anything either!”
“…!”
Namgung Sang, momentarily flustered, quickly called out the name of another friend beside Hyunwoon.
“Noahk!”
However, for some reason, Noahk was gazing at the clouds high in the sky, muttering to himself.
“Hmm… Sang, you must have become a brilliantly shining star in the night sky like Polaris! Ah, tonight, I shall raise a toast while gazing at the newly formed star!”
“Da, Dangsam?”
Fortunately, Dangsam did not turn away his hand. Dangsam, holding Namgung Sang’s hands tightly, said with teary eyes.
“Sang! Ghosts shouldn’t come here! You should go up there!”
His gesture of pointing towards the sky with his chin looked even more annoying.
*KABOOM!*
Something exploded in Namgung Sang’s mind. Now, his only hope was the one person he had longed to see. Shaking off Dangsam’s hand, Namgung Sang’s eyes rolled wildly as he searched for his beloved.
She stood a step behind his other friends.
“Jinryeong…”
Namgung Sang’s voice was choked.
“Sang…”
Jinryeong’s voice was also deeply choked.
“Ryeong!”
Namgung Sang suddenly grabbed Jinryeong’s hand.
“Sob!”
Jinryeong turned her head as if in grief.
“Sang, your heart that cannot forget me even in death is heartbreakingly sincere, but we are already separated by the river of death. Please, do not worry about me and rest peacefully.”
Through this final despair, Namgung Sang surpassed his limit.
“Jinryeong, even you!”
*Kwakwakwakwang!*
“Kuaaaaaaaaak!”
Namgung Sang’s eyes rolled back, and an unearthly roar erupted from his mouth.
“Everyone dies! Kuaaaaaaaaaooo!”
Finally exploding, Namgung Sang, with bloodshot eyes rolling wildly, charged towards the members of the Vermilion Bird Squad.
“Kiyak! The vengeful spirit is rampaging! Quickly, the exorcist! The spirit medium!”
The members of the Vermilion Bird Squad scattered in all directions like grasshoppers in a burning field.
‘Was the prank too much?’
‘I told you so.’
‘That friend seems to have a lot of pent-up anger.’
But it was too late for regrets.
“Emergency! Emergency! Exorcists and Yin-Yang masters, all of you to the central garden immediately!”
However, there was no way to stop the wrath of the enraged vengeful spirit.
Thereafter, this incident, known as the ‘Blood Resurrection Festival,’ became one of the top ten events that people never wanted to recall.