Murim Login - Chapter 482

It wasn’t just me who was stirred by Gong Gi-bang’s words. Right after the battle with the Water Dragon, Jeok Cheon-Gang, who already knew about Hong Ran’s identity, and Moon Kyung also reacted immediately.

– “You’ve found that damn woman?”

“What’s going on?”

Jeok Cheon-Gang’s blunt question and Moon Kyung’s feigned curiosity prompted me to open my mouth with a hardened expression.

“Traces? … The result is what matters.”

They didn’t say they found Hong Ran. Gong Gi-bang specifically mentioned they found ‘traces of Hong Ran,’ which could only mean one thing.

“We haven’t found her.”

Finally catching his breath, Gong Gi-bang nodded.

“Not yet. But our disciples, as well as the Wudang Sect, Zhuge Clan, and even the provincial military, have been mobilized. Soon—”

“No. You won’t find her.”

I answered firmly and continued.

“If it were that easy, her trail would’ve been discovered long ago.”

The provincial army was nothing but a crowd of headless chickens. While the Beggars’ Sect, Wudang, and Zhuge Clan were reliable, the likelihood of them finding Hong Ran was… slim. Even setting aside the psychological reasoning that she wouldn’t be caught so easily, if she had a hidden means of movement nearby, they’d all be left chasing shadows.

“So, what kind of trace was found? And where? Tell me in detail.”

“At Red Cliff. A warship was discovered.”

“A warship? Could it be…?”

“Yes, the very ship where Hong Ran was last seen. The authorities have already confirmed it.”

Two days ago, right after we left to find Dongting Fisherman, the provincial military had planned to escort Hong Ran to the Hubei Prefecture.

Being the only survivor alongside the royal Zhu Yuan-gong, and officially the hero who helped rescue him, the authorities’ decision was understandable.

‘That was the last sighting.’

Afterward, the warship carrying Hong Ran vanished like a ghost, along with a hundred soldiers and sailors aboard.

But now, Gong Gi-bang brought news that the warship had been found.

“So… what happened?”

The answer was already clear, even before I asked.

‘They’re probably all dead.’

I already knew. Those who were aboard the ship with Hong Ran had no ties to Dark Heaven and were ordinary people.

There was no way Hong Ran would’ve amicably parted ways with such people after throwing them a few coins for their trouble.

The grim expression on Gong Gi-bang’s face only confirmed my assumption.

But then—

“Ninety-four in total. Every one of them stabbed their own throats and committed suicide.”

“What?”

I hadn’t expected this.

Blinking silently, I barely managed to find my voice.

“All of them… committed mass suicide?”

“Without a doubt. Each soldier used their standard-issue dagger to stab their own necks. Upon inspection, their bodies were found smiling as they died. Of course, Hong Ran was nowhere to be seen.”

“This is insane.”

If they had died by Hong Ran’s hand, it wouldn’t have shocked me this much.

But this kind of death was far beyond what I could have imagined.

Mass suicide on such a scale, and they were smiling?

Before I could gather my thoughts, Moon Kyung and Jeok Cheon-Gang spoke almost simultaneously.

“This is…”

“Yes, it must be Soul Enchantment Technique. And a very powerful one at that.”

The Soul Enchantment Technique—a horrifying martial art that manipulates others’ souls and controls their actions.

I had read about it in martial arts novels in the past, so I knew what it was. But this was the first time I’d encountered it in the martial world.

“Wait, that actually exists?” I asked incredulously.

Jeok Cheon-Gang gave me an exasperated look.

“You’re the one who caught a thousand-year-old Imoogi, and you’re surprised by this?”

“…Well, when you put it that way, I guess I don’t have much to say.”

“The Demon Cult, which traces its origins back thousands of years, was the source of such forbidden techniques. Dark Heaven is merely its successor. It’s not surprising that practitioners of Soul Enchantment are still active.”

“But you said it wasn’t a big deal last time.”

“That’s because it wouldn’t work on me. The same logic applies to why that cursed witch didn’t use it on you earlier.”

“Because I’m an absolute master?”

“Surpassing the barrier means your body and mind have reached the pinnacle. Let alone someone like you, who has awakened your middle dantian.”

At that, Jeok Cheon-Gang frowned and added.

“Or perhaps what she really wanted was to engage in a battle with the Imoogi.”

“Regardless, the point is that a dangerous figure skilled in Soul Enchantment has vanished like a ghost.”

At that moment, Moon Kyung interjected calmly, and Gong Gi-bang shook his head.

“There’s one more thing.”

“…What?”

“According to the investigation, there were ninety-six people aboard the warship. Excluding Hong Ran, that leaves one person unaccounted for.”

“Wait. Are you saying…?”

“There’s one survivor. The officer in charge of the warship, from the Hubei Prefecture.”

A survivor?

Everyone, including myself, widened their eyes. Gong Gi-bang swallowed dryly before continuing.

“He’s on his way here now.”

After a brief silence, Jeok Cheon-Gang spoke with a hardened expression.

“By the way, is it some sort of trend among youngsters to speak informally to me?”

“…I wasn’t talking to you, Senior Jeok.”

“Perhaps a beating will teach you manners. Kneel.”

—

“His name is Song Ho. He comes from a prominent merchant family in Hubei. Thanks to his father’s influence, he was summoned by the Hubei Prefect. He was dispatched two days ago with orders to bring back the fugitive.”

The middle-aged man, who seemed to have been quite popular with women in his youth, spoke in a nervous tone.

“Though he was known for his debauchery and scandals, his talent in both literature and martial arts was undeniable. The Hubei Prefect didn’t keep him around solely because of his father’s reputation. He was capable and efficient.”

I remained skeptical.

“I don’t know how he was before, but now he seems to be completely different.”

I half-listened to the words of the middle-aged Hao Clan Hubei branch leader while staring at the young officer sitting bound by ropes.

His skin was pale and lifeless, his eyes were vacant, as if possessed by a ghost, and clear drool trickled from his slack jaw.

‘Drip. Drip.’

Jeok Cheon-Gang, who had been silently observing the young officer, narrowed his brow.

“He’s fully fallen under the Soul Enchantment Technique. His mind is already gone.”

I fully agreed with Jeok Cheon-Gang’s assessment.

The person before us was no longer a promising officer but an empty shell, a puppet whose soul had been stripped away.

“How is he… his condition?” I quickly corrected myself, addressing Moon Kyung, who shook his head slowly.

“He’s beyond saving. Perhaps with long-term observation, but… at the moment, there’s no sign of hope.”

“What does ‘beyond saving’ mean, exactly?”

“Losing one’s soul is no different from death. In this state, he wouldn’t be able to speak or act of his own will.”

The situation was far graver than I had anticipated.

Jin Wi-gyeong, who had hurried over upon hearing about the survivor’s transport, finally spoke.

“Wouldn’t another expert have a different opinion?”

“Anyone would come to the same conclusion. If someone disagrees, they’re likely a quack.”

“Hmph, even if a Divine Doctor were to examine him?”

“…Yes.”

I swallowed the retort bubbling in my throat. The Hao Clan branch leader, who had once mistaken Hong Ran’s identity and treated me as an errand boy for Dark Heaven, retreated obsequiously.

And at that moment, a chilling voice broke through the silence.

“A… uh… ah.”

A sharp, icy sensation ran down my spine.

Everyone turned their eyes toward the young officer, who had been sitting there vacantly. His unfocused eyes remained the same, but his lips, which had hung slack, began to tremble, letting out faint sounds.

“Uh… ah…”

“This… can’t be,” Moon Kyung murmured, disbelief etched on his face.

He had treated countless patients with skill renowned enough to be called Divine, and his diagnostic ability was as good as absolute law. At least, it had been until a few seconds ago.

“What is this madness!”

Moon Kyung, who rarely raised his voice, quickly grasped the officer’s pulse. His expression turned as complex as when he had faced the Water Dragon.

“Everything is the same, but why…?”

The next moment, everyone in the room heard it clearly.

A voice emerged from the officer’s lips.

“Nothing is absolute, nor unchanging. Surely you must know that by now, don’t you?”

It was unmistakably the officer’s voice, but the tone belonged to someone else entirely. Both Gong Gi-bang and I immediately recognized it and exchanged glances before shouting in unison.

“Hong Ran!”

It felt as though a bolt of lightning had struck my head.

Had Cheongpung and Hyeok Mu-jin been present, they likely would’ve reacted the same way.

I stared at the young officer—no, at Hong Ran, who had borrowed his body from afar—and spoke in a cold tone.

“Where are you, you damn woman?”

“My, my, how vulgar. Don’t you know men who curse at women aren’t popular?”

“Screw that. I’ve never been popular anyway.”

“I didn’t expect that answer. Truly a masterpiece.”

“Cut the nonsense and tell me where you are. I’ll rip you to shreds.”

“My, what a cute temper. You’re even more amusing than I heard.”

Her familiar clear laughter slipped through the officer’s lips, sending shivers down my spine. The sight of her smile with another’s voice coming through was unnerving.

But I didn’t miss one critical detail in her words.

“…‘Than you heard’?”

“You already know, don’t you? We have eyes and ears everywhere. Among them, the Blood Lord was particularly talkative.”

“Dark Heaven. Of course, I should’ve known.”

Even a 99.9% probability is still just a guess without that final 0.1%.

Revealing herself without hesitation, Hong Ran continued in her cheerful voice.

“You’re much stronger than what the Blood Lord told me. If you were still as weak as before, you would’ve died at the hands of the Western Demon Lord long before facing the Imoogi.”

Why? Despite my boiling rage, my voice grew calmer, and my mind steadied.

In a strangely composed tone, I asked her:

“Who are you?”

It was a simple question born of pure curiosity.

Even as I asked, I didn’t expect her to answer willingly.

But Hong Ran shattered my expectations with a single phrase.

“Southern Demon Empress (Namcheon Mahu).”

“Southern… Demon Empress?”

These bastards, they’re running amok in every direction—east, west, south, and north.