Episode 205

“Sorry for the way we are doing this. Since Seol Young hasn’t recovered his mind and body, we will leave without disturbing this room any longer.”

Baek Eon bowed to all of them in the room, and Zaha said,

“Right, he is drunk on the medicines right now, so you better bring him out quickly.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Baek Song Wol tried to drag him out, and Seol Young stood there as if he were a child in trouble. He was only more confused.

‘Can this happen?’

Knowing he couldn’t disobey the orders of his hyungs. Well, it didn’t have to be like that.

‘Can this happen?’

He was about to send a protesting look, but Zaha was facing him.

If he jumped out of their grasp, it would be like he was running away.

The fact that he had been in bed for the past three days suddenly hit Seol Young.

‘This isn’t right.’

Of course, he wanted to get out of the palace with his hyungs. He wanted to talk to them to his heart’s content and probably lie down somewhere.

But this was…

‘I have to do the Memory Projection.’

Then there was just one person he could trust. So he turned to Jin Rim.

“Everyone knows that I would quit right after the accusations are cleared, but I am determined to put that off to resolve this issue at hand. Then shouldn’t you be listening to what I have to say?”

Now that the announcement of the Pavilion Head was over, the injured could rest. Jin Rim was showing such a face, but when Seol Young spoke so earnestly, he couldn’t do that any longer.

And right then…

“I don’t think you are wrong.”

There was a heavy voice in the room.

“Let’s listen to what you have to say. Actually, the ancestral ritual ended like that, so isn’t the current situation quite troublesome?”

It was Mu Won who was talking. And he was someone who would rarely step forward during a meeting.

Everyone couldn’t help but be caught off guard. And in that gap, Seol Young asked,

“The training ground on the mountain looks like a mess as if it were a hallucination. What happened there?”

“After tearing down and burning the building, we set up a barrier by burying the sacred objects of the Hwarang troops.”

Hwa Un said,

“But there is something odd there. The hallucinations and the deep echoes that can be felt from the ground…”

“As expected, it is clear that the God of Cataclysm will appear there. The same situation as eight years ago will happen again. We need to stop it right now.”

Seol Young said that with such thoughts.

“I know a lot of people are shocked at how I fainted. And I know that I was out for three days and wandered between life and death. But there is no need to delay this any longer. First, the training area for the Hwarangs is in danger.”

Silence fell.

Everyone except Seol Young had experienced the God of Cataclysm. They didn’t say anything, but they also must have felt something.

“Everyone will move again. I should have forced him and sent him out. In the end, even the Pavilion Head couldn’t overcome the stubborn man and received a new revelation.”

Zaha’s voice broke the silence.

“Fine, Seol Young-rang. Then try persuading me.”

When he pointed with his chin, Song Ok and Hyo Wol let go of his arms.

Seol Young bowed his head toward everyone and said,

“The reason why the sacrifice failed is that the God of Cataclysm hid another secret. I found out about it when I fainted, but there was one thing that we missed.”

The souls trapped in the skull wall showed everything. They looked at the records in the tomb. They confirmed with their eyes that she was the priestess and the King. Even after investigating everything, one secret remained hidden.

“There is only one way to find out the secret. By projecting through the skull ashes, I can directly look into the memory of the soul.”

Seol Young’s body had the smell of herbs, and his face was pale.

However, without holding onto anything, he stood there and spoke.

“Right. That is good.”

Jin Rim said,

“But Seol Young-rang. Can you really do Memory Projection with that body?”

“Doing Memory Projection isn’t a simple task.”

Seol Young responded.

“I just need to open my spiritual eye and awaken the memory of the deceased left in those things through the right documents.”

“That easy?”

“Well, it is something I am familiar with. Of course, it is true that coming into contact with an evil spirit is dangerous. But there are ways to block it, and the High Governor can help me.”

Everyone said yes and nodded, but Zaha was the only one who asked, ‘What?’ with his eyes.

But Seol Young didn’t care.

“After thoroughly blocking the flow of evil energy in me, I will finish it by reading the memories in the fragment. Is there any other way? We cannot tell the world about her yet, and I am the only one willing to do it.”

“…”

“I will just find out the secret and leave it to another Hwarang troop to handle after. I will rejoin you only after I have recovered. So, High Governor, please allow it.”

Seol Young looked at Zaha, who stared at him and said,

“Right, Seol Young-rang. I heard you very well…”

“…?”

“But who told you to convince me?”

“Uh?”

“Convince your brothers. If they allow it, I am fine with it.”

Then he should have said it from the start!

Seol Young turned his gaze and looked at them.

“Hyung…”

“I get what you mean.”

Baek Eon said calmly.

“But I guess we still have to take you. Guys, let’s go.”

“Yes.”

Song Ok and Hyo Wol held onto Seol Young again.

“Look at this guy making a fuss.”

After bowing his head and apologizing to everyone, Baek Eon winked at the two younger ones. Seol Young immediately dragged himself outside.

‘As I thought, isn’t it the same as earlier?’

He couldn’t believe it.

“Hyungs…”

“Enough talking!”

Hyo Wol covered his mouth. Seol Young failed to resist them and was dragged away from that place.

Then they put the youngest into a palanquin to be sent to the wounded.

“Wait. My clothes…”

“Over here.”

Song Ok threw the bundle of uniforms into the palanquin. And then they put a blanket on him.

It barely worked, so they put another blanket on him. Seol Young was carried away and buried like that. Eventually, they arrived at the infirmary.

“Respect!”

The trainees responded as if they had seen a dead person come to life. On the other hand, the door was locked, as if he were confined.

Baek Song Wol dragged Seol Young to the plum tree grove. Then he put the blanket on the bed and laid him down.

“Wait.”

Seol Young jumped up.

“Great-rang!”

“As I said before, I understand where your intention is coming from. I also understand that it is a situation where you have to do it.”

Baek Eon spoke with a stern face.

“But not until you have recovered your strength.”

After saying that, he pointed to the wall. There was a picture of a tiger roaming in the snow.

“If you are not happy with our treatment, try carving the image of a plum blossom with your spiritual qi on the wall.”

“…”

Seol Young was at a loss for words. If he were healthy, he would have done that.

But it was different now.

He didn’t have the confidence to use his aura without difficulty. It seemed like he wouldn’t be able to draw the five petals perfectly.

And if they saw that, they would be sad.

Seol Young lifted his hands.

“Then what do you want to do?”

Song Ok opened his eyes.

“There is no way you can do anything now.”

Hyo Wol hit Seol Young on the head, and he couldn’t even protest.

They were right. Looking into the dead needed one to be normal.

“I understand.”

So Seol Young laid on the bed, and the three of them smiled.

“Then let us request some porridge.”

“I will bring the medicine.”

“And a change of clothes too.”

Seol Young was being nursed by his hyungs.

“Enough. You can leave.”

But they refused to listen and only went out when it was necessary.

“Because I am not running away.”

However, no one listened to him. Medicine, food, and snacks appeared in front of his eyes. And he just laid there, unable to lift a finger.

“… I just quickly followed Seo Geom-rang as he rushed here. The second and third saw me running and followed…”

“… We thought the commotion would have been known at the Buddhist meeting, but it seemed like Zaun-rang appeared to distract them. The Queen told Zaun-rang not to attend the ritual because her body was heavy, but she still came in late…”

“… Was it Hwa Un rang who noticed the injuries? I don’t remember a thing. After hearing that, I came to my senses and tried to take a closer look, but you suddenly told everyone to leave…”

“… Anyway, you have no idea how surprised everyone was. I was standing there with a confused heart, but Seo Geom-rang spoke first. He thought you weren’t an evil spirit. I was also thinking about it, but I couldn’t respond. Starting with him, everyone said their opinions to the Governor, and they all went to the pavilion.”

While Seol Young laid down, his hyungs told him stories.

“How is Seol Young-rang?”

Zaha strode in. Seeing that Seol Young was trapped in the bed and unable to move, he smiled.

“You look nice!”

Seol Young ignored him, but then Zaha said something unexpected.

“Everyone, go out for a while. I prepared a special treatment.”

“Uh? Ah, yes.”

And the three went out as he pulled something out of his robe. The moment he saw it, Seol Young felt anger rise.

The thing he just took out was an alcohol bottle.

‘This man is so fucking irritating.’

As he looked at him with a sad face, Zaha smiled.

“You won’t drink?”

“No.”

Seol Young reached out and took a glass. It was a drink that looked transparent.

After taking a sip, he felt his head clear up, and the pain slowly subsided.

“Can we do this? Isn’t it against the rule for Hwarangs who are sick to drink?”

“Of course, we shouldn’t.”

Zaha said so shamelessly.

“Do not worry. If caught, I will be punished. I have no choice but to give it up.”

“What do you mean? How does this even make sense?”

“You don’t remember Seol Young-rang. You made a bet with me three days ago. If you wake up, I will give you the hundred-year-old blue ice crystal alcohol from my house.”

Seol Young almost spit it out.

“Is this the blue ice crystal alcohol?”

The famous one among the Hwarangs that was known to cost a pavilion for one bottle?

“Right. I lost the bet, so I have to do it.”

Pouring the expensive alcohol, he also wanted to drink it.

And then he remembered what his hyungs said,

‘… Still, we need to stick by your side. We didn’t know when you would wake up or if you would wake up. It was so silent inside that we felt anxious. And whenever the High Governor closes his eyes for a second, he would get up to check if you were breathing…’

In other words, Zaha watched over him without sleeping. Then, what was the High Governor thinking in those days?

He was curious, but then…

‘To make a bet when I don’t even remember…’

After a long time, he fell asleep with the smell of alcohol. And the next night, Zaha returned again with another bottle of alcohol.

They didn’t talk about the evil spirit and just played GO.

During the day, he was cared for by his brothers, and at night, he enjoyed the alcohol from Zaha. And they talked about poetry or stories.

He didn’t think about anything else. He knew with his eyes that something was happening at the peak.

But he had to focus on recovering his body now. After only four days, his spiritual qi began to flow again.

Seol Young called his hyungs.

He raised his spiritual qi in his hand and moved it to the wall. A clear blue flower was engraved on the painting.

“I did it.”

Then Seol Young lowered his hand.

“I lack stamina now, but I don’t have any difficulty using spiritual qi.”

He turned his head to his hyungs and said,

“I can now do Memory Projection on the God of Cataclysm.”