Subdued Soul Chronicle

Chapter 158: Ghost City (23)

What is this?

He was quite shocked at first. But then Seol Young noticed something.

He was now looking into the deepest part of darkness.

Are we looking into the eyes of the evil spirit?

He heard Zahas voice.

Maybe.

That was the appearance of the God of Cataclysm that the Lord looked into. It could be that they met her eyes behind the talismans.

Trying to watch it through the memories of others almost made him feel like he was plummeting into the deepest darkness.

Just like galloping on horseback, unknown afterimages would flash by him. But this was the first time he had experienced this.

Should he stop?

But then he wouldnt get anything. He had struggled so much to get this bracelet into his hand.

I cannot give up.

Seol Young looked at the corner of his vision, and it was shining there.

It was the brightness of Zahas sword. If anything, it was waiting to cover everything with light and end the Memory Projection.

Someone was watching, and this could be dangerous. There was no guarantee of their success, but they could at least try to wake up what was trying to cause havoc.

Seol Young thought about it.

Then can I watch a little more to know the truth?

He raised his spiritual power, which he had lowered to be cautious, to the maximum. And the darkness was filled with faint afterimages.

Seol Young took a quick look and said,

We need to find it here.

Find what?

Something we can get to find out the truth. What clues have we found out about her until now?

She wears the same crown as the old priestess. And that she was seen in the Old Palace before.

Old Palace.

There was a response to Seol Youngs voice. Through the smoke that was spreading, they saw the long corridor of the Old Palace open up.

There it is.

Before it disappeared, he used his spiritual power and took a closer look.

He could see the back of the God of Cataclysm standing in the corridor of the Old Palace. And there were people around her.

They were young men. They wore a robe, a sword, and a bird-feathered crown.

That is?

Zaha mumbled.

All of them are Hwarangs.

Then did that mean she had something to do with the Hwarangs?

What is this?

Seol Young narrowed his eyes and looked straight into her, but at that moment, the woman who was surrounded by the Hwarangs looked back.

Black smoke came out from the center of her face and spread everywhere.

Thick and powerful demonic energy spread around, and Seol Young felt like he was suffocating.

Lets go!

He barely said that, and Zahas sword moved.

The light of the sword covered the entire place. The Memory Projection ended, and they were able to come out fine.

Seol Young got up in the dark room.

He remembered what he saw.

How can this be?

As soon as his dizziness subsided from the Memory Projection ending, he said,

We found out another thing with this, but

He couldnt understand it.

If she played the role of a priestess and led the Hwarangs, then doesnt that mean she was a Governor? Did the God of Cactlysm use to be a Governor?

No.

Zaha was deep in thought.

Until now, I thought she must have been related to the palace or the Great Heavenly Pavilion, but it turns out that she was related to the Hwarangs

He was also genuinely shocked.

Anyway, she wasnt a Governor. Absolutely not, since only men could do that task. Maybe a Wonhwa, though?

Wonhwa? ¹

When he heard that, a thought passed through his mind.

During the time of King Jin Heung, when the Hwarangs were first created, the King selected two women to lead the Hwarangs.

In other words, they were female Governors.

They were called Wonhwa. At the time, the two of them were known to be at odds with each other, and in the end, the Wonhwa Jin Jung drowned Nammo in a river.

After that, the Wonhwa system was abolished, and the position of Governor was handed down to the Hwarangs.

There were brief resurrections, whether it was due to a revelation from heaven to the pavilion or something else. But still, it had been a long time since a woman ruled the Hwarangs.

And he learned that during his trainee days.

Was the God of Catclysm a Wonhwa then?

Seol Young frowned.

Then is she Nammo or Jun Jung? Or is she someone else?

We need to find out about it. We need to get the records of any Wonhwas.

Where can we get them?

The place where the last painting was left.

Zaha said.

From what I know, when the war was in full swing in the past, a noble lady who was amazing in martial arts led the Hwarangs for a period of time.

Then? This is my first time hearing it.

They dont teach you this in the Hwarangs. It was such a short period, and it didnt end well.

After saying that, Zaha asked Seol Young,

Have you ever heard the legend of the womans corpse that floated in the South Sea during the reign of King Mu Yeol?

Yes. They say she was 73 feet tall

73 feet tall, she was ten times taller than a normal person. Seol Young did say it out loud, but then he got surprised.

The giant was the last Wonhwa? To be around 73 feet tall and be able to perform outstanding martial arts

Hearing that, Zahas expression changed.

It isnt that. How can one be 73 feet tall? The record suggests that the dead one was that tall and skilled. Study it sometime, Seol Young.

Even if I dont know it, it wouldnt stop my chances to live my life.

Isnt your life in danger now, though?

He was right, and Seol Young said,

Then, from the educated High Governor, teach me something. About that thing.

I dont know if the 73 feet tall giant was a Wonhwas corpse. Well, it might be true that during the time of King Mu Yeol, a woman of high status died, and her body floated in the South Sea.

Zaha continued.

The woman who led the Hwarangs when she was alive was called Jeok Ryun, and they say she left a curse behind when she died. The curse remains one of the most well-known among the troops. Along with Jeok Ryuns remains, everything she left behind has been sealed.

Is that so?

Seol Young was intrigued by this. Then he asked with shining eyes,

Where is this troop? Of course, it cannot be our White Tiger

Think. During the days of the Ghost Demon King, when you found several warriors, didnt one of them show a strange look?

Ah.

Seol Young recognized it right away.

The Vermillion Birds.

It is right.

It must have been them, and we need to check it out.

Zaha got up, but he forgot one thing.

Ah, there is no way they will open their doors to me.

Seol Young mumbled.

If it were another troop, he would have burst open the door. But these ones? How would he convince them?

He had never met them.

If he happened to run into their leader, Hwa Un, only an angry glare would come his way.

Zaha was aware of this.

What about you? If you cannot negotiate well, I will drag you out of there. As the High Governor, I will stand there and mediate the dispute you two have.

We need to go meet them to know.

Seol Young got up.

When he looked at the bracelet in his hand, the snake had turned black.

Was it because he overused his spiritual power? When he touched it, it crumbled and turned into powder. Even that fluttered into the air without leaving a trace.

Seol Young cleared the air with his hand and turned around.

Lets go.

The two immediately left that place and went to the Governor.

As a white robe Hwarang, he had to report where he was going and for what reason.

This is also needed to reveal my injustice. If we fail, I will take responsibility.

I get it.

Jin Rim nodded his head.

In any case, this was to help the others, so he had no reason to stop Seol Young. On the contrary, he felt proud of him.

Seol Young and Zaha went straight to the Namhwa Hall.

It was the headquarters of the Vermillion Birds, which was located in a cozy mountain place.

In other words, it was secluded. In front of their door was a red bird with its wings outstretched, and two disciples were standing guard.

They looked to see who was coming, and they were startled.

High Governor!

They bowed their heads, and then they looked at Seol Young with puzzled faces.

What is it for Seol Young-rang to have come here?

Because of their low ranks, they spoke politely, but their question was pretty straightforward.

Seol Young said,

Is Hwa Un-rang inside?

Yes. But first, state your reason for visiting this place.

I will tell him directly.

They thought for a while, but the disciples looked at Zaha, who was silent, not siding with anyone, and just watched.

They were a bit shocked.

If it was just the Ghost Demon King, they didnt care if he would stand there for a long time, but with the High Governor here, they couldnt let him stand outside any longer.

This is

They ran inside and called their leader.

Hwa Un appeared right then.

High Governor.

He was shocked and greeted Zaha first. Seol Young had no interest in being modest with this guy, either.

But when he heard that the curse of a Wonhwa was what was tormenting them, he became a bit more interested in it than in their past.

So he looked at him.

Hwa Un was a tall, young noble and was befitting to be the head of a troop.

In Seol Youngs mind, he always held a fan in his hand and pretended to look classy.

And after fighting him as the Ghost Demon King, things became messy, but

He remembered a couple of things then.

When Hwa Un faced Seol Young, he couldnt help but recall the past, so his face contorted.

What is Seol Young-rang doing here?

Saying so, he opened his fan. It seemed like he was going to throw an assassins needle at him. There was tension in the air.

While everyone looked at them, only Zaha had shining and interested eyes.

Hurry up.

He glanced at Seol Young.

After greeting him, Seol Young said,

I came here to make an offer.

And I refuse.

I will solve the curse of the Vermillion Bird troops.

?

Hwa Un was at a loss for words.

The Hwarangs who were there also looked surprised at him.

1. TL/N: Female warriors of Silla time.