#8

Chapter 2

The One Chosen by a Person (4)

“To strut into the city in broad daylight without a shred of fear… abandon any thought leaving these walls alive.”

“How arrogant. The only thing I fear is the world itself—not a green brat like you.”

“A brat, huh? Well, from the eyes of a decrepit monster like you, I suppose that’s how it looks. How amusing.”

The Black-Handed Ghost, who had walked the path of the Inhuman heresy while dreaming of eternal life, had already lived for nearly a hundred years. The power he had amassed through Demonic Arts and Evil Spirit Arts during that time surely transcended human limits.

Yet Gwi-hyeok showed not the slightest hint of fear. If the Black-Handed Ghost had abandoned his humanity to transcend his limits, Gwi-hyeok was a being who reached an even higher realm through purely human strength.

“It is only right that those who have become monsters fear humans. If you have forgotten the meaning of terror, I shall revive it for you before you die.”

With those words, Gwi-hyeok launched his assault. It was an attack without any preamble. Without even taking a step from his initial stance or showing any sign of exerting force, he closed the gap and lunged in front of the Black-Handed Ghost in a single instant.

“Heuk!”

The Black-Handed Ghost was Shaken. From his perspective, it felt as though the very sense of distance between him and Gwi-hyeok had suddenly collapsed. Gwi-hyeok’s attacks followed, flowing as naturally as water.

BOOM! KWA-BOOM!

With a series of explosive booms, the Black-Handed Ghost’s body was sent flying backward. Gwi-hyeok had struck him with a flurry of fist-strikes as swift as a flash of lightning. Then, once again, without any preparatory motion, he caught up to the Ghost with a bizarre movement that made it look as if he were sliding across the roof tiles.

The Black-Handed Ghost hastily transformed parts of his body into mist to evade. Gwi-hyeok simply watched the trajectory of the shifting mist with a relaxed air, then aimed a punch with pinpoint accuracy at the exact moment the Ghost reformed into human shape.

POW!

The Black-Handed Ghost managed to block the strike. However, the air itself seemed to explode, and the shockwave pierced straight through his body.

“Kuh-heok! Wh-what kind of power is this……!”

It wasn’t as if Gwi-hyeok had used some profound, secret technique. He had merely utilized the Internal Force Heavy Hand Method—a technique used by almost any true master to bypass the body’s outer shell and strike the internals.

However, the sheer power was simply too immense—to the point that even the Black-Handed Ghost, who had accumulated formidable internal energy over nearly a century of his life, could not offset it.

Watching him stagger, Gwi-hyeok let out a faint, amused smile.

“You’re more fragile than you look.”

“You little…!”

The Black-Handed Ghost’s red eyes erupted with savage light. Yet, he did not abandon himself to rage and charge blindly. Instead, his body transformed into black mist and shot to the side.

“The speed of your transformation is quick! However—!”

As Gwi-hyeok spoke, he bladed his hand. Simultaneously, he swung it toward the empty air.

SHU-HWAAAAAK!

It was a momentum that felt as if it were carving through space itself. Following the path of his hand, a trail of flashing light extended outward in a half-moon shape.

“Aaargh!”

A scream echoed. The Black-Handed Ghost, mid-materialization, was spraying blood. It was a dark, crimson blood that was hard to believe belonged to a living being.

“I’ll admit that the technique of concealing your movement trajectory by unfolding an illusion art simultaneously with your mist-transformation is quite subtle. However, it will not work on me.”

The Black Handed Ghost was evading attacks through mist transformation, while simultaneously using illusion arts to distort his opponent’s senses. This method, unfolding in an instant like a miracle feat, was something none of the other pursuers had been able to discern—yet Gwi-hyeok saw through it at a glance.

“Kuh……! You think I’ll go down like this?”

The Black-Handed Ghost unleashed a new technique. Black mist surged from his body, spreading out to form a sort of Phantom illusory Formation. The array of black mist, covering a radius of ten Jang (about 30 meters), put pressure on the opponent while amplifying the Ghost’s own movements.

“Hoo, a mobile Phantom Formation? How impressive. To think you can move like that while clutching that brat… I suppose your infamous name wasn’t just for show.”

Once the black mist formation was deployed, the Ghost’s movements changed entirely. He moved while using illusion arts to hide even Cheon Yu-ha’s presence. Furthermore, because the array itself moved at high speeds, it was nearly impossible to capture his true form.

Yet, Gwi-hyeok was not deceived by these movements and pursued The Black Handed Ghost closely. He, too, refrained from acting recklessly because of Cheon Yu-ha, but he made certain to completely cut off the Ghost’s path of retreat.

However the other pursuers watching this were stunned.

“Who on earth is that man?”

“He’s someone I’ve never seen before, either…”

“At this rate, there’s no way we can even attempt a coordinated attack.”

After the Black-Handed Ghost deployed the Phantom Illusory Formation, it became impossible for the others to join the fray. Within that field, the Ghost moved as if swimming through water. Without being able to discern his true physical form, anyone else would risk striking Cheon Yu-ha by mistake. In such a situation, Gwi-hyeok, who was accurately obstructing only the Ghost’s movements, appeared all the more formidable.

KU-UNG!

Suddenly, Gwi-hyeok stomped his foot once. From him as the center, a brilliant white flash erupted and spread in a circular wave. It was a momentum that swept through the entirety of the black mist formation.

Hwa-aaaa-k!

“Ugh!”

The Black-Handed Ghost let out a scream.

“P-Purification Qi? Is this the martial arts of the Taoist school?”

The martial arts of the Taoist School, which pursues ascension to the immortal realm by comprehending the principles of nature, are capable of emitting purification qi—often called the natural nemesis of evil forces. Furthermore, Gwi-hyeok had emitted a pure purifying qi that completely excluded any physical aftereffects.

This meant that the attack would deal damage solely to the Black-Handed Ghost, while leaving Cheon Yu-ha entirely unharmed.

“Kgh!”

The purification qi Gwi-hyeok had conjured was so overwhelming that the aura of the evil spirits clinging to the Ghost had been incinerated in an instant. The Black-Handed Ghost hurriedly deactivated the Phantom Illusory Formation and retreated.

But that proved to be a fatal mistake.

SYU-HWA-AAAA-K!

The sound of the air being cleaved echoed as a trail of flashing light was etched into the void. That trajectory precisely sliced through the Black-Handed Ghost’s left shoulder and part of his upper torso.

“Aaargh!”

The Ghost let out a harrowing scream. At the very moment he condensed his mist-form back into a physical body to withstand the purification energy–Gwi-hyeok had severed his arm with a surging sharp blade of Qi.

“Well then. That takes care of the hostage.”

Gwi-hyeok reclaimed Cheon Yu-ha, who had been slung over the Ghost’s shoulder, and set him down upon the roof. The Black-Handed Ghost circulated his internal energy to stem the bleeding from his wound and glared at Gwi-hyeok.

“That wasn’t even illusion arts—to do something like this using pure internal qi alone…Who in the world are you?”

“You’re on the verge of death, and that’s what you’re curious about? I have no answer to give to one who has abandoned humanity. Since you’ve become a Human Evil Spirit, there’s no need to even weigh your life on the scales. Die”

The Black-Handed Ghost let out a roar of fury and thrust out his hand. A condensed mass of pitch-black energy erupted from his palm, aiming for Gwi-hyeok. The moment Gwi-hyeok moved to block it, the Ghost transformed into mist and leaped backward, flying away like a black meteor. However…

GU-U-U-U-UNG!

Suddenly, a heavy sound resonated in the Black-Handed Ghost’s ears. And then…

‘What is this? Why is everything… so slow?’

His body, which had turned into black mist, was flying at an unnervingly sluggish pace. It wasn’t even half the speed he normally achieved when leaping through the air.

‘The air is heavy.’

It felt as though he were swimming underwater. The resistance he felt while pushing through the air was so intense that his movements had slowed to a crawl.

Within that space, only Gwi-hyeok was moving freely and at high speed. Catching up easily to the slowed-down Ghost, Gwi-hyeok whispered.

“This is called the Heavy Pressure Formation.”

Simultaneously, Gwi-hyeok’s hands unleashed a deluge of attacks like a sudden rain shower. It was a speed that the eye could not even hope to follow.

In a desperate frenzy, the Black-Handed Ghost mobilized every ounce of his power to block. Dark energy poured out like a flood to meet Gwi-hyeok’s assault. That power—amassed over countless years by violating and defiling human souls—possessed enough power to annihilate not only Gwi-hyeok but the entire building they stood upon.

And yet…

KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA!

The flashes of light unleashed by Gwi-hyeok whirled like a storm, incinerating the Black-Handed Ghost’s darkness. The Ghost let out a final, agonizing shriek.

“This… this is impossible…!”

Those became the Black-Handed Ghost’s last words. The flashes, surging with overwhelming momentum, burned through the darkness and tore the Ghost into pieces.

“Huu.”

Having completely annihilated the Black-Handed Ghost, Gwi-hyeok let out a long, measured breath.

Soon, he approached Cheon Yu-ha, who lay sprawled in a corner. He infused his own qi into the boy, driving out the remnants of the Black-Handed Ghost’s power that had been suppressing him.

“Cough! Cough!”

Freed at last, Cheon Yuha broke into coughing fits.Gwi-hyeok asked,

“Are you all right?”

“Cough! Ah… yes. I’m fine.”

“That’s a relief. Well it seems there’s someone who will take you home, so I’ll take my leave then.”

Gwi-hyeok nodded and turned to leave. Startled by his dismissive attitude, Cheon Yu-ha cried out.

“W-wait, wait a moment!”

“Hmm? What is it?”

Gwi-hyeok asked as if wondering if there was any business left to attend to. Cheon Yu-ha grew flustered.

“Ah… aren’t you here to… take me with you?”

“No.”

“……”

Cheon Yu-ha was stunned by the blunt response. He asked with an expression of total disbelief.

“Th-then why did you save me?”

“Does one need a reason to save a child from being kidnapped by a fiend in broad daylight?”

“…….”

When he thought about it, the man was right.

Watching the speechless Yu-ha, Gwi-hyeok clicked his tongue.

“To think those are the first words out of your mouth instead of a ‘thank you for saving me.’ Everyone putting you on a pedestal as the ‘Star-Fated Prodigy’ has truly spoiled you. Tsk, tsk.”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I was…I was just out of sorts.”

“Well, that’s understandable. You’ve just gone through a terrifying experience; I suppose I was too harsh. Don’t worry about it.”

Gwi-hyeok nodded as though he understood everything, then turned around once more.

His attitude made it seem as though he truly had not the slightest interest in Cheon Yu-ha, and that only deepened the confusion swirling in Yu-ha’s mind.

‘How can he be like that?’

A short while ago, from the very moment the power of the stars awakened within him, Cheon Yu-ha’s life had changed dramatically.

He was no longer just the son of a mid-sized escort agency leader; he was the Star-Fated Prodigy whom the powerful groveled to before, begging him to join their ranks. Among those who appeared before him, there was not a single person who wasn’t prominent, and every one of them desired him desperately.

Through this pursuit, Yu-ha had been able to gauge the caliber of these people. While they were all formidable, Gwi-hyeok—the man who saved him—was a powerhouse who overwhelmed them all. The martial arts he displayed in the process of saving him were nothing short of enchanting.

That was why, the moment he was saved, he felt that he wanted to follow this man and no one else. But to think he would hear such a response?

His chest tightened with frustration. He did not want to let Gwi-hyeok go like this.

“Why?”

Cheon Yu-ha asked urgently. Gwi-hyeok turned back, his face scowling.

“What do you mean, ‘why’?”

“Why are you not taking me with you? Everyone wants me; they say I am the Star-Fated Prodigy, born with the power of the stars…”

Cheon Yu-ha was well aware that his talent was precious. It was only natural that everyone wanted him. All he had to do was choose—choose who among them would best cultivate his value.

And yet, the very person he had chosen did not want him.

“Heh.”

Gwi-hyeok wore an expression of utter disbelief.

“Listen, brat from the Cheon clan. Do you truly believe the world revolves around you?”

“……”

“Well, being the Star-Fated Prodigy, I suppose it’s understandable you’d think so. But let me say it again: I do not want you.”

“Please… tell me why.”

Cheon Yu-ha bit his lip. He couldn’t possibly accept this. Gwi-hyeok answered as if he had no other choice.

“It is because you are a Star-Fated Prodigy.”

“……!”

“I hate Star-Fated Prodigies. In the past, people like you were my enemies. And I will continue to hate your kind in the future. Because you are the mountain my disciple must climb and overcome.”

“Disciple?”

“Yes. My disciple will surpass all of you. Not with some ‘power of the stars,’ but with power built by human hands, brick by brick.”

With those final words, Gwi-hyeok kicked off the roof and vanished from Yu-ha’s eyes. However, because Hyeong-un was approaching nearby, Yu-ha was able to catch a glimpse of him.

‘That… is the disciple?’

The moment he saw Hyeong-un being carried by Gwi-hyeok’s subordinate, Yu-ha felt as if he’d been struck on the back of the head with a hammer. It was only natural; he remembered seeing Hyeong-un at the inn that had turned into a chaotic mess just a few days ago.

There were those who gave up on finding a Star-Fated Prodigy and instead sought out Star Fragments—those who possessed even a sliver of that talent. But Hyeong-un was nothing more than a worthless brat who didn’t even qualify as a “Star Fragment.”

‘It makes no sense.’

Since awakening the power of the stars, Cheon Yu-ha had gained a special Discernment that allowed him to recognize those with superior strength at a single glance. This applied not only to skills forged through years of training but also to raw talent. Through a person’s actions, gestures, and the aura they gave off, he could discern just how exceptional their potential was.

‘A worthless nobody like that… why on earth?’

Yet, he felt no talent whatsoever emanating from Hyeong-un. He was just an ordinary boy, the kind you could commonly see just by turning your head while walking down the street.

‘Because of someone like that…’

Cheon Yu-ha bit his lip and glared at Hyeong-un. Receiving that gaze, Hyeong-un flinched for a moment, but he soon hardened his expression and glared back at Yu-ha. Yu-ha was taken aback by the raw, intense hostility he felt in that look.

Until a moment ago, Hyeong-un hadn’t known that the boy he’d seen back then was the Star-Fated Prodigy. However, the instant he recognized him, the miserable feelings he had felt a few days ago resurfaced, fueling his anger.

‘Right. So because you’re that “great” Star-Fated Prodigy, you looked down on me like that, huh?’

Just thinking about the things he had endured simply because he was born in the same region on the same day as Cheon Yu-ha made his teeth grind. That alone was enough to make him loathe Yu-ha, but the way the boy had ignored him that day had been the final blow. It was an incident he would never forget for the rest of his life.

That was why it felt so incredibly satisfying when Gwi-hyeok snubbed Cheon Yu-ha. He couldn’t have been happier that the very person Yu-ha desired had chosen him instead.

‘I will definitely surpass you.’

Hyeong-un made that vow. He believed in Gwi-hyeok. Until now, his current situation hadn’t felt real. He lacked the conviction that a “nobody” like himself could truly become someone greater than those who had persecuted him…

But watching Gwi-hyeok eliminate the Black-Handed Ghost had sparked a newfound faith. If it was Gwi-hyeok, then he could definitely do it. Just as the man had boldly declared, he would turn Hyeong-un into a talent that surpassed even the Star-Fated Prodigy.

“I kept you waiting. Let’s go.”

Coming to Hyeong-un’s side, Gwi-hyeok reached out his hand. Hyeong-un took that hand and left the scene behind.

{TL Note for thought: Daoist and Taoist are the same (D&T sounds identical)

Secondly I interchange the translations of “qi” with internal/external energy or just energy to remind readers that the Energy the author is talking about when it comes to aura, presence, footwork or phantom/illusion arts (Qi sorcery) all has something to do with Qi}