Subdued Soul Chronicle

“Hyo Wol!”

Baek Eon and Song Ok hugged Hyo Wol with pale faces.

And Seol Young was frozen.

Between them was the head of the doll with a black belt around its head, rolling, and only then did the three of them learn the true identity of the head that fell from Seol Young’s bed.

“Look! What kind of idiot the White Tiger Troops had raised!”

Zaha clicked his tongue and said,

“I was careful in case his head would fall off and put him to bed, put his favorite senior on the bed, stayed up all night listening to all his nonsense, and even brought food to feed him and as soon as he wakes up, he does this!”

It was true that he and Oni stood by his side, but wasn’t the rest all just lies? Moreover…

“What was that? No.”

“Do you not see this?”

Zaha put the round ball that he had brought on his chin.

He grabbed the upper part and turned it, and several drawers unfolded. Then it revealed the food that he had brought from this place.

“These round boxes are said to have come from the Arab nation. There are so many odd things in this place.”

“…”

Seol Young was speechless.

‘I see.’

He finally realized it. There was no way Zaha didn’t know about the window that was next to the bed overlooking the garden.

He deliberately prepared a huge bowl of soup the size of a human head. And he purposely stood in a good view.

Then pretending to prepare a prank, he threw the bait.

“…”

He wanted to tell his hyungs about it, but he had no proof to support his claims.

At that time…

“Umm…”

Hyo Wol, who had lost consciousness for a moment, came back to his senses.

“Third-rang!”

Seol Young jumped off the bed and ran.

“Sorry! I had such a strange dream… That is why I played that crazy prank. I am really sorry.”

He bowed his head, and Hyo Wol stretched his hand out in silence.

He thought he was saying it was fine…

Instead, he pulled Seol Young’s nose tightly.

“You brat! I ran over here feeling worried, but you are here doing this? How dare you play such an absurd prank!”

“M-My head will fall off!”

“I almost had my heart fall out! No, I am sure it fell down. Take a good look at the floor. My heart has to be there somewhere.”

Hyo Wol said before pulling his nose a couple more times.

Seol Young asked Baek Eon,

“Anyway, can you even come here?”

“It is fine. The Blue Dragon Troops decided to take care of the kids…”

“Seo Geom-rang?’

“Shocking, right? We were shocked too.”

Baek Eon said, then he smiled and looked at Zaha.

“High Governor. Seol Young should be scolded for playing a prank. But if it is true that we raised Seol Young-rang as an idiot, why would Seol Young-rang come to help?”

Zaha said,

“Seo Geom-rang’s head has been in a mess lately.”

“Uh?”

It was then.

As if to interrupt their conversation, a howl echoed.

The three Baek-Song-Wol stopped talking and looked out the window.

They had heard the rumor, but it was a different thing to witness it themselves. Song Ok frowned.

“Is this the sound of Wonhwa Jeok Ryun-rang?”

“Yes. It seems to be starting soon.”

Seol Young replied.

“Didn’t you hear it when I was unconscious?”

“We didn’t hear it.”

A roaring sound came from the wind as if something had happened, and this made Seol Young’s heart pound.

“Let’s go.”

“Right. Watch your neck.”

Baek Eon looked at Zaha.

“High Governor, we don’t have to head back right away, so allow us to help with this issue while we are here.”

“Yes, sure.”

Zaha immediately accepted it. It seemed to be a generous act, but for Seol Young, it was disgusting.

‘Huh.’

Seol Young brought Oni, who was sleeping on the bed, into the ring. And then he walked out, looking at Zaha.

He bluntly spat out,

“Was it fun to play a prank like that? Hyo Wol-rang almost fainted.”

“Your Third-rang wouldn’t have fainted, but I could have.”

“Why would someone who knows everything faint? You had planned it right from the start.”

Seol Young looked at him coldly, and Zaha smiled.

“They say love and peace are good! To have fun while harassing a sick person…”

Seol Young paused as he criticized him.

‘Wait.’

Seol Young touched his forehead with his hand. At some point, his high fever vanished. He didn’t feel dizzy, and his body didn’t tremble.

As he brought and hid the head of the doll and the appearance of Baek-Song-Wol, his fever seemed to have vanished.

“Are you feeling good? I told you. I will make sure to get your senses back.”

“But…”

“What you should say isn’t, ‘but,’ rather, ‘thanks.’”

“For lowering my temperature… Thank you…”

“There is a saying that no matter how much one runs, they are in the palm of Buddha. In the first place, the idea of tricking you using a doll’s head was a huge plan. I wondered if I should have shown up with a real head and spun it around.”

“Then you would die.”

“That isn’t something I should have cared about. Well, it was cute.”

What?

For the first time in a while, Seol Young felt something well up inside him. As he turned around and caught up with Zaha, who had left first, he said,

“There were times when I surprised you. For example, when I found that mask and showed it to…”

“That was in the past.”

“What if I will surprise you again?”

“In return, I will cut my hair and spin it around.”

“One hundred days of no alcohol.”

At those words, Zaha paused.

“I will cut my hair.”

“No. One hundred days of no alcohol.”

Seol Young was adamant.

At that time, Hyo Wol, who went ahead, came back. They must have found it strange that these two hadn’t followed them yet.

“What is it, High Governor? Seol Young?”

Then both of them answered,

“Nothing.”

“Nothing.”

They hurriedly walked out and reached the outside barrier in the backyard. The tower stood in the sealed area.

And the Hwarangs from the Vermillion Bird Troops were waiting there.

In front of the tower, a platform was prepared for rites, and Mok Yun’s tablet was placed in the middle. Everything had been prepared, so Seol Young could work right away.

Baek Eon smiled.

“Hwa Un-rang is generous.”

It was impressive, considering how he didn’t like associating with Seol Young.

“Haha. It was nothing. Since Jeok Ryun-rang named Seol Young-rang as the person to release her grievance, we should do what she desires.”

Hwa Un replied in a calm manner and looked at Seol Young through his fan.

The red mark was evident on Seol Young’s neck. It was as if a glass doll had been broken and put together.

‘He is the Ghost Demon King. To walk around as if nothing happened after.’

Seol Young’s throat felt like it would fall down, so Hwa Un felt so sick.

He had decorated the entire place by putting his soul into it. He didn’t care about the past, when chaos ensued, but having someone’s head roll down here wasn’t something he would like.

He forced a smile on his lips and said to Seol Young,

“Should we begin then, Seol Young-rang?”

“Yes.”

Seol Young stepped forward.

“It would have been better if Jeok Ryun-rang had descendants to soothe her soul. Is there a possibility that her lineage has been passed down to the troops?”

“No.”

Hwa Un shook his head.

“When Jeok Ryun-rang died, the child in her womb didn’t live. Unfortunately, it ended there.”

“I see. That is sad. Then I guess I should do it alone.”

Seol Young went and stood in front of the altar.

At that moment, a strand of hair stood on his back.

It was as if someone caught his hair mid-air. Then a small whisper arose among the Hwarangs.

‘Be careful.’

His three hyungs looked concerned.

Without saying a word, Zaha touched his sword, and his face asked,

‘Scared?’

As if.

Then Seol Young said to the Hwarangs,

“Do not be afraid of ghosts because they threaten you. You need to look at them with the thought that ‘This soul is so desperate’.”

He drew a guardian talisman in the air and bowed to Mok Yun’s tablet.

“Your junior, Seol Young, a Hwarang, has come to uncover the truth behind your death, Leader Mok Yun.”

After saying that politely, he got up and approached the tablet.

“First, I want to find out if you are here. Please excuse my actions.”

Seol Young grabbed the tablet with both hands and put it on the ground. The next moment, the tablet stood up.

It meant that the soul hadn’t rested. It had been two hundred years, and yet this soul was still wandering.

‘As I thought.’

Seol Young stepped back.

“I will ask you one more time. Was Leader Mok Un really not a spy from the enemies?”

“Seol Young-rang.”

Zaha called out.

“Would we be calling him Leader if he was involved in such a thing?”

“I know that too, but it is a matter that is directly related to his life.”

“Right.”

Several of them said in unison.

“Fine.”

Seol Young kneeled in front of the tablet.

“Leader Mok Yun.”

He called for the soul to come, and used his spiritual power.

Then a haze-like form began to move around the tablet. It began to play the role of a medium between the dead and the living.

Mok Yun’s soul must be wandering somewhere right now.

Seol Young asked,

“Why are you wandering around without finding rest?”

No answer.

“Let me guess, isn’t it because you died in an unjust manner at the hands of the person you loved? Doesn’t that pain still bind you to this world?”

Silence flowed, and only Seol Young’s voice could be heard.

“I saw it in Jeok Ryun-rang’s memories. You were stabbed to death by her sword without being given the chance to explain. There must have been a reason for it.”

There was still no response, but Seol Young didn’t stop.

“It has been a long time since then, and both of you have turned into dust. What is there to be afraid of now? Speak.”

Seol Young’s earnest voice resounded in the silence. It was a sound that even shook the ghost’s heart.

Clack.

Eventually, the tablet moved.

Everyone looked at it without blinking, and Seol Young could feel it.

The soul of Jeok Ryun that was behind him was also staring at the tablet.