Subdued Soul Chronicle

Seol Young looked at Zaha with a confused face.

Even though he clearly heard it, it made him doubt his ears. So he asked,

“The High Governor said he would learn how to exorcise?”

“I know that is what the Hwarangs do. Of course, it isn’t something that people like us should do either.”

Zaha continued.

“But there are so many ghosts in there that you cannot appease all of them alone, right? Then why don’t we split them into two groups?”

It was such a simple statement, but Seol Young wasn’t sure what to say.

‘But there is no need for me to do it alone, but…’

Did it feel natural?

He didn’t have any objections to it. And usually, shamans would soothe the spirits in pairs of two.

Even if it were a disciple who assisted their teacher, only one person would perform the main ritual.

It was because they shouldn’t get in the middle of the ritual. It was much easier for one person’s heart to be shaken, but was it possible for two people to share it?

It wasn’t for nothing that people said rituals stained people.

“You aren’t going to say that I don’t have talent, right? You never know, I might be better than you.”

Zaha spoke as if it didn’t matter.

If he couldn’t do it alone, the two of them could. If he didn’t know how, he just had to learn it.

With such a simple and clear attitude, Seol Young also threw his worries away.

‘Maybe it really can happen.’

He made up his mind and said,

“I understand.”

Did he know how much trouble and trust were put into that statement?

Zaha smiled without knowing that. No matter the outcome, it seemed like he would never forget this face.

Seol Young opened his mouth again.

“But it won’t be easy.”

“I just need to practice.”

Zaha stared at the skull on the desk.

“I will try this first. I alone will appease this soul and set it free.”

“You need to change your thoughts first.”

Seol Young took out a talisman and a mirror.

“You said earlier, ‘We didn’t even participate in the war of conquest, so it is unfair for the descendants to pay the price’. It makes sense, but you cannot think like that.”

“Then what do you think?”

“Just don’t think about anything. We mustn’t make any judgments and see the souls of the dead for what they are.”

Seol Young said while writing on the talisman.

“That is important. A mindset to comfort the soul with sincerity. Depending on whether you have that thought or not, it can be easy enough that even a child can do it or so difficult that the High Governor can’t.”

“….”

Zaha held up the brush without saying anything else.

First, he copied what Seol Young wrote and placed it in front of the skeleton. Then he got up from the chair and looked deeply into the skull.

“The deceased is an old person from Gaya who lost his life unjustly due to being caught in the war and got locked up in the tomb for hundreds of years. Now that you have been released, please be reborn.”

Seol Young’s eyebrows raised slightly. Maybe because he had seen Seol Young do it many times, he was imitating it perfectly.

But the problem was this.

Just like Seol Young did, Zaha also pushed spiritual qi into the talisman. But no response came back.

He frowned.

“Were you sincere for sure?”

It was at that moment that the door to the room where the two were in opened, and several people entered.

They were the Sun and Moon Hwarangs, and they were surprised to see Zaha and Seol Young seated.

“Governor? What are you doing here with the Aide?”

“….”

Come to think of it, down here was the laboratory for their troops. They had forgotten that these people existed in this world.

Seol Young and Zaha got up from their seats while taking the skull.

“We are leaving home now.”

“The Sun and Moon Troops will start now, right? Then do your best.”

After leaving the Hwarangs’ Hall, they moved quietly to a bush around the place.

“I will try again.”

Zaha put the skull down on a flat rock. Earlier, he placed the talisman in front of the skull and recited the same prayer to honor them.

“… May you be reborn.”

But this time, nothing happened.

Zaha’s face twisted.

“Just why?”

“Your attitude is the problem.”

Seol Young said, not able to withstand seeing this any longer.

“The idea that you can do your best can also be arrogance. You cannot look down on them like that. To soothe the soul, you must first open your heart. Handle the heart. ‘Even if everyone else in the world turns their backs on you, I am on your side.’”

“How can that be?”

Zaha spoke as if he didn’t understand.

“A traitor too? A slayer? Even an evil spirit trying to harm me?”

“Once you’ve decided to appease a soul, you shouldn’t ask about such things. You said it earlier. You shouldn’t make any judgments.”

Seol Young spoke slowly.

“Is it difficult? That is why not many try it.”

“….”

Zaha went silent as he was lost in thoughts. Was there anything more to say?

He seemed to be coming up with something more to say.

“Ah, right. There was a time when a ghost told me, ‘Your fate is so terrible’, remember?”

“Well.”

“Such a pity. I think you should look at a soul with that kind of heart.”

“….”

Zaha looked at the skeleton without saying another word. After a while, he reached over, picked up the talisman, and tore it in half.

“I will write it again.”

He created a new one and placed it in front of the skull. Then he knelt down in front of it.

“…?”

Seol Young’s eyes went wide.

Even though he failed once, Zaha wasn’t the kind of person to do this. The great Governor of the Hwarangs. If he crossed the bridge now, it would be shocking.

He wondered whether the man would actually cross the line. Yet he didn’t think that Zaha would bow like that to the old skull of the Gaya man.

Zaha lowered himself and recited,

“The deceased is an old person from Gaya who lost his life unjustly due to being caught in the war and got locked up in the tomb for hundreds of years.”

At that moment, the talisman that had been placed on top of a rock finally began to glow gold, and a warm light embraced the Gaya skull.

‘Done.’

Seol Young looked at the scene without blinking.

The soul, which was struggling with the pain of its death, slowly escaped from the talisman. Then the surface of the skull cracked.

Zaha continued to bow, and he only raised his head when he heard that sound.

“Did it work?”

As if answering yes, the light moved from the skull and scattered. Then the skeleton, which was now left with just an empty shell, shattered.

He did it.

But then, a vision of the other world flickered in front of them.

The ghosts of the Gaya people who were released from the tomb were attacking the capital.

Seol Young looked at it.

‘A lie.’

Then the terrible sight slowly vanished.

‘No matter how much is shown, we will not be fooled.’

As if they hadn’t seen or heard anything, the two stood resolutely and looked at each other.

Zaha smiled and said,

“Seol Young-rang, am I not a genius in this field?”

“It isn’t fair. It is against the law for someone like the High Governor to do this.”

Seol Young replied.

“This is just practice. It is different when you actually do it. You need to go ahead and do it.”

“Then I will just do it.”

Zaha dragged Seol Young away.

“But if we succeed, we will end up heading into the stone chamber of Mita, right? Are we going to leave right now?”

“Right?”

“If we fail, neither of us will survive….”

“You knew that? I thought you didn’t because you looked so confident.”

“Anyway, we are parting from this world. And there are things I need to leave behind.”

Zaha searched through his pocket and took out an alcohol bottle.

Seol Young frowned.

“There was one more?”

“No.”

In front of his eyes, Zaha continued to take out more bottles. And there were a total of six of them.

Seol Young was shocked.

“You are going to have this much? Isn’t that too much?”

“I am not in the other world, so what? Why don’t you hurry up and take out the talismans and other things?”

“I was planning to do that.”

Seol Young took out the things and placed them near the bottles. He was really leaving.

When he realized that, it felt strange. He kept thinking that this was a different world, but his heart longed for this.

The faces of his teacher and his parents were so clear. If he left this place, he couldn’t see them alive.

‘I should see them one last time.’

While he was lost in his thoughts, Zaha suddenly said,

“Ah, I don’t know about anyone else, but I have to meet Jin Rim one more time. What if he sees the Governor and thinks it is strange? We need to fix what we said to him earlier about finding out more information.”

He looked at Seol Young.

“Let’s both go see him one last time.”

“Yes.”

Seol Young answered meekly.

On the way to Jin Rim’s house, they might run into his teacher or his parents, so he followed Zaha with those thoughts.

But just as they had come out of the Moon Palace, a white light flashed between Zaha’s collar.

And the two of them stopped.

“Great Mother?”

“What is it? She has been quiet for a while, so why suddenly…?”

He reached into his collar and pulled the necklace out.

The eyes on the wooden necklace were shining.

“This is usually the reaction it shows when something happens to….”

“I am fine, though, so it isn’t because of me. Maybe something is happening to the sacred tree here?”

Their complexion changed.

They immediately went up to a high tower and looked down at the capital. And there was a problem.

Normally, the divine tree would shine brightly, but now, its light faded and was flickering. The two of them jumped down right then.

“Could something have happened to Miss Jung Myung?”

“We can never know.”

And then they remembered something.

They thought they had managed to avoid the Blue Dragon Troops, and so did she, but could it be something else?

They ran out.

In the forest, the wood spirits were wandering, and upon seeing the two of them, they rushed over.

In front of the sacred tree, they saw a small lump covered in cloth.

Seol Young was shocked.

“Miss Jung Myung!”

And then she rose.

“I am sorry…”

A weak voice said. Then, coughing sounds broke out.

“Miss!”

Zaha hurriedly raised her up, and they were surprised to see her in this condition.

Her face was red, and her lips purple. Her condition looked bad.

As he took out some recovery pills, Seol Young asked,

“What happened?’

“As I thought, I had to pay.”

Her voice was so thin.

“As a shaman who protects the world, I shouldn’t allow others to disturb the order. Instead of punishing me, I became ill for helping. So even the tree I worship is ill.”

Then Zaha looked at it.

“Isn’t this a problem for us?”

“It is still fine. I can hold on longer….”

Before she could finish her sentence, she coughed again and closed her lips.

“But this is a crisis. And I have a good idea.”

“A good idea?”

“I will turn a blind eye one last time. Take advantage of the gap between me and the tree, open the passage, and sneak out. You don’t have to go down the hard road for no result, right? Isn’t this a good one?”

Jung Myung looked around as she spoke in a whisper. Her eyes were shining brightly. Her eyes were full of goodness and sincerity.

Even in this condition, she still wanted to help them.

“….”

Both Seol Young and Zaha were at a loss for words.