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Chapter 838: Side Story - Mythical Relic (3)
The explanation from the man in white martial attire called the Martial Artist Ha-eun begins.
He testifies to the situation as objectively as possible, and in that regard, he is someone even Ahn Geum and Makli Hyun-ah can acknowledge.
And after hearing all of Ha-eun's explanation, Jo Yeon nods and speaks.
"Is that so? Seol Ga does have fault first, but it seems the distinguished ones all responded far too excessively. First, even if we set aside the weight of the crime...Cultivator Seol Ga, who learned the Novelist Family Method, is an important person who must not be absent from this subjugation force. I also know his usual conduct, so I believe you were attacked first. Still, no matter what, taking his life is a great loss to the Human Race. Can the three of you, who have come to help with the subjugation, make up for this?"
[TL/N: The Hangul for Seol Ga can mean Eloquence Family.]
She asks while directing her question toward where Ahn Geum, Makli Hyun-ah, Makli Cheon-sa, and Ahn Geum answers briskly at those words.
"...Pardon?"
At those brazen words, everyone including Jo Yeon is dumbfounded for a moment.
Kkiyaaaaaaak!
When Ahn Geum waves her hand through the air, a pale wandering soul is caught within her palm and seems to scream, and then in an instant it changes into the appearance of the man called Seol Ga who has just died.
"Taa-dah~ How is it? He's alive here, right?"
"This...this devilish cultivator...!"
"How can she do something so cruel...!?"
"It's Black Ghost Valley! I know that method. It is the One Ghost True Sea method, a method that regenerates the one you killed as a ghost soul and uses them... Unless an Esteemed One-class Ghost Path cultivator performs it, you can never bring back the exact cultivation they had in life!"
Those in the hall are horrified at Ahn Geum's vicious Ghost Path divine power and denounce her, and she picks at her ear and refutes them.
"Uh, mine is different. My talent is so extraordinary, you know? With my talent combined with the One Ghost True Sea, he can directly use his original cultivation for about a month."
"Wh-What...!? Without being of Esteemed One-level, how can you...? No, even if that is true, in the end you turn Seol Ga into a one-month disposable item, you witch!?"
"After a month, if he gets a suitable body, his cultivation won't drop either. Rather than a living body that dies easily, a dead body that doesn't die well even if puppets hit it is better, you know?"
"Don't be ridiculous, you murderer! Surely Seol Ga's soul is shedding tears of blood!"
"Ahaha, Seo Ga. Are you shedding tears of blood?"
[No, Saintess-nim! I am so happy to be able to become your wandering soul, Saintess-nim! I love you, Saintess-nim, I love you!!!]
At Ahn Geum's question, the wandering soul of the man called Seol Ga kisses the top of her foot and bows to her in a deeply moved voice.
Seeing that sight, all the cultivators in the hall look at her with uneasy eyes.
She shrugs her shoulders and makes a gloomy smile.
"There is no loss of combat power, and rather, he's become stronger. Also, doesn't that fellow Seol Ga look very happy? If he even gets a suitable body, you can say his combat power has increased by several times. Where is there any reason at all for me to be punished?"
At her words, the cultivators of Hundred Schools in the hall all turn their eyes away from her with uneasy expressions, or step back a little.
"As expected...the Devilish Path of the Immortal Family Method...are people you must not associate with."
"Only now do I remember who that witch is. The witch who is said to have betrayed the Black Ghost Valley branch in the Purple Gold Realm. There is a warrant out for her in the Black Ghost Valley branch in the Vast Cold Realm too."
"Then if we capture her, can't we receive the bounty from Black Ghost Valley?"
"If that were possible, someone would have done it long ago! That witch is treated as the Saintess of the Immeasurable Life Buddha Religious Order. She is a woman connected to a True Immortal!! If you don't want to be chased by the Immeasurable Life Buddha fanatics, you must not touch her. Look there. Among the ones who believe in the Immeasurable Life Buddha, the look in the eyes of the ones who recognized her changed.”
“…!”
"Damn...we ran into bad luck."
Among those who recognize her identity, those who believe in the Immeasurable Life Buddha Religious Order begin to send her eyes of infinite respect and goodwill, and the martial artist called Ha-eun seems to convey the situation to the woman called Jo Yeon by voice transmission.
The woman who hears the situation nods and smiles.
"Is that so? So you are the Saintess of the Immeasurable Life Buddha Religious Order. I failed to recognize you. Since you have that level of status, and you even strengthened Cultivator Seol's combat power, I will not argue any further. Should I understand it as merely forcibly recruiting Cultivator Seol into the Immeasurable Life Buddha Religious Order?"
"That's right. Because this fellow deceived me and my fiancé, I only preached to him in a 'slightly forceful way'!"
"Good. Then there is no problem at all, so from now on, we will discuss in earnest this Cold Yin Marsh subjugation operation."
In that way, Ahn Geum and Makli Hyun-ah's group naturally joins the subjugation force.
"The number of constructs that took their positions in Cold Yin Marsh is 800 million units of Heavenly Being stage puppets, and about 2,000 units of Integration stage puppets. But because they are all mass-produced puppets, their structure is made the same according to the location and production time of the production factory. In other words, if they have the same structure, the strength of Cultivator Ga Beop of the Legalist Family Method and Cultivator Seol Ga of the Novelist Family Method will be of great help."
[TL/N: The Hangul for Ga Beop can mean Family Method, or the reverse of Legalist Family which is Beop Ga.]
As Makli Hyun-ah and Ahn Geum enter the meeting, they can understand why the woman called Jo Yeon, who seems to have no ability at all, is the one serving as the chief strategist of the subjugation force.
It is because, in this entire Vast Cold Realm, no one can surpass her in understanding puppets.
"I heard that the newly arrived Cultivator Makli Hyun-ah learned the Naming Family Method and the Confucian Family Method. May I ask which one is your main method?"
"Ah...right now, the Confucian Family Method is my main method. However, I can also use the Naming Family Method quite skillfully as my realm rises, and the compatibility between the Confucian Family Method and the Naming Family Method is the best, so there is no big problem."
"Mm, I see... But since you say the Confucian Family Method is the main one for now, I think it would be best for you to take rear support."
"Eh, why?"
"Because the Confucian Family Method has the worst possible matchup with puppets."
Jo Yeon slowly explains to Makli Hyun-ah about the compatibility between puppets and the Confucian Family Method.
"I hear that the greatest characteristic of the Confucian Family Method is oppression, and that it suppresses and seals Heaven and Earth spiritual energy, divine powers, and strange powers and chaotic spirits, among other things. Is that correct?"
"Yes, that is correct, but..."
"However, puppets can still bring out their true strength even if Heaven and Earth spiritual energy is suppressed. Even if Heaven and Earth spiritual energy, or strange powers and chaotic spirits, are suppressed, they only need to switch the method by which they acquire their power source in an instant."
"By switching the method by which they acquire their power source, you mean..."
"If they lose Heaven and Earth spiritual energy as their power source, they move by basing it on power obtained through sunlight or wind, using that to boil the liquid inside their bodies into steam, running a steam engine, and obtaining electrical power. Of course, electrical power is not as efficient as spiritual energy, so the operating time of the puppets slows a bit, and there is some slight change in the nature of the attacks they use, but..."
"..."
"No matter how much you suppress things like Heaven and Earth spiritual energy or strange powers and chaotic spirits...it has no effect on bringing out their strength, for that is what the Mad Lord's puppets are. Therefore, a Confucian Family Method cultivator, who only suppresses Heaven and Earth spiritual energy, has far worse compatibility than an Immortal Family Method cultivator who can at least actively struggle against the puppets in a contest of force."
Makli Hyun-ah is momentarily left speechless at the vicious characteristics of the puppets Jo Yeon describes.
Then, something suddenly comes to mind, and he speaks again.
"Wait, since my Confucian Family Method is in the Beast Taming Method line anyway, as long as I have demon beasts to protect me, I can exert quite a bit of strength. More than anything, I also have comrades who protect me, so I can contribute in my own way!"
"Hmm, if it is demon beasts..."
"Look. Come out, Badger! Come out, Rabbit Seven Heavenly Lords!"
Makli Hyun-ah takes Badger and the rabbits out from the beast scroll and shows them in front of Jo Yeon.
Badger blinks, then quietly goes under Jo Yeon, and when Jo Yeon feels Badger's breath, she quietly tries stroking Badger's head, and her face reddens a little.
"Mm...the fur...is fluffy. What is your realm?"
"The Golden Core stage."
Badger answers Jo Yeon, who finds her cute, and Jo Yeon speaks as she finds Badger very cute.
"Golden Core stage... It is excellent, but with this it is nowhere near enough, is it?"
"Hoho...please do not worry. They are in a supporting role to help me unfold the Confucian Family Method, and I will only be unfolding the Confucian Family Method over a wide area through them."
"...Didn't you say the Confucian Family Method has no meaning?"
"It is different when it combines with my Naming Family Method!"
Makli Hyun-ah shows his talisman and continues speaking.
"What I can do with my Naming Family Method is...things like this."
Starting with an explanation of his Talisman War, he shows what he can do with the Naming Family Method.
After listening to Makli Hyun-ah's explanation for a while, Jo Yeon thinks it over and speaks.
"So, you seal the power or authority of a target whose name you know, and through the name you can summon it again? And you can set it so that the power and authority by such a summoning method are not restricted within the Confucian Family Method as well?"
"That is right!"
"...It's...good. Sealing the power of a target whose name you can know..."
"Hoho, that is not the end either. If it activates powerfully, you can even seal the existence itself!"
"Hm..."
After thinking for a while, Jo Yeon smiles faintly and asks him a question.
"If sealing the target is possible as long as you know the [name]...then do things like [identification number] or [product name] count as well?"
"...Pardon? Uh...in theory, it seems like it should be possible..."
"Then I have a good idea. Everyone, please listen..."
For a while, Jo Yeon strokes Badger, and she begins telling everyone the plan she thinks of.
***
Vast Cold Realm, Cold Yin Marsh.
Makli Hyun-ah, there, hands out several hundred talismans each with their names written on them to everyone in the subjugation force, and he hides and thinks.
'The compatibility between puppets and Confucian Family Method users is the worst, huh...'
That is certainly true.
No matter how much he thinks about it, Makli Hyun-ah can only aim for a chance to catch puppets through cooperation. He has absolutely no confidence that Makli Hyun-ah alone can win even against a single puppet of the same realm, let alone puppets in general.
'No, why do space opera cyborgs pop out in a medieval Chinese-style world? Is this right?'
The Confucian Family Method is the power that suppresses Heaven and Earth spiritual energy.
Puppets are pure engineering power that are not greatly affected by Heaven and Earth spiritual energy.
No matter how much Makli Hyun-ah suppresses and seals Heaven and Earth spiritual energy, he is only doing puppets a favor.
'Still, since Heaven and Earth spiritual energy is more efficient, they say that just converting it into inefficient electric power helps, but...'
Makli Hyun-ah honestly does not look forward to how much the Confucian Family Method he learned as his main strength will influence the operation, and he sighs.
'Master also didn't say much about dealing with puppets.'
His master also did not say much about dealing with puppets, and when Makli Hyun-ah talked to Ban Ta about puppets last night, he didn't get any advice at all and instead only heard, 'It will benefit you if you meet them.'
"By the way, that person called Ha-eun is really prickly. Why is he like that, seriously...?"
Recalling the warning Ha-eun gave him not long ago, he frowns.
—Miss Yeon does not like it when people make the 'hoho' sound, so I ask that you refrain!
"No, do I even have to control the way I laugh?"
"Hoho...I suppose there can be people who are sensitive to laughing sounds."
Makli Hweol chimes in at Makli Hyun-ah's words and laughs, and Makli Hyun-ah sighs.
"No, when I think about it, that 'hoho' laugh also stuck to my mouth before I knew it because I kept following Daoist around, didn't it? Just how long is Daoist going to keep that..."
And Makli Hyun-ah feels something off.
"...Huh, but was the one who followed us not Ancestor Makli Cheon-sa, but originally Daoist Makli Hweol..."
☯
"Look at me, seriously. From the beginning, Daoist was following us. I'm starting to think I already have dementia."
"...A person does not become a dementia-ridden old man that easily. Do not worry, Daoist Makli Hyun-ah."
"Still, I lived long enough to grow old, you know..."
"...If everyone goes through dementia just because they grow old, then why are Daoist's acquaintances, who are already over twenty thousand years old, perfectly fine? Please put your worries aside."
"If you say so, then I understand, Daoist Makli Hweol. By the way..."
Makli Hyun-ah asks Makli Hweol one thing.
"There is still time before the puppets swarm in... I'm a little hungry, so would you like to eat something? Badger happened to make a snack at just the right timing."
"Oh, that is great. No matter how much one cultivates the Immortal Family Method, there is little that compares to the joy Food Dao gives."
"Here, it is boiled potatoes. Please have some."
With a somewhat blank face, Makli Hweol accepts the boiled potatoes Makli Hyun-ah hands over and blinks.
Makli Hyun-ah clicks his tongue inwardly, thinking he messed up.
'Oh no, thinking about it, is this food too plain for Daoist Makli Hweol, who grew up as a promising younger generation talent of a cultivation clan? I should also give something to dip it in...'
Makli Hyun-ah quickly takes out a jar of honey, and with a spoon he spreads honey onto the potato in Makli Hweol's hand.
"Potatoes really taste best when you eat them with honey or rice syrup. It will sweeten your mouth a bit."
As if he is moved by Makli Hyun-ah's good will, Makli Hweol's eyes are bloodshot as his body trembles, and Makli Hyun-ah, satisfied that his kindness seems to be conveyed well, dips a potato deep into honey right in front of Makli Hweol's eyes, pulls it out, and takes a big bite.
"...P, potatoes...with honey, not salt..."
Makli Hweol seems to mutter something, but either way...
It is a taste that warms the heart.