Invitation to the Chatroom of the Gods - Chapter 91



Only Krnovel

Episode 91 – Plague (3)

Of course, any plans to take separate action were abandoned.

I moved with the group of swordsmen including Dang So-hyang, and since it was important to quickly find the location of the seop-hon-sul, we focused on searching rather than treating the plague.

Still, if there was a village along the way, I didn’t turn away.

Because of that, there was some delay, but since Dang So-hyang’s treatment was so fast, it wasn’t enough to cause any problems.

Then we passed through Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou Province, and when the lord of Guizhou Province, Feng Ziming, heard the news, he said he would accompany us.

With such satirical guidance, the search gained speed.

Thus, Anshun City (安順市), located in the southwest of Guizhou Province.

It was just then that we were passing through the rugged highlands of the mountains.

“here······!”

Suddenly, Dang So-hyang’s footsteps suddenly stopped.

At the sight of Dang So-hyang suddenly stopping, the steps of me, Pung Ja-myeong, and the Hyeopgaekdan also stopped abruptly.

Tang So-hyang was quite exhausted, and her sweaty hair was in a messy state.

Her breathing was ragged, almost panting, and Tang So-hyang’s thin shoulders were clinging to her sweat-soaked clothes.

The leather pouch hanging from her waist was already thinning.

When I untied the leather pouch filled with water from my waist and handed it to her, Tang So-hyang drank it gulping like she had starved for days.

It seemed like he was going to die because of the difficult march and his already weak physical strength.

This was especially true because the entire Guizhou Province was almost entirely mountainous.

But Dang So-hyang didn’t say a word that it was hard······.

“Haa···! Haa···! Thank you, thank you······.”

I didn’t know whether to call this amazing or what to say.

Tang So-hyang emptied her water bottle in one gulp and showed an expression that said she was finally ready to live. I took a dry cloth out of my bosom and wiped the sweat off her face.

“Ah···! T, you don’t have to go this far···.”

Tang So-hyang took a step back from me in embarrassment. Then I took another step closer, wiped her sweat, and said.

“Young lady, there is no need to go to such lengths.”

“Oh, no. I’m fine. I need to find it quickly.”

Dang So-hyang kept saying that it was okay.

But just looking at the sweat pouring down like rain right now, it didn’t look okay at all.

Dang So-hyang was a stubborn woman who didn’t have any stubbornness, but she was truly an unstoppable woman.

“Rather, I think it’s around here.”

Finally, I heard Dang So-hyang’s words.

Although the context was completely cut off, I knew what it meant. It seemed like the place where soul-taking techniques were practiced was around here.

I wiped away Dang So-hyang’s sweat and concentrated my energy.

“I don’t feel anything in particular.”

But I didn’t feel anything particularly······.

Even though I had reached the state of transformation and the feeling had become more distinct, I still felt nothing.

If I was like that, it wouldn’t be much different for other people.

“I don’t see anything particularly strange.”

“We are like that too.”

The executives, including the former president, and the band of swordsmen shook their heads.

“Me too.”

Naturally, the name of the puffed-up man also just had a puzzled expression.

I looked up at Eungseon, who was searching the sky, wondering if she might be different.

Eungseon was flying far away, like a dot, but it seemed to immediately notice my gaze and in an instant, it shot towards me.

······It was truly an eagle’s eye, and the speed was like lightning.

But even that response was just sitting quietly on my arm, nodding its head repeatedly.

And then suddenly, a glare turned towards me.

Huh?

It seemed like he himself couldn’t find anything particularly strange.

So, then only Dang So-hyang felt something strange······.

“The human instincts inside my body······are reacting more and more strongly.”

As I looked, it seemed like there was a reaction to the human voice inside Tang So-hyang’s body. This was something I wouldn’t have been able to know unless I checked inside Tang So-hyang’s body.

The surrounding area was covered in rugged mountains, with trees and the sounds of nature creating a quiet atmosphere.

But, perhaps because of Dang So-hyang’s words, I felt an eerie, gloomy atmosphere.

To put it simply, it was all because of my mood.

However, it was not possible to check inside Dang So-hyang’s body······.

“This way.”

The band of swordsmen and I continued to walk, following Dang So-hyang.

* * *

We walked for a while longer, following the directions given by Dang So-hyang.

Now, the surrounding area was completely surrounded by mountains, and there were no deep mountains or valleys, but we continued walking for quite some time.

The increasingly rugged mountain terrain was so steep that even human footsteps could no longer reach it. The swordsmen and I were able to move, but Dang So-hyang and Pung Ja-myeong were at their limits.

So, I carried Dang So-hyang and the Hyeopgaekdan carried Pung Ja-myeong and continued to move.

How much longer did we move like that?

Suddenly, my vision cleared up and a huge waterfall spread out like Gensokyo.

“This is······.”

Suddenly, the lord of Guizhou Castle, Feng Ziming, opened his eyes in surprise.

“Do you know where this is?”

“It’s Huangguoshu Waterfall.”

Huangguoshu Waterfall.

Guizhou Province, where about nine-tenths of an area is mountainous, has countless streams flowing through valleys.

And there was one peculiar place where the waters of so many valleys came together and condensed, forming a gigantic ‘waterfall’ that almost looked like a river······.

The ‘Huangguoshu Falls’ was created when a group of these waterfalls came together again.

“It is the largest waterfall in the world.”

As the saying goes, it was a huge waterfall that could be seen from six different positions: up, down, left, right, front, and back.

The water was rushing down the cliff, forming a thick spray of water as if a great river was pouring down from the sky, creating a thunderous sound.

To the right of that huge waterfall was a village.

It was hard to believe that people lived in such a harsh place, next to such a large waterfall, and it was indeed so.

“How can there be a village there······?”

The lord of Guizhou Province, Feng Ziming, also spoke with a bewildered expression.

“Wasn’t there originally a village here?”

“I don’t know the exact location of each village, though…”

Well, how can you remember all the villages that exist in Guizhou? Even if you were the lord of Guizhou, you couldn’t remember the locations of all the villages.

Still, I knew the approximate location of each region.

“I have never heard that there is a village at Huangguoshu Falls.”

However, he looked bewildered, as if he had no idea what the village was called.

And here is the view of the village from the top.

······It was quite large in scale.

The size of the village, which was likely home to several thousand people, was a bit too small to be called a city.

In such villages, large and small houses were crowded together.

But for some reason, it didn’t feel like a ‘village’ where people lived.

In particular, the town had a strong overall ‘shabby’ feel, and even considering the characteristics of Guizhou Province, which was not wealthy, it was quite shabby.

Rather than saying it was shabby, the expression ‘it was roughly put together’ would have been more appropriate.

‘Is this a village that was built not too long ago?’

It didn’t seem like a town that was built with the intention of being fully settled.

I don’t know if it was just my mood, but it felt like there was a strange atmosphere flowing throughout the village.

“Over there.”

Suddenly, Tang So-hyang’s index finger appeared in front of my eyes. I followed her finger and looked······.

“Inside the waterfall?”

Dangso-hyang was pointing not to the village, but to the inside of the Huangguosu Falls.

“Yes. The human voice is reacting strongly toward the inside of the waterfall.”

Tang So-hyang nodded with a confident expression. At this point, he began to seriously contemplate whether he should check Tang So-hyang’s body.

But since Dang So-hyang said that, I trusted her and kept walking.

Let’s get closer to the waterfall.

Kwaaaa …

The water falling from the waterfall was so strong that the steep cliffs were shaking. The thick mist that rose from the water falling on the pond was blocking my view.

“Here! Here!”

Dang So-hyang pointed to the back of the waterfall and shouted. Then, the warriors of the swordsman group made dubious expressions.

“Here······ are you talking?”

“I can’t see anything.”

As expected, there was nothing there. There was only a raging waterfall, but Tang So-hyang was still confident.

“I’m sure! That’s where the life force that Ingo sucks up gathers!”

Not only did Dang So-hyang have no reason to lie, she was also not the type of person to lie.

I trusted Tang Xiaoxiang and pulled out the dragon fang that was tied to my waist. Then I concentrated my mind and recalled Yeo Dongbin’s teachings.

One of the two basic sword techniques is cutting.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

In an instant, hot flames filled the Dragon Fang sword. The flames, which seemed to burn anything they touched, were so fierce that they seemed to burn even the Dragon Fang that contained them.

However, the power of ‘strong energy’ contained within the dragon’s fang itself.

Yong-a (龍牙) ​​was able to absorb the power of flames, and the single sword of the Cheon-dun sword technique was unleashed from my hand.

The gushing waterfall and the scenery itself were breathtaking, but no sound could be heard.

So beyond the diagonally cut landscape.

A huge, hidden cave has been revealed.

“······!!!”

“······!!!”

All the knights who were watching the scene opened their eyes in surprise.

Not only was the name of the poem surprising, but even Dang So-hyang, who had been confident, opened her eyes in great surprise.

I said as I put the Dragon Fang back into its scabbard.

“It was a true story.”

As expected, it was a tactic.

It was a level of formation that was completely invisible to my senses, and even to Eungseon’s eyes. If I had been alone… I would never have found it.

It was a place I would not have been able to find if it weren’t for Dang So-hyang, and it meant that there was a sorcerer who was so good that he could fool me and Eung-seon.

And so, an ominous feeling is felt inside the cave.

“I will go in.”

I slowly moved my body and entered the cave.

* * *

The cave was larger and wider than I thought.

The darkness grew thicker and thicker as I entered. There was a groove-like pattern on the wall that I touched with my hand.

It seemed like there were some letters engraved on it, but I couldn’t make out what they meant.

They were densely carved into the cave walls, as if drawn by the darkness.

Perhaps because of that, this space was quite ominous.

It seemed as if all sorts of crimes were about to take shape.

‘This is definitely a made-up space.’

I could tell for sure that this cave was not a naturally formed space.

I took the lead and continued into the cave.

And soon, a large crowd of people was discovered gathered together.

They were lying face down facing something like a huge altar, as if they were performing some kind of ritual.

“Please, accept the offering we have prepared···!!”

And then the voice was heard.

It looked like they were performing a ritual of ‘offering’.

Originally, the term ‘Gongyang’ (供養) referred to the ritual of offering up objects for donation in Buddhism.

It was usually an act of paying tribute to the souls of the deceased or offering offerings to the spirits.

Thus, it was a kind of ‘practice’ to revere the teachings of the three treasures (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha) and to think about the suffering of sentient beings, with the will to live as a Bodhisattva and achieve enlightenment.

Therefore, in keeping with the Buddhist principle of not killing, the only offerings offered as ‘tributes’ were burning incense or lighting lamps.

However, as it spread to the public, its meaning changed and changed to the meaning of ‘offering’, which is offering as a sacrifice under the pretext of offering sacrifices or prayers to gods.

And now, an epidemic was raging throughout Guizhou Province.

On my way here, I often saw these kinds of offering rituals.

A plague that could not be cured no matter what was done.

People prayed earnestly to the gods, and offering ceremonies were held frequently throughout Guizhou Province.

So, even though they were poor, the people of Guizhou used small things like grains and large animals like cows, pigs, and horses as offerings to the gods.

It was thought that the more precious the offering, the more God would be pleased and give greater grace and blessings.

So something that is used as an offering.

No, not ‘something’, but ‘someone’.

‘······children?’

They were children.

Dozens of children were tied together on the altar, shaking with fear.

Human sacrifice, offering up a person as a sacrifice.

Naturally, human sacrifice was the most taboo of all taboos.

There were cases where livestock sacrifices were passed over, but human sacrifices were never tolerated.

If sacrificing a body was a great sin that would offend heaven and man, then human sacrifice was an equally great sin that would offend gods and man. It was a sin that was almost like treason and could not escape punishment.

And since God is a pure and perfect being, the sacrifices offered to Him also had to be pure, so pure women and men were often chosen as human sacrifices.

Among them, the ‘child’, who is bound to be the most pure, could be said to be the best sacrifice for human sacrifice.

So they offer up their children as the best sacrifice and make offerings to the god.

“I pray to the Blood Heavenly Goddess···! I pray to the Blood Heavenly Goddess···!”

Deep inside the cave.

A woman slowly emerged from the darkness.

A captivating woman with pale skin framing a sweet face.

The red pupils that squinted like a snake’s eyes looked like demon eyes.

The luster of her long, black hair, highlighted by the darkness, flowed down her shoulders, wrapping around her body as if she were wearing a black robe.

The subtle shadows floating across the woman’s body emphasized her color tone, and her blood-red lips created a captivating smile.

The woman’s footsteps, slowly revealed, were in an elegant and seductive curve.

When the woman’s appearance was finally fully revealed, people began to bang their heads on the floor as if they were meeting the Empress of Darkness.

“Ahhh…! Oh my god…!”

“Please, have grace upon us…!”

Blood Goddess.

He was the god of disaster, the one who spread the plague throughout Guizhou Province.