Soul Summoning Sword Spirit

Chapter 5: Soul-Summoning Arts (5)

Gugwi headed to the Cold Wolf Sect with Yeon Sohye.

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves between the dense trees, creating a low whisper throughout the forest.

In Gugwi’s hand was a firm bamboo spear.

Even though Yeon Sohye walked beside him, tension lingered to the point that the spear’s tip quivered slightly. The pursuers... They wouldn't give up so easily. They would definitely come after them.

Yeon Sohye silently matched her pace beside him.

Her sharp gaze swept constantly between the trees, searching for threats hidden in the darkness.

Swish!

Suddenly, black shadows fell from the trees above.

As expected, they were warriors of the Heavenly Sound Cult.

Without hesitation, they launched their attack. Sharp blades flashed dazzlingly as they reflected the sunlight.

Swiish!

The first enemy lunged fiercely at Gugwi.

The tip of the blade aimed at his throat, slicing through the air. The intention was to cut swiftly and without delay.

Gugwi quickly twisted his body and thrust his bamboo spear forward.

Clang!

The steel blade clashed against the bamboo spear, sparks flying.

“Ugh!”

Gugwi grunted.

The impact of the clash vibrated through his wrist.

The second warrior aimed for Yeon Sohye.

Rather than trying to kill her, he seemed more intent on preventing her from aiding Gugwi.

Swssst!

He darted swiftly between the trees, approaching rapidly. The twin swords in his hands spun with dazzling motion.

She calmly stepped back and extended her hand.

A thread of blue light pulled itself from the air like spun silk.

Then... like a formless shadow dancing in mist, the Soul Phantom Technique unfolded.

A ghostly, hazy aura rose soundlessly beneath the warrior’s feet.

It wrapped around the man’s legs without a sound, and the twin blades he was swinging lost balance. In that instant, Yeon Sohye’s sword pierced directly through his heart.

“Aaargh!”

The warrior let out a short scream and tumbled to the ground.

Yeon Sohye caught her breath and looked at Gugwi.

A third attacker leapt from behind a tree.

His dagger gleamed like a silver snake under the sunlight. Again, the target was Gugwi. The dagger shot toward his side swiftly. As the first warrior’s assault had failed, he struck immediately after.

Gugwi instinctively ducked.

The dagger grazed his shoulder, slightly slicing his skin. A hot pain shot through like lightning.

Yeon Sohye shouted sharply.

“Gugwi, fall back!”

Gugwi rolled across the ground, evading the blow.

The warrior’s sword struck down hard where Gugwi had just been, kicking up dirt into his face.

“Hah!”

Gugwi gasped for air as he barely managed to get up.

The hand gripping his bamboo spear was slick with sweat.

However... as soon as their ambush failed, the enemies melted away between the trees like smoke.

Yeon Sohye spoke in a low voice.

“They're hitting and fading.”

She caught her breath and looked at Gugwi.

“They're trying to stop you from using the Soul-Summoning Arts. It’s a classic tactic against soul-summoners.”

Gugwi pressed his lips together.

His grip on the bamboo spear tightened. Perhaps because he had never fought people so fiercely before, his heart was pounding. The recent danger still lingered in his body.

From now on, fighting humans... he would need to get used to it.

By the time the sun began to set, the two had exited the forest.

As dusk fell and darkness settled, they took shelter in the ruins of a temple.

Gugwi and Yeon Sohye lit a fire beside a crumbling pillar.

The firelight illuminated her face.

Yeon Sohye pointed to Gugwi’s bamboo spear and said,

“When you fight… have confidence. What you think of as hunting skills is actually martial arts.”

Her voice was firm.

“Martial arts? That can’t be.”

“It is. It's a lost technique of the Cloud Flow Sect called Cloud Flow Tracking. Your father secretly passed it down to you.”

Gugwi blinked.

“Cloud Flow Sect? I’ve never heard of it…”

“That’s to be expected. Uncle Guun brought it back using Soul-Summoning Arts. You're the only one in the world who knows it.”

Yeon Sohye looked at him with certainty in her eyes.

“Now that it’s come to this… you should at least know the basics of Soul-Summoning Arts.”

Yeon Sohye drew a circle on the ground with a twig.

“The Realm of the Threshold is a place where the dead stay before passing on to the afterlife. Soul-summoners are those who can see that place.”

Gugwi threw kindling into the fire.

“Soul-summoners originally helped fulfill the wishes of spirits. It was a noble act, but someone started using that power for martial arts.”

Gugwi narrowed his eyes.

“For martial arts?”

“Yes.”

Yeon Sohye smiled slightly.

“They discovered that by connecting with spirits, they could draw out the martial arts those spirits used while alive. Just like the Flying Swallow Slash of General Madal that you used.”

Gugwi inhaled deeply.

“This isn’t entirely good. You have to be extremely careful. Soul-summoners can master martial arts by tracing the memories of spirits, but if they’re careless, they might be consumed by that power.”

Her eyes sparkled like fire in the dark.

She said firmly,

“There will be many fights ahead. Until you learn properly, don’t use the Soul-Summoning Arts. If you use them without understanding, your soul will be devoured.”

Gugwi nodded.

The firelight painted his face red.

***

The next day, they entered a narrow valley.

A cold wind howled between the rocks. The gravel underfoot was as slippery as if greased.

Swish!

Suddenly, warriors of the Heavenly Sound Cult leapt down from the rocks.

One of them pointed a long spear at Yeon Sohye.

“Relentless.”

She threw herself to the side, narrowly dodging the spear.

Gugwi immediately raised his bamboo spear.

The spear-wielding enemy charged at him, and Gugwi twisted his body while holding his breath. In that moment, a fierce energy burst from his hand. Flying Swallow Slash of General Madal tore through the air.

A power strong enough to shatter the sky… the enemy’s spear shattered into pieces. Then, his heart was pierced.

A blue vein flashed along Gugwi’s arm.

Yeon Sohye shouted in surprise.

“I told you not to use it!”

Gugwi, panting, replied.

“It just happened, on its own.”

As soon as Flying Swallow Slash appeared, the masked men retreated like a receding tide, as if they wanted nothing to do with Soul-Summoning Arts.

“Heavenly Sound Cult… what kind of group are they?”

Gugwi asked.

The masked members of the Heavenly Sound Cult had killed his father. And now, they were trying to kill him. Yet he knew nothing about the cult. Who were these people?

Yeon Sohye quietly explained to Gugwi.

“The essence of Soul-Summoning Arts is connecting with spirits. For example, if the clan head of the Namgung Clan dies, a soul-summoner could summon him and acquire all his secret techniques. This causes two problems: the dead can’t rest in peace, and secret techniques leak outside the sect.”

“Ah!”

Gugwi nodded.

“That’s why the Murim Alliance declared Soul-Summoning Arts to be a demonic art. They began killing all practitioners on sight. Those who fled north to escape the purge banded together and created the Heavenly Sound Cult.”

“Then the Heavenly Sound Cult can’t be all bad, right?”

Gugwi’s voice carried doubt.

“No. They’re bad. They see Soul-Summoning Arts only as a tool for power. They'll do anything to gain strength. They even plan to tear down the Realm of the Threshold and extract multiple souls.”

Yeon Sohye’s gaze turned cold.

“It’s not about fighting the Murim Alliance. It’s about destroying the balance of the Realm of the Threshold—that’s the real danger.”

That night, Gugwi heard a strange voice.

A faint whisper crept into his ears from the darkness. It sounded like the voice of a spirit.

“Gugwi… don’t trust them… they fear your power…”

Yeon Sohye woke from her sleep and spoke.

“That’s a voice from the Realm of the Threshold. Every beginner hears it. Ignore it. If you respond, the spirit may drag you away and possess you. This is why I said you need proper training.”

Gugwi clenched his teeth and shut the voice out.

His mind was restless, but he forced himself to sleep.

The Heavenly Sound Cult was persistent and relentless.

Whish!

In a moment of Yeon Sohye’s distraction, an arrow flew from the forest. It lodged in her leg.

“Ah!”

She let out a short scream.

Gugwi shielded her and glared into the forest. A warrior shouted,

“That’s it! Now kill Gugwi!”

Gugwi raised his bamboo spear and boldly wielded the technique now revealed to be Cloud Flow Tracking. The spear curved, striking like the wind at the enemy.

Thud!

Blood splattered, and the warrior collapsed.

Yeon Sohye pulled out the arrow and said,

“Be careful. They’re out to eliminate you.”

“We need to flee for now. They always overwhelm with numbers.”

They hid deeper into the mountains.

Yeon Sohye placed her hand over her wound, and a faint light shimmered.

“Soul-Summoning Arts? Why now?”

“Healing. I’m borrowing a spirit’s vitality to numb the pain. You never know when they’ll strike again.”

Her face twisted in pain as she explained with difficulty.

Before long, a large group of Heavenly Sound Cult warriors swarmed the mountain.

The rustling of clothes echoed from every direction. Dust clouded the air.

Gugwi held his breath and closed his eyes.

“I wasn’t supposed to use it recklessly… but I need Flying Swallow Slash.”

Boom!

At that moment, the Realm of the Threshold opened.

But… unexpectedly, a strange spirit entered his body. It wasn’t General Madal. A face full of fury, glowing with blue light, flashed past. Who was this? Why did it enter him?

Gugwi’s face turned pale, and he trembled.

Suddenly, the martial technique of the possessed spirit rose like a dance. The bamboo spear stretched and contracted freely. With each thrust, flashes of lightning erupted.

Enemies fell one by one in an instant.

Faintly… Yeon Sohye’s voice rang out.

“Gugwi, snap out of it! I told you! Abuse Soul-Summoning Arts, and you’ll be possessed!”

Thwack!

A strong impact hit the back of Gugwi’s head. He lost consciousness. Even amidst the urgent attack by the Heavenly Sound Cult, Yeon Sohye knocked Gugwi out.

That’s how terrifying possession could be.

At that moment, from the distance, a middle-aged man approached like a gust of wind. His entire presence was like hardened steel.

A face that seemed to have never known laughter, with twin swords on his back.

His very presence made the surrounding air feel colder.

“Master Uncle!”

Yeon Sohye brightened at the sight of the man.

One of the Seven Cold Wolves—an elder of the Cold Wolf Sect.

As soon as he appeared, the Heavenly Sound Cult warriors retreated like the ebbing tide. The once-numerous warriors vanished all at once.

“Tsk! Pathetic.”

The middle-aged man clicked his tongue as he looked at Yeon Sohye.

“Sorry. I didn’t think we could shake off the pursuit, so I contacted you in a hurry.”

Yeon Sohye smiled brightly.

“This him? The son of Guun, mentioned in the letter?”

The man looked at the unconscious Gugwi.

His eyes were sharp like the edge of a blade.

“Yes.”

“He is Guun’s son. The aura of Soul-Summoning is extraordinary. Whether it becomes medicine or poison… Let’s go.”

The middle-aged man spoke only the necessary words and began to lead the way.