HLFH | Chapter 6

[Juwon.]

The voice coming through the wireless earphones was urgent.

“I’m on my way!”

Kim Juwon, sprinting madly towards the park, suddenly looked up at the divine energy he felt. There, he saw a mass of light covering the sky at an alarming speed. It looked like a meteor shower. Gasping for breath, he followed the trail of light spreading everywhere.

It was a mystical sight that left him in awe, an overwhelming divinity he had never encountered before. Kim Juwon found himself staring blankly at the scene, mesmerized.

“Master, right now…”

[I can see it from here too. But…]

Both were at a loss for words at the shocking phenomenon.

What’s happening! Gasp, the sky-! Master, look at this. The nearby evil spirits are being purified on their own! The commotion from the people on the other end of the call was clearly conveyed.

A power that covers an entire village?

‘Is this even possible?’

Kim Juwon instinctively turned his head towards the park.

The answer was there.

…Ki Jaeeon!

As soon as he realized, a chill ran down his spine.

[Hey, Juwon.]

“Later. I’ll bring Seomyeong. Don’t worry.”

He hung up and forced his legs to move. Even though he was out of breath, he didn’t stop. Kim Juwon ran, driven by a force that seemed to beckon him, urging him on. For some reason, he felt a sense of urgency.

The scene at the park was beyond Kim Juwon’s imagination.

What he saw was a massive light of judgment and a man standing before it. The infinite spiritual power emanating from him was driving away and forcibly purifying nearby evil entities.

He had never heard of exorcism like this.

There were no precedents.

A destructive power that made one feel an odd exhilaration just by watching.

Not even the revered Master Kim Young, nor the seniors he trained with for years, nor the lord of Bonryeong could possess such talent. No, he was sure that only that crazy guy could show such insane output.

Kim Juwon was overwhelmed by the immense pressure that made his spine tingle.

He was truly worthy of being called a genius.

Though he didn’t want to admit it, it was a level even Kim Juwon hadn’t reached yet.

But… something was off.

That man who seemed to be ‘Ki Jaeeon.’

Wasn’t it a bit excessive? Kim Juwon held his breath and watched Ki Jaeeon closely.

‘Why isn’t he stopping the incantation?’

The demon had been exorcised long ago. There was no more evil energy.

So why?

“It should be over.”

Muttering to himself, Kim Juwon realized.

Disheveled hair, a forehead with bulging veins beneath it.

Bloodshot eyes and a nosebleed that wouldn’t stop.

A body trembling like a wet dog.

“That bastard…”

Kim Juwon’s eyes widened.

If his thoughts were correct, the power being displayed wasn’t Ki Jaeeon’s will.

He just couldn’t stop. But why would Ki Jaeeon make such a rookie mistake?

Before he could solve the mystery, Ki Jaeeon, as if proving Kim Juwon’s point, coughed up blood. His blood-soaked lower face looked extremely pained.

‘What’s wrong with him?!’

If left like this, his body wouldn’t hold up.

Kim Juwon took a step to stop Ki Jaeeon. But before he could reach him, he spotted his junior, Ahn Seomyeong, lying on the ground.

Pierced by a spear, he lay unconscious in a pool of blood, looking dangerously vulnerable. Kim Juwon, startled, ran towards Ahn Seomyeong instead of Ki Jaeeon.

It was the obvious choice.

“Hey, hey! Get a grip! Damn it, Ahn Seomyeong!”

Just as he was stopping Ahn Seomyeong’s bleeding.

Ki Jaeeon, who had been chanting incantations, seemed to have exhausted his strength and collapsed backward, his eyes rolling back. With no one to catch him, there was a loud thud as his head hit the ground.

𓂃 ོ☼𓂃

After witnessing the unbelievable power firsthand, Bonryeong was in chaos.

“It was over 5km away. But look. Do you see any stray ghosts?”

“Is that possible with just incantations, without divine energy?”

“I understand why the prestige of Cheonjiharang is so high. Our Bonryeong still has a long way to go.”

“I’ve lived a long life, but talent like that is truly…”

From the elders of Bonryeong.

“What on earth is Incheon doing? Creating such a monster.”

“A genius… indeed.”

“It was awe-inspiring.”

To those called the pillars of Bonryeong.

“It was pure holiness!”

“I’m glad I became an exorcist. Someday, I hope I can cause such miracles too.”

“I’m a huge fan. Ah- I really want an autograph.”

Even the rookies who just started on this path.

Everyone was abuzz about ‘Ki Jaeeon.’

And here, Park Hong and Kim Young were also discussing Ki Jaeeon.

“He’s a human blessed by the gods.”

“Indeed. It was an unbelievable sight.”

“Hmm? But Master Young, didn’t you say the haeju failed?”

“Uh? Ah, yes. Well, still…”

“Wow- so he showed such condition while cursed? That kid is something else.”

Park Hong spoke with an expression beyond amazement, and Kim Young wore a vague smile.

Something else? If anything, he was something else.

‘He’s a kid driven to the point of mental breakdown.’

Kim Young was already convinced that Ki Jaeeon was being abused.

‘It’s clear the Ki Family treats him as an object. Otherwise, how could he end up like that?’

Recalling Ki Jaeeon’s unstable appearance, Kim Young clenched his fists tightly in secret.

‘How much pressure did they put on him… those insane abusers.’

“Ugh~ Tsk! What kind of training does the Ki Family do to create such a genius?”

“…It must be harsh, no doubt. They’re people I don’t want to associate with.”

Kim Young inadvertently let out sharp words and then realized his mistake. Fortunately, Park Hong seemed too engrossed in talking about Ki Jaeeon’s power to notice.

“But that Ki Jaeeon guy. He didn’t come here on purpose, did he? Maybe he was sent by Cheonjiharang to stir up trouble for our Juwon.”

“What? Hahaha… That’s a bit much. Exorcist Ki Jaeeon isn’t someone with time to waste.”

“Well- ahem! His worth is no joke.”

Park Hong snorted, sipping the tea Kim Young had made.

Mmm~ Delicious!

Watching him wiggle his cheeks with awkward English, Kim Young felt a tightness in his chest. If he could speak the truth, he would immediately say, ‘Exorcist Ki Jaeeon isn’t cursed.’ But then he’d have to explain his strange condition differently…

‘Who would believe it?’

The great Ki Jaeeon being abused at home?

Don’t write novels; it’d be lucky not to be ridiculed.

While Kim Young was deep in thought, the door burst open without a knock, and someone with a pale face shouted.

“Master, there’s big trouble!”

It was one of Kim Young’s students.

“Hey, we’re talking here!”

Tsk! Park Hong showed his displeasure. It was a natural reaction in Bonryeong, where etiquette was valued. But Kim Young was different. He believed there must be a reason and, instead of scolding the student, asked calmly.

“What is it?”

The anxious student stomped his feet and raised his voice again.

“A f-fight… a fight broke out!”

A fight? Kim Young and Park Hong exchanged hurried glances at the unfamiliar word.

It made sense. Fighting was strictly forbidden in Bonryeong. Naturally. Those who serve the gods shouldn’t be swept up in personal emotions, resorting to verbal and physical violence. How ridiculous would that be?

But who dared to break Bonryeong’s rules and start a fight!

“Friendship and loyalty, they say.”

Clatter! Kim Young stood up, his face cold and stern.

“Master Young, take it easy… huh? Easy!”

Ignoring Park Hong’s attempts to calm him, Kim Young picked up a long switch he found somewhere.

Though usually gentle, Kim Young was strict when it came to breaking etiquette and ethics. Especially regarding violence.

‘What kind of brainless fools are acting like thugs?’

But before he could fully express his anger, the student urged him.

“Master, hurry! At this rate, Exorcist Ki Jaeeon might die!”

But the name he heard was… who?