Chapter 36

One

'What is this?'

Even Kang Tae-ha, who remained unperturbed by major events, could not hide his surprise at the sudden appearance of Yu Shin-yun.

But it was only for a moment.

Kang Tae-ha quickly composed himself and began to try to figure out the identity of the intruder.

'Is this a remnant of Yu Shin-yun's consciousness?'

A remnant of consciousness was a fragment of the mind that appeared in the mental world when one experienced a great shock in life.

However, that didn't make sense.

A mere remnant of consciousness could not possibly take on a physical form and communicate.

'The only thing that can have reason and form in the mental world is one's own soul...'

In other words,

this must be the last remaining thread of Yu Shin-yun's soul.

'Has it been hiding until now to reclaim its body?'

At that thought, Kang Tae-ha immediately went on guard.

If he were to be attacked in his astral form, it would have a serious negative impact on his physical body.

'...I need to prepare for a fight.'

But at that moment, Kang Tae-ha's inner thoughts were quite complex.

Although it wasn't by his own will, he had essentially taken over the other person's body.

Of course, he didn't want to die.

But he didn't want to destroy Yu Shin-yun's soul to save himself either.

In the midst of this confusion,

Yu Shin-yun opened his previously closed mouth.

-Don't worry.

His voice echoed in Kang Tae-ha's mind like an echo in the mountains.

-I have no intention of harming you.

He fell silent for a moment after speaking.

Then he simply met Kang Tae-ha's eyes cautiously.

If it were the usual Kang Tae-ha, he would never have believed such words meant to reassure him.

He wasn't stupid enough to believe the words of an unknown enemy or ally.

But,

nod.

Strangely, Kang Tae-ha nodded in agreement, accepting Yu Shin-yun's words without doubt.

The reason for his change in reaction was simple.

At the moment Yu Shin-yun's words echoed,

'I don't desire anything. I just want to help you.' Yu Shin-yun's sincere intention was conveyed so clearly.

It seemed like a harmony created by the two souls residing in the same body.

'...Hmm, it seems he really has no ill intentions.'

Yu Shin-yun, noticing that Kang Tae-ha's guard was lowering,

-...I will give you what you were looking for first.

Immediately began to act with a low voice.

Kwaah!

Kwaah!

The water of the lake began to split as if cut by a giant sword.

The two people standing on the lake were now standing on the bottom of the lake, which had been revealed.

Kang Tae-ha pondered Yu Shin-yun's words.

“...!”

Then, as he alternately looked at the water walls on either side, his eyes lit up.

In the left water wall,

-Kuk, kuk! Young master! Kuheng, young master!

Wang San was hugging Yu Shin-yun, who was wearing a funeral robe, and sobbing.

The expression of Yu Shin-yun, who was blinking inside the coffin, was very familiar.

It couldn't be helped.

'This was...'

The day he first opened his eyes in this world.

From that day on, the scene changed rapidly.

The events of his journey to Blood Mist Valley to regain his strength.

The events of foiling the Golden Family's plot.

And the events of killing Guo Zhushan.

The events he had experienced since coming to this world were replayed in sequence.

'Then...'

Kang Tae-ha turned his head to look at the right water wall.

But there,

-Ah! Ah, young master! Kuheng!

The same funeral was taking place.

But there was a clear difference.

The Yu Shin-yun in the coffin did not open his eyes.

He ended with a pale, lifeless face.

Moreover, the image of Yu Jinxiang faintly smiling as he looked at Yu Shin-yun's corpse was also shown.

And in the deep night, the coffin containing the body was moved to an unknown place, making it impossible to confirm any further memories.

Kang Tae-ha's expression became very serious.

For some reason, although it was clearly the same day,

the events unfolded completely differently.

At that moment, Yu Shin-yun spoke with shocking content.

-On the day of my funeral, the world's time split into two.

“...!”

-'Something' caused two identical but completely different worlds to be created.

Yu Shin-yun said that due to 'something,' the world's laws were broken, and the timeline of one world split into two.

It was similar to the concept of 'parallel worlds' in his past life.

And,

Kang Tae-ha already knew very well the identity of the 'something' that had broken the laws of this world.

Kang Tae-ha, his own past life.

That was it.

Realizing the truth, Kang Tae-ha spoke.

"You mean there are two timelines: one where I opened my eyes in your body and one where I didn't."

Yu Shin-yun nodded calmly.

At that moment, Kang Tae-ha realized that the memories in the right water wall were what he had been looking for in the mental world.

'The memories of Yu Shin-yun who did not experience a past life.'

Kang Tae-ha's eyes regained their vitality.

Then, the task at hand was clear.

Step by step.

Kang Tae-ha began to move towards the right water wall.

-...You will regret it.

At that moment, Yu Shin-yun, who had been silently watching him from behind, spoke in a trembling voice.

-...You might spend your life in fear and pain.

The warning in Yu Shin-yun's voice was chilling.

But Kang Tae-ha did not stop.

Approaching the water wall, he said,

"Fear?"

With a smirk,

"If you want to eat me, go ahead and try."

Swoosh.

Swish!

Without a moment's hesitation, he plunged his body into the water wall.

Two

The moment he entered the water wall,

Kang Tae-ha felt as if he was falling off a cliff, sinking endlessly into the deep water.

As he did, his astral form quickly faded.

Scattered into thousands of pieces, he soon felt himself merging with the water.

Finally, Kang Tae-ha opened his eyes in Yu Shin-yun's memories.

Kang Tae-ha confirmed that his limbs were bound to a platform.

"Kuk, Master Gong, it's been a while."

Guo Zhushan approached him with a sinister smile.

His voice was clearly audible, and the disfigured face of Guo Zhushan, burned by fire, was in his line of sight.

Looking at the cruelly smiling Guo Zhushan, Kang Tae-ha felt extreme fear.

But this was not his own emotion.

It was the feeling Yu Shin-yun had experienced at that time.

'Success.'

Kang Tae-ha realized he had successfully become Yu Shin-yun in the memory.

Not just observing a slice of the memory, but becoming Yu Shin-yun himself.

However, he had no control over the body.

He could feel the senses and emotions of Yu Shin-yun at that time, but could not act on his own will.

Yu Shin-yun began to struggle to escape, but the dark iron rings binding his limbs did not budge.

"Before you died, you were just a useless trash with no talent, but who would have known that such excellent talent would manifest after your death."

Guo Zhushan burst into a mad laugh, looking at him with derision.

"Kuhaha! Now, rejoice."

Kang Tae-ha tensed.

This was the moment he had been trying to uncover, the hidden identity of Yu Shin-yun.

Guo Zhushan continued with a voice filled with madness.

"You will now be reborn as the one and only 'Sheng Jiangshi' and become a cornerstone of the Blood Sect's grand plan!"

Sheng Jiangshi.

A single word shook his mind ruthlessly.

Indeed, despite clearly dying, Yu Shin-yun had a life after death.

Because he was reborn as a Jiangshi by the Blood Sect.

'So that's how it was.'

Enduring the overwhelming despair and confusion of Yu Shin-yun, Kang Tae-ha coldly organized his thoughts.

But the questions kept piling up.

'But it's too different from them.'

Kang Tae-ha recalled the Jiangshi he had fought in the underground of Red Cloud Pavilion.

Bodies that moved only by their master's command, without any will of their own.

The Jiangshi he had encountered then were not much different from the ghouls he controlled.

But as he felt now,

Yu Shin-yun, despite being reborn as a Jiangshi, still had his senses and could think for himself.

In other words, Yu Shin-yun was a completely different entity from a typical Jiangshi.

Kang Tae-ha could not hide his surprise.

'...This is like completely reviving the dead.'

It was a realm even his past self had not reached.

Kang Tae-ha's thoughts deepened.

He realized the Blood Sect's power was even more formidable than he had imagined.

But then,

-Who would have known that such excellent talent would manifest after your death.

Reflecting on Guo Zhushan's words,

'Yu Shin-yun must have had some special constitution. It doesn't seem reproducible.'

He organized his thoughts.

Indeed, only Yu Shin-yun existed in the large room.

Ding. Ding.

The sound of the bell Guo Zhushan shook echoed, and Yu Shin-yun's eyes slowly closed.

And when he opened his eyes again,

Kang Tae-ha understood why Yu Shin-yun had tried to prevent him from seeing his memories.

His vision was filled with nothing but deep red blood.

"Please, save me! Kuh!"

"Ah, save my child!"

"Ah... Father!"

Terrifying screams filled the air.

And all of it was happening at the tip of his own sword.

Ding. Ding.

The sound of Guo Zhushan's bell echoed, and his hands were invariably drenched in someone's blood.

-I don't want to kill! Please! Please, run away from me!

Yu Shin-yun's tragic cries shook Kang Tae-ha.

With eyes that had lost their black irises and only had white, Yu Shin-yun shed tears of blood.

He wanted to stop by stabbing his own neck, but his body would not move as he wished.

"Feel even more pain! Drink even more innocent blood! Kuhaha, the more you do, the stronger you will become!"

The more blood he shed, the stronger he became, and the more people died.

The terror of the Sheng Jiangshi lay in this.

He could absorb the strength of those he killed.

Regardless of age or gender.

Without any moral consideration.

Causing endless, terrifying bloodshed in the martial world, a monster with no clear intent.

The White-Eyed Blood Demon (白眼血魔).

That was the true identity of Yu Shin-yun.

Martial World Family, Reincarnated Top Player