THWCS 22

Chapter 22

Ishin struck hard with his sheathed sword, mercilessly pounding the big man’s knees, shoulders, and elbows as the man lay face-down on the ground, gasping for air.

“B-Brother…!”

The sudden uproar left the three convict brothers momentarily stunned, but the younger two quickly snapped out of it, rushing to their fallen elder.

Yet the big man, sprawled on the dirt floor, only twitched—he couldn’t get up.

“You bastard! I’ll kill you!”

The younger brothers glared at Ishin with murderous fury, scrambling around to find something—anything—they could use as a weapon.

Ishin ignored them completely and looked toward the ghost.

The ghost, staring down at the man crawling like an insect across the dirt, wept tears of blood.

“Dying is easy… But how could I relieve the resentment of my wife and child in any way other than this?”

The ghost’s mournful voice brushed against Ishin’s ear.

Lowering his gaze, Ishin looked at the black bell attached to his sword hilt.

“If you make him live a life worse than death, even if it means being dragged to the underworld and suffering for eternity—would you still accept that price?”

At the soft, almost musing question, the ghost’s eyes turned toward Ishin.

“…I would. If I can make that beast live a fate worse than death, I’ll do anything!”

The ghost’s answer was resolute—and Ishin’s hesitation was brief.

He gently brushed the bell from bottom to top, and unlike before, a deep, heavy sound spread outward in soft ripples, like waves across still water.

It was a summoning sound—a tone that allowed the dead to manifest before the living.

“Ugh… Aaaagh! You—you… you!”

The brothers, who had picked up a broken axe from the corner of the hut and were creeping toward Ishin, suddenly screamed in horror.

A ghost had materialized from the darkness before their eyes.

“A g-ghost…! Ghost! GHOST!”

Their brotherly bond shattered instantly in panic.

Abandoning the big man, they tripped over each other and fled the courtyard in a frenzy.

Only the big man remained, his eyes wide in terror as he stared at the ghost drawing near.

“D-Don’t come…! Don’t come near me! You…! No! This isn’t real! You’re dead!”

“Why did you do it? Why did you kill us? If we were a burden, you could’ve just left! Why… why did you have to do it!”

The ghost’s anguished accusation turned into a shrieking wail that split the man’s ears.

Blood trickled from his ear canals. Out of his mind, the big man frantically crawled backward, trying to get away.

“Stay back! Fuck! Don’t come near me!”

Despite his injuries from Ishin’s earlier beating, the big man staggered to his feet and ran wildly outside.

The ghost, eyes blazing with madness, chased after him.

“Ishin!”

Woonjeong, seeing this, started to follow—but Ishin stopped him with a light shake of the bell.

“Let him go.”

“But if that ghost harms someone, you’ll—”

Woonjeong frowned, but Ishin only gave a faint laugh.

“Didn’t you hear? He said he’d bear the punishment, even if it means eternal torment in the afterlife. If anything happens, I’ll summon a reaper with the Record of the Dead.”

“What?”

As Ishin spoke, he lightly rang the black bell again, and a grim reaper-like figure—a Gwino—appeared.

“Follow them. If he harms the living, bind him immediately and bring him back.”

After giving his command, Ishin glanced at Woonjeong, who was standing frozen in surprise.

“I didn’t order that ghost to kill anyone, did I?”

Realizing the meaning of his words, Woonjeong sighed.

Ishin oversaw the inspection of spirits, ensuring they didn’t harm the living—but as one man, he couldn’t possibly keep track of every single ghost in the land.

For the spirits, it was mostly a matter of luck—
If they frightened the living and were unlucky enough to be caught in Ishin’s inspection area, they’d be dragged back to the underworld. If not, they might get away with it.

And since Ishin hadn’t told the ghost to harm anyone, there would be no consequences for him.

“Ishin, you…!”

Woonjeong clenched his jaw in frustration. He knew Ishin wouldn’t be punished for this, but he was furious nonetheless.

Being the head of the Geom Clan, responsible for overseeing and restraining spirits, seemed an honorable position—but one wrong move could mean ruin.

Because such a person wielded immense power, countless rules bound that power tightly—
and above all, using a spirit for personal revenge or to harm the living was the gravest taboo.

“Why do you care so much? Let people have their revenge, or go mad with resentment—it’s none of your business.”

Woonjeong muttered bitterly, but Ishin replied calmly,

“If I were that ghost, I’d kill him. Even if it shattered my soul beneath this sword, I’d still do it.”

“Ishin…”

“You would too, Woonjeong.”

Ishin’s lips curved faintly upward.

Woonjeong opened his mouth to argue, but he knew Ishin was right—and fell silent instead.

“…The full moon’s soon. What about the Mabisan case?”

“It’s ready.”

Ishin turned around.

Above his head, the moon hung bright and round in the night sky.

Before long, the Gwino reappeared in front of him.

By his side stood the same ghost Ishin had let go earlier. Judging by its presence, it hadn’t been dragged back—it had come of its own will.

“The man pursued by this ghost fell off a mountainside. He hit his head on a tree trunk and broke his neck—he’s dead.”

The Gwino reported politely, and Ishin turned his gaze toward the ghost.

The ghost met his eyes, grinning with yellowed teeth and a murderous air.

If left unchecked, it would surely become a vengeful spirit.

Silently, Ishin pulled out the Record of the Dead from inside his robes and opened it.

On the blank page, three characters—the ghost’s name—appeared in glowing ink.

Yeongyeong Hall.

“My lady, it’s getting dark. Shouldn’t we head back to Maewon soon? If we don’t show up, they might not save us dinner!”

“You’re right. Go ahead and bring the meal inside to the women’s quarters.”

“You’re not coming with me? Cold rice and soup don’t taste good, you know.”

“I don’t mind cold food. I’ve eaten worse on long journeys.”

Yeongwon’s gentle reply made Sora droop her eyebrows into an exaggerated frown.

But after a brief pause, she perked up again with a new thought.

“My lady, I was thinking—there’s no way anyone could live in a place like Yeongyeong Hall, even if it’s the clan head’s quarters. Don’t you think the real residence must be elsewhere?”

“You think so?”

“I’m sure of it! Look around—now that it’s dark, it feels like a ghost might pop out any second!”

Sora peeked through the partition door, and Yeongwon followed her gaze.

It was even gloomier and more desolate than it had been in the morning—practically a haunted house.

“Are you really going to keep waiting here? What if a ghost appears?”

Sora tugged at Yeongwon’s skirt lightly, half-pleading.

For a split second, Yeongwon’s hair stood on end—she’d thought an actual ghost had grabbed her hem.

“My lady? Did I scare you?”

Looking down, Yeongwon saw Sora grinning mischievously as she tugged her skirt again.

Yeongwon shot her a mock glare and lightly slapped the back of her hand.

And yet, part of her thought—Maybe that’s enough for today.

She still remembered Ishin’s warning clearly: if she wanted to survive in Jejado, she mustn’t wander recklessly.

“Stop fussing and see if you can fetch a lantern.”

“You’re going back?”

Sora’s face brightened at the answer she’d been hoping for.

“Yes. If we stay any later, we’ll lose our way back to the servants’ quarters and end up wandering all night inside this place.”

Yeongwon looked around—the walls stretched endlessly along both sides, linking courtyard after courtyard.

Sometimes they turned sharply, sometimes ran straight; though neat and simple in design, it would be a grave mistake to think it easy to navigate.

The Geom Clan’s estate was vast.

Even Sora, who had a good sense of direction, often got lost at intersections.

If Yeongwon were to go alone, it would be even worse.

“Will you be alright by yourself?”

“I’ll be fine. What other choice do we have?”

Smiling faintly, Yeongwon gestured for her to go.

“Stay right here until I get back, okay?”

Sora took off running, eager to return—
and as Yeongwon watched her disappear, the smile faded from her lips.