Are MZ Shamans In Trouble In Romance Novels? - Chapter 98

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

98.

“Open it!”

The Government Officials lifted the lid of the clay jar and pulled something out. It was the hair of a person bound with binding rope.

“Ggh, urk!”

The Prisoners who had been crouched in the narrow clay jar thrashed their entire bodies desperately. Their screaming joints and the fear of not knowing when they might die was eating away at them.

“Open wide!”

The Government Soldiers roughly grabbed both cheeks of the Prisoners.

“Open wider! Wider!”

At the sharp command, the Government Soldiers picked up wooden drumsticks. The hard rods stirred inside their tender mouths and forced their lips apart as if to tear them.

Hiss! Hisss!

The Government Soldiers began shoving something into their wide-open mouths. Long, thin bodies densely covered with slippery scales—baby snakes.

“Gack! Ga, huk!”

The Government Soldiers jabbed inside their mouths with long rods. The Prisoners with bloodshot eyes coughed madly from the rising nausea and disgust.

“Ggh, urgh!”

The snake’s head went down their throats, gradually blocking the Prisoners’ airways.

“Ggh, urk! Gack.”

The Prisoners’ shrill screams grew louder. It was because strong alcohol that made their minds hazy was poured over them.

“What are you standing around for! Continue!”

Someone invisible harshly urged the Government Soldiers. They once again shoved snakes down the Prisoners’ throats and poured alcohol.

“Will this really work?”

The Well-dressed Wealthy Man clasped his hands behind his back and clicked his tongue. The scene unfolding before his eyes made him nauseous.

“Just wait and see for exactly ten days. There’s nothing better than Human Snake Wine for catching a Young Imugi.”

The Sinister Woman looked at the Prisoners and curled up the corners of her mouth.

Hisss! Hiss!

Calisia twisted her body from side to side. Someone had grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and lifted her into the air. Her vision shook violently and afterimages of torches flashed by. And what she faced at the end was a red tongue and throat. The soft feeling was brief before a long stick stabbed and pressed against her body.

“Ggh, ahhh!”

Every time the Prisoner screamed, her head seemed to ring. In the end, the only place to escape was the narrow hole before her eyes.

“…Huk! Hu, urk!”

Along with the sensation of pressure throughout her body, Calisia snapped back to reality. She pulled her hands away from the Imugi’s scales as if having a seizure. It was disgusting, utterly disgusting.

-What I saw through the snakes ends there.

Deep hatred dwelled in the Imugi’s eyes. Even if they weren’t young spirits, snakes were creatures under its dominion. Seeing them suffer like that, used for Dark Magic, filled it with resentment and anger.

-When I first established my territory in this pond, I received great help from the Village Ancestors. So I made a promise to them. That I would protect their land and descendants.

A species that dedicates eternal years to become a divine beast, the Imugi did not forget kindness. It had protected the village for nearly a thousand years.

-They also made a promise. That they would serve me well as the village’s guardian deity.

But before the long passage of time, human promises easily lost their light. They no longer came to find it or even remembered it.

-Even humans change after just ten years pass… I was foolish.

Calisia drew up her divine power and soothed the spiritual creature’s wounded energy. Despite speaking like that, this Imugi had steadfastly protected the village alone.

-I am bound by the covenant with my ancestors and cannot harm the village people. So I beg of you. Save my young one in my stead.

Calisia silently looked up at the Imugi. With its brilliant scales of silver-gray tinged with blue light, this was a spiritual creature that should have ascended to heaven long ago.

“Are you staying in this pond, forsaking the path to heaven because you’re worried about your young?”

-This is all a pathetic creature clinging to a thousand-year-old covenant can do.

The Imugi, revealing regret and self-reproach, suddenly opened its mouth wide.

Whooooosh-

A strong wind arose over the pond, and the trees swayed their branches and leaves back and forth. Then, after a moment, a blue orb the size of a chestnut floated high in the air.

-It is a Cintamani containing a thousand years of spiritual cultivation. A sacred object that not only sheds withered flesh but also elevates the soul’s rank.

Calisia stared at the mystical orb like someone entranced. The supreme treasure that would allow the Imugi to transform into a divine dragon. With this, it would be enough to bridge the gap between body and soul. A path to escape the Pope’s eyes had opened.

-Will you save the young Imugi in my place?

“…Well.”

Calisia turned her head as if uninterested. This was vastly different from her previous attitude when her eyes had sparkled with desire for the Cintamani.

-How greedy! Do you dare say my Cintamani is not to your liking!

The Imugi bared its sharp fangs and made a threatening sound.

“It’s not that, it’s just that I once ate mugwort and underwent complete transformation before.”

Calisia recalled the panacea mugwort she had obtained in Tiger Disaster Village. Of course, mugwort and Cintamani were of different ranks. But now was the time to bluff and extract something more. Wasn’t it written on the scroll banner? The number of repayments was not fixed.

“And how do I look like I have withered flesh? I’m so firm I could practically fly. Fly.”

-Even so, it’s just a mere human body!

The Imugi flicked its tongue and snorted dismissively.

-A Cintamani would be more than enough as a reward!

“Imugi-nim. If you keep this up, I’ll really be disappointed.”

Calisia drooped her eyebrows and complained.

-What exactly do you mean!

“The Cintamani. You have two of them.”

Calisia raised the corners of her mouth in a sly smile. No Imugi could ascend without a Cintamani. No matter how much the young creature weighed on its mind, it wouldn’t readily give away its orbs.

-…

The Imugi clamped its mouth shut.

“I know that Imugi have a strong attachment to their Cintamani. But you have to abandon one anyway.”

Originally, Imugi were only permitted one Cintamani. Without abandoning greed, they could not ascend to heaven. This was the stern rule of the Heavenly Realm.

“Since you’re trying to give me a reward with something you’re discarding anyway, I can’t help but feel disappointed.”

Calisia pretended to wipe away tears.

-Cunning thing! Fine. What do you want?

The Imugi narrowed its eyes as if to say look at that detestable act.

“Give me the Cintamani and just one scale.”

-…Fine. But remember this. Since you’re taking treasures from me, you must save the young one without fail.

The covenant not to harm only applied to the village’s descendants. Leaving behind a chilling warning, the Imugi disappeared into the pond.

***

-If you go down a little along the side path by the waterfall, you’ll see a large boulder. The small pond attached to it is where the young one has settled.

Calisia and Izriel walked along the steep path. To catch the culprit, they had to head to the crime scene.

“Ah, this Imugi really. Does it not know what ‘a little’ means?”

Calisia stopped in the middle of the mountain path and kicked a stone. They seemed to have walked for dozens of minutes, but there was no sign of a pond, let alone a boulder.

“Valus.”

Izriel, who had been looking around the area, called Calisia with a suspicious expression.

“Yeah.”

“I think we’re going in circles around the same place.”

Izriel raised his ki sensing and began to carefully examine the mountain path.

“Why? What’s strange?”

“The spiritual energy seems to be stagnant.”

Izriel’s eyes sharpened. It definitely felt different from the Imugi’s pond. The clear energy characteristic of mountains and forests was still there, but it felt stuffy as if blocked by something.

“Oh. You can do that too?”

“This is a foreign country. Since it’s unfamiliar energy, I can’t help but feel it more sensitively.”

“The Stone Spirit must be playing tricks. Is there anywhere where the energy is particularly stagnant?”

The boulder site pond where the Young Imugi had settled. The Stone Spirit was probably dwelling there. So it must have done something to prevent them from finding it.

“Here.”

Izriel pointed to a place where trees were particularly densely packed.

“Come out for a moment.”

Calisia stared intently at the gap between the trees. Indeed, a faint haze was blocking the space.

“So you were here.”

Calisia looked away and picked up a fairly thick tree branch from the ground. Then she struck down at the air without hesitation.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Cracks began to form little by little through the narrow gap. A refreshing breeze blew through the torn veil, and soon the hidden space unfolded.

-You’ve come carrying a foul stench.

A boulder as large as a house – the Stone Spirit revealed itself.

“Your foolish disciple greets the Stone Spirit.”

Calisia hastily threw away the tree branch and bowed her head with a respectful attitude.

“…Hey.”

She poked the side of Izriel, who was standing there blankly. Appeasing an angry spirit was difficult. Especially those dwelling in the mountains, trees, and rocks were even more so.

‘An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.’

Because nature’s temperament was as simple and clear as its origin.

“Ah.”

Izriel blinked once and made the sign of the cross. His appearance with both hands clasped together looked very holy and sacred.

“…Are you insane?”

Calisia, horrified, pressed down hard on Izriel’s head.

“I apologize. This friend has consumed Western Region goods, so she seems to have forgotten her manners. It’s Western Region sickness. Western Region sickness. I don’t know why she’s acting like this after being there for barely a month. Haha.”

-What is it that you seek to obtain here.

A voice as cold as a blade swept past her nape. Calisia, who had been rambling nonsense, withdrew her smile.

“The truth.”

To save the Young Imugi, she needed to know the exact details of what had happened.

“The rocks that exist in the village, even the small stones. They all lie beneath your feet, Stone Spirit. This disciple wishes to know everything they have seen and heard.”

– …Very well.

The Stone Spirit’s permission was granted.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————