kingdom falling | gyuricky

thirty.

The field of talisman study was boundless; the nature of a technique like that meant there could be a talisman created for virtually any purpose, as long as it was written with the correct strokes. Naturally, that also meant that talismans could easily be used to do evil.

Out of all the talismans that existed, ten of them were so dangerous and subverted the values of cultivation so severely that Meteor Court had forbidden its use by all cultivators in its territory years ago, and since Meteor Court was the leading sect in talisman study, the other sects in turn readily agreed to have those techniques considered forbidden as well. Gyuvin supposed they used to teach about the dangers of them at the Court, but as more and more time passed, those forbidden talismans became more of a lost art than anything else.

Gyuvin could remember what some of them were only by name, but he had never been taught what any of them looked like, and he had never tried to find out for himself. The forbidden talismans were techniques which caused things like the forceful possession of living people, the summoning of beings from the infernal realm, the erosion of the border between the living world and the underworld, and such. Soul erosion was the first on the list. If Gyuvin remembered correctly from his history lessons back at the Court, a rogue cultivator had studied and perfected his use of it decades ago, and caused great destruction with the infinite power the erosion of his targets' souls fed him with. Out of all the forbidden techniques, Gyuvin supposed it was the easiest to learn. It was, in essence, a soul enhancement talisman drawn in reverse, and its effects were the opposite of soul enhancement as well. The talisman's target would have its life force drained, and the user would absorb the energy in the form of spiritual power.

"Everyone has heard him," Han Seungho declared. "Starting immediately, investigations will be ongoing on this Peak. No one will be allowed to leave the grounds until the investigation is complete. But the more pressing matter is that the person who did these murders appears to have been a talisman user..."

Gyuvin wondered if he was imagining that Han Seungho was looking straight at him.

"Hence, the three cultivators from Meteor Court will be detained until further notice," he finished. "Purely as a precaution, of course."

Everyone's eyes were on Hanbin and Gyuvin. Han Seungho directed two of the seniors to apprehend them, and Gyuvin obeyed without protest, though his mind was spinning in circles. Minwoo followed without needing a senior to direct him, but as he caught Gyuvin's gaze for a split second, there was a mutual exchange of what the hell is going on?

They were taken to an area Gyuvin had never seen before, near the back of the Peak grounds. The three of them were led to a courtyard that looked identical to the ones the cultivators lived in, with three rooms along each wall and a small open space in the middle.

"I'm afraid you'll have to remain here for the time being," one of the seniors from Lunar Valley said, kindly but firmly. "Food and other living supplies will be brought to you for the duration of your detention, so that won't be a concern. In the meantime, you are not allowed to leave this courtyard unless you need to be questioned, in which case you will be escorted at all times."

She turned and left after delivering her instructions, without waiting for any response. Gyuvin, Hanbin and Minwoo stood in the middle of the courtyard, staring blankly at each other for a long minute.

"That's a Soul Erosion talisman?" Gyuvin asked finally, breaking the silence. "That's the one that's just soul enhancement drawn in reverse, right?"

Minwoo nodded, his eyebrows furrowed. "Yes, those few strokes were the beginning of Soul Erosion," he said slowly. "But something about those murders isn't right. The killer, whoever he was, used Soul Erosion talismans on each of the six bodies, then carved out their hearts and left them. There's three questions that need to be answered here: why he killed those six people, why he chose to use Soul Erosion talismans, and why he carved out their hearts after. The fact that he did the last two makes it almost certain those murders were just one of the pieces of a bigger plan."