Failed Possession Chapter-123

**Chapter 123.**

—

The last time **Silver Martial Queen** tasted the bitterness of defeat was long before a possessor had ever appeared in this world—back when the **Calamity Saint** was still called the **Calamity Star**.

At that time, Silver Martial Queen had only just stepped into the **7th Rank**. Even so, she was already the strongest expert the **Yeonri Clan** possessed, and many believed that someday she would break through the wall and reach the **8th Rank**, perhaps even glimpse the **9th Rank**.

*Someday I will become the strongest under heaven.*

*I will surpass the Heavenly Demon of the Demonic Cult, and stand as an equal to the gods who look down on the mortal world from the distant heavens.*

Those were the dreams Yeonri Sang-ah once held.

The world back then was a chaotic era—but in a different sense than it was now.

The **Heavenly Demon** of that time aggressively expanded the power of the **Demonic Cult**, while the **Black Dragon Society**—the unorthodox alliance led by the monstrous **Savage fiend**—openly opposed the **Orthodox Heaven Alliance**, hiding none of its ambitions.

Fights large and small broke out everywhere.

It was an age where a new hero might rise to fame one day, only to become a corpse days later.

Wanting to prove herself in that turbulent era, Yeonri Sang-ah left her clan.

During that time, the woman who suddenly appeared—like someone falling from the sky—and quickly made a name for herself was the **Calamity Star**.

Her appearance and name were of Western origin rather than Eastern, yet nothing at all was known about her past.

She wandered battlefields sharpening her fists, and whenever her eyes turned wild she rampaged without distinguishing between factions.

Most people avoided getting involved with her.

But Yeonri Sang-ah became interested.

After all, female masters were rare among martial artists.

Curiosity and competitive spirit toward another powerful woman led Yeonri Sang-ah to seek out the battlefield where the Calamity Star wandered.

Eventually she met her and requested a **sparring match**.

What she received in return was laughter.

*“You came to a battlefield where people risk their lives and you’re asking for a spar? Is your head filled with flowers?”*

*“If you really want to fight me… wager your life.”*

At the mockery dripping with ridicule, Yeonri Sang-ah’s face flushed red, and she demanded not a spar—but a **life-and-death duel**.

And she lost.

She attacked with the intent to kill.

But she lost.

And she did not even die.

*“You’re not even worth killing.”*

Leaving those words of ridicule behind, the Calamity Star turned away from the blood-soaked Yeonri Sang-ah lying on the ground.

Decades had passed since then.

Not once had Yeonri Sang-ah forgotten the humiliation of that day.

Even now, that defeat still appeared in her nightmares.

“Why did you join the **Church of Order**?”

The summit of **Sword Mountain Peak** was sharp like the tip of a blade, its cliffs steep and sheer.

At the base of those carved cliffs—where there was no proper path—Yeonri Sang-ah and **Lorellia** stood facing each other.

They had not brought the younger ones.

Even someone like **Gongsun Myeong** would be in danger if caught in this fight.

Anyone below the **6th Rank** would be horribly killed the moment they were caught in it.

“Does one need a special reason to have faith?”

Lorellia replied with a bright smile.

“If you are truly curious, why not try having faith yourself? Having something to pray to helps calm the fires of the heart.”

“So you’ve come to rely on something like that? How pathetic. You’ve truly fallen, Calamity Saint.”

“I, Lorellia, never truly knew how to control my killing intent. Those I wished to kill, I killed. Those I wished to beat, I beat.”

“And now that’s no longer the case?”

“I have merely learned to restrain myself somewhat! I have not killed or beaten those I truly wished to kill and beat, and so **inner demons** have accumulated. If they build up for too long, they will burn ever more fiercely—and when they finally erupt, they will burn not only myself but many other things to ashes.”

Lorellia’s hands came together in prayer.

Yeonri Sang-ah glared at her with displeased eyes.

“I hope that faith hasn’t made you soft. If you are weaker than I imagine… you will die here today.”

“I am confident that I, Lorellia, am far stronger than whatever you imagine.”

Yeonri Sang-ah’s cheek twitched at the reply.

**Fwoooosh!**

The **Moonfang Netherblade** burst with a pale blue-white radiance.

“But what a pity. I, Lorellia, do not wish to kill you.”

“Do not presume you can kill me. I am not the same person who lost to you before.”

“You were Yeonri Sang-ah then. And you are Yeonri Sang-ah now. Therefore, I, Lorellia, will do the same as before. I will not kill you… but I will make you suffer enough to wish for death.”

“Try it, if you can…!”

“If you lose again, as you did before, you must grant me three requests.”

Behind Lorellia, a color as red as blood slowly spread—contrasting with the pale blue aura freezing the surroundings.

The undulating light pooled at her feet and began consuming the ground.

“Requests? Ha. Are you going to ask me to join the Church of Order or something like that?”

“Faith forced in such a way has no meaning.”

“Then what exactly do you intend to ask?”

“You will hear it eventually, so I will tell you now.”

A crimson world opened behind Lorellia.

At some point, the snow had stopped.

Yeonri Sang-ah looked up at the sky turning red and focused her **Intent**.

“First. If Yuri is judged to need help, you must help him once.”

It was something Yeonri Sang-ah had never imagined.

As her eyes widened in shock, the sky turned completely red.

“Second. If Haryeong is judged to need help, you must help her once.”

Instead of snow, **crimson flames** began falling from the sky like rain.

“Third. If Estor is judged to need help, you must help him once.”

The falling flames obscured Lorellia’s face.

“These are the requests I, Lorellia, will ask of you. If you do not wish to grant them… then you must defeat me with all your strength.”

Yeonri Sang-ah was no longer standing beneath the cliffs of Sword Mountain Peak.

She now stood in the center of a **hellscape**, red in all directions, with flames falling from the sky.

Her expression hardened as she struck the ground with the Moonfang Netherblade.

**Ting!**

With a clear and resonant sound, a **white formation** spread out centered on her.

Her **Intent Manifestation**, **Bright Moon White Dance Formation**, was prepared.

“This will not happen, of course—but if by chance I lose, you should also think in advance about what you will demand.”

Standing in the middle of the **Hell of Extermination**, Lorellia whispered with a laughing voice.

—

—

Despite being described as a battle far too dangerous even to watch, no sign of fighting could be sensed near the summit.

Snow still fell from the sky, and the wind blew cold.

The mountain did not shake.

No thunderous explosions echoed.

“Maybe they’re competing with **sword discourse** or something?”

“That would make sense. Both of them are among the strongest even among the **Martial Zeniths**. If they truly fought seriously, a mountain like this would vanish just from the aftershocks.”

A contest of martial discourse?

Even Yuri thought Estor’s muttering sounded plausible.

Lorellia was someone who casually shook mountain peaks to trigger avalanches as part of training.

She might have held back when sparring with **Fist Wolf** or **Hundred Swords**, but it would be difficult to do the same against the **Silver Martial Queen**.

“If they’re competing in martial discourse, why didn’t they let us watch?”

“Because martial arts at that level would be impossible for us to understand anyway. And they probably don’t want their secret arts overheard by people who aren’t disciples.”

“I don’t think that’s the reason.”

Yuri murmured while looking out at the falling snow.

It would be difficult to return to the **Pointed Sword Pavilion** by their own strength, and even if the cold did not bother them, he did not want to sit outside pathetically getting buried in snow.

So he had dug a **snow cave**.

“I heard the priestess used to be quite famous, but I never imagined she had a past grudge even with the Silver Martial Queen.”

Haryeong took dried jerky out of her **subspace** and handed it to Yuri and Estor.

The three of them chewed jerky together while looking outside the cave.

Outside, **Yeonri Eunha** stood motionless.

At her feet lay **Hwangbo Jin-cheol**, still unconscious, spread out on his back and gradually being buried by snow.

Beside him, **Namgung Yeon-bi** hugged her arms and sniffled.

She had only just reached the **early stage of the 4th Rank**, so she could not normally endure the cold of a snowy mountain.

At least, that would be true for her body.

But in Yuri’s eyes, Namgung Yeon-bi’s clothing was clearly a **magic item** perfectly designed for cold resistance.

Her body temperature looked normal, and her shivering and sniffling felt strangely artificial.

Then why was she pretending to be cold?

While Yuri wondered that, his eyes met Namgung Yeon-bi’s.

She moved her trembling lips and gave him a faint smile.

*What is she doing…?*

Since their eyes had met and she had smiled first, Yuri smiled back politely.

But even though he returned the smile, Namgung Yeon-bi’s eyebrows twitched as if she were displeased.

“Why are you having a staring contest with that half-baked vixen?”

“What do you mean by ‘half-baked vixen’?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. Now answer the question. Why are you having a staring contest with her?”

“I wasn’t staring. She looked at me and smiled first.”

“Hm.”

Haryeong also glanced toward Namgung Yeon-bi.

Namgung Yeon-bi had been hugging her arms and shivering dramatically, but the moment her eyes met Haryeong’s she flinched and looked away.

“Hmmm.”

When Haryeong looked back at Yuri, her eyes curved slightly.

“You shouldn’t stand out there while it’s snowing. Come inside.”

The one who spoke was **Estor**.

“Miss Namgung, if you stay out there in the cold you might catch a chill. We can’t start a fire, but it should still be better than standing outside.”

“Sword idiot.”

“…?”

“What are you looking at?”

Estor blinked and turned his head at the small mutter, but Haryeong’s face was already expressionless again, as though her eyes had never curved before.

“Waa! Is it really okay for us to come in?”

Namgung Yeon-bi’s face brightened immediately.

She grabbed Yeonri Eunha’s arm and smiled brightly.

“Sister! They said we can come in too!”

“I’m not cold.”

“But if you stay in the snow your hair will get damaged. And if we leave Brother Hwangbo like this, he’ll get completely buried in snow.”

After persistent pleading, Yeonri Eunha finally sighed and nodded.

The cave had been dug generously at first, but it was still too narrow to fit the massive **Hwangbo Jin-cheol**.

So only his **head** ended up inside the cave.

Yuri withdrew his gaze from the giant body slowly being covered by a blanket of snow outside and glanced to the side.

Immediately, his eyes met **Namgung Yeon-bi**’s.

Sitting between Yuri and Estor with her knees drawn up, she ignored Yeonri Eunha’s chilly gaze and gave Yuri a mischievous, smiling look with her eyes.

“I didn’t properly greet you earlier, did I? My name is Namgung Yeon-bi.”

“I know.”

“You do?”

“Yes. The youngest daughter of the **Namgung Clan** in **Lutran**. A lay disciple of the **Yicheon Sword Sect**. Your title is **Heavenly Sky Sword Flower**. You’re twenty-one years old. Am I wrong?”

At the dry recitation of her profile, Namgung Yeon-bi blinked.

She stared at Yuri for a moment before smiling and nodding.

“Yes, that’s right. You were in Lutran too, weren’t you, Lord Yuri?”

“When I stayed in Lutran, Miss Namgung was already a lay disciple of the Yicheon Sword Sect, so we never crossed paths.”

“But you did meet my useless older brother, didn’t you?”

Yuri’s expression changed slightly at those words.

It had been more than two years ago, but it was a difficult memory to forget.

“I owed him one.”

“I’m very grateful for that. If Young Master **Namgung Jin** hadn’t stepped in back then, the Yuri of today probably wouldn’t exist.”

Even **Haryeong**, who had been casting cold glances at Namgung Yeon-bi, snorted mockingly.

“That’s true.”

Ridiculous though it sounded, it was the truth.

If Namgung Jin had not come looking for trouble that day—

If he had not been beaten senseless by **Orca** and, out of fear, brought the enormous sum of **one billion cel** along with the **Azure Heaven Pill**—

Then Yuri would never have taken the Azure Heaven Pill and rapidly increased his internal energy.

The **Rantian Flowing Cloud Fist** auctioned at the **Le-Seun Auction House** would have gone to **Bakered** instead.

Naturally, Yuri and Bakered would never have formed a connection, Yuri would never have grown during his low Rank stages through the Rantian Flowing Cloud Fist, and he would never have witnessed the spar between **Chuk Shin-do** and Bakerd up close.

In other words, without Namgung Jin, the Yuri of today would not exist.

In a sense, Namgung Jin had contributed even more than Bakered to shaping the Yuri of today.

*Now that I think about it… that’s actually true.*

That did not mean Yuri felt any gratitude toward Namgung Jin.

To Yuri, the man named Namgung Jin was remembered less as the jealous fool who had caused a scene at **Elena’s** mansion and more as something like a **Pomeranian barking every morning**.

“Hmm… is that so? That’s a little different from what I heard.”

Namgung Yeon-bi tilted her head with a puzzled expression.

“What did you hear?”

“My brother told me that two years ago he committed a great offense against you. He said he visited Lady **Golden Marigold’s** mansion and used violence against you when you hadn’t even begun learning martial arts yet.”

“Huh. Namgung Jin said that himself?”

This time Yuri was slightly surprised.

That incident had been settled after Yuri received compensation and the Azure Heaven Pill.

Why would Namgung Jin confess to it himself now?

“My brother secretly came to me and cried while telling me about it.”

Namgung Yeon-bi spoke with a solemn expression.

“When I heard that you were staying at the Yicheon Sword Sect, I was excited about the chance to meet the famous Cloud Dragon myself. But on the day the clan gathering ended, Brother Namgung Jin came to me and confessed that he had committed a great offense against you in the past.”

“Huh.”

If Namgung Yeon-bi had approached him pretending to be friendly without knowing about that incident, Yuri might have felt slightly uncomfortable—but he probably would not have cared much.

To Yuri, the Namgung Clan far away in Lutran and Namgung Yeon-bi herself were not important enough for him to pay much attention to.

“On behalf of my brother, who could not come with us, I will apologize. What happened back then was truly—”

“You don’t need to apologize now. I already received an apology and compensation from Young Master Namgung back then.”

“But—”

“It’s fine.”

He genuinely meant it.

But Namgung Yeon-bi’s eyes trembled slightly.

She bit her full lower lip and nodded.

“Alright. But my conscience still isn’t at ease, so please allow me to make it up to you in my own way in the future.”

“Ah… sure. Do as you like.”

Yuri replied indifferently and stopped paying attention to her.

Haryeong, who had been glancing at Namgung Yeon-bi’s expression, spoke up.

“Speaking of the Namgung Clan, I remember something the **Heavenly Sword Lord**, the clan head, once said.”

“What nonsense are you about to say now?”

“Back then, didn’t the clan head say he wanted to turn you into **Namgung Yuri** right away?”

“That wasn’t the tone he used.”

“But that was basically the meaning. If you had joined the Namgung Clan back then, your name would be Namgung Yuri.”

“My father talks about that often too!”

Namgung Yeon-bi hurriedly cut in.

“He regrets it so much—saying he should have forced you into the Namgung Clan back then.”

“I remember that overly generous offer given to someone insignificant like me.”

“Insignificant? You’re being too humble—”

“Lord Yuri receives similar offers quite often.”

The words Namgung Yeon-bi was about to say were abruptly cut off by Haryeong.

Enjoying the glare directed at her, Haryeong continued with an expressionless face.

“Just earlier, the **Silver Martial Queen** suggested that Lord Yuri become **Yeonri Yuri**, didn’t she? And even adopt him as her son. That’s the most extraordinary proposal he’s received so far.”

“That’s true.”

“If you wish, I can make a similar proposal myself. How about becoming **Tang Yuri** instead of Namgung Yuri or Yeonri Yuri? If this cute youngest daughter asks, even my cold-blooded eldest brother from the Tang Clan wouldn’t be able to refuse.”

“If Lady Haryeong wishes to adopt me herself, I’ll reconsider.”

“You say the strangest things to an unmarried maiden.”

“Is my nonsense really worse than yours, Lady Haryeong?”

The conversation drifted into territory where Namgung Yeon-bi could no longer follow.

Blinking in anxiety and impatience, she turned toward Estor.

Yuri and Haryeong’s conversation flowed like water and wind, wandering off to strange places—a familiar sight for Estor.

Rather than getting carried away with it, he simply gazed at the falling snow outside the cave and sank into thought.

“Could one cut winter itself…”

He had tried to cut through the avalanche with his sword and failed.

If one could cut through an avalanche, perhaps one could cut even the winter snowfall itself.

It was merely a murmur, but to Namgung Yeon-bi it sounded like meaningless nonsense.

*Ugh…*

The next person she looked toward was **Yeonri Eunha**.

She had not expected much, but the gaze Yeonri Eunha returned was colder than she had imagined.

“My master does not say things she does not mean.”

Despite her cold gaze, Yeonri Eunha was somewhat interested in the topic Yuri and Haryeong were discussing.

“If you truly wished it, my master would give you the **Yeonri** surname.”

“I doubt that surname is so cheap that some wandering Westerner like me could receive it.”

“Even my father, the clan head, cannot oppose my master’s will.”

The strength of a martial clan depended on how many high-Rank experts it possessed.

The reason the **Yeonri Clan** was so powerful in the current generation was because the **Silver Martial Queen** was Yeonri Sang-ah.

“If my master truly decided to adopt you, no one in the clan would object. She has that authority—and you have that value.”

“Thank you for the offer, but I have no desire to take the Silver Martial Queen as my mother.”

“Is the offer too burdensome?”

“We just met today and she suddenly asked me to become her adopted son. Wouldn’t anyone feel burdened?”

“Many would feel not only burden, but also honor—and ambition.”

A cold smile appeared on Yeonri Eunha’s face.

“After all, it is an opportunity to inherit the legacy of the Silver Martial Queen. If things go well, you could even aim to become the **head of the Yeonri Clan**.”

“Hah. You’d even give a newly adopted son the chance to inherit the clan leadership? That sounds far too convenient.”

“No matter how much a martial clan values lineage, would it ever come before **strength**? If one proves strength and continues the bloodline of the Yeonri direct family, even an adopted son could become clan head.”

“The bloodline of the direct family?”

“The most obvious way would be for you to marry me.”

At that answer, the air inside the snow cave turned cold.

“So you mean the adopted son of the Silver Martial Queen would marry the daughter of the clan head—who is also the Silver Martial Queen’s grand-niece?”

Haryeong spoke.

“That would be after some time had passed—once you had risen to a Rank worthy of becoming clan head. It would be the simplest and cleanest arrangement.”

“So you’d adopt him first so he couldn’t run away?”

“Exactly.”

Yeonri Eunha nodded without hesitation.

The darker her tone became, the darker Haryeong’s eyes grew.

“That sounds like you want to use Lord Yuri as breeding stock. Am I misunderstanding?”

“Then are you saying I would merely be a vessel for bearing children? I’m only giving an example. If the Yeonri Clan truly wished to bring in an outsider and make him clan head, this is the extent they would go.”

“I have no intention of marrying Miss Yeonri, so I should decline the adoption proposal even more firmly.”

Before Haryeong could respond, Yuri spoke.

“Besides, I’m already overwhelmed by everything I’m learning now. Learning the Silver Martial Queen’s martial arts as well would be too much.”

“…Are you serious? My master’s **Heavenly Snow White Transformation Art** is the greatest martial art under heaven.”

“Is there really such a thing as the greatest martial art? Isn’t there only the strongest person?”

“It’s a martial art capable of creating the strongest person.”

“Is the Silver Martial Queen the strongest under heaven?”

“She is very close.”

Yeonri Eunha answered without hesitation.

Yuri blinked—he had not expected such confidence.

“My master’s defeat to the Calamity Saint happened in the past. Long before I was born, she trained for revenge. And today she will achieve that long-awaited revenge.”

“Hmm… I see.”

“That’s right.”

Yeonri Eunha nodded firmly and looked outside the cave.

The heavy snowfall looked like a **sign of victory** to her.

This cold winter mountain would only strengthen the Silver Martial Queen’s martial arts.

**Lorellia** and **Yeonri Sang-ah** returned several hours later, after the sun had already begun to set.

“It took much longer than expected!”

As expected of the Silver Martial Queen.

Even while facing Bakered and Gongsun Myeong, Lorellia had never once had her clothing disturbed.

No matter how many times Yuri, Haryeong, and Estor collapsed and charged at her again, she had never even shed a drop of sweat.

And yet—

Now Lorellia’s priestly robes were **torn in several places**, stained with blood.

Her hair was disheveled, and her eyes were redder than usual.

“I’m sorry for making you wait! If I had known it would take this long, I, Lorellia, would not have left you all here!”

Unlike usual, clear traces of battle covered her.

The **Moonfang Netherblade** rested on Lorellia’s shoulder, and in her right hand she held the wrist of **Silver Martial Queen Yeonri Sang-ah**.

Yeonri Sang-ah’s clothing was closer to rags than garments.

Her body was soaked in blood, her arms bent in directions they should never bend, and she hung unconscious.

“M-Master?”

Yeonri Eunha’s face turned pale as she stammered.

Yeonri Sang-ah’s face was buried in snow, but even so, Eunha could tell.

“Now then, let’s go eat!”

It was long past dinner time.