Since childhood, my mother would always tell me my favorite bedtime story at night—the tale of the "Lone Magician Soul."As a curious child, I never truly understood it. But as I grew older, I realized just how incredible it really was... not knowing that the story itself was cursed.
The story goes like this:
A man named Yeong-Hon was once a member of the Shadow Dragon Sect—a 19-year-old, scrawny young man at the time. He and all 20 members of the sect were destined to be sacrificed to the emperor.
The emperor was strong and muscular, yet old, cruel, greedy, and selfish. He acted morally righteous to win the people's worship, but in truth, he was twisted. He taught magic to his followers, only to ambush them once they became powerful. Afterward, he would absorb their magic energy, strengthening himself.
He was no ordinary man. He was a direct descendant of all evil magic.
Yeong-Hon became the last remaining member to be hunted by the emperor's hand. But unlike the others, Yeong-Hon had trained—his body, his energy, and his swordsmanship—relentlessly, day after day. He had uncovered the emperor's lies, and he burned with the desire for vengeance.
In the year 1669, the emperor finally approached Yeong-Hon at the Great Mountain of Wu Ling, a place once ruled by ancient kings.
There, beneath a sky dim with mist, the two stood alone—both cloaked in black tunics—on a quiet lake where the still water reflected the heavens above.Yeong-Hon knelt on both knees atop the water's surface, eyes closed in meditation, until he sensed a presence.
Footsteps echoed through the mist.Someone was approaching.Slowly, Yeong-Hon rose to his feet, met the emperor's gaze, and spoke:
"The final judgment is not mine to deliver... but rather someone from a future generation."
The emperor laughed mockingly.
"AHAHAHA! There will be no next generation after I kill you and absorb your magic, brat!"
Then, in a calm and calculating tone, the emperor added:
"Look at yourself. You carry the same cursed energy. You're no different from me... my child."
Yeong-Hon clenched his teeth."Enough with this bullshit."
In a flash of light, he lunged—his sword aimed straight for the emperor's heart. But the emperor parried the strike effortlessly, catching the blade in his bare hand. Blood trickled down his fingers as the blade cut deep, staining the water below.
He grinned, confident in his victory...
But then—his body froze.
His limbs locked. His mouth wouldn't move.The sword… was cursed.
"You fucking brat... I'm going to kill you!"The emperor screamed in his mind, rage flooding his veins as he stared in disbelief.
Yeong-Hon raised his hand toward the lake. A glowing book rose slowly from beneath the surface, summoned by his will.He spoke with quiet resolve:
"Since I can't kill you... I will seal you and your power—at any cost."
The book levitated beside him, glowing in midair.
He placed his right hand against the emperor's chest.
Suddenly, both the emperor and the book began to shine—brilliant, blinding—as though the emperor's soul was being pulled from his body. Then, in a final flash, they vanished—along with the cursed sword.
The book fell to the lake's surface with a soft splash.
Yeong-Hon's body began to dissolve into the mist, and as the fog swallowed him whole...he left behind one final smirk.