Ghost Du Hongmo

Lessons From The Goryo

Hongmo laid down on the ground not believing the monster. She must have a cursed fate like the monster said. Suddenly the past day flashed in her mind. The horror that the Goryo committed in her body scared her to the bone. The blood and the gore. The screams and the fear. She saw it all as the monster tore through human flesh like a sword through paper.

Hongmo dry-heaved again with just the thought of killing someone. "How could you?"

"How could I what?" The Goryo said. "I did what I had to do to survive. I needed the souls of those people so WE can live. Now its your responsibility to do it so WE can keep on living. And I'll tell you again. If you don't take care of the souls for US, I'll take over and do it for OUR survival."

"I won't do it! You can't make me!" Hongmo cried out in denial.

"Hahahaha! Even if you want to die, you can't. I won't let you. I'll take over and make sure we survive. Either you soon accept this or you can keep on sleeping and I'll keep on killing. Either way I win."

Hongmo laid on the ground for half the day, thinking about her options and her life. She really couldn't kill someone, just the thought of it scared her. But if she didn't take any souls for the Goryo, the Goryo would take over her body and kill several innocent people. 

 If she could kill evil people and feed their souls to the Goryo, Hongmo could live with herself with the knowledge that there are less evil people in the world thanks to her. But to give herself over to the Goryo... The Goryo didn't care if the people were men, women, child, good or evil. A soul was a soul to the Goryo.

"I'll do as you say, but I don't know how to kill anything. I don't even know how to fight." Hongmo whispered to herself.

"There's no need to worry about that. The dragon and phoenix within you will protect you."

"I don't understand. Dragon? Phoenix?"

"The reason why we become monsters. The black dragon skin and the red wings. They'll help us kill those who need to be killed for us."

"Can I control it?"

"Of course you can. But it also has a mind of it's own. Should you need help, it'll show itself in your time of need."

"Teach me." Hongmo asked the Goryo. 

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As Hongmo took her time learning to control the dragon skin and the phoenix wings, she scouted the nearest town for the the thieves and bullies that terrorized the town and made them her victims.  Her first kill was hard, she fumbled several times chasing the man and hesitated with an uncertain heart before stilling her mind and body to make the killing blow.  

Hongmo felt sick afterwards.  She had to lie down as the Goryo lectured her on what she did wrong and gave her tips on how to kill more efficiently.  Hongmo laid down and the memory of her killing the man kept running through her mind.  

"Stop thinking!"  The Goryo told her.  "The more you think the more you'll suffer.  You did what you had to do to survive.  For US to survive.  The man you killed was a bad man.  He took money from the poor, he abused his wife, children and the whores he paid for. A bad man like that, no one would be sorry that he's gone.  That he's dead.  Don't cry for him, he doesn't deserve your tears." 

"I'm not crying for him! I'm crying for myself!"  Hongmo yelled at the Goryo.  

"Foolish child.  Crying doesn't solve anything.  Your life is cursed, there is nothing to be upset about it.  You are now more powerful than any living human being.  No sword can cut you down.  No qi can affect your dragon skin.  It protects you even when you don't even know it.  You can fly and go anywhere you want to go.  You can do what ever you want to do. You can be the hero in this lifetime and not wait to be saved by a man or by any Gods.  You are a God."  The Goryo told her.  "So what if you take a soul for us.  With every soul, it makes us stronger.  With every evil person we kill, the world is a safer place.  So what if we become a monster in this lifetime.  It takes a monster to kill a monster." 

Hongmo stopped crying.  There was no man or no Gods that came to save her in her time of need. The Goryo was right.  She now held a lot of power in her hands, what she did with it was now her responsibility.  She was no longer going to be a victim in her lifetime.  She wasn't going to let others be victims as well if she could help it.  

"Good girl, Iris."  The Goryo said.  "Now that you have decided to live for yourself we have a lot of things to do before we can become stronger. You are not alone, for I am with you always."