Chapter 171: Cho Tae-cheong (3)
Gasp!
The girl looked at Mok Gyeong-un with startled eyes.
'What's with this person? He noticed this demonic energy even before I did?'
Among the beasts, those that reach the level of monsters become cunning enough to conceal and hide their own demonic energy.
If such monsters intentionally conceal their demonic energy, it is difficult for average diviners to detect it, so she couldn't hide her surprise at him noticing it first.
'Could he be a diviner of the Moon-level or above?'
At first, she had thought Mok Gyeong-un was a martial artist.
That's why she helped him, thinking she might get assistance if she saved his life.
However, upon closer inspection, he wasn't a martial artist but someone from the same industry.
In that case, they might be able to communicate better.
The girl whispered, "You're quite sensitive to demonic energy, aren't you?"
"Is that so?"
"I also just noticed this demonic energy. If you're this sensitive to detecting demonic energy, you're not an average diviner. Which pavilion are you from…?"
"Shh!"
"Gulp."
At this, the girl held her breath again and shut her mouth.
Even while talking about this and that, she readily followed his instructions.
At that moment, Cheong-ryeong spoke to Mok Gyeong-un.
-Is it a Toru?
-Toru?
-The one that tried to trample and crush you with its hooves earlier.
-Ah… There seems to be one more besides that.
-One more? Ah! It's Heum-won.
-Heum-won?
-Yes. Like Toru, it's also a beast from Kunlun Mountain. In some ways, it's much more difficult and dangerous to deal with than Toru.
-Two beasts at the monstrous-level…
It was a more troublesome situation than he thought.
He had fought beasts at the monstrous beast level before, but this was his first time facing those at the higher than monstrous-level.
Thus, it was hard to gauge how powerful monsters were.
Of course, he had broken through the wall and reached the Transformation Realm, so he didn't think he would be pushed back by beasts.
He was just being cautious.
At that moment, the girl clicked her tongue and said in a small voice, "Two? So the rumors were true."
"Rumors?"
"Yes. There were stories that the Three-Eyed uses two beasts at the monstrous-level as his familiars."
These words from her piqued Mok Gyeong-un's interest.
This girl seemed to possess quite a lot of information, more than he expected.
So Mok Gyeong-un asked, "But how did you enter this place?"
"Pardon?"
"From what I heard, you're not from the Primal Killing Pavilion but from the Harmonious Immortal Pavilion, right? You said you were from there, so why are you here in such attire?"
"Um, well, about that…"
At Mok Gyeong-un's question, the girl suddenly became restless.
That was understandable, as she wasn't supposed to be here originally and was in a position where her identity couldn't be exposed.
Unable to think of a suitable excuse, she hurriedly changed the subject.
"W-What about you? You're just as suspicious as me."
"Suspicious?"
"Yes. You're not from the Primal Killing Pavilion either. Moreover, that Three-Eyed tried to kill you using his familiars. How do you explain that?"
"I don't know."
"What?"
"I simply tried to kill him because he threatened my life first."
"Ah, so that was the reason… Wait, what? You tried to kill the Three-Eyed?"
The girl asked with wide eyes.
"Is there something wrong with that?"
"Rather than wrong, I'm just surprised that you tried to kill him."
"Is that something to be surprised about?"
"It is. Do you know how dangerous that Wretched Fiend is? And you tried to kill him alone?"
"Is he that dangerous?"
"Of course. It's said that three hundred diviners who tried to subdue him were brutally slaughtered by his hands in a single night."
'!?'
Three hundred diviners were killed?
Is his power strong enough to handle that many diviners alone?
No, it made sense that average diviners couldn't handle him since he could single-handedly subdue and seal a spiritual beast.
"If I hadn't helped you earlier, you could have died too."
"Ah, thank you for that."
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, she spoke with a puffed-up face.
"…Your gratitude sounds quite dry for a thank you."
"How could that be?"
"Nevermind. Anyway, you're quite daring. To think you planned to kill such a monster alone. Even I, who possesses a protective talisman given by my master, only observe him from a distance."
Mok Gyeong-un chuckled at her words.
The girl had unintentionally revealed why she was here.
Realizing this, her face turned red, and she stamped her feet.
"Argh! How can you pry information out of others like this?"
"You directly told me with your own mouth. I didn't pry it out."
"No, that's…"
"Shh. Please be quiet. If you continue being noisy like that, I think the monsters outside will notice."
"…"
At this, the girl stopped stamping her feet and tightly shut her mouth.
Being rowdy risked being discovered by the beasts.
Mok Gyeong-un said to her, "Anyway, you received orders from your master to monitor that Three-Eyed, right?"
"…That's right."
Since she had already been exposed by her own words, there was no point in lying.
The girl answered honestly.
"Is it for revenge?"
"Revenge?"
"Yes. Didn't you say he killed hundreds of diviners?"
Among that many diviners, there might have been some related to the girl or her so-called master.
At this, the girl shook her head.
Mok Gyeong-un asked in puzzlement, "If not for revenge, then why are you monitoring that Three-Eyed?"
"Because he's dangerous."
"Dangerous?"
"I don't know the details either. My master only said that the Three-Eyed would soon disrupt the Heavenly Qi, so I received orders to monitor him."
"Heavenly Qi?"
Heavenly Qi refers to the energy of the heavens.
In sorcery, Heavenly Qi signifies things like fate, the principles of the world, or its flow.
Such Heavenly Qi should flow according to a predetermined course, and if it is disrupted, the world becomes precarious.
"Yes, Heavenly Qi. Anyway, I'm here for a righteous cause, not personal reasons. So don't even think about interfering."
"Did I interfere?"
"Things got complicated like this because I tried to save you. Do you know how hard it was for me to infiltrate this place?"
The girl pointed to her maid attire.
He could roughly guess how she had infiltrated there.
"Ah… I see."
"…Is that all you have to say? Sigh, I should have just left you to die or live."
The girl clicked her tongue and spoke.
At this, Mok Gyeong-un chuckled and asked, "Come to think of it, I don't know your name."
"My name? Ah, right. My name is… No, wait. If you're going to ask a lady's name, shouldn't you reveal your name first?"
"Mok Gyeong-un."
"Mok Gyeong-un?"
"Yes."
"Mok is an unusual family name. I'm Yeo Su-rin."
"Yeo Su-rin? That's a pretty name."
"You think it's pretty?"
"Yes."
"W-Well, do you think I'll be pleased with such flattery?"
Contrary to her words, she covered her reddened cheeks with both hands, feeling shy.
-What a simple-minded wench.
-Indeed.
She seemed to be the type whose emotions were easily visible, just as they appeared.
Of course, Mok Gyeong-un didn't mind this and immediately changed the subject to the main point.
"Miss Yeo, you said this is the kitchen earlier. How far is it from the main hall of the Primal Killing Pavilion?"
"Pardon?"
"Judging from how quickly the beast chased after us, it doesn't seem too far."
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, Yeo Su-rin answered with intrigued eyes, "You're quite perceptive, aren't you? That's right. This place is about a hundred jang away from the main hall."
"A hundred jang?"
It was neither a long nor a short distance.
So Mok Gyeong-un asked, "Couldn't you have gone further with that… technique you used to create the entrance earlier?"
"Sheesh, do you think it's that easy? It was barely possible thanks to this treasure my master gave me."
Yeo Su-rin showed the two connected rings worn on her fingers.
It was a silver-colored item with two luminous green jades embedded in each ring.
Judging from the extraordinary energy emanating from it, he understood why she called it a treasure.
"So you used that to create a connecting door that shortened the distance to this place?"
"That's right."
"It seems quite convenient."
"Even if it looks convenient, it has a few drawbacks."
"Drawbacks? What are they?"
"If you don't preset a medium to the desired location in advance, it can only travel about twenty jang, not a hundred."
"Twenty jang? That's a significant decrease."
It was reduced to not even half, but close to one-fifth.
"That's why I said there are a few drawbacks."
"I see. Are there any other drawbacks?"
"Other drawbacks? Apart from that, after using it twice in a row, you have to wait at least a quarter-hour before you can use the treasure again."
"Hmm."
It seemed to have several limitations despite its convenience.
Well, if such a treasure had no restrictions on distance or time, it would be the most dangerous item.
However, if used well depending on the situation, it seemed quite useful.
'It's a nice item.'
Perhaps sensing Mok Gyeong-un's gaze, Yeo Su-rin took off the rings she was wearing and put them in her bosom, speaking as if warning him.
"Just in case, let me make this clear. Don't covet this. It's a treasure that no one but me can use."
"No one else can use it?"
"Yes. If it gets more than one zhang away from me, its power will weaken, and it will break. So I'm telling you not to covet it in vain."
'Ah…'
At Yeo Su-rin's words, Mok Gyeong-un inwardly clicked his tongue.
He had thought of killing her and taking it, but if that was the case, there was no point.
He had found it strange that she explained the treasure in detail to someone she was meeting for the first time, naive as it may be.
It had some safeguards in place, so she could talk about it.
If that was the case…
'…She might be hiding some of the drawbacks.'
Although she seemed talkative and had a fluctuating personality, this woman wasn't stupid.
Sorcery was a quite complex field of study, so one couldn't master it without basic intelligence.
Considering that, he believed she was definitely hiding something.
The more gaps she seemed to have, the more cautious one should be. That was Mok Gyeong-un's belief.
At that moment, Yeo Su-rin quietly said, "I think a quarter-hour has passed."
"Ah, you can use that now."
"Yes. The beasts still seem to be searching for us outside, so let's move about twenty zhang at a time. Fortunately, there are nearby buildings within twenty jang, so if we take some time, we can leave the Primal Killing Pavilion."
"I see."
"Since the Three-Eyed is greatly angered, it would be best not to catch his attention for the time being."
With those words, Yeo Su-rin put on the treasure on her index and middle fingers.
She was about to inject her power into the treasure and use it, but…
"Wait a minute."
"Yes?"
"Is this possible too?"
"What do you mean by this?"
At her question, Mok Gyeong-un spoke with the corners of his mouth twitching.
***
-Thud!
The head of Diviner Jo Ui-gong rolled on the floor from a kick.
Cho Tae-cheong, who had kicked his head, spoke with a slightly flushed face.
"It was the same guy."
Then, his facial muscles moved irregularly, and soon a hoarse voice came out.
"I see."
Diviner Jo Ui-gong, bound in the pavilion master's room.
He had tried to find out who had placed the chains of incantation through the Blood-Solving Gu.
But he was found with his head cut off, dead.
That meant one conclusion could be drawn.
'It was one guy.'
Everything was done by the same fellow.
The one who had manipulated the greedy disciple Jo Ui-gong to control the Primal Killing Pavilion while he was away, the one related to the vengeful spirit of the Cheong-ryeong level or above, and the one who had boldly come to him and threatened his life—it was all the same guy.
-Crack, crack!
Cho Tae-cheong, whose face had returned to normal, raised the corners of his mouth bitterly and muttered.
"It's been a while since I've had a worthwhile hunt."
He had been hiding in the shadows, concealing himself.
But to dare to touch him like this, what a fearless fellow.
It seemed he would have to enjoy the hunt after a long time.
'Run away if you can. It'll still be within my grasp…'
-Swoosh!
At that moment.
Cho Tae-cheong's eyes wavered.
Something sharp and black pierced through the floor, grazed past his right elbow, and shot upward.
And with a burning sensation…
-Thud!
His right arm fell to the floor.
"Kuughh!"
Cho Tae-cheong's face contorted in immense pain as his arm was severed.
In an instant, he was dumbfounded.
He thought the guy had run away, but he came back?
'This bastard?'
He was an unbelievably cunning fellow.
Normally, if an assassination failed, one would hide or continue to attempt escape to save their life.
But he appeared again and sniped at him from a distance below the lower floor.
What kind of guy was this?
-Grit!
'I'll kill him.'
Cho Tae-cheong's facial muscles twitched as he glared at the floor, and soon his forehead began to split.
However…
-Whoosh!
'!?'
A strange power was felt from above.
As Cho Tae-cheong unconsciously tried to raise his head…
-Swish!
Someone fell from above and stabbed a dagger into his splitting forehead with lightning speed.
-Stab!
'!!!!!!!!!!!'
Black blood and white fluid flowed from his splitting forehead.
The one who fell from above somersaulted and landed on the floor.
-Tap!
The person who had their face covered with a black cloth was none other than Mok Gyeong-un.
"Phew."
Mok Gyeong-un looked at Cho Tae-cheong, who was staggering with a dagger stuck in his forehead, and raised the corners of his mouth bitterly.
'Ha…'
Yeo Su-rin, who was watching this scene through the round door of smoke opened near the ceiling of the 4th floor, was stunned.
173: Chapter 172: Cho Tae-cheong (4)
From the round entrance of smoke near the ceiling, Yeo Su-rin clicked her tongue.
She didn't expect this to actually work.
When she first heard Mok Gyeong-un's plan, she thought he was crazy.
[What? You want to go back to that person?]
[Yes.]
[Are you insane? We barely escaped, and you want to go back? If you get caught this time, you might die.]
The Three-Eyed, known as the Wretched Fiend.
The number of diviners who died by his hands was too many to count.
Yet, he said he would return to such a person. He must be out of his mind.
[Even if I die, I won't regret it.]
[No, that's not the issue. I saved you, and now you're saying you'll die again. Do you think I'll just agree and let you do that?]
[But if we miss this opportunity when his familiars aren't by his side, it will be harder to kill him later.]
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, Yeo Su-rin became genuinely concerned.
Does he really believe he can kill that monster?
If it were possible, the Three-Eyed would have died long ago.
[Please, I'm begging you. Let's just go.]
[If you don't help me, I have no choice. I'll have to go back alone.]
[…Are you threatening me now?]
[Threatening? I only said I'd go alone.]
[That's a threat. You're trying to stimulate my tender, pure sympathy, aren't you?]
[Not to that extent.]
[…How annoying.]
Yeo Su-rin clicked her tongue.
Two beasts at the monstrous-level were guarding outside.
If he went out like this, his body might be torn to shreds and become food for those two monsters.
Ignoring him and leaving felt truly unsettling.
[Argh! I should have just passed by earlier. Why did I have to save a stubborn person like you?!]
[You never know.]
[What?]
[If things go well and the Three-Eyed dies, your master's concerns will be resolved, and you won't have to push yourself to hide and monitor here anymore.]
[…You're really confident.]
[You won't know until you try.]
Mok Gyeong-un smiled brightly.
Seeing him like this made her burst with frustration.
Why are men so insistent on trying things before knowing if it's dung or sauce?
Yeo Su-rin shook her head and said, [I don't know. If you want to die so badly, do as you wish. I'll bet on you failing, crying, and regretting it.]
[What if I succeed?]
[What?]
[What will you do if I succeed?]
No, why is he showing such confidence?
Does he have some hidden trump card?
[Sigh…]
After staring at Mok Gyeong-un for a while, she took something out of her bosom and showed it.
It resembled the treasure she wore on her index and middle fingers.
[What's that?]
[If you succeed, I'll give you this.]
[You had two of them?]
[No, this is a spare my master gave me in case I lose the treasure.]
[A spare?]
[Yes. It can only be used once. But it can open a door anywhere within a radius of about two hundred zhang.]
[Oh.]
[You're probably filled with greed again, right?]
[How could I not be?]
[You're honest. Anyway, if you succeed, I'll give you this.]
It was a temporary treasure prepared for an emergency, which could only be used once.
If, by any chance, this man could really kill the Three-Eyed, she wouldn't need to monitor him anymore according to her master's orders, and she wouldn't be in danger.
-Pak!
Yeo Su-rin grabbed the sleeve of Mok Gyeong-un's arm and said, [If you want this, then make sure to succeed. I really don't want to see you trying to commit suicide after I saved you.]
[I'll have to succeed, even if it's just to get what you're offering.]
[I guess you're more interested in the leftovers than the main dish. You're quite unusual. Sigh, so what's the plan? I have no intention of helping if I feel like I'll be in danger.]
[Just open the entrance.]
[What?]
[As long as you open it at the exact location I specify at the moment I give the signal. And close it right away since it's dangerous.]
[…Is that really all you need?]
[Yes, that's all.]
What is he thinking?
Is that really enough?
It was truly puzzling for her.
However…
'…This person knows martial arts.'
It was a part Yeo Su-rin hadn't predicted at all.
She was convinced that Mok Gyeong-un, who was knowledgeable about sorcery and techniques, must be a diviner from the same industry.
But she couldn't help but be surprised by his martial arts skills that surpassed her expectations.
She had heard that only martial artists with quite advanced skills could send sharp energy from a sword over a long distance.
Yet Mok Gyeong-un was capable of that.
'Could it be that he's not a diviner but a martial artist?'
Just seeing him somersault and land, he was far from ordinary people.
Who exactly is this person?
Did he learn both sorcery and martial arts?
At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un raised his head and looked at Yeo Su-rin.
Seeing him like this, she clicked her tongue.
'He's telling me to give it to him.'
Yeo Su-rin immediately understood why Mok Gyeong-un was looking at her.
In a situation where his life might be in danger if he failed, he hadn't forgotten about this.
He must have really coveted it.
'Impressive. Truly impressive.'
So, she put her hand in her bosom and took out the spare treasure.
Then she glanced at Cho Tae-cheong, who had collapsed on the floor, staggering.
No matter how outstanding a diviner or a Wretched Fiend he was, he wouldn't be able to avoid death with a dagger deeply embedded in his third eye before it could fully open.
With that…
"Catch."
-Swish!
-Tak!
Mok Gyeong-un caught the spare ring treasure she threw.
Although his face was covered like a mask with a black cloth, the corners of his mouth slightly rose.
Even if it could only be used once, it was sufficiently valuable.
He had to kill the enemy anyway, so getting this on top of that was quite a bonus.
Mok Gyeong-un looked through the door of smoke open in the ceiling and said, "Aren't you coming over?"
At Mok Gyeong-un's question, Yeo Su-rin slightly poked her head out and said, "He's definitely dead, right?"
-…Ah.
At that moment, Cheong-ryeong let out a sigh.
Mok Gyeong-un asked in puzzlement, -Why are you sighing?
-That wretched girl said something inauspicious.
-What do you mean?
-Keep this in mind. After fighting an enemy, it's best to avoid saying things like "He's dead, right?", "Is he dead?", or "Did you get rid of him?"
-Is that a problem?
-In my long experience, when someone says such useless things, it's an ominous sign…
-Crack!
Before Cheong-ryeong could finish speaking.
At that moment, the body of Cho Tae-cheong, who had collapsed with a dagger stuck in his head, stood up straight as if someone had lifted him.
'!!!!!!!!'
"Be careful!"
Yeo Su-rin hurriedly formed a simple hand seal with her left hand.
-Pak! Pak! Pak! Pak!
Lim (臨)! Byeong (兵)! Gae (皆)! Jin (陳)!
'Five Spirits Heavy Strike Technique!'
As she extended her hand, a huge pillar of energy shaped like a beam descended upon Cho Tae-cheong, whose body had been lifted.
It had the force to instantly flatten Cho Tae-cheong's body.
However…
-Crack!
Before it could even touch him, it was split into a cross shape.
'Gasp!'
What was happening?
The power emanating from Cho Tae-cheong was beyond imagination.
It possessed an ominous and evil energy that was hard to believe belonged to a human.
-Pak!
At that moment, Cho Tae-cheong reached out his left hand towards Yeo Su-rin.
Then, Yeo Su-rin's body on the ceiling was about to be pulled towards him.
"How persistent."
-Swish!
However, in that instant, Mok Gyeong-un used his Clear and Manifest Water Crossing Steps to appear in front and tried to cut off Cho Tae-cheong's left arm with the Evil Commandment Sword.
But at that moment…
-Roar!
The surroundings were shrouded in dark shadows, and Mok Gyeong-un's movements froze in place.
All his senses were lost, and once again, everything except his consciousness was taken away.
'!?'
In this situation, Mok Gyeong-un saw Cho Tae-cheong's strange state.
With his eyes rolled back and a dagger embedded in his forehead, he was no different from a dead person.
Yet, how could he move in this situation?
Moreover, he seemed to have no consciousness at all.
It was then.
-Crack! Crack!
At that moment, something appeared as Cho Tae-cheong's cheeks split open.
It was none other than an injured eyeball.
The center of the eyeball was sunken as if stabbed by something, and black blood flowed from it.
'Could it be?'
As he thought that, Cho Tae-cheong opened his mouth, staggering with a hoarse voice.
"You damn human, how dare you stab my eye?"
That voice was filled with anger and murderous intent.
Seeing him like this, Mok Gyeong-un, with only his consciousness alive, inwardly clicked his tongue.
Considering he was alive despite his eye being stabbed and a dagger penetrating his brain, he was already a being that could hardly be considered human.
It seemed there was a reason he was called a Wretched Fiend.
"I'll make you feel the same pain."
With those words, Cho Tae-cheong snatched the Evil Commandment Sword from Mok Gyeong-un's hand.
And as he gripped the hilt…
-Flinch! Tremble!
At that moment, Cho Tae-cheong's injured eyeball trembled.
"…What's with this sword?"
Suddenly, a spiritual energy trying to interfere with his consciousness through the sword's hilt made Cho Tae-cheong hurriedly try to let go of the sword.
It was at that very moment.
-Swoosh!
"Kuh!"
In a brief instant, Cho Tae-cheong's neck was severed.
Thanks to the interference with his consciousness, his power was disrupted for a moment.
Mok Gyeong-un didn't miss that moment.
In that fleeting instant when his senses temporarily returned, he cut off the guy's neck.
"You're quite unlucky."
He finally had a chance to kill him, but when he tried to take revenge by grasping the demonic sword, the Evil Commandment Sword, he suffered a setback.
-Thud!
"Ah!"
At that moment, Yeo Su-rin, who fell from the ceiling to the floor and landed on her bottom, was dumbfounded.
"Ouch, my butt. W-What's going on? Eek!"
She couldn't hide her bewilderment upon seeing Cho Tae-cheong's severed neck.
What on earth had happened?
It felt like only her time had stopped for a moment and then flowed again.
It was as if the flow had been cut off.
Cheong-ryeong clicked his tongue and said, -What a truly bizarre fellow. To revive even after the source of his energy was stabbed and his brain was penetrated.
He had a truly tenacious vitality that could no longer be considered human but an beast.
But now that his neck was severed, it would be difficult for him to truly revive.
Or so he believed, but a strange thing was happening inside Cho Tae-cheong's severed head.
-Thump! Thump!
The third eye with blood vessels rising.
Unlike the dead body, that eye possessed its own sense of self.
'Damn it.'
It was a clear mistake.
When his senses were taken away, he should have killed this bastard without caring about the repercussions of losing his body.
But he messed up because of that damn demonic sword.
With just this head, it was impossible to deal with that guy.
Now that it had come to this, the only answer was to play dead, wait, and find a new body.
'Just you wait.'
Even though he hadn't seen his face, he remembered his voice.
The moment he found a new body, he would definitely kill him…
-Squish!
Right at that moment, Cho Tae-cheong's head was crushed.
It was because Mok Gyeong-un had stepped on the head.
"Ah! What are you doing now?"
"Making sure."
Yeo Su-rin protested, unable to bear the sight of the head being crushed, but Mok Gyeong-un ignored her and continued to step on Cho Tae-cheong's head.
-Squish! Squish!
"Hmm?"
Then, he put his hand into the crushed, miserable thing and took something out.
It was none other than the eyeball.
'T-This bastard!'
The blood vessels in the eyeball were raised and trembling wildly.
Looking at this eyeball, Mok Gyeong-un chuckled and said, "I had a hunch, but it seems to be an independent existence separate from the dead body."
At these words, the eyeball couldn't hide its inner bewilderment.
This bastard had noticed its true nature.
Until now, even diviners hadn't detected it, but its existence was exposed to a guy like this?
-Creak!
Then so be it.
It's commendable that you noticed my existence, but you made one mistake.
You should have at least avoided direct contact with me.
-Splat! Splat!
At that moment, blood vessels shot out from the eyeball and dug into the flesh of Mok Gyeong-un's fingers.
'I'll take over your body like this… Argh!'
-Sizzle! The blood vessels that had dug into the flesh were soon burned.
'P-Poison?'
The eyeball was dumbfounded.
It had tried to penetrate his skin and consume his blood and nerves.
But this bastard's blood was poison itself.
The poisonous energy coming through the blood vessels was too painful.
-Shrink!
The eyeball trembled and twisted in agony.
Seeing this, Yeo Su-rin said with wide eyes, "T-The eyeball seems to be suffering and shrinking."
174: Chapter 173: Three Eyes (1)
Looking at the eyeball shrinking in agony, Mok Gyeong-un chuckled.
The guy who had exuded such tremendous power and triggered caution when he had a body was now powerless and couldn't do anything.
As expected, although it was somewhat of a gamble, the venture had succeeded.
If he hadn't dealt with the guy now, more troublesome things would have happened.
Anyway, he had found out the true nature of the guy's real body and neutralized his power, so should he crush it now?
-Squish!
'Aaargh!'
The eyeball, already suffering from the poison, hastily revealed its voice when Mok Gyeong-un pressed it, feeling its life was in danger.
-S-Stop!
"Oh? It can speak?"
Yeo Su-rin looked at the eyeball with wide eyes.
On the other hand, Mok Gyeong-un, without showing any surprise, lifted the eyeball to face his own eyes.
Then, he smiled brightly and said, "So you can talk."
-Kuugh, this bastard…
"You're not coming to your senses."
-Squish!
Mok Gyeong-un applied more force to his fingers.
Then, the eyeball desperately shouted at Mok Gyeong-un.
-S-Stop!
"Stop what? Just die like this."
-Splat!
As Mok Gyeong-un applied more force, black blood spurted out from various parts of the eyeball.
Then, the eyeball's attitude changed drastically.
-Please spare me.
"What?"
-…Spare me! I'll do anything you want, so please let me live.
"Heh."
Seeing the eyeball turn cowardly, Yeo Su-rin raised the corners of her mouth and showed interest.
Considering that the eyeball itself possessed a will, it was undoubtedly a monster.
To think that demonic energy had infused into an eyeball, a mere part of the human body, and given it self-will.
It was a new fact that had not been known to the diviner community.
At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un said, "What can you do in that state?"
-Tell me what you want. I'll do anything. If you desire gold, silver, and treasures, I'll fill the storage to the brim. If you want power, I'll use my influence to make you an executive of the Heaven and Earth Society. Or if you desire strength, I'll obtain any martial art or spiritual medicine you want.
The eyeball stated everything it could do.
If it could just overcome this crisis, opportunities would arise at any time.
There was no need to consider it cowardly.
In the first place, self-esteem was just an unnecessary emotion that humans possessed.
-Please just spare my life. After granting your wish, I'll go far away and never get involved with you again.
"You're making quite tempting offers."
-Just spare me. I'll keep my promise.
"How did you do that earlier?"
-What are you talking about?
"You stopped all senses and movements except for consciousness, as if time had stopped."
-What?
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, the eyeball couldn't hide its bewilderment.
That was because when performing the Time-Space All Deception Technique, a supreme forbidden technique, the only one who could have a flow within that space was the caster.
For all living beings except the caster, time and space itself would come to a halt.
'Who the hell is this bastard?'
It didn't make sense.
He had consciousness within the Time-Space All Deception Technique?
This was a technique of the supreme forbidden arts that was prohibited even in ancient times when the celestial realm was said to be open.
Although there were several restrictions, no one could possess consciousness within it.
To have consciousness in that state…
-…Could it be that you're not a living being?
"Asking a rude question to someone who's breathing just fine."
-No, how can a living human…?
"Enough with the nonsense. How do you perform that technique?"
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, the eyeball remained silent for a moment.
Whatever the case, the important thing right now was to somehow please this bastard and survive.
-Are you referring to the Time-Space All Deception Technique?
"Oh, so that's the name of the technique?"
-…Yes.
"I'd like to learn that technique."
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, Yeo Su-rin, who had been watching, interjected.
"What technique?"
"Ah, there's something like that."
As Mok Gyeong-un waved his hand lightly as if telling her to ignore it, Yeo Su-rin approached and linked arms with him, saying, "Hey, we've gone through life and death together, almost like comrades-in-arms. Teach me too."
-Squish!
Yeo Su-rin pulled Mok Gyeong-un's arm close to her ample bosom.
She knew.
Men were subtly weak to such temptations.
She had tried it a few times on her brothers and found it very effective.
However…
"What are you doing?"
"…"
What's this?
This wasn't the reaction she expected.
Usually, they would get shy or happy in this situation.
Does this person not like this kind of thing?
As she wondered, Mok Gyeong-un tilted his head and asked, "Are you trying to seduce me with your body?"
-Blush!
Instantly, her face turned red.
"No, w-what are you saying? Who's seducing with their body?! You're more mischievous than you look. Hmph!"
Yeo Su-rin unlinked her arm and stepped away from Mok Gyeong-un.
It was truly embarrassing.
She had seen many men, but this was the first time she had seen someone say such things so nonchalantly with a dry face and eyes.
She was feeling more embarrassed herself.
As she moved away, Mok Gyeong-un asked the eyeball again, "It would be even better if there's a book that compiles that technique."
-There's no such book.
"There isn't?"
-The Time-Space All Deception Technique is a supreme forbidden technique consisting of 63,850,987 pictograms. It can't be learned in a short period.
"Pictograms?"
-Yes. It's written in a script before Chinese characters, and it takes several years just to familiarize yourself with and memorize it.
"Several years… It's quite long."
-It takes a considerable amount of time just to transcribe it. If you really want, I can do it if you provide me with a new body. It's just that it will take that much time.
At the eyeball's words, Mok Gyeong-un clicked his tongue.
Memorizing wasn't a problem.
However, if it took that long to transcribe, it was essentially a technique he couldn't learn right away.
Moreover, whatever the case, he couldn't give this eyeball a body.
"You're not trying to deceive me, are you?"
-I swear on my existence. This is absolutely not a lie.
"An oath, huh? Well then, do you have any other useful techniques?"
-Apart from the pavilion master's room, I have my own private office. There are three books sealed with the Eight Trigrams Technique. I've recorded the sorcery, techniques, and so on that I've collected over the years.
"Good."
-If there's anything else you want, tell me. As long as you spare my life, however much…
Before the eyeball could finish speaking.
At that moment, a huge shadowy flap of wings appeared in the pavilion master's office where they were.
At the same time, the monster Toru appeared, its size reduced, scraping its front hooves on the floor with an angry expression.
'They're here quickly.'
The eyeball clicked its tongue inwardly.
If they had come a little earlier, this mess wouldn't have happened.
It was too late now.
If Mok Gyeong-un applied just a little more force with his hand, it would burst and die.
-Grooaar!
-Flap, flap!
The tremendous demonic energy of the two monsters overturning their surroundings made Yeo Su-rin take out a talisman and assume a combat stance.
"Tsk, I forgot about the beasts."
Mok Gyeong-un replied with an indifferent gaze, looking at the monsters blocking the left and right.
"Indeed."
"Hey, Eyeball! Quickly order them not to attack!"
'Eyeball? This wench, really…'
At her words, the eyeball's insides boiled, but it managed to endure and spoke.
-Toru, Heum-won, stop.
-Grrr! Grrr!
'!?'
But something was strange.
The eyeball had given an order to the two monsters that could be considered its familiars, but the atmosphere was unusual.
Toru, who was scraping the floor with its hooves, looked like it would charge at any moment.
"Hey, Eyeball. Are you sure you gave the order?"
-This is…
"Why are they acting like that?"
-They've gone out of control.
"What? What do you mean?"
-Damn it. This is why I shouldn't have split the subject.
The eyeball was just as perplexed by the situation.
That was because when it had made those two monsters its familiars, it had divided the subject of that bond between Cho Tae-cheong's soul and itself.
It was an experiment to split the command authority when using them as familiars, but it hadn't known there would be such side effects.
-Roooaar!
At that moment, Toru charged towards Mok Gyeong-un.
Toru was furious at Mok Gyeong-un, who had taken away one of its eyes.
As Toru fiercely rushed towards Mok Gyeong-un…
-Whoosh!
At that moment, Toru passed through the entrance of smoke that had appeared in the middle.
"Ah! It works!"
Yeo Su-rin had created the door.
-Kraaahhh! Thud!
The sound of falling and a loud noise echoed from beyond the door.
Unable to create a long-distance door of smoke without a medium, she had used her momentary wit to create an entrance in the air higher than the 4th floor.
As a result, the monster Toru had fallen straight down.
Having succeeded in this by chance, she let out a sigh of relief.
But at that very moment…
-Rooooar!
The fallen monster Toru let out a roar and then leaped towards the entrance with tremendous force.
Startled, she rotated her hand with the treasure in the opposite direction.
At that moment, Toru's horn and head popped out at an incredible speed.
"Uwah!"
However…
-Crack!
As the door of smoke closed, Toru's head got caught in the gap and was severed.
"Huh, what?"
What was going on?
She had never experienced getting caught in a door of smoke, so she was dumbfounded by this absurd result.
Having never caught a monster-level beast before, she couldn't tell if she should consider this skill or luck.
'Whatever.'
Anyway, wasn't it as if she had caught it?
With that, Yeo Su-rin became elated and shouted, turning her head, "Hey, I caught Toru…!?"
Suddenly, her eyes widened.
That was because Mok Gyeong-un was already standing on the body of the monster Heum-won, whose upper body was in the form of a giant bird and lower body was in the form of a hornet, grabbing one of its wings.
'Wow…'
Is that man really a monster?
How did he grab a monster-level beast with strength alone, without using any techniques?
The monster Heum-won was flapping its wings but couldn't shake off Mok Gyeong-un's hand.
'…'
She wasn't the only one surprised.
The eyeball was also dumbfounded as it looked at Mok Gyeong-un.
In some ways, Heum-won possessed a power that was even more troublesome than Toru.
Yet, before Heum-won could do anything, Mok Gyeong-un, who had moved at a tremendous speed, instantly stepped on its back and grabbed its wing.
'With this level of skill, he's much stronger than the average martial artists of the Heaven and Earth Society. Who the hell is this guy? I've never heard of this name before.'
Even ordinary martial artists couldn't handle a monster-level beast.
But this guy overpowered Heum-won instead.
This level of martial prowess was only possible for high-ranking executives within the Heaven and Earth Society, so its identity was unknown.
Meanwhile, Mok Gyeong-un, while holding the monster Heum-won, said to the eyeball, "I have a question."
-What is it?
"Why did you put that seal in the secret chamber of the Corpse Blood Valley?"
-Seal? What are you talking about?
"The scroll inside that wooden box."
-A scroll? I have no idea what you're talking about.
"…"
At the eyeball's answer, Mok Gyeong-un's eyes narrowed.
It doesn't know?
'Well, this is…'
Since it was called the Three Eyes, he had thought this eyeball had sealed that monstrous raccoon dog.
But the eyeball itself seemed to have no clue.
If that was the case…
'…It means it wasn't this guy.'
This was a completely unexpected result.
175: Chapter 174: Three Eyes (2)
-A scroll? I have no idea what you're talking about.
"…"
At the eyeball's answer, Mok Gyeong-un's eyes narrowed.
He had naturally assumed the eyeball was the Three Eyes and had sealed the monstrous raccoon dog in the Corpse Blood Valley's secret chamber.
But the eyeball itself seemed to have no clue.
If that was the case…
'…It means it wasn't this guy.'
This was a completely unexpected result.
Then who on earth had sealed that monstrous raccoon dog there?
They had definitely said it was a diviner with three eyes.
At that moment, the eyeball spoke.
-I don't know what you're talking about, but I've never been to the secret chamber of the Corpse Blood Valley.
"You've never been there?"
-That's right.
Mok Gyeong-un, who had been frowning, stared intently at the eyeball and asked, "Do you really not know about a beast that looks like a raccoon dog?"
-A raccoon dog-like…beast?
"Yes."
Then the eyeball trembled severely and convulsed.
Its appearance seemed as if it was feeling fear.
Why was this eyeball reacting like this all of a sudden?
As he wondered…
-C-Could you be referring to the Usurping Sea King, the Guhwancheonggu[1]?
"Guhwancheonggu?"
Mok Gyeong-un asked back at the unfamiliar name.
Could that be the name of the monstrous raccoon dog?
Meanwhile, Yeo Su-rin, who had been keeping her distance due to the earlier embarrassment, suddenly showed interest with a surprised face.
"What did you say just now?"
"Pardon?"
"Did you mention Guhwancheonggu?"
Mok Gyeong-un turned his head towards Yeo Su-rin and asked back.
"Do you know about it?"
"Of course I do. My master told me about it."
"Your master, you mean…?"
"Yes, that person."
Scarlet-Tailed Old Immortal.
Yeo Su-rin's master and the pavilion master of Harmonious Immortal Pavilion, known to be one of the two most mysterious among the sixty-four pavilions of diviners.
Yeo Su-rin answered with sparkling eyes, as if intrigued.
"My master had told me about it."
"What is it?"
"Huh? Don't tell me you don't know about the six spiritual beasts that have existed since ancient times?"
"The six spiritual beasts?"
Of course, there was no way he could have known.
At Mok Gyeong-un's reaction, Yeo Su-rin made a perplexed expression.
Is this man really a diviner who learned sorcery?
Meanwhile, the eyeball spoke in a trembling voice.
"…They are the ones at the pinnacle of beasts. They are not beings that a human wench like you can carelessly judge."
At this, Mok Gyeong-un asked, "The pinnacle of beasts? Are they divine beasts by any chance?"
According to the The Classic of Mountains and Seas that he had memorized, it was known that beasts were divided into six grades based on their level of danger and power.
The lowest grade was fierce beasts.
The beast Guyeo that Mok Gyeong-un had first encountered in Mt. Yeo-a was precisely the fierce beast with the lowest level.
Of course, even if the level was low, they were still stronger than ordinary vengeful spirits.
The next grade, called the fourth grade, was precisely the monstrous beasts.
The wolf-shaped monster that had made the sound of a pig's cry, encountered during the path of the Corpse Blood Valley's gate, was the monstrous beast called Galjeo.
The next grade, the third grade, was the demonic beasts, and Heum-won, the beast from Kunlun Mountain whose wing was being held by Mok Gyeong-un's hand and was struggling, belonged to this category.
Next was the second grade, the diabolic beasts, which were so rare that even renowned diviners could hardly see them, and they were called moving disasters.
And there were beasts that were called natural disasters if even one of them appeared, and they were referred to as spiritual beasts.
These spiritual beasts were beings that might appear once every few hundred years, and even if only one of them emerged, they were beasts in the realm of calamity that could devastate an entire city.
'Divine beasts.'
The final grade, divine beasts.
According to the Classic of Mountains and Seas, divine beasts were beings that might appear once every few thousand years, and they were in the realm of heavenly energy or divine punishment that humans could not handle, so they could lead to the destruction of a nation and the extinction of the human race, known as a great calamity.
Therefore, Mok Gyeong-un wondered if they were divine beasts since they were referred to as the pinnacle of beasts.
However…
-Divine beasts? They can't exist in this world in the first place. If the demonic energy reaches that level, it surpasses the natural order.
"Natural order?"
-You don't know what the natural order is?
"What is it?"
-The natural order is what sustains this world. Well, it's difficult for humans to understand.
"You're speaking ambiguously."
-The natural order is the natural order. If you go beyond that realm, you have no choice but to cross over to the other side of the boundary due to the natural order.
"The other side of the boundary?"
As he wondered, Yeo Su-rin interjected.
"It refers to ascending to immortality."
"Ascending to immortality?"
Curiosity flashed in Mok Gyeong-un's eyes.
Come to think of it, he had heard about this when learning the sword and martial arts from Cheong-ryeong.
[The origin of internal energy, the foundation of martial arts, stems from the Taoist breathing techniques. Taoism cultivates internal energy through breathing methods and thereby evolves the physical body.]
[The evolution of the physical body? Do you mean becoming stronger?]
[That's part of it, but the evolution Taoism refers to means breaking through the limitations of the physical body, realizing the flow of heavenly energy, and reaching spiritual awakening.]
[Spiritual awakening?]
[Yes. That's what they call ascending to immortality or undergoing metamorphosis and ascending to immortality.]
[Undergoing metamorphosis and ascending to immortality? Does it mean becoming an immortal and ascending to the heavens?]
[Yes. Those who practice martial arts naturally aim for ascension by attaining enlightenment through martial arts. Of course, nowadays, it has faded, and martial arts have become a mere symbol of power and a tool to protect oneself and kill others.]
[Oh. But isn't that the truth?]
[Yes. The essence of martial arts was originally not to cultivate the Dao but to easily kill others. However, if you want to reach a higher realm, you need to think more transcendentally.]
This was Cheong-ryeong's teaching.
She said that if one wanted to learn martial arts and reach a higher realm, one should aim for ascension.
Of course, Mok Gyeong-un had no interest in that at all.
His goal was to gain the power for revenge rather than becoming an immortal.
But out of curiosity, he had asked.
[By the way, Cheong-ryeong. Have there been any actual cases of ascension?]
[There have been.]
[Bodhidharma, known as the founder of the Chinese martial arts, Zhang Sanfeng, who founded the Wudang Sect, and the Sword Immortal who was said to have beheaded a dragon with a single strike. Apart from them, there must be unknown extraordinary individuals as well. The world is full of unknowns.]
[So there have been actual cases of ascension?]
[Of course, that's why it's the goal.]
If the metamorphosis and ascension to immortality that Cheong-ryeong mentioned referred to crossing over to the other side of the boundary as the eyeball said, did it mean that humans could also reach the realm of divine beasts, as described in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, by honing their martial arts?
Somehow, both the world of sorcery and the martial world seemed to converge towards the end.
As his thoughts deepened, the eyeball spoke again.
-Yes, I think that was the case. Humans referred to crossing the boundary due to the natural order as ascending to immortality.
"Hmm. So those six beasts you mentioned…"
-The Six Demons.
"Pardon?"
-beasts who have awakened intelligence call them the Six Demons or the Six Demon Kings.
At the eyeball's words, Mok Gyeong-un's eyes slightly narrowed.
He had considered it a deformed creature, but this confirmed the eyeball's true identity.
The guy itself also recognized itself as a beast, in other words, a monster.
Well, it was strange to dismiss a being with this level of demonic energy and self-will as a mere byproduct of deformity.
"The Six Demon Kings? That's quite a grandiose title."
"Wow…This is the first time I've heard of this too."
Yeo Su-rin spoke with sparkling eyes.
She was also very interested in beasts, but encountering a beast with intelligence was like finding a needle in a haystack.
Therefore, when she talked about the leader of the six spiritual beasts that she had heard from her master from the perspective of a beast, she naturally found it intriguing.
"Eyeball, tell me more. I want to know if the Six Demons you're talking about are the same as the leaders of the six spiritual beasts I know."
-…
At her pestering, the eyeball tightly shut its mouth.
It was already trying to please this guy, so it wondered if it really had to reveal this to this wench as well.
At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un spoke up.
"Regardless of what they're called, anyway, that monstrous raccoon dog is called Guhwancheonggu, right?"
-It's the Usurping Sea King.
A voice filled with fear.
Just from this reaction, the eyeball seemed to have considerable reverence for the monstrous raccoon dog.
Come to think of it, the monstrous raccoon dog possessed tremendous demonic energy even when it was sealed and its strength was significantly weakened.
It was understandable for the eyeball to be afraid.
"Well, whatever it is, the Usurping Sea King or Guhwancheonggu, there are six beasts of that level, right?"
-That's right.
"Do you know all of those beings?"
-How could I not know?
At the eyeball's words, Mok Gyeong-un pondered for a moment.
He wondered if he really needed to know about those beings, but it was just in case.
Who knew if that monstrous raccoon dog, no, Guhwancheonggu, was also sealed in the secret chamber of the Corpse Blood Valley?
It wouldn't be bad to know about these beings to some extent for the future.
"Can you tell me what kinds of beings they are?"
"What do you call the white ox spiritual beast?"
At that moment, Yeo Su-rin interrupted.
Mok Gyeong-un looked at her with an annoyed expression.
Then she pouted her lips and said, "I helped you too, so I can at least ask this much."
"…"
At her words, Mok Gyeong-un shrugged his shoulders as if telling her to do as she pleased.
With that, Yeo Su-rin asked with a delighted face and a grin, "What do you call that huge white ox spiritual beast whose length reaches hundreds of jang from head to tail?"
-…The Great Strength King.
"The Great Strength King? Ooh, so beasts call that giant ox spiritual beast that. Then what about the dragon that couldn't ascend to the heavens and fell into depravity?"
-The Dragon Demon King.
"What about the spiritual beast of the North Sea, the phoenix whose wings have turned white?"
-The White Phoenix Demon King.
"Literally. Then what about the spiritual beast in the form of a lion with black wings and sharp spiky mane?"
-The Lion Demon King.
'Hmm.'
Thanks to Yeo Su-rin's questions and the eyeball's answers, Mok Gyeong-un naturally learned about the appearance of the spiritual beasts and their titles.
He thought he did well to let her ask the questions on purpose.
Meanwhile, Yeo Su-rin continued to ask, "That stone ape trapped in the Five Finger Mountain…"
-No.
"Huh? How do you know what I'm going to ask before I even ask it?"
-The being you mentioned has already disappeared long ago due to the natural order. It no longer belongs to the Six Demons.
"Ah…It's a bit different from what my master told me."
At Yeo Su-rin's words, the eyeball asked in disbelief, -You wench…Who the hell is that master of yours? How does he know about the Six Demons from long ago?
"Heh, come to think of it, you pretended to be a diviner, so you must know who our master is, right?"
-What?
"Have you heard of the Scarlet-Tailed Old Immortal?"
-…Could it be the pavilion master of Harmonious Immortal Pavilion, one of the Six diviner Gods?
The eyeball immediately recognized which pavilion and who it was upon hearing the name.
Since it shared a body with master diviner Cho Tae-cheong, it naturally knew about the existence of renowned diviners.
They were natural enemies to the beast eyeball.
Yeo Su-rin looked at Mok Gyeong-un with a triumphant expression and said, "See? Even this deformed creature knows about my master."
"Yes, yes."
At Mok Gyeong-un's dry response, Yeo Su-rin's lips pouted like a duck.
Is this person really a diviner?
How could he show no interest at all when her master was so renowned and famous?
Ordinary diviners would usually try to establish connections by any means.
Clicking her tongue inwardly, Yeo Su-rin asked the eyeball again, "No, if it's not the spiritual beast trapped in the Five Finger Mountain, then what is the remaining one of the Six Demons?"
-The Hundred-Face King.
"The Hundred-Face King?"
-That's right.
"A hundred faces? I've never heard of it…What kind of spiritual beast is it?"
At Yeo Su-rin's question, the eyeball held by Mok Gyeong-un's hand trembled.
Even more than when it talked about the Usurping Sea King Guhwancheonggu.
The eyeball shrank and began to speak.
-It is said to be even worse than the Great Strength King, who is known to be the oldest among the Six Demons. That being is the embodiment of evil intent itself and leads everything to destruction.
"…Leads to destruction?"
-Because of that being, several nations, such as the Yin and Zhou dynasties, have been destroyed since ancient times.
"Yin and Zhou? Don't tell me, the spiritual beast you're talking about…"
Before Yeo Su-rin could finish her sentence, the eyeball spoke in a meaningful voice.
-A fox with golden fur and nine tails. The Golden Nine-Tailed Fox.
176: Chapter 175: Three Eyes (3)
"Yin and Zhou? Could it be that the spiritual beast you're talking about…"
-That's right. The nine-tailed fox beast with golden fur. The Golden Nine-Tailed Fox.
'!!!!!!!'
At the eyeball's meaningful words, Yeo Su-rin couldn't hide her shock.
"The Golden Nine-Tailed Fox? It seems to be a beast in the form of a fox, right?"
On the other hand, Mok Gyeong-un, who had no knowledge of this being, showed a reaction no different from when discussing the other leaders of the Six Demons.
"Ha…The Hundred-Face Golden Nine-Tailed Fox…"
"The Hundred-Face Golden Nine-Tailed Fox?"
"Haven't you heard of it?"
"No."
How could he have known when he didn't even know about the other leaders of the spiritual beasts? Looking at Mok Gyeong-un, Yeo Su-rin spoke in a slightly trembling voice, unlike a moment ago.
"It's a being different from other beasts."
"Different, you say?"
"Beasts are usually not well known to humans because most of them have little interest in the human world."
"Hmm, is that so?"
"But this one is different."
"Different in what way? Isn't it just an ancient and powerful beast?"
"In the books that diviners read, such as the Encyclopedia of Strange Creatures from Mountains and Seas, supernatural records about monsters are naturally described. But the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox has its records left even in ancient books and even in historical records."
"Even in historical records?"
Historical records were no different from official histories compiled by the state.
Even the martial world avoided leaving records, so it was quite interesting that historians had left them.
At this, Mok Gyeong-un said, "I've read quite a few books related to historical records, but I've never heard of a story about a fox beast."
"The earliest record is from the time of King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty."
"The Shang Dynasty… That's quite a long time ago."
"Yes, it's written in the historical records of that time. A fox monster that ate King Zhou's concubine Su Yang and transformed into her, causing the king to become depraved and create a garden called Juchi Roulin to indulge in pleasure and commit numerous tyrannies. As a result, the Shang Dynasty was destroyed by King Wu of the Zhou Dynasty."
"Ah… I think I've heard of it vaguely. The story of a king who fell for a concubine named Daji and brought ruin to his country. But it's a bit different from what I knew."
"This is the true original version of the historical record."
The original version.
It is also called the original text of the historical record.
In the original text of the historical record, the truths that the author truly wanted to convey were recorded.
"The concubine Daji of the Shang Dynasty, Bao Si of the Zhou Dynasty, Lady Huayang of India, Wakasa and Tamamo-no-Mae of Japan… It appeared in numerous forms and names, influencing the fate and history of nations."
At Yeo Su-rin's words, Mok Gyeong-un's eyes narrowed.
Listening to it, this beast called the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox was different from other monsters.
As she said, it was heavily involved in the human world.
Ordinary beasts usually didn't think of humans as anything more than food.
This was no different from humans not being interested in the world of insects or animals.
"…This monster has a lot more interest in humans than I thought."
"That's right. It's strange to that extent. So it must have infiltrated human society and caused all sorts of trouble."
"I can see why it's called the Hundred-Face."
The Hundred-Face King, the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox.
This ancient great fox beast always appeared in different forms and led a village at the least, or a nation at the worst, to the path of destruction.
It was not for nothing that it was said to have a hundred faces.
"A beast with a keen interest in humans… In some ways, it's quite a troublesome being."
"It goes beyond troublesome. It's the worst beast. My master also said that the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox is the most dangerous because it can exploit human's dark emotions and lead them to depravity."
"Depravity…"
Exploiting emotions and leading to depravity.
What a truly strange beast.
I wonder why it keeps doing such things.
If it had toyed with humans to that extent, there would be no one who knew humans better than that being.
Yet it had repeatedly done so…
It's one of two things.
'Amusement or…'
"Wait a minute, thinking about it, you're no different from the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox, Eyeball!"
At that moment, Yeo Su-rin, who had been talking about the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox, glanced at the eyeball held by Mok Gyeong-un's fingers and spoke.
At this, the eyeball trembled and pleaded.
-I-I won't interfere with human affairs anymore. So please spare my life.
"How many humans have you killed, and now you're asking to be spared? Master Mok, just kill it."
Yeo Su-rin pointed at the eyeball with her finger, then ran her thumb across her neck and stuck out her tongue, mimicking death.
"Squawk."
'This bitch!'
The eyeball cursed at Yeo Su-rin inwardly.
Then it pleaded to Mok Gyeong-un.
After all, he was the one with the choice.
-Didn't I tell you everything you asked for? Please spare me.
"Ah, there's one more thing I want to ask before that."
-Ask me anything. I'll tell you everything I know.
"There are others besides you, right?"
-…What?
At the eyeball's question, Mok Gyeong-un chuckled.
Then he lifted the eyeball to face his own eyes and said, "Your answer was a bit slow."
-No, I don't properly understand what you're…
"I'm asking if there are other Three Eyes besides you."
-…
The one who reacted to Mok Gyeong-un's question was Yeo Su-rin instead.
"What are you saying now? What do you mean by asking if there are more Three Eyes?"
"There's a sealed wooden box in the Corpse Blood Valley. The beast sealed inside that box said that the one who imprisoned it was a Three Eyes in diviner attire."
"A Three Eyes in diviner attire? Then it's this eyeball, isn't it?"
"I thought so too. But it has no idea at all. Right?"
-What are you talking about? It might be an old incident that I don't remember. All the affairs within the Heaven and Earth Society, I…
"Do you know what's sealed in the wooden box?"
-…
The eyeball shut its mouth.
"If you know, then tell me."
-…
Seeing the eyeball suddenly become silent, Yeo Su-rin frowned.
What on earth was this situation?
The Three Eyes mentioned by her master was undoubtedly this eyeball.
A being in the form of a diviner who commanded two monster beasts as familiars.
If not this one, then who else could it be?
"That can't be. Master Mok, could you be mistaken about something? My master said that the Three Eyes in the Heaven and Earth Society would disrupt the Heavenly Qi… Ah!"
Come to think of it, her master had never specified anyone.
To be precise, he had said this.
[Go and observe. A being with a third eye will appear in the Heaven and Earth Society and disrupt the Heavenly Qi.]
"…Then what the hell is this eyeball?"
"It's the Three Eyes."
"But…"
"There could be another Three Eyes, so there's no need to think too much about it. Don't you agree, Mr. Eyeball?"
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, the eyeball hesitated and said, -I… really… don't know.
"Simple, isn't it?"
-What?
"When talking about the Six Demons and such, you were afraid but still spoke well, but when I mention another Three Eyes, you're trying your best not to show any reaction."
-What are you talking about? Human, I really don't know. Yes, the world is vast, so how could there not be another being like me? But I have no idea what you're…
-Squish!
-Aaaargh!
"It would be better to talk than to die here, wouldn't it?"
-Aaaargh, I really, really don't know.
"If you think I'm lying, then keep resisting like that."
As Mok Gyeong-un applied more force to his fingers, the eyeball reached the point of almost being crushed.
It seemed like it would burst at any moment and release white fluid.
Then the eyeball hurriedly tried to say something.
-I-If I tell you, I'll die.
"What?"
-A forbidden technique is placed on me.
"A forbidden technique?"
-That's right.
"What kind of forbidden technique?"
-I don't know. A part of my memory is completely gone, and whenever I try to forcefully recall it, the technique activates and makes me lose consciousness.
"Hmm."
Mok Gyeong-un tried to form a hand seal.
-D-Don't do it. I also tried to forcefully undo the forbidden technique and almost burst.
"Is that so?"
-The eighty-six widely known undoing techniques and thirteen secret undoing techniques were useless. I want to tell you, but since my life is at stake, I have no choice in this matter. Please spare…
"Ah, then there's no more need for you."
-What?
"I'll send you off."
-Ah!
Was he going to spare its life?
The eyeball, which had been tense for a while, let out a sigh of relief.
However…
-Swoosh!
'!?'
At that moment, the surroundings were engulfed in darkness.
And with that, the eyeball was crushed by something.
-Crunch, crunch!
-Kuh!
"Eek!"
Yeo Su-rin looked at Mok Gyeong-un with a perplexed expression.
"A-Are you crazy?"
-Munch, munch!
Mok Gyeong-un chewed the eyeball thoroughly, then swallowed it and said nonchalantly, "So this is the taste of a beast's eyeball."
"What?"
"It's salty and sticky."
"No, what you're saying now…"
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, Yeo Su-rin showed a genuinely disgusted expression.
Even if he had just eaten an eyeball, it would have been nauseating, but he had swallowed the Three Eyes, known as a Wretched Fiend. He was out of his mind.
'Wow! This guy is a real psycho.'
She had never seen someone like this before.
Even she had been told by her master and brothers that she had a unique worldview, but this man was truly beyond the realm of understanding.
There was even a strange madness felt from him.
However…
"Huh?"
Mok Gyeong-un's eyes, which had been fine, suddenly turned white and trembled.
Why was he suddenly acting like this?
Could it be that he had suffered some side effects from eating the Three Eyes' eyeball?
"Hey, are you okay?"
As Yeo Su-rin tried to approach Mok Gyeong-un, she had to step back because the monster beast Heum-won, not missing this opportunity, was trying to shake off its held wing.
-Kraaahhh!
"Of all times!"
Yeo Su-rin hurriedly took out a talisman from her waist and formed a hand seal with her left hand.
Although she had easily killed the monster beast Toru earlier due to luck, a monster beast at the level of a monster was not easy to deal with, even for someone close to a master diviner like herself.
-Pak!
At that moment, one of Heum-won's wings was released.
It seemed that Mok Gyeong-un's grip had weakened due to his worsening condition.
'No, why did he have to eat that thing?'
Why did he create such a troublesome situation?
This man was really exhausting.
-Pak! Pak! Pak! Pak!
'Yeol (裂)! Jae (在)! Jin (陣)! Gae (皆)!'
From the Earth-Pressing Seal to the Single Wheel Seal, followed by the Inner-Restraining Seal and the Outer-Restraining Seal.
It was the hand seals of the Six-Person Suppression Technique.
At the same time, the talisman contained the incantation of a guardian deity that momentarily weakened demonic energy.
-Flap, flap!
The monster beast Heum-won fully spread its huge wings.
When it spread its wings, strange patterns could be seen inside, resembling two huge eyes, which was eerie.
Moreover, the force of the demonic energy spreading in all directions was no ordinary matter.
It was enough to make the legs of average diviners tremble.
Yeo Su-rin gritted her teeth.
"Come at me. Even though I may look like this, I'm the top disciple of the diviner god Scarlet-Tailed Old Immortal."
With that, Yeo Su-rin pointed the hand seal Gae (皆) at the monster beast Heum-won and tried to use the Six-Person Suppression Technique.
But at that very moment…
"Stop."
As soon as that shout was heard.
The monster beast Heum-won, which had spread its wings to attack, folded its wings.
Then, as if surrendering, it lowered its head and upper body.
Surprisingly, the target was…
"Huh?"
Mok Gyeong-un.
Yeo Su-rin's eyes widened.
Why was the monster beast Heum-won obeying Mok Gyeong-un's command?
Come to think of it, that wasn't the only strange thing.
Since Mok Gyeong-un had chewed and swallowed the Three Eyes' eyeball, the familiars who had lost their master should have naturally had their bond severed and either disappeared or died.
But the monster beast Heum-won was still alive and well.
"What's going on?"
At her question, Mok Gyeong-un smiled brightly and replied, "Who knows?"
'!?'
What on earth was happening?
She couldn't help but be genuinely curious about what had occurred.
Of course, the only one who somewhat understood this was Cheong-ryeong inside the wooden figurine in Mok Gyeong-un's bosom.
-Ha! So this works.
-Yes, it works.
Mok Gyeong-un, who had been contemplating what to do with the Three Eyes, who had formed a bond as a familiar, just ate it on a whim.
He had tried it before, making a vessel or medium of a vengeful spirit into a familiar by eating it, so he thought it might work, and it truly succeeded.
The bond of the familiar had been transferred.
And one more strange thing had happened…
'My eye…'
After eating the Three Eyes, he had absorbed its demonic energy, and it had concentrated particularly in his right eye.
When he unleashed the Three Eyes' demonic energy like when he opened the Spirit Eye, surprisingly, the flow of energy became more distinct.
-Roar!
'Look at this.'
Even the trajectory of the sword he had swung earlier had turned into a residual notion and left a trace.
It wasn't just a trace of true energy.
Even the form of demonic energy transforming into a technique was faintly visible as a residual notion.
At this, the corners of Mok Gyeong-un's mouth twitched.
'…This could be useful.'