Chapter 196: Loyalty (3)
Mok Gyeong-un said with a sardonic smile,
"Kill Mong Mu-yak."
'!?'
Seop Chun's expression instantly hardened.
He had been curious as to what Mok Gyeong-un would demand of him to prove his loyalty.
But this was a request he truly did not anticipate.
Seop Chun whispered urgently,
"Hey. Are you doing this on purpose?"
"On purpose?"
"No matter how much you want me to demonstrate my resolve for loyalty, killing Mong Mu-yak right now is not…"
"Hmph."
At his words, Mok Gyeong-un scoffed.
Then he said,
"It's all just talk after all."
Seop Chun's brow furrowed at those words.
Could it be that this wasn't just testing him, but he really meant for him to kill?
Suddenly, Seop Chun's eyes met Mok Gyeong-un's.
For a moment, he felt a chill run through his entire body.
It was truly unsettling.
'This bastard...'
Was he really in his right mind?
"Hey. We're in the middle of a secret mission. Are you not considering that?"
"So what?"
"Wh-what do you mean so what? If Mong Mu-yak dies, how will we make contact with the advance team at the first rendezvous point and get help from the direct subordinates of the Society Leader in the Imperial Palace?"
"..."
"Are you even listening to me?"
"I wonder."
"Don't give me that. Proving loyalty. I can do that however you want. But killing Mong Mu-yak, the son of the Vice-Leader, right now means making both the Vice-Leader and the Society Leader your enemies. Are you not thinking about that at all?"
Seop Chun could not understand.
Since they hadn't completed the mission yet, he hadn't become the Society Leader's fourth disciple.
But making such a demand as if he were already the fourth disciple and engaging in an internal power struggle was the worst judgment.
"Hmm."
"Think carefully. This really won't do."
"That's troublesome."
"What?"
"All this advice and whatnot is fine, but fundamentally, I want a dog that follows its master's commands without question. And you seem unfit for that."
"You!"
-Flinch!
Suddenly, Seop Chun's eyes met Mok Gyeong-un's.
He hadn't been aware of it until now, but he understood why this guy gave off a similar feeling to the Eldest Young Master.
Even while saying such arrogant and provocative words, there was no emotion felt in his eyes.
To the perplexed Seop Chun, Mok Gyeong-un said,
"Only about thirteen or fourteen are left now."
"..."
The bushes rustled as footsteps approached.
Soon, Mong Mu-yak would arrive here.
It meant to make a decision.
'He's crazy. Fucking insane. If we really kill Mong Mu-yak, not only will the mission get screwed up, but everything will be messed up. No matter how much it's to prove loyalty, this is too much. Making enemies before we even start... !?'
Many thoughts flashed through Seop Chun's mind in an instant.
Proving loyalty.
There must be other ways he could prove his loyalty to this bastard.
But insisting on killing Mong Mu-yak, the son of the Vice-Leader, even at the risk of such a reckless move...
'He didn't trust me from the beginning.'
That was it.
The reason Mok Gyeong-un gave this order was simple.
It was because of his position.
As the Third Captain Commander of the inner fortress, he could be acquainted with other successors and frequently contact those in power.
Furthermore, he could be considered a person close to the Vice-Leader.
Taking all this into account, Mok Gyeong-un had no choice but to be suspicious of him even if he pledged loyalty.
But what if he killed the Vice-Leader's son here?
'Putting aside the situation, from his point of view, I become a trustworthy person the moment I make the Vice-Leader my enemy. Is that it? Ha!'
There was no better way to test loyalty.
Because by doing this, he too would become an enemy of the Vice-Leader.
'Damn it.'
He understood the intention, but it was extremely troublesome.
Even if he proved his loyalty, if he did such a thing, he might lose any prospects as a successor even if he became the Society Leader's disciple.
Was he really prepared to handle that... Ah!
'No.'
This was a test and a trial.
Come to think of it, he seemed to have taken it too seriously.
Unless Mok Gyeong-un was an idiot, there was no way he wouldn't know what he was worried about.
If that was the case,
'Right. He just wants to see my resolve!'
Seop Chun now believed he understood Mok Gyeong-un's true intention.
He meant that if he could confirm that he would kill even the Vice-Leader's son without question at his command, he could trust him.
But this bastard wouldn't really intend to kill Mong Mu-yak right away.
If he did that, there would be more to lose than to gain.
'Then it's different.'
As long as he showed his resolve, that would be enough.
This bastard would prevent the worst-case scenario.
Still, he had to show that he followed orders, so although it didn't suit his style, he would have to put on a show of being at odds with Mong Mu-yak.
"Alright. I'll do it."
Seop Chun said to Mok Gyeong-un.
To this, Mok Gyeong-un shrugged and replied,
"I told you words alone are meaningless."
"I said I'll do it. Don't nag."
-Rustle!
Soon, Mong Mu-yak appeared, carrying dry firewood using spare clothes.
Mong Mu-yak, who was already a man of few words, silently looked at the three rabbits lying on the ground.
'He got them.'
Although he didn't show it, he was hungry after three days of fasting.
While it was said that high-level martial artists could control their appetite to some extent through qi circulation or internal energy, if there was no food intake, prolonged fasting would inevitably lead to difficulty.
Mong Mu-yak said to them,
"Who will start the fire?"
He asked this, but the one he was looking at was Seop Chun.
It meant for Seop Chun to start it.
At his words, Seop Chun approached Mong Mu-yak without a word and said,
"You managed to get them? Good work."
"..."
As expected, there was no response.
At Mong Mu-yak's attitude, Seop Chun felt slightly irritated.
'Anyway, this bastard doesn't know how others feel... No, this is good.'
He was hesitant to attack him outright, but if he provoked him like this, it would serve as a suitable justification, and he could act emotionally.
"Phew. Whatever. Give me the firewood."
With that, Seop Chun reached out to Mong Mu-yak to receive the firewood.
Then, instead of handing it over directly, Mong Mu-yak put the firewood he was carrying down on the ground, as if telling him to pick it up himself.
-Thud!
"Figure it out yourself."
And he tried to turn around.
That moment,
"Pick it up."
'!?'
Mong Mu-yak, who was turning his body, furrowed his brow.
Even when he usually acted cold, Seop Chun only grumbled and left it at that.
But now, those words were laced with a sharp edge.
Was he very upset?
Well, they had been heading north for three days straight without rest while fasting, so everyone was tired and on edge.
Should I just pick it up for him?
'...'
No.
Although he had the thought that it was possible, he didn't feel like picking it up for him.
The moment he picked it up, it would be like he was yielding.
At this, Mong Mu-yak retorted sharply,
"Don't be so sensitive over such a…"
It was at that very moment.
-Whoosh!
Seop Chun launched himself toward Mong Mu-yak.
It was such a sudden attack that Mong Mu-yak was startled for a moment and tried to gain distance, but Seop Chun's sword strike infused with qi had already grazed his left shoulder.
-Shik!
"Ugh! What are you doing!"
Mong Mu-yak, whose shoulder was cut, twisted his body with footwork and hurriedly threw a kick at Seop Chun.
Of course, Seop Chun easily dodged it by twisting his body.
As soon as he dodged, Seop Chun's left-hand sword energy struck Mong Mu-yak's abdomen.
-Bang!
"Khuh!"
-Whoosh!
Mong Mu-yak's body was pushed back about five steps from the sword energy he received.
Mong Mu-yak's expression distorted terribly.
Up until the first strike, he thought it was an attack made out of an emotionally agitated impulse.
However, the sword energy just now to the abdomen went beyond that.
As a result, he suffered internal injuries.
"Cough."
-Drip, drip!
Dark blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.
'Let's have a go at it.'
"You son of a bitch!"
-Whoosh!
Mong Mu-yak, his eyes wild with internal injuries, launched himself at Seop Chun.
-Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam!
In an instant, the two masters, who had earned the title of Five Tigers, clashed for about ten exchanges.
They didn't draw their unique weapons, the sword and saber, but they raised their qi and aimed for each other's vital points as if to kill.
Being like troublemakers in the main sect, they knew each other quite well.
Therefore, each move was close to a stalemate.
-Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam!
Up to nearly 30 seconds into the confrontation, neither of them was pushed back.
However, even if they possessed equal martial arts, as the confrontation dragged on, superiority gradually began to show.
-Shik!
'Hnng.'
Little by little, wounds appeared on Mong Mu-yak's body.
On the other hand, Seop Chun had not been grazed even once by Mong Mu-yak's sword energy.
This gave a hint as to who was more intuitive, experienced, and skilled between the two.
Seop Chun was about half a step ahead.
-Swish, shik!
Seop Chun, who had cut part of Mong Mu-yak's back with flashy footwork, glanced at Mok Gyeong-un.
Mong Mu-yak's clothes were gradually being stained with blood.
If the confrontation dragged on, he was likely to win.
'You saw that, right?'
Although they didn't use swords and sabers, they didn't hold back against each other, so he thought this much was enough to prove his resolve.
He hoped Mok Gyeong-un would tell them to stop soon.
However,
'What the?'
Mok Gyeong-un was leaning against a tree with his arms crossed, just watching.
With a look in his eyes that seemed not very pleased.
At this, Seop Chun felt incredulous.
'It's dangerous if we go on.'
He had already grasped most of the weaknesses in Mong Mu-yak's swordsmanship.
If he put his mind to it, he was confident he could end the match within three moves.
Of course, that ending meant the process of driving the opponent to death.
'How else do you want me to prove it? Now that you've confirmed my resolve, tell us to stop.'
Seop Chun blatantly gave Mok Gyeong-un a look.
Wasn't this enough?
However,
-Shh!
Mok Gyeong-un made a gesture of slitting his own throat.
Seeing this, Seop Chun's eyes wavered.
'Wh-what?'
He wasn't going to stop them, and what did that gesture mean?
Could this bastard really mean for him to kill Mong Mu-yak?
'He's out of his mind.'
If Mong Mu-yak died, everything would be messed up.
Even before properly starting the successor's battle, he might end up with enemies and be unable to do anything.
Seop Chun used lip-reading to say this was not it.
'This much is enough. We have to stop here. If we go any further, everything will...'
It was at that very moment.
-Shik!
In an instant of their fierce clash, someone intervened between them.
'!!!!!!!!'
At that moment, Seop Chun's eyes widened as if they would tear.
Something brushed past and fell to the ground.
It was,
"Aaarrrggghhhh!"
None other than Mong Mu-yak's left arm.
A scream erupted from Mong Mu-yak's mouth as his arm was severed below the elbow.
He could endure it if it was just a wound, but the pain of having an arm cut off was beyond imagination.
Seop Chun turned his head with an exasperated look.
There stood Mok Gyeong-un, raising his qi-infused hand with an indifferent gaze.
"You... You really..."
"Do my words sound like a joke to you?"
"The Vi... Vice-Leader! If you really kill the Vice-Leader's son, the aftermath..."
"Do you think stalling and pretending is proving loyalty?"
"..."
For a moment, Seop Chun was at a loss for words.
It seemed he had misjudged this bastard.
This Mok Gyeong-un wasn't just similar to the Eldest Young Master Na Yul-ryang, but beyond him.
Seop Chun was stunned for a moment.
'... Did I make the worst gamble of my life?'
This wasn't the picture he wanted.
He didn't want to step on a landmine from the start, but rather wanted to start together with this bastard even if he had no foundation.
To the perplexed Seop Chun, Mok Gyeong-un smiled and tapped his own head.
"Don't use your head. I don't want a dog that interprets things on its own. When I give a command to bite, I want a dog that can thoroughly tear out the opponent's throat."
"You..."
"Ah, ah. I said words are meaningless, didn't I?"
"..."
Mok Gyeong-un pointed at Mong Mu-yak with a flick of his finger.
The meaning was very clear.
It meant to finish it.
"Ugh, ugh."
Mong Mu-yak, holding the severed end of his arm and suffering, took faltering steps backward.
For the first time, he spoke with a face full of fear,
"Wh-why are you doing this?"
Seop Chun's expression distorted even more as he watched this sight.
The milk had already been spilled.
Although he had held back, he had pushed Mong Mu-yak to the brink, and even if he hadn't done it himself, he had even cut off his arm.
At that point, there was no way to salvage the situation.
'My resolve was half-baked.'
It seemed that from the moment he wanted to become the right-hand man of the one who had to walk the path of a villain, he should have been prepared for such an outcome.
-Clench!
Seop Chun, who had been biting his lip hard, finally sighed and,
-Shing!
Drew his unique weapon, the Gwangmudo.
'Resent me.'
He apologized to Mong Mu-yak in his mind.
Although they had no relationship of grudges, from the moment he tried to join Mok Gyeong-un's ranks, he had crossed a river of no return.
Seop Chun swung his saber at the neck of Mong Mu-yak, who was stepping back trying to escape.
His single saber strike, devoid of any distracting thoughts, held not a shred of hesitation.
-Clang!
That moment.
His single saber strike, aiming to sever Mong Mu-yak's head in one breath, stopped right in front of him.
'!?'
Seop Chun looked at Mok Gyeong-un with widened eyes.
Because the one who had blocked the Gwangmudo's blade was none other than Mok Gyeong-un's hand.
Seop Chun stared at him with an expression of incomprehension.
To him, Mok Gyeong-un said,
"Just do it."
"What?"
"Tsk, tsk. If you had been like this from the beginning, there would have been no need to even cut off his arm."
"You! You!..."
-Flinch!
For a moment, Seop Chun, who was about to say something out of disbelief, couldn't continue his words.
The moment he saw that face full of malice, with a smile reaching his ears, a chill running up his spine kept his lips from moving.
198: Chapter 197: Loyalty (4)
The Third Captain Commander of the inner fortress of Heaven and Earth Society, Seop Chun, who had witnessed Mok Gyeong-un's true face filled with pure malice, momentarily lost his words as a chill ran up his spine.
It seemed he had been mistaken after all.
Seop Chun had felt that Mok Gyeong-un was similar to Na Yul-ryang, the Society Leader's great disciple.
But that wasn't the case.
Certainly, both of them were definitely different from ordinary people.
However, if the Eldest Young Master Na Yul-ryang gave off a cold feeling of being emotionless and solely pursuing the path of a villain, Mok Gyeong-un appeared to be pure evil itself.
How could such a person exist?
A trembling rose from within him.
At that moment,
-Thump!
Mong Mu-yak collapsed.
The state of Mong Mu-yak, who had his eyes rolled back and his body trembling, did not look good.
It seemed that on top of having his arm cut off, he had suffered a great shock from nearly having his neck sliced as well.
Thanks to that, Seop Chun, who had been gripped by fear for a moment, was able to come to his senses.
"You went too far."
"What?"
"I said you went too far!"
"In what way?"
"If it was for loyalty, what I did earlier was more than enough to prove it. But what was the reason for pushing it this far? If we had ended it then, as you said, like this..."
"I told you pretending is meaningless."
"That's..."
"Is there any other way for you to prove right here that you weren't going to monitor me on the Vice-Leader's orders or work for other successors?"
"..."
Seop Chun couldn't answer to this.
Although he had crossed the line, what Mok Gyeong-un said was correct.
No, should he say it was wise?
'Thanks to this, I have no choice but to be in the same boat as this bastard.'
It was from the moment he attacked the Vice-Leader's son, Mong Mu-yak.
From his position without any backing, he had no choice but to follow Mok Gyeong-un to avoid becoming an enemy of the Vice-Leader.
"Haa."
But he couldn't help feeling conflicted.
Just a moment ago, he wanted to achieve great things together with Mok Gyeong-un and make his family name and his own name resound not only throughout the Heaven and Earth Society but the entire Central Plains.
But now that he had seen the true face of the evil inherent in Mok Gyeong-un, he was frightened.
Was he truly someone he could trust and follow?
Wouldn't this be the worst choice?
"Why are you staring at me like that?"
"... To be honest, I'm afraid."
"Afraid?"
"Yes."
"Of what?"
"I'm afraid of you, and just now, I had doubts about whether choosing you would be the right decision for me."
"Very honest of you."
"Even if I had steeled my resolve, I can't help it after seeing your true self."
"True self..."
Mok Gyeong-un chuckled.
Then, he approached Seop Chun, lightly tapping his shoulder, and said,
"I like that. I commend you for facing me head-on and not turning away even after seeing that side of me."
"..."
It was a truly peculiar compliment.
Should he take this as a compliment?
But what was it that strangely made him waver at the words of this guy who was younger than him?
Was it because of the leadership qualities this guy possessed?
Or was it this guy's capacity?
Seop Chun opened his mouth.
"I have a wish."
"A wish other than being my right-hand man and left-hand man?"
"Yes, I have one."
"What is it?"
"Fear is fear, but I hope there will be a sense of fulfillment in following you."
At those words, the corners of Mok Gyeong-un's mouth twitched.
A sense of fulfillment.
From the moment he joined him, he would walk a path stained with blood, so would this person be able to feel a satisfactory sense of fulfillment from that?
As he was pondering this, Cheong-ryeong's voice was heard.
-No need to think too much.
-...?
-There is no such thing as a master-servant relationship without giving and taking. Rather than making a fuss about a sense of fulfillment, you just need to appropriately fulfill their desires.
-I see. I'm learning something again.
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, Cheong-ryeong cleared her throat and said,
-Ahem. Why are you acting like you're learning something new?
Mok Gyeong-un chuckled and said to Seop Chun,
"Don't worry too much. If you faithfully perform your role, you will undoubtedly obtain what you desire. I can certainly promise you that."
At these words, Seop Chun let out a soft sigh.
Hearing such words from Mok Gyeong-un made him feel much better.
He hoped it would really turn out that way.
That way, this choice wouldn't become the worst.
-Thud!
With the matter settled, Seop Chun knelt on one knee and clasped his hands, shouting to Mok Gyeong-un,
"Seop Chun, the Third Captain Commander. I pledge my loyalty to Young Master Mok Gyeong-un. Please accept it."
"..."
Mok Gyeong-un stared intently at Seop Chun, who was pledging his loyalty.
A glint of interest shone in Mok Gyeong-un's eyes as he looked at him.
Seop Chun was a different type of subordinate from those he had brought under his command so far.
He had come to him of his own accord.
And even after seeing a side close to his true nature, he didn't turn away from it and even showed honesty about that fear.
-This isn't bad either.
-It's because you gained a subordinate in a proper way.
-Is that so?
Mok Gyeong-un chuckled at Cheong-ryeong's words.
A proper way.
This was the one thing he didn't particularly agree with Cheong-ryeong's words.
He was simply making the most optimal choice for the situation.
"I accept."
Mok Gyeong-un said to Seop Chun.
Then Seop Chun bowed his head to the ground, paying his respects.
Since his loyalty was accepted, he was showing proper etiquette.
It was said that the ruler, the master, and the father who gave birth to you are one and the same.
So, one shows respect with a bow.
Having fulfilled the etiquette, Seop Chun stood up and said,
"Since I have decided to serve you as my lord, I will address you with respect from now on. Please speak comfortably, my lord."
"I will do so gradually."
"You don't have to be formal. Feel free to..."
"When the time comes, I will do so. For now, this is more comfortable for me."
Seop Chun didn't hide his puzzlement.
But what could he do if Mok Gyeong-un, his lord, said he would do so?
He was only following his lord's will.
More than that, this seemed to be the priority.
Seop Chun checked the condition of the collapsed Mong Mu-yak, the Vice-Leader's son, and sighed, saying,
"Phew. The bleeding is severe, and his condition is not good."
It was as expected.
-Tap, tap, tap, tap!
Seop Chun pressed Mong Mu-yak's acupuncture points to stop the bleeding, hurriedly raised his severed left arm above his heart, and tore a piece of cloth to tightly tie it so that there would be no more bleeding.
After taking these measures, Seop Chun clicked his tongue and said,
"My lord, do you have a plan?"
"A plan?"
"Yes, I don't want to blame what has already happened, but he is the Vice-Leader's son. Moreover, he was selected for this mission, so is it okay to do this?"
Seop Chun was genuinely concerned.
Would Mong Mu-yak, whose arm was cut off, still be willing to carry out the mission with them?
Or would he return like this and report it to the Society Leader or the Vice-Leader?
If that happened, everything would be messed up.
However,
"Are you worried?"
Mok Gyeong-un showed no such concern.
Was he not worried at all even when things might turn into a disaster?
To Seop Chun, who was furrowing his brow, Mok Gyeong-un said,
"More importantly, search his body to see if there's anything."
"Excuse me?"
"I said to search him."
"... Understood."
At Mok Gyeong-un's command, Seop Chun was momentarily puzzled but searched the collapsed Mong Mu-yak's belongings without further question.
There was nothing particularly noteworthy other than silver coins and the Heaven and Earth Society's identity tags.
However, he found something unexpected hidden in a small pouch inside his leather shoes.
-Rummage, rummage!
"Huh?"
What was this?
Inside was a small red bottle.
What the hell was this that he had hidden inside his leather shoes?
Seop Chun, who was staring at it with questioning eyes, soon brought it to Mok Gyeong-un.
"He was hiding this."
"Is that so?"
Mok Gyeong-un, holding the small bottle about the size of two fingers, shook it.
It was difficult to guess what was inside with just this.
So Mok Gyeong-un gestured to Mong Mu-yak with his head and said to Seop Chun,
"Wake him up."
"Is it okay to wake him up right now?"
"Is there any reason not to?"
"Understood."
Seop Chun pressed one of Mong Mu-yak's acupuncture points and infused internal energy into him.
Soon, Mong Mu-yak, who had lost consciousness, opened his eyes.
"Gasp."
Mong Mu-yak, who had opened his eyes, abruptly sat up and looked at Seop Chun with a perplexed expression while coughing.
"Cough, cough..."
For a moment, Mong Mu-yak thought he had been dreaming.
But soon, he discovered his severed left arm and realized this was reality.
Mong Mu-yak frowned, unable to bear the pain.
Seop Chun couldn't hide his inner guilt towards him.
'... He lost his arm because of me.'
If he had attacked with the intention to kill from the beginning, as Mok Gyeong-un said, perhaps the incident of his arm being cut off wouldn't have happened.
For a martial artist to lose an arm, it meant problems with balance and everything else, signifying a sharp drop in combat power.
He fully understood the guy's state of mind.
Then, Mong Mu-yak spoke with eyes full of mixed emotions,
"Have you betrayed us?"
At his question, Seop Chun hurriedly waved his hands and said,
"No way. Why would we betray Heaven and Earth Society?"
"Then why!"
Mong Mu-yak raised his voice.
Filled with anger, he glared at Seop Chun and then shifted his gaze to Mok Gyeong-un, saying,
"Why did you do this?"
He held up his severed arm.
He wanted to cut off their arms in the same way, but knowing he was at a disadvantage, he barely suppressed his anger and lowered his voice.
To him, Mok Gyeong-un said with a smile,
"Are you resentful that your arm was cut off?"
"You!"
The anger he had barely suppressed flared up again at the mocking tone.
Seop Chun warned him,
"Calm down."
"Calm down? If you were in this situation, do you think you could calm down? How could you do this if you're not spies or traitors?"
"..."
Seop Chun couldn't answer to this.
He felt too sorry to tell him that he had attacked to prove his loyalty.
But Mok Gyeong-un didn't seem to have such feelings at all.
With a still-smiling face, he approached Mong Mu-yak.
Then, he held out the red bottle and said,
"More importantly, what is this?"
'!?'
Mong Mu-yak, who had been unable to control his anger just a moment ago, quickly calmed down.
'How did that…?'
That was what his father, Vice-Leader Mong Seo-cheon, had given him.
[If that bastard contacts the righteous faction or shows suspicious signs, use this. You know how to use it, right?]
Mong Mu-yak instinctively crossed his ankles and checked if the bottle hidden inside his leather shoes was there.
But it wasn't.
'Damn it.'
They must have searched his belongings.
The person his father, the Vice-Leader Mong Seo-cheon, had told him to use this on was none other than Mok Gyeong-un.
Seeing Mok Gyeong-un holding that, he was extremely perplexed.
Unable to say anything, Mok Gyeong-un asked him again,
"It's your own item, so you won't say you don't know, right?"
"..."
"Why aren't you answering? Do you not know what this is?"
At the repeated questions, Mong Mu-yak finally made an excuse,
"... It's something necessary for this mission."
"Mission?"
"Yes."
Come to think of it, he hadn't used it yet, and if he made an appropriate excuse that it was for a secret mission, it would be a solvable problem.
What could he do to him with this?
But then, Mok Gyeong-un chuckled and said,
"Something necessary for the mission?"
"Yes, it's nothing special."
"Ah, I see."
"When the mission starts, you'll find out..."
"Since it has practically already started, it wouldn't matter if we found out now, would it?"
Mong Mu-yak calmly responded to Mok Gyeong-un's persistent questioning.
"The advance team said they would inform me of the exact purpose, so I truly don't know either."
"The advance team?"
"Yes."
If he made this excuse, they wouldn't be able to question him further.
However,
"Hmm, is that so?"
Mok Gyeong-un, who had been nodding his head, opened the lid of the red bottle he was holding.
-Pop!
"Wh-what are you doing? Close it right now!"
Mong Mu-yak shouted at Mok Gyeong-un in a moment of panic.
To this, Mok Gyeong-un tilted his head and said,
"Why are you so startled?"
"Close it quickly! I said close it!"
"This is strange. Why are you making such a fuss about closing it as soon as I open it when you claim you don't know what it is?"
"That's..."
"Do you really not know?"
"I... I was just told it's dangerous. That's why, so please close it."
Mong Mu-yak pleaded, almost begging.
But Mok Gyeong-un instead held the bottle closer to him.
Then Mong Mu-yak frantically struggled, trying to distance himself.
"You really!"
"Hold him."
At Mok Gyeong-un's command, Seop Chun pressed down on Mong Mu-yak's shoulders.
"L-let go!"
Seeing him react with such disgust, as if he were having a seizure, Mok Gyeong-un became genuinely curious about what was inside this bottle.
So, he brought the bottle closer and said playfully,
"Even if it's dangerous, it wouldn't hurt to use a little, right? Since you won't be able to carry out the mission with that body anyway, for our sake..."
"It's, it's the Explosive Shattering Worm!"
"Pardon?"
"What's inside is the Explosive Shattering Worm. It's very small and can enter through the mouth or nostrils, so please close it. I'm begging you."
In the end, Mong Mu-yak revealed the truth.
At this, Mok Gyeong-un chuckled and closed the lid of the bottle.
"You said you didn't know, but you did?"
"..."
"Don't tremble so much. I had blocked the opening with internal energy."
At these words, Mong Mu-yak gritted his teeth.
This bastard was toying with him.
But even if he showed his emotions here, there would be nothing beneficial for him.
"... For the mission, I was told to keep it a secret and know about it alone. I didn't hide it out of ill intent."
"I'm sure. What exactly is the Explosive Shattering Worm?"
Mok Gyeong-un had never heard of it either.
So Mong Mu-yak said,
"It's a bug that inhabits the remote deserts of the Western Regions."
"Since it's called a worm, that's natural. But judging from your reaction, it seems quite dangerous?"
"... Yes. If it enters the body, it burrows into the blood vessels and circulates through the meridians."
'It burrows into the blood vessels?'
At these words, Seop Chun clicked his tongue.
Just listening to it, it sounded like a terrifying and highly dangerous bug.
But why did he bring such a dangerous thing, saying it would be used somewhere in the recapture mission?
As he was puzzled, Mok Gyeong-un said,
"Just circulating through the meridians would be dangerous enough, but I don't think that's the end of it."
"..."
"There are other problems, right?"
'Cunning bastard.'
It was difficult to deceive him at all.
In the first place, since it was already a situation where he couldn't deceive him, Mong Mu-yak revealed the truth.
"... This bug is very vulnerable to sunlight."
"Sunlight?"
"Yes. That's why in the Western Regions, it's also called the Desert Night Crawler."
"Desert Night Crawler?"
"It takes only one or two hours to lay eggs and become an adult. However, this bug is so vulnerable to sunlight that it explodes and dies if it's exposed to even a little light."
"That means..."
"Yes. If infected with the Explosive Shattering Worm, the moment you're exposed to sunlight, the meridians throughout your body will burst, and you'll die."
"Ha!"
At Mong Mu-yak's words, Seop Chun shook his head.
In a way, this seemed more dangerous than even the deadliest poison.
With poison, there was at least a possibility for a high-level martial artist to perform qi circulation and detoxify it on their own.
But would it be possible to catch and remove one by one the tiny bugs that enter the body and flow through the meridians?
It might be impossible.
"It's impressive that they found such a bug."
"I don't know how they found it either. I heard that because it's vulnerable to light, it parasitizes moles, earthworms, and insects deep underground in the desert, making it difficult to discover."
"But here it is?"
Mok Gyeong-un shook the bottle wildly.
Then Mong Mu-yak said anxiously,
"Be careful. No matter how sturdy the bottle is, if it accidentally breaks, it will be a real disaster."
"I'm sure. But why did our Vice-Leader's son bring such a dangerous thing?"
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, Mong Mu-yak sighed and replied,
"Didn't I say? I brought it for the mission."
"The mission... I see."
With those words, Mok Gyeong-un whispered in Mong Mu-yak's ear,
"But that mission is to use it if Mok Gyeong-un, the hostage bastard from the righteous faction, contacts other righteous faction members or shows suspicious signs in the Imperial Palace, right?"
'!!!!!!!!!'
Instantly, Mong Mu-yak's face turned pale and stiffened.
How the hell did this bastard know about this?
199: Chapter 198: Loyalty (5)
Mong Mu-yak's face stiffened.
How did this bastard know about the secret order his father, Vice-Leader Mong Seo-cheon, had given him before departing on the confidential mission?
When high-level martial artists have a private conversation, they use internal energy to control the sound from spreading in all directions.
So unless one reads lips up close, it's difficult to discern what was said.
'Father had his back turned and was at a distance.'
But how does he know without a single word out of place?
It was so absurd that he was utterly perplexed.
To the speechless Mong Mu-yak, Mok Gyeong-un whispered with a smile,
"You see, such a secret order doesn't really need justification and just depends on the will of the person carrying it out, don't you think?"
"Wh-what are you..."
"The suspicious signs would ultimately just be a hunch, so it's interesting that such an order was given."
"No. That's not it. This is truly just in case..."
"Just in case... What a nice phrase. But I'm not generous enough to let someone who targets my life based on their arbitrary judgment off the hook."
At these words, Mong Mu-yak felt like his heart would explode.
Although he had an arrogant and haughty personality, it didn't mean he was bold in everything.
'Is he trying to kill me?'
If it were others, he would have tried to escape the situation even if it meant selling out his father.
But strangely, those words didn't come out.
That's because if the bastard had cared about such things from the beginning, he wouldn't have been able to cut off his left arm.
'This bastard will definitely do it.'
Convinced that Mok Gyeong-un would kill him, Mong Mu-yak finally surrendered.
"N-no, really. Even if I received the order, it was truly just in case. I never intended to frame you."
"I wonder."
"I mean it!"
"Hmm."
Mok Gyeong-un stroked his chin as if pondering.
Then Mong Mu-yak became even more restless and pleaded with Mok Gyeong-un.
"Believe me. I swear on my family's honor that I had no such intention."
"You stake your honor too easily."
-Flinch!
Sharp qi was felt from Mok Gyeong-un's hand.
'D-damn it.'
Seeing Mok Gyeong-un show no openings, Mong Mu-yak became anxious.
It felt like Mok Gyeong-un would slice his throat at any moment.
Then, Seop Chun's voice reached his ears.
"If you truly had no such intention, pledge your loyalty to the Lord."
"What?"
What did he just hear?
Pledge loyalty?
"What the hell are you... Lord? Did you just say Lord?"
Mong Mu-yak's eyes widened.
Come to think of it, although they usually acted like rivals, he knew Seop Chun well.
As the Third Captain Commander of the main sect, Seop Chun's position was different from other executives or any other society members, so he couldn't openly support anyone.
He was in a position to directly guard the current Society Leader.
But Lord?
"Yes. I said Lord."
"You..."
"I have decided to serve Young Master Mok Gyeong-un as my Lord."
"Huh?"
Mong Mu-yak was truly dumbfounded.
They hadn't even succeeded in the secret mission yet, so he hadn't become the fourth disciple.
But the main sect's Guard Captain, who shouldn't support anyone due to his position, decided to serve this bastard as his Lord?
For what reason?
He couldn't comprehend it at all.
-Shh!
At that moment, Seop Chun clasped his hands together and apologized to Mok Gyeong-un.
"Forgive me, my Lord. It's not my place to intervene, but since he is the Vice-Leader's son, it would be better to make him an ally rather than an enemy..."
With these words, Seop Chun glanced at Mong Mu-yak.
'This is the best consideration I can give you.'
He had lost his left arm because of him, and now his life was in danger due to that bastard's secret order.
The only way for him to live was to pledge loyalty to Mok Gyeong-un.
Although they had acted like rivals, he hoped he would make a wise choice.
'No, please do it.'
If he died now, inevitably all the arrows of suspicion would naturally point to them.
Then the Vice-Leader would become an enemy.
At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un said,
"That's unnecessary."
"Pardon?"
"No matter what, he is the Vice-Leader's son."
"That's..."
"Would the Vice-Leader's son yield to the power of others and be forced to pledge loyalty to someone else? Hah, no way. He has pride, so he would rather commit suicide for his father than do such a thing even if he dies. Right?"
"..."
Mong Mu-yak couldn't answer to Mok Gyeong-un's words.
If he agreed here, he would have no choice but to choose death.
Certainly, it was right to preserve his pride, but death was the end of life.
It was too frightening for everything to end.
"No answer? You're trying to preserve your pride after all? See. You're befitting of the Vice-Leader's son. Rather than wasting time, it's better to cleanly kill him here..."
"W-wait!"
"Wait?"
"Loyalty... I will pledge loyalty."
"Pardon? I didn't hear you well. What did you say?"
"I, I will pledge my loyalty."
-Thud!
Mong Mu-yak hurriedly pressed his head to the ground.
Although his pride was hurt, surviving was the priority for now.
Come to think of it, he could pretend to pledge loyalty and then return to the Heaven and Earth Society to wait for an opportunity.
Anyway, with his left arm severed, he could no longer continue the mission.
'Yes. Humiliation is only for a moment.'
The moment he escapes from here and reports to his father, this bastard is finished.
Mong Mu-yak was determined to endure this moment.
Then Mok Gyeong-un lifted his head.
-Shh!
Mok Gyeong-un was licking his lips.
The moment he saw that face, his heart raced like crazy as a chill ran up his spine.
What the hell was this guy?
It was as if he was disappointed that he couldn't kill him.
To him, Mok Gyeong-un said,
"I suppose life is better than pride."
"..."
"No answer?"
"Th-that's right! You are correct."
"But you know what?"
"What is it?"
"It might be better to die."
"Pardon?"
Mok Gyeong-un grinned.
That smile was so full of malice that Mong Mu-yak felt nauseous and like he would vomit.
He was holding it back, but it was the first time he was so afraid of someone.
He couldn't believe this bastard was from the righteous faction.
'I need to escape quickly.'
He wanted to return to the Heaven and Earth Society.
Then Mok Gyeong-un said,
"Well, anyway, since you say you'll become my person, I should reward you for that."
At those words, Mong Mu-yak waved his hands.
"Ah, no. How could I expect a reward?"
He just wanted to be sent back home.
That way, he could inform his father and the Society Leader about the true colors of this crazy, evil bastard.
But,
-Shh!
When Mok Gyeong-un extended his hand, something flew into his grasp.
-Smack!
It was none other than,
'Th-this is...'
Mong Mu-yak's severed left arm.
"Urgh."
It was truly bizarre.
He was fine when he saw other people's corpses, but seeing his own severed arm made it difficult to hold back his retching.
'He really has terrible taste.'
Seeing this, Seop Chun clicked his tongue inwardly.
He would already be suffering from having his arm cut off, so how shocked would he be to receive that as a reward?
Since he couldn't continue the mission and could be sent back, he should be treated well, but he didn't understand why Mok Gyeong-un was doing this.
Then Mok Gyeong-un said,
"I'll return your arm."
"...Urgh... Thank you."
Mong Mu-yak forcibly swallowed the rising vomit and tried to receive his severed arm.
But Mok Gyeong-un shook his head.
"That's not what I meant."
"Pardon? Then what?"
"Extend your left arm."
'!?'
Mong Mu-yak made an expression of incomprehension at Mok Gyeong-un's request.
Why was he telling him to extend his left arm?
Was he toying with him now?
Then Mok Gyeong-un let out a soft sigh and pulled Mong Mu-yak's severed left arm.
-Grip!
"Ugh. Wh-what is this..."
"I said I'll return your arm."
"Return it, what do you..."
"The blood vessels and nerves need to be reconnected, so I'm asking for your understanding in advance."
"Under..."
-Shik!
"Khh."
-Spurt!
At that moment, a sharp qi brushed past, and blood flowed from the left arm where the bleeding had stopped.
The pain was less than when it was first cut off, but it was unavoidable, so Mong Mu-yak's face contorted.
Then Mok Gyeong-un placed the severed arm against the cut surface of Mong Mu-yak's bleeding left arm.
Both Mong Mu-yak, the person involved, and Seop Chun were dumbfounded.
Did he really think the severed arm would reconnect just by attaching it like this?
If that was the case, he was truly insane...
"Seop Chun."
"Yes?"
"Hold it so it doesn't fall off."
'!?'
What the hell was he trying to do?
Seop Chun looked at him with an expression that was hard to understand.
To him, Mok Gyeong-un urged in a small voice,
"Don't make me say it twice."
"Y-yes!"
Seop Chun, who had grasped Mok Gyeong-un's personality, hurriedly carried out the order.
He didn't know why he was doing this nonsense, but he held the severed arms as ordered so they wouldn't fall off.
Then Mok Gyeong-un made a sword finger with his right hand and placed it on one part of the severed area.
And with his left hand,
-Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!
'Im (Arrival)! Tu (Fight)! Jeon (Front)! Jae (Present)! Jin (Array)! Gye (All)!'
He formed the abbreviated hand seals of the Nine Character Mantra.
As he formed the hand seals, a red heat flowed from the tip of Mok Gyeong-un's right-hand sword finger.
Mong Mu-yak was startled by the heat.
What the hell was he trying to do?
Then Mok Gyeong-un moved the sword finger along the severed area.
In that state,
'The Great General of the East, the Azure Emperor, help me. The Great General of the Center, the Yellow Emperor, help me. The Great General of the West, the White Emperor, help me. The Great General of the North, the Black Emperor, help me. The Great General of the Center, the Yellow Emperor, help me.'
He chanted the incantation inwardly.
-Sizzle!
Along with this, an agonizing pain arose from the severed area where the sword finger passed, as if it were being burned.
The pain was more excruciating than when the arm was cut off.
Naturally, a scream had to burst out.
"Aaaarrrggghhhh!"
"How noisy."
"Aaaarrrggghhhh!"
"Tsk, tsk."
-Shh!
Mok Gyeong-un waved his left hand, and Mong Mu-yak's mouth was shut due to the profound internal energy.
"Mmmppphhh!"
Smirking at Mong Mu-yak, whose eyes were even glistening with tears, Mok Gyeong-un continued to move the sword finger along the severed area.
-Sizzle!
'Woo-gan-gan-gak-gak-woo!'
"Mmmppphhh."
Mong Mu-yak twisted his body, trying to struggle in agony.
Of course, Seop Chun was holding his arms, and Mok Gyeong-un was also pressing down on his body, including his mouth, with internal energy, so he couldn't move an inch.
Soon, Mok Gyeong-un's sword finger completely circled the severed area.
-Sizzle!
As he removed the sword finger, the severed area was glowing red.
Mok Gyeong-un smiled upon seeing this.
Then Seop Chun asked,
"Do I have to keep holding it?"
"No, you can let go."
'If I let go, it will fall off.'
He didn't know what he did, but it seemed like he had cauterized the wound with something like burning internal energy.
But how could a severed arm reconnect with just that?
It would surely fall off.
Seop Chun was inwardly puzzled but let go of his hands as ordered for now.
However,
'What?'
Surprisingly, Mong Mu-yak's severed arm, which he thought would fall off, didn't.
What the hell did he do?
There was no way it could stick like that just by cauterizing the flesh with burning internal energy.
"My Lord. What did you do?"
"This."
As soon as he finished speaking, Mok Gyeong-un lightly slapped the back of Mong Mu-yak's connected severed hand.
-Slap!
-Flinch!
Why was he doing that? As he was puzzled, an even more surprising thing happened.
"This... this is... what..."
Mong Mu-yak, who had been in so much pain that he even shed tears, couldn't hide his astonishment as he looked at his left arm.
-Twitch!
The fingers below the severed area were trembling and moving slightly.
Seop Chun, who was watching this, also widened his eyes.
'... No way.'
He thought it was a pointless prank, but the severed arm really seemed to have reconnected.
Seeing this, Mok Gyeong-un twitched the corners of his mouth.
'It succeeded.'
This was a sorcery technique called the Three Wonders Method.
It was a technique from a secret book hidden by Cho Tae-cheong, the Three-Eyed, a master of healing arts.
It was a miraculous technique that could even reconnect a severed arm if a few tricky conditions were met.
For example, there were several conditions, such as the severed body part must not exceed one hour.
The biggest constraint among them was that the recipient's original energy would be consumed.
Naturally, the stronger the technique, the greater the conditions and constraints, but it didn't matter since it wasn't consuming his own original energy.
"Aaah!"
Besides, there was no need to downplay it when the person involved was so moved.
Mok Gyeong-un said to Mong Mu-yak,
"It will take some time for the severed blood vessels and nerves to fully reconnect, so be careful and splint it for about five days."
"..."
At these words, Mong Mu-yak looked at Mok Gyeong-un with trembling eyes.
What the hell was this bastard's true identity?
How was this possible without being Hua Tuo or Bian Que?
While he was moved, he also felt somewhat terrified of this bizarre ability.
To him, who was so speechless that he couldn't easily part his lips, Mok Gyeong-un said with the corners of his mouth raised,
"Now there won't be any significant issues in continuing the mission."
'Huh?'
Instantly, Mong Mu-yak's expression stiffened.
200: Chapter 199: Water Demon (1)
"Now there won't be any significant issues in continuing the mission."
'Oh no!'
Instantly, Mong Mu-yak's expression stiffened.
He had been inwardly moved that the sensation in his severed arm had returned.
But there was something he had forgotten.
Now he had no choice but to go on the secret mission with Mok Gyeong-un.
'Damn it!'
He should have used his injury as an excuse to immediately return to the Heaven and Earth Society and report this guy's dangerousness to his father, the Vice-Leader, but that plan was completely ruined.
To the perplexed Mong Mu-yak, Mok Gyeong-un said as if he had forgotten,
"Ah! And there's one more gift for you."
'Gift?'
In the midst of his troubled state, when Mok Gyeong-un said he would give him something, Mong Mu-yak looked at him with a face full of suspicion.
Then Mok Gyeong-un took something out from his bosom.
It was a bracelet made of chains.
'Huh?'
Was he really giving him a gift?
To the puzzled Mong Mu-yak, Mok Gyeong-un said with a sardonic smile,
"It's nothing special, but I'd like you to wear this."
***
-Swoosh!
On a late afternoon with heavy rainfall.
A soldier with a protruding mustache was leading the way through a dense forest, guiding someone.
That someone was wearing a bamboo hat along with a bamboo raincoat, and in one hand, he was holding a black sword that looked charred.
Glancing at this unidentified man, the soldier clicked his tongue.
For over an hour, he showed no signs of fatigue while trudging through the muddy mountain path in the downpour.
'Martial artists are different.'
"Haa... Haa..."
On the other hand, even though he was a native of this place, he was out of breath and panting from exhaustion.
The weather was chilly, and his breath was visible.
Traversing the mountains in this weather was no different from an act of insanity, but money was the culprit.
'So many silver coins.'
The silver coins in the pouch the man had shown were too numerous to count.
A soldier's salary was barely enough to make ends meet, so his eyes couldn't help but waver.
Simply put, it was too much money to refuse.
Moreover,
'There's nothing wrong with receiving this much money just for guiding someone to a place.'
After walking for about an hour deeper into the forest, the soldier saw red cloth pieces tied to several trees and said,
"We're here, sir."
The soldier pointed to a plot of land between the trees with red cloth pieces tied to them, where not a single blade of grass grew.
It was a truly bizarre place.
The color of the soil had a dark reddish hue, and the surroundings were eerie.
Although the sun hadn't set yet, it was the first time he had come when it was this dark with such heavy rainfall.
Perhaps that's why he felt an inexplicable chill running down his spine.
Then the man spoke,
"Dig the ground."
"Pardon? You want me to dig the ground?"
"That's right."
"Oh, I only agreed to guide you to the place where the dead prisoners are buried..."
"I'll pay you more."
At the man's words, the soldier looked at the ground that had turned into mud from the rainwater.
It was harder to dig wet soil than dry soil.
Moreover, he felt somewhat queasy about digging up the ground where corpses were buried all by himself.
However,
'Oh, to hell with it.'
It was difficult to resist the temptation of the silver coins.
So, for about an hour, the soldier dug the ground.
Since it was a place designated by the government office to bury the corpses of prisoners, there were tools like pickaxes nearby, so he didn't have to do it with his bare hands.
'Son of a bitch.'
This was really too much.
Although he was doing this for the silver coins, since he was doing it alone, it would take quite some time, so the soldier thought the man would at least help a little.
But all he did was cross his arms and watch.
In the end, he did it all by himself.
-Thud!
'Ah!'
The soldier who had struck down with the pickaxe swallowed his dry saliva.
This feeling just now wasn't soil.
Soon, several corpses were revealed.
"Ugh."
He felt like vomiting.
The stench of rotting corpses was even more pungent because of the rain.
'But how can he identify anything with the corpses so decomposed?'
Then, the bamboo hat-wearing man, who had been watching with his arms crossed, approached and examined the decomposing corpses.
If they were in coffins, the decay would have been less severe, but since they were prisoners, they were simply buried in the soil, reaching a state where it was difficult to discern their condition.
"Hmm."
Nevertheless, the man continued to examine the corpses.
Then he stopped at one corpse.
Unlike the other corpses, it was the only one with just a head.
As expected, the face was rotten beyond recognition.
The bamboo hat-wearing man looked at it and asked,
"Why is there only a head for this corpse?"
"Ah..."
The soldier hesitated on what to do upon seeing the corpse.
That was a corpse that was silenced by the magistrate's orders.
What he was asked to do was guide them to this place and dig up the soil anyway, so he had no obligation to reveal the secret that had to be kept.
"I'm sorry, but I don't know either."
"You don't know? It hasn't been years, but only a month and a few days since it happened. To say you don't remember that..."
"I really don't know. I'm just a lowly soldier..."
-Shh!
"Gasp!"
Before he could finish his words, the black sword touched his neck.
If it pierced just a little, a hole would be made in his neck.
Startled, the soldier hurriedly said,
"Wh-what is the meaning of this?"
"Have you ever had a hole pierced through your neck?"
"The... The magistrate told me not to speak of it."
"I see. But I need to know. So speak."
"If you threaten a government official like this..."
"I don't think it would be a problem if your corpse mixed in with the prisoners' corpses."
The killing intent flowing with those words.
'Eek!'
Terrified, the soldier finally revealed the truth.
"I-I'll tell you."
"Speak."
"There... There was a vicious prisoner called Sickle Slaying Demon among the death row inmates."
At those words, the corners of the bamboo hat-wearing man's mouth slightly rose.
He had finally found it.
The traces of that bastard.
He seemed to have wasted quite some time looking for a soldier with no relatives and willing to take money.
The bamboo hat-wearing man said to the soldier,
"And?"
"But the day before his execution, an incident occurred in the prison."
"Incident?"
"Yes."
"What kind of incident?"
"Whether it was done by someone who held a grudge against Sickle Slaying Demon, he was found dead with his head cut off during the night."
"... Found dead?"
"Yes, but then his body disappeared without a trace, leaving only his head."
At those words, the bamboo hat-wearing man's eyes narrowed.
Someone suddenly entered the government's prison and killed a death row inmate.
But the inmate's body, except for his head, had disappeared?
This wasn't something that could be overlooked.
"But why did the government office just let this slide?"
"We-well, he was going to be executed anyway, and if this gets out..."
"Ah."
The bamboo hat-wearing man waved his hand.
There was no need to hear more.
It would have put the magistrate in charge in a difficult position.
So they must have kept the fact that someone had infiltrated the prison and committed such an act a secret.
Anyway, such information was of no significance to him.
What mattered was,
'They didn't take the head but took the body. That means...'
There was indeed sufficient room for suspicion.
Now, if he investigated the Yeon Mok Sword Manor, an answer to this suspicion would emerge.
Then the soldier, who had been terrified, cautiously said,
"Y-you can just give me the silver coins you originally promised, so please..."
"Ah. You mean the payment?"
"Yes."
"Right, I should give it to you."
"Ah!"
The soldier's face brightened.
He had been worried that the man might just take the money and leave, so it was a relief.
However,
-Stab!
"Ack!"
The black sword pierced the soldier's neck.
With a final scream, as the sword was pulled out, the staggering soldier collapsed into the pit he had dug, with an expression full of agony.
-Splash!
The pit was filled with muddy water from the collected rainwater, which quickly turned red.
"I'll at least give you enough for the underworld toll."
-Ting!
The bamboo hat-wearing man flicked a silver coin into the pit.
Then he promptly left the place.
***
-Swoosh!
The downpour was so heavy that it was difficult to see.
It was literally a torrential rain.
Piercing through this downpour, three men were moving northward.
They were Mok Gyeong-un, Seop Chun, the Third Captain Commander of the Heaven and Earth Society's main sect, and Mong Mu-yak, the son of the Vice-Leader.
The downpour that had started the day before yesterday had already continued for three days.
Even for masters of the martial arts world, traveling in this heavy rain wasn't easy.
Mong Mu-yak, who was using light-body skills at the very rear, glanced at his splinted left arm.
Gradually, the sensation was returning, and his fingers could move properly.
'Phew.'
But now, this wasn't particularly joyful.
In a way, it was like being given a disease and then the cure, and as his severed arm healed, he had no choice but to continue the mission.
'Damn it.'
It might have been better if his arm had remained severed.
Then he could have returned and reported all of this to his father, the Vice-Leader.
This bastard was more terrifying than any person he had ever seen.
Not only did he have an inhuman side, but he had also mastered all sorts of miraculous skills beyond martial arts, making him even more frightening.
A prime example was,
-Shh!
This chain bracelet he was wearing on his right wrist.
[Since you've already pledged loyalty, I'd like you to wear this chain on your arm and swear an oath to me.]
At that time, although it felt somewhat ominous, he thought there wouldn't be any problem with wearing a bracelet, so he followed those words for now.
But after making that oath, he realized.
He realized that he could no longer refuse anything Mok Gyeong-un said.
At one point, he thought about attempting to escape, but the moment he had such thoughts, the chain dug into his flesh, nearly making him lose his right arm.
As a result, Mong Mu-yak could no longer harbor any ill intentions.
Now he was no different from this bastard's slave.
'Damn it.'
All that came out was cursing.
As he was grumbling inwardly and lamenting his situation,
The leading Mok Gyeong-un and Seop Chun, who had been advancing through the heavy rain, suddenly stopped in their tracks.
Wondering why, he looked ahead and,
"Ah!"
A sigh mixed with perplexity flowed out of Mong Mu-yak's mouth.
That was because a river overflowing from the heavy rain appeared before them.
-Swoosh! Gush!
Seop Chun spoke in a troubled tone,
"This... It will be difficult to cross the river."
Looking at the river's currents, it wasn't at a level where one could swim across even if they had mastered martial arts.
In the first place, it wasn't a distance that could be covered by swimming.
The river's scale wasn't as vast as the Yangtze River, so if the river hadn't overflowed due to the heavy rain, they could have borrowed a boat or raft to cross the distance.
But now, they could be swept away by the currents and risk an accident.
"I was worried because of the heavy rain, but it seems difficult to cross the river right away."
"I agree."
Mok Gyeong-un nodded his head, seemingly agreeing with Seop Chun's words.
In the face of the laws of nature, even a master of the martial arts world was merely human.
"For now, my Lord, I think we should rest in that nearby village and wait for the rain to stop."
At Seop Chun's words, Mong Mu-yak interjected.
"Hey. Have you already forgotten?"
"Huh?"
"The most important thing in this mission is to make it to the rendezvous point on time. If we're delayed by even a day, it becomes difficult to meet the deadline."
At these words, Seop Chun sighed and said,
"That may be true, but how do you propose we cross the overflowing river?"
Floods and overflowing rivers were natural disasters, not man-made ones.
In the first place, it wasn't a problem that could be solved by human power.
However,
"... We need to find a way to cross."
Mong Mu-yak's stubbornness was evident.
That was because the given deadline to reach Annak, Henan Province, was ten days.
Ordinary people could never make it in ten days, but for them, who were masters above the Transcendent Realm, it was a distance that could barely be covered if they diligently used light-body skills with minimal rest.
"So, by what means?"
"Hmm, that's..."
-Shh!
Mong Mu-yak then looked at the nearby village not far from the riverbank.
The main occupation of those living in a village situated by the river was usually related to the river.
Staring intently at that place, Mok Gyeong-un said,
"I can see boats moored near the village entrance. And that boat over there..."
A large boat was moored by the overflowing riverbank.
That wasn't the size of an ordinary boat.
"It looks quite big. With a boat of that size, couldn't we cross the river?"
"Ah! It might be possible."
Mong Mu-yak nodded his head in agreement.
The currents were so strong due to the heavy rain that it seemed impossible to cross with small boats or rafts, but with a boat of that size, it seemed possible to cross by drifting downstream with the currents.
However, there was another problem here.
Seop Chun raised this issue.
"But, my Lord. With a boat of that size, it seems impossible to control without boatmen and workers."
If it were an ordinary raft, although not as skilled as boatmen, they could row and cross.
But that boat seemed difficult for them to control with their own strength.
In the end, they needed the help of the boatman who owned that boat.
"I don't know if the boat owner will launch the boat in this weather."
"He must have that boat to make a living anyway, so if we pay him enough, he'll launch it."
"Well..."
Seop Chun answered indifferently to Mong Mu-yak's words.
They had brought enough travel expenses and had sufficient money to pay for the boat fare.
But the rain was too heavy, the river was overflowing, and the currents were so fast that the boat could capsize and wreck if they were unlucky.
"Even if the money is good, would they readily take a gamble where their life is at stake?"
To Seop Chun's question, Mok Gyeong-un smiled and said,
"They will."
"What?"
Why was the Lord so confident?
As he was puzzled,
"It would be better than having their throat slit and dying for refusing."
"...…"
Mok Gyeong-un was already planning to launch the boat with the premise of threats.
201: Chapter 200: Water Demon (2)
Swoosh!
The downpour was still incredibly heavy.
The name of this village near the river was Sohachon (Small River Village).
Although it was called a village, as befitting a place with a ferry dock, it was a village of considerable size in the area, with about a hundred and fifty boatmen and fishermen living together.
The village itself was adjacent to the river as it operated the ferry dock.
"If the river rises any more, a few houses will be swept away."
On the way to the village, Seop Chun clicked his tongue and spoke.
As he said, although they had piled up an embankment with soil to block it, looking at the churning waters, it wouldn't be surprising if it collapsed at any moment.
Unlike Seop Chun, who was worried about this, Mok Gyeong-un and Mong Mu-yak had no interest at all.
Mong Mu-yak's mind was occupied with nothing but finding the owner of the large boat, and Mok Gyeong-un had no interest in the affairs of others if they were unrelated to him.
However, there was one thing that caught Mok Gyeong-un's eye.
'Hmm.'
It was an old man with white hair sitting on one side of the embankment that looked unstable, wearing a bamboo raincoat.
He had looked there due to a strange sense of incongruity and was puzzled.
The waters were so rough due to the heavy rain that the embankment looked like it would collapse at any moment, but what was that old man doing?
Upon closer inspection, a curved bamboo stick was visible in front of the old man.
Seeing this, Mok Gyeong-un tilted his head.
'Fishing?'
Was he really fishing in this heavy rain?
It was utterly incomprehensible.
Mok Gyeong-un, who had been puzzled, soon lost interest and tried to head towards the village.
But Mok Gyeong-un, who was about to leave, hesitated.
'... What is it?'
For a moment, he had tried to pass by without much thought, but something was off.
He was more sensitive to qi than anyone else.
But just now, he hadn't felt any qi from that old man.
As if he had blended in with the surrounding objects.
-Shh!
Mok Gyeong-un turned his head and looked towards the embankment again.
However,
'!?'
The old man who had been there until just now had suddenly disappeared.
He looked around just in case, but as if he had never existed in the first place, there was no sign of the old man.
The perplexed Mok Gyeong-un asked through voice transmission,
-Cheong-ryeong. Did you see that old man just now?
-Old man? What old man are you talking about?
-The old man sitting on the embankment and fishing or something.
-An old man fishing? In this weather, what fishing is he doing?
-...
-Did you see something?
-... No. I guess I was mistaken.
Even Cheong-ryeong, whose vision was open, didn't see him.
Was it really an illusion?
"My Lord?"
Seop Chun, who had been standing still, called out to Mok Gyeong-un in puzzlement.
"What's the matter?"
"It's nothing."
With those words, he shrugged his shoulders and quickened his pace again.
The three of them passed the village monument inscribed with Sohachon and entered the village.
-Swoosh!
Due to the heavy rain and the dark evening, there was no one on the streets.
Mong Mu-yak looked around and said,
"Someone who owns such a large boat must be a wealthy family or clan leader in this village."
"You're stating the obvious."
Seop Chun sneered at those words.
Then Mong Mu-yak glared at him, revealing his displeasure.
To the two people growling at each other, Mok Gyeong-un nodded his head towards somewhere and said,
"There's an inn over there."
"Ah!"
Fortunately, there was an inn not far from the village entrance.
Rather than entering any random house and asking, it seemed faster to go to the inn and find out.
So the three of them crossed the raindrops and entered the inn.
As they entered the inn with their leather shoes soaked with moisture, the interior, which was older and more dilapidated than expected, was revealed.
However, unlike the dilapidated interior, there were quite a few guests in the inn.
Perhaps it was thanks to the heavy rain that had been going on for days, they seemed to be outsiders who were stuck and staying.
-Thump, thump!
As they entered, the gazes of the guests naturally turned to Mok Gyeong-un and his party for a moment.
Even though they were wearing bamboo hats, they were carrying swords and weapons at their waists and backs, so it was a natural reaction.
However, it wasn't just the guests who showed this reaction.
Seop Chun and Mong Mu-yak, who had only been thinking about finding the boat owner, also had their eyes drawn to a few of the guests.
That's because,
'Martial artists.'
The guests sitting at the table in the innermost part and those at the rightmost table were martial artists who had mastered martial arts.
What was truly peculiar here was that the six on the right seemed to be wanderers or villains based on their attire and rough appearance.
On the other hand, the attire of those sitting in the innermost part was very neat and tidy.
Judging by their almost uniform attire, they looked like escort warriors.
The person they were escorting was obviously the woman in the center with her face covered by a veil.
She was wearing blue silk clothes embroidered with butterfly patterns, and just by looking at that, it could be inferred that she was of a noble status with considerable elegance.
"My Lord."
Seop Chun called out to Mok Gyeong-un.
The reason was because of the beardless old man sitting next to the woman.
He was smiling and serving the woman with utmost devotion, but unlike the others, his qi was concealed, making it difficult to gauge his martial arts level.
It wasn't just Seop Chun who felt this.
'Who the hell is that old man?'
No matter how much he focused his qi sense, he couldn't discern the old man's level.
If he, who had reached the pinnacle of the Transcendent Realm, couldn't discern it, it meant the old man was a master of an even higher level.
Seeing their wariness, Mok Gyeong-un said with a smile,
"Don't mind them. We came here to secure a boat, didn't we?"
But Mok Gyeong-un didn't care about this at all.
Anyway, there was no reason to pay attention to them as they had no acquaintance or reason to clash.
"Understood."
At this, Seop Chun went towards the inn's kitchen and called for the innkeeper.
Meanwhile, the veiled woman looked at Mok Gyeong-un with interest and said in a low voice,
"In the midst of being trapped in this village, a treasure has walked in on its own."
At her words, the beardless old man, who had been talking about this and that to please her, slightly furrowed his brow.
Then he cautiously said,
"Prin... No, young lady."
"Yes."
"Is it because of that handsome young man who just entered?"
At this question, the veiled woman slightly nodded her head.
Trapped in the village inn for three days due to the incessant heavy rain, her attention was drawn to one of the new guests who had entered the inn.
That's because his wet hair and face were too beautiful.
Such a face was rare to see even in 'that place'.
"Duke. The rain will probably continue for a few more days before it stops, so I'd like to receive service from that man with exceptional beauty."
"Young lady. I apologize, but those people..."
"They're martial artists, right?"
"That's right."
"I can tell that much just by looking at their weapons."
"Yes, yes, you have excellent insight. But do you remember what I told you in advance, young lady?"
"That I should avoid getting involved with martial artists?"
"Yes, yes. That's right. So please..."
"Duke. Didn't you say something before you became my esco... escort?"
"..."
"You said that even in the martial arts world, there aren't many masters of your caliber."
"That may be true, but..."
"Then are you saying you can't even grant this request to alleviate my boredom and frustration?"
'Oh my.'
The beardless old man couldn't hide his difficulty at the veiled woman's words.
From the moment they entered the inn, he had discerned through qi sensing that those guests were not ordinary people.
Those men who appeared to be in their late twenties were masters of the Transcendent Realm.
'If they have reached such excellent levels at such a young age, they are likely to be the sons of prestigious families or disciples of major sects in the martial arts world.'
The boy who looked to be 17 or 18 years old, whom the veiled woman had singled out, also hadn't even come of age, but he seemed to possess outstanding talent, appearing to be at the peak of the Transformation Realm.
The old man looked at them with a troubled gaze.
'What should I do?'
Even food can cause severe indigestion if eaten incorrectly.
This was precisely such a situation.
It wouldn't be a problem to mess with those worthless wanderers on the other side, but those of this level were different.
If he carelessly provoked them, it could become troublesome, and getting caught up in gossip during a secret mission wasn't a very good direction either.
However,
'If I keep suppressing her, she will definitely explode.'
The veiled woman had been raised so nobly that she had to have her way to be satisfied.
How many incidents had occurred even on the way to Guangzhou?
He had barely managed to coax and appease her to come this far.
'It has piled up to the limit.'
Her mood was close to the worst, having been trapped in this damp and dilapidated inn for three days due to the continuous heavy rain.
If he just kept saying no, her anger would eventually be directed at him.
Then,
'It would make things difficult for this old man as well.'
The veiled woman's anger wasn't a big problem.
If it somehow reached 'that person's' ears and was misreported, it could make things difficult in the future.
Therefore, although it was somewhat troublesome, some compromise seemed necessary.
The old man cautiously said to the veiled woman,
"Then how about doing it this way?"
With this, the old man told her what he had in mind, and although the veiled woman showed a dissatisfied expression, she eventually nodded her head reluctantly and gave permission.
***
-Swoosh!
Behind the inn.
Mok Gyeong-un and his party followed the old woman, who was the owner and innkeeper of the inn, through the kitchen to the back of the inn.
After coming out to the back, the old woman looked around and said,
"No. What's the rush for you young folks to find that boat?"
At the old woman's question, Seop Chun politely said,
"Ma'am. We are in a situation where we need to cross the river urgently."
"I understand what you said earlier, but launching a boat in this weather with such rough waves could lead to big trouble."
"I'm aware of that, but we have our own circumstances."
At Seop Chun's words, the old woman shook her head and clicked her tongue.
Then she pointed somewhere with her hand.
It was the hillside to the northwest of the village.
The downpour was so heavy that he hadn't noticed, but there was a large estate-like structure on that side.
As expected, it seemed to be a wealthy family that was doing quite well in the village.
However,
"The owner of that boat lives over there, but there's no use going."
"Thank you for telling us."
"I'm telling you it's no use, but are you turning a deaf ear?"
"Pardon?"
"The owner of that boat... In other words, the master of that house has done evil deeds and is now dying from divine punishment."
At those words, Seop Chun furrowed his brow.
Divine punishment? What does that mean?
"What do you mean by that?"
"Didn't I say it? The master of that house is dying."
"Is the master of that house the boatman?"
"That's right."
"But you said he's dying?"
"Didn't I say so? That fellow has been possessed by a water ghost, and his condition is unspeakable. If you go there for no reason, you might also get cursed, so just wait for the rain to stop."
At the old woman's words, Seop Chun made an expression of incomprehension.
He thought he might be sick, but what does it mean to be possessed by a water ghost?
As he was puzzled, Mok Gyeong-un said with a smile,
"Let's go and see for now."
At his attitude of not caring at all, the old woman shook her head.
"I'm telling you this out of concern that you outsiders might get cursed for no reason, but you don't believe me. Well, if you want to die from a curse, suit yourself."
With those words, the old woman swiftly entered the inn.
Seeing this, Seop Chun muttered in an unpleasant tone,
"That old hag has no manners. Tsk."
Divine punishment and water ghosts, aren't those just ghost stories?
He didn't understand why she was saying such things.
Then Mok Gyeong-un said,
"Anyway, now that we know who the boat owner is, we'll find out if we go."
"Well, you're right."
So they were about to head straight to the estate where the boat owner was said to be.
But after walking only a few steps, someone called out to them.
"Excuse me. Young masters."
-Flinch!
At that call, Seop Chun and Mong Mu-yak instantly turned around with eyes filled with wariness.
That's because no matter how heavy the downpour was, they should have been able to sense the presence at the distance where the voice was coming from, but they had failed to do so.
Their eyes widened as they turned around.
'Who is this person?'
The one who had called out to them was none other than the beardless old man who had been in the inn.
He was already cautious from the moment he first saw him because he couldn't discern his level through qi sensing, so why did that old man call out to them?
As they were puzzled, the old man clasped his hands together and said,
"I apologize for calling out to you on your way, but this old man is called Elder Beom."
At the old man's words, Mong Mu-yak said in a voice mixed with wariness,
"For what reason did you call us, sir?"
"Ah. Young masters. There's no need to be so wary. This old man didn't call you to harm you."
As if he had noticed their wariness, the beardless old man, who had introduced himself as Elder Beom, said with a smiling face.
At this, Mong Mu-yak asked again,
"Then may I ask for what reason you called us?"
"Hohoho. The young master seems to be in quite a hurry."
"..."
"Alright, I'll get straight to the point. I unintentionally overheard your situation earlier. It seems you were looking for a large boat to cross the river, am I right?"
At Elder Beom's words, Mong Mu-yak furrowed his brow.
He said unintentionally, but in the end, he had eavesdropped on the conversation between the old woman and them, hadn't he?
He was about to feel displeased when Elder Beom said,
"Actually, this old man also went to find the boat owner at the request of the young lady I'm serving."
"You mean you went to find the boat owner?"
"That's right. But judging by the fact that we're currently waiting for the rain to stop at the inn, I'm sure you can roughly guess what happened, can't you?"
At his words, this time Seop Chun asked in puzzlement,
"You couldn't borrow the boat?"
"That's right. This old man also met the boat owner, but he was already on the verge of death, in no condition to steer the boat."
On the verge of death means his life is in danger?
At Elder Beom's words, Seop Chun looked at Mong Mu-yak with an expression of "What should we do?"
If the life of the boatman who could control the boat was in danger, whether it was payment or threats, it was all meaningless.
However,
"Thank you for the information. But it doesn't seem like you called us just to tell us that."
Mok Gyeong-un said to Elder Beom.
Then Elder Beom replied with a smile,
"You're right. So, the young lady I'm serving wants to build a rapport with you young masters while waiting for the weather to clear up. If it's alright, could you spare some time?"
"Rapport?"
"That's right. We're both in a situation where we're waiting, so there's not much to do anyway. And the young lady has shown so much interest in you that this old man is making this request."
With those words, Elder Beom clasped his hands together once again.
He spoke in such a polite manner that Mong Mu-yak and Seop Chun exchanged troubled glances.
In fact, they were in the middle of a secret mission, so it wasn't a situation where they could come into contact with someone else.
Even if they had to wait for the rain to stop.
So Seop Chun, likewise, politely clasped his hands together and said,
"We appreciate your invitation, sir, but we are in such a hurry that we ask you to convey our apologies to the person you're serving."
"Oh my."
At Seop Chun's words, Elder Beom clicked his tongue.
Then he made a troubled expression and said,
"This is quite a dilemma. Since you can't cross the river right away anyway, is there a need to push yourself so hard?"
"The situation is unavoidable."
"Oh my. Oh dear."
"Then, sir, we'll be on our way..."
Before he could finish his words,
-Flinch!
At that moment, the expressions of Seop Chun and Mong Mu-yak stiffened simultaneously.
It was due to the intense qi emanating from Elder Beom.
Although his hands were clasped behind his back, Elder Beom's qi pressed down on them as if reminiscent of a sharp sword.
'Pinnacle... The pinnacle-stage of the Transcendent Realm.'
He had somewhat guessed, but Elder Beom was a tremendous master.
Just from the true energy emanating from his qi, the gap could be clearly felt to that extent.
In terms of the Heaven and Earth Society, he was at a level comparable to an executive.
Elder Beom revealed his qi in such a menacing manner and said with a smile,
"Listen, young masters. This old man is making this request. Please build a rapport with the young lady, even if it's just for the sake of this old man's face."
Although his words were polite, it was almost half a threat.
Seop Chun couldn't hold back his displeasure and said,
"Are you threatening us now?"
"Hohoho. How could that be a threat?"
Elder Beom had no intention of actually harming them.
He intended to let them know the gap appropriately and then have them attend the gathering the young lady wanted.
At least to show that he had done his best to fulfill the young lady's order.
"You can consider it cooperation, not a threat. It's not a difficult thing, so I hope you can do it."
With that, Elder Beom raised his qi even more and tried to pressure them.
Right at that moment,
From behind, a low voice reached Elder Beom's ear.
"Sir."
-Flinch!
Instantly, Elder Beom's eyes widened.
This voice belonged to the youngest young man the young lady had singled out.
'When?'
Clearly, the three of them had been standing side by side, but he had suddenly disappeared.
Elder Beom couldn't help but be perplexed by this.
Then a gentle voice resonated in his ear.
"It seems you don't know what a threat is. Shall I enlighten you?"