Chapter 256: The Mark (3)
"I was going to wait for a moment, but there was no need to wait. Thousand-men Commander Ma Ra-hyeon."
'This voice is?'
The unique way of speaking and the familiar voice.
The moment he heard it, Thousand-men Commander Ma Ra-hyeon with piercing eyes immediately recognized whose voice it was.
"You… could it be Mok Gyeong-un?"
"Oh-ho. You have a good memory for voices?"
'!!!!!'
Ma Ra-hyeon couldn't hide his surprise at the response he heard.
The man with a smiling face that resembled the Western Depot's commander Eunuch Ho.
It was none other than Mok Gyeong-un.
"... So you were alive?"
As the investigative branch, the Sixth Office of Selection, he had been unable to hide his dismay upon believing that Mok Gyeong-un had been killed.
Since he had been attacked while in a critical condition after clashing with his teacher and the leader of the Sixth Office of Selection, Pacification Commissioner So Yerin, he hadn't doubted that Mok Gyeong-un would naturally survive.
But seeing him alive like this, he couldn't help but be astonished.
Ma Ra-hyeon's eyes narrowed through the gaps in his mask as he looked at the face wearing Mok Gyeong-un's human skin mask.
"Ha... What exactly is that face?"
"Didn't you just call me Eunuch Ho a moment ago?"
"I did say that, but how did you get that face..."
Ma Ra-hyeon couldn't finish his sentence.
The Western Depot's leader, Chief Eunuch Ho, was not only a eunuch with a high position but also a confidant of Prince Gyeongjin, one of the country's influential figures.
Wearing the human skin mask of such a person and wandering around was extremely dangerous.
If he were to be exposed, it could turn the imperial palace upside down.
"Are you worried that it might cause problems?"
"Not just problems, but you know I still have something to receive from you, don't you?"
"Ah. That's true."
Ma Ra-hyeon had made a deal with Mok Gyeong-un.
He agreed to provide information related to the underground prison and offer assistance when necessary.
Of course, the price was the removal of the Gu poison in his body.
"Let's just say there are some circumstances regarding this face. But don't worry, it won't cause any problems."
"...."
"Besides, from what I saw, it seemed like you were being blackmailed by the person here, weren't you?"
The person Mok Gyeong-un pointed at with his finger was the unconscious bearded Embroidered Uniform Guard Thousand-men Commander.
Mok Gyeong-un, who had been hiding his presence after coming to make a request and encountering this person, revealed himself upon learning that Thousand-men Commander Ma Ra-hyeon had Gu poison in his stomach.
Inwardly, Ma Ra-hyeon felt refreshed seeing him collapse, but he quickly concealed that emotion and said.
"... Even so, it was a rash action."
"Rash?"
"What are you going to do about the aftermath when he wakes up?"
"Are you worried about the aftermath?"
"..."
How could he not be worried?
This person was a confidant of "that person" and knew about the Gu poison inside him.
If this person were to wake up, his plan to pretend to obediently follow him while somehow seeking a reversal would obviously be disrupted.
Thus, Ma Ra-hyeon said to Mok Gyeong-un.
"... You might lose your life if you are suspected."
"Hmm. Has it escalated to that extent?"
At Mok Gyeong-un's nonchalant words, Ma Ra-hyeon gritted his teeth.
Was he acting recklessly because it wasn't his own matter?
If the person behind this man had even the slightest suspicion and decided to eliminate him, they could activate the Gu poison and kill him in an instant.
"I don't think you understand how serious this matter is..."
"It must be serious for you. After all, you're in a situation where you can't do anything because of what's inside your stomach."
"Even though you know that..."
"Calm down. More importantly, I came because I have an urgent matter to request from you."
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, Ma Ra-hyeon looked at him with disbelieving eyes.
Right now, the one in a hurry was actually himself.
He had touched someone he shouldn't have and was now trying to resolve his own matter first?
Thus, Ma Ra-hyeon lowered his voice and spoke, his mood turning unpleasant.
"You have the nerve to ask me to help you when my life is hanging by a thread."
"You seem quite anxious, don't you?"
"Then keep your promise so that I won't be anxious."
Ma Ra-hyeon stated what he wanted from Mok Gyeong-un.
The only way to overcome the current situation was for Mok Gyeong-un to remove the Gu poison in his stomach as promised.
"That's going to be difficult."
"What do you mean?"
"I can't do that until my work is finished. If you, without your weakness, were to insist on fulfilling your duties as an Embroidered Uniform Guard, it would hinder my work."
-Crunch!
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, Ma Ra-hyeon gritted his teeth.
From his perspective, it was definitely a valid point, but he was furious at this reality where everyone, no matter who they were, was trying to exploit his weakness.
He wanted to overturn this situation, whether he lived or died.
-Grip!
Strength entered his fist.
But the reality that he couldn't do so was frustrating.
He hadn't repaid his debt of gratitude to his teacher, and he hadn't found "that person" either.
Therefore, he had to endure with a heart of sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall.
Seeing Ma Ra-hyeon barely suppressing his anger, Mok Gyeong-un chuckled.
At this, Ma Ra-hyeon reacted irritably.
"Are you mocking me?"
"No. You just seem very angry."
"Knowing that, are you provoking me on purpose?"
"It's not on purpose. But if I'm going to make a request, I suppose I should clean up the situation to some extent for you."
"What?"
What did that mean?
As he was puzzled, Mok Gyeong-un bent down and rummaged through the body of the unconscious bearded Thousand-men Commander.
"Stop! What are you doing now? Are you trying to make the situation more complicated?"
Ma Ra-hyeon found it increasingly difficult to contain his anger.
He wasn't even going to remove the Gu poison, yet he was trying to escalate the situation further.
Meanwhile, Mok Gyeong-un, ignoring him, pulled out a book-sized wooden box from the bearded Thousand-men Commander's pocket.
Seeing this, Ma Ra-hyeon frowned.
'This is?'
That was because this wooden box was none other than a storage case for human skin masks.
The reason he knew this was that he had received this case containing special medicines from a craftsman.
Mok Gyeong-un held it up and said.
"This looks like a case for human skin masks, doesn't it?"
"...."
"Why did he bring this?"
Mok Gyeong-un opened the human skin mask case.
Inside, a human skin mask submerged in medicine was revealed.
But the moment he saw this face, Mok Gyeong-un's eyes flickered with surprise.
That was because the face on the human skin mask was very familiar to him.
It was…
"... It resembles the face of the Eastern Depot's Junior Eunuch Jang."
Junior Eunuch Jang, the eunuch of the Eastern Depot.
He was a confidant of Imperial Consort Seo, serving her.
Mok Gyeong-un tilted his head and then looked at Ma Ra-hyeon, saying.
"Why does this person have the face, no, the human skin mask of Junior Eunuch Jang from the Eastern Depot?"
At that question, Ma Ra-hyeon sighed and muttered.
"Ah.... So he was planning to use me as well."
"Pardon?"
"That's the human skin mask I received from the craftsman."
"You, Thousand-men Commander Ma Ra-hyeon?"
"It wasn't me who ordered it..."
Ma Ra-hyeon cautiously pointed at his own abdomen with his eyes.
It was to convey the fact that the person who had implanted the Gu poison in him had ordered the item.
Of course, Mok Gyeong-un immediately understood.
"I see. The person who implanted the Gu poison in you was trying to do something with this."
"Seeing that this person brought it, it seems he intended to make me wear it."
Ma Ra-hyeon instinctively sensed it.
Otherwise, why would he bring back the human skin mask case that he had delivered?
"Is that so? Can you also guess what he was trying to make you do after wearing the human skin mask? Well, I can roughly guess, but."
He could understand that it was to cause chaos.
However, he couldn't know exactly how he intended to cause chaos.
At Mok Gyeong-un's question, Ma Ra-hyeon shook his head.
"I don't know the details either. If you hadn't knocked this person unconscious, I probably would have known the reason by now."
"So it's my fault, you mean."
"...."
"In that case, there's no choice. Let's wake him up and ask him."
What the hell was he talking about?
Waking this person up now would make the situation even more difficult to handle.
Thus, Ma Ra-hyeon extended his hand to Mok Gyeong-un and said.
"Stop it. You're not even going to help me, so why do you keep trying to escalate the situation?"
"I'm not trying to escalate it. I'm trying to help you."
"What?"
"I said I'm trying to help you."
At those words, Ma Ra-hyeon furrowed his brows.
What was this sudden talk about?
As he was puzzled, Mok Gyeong-un grabbed the inside of the unconscious bearded Thousand-men Commander's collarbone and said.
"It seems like you won't be able to properly carry out my request if you're being manipulated by these people. I have no other intentions, so just watch."
-Grip!
As soon as those words ended, Mok Gyeong-un applied force to his fingers.
At that moment, the unconscious bearded Embroidered Uniform Guard Thousand-men Commander woke up due to the pain.
"Aaaah… mmph!"
Mok Gyeong-un covered his mouth with his other hand as he tried to scream.
Then, he smiled at the awakened bearded Embroidered Uniform Guard Thousand-men Commander and said.
"Are you awake?"
At Mok Gyeong-un's greeting, the bearded Embroidered Uniform Guard Thousand-men Commander's eyes widened.
That was because Mok Gyeong-un's face currently resembled Eunuch Ho, the confidant of Prince Gyeongjin and the supervisor of the Western Depot.
Among the Embroidered Uniform Guards, there was no one who didn't know this face.
'Eunuch Ho? How is he?'
The bearded Embroidered Uniform Guard Thousand-men Commander showed an expression of incomprehension.
Why was the eunuch from the Western Depot in the office of the Embroidered Uniform Guards' Sixth Office of Selection?
As he was puzzled, Mok Gyeong-un continued.
"I controlled the surrounding sounds with my true energy. I just covered your mouth because I didn't want to hear your screams. I'll take my hand off."
-Swish!
As he removed his hand from the mouth, the bearded Embroidered Uniform Guard Thousand-men Commander rolled his eyes and surveyed his surroundings.
Then, he spotted Thousand-men Commander Ma Ra-hyeon behind Mok Gyeong-un.
Seeing this, his eyes sharpened.
"Thousand-men Commander Ma Ra-hyeon, what's going on? Just in case, I'm saying this, but to Lord Eunuch Ho..."
-Slap!
Before he could finish his sentence, the bearded Embroidered Uniform Guard Thousand-men Commander's head turned to the side.
The reason his head turned was simple.
It was because Mok Gyeong-un had slapped him.
The bearded Embroidered Uniform Guard Thousand-men Commander slowly turned his head and opened his mouth with anger rising to the top of his head.
"Eunuch Ho. What is the meaning of this? How dare you be here..."
-Slap!
Before he could finish speaking, the bearded Thousand-men Commander's head turned to the side again as another slap flew in.
It seemed like a simple slap, but his face hurt as if it was burning.
The bearded Thousand-men Commander barely endured it and said.
"Haa... Eunuch Ho. This is an act of overstepping your authority. I don't know why you, an eunuch from the Western Depot, are here, but..."
-Slap!
Once again, the bearded Thousand-men Commander's face turned to the side.
After receiving the third slap, not only did the bearded Thousand-men Commander's left cheek swell up, but blood vessels in his left eye burst, turning it red.
At this, the bearded Thousand-men Commander abruptly turned his head and glared at Mok Gyeong-un.
Then, Mok Gyeong-un smiled and said.
"You're a bit quieter now."
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, the bearded Thousand-men Commander found it absurd.
Did he slap him just to make him quiet?
Even if he wasthe supervisor of the Western Depot, he couldn't humiliate and hit him, an Embroidered Uniform Guard Thousand-men Commander from a different affiliation, like this.
However…
"Then shall we have a little talk now?"
'What's going on?'
The bearded Thousand-men Commander suddenly found it strange.
That was because, although he had no reason to converse with Eunuch Ho, he had heard his voice a couple of times in passing since he was a confidant of Prince Gyeongjin.
As an eunuch, he had a quite shrill voice, but this voice was different.
'Could it be?'
The bearded Thousand-men Commander rolled his eyes and looked at the back of Mok Gyeong-un's hand.
Seeing the back of his hand, the bearded Thousand-men Commander's eyes narrowed.
As far as he knew, even though Eunuch Ho appeared to be middle-aged due to his profound internal energy and makeup, he was aware that he had reached the age of sixty.
At that age, there should have been wrinkles on the back of his hand, but there were none at all.
With this, the bearded Thousand-men Commander was certain.
'He's a fake.'
The person in front of him was definitely not Eunuch Ho, the supervisor of the Western Depot.
Thus…
"Who are you..."
-Slap!
Before the question could be finished, the bearded Thousand-men Commander's head turned to the side.
Not only did the slapped bearded Thousand-men Commander's cheek turn a bluish color, but blood also flowed from his mouth.
Beyond the numbness caused by the pain in his cheek, his head was spinning.
To him, Mok Gyeong-un smiled and said.
"Just answer the questions I ask."
"...."
To the quieted man, Mok Gyeong-un held out the human skin mask case and said.
"What were you trying to do with this?"
'!?'
Seeing the human skin mask case, the bearded Thousand-men Commander's eyes wavered.
He didn't know the identity of this bastard, but one thing was certain: something had gone wrong.
Thus, the bearded Thousand-men Commander hurriedly racked his brain.
What should he do to escape this situation?
Then, he glanced at Ma Ra-hyeon, who was watching from behind Mok Gyeong-un as if observing.
'I don't know the identity of this damn bastard, but he must be related to that son of a bitch Ma Ra-hyeon. In that case…..'
The bearded Thousand-men Commander urgently shouted.
"If you touch me, Thousand-men Commander Ma Ra-hyeon will also die!"
He thought that the only answer was to recap the situation.
Although Ma Ra-hyeon wouldn't have disclosed the existence of the Gu poison under a taboo, if it was certain that this man was helping Ma Ra-hyeon, he would realize that he couldn't touch him recklessly…
-Slap!
The bearded Thousand-men Commander's head turned to the side.
Blood flowed from his reddened left eye as his head turned.
His left eye was not visible.
Moreover, a ringing sound of "beep-" echoed in his left ear, and he seemed to have lost both his hearing and vision on one side.
Amidst the pain, the bearded Thousand-men Commander, driven by spite, shouted.
"No. It's fine even if that bastard Ma Ra-hyeon dies…"
"I don't know how someone without the Gu of Command in their body can threaten to kill Thousand-men Commander Ma Ra-hyeon."
'!?'
At those words, the bearded Thousand-men Commander's right pupil trembled as if an earthquake had occurred.
He knew about the existence of Gu poison, so he was aware of what the Gu of Command was.
The Gu of Command was the female Gu that could control the parasitic Gu poison as a pair.
'H-How the hell does this bastard know that?'
The bewildered bearded Thousand-men Commander looked at Ma Ra-hyeon.
Something had gone wrong.
The bastard was definitely under a taboo, unable to disclose the existence of the Gu poison through his own mouth or any other means.
The moment he disclosed it, the Gu poison would rampage, and he would lose his life.
But how did this person, who had the face of Eunuch Ho,the supervisor of the Western Depot, know about that fact?
'Damn it!'
Realizing that something had gone wrong, the bearded Thousand-men Commander's breathing became rough.
-Grip!
Watching him from behind Mok Gyeong-un, Ma Ra-hyeon's clenched fist tightened.
Due to the weakness of the Gu poison, he had been unable to rebel and had to endure humiliation by doing as he was told.
But seeing the bearded Embroidered Uniform Guard in such a state, looking bewildered, he couldn't help but feel ecstatic, regardless of the consequences.
258: Chapter 257: The Mark (4)
Thousand-men Commander Ma Ra-hyeon's heart felt refreshed.
At this moment, he was filled with more ecstasy than anyone else.
However, he soon returned to reality.
It was because Mok Gyeong-un, wearing the human skin mask of Eunuch Ho,the supervisor of the Western Depot, was pushing his opponent into a corner without leaving any room for escape, and he wondered how exactly he planned to handle the situation.
'If he pushes like this, that person behind this man might kill me with the Gu poison.'
This was as clear as day.
He wasn't even going to immediately remove the Gu poison in his body, so what was he planning to do?
As he was puzzled, Mok Gyeong-un said.
"If you don't want to lose your remaining eye and ear, you should start giving the answers I want."
"...."
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, the bearded Embroidered Uniform Guard Thousand-men Commander hesitated with trembling eyes.
He couldn't tell if the person in front of him was the real supervisor of the Western Depot or not.
However, one thing was certain: he was stronger than him and seemed to know a lot.
'What should I do?'
In fact, there was one predetermined guideline in this situation.
[Thousand-men Commander Woo. What should you do if you get caught in an unexpected situation?]
[I won't create a situation for you to worry about. I'm much more tight-lipped than I look.]
[Anyone can say that. But this old man wants something definite.]
[.... What does Your Excellency want me to do?]
[It's nothing much. I'd like you to always keep this between your teeth.]
[What's that?]
The bearded Embroidered Uniform Guard Thousand-men Commander had a small poison pill in his upper right molar.
This poison pill contained a very small but vicious type of acid that could instantly burn the tongue, throat, and esophagus, and was strong enough to melt all the internal organs.
It was safe to say that the moment it touched the tongue, one would lose their life before counting to ten.
-Tremble tremble!
The bearded Thousand-men Commander's hand trembled violently.
He had to follow the guidelines, but how many people could end their own lives without hesitation?
No matter how much training one received, it was bound to be frightening.
"Huu…. huu…. huu…."
'I have to do it. I must do it.'
Otherwise, he would continue to be tortured by this person.
Just as he was trying to control his mind as his breathing became increasingly rough…
"Your breathing is out of control, and your pupils keep trembling, as if you're about to make an important decision. Moreover, in the midst of that, your tongue in your mouth keeps moving towards your upper left molar, enough to feel uncomfortable."
"What?"
At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un brought his face close to his mouth.
Then, he sniffed and raised the corners of his mouth coldly.
Thousand-men Commander Ma Ra-hyeon, who was watching from behind, wondered why he was doing that, but…
"To contain a strong acidic poison, you need an extremely tough stomach lining and special medicinal treatment. That smell is coming from your mouth. Hmm. I've heard of the method of putting a poison pill between the teeth like that, but it's my first time seeing it."
'!?'
At those words, the bearded Thousand-men Commander's right eye widened.
What the hell was this bastard?
He was already filled with fear, unable to go through with it, but now that the existence of the poison pill had been discovered, he couldn't help but feel bewildered.
-Swish!
At that moment, Thousand-men Commander Ma Ra-hyeon's figure blurred and suddenly appeared behind the bearded Thousand-men Commander.
-Thud!
"Urgh."
The Ma Ra-hyeon who appeared behind him grabbed his cheeks with his hands, pulled his lower jaw, and made him tilt his head back.
Seeing his mouth forced open, Ma Ra-hyeon's eyes widened.
There really was something that looked like a poison pill in his upper right molar.
'Meticulous.'
Ma Ra-hyeon inwardly clicked his tongue.
He had thought this person was a close confidant of that person, but even such a person had taken measures to be killed or die at any time.
As he was clicking his tongue like that, Ma Ra-hyeon tried to put his finger inside the mouth.
At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un stopped him.
"Don't."
"What?"
"Just leave him be."
".... Leave him be? What if he bites the poison pill and kills himself while doing that?"
Then they wouldn't be able to find out anything, and if he died here in the Sixth Office of Selection, it would become even more difficult to handle the situation.
However, Mok Gyeong-un nonchalantly said.
"If he does, then so be it."
"No. How can you say that..."
"First, take your hands off. How can he speak if you're holding his jaw like that?"
"...."
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, Ma Ra-hyeon's eyes showed that he couldn't understand at all.
If he had a poison pill between his teeth, he would definitely kill himself.
But Mok Gyeong-un's attitude was as if it didn't matter at all.
He wanted to remove the poison pill right away, but Ma Ra-hyeon eventually let go of his jaw and stepped back.
The bearded Thousand-men Commander's mind became complicated as his jaw was open and drool was dripping.
Inwardly, he had a strong desire for them to forcibly remove the poison pill.
'Damn it.'
Then at least he would have had the excuse that it wasn't his own will, but he felt even more regretful.
However, apart from this, he felt a glimmer of hope.
Since they had seen that he had a poison pill, he thought they wouldn't continue to torture him and strongly push him into a corner.
Meanwhile, Mok Gyeong-un smiled and said.
"Now, bite the poison pill and die."
"Wh-what did you say?"
Instantly, the bearded Thousand-men Commander's expression froze.
"Wasn't that what you had in your mouth in case you needed to kill yourself?"
"...."
It was a valid point, but he was dumbfounded that his opponent was urging him to die without even extracting any information.
Meanwhile, Mok Gyeong-un continued.
"Since someone with such strong determination that they even have a poison pill in their mouth won't answer my questions, I need to shorten the time. Hurry up and kill yourself."
'Huh?'
The bearded Thousand-men Commander was at a loss for words.
This wasn't what he expected.
It was going in a completely different direction than what he had anticipated.
As he was feeling bewildered, Mok Gyeong-un, as if not minding it at all, whispered into his ear with a smiling face.
"If you kill yourself, I'll make one promise to you. If I find your relatives, blood kin, and those related to you, I'll send them to your side without leaving a single one behind."
'!!!!!!!!'
As soon as those words ended, the bearded Thousand-men Commander's face turned deathly pale.
With the face of Eunuch Ho,the supervisor of the Western Depot, he was smiling as if he was excited just thinking about it, his mouth stretched to his ears, and he couldn't bear the goosebumps all over his body.
***
A moment later.
The bearded Thousand-men Commander was unconscious, and in Mok Gyeong-un's hand was the poison pill pouch that had been in his molar.
Thousand-men Commander Ma Ra-hyeon, who was looking at this, inwardly clicked his tongue.
As an investigative department, he had also interrogated opponents in numerous ways.
But this bastard Mok Gyeong-un had driven his opponent to the edge of a cliff in a completely unexpected direction.
It was as if he knew exactly what would make his opponent terrified.
"So Thousand-men Commander Ma Ra-hyeon was to become the trigger for a conflict between the Second Prince and Imperial Consort Seo."
".... Yes."
The order the bearded Thousand-men Commander had received was that.
Ma Ra-hyeon was to wear the human skin mask of Junior Eunuch Jang, an eunuch from the Eastern Depot who could be considered a close associate of Imperial Consort Seo, and target the life of the Second Prince, Prince Jong.
It wasn't to actually kill him but to trigger a war between them.
"With the Gu poison in your stomach, it must be frustrating to just suffer."
"Just suffer?"
"Isn't that so?"
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, Ma Ra-hyeon snorted and went somewhere inside the office.
Then, he opened the door of a safe with his name on it and took something out.
It was none other than another human skin mask case.
Ma Ra-hyeon opened its lid.
-Click!
"Oh-ho."
Seeing this, Mok Gyeong-un's eyes flickered with surprise.
That was because inside was a face identical to the human skin mask the bearded Embroidered Uniform Guard Thousand-men Commander had brought, the face of Junior Eunuch Jang, the eunuch from the Eastern Depot.
"You had your own plan."
"It's not the best plan. Because it requires me to risk my life."
"Well, that's true."
The additional human skin mask he had made would serve as another piece of evidence in case the person who had orchestrated this removed the human skin mask used in the incident.
However, the moment he presented this as evidence, that person would end Ma Ra-hyeon's life with the Gu poison.
In the end, the human skin mask Ma Ra-hyeon had prepared was a move of mutual destruction.
Ma Ra-hyeon, who was looking at Mok Gyeong-un, cautiously opened his lips.
"If I didn't have a weakness, I could file a request for confinement to the Sixth Office of Selection with just this person's status and the evidence."
"And?"
"I have no intention of interfering with your work or betraying you. If you tell me to sign and write a document, I can do it and even swear an oath."
"So you're asking me to remove the Gu poison, right?"
"..... Yes."
"But what should we do? I'm a bit timid and cautious."
"You!"
Ma Ra-hyeon raised his voice but suppressed it.
What did he mean by being timid?
Wasn't it simply because he couldn't fully trust him?
Ma Ra-hyeon spoke to Mok Gyeong-un in a barely suppressed voice.
"Then what are you planning to do? Even if you continue to detain this person, his confidant, that person will become suspicious, and if you let him go, the result is obvious. Do you want me to die like this?"
"How could that be?"
"Then do you have any plan?"
"You're asking as if I have a bundle of solutions."
"Haa...."
Ma Ra-hyeon let out a sigh.
Since he was in a disadvantageous position, it was difficult for him to even get angry when Mok Gyeong-un spoke like this.
If it came to this, it might be better to engage in mutual destruction with the bastard before the situation became uncontrollable.
Just as he was having such extreme thoughts…
Mok Gyeong-un suddenly got up from his seat and handed the poison pill he was holding to Ma Ra-hyeon.
"Why this?"
"Keep it with you. I'm going, so."
"Going? You're just going to leave after causing this mess..."
"I never said I was just leaving."
"What?"
"I'm going to meet the person who caused trouble for you and have a talk with him."
'!?'
At those words, Ma Ra-hyeon, who was about to grab Mok Gyeong-un, hesitated.
Sang Ik-seo, the 4th-rank Embroidered Uniform Guard Associate Military Commissioner.
If the two Norther and Southern Pacification Commissioners, were the pinnacle in charge of the actual affairs of the Embroidered Uniform Guards, above them were the Associate Military Commissioner, Deputy Military Commissioner and the Military Commissioner, who held command authority.
Here, Sang Ik-seo, who held the position of Associate Military Commissioner, was the third-highest figure in the Embroidered Uniform Guards and the very person who had implanted the parasitic Gu poison into Ma Ra-hyeon's stomach.
'What the hell is this bastard thinking?'
He suddenly said he was going to meet Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo, so it was difficult to discern Mok Gyeong-un's intentions.
Thus, he was about to ask the reason for it, but…
"What are you going to do by meeting him..."
-Swish!
But before he could even ask, Mok Gyeong-un's figure blurred and disappeared.
"Damn it!"
He was truly doing as he pleased.
At this, Ma Ra-hyeon couldn't hide his predicament.
It was clear that Mok Gyeong-un wasn't just going to meet that person, but intended to do something.
However, there was a huge problem here.
Although he knew Mok Gyeong-un's martial arts were exceptional, beside Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo was a master of unknown identity who had defeated him in just a few moves.
259: Chapter 258: The Mark (5)
In an office at the main hall of the Embroidered Uniform Guard…
A middle-aged man in his fifties with drooping eyes and a scruffy beard sat with his legs crossed on the desk, puffing on a short cigar pipe and exhaling smoke.
"Phew."
His name was Sang Ik-seo.
He was the Associate Military Commissioner of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, ranked third in the chain of command of the organization as a 4th rank official.
In his office, there was another man in his forties dressed in the uniform of a Hundred-men Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, diligently polishing his sword while sitting comfortably in a guest chair.
Considering their difference in ranks, the Hundred-men Commander should have been standing at attention, but his relaxed posture suggested their relationship was quite horizontal.
-Shwip!
Each time the middle-aged man in his forties wiped the sword, the surrounding air seemed to sharpen in a peculiar way.
This alone was enough to tell that he was no ordinary person.
After a while of quietly focusing on their respective tasks, Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo, who had been smoking his pipe, spoke up.
"By now, that guy should be entering the Inner Palace."
To this, the Embroidered Uniform Guard Hundred-men Commander replied.
"If it's according to the set time, yes."
"Soon, the Inner Palace – no, Prince Jong's Jikhyeon Palace will be turned upside down."
"If it succeeds properly, it won't just be Jikhyeon Palace. The entire Imperial Palace will be in an uproar."
It was an incident targeting none other than the Second Prince, Prince Jong.
If it were to happen, no matter how much the Emperor cherished Consort Seo, he wouldn't let this matter slide.
"It'll be very amusing."
The established power dynamics would flip in an instant.
Thinking about how that bitch would suffer made him unable to contain his inner excitement.
Puffing on his cigar pipe and exhaling smoke, he spoke.
"Phew. But Woo-yeon is late."
Thousand-men Commander Woo-yeon.
He was the Embroidered Uniform Guard assisting him.
By now, he should have already relayed the order to "that guy" and returned.
But he hadn't arrived yet.
Finding this suspicious, Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo said with a doubtful gaze.
"Don't tell me that guy defied the Headquarters' order?"
To this question, the middle-aged Embroidered Uniform Guard Hundred-men Commander chuckled and replied.
"No matter how much those guys pretend to be righteous and noble, when it truly comes down to a life-or-death situation, they have no choice but to obey."
"No choice but to obey, huh… Well, with a bug holding their lifeline in their belly, refusing would mean they're crazy enough to want to die."
The bug in the belly.
What they were referring to was none other than the Gu Poison.
Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo, who had been laughing like that, tapped the ashes from his cigar pipe into the ashtray and said.
"Since we're on the topic, it's quite convenient, but do you think we could get a few more Gu Poisons? Or perhaps control more of the parasitic type through the Command Gu…"
"I've told you before."
"Told me what?"
"The Gu Poison comes in pairs, so we can't increase the parasitic type that way. And to create a pair, it requires numerous poisons and training, so it can't be made just because you want it."
Upon hearing this, Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo licked his lips as if disappointed.
There was this Thousand-men Commander who, despite only being a Thousand-men Commander, wore a mask and acted all high and mighty, which annoyed him. But thanks to the Gu Poison, he had transformed into an obedient slave.
"Then is it possible to recycle the ones inside?"
"The ones inside?"
"I'm talking about the parasitic type."
"…After the host dies, it will also burst and die not long after. Of course, if we take action beforehand, recycling isn't impossible."
"Now that's good news."
He had planned to use it a few more times after this incident before discarding it anyway.
But if the Gu Poison could be recycled, he could create another set.
It was truly priceless.
"Tell me when the time comes."
"Understood."
"Ah! By the way, is that matter of yours going well?"
"What matter are you referring to?"
"The interrogation of that monk."
"…"
"If you're personally going down to the underground prison once every two days to interrogate him, the item you're searching for must be quite important, no?"
-Thud!
As soon as he finished speaking, the Embroidered Uniform Guard Hundred-men Commander stopped polishing his sword.
He then placed the sword on the table.
Upon seeing this, Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo's eyes filled with tension.
That was because the Embroidered Uniform Guard Hundred-men Commander who had been at the table had suddenly disappeared.
-Shwip!
Soon, rough hands gripped both of his shoulders.
Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo unconsciously gulped at the hands pressing down on his shoulders.
Although he wasn't part of the field operatives, unlike the Military Commissioner or Deputy Military Commissioner, he had once been a field operative and was a master at the early-stage of the Transcendent Realm.
Even he trembled at the overwhelming prowess of the Embroidered Uniform Guard Hundred-men Commander, who had appeared behind him in the blink of an eye.
Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo spoke in a tense voice.
"Haha. Hey. Did I perhaps say something wrong?"
At that question, the Embroidered Uniform Guard Hundred-men Commander, who had his hands on his shoulders, tightened his grip and spoke.
"Associate Military Commissioner, sir."
"…"
"What did I say was one of the conditions for helping with what you wanted?"
"…You said not to interfere with your affairs."
"You seem to know it well. So if someone who knows it so well tries to meddle in someone else's business with unnecessary meddling, the outcome won't be very good, will it?"
His voice was laced with a thick killing intent.
This was a kind of warning.
It was pressure telling him not to interfere or unnecessarily get involved in his affairs.
Ordinary people would tremble in fear if warned with overwhelming strength.
However, Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo didn't reach this position for nothing, so he had some guts.
Sang Ik-seo laughed as heartily as possible, trying to appear unaffected, and said.
"Hahahaha. It seems I unintentionally offended you."
"…"
"But I'm not trying to interfere or get involved in your affairs. I was simply asking out of pure curiosity since you've been frequently going back and forth to the underground prison, but it doesn't seem like things are going well. I absolutely haven't forgotten our agreement."
"Is that so? Then you should keep that pure curiosity to yourself."
"I've already kept it to myself."
At his brazen response, the Embroidered Uniform Guard Hundred-men Commander snorted.
He was the only one who could walk the fine line and be cheeky every time he tried to intimidate him.
Of course, it was also because he could control his emotions and had good political maneuvering skills that he had chosen him.
-Shwip!
Soon, the Embroidered Uniform Guard Hundred-men Commander's figure moved back to the chair at the table.
He picked up the sword he had placed on the table and began polishing it diligently again.
Seeing this, Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo inwardly clicked his tongue.
Although they had joined hands because their interests aligned, whenever he experienced this man's strength, he couldn't help but wonder about his true identity.
There was no way someone like him hadn't made a name for himself in the martial world until now.
Perhaps he had quite a reputation or notoriety in the martial world.
Curiosity piqued, the corners of Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo's mouth twitched.
He had never directly asked about this until now, but that man was always brimming with confidence, so he was curious.
'I'll get him to speak in a roundabout way.'
With that, Sang Ik-seo opened his mouth.
"Previously, when you suggested bringing Thousand-men Commander Ma Ra-hyeon to our side, didn't you say he could sufficiently escape from the grasp of the Northern Pacification Commissioner?"
The Northern Pacification Commissioner of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Hyeon Soon.
Although his fame was inferior to that of the Southern Pacification Commissioner, who was considered one of the Six Heavens, he was a top master ranked among the top five in the Imperial Palace.
It was said that even if he didn't have much contact with the people of the martial world, with his level of martial arts, if he were to go out into the martial world, only the elders or leaders of famous martial clans or sects would be able to contend with him.
He brought this up naturally because the one who was implicitly supporting and protecting this prince, Prince Jong, was none other than the Northern Pacification Commissioner Hyeon Soon.
-Shwip shwip!
The Embroidered Uniform Guard Hundred-men Commander replied while polishing his sword.
"…If they properly engage, it's uncertain, but if Ma Ra-hyeon is determined to escape, even the Northern Pacification Commissioner would have a hard time catching him."
"Oho. Is Ma Ra-hyeon that formidable?"
"With just his lightness skill, there aren't many in the Imperial Palace who could catch up to him."
"Amazing. To think that even the Northern Pacification Commissioner can't catch up to him, my my."
"So unless there's a special mistake or unforeseen variable, it's unlikely that Ma Ra-hyeon will be caught because of this incident."
"An unforeseen variable… Do you mean unless someone like you appears?"
"…"
"No, no. Don't take it that way. I was just reminded of how you easily subdued him."
He had witnessed the Embroidered Uniform Guard Hundred-men Commander subdue Thousand-men Commander Ma Ra-hyeon right in front of him.
It had been settled in just a few moves.
At this question, the Embroidered Uniform Guard Hundred-men Commander stopped polishing his sword and stared intently at Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo, saying:
"What are you trying to say?"
"No. Since you easily subdued Ma Ra-hyeon, I was just thinking that if you were to step up later, you might be able to contend with the Northern Pacification Commissioner."
"…"
"Is it perhaps difficult?"
Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo deliberately pricked at his pride a little.
Martial artists had a unique sense of pride as warriors.
He wasn't sure if it would work on this man, but if he took the bait, he might be able to gauge his level to some extent.
At that moment, one of the Embroidered Uniform Guard Hundred-men Commander's eyebrows raised.
'…Did I say something unnecessary?'
Seeing that, Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo flinched and considered slowly backing out.
But then, the Embroidered Uniform Guard Hundred-men Commander opened his mouth.
"The expression 'contend' is used when both sides have equal skills."
Inwardly relieved, Sang Ik-seo let out a sigh of relief.
He had been worried that the man would read his intentions and be displeased, but fortunately, it seemed he had properly provoked his pride.
"Then if you were to step up, you could sufficiently subdue the Northern Pacification Commissioner?"
"It might take some time, but it's not a very difficult task."
"My my. If you can subdue the Northern Pacification Commissioner, then even the Chief Eunuch of the Eastern Depot or the Chief Eunuch of the Inner Court Administration wouldn't be a match for you."
At that moment, the Embroidered Uniform Guard Hundred-men Commander's eyes sharpened.
Then he lowered his voice and said:
"…Don't tell me you're asking these questions to gauge my martial arts right now?"
At that question, Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo hurriedly waved his hands and replied:
"No. How could I try to gauge you with such a thing? I was just thinking that I need to know to what extent you can deal with top masters…"
-Thud!
Before he could even finish speaking, the Embroidered Uniform Guard Hundred-men Commander rose from his seat.
Then he extended one hand and used profound internal energy to suck the scabbard lying on the floor into his grasp.
Sang Ik-seo couldn't help but admire the skill of plucking an object from thin air.
As if he had intended for this, the Embroidered Uniform Guard Hundred-men Commander inserted the polished sword into the scabbard he had sucked into his hand.
And then he said:
"Let me make this clear."
"What do you mean?"
"Here in the Imperial Palace, the only one I can't handle is the Southern Pacification Commissioner alone."
The Southern Pacification Commissioner, Gu Seong-baek.
Known as the Northern Blade King, he was the pinnacle of the current martial world and one of the Six Heavens.
Although the Embroidered Uniform Guard Hundred-men Commander Gyeom-chang had great confidence in his own martial arts, the only one he acknowledged as unapproachable in the Imperial Palace was none other than Gu Seong-baek, one of the Six Heavens.
That's how insurmountable the wall of the Six Heavens was.
However, other than that, he was confident that no one else in the Imperial Palace could be his match.
That included the Northern Pacification Commissioner and the three Chief Eunuchs of the Inner Palace.
"So I hope there won't be any more attempts to gauge me with such trivial matters."
-Woooosh!
With those words, the Embroidered Uniform Guard Hundred-men Commander Gyeom-chang revealed his energy towards Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo.
Sang Ik-seo trembled at the suffocating aura.
He could instinctively tell.
This man was definitely a master of the Transformation Realm who had crossed the threshold.
Just as he had boasted, there was absolutely no one in the Imperial Palace who could subdue him except for the Southern Pacification Commissioner Gu Seong-baek, who was known as the strongest master in the Imperial Palace…
-Thud!
At that moment, the door to the office suddenly opened.
And someone entered with a smile on their face.
Seeing that face, Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo furrowed his brows and spoke.
"Lord Eunuch Ho?"
The one who had suddenly barged into his office was none other than the supervisor of the Western Depot, Chief Eunuch Ho.
Sang Ik-seo couldn't hide his bewilderment at the unexpected appearance of this person.
Outside the office, there were guards from the Imperial Guard standing watch.
Yet not a single one of them reported that the supervisor of the Western Depot had come here, and they didn't even notice when he opened the door.
'Don't tell me he came here in secret?'
There was no other way he could have entered someone else's office so recklessly.
Although he, someone with one of the top martial arts in the Imperial Palace, failed to detect the presence of Chief Eunuch Ho, the Embroidered Uniform Guard Hundred-men Commander, no, Gyeom-chang must have definitely noticed…
-Shwip!
At that moment, Gyeom-chang's hand was already gripping the hilt of his sword.
Seeing this, Sang Ik-seo's eyes flickered with surprise.
That was because Gyeom-chang, who had boasted that no one except the Southern Pacification Commissioner could be his match, was showing strong wariness towards the supervisor of the Western Depot.
'Is it because he suddenly barged in?'
But this wasn't the time for that.
No matter how abruptly he had barged in, the other party was the supervisor of the Western Depot and a close confidant of Prince Gyeongjin, one of the four powers in the Imperial Palace.
He couldn't be treated carelessly.
So Sang Ik-seo tried to make him back off.
"Hundred-men Commander Gyeom. Put away your sword…"
"Associate Military Commissioner. Step back."
At Gyeom-chang's words, Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo furrowed his brows.
Gyeom-chang's attitude was odd.
Since he had been in the Imperial Palace for quite some time, he should know who the person in front of him was, but his current appearance was revealing hostility beyond mere wariness.
-Thud!
Gyeom-chang even took a sword stance.
Then, in a low voice, he spoke to Chief Eunuch Ho.
"Who the hell are you?"
'Who are you?'
What kind of nonsense was this?
Anyone could see that it was Chief Eunuch Ho, the supervisor of the Western Depot.
Yet, ignoring Gyeom-chang, who had taken a sword stance towards him, Chief Eunuch Ho looked at Sang Ik-seo and opened his mouth.
"Judging by the Command Gu in your body, you must be the Associate Military Commissioner."
'!?'
At those completely unexpected words, Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo's expression stiffened.
The very instant he heard about the Command Gu, Gyeom-chang, who had been gripping the sheath, moved his hand.
It was so fast that it was like a flash.
-Ching!
The moment he heard about the Command Gu, he judged the other party to be a definite enemy and tried to behead the person in front of him with a sword technique that had reached the pinnacle of swiftness.
No, before the guy could even realize it, his sword would have already sliced through the guy's neck…
-Thud! Clang!
At that moment, something fell to the floor.
It wasn't just one sound of something falling.
Something was strange.
Unconsciously, Gyeom-chang's eyes turned downward.
'This… What the…'
What had fallen to the floor was none other than his own right hand, which had been gripping the sword.
260: Chapter 259: The Mark (6)
Last night.
-Plop! Plop!
Seeing the pieces of skin falling from Mok Gyeong-un's body, Cheong-ryeong was flabbergasted.
She had guessed that absorbing some of the demonic power of Nine-Tailed Fox, one of the Six Demons closest to the Divine Beasts, would advance his energy when internalized.
However, this wasn't just advancement.
Mok Gyeong-un's body, his muscles and bones, had once again reconstructed and evolved.
'Metaphormosis[1]…'
This was called metamorphosis.
To think she would witness him achieve a second transformation right before her eyes.
This wasn't simply about expelling impurities from the body.
His body had transformed into the optimal state to handle that energy.
-Woooosh!
The vast demonic energy emanating from Mok Gyeong-un had already reached the pinnacle-stage, no, surpassed the Transformation Realm.
She herself had also crossed the threshold before her death.
However, she had never crossed the threshold of thresholds or actually seen it.
Thus, it was difficult to precisely judge the level Mok Gyeong-un's energy had reached, but…
'…In terms of energy alone, wouldn't he be infinitely close to the Profound Realm?'
The Profound Realm.
It referred to the realm beyond the threshold of thresholds.
It was a realm surpassing the Transformation Realm, where controlling true energy was as natural as breathing, and it could be said to be the highest domain a martial artist could reach.
However, what was incomprehensible was that Mok Gyeong-un hadn't gained the enlightenment to cross the threshold of thresholds.
Is rebirth possible without enlightenment?
This was practically impossible.
'Yet how is this possible?'
A second transformation.
Usually, energy that one couldn't handle would escape the body.
There was a saying that too much was worse than too little.
Thus, the body would release the excess energy that could become poison, regulating itself.
However, Mok Gyeong-un managed to internalize it all.
Everything became his own.
'It's different from the concept of evolution. It's as if this guy's body is adapting to extreme situations… Ah!'
Yes.
That expression was fitting.
His body was constantly adapting.
That adaptability was so unbelievably high that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it had surpassed human limits.
Clicking her tongue like that, Cheong-ryeong inwardly affirmed.
'With his current state, he could sufficiently contend with the Eight Stars.'
The Six Heavens and Eight Stars, known as the pinnacle of the current martial world.
She was convinced that while Mok Gyeong-un's martial power hadn't reached the Six Heavens yet, he could definitely match the Eight Stars below them without being inferior.
***
-Thud! Clang!
The right hand gripping the sword fell to the floor.
Unconsciously seeing this, the eyes of the Embroidered Uniform Guard Hundred-men Commander Gyeom-chang trembled.
He had unleashed a sword technique that could be called extremely swift.
Yet, without even blinking an eye, that guy's wrist had been sliced off.
'Didn't he say no one could match him except the Southern Pacification Commissioner?'
It was ridiculous how this happened not long after he had said that.
Of course, that didn't mean he thought Gyeom-chang was bluffing.
Having actually witnessed his martial arts, he realized that the opponent was a tremendous monster.
'Just what is his true identity?'
Both his martial arts and his knowledge of the Command Gu's existence.
When the Embroidered Uniform Guard Hundred-men Commander Gyeom-chang first brought a pair of Gu Poisons, he had said:
[When this is settled inside the body, it doesn't harm the host at all. Rather, it survives on the impurities and waste in the organs, benefiting the body.]
[It's peculiar for something called a Gu Poison.]
[That's the advantage of this. When it's inside the body, it doesn't harm the host, and after a certain period, the organs no longer recognize it as a foreign substance.]
[What does that mean?]
[Even though it's inside the body, if it's not recognized as a foreign substance, it means that whether it's a physician or whoever, they can't detect the existence of the Gu Poison in the belly.]
[Ooh!]
Gyeom-chang had confidently asserted that no one could detect either the Gu Poison or the Command Gu.
He had stated that with such confidence, so how did this person find out?
As the puzzled Gyeom-chang, whose right hand had been cut off, extended his left hand…
-Woosh!
Strong energy coalesced on his left hand, forming the shape of a blade.
As a master of the Transformation Realm, he could freely control true energy like no other, so this wasn't a difficult task.
However…
"Huff… Huff…"
He couldn't move recklessly, knowing that the opponent was no ordinary master.
The fact that he had sliced off his wrist despite unleashing an extremely swift sword technique first clearly meant that the opponent was a step above him.
At that moment, Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo carefully opened his mouth.
"Who are you?"
At that question, the unknown person wearing the human skin mask of Chief Eunuch Ho, the supervisor of the Western Depot, smiled and replied.
"As you can see, I'm Chief Eunuch Ho."
"…"
Did he think they would believe that now?
But the unknown person wearing Chief Eunuch Ho's human skin mask looked at Gyeom-chang, who had formed a sword stance and was ready to respond at any moment, and said:
"You should have sufficiently recognized the difference by now."
"Huff… Huff…"
"If you want your remaining arm to stay intact, just step aside."
At his arrogant attitude, Gyeom-chang gritted his teeth.
It was infuriating, but someone with this level of martial arts had every right to say that to him.
However, there were situations where one had to back down when the opponent was a step above, and there were situations where one didn't, and this was clearly the latter.
Glancing sideways at the Associate Military Commissioner, Gyeom-chang opened his mouth.
"Huff… Huff… I don't know your true identity, but since you mentioned the Command Gu, you must be related to Thousand-men Commander Ma Ra-hyeon, right?"
"Who knows."
It was neither an affirmation nor a denial.
However, even with this ambiguous answer, Gyeom-chang could be certain of the relationship.
"Is that so? Then do you also know that if the host of the Command Gu is in danger or their life is at risk, it can cause problems for both sides later on?"
"Both sides?"
"If the host dies, the Command Gu also dies. In that case, the parasitic male Command Gu inside the host also dies while harming the host. Do you understand what that means?"
It meant that Thousand-men Commander Ma Ra-hyeon, who was hosting the parasitic type, would also die.
"…"
At this, Mok Gyeong-un showed no particular reaction.
However, seeing his lack of response and the disappearance of his smile, it seemed he understood the implication.
Here, Gyeom-chang spoke to drive his point home.
"It's best not to move. Even if threatened, it's also possible to kill the Command Gu internally. If that happens, Ma Ra-hyeon dies too."
Thinking he had gained the upper hand, Gyeom-chang issued a warning.
As if his threat had worked.
The expression of the unknown person wearing Chief Eunuch Ho's human skin mask had stiffened quite a bit.
His gaze had also lowered, but…
'Below?'
Where was he looking now?
His gaze, which had been directed at Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo until just now, had suddenly shifted downward.
It was towards the severed right hand lying on the floor.
Why was he staring at that?
While Gyeom-chang was puzzled, the person wearing Chief Eunuch Ho's face, no, Mok Gyeong-un, suddenly reached out his hand towards it.
At that moment…
-Whoosh!
The right hand, no, the unique saber Gyeom-chang's right hand had been gripping, the Lipyeongdo, rose from the floor and was sucked into Mok Gyeong-un's hand.
Why did he take his saber?
As Gyeom-chang was questioning this…
-Pak!
Mok Gyeong-un, who had dropped the right hand gripping the saber, stared intently at the tip of the scabbard.
Seeing this, Gyeom-chang's eyes soon widened.
'No way?'
It was right then.
-Shwip!
Mok Gyeong-un's figure vanished and suddenly reappeared behind Gyeom-chang.
-Flinch!
'Fast.'
Gyeom-chang, who had been focusing and on alert, was startled by the incredibly swift movement and hastily tried to launch his body forward to gain some distance.
However, the moment he kicked off the floor…
-Slash!
Something sharp brushed past his left shoulder, where he had formed a sword stance.
It was none other than his unique saber, the Lipyeongdo.
Soon, his severed left arm fell to the floor, and just as he was about to lose balance, Mok Gyeong-un grabbed his head and smashed his face into the floor.
-Bam!
"Ugh."
It didn't end there.
Still gripping his head, Mok Gyeong-un pushed his face towards the edge of the floor.
-Skid skid skid!
The force was so brutal that a grotesque scream burst out from Gyeom-chang's mouth as his face was completely torn off.
"Aaaaagh."
-Crack! Squish! Crunch!
His teeth were all broken, and wooden splinters and stone fragments were embedded in his eyeballs.
It was so painful that he felt like he would lose consciousness.
As he was suffering like that, his hair was eventually pulled, and his face was tilted upward.
'Eek!'
Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo was at a loss for words at the bloodied and horribly disfigured face.
To think he would do this even after the warning, did he not care about Thousand-men Commander Ma Ra-hyeon's life at all?
Then, Mok Gyeong-un smiled so eerily that the corners of his mouth nearly reached his ears and spoke.
"I finally found it."
At the tip of the scabbard held in Mok Gyeong-un's left hand, filled with exhilaration, was a strange pattern engraved.
It was a mark identical to the scar left on his deceased grandfather.
261: Chapter 260: The Mark (7)
It looked like writing, yet it wasn't.
It was a mark with a single line vertically penetrating the center of the character 二 (two).
As it didn't exist as a written character, it was closer to a kind of symbol.
Mok Gyeong-un had spent a long time searching for this scar-like mark that had been left on his deceased grandfather's body.
And the first time he found someone with an identical mark was the scar on the side of Mok In-dan, the leader of the Yeon Mok Sword Manor.
Leader Mok In-dan had said that the one who left this scar was Ghost Blade, one of the Eight Stars.
Since Ghost Blade had left this mark on the leader, Mok Gyeong-un was convinced that he was either the same person who killed his grandfather or was related to him, so he had been searching for clues about him.
And now, another trace had finally been discovered.
It was different from before.
That was because…
'It wasn't a scar, but deliberately engraved.'
This was semantically different.
The marks left on his grandfather and Yeon Mok Sword Manor's leader Mok In-dan were scars forcibly carved by someone else.
However, the mark engraved on the tip of the scabbard wasn't a trace of being subjected to something.
It was nothing more than a mark meant to be seen.
"Ugh…"
Mok Gyeong-un pulled back even harder on the hair of the Embroidered Uniform Guard Hundred-men Commander Gyeom-chang, whose face was completely torn and suffering, and said:
"You have no idea how long I've been searching."
"Whaa… aaa… yuu… uugh."
Gyeom-chang's pronunciation was slurred as all his teeth were broken.
In fact, not just his teeth or face, but with his right wrist cut off and his left arm severed up to the shoulder, it wouldn't be strange if his life ended at any moment.
-Tap tap tap!
As if aware of this condition, Mok Gyeong-un pressed the acupuncture point on his left shoulder to stop the bleeding.
Then the gushing blood quickly ceased.
Of course, even so, he had already lost so much blood that his complexion was beyond pale and extremely serious.
"Uuugh."
"I got a bit rough without realizing it. But it's okay. You're still alive, aren't you?"
-Tremble tremble!
As he nonchalantly said those chilling words with a smile, Gyeom-chang convulsed.
Although his vision was dyed red and he could barely see due to the wooden splinters and fragments embedded in his eyes, he could definitely feel the malice in Mok Gyeong-un's voice.
Amidst the pain, Gyeom-chang's mind became confused.
Who the hell was he?
He had clearly reacted after seeing the mark engraved on his scabbard.
At this point, it was safe to say that almost no one could recognize this mark…
"St- stop."
At that moment, someone shouted at Mok Gyeong-un.
It was none other than the Embroidered Uniform Guard Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo.
With a tense expression, he had called out to Mok Gyeong-un with a certain determination.
However, Mok Gyeong-un didn't even turn his head, as if he had no interest.
'Tsk.'
Did he not even care about him?
So Sang Ik-seo placed a palm on his abdomen and said:
"If you try to kill that person, I will also eliminate the Command Gu in my belly."
-Shwip!
Only then did Mok Gyeong-un's gaze turn towards him.
Seeing this, Sang Ik-seo hoped that his gamble would work.
Although he had attacked Gyeom-chang as if it didn't matter, there was no way it was actually fine.
The reason that guy had come here was definitely related to the Command Gu inside his body.
If not, there would be no reason for him to come.
"You'll eliminate the Command Gu?"
"That's right. I don't know what your true identity is or what you really want, but you can't deny that one of your purposes for coming here is related to Thousand-men Commander Ma Ra-hyeon, right?"
"So?"
"…I won't say it again. Release that person right now. And leave."
"If I don't leave, you'll eliminate the Command Gu?"
"That's right."
At his words, Mok Gyeong-un chuckled.
"Do as you wish."
'!?'
Sang Ik-seo furrowed his brows at those words.
What kind of reaction was this?
Do as he wished?
"You don't care what happens to Thousand-men Commander Ma Ra-hyeon?"
"No. So do as you wish. Instead, since you threatened me, I'll make sure you pay the price for it."
-Shiver!
Those words sent shivers down Sang Ik-seo's entire body.
No, he made eye contact with Mok Gyeong-un, who was staring at him with an expressionless face, and in that moment, he even saw a hallucination of his entire body being sliced and torn apart.
'D- damn it…'
In an instant, Sang Ik-seo's forehead was drenched in cold sweat.
He had tried to create an opportunity for negotiation, but nothing worked.
He was at a loss for what to do, but…
-Shwip!
At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un's figure disappeared before his eyes.
'Huh? No way?'
But then…
-Tap tap tap tap! Thud!
Feeling the blood splatter from behind, Sang Ik-seo immediately lost consciousness.
Mok Gyeong-un, who had knocked him out by striking his blood acupoints, snorted and looked at his abdomen as he lay there.
"Well, a promise is a promise."
Through Mok Gyeong-un's right eye, which had activated the power of the Third Eye, it was visible.
The female Gu Poison Command Gu, curled up in a corner of Sang Ik-seo's abdomen, lying still as if dead.
-Shwip!
Mok Gyeong-un slightly cut his index finger with his energy.
Then a drop of blood started to form on his finger.
Seeing this, Mok Gyeong-un brought his finger with the blood droplet towards the location of the female Gu Poison Command Gu.
And then…
-Stab!
He inserted his finger, penetrating Sang Ik-seo's abdomen.
Although unconscious, as if his body instinctively sensed that something had entered it, his body twitched.
Regardless, Mok Gyeong-un slightly moved the tip of his inserted finger.
Then…
-Pak!
Something was felt sticking to the wound on his finger.
In sync with this, Mok Gyeong-un pulled out the finger he had penetrated.
Then, a grotesque insect was seen wriggling and sticking to the wound on his finger.
'Simple.'
Seeing this, Mok Gyeong-un chuckled.
Those who didn't know much about Gu Poisons would agonize over how to remove it, using drugs or devising ways to eliminate it from inside the body.
However, surprisingly, if one utilized the nature of Gu Poisons, it was possible to easily extract it.
That was because Gu Poisons were drawn to stronger poisons.
Since it was born from the combination of numerous poison bugs, poison plants, and things related to poison, Gu Poisons were keenly responsive to new poisons.
-Slurp slurp!
Mok Gyeong-un's blood was nothing short of a deadly poison.
Thus, the Gu Poison was naturally drawn to it and was desperate to consume it.
'What the hell is that…'
Seeing this with his faintly remaining vision, Gyeom-chang's expression stiffened.
If carelessly extracted, the Command Gu would burst and die on its own.
Yet it was sticking to that person's finger, refusing to let go.
What the hell was going on?
As he was puzzled, at that moment, Mok Gyeong-un opened his mouth and tossed the Gu Poison hanging from his finger into his mouth.
'Huh?'
And with that, Mok Gyeong-un chewed on the female Gu Poison Command Gu as it was.
-Crunch!
-Squeal squeal squeal!
Although he had closed his mouth and was chewing, the sound of the Command Gu screaming inside could be heard.
'!!!!!!'
Seeing this, Gyeom-chang was flabbergasted.
Although born as a pair, the Command Gu itself was as deadly as the parasitic type.
Yet he was directly chewing and eating this lump of deadly poison?
Putting aside disgust, it was a truly insane act.
'Is he trying to kill himself?'
But eventually, after chewing for a while, Mok Gyeong-un gulped it down.
Having eaten the female Gu Poison Command Gu as it was, Mok Gyeong-un pressed the acupuncture point on the Associate Military Commissioner's punctured abdomen to stop the bleeding and walked back to Gyeom-chang.
Seeing this, Gyeom-chang couldn't understand.
'Why is he unharmed?'
The poison of the Gu Poison was so toxic that the esophagus should have melted.
Yet Mok Gyeong-un was perfectly fine.
As he was puzzled with a dumbfounded face, Mok Gyeong-un smiled nonchalantly and said:
"You must be wondering why I'm unharmed, right?"
"Hoo… juss… how…"
"It's because the poison in my body is stronger than the Gu Poison's poison, so I'm fine, right?"
'Poison in his body? Could it be… a Poison Master?'
Gyeom-chang couldn't help but be inwardly shocked at those words.
As far as he knew, in all of the Central Plains and beyond, there were only two people who had reached the level of a Poison Master.
It was only Guyang Sa-oh, the Head of the Guyang Family, who guarded the entrance to the Western Depot and wielded the Eight Poison Snake Staff, and Dang Inhae, the Head of the Sichuan Dang Family, one of the Seven Great Families, who possessed the Thousand Poison Hands.
But was this person saying he was a Poison Master?
'Is he one of those two?'
It was highly likely.
However, he definitely wasn't Guyang Sa-oh of the Eight Poison Snake Staff.
No, in the first place, he couldn't even be here and wouldn't interfere with their affairs.
Then that meant…
'The Thousand Poison Hands?'
If it wasn't him who had reached the level of a Poison Master, he wouldn't be able to withstand the Gu Poison.
Convinced that Mok Gyeong-un was Dang Inhae, the Head of the Sichuan Dang Family and the Thousand Poison Hands, Gyeom-chang spoke in an uncomprehending tone:
"Withstanng… the poosn… tha's one thing… buh… why… did yoo… eat it? If the Spiwit Dwum… dies… the othew… paiw… of Pawasitic Poosn also…"
"It seems you surprisingly don't know much about Gu Poisons."
"Huh?"
"Gu Poisons aren't simply made by gathering poison bugs and selecting the most toxic ones. In the first place, the fact that a pair is made to influence each other also contains a kind of sorcerous power."
"Sowcewy?"
"If a being that has overcome all poisons and become a commander is defeated by another poison and consumed, what would happen to the hierarchy?"
'!?'
At those words, Gyeom-chang's eyes, reddened with wounds, trembled.
It was because he understood what Mok Gyeong-un had said.
'Is that really possible?'
It was a part he had theoretically understood but doubted if it was actually possible.
If the Command Gu was eaten by a poison bug with a stronger poison, it was possible for that poison bug to become the new Command Gu.
However, it was unknown whether it would be possible if it was a Poison Master, not a poison bug.
As he was puzzled, Mok Gyeong-un approached, grabbed his hair, and said:
-Grab!
"Well… if Thousand-men Commander Ma Ra-hyeon is alive, I would have become the Command Gu, and if not, it was just bad luck."
At those words, Gyeom-chang inwardly clicked his tongue.
Didn't that mean he had gambled on something he himself couldn't be certain of?
As he was dumbfounded by this…
-Bam!
"Ugh!"
Mok Gyeong-un slammed his face onto the floor and said:
"Rather than that, wouldn't it be better for you to focus on your own situation? From now on, I'm going to count how many times the words 'please kill me' come out of your mouth."