Chapter 261: Clue (1)
-Stab!
"Uuugh!"
Gyeom-chang let out a pained groan as the needle pierced through the center of his toenail.
He wanted to scream in agony, but he couldn't even do that because of the ball of cloth stuffed in his mouth.
He had tried to steel himself, but he couldn't endure the relentless pain.
He prided himself on having a strong willpower that could cross the threshold, but it took less than a quarter of an hour for it to crumble.
"Mmph… mmm… mm…"
"What was that?"
-Yank!
Mok Gyeong-un pulled the ball of cloth out of his mouth.
Gyeom-chang barely managed to speak, exhaling rough breaths.
"Haa… haa… plea… please… kill… kill me…"
"That's the fifth time now. It's still too early."
-Stuff!
"Mmph."
Mok Gyeong-un shoved the ball of cloth back into his mouth.
Then he slowly pushed another needle next to his toenail.
-Stab!
"Uuugh."
Gyeom-chang writhed in pain, appealing for mercy.
However, Mok Gyeong-un, without even a change in his expression, shook and tilted his toenail with the inserted needle.
Unable to bear the suffering, Gyeom-chang eventually lost consciousness.
-Slump!
Just as his head was about to droop down…
-Slap!
Mok Gyeong-un slapped his forehead with his palm, forcing it back up.
With this, Gyeom-chang, who had been about to faint, regained his senses.
Upon waking up, Gyeom-chang's heart nearly stopped at the sight of Mok Gyeong-un's face through his hazy vision.
For a fleeting moment, he wished he wouldn't wake up again, but that was a futile hope.
'This… this guy is truly a demon.'
He had never seen someone so vicious before.
He himself had interrogated others many times, but he had never gone this far.
This guy was torturing him to the brink of death, not giving him any chance to rest or reprieve.
It was as if he was venting his anger.
So he had no choice but to desperately wish for death.
After all, with both arms severed and his body so ruined, he realized that death was the only rest.
"Mmm…"
He mumbled in a feeble voice.
Then, without a word, Mok Gyeong-un ripped off one of the toenails he had stabbed with needles.
-Rip!
"Uuugh."
The human body was truly amazing.
Even though the pain continued, one would think he would get used to it, but that wasn't the case at all.
Each new pain only compounded the existing pain, multiplying the suffering.
Mok Gyeong-un sweetly whispered into his ear.
"You want to die, don't you?"
"…"
"Don't you want to close your eyes peacefully like this?"
"…"
It was indescribably strange.
Never had the words about letting him die sounded so sweet.
If only he could escape this pain right now, he felt like he could do anything…
-Clench!
At that moment, Gyeom-chang bit down on the ball of cloth filling his mouth.
For a moment, he had weakened and almost succumbed to the guy's temptation.
No matter how painful it was, he couldn't do anything for the one torturing him and driving him to death.
Then, through his hazy vision, he saw Mok Gyeong-un's face.
The corners of his mouth were stretched to his ears.
-Shudder!
The moment he saw this, a chill ran down Gyeom-chang's spine.
Even as he was struggling to muster his resolve, Mok Gyeong-un wasn't showing disappointment but rather joy.
Why the hell was he so happy?
Why was he smiling with such a demonic face?
As he was filled with questions…
-Shwip!
Mok Gyeong-un placed his hand on his shoulder and gently whispered.
"I'm glad. I was worried you might weaken and give up."
'What?'
"Please endure a little longer. I want to see you suffer and be in agony. The night is still very long, after all."
'!!!!!!'
The moment he heard those words, Gyeom-chang felt like his heart would shatter from pain.
It seemed that what this guy wanted wasn't simply to extract the desired information from him.
He was enjoying his pain and suffering itself.
'Demon… This guy is a demon who crawled up from the depths of hell, the embodiment of evil.'
He couldn't think of it any other way.
As fear engulfed his entire body and mind, the resolve he had built up crumbled in an instant.
Even if he endured, who would acknowledge it?
In the end, wouldn't everything end with his death?
At that moment, he choked up.
Why did he alone have to suffer like this?
Even if he maintained his loyalty and righteousness here and died in agony until the very end, would they even know?
In the end, even if he died, wouldn't they be the only ones enjoying the glory and benefits?
As his thoughts reached this point, Gyeom-chang's body went limp as if he had given up.
"Hmm. It would be troublesome if you gave up already."
"…"
Seeing Gyeom-chang's limp and unresponsive state, Mok Gyeong-un clicked his tongue as if disappointed.
He had hoped for him to endure a little longer, but it seemed meaningless now.
So he removed the ball of cloth stuffed in his mouth.
-Yank!
"Haa… haa…"
As the ball of cloth was removed, Gyeom-chang feebly opened his mouth, catching his breath.
"Whaa… yoo waa… juss… tell me… I won… endoo… anymore…"
-Grab!
"Ugh?"
At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un gripped his jaw.
Then, with one hand, he fixed his head in place and pushed his jaw inward and upward.
With that…
-Crack!
Along with the sound of bones creaking, Gyeom-chang's dislocated jaw joint was realigned.
Not only were all his teeth broken when his face was torn, but his jaw joint was also dislocated.
That's why he couldn't pronounce properly.
But now that his jaw joint was realigned…
"Let's talk now."
"Haa… haa… juss… how much…"
Although his pronunciation was still slurred due to his missing teeth, it was at a level that could be understood better than before.
However, he wasn't happy at all.
In the end, whether this way or that, he had to tell the guy what he wanted to hear in order to meet his death comfortably.
But before that, there was one question he wanted to resolve.
"…Before answering… I want to ask… one thing."
"It seems you're not ready yet."
At that question, Mok Gyeong-un tried to shove the ball of cloth back into his mouth.
Gyeom-chang was startled and hurriedly spoke.
"I, I was just curious about how the Sichuan Dang Family managed to uncover our existence."
"Sichuan Dang Family?"
At his words, Mok Gyeong-un furrowed his brows.
What was this about now?
Why was this guy suddenly associating him with the Sichuan Dang Family?
As he was puzzled, Gyeom-chang cautiously said:
"In the current martial world, the only ones who have reached the level of Poison Master are Guyang Sa-oh, the Eight Poison Snake Staff, and Dang Inhae, the Head of the Sichuan Dang Family, the Thousand Poison Hands."
"So?"
"Among them, Guyang Sa-oh… couldn't possibly be here, so naturally, the only one left is the Thousand Poison Hands."
"Why do you assert that Guyang Sa-oh wouldn't be here?"
"That's…"
Seeing him hesitate, Mok Gyeong-un's eyes narrowed.
Thanks to his attitude, he could easily figure out one thing.
"Ah. You seem to know Guyang Sa-oh very well. Or perhaps he's on your side."
"…"
'Damn it. I did something stupid.'
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, Gyeom-chang blamed his own foolishness.
He didn't need to mention Guyang Sa-oh of the Eight Poison Snake Staff, but in trying to confirm that his guess was correct, he ended up revealing unnecessary information.
"Don't worry. I'm not particularly interested in this. Rather, there's something else I'd like you to tell me."
"Something else?"
"The mark on your scabbard, what is it?"
At this question, Gyeom-chang furrowed his brows.
He thought the guy was asking because he knew something about the mark, but did he not know anything?
But then Mok Gyeong-un pressed down hard on his shoulder and said:
-Squeeze!
"Ugh."
"I'd like you to answer immediately when asked. Don't try to be clever."
"It, it's a mark symbolizing the organization."
"Organization?"
"Ye… yes."
'As I thought, it is a group.'
This aligned almost perfectly with his expectations.
So Mok Gyeong-un asked another question.
"I understand it symbolizes an organization, but what does this mark actually mean?"
"…That's…"
"This won't do. It seems you're not ready yet."
As he said that, Mok Gyeong-un tried to shove the ball of cloth back into his mouth.
Gyeom-chang was startled and hurriedly spoke.
"I, I don't know the exact meaning either. I only know that it adds one to two."
"Adds one to two?"
What did that mean?
Mok Gyeong-un ruminated on those words.
Since he said it adds one to two, the part that was originally [二] with the lower part of the stroke being longer indeed meant two (二).
But what did it mean to add one vertically penetrating the line?
'Why not just add one horizontally?'
That way, it would become the character three (三), and the meaning would make sense.
But why did they say it had that meaning when the line penetrated vertically?
Was there a hidden meaning?
"There's also the character three (三), so do you really think that makes sense?"
"…I really don't know. I was just told that something that couldn't exist was added."
"Something that couldn't exist was added?"
"Hmm."
Mok Gyeong-un stroked his chin.
It was too vague, so it was difficult to understand the meaning just from this.
But it didn't matter.
If he found out what they were doing, the answer would naturally come out.
So Mok Gyeong-un tried to ask what he was most curious about.
This was the most urgent matter above all else.
"Is the one called Ghost Blade also on your side?"
'!?'
At those words, Gyeom-chang's expression slightly distorted.
"It seems so."
'Who the hell is this guy?'
The reason Gyeom-chang reacted this way was that until now, no one had ever figured out that Ghost Blade was related to them.
To the flustered Gyeom-chang, Mok Gyeong-un said what he wanted to ask the most.
"When Ghost Blade kills someone or something, does he leave your organization's mark?"
"When he kills someone or something?"
"Yes."
If this was confirmed, the culprit would undoubtedly be Ghost Blade.
Mok Gyeong-un stared intently at Gyeom-chang.
However, to Mok Gyeong-un's question, Gyeom-chang gave a completely unexpected answer.
"Do you think that makes sense?"
"What?"
"Why would he leave a mark if he deliberately killed someone?"
"…What do you mean by that?"
"The dead can't speak. And a dead corpse is meant to rot and disappear. But our organization doesn't leave traces. So why would we leave a mark on someone we killed?"
'!?'
At those words, one of Mok Gyeong-un's eyebrows raised.
That was because what this guy said wasn't wrong, even if he was lying.
There was no reason for a secretive organization to leave traces as if boasting.
So Mok Gyeong-un asked:
"Then why did they leave such a mark on those they killed or someone?"
"…I think there's some misunderstanding."
"Misunderstanding?"
"We don't leave our organization's mark on those we have already killed. And the one who leaves such a mark as a scar is…"
"The one who leaves it is?"
"Only the one you know as Ghost Blade."
-Pak!
As soon as he finished speaking, Mok Gyeong-un grabbed Gyeom-chang by the collar, pulled him close, and said in a menacing voice:
"Are you messing with me right now? You're saying Ghost Blade left a mark on someone who was already dead, and you want me to believe that?"
"It, it's not a lie. Ghost Blade leaving that mark is a kind of warning."
"Warning? What does that mean?"
"I don't know exactly either. I just heard that Ghost Blade leaves such scars as a warning to those involved in our affairs. If they ignore the warning, he makes them pay with their lives and erases the scar…"
-Bam!
"Ugh."
Before he could even finish speaking, Mok Gyeong-un pushed him to the floor.
Startled, Gyeom-chang said:
"It's true."
"I've already confirmed that he left the scar and then killed someone, yet you keep trying to deceive me."
"Left the scar and then killed? How could that be?"
"How could that be? I saw it with my own eyes."
"That's impossible. Didn't I tell you? Why would Ghost Blade leave a trace that could be tracked or used as a clue in such a place? This is… aaaagh."
A scream of pain burst out from Gyeom-chang's mouth.
Mok Gyeong-un's fingers had dug into his collarbone.
As he was suffering like this, Mok Gyeong-un's eyes narrowed to the point of sharpness.
'…He doesn't leave traces on the dead?'
Mok Gyeong-un's mind became complicated.
Based on the clues he had pursued so far, Ghost Blade should be the one who killed him.
But Ghost Blade said he doesn't leave traces on the dead.
Yet there was a scar-like mark left on his dead grandfather's body.
'It wasn't left a long time ago.'
The blood on the scar was clear evidence that the wound was inflicted at the moment of death.
But this guy was strongly denying it.
That meant one of two things.
Either this guy was lying to deceive him, or…
'…Could it be?'
The focus of Mok Gyeong-un's pupils shrank.
Eventually, Mok Gyeong-un grabbed Gyeom-chang's collarbone with his fingers and pulled him close.
Directly grabbing the bone and pulling, it couldn't be anything but painful.
"Aaaargh!"
Regardless, Mok Gyeong-un asked:
"If Ghost Blade is from your organization, you should at least know well whether he killed someone or not, right?"
At this question, the suffering Gyeom-chang shook his head vigorously.
"Aaagh. I, I don't know."
"Shall I make you know?"
"It's true. We are a cell organization to begin with, so we can only move according to the orders given and can't know exactly what each of us is doing."
"…You can't know? Are you certain?"
"Ye, yes. If it's not information we absolutely need to know, it's not even shared."
"Hmm."
It was too desperate to be a lie.
So Mok Gyeong-un stared at him and said:
"Then you must have never heard the name Mun-no."
"Mun-no? Did you just say Mun-no?"
"Didn't you just say that information isn't shared?"
At those words, Gyeom-chang trembled.
Seeing this, Mok Gyeong-un found it strange and asked:
"You know something?"
At that question, Gyeom-chang hesitated for a moment with a frown before opening his mouth.
"…If the Mun-no you're talking about is the same name we know, it's the old name of Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong." immortal
'!?'
263: Chapter 262: Clue (2)
Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong.
Along with Crying Doctor Hoe Ta, he was known as the greatest physician of the era, and his knowledge of medicine was unrivaled.
Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong had saved countless lives with his exceptional medical skills and knowledge of medicine.
There was an event that made him renowned throughout the entire Central Plains.
It was during the rebellion of the Red Turban Bandits over thirty years ago, which resulted in numerous casualties.
As a result, corpses piled up like mountains everywhere and began to rot, causing a terrible plague of unknown origin to spread.
This plague quickly spread, engulfing the entire Seomseoseong region within just half a month, and chaos overflowed in all directions.
Fortunately, however, the plague ended without leaving Seomseoseong.
It was because Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong had created a cure for the plague.
With this opportunity, Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong, who had been virtually unknown, was able to rise to become the greatest physician of the era alongside Crying Doctor Hoe Ta.
However, despite this fame, not much was known about him.
There were few who even knew where he lived or what his real name was.
"…If the Mun-no you're talking about is the same name we know, it's the old name of Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong."
'!?'
At Gyeom-chang's words, Mok Gyeong-un furrowed his brows.
That was because Mun-no was none other than the name of his grandfather who had raised him.
He had asked thinking that this organization might know about him since his grandfather had been killed by Ghost Blade.
But he received a completely unexpected answer.
"What… does that mean?"
"It means exactly that. The only Mun-no I, no, we know is the name Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong used in the past."
"The name Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong used in the past?"
"…Are you certain?"
"If it's not a case of people having the same name, the only Mun-no we know is him."
At his words, Mok Gyeong-un's eyes narrowed.
What the hell did this mean?
He had come out into the world to find the enemy who killed his grandfather and had learned many things.
Among them, naturally, was the fame of Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong.
Upon learning of his existence, Mok Gyeong-un had simply thought that he was a famous physician who knew more about medicinal herbs than his grandfather.
In fact, he hadn't paid much attention, thinking it had nothing to do with his revenge.
But this was completely unexpected information.
'My grandfather is Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong?'
Mok Gyeong-un's mind became complicated.
Although there was a commonality in his knowledge of medicinal herbs and his ability to handle them well, could he really say that Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong was the same person as his grandfather just based on that?
So Mok Gyeong-un pressed his knee against Gyeom-chang's chest and said:
"Mun-no had been living in seclusion deep in the mountains for over seventeen years. How could such a person be Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong…"
"Did you just say seventeen years?"
"Yes."
It was the time he had lived with his grandfather.
However…
"If it's seventeen years, it's even more certain that it's Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong."
"What?"
"Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong had disappeared and his whereabouts had been unknown since nearly eighteen years ago. If the Mun-no you know had been living in seclusion for that long, it's definitely Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong."
"…"
Seeing him becoming even more convinced, Mok Gyeong-un's mind became more twisted.
'Is my grandfather really Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong?'
His exceptional knowledge of medicine, to the extent that there was no medicinal herb he didn't know, was thought to be simply because his grandfather was an herbalist who had lived in the mountains for a long time.
But now that he thought about it, among those outside, there were few who knew medicinal herbs as well as his grandfather.
'Sigh…'
He had only thought about finding his enemy, not about learning more about his grandfather himself.
It was also because he had never seen anyone who knew the name Mun-no.
Seeing Mok Gyeong-un at a loss for words after learning the unknown truth, Gyeom-chang inwardly clicked his tongue.
'Mun-no…'
They had long searched for Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong's whereabouts.
But to unexpectedly meet someone who knew Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong's whereabouts in this situation was truly ironic.
'What a pity.'
If it weren't for this situation, it would have been a great achievement.
But now, all of this was meaningless.
'Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong…'
The conversation he had with the Poison King Baek Sa-ha flashed through Mok Gyeong-un's mind.
[Then you really don't know who that Ghost Blade is.]
[That's right. What I learned from fighting him is…]
[That he had been severely injured by someone called Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong, known as the greatest herbalist of the era. Is that all you know?]
[…At first, I didn't believe it. Until now, no one knew that Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong had learned martial arts. He was an herbalist, after all.]
[Well, he could have hidden it.]
[Yes. That could be the case. But one thing is certain: if Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong is truly the one who severely injured Ghost Blade, his poison arts far surpass mine.]
Recalling this, Mok Gyeong-un organized his thoughts step by step.
It seemed he really didn't know much about his grandfather until now.
And yet, he had stubbornly clung to a single mark, thinking only of revenge, which felt quite foolish.
'Fame… martial arts…'
Why had his grandfather hidden all of these things?
The grandfather he knew was a person who was detached from such things.
But was there a reason he had to hide it even from him?
No, it was highly likely that he had hidden all these facts because he knew this would happen.
'…It's strange.'
But if his grandfather was indeed Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong, there was something that didn't add up.
'Master Baek Sa-ha clearly said that Ghost Blade was defeated by Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong.'
That meant his grandfather's martial arts skills were stronger than even one of the Eight Stars, known as the best in the current martial arts world.
Could such a grandfather be easily killed by Ghost Blade?
Of course, this wasn't completely impossible.
Because Ghost Blade could have advanced his martial arts by relentlessly training for 17 years, surpassing his grandfather.
'This is also a possibility.'
Although he had lived with him for 17 years, he had never seen his grandfather cultivating martial arts.
Of course, for a master who had reached a high level, meditation or mental cultivation could be more effective, but he hadn't seen him doing that much either.
If one side was training and the other remained the same or regressed, it was possible.
However, there was one more thing to confirm here.
'The fact that he left a scar on my grandfather means it's certain that Ghost Blade and my grandfather fought. But this guy clearly said that Ghost Blade doesn't leave a mark on those he kills.'
Several speculations became possible from here.
One was that this guy was lying, and Ghost Blade killed his grandfather and left the scar.
However, there was no point in leaving a mark on a dead person because it would become a trace.
So that likely wasn't the case.
Another speculation was that his grandfather was old, so he lost his life after exhausting his energy fighting Ghost Blade.
But could a master of Ghost Blade's level make such a mistake?
This was also somewhat unlikely.
Then…
'…A third party appeared and killed my grandfather who had been weakened from fighting Ghost Blade.'
-Clench!
Mok Gyeong-un's fist tightened.
It was the most likely possibility.
That way, it made sense that the trace left by Ghost Blade remained on his grandfather even in death.
Once his mind was organized up to this point, Mok Gyeong-un stared at Gyeom-chang and asked:
"What is the relationship between your organization and Mun-no, no, Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong?"
"…What does that…"
"Stop playing dumb. You know Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong's real name, which is not known to the public, and Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong died at the hands of Ghost Blade."
"What?"
"I said Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong died at the hands of Ghost Blade."
"That's impossible."
"What's impossible? Your organization's mark left by Ghost Blade was there."
At these words, Gyeom-chang frowned and said:
"Didn't I tell you? Why would Ghost Blade leave such a mark? Besides, Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong is someone the organization must capture alive…"
Suddenly, Gyeom-chang closed his mouth.
He had intended to give the information the guy wanted, but to minimize the information related to the organization as much as possible.
But he had misspoken.
"Capture alive… So there was a third party after all."
"What?"
Gyeom-chang questioned Mok Gyeong-un's incomprehensible words.
What did he mean by there being a third party?
To the puzzled Gyeom-chang, Mok Gyeong-un said:
"Nevermind that. Why are you trying to capture Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong alive?"
At that question, Gyeom-chang answered immediately without even thinking.
"I don't know."
"…There's nothing good about not answering."
"I, I really don't know. I was just told that we must secure his whereabouts."
"Do you know what?"
"What…?"
-Crack!
"Aaaaargh!"
With the sound of a collarbone breaking, Gyeom-chang screamed.
No matter which part it was, it was bound to hurt when a bone broke, but he didn't know the collarbone could hurt this much.
To the suffering Gyeom-chang, Mok Gyeong-un whispered in his ear:
"I can now tell whether you're hiding something or not. I wouldn't want to make you say 'please kill me' ten times."
"Uuugh."
"No answer. Should I break your left collarbone this time? No, that wouldn't be enough. It would be nice to shatter it into pieces. Let's start with the right side…"
"St- stop!"
"That's not the answer I want."
-Crack!
"Aaaaargh! I, I heard that Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong is hiding something important."
In the end, words spilled out of Gyeom-chang's mouth.
"Something? What is it?"
"Aaaaargh. I really don't know that. I only know that he deceived that person and ran away with it, nothing more…"
"Ran away with it?"
Was it something important to this organization?
But was there anything important that his grandfather could have hidden?
He remembered everything that was in the house, but there was nothing particularly important.
"Do you really not know?"
"It's true. Please believe me."
Gyeom-chang sincerely pleaded.
"Hmm. What's not believable? I feel like I could squeeze it out of you."
Mok Gyeong-un's fingers, which were digging into his flesh, were about to move sideways.
Startled by this, Gyeom-chang hurriedly said:
"I, I'm just a mid-level executive in the Second Division. But Ghost Blade, a high-level executive in the First Division, might know."
"First Division?"
For a moment, Gyeom-chang's expression stiffened and distorted.
'Ah…'
Having revealed even the organizational hierarchy, Gyeom-chang now truly gave up.
Since he had disclosed this much, there was no point in trying to withhold information anymore.
To him, Mok Gyeong-un asked:
"Is the First Division the highest rank in your organization?"
"…Yes."
"The organizational structure goes First Division, Second Division, Third Division… like that, right?"
"…Yes."
"How many divisions are there?"
"There are a total of five divisions."
"Oho."
If he was a mid-level executive in the second division out of five, it was a high position.
After all, it was unlikely for someone with this level of martial arts to hold a low position.
But if even he had such limited information, this organization was definitely operating as a cell structure.
"If you're a mid-level executive in the Second Division, that's quite high. Is information restricted to that extent?"
"Haa… haa… being a mid-level executive is nothing special."
"I see. Then do the high-level executives in the First Division know many things?"
"They definitely know more than me."
"In the end, you're telling me to ask a high-level executive."
"…"
"Alright. Then where can I meet that high-level executive named Ghost Blade? I'd appreciate it if you could tell me his identity."
"I really don't know that. Do you think someone like me in the Second Division would know the revealed identity or whereabouts of a high-level executive in the First Division?"
"I don't understand. Then who do you report to regarding your missions?"
At that question, Gyeom-chang was momentarily at a loss for words.
It seemed he had asked the right question.
No matter how much of a cell structure it was, there had to be someone to report to and a connection to operate.
Saying there wasn't any didn't make sense.
"Tell me. Who do you report to? Is it the one you mentioned earlier as 'that person'?"
"Th- that's absurd. How could someone like me directly report to that person? That person is a noble being that even we in the Second Division cannot meet."
"A noble being?"
Tilting his head, Mok Gyeong-un asked:
"What is the identity of that noble being? No. If you don't even know Ghost Blade, who is directly above you, you probably won't know this. Then how do you refer to that being you call 'that person'? You don't just call him 'that person', right?"
"That's…"
Gyeom-chang hesitated for a moment.
He had pretty much told this guy everything already.
Even if he told him how they referred to that person, it wasn't like this guy could find that person.
To the hesitating Gyeom-chang, Mok Gyeong-un said:
"If you're thinking of testing my patience…"
"I, I was going to tell you. We call that person this. I don't know exactly why we call him that, but the third… Ugh!"
It was at that very moment.
Before he could even finish speaking, the blood vessels in his neck and face swelled up.
'!?'
Realizing something was wrong, Mok Gyeong-un grabbed his head and face to calm the swollen blood vessels.
However…
'What?'
He tried to control the energy, but something was strange.
It was different from the usual case of energy flowing backward or blood vessels going out of control due to a sudden swelling.
This was…
-Splat!
"…"
In an instant, Gyeom-chang's head exploded.
There was no time to do anything.
As a result, Mok Gyeong-un's hands, face, and even clothes were covered in blood.
-Thud! Plop!
Mok Gyeong-un's eyes sharpened as he pushed away the dead Gyeom-chang's body.
The fact that he died while trying to say something meant he had been subjected to a taboo.
But this wasn't a taboo caused by martial arts.
The unpleasant and ominous energy rising from the corpse of the dead Gyeom-chang was none other than the curse power containing a cursing technique.
The implication of this was simple.
'A taboo by sorcery.'
264: Chapter 263: Clue (3)
'A taboo by sorcery…'
Mok Gyeong-un was convinced as he looked at the corpse of the dead Gyeom-chang.
An unpleasant and ominous curse power was escaping from the body.
-Sizzle sizzle!
Of course, few could see this.
Unless they had awakened the Ghost Eye like Mok Gyeong-un.
'…This level of curse power is a first.'
Although weakened and exhausted due to his torture, to be able to imprint a curse in the mind of a master who had crossed the threshold and impose a taboo, the curse power was unimaginable.
Diviners were divided into six grades: Divine, Sun, Moon, Technique, Profound, and Conveying.
Mok Gyeong-un had experienced In Seo-ok, the Primal Killing Pavilion Master, and Jo Tae-cheong of the Three Eyes, both of whom had received the highest title of Sun-level Diviner.
'Twice… no, three times.'
They also possessed tremendous curse power.
But just from the remnant traces, he could estimate that the curse power of the one who had imposed this curse taboo was several times greater.
'A Divine-level Diviner?'
Divine-level Diviner.
It was a title bestowed upon only six among diviners.
They were called the Six Divine-level Diviners.
Those who had received the title of Divine-level Diviner had reached the pinnacle of sorcery, and there were even stories that their curse power and techniques had reached the realm of half-immortality.
Perhaps the one who had placed the curse taboo on the dead Gyeom-chang was one of the Six Divine-level Diviners.
'A Divine-level Diviner…'
If someone who had truly reached the level of a Divine-level Diviner was closely involved with this organization, it could become even more difficult to carry out his revenge.
Mok Gyeong-un looked at the corpse with an annoyed gaze.
As he approached the truth to avenge his grandfather, unexpected obstacles kept emerging.
Anyway, although there were many ambiguous parts, he had obtained a lot of information unlike before.
The key point remained unchanged: it was Ghost Blade.
Even if a third party had killed him instead, according to Gyeom-chang, he was a high-level executive in the First Division of the organization with the mark.
By contacting him, he could get closer to the real truth about his grandfather's death.
-Shwip!
Mok Gyeong-un got up and approached someone.
It was Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who had fainted after his acupuncture points were struck.
Approaching Sang Ik-seo, Mok Gyeong-un…
-Tap tap tap!
Released the acupuncture points he had struck.
Soon after, Sang Ik-seo immediately regained consciousness.
Upon regaining consciousness and seeing the Embroidered Uniform Guard Hundred-men Commander Gyeom-chang dead with his head exploded, Sang Ik-seo was inwardly terrified.
'Eek!'
From his perspective, having just woken up, it could only be seen as Mok Gyeong-un's doing.
Feeling his life threatened, Sang Ik-seo prostrated himself flat in front of Mok Gyeong-un.
"Sp- spare my life… ugh."
But the moment he prostrated, his abdomen felt extremely painful.
Puzzled, he instinctively looked at the painful area.
There was a wound on his abdomen, though he didn't know when it had appeared.
'What is this?'
If what he knew was correct, the female Gu Poison Command Gu was located in that area of his abdomen.
But why was there a wound in that spot?
Moreover, the wounded area was extremely painful.
He felt a searing pain in his organs as if something was tearing them apart, and it was hard to endure even if he tried to forcibly bear it.
At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un grabbed his hair and lifted his head.
-Yank!
"Huh?"
Seeing Mok Gyeong-un's face, or more precisely, the face of Chief Eunuch Ho, the supervisor of the Western Depot, covered in blood as if he had washed it, Sang Ik-seo couldn't make eye contact due to his bewilderment.
Regardless, Mok Gyeong-un smiled and said:
"I removed the Command Gu from your abdomen and gave you another gift, but I'm not sure if you'll like it."
"An- another gift, what do you mean?"
"I gave you a poison that could replace it."
"Poison?"
Hearing those words, Sang Ik-seo's expression stiffened.
"While removing the Command Gu, the poison penetrated your organs, so by now, it should have spread throughout your entire viscera."
"…"
Mok Gyeong-un grinned and whispered in his ear:
"How is it? Does it feel like your stomach is burning?"
"Ugh…"
It was undeniable as the burning pain in his abdomen intensified.
'I need to expel the poison quickly.'
Startled, Sang Ik-seo tried to gather his true energy to push the poison out of his body.
But he couldn't do it.
As Mok Gyeong-un said, since he had fainted after his acupuncture points were struck, the poison had already spread throughout his entire viscera.
Because of that, it was difficult even to gather his true energy.
Rather, when he tried to circulate his energy…
"Aargh!"
The pain intensified several times, bringing tears to his eyes.
The poison had spread not only to his viscera but also to his blood vessels.
Unable to endure this pain, Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo pleaded with Mok Gyeong-un as if begging:
"Pl- please spare my life. Please…"
"Spare your life… that depends on how you respond."
"What do you mean by how I respond?"
"How did you come to know that person over there?"
Mok Gyeong-un pointed with his chin to the corpse of Gyeom-chang, who had died with his head exploded.
At this question, Sang Ik-seo, with a strong will to live, hastily replied:
"Th- that person approached us first and offered to help us."
"Help with what?"
"Th- that's…"
"It seems you don't have much desire to live. Then I'll just leave you like this…"
"No, that's not it. He said he would help our faction."
"What faction is that?"
"…The faction led by His Excellency, the Grand Preceptor Hang Yoon."
"Hang Yoon? Ah."
In the Imperial Palace, there were four powerful figures who controlled the country.
There was Prince Gyeongjin, the younger brother of His Majesty the Emperor, and Prince Jong, the Emperor's second son who was the most likely candidate for the throne. Then there was Consort Seo, the mother of the current Crown Prince. Lastly, there was the Grand Preceptor Hang Yoon, who held the positions of one of the Three Dukes and the Admiral of the Central Military Commission.
Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo of the Embroidered Uniform Guard belonged to this Hang Yoon.
"Interesting."
"What is?"
"It's full of people from the four factions, all entangled and intertwined, desperate to devour each other. Not a single person is loyal to the Emperor who actually rules the country."
"…"
At those words, Sang Ik-seo's expression subtly distorted.
Was it because he felt a bit of shame?
Of course not.
If he had felt ashamed by such words, he wouldn't have joined with Hang Yoon in the first place.
'…Instead of an old and sickly Emperor who indulges in women, if you don't belong to one of the four factions, you can't survive in the palace. What do you expect me to do?'
That was Sang Ik-seo's true thoughts.
However, in a situation where he could die from the poison in his stomach, he couldn't reveal his true feelings.
Sang Ik-seo, not caring about being servile, kowtowed on the floor and pleaded with Mok Gyeong-un.
"Please spare my life. I'll do anything."
He believed that being alive, even in a pile of dog sh*t, was definitely better than being dead.
So he didn't care about his pride.
Seeing him like this, Mok Gyeong-un snorted and said:
"He wouldn't have approached you to help without any compensation, so what condition did he offer?"
"That's…"
"It won't do you any good to delay like that. If the poison spreads further, it'll be useless even if you want to live."
"He, he asked us to find and capture the remnants of the Fire Faith Order and give him the right to dispose of them!"
'!?'
Mok Gyeong-un's eyes flickered with surprise at his urgent words.
The right to dispose of the Fire Faith Order believers?
He had only focused on his grandfather and hadn't shown interest in what they were doing.
But suddenly being told that they had asked for the right to dispose of the Fire Faith Order believers raised questions.
'Why the Fire Faith Order?'
Did their organization have a grudge against the Fire Faith Order?
Otherwise, there would be no reason to mobilize the military power of the Imperial Palace, which encompassed the entire Central Plains, to capture the Fire Faith Order believers.
No, in the first place, the Fire Faith Order was not only rejected by the Imperial Palace but also by the Taoist and Buddhist sects, and even the martial artists had contributed to their persecution.
So Mok Gyeong-un changed his thinking.
'The right to dispose doesn't necessarily mean to eliminate them.'
It could be because they had some close connection with them or wanted something from them.
So Mok Gyeong-un asked him:
"If you received the right to dispose, what did you do with them? Did you kill them?"
"…We used various methods to get them out of the prison and take them away."
"Take them away?"
"Yes."
The speculation from his changed thinking was correct.
Judging by the fact that they didn't kill them but took them away, it was certain that the organization with the mark had some connection or purpose with the Fire Faith Order, as expected.
Huh?
But if they used various methods to take out the Fire Faith Order believers, did that mean there was a natural way to get them out of the underground prison?
That's good.
"Then you can get someone out of the prison anytime, right?"
"It's not that easy to take them out as I please. It requires some prior arrangements, and even if it's a regular prison, once they're imprisoned in the underground prison, they can't be taken out."
"…"
At these words, Mok Gyeong-un clicked his tongue as if disappointed.
If it had been possible, he had intended to use this person to get them out without needing to go in himself, but it seemed difficult.
However, since this person was an Associate Military Commissioner, wouldn't he have the necessary authority?
He had to successfully complete the secret mission given by the Society Leader to steal the Holy Fire Spirit Orb in order to contact him and obtain clues about Ghost Blade.
"But since the Embroidered Uniform Guard manages the underground prison, wouldn't it be possible if we devise a way?"
"The prisoners confined in the underground prison are special management targets of high treason, so unless the Emperor, the Three Dukes, the Minister of Justice, and others all give their approval, it is impossible to release or pardon them."
"…"
What were the chances of the Emperor, the Three Dukes, the officials in charge of executing and managing criminal law, and all of them reaching a consensus?
It was no exaggeration to say that once imprisoned in the underground prison, one could never come out until their sentence was completed or until death.
As expected of the Imperial Palace, the procedures were not only complicated but also convoluted.
'No choice.'
In the end, to steal the Holy Fire Spirit Orb of the Fire Faith Order, it seemed he had no choice but to directly enter the underground prison.
It was the same for the organization with the mark.
At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un's eyes narrowed.
'Ah!'
Come to think of it, the one who had ordered him to steal the Holy Fire Spirit Orb of the Fire Faith Order imprisoned in the Imperial Palace's underground prison was the Heaven and Earth Society Leader.
But Ghost Blade definitely had some connection with the Sect Leader.
Recalling this, Mok Gyeong-un suddenly came up with a speculation.
'…Could it be that the Heaven and Earth Society Leader is also closely connected to or even a member of this organization?'
Otherwise, it would be too much of a coincidence.
The underground prison had complicated procedures, so even a high-ranking Associate Military Commissioner of the Embroidered Uniform Guard couldn't get someone out in any way.
But they were dispatched to risk danger and steal the Holy Fire Spirit Orb from such a place.
It fit together almost too perfectly.
Mok Gyeong-un stared intently at Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo, who was prostrating and observing his reaction.
There was a way to check how accurate his speculation was.
So Mok Gyeong-un asked him:
"Then has that organization given up on getting the Fire Faith Order believer imprisoned in the underground prison out?"
At that question, Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo furrowed his brows.
"How did you know there's a Fire Faith Order believer in the underground prison…"
"Just answer the question."
"…I'm not sure if they've given up."
"Your answer is ambiguous."
"I- I'm not trying to deceive you. That person seems to have tried to go in and attempt it a few times himself, but since the believer is imprisoned in the Eternal Hell Prison, I think he has given up on getting them out."
"Eternal Hell Prison? What's that?"
He asked because it was the first time he had heard of it.
"The Eternal Hell Prison is the prison located on the lowest level of the underground prison."
"The lowest level?"
"Yes. It's where they confine the prisoners deemed the worst of the worst."
"Worst of the worst… if they used the term 'eternal'[1], the security must be extremely tight to make it absolutely impossible to escape."
"…There was actually one person who escaped from there since the underground prison was built. So I heard that the Eternal Hell Prison was created as a reinforced version based on that incident. Since it was built, no one imprisoned there has ever escaped."
'If the security is tight enough that even a master who has crossed the threshold can't easily get someone out, how stringent is it?'
It seemed it would be even more difficult than entering the prison.
Clicking his tongue inwardly, Mok Gyeong-un changed his question.
"If they've given up, I guess they just left that Fire Faith Order believer alone until they could find a way."
"No, that's not the case. Rather than getting them out, Gyeom-chang seemed to be trying to find out something from the Fire Faith Order believer through interrogation, as if it was urgent for some reason."
"Trying to find out something?"
"Yes."
"What is it?"
In fact, Sang Ik-seo shouldn't have been able to answer this question.
However, although they had joined hands out of mutual necessity, he also couldn't fully trust Gyeom-chang, so he had been secretly monitoring him.
But since he was such an exceptional master, he couldn't find out much, and he had only learned the name of what he was trying to find out from that Fire Faith Order believer imprisoned in the underground prison.
"I'm not sure exactly what it's used for, but it seemed like he was trying to find out where something called the 'Treasure Orb'[2] is."
"Treasure Orb? You don't know what that is?"
"I don't know exactly. But there is one thing I speculate."
"Speculation?"
"Yes… I think it might be related to the serious reason why that Fire Faith Order believer was the only one imprisoned in the Eternal Hell Prison, unlike the other believers."
'Serious reason?'
Was it because the Holy Fire Spiritual Master held a high position and was an important item for the Fire Faith Order?
Or was there another reason?
"What is it?"
Puzzled, Sang Ik-seo said in a meaningful voice:
"I heard that Fire Faith Order believer could foresee the future by receiving revelations from something called the Holy Fire or something."
265: Chapter 264: Clue (4)
"I heard that Fire Faith Order believer could foresee the future by receiving revelations from something called the Holy Fire or something."
'!?'
At those words, Mok Gyeong-un raised one eyebrow and tilted his head.
"Foresee the future?"
In response to Mok Gyeong-un's question, Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo replied:
"Yes… I don't know if it's true or not, but there was quite a lot of talk about it among the higher-ups, enough to make a fuss."
"Foresee…"
Foresee the future.
Was such a thing really possible?
Beyond being interesting or fascinating, Mok Gyeong-un believed it was completely impossible.
In the first place, if it was truly possible, there was no way the Fire Faith Order believers couldn't have prevented being persecuted and ending up like this.
'However… if we assume it's possible, it would be an ability that everyone would covet.'
Being able to know what would happen in the future was a tremendous ability.
It meant having the advantage of being able to prepare for future events.
'It's becoming confusing.'
It became ambiguous whether the Society Leader was targeting the Holy Fire Spirit Orb because he was in league with the organization with the mark, or because of this foresight ability.
Because if it was the foresight ability, it would be a rare ability that anyone would covet.
However, there was something to point out here.
"But didn't you just say that this person could foresee the future?"
"Yes."
"That sounds as if that believer can't foresee it now."
"…"
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, Sang Ik-seo inwardly clicked his tongue.
He didn't miss even the smallest detail.
"Am I wrong?"
"…You're right. I don't know if that believer was able to do it before and lost the ability, or if the believer couldn't do it from the beginning and was just lying, but currently, that person can't foresee the future."
"How do you know that?"
"At first, we thought the believer might be deceiving us with lies, so we tested them several times. For example, we presented a cup with poison and one without and had the believer distinguish between them, and even with tests that could endanger their life, the believer really couldn't foresee anything."
"It turned out to be a meaningless act."
"Yes. However, thanks to that, the higher-ups who had judged that the Fire Faith Order believer had nothing special lost interest. No, it almost disappeared."
"Hmm. But keeping that person imprisoned is just in case?"
"I think that's probably the case. If, by a slim chance, they find that Treasure Orb that the Fire Faith Order believer is desperately trying to hide, it might become possible to foresee… ugh."
At that moment, Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo stopped mid-sentence, clutched his abdomen, and groaned.
His face was pale and had a purplish tint, indicating his condition was not good.
It was a symptom of the poison spreading beyond his viscera to his entire body.
It seemed he couldn't endure it any longer.
"Ugh."
Perhaps due to that influence.
Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo vomited black blood along with his retching.
A foul smell rose from the black blood that fell to the floor.
"I- I'm going to… die… pl- please save…"
"Hmm."
Sang Ik-seo, who had vomited blood, looked at Mok Gyeong-un with pleading eyes while crawling on the floor.
Mok Gyeong-un, who was looking down at him with a dry gaze, shook his head and then made a cut on his finger, opening Sang Ik-seo's jaw.
"Eat it."
-Drip drip!
Mok Gyeong-un's blood entered Sang Ik-seo's mouth.
Although he was puzzled by suddenly being told to drink blood, Sang Ik-seo, with a strong desire to live, swallowed it down his throat as instructed.
Then, the pain that felt like it was burning his viscera and his entire body began to subside.
"Huh?"
"You'll be fine for a while."
"For a while?"
"If you don't do this periodically, you'll have seizures like now and your breath will stop."
Strictly speaking, this wasn't detoxification.
It was the principle of suppressing poison with poison based on the principle of fighting poison with poison.
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo's expression stiffened.
"We- weren't you going to detoxify me?"
"I never said that."
"What do you mean!"
-Squeeze!
"Ugh!"
Mok Gyeong-un grabbed Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo's cheeks with his hand and smiled, saying:
"There's a strict difference between saying I'll save your life and that."
'Th- this!'
Did he never intend to detoxify him from the beginning?
Mok Gyeong-un whispered in the ear of the bewildered Sang Ik-seo, who realized he had been deceived.
"Since you've tried controlling someone with poison, being controlled in reverse wouldn't be so bad."
At those words, Thousand-men Commander Ma Ra-hyeon of the Embroidered Uniform Guard flashed through Sang Ik-seo's mind.
Sang Ik-seo had used Ma Ra-hyeon with the Gu Poison.
But now, he was about to be controlled by this person, addicted to the poison.
This was literally the consequence of one's actions.
***
Mok Gyeong-un, who was moving secretly after finishing his business, was lost in thought.
Although he had obtained much more information than before, many things were still ambiguous.
Especially since many parts he didn't know about his grandfather's death had been revealed, he was becoming more and more curious.
'What kind of relationship did my grandfather have with them?'
Why had the organization with the mark targeted his grandfather?
And who had really killed his grandfather?
The key figure who could solve all these questions was none other than Ghost Blade.
'Ghost Blade…'
Coincidentally, everything was leading to him.
To contact him, the urgent task was to contact the Society Leader.
Another coincidence here was the Holy Fire Spirit Orb.
That was because, like his grandfather, the organization with the mark was targeting this Holy Fire Spirit Orb.
No, to be precise, they seemed to want the Holy Fire Spirit Orb's ability.
'Foresight ability.'
He still didn't believe it, but if it was possible, it would be a rare ability that everyone would target, not just the organization with the mark.
The Holy Fire Spirit Orb, who possessed this ability, could also be a clue to solving part of the mystery.
At least, regardless of the truth of that ability, the person himself would clearly know why the organization with the mark was targeting him.
'If we find out that reason, it will be useful.'
The Sect Leader, the organization with the mark, the Fire Faith Order.
All of them were targeting the Holy Fire Spirit Orb.
If he secured this person's whereabouts before them, he could use it as leverage to obtain everything he wanted.
He would also be able to find out their hidden relationship.
***
Embroidered Uniform Guard Sixth Office of Selection.
The masked Embroidered Uniform Guard Thousand-men Commander Ma Ra-hyeon was pacing back and forth in the office with an anxious gaze.
What the hell was that Mok Gyeong-un doing?
He had gone saying he would talk, but what he was doing was questionable.
'Should I have followed him?'
If things went wrong, it was he who would lose his life due to the Gu Poison.
He didn't know that entrusting his life to someone else would make him so anxious.
But if he thought about it, if he had moved with Mok Gyeong-un and got caught, it might have backfired and he would have been caught instead.
Either way, there was nothing he could do.
As Ma Ra-hyeon was anxiously circling around the guest table, his eyes with the Wall Eye technique trembled.
-Throb!
A sudden intense pain felt in his abdomen.
This wasn't just a simple pain.
Startled by the intense pain as if something was gnawing at his abdomen, Ma Ra-hyeon clutched his stomach and knelt on one knee.
-Thud!
"Ugh."
Along with the pain transmitted to his danjeon, he even felt his intestines twisting.
Ma Ra-hyeon instinctively believed that this was due to the Gu Poison.
'Di- did something go wrong?'
Otherwise, there was no way he would feel this kind of pain.
Had trusting that Mok Gyeong-un become a mistake?
Ma Ra-hyeon gritted his teeth.
If that guy had failed and Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo had triggered the Gu Poison, he was as good as dead.
If he was going to die anyway, he had to do everything he could.
The pain was so severe that he wanted to curl up and roll around while clutching his stomach, but Ma Ra-hyeon endured it with superhuman patience and sat cross-legged.
'Let's try to expel the Gu Poison with true energy.'
That was the only thing he could do right now.
Fortunately, unlike the threat he had heard from Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo, the Gu Poison was rampaging without touching his danjeon, so it seemed he could draw out his true energy.
"Phew."
Ma Ra-hyeon drew out his true energy and sent it to where the Gu Poison was rampaging.
He moved his energy as delicately as possible to control the Gu Poison, but…
-Throb!
The moment he sent his energy near it, the Gu Poison became even more violent and injured his internal organs.
It would be painful enough to just be injured, but the Gu Poison was literally a poison.
The moment the Gu Poison bit, a deadly poison spread to his organs.
"Uuugh."
Ma Ra-hyeon, who had tried to endure it with superhuman patience, eventually broke his cross-legged position and writhed in pain.
He was in no condition to move delicately, let alone use true energy.
-Clatter!
In the midst of that, his mask fell off, but Ma Ra-hyeon was in too much pain to even be aware of it.
His eyes with the Wall Eye technique rolled back, and he convulsed all over his body.
Purple blood vessels were rising on his face, and his condition was rapidly deteriorating.
'Is- is this how I die?'
Ma Ra-hyeon, whose consciousness was gradually fading, sensed his own death.
As the final moment approached, everything flashed before his eyes like a montage.
[Your father… came from a very far place in the west with a mission… Don't resent him too much.]
The last words his mother had said about that damned man before her passing also came to mind.
Why was this suddenly coming to mind?
Thinking that he would die without having accomplished anything, everything felt futile.
The only consolation was that he hadn't caused trouble for his mentor, Soyerin, the Thousand-men Commander.
With the evidence like this, she, being clever, would be able to catch Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo.
"Ugh…"
His consciousness was gradually fading away.
It was at that moment.
-Shwip!
Someone placed their hands on Ma Ra-hyeon's abdomen and the Baihui acupoint on the top of his head.
Then something surged into his body.
'!?'
Ma Ra-hyeon's eyes, which had been closing, opened wide.
Ma Ra-hyeon's eyes trembled.
The energy surging into his body was different from the internal energy that exhibited the usual nourishing energy.
This wasn't the true energy he knew.
It was like an endless darkness entering, reminiscent of an abyss.
And within that darkness…
-Woooosh!
There was something brutal to the point of despair.
'Wh- what the hell is this…'
Ma Ra-hyeon was gripped by a strange feeling at this unknown brutal energy he had never experienced before.
He should have rejected this dangerous energy, but instead, he gradually became accustomed to it along with a thrill.
No, it was more accurate to say that he was being rapidly eroded.
-Sizzle!
At some point, black haze began to flow out from Ma Ra-hyeon's entire body.
It was none other than demonic energy.
266: Chapter 265: The Fourth Office (1)
"Oho?"
Surprise flickered in Mok Gyeong-un's eyes.
It was due to the phenomenon occurring with Ma Ra-hyeon, the half-breed Westerner and Thousand-men Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
The energy flowing from his entire body was none other than demonic energy.
This was a phenomenon that even Mok Gyeong-un hadn't anticipated.
'Is he assimilating with the demonic energy?'
A very rare occurrence was taking place.
No, in the first place, he had never directly infused demonic energy into someone like true energy.
Demonic energy was formed by gathering all the yin energies derived from death energy, which could be called the energy of death.
Therefore, he thought it would be a poison to ordinary people.
For example, he expected it to devour true energy like death energy.
However, surpassing that expectation, Ma Ra-hyeon was accepting his demonic energy and internalizing it as his own.
'There's no rejection.'
He thought the existing nourishing energy would push it out.
But Ma Ra-hyeon's true energy was becoming one with the demonic energy, transforming into a new form of demonic energy.
Although its purity was lower than Mok Gyeong-un's, it was undoubtedly demonic energy.
'This has become interesting.'
He had simply intended to send his demonic energy to the rampaging parasitic Gu Poison that had lost its original Command Gu and had its spell and energy-based command severed, in order to imprint it.
He thought demonic energy was difficult for anyone to interfere with since death energy transcended the realm of consciousness in the first place.
But it had produced a completely different result.
'Hmm.'
Was this a coincidence?
Or was it a phenomenon only possible for the half-breed Ma Ra-hyeon, not a pure Central Plains person? He couldn't tell.
Of course, he could check with someone else later.
After infusing more demonic energy into Ma Ra-hyeon's Baihui acupoint and abdomen, Mok Gyeong-un stopped.
The rampaging Gu Poison in his abdomen had also been imprinted with demonic energy and accepted him as its new Command Gu, its new master, and the poison energy in his body had subsided.
At that moment, Ma Ra-hyeon, who had regained his senses, spoke.
"What the hell is this…"
He seemed to have a strange expression, unable to adapt to his changed energy.
That was understandable since the nature of his true energy itself had changed.
Moreover, it had taken on an extremely brutal and dark energy.
Perhaps that's why he felt it.
"Ah…"
Ma Ra-hyeon looked at Mok Gyeong-un with trembling eyes.
Upon experiencing the vast and highly pure demonic energy emanating from Mok Gyeong-un, he felt a thrill and a sense of awe.
'Wh- what?'
Ma Ra-hyeon was confused.
He couldn't tell if this was truly his own will.
His mind was denying it, but his instincts felt a strong sense of reverence towards Mok Gyeong-un.
It was similar to how ants instinctively develop loyalty to serve the queen ant.
"Wh- what have you done to me?"
"Who knows? I only tried to deal with the Gu Poison, but you took the liberty of internalizing my demonic energy."
"Demonic energy?"
"My energy is quite different from ordinary people. Now that you've internalized it, you should be able to feel it. That it's destructive and brutal."
-Tremble tremble!
Ma Ra-hyeon looked at his own hands.
It was an incomprehensible phenomenon.
After his energy became one with what Mok Gyeong-un called demonic energy, his energy had become stronger and increased.
No, it seemed to have doubled in strength.
He felt like he could win against anyone right now.
It was truly a belligerent energy.
"How did I get this kind of energy…"
"Since you internalized it, I'd be disappointed if you blamed me. Moreover, after I went through the trouble of saving your life."
"Life? Ah…"
Come to think of it, the rampaging poison energy and the Gu Poison had stopped moving.
However…
'!?'
Ma Ra-hyeon's expression distorted.
The reason was…
"…The Gu Poison is still there."
"Yes. Of course."
"That's…"
"I never said I would eliminate the Gu Poison. I said I would ensure it wouldn't be a problem for your life."
At those words, Ma Ra-hyeon was at a loss for words.
It was undeniable that Mok Gyeong-un had clearly drawn the line that he wouldn't remove the Gu Poison until his work was finished.
And he had kept that promise.
Although he didn't know what this energy was, the Gu Poison was no longer rampaging.
So Ma Ra-hyeon asked:
"The Gu Poison won't rampage anymore. But what exactly did you talk about with Sang Ik-seo?"
Given Mok Gyeong-un's personality, there was no way he had only talked.
At his question, Mok Gyeong-un smiled and replied:
"Should I say I took over the Gu Poison?"
"What?"
At those words, Ma Ra-hyeon's eyes widened.
What did he mean by taking over the Gu Poison?
"What the hell does that mean?"
"It's literal. Just know that I now possess the Command Gu that Associate Military Commissioner had."
'!?'
At those words, Ma Ra-hyeon's expression stiffened again.
If he meant it literally, did he really take the female Gu Poison Command Gu from Associate Military Commissioner Sang Ik-seo?
That meant the one holding the weakness had changed.
But how did he take it?
Come to think of it, there was a tremendous master by his side who had subdued him in just a few moves.
Even if it was Mok Gyeong-un, that person's martial arts…
'…What?'
Ma Ra-hyeon swallowed dry saliva for a moment.
He hadn't realized it until he could comprehend the demonic energy.
But now that he could feel Mok Gyeong-un's demonic energy, he couldn't fathom how far that energy extended.
With this level of energy, perhaps…
"Did you subdue the one guarding Sang Ik-seo?"
"The guard? Ah. You mean that Hundred-men Commander Gyeom-chang?"
"Yes. I was going to tell you that he wasn't an ordinary skilled person…"
"He's dead."
"What?"
"I said he's dead."
'!!!!'
At those words, Ma Ra-hyeon was flabbergasted.
That Hundred-men Commander Gyeom-chang was an Embroidered Uniform Guard Hundred-men Commander in name, but it was no exaggeration to say that he possessed martial arts skills equivalent to a Pacification Commissioner.
He thought only Gu Seong-baek, the Southern Pacification Commissioner, and his mentor Soyerin, the Thousand-men Commander, could match him, but to hear that such a top master was killed left him speechless.
'Wait.'
Then, if he had killed the guard Gyeom-chang, could it be…
"Did you kill the Associate Military Commissioner too?"
"How could I? Do you think I would just kill him without reason?"
"…"
At those words, Ma Ra-hyeon remained silent.
When someone who could go off in any direction said not to worry, he was simply dumbfounded.
However, that wasn't the problem now.
"Then what did you do with him?"
That person shouldn't have been killed.
Although he couldn't touch him until now because of the Gu Poison in his body, there was conclusive evidence of what he had tried to do, so based on that, he could aim for his superiors as well.
"He's alive and well."
"Ah…"
At those words, Ma Ra-hyeon felt relieved.
If he had simply killed him, it would have only caused a disturbance and alerted his superiors.
But as long as he was alive, there was still room for investigation.
Ma Ra-hyeon got up from his seat.
And he tried to take the evidence that was placed on the office desk.
To him, Mok Gyeong-un said:
"I see what you're trying to do with that, but don't do it yet."
"What?"
"Right now, I don't want any notable incidents to occur within the Imperial Palace. You should know why, right?"
At those words, Ma Ra-hyeon hesitated.
He immediately understood what Mok Gyeong-un meant by those words.
He was trying to enter the underground prison of the Imperial Palace to kidnap a prisoner, so he didn't want any incidents to happen internally within the Embroidered Uniform Guard beforehand.
However, if he left that person alone, he would definitely report to his superiors and might cut off the tail.
If that happened, the evidence and everything else would become meaningless.
"…Wouldn't it be fine as long as it doesn't harm you?"
"I told you not to."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ma Ra-hyeon put down the human skin mask case.
And he unconsciously replied:
"Understood."
After answering like that, Ma Ra-hyeon furrowed his brows.
What was this phenomenon?
That was because he accepted Mok Gyeong-un's words as if it was natural.
As if he was his master.
'Why?'
Seeing his baffled reaction, Mok Gyeong-un raised the corners of his mouth and said:
"It seems it's not just me."
"What the hell did you do to me… to me?"
"Who knows? It's just as I told you earlier. But perhaps because you assimilated with my energy, I also feel more familiar with Thousand-men Commander Ma Ra-hyeon."
"I… I…"
"In this state, it seems you'll be able to assist me even better."
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, Ma Ra-hyeon felt strange.
He should have felt repulsed, thinking that he had done something to him, but instead, whenever Mok Gyeong-un said something, a paradoxical emotion arose that he should accept it.
It felt like he had to do whatever he wanted.
He wanted to deny and suppress this incomprehensible change in his emotions with a strong will, but he couldn't.
To the confused Ma Ra-hyeon, Mok Gyeong-un said with a smile:
"I was just thinking that it's about time, and I need Thousand-men Commander Ma Ra-hyeon's help even more. If that task is finished, I'll let you do as you wish."
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, Ma Ra-hyeon nodded without hesitation and replied:
"Understood."
"I'm glad you're willing. Then please do this for me."
Mok Gyeong-un told him the plan he had in mind.
As he listened, Ma Ra-hyeon's expression gradually became subtle.
That was because his role was quite important in this underground prison heist plan.
***
Trainee Bae Ji-seok.
He was a trainee participating in this Imperial Guard training.
Having passed with an average score and been assigned to the Snake Guard, he was finally looking forward to the Embroidered Uniform Guard apprenticeship tomorrow with anticipation.
Although his first apprenticeship was in the Fourth Office that managed the prison, so what?
He was determined to do his best and obtain good results.
But as he was making his resolution and trying to fall asleep, he was summoned to the Embroidered Uniform Guard Six Offices Department not long after.
They said they had called a reference witness as they were investigating the death of Trainee Mok Gyeong-un.
'Why are they calling me as a reference witness?'
He didn't know much about Mok Gyeong-un.
No, none of the trainees here knew anything about those from the Heaven and Earth Society.
But he didn't understand why they were calling him.
He felt puzzled, but since they said it was a simple investigation, he went to the interrogation room of the Six Offices Department.
-Knock knock!
Bae Ji-seok knocked on the door and said:
"This is Trainee Bae Ji-seok. I'm here for the reference investigation."
"Come in."
At the voice coming from inside, Bae Ji-seok opened the door.
In the dark interrogation room.
When he opened the door, he saw a lantern, a table, and two chairs arranged to face each other.
Inside, a masked Embroidered Uniform Guard Thousand-men Commander was standing.
Bae Ji-seok closed the door, entered, and greeted him with his hands clasped.
"Did you call for me?"
"…"
At that question, the masked Embroidered Uniform Guard Thousand-men Commander said nothing.
When the Thousand-men Commander of the Six Offices Department, which he heard was an investigative department, didn't speak like that, Trainee Bae Ji-seok, who became somewhat uneasy, cautiously asked:
"Is… is there a problem? Is that why you called me?"
At that question, the masked Embroidered Uniform Guard Thousand-men Commander opened his mouth.
"I'm sorry."
"What?"
"I didn't call you."
"What does that mean?"
At that moment, a voice came from right behind him.
"I called you."
-Flinch!
There was no presence felt at all, but startled by the voice coming from behind, Trainee Bae Ji-seok hurriedly turned around.
'Huh!?'
Bae Ji-seok's eyes widened as he turned around.
That was because Mok Gyeong-un, who was said to have been killed in the Embroidered Uniform Guard infirmary a few days ago, was there.
"You… you were definitely dead…"
"Yes. It's nice to see me alive, isn't it?"
Why was the guy he knew was dead before is here?
Rather than being happy, he was extremely perplexed.
So…
"What do you mean you called me? Th- Thousand-men Commander?"
Bae Ji-seok called out to the masked Thousand-men Commander while slowly taking steps back.
However, the masked Thousand-men Commander remained silent with his arms crossed.
Instead, Mok Gyeong-un approached closer, raised the corners of his mouth eerily, and said:
"The Thousand-men Commander didn't call you."
"What the hell…"
"I heard you're an orphan and have no close friends, right?"
"Wh- why are you asking that?"
Trainee Bae Ji-seok raised his voice, feeling uneasy.
Then, the corners of Mok Gyeong-un's mouth, shadowed by the lantern light, curled up gruesomely.
Startled even more by that sight, he tried to take steps back to distance himself, but Mok Gyeong-un slowly closed the distance and said:
"Nothing much. I was just thinking of borrowing your face for a bit."
'!?'