Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 103

“I apologize, but I must respectfully decline your proposal.”

An unexpected refusal to what she thought would surely be accepted.

Wi So-yeon, the Society Leader’s third disciple, raised an eyebrow and asked in an uncomprehending tone, “Why?”

“There is no significant reason.”

“No reason?”

“Yes. If I must find a reason, it’s because I dislike conflicts by nature.”

“You dislike conflicts?”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, she scoffed.

How could someone adamantly cling onto benefits and reap them until the end—even if Yeop Wi-seon indeed made the first move against him?

This Mok Gyeong-un she assessed was definitely not someone who disliked conflicts by nature.

Depending on the situation, he could readily create conflicts if he wanted to.

Yet refusing with such a reason…

‘Is he trying to avoid getting involved with me, the successor with the weakest power?’

That was her judgment.

The internal structure within the Heaven and Earth Society was already distinct.

The Chief Disciple Na Yul-ryang and the Second Disciple Jang Neung-ak had secured nearly 40% and 30% of the supporting forces respectively.

In contrast, she had a mere 10% to 20% at most.

If considering martial arts alone, she rapidly rose to a level almost comparable to Jang Neung-ak with her immense talent, but she still fell short in terms of power.

‘Becoming part of my faction is equivalent to rejecting all others.’

It wasn’t incomprehensible.

However, it hadn’t been long since she gathered this 10% to 20% of power.

As such, Wi So-yeon was confident.

‘…If I can at least unite the neutral forces under me, there’s enough potential.’

From that perspective, Mok Gyeong-un was a desirable talent.

Not only were his martial arts and cunning aspects appealing, but his current situation could be considered optimal.

Mok Gyeong-un was currently in the midst of Corpse Blood Valley’s final gate trial.

If he were to pass even the final gate as the top cadet in this situation, he would be given the choice to become the disciple of any executive present that day.

What if Mok Gyeong-un, in such a position, became her subordinate and entered the faction of an executive no one else followed?

The corners of Wi So-yeon’s mouth twitched.

That was her true ulterior motive.

‘An opportunity that doesn’t come often.’

At this, she said, “Even if you dislike conflicts, there will surely come a moment when you must choose.”

“…”

“I may not be immediately useful, but a future investment in your growth. However, the elders already have plenty of outstanding talents by their sides.”

“…”

“Do you think the choice you make then will be a great opportunity for you?”

At her words, a glint flickered in Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes.

He had seen those qualified as successors in a place called Yeon Mok Sword Manor, but they were incomparable to this.

Transcending gender, she undoubtedly had sufficient qualities to become the leader of an organization.

Even without lengthy words, she possessed the power to draw others in.

However,

“If I remain someone you desperately need even then, wouldn’t it still be an opportunity?”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s response, Wi So-yeon let out a long sigh.

He was still just a Corpse Blood Valley trainee without any special position, yet he refused her direct appeal for recruitment.

What an extraordinary person indeed.

But his last words echoed in her mind.

‘Someone I desperately need even then…’

It sounded as if he was saying, regardless of now, he would prove his worth at any given moment.

Hearing it that way, her gaze towards Mok Gyeong-un sharpened.

Was he someone with such confidence in himself?

After staring at him for a while, she parted her lips and spoke in a slightly sulky voice, “You’re the first person to make me leave empty-handed without any special achievements, despite not even being an executive.”

“Your words make me even more apologetic.”

“Fine. I’ll look forward to seeing if you live up to your own declaration.”

“I will strive to meet your expectations.”

Mok Gyeong-un lightly bowed in response to Wi So-yeon’s words.

“Ah!”

Then she approached close to Mok Gyeong-un and whispered something in his ear before lightly leaping down from the upper floor.

“I’ll inform Elder Yang and the person waiting outside as promised, so consider another hour as having started now.”

With those words, she left the treasure vault as if her business was finished.

At this, Mok Gyeong-un smirked and turned his head.

“You bastard!”

There stood Yeop Wi-seon, glaring at Mok Gyeong-un with blazing eyes.

His expression seemed as if he was jealous.

No, he was jealous indeed.

‘She whispered in the ear of a lowly bastard like him?’

He was truly enraged.

Yeop Wi-seon spoke through gritted teeth, “…What did she just say to you?”

“If it was something I could say, she would’ve said it out loud, no?”

“What?”

“More importantly, aren’t you going to follow her? At this rate, you might lose your master.”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, Yeop Wi-seon rose to his feet and picked up his sword that had fallen to the floor.

Then, with a momentum as if he would swing it at any moment, he said, “Impudent bastard. I’ll let it slide today for her sake, but…”

“Spare me from cliche lines like making me regret it someday and leave magnanimously while you still can.”

“You little…!”

Yeop Wi-seon was momentarily provoked and almost swung his sword.

However, he managed to endure it with superhuman patience.

If he caused more trouble here, the aftermath – no, just damaging those secret manuals would be hard to handle, so he had no choice but to quietly back down.

“You will regret not accepting her proposal.”

He put his sword back in its scabbard and tried to leave with these words.

Mok Gyeong-un smiled and said to him, “Ah, I forgot to mention.”

“What?”

“Make sure to repay the life debt you owe me later.”

“…What nonsense are you spouting? You smooth-talked your way into getting her identity tag in the heat of the moment.”

“I let that slide, didn’t I?”

“Let it slide? What…”

“You’re still under the wrong impression. She tried to gloss over it by offering a life price or whatnot to save you, but my stance on instant execution for not keeping your word remains unchanged.”

‘!?’

At those words, Yeop Wi-seon’s expression stiffened.

***

After Yeop Wi-seon left the treasure vault, Cheong-ryeong’s voice reached Mok Gyeong-un’s ears.

-Why did you not do as I instructed?

“Ah. You mean pretending to yield, genuinely or not, and becoming that third disciple’s subordinate?”

Cheong-ryeong had told Mok Gyeong-un to become her subordinate.

She said that by doing so, he could quickly establish himself internally and make contact with the upper echelon.

-Right.

“Well, it didn’t seem like the right time yet.”

-Time? Do you think such an opportunity will come easily?

“Is there any guarantee that an opportunity that came once won’t come again?”

-Opportunities are not called opportunities if they seem like they will come easily.”

“You sound quite regretful.”

-I’m saying that even if it’s difficult right now, if you seize that wretched woman’s body, you could bring the timing even closer.

She had developed a desire for Wi So-yeon’s body, which closely resembled her own.

It almost felt as if her own dead body had been revived.

At this, Mok Gyeong-un said, “So you coveted that body after all. But you two don’t just resemble each other a lot, but look extremely alike. Could she perhaps be your descendant?”

-…I have no descendants. I didn’t even… No, I couldn’t hold a wedding in the end, so what nonsense are you talking about!

“How would I know whether you got married or had children? You keep saying it’s not the right time and evading the topic.”

-Hmph!

She snorted at Mok Gyeong-un’s words.

She was already upset that he didn’t follow her words, causing the opportunity to slip away.

‘She seems quite disappointed.’

Mok Gyeong-un chuckled inwardly without showing it.

In fact, he had expected Cheong-ryeong to naturally covet Wi So-yeon’s body.

It had the most similar appearance to herself when she was alive and the strongest martial arts among the women encountered so far.

It would be stranger if such desire didn’t arise.

However, Mok Gyeong-un had no intention to do so.

‘Sorry, but until it’s a sure bet, I don’t think it’s right to get involved.’

Mok Gyeong-un’s foremost goal was revenge.

To find out if the man named “Ghost Blade” was the real culprit behind his grandfather’s death and take revenge if it was true.

However, if he were to become the subordinate of the Society Leader’s third disciple right now, he would make enemies with the other successors and their followers.

‘Is there a need to take the hard path?’

According to Corpse Blood Valley Leader Lee Ji-yeom, the most likely successor was indeed the Chief Disciple Na Yul-ryang.

Among the 40% of forces, there was Seo Un-cho the Martial King, one of the Eight Stars known as the top masters in the Central Plains, one of the Five Kings, one of the Three Chief Masters, and two executives of the Four Valley Masters following him.

As a result, the tide was said to be greatly in his favor.

[If Chief Disciple Na Yul-ryang gains the support of another Five Kings of the Eight Stars title-holder who remains neutral, his position as the successor will likely become firm.]

In that case, there was no need to become Wi So-yeon’s subordinate.

Mok Gyeong-un sought a sure bet rather than a potentially viable one, so if he were to enter someone’s faction, it would be better to aim for the one closest to succession, Na Yul-ryang.

‘Annihilating Poison King.’

The only existence in the Heaven and Earth Society who confronted the Ghost Blade and survived while maintaining a neutral position that no one currently supported.

Mok Gyeong-un aimed to pass the final gate and become his disciple.

By becoming the disciple of Baek Sa-ha, Annihilating Poison King, he could uncover his secrets and attempt to make contact with Na Yul-ryang, who was closest to the Society Leader position.

This was the plan Mok Gyeong-un had in mind for now.

Mok Gyeong-un whispered to the disgruntled Cheong-ryeong, “So you won’t help me?”

-…Annoying mortal.

This brat only asks for help when he needs it.

Anyhow, she really disliked him.

***

Having gained an extra hour, Mok Gyeong-un leisurely perused the secret manuals on the third floor of the treasure vault.

To say he perused them was an understatement; he fell into a state of selflessness, becoming one with the original martial artists through their handwriting, absorbing them at a rapid pace.

This could be considered an absurd talent that other martial artists did not possess.

The more secret manuals he read, the broader Mok Gyeong-un’s insight and perspective on martial arts grew, and his experience increased as if he had practiced countless martial arts.

Here, Cheong-ryeong discovered an astonishing point.

‘This brat’s body is…’

Mok Gyeong-un in a state of selflessness.

His muscles were visibly changing little by little in real-time.

It was an extremely subtle change that would go unnoticed without close observation, but Cheong-ryeong was able to detect it due to one phenomenon while Mok Gyeong-un was immersed in selflessness.

That was none other than sweat.

‘Sweat?’

It wasn’t present on the second floor, but as he read the secret manuals in the treasure vault’s third floor, sweat poured down Mok Gyeong-un’s face.

Even his clothes became soaked with sweat.

While wondering why that was, she suddenly noticed his wrist muscles trembling slightly and their density changing.

‘Haa…’

It was astonishing.

She, too, had once heard of it.

A strong will and spirit can sometimes greatly influence the body.

There was an anecdote like this.

Someone suddenly and unexpectedly poured water from a teapot onto another person, and that person suffered burns.

But the surprising thing was that the water was not hot, but cold.

In the end, the person’s strong belief that it was hot alone caused burns on their body.

‘To think this could be materialized to such an extent. This fellow is truly…’

Inhuman.

Just by being immersed in the secret manuals and becoming one with them in his mind, it influenced his body, causing changes in his muscles.

Is such a thing possible?

There was a time limit, so the number would ultimately be limited as well, but what if this fellow seriously read all the secret manuals in this treasure vault, taking his time?

‘It piques my curiosity.’

Right then,

Mok Gyeong-un finished reading a secret manual and closed it.

As he was about to put it back on the shelf, he suddenly turned his head to the side.

“Wait a moment.”

“Why?”

“Something has been bothering me for a while, and I think I definitely hear it coming from over there.”

“Over there?”

Mok Gyeong-un was looking towards the corner of the third floor of the treasure vault, where another small cavity was formed.

Inside, there seemed to be bookshelves with secret manuals, but…

‘A red line?’

There was a red line drawn in front of it.

[Ah. And there’s a place marked with a red line. That place is… Try not to enter it if possible.]

[Pardon?]

[In the past, something… No. You don’t need to know that much. Anyway, if you cross the red line, you’ll see something truly spine-chilling. So don’t ignore my warning.]

The warning from the treasure vault keeper, Elder Yang Mu-won, came to mind.

That must be the place he mentioned.

‘Something scary…’

“Hmm. That red line doesn’t seem ordinary at all.”

Mok Gyeong-un agreed with Cheong-ryeong’s words.

When red ink is ground together with white rice and salt, it can serve as a barrier.

That way, it becomes possible to create a disconnection centered around the line.

“I’m getting curious.”

-It seems your curiosity has been piqued.

“I hear a sound coming from inside.”

-Sound?

Being inside the wooden puppet, she couldn’t hear sounds from far away.

So she asked, “What sound do you hear?”

“We’ll know if we go and see.”

Mok Gyeong-un furtively glanced towards the entrance of the cavity below.

There was no one there.

In fact, earlier, he had entered the treasure vault, read about thirty secret manuals that Yeop Wi-seon had cut in half, and left the treasure vault with an almost dumbfounded expression.

With no watchful eyes, it seemed alright to take a quick look around.

Mok Gyeong-un crossed the red line and entered the small cavity.

“Kuurururururu!”

-Ah! You hear this sound?

Cheong-ryeong spoke as if she understood.

Now that he was inside, a bookshelf was shaking strongly enough for her to hear.

At the very top of that bookshelf, there was no secret manual, but a rolled-up wooden box was placed there, and…

Strange energy was flowing out from there.

Mok Gyeong-un could clearly see this.

“…It’s here.”

-Here?

It wasn’t the energy of the dead. The ominous energy wafting from that scroll was the demonic energy (妖氣) that could only be felt from malevolent spirits.

Mok Gyeong-un approached it.

‘How peculiar.’

Ordinary people may not sense it, but why was such an object placed here? Aren’t there even diviners within the Heaven and Earth Society?

At that moment, a voice reached Mok Gyeong-un’s ears.

“Jeong-ah. Jeong-ah.”

‘!?’

The instant he heard this voice, Mok Gyeong-un’s expression stiffened. It was none other than,

“Grandfather?”

The voice of his dead grandfather. What on earth was happening? Why was his grandfather’s voice coming from that box?

“Jeong-ah… Jeong-ah… Help this old man.”

“Grandfather?”

“Jeong-ah… It’s so stifling.”

From the way it called his name to the voice itself, it was undeniably his grandfather.

Right then, a rebuke poured into his ears.

-Snap out of it!

Mok Gyeong-un promptly furrowed his brows.

-Get a grip. You keep saying grandfather this, grandfather that. It seems you’re hearing auditory hallucinations.

“Cheong-ryeong, you can’t hear it?”

-Not at all.

“Ahhh. Then it must be an auditory hallucination indeed.”

-Surely you wouldn’t fall for a mere hallucination, would you?

“Of course not.”

Mok Gyeong-un was extremely rational. He was simply puzzled by how it could call out in his grandfather’s voice and his true name without even making contact.

-Don’t get swayed by some ridiculous hallucination…

Right at that moment,

“How dare a wretched evil spirit interfere with me!”

This was heard loud and clear.

Cheong-ryeong also seemed to have heard it, as she muttered in an absurd tone,

-Wretched evil spirit? How dare it…

As she was about to express her anger, a voice continued from the wooden box.

“Human. Open the wooden box. If you do so, I, the ruler of the seas, shall grant your wish.”

At this, Mok Gyeong-un scoffed and muttered, “You’re really blatantly peddling the bait.”