Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 120 – Choice (3)

“But let me add one more thing. I was brought here as a hostage by Bright Blade King, who is present here.”

‘!?’

In that instant, Bright Blade King Son Yun’s expression stiffened.

Publicly revealing this critical weakness that could become a source of gossip?

Just what was he thinking?

Even if it was outside the fortress, this place was still within the territory of the Heaven and Earth Society, and everyone here belonged to the Heaven and Earth Society.

To reveal this inside the Heaven and Earth Society, whose internal factions had long vied for dominance in the martial world with the righteous faction, to the point where calling them mortal enemies would be no exaggeration, was truly a foolish choice.

-Murmur murmur!

‘He’s from the righteous faction?’

‘The righteous faction?’

The atmosphere quickly heated up as murmurs arose from all around.

It was the same for the other trainees.

Mok Gyeong-un’s forcibly sworn followers, Mu Jang-yak and Demon Fire Hall’s Mo Ha-rang, couldn’t hide their shock either, glaring at him with dumbfounded expressions.

At the very least, they had thought Mok Gyeong-un was from a small or medium-sized faction under the Heaven and Earth Society, even if he was a nameless one.

But the righteous faction?

‘Then, I’ve sworn loyalty to someone from the righteous faction?’

‘How could this be….’

The two individual’s faces were instantly colored with humiliation.

‘Ohoho. What a vexing child.’

Knowing his true identity, a man who was one of the few, the Shadow Master, clicked his tongue inwardly while looking at Mok Gyeong-un.

Right now, Mok Gyeong-un had practically revealed his identity in the middle of enemy territory.

Even if he was here as a hostage.

‘To the Heaven and Earth Society martial artists, those from the righteous faction must be rejected as enemies.’

This was true for everyone, regardless of age or gender.

Especially for the younger generation of promising talents, as they had been educated by their parents and teachers from a young age, the animosity was passed down even more strongly.

It wouldn’t be surprising if a commotion broke out at any moment.

-Thud!

“The Yeon Mok Sword Manor? Did you just say the righteous faction’s Yeon Mok Sword Manor?”

As expected, someone jumped up from their seat.

It was the Grand Elder of the Flame Demon Clan, Bo Hyuk-so.

Having lost his father in the battle against the Hwasan Faction, his hatred for the righteous faction ran deep.

But when Mok Gyeong-un’s identity was revealed to be none other than a member of the righteous faction, he reacted intensely.

“How could a mere righteous faction underling enter the Corpse Blood Valley, which can be called the gateway to the Great Heaven and Earth Society! Kneel!”

-Whoosh!

Bo Hyuk-so shattered the armrest of his chair with a single strike.

Then, imbuing the shattered, pointed piece of the armrest with his internal energy, he hurled it towards Mok Gyeong-un’s thigh.

It was at a tremendous speed.

However, Mok Gyeong-un calmly unleashed his footwork, stepping back and evading it.

-Crack!

The armrest piece pierced the stone floor of the plaza right in front of Mok Gyeong-un, embedding halfway.

It seemed he had intended to impale Mok Gyeong-un’s leg with this.

“Dodged it? Good. Then, I, the Flame Demon Grand Elder, will personally make you kneel!”

The Flame Demon Clan’s Grand Elder, Bo Hyuk-so, was about to stomp his foot and step forward.

At that moment, someone blocked his way.

“Grand Elder of the Flame Demon Clan. Stop.”

It was none other than the Corpse Blood Valley Master, Lee Ji-yeom.

As Lee Ji-yeom blocked his path, Bo Hyuk-so raised his voice with a flushed face.

“Valley Master. What in the world is the meaning of this? How can a mere righteous faction underling be here? Surely you couldn’t have been unaware, right?”

At this question, Lee Ji-yeom couldn’t hide his tremendous discomfort.

Because the one possessing the body was from a renowned righteous faction family, he thought he wouldn’t carelessly reveal the identity of his vessel.

But he didn’t expect him to suddenly make it public like this.

‘…This is troublesome.’

The problem wasn’t just that he revealed it, but also that the Society Leader had ordered to keep the identities of the two Mok brothers, who were brought here as hostages, a secret.

It was a direct order from the Society Leader, so it had to be followed.

If he were to disregard it in the middle of all this attention, the Society Leader would certainly use it as an excuse to pressure him.

‘Should I remain silent….’

However, for the sake of his liege, this had to be revealed.

That was the duty of a subordinate.

With this, Lee Ji-yeom was about to reveal that it was an order from the Society Leader and that there had been instructions to keep it a secret.

“This is…”

Before he could finish his words,

“Inserting the Yeon Mok Sword Manor’s hostages into the Corpse Blood Valley entrance was an order from above. So, don’t raise any more objections. Grand Elder of the Flame Demon Clan.”

“Isn’t that right, Bright Blade King?”

The one who stepped forward before Lee Ji-yeom could speak was none other than the Bright Blade King, Son Yun.

Seeing Son Yun take action, Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes glinted with interest.

He had expected Son Yun to show anger after he willingly exposed his own weakness, which Son Yun had intended to use against him. Instead, he was unexpectedly trying to resolve the situation.

“An order from above, what do you mean by…?”

“I advise against discussing this matter further.”

“…”

At Son Yun’s warning, the Grand Elder of the Flame Demon Clan, Bo Hyuk-so, closed his mouth.

If it was an order from the upper echelons above the Five Kings, then it was beyond the line where he could step in and argue.

“I understand.”

As Son Yun responded and sat back down, the Corpse Blood Valley Master, Lee Ji-yeom, let out a sigh of relief and sent a grateful look towards the Bright Blade King, Son Yun.

Thanks to Son Yun stepping in first, saying it was an order from above, the difficult situation was resolved.

However, despite his lord’s unexpected actions, seeing him step in to resolve the matter like this showed that he truly wanted to accept him as his disciple.

Even if there might be dissatisfaction arising from accepting a hostage from the righteous faction as a disciple, he was willing to take on that risk, which was indeed remarkable.

‘Well.’

If he hadn’t known that his liege was residing in that body, he himself would have been tempted to take him as a disciple.

But right then,

“I find it hard to accept.”

The owner of the displeased voice was none other than Hang Yeo-ryang, the Summoning Sound Valley Master.

Just a moment ago, she had been desperate to have Mok Gyeong-un, but now she was glaring at him with eyes full of hostility.

Son Yun spoke to her.

“What is it that you find hard to accept?”

“Even if it was an unavoidable order from above, if we hadn’t known about this fact, one of us would have almost accepted a hostage from the righteous faction as a disciple, wouldn’t we?”

At her words, the two Grand Elders nodded in agreement.

Even if it was an order from above, he was still a hostage from the righteous faction.

If they had unknowingly accepted someone detestable from the righteous faction as a disciple, wouldn’t they have had to bear the consequences later on?

“…The Summoning Sound Valley Master has a point. Brother Yun and the Corpse Blood Valley Master, why didn’t you give us even a hint despite knowing this?”

Thunderbolt Fist King, Won Byeong-hak, also expressed his dissatisfaction.

Judging by the change in his way of speaking, it seemed he had also developed reservations about Mok Gyeong-un after learning about his background.

This was, in a way, a natural reaction.

At that moment, the Summoning Sound Valley Master, Hang Yeo-ryang, smiled bitterly and said,

“Ah. Now I understand.”

“Now you understand?”

“Yes. If it was an order from above to send the righteous faction’s hostage to Corpse Blood Valley, then perhaps the original purpose was something else, wasn’t it? We all know well what kind of place Corpse Blood Valley is.”

“…”

At her words, the others showed gazes of agreement.

Corpse Blood Valley was a place from which it was difficult to come out alive once you entered.

Sending the righteous faction’s hostage to such a place was closer to implying that they didn’t want him to survive, rather than giving him a chance.

“Perhaps those above also intended for that, but things didn’t go as expected?”

“Don’t cross the line. Summoning Sound Valley Master.”

The Bright Blade King, Son Yun, warned her in a sharp voice as she continued to express her dissatisfaction despite it being an order from above.

Then, Hang Yeo-ryang laughed and bowed slightly with her hands clasped in front of her waist.

“Yes, yes. How could I, a lowly one, dare to disobey those above? However, I have no desire to accept a righteous faction member who killed my sister and can be called our sect’s eternal enemy as a disciple or subordinate. So…”

-Screech!

The Summoning Sound Valley Master, Hang Yeo-ryang, turned her chair around and sat down.

Her actions seemed to be a protest of her own dissatisfaction.

But that wasn’t the end of it.

-Screech!

As if agreeing with her, the Grand Elder of the Flame Demon Clan, Bo Hyuk-so, and the Grand Elder of the Crimson Blood Clan, Dae So-man, also turned their chairs around.

However, they weren’t the only ones.

-Screech!

‘…Thunderbolt Fist King.’

Even Thunderbolt Fist King, Won Byeong-hak, turned his chair around.

Their actions appeared to show their firm resolve to reject anyone from the righteous faction, even if it was an order from above.

Considering their future standing within the sect, their behavior was understandable.

“Ahem, ahem.”

Mok Yu-cheon, who was coughing as quietly as possible.

Fortunately, he had woken up just a moment ago, and the heavy atmosphere made his thoughts complex.

‘They’re the same too.’

It wasn’t just the righteous faction.

The martial artists of the evil factions and the Heaven and Earth Society also hated the righteous faction.

Well, it might be natural.

Haven’t they rejected each other and fought and killed each other for a long time?

‘…Similar.’

Perhaps that was why his heart felt heavy, and on the other hand, there was understanding…

‘No. I understand them?’

Why did he have such thoughts?

Mok Yu-cheon inwardly denied his own thoughts.

Then, he looked at Mok Gyeong-un.

That guy was unexpected.

He didn’t think he would reveal his identity so boldly.

‘Still, his roots are in the righteous faction after all.’

He was truly hard to understand, even when you thought you knew him.

How much disappointment had he received because of that guy?

He had thought he was a demon who belonged here, not in the righteous faction.

But if that guy was going to uphold his honor as a member of the righteous faction and as a martial artist of the Yeon Mok Sword Manor until the end, the story would be different.

‘If he does so, I will also risk my life to help…’

Right then,

Mok Gyeong-un shouted in a loud voice that everyone could hear.

“I, Mok Gyeong-un, was born as a member of the righteous faction, but as I grew up, I despised their hypocrisy and rotten ways, as if anything other than the righteous path was evil, following a black-and-white logic.”

‘!?’

In an instant, Mok Yu-cheon was dumbfounded.

What did this guy just say?

Until just a moment ago, after waking up and hearing what Mok Gyeong-un said, he thought he had misunderstood this guy.

But now he was insulting the righteous faction.

-Murmur murmur!

Everyone’s attention was once again focused on Mok Gyeong-un.

As if not caring about their gazes, Mok Gyeong-un continued his shout.

“Because of that, from a young age, I have admired the heroes of the Heaven and Earth Society. The reason I have revealed my identity to the esteemed heroes of the Heaven and Earth Society is to bid farewell to my past self.”

‘This guy, could it be?’

At his words, the Bright Blade King, Son Yun, frowned.

He knew what this cunning fellow was trying to do.

And just as he suspected, Mok Gyeong-un bowed his head to everyone with a fist and palm salute and shouted,

“I vow to the gods of heaven and earth. I, Mok Gyeong-un, will sever my ties with my family, the Yeon Mok Sword Manor, and furthermore, the righteous faction. And I will become a member of the Heaven and Earth Society and fight against those detestable people!”

His voice resounded through the plaza.

At this, the plaza was once again in an uproar.

When he had revealed his identity, they couldn’t hide their outrage at the fact that someone from the righteous faction was in Corpse Blood Valley, but who would have thought he would suddenly make a declaration of defection?

The Shadow Master covered his mouth and laughed softly.

‘I wondered what he was trying to do by willingly revealing his weakness, but he’s defecting, huh.’

Even he didn’t expect this.

He was the son of a renowned martial family of the righteous faction, the Yeon Mok Sword Manor, and his talent was outstanding.

Usually, such individuals have strong beliefs and never yield, but this guy was a completely different type of person.

‘What an interesting child.’

The Shadow Master’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Mok Gyeong-un.

It didn’t feel like he was defecting just to get through this moment and save his life.

Then, what kind of thoughts did he have?

‘This child, he must have something.’

He became curious about what it was.

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un spoke in a voice that only the executives could hear.

“Now there shouldn’t be any issues with my background, right?”

At these words, the Bright Blade King, Son Yun, who had been staring at him with an astonished expression, suddenly burst into laughter.

“Hahahahahahaha!”

In all his life, this was truly the first time he had seen such a fellow.

He had intended to accept him as a disciple and tame him well to make him abandon the righteous faction and become a talent of the Heaven and Earth Society.

But he came on his own, no, he declared his entry with his own mouth.

He had thought he was reckless even in the Yeon Mok Sword Manor, but he was really an unpredictable fellow.

Son Yun looked at the executives behind him and said,

“It would be difficult to argue about his background now.”

“…”

At his words, the executives who had turned their chairs couldn’t give any response.

They had already shown their will to reject him based on his background, so if they changed their attitude now because of his declaration of defection, how unsightly would that be?

Seeing their reactions, Son Yun thought it was rather fortunate.

‘In the end, he’ll come to my side.’

He had shown his unwavering support for Mok Gyeong-un until the end.

If that guy had even a bit of gratitude and felt their hostility, he would have realized that there was only one choice in the end.

Son Yun was about to extend his hand towards Mok Gyeong-un and open his mouth.

At that moment, “Ohoho. Is it my turn to make a bid now?”

‘!?’

At the unique, grating voice, the Bright Blade King, Son Yun, frowned and turned his head.

The one who, along with him, was the only person who hadn’t turned his chair.

It was none other than the Shadow Master.

‘Ah…’

That’s right, he was still there.

But there was no particular worry.

The only one who could pose a challenge was the Thunderbolt Fist King, Won Byeong-hak, but he had kicked away the fortune that came to him on its own.

While that was happening, the Shadow Master said to Mok Gyeong-un, “Well, I don’t think you’d be drawn to me teaching you Taoist techniques since I’ve cultivated the Tao… And talking about the advantages of my position would be nothing compared to His Excellency, the Bright Blade King, so I suppose this would be the only thing that might entice you.”

‘This?’

What was he trying to lure Mok Gyeong-un with?

As he wondered, the Shadow Master smiled and said, “I see you’ve trained in the sword, but it doesn’t seem like you have a suitable famous sword. Am I right?”

“…That’s true, but-“

He didn’t particularly have a desire for famous swords.

He didn’t even know much about famous swords.

“That’s great. A swordsman should have a famous sword befitting him.”

Son Yun’s eyes narrowed.

What kind of famous sword did he have that he was saying such things?

But the next words that came out of the Shadow Master’s mouth suddenly stirred up the surroundings.

“If you agree to join me, I will give you one of the legendary demon swords, the Evil Commandment Sword.”

‘!!!!!!!!!!’

-Murmur murmur!