Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 50

The Bright Blade King Son Yun, who had been glaring at Mok Gyeong-un, burst into laughter and said,

“Hahahahaha! This one is quite the character.”

It had been a long time since he encountered such a brazen fellow.

Even those who knew of his notoriety, whether outside or within the society, couldn’t muster the audacity to behave in such a manner.

No, it was hard to even consider it audacity.

‘He’s different.’

The Yeon Mok Sword Manor was a renowned martial arts family.

To think he would encounter such a lunatic-like fellow in a place that was no different from a righteous sect.

For some reason, this brat seemed closer to their side than the other.

That’s why it was intriguing.

After laughing for a while, Son Yun shook his head and said,

“A living secret manual willingly coming to our headquarters, there’s no reason to refuse. Very well. I hope you don’t regret those words.”

At his words, Lady Seok, the first wife, and the second son, Mok Eun-pyeong, couldn’t hide their inner joy.

The Heaven and Earth Society was known for its notoriety, so they had been worried about the worst-case scenario, but this was the best outcome.

How wonderful was it that everything was resolved with that Mok Gyeong-un alone?

However, Manor Master Mok In-dan felt differently.

-Clench!

The hand gripping his sword tightened.

This sense of powerlessness was a first for him.

If he could, he wanted to shout at them to release Mok Gyeong-un immediately.

Whether he liked him or not, he was his son.

However, the situation was ambiguous.

‘He had memorized the secret manual.’

When he first learned of that fact, he had been greatly surprised.

That was because he, too, had tried various means to view the secret manual but had been unable to even untie the prayer beads.

Thus, he had naturally assumed that Mok Gyeong-un possessed the secret manual rather than having memorized it.

Since he hadn’t seen the secret manual in the first place, he thought there would be no problem if they just returned it.

However, that had completely gone awry.

‘…….Having memorized the secret manual, they will never let him go.’

If an outsider had secretly memorized the Yeon Mok Sword Manor’s secret manual, it was only natural to demand their life as punishment for that crime.

That’s how important a secret manual was to martial artists.

Therefore, Mok Gyeong-un’s judgment might be correct in this situation.

It was the only way to stay alive, even if only slightly.

‘I’m sorry.’

As the Manor Master, he had no choice but to bear the responsibility for everyone’s lives.

If they fought to protect Mok Gyeong-un, they would surely be annihilated.

That Son Yun was a monster to that extent.

‘…….Endure it for a while.’

Once they left, he planned to seek help from the Righteous Alliance.

The Righteous Alliance was one of the three major factions in the current martial arts world, along with the Heaven and Earth Society.

He had some high-level connections and friendships, so he was determined to retrieve his son by borrowing the power of the Righteous Alliance.

However, an unexpected event occurred at this point.

-Swish!

At that moment, Son Yun’s figure blurred, and he suddenly appeared behind Mok Gyeong-un.

Then, like a flash of lightning, he sealed his acupressure points.

-Pak pak pak pak pak!

Mok Gyeong-un, whose acupressure points had been sealed, collapsed to the ground, losing consciousness.

Son Yun caught him with his hand and called out to a masked individual.

“Take care of this fellow.”

At this, Manor Master Mok In-dan shouted,

“What is the meaning of this?”

“What is this? Even if he willingly came with us, did you think I would let him continue to bargain with his own life?”

At Son Yun’s words, Mok In-dan gritted his teeth.

As expected, he was not an easy opponent.

Objectively speaking, it was a natural response.

“Well, putting that aside, now that we have retrieved the secret manual, shall we settle the remaining debt?”

“Debt?”

“Manor Master Mo. Did you really think that after tampering with our society’s item, you could simply return it and move on as if nothing happened?”

At those words, everyone in the Yeon Mok Sword Manor, who had been inwardly relieved, tensed up again.

They had a feeling that things wouldn’t be resolved so easily.

At that moment, Manor Master Mok In-dan assumed a bow stance and spoke,

“Will you break your promise?”

“Promise?”

“That’s right. If that child learns that you have broken your promise, do you think he will reveal the secret manual he has memorized?”

“Hahahahaha! That’s ridiculous. Will it matter whether you live or die?”

The strong aura emanating from him.

It was so powerful that the expressions of everyone in the Yeon Mok Sword Manor darkened.

“So you’ve finally come to this?”

As he spoke, Manor Master Mok In-dan drew true energy from his danjeon.

It was a situation on the brink of explosion.

The Bright Blade King Son Yun aimed his Taoist sword at him, grinned, and said,

“But since this elder is in a good mood today, I’ll give you one last chance.”

“Chance? What do you mean?”

“I’m saying I’ll give you a way for the Yeon Mok Sword Manor to survive.”

“A way to survive?”

“That’s right.”

At Son Yun’s words, Mok In-dan frowned and asked,

“What is it?”

“I’ll give you two choices. If you refuse all of this, the Yeon Mok Sword Manor will be annihilated tonight.”

“…….What are those choices?”

For now, he decided to hear him out.

If they fought, there was a ninety percent chance that the Yeon Mok Sword Manor would be annihilated.

“First. Surrender to our Heaven and Earth Society and become a subordinate sect.”

‘!!!!!’

At the Bright Blade King Son Yun’s words, the Yeon Mok Sword Manor side stirred.

That was because although the Yeon Mok Sword Manor was a renowned martial arts family that upheld righteousness, the Heaven and Earth Society was not.

They walked their own path of villainy, neither righteous nor evil.

Therefore, surrender was tantamount to abandoning their pride as righteous individuals.

-Grit!

It was only natural for them to be furious to the point of stirring, even while fearing them.

They would have preferred death, but they couldn’t do that.

“Even if it means dying, we will resist until the end.”

“You have integrity.”

Son Yun had naturally expected them to refuse the first proposal.

“Then, for the second, seal your sect for ten years and hand over your successor as a hostage.”

“………”

The moment they heard the second proposal, the entire Yeon Mok Sword Manor fell silent.

Manor Master Mok In-dan’s expression was also grim.

He had expected them to make a difficult proposal.

That ominous premonition had been correct.

Sealing the sect[1].

It literally meant sealing off martial arts activities for ten years.

Typically, when a sect was defeated in a war between sects or when a sect fell, they would seal their sect.

‘Sealing the sect…….’

It was more realistic than the previous proposal.

It was the only way to acknowledge defeat without compromising their last shred of dignity.

However, during those ten years, the Yeon Mok Sword Manor would gradually weaken, unable to engage in external activities, and they would be unable to interact with other sects or anyone else.

‘If we seal the sect, our clan will decline.’

However, it was a better choice than everyone dying.

As he was contemplating, someone approached him.

“Father.”

It was none other than the eldest son, Mok Yeong-ho.

The first son, known as a debauchee, had only brought disappointment to him by indulging in wine and women.

For him to speak up at this crucial moment, Mok In-dan couldn’t help but be puzzled.

“What is it?”

“They say to sleep on firewood and taste gall. Although it may be difficult, please accept this proposal.”

Sleeping on firewood and tasting gall[2].

It meant enduring humiliation and suffering for the sake of the future.

At Mok Yeong-ho’s words, a glint of surprise flashed in Manor Master Mok In-dan’s eyes.

‘This kid……’

It wasn’t his usual demeanor.

He had thought he had lost his spirit by indulging in wine and women.

However, looking at his eyes and expression now, he could see him barely restraining his shame.

He seemed even angrier than himself.

As he was inwardly puzzled, Mok Yeong-ho said,

“Please send me. As the eldest son of our clan, am I not the closest to being the successor?”

“What?”

He volunteered to go himself?

Was this really the same child who had only brought disappointment by indulging in wine and women?

As he was astonished, Mok Yeong-ho whispered softly,

“Fortunately, you haven’t made that youngest child the successor yet.”

‘!?’

Manor Master Mok In-dan’s eyes wavered.

With those words, Mok In-dan understood Mok Yeong-ho’s true intentions for the first time.

Mok In-dan’s eyes reddened.

‘Ah……. Yeong-ho. Yeong-ho. All this time, you indulged in wine and women for that reason?’

Was it to yield the succession to the youngest, Yu-cheon?

Was that why he had brought disappointment by indulging in wine and women?

Mok In-dan clutched his chest, overwhelmed by shock.

It pained his heart that he had only scolded this child without trying to understand his true feelings.

He was so different from his mother.

“Father. I apologize for causing you distress all this time. Please take care of your health.”

Mok Yeong-ho politely bowed and turned to the Bright Blade King Son Yun, speaking in a loud voice,

“The Manor Master has accepted Hero Son’s second proposal. I, the eldest son and successor of the Yeon Mok Sword Manor, will be the hostage……”

“No.”

At that moment, Son Yun interrupted him.

He then pointed at someone with his finger and said,

“Where are you trying to deceive me? I will take that child.”

‘Oh no!’

The eldest son, Mok Yeong-ho, bit his lip firmly.

The one Son Yun pointed to.

It was the youngest, Mok Yu-cheon, whom he had been trying to protect by sacrificing himself.

They had overlooked something.

Unlike the righteous martial arts world, which prioritized the firstborn eldest son or the first accepted disciple in terms of respect, the Heaven and Earth Society strictly followed the law of the strong.

Therefore, in their eyes, the successor of the Yeon Mok Sword Manor was naturally Mok Yu-cheon, who possessed the most outstanding martial arts talent.

***

-Rattle! Rattle!

Inside the carriage, there was a masked warrior and two people lying motionless, their eyes covered and bound.

They were none other than Mok Gyeong-un and Mok Yu-cheon.

As hostages or prisoners, their treatment was not very good.

‘They’re thorough. Sigh.’

Mok Yu-cheon let out a sigh.

Unlike Mok Gyeong-un, his acupressure point for fainting hadn’t been sealed, so he hadn’t lost consciousness, but the acupressure points for paralysis and muteness had been sealed, rendering him unable to move.

As if that wasn’t enough, they had also blindfolded him and tied his entire body, arms, and legs with thick ropes.

They were meticulous in their precautions.

‘How far have we gone?’

They seemed to have traveled for about a few shichen.

Although sunlight didn’t enter the carriage, it must have been daylight.

He had thought they would camp at some point since it was late at night, but they continued to move without rest.

‘Hostage…….’

Mok Yu-cheon had been reflecting on his predicament throughout the journey.

When Manor Master Mok In-dan had awakened, he had been elated with hope that he might become the successor, but in an instant, he had become a hostage.

Moreover, he was a hostage of the Heaven and Earth Society, the most dangerous group in the martial arts world.

He had no choice.

‘…….. What will happen from now on?’

A hostage was no different from a prisoner.

If it were a hostage exchange between groups of similar standing, he might expect good treatment, but it was difficult to expect that from the Heaven and Earth Society.

Even now, he was treated less than human.

-Thud!

As the carriage climbed a slope, someone’s body naturally touched him, and he felt their weight pressing against him.

Even though he couldn’t move his body, his sense of touch hadn’t disappeared.

‘Mok Gyeong-un.’

It was probably Mok Gyeong-un.

Was he in a better situation than this fellow for now?

No, maybe it was better to be unconscious.

At least in that moment, he was no different from being asleep without any worries.

Right at that moment, the carriage came to a stop.

-Creak!

The sound of the carriage’s rear door opening was heard.

And a soft voice spoke,

“We’ll……. rest here for a while……. So……. go take care of any business you have.”

“Understood!”

-Creak!

With the sound of the door closing, the presence disappeared.

It was hard to hear clearly, but it seemed they were taking a short break here.

After all, they had been moving for half a day without rest.

Even if they had cultivated martial arts, their stamina wasn’t infinite.

‘How long do I have to stay like this?’

As he was pondering, at that very moment…

-Swish!

A very faint movement was felt beside him.

‘!?’

What was that?

Right now, only he and Mok Gyeong-un were in this carriage, as the masked guard had temporarily left.

But who was moving?

As he was wondering, he felt someone squirming behind his back.

‘Could it be?’

It couldn’t be.

Not only had he been struck on his acupressure points, but his entire body was also restrained.

Moreover, unlike himself, wasn’t it that monster-like man, the Bright Blade King, who had personally sealed Mok Gyeong-un’s acupressure points?

As he found it strange, someone lifted the cloth covering Mok Yu-cheon’s eyes.

‘What?’

Mok Yu-cheon’s eyes widened.

It was none other than Mok Gyeong-un.

‘How?’

Surprisingly, Mok Gyeong-un was moving freely, and not only that, he had somehow untied the ropes that had been restraining him.

How on earth did this fellow release the acupressure point sealing?