Myst, Might, Mayhem (Novel) - Chapter 10 - Strange Phenomenon (3)
Chapter 10 – Strange Phenomenon (3)
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Translated by Jinmu
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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‘This is insane!’
Bodyguard Gochan wore a horrified expression.
It was absurd enough that the severed arm was flopping about like a fish, but this fake Mok Gyeong-un’s reckless actions had become almost impossible to handle.
No matter how dangerous the Manor Lord’s condition was, to cut off a martial artist’s right arm without hesitation was fearless to an excessive degree.
‘What are we going to do?’
If the First Madam, Madam Seok, or the other young masters learned of this, there might be trouble.
Whatever the reason might have been.
-Riiip!
For the moment, Gochan tore his clothes and used the strip to tie the upper part of the Manor Lord’s severed arm tightly in order to stop the bleeding.
“Haa……..”
Watching the Manor Lord’s complexion change, occult practitioner Myo-shin let out a deep sigh.
In truth, it could not be said that this method was entirely wrong.
If the impurity had become too much to endure, there were times when one gathered it into part of the body and then amputated it.
‘…….It is enough to make one dumbfounded that a fellow who knows nothing at all about strange phenomena or impurity made this judgment.’
It was enough to make him click his tongue in disbelief.
However, this method was literally something used only at the very end.
Against such a great house or people of power, using such an extreme method was difficult to answer for afterward.
“It was a foolish thing to do.”
Occult practitioner Myo-shin said with a click of his tongue.
He wanted to say more, but right now cleaning up the aftermath came first.
Although he had driven the strange phenomenon out of the Manor Lord’s body by concentrating it into the severed arm, the matter had still not been completely resolved.
-Stick!
Occult practitioner Myo-shin removed the talisman marked Suppress that had been attached to the Manor Lord’s forehead and stuck it onto the severed arm, which was flopping and hopping about on its own.
Then he formed a hand seal and chanted a spell.
“The Northern Emperor grants me the talisman to strike evil spirits, I unfold the divine writ, and those who dare not obey I bind in Fengdu City, swift by decree!”
-Bulge! Bulge!
Then black veins rose across the entire wildly thrashing arm in a grotesque way.
It was enough to be difficult to look at unless one’s stomach was very strong.
Even Bodyguard Gochan turned his head away, but Mok Gyeong-un looked at the grotesque severed arm with interest.
-Ssssss!
The talisman trembled, and the skin beneath it reddened as though heated.
As if affected by that, the bulging areas around the skin where the talisman was attached began to subside.
‘What a shame.’
Occult practitioner Myo-shin clicked his tongue inwardly.
Unlike an ordinary strange phenomenon, killer aura had mixed into this one.
Killer aura was a kind of curse.
In other words, this was not a case of someone falling prey to a strange phenomenon by chance, but being deliberately afflicted with it.
Usually, when killer aura was mixed in like this, there was naturally also a way to trace back and identify the original culprit.
However, if the strange phenomenon was driven into dead flesh like this, then even if one reversed the killer aura, not only could one not harm the culprit, it also became difficult to identify them.
‘Because of this bastard, everything is ruined.’
That was why he lamented inwardly.
It seemed best to purify it moderately, prove only that this was not his fault, and then hurry away from this place.
After all, he had failed to obtain what the First Madam wanted.
It was right then.
-Ssk!
A cold and sharp sensation from the right side of his neck.
At this, occult practitioner Myo-shin, who had been chanting, stopped at once.
“……..What are you doing?”
A keen sword blade was touching his neck.
The one holding that blade to his throat was none other than Mok Gyeong-un.
“Young Master!”
Bodyguard Gochan too was flustered by Mok Gyeong-un’s sudden outburst.
But when Mok Gyeong-un put a finger to his lips in a gesture telling him to be quiet, he could not say anything more.
‘No, what in the world is this bastard thinking?’
While he was flustered, Mok Gyeong-un opened his mouth.
“From the look of it, you seem to be what they call an occult practitioner. Is the thing that put the Manor Lord’s life in danger related to this?”
“C-can’t you tell just by looking? The Manor Lord of your house has been corroded by a strange phenomenon.”
“What is a strange phenomenon?”
At such a fundamental question from Mok Gyeong-un, occult practitioner Myo-shin swallowed dryly.
He had to hurry and exorcise it, so he had no idea why this was happening.
“Young Master……..I will explain everything, so please put the sword away. If this is not properly purified, the Manor Lord’s condition may worsen again.”
“Are you sure?”
“What?”
“It has already left his body, so can it still worsen again?”
At that question from Mok Gyeong-un, occult practitioner Myo-shin’s eyes shook.
Ordinarily, when such bizarre things happened, people naturally trusted the words of an occult practitioner, an expert in such matters.
But this young fellow was doubting him.
Occult practitioner Myo-shin answered calmly.
“Look here. I was paid by the First Madam to perform occult arts, so why would I lie? At a time like this, the Manor Lord’s life is in danger……”
-Ssk!
Before he had even finished speaking, the blade bit slightly into his neck.
At this, occult practitioner Myo-shin was startled in alarm.
“W-what are you doing? D-do you truly mean to ruin everything? I do not know who you are, Young Master, but if the Manor Lord dies, it may all become your fault.”
“If the Manor Lord dies, then it will be your fault for taking money and still failing to properly perform your occult arts, so how would it become my fault?”
‘!?’
Occult practitioner Myo-shin was speechless for a moment.
Seeing that this fellow said such things without the slightest wavering, he seemed almost to have no interest at all in whether the Manor Lord lived or died.
‘Could it be that, like the First Madam, he is not hoping the Manor Lord lives, but waiting for him to die?’
That possibility could not be ruled out either.
While performing occult arts, he had gone through all sorts of things without count.
The power struggles that took place inside great houses, that was.
‘If that is the case……’
“It would be nice if you would stop turning things over in your head and answer what I ask.”
-Thunk!
The blade bit even deeper into his neck.
As fear surged through him that his throat might be cut at any moment, occult practitioner Myo-shin, flustered, hurriedly spoke.
“I-if perhaps Young Master also wishes for the Manor Lord to die, then I will do as you want, so please at least spare my life…..”
“Young Master also?”
“Pardon?”
“Who was wishing for the Manor Lord to die?”
At this question from Mok Gyeong-un, occult practitioner Myo-shin’s expression stiffened.
He had gambled out of fear that his neck would be slit, but it seemed he had been wrong.
“Th-that……”
“Who?”
“Y-young Master, I did not mean it in that sense…..”
“Was it the First Madam?”
“……….”
Occult practitioner Myo-shin was left speechless.
He had to make some excuse, but having been struck directly at the mark in one blow, no answer came out for a moment.
At that sight, Bodyguard Gochan could not hide his inward astonishment.
When Mok Gyeong-un had suddenly put a sword to the occult practitioner’s neck, he had thought the boy might have gone mad, but had he really led the situation to this point on purpose?
-Drip!
At that moment, occult practitioner Myo-shin, now even breaking out in a cold sweat, opened his mouth.
“Young Master…….the First Madam merely…….”
“I think it would be better if you didn’t roll your eyes around. In a situation like this, honesty may be the road that lets you live.”
“Y-young Master…….”
“It feels like strength might go into my hand.”
-Ssk!
“Hiiik! T-the First Madam said there was no need to save the Manor Lord, and ordered me only to find out from his mouth where the secret manual and the Manor Lord’s seal were.”
In the end, occult practitioner Myo-shin spilled what he knew.
He too had lived through many hardships, so he had no shortage of petty tricks.
But this fellow really seemed like he would cut his throat right here and now.
“The secret manual? The Manor Lord’s seal?”
Mok Gyeong-un repeated the words and looked at Bodyguard Gochan.
At this, Bodyguard Gochan found himself at a loss as to what to do.
‘Damn it. To think the First Madam had done something this bold.’
The side they had intended to switch allegiance to was not the First Madam and the First Young Master, but the Second Young Master.
But if Mok Gyeong-un had not come here, the First Young Master might have inherited the Manor Lord’s position before they could do anything about it.
“Bodyguard Gochan.”
“Y-yes?”
“He says the First Madam ordered it, so what do you think we should do?”
“Pardon?”
Bodyguard Gochan could not hide his flustered state.
What exactly was he supposed to do about it?
Even if they had found out that the First Madam had done such a thing, it was not a situation where they could do anything about it right away.
Rather, since they had interfered, all they would gain was the First Madam’s anger and suspicion.
Gochan’s mind turned in confusion.
In any case, the situation had already unfolded, and since they now knew the First Madam’s secret, there was only one way left for them to improve the situation and survive here.
‘Damn it!’
To think he would have to say such words with his own mouth.
“Young Master…….we must save the Manor Lord. Otherwise the First Madam will target you.”
“Because I became an obstacle.”
“That is right.”
At Gochan’s answer, occult practitioner Myo-shin hurriedly cut in.
“Y-Young Master. The Manor Lord can be saved. Since the strange phenomenon has been separated from his body, if we only purify the severed arm, he will be safe. I will save him no matter what, so please……”
“So you are saying he can be saved?”
“That is right! Therefore……”
“There is something I am more curious about than that.”
“What is it? Ask anything.”
“You said the strange phenomenon was threatening the Manor Lord’s life, so by what means were you planning to find out from the Manor Lord what the First Madam wanted?”
At that question, occult practitioner Myo-shin was once more rendered speechless.
He had not expected to be suddenly asked what method he had intended to use to find that out.
He could explain it, but even if one heard it…..
-Clench!
At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un grabbed occult practitioner Myo-shin by the throat.
And while pressing down hard on his neck, he said,
“Instead of thinking, I would like it if when I ask you something, you answer immediately without the slightest gap. I am the sort who thinks there is no need to keep useless people alive.”
“………”
“There is no answer again. As expected…..”
“I-I was going to control the strange phenomenon and make the Manor Lord speak directly.”
Terrified, occult practitioner Myo-shin answered at once.
To this, Mok Gyeong-un smiled faintly and said,
“If you can do it, then why are you working your brain so hard?”
“P-please spare me. If the First Madam had not ordered it, I never would have done such a thing. I will purify the strange phenomenon at once, so please……”
“No.”
“Pardon?”
To the puzzled occult practitioner Myo-shin, Mok Gyeong-un pointed at the Manor Lord and said,
“Try doing the thing you just mentioned.”
“W-what are you……”
To the flustered man, Mok Gyeong-un said with the corner of his mouth raised,
“You said you could control the strange phenomenon and get what you wanted from the Manor Lord’s mouth.”
‘!?’
At Mok Gyeong-un’s unexpected and abrupt demand, the expressions of occult practitioner Myo-shin and Bodyguard Gochan alike hardened.
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