Myst, Might, Mayhem (Novel) - Chapter 100 - Treasure Vault (3)
Chapter 100 – Treasure Vault (3)
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Translated by Jinmu
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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Moonless Void Sword, Moon-Facing Defeat Sword.
The instant he imprinted this form, Mok Gyeong-un saw in his head someone with a pale face and the appearance of a scholar unfold the form with a sword in hand.
-Shwa shwa shwa shwa shwa!
The sword path resembled a full moon filled to the brim.
The moment he saw it, goosebumps rose all over Mok Gyeong-un’s body.
After entering the treasure vault of Corpse Blood Valley, he had experienced the state of selflessness through imprinting the sword arts Blue Spirit had told him to memorize, but this sword form stirred a thrill incomparable to those.
Thus Mok Gyeong-un stared blankly at the sword form with dazed eyes.
Watching Mok Gyeong-un sink into it so completely, Blue Spirit thought inwardly,
‘I gave him the opening, but to think he would enter the state of selflessness the moment he saw it.’
His concentration was impressive.
Judging by the way his eyes trembled, it seemed even this mortal bastard was greatly shocked by a sword form that was on a completely different track from anything until now.
She understood.
How greatly had she herself marveled when she saw it while still alive?
Moonless Void Sword, Moon-Facing Defeat Sword.
This had been the sword art of a peerless sword master counted among the top five under heaven in the age of the vanished old murim, which was said to have been the fiercest.
All of it had been damaged, leaving only two forms, yet from seeing this, she had gained enough enlightenment to complete her unfinished moon sword forms.
‘If he comes to realize even a little of the true worth contained in the strokes, then regardless of how long he has trained, his eye for the sword will improve by leaps and bounds.’
Of course, she did not know how much someone at Mok Gyeong-un’s level would be able to perceive.
But unlike before, his state of selflessness was lasting quite a long time.
Most of the other books had ended after around thirty counts, yet he was still staring at that form.
-Slice slice!
‘There is no excess.’
Watching the middle-aged man unfold the form, Mok Gyeong-un could not stop his exclamations of admiration.
In the sword forms he had seen up to now, unnecessary motions or sword paths had often stood out more than expected, but this sword art had absolutely none of that.
Each trajectory was beautiful, yet it was wholly focused on killing the opponent.
‘Ahhh…’
It was as if he were looking at a work of art.
It had a charm that made him want to keep staring straight through it.
To Mok Gyeong-un, this sword art quite literally possessed the aesthetics of sword and death.
-Slide!
Mok Gyeong-un became absorbed into the scholarly middle-aged man and began unfolding the sword form together with him.
At that instant,
-Shwaaaaaaak!
death aura, the aura of death, flowed out from Mok Gyeong-un’s body.
-What?
Ordinary eyes would not be able to see this, but to Blue Spirit’s Ghost Eyes it was vividly visible.
The surging death aura was spreading into the surroundings in an instant.
-You…
Blue Spirit, who had been about to call out to Mok Gyeong-un, stopped herself.
Thinking about it, death aura was not something living beings could detect, and looking at Mok Gyeong-un’s current state, it seemed he had gone beyond mere selfless immersion and realized something.
‘What exactly did he realize, for death aura to flow outside his body and take form?’
She was curious.
The flowing death aura wavered and pulsed like rippling waves.
Seeing this, Blue Spirit could not hide her inward astonishment.
It might have looked like a simple fluctuation, but to the eyes of someone like her, who had crossed the wall and reached depth in the martial way, it looked like sword formulae.
‘This bastard…….surely not?’
Was he becoming one with the strokes written in the sword form and manifesting the imagery in his head?
Blue Spirit was dumbfounded.
At Mok Gyeong-un’s level, this was absolutely impossible.
Only upon reaching the transcendently high realm could one look at characters or sword traces and draw imagery into one’s mind.
Yet Mok Gyeong-un, who had not even realized the peak realm, was doing it?
‘…….How many times is he going to astonish me in a single day?’
To draw imagery through a sword form and gain enlightenment.
Something she had not expected in the slightest was happening at his level.
As Blue Spirit waited,
-Rattle! Rattle!
Near the far end of the third floor lined with shelves, there was a cave-like entrance carved inward from the cavern.
A red line had been drawn there, and one of the shelves inside it began to shake and make noise.
But the sound was not very large, and neither Blue Spirit inside the wooden puppet nor Mok Gyeong-un, who was in the state of selflessness, heard it.
* * *
“Hoo.”
Gwak Mun-gi, the senior martial artist of Corpse Blood Valley, let out a sigh full of irritation.
Since the only ones in Corpse Blood Valley who knew this location were Yi Ji-yeom, the Valley Master, and himself, he had no choice but to guide the bastard personally instead of sending the men below.
Because of that, it looked like he would have to wait here for a whole shijin.
He was full of dissatisfaction, because he hated having to do this for a hostage from the righteous path, a bastard he did not especially like.
‘I don’t understand it. The Society Leader is one thing, but what in the world is the Valley Master thinking?’
The whims of the Society Leader were nothing new, so that was one thing, but Yi Ji-yeom, the Valley Master, did not openly show it, yet he did not like the Society Leader very much.
Then why, unlike usual, was he showing convenience to someone who might become an arrow pointed at himself?
‘What are you thinking?’
It was when his head was full of doubts.
-Rustle!
‘!?’
At the sound of brush rustling from somewhere, Gwak Mun-gi flinched and turned his head.
At that moment, both his eyes widened.
Before he knew it, behind him stood someone slender wearing a bamboo hat with a veil hanging down, and a handsome young man who looked just barely around twenty, carrying a large saber at his back.
‘Who would dare?’
This was Corpse Blood Valley.
Just who were these people, to have intruded here?
Gwak Mun-gi tried to move his hand toward the hilt of the sword at his waist.
It was then.
-Pak!
‘What?’
Before he could even draw his sword, the young man was already lightly pressing down on the back of his hand.
“You…”
“Judging by the belt, you must be a martial artist of Corpse Blood Valley. Calm yourself.”
At the young man’s words, senior martial artist Gwak Mun-gi frowned.
He knew his own identity.
The extraordinary lightness skill by which he blocked him before he could draw his sword, too, suggested that this youth was someone from the Society itself.
So Gwak Mun-gi asked,
“Who are you?”
Then the youth took out a token from his robe and held it up.
‘!!!!!’
Seeing it, Gwak Mun-gi’s eyes went wide.
The emblem engraved on the token was none other than the mark of the King of the Fate Blade.
* * *
Unit Leader Yang Mu-won, keeper of the treasure vault, who had been sitting in his chair staring at the incense stick, yawned widely.
Then he lowered his head at an angle and shifted his gaze away from the incense to somewhere else.
That place was the interior of the treasure vault, filled with secret manuals.
‘Hmm.’
The person he was looking at was Mok Gyeong-un, who was holding one book and staring at it intently.
Until now, he had seemed to be looking through the secret manuals rather carelessly.
But unlike the others, now that he was holding this one and focusing so intently, it seemed he had finally found the right manual.
‘Good.’
He might come out before filling the whole shijin.
It was then.
As he was looking at Mok Gyeong-un, Yang Mu-won flinched, rose from his seat, and turned to look behind him.
‘What?’
He felt the presence of someone.
It did not seem to be senior martial artist Gwak Mun-gi.
The person who had entered now was a master far above Gwak Mun-gi in level.
At this level, it would not be unreasonable to call them almost unit-leader class.
‘Who is it?’
If it was not Gwak Mun-gi, then who had entered inside?
-Step, step!
He heightened his vigilance, and then heard footsteps.
Within his field of vision appeared someone with a slender build wearing a veiled bamboo hat, and a handsome young man walking just a little behind that figure.
Yang Mu-won then spoke in a voice loud enough for them to hear.
“Who are you people?”
To begin with, the fact that they knew this location meant the probability was high that they had come from the main stronghold.
But even if they were people of the main stronghold, this place could not be entered without permission.
At that moment, the handsome young man took something out from within his robes.
Showing it, he clasped his fists and said,
“Are you the one responsible for the treasure vault? I am Yeop Wi-seon, from under the King of the Fate Blade.”
‘A disciple of the King of the Fate Blade?’
Interest flashed in Unit Leader Yang Mu-won’s eyes.
For a disciple of the King of the Fate Blade, one of the Five Kings who led the Heaven and Earth Society, to come here.
What in the world was going on?
‘To be only around twenty and yet at this level.’
It was astonishing.
The rumors that most of the disciples of the Five Kings were masters at unit-leader level or above had not been empty talk.
By qi sense alone, he looked strong enough that Yang Mu-won could not guarantee victory.
But who in the world was the person next to him?
‘…….Though close by, their presence is almost undetectable. Even with qi sense, I cannot judge what level they have reached.’
A master.
One above himself, even though he was already at the peak realm.
So Unit Leader Yang Mu-won was about to ask who the person next to the disciple of the King of the Fate Blade was.
“I am Unit Leader Yang Mu-won, keeper of the treasure vault. The person beside…”
“So you are the one responsible for the treasure vault. Then may we enter? There is a secret manual inside that we are looking for.”
Before he could even ask, they instead asked whether they could enter the treasure vault.
Yang Mu-won shook his head and replied,
“My apologies, but according to the regulations, one may not enter inside at will.”
“Regulations? Those of Corpse Blood Valley…”
“No. The Society’s regulations. I do not know how the disciple of the King of the Fate Blade came to know of this place, but by rule this place is not opened except under special circumstances. If there is something you seek, go to the treasure vault in the main stronghold and…”
“We came because we need the originals.”
“………”
At those words from Yeop Wi-seon, disciple of the King of the Fate Blade, Yang Mu-won’s eyes narrowed.
He did not know where they had heard this information, but these people knew the secret of the treasure vault here.
Who had informed them of this fact?
Though puzzled, Yang Mu-won again shook his head.
Even if they knew that this place was the treasure vault that held the true originals, by regulation he could not allow them inside.
“I am sorry. Even if you are a disciple of one of the Five Kings, this place cannot be entered, so turn…”
“Huh. I truly did not want to go so far as to say this, Unit Leader Yang. Do you know who this person standing before you is?”
How was he supposed to know when the face was covered?
As he wondered, the figure in the bamboo hat lifted the hem at the waist and showed a round jade token.
‘!!!!!!’
-Pak!
The instant he saw it, Yang Mu-won immediately dropped to one knee.
Then, bringing both hands together in respect, he said,
“Unit Leader Yang Mu-won greets the Soci…”
“Shh. Silence.”
The voice that came from the veiled figure was revealed.
It was not a man’s voice but a woman’s.
At this command from the veiled figure, Yang Mu-won swallowed the rest of his words.
‘Why is she here?’
Though Yang Mu-won concealed it as much as possible, inwardly he clicked his tongue.
So this was that famous woman?
He had heard rumors of her, but it was quite astonishing.
‘Is she really at this level?’
Judging by the fact that even with his qi sense he could not estimate her level at all, the rumors he had heard were true.
Emboldened by the presence of the veiled woman, Yeop Wi-seon, disciple of the King of the Fate Blade, said,
“Then may we enter?”
With those words, they were about to enter with the veiled figure, but,
-Pak!
Yang Mu-won hurriedly rose and blocked their path.
“What is the meaning of this?”
“My apologies. However, inside at present…”
“I know. There is a trainee inside who received top plaques in the gates of Corpse Blood Valley and has entered to receive one martial manual as a reward, is there not?”
“How do you know that?”
“We heard it from the senior martial artist below the cliff.”
They had already heard this through senior martial artist Gwak Mun-gi.
At this, Unit Leader Yang Mu-won wore a troubled expression and said,
“Since you already know, could you please wait just a little? Within the treasure vault, only one person may enter at a time…”
“This lady will quietly find only what she seeks and leave. Are you saying that this lady must wait just because of a mere trainee choosing a secret manual?”
“That…”
Unit Leader Yang Mu-won found himself in difficulty.
By regulation, if someone was already inside the treasure vault, then the next person wishing to enter had to wait.
But Yang Mu-won could not stop the veiled woman before him.
She possessed that much authority.
“…….Understood. Please enter. However, because there are regulations, please quietly find only what you seek and then come back out. And…”
He had been about to add, “Do not touch the trainee choosing a secret manual if possible.”
But he did not say it.
That was because he judged that people at their level would have no reason to bother a mere trainee who had received a reward for top plaques in Corpse Blood Valley.
“Huhu. Understood. Please go in.”
Thus they entered the treasure vault in the end.
The anxious appearance of Unit Leader Yang Mu-won did not concern them at all.
Once inside, Yeop Wi-seon, disciple of the King of the Fate Blade, said to the veiled woman with amazement,
“Huh. It truly is very similar.”
“It is.”
The woman in the bamboo hat also nodded in agreement.
She had heard that it was made by copying the structure of the treasure vault in the main stronghold, but it felt almost exactly the same.
As they looked around, they soon headed to the upper floor of the treasure vault.
The secret manual they were seeking was on the second floor.
“That trainee up there must be the one who received three top plaques.”
At that, the veiled woman’s gaze, too, turned toward Mok Gyeong-un on the third floor.
After looking at Mok Gyeong-un, who was concentrating on something, the veiled woman spoke.
“To receive three top plaques in that Corpse Blood Valley is impressive.”
At these words, the eyebrow of Yeop Wi-seon, disciple of the King of the Fate Blade, twitched slightly.
Then he smiled lightly and said,
“He seems capable enough. Still, among the disciples of the Five Kings, there would not be one who could not do at least that. No, would they not rather have obtained more than three?”
“……..”
By naturally speaking of “the disciples of the Five Kings” in a roundabout way, Yeop Wi-seon was saying that if he himself, who was included among them, had participated in Corpse Blood Valley, he would have gained not merely three top plaques but all of them.
Though she noticed his intention, the veiled woman showed no particular reaction.
Rather, she looked at Mok Gyeong-un and murmured,
“If he is a trainee capable of receiving three top plaques, then he is likely someone who has a high chance of becoming the disciple of one of the executives later on.”
“That would…”
Probably be so.
At the point of obtaining three top plaques, there was a high chance he was the most outstanding among the trainees.
At this level, he would likely pass the final gate without difficulty and be selected by one of the executives.
Yet Yeop Wi-seon, displeased by her continued interest, answered like this,
“If his own ability is truly outstanding, perhaps. But the executives all have different preferences, so one cannot know how it will turn out.”
“Even so, if he is a talent of this degree, it would be good to at least lightly make his acquaintance for the future.”
At those words, Yeop Wi-seon inwardly thought this displeasing.
He had gone to the trouble of arranging this opportunity, yet she was showing interest in nothing more than a trainee who had merely participated in Corpse Blood Valley, and he did not feel very good about it.
Yeop Wi-seon raised his head and looked at Mok Gyeong-un.
Seeing him concentrating on something, Yeop Wi-seon then said to the veiled woman,
“Then, Miss, please wait just a moment.”
“There is no real need…”
“It does not suit your dignity to go directly to a mere trainee. I will bring him.”
“…….Very well.”
With that said, Yeop Wi-seon climbed to the third floor where the shelves stood.
Upon going up, Yeop Wi-seon let out a snort.
Just as he suspected, once he came near he realized that the trainee bastard had fallen into the state of selflessness.
Had that not been so, he would at least have looked toward them below, but he had not cast even one glance.
That was what Yeop Wi-seon had found strange.
‘What should I do?’
Yeop Wi-seon glanced at the veiled woman waiting below.
He felt displeased that she had shown interest in nothing more than a trainee.
So he hesitated.
‘……Enlightenment, is it.’
The fact that the bastard was staring blankly at the book in the treasure vault without noticing him even when he had come right up close meant he had undoubtedly gained some kind of enlightenment.
That process was surely ongoing right now.
Ordinarily, in such a situation, one either would not interfere, or, if there were any ties, would stand guard so that no one else could interfere.
That was because if one disturbed it midway while enlightenment was progressing, it could be lost entirely, or in severe cases the person could even suffer qi deviation.
‘……Well. It isn’t any business of mine.’
All he was doing was bringing this bastard to the young lady.
It was not as if she could be expected to wait for a mere trainee.
Yeop Wi-seon slowly lifted the corners of his mouth.
‘Do not blame me. It is merely that your luck is poor.’
If only the young lady had not shown interest, he would not have bothered to interfere with the bastard’s enlightenment.
Thus Yeop Wi-seon moved his hand toward Mok Gyeong-un.
‘If I only touch him lightly, even that enlightenment…’
It was right then.
-Slide!
Mok Gyeong-un, who had been staring blankly at the secret manual, turned only his head slowly to the side while keeping his upper body still, and looked at him.
“What are you doing?”
‘Huh?’
The moment their eyes met, Yeop Wi-seon could not hide his bewilderment.
Had the bastard happened to come back to himself at just this moment?
This was absurdly awkward.
His hand had been just on the verge of touching Mok Gyeong-un’s head, so what was he supposed to say now?
He felt he had to make something up first.
“Uh… this is…”
“I hear that trying to touch someone in the middle of the state of selflessness or mental visualization is an act of deliberately causing an inner demon. Is that correct?”
“………”
For an instant, he was rendered speechless.
Why was a bastard who had just come out of mental visualization so quick to grasp the situation?
Like a guilty thief startled by his own conscience, Yeop Wi-seon was flustered over what to say, but,
“So you knew what you were doing?”
“Listen here, trainee. You have some misunderstanding…”
“No questions, no answers.”
“What?”
-Pak!
“Ghk!”
There was no time to block or anything else.