Myst, Might, Mayhem (Novel) - Chapter 103 - Wi So-yeon (2)
Chapter 103 – Wi So-yeon (2)
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Translated by Jinmu
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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“Did you not say that words carry weight, and that you take responsibility for the words you speak?”
Mok Gyeong-un spoke with a smile.
But inside that smile there was clearly malice brimming over.
The expression of Wi So-yeon, third disciple of the Society Leader, as she looked at him, was now completely different from just moments ago.
‘Ha.’
It was absurd.
She had thought he was no more than the sort that coveted profit.
In truth, in this situation, no matter how much one used one’s head, it was difficult to find an answer.
Yet Mok Gyeong-un had created a method she had never expected.
‘…….Killing with a borrowed knife.’
Killing with a borrowed knife.
Literally, it meant borrowing a blade to kill another.
Once he realized that killing Yeop Wi-seon directly would bring harm upon himself, he had come out in this way.
[Because of your foolish act, even I, who brought you here, have been placed in quite an awkward position. So if you open your mouth again, I will execute you on the spot.]
She had issued Yeop Wi-seon that harsh warning to shut his mouth.
But this had not been because she truly meant to kill him on the spot, only to make clear how angry she was.
Yet Mok Gyeong-un had made use of even that.
‘Since he would invite the King of the Fate Blade’s revenge if he killed him with his own hands, he wants to borrow mine?’
Look at this bastard.
In that brief instant, he had thought up a very bold method.
It was not merely a matter of being cunning. The way he used his head was far beyond ordinary.
To her, Mok Gyeong-un said,
“Ah, ah. I was about to let him go because I fear the King of the Fate Blade, but what a pity this is. To think you must punish your loyal dog with your own hands, young lady.”
‘Th, this bastard!’
At these words from Mok Gyeong-un, it was Yeop Wi-seon who could no longer hold back his anger.
Had this bastard truly become desperate to kill him or something?
Yeop Wi-seon hurriedly looked toward Wi So-yeon.
‘Miss.’
No matter what, he was the disciple of the King of the Fate Blade and a subordinate who had sworn loyalty to her.
How could she kill him just because of the games of a bastard like this?
Yet the expression dimly visible through the veil on Wi So-yeon’s face looked ominous.
‘D, don’t tell me…’
Was she really considering killing him just to keep the words she had spoken earlier?
At this, a panicked Yeop Wi-seon bowed low before her and pleaded.
“M, Miss… surely you are not truly going to do as this bastard says? I… I have sworn loyalty to you.”
“…….”
“Miss.”
She remained silent.
Growing desperate, Yeop Wi-seon prostrated himself more flatly and begged.
“Miss. This subordinate has certainly committed a wrong, but is it of the degree that I must die? If you kill me, then my master, no, the King of the Fate Blade, and all the people of the Heaven and Earth Society under him will not follow you. Please make the wise choice.”
With those words, Yeop Wi-seon raised his head and glared at Mok Gyeong-un.
At this point, there was only one option if he wanted to live.
That was to get Mok Gyeong-un killed.
‘The young lady does have sense.’
No matter how much she had publicly declared that she would keep the words she herself spoke, there was always something called weighing the scales.
He was the disciple of Son Yun, the King of the Fate Blade.
For someone like her to kill him would be little different from giving up the King of the Fate Blade and all the forces under him.
But that bastard was none of those things.
He had no backing, and if they created a suitable pretext, even if he died there would not be much aftermath.
At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un spoke.
“For someone worthy of being called the disciple of the King of the Fate Blade, you are rather pathetically clingy.”
“What?”
“If you stand in a position of that degree, then you ought to have things like honor and pride. Yet seeing you beg to live, and then even invoke your master in an attempt to make the lord you serve break the words she spoke, it seems that Lady Wi’s honor is not particularly important to you.”
‘This bastard truly…’
He wanted to rip that mouth apart at once.
But if he revealed his anger here, he would not be able to earn even a shred of pity from Wi So-yeon, so he had to keep his mouth shut.
Mok Gyeong-un smiled as though he found it interesting and looked at Wi So-yeon.
How, exactly, would she respond?
The higher a person’s position and the prouder that person was, the more often they clung fiercely to words they had spoken themselves.
But if she considered practical advantage, she would abandon pride and save her subordinate.
Whichever choice she made, it would be a choice she herself could not quite tolerate.
It was then.
“Pfft.”
A sound of laughter leaked out from behind the veil.
Wi So-yeon was laughing.
At this sight, one of Mok Gyeong-un’s eyebrows rose.
‘Hmm.’
What was this?
He had thought he had cornered her fairly hard in terms of pride, yet faced with such an unexpected reaction, he inwardly found it strange.
Why was she laughing?
Then after laughing for some time, she opened her lips and spoke.
“You truly exceed expectations.”
“Pardon?”
“I thought you were merely the sort who was ahead only in seeking profit, yet you produced an answer I had never thought of.”
“If that is praise, I will accept it gratefully.”
“It is praise. Still, you truly are bold.”
“In what way?”
“I am someone who, if crossed here, possesses both the ability and the authority to kill you without caring for conversation or anything else. If it had been my second senior brother, he might truly have killed you here for making a mockery of him.”
“To kill me… well, that could happen.”
At Mok Gyeong-un’s calm reaction, she grew even more interested.
Just moments ago, she had thought Mok Gyeong-un was nothing more than a sort that pursued only advantage and played petty tricks.
But this move had changed her mind.
Beyond his martial talent, this bastard also possessed the ability to become a strategist worthy of standing at her side.
It was harder to find talent with a good head than talent with outstanding martial talent.
‘I like him.’
With that, she made up her mind that she had to make Mok Gyeong-un one of her people.
At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un said to her,
“How curious.”
“What do you find curious?”
“You seem pleased, even though you are about to lose a loyal dog.”
At these words from Mok Gyeong-un, Yeop Wi-seon, startled, raised his head and called to her again.
“M, Miss, surely you are not really going to…”
“No. I am not going to kill you. So keep that mouth shut.”
“Hup.”
At those words from her, Yeop Wi-seon pressed his mouth firmly shut.
Once he heard her clearly say she would not kill him, color returned to his face.
Of course that was how it would be.
How could she possibly kill him?
As he was thinking this, Mok Gyeong-un asked in puzzlement,
“Then are you saying that you will break the words you yourself spoke?”
At this question, Wi So-yeon shook her head.
Then she took something from her waist.
-Whip!
She suddenly threw it, and Mok Gyeong-un, who caught it, furrowed his brow slightly.
What she had thrown was none other than a jade token.
Along with the words Heaven and Earth Society, her name was carved beneath.
Judging by the material and shape of the jade, it looked rather antique.
“Why this?”
As he wondered, he saw the expression of Yeop Wi-seon, who looked astonished.
His eyes had widened, and he was staring fixedly at the jade token in Mok Gyeong-un’s hand.
Why was he reacting like that?
Then Wi So-yeon said,
“That is the price of Yeop Wi-seon’s life.”
“Pardon?”
What did she mean, that this jade token was the price of a life?
To the puzzled Mok Gyeong-un, she gave a short laugh and said,
“Did you not say it with your own mouth?”
“With my own mouth?”
“Yes. You said that either a price equal to the life must be paid, or else Yeop Wi-seon’s life itself must be given.”
“Ah…”
At those words, Mok Gyeong-un smacked his lips lightly.
Wi So-yeon too had been placed in a difficult position by the words she herself had spoken earlier, but Mok Gyeong-un himself had also first raised the matter of corresponding compensation from her.
Because of the atmosphere, he had expected only two ways of answering, but she had instead chosen the route of paying compensation.
‘She isn’t foolish.’
She had not been shaken by the trap he had created.
Smiling broadly, Mok Gyeong-un lifted the jade token and said,
“Still, I do not understand what you mean by saying that this is the price of a life.”
“Ha!”
At these words from Mok Gyeong-un, Yeop Wi-seon wore an expression that made it impossible to tell whether he felt stifled or simply dumbfounded.
Judging from his reaction, did the jade token carry some special meaning?
As he wondered, Wi So-yeon explained,
“When a martial artist entrusts their identity token, it means that, within the bounds of what can be granted, they will once fulfill whatever request that person desires.”
‘!?’
At these words, interest flashed in Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes.
So that was what it meant.
No wonder Yeop Wi-seon had reacted that way.
“May I ask just how far ‘within the bounds of what can be granted’ extends?”
“It means exactly what it says. If it is within the bounds of what I can grant, then I will absolutely grant it.”
“That is vague.”
“Vague?”
‘This insolent…’
If it were not for her command, Yeop Wi-seon would have wanted to smack Mok Gyeong-un in the head at once.
In truth, he had wanted to do so several times already and had kept restraining himself.
As that was happening, Wi So-yeon clicked her tongue and said,
“It seems you want some sort of firm answer. Very well. Requests to kill me, or those connected to me, are excluded. And I will only grant requests that are realistically possible for me to realize.”
“Ah. I see.”
At these words from her, Mok Gyeong-un nodded.
Requests within the bounds of what she could realize.
It was still ambiguous.
At that moment, Blue Spirit’s voice came to Mok Gyeong-un’s ear.
-Say you will accept it. If you receive the identity token of that mortal girl, it may be of use inside when a difficult situation arises. Using her influence when needed is one method as well.
Her influence.
Well, she was a candidate for the next Society Leader of the Heaven and Earth Society.
Even if it were not everything, there would certainly be times it could be used when needed.
At the very least, it was better than killing the disciple of the King of the Fate Blade.
At this, Mok Gyeong-un politely bowed his head.
“I will accept it with gratitude.”
“There is no need for gratitude. I think of it as an investment in talent I wish to recruit.”
“Pardon?”
“Did you not hear? Then I shall speak bluntly.”
-Rustle!
Wi So-yeon removed the veiled bamboo hat she had been wearing.
At once her bare face was revealed.
The moment he saw it, Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes narrowed.
‘This is…’
-Ha!
Blue Spirit, too, let out a voice as though dumbfounded.
That was only natural, because Wi So-yeon’s face was so beautiful that it would not be an exaggeration to call her a peerless beauty.
Yet she also looked greatly like Blue Spirit.
Her features were so similar that it would not have been strange at all to call them sisters.
The only difference was the atmosphere that radiated from their appearances.
‘If Blue Spirit gives the feeling of arrogance, coldness, and oppressive force, then this one gives a brighter and more radiant impression.’
To add another point, Wi So-yeon looked younger.
But apart from that, anyone would think they looked alike.
It was quite the coincidence.
Yet it could not be said to be unconditionally strange.
‘Well… the real Mok Gyeong-un also looked exactly like me.’
He had gone beyond simply resembling him and had an appearance like a twin, to the point that even close relatives could not distinguish them.
Taking that into account, the fact that Wi So-yeon resembled Blue Spirit was not something especially strange.
Though the person concerned seemed thoroughly dumbfounded.
As this went on, Wi So-yeon said,
“Why are you staring so hard? Surely you have not fallen for my beauty?”
“……”
She seemed to be the type with very strong self-regard.
But Mok Gyeong-un did not care in the slightest.
“As if.”
Mok Gyeong-un shrugged.
She had spoken in jest just now, but at the sight of Mok Gyeong-un answering so naturally at once, she seemed slightly offended and cast him a sidelong look.
Then she soon shook her head and extended a hand, saying,
“There is no point in speaking roundaboutly, so I will get straight to it. I intend to become the Society Leader of this Society. To do that, I need more talent.”
“By talent, you mean…”
“Mok Gyeong-un. Enter under my banner. If you are talent of your level, I will give you treatment fitting that.”
At this proposal from her, Yeop Wi-seon bit his lip hard.
Just as he had expected, she coveted Mok Gyeong-un as her subordinate.
‘Damn it.’
If Mok Gyeong-un became her subordinate, things would become difficult.
He had intended to repay this humiliation one day, but if they belonged to the same camp, it would become difficult to openly touch him.
Yeop Wi-seon looked at Mok Gyeong-un.
‘There is no way he would refuse.’
This was a proposal not from just anyone, but from one of the candidates for the next Society Leader.
Who would ever let such a golden opportunity pass? Yet,
“My apologies, but I must respectfully decline that proposal.”
“What?”
At this answer from Mok Gyeong-un, Yeop Wi-seon looked at him with startled eyes.
She herself, one of the candidates for the next Society Leader, had directly said she would treat him as talent, and he was cuttingly refusing?
Was this bastard truly in his right mind?