Myst, Might, Mayhem (Novel) - Chapter 128 - Shadow Sect (4)

Chapter 128 – Shadow Sect (4)

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Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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The main hall building, the Shadow Sect’s secret special bureau.

Inside a well-soundproofed room, the Chief Steward pointed at a carrier pigeon letter written in code and said,

“Sect Master. This time it looks certain. The appearance matches what is known, and from the imperial palace side as well, do they not wish to uproot ‘them’ completely?”

“Hmmm. That is true. But for the place of confinement to be the underground forbidden prison of the imperial palace… this has become rather troublesome.”

The Shadow Sect Master stroked his chin as if troubled.

He had planted spies throughout the Central Plains and had been watching the turns of events, but of all places, for it to be the underground forbidden prison of the imperial palace.

They had found it in the most troublesome place possible.

“What shall we do? Should we not at least report it to the Society Leader first? The dignity of the Shadow Sect is at stake. If the Society Leader’s directly subordinate corps finds it first…”

“No. Not yet.”

“But he keeps pressing us…”

“If, as before, it turns out to be mistaken information or information intentionally exposed, then on the contrary it may only offend the Society Leader’s temper.”

“…”

What the Shadow Sect Master was concerned about was certainty.

Judging only from the information that had come in now, it seemed to carry perhaps a seventy percent chance.

But if one was to report it and then launch an operation, one needed more than ninety percent certainty.

“And even if it is certain, there is still no immediate way to enter the underground forbidden prison of the imperial palace.”

Next to the inner palace where the emperor, the rear palace, and the imperial kin resided, the underground forbidden prison was the most heavily guarded place.

Even spies who had been inserted into the imperial palace for years found it difficult to enter there.

At the Shadow Sect Master’s words, the Chief Steward thought for a moment, then opened his mouth.

“Then how about inserting a spy on the side of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?”

“The Embroidered Uniform Guard…”

The ones guarding the underground forbidden prison of the imperial palace were the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the special service agency.

Unlike the other warriors of the imperial palace, many among the Embroidered Uniform Guard were masters who had learned martial arts.

That was what made infiltration into the underground forbidden prison so difficult.

“Was it not the case that, beginning over ten years ago, when the Embroidered Uniform Guard spoke of reorganization and reform, they requested that both the Alliance of Justice and our Society send promising young juniors?”

“A request…”

Yes, such a thing had happened.

However, since the Society Leader had not granted approval, that matter had come to nothing.

‘But now is quite the opportune time.’

Why was that?

That was because the inside of the imperial palace had become greatly unsettled due to the Emperor’s lingering illness.

As the Emperor’s chronic illness deepened, signs of internal strife appeared.

According to the information, even the Alliance of Justice’s plan to dispatch younger talents did not seem to be simply to forge good ties with the court.

‘Are they trying to intervene in the matter of the next heir to the throne?’

Depending on who became Emperor, the relationship between the court and the martial world would be affected.

Most likely, what the Alliance of Justice aimed for was to elevate an Emperor inclined to be favorable to the orthodox path.

Taking such things into account and calculating accordingly, the Heaven and Earth Society too could use this opportunity to intervene…

-Knock knock.

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

-Sect Master!

At that urgent-sounding voice, the Shadow Sect Master went and opened the door himself.

There were not many who possessed the authority to enter the main hall building.

“Forgive me for being discourteous during your meeting.”

The one knocking was none other than one of the warriors guarding the Sect Master’s private indoor training room.

“What is it?”

“I believe you should go to the indoor training room at once.”

‘!?’

* * *

-Slash.

Sharp sword force brushing past the wrist.

Together with it, something familiar fell to the floor.

-Thud.

That thing was…

“Aaaaaaagh! My arm, my arm!”

Hwan Yun-myeong, the Shadow Sect Master’s first provisional disciple, screamed as he looked at his severed arm.

Though he had feared it might happen, he had never imagined that Mok Gyeong-un would truly cut off his arm.

He was not the only one shocked by this sight.

‘This crazy…’

Myeong Tak, the second provisional disciple, also could not hide his bewilderment at Hwan Yun-myeong’s severed arm.

When Yong Su, the youngest, had his arm broken, he had thought such a thing could happen.

But to a martial artist, the right arm was no different from life itself.

“Wh-what have you done!”

Myeong Tak shouted at Mok Gyeong-un.

At this, Mok Gyeong-un tilted his head and said,

“What do you mean, what have I done? I merely helped him let go of the sword.”

He answered with an expressionless face, as if he felt nothing at all.

Seeing that face, Myeong Tak felt an icy chill run down his spine for an instant.

What in the world was this bastard?

As he stood there thinking that, Mok Gyeong-un bent and picked up Hwan Yun-myeong’s severed arm, which was still twitching on the floor.

“Very fresh. To still be moving like this even after being separated.”

“Guuugh… You! You!”

Holding onto his severed arm, Hwan Yun-myeong ground his teeth and glared at Mok Gyeong-un.

The pain of having one’s arm cut off was agony beyond description.

But worse even than that pain was the fact that, as a martial artist, his right arm had been cut off.

-Tatatatatak.

Hwan Yun-myeong struck the acupoints above the severed arm, stanching the bleeding so that the blood would no longer flow.

And the moment the pain lessened,

‘I will kill you!’

Burning with vengeance, he tried to attack Mok Gyeong-un, but then,

-Slide.

He could not move because the blade of the Evil-Answering Sword was already touching his neck.

The sharp force emanating from the tip of the sword was such that it seemed ready to separate his body and head at any instant.

‘…I did not see it.’

Even though he was looking right at it, it had moved so swiftly that even with both eyes he had lost track of its path.

Even if his arm were still intact, this was not someone he could do anything about.

Mok Gyeong-un sneered and said,

“It seems you would like to lose your head as well.”

“Y-you… what in the world are you? How can some mere hostage of the orthodox path…”

…be this strong?

He knew that those who passed the gates of Corpse Blood Valley were far stronger and more outstanding than their peers.

But he himself was not even a subordinate of the Heaven and Earth Society, but a disciple of a direct executive.

Then how could this be?

-Gnash.

His wounded pride enraged him too much.

At that, Hwan Yun-myeong ground his teeth and said as though vowing revenge,

“Haa… haa… Enjoy yourself while you can. Even if I have lost my right arm…”

-Wham.

“Ghk!”

The moment he began to say something, Mok Gyeong-un kicked Hwan Yun-myeong’s jaw upward.

It was such a strong kick that several teeth seemed to break, and Hwan Yun-myeong spat them out and began coughing up blood.

To him, Mok Gyeong-un said as if bored,

“You are terribly cliched.”

“Guuugh.”

“I would prefer if you simply kept your mouth shut like that. And…”

Turning his head, Mok Gyeong-un looked toward Yong Su, who was clutching his broken arm, and toward Myeong Tak, who was at a complete loss, and said,

“Have you two grasped the situation yet?”

“What?”

“From what I heard this eldest senior brother of yours prattling about, as the formal disciple here, it seems my rank is above yours. Is it not?”

‘!?’

At those words, the expressions of the two hardened.

They had come to teach him a lesson, enraged first that the Evil-Answering Sword had been given to him over their eldest senior brother, and then that a hostage of the orthodox path had been accepted as a disciple without even undergoing castration.

But strictly speaking, Mok Gyeong-un was the Shadow Sect Master’s formal disciple, and their senior in rank.

Yet their pride would not allow them to bow before a fact they hated so deeply merely because they had been subdued by the bastard’s power.

Yong Su, still clutching his broken arm and suppressing his fury, said to Mok Gyeong-un,

“…Do not make me laugh! Do you think we would acknowledge some hostage of the orthodox path as a formal disciple?”

“Hmm?”

“More importantly, you should be worrying about yourself. No matter what, you cut off Eldest Senior Brother’s arm, so there is no way Master will simply let this…”

-Srrk.

At that instant, Mok Gyeong-un vanished from Yong Su’s sight.

‘What?’

Where had he gone? As Yong Su thought that, he suddenly felt someone’s hand at his back.

-Tap.

-Flinch.

Startled by the arm thrown over his shoulder, Yong Su tried to shake it off, but then,

-Crush.

“Hk!”

At the crushing grip that made it feel as if his shoulder would shatter, he could not move at all.

Mok Gyeong-un had put an arm over his shoulder and was gripping his left shoulder so hard that Yong Su, in unbearable pain, found himself dropping to one knee before he knew it.

-Thud.

But it did not end there.

-Crack.

He heard something breaking in his shoulder.

His right elbow had already been broken, and now the pain of his left shoulder blade shattering made Yong Su contort his face and try to scream.

However,

“Guuuuh!”

“Shh. You are noisy.”

Because Mok Gyeong-un clamped a hand over his mouth, he could not even scream.

To the writhing boy, Mok Gyeong-un gave a faint laugh and said,

“You came charging in a group, calling me a hostage of the orthodox path and demanding I hand over the sword. Have you already forgotten?”

“Guhmff.”

“And your thoughts are quite short too. If I were Master, I think I would rather say that punishing you people for raising your hands against a formal disciple was well done. Would I not?”

“……..”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, Yong Su could not refute him.

In a fit of anger he had declared that he would not accept it, but Mok Gyeong-un was already the formal disciple whom Master had accepted.

By contrast, they themselves were only provisional disciples who had even refused castration.

‘Damn it.’

They, who had failed to become formal disciples until now, were the foolish ones.

To him, Mok Gyeong-un said,

“Hmm. Since we are practically of the same school, I was thinking of ending it moderately, but since it has become like this, perhaps I should simply turn you into cripples who cannot use their limbs. That sounds amusing. I am rather curious how one lives after all four limbs are cut off.”

-Shiver.

Mok Gyeong-un spoke such horrifying words with a smile, as though they meant nothing.

At those words, Yong Su’s face turned white.

Perhaps another person would not, but this bastard truly looked as though he would do it.

It was right then.

-Thud.

The second provisional disciple, Myeong Tak, dropped to one knee and brought his hands together in salute.

Because the master occupied the highest place, prostration was not permitted, and this gesture was no different from the courtesy shown to an elder senior brother.

Thus kneeling, Myeong Tak said in an earnest voice,

“P-please forgive our rudeness.”

‘Senior Brother!’

Seeing his senior suddenly change, Yong Su was aghast even through the pain.

But while the two of them suffered, Myeong Tak’s spirit had completely broken.

In his mind, any thought of making an enemy of Mok Gyeong-un had long vanished.

He merely wanted to be forgiven somehow.

“We were wrong, so please…”

It was then.

-Creeeak. Bang.

The closed iron door of the indoor training room opened, and the Shadow Sect Master and the Chief Steward appeared.

To them, it was no different from a savior appearing.

Mok Gyeong-un shrugged and whispered,

“You are fortunate.”

Then he let go of Yong Su, whom he had been holding.

The Shadow Sect Master swept his eyes over the sight inside and furrowed his brow.

‘Now this…’

He had hurried back, fearing trouble, upon hearing that the three provisional disciples had stormed into the Sect Master’s private indoor training room in a fit of anger.

Since all three had personally been brought to the level of peak mastery by his own instruction, he had been worried just in case, but the result was nothing like he had expected.

‘Even if they have not learned the school’s truest ultimate arts, to be this utterly outmatched.’

Whatever the exact sequence of events, it was a little disappointing.

But then something unexpected happened.

As soon as he saw the Shadow Sect Master, Hwan Yun-myeong practically crawled over on one arm, clutched at his leg, and tearfully begged,

“M-Master… I want to be castrated. Please, please have me castrated.”

“…What?”

And it was not only him.

Yong Su and Myeong Tak likewise threw themselves flat and begged in unison.

“Master, please have us castrated!”

What in the world had happened here?