Myst, Might, Mayhem (Novel) - Chapter 132 - Skill (2)
Chapter 132 – Skill (2)
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Translated by Jinmu
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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‘Will this really be all right?’
Ha Chae-rin, no, the guard Go Chan possessing her, who was watching the fight beside Ho Jong-hyeok, grew uneasy.
He knew well Mok Gyeong-un’s skill from before they came here.
Though he possessed strange power, he had been no more than about a second-rate level, so it was doubtful whether he could endure against a monster like that.
But then,
-Thump!
‘!?’
Jeo Mo-pal, the Fifth Peak of the Five Peaks Assembly, had his right wrist twisted and was forced to one knee.
At the sight of that, Go Chan inwardly could not contain his shock.
No, not even a full month had passed, so what in the world had happened?
Had Mok Gyeong-un originally been this strong?
“…As expected, my judgment was correct.”
The blind Second Peak, Wi Maeng-cheon, opened his mouth while their swords were crossed.
He had not truly intended to cut Mok Gyeong-un’s neck, but he had created the momentum of a strike laden with as much murderous intent as possible, as if he would cleave him.
As a result, Mok Gyeong-un had revealed his true skill.
It was impossible not to be rather startled by this.
‘He has gone beyond the level of the peak realm.’
It exceeded expectations.
He had thought perhaps it was the very extreme of the peak realm.
But if he could instantly block his sword stroke and overwhelm Jeo Mo-pal through inner force, then it would not be an exaggeration to say he had reached the entrance of the transcendent peak.
“By what method did you…”
-Wooong!
‘!?’
The blind Wi Maeng-cheon frowned between the brows.
Their swords were crossed, yet the faint resonant hum transmitted through it grated on his ears.
Then he sensed that a crack was forming in his own sword.
At that,
-Chaengaeng!
Wi Maeng-cheon flicked away Mok Gyeong-un’s sword with a sword-guard technique.
As the sword was flung away, Mok Gyeong-un’s body lifted slightly backward and was pushed back about five steps.
Then Wi Maeng-cheon ran his fingers along the edge of his sword and felt it.
‘The Jukmyeong Sword has cracked.’
Though wrapped in bamboo, it had still been a fine sword born from the hands of a craftsman of some skill.
Yet that Jukmyeong Sword had split with only a single clash?
What kind of sword was it?
-Clap clap clap!
At that moment, the sound of someone clapping rang out.
The one clapping was none other than Jang Neung-ak, the Society Leader’s second disciple.
With the corners of his mouth hooked all the way to his ears, Jang Neung-ak looked at Mok Gyeong-un with deeply satisfied eyes.
“Yes. This is exactly what this young master wanted to see.”
For an orthodox hostage to have passed that Corpse Blood Valley gate in first place.
That martial prowess could not possibly have been half-baked.
No matter how he might be deceiving qi perception, if he could receive the sword of Wi Maeng-cheon, the Second Peak, then he had clearly gone beyond the peak realm.
At those words, Mok Gyeong-un said with a troubled expression,
“You really are putting me in a difficult position.”
He had tried to hide his skill as much as possible.
Yet to think it would be exposed in this way.
‘Troublesome.’
If not for that blind man, it would never have been exposed like this.
Through this, Mok Gyeong-un learned one thing.
That nothing was ever perfect.
Even if death aura, the aura of death, was a force that living humans could not sense through qi perception, if there were people who could understand an opponent even by such bizarre methods, he needed to be more careful still.
-That blind mortal is the variable.
Blue Spirit too clicked her tongue at this result.
The most ideal thing had been not to reveal his skill, but now that it had been exposed, depending on how this man called Jang Neung-ak responded, they might have to change their plans.
At that moment Jang Neung-ak approached and said,
“In the martial world, hiding one’s skill is quite common. But for a fellow not even twenty yet to go beyond the realm of the peak is a very rare thing.”
‘Rare?’
At Jang Neung-ak’s words, Ho Jong-hyeok, grand unit leader of the Bu Myeol Unit, clicked his tongue in amazement.
Even he, who had been praised by his father as possessing outstanding martial talent, had only entered the realm of the transcendent peak when he was nearly thirty.
And even that had drawn admiration from those around him.
Yet for a fellow of merely seventeen or eighteen to have entered the realm of the transcendent peak was enough to call him a genius.
‘…Now I understand why he hid his martial prowess.’
A sharp awl pierces through its sack.
Moderately outstanding talent might receive welcome from those around it, but if it went beyond that, it instead became a target of restraint and envy.
Mok Gyeong-un’s talent was clearly the latter.
Whether it was his own judgment or the order of his master, the Shadow Sect Master, he had likely hidden his skill out of concern for precisely that.
Jang Neung-ak spread both arms wide and said to Mok Gyeong-un,
“I like you.”
“……..”
“I will speak bluntly. Swear your loyalty to this young master.”
“You want me to swear loyalty?”
“Yes. This young master desires excellent talents like you. Such talents are no different from this young master’s own strength.”
That was only natural.
The more strong martial artists he took as subordinates, the more secure he would become as successor to the Society Leader.
Jang Neung-ak walked right up before Mok Gyeong-un and continued speaking.
“This young master does not demand loyalty without compensation. If you swear loyalty, I will promise wealth and honor worthy of it.”
“Wealth and honor…”
“Yes. Furthermore, if this young master comes to stand at the summit of this Society, you will enjoy even more together with me.”
At these words from Jang Neung-ak, Blue Spirit said to Mok Gyeong-un,
-It seems you have no real choice.
The most ideal course had been to build power under the Shadow Sect Master while watching how things developed.
But now that his skill had been exposed, that had become difficult.
If he refused here, the possibility of receiving restraint or becoming entangled in troublesome matters would grow, so as a second-best option it was better to build strength under Jang Neung-ak.
But then,
-Tap!
Mok Gyeong-un gave a cupped-fist salute to Jang Neung-ak and then,
“I beg your pardon. It is truly an enticing proposal, but it seems difficult for me to follow you immediately, young master.”
-Hm?
At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, Blue Spirit found it strange.
Now that the power he had hidden had been exposed, the most reasonable choice would have been to go under Jang Neung-ak for the moment if only to avoid troublesome matters.
But if he refused here,
“You cannot follow this young master?”
As expected, Jang Neung-ak’s expression changed in an instant.
One eyebrow trembled and rose upward, and it seemed his temper had soured.
Just as expected.
‘What in the world is he thinking, this mortal?’
Blue Spirit clicked her tongue inwardly.
The Society Leader’s second disciple was no ordinary master, and neither was any one of his subordinates.
Thus there was nothing to be gained by provoking them.
‘As always, he never knows how to move safely when warned.’
At that moment Jang Neung-ak pressed the fan against Mok Gyeong-un’s chest and said,
-Press.
“Do you know what meaning your words carry right now?”
“Well now? I do not really know what meaning you mean.”
“What?”
At these words from Mok Gyeong-un, Jang Neung-ak’s gaze turned completely cold.
Not only had this orthodox hostage bastard dared reject this young master’s proposal in such a manner, he was even talking back?
-Press.
Jang Neung-ak pressed the fan harder against Mok Gyeong-un’s chest and said,
“Have you perhaps forgotten who stands before your eyes?”
“How could that be? You are Young Master Jang Neung-ak, the Society Leader’s second disciple.”
“Yet you sound as though you mean to brush aside this young master’s proposal.”
“Surely not. I merely conveyed that it would be difficult for me to accept your proposal immediately.”
“Do you think you have a choice to refuse?”
“If you wish to place the Shadow Sect beneath your command, it seems unlikely that you would force the matter.”
At these words, Jang Neung-ak’s eyes sharpened.
At that sight, the thick-lipped woman in red berated Mok Gyeong-un.
“Hey. Have you truly gone mad enough to want death? An orthodox hostage like you dares speak to the young master…”
-Swoosh!
Jang Neung-ak raised a hand and stopped her rebuke.
Then he snorted with laughter and said,
“Certainly, perhaps because you come from among orthodox hostages, you truly are different.”
“Pardon?”
“If you had come from within this Society, you would not answer this young master as you just did. They are instead afraid they might offend this young master’s temper.”
“……..”
“Yet in front of this young master, you are bold to a fault.”
Jang Neung-ak found this Mok Gyeong-un interesting.
He had thought that if he applied pressure to some extent, the fellow would crawl in on his own.
Because of his situation as an orthodox hostage, and because if he had grasped even a little how great a chance it was to form a connection like this inside the Heaven and Earth Society, he should have had no choice but to follow.
Yet to come out like this.
“Very well, your words are correct. This young master wants the Shadow Sect beneath his command. And for that purpose, I hoped that you would become this young master’s man and serve as an important catalyst.”
Jang Neung-ak revealed his true intentions.
Then,
“I would like that as well, but as you know, I have only just become the Shadow Sect Master’s disciple.”
“And what of that?”
“I was not specially chosen, but became the Shadow Sect Master’s disciple as the benefit for taking first place in Corpse Blood Valley. So would that person truly trust me all that deeply?”
At these words, Jang Neung-ak’s eyes narrowed.
Since he himself also had a crafty side, he immediately understood what intent lay behind Mok Gyeong-un’s words.
“…Continue.”
“If I have not yet properly received martial arts instruction or established trust, and my master learns that I, an orthodox hostage, entered your service, young master, how do you think he would regard me?”
“……..”
“If I were the master, I think I would instead grow suspicious of me and hold me at a distance, thinking that an orthodox hostage who had not even been in the Society long was trying to reach too quickly for wealth and power.”
With those words, Mok Gyeong-un lowered his voice and whispered softly enough that only Jang Neung-ak could hear.
“You may take me as your subordinate immediately if you wish, but if you do, you will not obtain everything you want, young master. So would it truly benefit you to take me as a subordinate right now?”
‘!?’
Jang Neung-ak’s lips twitched slightly.
‘Would you look at this fellow.’
At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, he received a fairly fresh shock.
His interest in the fact that Mok Gyeong-un came from among orthodox hostages was only a small part of it, and his real aim had been to take Mok Gyeong-un as a subordinate and use that as an opportunity to bring even the Shadow Sect under his wing.
He had also hurried because, as things stood, he was still lagging behind the Great Young Master in power.
But this fellow was beyond imagination.
‘Crafty.’
He was even reading the part Jang Neung-ak himself had failed to consider.
As this fellow said, if he took him as a subordinate right now, the Shadow Sect Master’s head would be filled with nothing but suspicion.
If that happened, it would become difficult to bring the Shadow Sect completely under his wing.
‘Hmmm.’
Jang Neung-ak stared straight at Mok Gyeong-un.
He had thought the fellow an insolent wretch for rejecting his proposal, but now through this conversation his thoughts had completely settled.
He wanted to make this fellow wholly his own.
-Tap!
Jang Neung-ak removed the fan that had been pressing into Mok Gyeong-un’s chest.
And in the same soft whisper, he said,
“You have a point. Very well. Regrettable though it is, for now I shall simply withdraw. Do try to build close trust with the Shadow Sect Master.”
At these words, Mok Gyeong-un smiled lightly.
Jang Neung-ak too snorted with laughter as though their thoughts had met, then turned his body with his hands clasped behind his back.
“Young master?”
“Let us return and have a grand drink.”
At those words, most of his subordinates could not hide their puzzlement.
He was simply leaving without any result at all?
It was quite unlike how he usually acted.
But since they had to obey their lord’s command, they withdrew without protest.
Naturally, that included Jeo Mo-pal, one of the Five Peaks, whose wrist had been injured.
“……..”
In contrast, the blind Wi Maeng-cheon, who had eavesdropped on the whispered conversation with his tremendous hearing, paused for a moment and found the situation disagreeable.
‘Far too crafty.’
With a mere three-inch tongue he had avoided causing trouble and made his lord withdraw in good spirits.
He had done so without allowing any conclusion to be reached at all.
More than his excellent martial arts, that crafty side of him made Wi Maeng-cheon wary.
Still, for the moment his lord seemed to like him greatly, so he withdrew for now, but thought he would have to watch him closely.
Once all of them had withdrawn, Mok Gyeong-un sent a voice transmission to Blue Spirit with a smiling face.
-I should kill that blind man first.