Myst, Might, Mayhem (Novel) - Chapter 14 - Demon Monk (3)
Chapter 14 – Demon Monk (3)
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Translated by Jinmu
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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‘How can this be……’
Old Physician No, who had been taking the pulse, could not hide his surprise.
Only this morning, the Manor Lord had seemed as though his pulse would stop at any moment.
But now life had returned to the pulse.
And in only a few shijin.
‘His complexion has improved as well.’
The symptoms whose cause had been unknown had all disappeared.
He had grown somewhat weak from lying unconscious in bed for a long time, but if he only recuperated well enough, there was a high chance he would improve sufficiently.
However,
‘The issue is his consciousness.’
The Manor Lord had been unconscious for quite a long time.
Because he had not regained his senses, Yeon Mok Sword Manor had become heated over the matter of succession like this.
As he was recovering, the chance that he would wake was high, but there was no way to say for certain when that would be.
If someone were to harm him before then…….
‘……..’
At that moment, a sharp woman’s voice entered his ears.
“How is he? My husband.”
Old Physician No slowly lifted his head.
The owner of the voice was the First Madam, Madam Seok.
Her expression was different from usual.
When he had seen her in the morning, her eyes had held resolve within arrogance.
That had made Old Physician No feel something ominous.
‘There is something here.’
Old Physician No felt the matter was not ordinary.
When he had hurried here, the Manor Lord’s arm had already been severed, and everywhere there were traces of occult arts having been performed, such as talismans and red thread.
Yet the occult practitioner who had performed those arts had been found dead.
And in that process, the Third Young Master had been implicated.
‘What in the world has happened here?’
Old Physician No carefully looked into Madam Seok’s eyes.
Her gaze was trembling strangely.
It was the kind of reaction one would show when something had gone wrong.
‘Things did not unfold as planned.’
Though his arm had been cut off, the Manor Lord’s complexion had grown considerably better.
Madam Seok was also a martial artist, so because she had learned martial arts she would know how to inspect a person’s condition to some degree.
Then she would already have realized that things were better now than they had been in the morning.
Yet the fact that she showed not even the slightest joy meant……
‘Could it be that she had not brought in the occult practitioner to heal him, but had instead plotted some scheme using occult arts or something of the sort?’
It was entirely plausible enough that one could not deny it.
Everyone knew the Manor Lord had the youngest young master, Mok Yu-cheon, in mind as the successor.
In truth, from the First Madam’s standpoint, she would rather not want the Manor Lord to wake at all.
“Has his condition improved at all?”
At Madam Seok’s repeated question, Old Physician No hesitated for an instant.
At this moment, it was only the two of them here.
If he said here that the Manor Lord would wake before long, then for some reason it felt as though Madam Seok might do something.
After deliberating, Old Physician No spoke carefully.
“…….His complexion has brightened and his pulse has improved, but his condition is still poor. That is because the illness has gone on too long. It would be best to regard it as a final flash of light before death.”
“Ah……..”
The final flash of light before death.
It was a phrase comparing the temporary brightening of the sky just before the sun set to the brief return of vitality one saw just before death.
In truth, that was not the case, but he said it that way on purpose.
However,
‘Ha.’
Old Physician No inwardly found it absurd.
Though she let out a groan as though sorrowful, Madam Seok’s expression and gaze were closer to relief.
That was surely because she did not want the Manor Lord to recover.
Old Physician No looked at the Manor Lord and spoke inwardly.
‘Manor Lord…….there is no time. You must wake.’
Otherwise, there was no knowing what Madam Seok might do.
* * *
Once outside, the First Madam, Madam Seok, returned to her usual arrogant expression.
When she came out to the veranda, Inner Hall Master Jang Myeong-in, the one-eyed female guard warrior called Ho-aeng who protected her, and two maidservants were waiting.
Madam Seok walked over to Inner Hall Master Jang Myeong-in and opened her mouth.
“Are you certain of the cause of death?”
At that question, Inner Hall Master Jang Myeong-in nodded and answered in a low voice.
“I am certain. He did not die due to physical trauma. I have seen countless corpses over the years, but something like that……”
In the place Jang Myeong-in indicated with his eyes lay the corpse of the dead occult practitioner Myo-shin.
It was covered with a mat, but the exposed skin had veins bulging up grotesquely.
She too had never seen such a corpse before.
Turning her head away from the corpse, Madam Seok asked in a low voice,
“What did they say?”
“According to the bodyguard, he says they had come to visit the sick.”
“Visit the sick…….”
“Yes. Then, it seems, the occult practitioner went mad as though possessed by something, cut off the Manor Lord’s arm, and tried to kill him.”
“……..A mess.”
“I am ashamed. I should have at least stood guard at the entrance to the hall……”
Jang Myeong-in bowed his waist in apology.
At this, she shook her head.
“What can we do about something that has already happened? But do you truly think that is what happened?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Do you really think that child came to visit the sick and happened by chance to discover all of this?”
“…….Judging by the state of the corpse and the circumstances, that appears to be the case.”
“Appears to be?”
“Young Master Mok Gyeong-un even suffered an injury in which a sword pierced his thigh. The blood loss was severe, enough that it might have become dangerous.”
That was how it looked to Jang Myeong-in.
An injury of that degree was difficult even to inflict upon oneself.
If he had only been lightly nicked by a sword, just enough to avoid danger, or if the bleeding had been slight, that would be one thing, but this left no room for doubt.
“………”
At these words, she still did not relax her suspicious gaze.
Seeing this, Jang Myeong-in simply accepted it.
That was because she found all the young masters except the First Young Master displeasing.
At that moment, she asked,
“Where is that child now?”
“Pardon?”
“I mean that child Mok Gyeong-un.”
“Ah. I stopped the bleeding as quickly as I could, but the Third Young Master was sent to the medicine hall for treatment.”
“The medicine hall?”
“Yes.”
Her gaze turned toward the medicine hall located on the west side of the main building.
Soon her footsteps followed that gaze.
* * *
‘A pleasant smell.’
Mok Gyeong-un sniffed the air and smiled.
For the first time since descending the mountain, the smell of various medicinal ingredients made him sink into a nostalgic yearning.
Memories of following Grandfather around to gather herbs.
As he recalled those fresh and beautiful memories, an opposite emotion once again rose in one corner of his heart.
-……..
A strange glint appeared in the Demon Monk’s white-pupiled eyes.
It was because he had been affected by the dense killing intent.
Ordinary killing intent was not something that would especially affect a resentful spirit, but what emanated from Mok Gyeong-un was different.
It was so dense that even a resentful spirit found it unpleasant.
It was a darkness different in quality from resentment formed by circumstances.
It felt closer to something primal.
-……….
At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un asked in a low voice,
“Well. Did you confirm it?”
-……..
At that question, the Demon Monk nodded.
“Where is it?”
The Demon Monk pointed with a finger toward a wall stacked full of medicinal drawers like cabinets.
At a glance, the entire wall simply looked like drawers for storing medicine.
Yet the Demon Monk was pointing there.
On the medicinal drawer the Demon Monk pointed to was written `Oyang`.
If the bark of the paulownia tree was dried for a long time in the shade, it became a medicinal ingredient called Oyang, but it was not commonly used.
‘That is plausible.’
They had deliberately chosen a drawer for a medicinal ingredient rarely used.
The reason Mok Gyeong-un had the Demon Monk confirm this was because of what had come from the Manor Lord’s mouth.
[The……me……di……cine…….hall…….basement…….jeong………stone………door…….inside……….]
Yet inside the medicine hall itself there was no entrance leading underground.
Naturally, he had expected that.
If it was a precious object enough for a woman like the First Madam to be targeting, why would it be left somewhere visible to all?
‘Well, I will know if I check.’
Mok Gyeong-un looked around the surroundings.
Right now, the place was full of medicinal attendants and those who worked in the medicine hall.
There were too many watching eyes and listening ears, so it seemed difficult to verify now.
It looked like he would have to wait for late at night.
It was as he was thinking that.
-Creak!
The one who opened the medicine hall’s door and entered was none other than Bodyguard Gochan.
The Gochan who had come inside approached Mok Gyeong-un.
To him, Mok Gyeong-un said,
“You were a little late.”
At those words, Gochan nearly frowned for a moment.
What Mok Gyeong-un had ordered him to do was not something simple like fetching water.
He had not been asked to do something that could be finished in an instant, yet now he was being reproached for being late, which felt deeply unfair.
“Where is it?”
At Mok Gyeong-un’s question, Gochan pulled two books from inside his clothing.
“Only two volumes?”
At Mok Gyeong-un’s disappointed tone, Gochan grumbled and said,
“I only managed to secretly take these before they were burned.”
“Before they were burned?”
“Yes. The guard warriors protecting the main building are burning the carrying case and all the belongings the occult practitioner brought.”
“Ah? Is that so?”
At those words, Mok Gyeong-un smacked his lips as though disappointed.
He had grown interested in the occult practitioner’s methods and had wanted to look through the books he carried.
But out of all those books, he had managed to salvage only two.
‘Overview of the Hundred Schools, Foundation of the Yin-Yang School? Introductory Treatise on Strange Phenomena?’
Those were the titles of the two books.
Still, among the books he had seen, Gochan had stolen the two thickest.
It seemed he would have to be satisfied with these for now.
“You did well.”
“But, Young Master……what did you want with the books the occult practitioner had…..”
Gochan stopped in the middle of his question.
Then he put the books he had been about to hand over back into his clothing.
Mok Gyeong-un looked at him in puzzlement, wondering what was wrong.
But he soon understood the reason.
-Stand back for a moment.
-Yes.
When new footsteps approached from outside the medicine hall and said something, the guard warriors standing at the entrance moved away from their places.
-Creeeak!
The door opened, and someone revealed herself.
It was a middle-aged woman wearing splendid clothing adorned with jewelry.
At this, Gochan lowered his head in greeting with a startled expression.
“I pay my respects to the First Madam.”
‘The First Madam?’
She was none other than Madam Seok, the First Madam of Yeon Mok Sword Manor.
A strange light appeared in Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes.
She was that woman written about in the information sheet Guard Gam had given him.
It said that, even more than the First Young Master Mok Yeong-ho, the one he should be cautious of and find dangerous was the First Madam, Madam Seok.
It also said that, since she came from the martial Seok clan of Geumhwa, her martial skill was considerable, and that she was a cunning woman.
‘This is bad…….’
Gochan too was equally flustered by her appearance.
Though Mok Gyeong-un’s appearance resembled the real one so closely that they were almost indistinguishable, Guard Gam had repeatedly warned him to prevent him from meeting people of the Mok family as much as possible, to avoid any unforeseen situation.
“By the First Madam’s order. Everyone leave.”
At the command of Ho-aeng, the one-eyed female guard warrior beside Madam Seok, everyone in the medicine hall went outside.
-Rumble!
As everyone was sent out, Bodyguard Gochan felt that something had gone wrong.
He had never directly clashed with her, so he could not understand what all this meant.
It was as he was wondering about it.
Madam Seok walked over to Mok Gyeong-un, who was sitting upright on the bed.
At this, Gochan hurriedly signaled with his eyes.
‘Greeting. Greeting.’
Understanding this, Mok Gyeong-un brought both hands together and bowed his head in courtesy.
“Please forgive me for not rising, as my leg is injured.”
He greeted her better than expected.
But the real issue started from here.
The stark difference between the fake and the real one was their voice and way of speaking.
Fortunately, this fake Mok Gyeong-un had a voice similar to that of the dead real Mok Gyeong-un, so during practice it had sounded more or less similar, but Gochan worried whether it would work.
‘Other than the First Young Master, the other young masters do not often face the First Madam directly, but……’
Madam Seok was more sensitive and suspicious than expected.
If he were exposed here, a truly worst-case situation might break out.
At that moment, Madam Seok, who had come right up in front of him, opened her mouth.
“I did not come merely to receive a greeting.”
‘Haa……’
For a moment, Gochan nearly let out a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, Madam Seok did not seem to have noticed.
It seemed she could not distinguish him from the real one as easily as feared.
For now it was still like treading on thin ice, but if only they made no mistakes, they might get through this moment safel…..
-Clench!
‘!?’
Gochan’s eyes widened.
That was because Madam Seok suddenly pressed down hard on the wound in Mok Gyeong-un’s thigh.
At that, Mok Gyeong-un lowered his head with a groan as though in pain.
“Gnnnn!”
‘D-damn it!’
At that sight, Gochan could not help being troubled.
It seemed the problem was not whether he was the real one or the fake one.
Judging by her attitude, she was suspecting whether Mok Gyeong-un had truly been injured or not.
“What did you see there, and what did you hear?”
-Press!
“Guh!”
Madam Seok said this while pressing even harder on Mok Gyeong-un’s wound.
Seeing that, Gochan could not contain his unease.
There was no way that crazy bastard could not endure pain.
But if he made even the slightest verbal mistake in this situation, they would go beyond arousing the First Madam’s suspicion and make her into an enemy.
“Madam! You seem to have some misunderstand……”
-Shing!
Gochan stepped in to stop her, but Ho-aeng, Madam Seok’s guard, drew her sword and aimed it at his neck.
“Do not interfere.”
‘You damned bitch!’
Gochan found himself at a loss over what to do.
If he could not even speak, Mok Gyeong-un would have to get through this situation alone.
Right now, they could only endure and lower themselves if they wanted to escape this situation.
With Ho-aeng, the First Madam’s guard warrior, glaring at him, he could no longer send signals even with his eyes or mouth.
-Clench!
At that moment, Madam Seok pressed harder still on Mok Gyeong-un’s thigh and demanded,
“You may not know it, but it is rare for an occult practitioner of that level, while performing occult arts, to be possessed in turn by a strange phenomenon and die. Yet you claim that you stopped such an occult practitioner from cutting off the Manor Lord’s wrist and trying to harm him? Did you think I would believe that easily…….”
-Snicker!
At the sound from Mok Gyeong-un’s mouth, Madam Seok furrowed her brow.
Up until moments ago, he had been acting as though in pain.
And now he had just sneered?
If she had heard correctly, that was the sort of sound one made when mocking someone.
“You……surely just now……”
At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un slowly raised his head.
For an instant, Madam Seok was dumbfounded by the sight of Mok Gyeong-un smiling with the corners of his mouth raised.
Had this bastard gone mad?
‘No, what is he doing now?’
Bodyguard Gochan was equally flustered.
When he was under suspicion, he should have been lowering himself as much as possible, so what kind of madness was this?
Sure enough, Madam Seok opened her mouth in a voice full of anger.
“You wretch truly…….”
“Let’s not waste our strength on useless things.”
“What?”
“You need the Manor Lord’s seal, don’t you?”
‘!?’
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