Myst, Might, Mayhem (Novel) - Chapter 150 - Repayment (3)
Chapter 150 – Repayment (3)
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Translated by Jinmu
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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“From today onward, this child is this old man’s formal disciple and a new member of the main house. Treat him as you would a blood younger brother.”
‘!?’
At the words of Baek Sa-ha, the Annihilation Poison King, no one could hide their bewilderment.
‘A formal disciple?’
In the case of his second son, Baek So-gang, he had never once imagined his father Baek Sa-ha would say such a thing.
That was because the Baek family had always valued the family bloodline above all else and had never accepted an outsider as a disciple.
Even his father, Baek Sa-ha, had upheld that tradition, so Baek So-gang had never expected him to suddenly say he would take an outsider as a disciple.
‘Just what happened inside?’
He had already kept wondering what exactly had happened in there to make his father Baek Sa-ha undergo Transforming the Bones and Replacing the Marrow.
Something had to have happened, or there was no way his father would treat this child so favorably.
Had he perhaps given him the hint of enlightenment?
At that moment Baek Sa-ha said,
“Why are you not answering?”
“Ah, understood. I will do so.”
Within the Baek family, the Manor Lord’s command was absolute.
If Manor Lord Baek Sa-ha had decided it, then that was how it was.
But then Mok Gyeong-un cut in.
“A disciple?”
“Heh heh, why are you so surprised? Since you will receive this old man’s instruction, you are now a disciple.”
At those words, Mok Gyeong-un said in a troubled tone,
“Receiving instruction is only because of the three head plaques….”
“Well now, what shall I do?”
“Pardon?”
“To teach someone with as deep an understanding of poison as you, boy, this old man must at the very least pass on my unique supreme art, the Wave Demon Poison Scripture. But that cannot be done for an outsider.”
“Th-the Wave Demon Poison Scripture? Father?”
At those words, his second son Baek So-gang asked in shock.
That was only natural, since the Wave Demon Poison Scripture was not some ordinary martial art or poison art of the Baek family, but one of its true secret transmissions.
The Wave Demon Poison Scripture was a poison art belonging to the class of supreme martial learning, one that only those of the main family bloodline qualified to become Manor Lord could practice, so hearing that it would be passed on could only be shocking.
“Even if it is the benefit of the head plaques, that is….”
“Is that not why I said I would take him as a formal disciple? Do you mean to object to the command of this Manor Lord?”
“N-no, I do not.”
Baek So-gang waved his hands in alarm.
Baek Sa-ha, the Manor Lord and the Annihilation Poison King, never once withdrew something after he had decided it.
In particular, if anyone tried to object to something he had set down as the Manor Lord’s command, they would instead pay the price under strict discipline.
‘Ahhh.’
Mok Gyeong-un clicked his tongue inwardly at Baek Sa-ha’s decision.
He had already thought since earlier that for all his talk of repaying debts, the scale of the repayment was larger than expected, but he had not thought there would be such a scheme behind it.
So Mok Gyeong-un brought his hands together in a cupped-fist salute and said,
“Elder. I appreciate your consideration, but I am the Shadow Sect Master’s disciple. I already have a master, so how could I….”
“Is there any rule that says one cannot have two masters?”
“……”
There was no such rule.
But this was not a matter of rules.
“Even if propriety allows it, this is still toward the Shadow Sect Master….”
“I will go personally to the Shadow Sect Master and ask his understanding, so do not worry on that point.”
“……”
No matter what he said, it seemed Baek Sa-ha intended to take him as a disciple without fail.
Mok Gyeong-un found it bothersome inwardly, but as he lacked a proper reason to refuse, he stopped objecting further.
But at some point, both Jang Neung-ak, the Society Leader’s second disciple, and Wi So-yeon, the third disciple, had turned their gazes away from Baek Sa-ha, the Annihilation Poison King, and fixed them on him instead.
Mok Gyeong-un smacked his lips at their strange gazes.
‘……So that was it.’
He thought he understood why Baek Sa-ha had deliberately announced in front of them that he would take him as a disciple.
It was to draw the troublesome attention, which had been pestering Baek Sa-ha for support, away from himself and onto Mok Gyeong-un.
It was a kind of calculated move.
By Baek Sa-ha’s public declaration, Mok Gyeong-un had, regardless of his own will, become the joint disciple of the Annihilation Poison King, one of the Five Kings, and the Shadow Sect Master.
As a result, he had become an even more tempting prize to those who sought the succession.
* * *
It was only after being harried for nearly one shichen that Mok Gyeong-un was finally able to leave the Baek family’s estate together with the guard Seok-jung.
Stubborn as he was, Baek Sa-ha, the Annihilation Poison King, was also possessed of a deeply troublesome personality.
He had made Mok Gyeong-un attend his grandson’s first-birthday feast and introduced him one by one to the Baek family blood relatives so that they could become acquainted.
Mok Gyeong-un found it highly bothersome, but he showed none of it and played along with Baek Sa-ha’s pace.
The reason was that Baek Sa-ha was one of the Five Kings, an upper executive.
‘For now, the Annihilation Poison King is the path.’
Given Baek Sa-ha’s position, there was a high possibility of making contact with the Society Leader through him.
That was why, even while finding it troublesome, Mok Gyeong-un had reluctantly accepted when the man said he would take him as a disciple.
It remained to be seen how this would work out, but in one way or another, making contact with the Society Leader was Mok Gyeong-un’s highest priority now.
While that was happening, once they were some distance from the Baek family estate, Blue Spirit’s voice rang by his ear.
-In the end, it seems your judgment was the correct one.
-Judgment?
-Yes. Someone at the level of the Annihilation Poison King makes the finest ally.
-I do not know. He seems more like a troublesome old man.
-Because you helped that troublesome old man, have you not gained the chance to learn the Wave Demon Poison Scripture, called the greatest of poison arts?
-Well, that is true.
Baek Sa-ha, the Annihilation Poison King, had publicly declared in front of the Baek family blood relatives that he would take Mok Gyeong-un as his formal disciple, then brought him straight to the Manor Lord’s pavilion and immediately showed him the verses of the Wave Demon Poison Scripture.
It was because Mok Gyeong-un showed little reaction even after being accepted as a disciple, and Baek Sa-ha wanted to show him how extraordinary the Baek family’s unique supreme art, the Wave Demon Poison Scripture, truly was.
Thanks to that, Mok Gyeong-un memorized all the verses of the Wave Demon Poison Scripture after only a single reading on the spot.
Naturally, Baek Sa-ha, the Annihilation Poison King, did not know this fact.
-There is no martial art as irregular as poison arts. And in facing many opponents, it may be called the very best.
-Many opponents……Yes, I suppose so.
-In any case, it is not a bad…. Why do you stop?
Blue Spirit had been speaking to Mok Gyeong-un, then abruptly asked.
The reason was that Mok Gyeong-un, who had been walking, came to a halt and looked somewhere.
Guard Seok-jung, puzzled as well, asked,
“Young Master. Whatever is the matter?”
“It seems there is a guest who has been waiting for us.”
“Pardon?”
As he asked back, someone walked out from the right-hand corner.
The instant he saw the man, Guard Seok-jung’s eyes went wide.
‘U-Wu Ho-rang, Great Unit Leader?’
It was none other than Wu Ho-rang, the eldest disciple of Son Yun, the Fate Blade King, and the Great Unit Leader of the Jue Que Corps.
He was one of the Five Tigers, called one of the greatest younger-generation talents within the Heaven and Earth Society, and could also be called the right arm of Wi So-yeon, the Society Leader’s third disciple.
Wu Ho-rang looked at Mok Gyeong-un with indifferent eyes and opened his mouth.
“Your qi sense is sharper than your appearance suggests.”
“That is because you were not making any particular effort to hide your presence.”
“Hmph.”
Wu Ho-rang snorted.
Just as Mok Gyeong-un had said, he had not hidden his presence from the start.
Unless it was a special case, he considered hiding oneself to be something done only by spies and rats.
Wu Ho-rang gave Mok Gyeong-un a brief look up and down.
‘A strange fellow. How did he do it?’
The aura he felt from Mok Gyeong-un was only at the threshold of the peak realm at most.
With that level of martial power, he should never have been able to handle his junior fellow disciple Yeop Wi-seon, yet it was said that he had defeated him.
And according to his mistress Wi So-yeon, this fellow’s true martial level might even have reached the transcendent realm.
If what she said was true, then this fellow had learned a peculiar method that allowed him to hide his martial level almost perfectly.
‘He has learned a troublesome method.’
But that did not matter to Wu Ho-rang.
No matter what method the boy had learned, he only needed to cut him down.
Wu Ho-rang said to Mok Gyeong-un,
“Do you know why I was waiting for you?”
“Who knows.”
“I heard you are a clever fellow. Can you not guess?”
“There is no way for me to know whether it is for personal business or because of an order from the mistress you serve.”
“What?”
“If you were waiting only because of an order from the mistress you serve, then I do not think you would be looking at me so unpleasantly.”
At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, Wu Ho-rang gave a cold snort.
Just as his mistress had said, the fellow indeed had a crafty side.
Perhaps because of that, he disliked him even more.
“You are right. I do not find you pleasing in the least. Starting with the fact that you came from the orthodox hostage line, and for several other reasons as well.”
“Several other reasons?”
“Yes. Several.”
“Hmm. Then that simply means you do not like me.”
“I will not deny it.”
“I see. I do not think there is anything I can do about feelings like that, so may I ask what business you have with me?”
“The young lady ordered me to bring you.”
“Me?”
“Yes. Since it is the young lady’s command, you understand that you have no right to refuse.”
At Wu Ho-rang’s words, Mok Gyeong-un smiled inwardly.
Just as expected.
Even though they had failed to achieve their goal at the Baek family estate, they had withdrawn without resistance while still giving him meaningful looks, and that had likely been to set up this moment.
“……Of course. Then should I simply follow you?”
“Yes. But first.”
“Yes?”
“Should we not settle what must be settled?”
“Settle what must be settled?”
-Gooooooo!
No sooner had he spoken than Wu Ho-rang released a fierce force.
It was so savage that Guard Seok-jung unconsciously took a step back.
Mok Gyeong-un opened his mouth, his eyes narrowing.
“That seems somewhat at odds with the will of the mistress you serve. Is that truly acceptable?”
“This is purely a matter between you and me.”
“A matter between you and me?”
“I heard you showed off your martial skill against Junior Brother Yeop.”
“Ahhh. So that is what this was about after all?”
“Because of you, my junior fellow disciple is now shut away in the confinement chamber. Of course he bears fault as well, but how could I simply let it pass for one who is as close to me as a brother?”
At those words, Mok Gyeong-un sneered inwardly.
Was it truly only because of his junior fellow disciple?
No matter how he looked at it, it did not seem to be only that.
It seemed better to say it stemmed from far more personal feelings.
What concerned his junior fellow disciple was merely a pretext.
So Mok Gyeong-un smiled faintly and said in a troubled tone,
“Ahhh. I see. But tell me, do you know why Miss Wi So-yeon is calling for me?”
“I do.”
How could he not?
As one of Wi So-yeon’s trusted followers, he understood her intentions better than anyone.
Under ordinary circumstances, he would naturally have suppressed his own feelings and done his utmost as a subordinate to fulfill what she wanted.
Yet strangely enough, he could not shake the thought that this fellow absolutely must not be placed at the young lady’s side.
Even if it meant ruining things because of his own feelings.
-Shrring!
Wu Ho-rang drew his unique weapon, the Nine Harmony Blade, and said,
“I heard the young lady gave you a token.”
“Yes. So?”
“I too have a token.”
“Ah, is that so?”
“Let us wager our tokens and fight. If you win, I will give you the token I received from my mistress. But if you lose, I will take back that token.”
This was Wu Ho-rang’s real purpose.
To recover Wi So-yeon’s token from Mok Gyeong-un.
At his words, Mok Gyeong-un suddenly let out a small laugh.
“Pfft.”
“You……did you just laugh?”
“Yes. I did.”
-Gooooooo!
At that moment, fierce killing intent flared from Wu Ho-rang.
How dare a mere brat laugh at him?
As that thought flashed through him, Mok Gyeong-un lightly waved his hand and said,
“Ah, if that offended you, my apologies. I could see what was in your heart, so I ended up laughing without meaning to.”
“What is in my heart?”
“Yes.”
“What nonsense are you talking about? How could you possibly know what is in my….”
“It seems to me that rather than wanting to help what your mistress wants come true, you are desperate to make your mistress your own, are you not?”
‘!?’
Wu Ho-rang froze for an instant.
At his reaction, the corner of Mok Gyeong-un’s mouth rose.
It seemed his guess had indeed been correct.
-Flash!
At that moment Wu Ho-rang’s blade shot toward Mok Gyeong-un’s neck with the speed of lightning and stopped against his skin.
Yet because of the sharp edge, the skin split and blood trickled down.
“Are you trying to mock me?”
At Wu Ho-rang’s low words, dripping with killing intent, Mok Gyeong-un shrugged.
“Of course not.”
“And yet….”
“I merely spoke the truth, but if you get this agitated, it only makes me more certain.”
“You!”
-Pahk!
At that moment Mok Gyeong-un seized the body of Wu Ho-rang’s Nine Harmony Blade.
Wu Ho-rang tried to wrench it free.
But astonishingly, even though he drew out nearly six stars’ worth of internal power, the blade body did not budge in the slightest.
‘This fellow’s internal power?’
It far exceeded his expectations.
It seemed that what his mistress Wi So-yeon had said, that this fellow might truly have reached the transcendent realm, was actually true.
To the astonished man, Mok Gyeong-un said with a smile,
“Well, I can understand it. Even if you want the woman you love to do well, if she truly becomes the successor, then the distance between you only hardens and grows wider, so you would not actually be all that attached to her becoming the successor. That is why you used your junior fellow disciple as a pretext and tried to seize Miss Wi’s token from me like this.”
‘!!!!!!’
At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, Wu Ho-rang’s expression completely stiffened.
They had not spoken for long, and yet this fellow had completely seen through what was in his heart.
What kind of monster was this?
As he stood there thinking that,
“But tell me, do you think you can take it from me?”
-Kkikikikik!
The blade body of the Nine Harmony Blade, caught in Mok Gyeong-un’s hand, began to bend little by little.