Myst, Might, Mayhem (Novel) - Chapter 164 - Proposal (3)
Chapter 164 – Proposal (3)
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Translated by Jinmu
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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‘This is?’
Wi So-yeon was unable to hide her astonishment for a moment.
That high-speed movement art Mok Gyeong-un had just displayed.
If her eyes had not deceived her, it was Bright Manifest Water-Crossing Step, the unique body-lightening art of eldest senior brother Na Yul-ryang.
[Master, why is it that eldest senior brother’s body-lightening art is different from ours?]
[Heh heh heh. Are you talking about Bright Manifest Water-Crossing Step?]
[Bright Manifest Water-Crossing Step?]
[Yes. The body-lightening art of the Na family that your eldest senior brother learned, Bright Manifest Water-Crossing Step, was once counted as one of the three greatest body-lightening arts in the Central Plains.]
[One of the greatest body-lightening arts?]
[Yes. Together with Wudang Sect’s Ladder Cloud Leap, considered the most wondrous of them all, and Mussang Castle’s Wind and Cloud Steps, which vanished long ago with the remnants of the old murim but was regarded as the finest in speed and endless variation, it made its name as one of the three greatest body-lightening arts.]
[Ah. To have learned something so incredible…]
[But that too is a thing of the past. If you complete the Sun and Moon Steps this master passed on to you, you will surely reign over all under heaven in a single step.]
[Reign over all under heaven!]
Those words her master had told her more than ten years ago suddenly came back to mind.
Even after ten years had passed, Wi So-yeon still had not properly grasped the mysteries of Sun and Moon Steps.
No, she was not even certain whether it really was a step art capable of ruling all under heaven as her master had said.
Because no matter how much she practiced, she had not been able to surpass eldest senior brother’s Bright Manifest Water-Crossing Step.
The same was true for second senior brother Jang Neung-ak.
In any case, that was not what mattered now.
“How do you know Bright Manifest Water-Crossing Step?”
“Bright Manifest Water-Crossing Step?”
“Yes. Do you think I would fail to recognize eldest senior brother’s Bright Manifest Water-Crossing Step?”
“Ah…”
Mok Gyeong-un let out a soft exclamation.
It really did seem they were fellow disciples after all.
As he had sparred with Na Yul-ryang and found his body-lightening art extremely efficient, he had watched it closely and learned the stepping method.
And yet she had recognized it at a glance.
“You have a keen eye.”
-Flash!
The instant those words ended, the tip of Wi So-yeon’s sword-finger sign, formed from her index and middle fingers, touched Mok Gyeong-un’s throat.
Sharp sword energy was flowing from it, making it no different from an actual sword.
A strange light rose in Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes.
That was because there had not been the slightest wasted motion in her movement.
“Your hand is fast.”
“You… what exactly are you?”
“Pardon?”
“Could you perhaps be someone eldest senior brother planted?”
“Eldest senior brother? Ah. Are you referring to Great Young Master Na Yul-ryang?”
“Stop playing dumb. Eldest senior brother is the kind of man who did not even reveal the oral formula or qi-circulation method of his footwork to master. Do you think a man like that would casually teach his unique body-lightening art to someone?”
At her words, Mok Gyeong-un gave a faint laugh.
“Are you laughing right now?”
“Ah. My apologies. It feels like I led you into a misunderstanding of some kind.”
“A misunderstanding?”
“Yes.”
“What is supposed to be the misunderstanding?”
“Of course it is true that I learned this body-lightening art from Great Young Master Na, but it is not the sort of thing miss is thinking.”
“Not?”
“Yes. Rather than that, would it be better to say that I simply learned it?”
“Simply? What exactly are you talking about right now?”
One of Wi So-yeon’s eyebrows rose.
She believed at that moment that Mok Gyeong-un was toying with her.
No, from the point when he had already reduced all her close aides to this state right before her eyes, it was no different from crossing a line from which they could no longer come together.
-Gooooooo!
A strong killing intent poured out of Wi So-yeon.
It was as though she might stab or cut Mok Gyeong-un’s throat at any moment.
Yet despite carrying such immense anger and killing intent, she was restraining herself.
The reason was that if Na Yul-ryang truly was behind Mok Gyeong-un, then attacking him would mean making enemies not only of eldest senior brother, but also of the Shadow Sect Master and the Annihilation Poison King.
Maintaining her calm as much as possible, Wi So-yeon said,
“Speak precisely. What relationship do you have with eldest senior brother?”
“There isn’t any particular relationship.”
“And you expect me to believe tha…”
“Come to think of it, it would be more accurate to say we are not on very good terms right now.”
“Not on very good terms?”
“Yes. More than that, wouldn’t it be better to talk about miss and me?”
At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, Wi So-yeon gave a snort.
“I suppose that after putting Great Young Master, the Annihilation Poison King, and the Shadow Sect Master behind you, you no longer see anything before you. Seeing as you do not even bother to answer what I say.”
At her sharp words, Mok Gyeong-un shrugged and said,
“I answered you properly. If there is more you wish to ask…”
-Papak!
At that moment Wi So-yeon’s left hand moved.
Her hand flashed like lightning as she tried to strike Mok Gyeong-un’s chest acupoints.
But then,
-Pak!
‘!?’
Wi So-yeon frowned.
That was because the wrist of the hand with which she had tried to strike his acupoints was already caught by Mok Gyeong-un.
Because of this, caution entered her eyes.
‘He caught my wrist?’
She had already been certain that Mok Gyeong-un’s martial prowess had advanced another step from before.
That was why she had used a proper acupoint-sealing technique without going easy on him in the slightest.
And yet he had snatched that wrist away.
That meant Mok Gyeong-un’s martial prowess had grown far stronger than she had thought.
“You… just how much stronger have you become?”
Wi So-yeon asked directly without beating around the bush.
To her question, Mok Gyeong-un answered as if it were nothing,
“Who knows. It doesn’t seem to be all that satisfactory a level yet.”
“What?”
Was he mocking her right now?
His martial prowess had increased enough to lightly seize the wrist of the hand with which she had fully intended to strike his acupoints, and yet he said it was unsatisfactory?
Of course, that was the truth.
Mok Gyeong-un was not the least bit satisfied with his current martial prowess.
However, from Wi So-yeon’s point of view, there was no way she could believe such genuine thoughts from Mok Gyeong-un.
“…What in the world is your real identity?”
A son of Yeon Mok Sword Manor, a prestigious orthodox martial family.
An orthodox hostage brought into the Heaven and Earth Society.
The top passer of Corpse Blood Valley.
Disciple of the Shadow Sect Master.
Disciple of Baek Sa-ha, the Annihilation Poison King.
In not even half a month, his martial prowess had risen at an astonishing pace, and he had even learned eldest senior brother Na Yul-ryang’s unique body-lightening art.
Each and every step of the process was so difficult to connect that it was almost impossible to understand.
Staring at Mok Gyeong-un, Wi So-yeon said,
“Are you perhaps even a disciple of eldest senior brother?”
“I told you no.”
“If not, then give me definite proof that it truly is not…”
At that moment, before she had even finished speaking, Mok Gyeong-un pointed at his waist.
At Mok Gyeong-un’s waist hung a small leather pouch stained with blood.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Would it be fair to say there’s something like spoils in here?”
“Spoils?”
What in the world was this fellow talking about now?
While she stared in puzzlement, Mok Gyeong-un slipped his hand into the pouch and took something out.
Wi So-yeon’s eyes widened at the sight of it.
“You?”
What Mok Gyeong-un held in his hand was nothing less than an eyeball.
But this eyeball was somewhat different from that of an ordinary person, for the color of its pupil shone silver.
‘!!!!!!!’
At the sight of it, Wi So-yeon’s expression immediately hardened.
For a moment, she found it difficult to believe this.
And that was only natural, because if what she was thinking was right, the owner of this eyeball was
“Eldest senior brother?”
“Well now. Just like with the body-lightening art, you recognized it at a glance.”
‘What in the world is this…’
For a moment Wi So-yeon was utterly bewildered.
She had seen the pupil of eldest senior brother’s right eye turn silver exactly once.
That had been during a spar with Won Byeong-hak, the Thunderbolt Fist King.
Because chances to witness the martial prowess of the Five Kings, the highest masters and upper executives of the Heaven and Earth Society, were rare, she had attended that spar.
At that time Wi So-yeon had been able to see the change in one of eldest senior brother’s pupils.
‘Impossible.’
But then what in the world did this mean?
How could this be in Mok Gyeong-un’s hand?
“You… how do you…”
“How am I in possession of this? I told you, didn’t I? That it’s something like spoils of war.”
Spoils of war?
Could it be that he had actually crossed hands with eldest senior brother?
To her bewilderment, Mok Gyeong-un said with a faint smile,
“I think this much should be enough to explain my relationship with Great Young Master, so shouldn’t we now talk about miss?”
“Me?”
“Yes. Didn’t I tell you earlier? That I wanted to speak with you alone. But about now, wouldn’t it be best if you moved this hand away?”
With a glance, Mok Gyeong-un indicated Wi So-yeon’s sword-finger sign.
But with her caution toward Mok Gyeong-un having risen to its peak, there was no way she would so easily withdraw her sword-fingers.
“…I can’t believe it.”
“Ah. Let’s put this away first…”
“Eldest senior brother is a peerless master who crossed the wall and entered the realm of transformation. Then how could you possibly have his eye?”
Wi So-yeon’s voice grew louder.
At that moment, all of her attention was focused solely on this.
Though master had praised her for possessing such an inborn body and martial talent, no matter how much her martial prowess improved, she had never been able to picture herself defeating eldest senior brother.
But how could this man, who only half a month ago had been no more than a master of the absolute peak realm, possibly have brought down eldest senior brother?
“Impossible. No matter how much your martial arts have advanced, eldest senior brother is…”
“Yes. It seems I still couldn’t do it alone.”
“What?”
“If master had not helped as well, it would have been hard to subdue him cleanly.”
“Master, you say…”
“Master the Annihilation Poison King gave me assistance partway through. Because of that, what was originally meant to be kept quiet ended up going a bit off course.”
“What are you saying right now…”
“Exactly what you heard. As you can see, because of this matter, it seems I will become estranged from Great Young Master. Thanks to that, it has become quite troublesome. It is still difficult for me to deal with Great Young Master, and I hear that among the three successors his supporting power base is also the most solid.”
-Slide!
With those words, Mok Gyeong-un placed the eyeball back into his pouch.
And then, as if it were nothing, he grasped Wi So-yeon’s sword-finger sign in his hand.
-Pak!
‘!?’
Wi So-yeon’s pupils shook.
Though it was not astral qi focused through true qi, he calmly grabbed the hand whose sword energy had been honed sharply.
And not content with that, Mok Gyeong-un tried to push her sword-finger sign away from his throat.
At that, Wi So-yeon, whose vigilance had reached its height, drew up her power.
‘Good. If he truly is strong enough to contend with eldest senior brother, then I will see with my own eyes just how much his power has risen.’
-Gooooooo!
For the first time in years, Wi So-yeon drew up her power to its utmost.
Because of her inborn constitution, in internal power at least even second senior brother Jang Neung-ak could not match her, and she was even evaluated as being close to the realm of transformation.
‘Oh?’
A strange light appeared in Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes.
Since he had opened Ghost Eyes, he had been able to gauge her force to some degree.
But it was beyond what he had expected.
-Kwaduduk!
The moment the contest of internal power unfolded, cracks formed in the courtyard floor beneath their feet.
Soon even the dirt and sand on the ground trembled and leapt into the air in all directions.
-Jjeojeojeojeok!
The force of the two of them was so great that even the cracks in the ground spread wider and wider.
Wi So-yeon, still drawing up her energy further, was inwardly unable to hide her surprise.
Although she still had not crossed the wall, because of the strange bodily constitution called Celestial Yin Severed Meridian, her internal power was close to the realm of transformation.
Yet Mok Gyeong-un did not yield in the slightest even to such internal power of hers.
-Ulkeok!
Soon Wi So-yeon felt blood rising from within toward her throat.
Thanks to master, she had become able to handle the force of Celestial Yin Severed Meridian, but if she exceeded the line of internal power she could endure, all the meridians in her body would run wild.
Wi So-yeon looked at Mok Gyeong-un.
Unlike herself, who was gradually finding it harder and harder, Mok Gyeong-un was not only expressionless but positively full of ease.
Because of that, she was ultimately forced to admit it.
‘Beyond this is impossible.’
If they continued the clash further, she would be the one placed at a disadvantage.
Looking at Mok Gyeong-un now, he was not even using his full strength, but was only raising his force to match her internal power.
‘So it was true.’
There was no doubt that this boy had crossed the wall.
Once she became certain of that, it was enough to leave her not just dumbfounded but even hollow.
At length, Wi So-yeon began to lower her power little by little.
In the end, she was the one taking a step back.
-Seureureureu!
As both of them lowered their power, the dirt and sand that had been springing up in every direction quietly settled down.
Wi So-yeon said as though she was truly astonished,
“…You really are a monster.”
“I can’t tell whether that’s praise or not.”
“I’ve never seen anyone whose martial arts advance this quickly. Even eldest senior brother, whom everyone praised as a genius, could not have been to this degree.”
“Who knows. One can never be sure.”
Wi So-yeon clicked her tongue inwardly, thinking Mok Gyeong-un was merely feigning modesty.
But Mok Gyeong-un truly felt no particular emotion about it.
To such a Mok Gyeong-un, Wi So-yeon said,
“…I think I understand why you fought eldest senior brother.”
“You think you understand?”
“Yes. Even if eldest senior brother wants talent, he does not want someone he cannot handle.”
At those words, Mok Gyeong-un let out a soft laugh.
As expected of fellow disciples, she knew Great Young Master Na Yul-ryang remarkably well.
“Since you know so well, then you must also know why I came here now.”
“Since you said you have become estranged from eldest senior brother, you need the shade of the other successors.”
“Well, you could say it is a similar reason.”
At Mok Gyeong-un’s answer, Wi So-yeon said as though she could not understand,
“But then why did you go this far? If you came because you needed me, then in the end…”
“No.”
Before Wi So-yeon could even finish speaking, Mok Gyeong-un denied it.
She frowned and said,
“No? Then why in the world do something like this…”
“To show you.”
“What?”
“How unfit miss is as a successor.”
At those words from Mok Gyeong-un that struck her to the bone, Wi So-yeon’s expression grew fierce.
So after making her subordinates end up in that state and insisting on speaking with her alone, it was all just to spout such things?
She was growing angry and dumbfounded, when Mok Gyeong-un said with a smile,
“So with that said, please give that body to me.”
‘!?’
At that instant, her expression froze stiff.