Myst, Might, Mayhem (Novel) - Chapter 188 - Peak (2)

Chapter 188 – Peak (2)

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Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Mok Gyeong-un headed for the inner castle’s main hall, following the Shadow Sect martial artist.

Before long, Blue Spirit came flying over beside him with a pipe in her mouth.

She said to Mok Gyeong-un,

“Hey, sentient being. I passed it on to that brat Go Chan.”

“Thank you.”

Mok Gyeong-un sent her a voice transmission.

Since he had ended up in a situation where he could not go at once, he had sent Blue Spirit and ordered Go Chan, who was possessing the body of Jang Neung-ak, the Society Leader’s second disciple, to send someone to Baek Sa-ha, the Annihilation Poison King, in his place.

Blue Spirit clicked her tongue and said,

“Honestly, whenever it has to do with revenge, you stop looking before and after.”

In truth, the moment the chance to meet the Society Leader had appeared, Mok Gyeong-un had unhesitatingly been about to put off going to find Baek Sa-ha in order to ask him to persuade Son Yun, the King of the Fate Blade.

Because of that, Blue Spirit had stepped forward and said she would pass the message through Go Chan.

At her scolding, Mok Gyeong-un replied as if it were nothing.

“A chance to see the Society Leader will not come easily.”

“Hmph. Your mind has gone elsewhere, so your judgment is getting clouded.”

“Blue Spirit helped me, so it worked out.”

“How did it work out? Tsk tsk. Putting that aside, even if you meet the Society Leader right now, do you think you can do anything?”

“Who knows.”

“Oh, stop it. Sentient being. Even if he is ill, he is still practically one of the peaks of the present martial world. Do you think you can immediately hear the answer you want from someone like that?”

Mok Gyeong-un had only one objective.

It was to hear, through the Society Leader, about the connection to the Ghost Sword and about his identity.

Of course, Mok Gyeong-un also did not think this would be possible immediately.

Still, through this opportunity he would be able to gauge what kind of person the Society Leader was, and how strong he was, so he could not let it pass.

‘Peak…’

The Six Heavens, who were called the peaks of the present martial world.

The Society Leader was one of those Six Heavens.

There was the clue for revenge, but he was also undeniably curious.

He wanted to know just how wide the gap would be between himself and one who was called the peak, a grandmaster, the greatest master among countless martial artists.

Blue Spirit said to him,

“Sentient being.”

“Yes.”

“This time at least, I will warn you clearly. If, as I expect, the Six Heavens, the current peaks of the martial world, have crossed beyond the wall beyond the wall, then you must never provoke them.”

“You are very concerned.”

“Do you know what it is called when one goes beyond the wall beyond the wall?”

“Who knows?”

“It is called the Profound Realm. The hyeon means heaven or the highest. It means reaching the supreme domain that cannot be touched.”

“An unreachable… domain.”

“Yes. Of course, your present level too is already a realm that ordinary martial artists would never even dare dream of. But the Profound Realm is completely different in kind.”

At her words, Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes narrowed.

Judging by the fact that she was warning him to this extent, that realm called the Profound Realm seemed to possess power beyond imagination in martial arts.

He might not be allowed to let down his guard.

Not long after moving like that, Mok Gyeong-un at last arrived, following the Shadow Sect martial artist, in front of the main building of the inner castle.

So he thought he would go inside, but then,

“Chaeng.”

The two martial artists guarding the entrance to the main building crossed their spears and blocked the way.

Mok Gyeong-un asked the Shadow Sect martial artist in puzzlement,

“Did you not say I was told to come to the main building?”

“The Sect Master certainly said so.”

The Shadow Sect martial artist also looked puzzled, as though he did not understand either.

So Mok Gyeong-un brought his hands together in a fist-and-palm salute and said,

“Excuse me. I am Mok Gyeong-un, disciple of the Shadow Sect Master. Right now, we…”

“Disciple of the Shadow Sect Master?”

Before Mok Gyeong-un had even finished speaking, one of the martial artists guarding the entrance asked.

“Yes. That is correct.”

“We have been waiting. Follow me.”

Fortunately, there had been no mistake.

The Shadow Sect martial artist, having finished guiding him, offered his respects and went back.

Mok Gyeong-un entered the main building, following the martial artist who had been guarding the entrance.

But then,

‘Hm?’

Why were they not going upstairs, and instead heading down a corridor?

He had known that the main building of the inner castle was the largest building in the Heaven and Earth Society, but seeing such a long corridor continue on, it seemed even bigger than he had expected.

The martial artist who had been walking along the corridor turned right and guided him into a passage that seemed to lead outside.

As soon as he entered there, a very wide space revealed itself.

‘This is?’

There were countless weapons and training tools here and there.

It appeared to be a training ground.

What was unusual was that thick walls blocked all sides, making it seem as though no one could intrude or leave as they pleased.

But one of Mok Gyeong-un’s eyebrows rose slightly.

Naturally, he had assumed he would be guided to where the Shadow Sect Master and the Society Leader were.

Yet the ones waiting here were not them, but young men who looked to be in their mid and late twenties.

The young man who looked to be in his mid twenties, with handsome features and a red leather belt at his waist, sat in meditation, while the other, a heavily muscled young man in his late twenties, leaned against the wall and chewed something that looked like dumplings.

Mok Gyeong-un asked,

“My master, no, the Shadow Sect Master, is nowhere to be seen.”

“I was told to have you wait here.”

“By the Shadow Sect Master?”

“No.”

“Then by whom?”

“It is the Society Leader’s order.”

‘The Society Leader?’

The Society Leader had told him to wait here together with them?

It was hard to guess what this was about.

While he was puzzled, the martial artist who had guarded the entrance simply left as though his business was done.

It was a very strange situation.

If they had simply told him to wait alone, that would have been one thing, but to tell him to wait with strangers without any introduction at all was another matter.

‘Hmm.’

Since he could not understand what was going on, there was no choice but to wait.

Then the young man who looked to be in his late twenties, the one leaning against the wall and eating dumplings, walked over and said,

“Well now. So you’re that famous disciple of the Shadow Sect Master.”

“…”

Mok Gyeong-un looked at him in silence.

Then the young man in his late twenties held out the skewer with dumplings on it and said,

“Want one?”

“I’ll decline.”

Mok Gyeong-un lightly shook his head.

The young man gave a snort of laughter, then hooked a thumb toward the young man sitting in meditation with his eyes closed and said as if displeased,

“Still, unlike that guy, you at least look like someone I can talk to.”

“Who are you?”

“Me? Or that guy?”

“Either one.”

It would be nice if he told him both.

The young man shrugged and pointed his thumb at himself as he said,

“I am Seop Chun, Third Guard Captain of the main hall.”

“A main hall guard captain?”

At that introduction, an unusual light showed in Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes.

This was information he had heard not from the Shadow Sect Master but from Yi Ji-yeom, the Master of Corpse Cadavers.

[The place in the inner castle with the thickest military strength is the main hall itself.]

[Because the Society Leader is there?]

[Yes. The Society Leader is the very center of the Heaven and Earth Society.]

[I see. Do you know roughly what level they are at?]

[It is hard to grasp the hidden strength, but speaking only of the revealed strength, the main hall has three guard units, each composed of thirty men.]

[Thirty-man units? Even all together that is only ninety men… Smaller than I thought.]

The number had been smaller than he expected.

As if he had known Mok Gyeong-un would react that way, Yi Ji-yeom had said,

[At first hearing it may sound that way, but every single one of them is elite.]

[Elite?]

[Yes. They are called units, but every single person is a peak master equal in skill to the leader of an ordinary unit, and the guard captains possess martial power on the level of great unit leaders.]

[A guard captain at the level of a great unit leader… The gap is definite.]

[Yes. The guard captains are people who would have no problem becoming great unit leaders in the first place. Ah, come to think of it, the most recently appointed Third Guard Captain came from the Corpse Blood Valley passage.]

[From here?]

[That is right. He came to mind thanks to you, my lord.]

[Thanks to me?]

[Yes. Like you, that fellow also left as top rank from the passage eight years ago after obtaining three top-rank plaques.]

[Three? He must have done well.]

Even obtaining a single top-rank plaque in the Corpse Blood Valley passage was very difficult.

Obtaining two or more could truly be called exceptional.

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, Yi Ji-yeom had spoken with unusual seriousness.

[It is beyond simply doing well. He is such an oddball that he gave up several passages, but if he had set his mind to it, it would not have been strange if he had received top-rank plaques from all of them.]

[You mean it would not have been strange if he had taken them all?]

[Yes. He stopped at that level only because he gave them up himself, but that fellow’s martial talent is certainly at a level worthy of being called genius.]

[Hmm. Interesting. What is that fellow’s name?]

[Seop Chun. I understand that he also belongs to the Five Tigers, who are called the most outstanding younger masters in the Society.]

Recalling that conversation with Yi Ji-yeom, the Master of Corpse Cadavers, Mok Gyeong-un looked at the face of Seop Chun, the Third Guard Captain of the main hall, with eyes carrying a strange light.

There were only two people whom Yi Ji-yeom, as the Master of Corpse Cadavers, had praised for their martial talent.

One was Great Young Master Na Yul-ryang, and the other was this man Seop Chun.

“No, but when the top junior of this Corpse Blood Valley batch stares at me like that, this really leaves me not knowing where to put myself.”

Seop Chun said that while crossing both arms over his prominently muscled chest.

At the sight, Mok Gyeong-un gave a brief laugh.

He had heard only praise about his martial talent and knew nothing of what kind of person he was, but he seemed to be someone with a very outgoing and playful disposition.

After quickly sweeping his gaze over him, Mok Gyeong-un looked at the saber at his waist and found it odd.

‘It looks light.’

It was inside a saber sheath, but its length appeared to be around four ja.

Yet even the sheath itself looked fairly slim, making the saber seem extremely light.

Sensing Mok Gyeong-un’s gaze, Seop Chun said,

“Ahh. As expected of the Shadow Sect Master’s disciple, you’ve got a strong interest in blades.”

“For someone so muscular, you carry a very light saber.”

“You’ve got a sharp eye.”

“Even without a sharp eye, it looks that way.”

Shing.

No sooner had Mok Gyeong-un finished speaking than the saber was already out of the sheath.

As expected, it looked quite thin and light.

It even gave off a fluttering impression.

But despite that lightness, the faint radiance flowing from the blade made it clear it was no ordinary saber.

Mok Gyeong-un stared at the blade and murmured,

“Frenzied Dance?”

The name Frenzied Dance had been engraved on the inside of the sharp blade.

At Mok Gyeong-un’s murmur, Seop Chun bared his teeth and said,

“That fellow’s name.”

“That fellow?”

“Yeah. To a swordsman, the blade is a companion for life. Of course it’s a friend.”

“Is that so?”

“Your reaction is less fun than I expected. I even showed you my friend. But you are the Shadow Sect Master’s disciple, and yet… that isn’t a blade.”

Seop Chun said that with a puzzled look as he stared at the sword sheath at Mok Gyeong-un’s waist.

Mok Gyeong-un replied as if it were nothing.

“It was a gift from my master.”

“Your master means the Shadow Sect Master?”

“Yes.”

“How strange. The Shadow Sect Master is a saber wielder, but he gifted a sword to his disciple? Then I suppose it isn’t an ordinary sword.”

“He said it was quite a useful sword.”

“Oh! Really? What is that fellow’s name?”

At Seop Chun’s continued habit of calling weapons companions, Mok Gyeong-un gave a short laugh and answered,

“Evil-Answering.”

“Evil-Answering…? Whaat?”

At once Seop Chun could not hide his shock.

And he was not the only one startled by this.

The handsome young man with the red belt, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, opened them, frowned, and looked at Mok Gyeong-un.

Their reaction was only natural.

Whether swordsman or saberman, what martial artist in the martial world would not know the Evil-Answering Sword?

It was the demon sword made by the peerless master smith Ou Yezi.

Seop Chun said as though dumbfounded,

“No, that’s really the Evil-Answering Sword?”

“Yes.”

“Ha!”

Seop Chun clicked his tongue inwardly.

As far as he knew, the Evil-Answering Sword was indeed a masterpiece made by the famous smith Ou Yezi, but it was also known as a cursed weapon to the extent of being called a demon sword.

He had given something that dangerous to his disciple?

No matter how great a sword it was, he could not understand giving away something that carried such a heavy risk.

So Seop Chun asked,

“That… sword, is it all right?”

“Yes. Is there some problem?”

“Like your energy getting drained more and more, or seeing hallucinations, or anything like that?”

“You worry too much.”

“No, what kind of worry is it when we just met? It’s just that, though we’ve only just met, that sword seems extremely good and at the same time very, very dangerous…”

“Have you learned the sword?”

At that moment, someone cut into the conversation.

It was the young man who had been sitting in meditation.

When he interrupted, Seop Chun, Third Guard Captain of the main hall, raised one eyebrow and said,

“So the guy who wouldn’t answer no matter how much I talked to him is opening his mouth over a single sword?”

Naturally, it made sense.

Even if it was a demon sword, as a swordsman he could not help but be interested.

But ignoring those words, the young man said to Mok Gyeong-un,

“I asked whether you had learned the sword.”

At that question, Mok Gyeong-un shrugged and answered,

“To some extent.”

“To some extent?”

At that answer, the young man snorted.

Then he rose from his seated posture and opened his mouth.

“Then it is pearls on a pig’s neck.”

‘!?’

At those words from the young man’s mouth, it was Seop Chun rather than Mok Gyeong-un who shook his head and said,

“Pearls on a pig’s neck? That’s pretty harsh. No matter what, saying something like that the first time you meet someone?”

“…”

The young man paid no attention at all to Seop Chun’s words.

Perhaps because he was displeased, Seop Chun made an expression as though he was fed up and said to Mok Gyeong-un,

“Just ignore whatever that guy says. He’s only jealous for no reason…”

“A sword in the hand of one who has not properly learned the sword is nothing more than an ornament for display. If that is not pearls on a pig’s neck, what is it?”

At the young man’s continuing words, Seop Chun said as though exasperated,

“Hey. Even if you’re the Vice Society Leader’s son, that’s too much. Take it easy.”

‘The Vice Society Leader’s son?’

Mok Gyeong-un looked at the young man.

If he was the Vice Society Leader’s son, was he that person?

He had heard of him before.

Vice Society Leader Mong Seo-cheon had twin children.

Mong Seo-hye and Mong Mu-yak.

The young man before his eyes could hardly be the daughter Mong Seo-hye, so naturally he would be Mong Mu-yak.

‘How fitting.’

And Mong Mu-yak was also one of the Five Tigers, who were called the greatest younger masters of the Heaven and Earth Society.

Which meant that two of the Five Tigers were gathered in this place.

Why had he been summoned together with people like these?

While he was thinking of that, Mong Mu-yak walked toward Mok Gyeong-un and said,

“Leaving aside the demon sword, do you think you are qualified to carry such a splendid sword?”

‘This bastard doesn’t know when to stop.’

Seop Chun clicked his tongue.

He had known that Mong Mu-yak was obsessed with swords, but he had not imagined he would pick a fight like this with Mok Gyeong-un, whom he had only just met.

Judging from having watched him for a long time, he was not acting this way now because he coveted the sword.

Put simply, he disliked the fact that Mok Gyeong-un possessed that sword.

‘At this rate this is going to turn into trouble.’

Seop Chun thought he should stop Mong Mu-yak.

No matter how he had placed first in the Corpse Blood Valley passage, the other party was one of the greatest younger masters who had been taught by the Vice Society Leader.

If he got swept into this provocation just because he was upset, he could wind up taking a serious blow…

“Hey. Take it ea…”

“Wouldn’t I have more qualification than you?”

‘Huh?’

Seop Chun turned his head in alarm.

It seemed that Mok Gyeong-un had taken Mong Mu-yak’s provocation.

Yet for someone who had taken the bait, Mok Gyeong-un was wearing a smiling face.

Perhaps because of that,

“Than me?”

Mong Mu-yak instead showed open displeasure.

Seeing this, Seop Chun judged that things were about to turn ugly and stepped between them to stop the situation.

“Both of you, sto…”

At that moment, Mong Mu-yak’s hand had already moved to the hilt of the sword at his waist.

Then, just as he tried to draw it at terrifying speed,

Pak.

Before he had even drawn the sword halfway, something blocked it.

It was none other than Mok Gyeong-un’s palm.

‘!?’

Mong Mu-yak looked at Mok Gyeong-un in surprise.

To him, Mok Gyeong-un said in a whispering voice full of mockery,

“If you’re slower than a pig, does that make you a worm?”