Myst, Might, Mayhem (Novel) - Chapter 254 - Ma (3)

Chapter 254 – Ma (3)

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Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Just a little earlier,

-Shwaaaaaa!

Under the sharp single sword stroke that united demonic power and sword intent, the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox had been driven back almost a hundred zhang into the sky.

The sword intent itself had been far sharper than before, but because her own demonic power had been added on top of it, its force had been so great that she had needed to use four tails at once to block it.

-Shuuuuuu!

Driven into the air like that, she came to a stop midway.

Floating as though she had wings, she clicked her tongue as if in disbelief.

‘He used my own demonic power against me?’

This brat was truly extraordinary.

In the thousands of years she had lived, it was not as if there had never been beings who threatened her.

But almost all of them had been beings called immortals, or demons and monsters close to divine beasts like herself.

The Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox’s eyes narrowed.

‘Is it the influence of that thing trapped in his mind?’

Whatever it was, it did not matter.

This brat was still closer than anyone she had yet found to being the human who was demon itself.

-Twinge!

At that moment the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox frowned.

Though she had thought she had blocked it properly, the tip of one of her tails had nearly been sliced through and hung loose.

“Ha!”

For a moment her eyes turned vicious.

Elsewhere might have been one thing, but the tail, a concentrated mass of her demonic power, had actually been cut, even if only in part.

Even a scratch on her tails made her angry, so having one actually cut caused rage to surge through the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox.

‘Should I kill him?’

For an instant she truly felt killing intent.

Yet she soon forced it back down.

‘Endure it. If I kill him here, I will never know whether this brat would have become the existence Jiang Shang spoke of.’

She licked the section of tail that had nearly been cut off.

The blood at the wound stopped almost at once.

Then she ripped away the severed end of the tail completely.

The corner of her lips twitched.

‘Come to think of it, for a young human brat who has not even lived twenty years to already possess this much strength, his potential is certainly the highest so far.’

This brat would become stronger quickly.

Then before long her wish might even be fulfilled.

‘If I keep him at my side and continue to wat…’

Something flashed through the mind of the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox before she could finish that thought.

It was because of something she had seen in Mok Gyeong-un’s memories.

And when she thought about it, besides his natural talent, this brat had also been growing stronger rapidly because of his thirst for revenge.

In that case, even if she kept him close, he might still fail to become what she wanted.

Besides, he was already evil enough that there was no real need to corrupt him in the first place.

Having reached that conclusion, the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox smacked her lips.

“Aaaah. What a pity.”

She had wanted to keep him close and enjoy him, but it seemed she would have to put that off.

* * *

“For a moment I thought I might just kill you, but let us stop here.”

‘!?’

Mok Gyeong-un, whose guard was raised to the utmost, stared at the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox with a look of disbelief.

The same was true for Blue Spirit.

The Hundred-Faced Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox was a Great Spirit Beast close to a divine beast.

If she truly wished it, she could not only kill them but turn the entire imperial capital into a sea of blood.

To her, all of this was nothing more than a game.

Her strength was that absolute, so when she suddenly said they should stop as though on a whim, they could not help but be bewildered.

Then the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox shrugged and said,

“I thought I might take you as a toy right now, but it seems wrong to pick fruit that has not yet ripened.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. I mean I will leave you alone for the time being.”

“Leave me alone?”

“Yes.”

Glancing at the severed portion of her own tail, the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox said,

“You are sharp enough to cut my tail, but as you are now, you are still far from enough.”

“…To kill you, you mean?”

At those words from Mok Gyeong-un, the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox clutched her stomach and burst into laughter.

“Kakkakkakka. Kill me? Even using my own demonic power, you barely managed to nick the tip of my tail. Is that not a little too greedy?”

“……”

At her words, Mok Gyeong-un said nothing.

There was certainly an enormous gap between his strength and that of the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox.

To her, he was probably no more than an insect.

Since he was no match for her anyway, if she meant to spare him for now merely on a whim, he was in no position but to accept it.

Still, one part of what she had said caught at him.

‘Leave me alone for the time being…’

That sounded to him as though even if she let him go now, she intended to keep aiming for him.

No, somehow he was certain of it.

‘Why?’

He could not understand why she coveted him.

[You are the human who is demon itself, the one I have been looking for.]

She had said that, but even so he still could not grasp exactly what it meant.

Then the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox made a light gesture.

The clothes that had been cast aside at some point came flying over and clothed her of their own accord.

-Srrr.

With a simple wave of the hand, her hair and eyes turned black again.

So once more she became Noble Consort Ho, boasting that radiant beauty.

To her, Mok Gyeong-un picked up the severed piece of tail from the floor and held it out.

“Take this with you.”

At that, Noble Consort Ho smiled and said,

“That is for you.”

“For me?”

“Yes. Keep it with you.”

“…I have no particular taste for carrying things like this around.”

“You would be better off carrying it. It will serve as proof that I have marked you. Ah. Is it awkward to carry it around as it is? Then.”

-Slide.

Noble Consort Ho lightly waved her hand.

At once, the severed part of her tail changed into a round token covered in golden fur.

“This makes it easier to carry, does it not?”

“If it is proof that you have marked me, it only makes it more awkward to carry.”

“You are quite honest. Still, it will not hurt you to carry it. Looking at you, you seem to get tangled up with demons and monsters rather often.”

“……”

He could not really deny that.

Since some point, vengeful spirits and demons and monsters alike had indeed gotten tangled up with him too easily.

It would not be an exaggeration to say it had begun after his eyes awakened.

“So keep it. If you carry even a part of my tail, you will not get entangled with troublesome things.”

Even a severed body part retained the traces and lingering scent of her demonic power.

If one carried a part of her, the being called the Hundred Faces King, ordinary demons and monsters would not even dare to approach, and even those of a certain rank would instinctively cringe.

‘And if you keep that on you, I will be able to find you no matter where you go.’

The Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox inwardly grinned.

Even if she did not keep him at her side, with such a method she could meet him whenever she wished.

Even for a Great Spirit Beast of her stature, if someone deliberately chose to hide across the vast Central Plains, finding him would not be easy.

“………”

Mok Gyeong-un silently stared at the token made from her tail, then tucked it into his clothes.

He did not accept it out of gratitude.

It was simply that there was nothing to be gained from provoking the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox at this moment.

And if necessary, he could simply leave the imperial palace later.

As though she could read the thought in him, the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox smiled and said,

“If I catch you throwing it away, you had better be prepared. Understood?”

At her words, Mok Gyeong-un wore an irritated expression.

The Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox, however, turned as if all her business were concluded and moved to leave Prince Gyeong’s residence without the slightest hesitation.

‘Is she really just leaving?’

Seeing this, Blue Spirit almost felt relieved.

But then the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox paused and, as if suddenly remembering something, said,

“Ah, right. I made the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Imperial Guard Bureau warriors outside fall asleep. But will you be able to handle what happened in here by yourselves?”

At that question, Mok Gyeong-un glanced toward the unconscious Prince Gyeong and the dead Chief Eunuch Ho of the Western Depot lying there with his neck severed.

If Chief Eunuch Ho had made the affair grow out of control that would be one thing, but if he had died like this, they could still clean things up according to the original plan.

Still, just in case, he asked,

“And if I say we cannot, will you help us?”

“No.”

“Then why ask?”

“Just because. You are not so incompetent that you cannot even handle something of this level.”

“……”

She had never had any intention of helping from the start.

Since he had not expected much anyway, Mok Gyeong-un was not particularly disappointed.

Just then, as the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox laughed faintly and turned to go, she said something unexpected.

“That mark you were searching for. I think I have seen it somewhere.”

‘!?’

In an instant, Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes opened wide.

The words had come out of nowhere, yet because the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox had looked into his memories, he immediately understood what she meant.

Though he had shown indifference and cool-headedness toward everything else, the word mark caused Mok Gyeong-un’s gaze to sharpen at once.

“…What do you mean by that?”

“You understood me just fine.”

“Did you see it in my memories?”

“That is right. I mean the scar that had remained on your dead grandfather’s body. I have seen it somewhere.”

No sooner had those words ended than

-Swoosh.

Mok Gyeong-un crossed the distance in an instant with a movement technique and blocked the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox’s path, then said in a cold tone,

“Where did you see it?”

She smiled slowly.

“Why? Are you curious?”

“If you tell me, I would be grateful.”

“Gratitude is not enough.”

As if teasing him, the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox put her hands behind her back and circled around Mok Gyeong-un.

Watching her, Mok Gyeong-un finally said,

“What do you want?”

At that question, the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox licked one finger languidly and said,

“Shall we finish what we could not do earlier? If you satisfy me right here, I might tell you.”

“Is that what you want?”

“Yes.”

“Then right awa…”

At that moment Mok Gyeong-un could not finish his words and unconsciously glanced behind him.

Blue Spirit was looking at him with an unreadable gaze.

Seeing that look, Mok Gyeong-un could not finish what he had been about to say.

If it had to do with the scar left on his dead grandfather’s body, that mark, then he was the sort who would use any means necessary to find a clue.

‘……..’

If a single sexual act would gain him information, then there was no reason to hesitate.

And yet he was hesitating.

Mok Gyeong-un found his own reaction strange.

Why was he conscious of Blue Spirit?

He could not understand it at all.

Then he said,

“Let us forget it.”

“What?”

One elegant brow of the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox lifted high.

Meanwhile, a strange light entered the eyes of Blue Spirit, who had been watching Mok Gyeong-un with anxious eyes.

‘Why?’

She could understand it if he went through with it, because an important clue was at stake, yet it had still filled her with a bitterness she could not name.

So Mok Gyeong-un’s unexpected refusal made her feel strangely.

“Tch.”

The Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox clicked her tongue with an incredulous expression and said,

“This wounds my pride.”

“Pardon?”

“To think that in all my life I would lose to a mere vengeful spirit.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“Forget it. I have lost the mood too. Hmph!”

With that, the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox stormed out of Prince Gyeong’s residence, thudding her steps like someone throwing a tantrum.

For a moment Mok Gyeong-un considered stopping her, but then lowered the hand he had slightly raised.

He himself had already given it up, so what use was there in stopping her now?

Since he was not one to cling to what was already finished, Mok Gyeong-un turned to go back toward Blue Spirit.

Then a voice came.

“Among the Embroidered Uniform Guard within the inner palace, there is someone who has that mark.”

It was the voice of the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox.

‘!?’

Mok Gyeong-un turned toward the door she had exited with puzzled eyes.

Then, through the half-closed gap in the door, she poked her head in and said,

“I was going to leave, but this time only, I am making a special concession. That token made from the tail I gave you… do not ever let it leave your body.”

“…Very well.”

That much was not difficult.

At Mok Gyeong-un’s answer, the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox snorted and then closed the door, saying,

“Hmph. Until next time, Heavenly Demon.”