Myst, Might, Mayhem (Novel) - Chapter 256 - Mark (2)

Chapter 256 – Mark (2)

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Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Yesterday,

and early this morning.

Before training began, Chief Supervisor Chae Ho-seong, the Deputy Thousand-Household Commander, secretly called aside Seop Chun and Mong Mu-yak of the Heaven and Earth Society and informed them of the incident that had taken place during the night.

[What is the matter?]

[I called you because of an unfortunate accident. Due to an unsavory incident last night, your Society’s trainee Mok Gyeong-un was attacked and killed while receiving treatment at the infirmary.]

[W-what are you saying?]

Both Seop Chun and Mong Mu-yak could not hide their bewilderment at the sudden thunderbolt of news.

Who was Mok Gyeong-un?

He was a monster who had broken through the wall before even reaching adulthood.

They had already found it hard enough to believe that such a monstrous lord had been injured and admitted to the infirmary, so they could make no sense of this at all.

[That cannot be. Who would dare…]

[Seop Chun. Calm yourself.]

[Mu-yak, but…]

[Will you behave rudely toward the supervisors?]

[……]

[Forgive me. He was a fellow member of our Society, so this is news I simply cannot believe.]

At Mong Mu-yak’s words, Deputy Thousand-Household Commander Chae Ho-seong said with an expression of regret,

[The exact details are still under investigation, but the culprit was a junior supervisor of the Western Depot named Beom Jeung. It seems he carried a grudge and committed the act.]

[Beom… Jeung?]

At that, Mong Mu-yak and Seop Chun both recalled the eunuch of the Western Depot.

They had not known his full name, but they clearly remembered that his surname had been Beom.

Then was he the one who had done this because of what happened that day?

Unable to contain his anger, Seop Chun asked,

[Where is that eunuch bastard now?]

[…I understand how you feel, but he too is dead.]

[What?]

According to Chae Ho-seong, the Western Depot eunuch called Beom Jeung had been in service to Prince Gyeong, and after carrying out such a deed because of a personal grudge, he had even gone so far as to target Prince Gyeong when rebuked.

Because of that, he had been subdued and killed by Chief Eunuch Ho, the effective head of the Western Depot.

‘Damn it.’

The two of them were utterly dumbfounded.

They could not easily accept the fact that their monstrous lord had died so pointlessly.

No, to begin with, it had been difficult to believe even that he had been injured and hospitalized.

So when they protested that something already seemed wrong from that point onward, Deputy Thousand-Household Commander So Ye-rin separately called them aside and bowed her head in apology.

What she told them was this:

[It is entirely my fault that matters turned out this way. This happened because I was unable to properly subdue trainee Mok Gyeong-un.]

‘!?’

According to her, there had been a misunderstanding the previous night and she had crossed hands with Mok Gyeong-un.

At this, Seop Chun and Mong Mu-yak could not hide their inner shock.

Their lord Mok Gyeong-un was a master who had broken through the wall.

If someone had injured such a Mok Gyeong-un badly enough to send him to the infirmary, then that meant she was a peerless master far above even him.

‘A Deputy Thousand-Household Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard is at that level?’

Yet she said something they could not understand.

[…It was not that I defeated him and injured him.]

[What do you mean by that?]

[Trainee Mok Gyeong-un possessed astonishing martial talent, of a kind I have never seen before. In a single instant he reached a realm he could not yet truly touch, and while forcing himself to assimilate that realization, his body could not endure it.]

Just what was that supposed to mean?

They could not comprehend her explanation.

What did it mean to reach a realm one could not yet touch and have the body fail to endure it?

In any case, what was certain was that his clash with So Ye-rin had led to Mok Gyeong-un being admitted to the infirmary, and that the Western Depot eunuch Beom Jeung had then exacted revenge in that opening.

At the incident in which the lord they had chosen had lost his life so absurdly, they could not hide their sense of emptiness.

But even if their lord was dead, they could not abandon the mission.

That was why they had to rise above that emptiness and resume it.

* * *

“You have been carrying things out well even without me.”

‘M-my lord?’

Mong Mu-yak’s eyes widened.

This voice was unquestionably his lord Mok Gyeong-un’s.

‘He was alive?’

He had truly believed Mok Gyeong-un dead after even being shown a dismembered corpse.

So hearing his voice left him no choice but to be shocked.

-Tatatatatak!

Mok Gyeong-un released the acupoints he had sealed on Mong Mu-yak.

Once the mute acupoint was undone, Mong Mu-yak, though ordinarily not a talkative man, poured out questions at Mok Gyeong-un as if a dam had burst.

“What in the world happened? The supervisors of the Embroidered Uniform Guard told us that you were murdered in the infirmary by a eunuch of the Western Depot. They even showed a dismembered corp… Ah!”

Mong Mu-yak stopped halfway.

That was because the dismembered corpse had been so mutilated as to be impossible to identify properly.

At the time he had thought it only proved how deeply the killer had burned with revenge.

Mong Mu-yak continued in disbelief,

“Did you deliberately pretend to be murdered?”

“Yes.”

“Then what is that face now?”

“A human skin mask.”

At those words, Mong Mu-yak frowned, unable to understand.

“Did you commission another artisan?”

This was not the human skin mask they had ordered.

Since it was one he had never seen before, there was no way Mong Mu-yak would not be puzzled.

In answer to the question, Mok Gyeong-un smiled and replied,

“No. This face belongs to the chief eunuch of the Western Depot.”

“What? What do you mean by that? Did you separately obtain a human skin mask of the face of a chief eunuch of the Western Depot?”

“I did not obtain one separately. It is his actual face.”

‘!!!!!’

At those words, Mong Mu-yak’s expression suddenly stiffened.

For a moment he doubted his own ears.

‘His actual face?’

What was that supposed to mean?

Judging by the way he said it, it sounded not as if he had crafted a human skin mask after the man’s face, but as though he had stripped the skin from the face itself and was wearing it.

And to him, Mok Gyeong-un said indifferently,

“What you are thinking is correct. This way seemed more efficient and easier to use as a human skin mask.”

“……”

Goosebumps rose all over Mong Mu-yak’s body in earnest.

He already knew that his lord’s way of thinking was completely different from that of ordinary people, but he had never expected him to peel the skin from a living man’s face and wear it.

Many people might imagine using an actual human face as a human skin mask, but because it was so repulsive, almost no one would ever do it.

To see that he could carry it out was truly terrifying.

Then Mok Gyeong-un said,

“In any case, it was not what I intended, but thanks to that eunuch named Beom Jeung targeting me, I have much more freedom to move now.”

“Then what do you intend to do?”

A human skin mask was no different from a double-edged sword.

Was the chief eunuch of the Western Depot not one who attended Prince Gyeong closely?

If one wore the face of a figure who had contact with an unusually large number of people, then no matter how well one acted, the odds of being discovered would be high.

“Now that I have more freedom of movement, I should gather information and think of various methods.”

“…Then, my lord, do you not intend to go to the underground forbidden prison?”

“I will.”

“But officially you have already been declared dead…”

“Then when the necessary moment comes, I can simply change to the face of someone who can enter the underground forbidden prison.”

“……”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s clear-cut answer, Mong Mu-yak fell silent.

Still, one concern remained unavoidable.

To use a living man’s skin as a human skin mask meant that the man had to be killed.

If disappearances and deaths began happening one after another inside the imperial palace because of that, then matters could become steadily bigger.

So Mong Mu-yak cautiously voiced his opinion.

“My lord… I only say this just in case, but changing faces…”

“The moment I go down into the underground forbidden prison will be the last time. If I change often, it will naturally become a problem, so do not worry too much.”

Fortunately, Mok Gyeong-un was aware of the very concern Mong Mu-yak had feared.

Taking Mong Mu-yak’s hand and helping him up, Mok Gyeong-un said,

“Seop Chun does not know, so Mong Mu-yak should inform him of this.”

“Understood.”

“Then continue the work.”

-Srrr.

With those words, Mok Gyeong-un’s figure blurred and vanished as if it had scattered.

Watching this, Mong Mu-yak clicked his tongue and muttered,

“So of course.”

There was no way a monster like him would die so vainly.

* * *

Office of the Six Service Offices of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

The Six Service Offices were the investigative department, and its chief was Deputy Thousand-Household Commander So Ye-rin.

And the position that assisted the head of the Six Service Offices was that of Thousand-Household Commander.

The Thousand-Household Commander of the Six Service Offices was none other than Mara Hyeon, the masked officer of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Though it was late, Mara Hyeon was still working.

Because So Ye-rin had been selected as deputy to the chief supervisor of the Embroidered Uniform Guard selection and was currently busy, the burden of handling the present work had fallen on him, so all-night duties had become frequent.

Especially on this day, because of the incidents at the infirmary of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and at Prince Gyeong’s palace, he had remained behind even longer to整理 the incident record.

-Sseuseuk.

As he was writing the report,

-Knock knock.

Someone knocked at the office door.

Mara Hyeon stopped writing and lifted his head.

He had not sensed anyone approaching the office from outside, so the fact that someone had knocked meant they were capable of evading his senses.

‘Is it the Deputy Thousand-Household Commander?’

For an instant he thought it might be So Ye-rin, but then realized that could not be.

If it were the Deputy Thousand-Household Commander, she would never knock to enter her own office.

At once the Thousand-Household Commander Mara Hyeon rose from his seat, his eyes full of wariness.

Then, drawing up his internal energy, he spoke.

“Who is it?”

-……

There was no answer.

Through the slit of the mask, Mara Hyeon’s blue eyes sharpened.

Someone had knocked, though no presence could be sensed.

And now there was no reply.

What in the world was the intention here?

Just as he was slowly rising and about to take up a ready stance,

-Step. Step.

He heard the sound of footsteps approaching from the corridor outside the office.

The footsteps went back and forth nearby several times, then came to a halt before the office of the Six Service Offices.

‘What?’

There was clearly someone already at the door who had knocked.

Yet even after the footsteps of this newly arrived person reached the office door, he heard no sound of conversation whatsoever.

-Knock knock.

The knocking came again.

So Mara Hyeon said,

“Who is it?”

It was at the height of his vigilance.

Then a voice sounded from outside.

-Thousand-Household Commander Mara. I was sent by that person.

‘!?’

At those words, Mara Hyeon’s eyes narrowed.

At last he let out a faint breath and said,

“Come in.”

-Creeeak.

The door opened, and a middle-aged man with a short beard and a blue fish-uniform appeared.

From the blue fish-uniform alone, one could tell that he too was of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and held the rank of Thousand-Household Commander, just like Mara Hyeon.

The moment he saw him, Mara Hyeon inwardly felt irritation surge up.

‘I told them not to send anyone to the Six Service Offices.’

He had not expected them now to send someone without hesitation even to a place connected to his teacher and that person.

Or perhaps they dared act so boldly precisely because they knew that person was away due to the Embroidered Uniform Guard selection.

Then the bearded Thousand-Household Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard opened his mouth.

“Even if I am a face you dislike, can you not at least exchange greetings?”

“Was it not agreed that we would meet only at the contact point or at that person’s residence?”

“My, what sharpness you are showing.”

“……”

“Well, I understand that you must be wary of the eyes around you, Thousand-Household Commander Mara… though you are hardly in any position to be particular about such things.”

With those words, the bearded Thousand-Household Commander pointed toward Mara Hyeon’s abdomen.

The meaning was simple.

Gu poison.

-Clench.

Though hidden by his mask, Mara Hyeon was grinding his teeth.

If he had not developed a weakness because of the gu poison planted in him, he would never have had to endure such humiliation.

Barely suppressing his anger, Mara Hyeon said,

“…Close the door.”

“Heh heh. Good. Keep up that obedient attitude. Even if you have complaints, the one in the weaker position is the one who must behave properly, Mara…”

He never finished those words.

-Thud!

“Ugh!”

-Crash!

The bearded Thousand-Household Commander rolled his eyes back and pitched forward onto the floor.

Behind him stood a middle-aged eunuch in scarlet robes, smiling faintly.

Mara Hyeon could not hide his bewilderment at the sudden appearance of the eunuch.

“Chief Eunuch Ho?”

The eunuch was none other than Chief Eunuch Ho of the Western Depot.

Why had the effective head of the Western Depot suddenly appeared in the office of the Six Service Offices of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?

And what in the world had he just done?

At that moment of confusion,

“I thought I might wait a little longer, but it seems there was no need. Thousand-Household Commander Mara Hyeon.”

‘!?’

At the peculiar tone and voice coming from Chief Eunuch Ho’s mouth, Mara Hyeon’s pupils trembled.

‘This voice…’