Myst, Might, Mayhem (Novel) - Chapter 79 - Dark Tread (1)

Chapter 79 – Dark Tread (1)

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Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Whooooosh!

A faint haze rose from Mok Yu-cheon’s bare upper-body muscles along with his sweat.

As energy circulated through his fatigued muscles and internal organs during meditative breathing for the first time in a long while, the feeling of exhaustion gradually faded.

Now that the restriction had been lifted, he realized all the more how precious internal power was.

‘I feel like I can live again.’

The difference between circulating his qi and not doing so was stark.

Simply sleeping could ease tiredness, but when he circulated his qi, the fatigue that had accumulated throughout his whole body was relieved as well.

Tingle! Tingle!

As he continued meditative breathing, his fingers began to hurt.

After several rounds of minor circulation, he opened his eyes and looked at his ruined hands.

Broken nails, bruises, fingers, the backs of his hands, and his palms with no part left unscathed.

‘……..’

Looking at them, a strange thought came to Mok Yu-cheon.

He was not very old, but had there ever been a time since birth when he had struggled so desperately just to survive like this?

No. It was the first time.

It was his first real battle, and the first time he had killed someone.

Until just a short while ago, all he had done was sweat alone while training in the practice yard.

Yet in an instant, it felt as though he had fallen into an abyss.

Grip!

Mok Yu-cheon clenched his hands full of wounds.

Whatever it took, he was going to survive this place somehow.

The only thing he could rely on was himself.

‘Mok Gyeong-un…….’

He decided not to hold any more futile expectations toward that bastard.

He did not know what had changed him so much, but that fellow paid no mind to him, and he too had no reason to do otherwise.

Even being half-brothers meant nothing.

‘The weak are meat, the strong eat.’

This was that kind of place.

He still did not understand why, after having come here as a hostage, he had to struggle so desperately for his life alongside these people, but if he wanted to survive, he had to become stronger.

‘The world was wide.’

He had believed that once his qi gates were unsealed, at least among the boys there would be no one who could defeat him.

Yet the energies here and there that stimulated his qi sense inwardly astonished him.

He had thought that among people his own age, aside from himself, no one would have reached the peak state unless they were rising talents from great sects, but that had been a mistake.

Tap!

Mok Yu-cheon rose from his seat.

Then, after glancing at Ma Sang, who was circulating his qi on the bed, he quietly took the basic stance of Yeon Mok Sword Manor’s foundational art.

The human mind was strange indeed.

Placed in an extreme situation like this, where he did not know when he might die, strong competitiveness had instead arisen within him.

Seeing that, he thought he too might be a martial man to the marrow.

‘I have to become stronger.’

To do that, training alone was the answer.

No matter how much internal power he gathered through meditative breathing over the course of a day or two, it would not have much effect.

Recovering his body to some degree would be enough.

What mattered in the remaining time was gaining insight through training.

Pak!

Mok Yu-cheon slowly unfolded the forms of Yeon Mok Sword Manor’s foundational art.

This drill, performed at less than half the original speed, was one of the training methods called the Flying Practice Form, used to raise the precision of a form’s intent.

Because he was sharing a room with Ma Sang, he wanted to train while disturbing Ma Sang’s meditative breathing as little as possible.

Papak!

Even though he moved slowly, sound spread from the spots his fists reached.

Because he had trained in the Flying Practice Form for so long, Mok Yu-cheon had become able to put full force into the forms even when unfolding them slowly.

It was when he was focused on training like that.

“I thought so, but it really was Yeon Mok Sword Manor.”

‘!?’

At that voice, startled, Mok Yu-cheon stopped and turned his head.

The owner of the voice was Ma Sang.

He was the boy who had shared life-and-death hardship with him from beginning to end through the second gate.

They had clashed briefly at the end, but because they understood each other’s feelings, they had decided not to blame one another and to share a room.

Though he belonged to the unorthodox side, Mok Yu-cheon had thought him a decent fellow with loyalty, and one of the few companions he felt some affinity toward.

But then,

“…….How do you know that?”

“How I know is not what matters. Why is someone from the orthodox faction like you in Corpse Blood Valley?”

“Th-that……”

For a moment, Mok Yu-cheon found himself speechless.

Whatever the reason, the fact that he was here was no different from a disgrace for someone of the orthodox faction.

That was why the words would not come out.

To him, Ma Sang said,

“Did Yeon Mok Sword Manor betray the orthodox faction?”

“What are you talking about!”

At that moment, Mok Yu-cheon raised his voice, overcome by emotion.

Whatever else might be true, he had not yet lost his pride as a man of the orthodox faction.

That was why his father, the Manor Lord, had not surrendered, but chosen to seal the gates in order to save everyone.

“Yeon Mok Sword Manor… Yeon Mok Sword Manor is eternally orthodox.”

At those words from Mok Yu-cheon, Ma Sang let out a scoff as if it were ridiculous and said,

“Don’t make me laugh. You came all the way to Corpse Blood Valley, and you say you didn’t betray the orthodox faction? Didn’t you too come here in the end in order to enter the direct line of a Heaven and Earth Society executive?”

“What?”

At Ma Sang’s words, Mok Yu-cheon’s eyes shook.

What was he talking about?

The direct line of a Heaven and Earth Society executive?

At Mok Yu-cheon’s reaction, which showed he did not understand what was going on, Ma Sang narrowed his eyes.

“What, don’t tell me you really didn’t know?”

At that question, Mok Yu-cheon wore a confused expression for a long while before finally opening his mouth.

“I didn’t know. I was just dragged here without any prior word, and I knew nothing. It’s true.”

“You knew nothing?”

“…….That’s right.”

At that, Ma Sang said with suspicious eyes,

“How absurd. To enter Corpse Blood Valley without knowing anything.”

“I told you it’s true.”

“Would you believe it if you were me?”

“What exactly is this place? Why are all of you risking your lives and causing this kind of chaos?”

He had not understood it even before this.

The red-belted warriors who did not care in the least as all these people died, and the boys who risked their lives to carry out the gates those warriors ordered.

Every part of it lay beyond the bounds of understanding.

“Why risk their lives, you ask? Corpse Blood Valley is the shortest path to entering the direct line of the Heaven and Earth Society’s executives. Why do you think everyone risked their lives? If they overcome that danger, they earn a chance to be chosen as a direct disciple by one of the Heaven and Earth Society’s eight executives. Even if they fail to achieve that, the more gates they clear, the more benefits they gain, such as the chance to become a team leader or a unit leader. Do you think an opportunity like this comes easily?”

‘The Heaven and Earth Society… a chance to become a direct disciple of one of the eight executives?’

Mok Yu-cheon’s eyes shook violently.

Now he finally understood why they were carrying out the gates while risking their lives to such an extent.

To enter as a disciple under one of the eight executives, said to be the top masters of the Heaven and Earth Society that divided the martial world into three parts, was a chance to be reborn with a status that could influence the martial world in the future.

To them, it was certainly worth risking their lives for.

But he was different.

‘Damn it.’

Mok Yu-cheon bit his lip hard.

Then had all his struggling to survive until now amounted to striving to become part of the direct line of a Heaven and Earth Society executive, an enemy of the orthodox faction?

‘What on earth am I doing?’

If something like that were really to happen…

‘Ah………’

Yeon Mok Sword Manor would not have sent its children as hostages, but to a training ground for cultivating the Heaven and Earth Society’s talent.

Anything he did here to survive would be poison to Yeon Mok Sword Manor.

Mok Yu-cheon was sincerely thrown into confusion.

What was he supposed to do?

Was the Heaven and Earth Society sending him here itself a trap?

It was while he was standing there in despair.

“You… it looks like you really did not come in here of your own will.”

Ma Sang’s tone had suddenly become far more serious than before.

At that, Mok Yu-cheon could not hide his puzzlement.

“How did you get in here?”

At that question, Mok Yu-cheon hesitated.

Now that he had learned that being brought to Corpse Blood Valley was itself little different from a trap, he thought it dangerous to tell anything to people under the Heaven and Earth Society, who were enemies in all but name.

Then Ma Sang prodded the wound again.

“So it is betrayal after all.”

At those words, Mok Yu-cheon’s face flushed with anger.

If not for the current situation, he wanted to punch Ma Sang in the face, but he barely restrained himself.

Then, in the end, he revealed the truth.

“It isn’t betrayal. I was merely brought here as a hostage.”

“A hostage?”

“That’s right.”

“Nonsense. Why would anyone send a hostage to Corpse Blood Valley?”

“I don’t know either! I thought they would simply keep me quietly. Like you said, I didn’t know Corpse Blood Valley was a place like this.”

“You didn’t know?”

“If I had known, I wouldn’t have been struggling like this to survive… I would have tried to escape somehow instead.”

“Escape? Are you saying that to me right now?”

“……..I don’t know. Right now, I don’t even know what I should do. The harder I struggle not to die here, the more likely Yeon Mok Sword Manor may be branded as having betrayed the orthodox faction. If that is the case…”

As a man of the orthodox faction, perhaps the right thing would be to take his own life for the sake of his family’s honor and reputation.

In any case, escape from this place was practically impossible.

The moment his qi gates were released, he realized that with certainty.

‘A monster.’

That man wearing the evil ghost mask was a master beyond imagination.

At his level, there was nothing he could do against him.

‘Suicide……’

If that was the only answer, then he was afraid.

He had lived only sixteen years, and to take his own life for the sake of his family was a frightening thing.

As he became conscious of death, a chill rose in Mok Yu-cheon without his realizing it.

Ma Sang, who had been staring at him, suddenly rose from the bed, closed the window, looked outside the room, then shut the door and locked it.

After that, he approached Mok Yu-cheon and whispered with a serious face,

“You really didn’t betray them.”

“……I told you I didn’t.”

“Shh. Speak quietly.”

At those words, Mok Yu-cheon frowned.

Why was he suddenly acting like this?

While he was wondering that, Ma Sang whispered again,

“I apologize for not believing you from the start. Yeon Mok Sword Manor has long been a famous orthodox martial house, but I could not fail to account for the worst.”

“What are you talking about right now…”

“Listen quietly. I am a spy inserted by the Alliance of Justice.”

‘!?’

At those words, Mok Yu-cheon’s eyes widened.

A spy inserted by the Alliance of Justice?

As he stood astonished, Ma Sang continued,

“Have you heard of Dark Tread?”

“Ah, Dark Tread?”

He had heard of it.

The Alliance of Justice boasted four main pillar organizations.

Dark Tread was one of them.

It was said to be a secret organization that existed as the hidden blade of the Alliance of Justice in the shadows and darkness rather than the visible world.

A secret organization, by definition, was one that must not become known.

However, through a certain incident, the existence of Dark Tread had been exposed.

Though the organization’s name became known, the Alliance of Justice vehemently denied whether such a group existed, so opinions among people had been divided over whether it was real.

But Ma Sang was from that very Dark Tread?

“I heard Dark Tread might not actually exist…”

“It does exist. The Alliance of Justice, which pursues the orthodox path, merely denied it because it could not acknowledge the existence of a group in charge of espionage and assassination.”

“…….Ha.”

So Dark Tread truly existed.

That was genuinely astonishing.

“It really… Dark Tread really existed… but is it all right for you to reveal your identity like this?”

Mok Yu-cheon used honorific speech toward him.

At that, Ma Sang shook his head and replied,

“Just speak the way you usually do.”

“Even so…”

“Otherwise you’ll only leave more room for suspicion.”

“…….All right. But is it really okay to reveal your identity to me?”

“In truth, under ordinary circumstances, we are not allowed to reveal our identities even to fellow members of the orthodox faction.”

“Then why?”

“First, to identify friend and foe.”

“Identify?”

“The gates of Corpse Blood Valley often force us to kill one another, and enemies are everywhere, so I need you to recognize that we are allies.”

“Ah…….”

So that was why he had revealed his identity.

Still, for a secret organization, it was hard not to feel that giving it away for that reason alone was rather light.

Come to think of it, had he just said ‘we’?

Was Ma Sang not the only one from Dark Tread?

To the puzzled Mok Yu-cheon, Ma Sang said,

“Second, too many of the people we sent in have died, contrary to our objective.”

“The people you sent in?”

As expected, it seemed Ma Sang was not the only one.

“Then there are more besides you?”

“That’s right. Originally, a little over fifty people were sent in.”

“More than fifty?”

Mok Yu-cheon’s eyes widened.

That many had gone in, and yet the Heaven and Earth Society’s side had not noticed?

As he was thinking that, Ma Sang said,

“However, seventy percent of them were filtered out by the Heaven and Earth Society’s intelligence network and either blocked beforehand or killed.”

“Ah……”

“The number who succeeded in entering Corpse Blood Valley was fifteen.”

That meant that, out of roughly eight hundred challengers in Corpse Blood Valley, fifteen had been Dark Tread spies from the Alliance of Justice.

Since Mok Yu-cheon knew nothing of the habits of intelligence organizations, he could not judge whether that was a lot or a little.

But from Ma Sang’s tone, it sounded as though even this many getting in counted as a considerable success.

However,

“But a problem arose.”

“If you mean a problem?”

“All fifteen passed the first gate, but eleven died in the second gate.”

If eleven had died, then only four had survived.

Considering that there were still gates left, the probability of failure had become extremely high.

He felt that he now understood why Ma Sang had revealed his identity.

“Don’t tell me…….”

“Yes. I am asking for your help, Mok Yu-cheon.”

“……….”

At those words, Mok Yu-cheon fell silent.

It was awkward because he did not know how to respond.

Who could ever have imagined a situation like this, where a member of Dark Tread, the shadow organization of the Alliance of Justice, would reveal his identity and ask him for help?

“I know it will be hard for you to accept. But I had no choice.”

“……..”

“Based on our past failures and gathered intelligence, we only sent in personnel capable of fighting people through external arts even without internal power, but even we did not know this sort of situation would occur.”

He thought he understood.

That wolf-shaped monster that cried out like a pig.

“Was it because of the monster beast?”

“Of course the monster beast mattered, but the true variable was that bastard… that bastard was the problem.”

“If you mean that bastard…….”

Gnash!

Ma Sang bared killing intent and ground his teeth.

He seemed incredibly enraged at the existence of that bastard.

Who on earth was it that made him like that?

“Didn’t you experience it yourself as well?”

“Don’t tell me…….”

“Because of that madman who told us to kill each other, most of our men died.”

‘………’

Mok Gyeong-un.

As he had suspected, it was Mok Gyeong-un.

Had so many Alliance of Justice spies really died because of him?

‘…This is driving me mad.’

Seeing Ma Sang unable to restrain his anger, Mok Yu-cheon found it difficult to decide how to say it.

It had become awkward even to say that fellow too was from Yeon Mok Sword Manor.

Then Ma Sang said,

“There was something I wanted to ask you because of this.”

“If you mean something you wanted to ask?”

“You seemed to know that bastard’s name.”

“……..”

Mok Yu-cheon could not open his mouth.

He became afraid of how Ma Sang would react if he told him they were half-brothers.

Gulp.

So tense was he that he swallowed dryly without meaning to.

While that was happening, Ma Sang continued,

“It seemed you were both from the Mok family, so is he connected to Yeon Mok Sword Manor, or did you only learn it after coming here?”

“What?”

“At first, because you were both from the Mok family, I wondered whether he was your brother, but it doesn’t seem so.”

‘Huh?’

“If you were really brothers, they would not have forced you to do something mad like kill each other. Do not worry. Because of that, I know you are not closely connected to him by blood.”

‘……..’

He had not meant it this way, but apparently Ma Sang had misunderstood.

Of course, it was understandable.

Who would force blood relatives into a slaughter match like that?

“If you only learned about it after coming here, then just keep this in mind.”

“Keep it in mind?”

What was he trying to say?

As Mok Yu-cheon looked puzzled, Ma Sang spoke in an even quieter whisper.

“Since only four out of those sent in have survived, there is no longer any reason to be picky about methods. So, during the time given for team leader selection, we are going to sever that madman’s meridians and destroy his dantian.”

‘!?’

He said they were going to sever Mok Gyeong-un’s meridians and destroy his dantian?

It seemed he had to say something now, even if Ma Sang learned the truth.

“Wait. That fellow is….”

“Ahhh, don’t worry. No matter how much of a madman he is, the madman on our side is no less so.”

“What?”

* * *

Come to think of it, there was no need for them to move together.

After ordering the Demon Monk, who had possessed the body of Yeom Ga of Crimson Kill Valley, and Mo Ha-rang of Mo Hwa House to gather team members, Mok Gyeong-un headed back to his room.

He opened the door, and there sat on the bed with her legs crossed a girl who looked to be about nineteen, with grayish hair.

Staring at her, Mok Gyeong-un opened his mouth.

“Did you mistake the room?”

At those words, the girl gave him a smiling glance and waved her hand as she said,

“Hello, Mok Gyeong-un.”

“Do you know me?”

“Mm. How could I not?”

At that, Mok Gyeong-un tilted his head, then smiled and said,

“Is that so? Do you happen to have some business with me? Or did you come because you want to join my team?”

“I thought we might have a conversation.”

“A conversation?”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s questioning tone, the girl slowly rose from the bed.

Then she untied the fastening of her robe.

Srrr.

As if she had been wearing only the outer garment from the start, the girl became naked in an instant.

Her beautiful figure, without a trace of excess flesh, was revealed.

At the sight of a woman’s naked body for the first time, Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes narrowed.

The girl crooked her finger at Mok Gyeong-un in a seductive manner, then pointed her chin toward the bed and said,

“Let’s have a conversation with our bodies.”