Myst, Might, Mayhem (Novel) - Chapter 82 - Corpse Blood Valley Master (1)
Chapter 82 – Corpse Blood Valley Master (1)
===================
Translated by Jinmu
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
===================
Regarding some of the memories read from Gyu So-ha, who had taken over Neung Hwa-yang’s body, Mok Gyeong-un reacted with interest.
He still had no interest in how this murim operated, but the information So-ha had read let him infer the relationship between an organization called the Alliance of Justice and the Heaven and Earth Society.
‘A hostile relationship.’
What was interesting here was the reason they fought.
They treated each other as enemies because their beliefs and ways of thinking were different.
Mok Gyeong-un found that terribly old-fashioned.
It was not a simple relationship of grudge and resentment, yet they wagered their lives because the values they believed in were different. What kind of emotion could that possibly come from?
“The orthodox and unorthodox… truly inefficient.”
-Inefficient. Yes, that is one way to put it. But there is nothing as frightening as values and beliefs.
“Why is that?”
-What exhausts people even more than personal grudges is thinking that they themselves are right.
“Ahhhh. That I can agree with.”
Blue Spirit was right.
He had not met that many people, but even Mok Gyeong-un found those who believed they were unquestionably right to be the most exhausting of all.
Most of those sorts regarded everything but themselves as wrong.
Perhaps that was why Mok Gyeong-un hated such people the most.
“Just hearing the organization’s name makes me tired. Alliance of Justice? Is it because they consider themselves justice itself?”
“That is the kind of scum they are to begin with.”
“But the Alliance of Justice calls the Heaven and Earth Society evil sects and unorthodox factions, don’t they?”
-Nonsense!
At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, Blue Spirit raised her voice.
-Those things think in black and white. If they themselves are white, then they believe everything else is black. They are pigheaded fools.
“Is that so? Then I take it the Heaven and Earth Society is not the kind of evil sect they think it is.”
-The Heaven and Earth Society we created was not such a simple organization.
‘We created?’
Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes narrowed.
Had she contributed to the creation of this great organization as well?
But without showing it in particular, he questioned a different part.
“You say it was not a simple organization?”
-Yes. The frame those disgusting hypocrites slapped onto it, evil sect and evil path, is a false creed. But the Heaven and Earth Society was established to deny that and create a true murim.
“A true murim?”
-Since when did the orthodox become justice and everything else become the axis of evil?
“How would I know?”
-Ahhhh.
There was no way Mok Gyeong-un would know.
From the start, he had lived a life far removed from murim.
At that, Blue Spirit clicked her tongue and said,
-What the Heaven and Earth Society pursued was for murim to return to its most original form.
“Original? What is that?”
-The weak are meat and the strong eat, survival of the fittest, only the strong survive. The essence of martial arts is, in the end, proving one’s own strength. In the beginning, because they were entangled and intertwined to distinguish pure strength, it came to be called murim. But the murim of today is nothing more than a war of rotten values.
“……..”
-Where in this world is there only black and white? Even white paper turns black if ink is poured on it, and even a butcher becomes a Buddha once he lets go of the knife. If one insists on discussing the world in terms of color, then it should be gray.
Her voice was filled with anger.
That rage did not feel one-dimensional like Mok Gyeong-un’s own, but like anger directed at the world.
At that, Mok Gyeong-un asked as if curious.
“Then does that mean the Heaven and Earth Society is gray?”
-………
At that question, Blue Spirit suddenly fell silent.
‘I see.’
That alone was enough for him to know what she thought of the Heaven and Earth Society now.
At the very least, it was not the gray she spoke of.
That was surely why she felt such revulsion toward the Heaven and Earth Society of the present.
Mok Gyeong-un changed the subject.
“Well, putting that aside, thanks to you I learned something useful. A spy of the Alliance of Justice…”
When one possessed someone, one came to read part of that target’s memories.
Not all of them, but he had gained useful information.
-Once an organization’s scale grows into the thousands or tens of thousands, gaps naturally appear, and sending spies into one another becomes frequent. It is only natural, so there is nothing surprising about it. Still, they are more foolish than I expected.
“What do you mean?”
-These spies called Dark Tread.
“These people?”
-Yes. A spy’s lifeblood is secrecy for intelligence work from the very beginning. Yet these planted spies have shared information about one another to this extent. Tsk, tsk.
Mok Gyeong-un nodded as if he agreed with her words.
It was the first time he had seen such beings as spies, but considering that they were people who infiltrated the opposing organization as false members, it seemed like a rather strategically bad choice.
If just one person opened his mouth, then as now, a situation would arise where all of them were exposed one after another.
But what mattered now was not their foolishness.
-Anyway, what are you going to do?
“Who knows.”
-It seems too late to simply leave them alone.
It looked like the Dark Tread spies had thoroughly come to hate him.
Of course, he could understand why.
Because of him, the number of spies had been reduced, and the probability of succeeding in their mission had likewise dropped markedly.
-It is revenge for losing their comrades, but those bastards also seem to think that if they kill you, they will have an easier time passing the gates ahead.
“If you look at it from the latter perspective, then it is not exactly the wrong choice.”
-Nor is it the right one.
“True.”
They would know if they succeeded, but if they failed, they would have to pay a corresponding price.
That was the situation now.
Gyu So-ha, who had taken over Neung Hwa-yang’s body, spoke in a voice full of eagerness.
“Master. Shall I go and deal with them one by one?”
She had gained the body of Neung Hwa-yang, who had been one of their comrades.
Since they knew one another’s identities, she could easily induce carelessness, kill them, or as they had intended to do, destroy their dantians and leave them half-crippled.
At that, Mok Gyeong-un shook his head.
-What? Surely you are not saying you plan to let them off?
“No. It doesn’t seem necessary to go to that trouble.”
-Not necessary? Then what are you planning to do?
“This way might be better.”
The corners of Mok Gyeong-un’s mouth twisted up ominously.
* * *
-Tap! Tap!
“Hahahahahaha! To think you rooted out a spy, all of this is to your credit!”
One of the warriors with the red belts patted Mok Gyeong-un on the back and praised his contribution.
Mok Gyeong-un’s choice regarding the Dark Tread spies had been simple.
There was no need to deal with them one by one.
All he had done was let the warriors with the red belts know who the spies were.
‘Two birds with one stone.’
He dealt with them without having to stain his own hands with blood, and by revealing the existence of the spies, he gained an opportunity to render merit to the Heaven and Earth Society’s side.
It truly was killing two birds with one stone.
Of course, the one thing regrettable was Green Spirit Gyu So-ha, who after playing the role of confessing to being a spy with the body she had only just obtained, had to be discarded again.
“Uh? That one over there is also one of Dark Tread, just like me!”
But Gyu So-ha faithfully carried out her role.
The place she pointed with her finger was the staircase leading upstairs, and a boy standing there seemed flustered and unsure what to do.
‘Hm?’
Mok Gyeong-un recognized who the boy was.
It was that boy who had passed through the second gate in the same group as him.
He remembered him because he had tried to kill Mo Ha-rang, who had collapsed unconscious from injuries after grappling with Mok Yu-cheon.
Was his name Ma Sang?
It was then.
-Pat!
Ma Sang hurriedly threw his body upward along the staircase.
“Catch him!”
-Papapapat!
At that, the warriors with the red belts shouted and chased after him.
If the information in the memory of the Dark Tread spy named Neung Hwa-yang was correct, he would be the last of the four spies who had barely survived.
How unlucky for him to come on his own.
But then,
‘Why is he glaring at me like that?’
Mok Gyeong-un looked at Mok Yu-cheon, who was glaring at him as though he wanted to kill him.
His eyes were filled with considerable resentment.
Come to think of it, he seemed to have come down the stairs side by side with Ma Sang, the Dark Tread spy.
At that, Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes narrowed.
‘So he knows something.’
Otherwise, there was no reason for him to glare at him like that.
What a simple fellow.
If it had been him, and if he had had any connection or collusion with the spies, he would not have revealed his emotions like that.
But Mok Yu-cheon was very honest with his own feelings.
At that, Mok Gyeong-un let out a faint laugh.
‘Simple.’
Was it because he was still young?
Should he take this opportunity and frame that boy as a spy together with the one who was fleeing, then have them dealt with?
Mok Gyeong-un thought about it for a brief instant, then rejected the idea inwardly.
‘Not yet.’
Of course, it was false, but as far as the Heaven and Earth Society was concerned, he and Mok Yu-cheon were both from Yeon Mok Sword Manor.
If he gave them even the slightest pretext for suspicion where a connection existed, it might hinder his melting into the inside of the Heaven and Earth Society.
‘I should leave him be a little longer.’
There would be any number of chances to deal with him.
Mok Gyeong-un waved toward Mok Yu-cheon and smiled.
Then, as if growing even angrier, Mok Yu-cheon’s face turned red, and he stomped up the stairs with heavy steps.
While that was happening, someone approached and spoke to him.
“Mok Gyeong-un.”
“Ah. Yes.”
It was a middle-aged man who looked older than the other warriors with the red belts.
Was he what they called a senior warrior?
Pointing downstairs, he said to Mok Gyeong-un,
“The Valley Master is calling for you.”
‘The Valley Master?’
Did he mean that evil ghost mask?
At that, Mok Gyeong-un followed the senior warrior downstairs.
* * *
The lodging on the first floor was used by the red-belted warriors who conducted the gate, and the room attached to the central office was used by the Valley Master of Corpse Blood Valley.
-Knock, knock!
Someone knocked on the door and said,
-I have brought him, Valley Master.
At the voice heard from outside, someone seated in the office chair and looking into a bronze mirror opened his mouth.
“Wait a moment.”
-Yes.
The person seated in the chair moved the bronze mirror aside.
As the mirror shifted, the face of someone burned by fire briefly passed through the gap.
Soon after, that person put on the mask that had been set on the office desk.
It was the evil ghost mask.
“Send him in.”
-Yes.
At the evil ghost mask’s order, the door opened, and a handsome boy stepped inside.
It was none other than Mok Gyeong-un.
Mok Gyeong-un gave a light bow and greeted him.
At that, the evil ghost mask waved his hand and pointed to a chair for receiving guests.
“Sit.”
“Yes.”
When Mok Gyeong-un sat down, the evil ghost mask also rose from the office chair, walked over, and sat across from him.
The evil ghost mask stared fixedly at Mok Gyeong-un.
At that, Mok Gyeong-un also met his gaze directly without avoiding his eyes.
‘Well, look at this one.’
To not avoid his gaze. He was bold.
A strange gleam appeared in the eyes visible through the gaps in the mask.
This was the first fellow of this sort he had seen since taking charge as Valley Master of Corpse Blood Valley.
Of course, from time to time there appeared those who possessed outstanding martial talent and passed the gate in a short time, or crafty fellows who used methods one would not think of, but this one was somehow different.
It was said that a sapling that would grow well showed itself from the beginning.
This fellow seemed to possess something that could rise higher than any of the others he had seen so far.
But there was something he needed to make certain of.
“Mok Gyeong-un.”
“Yes.”
“You are from the orthodox sect Yeon Mok Sword Manor, are you not?”
“Yes.”
“You do not need to answer only in short words now.”
“…….Understood.”
“What this Valley Master has heard is that you and a fellow named Mok Yu-cheon were brought here as hostages in exchange for leaving Yeon Mok Sword Manor alone short of sealing its gates. Is that correct?”
At these words from the evil ghost mask, Mok Gyeong-un inwardly found it strange.
Did he not know the exact reason he had been brought here?
He had thought the man would know it was because he had memorized and learned the secret manual called a treasure of the Heaven and Earth Society, but unexpectedly that seemed not to be the case.
‘Then…’
It seemed there was no need to reveal it.
Mok Gyeong-un simply nodded and answered.
“That is correct.”
At that answer, the eyes visible through the mask narrowed.
Then he opened his mouth in a somewhat heavier voice.
“But something is strange.”
-Shing!
The instant those words ended, a sword was already touching Mok Gyeong-un’s throat.
‘!?’
At that, Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes sharpened.
He had clearly heard the sound of the sword being drawn, and had even seen the muscles move.
Yet though he had not blinked, in an instant the sword was at his throat.
‘……..He is fast.’
It was such a quick sword that it was hard to perceive.
Now he understood why Blue Spirit had said that with his current level, he was still far from being able to do anything within the Heaven and Earth Society.
It was hard to gauge just how strong he was.
As that happened, the evil ghost mask continued speaking.
“You were not brought here of your own will, but were forcibly taken. Then why did you inform us of the Alliance of Justice’s spy?”
What the evil ghost mask wished to confirm.
That was this.
No matter how he thought about it, he could not understand why Mok Gyeong-un had revealed it.
“I had hoped for a reward for informing you about the spy, but this is unexpected.”
“Before speaking of rewards, you must first make this Valley Master understand that.”
“Hmm. Is that so?”
One eyebrow of the evil ghost mask arched upward.
The tip of a sword was touching his throat, and if he put in only a little strength, it would pierce through.
Yet in a situation where he himself was under suspicion, he showed not the slightest sign of wavering.
At that, the evil ghost mask spoke in a tone of disbelief.
“Are you aware that this is a situation in which you may be suspected?”
“A sword is touching my throat. There is no way I would not know.”
“Then has your courage grown too large for your body? Or do you have something that can dispel that suspicion all at once?”
“Let us say it is the latter.”
At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, the evil ghost mask clicked his tongue.
Then, in a low tone, he warned him.
“I will tell you in advance. Within Corpse Blood Valley, the power over life and death lies in this Valley Master’s hands. It is entirely possible that you will leave this office as a corpse right here and now.”
-Chiiiiii!
The moment those words ended, scorching heat flowed out from the sword.
He was wondering what this was as the heat of the sword raised the temperature around it, when Blue Spirit’s voice sounded beside his ear.
-So it was him. It seems he is that fellow’s blood descendant.
‘Hm?’
What was she talking about?
While he was wondering, Blue Spirit said,
-Mortal. Ask the one before you.
Along with that, Blue Spirit told Mok Gyeong-un something.
And as that happened, the evil ghost mask brought the heat-scorched sword tip even closer and said,
“This Valley Master’s patience is not very long. Hurry and make me understan…”
“Has the Li Clan now become able to control the blazing yang energy within their bodies?”
‘!?’
The instant those words ended, the evil ghost mask’s eyes trembled.
The eyes were the only part of his body visible through the mask, yet even so, it was clear that he had been greatly shocked.
Just as Mok Gyeong-un expected, the evil ghost mask really was shocked.
How did this brat know about that?
The matter of blazing yang energy was known by only a handful within the Heaven and Earth Society.
-Smack!
The evil ghost mask drew the sword away, then grabbed Mok Gyeong-un by the collar with his other hand and pulled him in, pressing him in a whispering voice.
“What in the world are you? How could you possibly…”
To the man who trailed off there, Mok Gyeong-un smiled and said,
“Do you know about the Red Flame Sword Method?”
‘!!!!!!!!!’