Myst, Might, Mayhem (Novel) - Chapter 83 - Corpse Blood Valley Master (2)
Chapter 83 – Corpse Blood Valley Master (2)
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Translated by Jinmu
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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Mok Gyeong-un smiled and said,
“You mean, how do I know the secret of the Red Flame Sword Method?”
‘!!!!!!!’
At those words from Mok Gyeong-un, the evil ghost mask’s eyes widened even further.
What in the world was this brat?
Had he not clearly heard that he had been brought from Yeon Mok Sword Manor as a hostage and sent to Corpse Blood Valley by that person’s order?
[It is that person’s command. Pay no heed at all to whether they are hostages or not, and proceed as you always do.]
He had taken that to mean it was acceptable even to kill them.
But then how did this boy know the relationship between the Red Flame Sword Method and blazing yang energy?
This was a secret known only to a few, including the Society Leader.
Only four people knew it: himself, the head of the Li Clan, his heir the young clan head, the Valley Master of the Strange Medicine Valley, and the Society Leader.
Apart from them, no one else in the Heaven and Earth Society knew.
The evil ghost mask, whose head had grown tangled with countless questions, finally showed his emotions.
-Smack!
Grabbing Mok Gyeong-un by the collar, he pressed the sword back to his throat.
“What exactly are you? Are you truly a child of Yeon Mok Sword Manor?”
“There is no way I wouldn’t be.”
“Nonsense! How could it make any sense that a mere child of Yeon Mok Sword Manor would know the secrets of this clan…”
In that instant, the evil ghost mask’s eyes narrowed.
Yes, he had thought something was strange.
Could it be that that person, no, the Society Leader, was testing him?
[Show your loyalty through four generations. If you do, then the Li Clan as well shall once more be permitted the title of King.]
That had become the shackles of the Li Clan.
To prove that they had nothing to do with the blood calamity of the Great Battle of Hoeryeong, they had stepped down from the position of King.
From his grandfather’s time through his own, they had carried out the duty of Corpse Blood Valley for three generations.
During that time, their loyalty had been tested again and again.
And they had proven it steadfastly.
Now, if before long his eldest son, the young clan head, inherited his position, then they would reach the promised fourth generation.
-Clench!
The evil ghost mask bit down hard on his lips.
‘I thought we had proven enough.’
Was it still not enough?
Was that why they had sent someone like this, just to provoke him?
If he failed here and behaved emotionally, then regaining the title of King would become more distant still.
Or perhaps they had no intention of returning it in the first place, and that was why they kept doing this.
The evil ghost mask gradually regained his composure.
-Rustle.
The evil ghost mask withdrew the sword and let go of the collar.
Then, in a calmed voice, he said,
“Did the Society Leader send you to test this Valley Master?”
“Hmm. What exactly do you mean by that?”
“Do not play innocent. Thinking about it, it was strange. It is an odd thing to seize two hostages who are not even the eldest sons and thrust them in here.”
“………”
“If you are moving under that person’s command, then I will interfere no further.”
“Something about that…”
“There is no need to speak more. This Valley Master summoned you to confirm whether or not you were a spy. But if you are one sent by the Society Leader, there is no longer any reason to ask.”
Saying that, the evil ghost mask felt fortunate that he had calmed himself down.
If he had been provoked by this brat, or if partway through he had grown greedy for his talent, it would all have reached the Society Leader’s ears just as it was.
It was fortunate that he had recovered his reason midway through.
And then,
“Why won’t you answer my question?”
At that question from Mok Gyeong-un, the evil ghost mask frowned.
Was this brat provoking him right now?
Glaring slightly at Mok Gyeong-un, he warned him in a low tone.
“Even if you were sent by that person, know your place. Even aside from the Five Kings and Three Sect Masters, I am one of the Four Valley Masters who ranks within the top twelve of the Heaven and Earth Society.”
The Five Kings and Three Sect Masters.
That was the title given to the eight high executives of the Heaven and Earth Society.
Beneath them came the Four Valley Masters.
Though the title of Valley Master was said to rank below that of the Five Kings or the Three Sect Masters, they were still undoubtedly powerful authorities and peerless masters who ranked within the top twelve of the Heaven and Earth Society.
‘Ho.’
Within the top twelve of the highest ranks?
Mok Gyeong-un inwardly thought he had gained useful information.
Just then, Blue Spirit’s voice rang through his head.
So,
“The Li Clan received the title of King from the three lineages, didn’t it? Then how did you end up becoming a Valley Master?”
“You dare…”
The evil ghost mask, whose anger had flared up, jerked for an instant and then stopped.
If he had not been someone sent by the Society Leader, he would have cut off one of his arms immediately.
With killing intent pouring from him, the evil ghost mask said,
“If you do not leave this place at once, I will cut you down whether you were sent by the Society Leader or not.”
In that instant, Mok Gyeong-un saw an illusion of himself being cut down.
The man had merely imbued his presence with killing intent, yet invisible sharpness drew itself in his mind, and it felt as if his skin were stinging.
Perhaps because it was the first time he had experienced such a phenomenon, rather than fear, he found it interesting.
It felt as if he were looking out over a lofty and magnificent vista.
‘This brat?’
At Mok Gyeong-un’s reaction, the evil ghost mask found it absurd.
He had threatened him on purpose because he was angry, yet instead the boy’s lips were twitching.
Had his courage really grown beyond all bounds?
‘Society Leader.’
Had he sent him with full intent this time?
Had he sent him precisely to provoke him to the end?
Even knowing that, this test truly made it difficult to contain his anger.
Then Mok Gyeong-un said,
“That glove on your right hand as well. Is the reason you wear a mask still that you were burned because you cannot control the blazing yang energy?”
“………”
The evil ghost mask’s hand trembled.
He barely managed to restrain himself from immediately reaching for the sword hilt.
This brat truly seemed to possess an extraordinary talent for making people furious.
“If you cannot walk out on your own two feet, then this Valley Master will personally send you out.”
-Smack!
The evil ghost mask rose from his seat and was just about to reach out to throw Mok Gyeong-un out.
At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un formed the Sword Formula Finger and took up an opening stance.
‘The insolence, to dare in front of this Valley Master…!?’
The evil ghost mask, who had been about to break it in one move with a grappling technique, suddenly hesitated.
It was because he had seen Mok Gyeong-un’s opening stance and was startled.
The evil ghost mask’s eyes trembled.
‘Th-this is?’
Among the executives of the Heaven and Earth Society, what member of the Li Clan would fail to recognize the opening stance of this sword art?
This closely resembled the opening stance of the Heavenly Meridian Sword Formula.
‘Could it be?’
The evil ghost mask stared at Mok Gyeong-un with astonished eyes.
Something was strange.
He remembered all the faces of the Society Leader’s disciples.
Yet no matter how much he thought about it, he had never seen this boy before.
Could it be that he had recently taken in a new disciple?
At that, the evil ghost mask parted his lips in a cautious voice.
“Could it be that that person has taken you in…”
But as that was happening,
-Pat!
Mok Gyeong-un stretched the Sword Formula Finger toward him and gently traced the trajectory of a circle.
It resembled a full moon.
‘No.’
Seeing it, the evil ghost mask’s pupils shook.
It resembled the Heavenly Meridian Sword Formula, but the flow of the form was progressing differently.
This was not the Heavenly Meridian Sword Formula.
‘This is…’
-Papapapapapapapak!
The circular path Mok Gyeong-un drew was already striking precisely at the eight vital points along the evil ghost mask’s centerline.
At the flawless precision of the technique, the evil ghost mask let out an inward exclamation.
No sword force was imbued in it, but judging only by the form of the sword technique itself, it was as if a peerless swordsman were unfolding sword moves.
-Tak!
The evil ghost mask stepped back half a pace.
At the same time, with one hand behind his back as well, he formed the Sword Formula Finger, and without pouring in sword force or inner power, he unfolded sword moves and blocked Mok Gyeong-un’s technique.
-Papapapapak!
Though they were no more than light forms, all of Mok Gyeong-un’s sword forms were blocked.
All except one.
‘I cannot avoid this.’
The evil ghost mask threw his body backward and avoided Mok Gyeong-un’s Sword Formula Finger, which was stabbing at his glabella.
Because the completion of that final move was even higher than that of the sword form he himself had displayed, it would have been difficult to block it in any way.
If Mok Gyeong-un continued unfolding sword moves in that state, he would have been pressed even further.
-Gulp.
The evil ghost mask swallowed dryly.
‘There is no doubt.’
He had never seen it himself even once.
But his grandfather had told him of it.
Unconsciously, he let the words slip out.
“The Moon Meridian’s sword formula.”
“Oh. So you recognized it.”
“What?”
At those words from Mok Gyeong-un, the evil ghost mask paused, momentarily flustered.
Surely not. Was that really the Moon Meridian’s sword formula?
“Since it is hard to guess your age with that mask on, I had thought perhaps even as Li Hwamun’s grandson you might not recognize it, but unexpectedly you do.”
He had merely repeated what Blue Spirit had said.
And at that, the evil ghost mask’s reaction was,
-Chaeng!
In an instant he drew his sword, aimed it at Mok Gyeong-un’s throat, and poured forth an immense killing intent.
“What are you? How do you know the Moon Meridian’s sword formula? And what in the world did you mean by what you just said?”
“Um. I would prefer it if you asked one at a time.”
That way he could relay Blue Spirit’s words one by one.
But the pressure truly was so strong that it made his flesh tremble.
-Jureureuk!
The sword was not touching him at all, yet the heat carried from it felt as if his flesh might melt away.
Before, he had only felt heat, but now the sword had grown so hot it was visibly red-hot.
‘I cannot block this.’
If he concentrated the death aura into a single point, would it be possible somehow?
It seemed it would not.
This man’s martial prowess appeared not to fall short even when compared with Son Yun, the Fate Blade King, who had handled that huge blade.
-Shuuuuuuuu!
Steam flowed from the arm of the evil ghost mask that held the sword.
The heat did not seem to exist only in the sword, but to spread through his whole body.
In an instant, the room became stuffy with heat.
The evil ghost mask glared at Mok Gyeong-un and spoke again.
“I do not have time to exchange word games with you. Speak at once. If not, I will take you immediately to the Society’s main hall…”
“Take me there so you can report that I learned the Moon Meridian’s sword formula…”
“Silence!”
-Smack!
With that shout, the evil ghost mask seized the edge of the mask and then took it off.
At the same time, his face was revealed, half of it hideously twisted by burns.
The burns were so severe that one could understand why he wore a mask.
The evil ghost mask, his eyes trembling, opened his mouth.
“The Moon Meridian’s sword formula came to an end with that generation. There was no one in the Li Clan who could even read the only secret manual, and it was lost, so how could you possibly…”
“Are you really asking because you do not know?”
“What?”
“You just said it yourself.”
“……..You read the secret manual? Impossible.”
That secret manual could not be opened even with the power of the Lord of Origin Kill Pavilion, who oversaw consultation on occult arts under the Heaven and Earth Society.
And yet this brat had read it?
The evil ghost mask after taking off the mask, no, Yi Ji-yeom, knit his brows.
It was hard enough to believe that the boy had read the secret manual, but the things this boy said to him were even more beyond comprehension.
It was as if he knew far too much about his clan, the Li Clan.
“Impossible. Reading the secret manual alone would not…”
“Naturally that would not be enough.”
“What?”
“There is no way that simply by reading the secret manual I could know about the Li Clan’s Red Flame Sword Method or blazing yang energy. Then how do you suppose I know?”
At Mok Gyeong-un’s question, Yi Ji-yeom frowned and then spoke.
“Do not tell me that person’s descen…”
“Wrong.”
“If not a descendant, then what in the world…”
“I am that person’s direct disciple immediately before death.”
‘!?’
At those words from Mok Gyeong-un, Yi Ji-yeom’s expression froze hard.
Was this brat toying with him?
He had heard it from his grandfather.
That person had had his heart ripped out, his limbs severed, and his head cut off and displayed to all by the previous Society Leader of the Heaven and Earth Society for the crime of the blood calamity.
That had been a hundred years ago.
Then how could this brat, who looked only seventeen or eighteen at most, possibly be that person’s direct disciple immediately before death?
“And you expect this Valley Master to believe that? If you truly wish to die…”
“Seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times.”
Before those words had even fully ended,
Mok Gyeong-un pulled a wooden doll from his bosom.
Then he formed a hand seal and recited a spell.
-Pak! Pak! Pak!
“Roots and origins take form, old grudges return to the source, release!”
At the sight, Yi Ji-yeom found it absurd.
Had this boy truly lost his mind and grown desperate to die?
As if he were some occult practitioner himself, reciting bizarre incantations like that…
-Sseumeol, sseumeol!
At that moment, something unbelievable happened.
-Jureureureuk! Jureureureuk!
Blood began to flow down from the walls of the office, and all around them became soaked in blood.
-Start!
‘What in the world is this?’
Thinking that Mok Gyeong-un had worked some foul sorcery because of the bizarre phenomenon, Yi Ji-yeom tried to cut off his neck with a sword filled with blazing yang energy.
It was right then.
When Yi Ji-yeom saw what was rising up over the blood pooling on the floor, his eyes widened so much they seemed ready to split.
‘!!!!!’
A matchless beauty with blood-red eyes, wearing a ceremonial crown and holding a long pipe.
The moment he saw her, the figure of that person, whom his grandfather Li Hwamun had spoken of until his ears rang, naturally overlapped with her image.