After removing his bandages, Mok Gyeong-un looked at his bare torso in the bronze mirror. The marks from the sword wounds remained on his left chest and abdomen.
‘Scars?’
Normally, even considerable wounds would heal without a trace. But the wounds from that man’s black blade had remained as scars. It seemed they would last a lifetime.
‘Well… what can be done.’
He had to be satisfied with having survived. Even he had thought a wound like that would kill him. But contrary to his expectations, he survived.
He had been aware of his unusually fast recovery, but his life force was more tenacious than he could have imagined.
‘Does this mean I’m not supposed to go there yet?’
What a relief. If he had to listen to his grandfather’s nagging, he wanted to at least finish his revenge first. That way, it would feel less unfair.
‘Revenge…’
Thinking of revenge made him feel lucky. Who would have thought that someone with the exact same face as him existed in this world. Thanks to that, he was able to wash his identity clean.
‘Should I call this lucky?’
Since the identity of a death row inmate had been killed off, there would be no wanted poster for his escape. In truth, he was more concerned about other things than a wanted poster from the government office.
‘They’ll believe I’m dead now, won’t they?’
The middle-aged man with the black blade he had met while tracking his enemy. That man had appeared to kill him. If it was discovered that he was alive, the man would surely appear again.
‘…Martial arts.’
He had experienced it firsthand. That man was a monster, the likes of which he had never encountered in his life. It seemed impossible to face him without learning martial arts.
In that respect, it felt like a stroke of heavenly luck. The fellow with the same face as him was the third young master of the Lotuswood Sword Manor, a martial arts family. He could now deceive that man and the world as the third young master of Lotuswood Sword Manor, not the Scythe Slaughtering Demon.
Furthermore, an opportunity to learn martial arts had opened up.
‘It has opened, but…’
There was just one problem. Mok Gyeong-un, while putting on his shirt, looked at the black silhouette standing outside the door. It was someone Guard Gam had posted to watch him.
Thanks to that, he was trapped in the annex, unable to move except to go to the outhouse.
‘How annoying.’
The situation was not easy. This was no different from being imprisoned. Although they had made a deal, Guard Gam clearly did not trust him at all.
And he probably never would. It might be natural, since he had audaciously killed the ‘real one’ right before his very eyes.
‘What should I do?’
If he remained passive, he would just be led by the nose. The opportunity to learn martial arts might never come. It was a dilemma, a situation where he could do nothing.
And yet, Mok Gyeong-un’s face was calm as he let out a smirk.
Knock, knock!
Just then, someone knocked on the door.
“Young Master. I have brought your lunch.”
Soon, the door opened and a female servant entered, carrying a tray of food. Stir-fried beef and eggplant, bean sprout salad, and a bowl of rice. As she always did, the female servant placed the tray on the round table in front of the window.
She stole a glance at Mok Gyeong-un, who was buttoning his shirt as he sat down in a chair.
‘He’s handsome.’
Among the four young masters of Lotuswood Sword Manor, Mok Gyeong-un’s beauty was unrivaled. The female servants would compete to bring him his meals, just for a chance to see his face. One had to have these small pleasures in life, after all.
But, ‘Huh?’
The female servant’s brows furrowed slightly. His faint smile was no different from the usual Mok Gyeong-un. But what was this strange feeling of discord?
‘What is it?’
Something felt different. It was hard to pinpoint what it was. The servant, inwardly puzzled, was about to take the tray and leave when, “Wait.”
“Yes?”
“The stir-fried beef and eggplant.”
“Yes.”
“Next time, I would like the beef cooked a little less.”
“But if it’s cooked less, there will be blood…”
“Beef is more tender when it’s cooked less, and it’s delicious when it’s lightly soaked in blood.”
As he said this, he smiled brightly. The moment she saw his smile, the female servant felt a shiver run down her spine. She thought she now knew why she had felt that sense of discord.
His lips were smiling, but his eyes were fixed on her, unblinking. She felt her body stiffen.
“Is there a problem?”
“Th-that is…”
Once fear took hold, it was difficult to answer. It was at that very moment.
“The cooking is the chef’s business, Young Master.”
Mok Gyeong-un turned his head toward the door. Guard Gam was entering through the open door. He shook his head with a look of displeasure, then waved his hand dismissively at the female servant.
At that, the servant bowed her head and scurried outside.
Thud!
Guard Gam closed the door, approached Mok Gyeong-un, and said, “I believe I warned you not to do anything that stands out.” To this, Mok Gyeong-un, lightly picking up some rice with his chopsticks, replied, “Is asking for my beef to be cooked less considered standing out?”
“You are Mok Gyeong-un, not a death row inmate.”
“The paper Guard Gam gave me to memorize didn’t say anything about what kind of meat the ‘real one’ preferred.”
Mok Gyeong-un retorted calmly.
‘This bastard.’
At his attitude, Guard Gam’s expression hardened menacingly. He wasn’t exactly wrong, but he didn’t like how he talked back after every sentence. While he was annoyed, the way he was munching on his rice was also getting on his nerves.
Guard Gam sat across from him and said, “Judging by the way you talk, you must have memorized everything I told you to.”
“Yes. It was nothing special.”
“Nothing special? Ha! Then what is the first young master’s name?”
“Mok Yeong-ho. Twenty years old. Has a spot on his left cheek and is lost in wine and women, going to the tavern once every two days. The most incompetent of the four brothers, but greedy and violent.”
‘……’
One of Guard Gam’s eyebrows shot up. It was accurate, not a single word was wrong. Since the real young master had written the information sheet himself, it was written quite candidly from his own perspective.
“…The second young master?”
“Mok Eun-pyeong. Eighteen years old. Droopy eyes that resemble the great madam. Cunning and sly. A piece of trash who would do anything to become the family head.”
Mok Gyeong-un had memorized it exactly as it was written. The force in the handwriting strongly suggested a deep-seated hatred.
‘It would be easier if he were an idiot.’
Guard Gam clicked his tongue inwardly. As expected, the cunning fellow had memorized everything. There seemed to be no need to check further.
“Should I also tell you about the fourth young master? Or perhaps the usual habits of the real Mok Gyeong-un…”
“That’s enough. That will do.”
“Then, since I haven’t finished my meal, may I continue?”
“Hmph. Eat and listen.”
“Understood.”
Guard Gam stood up, looked out the window with his hands clasped behind his back, and opened his mouth.
“Although you have memorized the contents of the information sheet, you will almost never have a chance to meet the other people in this household.”
“……Why is that?”
“No matter how much you look like the young master, if a tail is too long, it will eventually be stepped on. It is best not to create such situations in the first place.”
“So you’re telling me to stay cooped up inside?”
“You catch on quick.”
“This doesn’t seem much different from being a body double.”
“You are the one who volunteered to be a puppet instead of a body double. Since you chose this path yourself, you just need to do as you’re told.”
Guard Gam made his point with absolute clarity. It was to prevent this cunning fellow from getting any other ideas.
“So I just need to do as I’m told.”
“Yes.”
“Is there anything else I need to know?”
“No.” At Guard Gam’s final word, the eyes of Mok Gyeong-un, who had been moving his chopsticks, narrowed.
He was told it was information to be memorized, but aside from habits and personal details to prevent his identity as an imposter from being easily exposed, he was told nothing. Especially the most important information.
‘He’s not telling me why a body double was needed.’
Of course, he had suspected he might not be told. From this, Mok Gyeong-un could be certain of one thing.
‘Is he planning to leave me as I am, even if I face the dangerous situation that required a body double in the first place?’
Otherwise, there was no reason not to tell him. He had been fed a poison pill, and with the ‘real Mok Gyeong-un’ dead, he was the only substitute. He thought he would be used for a while, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
It seemed there was another hidden card up his sleeve. Lost in thought, a sardonic smile crept onto Mok Gyeong-un’s lips.
‘He’s trying to switch sides.’
Thud!
Guard Gam closed the door and spoke to the sharp-eyed middle-aged man guarding it.
“Make sure that fellow never gets out. And if anyone comes looking for him, make an excuse that he’s not feeling well so he doesn’t have to face anyone.”
“Understood.”
“I’ll be out for a while.”
As he was about to leave, the middle-aged man whispered, “Senior brother. But is there really a need to switch sides?”
“Hmm?”
“He’s already been fed the poison pill. Why don’t we just use this fake? After all, the reason we chose the third young master was…”
“Not this one.”
“Pardon? What do you mean?”
“I mean he’s not someone who can be easily controlled.”
At Guard Gam’s words, the middle-aged man scoffed inwardly. No matter if he was a death row inmate, he was just a civilian who hadn’t even learned martial arts. It was amusing how his senior brother was overreacting.
Perhaps stepping back from the front lines and living as a guard had truly dulled his old sharpness. If the man was that annoying, he could simply be beaten into submission. But regardless of his own thoughts, he couldn’t talk back to his senior brother.
“Understood.”
“Watch him well. If he tries anything foolish, subdue him with a grappling technique. I’ll allow you to inflict some pain, as long as it’s not on his face.”
“Oh. Really?”
“It might be better for him that way. In any case, watch him well.”
“Understood.”
The middle-aged man’s lips curled up in satisfaction.
About an hour had passed since Guard Gam left. The closed door opened. The middle-aged man guarding the door blocked Mok Gyeong-un, who was trying to come out.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Just going out for a bit.”
“To the outhouse?”
“No. I was thinking of seeing what it’s like outside the annex. I needed someone to talk to anyway, want to go together?”
Mok Gyeong-un spoke nonchalantly. At his demeanor, the middle-aged man was so dumbfounded he shook his head. His senior brother had just left, and this one was already trying to bolt outside.
The middle-aged man said in a cold tone, “Get back inside now if you don’t want things to get ugly.”
“Your name was Go Chan, right? If the two of us just keep our mouths shut, I don’t think anything will…”
Before Mok Gyeong-un could finish his sentence.
Swish!
The middle-aged man, no, Go Chan, with a swift movement, grabbed Mok Gyeong-un’s wrist and twisted it behind his back. It was a grappling technique. His senior brother had said that while the man didn't practice external arts, his muscle density was unusual, so it was easier to subdue him by twisting his joints rather than striking him.
‘Nothing special.’
It seemed his skill with the grappling technique hadn’t rusted after all this time. Feeling much better after twisting the fellow’s arm, he spoke into Mok Gyeong-un’s ear.
“You seem to have forgotten your place. You are not the real Mok Gyeong-un. You’ll gain nothing by getting on my nerves.”
Squeeze!
He twisted the wrist even more. Muscles or not, a twisted joint would be painful.
“Go back inside quietly and stay put.”
Go Chan warned in a low voice. He thought that after this much, the man would surely go back inside on his own, but, “And if I don’t want to?”
“What?”
Go Chan scoffed, dumbfounded. He had heard the man’s way of thinking was different, but this one seemed to be out of his mind. If he didn't want to go back quietly, what choice was there?
“Foolish fellow.”
Go Chan struck the back of Mok Gyeong-un’s neck with the edge of his hand, imbued with internal energy.
Thwack!
With this much force, he should pass out from the shock, regardless of his muscles. Or so he thought, but something was strange. It felt like hitting a wooden pillar.
‘What is this?’
He thought the man would surely collapse, but he was standing firm. He wondered if he hadn’t put in enough internal energy and was about to add more when Mok Gyeong-un’s voice was heard.
“You certainly seem weaker than Guard Gam.”
‘This bastard?’
It seemed he felt no pain at all. Otherwise, how could he speak so calmly after being struck on the back of the neck? Something felt very wrong.
Go Chan, deciding this wasn't working, tried to twist Mok Gyeong-un’s wrist further and throw him to the floor.
But, Squeeze!
No matter how hard he twisted, the arm didn’t budge. No, the fellow was straightening his own twisted wrist and arm.
‘Wh-what in the world…’
Flustered, Go Chan drew out his internal power to its maximum. This was no longer about worrying whether the man would get hurt. He had to be subdued first.
And yet, ‘Huh?’ The moment he tried to draw out his internal power, his body was lifted into the air. Then, he was slammed to the ground in front of the man.
Thud!
“Keuk!”
Fortunately, it seemed he hadn’t been thrown that hard. He quickly tried to spring up, but Mok Gyeong-un’s right hand grabbed his throat.
Grip!
“Kek!”
The grip was so strong it felt as if his neck would snap at any moment. Go Chan’s eyes trembled and became bloodshot. He frantically grabbed the man’s wrist and tried to push it away.
But it didn’t budge.
‘Wh-what is this bastard? What kind of strength is this…’
In terms of martial arts, he had reached the second-rate realm. It was no exaggeration to say he possessed twice the strength of an average adult man. And yet, he couldn’t handle the one-handed grip of this man who hadn’t even learned martial arts.
“Gack, gack.”
He couldn't breathe. His face felt like it was about to burst. As he struggled in agony, he happened to see the man’s face.
'He's smiling?'
The corners of his mouth were stretched to his ears. He wore the face of an innocent child playing with a toy.