Could this simply be described as him having changed? Mok Gyeong-un, casually suggesting they sacrifice Madam Seok, who, despite their poor relationship, was nominally his mother. At his words, Mok In-dan was so shocked that for a moment, goosebumps covered his entire body.
It was beyond just changing; it seemed like he had become a different person entirely. Just then, Mok Gyeong-un whispered in a sweet voice.
“She is a woman who would have let the Manor Lord die to give everything to her own son. Is she worth hesitating for?”
‘This boy...’
Whether it was true or not was unimportant. Mok Gyeong-un was providing him with an emotional justification to make a cruel choice. It was a justification tempting enough for a leader trying to save his group, and as a man.
However, ‘No.’ Mok In-dan bit his lip firmly. He let go of Mok Gyeong-un’s wrist and chided him softly.
“I cannot trust your words.”
“But it’s the truth.”
“... Even if what you say is true, it is not right to sacrifice one person to save others. And...”
The Manor Lord, Mok In-dan, looked at the face of Madam Seok, who was backing away. Her terrified eyes showed a strong denial. He knew her well, for she was his wife.
If she had done something, she would feign ignorance rather than react in such a way.
‘As I thought, it’s not her.’
That means, “If this is your doing, then I tell you it is a foolish act.”
“A foolish act?”
“Yes. And now is not the time to be dealing with you.”
With those words, Mok In-dan tried to move towards Madam Seok to block the Underworld Blade King, Son Yun. But before he could, Crunch! Son Yun, who had been walking towards her as if to do something, clenched the earring in his hand tightly.
Letting the crushed pieces of the earring fall to the floor, Son Yun spoke.
“It seems someone here dislikes the Manor Lord’s wife.”
“Wh-what?”
Overwhelmed by Son Yun’s intense killing intent, she asked back, drenched in a cold sweat. Son Yun scoffed and said, “It seems someone inside the Lotuswood Sword Manor wanted to frame you or use a borrowed blade to kill.” Borrowing a blade to kill.
It meant, quite literally, to kill by borrowing another’s sword. At Son Yun’s words, her terror subsided, and as if the strength had left her legs, she collapsed to her knees on the floor with a thump.
Exuding killing intent, Son Yun glared at the people of Lotuswood Sword Manor with sharp eyes and said, “Do you think I would fall for such a petty trick?” Hearing this, Manor Lord Mok In-dan clenched his jaw and shot a look at Mok Gyeong-un.
‘Look.’
This was precisely the foolish act he had spoken of. If you looked at the forest instead of the trees, the situation became somewhat clear. What kind of culprit would leave behind such an obvious trail?
It was a move that, on the contrary, revealed it was left by a rival.
‘A poor move.’
No matter how cunning he tried to be, this was the limit of a scheme born from the mind of a seventeen-year-old. Mok In-dan frowned at Mok Gyeong-un and whispered.
“This has gotten bigger. No more. Hand it over.”
“How unfortunate.”
“What?”
“I was hoping you’d be lucky.”
“What are you saying now...”
It was at that very moment.
Swish!
The Underworld Blade King, Son Yun, swung his long blade and sliced off the head of a Lotuswood Sword Manor guard. It happened so fast, there was no time to stop him.
“Underworld Blade King!”
Shing!
Manor Lord Mok In-dan shouted in fury as he drew his sword. Son Yun just shrugged his shoulders and said playfully, “It’s you who broke the promise, so what’s the use of getting angry at me? I declare this to the people of Lotuswood Sword Manor.”
I declare! I declare! I declare!
His voice, filled with internal energy, spread out, ringing like an echo. Those nearby had to cover their ears, wincing in pain as their eardrums vibrated.
‘He wasn’t at his full strength.’
Mok In-dan’s expression darkened. His internal power was far more profound than Mok In-dan had estimated during their earlier exchange of a single move. Even if his body had been unharmed, this was not an opponent he could defeat.
Regardless, Son Yun continued what he was saying.
“I’ll give you one last chance. If you want to live, hand it over. Or, tell me who stands to gain the most if the Manor Lord’s wife were to die.”
At his shout, the corner of Madam Seok’s mouth, who was kneeling on the floor catching her breath, trembled. She never imagined she would suffer such humiliation because of that damned Mok Gyeong-un.
She had kept her mouth shut, wary of the Manor Lord, but now that the boy had gone this far, she was no longer in a position to be picky. Madam Seok parted her lips.
“Great Warrior Son...”
Before she could even finish her words. Someone raised their hand and shouted.
“I know who did this!”
The one who shouted was none other than Ho-aeng. Seeing this, Madam Seok thought, 'Good,' and closed her mouth. It was better for Ho-aeng, a guard, to confess the truth out of loyalty than for her to tell the story herself.
“You know who it is?”
“Yes.”
At that, the Underworld Blade King, Son Yun, wiped the blood from his blade and spoke in a voice laced with killing intent.
“If you lie, you will have to give up your life.”
“If something were to happen to the great madam, the position of our manor’s first young master would also be in jeopardy. Therefore, there are others who would benefit from the line of succession.”
Though it was not intentional, the eyes of the Lotuswood Sword Manor guards naturally shifted to two people. They were none other than the second son, Mok Eun-pyeong, and the youngest, Mok Yu-cheon. Being human, they couldn't help their gazes turning in that instant.
Mok Eun-pyeong shouted in alarm.
“Wh-what nonsense are you spouting now?”
Mok Yu-cheon was the same.
“How rude, Guard Ho. Why would I do such a thing?”
Both of them reacted as if they were being wrongly accused. Naturally, they would. After all, they hadn't done it.
But curiously, not a single person looked at Mok Gyeong-un upon hearing Ho-aeng’s words.
‘This...’
Manor Lord Mok In-dan furrowed his brow. Seeing Mok Gyeong-un try to bargain with him, it was clear that if anyone had plotted something, it was this boy. And yet, when she mentioned those who would benefit from the succession, no one from the Lotuswood Sword Manor looked at Mok Gyeong-un.
It was understandable, as he had the least power and the lowest chance. Just then, the Underworld Blade King, Son Yun, looked back and forth between the second son, Mok Eun-pyeong, and the youngest, Mok Yu-cheon, and opened his mouth.
“That sounds plausible, but how can I believe it?”
“There is something that can be presumed as evidence.”
“Evidence? Hoho. Tell me, girl.”
‘Evidence?’
At Guard Ho-aeng's words, Madam Seok frowned. Was there really anything that could be called evidence? While she was wondering, Ho-aeng spoke.
“In the basement of the Medicine Hall, besides the item Great Warrior Son is looking for, there were also secret manuals that only the Manor Lord of Lotuswood Sword Manor can learn. The one who has them must be the culprit!”
‘!!!!!!’
At Ho-aeng’s words, two people could not hide their dismay at the same time. They were the youngest, Mok Yu-cheon, and Madam Seok, who possessed the original secret manuals, the Lotuswood Heart Transformation Technique and the Lotuswood Sword Formation Art, even if they were only the covers and two pages. Flustered, they shouted at the same time.
“It’s not true!”
“Ho-aeng, you!”
Shouting at the same time, they seemed to realize their mistake as all eyes focused on them, and they fidgeted in panic. They shouldn’t have reacted like this to Ho-aeng’s words. Now it was obvious those men would search their quarters.
'Ha!'
Seeing them like this, Manor Lord Mok In-dan looked at Mok Gyeong-un. Seeing him watching as if it were an amusing spectacle, Mok In-dan’s pupils trembled.
[If we’re lucky, and we can save everyone by sacrificing that one woman, isn’t that a good thing in its own way?]
[How unfortunate. I was hoping you’d be lucky.]
The words Mok Gyeong-un had said flashed through his mind. The luck this boy spoke of was not what he had thought it meant.
“You...”
Mok Gyeong-un whispered with a smile playing on his lips.
“This is quite a mess. A matter that could have ended with one person has entangled everyone." "At this rate, that frightening man will go on a rampage and kill everyone, regardless of any secret manual.”
[What? You want me to put this earring in that wooden box?]
[Yes.]
[Are you a fool, mortal?]
[What do you mean?]
[If you put it there, who would believe it was that old mortal woman? They would suspect it was the doing of someone targeting that Madam Seok woman.]
[Yes. That’s the point.]
[What?]
[Why do you think I gave them secret manuals that were little more than empty shells?]
[You… surely not?]
[Let’s just call it a small precaution for when the Manor Lord wakes up. It’s a light prank, that’s all.]
[A light prank? You certainly have a knack for petty schemes.]
It was originally a precaution for when the Manor Lord woke up and checked the secret location. But though different from the original intent, it served to deepen the confusion. Mok Gyeong-un smirked and said, “Wouldn’t it be better to tell me about that wound now, rather than regret it after losing things one by one?”
The Manor Lord Mok In-dan clenched his jaw.
‘This fiend is truly...’
The thought that this was his son vanished completely. He had never met anyone so frighteningly cunning. To see him hold the Lotuswood Sword Manor’s peril hostage to get what he wanted was not just absurd, it was utterly chilling.
“What will you do?”
There was no longer a choice. At this, Mok In-dan said.
“... Bring the secret manual and give it to that man. Do that, and I will tell you.”
“That’s not how you bargain.”
“You really!”
“We don’t have much time.”
Staring at Mok Gyeong-un with a contorted face, Mok In-dan’s cheeks trembled as he forced his lips apart.
“It is a wound I received seventeen years ago in Longmen, Guangdong, from a man called the Ghost Sword.”
“Ghost Sword?”
“You... don’t tell me you don’t know of the Ghost Sword?”
There was no way he would know. Mok Gyeong-un, who had only recently begun learning martial arts, could not possibly know about the workings of the martial world.
“Who is the Ghost Sword...”
Before he could finish his words.
Jingle, jingle!
The sound of a ringing bell was heard. In an instant, everyone’s gaze turned towards the sound.
“Occultist Jo.”
The Underworld Blade King, Son Yun, called out, looking at someone who was entering over the pavilion wall. It was a middle-aged man with an eyepatch painted with a snake, leaning on a staff. But what was more puzzling than the man’s appearance was that the bell at his waist was ringing on its own, without being shaken.
‘What in the world is that?’
Just then, the middle-aged man with the eyepatch, called Occultist Jo, opened his mouth.
“An anomaly is at play.”
“An anomaly?”
“The anomaly is trying to steal a person’s shell.”
Thwack!
In that instant, the middle-aged man swung his staff through the air, formed a hand seal with his left hand, and chanted an incantation.
“The divine brush moves, the spirits protect. Be at peace, subdue demons and exorcise evil. I serve the Great Supreme Elder Lord! By my command, act with haste!”
Thud!
As soon as the incantation ended, the middle-aged man struck the ground with his staff. With that, an invisible wave erupted, and a strong wind gusted through the area.
Whooosh!
“Aaaaaaaargh!”
Then, Madam Seok’s Guard, Ho-aeng, who was hit by the passing wind, suddenly grabbed her head and screamed like a madwoman. Those around her could not hide their bewilderment for a moment. Black veins bulged around Ho-aeng’s neck, a truly bizarre sight.
“Wh-what is that?”
Twitch, twitch!
Ho-aeng’s eyes rolled back as her entire body began to convulse violently. Everyone fell back from her in shock.
Gag, retch!
Not as violently as Ho-aeng, but one other person felt his stomach churn: Go Chan. The moment the wind brushed past him, he felt an unpleasant sensation and the urge to vomit. But he quickly circulated his internal energy and deployed his protective energy, which made him feel somewhat better.
“Huu... huu...”
Go Chan looked at Ho-aeng. In Go Chan’s two spirit eyes, he could see the Demonic Monk writhing in pain inside Ho-aeng’s body. Because the body was merely second-rate and he had just possessed it, he could not endure.
In the end, Paaaaak! he was ejected from the possessed body. Ho-aeng, who had been convulsing in agony, collapsed on the spot as if she had fainted.
Thump!
Seeing this, the corners of the middle-aged man with the eyepatch, Occultist Jo’s, mouth turned up.
“I shall exorcise you.”
He then took a talisman from his waist, an Imperial Edict Talisman, attached it to his staff, and shouted.
“Suppress ghosts and extinguish demons! By the edict of the Great Supreme Elder Lord! Divine soldiers and generals, act with haste!”
With that, he threw the staff.
Whoosh!
Amazingly, the staff shot forward, flying straight as an arrow. To everyone else’s eyes, it seemed to be flying towards an empty space, but there, still reeling from the pain, stood the staggering Demonic Monk. But before the staff, imbued with a wondrous power, could reach the Demonic Monk, Pak!
Someone caught the staff in mid-air.
"You’re causing trouble."
It was none other than Mok Gyeong-un. At this sight, the middle-aged man with the eyepatch, Occultist Jo, could not hide his surprise.
'What?'
To catch a staff imbued with an Imperial Edict Talisman and an incantation with his bare hands—even for someone from a martial family, this was no ordinary feat. But that was not what was truly surprising. Occultist Jo furrowed his brow, then glared at Mok Gyeong-un and said.
“You... you can see the vengeful spirit.”
At his words, a stir went through the crowd.