“You… you saw that?”
Mok Gyeong-un felt a sense of puzzlement from the expression of the Underworld Blade King, Son Yun. He understood to some extent the importance of a secret manual in the martial world. But looking at this man's reaction now, it was quite different from the anger one would expect from someone seeing their priceless treasure, the secret manual.
It was a reaction of disbelief.
‘What is this?’
Just as he was wondering.
Shhh!
Before he knew it, the sharp edge of Son Yun's large long blade was touching his neck. Mok Gyeong-un's eyes narrowed. He had clearly seen the entire movement with his eyes, yet, as if he hadn't consciously registered it, he didn't notice until it touched him.
‘…Is this a true master?’
It was astonishing. He could now understand why Mok In-dan, the Manor Lord of Lotuswood Sword Manor, was so tense and deferential. But that was the extent of his admiration.
The reality was that if you let your guard down, even a five-year-old child could stab you to death in your sleep. It was right to be wary of everything. Son Yun looked straight into Mok Gyeong-un's eyes and opened his mouth.
"To have seen that and survived…"
"Pardon?"
“Then it must be one of two things.”
What on earth was he talking about? As he puzzled over it, Son Yun continued in a cold voice.
“A lie, or heavenly luck.”
“A lie… or heavenly luck?”
“Until now, there have been almost none who have seen its contents and still breathe freely.”
“... What do you mean by that?”
No one breathing? But he was right here. Son Yun scoffed and pressed the blade slightly against his neck, speaking.
“Literally. That is why I cannot believe you are alive and well like this.”
“I am alive, as you can see.”
Mok Gyeong-un shrugged. At his attitude, Son Yun clicked his tongue. A blade was at his neck, yet his demeanor hadn't changed at all.
Had he lost his fear? Or was he just bold?
“Looking at you, I can't tell if you're spouting lies with swollen guts or if you're taking a risk.”
“I’d die if I tried to deceive you, so is there any reason to take such a risk?”
“.........”
Son Yun stared intently into Mok Gyeong-un's eyes. If he were even slightly nervous, his eyes should have wavered, but they didn't. [You must retrieve it.] He could not disobey that command.
In that case, there was only one way.
“Fine. Then prove it by reciting the incantation or showing the move. That will make it clear.”
At his suggestion, everyone from Lotuswood Sword Manor, including Manor Lord Mok In-dan, watched with tense eyes. At first, when Mok Gyeong-un revealed he had it, they had felt a strong sense of betrayal. But in the current situation, Mok Gyeong-un was the only one who could save them.
‘Please.’
They hoped it wasn't a lie.
“It's not difficult.”
With those words, Mok Gyeong-un was about to recite the incantation. He considered deceiving them with a partial recitation, just as he had tricked Mok Yu-cheon, but these were the owners of the secret manual. If he tried to trick them, his head could fly.
Just as he was about to open his mouth, -Mortal. A familiar voice echoed in his head. It was Blue Spirit.
Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes darted around, searching the area. But he couldn't see her. Mok Gyeong-un had been wondering why she hadn't appeared when he called for her earlier. -Look at the roof across from you.
‘The roof?’
At these words, he looked up at the roof. Blue Spirit was standing there. Why wasn't she coming closer?
Could it be that she was keeping her distance, wary of this monstrous man and that Occultist? It seemed likely. But, ‘What’s this?’
Blue Spirit’s atmosphere was somehow different from usual. The blood-red light shining from the eyes of the girl standing on the roof was incredibly deep. No, it felt like a blazing flame.
He could tell because of their connection.
‘Anger?’
The emotion he felt from her was immense fury. He could feel a fury intense enough to drench this entire place in blood, but she was suppressing it with tremendous willpower. Why was she like that?
As he was wondering, Blue Spirit spoke. -The moment you recite that incantation, you will die.
Hm?
Was she stopping him out of concern for that? Of course, if he recited the whole thing, they might betray him. It would be better to recite half and handle the rest in another way… -Mortal.
Follow the incantation and posture that this master recites exactly. Mok Gyeong-un frowned slightly. What did she mean, follow her incantation and posture?
They would know what was written inside, so if he recited a different incantation, they would surely know it was wrong. But, -Don't overthink it. For now, trust this master.
‘Hmm.’ -Mortal, if you die, this master dies too.
At those words, Mok Gyeong-un considered countless things in an instant. The moment the incantation was wrong, his head would be gone. If he said the incantation she taught him…
As he was deliberating, the Underworld Blade King, Son Yun, spoke.
“Why aren't you doing it?”
“.........”
After a moment of thought, Mok Gyeong-un reached a decision. Then, he gripped the sword seal. And he mimicked Blue Spirit, who stood with her back to the moonlight on the roof, taking a ready stance.
From a distance, the two figures held the exact same posture. Blue Spirit opened her mouth. -Muwonjihyeon Pasunyuyun Yeonggyeolhaeji Johashigyu Jipagyeongsal Along with it, she extended the sword seal forward and slowly performed the first move. Her form was like that of a beautiful woman performing a sword dance.
The phrase 'beauty under the moonlight' came to mind. The fluttering red fabric of her clothes, moving with the move, looked like scattered flower petals.
‘.........’
It was a movement that could make one lose their senses. If not for the situation, he would have wanted to watch at his leisure. Mok Gyeong-un finally opened his mouth.
“Muwonjihyeon Pasunyuyun Yeonggyeolhaeji Johashigyu Jipagyeongsal!”
And he followed Blue Spirit's movements. Exactly as he had perceived them. He reproduced them without a single difference. -Throb!
Throb!
His muscles weren't trained for it, and some screamed in protest, but he paid it no mind and focused on her every fingertip. -Phat!
Papapapat!
‘!!!!!!!’
At Mok Gyeong-un's sword move, the Underworld Blade King, Son Yun's eyes trembled. And he wasn't the only one. The Manor Lord of Lotuswood Sword Manor, Mok In-dan, also couldn't take his eyes off the first move Mok Gyeong-un was performing.
‘How… something like this…’
It was impossible not to be astonished. It was truly a world-stunning sword move. There was no wasted motion in each form, and it was difficult to find any flaws.
Since it was a secret manual the Heaven and Earth Society guarded with their lives, he had expected it to be something, but it was truly incredible. But what was even more surprising was, ‘This child… how can he make such movements?’ Mok Gyeong-un's current movements were not something a mere third-rate martial artist could produce.
Although there was no internal energy infused and the movements were slow, everything from his fingertips looked as if a peerless swordsman who had reached a high realm with the sword was performing the sword move. Any swordsman of that level would clearly know.
‘Ha.’
If he was like this, how could Son Yun be any different? Son Yun, too, couldn't hide his admiration for the sight Mok Gyeong-un presented. He recognized the move, but the execution of this move was something that boy should never have been able to produce at his level.
‘Is it talent?’
It was an incomprehensible talent. According to his spiritual sense, the boy was at best on the cusp of the second-rate realm from third-rate. But he was performing the move as if a peerless swordsman was demonstrating it for someone?
Just as he was feeling puzzled. -Murmur, murmur! He could hear a stir among the masked men. Son Yun knew why they were reacting that way.
“Cheonagyeongmyeong Musobulhang Jeoseongeoma…”
Mok Gyeong-un was about to perform the second move, chanting another incantation.
‘Damn it!’
He had to stop him. No one else should be allowed to hear the incantation for the move any further. Son Yun hurriedly shouted.
“Enough!”
Shhh!
Mok Gyeong-un, who was extending the sword seal diagonally, stopped his movement. He then checked Son Yun's reaction. He had been focusing with extreme concentration to follow Blue Spirit's movements on the roof, so he hadn't been able to check the reaction.
‘Huh?’
Mok Gyeong-un was inwardly puzzled as he saw the expression on the Underworld Blade King, Son Yun. This time, it had truly been a gamble. After all, it wasn't the incantation written in the secret manual.
But looking at Son Yun's expression, it didn't seem like he was wrong at all. Mok Gyeong-un asked.
“Is that confirmation enough?”
“.........”
At this question, Son Yun remained silent, staring intently at Mok Gyeong-un. In his mind, an image of another person performing the same move as Mok Gyeong-un was drawn like a picture. It was tyrannical to a fault.
But the sword move Mok Gyeong-un performed was of a completely different nature. That meant, ‘There’s no mistake.’ It was definitely the secret manual.
There was no room for doubt. Though he tried his best not to show it, Son Yun’s heart was pounding. He hadn't expected it to turn out this way, but to see the sword seal of the Moon Vein, which was said to have been lost over a hundred years ago.
It was hard to calm his excitement. But Son Yun soon suppressed the emotion.
[You must retrieve it.]
Retrieving the original secret manual was the best course of action. But if what this boy said was true, the original had already vanished from the world. This boy's head was the only secret manual.
“Underworld Blade King.”
Just then, the voice of the middle-aged man with the eyepatch, Occultist Jo, was heard. He said nothing more, but seeing Occultist Jo gently shake his head, he knew what he was trying to say. He was telling him not to kill the boy.
‘He seems to covet him.’
He, too, found it interesting. This brat accomplished what no one in the Society could. Most had lost their lives.
That meant either the cursed secret manual had chosen this child, or there was something special about him.
‘However, no one may learn the secret manual unless they are permitted.’
Therefore, the proper course was to extract what was in his head and then kill him. But it felt like a waste. Seeing his contemplative look, Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes narrowed.
‘There’s something.’
These people didn't know the true contents of the secret manual. But from their reactions, they seemed convinced that the incantation for the move Blue Spirit had taught him was the actual content. If that weren't the case, they would have already slit his throat.
But the way they were looking at him, as if deliberating something, was…
‘They’re weighing their options.’
There was only one thing he could guess. Perhaps, if the secret manual was so precious as to be called their treasure, it was something that outsiders were not allowed to learn. In that case, now that they had confirmed it was real, were they planning to kill him after extracting it from his head?
Mok Gyeong-un glanced at Occultist Jo. From his reaction, he seemed to have a considerable interest in him. In that case, “Considering you came all this way to find the secret manual, it must be a precious item, right?”
“What?”
Phat!
Mok Gyeong-un lunged toward a nearby guard from Lotuswood Sword Manor. He practically snatched the sword the man was holding.
“I'll borrow this for a moment.”
“Wh-what?”
Mok Gyeong-un put the stolen sword to his own neck and said.
“If I die, all your efforts in coming here will be for naught.”
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, one of the Underworld Blade King, Son Yun’s eyebrows shot up. Was this brat trying to bargain with his own life? Son Yun let out a sneer and said.
“Do you even have the courage to take your own life?”
At that question, Mok Gyeong-un smiled brightly.
“It's not particularly difficult.”
Thrust!
The blade bit into Mok Gyeong-un's neck.
‘!?’
For a moment, Son Yun was dumbfounded. He had naturally assumed the boy was trying to bargain for his life. But that brat, he was trying to slit his own throat without hesitation.
“Halt!”
Son Yun let out a roar infused with internal energy.
“Keuk!”
“Ugh!”
At the thunderous Lion's Roar, everyone momentarily covered their ears. Mok Gyeong-un also grimaced and staggered, but he did not let go of the sword digging into his neck. He endured the pain and dizziness from the energy-laden sound.
‘This brat?’
Son Yun finally shouted.
“Stop!”
Shhh!
At those words, Mok Gyeong-un relaxed his strength and stopped pushing the sword into his neck. Blood flowed down his neck, staining his collar red. Son Yun spoke in a tone of disbelief.
“You’re mad. You brat.”
Ordinarily, he would have scoffed at a brat's pathetic antics. But this one was different. His eyes, his demeanor, it was as if he were a person with no lingering attachment to his own life.
“It's a world where it's hard to live without being mad.”
“A young pup talking as if he's lived a full life. What is it you want?”
Tap, tap!
Mok Gyeong-un tapped his own forehead with his finger and said with a smile.
“Now that I know how precious what's in my head is, I have no intention of opening my mouth so easily. So, don't bother weighing your options and just take the secret manual peacefully.”
“What?”
"Isn't that what the Occultist over there wants as well?"
Son Yun's expression became strange.
‘Take it peacefully?’
Is this brat not asking to be spared in exchange for the secret manual, but saying he'll follow us to the Society's headquarters of his own accord? A look of interest appeared in Son Yun's astonished eyes.
‘Ha. Look at this one.’