Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 267 – The Fourth Office (3)

Murmur murmur!

The trainees who were watching from the side stirred.

When Thousand-men Commander Im Gyu-wol was pressuring Joo Woonhyang with his internal energy, the atmosphere was heavy and chilling beyond words.

However, the situation changed when one of the trainees intervened midway.

Even Thousand-men Commander Mak Myeong-ho, who could be considered the second-in-command of the Fourth Office, was afraid of Im Gyu-wol, the head, and couldn’t touch him, so no one expected that an apprentice trainee undergoing the Embroidered Uniform Guard selection would step up in this situation.

‘What’s with that guy?’

‘Is he in his right mind to grab the Thousand-men Commander’s arm?’

‘Is he crazy and wants to fail the selection test?’

Those who thought this way were the trainees who ranked lower in the first selection.

‘What’s this? Did he just endure Thousand-men Commander Im Gyu-wol’s cultivation level?’

‘…I don’t think this guy’s internal energy was that deep?’

Yeom Gyeong, a disciple of the Huashan Sect, and the trainees who ranked higher couldn’t hide their surprise at the sight of Trainee Bae Ji-seok, who was only in the middle rank, enduring Thousand-men Commander Im Gyu-wol’s cultivation level.

Of course, if it were the real Bae Ji-seok, he wouldn’t have been able to do that.

Inside that face skin was a completely different person.

It was none other than Mok Gyeong-un.

‘!?’

Thanks to that, Joo Woonhyang, who had been freed from Thousand-men Commander Im Gyu-wol’s internal energy pressure, frowned and raised his head to look at Mok Gyeong-un, who had Trainee Bae Ji-seok’s face.

He didn’t have a chance to meet or talk to Bae Ji-seok because their Imperial Guard trainee ranks were different.

Even during the training right before the apprenticeship, it was the same.

However…

‘…It’s strange.’

Joo Woonhyang was gripped by a strange feeling.

Somehow, it felt familiar.

Even though the face and voice were different, this familiarity…

‘Could it be?’

Joo Woonhyang looked at Mok Gyeong-un’s face with suspicious eyes.

It was at that very moment.

-Squeeze!

The grip of Mok Gyeong-un’s hand holding Thousand-men Commander Im Gyu-wol’s wrist tightened even more.

‘Ugh… This bastard?’

Im Gyu-wol’s expression stiffened at the strengthened grip.

It was no exaggeration to say that this guy’s cultivation level was surpassing his own 8th stage cultivation level.

-Tremble tremble!

His wrist was trembling.

If they were alone, he might have raised his cultivation level to settle it.

However, there were too many eyes watching right now.

If he showed a moment of being overwhelmed in cultivation level, his authority as the examiner of the apprentice trainees would crumble.

‘Damn it.’

But it was also a dilemma to figure out what to say and stop here.

He was the one who started it.

It was at that moment.

-Thud!

Mok Gyeong-un, who had been gripping his wrist, suddenly let go and clasped his hands together, lowering his head, and politely said:

“As expected, I can’t withstand the Thousand-men Commander’s cultivation level. I apologize for intervening midway while you were testing another trainee. I intervened out of concern that the trainee being tested might get hurt, so please understand with a generous heart.”

-Flinch!

At Mok Gyeong-un’s actions, Thousand-men Commander Im Gyu-wol’s eyes sharpened.

‘This damn bastard…’

He was truly a cunning fellow.

He could have embarrassed him, but not only did he back off at an appropriate point midway, but he also deliberately chose a path to save face for him.

-Clench!

Im Gyu-wol clenched his fists tightly and barely suppressed his anger.

If he showed an emotional reaction here, it would not only ruin his reputation but also remove any justification.

Alternating his sharp gaze between Mok Gyeong-un and Joo Woonhyang, who were standing side by side, Im Gyu-wol smiled nonchalantly and said:

“Indeed, I heard the trainees participating in this Embroidered Uniform Guard selection have outstanding skills, and it’s true to the word. Not only did you endure my sudden internal energy test well, but seeing how you flexibly responded for the sake of your competitor and comrade, I’m pleased.”

“Not at all.”

“I apologize.”

Joo Woonhyang and Mok Gyeong-un replied simultaneously.

Then, Im Gyu-wol patted the shoulders of the two with a generous voice and said:

“I will specially give bonus points to both of you.”

-Murmur murmur!

‘Bonus points?’

‘Was it really a test?’

At those words, the trainees couldn’t hide their envy.

The atmosphere was so hostile that they were worried about what trouble might occur, but seeing Thousand-men Commander Im Gyu-wol even giving bonus points, it seemed he had really tested them unexpectedly.

On the other hand, Joo Woonhyang inwardly clicked his tongue at Im Gyu-wol’s handling ability.

‘He didn’t reach this position for nothing.’

If he had acted emotionally, he could have lost face, but he was quite skilled in dealing with the situation.

Of course, he thought his insides must be boiling with rage.

So Joo Woonhyang thought he should be careful for a while.

As he expected, Im Gyu-wol spoke in a magnanimous manner but was grinding his teeth inwardly.

‘I’ll remember this, you bastards.’

“Then I hope you obtain good results during the next five days and join the Embroidered Uniform Guard.”

Thousand-men Commander Im Gyu-wol withdrew, inwardly vowing revenge.

As he entered the main building of the Fourth Office, Joo Woonhyang suppressed his boiling internal energy.

Even though he had deflected it as much as possible, Im Gyu-wol’s internal energy was a step above his, so he almost suffered internal injuries.

‘It would have been troublesome if it had lasted longer.’

It was a fortunate situation.

If he hadn’t properly internalized the innate true energy Thousand-men Commander So Yerin had injected, it could have been a big problem.

While calming his true energy like that, Joo Woonhyang looked at Mok Gyeong-un, who had Trainee Bae Ji-seok’s face, and spoke:

“Are you by any chance…”

“By any chance what?”

Joo Woonhyang, who was about to ask something, eventually gave up on it.

And he simply expressed her gratitude.

“Thank you. Thanks to you stepping up, I avoided internal injuries.”

“That’s fortunate.”

At those words, Joo Woonhyang’s eyes narrowed.

Although his voice was deep, this way of speaking and tone were definitely…

At that moment, Thousand-men Commander Mak Myeong-ho approached Joo Woonhyang and Mok Gyeong-un and spoke in a low voice so that only the two could hear:

“I don’t know the reason, but both of you have essentially been marked by the Thousand-men Commander. Thanks to that, you’ll have a tiring five days. I’ll keep an eye on you, but both of you should avoid trouble as much as possible.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

At this, Mok Gyeong-un and Joo Woonhyang politely clasped their hands together, lowered their heads, and replied.

***

That night.

Thousand-men Commander Im Gyu-wol personally prepared two maps.

These maps, labeled as the Prison Battlefield Map, depicted the paths of the underground prison.

The underground prison of the Imperial Palace had been continuously expanded for hundreds of years, so it was formed like a cave and was quite vast and dark, making it easy to get lost if one wasn’t careful.

Therefore, the Embroidered Uniform Guards of the Fourth Office carried these Prison Battlefield Maps to avoid losing their way.

However, these Prison Battlefield Maps were different from the existing ones.

‘Heh.’

If one blindly trusted these maps and carelessly tried to find their way, they would end up in the wrong place.

Specifically, in a trap with a mechanical device installed.

‘They will now understand why, except for one person, no one has ever escaped from the Imperial Palace’s underground prison unharmed for so long.’

There was no need to even use his own hands.

If they died while wandering in the underground prison, no explanation would be necessary.

‘Joo Woonhyang, Bae Ji-seok.’

Those damn bastards almost made him lose face.

Thousand-men Commander Im Gyu-wol curled the corners of his mouth eerily.

Thinking about them wandering in the underground prison and meeting their end, he couldn’t contain his excitement.

Im Gyu-wol then rolled up the two maps, tied them with red threads, and placed them among the nine maps.

He used red threads only for the ones he would give to them.

Feeling satisfied, he left the office and headed to his personal quarters.

When one became a commander of a thousand or above, they were given personal quarters, and when they reached the level of a Thousand-men Commander, they could have a separate nice room like this.

-Thud!

Im Gyu-wol hung his outer robe on the coat hanger and lay down on the bed in a good mood.

It was at that very moment.

-Stab! Stab!

‘Ugh!’

His back arched upward like a bow.

Something had simultaneously pierced two spots on his spine, and the pain was indescribable.

However, for some unknown reason, he couldn’t make a sound.

‘Wh- what the hell is this?’

As he was bewildered, he heard a rattling sound from under the bed.

Then, someone crawled out from under the bed.

Seeing the face of that unidentified someone, Thousand-men Commander Im Gyu-wol couldn’t help but be shocked.

‘Bae Ji-seok?’

It was none other than Trainee Bae Ji-seok, or rather, Mok Gyeong-un wearing his face.

Mok Gyeong-un brought his lips close to his ear and whispered softly:

“I was bored waiting for you, Thousand-men Commander.”

-Flinch!

‘Wh- who the hell is this bastard? How did he get in here?’

Thousand-men Commander Im Gyu-wol couldn’t help but be perplexed.

The area around the main building of the Fourth Office was guarded by Imperial Guards, and the dormitory building had the Lesser Banners, the lowest rank in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, taking turns on duty.

Yet he infiltrated while avoiding them?

‘Putting aside the infiltration, how did he evade my senses? Did a mere trainee really surpass my martial arts?’

Seeing his reaction, Mok Gyeong-un chuckled.

“What a nice expression.”

With those words, Mok Gyeong-un lightly touched his waist, which was arched like a bow.

-Press!

‘Uuugh!’

Im Gyu-wol was in so much pain that his face turned bright red from his originally pale complexion.

Even the veins on his forehead bulged.

‘This son of a b*tch!’

He sincerely wanted to tear Mok Gyeong-un apart and kill him.

However, when Mok Gyeong-un pressed the area around his spinal vertebrae once more…

‘Aaaargh!’

A pain like being struck by lightning spread throughout his body through his spine.

It was the first time he had experienced such pain in his life.

It was difficult to even breathe properly.

“Hah! Hah! Hah!”

Beads of cold sweat formed on Im Gyu-wol’s face.

Seeing him like this, Mok Gyeong-un curled the corners of his mouth eerily and whispered in his ear:

“I once read a book on acupuncture, and there was a dangerous acupuncture technique that shouldn’t be done recklessly. Do you know what it is?”

‘Ho- how would I know that?’

Unable to speak, Im Gyu-wol glared at Mok Gyeong-un as if he wanted to kill him.

Then, Mok Gyeong-un smiled brightly and said:

“Ah, I forgot it’s difficult for you to answer. It’s nothing much, just that there’s a technique called spinal acupuncture, and unless you’re a truly skilled physician, you shouldn’t carelessly insert needles near the spine. If you’re not careful, the needles can penetrate into the spine and be dangerous, or something like that.”

‘What?’

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, Im Gyu-wol’s eyes trembled.

But this was just the beginning.

“But what’s even more interesting is that it was written that as the pain intensifies like that, you become paralyzed and unable to walk ever again.”

‘Pa- paralyzed?’

At those words, Im Gyu-wol felt like he was going crazy.

The pain in his waist was too severe to just let it go.

Im Gyu-wol’s complexion, filled with fear, gradually turned pale.

Mok Gyeong-un whispered in his ear:

“I’m quite cautious, so when someone harbors ill feelings towards me, I don’t just let it slide.”

-Press!

‘Uuuugh.’

As the needles penetrated even deeper, Im Gyu-wol writhed in pain, unable to come to his senses.

Mok Gyeong-un, who was watching him suffer with a gleeful expression, brought something to his eyes when he had barely gotten used to the pain.

-Shwip!

‘!?’

It was none other than a sharp needle.

Bringing such a needle right in front of his eyes, Im Gyu-wol couldn’t help but be perplexed.

What was he trying to do with this now?

As he was puzzled, Mok Gyeong-un resolved his question.

“This needle is something a certain person had, and it’s coated with poison. You’re curious about what kind of poison, right?”

‘Poison?’

Im Gyu-wol’s pupils trembled at the mention of poison on the needle.

Just having the sharp point flickering in front of his eyes was agonizing, but hearing that it was also coated with poison made him feel like he was going crazy.

To the frightened Im Gyu-wol, Mok Gyeong-un smiled and nonchalantly said:

“This is nothing much either, but if the needle is inserted into the eyeball, the poison quickly spreads to the brain, causing a state of mental disability, should I say?”

‘!!!!!!!’

This was nothing much?