Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 90

On the way back to the inner castle of Heaven and Earth Society, Diviner Jo Ui-gong had a complicated expression as he looked at the back of the old man walking ahead of him.

The old man silently walking was his master and the Pavilion Master of Primal Killing, In Seo-ok.

“Sigh.”

How did it come to this?

That fearsome master now moved according to his commands.

The reason was because he had received partial control from Mok Gyeong-un.

[I’ll let you command him as agreed.]

It was the only compensation Mok Gyeong-un kept.

None of the other conditions were kept.

The second proposal, the secret of the Six-Person Spirit Summoning Technique, was not taught, saying it would be impossible to do even if taught, and the third turned out like this, as you can see.

-Clank!

The incantation shackle on his wrist had turned him into a slave instead.

Now he had to follow the guy regardless of his will.

[I’ll stay at Corpse Blood Valley, so Master, please go back and become the Pavilion Master of Primal Killing.]

‘Damn it.’

He casually gave such an order to him.

Although he received control over his master In Seo-ok, who had become a Living Corpse Ghost, he couldn’t recklessly take over the position.

There were procedures, and he needed a proper justification.

‘What should I do?’

As expected, the biggest problem was senior brother Jo Tae-cheong.

Primal Killing Pavilion had been skilled in hand seal-based magic and Corpse Ghost techniques using dead bodies for generations.

However, senior brother Jo Tae-cheong was not only skilled in hand seal-based magic but also in servant spirit techniques, so he had even subjugated a Monstrous Beast level creature that even his master couldn’t handle.

‘…….It’s not for nothing that he’s called the next Pavilion Master of Primal Killing.’

If his senior brother found out that their master had become a Living Corpse Ghost, a big problem would arise.

No, his limbs could be torn apart by the Monstrous Beast in an instant.

He had to find a way to naturally deceive senior brother.

‘It’s giving me a headache. But……’

Something had been strange for a while.

There was something he couldn’t remember, but he didn’t know what it was.

What order did Mok Gyeong-un give him with the incantation that made him lose part of his memory?

‘It’s unsettling.’

What could it be?

***

‘So it can be used that way too.’

Mok Gyeong-un thought the order he had given to Diviner Jo Ui-gong earlier was quite useful.

The order Mok Gyeong-un gave was simple.

[Forget that you heard my real name when making the incantation oath. Keep remembering me as the third son of the Yeon Mok Sword Manor.]

He wasn’t sure if this would really work, but it actually did.

It was possible because the principle was to restrain one’s own will.

He wanted to obtain a few more of these incantation shackles.

[Can I get more?]

[I want to, but it’s difficult.]

According to Diviner Jo Ui-gong, the incantation shackle was a magic tool created by Great Monk Myeong-ryul, one of the Six Directions Gods, and was one of the four that his master In Seo-ok had received as a gift while attending the general meeting of the Sixty-Four Diviner Sects.

Even his master In Seo-ok had tried to uncover this secret and conducted research for over ten years, but failed to recreate this principle.

‘What a pity.’

But there were three more besides the one he put on Jo Ui-gong, so he wanted to obtain them if he had the chance.

Anyway, thanks to that, he erased the memory of mentioning his real name from Diviner Jo Ui-gong’s mind.

It wouldn’t be a problem.

“Then shall we continue the conversation from earlier?”

Mok Gyeong-un said to Lee Ji-yeom, the Master of Corpse Blood Valley.

This was Lee Ji-yeom’s office.

Having returned here immediately, Mok Gyeong-un was about to finish the conversation and ask what he was curious about.

What could be the secret of the Blue Spirit?

At that moment, the Blue Spirit’s voice echoed in Mok Gyeong-un’s ears.

-Hey. Mortal.

‘I’m sorry, but it seems difficult to answer right now.’

He couldn’t respond because Lee Ji-yeom, the Master of Corpse Blood Valley, was sitting across from him.

But then she spoke in a serious voice.

-I sincerely ask you. Don’t ask now.

‘……….’

Why?

Didn’t she become a ghost for revenge and accept him as a disciple despite disliking him?

But why didn’t she want to hear this? He didn’t understand.

As he was puzzled, the Blue Spirit said,

-Even if not now, you will eventually find out when the time comes. Instead, if you do as I say, I will teach you one of the Eight Forms of Thought Destruction.

At her words, Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes narrowed.

She was someone who didn’t give any clues about the forms, saying that one had to realize them on their own.

But now she was saying she would teach him one of the forms she had realized.

It was a slightly tempting offer.

-If you agree to my words, make a circle with your index finger and thumb.

At this, Mok Gyeong-un moved the fingers he had placed on his thigh.

Then,

-………

The Blue Spirit snorted as if dumbfounded.

It was because Mok Gyeong-un hadn’t drawn a circle with his fingers, but stretched out his index and middle fingers.

It meant he wanted her to teach him not one, but two.

‘…….You never settle for a loss, do you?’

Even knowing one of the Eight Forms of Thought Destruction was infinitely useful and valuable.

However, she thought the forms she had realized could be more harmful than helpful even if Mok Gyeong-un knew them now, so she hadn’t taught him.

So she was trying to teach him one form that was relatively safe, but,

-Fine, you greedy bastard.

In the end, she agreed to teach him.

She wasn’t sure if he could embody what she had realized, but she didn’t want Mok Gyeong-un to know about this matter right now.

No, she herself didn’t want to hear how it was revealed either.

She had a guess anyway.

‘When you’re ready……’

It wouldn’t be too late to hear it then.

With their agreement reached, Mok Gyeong-un said to Lee Ji-yeom, the Master of Corpse Blood Valley, who was about to speak to continue the conversation,

“That day…..”

“Please wait a moment.”

“Yes?”

“Can we hear that story later?”

“Hear it later…..? But don’t you need to know what really happened back then to understand the situation of the sect……”

“Let’s have this conversation after my position is a bit more established.”

“After your position is established?”

To the puzzled Lee Ji-yeom, Mok Gyeong-un pointed at himself and said,

“In your eyes, Valley Master, what level do I seem to be at now?”

“Level?”

“In martial arts.”

“Martial arts. Hmm.”

At this, Lee Ji-yeom slightly frowned, then looked Mok Gyeong-un up and down.

Then, in a voice that didn’t seem fully confident, he said,

“Is it alright if I speak honestly?”

“Yes.”

“Just based on the energy I sense, you feel like a first-rate martial artist.”

‘First-rate?’

At his words, Mok Gyeong-un tilted his head slightly.

He still had almost no clear realization of the energy corresponding to the Peak Realm.

However, the amount of death energy he possessed had reached the Pinnacle of Peak Realm.

Moreover, his opened middle danjeon was also filled with condensed energy reaching the Pinnacle of Peak Realm, so he could be said to have twice as much energy as a master of the same level.

‘Can he not feel the energy?’

As he was puzzled, the Blue Spirit’s voice was heard.

-Perhaps that could be the case.

‘Huh?’

-In the first place, humans cannot accumulate or feel the energy of death in their bodies. At most, they would feel a chill or coldness.

‘……….’

-Moreover, even if such death energy is gathered in the danjeon, it would be strange for ordinary people to accurately sense it.

‘Is that so?’

As the Blue Spirit said, death energy was completely different from ordinary energy, so even a great master like Lee Ji-yeom, the Valley Master of Corpse Blood Valley, might have difficulty grasping it?

No, come to think of it, this could be a good thing.

‘If the opponent doesn’t know my level, I can deceive them.’

This alone had considerable value.

After all, letting one’s guard down was useful for creating the opponent’s weakness.

Then, Lee Ji-yeom carefully asked,

“Could it be that you are deliberately concealing your energy, my liege?”

The strength of ‘that person’ that Lee Ji-yeom had heard from his grandfather was no exaggeration to say that she was among the top three even among the strongest people in the history of Heaven and Earth Society.

Therefore, he thought this couldn’t be all.

However,

“No. What you see is what it is.”

“……..Is that true?”

“Yes.”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, Lee Ji-yeom let out a sigh mixed with some disappointment.

That was understandable, as Lee Ji-yeom thought ‘that person’ had possessed this boy’s body as a ghost to take revenge and regain her past glory and honor.

He naturally thought she would be prepared.

But if that wasn’t the case, what was his liege going to do in this situation?

“You seem quite disappointed.”

“That’s…….”

He couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence.

To him, Mok Gyeong-un said with a smile,

“Of course you would think that. But it’s only been half a month since I possessed this body, and at that time, this body wasn’t even third-rate.”

‘!?’

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, Lee Ji-yeom’s eyes sparkled with interest.

It was reasonable, as this meant his liege had reached the first-rate realm in just half a month.

If this was true, it could be considered a tremendous rate of progress.

“Is that…..true?”

“Yes. You don’t believe me?”

“No. How could that be? I’m just surprised……”

Even with outstanding martial talent, this speed was beyond common sense.

Lee Ji-yeom’s reaction was natural.

At this, Mok Gyeong-un said,

“I know you have expectations, but even if my past self that you know is different, I’m also in a position where I have to start from the beginning again.”

“Ah…..”

At those words, Lee Ji-yeom nodded as if he understood.

Then he carefully asked,

“……..Then how long do you think it will take for you to recover to your original level, my liege?”

That was the key point.

Lee Ji-yeom was in a highly excited state after making the loyalty oath.

He wanted to leave this Corpse Blood Valley immediately and regain honor together as the right-hand man of his liege.

To his question, Mok Gyeong-un pondered for a moment.

‘Original level?’

Actually, come to think of it, Mok Gyeong-un had never heard about the level of martial arts Cheong-ryeong possessed when she was alive.

She herself always talked about how strong she was, but the standard for that was vague.

However, seeing even the strong Lee Ji-yeom having reverence, it seemed she was definitely stronger than he thought.

‘Then…….’

It seemed good to set a target period to some extent.

A gentleman’s revenge is not late even after ten years.

It meant that a gentleman’s revenge, even if it takes ten years, is not too late, and to be patient, build up strength, and wait for the right time.

Of course, it was natural to cultivate patience for revenge, but ten years was too long.

So, the period Mok Gyeong-un had in mind was,

-Swish!

‘!?’

Lee Ji-yeom’s expression stiffened at the fingers Mok Gyeong-un held up.

-You……are you crazy?

The Blue Spirit’s voice was heard in Mok Gyeong-un’s ears.

Why were they reacting like this?

As he was puzzled, Mok Gyeong-un was only holding up two fingers.

-Ha!

The Blue Spirit clicked her tongue as if dumbfounded.

Meanwhile, Lee Ji-yeom, the Master of Corpse Blood Valley, spoke in a slightly trembling voice,

“Could it be twenty years…..”

“No. That’s too long.”

At those words, Lee Ji-yeom gulped and continued speaking as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Is that really……possible for you?”

“Is there anything I can’t do?”

An answer without a moment’s hesitation.

At this,

“Ha……..”

Lee Ji-yeom let out an exclamation with eyes full of genuine reverence.

He was trying to set the target period as short as possible and aim for it, but was this level of reaction necessary?

Then the Blue Spirit clicked her tongue and said,

-A guy who hasn’t even gained proper realization of the Peak Realm is boasting that he will surpass the barrier and reach the realm of Transformation (化境) within 2 years.

Transformation Realm (化境).

It was the supreme martial arts realm that could only be reached by surpassing the barrier and attaining the states of Three Flowers Gathered at the Crown[1] and Five Energies Paying Homage to the Origin[2].

It was said that only the Six Heavens and Eight Stars[3], known as the greatest masters in the current martial arts world, had reached that realm.

Yet Mok Gyeong-un had declared that he would reach the same level as them in 2 years.

‘Is it difficult?’

As if reading Mok Gyeong-un’s thoughts, the Blue Spirit said,

-Die and wake up a hundred times. See if that’s possible. No, if that happens, I will call you Lord for the rest of my life and attend to you.