Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 54

In a dark forest.

A woman with an enchanting appearance, wearing a bamboo hat, was hanging from the top of a tree, gazing in a certain direction.

A very faint light could be seen in the distance.

About a hundred jang away, that place was the campsite of Heaven and Earth Society.

‘shit. What am I doing?’

Grumbling inwardly, her identity was Ha Chae-rin, a candidate for the sect leader of Flying Killing.

No, it was Guard Go Chan, who had possessed Ha Chae-rin’s body.

He had been tracking Mok Gyeong-un ever since he was practically kidnapped after being immobilized by Bright Blade King.

Normally, when tracking, one would get closer than this, but due to the monstrous master Bright Blade King, he maintained this distance out of fear of getting too close and being discovered.

‘At least I can follow since I roughly know the location.’

The problem lay elsewhere.

As a familiar, he was connected, so he could instinctively sense where Mok Gyeong-un was.

However, there was no way to get close.

In fact, if it weren’t for being a familiar, it would have been the perfect opportunity to distance himself from Mok Gyeong-un, but the farther he got, the more strangely anxious he became, making it impossible to escape.

No, it was impossible from the beginning.

Because if Mok Gyeong-un died, he too would be annihilated.

‘Phew. How did it come to this?’

Even he found his predicament ridiculous.

He had retired due to lack of talent and aimed to live quietly, but not only did he die absurdly, but now he was trapped in this wench’s body, serving as a slave.

‘I’m so unlucky.’

It would be difficult to have such a wretched fate.

Anyway, to remain in this world even a little longer, he had no choice but to serve Mok Gyeong-un well.

‘I need to find a way to infiltrate somehow.’

For now, he was doing this while keeping an eye on Bright Blade King, but he couldn’t just keep following at a distance.

He needed a way to naturally infiltrate Heaven and Earth Society.

‘Right. Instead of continuing like this, I should find that method first.’

He was a former assassin, after all.

He was experienced in infiltrating places.

And if he delved into Ha Chae-rin’s memories, there was an infiltration method he had never tried before.

‘Seduction?… My ass.’

He shuddered as he unnecessarily recalled a memory.

No matter what, he wanted to maintain his last shred of self-respect.

***

-Thud thud!

Half a month passed like that.

The method of travel was repetitive.

Every other day, they would pass through somewhere, and each time, the masked individuals would bring boys aged 15 to 18.

Repeating this, the number of people had already swelled to over a hundred.

Curious as to why they were doing this, he asked diviner Jo Ui-gong a couple of times, but the answer he received was that it wasn’t something for him to be concerned about.

“Why would that be?”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s question, a voice rang out from the wooden puppet on his shoulder.

-I don’t know.

“Didn’t you say you were in Heaven and Earth Society?”

-It’s been a hundred years since I left. How would I know how the organization operates now?

She also found it difficult to understand why.

There was one speculation, but the method was quite strange.

She wondered if there was a need to bring in manpower in this way.

“I keep feeling like the way you speak sometimes makes it sound like Heaven and Earth Society belonged to you.”

-…

“You’re not denying it?”

-Nonsense.

Cheong-ryeong strangely disliked talking about the past.

Was it because even recalling memories made her angry?

Or was there something she wanted to hide?

Mok Gyeong-un found this strange, but it was only for a fleeting moment, and he soon erased that question from his mind.

What mattered was from now on.

“We’ll be arriving soon.”

-Why are you getting nervous?

“I don’t know.”

-It’s good to be nervous. Even if you learned the sword techniques of the Moon Lineage from me, at your level, you’re barely at the threshold of first-rate at best.

The beginning of first-rate.

That was Mok Gyeong-un’s current martial arts level.

Just half a month ago, he was barely at the threshold of going from third-rate to second-rate.

However, by absorbing and internalizing a significant amount of death energy gained from the fight at Yeon Mok Sword Manor, he formed a danjeon equivalent to half a gap.

In terms of internal energy alone, he had reached first-rate.

If others knew about this, it would be a shocking event.

In fact, although she was talking about it casually, Cheong-ryeong was also quite surprised.

‘It can’t be attributed to luck alone.’

Even though he had encountered the Postures of Thought Destruction, known as the supreme secret manual, and various situations that were almost predestined, it was hard to deny that he was remarkable.

Reaching the beginning of first-rate in less than a month after starting to learn martial arts was truly astonishing.

Perhaps because he started late, martial fortune followed him.

‘But he still has a long way to go.’

Even if he had grown at an amazingly fast pace, the situation remained unfavorable.

Considering that even when she was alive, there were quite a few masters above first-rate in Heaven and Earth Society, there might be even more now.

With Mok Gyeong-un’s current skill level, forget about avenging his grandfather, it was impossible to even carry on the moon’s karma.

‘He needs to become stronger faster.’

To do that, there was a need to push him even harder.

From first-rate onward was the realm of enlightenment.

If he couldn’t gain enlightenment, it could take a year or even a decade to advance further, and if he was unlucky, he could remain stagnant for life.

***

At a glance, there were countless mountain peaks, and a river like a single vein of blood flowed between them.

The place below the setting sun was quite spectacular.

With the river as a base, the mountain peaks formed natural fortifications, creating a large city.

This was the base of Heaven and Earth Society, which currently held a third of the power in the martial world of the Central Plains.

The inner city located in the center of the city.

-Creak!

As the city gate opened, a large-statured man riding a horse like a victorious general entered, and the warriors lined up in two rows from the inner city cheered.

“Woooooah!!!!”

The man at the forefront was Son Yun, one of the Five Kings of Heaven and Earth Society, known as Bright Blade King.

Behind him followed a procession of about three hundred people.

The men in black attire were the warriors of Heaven and Earth Society, and about a hundred were the boys they had brought this time.

Startled by the cheers, the boys trembled and took one step forward at a time.

The procession passed through the main road of the inner city and led to a wide square.

‘Hoh.’

A glint of interest flashed in the eyes of Bright Blade King Son Yun, who arrived first at the forefront.

It was because an unexpected person was waiting.

-Tap!

Son Yun lightly descended from his horse.

And he performed a fist-palm salute to someone waiting.

“Bright Blade King Son Yun pays his respects to Vice Leader Mong.”

In response to that greeting, a man who appeared to be in his early forties with snake-like eyes, white hair, and no beard, reciprocated with a fist-palm salute and said,

“You must have had a tough journey, Bright Blade King.”

The man responding was none other than Mong Seo-cheon, the second-in-command of Heaven and Earth Society.

It was quite rare for the vice leader to come out and greet him personally, even if Son Yun was one of the Five Kings.

Son Yun laughed heartily and replied,

“Hahahahaha! What hardship could there be? I just went out to get some fresh air after a long time.”

“It was a mission that could have been dangerous, as you had to cross the territory of the Righteous Alliance, yet only Bright Blade King would say he went out for fresh air.”

“Anyone who sees this might think I’ve returned victorious from a war. Let’s end the formalities here. Where is the leader?”

He had to report since he was given a special mission.

At that question, Vice Leader Mong let out a soft sigh and opened his mouth.

“Bright Blade King. That’s precisely why I came out personally to urgently convey the leader’s order.”

“Urgently convey an order? What do you mean?”

Bright Blade King Son Yun asked, puzzled.

He had even sent a messenger pigeon to inform them of the general situation, so he didn’t know what this was about.

Vice Leader Mong said to him in a whispering voice,

“The leader has ordered to send everyone you brought, without exception, to the Corpse Blood Valley immediately.”

“That’s quick. Well, that’s why I brought them anyway…”

“Not just them.”

“What?”

“The leader said to also send the child from Yeon Mok Sword Manor who allegedly learned that thing and the child you brought as a hostage to the Corpse Blood Valley.”

‘!?’

At those words, Bright Blade King Son Yun frowned and said,

“… What does that mean? Did he really give that order?”

“Yes.”

At the firm answer, Son Yun was momentarily at a loss for words.

Although he couldn’t retrieve the secret manual itself, for the first time in a hundred years, someone had appeared who read that cursed manual and learned the sword techniques of the Moon Lineage, whose lineage had been severed.

Yet he was told to send him to the Corpse Blood Valley without even verifying it?

“That can’t be. I will go and see the leader right away.”

“You can’t meet the leader now.”

“What are you saying? This is an order directly given by the leader. In that case, he should at least extract the oral secrets from the boy’s mind before sending him, this is…”

“Bright Blade King. He said it was an order given with the leader’s authority.”

“… Ha!”

Bright Blade King Son Yun was genuinely at a loss.

However, the leader’s orders were absolute.

***

-Thud!

Someone roughly opened the door of the luggage carriage and entered.

It was none other than diviner Jo Ui-gong.

Mok Gyeong-un said,

“We’ve arrived…”

“Things have gotten complicated.”

“What?”

At Jo Ui-gong’s sudden words, Mok Gyeong-un asked back, puzzled.

“What do you mean things have gotten complicated?”

In response to that question, Jo Ui-gong replied in a somewhat absurd tone,

“The leader has ordered to send you to the Corpse Blood Valley.”

“Corpse Blood Valley?”

“Hah… For such a ridiculous situation to unfold.”

“… I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“There’s no time. First, take this.”

What Jo Ui-gong took out from his bosom and handed over was a ring with tiny letters engraved on it.

Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes sparkled upon seeing the letters engraved on the ring.

They were incantations used for specific talismans.

“You can perform sorcery with hand seals for a few things engraved here even without talismans.”

“How do I…”

“Listen carefully. The probability of surviving intact in the Corpse Blood Valley is less than one in ten.”

“What does that mean?”

“Survive somehow. I will report to the branch leader and get you out of there no matter what, so endure at all costs.”

“By endure, you mean…”

It was at that moment.

“This is as far as you go.”

-Rumble rumble!

Before Mok Gyeong-un’s words could finish, warriors wearing red belts and red headbands barged into the luggage carriage.

***

“You!”

Mok Yu-cheon, who had regained consciousness, glared at Mok Gyeong-un.

He had been unconscious for half a month, with his fainting acupoint struck except for two meals a day and one chance to relieve himself.

Naturally, he couldn’t help but be angry at Mok Gyeong-un, who had done such a thing.

“What have you done to me…”

-Thwack!

“Ugh!”

However, he couldn’t say anything due to a warrior striking him from behind with a staff.

Although the fainting acupoint, mute acupoint, and paralysis acupoint were released, he couldn’t even resist because a needle called the Forbidden Gate Lock was inserted into his six major acupoints, sealing his internal energy.

“Hey. Shut up and walk.”

“…”

Mok Yu-cheon, who had been twitching his lips in displeasure, soon closed his mouth and obeyed the order.

For now, he had no choice but to follow their commands.

‘shit.’

He didn’t know what kind of humiliation this was as soon as he woke up.

Is this how Heaven and Earth Society treats hostages?

He was walking in a single line on a dark and narrow sloping path, following the person in front, and it felt like being captured as a prisoner and going to perform forced labor.

‘What are they trying to do?’

Unlike the confused Mok Yu-cheon, Mok Gyeong-un was exceptionally calm.

It was also because he already knew something had gone wrong due to diviner Jo Ui-gong’s warning.

‘What is the Corpse Blood Valley?’

For now, that was the only question he had.

What were they doing that they even inserted the Forbidden Gate Lock and sent them there?

Even Cheong-ryeong didn’t know what the Corpse Blood Valley was.

With that question in mind, they walked for about three hours without rest, and soon a wide and shallow valley with torches lit on all sides came into view.

‘Were there this many?’

Countless boys were waiting there, lined up in rows.

With the addition of the hundred or so people, including Mok Gyeong-un and Mok Yu-cheon, there seemed to be roughly eight hundred at a glance.

As they arrived like that, a resounding voice rang out.

“Welcome to the Corpse Blood Valley.”

Everyone’s gaze turned in that direction.

There was a large incense burner and a huge rock.

On top of that rock stood a man wearing a gray demon mask, with his hands behind his back, looking arrogant.

As everyone looked, the demon mask opened his mouth.

“From now on, there is something you must do.”

With those words, he took something out from his bosom.

It was none other than an iron ball that seemed to be the size of a finger joint.

‘What is it?’

‘What are they trying to do?’

As everyone wondered what it was, the demon mask said,

“The designated time is two hours. In the valley water, there are iron balls that look similar to this. Find them and come to this large incense burner. Those who fail to find them will die.”

‘!!!!!!’