Myst, Might, Mayhem novel - Chapter 12
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Chapter 12 Demonic Monk (2)
āUghā¦ā
The middle-aged man with a scar under his left eye, sitting cross-legged on the floor while eating a sweet, sighed as he looked towards the pavilion leading to the main hall.
The pavilion, usually guarded by escort warriors, was empty.
āIs this really okay?ā
His name was Jang Myeong-in.
He held the position of Inner Manor Master, the head of security for the main hall at Yeon Mok Sword Manor.
In his youth, he was a renowned expert in martial arts near Xiaoxing, Zhejiang. Nineteen years ago, during a pirate suppression campaign in the Haeyang region, he formed a connection with the Manor Master and joined Yeon Mok Sword Manor.
āManor Masterā¦ā
The Manor Master of his younger days was a true hero.
Jang Myeong-in admired him and believed everything he did was right.
But how did things end up like this?
[Inner Manor Masterā¦ you donāt really wish for that lowly courtesanās son to inherit the position of the great Yeon Mok Sword Manor, do you?]
[Thatāsā¦]
[Think carefully about whatās best for Yeon Mok Sword Manor.]
At first, he tried not to get involved.
However, he couldnāt help but be swayed by the words of the first wife, Lady Seok.
Even if Mok Yu-cheon, the youngest son, had overwhelmingly superior martial arts, he lacked a strong foundation and allies within the family. If he were to inherit the clan, it would eventually lead to the division of Yeon Mok Sword Manor.
āYes, this is the right thing to do.ā
Even if the eldest son, Mok Yeong-ho, was somewhat tyrannical, he was still the firstborn.
His maternal family was none other than the Jinhua Seok clan, more than capable of supporting him.
In many ways, it was right for him, as the eldest son, to be the successor.
However, there was one thing that bothered him.
[Even the physician couldnāt do anything, how could a mere divinerā¦]
[It wonāt take long. Just pretend not to know for about an hour.]
[ā¦]
[Heās a skilled diviner from Mengcheng. If he finds out, there will be no need to clash with the retainers and the second son, Mok Eun-pyeong.]
The Manor Masterās seal.
With the seal, one could appoint a successor.
It could also prevent the division among the retainers.
āIs it possible?ā
However, he couldnāt shake off a hint of doubt.
How could a mere diviner, who only dealt with sorcery, find a way to make the Manor Master, who was on the verge of drawing his last breath, reveal the location of the seal?
It seemed like a waste of time with pointless actions.
āIt canāt be that they plan to intimidate the weakened Manor Master with medicine or something to find out, right?ā
No matter how much the eldest son, Mok Yeong-ho, wanted to become the successor, that was unacceptable.
It was a disgrace to the Manor Master, to whom he had pledged his loyalty.
-Clench!
Jang Myeong-inās hand clenched tightly.
āNo, thatās not it.ā
Although he was told to keep the surroundings empty for about an hour, he decided to check just in case.
They told him not to interfere, so there shouldnāt be any significant issues if he just took a look.
With that thought, Inner Manor Master Jang Myeong-in passed the pavilion and headed towards the main hall.
***
-Swish!
Mok Gyeong-un grabbed the neck of the diviner Myo-sin, whose veins were bulging grotesquely.
Myo-sinās pulse had stopped, his breath cut off.
Confirming this, Mok Gyeong-un turned around with an expressionless face.
āNot bad.ā
It didnāt look like he had died by human hands.
A mysterious death.
Thatās how Myo-sinās death appeared.
-Whoosh!
At that moment, a pale, giant monk appeared above the dead Myo-sin.
A string of clattering skull beads hung around his neck.
Mok Gyeong-un reached out and touched them.
The monkās eerie, ghostly white eyes, emitting a sinister light, trembled.
āYou wear interesting things around your neck.ā
-ā¦
The reason was simple.
It allowed direct contact with Mok Gyeong-unās ethereal form.
As Mok Gyeong-un fiddled with the skull beads, he asked, āYou said youād be a faithful slave, so what should I call you?ā
The giant monk, who had been standing still, mumbled something softly in response to Mok Gyeong-unās question.
His lips barely seemed to move.
-ā¦
This was not something that could be heard by human ears.
However, Mok Gyeong-un heard it clearly.
āDemonic Monk? Sounds more like a title than a name. Well, as long as I can call you something, it doesnāt matter.ā
The strange being referred to itself asĀ the Demonic Monk[1].
Looking at Demonic Monk, Mok Gyeong-un smirked and turned his head to look at the unconscious Manor Master, whose arm had been severed.
Mok Gyeong-un stroked his own chin.
āHmm.ā
He was contemplating.
Whether it would be better to kill the Manor Master or keep him alive.
The contemplation didnāt last long.
If he were to kill the Manor Master immediately, it would put him in a difficult position.
So it was better to keep him alive.
āThen we need to change the scenario a bit. Demonic Monk, can you move him in front of the Manor Master?ā
-ā¦
In response to Mok Gyeong-unās words, the Demonic Monk, who had been standing still, shook his head.
Mok Gyeong-un muttered with a hint of disappointment, āYou canāt do it?ā
-ā¦
He thought that since the Demonic Monk had killed the diviner, he would be able to exert physical strength, but unexpectedly, he couldnāt perform such a simple physical task.
Or was he pretending not to be able to do it on purpose?
Moreover,
-Whoosh!
The moment the materialized part of his body was exposed to sunlight, it disappeared like a mirage.
The phenomenon was similar to a shadow vanishing in the light.
āItās a difficult domain to understand.ā
It was intriguing but hard to comprehend.
Mok Gyeong-unās gaze turned to the bookshelf of the dead diviner Myo-sin.
Various books related to sorcery were placed there.
If he referred to those, could he gain a better understanding of this strange being?
-Thump! Thump!
At that moment, the sound of someone walking on the wooden floor outside the room could be heard.
Soon, the voice of the escort guard came from outside the room.
āIs it not finished yet?ā
āCome in.ā
At those words, the escort guard opened the door and entered.
The guardās eyes widened upon entering the room.
āWhatā¦ What is thisā¦ā
The guard was startled by the sight of the dead diviner Myo-sin.
He expected Myo-sin to be performing sorcery, but seeing him dead in the meantime was quite shocking.
Strangely, the escort guard didnāt seem to notice the Demonic Monk.
Mok Gyeong-un pointed to the left side with a nod and asked, āDo you see anything here?ā
āPardon?ā
āIt seems you canāt see itā¦ā
-ā¦
āAhā¦ I see.ā
āPardon?ā
āNo, I wasnāt talking to you, guard.ā
ā!?ā
At those words, the guard frowned.
Then was he just talking to himself?
While the guard was puzzled, Mok Gyeong-un looked to his left and spoke incomprehensible words.
āNo, I donāt think thereās a need to reveal yourself.ā
-ā¦
āYoung Master? What are you talking about?ā
Mok Gyeong-un smiled at the confused guard and said, āDonāt worry about it. Rather, could you move that diviner over there in front of the Manor Master?ā
āNo, Young Master, why is the divinerā¦?ā
The state of the dead diviner Myo-sin was extremely bizarre.
The veins on his entire face were grotesquely bulging, and he was dead, his expression filled with pain, shock, and fear.
āHow was he murderedā¦ Is this what it looks like to be murdered?ā
Poison?
It was strange to call it poison.
It was extraordinarily grotesque.
āCould it be that this fellow didnāt kill him?ā
Even if his blood was toxic, it was quite different from that.
It didnāt seem like he was killed by physical means either, so what was it?
While the guard was puzzled, Mok Gyeong-un spoke.
āInstead of just staring, could you move him?ā
āY-Yesā¦ Yes.ā
When Mok Gyeong-un repeated the same words twice, the guard hastily moved the dead diviner Myo-sin in front of the Manor Master, sensing the impatience.
Then Mok Gyeong-un said, āPlace him there as naturally as possible, as if he died while going berserk on his own.ā
āWhat?ā
How was he supposed to place the body to make it look like he died while going berserk on his own?
The guard, at a loss, simply laid Myo-sinās corpse down haphazardly.
He did as he was told, but what was the intention?
āCould it be that heās trying to make it seem like the diviner did all this?ā
Looking at the state of the messy room, it did seem plausible.
The only fortunate thing was that the Manor Master was still alive.
Although his arm was severed, it was better than being dead.
āYoung Masterā¦ What will you do now?ā
āAh, I forgot something important.ā
In response to the guardās question, Mok Gyeong-un picked up the sword that had fallen on the floor.
With the sword in hand, Mok Gyeong-un approached the bed where the Manor Master lay and swung it back and forth.
-Swish swish!
āLetās do it like this. The diviner, who was trying to treat the Manor Master with sorcery, was possessed by an evil spirit, severed the Manor Masterās arm, and tried to kill him, but we stopped him.ā
āā¦ā
The escort guard clicked his tongue inwardly at those words.
He had come up with a plausible excuse to escape the situation.
Indeed, looking at the bizarre way the diviner Myo-sin had died, it did seem as if he had been possessed by something.
However,
āWill they easily believe it?ā
The first wife was not a woman to be trifled with.
Just as the guard was contemplating whether to simply not say anything, he cautiously spoke.
āYoung Masterā¦ If we try to deceive them clumsily, it may arouse suspicion.ā
āIs it clumsy?ā
āIt was truly a coincidence, but if we say that we appeared at the perfect moment to save the Manor Master, the first wife will not easily accept it. Moreover, this diviner was hired by her, so even more soā¦ā
āI see. We need to make it more believable.ā
-Swish!
At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un gripped the swordās handle in reverse.
The guard was wondering what he was trying to do when suddenly, Mok Gyeong-un brought the tip of the sword to his own thigh.
āY-Young Master? What are you doing?ā
āWe need to make it more believable. This should be enough.ā
āWa-Waitā¦ā
Before the guard could stop him,
-Stab!
The sharp blade pierced through Mok Gyeong-unās thigh.
ā!!!!!ā
The guardās expression stiffened at the sight.
He wasnāt just pinching himself but stabbing his own thigh with a sword. Was there not a moment of hesitation?
What was even more absurd was that despite the pain he must have felt, Mok Gyeong-un didnāt let out a single groan.
No, there was no change in his expression.
āD-Does he not feel pain?ā
Even the guard himself would have gritted his teeth or made a grimace to endure the pain.
Yet, this fellow showed almost no change in his expression, as if he felt no pain at all.
āRuthless bastardā¦ā
The guard couldnāt help but be astonished.
It was remarkable that he stabbed his own thigh without hesitation to avoid suspicion, but he was truly a cold-blooded person.
āThereā¦ There was no need to go this farā¦ā
āThis is the most effective way.ā
āIāll stop the bleeding!ā
āNo, I need to lose more blood to look a bit pale.ā
āā¦ā
The guard found this fellow increasingly frightening and terrifying.
āSomeone this crazy should never be made an enemyā¦ā
-Bang!
At that moment, the door swung open, and someone barged in.
The guard was startled to see who it was.
āInner Manor Master?ā
The middle-aged man with a scar under his left eye was none other than Inner Manor Master Jang Myeong-in.
It wasnāt really surprising.
As the head of security for the main hall, he was originally supposed to be stationed here.
Rather, it was strange that he had been absent from his post.
-Ching!
Inner Manor Master Jang Myeong-in drew his sword from his waist and pointed it at them.
āWhat have you done?ā
In response to his rebuke, the escort guard waved his hands.
āInner Manor Master, itās a misunderstanding. The Young Master and Iā¦ā
Before he could even offer an explanation,
āMore importantly, we need to take care of the Manor Master firstā¦ā
-Thud!
ā!?ā
Mok Gyeong-un collapsed beside him, swaying.
The escort guard was momentarily at a loss for words upon seeing this.
Did he just pretend to faint?
And while saying that the Manor Masterās well-being should be prioritized over his own?