Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 159 – Choice (1)

Mok Gyeong-un, smiling eerily while holding up Eldest Young Master Na Yul-ryang’s eyeball.

For a moment, the Poison King Baek Sa-ha, at a loss for words, hurriedly applied pressure to stop the bleeding from Na Yul-ryang’s right eye socket and urged Mok Gyeong-un.

“What are you doing?”

Baek Sa-ha was genuinely dumbfounded.

It wasn’t as if he had mistaken the warning not to kill Na Yul-ryang as permission to do anything else. He couldn’t comprehend what Mok Gyeong-un was thinking.

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

“It’s as I said. This is a bit troublesome, you see.”

“Troublesome?”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, Baek Sa-ha suddenly recalled what Thunderbolt Fist King Won Byeong-hak had said a few years ago.

[Elder Baek. Have you ever sparred with Eldest Young Master?]

[Eldest Young Master, you say? No. I haven’t. I heard his martial prowess has progressed rapidly recently?]

[Yes. So, I sparred with him and was amazed. It’s hard to compare to how he was before.]

[Oh. To that extent?]

[Yes. But not only his martial prowess, he also had a peculiar eye.]

[A peculiar eye?]

[Yes. One of his eyes glowed silver, and he was able to read my techniques more easily.]

[Read your techniques with ease? Are you saying his eye possesses a unique power?]

[That’s what I think. Of course, Eldest Young Master himself wouldn’t reveal it.]

Thunderbolt Fist King Won Byeong-hak was Eldest Young Master Na Yul-ryang’s teacher in Bare-Hand, Bare-Fist.

He was the one Na Yul-ryang had requested teachings from as a benefit of obtaining the three Tokens of the Corpse Blood Valley.

Thus, among the Five Kings, he was also the one who knew Na Yul-ryang the best.

At this, Baek Sa-ha clicked his tongue and said,

“I vaguely recall hearing about Eldest Young Master’s eye, but if it’s truly a special eye, he’ll be even more desperate to kill you for being unable to do so.”

“It doesn’t matter. We’ve already become enemies anyway.”

Mok Gyeong-un could tell because he sensed an affinity with Na Yul-ryang.

The moment he woke up, Na Yul-ryang would do everything in his power to kill Mok Gyeong-un, no matter the means.

He would probably stop at nothing.

‘What a pity.’

It would be better to kill him now for the sake of the future.

However, as Baek Sa-ha said, if he were to kill the Society Leader’s disciple, he would immediately become enemies with the Society Leader.

There were things he needed to find out from the Society Leader, so he couldn’t kill Na Yul-ryang right away.

Therefore, it was better to weaken Na Yul-ryang’s power as much as possible.

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un suddenly had a thought.

-Cheong-ryeong.

-Speak.

-What if Cheong-ryeong takes possession of this person’s body?

Upon reflection, it seemed like killing two birds with one stone if Cheong-ryeong possessed Na Yul-ryang’s body.

He wasn’t just anyone, but the Society Leader’s first disciple, Eldest Young Master Na Yul-ryang.

If they could control him, they could approach the Society Leader and also eliminate the troublesome enemy that was Na Yul-ryang in one fell swoop.

However, Cheong-ryeong said something unexpected.

-It’s impossible.

-What?

-Didn’t I say it’s impossible?

-Why is that?

-When one breaks through their threshold and reaches the Transformation Realm through enlightenment, the energy within their body penetrates the essence, energy, and spirit, making not only their physical body but also their soul more resilient, rendering possession impossible.

-…Have you tried it before?

-Do you think I haven’t?

Judging from Cheong-ryeong’s tone, it seemed she had attempted it at least once.

In that case, the plan to possess and control Eldest Young Master Na Yul-ryang was out of the question.

It was regrettable, but there was no other choice.

As he was thinking that, the Poison King Baek Sa-ha stood up and said,

“I don’t know what happened, but you’ve crossed a point of no return. To think you’ve made an enemy of Eldest Young Master, of all people.”

Baek Sa-ha shook his head.

To him, Mok Gyeong-un bowed his head in courtesy and said,

“I apologize. Because of me, even you, Master, have been put in a difficult position.”

“Difficult? Yes. If it’s difficult, then it’s difficult. But what can we do about what has already occurred? I will never abandon my own.”

At his words, a glimmer of surprise flashed in Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes.

The opponent was none other than the Society Leader’s first disciple, Eldest Young Master Na Yul-ryang.

Putting aside his madness and cruelty, his supporters alone accounted for 40% of the Heaven and Earth Society.

He had truly made the greatest enemy.

Looking at it objectively, if Baek Sa-ha had not helped him just now and had expelled him on the spot, there would have been no need to become enemies with Eldest Young Master Na Yul-ryang.

Moreover, even now, these words were unexpected.

‘Not abandoning his own…’

Contrary to appearances, Baek Sa-ha seemed to place great importance on loyalty.

Did he consider Mok Gyeong-un, whom he had taken as a disciple, as his own as well?

As he was puzzled, Baek Sa-ha said,

“Phew. We don’t have much time, so let’s quickly sort things out.”

“Sort things out?”

“Yes. I will ask you exactly three things. If you trust this master, answer them.”

At his words, Mok Gyeong-un nodded and replied,

“…I understand.”

Mok Gyeong-un didn’t trust anyone.

However, since Baek Sa-ha had opposed Na Yul-ryang for his sake, it was no exaggeration to say that they were now in the same boat.

In that case, it was appropriate to share information to a certain extent and bring Baek Sa-ha to his side.

At that moment, Baek Sa-ha asked,

“How did you end up fighting with Eldest Young Master?”

“Eldest Young Master attacked me first.”

“What? Eldest Young Master attacked you first? For what reason?”

Although Eldest Young Master had aspects that differed from others, he was known to be a fairly rational person.

Why would such a person suddenly attack Mok Gyeong-un first?

“Who knows? I don’t know either.”

“…Do you expect this master to believe that?”

“It’s the truth. I have a guess, but…”

“A guess? Tell me.”

Mok Gyeong-un shrugged and replied,

“It seemed like he was wary of me.”

“Wary?”

At this, the Poison King Baek Sa-ha frowned and retorted.

Then, he alternated his gaze between Eldest Young Master Na Yul-ryang and Mok Gyeong-un’s faces, and soon stroked his beard, letting out a groan.

“Hmm.”

In fact, he understood to some extent.

Hadn’t he himself been surprised upon witnessing Mok Gyeong-un’s current martial prowess?

Just a quarter of an hour ago, Mok Gyeong-un had been at the Peak Realm, but now he had broken through his threshold and reached the Transformation Realm.

No matter how he thought about it, this was almost impossible by common sense.

How long had it taken even Baek Sa-ha to break through his threshold?

Despite nearly decades of cultivation, he had only just managed to break through.

Yet Mok Gyeong-un, who was merely 17 years old, had accomplished this.

In the current martial arts world, he had entered the realm of supreme masters at the youngest possible age.

‘Ah!’

Come to think of it, it was Mok Gyeong-un who had given him the catalyst for enlightenment.

Then, could it be that he had already reached the Transformation Realm?

At this, Baek Sa-ha asked,

“When did you break through your threshold?”

“Not long ago.”

“May I ask exactly when?”

“During my fight with Eldest Young Master.”

‘!!!!!!!!’

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, Baek Sa-ha’s jaw unknowingly dropped for a moment.

His assumption that Mok Gyeong-un had already broken through his threshold was wrong.

Then, did he mean that he had gained enlightenment while fighting an opponent stronger than himself?

“Ha…”

He could only express his astonishment, as it was too absurd.

Was this child born under the heavenly fortune?

No, even the term “heavenly fortune” was insufficient.

Without innate talent, it was impossible to gain enlightenment while fighting against others.

Baek Sa-ha suppressed his excitement and soon asked,

“…This is related to my second question. How did you master the Wave Demon Poison Scripture?”

He was already immensely curious about this as well.

He had merely shown Mok Gyeong-un the secret art once.

The purpose was to let Mok Gyeong-un know the excellence and greatness of the Wave Demon Poison Scripture.

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

‘Hmm.’

Normally, he would have concealed this talent, but Baek Sa-ha had already witnessed everything.

There was no way to hide it anyway.

Left with no choice, Mok Gyeong-un nonchalantly replied,

“I learned it after seeing it once.”

“…What?”

Baek Sa-ha’s expression stiffened.

He had only shown the secret art once, yet Mok Gyeong-un claimed to have learned it by observing it?

For a moment, Baek Sa-ha’s mind became complicated.

For someone who had cultivated martial arts for such a long time, they could quickly understand the principles of any martial art they encountered to a certain extent.

However, it was a different matter to say that one could master a martial art after seeing it only once.

Martial arts did not consist of just techniques.

As one progressed to higher levels of martial arts, it was impossible to completely master them without comprehending the intent or meaning behind each technique.

Baek Sa-ha calmed himself and asked,

“Do you truly mean that you mastered it after seeing it just once?”

“It’s difficult to do so just by reading. While looking at the secret art, I read the traces of intent in the handwriting as mental images and stored them in my mind.”

“Mental images? Oh my…”

Baek Sa-ha let out an exclamation.

Was this fellow, who was only 17 years old, capable of even visualizing mental images?

It was truly astonishing.

Even Baek Sa-ha himself had only become able to visualize traces of intent in his mind upon reaching the peak of the Peak Realm, yet this young fellow could do it?

‘…This is truly a monster.’

Baek Sa-ha had no choice but to acknowledge it.

This child was in a realm that ordinary people could never hope to reach.

It was a realm that could truly be called that of a genius.

Baek Sa-ha glanced at Na Yul-ryang.

‘I understand now.’

He could see why Na Yul-ryang had been so wary of Mok Gyeong-un.

An awl that was sharp would poke out of its handle.

This child’s talent was exactly like that.

He possessed a monstrous aptitude for comprehending secret arts after a single reading and an absurd martial prowess that allowed him to gain enlightenment and break through his threshold while fighting.

It was enough to instill fear, no, even a sense of awe.

‘Perhaps I am witnessing the birth of a monster that will never be seen again in martial arts history.’

With such monstrous progress, perhaps within twenty years, Mok Gyeong-un would reach the realm of the Six Heavens, considered the pinnacle of the martial arts world.

As his thoughts reached this point, Baek Sa-ha couldn’t contain his excitement.

“Keke.”

Even his hands and feet were trembling without him realizing it.

If he had encountered Mok Gyeong-un as an enemy, he would have had to kill him due to his talent, but that was not the case for Baek Sa-ha.

Hadn’t he accepted this fellow as his disciple?

It felt like fortune was piling up as a double blessing in his later years.

‘Following me, there are now two individuals who will make the Wave Demon Poison Scripture prosper. There’s no longer a need to worry about the successor of the main family.’

He had been content with just accepting Mok Gyeong-un as his disciple.

But now, he truly wanted to make Mok Gyeong-un a member of the Baek Clan.

Since Mok Gyeong-un had already turned his back on the righteous factions and his family, there would be no issue in making him an adopted son of the Baek Clan.

‘This fellow is a treasure. The greatest treasure.’

He was so overjoyed that he felt like shouting out loud right away.

However, now was not the time.

They were still faced with a problem that needed to be resolved.

“Kekeke. Good. This master’s curiosity has been satisfied. Now, for the final question.”

“You have many questions, it seems.”

“Of course, there are many. Now, you and this master are in the same boat. Don’t we need to rely on each other to overcome this crisis?”

“…Crisis.”

It could indeed be considered a crisis.

After all, they had made a troublesome enemy.

“What this master wants to ask is simple. What will you do now?”

“What will I do, you ask?”

“Yes. Now that we have made an enemy of Eldest Young Master, there is only one path we can take.”

‘One path?’

It seemed he had something in mind.

At this, Mok Gyeong-un asked,

“Do you have something in mind, Master?”

“Is there even a need to think about it? If Eldest Young Master becomes the successor, both you and our Baek Clan will be in a precarious position.”

“…Well, that’s true.”

“Then, what should we do?”

“We should ensure that someone other than Eldest Young Master becomes the successor.”

-Snap!

Baek Sa-ha snapped his fingers and said,

“Exactly! That’s precisely what I want to say. We must support a different successor other than Eldest Young Master for us, master and disciple, to overcome this crisis and survive.”

“…”

“Originally, Eldest Young Master’s support base was so strong that the other two successors had virtually no chance, but now the situation has changed.”

“In what way?”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s question, the Poison King Baek Sa-ha smirked and then said in a meaningful voice,

“Depending on your choice, the dynamics can shift.”