Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 212 – On the Boat (3)

“It wasn’t mere coincidence that you saw this old man earlier.”

‘!?’

At the voice coming from behind him, Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes sharpened.

‘Earlier?’

Mok Gyeong-un recalled the moment before entering the village.

The old man’s figure that had disappeared in the instant he took his eyes off him.

‘…He was definitely only looking at the river then. But does that mean he noticed that I was looking at him?’

Realizing this, Mok Gyeong-un’s thoughts became complicated, unlike before.

The old man behind him seemed to be a monster whose strength he couldn’t even guess.

Then, Cheong-ryeong’s voice reached Mok Gyeong-un’s ears.

“Mortal. Did you not notice at all?”

‘…’

He hadn’t noticed.

Both with his physical eyes and his energy perception.

Grip!

Mok Gyeong-un found that his hand had unconsciously tensed up at some point.

He hadn’t been this tense even when he met the leader of the Heaven and Earth Society, one of the Six Heavens who was called the pinnacle of the current martial world.

Of course, although the leader had weakened due to prolonged illness, this felt completely different.

The gap was so overwhelming that all the techniques he was devising in his head felt meaningless.

‘Just who is this old man?’

Cheong-ryeong was equally surprised.

The Mok Gyeong-un she had been watching never showed much tension no matter what powerful opponent he faced.

That was probably due to his strong mental fortitude of not fearing death or pain.

But this was the first time she saw this mortal bastard being so tense.

Just who is the identity of this old mortal?

While she was puzzled, the old man opened his mouth.

“I was just trying to express my gratitude, but this is interesting.”

“…What’s interesting?”

“I was wondering how you saw me, but your energy is extraordinary.”

“Just what are you…”

“Even this old man, who has lived a long time, has never seen someone like you, young man, possessing the energy that dead beings or monsters would have.”

‘!!!!!’

At the old man’s words, Mok Gyeong-un’s left eye trembled.

This was a first.

A living being, not a resentful soul, was accurately detecting his death energy.

Moreover, even the fact that he possessed demonic energy in his body.

How did he discern his energy when he was clearly a living existence, not a spiritual body?

While he was surprised, the old man said,

“Hmm. But this isn’t all. Death energy, cold energy, poison energy… even the demonic energy of a monster, you possess all sorts of dangerous energies.”

‘What?’

Mok Gyeong-un was genuinely dumbfounded.

Just who is this old man?

He was reading most of the energies without even making contact with his body.

However, judging by the fact that he didn’t mention the demonic energy that converged all these energies into one, it seemed he couldn’t detect that.

But from the moment he read the death energy, it was as good as discerning most of the energies.

So Mok Gyeong-un bluntly said,

“…Elder. Just who are you? Why did you board this boat?”

It was doubtful whether he would give an answer, but while asking this, he concentrated his true energy on the soles of his feet.

It was in preparation for any situation.

Right then,

“Young man. I have no intention of harming you, so relax.”

“He’s reaching for your back!”

Papapapapak!

At Cheong-ryeong’s words, Mok Gyeong-un reflexively used the Brilliant Water Surpassing Step to try to distance himself from the old man with high-speed movement.

Mok Gyeong-un, who instantly put distance between them, turned his body.

But the old man, whom he thought would chase after him or make some kind of response, was standing still with his hands behind his back.

‘!?’

Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes gleamed as he got to see the old man’s face directly.

He had an impression from seeing him holding the bamboo fishing rod and not being able to see his face properly, but it was completely the opposite.

The old man’s face was not dark and dull, but exceedingly white, and his white beard was neat as if he had groomed it.

He had an aura as if he might have been a scholar in his youth.

However, there was one place that uniquely didn’t match this atmosphere – his eyes were extremely fierce.

Then the old man opened his mouth.

“I thought you were cold-blooded, but you have a more curious side than I expected.”

“I don’t like being grabbed from behind.”

“Is that so? But with your level of cultivation, you should have already guessed that no matter how much you struggle, it would be meaningless against me.”

“…”

Mok Gyeong-un didn’t deny those words.

The bamboo fishing rod the old man was holding behind his back.

At some point, that fishing rod started to feel like a sharp sword.

It felt like if it moved and flew towards him, his body would be split in half the moment it grazed him.

Perhaps because of that tension, all of Mok Gyeong-un’s nerves were focused solely on the old man.

Then, the old man looked at Mok Gyeong-un’s face and spoke with a glint in his eyes.

“Even though you’re young, I thought you would be over thirty, but this is unexpected.”

“Thank you for seeing me as mature, but I haven’t even passed my prime yet.”

“Haven’t even passed your prime? Hohohoho.”

The old man burst into laughter.

Puzzled, Mok Gyeong-un asked,

“Why are you laughing?”

“It’s a truly coincidental and mysterious thing. To see such talent on a boat like this again.”

“What?”

“It’s nothing. Just old memories coming to mind.”

Mok Gyeong-un showed no particular interest in the old man’s tone that seemed to recall memories.

Mok Gyeong-un’s concern was solely one thing.

Why did this old man of unknown identity board this boat and approach him?

Then the old man lightly shook his head and said,

“Relax. If I had intended to harm you, I would have done so long ago.”

“…I apologize. I’m very suspicious.”

“Is that so? It’s good that you’re honest.”

“Thank you for taking it well. But if you’re not trying to harm me, why did you board this boat?”

“Aah. Right, right. You asked that. My memory isn’t what it used to be after passing a hundred years old.”

‘A hundred?’

At the old man’s words, Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes narrowed.

Although his beard and hair were white, he had fewer wrinkles than expected.

Judging by his appearance alone, even considering that he was a profound expert, he had thought he would be around sixty to seventy years old.

But he’s saying he’s this old?

While he was inwardly surprised, the old man said,

“I seem to have unintentionally made you wary, but I just wanted to express my gratitude.”

“Gratitude…?”

“That’s right.”

Mok Gyeong-un tilted his head.

He had no particular contact or connection with the old man, so he couldn’t understand what he was grateful for.

While he was puzzled, the old man intently looked in the direction of the land they had left, where the village was located.

As Mok Gyeong-un followed his gaze and looked there, the old man parted his lips.

“When I came to this place after a long time, I found that someone had dug up the grave and shrine of an old acquaintance of mine.”

“An old acquaintance?”

“Yes. He was a truly upright man with deep loyalty.”

At the old man’s words, Mok Gyeong-un couldn’t hide his inner surprise.

Could this old man… have been an acquaintance of the resentful soul Ha-yoon?

“Ha!”

Cheong-ryeong also seemed surprised, as she let out an exclamation.

That was understandable because the resentful soul Ha-yoon was a high-ranking resentful soul of the Blue Spirit rank.

To reach this rank, one had to remain in the world for over a hundred years while holding a grudge.

That meant the old man really was over a hundred years old.

Then Mok Gyeong-un asked, puzzled,

“Cheong-ryeong might know that he’s over a hundred years old, right?”

Cheong-ryeong had absorbed the demonic energy of the Sea King and reached the Indigo Spirit rank, but in reality, she had spent about a hundred years as a resentful soul.

If that was the case, it could mean that this old man roamed the martial world in the same era as Cheong-ryeong.

However,

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“That person is not in my memory.”

“Are you sure?”

If he had lived such a long time and possessed unfathomable strength, he must have been famous in his youth.

But Cheong-ryeong seemed to have no idea.

“Could it be that you can’t recognize him because his appearance has aged?”

“Aged? Hmm. Yes, that could be. Then try to find out the old mortal’s name. It might be someone I’ve heard of.”

Appearance and voice inevitably change over time, so it was possible not to recognize him.

It was even more so for someone who had lived for over a hundred years.

So Mok Gyeong-un decided to find out the old man’s name through conversation.

“…By any chance, is the person you’re referring to someone named Ha-yoon?”

“Yes, that’s him. In fact, while I was pondering what to do while fishing, you destroyed that estate. Thanks to that, it seems my dead friend’s grudge has been somewhat relieved, so it’s fortunate.”

“…”

At these words, Mok Gyeong-un was puzzled.

Something was confusing.

Whether the old man could see resentful souls or not.

Since he could even detect death energy, which could be called the energy of the dead, it seemed like there was nothing he couldn’t do, but it was strange.

Judging by the way he was speaking now, it didn’t seem like it, so it was ambiguous.

Without revealing this doubt, Mok Gyeong-un said,

“That wasn’t intentional.”

“Whether it was intentional or not, I wanted to express my gratitude for doing what I was going to do on my behalf.”

Listening to the old man’s words, it seemed that Woo In-yeom and his family were destined to be punished in some way.

In any case, what was certain was that fortunately, this monster-like old man didn’t really seem to intend to harm him.

If that was the case, he could ask without worry.

Mok Gyeong-un respectfully clasped his hands together, bowed his head, and said,

“I apologize, but since meeting like this is also a connection, may I ask for your respected name as a junior?”

“My name?”

“Yes.”

To that question, the old man shook his head and replied,

“It’s a name that has long been forgotten. What will you do by hearing such a name?”

“But…”

“Hohoho. Do you think a connection won’t be made just because you know or don’t know a name? Connections tend to take shape in one way or another.”

“…Since you put it that way, I have no choice.”

It seemed the old man had no intention of revealing his name or identity.

Mok Gyeong-un, who judged that there was nothing good about prying further to someone overwhelmingly stronger than him, quickly gave up.

He should be grateful just for not having ill fate with such a monster-like person.

Then the old man said,

“So I want to make a small repayment for this gratitude and connection.”

“Repayment?”

“By the looks of it, you seem to have learned the sword.”

The old man suddenly reached out his hand towards Mok Gyeong-un.

Then,

Pak!

‘Huh?’

The scabbard of the Evil Commandment Sword at Mok Gyeong-un’s waist flew off with the sword intact.

Then it was sucked into the old man’s hand.

Puzzled by what his intention was, the old man said,

“I hope this will be a sufficient repayment.”

Shing!

As soon as those words ended, the Evil Commandment Sword slipped out of the scabbard, revealing its blade.

Surprised, Mok Gyeong-un shouted,

“Elder, that sword is…”

He was about to say it was dangerous to hold it carelessly because it was a demonic sword.

But an amazing sight unfolded.

The moment the old man gripped the hilt of the Evil Commandment Sword that had been drawn from the scabbard,

Woooong!

A strong resonance poured out from the Evil Commandment Sword, and the blade vibrated rapidly, but soon, not long after, it stopped.

‘He subdued the sword?’

Seeing this, Mok Gyeong-un was genuinely unable to hide his surprise.

The one who held the Evil Commandment Sword was supposed to reveal their desires due to its demonic nature.

But even though the Evil Commandment Sword revealed its demonic nature while emitting a resonance, its sword spirit was rather suppressed not long after.

While he was amazed, the old man muttered,

“Truly coincidental. The demonic sword of Ou Yezi…”

The old man discerned the identity of the sword in an instant.

As expected, he was no ordinary old man.

“Elder. Are you alright?”

He obviously looked fine, but Mok Gyeong-un asked out of courtesy.

Then the old man looked at the sword and showed a gentle smile.

“Young man, you make me recall many old things that were about to be forgotten.”

“…What do you mean by that?”

“No. Never mind. Rather, look at this.”

As soon as those words ended, the old man wielded the Evil Commandment Sword he was holding and drew a magnificent trajectory as if performing a sword dance.

Swish! Swish swish swish!

Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes didn’t leave the sword as he watched this.

The clean trajectory that seemed to draw the full moon in the night sky was too shocking.

How could a sword technique that looked so simple have no flaws?

Swish swish swish swish!

The sword strikes were so outstanding and flawless that he couldn’t take his eyes off them.

Cheong-ryeong was equally surprised.

She was also an excellent swordsman when she was alive, so she could tell that each stance the old man wielded went beyond a simple sword technique and led to a peerless sword move.

However, the sword moves the old man displayed with the Evil Commandment Sword felt quite familiar.

‘Why does this sword feel so familiar?’

Mok Gyeong-un felt the same way.

At some point, everything about the sword techniques the old man wielded felt extremely familiar.

It was clearly a sword technique he was seeing for the first time, but it felt familiar.

What on earth was going on?

While he was filled with doubts, Cheong-ryeong spoke in a surprised voice.

“…This can’t be.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Mortal…”

“Yes?”

“…It’s the Moonless Void Sword.”

‘Moonless… Sky Sword!?’

At that moment, the formula of the moves written on the paper Cheong-ryeong had hidden, which he had seen in the treasury of Corpse Blood Valley, came to Mok Gyeong-un’s mind.

While showing the hidden formula, Cheong-ryeong had said,

[Consider it your fortune. These are the only remaining sword moves of the Moonless Void Sword, one of the Five Great Sword Techniques that once symbolized the Old Martial World.]

Along with that, the peerless swordsman he had seen in a state of selflessness while imprinting the formula began to overlap with the old man.