Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 381 – Joining (3)

“…… Yes. Now I’m just someone who wants to see how far our Lord will go.”

“That’s a first. Our thoughts aligning, I mean.”

He felt the same way.

Seop Chun, who had no special connections, had thought it would be more than enough if Mok Gyeong-un just became the Society Leader’s fourth disciple.

But now things were different.

Having witnessed their Lord’s monstrous growth and extraordinary aspects up close, he wanted to stay by his side and see just how far he could go.

Perhaps they were now standing at the center of a new chapter in Central Plains history.

But they didn’t know.

They were unaware that someone was listening to their conversation from outside.

The one standing in front of the door was none other than Mok Gyeong-un.

“……”

-What? Feeling pressured?

At Cheong-ryeong’s words, Mok Gyeong-un chuckled.

It wasn’t exactly pressure.

He had simply gathered people he could use efficiently for his revenge, but he was puzzled that their expectations were higher than he thought.

-Simply using people is mere employment and commanding.

-I suppose so.

-But leading people is different. It’s about bringing many along on the path you want to walk, towards the dreams you wish to fulfill.

-……

Bringing them along?

Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes, which had been smiling, became subtle at Cheong-ryeong’s meaningful words.

These people were like chess pieces to him.

Most of them had submitted to him unwillingly, so he thought they would see themselves that way too, but he didn’t expect them to harbor such thoughts.

‘Chess pieces……’

Pieces to be discarded when their usefulness ends.

Yet such pieces are pinning their hopes on his dreams.

It’s a strange feeling.

Until recently, hearing such words wouldn’t have stirred much emotion in him.

But at some point, new emotions began sprouting like seedlings in barren soil.

[Don’t assume you were born this way. You’ve simply closed yourself off.]

That’s what his grandfather always used to tell him.

Back then, he couldn’t understand those words.

He didn’t know specifically what emotions meant and only felt them abstractly.

But ever since he first felt the emotion of liking someone, it seems numerous emotions have been deriving and spreading from it.

‘Living up to expectations.’

Emotions don’t seem to stop at just one.

Endless might be the right expression.

Then Cheong-ryeong said,

-Don’t feel burdened. Neither I nor anyone else is forcing you to lead others. But try to understand their hopes.

Cheong-ryeong understood both their expectations and Mok Gyeong-un.

Their path was actually different from those who were driven solely by revenge.

This was just an intersection.

Then Mok Gyeong-un spoke through mental transmission,

-Wasn’t Cheong-ryeong’s original wish to lead others?

-……

At this sudden question, Cheong-ryeong showed a bitter expression.

This mortal had come to know too much about her.

Every word he says shakes and pierces through her.

-…… Even if that was the case, I no longer cling to dreams that have crumbled like sandcastles. A vengeful spirit’s only wish is to resolve its resentment.

-Is that really all?

-…… What exactly are you trying to say?

-I’ve been thinking.

-Thinking what?

-Since we’re doing this anyway, why not do it thoroughly? Of course we’ll eliminate everything related to him, but I also want to reclaim everything he took from you, Cheong-ryeong.

-Mortal…… Are you perhaps……

Before she could finish her words.

The sound of someone walking approached from behind.

-Step, step!

The one approaching, deliberately making footsteps loud enough to announce his presence, was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his mid-fifties, with black hair but graying beard and eyebrows.

The moment he saw him, Mok Gyeong-un immediately recalled,

‘Is that the man from the Sword Valley?’

He remembered.

The sword disciples had called him Ji-oe.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he was the highest expert apart from Master Ou Cheon-mu and the Swordsman.

Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes flickered as he looked at him.

The reason was,

“It seems you’ve gained some enlightenment.”

-Flinch!

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, Ji-oe, who had been approaching, suddenly stopped and frowned.

This was because he had been staring intently at the ‘sword’ Mok Gyeong-un had carved on the cliff of the Sword Valley for over half a day, gaining enlightenment there.

Of course, not everyone had gained enlightenment like him.

Most of the other sword disciples were overwhelmed by the high level of swordsmanship, feeling discouraged, and some even left after planting their swords in the Sword Valley.

There were even those who broke their own swords, unable to bear the self-loathing.

“You’re certainly different. To notice that I gained enlightenment without even crossing swords.”

“You were the most eye-catching person besides the Master.”

“Eye-catching…… It’s an honor for a great master like you to say so.”

“Is it really such an honor?”

Mok Gyeong-un shrugged his shoulders.

Just then, the door opened and Seop Chun spoke with surprised eyes.

“My Lord!”

He had many things he wanted to say.

He was curious if they had found the treasure bead, and most of all, he wanted to ask how they had subjugated Spiritual Sword Sanctuary and Ou Cheon-mu, one of the Six Heavens.

But as he was about to ask, he sensed a strange atmosphere.

‘What’s this? Who is that man?’

He exuded an extraordinary aura.

Was the reason my Lord was standing in front of the guest room door because of this man?

As he wondered, Mong Mu-yak, who had been waiting behind to pay his respects, pushed past him and couldn’t hide his surprise.

“Oh my?”

“Do you know him?”

“It’s Ji-oe.”

“Ji-oe?”

Mong Mu-yak, who was in the Society Leader’s direct intelligence department, had memorized the appearances of all famous figures in the martial arts world.

That’s why he recognized who Ji-oe was the moment he saw him.

When it comes to Spiritual Sword Sanctuary, of course Master Ou Cheon-mu, the craftsmen, and the holy land of swords are famous, but Ji-oe and Gok-o were also well-known.

Ji-oe was especially famous because he had been staying here as a guest for over twenty years.

Unlike other swordsmen who came to the Sword Valley for enlightenment and learning, he had stayed this long solely to surpass Master Ou Cheon-mu’s swordsmanship, earning him the nickname ‘Mad Swordsman’ among martial artists.

A guest obsessed with swords.

It was a title that suited him perfectly.

Seop Chun clicked his tongue and muttered,

“What a coincidence. To see one of the rare Three Madmen here again.”

The Three Madmen.

They are three individuals in the martial arts world called madmen.

Their martial prowess reached the level of top experts in major sects, but due to their inherently eccentric and unpredictable nature, people called them the Three Madmen.

Now two of these Three Madmen had gathered in one place.

This was why Seop Chun said it was a coincidence.

“What? Did someone say something about the Three Madmen?”

At that moment, Ja Geum-jeong, who had been sipping alcohol from a gourd bottle, came out thinking he heard someone calling the Three Madmen.

Seop Chun said to him,

“I wasn’t calling you.”

“Then why did you mention the Three Madmen?”

“Have you heard of Senior Ji-oe, the Mad Swordsman?”

“Mad Swordsman? Ah…… That old man who’s wasting his years obsessed with swords.”

“Wasting years obsessed with swords?”

The distance wasn’t far, so there was no way he couldn’t hear what was being said about him.

Ji-oe glared at Ja Geum-jeong with an unpleasant expression.

“What? You want to try me?”

At this, Ja Geum-jeong showed a competitive spirit.

He had seen one of the other Three Madmen by chance due to some connection, but this was his first time seeing Ji-oe, the Mad Swordsman.

Ji-oe, who had been staring at Ja Geum-jeong who seemed ready to fight at any moment, soon softened his expression and stepped back with a grin.

“Well, you’re not wrong. I did waste my youth obsessed with swords.”

“…… Old man, aren’t you accepting it too easily?”

“What can I do when it’s not wrong?”

“Tch.”

Ja Geum-jeong clicked his tongue at Ji-oe’s response.

He was the type who never avoided a fight, so his competitive spirit had risen and he wanted to fight with him at least once, being called one of the Three Madmen.

But when Ji-oe brushed it off so smoothly, he felt disappointed.

Watching this, Mong Mu-yak’s eyes flickered.

‘He’s certainly the most gentlemanly of the Three Madmen.’

Ji-oe was just obsessed with swords, but at least compared to the other two, he was closer to the righteous path.

He had never harmed anyone without reason.

Then Ji-oe turned his gaze back to Mok Gyeong-un and said,

“I thought you were alone, but you have quite a few companions.”

“Yes, do you have something to discuss with me privately?”

“What would I have to discuss privately? Since they’re all your companions, they’ll all know anyway, so I’ll get straight to the point.”

“Please do.”

There’s nothing they can’t hear.

Listening wouldn’t be difficult at all.

Then,

-Clap!

Ji-oe respectfully cupped his hands and bowed to Mok Gyeong-un, saying,

“Forgive my rudeness at this late hour, but I have a request. Please cross swords with me.”

‘!?’

At those words, the eyes of his subordinates, Seop Chun and Mong Mu-yak, sharpened.

Suddenly coming and bluntly requesting a duel with their Lord, there was no way they could view this favorably.

Seop Chun stepped forward and said,

“Senior, what kind of discourtesy is this, suddenly coming and asking our Lord for a duel?”

“Lord? I thought I misheard earlier, but all these people serve you.”

“No, now……”

-Swish!

Seop Chun, feeling displeased by the attitude of ignoring his words and only conversing with their Lord Mok Gyeong-un, tried to protest, but Mok Gyeong-un restrained him with a single hand gesture.

As Seop Chun closed his mouth, Mok Gyeong-un asked with an expressionless face,

“Is there any reason I should cross swords with you?”

“There isn’t. But as a sword disciple pursuing the way of the sword, how could I pass up the chance to face a Sword Saint who has surpassed the wall of walls and reached the realm of Invinsible Sword, the essence of sword mastery?”

‘!!!!!!!’

As soon as those words ended, Mok Gyeong-un’s subordinates were dumbfounded.

What did they just hear?

Commonly, surpassing the wall is called the Transformation Realm.

The realm of great masters who surpass the wall of the Transformation Realm is called the Profound Realm.

Among the countless martial artists, those who surpass the wall are extremely rare even within a generation.

There aren’t many even in the entire martial arts world.

Among those exceptional few with outstanding martial talent, the realm reached by surpassing the wall of the Transformation Realm is called the Profound Realm, referred to as heaven.

But what is this?

‘Surpassed the wall of walls?’

Everyone had assumed that only the Six Heavens, called the pinnacle of the current martial arts world, had reached the Profound Realm, but what realm is above that?

Someone of Ji-oe’s caliber wouldn’t say such things carelessly.

Then someone spoke in an amazed voice.

“This can’t be.”

The owner of that voice was none other than Guyang Sa-oh, wearing the human skin mask and wielding the Eight Poison Snake Staff.

“Senior Gu Yang?”

At Mong Mu-yak’s call, Guyang Sa-oh spoke in a trembling voice.

“…… I’ve heard of it before.”

“Heard of what?”

“In the days of the Old Murim, there was a being called the World’s Greatest by all. That being said there is a realm beyond surpassing the wall of walls.”

“A realm beyond surpassing the wall of walls? Then does that mean what he said is true?”

“I heard it was called the Life and Death Realm because it can only be achieved by transcending the boundary between life and death.”

‘Life and Death Realm?’

At these words, everyone looked at Mok Gyeong-un with wide eyes.

They had already been greatly surprised just by hearing that he had subjugated Ou Cheon-mu, one of the Six Heavens and the master of Spiritual Sword Sanctuary, on their way here.

But now they’re saying Mok Gyeong-un had surpassed even the Profound Realm, which is called the realm of great masters and superhumans?

What on earth is going on?

While everyone was surprised, Mok Gyeong-un spoke in a nonchalant voice,

“Is that all the reason you have for wanting to cross swords with me?”

“It’s not just that. For me, the sword is my entire life.”

Ji-oe stared intently at Mok Gyeong-un as he answered, as if he were sincere.

Sensing his sincerity, Mok Gyeong-un opened his mouth with a somewhat annoyed expression.

“Well, if that’s the case, I can’t help it, but the sword isn’t my entire life, so I don’t feel any particular need to cross swords with you.”

‘!?’

Ji-oe’s expression hardened at the outright rejection without a moment’s hesitation.

He had inwardly thought that a swordsman who had reached such a realm as Mok Gyeong-un would naturally be sincere about the sword, and such a person would understand his sincerity.

But he didn’t expect to be rejected outright.

Moreover,

‘The sword isn’t his entire life?’

How could someone like that reach a realm surpassing Ou Cheon-mu’s sword techniques?

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