Chapter 116
Chapter 116
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 33
>Chapter Title: Disciple Scramble (2)
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At this distance, if one infused their voice with qi, it would be hard to pinpoint who spoke or their exact location.
Yet, astonishingly, Mok Kyung-un found her on the second try.
A guy who had merely reached the peak realm had senses this sharp?
Pure Sound Valley Lord Hang Yeo-ryang clicked her tongue and smacked her lips.
A fierce greed welled up within her.
‘How could I yield something like this?’
Even if most of the executives coveted him, she had no intention of backing down.
No, their opinions didn’t matter anyway.
There was only one key point.
She just needed to lure Mok Kyung-un properly.
Hang Yeo-ryang gazed at Mok Kyung-un and infused her voice with qi once more.
-Heh heh heh. Not bad. To find me in one go.
At her voice, Mok Kyung-un’s eyes narrowed.
Her energy had spread out like ripples, and he had stared at the center—his guess had been spot on.
But how exactly had he done it?
‘She didn’t even open her mouth?’
The sound rang clearly in his ears.
As he puzzled over it, Pure Sound Valley Lord Hang Yeo-ryang spoke to him.
-Why? Does it seem strange?
It was more intriguing than strange.
Using qi to transmit sound over such distances seemed incredibly useful.
It was perfect for secretly speaking to someone.
-Are you curious how it’s done?
Of course he was.
Mok Kyung-un nodded lightly.
Then,
-Should I teach you?
She was suddenly offering to teach him this?
Mok Kyung-un looked at her quizzically.
He believed everything came with a corresponding price, so he doubted this woman would teach him out of pure goodwill.
‘It’s intriguing, sure, but pretending I don’t know won’t hurt.’
Mok Kyung-un smirked and turned his head away.
Hang Yeo-ryang’s brow furrowed slightly.
She had tried to draw his interest, but she hadn’t expected outright rejection.
‘...What an interesting guy.’
She hadn’t demanded any price or conditions—just offered to teach—and yet here he was, snuffing out his interest immediately. She had never seen anyone like that.
It only piqued her curiosity more.
So she continued,
-The basis of sound arts is creating vibrations in the air through sound. This works on a similar principle.
‘!?’
What was this?
He hadn’t said he wanted to learn, yet as she explained the principle, one of Mok Kyung-un’s eyebrows arched slightly.
Regardless, Hang Yeo-ryang pressed on.
-Between your larynx and the root of your tongue, at the Lianspring Acupoint, imagine brushing the throat cotton and rapidly vibrate your qi. And...
Even if he didn’t want to hear it, the voice kept coming, forcing him to grasp the method.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t that difficult.
-For someone as clever as you, this explanation should be more than enough, right?
At her words, Mok Kyung-un tilted his head slightly to the side.
He glanced at Hang Yeo-ryang and sent qi to his Lianspring Acupoint, trying it just as she had taught.
-Like this?
‘Good.’
Hearing his voice, Hang Yeo-ryang’s lips curved up faintly.
As expected, he was sharp.
It might look simple, but understanding and executing it on the first try wasn’t easy.
It showed how exceptionally quick he was at grasping principles.
‘A joy to teach.’
But then Mok Kyung-un asked her,
-Impressive. What’s this technique called?
-The Shaolin monks call it Intent-to-Seal Voice Transmission, but I and those who study sound arts refer to it as Sound Transmission into Secrecy. Or simply Voice Transmission for short.
-Voice Transmission... So no one else can hear this?
-Exactly. Perfect for secret talks between you and me, isn’t it? Pretty good, right?
-Yes. It is.
It definitely seemed useful.
Transmitting sound via faint qi vibrations.
He hadn’t intended to learn it, but since she had taught him on her own, it could come in handy.
Then she sent another transmission.
-I saw your match. You were splendid.
-Thank you.
-I originally came for the girl, but that fight changed my mind.
Mok Kyung-un smirked inwardly at her words.
She was openly revealing her intentions.
As expected, there was a purpose behind teaching him this technique.
-Ah, I don’t know what to say.
-Heh heh heh. Child, let me be direct. Become my disciple. Opportunities like this don’t come often.
Pure Sound Valley Lord Hang Yeo-ryang boldly proposed he become her disciple.
In truth, such an offer was exceedingly rare.
The final trial hadn’t even ended, and the disciple selection ceremony hadn’t begun, yet for an executive to approach a candidate and invite them as a disciple—it only happened if they were truly impressed.
But the problem was that Mok Kyung-un had zero interest in becoming Pure Sound Valley Lord’s disciple.
With a regretful expression, he transmitted back.
-What a dilemma. I’m truly grateful for Pure Sound Valley Lord’s offer, but I need more time to think it over.
Since she had taught him something, he phrased it politely.
It was essentially a refusal.
Hang Yeo-ryang let out a small scoff.
‘You think you can escape me?’
She had already decided to take him as her disciple.
She intended to make him beg to become her disciple, no matter what it took.
-If you’re thinking of those two kings, that would be a foolish choice.
-A foolish choice?
-Myeongdo King Son Yun already has four disciples, and one has been chosen as successor. Do you think you could fully showcase your talents there?
-Ah... Is that so?
-Heh heh heh. Then you must have Wall Force Fist King in mind. But do you know this?
-What do you mean?
-That Wall Force Fist King’s sole disciple crippled his right arm while learning his secret ultimate technique.
‘Hmm.’
Mok Kyung-un stroked his chin at her words.
In truth, he hadn’t decided on anyone yet.
He had originally aimed for Venom King Baek Sa-ha, but since he hadn’t shown up, his plans had gone awry.
If Pure Sound Valley Lord Hang Yeo-ryang was telling the truth, becoming either king’s disciple could turn into a major hassle.
‘Internal competition or the risks of their martial arts.’
Either way, it made choices tricky.
But this info was just her attempt to disqualify the two.
So Mok Kyung-un treated it as mere reference material—nothing more, nothing less.
-Yes. I’ll keep your advice in mind, Valley Lord.
-......
Her fingers tapped the armrest as his words drew a line.
This guy was more stubborn than he seemed.
If not for the final trial and disciple ceremony, she would drag him off by force and reshape his mind to her liking.
But the most annoying person was right across the platform.
Myeongdo King Son Yun.
The one who always interfered in her affairs.
But that wouldn’t last much longer.
Soon, she would reach the seventh stage, the pinnacle of Faction Assault Resonance Art. Excluding those two kings who had reached the Flower Realm among the Five Kings, no one would be her match.
Not even Myeongdo King.
So this time, she decided to change tactics and coax Mok Kyung-un gently.
-Do you know why I only wanted girls?
-......
-Unless it’s a truly special case, my valley has mostly taken female disciples. And it doesn’t stop there—most people in my valley are women.
-......
-Become my disciple, and you’ll feel like the First Emperor in his harem palace. Doesn’t that appeal to you?
-......I’m sorry.
Mok Kyung-un flatly refused her temptation.
‘This brat.’
He was at an age full of youthful vigor, yet he rejected even this?
Pure Sound Valley Lord Hang Yeo-ryang’s irritation began to build beyond mere stubbornness.
She was willful by nature and didn’t bother persuading anyone.
If she wanted something, she took it by force.
‘So you’ll keep this up, huh.’
Her patience was nearing its limit, but she decided to hold out one last time.
-I see you practice swordsmanship. That’s even more reason to become my disciple, no?
-......What do you mean?
-Myeongdo King and Dark Clan Leader are masters of saber arts, and Wall Force Fist King is a bare-handed expert as his title suggests. From your match, it seems swordsmanship is what you’ve mainly honed.
She judged that between his fist and sword techniques, the latter had higher completion.
Thus, she assumed swordsmanship was his focus.
Then Mok Kyung-un spoke.
-By my knowledge, you mainly practice sound arts, Valley Lord.
-Heh heh heh. True, but I’m just as much a sword master. I assure you, mastering Faction Assault Flame Sword—one of my two ultimate arts—will elevate your swordsmanship to new heights.
‘Faction Assault Flame Sword?’
So she was skilled in sword arts too?
But Hang Yeo-ryang was unaware of one fact.
Mok Kyung-un smiled faintly.
-Thank you for saying so, but I’m fine without swordsmanship.
She didn’t know, but Mok Kyung-un wasn’t fixated on the sword.
He planned to learn whatever he deemed necessary.
This response finally ignited Hang Yeo-ryang’s fury.
-Grind!
‘To keep rejecting me after all this.’
The carrot phase was over.
If sweet didn’t work, it was time for the stick.
That suited her better anyway.
-I hold you in such high regard, offering to take you as disciple, yet you’re so arrogant. Fine. Then I’ll take that Mok Yu-cheon kid under my wing.
‘Mok Yu-cheon?’
In the center of the plaza, on the sparring platform, Mok Yu-cheon was locked in a fierce match against Execution Valley’s Yeom Ga, possessed by the Demon Monk.
The two were evenly matched.
Most executives watched their bout with interest.
-I hear he’s your younger brother?
Before the matches, Wall Force Fist King Won Byung-hak had asked if they were brothers, noting their shared Mok surname.
Blood Omen Valley Lord Lee Ji-yeom had deemed it fine to reveal and confirmed it.
So she knew.
-Yes, that’s right.
-Good. He looks quite useful too, doesn’t he?
-......
-For useful talents like him, I’ll take him as a subordinate, toy with him until I tire, then kill him.
Mok Kyung-un couldn’t hold back a chuckle at her words.
After his repeated refusals, she was now openly threatening him.
She was couching it, but it boiled down to: refuse me, and I’ll take your brother as a subordinate and kill him.
‘Try refusing again.’
Her lips twitched as she glared at Mok Kyung-un with malicious eyes.
Both brothers reaching this stage meant they had relied on each other to pass the trials.
Their bond must be deep.
‘If you don’t want your brother dead, obediently become my disciple...’
-Do whatever you want.
‘!?’
Her venomous lip twitch froze at Mok Kyung-un’s transmission ringing in her ears.
Do whatever?
She doubted her own ears.
Hang Yeo-ryang spoke in a voice laced with anger.
-You think I won’t actually do it, don’t you?
She was the type to follow through.
For a mere candidate to ignore her words like this?
Fine. She’d prove it.
-It’s all on you. Let’s see if you stay so cocky after losing your brother.
-Yes, yes. Do as you please.
-Ha! You little...
-Kill him, or toy with him and tear off his limbs to cripple him—it’s all up to you as his new master.
-What?
-As long as my brother can entertain you that way, it’s a blessing.
-Snikt!
He even smiled.
-......
For a moment, her rage didn’t surge—instead, she was utterly dumbfounded.
What the hell was this guy?
Though distanced, as a super peak realm expert, she could make out Mok Kyung-un’s face somewhat.
How could he smile while saying it was fine to kill or cripple his brother?
It wasn’t an act of feigned nonchalance or calculated bravado.
His face genuinely showed he didn’t care.
‘...Is this guy even sane?’
< 33화 제자 쟁탈전 (2) > End