Chapter 129
Chapter 129
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 37
>Chapter Title: Reunion (1)
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It was truly a stroke of coincidence beyond belief.
Among the quasi-disciples, starting with the eldest, Hwan Yun-myeong, followed by the second, Myeong Tak, and the third, Yong Su, none had felt the slightest urge to undergo castration after awakening to carnal desires.
But the situation had changed.
Now, all of them were begging to be castrated.
And understandably so—if they didn't undergo castration and become formal disciples, they might spend their lives suffering under a demon like him.
"Master, please castrate us!"
Mok Kyung-un inwardly clicked his tongue at the sight of them pleading.
Their intentions were plain as day.
Until now, they hadn't wanted to remove their manhood due to lust, but with him—a true formal disciple—appearing, they felt their positions threatened.
They had tried force, but couldn't match him, leaving them with one path.
Castration to become formal disciples.
‘Clever in a pointless way.’
He thought that, yet it might be the right choice for them.
But would she accept such a sudden plea in this state?
He wondered,
"Won't you regret it?"
At the Matriarch's question, all three hesitated for a moment.
They soon glanced at Mok Kyung-un, then nodded in unison.
"We won't regret it."
There was no room for regret.
Especially for Hwan Yun-myeong.
He had already admitted to sabotaging his fellow disciples from becoming formal ones, and with his right arm lost, who would accept him now?
Hwan Yun-myeong gazed at his master with desperate eyes.
At that moment, the Matriarch covered her mouth and laughed as if delighted.
"Oh ho ho. Very well. Since you've chosen it yourselves, how can I refuse?"
"Aaah!"
"Thank you!"
At her response, the quasi-disciples slammed their foreheads to the ground in gratitude, one after another.
Mok Kyung-un couldn't comprehend the scene.
They weren't like him in a special circumstance; they had forsaken becoming formal disciples for their own desires.
So why accept them now?
As he puzzled over it, he caught Hwan Yun-myeong and Yong Su smirking triumphantly at him.
‘Hm.’
Why the smug looks?
The reason was simple.
With castration, they were now on equal footing.
No—even better, since they had entered first, the tables had turned.
He could no longer bully his senior fellow disciples...
"Kyung-un."
The Matriarch called Mok Kyung-un then.
"Yes."
"You can speak freely now, right?"
"Yes."
"Oh ho ho. You've gained three junior brothers right upon entering—lucky you. As the eldest senior brother, take good care of them."
‘!!!!!!’
Her words twisted the three men's faces in an instant.
What kind of bolt from the blue was this?
Why was that bastard Mok Kyung-un the eldest senior brother?
Hwan Yun-myeong couldn't hold back and asked,
"M-Master. How can the latest entrant become the eldest senior brother?"
"What nonsense is that?"
"Pardon?"
"Kyung-un became a formal disciple first, so he's your eldest senior brother, isn't he?"
At the Matriarch's words, Hwan Yun-myeong scowled as if he'd chewed dung.
He had thought becoming formal disciples would at least put them above this guy, but no.
Then Myeong Tak clasped his hands in a martial salute toward Mok Kyung-un.
"Greetings to Eldest Senior Brother Mok Kyung-un from your junior brother Myeong Tak."
"......"
A swifter change of stance than anyone.
Hwan Yun-myeong and Yong Su stared in disbelief.
Of course, Myeong Tak ignored their gazes entirely.
The tide had turned anyway.
Even the Master had appointed Mok Kyung-un as eldest senior brother without asking about what had transpired inside.
What did that mean?
‘The next Matriarch is this one.’
To survive now, he needed to impress not Hwan Yun-myeong, who had stabbed them in the back.
* * *
After sending the injured Hwan Yun-myeong, Yong Su, Myeong Tak, and the others to the inner fortress's medicine hall, leaving just the two of them, the Matriarch looked at Mok Kyung-un and said,
"You don't ask anything."
"About what, Master?"
"Why you don't inquire about what happened inside... or why I made you—the latest arrival—the eldest senior brother."
"If Master had a reason in mind, does this disciple need to question it irreverently?"
"......"
The Matriarch's lips twitched at Mok Kyung-un's response.
He showed no doubt, yet gave such a pleasing answer.
But this wasn't the boy's true heart.
Having watched him through the Blood River Valley trials, she knew he was cunning—almost impossible to control.
For such a child to speak of propriety.
"Oh ho ho ho. It's an excellent answer for a disciple, but no need to hide your true feelings from me."
"......"
"Nothing to say?"
At the Matriarch's question, Mok Kyung-un parted his lips.
But his question was unexpected.
"You knew, yet accepted me as a formal disciple out of obligation?"
The Matriarch's eyes narrowed.
Look at this child.
She hadn't expected him to ask that way.
"Quite a conversation must have happened inside. Judging by how you phrase it."
Contrary to her guess, there had been no real talk.
Hwan Yun-myeong, possessed by the sword's malice, had simply rambled his desires, revealing how their disciple relationships had formed.
"You could call it a conversation."
"Oh ho."
"If it's uncomfortable, you don't have to answer."
"It's not. If anything, it could be obligation. But separately, sometimes there are things you know but pretend not to, and let slide."
‘Hm?’
Mok Kyung-un tilted his head.
Pretend not to know despite knowing—what did that mean?
From his rational viewpoint, it made no sense.
But one thing was clear: the Matriarch had known Hwan Yun-myeong ensured no incoming disciples got castrated.
No, it would be stranger if she didn't.
As the head of the Dark Clan, which controlled information.
"Sacrificing one thing for another isn't easy."
"......"
The Matriarch said, covering her mouth.
"Oh ho ho. Once you've weathered life's storms and lead an organization, you'll understand what I mean."
"......I'll keep it in mind."
"Either way, I'm sorry for not warning you children beforehand, causing this mess."
"No, Master."
"You probably haven't memorized it properly yet, so I'll arrange lodging for you to rest and..."
"I've memorized it."
"What?"
"If you're referring to the incantations of the Phantom Shadow Movement Technique, I've got them all."
The Matriarch stared at him as if to confirm if it was true.
Understandably so—the report said the three had burst in shortly after he entered the shrine.
Even a genius couldn't memorize the incantations in that time.
Yet,
"Circuit of the Nine Mysteries, reversing fate's chaos, pure mind clear mirror, five stones without blemish..."
‘!?’
Light gleamed in the Matriarch's eyes at the Phantom Shadow Movement Technique incantations from Mok Kyung-un's mouth.
She knew from watching the Blood River Valley finale that his talent far surpassed ordinary folk.
But she hadn't expected this level.
‘......Was he this exceptional?’
It exceeded expectations.
She newly appreciated the ancient sage's words: one cannot contain joy at receiving a prodigious disciple.
The more she learned of this child, the more regretful it felt.
If only his origins were from the Heavenly Alliance's mountains, his path would be smoother.
Pity he needed perceptual adjustment first, but he held value as future stock.
"I can't help but praise you lavishly. Well done."
"It's nothing."
"Oh ho ho. I'd love to start teaching you right away, but with the earlier matter unresolved, today won't do."
"Understood."
"I've informed the chief steward, who will guide you to your quarters. You haven't rested properly through the Blood River Valley trials, so rest well today."
"Yes."
"See you tomorrow then..."
"Ah. Forgive me, but may I take a short walk around the area?"
"A walk?"
"Yes. I've been stuck in the mountains so long, I want to stroll and sightsee lightly."
Her eyes flickered faintly at his words.
But without showing it, she replied casually.
"You want to tour the fortress."
"Yes. If it's alright."
"Oh ho ho. For that, I'll assign someone."
Mok Kyung-un inwardly clicked his tongue at her words.
Accepted as a formal disciple and spoken to more softly, yet the Matriarch hadn't dropped her guard an inch.
Assigning a guard for a simple outing proved it.
Annoying, but no choice.
"Thank you for your consideration."
* * *
Thus, Mok Kyung-un left the Dark Clan's compound with the escort warrior the Matriarch assigned.
"Don't mind me—just go about your stroll, Young Master."
"Yes. Thank you."
Truthfully, not following would be better consideration.
But no helping it.
"Hoo."
Mok Kyung-un let out a soft exclamation as he looked around outside the compound.
He had glanced around coming here, but it was vast.
Immense, even.
‘The inner fortress itself is huge.’
Touring it all would take time.
Climbing the tallest building to survey might map the layout quickly.
But not feasible now.
With the escort watching his every move.
-Why bother going out? Better to rest as that eunuch suggested today.
Then Azure Spirit's voice rang in his ear.
Mok Kyung-un shrugged and replied via transmission.
-Because I sense it.
-Sense it? Sense what?
-Go Chan's spirit energy, not far away.
-What? That assassin wench's body invader?
-Yes.
The reason Mok Kyung-un came out was none other than Escort Go Chan.
With the contract formed, it wasn't just the grudge soul sensing its master.
Mok Kyung-un could instinctively detect his familiar spirit's position.
‘Not far.’
Within a hundred paces radius, at least.
Far away, it'd be faint and hard to detect, but this close, he could pinpoint it.
‘Northwest.’
Heading there should lead to a meeting.
-That guy's impressive. As a familiar spirit, he can't flee, so sticking close makes sense. But not approaching closer means...
-He seems to be maintaining the possessed body.
-Ha! Infiltrating here with a physical form?
-Yes. For now.
-The body seemed decently usable, but sneaking into the inner fortress? Unexpected skill.
-Maybe leveraging his assassin background.
-Whatever, more usable cards the better. No betrayal risk from a familiar spirit.
Mok Kyung-un agreed with Azure Spirit.
Hence seeking Escort Go Chan.
His successful tailing and infiltration raised his utility.
Thus, with the Dark Clan's escort warrior, Mok Kyung-un headed northwest in the inner fortress.
After about thirty paces.
A group approached from the opposite direction.
One stood out particularly.
‘Hm.’
A young man in his late twenties with curly hair and a flashy appearance.
Mok Kyung-un's eyes caught the youth's surging energy.
Shockingly, its magnitude rivaled Sword King Son Yun's.
‘Who is he?’
Executive level, no exaggeration.
But hard to identify by looks alone.
Then, someone caught Mok Kyung-un's eye.
‘!?’
Behind the curly-haired youth walked a man in his early thirties, part of the group.
One hand held a liquor bottle, the other arm wrapped around the waist of a young, seductive woman.
-That one... isn't it him?
At Azure Spirit's words, Mok Kyung-un nodded slightly.
The woman in the revealing, ornate dress was none other than,
-......Yeah, seems so.
Ha Chae-rin, possessed by Escort Go Chan.
But why was Go Chan acting like that?
He had infiltrated the Heavenly Alliance differently than expected.
‘Aaah, damn.’
Go Chan, instantly recognizing his master Mok Kyung-un, seemed embarrassed and kept his face down.
[Chapter 37 Reunion (1)] End