Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 4
>Chapter Title: Demon Monk (2)
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>-Crack!
The middle-aged man with a scar under his left eye, who had been sitting on the floor munching on a candy, let out a sigh and gazed toward the main hall.
The path to the main hall, which should have been guarded by escort warriors as usual, stood empty.
'Is this really okay?'
His name was Jang Myeong-in.
He was the Inner Hall Leader in charge of overseeing the guards at Timber Sword Manor's main residence.
In his youth, he had been a renowned swordsmanship expert around the Zhejang Soheung area, and nineteen years ago, during the pirate subjugation in the Haeyeom region, he had formed a bond with the Clan Head and joined Timber Sword Manor.
'Clan Head.'
The Clan Head in his younger days had truly been a hero.
He had admired him and believed everything he did was right.
But how had things come to this?
[Inner Hall Leader... You don't truly wish for that lowly gisaeng's bastard son to become the heir to Timber Sword Manor, do you?]
[That's...]
[Think carefully about what is truly right for Timber Sword Manor.]
At first, he had tried not to get involved.
But he couldn't help being swayed by Great Madam Seok's words.
Even if the youngest son Mok Yu-cheon had overwhelmingly superior martial talent, he had no foundation and no allies in the household. If he inherited the clan, it would inevitably lead to the division of Timber Sword Manor.
'Yes. This is the right thing to do.'
Even if the eldest son Mok Young-ho was somewhat tyrannical, he was the firstborn.
And his maternal family was none other than the Golden Flower Seok Clan, more than capable of supporting him.
In every way, it was right for the eldest son to be the heir.
The only thing that nagged at him was,
[The physician couldn't do anything, so how could a mere sorcerer...]
[It won't take long. Just look the other way for about an hour.]
[......]
[He's a skilled sorcerer from Mongseong. If he succeeds, there will be no conflict with the retainers or the second son, Mok Eun-pyeong.]
The Clan Head's seal.
With the seal, they could designate the heir as they wished.
It would also prevent division among the retainers.
'Could it really work?'
But he couldn't shake off a sliver of doubt.
How could a mere sorcerer who dabbled in dark arts find out where the Clan Head's seal was, when the man was on the verge of death?
It felt like a pointless waste of time.
'They wouldn't try to threaten the weakened Clan Head on his sickbed with drugs or something, would they?'
No matter how much the eldest son Mok Young-ho wanted to be the heir, that would be unacceptable.
It would be a blasphemy against the Clan Head to whom he had sworn loyalty.
-Grip!
Jang Myeong-in's hand tightened.
'No, that can't be it.'
They had told him to clear the area for about an hour, but just to be safe, he should check.
They had said not to interfere, so just observing shouldn't cause any problems.
With that, Inner Hall Leader Jang Myeong-in headed past the annex toward the main hall.
* * *
-Swish!
Mok Kyung-un placed his hand on Sorcerer Myo-sin's neck, where veins bulged grotesquely.
The pulse of the lifeless Myo-sin no longer beat.
Confirming this, Mok Kyung-un turned back with an expressionless face.
'Not bad.'
No one would think he had died by human hands.
A mysterious death.
That was how Myo-sin's demise appeared.
-Shrrr!
At that moment, above the dead Myo-sin's body, a massive monk with pallid skin materialized.
Around his neck hung a string of rattling skull beads.
Mok Kyung-un reached out and touched them.
The white eyes of the monk, emanating eerie ghostly energy, trembled.
"You wear something interesting around your neck."
-......
The reason was simple.
It allowed direct contact with him, a spiritual entity.
As Mok Kyung-un toyed with the skull beads, he asked,
"You said you'd become a faithful slave, so what should I call you?"
In response to Mok Kyung-un's question, the massive monk muttered something softly.
His lips barely moved.
-..........
It was beyond human hearing.
But Mok Kyung-un heard it clearly.
"Demon Monk? Sounds more like a title than a name. Doesn't matter as long as I can call you."
The apparition called itself the Demon Monk.
Looking at the Demon Monk, Mok Kyung-un smirked and turned his head to gaze at the Clan Head, who lay unconscious with his arm severed.
Mok Kyung-un stroked his chin.
"Hmm."
He pondered.
Should he kill the Clan Head as well, or was it better to let him live?
The deliberation didn't last long.
Killing the Clan Head right now would put him in a difficult position.
So, it was better to keep him alive.
"Then I'll need to adjust the scene a bit. Demon Monk, can you move that man in front of the Clan Head?"
-..........
In response to Mok Kyung-un's words, the silent Demon Monk shook his head.
Mok Kyung-un muttered with a hint of disappointment.
"You can't do it after all?"
-......
He had thought that since he killed the sorcerer, the Demon Monk could exert physical force, but he hadn't expected such a simple physical task to be beyond him.
Or was he pretending not to be able to?
Moreover,
-Shrrr!
The moment the materialized flesh touched the sunlight, it vanished like a mirage.
The phenomenon resembled a shadow dissolving in light.
'A realm that's hard to comprehend.'
It was intriguing, but difficult to grasp.
Mok Kyung-un's gaze shifted to the satchel on the dead Sorcerer Myo-sin's waist.
It contained various books on sorcery.
Referencing those might help him understand this apparition better.
-Step! Step!
At that moment, footsteps approached from outside the door, treading the wooden floor.
Soon, Escort Go Chan's voice came from beyond the door.
"Still going?"
"Come in."
With those words, Escort Go Chan opened the door and entered.
His eyes widened upon entering.
"Wh-what is this..."
Go Chan was shocked by the sight of the dead Sorcerer Myo-sin.
He had expected the sorcerer to be performing his ritual, but to find him dead in the meantime was bewildering.
Curiously, however, Escort Go Chan seemed oblivious to the Demon Monk.
Mok Kyung-un nodded toward the left side and asked,
"Do you see anything here?"
"Pardon?"
"Nothing visible, I suppose..."
-......
"Ah... I see."
"Yes?"
"No, I wasn't talking to you, Escort Go Chan."
'!?'
Go Chan furrowed his brow at the words.
Then was that just now talking to himself?
As he puzzled over it, Mok Kyung-un glanced to his left and said something incomprehensible.
"No. I don't think there's any need for you to reveal yourself."
-..........
"Young Master? What are you saying?"
To the bewildered man, Mok Kyung-un smiled gently and said,
"Don't mind it. More importantly, could you move that sorcerer in front of the Clan Head?"
"No. Young Master, why is the sorcerer..."
Sorcerer Myo-sin's appearance was utterly bizarre.
Veins bulged grotesquely across his entire face in death, his expression filled with agony, shock, and terror.
'How on earth was he killed... Is this even a murder?'
Poison?
But it didn't quite look like poison.
It was utterly grotesque.
'Did this guy not kill him?'
Even if the boy had poison in his blood, this was entirely different.
Nor did it seem like a physical killing. What could it be?
As he puzzled in confusion, Mok Kyung-un said,
"Stop staring and move him, please?"
"Y-yes... Yes."
After being told twice, Go Chan hurriedly dragged the dead Sorcerer Myo-sin in front of the Clan Head.
Then Mok Kyung-un instructed,
"Lay him down as naturally as possible right there. Like he went mad on his own and died."
'What?'
How do you lay someone down to make it look like they died raving alone?
Perplexed, Go Chan just dropped Myo-sin's corpse haphazardly.
He had followed orders, but what was the intent?
'Is he trying to pin all this on the sorcerer?'
Given the state of the messed-up room, it did seem plausible.
At least one relief was that the Clan Head was still breathing.
His arm was severed, but better than dead.
"Young Master... What now?"
"Ah, I forgot something important."
In response to Go Chan's question, Mok Kyung-un picked up the sword from the floor.
Holding the sword, Mok Kyung-un approached the bed where the Clan Head lay and swung it around.
-Swish! Swish!
"Like this. The sorcerer, trying to treat the Clan Head with his sorcery, was possessed by something evil, cut off the Clan Head's arm, and tried to kill him—but we stopped him."
"......"
At those words, Escort Go Chan inwardly clicked his tongue.
In this situation, he had crafted a plausible excuse to escape.
Seeing how grotesquely the sorcerer Myo-sin had died, it indeed looked like he had been possessed.
However,
'Will they buy it easily?'
Great Madam Seok was no pushover.
As Go Chan considered just telling the straight story, he cautiously ventured,
"Young Master... If it seems too contrived, it might raise suspicions."
"Too contrived?"
"It was a fortunate coincidence, but if we say we arrived at just the right moment and saved the Clan Head, Great Madam won't buy it easily. Especially since she hired this sorcerer herself..."
"I see. It needs to look even more convincing then."
-Swish!
At that moment, Mok Kyung-un reversed his grip on the sword hilt.
What was he planning? As Go Chan wondered, Mok Kyung-un suddenly brought the sword tip to his own thigh.
"Y-Young Master? What are you doing?"
"It needs to look convincing. This should do it."
"Wa-wait..."
He couldn't stop him in time.
-Stab!
The sharp sword pierced through Mok Kyung-un's thigh.
'!!!!!'
Go Chan's face stiffened at the sight.
Not just a prick—he drove the sword into his own thigh without the slightest hesitation?
What was even more absurd was that, despite the pain, he didn't even groan.
His expression didn't change at all.
'Does... does it not hurt?'
Even Go Chan would grit his teeth or grimace to endure such pain.
Yet this boy showed almost no change, as if he felt no pain at all.
'Tough bastard...'
He couldn't help but be impressed.
To stab his own thigh without hesitation just to avoid suspicion—it was astonishing, the mark of a true ruthless one.
"You... You didn't need to go this far..."
"This is the most effective way."
"I'll staunch the bleeding!"
"No. Let more blood flow to make my face look paler."
"........."
This guy was becoming less frightening and more terrifying by the minute.
'I must never make an enemy of this madman...'
-Bang!
At that instant, the door burst open, and someone stormed in.
Seeing him, Go Chan startled.
"Inner Hall Leader?"
The middle-aged man with the scar under his left eye was none other than Inner Hall Leader Jang Myeong-in.
It wasn't surprising, really.
As the one overseeing the main residence's guards, he was supposed to be stationed here anyway.
His absence had been the odd part.
-Clang!
Then, Inner Hall Leader Jang Myeong-in drew his sword from his waist and aimed it at them.
"What have you done?"
At his shout, Escort Go Chan waved his hands.
"Inner Hall Leader, it's a misunderstanding. The Young Master and I..."
Before he could explain,
"More... importantly, the Clan Head first..."
-Thud!
'!?'
Mok Kyung-un staggered and collapsed beside him.
Go Chan, watching, was momentarily speechless.
Was he faking a faint now?
And doing it while making it seem like he was prioritizing the Clan Head?
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