Chapter 164
Chapter 164
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 48
>Chapter Title: Proposal (3)
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‘What’s this?’
Wi So-yeon couldn’t hide her momentary astonishment.
The high-speed movement technique Mok Kyung-un had just unleashed.
If her eyes weren’t deceiving her, it was the unique lightness skill of her eldest senior brother, Na Yul-ryang: the Clear Moon Water Crossing Step.
[Master, why does Eldest Senior Brother use a different lightness skill from us?]
[Hohoho. You mean the Clear Moon Water Crossing Step?]
[Clear Moon Water Crossing Step?]
[Yes. The Clear Moon Water Crossing Step, the Na Clan’s lightness skill that your eldest senior brother practices, was once hailed as one of the three supreme lightness arts in the Central Plains.]
[The supreme lightness skill?]
[Indeed. Alongside the Wudang Sect’s Cloud-Stepping Ascent, renowned as the pinnacle of subtlety, and the Wind-Cloud Step of the Peerless Star, considered unmatched in speed and variability before it vanished with the remnants of the old martial world, it earned fame as one of the three supreme lightness arts.]
[Ah! To think he mastered something so incredible...]
[But that’s all in the past. Once you perfect the Sun-Moon Step that this master has taught you, you’ll be able to dominate the world in a single stride.]
[Dominate the world...!]
Suddenly, words her master had said over ten years ago came to mind.
Even after ten years, Wi So-yeon still hadn’t fully grasped the intricacies of the Sun-Moon Step.
No, she wasn’t even sure if it truly was a footwork that could dominate the world, as her master claimed.
Because no matter how much she practiced, she couldn’t surpass Eldest Senior Brother’s Clear Moon Water Crossing Step.
The same went for her second senior brother, Jang Neung-ak.
In any case, that wasn’t what mattered now.
“How do you know the Clear Moon Water Crossing Step?”
“The Clear Moon Water Crossing Step?”
“Yes. Do you think I wouldn’t recognize Eldest Senior Brother’s Clear Moon Water Crossing Step?”
“Ah...”
Mok Kyung-un let out a small exclamation.
It seemed they truly were senior and junior brothers.
While clashing with Na Yul-ryang, he had observed the technique closely, noting its remarkable efficiency, and memorized its footwork.
And she recognized it at a glance.
“You have sharp eyes.”
*Whoosh!*
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the tip of Wi So-yeon’s index and middle fingers, formed into a sword gesture, touched Mok Kyung-un’s throat.
Sharp sword intent emanated from it, as if it were a real blade.
A glint appeared in Mok Kyung-un’s eyes.
There was no wasted motion in her movement.
“Your hands are fast.”
“You... what exactly are you?”
“Pardon?”
“You’re not someone Eldest Senior Brother planted, are you?”
“Eldest Senior Brother? Ah, you mean Young Master Na Yul-ryang?”
“Don’t play dumb. Eldest Senior Brother didn’t even share the oral formula or energy circulation method of his footwork with Master. Do you think he’d casually teach his unique lightness skill to just anyone?”
At her words, Mok Kyung-un chuckled softly.
“Are you laughing right now?”
“Ah, sorry about that. It seems I’ve caused a misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding?”
“Yes.”
“What misunderstanding?”
“Of course, I did learn this lightness skill from Young Master Na Yul-ryang, but not in the way you’re thinking.”
“Not that way?”
“Yes. Rather than that, it’s more like I simply learned it.”
“Simply? What are you even saying?”
Wi So-yeon’s left eyebrow arched upward.
She felt Mok Kyung-un was toying with her.
No, from the moment he had reduced her subordinates to that state right before her eyes, he had already crossed a line she couldn’t tolerate.
*Hummm!*
A fierce killing intent erupted from Wi So-yeon.
Her aura suggested she might stab or slice Mok Kyung-un’s throat at any moment.
Yet, despite this immense rage and murderous intent, she restrained herself.
The reason was that if Na Yul-ryang was backing him, attacking Mok Kyung-un would make enemies of Eldest Senior Brother, the Dark Sect Leader, and the Island Poison King.
Wi So-yeon spoke while maintaining maximum composure.
“Tell me precisely. What’s your relationship with Eldest Senior Brother?”
“There’s nothing special about it.”
“You expect me to believe that...”
“Come to think of it, our relationship now is probably quite poor.”
“Quite poor?”
“Yes. Rather than that, wouldn’t it be better to talk about you, miss, or me?”
At Mok Kyung-un’s words, Wi So-yeon scoffed.
“With Eldest Senior Brother, the Island Poison King, and the Dark Sect Leader at your back, you must feel untouchable. You won’t even answer my questions.”
Shrugging at her sharp words, Mok Kyung-un replied.
“I’ve answered properly. If there’s more you want to ask...”
*Pak!*
In that instant, Wi So-yeon’s left hand moved.
Like a bolt of lightning, she struck toward Mok Kyung-un’s chest acupoint.
However,
*Pak!*
‘!?’
Wi So-yeon furrowed her brow.
Her wrist, aimed at the acupoint, had been caught by Mok Kyung-un.
This ignited wariness in her eyes.
‘He caught my wrist?’
She had already been certain Mok Kyung-un’s martial prowess had advanced beyond before.
Thus, she hadn’t held back and executed her acupoint strike properly.
Yet he had seized her wrist.
This meant Mok Kyung-un’s skill was far stronger than she had anticipated.
“You... how much stronger have you become?”
Wi So-yeon asked directly, without beating around the bush.
To her question, Mok Kyung-un answered nonchalantly.
“Who knows. I’m still not satisfied with my current level.”
“What?”
Was he mocking her now?
His skill had grown enough to casually catch her deliberate acupoint strike, yet he claimed dissatisfaction?
Of course, it was true.
Mok Kyung-un truly wasn’t satisfied with his current prowess.
But from Wi So-yeon’s perspective, she couldn’t possibly believe his honest sentiment.
“...What the hell is your true identity?”
Scion of the famed orthodox clan, Timber Sword Manor.
A hostage from the orthodox faction brought to the Heaven-Earth Society.
Top passer of the Blood Point Valley trials.
Disciple of the Dark Sect Leader.
Disciple of Island Poison King Baek Sa-ha.
His martial arts had skyrocketed in less than half a month, and now he had even mastered Eldest Senior Brother Na Yul-ryang’s unique lightness skill.
Every single step was so improbable it defied connection.
Wi So-yeon glared at Mok Kyung-un and said.
“You’re not secretly Eldest Senior Brother’s disciple, are you?”
“I already said no.”
“If not, then show me solid proof that you’re not...”
Before her words finished, Mok Kyung-un pointed to his waist.
At Mok Kyung-un’s waist hung a small leather pouch stained with blood.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Should I say it contains spoils of war?”
“Spoils of war?”
What was this guy talking about?
As she wondered, Mok Kyung-un reached into the pouch and pulled something out.
Wi So-yeon’s eyes widened at the sight.
“You?”
In Mok Kyung-un’s hand was an eyeball.
But this eyeball differed from an ordinary person’s; its pupil gleamed silver.
‘!!!!!!!’
Wi So-yeon’s expression hardened instantly upon seeing it.
She could hardly believe it.
If her suspicion was correct, the owner of this eyeball was none other than,
“Eldest Senior Brother?”
“Wow, you recognized it at a glance, just like the lightness skill.”
‘This... what the...’
In an instant, Wi So-yeon was utterly bewildered.
She had seen Eldest Senior Brother’s right pupil turn silver only once.
It was during his spar with Thunderclap Fist King Won Byeong-hak.
As a rare chance to witness the prowess of the Five Kings—top Heaven-Earth Society executives and supreme masters—she had observed the match.
That was when Wi So-yeon noticed the change in Eldest Senior Brother’s eye.
‘No way.’
But what in the world was going on?
How did it end up in Mok Kyung-un’s hand?
“You... how do you have this?”
“Have this? I told you. It’s a kind of spoil of war.”
Spoil of war?
Did he actually fight Eldest Senior Brother?
To her bewildered self, Mok Kyung-un smiled faintly and said.
“This should suffice to explain my relationship with the young master. Now, shall we discuss you and me?”
“Me?”
“Yes. Didn’t I say earlier? I wanted to talk alone. But perhaps it’s time to move this hand away?”
Mok Kyung-un glanced at Wi So-yeon’s sword gesture.
However, with her guard against Mok Kyung-un at its peak, she had no intention of withdrawing it easily.
“...I can’t believe it.”
“Ah, first, let’s remove this...”
“Eldest Senior Brother has surpassed the wall into the Flower Realm, a peerless master. How could you possibly have his eye?”
Wi So-yeon’s voice grew louder.
All her attention was now focused solely on this.
Her master had praised her innate physique and martial talent effusively, yet even with her advancing skill, she couldn’t envision defeating Eldest Senior Brother.
How could this man, who was merely at the Peak Realm just half a month ago, have brought down Eldest Senior Brother?
“Impossible. No matter how much your martial arts advanced, Eldest Senior Brother is...”
“Yes. It seemed difficult to subdue him cleanly on my own.”
“What?”
“Without Master’s help, it would’ve been hard to suppress him smoothly.”
“Master...”
“Island Poison King Master assisted midway. So what was meant to stay quiet got a bit messy.”
“What are you saying...”
“Just as you heard. Thanks to this, I’ve made an enemy of the young master. It’s quite annoying. I’m not ready to face him yet, and I hear his support base among the three heirs is the strongest.”
*Swoosh!*
With those words, Mok Kyung-un tucked the eyeball back into the pouch.
Then, as if it were nothing, he gripped Wi So-yeon’s sword gesture in his hand.
*Pak!*
‘!?’
Wi So-yeon’s pupils trembled.
Though not infused with concentrated qi, her hand was honed sharp with sword intent, yet he gripped it unfazed.
Not stopping there, Mok Kyung-un tried to pull her sword gesture away from his throat.
Her wariness at its zenith, Wi So-yeon surged her internal energy.
‘Good. If you’re truly at a level to contend with Eldest Senior Brother, I’ll see just how much your power has grown with my own eyes.’
*Hummm!*
For the first time in years, Wi So-yeon unleashed her internal energy to its utmost.
Thanks to her innate constitution, even her second senior brother Jang Neung-ak couldn’t match her in internal energy, and she was even said to be approaching the Flower Realm.
‘Ho.’
A glint entered Mok Kyung-un’s eyes.
Having opened his Heavenly Eye, he had some estimate of her energy.
Yet it exceeded his expectations.
*Kududuk!*
As their internal energies clashed in an instant, cracks spiderwebbed across the courtyard floor beneath them.
The soil and sand trembled and sprayed outward.
*Crack crack crack!*
Their energies were so intense the cracks widened further.
Wi So-yeon, pushing her energy harder, couldn’t hide her inner astonishment.
Though she hadn’t yet crossed the wall, her bizarre Heavenly Yin Severed Meridians physique brought her internal energy near the Flower Realm.
Yet Mok Kyung-un wasn’t pushed back even slightly by it.
*Urk!*
Soon, Wi So-yeon felt blood welling up from her chest to her throat.
Thanks to her master, she could handle the Heavenly Yin Severed Meridians energy, but exceeding its limits caused her meridians to rage throughout her body.
Wi So-yeon looked at Mok Kyung-un.
Unlike her, growing strained, he showed no change in expression—utterly composed.
Thus, she had no choice but to admit it.
‘Any further is impossible.’
Continuing the clash would disadvantage her.
Mok Kyung-un wasn’t even at full power; he was matching her energy accordingly.
‘It’s real.’
This boy had undoubtedly crossed the wall.
Confirming this, she felt not just absurd but utterly deflated.
Gradually, Wi So-yeon began lowering her internal energy.
In the end, she yielded first.
*Shrrr!*
As both reduced their power, the spraying soil and sand settled quietly.
Wi So-yeon spoke with genuine shock.
“...You really are a monster.”
“I’m not sure if that’s praise.”
“You’re the first I’ve seen whose martial arts advance this rapidly. Even Eldest Senior Brother, whom we hailed as a genius, wasn’t like this.”
“Who knows. I wouldn’t know.”
Seeing Mok Kyung-un as modest, Wi So-yeon clicked her tongue inwardly.
But Mok Kyung-un truly felt little emotion.
To such a Mok Kyung-un, Wi So-yeon said.
“...I think I know why you fought Eldest Senior Brother.”
“You think so?”
“Yes. He wants talent, but not someone he can’t control.”
At her words, Mok Kyung-un chuckled.
As expected of fellow disciples, she knew Young Master Na Yul-ryang quite well.
“So you must know why I came here.”
“Since you clashed with Eldest Senior Brother, you need shade from the other heirs?”
“Something like that.”
To Mok Kyung-un’s response, Wi So-yeon said incredulously.
“But then why go this far? If you came because you need me, that means...”
“No.”
Mok Kyung-un denied it before she finished.
Frowning, she said.
“No? Then why pull this stunt...”
“To show you.”
“What?”
“How incompetent you are as a heir.”
Wi So-yeon’s expression sharpened at his bone-chilling words.
So he had wrecked her subordinates, sought a private talk, all to say this?
Infuriated and dumbfounded, Mok Kyung-un smiled and said.
“So, about that body of yours—hand it over to me.”
‘!?’
Her expression froze stiff in an instant.
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