Chapter 176
Chapter 176
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 51
>Chapter Title: Three Eyes (3)
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“Wh-what? You don’t mean that spirit beast you’re talking about is...”
-That’s right. The nine-tailed fox spirit with golden fur, Im Mae Mang Liang. The Golden Fur Nine Tails.
‘!!!!!!!’
Yeo Su-rin couldn’t hold back her shock at the eyeball’s meaningful words.
“The Golden Fur Nine Tails? A spirit that takes the form of a fox?”
Meanwhile, Mok Kyung-un, who knew nothing about this entity, reacted no differently than he had when the other six demons were mentioned.
“Ha... The Hundred Faces Golden Fur Nine-Tailed Fox...”
“The Hundred Faces Golden Fur Nine-Tailed Fox?”
“Have you never heard of it?”
“No.”
How could he know when he didn’t even know the leaders of the other spirit beasts?
Seeing Mok Kyung-un like this, Yeo Su-rin spoke in a slightly trembling voice, unlike before.
“It’s a being unlike any other spirit.”
“Unlike others how?”
“Most spirits aren’t well-known to humans because they have little interest in the human world.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
“But this one is different.”
“Different in what way? Isn’t it just an old, powerful spirit?”
“Books that sorcerers read, like the Initial Records of Mountains, Seas, Monsters, and Oddities, naturally describe supernatural records of monsters and the like. Yet the Golden Fur Nine Tails appears in ancient texts—and even in the official histories.”
“In the official histories too?”
The official histories were practically compiled by the state.
For even the historians, who hesitated to record things about the martial world, to document it—this was quite intriguing.
Mok Kyung-un said,
“I’ve read quite a few books related to the histories, but I’ve never heard any stories about a fox spirit.”
“The first record is from the time of King Zhou of the Yin Dynasty.”
“The Yin Dynasty... That’s ancient.”
“Yes. It’s written in the histories that a fox monster devoured King Zhou’s concubine Su Daji and disguised itself as her. It corrupted the king, leading him to create the infamous Wine Pool and Meat Forest garden for his pleasures and commit countless tyrannies. Because of this, the Yin Dynasty fell to King Wu of Zhou.”
“Ah... That sounds vaguely familiar. The story of a king who fell for his concubine Daji and ruined his kingdom. But it’s a bit different from what I knew.”
“That’s because this is the true original history.”
The true original.
Also known as the authentic version of the histories.
The original histories recorded the truths the authors truly meant to convey.
“The Daji of Yin, Baosi of Zhou, Lady Hoyang of Tianzhu Kingdom, Wakamo of Dongying Kingdom, Tamamo-no-Mae... It appeared in countless forms and names, manipulating the fate and history of entire nations.”
As Yeo Su-rin spoke, Mok Kyung-un’s eyes narrowed.
The more he listened, the clearer it became that this Golden Fur Nine Tails was unlike other monsters.
As she said, it was deeply involved in the human world.
Ordinary spirits viewed humans as nothing more than prey—neither more nor less.
It was no different from humans having no interest in the worlds of insects or animals.
“...This monster seems far more interested in humans than I thought.”
“You’re right. To an eerie degree. That’s why it infiltrated human society and caused all sorts of chaos.”
“Now I see why it’s called Hundred Faces.”
Hundred Faces King Golden Fur Nine Tails.
This ancient great fox spirit always appeared in different forms, leading small villages or entire nations down the path to ruin.
The saying of a hundred faces was not unfounded.
“A spirit obsessed with humans... In a way, it’s quite a nuisance.”
“It’s beyond a nuisance—it’s the worst kind of spirit. My master said the Golden Fur Nine Tails is the one to be most cautious of because it preys on humans’ dark emotions and corrupts them.”
“Corrupts...”
Preying on emotions to corrupt.
What a bizarre spirit.
He couldn’t fathom why it repeated such acts.
If it had toyed with humans to that extent, no one would know humans better than it.
Yet it kept repeating the same thing...
One of two possibilities.
‘Amusement... or...’
“Hey, come to think of it, aren’t you pretty much the same as that Golden Fur Nine-Tailed Fox, eyeball?”
At that moment, Yeo Su-rin, deep in discussion about the Golden Fur Nine Tails, glared at the eyeball clinging to Mok Kyung-un’s finger and said.
The eyeball shuddered violently and pleaded.
-I won’t interfere in human affairs anymore. Please, just spare me.
“How many humans have you killed? And you beg to be spared? Young Master Mok, just crush it.”
Yeo Su-rin pointed at the eyeball with her finger, then drew her thumb across her throat and stuck out her tongue in a mock death gesture.
“Quack.”
‘You damn bitch!’
The eyeball cursed Yeo Su-rin inwardly.
Then it pleaded with Mok Kyung-un.
After all, he was the one who held the decision.
-I’ve told you everything you asked for. Please spare me.
“Ah, before that, one more question.”
-Ask anything. I’ll tell you everything I know.
“There are others besides you, right?”
-...What?
Mok Kyung-un smirked at the eyeball’s startled reply.
He lifted the eyeball up to eye level and said,
“Your response was a bit slow.”
-No, I just didn’t fully understand what you—
“I asked if there are other Three Eyes besides you.”
-...
It was Yeo Su-rin who reacted to Mok Kyung-un’s question.
“What are you talking about? What do you mean, more Three Eyes?”
“There’s a sealed wooden box in Blood River Valley. The spirit sealed inside said the one who imprisoned it was a Three Eyes dressed as a sorcerer.”
“A Three Eyes in sorcerer’s robes? Then it’s this eyeball, right?”
“That’s what I thought too. But it knows nothing. Right?”
-What are you talking about? It was a long time ago; I might not remember. Everything that happens in the Heavenly Earth Society is under my—
“Do you know what’s sealed in that wooden box?”
-...
The eyeball fell silent.
“If you do, just say so.”
-...
Yeo Su-rin furrowed her brow at the eyeball’s sudden reticence.
What was going on here?
The Three Eyes her master mentioned had to be this eyeball.
An entity in the form of a sorcerer who commanded two demon beasts as familiars.
If not him, then who?
“No way? Isn’t Young Master Mok mistaken about something? My master said the Three Eyes in the Heavenly Earth Society would disrupt the heavenly secrets... Ah!”
Come to think of it, her master hadn’t specified anyone.
Precisely, he had said this:
[Go and watch. A being with a third eye will appear in the Heavenly Earth Society and disrupt the heavenly secrets.]
“...Then what is this eyeball?”
“It’s a Three Eyes.”
“But...”
“There might be another Three Eyes, so no need to overthink it. Right, Mr. Eyeball?”
The eyeball hesitated at Mok Kyung-un’s words before replying.
-I... really... don’t know.
“Simple, aren’t you.”
-What?
“You chattered away fearfully when talking about the six demons and such, but when another Three Eyes comes up, you strain to hide it?”
-What are you saying? Human, I really don’t know. Sure, the world is vast—why wouldn’t there be more like me? But I have no idea what you’re—
-Crunch!
-Kyaargh!
“Dying here would be worse than talking, wouldn’t it?”
-Kyaaa! I really, really don’t know.
“If my words seem false, keep holding out then.”
As Mok Kyung-un squeezed harder, the eyeball was on the verge of bursting.
It looked ready to explode, spilling white fluid any second.
The eyeball hurriedly tried to say something.
-If I speak, I die.
“Huh?”
-There’s a seal.
“A seal?”
-Yes.
“What kind?”
-I don’t know. Parts of my memory are completely gone, and whenever I try to force it back, the spell activates and I lose consciousness.
“Hmm.”
Mok Kyung-un moved to form hand seals.
-Don’t! I nearly burst trying to break the seal myself.
“Is that so?”
-The eighty-six known release formulas and thirteen secret release spells were useless. I want to tell you, but my life’s at stake, so this I can’t. Please spare—
“Ah, then I have no more use for you.”
-What?
“I’ll send you off.”
-Ah!
Was he going to let it live?
The tense eyeball let out a sigh of relief.
But then,
-Pop!
‘!?’
Darkness enveloped everything around it.
And with that, the eyeball was crushed by something.
-Munch munch!
-Gack!
“Eek!”
Yeo Su-rin stared at Mok Kyung-un in bewilderment.
“Are you insane?”
-Munch munch!
Mok Kyung-un chewed the eyeball thoroughly, swallowed it, and casually said,
“So this is what a spirit’s eyeball tastes like.”
“Huh?”
“It’s salty and thick.”
“You’re saying that now...?”
Yeo Su-rin wore a genuinely disgusted expression at Mok Kyung-un’s words.
Just eating an eyeball was nauseating enough, but devouring the so-called Three Eyes, a strange entity? He wasn’t right in the head.
‘Wow, this guy’s totally crazy.’
She’d never seen anyone like him.
She’d been told she had a unique worldview compared to her master and senior brothers, but this man was beyond comprehension.
She even sensed a peculiar madness.
But then,
“Huh?”
Mok Kyung-un’s previously fine eyes suddenly rolled back white and began trembling.
What was happening all of a sudden?
Did he get sick from eating the Three Eyes eyeball?
“Hey? You okay?”
Yeo Su-rin tried to approach Mok Kyung-un but had to step back because of the demon beast Humwon, which was trying to shake off the wing she had grabbed, seizing the opportunity.
-Kreeeeeh!
“Of all times!”
Yeo Su-rin hurriedly drew a talisman from her waist with her right hand and formed hand seals with her left.
She’d gotten lucky and killed the demon beast Toru easily before, but a spirit of demon beast rank wasn’t something even she, nearly a full sorcerer, could handle lightly.
-Snap!
At that moment, one of Humwon’s wings broke free.
Mok Kyung-un’s worsening condition must have weakened his grip.
‘Why’d he eat something like that?’
This was the mess he’d created.
This man was exhausting.
-Snap! Snap! Snap! Snap!
‘Rend! Exist! Array! All!’
From the Earth Store Seal to the One Wheel Seal, followed by the Inner Binding Seal and Outer Binding Seal.
It was the hand seals of the Six Persons Binding Art.
At the same time, the talisman contained the incantation of a guardian spirit that would temporarily weaken demonic energy.
-Flap flap!
The demon beast Humwon spread its massive wings wide.
Revealed within were bizarre patterns resembling a pair of enormous eyes—chilling to behold.
Moreover, the demonic power radiating in all directions was no joke.
Even seasoned sorcerers’ legs would shake.
Yeo Su-rin gritted her teeth.
“Come at me. Even if I look like this, I’m the prized disciple of Grand Sorcerer Jeok Mi-no-seon.”
With that, Yeo Su-rin pointed the All Seal hand sign at the demon beast Humwon, preparing to unleash the Six Persons Binding Art.
But at that exact moment,
“Stop.”
The moment the shout rang out,
The demon beast Humwon, which had spread its wings for attack, folded them immediately.
Then, as if submitting, it lowered its head and upper body.
And the target was, astonishingly,
“Huh?”
Mok Kyung-un.
Yeo Su-rin’s eyes went wide.
Why was the demon beast Humwon obeying Mok Kyung-un’s command?
A brief thought revealed it wasn’t the only oddity.
Since Mok Kyung-un had chewed and swallowed the Three Eyes eyeball, its masterless familiars should have lost their bond, leading to dissipation or death.
Yet demon beast Humwon lived on, unharmed.
“What’s going on here?”
To her question, Mok Kyung-un smiled faintly and replied,
“Who knows.”
‘!?’
What on earth was happening?
She couldn’t help but be truly curious.
Of course, the only one who somewhat understood was Cheong-ryeong, inside the wooden doll in Mok Kyung-un’s bosom.
-Hah! So it works.
-Yes. It does.
While pondering what to do with the Three Eyes he shared a familiar bond with, Mok Kyung-un had eaten it on a whim.
Having previously turned grudging vessels or mediums into familiars by devouring them, he’d hoped—and it succeeded.
The familiar bond had transferred.
And one more bizarre thing happened:
‘My eye...’
After devouring the Three Eyes and absorbing its power, it concentrated especially in his right eye.
Unleashing it like opening the Ghost Eye made the flow of energy startlingly clear.
-Roooar!
‘Well now?’
Even the path of the sword he’d swung earlier lingered as residual thoughts.
It wasn’t just traces of true energy.
Even the form of his physical force transforming into spells was faintly visible as residual thoughts.
Mok Kyung-un’s lips twitched.
‘...This could be useful.’
< 51화 삼안(三眼) (3) > End