Chapter 177
Chapter 177
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 51
>Chapter Title: Three Eyes (4)
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‘What was that just now?'
Yeo Su-rin stared at Mok Kyung-un's face with puzzlement.
If her eyes weren't deceiving her, it hadn't been long, but the color of Mok Kyung-un's right pupil had turned silver, and she had sensed some kind of energy—curse power? No, demonic power? She couldn't quite pin it down.
But it had only lasted a moment before vanishing.
'There was definitely a change in his eye.'
Once it returned to normal, that strange energy disappeared as well.
What in the world was going on?
-Flutter flutter!
A small bird flying around Mok Kyung-un.
It was the miniaturized form of the demon beast Heumwon.
When Mok Kyung-un had told it to hide out of annoyance, it had shrunk to the size of a sparrow and was now circling nearby.
As expected of a demon beast, it had concealed its demonic power so well that only someone with exceptional curse power or extreme sensitivity would even notice it.
'Argh, I really have no idea.'
The demon beast Heumwon had clearly become Mok Kyung-un's familiar.
But all of this stemmed from one thing.
That being,
'Did he really eat that eye and turn it into this?'
It was something utterly incomprehensible to her.
An eye was a parasitic entity that took root in the human body as a deformity.
Could eating such a thing even make this possible?
[The demonic power, blood, or flesh of an illusory demon is no different from poison to humans. Make sure it never enters your mouth, even by accident.]
That's what her master had told her.
Yet Mok Kyung-un had done the insane act of eating it.
And then the Three Eyes' familiar had transferred to him.
It was something that completely contradicted everything she knew.
'How on earth did he do it?'
She desperately wanted to ask.
But even if she did, Mok Kyung-un didn't seem like the type to tell her.
Sorcerer clans were like martial sects in the jianghu—each faction had its own unique spells and didn't share them with outsiders.
Asking in the first place was practically taboo.
'Argh, I'm so curious.'
Once her curiosity was piqued, she couldn't rest until it was satisfied.
To Yeo Su-rin, Mok Kyung-un was a walking bundle of mysteries.
If he had truly consumed the demon and made its bond his own, she wanted to dissect him and study it.
As she stared holes into Mok Kyung-un, Yeo Su-rin came up with a great idea.
'Right. Then I can just keep watching him up close.'
It was a simple solution.
She had learned that besides the Three Eyes that had merged with Day Sorcerer Jo Tae-cheong, there was another one.
Which meant she hadn't fulfilled her master's orders yet.
She still had reason to stay here.
"Excuse me."
"Yes?"
"I think I... Huh?"
Her eyes widened as she tried to speak to Mok Kyung-un.
The reason was that Mok Kyung-un had opened the lid of what looked like a coffin next to the desk in the leader's chamber—and there was a person inside.
"What is that? Wait, that person? He's not alive."
"You're right."
Mok Kyung-un shook his head.
No one would look at what was inside and think anything but corpse.
That corpse was none other than the former Original Killing Leader, Im Seo-ok.
"Ugh... Uuugh..."
Seeing Im Seo-ok groan, Yeo Su-rin spoke up.
"This isn't a jiangshi, is it? No, a corpse ghost?"
"You've got sharp eyes."
Mok Kyung-un's eyes gleamed as he watched her immediately recognize Im Seo-ok's state.
For all her chatter, this woman was definitely a skilled sorceress.
Her knowledge of sorcery and her curse power proved it.
"No way. That corpse ghost... isn't that the Original Killing Leader?"
"Correct. You recognize him?"
"Of course. It took a bit to get inside the main hall building, but I've been in the Original Killing Division for the past three months."
She had familiarized herself with Original Killing Leader Im Seo-ok's face during that time.
She had no idea he would disappear over half a month ago and end up like this.
Yeo Su-rin let out a sigh.
"Why did the Original Killing Leader end up like this? Did the Three Eyes get him?"
Mok Kyung-un shook his head at her words.
"No, not that."
"Not that? If not the Three Eyes, then who? The Original Killing Leader left the Sixty-Four Halls, but he's still a Day Sorcerer."
Excluding the pinnacle Six Directional Gods, Day Sorcerers were considered the top in sorcery.
For a Day Sorcerer of his caliber to end up as a corpse ghost like this.
No one below another Day Sorcerer could have done it.
And yet,
"I did it."
"Ah, so Young Master Mok... What?"
Yeo Su-rin jumped in surprise and stared at Mok Kyung-un's face.
Im Seo-ok was a highly renowned Day Sorcerer among the Sixty-Four Halls' Day Sorcerers.
And Mok Kyung-un had turned him into this?
"For real?"
"Yes. For real. You think I'd lie?"
With that, Mok Kyung-un clicked his tongue and formed hand seals.
-Clack! Clack!
'Presence! Formation!'
He then slammed his palm into Im Seo-ok's chest.
Something bizarre happened.
The curse bindings restraining Im Seo-ok unraveled, and his throat bulged before,
"Kwaaack."
Twisted, vine-like tendrils burst out wildly.
Each time one emerged, Im Seo-ok's entire body convulsed violently.
It seemed the vines had extended throughout his body, pinning him in place.
"Wow... That's brutal. Really brutal."
Yeo Su-rin stuck out her tongue at the sight.
Mok Kyung-un chuckled and said,
"This wasn't me. It was probably the Three Eyes, Jo Tae-cheong."
"The Three Eyes?"
"Yes. Im Seo-ok wasn't supposed to be here originally."
He had told the dead Sorcerer Jo Ui-gong to take over as Original Killing Leader and handle things himself.
His presence here meant Jo Tae-cheong had noticed something because of it.
Good thing he resolved it before things escalated.
Otherwise, it would have gotten messy.
'And lucky, I suppose.'
Mok Kyung-un had been worrying about one thing.
With Sorcerer Jo Ui-gong dead, he had lost someone to control the Original Killing Division.
But now, with former Original Killing Leader Im Seo-ok as a living corpse ghost, that problem was solved.
Soon, he could fill the vacancies left by the dead Jo Ui-gong and Jo Tae-cheong.
"Keee."
-Shrrrk!
Once the long-extended vines were fully extracted, Im Seo-ok's body twitched, then he rose as if regaining consciousness.
He then gave Mok Kyung-un a slight bow.
"Whoa. You really did this to him. How did you take down the Original Killing Leader?"
"Well."
"Aaah. 'Well'... You're gonna keep giving answers like that, huh?"
"Yes."
-Crunch crunch!
Yeo Su-rin gnawed at her nails and glared at Mok Kyung-un.
He was the most exasperating man she'd ever met.
She meant it.
Letting out a sigh after biting her nails, she said,
"Then you won't tell me why you did this to him?"
"Yes. We made a deal, but isn't our connection over now?"
"What?"
"You're leaving now, right?"
"Ah..."
Yeo Su-rin gave Mok Kyung-un a strange look.
They hadn't known each other long, and it was a brief connection, but since they'd fought a common enemy risking their lives, she thought they'd grown somewhat close.
But these words made her realize Mok Kyung-un didn't trust her at all.
'Does he... keep people at arm's length?'
Yeo Su-rin clicked her tongue with a pout.
She'd even given him a one-use protective charm as part of the bet, so this felt unfair.
Fine.
Now she was determined to make him open up bit by bit later.
Having resolved herself inwardly, Yeo Su-rin said,
"I'm not leaving."
"You're not?"
"No."
"Why?"
"You said there's another Three Eyes."
"That's..."
Mok Kyung-un inwardly clicked his tongue, realizing his slip.
He'd checked for that important info, but now it gave Yeo Su-rin a reason to stick around.
Or rather, a situation where she couldn't leave yet?
"Ahh... Is that so? But there are no more in the main hall, so you'll have to search hard."
"What? You're not searching?"
"Me?"
"Yes. From what I saw earlier when you talked to the Three Eyes, weren't you looking for the other one?"
"No. I just confirmed it exists."
"No. Then you're not going to search?"
"No."
Yeo Su-rin's face turned troubled at Mok Kyung-un's words.
She had planned to use searching for the Three Eyes together as an excuse to observe him.
What now?
Her mind grew complicated, and she blurted out like a duck.
"No. Isn't that really unfair?"
"What's unfair?"
"We have a connection, so can't you help a little? Thanks to me, you took down the Three Eyes here without much trouble."
Mok Kyung-un replied nonchalantly to her plea.
"Our goals aligned, didn't they? And the one risking his life was me. If I recall, Lady Yeo was ready to bolt at any moment."
"Th-that was just talk. I would have helped if it got dicey."
"Ahh. Is that so."
Yeo Su-rin stomped her feet, looking wronged.
"For real."
"Yes, sure."
Mok Kyung-un placed his hand on former Original Killing Leader Im Seo-ok's head, showing no interest.
He then infused death energy—necromantic qi—into Im Seo-ok's head.
-Shoooo...
A corpse ghost was essentially in a corpse state.
But,
"Huh?"
Yeo Su-rin's eyes widened.
She had thought Original Killing Leader Im Seo-ok was just a regular corpse ghost.
But his state was shifting from corpse-like to almost lifelike.
Even his skin was changing from purple to flesh-toned.
"A l-living corpse ghost?"
Living corpse ghost.
It was a forbidden secret art of the Sixfold Spirit Descent Ritual.
Feed blood from the heart—the source of life—to someone who had just died, gather the yin energy from recently deceased in one place, and perform the ritual to create one.
A living corpse demon, literally.
'A living corpse ghost?'
Her surprise was simple.
Creating a living corpse ghost was even harder than a regular corpse ghost or jiangshi.
It required killing nearly thirty people to gather their energy for just one, and living corpse ghosts had too many weaknesses.
Without periodically killing people to replenish yin energy from the dead, the body rotted, making them far less practical.
"Young Master Mok... That's a forbidden art."
"Ah. So it is."
Mok Kyung-un looked at Yeo Su-rin with cold, cooled eyes.
Come to think of it, she was from Haesun Hall in the proper sorcerer organization, the Sixty-Four Halls.
In contrast, the Original Killing Division had left the Sixty-Four Halls, allied with jianghu groups, and practiced all sorts of forbidden arts.
So Mok Kyung-un hadn't thought much of it.
But among sorcerers, forbidden arts were exactly that—arts one should never perform.
'Maybe I should just kill her.'
He had planned to let her go since she'd helped.
But now, seeing her as a potential hindrance, he considered it.
Then Yeo Su-rin said with sparkling eyes,
"No. How did you do it?"
"Pardon?"
"To give a living corpse ghost vitality, you need yin energy from the freshly dead."
"..."
"That's why it's forbidden. Did you find a way without that?"
Mok Kyung-un let out a shallow breath at her words.
She was providing her own explanations.
He nodded lightly.
Seeing this, Yeo Su-rin approached with shining eyes.
"Where are you really from? Are you a disciple of the Hand Gate Subduing Hall leader?"
"Hand Gate Subduing Hall?"
"Huh? No?"
"No."
"Then Lower Moon Water Hall..."
"I'm not telling you, so stop asking."
"Hmm... Can't you tell me that much?"
"No. And I have a lot to do here. So let's part ways now. Otherwise, you..."
He omitted the rest: he might have to kill her.
He hoped she got the hint.
But Yeo Su-rin clasped her hands, begging.
"Young Master Mok. I'm really struggling to find the Three Eyes alone. Can't you help?"
She hadn't gotten it.
Should he just kill her?
He had no more use for her.
Mok Kyung-un smiled faintly.
"I'm busy enough with my own tasks."
"Then I'll help you, Young Master Mok."
He raised one eyebrow.
"Help me?"
"Yes. From what I see, you weren't here for three months, so you're not a sorcerer stationed here, right?"
"..."
"And you practice martial arts, so aren't you here as a jianghu man?"
This woman was sharp despite her chatter.
"Right? Then don't you need someone to manage this living corpse ghost?"
"..."
Mok Kyung-un's eyes narrowed at her words.
Someone to manage the living corpse ghost...
Even if it was semi-volitional and lifelike, a corpse ghost was still one.
It needed maintenance to avoid issues.
Certain Yeo Su-rin had him hooked, she beamed.
"I'll actively help with whatever you need besides this. Help me find the Three Eyes, and it's a deal, right?"
"Hmm."
"Come on, don't pretend to think."
"Not a bad deal."
"Right?"
"But I don't trust people easily."
"No, I keep my promises!"
"There's always an 'if.'"
"Ugh. You're too much. I gave you that emergency charm without complaint. It can only be used once, but it's worth a fortune."
Mok Kyung-un chuckled at her words.
He knew she had no malice from observing her.
But he never fully trusted anyone.
He needed a proper safeguard.
"You really want to make a deal?"
"I told you. Help me find the Three Eyes, and I'll help with your tasks. Fair, isn't it?"
"I suppose."
Yeo Su-rin's face lit up at his somewhat positive response.
"So you'll do it?"
"I'm considering it, if you accept one condition."
"Condition?"
"Yes. As I said, I don't trust people easily. So..."
-Swish!
Mok Kyung-un extended his hand.
Something from the wrist of the headless corpse fixed in front of the leader's desk flew into his hand.
-Swoosh! Thud!
"Huh? What was that just now?"
"Well."
"Ugh."
He never explained properly, not even once.
Biting her lip and glaring at Mok Kyung-un, Yeo Su-rin soon recognized what was in his hand.
"Wait... That's the Curse Word Chain, isn't it?"
"You recognize it."
Her expression hardened unlike before.
"You're not telling me to wear that, are you?"
Mok Kyung-un smiled warmly.
"That's exactly what I was going to say."
"No. That's for forcing submission!"
"Not total submission—just a safety measure. I'll remove it once we're done."
"No way! Absolutely not!"
Yeo Su-rin shouted angrily.
This was too much.
The Curse Word Chain let the wielder drive her to death at will.
And he wanted her to wear it?
-Whirl whirl!
Mok Kyung-un spun the Curse Word Chain and said,
"Then you have two choices."
"Two? One is to scrap the deal and part ways."
"Yes, you get it."
"What's the other?"
"A method that's worked before. Not bad for you either."
"So what is it?"
"Become my woman."
'!?'
Yeo Su-rin's face stiffened.
For a moment, she doubted her ears.
[End of Chapter 51: Three Eyes (4)]