Chapter 237
Chapter 237
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 65
>Chapter Title: Disregard of the Guard Division (5)
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-Krgrgrgr!
The water-soaked mud clumped together like dough, crumbling as it slid down the demarcation stone slab.
Even Heavenly Guardian Siwoo-ryang of Sub-Supervisor Lee Seon-bu's division, who hadn't held any particular expectations, couldn't hide his shock at the scene unfolding before his eyes.
'What... what is this?'
From his energy sense, Mok Kyung-un's martial prowess was at the peak of maturity.
That was why he had anticipated about two and a half inches at best.
But the result completely exceeded those expectations.
'!!!!!!'
He wasn't the only one stunned.
The Heavenly Guardians from the other five divisions also stopped their tests midway, unable to tear their eyes away.
-Krgrgrgr!
How was this even possible?
Mok Kyung-un's five fingers, relentlessly crushing and descending through the slab, soon fully penetrated it, slicing the demarcation stone slab into six long pieces.
-Thud! Boom boom thud!
As the pieces rolled across the floor, Sub-Supervisor Lee Seon-bu's Heavenly Guardian Siwoo-ryang followed them with his gaze, utterly speechless in astonishment.
The training ground fell into a momentary silence.
Soon, murmurs erupted here and there.
"...Insane."
"Did... did that guy just shape the demarcation stone slab with his bare hands like that?"
"How strong does his internal energy have to be to go beyond just leaving a mark and do something like that?"
To the cadets, he seemed like a monster.
And naturally, such admiration led to comparisons with someone else.
That someone was none other than,
"What's with Joo Woon-hyung and this guy? What the hell?"
"They're total monsters."
"Can't you tell? Even the sub-supervisors are dumbfounded."
"Yeah, but still, Joo Woon-hyung completely shattered the demarcation stone slab, right? Doesn't that mean his internal energy is stronger?"
"Yeah, he smashed it to pieces."
"So Joo Woon-hyung stays at first place?"
It was chaos.
However, the Heavenly Guardians were even more gravely concerned.
When Joo Woon-hyung had shattered the demarcation stone slab, they had been surprised that his internal energy reached the level of an Embroidered Guard Heavenly Guardian, not a mere cadet. But this was even more shocking.
'A monstrous bastard.'
All the Heavenly Guardians from the six divisions shared the same thought.
Half of the Heavenly Guardians gathered here could shatter a demarcation stone slab if they unleashed their signature techniques or pushed themselves, like Joo Woon-hyung had.
But to do it like Mok Kyung-un just did required advanced skill.
They had to prevent their internal energy from dispersing in all directions, maintaining the form of their five fingers to bore straight through the stone.
It was truly a high-level advanced technique.
The Heavenly Guardians recognized it, but among the cadets, there were some who were equally awestruck by Mok Kyung-un's feat.
They were Namgoong Cheonghyeon of the Namgoong family and Geum Jong-hyeon, disciple of the Jongnam Sect.
Unlike the lesser cadets, they were as dumbfounded as the Heavenly Guardians by the technique Mok Kyung-un had displayed.
'...Absolutely not post-peak realm level.'
'Even Great Uncle Geom Moon-ja the Immortal or the sect leader couldn't pull that off.'
Possessing exceptional martial arts and insight, they vividly felt the gap between themselves and Mok Kyung-un from this one technique alone.
Of course, not everyone was purely in awe like them.
Wi Bu-cheong, who had learned martial arts from Gui Sa-man, the Four Secrets Sword of the Sarim Alliance, felt intense jealousy toward Mok Kyung-un, who was drawing attention after Joo Woon-hyung.
-Grind!
'Why do these guys keep popping up one after another...'
Regardless of internal politics, his plan to score high in the Embroidered Guard selection process and draw the attention of Crown Prince Kyungchin and everyone else was gradually falling apart.
As a result, his anger toward Joo Woon-hyung and Mok Kyung-un, whom he blamed for ruining it, grew.
'Unbelievable. To reach that realm at such a young age.'
Chief Supervisor and Sixfold Heavenly Guardian Chae Ho-seong clicked his tongue.
Even he, at the extreme of super-peak, could forcibly replicate the technique shown by that Heaven-Earth Society post-peak disciple if he tried.
But whether he could do it with all five fingers was questionable.
It required control over internal energy as natural as breathing—a high-level advanced technique.
'To raise a monster like that.'
As expected of one of the three powers holding sway over the murim world, the Heaven-Earth Society.
No one here could even evaluate a guy like that.
Chief Supervisor So Ye-rin was probably thinking something similar...
'Hm?'
When he glanced sideways, So Ye-rin was frowning as she stared at the Heaven-Earth Society disciple.
It was the first time he had seen her with such a serious expression.
Chief Supervisor Chae Ho-seong cautiously called out to her.
"So, Sixfold Heavenly Guardian."
"Ah... yes."
She flinched slightly, startled, before responding.
To her, Chief Supervisor Chae Ho-seong said with a click of his tongue,
"Isn't it truly absurd?"
"...Indeed."
"Seems like another monster has entered the Six Selection Hall. It's as shocking as when the Five Sub-Supervisors' Sixfold Heavenly Guardian or you arrived."
Chief Supervisor So Ye-rin had also amazed everyone back then.
At just over thirty, a woman claiming the pinnacle position of Sixfold Heavenly Guardian in the Six Selection Hall—she had displayed remarkable prowess.
But that monster sent by the Heaven-Earth Society was even younger.
Not yet thirty.
His potential for growth was limitless.
Half-listening to Chief Supervisor Chae Ho-seong's exclamations, Chief Supervisor So Ye-rin turned her gaze elsewhere.
It was toward Joo Woon-hyung in the passing group.
'You felt it too, didn't you.'
Just like her, Joo Woon-hyung wore a grave expression.
Joo Woon-hyung couldn't tear his eyes away from the chilling sensation creeping up his spine.
This numbing chill from his fingertips was a first.
'What was that just now?'
The moment the Heaven-Earth Society's Mok Kyung-un touched the slab with his fingers, the energy in Joo Woon-hyung's body reacted with extreme sensitivity, activating on its own.
As if wary of something.
'Like pitch blackness.'
It was hard to describe the sensation.
All that came to mind was that it was vicious and dark.
While gripped by unease, the Heaven-Earth Society's Mok Kyung-un slowly turned his head and was suddenly staring right at him.
Their eyes met head-on.
'!?'
Joo Woon-hyung immediately furrowed his brow.
And for good reason—the bastard Mok Kyung-un was looking at him with evident interest.
Why was he staring with eyes like that?
He was pondering when Heavenly Guardian Siwoo-ryang, in charge of his evaluation, shouted the result.
"Cadet Mok Kyung-un. Slab pierced five inches. First place!"
The cadets buzzed in confusion at the result that snatched first place in one go.
"Huh? What?"
"First place?"
"Impressive, but isn't Joo Woon-hyung still better?"
"Why this result?"
Ordinary cadets who didn't grasp how difficult the technique was couldn't comprehend it.
Among the cadets, only a few top-rankers could accept the outcome.
Mok Kyung-un, having passed, walked calmly toward the passing group.
As he brushed past Joo Woon-hyung, he whispered,
"Not in the lower dantian, but hidden tight in the middle dantian, huh."
'!?'
Joo Woon-hyung's pupils trembled faintly at the words.
He tried not to show it, but Mok Kyung-un didn't miss the moment.
No time for a long chat now, so he said that much and passed by.
-Clench!
Meanwhile, as Mok Kyung-un walked past, Joo Woon-hyung clenched his fist tightly.
Seop-chung, who slyly slipped back from the front row of passers, whispered to Mok Kyung-un standing at the very back,
"My lord, you worked hard."
"Hardly any work."
He'd just crushed one slab.
To such Mok Kyung-un, Seop-chung quietly asked, puzzled,
"But my lord... wasn't that showing off too much skill?"
That was exactly what he wanted to ask.
To pass the Embroidered Guard selection, one naturally needed top ranks.
But if Mok Kyung-un had wanted, he could have adjusted to match Seop-chung or the Dream Fog Drug level, leaving appropriate marks to still rank high.
Instead, he'd drawn excessive attention, which worried him.
To his words, Mok Kyung-un replied,
"Some annoying trouble cropped up."
"Annoying trouble?"
"Yes."
Mok Kyung-un recalled what had happened moments ago.
* * *
Just moments before,
As Mok Kyung-un approached the demarcation stone slab for the test, a voice reached his ear.
-You're the one who dared try to harm that lord, I presume.
'!?'
It was none other than sound transmission into the ear.
Mok Kyung-un rolled his eyes without showing it, narrowing them.
Was there someone in the imperial palace who could do sound transmission?
While puzzled, the voice continued.
-Calm, aren't you. Quite impressive for your age.
'...A man.'
The voice was male, but the speech was rather feminine.
Such speech was typical of eunuchs.
Mok Kyung-un opened his energy sense, moving only his eyes to trace the source.
-Think you'll find me by looking around?
Mok Kyung-un's eyes narrowed further.
The sound scattered in all directions, the energy carrying it bouncing everywhere, making it impossible to track.
It differed from the sound transmission he knew—the common kind.
Then the voice came again.
-No use searching. I'm using the Six Harmonies Sound Transmission.
Six Harmonies Sound Transmission?
What was that?
A method of handling energy and sound this way?
-More importantly, Old Man Beom said you'd surpassed the wall, but the energy I'm sensing is merely peak realm at best.
Old Man Beom?
From that statement, Mok Kyung-un deduced two things.
'They moved fast.'
The old man with the Beom surname he knew was the one from the inn in the storm.
Having fully read that old man's energy, Mok Kyung-un realized he was alive in the palace and a Seochang eunuch.
He had spotted him yesterday, startled upon seeing him and hastily leaving somewhere. But he'd acted faster than expected.
'This one's a eunuch too.'
If nothing else, eunuchs didn't easily shed their habitual speech.
Which meant this one was likely Old Man Beom's colleague or superior.
'...Hmph.'
He'd anticipated annoyance, but not this quickly.
Before even resolving the Dream Fog Drug issue.
Then the transmission continued.
-That means you're hiding your true prowess, right? Perfect timing. If you've truly surpassed the wall, show strength worthy of it.
Mok Kyung-un furrowed his brow slightly.
Show his strength?
Here?
'......'
Originally, Mok Kyung-un planned to leave marks on the demarcation stone slab at a level similar to Seop-chung or the Dream Fog Drug.
No need to reveal his full power here.
But the opponent demanding this was starting to become truly troublesome.
'What to do.'
The intent was clear.
Simply to verify his martial prowess.
Of course, complying wouldn't benefit him.
But the opponent wasn't pushover either.
-If you ignore me, you'll lose your Guard Division Disregard qualifications for attempting to harm that lord.
'!?'
-If you don't want that, show proper strength befitting you.
At this transmission, Mok Kyung-un's lips twitched with a blank gaze.
Not showing strength meant they'd forcibly interfere with his plans.
* * *
"Then isn't that old Seochang eunuch and the woman he serves sending this guy?"
"Probably."
"Hah..."
Seop-chung couldn't hide his worry at Mok Kyung-un's words.
He'd suspected, but it seemed the woman that eunuch served had high status.
Otherwise, how could they mobilize an expert capable of fooling his position with sound transmission against his lord?
That level was likely among the top experts in the palace, countable on fingers.
Which meant,
"...My lord. With that caliber, we might pinpoint who it is. If I have Dream Fog Drug investigate after today's first disregard ends..."
"Finding out is fine, but no need to do anything."
"Pardon? But if we leave it alone, they'll surely interfere more..."
"They'll make contact on their own anyway."
"Contact?"
"If revenge was first on their mind, they wouldn't have asked to see my strength."
"Ah!"
* * *
Beyond two walls from the upper training ground where the Guard Division Disregard was underway.
There appeared a middle-aged eunuch in red official robes adorned with ornate patterns, hands behind his back.
Upon seeing him, Seochang's Junior Supervisor Beom Jeong immediately clasped his hands in salute.
"Lord Ho."
Lord Ho (공공).
It was a honorific for high-ranking eunuchs.
Few eunuchs could be called Lord Ho, one being the highest Seochang position, Senior Eunuch (太監).
Beom Jeong, holding the junior position below that, asked,
"What do you think upon seeing him yourself? Rude as he was, his martial arts were exceptionally outstanding, hard to match."
At those words, Senior Eunuch Ho grimaced.
Had he offended?
Beom Jeong hurriedly bowed his head and cautiously added,
"Of course, not to the level of Seochang's acknowledged top expert, Lord Ho..."
"No. Far more outstanding than expected."
"What do you mean?"
"He found me out after all."
"Pardon?"
Turning from the questioning Junior Supervisor Beom, Seochang's Senior Eunuch Ho gazed toward the training ground.
He still couldn't forget those eyes.
After confirming the bastard's skill and admiring it, he had sent one last Six Harmonies Sound Transmission before withdrawing.
-Impressive.
At that instant, the guy looked straight at him hiding under the building's eaves.
'!?'
The moment their eyes met, Senior Eunuch Ho was stunned.
When deploying Six Harmonies Sound Transmission, sound and energy resonated identically forward, back, left, right, up, down—impossible to pinpoint location.
Yet Mok Kyung-un had precisely located him.
It was unprecedented.
End of Chapter 65: Disregard of the Guard Division (5)