Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 10
>Chapter Title: Martial Talent (3)
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The next morning, early.
One of the young servants from the medicine hall carefully brought a tray with Mok Kyung-un's breakfast.
“As you instructed, the meat... I prepared it so the blood is still visible.”
He had followed the orders, but the servant frowned at the sight of the blood.
Mok Kyung-un smiled faintly and said,
“What's wrong? Don't like the look of the blood?”
“No, not at all.”
The servant waved his hands dismissively.
He was just a lowly servant; he couldn't afford to upset the young master and cause trouble.
But Mok Kyung-un, still smiling, continued,
“Fully cooked meat loses its texture. It's tough, you know? I like it best when it's tender with a bit of blood. Try it that way sometime.”
“......Yes, sure.”
He couldn't fathom what was so tasty about it.
There was a difference between medium-rare and this much blood.
Especially pork—it seemed like it would taste off, but this guy had peculiar tastes.
Once the servant left, Mok Kyung-un savored his meal.
His demeanor was remarkably refined.
-Chew chew!
He chewed exactly thirty times before swallowing each bite, never opening his mouth wide while doing so.
His chopstick work was elegant too.
Go Chan, the escort watching with half-closed eyes, felt puzzled inside.
He claimed to have lived alone with his grandfather in the mountains, yet his manners suggested proper etiquette training.
Come to think of it, his speech was the same.
For someone called the Sickle Murder Ghost, he habitually used polite language toward others.
'The more I learn, the less I understand.'
Just then, a rumble came from his stomach, unrelated to his will.
-Gurgle!
Watching the meal made his hunger inevitable.
Mok Kyung-un, having heard the faint sound, was now looking at him.
'Eh?'
“You must be hungry.”
Go Chan jolted in surprise, eyes wide, and quickly stood to bow.
“Y-Young Master. Did you sleep well?”
“No. Not as well as you, Go Chan escort.”
“You didn't sleep?”
“Yes.”
“Then after eating, get some more res—”
“No. If I'm dead, I can sleep as much as I want.”
“......”
His words always sent a chill down the spine at least once.
Go Chan swallowed dryly and asked,
“Is something troubling you?”
“It might be a worry, in a way. Nothing major, but I was planning to ask once you woke up, Go Chan escort.”
“Ask what?”
Go Chan asked anxiously, hoping for a quiet day after last night's bizarre events.
He had even dreamed of a female ghost with a pipe shoving her hand into his stomach.
He felt far from sane lately.
Mok Kyung-un lowered his voice.
“Do you know Timber Sword Manor's foundational art?”
“Pardon?”
Go Chan looked at him with bewilderment.
Why ask about the foundational art out of nowhere?
Mok Kyung-un repeated,
“Do you know it?”
“I've seen it a few times by chan—”
'Oh no!'
He almost said the real Mok Kyung-un but quickly pivoted.
“I've seen you practice it a few times before, Young Master.”
Even the lazy, untalented real Mok Kyung-un was from a martial family.
Of course, he had trained in martial arts, even if half-heartedly and without much result.
“Perfect. Could you teach me the foundational art then?”
“Pardon?”
“The foundational art.”
“H-How could I?”
Go Chan stared in disbelief at the request.
Mok Kyung-un recalled the previous dawn.
.
.
.
After discovering his dantian, Mok Kyung-un tried practicing the Timber Forming Sword Art he had memorized in the hidden training room of the medicine hall.
But an unexpected problem arose.
[Hmm... The movements don't connect. That's weird.]
He followed the manual exactly, yet the forms wouldn't link.
Why was that?
Cheongnyeong smirked at him.
-It's an advanced martial art.
[What?]
-Foolish child. You know nothing about martial arts.
[What's an advanced martial art?]
-To put it simply, it's a high-level martial art. Ordinary ones can't reach advanced realms no matter how much you train, but advanced martial arts are different. They're condensed with insights for higher realms.
[Then isn't that good?]
-Idiot. What's good about it?
[What?]
-Advanced martial arts require foundational arts to comprehend the forms. To eliminate unnecessary postures, you need a foundation from the start.
[......]
-Do you get it?
[More or less.]
-Tsk tsk. Without training the foundational art, you won't master even a fraction of that sword art.
.
.
.
That was the situation.
So, Mok Kyung-un had asked Go Chan if he knew Timber Sword Manor's foundational art.
“Seems I can't learn the Timber Forming Sword Art without the foundational art.”
Mok Kyung-un explained honestly to Go Chan.
Go Chan asked in shock,
“You're trying to learn the Clan Head's exclusive manual?”
“Yes. Any problem?”
“N-Not exactly, but Young Master, are you aiming for the successor position?”
That was why Go Chan was surprised.
He knew Mok Kyung-un wanted to learn martial arts.
But if it was the Clan Head's exclusive Timber Forming Sword Art, that changed things.
It wasn't called exclusive for nothing.
“No. Why would I?”
“But why?”
“If it's the Clan Head's art, doesn't that make it even more useful?”
Useful? Was that how to describe it?
Some past Clan Heads of Timber Sword Manor had become hegemons of An-hwi Province with it.
The Timber Forming Sword Art was renowned in the martial world as an advanced martial art.
“It's not just useful—it's an extraordinary swordsmanship. But if you learn it, Young Master, it could cause problems later...”
“As long as I don't get caught.”
“Don't...”
Getting caught wasn't the only issue.
Learning it meant entering the successor war.
No one but the dying Clan Head had learned it, and if Mok Kyung-un did...
There would be chaos.
But Go Chan couldn't continue.
Mok Kyung-un wouldn't stop even if told.
“Sigh. But Young Master, I can't teach you the foundational art.”
“Why not?”
“Even if I've seen it, I don't remember it perfectly, and I don't know the energy circulation formulas.”
“Oh...”
Right—manuals had energy circulation formulas for each form.
Misdirecting internal energy could reduce power or cause internal injuries.
Mok Kyung-un asked,
“Then who knows the foundational art?”
“Of course, you young masters and the Clan Head on his deathbed.”
Timber Sword Manor's foundational art.
Timber Nine Forms and Timber Basic Sword Technique.
Though basic, only those with Mok blood could learn them.
“Just them?”
“......Yes.”
“Hmm.”
Mok Kyung-un placed his chopsticks on the rice bowl and stroked his chin.
He hadn't expected only they knew it.
He thought some warriors in Timber Sword Manor would.
Now, with the Clan Head bedridden, only the other three young masters knew it.
'Impossible.'
Go Chan shook his head slightly.
The others wouldn't teach Mok Kyung-un.
Begging would raise suspicions, and no solutions.
But suddenly, Go Chan wondered.
'Wait, he hasn't even formed his dantian yet. What does he plan to learn?'
As far as he knew, Mok Kyung-un hadn't formed his dantian.
Learning forms now was too hasty, foundational or not.
Then Mok Kyung-un slowly rose from the bed.
“Young Master?”
“No choice.”
“Yes?”
“Let's go.”
“G-Go where?”
“If only they can teach it, I have to learn somehow.”
“No, Young Master... The other young masters won't teach you the foundational art. And asking might make them suspicious.”
“I'll make excuses or persuade them somehow.”
“What? How?”
“I'll handle that. Let's go first.”
Go Chan cautiously dissuaded the urging Mok Kyung-un.
“Young Master... You have injuries, so rest a few days? The outer hall warriors are guarding here anyway, so wandering with injuries...”
“No need to worry about the outer hall warriors.”
“Yes?”
Ignore the outer hall warriors? What did that mean?
* * *
On the way to the First Young Masters' exclusive training ground.
Go Chan, still baffled, glanced back at the medicine hall and tilted his head.
'Good grief.'
Something was off.
Just yesterday, the outer hall warriors had watched like guards.
Now their attitudes had flipped.
They bowed politely upon seeing Mok Kyung-un.
When he said he was going to the training ground, they didn't stop him—instead, they offered to escort.
[We'll accompany you, Young Master.]
[No, it's fine.]
Mok Kyung-un had refused, of course.
'What the?'
He couldn't figure why.
Even the suspicious little devil saw nothing odd.
What happened while he slept?
Incomprehensible.
But that wasn't important now.
“Young Master... Are you really going?”
“Yes. I said I am.”
Go Chan was troubled by Mok Kyung-un's firm reply.
The target was none other than the youngest, Mok Yu-cheon.
'Crazy.'
Relations with the others weren't great either.
But Mok Yu-cheon was worse.
No wonder the real Mok Kyung-un avoided him.
Go Chan warned cautiously.
“Young Master... This could end badly. Turn back now...”
“End badly? He hates me that much?”
“Didn't I tell you before?”
“Oh, right. The real dead Mok Kyung-un insulted Mok Yu-cheon's mother as a lowly courtesan and got beaten half to death?”
“......You remember, so why go?”
Go Chan still recalled it vividly.
[Stop! Enough! I was wrong! Argh!]
The real Mok Kyung-un crawling, legs and ribs shattered.
He had begged desperately.
So Mok Yu-cheon truly hated him.
Would such a guy teach the foundational art?
“The other two aren't in a position to deal with right now.”
“Still...”
“If you're picky, you achieve nothing. Let's go see.”
'Oh...'
He doesn't listen.
He seemed to lack危機感; needed straight talk.
“Young Master, Mok Yu-cheon reached the entry to peak realm at just sixteen. He's a monster. Peak realm experts are several times stronger than first-rate. Provoke him wrong, and disaster.”
“Yes, yes. Got it.”
'Argh!'
Go Chan pounded his chest.
No helping it.
He'd learn the hard way about their bad blood.
Soon, the First Training Ground appeared.
There was Mok Yu-cheon, shirtless, doing horse stance training as before.
He never skipped a day.
-Ho. Not bad for a child.
Cheongnyeong's voice whispered in Mok Kyung-un's ear.
Under sunlight, unlike the Demon Monk, she maintained her form, higher in stature.
She took a deep drag from her pipe and exhaled.
-He has talent.
“You can tell?”
-Do you think many sixteen-year-olds have that much vital energy?
In her eyes, waves of energy flowed beyond Mok Yu-cheon's shoulders.
Outstanding talent; she'd take him as disciple in life.
She warned Mok Kyung-un.
-The kind called genius. Be careful. Under sunlight, even I can't exert full power.
Sunlight was pure vital energy.
Hard to maintain form.
Mok Kyung-un nodded slightly at the warning and entered the training ground.
Mok Yu-cheon, mid-horse stance, naturally turned his gaze.
His face hardened menacingly upon spotting Mok Kyung-un.
Rage plain for all.
'Damn.'
As expected.
If Mok Yu-cheon lashed out, it could be dangerous. Go Chan whispered urgently.
“Young Master... Better turn back. Young Master!”
Ignoring him, Mok Kyung-un strode toward Mok Yu-cheon.
'Damn it.'
No choice now.
Mok Yu-cheon spoke from horse stance.
“Get out of the training ground.”
No kind words, as expected.
Best to leave while given chance.
But Mok Kyung-un had no such intent.
He smiled at the hostile Mok Yu-cheon.
“Hi.”
'Smiling? At me?'
Mok Yu-cheon raised one eyebrow at the attitude.
Since that incident, this guy had fled in fear.
Now smiling before him?
Some backup?
Mok Yu-cheon scanned around.
Only Go Chan guarded him.
'Just second-rate.'
Not enough to protect from him.
Mok Yu-cheon scoffed inwardly.
Mok Kyung-un said smilingly,
“Want to be Clan Head by any chance?”
“What?”
Mok Yu-cheon scowled and turned his head.
“What nonsense is this?”
“Just what you heard. Do you want to be Clan Head?”
Raising his voice, Mok Yu-cheon said,
“I don't know what scheme brought you here, but shut up and leave. Unless you want to crawl out like last time...”
“Maybe. But I think you'll want this.”
-Swish!
With that, Mok Kyung-un pulled something from his bosom.
It was the manual labeled Timber Transforming Heart Method.
Mok Yu-cheon's eyes widened.
“You!... How do you have that?”
“Want it?”
Mok Kyung-un tempted, shaking the manual.
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