Chapter 392
Chapter 392
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 103
>Chapter Title: Dismissed Axe King (2)
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“Elder!”
“How could this happen...”
Shouts from his subordinates echoed around them.
Voices filled with worry, voices unable to hide their shock, voices denying the situation.
At some point, none of it reached his ears anymore.
The Dismissed Axe King, Ho Tae-gang, was truly dumbfounded by this turn of events.
“...Ha.”
It was even exasperating.
The man before him wasn’t an opponent he could call a formidable foe.
He was a monster, plain and simple.
Until now, only one person had ever overwhelmed him.
The Heavenly Assembly Lord of this era.
“Is this even possible?”
He was one of the Six Heavens, hailed as the pinnacle of the current martial world.
That much, he could accept.
But this guy—wasn’t he the righteous faction hostage who had been locked in Blood River Valley just a few months ago, teetering between life and death?
He’d heard rumors that the guy had emerged as the top survivor, boasting exceptional talent, but he’d figured that was still just late-stage prodigy level at best.
And yet, to become such a monster in this short time?
It was a growth rate that bordered on terrifying.
Ho Tae-gang looked at Mok Kyung-un’s face.
—Flinch!
A chill ran down his spine in an instant.
He hadn’t expected the man to get too arrogant after overwhelming someone like him, one of the Eight Stars, but he hadn’t anticipated this utterly emotionless gaze either.
“...He’s different.”
There’s a saying that you can tell a person by their eyes.
The moment their gazes met, Ho Tae-gang felt fear and dread from another human for the first time in his life.
It wasn’t from a momentary burst of valor or aura.
It was like a creeping shiver, rising from deep within.
This was a being fundamentally different from birth.
Mok Kyung-un, staring at him impassively, finally spoke.
“You seem to have calmed down now. So, we can talk.”
—Thud!
As soon as the words ended, he released his grip on Ho Tae-gang’s throat.
It hadn’t been a long hold, but with his neck squeezed like that, a cough was inevitable.
“Cough, cough.”
Seeing Ho Tae-gang like this, his subordinates gripped their weapons but hesitated, unable to act.
As martial artists themselves, their judgment wasn’t lacking.
They weren’t foolish enough to charge recklessly at someone who had utterly dominated their lord, who had reached the elite master level worthy of the Eight Stars title.
But as subordinates, they couldn’t just leave their lord like this, making the situation all the more frustrating.
Just then, Ho Tae-gang caught his breath and spoke.
“...I lost. No, I wasn’t even a match to begin with.”
It had been so overwhelming that no lingering regrets remained.
The outcome had been decided from the start.
However,
“Haa.”
Ho Tae-gang let out a sigh.
His original plan was already ruined.
[Bring Mok Kyung-un. If he resists during the process, cut off an arm or cripple him half to death. Leave that to the Dismissed Axe King’s judgment.]
Those were the words delivered by Mo-yak, the trusted aide of the Eldest Young Master Na Yul-ryang.
In response, Ho Tae-gang had planned to grant Na Yul-ryang’s wish, earn his trust, and then execute his desperate scheme.
“Are you disappointed?”
“Not because I lost.”
There was no way to explain it.
To dispel the Eldest Young Master Na Yul-ryang’s suspicions, he had left the surveillance tails attached to them alone, but this would undoubtedly reach his ears as is.
‘Ahh, Jong-hyeok. Jong-hyeok.’
The path to avenging his son was growing ever distant.
It was then.
“Ugh.”
“Groan.”
Groans came from somewhere.
Followed by the sound of something dragging across the floor.
All eyes, including Ho Tae-gang’s, turned toward it.
‘!?’
There, a figure wearing a mask with strange patterns was dragging two masked men by their hair with both hands.
The moment he saw the masked man, a glint appeared in Ho Tae-gang’s eyes.
‘That guy...’
Though he was suppressing his energy, Ho Tae-gang instinctively sensed that the unfamiliar masked man had surpassed the wall into the Transformation Realm.
Had such a person been in the assembly?
Puzzled, the masked figure—no, Mara-hyeon—dragged the two before them and presented them.
“As per your orders, my lord.”
‘My lord?’
At those words, Ho Tae-gang—no, even the Shadow Clan Lord Hwan Ya-seon—widened his eyes in shock.
Hwan Ya-seon was seeing Mara-hyeon for the first time as well, and through his energy sense, he realized this was someone stronger than him, with unfathomable skill.
For such a person to call Mok Kyung-un “my lord”? It was astonishing.
Where had he recruited such an expert as a subordinate?
Then, the Dismissed Axe King Ho Tae-gang sighed and spoke.
“There’s no turning back now.”
With even the Eldest Young Master Na Yul-ryang’s surveillance captured, the plan was completely doomed.
Looking at him, filled with disappointment, Mok Kyung-un said,
“What do you mean there’s no turning back?”
“It’s complicated to explain...”
“You tried to defeat me in front of the Eldest Young Master Na Yul-ryang’s watchers to win his favor, and that failed, right?”
“You?”
What the hell is this guy?
How does he know my plan?
Come to think of it, earlier he had warned not to be swayed by the Eldest Young Master Na Yul-ryang’s schemes.
Does he know something?
Puzzled, Mok Kyung-un smirked and approached the two masked men held by the masked Mara-hyeon.
“Isn’t this actually better?”
“What?”
Better? What is he talking about?
This had distanced him from Na Yul-ryang, who might be the real culprit behind his son’s death.
What could possibly be better about this...?
“Ah!”
Ho Tae-gang’s eyes shook.
“You get it, huh.”
“...”
He understood completely.
Originally, he had planned to use Mok Kyung-un as a scapegoat to clearly show enmity toward these people.
But there was no need for that anymore.
The defeat was humiliating, but he had shown injury and disgrace right in front of the watchers.
If word of this reached the Eldest Young Master Na Yul-ryang, it would actually make him trust Ho Tae-gang more.
He’d think Ho Tae-gang would harbor even greater enmity to avenge the humiliation.
However,
“Haa.”
Agreeing with Mok Kyung-un, he soon sighed again.
“Why is that?”
“If we had captured these guys before, your words would have held true. But now that we’ve caught them, how do we deceive anyone? Should I spread rumors that I personally got injured and lost?”
Of course, there was a way to do that.
But the watchers here had heard their conversation, so they’d all have to be killed.
Even if they killed them all and spread rumors afterward, would it really be effective?
It would only breed more suspicion.
But then,
“There were three watchers. I released one as per my lord’s orders, so no need to worry about that.”
At the masked Mara-hyeon’s words, Ho Tae-gang looked puzzled.
He had definitely sensed only two presences following them.
“Three...?”
“Not one following you, but someone who infiltrated here first. And he’d trained in a special martial art that hid his presence...”
Mara-hyeon glanced at Mok Kyung-un.
Mok Kyung-un had instructed him to reveal the third watcher’s position, threaten him, and let him go by a hair’s breadth.
Ho Tae-gang let out a deep sigh.
Of course the Eldest Young Master Na Yul-ryang wouldn’t just attach obvious tails.
And yet, to detect such a one so quickly and deliberately release him—that judgment was as extraordinary as his martial prowess.
‘Two dead, one released—it actually makes it more believable.’
Ho Tae-gang clutched his broken arm and rose to his feet.
“I owe you a debt.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“I can’t do that. I barged in without prior notice or permission, caused trouble, and now owe you even more, so I must...”
“You seem to be misunderstanding something. I haven’t said I’d let you go yet.”
“What?”
At Mok Kyung-un’s words, wariness flashed in the Dismissed Axe King Ho Tae-gang’s eyes.
If this monster-like guy decided to finish him off, there’d be no way to resist.
Then, Mok Kyung-un suddenly turned to the subdued watchers, forced to their knees by Mara-hyeon, and said,
“Do you want to live?”
‘!?’
The watchers’ eyes shook at his abrupt question.
They had assumed from the conversation’s flow that they were done for and had given up.
But this sudden query about wanting to live shook them.
On the other hand,
“Spare them? What nonsense is this?”
They had already heard everything.
If released now, they’d surely report it all to the Eldest Young Master Na Yul-ryang.
Then the desperate scheme would truly fail.
‘No way?’
Just then, the Dismissed Axe King Ho Tae-gang furrowed his brow and stared at Mok Kyung-un.
It had seemed overly generous—not just sparing the intruder but even helping ensure the scheme succeeded.
Now he saw it wasn’t.
‘Is he using this to grab my weakness and control me?’
Why else would he say that in front of him?
Then, one watcher urgently pleaded to Mok Kyung-un.
“P-Please spare us! If you do, we’ll keep everything we saw and heard here a secret.”
The other watcher quickly followed suit.
“Please, just spare our lives! We’ll keep our mouths shut.”
Their desperate struggle to live was almost pitiful.
Mok Kyung-un watched them quietly, then smiled faintly and said,
“No need for that. If you leave here alive, I’d like you to relay my words to Eldest Young Master Na Yul-ryang.”
Everyone was baffled.
Relay a message? What did he mean?
Was he dictating a proclamation?
“W-What message...”
“Nothing special. Just pass on exactly what I say.”
“...”
“If you don’t want to die, come kneel and bow your heads yourselves.”
‘!!!!!!!’
Everyone’s expressions froze at Mok Kyung-un’s words.
They had been puzzled about what message he wanted relayed, but hearing this left them dumbfounded.
This was pure provocation—a declaration of war.
With the Assembly Lord’s condition critical, Na Yul-ryang was currently the most likely successor.
Many followed him even for legitimacy’s sake.
No matter that Mok Kyung-un was now the Shadow Clan Lord’s disciple, for a mere righteous faction hostage to say this would surely enrage Na Yul-ryang and his followers.
“Kyung-un...”
The Shadow Clan Lord Hwan Ya-seon, nearly calling him “incarnation of fury,” caught others’ eyes and instead signaled apology with a glance before naming him.
“Kyung-un, that might be too hasty a judgment. Unless we’re fully prepared, provoking the Eldest Young Master like this and giving him cause right now...”
“Ah! I forgot.”
“What do you mean?”
Mok Kyung-un approached one watcher, stroked his hair, and said,
“Relay this too.”
“W-What...”
“If I come for you, this is what’ll happen.”
“What do you mean by ‘this’...”
—Crunch!
“Gah!”
In that instant, Mok Kyung-un’s five fingers sank into the watcher’s skull.
Grabbing the man’s shoulder, he seized the scalp and lifted.
—Crack, rip!
The head tore clean off the body.
The gruesome, chilling sight made some avert their eyes, while others grimaced in horror.
The words alone were provocative enough, but if this got relayed too, what reaction would the Eldest Young Master Na Yul-ryang have?
He might fly into a rage and pursue total annihilation without restraint.
The Dismissed Axe King Ho Tae-gang, face stiff, finally spoke.
“...What exactly are you trying to do?”
“I’m giving you a choice.”
“A choice?”
“Yes. Depending on your choice, there’s the long, winding path full of hassles, or a short, rough one that gets there fast.”
What was this guy rambling about?
A long, winding path and a short, rough one?
He was aligned with Second Young Master Jang Neung-ak’s faction because of his son, and plotting revenge on Eldest Young Master Na Yul-ryang via desperate scheme.
But no matter how strong this guy’s martial arts, he was just the Shadow Clan Lord’s disciple.
Why pull this stunt...?
—Thud!
It was then.
A presence appeared from somewhere.
The Dismissed Axe King Ho Tae-gang turned his head.
Someone emerged there.
That someone was,
“Second Young Master Jang Neung-ak?”
The Assembly Lord’s second disciple, Jang Neung-ak.
Ho Tae-gang hesitated briefly at the sudden appearance, then moved to clasp hands in salute.
But then,
—Thump!
The Second Young Master Jang Neung-ak dropped to one knee before Mok Kyung-un, clasped his hands, and bowed first.
And his next words brought even greater shock.
“My lord!”
‘!!!!!!!’
Everyone present was stunned speechless.
They doubted their own ears.
Had the Assembly Lord’s second disciple, a successor candidate like Na Yul-ryang, just called Mok Kyung-un “my lord”?
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