Chapter 433
Chapter 433
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 112
>Chapter Title: Current Situation (5)
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Seop Chun spoke in a worried tone, his concern evident.
“My Lord. It’s hard to trust that woman named Chun-chu. How about interrogating her further?”
At his words, most of those in the grand hall nodded in agreement.
That made sense, for Chun-chu—the First Subordinate of the Secret Society, who had claimed a blood connection to the Ghost Sword—hadn’t uttered a single word since.
[You think you can persuade someone who says they’d rather die than submit to force? Do you have some clever trick up your sleeve?]
[The best trick there is. The Ghost Sword and I are blood-bound.]
[Blood-bound? You mean siblings?]
[Well... you could put it that way.]
[Then why go to her? Why not just summon the Ghost Sword here?]
[If that were possible, I’d have done it ages ago.]
[...What are you saying?]
[For some reason, all contact with the Ghost Sword has been cut off. No matter how I try to reach out, nothing gets through.]
[...You expect me to believe that?]
[The real reason I joined this operation was to meet the Heaven-Earth Society Leader.]
[Why?]
[Because the Ghost Sword started aligning with the Society Leader instead of Mok Gan.]
[Betrayal, then?]
[I wouldn’t know. I can’t read her mind. But outright betrayal? Impossible. Not as far as I know.]
[And what do you know?]
[That’s all I can tell you. From here on, it’s your decision.]
[What?]
She insisted that she alone could persuade the Ghost Sword, and no matter who took on that mission, she demanded to accompany them.
Mok Kyung-un had tried pressuring her with force to pry open her mouth, but even as her bones shattered in agony, she held her silence.
She had far greater endurance than Kang Yeom, another First Subordinate of the Secret Society.
Because of this, Seop Chun and most of the other executives judged her untrustworthy.
Of course, Mok Kyung-un felt much the same.
Normally, he would have forced her to talk by any means necessary, but time was short now.
Having won the war, he had stayed briefly to handle pressing matters, but he needed to seize Wi So-yeon’s body and follow Cheong Ryeong without delay.
[...Should I take her along?]
For the moment, he had only two choices.
Either kill her here to eliminate any future threat, or use her as a pawn to persuade the Ghost Sword, as she claimed.
But if her words were lies—a ploy to lead them to the Ghost Sword—she would pay dearly.
After a moment’s deliberation, Mok Kyung-un made his decision.
“...I’ll take her.”
“Yes?”
“My Lord!”
“Please reconsider, my Lord!”
“What do you mean, take her? Does that mean you’ll go yourself, my Lord?”
“My Lord, surely you don’t mean to go in person? You can’t!”
No sooner had Mok Kyung-un spoken than nearly half the executives erupted in protest, turning the hall into an uproar.
Mok Kyung-un raised his hand, gesturing for silence.
Only then did the grand hall fall quiet again.
-Thud!
The Dark Sect Leader, Hwan Ya-seon, stepped forward, clasped his hands in respect, and spoke.
“May I say a word?”
“Speak.”
“As this is an official gathering, I set aside our master-disciple bond and speak out of respect for you as my Lord. You are now the leader of this vast organization that will replace the Heaven-Earth Society—a role unlike any you’ve held before. It is unbecoming for one in such a weighty position to move lightly. I beseech you to understand. And furthermore...”
-Shh!
Mok Kyung-un raised his hand, forcing Dark Sect Leader Hwan Ya-seon to halt mid-sentence.
Mok Kyung-un then said,
“As you saw in this war, the Third Faction exists. Their leader can only be faced by me—no one else.”
His words had barely ended when Wavebreaker King Ho Tae-gang stepped forward.
“Even so, the Dark Sect Leader has a point. For you to go personally means shouldering great risk. We’re just laying the foundations of a new era...”
“It won’t take long.”
“Pardon?”
“Once I secure the Ghost Sword... no, once she’s secured, I’ll return.”
Wavebreaker King Ho Tae-gang couldn’t hide his distress at Mok Kyung-un’s stubbornness.
If he were someone who could be persuaded, that would be one thing—but Mok Kyung-un’s will was even stronger than the former Society Leader’s.
Sensing he couldn’t be swayed, Ho Tae-gang hesitated over what to say next when,
“Then this old body of mine shall go.”
Island Poison King Baek Sa-ha stepped forward.
As this was an official occasion, he treated Mok Kyung-un as his lord rather than his disciple, showing proper decorum.
“I have some acquaintance with the Ghost Sword subordinate, and we’ve even crossed hands briefly.”
Dark Sect Leader Hwan Ya-seon nodded in agreement.
“Indeed. Take Baek Sa-ha and other trusted executives with you. Though none match you, my Lord, there are among us experts rivaling or surpassing the Eight Stars. They will meet your expectations...”
-Roooaaar!
It was right then.
A ferocious, overwhelming aura flooded the entire hall, freezing everyone in place.
The only one who moved was Gu Cheon-mu, lord of Spirit Sword Manor and one of the Seven Heavens, who had already placed his hand on his sword hilt.
In the face of this oppressive pressure blanketing the hall, only one person could resist even slightly.
“If I truly set my mind to killing you all here, who could stop me?”
-Shing! Hummm!
As Mok Kyung-un raised his sword formula, three massive formless swords materialized, targeting everyone in the hall.
They had only just formed, yet their razor-sharp energy made most of the standing executives break into cold sweats.
'Is it always this intense?'
'Even breathing is hard.'
They didn’t truly believe he would attack, but simply forming the formless swords and exerting pressure had heightened their vigilance to the extreme.
“You lot alone couldn’t survive.”
Then, Spirit Sword Manor’s lord, Gu Cheon-mu, spoke up.
“But they have a point. Should any harm befall you, my Lord, this fledgling giant of an organization would falter. Better I go instead. Do you not trust even that?”
Lord Gu Cheon-mu was one of the Seven Heavens, the pinnacle of the current martial world, a grandmaster.
Across the entire martial realm, none but his fellow Seven Heavens could match him.
However,
“Let me make this clear.”
“What do you...”
“I trust you.”
!?
At Mok Kyung-un’s sudden words, the executives—crushed by the formless swords’ pressure—couldn’t hide their bewilderment.
-Shh!
Mok Kyung-un flicked his hand, and the three formless swords vanished into thin air.
The ferocious aura filling the hall dissipated.
With breathing eased once more, Mok Kyung-un continued.
“It’s not that I don’t trust you or can’t entrust this to you. It’s simply that I am the one who can do it—and the one who must.”
“...”
At his words, everyone’s expressions grew complex.
They had all forged bonds with Mok Kyung-un through their own circumstances and various events.
Thus, most knew his nature well.
Yet in that moment, hearing his solemn, weighty declaration—more potent than any lengthy persuasion—they all sensed it at once.
[...He’s changing.]
Qualities of a leader.
They were gradually awakening.
His words carried gravity, each one stirring and moving them.
He was truly growing into a vessel befitting a lord.
Island Poison King Baek Sa-ha, his face inexplicably pleased, said,
“With words like these, my Lord, it’s hard for us subordinates to object to what is our duty. Then take those who can escort you. If you refuse even that, we cannot in good conscience let you go.”
“Indeed, the Island Poison King is right. Take escorts with you.”
Wavebreaker King joined in the suggestion.
Shrugging at their words, Mok Kyung-un replied,
“Time is critical, so I can’t take many—just a few.”
No sooner had he spoken than Mong Mu-yak stepped forward, dropping to one knee, hands clasped in salute.
“I will accompany my Lord.”
“I as well.”
Seop Chun quickly followed suit.
As they did, Rule-Breaking Monk Ja Geum-jeong advanced, saying,
“With no master here, this monk has nothing to do anyway. Mind taking me along?”
At that, Seop Chun scratched his nose and grinned.
All who had stepped forward were those who had shared joys and hardships with Mok Kyung-un since the Imperial Palace.
Seop Chun subtly glanced at the masked Mara Hyeon.
Mara Hyeon sighed and stepped out.
“I will accompany my Lord as well.”
As they volunteered, Yi Ji-yeom, lord of Deathblood Valley, followed.
“Grant me leave to join as well.”
He revered Cheong Ryeong even more as the master of his heart.
Thus, he strongly wished to go along.
But Mok Kyung-un shook his head.
“No. Deathblood Valley Lord, you stay here.”
At the firm refusal, Yi Ji-yeom looked perplexed.
“Why me alone...”
“You have much to do here.”
Mok Kyung-un’s point left Yi Ji-yeom speechless.
And rightly so—with the massive casualties from the war, reorganizing the society demanded much manpower.
Especially the roles and tasks for executives were numerous.
The civil war had been so massive it would soon leak outward, requiring preparations.
Thus, executives familiar with the society’s affairs couldn’t easily leave.
That was why the others hesitated too.
Just then, a voice came from the hall’s entrance.
“Heh heh heh. Then may this subordinate escort my Lord?”
All eyes turned naturally to the entrance.
There stood two figures leaning on staffs.
One was the elderly Holy Fire Spirit Lord, the other a young-faced man in human-skin mask—Gu Yang-so, patriarch of the Gu Clan from the Western Regions and wielder of the Eight Poison Snake Staff.
Their entry left everyone puzzled.
Dark Sect Leader Hwan Ya-seon spoke up.
“My Lord summoned you. And that one over there...”
Hwan Ya-seon glanced cautiously at Mok Kyung-un.
He had already been puzzled when Mok Kyung-un announced introducing the Holy Fire Spirit Lord as a new member of the Heaven-Earth Society.
Perceptions of the Blazing Flower Cult were poor across the orthodox sects, so he thought to proceed slowly—but Mok Kyung-un disagreed.
[There is no more Heaven-Earth Society or Blazing Flower Cult.]
The implication was clear.
The new organization would subsume the Blazing Flower Cult just as it did the Heaven-Earth Society.
After a quick glance at Mok Kyung-un, Dark Sect Leader Hwan Ya-seon said,
“She is the Holy Fire Spirit Lord of the Blazing Flower Cult.”
!?
At his words, the Heaven-Earth Society executives stirred.
So that old woman was the Holy Fire Spirit Lord of the Blazing Flower Cult?
Quite the shock.
Then the one beside her was from the cult too?
'That snake staff... I’ve seen it somewhere before.'
At the sight of the serpent-headed staff, Island Poison King Baek Sa-ha’s eyes narrowed.
He had definitely seen that staff once.
As he pondered, Eight Poison Snake Staff Gu Yang-so gripped his staff’s head, clasped his hands, and bowed to the executives in the hall.
-Thwack!
“My Lord has permitted me to reveal myself to you all, so I greet you thus. Though masked due to circumstances, I am So of the Western Regions’ Gu Clan.”
“G-Gu Yang-so?”
“The Eight Poison Snake Staff?”
The executives, learning his identity, were stunned.
Gu Yang-so—alongside Island Poison King Baek Sa-ha and Thousand Poison Hand Tang In-hae of the Tang Clan of Sacheon—was one of the supreme masters of poison.
Even he had sworn loyalty to Mok Kyung-un?
'What mission was he on outside? Incredible.'
Baek Sa-ha marveled inwardly.
Leading them was Gu Cheon-mu, lord of Spirit Sword Manor and one of the Seven Heavens; then Radiant Sword Guest Ji Oe, Soul-Horse Fist Master Ja Geum-jeong, Eight Poison Snake Staff Gu Yang-so—each a renowned supreme expert.
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