Chapter 83
Chapter 83
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 23
>Chapter Title: Corpse Blood Valley Lord (2)
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
Mok Kyung-un smiled faintly as he spoke.
“How do you know the secret of the Crimson Flame Sword Technique?”
‘!!!!!!!’
At Mok Kyung-un’s words, the eyes behind the evil ghost mask widened even further.
What the hell was this guy?
He had clearly been brought as a hostage from Timber Sword Manor and sent to Corpse Blood Valley on that person’s orders, hadn’t he?
[It is that person’s command. Ignore whether he’s a hostage or whatever and proceed as you always have.]
That was why he interpreted it as permission to kill him.
So how did this kid know about the connection between the Crimson Flame Sword Technique and Blazing Yang Qi?
This was a secret known only to a handful, including the Assembly Leader.
Only four people: himself, the head of the Li family; the young heir; the Valley Lord of Poison Pill Valley; and the Assembly Leader.
No one else in the Heaven-Earth Society knew.
Countless questions swirled in the evil ghost mask’s increasingly muddled mind, until he finally let his emotions show.
-Pak!
He grabbed Mok Kyung-un by the collar and pressed the sword back to his throat.
“What’s your real identity, you bastard? Are you truly Timber Sword Manor’s son?”
“Of course I am.”
“Nonsense! How could a mere son of Timber Sword Manor know my clan’s secrets? That doesn’t make any...”
In that instant, the evil ghost mask’s eyes narrowed.
Something had felt off.
Could it be that person—no, the Assembly Leader—was testing him?
[Prove your loyalty across four generations. Then the Li family shall once more be granted the title of King.]
That had become the Li family’s yoke.
To prove they had no involvement in the Blood Cataclysm of the Council War, they had stepped down from the throne of kings.
From his grandfather’s time to his own, three generations had taken on the duties of Corpse Blood Valley.
In that span, their loyalty had been tested multiple times.
And they had steadfastly proven it.
Soon, his eldest son, the young heir, would inherit the position, fulfilling the promised four generations.
-Kkuk!
The evil ghost mask bit his lip hard.
‘I thought we had proven enough.’
Was it still not sufficient?
Had he sent this to provoke him for that reason?
If he lost control here and acted on emotion, it would give them cause to deny the restoration of the king’s title forever.
Or perhaps they never intended to restore it in the first place, and this was just more of the same?
The evil ghost mask gradually regained his composure.
-Sruk!
He withdrew the sword and released Mok Kyung-un’s collar.
Then, in a calm voice, he said,
“Has the Assembly Leader sent you to test this Valley Lord?”
“Hmm. What do you mean by that?”
“Don’t play dumb. The more I think about it, the stranger it seems. It’s odd to bring two hostages here who aren’t even the eldest sons.”
“......”
“If you’re acting on that person’s orders, I won’t interfere further.”
“Somehow...”
“No need for more words. This Valley Lord summoned you to check if you were a spy. But if you’re from the Assembly Leader, there’s no reason to ask more.”
As he spoke, the evil ghost mask felt relieved at his own restraint.
If he had fallen for this kid’s provocations or even taken a liking to him as talent midway, it would have reached the Assembly Leader’s ears.
Regaining his senses in time had been fortunate.
But then,
“Why aren’t you answering my questions?”
At Mok Kyung-un’s words, the evil ghost mask furrowed his brow.
Was this kid provoking him now?
He glared at Mok Kyung-un and warned in a low tone,
“Even if sent by that person, know your place. Even without the title of Five Kings or Three Sect Leaders, I am one of the Four Valley Lords, ranked within the top twelve in the Heaven-Earth Society.”
Five Kings, Three Sect Leaders.
Titles given to the eight highest executives of the Heaven-Earth Society.
Beneath them were the Four Valley Lords.
Though their titles were lesser than the Five Kings or Three Sect Leaders, they were undoubtedly powerhouses and peerless masters within the top twelve ranks of the Heaven-Earth Society.
‘Ho.’
Top twelve in the hierarchy?
Mok Kyung-un inwardly noted the valuable information.
Just then, Cheong-ryeong’s voice echoed in his mind.
To that,
“The Li family received the title of King from the Three Veins long ago, so how did you end up as a Valley Lord?”
“You dare...”
The evil ghost mask bristled with rage, twitching for a moment before stopping.
If not for the Assembly Leader’s envoy, he would have severed an arm on the spot.
Killing intent poured from the evil ghost mask as he said,
“Leave this place at once, or envoy or not, I’ll cut you down.”
In that instant, Mok Kyung-un envisioned himself being sliced.
Even without touching him, the mere intent made an invisible sharpness flash in his mind, his skin prickling.
It was a novel sensation—not frightening, but intriguing.
Like gazing upon a lofty scenic vista?
‘This guy?’
The evil ghost mask was dumbfounded by Mok Kyung-un’s reaction.
He had unleashed a threat out of anger, yet the kid’s lips were twitching.
Had his guts truly spilled out?
‘Assembly Leader.’
Had he sent this one with intent this time?
To provoke him to the end.
Even knowing, this test made it truly hard to contain his fury.
Then Mok Kyung-un spoke.
“The glove on your right hand, the mask—still can’t control the Blazing Yang Qi, so you get burns?”
“......”
The evil ghost mask’s hand trembled.
He barely restrained himself from reaching for the sword hilt.
This kid had a real talent for infuriating people.
“If you can’t leave on your own, this Valley Lord will throw you out personally.”
-Pak!
The evil ghost mask rose from his seat, reaching to eject Mok Kyung-un.
In that moment, Mok Kyung-un formed the Sword Art Finger seal and assumed the stance.
‘How insolent, daring to do that before this Valley Lord...!?’
The evil ghost mask moved to crush it with Capturing Hand, but hesitated.
He was shocked by Mok Kyung-un’s stance.
The evil ghost mask’s pupils quivered.
‘Th-this is?’
Who among the Heaven-Earth Society’s executives wouldn’t recognize this sword stance?
It resembled the Heavenly Vein Sword Art’s seal.
‘No way?’
The evil ghost mask looked at Mok Kyung-un with startled eyes.
Something was off.
He remembered all the Assembly Leader’s disciples’ faces.
Yet he had never seen this kid before.
Had he taken a new disciple?
Cautiously, the evil ghost mask parted his lips.
“Could you be one taken in by that person...”
But then,
-Pat!
Mok Kyung-un thrust the Sword Art Finger toward him, tracing a gentle circular path.
It resembled a full moon.
‘No.’
The evil ghost mask’s pupils shook at the sight.
It resembled the Heavenly Vein Sword Art, but the form’s flow differed.
This was not the Heavenly Vein Sword Art.
‘This is...’
-Papapapapapapak!
The circular trajectory Mok Kyung-un drew targeted the eight vital acupoints along the evil ghost mask’s midline with pinpoint accuracy.
The flawless technique drew an inward gasp from the evil ghost mask.
No sword intent or energy infused it, but the sword form alone evoked a peerless swordsman’s strike.
-Tak!
The evil ghost mask stepped back half a pace.
With one hand behind his back, he formed the Sword Art Finger without intent or energy, blocking Mok Kyung-un’s form.
-Papapapapak!
It was a light form, yet it halted all of Mok Kyung-un’s sword arts.
All but one.
‘Can’t dodge this.’
The evil ghost mask leaped back, evading the Sword Art Finger thrusting at his brow center.
Since his own form’s completion was inferior, blocking the final strike had been impossible.
Had Mok Kyung-un continued with sword arts in this state, it would have been even worse.
-Gulp!
The evil ghost mask swallowed dryly.
‘No doubt.’
He had never seen it himself.
But he had heard of it from his grandfather.
Unconsciously, he muttered,
“The Moon Vein Sword Art.”
“Oh. You recognize it.”
“What?”
At Mok Kyung-un’s words, the evil ghost mask froze in bewilderment.
No way, but truly the Moon Vein Sword Art?
“Hard to guess your age with the mask, but I thought someone of Li Hwa-mun’s grandson’s generation might not know, surprisingly you do.”
He repeated exactly what Cheong-ryeong had said.
The evil ghost mask’s reaction was,
-Chaeng!
In an instant, he drew his sword, aiming at Mok Kyung-un’s throat, unleashing tremendous killing intent.
“What are you? How do you know the Moon Vein Sword Art? And what did you just say?”
“Uhmm. Ask one at a time, please.”
That way he could relay Cheong-ryeong’s words one by one.
But the aura was truly spine-chilling.
-Jureureuk!
The sword hadn’t touched him, yet the heat made his flesh feel like it was melting.
Earlier it was just warmth, but now the blade glowed crimson hot, visibly scorching.
‘Can’t block this.’
Could he concentrate his deathly aura to manage?
Probably not.
This man’s prowess seemed no less than Son Yun, the Fate Blade King who wielded that massive sword.
-Shuuuuu!
Steam rose from the evil ghost mask’s arm gripping the sword.
The heat wasn’t just in the blade; it spread through his whole body.
The room grew stiflingly hot in an instant.
The evil ghost mask glared at Mok Kyung-un and spoke again.
“No time for games with you. Speak now, or I’ll drag you to the main headquarters...”
“Drag me there to confess I learned the Moon Vein Sword Art...”
“Shut up!”
-Pak!
With those words, the evil ghost mask grabbed the mask’s edge and removed it.
Revealed was a face hideously scarred on one side by burns.
The severe burns explained the mask.
With trembling eyes, the evil ghost mask spoke.
“The Moon Vein Sword Art’s line ended. Even the sole manual couldn’t be read and was lost—how do you...”
“Are you really asking because you don’t know?”
“What?”
“You just said it.”
“......Read the manual? Impossible?”
Even the head of Origin Slaughter Pavilion, who handled the Heaven-Earth Society’s seal arts, couldn’t decipher that manual.
Yet this kid had?
The unmasked evil ghost mask—no, Li Ji-yan—furrowed his brow.
Reading the manual was hard to believe, but this kid’s words about the Li family exceeded understanding.
He spoke as if he knew the Li family too well.
“Impossible. Just reading the manual wouldn’t...”
“Of course not.”
“What?”
“Reading the manual alone wouldn’t reveal the Li family’s Crimson Flame Sword Technique or Blazing Yang Qi. So how do I know?”
At Mok Kyung-un’s question, Li Ji-yan scowled and replied.
“No way you’re that person’s descen...”
“Wrong.”
“Not a descendant, then what...”
“I’m that person’s last direct disciple.”
‘!?’
Li Ji-yan’s expression hardened terrifyingly at Mok Kyung-un’s words.
Was this kid toying with him?
He had heard from his grandfather.
That person had been condemned for the Blood Cataclysm: the previous Heaven-Earth Society Assembly Leader personally tore out his heart, severed his limbs, decapitated him, and displayed his corpse for all to see.
That was a century ago.
How could this kid, looking barely seventeen or eighteen, be that person’s last direct disciple?
“You expect this Valley Lord to believe that? You must really want to die...”
“Seeing is believing.”
Before the words finished.
Mok Kyung-un pulled a wooden doll from his bosom.
He formed hand seals and chanted an incantation.
-Pak! Pak! Pak!
“Wood Origin Position, Nine Rings Return to Origin, Release!”
Li Ji-yan was dumbfounded.
Was this kid truly suicidal?
What was he, some sorcerer, chanting bizarre spells...
-Seumulseumul!
Then, the unbelievable happened.
-Jureureureuk! Jureureuk!
Blood oozed from the office walls, soaking the room in crimson.
-Hmeok!
‘What is this?’
At the eerie phenomenon, Li Ji-yan assumed Mok Kyung-un had used some evil sorcery and moved to behead him with his Blazing Yang Qi-filled sword.
Right then.
Li Ji-yan’s eyes widened as if tearing at the sight rising from the pooling blood on the floor.
‘!!!!!’
A peerless beauty with blood-red eyes, wearing a crown and holding a pipe.
The moment he saw her overwhelming presence, his grandfather Li Hwa-mun’s ear-splitting tales of that person overlapped perfectly.
[Chapter 23: Corpse Blood Valley Lord (2)] End