Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 25
>Chapter Title: Goal (1)
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The road back to the Heaven and Earth Society's inner fortress.
As he walked the mountain path, watching the old man's back leading the way ahead of him, Sorcerer Jo Ui-gong wore a complicated expression.
That silently trudging old man was his master, In Seo-ok, the leader of the Soul Slaughter Pavilion.
"Haa."
How had things come to this?
His once fearsome master now moved at his command.
The reason was that he had received partial control over Mok Kyung-un.
[As per our agreement, I'll let you issue commands.]
It was the one promise Mok Kyung-un had kept.
None of the other conditions had been honored.
He hadn't taught the secret of the Sixfold Spirit Descent Technique from the second proposal, saying it was impossible to perform even if revealed, and the third had turned out just like this.
-Clink!
The chains of oath around his wrist had instead turned him into a slave.
Now, regardless of his will, he had to follow that guy.
[I'll stay here in the Blood Groove Valley, so Master, please return and take over as leader of the Soul Slaughter Pavilion.]
"Damn it."
He had issued that command so casually.
Though he had gained control over his master, now a living ghost, he couldn't just take over the position recklessly.
There were procedures to follow, and he needed a proper justification.
"What should I do?"
The biggest problem was still his senior brother, Jo Tae-cheong.
The Soul Slaughter Pavilion had always excelled in seal arts based on hand signs and ghost arts using corpses.
But Senior Brother Jo Tae-cheong was skilled not only in seal arts but also in spirit beast summoning, having subdued even an Immae Mangryang of demon beast class—something even his master couldn't claim.
......He wasn't called the next leader of the Soul Slaughter Pavilion for nothing.
If Senior Brother found out his master had become a living ghost, it would spell disaster.
No, his limbs could be torn apart by that demon beast in an instant.
He needed a way to naturally deceive his senior brother.
"My head hurts. But......"
Something had felt off since earlier.
One thing wouldn't come to mind, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was.
Had Mok Kyung-un used the oath to erase part of his memory with some command?
"It feels off."
What on earth was it?
* * *
"So it can be used that way too."
Mok Kyung-un was pleased that the command he'd given Sorcerer Jo Ui-gong earlier had worked perfectly.
The command he'd issued was simple.
[Forget that you heard my real name when you swore the oath of the chains. Keep remembering me as the third son of Timber Sword Manor.]
He'd wondered if it would even work, but it had.
It was possible because the principle involved binding oneself through one's own will.
He wanted to acquire a few more of these chains of oath.
[Can I get more?]
[I want to, but it's impossible.]
According to Sorcerer Jo Ui-gong, the chains of oath were a ritual tool crafted by Grandmaster Myeong-ryul, one of the Six Guardian Divinities, the Golden Origin. His master In Seo-ok had received one of the four as a gift while attending the grand assembly of the Sixty-Four Barrier Pavilion.
Even his master In Seo-ok had spent over a decade researching its secret but failed to replicate the principle.
"What a shame."
Besides the one he'd put on Jo Ui-gong, there were three more out there. If the chance arose, he wanted them.
In any case, thanks to it, he'd erased the memory of revealing his true name from Jo Ui-gong's mind.
It wouldn't cause any issues.
"Shall we continue our earlier conversation?"
Mok Kyung-un said to Blood Groove Valley Lord Lee Ji-yeom.
This was Lee Ji-yeom's office.
Having returned here immediately, Mok Kyung-un intended to wrap up their discussion and ask what he was curious about.
What exactly was Cheong-ryeong's secret?
At that moment, Cheong-ryeong's voice echoed in Mok Kyung-un's ear.
-Hey. Mortal.
"I'm sorry, but it's hard to respond right now."
With Blood Groove Valley Lord Lee Ji-yeom sitting right across from him, he couldn't reply.
But she spoke in a serious tone.
-I mean it. Don't ask now.
"......"
Why?
Hadn't she become a vengeful spirit for revenge, hated him, and refused to take him as a disciple?
So why didn't she want him to hear this?
Puzzled, Cheong-ryeong continued.
-You'll learn it eventually when the time comes, even if not now. If you do as I say, I'll teach you one form of the Eight Breaches of Thought.
At her words, Mok Kyung-un's eyes narrowed.
She'd always said the Eight Breaches of Thought had to be comprehended personally and refused to give even a hint about any form.
Yet now she offered to teach one she'd comprehended herself.
It was intriguing enough to perk up his ears.
-If you agree, form a circle with your index and thumb.
Mok Kyung-un moved the fingers resting on his thigh.
Then,
-.........
Cheong-ryeong snorted in disbelief.
Mok Kyung-un hadn't formed a circle with his fingers—he'd extended his index and middle fingers.
It meant he wanted two forms, not one.
.......She never let herself lose out.
Even knowing just one form of the Eight Breaches of Thought offered endless utility and value.
But the forms she'd comprehended wouldn't help him now—they might even harm him—so she hadn't shared them.
Thus, she'd intended to teach him the least risky one.
-You sly bastard. Fine.
In the end, she agreed to teach it.
Whether he could embody what she'd comprehended was another matter, but for now, she didn't want him knowing this.
No, she didn't even want to hear how it had been revealed.
She already had her suspicions anyway.
"When you're ready......"
It wouldn't be too late to learn then.
With their agreement settled, Mok Kyung-un turned to Blood Groove Valley Lord Lee Ji-yeom, who was about to speak.
"That day....."
"Could you hold off for a moment?"
"Pardon?"
"Can I hear that story later?"
"Later.....you say? But you need to know what happened for the Assembly to understand what truly......"
"Let's save this story for when things are more settled."
"More settled?"
To the puzzled Blood Groove Valley Lord Lee Ji-yeom, Mok Kyung-un pointed to himself.
"In your eyes, Assembly Lord, what level am I at right now?"
"Level?"
"My cultivation."
"Your cultivation. Hmm."
At his words, Lee Ji-yeom furrowed her brow slightly, then scanned Mok Kyung-un from head to toe.
Then, in a voice lacking full certainty, she said,
"May I speak frankly?"
"Yes."
"By sense alone, you feel like a first-rate."
"First-rate?"
Mok Kyung-un tilted his head slightly at her words.
He still had almost no true insight into peak-realm qi.
Yet the amount of deathly energy he possessed had reached the pinnacle of the peak realm.
Moreover, his opened middle dantian was condensed to peak extreme, holding twice the energy of others at the same level.
"She can't sense my energy?"
Puzzled, Cheong-ryeong's voice rang out.
-It might be that.
"Hm?"
"Deathly energy isn't something humans can accumulate or sense in their bodies to begin with. At best, it'd feel chilling or eerie."
"......"
"And even if you've gathered such deathly energy in your dantian, it's odd for ordinary people to sense it accurately."
"Is that so?"
As Cheong-ryeong said, since deathly energy was utterly different from normal qi, even a master like Blood Groove Valley Lord Lee Ji-yeom struggled to gauge it?
No, thinking about it, this could be a good thing.
"If opponents don't know my true level, I can deceive them."
That alone had great utility.
Complacency created openings in enemies, after all.
Then, Blood Groove Valley Lord Lee Ji-yeom cautiously asked,
"By any chance, are you deliberately concealing your energy, my lord?"
From her grandfather, Lee Ji-yeom had heard that "that person's" strength was among the top three even among the Heaven and Earth Society's greatest experts throughout history— no exaggeration.
So she assumed this wasn't all there was.
However,
"No. What you see is what you get."
"......Is that true?"
"Yes."
At Mok Kyung-un's words, Blood Groove Valley Lord Lee Ji-yeom let out a groan tinged with disappointment.
And understandably so—Lee Ji-yeom had believed that person's soul had possessed this boy's body to reclaim vengeance, past glory, and honor.
She'd naturally assumed preparations were in place.
But if not, what was the plan in this situation?
"You look quite disappointed."
"That's....... "
She couldn't continue.
Smiling, Mok Kyung-un said to her,
"You're probably thinking it's only natural. But I possessed this body just half a month ago, and back then, this flesh couldn't even reach third-rate."
"!?"
Lee Ji-yeom's eyes lit up at his words.
And rightly so—this meant he'd reached first-rate in a mere half-month.
If true, it was astonishing progress.
"Is that.....true?"
"Yes. Don't believe me?"
"No, how could it not be? I'm just......surprised......"
Even the most prodigious talent couldn't progress this fast by common sense.
Lee Ji-yeom's reaction was natural.
To that, Mok Kyung-un said,
"I know you're expecting something, but even if I'm different from the me you knew in the past, I'm still starting from scratch."
"Ahh....."
Lee Ji-yeom nodded in understanding.
Then, cautiously asked,
"......Then, how long until you recover your original realm, my lord?"
That was the key question.
Having sworn loyalty, Lee Ji-yeom was in a highly motivated state.
She wanted to leave this Blood Groove Valley immediately and serve as his right hand in reclaiming honor.
At her question, Mok Kyung-un pondered for an instant.
"Original realm?"
Truthfully, he had no idea what level of cultivation she'd possessed in life.
She always spoke vaguely of her own strength as supreme.
But seeing even someone as strong as Lee Ji-yeom revere her, she was clearly far beyond what he imagined.
"Then......."
Setting a target timeframe seemed wise.
*A gentleman avenges even after ten years—it's not too late.*
The saying meant patiently building strength and waiting for the right moment.
Of course, cultivating patience for revenge was natural, but ten years was too long.
Thus, Mok Kyung-un's chosen period was,
-Swish!
"!?"
Blood Groove Valley Lord Lee Ji-yeom's expression hardened at the fingers Mok Kyung-un raised.
-You......are you insane?
Cheong-ryeong's voice rang in Mok Kyung-un's ear.
Why was everyone reacting like this?
Puzzled, Mok Kyung-un had extended only two fingers.
-Hah!
Cheong-ryeong clicked her tongue in exasperation.
Then, Blood Groove Valley Lord Lee Ji-yeom said in a slightly trembling voice,
"By any chance, twenty years....."
"No. That's too long."
At that, Lee Ji-yeom swallowed dryly and continued incredulously.
"Truly......is that possible?"
"Why not?"
His answer held no hesitation.
Thus,
"Haa........"
Lee Ji-yeom let out a gasp, her eyes filled with genuine awe.
He'd set the shortest possible goal to match it, but was the reaction this extreme?
Yet Cheong-ryeong tsked.
-A guy without proper insight into the peak realm boldly claims he'll break through to the Transformation Realm in two years.
Transformation Realm.
It was the supreme cultivation reached only after breaching the wall to achieve Three Flowers Gather at the Crown and Five Qi Converge to the Origin.
Only the famed Six Heavens and Eight Stars, the martial world's top masters, were known to have attained it.
Yet Mok Kyung-un had just declared he'd reach their level in two years.
"Is it that hard?"
As if reading his thoughts, Cheong-ryeong replied.
-Die and revive a hundred times, then see if it's possible. If you do, I'll serve your master for life.