Myst, Might, Mahem

Note: Today is a Sunday, so I was able to finish the chapter early. I hope you like it. We are still a lot behind the manhwa, so I will try my best to catch-up as quickly as possible. Still, 1 chapter a day compared to its 1 chapter a week will mean I will eventually catch-up. I am assuming once I cross that line will be when readers will actually begin to read this fic, but for those who are reading it, I would like to request some interaction. Comments, reviews, or power stones, any will do. It's just so I know that it's not only random bots and crawlers that are reading this, but actual people as well. It will be a great help for motivation. Still, I intend to keep on posting this story till at least February. That should be enough time to surpass the manhwa and go a bit further in the plot, and will help me understand if people are actually bothering to read this or not. Anyways, hope you enjoy the chapter, and sorry for the long rant.

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"I switched to the second Young Master… but this fake guy didn't help me and killed the second Young Master's guard. What should I do with this?"

'!?'

The moment he heard Mok Gyeongwoon's words, Guard Kam's expression hardened.

The death of Jo Ilsang, Mok Eunpyeong's bodyguard. He thought that was the lowest probability. The warrior who was about to become a first-class martial artist was not something that could be dealt with just his meagre strength.

'Nonsense!'

Guard Kam looked at Mok Gyeongwoon with shaking eyes. It was impossible, but he couldn't help but believe it.

The fact that he had changed ropes and the fact that Mok Gyeongwoon knew that he had told the second Young Master, Mok Eunpyeong, that Mok Gyeongwoon had lost his military skills were proof of this.

"You…really…"

"Yes. I killed him~"

"How… he was close to first-class….."

"I killed him by hanging him upside down and cutting his throat~"

"What?"

"He was desperately pleading for his life. I guess he didn't want to die, something to do with him being a master or something~"

Mok Gyeongwoon smiled while saying those words. When Guard Kam made eye contact with him, a shiver ran down his spine. Mok Gyeongwoon's evil eyes seemed to be constricting him.

'This guy is really… He is a murderous ghost.'

He was reminded once again that this fake guy was a death row inmate who killed countless people. Guard Kam himself was also a murderer who had killed many people, but he quit because he was not happy with killing someone and felt sick of it.

'But this guy is in a different realm from ordinary people. He enjoys being close to death. Damn it.'

Guard Kam's mind became complicated for a moment. The time given to him by the second Mok Eunpyeong was two hours. He told him to find Jo Ilsang, his bodyguard, but he was already dead.

'In the end, my bragging, even putting my arm on the line, were meaningless.'

It was the worst possible situation.

…

"If you can't find it, you'd better be prepared to sacrifice not only your arms but also your precious life."

…

Mok Eunpyeong's deadly warning lingered in my mind.

'I just changed the rope. It was cut off after only a day. I never thought such a ridiculous situation would happen.'

Guard Kam's mouth was dry.

Then suddenly, a thought came to his mind, '…Did he kill Jo Ilsang on purpose?'

When he thought about it, it made sense. Because this guy was a fake, he had to be careful in everything he did. No matter how unpredictable this guy might be, there was no way a guy as clever as this guy wouldn't know his situation. But killing the second Young Master's bodyguard.

'He killed Mok Eunpyeong's guard warrior because I abandoned him and changed lines…'

It was truly amazing. How can you be so clever? By killing Mok Eunpyeong's guard, he put Guard Kam in a difficult situation. In this case, it was no longer possible to transfer to other Young Master.

Guard Kam simply couldn't believe this… His fists tightened as he realized the intentions of this clever bastard.

'I can't believe that a murderous bastard with no martial arts skills would push himself like this. Everything I prepared so far is now moot because of this guy…'

It all came to naught. He was angry.

"You really have a variety of emotional changes, don't you? I guess you are angry because your face is red."

Guard Kam glared at Mok Gyeongwoon's grumpy voice, 'I wanted to kill this guy right away. Should I kill him?'

The second Young Master, Mok Eunpyeong, was going to take his life anyway, remaining at Yeonmok Sword Hall was virtually meaningless…

'Ah!'

At that moment, Guard Kam's eyes turned to his own chest. On his chest were two sheets of the cover and contents of the Lotus Tree Transformation Mind Method. The moment he saw the contents of the two pages, Guard Kam realized.

'That this is the original. That Go Chan guy kept his mouth shut until the end, but he had this.'

It meant that this guy, Mok Gyeongwoon, had obtained the secret method.

'How on earth did you get the secret method manual?'

He had his doubts, but that wasn't the important thing.

*Park*

Guard Kam whispered as he thrust his dagger into Mok Gyeongwoon's ribs.

"The rest of the secret documents… you have them, right?"

"Is it urgent?"

*Pappap*

Guard Kam said, hitting his chest, "This one. Tell me!"

"Oh~ That one?"

"Yes"

"Of course, I have it."

Hearing Mok Gyeongwoon's words, Guard Kam's face lit up for a moment. Even if the sky fell, there was a hole to emerge from.

'Done! it's okay!'

Jangju's life was in danger, he could collapse any day now. Since the succession had not been decided, the opinions of the vassals were divided.

In this situation, if he had the secret method manual that only Jangju could learn or had a bloodline that learned the martial arts, he could be said to be the closest to a successor.

'It can replace the price of my life.'

Second Young Master, Mok Eunpyeong, would also have no choice but to covet this secret document. If he had this, he would be able to offset the price of the life of Jo Ilsang, the dead bodyguard.

*Park*

Guard Kam said, bringing his dagger closer.

"I won't talk too much. If you don't want to die, hand over your secret method."

"It looks like you really need it~"

"I have no time to play with words with you."

"Isn't this a really disappointing situation?"

"You really want to die."

"It can't be. I'm just wondering if it's okay for you to make threats like this when I don't think you are in a position to be disappointed."

Hearing Mok Gyeongwoon's words, Guard Kam snorted and said, "Don't think of me as Go Chan or Jo Ilsang. It wouldn't be my job to kill you right here so you can't even breathe."

Even though he was retired, his main job was his livelihood. There were dozens, if not hundreds, of ways to kill. And he was the top-notch expert; a true first-class martial artist.

The gap between being close to a first-class expert and a truly first-class expert was clear. He could kill someone like Jo Ilsang with just one hand.

"Don't provoke me anymore."

"This is so scary~~"

*Poof*

Before he could finish speaking, the tip of the dagger slightly dug into the flesh between Mok Gyeongwoon's ribs.

"I won't ask any more. If you don't tell me about the secret method, I'll completely crush you. You will die."

"…If I die here, I will suffer even more losses."

With those words, Mok Gyeongwoon gestured to the workers in the pharmacy. It meant that he couldn't really kill him while they were watching.

At this, Guard Kam let out a light breath, "Whoa."

He took his hand away from Mok Gyeongwoon and fired the new weapon at the workers in the pharmacy.

The movements were so fast that the Guard Kam approached where they were in an instant and with a lightning*like hand gesture, stabbed a dagger into their bloodstream.

Hs movements were so fast, his hands moving in lighting-like gestures, that in but an instant all the workers has daggers in their throats

*Pupupupup*

The workers at the pharmacy died instantly from blood poisoning. Even though the dagger was stuck, almost no blood came out and there was no scream. It was neat workmanship, as befits someone from Salsu.

'The second Young Master will be able to handle three dead workers in the medicine hall.'

Although he did not know it for sure, he was confident that the second Young Master would be able to silence the matter. That's why he took the risk.

"Are you still sure I can't kill you?"

Guard Kam said as he approached Mok Gyeongwoon.

He thought that at this level, even if he was a fearless fellow, he would be somewhat nervous.

*Pisik*

'Smiling?'

Mok Gyeongwoon laughed.

'In an instant, three pharmacy workers died. Are you still laughing when you see that?'

"It seems like you really have no grasp of reality. If you do this, you will have to experience the pain yourself before you can open your mouth."

*Pot*

Guard Kam deployed the Gyeongsinbeop (輕身法) and instantly closed the distance. Then, he unfolded Geumnasu's method towards Mok Gyeongwoon.

*Papa papapak*

Guard Kam, who grabbed his arm and bent it backwards, grabbed one of the fingers of Mok Gyeongwoon's right hand and pointed it at him with his dagger and said:

"It seems like you are quite resistant to pain."

Guard Kam recalled the first time he saw Mok Gyeongwoon. Even though he was locked behind bars and hit with stones by onlookers, he did not utter a single groan.

'When I saw you, I knew you were a poisonous tumour…'

"But. Even if you are a poisonous tumour, it doesn't mean you feel no pain. I know how to maximize that pain."

*Park*

A dagger dug into his finger.

Guard Kam said with a wry smile, "I will cut the flesh of your fingers one by one, like cutting fruit. It's probably a pain you've never experienced before in your life."

"Is that so?"

"Let's see how long that margin can be maintained."

Guard Kam tried to raise the blade of the dagger like that.

At that time, Mok Gyeongwoon opened his mouth, "Before we begin, I have something to tell you."

Hearing Mok Gyeongwoon's words, the corners of Guard Kam's mouth slowly rose. No matter how much of a murderer he was, he was only 17 years old. In this situation, no matter how relaxed he acted, he couldn't help but fall into fear of the pain to come.

"Talk."

"I was wondering how I could use it, but I'm so grateful."

"What?"

'What kind of bullshit is this? What do you use?!?'

At that moment, Guard Kam felt a strange feeling. The palm that was holding Mok Gyeongwoon's fingers felt like something was sticking to it. He thought maybe it was because he was holding it too tightly, so he relaxed a little.

*Park*

His palm stuck to Mok Gyeongwoon's fingers.

'What is this….'

Guard Kam, who thought something was strange, raised his hand and tried to separate his palm.

*Sssshhhh*

At that moment, he felt the energy he had focused on in his palms quickly draining away.

"What?!"

Guard Kam could not help but be taken aback by the sudden phenomenon. Because the hand was absorbed, the internal energy was rapidly drained, and even the flow of energy was interrupted, making it difficult to separate his palm.

A considerable amount of internal energy had already been absorbed. His left hand and left arm, which were holding my fingers, were on the verge of losing strength.

'Where does this guy get this kind of magic? This is not martial arts in the right way. Absorbing other people's energy? I have already lost 10% of my strength, and if it continues like this, I didn't know how much more I will lose!'

"Let go!"

Guard Kam tried to hit Mok Gyeongwoon's neck with his fist, holding the dagger upside down. It was to knock him out.

However, Mok Gyeongwoon twisted his neck and hit him on the shoulder.

"Fool!"

However, the top-notch expert was top-notch.

Mok Gyeongwoon, who was shocked by the fist filled with internal energy, coughed up blood from his mouth.

Nevertheless, Mok Gyeongwoon did not let go of his finger.

"Get off! This guy!"

*Pukpuk*

Guard Kam got angry and hit Mok Gyeongwoon on the neck and back. Although Mok Gyeongwoon suffered from a fist full of energy, he did not let go of his hand until the end.

'This poisonous tumour!'

In response, Guard Kam ended up stabbing Mok Gyeongwoon between his ribs.

*Poof*

"Sigh!"

As the dagger penetrated halfway into his chest, his breathing stopped and his consciousness was lost.

The moment the adsorption power disappeared, Guard Kam kicked Mok Gyeongwoon's back and widened the distance.

*Park*

*Ta*

*Ta*

*Ta*

*Ta*

*Ta*

*Ta*

*Tak*

Guard Kam, who had retreated about seven steps, looked at his palm with a pale face. He could not feel any internal energy in my left hand, which was severely convulsing.

You can recirculate it by using a breathing technique, but this is the first time he had felt this strange sensation.

Guard Kam said, glaring at Mok Gyeongwoon, who was staggering, "What- What kind of magic did you learn?"

"Whew….Whew…."

Mok Gyeongwoon stumbled, clutching the dagger stuck between his ribs, and finally managed to straighten up.

"It's definitely… first-class."

"Say it. What was that just now?"

"It would be difficult to deal with you alone."

Guard Kam gritted his teeth.

'Does this arrogant bastard think he can do anything just because the magic hex worked for a moment? If that's the case, he is making a mistake, one that will cost him dearly!'

Guard Kam cried out, pulled out his dagger, and took a nose-dive.

'I will no longer let my guard down. Let's see if you can do something like that even with all your arms and legs cut off!'

*Pot*

Guard Kam fired his new weapon at Mok Gyeongwoon, who was barely able to maintain his stance. As long as he paid attention to where his palms touched, he could easily deal with Mok Gyeongwoon's strange ability.

*Park*

*Sigh*

One of the daggers thrown by Guard Kam hit Mok Gyeongwoon's thigh. At this, Mok Gyeongwoon stumbled. Without missing the opportunity, Guard Kam took out another dagger hidden in his wrist and tried to throw it at Mok Gyeongwoon's shoulder.

It was that moment.

"Demon Monk."

*Creepy*

As soon as he had finished saying those words, Guard felt goosebumps running through his body and something grabbing his wrist from behind. Startled, Guard Kam lowered his arms and flung himself to the side to avoid the strange sensation.

And he looked there.

'!?'

Guard Kam frowned. He definitely felt a strange, creepy sensation behind him, but he couldn't see anything.

'What has this guy done? What does this strange feeling mean when I can't see it?'

Guard Kam, who was embarrassed, moved his eyes and looked at Mok Gyeongwoon, "What did you just do?"

"What did I do?"

"Don't act like a fool. Something was trying to grab my wrist from behind."

"You certainly have sensitive senses."

"…As expected, you did something."

"Well, not me. This guy did it."

"This guy?"

'What is this sound? Is there really a helper?'

Mok Gyeongwoon said casually to Guard Kam, who was rolling his eyes in excitement, "Since you're curious, I'll show you. Demon Monk~"

That was the moment those words ended.

*Srrrrr*

'!!!!!!!!!!'

Guard Kam could not believe his own eyes for a moment.

Right in front of his nose, a large monk wearing blood-soaked robes and skull prayer beads appeared like a haze and was looking down at me with an eerie glow in his eyes.

'What the hell is this…..'

Unless his eyes were wrong, no matter how he looked at it, this was not a living human being. Almost like a ghost…. It was at that moment of confusion.

*Poof*

At that moment, something passed through the monk and stuck in the centre of his chest. It was a dagger.

"It's enough now."

*Srrrrr*

With those words, the monk's body blurred and disappeared, and Mok Gyeongwoon was seen behind him in a posture of throwing something.

"This…this…"

Guard Kam looked down at his chest where the dagger was embedded. He was protecting his body with internal energy, but it was able to get through and was now deeply embedded due to the internal energy contained in the dagger.

Guard Kam muttered with an expression of bewilderment, "How?"

Mok Gyeongwoon smiled at him and said, "Both the sword and the sword technique are yours."