Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 123 – Demon Sword (3)

A white-haired man with his entire body bound in iron chains.

Having been imprisoned for a long time, his long beard was unkempt.

Looking at his face in the flickering torchlight, he appeared to be in his mid-thirties at most, but his hair and beard had turned white.

Despite being in an uncomfortable position due to the iron chains, the white-haired man’s expression showed no change.

It was as if he had no expression at all.

-Clink!

The man slowly raised his head and looked at the moonlight visible through the iron bars.

Tomorrow, his execution would be carried out.

Would he then be able to understand the sensations of fear and dread?

Those facing death all had expressions filled with agony.

Would he end up like that too?

Even at this moment facing death, he felt nothing.

Why was he born like this?

He didn’t know.

As he was pondering, a strong wind suddenly blew into the prison cell.

-Whoosh!

Then, the torch illuminating the cell went out.

[What?]

The drowsy jailer’s voice was heard as he got up.

But soon, the sound of something collapsing on the floor followed.

-Thud!

‘What is it?’

As he wondered, the sound of someone walking towards the cell filled with darkness was heard.

It was the footsteps of one person.

But when he looked ahead, he saw two figures in the darkness.

‘Two people?’

Although his danjeon was sealed, they were right in front of him, yet he couldn’t sense their presence at all.

They must be truly skilled martial artists.

As he was thinking that, a small voice was heard.

[Seo Ga-ui, the Thousand Heads Tower[1]… The vicious man who beheaded a thousand people and built a tower with their heads. Sufficient as material.]

[Oh my…]

A sigh followed.

Looking ahead, there was a monk with his hands behind his back, pointing at the cell, and an old man frowning and looking at him.

In the moonlight, he could only tell that he was an old man, but this strange scent he smelled…

‘The scent of charcoal and iron…’

[A blacksmith?]

At the white-haired man’s words, interest glinted in the old man’s eyes.

The old man stared at him intently and then spoke.

[Young man, why did you do such a thing?]

At the old man’s question, the white-haired man, no, Seo Ga-ui, replied with an expressionless gaze.

[I don’t know.]

[You don’t know? Then you just did it?]

[…I just wanted to know.]

[Wanted to know?]

[I wanted to know what emotions were.]

[Emotions?]

[Yes.]

He had none of the emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness.

From a young age, he didn’t know what they were, so he wanted to know those emotions.

That was what he had desired most in his life.

[I just wanted to know what they were.]

A strange desire, different from ordinary people.

Why did this desire lead to such a twisted end?

[If that was the reason, there were many other ways. Why did you do that to so many people…]

He couldn’t finish his words.

The severed heads by his hand all had expressions of despair and pain.

He stacked them like a work of art to build a tower.

[…Because fear and dread were easier than joy or happiness.]

[Easier?]

[In the face of death, everyone shows those emotions.]

[Oh my…]

At his words, the old man clicked his tongue.

Then he soon said,

[This old man finds it hard to understand you, young man. But if you have such a twisted desire and obsession, you have the qualifications.]

[Qualifications?]

[Don’t you want to leave something behind in this world before you die, young man?]

[What do you mean by that?]

As he wondered, the old man curled his lips and said,

[How about offering yourself for the birth of an unprecedented sword?]

‘!?’

***

Mok Gyeong-un looked at the Evil Commandment Sword he was holding.

He couldn’t understand what had just happened.

He tried to absorb the unique energy of the Evil Commandment Sword through the Ritual of Binding, but as it was absorbed into his body, it instantly dug into his mind.

Then, not long after, he regained his senses.

‘Hmm. What is this?’

Various memories that weren’t his own were mixed up in his mind.

Whose memories were these?

Memories rose up in fragments, jumbled together.

The most intense memory was,

[Aaaaaaargh!]

Along with the sight of jumping into molten iron, it was a horrific memory of his entire body melting.

It seemed to have happened while he was alive, but what was strange about this scene was that even while suffering like this, he felt ecstasy.

Why did he feel joy while facing such a terrible death?

It was a truly peculiar memory.

‘Huh?’

No.

These fragmented memories.

The only time emotions were revealed was the moment he faced death.

After that, strangely, it wasn’t his own memories but the memories of numerous people that were mixed together.

Among them,

‘The Shadow Clan Master?’

The Shadow Clan Master’s appearance was also seen.

It was just a fleeting fragment, but that memory was truly fascinating.

As he was thinking that, a resonance sound came from the sword he was holding.

-Woooong!

Mok Gyeong-un looked at the Evil Commandment Sword.

Then, the Evil Commandment Sword trembled, making a resonance sound.

It looked as if it was trembling in fear and submitting.

Seeing this, the corner of Mok Gyeong-un’s mouth curled up.

***

‘What in the world is this?’

The Shadow Clan Master looked around with surprised eyes.

For a moment, he saw a scene where thousands and tens of thousands of swords overturned everything around, and everyone here became a hive of swords and died.

As he was perplexed, looking at those who died like that, in an instant, the corpses were engulfed in black flames, and everything turned to ashes.

Startled, he came to his senses and realized it was all an illusion.

As if he had seen a phantom.

-Drip!

The human skin mask was drenched in sweat, and the scene was so vivid.

It felt like unstoppable destruction and chaos.

Could one feel such heart-pounding fear from a mere illusion?

“Huff… Huff…”

Interest glinted in the Shadow Clan Master’s eyes.

Not only that, but all the executives around him had surprised faces as if they were possessed by something.

Even the two Great Clan Leaders, Bo Hyuk-so, grabbed their necks and let out rough breaths.

Did they see a phantasm of their necks being cut?

‘What is going on?’

The Shadow Clan Master felt bewildered by this strange situation.

How could it be that not just one or two people, but everyone around him was seeing such illusions?

The Shadow Clan Master looked at Mok Gyeong-un.

‘!?’

His eyes trembled.

Something was strange.

He clearly saw Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes turn smooth like black jade just a moment ago.

But now they were perfectly fine.

Could it be that even that was an illusion?

‘What is this?’

The one holding the demon sword Evil Commandment Sword was Mok Gyeong-un.

But why did they see such illusions?

He had let him hold the sword to find out what his desires were, but he didn’t know why this happened.

‘Could it be?’

As he was thinking that, Mok Gyeong-un lightly swung the sword.

The crisp sound of the sword cutting through the air made the Shadow Clan Master’s eyes widen.

It was the same for the Bright Blade King, Son Yun.

“You?”

He didn’t know what that terrible illusion he had just seen was, but looking at Mok Gyeong-un now, it seemed as if he wasn’t affected by the demon sword at all.

Moreover, that ominous energy that had been felt from the sword was no longer there.

At this, Son Yun asked,

“…Are you alright?”

“Yes. I’m fine.”

‘He’s fine?’

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, Son Yun furrowed his brows.

Was he really fine?

Looking at the executives around him, for a fleeting moment, they all had faces as if they had seen something illusory, just like him.

This couldn’t have happened by chance.

“…Can you give the sword to this king for a moment?”

“The sword?”

“Yes.”

The reason Son Yun asked this question was simple.

He knew various tales related to demon swords and knew that those captivated by them would become obsessed with the demon sword.

So, if Mok Gyeong-un was truly chosen as the master by the demon sword and was unaffected, he thought he would readily hand it over.

At that moment,

“Here it is.”

Mok Gyeong-un readily placed his palm on the blade and politely brought the Evil Commandment Sword with both hands.

Seeing this, Son Yun’s eyes narrowed.

Was this child really chosen by the Evil Commandment Sword?

‘…I’ll know if I hold it myself.’

Son Yun reached out his hand towards the hilt of the Evil Commandment Sword in Mok Gyeong-un’s hands.

Then, the Shadow Clan Master hurriedly tried to stop him.

“Your Excellency, the Bright Blade King!”

“It’s fine. I’m just checking for a moment.”

At his words, the Shadow Clan Master looked at him with concerned eyes.

Of course, he knew for what purpose he was trying to hold the sword, but even he, who had reached the proficient-stage Transcendent Realm, had lost his reason for a moment because of the sword.

Even if the Bright Blade King, Son Yun, was a master who had reached the pinnacle-stage of Transcendent Realm before the wall, it was just as dangerous.

However,

-Tap!

Son Yun grabbed the hilt and lifted it up, but nothing happened.

The sword, which had seemed so ominous just a moment ago, was now shining with the light of an ordinary famous sword, modestly showing off its elegance.

‘What?’

Where did that ominous energy go?

The resonance sound was also not heard.

Son Yun, who had been lightly swinging the sword, looked at the Shadow Clan Master with puzzled eyes.

The Shadow Clan Master also looked at the Evil Commandment Sword with eyes that couldn’t understand the situation.

The sword that had troubled him so much after coming into his possession had become so docile.

He truly couldn’t understand it.

‘Did that child really receive the Evil Commandment Sword’s choice?’

Seeing that nothing happened even when Son Yun held it for a long time, it seemed that the Evil Commandment Sword, which had chosen its master, had transformed from a demon sword to a famous sword.

It was truly amazing.

The Shadow Clan Master exclaimed,

“Your Excellency, the Bright Blade King. It seems the true master of the Evil Commandment Sword has been determined.”

***

In this way, Mok Gyeong-un obtained the legendary demon sword, Evil Commandment Sword, made by the great craftsman Ou Yezi.

In the process, the nearby executives saw strange illusions, but even though they found it questionable, they all kept silent as if they had made a promise.

In fact, it was awkward to suddenly mention that everyone saw an illusion of reaching destruction at this gathering, and even though it was just a fleeting moment, it was also a blow to their pride to say that they were captivated by the demon sword’s demonic energy.

However, thanks to this, they realized one thing.

If there ever came a time when they had to confront that child named Mok Gyeong-un, they must make sure to separate the Evil Commandment Sword from his hands.

There was nothing unusual at the moment, but they couldn’t shake off the thought that it was somehow dangerous.

‘It’s regrettable.’

The Bright Blade King, Son Yun, couldn’t hide his disappointment at losing Mok Gyeong-un.

Not the Thunderbolt Fist King, Won Byeong-hak, but he chose that Shadow Clan Master.

He never expected such a result to unfold just because of a demon sword.

It was disappointing, but there was nothing he could do.

‘I’ll have to be satisfied with this child.’

The disciple the Bright Blade King, Son Yun, gained from the closing ceremony was none other than Mok Yu-cheon.

Another child of the Yeon Mok Sword Manor brought as a hostage.

Of course, this wasn’t his choice.

It was entirely Mok Yu-cheon’s choice.

[…I want to become stronger. Stronger than that guy.]

It was what Mok Yu-cheon had said in front of the executives.

That guy was none other than Mok Gyeong-un.

At his words, most of the executives turned away.

It was because they considered Mok Yu-cheon, who had learned the strange Corpse Technique, a ticking time bomb.

However, the Bright Blade King, Son Yun, was the only one who didn’t turn away.

Rather, he said to Mok Yu-cheon,

[You want to become stronger?]

[…Yes.]

[If you follow this king’s teachings well, I can make you so.]

At those words, Mok Yu-cheon chose him without hesitation.

In fact, there was a hidden intention behind this.

The Bright Blade King, Son Yun, also didn’t look favorably upon Mok Yu-cheon learning the strange evil techniques, but he accepted him as a disciple with Mok Gyeong-un in mind.

In any case, there was no one else he had in mind as a disciple other than Mok Gyeong-un, so it could be said to be a card to prepare for contingencies.

‘His value as a card to suppress that guy is sufficient.’

Mok Yu-cheon, who didn’t know this, just wanted to become stronger.

And he hadn’t forgotten the request made by the Righteous Alliance’s Silent Strides’ agent.

His goal was to rise to the highest position possible here and regain his honor as a member of the righteous faction.

‘This child’s talent is also not inferior to his, so I should have expectations.’

The Thunderbolt Fist King, Won Byeong-hak, accepted Mu Jang-yak as his disciple.

Originally, he had his eye on Yeon Mu-ung of the Esoteric Realm Gate, but in terms of talent, Yeon Mu-ung wasn’t even half as good as Mu Jang-yak.

‘Hmm. Well, it should be fine.’

The Valley Master of Summoning Sound, Hang Yeo-ryang, accepted Mo Ha-rang of the Demon Fire Hall as her disciple, as per her original goal.

Inwardly, she had been conflicted about Mok Yu-cheon like the Bright Blade King, Son Yun, but to her, those from the righteous faction were detestable whether they defected or not.

Therefore, she decided to stick to her original purpose.

Unfortunately, Yeom Ga of the Vermillion Slaughter Cave lost his life, so the remaining disciple, Yeon Mu-ung of the Esoteric Realm Gate, failed to achieve his goal and was chosen as a disciple by the Grand Elder of the Crimson Blood Sect, Dae So-man.

Only the Grand Elder of the Flame Demon Clan, Bo Hyuk-so, returned empty-handed without any achievement.

***

In this way, the entrance exam of Corpse Blood Valley ended safely.

The disciples who were selected by the executives who came as observers at the closing ceremony left with them to their residences.

Mok Gyeong-un also followed the Shadow Clan Master, whom he had chosen himself.

As they left Corpse Blood Valley, the Shadow Clan Master said,

“Ohoho. What a coincidence. I never thought I would accept a disciple who walks a completely different path from me.”

The Shadow Clan Master’s unique martial arts were Taoist techniques.

On the other hand, the unique martial arts Mok Gyeong-un mainly practiced could be said to be sword techniques.

Therefore, he was regretful about this aspect.

At this, Mok Gyeong-un smiled and said,

“I don’t particularly distinguish between swords and Tao, so if you give me teachings, I can learn as much as possible.”

At those words, the Shadow Clan Master spoke with delight, “Oho. Really?”

“Yes.”

“It requires a bit of a price, is that alright?”

A bit of a price? What does that mean?

As Mok Gyeong-un wondered, the Shadow Clan Master covered his mouth with his hand and said coquettishly, “My unique martial arts have strong yin energy, so to learn them, you have to be castrated.”

‘!?’

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