Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 452 – Arrangement (5)

But as you said, I too am just myself. My name is Jin Woon-hwi. As you guessed, I am the ancestor of that child, Jin Ye-rin.

A gleam appeared in Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes.

Should it be called the weight that comes from years of experience?

Despite having a youthful face, he possessed an aura that seemed to encompass the entire gathering.

And although his eyes were clearly black, every time they reflected light, they shimmered with both blood-red and golden hues, which was truly mysterious.

At that moment, Cheong-ryeong spoke as if genuinely surprised.

-……The world’s……greatest……sword.

The world’s greatest sword?

Mok Gyeong-un’s eyebrow raised at Cheong-ryeong’s words.

Could she possibly be referring to this person?

As he was wondering, Cheong-ryeong spoke in a trembling voice.

-Not many remember the great masters from the old martial arts world after the day of the great calamity. Even I have only heard of a few through oral tradition.

-……And?

-Among them, there was one particularly outrageous story.

Outrageous?

-One who simultaneously held the notorious reputation of the Four Demonic Ways and the fame of a chivalrous hero…

The notorious reputation of the Four Demonic Ways and the fame of a chivalrous hero?

Come to think of it, this person had described himself like this:

[I’m not sure how it’s remembered now, but there was a time when I was treated as a villain and called the Blood Demon, and another time when I was called the Sword Immortal, the exemplar of a good person.]

-And the one who beheaded the Jiao-Dragon Demon King.

‘Jiao-Dragon Demon King?’

There are countless Imaemangyangs in the world.

Of course, encountering such beings in one’s lifetime is extremely rare.

And among those rare occurrences, the being considered the most auspicious and the pinnacle of spiritual creatures in the long history of the Central Plains.

That was the Jiao-Dragon Demon King, or dragon.

‘……Was that real?’

Various Books of Yin-Yang in the Epitome of Various Schools, Initial Books of Strange Creatures in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, and more. Despite reading numerous esoteric texts, there were no accounts of actually seeing a dragon.

That’s how fantastical this being called a dragon was, even among Imaemangyangs or spiritual creatures.

Yet this person had beheaded such a fantastical being?

Regardless of whether it was true or not, if he had such an incredible reputation, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call him a legendary figure.

At that moment, Jin Woon-hwi, the being who had removed the demon mask, suddenly chuckled and said,

-Ah, but let me correct that. To be precise, rather than the being itself, I’m a thought-form.

“A thought-form?”

-It might sound difficult, but what you’re seeing of me is merely a thought-form. I planted a part of my soul soul in the world within the bamboo slips.

Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes narrowed at Jin Woon-hwi’s words.

He might think that Mok Gyeong-un wouldn’t understand this well, but he had experienced something similar once before.

It was inside the Wall Contemplation Cave of Shaolin Temple.

The practitioner facing the stone wall.

He had thought that person was surely a being within residual thoughts, but that person had spoken to him.

[If you have gained enough, now return to where you should be.]

At that time, Mok Gyeong-un realized.

This was not just simple residual thoughts.

It had will.

Because of this, Mok Gyeong-un was actually even more surprised internally.

While the thought-form of the practitioner remaining in the Wall Contemplation Cave had merely shown something, this person before his eyes had even fought with him.

Nevertheless, Mok Gyeong-un hadn’t seen the full power of this thought-form.

Unlike himself fighting with full power, he felt that his opponent was continually holding back.

Then how strong must the real person be, if not just a thought-form?

It was impossible to gauge.

Mok Gyeong-un, who had been staring intently at Jin Woon-hwi, eventually sat down in the chair in front of the table he had prepared.

-Tak!

At this, Jin Woon-hwi pointed to the steaming tea and said,

-Have a cup.

“I don’t need it.”

-You’re very wary.

“If it’s a thought-form anyway, as you say, this is just an act to deceive the five senses.”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s firm words, Jin Woon-hwi shrugged and then took a sip of tea before speaking.

-Slurp. You’re clever. The type who hears one and knows ten, I see.

“Refrain from unnecessary words. What’s your purpose in drawing me here?”

-Purpose?

“Yes.”

-What do you think it is?

“I’m the one who asked the question. Jin Woon-hwi.”

-Hwik!

No sooner had Mok Gyeong-un’s words ended than the dagger suddenly flew over and began circling around him.

As if trying to express that it was displeased.

At this, Jin Woon-hwi waved his hand and said,

-That’s enough, Sodam. This person bears no ill will.

At Jin Woon-hwi’s words, the dagger that had been circling Mok Gyeong-un returned to his side and floated in the air, emitting a sword cry.

-Woo woo woong!

Mok Gyeong-un was puzzled by this sight.

“That dagger, what exactly is it?”

At first, he had simply thought Jin Woon-hwi had a deep resonance with swords.

But increasingly, Mok Gyeong-un felt that this dagger seemed to have a self, or will.

It was quite different from being simply controlled by Sword Control with Energy or Void Grasping techniques.

Because there was no flow of true energy at all.

To Mok Gyeong-un’s question, Jin Woon-hwi smiled gently and said,

-This friend’s name is Sodam. An old companion.

“…It doesn’t seem to be a simple dagger.”

-There’s nothing simple in this world, friend.

“When did we become friends?”

-Ah, that’s right. I came to know of your existence fragmentarily through the heavenly secrets, but I don’t know your name. Can you tell me? Surely you won’t answer that you’re just yourself to this question too?

At these words, Mok Gyeong-un let out a faint sigh and answered.

“Jeong… No. Call me Heavenly Demon.”

-Heavenly Demon? That’s quite a grand name.

“I have no intention of engaging in useless small talk with you, Jin Woon-hwi. Get to the point. Why did you draw me here?”

-Just when I was starting to like you, you’re in a hurry.

“I’m not leisurely enough to waste time on a mere thought-form that’s not even the real person.”

Jin Woon-hwi’s lips curled up at Mok Gyeong-un’s blunt words.

-Yet you sat down here out of necessity, didn’t you?

“……”

-I like your honesty. Actually, this meeting was to decide what to do with you.

“What?”

What is he talking about now?

A meeting to decide what to do with me?

As Mok Gyeong-un revealed his displeasure with a cold gaze, Jin Woon-hwi continued speaking with a still smiling face.

-Heavenly Demon. Even if you’ve lost everything and become a mere human, your essence as a Demon remains unchanged.

“…Demon?”

Looking at Mok Gyeong-un who questioned back, Jin Woon-hwi put down his teacup and spoke as if surprised.

-Haven’t you reflected on yourself yet?

“What are you trying to say?”

-…I see. This is truly unexpected. I thought you would have realized what your own existence is by now, at least. Is that not the case? Then have you reached this point with a human’s self-awareness?

As soon as those words ended, Mok Gyeong-un stood up abruptly.

Then, looking down at Jin Woon-hwi, he shouted.

“Whatever is inside me, those things cannot control me. I am just myself, and I live only by my own will!”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, the corner of Jin Woon-hwi’s mouth twitched.

Then Jin Woon-hwi smiled.

Mok Gyeong-un snorted at his smile, whose meaning he couldn’t understand.

“Do my words sound amusing?”

-No, not at all. That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.

“What?”

-Unlike what I worried about, you’ve developed a firm sense of self, Heavenly Demon.

“What are you talking about?”

-Let’s just say it’s good news. If you had been swallowed up by the Demon inside you and lost your will, I was going to confine you here forever.

‘!?’

He was going to confine him?

As wariness began to rise, Jin Woon-hwi filled his teacup and said,

-The important thing is will. That’s what I wanted to see. If it wasn’t so, you would become a disaster unlike any other in the world.

“Disaster?”

-An additional disaster on top of the coming calamity would only bring about destruction. I couldn’t stand by and watch that destruction, so I merely created an opportunity for it to be averted.

“Are you going to keep speaking in riddles?”

Mok Gyeong-un found it difficult to understand what he was saying.

What exactly is he trying to say?

As he was wondering, Jin Woon-hwi drew something in the air with his index finger.

Then the air became like paper, and his finger became a brush, beginning to inscribe words.

It was the formula for the Eight Thought-Shattering Techniques.

-The Eight Thought-Shattering Techniques isn’t just a condensation of enlightenment. It awakens the will of those who understand the formula.

“Will?”

-If your will and sense of self were weak, you would have been quickly devoured by the Demon inside. But as you can see, you’ve gained a will stronger than anyone else’s. That is the greatest strength a human can possess.

“…It sounds as if you’re saying that my learning the Eight Thought-Shattering Techniques was all intentional.”

-I won’t deny that it wasn’t unintentional.

“What?”

-However, even if I made arrangements, if you didn’t have the connection to receive it, we wouldn’t have met like this.

At Jin Woon-hwi’s words, numerous events flashed through Mok Gyeong-un’s mind.

The supreme secret manual called the Eight Thought-Shattering Techniques came into his possession not by mere chance, but through the overlapping of numerous connections, as if by fate.

It was too coincidental to be dismissed as simple chance.

After being lost in thought for a moment, Mok Gyeong-un finally spoke.

“If you call it an arrangement for it to come into my possession, can you also call it an arrangement for it to fall into the hands of one who will cause harm to the world?”

It was a sharp question hitting the nail on the head.

‘That’s right.’

It wasn’t just Mok Gyeong-un and Cheong-ryeong who obtained the Eight Thought-Shattering Techniques.

Mok Gan, the leader of the Secret Society, also learned it.

Cheong-ryeong inwardly thought that Jin Woon-hwi might be a bit flustered by Mok Gyeong-un’s pointed question.

However, Jin Woon-hwi showed no reaction.

Instead, he answered in a calm voice.

-Do you remember when I said the heavenly secrets are like a hazy fog?

“……”

-The being I read in the heavenly secrets had two wills full of madness within one body. It’s a completely different existence from you, truly like chaos incarnate.

Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes narrowed at these words.

Is he saying that he read through the heavenly secrets that two wills coexist within the Mok Gan, or Saman?

Then Jin Woon-hwi continued,

-If two strong wills coexist in one body and neither weakens, what do you think will happen?

To this question, Mok Gyeong-un answered.

“Are you trying to say that too many cooks spoil the broth?”

-At least, with constant conflict and chaos within, it could somewhat delay the coming calamity.

“Was the Eight Thought-Shattering Techniques falling into his hands meant to cause discord between the two wills?”

-You’re clever indeed. To understand such a difficult concept at once. However, this too is just a temporary measure.

-Suk!

As Jin Woon-hwi stood up, the table and teacups suddenly disappeared.

In that state, Jin Woon-hwi put on the demon mask again and spoke in a meaningful voice.

-Even if it’s been delayed somewhat, that time will eventually come. It’s only a matter of time before the two wills steeped in madness completely assimilate with each other in chaos. The great calamity brought about by the being born when they become one will lead all living things in the Central Plains to destruction.

“…What are you trying to say?”

-I know you’re not someone who pursues goodness or values chivalry. However, if you have even the slightest thing you hold dear, it’s you who lives in the present world, not me who is merely a byproduct of the past, who can protect it from the coming destruction.

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