Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 363 – Sword (2)

“Yes. I think it would be fine even if Cheong-ryeong possessed someone to give birth to my child.”

-!!!!!!!!

Cheong-ryeong, frozen like ice, was at a loss for what to do.

As a vengeful spirit, she had remained in this world to resolve her grudge, but she was merely a spiritual body without even a physical form.

Thus, no matter what emotions she might develop, she considered them all meaningless.

But now, Mok Gyeong-un had shaken her with completely unexpected words.

-You… you… what… what are you…

She was so flustered that she couldn’t speak properly.

Mok Gyeong-un’s words were that shocking.

Does this mortal truly understand what he just said?

Is he perhaps mocking her?

As the bewildering emotions passed, anger began to rise.

-Mortal, do you know what you’re saying right now?

“Why wouldn’t I know?”

-What?

“I said I’d like it if Cheong-ryeong had my child.”

-Are you trying to play word games with me…

“It’s not a word game.”

-If this isn’t a word game, then what are you saying? Telling a dead vengeful spirit to bear a child, this is insulting to me…

-Grab!

Before she could finish speaking,

Mok Gyeong-un grabbed her hand.

Unlike other exorcists, he could directly touch her as if she were corporeal, even without high spiritual power.

-Grip!

Seeing Mok Gyeong-un firmly grasping her hand, she was so flustered she didn’t know what to do.

-Wh-what are you doing?

“What does that matter?”

-What do you mean, what does it matter?

“What does it matter that you’re a dead vengeful spirit?”

-What do you mean, what does it matter? I am dead, and you, mortal, are alive…

“What does being dead or alive have to do with liking someone?”

-………..

At these words from Mok Gyeong-un, Cheong-ryeong was at a loss for words.

It was truly bizarre.

She was merely a spiritual body, so she had no heart and no blood flowing.

Nevertheless, she was caught in the strange phenomenon of her face feeling hot and her chest pounding as if her heart was beating fast, making her unable to look at him.

‘Li… liking…’

Is this mortal really playing with her?

But Mok Gyeong-un’s gaze as he looked at her was completely different from usual.

How could this guy, who was the very embodiment of emotionlessness, be looking at her with such warm eyes?

Looking into those eyes made her heart weak.

This shouldn’t be happening, it felt like the long years she had stubbornly endured with only vengeance would crumble.

Then Mok Gyeong-un said to Cheong-ryeong,

“Do you dislike me, Cheong-ryeong?”

With that one question, Cheong-ryeong’s heart was about to completely crumble.

She wasn’t a fool.

She was constantly aware of the signs she felt from him and her own weakening heart.

That’s why she had hoped as much as possible that this situation wouldn’t occur.

But why is this guy trying to make her so weak like this?

Cheong-ryeong’s hand, held by Mok Gyeong-un, was about to tighten.

-I… I…

At that moment, the image of someone wailing flashed through Cheong-ryeong’s mind.

-Slap!

Cheong-ryeong hurriedly shook off Mok Gyeong-un’s hand.

Then, biting her lip, she spoke in a resolute voice.

-This one does not.

“……..”

-This one exists only for revenge. Isn’t it the same for you?

“……..Revenge.”

Hearing the disappointment in Mok Gyeong-un’s voice, she turned her gaze away.

She felt that if she made eye contact, her heart might weaken unnecessarily.

But then Mok Gyeong-un continued speaking.

“That’s right. Revenge was everything.”

‘Was?’

It’s past tense.

What is he trying to say?

It feels like I shouldn’t listen.

But then,

“I think it would be nice to be with Cheong-ryeong after the revenge is done.”

-Haa……

Cheong-ryeong’s eyes trembled.

Why are you, mortal, trying to make her weak when she’s trying to resolutely push you away?

As she was merely a dead vengeful spirit, she no longer had any desire to be connected with anyone.

To her, who was like this, Mok Gyeong-un approached and said,

“But you’re right too.”

-What?

Is he giving up?

Really?

The human heart is truly fickle.

As she sensed signs of giving up in his words, she felt somewhat regretful.

But then Mok Gyeong-un said,

“I was only thinking of myself. Not just me, but we need to finish your revenge too. Isn’t that right?”

-………

“If both our revenges are finished, then could Cheong-ryeong like me too?”

-………

Cheong-ryeong’s eyes, which had been avoiding his gaze, were now directed at Mok Gyeong-un again.

Why?

She had thought that, unlike others, she would never be attracted to such an emotionless being even if he were alive.

But you, mortal…

Right at that moment,

-Whoosh!

Mok Gyeong-un suddenly stretched his hand upward.

Then something flew and landed in his hand.

It was none other than a bracelet.

-…What is that?

At Cheong-ryeong’s question, Mok Gyeong-un looked up at the top of the cliff with narrowed eyes and said,

“It seems to be the accessory Ye Song-ah always wears on her wrist.”

Ye Song-ah.

The granddaughter of the Holy Fire Priestess.

Why had her bracelet, which she always wore, suddenly fallen down the cliff?

As she was wondering this, Cheong-ryeong said to Mok Gyeong-un,

-I don’t know what’s happening, but we should go up for now.

“…Indeed. But it seems you haven’t answered my question yet.”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s directness, Cheong-ryeong’s lips twitched as if she was about to say something, then clenched her fist and said,

-I’ll consider it if the revenge is finished.

“Consider?”

-Yes!

“Can emotions be something to consider?”

-Hmph! Don’t nitpick every little thing! This one’s thoughts haven’t changed.

“Ah. Is that so?”

Mok Gyeong-un shrugged and smiled slightly.

Consideration ultimately meant leaving room for possibility, so it wasn’t impossible.

Therefore, this was enough for now.

***

Just half a moment ago.

A young man and woman were standing with their backs to the broken cliff.

They were Ou Yeonwoo, the third son of Ou Cheonmu, the Master of the Spiritual Sword Sanctuary, and Ye Song-ah, the granddaughter of the Holy Fire Priestess.

These two were surrounded by sword disciples of the Spiritual Sword Sanctuary, and this scene was being observed by guests of the Spiritual Sword Sanctuary and Jeong Myeong Sa-tae, an investigator from the Righteous Alliance and a member of the Hangshan Sect, along with Moyong Hak, the eldest son of the Moyong family.

How did it come to this?

It was because Ou Woong-seong, the second son of Master Ou, had exposed Ye Song-ah as a member of the Fire Faith Order.

[Hand over that object. It belongs to this young lady.]

When Junior Master Ou Woong-hwang spoke these words, Ou Woong-seong, who had noticed her identity, immediately started pushing the atmosphere as soon as he regained consciousness.

[Master! And honored guests, do you truly not understand? That mysterious swordsman, and the Fire Faith Order expert that this wench brought, caused this disaster trying to steal that glowing orb that was taken from that brat Yeonwoo!]

These words from Ou Woong-seong were enough to sway public opinion.

The perception of the Fire Faith Order wasn’t very good even among martial artists, so people began to think that the cause of this incident originated from Ye Song-ah and Ou Yeonwoo.

“That’s right. It makes sense.”

“If they hadn’t come, this situation wouldn’t have happened.”

“How many people have died?”

“Damn Fire Faith Order members.”

“Shh. He’s still the Master Ou’s son.”

“Son or not, it’s because of them!”

Ye Song-ah’s identity as a Fire Faith Order member and Ou Woong-seong’s instigation were driving them into a corner.

Of course, not everyone was pushing them.

Junior Master Ou Woong-hwang, who had learned his younger brother Ou Yeonwoo’s true intentions, stepped forward to try to calm the situation.

“Please calm down, my sword disciples and honored guests. It’s too hasty to conclude that this happened because of them. With the Righteous Alliance investigators here, we can make a judgment after a thorough investigation…”

“What do you mean calm down? Second Young Master Ou Woong-seong is right! If it weren’t for your third brother who joined the Fire Faith Order and that wench, none of this would have happened!”

“That’s right! If it weren’t for them, neither the tragedy of the Namgoong family nor this disaster here would have occurred. What on earth are you saying, Junior Master?”

But it was not enough to soothe the crowd that was already as angry as it could be.

They were convinced that all the blame lay with Ou Yeonwoo and Ye Song-ah, who were Fire Faith Order members, and believed they should pay the price.

Moyong Hak from the Righteous Alliance seemed to share this opinion,

“Sa-tae. I’ll arrest them for now. Those who fell off the cliff died by the Master’s hand, so send the Alliance’s warriors to retrieve the bodies and escort these two.”

“Amitabha. patron Moyong, let’s observe for a moment.”

“Observe? This is clearly…”

“Your opinion has merit, patron, but you’re being too swayed by instigation.”

“Sa-tae…”

At Jeong Myeong Sa-tae’s words, Moyong Hak sighed as if frustrated.

As an assigned investigator, he needed to draw some conclusion one way or another.

But luckily, that monstrous true culprit who was hard to subdue had essentially mutually destroyed himself with the Fire Faith Order expert, and those perceived to be the root cause were right here.

It should be a simple matter of just escorting them, so why observe?

At that moment, someone among the guests stepped forward and spoke.

“What are you trying to do by determining the root cause here and now?”

It was Ji-oe, who had been staying in this Sword Valley the longest among the guests.

When Ji-oe stepped forward, the guests showed incomprehensible reactions.

“No, Senior Ji-oe! Senior Gok-o has died, how can you say such things now?”

“That’s right. It’s crystal clear that they brought about this incident, so how can you say not to determine the root cause?”

“If you’re not going to let the deaths of our seniors and juniors pass like this, then step aside.”

Most of the guests in the Sword Valley were close friends.

With more than half of them having been brutally sacrificed, their anger was not likely to subside easily.

But Ji-oe was also someone with an even fierier temper than them.

“Silence!”

When Ji-oe shouted with internal energy in his voice, those who had been clamoring all closed their mouths at once.

When it became somewhat quiet, Ji-oe spoke again.

“We are sword disciples and martial artists. We’re angry about the deaths of Gok-o and the others, but that was because our martial arts and swordsmanship were inferior to that damned blade user. But why are you ignoring that and saying these young ones should take responsibility as if they’re the root cause?”

“It’s not a matter of attitude, senior.”

“They’re Fire Faith Order members…”

“That damn Fire Faith Order! Fire Faith Order! Are you going to kill every Fire Faith Order member you see? A martial artist’s death ultimately comes from not being strong enough in the law of the jungle. Why can’t you see the essence?”

At Ji-oe’s rebuke, some looked ashamed.

This was because they were people with strong pride as martial artists.

However, there was someone who was instigating to prevent this atmosphere from settling down,

“Senior Ji-oe. If it weren’t for those Fire Faith Order members, that blade user wouldn’t have appeared, this horrible tragedy wouldn’t have happened, and my arm wouldn’t have been cut off. Surely you’re not trying to defend them?”

It was Ou Woong-seong, the second son of the Master.

At his words, the guests and martial artists stirred again.

“The Second Young Master is right. How can you defend them?”

“Ha! You’re truly heartless. Is senior Gok-o’s death because he was weak? Are you saying all weak people should die unfairly?”

“Wh-what did you say?”

Ji-oe was dumbfounded at their reactions.

If there was a situation where cause and effect should be examined because everything has a causal relationship, it should be examined, but right now, their anger was being instigated by the glib tongue of that Master’s second son.

That guy was making things more complicated by blaming this and that.

“Please calm down!”

Junior Master Ou Woong-hwang tried hard to calm them down, but it was useless.

Seeing this, the second son Ou Woong-seong laughed inwardly.

It was truly a blessing in disguise, wasn’t it?

Only after losing his arm did he come to his senses, and although he was in agony at first, later he saw this as an opportunity.

He didn’t understand why his older brother suddenly tried to help them, but if he could use this as an excuse to accuse him of trying to help a Fire Faith Order member, what would happen?

It seemed possible that he might even be able to have the position of Junior Master stripped away.

‘It all depends on Father’s decision.’

Ou Woong-seong looked at Master Ou Cheonmu, who was standing on the cliff looking down.

Master Ou Cheonmu had been looking down for a long time, not taking his eyes off, perhaps to see what had happened to those two monsters.

‘How deep is that place, how could they survive?’

Even for peerless experts, not only was the depth of this cliff tremendous, but due to the valley winds, it was almost impossible even to descend with a rope.

No matter how strong those guys were, it was safe to say there was almost no chance of survival.

At that moment, Master Ou Cheonmu, who had been looking down the cliff, finally raised his head and turned around.

“Huu.”

As he took his gaze off the cliff and turned around, everyone’s attention focused on him.

Eventually, Master Ou Cheonmu approached where Ou Yeonwoo and Ye Song-ah were, with his hands behind his back.

Then Ou Yeonwoo prostrated himself on the ground.

“Fath-, no, Master. This incident is absolutely not related to us. Or even if it is, it has nothing to do with Miss Ye here.”

“Yeonwoo!”

Ye Song-ah was dismayed at his words.

Ou Yeonwoo’s intention was clear.

He was trying to save her, at least.

Knowing his affection, Junior Master Ou Woong-hwang also knelt on one knee, clasped his hands, and spoke respectfully.

“Master. This son will investigate this incident. So for now…”

“Ah! Didn’t brother say that? That the orb belongs to that young lady, so return it? Brother, what connection do you have with that Fire Faith Order wench that you tried to help her?”

Before he could finish speaking, Ou Woong-seong interrupted loudly.

‘You?’

Junior Master Ou Woong-hwang glared at Ou Woong-seong in disbelief.

He knew that the second son had always been overly greedy and envious, but he didn’t expect him to seize this situation as an opportunity and cling to it like a jackal.

But now was not the time to glare at that guy.

“Master! It’s slander. It seems that child is driving these children and me into a corner out of resentment for losing his arm…”

“Enough.”

At that moment, Master Ou Cheonmu finally spoke.

At his words, everyone, including Junior Master Ou Woong-hwang, closed their mouths.

The leader here was Master Ou Cheonmu, and it was safe to say that all decision-making power rested with him.

Ou Cheonmu then looked at someone and spoke.

“Young lady, are you the owner of that shining orb?”

At this question, her face immediately darkened.

Given the situation, she didn’t expect complete fairness, but the Master’s question itself wasn’t creating a very favorable situation.

“Th-that’s…”

“Just answer the question. Are you the owner of that orb?”

It was then.

Ou Yeonwoo suddenly stood up and shouted.

“Father, that’s mi… ugh.”

Ou Yeonwoo, who was about to say the sacred orb was his, couldn’t continue speaking.

This was because his mouth was forcibly shut by Master Ou Cheonmu’s profound true energy.

At this attitude of his father, even Junior Master Ou Woong-hwang’s expression hardened.

Because so many people had died, including the Namgoong family and the guests of the Sword Valley, it seemed that Father was not going to let this incident pass.

‘Ah, Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo.’

Junior Master Ou Woong-hwang bit his lip hard, feeling sorry.

Even if he wanted to protect him, if Father was determined to hold them responsible, there was no way to prevent it.

Then Master Ou Cheonmu spoke again.

“This will be the last verbal question. Young lady, are you the owner of that orb?”

-Flutter flutter!

The atmosphere was not ordinary.

Although he hadn’t revealed his aura, Ye Song-ah was trembling, sweating coldly as if she was suffocating from the weighty question.

Gripped by fear, she couldn’t say anything.

It felt like the moment she answered this question, the Master would immediately behead her.

Master Ou Cheonmu shook his head.

Then he approached her even closer and said,

“If you still don’t answer, I’ll take that as a positive…”

-Flinch!

Ou Cheonmu suddenly stopped speaking.

Then he immediately turned his head with a hardened expression.

Everyone’s gaze, which had been focused on Master Ou Cheonmu, turned in the same direction as him, towards the cliff edge.

‘!!!!!!!’

Everyone’s expressions turned to surprise.

This was because they saw a being floating up above the cliff edge.

It was that monster-like expert who had fallen with the blade user.