Myst, Might, Mayhem

“Ugh…”

The middle-aged man with a scar under his left eye, sitting cross-legged on the floor while eating a sweet, sighed as he looked towards the pavilion leading to the main hall.

The pavilion, usually guarded by escort warriors, was empty.

‘Is this really okay?’

His name was Jang Myeong-in.

He held the position of Inner Manor Master, the head of security for the main hall at Yeon Mok Sword Manor.

In his youth, he was a renowned expert in martial arts near Xiaoxing, Zhejiang. Nineteen years ago, during a pirate suppression campaign in the Haeyang region, he formed a connection with the Manor Master and joined Yeon Mok Sword Manor.

‘Manor Master…’

The Manor Master of his younger days was a true hero.

Jang Myeong-in admired him and believed everything he did was right.

But how did things end up like this?

[Inner Manor Master… you don’t really wish for that lowly courtesan’s son to inherit the position of the great Yeon Mok Sword Manor, do you?]

[That’s…]

[Think carefully about what’s best for Yeon Mok Sword Manor.]

At first, he tried not to get involved.

However, he couldn’t help but be swayed by the words of the first wife, Lady Seok.

Even if Mok Yu-cheon, the youngest son, had overwhelmingly superior martial arts, he lacked a strong foundation and allies within the family. If he were to inherit the clan, it would eventually lead to the division of Yeon Mok Sword Manor.

‘Yes, this is the right thing to do.’

Even if the eldest son, Mok Yeong-ho, was somewhat tyrannical, he was still the firstborn.

His maternal family was none other than the Jinhua Seok clan, more than capable of supporting him.

In many ways, it was right for him, as the eldest son, to be the successor.

However, there was one thing that bothered him.

[Even the physician couldn’t do anything, how could a mere diviner…]

[It won’t take long. Just pretend not to know for about an hour.]

[…]

[He’s a skilled diviner from Mengcheng. If he finds out, there will be no need to clash with the retainers and the second son, Mok Eun-pyeong.]

The Manor Master’s seal.

With the seal, one could appoint a successor.

It could also prevent the division among the retainers.

‘Is it possible?’

However, he couldn’t shake off a hint of doubt.

How could a mere diviner, who only dealt with sorcery, find a way to make the Manor Master, who was on the verge of drawing his last breath, reveal the location of the seal?

It seemed like a waste of time with pointless actions.

‘It can’t be that they plan to intimidate the weakened Manor Master with medicine or something to find out, right?’

No matter how much the eldest son, Mok Yeong-ho, wanted to become the successor, that was unacceptable.

It was a disgrace to the Manor Master, to whom he had pledged his loyalty.

-Clench!

Jang Myeong-in’s hand clenched tightly.

‘No, that’s not it.’

Although he was told to keep the surroundings empty for about an hour, he decided to check just in case.

They told him not to interfere, so there shouldn’t be any significant issues if he just took a look.

With that thought, Inner Manor Master Jang Myeong-in passed the pavilion and headed towards the main hall.

***

-Swish!

Mok Gyeong-un grabbed the neck of the diviner Myo-sin, whose veins were bulging grotesquely.

Myo-sin’s pulse had stopped, his breath cut off.

Confirming this, Mok Gyeong-un turned around with an expressionless face.

‘Not bad.’

It didn’t look like he had died by human hands.

A mysterious death.

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That’s how Myo-sin’s death appeared.

-Whoosh!

At that moment, a pale, giant monk appeared above the dead Myo-sin.

A string of clattering skull beads hung around his neck.

Mok Gyeong-un reached out and touched them.

The monk’s eerie, ghostly white eyes, emitting a sinister light, trembled.

“You wear interesting things around your neck.”

-…

The reason was simple.

It allowed direct contact with Mok Gyeong-un’s ethereal form.

As Mok Gyeong-un fiddled with the skull beads, he asked, “You said you’d be a faithful slave, so what should I call you?”

The giant monk, who had been standing still, mumbled something softly in response to Mok Gyeong-un’s question.

His lips barely seemed to move.

-…

This was not something that could be heard by human ears.

However, Mok Gyeong-un heard it clearly.

“Demonic Monk? Sounds more like a title than a name. Well, as long as I can call you something, it doesn’t matter.”

The strange being referred to itself as the Demonic Monk[1].

Looking at Demonic Monk, Mok Gyeong-un smirked and turned his head to look at the unconscious Manor Master, whose arm had been severed.

Mok Gyeong-un stroked his own chin.

“Hmm.”

He was contemplating.

Whether it would be better to kill the Manor Master or keep him alive.

The contemplation didn’t last long.

If he were to kill the Manor Master immediately, it would put him in a difficult position.

So it was better to keep him alive.

“Then we need to change the scenario a bit. Demonic Monk, can you move him in front of the Manor Master?”

-…

In response to Mok Gyeong-un’s words, the Demonic Monk, who had been standing still, shook his head.

Mok Gyeong-un muttered with a hint of disappointment, “You can’t do it?”

-…

He thought that since the Demonic Monk had killed the diviner, he would be able to exert physical strength, but unexpectedly, he couldn’t perform such a simple physical task.

Or was he pretending not to be able to do it on purpose?

Moreover,

-Whoosh!

The moment the materialized part of his body was exposed to sunlight, it disappeared like a mirage.

The phenomenon was similar to a shadow vanishing in the light.

‘It’s a difficult domain to understand.’

It was intriguing but hard to comprehend.

Mok Gyeong-un’s gaze turned to the bookshelf of the dead diviner Myo-sin.

Various books related to sorcery were placed there.

If he referred to those, could he gain a better understanding of this strange being?

-Thump! Thump!

At that moment, the sound of someone walking on the wooden floor outside the room could be heard.

Soon, the voice of the escort guard came from outside the room.

“Is it not finished yet?”

“Come in.”

At those words, the escort guard opened the door and entered.

The guard’s eyes widened upon entering the room.

“What… What is this…”

The guard was startled by the sight of the dead diviner Myo-sin.

He expected Myo-sin to be performing sorcery, but seeing him dead in the meantime was quite shocking.

Strangely, the escort guard didn’t seem to notice the Demonic Monk.

Mok Gyeong-un pointed to the left side with a nod and asked, “Do you see anything here?”

“Pardon?”

“It seems you can’t see it…”

-…

“Ah… I see.”

“Pardon?”

“No, I wasn’t talking to you, guard.”

‘!?’

At those words, the guard frowned.

Then was he just talking to himself?

While the guard was puzzled, Mok Gyeong-un looked to his left and spoke incomprehensible words.

“No, I don’t think there’s a need to reveal yourself.”

-…

“Young Master? What are you talking about?”

Mok Gyeong-un smiled at the confused guard and said, “Don’t worry about it. Rather, could you move that diviner over there in front of the Manor Master?”

“No, Young Master, why is the diviner…?”

The state of the dead diviner Myo-sin was extremely bizarre.

The veins on his entire face were grotesquely bulging, and he was dead, his expression filled with pain, shock, and fear.

‘How was he murdered… Is this what it looks like to be murdered?’

Poison?

It was strange to call it poison.

It was extraordinarily grotesque.

‘Could it be that this fellow didn’t kill him?’

Even if his blood was toxic, it was quite different from that.

It didn’t seem like he was killed by physical means either, so what was it?

While the guard was puzzled, Mok Gyeong-un spoke.

“Instead of just staring, could you move him?”

“Y-Yes… Yes.”

When Mok Gyeong-un repeated the same words twice, the guard hastily moved the dead diviner Myo-sin in front of the Manor Master, sensing the impatience.

Then Mok Gyeong-un said, “Place him there as naturally as possible, as if he died while going berserk on his own.”

‘What?’

How was he supposed to place the body to make it look like he died while going berserk on his own?

The guard, at a loss, simply laid Myo-sin’s corpse down haphazardly.

He did as he was told, but what was the intention?

‘Could it be that he’s trying to make it seem like the diviner did all this?’

Looking at the state of the messy room, it did seem plausible.

The only fortunate thing was that the Manor Master was still alive.

Although his arm was severed, it was better than being dead.

“Young Master… What will you do now?”

“Ah, I forgot something important.”

In response to the guard’s question, Mok Gyeong-un picked up the sword that had fallen on the floor.

With the sword in hand, Mok Gyeong-un approached the bed where the Manor Master lay and swung it back and forth.

-Swish swish!

“Let’s do it like this. The diviner, who was trying to treat the Manor Master with sorcery, was possessed by an evil spirit, severed the Manor Master’s arm, and tried to kill him, but we stopped him.”

“…”

The escort guard clicked his tongue inwardly at those words.

He had come up with a plausible excuse to escape the situation.

Indeed, looking at the bizarre way the diviner Myo-sin had died, it did seem as if he had been possessed by something.

However,

‘Will they easily believe it?’

The first wife was not a woman to be trifled with.

Just as the guard was contemplating whether to simply not say anything, he cautiously spoke.

“Young Master… If we try to deceive them clumsily, it may arouse suspicion.”

“Is it clumsy?”

“It was truly a coincidence, but if we say that we appeared at the perfect moment to save the Manor Master, the first wife will not easily accept it. Moreover, this diviner was hired by her, so even more so…”

“I see. We need to make it more believable.”

-Swish!

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un gripped the sword’s handle in reverse.

The guard was wondering what he was trying to do when suddenly, Mok Gyeong-un brought the tip of the sword to his own thigh.

“Y-Young Master? What are you doing?”

“We need to make it more believable. This should be enough.”

“Wa-Wait…”

Before the guard could stop him,

-Stab!

The sharp blade pierced through Mok Gyeong-un’s thigh.

‘!!!!!’

The guard’s expression stiffened at the sight.

He wasn’t just pinching himself but stabbing his own thigh with a sword. Was there not a moment of hesitation?

What was even more absurd was that despite the pain he must have felt, Mok Gyeong-un didn’t let out a single groan.

No, there was no change in his expression.

‘D-Does he not feel pain?’

Even the guard himself would have gritted his teeth or made a grimace to endure the pain.

Yet, this fellow showed almost no change in his expression, as if he felt no pain at all.

‘Ruthless bastard…’

The guard couldn’t help but be astonished.

It was remarkable that he stabbed his own thigh without hesitation to avoid suspicion, but he was truly a cold-blooded person.

“There… There was no need to go this far…”

“This is the most effective way.”

“I’ll stop the bleeding!”

“No, I need to lose more blood to look a bit pale.”

“…”

The guard found this fellow increasingly frightening and terrifying.

‘Someone this crazy should never be made an enemy…’

-Bang!

At that moment, the door swung open, and someone barged in.

The guard was startled to see who it was.

“Inner Manor Master?”

The middle-aged man with a scar under his left eye was none other than Inner Manor Master Jang Myeong-in.

It wasn’t really surprising.

As the head of security for the main hall, he was originally supposed to be stationed here.

Rather, it was strange that he had been absent from his post.

-Ching!

Inner Manor Master Jang Myeong-in drew his sword from his waist and pointed it at them.

“What have you done?”

In response to his rebuke, the escort guard waved his hands.

“Inner Manor Master, it’s a misunderstanding. The Young Master and I…”

Before he could even offer an explanation,

“More importantly, we need to take care of the Manor Master first…”

-Thud!

‘!?’

Mok Gyeong-un collapsed beside him, swaying.

The escort guard was momentarily at a loss for words upon seeing this.

Did he just pretend to faint?

And while saying that the Manor Master’s well-being should be prioritized over his own?