Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 31

Unlike the vengeful spirits that lack a physical body and thus cannot be touched or perceived, some of the entities in Imaemangnyang possess tangible forms.

Having a physical form means they can literally be touched.

However, even so, the bodies of Imaemangnyang entities, being an amalgamation of negative spiritual energy, are inherently toxic to living humans. As such, even trained diviners find it difficult to handle them with bare hands.

Surprisingly, Mok Gyeong-un caught the armadillo with his bare hands.

‘Is he unaffected?’

As a diviner who employs the armadillo as a spirit servant, Sak couldn’t help but be perplexed.

Why?

Merely touching the toxic energy is agonizing.

Yet Mok Gyeong-un showed no signs of discomfort.

-Kak kak!

‘Oh no!’

Startled by the armadillo’s pained cries, Sak snapped out of her bewilderment.

Swiftly, she drew a talisman from her bosom.

It was the Imperial Decree Incantation talisman.

-Chak chak chak!

Rapidly forming hand seals with her left hand, she chanted an incantation.

“………………!”

As soon as the incantation ended…

-Pa-chi-chi-chi-chi!

“Aargh!”

Blue sparks flew from the hand grasping the armadillo, and violent convulsions seized Mok Gyeong-un’s body.

All humans possess a small amount of lightning energy flowing within them.

The Imperial Decree Incantation talisman technique temporarily amplifies this energy to paralyze the target’s nerves and induce muscle spasms.

“Armadillo!”

Assuming Mok Gyeong-un would be immobilized by the electric shock, Sak tried to snatch her spirit servant, the armadillo.

However…

-Kwak!

-Ka ka ka ka kak!

The armadillo writhed in greater agony.

What was happening?

‘The Imperial Decree Incantation didn’t work. Could it be because he cultivated martial arts?’

Ordinary people, unless they had a unique constitution, were usually susceptible to exorcism techniques to some degree.

However, martial artists who could manipulate qi sometimes proved resistant to talismans and exorcism techniques.

Sak assumed Mok Gyeong-un, being from a martial arts clan, had naturally cultivated internal energy, rendering him resistant.

Of course, contrary to her speculation, Mok Gyeong-un had not endured through the power of internal energy.

‘Lucky me.’

It was unintentional.

For the briefest moment, Mok Gyeong-un was paralyzed by the electric shock.

However, even in that instant, he maintained Ritual of Binding, and the temporarily amplified lightning energy in his body surged into his right hand.

Seizing that fleeting opportunity, Mok Gyeong-un instead released the gathered lightning energy into the armadillo.

-Ka ka ka ka kak!

That was the reason for the armadillo’s suffering.

‘Guyeo!’

As her spirit servant’s agony intensified, the distressed Sak attempted another technique.

Rolling up her sleeves, she revealed the Talisman of the Celestial Ox and Talisman of the Ox Dipper talismans attached to her wrists.

-Chwarak!

From her waist, Sak drew another talisman.

It was inscribed with ‘Big Dipper.’

Biting the edge of the talisman with her mouth, she formed the hand seals.

-Chak!

‘Face Ox Borrowing Strength Technique’

By chanting the Face Ox Borrowing Strength Mantra, this technique temporarily doubled one’s strength.

Diviners had devised this method to combat monsters and Imaemangnyang entities.

When used, it granted immense strength for a brief moment.

“Great Dipper, ……..…..”

“Evil spirit!”

“Huh?”

-Pa-pak!

Chanting the incantation, Sak hastily leaned back.

Demonic Monk had suddenly appeared, swinging his skull prayer beads like a weapon at her head.

Dodging the attack, she bit her lip.

‘Yellow Spirit… when did it…?’

She had forgotten about him while focused on Mok Gyeong-un.

No, she hadn’t considered him a significant threat due to his weakened state.

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-Sreu reuk!

But now, his condition seemed to have greatly improved.

The wounds on his body had nearly vanished.

‘Strange.’

No matter how incorporeal a ghost may be, they don’t recover this quickly.

Though puzzled, Sak prioritized the immediate task of freeing the armadillo from Mok Gyeong-un’s grasp…

It was at that very moment.

-Ka ka ka ka kak!

The armadillo’s scream rang out.

Startled, Sak glanced at the captive armadillo.

The armadillo, which had seemed fine just moments ago, had become significantly emaciated.

Realizing something was amiss, Sak grew increasingly alarmed.

‘Armadillo? What in the world…?’

He was merely holding its neck, so why was an Imaemangnyang entity like the armadillo in such a state?

Its condition was rapidly deteriorating.

Panic-stricken, Sak drew a wooden dagger with a talisman attached from her waist, intending to throw it at Mok Gyeong-un.

However…

-Sreu reuk!

Demonic Monk blocked her path.

Sak dashed to the side, forming a hand seal with one hand and chanting an incantation.

“Sun and moon shine brightly…………..…”

But before she could finish…

“Ugh!”

A tremendous pain seized Sak’s chest.

Instantly realizing the source of the pain, she gazed at Mok Gyeong-un and the armadillo.

“G… Guyeo!”

Sak’s eyes trembled wildly.

The Imaemangnyang armadillo had withered to the point of near-death.

It could only emit agonized groans, as if on the brink of its last breath.

-Kak… kak…

She couldn’t comprehend the situation.

It was bizarre enough for an ordinary human to grasp an Imaemangnyang with bare hands, but why was this happening when he wasn’t even using any exorcism techniques or spells?

“Sto… stop it!”

She cried out in desperation.

Mok Gyeong-un, who had been holding the armadillo’s neck as it shriveled to the brink of death, paid no heed to her plea.

Instead, he seemed entranced by something.

Only Cheong-ryeong could discern the reason behind Mok Gyeong-un’s actions.

-Ha!

She could see it clearly.

The armadillo’s energy, an Imaemangnyang entity, was being absorbed by the Ritual of Binding technique.

The armadillo’s demonic energy, being the opposite of life energy, contained the essence of death.

‘Much more.’

It was merely a means to capture the armadillo.

However, as Mok Gyeong-un began absorbing its energy through Ritual of Binding, he instantly realized…

This Imaemangnyang contained a significantly larger amount of death energy compared to killing a single human.

With this quantity, he might be able to immediately secure enough to form a danjeon[1].

Thus, he continued to drain the armadillo’s energy.

The armadillo, capable of controlling insects but lacking any other notable physical abilities as an Imaemangnyang, had no means to escape Ritual of Binding.

-Uweo eo eo…

Completely drained of its energy, the armadillo teetered on the brink of death.

At that very moment…

-Kung!

Sak dropped to her knees on the ground, her voice filled with anguish as she cried out to Mok Gyeong-un.

“Please, let that child go.”

The armadillo was her precious spirit servant.

She couldn’t bear to lose a spirit servant that had been with her for four years, like family.

Sak shouted.

“If you release it, I will abandon the request!”

Upon hearing those words, Mok Gyeong-un momentarily paused Ritual of Binding and turned his head to face her.

He gazed at Sak with an intrigued expression.

‘Giving up over something like this?’

It was unexpected.

It wasn’t even human, just an Imaemangnyang.

He hadn’t anticipated her willingness to kneel and beg just to save a spirit servant.

‘Hmm.’

Was this bird-beaked creature that precious to her?

Smirking, Mok Gyeong-un spoke to her.

“You mentioned a request, right?”

“Yes.”

“Whose request was it?”

‘Ah!’

She realized her mistake.

In her urgency, she had blurted out that she would abandon the request.

The most crucial aspect of this matter was to maintain secrecy about the client until the very end.

But she had slipped up.

“I’ll ask again. Whose request was it?”

“That’s…”

Reputation was important in this field.

Breaching it meant…

“It seems you don’t particularly care about saving this creature. Then…”

As Mok Gyeong-un prepared to resume Ritual of Binding, the hesitant Sak finally answered.

“Lady Seok… The principal wife of Yeon Mok Sword Manor here requested it.”

Mok Gyeong-un smirked at her words.

He had already guessed who the client was, so he merely asked to confirm.

“As expected.”

“…”

Having revealed the client, Sak’s expression darkened, likely feeling a sense of self-loathing.

Mok Gyeong-un asked her again.

“Are you acquainted with the diviner named Myo-sin?”

“…”

-Kak!

The armadillo, barely clinging to life, cried out in agony once more.

Startled by this, Sak spoke.

“Y-yes!”

“Your responses are slower than I expected. From now on, if there’s no answer, I’ll just dispose of this thing.”

-Euk!

Sak gritted her teeth at Mok Gyeong-un’s words.

Despite her considerable experience as an diviner despite her young age, this was an unprecedented situation for her.

Being threatened using her spirit servant.

If the sect leader or other diviners learned of this, they would ridicule her, but for Sak, who had no family, the armadillo and money were her entire life.

“I’ll… I’ll answer well, so please don’t do that.”

“We’ll see. I’ll continue asking questions, so please provide answers. If you accepted the request, did you receive money?”

“Yes.”

“How much did you receive?”

“A thousand silver coins.”

“That’s a substantial amount.”

“…”

“I sense there’s more to the exact request details.”

“I was told that if the third young master, Mok Gyeong-un, had killed people while possessed by an evil spirit, I should forcibly exorcise him.”

“That doesn’t seem to be all.”

“They said it didn’t matter if he lost his life during the exorcism. And… they asked me to obtain a secret manual from you.”

“Aha.”

Mok Gyeong-un smirked.

As expected.

Since they perceived his ability to control a spirit servant as an unknown power, they likely wouldn’t take unnecessary risks and would entrust the request to another diviner.

Mok Gyeong-un stared intently at her.

Then he asked.

“Do you have any companions?”

After a momentary hesitation, Sak answered.

“…Yes.”

She had considered denying it but ultimately responded, thinking that if Mok Gyeong-un knew there were other diviners besides her, he might be more cautious about taking reckless actions.

As if her assumption had been correct…

“Hmm. So you have companions… Do your companions know that you’re currently handling this task?”

“Everyone knows.”

She immediately replied, thinking it was fortunate.

If he was aware of the group’s existence, she believed Mok Gyeong-un would be more prudent.

And her prediction seemed somewhat accurate.

“Things have become quite troublesome.”

He found it considerably bothersome that she had companions and that they were all aware of her current task.

He had killed Myo-sin, and now another diviner, Sak, had come.

If she were to die as well, the likelihood of another diviner seeking him out would be high.

“Do they also know that the target of the request is me?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm.”

Sak thought that if she played her cards right, the situation might be resolved favorably.

Although she had promised to abandon the request, this man was extremely dangerous.

While her clouded eyes prevented her from accurately assessing him, it seemed he wasn’t actually possessed by a ghost but genuinely controlled it.

‘…Is he really using it as a spirit servant?’

Ghosts serving as spirit servants was an impossibility.

For now, she hoped that this man, fearing future repercussions, would release her spirit servant, the armadillo, and herself.

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un, who had been stroking his chin with his hand, spoke.

“Well, there’s no choice.”

‘Phew.’

Upon hearing those words, she inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness…

-Kwak!

-Ka ka ka kak!

Suddenly, the armadillo screamed in agony.

Sak, startled, cried out.

“I… I answered, so why are you doing that?”

“Ah… No matter how much I think about it, whether I let you go or not, it seems other diviners will come after me in some way. Am I wrong?”

“…”

Sak couldn’t bring herself to answer his question.

Even if she wanted to deceive him, this man was too cunning to be easily fooled.

“Your silence confirms it.”

Mok Gyeong-un said with a grin.

“Then, bid farewell to this bird-beaked creature.”

With those words, Mok Gyeong-un resumed Ritual of Binding to absorb the remaining energy from the armadillo.

At that moment, Sak’s eyes reddened as she shouted.

“Stop! Stop! I’ll do anything, so please don’t kill that child!”

Mok Gyeong-un’s lips curled into a bitter smile at her desperate plea.

***

In the front courtyard of Hyehwa Hall.

Lady Seok stood with her hands behind her back, waiting endlessly.

This time, she had to ensure the matter was handled thoroughly.

If that impudent Mok Gyeong-un truly sided with the second son, Mok Eun-pyeong, and handed over the secret manual, the situation could be reversed.

Therefore, she hoped the diviner named Sak would resolve the issue effectively.

“Madam, the wind outside is cold. Wouldn’t it be better to wait inside?”

Sohwa, one of the maidservants, spoke to her.

Lady Seok shook her head.

“Do you know how things will turn out?”

If the worst-case scenario unfolded, she intended to handle the aftermath immediately.

If it didn’t work out, she had to ensure that no one could have it.

As she pondered, Ho-aeng, the escort warrior, pointed towards the entrance of the hall where Sak was entering.

“Madam, the diviner is coming.”

The diviner Sak could be seen there.

“Ah!”

Seeing her unharmed, Lady Seok’s face brightened.

It meant the request had been successfully completed.

“Congratulations, Madam.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

She believed she should go inside Hyehwa Hall and inquire about how the task was accomplished and whether the secret manual was obtained.

However, after passing through the entrance, Sak stopped.

Lady Seok found it peculiar.

As she watched her, it seemed the diviner Sak was taking out some kind of talisman from her bosom.

‘What is she doing?’

Unable to contain her impatience, Lady Seok gestured for Sak to come closer and said, “What are you doing over there? Come here and talk…”

Before she could even finish her sentence, the diviner Sak shouted loudly, “Madam, our Ghostly Spirit Pavilion cannot kill Young Master Mok Gyeong-un as per your request!”

‘!!!!!!’

She shouted so loudly that Lady Seok, the escort warrior Ho-aeng, and even the maidservants couldn’t hide their bewilderment.

What in the world was this supposed to mean?

‘This wench has gone mad.’

But that wasn’t the end of it.

“Young Master Mok Gyeong-un is not possessed by an evil spirit! Therefore, do not make such requests to our sect anymore! If you make another request…”

With those words, the diviner Sak formed hand seals and chanted an incantation, “……………”

Sensing something was amiss, the escort warrior Ho-aeng urgently tried to rush forward to seize the diviner Sak.

It was at that very moment.

“Ugh!”

“Aak!”

The two maidservants Lady Seok had brought from her maiden home clutched their chests in agony, suffering.

Their faces turned a dark crimson, and the veins on their foreheads swelled as if they were about to burst.