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Chapter 124
Chapter 124
Chapter 124 – Shadow Clan (1)
In a wide room lit by a single candle.
There was a bed in the room, surrounded by bamboo blinds.
A shadow was sitting on the bed, revealed by the light shining through the bamboo blinds.
The shadow gulped down something that looked like medicinal wine and placed it on the table beside the bed.
“Cough, cough!”
The shadow coughed.
Someone was watching this scene with a somewhat bitter gaze.
It was a white-haired man in his early forties, without a single beard.
This man with snake-like eyes was Mong Seo-cheon, the second-in-command of the Heaven and Earth Society and the Vice Society Leader.
“Society Leader… How about summoning Crying Doctor Hoe Ta?”
Crying Doctor Hoe Ta [1].
Along with Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong[2], whose whereabouts had become unknown long ago, he was called the greatest physician of the era.
Unlike Medicine Immortal Hae Yeong, who was said to have reached the highest realm in medicine, he had mastered both external and internal studies and was so skilled in medicine that he served as the royal physician in the imperial palace in his youth.
“If it’s Crying Doctor Hoe Ta, the Society Leader’s…”
“No. It’s fine.”
A resolute voice came from behind the bamboo blinds.
Hearing this, Mong Seo-cheon clicked his tongue inwardly.
Why was he being so stubborn?
Thanks to his profound internal energy, he could endure, but if he couldn’t release the energy within his body, his illness would eventually deepen.
“Cough, cough. More importantly, I heard the results of the Corpse Blood Valley entrance exam are out?”
“…That’s right.”
“The observers?”
“Bright Blade King Son Yun, Thunderbolt Fist King Won Byeong-hak, Shadow Master, Summoning Sound Valley Leader Hang Yeo-ryang, Flame Demon Clan’s Grand Elder Bo Hyuk-so, Crimson Blood Clan’s Grand Elder Dae So-man, these six.”
“The assignments?”
“Except for the Flame Demon Clan’s Grand Elder Bo Hyuk-so, they each took one disciple.”
“I see. Anything unusual?”
At that question, Vice Society Leader Mong Seo-cheon sighed softly and opened his mouth.
“Do you remember sending the two hostage children of the Yeon Mok Sword Manor to Corpse Blood Valley?”
“Yeon Mok Sword Manor? Ah, yes. That happened.”
At the Society Leader’s reaction, Mong Seo-cheon clicked his tongue inwardly.
As expected, sending those two to Corpse Blood Valley seemed to have been a spur-of-the-moment whim.
The Society Leader he had known was that kind of man.
However, it seemed the time had come to face the backlash caused by that impulsive whim.
“The two hostage children…”
“They died?”
“…No.”
“They didn’t die?”
“Yes.”
“They must have been tougher than I thought. Cough, cough. Then, how far did they pass?”
“They passed the final gate.”
‘!?’
At that answer, the shadow behind the bamboo blinds flinched for a moment.
Was he surprised by the unexpected result?
Soon, a voice was heard.
“The hostages passed the final gate… An interesting turn of events.”
“…”
Could this simply be dismissed as an interesting event?
Not just anyone, but those who were brought as hostages from the righteous faction passed the final gate of Corpse Blood Valley.
If this spreads, there will be considerable controversy internally.
In a way, this was no different from a humiliating result for the Heaven and Earth Society.
“This is not a matter to be laughed off. Not the disciples of our sect, but the hostages from the righteous faction jointly took first place.”
“First place?”
“Yes. The Mok brothers both tied for first place.”
At the Vice Society Leader’s words, the shadow behind the bamboo blinds finally threw his head back and burst into laughter.
“First place? Hahahahaha! First place, you say?”
It was quite different from him who had taken the result seriously when he heard it.
He was finding it amusing as if it was someone else’s business.
Then, as if he had suffered internal injuries, he coughed violently, and his breathing became rough.
“Cough, cough… Ha… Ha…”
As expected, his internal injuries hadn’t healed at all.
Yet he was so stubborn.
That monstrous fellow dying was unimaginable, but if he really died suddenly like this, there would be a huge rift internally.
The Vice Society Leader clicked his tongue inwardly and soon said,
“Society Leader, this could potentially lower morale within the sect and cause problems. Rather than this, the fact that he learned the Sword Technique of the Moon…”
“No.”
-Swish!
Suddenly, the entire bamboo blind shook, and a sharp gaze was seen through the gaps.
“Gasp.”
The Vice Society Leader’s expression stiffened as he met that gaze.
The Society Leader’s aura was pressing down on the entire room, making it difficult to even breathe.
It was truly amazing that he could still exert this level of pressure despite lying in bed for a long time.
‘…He’s still alive.’
It wasn’t for nothing that he was called one of the Six Heavens at the pinnacle of the martial world.
Even if he wasn’t in his prime, it seemed there was no one in the fortress who could face the Society Leader.
Not even himself.
-Clench!
Vice Society Leader Mong Seo-cheon clenched his fist, steadied his breathing, and calmed his trembling hand.
Then, the aura that had filled the room disappeared in an instant.
Soon after, the Society Leader opened his mouth.
“No. No. That’s still far from enough.”
‘…What is he talking about?’
Vice Society Leader Mong Seo-cheon slightly furrowed his brows.
It was difficult to understand the meaning of what the Society Leader was saying now.
What was far from enough?
“Just leave the hostages alone.”
“…”
Is he serious?
If it becomes known that he sent them to Corpse Blood Valley and allowed them to become disciples of the observers regardless of their background, there will be those who question it.
Does he not care about that?
However, he couldn’t voice any further objections.
“I understand.”
In the Heaven and Earth Society, the Society Leader’s orders were absolute.
“More importantly, have you found ‘it’?”
The Society Leader changed the subject.
At his question, Vice Society Leader Mong Seo-cheon shook his head and replied,
“Not yet. However…”
And he quietly said something.
***
He was about to leave the main building after coming out of the Society Leader’s residence.
Someone called out to Vice Society Leader Mong Seo-cheon.
“Vice Society Leader.”
At this, Mong Seo-cheon’s eyes narrowed.
Just from the voice, he immediately recognized who had called him.
However, the problem was that he hadn’t detected this person’s location or presence until he called him.
‘…Has he progressed again?’
He had heard that he came out of seclusion a few days ago.
He had heard that there were results, but to think he had progressed to the point where even he had difficulty detecting his presence.
It was truly amazing.
“Young Master Jang.”
As he turned his head, a young man in his late twenties with curly hair and a bright appearance was standing there with a smirk on his face.
He was Jang Neung-ak, the second disciple of the Society Leader.
Although he was considered to be on the lower end in terms of talent among the Society Leader’s three disciples, that was only within those three. If compared to his peers, he boasted overwhelming talent.
The Society Leader’s second disciple, Jang Neung-ak, said with a smirk that revealed his unique dimples,
“Is the Society Leader still obsessed with finding ‘that’?”
At his question, the Vice Society Leader smiled without a word.
It was because the conversation with the Society Leader should not be revealed to anyone.
That was the case even if it was a disciple.
At this, the second disciple Jang Neung-ak joked and said,
“I don’t understand why the Society Leader is so obsessed with such religious things. It would be better to spend that time searching for Crying Doctor Hoe Ta, don’t you think?”
Mong Seo-cheon inwardly agreed with those words.
However, who could stop the Society Leader’s stubbornness?
“He must have his reasons.”
“Ah, ah, ah.”
The Society Leader’s second disciple, Jang Neung-ak, shook his head at the Vice Society Leader Mong Seo-cheon’s ambiguous answer.
It was always like this.
He was the Society Leader’s right-hand man and had the most influence after the Society Leader, so he wanted to win him over somehow, but it was particularly difficult.
If he tried to get close even a little, he would immediately distance himself.
Fortunately, he hadn’t taken anyone’s side yet.
‘But this is only for now.’
He would soon join him.
Jang Neung-ak said with a raised corner of his mouth,
“I obtained an interesting piece of information, but I’m not sure if you know about it.”
“An interesting piece of information?”
“Yes. I heard that the ones who passed the Corpse Blood Valley entrance exam as the top scorers were the hostages of the Yeon Mok Sword Manor brought by the Bright Blade King. Is that true?”
“…”
At that question, Vice Society Leader Mong Seo-cheon silently let out a soft sigh.
As expected, the rumors were already spreading.
The second disciple Jang Neung-ak must have quickly acquired this information, as he had a considerable number of supporters under his command.
If he knew this much, there was no need to hide it.
“That’s right.”
“Heh.”
‘Heh?’
Jang Neung-ak suddenly bit his thumbnail and laughed, holding back his laughter.
Seeing his behavior, worry arose in Mong Seo-cheon’s eyes.
Having watched the Society Leader’s disciples since they were young, he knew each one’s personality better than anyone.
‘This doesn’t look good.’
When Jang Neung-ak became interested in something, the results were usually not very good.
If it was something that couldn’t be touched in the first place, it was fine, but the moment he thought he could touch it, he became full of malice.
“Young Master, just in case, I’ll say this…”
“Ah, ah, ah. Vice Society Leader. You don’t think I’ll do something to them just because they’re from the righteous faction, do you?”
“…It’s not that, but…”
“I’m just interested in the fact that even the righteous faction has those with such wickedness and talent.”
“…Now they will become the strength of our sect, not the righteous faction.”
“That’s perfect. I hope that strength will be of help to me as well.”
At his words, the Vice Society Leader was deeply concerned.
Jang Neung-ak was someone who would try to obtain and achieve what he wanted in any way possible.
***
Southeast outskirts of the Heaven and Earth Society’s inner fortress.
There, the headquarters of the Shadow Clan[3] was located.
As he entered the Shadow Clan, Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes glinted with interest.
That was because dozens of hawks and pigeons were flying into one of the buildings, and on the other side, people carrying flags were running over and handing over something that looked like scrolls, which were quickly read by others and burned.
-They’re doing their job properly.
Cheong-ryeong’s voice echoed in his mind.
-What are they doing?
-As you can see, they’re managing the messenger birds and burning the letters that come to the Shadow Clan to maintain confidentiality.
-Oh ho.
It was indeed fitting for an organization that dealt with information and secrets.
While that was happening, the Shadow Master headed somewhere without stopping.
It wasn’t a place where messenger birds and confidential documents were exchanged, but where weapons and training grounds were located.
-Creak!
The door opened, revealing an indoor training ground.
It seemed to be a place with thick walls that would provide quite good soundproofing.
As the Shadow Master gestured, the warriors who had followed bowed their heads in greeting and left, closing the door.
Thus, only the two of them were left in the indoor training ground.
What was the reason he brought him here?
As he was thinking that, the Shadow Master spoke,
“Ohoho. This is my personal training ground.”
A space completely isolated from the outside, without a single window.
It seemed to be designed so that no one could interfere or observe.
As he looked around, the Shadow Master said,
“How is it? Do you feel like learning my unique martial arts?”
“…”
At his words, Mok Gyeong-un furrowed his brows.
The Shadow Master had told him to think about it until they reached the Shadow Clan.
The Shadow Master’s unique martial arts.
Naturally, as the martial arts that made him an executive, it could be called a supreme technique.
However, the problem was that in order to learn it, one had to be castrated.
-Hahaha. How about cutting it off cleanly this time?
Cheong-ryeong laughed as if she found it amusing.
Castration literally meant removing the testicles, which could be considered the center of a man’s yang energy.
Although Mok Gyeong-un didn’t particularly have any desires or thoughts of prospering his descendants, it didn’t mean he wanted to be castrated.
Mok Gyeong-un politely clasped his hands together in a salute and said,
“I apologize, but I don’t think I can do that.”
“You don’t think you can?”
“Yes.”
“Then you’ll become a subordinate under my command, not my official disciple. Surely you can consider that much?”
“I can’t become an official disciple?”
“Isn’t it obvious? How can you be called a disciple if you don’t learn our sect’s martial arts?”
“…”
It was a reasonable argument.
However, becoming a subordinate of the Shadow Master, not his disciple, was a different story.
The authority itself would be limited, and he would be in a position to merely follow orders.
At this, Mok Gyeong-un said,
“Do I have to be castrated to learn the unique martial arts?”
“Yes. Of course. If you don’t cultivate the Ghost Yin Technique[4], you won’t be able to circulate energy for the Flying Ghost Blade Technique[5] or the Ghost Shadow Claw Technique[6], and without that, you won’t be able to execute the moves.”
The Shadow Master’s martial arts were based on strong yin energy.
If one couldn’t grasp the energy circulation method of the Ghost Yin Technique, they wouldn’t be able to fully exert the power of the moves.
At his words, Mok Gyeong-un stroked his chin as if he was in a difficult position.
Seeing this, the Shadow Master laughed with his mouth covered and said,
“Ohohoho. I’m not forcing you to be castrated. However, if you want to become my official disciple, it’s a process you have to go through.”
“Do I absolutely need yin energy to learn martial arts?”
“Yes. If it were martial arts that could be executed with yang energy, our sect wouldn’t have needed to be castrated for generations.”
The Shadow Master didn’t choose to be castrated because he wanted to.
It was simply a natural course to learn the sect’s martial arts.
However, because there was much to lose for this, he always gave the choice to those who would become his disciples.
Of course, until now, no one had willingly chosen to be castrated.
The Shadow Master had thought from the beginning that Mok Gyeong-un wouldn’t be able to do it voluntarily either.
At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un asked,
“Isn’t yin energy the opposite concept of yang energy?”
“You could say that. By nature, men are born with strong yang energy, and women are born with strong yin energy. The Ghost Yin Technique was created to overcome this.”
-Swish!
The Shadow Master extended his hand.
Then, a damp and chilly energy rose from his hand.
-Whoosh! His true energy was on a different level compared to ordinary martial artists.
Once one mastered the Ghost Yin Technique, the wounded area would freeze coldly, allowing them to inflict fatal injuries on the opponent.
The Shadow Master demonstrated the yin energy of the Ghost Yin Technique and said, “To control yin energy with a man’s body, unfortunately, there is no other way than castration. Otherwise, it may clash with the yang energy generated within the body, causing one to lose their mind.”
“I see.”
“I’m not forcing you, so you don’t need to feel burdened. To possess this kind of yin energy, there is too much to lose…”
“Is it okay to have something even more yin?”
“Even more yin? What do you…”
-Woooooosh!
Before he could finish his words,
‘!?’
The Shadow Master suddenly felt goosebumps all over his body, and a chill ran down his spine.
The energy suddenly erupting from Mok Gyeong-un. It went beyond being yin and was spreading a dreadful death energy that could only be felt from dead corpses.
“Well, well… You have a remarkable talent for surprises.”