"What have you done to my body?" Jo Il-sang demanded, his voice trembling.
Mok Gyeong-un smiled enigmatically. "I wonder what indeed?"
A chill ran down Jo Il-sang's spine. Though Mok Gyeong-un's lips were curved in a smile, his eyes remained dead and unmoving. For the first time in his life, Jo Il-sang felt truly unnerved.
"Is this really the same Mok Gyeong-un?" he wondered. The Mok Gyeong-un he knew was considered the most pathetic of the Mok brothers. This display was completely unexpected. The atmosphere had shifted entirely, as if he was facing a being that defied human comprehension.
Mok Gyeong-un approached Jo Il-sang and spoke. "You seem to be shaking quite a bit. Don't worry though. Normally, I'd start by cutting off a body part, but this time I've used Mo Chui-san."
"Mo Chui-san?" Jo Il-sang echoed in confusion.{drug}
Mok Gyeong-un pointed upward. "This is quite a nice place, you know. Before, I had to scour the mountains to find the medicinal herbs I needed. But here, they're in abundance, allowing me to create any combination as needed."
"Combine medicinal herbs? What have you done to me?"
"Oh, nothing much. Just a mixture of Bigwi and Yeongma-san Yeongcho root. When properly combined, it paralyzes the entire body except for the head."
Jo Il-sang swallowed hard, his eyes trembling as he looked at Mok Gyeong-un's nonchalant expression. Who was this person? Since when did he possess such knowledge of medicinal herbs?
Mok Gyeong-un bent his knees slightly to meet Jo Il-sang's gaze, gripping his head as he spoke. "Actually, that's not really important. What matters is why the second son, Mok Eun-pyeong, sent you here."
Jo Il-sang clamped his mouth shut. If he had intended to reveal that information, he wouldn't have worn a mask in the first place.
Seeing this, Mok Gyeong-un chuckled. "Your lips have become quite sealed. Of course, you wouldn't willingly talk, given that you came masked. I wonder how we should proceed?"
Just a quarter-hour earlier, Go-chan had expressed his disbelief to Mok Gyeong-un. "This man is Jo Il-sang, a bodyguard of the second young master, Mok Eun-pyeong. How did you manage to subdue him, young master, especially with your injured thigh?"
Go-chan couldn't comprehend it. Jo Il-sang was nearly a first-class expert. How could Mok Gyeong-un, who could barely move due to his injury, have overpowered him? Just how much was this young man hiding?
Mok Gyeong-un had replied, "So he's from the second young master? Why do you think he was sent?"
"I'm not sure," Go-chan had answered. "Given that he came masked, it's likely not for a good reason."
"Can you guess at all?"
"The clan leader hasn't passed away yet, so even the second young master wouldn't attempt something as rash as assassination. Honestly, I truly don't know why he was sent."
"Then I suppose we'll have to find out directly."
"Young master! You can't mean to torture him?"
"That might be a good method."
"Young master! It would be better to release him!"
"Release him?"
Go-chan had warned, "The second young master has his own followers and has built up quite a force. If we needlessly provoke one of his men..."
"You mean there could be consequences?"
"Yes. I know you're angry, but provoking them could be dangerous."
Now, as Jo Il-sang hung helplessly before him, Mok Gyeong-un spoke again. "Let's make a deal."
"A deal?"
"Yes. If you release me and hand over the secret manual of the Yeonmok Sword Technique, I'll speak to the young master and ensure you're left alone."
"Left alone?"
"It means you'll be able to live safely even if the young master becomes the clan leader."
"And the price for this is the Yeonmok Sword Technique manual?"
"That's right."
Despite feeling tense due to his disadvantageous position, Jo Il-sang maintained a strong front. He believed that in situations like this, it was crucial to establish a clear hierarchy. Showing weakness would only invite aggression.
"He'll have no choice but to give in eventually," Jo Il-sang thought to himself. The Yeonmok Sacred Sword Technique was like a pearl in a pig's snout for Mok Gyeong-un. His maternal family had fallen, and none of the clan's retainers supported him. If it was too much for him to keep, handing it over to preserve his life wasn't a bad condition at all...
Suddenly, Mok Gyeong-un grabbed a fistful of Jo Il-sang's hair and yanked hard.
"What? You..."
"How interesting. In a situation where you might end up severely injured, you're making counter-proposals based on your backing."
"You..."
"I think I'll start with your fingers, one by one."
With those words, Mok Gyeong-un produced a peculiar blade.
"This is called a hasak. It's a tool used for trimming medicinal herbs. It's designed to cut through tough materials, so fingers and toes are easily severed."
"What?"
"You can trust me on this. It's been well-tested."
Panicking, Jo Il-sang hurriedly spoke. "You... you! Did you not understand what I said? I came on the second young master's orders. If you harm me, he will..."
"Yes, you talk too much. I'll start by cutting off one finger."
Mok Gyeong-un grasped Jo Il-sang's paralyzed wrist and inserted his right index finger into the hole of the hasak.
Jo Il-sang's face turned deathly pale as he watched. "Stop! Are you truly insane? This..."
A sharp sound of something hard being cut off interrupted him. Jo Il-sang's eyes widened in shock as he saw two segments of his index finger lying on the ground.
He was speechless. Due to the paralysis, he felt no pain. But seeing his severed finger left him dumbfounded and at a loss for words.
Mok Gyeong-un smiled at him. "It doesn't hurt, so it doesn't feel real, right? That's why we usually don't use Mo Chui-san when using the hasak. We just tie people up so they can feel the pain. But since you've trained in martial arts, I had no choice."
That's why Mok Gyeong-un had to use Mo Chui-san. To provide at least a visual effect, he cut off the finger right before Jo Il-sang's eyes.
"I've talked too much. From now on, I'll just keep cutting until you start talking."
With that, Mok Gyeong-un grabbed Jo Il-sang's second finger - his right middle finger.
Panicking, Jo Il-sang cried out, "Stop!"
But Mok Gyeong-un ignored his plea and severed the middle finger with the hasak. Jo Il-sang watched in horror as his severed finger twitched on the ground.
Mok Gyeong-un's voice reached his ears. "Shall we do the thumb next?"
Before Jo Il-sang could respond, Mok Gyeong-un had already grasped his thumb and inserted it into the hasak's hole.
Jo Il-sang couldn't hide his shock. He was right-handed. If his thumb was cut off too, he would no longer be able to do anything with his right hand.
"St-stop..."
The rest of his words wouldn't come out. He realized that no matter what he said, this madman would cut regardless.
As Mok Gyeong-un's hand holding the hasak began to apply pressure, Jo Il-sang's voice burst out:
"The second young master sent me to confirm whether you had really lost your martial arts or not!"
At those words, the strength in Mok Gyeong-un's hand holding the hasak relaxed. The blade had slightly cut into the flesh of the thumb, but fortunately, it wasn't severed.
Jo Il-sang's heart pounded furiously, even though his body was paralyzed. This was strange. He had been tortured before, but Mok Gyeong-un's method pushed him to the brink far too quickly.
"So, he sent you to confirm whether I had lost my martial arts?" Mok Gyeong-un asked.
"Y-yes, that's right."
Jo Il-sang's tone had become noticeably more respectful, though he wasn't aware of it himself. His fear had grown exponentially.
Mok Gyeong-un tilted his head, looking puzzled. This was unexpected. He hadn't been exposed as a fake, so why would such an order be given?
His mind quickly pieced together the truth. If the order was given without his deception being exposed, it meant someone had provided that information. And only two people knew he was a fake: Guard Go-chan and Guard Gam.
Mok Gyeong-un's lips curled into a smile. "Guard Gam switched sides rather quickly," he thought to himself. He was certain Guard Gam was the source of this information. Guard Gam's betrayal had been inevitable, but he hadn't expected it to happen so soon.
Turning back to Jo Il-sang, Mok Gyeong-un asked, "Was it Guard Gam who told you this?"
Jo Il-sang's eyes widened slightly. How had Mok Gyeong-un guessed correctly in one try? He shouldn't have known that Guard Gam had sworn allegiance to his master.
"Y-yes, it was," Jo Il-sang finally admitted.
"I see," Mok Gyeong-un nodded. "Now, what shall we do with you?"
At these words, Jo Il-sang began to plead. "Please, forgive me! I swear I'll keep everything that happened today a secret. I won't breathe a word to Young Master Eun-pyeong, I promise!"
"Ah, but that's a problem," Mok Gyeong-un sighed.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm afraid I've already caused you too much harm."
Jo Il-sang hadn't realized it, but his face was a mess. His nose was broken and sunken, and his facial bones seemed fractured, causing strange protrusions under his eyes and on his forehead. Not to mention the two severed fingers.
One way or another, Mok Eun-pyeong would find out and be furious.
"Young Master," Jo Il-sang pleaded, "even if I disappear, Young Master Eun-pyeong will surely seek revenge."
"Oh, I'm sure he will. But you don't need to worry about that."
"Why not?"
"Everyone seems to value the Yeonmok Sacred Sword Technique manual greatly. If worst comes to worst, I can use it to negotiate. Isn't that a good plan?"
Jo Il-sang's mind went blank at these words. Mok Gyeong-un was right - if he used the clan leader's exclusive sword technique manual as a bargaining chip, even the loyal Mok Eun-pyeong would likely back down.
Panicking, Jo Il-sang hurriedly spoke. "Young Master... I had no idea you were so clever and capable. Please, allow me to swear my loyalty to you, just like Guard Gam did!"
"To me?"
"Yes, that's right! Please give me a chance. I'll dedicate my life to serving you!"
He was saying anything he could to save his life.
"You'd dedicate your life to me?" Mok Gyeong-un asked.
"Y-yes, I would! So please..."
"Hmm, is that so?"
Mok Gyeong-un tilted his head thoughtfully, then walked away for a moment.
"Young Master? Young Master?" Jo Il-sang called out anxiously.
Mok Gyeong-un returned shortly, carrying a wooden box that seemed to have had something unusual attached to it previously.
He placed the box beneath Jo Il-sang's suspended head. "What's this?" Jo Il-sang asked, confused.
Mok Gyeong-un opened the lid of the box, revealing an old book bound with prayer beads.
Jo Il-sang's eyes widened in realization. "Could it be...?"
He had just noticed that the book wasn't made of paper.
Mok Gyeong-un spoke. "Earlier, before you woke up, I tried to read this book. Interestingly, the part bound by the prayer beads was fixed and wouldn't come off no matter what I did."
"H-how did you..."
"I read in the Yin-Yang Family Book that there are things full of positive energy that can seal away impure objects. These prayer beads seem to be one of those things."
"Young Master?"
Ignoring Jo Il-sang's interjection, Mok Gyeong-un continued, "But it also said that if another impure thing is introduced, the sealing power weakens."
"W-what are you planning to do?"
"This."
With those words, Mok Gyeong-un swiftly slashed Jo Il-sang's throat with a sharp object.
"Gack!" Jo Il-sang could only make choking sounds as his life ebbed away.
Mok Gyeong-un smiled. "You said you'd dedicate your life to me, didn't you?"
Jo Il-sang glared at Mok Gyeong-un with eyes full of resentment. This was not how he had meant to give his life.
The blood gushing from Jo Il-sang's severed throat poured onto the human skin book bound by prayer beads in the wooden box.
As the blood of a dying man, full of resentment, soaked the book and beads, a strange phenomenon occurred.
The sound of a heartbeat grew louder, though no one was touching the book. As if it were truly a heart, blood vessels seemed to appear on the book's surface.
The heartbeat grew louder and faster, and then the prayer beads began to crack. They twisted as if in agony before shattering completely, the fragments disappearing into the pool of blood in the box.
Suddenly, the entire cave was filled with the sound of rushing water. Blood began to pour down the walls like waterfalls, creating a scene that defied belief.
Mok Gyeong-un's smile widened as he witnessed this spectacle.
He recalled a passage he had read: "The fifth-level Blue Spirit... Extremely dangerous. Exorcism requires at least ten shamans. An old vengeful spirit that has existed for over a hundred years. Can cause significant effects within a set radius and even induce auditory and visual hallucinations, causing great suffering."