The Demonic Monk, a wandering spirit and a monster, bowed with fear and reverence.
As he showed this unexpected reaction, Mok Gyeong-un looked at the book inside the wooden box with curious eyes.
A bizarre book made of human skin.
Why was the Demonic Monk reacting like this upon seeing this book surrounded by a rosary?
Unconsciously, Mok Gyeong-un reached out his hand towards the book inside the wooden box.
And the moment his fingertips touched it,
-Thump!
'!?'
Mok Gyeong-un's eyes narrowed.
'…A heartbeat?'
In an instant.
In a fleeting moment, he felt a heartbeat.
It was as clear as a beating heart.
However, this heartbeat paradoxically did not occur because it was alive.
Rather, it was closer to death.
-Thump! Thump!
The heartbeat seemed to be getting stronger.
'…'
Mok Gyeong-un, who had been staring intently at the book, closed the lid of the wooden box.
A strong attraction arose.
He wanted to remove the rosary and see what was inside, but it seemed difficult to do so at the moment.
The reason the Demonic Monk appeared was because someone had intruded into the infirmary.
'An intruder.'
Mok Gyeong-un licked his upper lip as if he was disappointed.
Then he turned his gaze upwards.
***
-Tap! Tap!
A black-masked figure was moving through the tiles of the building.
The masked figure spotted Guard Go Chan guarding the only passage leading to the infirmary and further suppressed his presence.
'Hmm.'
The masked figure's eyes flickered with interest.
That was to be expected, as Mok Gyeong-un had two escorts.
One of them could be considered no longer Mok Gyeong-un's man, so in reality, it was no exaggeration to say that he only had one escort left.
'But why isn't he guarding his side?'
Normally, an escort would guard right by their master's side.
But he was guarding the passage, away from the infirmary?
'It's one of two things.'
The first possibility was that the master he was guarding was sensitive, so he couldn't stay by his side.
But this didn't seem to be the case.
It didn't make sense to guard a master whose thigh had been pierced from a distance.
Then it was the second possibility, the latter one.
That was,
'Is he keeping watch?'
On the master's order, he was monitoring the surroundings to see if someone else was coming.
There was no way he would be away from his master if that wasn't the case.
The masked figure stroked his chin.
'Keeping watch in the early morning hours of the rat without sleeping…'
This was getting more interesting than expected.
His name was Jo Il-sang.
He was one of the three escorts of the second young master, Mok Eun-pyeong.
[Just in case, I need to check. Whether it's a desperate strategy or not.]
The order he received from Mok Eun-pyeong was one.
To find out whether Mok Gyeong-un had truly lost his martial arts or not.
If he hadn't lost them, it would mean that Guard Gam had falsely asked to be accepted, and if he really couldn't use martial arts, then the request to be accepted would be the truth.
[Shall I just check?]
[Then it wouldn't be fun. If he really lost his martial arts, give him a proper scare. Tell him not to act recklessly.]
[Hehehe. Understood.]
That's how he came here, as one of the three escorts.
Jo Il-sang's martial arts could be considered between a second-rate warrior and a first-rate expert.
He stepped forward because he was a notch above Go Chan.
-Swish! Tap!
Jo Il-sang moved in a different direction to avoid Go Chan's gaze and leaped over the wall.
After crossing the wall, Jo Il-sang climbed onto the roof of the infirmary and crawled through the gap between the tiles.
'What could he be doing that he set up a watch despite being injured?'
Was it because his injury was fake?
Or was the information that he had lost his martial arts false?
Regardless, there had to be a reason for doing so.
'Let's see what he's hiding.'
Thus, Jo Il-sang infiltrated the infirmary by entering through the gap between the tiles.
Suppressing even his breath, he quietly hung from the ceiling and observed below, and one of his eyebrows raised upwards.
'What is this?'
He saw a scene that was different from what he had expected.
In Jo Il-sang's eyes, where disappointment was evident, Mok Gyeong-un was seen reading a book with only his upper body raised on the bed, with a single lamp lit.
'He's just reading a book?'
Jo Il-sang suspiciously surveyed the surroundings.
However, there was no one inside the infirmary except for Mok Gyeong-un.
'Strange.'
He hadn't entered through the door, and Go Chan, his only escort, was keeping watch outside, so there was no way he could have noticed.
He thought someone might have informed him, but that didn't seem to be the case either.
Then…
'Could there be a secret in that book?'
That possibility couldn't be ruled out either.
Anyway, he had to make contact to confirm whether he had martial arts or not.
Jo Il-sang carefully suppressed his presence and moved along the ceiling towards the bed where Mok Gyeong-un was.
And then,
-Thud!
He jumped down.
At the same time, Jo Il-sang snatched the book that Mok Gyeong-un was reading with lightning speed.
-Snatch!
Jo Il-sang, who had snatched the book, naturally expected Mok Gyeong-un to be startled or counterattack.
However, contrary to his expectations, Mok Gyeong-un neither counterattacked nor showed any signs of surprise.
Rather, he was looking at him nonchalantly.
"Who…"
-Swish!
As Mok Gyeong-un tried to say something, Jo Il-sang aimed a dagger at his throat and whispered,
"If you don't want to die, be quiet."
"…"
Mok Gyeong-un closed his mouth.
Things seemed to be going well, but Jo Il-sang's mood wasn't like that.
'This fellow…'
Suddenly, someone wearing a mask appeared, snatched the book, aimed a dagger at his throat, and was threatening him.
Normally, anyone would be perplexed.
No, they should show signs of fear or tension.
However, Mok Gyeong-un was looking at him with an expressionless face, without any emotional change, as if it was an everyday occurrence.
'Judging from his reaction…'
He seemed like someone who knew in advance that he would come.
But that couldn't be.
Then, to show such a calm appearance, he must possess extraordinary martial prowess to at least protect his own life.
'!?'
Jo Il-sang's eyes narrowed.
Come to think of it, regardless of whether he had martial arts or not, when a person was startled, their body would move in some way as a conditioned reflex.
But Mok Gyeong-un didn't move at all.
'Could it be that the information about him losing his martial arts is false?'
-Glance!
Jo Il-sang turned his eyes and looked at the book he had snatched.
However, upon seeing the title of the book, Jo Il-sang's eyes trembled as if he had gone mad.
'!!!!!!!!'
It was none other than,
[Ignited Wood Sword Formation]
Among the people of the Yeon Mok Sword Manor, there was no one who didn't know the name of this sword technique.
This sword technique symbolized the Yeon Mok Sword Manor.
The reason was that this sword technique was a martial art that contained profound principles that only the leader of the Yeon Mok Sword Manor could master.
'Ha…'
Jo Il-sang's next action was something that even he himself hadn't planned.
Jo Il-sang grabbed Mok Gyeong-un's shoulder with the technique of Geumnasu and pressed down, pulling him.
At the same time, he struck the acupoint on the back of his head with the hand holding the dagger.
-Smack!
Mok Gyeong-un, who was struck, lowered his head.
Jo Il-sang exhaled roughly, his heart pounding and his breathing ragged.
"Haa…"
In a moment of surprise at the secret manual of Ignited Wood Sword Formation, he had struck the acupoint on the fellow's back of the head and made him faint.
'Was this the reason he set up a watch?'
Jo Il-sang brought his hand to the acupoint of the unconscious Mok Gyeong-un.
He had forgotten for a moment, but he also had to check whether Mok Gyeong-un had lost his martial arts or not.
-Swish!
Jo Il-sang placed his hand on the acupoint and sent his true energy into Mok Gyeong-un's body.
'Ah!'
There was no need for a long confirmation.
If there was even a little bit of internal energy, as soon as someone else's true energy entered, a reactive force would occur, or there would be some kind of rejection reaction.
However, Mok Gyeong-un had none of that.
-Press press!
Jo Il-sang pressed Mok Gyeong-un's abdomen near the danjeon.
'It's not there.'
He really had no danjeon.
The corners of Jo Il-sang's mouth rose.
After examining Mok Gyeong-un's martial arts, the second young master Mok Eun-pyeong's request to scare him had already disappeared from his mind.
Jo Il-sang opened the pages of the secret manual Ignited Wood Sword Formation and flipped through them.
"Hehe!"
Jo Il-sang's lips twitched as he flipped through a few pages.
He almost laughed without realizing it.
He had wondered if it might be fake, but this was undoubtedly the genuine sword techniques of Ignited Wood Sword Formation.
From the very beginning, the sword techniques were extraordinary.
'Calm down.'
He never dreamed that this would be in Mok Gyeong-un's hands.
The leader was already in critical condition, likely to pass away any day now, and the retainers were also very concerned about the situation as the leader's seal and the secret manual of Ignited Wood Sword Formation, the leader's exclusive martial art, were missing, which were important for the succession.
But now, Ignited Wood Sword Formation had fallen into his hands.
'This is enough.'
Obtaining Ignited Wood Sword Formation was truly a stroke of luck.
If his lord, Mok Eun-pyeong, were to learn Ignited Wood Sword Formation, the leader's exclusive martial art, even if the current leader were to die like this, the next leader would be in his lord's hands.
'An advantageous position.'
No matter how much the leader doted on the youngest, Mok Yu-cheon, during his lifetime, or even if the eldest, Mok Yeong-ho, was there, as long as they were a martial arts family, the retainers would eventually have to support his lord.
While he was rejoicing, at that very moment,
-Flinch!
Suddenly, a strong chill ran through his entire body, making his skin crawl.
At the same time, something pressed down on his shoulder.
'What is this?'
Startled, Jo Il-sang hurriedly tried to draw up his internal energy.
Right at that moment,
-Smack!
"Ugh!"
Someone struck his danjeon area with a fist.
It was none other than Mok Gyeong-un, whom he believed he had knocked out.
'What… What kind of strength?'
Is this the strength of a fellow who has no internal energy?
It was at least above second-rate.
-Tremble!
Caught off guard and before he could draw up his internal energy, Jo Il-sang's body became stiff for a very brief moment after being struck in the danjeon.
But that brief moment worked very unfavorably for him.
"Ack!"
-Thud! Thud!
The blood vessels bulged.
The bizarre sensation penetrating through his pressed shoulder.
This sensation made him suffer and feel pain so much that it made him shudder.
Jo Il-sang gritted his teeth and tried to push away this strange sensation with his true energy.
However,
-Smack!
Not missing that moment, Mok Gyeong-un swung his fist, striking his jaw while simultaneously throwing punches at his abdomen.
-Bam bam bam bam smack!
Normally, these methods wouldn't have worked on Jo Il-sang, who was approaching the level of a first-rate expert.
But a moment of carelessness from obtaining the secret manual.
And in a situation where a sensation that caused chills throughout his body was pressing down on his shoulder, he couldn't endure the punches that relentlessly targeted only the area near his danjeon, no matter who he was.
"Argh! You… You bastard…"
"You're sturdy. Then."
-Whack!
Mok Gyeong-un grabbed the back of his head with both hands, pulled him in, and struck his face with his knee.
-Crack!
"Ugh!"
The sound of his nose and teeth breaking could be heard.
Nevertheless, Mok Gyeong-un continued to punch the face of Jo Il-sang, who was staggering backwards.
-Smack smack!
Even to the point where blood soaked his fists, Mok Gyeong-un didn't stop.
'Cru…el…'
Jo Il-sang quickly lost consciousness like that.
***
How long has it been?
Jo Il-sang, who had regained consciousness, opened his eyes with difficulty.
Upon opening his eyes, he felt like his head was going to explode.
'What is happened…?'
Having just woken up, he couldn't properly remember what had happened.
But soon, it came back to him.
Mok Gyeong-un, who had been striking his face like a madman with an expressionless face.
'shit…'
He had let his guard down completely.
No, should it be called carelessness?
The first strike was indeed due to his carelessness after confirming that the fellow had no danjeon, but what followed wasn't.
'What was that sensation?'
He couldn't forget that spine-chilling sensation.
Because of that sensation, his body had become stiff, and he tried to endure it with his internal energy, but Mok Gyeong-un kept striking his danjeon and vital points, causing him to lose consciousness.
In fact, it wouldn't have been strange if he had died.
'…What is happened was that?'
Jo Il-sang was puzzled.
He had definitely confirmed that Mok Gyeong-un had no internal energy.
But if he had that level of striking power, it was no exaggeration to say that he possessed strength almost equal to his own.
'shit.'
"Haa… Haa…"
But for now, that wasn't what was important.
Jo Il-sang struggled to open his eyes, which were stuck together with dried blood, and surveyed his surroundings.
'!?'
Jo Il-sang frowned as he looked around.
This wasn't the infirmary.
Come to think of it, he had been feeling a strangely cool and damp sensation for a while, and it seemed to be some kind of cave.
-Drip! Drip!
'Huh?'
Jo Il-sang noticed drops of sweat or blood flowing from his body and rising into the air.
He wondered what kind of phenomenon this was, but it was,
'Could it be… Am I hanging upside down right now?'
Now he seemed to understand why his face felt like it was going to burst.
He thought it was because his face hurt from being beaten so much, but it was a phenomenon caused by the blood rushing to his head as he was hanging upside down.
"Haa… Haa…"
Jo Il-sang's breathing became rough.
He didn't know where this place was, but something felt unsettling.
It seemed like he needed to escape quickly.
"Phew."
Jo Il-sang focused on his breathing and tried to draw out the energy from his danjeon.
However,
'What, what is this?'
But strength didn't enter his entire body.
He wanted to concentrate, but it didn't feel like the sensation in all parts of his body except for his face had disappeared.
"Wh-why is this happening?"
A cry escaped his bewildered mouth.
-Swish!
While he was doing that, he heard someone's presence.
"Looks like you're awake."
When he looked at the place where the sound came from, he saw Mok Gyeong-un walking on the ceiling upside down.
Of course, it only appeared that way because of his inverted vision.
Surprised by the paralyzed sensation throughout his body, Jo Il-sang shouted,
"Wh-what the …. did you do?"
In response to his question, the corners of Mok Gyeong-un's mouth rose as if they would tear to his ears.
"Who knows? What could I have done?"
-Shudder!
Unlike his smile, the ominous malice itself was evident in his eyes.
Jo Il-sang felt a chill for the first time in his life.