"You went through all the trouble to switch sides to the second young master… but this fake one didn't cooperate and killed the second young master's guard. What to do about this?"
'!?'
The moment he heard Mok Gyeong-un's words, Guard Gam's expression stiffened.
The death of Jo Il-sang, the second Mok Eun-pyeong's guard warrior.
He thought that had the lowest probability.
The martial prowess of a warrior on the verge of reaching first-rate level could not be dealt with simply because he was strong.
'No way.'
Guard Gam looked at Mok Gyeong-un with shaking eyes.
It couldn't be true, but he couldn't not believe it either.
The fact that the boy knew he had switched sides and had told the second young master Mok Eun-pyeong that Mok Gyeong-un had lost his martial arts was proof of that.
"You… really…"
"Yes. I killed him."
"How did you, to someone approaching first-rate…"
"I hung him upside down and slit his throat to kill him."
"What?"
"He pitifully pleaded for his life. I guess whether he's a master or not, he didn't want to die."
Mok Gyeong-un smiled as he said that.
Guard Gam, whose eyes met with him, felt a chill down his spine.
Mok Gyeong-un's ominous gaze felt as if it was strangling him.
'This guy is really…'
A homicidal maniac.
Once again, the fact that this fake guy was a death row inmate who had killed numerous people came to mind.
He himself had also been an assassin who killed many people, but he quit because he didn't enjoy killing someone and felt repulsed by it.
However, this guy was in a different realm from ordinary people.
He enjoyed being close to death.
'shit.'
For a moment, Guard Gam's mind became complicated.
The time the second Mok Eun-pyeong gave him was two hours.
He told him to find his guard Jo Il-sang within that time, but he was already dead.
In the end, his confident declaration, even betting his arm, became meaningless.
It was the worst situation.
[If you can't find him, it'd be best to prepare yourself to not only lose your arm but also that miserable life of yours.]
Mok Eun-pyeong's murderous warning echoed in his head.
'I went through the trouble of switching sides.'
It was cut off in less than a day.
Who would have thought such an absurd situation would occur?
Guard Gam's mouth was dry.
Then suddenly,
'…Don't tell me this guy intentionally killed him?'
Come to think of it, that was it.
Since this guy was a fake, he had to be careful about everything.
No matter how unpredictable this guy was, someone as cunning as him couldn't possibly not know his own situation.
But the fact that he killed the second young master's guard…
'He killed Mok Eun-pyeong's guard warrior because I abandoned him and switched sides. Ha…'
It was truly astounding.
How could he be so cunning?
By killing Mok Eun-pyeong's guard, the boy put him in a dilemma.
Now he couldn't switch sides to any other young masters.
Who would trust him?
-Clench!
Realizing this cunning bastard's intention, strength entered his fist.
To think that a homicidal maniac who hadn't even learned martial arts was pushing him like this.
'Because of this guy, everything I had prepared…'
It all went to waste.
He was furious.
"Your emotions sure change a lot? Seeing your face turn red, you must be angry."
At Mok Gyeong-un's sneering voice, Guard Gam glared at him.
He wanted to kill this guy right away.
No, should I kill him?
Even if staying in the Yeon Mok Sword Manor had virtually no meaning since the second young master Mok Eun-pyeong would be after his life anyway…
'Ah!'
Suddenly, Guard Gam's gaze turned to his own chest.
In his chest were the cover and two pages of content from the Ignited Wood Heart Transformation Technique.
Seeing the content of only two pages, Guard Gam realized.
This was the real thing.
'Even though that Go Chan bastard kept his mouth shut until the end, the fact that he had this…'
It meant that this Mok Gyeong-un guy had obtained the secret manual.
How did he get the secret manual?
He was curious, but that wasn't the important thing.
-Stab!
Guard Gam pressed the dagger into Mok Gyeong-un's ribs and whispered.
"The rest of the secret manual… you have it, don't you?"
"Secret manual?"
-Tap tap!
Guard Gam tapped his own chest and said.
"I'm talking about this. This."
"Ah. That?"
"Yeah."
"Of course I have it."
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, Guard Gam's face momentarily lit up.
As expected, there was always a hole to rise through.
'It's done! It's done!'
The Manor Master's life was hanging by a thread.
Since a successor had not been appointed, the opinions of the retainers were divided.
In this situation, if one possessed a secret manual that only the sect leader could learn or had a bloodline that had mastered that martial art, one would be closest to becoming the successor.
'It can replace the price of my life.'
The second young master Mok Eun-pyeong also had no choice but to covet this secret manual.
If he had this, he could offset it with the life of the dead guard Jo Il-sang.
-Stab!
Guard Gam pressed the dagger even closer and said.
"I won't beat around the bush. If you don't want to die, hand over the secret manual."
"You seem to really need the secret manual."
"I don't have time for word games with you."
"You're in quite a desperate situation, aren't you?"
"You really have a death wish, don't you?"
"No way. I just don't think I'm the one in a desperate situation, so I'm asking if it's okay to threaten me like this."
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, Guard Gam snorted and said.
"Don't think of me as the same as Go Chan or Jo Il-sang. Killing you on the spot without even letting you breathe is no big deal for me."
Even though he had retired, his original profession was an assassin.
The ways to kill numbered in the dozens, no, hundreds.
And he was a first-rate master.
The gap between someone approaching first-rate and a true first-rate master was clear.
He could kill the likes of Jo Il-sang with one hand.
"Don't provoke me any further."
"This is scary…"
-Stab!
Before he could even finish his words, the tip of the dagger slightly dug into the flesh between Mok Gyeong-un's ribs.
"I won't ask again. If you don't talk about the secret manual, I will fully drive in the dagger. If it penetrates through here, it's certain death."
"…You'll lose even more if I die here."
As he said that, Mok Gyeong-un gestured with his eyes towards the medicinal hall workers.
It meant if he could really kill him with them watching.
At this, Guard Gam let out a faint breath.
"Phew."
Then soon,
-Swoosh!
He removed his hand from Mok Gyeong-un and launched his body towards the medicinal hall workers.
His movement was so fast that Guard Gam, who had instantly approached where they were, stabbed their vital points with lightning-fast hand gestures.
-Stab stab stab!
The medicinal hall workers instantly died with their vital points stabbed.
Even though the dagger was stabbed, hardly any blood came out, and there were no screams.
It was a clean skill befitting a former assassin.
'The second young master should be able to handle about three medicinal hall workers.'
He was confident that even if he didn't know, the second young master could keep their mouths shut.
That's why Guard Gam was taking a gamble.
"Are you still certain that I can't kill you?"
Guard Gam approached Mok Gyeong-un and spoke.
He thought that to this extent, no matter who it was, they would be somewhat tense.
However,
-Chuckle!
'Laughing?'
Mok Gyeong-un laughed.
Even though three medicinal hall workers died in an instant.
He's laughing after seeing that?
"You really don't seem to grasp reality. Then you'll have to directly experience the pain with your body to open your mouth."
-Swish!
Guard Gam used a lightness skill to instantly close the distance.
Then he used the Grappling Hand technique on Mok Gyeong-un.
-Tap tap tap tap!
Guard Gam grabbed his arm, twisted it behind, grasped one of Mok Gyeong-un's right fingers, placed the dagger against it, and said.
"You seem to have quite a high tolerance for pain."
Guard Gam recalled the first time he saw Mok Gyeong-un.
Even when he was locked in a prison cell and pelted with stones by onlookers, he didn't let out a single groan.
Seeing that, he thought he was a monster.
"But you know, even if you're a monster, it's not that you don't feel pain. I know how to maximize that pain."
-Stab!
The dagger dug into his finger.
Guard Gam smiled fiendishly and said.
"I'll shave off the flesh of your fingers line by line like peeling a fruit. It'll be a pain you've never experienced in your life."
"Is that so?"
"Let's see how long you can maintain that composure."
Guard Gam tried to tilt the blade of the dagger upwards.
At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un opened his mouth.
"Before you start, I have something to tell you."
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, the corners of Guard Gam's mouth slightly rose.
Of course.
No matter how much of a homicidal maniac he was, he was only 17 years old.
In this situation, no matter how much composure he showed, he would eventually fall into fear of the upcoming pain.
"Speak."
"I was wondering how to utilize it, but I'm really grateful."
"What?"
What nonsense is this?
What is he utilizing?
'!?'
At that moment, Guard Gam felt a foreign sensation.
It felt like something was sticking to his palm that was grasping Mok Gyeong-un's finger.
Thinking he was gripping too tightly, he slightly loosened his strength, but,
-Stick!
The palm stuck to the finger.
'What is this…'
Thinking something was strange, Guard Gam tried to draw internal energy to his hand to detach his palm.
However,
-Whoosh!
At that moment, the internal energy he had focused on his palm was felt draining out.
"Gasp!"
Guard Gam could only be perplexed by the sudden phenomenon.
His hand was adhered, and his internal energy was rapidly draining out, and even the flow of qi circulation was disrupted, making it difficult to detach his palm.
A considerable amount of internal energy had already been absorbed.
His left hand and left arm holding the fingers were about to lose strength.
'Where did this guy learn such sorcery?'
This was not a righteous martial art.
Absorbing someone else's internal energy?
Already 10% of his internal energy had been absorbed, and if this continued, a real disaster might occur.
"Let go!"
Guard Gam tried to strike Mok Gyeong-un's neck with his fist holding the dagger in reverse.
To knock him out.
But Mok Gyeong-un twisted his neck, and it hit his shoulder instead.
"Pft!"
However, a first-rate master was still first-rate.
Blood spewed from Mok Gyeong-un's mouth after being hit by the fist containing internal energy.
Nevertheless, Mok Gyeong-un did not let go of the finger.
"Ugh! You bastard!"
-Thud thud!
The enraged Guard Gam wildly struck Mok Gyeong-un's neck and back.
Despite being in pain from the fists containing internal energy, Mok Gyeong-un did not let go of his hand until the end.
'This monster!'
At this, Guard Gam finally stabbed the dagger between Mok Gyeong-un's ribs.
-Stab!
"Huk!"
As the dagger penetrated halfway through the ribs, his breathing was cut off, and the Chakui technique was severed.
The moment the adhesive force disappeared, Guard Gam kicked Mok Gyeong-un's back with his foot and distanced himself.
-Thud!
-Clatter clatter!
Guard Gam, who had retreated about seven steps, looked at his palm with a pale face.
No internal energy was felt in his left hand, which was severely convulsing.
He could circulate it again through qi circulation, but this was the first time he had felt such an uneasy sensation.
Guard Gam glared at the staggering Mok Gyeong-un and said.
"What was that? What kind of sorcery have you learned?"
"Huff… huff…"
Mok Gyeong-un gripped the dagger stuck between his ribs, staggered, and barely regained his posture.
"You're definitely… first-rate."
"Speak. What was that just now?"
"With just this, it'll be difficult to deal with you."
-Grind!
Guard Gam gritted his teeth.
Does this insolent bastard think he can handle me just because that sorcery worked for a moment?
If so, that's a miscalculation.
Guard Gam circulated his energy, pulled out the dagger, and assumed a stance.
There would be no more carelessness.
'Let's see if you can still do that kind of thing even after having all your limbs cut off.'
-Swish!
Guard Gam launched his body towards Mok Gyeong-un, who was barely maintaining his posture.
As long as he was careful not to let his palms touch, he could sufficiently deal with him.
-Thud! Stab!
One of the daggers Guard Gam threw stabbed Mok Gyeong-un's thigh.
At this, Mok Gyeong-un staggered.
Not missing that opportunity, Guard Gam took out another dagger hidden in his wrist and tried to throw it at Mok Gyeong-un's shoulder.
It was at that moment.
"Demonic Monk."
-Shiver!
As soon as those words ended, Guard Gam suddenly felt a chill throughout his body and something trying to grasp his wrist from behind.
The startled Guard Gam lowered his arm to avoid that bizarre sensation and launched his body to the side.
And he looked at that spot.
'!?'
Guard Gam frowned.
He clearly felt a spine-chilling, strange sensation from behind, but nothing was visible.
'What did this guy do?'
What is this bizarre feeling when nothing is visible?
The bewildered Guard Gam moved his eyes to look at Mok Gyeong-un.
"What did you just do?"
"What are you referring to?"
"Don't play dumb. Something clearly tried to grasp my wrist from behind."
"You certainly have keen senses."
"…So you did do something."
"Well, it wasn't me. It was this friend."
"This friend?"
What is he talking about?
Could there really be an accomplice?
Guard Gam rolled his eyes around, heightening his senses, and Mok Gyeong-un nonchalantly said to him.
"Since you're curious, I'll show you. Demonic Monk."
It was the moment those words ended.
-Rustle rustle!
'!!!!!!!!!'
For a moment, Guard Gam doubted his own eyes.
Right in front of his nose, a giant monk wearing blood-soaked robes and a skull rosary appeared like a mirage and was looking down at him with a gruesome gaze.
'Wh-what the …. is this…'
Guard Gam looked down at his chest where the dagger was stuck.
He had been protecting his body with internal energy, but due to the internal energy imbued in the dagger, it had penetrated deeply.
Guard Gam muttered with a dumbfounded expression.
"But how?"
To him, Mok Gyeong-un smiled and said.
"The dagger and the internal energy are both yours."