"How?"
Surprisingly, Mok Gyeongwoon was moving perfectly fine, and on top of that, he had even untied the ropes restraining him. How the hell did this guy release the pressure points?
As he wondered, Mok Gyeongwoon lightly struck his chest.
*Ta*
*Ta*
*Ta*
*Ta*
*Ta*
*Tak*
Soon, the mute acupoint was released, and his voice tried to come out, "You…"
Mok Gyeongwoon whispered to him, "Shh~"
At this, Mok Yucheon lowered his voice and whispered back, "…How did you release the pressure points?"
Mok Gyeongwoon didn't answer his question. Because there were no pressure points applied in the first place. No, they were applied for a very short time, but due to his yin death energy, Bright Blade King Son Yun's true energy dispersed not long after.
Mok Gyeongwoon had merely been quietly observing the situation, "You don't need to know that."
As he avoided answering, Mok Yucheon frowned and said, "Don't tell me you're trying to… escape?"
Mok Gyeongwoon smiled silently. It was a sign of affirmation.
Mok Yucheon was flabbergasted and asked, "By what means? The warriors of Heaven and Earth Society will be guarding all around."
"Now is the opportunity. Most of them, starting with Bright Blade King, are gone. There are only four men guarding outside the carriage. Six more are spread out nearby keeping watch."
'!?'
For a moment, Mok Yucheon was puzzled. His eyes had been covered and his meridians sealed just like him, so how does he know all this?
Moreover, this fellow is merely a third-rate martial artist who would struggle to detect presences within a few metres, let alone sense all that.
Mok Gyeongwoon spoke to the sceptical man, "If you tell me just one thing, I'll help you escape too."
"What?"
"That's why I only released the mute acupoint."
'Huh?'
Come to think of it, his body still had no sensation. Not because the ropes weren't untied, but because the paralysis acupoint hadn't been released.
"What are you playing at? If you're going to free me, do it properly…"
"Sorry, but I don't need to accommodate you once we're outside, so I'd appreciate it if you just answer my question."
A subtle killing intent emanated from his voice. Together with his expressionless face and indifferent eyes, it created a peculiar atmosphere. It was a completely different feeling from usual.
"You, what the hell…"
"Who is Ghost Blade?"
"What?"
"I asked who Ghost Blade is."
Mok Yucheon furrowed his brow at Mok Gyeongwoon's question. Is he really asking because he doesn't know who Ghost Blade is? There shouldn't be a single person in the martial world who doesn't know of that individual's notoriety.
"…Are you seriously asking because you don't know?"
"Yes."
"Are you messing with me right now…"
"Just answer the question."
He didn't add anything else, but Mok Gyeongwoon exuded an intimidating aura as if he would kill him if he didn't answer. Even before, it was strange, but is this fellow really the cowardly Mok Gyeongwoon?
"You're not going to answer?"
"…He's one of the Six Celestial Demons."
"Six Celestial Demons?"
"What… are you really?"
Mok Yucheon couldn't comprehend Mok Gyeongwoon's reaction that seemed to genuinely not know. In the current martial world, there are six great leaders considered to be at the pinnacle. Their martial prowess is said to be heaven above heaven, so the martial artists of the Central Plains call them the Six Celestials. Below them, not reaching their level but still attaining the highest realm, there are eight supreme masters.
They are known as the Eight Stars.
"How can you not know about the Six Celestials and Eight Stars…"
"I don't know about Eight Stars or whatever, but where is that Ghost Blade?"
Mok Yucheon stared intently into Mok Gyeongwoon's eyes at that question, then sighed and said, "I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"How would I know about someone who disappeared seventeen years ago?"
"Disappeared?"
"Yes. And no one has been able to uncover Ghost Blade's true identity to this day."
"No one knowing means everyone is clueless?"
"That's what I just said."
"Hmm."
Mok Gyeongwoon stroked his chin as if troubled by Mok Yucheon's words. The scars left on his deceased grandfather and the scar on the side of the Yeon Mok Sword Manor Master were very similar.
That's why this Ghost Blade individual was the prime suspect. But if no one knows that person's identity, it becomes difficult to know where to start investigating again.
However, there was one curious point here.
'He said Ghost Blade disappeared seventeen years ago… Then why did the man target Grandfather?'
If the scars were the work of the same culprit, it had to be Ghost Blade. But he couldn't understand why someone who had disappeared suddenly targeted his grandfather.
As he pondered this, Mok Yucheon opened his mouth, "Maybe if you go to Heaven and Earth Society, you might be able to find out."
"What?"
"I heard rumours that the masters Ghost Blade targeted were all renowned experts in the righteous faction, so he might be a master from Heaven and Earth Society or the imperial family."
"Heaven and Earth Society or the imperial family?"
"Yes. Although I don't know why you're curious."
Mok Gyeongwoon's eyes sharpened at those words. If so, the enemy who killed his grandfather might be in either Heaven and Earth Society or the imperial family.
At that moment, a voice rang in his ear, "Mortal, hurry."
It was Cheongryeong's voice.
Mok Gyeongwoon said, "I'll keep my promise."
With those words, he reached out his hand to release the other acupoints.
"I appreciate you releasing the acupoints, but don't do anything unnecessary."
"…Unnecessary?"
"If we escape now, Yeon Mok Sword Manor will be in danger."
"In danger, you say."
"We're hostages. You know what that means too. What do you think they'll do to Yeon Mok Sword Manor if we disappear?"
Mok Gyeongwoon scoffed at Mok Yucheon's words.
Mok Yucheon frowned. What kind of reaction is this?
As he wondered, Mok Gyeongwoon spoke in a cold voice, "What does that have to do with me?"
"What?"
"Then stay here."
"You!"
*Thwack*
Mok Yucheon, struck on the back of the neck with a hand technique, immediately fainted.
With his usual martial prowess, he would never have allowed Mok Gyeongwoon to land a blow, but his acupoints were sealed, rendering him unable to circulate his internal energy, so he was helpless.
*Swish*
Mok Gyeongwoon carefully laid the unconscious Mok Yucheon on the floor. From his perspective, it might be infuriating, but it truly had nothing to do with him. Whether Yeon Mok Sword Manor was ruined or they all died, it wasn't his concern.
It was the real Mok Gyeongwoon's concern.
'It's a pity I was planning to use him as bait.'
That was the reason he tried to release Mok Yucheon's acupoints.
'Heaven and Earth Society.'
Mok Gyeongwoon pondered as he looked down at Mok Yucheon. If, as he said, this Ghost Blade was really in Heaven and Earth Society, it could be an opportunity.
But the risk was quite significant. They were interested in the secret manual in his mind. So, there was a possibility they would mercilessly kill him after uncovering it.
'It's better to thoroughly prepare before approaching them.'
That was the rational choice. With his current martial arts, a reckless approach could backfire. Then shall I step out for now?
Mok Gyeongwoon carefully walked to the door of the luggage carriage. The four masked individuals guarding the surroundings had been temporarily rendered unconscious by Cheongryeong's technique, so he could just leave.
*Creak*
Mok Gyeongwoon opened the door.
*Gasp*
The moment he opened the door, he felt something strange, even if only for an instant.
As he hesitated, Cheongryeong appeared and said, "Go northwest. Don't stop. I will deal with those monitoring you."
"Alright."
*Whoosh*
With those words, Mok Gyeongwoon launched his body. Although he had practiced the Light Body Technique for four days, this was the first time properly utilizing it. The Light Body Technique can be basically divided into footwork and lightness skill. Lightness skill is a running technique to move faster over long distances or close the gap.
*Pa*
*Pa*
*Pa*
*Pa*
*Pat*
As the death energy flowed through the Yongcheon (feet) acupoint, his body shot forward at great speed. It was incomparable to normal running.
The surrounding scenery rapidly changed. In just half a moment, he seemed to have travelled a considerable distance.
"Mortal, why are you making that expression?"
"It's the same."
"The same?"
"It's repeating."
"Repeating?"
*Tak*
Mok Gyeongwoon stopped his lightness skill and pointed to a tree wrapped in vines, saying,
"I feel like I'm seeing that tree for the fourth time already."
Cheongryeong, right beside him, frowned at his words.
Then she said, "Are you sure you're not mistaken?"
"How could that be?"
"If it was some kind of sorcery or technique, I couldn't have failed to notice."
"…That's true."
"It could be because you're tense. Hurry~" With those words, Cheongryeong tried to move forward.
But Mok Gyeongwoon didn't budge from his spot. Cheongryeong became irritated, "Why are you doing this again? If we don't hurry, we won't be able to escape this place."
At those words, Mok Gyeongwoon stared intently at Cheongryeong and spoke, "You… Who are you?"
"What?"
"I asked who you are."
She made a flabbergasted expression and said, "Mortal, have you gone mad? Right now, to me, who…"
*Swish*
Before she could finish speaking, Mok Gyeongwoon reached out his hand. It was the Art of Binding technique. Cheongryeong's body was forcibly pulled, and before she knew it, her neck was offered up to Mok Gyeongwoon's palm.
"Ack! Wh-what is this…"
"You chose the wrong person to imitate. No, if you were going to do it, you should have done it properly."
If it was the real Cheongryeong, she would never have overlooked his comment about the tree being the same. No, in the first place, someone of her high calibre wouldn't easily fall for such a thing.
"Mortal, you're making a mis-"
"It doesn't seem to be a mistake."
The peculiar energy surging through his palm. It was far from the unique death energy possessed by vengeful spirits. And if it was Cheongryeong, she wouldn't have been pulled by the Art of Binding, but rather would have lightly flung him away.
*Woooong*
At that moment, a bizarre occurrence unfolded.
Cheongryeong's body rippled, then scattered, revealing a wooden puppet in his palm. The wooden puppet had a talisman attached that read "Wooden Fetching Spell".
*Sizzle*
The talisman in his palm soon burned to ashes.
*Pa*
*Pa*
*Pak*
Mok Gyeongwoon immediately clasped his hands together, forming the Immovable Mind Seal mudra. Then, closing his eyes, he chanted an incantation.
"Heaven is upright, Earth is upright, the Sun and Moon are upright. The righteous Qi of Heaven and Earth combines, the bright Qi of the Sun and Moon merges. The spirits and ghosts take form from the combined Qi, the twenty unite with the First Heart. The First Heart unites with the Second Heart, the thousand hearts, the ten thousand hearts, the myriad hearts. The mind unites with the Ā Xīn. The Supreme Venerable Lord, urgently, urgently, in accordance with the Law and Commandments"
The scattering ashes flew off somewhere. Then, swiftly circling the tree entwined with vines.
*Swish*
They were sucked into the tree. Witnessing this, Mok Gyeongwoon launched his body towards it.
*Whoosh*
He charged at the tree entwined with vines, and the moment he collided with it,
*Shhhh*
His field of vision changed, revealing a middle-aged man wearing an eye patch, Shaman Jo, sitting on a large rock beside a bonfire.
There were ashes on his upper garment, which Shaman Jo brushed off, then he smirked.
'Ha… Look at this fellow.'
Shaman Jo was sincerely impressed.
At Yeon Mok Sword Manor, he had confirmed that the fellow's talent was extraordinary.
However, he didn't have much faith in a martial family's disciple self-learning sorcery, so he took this opportunity to test Mok Gyeongwoon with the Spirit Training Method and the Truth Seeking Technique.
Spirit Training Method
It is a technique that transforms a willow puppet into a target the opponent trusts or is close to. By deceiving the opponent's five senses, it makes them perceive the willow puppet as someone imaginary, an advanced technique effective for gathering information by catching the opponent off guard.
Yet, this fellow not only saw through the fakery in just half a moment, but even escaped from the technique.
'To find the escape path like this…'
There is an orthodox method to finding the escape path in a technique.
But Mok Gyeongwoon forcibly broke the Spirit Training Method, and in that instant, used the remnants of the talisman to find the Life Gate and his location through the Summoning Harmonization Technique, a tracking method.
'His adaptability is no joke.'
Such exceptional talent was truly hard to come by. It was incomparable to the disciples he had accepted thus far.
Shaman Jo raised the corners of his mouth and said to Mok Gyeongwoon, "You… become my disciple."