"The weight is different."
"What?"
"Becoming my disciple means you will bear the karma of the moon and carry out a bloody purge."
'A bloody purge?'
Cheongryeong's aura, brimming with murderous intent, was different from usual. But thinking about it, she was a vengeful spirit. Her resentment was so deep that she had existed in this world for over a hundred years.
Mok Gyeongwoon opened his mouth while making eye contact with her, "As I thought, you have a connection with Heaven and Earth Society."
"… I won't deny that."
"But why are you talking about moon's karma and bloody purge when it comes to becoming your disciple?"
"It's exactly as you heard. I desire a price in blood."
"In simple terms, revenge."
At those words, Cheongryeong took a long drag from her pipe as if displeased and exhaled the smoke into Mok Gyeongwoon's face, saying, "Phew. Though the weight may be different, if put in your terms, yes, it's revenge."
A glint of interest flashed in Mok Gyeongwoon's eyes at her words. It was due to the shared sentiment of revenge. He too was wandering like this to avenge his grandfather. However, unlike her, he would resolve this grudge while alive, not after death.
She said, "What will you do? Will you become my disciple?"
"Don't you think you should at least tell me why I need to become your disciple for me to decide whether to accept or not?"
"That's…"
"That's?"
"No. If you're not going to Heaven and Earth Society, just forget what I said."
"… Seems like you have the ability to raise someone's interest and then make it fizzle out."
"Hmph. I wasn't saying it to pique your interest."
"…"
Mok Gyeongwoon stared intently at Cheongryeong. In fact, Mok Gyeongwoon had no interest whatsoever in other people's circumstances or stories. Even if they shared the sentiment of revenge.
He had told Cheongryeong to share her circumstances, but it was merely to see if she could convince him why he should become her disciple.
"Can I ask you one thing?"
"If it's a question I can't answer, don't even bother asking in the first place."
"That's up to you. Given Cheongryeong's calibre, you must have died a very long time ago, so hasn't time already taken revenge for you?"
Cheongryeong scoffed at Mok Gyeongwoon's words. Then she asked, "If it were you, would you just let your enemy go, thinking time will resolve everything?"
"No."
"Why not? Isn't that what you were implying just now?"
"… I got hit back."
Mok Gyeongwoon shrugged his shoulders and continued, "You're right. If you're going to take revenge, you have to see it through to the end. You can't just leave everything related to that person alone."
Family, relatives, everything precious must be taken away. If one is going to take revenge, there's no reason to consider circumstances or hold back. At least, that was Mok Gyeongwoon's idea of revenge.
Cheongryeong opened her mouth, her red lips quivering, "Our intentions align. I feel the same way. I can't forgive that his despicable bloodline still breathes or that the truth is buried, insulting me. In that case, I'll take everything away with my own hands. Even if it means staining everything with blood."
*Woooooong!*
Mok Gyeongwoon pointed his hand while looking around. Perhaps due to her immense fury being unleashed, the surroundings were in chaos as if a storm was raging. Even the surroundings were being dyed in a blood-red hue.
"Calm down."
"…"
At Mok Gyeongwoon's words, she seemed to realize this and calmed herself. Then the sudden changes in the surroundings stopped as if nothing had happened.
Witnessing this, Mok Gyeongwoon clicked his tongue inwardly. If Cheongryeong was like this, how dangerous and powerful would a vengeful spirit of even higher calibre be?
He was curious. But that wasn't what mattered now.
"Cheongryeong."
"Speak."
"Even if I'm not your disciple, couldn't we carry out your revenge together if the situation aligns?"
"No!"
"What?"
"It only has meaning if you, a mortal, inherit the moon's karma."
"So, what exactly is this moon's karma?"
"You will naturally find out if you go there as my disciple."
"You're stubborn. Then I just won't become your disciple."
"What?"
A frown formed on Cheongryeong's beautiful brow.
She spoke in a voice filled with irritation, "Then you won't go to Heaven and Earth Society?"
"No. I'll go. I've decided to go."
"Then why!"
A resounding cry rang in his ears, and Mok Gyeongwoon furrowed his brow. Cheongryeong wanted to forcefully have her way, but she couldn't due to the relationship between a familiar and its master.
It was truly an annoying relationship. Because of this, she was restrained and unable to do anything.
At that moment, Mok Gyeongwoon said, "Sorry, but I don't like being controlled by someone. That applies even to you, whom I currently trust to some extent."
"… Annoying."
"Still, there's no other way…"
"I said it's annoying!" Cheongryeong shouted, her hands trembling.
She was furious at the reality of being a young brat's familiar and being manipulated. She had barely escaped from being sealed and possessed the calibre to move freely, not just as a ground-bound spirit, but what was this?
She wanted to kill him and vent her frustration. But if she did that, the hundred years she had endured, ruminating on her grudge, would become meaningless.
'Damn that stubborn mortal!'
It was frustrating that that boy hadn't even lived half of a hundred years.
After glaring at Mok Gyeongwoon for a long time, she opened her mouth, "Fine. Let me at least tell you this. I don't know the current situation, but originally, Heaven and Earth Society was born from three lineages.
"Three lineages?"
"One of them is the Moon Lineage."
"… And Cheongryeong is a person from that Moon Lineage?"
He's quick-witted, at least. Cheongryeong didn't deny it.
"This is all I can tell you for now. Since a hundred years have passed anyway, it's meaningless to investigate what happened back then. Not everything from that era will remain the same, so you just need to inherit the moon's karma."
She stared intently into Mok Gyeongwoon's eyes. With other humans, she could tell what they were thinking just by looking at their eyes or expressions, but she couldn't figure out what this particular mortal was thinking.
She wasn't sure if his emotions other than anger were genuine.
At that moment, Mok Gyeongwoon readily said, "Alright."
"Phew. Your stubbornness is really… What?"
"I said I'll learn from you."
"You'll become my disciple?"
"Yes. But I have a condition."
"… What condition?"
"Let's just skip the formalities of calling each other master and disciple."
"Presumptuous mortal."
"Even if you're my servant spirit, I don't call you master either."
"…"
She clicked her tongue at Mok Gyeongwoon but soon nodded. Well, it didn't matter anyway. Normally, as the one receiving martial arts instruction, it would be proper to clarify the master-disciple relationship, but she was already dead.
What meaning did etiquette and morality in this world hold?
"Tsk tsk."
Seeing her like this, Mok Gyeongwoon faintly smiled. In fact, if he was going to Heaven and Earth Society anyway, he was in a position where he needed to learn the remaining techniques of her swordsmanship and the essentials of qi circulation from her.
If anything, he was the one who needed to make the request.
"Why are you nit-picking?"
"It's nothing. More importantly, we need to hurry."
"What do you mean?"
"It's difficult to keep doing this here."
Mok Gyeongwoon opened the Corpse Inquiry Secret Manual he was holding. He needed to undo the technique so he could lift his feet within an hour, and he also needed to grasp the sorcery to conceal Cheongryeong's energy.
…
Half a moment before an hour passed. The surroundings were hectic. The masked individuals who had been absent were returning one by one.
'Hmm.'
Shaman Jo Ui-gong looked towards the north-western forest with slightly disappointed eyes. It was taking longer than expected.
In fact, an hour wasn't that long. Because even for a designated technique, grasping sorcery within an hour was quite difficult. In this situation where he had to find what technique it was within the Corpse Inquiry Secret Manual; it was quite pressing.
'I thought it might be possible.'
If he failed, the given situation might have been more difficult than he anticipated. Then there was no choice. He would have to personally go and undo the technique for him.
It was at that moment.
'!?'
A figure walking out of the dark forest was seen. It was none other than Mok Gyeongwoon.
"What?"
"How did this fellow…?"
The masked individuals who spotted Mok Gyeongwoon were surprised to see him outside the luggage carriage and tried to subdue him again.
Shaman Jo Ui-gong stopped them, "Halt."
"But…"
"That child is now my disciple. I merely had him train for a bit."
"What?"
The masked individuals glanced at Mok Gyeongwoon and Shaman Jo Ui-gong with slightly surprised eyes. They seemed taken aback, not expecting him to really accept him as a disciple.
However, Shaman Jo was their superior, and they couldn't disobey him, so they soon returned to their positions.
Shaman Jo said to Mok Gyeongwoon, who was looking around, "You're later than expected."
No, in fact, it was beyond expectations. He had really found and undone the technique within an hour. However, having accepted him as a disciple, he intended to refrain from praise as much as possible.
Mok Gyeongwoon slightly bowed his head and replied, "If I'm late, I apologize… Master."
"I have expectations for you, so don't disappoint me."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Anyway, undoing the technique must have consumed a lot of mental strength, so rest for a bit. We'll depart as soon as Bright Blade King arrives."
"Understood."
With those words, Mok Gyeongwoon looked around. But he had been curious about something for a while. The masked individuals had brought in pairs of boys who looked around 15 to 18 years old. They all had hoods covering their faces, so he couldn't see in front of them.
Mok Gyeongwoon asked in a low voice, "Who are they?"
In response to that question, Shaman Jo Ui-gong chuckled and replied, "They are new recruits gathered by each faction."
"New recruits?"
"Since we're here anyway, you can consider it killing two birds with one stone."
It was difficult to understand what he was saying. In the first place, he seemed to be deliberately vague about it.
"You'll find out later, so there's no need to be interested in such things now. From now on, you'll ride in my carriage with me, so go and rest there in advance."
He pointed to a clean-looking carriage, not a luggage carriage.
Seeing this, Mok Gyeongwoon shook his head and said, "I apologize, Master. Is it alright if I just ride in the luggage carriage I was originally in for a while?"
"What?"
Shaman Jo Ui-gong made a puzzled expression but soon spoke as if he understood, "Ah. Is it because of your younger brother?"
Of course not, but Mok Gyeongwoon nodded as if it was.
Jo Ui-gong clicked his tongue at him and said, "You're unnecessarily bringing hardship upon yourself. If you change your mind, switch to my carriage."
"Understood."
"Ah. And I'm warning you, but this time you were able to leave because I intended it, but don't even dream of trying to help your younger brother escape or anything like that. If you do something needless, you'll witness Yeon Mok Sword Manor being annihilated."
"I'll keep that in mind. Since I've become your disciple, such a thing won't happen."
"Of course, it shouldn't," Shaman Jo Ui-gong grinned.
Anyway, since he was wearing the Oath Chain, he wouldn't be able to disobey his orders.
Mok Gyeongwoon said to him, who was smiling, "Master, is it possible for you to send away the person monitoring inside the luggage carriage with your authority?"
"That's…"
"If it's difficult even with Master's authority, it's fine. I just wanted to quietly memorize this while inside the carriage."
Mok Gyeongwoon spoke, holding up the Corpse Inquiry Secret Manual. At his words, Shaman Jo Ui-gong, who was about to refuse, soon nodded. It was because the former part of what he said bothered him more than the latter.
"Do you think I lack even that much authority? Alright."
"Thank you."
"But don't do anything that might arouse suspicion. Even if you've become my disciple, it won't be good to provoke Bright Blade King."
"Understood."
The corners of Mok Gyeongwoon's mouth slightly rose as he bowed his head in gratitude.
…
Mok Gyeongwoon entered the luggage carriage, closed the door, and took out something from his bosom. It was a small wooden puppet the size of a finger, shaped like a person, with the character "Connect" engraved on it.
Mok Gyeongwoon smiled and whispered softly, "It's a success."
"…Success or whatever, I'm suffocating. Being trapped in this damn wooden puppet."
The voice coming from the wooden puppet was none other than Cheongryeong. Mok Gyeongwoon had successfully concealed her energy.
If Shaman Jo Ui-gong found out that he had not only undone the technique within an hour but also roughly grasped this technique, he would have been astonished. He thought Mok Gyeongwoon had barely undone the technique and came out.
Mok Gyeongwoon placed the wooden puppet on his palm and said, "Just bear with it for a bit."
If she came out of this, the unique energy of a vengeful spirit would be revealed. It wouldn't be good for Shaman Jo Ui-gong to notice. At that moment, the wooden puppet trembled and moved on its own, wriggling on Mok Gyeongwoon's palm.
Then a grumbling voice came out, "Now I've even possessed this damn wooden puppet. You have no idea how difficult this is, you mortal."
The method Jo Ui-gong had taught was none other than possessing a medium. It was a technique similar to sealing. So Cheongryeong couldn't exert any power inside this wooden puppet… or so he thought, but that wasn't the case.
The evil spirit was unable to, but she could break the wooden puppet and come out at will. It seemed to be due to the difference in calibre.
"Be careful. It cracked again."
"How much more careful can I be here? Even a decent physical body can't endure this body of mine."
"That's true."
It was enduring thanks to the technique that controlled her energy. Otherwise, the wooden puppet would have shattered long ago.
Cheongryeong, now a wooden puppet, sat on his palm and said, "But if this technique is used well, it seems I can somehow endure even in a weak body."
That was the one thing she found consoling.
"Yes. So please bear with it for a bit. Once we get there, I'll have you enter a suitable body."
"Alright."
"Anyway, I've secured a decent training place until we reach there."
He hadn't had high expectations, but securing the inside of the luggage carriage was quite a gain. Otherwise, it would have been difficult to do anything.
At least while traveling, the conditions were set for him to quietly receive that sword art from Cheongryeong and practice the reverse qi circulation technique.
"But what are you going to do with that fellow?
*Kek*
*Kek*
*Kek*
Cheongryeong moved the clumsy hand of the wooden puppet and pointed at someone. It was Mok Yucheon, who was still unconscious.
Mok Gyeongwoon approached him, tied the loosened cloth to cover his eyes, and then,
*Tak*
*Tak*
*Tak*
He struck the mute acupoint again. With this, Mok Yucheon returned to his original state.
"Keeping him like this will keep him quiet, right?"
"… You're really something else."