Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 392 – Axe-Destroying King (3)

“My Lord!”

‘!!!!!!’

Everyone was stunned to see Jang Neung-ak, the Society Leader’s second disciple, kneeling on one knee and paying respects.

Jang Neung-ak was none other than one of the successor candidates to lead the Heaven and Earth Society.

Why would someone like him suddenly call Mok Gyeong-un “My Lord”?

“What is this?”

“Why is Young Master Jang…?”

Mok Gyeong-un was merely the Shadow Clan Leader’s disciple, without any qualification for succession.

If he had shown such behavior towards Young Master Na Yul-ryang, one could assume he had given up on succession, but this was an incomprehensible scene.

Towards them, Jang Neung-ak raised his head and spoke with a raised voice.

“Who dares to be disrespectful to my Lord? Whoever it is, I, Jang Neung-ak, second disciple of the Heaven and Earth Society Society Leader, will not forgive them.”

After issuing this warning-like threat, Jang Neung-ak glanced at Mok Gyeong-un and mouthed, “Did I do well?”

He was glad to see him after a long time but still seemed to be mindful of his reactions.

-Go Chan, you came at a very appropriate time.

Mok Gyeong-un seemed to agree with Cheong-ryeong’s words, nodding slightly.

Though it wasn’t intentional, thanks to Go Chan, who was possessing the second young master Jang Neung-ak’s body, arriving at such a perfect moment, it became easier to make others understand the situation.

Mok Gyeong-un then spoke to Axe-Destroying King Ho Tae-gang, who was at a loss for words due to this unexpected situation.

“Does this answer your question, Axe-Destroying King?”

‘Axe-Destroying King?’

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, Go Chan, who was possessing the second young master Jang Neung-ak’s body, momentarily widened his eyes.

He had thought the face looked familiar from the body’s memories, but only now did he recognize him as one of the Five Kings who held the title of one of the Eight Stars.

‘No way. What’s going on?’

Go Chan’s surprised eyes naturally turned to Ho Tae-gang’s broken wrist and wounds.

What on earth had happened here?

-Swish!

Seeing no injury marks on Mok Gyeong-un’s body, it didn’t seem like he had fought with him, so who had done this to Axe-Destroying King Ho Tae-gang?

As he wondered, Go Chan inadvertently made eye contact with Ho Tae-gang.

-Flinch!

Befitting a supreme master who held the title of one of the Eight Stars, his gaze was so intense that for a moment, he wanted to avert his eyes.

However, maintaining the dignity of possessing the Society Leader’s second disciple’s body, he barely endured it.

“……”

Looking at him, a strange light flickered in Axe-Destroying King Ho Tae-gang’s eyes.

Though he didn’t know what had happened between them from this scene and Mok Gyeong-un’s words, it seemed that Jang Neung-ak, the Society Leader’s second disciple, had reversed roles and decided to serve Mok Gyeong-un as his lord.

“Ha.”

It was truly astounding.

Had there ever been such an incident since the founding of the Heaven and Earth Society?

A disciple of a single faction, and a hostage from the righteous faction at that, aiming for the pinnacle of the organization.

This was something he had never even imagined.

Most people in the Heaven and Earth Society thought they followed the rule of the strong, but they all drew one line in their minds.

That line was that only the Three Veins could succeed the Society Leader’s position.

Of course, most believed that among the Three Veins, only the Heavenly Vein had the highest bloodline and the most legitimacy.

‘For someone not of the Three Veins to harbor such ambition.’

The message he intended to deliver to Young Master Na Yul-ryang was literally a declaration of war.

In the end, this monster-like guy had only one goal.

That was the Society Leader’s position.

‘When he said he was giving me a choice, talking about a long roundabout path and a shorter but rougher path…’

Was he telling me to join his side instead of using a strategy of suffering a flesh wound?

If so, he was letting him know that he would clash with Na Yul-ryang in the near future, without needing to struggle under the Young Master’s faction.

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un pointed to the sole surviving masked watcher and said,

“I said I’d give you a choice, didn’t I? What will you do now?”

“……”

At these words from Mok Gyeong-un, Axe-Destroying King Ho Tae-gang was overcome with a strange feeling.

Normally, if he had heard such words, he would have attacked or rebuked him without hesitation for harboring rebellious thoughts, being a hostage from the righteous faction.

However, the situation was completely different.

Though he lacked justification and legitimacy, this was the first time he had encountered such a monster.

Would even the Heaven and Earth Society Society Leader, one of the Six Heavens called the pinnacle of the current martial world, have had such a realm and such ambition at this age?

As a martial artist himself, he couldn’t help but be drawn to such overwhelming talent.

But the problem was still his origin.

Finally, having made up his mind, Axe-Destroying King Ho Tae-gang reached for his large axe, his sect’s unique weapon, lying on the ground.

-Pak!

Grabbing the axe handle, Ho Tae-gang approached the masked watcher and opened his mouth.

“Your martial prowess is strong. To be honest, I wonder if anyone besides the Society Leader could be your match.”

“And even that Society Leader is not in good condition now, right?”

“…So you’re aiming to seize this moment?”

To this question, Mok Gyeong-un shrugged and answered,

“Well, even if the Society Leader were in perfect health, my goal would be the same, so his condition doesn’t really matter.”

“……”

Ho Tae-gang inwardly exclaimed at this response.

Is this youthful spirit, or is he that absolutely confident in his own martial prowess?

Without justification or the legitimacy of being a successor of the Three Veins, most factions in the Heaven and Earth Society are likely to oppose and confront him, yet he’s aiming for the top?

Whatever the case, if we hadn’t met like this, he would have been quite to my liking.

However,

-Swish!

Axe-Destroying King Ho Tae-gang aimed the blade of his axe at the watcher and opened his mouth.

“It’s unfortunate.”

“What is?”

“Your martial prowess, and even the fact that you’ve subdued the second young master Zhang, gives me an idea of how great your capacity is. But you’re not the one.”

“……”

“If you were at least a disciple of the Society Leader, or even a successor of the Earthly Vein, I would have accepted your proposal without hesitation.”

“But you can’t accept it, is that right?”

“No matter how much our organization respects and reveres the strong, there’s still a minimum established line. If it were a structure where we unconditionally followed someone just because they’re strong, do you think the organization would function properly?”

“Are you rejecting out of fear of that?”

“I acknowledge your strength, but you lack crucial justification. Without that, the goal you’re trying to achieve is absolutely…”

-Swish!

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un grasped his sword-deciding talisman and took a sword stance.

Seeing this, Axe-Destroying King Ho Tae-gang hesitated in swinging his axe and couldn’t take his eyes off the sword stance.

The sword stance Mok Gyeong-un took resembled the Heavenly Sword technique.

However, the atmosphere was subtly different.

It was then.

-Chwak!

Mok Gyeong-un’s sword-deciding talisman cut through the air, tracing an orbit.

The gracefully flowing sword orbit was reminiscent of the moon, and Axe-Destroying King Ho Tae-gang’s eyes widened as he watched.

‘Could it be?’

Although he had only seen a single move, something flashed through Ho Tae-gang’s mind.

That was,

‘The Moon Sword Technique?’

As one of the Five Kings, he was from a family that had supported the Heaven and Earth Society for generations as a top-tier faction.

Therefore, he naturally knew the sword techniques of the Heavenly and Earthly Veins better than anyone else.

He was so familiar with them that he could recall the moves just by seeing their sword stances, but the sword technique Mok Gyeong-un was displaying now was clearly different from the Heavenly and Earthly sword techniques.

‘There’s no doubt.’

This was clearly the Moon Sword Technique that he had only heard about in oral traditions.

He wasn’t the only one who recognized it.

Shadow Clan Leader Hwan Ya-seon also recognized it.

‘…So this was it! The real reason why Bright Blade King Son Yun insisted on bringing hostages.’

Hwan Ya-seon had suspected there must have been a special reason why Bright Blade King Son Yun, who had gone to the Yeon Mok Sword Manor on the Society Leader’s orders, had brought back two hostages.

But now, everything was falling into place.

He had found it strange that hostages from outside, no matter how talented, were suddenly sent to the Corpse Blood Valley.

If it was simply to kill them, they could have just done so, there was no need to send them to the Corpse Blood Valley.

But now it seemed all of this was related to their organization?

The Moon Vein and its sword technique, whose lineage had been cut off for nearly a hundred years.

Since no one could read the text within the secret manual, he thought a successor to that lineage would never appear.

But had Gyeong-un, no, the master of the Holy Fire and its incarnation, learned the Moon Sword Technique?

It was truly an extraordinary coincidence.

Was this the reason, beyond talent, why the Society Leader had mentioned a fourth disciple?

Everything was happening as if it were a predetermined sequence.

However, there was one thing he couldn’t understand,

‘Why has he kept this secret until now?’

A successor to the Moon Vein who had learned the Moon Sword Technique had appeared.

Even if he was a hostage from the righteous faction, this was no less than a joyous event for the Heaven and Earth Society, filling the gap of the lost Three Veins.

Yet he had continually hidden this, which was incomprehensible.

Was there some other purpose?

Just as he was inwardly wondering about this,

“Hahahahahahaha!”

Axe-Destroying King Ho Tae-gang, who had been watching Mok Gyeong-un display the Moon Sword Technique, suddenly burst into laughter.

His subordinates couldn’t help but wonder at his sudden change in attitude.

“Elder?”

“What’s going on?”

Then Ho Tae-gang stopped laughing, shook his head, and said,

“I was the one who knew nothing.”

No sooner had he finished speaking.

-Chwak! Roll roll roll!

Ho Tae-gang beheaded the only surviving masked watcher with an axe strike as quick as lightning.

‘This…’

Hwan Ya-seon’s expression hardened at this sight.

Even after showing the Moon Sword Technique, did he still reject the proposal?

But then,

-Pak!

At that moment, Axe-Destroying King Ho Tae-gang knelt on one knee towards Mok Gyeong-un, put his hands together in respect, and said,

“I, Ho Tae-gang, head of the Axe Clan, wish to join Mok Gyeong-un, successor of the Moon Vein. Please accept this Ho’s loyalty and make me the vanguard to take Young Master Na Yul-ryang’s head.”

‘!?’

What’s this?

When he beheaded the watcher, they thought he had refused the proposal and decided not to join after all.

But now he was pledging loyalty, so everyone couldn’t help but be puzzled.

To this, Mok Gyeong-un asked with an expressionless face.

“This is unexpected. I thought you had chosen to take the long roundabout path.”

-Pak!

At these words, Ho Tae-gang bowed his head as if apologizing and answered.

“I apologize for beheading the watcher without a word. However, after pledging loyalty to you, even if it stemmed from sincere loyalty, if you insisted on delivering the message, my actions would become disloyalty, so I acted first.”

“Are you saying you acted before pledging loyalty?”

“That’s right. I fully understand that sending such a message is a necessary step for you to subjugate the organization by clashing with Young Master Na Yul-ryang.”

“If you understand, why did you behead him?”

“To make sure.”

“To make sure?”

“With your martial prowess, dealing with Young Master Na Yul-ryang wouldn’t be difficult. However, even a tiger gives its all and doesn’t let its guard down when hunting a rabbit, which is mere prey.”

“……”

“The watcher to be sent with the message had heard too much. The watcher who was released earlier has already revealed how much your martial prowess has developed. In the midst of this, there’s no need to immediately reveal that you’re the successor of the Moon Vein with succession rights, or that you’ve gathered subordinates. Too much information will only raise unnecessary vigilance in the opponent.”

‘He’s right.’

Shadow Clan Leader Hwan Ya-seon nodded in agreement with these words.

There was nothing wrong with what he said.

Rather than showing confidence and raising wariness by revealing that one is stronger than the opponent, inducing carelessness until the end could actually reduce variables.

“If you had any other intentions, please reprimand this subordinate for his misguided judgment.”

At these words, Mok Gyeong-un chuckled and shrugged.

There was nothing particularly wrong with what he said, so what was there to reprimand?

Axe-Destroying King Ho Tae-gang, whom he thought would only be aggressive, turned out to have more patience and insight than expected.

He had thought he would stop at nothing for his son’s revenge.

Mok Gyeong-un approached him, who was still paying respects, and said,

“Since that was your intention, there’s nothing to reprimand.”

“Thank you for accepting my disrespect before pledging loyalty as loyal advice.”

“But in fact, it doesn’t really matter whether Young Master Na Yul-ryang knows anything or not.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Regardless of sending a message, I was planning to go to him directly anyway.”

‘!?’