Chapter 225 Lady Seo, the Imperial Consort (4)

For a moment, the entire rear garden was dyed in hostility.

Mok Gyeong-un’s words were shocking enough to stun not only Lady Seo but everyone present.

This was also true for the Heaven and Earth Society’s advance party, who could be considered to be on the same side.

Gan-yang, the leader of the advance party, couldn’t hide his bafflement, his eyes going wide.

‘what the .... is he trying to do?’

He had thought Mok Gyeong-un had some sort of plan when he said he had something to say to Lady Seo.

But he never imagined that plan would be a threat that was beyond his own comprehension.

And to none other than Lady Seo, one of the Four Great Evils who held sway over the power in this nation and the mother of the Crown Prince.

‘…He’s lost his mind.’

A threat needs to have some degree of plausibility.

Only then can you induce the other party to act according to your intentions. But if you suddenly escalate the scale like this, the consequences will also become unmanageable.

How did he intend to handle the situation after making such a threat?

‘In the past, it might have been different, but provoking the current Lady Seo like this is dangerous.’

She wasn’t just called the center of power in name only.

If she set her mind to it, she could move the Emperor.

If that happened, the enraged Emperor could mobilize the imperial army or the orthodox faction to pressure the Heaven and Earth Society.

Thus, Gan-yang was concerned that the situation would take a turn for the worst.

As expected, Lady Seo seemed greatly angered, her beautiful brows twisting fiercely.

It would be strange not to be angry after being blatantly threatened.

At that moment, the leader of Eastern Depot shouted in anger.

“You bastard! How dare a lowly servant like you spout such nonsense? If you don’t immediately kowtow and beg Her Majesty for forgiveness, I’ll exterminate you and your entire clan…”

“Leader.”

Lady Seo cut off his pressing.

“Your Majesty! But…”

“Leader!”

As her voice rose, the leader immediately shut his mouth.

‘Oh?’

Interest flashed in Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes.

He had naturally assumed she would find it hard to contain her anger or be thrown into confusion by his direct threat. But unexpectedly, despite her anger, she didn’t lose her composure.

It seemed she hadn’t risen to that position with just her beauty alone.

After stopping the leader, Lady Seo opened her mouth.

“What is your name?”

At her question, Mok Gyeong-un replied nonchalantly.

“It’s Mok Gyeong-un.”

“Mok Gyeong-un… I see, Mok Gyeong-un. Are you not afraid of the consequences after daring to threaten me like this?”

“Consequences?”

“I don’t know how outstanding your martial arts are, but the leader here and Magistrate Peng are also formidable experts. And it’s not just them. Outside, there are experts from the renowned martial clan of the orthodox faction, the Hebei Peng Family, along with hundreds of soldiers.”

‘Experts from the Hebei Peng Family have also come to provide support?’

At these words, it was Gan-yang who swallowed dryly instead.

It seemed Lady Seo was determined to sever ties with them today.

Judging by how thoroughly she had prepared.

If they made even a small misstep, this place could very well become their grave today.

Yet, Mok Gyeong-un replied indifferently.

“You’ve prepared quite diligently.”

At this reaction, one of her eyebrows twitched.

“You’re quite an arrogant and presumptuous fellow. I don’t know if you have guts of steel or if you’re that confident in your own abilities, but let me tell you what will happen from now on.”

“And what would that be?”

“Make sure to keep your word about killing everyone.”

“Pardon?”

“If you happen to fail at that, the consequences won’t end with just your head.”

“……”

“Not only you but all your related clan members will be exterminated. Furthermore, we will hold the Heaven and Earth Society, where you belong, responsible for this incident.”

‘Oh no!’

At Lady Seo’s words, the expressions of Gan-yang and the others from the Heaven and Earth Society darkened.

They had thought she would at least waver a bit in the face of the threat, but instead, she launched a cold counterattack.

‘Holding the Heaven and Earth Society responsible?’

If everything she said actually came to pass and they failed to kill everyone here, they would face the worst-case scenario.

This made all of them worried.

No matter how outstanding Mok Gyeong-un’s martial prowess was, the forces Lady Seo had prepared also seemed formidable.

-Swish!

Watching their reactions, Lady Seo poured herself a cup of alcohol and spoke.

“Do you now grasp the reality before your eyes?”

“……”

“So, I shall bestow mercy and give you one last chance.”

“A chance?”

“Yes. Whether you seize this chance or not will determine if my wrath extends to the Heaven and Earth Society or not.”

“I’m quite curious about that.”

“You’re curious? Then I’ll tell you. You dared to utter disrespectful words that should never be spoken to me, so I cannot overlook that sin. Thus, first cut out that presumptuous tongue of yours.”

‘!?’

“And then take your own life. If you do so, I will not hold your companions or your family and the Heaven and Earth Society responsible.”

With those words, Lady Seo raised the corners of her mouth sharply and downed the cup in one go.

-Gulp!

A mere thug from the martial world dared to threaten her?

Since the time you started crawling, she had been surviving in this cruel and cold imperial palace, eliminating countless enemies and rivals.

Did they think someone like her would lose her reason and be swayed by such a threat?

If so, they were mistaken.

‘I am the one who survived on the thin ice of the imperial palace, where I could lose my life at any moment, and reached this position. If you try to provoke me half-heartedly, I’ll show you what price you’ll pay.’

It was at that very moment.

“Heh.”

Lady Seo’s right eyebrow shot up.

‘Laughing?’

It was absurd.

She had tried to make him realize how precariously he was walking on a tightrope, but he was laughing in this situation.

Moreover, that laughter was clearly closer to a sneer.

“You dare…”

“Ah, my apologies. Your Majesty’s begging was so amusing.”

“What? Begging?”

“It’s quite interesting to see you go on and on, pleading with the very enemy you’ve turned against to take his own life.”

With those words, Mok Gyeong-un’s face split into a grin that seemed to reach his ears.

That expression, filled with malice, sent a chill down Lady Seo’s spine for a moment.

She wasn’t the only one who felt this sensation.

‘…This bastard is dangerous.’

They had simply thought of him as an impudent fellow.

The leader of Eastern Depot instinctively felt an eerie sense of danger from Mok Gyeong-un.

So much so that he resolved not to simply subdue him, but to kill him no matter what through a collaborative attack.

Thus, the leader signaled Peng Yi-mun beside him with his eyes.

To attack immediately.

It was at that very moment.

-Swish!

Mok Gyeong-un, who had been sitting in his seat and sneering, vanished as if scattering.

‘What?’

As he disappeared from their sight, everyone hurriedly scanned their surroundings.

This was true even for the leader and Peng Yi-mun, the most outstanding experts among Lady Seo’s close associates.

They had already been fully prepared to fight Mok Gyeong-un from the start.

For him to disappear even from their view, just how fast was he?

It was at that instant.

-Startle!

Sensing a faint presence and unease behind him, the leader hurriedly launched a claw technique towards his back.

‘Sunflower Hanging Claw, 5th Technique, Dancing Lotus Swift!’

-Smack!

It was a technique that struck the opponent targeting one’s back with the elbow and launched a claw strike to the face.

But before he could even fully turn his body,

-Thud!

His elbow was blocked by something like a palm, making it impossible to turn his body.

He tried to launch his body forward to create distance, but…

-Thwack!

“Ugh!”

With the impact striking his waist, the leader let out a dying scream as he was sent flying forward, crashing into the rear garden’s wall.

-Boom! Rumble!

The impact was so strong that the wall crumbled and the roof tiles above collapsed.

“Leader! You bastard!”

Having pinpointed Mok Gyeong-un’s location thanks to the leader, Peng Yi-mun gathered inner energy in his hand and unleashed a saber technique.

It was the 4th technique of the Five Tiger Saber Style, the Saber Piercing Strongly.

The saber energy, split into five trajectories, targeted the top of the head, neck, both shoulders, and chest with unparalleled speed.

-Swish swish swish swish swish!

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un also responded with a saber technique.

It was the 7th technique of the Flying Phantom Saber Art, the Flashing Shadow Swift Saber.

Originally, the Flashing Shadow Swift Saber was literally a swift saber strike that made the saber energy appear like flashing shadows. But the way it was unleashed by the Shadow Clan Master was quite different.

That was because…

-Clang clang clang clang!

Mok Gyeong-un’s hand seemed to be motionless, yet Peng Yi-mun’s saber energy, which had been rushing in five split trajectories, was simultaneously deflected.

‘W-What speed…’

The outcome of a swift saber duel depended on speed.

But Peng Yi-mun’s saber technique couldn’t even compare to Mok Gyeong-un’s.

This went beyond the difference between walking and running.

Thanks to that, Peng Yi-mun’s right hand was thrown upward. Mok Gyeong-un then penetrated the opening, grabbing his left arm with the Capturing Arhat Hand technique and twisting it behind his back while pressing down on his right shoulder.

-Thud!

“Aargh!”

-Thump!

As five fingers dug into the pressed right shoulder, Peng Yi-mun let out a groan of pain and fell to one knee.

Peng Yi-mun, who had been subdued with a single move after just one exchange, realized with certainty.

‘…It’s futile.’

If this bastard seriously unleashed his abilities, not only himself and the leader but even if everyone joined forces, they wouldn’t be able to sweep him away. He was a monster to that extent.

And this monstrous fellow was just a disciple of an executive at the Sect Master level of the Heaven and Earth Society?

It was unbelievable.

With this level of martial prowess, he wasn’t at the late-stage disciple level but comparable to an executive at the Five Kings level of the Heaven and Earth Society or an elder of the Nine Sects and One Clan, the major factions of the orthodox martial world.

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un said to Lady Seo,

“Your Majesty. It seems you had high expectations for them.”

-Tremble tremble!

At Mok Gyeong-un’s provocation, the hand holding the alcohol cup trembled.

Even though she wasn’t well-versed in martial arts, she could tell that the leader and Peng Yi-mun, her close associates, were no match for that fellow.

Lady Seo bit her lip hard and glared at the eunuch Yoo-bong.

[Don’t worry. Although he’s stronger than me, Sir Peng will easily subdue him.]

‘Easily subdue him?’

She hadn’t completely trusted that eunuch’s words.

But she had thought that since the people sent by the Heaven and Earth Society were just young late-stage disciples, they would be no match for an expert like Peng Yi-mun, who had years of experience and a reputation in the martial world.

However, her expectations had been completely overturned.

‘…Can the reinforcements really subdue that fellow even if they come?’

There was a saying that even the strongest couldn’t win against numbers.

She had also thought so.

But strangely enough, she had a bad feeling.

Would that proverb really apply to an overwhelmingly powerful being like him?

‘It’s still uncertain how things will turn out. But…’

Having fought and survived against numerous enemies in the imperial palace for a long time, her instincts had become much more sensitive than ordinary people’s.

That sensitivity had given her deep insight, allowing her to survive and rise to the top.

‘At this rate, the loss may be even greater.’

Her instincts were strongly telling her to stop right now.

Thus,

“Enough!”

She raised her voice loudly for everyone to hear.

Then she gestured to the warriors surrounding the Heaven and Earth Society to back off.

The warriors, who had been hesitating on what to do, simultaneously retreated.

Lady Seo then spoke in a calm voice.

“You said your name was Mok Gyeong-un?”

“Yes.”

“Despite not even being in your prime, you have truly astonishing martial prowess.”

-Clap clap clap!

Lady Seo clapped her hands and continued speaking in a somewhat softened voice, as if admiring him.

“For even the leader and Magistrate Peng to be no match for you… It seems I underestimated you due to my lack of discernment.”

Her plan was simple.

After acknowledging him and praising him to a certain extent, she would naturally wrap up this escalated situation.

It was the only way to resolve the matter without losing face as the Imperial Noble Consort.

If she concluded things well here, regardless of the outcome, she could end it with an image of her conceding and showing magnanimity.

So, if she properly admonished him…

It was at that very moment.

-Crack!

“Aaaaargh!”

‘!!!!!’

Lady Seo hurriedly turned her head away from the gruesome sight unfolding before her eyes.

That was because Mok Gyeong-un had torn off Peng Yi-mun’s right arm from the shoulder he had been pressing down on.

‘If this fellow isn’t crazy…’

For a moment, she was at a loss for words, finding it absurd.

She had tried to resolve the situation by conceding, but what the .... was this?

As she was baffled, Mok Gyeong-un smiled and said,

“It would be troublesome if you brushed it off like that.”

“What?”

“You didn’t have the naive idea of thinking you could handle the situation by praising me a bit and appeasing me, did you?”

“…Are you really going to see this through to the end?”

“I clearly told you. The moment you tried to sever ties with us, your usefulness ended.”

“You! You!”

“Come to think of it, I suddenly wonder. Will the young Crown Prince be able to survive safely after losing you?”

‘!!!!!!’

At these words, Lady Seo’s pupils trembled as if an earthquake had struck.

Although she had turned her head away, the smell of blood vibrating in all directions and the sound of blood drops falling were suffocating her.

She had simply thought they were being a bit forceful to get what they wanted.

But that wasn’t the case.

This bastard was truly driving her into a corner.

-Thump! Thump! Thump!

Once engulfed by fear, even her heart was beating like crazy and wouldn’t calm down.

As if enjoying her terror, Mok Gyeong-un grinned and said,

“All of this is of your own making.”

“……”

“Then watch as they die one by one.”

With those words, Mok Gyeong-un wrapped his arm around the neck of Peng Yi-mun, who was suffering from his torn-off arm.

-Grip!

“Ack!”

And he tried to twist his neck right then and there.

At that moment, Lady Seo screamed in a voice close to a shriek,

“Stoooop!”