Chapter 23 Embodiment Technique (3)

‘shit. At this rate, I won’t be able to keep my life.’

Guard Go Chan was heading towards Hyehwa Hall, the residence of the madam.

In the end, he couldn’t sleep well.

No, it would be strange to fall asleep after hearing that.

Although Go Chan couldn’t confront Mok Gyeong-un about why he did it, he was at a loss as to what to do about it.

‘That crazy bastard. I clearly told him to just send him away.’

He never thought Mok Gyeong-un would kill Jo Il-sang, the second young master’s guard warrior.

He thought he would at least have that much discernment.

what the .... is he thinking?

‘If that bastard Mok Eun-pyeong finds out that his guard warrior was killed, there will surely be trouble.’

Not just trouble.

Knowing his personality, he might try to retaliate against Mok Gyeong-un right away.

Although he can’t kill him since the Manor Master is still alive, he might break his limbs or try to kill his guard in the same way.

‘This is driving me crazy.’

Go Chan felt a headache coming on.

No, why did he have to kill that guy and make things worse?

[What about the corpse?]

[I took care of that, so you don’t have to worry.]

How did he take care of it?

Did he hide it in a secret place where he found the secret manual?

Even so, how long will it last?

He was originally sent with a purpose.

If he doesn’t show up, naturally he will be suspected.

‘What do I do about this?’

Now that Go Il-sang was killed, it felt extremely uneasy to take this empty secret manual to the second young master.

He regretted it again.

He should have just told his senior Gam everything.

But that opportunity had already passed.

Mok Gyeong-un had deceived senior Gam too much out of fear, so if he were to inform him, he would no longer trust him.

Senior Gam was sensitive and didn’t trust others easily.

‘It was even worse during his active duty.’

Recalling that time, there was a huge discrepancy with his current appearance.

He was merciless not only to enemies but even more so to traitors.

‘But it’s really strange.’

Even though he remembers Guard Gam’s appearance, why is he more afraid of that bastard?

He didn’t know how it turned out like this.

“Phew.”

Come to think of it, where did senior go?

When he was really with Mok Gyeong-un, he never left his side unless it was time to take turns resting or there was an urgent matter.

But yesterday, he was away for almost half a day.

‘What is it?’

Could it be that he’s secretly proceeding with something without even knowing it himself?

Go Chan narrowed his eyes.

***

At the same time.

In the residence of the second young master, Mok Eun-pyeong.

Mok Eun-pyeong, who was sitting on the desk with his arms crossed, was glaring at Guard Gam with a cold gaze.

Guard Gam found it difficult to guess the situation as he was suddenly summoned without knowing the reason.

One thing that was certain was that Mok Eun-pyeong was quite angry.

At this, Guard Gam carefully opened his mouth.

“Young master. What is the matter?”

“That’s what I want to ask.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s quite a coincidence. I had a bad feeling and tested it out, and every time that small uneasiness was right, it made me very displeased.”

What in the world is he talking about?

Guard Gam slightly furrowed his brows.

‘Could it be that he noticed it was fake?’

But it didn’t seem to match the way he was speaking.

Right now, Mok Eun-pyeong’s tone was clearly expressing hostility towards him.

-Thud!

Guard Gam knelt on one knee on the floor, joined his hands in a salute, and said.

“Young master. I truly do not understand what you are saying. If you tell me what the matter is…”

“What the matter is? Ha!”

With that, Mok Eun-pyeong threw an inkstone that was on the desk.

He could have easily dodged it, but Guard Gam had to bear Mok Eun-pyeong’s anger, so he took it head-on.

-Smack!

-Drip drip!

Blood flowed down from Guard Gam’s forehead.

It hurt because he didn’t protect his body with internal energy, but he had learned to endure pain through breathing, so Guard Gam tried his best not to show it.

Glaring at such Guard Gam, Mok Eun-pyeong said.

“I sent one of my guards to confirm that Mok Gyeong-un had lost his martial arts.”

‘…So that’s what it was.’

As expected, there was a reason.

But something is strange.

‘If that’s all, there’s no reason for him to be this angry.’

The fake Mok Gyeong-un had not learned martial arts.

If he confirmed that, he should rather let go of his suspicions, so why is he showing such hostility?

Then, Mok Eun-pyeong continued.

“But that guard did not return.”

“Pardon?”

Guard Gam raised his head, looking perplexed.

What does that mean?

“You don’t understand what I’m saying? The guard I sent to check whether that bastard had lost his martial arts or not disappeared without a trace.”

‘!?’

That couldn’t be.

Guard Gam moved his eyes to look at the guards in the room.

One of the three guards was missing.

‘Jo Il-sang.’

He was about to reach the first-rate level.

In terms of skill alone, Go Chan, who is currently serving as a guard, cannot handle him at all.

But how did he disappear?

Guard Gam parted his lips.

“That’s impossible.”

“What?”

“I have never lied to you. That bastard… no, young master Mok Gyeong-un is in a state where he cannot use martial arts. And the one named Go Chan, who is guarding young master Mok Gyeong-un, is also only a second-rate expert, so he cannot handle Guard Jo Il-sang.”

He could confidently assure that.

However, there was not a shred of trust in Mok Eun-pyeong’s eyes.

In the first place, he had not built any trust, and now that the guard did not return, his suspicion only grew.

“Would you believe that if it were you?”

“It’s the truth. If you can’t trust me, I can even bet this arm.”

Guard Gam pulled up the sleeve of his right arm and spoke.

For a warrior to bet his own arm was not much different from betting everything.

At his strong attitude, Mok Eun-pyeong snorted and said.

“Bet your arm? Fine. Then prove that what you’re saying is true.”

“What do you mean by prove?”

“If what you’re saying is really true, there’s no way Guard Jo would be defeated by those guys. Then I’ll give you about two hours. Find Guard Jo and bring him here.”

“…I understand.”

Guard Gam’s voice dropped low.

It felt like something was really twisted.

It seemed he needed to directly confirm what had happened.

To him, Mok Eun-pyeong warned in a voice filled with murderous intent.

“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.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

***

Having come out of the residence of the second young master Mok Eun-pyeong, Guard Ham wore a terrifyingly hardened face.

He suppressed his emotions and hurriedly moved his steps towards the Medicinal Hall.

Then he ran into someone at the crossroads.

“Huh? S-Senior?”

“You!”

It was Guard Go Chan.

Go Chan couldn’t hide his perplexity.

He never thought he would run into Guard Gam like this while secretly carrying out Mok Gyeong-un’s orders.

Seeing Go Chan, Guard Gam lowered his voice with an angry face and said.

“What are you doing here? I’m sure I told you never to leave his side even for a moment.”

“That’s…”

At his attitude of not being able to answer properly, Guard Gam’s eyes sharpened.

Guard Gam put his finger on the dagger hidden in his wrist and said.

“Don’t tell me you plotted something with that bastard?”

“Pl-Plot?”

“But why did you disobey my orders?”

“It’s not like that…”

Go Chan’s mind went blank, and he was at a loss as to what to say.

He couldn’t talk about the empty secret manual he had stashed in his bosom to give to Mok Eun-pyeong.

‘shit.’

There was no other way.

Eventually, Go Chan ended up lying.

“Actually, the Inner Manor Master called me saying he had something to ask about what happened at the main hall yesterday…”

“What? The Inner Manor Master?”

Guard Gam frowned.

If you follow this path, you can go to the Inner Manor Master’s office.

And although they were guard warriors, they were members of the Yeon Mok Sword Manor, so naturally they had to move if the Inner Manor Master summoned them.

However,

‘This guy?’

He saw Go Chan’s eyes trembling faintly.

Ordinary people might find it hard to notice, but he, as a trained person, could.

He was clearly nervous.

If the Inner Manor Master had called him, there was no reason for him to be reprimanded for leaving his post despite having his orders, so there was no reason to be this nervous.

Guard Gam moved his eyes and looked around.

There were some signs of people at a slight distance, but no one stood out or was close by.

Confirming this, Guard Gam pressed a vital point on Go Chan’s neck and pushed him against the wall.

-Slam! Thud!

“Ugh!”

“Do you have a death wish?”

“Se-Senior?”

“Speak. What are you hiding?”

“Hiding? I’m really not hiding anything…”

-Swish!

Guard Gam aimed his dagger at the area near Go Chan’s heart and said.

“One of the second Mok Eun-pyeong’s guards disappeared.”

“…”

“The target he went to find is that fake. But are you going to pretend you don’t know about this too?”

‘D-shit…’

It was exposed so quickly.

The situation he had feared unfolded.

No, is this really the situation he had feared?

How did senior, who wasn’t even there at night, find out about this?

“Wa-Wait a moment. Senior, how do you know about that… Could it be that you’ve already made contact with the second young master’s side?”

He already knew that he was trying to switch sides.

But he hadn’t decided on who yet.

But knowing the circumstances on the second Mok Eun-pyeong’s side means he has already switched sides to them.

“Why did you do it without any consultation…”

-Grip!

“Gasp!”

As Guard Gam’s hand gripping the vital point on his neck tightened, Go Chan couldn’t continue his words.

To him who was suffering, Guard Gam said.

“Do you think I’m in a position to consult and report every little thing to you? And are you in any position to question me about that right now?”

“Th-This is a bit…”

Go Chan, whose pain intensified, pleaded.

At this, Guard Gam loosened his grip and spoke into his ear.

“What are you hiding? Speak the truth. If not…”

-Stab!

The tip of the dagger dug into his chest.

As the dagger went inside, Guard Gam frowned at the foreign sensation.

He had tried to slightly pierce the flesh, but it felt different.

At this, Guard Gam put his hand into Go Chan’s chest inside his clothes.

“Wa-Wait…”

-Grip!

“Ack!”

Soon, the secret manual of the Ignited Wood Heart Transformation Technique with only two pages of content was revealed in Guard Gam’s hand.

Seeing this, Guard Gam’s eyes went wide.

“This is?”

‘I’m doomed.’

Go Chan tightly closed his eyes.

***

-Bang!

The door of the Medicinal Hall swung open and Guard Gam entered with a terrifying face.

Inside, there were as many as three medicinal hall workers, but without paying any attention to them, Guard Gam strode towards Mok Gyeong-un, who was reading a book with only his upper body raised on the bed.

Guard Gam approached right in front of him.

He parted his lips in a small voice that only Mok Gyeong-un could hear.

“What have you done?”

At his words, Mok Gyeong-un replied without taking his eyes off the book.

“What are you talking about?”

“Phew.”

Guard Gam let out a deep sigh.

Then he quickly revealed a book from his bosom.

[Ignited Wood Heart Transformation Technique]

It was the secret manual of the Ignited Wood Heart Transformation Technique.

Guard Gam spoke in an irritated voice.

“How did you get this?”

At this, Mok Gyeong-un slightly turned his head to look at the secret manual of the Ignited Wood Heart Transformation Technique and chuckled.

“Laughing?”

“It seems Guard Go Chan was unlucky.”

“What?”

“The fact that you brought it means you took it from Guard Go Chan, right?”

“…”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s appearance of not losing his composure at all, Guard Gam was dumbfounded for a moment.

Not only his insight but this guy always maintained his composure.

Even though he was caught by him for plotting something, seeing him maintain this appearance, he was indeed a bold fellow.

Well, since he was this brazen, he must have killed the real Mok Gyeong-un too.

However, he could not forgive him for stabbing him in the back like this.

-Swish!

Guard Gam took out a dagger at an angle not visible to everyone and aimed it at Mok Gyeong-un’s left rib.

And he spoke in a low voice.

“what the .... did you do to Go Chan?”

“What did I do?”

“What did you do that made him keep his mouth shut?”

Before coming to find Mok Gyeong-un, Guard Gam took Go Chan to his residence and interrogated him.

He broke his bones and cut off two of his fingers.

But he still didn’t open his mouth until the end.

[Speak.]

[…]

[I said speak!]

[…]

Seeing that, Guard Gam was genuinely curious.

Although this bastard was different from ordinary people, he wasn’t someone Go Chan couldn’t handle, so he couldn’t understand why he was afraid of him.

If it were up to him, he wanted to torture him all day to find out the reason.

However, he had no time.

[I’ll give you about two hours.]

‘shit!’

The time the second young master Mok Eun-pyeong gave him was at most two hours.

During that time, he had to find Jo Il-sang, that guy’s guard warrior.

Otherwise, Mok Eun-pyeong would surely try to kill him.

So in the end, he left Go Chan behind and rushed to Mok Gyeong-un, the person in question.

However,

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Mok Gyeong-un feigned ignorance.

His shoulders even shrugged, and anger surged up.

-Clench!

Guard Gam, who was grinding his teeth, soon changed his question.

“Fine. I’ll find out later what you did to that Go Chan guy. Then tell me. Did you see Jo Il-sang, the guard warrior of young master Mok Eun-pyeong?”

Jo Il-sang, the guard warrior of the second Mok Eun-pyeong.

Since he was a master nearing the first-rate level, there was no way for Mok Gyeong-un, who had not learned martial arts, and Go Chan, who was merely a second-rate expert, to do anything to him.

It should be obvious, but what was this uneasy feeling?

Then Mok Gyeong-un said.

“Ah. That person who came to find me last night wearing a mask?”

“…Right. I’m talking about him.”

“I saw him.”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, Guard Gam collected himself and asked.

“You didn’t do anything to him, right?”

“Oh come on. What could I do? What power do I have?”

Mok Gyeong-un waved his hand lightly.

At those words, Guard Gam thought that he indeed couldn’t have harmed him.

However,

“How could a person whose danjeon is damaged and lost his martial arts possibly do anything to someone like that?”

‘!?’

Guard Gam frowned.

What does this mean?

The fact that this bastard knows that he talked as if he had lost his martial arts…

“You…”

Then, Mok Gyeong-un leaned close to his ear and said with a low voice, laughing.

“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?”

‘!!!!!!’

Instantly, Guard Gam’s expression stiffened rigidly.