Chapter 6 Yeon Mok Sword Manor (3)

A pale-faced man in his fifties lay on the sickbed.

He seemed to have difficulty breathing, constantly coughing.

Whenever the old physician by his side wiped his mouth with a cloth, blood of a black color stained it.

“Sigh…”

Seeing this, a sigh escaped the old physician’s lips.

As his condition worsened, the end seemed near.

Despite using all his knowledge and experience to treat him, in his long years as a physician, this was the first time he had encountered such an illness.

‘Is there really nothing that can be done?’

As the personal physician of Yeon Mok Sword Manor, he could envision the situations that would unfold in the future.

There would be bloody conflicts between the brothers.

‘Manor Master, you should have just designated a successor.’

The Manor Master had not chosen a successor.

Because of that, even the clan’s retainers could only watch the current situation helplessly.

In fact, everyone knew the truth.

‘If you liked him that much, you should have made the youngest one your successor.’

The Manor Master had cherished the youngest, Mok Yu-cheon.

His talent was so outstanding that it might appear only once in three generations.

At the age of fourteen, he had mastered the clan’s martial arts and reached the level of a first-rate master. Now, at just sixteen, two years later, he had reached the threshold of the pinnacle.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that his overwhelming talent was among the top ten of his generation’s prodigies.

Moreover, his personality also resembled the Manor Master’s.

‘Young Master Mok Yu-cheon.’

If the Manor Master had openly supported him, the retainers would have stepped forward to solidify his position.

Even if he was just the son of a courtesan.

Of course, doing so would incur the wrath of the main wife.

‘This is a big problem. A big problem indeed.’

The main wife’s affection for her eldest son, Mok Yeong-ho, was unwavering.

Even if he was called a scoundrel, that didn’t change.

Because of this, from the second young master to the third young master, they had begun to overtly display their greed.

The moment the Manor Master drew his last breath, Yeon Mok Sword Manor would be stained with the blood of the brothers.

‘What will happen in the future? Sigh.’

As a mere physician, he couldn’t intervene.

As he was lamenting,

The door to the Manor Master’s room opened.

‘Who is it?’

The old physician’s expression hardened as he turned his head.

A face with wrinkles covered by powder, as white as snow.

Lips dyed red with rouge, adorned with luxurious jewelry and attire.

With upturned eyes and a gaze filled with arrogance, this middle-aged lady was Yeon Mok Sword Manor’s main wife, Lady Seok.

The old physician lowered his head.

“M- Madam.”

“As expected.”

At her question, the old physician nodded with a faint sigh.

“My medical skills are lacking, so there seems to be nothing I can do.”

“I see. Indeed, there is no way for him to survive with medicine.”

“It is because I am incompetent. I…”

Swish!

Lady Seok waved her hand, indicating she didn’t want to hear it.

Then, with a sigh, she said,

“When all the renowned physicians in the vicinity, including you, say they don’t even know the name of the illness and that it can’t be explained by medicine, calling it a strange phenomenon, there is only one way left.”

“Madam!”

At those words, the old physician looked at Lady Seok, his white beard trembling.

Lady Seok then glared coldly at the old physician and said,

“With my husband’s life hanging by a thread, are you in a position to be picky?”

“But the art of divi-ation is ultimately just a bizarre method of looking at trivial signs. How can such superstitious…”

“Didn’t you say with your own mouth that my husband’s illness is no different from a strange phenomenon?”

“That may be so, but…”

“Then why do you oppose using a diviner^[1] who deals with strange phenomena? Are you telling me to just wait for my husband to die?”

“That’s not what I meant…”

“I don’t want to hear it. I have already summoned a diviner to the annex, so Physician Ha should stop and leave.”

“Madam!”

“Do you want to be forcibly dragged out?”

At these words, the old physician had no choice but to leave, as if he were being driven out.

It was already a situation where he couldn’t do anything.

The old physician, who had come outside, clicked his tongue as if he were regretful and looked at the main building where the sickbed was located.

‘Bringing in a diviner to treat a strange phenomenon? Sigh. She’s determined to kill a person with a diviner.’

***

“…This is the current situation of Yeon Mok Sword Manor.”

“What an interesting family this is.”

‘Interesting?’

He just learned about the situation he was in, and that’s what he says?

Go Chan was dumbfounded by Mok Gyeong-un’s reaction.

In a sense, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Mok Gyeong-un was in the most precarious position.

If the fact that he was a fake was discovered, he might be torn apart and killed by the retainers, not just the other young masters.

Yet, despite hearing this, he was exceedingly composed.

‘I have no idea what he’s thinking.’

If he were in Mok Gyeong-un’s position, he would try to escape somehow.

It was a situation with no solution.

Even Guard Gam, the captain, was preparing to abandon this fellow.

In the end, the fellow would inevitably be caught in the middle and eliminated.

‘…Even if you subdued me with poison, there’s nothing you can do in this situation, you bastard.’

For now, he had no choice but to follow along.

However, he had no intention of helping Mok Gyeong-un succeed.

So he had hidden some information.

If the truth was seven parts, he had hidden about three parts related to them.

‘Hah. Just wait and see.’

If he could just detoxify the poison, no matter what, he would reve…

Flinch!

Go Chan, who made eye contact with Mok Gyeong-un, trembled.

Just looking into the boy’s eyes sent chills down his spine.

It was pathetic of him to be intimidated like this, but this fellow was somehow different from ordinary people.

There was something about him that made people fear him.

‘A devilish bastard.’

Yes, that description suited him best.

He still couldn’t forget those ominous eyes.

“Guard Go.”

“Y- yes.”

Go Chan straightened up and replied.

Regardless of his inner thoughts, his instincts told him to unconditionally obey the boy’s words for now.

“So originally, the real Mok Gyeong-un and Guard Gam planned to use me as a substitute and have the eldest young master, Mok Yeong-ho, kill Mok Eun-pyeong, right?”

“…That’s correct.”

That was their initial best course of action.

The plan was called “The Fisherman’s Gain^[2].”

They had envisioned a scenario where the eldest young master, Mok Yeong-ho, would backstab the second young master, Mok Eun-pyeong, who would let his guard down thinking the substitute had been killed.

To this end, they had even planted false hopes in Mok Yeong-ho through a courtesan they had recruited.

‘They put quite a bit of thought into it.’

Mok Gyeong-un chuckled.

The plan seemed plausible.

If they had proceeded this way, the main wife, who was the mother of the two young masters, and her maternal family would not have been able to significantly intervene.

Rather, it would have become a disgrace for them.

‘It would have been good, but I became the variable.’

Now he understood why Guard Gam wanted to switch sides.

Guard Gam didn’t trust him.

If he had trusted him or had the confidence to completely control him, he would have slightly modified this best plan and carried it out as is.

But because he distrusted him, he wouldn’t do that.

In the end, Guard Gam’s change of heart and the situation of this family could only work against him in any way.

‘Is there only one conclusion?’

He had to either kill Guard Gam or bring him to his side.

However, both the former and the latter were difficult.

The latter was difficult because Guard Gam had no faith in him, and in the case of the former, unlike Go Chan, Guard Gam was definitely stronger than him.

Therefore, it was difficult to kill him.

“Guard Go.”

“…Yes.”

“How much stronger is Guard Gam compared to you?”

“Compared to me?”

“Yes.”

“…Guard Gam is a first-rate master, so he’s probably two to three times stronger than me.”

Go Chan possessed the skills of a second-rate warrior.

On the other hand, Guard Gam was a first-rate master.

In terms of internal energy, he had almost reached half a cycle (30 years), so numerically speaking, it was more than twice that, but considering his enlightenment and skills, it had to be considered three times.

That was the typical difference between second-rate and first-rate.

“In your opinion, Guard Go, do you think I can kill Guard Gam?”

“What?”

“I mean literally. Do you think I can kill him?”

At this question, Go Chan furrowed his brows.

After learning about the situation of the family, did he make up his mind to kill Guard Gam?

But this fellow still didn’t know that they were trying to switch sides.

Or did he deduce it from the fragmentary information?

Gulp!

If that was the case, his insight was truly remarkable.

What kind of fellow was he?

He was on a different level from the real Mok Gyeong-un in terms of using his brain.

“Is the question difficult? Guard Go, you’ve fought with me too, so you should have a rough idea.”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, Go Chan hesitated for a moment before answering.

“E- even if the young master is strong and has good movements, it’s difficult to compare the technical aspects and internal energy of a first-rate master with a novice like me.”

“So in conclusion, I can’t win, right?”

“…Yes.”

“Don’t be so cautious. I think so too.”

“…”

If he knew, then why was he asking?

As he wondered, Mok Gyeong-un changed the question.

“Then if I learn this so-called martial arts, would the odds change a bit?”

“What?”

“What if I learn martial arts?”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s question, Go Chan almost scoffed.

He acknowledged that this fellow was stronger than him, a second-rate warrior.

And he also acknowledged that he was different from ordinary people.

However, learning martial arts was a completely separate issue.

Go Chan managed to control his expression and said,

“…Young Master, the foundation of martial arts is internal energy cultivation.”

“Internal energy cultivation?”

“Yes. Internal energy cultivation refers to circulating the natural energy through breathing techniques, that is, inhalation and exhalation, to gather internal energy within the body.”

“And?”

“As internal energy accumulates, you become stronger and more powerful.”

“It seems to be that way.”

In his life, Mok Gyeong-un had never met anyone stronger than him.

But those who had learned martial arts were different.

“However, this internal energy cannot be accumulated overnight.”

“Are you saying it takes time?”

“Yes. It varies from person to person and depends on the breathing technique, but internal energy is formed and accumulated through long-term cultivation. But even if you learn martial arts, can you catch up to someone who has cultivated for many years in a short period of time?”

‘And you’re already too late.’

There was also an appropriate starting age for internal energy cultivation.

It was suitable to start between the ages of five and nine because, at a younger age, the body is flexible, and impurities have not accumulated in the meridians.

At Mok Gyeong-un’s age, impurities would have already accumulated considerably, narrowing the meridians.

“You’re saying it’s difficult in the short term.”

“Yes.”

‘No. It will be difficult even if you cultivate for a lifetime.’

Go Chan didn’t mention this fact.

He didn’t feel the need to tell him, and even if he did, it would only make Mok Gyeong-un uncomfortable and possibly lead him to harm Go Chan.

‘It’s useless to struggle. Now you understand your situation, right?’

The Manor Master was on the verge of death.

Both Yeon Mok Sword Manor’s personal physician and other renowned physicians said it was difficult.

In the first place, it was an illness of unknown cause, to the extent that it was called a strange phenomenon.

If such a Manor Master were to lose his life, no matter how much this fake fellow struggled, it would be the end for him.

‘Just wait. When that moment comes, I will repay all this humiliation…’

Thud!

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un stood up.

Then, gesturing to Go Chan, he said,

“Let’s go.”

“What? Where?”

Was he trying to escape?

If that was the case, it would be a foolish choice…

“Guide me to where the Manor Master is.”

“What? Why do you suddenly want to go where the Manor Master is?”

At those words, Mok Gyeong-un chuckled and said,

“Since my life is tied to the Manor Master’s life and death, I want to see for myself how critical his condition is.”

‘!?’

1. 방사 bangsa (方士, fangshi) = Individuals who are scholarly trained in the arts of geomancers, mysticism, divi-ation. While similar to shamans, diviners or method masters pay attention to set of rules and theories[↩]
2. Comes from an idiom of how a fisherman who unexpectedly benefits from a seemingly unfortunate situation[↩]