WeTried Translations
Translator: ZERO_SUGAR
Editor: Abstract
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Episode 46: Imperial Palace (1)
──────
‘Master?’
At Yeong-jeon's words, Left Assistant Censor O Mu-yang's expression hardened.
The person Yeong-jeon, heir to the Moak Estate of the House of the Eight Villains, had sworn loyalty to was Mu Il.
What nonsense was he spouting now?
And...
‘Master?’
Until now, Yeong-jeon had called Mu Il the future Master.
Yet he had suddenly addressed this unknown person as Master, the full title.
O Mu-yang's gaze turned sharp.
“Yeong-jeon... what trick are you trying to pull?”
“My apologies. You heard correctly.”
“What?”
Was this bastard joking?
The heir to the Moak Estate of the House of the Eight Villains had suddenly called some unknown nobody Master?
What on earth had happened?
O Mu-yang could not make sense of it.
By Ki sense, the fierce-looking middle-aged figure before them was only around the Advanced level.
Was Yeong-jeon really switching allegiances because of someone like this?
-Shring!
O Mu-yang drew their sword like lightning and aimed it at the middle-aged figure's throat.
“You're turning your back on that person because of this nobody?”
“...”
Yeong-jeon did not answer.
Seeing that, O Mu-yang spoke to the fierce-looking middle-aged figure, rage thick in their voice.
“What did you do to him?”
The middle-aged figure opened his mouth.
“I didn't do anything special.”
‘!?’
O Mu-yang frowned.
The voice was far too youthful for that fierce face and apparent age.
And it sounded familiar.
They had not heard it often, but they had definitely heard it somewhere recently.
“I was wondering who ordered the kidnapping. It was someone I've met before.”
“Someone you've met before?”
“So you didn't take Master Sa Mu-heo away because he was a criminal, did you?”
O Mu-yang's eyes wavered at those words.
Only those connected to Changcheon Martial Academy knew that Sa Mu-heo, who had briefly been at the academy, had been taken into custody on the pretext of being a criminal.
Then O Mu-yang's eyes widened.
“You! Don't tell me...”
At last, O Mu-yang remembered whose voice it was.
‘Mumu!’
They knew exactly who it was.
Their encounter had been brief, but that innocent-sounding way of speaking had stayed in their memory.
Which meant this face was...
‘A Skin Mask.’
It had to be.
Once O Mu-yang considered the possibility of a Skin Mask, they noticed the subtle difference in color around the face and neck.
It appeared to be a top-grade Skin Mask, difficult to identify even under close scrutiny.
Now that they knew Mumu's identity, everything fell into place.
‘Ha!’
It was not the Southern Blade Imperial Uncle.
O Mu-yang had found it strange that someone whose whereabouts had been unknown would suddenly appear to help King Jin.
But if it was Mumu, everything made sense.
Mumu had undoubtedly been protecting Inspector Censor Yu Jin-sung, Mumu's adoptive older brother, and Princess Seo from the academy onward.
‘Were the rumors true?’
-Gulp!
O Mu-yang swallowed hard without realizing it.
They had been skeptical.
Even if Mumu had defeated Sa Mu-heo, a master of finger techniques, and Kang Mu-i, the future Master, the Four Immortal Masters were Grandmaster-level masters on an entirely different plane.
Even someone as cautious as O Mu-yang had found it hard to believe the rumor that Mumu had defeated two such monsters.
Yet Mumu had protected King Jin and Princess Seo from the formidable strength of the Imperial Palace's Flying Horse Brigade, and even forced Yeong-jeon, the heir to the Moak Estate, into submission.
The rumors did not seem false after all.
‘Damn it.’
This was why O Mu-yang had ordered Yu Jin-sung's kidnapping as a precaution, but the situation could not have been more troublesome.
Had it not backfired instead?
Still, there was one fortunate thing.
Perhaps Mumu had let his guard down, but O Mu-yang's sword was aimed at his throat.
‘There is still a chance.’
No matter how strong Mumu was, he could not survive if the blade pierced his throat.
O Mu-yang gathered all their Force of ki.
Then Mumu spoke.
“Did you tell them to kidnap my older brother because of me?”
With Yeong-jeon having betrayed them, there was no point denying it now.
“Yes.”
“You admitted that easily.”
“What a stubborn ill-fated bond. To think our Grand Plan would be shaken this much by you alone.”
O Mu-yang knew that Mumu had ruined every plan within Changcheon Martial Academy.
And now, as if that were not enough, Mumu was interfering with them as well.
In a sense, he was even more troublesome than the Four Immortal Masters, the ultimate targets of their vengeance.
‘It was bold of you to come this far, right into the heart of enemy territory, but this place will be your grave!’
-Ssssss!
Blue ki manifestation gathered around O Mu-yang's sword.
The blade aimed at Mumu's throat thrust forward.
-Crack!
‘What?’
The sword carrying ki manifestation failed to pierce Mumu's throat.
Instead, the blade shattered.
-Clang!
As fragments of the broken sword fell to the floor, O Mu-yang was briefly left speechless.
They had thought Mumu was off guard.
But that was not it.
Had Mumu simply seen no need to block?
-Swoooooosh!
At that moment, something like pale steam flowed from Mumu's body.
The muscles around his neck thickened and blackened with heat.
‘Th-this is?’
“I still can't keep it up for long.”
Mumu had been practicing how to control his muscles and strength while keeping the Ki-Restraining Bracelets unlocked.
He had been trying to regulate his racing heartbeat and accelerated blood flow as much as possible, but when he tensed up to block the sword carrying ki manifestation, his control slipped.
-Shiver!
O Mu-yang had not noticed it until now, but an overwhelming pressure poured from him.
‘Damn it!’
O Mu-yang was certain.
No matter how they struggled, they could do nothing to Mumu.
Their choice was simple.
-Pak!
They threw the broken sword at Mumu like a hidden weapon and fled.
This was the Imperial Palace. If they caused a disturbance, the Imperial Palace's Flying Horse Brigade, the Eastern Eunuch corps, Western Eunuch corps, and Embroidered Uniform Guard would all move.
No matter how strong Mumu was, he could not ignore the Imperial Palace's strength.
That was why, even after infiltrating for so long, they had not yet completely taken control of the Imperial Palace.
But then...
“Where are you going?”
-Pak!
Before O Mu-yang could even take a step, Mumu grabbed them by the head.
‘What?’
Mumu lifted O Mu-yang by the head.
Panicked, O Mu-yang kicked backward, trying to shake off Mumu's hand.
-Papapapak!
The kicks did not affect Mumu in the slightest.
Instead, Mumu scratched his head as if they tickled, curled his fingers, and lightly flicked O Mu-yang's abdomen.
-Thud!
“Gwaaaack!”
The instant O Mu-yang was hit in the abdomen, vomit burst from their mouth.
It had looked like a casual finger flick, but it felt as though their internal organs were twisting apart.
O Mu-yang could not believe it.
Mumu had not even used his full strength, yet they could not withstand the force of a simple flick.
‘M-monster.’
They had assumed Mumu was on roughly the same level as the Four Immortal Masters, but they had never imagined he would be this strong.
After vomiting everything in their stomach, O Mu-yang could only lament.
Was heaven truly on the side of the force of justice?
As if the Four Immortal Masters were not enough, why had a monster like this appeared?
‘...’
O Mu-yang stared at Mumu.
Even if they did not wish to, they could not help comparing him to Mu Il, the person to whom they had sworn loyalty.
O Mu-yang, too, had wanted the qualifications to become Master.
But before the tremendous talents of Mu Il and Mui, they had ultimately knelt before them.
Their talents far surpassed those of O Mu-yang and the others.
Especially...
‘Mu Il...’
Mu Il possessed the special constitution every martial artist desired.
That blessed constitution had made Mu Il into an unimaginable monster.
They said it took a monster to face a monster.
Only Mu Il seemed capable of handling this monstrous brat.
‘Before that... before that... I have to send word.’
O Mu-yang gritted their teeth.
They had not wanted to go this far, but the only way to contend with Mumu, even briefly, was the Aberrant Blood Demonic Art.
Created by combining the Reversed Blood Great Art and Blood Demon Art, this method reversed the flow of energy throughout the body and burned all life energy, making its user several times stronger for half a gak.
It was no different from a final burst before death, but if O Mu-yang, who had reached the true Master level, used it, they could resist for a moment.
-Grind! Grind!
O Mu-yang reversed the flow of energy throughout their body.
At the same time, they tried to use an acupoint strike on themself.
-Thud!
Mumu's finger flick struck their abdomen again.
“Guaaah!”
The pain of their organs twisting again bent O Mu-yang's back like a shrimp, interrupting the Reversed Blood Great Art they had been activating.
Mumu spoke as though he could not understand.
“I don't know why you keep using that when it doesn't work.”
“What?”
“Your eyes were about to turn black, so I was right.”
‘!?’
Despite the pain, O Mu-yang was dumbfounded.
Had Mumu experienced the Aberrant Blood Demonic Art before?
They had not expected to be stopped before they could even use it.
“Uuugh...”
O Mu-yang wanted to scream and create a disturbance, to make everyone aware of Mumu's presence, but even their voice would not come out.
Mumu then spoke in a flat voice.
“I heard you're Mu O?”
“What?”
O Mu-yang's eyes widened.
The real name behind O Mu-yang was Yang Mu-o.
Limited talent had kept Yang Mu-o from becoming the future Master, but Yang Mu-o was one of the owners of the five Jade Medallions.
O Mu-yang, no, Yang Mu-o, spoke with a stiff expression.
“Cough... cough... Wh-what are you? How do you know that...?”
Within the House of the Eight Villains, only the Paralysis Blade Estate and Heavenly Kill Valley knew this.
How did this brat know information that only a select few within those factions knew?
As Yang Mu-o struggled in confusion, a familiar laugh sounded nearby.
“Heh.”
Yang Mu-o looked toward the mocking laughter and saw Kang Mu-i leaning against the entrance.
‘Mui?’
Seeing Kang Mu-i wearing restraints made of black iron around his wrists and ankles left Yang Mu-o even more confused.
Yang Mu-o had believed Kang Mu-i was imprisoned at the academy.
Why was that bastard here?
As Yang Mu-o stared in bewilderment, Kang Mu-i grinned mockingly, wagged his index finger from side to side, and moved his lips.
-Grind!
Kang Mu-i had only mouthed the words, but Yang Mu-o knew exactly what he was saying.
‘Give up. It'll be easier that way.’
Footnotes:
Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried
