WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
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Episode 10: Martial Talent (1)
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A middle-aged man with a particularly fierce appearance.
He was Sang Ung-baek, the Quartermaster of Yeonmok Sword Manor.
Known as the Ruthless Shock Fist in northern Anhui, he was a master of fist techniques and a loyal retainer who, like his father before him, had served the Mok Family for two generations.
Unlike Estate Manager Jang MyeongIn, who had entered the Manor out of trust in the Manor Lord, Sang Ung-baek was among the retainers with the strongest convictions.
That was why Lady Seok had been unable to win him over.
As one of Yeonmok Sword Manor's central pillars, he held considerable influence among the retainers.
She had no choice but to be cautious around Sang Ung-baek.
“It is true, Quartermaster. No matter what, why would I order someone to harm that child?”
“Hmm. Is that so?”
Despite her explanation, Quartermaster Sang Ung-baek did not look convinced.
Lady Seok was boiling inside.
As if it were not enough that the Taoist occultist woman had ruined everything, she was now under suspicion.
‘That damned woman.’
She had no idea what had happened.
After taking a thousand silver coins, Sak had betrayed her as easily as turning her hand over.
‘Ghost Shadow Pavilion... Sak...’
Sak would certainly pay the price.
For now, this man was the problem.
“Phew.”
Quartermaster Sang Ung-baek was remarkably persistent.
Once he became suspicious, he would continue watching and investigating her.
That meant she would have to keep her distance from Mok GyeongUn for a while.
‘This is troublesome.’
She needed to take the martial arts book from Mok GyeongUn.
If Sang Ung-baek's watchfulness allowed that cunning Mok EunPyeong to take it first, Mok YeongHo's position could be endangered.
She needed another plan.
Quartermaster Sang Ung-baek watched her with suspicious eyes.
Inside, he clicked his tongue.
‘It is a mess.’
Since the Manor Lord's life had begun hanging by a thread, Yeonmok Sword Manor had been falling apart.
Even so, he had thought they would at least watch their conduct until the Manor Lord breathed his last.
But this was the worst possible outcome.
The Manor Lord was still alive, yet they were openly trying to kill the other successors while fighting over the position of next Manor Lord.
‘Manor Lord...’
If the Manor Lord learned of this, the disappointment would be immense.
At the same time, Sang Ung-baek felt regret.
If the Manor Lord had firmly settled the matter of succession from the start, retainers like him would have honored that will and protected the appointed successor.
But that had not happened, leading to this disaster.
Even the retainers were now mostly divided in opinion. The moment the Manor Lord stopped breathing, Yeonmok Sword Manor might truly become a battlefield between blood relatives.
‘What should I do?’
Would he have to make a choice as well?
Ordinarily, he should support the eldest son, First Young Master Mok YeongHo, but this left him deeply disappointed.
First Madam also made him reluctant.
Once the Manor Lord passed away, she would become the eldest of the household, yet she was engaging in such deeds.
Still, something did not make sense.
‘Come to think of it, the Second Young Master as well...’
Why were they targeting Third Young Master Mok GyeongUn?
If they had been fighting among themselves, or targeting the youngest young master, whom the Manor Lord cherished most and who possessed innate martial talent, he could at least understand.
But Third Young Master Mok GyeongUn had nothing at all.
He had no martial talent, and his position had weakened after his mother's family fell.
None of the retainers supported him, so neither Lady Seok nor the Second Young Master had any reason to keep him in check.
Yet they had tried to take his life.
‘Because he was the easiest target?’
No. It was far too early for that.
The Manor Lord had not even died yet. Doing this would only cost them the retainers' support.
Quartermaster Sang Ung-baek was seriously perplexed.
Why exactly had they targeted Mok GyeongUn?
There had to be something worth fearing, something that made them cast everything else aside and target him first.
‘...I need to find out.’
This was not something he could simply overlook.
If there was something all of them considered worth killing for, he needed to confirm it.
* * *
Whoosh...
Someone passed through the ceiling and entered the Medicine house.
It was Blue Spirit, wearing a ceremonial crown and holding a short-stemmed tobacco pipe between her lips.
The Demonic Monk bowed respectfully to greet her.
She grumbled at the sight.
“Is it because I have become a spirit familiar? Or because she is a Taoist occultist?”
“...”
She had waited for an opportunity to seize Sak's body.
But she had failed.
She could not tell what the problem was.
Taoist occultists prepared measures in advance to protect their corporeal souls through spellcraft or talisman arts.
That was why low-ranked vengeful spirits could not seize the bodies of Taoist occultists or humans with powerful ki, even if they wanted to.
But Blue Spirit was no low-ranked vengeful spirit.
Yet she still could not take Sak's body.
“Tch.”
She had tried to sever the forced bond through possession, but failed.
Was becoming a spirit familiar truly the problem?
Blue Spirit descended with a sullen expression and looked at Mok GyeongUn, who was sitting on the bed and concentrating on reverse ki circulation.
“There is no way to escape it. But this fellow...”
Interest flickered in her blood-red eyes.
Through her Ghost Eyes, Mok GyeongUn's ki was becoming remarkably stable.
“Oh?”
Mok GyeongUn had absorbed the energy of Guyeo, one of the spirits and goblins, using the movement of Adhesion.
The energy of spirits and goblins was more Yin and purer than the deathly aura that arose from humans at death.
She had expected him to be unable to control it, or to expel a substantial amount of it.
Yet unexpectedly, he was absorbing it steadily.
“Hmm.”
Blue Spirit stepped closer to Mok GyeongUn.
Then she brought her face directly before his as he focused on ki circulation.
‘Strange.’
There was a scar on his forehead.
He had only been cut recently, yet the wound already looked days old.
At this rate, it seemed likely to heal within a few days.
‘...That exceeds a human's recovery ability.’
Even before becoming a spirit familiar, she had found it strange that he had come through unscathed despite injuries that nearly qualified as serious.
Now that she looked closely, she was certain.
This fellow possessed recovery abilities that could not even be compared to those of an ordinary human.
How could a human be like this?
‘There is something about him.’
He was certainly no ordinary human.
If she had not been forcibly made into a spirit familiar and lost the initiative, she could have seized his body and learned why.
What a shame.
Clicking her tongue, Blue Spirit stared at Mok GyeongUn's face.
‘He is rather handsome.’
She had felt it before, but Mok GyeongUn possessed an exceptionally beautiful face.
He met the standard of a beautiful young man.
She did not particularly like this mortal, but at least such a lovely face was not bad.
It was perfect for looking at.
Snap!
Mok GyeongUn suddenly opened his eyes.
Their eyes met at point-blank range.
That startled her.
This fellow could even startle a vengeful spirit.
“What are you doing?”
“...”
Saying she had been admiring his face would be humiliating.
At his question, Blue Spirit pulled back, casually turned her head aside, and put her pipe to her lips as though nothing had happened.
“What do you mean, what am I doing?”
“Hmm.”
Mok GyeongUn watched her for a moment, then asked,
“Did you take care of it?”
“Hmph. Who do you take me for?”
“As expected of Blue Spirit.”
Mok GyeongUn smiled faintly.
Blue Spirit raised one eyebrow, apparently displeased by his attitude.
Perhaps she should not have agreed to help him.
He had unexpectedly handled Guyeo, one of the spirits and goblins, and the Taoist occultist woman on his own. She had agreed to help only because she wanted to see what would happen after he did so, yet she now regretted it.
Mok GyeongUn said to her,
“You were gone for so long that I wondered if you had left for good.”
“...Left, indeed.”
At Mok GyeongUn's perceptive words, Blue Spirit grumbled curtly.
Of course she wanted to leave.
Regardless of agreeing to help him, her true desire was to sever the bond of being a spirit familiar whenever an opportunity arose.
“Stop talking nonsense and keep circulating your ki. If you want to make even a little of the energy you took from Guyeo your own, do not waste time like...”
“Ah. There is something I wanted to confirm.”
“Confirm?”
“Yes. I was wondering whether this is what they call a dantian.”
“A dantian? It is still impossible to know whether you can form a dantian from deathly aura. Mortal, you must diligently...”
“Is this tiny lump below my navel, no bigger than a sesame seed, not a dantian?”
“...What?”
Blue Spirit furrowed her brow.
Had this fellow just said he had formed a dantian?
“That cannot be.”
Blue Spirit looked at Mok GyeongUn in disbelief.
Even if he had absorbed the energy possessed by one of the spirits and goblins and acquired a sufficient amount, it made no sense for him to have formed a dantian already.
She had never seen such a case even when she was alive.
He had only circulated ki for a short while after sensing energy, yet he had already created a dantian?
“May I check?”
“Yes. I wanted to know whether I am right.”
Blue Spirit brought her palm toward Mok GyeongUn's abdomen.
The method of checking was simple.
As an incorporeal vengeful spirit, she only had to enter his corporeal soul directly and inspect it.
But then,
“?”
Her hand did not pass through.
Her palm stopped at the surface instead of entering his abdomen.
A high-ranked vengeful spirit like her could temporarily materialize a spectral body.
But that was not why this had happened.
Tap! Tap!
“What are you doing?”
“I cannot get in.”
“Why not?”
“How would I know?”
Even she did not know the exact reason.
Wondering whether there was something wrong with herself, she approached Guard Go Chan, who was snoring on the neighboring bed.
Then she shoved her hand into Guard Go Chan's abdomen.
It went in with complete ease.
“It works? Then...”
She briefly materialized her fingertips and lightly touched the dantian.
Guard Go Chan immediately jolted awake.
“Eek!”
Guard Go Chan's body trembled, their eyes rolled back, and they fainted.
Blue Spirit had forgotten that once a dantian formed, it became the most sensitive place inside the body.
But whether Guard Go Chan had fainted or not did not concern her.
Rather,
“Tsk, tsk. What a fuss. In any case, the problem is not with me.”
She focused only on the conclusion.
For some reason, her spectral hand did not pass through Mok GyeongUn and instead struck against him.
It was highly strange.
“This is odd. Could it be because I have become a spirit familiar? Hey, bald monk. You try as well.”
At those words, the Demonic Monk shuffled forward and cautiously touched Mok GyeongUn's body.
Just as before, the Demonic Monk's spectral body could not pass through Mok GyeongUn's corporeal soul.
The two vengeful spirits could not hide their confusion.
“Do you know why?”
“Hmm. Unless spectral bodies were colliding with one another, they should not strike against each other like this.”
“Then it will be difficult for you to confirm whether I have a dantian or not.”
“Well... Even if that is the case, there are other...”
Before she could finish,
Creak...
The Medicine house door opened with a soft sound.
Looking over, Mok GyeongUn saw a fierce-looking middle-aged man entering.
‘The Quartermaster?’
It was Quartermaster Sang Ung-baek.
Mok GyeongUn remembered his face from being interrogated by him once before.
“Ah...”
Quartermaster Sang Ung-baek's expression darkened somewhat upon seeing Mok GyeongUn sitting cross-legged.
It was because Mok GyeongUn was covered in wounds.
They were healing quickly, but the scabs still made their rapid recovery difficult to notice.
Sang Ung-baek approached and said,
“You are still awake, Young Master.”
“Ah, yes.”
Having come almost before him, Quartermaster Sang Ung-baek deeply bowed his head.
“I am sorry. If I had paid closer attention, this would not have happened.”
To outward appearances, Mok GyeongUn's condition was dreadful.
Thinking he had ended up like this after being attacked, Quartermaster Sang Ung-baek truly believed it was his own failure.
That was why he apologized.
Mok GyeongUn shook his head.
“No. It is all right. Such things can happen.”
“This is not a matter of such things happening. The Outer Hall's warriors were guarding you, yet you were injured. This is entirely my failure.”
“You do not need to blame yourself.”
Mok GyeongUn spoke with a smile.
A strange light entered Sang Ung-baek's eyes as he looked at him.
As Quartermaster, he did not meet the young masters often, but he had spoken with them from time to time and roughly knew their personalities.
There were also rumors circulating within the Manor.
‘...It was strange last time as well.’
Sang Ung-baek knew Mok GyeongUn to be quite finicky and timid.
That had become especially apparent after his martial talent fell short and his mother's family collapsed.
But now, should he call him bold?
He had faced life-threatening situations twice in a row, yet how could he remain so calm?
This incident had not even happened long ago.
Yet there was no sign of fear or emotional aftereffects.
‘Was he always like this?’
A sudden question arose in his mind.
Even adults found it difficult to stay calm and bold after being injured so badly and having their life threatened.
“Young Master... Are you truly all right?”
At that question, Mok GyeongUn suddenly realized he had made a mistake.
He had treated it as nothing, but he should have shown at least some fear.
He lowered his head slightly and said,
“To be honest, I am worried that I might die without anyone knowing.”
Sang Ung-baek's eyes narrowed further at those words.
His suspicions deepened.
It was already too late to claim concern only after hearing Sang Ung-baek's question.
‘...How troublesome.’
Mok GyeongUn noticed his suspicion as well.
He had not drawn much suspicion until now, but matters seemed to be becoming complicated because of an unexpected person.
It did not seem that Sang Ung-baek yet suspected him of being an impostor, but there was nothing to gain from remaining involved with someone whose instincts were this sharp.
Then Quartermaster Sang Ung-baek spoke.
“Young Master... You do not look well. May this subordinate inspect your body once, to see whether your internal injury is serious?”
Blue Spirit whispered from beside him.
“You should be careful. If you truly formed a dantian as you said, no matter how small it is, its energy will not resemble ki cultivated for health in the slightest.”
Mok GyeongUn glanced at her with a puzzled look.
She sneered.
“I mean people could mistake you for someone of the evil path.”
‘What is that?’
Mok GyeongUn still knew little about Martial Arts.
But judging by her tone, he roughly understood what she was warning him about.
He shook his head.
“It is all right. When the physician comes tomorrow, then...”
“Young Master. Please forgive my discourtesy.”
Whoosh!
As soon as he finished speaking, Quartermaster Sang Ung-baek swiftly seized Mok GyeongUn's right wrist with a grappling hold.
Sang Ung-baek's movements were far faster than either Guard Gam or Lady Seok.
There had been no time to avoid him.
Not content with grasping Mok GyeongUn's wrist, Sang Ung-baek delivered an acupoint strike toward his chest.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
He instantly struck the paralysis points that stiffened the body.
Having sealed his acupoints, Sang Ung-baek sent life energy through Mok GyeongUn's wrist to inspect his dantian.
He quickly attempted to inspect Mok GyeongUn's organs through the Ki Meditation paths in his blood meridians and sweep down to the dantian.
But then,
Whoosh...
The life energy running through Mok GyeongUn's body suddenly dispersed.
‘!?’
Sang Ung-baek furrowed his brow.
Thinking perhaps the flow of life energy had been interrupted midway, he sent it again.
But the same thing happened.
Whoosh...
His life energy flowed through the Ki Meditation paths, then dispersed at once.
Something was wrong.
Sang Ung-baek considered it for a moment.
When inspecting another person's body, one normally sent life energy in only to the extent that it would not burden them.
But if it kept dispersing like this, he had no choice but to send in more life energy.
However, that method could be somewhat dangerous.
“Young Master... Forgive me, but I will send in a little more life energy. I have struck your paralysis points, but please endure the discomfort for a moment...”
“Hmm. There is no helping it. Blue Spirit.”
“Blue Spirit? What do you...”
Thud!
At that exact moment, Sang Ung-baek could not move at all.
It was because he was seized by the strange sensation of something gripping his heart.
“Gasp... Gasp...”
Instinctively, Sang Ung-baek understood.
It was holding his heart very gently, but if it exerted even a little force, his heart seemed ready to burst.
What sort of strange phenomenon was this?
As he stood bewildered, Mok GyeongUn spoke as though conversing with someone.
“No, no. It would be troublesome if you burst his heart. Please wait a moment.”
‘!?’
Sang Ung-baek's eyes widened as though they would tear apart.
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