WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
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Episode 10: Martial Talent (5)
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Was this really the Mok GyeongUn he knew?
Mok YuCheon glared at Mok GyeongUn with furious eyes, then spoke in an equally low voice.
“...You're right. If the martial arts book goes to my other brothers, it's obvious what will happen to me.”
“Now that you understand your situation, we can...”
“But have you ever considered that I could beat you half to death until you spit out the verse formulas for the secret manual?”
Clench!
Mok YuCheon seized Mok GyeongUn's wrist, which rested on his shoulder.
Then he drew upon his internal energy and tightened his grip.
The veins on the back of Mok GyeongUn's hand swelled as if they were about to burst.
Radiating killing intent, Mok YuCheon said,
“With just a little more strength, I can cripple that wrist.”
Crush!
Mok YuCheon tightened his grip further.
A twisting sound came from the hand he held. A little more pressure would truly be dangerous.
‘He needs to know that I can go all the way if I have to...!?’
Mok YuCheon frowned.
At this point, he expected Mok GyeongUn to be writhing in pain.
Yet Mok GyeongUn's expression did not change.
Instead, he was staring straight at him.
‘This bastard?’
He could endure this?
His wrist was on the verge of breaking, yet he was not even afraid?
Mok YuCheon was dumbfounded.
This did not seem to be a matter of patience.
“...What are you? Are you really Mok GyeongUn?”
‘Gasp!’
Guard Go Chan, who had been anxiously watching from behind, stiffened at those words.
Go Chan had been worried because the two had been in contact for too long.
Had Mok YuCheon seen through him?
If so, this truly was the worst possible situation.
Then Mok GyeongUn gave a faint chuckle, looked Mok YuCheon directly in the eye, and spoke.
“Then who do you think I am?”
Mok YuCheon's eyes narrowed at his utterly unshaken manner.
He was so different from the cowardly, timid person Mok YuCheon knew that he even felt a sense of discord.
Mok GyeongUn said to him,
“You speak as if you know me well, but what do you actually know?”
“I don't know you...?”
“Yes. What do you know? Other than the fact that we're half-brothers and that something happened two years ago, what do you know to question me like that?”
“...”
Mok YuCheon fell silent before the confident question.
Mok GyeongUn was so self-assured that he had nothing to say.
He had wondered how Mok GyeongUn could have changed so much in two years, but having the question turned back on him like this, he did not know how to answer.
Even before their clash two years ago, they had never spoken much.
They were half-brothers, and everyone had looked down on Mok YuCheon and kept their distance because he was born to a lowly gisaeng.
Mok GyeongUn had done the same.
‘Annoying.’
Why was this bastard acting so arrogantly instead?
The question of what anyone knew about him was one Mok YuCheon himself had wanted to ask everyone in the Mok Family.
Grit!
Mok YuCheon bit his lip hard, then loosened his grip.
Releasing Mok GyeongUn's wrist, he said,
“Let me ask you one thing. Why me?”
“Why you?”
“Yes. Not one of you ever acknowledged me. Why not make a deal with those precious bloodlines of yours?”
Mok GyeongUn answered casually.
“I merely thought you were better than the other brothers.”
“...”
Mok YuCheon fell silent.
He stared intently into Mok GyeongUn's eyes.
Mok YuCheon had assumed that Mok GyeongUn hated him because of what happened two years ago, just as he hated Mok GyeongUn.
So hearing that was truly unexpected.
Of course, that did not mean their relationship would suddenly improve.
‘...Did I see him as too simple a person?’
The thought came to him.
Mok YuCheon had wanted someone to acknowledge him, yet he had never tried to understand anyone else.
Perhaps Mok GyeongUn really had changed over the past two years.
Mok YuCheon lowered his guard, straightened up, and said,
“Whew... Fine. Let's make this deal or whatever it is.”
“Good.”
“What do you want?”
Though he did not show it, Mok YuCheon was worried about what Mok GyeongUn might demand.
Giving away a martial arts book said to contain Martial Arts exclusive to the Manor Lord was an enormous concession.
Considering its value, Mok GyeongUn would never ask for something trivial.
Mok YuCheon only hoped it would not exceed what he could grant.
Mok GyeongUn held up three fingers.
“I have three demands.”
“What?”
“I think it's worth that much.”
Mok YuCheon did not answer.
He could not exactly deny it.
For now, he needed to hear what Mok GyeongUn wanted.
“That is a lot. What are they?”
“They aren't particularly difficult demands for you.”
“...Fine. Tell me.”
“First, if you become the Manor Lord, I do not know what you will do to the other brothers, but do not lay a hand on me.”
Interest appeared in Mok YuCheon's eyes.
It certainly was not an especially difficult demand.
In fact, from Mok GyeongUn's perspective, it might have been a natural one.
If Mok YuCheon became Manor Lord through the retainers' support, he would naturally end up at war with his other half-brothers.
‘Even if I don't like him, this is not a bad demand for me either.’
It meant one fewer enemy.
So he readily answered,
“Fine. I can accept that much. What's next?”
“If you become the Manor Lord, I want continued financial support.”
“Financial support?”
“Yes.”
“...Fine.”
That was not a difficult demand either.
Rather than asking for a large sum, it sounded like Mok GyeongUn wanted the Manor to continue taking responsibility for him as a member of Yeonmok Sword Manor.
Mok YuCheon did not think that was bad, so he accepted it.
It was fortunate that the demands had not been as great as he feared.
Still, he could not relax.
The final demand might be substantial.
“What is the last one?”
“This is nothing much either. I want the Cultivation technique and Martial Arts verse formulas for Yeonmok Sword Manor's Foundational Arts.”
“What?”
Mok YuCheon furrowed his brow at the unexpected demand.
Go Chan grew anxious inwardly at the sight.
They had somehow managed to get past the question of Mok GyeongUn's identity through luck, but asking this would surely make Mok YuCheon suspicious again.
‘Will this work?’
While Go Chan worried, Mok GyeongUn spoke as if nothing were wrong.
“You heard me. I want the Cultivation technique and Martial Arts verse formulas for Yeonmok Sword Manor's Foundational Arts.”
Mok YuCheon spoke in confusion.
“But you already know them.”
“I do.”
“Then why are you asking for them? There is no need to...”
“To be honest, I do not need the third demand.”
‘What?’
Go Chan stared at the back of Mok GyeongUn's head.
What was he doing?
He did not need it?
Mok YuCheon was equally puzzled.
“You don't need it?”
“Yes. The first two are what I truly want. As for the third, I only want it because there is something I wish to confirm for myself.”
Mok YuCheon's frown relaxed.
Tilting his head, he asked,
“What do you want to confirm?”
“It is nothing much. I only want to see whether what I know is correct.”
“You want to see whether what you know is correct?”
“Yes. There is no other reason.”
Mok YuCheon let out a faint laugh.
Go Chan found that reaction strange.
Go Chan could not understand why Mok YuCheon was reacting that way instead of becoming suspicious at Mok GyeongUn's vague words.
But Mok YuCheon's next words made it clear.
“Do you suspect Father?”
‘!?’
“You think Father taught me differently?”
‘No?’
Go Chan's eyes widened.
This was completely unexpected.
Go Chan had never imagined Mok YuCheon would draw that conclusion himself instead of becoming suspicious.
Matching his assumption, Mok GyeongUn answered casually.
“I only wish to confirm it.”
“There is no difference.”
“I will know once I hear you say it.”
Mok YuCheon snorted.
Then he shook his head and said,
“It is pointless to confirm it. You are wasting your time.”
“If there is no difference, simply tell me. I will know immediately whether there is a difference just by hearing you say it.”
“You really do ask for absurd things.”
“You have nothing to lose anyway.”
“...That is true.”
“Then recite the verse formulas for the Foundational Arts here. Once you have told me, I will tell you mine immediately.”
“What? Here?”
Mok YuCheon glanced around, then frowned.
Mok GyeongUn shrugged.
“Why? Are you worried someone might overhear? Or are you saying you are not confident you can memorize it if I recite it aloud?”
“You are merely checking something you already know. I have to memorize the verse formulas for high-level Martial Arts that I am learning for the first time. That is different!”
“Ah... Is that so? Then should I write it down and send it to you?”
Mok YuCheon hesitated for a moment.
It would be more convenient to have it written down, but after thinking it over, that did not seem right.
‘It is better to hear it here.’
Anything could happen.
He had checked the martial arts book, but Mok GyeongUn might still deliberately teach him an incorrect verse formula.
If so, hearing it recited here was better.
If he made Mok GyeongUn repeat it several times, he could spot any differences.
Thinking it was a good idea, Mok YuCheon said,
“No, we will do it here. But keep reciting it until I have memorized the entire formula.”
“That much is not difficult.”
Thus, the two concluded their deal.
* * *
About four and a half hours later.
On the way back to the Medicine house, Guard Go Chan clicked their tongue as they watched Mok GyeongUn walk ahead with light steps.
‘He really is incredible.’
This time, Go Chan had no choice but to acknowledge it.
Go Chan already knew Mok GyeongUn was clever from everything they had experienced, but had not known he was this clever.
From the start, the only thing Mok GyeongUn wanted was the Foundational Arts.
Yet he first brought up plausible demands to ease Mok YuCheon's suspicions.
He had even requested the Foundational Arts by saying he merely wanted to confirm whether they matched what he already knew, naturally steering the conversation in that direction.
‘Ha... Really...’
He was unbelievably shrewd.
Luck had played a part as well.
Mok YuCheon had made assumptions and fitted everything together on his own, allowing Mok GyeongUn to take advantage of the situation.
That was only possible because Mok GyeongUn was astonishingly quick to read the situation.
‘It could not have gone more naturally.’
He was remarkable.
Still, Go Chan was curious about one thing.
Mok GyeongUn seemed to have heard the verse formulas for the Foundational Arts only once because he claimed he was merely confirming them.
Could anyone memorize so many verse formulas after hearing them only once?
After debating whether to ask, Go Chan finally did.
“Young Master, it seems you only heard the verse formulas once. Will that be all right?”
“What do you mean?”
“There were far too many verse formulas to memorize after hearing them once...”
“What is difficult about that?”
“Pardon?”
“Could you not memorize that much after hearing it once?”
‘!?’
Go Chan's eyes widened.
Mok GyeongUn had memorized all those Foundational Arts verse formulas, which took nearly an hour to recite, after hearing them only once?
The Foundational Arts included fist style, sword style, a basic energy circulation method, and a Body-Lightening Technique.
It was far too much to memorize after hearing it just once.
Even Mok YuCheon, who was called a genius blessed with extraordinary martial talent, had only barely memorized it after Mok GyeongUn recited it eight or nine times.
“...Did you truly memorize it all at once?”
“Yes. It was not particularly difficult. What is strange about it?”
“...”
Not particularly difficult?
Then did that make Go Chan and Young Master Mok YuCheon fools?
Go Chan had thought Mok YuCheon impressive for memorizing it through recitation in about four hours.
‘Ha.’
If this was true, Mok GyeongUn's mind was truly extraordinary.
Go Chan shook their head in disbelief.
This person could not be judged by ordinary standards.
It seemed better to simply adjust to him.
“...No. I asked because I would not be confident memorizing it all at once. In any case, it is fortunate that the deal was completed safely. But are you sure this is all right?”
“What do you mean?”
“It was a deal, but is it truly all right to teach Young Master Mok YuCheon the secret manual so readily?”
Mok YuCheon was better than the other young masters, at least in temperament.
Unless something extraordinary happened, he would probably keep the promise he made in their deal.
Still, it felt like a waste.
After all, Mok GyeongUn had given up the chance to gain the retainers' support.
Mok GyeongUn answered casually.
“There is no problem with teaching him something that is not even a proper verse formula.”
“...Pardon?”
Go Chan frowned.
What did that mean?
“Young Master... What do you mean by that?”
“Ah. Perhaps I should have kept it to myself.”
“Pardon?”
Mok GyeongUn put an arm around Go Chan's shoulder, grinned, and whispered in their ear.
“It is a secret, so only you know this, Guard Go Chan. In the verse formulas for the Yeonmok Heart-Transforming Method and the Yeonmok Sword-Forming Formula, I reversed characters or changed them so they had different meanings every thirteen or fourteen characters or so. I was nervous that he might notice, but it seems I managed to get past it.”
‘!?’
Go Chan could not hide their bewilderment.
Go Chan had found it strange that Mok GyeongUn was handing over the martial arts book so readily.
But Mok GyeongUn had altered the verse formulas for the Cultivation technique and sword formula before teaching them?
If someone learned such things incorrectly, they could suffer Ki Rampage, become crippled, or even die.
“Young Master, then...”
“Why?”
Mok GyeongUn asked with his usual cold smile.
‘!!!!!!’
Go Chan felt goosebumps rise over their entire body.
Mok GyeongUn did not care in the slightest whether anything happened to the youngest young master, Mok YuCheon.
‘...This bastard really is a demon.’
The atmosphere earlier had been fairly warm.
It seemed like a deal that satisfied both sides, but it was nothing of the sort.
The winner of the deal was this demon.
Whew...
Yet another being watched them from above, clicking their tongue.
It was Blue Spirit.
Blue Spirit smoked a long-stemmed pipe while looking down at Mok GyeongUn.
‘That crazy mortal.’
It was utterly absurd.
That mortal, Go Chan, had no idea that Mok GyeongUn had improvised changes to more than eighty characters throughout the verse formulas, then recited them to Mok YuCheon nine times without getting even a single word wrong.
This went beyond merely having an extraordinary mind.
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