WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
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Episode 14: Heaven and Earth Society (3)
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Son Yun, the Saber King, glared at Mok GyeongUn, then burst into loud laughter.
“Ha ha ha ha ha! This one is quite something.”
It had been a long time since Son Yun had seen someone so bold.
Whether outside or within the Society, those who knew even a little of Son Yun's notorious reputation would never dare behave so brazenly.
No, it was difficult to call it mere audacity.
‘He is different.’
Yeonmok Sword Manor was a prestigious martial family.
To find a madman like this in a place that was practically part of the orthodox path.
For some reason, this brat seemed closer to Son Yun's side than theirs.
That interested Son Yun.
After laughing for some time, Son Yun shook his head and said,
“There is no reason to refuse when a living martial arts book wishes to come to our Society of its own accord. Very well. I hope you do not regret those words.”
First Madam Lady Seok, Mok EunPyeong, and the others could not conceal their delight.
The Heaven and Earth Society was infamous, so they had worried over what might happen. Yet this was the best possible outcome.
Everything had been resolved through Mok GyeongUn alone. What could be better?
But Manor Lord Mok InDan did not feel the same.
Clench!
His grip tightened around his sword hilt.
He had never felt so powerless.
He wanted to shout at them to let Mok GyeongUn go at once.
Whether he liked him or not, Mok GyeongUn was still his son.
But the situation was unclear.
‘He had memorized the secret manual.’
He had been greatly shocked upon learning that.
After all, he too had sought various methods to see the martial arts book, yet he had failed to undo even the prayer beads wrapped around it.
Thus, he had naturally believed Mok GyeongUn possessed it rather than memorized it.
Since he believed Mok GyeongUn had never seen the secret manual in the first place, Mok InDan had thought there would be no problem if it was simply returned. But he had been completely mistaken.
‘...Once someone has memorized the secret manual, they will never let them go.’
If an outsider secretly memorized Yeonmok Sword Manor's secret manual, they would naturally be made to pay for that crime with their life.
That was how important a secret manual was to a martial artist.
Perhaps Mok GyeongUn's judgment was right for now.
It was a way he might preserve his life, even a little longer.
‘Forgive me.’
As the Manor Lord, he bore everyone's lives upon his shoulders. There was nothing he could do.
If they fought to protect Mok GyeongUn, Yeonmok Sword Manor would surely be wiped out.
Son Yun was that monstrous.
‘...Endure a little longer.’
Once they left, he intended to seek aid from the Justice Alliance.
Along with the Heaven and Earth Society, the Justice Alliance was one of the three great pillars of the current martial world.
He had connections and friendships among its higher ranks. Mok InDan resolved that he would somehow borrow the Justice Alliance's strength and reclaim his son.
But something unexpected happened.
Swish.
Son Yun's figure blurred, and he appeared behind Mok GyeongUn in an instant.
Then, with lightning speed, he sealed Mok GyeongUn's acupoints.
Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!
Mok GyeongUn immediately lost consciousness and began to collapse.
Son Yun caught him with one hand and called to a masked warrior.
“Take care of this one.”
Manor Lord Mok InDan shouted,
“What are you doing?”
“What am I doing? Did you think I would let him keep bargaining with his life simply because he said he would come willingly?”
Mok InDan gritted his teeth at those words.
As expected, Son Yun was no easy opponent.
Viewed objectively, it was a natural measure.
“Anyway, now that I have recovered the secret manual, shall we settle the remaining debt?”
“Debt?”
“Manor Lord Mok, did you think that after laying hands on the Society's property, you could simply return it and act as though nothing had happened?”
Everyone at Yeonmok Sword Manor, who had been inwardly relieved, could not help growing tense again.
They had hoped otherwise, but of course things would not go so smoothly.
Then Manor Lord Mok InDan assumed an opening stance and spoke.
“Will you break your promise?”
“A promise?”
“Yes. If that child learns you broke your promise, do you think he will reveal the secret manual he memorized?”
“Ha ha ha ha ha! How amusing. What meaning would that have when he would not even know whether you lived or died?”
A powerful presence poured from Son Yun with those words.
It was so overwhelming that the expressions of everyone at Yeonmok Sword Manor darkened.
“Must you truly do this?”
As he spoke, Manor Lord Mok InDan drew life energy from his dantian.
The situation was on the verge of erupting.
Son Yun pointed his great saber at him and grinned.
“Still, this elder is in a good mood today, so I will give you one final chance.”
“A chance? What do you mean?”
“I will give Yeonmok Sword Manor a way to survive.”
“A way to survive?”
“Yes.”
Mok InDan frowned and asked,
“What is it?”
“I will give you two choices. If you refuse them all, Yeonmok Sword Manor will be annihilated tonight.”
“...What are these choices?”
He decided to hear them out first.
If they fought anyway, Yeonmok Sword Manor would most likely be destroyed.
“First, surrender to the Heaven and Earth Society and become a martial clan under our command.”
‘!!!!!’
Yeonmok Sword Manor stirred at Son Yun's words.
Yeonmok Sword Manor was a prestigious martial family that pursued the orthodox path, but the Heaven and Earth Society was not.
They walked their own tyrant's road, neither orthodox path nor evil path.
To surrender would be no different from abandoning their pride as members of the orthodox path.
Creak!
It was only natural that the people of Yeonmok Sword Manor, though afraid of them, were furious enough to stir.
They would rather choose death than do such a thing.
“Even if it means death, we will resist to the end.”
“You do have integrity.”
Son Yun had expected them to refuse the first proposal.
“Then the second choice is this. Yeonmok Sword Manor will close its gates for ten years, and I will take the successor as a hostage.”
“...”
The entire manor fell silent the moment they heard the second proposal.
Manor Lord Mok InDan's expression was grim as well.
He had expected Son Yun to make a difficult proposal.
His ominous premonition had come true.
Closing one's gates.
It literally meant halting all activity in the martial world for ten years.
Usually, a martial clan would close its gates after losing a war against another clan or when it faced ruin.
‘Closing our gates...’
It was more realistic than the first proposal.
Though it meant admitting defeat, it was the only way to preserve their last shred of pride.
But for ten years, Yeonmok Sword Manor would be unable to engage with the outside world and would gradually weaken. They would be unable to interact with other martial clans, or anyone else.
‘If we close our gates, this manor will decline.’
Still, it was better than everyone dying.
As he pondered, someone approached him.
“Father.”
It was none other than Mok YeongHo, the Eldest Young Master.
The first son who had brought Mok InDan nothing but disappointment, having been called a wastrel and lived immersed in wine and women.
Mok InDan could not help but be puzzled when Mok YeongHo spoke at such a crucial moment.
“What is it?”
“They say one must sleep on brushwood and taste gall. It will be difficult, but please accept this proposal.”
To sleep on brushwood and taste gall meant enduring humiliation and hardship for the sake of the future.
Mok InDan's eyes flickered at Mok YeongHo's words.
‘This child...’
He was not acting as he usually did.
Mok InDan had thought Mok YeongHo had lost his spirit after drowning himself in wine and women.
Yet looking at his eyes and expression now, Mok InDan could see that he was barely enduring this humiliation.
He seemed even angrier than Mok InDan himself.
As Mok InDan wondered inwardly, Mok YeongHo said,
“Please send me. I am this manor's eldest son, so am I not closest to being the successor?”
“What?”
He was volunteering to go?
Was this truly the same child who had done nothing but disappoint him through wine and women?
As Mok InDan stared in astonishment, Mok YeongHo whispered quietly,
“What a relief. The youngest has not yet been made the successor.”
‘!?’
Manor Lord Mok InDan's eyes shook.
For the first time, he understood Mok YeongHo's true intentions.
Mok InDan's eyes reddened.
‘Ah... YeongHo. YeongHo. Was that why you spent all this time immersed in wine and women?’
Had he done it all to yield the succession to his youngest brother, YuCheon?
Had he deliberately drawn close to wine and women only to disappoint him?
Mok InDan clutched his chest, overwhelmed by the shock.
It pained him to think that he had only scolded this child without trying to understand his true heart.
He was so unlike his mother.
“Father, I apologize for causing you sorrow all this time. Please remain healthy.”
Mok YeongHo bowed respectfully, then turned toward Son Yun and spoke loudly.
“The Manor Lord has accepted Great Hero Son's second proposal. As Yeonmok Sword Manor's eldest son and successor, I will become the hostage...”
“No.”
Son Yun interrupted him.
Then Son Yun pointed at someone with a finger.
“Who are you trying to deceive? I will take that child.”
‘Damn it!’
Mok YeongHo bit down hard on his lip.
The one Son Yun pointed to was Mok YuCheon, the youngest brother he had wished to protect even at the cost of his own sacrifice.
They had overlooked something.
Unlike the martial world of justice, which gave precedence to the eldest son or the first disciple accepted into a sect, the Heaven and Earth Society strictly followed the law that strength reigned supreme.
Therefore, in their eyes, Yeonmok Sword Manor's successor was naturally Mok YuCheon, who possessed the greatest martial talent.
* * *
Clatter, clatter!
Inside the cargo wagon were a masked warrior and two people lying helplessly with their eyes covered and bodies bound.
They were Mok GyeongUn and Mok YuCheon.
As hostages, little different from prisoners, they were not treated well.
‘They are thorough. Hah.’
Mok YuCheon sighed.
Unlike Mok GyeongUn, his Fainting Point had not been sealed, so he had not lost consciousness. But his paralysis point and Mute Point had been sealed, leaving him unable to move or speak.
As though that were not enough, they had covered his eyes and tightly bound his body and limbs with thick rope.
They were thorough in their precautions.
‘How far have we come?’
They seemed to have traveled for several two-hour periods.
No sunlight entered the cargo wagon, but the day had surely broken.
Since it was late at night, he had thought they would camp once they reached a suitable place. Yet they continued traveling without rest.
‘A hostage...’
Mok YuCheon had spent the entire time reflecting on his situation.
When Manor Lord Mok InDan regained consciousness, he had been filled with hope that he might become the successor. But in an instant, he had become a hostage.
And a hostage of the Heaven and Earth Society, the most dangerous group in the martial world.
He had not even been given a choice.
‘...What will happen to me now?’
A hostage was little different from a prisoner.
Perhaps things would be different in a hostage arrangement between groups of comparable standing, but he could not expect good treatment from the Heaven and Earth Society.
They already treated him as less than human.
Jolt!
As the wagon climbed a hill, someone's body naturally shifted against him, its weight pressing against him.
Even if he could not move, he had not lost his sense of touch.
‘Mok GyeongUn.’
It was probably Mok GyeongUn.
Was Mok YuCheon at least in a better position than him for now?
No, perhaps being unconscious was better.
At least in that moment, it was no different from sleeping without a single worry.
Just then, the wagon stopped.
Creeeak!
The back door of the cargo wagon opened.
Then, a quiet voice sounded.
“Here... for... we’ll rest. So... go take care of your business.”
“Yes!”
Creeeak!
The door closed, and the presence disappeared.
He could not hear clearly, but it seemed they intended to rest here for a while.
They had traveled for half a day without stopping.
Even those who practiced Martial Arts did not possess endless stamina.
‘How long must I remain like this?’
As he thought that,
Rustle.
He sensed a faint movement beside him.
‘!?’
What was that?
The masked warrior watching them had temporarily left, so only Mok GyeongUn and he were inside the cargo wagon.
Then who was moving?
As he wondered, he felt someone wriggling behind him.
‘Could it be?’
That was impossible.
Not only had their acupoints been sealed, but their entire bodies had been restrained.
Furthermore, unlike Mok YuCheon, Mok GyeongUn had been personally subjected to acupoint sealing by that monster, the Saber King.
As he found it strange, someone lifted the cloth covering Mok YuCheon's eyes.
‘Huh?’
Mok YuCheon's eyes widened.
It was Mok GyeongUn.
‘How?’
Astonishingly, Mok GyeongUn was moving perfectly well. Moreover, he had already freed himself from the ropes binding him.
How had this bastard undone his acupoint sealing?
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