WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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Episode 15: Proposal (2)

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“...Become my disciple.”

‘!?’

Mok GyeongUn's eyes narrowed at the Taoist occultist Jo's words.

He was already quite displeased at having been manipulated by sorcery.

‘Was that pointless?’

Mok GyeongUn glanced around.

No one was visible, and he could sense no other presence.

Had Jo lured him here with sorcery, confident that Jo could handle Mok GyeongUn alone?

‘Ten steps.’

At this distance, Mok GyeongUn thought he could subdue Jo easily enough.

He had become faster after learning the Body-Lightening Technique.

And compared to martial artists, Taoist occultists were markedly inferior in physical ability.

‘If I kill him before he can use sorcery...’

“If you think you can do something to me because no one is around, you are mistaken.”

“...”

Jo was not as oblivious as expected.

Still, there was clearly no presence nearby.

Nor had Jo taken out a talisman or anything else.

There was no harm in trying once...

Flinch!

Mok GyeongUn stopped.

The instant he tried to lift a foot from the ground, he sensed the surrounding energy distort.

It was like the strange energy he had felt when he took his hand off the wagon.

But this one was sharp, as though a weapon were being swung.

“You are quite sensitive.”

Interest flashed in Jo's eyes.

Jo had expected that an intelligent boy would find some way to escape the Formation Array.

That was why Jo had prepared a countermeasure beforehand.

“To survive in this harsh world, one must prepare thoroughly. That is the first lesson I will give you.”

“...”

Mok GyeongUn scanned his surroundings.

He could see no talismans or anything similar.

Then why had he felt such a foreboding sensation when he tried to take a step?

The more he delved into occult arts, the deeper they became.

Mok GyeongUn looked at Jo and spoke.

“...I never said I would become your disciple.”

“Do you think you have a choice?”

“I can see that you are quite interested in me, but I have my own circumstances.”

“Circumstances? Ha.”

Jo scoffed.

Then Jo took something from the waist.

It was a wooden doll with a talisman marked Seal attached to it.

Jo tossed and caught it lightly.

“Do you not want this back?”

Mok GyeongUn tilted his head slightly.

Then, on a suspicion, he sent deathly aura into his eyes and examined the wooden doll. Something seemed to be inside it.

Yet its energy was almost entirely concealed, making it difficult to detect without concentrating.

“Have you already forgotten what you were trying to protect?”

“That could not possibly be...”

“Yes. It is. Did you think I would leave something this dangerous behind?”

“...”

“You are an amusing one. Even among skilled Taoist occultists, few have made a vengeful spirit into a spirit familiar.”

Only after sealing the Demonic Monk inside the wooden doll had Jo learned this.

Mok GyeongUn had taught himself occult arts, and on top of that, had made a vengeful spirit into a spirit familiar, something even exceptional Taoist occultists found difficult.

He was a talent Jo could not help but covet as a disciple.

“I do not know how you did it, but if you willingly become my disciple, I can return this to you.”

Jo thought it was a fairly good offer.

Mok GyeongUn must have put considerable research into making the vengeful spirit his spirit familiar.

Surely he would not want to lose it so easily.

Yet,

“You need not return it.”

“What?”

“It has already left my hands. What can I do?”

“...What?”

Look at this brat.

He must have struggled greatly to turn that vengeful spirit into a spirit familiar, yet he was giving it up so easily?

Was he deliberately acting tough?

“Then you are saying I may destroy this vengeful spirit?”

“Do as you please.”

He showed no hint of regret. It was absurd.

His way of thinking differed from other Taoist occultists.

Or was it because he came from a martial background?

“Hm.”

If Jo destroyed the vengeful spirit as Mok GyeongUn suggested, Jo would seem petty.

A master's caliber ought to appear generous.

Jo tossed the wooden doll toward Mok GyeongUn.

“Take it.”

Tap!

“...Why are you giving it to me?”

“Do you think my caliber is so small that I would covet what belongs to my future disciple?”

Mok GyeongUn inwardly scoffed.

Jo truly wanted to take him as a disciple.

What should he do?

He had three choices.

He could risk whatever trap lay here, kill Jo, and escape.

Or he could pretend to become Jo's disciple, deal with Jo, and escape.

The final option was,

‘...It is dangerous, but I could become Jo's disciple and infiltrate the Heaven and Earth Society.’

It was the most dangerous option of all three.

If he encountered the person who had appeared after noticing Mok GyeongUn's tracking that day, he might be killed before he could even take revenge.

‘The second option is probably best.’

It was the method he liked most.

It was also the one he had always enjoyed using.

Then Jo spoke.

“If I were you, I would not refuse the offer.”

“Why?”

“If you become my disciple, your chances of preserving your life will increase, even if only a little. Why hesitate?”

“...”

“You learned this Society's secret manual without permission. Do you believe your chances of surviving will be high once you arrive there? I doubt it. Your life can hang in the balance based solely on the Council Head's or the officials' moods. Becoming my disciple would at least improve those odds.”

“...”

Mok GyeongUn's expression did not change.

Seeing this, Jo clicked his tongue inwardly.

Was this approach meaningless to this brat?

Then again, he was the boy who had held a sword to his own throat while bargaining with the Saber King.

‘Does he not care about living? Or does he calculate everything thoroughly?’

If it was the latter, Jo needed to change tactics.

Jo clicked his tongue and said,

“You are the sort who would simply break if I took a hard line. Fine. Then how about this? You will learn it once you become my disciple anyway, but I will teach you the occult art that allows a spirit familiar to be kept inside a vessel.”

“...What do you mean?”

“Just as I said. It is somewhat different, but do you not hold a similar example in your hand?”

At those words, Mok GyeongUn looked at the wooden doll in his hand.

He could feel no energy whatsoever from the doll bearing the Seal talisman.

As he stared at it, Mok GyeongUn's eyes gleamed.

“So this interests you.”

Jo smirked.

Jo had expected the boy to take interest.

‘If he wishes to keep that vengeful spirit with him intact, he will naturally need it.’

Otherwise, every Taoist occultist who saw it would try to perform an exorcism, unaware it was a spirit familiar.

This was the occult art Mok GyeongUn needed right now.

And Jo's expectation proved correct.

‘It can conceal a spirit familiar's energy...’

Mok GyeongUn had already been looking for such a method.

It was a more appealing offer than being threatened with his life.

He could not keep Blue Spirit or the Demonic Monk nearby when formidable masters such as the Saber King or skilled Taoist occultists were present.

Jo spoke to the interested Mok GyeongUn.

“What do you say? Do you now wish to become my disciple?”

“If I become your disciple, may I learn what you just mentioned?”

“Of course.”

Mok GyeongUn said,

“Then teach me that occult art first. I will become your disciple afterward.”

“You want me to teach you first? Hahahahaha! Teaching it is no difficulty. But if you wish to know it, you must swear an oath first.”

Jo was not about to fall for that so easily.

Mok GyeongUn had expected as much, so he smacked his lips lightly.

Then Jo took out something else from his waist.

It was a small chain bracelet.

“Take it.”

Whoosh!

Clang!

Mok GyeongUn caught it, puzzled.

Jo said,

“Wear that on your wrist and say this. I, Mok GyeongUn, shall become Jo Ui-gong's disciple and heed Jo Ui-gong's will.”

“...”

Suspicion filled Mok GyeongUn's eyes.

“While wearing this chain?”

“Yes.”

“...It does not seem you are merely ordering me to do it.”

“Of course not. You tried to flee despite being little different from a hostage. How could I simply trust you and accept you as my disciple?”

“Then what happens if I make this oath?”

At the question, Jo, no, the Taoist occultist Jo Ui-gong, answered with a smile.

“A restriction will be placed upon you.”

“A restriction?”

“Once you make that oath, you will be unable to harm me in any way. It is nearly absolute.”

‘Naturally, you will also be forced to obey every order I give.’

Whenever Jo Ui-gong took someone Jo Ui-gong favored as a disciple, Jo Ui-gong gave them the Chain of Command.

Once they bound themselves and swore through the Chain of Command, they could never refuse Jo Ui-gong's commands.

But Jo Ui-gong did not say this, knowing the boy would not easily comply if Jo Ui-gong told him.

‘What will you do?’

The boy was so suspicious that Jo did not know whether he would swear so readily.

Yet Mok GyeongUn put on the chain and spoke.

“Please keep your promise. I, Mok GyeongUn, shall become Jo Ui-gong's disciple and heed Jo Ui-gong's will.”

The moment he finished speaking, the chain trembled with a faint clink.

Jo Ui-gong smiled in satisfaction.

‘Now I have him.’

Jo was the sort who could not rest until getting what Jo wanted.

Jo Ui-gong drew a folded piece of cowhide from inside his robes.

“Take it.”

Whoosh! Tap!

Mok GyeongUn snatched it with one hand.

Written on it were the words:

[Corpse Inquiry Secret Book]

“What is this?”

“It is an occult art this master created. Memorize all of it while we return to the Heaven and Earth Society, then return it.”

“...Are you not keeping your promise?”

“Why would I not? The occult art you desire is in there as well.”

“Thank you.”

“Call me Master.”

“Thank you, Master.”

Pleased at the word Master, Jo Ui-gong stepped down from the boulder against which he had been leaning, planted his cane on the ground, and headed elsewhere.

Mok GyeongUn said,

“Will you not release the sorcery you placed on me?”

Unless it was dispelled, he could not take even a single step.

Jo Ui-gong smiled broadly at the question.

“I will give you about two hours.”

“What?”

“The method of dispelling the occult art is in there as well, so search carefully. If you fail to find it and return within that time, something quite troublesome will happen. Hahahahaha!”

With those words, Jo Ui-gong entered the forest to the southeast and vanished.

Mok GyeongUn gave a quiet snort.

Was Jo already trying to teach him?

‘Interesting.’

The method did not matter.

He only needed to take as much as he could from Jo.

Whoosh.

Not long afterward, someone descended gently from above.

It was none other than Blue Spirit.

- At last, that Taoist occultist has left your side.

Mok GyeongUn eyed her suspiciously.

“You are not a fake, are you?”

- A fake? What nonsense is this? More importantly, it was amusing to see you caught in sorcery, hopping in place by yourself. You should have kept at it longer.

“It is really you.”

- ...What grounds do you have for being certain that I am real?

“Well... I have my reasons.”

Was it a feeling?

Blue Spirit asked him,

- But why did you do that, unlike yourself?

“What did I do?”

- That chain seemed to hold quite powerful spell power. Why did you make such an oath?

“To obtain this.”

Mok GyeongUn waved the Corpse Inquiry Secret Book at her.

Blue Spirit snorted.

- You did that for such a thing? Did you suddenly become a fool? Or were you confident you could escape that binding?

“There is no need to escape it.”

- What?

Mok GyeongUn casually slipped the chain from his arm.

Blue Spirit frowned and asked,

- Does it normally come off that easily?

“No. An oath of command must be made using one's own name.”

- Ha!

Only then did Blue Spirit understand why Mok GyeongUn had made the oath.

Mok GyeongUn was not his real name to begin with.

Naturally, there was no chance the oath would take effect and bind him.

‘As expected.’

This cunning boy would never take a loss just to learn occult arts.

- Now that you have what you wanted, will you try to escape again?

“...I was going to, but now I am reconsidering.”

- You changed your mind?

“Yes. I am considering hiding in the darkest place, right beneath the lamp.”

That place carried great risk, but in a way, it was the darkest place.

Blue Spirit looked at him strangely.

Mok GyeongUn asked,

“It seems you have something to say. I had something I wanted to ask as well.”

- You say it seems I have something to say, then claim you have a question. What sort of nonsense is that?

“I mean that I wish to ask first.”

- What is it?

“Why did they think it was genuine after seeing the sword technique Blue Spirit showed, rather than the Eight Forms of Force Breaking?”

He had wanted to ask that all along.

Blue Spirit fell silent.

- ...

“Do you not wish to tell me?”

- Hoo.

She silently drew on her long pipe and exhaled smoke.

Usually, that reaction meant she had no intention of telling him.

Mok GyeongUn shrugged.

“Well, there is nothing I can do about that.”

- ...

“I should read this first. Then I can keep the Demonic Monk and Blue Spirit close...”

- Are you truly going there?

“What?”

- The Heaven and Earth Society.

At her rather serious question, Mok GyeongUn recalled the look in her eyes from the roof.

Those blood-red eyes had seemed capable of staining everything in blood.

Even now, a trace of that anger showed through.

“Depending on the circumstances.”

- ...How ironic.

“What is?”

- Circumstances.

“Hm. What are you trying to say?”

Blue Spirit exhaled a long stream of smoke, then held out her hand to Mok GyeongUn.

- If you truly intend to go there, become my disciple.

“...Hm.”

Mok GyeongUn scratched his head.

Today, he seemed to be hearing demands to become someone's disciple everywhere.

And now even Blue Spirit said it.

“Uh... I do not know why you are saying this, but there is no need for such things as becoming master and disciple between us...”

- The weight of it is different.

“What?”

- Becoming my disciple means that you, mortal, will bear the karma of the Moon and carry out a bloody purge.

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