WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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Episode 2: Yeonmok Sword Manor (3)

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A middle-aged man in his fifties lay pale-faced on a sickbed.

He coughed continuously, as though even breathing were difficult.

Whenever the old physician at his side wiped his mouth with a cloth, black blood stained it.

“Haah...”

A sigh escaped the old physician’s lips.

The Manor Lord’s condition worsened by the day. His end was near.

The physician had drawn upon all their knowledge and experience, yet even over long years of practice, they had never encountered such an illness.

‘Is there truly nothing I can do?’

As Yeonmok Sword Manor’s attending physician, they could already foresee what would happen afterward.

Blood would be spilled in a conflict between brothers.

‘Manor Lord. You should have chosen a successor.’

The Manor Lord had named no successor.

Because of that, even the retainers could only watch the current situation in frustration.

In truth, everyone knew.

‘If you favor the youngest so much, why not make him your successor?’

The Manor Lord cherished his youngest son, Mok YuCheon.

His talent was so outstanding that one such talent might appear only once in three generations.

At fourteen, he had mastered the Clan’s Martial Arts and reached the realm of Advanced. Barely two years later, now at sixteen, he had reached the beginning stage of Expert.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that his overwhelming talent placed him among the ten greatest rising talents of his age.

Moreover, his temperament closely resembled the Manor Lord’s.

‘Young Master Mok YuCheon.’

Had the Manor Lord openly supported him, the retainers would have stepped forward to solidify his position.

Even if he had been born to a mere courtesan.

Of course, that would earn the First Madam’s wrath.

‘This is a disaster. A disaster.’

The First Madam doted on her eldest son, Mok YeongHo.

That had not changed even though he was known as a wastrel.

Because of this, the second and third young masters had begun openly revealing their greed.

The moment the Manor Lord drew his last breath, Yeonmok Sword Manor would be stained with the brothers’ blood.

‘What will become of this place? Hoo...’

They were merely a physician. There was nothing they could do.

Just then, the Manor Lord’s door opened.

‘Who is it?’

The old physician’s expression stiffened as they turned around.

A white face with its wrinkles concealed beneath powder. Lips dyed red with rouge. Splendid robes adorned with jewelry.

This middle-aged woman, with upturned eyes and an arrogant gaze, was Lady Seok, the First Madam of Yeonmok Sword Manor.

The old physician bowed.

“F-First Madam.”

“As I thought.”

At her question, the old physician sighed softly and nodded.

“My medical skills are lacking. It seems there is nothing more I can do.”

“I see. So there truly is no way to save him through medicine.”

“It is because I am incompetent. I...”

Swish.

Lady Seok waved a hand, showing that she did not wish to hear it.

Then she sighed and spoke.

“You, along with every renowned physician in the area, cannot even identify the illness. You all say it is a strange phenomenon that cannot be explained through medicine. Then there is only one method left.”

“First Madam!”

The old physician stared at Lady Seok, their white beard trembling.

Lady Seok glared coldly at them.

“My husband’s life hangs by a thread. Are we in any position to be choosy?”

“However, occult arts are no more than bizarre practices used for fortune-telling. How could we rely on such trivial dabbling...”

“You yourself said my husband’s illness is practically a strange phenomenon.”

“That is true, but...”

“Then why do you oppose using a Taoist occultist who handles strange phenomena? Are you telling me to wait for my husband to die?”

“That is not what I mean...”

“I don’t wish to hear it. I have already summoned a Taoist occultist to the detached residence, so Physician Ha, withdraw your hands and leave.”

“First Madam!”

“Would you rather be dragged out by force?”

In the end, the old physician had no choice but to leave as though driven out.

There was already nothing they could do.

Once outside, the old physician clicked their tongue in regret as they looked back toward the main residence where the sickbed lay.

‘She is bringing in a Taoist occultist to cure a strange phenomenon? Haah. She is determined to kill someone with an incompetent shaman.’

* * *

“...That is the current state of Yeonmok Sword Manor.”

“This is quite an interesting household.”

‘Interesting?’

He had just learned of the situation he was in, yet that was what he had to say?

Go Chan could only marvel at Mok GyeongUn’s response.

It would not be an exaggeration to say Mok GyeongUn stood at the heart of the most dangerous situation.

If the truth that he was a fake were exposed, it might not be the other young masters, but the retainers who tore him limb from limb.

Yet even after hearing all this, he remained utterly composed.

‘I have no idea what he is thinking.’

If Go Chan were in Mok GyeongUn’s position, he would try to escape by any means possible.

There was no answer to this situation.

Even Guard Gam, Go Chan’s senior martial brother, was preparing to abandon him.

In the end, Mok GyeongUn could only be tossed about and eliminated.

‘...Even if he subdued me with poison, there is nothing he can do, you fool.’

For now, Go Chan had no choice but to follow him.

But he had not the slightest intention of helping Mok GyeongUn succeed.

That was why he had concealed some information.

If he had revealed seventy percent of the truth, then he had concealed roughly thirty percent concerning himself and Guard Gam.

‘Hoo. Just wait.’

Once he cured the poison, he would find some way to take revenge...

Flinch.

Go Chan’s body trembled as his eyes met Mok GyeongUn’s.

Whenever he looked into those eyes, a chill ran down his spine.

It was pathetic that he was so frightened, but there was something different about this man.

Something that made people afraid.

‘That devilish bastard.’

Yes. That description suited him best.

He still could not forget those terrifying eyes.

“Guard Go Chan.”

“Yes, yes.”

Go Chan snapped to attention as he answered.

No matter what he truly thought, his instincts told him that he had to obey this man without question for now.

“So the real Mok GyeongUn and Guard Gam intended to set me up as a double, then use the eldest young master, Mok YeongHo, to kill Mok EunPyeong.”

“...That is correct.”

That had been the best plan they initially devised.

Plan Fisherman’s Gain.

After killing the double, the second young master, Mok EunPyeong, would lower his guard in relief. Then the eldest young master, Mok YeongHo, would strike him from behind.

They had even been filling Mok YeongHo’s head with foolish notions through the courtesan they recruited.

‘They thought this through.’

Mok GyeongUn gave a faint smile.

The plan seemed plausible.

If they proceeded this way, neither the First Madam, the mother of both young masters, nor their maternal relatives could interfere too deeply.

It would only expose their own shame.

‘It would have been perfect, but I became the variable.’

Only now did he think he understood why Guard Gam intended to change sides.

Guard Gam did not trust him.

If Guard Gam had trusted him, or had been certain he could control him completely, he would have only needed to alter the best plan slightly and carry it out.

But because he distrusted Mok GyeongUn, he would not do so.

In the end, Guard Gam’s change of heart and the state of this household could only work against him.

‘There is only one conclusion.’

He had to either kill Guard Gam or bring him to his side.

However, neither option would be easy.

Bringing him over was difficult because Guard Gam had no faith in him. Killing him was difficult because, unlike Go Chan, Guard Gam was certainly stronger than him.

“Guard Go Chan.”

“...Yes.”

“How much stronger is Guard Gam than you?”

“Than me?”

“Yes.”

“...Guard Gam is Advanced. He is probably two or three times stronger than I am.”

Go Chan possessed the skill of a second-rate warrior.

Guard Gam, on the other hand, was Advanced.

He possessed nearly half of 60 years worth of internal energy, or thirty years’ worth. In terms of sheer numbers, that was more than twice as much as Go Chan possessed. Considering enlightenment and actual skill, however, it would be more accurate to say he was three times as strong.

That was the usual difference between second-rate warriors and Advanced masters.

“Do you think I could kill Guard Gam?”

“What?”

“Just as I asked. Do you think I could kill him?”

Go Chan frowned at the question.

Now that Mok GyeongUn knew the state of this household, had he decided he needed to kill Guard Gam?

But this man did not yet know that they planned to change sides.

Or had he deduced it from fragmentary information alone?

Gulp.

If so, his insight was truly extraordinary.

What kind of person was he?

His way of thinking was on a completely different level from the real Mok GyeongUn’s.

“Is the question difficult? You have fought me yourself, Guard Go Chan. You must have some idea.”

After hesitating briefly, Go Chan answered.

“Y-Young Master, you may be strong and quick on your feet, but an Advanced master’s techniques and internal energy are difficult to compare with inferior fighters like me.”

“So the answer is that I cannot win.”

“...Yes.”

“Don’t worry about what I think. I agree.”

“...”

Then why ask if he already knew?

As Go Chan wondered, Mok GyeongUn changed his question.

“Then would my odds change if I learned Martial Arts?”

“What?”

“I am asking what would happen if I learned Martial Arts.”

Go Chan nearly laughed at Mok GyeongUn’s question.

He admitted that Mok GyeongUn was stronger than even himself, a second-rate warrior.

He also admitted that Mok GyeongUn was different from ordinary people.

But learning Martial Arts was an entirely separate matter.

Go Chan barely managed his expression as he spoke.

“...Young Master. The foundation of Martial Arts is internal cultivation.”

“Internal cultivation?”

“Yes. Internal cultivation means circulating the energy of nature through the body with breathing, in other words, a Breathing Technique, to gather internal energy.”

“And?”

“As internal energy accumulates, one becomes stronger and more powerful.”

“So it seems.”

Mok GyeongUn had never met anyone stronger than himself in his life.

Yet those who learned Martial Arts were different.

“However, internal energy cannot be accumulated overnight.”

“You mean it takes time?”

“Yes. It differs from person to person, and every Breathing Technique is different, but internal energy is formed and accumulated through long training. If you only begin learning Martial Arts now, could you catch up overnight to those who have trained for years?”

‘And you are already too late.’

There was also an appropriate age to begin internal cultivation.

The ideal time was between the ages of five and nine. At that age, the body was more flexible, and impurities had not yet accumulated within the body’s meridians.

At Mok GyeongUn’s age, a considerable amount of impurities would already have built up, narrowing his meridians.

“So it would be difficult in the short term.”

“Yes.”

‘No. It would be difficult even if you trained for the rest of your life.’

Go Chan did not tell him that.

There was no need to say it. Even if he did, Mok GyeongUn would only be displeased and might do something to harm him.

‘Struggle as you like. It will not help. You understand your situation now, do you not?’

The Manor Lord was on the verge of death.

Yeonmok Sword Manor’s attending physician, along with the other renowned physicians, had said there was nothing they could do.

It was an illness with no known cause, strange enough to be called a strange phenomenon.

Once the Manor Lord died, this fake would be finished no matter how desperately he struggled.

‘Just wait. When that moment comes, I will repay every humiliation...’

Thud!

Mok GyeongUn rose from his seat.

Then he motioned to Go Chan.

“Let us go.”

“What? Where?”

Was he planning to run away?

If so, that would be a foolish choice...

“Show me where this Manor Lord is.”

“What? Why do you suddenly want to know where the Manor Lord is?”

Mok GyeongUn gave a faint smile.

“My lifeline is tied to whether that Manor Lord lives or dies. I would like to see for myself just how critical his condition is.”

‘!?’

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