The Strange Incident (3)
"This is insane!"
Bodyguard Go Chan looked visibly shaken.
It wasn't just the severed arm twitching like a fish out of water—it was the sheer recklessness of this imposter Mok Gyeong-un that left him speechless.
Even considering the dire state of Master Jangju, slicing off a martial artist's arm without hesitation—what kind of madman would dare?
"What the hell do we do now?"
If Madam Seok or the other young masters found out, this could spiral into a major scandal.
Regardless of the reasoning, the consequences could be severe.
Rip—
Go Chan quickly tore a strip from his own clothes and tightly wrapped it around the upper part of Jangju's severed arm to staunch the bleeding.
"Haah…"
Watching the shift in Jangju's complexion, bangsa Myoshin let out a heavy sigh.
As extreme as it seemed, this method wasn't entirely unfounded.
When the corruption within becomes uncontrollable, it's not unheard of to isolate and sever the affected part of the body.
"Still… for someone who knows nothing of the monstrous or the cursed to make such a call—unbelievable."
It was almost admirable… in a reckless, jaw-dropping way.
But even then, this was a last resort.
To apply such a drastic measure to someone from a noble family—someone with status and power—was dangerously bold.
"You were a fool to do this," Myoshin muttered, clicking his tongue.
He wanted to scold him further, but right now, damage control took precedence.
Though the corrupted energy—the strange—had been expelled into the severed arm, the matter was far from over.
Snap!
Myoshin peeled off the talisman marked "압" (seal) from Jangju's forehead and slapped it onto the still-twitching severed arm.
Forming a hand seal, he began chanting:
"Bukje sa-oh ji-hwa buta sagwi, jangjang gae-shinseo gamyu bulbokja, apbupungdoseong, geupgeup yeo yullyeong!"
Pulse. Pulse.
Suddenly, black veins bulged grotesquely across the entire severed arm.
The sight was stomach-turning—even Go Chan turned his head away in disgust.
But Mok Gyeong-un, unfazed, watched with curious interest as the arm warped and twitched hideously.
Sssszzzz!
The talisman began to tremble, and the skin around it turned bright red.
As if affected by the charm's power, the grotesque swellings around the wound began to subside.
"How unfortunate," Myoshin thought with a click of his tongue.
Unlike ordinary strange phenomena, this one carried sal—a death curse.
Sal was a deliberate curse, not something encountered by chance.
It meant Jangju had been targeted.
Normally, with sal, one could trace it back to its origin—to the one who cast it.
But when the curse was forced into a severed, lifeless piece of flesh like this, there was no way to reverse it or identify its source.
"This fool ruined everything."
That was the bitter thought weighing on Myoshin's mind.
He'd hoped to conduct a simple purification, prove his innocence in the matter, and leave quietly.
But now, there was no appeasing the matriarch. He'd failed to deliver what she wanted.
And then—
Shhhk.
A sudden, cold, razor-sharp sensation brushed his neck.
Startled, Myoshin froze mid-incantation.
"…What is the meaning of this?" he asked.
A blade, icy and gleaming, was pressed against his throat.
The one holding it was none other than Mok Gyeong-un.
"Young master!" Go Chan gasped, thrown off by Mok Gyeong-un's sudden move.
But Mok simply raised a finger to his lips, signaling him to stay quiet.
Go Chan could only grit his teeth and remain still.
"What the hell is this kid thinking?"
As confusion mounted, Mok Gyeong-un finally spoke:
"I heard you're a bangsa. Is what happened to Master Jangju… related to this thing?"
"C-Can't you tell just by looking? Your master has been consumed by a strange."
"What's a 'strange'?"
That blunt, fundamental question made Myoshin gulp nervously.
They were wasting time. He needed to complete the ritual, yet this young man was getting in the way.
"Young master… I'll explain everything. Please lower your sword. If this isn't properly purified, Jangju's condition could worsen again."
"Are you certain?"
"…What?"
"His arm's been cut off—how could it possibly get worse?"
That question made Myoshin's eyes flicker uneasily.
Normally, when strange and unexplainable events occurred, people would place their trust in the words of a bangsa—a supposed expert.
But this young man? He was clearly suspicious of him.
Myoshin remained composed and replied calmly.
"Listen, I was hired by the great Madam herself to perform this ritual. Why would I lie under such circumstances? If anything, the Master's life hangs even more dangerously in the balance—"
Shhhk.
Before he could finish, the blade pressed just a little deeper into his neck.
Startled, Myoshin flinched, panic flashing in his eyes.
"Wh-What are you doing?! Are you trying to ruin everything?! I don't know who you are, but if Master Jangju dies, you'll be held responsible for it!"
"If he dies, wouldn't that be your fault—for failing your ritual despite being paid?"
!?
Myoshin was momentarily speechless.
Despite the gravity of his accusations, the young man didn't waver in the slightest. It was as if he truly didn't care whether Jangju lived or died.
Could it be? Like the Matriarch… is he actually hoping for Jangju to die?
It wasn't an unlikely scenario.
Myoshin had witnessed many cases like this during his years of spiritual work—power struggles within noble families.
If that's what this is…
"I'd prefer if you stopped scheming and just answered the question."
Shlick!
The blade pressed in further.
Feeling the cold bite of death at his throat, Myoshin's fear overtook him, and he hastily stammered out:
"I-I-If you also wish for Jangju's death, I'll do as you please, just please… spare my life…"
"Also?"
"…What?"
"Who else is hoping for Jangju to die?"
Mok Gyeong-un's question froze Myoshin in place.
He had taken a gamble out of fear, but it looked like he'd made the wrong call.
"I… I didn't mean it like that…"
"Who is it?"
"N-No, Young Master, I didn't mean to say—"
"Is it the Matriarch?"
"..."
Myoshin fell silent.
He wanted to make an excuse, to talk his way out of it, but the young man had struck right at the heart of the matter. He couldn't find the words.
Seeing this, Go Chan was inwardly stunned.
At first, he thought Mok had gone mad, suddenly drawing a blade to a bangsa's throat.
But now—had he intended all this?
Drip.
A cold bead of sweat rolled down Myoshin's temple as he finally opened his mouth again.
"Y-Young Master… the Matriarch… she simply…"
"I'd advise you to stop rolling your eyes and speak clearly. In a situation like this, honesty might be the only thing that keeps you alive."
"Y-Young Master…"
"My hand's getting a little tense."
Shhhk.
"Eeek! A-Alright! Madam Seok said it was fine if Jangju wasn't saved—she just wanted to know where he kept the secret manual and the official seal!"
At last, Myoshin spilled what he knew.
He had been through countless ordeals in his life and wasn't without cunning.
But this young man… felt like someone who would truly go through with killing him on the spot.
"The secret manual? The official seal?" Mok Gyeong-un echoed, looking toward Go Chan.
The bodyguard suddenly found himself unsure how to respond.
Damn it. I didn't think the Matriarch would go this far.
He and the others had intended to switch their allegiance—not to the Matriarch or the First Son, but to the Second Son.
Had Mok Gyeong-un not arrived when he did, the First Son might have inherited the position of Clan Head before they could intervene.
"Go Chan," Mok said, voice cool.
"Y-Yes?"
"What do you think we should do, now that we know the Matriarch gave the order?"
"Excuse me?"
Go Chan couldn't hide his confusion.
What was he supposed to say to that?
Even if they now knew the Matriarch was behind this, it wasn't as if they could act on it immediately. If anything, interfering now would only provoke her wrath—and bring down her suspicion and retaliation upon them.
Go Chan's mind was spinning.
The situation had already spiraled out of control. Now that the Matriarch's secret was out, there was only one way to improve their odds—and survive this.
Damn it all!
He couldn't believe he was about to say this.
"Young Master… We must save Jangju. Otherwise, the Matriarch will come for you next."
"Because I got in her way."
"Yes."
At that moment, Myoshin jumped in, desperate to regain control.
"Y-Young Master! We can still save him. The gwe-i has been separated from his body. If we purify the severed arm, he'll be safe. I promise—he can be saved, just please…"
"So you're saying it is possible to save him?"
"Yes, absolutely! So please—"
"But there's something I'm even more curious about."
"W-What is it? Ask me anything, I'll tell you everything!"
"You said the gwe-i was threatening Jangju's life. Then how were you planning to extract information from him under the Matriarch's orders?"
The question hit Myoshin like a punch to the chest. His mouth opened but no sound came.
He hadn't expected to be asked how he planned to extract the Matriarch's desired information from Jangju. He could answer… but doing so would—
Crunch!
Mok Gyeong-un suddenly grabbed Myoshin by the throat and began to squeeze.
Pushing down with terrifying pressure, he said coldly:
"Don't think. Just answer. The moment I sense you're stalling, you're done. I don't believe in keeping unnecessary people alive."
"..."
"No answer again? I see…"
"I-I was going to control the gwe-i and make Jangju speak directly!"
Myoshin finally blurted out the truth, voice quaking in fear.
Mok Gyeong-un's lips curled into a faint, amused smile.
"You see? You could've just said that. No need to scheme so much."
"P-Please… spare me. If it weren't for the Matriarch's orders, I'd never have done something like this. I'll purify the gwe-i right away, just—please!"
"No."
"…What?"
Perplexed, Myoshin looked at Mok, who gestured toward the unconscious Jangju.
"Why don't you go ahead and do what you just said?"
"Wh-What do you mean?"
With a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, Mok replied,
"You said you could control the gwe-i and make Jangju speak. Let's see it."
!?
The request, so unexpected and casually cruel, stunned not only Myoshin but also Go Chan, whose face went pale.