Demonic Monk (2)
Crunch!
The middle-aged man with a scar beneath his left eye, who was sitting on the porch munching on sweets, let out a sigh and looked toward the pavilion leading to the main hall.
The area that should have been guarded by escort warriors was now empty.
"Is this really okay?"
His name was Jang Myeong-in.
He was the Inner Hall Master, responsible for overseeing the security of the main hall at Yeonmok Sword Manor.
In his youth, he was a renowned master of swordsmanship near Shaoxing in Zhejiang. Nineteen years ago, during the pirate suppression campaign in the Haeyeom region, he forged ties with the Manor Lord and joined Yeonmok Sword Manor.
"The Manor Lord..."
Back then, the Manor Lord was a true hero.
He had admired him, believing everything he did was right.
But how did things end up like this?
[Inner Hall Master... You don't seriously wish for the child of some lowly courtesan to become the heir of Yeonmok Sword Manor, do you?]
[That's... not...]
[Think carefully about what is truly right for the Manor.]
At first, he had tried not to get involved.
But he couldn't help but waver after hearing Lady Seok's words.
Even if Mok Yucheon — the youngest son — was overwhelmingly talented, he had no foundation or allies within the clan. If he became the successor, it would surely lead to the division of Yeonmok Sword Manor.
"Yes. This is the right thing to do."
The eldest son, Mok Yeongho, even if he was a bit violent, was still the firstborn.
And his maternal family was none other than the powerful Seok Clan of Geumhwa, giving him solid backing.
In many ways, it was only proper for the eldest son to become the heir.
The only thing that weighed on his mind was:
[Even the physician couldn't do anything, so how could a mere magician...]
[It won't take long. You just have to turn a blind eye for about two hours.]
[...]
[This magician is very skilled. If they succeed, there'll be no need for conflict with the retainers or the second son, Mok Eun-pyeong.]
The Manor Lord's Seal.
If they could obtain it, they could appoint the heir without dispute.
It would prevent the retainers from splitting into factions.
"Can this really work?"
Still, he couldn't completely erase his doubts.
How could some mere magician — who dabbles in petty sorcery — extract the location of the Seal from the barely-living Manor Lord?
It felt like they were wasting precious time on foolishness.
"They call it magic, but are they planning to threaten the Manor Lord, who's already weakened, with drugs or something?"
Even if the eldest son, Mok Yeongho, was desperate to become the heir, that would be unacceptable.
It would be a betrayal of the Manor Lord, to whom he had pledged loyalty.
Crack!
Jang Myeong-in clenched his hand tightly.
"Right. That's not acceptable."
Though he had been told to leave the area empty for about two hours, he decided he had to check, just in case.
As long as he didn't interfere, simply taking a look wouldn't cause any trouble.
With that, Inner Hall Master Jang Myeong-in passed through the pavilion and headed toward the main hall.
Rustle!
Mok Gyeong-un placed his hand on the neck of the magician Myo-shin, whose veins were grotesquely bulging.
The pulse was gone — Myo-shin was dead.
After confirming this, Mok Gyeong-un turned back, his face as emotionless as ever.
"No problem."
No matter how one looked at it, it didn't seem like a human hand had caused the death.
It was a death steeped in mystery.
Myo-shin's death was like that.
Ssshhh!
At that moment, a large, bloodless monk emerged from Myo-shin's corpse.
Around his neck hung a necklace made of clattering skulls.
Mok Gyeong-un reached out and touched the beads.
Immediately, the monk's eerie, ghostly white eyes, filled with ghastly energy, began to tremble.
"You wear something quite interesting around your neck."
...
The reason was simple.
It allowed direct contact with him, despite Mok Gyeong-un's spiritual, incorporeal nature.
As he fiddled with the skull beads, Mok Gyeong-un asked:
"You said you'd be a loyal servant. What should I call you?"
At his question, the giant monk, who had been standing silently, murmured something.
His lips barely moved.
...
It was not something that could be heard by ordinary human ears.
But Mok Gyeong-un heard it clearly.
"Ma-seung? (Demonic Monk?) Seems more like a title than a name. Well, as long as I can call you, that's good enough."
The entity called itself Ma-seung (Demonic Monk).
Mok Gyeong-un chuckled lightly as he looked at Ma-seung, then turned to gaze at the unconscious Manor Lord, whose arm had been severed.
He stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Hmmm."
He was torn.
Whether it would be better to kill the Manor Lord or leave him alive.
But the decision didn't take long.
If he killed the Manor Lord right now, it would only complicate things for him.
Thus, it was better to keep him alive.
"In that case, I'll need to rearrange the scene a bit. Ma-seung, can you move that man in front of the Manor Lord?"
...
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, Ma-seung, who had been standing silently, shook his head.
Mok Gyeong-un muttered to himself in slight disappointment.
"Don't tell me you can't?"
...
He had assumed that since Ma-seung had killed the magician, he'd be able to exert physical force — but apparently, something as simple as moving a body was beyond him.
Or was he just pretending not to be able to?
Moreover—
Ssshhh!
The parts of Ma-seung's physical form exposed to sunlight began to shimmer and vanish, like a mirage.
It was similar to how shadows disappeared in the light.
"This is a hard realm to comprehend."
It was fascinating, but difficult to fully understand.
Mok Gyeong-un's gaze shifted to the side cabinet where the magician Myo-shin had stored his belongings.
Several books on magic and sorcery were tucked there.
"Maybe if I study those, I'll get a better grasp of what this creature is."
Step, step.
At that moment, he heard footsteps approaching from outside the room, crossing the porch.
Soon, the voice of Guard Go Chan called from outside the door.
"Are you done yet?"
"Come in."
At his words, Go Chan opened the door and entered.
His eyes immediately widened in shock.
"W-what the...?"
Go Chan had expected to find some sorcery in progress — instead, he saw the magician Myo-shin lying dead, and was naturally bewildered.
Oddly enough, though, he didn't seem to notice Ma-seung.
Mok Gyeong-un pointed toward the left side of the room with a tilt of his head and asked:
"Do you see anything over there?"
"Huh?"
"I guess not..."
...
"Ah... I see."
"See what?"
"Oh, nothing. I wasn't talking to you, Go Chan."
"!?"
Go Chan frowned at those words.
Was he just talking to himself?
As he stood there confused, Mok Gyeong-un turned to his left and spoke again to the air.
"No, I don't think you need to reveal yourself."
...
"Young Master? What exactly are you talking about?"
Go Chan asked, bewildered.
Mok Gyeong-un simply smiled gently and said:
"Don't worry about it. More importantly, can you move that magician over there in front of the Manor Lord?"
"Wait... Young Master, what happened to the magician?"
The state of Myo-shin's body was grotesque.
His face was covered in bulging veins, twisted in a horrific expression of agony, shock, and terror.
"How exactly was he killed... is this even murder?"
Poison?
Even that didn't quite explain it.
It was too bizarre.
"Was it this kid who did it?"
Even if there were toxins in his blood, this seemed different.
It didn't feel like a physical killing either.
"What the hell happened?"
As Go Chan stood frozen in confusion, Mok Gyeong-un said:
"Don't just stand there — move him."
"Y-yes."
After being asked a second time, Go Chan hastily moved Myo-shin's corpse in front of the unconscious Manor Lord.
Then Mok Gyeong-un said:
"Lay him down as naturally as possible. Like he collapsed while struggling by himself."
"What?"
How exactly was he supposed to position a dead body to make it look like it died thrashing around on its own?
Unsure of what to do, Go Chan just awkwardly dropped Myo-shin's corpse down near the Manor Lord.
He had done as instructed, but what was Mok Gyeong-un's real intention?
"Is he trying to pin everything on the magician?"
Considering the wrecked state of the room, it wouldn't be hard to make it look that way.
The one small relief was that the Manor Lord was still breathing.
His arm had been severed, but it was better than death.
"Young Master... what will you do now?"
"Ah, I almost forgot something important."
In response to Go Chan's question, Mok Gyeong-un picked up the sword lying on the ground.
Gripping it, he approached the bed where the Manor Lord lay and began swinging it around casually.
Swish, swish!
"Let's say this: the magician tried to heal the Manor Lord with sorcery but was possessed by some monster, and when he attempted to cut off the Manor Lord's arm and kill him, we intervened just in time."
"..."
At those words, Guard Go Chan inwardly clicked his tongue.
Even in this situation, Mok Gyeong-un had thought up a plausible excuse.
Seeing the grotesque way the magician Myo-shin had died, it did seem somewhat believable that he had been possessed.
However—
"Will they buy it so easily?"
The Grand Madam was not a simple woman.
Go Chan, who had been hesitating whether to say anything, cautiously spoke up.
"Young Master... if the lie is too flimsy, it might arouse suspicion."
"Flimsy, is it?"
"It may have been a coincidence that we arrived at the perfect moment to save the Manor Lord, but the Grand Madam won't accept that so easily. Besides, it was she who hired this magician..."
"I see. Then we'll have to make it even more convincing."
Slick!
At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un reversed his grip on the sword.
Go Chan watched, wondering what he intended to do — and then, suddenly, Mok Gyeong-un brought the sword's tip to his own thigh.
"Y-Young Master? What are you—"
"It needs to look convincing. This should be enough."
"W-wait—!"
Before he could stop him—
Thud!
The sharp blade pierced into Mok Gyeong-un's thigh.
!!!!!
Go Chan's face froze at the sight.
It wasn't just a pinch or a scratch — he had stabbed a sword into his own thigh without a hint of hesitation.
And what was even more absurd was that Mok Gyeong-un didn't make a single sound of pain.
Not even a change in his expression.
"Is he... not feeling pain?"
Even Go Chan would have gritted his teeth and twisted his face in agony if it were him.
But Mok Gyeong-un stood there, almost unfazed, as if he didn't even notice the wound.
"What a terrifying man..."
Go Chan couldn't help but feel a shiver run down his spine.
It was shocking enough that he would stab himself without hesitation just to avoid suspicion — but to endure the pain so coldly, he truly was a monster.
"T-there was no need to go this far..."
"This is the most effective way."
"I'll stop the bleeding!"
"No. I need to lose more blood to look paler."
"..."
At this point, it wasn't fear — it was terror.
"I must never make an enemy of a madman like this..."
Bang!
At that moment, the door slammed open and someone stormed in.
Go Chan flinched in shock.
"Internal Commander?"
The middle-aged man with a scar beneath his left eye was none other than Internal Commander Jang Myeong-in.
It wasn't surprising, really.
As the head of the estate's security, he was supposed to be stationed here.
If anything, it was odd he hadn't been present until now.
Clang!
Jang Myeong-in drew his sword from his belt and pointed it at them.
"What have you done?!"
At his fierce shout, Go Chan frantically waved his hands.
"Commander, it's a misunderstanding! The Young Master and I—"
But before he could finish—
"M-more importantly, please check on the Manor Lord first—"
Thud!
!?
Mok Gyeong-un collapsed sideways.
Go Chan was struck speechless at the sight.
Had he... just pretended to faint?
And in such a way that it looked like he was asking them to prioritize the Manor Lord over himself?