Fire Demon Monk (3)
"How can this be..."
The old physician, who was checking the pulse, couldn't hide his astonishment.
Just this morning, the Manor Lord's pulse had seemed like it could stop at any moment.
Yet now, his pulse had regained vitality.
And this change had occurred in just a few short hours.
"His complexion has also improved."
The mysterious symptoms that no one could identify had all disappeared.
Although the Manor Lord was weakened from lying unconscious in bed for so long, with proper care, he had a high chance of full recovery.
However—
"The problem is his consciousness."
The Manor Lord had been unconscious for quite some time.
It was precisely because he had yet to awaken that the conflict over succession was heating up at Yeonmok Sword Manor.
There was a good chance he would regain consciousness as he continued to recover, but there was no guarantee when that would happen.
If something were to happen to him before that...
"..."
At that moment, a sharp voice reached the old physician's ears.
"How is he?"
The old physician slowly lifted his head.
The speaker was the Grand Madam, Lady Seok.
Her expression was different from usual.
When he had seen her this morning, her face had been filled with arrogance and a determined glint in her eye.
Even then, the old physician had felt a foreboding sense of danger.
"Something's going on."
The old physician grew increasingly cautious.
When he had rushed to the scene earlier, the Manor Lord's arm had already been severed, and the room was littered with talismans and red threads — traces of sorcery rituals.
Yet, the sorcerer who had performed the rituals was found dead.
And the Third Young Master had somehow been involved in the incident.
"What in the world happened here?"
The old physician carefully observed the Grand Madam's eyes.
They trembled slightly — a reaction typical of someone whose plans had gone awry.
"Things didn't go as she intended."
Although the Manor Lord's arm had been cut off, his complexion had greatly improved.
As a martial artist herself, the Grand Madam would have been able to discern that much.
She must have noticed that the Manor Lord's condition was better than it was in the morning.
Yet, there wasn't a hint of joy on her face...
"Could it be... was the sorcery not meant to heal him but part of some other scheme?"
The thought didn't seem far-fetched.
Everyone knew that the Manor Lord intended to make the youngest son, Mok Yucheon, his successor.
For the Grand Madam, this would have been unacceptable.
Thus, she would not have wanted the Manor Lord to awaken.
"Has his condition improved?"
The Grand Madam asked again.
The old physician hesitated for a moment.
It was just the two of them here.
If he were to say that the Manor Lord was on the verge of waking, there was no telling what the Grand Madam might do.
After a brief internal struggle, the old physician cautiously replied,
"His complexion and pulse have improved, but his internal condition remains poor. His prolonged illness has taken a heavy toll. It would be best to view this as a fleeting return of strength before death."
"Ah..."
Return of light before death.
A phrase used to describe a momentary burst of vitality before death, like the brief brightening of the sky just before sunset.
It wasn't true — but he said it on purpose.
Yet—
"Hah."
The old physician inwardly scoffed.
Although the Grand Madam sighed as if in regret, her expression and eyes betrayed a sense of relief.
It was clear now — she didn't want the Manor Lord to recover.
Looking at the unconscious Manor Lord, the old physician prayed silently,
"My Lord... there's no time. You must wake up."
Otherwise, there was no telling what the Grand Madam might do next.
Outside, the Grand Madam Seok returned to her usual arrogant demeanor.
As she stepped off the veranda, she was met by Internal Commander Jang Myeong-in, the one-eyed female warrior Hoaeng who served as her bodyguard, and two maidservants.
Approaching Jang Myeong-in, she spoke.
"Are you certain about the cause of death?"
At her question, Jang Myeong-in nodded and answered quietly,
"Yes. He did not die from physical trauma. I have seen countless corpses over the years, but that... that was something else entirely."
He gestured with his eyes.
There lay the corpse of the dead sorcerer, Myo-shin.
Although covered with a rough cloth, grotesque veins bulged hideously from the exposed parts of his skin.
The Grand Madam, too, had never seen a body like that.
Turning her gaze away from the corpse, she asked in a low voice,
"What did he say?"
"According to the guard, he came to visit the Manor Lord due to concerns about his condition."
"A visit, you say..."
"Yes. While he was there, the sorcerer suddenly went mad, as if possessed, and tried to cut off the Manor Lord's arm and kill him."
"...What a mess."
"My apologies. I should have been stationed at the entrance to the pavilion at the very least..."
Jang Myeong-in bowed deeply in apology.
The Grand Madam shook her head.
"What's done is done. But... do you really believe it?"
"Believe what, my Lady?"
"That the boy just happened to visit and stumbled upon the scene?"
"Judging from the state of the body and the circumstances... it seems plausible."
"It seems plausible?"
"Young Master Mok Gyeong-un even suffered a stab wound through his thigh. The bleeding was severe enough to be life-threatening."
From Jang Myeong-in's perspective, it did look genuine.
Such a wound would be difficult to inflict on oneself deliberately.
If it had been just a slight cut or a superficial wound, suspicions might arise — but this left no doubt.
"..."
Even after hearing this, the Grand Madam's eyes remained filled with suspicion.
Jang Myeong-in thought nothing of it.
She was someone who regarded all sons other than the First Young Master with disdain.
At that moment, she asked,
"Where is that boy now?"
"Pardon?"
"I'm talking about Mok Gyeong-un."
"Ah, yes. The third young master—I urgently stopped the bleeding and then sent him to the Pharmacy Hall for further treatment."
"The Pharmacy Hall?"
"Yes."
Her gaze shifted toward the west side of the main building, where the Pharmacy Hall was located.
Soon, she followed the direction of her gaze with her footsteps.
'What a pleasant smell.'
Mok Gyeong-un sniffed the air and smiled.
It had been a long time since he had smelled the various medicinal herbs after coming down from the mountain, and the familiar scent filled him with nostalgia.
He recalled memories of gathering herbs with his grandfather.
Those fresh and beautiful memories stirred conflicting emotions deep in his heart once again.
-...
The eyes of the demon monk (Ma-seung), which were nothing but white pupils, showed a slight gleam.
It was influenced by the heavy killing intent (살의) emanating from Mok Gyeong-un.
Normally, killing intent wouldn't affect a wandering spirit much, but what radiated from Mok Gyeong-un was different.
It was so intense that even a spirit would feel repulsed.
It was a darkness fundamentally different from hatred born out of environment—it was more primal.
-...
At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un asked in a low voice,
"So, did you confirm it?"
-...
The demon monk nodded.
"Where is it?"
The demon monk pointed to a wall lined with drawers full of medicinal herbs.
At first glance, the entire wall looked like storage drawers for herbs.
Yet the demon monk specifically pointed at one spot.
The drawer he indicated was labeled "Oyang" (梧凉).
Oyang was an herb made by drying the bark of the Parasol tree in the shade for a long time, and it wasn't commonly used.
'How clever.'
They had intentionally hidden it in a drawer for rarely used herbs.
Mok Gyeong-un had instructed the demon monk to investigate based on the words that had come from the lips of the wounded elder.
[Pharmacy... underground... Jeong (丁)... stone... gate...]
Yet inside the Pharmacy Hall, there was no visible entrance to any underground area.
He had expected as much.
If it were something precious enough for the Matriarch to target, it wouldn't be left out in the open.
'Well, I'll confirm it tonight.'
Mok Gyeong-un looked around.
The place was currently full of workers from the Pharmacy Hall, making it difficult to investigate without being noticed.
He would have to wait for late at night.
Just then—
-Creak!
The door of the Pharmacy Hall opened, and in came none other than Ko Chan, one of the guards.
Ko Chan approached Mok Gyeong-un.
"You're a bit late, aren't you?" Mok Gyeong-un said.
At those words, Ko Chan barely managed to suppress a grimace.
The task Mok Gyeong-un had given him wasn't something simple like fetching water.
It was unreasonable to complain about the time it took.
"Where is it?"
At Mok Gyeong-un's question, Ko Chan pulled out two books from inside his robe.
"Only two?"
Mok Gyeong-un's disappointed tone made Ko Chan grumble,
"I barely managed to sneak these out before they burned everything."
"Burned?"
"Yes. The guards of the main house are burning everything that the sorcerer brought, including his document chest."
"Oh? Really?"
Mok Gyeong-un smacked his lips in regret.
He had been interested in studying the sorcerer's books.
But out of all those volumes, only two had been salvaged.
'Jejaryak (諸子略) and Fundamentals of Yin-Yang School (陰陽家本書)? Also, First Book of the Strange (怪異初書)?'
Those were the titles.
Still, Ko Chan had managed to sneak out the two thickest volumes, which was something.
He'd have to be satisfied with that for now.
"You did well."
"But, Young Master... what are you planning to do with the sorcerer's books..."
Ko Chan began to ask but then suddenly stopped.
He hesitated, then tucked the books back into his robe instead of handing them over.
Puzzled, Mok Gyeong-un looked at him.
And then he realized why.
-Withdraw for a moment.
-Yes.
Outside the Pharmacy Hall, new presences approached, and after exchanging a few words, the guards posted at the entrance left their posts.
-Creak!
The door opened, revealing someone.
It was a middle-aged woman adorned in lavish jewelry and luxurious clothing.
Ko Chan immediately bowed his head, his face tense.
"Greetings to the Matriarch."
'The Matriarch?'
She was none other than Lady Seok, the Matriarch of Yeonmok Sword Manor.
A glint appeared in Mok Gyeong-un's eyes.
She was the woman mentioned in the intelligence report given by Guard Gam.
It had said that Lady Seok was even more dangerous and required more caution than the first young master, Mok Yeong-ho.
She was described as a shrewd woman, with considerable martial arts skills, having come from the martial family of the Geumhwa Seok clan.
'Damn it...'
Ko Chan was equally flustered by her appearance.
Even though Mok Gyeong-un's appearance was so identical to the real one that it was nearly impossible to tell the difference, Guard Gam had repeatedly emphasized avoiding contact with members of the Mok family as much as possible to prevent unexpected situations.
"By order of the Matriarch, everyone leave."
At the command of Ho-aeng, the one-eyed woman standing beside Lady Seok, everyone working in the Pharmacy Hall filed out.
-Rumble!
Seeing everyone being driven out, Guard Ko Chan immediately sensed that something was wrong.
They hadn't even directly clashed with her before—so what was this about?
He was still wondering when Lady Seok approached Mok Gyeong-un, who was sitting up slightly on the bed.
Ko Chan hurriedly signaled with his eyes.
'Bow. Bow.'
Understanding the signal, Mok Gyeong-un clasped his hands together and bowed his head respectfully.
"Please forgive me for not standing to greet you, as my legs are injured."
The greeting was smoother than expected.
But the real test began now.
The most critical difference between the real and fake Mok Gyeong-un was the voice and manner of speaking.
Fortunately, the fake Mok Gyeong-un had a voice similar to the real one, and after some practice, it sounded close enough—but whether it would truly pass here was worrying.
'Aside from the eldest son, the other sons didn't have much direct contact with the Matriarch, but still…'
Lady Seok was known to be sharp and highly suspicious.
If they got caught now, it would lead to the worst possible outcome.
At that moment, Lady Seok, who had come right up in front, opened her mouth.
"I didn't come here just to receive a greeting."
'Phew...'
For a moment, Ko Chan almost sighed in relief.
It seemed Lady Seok hadn't noticed anything strange.
Apparently, the resemblance was convincing enough.
It was still like walking on thin ice, but as long as no mistakes were made, they might get through this...
-Smack!
'!?'
Ko Chan's eyes widened.
Lady Seok had suddenly pressed hard on Mok Gyeong-un's injured thigh.
Mok Gyeong-un bent forward in pain and groaned.
"Gghhh...!"
'Damn it!'
Ko Chan was at a loss.
It didn't seem she was trying to confirm whether he was real or fake.
Rather, judging by her behavior, she was testing whether Mok Gyeong-un was truly injured.
"What did you see and hear there?"
-Press!
"Gghh...!"
Lady Seok pressed even harder on the wound as she spoke.
Ko Chan couldn't help but fidget nervously.
Mok Gyeong-un wasn't someone who would easily give in to pain.
But if he said the wrong thing now, it wouldn't just raise her suspicion—it would turn her into an outright enemy.
"Madam! There's some misunderstanding..."
-Shring!
As Ko Chan stepped in to intervene, Ho-aeng, Lady Seok's bodyguard, drew her sword and pointed it at his throat.
"Stay out of this."
'Damn witch!'
Ko Chan felt completely stuck.
If he couldn't even speak, Mok Gyeong-un would have to handle this on his own.
The only way out was to endure and lower themselves for now.
With Ho-aeng glaring at him, Ko Chan couldn't even send signals with his eyes or mouth anymore.
-Press harder!
Just then, Lady Seok pressed even harder on Mok Gyeong-un's thigh, demanding,
"You may not know this, but a sorcerer of that level being possessed by a monster during a ritual and dying—it's extremely rare. And you claim that sorcerer cut off the Chief's wrist while possessed and then stopped himself from causing further harm? You think I'd believe that so easily..."
-Snickering.
Hearing a sudden sound from Mok Gyeong-un, Lady Seok frowned.
Just moments ago, he had been writhing in pain.
But now, was that a snicker?
If she wasn't mistaken, it sounded like a mocking laugh.
"You... surely you're not..."
At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un slowly lifted his head.
A smirk curved on his lips as he looked at her.
Lady Seok was momentarily dumbfounded.
Was this boy out of his mind?
'What is he doing right now?'
Ko Chan, too, was in utter shock.
At a time when they should be bowing lower and keeping their head down, what the hell was he doing?
As expected, Lady Seok spoke in a voice laced with anger.
"You insolent brat..."
"Let's not waste energy where it's unnecessary."
"What?"
"You want the Chief's seal, don't you?"
'!?'