Chapter 84

Cheong-ryeong, having noticed Mok Gyeong-un’s intention, clicked her tongue inwardly.

What kind of fellow was he?

The Lee family had maintained their loyalty to her for over a hundred years, spanning generations.

Yet watching Mok Gyeong-un wrest that loyalty away in this manner made her anger surge.

She felt like shattering the sealing wooden doll right away, emerging, and pummeling that mortal’s head with her long pipe.

However, that anger did not last long.

‘What are you trying to do, mortal?’

Rather, she became curious about Mok Gyeong-un’s intention.

He could have borrowed the power of the Lee family through her, so why did he need to snatch it away like this midway?

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un spoke.

“You know that I am that person and that person is me, so why are you just standing there?”

“That’s…”

At those words, the master of the Corpse Blood Valley, Lee Ji-yeom, hesitated.

He knew well what the word ‘possession’ meant.

It literally meant being possessed by a ghost, didn’t it?

‘Vessel of possession for that person?’

Then should he consider this fellow Mok Gyeong-un as the master of the Lunar Vein?

Since he did not have much faith in the strange arts, even though the Heaven and Earth Society had consulting esoteric masters, he felt somewhat hesitant.

It also gave him a strangely uncomfortable feeling.

Then Mok Gyeong-un said,

“You directly saw the spirit body, yet you still can’t believe it?”

-The atmosphere and everything is completely different, so would you believe it if he suddenly lied about being possessed?

Cheong-ryeong clicked her tongue and interjected.

At this, Mok Gyeong-un smiled brightly and said,

“I was confident that you would inherit loyalty spanning generations, and that’s why I even revealed this secret, but it’s disappointing.”

“N-no, that’s…”

“Then if I keep the promise from back then, will you believe me?”

“When you say back then?”

“The Crimson Flame Sword Art.”

“Could it be?”

Lee Ji-yeom’s eyes trembled.

That was because he recalled the words he had heard when learning the Crimson Flame Sword Art from his grandfather.

[The Blazing Cultivation was originally devised by that person and this old man together. We had tried to create the most suitable advanced cultivation technique for the Crimson Flame Sword Art. However, before we could complete it, that tragedy occurred.]

Just like him, Mok Gyeong-un also recalled what Cheong-ryeong had said.

[Once, I made a promise with the head of the Lee family, that fellow’s grandfather Lee Hwa-mun. To complete the unfinished Blazing Cultivation together.]

However, that promise could not be fulfilled while alive.

It was fulfilled after death.

As she became a higher-grade vengeful spirit over a long time, she regained her reason and gradually realized the parts she had not understood while alive.

One of those was the Blazing Cultivation of the Crimson Flame Sword Art.

Mok Gyeong-un extended his hand to Lee Ji-yeom with a smile and said,

“Although I have returned as a vengeful spirit with deep resentment, if the Lee family follows me once again, I will teach you the completed circulation technique of the Blazing Cultivation that I realized only after death.”

‘Damn you, mortal!’

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, Cheong-ryeong’s frustration surged.

She had just informed him of what was wrong with the technique and what needed to be changed.

An ordinary person would forget after hearing it once, but,

‘This bastard has memorized it, hasn’t he?’

Mok Gyeong-un’s memory surpassed common sense.

She had gotten angry and wanted to see how he would persuade without her help.

But it seemed he was truly going to snatch away the loyalty.

‘Completed circulation technique…’

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, Lee Ji-yeom’s eyes trembled even more.

Three generations, from his grandfather to himself, had tried to complete the technique but failed.

In fact, it was difficult to complete from the beginning.

One had to bear the huge risk of directly verifying it by sending the Fiery Yang Qi to the acupuncture points, which could cost one’s life if done incorrectly.

[If it had been with that person, we might have completed it.]

‘Grandfather…’

[But you should be able to do it.]

Recalling his grandfather again, Lee Ji-yeom’s heart ached.

At this, he looked at Mok Gyeong-un’s face, pounded his tingling chest, and knelt on one knee.

“I’m not kneeling because of the completed circulation technique.”

“Then why?”

“It’s because you didn’t forget the promise you made with my grandfather, no, our family, and that’s why I’m pledging my loyalty once again like this.”

“Promise…”

“You have returned even as a vengeful spirit to resolve the long-cherished wish of my grandfather and our Lee family, so how could I dare to doubt you?”

-Thud!

Then Lee Ji-yeom completely prostrated on the ground.

“Lee Ji-yeom, head of the Lee family and master of the Corpse Blood Valley, once again pledges his loyalty to the master of the Lunar Vein. Please accept my bow!”

With that, he touched his forehead to the ground three times, expressing his respect and loyalty.

Looking down at this, Mok Gyeong-un raised the corner of his mouth as if satisfied.

Then Cheong-ryeong’s voice rang in his ear.

-You crazy mortal bastard. What are you doing, snatching away other’s loyalty?

“…”

-The loyalty would have naturally passed on to you if you had just stayed still, since you’ve become the direct previous disciple and I won’t be dragging you around forever even after death. Are you feeling refreshed after forcibly taking it?

She seemed quite angry.

This was the first time he had seen Cheong-ryeong talk so much.

Well, it made sense for her to be angry after he had snatched away the loyalty of a faithful retainer who had waited for her for a hundred years, separate from her grudge.

She probably thought he was trash.

However,

‘I understand your feelings, but my goal is not to be swayed by your hand.’

Mok Gyeong-un had only one reason for coming here.

It was to find the Ghost Sword, who might be related to taking revenge on the one who killed his grandfather.

However, if Cheong-ryeong took the lead, moved her former subordinates, and wielded that power, things would only flow in the direction she wanted.

Mok Gyeong-un did not want the situation to be created that way.

‘It’s only secondary to me.’

Resolving Cheong-ryeong’s grudge was definitely not a priority for him.

She was also a vengeful spirit who would have tried to devour him if not for their predestined bond.

Although they had now established a master-disciple relationship due to their absolute bond of fate, Mok Gyeong-un fundamentally never trusted anyone.

Therefore, he had no intention of giving Cheong-ryeong the initiative.

***

(The following sections are translated similarly, maintaining the formatting and paragraph structure.)

…

“Is this…the circulation technique completed by you, my liege?”

The master of the Corpse Blood Valley, Lee Ji-yeom, received the circulation technique written by Mok Gyeong-un with trembling hands.

It had been the aspiration of the family to complete the technique for three generations, so he could not hide his excitement.

Exclamations flowed from Lee Ji-yeom’s mouth as he read through the technique.

“Ah!”

How could they have approached the qi circulation method in this way?

Lee Ji-yeom spoke in amazement.

“It’s truly remarkable. I never thought of directly circulating the Fiery Yang Qi from the diaphragm to the Yang-acupoints. But if this works, it seems we can control the energy to enter the 9th stage. To devise this so easily…”

-Easily devised, my ass. I only realized it after death when my ghost eyes opened.

Cheong-ryeong grumbled in an angry voice, still not appeased.

An advanced cultivation technique like the Blazing Cultivation that could directly handle Fiery Yang Qi had a high risk in the first place, so it could only be completed after countless trials, errors, and sacrifices.

In a way, from Lee Ji-yeom’s perspective, it could be said that he had encountered a fateful opportunity.

As he continued reading the technique, Lee Ji-yeom frowned.

Then he carefully said to Mok Gyeong-un,

“But my liege, it seems you haven’t written the entire technique.”

“That’s right.”

“Pardon?”

“I only wrote half of it.”

At those words, Lee Ji-yeom was about to ask why but soon closed his mouth.

Looking at Mok Gyeong-un’s smiling face, he could guess what his intention was.

“…Did you do it on purpose?”

“That’s right.”

“Why did you…”

“Even though I completed the technique, we should be careful. I did it because I was worried that you might be too hasty and get burned again.”

“Ah…”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, Lee Ji-yeom let out a small gasp.

Was it because he was concerned that he might bring about a situation where he would be consumed by the Fiery Yang Qi if he recklessly tried to master the completed technique?

He seemed to have misunderstood.

He had thought that it might be because Mok Gyeong-un couldn’t fully trust him yet.

Cheong-ryeong snorted.

-Even after receiving a pledge of loyalty, you sure have a hard time trusting.

She knew Mok Gyeong-un well.

She was certain that the reason he didn’t teach the entire technique was definitely not out of concern for Lee Ji-yeom.

‘Yes, correct.’

Of course, that was accurate.

Mok Gyeong-un did not completely trust Lee Ji-yeom even though he had pledged loyalty.

That’s why he had only provided the appropriate bait.

-Trust him moderately. I guarantee you Lee members’ loyalty towards me.

At her words, Mok Gyeong-un showed a faint smile.

Her trust in her former loyal subordinate was her freedom.

But he was different.

He intended to maintain some level of vigilance until he was certain.

At that moment, Lee Ji-yeom put the paper with the technique written on it into his bosom and spoke.

“But my liege, if it’s not disrespectful, may I ask what happened that day at the Hoeryeong Battle a hundred years ago?”

‘Hoeryeong Battle?’

What was that?

At his question, Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes narrowed.

He didn’t expect the master of the Corpse Blood Valley, Lee Ji-yeom, to suddenly ask about Cheong-ryeong’s past that he didn’t know about.

At this, Cheong-ryeong spoke in a sneering voice.

-Do your best. I won’t help or interfere with anything related to the Lee family, especially with you, mortal.

She had no intention of telling him the information since he had snatched away the Li family’s loyalty.

It meant for him to bear the hardship properly.

‘Hoeryeong Battle.’

It was a memory she could never forget.

That memory had become the root of her becoming a vengeful spirit.

In the first place, she had no intention of telling this mortal fellow right away, so she thought it was perfect.

Just then,

Mok Gyeong-un spoke nonchalantly.

“You want to know about that?”

At this, Cheong-ryeong was dumbfounded.

Was he asking what he wanted to know without knowing anything?

Then Lee Ji-yeom replied.

“Yes. My grandfather believed in her liege until the end, but due to the incident that day, he was demoted from a king to a valley master, and our main family was expelled from the castle and has been imprisoned here in the Corpse Blood Valley for three generations.”

‘Ah…’

At Lee Ji-yeom’s words, Cheong-ryeong felt bitter.

The Lee family was a founding family of the Heaven and Earth Society, yet they were humiliated like this.

Just how far were they willing to insult her and ruin the Heaven and Earth Society?

Indeed, she could never forgive him.

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un said,

“How does the Valley Master know about what happened that day at the Hoeryeong Battle? I’m curious about how you and the sect know about it.”

‘What!?’

At Mok Gyeong-un’s question, Cheong-ryeong inwardly clicked her tongue.

This fellow always found a way out somehow.

On the contrary, she did not expect him to throw a question back like this.

No, was it because he could come up with words in any way since he had no difficulty lying at all?

‘You mortal bastard, really…’

As she found it absurd, Lee Ji-yeom carefully said,

“…I apologize, but is it alright to tell you this as it is?”

“It’s fine. You have to tell me as it is so that I can tell you what happened that day at the Hoeryeong Battle.”

Mok Gyeong-un spoke as if he didn’t mind.

While doing so, he glanced at the wooden doll in his bosom and smirked.

‘You should have just given me a hint.’

Then there would have been no need to be led like this.

But could he find out what kind of relationship Cheong-ryeong had with the Heaven and Earth Society and what secrets she held through this?