Episode 5: Bargain (3)
The second Confucius Mok Eun-pyeong had great ambitions.
In addition to Jang’s swordsmanship which he studied with wooden swords since he was young he was also skilled in the martial arts skills of his mother Lady Jang’s home family Hoebuk Jangga.
Therefore he was confident that he would be the next leader of the Yeonmok Swordsman.
Mok Yeong-ho the legitimate eldest son was greedy and showed off his personality making him unqualified as a successor so he naturally assumed that he would be the next in line for succession.
But that was a miscalculation.
‘Mokyucheon.’
Zhuang Zhou’s favor was with him his youngest son.
What makes sense is that at the age of only 14 he mastered all the martial arts of the Yeonmok Sword Master and was so gifted that he rose to the level of a first-class expert.
As Mo Yu-cheon rose to prominence Zhuang Ju took care of deciding the successor.
He was sure it was probably because he was obsessed with the guy.
‘I can’t miss this opportunity.’
He saw the fact that Zhuang Ju’s life was in danger as an opportunity.
Fortunately Mo Yu-cheon was the son of a lowly concubine so there was no power around her.
It was difficult for him to ascend to the position of lord on his own unless the lord himself declared succession.
Therefore his key was to beat the rest of his successors.
‘If you look at them alone no one can be my opponent.’
Both were completely incompetent.
The only thing Grand Duke Mo Yong-ho knows how to do is the coloring and the third Mo Gyeong-un is an incompetent coward.
However behind Grand Duke Mok Yeong-ho was his godwife Lady Seok.
Because she was from Jinhua Shijiazhuang she was quite powerful.
Moreover among her vassals she still had many old bastards who advocated priority for the eldest son.
‘Mokgyeongun…’
Among his brothers the one who is inferior in every way except his face which looks like a gisaeng brother has been coveting the position of successor for some time.
The great lady thought it was funny and didn’t pay any attention to him but she was different.
‘Did you say it was a persimmon escort?’
The guy had an escort who was very helpful.
He was a man called Gam Guard and when he first saw him he was so unusual in inaction that he asked Lord Zhang to be his guard.
So he got interested and looked into his background and he found out some pretty interesting facts.
Or should I say that it is a fact that needs to be paid attention to?
Because of this Mok Eun-pyeong came to believe that the third child Mok Gyeong-un should not let down his guard too hastily.
But something unexpected happened.
Is heaven helping you?
“Do you want to be mine?”
Eunpyeong managed to calm the twitching corner of his mouth.
This man kneeling down on one knee in front of him and bowing was none other than Gam Howie Mokgyeongun’s bodyguard warrior.
The man who wanted it so badly came to me on his own.
At a very odd time.
“Please accept it. Confucius.”
Seeing Gam Howie like this Eunpyeong Mok stroked his chin and opened his mouth.
“Please accept it… It’s really tempting.”
Hearing Mok Eun-pyeong’s words Gam Guard thought to himself that it was a good start.
Gam Howie who was trying to make a decision after observing Jangju’s condition and the surrounding trends eventually chose Mok Eun-pyeong the second Confucius.
The eldest Mo Yong-ho was greatly influenced by the great lady and the youngest Mo Yu-cheon had nothing but his strength.
‘It’s clever but it’s better to deal with it this way.’
Therefore Mok Eun-pyeong was chosen as the next best alternative to the real dead Mok Gyeong-un.
Although he was cunning and suspicious he was confident that Mok Eun-pyeong who was greedy for talent would accept him.
however
“But. “The situation is truly exquisite.”
“yes?”
“As you know I think highly of Gam Howie. However I doubt that it would be normal but since they are asking me to accept it in a situation where a succession competition is ahead I am suspicious.”
‘As expected.’
At Mok Eunpyeong’s words Gam Guard slightly nodded his head.
He naturally assumed that being someone with so many doubts he wouldn’t believe it right away.
“I understand. However I now have a reason why I can no longer serve Confucius Mokgyeongun.”
“Why can’t we serve Mo Gyeong-un?”
“yes.”
“What is that?”
“I can’t tell you right now.”
Mok Eun-pyeong snorted at those words.
If you can’t reveal the reason why you can’t attend what’s the point?
I thought it was absurd but Gam Howie said with a grin.
“It’s just that it’s difficult to tell right now because it’s one of Confucius Mo Qingyun’s weaknesses. “I can tell you as much as I want if you accept me.”
“Hot. “Are you bargaining with me now?”
“Please understand the circumstances.”
“Understand… Then let’s just say that what you do now is for later and can we talk about your other weaknesses?”
“Of course.”
“What is that?”
“Confucius Mu Qingyun is currently unable to practice martial arts at all.”
“what?”
One of Mok Eun-pyeong’s eyebrows twitched as if he was interested.
“Is that true?”
“There is not a single lie.”
“Are you wearing a coin coat or something?”
“….You could say they are similar.”
In fact because it was fake he couldn’t even learn martial arts in the first place.
However because we could not reveal this fact and make the fake death of Mok Gyeong-un public we glossed over it.
“under!”
Mok Eun-pyeong’s face brightened at these words from Gam Guard.
As expected Yeonmok Geomjang was from a military family.
If a person who was to become the head of an organization practicing martial arts was unable to use martial arts it was no different from losing the qualifications to be the leader.
“That guy lost his martial arts skills.”
Originally there was no martial talent but the situation was different if one could not use martial arts completely.
He was not even qualified to participate in the succession competition.
Guard Gam said to Mok Eun-pyeong who could not hide his joy.
“If you would only accept me I can give you more useful information.”
Mok Eun-pyeong pretended to be worried about his words and then said with a grin.
“I wondered if Gam’s guard was claiming to be Hwanggae’s role at Jeokbyeok.”
It’s a struggle to overcome hardships.
There is a story about Huang Gai a vassal of Sun Quan of the Wu Dynasty pretending to be tortured and falsely surrendering to Cao Cao of the Wei Dynasty in the Battle of Red Cliffs.
It was Mok Eun-pyeong who thought it might be Ganja sent by Mok Gyeong-un who had known that he had been coveting persimmon guards for a long time.
At this Howie Gam chuckled and said.
“I am embarrassed to tell you this because I am the former owner but Confucius Mokgyeongun is not capable of even thinking of such a plan.”
“Hahaha. “I guess so.”
“If I do will you accept it?”
“I should get it. “How can we miss out on such a talented person?”
Guard Gam bowed his head and expressed his gratitude at Mok Eun-pyeong’s words.
“Thank you for accepting me.”
“no. I am thankful that Guard Gam made the right decision for Chief Yeonmok. “I’m sorry for asking you to do this as soon as you come under my wing but I want you to do one thing for me.”
At those words Howie Gam pounded his chest and spoke loudly.
“Please give me as many orders as you want.”
Right now I had to show off to Mok Eun-pyeong.
But then something unexpected came out of his mouth.
“I think Gam Howie who was once a salsu would be able to do the job.”
‘!?’
Howie Gam’s expression hardened.
I never would have thought that Mok Eun-pyeong would have investigated his past.
I knew he was clever but I think he was still a kid and let his guard down.
* * *
At the end of the Zisi period.
It is a time when everyone is asleep and even the guard warriors guarding the front of the medicine hall are dozing off.
-Drur!
‘Hoo.’
When I opened the medicine drawer labeled Oyang (梧凉) a hidden entrance was revealed.
As I was worried perhaps because it was a secret space there was no loud noise.
Mo Kyung-un held a lantern and entered the hidden entrance.
-Sabagsabag!
I quietly went down the basement stairs.
The stairs went much deeper than I thought.
‘It’s deep.’
I was going deeper than one floor but more than two floors and something felt suspicious.
It was quite deep for a space created to hide the main seal and a secret book.
It was around the time when we went into a depth of about three stories.
A cavity about one-third the size of the pharmacy appeared.
‘ah!’
There were stone gates in the cavity that appeared to be four entrances.
And above the stone gate was engraved: Gap-eul Byeong-jeong (甲乙丙丁).
[About…..Dang….Underground….Jeong (丁) Seok….Moon….Inside. […]
Mok Gyeong-un recalled what Jangju had said.
He had said that it was inside the main stone gate of the four passages so it seemed like he could just go in there without having to look at the other passages first.
Mok Gyeong-un approached the front of the Jeong (丁) stone gate.
When the stone door was opened a straight cave passage was revealed.
‘About twenty steps?’
It was about that distance.
Mok Gyeong-un who was about to go straight inside stopped as soon as he put his foot down on the floor.
That was because I suddenly discovered something at the top of the cave passage.
‘what?’
When I reached out to the top of the rugged cave passage I saw a hole that could fit two or three fingers.
However I don’t know if there was just one thing but it was located all the way inside the passage at regular intervals.
Mok Gyeong-un became puzzled and looked around.
I saw a few fist-sized stones on one side of the cavity.
‘Because you never know.’
Mok Gyeong-un picked up a stone and rattled it in his hand then tried to throw it inside the passage.
– Perfect!
This was before the stone even hit the floor and rolled.
-Papapapap!
At that moment something like a sharp spear protruded from the right and left sides of the floor.
If I had just gone in without knowing how to do it my leg or thigh would have been pierced by the spear.
Seeing this Mok Kyung-un raised one corner of his mouth.
‘That’s fun.’
Did you set up this trap because you were worried that your official seal and secret certificate might be stolen?
For something like that it seems quite excessive.
Is it true that there really is a seal and a secret certificate inside?
Mok Gyeong-un who was looking inside the cave immediately closed and opened his hands repeatedly.
‘You’ll know when you see it.’
I felt like I had to go in to find out.
Mo Kyung-un held the lamp’s handle in his mouth jumped up without hesitation and stuck three of his fingers into the hole visible in the cave ceiling.
-closely!
It would be difficult for an average person to support his body with only two fingers but for Mo Kyung-un it was not that difficult.
-Sigh! closely!
Mokgyeong extended his left hand into the hole in the front and inserted his index and middle fingers.
In that way Mok Kyung-un climbed the ceiling and moved about two steps away.
‘That’s right.’
It was as expected.
You can move by inserting your fingers into the holes in the ceiling without touching the floor.
Then the trap in the cave will not activate.
Mok Gyeong-un who found out about this without the slightest hesitation pushed his fingers into the holes in the ceiling in front of the passage and advanced forward.
-closely! closely! closely!
After moving about 20 steps the cave passage ended and a space measuring about 7 pyeong appeared.
As Mok Gyeong-un came inside a strange look appeared in his eyes.
‘what?’
There were several artillery-like things inside and there were numerous traces everywhere.
‘footprint?’
There were numerous footprints in the deep depressions in the floor and many traces of damage on the walls.
Mu Qingyun walked over and looked inside the battery.
There was something like a small kernel inside and after sniffing it Mok Gyeong-un realized what it was.
‘Byeokgokdan?’
Byeokgokdan (辟穀丹).
It is made by combining pine powder and various grains and is a single ring made by Taoist practitioners for the practice of closing the tube in places such as caves.
It is used to supplement minimal grain intake but depending on the combination it can also play a role in expelling waste from the body.
Mok Gyeong-un who had extensive knowledge of medicinal herbs always ate Byeokgok Dan made by his grandfather as a snack.
‘Why is Byeokgokdan here as a battery?’
It seemed like he was meant to be here for a while.
Was he doing some sort of martial arts training here on his own?
Mok Gyeong-un who was fiddling with Byeokgokdan in the battery soon turned his gaze elsewhere.
There was something like a decorative cabinet built on one wall and there were several wooden boxes there.
‘Is that it?’
Mok Gyeong-un approached the place and opened one of the wooden boxes that caught his eye.
When I opened it there was a book inside.
[Yeonmokseonggeomgyeol (然木成劍結)]
‘Does this mean it’s an emergency document?’
Mo Kyung-un took out the book and flipped through it.
Inside numerous phrases and movements related to sword cutting were written in detail.
Although he had not learned martial arts he knew that this was swordsmanship.
‘I guess that’s right?’
I don’t know if this is exactly the kind of non-level book that the lender is aiming for.
In the first place I couldn’t help it because I didn’t even know the concept of what Yeonmok Geomjang’s martial arts were.
Mok Gyeong-un also opened another wooden box.
– Sweet!
When I opened the wooden box there
[Soft Tree Transformation Method]
There was a book called
Mok Gyeong-un took it out flicked through it quickly and nodded his head.
It seems to be paired with the Yeonmokseonggeomjeok in front and it contains detailed information on breathing and luck techniques to collect and manage internal energy.
‘I guess I should take care of this too.’
Mo Gyeong-un opened other boxes one after another.
In other ships there were no books related to martial arts but there were surprisingly some interesting ones.
However the Jangju seal was not yet visible.
‘The only thing left is this ship.’
There was nothing around anymore.
In response Mok Gyeong-un took out the box near the floor and lifted it up.
However unlike other wooden boxes there was an old piece of paper with a pattern attached to the opening of this box.
Looking at the paper torn in half it looked like it had been put on the wooden box as a sign telling people not to open it.
Mo Kyung-un opened it without much thought.
He naturally assumed that Jangju’s seal would be inside.
‘!?’
Mok Gyeong-un tilted his head.
Inside there was no seal that should have been there and there was an old book with an extremely pungent smell surrounded by red prayer beads.
But what is surprising is that the cover of the book
‘Is this…skin?’
No matter how I looked at it it looked like it was made of something like human skin.
An ordinary person would have been shocked if they knew this was made from human skin but Mok Kyung-un looked quite intrigued.
‘I wonder what this is.’
It was just as I was about to put my hand on his.
-Sleep!
At that moment something like smoke appeared through the ceiling.
It was none other than a demonic horse.
Just like the guard Gochan above he was placed under guard and his appearance like this meant that someone was approaching the pharmacy.
-……
As expected Ma Seung was trying to say something.
However Ma Seung looked at the wooden box in Mo Gyeong-un’s hand and immediately
-!!!!!
My whole body was shaking
-Park!
He fell flat on the floor and began to bow raising his hands up with a look of awe on his face.
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