Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 175 – Three Eyes (3)

“Yin and Zhou? Could it be that the spiritual beast you’re talking about…”

-That’s right. The nine-tailed fox beast with golden fur. The Golden Nine-Tailed Fox.

‘!!!!!!!’

At the eyeball’s meaningful words, Yeo Su-rin couldn’t hide her shock.

“The Golden Nine-Tailed Fox? It seems to be a beast in the form of a fox, right?”

On the other hand, Mok Gyeong-un, who had no knowledge of this being, showed a reaction no different from when discussing the other leaders of the Six Demons.

“Ha…The Hundred-Face Golden Nine-Tailed Fox…”

“The Hundred-Face Golden Nine-Tailed Fox?”

“Haven’t you heard of it?”

“No.”

How could he have known when he didn’t even know about the other leaders of the spiritual beasts? Looking at Mok Gyeong-un, Yeo Su-rin spoke in a slightly trembling voice, unlike a moment ago.

“It’s a being different from other beasts.”

“Different, you say?”

“Beasts are usually not well known to humans because most of them have little interest in the human world.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

“But this one is different.”

“Different in what way? Isn’t it just an ancient and powerful beast?”

“In the books that diviners read, such as the Encyclopedia of Strange Creatures from Mountains and Seas, supernatural records about monsters are naturally described. But the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox has its records left even in ancient books and even in historical records.”

“Even in historical records?”

Historical records were no different from official histories compiled by the state.

Even the martial world avoided leaving records, so it was quite interesting that historians had left them.

At this, Mok Gyeong-un said, “I’ve read quite a few books related to historical records, but I’ve never heard of a story about a fox beast.”

“The earliest record is from the time of King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty.”

“The Shang Dynasty… That’s quite a long time ago.”

“Yes, it’s written in the historical records of that time. A fox monster that ate King Zhou’s concubine Su Yang and transformed into her, causing the king to become depraved and create a garden called Juchi Roulin to indulge in pleasure and commit numerous tyrannies. As a result, the Shang Dynasty was destroyed by King Wu of the Zhou Dynasty.”

“Ah… I think I’ve heard of it vaguely. The story of a king who fell for a concubine named Daji and brought ruin to his country. But it’s a bit different from what I knew.”

“This is the true original version of the historical record.”

The original version.

It is also called the original text of the historical record.

In the original text of the historical record, the truths that the author truly wanted to convey were recorded.

“The concubine Daji of the Shang Dynasty, Bao Si of the Zhou Dynasty, Lady Huayang of India, Wakasa and Tamamo-no-Mae of Japan… It appeared in numerous forms and names, influencing the fate and history of nations.”

At Yeo Su-rin’s words, Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes narrowed.

Listening to it, this beast called the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox was different from other monsters.

As she said, it was heavily involved in the human world.

Ordinary beasts usually didn’t think of humans as anything more than food.

This was no different from humans not being interested in the world of insects or animals.

“…This monster has a lot more interest in humans than I thought.”

“That’s right. It’s strange to that extent. So it must have infiltrated human society and caused all sorts of trouble.”

“I can see why it’s called the Hundred-Face.”

The Hundred-Face King, the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox.

This ancient great fox beast always appeared in different forms and led a village at the least, or a nation at the worst, to the path of destruction.

It was not for nothing that it was said to have a hundred faces.

“A beast with a keen interest in humans… In some ways, it’s quite a troublesome being.”

“It goes beyond troublesome. It’s the worst beast. My master also said that the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox is the most dangerous because it can exploit human’s dark emotions and lead them to depravity.”

“Depravity…”

Exploiting emotions and leading to depravity.

What a truly strange beast.

I wonder why it keeps doing such things.

If it had toyed with humans to that extent, there would be no one who knew humans better than that being.

Yet it had repeatedly done so…

It’s one of two things.

‘Amusement or…’

“Wait a minute, thinking about it, you’re no different from the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox, Eyeball!”

At that moment, Yeo Su-rin, who had been talking about the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox, glanced at the eyeball held by Mok Gyeong-un’s fingers and spoke.

At this, the eyeball trembled and pleaded.

-I-I won’t interfere with human affairs anymore. So please spare my life.

“How many humans have you killed, and now you’re asking to be spared? Master Mok, just kill it.”

Yeo Su-rin pointed at the eyeball with her finger, then ran her thumb across her neck and stuck out her tongue, mimicking death.

“Squawk.”

‘This bitch!’

The eyeball cursed at Yeo Su-rin inwardly.

Then it pleaded to Mok Gyeong-un.

After all, he was the one with the choice.

-Didn’t I tell you everything you asked for? Please spare me.

“Ah, there’s one more thing I want to ask before that.”

-Ask me anything. I’ll tell you everything I know.

“There are others besides you, right?”

-…What?

At the eyeball’s question, Mok Gyeong-un chuckled.

Then he lifted the eyeball to face his own eyes and said, “Your answer was a bit slow.”

-No, I don’t properly understand what you’re…

“I’m asking if there are other Three Eyes besides you.”

-…

The one who reacted to Mok Gyeong-un’s question was Yeo Su-rin instead.

“What are you saying now? What do you mean by asking if there are more Three Eyes?”

“There’s a sealed wooden box in the Corpse Blood Valley. The beast sealed inside that box said that the one who imprisoned it was a Three Eyes in diviner attire.”

“A Three Eyes in diviner attire? Then it’s this eyeball, isn’t it?”

“I thought so too. But it has no idea at all. Right?”

-What are you talking about? It might be an old incident that I don’t remember. All the affairs within the Heaven and Earth Society, I…

“Do you know what’s sealed in the wooden box?”

-…

The eyeball shut its mouth.

“If you know, then tell me.”

-…

Seeing the eyeball suddenly become silent, Yeo Su-rin frowned.

What on earth was this situation?

The Three Eyes mentioned by her master was undoubtedly this eyeball.

A being in the form of a diviner who commanded two monster beasts as familiars.

If not this one, then who else could it be?

“That can’t be. Master Mok, could you be mistaken about something? My master said that the Three Eyes in the Heaven and Earth Society would disrupt the Heavenly Qi… Ah!”

Come to think of it, her master had never specified anyone.

To be precise, he had said this.

[Go and observe. A being with a third eye will appear in the Heaven and Earth Society and disrupt the Heavenly Qi.]

“…Then what the hell is this eyeball?”

“It’s the Three Eyes.”

“But…”

“There could be another Three Eyes, so there’s no need to think too much about it. Don’t you agree, Mr. Eyeball?”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, the eyeball hesitated and said, -I… really… don’t know.

“Simple, isn’t it?”

-What?

“When talking about the Six Demons and such, you were afraid but still spoke well, but when I mention another Three Eyes, you’re trying your best not to show any reaction.”

-What are you talking about? Human, I really don’t know. Yes, the world is vast, so how could there not be another being like me? But I have no idea what you’re…

-Squish!

-Aaaargh!

“It would be better to talk than to die here, wouldn’t it?”

-Aaaargh, I really, really don’t know.

“If you think I’m lying, then keep resisting like that.”

As Mok Gyeong-un applied more force to his fingers, the eyeball reached the point of almost being crushed.

It seemed like it would burst at any moment and release white fluid.

Then the eyeball hurriedly tried to say something.

-I-If I tell you, I’ll die.

“What?”

-A forbidden technique is placed on me.

“A forbidden technique?”

-That’s right.

“What kind of forbidden technique?”

-I don’t know. A part of my memory is completely gone, and whenever I try to forcefully recall it, the technique activates and makes me lose consciousness.

“Hmm.”

Mok Gyeong-un tried to form a hand seal.

-D-Don’t do it. I also tried to forcefully undo the forbidden technique and almost burst.

“Is that so?”

-The eighty-six widely known undoing techniques and thirteen secret undoing techniques were useless. I want to tell you, but since my life is at stake, I have no choice in this matter. Please spare…

“Ah, then there’s no more need for you.”

-What?

“I’ll send you off.”

-Ah!

Was he going to spare its life?

The eyeball, which had been tense for a while, let out a sigh of relief.

However…

-Swoosh!

‘!?’

At that moment, the surroundings were engulfed in darkness.

And with that, the eyeball was crushed by something.

-Crunch, crunch!

-Kuh!

“Eek!”

Yeo Su-rin looked at Mok Gyeong-un with a perplexed expression.

“A-Are you crazy?”

-Munch, munch!

Mok Gyeong-un chewed the eyeball thoroughly, then swallowed it and said nonchalantly, “So this is the taste of a beast’s eyeball.”

“What?”

“It’s salty and sticky.”

“No, what you’re saying now…”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, Yeo Su-rin showed a genuinely disgusted expression.

Even if he had just eaten an eyeball, it would have been nauseating, but he had swallowed the Three Eyes, known as a Wretched Fiend. He was out of his mind.

‘Wow! This guy is a real psycho.’

She had never seen someone like this before.

Even she had been told by her master and brothers that she had a unique worldview, but this man was truly beyond the realm of understanding.

There was even a strange madness felt from him.

However…

“Huh?”

Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes, which had been fine, suddenly turned white and trembled.

Why was he suddenly acting like this?

Could it be that he had suffered some side effects from eating the Three Eyes’ eyeball?

“Hey, are you okay?”

As Yeo Su-rin tried to approach Mok Gyeong-un, she had to step back because the monster beast Heum-won, not missing this opportunity, was trying to shake off its held wing.

-Kraaahhh!

“Of all times!”

Yeo Su-rin hurriedly took out a talisman from her waist and formed a hand seal with her left hand.

Although she had easily killed the monster beast Toru earlier due to luck, a monster beast at the level of a monster was not easy to deal with, even for someone close to a master diviner like herself.

-Pak!

At that moment, one of Heum-won’s wings was released.

It seemed that Mok Gyeong-un’s grip had weakened due to his worsening condition.

‘No, why did he have to eat that thing?’

Why did he create such a troublesome situation?

This man was really exhausting.

-Pak! Pak! Pak! Pak!

‘Yeol (裂)! Jae (在)! Jin (陣)! Gae (皆)!’

From the Earth-Pressing Seal to the Single Wheel Seal, followed by the Inner-Restraining Seal and the Outer-Restraining Seal.

It was the hand seals of the Six-Person Suppression Technique.

At the same time, the talisman contained the incantation of a guardian deity that momentarily weakened demonic energy.

-Flap, flap!

The monster beast Heum-won fully spread its huge wings.

When it spread its wings, strange patterns could be seen inside, resembling two huge eyes, which was eerie.

Moreover, the force of the demonic energy spreading in all directions was no ordinary matter.

It was enough to make the legs of average diviners tremble.

Yeo Su-rin gritted her teeth.

“Come at me. Even though I may look like this, I’m the top disciple of the diviner god Scarlet-Tailed Old Immortal.”

With that, Yeo Su-rin pointed the hand seal Gae (皆) at the monster beast Heum-won and tried to use the Six-Person Suppression Technique.

But at that very moment…

“Stop.”

As soon as that shout was heard.

The monster beast Heum-won, which had spread its wings to attack, folded its wings.

Then, as if surrendering, it lowered its head and upper body.

Surprisingly, the target was…

“Huh?”

Mok Gyeong-un.

Yeo Su-rin’s eyes widened.

Why was the monster beast Heum-won obeying Mok Gyeong-un’s command?

Come to think of it, that wasn’t the only strange thing.

Since Mok Gyeong-un had chewed and swallowed the Three Eyes’ eyeball, the familiars who had lost their master should have naturally had their bond severed and either disappeared or died.

But the monster beast Heum-won was still alive and well.

“What’s going on?”

At her question, Mok Gyeong-un smiled brightly and replied, “Who knows?”

‘!?’

What on earth was happening?

She couldn’t help but be genuinely curious about what had occurred.

Of course, the only one who somewhat understood this was Cheong-ryeong inside the wooden figurine in Mok Gyeong-un’s bosom.

-Ha! So this works.

-Yes, it works.

Mok Gyeong-un, who had been contemplating what to do with the Three Eyes, who had formed a bond as a familiar, just ate it on a whim.

He had tried it before, making a vessel or medium of a vengeful spirit into a familiar by eating it, so he thought it might work, and it truly succeeded.

The bond of the familiar had been transferred.

And one more strange thing had happened…

‘My eye…’

After eating the Three Eyes, he had absorbed its demonic energy, and it had concentrated particularly in his right eye.

When he unleashed the Three Eyes’ demonic energy like when he opened the Spirit Eye, surprisingly, the flow of energy became more distinct.

-Roar!

‘Look at this.’

Even the trajectory of the sword he had swung earlier had turned into a residual notion and left a trace.

It wasn’t just a trace of true energy.

Even the form of demonic energy transforming into a technique was faintly visible as a residual notion.

At this, the corners of Mok Gyeong-un’s mouth twitched.

‘…This could be useful.’