Chapter 617: Leaving the Murim to Brother for a While
Chapter 617: Leaving the Murim to Brother for a While
“He said they were the ones who approached him first.”
Seok-yi, a friend of Gu Yong—the man who had brokered counterfeit hidden weapons for the Black Hand Society—confessed everything he knew without being asked twice.
Seok-yi was paralyzed with fear. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine a day would come when he would be dragged off by the Demonic Cult for interrogation.
Gu Yong had been stabbed to death in a brothel, and the assassin who had tried to launch a hidden weapon earlier had clearly intended to kill Seok-yi as well. He couldn't erase the image of that man laughing like a lunatic even after his arm had been severed.
“They asked if he wanted to buy some weapons from the Demonic Cult’s side.”
The man sitting across from Seok-yi was Branch Leader Ho-myeong. This matter was far too critical to leave to subordinates, so he had stepped in to conduct the interrogation himself.
Seok-yi grew even more tense; he could tell from Ho-myeong’s bearing that he held a high-ranking position within the Cult.
“They even gave Gu Yong money to make the deal happen.”
Ho-myeong, who had been listening in silence, finally spoke.
“How much?”
“He didn't tell me the exact amount, but it seemed like several thousand taels. The fellow was in such a good mood that he went to Hwayeong Pavilion and bought a massive round of drinks for everyone.”
Ho-myeong didn't believe everything he heard at face value. The most important task right now was discerning whether the wretch in front of him was spinning lies just to stay alive.
Did being terrified mean he wouldn't lie? Far from it.
Having lived his entire life as a demonic practitioner, Ho-myeong had seen many people. Even those consumed by fear could be excellent liars. He had seen men clutch their own stab wounds to stop the bleeding, tears streaming down their faces, while they lied through their teeth with perfect composure.
One must never underestimate a human being’s survival instinct.
“Tell me about the person who gave him the money.”
“It wasn't a 'him.'”
“What?”
“He said it was a woman.”
That was unexpected, even for Ho-myeong. A woman had approached them?
“Tell me everything you know about her.”
“I only know that she was a woman. That’s really all I know!”
Ho-myeong’s voice dropped to a cold, low tone.
“Then why did you claim to know something about this matter?”
Seok-yi panicked. “I thought even that much would be useful information!”
“A woman gave him a large sum of money? How are we supposed to find her with just that?” A chill as cold as his voice emanated from Ho-myeong’s eyes. “You tried to deceive us, thinking you could just say whatever and get away with it.”
“No, no! That’s not it!” Seok-yi waved his hands frantically, his innocent-looking face on the verge of tears.
However, Ho-myeong knew exactly what kind of people the Black Hand Society members were. They were leeches who sucked the lifeblood out of others. He pulled a small vial from his robes and set it down on the table.
“Drink it.”
Seok-yi asked, trembling, “What is this?”
“Truth serum.”
Seok-yi had heard of it before—a drug that made one’s mind hazy and forced them to answer any question. He also knew it had side effects. If you were unlucky, you could go mad or even die.
“Please, spare me!” Seok-yi’s face turned ashen.
“If I have to force it down your throat, you’ll die even if you confess.”
Seok-yi reached for the vial with a shaking hand.
I have to remember. Please.
He desperately tried to recall what Gu Yong had said that day. They had met and exchanged crude jokes. They had gone to Hwayeong Pavilion together.
Ah, right. While drinking with the courtesans, Gu Yong had mentioned a few more things about the deal. What did he say then?
His desperation finally produced a miracle. He slammed the vial back down on the table and shouted.
“Ah! Right! He said the woman had a burn scar on the back of her hand!”
He remembered Gu Yong saying that while she had a pretty face and a great body, it was a shame she had a burn scar on her hand. It was a comment he’d made while grabbing a courtesan’s hand to compare.
“A burn scar?”
“Yes, he definitely said it was a burn scar. I’m certain!”
Seok-yi looked at Ho-myeong with expectant eyes. Since he had remembered something important, he hoped he wouldn't have to drink the serum.
Ho-myeong’s gaze and voice softened as he spoke.
“I understand. Now, drink up.”
Those damn Demonic Cult bastards!
*
Half an hour later, Ho-myeong stepped out of the interrogation room. Behind him, Seok-yi could be seen sitting in the chair, eyes glazed and in a daze.
Ho-myeong headed toward another interrogation room a short distance away. There, the investigation into the one-armed assassin was in full swing.
The assassin was truly out of his mind, making a normal interrogation impossible. Torture didn't work either; instead of trying to get him to name a mastermind, they were working on figuring out what method had been used to brainwash him.
Geom Mu-yang stood in the back with his arms crossed, watching the process. Ho-myeong approached him cautiously and reported.
“The intermediary was a woman, and she reportedly has a burn scar on the back of her hand. Given that the testimony remained consistent even under the truth serum, it appears to be true. I will relay this to Tongcheon Pavilion and have them search for her.”
It might be like looking for a needle in a haystack, but it was a lead nonetheless. As Ho-myeong turned to leave, Geom Mu-yang spoke up.
“That woman might be someone who works in an iron workshop.”
Why an iron workshop? Ho-myeong wondered, before the realization hit him.
“Ah! Because of the burn!”
Geom Mu-yang nodded. At the main headquarters, he often worked with the iron workshops. Consequently, he encountered many people who worked there. For those who dealt with metal and fire, burns were a common occurrence.
“I will inform them that she likely works in an iron workshop.”
Ho-myeong looked at Geom Mu-yang with a new sense of respect. Once explained, the connection seemed obvious, but it wasn't something easily linked just by hearing the description.
“Women working in iron workshops are relatively few in number. With a distinct scar on the back of her hand, Tongcheon Pavilion might actually be able to find her. If they do, it will be thanks to you, First Young Master.”
It wasn't flattery; he was genuinely impressed. Just what kind of person was the Second Young Master to have defeated such a brother and become the Young Cult Leader?
Just then, the martial artist examining the one-armed man finished his investigation and turned toward them. Among the branch warriors mobilized for this task, he was the most well-versed in such ritual arts.
“It appears to be a Great Regression Art that plants commands in the subconscious. The subject lives normally until a specific condition is met, at which point they execute the command.”
This explained why the man had suddenly turned into a lunatic while kneeling—it was triggered by the specific situation of Seok-yi being about to reveal a secret.
“Furthermore, once the ritual art is activated, the subject immediately loses their reason and is compelled to commit suicide.”
This meant that if they hadn't quickly suppressed his demonic acupoints after his arm was severed, he would have killed himself.
“The skill of the one who planted this ritual art is extraordinary.”
They had produced counterfeit hidden weapons that were nearly identical to the originals and employed such advanced ritual arts. These were not people simply looking to make money by selling fakes.
“To find out exactly which ritual art was used, we must escort him to the main headquarters for further study.”
Geom Mu-yang looked at the man laughing in the interrogation room.
“Is there any chance he will return to normal?”
“With a ritual art of this level, only the one who cast it can undo it.”
“Then it will never be undone.”
The person who used a ritual art to treat humans like dolls and force them into suicide would never willingly release them.
Sshhhk!
With a single flash of sword light from Geom Mu-yang, the man who had attempted the assassination died instantly as his heart was pierced.
“We will be seeing plenty of people under the influence of ritual arts from now on. And…” Geom Mu-yang walked out of the room with a cold gaze. “I’ll hear exactly what kind of ritual art it is from the culprit himself.”
*
Geom Mu-geuk pushed open the massive doors and stepped inside. Before him lay a vast plaza filled with ninety-nine enormous bookshelves.
On those shelves sat countless peerless martial manuals that would make any martial artist’s heart race. This was the Heavenly Demon Library, the very place where he had once obtained the Wind God Four Steps.
“Father! I’ve come in here without your permission! I might even make a mess. I might just sit anywhere and eat food. So, hurry up and come out!”
Now that he was the Acting Cult Leader, he could freely enter places that previously required the Heavenly Demon’s explicit permission. Of all those places, the Heavenly Demon Library was the first he had visited.
Geom Mu-geuk walked between the shelves, pulling books out here and there. He wasn't choosing carefully; he picked whatever caught his eye.
There were books on the fundamental theories of martial arts, advice from masters for actual combat, the history of the Murim, and the basics of martial arts in general. Manuals explaining qi and acupoints, methods for balancing the body, how a martial artist should move, basic offense and defense, how to predict an opponent’s movements and find openings, and how to circulate and apply true qi.
He picked some because the titles were good, some because he liked the calligraphy on the cover, and some simply because he wanted to read them. He ended up with about twenty volumes.
Snap!
With a flick of his fingers, his surroundings shifted into a vast green field. A large desk and chair appeared in the middle of the field. With another gesture, a cool breeze began to blow.
Geom Mu-geuk activated the Time Heaven Secret Technique.
His Time Heaven Secret Technique now granted him seven times more time than the outside world. It had been six times when he fought the Sword King, but he had made progress since then. Now, one hour outside was seven hours here.
You’re the only one I can trust!
Geom Mu-geuk stacked the books on the desk and began to read. They were of various types, but one thing was certain: they were all carefully selected works worthy of being in the Heavenly Demon Library.
He read them one by one. The reason for this reading session was simple. Geom Mu-geuk had told Sama Myeong that he had anxiety, but the source of an even greater anxiety than his brother’s was the Nine Calamities Demonic Art.
He had reached the Eighth Star of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art. Even his current achievement was faster than any previous Cult Leader in history, but Geom Mu-geuk was not satisfied.
The transition from the Eighth Star to the Ninth Star is the hurdle.
He felt as though he were standing before a massive, insurmountable wall. Once he crossed this wall, there would surely be an even larger one. But first, he had to overcome this one.
Geom Mu-geuk had decided that reading the books in the Heavenly Demon Library was the way to scale this wall. Until now, he had progressed through grueling, repetitive training of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art. At other times, he had advanced through life-or-death combat, or through his father’s teachings.
This time, he intended to overcome the hurdle by diligently reading martial manuals here.
Why this method? It was an instinctive pull. If it was destiny that his father had entered closed-door training and he had become the Acting Cult Leader with free access to this place, then so be it.
There was one more reason. Ever since meeting the Sword King, he had been thinking much more about the basics of martial arts. The process of creating a new technique by applying the Yellow Dragon Sword Technique had likely had a significant influence.
Geom Mu-geuk trusted his instincts. Just as the body craves meat when it needs the nutrients found in it, if he felt a sudden urge to read all sorts of books on martial arts, then this was the time he needed them.
He read with a relaxed mind. He didn't read with the desperate intent to gain something specific. If a book became too boring, he simply closed it and moved on to the next. What could possibly be difficult for someone of his level? He breezed through every book without a hitch.
One hour, two hours, three hours… seven hours.
He was lost in his reading for quite some time when he heard the voice of Jeok-yeon, his head of security, from outside.
“A message has arrived from Tongcheon Pavilion.”
At that, Geom Mu-geuk’s surroundings began to shift. The numerous bookshelves of the Heavenly Demon Library reappeared around him. Geom Mu-geuk walked forward, carrying the books he had brought out of the space-time displacement.
Whish. Whoosh. Zip.
The manuals flew through the air in different directions, slotting themselves back into their original places. It seemed like a simple trick, but to use telekinesis to return multiple books to their exact spots simultaneously was a display of power found in none of the manuals in this library.
Geom Mu-geuk stepped out of the library. Jeok-yeon delivered the news from Tongcheon Pavilion.
“The First Young Master is reportedly gathering elite warriors in Hunan.”
It was a report indicating the situation there was serious, but Geom Mu-geuk actually smiled.
“Those bastards must have really pissed off my brother.”
The fact that his brother was on high alert was actually a relief. At least it meant he wouldn't be caught off guard.
“Also, he sent word to the Murim Alliance and the Unorthodox Path Alliance simply stating that the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult is currently conducting an operation.”
Geom Mu-geuk laughed heartily at that report.
“Father would have loved this if he were here.”
Father, your favorite eldest son is turning the Murim upside down.
If he had teased his father about this, the man would have surely looked at him with that characteristic sneer. And he would have been very pleased to hear news of his eldest son.
“Brother is brother, but I’m far too hungry to keep going. I should grab something to eat before heading back in.”
Jeok-yeon looked at Geom Mu-geuk with a puzzled expression. He had only eaten an hour ago before entering the library, yet he was famished again.
Another perk of being the Acting Cult Leader: he could eat meals prepared by the Heavenly Demon Hall’s cook.
“The thing I envy most about Father isn't the Heavenly Demon Treasure Vault or the Library—it’s you, Cook!”
At that, the Heavenly Demon Hall’s cook beamed with a bright smile, something that hadn't been seen in a long time.
Geom Mu-geuk ate his fill and even packed some food the cook had prepared before returning to the library. He selected more books from the shelves. Again, he didn't choose carefully. He picked them based on his mood. It didn't matter.
He intended to read every single book in the Heavenly Demon Library before he came out, anyway.
Father, I’ll leave the Murim to my brother for a while and enter closed-door training here in the Heavenly Demon Library.