Chapter 678: It's been a while! (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 678: It's been a while! (6)
Trickle.
Tea spilled from the table, soaking into the floorboards.
Drop by drop, blood fell into the growing puddle.
The room was devoid of light, swallowed by an oppressive darkness. The only sounds were ragged, shallow breaths and the occasional pained groan.
“Ghk… Guuuh… Hkk…”
The groans belonged to Beomdong, Captain of the Sky Dragon Army.
Beomdong lay collapsed on the floor, blood trailing from his mangled hands and the corners of his mouth.
“Heuk… Guuh…”
His eyes were wide, glazed with a mixture of shock and pure terror.
His body trembled uncontrollably. Before him, a figure knelt down.
The owner of the glowing blue eyes.
Gu Yangcheon’s eyes flashed in the darkness as he locked gazes with Beomdong. The shadows were too deep to discern his expression, but Beomdong didn't need to see it.
He knew Gu Yangcheon was smiling.
Yank.
“Kh-!”
Gu Yangcheon grabbed Beomdong by the hair and forced his head up.
“You know, being framed… people who haven't gone through it just don't get it. It’s fucking infuriating.”
“Haa… haa…”
Beomdong tried to squeeze out a word, but his mouth was so torn up that he could only produce wet, gurgling sounds.
“They claim I did something I didn’t do. I tell them I’m innocent, but they don’t believe me. And then, they have the audacity to tell me to prove it.”
The amusement in Gu Yangcheon's voice deepened.
At the same time, Beomdong felt the air leave his lungs.
Whoooosh—!!!
An immense, suffocating killing intent flooded the room.
“You son of a bitch.”
Gu Yangcheon’s pupils slit vertically like a predator's.
“Why the hell should I be the one to prove anything?”
“Georek… Th-that…”
“I didn’t do it. So I have to prove I didn’t do it? Why?”
Beomdong tried to speak through the agony, but—
Whoosh—! Thwack—!
“Keoheok!”
Gu Yangcheon didn’t wait for an answer. He slammed Beomdong’s head straight into the floor.
“Why should I have to do that, you bastard?”
“Keoheuuuk.”
“Investigative authority? Fucking bullshit. Don’t give me that crap. Go on, bring the warrant here.”
The right to investigate, issued by the Alliance.
What difference would it make even if he had it?
“It’s a useless piece of paper you wouldn't dare use against the Ten Sect Alliance or the Four Noble Clans anyway.”
The weight of that authority depended entirely on one’s status.
If a direct descendant of the Namgung or Moyong Clan had caused trouble, that authority would have been treated as nothing more than scrap paper. That was the true nature of the Alliance’s power.
It claimed to uphold justice, but its "justice" shifted depending on who was standing across from them. It was all so utterly pointless.
“But you thought you could use it on me?”
Perhaps.
After all, the Gu Clan’s current standing in the world wasn’t on the same level as the Ten Sect Alliance or the Four Noble Clans.
But.
“Bring it. I’ll show you exactly what happens.”
Whatever he tried, it would be meaningless.
“Go on, I dare you to bring it.”
His voice was a low, guttural growl, and his energy exploded outward.
Rumble.
The sheer pressure swirled through the room, making the furniture rattle and vibrate.
“Georek… Hkk…”
Under the crushing weight of that power, Beomdong’s mind began to fracture.
“Please… st… stop…”
He pleaded, feebly grabbing at the hem of Gu Yangcheon’s pants. It was a pathetic sight, but he had no choice. At this rate, death was a certainty.
Beomdong knew it instinctively.
This monster is…
He had known the man was a master when they last met, but this was far beyond anything he had sensed back then.
There were rumors that the Lesser King of Hell had reached the Fusion Realm before he had even turned twenty. But no one had believed it. No, they refused to believe it.
How could they?
A genius of that caliber had never existed in history. The youngest person to reach the Fusion Realm, officially recognized by the Alliance, was the Heavenly Dragon of Shaolin.
But now, seeing the Lesser King of Hell for himself…
Has he been hiding his power this whole time…?
Even as he was being crushed, Beomdong’s mind raced. Why would the Lesser King of Hell hide such strength? The news that the Heavenly Dragon had reached the Fusion Realm had broken about a year ago. If the Lesser King of Hell had reached that state long ago, as the rumors claimed, he should have revealed himself far sooner.
Until now, he had…
No, even now, he was deliberately keeping himself in the shadows. What was the reason?
Just as Beomdong was pondering this—
“Impressive.”
“…!”
The Lesser King of Hell’s voice made Beomdong flinch.
“Still using your head even in this state. You’ve got a lot of nerve, don't you?”
“That is…!”
Crack—!
“Aaaaaargh!”
Beomdong’s left pinky finger was twisted into an unnatural, sickening shape.
“Guuuhk…”
As he trembled, trying to endure the white-hot pain, the Lesser King of Hell continued speaking.
“You were always like this, Captain.”
His voice was unnervingly calm. That made it all the more terrifying.
“Even while others were dying, you were always scheming. Back then, I thought you were just trying to figure out a way to survive.”
The Lesser King of Hell’s hand moved from Beomdong’s pinky to his ring finger.
“But that doesn’t seem right. What was it, then? Do you know, Captain?”
“Wh-what are you talking about…”
Crrrack.
His ring finger shattered.
“Ghk!”
Just as Beomdong was about to scream again—
Clamp—!
The Lesser King of Hell clamped a hand over his mouth.
“This part isn’t that important, so let’s move on. And shut up, you’re noisy. If you scream again, it won’t be your finger next. It’ll be your neck.”
As if to prove his point, his other hand brushed against Beomdong’s throat.
“If you understand, nod.”
“...”
Nod.
Beomdong gave a slight, trembling nod. Only then did the Lesser King of Hell remove his hand.
Smack—!
“…!!”
He immediately slapped Beomdong across the face.
The Captain's head snapped to the side, his cheek blooming into a deep, bruised red. Even so, Beomdong didn’t scream. He simply endured the blood trickling down his face and stared at the Lesser King of Hell.
Seeing this, the Lesser King of Hell smiled and nodded.
“So obedient.”
“...”
“I’ll let what you said earlier slide because of that.”
Swoosh.
The Lesser King of Hell straightened up, rising from his kneeling position.
“I was originally planning to play with you for a bit, then tear you apart and burn you to ashes. But unfortunately for me, you’re still useful.”
The words, spoken in a dry, detached voice, were chillingly cold. Worse, Beomdong knew he meant every word. Those blue eyes were brimming with a casual, terrifying killing intent.
What… in the world…
Were those the eyes of a young man who had just barely passed twenty? Was he truly a member of a noble Orthodox Faction clan?
He’s a monster.
Beomdong was certain. This man was a monster with immense, incomprehensible power. Otherwise, there was no way he could do this to an Alliance Captain in the middle of Henan. Even with power, this was not a feat one performed lightly.
Screech.
The Lesser King of Hell dragged over a chair that had been knocked to the floor and sat down in front of Beomdong. He crossed his legs and looked down at him.
His gaze was sharp. The glowing blue eyes and the slitted pupils within them shone in the dark. Meeting that gaze made Beomdong want to turn his head away—to hide.
The Lesser King of Hell watched Beomdong for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle.
“Now then, shall we forget our mutual ill will and have a pleasant chat? I have a proposal for you, Captain.”
His tone had shifted. The sudden change made Beomdong swallow nervously.
‘Forget our ill will?’
He didn't believe it for a second. The Lesser King of Hell’s eyes told him everything. The man still wanted to kill him.
“It must be painful to talk, so just keep your mouth shut. I’ll ask questions that are easy for you to answer.”
“...”
“You just have to nod if you understand, right?”
… Nod.
“Good. Now for the first proposal.”
The Lesser King of Hell gave a deep smile.
“First. You will not speak a word of what happened today.”
“...”
“As for your injuries, say you fell down somewhere, I don’t care. Just don’t talk. Our dear Captain is tight-lipped, isn’t he?”
The inside of his mouth was shredded, the back of his hand was mangled, and two of his fingers were crushed. And he was supposed to say he fell down? A master like Beomdong? It was absurd, but Beomdong couldn't dare point that out.
“Second. Stop sending your pathetic little spies after me. Do I have to catch them, cut off their heads, and send them back to you to make you stop?”
“…!”
Beomdong’s eyes widened. He had, in fact, just sent a few men to investigate the Lesser King of Hell and his companions. He had noticed even that?
“I won’t tell you to go back and not worry about it. That would be too cheap. Let’s just keep it to this level. You can do that much, can’t you?”
“...”
What did he mean by ‘this level’? Beomdong couldn’t understand a single thing the Lesser King of Hell was saying.
Things had already gone too far; there was no turning back. Now that he knew his opponent was aware of him, and now that he knew what kind of power the Lesser King of Hell possessed and how violent he was, he couldn’t possibly stand by and do nothing.
“You can shake your head if you refuse. However.”
The Lesser King of Hell leaned in.
“Then I’ll kill you and all your men waiting outside. And don’t worry about the evidence. I hate leaving traces, so I’m very good at cleaning up.”
Only then did Beomdong realize something was wrong. A significant amount of time had passed, yet his men from the Sky Dragon Army had not come to his aid. They should have been here long ago. The fact that they hadn’t meant…
‘…No way.’
It meant something had happened to them. Beomdong’s eyes trembled. What in the world was going on?
As questions and anxiety tightened their grip on his throat, the Lesser King of Hell added:
“If you’re still having trouble deciding, shall I add your daughter in Honam to the stakes?”
“…!!”
Beomdong’s breath hitched. The fact that his daughter was in Honam was a secret that very few—not even the highest echelons of the Alliance—knew. As a member of the intelligence division, he had scrubbed his personal information clean.
Yet the Lesser King of Hell had pulled that information out and laid it before him.
“Wh-what…”
Just as Beomdong tried to feign ignorance—
“It must cost a lot to send her to a good school in Honam. You can’t afford to be wasting your time here, can you? Your daughter is already seven, I believe.”
“...”
Squeeze.
The information was far too detailed and precise. Hearing it, Beomdong finally clenched his fists.
“H-how…”
“How I know isn’t important. What’s important right now is you, Captain.”
“How… how can someone from the Orthodox Faction… threaten a family…!!”
Flick.
Ignoring Beomdong, the Lesser King of Hell flicked his fingers, and blue flames erupted in the room. The darkness vanished, and the room brightened.
“Orthodox Faction? Bullshit.”
As if he’d heard something disgusting, the Lesser King of Hell cleaned his ear with his pinky.
“I’ve learned something firsthand. To fight motherfuckers, you can’t be a decent person. You have to become an even bigger motherfucker.”
He looked at Beomdong. In contrast to the brightened room, his blue eyes seemed to have grown even darker.
“Let’s just make a clean choice. Nod if you agree. Shake your head if you don’t.”
“...”
Now that it was bright, the smile on his face was even clearer.
“I’m going to count from one to five. If you don’t answer by then, I’ll take it as a no.”
With that, the Lesser King of Hell raised his hand. And slowly, he began to fold his fingers…
“One… five.”
“I-I’ll do it!!”
The count skipped instantly, and Beomdong frantically nodded his head. He said one to five, but he only counted one and five.
Hearing his answer, the Lesser King of Hell looked satisfied.
“An excellent choice. You save yourself, you save your men, and you save your daughter. A very good choice indeed.”
“...”
He then stood up from the chair and walked toward the door. Beomdong watched him with a bewildered expression.
Was this really it? Was he just going to leave with a warning, without placing any kind of seal or curse? Unable to believe it, Beomdong stared at the Lesser King of Hell’s back.
“I can’t be bothered to see you out, so find your own way.”
He casually grabbed the door and pulled it open.
Creeeak.
The door opened, revealing the courtyard outside.
“…!!”
Beomdong’s eyes widened in shock. Nearly ten figures were lying collapsed on the ground in front of the residence. All the fallen were wearing white uniforms with crimson embroidery.
They were the martial artists of the Sky Dragon Army.
“…Th-those are.”
How were his men, who were supposed to be lying in ambush some distance away, collapsed right there? As Beomdong groaned at the bizarre sight, he saw someone standing in front of them.
It was a woman with a small frame and short hair. Her hair made it hard to tell if she was male or female at a glance, but her features and figure confirmed she was a woman. She was holding a staff taller than herself and watching a butterfly flutter by.
Her gaze, which had been chasing the butterfly, sensed a presence and moved toward the Lesser King of Hell.
“Ooh, ooh!!”
The moment she saw him, she broke into a bright smile and ran toward him.
“I did everything you told me to!!”
She bounded toward the Lesser King of Hell like a puppy seeing its owner. Seeing her, the Lesser King of Hell asked:
“Did you kill them all?”
For a greeting, the question was chilling. And the woman’s answer was even more astounding.
“No! I was going to, but I didn’t. The Cult Leader told me not to kill them!”
“I see. Good job.”
“I did a good job? I did, right? If I did a good job, I should get a reward. Right, what should I ask for? What should I get!?”
The woman chattered excitedly to herself.
“I know!”
“Hm?”
“Now you’ll finally mate with m—”
She tried to state her desired reward, but she couldn't finish the sentence.
Wham—!
“Gak!”
Before she could finish, Gu Yangcheon slammed his fist into the side of her head. With a brutal whoosh of air, the woman’s small head snapped to the side.
Thud!
She collapsed to the ground, instantly losing consciousness. It was a single, ruthless blow.
…Is she dead?
The thought crossed Beomdong’s mind, but seeing her twitching body, he figured she was probably alive.
“Goddammit, this is why I didn’t want to call her. Just looking at her is annoying.”
The Lesser King of Hell waved his hand in disgust.
“Nahi.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Get rid of her. When she wakes up, gag her, tie her up, and stick her in a corner until I get back.”
“Understood.”
At Gu Yangcheon’s command, a woman who had been standing beside him picked up the collapsed figure and disappeared. After letting out a deep sigh, Gu Yangcheon turned around. He met the eyes of the utterly bewildered Beomdong.
“What are you doing?”
“…?”
“Are you just going to stand there gawking?”
Before Beomdong could figure out what he meant, Gu Yangcheon pointed at the members of the Sky Dragon Army scattered on the ground.
“I need to eat, so I’m telling you to take these things and get lost.”
Hearing this, Beomdong looked at his men. There were at least nine of them. Did he mean he had to carry them all away?
As a look of dismay crossed Beomdong’s face, Gu Yangcheon continued.
“Or, would you prefer I make you get lost from this life?”
“...”
“If we’re talking about what’s easier, that would be much simpler.”
Gu Yangcheon said this with a deep frown. Hearing his words, Beomdong—despite his injuries—scrambled to begin clearing away his subordinates.