Chapter 101
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: The One Who Gazes into a God's Mind (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Ji Yeonghyeon… To think it was the third son.”
So Yeonsim was dumbfounded by the unexpected culprit.
Go Gu let out a sigh.
“I was certain the eldest son, Ji Ganghyeon, was the culprit. I never considered anyone else.”
“Come to think of it, I haven’t asked the most important question.”
“And what is that?”
“Head of the Hall, how did you know? That Ji Ganghyeon was the true culprit.”
Go Gu’s eyes grew heavy.
“Because I saw the traces.”
“Traces?”
“Indeed.”
“What kind of traces? A martial art?”
Go Gu nodded.
“After executing that cultist, I felt a lingering sense of unease.
The circumstances of the case and some of the evidence pointed to the executed man as the killer, but I couldn’t shake this strange feeling of incongruity.”
“Incongruity?”
“Yes. And that feeling prompted me to reinvestigate. Of course, the reinvestigation was conducted in absolute secrecy.”
“And did you find any traces?”
“I did.”
“…What were they?”
“The cultists of our Divine Cult undergo basic combat training. Naturally, a general knowledge of the human body is essential.
But the scene was too gruesome to have been the work of a cultist who had only ever practiced internal energy techniques.”
Go Gu glanced at So Yeonsim.
“Every single one of them was mutilated. Lord of the Garden, you must have seen one of the bodies at the time, didn’t you?”
So Yeonsim’s eyelids trembled.
“I did.”
“Is it possible the killer was consumed by madness and brutalized the bodies? Of course.
But it’s unlikely that someone that deranged would leave the exact same mark in the exact same place on all seven corpses.”
Go Gu tapped the back of his own head.
“It was the vital point at the base of the skull. Every single body had that point perfectly pierced.
Their necks were broken and flesh torn, so even the coroners who specialized in autopsies had a hard time identifying it.”
“What does that vital point have to do with the Demonic Sword House?”
“The Sword Shadow Finger technique.”
So Yeonsim’s eyes widened.
“The Sword Shadow Finger… you mean the finger art said to be passed down only to the direct heir of the Demonic Sword House?”
“That’s right. The mark piercing the vital point was undoubtedly from the Demonic Sword House’s Sword Shadow Finger.”
“…!”
“The Lord of the Demonic Sword House was not in the Cult when the incident occurred. Only his four children attended the Festival of Papiyas the year before last, and even then, it was just to enjoy the festivities.”
“So that’s how you knew. The Sword Shadow Finger is an ultimate art that requires at least ten years of practice to be used effectively, even for someone with exceptional talent.”
“Indeed.”
After a brief pause, Go Gu spoke again.
“At that time, there was only one person who could use the Sword Shadow Finger: Ji Ganghyeon.”
“…”
“Just in case, I investigated whether any of the other children could use it. They couldn’t.
The technique was passed down to Ji Ganghyeon when he was chosen as the successor over a decade ago, and to the second son a year ago. No other heir has ever been taught the Sword Shadow Finger.”
Go Gu sighed.
“But it seems my investigation was flawed. The culprit wasn’t the eldest son, but the third. I almost caught the wrong person again.”
So Yeonsim, who had been quietly watching Go Gu, sighed as well.
Her feelings toward him hadn’t fully resolved. But seeing that he, too, had suffered a great deal, she couldn’t help but empathize.
“In any case, it’s a relief that we’re nearing the end.”
“No. After we capture Ji Yeonghyeon, we must find evidence. Ma Dongpil’s testimony about being attacked won’t carry much weight.”
“We’ve already burned our bridges.”
“We have, but… I’m not sure how we should go about finding evidence. We’ll have to start with an interrogation.”
The two stopped talking and turned their heads to look at the battlefield.
There, two cultists, one wreathed in red energy and the other in blue, were locked in a fierce battle.
* * *
*BOOOOM!*
Ji Yeonghyeon’s body was sent flying once again.
Seo Ryang frowned.
“Just as I thought.”
Even after taking a direct hit from the Mountain-Toppling Force, Ji Yeonghyeon seemed completely unharmed.
He didn’t even appear to have any internal injuries. While it was possible to defend against heavy-handed internal arts with one’s own inner energy, it was rare to come out this unscathed.
There was only one conclusion.
“It’s not just your skin that’s tough, is it?”
“Kuaaaargh!”
Ji Yeonghyeon shrieked and charged.
Despite the beating he had taken, the demonic energy he radiated was still intense. As Wi Hongryeon had said, it was as if he possessed an infinite supply of internal energy.
‘He’s completely lost it.’
He was entirely different from when they’d met during the day. Back then, he had been a perfectly normal young man, clearly in his right mind.
But what was this? He looked no different from a mad demon, his very marrow steeped in insanity.
‘Whatever. Questions later. I need to subdue him first.’
Seo Ryang swung the Dragon Scale Saber.
*CLAAAANG!*
With a deafening crash that seemed to rattle his brain, Ji Yeonghyeon was pushed back again. This time, he properly braced himself with force, so he wasn't sent flying as before.
Just then, Seo Ryang reversed his grip on the Dragon Scale Saber and plunged it into the ground.
*Crack!*
Placing both hands on the hilt, Seo Ryang’s demeanor changed.
*Fwoosh!*
In an instant, his demonic energy shifted. He had fully unleashed the Nine Hells Demonic Art, activating the first of the Gates of Hell: The Path of the Subterranean Warden.
“Grrrr.”
As if reacting to his opponent’s sudden change in aura, Ji Yeonghyeon’s stance dropped low.
Having let go of the Dragon Scale Saber, Seo Ryang drew the Meteor Twin Sabers from his back.
*Shhhhiiiiing!*
No treasured sword or saber could produce such a crisp, clear sound upon being drawn. The twin sabers, nicknamed the Azure-Crimson Tempest, radiated a fierce, sharp aura.
However.
*Thud! Thud!*
Belying their sharp presence, the twin sabers were also driven into the ground, one on each side of the Dragon Scale Saber.
*Crack.*
Seo Ryang raised his fists.
“If Hell’s Gale doesn’t work, I’ll just have to beat you until you collapse from exhaustion.”
The first form of the Calamity Saber Art was the Six-Fold Hell’s Gale.
The name “Hell’s Gale” wasn’t just for show.
He had tried to subdue him with controlled force, but that was proving impossible. If he used any more power, one of Ji Yeonghyeon’s limbs would surely be torn off.
The second form, the Blade of Endless Suffering, was out of the question. He wouldn't even need to get to the third form; the moment he unleashed the second, Ji Yeonghyeon would be reduced to a pile of ash.
“I wouldn’t call this a third round. Come on, whenever you’re ready.”
Seo Ryang beckoned with his index finger.
Despite seeming to have lost his sanity, Ji Yeonghyeon somehow understood the taunt. He let out a beastly roar and charged at Seo Ryang.
A sharp hand-blade strike sliced through the air.
*Swiiish!*
Ji Yeonghyeon’s eyes widened. The image of Seo Ryang, which should have been split diagonally, had vanished.
Just then, a large hand grabbed the back of his head.
*CRASH!*
Ji Yeonghyeon’s face was slammed into the ground.
“You’ve got the strength to uproot mountains, but your technique is like a child swinging a wooden sword. Too simple, you fool.”
*Crrrack!*
Dragging him half a foot through the dirt by his head, Seo Ryang suddenly lifted him up and threw him.
*CRACK!*
With a violent crash, the Dragon Scale Saber shuddered. Seo Ryang had thrown Ji Yeonghyeon against its flat side.
Ji Yeonghyeon was disoriented by the successive massive impacts. Still, aside from being a bit dirty, his face was unharmed.
Seo Ryang dashed forward.
*Paaak!*
In an instant, he was right in front of Ji Yeonghyeon.
Startled, Ji Yeonghyeon swung a bare fist at him, having no time to conjure a blade of energy.
*Thwump!*
Ji Yeonghyeon’s arm was violently twisted back.
*THWACK!*
His head snapped upward.
*Thud!*
“Hmm, so that’s how it is.”
Grabbing Ji Yeonghyeon by the throat, Seo Ryang raised his other fist with a cold expression.
“I don’t know how you obtained such potential, but that immense power within you has pushed your body’s durability and reaction speed to their absolute limits.
And with what’s left over, you’re able to generate blade energy.”
He had thought the man’s internal energy was close to his own, or at most slightly superior.
He was wrong. The internal energy this man possessed was at least double his own.
At this level, his internal energy alone could be considered the greatest under heaven.
Of course, the concentration of his true energy was weak, and he couldn't fully assimilate it as his own, so he was only able to unleash half of his potential.
It seemed he had focused the leftover energy on reinforcing his physical body.
“Well then, I’ll just have to beat you until it’s all used up.”
*Pababababak!*
Seo Ryang’s fists hammered Ji Yeonghyeon’s entire body.
*Papapapapang!*
The speed of his punches was like lightning. The exchange of fists was too fast to be seen with the naked eye.
A flurry of blows, and then another.
It was the Cascading Chain Fist, the fastest technique of the Heaven-Lifting Arts. Like a rushing waterfall, his fists rained down all over Ji Yeonghyeon’s body, causing him to shake uncontrollably.
Wi Hongryeon’s jaw dropped. Her torn lips stretched even wider, but she didn’t even notice.
“W-what? How can his fists be so fast?”
*Pababababak!*
He didn’t even give him a moment to breathe. Even if it was a fist art that sacrificed power for speed, no one could withstand so many hits in such a short time.
*POW!*
A satisfying blow to the abdomen finally brought the Cascading Chain Fist to a halt.
Ji Yeonghyeon’s body trembled violently.
“Well, look at you. Your skin’s finally starting to soften up a bit, huh?”
*Thwump!*
Ji Yeonghyeon’s surprise attack, aimed at an opening, failed miserably. Instead, as if he had been waiting for it, Seo Ryang deflected the hand-blade and struck his collarbone with an elbow, forcing him to one knee.
Seo Ryang spoke coldly.
“Who said you could kneel?”
*Crack!*
Blood spurted from Ji Yeonghyeon’s mouth.
It was the first time he had bled today. He had been kicked so hard that not only did his head snap back, but his kneeling leg was forced straight.
“Phew, at least steel has been downgraded to the hardness of rock.”
Seo Ryang’s hand touched Ji Yeonghyeon’s chest.
*Thuuuum!*
With a dull, drum-like sound, Ji Yeonghyeon’s body shook violently. Seo Ryang had used the Mountain-Toppling Force to disrupt his internal energy.
“Good, your dantian is rattling too! Let’s keep going until you’re as soft as a fluffy cloud, shall we?”
“Grrrk!”
“And keep that mouth shut.”
*POW!*
A punch delivered with all his might sent Ji Yeonghyeon spitting blood again.
And then, the Cascading Chain Fist began once more.
*Pababababak!*
Watching the scene from a distance, So Yeonsim’s jaw dropped. Her expression was identical to Wi Hongryeon’s.
“Th-that’s…”
What kind of martial art was that?
No, beyond the martial art, wasn’t this just too ruthless? He had a man pinned against a wall and was beating him to a pulp!
And it wasn’t just any wall, but a wall of blades.
Go Gu unconsciously swallowed hard. Even he, a man who had seen it all, had never witnessed such a sight.
“I’m not sure if I should say this, but…”
“…Yes?”
“For a moment… I felt sorry for the culprit.”
The words “Don’t be ridiculous” rose in her throat, but she couldn’t bring herself to say them. Because for a fleeting moment, So Yeonsim had felt the same way.
Seo Ryang, on the other hand, seemed to be feeling something entirely different.
“Heh heh.”
The corners of his mouth curled upward.
What is this? Have I been living too miserably lately?
This feeling in my fists… no, this emotion… what is it?
“Uwahahahaha!”
This feels so damn cathartic!
Thinking of his opponent as an irrational monster with an incredibly tough body made hitting him feel so good.
Honestly, if he could, he would have loved to keep him here and beat him all day long.
“You bastard! You better hold on tight!”
*Pababababak!*
He hit, and hit, and hit again, while the other took it, and took it, and took it again.
*Woooooong!*
Red demonic energy flared up from Seo Ryang’s body. For some unknown reason, the immense pleasure he was feeling caused his demonic energy to react on its own.
“Uwaaaaaaaah!!”
His eyes rolled back as he let out a thunderous roar. The faces of those watching him, men and women alike, were painted with terror.
How much time had passed like that?
*Clang-gang-gang-gang!*
“Huh?”
Frozen mid-punch, Seo Ryang blinked. His fist had struck the flat of the Dragon Scale Saber.
He looked down.
Ji Yeonghyeon had lost consciousness and collapsed at some point.
“Um…”
Seo Ryang glanced to the side, towards where Go Gu and So Yeonsim were standing far away.
He gave an awkward laugh and threw both his arms into the air.
“Well, I got him!”