Episode 22
Episode 22
Translation: Godtl
The next day, the atmosphere in the Demon Path Pavilion was rather gloomy.
This was because the group leader of the third battle group had been mysteriously attacked just before the third stage of the exam.
'If it's the group leader of the third battle group... Cheon Ha-na?'
Cheon Mu-jin was quite surprised. At first, he questioned Ye-ryeong.
Had she targeted Cheon Ha-na without his orders?
But that wasn't the case.
From yesterday until today, Ye-ryeong had been accompanying Cheon Mu-jin.
So it was absolutely impossible for Ye-ryeong to have attacked Cheon Ha-na.
That raised the question—who could it be?
Who would dare to pull off such a dangerous stunt?
'Cheon Gi-baek? No, that bastard isn't smart enough for this. He's too much of an idiot.'
Even his attempt to assassinate Mu-jin wasn't due to boldness or anything like that.
It was just petty jealousy—stemming from his lack of background and his long-standing hatred for the original owner of this body.
Cheon Gi-baek was out of the question. That left only one possibility.
Cheon Yu-rin.
'Would she really resort to such dirty tricks?'
Thinking back, the estimation leaned heavily in that direction.
If Cheon Gi-baek was the type to act on impulse, Cheon Yu-rin—having honed her sword for years—was far more cautious and secretive in her movements.
At the very least, she wasn't the type to act before thinking, unlike Cheon Gi-baek.
'It seems Cheon Yu-rin has truly begun to make her move.'
This wasn't something to overlook. Cheon Yu-rin was a troublesome opponent, after all. At the same time, she was a woman worth scheming against—if only to conquer her.
'That tempting body of hers, that haughty personality—I want to utterly crush them all.'
But she wasn't making it easy. Of course, even if she seemed meticulous, there was one thing she didn't know—Ju-rin had already fallen into his hands.
There was no way she could have imagined that her long-time subordinate had already slipped from her grasp.
'No, wait. She might have already noticed.'
There was no way she wouldn't have realized Ju-rin occasionally disappeared. Even if she didn't know where she went, she might have suspected something was up.
So he couldn't blindly trust the information about Cheon Yu-rin that came through Ju-rin.
Worst-case scenario, Ju-rin might have already confessed to Cheon Yu-rin that she was being blackmailed with the chastity belt.
Perhaps this was all a trap to ensnare him instead.
"You can't trust everything Ju-rin says. Don't reveal your true nature to her yet."
"Ju-rin...?"
"Ah..."
Explaining who Ju-rin was came first.
How should he put it?
That there was a Sword Demon Clan candidate named Cheon Yu-rin, and that he had subdued and blackmailed her subordinate into serving him?
That explanation was too long and made him sound too much like a villain.
Not exactly an appealing way to phrase it. There was a much simpler way than that crude explanation.
"That big-titted bitch."
"Ah! Now I know who you mean. She never seemed trustworthy from the start."
"Right..."
Cheon Mu-jin nodded.
'Well, it's not like my description was wrong.'
Ju-rin did have big breasts. And she hadn't exactly done anything remarkable otherwise.
Maybe if she fully betrayed Cheon Yu-rin later and actively contributed to her downfall, things would be different.
But for now, Ju-rin was still a wildcard. Trusting her completely was out of the question.
In contrast, Ye-ryeong had her memories completely sealed and was being trained to serve with absolute loyalty.
Naturally, she was far more reliable.
"For now, let's just watch and see what unfolds."
***
In the dead of night, when everyone was asleep, a presence crept into the men's quarters of the Demon Path Pavilion.
Concealing their aura, the figure slipped inside cautiously, their entire body shrouded in black night-robes.
The unknown shadow moved through the quarters, scanning the surroundings.
Then, in one swift motion, they drew one of the many blades strapped to their thigh and held it at an angle.
"......"
Swish.
In the silent predawn, the shadow immediately began slicing the tendons of the sleeping disciples.
Perhaps anticipating that some might wake from the pain, they even meticulously pressed certain acupoints to dull the sensation.
Just as the shadow reached Cheon Mu-jin's bedside—
They stepped forward and brought the blade to his wrist, poised to sever the tendons.
At that very moment, Cheon Mu-jin—who had been feigning sleep—snapped his eyes open and locked gazes with the intruder.
"To think you'd try something so cute."
His martial prowess wasn't so low that he wouldn't sense their presence—he had woken up the moment they approached.
"Ghk—!"
The shadow jolted in shock and immediately tried to flee. But things didn't go as planned.
Crunch.
In an instant, Cheon Mu-jin fired the taser ring on his finger toward the assassin, who was still gripping the blade.
Bzzzzzt!
"Krrrrrrrrrk!!!"
The assassin collapsed in a heap, convulsing from the electric shock.
Only then did Cheon Mu-jin rise from his seat and survey his surroundings.
When the squad's quarters had been divided in half, those on his left side already seemed injured by the unknown assassin.
The right side, at least, was still intact. It appeared they hadn't been targeted yet.
'...I should secure her first.'
Considering the possibility of escape, Cheon Mu-jin pulled out an acupuncture needle.
After mastering the Forbidden Acupuncture Technique, he had made a habit of carrying needles just in case.
He swiftly drove the long needle into the assassin's shoulder, elbow, thigh, and calf.
Thud! Thud-thud! Thud! Thud!
Not only did he seal her pressure points, but he also damaged her muscle meridians—ensuring she wouldn't even think of escaping for a while.
Walking would be excruciatingly difficult, no doubt.
'No, here too.'
With the last remaining needle, he stabbed the back of her neck.
Assassins were known to commit suicide at any moment.
In her current state, the moment she woke up, she wouldn't be able to move a single limb—or even her tongue.
Interrogation could wait.
First, he had to deal with the mess left behind in Squad Four.
***
The next day, as dawn broke, Cheon Mu-jin and Ye-ryeong moved to the forest to interrogate the assassin they had relocated.
"Nngh! Nnnghh—!"
With her pressure points sealed, the assassin couldn't even speak, let alone move. She trembled violently at the sight of Cheon Mu-jin standing before her.
"This is the one?"
"Yeah. I don't know who she is, but she was clearly trying to drag our squad straight into the abyss."
"What a despicable wretch. I'm almost curious who's behind her."
"The mastermind? We'll find out soon enough."
Cheon Mu-jin smiled as he lifted the bag he had brought with him.
Inside were tools stained with dried blood—undoubtedly instruments of torture.
The interrogation began.
The assassin likely wanted to scream until her soul left her body, but with her pressure points sealed, not a single sound escaped.
Eventually, she broke.
"Feeling talkative now?"
He had instructed her earlier—if she was willing to talk, she should blink twice. The assassin blinked frantically.
"Good. Who sent you?"
"I-It was Lady Cheon Yu-rin! I was just following her orders! Please, spare my life—"
"Spare you? That's a little short, don't you think?"
"P-Please, have mercy—Ghk—!"
Ye-ryeong's sword had already severed her throat.
"Whether she was following orders or not, I couldn't let someone who threatened Master live."
"Good job. I was going to kill her anyway."
There was no reason to spare a pointless threat. He had already gotten everything he needed—now, all that remained was to disrupt Cheon Yu-rin's plans.
And for that...
'I'll need to bring Ju-rin in.'
Summoning Ju-rin was a simple matter.
All he had to do was activate the Dharma Artifact, and she would immediately pinpoint his location and rush over.
Like now, for instance.
Cheon Mu-jin activated the remote right next to Cheon Yu-rin's quarters.
As he fiddled with the device, Ye-ryeong tilted her head in confusion.
"What is that?"
"A Dharma Artifact to call Ju-rin. You'll see."
Moments later, Ju-rin appeared, her face flushed crimson, cautiously stepping into view.
"W-Why did you activate this all of a sudden?! Hnngh—!"
The moment she came into sight, Cheon Mu-jin turned the remote's intensity to maximum.
The vibrations were undoubtedly strong enough to make standing still nearly impossible, mercilessly stimulating her most sensitive area.
"I have a lot to discuss with you. Care to follow me for a bit?"
"And if I refuse...?"
"Well, you'll stay like that forever. Speaking of which, your attitude seems off again. Did I spoil you too much lately?"
"N-No, it's not that...!"
Discipline required both carrot and stick, but lately, he had been too generous with the former—she had grown lax.
"Right, let's fix that. Though, you're standing awfully stiff. Aren't you forgetting something when you see me?"
Ju-rin hesitated, glancing nervously at Ye-ryeong.
He understood immediately.
'Ah, she's embarrassed to strip in front of someone else?'
But if she was still this shy, she was far from being properly trained.
"Ye-ryeong is my sworn right hand, as loyal to me as my own arm. Whatever she sees here stays secret, so hurry up and strip."
"......"
After a long pause, Ju-rin slowly removed her clothes.
And the moment she did—
Ye-ryeong's eyes widened in shock at the sight of the Chastity Belt locked around Ju-rin's lower half.