Chapter 127
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 127
Chapter Title: Escape (2)
"Are you alright?"
The Third asked with a concerned look on his face.
Concerned? The Third didn't give a damn. He was just pretending on the outside while laughing his ass off on the inside. Laughing at a guy like Four Thousand Four getting his gut pierced.
The Third's expression, somewhere between a smirk and a sneer, was damn irritating.
'I'm fine.'
Normally, he'd have shot back with a scowl. But right now, he couldn't muster a single word.
"That wound looks pretty bad. You should at least stop the bleeding."
The injury was serious. He'd taken a solid hit from the Shadowless Barrier. A small hole punched right through his abdomen, blood pouring out in a steady stream.
"I didn't mean it in a bad way, so don't get offended... I was just asking if you'd like some hemostatic medicine..."
Flash!
A green glow erupted from Cha Hu's eyes. The ultimate hidden technique, Green-Eyed Heart Path, had activated—one he'd never revealed before.
The Fourth tugged at the Third's sleeve.
Only then did the Third glance at Cha Hu, noticing the eerie green shimmer in his gaze.
The Third flinched and pulled back. Provoking Cha Hu further would be a bad idea. Things could turn into a real fight. But... wasn't this weird? These kinds of scuffles happened all the time, so why was he reacting so sharply today?
Not wanting any more trouble, the Third quickly said,
"We'll drag this guy away."
Cha Hu didn't respond. His green eyes just kept flashing.
The Third and Fourth hauled Four Thousand Four out.
The Thunder Prison had become a land of the dead, not a living soul in sight. Four Thousand Four had just been dragged away, leaving thirteen corpses scattered about.
"Heh!"
Cha Hu let out a chuckle.
Only now did he realize why the Punishment Lord had assigned this task to him specifically.
No one else could have handled it. Dealing with Four Thousand Four wasn't easy. If the junior disciples had taken it on, they'd be the ones bleeding out on the floor by now.
The Punishment Lord had taught him how to counter the Shadowless Barrier.
The way to see the Shadowless Barrier!
To spot the Shadowless Barrier, you had to watch Four Thousand Four's breathing. Inhale, exhale... inhale, exhale... until that one fleeting moment when you couldn't tell if he was breathing in or out.
That's when the Shadowless Barrier manifests.
Of course, you couldn't actually see it. You had to seize his breath to reveal it.
The other disciples couldn't pull that off.
What did that mean? It proved the Punishment Lord could read not just Cha Hu's techniques, but those of the disciples and even Four Thousand Four's bizarre martial arts, down to the core.
Cha Hu had thought he'd caught up to his master to some degree, but he was still far behind.
He felt ridiculous now, strutting around like he could hide his true intentions from his master.
He'd always thought he was the one observing the world from above. Turns out, he'd been the one under watch.
Cha Hu? What a load of crap—like a peach with a bright shine but rotten inside.
'So that's how it is. Master's still way ahead. Guess it's not time to inherit the Lesser Punishment yet... Time to steadily build my strength instead. If that's what's needed, then that's what I'll do.'
Cha Hu regained his composure.
Recognizing he was still the weak one was enough. He couldn't counter the Shadowless Barrier with raw martial skill, nor outmaneuver his master with cunning. Not even within the Lesser Punishment Grounds, let alone the entire Heavenly Annihilation Division.
'Back to square one with a fresh mindset.'
With a lighthearted expression, Cha Hu exited the Thunder Prison.
He'd entered with the arrogance of ruling the world. But now, things were different. Starting over from the beginning. No need to broadcast that change to the world, though.
His eyes still burned with haughty pride.
Grrrind!
The stone door slid open.
For the first time, Four Thousand Four laid eyes on the world beyond the stone gate.
Three sides besides the door were sheer walls. Front, left, right—all blocked by cliffs. Actually, ceiling and floor made five walls total.
Holes riddled the walls. Oiled metal gleamed under torchlight, casting beams of reflection.
Those holes were packed with hidden weapons.
Anyone charging in blindly would end up like a porcupine.
The Third and Fourth led Four Thousand Four inside the stone chamber. The door boomed shut behind them.
Now, in this cramped space surrounded by walls on all sides, only three men remained.
Time passed in silence. Just a brief moment, but it felt endlessly long... long enough to count from one to ten.
"Proceed."
A voice echoed from somewhere unseen.
The security was so tight not even an ant could sneak through, yet they still prepared for the worst.
Shring!
The front stone wall shifted.
The Third and Fourth, accustomed to this, casually exited the chamber.
The top-level alert had been sounded in the Lesser Punishment Grounds.
A top-level alert meant every single person there—without exception—mobilized for defense.
Someone was watching Four Thousand Four.
If anyone wanted to spring him, now was the only chance.
These two facts were crystal clear, and the Punishment Lord must have anticipated someone showing up.
No human figures were visible in the Lesser Punishment Grounds.
That's how a top-level alert worked. Lower levels like second or third allowed some normal activity. At top level, everyone took position, turning the grounds into an empty fortress.
No one wandered. No servants or attendants in sight. Everyone hid at their posts, eyes fixed on assigned spots. Their gazes crisscrossed meticulously—no one could slip through unnoticed.
Grrroooar!
A heavier rumble than before echoed as the cliff wall slid open.
'On guard!'
'Eyes wide open—watch everything!'
Tension gripped everyone.
Four Thousand Four had escaped the Thunder Prison. From its entrance to the selected execution ground in the martial arena was about thirty paces. If someone planned to rescue him, now was the moment.
Who would it be?
The people of the Lesser Punishment Grounds believed no one would come.
What was the Lesser Punishment Grounds? Built in isolation without allies, outer perimeter fortified with intricate traps, defenses layered over tenfold.
Not even a heavenly immortal could breach it.
Still, with the top alert issued, they stayed vigilant, eyes peeled.
"Hang in there just a bit longer. It'll be over soon. Heh heh!"
The Third snickered sleazily.
He gripped Four Thousand Four's right arm tight. The Fourth held the left, dragging the limp prisoner along. He still seemed unconscious.
Wrong. He'd woken from the stupor long ago.
On the way out, he'd memorized the Thunder Prison's layout. If he attempted escape, he'd have to retrace that path.
But he quickly gave up on the idea.
There was no way out through the Thunder Prison. He knew there was a waterway somewhere, but he couldn't find it. Forget finding it—he couldn't take a single step. Traps, mazes, and watchful eyes from hidden spots everywhere.
Escape had to happen outside.
He scanned the martial arena.
It was enclosed on all sides by cliffs, like a heavenly immortal had carved a perfect square pit in the mountain's heart. The walls were sheer drops—no climbing possible.
Dozens of large buildings filled the basin ringed by cliffs.
The dwelling place of the Lesser Punishment Grounds' inhabitants.
He was being dragged down an open stone-paved path between houses. The path would end soon, leading to his death in the central martial arena.
'No way out.'
He twisted his lips into a grin.
He'd infiltrated plenty of places before. Killed many, escaped just as often. No one was more expert in infiltration, murder, and getaway than him.
From an expert's view, this was a death trap.
Then, something utterly bizarre happened.
The two dragging him halted mid-step. Their bodies began to shudder.
'Poison!'
Four Thousand Four shuddered too.
From the ground, the stone pavement—poisonous mist rose.
A faint blue vapor, barely visible unless you looked closely.
'Blue Hemp Pressure Scatter!'
Four Thousand Four knew this poison.
"Blue Hemp" wasn't a natural toxin or specific brew. It was the catch-all term for poisons that billowed blue smoke, paralyzing or killing on contact.
Pressure Scatter was the deployment method.
Typically buried under paths like this—step on it, pressure triggers the spray.
Downside: you needed to know the exact route. But the effect was devastating.
And it had activated inside the Lesser Punishment Grounds.
Swoosh!
Someone dove down like an eagle. Grabbed Four Thousand Four's nape without a word, then plunged straight into the Thunder Prison—leaping toward the freshly sealed cliff wall.
Poke! Grrroooar!
Pressing some spot, the cliff door reopened.
"Intruder!"
"Stop him!"
Martial artists emerged from all directions. But the intruder had already vanished into the Thunder Prison.
Grrroooar!
The entrance sealed shut again.
"Blue Hemp Pressure Scatter. The two are unharmed."
The Punishment Lord frowned as he received the report.
An intruder had struck. Boldly entered the Lesser Punishment Grounds and snatched Four Thousand Four right out.
Had the Lesser Punishment Grounds become this pathetic?
The Third and Fourth had fallen helplessly to the Blue Hemp Pressure Scatter.
It was inevitable—who'd imagine someone sneaking in to lay poison right in the open middle of a main path?
The disciples had been caught off guard by the perfect ambush. An assassination method no one in the Heavenly Annihilation Division's killers would even attempt.
"Cha Hu's still inside, right?"
"Yes!"
"Notify him immediately. Don't rely on the traps... tell him to go all out and block them. Even then, not sure if he can."
The Punishment Lord pondered briefly.
The intruder was a master of the Lesser Punishment Grounds' mechanisms. He'd operated the cliff trap flawlessly. The Thunder Prison's internal traps would be useless too.
Cha Hu was still inside the Thunder Prison.
The intruder and Cha Hu would clash within. But could Cha Hu hold his own?
The intruder's movement art was Floating Cloud Flight.
Just five paces, but unmistakable.
Not the Northern Fate Blood Guard. Nor the two immortals by his side, Taoist Sage or Sword Sage. Pure martial prowess placed him at least a level above them.
A supreme master the Punishment Lord himself couldn't guarantee victory against.
"A guest drops by... can't just send him off without tea. Cancel the alert and prepare the Collapse instead."
"C-Collapse... sir?"
The Eighth, Crimson-Clad Divine Maiden, asked in shock.
Collapse—another word for demolition. Rarely used, but the Punishment Lord favored it.
Collapse meant bringing down the entire Thunder Prison.
It would wipe out Cha Hu and countless subordinates in one go, but they couldn't let the intruder escape.
As the one managing the inner household of the Lesser Punishment Grounds, how could she not know?
"Prepare the Collapse. And when the time comes to pull the rope, don't hesitate."
The Punishment Lord patted the Crimson-Clad Divine Maiden's shoulder.
Then he walked off. No word to the other disciples... straight toward the cliff.
Everyone stared at his retreating back.
The Punishment Lord was entering the Thunder Prison. To confront the intruder personally. Which meant... the Collapse was Plan B if he failed. Bring down the whole place if even he couldn't stop the guy.
Was the intruder that formidable?
"Ugh... what the hell kind of monster is this?"
The Fifth, who hadn't even glimpsed the intruder, groaned in disbelief.