Chapter 383
Translator: penny
Chapter: 392
Chapter Title: Deep in the Nine Dragons Hall
Gal Wi-hyeon of the Justice Enforcement Division walked into the heart of the Nine Dragons Hall.
There, two elders with serene countenances sat sipping tea.
One was Perfected Heo Won, one of the powers steering the Orthodox Alliance. The other was Perfected Heo Jong, head of the Wudang Sect, who steered Perfected Heo Won himself.
Perfected Heo Jong looked up.
"It seems your guest has arrived, Junior Brother."
"He got here faster than expected. I thought it would take longer."
Returning quickly meant things had gone smoothly.
Perfected Heo Won eyed Gal Wi-hyeon.
Hm?
His complexion had never been particularly bright, but it had never looked this haggard either.
'Nangong Hyeok—that guy's no pushover.'
After visiting the Nangong Clan and enduring hardship and humiliation there, there was no reason the Justice Enforcement Division couldn't face the same.
Especially since this time, he'd tangled directly with Furious Dragon Nangong Hyeok...
Gal Wi-hyeon offered cupped-fist salute to Perfected Heo Jong and Perfected Heo Won.
"You've had a rough time. It looks like you went through some ordeal."
"...No, not at all."
Gal Wi-hyeon's expression stiffened once more, but he quickly composed himself.
Perfected Heo Won spoke.
"It must have been quite the commotion, eh? I heard that fellow caused a stir the whole way here."
Gal Wi-hyeon's face hardened again.
A stir...
Yes, it had been a stir.
The problem was that the stir had come from elsewhere.
"How much of a racket did he make that people's tongues haven't stopped wagging the entire way to the Alliance?"
"......"
"You've earned your pay. Bringing in a guy like that without a peep. His temper's said to be fiercer than any Black Dao heretic's, isn't it? Ha ha ha!"
Perfected Heo Won let out a hearty laugh.
Having resented Nangong Hyeok ever since the martial tournament hosted by the Orthodox Alliance, he felt a surge of satisfaction at the news of the man arriving here, for whatever reason.
There was no way he could view favorably a man who had tarnished his sect's reputation and sparked a string of incidents.
"...He came of his own accord."
"Ha ha, did he now? Does he grow legs or arms to get here? Ha ha, that he walked on his own... Hm?"
Perfected Heo Won, mid-jest, blinked.
Had he heard wrong?
"On his own two feet? The man surrendered himself?"
"There was no resistance whatsoever."
"......"
"He walked in here under his own power."
Perfected Heo Won's brows furrowed at Gal Wi-hyeon's words.
"On his own? That guy? What's his game?"
Did he not know what kind of people manned the Justice Enforcement Division?
There was no way he wouldn't grasp what it meant to be brought in by them—yet surrendering willingly was simply unbelievable.
"So, where is he now?"
"...I've had him locked in the underground Thunder Prison inside the Justice Enforcement Division compound."
Gal Wi-hyeon glanced briefly at Perfected Heo Jong before continuing.
"The Justice Enforcement Division plans to quietly begin investigating Nangong Hyeok shortly."
Gal Wi-hyeon put particular emphasis on "quietly."
At the same time, his expression turned icy.
Quietly.
To prevent any external interference in the Justice Enforcement Division's proceedings.
The subject was one of the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Clans pillars of the Orthodox Alliance—no, blood of the Nangong Clan, currently shaking the world with its renown.
There was no way outside pressure wouldn't come bearing down on such a position and lineage.
To block that from the start, the Justice Enforcement Division would conduct a covert investigation into Nangong Hyeok.
And they would make him admit it with his own mouth, by whatever means necessary.
They would make him understand why those who entered the Justice Enforcement Division never walked out on their own two feet—why they were desperate to confess their crimes.
They would show him why its entrance was called the Hell Gate.
Perfected Heo Won smiled with satisfaction at Gal Wi-hyeon's chilling demeanor.
The thought of that arrogant Nangong Hyeok's spirit breaking already lifted his mood.
As the two exchanged knowing glances,
Perfected Heo Jong, who had been listening silently, spoke up softly.
"Quietly, you say."
Gal Wi-hyeon turned his head.
"Yes. We'll definitely wring from his mouth an admission of possessing the demonic sword and reveal its origin..."
"Is there any need to do it quietly?"
"...What do you mean?"
Perfected Heo Jong lightly stroked his beard.
His kindly face turned sharp as a blade toward Gal Wi-hyeon.
A heavy aura flowed beneath the gentleness, and Gal Wi-hyeon unconsciously clenched his fist.
"He's already drawn eyes on the way here. Why bother keeping it quiet now?"
"Senior Brother Sect Leader?"
"Wasn't this what we wanted from the start? A little spark has fanned the flames for us. I almost want to personally thank the Nangong Clan's second young master!"
Perfected Heo Won's eyes lit up at Perfected Heo Jong's words.
"You're saying to make it public from the outset?"
"It's not as if going public would hurt."
"No, no—brilliant idea. We planned to escalate things anyway, but if they've escalated themselves, all the better. The blade remains in our hand, doesn't it?"
"Ha ha, a Daoist speaking of blades."
"Ha ha ha, just a figure of speech."
Gal Wi-hyeon, listening to their exchange, spoke cautiously.
"Sect Leader. Wouldn't it be better to act after the results are in?"
"Why?"
"Their backlash..."
"Ha ha ha!"
Perfected Heo Jong burst into laughter. His mouth smiled, but his eyes sharpened to a razor's edge.
Gal Wi-hyeon's pallor drained in an instant under that honed gaze, his chilling expression crumbling.
It felt as if his heart would shatter from the pressure.
"Do you think the Nine Great Sects fear the Five Great Clans?"
"......"
"Do you think my Wudang cannot withstand a bit of pressure from the Five Great Clans?"
"...My apologies. My thinking was shortsighted."
Perfected Heo Jong's aura melted away like snow.
"Ha ha, the Dao flows as it will; it cannot be dammed by force. You do your duty, and we shall do ours."
"Senior Brother Sect Leader is right. Why not let it flow as it will?"
Perfected Heo Won smiled faintly and beckoned lightly to Gal Wi-hyeon.
"Devote yourself to your post. I'll converse with Senior Brother Sect Leader."
Gal Wi-hyeon nodded slightly and departed.
The smiles faded from the two men's faces as they watched him go.
"He surrendered without a fight, Senior Brother Sect Leader."
"Did I not hear the same?"
"Don't you think he's up to something? The rumors paint him as cunning as they come."
"What could he possibly do from in here?"
They had brought him in before the Nangong Clan could lift a finger.
Even if they could, there would be limits.
This was the Orthodox Alliance.
Even if the Five Great Clans opposed the Nine Great Sects, it was a board that could flip at any moment.
No—truth be told, the Nine Great Sects' position was so overwhelming they could scarcely even draw such a board.
What could Nangong Hyeok accomplish in a place like this?
"That's why we must let it slip from our hands entirely. The bigger it grows, the farther it spreads, the more it benefits us."
A note of amusement crept into Perfected Heo Jong's voice.
The two Daoist elders smiled faintly as they tilted their teacups and quietly conversed.
* * *
Nangong Hyeok sat cross-legged, gazing quietly at the ceiling.
The space barely allowed him to stretch out his legs, yet the ceiling loomed abnormally high.
Sealed on all sides, save for several ant-sized holes punched in the ceiling.
A solid iron door blocked the way ahead, leaving no sense of day or night.
Only Nangong Hyeok, a warrior hundreds of times more sensitive than an ordinary man, could distinguish them by the signals from his body.
"Hah."
Nangong Hyeok let out a long sigh.
This was the underground Thunder Prison of the Justice Enforcement Division—one of the places worldly folk feared most—but his expression hadn't changed much since entering.
"What is this, some newfangled torture?"
Why hasn't anyone come?
Is this that neglect play those perverts love?
Huh?
"At least post a guard or something. Is no one here?"
It had already been three days.
Nangong Hyeok yawned widely.
His only activity in the prison was circulating the Soaring Heaven Wisdom King Art to pass the time.
'This isn't bad.'
Spending the whole day in Soaring Heaven Wisdom King Art circulation and meditation—it felt like a rare rest.
Others might call him mad, but to Nangong Hyeok, this underground Thunder Prison was child's play.
Had these fools ever seen the torture chambers crafted by demonic cults, or endured real torment?
Sigh, why bother explaining?
But what was this?
A fishing hook?
"Another new torture method?"
Nangong Hyeok let out a hollow laugh at the fishing hook drifting down from the ceiling.
"...Young Lord... Young Lord! Can you hear me?"
Nangong Hyeok stared up at the ceiling.
Through one of those ant-sized holes, a ragamuffin with a beggar's face pressed his head close, dangling the hook.
This beggar had hopped the Nangong Clan walls before—now he'd scaled the Orthodox Alliance's Justice Enforcement Division walls to sneak into the prison?
Beggar? Thief suited him better.
"Young Lord, can you hear me?"
"......"
"Hey, hey! Hyeok! You bastard! Hey, hey hey!"
"I hear you, you punk."
"Eeek... Y-you hear me?"
The Little Beggar flinched and grinned awkwardly.
"What're you doing?"
"What do you think? Open up—booze incoming."
"Bullshit."
"Ah, come on. Just dampen the thread a bit with liquor..."
"What're you doing?"
The Little Beggar, pulling out a liquor flask, coughed awkwardly.
"Well, I snuck in some food too, and figured I'd pass on some outside news."
"Hm. Whatever."
"Whatever? I risked my neck hopping the wall for this!"
"Exactly. As if your neck's worth anything."
You're not even human.
The Little Beggar sighed as Nangong Hyeok chuckled.
Man, did position really change a man?
Even in the Justice Enforcement Division's underground Thunder Prison, the Furious Dragon was cracking up.
"But why'd you come in so meekly?"
"Meekly? I walked in on my own."
Same difference!
"That's what I mean! Why just stroll in? I figured you'd raise hell or snap some necks..."
"What the hell, man?"
"G-given your temper, Young Lord, it seemed too tame. H-ha ha!"
"I've got plans."
"Ah, yes. Plans."
Those plans scare me plenty.
The Little Beggar cleared his throat and whispered.
"The Nine Great Sects are stirring something fierce right now. Word is a meeting's underway."
"Ah, yeah?"
"Don't worry! Who are we? The Beggars' Gang of loyalty and trust!"
"Ah, right?"
"Master's coming to the Orthodox Alliance. So don't sweat it..."
"I'm not sweating."
"Sweat a little, would ya? Makes rescuing you worthwhile!"
The Little Beggar grumbled.
"Anyway, seems they plan to publicize the demonic sword issue. They're trying to blow it up and corner the Nangong Clan."
"Publicize it..."
"Point is, fretting here won't fix squat. I'll buy you time however I can. And..."
The Little Beggar pulled another hook from his bosom and threaded it with rice cake.
A black rice cake pierced on the hook held in black hands.
"Not just anyone could pull this off. You know that, right? I'm doing this out of pure brotherhood. Whew, Little Beggar, you're too damn good."
"This punk's trying to poison me."
"Poison? Do you know how hard it is to sneak rice cake into the Thunder Prison? If not me, who..."
Screeeeech!
Bang!
Mid-sentence, the Little Beggar jumped as the prison door flew open, yanking the hook up in a panic.
He hurriedly concealed his presence and gaped at the figure entering the prison.
Huh?
What?
"N-no way! How'd Paeng the Young Clan Head get in here?!"
Paeng Jung-hyeok, entering the prison, eyed the Little Beggar reeling in the hook from the ceiling.
"What're you doing?"
"...Bringing food..."
"Food?"
"Th-that's not the point! How'd you get in here? The guards?! Don't tell me you took 'em all out?!"
Paeng Jung-hyeok snorted.
"What nonsense."
"......"
"What's money no good for?"
Ah, right.
Poor beggars without cash.
"Those Justice Enforcement Division bastards—supposed to be paragons of integrity, taking bribes..."
"My cousin works here."
"Exactly. Family doesn't need bribes. Just to see your face."
Paeng Jung-hyeok smirked.
Nangong Hyeok asked.
"Why'd you come all of a sudden?"
"Just finished a meeting with elders from the Five Great Clans' side. Touching base with the leadership, pulling strings where we can."
"Ah, tough break."
"You're talking like it's someone else's problem. Even for a second young master, this mess ain't easy to shake. Why the hell'd you walk into the tiger's den?"
Nangong Hyeok smirked.
"Why's everyone flipping out just 'cause I walked in?"
"Can you blame us? Raising hell would've been more like you... Ah, I mean, figuratively."
"Worried? Pfft."
Nangong Hyeok grinned.
"Good timing—you're both here."
Paeng Jung-hyeok flinched.
That tone—like he'd been waiting. That scheming look screamed ulterior motives.
"...What is it?"
"Just one job."
"...A job?"
"Yeah."
"C-can't we skip it?"
"Nope, we're doing it."
"......"
"What? Wanna bail while the door's open?"
"What?"
Paeng Jung-hyeok chuckled at the bristling Nangong Hyeok.
Same old him—made him question if this was really the prison.
Yet it also put him at ease.
Nangong Hyeok cackled.
"I've got something set up with Grand Elder Cheomsang."
"Hm?"
Something set up?
"When'd you arrange that?"
"Before coming in."
"What is it?"
"Go see Grand Elder Cheomsang and find out."
Nangong Hyeok grinned wickedly.
"Got any grub?"
Paeng Jung-hyeok, puzzled but not surprised, lifted a tiered lunchbox.
"Prison rations."
"Oh?"
"Liquor too."
"Ooh!"
Nangong Hyeok snatched it eagerly and glanced up at the Little Beggar holding the hook.
"Hey, this works."
"......"
"This is premium stuff."
The Little Beggar's hands trembled as he grinned.
"...J-just one bite. Heh, heh heh."
"Beggar, if you're gonna brag, bring more like this."
"Heh, heh heh."
The Little Beggar's goofy laugh echoed lowly through the underground Thunder Prison.