Chapter 715: My Accomplice Is... the Cheonmu Alliance Leader... Lee Jae-won.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 715: My Accomplice Is... the Cheonmu Alliance Leader... Lee Jae-won.
"Urgh... Argh..."
Exposed to a crushing murderous aura, Cha Do-jin began to groan incessantly.
As someone merely at the Super-Peak Realm, it was an impossible task for him to withstand the killing intent of Joo So-yang, who had reached the Half-Immortal Stage.
"Is it painful?"
Joo So-yang asked, looking down at Cha Do-jin as he writhed in agony.
"It... it is... painful..."
Cha Do-jin stammered in response to her question.
It was agonizing. It was so painful he felt as though he might lose his mind.
"Hwang Sam, whom you murdered, died in even greater pain."
Joo So-yang glared at him with a sharp, piercing gaze as she continued.
"And the family he left behind is living a life of even greater suffering."
Having lost their breadwinner overnight, Hwang Sam's family was destined for a hellish existence.
In the Central Plains, where male chauvinism was rampant, raising a child alone as a woman was an incredibly difficult task. It was a world where women were ignored simply for being women and treated with contempt for lacking a husband.
Furthermore, her husband had been framed for colluding with a Public Enemy of the Murim.
It was certain that many would look down on them even more, and in the worst-case scenario, their very lives could be at risk.
"And yet, you find being exposed to a little killing intent painful?"
Joo So-yang looked at him with utter disdain.
She felt a surge of contempt for Cha Do-jin’s behavior—a man who was indifferent to the suffering of others but hypersensitive to his own pain.
"How selfish can you be?"
Her murderous aura began to grow even denser.
Tremble, tremble, tremble.
Cha Do-jin’s body began to shake even more violently.
I... I can't breathe...
His face began to turn a deep, mottled red.
He could feel it. If this pressure continued, he might actually suffocate to death.
"Spare... spare me..."
Cha Do-jin begged for his life.
He didn't want to die like this. He hadn't reached the pinnacle of power yet. The opportunity had only just arrived—the chance to reach the very top.
He didn't want to die. If he had to die, he wanted it to be after he had at least become the Chief Strategist.
"It seems the Head of Gyebang Hall considers his own life quite precious. For someone who doesn't give a damn about the lives of others, that is."
Joo So-yang let out a contemptuous smirk.
Seeing a man who treated others' lives as if they were nothing beg for his own life made her let out a hollow laugh.
How could someone be this selfish?
Flash!
In an instant, Joo So-yang withdrew the killing intent she had been emitting.
"Huff... huff... huff..."
Cha Do-jin began to breathe raggedly. His constricted airway had finally opened.
"In my heart, I want to tear you into ten thousand pieces. You, who forced sacrifice on others in the name of the 'greater good'."
Joo So-yang spoke in a dry, hollow voice.
Shiver.
Hearing those words, Cha Do-jin felt goosebumps break out all over his body. Her words were chillingly cold.
"Great... Matriarch..."
Cha Do-jin called out to her with a groveling expression. His face was filled with a desperate will to live.
"But I won't kill you."
"Th-thank you!"
Cha Do-jin’s complexion began to brighten. Hope flared within him that he might actually survive.
"There are still things I need to hear from you."
Joo So-yang spoke as she looked at the cowering Cha Do-jin.
"I don't believe you plotted this alone. To ensure an escape route in case things went wrong, you would have needed insurance."
"........."
"Who is it? Who is your accomplice?"
"..........."
At her question, Cha Do-jin clamped his mouth shut. He couldn't bring himself to answer.
She wasn't wrong. While he could have plotted it alone, he hadn't. To prevent any unforeseen circumstances, he had needed a shield to protect him.
A shield in the form of the Cheonmu Alliance Leader.
She had seen right through him.
"Why no answer?"
When he remained silent, Joo So-yang pressed him again.
"I... I did it all on my own..."
Cha Do-jin hid Lee Jae-won’s involvement.
If he mentioned him here, and if that fact reached Lee Jae-won’s ears, he felt that the trust he had built up until now would crumble in an instant.
I can't let that happen!
He couldn't. After decades of crawling through the dirt, he finally had the chance to enter the highest circles of power. He couldn't just kick that opportunity away.
"Are you planning to stay loyal?"
"It's not loyalty.... I'm just telling the truth.... I plotted everything by myself."
Cha Do-jin immediately told a lie. He thought it would be better to take the fall here. If he were referred to a trial, the Alliance Leader would surely save him.
"That's a lie."
Joo So-yang spoke, looking at him with eyes as cold as ice.
She was certain. This despicable fox was spewing lies.
"Well, I didn't expect you to tell the truth from the start."
Joo So-yang continued in a calm tone. She hadn't expected him to confess so easily. The moment he revealed who his master was, he would be putting his own life on the line as well.
"Please understand. I might have to be a bit rough."
Joo So-yang spoke with a look of mock pity.
"Are you... planning to torture me!?"
Hearing her words, Cha Do-jin asked back in shock. He never imagined that the mistress of the Cheonmu Alliance would go this far.
"Of course, I won't be the one doing it."
Joo So-yang shook her head.
While she wanted to do it herself, it was too nauseating, and she didn't trust herself to control her strength. She might accidentally kill the disgusting Cha Do-jin out of pure revulsion.
"I'm a novice when it comes to torture.... So I've brought in another expert."
Joo So-yang spoke with a gentle smile.
"An... expert!?"
Cha Do-jin asked with a bewildered expression. An expert in torture? What on earth did that mean?
"Head of Gyebang Hall, do you know who the best torturer in the Cheonmu Alliance is?"
Joo So-yang asked with a serene smile.
Creeeeeak.
Suddenly, the sound of a hinge groaning echoed.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Then, the rhythmic sound of footsteps began to ring through the room.
Cha Do-jin turned his gaze toward the sound.
And there he saw her—a noblewoman with a beautiful but incredibly stiff and stern impression.
"The... Head of Law Enforcement!?"
Cha Do-jin stammered in shock.
The noblewoman was Paeng Ga-ryeon. The head of the Law Enforcement Hall, the organization responsible for adjusting and executing Alliance Law.
"It's been a while, Head of Gyebang Hall."
Paeng Ga-ryeon spoke, looking at Cha Do-jin with a rigid gaze.
"H-how are you..."
Facing Paeng Ga-ryeon, Cha Do-jin’s voice trailed off. He was thrown into a panic by her sudden appearance.
"I heard there was a criminal who broke the law."
Paeng Ga-ryeon stared at him with cold eyes.
"Cr-criminal!?... I was just... for the greater good..."
"The motive isn't important to me. Only the fact that a crime was committed."
Shink!
Paeng Ga-ryeon reached out her hand. Suddenly, numerous oddly shaped blades sprang forth all at once.
"Hieee!"
Seeing this, Cha Do-jin let out a small scream of terror. He knew all too well what those grotesque blades were.
The name of those blades was Blood Lament. It was the most notorious torture tool, said to make even the most heinous criminal repent in tears.
Chatter, chatter, chatter.
Cha Do-jin’s teeth began to chatter uncontrollably. The fear of facing the Blood Lament enveloped his entire body.
"I'll ask you one more time."
Seeing his state, Joo So-yang spoke slowly.
"Who is your accomplice?"
She was giving the terrified man one last chance.
"............"
Cha Do-jin couldn't bring himself to speak. He seemed to be weighing his fear of the Blood Lament against his greed for power.
"........ I... did it alone...."
Finally, he spoke. He had chosen power.
"That's a shame."
Joo So-yang looked genuinely disappointed.
Swish!
She immediately extended her fingers and fired off Finger Wind.
Thud, thud, thud.
The Finger Wind struck various points across his body.
"Urgh!"
Cha Do-jin groaned at the sudden pain.
Stiff.
He felt his entire body seize up. His pressure points had been sealed.
"I'll be back in half a shijin."
She then looked at Paeng Ga-ryeon.
"Leave it to me."
Paeng Ga-ryeon replied with a very polite bow.
Seeing this, Joo So-yang walked out of the room without a second thought.
Creeeeeak.
The sound of the hinge echoed again, and the door closed completely. Joo So-yang had vanished from sight.
"Shall we begin then?"
Once she was gone, Paeng Ga-ryeon looked at Cha Do-jin with a cold gaze. She looked like a woman of ice, someone who wouldn't allow even a needle's worth of mercy.
"Ah... ah... ah..."
Cha Do-jin began to moan in despair. An unspeakable sense of doom washed over him.
"AAAAAAAGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"
Not long after, a horrific scream began to echo through the room.
*
Creeeeeak.
The door opened as the hinges groaned once more.
The beautiful noblewoman, Joo So-yang, reappeared.
"You've returned."
As she entered, Paeng Ga-ryeon, who was splattered with blood here and there, greeted her. Fresh blood was scattered all around her. It was likely Cha Do-jin’s.
"Is it over?"
Joo So-yang frowned slightly at the sight. The scene was more gruesome than she had expected, making her feel uneasy.
"Yes, it just finished."
Paeng Ga-ryeon spoke with a calm expression. She looked utterly indifferent.
"Good work."
Joo So-yang commended Paeng Ga-ryeon for her efforts. She felt grateful to Paeng Ga-ryeon for coming without hesitation despite the sudden request.
"I only did what was expected, Madam."
Paeng Ga-ryeon spoke with a humble expression. This was only natural. Was it not expected for her, who was essentially a slave, to follow the orders of Joo So-yang, the Primary Wife?
"Did he reveal the mastermind?"
"I didn't ask."
Paeng Ga-ryeon spoke in a flat tone.
"Why not?"
Joo So-yang asked back, puzzled. What was the point of torture if not to extract information? Why hadn't she asked any questions?
"If you constantly press for the information you want, it only creates unnecessary resistance."
Paeng Ga-ryeon let out a cold smile.
"............"
Joo So-yang looked slightly repulsed. She was reminded of Paeng Ga-ryeon’s ruthlessness—torturing him without even giving him a chance to confess.
She had forgotten because Paeng Ga-ryeon had been so submissive since her status was reduced to a slave, but among the wives, she was a woman whose cruelty was second to none. That vicious side of her had just resurfaced.
"...I see."
Joo So-yang eventually nodded in understanding.
"Now, he will answer anything you ask."
Paeng Ga-ryeon pointed a finger at the blood-soaked Cha Do-jin.
"....Thank you."
Joo So-yang expressed her gratitude. Then, she slowly began to walk toward the bloody Cha Do-jin.
"Are you alright?"
She asked if he was okay.
"....Ugh... ugh... aah.... ugh... please... kill me..."
Cha Do-jin let out a faint groan and simply begged for death. It seemed he had suffered severe psychological trauma during the torture.
"Head of Gyebang Hall, I'll ask you one last time. You'd better answer carefully. This really is your last chance."
Joo So-yang spoke with a grave expression. Her tone was heavily laced with threat.
"Who is your accomplice?"
Joo So-yang’s eyes glittered as she asked. She wanted to know who was behind him.
"....The... Cheon... mu Alliance Leader...."
He whispered in a voice like a crawling ant.
"What did you say?"
She asked again, thinking she might have misheard.
"My accomplice is... the Cheonmu Alliance Leader... Lee Jae-won.... Everything that has happened so far... was done with his tacit approval!"
Cha Do-jin raised his voice and screamed. His shout echoed through the room.
Lee Jae-won!?
Hearing those words, both women wore expressions of utter shock. They had never imagined that he would be involved.