Chapter 44 - Punishment Cave
The entrance to a massive, profoundly deep cave, so vast that its interior lay shrouded in impenetrable darkness.
Before the guards standing watch with fearsome expressions.
Tak Horak stood there, his face blank and dazed.
"Haha, Punishment Cave, hahaha…."
It was the entrance to the Punishment Cave.
It felt like a dream.
Just a few hours ago, he'd been basking in the sweet comfort of homecoming. Rewarded with rest for carrying out his mission flawlessly in the jianghu, he'd even gotten properly drunk on liquor.
"Right. This is a dream. A nightmare. The kind you wake from drenched in cold sweat. Wash up after waking, and it'll vanish clean away like a one-night—."
"Are preparations complete?"
"It's not a dream."
Tak Horak's face twisted into a grimace at the heavy timbre of Sado Hwan's voice. This is reality.
He could see Sado Hwan approaching.
Dressed in his usual black uniform with sword at his side, a large pouch hung from his waist. He even carried a backpack slung over his shoulders—a stark contrast to Tak Horak's own spartan simplicity.
"Division Leader."
"What's wrong?"
"How can you do this to me? Punishment Cave?"
"Have you forgotten what happened in Taeryeong County?"
Tak Horak's mouth fell open in shock.
Taeryeong County. There, he'd misinterpreted Sado Hwan's intent and tried to wipe out the local sects on his own whim.
Sado Hwan had exploded in rage back then.
"I cannot take back the life I spared. However, Tak Horak—you are stripped of your vice-leader rank until we return to the cult. And you will spend one month in the Punishment Cave."
Sado Hwan declared.
"But a subordinate's failing is also the superior's failing. You're not bearing a full month's punishment alone; I've decided to share it—seven days for me."
"…Division Leader! To go that far for my sake…."
"It's only natural for a superior."
"But if you're both taking it, shouldn't it be twenty days each to make it fair?"
Sado Hwan simply stared at Tak Horak without reply.
"My apologies!"
"You're not the only one."
"Then who—Vice Division Leader Sa Wol?"
Sa Wol appeared at Sado Hwan's side. Tak Horak brightened at the sight of her. A comrade!
Sa Wol was laden with pouches just like Sado Hwan.
Sado Hwan… what are you thinking? Walking into Punishment Cave of your own accord.
Sa Wol's emotions churned with complexity.
She'd earned Sado Gwang's wrath and been sentenced to the cave—that much was fine. But Sado Hwan, out of nowhere?
With confused eyes, she watched Sado Hwan converse with Tak Horak.
"What are all those things?"
"Necessities."
"I thought no items were allowed inside the Punishment Cave."
"That's for mere mortals."
Sado Hwan strode boldly toward the cave mouth.
The Punishment Cave guards I've only heard tales of…
Tak Horak swallowed hard.
The Punishment Cave held the cult's most heinous criminals. Its guards and wardens were composed solely of the brutal, cruel, and supremely skilled.
They treat human lives like flies.
Perhaps that's why the guards' faces seemed like those of vengeful demons. Even Tak Horak, a peak first-rate expert in his own right, found it hard to meet their eyes.
Sado Hwan approached them without hesitation—
"You've arrived, Young Master."
And the guards bowed deeply to him.
"Ah."
Only then did Tak Horak remember what he'd overlooked.
All personnel connected to the Punishment Cave were from the Sado family.
"May we enter?"
"Yes. Please preserve your noble health."
"You've worked hard. See you in seven days."
Sado Hwan was swallowed by the cave's darkness. Sa Wol followed suit.
"D-Division Leader! Vice Division Leader!"
Tak Horak trailed after them, choking back tears like mustard in his throat. The cave's wind howled like screams.
"Division Leader! Vice Division Leeeader!"
Pa Cheon fell silent. As if his feet refused to move.
Not moving?
[…Just reminiscing about the old days for a moment.]
Old days?
[Around age twelve, perhaps. My brother brought me here. And showed me in vivid detail what happens to betrayers and sinners.]
What did he do?
[Pierced the traitor's acupoints, bound his limbs, and shoved him in. Probably couldn't even recover his bones—or worst case….]
Pa Cheon trailed off.
….
Dragging a twelve-year-old kid to do that—impressive. No wonder the sword turned out twisted with that kind of gaslighting.
Maybe when I volunteered for the cave, Sado Gwang accepted so readily to dredge up those memories. Assuming I was truly Sado Hwan, that is.
Unusually cooperative.
His amiable demeanor made my suspicions seem unfounded. Pa Cheon was delighted, thinking Of course brother wouldn't, but I couldn't trust it. There had to be an angle.
Fortify defenses here and emerge stronger.
Sado Gwang was a genius, but I could read him. Not for nothing was I a veteran reader of Return of the Murim Lord.
The cave's initial stretch spiraled downward in crude, carved stone steps. The center gaped open— one misstep, and you'd plummet.
Just keep descending underground like this?
Quintessentially classic. Single entrance, sheer cliffs—easy to defend.
Screee!
Now I knew why bats were called "rat" bats. Flocks screeched rat-like, flitting about whenever boredom struck.
Ledges protruded from the cliffs, where wardens in masks etched with mystic runes held torches aloft. They bowed deeply as we passed—especially when I passed. Power had its perks.
Bringing these in defies logic.
The heavy pouches on my back and waist brimmed with food and supplies. Enough for half a month easy.
No prisoner could carry this. Supplies barely trickled in here to begin with, because—
"Watch out."
At Sa Wol's warning, I hugged the cliff wall. Tak Horak plastered himself too, face pale. Then—
Plop-plop!
Something rained down the cliff face from above. A foul stench rode the wind.
Food scraps.
Rations.
The cult was merciless to sinners. They kept you alive, but don't apply modern prison logic. Only table leavings for food—no proper clothes either.
A chill ran down my spine.
Hey, you said earlier your brother shoved a sinner from up there? Where the food comes in?
[Indeed.]
Then that 'worst case'—
[Who knows.]
Pa Cheon rattled ominously.
[Now do you grasp why they call this cave hell?]
No words came. No wonder cultists dreaded it.
The three-year gap is bigger than I thought.
In Return of the Murim Lord, rations weren't literal garbage dumps. Low quality, sure, but still food-shaped.
All due to those three years.
While the protagonist was dragged around by the Murim Alliance, suffering.
The previous Heavenly Demon, Do Il Gwang, regained power and sparked rebellion.
"Previous" meant closest to Heavenly Demon. Suppressing it cost the cult dearly in manpower; the current Heavenly Demon's injuries worsened.
And—
I eyed Sa Wol's back ahead.
The trigger for Sa Wol's death later.
In the original, Sa Wol got a year here for failing to support Sado Hwan properly.
Deep inside, she met Do Il Gwang.
Recognizing her hatred, he taught her martial arts; in exchange, she aided his recovery.
Of course, it was a vicious demonic art with hidden incantations.
Her insane talent propelled her to Super Peak, but the art killed her. That was Return of the Murim Lord's canon.
And I could twist it.
Twist history, save Sa Wol, thwart Do Il Gwang's rebellion. Prevent the Heavenly Demon's injuries from worsening, gain advantage in the coming war.
Maybe even claim Do Il Gwang's unique techniques first. Sa Wol never grasped them, but I'm different.
Even if I can't use them, Pa Cheon could—so I'd learn if possible.
The cost of twisting history…
I glanced at Pa Cheon on my waist. Perhaps a harsh truth.
First things first.
I peered down. Intense darkness swallowed even shadows.
Find Do Il Gwang.
I gripped my pouch. Preparations were solid.
I stepped forward.
Drip! Drip! Plop!
Water droplets fell in irregular rhythm.
"Heh-heh, hek! Hehehe…."
A filthy-clad man dashed frantically down the passage. His crudely hewn stone bowl overflowed with food scraps.
Gulp!
He swallowed as if eyeing a feast, but shook his head wildly and charged ahead.
How far did he run?
The narrow tunnel opened into a vast cavern.
An altar stood at its heart.
Hummmm—
A bizarre hum emanated from it. The man grimaced at the unease but forced a grin.
Because of the freakish figure "embedded" in the altar.
Emaciated to the bone, the monster hung spread-eagled against the wall. Iron chains pierced hands and feet, pinning him; foot-long needles stabbed major acupoints.
Gloomy energy seeped from him through chains and needles, absorbed by the altar—which birthed the eerie noise.
The man prostrated before him.
"Hea-Heavenly Demon Domination! Ten Thousand Demons, vengeance!"
Shocking words.
The cult had one supreme: the current Heavenly Demon, reigning aloof above.
Yet this man bowed and swore to the impostor.
Blatant blasphemy, denying the divine.
The freak replied.
"…White Rat, are you?"
"Y-Yes! Su-Supreme One!"
White Rat—rat spawn of the Baek bloodline—stammered badly.
"F-Food! Th-There's a feast upstairs, it seems! M-Meat!"
"…Bring it."
The freak's voice was faint but grated like nails on stone—chilling.
White Rat crawled forward on knees, scooping slop to feed him.
Scraps that'd wrinkle noses, yet White Rat gulped saliva like delicacies. The freak devoured without qualm.
"Not enough… insufficient."
"I-I'll catch more bats!"
"White Rat…."
"Y-Yes, S-S-Supreme One!"
"A rat pup… has entered this cave."
"Rat pup… R-Rats are my specialty. N-Not bats—real rats, I'll catch!"
"No…."
The freak continued.
"I smell it… the scent of the living."
"N-New prisoner?"
"No… different for certain… noble blood, it seems…."
The freak raised his head.
"Bring him… alive."
"U-Understood!"
"Using them… I shall soar once more…."
"Hea-Heavenly Demon Supreme! Ten Thousand Demons' vengeance!"
Crimson light blazed through the freak's tangled hair.