Chapter 101: Falling into a Trap (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 101: Falling into a Trap (1)
With every step I took, a sigh escaped my lips.
I didn't know how the Ghost Pursuit Squad of the Demonic Cult League had managed to infiltrate the depths of the Nine Demons Chamber, but the fact that they were targeting me was worrying.
The Demonic Cult League and the Nine Demons Chamber were fundamentally different in nature. Even though both were considered part of the Black Path, they had avoided all contact for a long time.
The Demonic Cult League leaned closer to the Unorthodox sects, while the Nine Demons Chamber, which worshipped pure strength, tended to loathe them.
The difference was obvious just by looking at how they raised funds to maintain their power.
The Demonic Cult League generated capital by collecting "protection taxes" from the taverns and inns within their territory and by operating gambling dens. They also developed gold mines, where they worked people like slaves to extract wealth.
In contrast, the Nine Demons Chamber operated their own inns and taverns directly and drew in funds by providing secret escorts for various merchant groups.
The Nine Demons Chamber never preyed upon the common people.
Their motto was "Stronger than the Demonic Path, more Righteous than the Orthodox Path," and they maintained a culture of never touching the weak.
The fact that such a group had allowed the Ghost Pursuit Squad of the Demonic Cult League to enter suggested that they were already suffering from internal turmoil.
'Well, it makes sense, considering the Ninth Chamber Leader, Ham Jeok, suffered Qi Deviation due to poison.'
I found out later that Ham Jeok had unknowingly drunk poisoned water while in his closed-door cultivation chamber. He had attempted to circulate his energy, which led to the deviation.
I had initially thought the Ghost Pursuit Squad attacked me because I was under Ham Jeok’s command, but it seemed that wasn't quite the case.
'This isn't necessarily related to Ham Jeok. Looking at those Ghost Pursuit Squad bastards, it seems they were out for revenge for their fallen comrades.'
Even so, the fact that they could set foot in the Hell Hall meant they had some sort of secret agreement with someone inside the Nine Demons Chamber.
I shook my head.
The more I thought about it, the more muddled it became.
'It's not my problem to worry about.'
I decided to take it easy and brushed the concerns aside.
As we were heading up to the second floor of the Hell Hall, an instructor approached us.
"Welcome."
The training instructor bowed to me and Deputy Woo.
"I didn't call for you," Deputy Woo said.
The instructor replied, "Even if you didn't call, it is only right that we attend to you."
I figured they were showing us consideration because they heard we were coming to the Hell Hall.
"The Blood Wind Squad is currently undergoing their final training on the fourth floor."
"Let's go, then," Deputy Woo said, and the training instructor led the way.
I followed lazily behind Deputy Woo.
*
Bang!
The table shook as if it were about to collapse.
"Those pathetic fools! I knew they were full of hot air. Attempting a mutual destruction with Bone-Corrosion Poison?"
The warrior bowed his head before Do Geon and remained silent until his anger subsided. It was a natural reaction, as if this happened all the time.
"And? Did they take anyone down with them?"
The warrior finally spoke. "Two of the Black Spirit Ten Guards were caught in the Bone-Corrosion Poison and died."
"What about Eo Ja-seo?"
"According to the report, he is perfectly fine."
Do Geon spat out curses at the already dead Ghost Pursuit Squad members.
"Useless bastards. They couldn't even eat the meal served to them on a silver platter."
"It seems they failed because the Black Spirit Ten Guards and Galwi intervened."
"Shut up! Who asked for your opinion?"
As Do Geon barked in anger, the warrior fell silent again and lowered his head.
After taking a moment to suppress his rage, Do Geon spoke.
"Fine, then. Implement what we've prepared on our end."
"Which one should we prepare?"
Do Geon almost snapped at the question but held back. Come to think of it, they had prepared more than just one or two things.
Since Eo Ja-seo must have caught on by now, it was better to prepare the strongest option.
"Tell them to prepare the Whirling Wheel Great Calamity Demon Formation."
The warrior flinched in surprise at those words. However, he quickly replied respectfully.
"Understood!"
After the warrior left, Do Geon muttered to himself as if in a monologue.
"I don't believe you'll be able to escape the Fifth Chamber Leader Golden Eye Wheel Demon's Whirling Wheel Great Calamity Demon Formation this time. Kahahaha!"
Even now, bitter bile rose in his throat whenever he thought about his defeat by Eo Ja-seo during their duel. He felt like peeling off his own skin to escape the shame.
The fact that he had been frozen like a plaster statue and knocked unconscious by Eo Ja-seo was unacceptable. It was a duel he would remember until the day he died, and his rage toward Eo Ja-seo grew with every passing day.
That was why he had enticed Gyeong Mong, the dim-witted disciple of the Fifth Chamber Leader, to prepare the Whirling Wheel Great Calamity Demon Formation, composed of the Four Wheels Twenty-Four Guests.
A satisfied smile spread across Do Geon's face.
The Whirling Wheel was a supreme formation that even Yu Hong couldn't escape. Even Gok-yo, the disciple of the First Chamber Leader and the top genius of the Nine Demons Chamber, had failed to break through it.
The Whirling Wheel Great Calamity Demon Formation, performed by masters of the wheel, was an array that no expert could escape.
He had seen it once himself, and it wasn't just a formation—it was hell. No one could keep their wits about them when forty-eight wheels were flying at them.
Even that monster Yu Hong couldn't last long before surrendering, and Gok-yo, who was said to be stronger than Yu Hong, eventually had to retreat after coughing up blood.
Furthermore, Eo Ja-seo would have to face this formation in a confined space.
It would be even more terrifying.
Thud!
Do Geon pushed off the table and stood up.
Sitting still and waiting for Eo Ja-seo's death didn't suit his taste. He felt like his resentment would only be truly resolved if he saw Eo Ja-seo being slaughtered by the wheels with his own eyes.
"Shall I go and have a look, then?"
Do Geon hummed a tune as he headed toward the Hell Hall.
*
When we reached the third floor, an instructor suddenly ran up to us.
"Advisor Woo, the Head Instructor would like to see you for a moment."
"Me?"
Deputy Woo tilted his head, thinking there was no reason for the Head Instructor to see him since he had arrived unannounced.
However, when the instructor insisted it was urgent, Deputy Woo replied, "Wait here for a moment. I'll go meet the Head Instructor."
As if the Head Instructor's office was nearby, Deputy Woo followed the instructor up the stairs to the third floor.
I lingered around with the remaining instructor.
"I've heard of Young Hero Eo's reputation and have always wanted to meet you in person. My wish has finally come true."
What? That's a bit too much flattery. Well, my fame has been skyrocketing lately, so I suppose I'm becoming an idol for both the weak and the strong.
While I was waiting for Deputy Woo, the instructor who had taken him away returned.
"The Head Instructor would like Young Hero Eo to come as well."
"Really?"
I followed the instructor up the stairs.
"It's right here."
When the instructor pressed something on the stone wall, the thick wall slowly split open, revealing a passage.
"Please, go in. The Head Instructor is waiting."
I tilted my head at the instructor's words. Logically, did it make sense for an office to be in a stone chamber like this? This place felt more like Ham Bi-hye's training room.
Feeling suspicious, I didn't step inside.
"Is anyone there?"
As I spoke, I felt the instructor behind me flinch. These bastards. Who do they think they're dealing with?
Do I look like a pushover? Do you think I'll just walk right in?
"What kind of trick is this?"
I shouted and turned around, but the instructor suddenly swung his sword.
"Gah!"
I leaned back to dodge the blade, and the bastard kicked me, pushing me into the stone chamber.
In the midst of it, I twisted my body to regain my balance and kicked upward, striking the man's jaw.
Thwack!
The instructor stumbled back, clutching his jaw.
Just then, I saw Deputy Woo running toward me.
"Young Hero Eo, get away from there!"
Hearing Deputy Woo's voice, my sense of alarm spiked.
But in that brief moment when I was distracted by Deputy Woo, the instructor who had led me there grabbed my waist and threw himself into the stone chamber with me.
"Let go!"
Rumble!
The stone door slammed shut. I ran back and tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge.
"To open this stone door, you have to turn the dragon head at the very end of this room," the instructor said.
I scowled at his words and started walking toward the dragon head.
"However, you can only get there after you've defeated us."
Shhh!
Suddenly, people I hadn't sensed before emerged from small doors in the stone walls. There were easily over twenty of them.
I tensed up. The fact that there were twenty experts here just to catch me meant they were fully prepared.
And in their hands, they held pairs of serrated wheels.
Looking at them, one thought came to mind.
"Are you the Fifth Chamber Leader's subordinates?"
"We are the Four Wheels Twenty-Four Guests."
The killing intent they radiated was enough to make my skin crawl.
*
Outside, Deputy Woo shouted at the instructor, "Open the door!"
But the answer came from an unexpected source.
"Advisor Woo, you know as well as I do. The training rooms here can only be opened from the inside."
Deputy Woo shouted as he saw a man approaching with his hands behind his back.
"Gyeong Mong, what is the meaning of this?"
"What? What's wrong? Our Four Wheels Twenty-Four Guests are just training. It's the fault of the person who walked in there, isn't it?"
"What? The Four Wheels Twenty-Four Guests?"
This ordinary-sounding name reigned as a name of terror within the Nine Demons Chamber.
The Fifth Chamber Leader didn't have a direct martial organization under him. However, the Four Wheels Twenty-Four Guests, composed of his subordinates, were in no way inferior to the five main martial groups of the Nine Demons Chamber.
They were famous because of the Fifth Chamber Leader Golden Eye Wheel Demon's masterpiece, the Whirling Wheel Great Calamity Demon Formation.
Armed with this formation, the Four Wheels Twenty-Four Guests were practically invincible. They had never been defeated, and their formation had never been broken.
The only people who had ever survived being trapped in the Whirling Wheel Great Calamity Demon Formation were the disciples of the Chamber Leader himself.
It was the very same formation that Gok-yo, the top disciple of the First Chamber Leader, and Yu Hong, the disciple of the Second Chamber Leader, had challenged only to be humiliated and forced to retreat.
Deputy Woo clenched his fists and said, "Open the door! Otherwise, I don't know what I might do!"
Gyeong Mong flinched at Deputy Woo's momentum and stepped back.
"Are you daring to commit an act of insubordination?"
Gyeong Mong was a disciple of the Fifth Chamber Leader, while Deputy Woo was a subordinate of the Ninth Chamber Leader, so there was a gap in their social status.
"Insubordination or whatever, I don't care! Open the door! If you don't, I'll tear this whole place down!"
Gyeong Mong was inwardly startled to see the usually calm Deputy Woo so enraged.
But that was all. He held a different status than the man before him, and he had someone backing him up. Realizing he had no reason to be afraid, he barked back instead.
"You seem to hold the laws of the Nine Demons Chamber in contempt! If you want to run wild, it'll only make things easier for us!"
Deputy Woo's blood ran cold at those words.
'Us? I suspected as much, but I didn't think they would target Young Hero Eo so openly. This is my blunder. I should have protected him.'
As his blood cooled, so did his head.
"Fine! We'll see. We'll see if Young Hero Eo falls, or if your precious Four Wheels Twenty-Four Guests do."
"Are you even hearing yourself?"
Gyeong Mong burst into loud laughter as if he found it absurd.
"Then, shall we make a bet?"
Deputy Woo turned his head toward the stairs.
A man was slowly walking up. It was the Ghost Rock Dragon, Do Geon. Seeing the man approaching with a smirk, Deputy Woo suppressed the urge to slash his face.
"Junior Brother Gyeong, I heard that Young Hero Eo entered the training room of your Four Wheels Twenty-Four Guests?"
"It seems it happened by chance."
"Oh dear, how did that happen? I truly hope he makes it out alive. Well, he might end up a cripple with no arms or legs, but that's still better than dying, isn't it?"
"Of course, Senior Brother," Gyeong Mong chimed in with a laugh.
"This is a clear violation of the rules. The Hell Hall is currently being used by the Blood Wind Squad for training. How can the Fifth Chamber Leader's warriors be training here?"
Gyeong Mong smirked and said, "Oh? Is there such a rule? I didn't know. Well, we heard the Blood Wind Squad was doing their final training on the fourth floor, so we thought it would be fine to train on the third. My apologies."
Do Geon added to Gyeong Mong's words, "If it's the Eo Ja-seo who defeated me and Yu Hong, surely nothing bad will happen?"
Do Geon patted Deputy Woo's shoulder, offering a mock consolation. Deputy Woo's hand twitched, repeatedly moving toward his sword hilt before he managed to restrain himself.
"What kind of bet shall we make?" Deputy Woo asked Do Geon.
Do Geon smiled thinly and replied, "What would be good?"
Driven by spite and rage, Deputy Woo blurted out whatever came to mind.
"Wager your Galaxy Needle Poison Tube."
"What? Hmm..."
Do Geon groaned and seemed to think for a moment.
Deputy Woo thought Do Geon wouldn't be able to make a decision easily. Do Geon's Galaxy Needle Poison Tube was one of only five such hidden weapon tubes created after long years of research by the Fifth Chamber Leader, the Golden Eye Wheel Demon.
It was said to rival the Tang Clan's Heaven King Flying Needle Tube, and it was a weapon that no expert could easily survive once fired. It was something money couldn't buy.
Even Do Geon only possessed one, gifted to him by his master, so wagering it wouldn't be an easy choice.
"Then what will you wager?" Do Geon asked, avoiding a direct answer. He thought Deputy Woo might just be talking big. He didn't believe Deputy Woo had anything of equal value to the Galaxy Needle Poison Tube.
As soon as Do Geon spoke, Deputy Woo presented his sword.
"I'll wager this."
Do Geon stared at the sword.
"Do you think that sword has the same value as the Galaxy Needle Poison Tube?" Do Geon asked with a hint of suppressed anger.
To place a mere iron sword on the same level as the Galaxy Needle Poison Tube...
But Deputy Woo drew the sword.
Shring!
Gyeong Mong immediately stood beside Do Geon, on high alert.
"This sword is the Ice Soul Sword, of which only a few exist in the Ice Palace."
"What? The Ice Soul Sword?"
Do Geon was shocked.
The Ice Soul Sword was forged from Perpetual Cold Steel using the Ice Heart Divine Skill. It was the most suitable weapon for ice-based arts, and since only a few existed even in the Ice Palace, it was a priceless treasure.
"It seems the rumors of you being from the Ice Palace were true after all. I thought it was just hearsay. But I heard the Ice Soul Sword isn't something just anyone can possess. How did you come to have it?"
Deputy Woo ignored Do Geon's question and said, "This should be enough, shouldn't it?"
Deputy Woo placed the sword on a stone pedestal in the hallway.
Do Geon swallowed hard and asked, "How can I be sure that's a real Ice Soul Sword?"
Deputy Woo scowled for a moment, his pride seemingly wounded by the need to prove the sword's authenticity. But since things had come to this, he wanted to show it clearly.
His faith in Eo Ja-seo.
Clang!
The sword emitted a crisp sound as it was drawn from its scabbard.
As he channeled his Ice Heart Divine Skill, tendrils of cold air billowed from the blade. Frost began to form on the sword as if snow had settled upon it.
Normally, when the Ice Heart Divine Skill was used with a regular iron sword, cold air would flow out, but frost wouldn't form. The formation of frost was a unique characteristic of the Ice Soul Sword.
"Oh! It truly is the Ice Soul Sword!"
Do Geon marveled, staring at the sword with greedy eyes.
Deputy Woo sheathed the sword and said, "Now, you should put yours down as well."
"Ahem, shall I?"
Now excited, Do Geon placed the Galaxy Needle Poison Tube next to the Ice Soul Sword. He was already giddy at the thought that the Ice Soul Sword would be his in a few moments.
"Then, shall we wait while having a cup of tea? A cup of tea should be more than enough time, right, Junior Brother?"
Gyeong Mong replied, wagging his tail like a puppy toward Do Geon.
"Of course. If nothing else, our master's Whirling Wheel Great Calamity Demon Formation is truly terrifying."
Do Geon, truly wanting a cup of tea, said, "Bring some tea."
Hearing this, Gyeong Mong ordered a nearby instructor to prepare tea.
Deputy Woo felt a pang of regret, thinking of Eo Ja-seo fighting alone inside the stone chamber.
'But now is the time to believe in him. If he is truly as great as they say, he will have to open that stone chamber and walk out on his own.'
Deputy Woo clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.