Chapter 120
Chapter 120
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 120
Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village
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Near the entrance to the Great Thunder Prison, around ten elite experts stood guard, as if specially selected for the task. This was a desolate, rugged wasteland, yet the presence of so many personnel made it clear the prison was nearby. They wore black garb to conceal their identities, but they were surely Embroidered Uniform Guards. No other elite force came to mind for defending a key site like the Great Thunder Prison.
Lee Gwang and Jin So-cheong were the first to move. They took angles that allowed a stealthy approach, then struck like lightning almost simultaneously.
Slash!
With no intent to take hostages, they mercilessly sent six heads flying into the air. The moment Lee Gwang and Jin So-cheong sprang into action, I moved alongside Geuk Ho. Soon, the rest were dealt with amid a sea of blood, leaving only the most skilled among them—a Peak Expert—staggering as he raised his sword.
"Urk..."
He was the last guard. Having taken a direct hit from Lee Gwang's Thunder God Fist, blood trickled from his mouth. Lee Gwang spoke dryly.
"Don't do anything foolish. We're sparing you for now because your skills are too valuable to waste."
Lee Gwang already had every one of his movements locked within his range. No matter how swiftly he acted, signaling for help without Lee Gwang noticing was impossible. At Lee Gwang's words, the Peak Expert gave a bitter smile.
"Heh. You're just planning to torture me for information, right?"
"That might be it, but not today."
Lee Gwang swung his spear once with a whoosh, then continued.
"You're probably a Chiliarch, given your level."
"......"
"With your skills, you'd be treated as a sect leader of a minor faction or a honored guest in a major one if you roamed the martial world. So why is someone like you wasting away namelessly in a place like this? Throwing your entire life away? Haven't you ever found this situation strange?"
It wasn't like Lee Gwang at all. His lament carried raw emotion. Considering his usual temperament—normally he'd just shut them up and kill or torture them—this was unusual.
Perhaps the Chiliarch's prowess as a Peak Expert was far beyond what a mere gatekeeper should possess, stirring a sudden pang of pity. It was a sentiment only warriors could share. Sensing it, the Embroidered Uniform Guard Chiliarch fell silent for a moment before speaking.
"Senior Lee Gwang. Are you truly asking because you don't know? We are the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Emperor's hunting dogs. Loyalty is all our lives amount to—safeguarding the imperial family and the nation's prosperity is our sole duty. Haven't you served as our senior for decades?"
"I know. But there are other paths."
"Your words lack conviction, Senior Lee Gwang."
The Chiliarch let out a hollow laugh, then raised his sword to his heart. With sorrowful eyes, he said,
"We may be enemies, but many in the Embroidered Uniform Guard respect you, Senior Lee Gwang. Quite a few joined because of their admiration for you. I'm one of them—I was in awe of the Azure Dragon's divine might."
"......"
"Long live His Imperial Majesty."
Stab.
The Chiliarch drove the sword into his own heart, taking his life. In truth, Lee Gwang had allowed it. Rather than torture, he'd granted the man an honorable death. Lee Gwang gazed down at the body for a moment.
"......"
His expression was rigidly set, his thoughts unreadable.
Rumble...
Activating the hidden mechanism in the rock as Mang Ryang had instructed opened the trapdoor entrance. A pitch-black cave mouth yawned open, revealing the gateway to the infamous Great Thunder Prison. Before entering, Lee Gwang issued orders.
"The positions of the Life Gate and Death Gate shift constantly every half quarter-hour. Memorizing and passing through them is impossible. We must reach the side path as quickly as possible."
The side path!
It was a route used only for special occasions when prisoners needed to be extracted. Per Mang Ryang, taking it bypassed the prison's Qimen formations entirely, leading straight to the target cells. We'd already memorized the route from the map in detail.
Geuk Ho asked worriedly,
"What if we fail to reach the side path and someone gets caught in the formation?"
"We abandon them. No one in history has ever navigated the Great Thunder Prison's arrays."
Lee Gwang looked at the three of us sternly.
"Remember this. Whether it's me or So-cheong, don't turn back or waste effort on stragglers! We lack the ability or spare time to rescue them."
"Understood."
"Let's go."
As we entered the Great Thunder Prison, a dark tunnel stretched on for a while before light began to grow brighter. Then a massive cavern appeared, carved out of the mountain's interior, riddled with tunnels like an ant colony. Bridges and platforms led toward them, making it seem deceptively simple at first glance.
Whooo...
But as Mang Ryang had said, every step from here was a choice. Touching even one mechanism could rearrange the entire structure. Unless one was a genius of the world, no one could read the breath of the Life and Death Gates to find a way through. We all tensed, eyes blazing as we scanned for the single side path's starting point.
Moments later, Jin So-cheong spoke.
"Here."
He pointed to a small cave about a zhang below, hidden in the shadows. Concealed by two rocks in the darkness, it was impossible to spot without knowing to look. It matched Mang Ryang's directions perfectly, so Lee Gwang warned once more.
"Listen well. Stick right behind me and follow exactly. Even a slight deviation sideways means death."
With Lee Gwang in the lead, the rescue team advanced in sync with footwork techniques. We focused all our senses on the breathing and steps of the person ahead, never letting the gap exceed an arm's length. Lee Gwang proceeded according to the map.
Once we were certain we'd entered the side path, he ordered us to concentrate solely on the person in front.
About the time it takes to eat a meal passed.
We'd covered considerable ground, descending to a lower level. The darkness deepened further, and a chilling yin energy seeped in. Geuk Ho, walking ahead of me, grumbled.
"Better a brothel than this. What kind of yin energy is this vicious?"
"Quiet, Geuk Ho. Focus your mind."
"Ah, yes... sorry."
Geuk Ho grumbled, but all four of us felt it. We'd taken the side path, so we weren't in the Qimen array—it was safe, for sure. Yet the deeper we went, the more ferocious yin and evil qi poured out. No matter how fearsome the prison, what reason was there for such an aura?
Step, step.
Soon, moisture slicked the ground beneath our feet, and moss clung to the cave walls. The air itself smelled different. The light grew brighter, and moments later, a cavern lined with numerous torches burst into view.
We'd arrived.
This seemed to be where the prisoners were held. Iron-barred cells lined both sides imposingly. The inmates inside weren't visible, but there was no doubt this was the prisoner corridor. Lee Gwang said quietly,
"Good. Split into pairs and search for General Hwang Yeon."
"Yes."
All four of us carried portraits of General Hwang Yeon. He might be haggard from imprisonment, but human features don't change drastically—we'd surely find him with a thorough search.
We began scouring the cells, but something felt off.
'What is this...?'
With every step, the eerie energy intensified. Here and there, we saw humans huddled in cell corners.
"We're here to rescue you! Look this way."
"......"
"Look, I said!"
I tried calling to each one, but they gave no response.
"Damn it."
Cursing, I channeled qi into my sword and slashed down like lightning, severing the iron bars. None of the Embroidered Uniform Guards at the entrance had keys, so it was unavoidable. Apparently, only those who occasionally entered the Great Thunder Prison carried them.
It was when I cut the bars and dragged out the huddled prisoner.
"......!!"
I—and Geuk Ho beside me—were stunned. The prisoner's face, huddled in the corner, had become a monstrous, inhuman aberration. Human-like ears remained, but where eyes, nose, and mouth should be was an octopus-like visage, with two or three tentacles writhing as if alive.
Geuk Ho fell on his rear in shock.
"Wh-what the hell is that?!"
"...This is..."
I was certain this was a human forcibly transformed into a non-human. If it progressed further, it'd resemble the shaman from my first life I'd fought. Unpleasant memories surfaced, but I dragged him out and sat him in the corridor.
The prisoner made occasional guttural "kuu" sounds, emitting incomprehensible noises, sitting blankly like a plant devoid of reason. Clearly, all those huddled in corners were like this, so I told Geuk Ho,
"Senior Brother. Let's cut all the bars. Better to pull them out first and figure it out."
"Urgh... I don't have your level of qi. You think slicing wrought iron is easy?"
"If you can, just do it."
"Tch."
Clang!
Together with Geuk Ho, I extracted all six prisoners from their cells and lined them in the corridor. Geuk Ho struggled with his spear on the wrought iron, needing three or four strikes to cut through. Cutting such adamant metal in one blow was unnatural, after all.
The six prisoners sat quietly like plants, each bearing an aberrant form. The degree of mutation varied—some had only the upper face changed, others their entire neck and arms transformed.
Geuk Ho stared at them with eyes ready to retch and said,
"This is insane. Better corpses or skeleton piles."
"There are more cells deeper in. Let's check."
"Yeah."
We ventured further into the dim corridor. Humans who seemed clearly mortal scurried away with rustling sounds upon hearing our footsteps.
"Uwaaaah!!"
"Spare me!!"
Strangely, instead of begging rescue, they pleaded for mercy in terror. Geuk Ho stepped forward and shouted,
"Calm down! We're here to save you."
"R-really?"
"Yes. So tell us who you are."
There were three human prisoners here. One woman, two men. They cried out hastily.
"I'm Capital Envoy Jo Choong-myeong!"
"I'm the Blood Thunder Sword Guest Bu Jong-hwan!"
Jo Choong-myeong was apparently a high official, a third-rank capital envoy. The one called Bu Jong-hwan beside him seemed a fiend faction expert.
'Hmm.'
I approached the adjacent cell to check the woman.
She was a beautiful woman in her twenties, with a sharp nose and distinct features. But it rang hollow—her body reeked of semen, and she sat slumped with dead, blackened eyes. Her clothes were nearly torn, bearing marks of brutal abuse. Even with her privates exposed to me, she showed no reaction to our arrival.
'Gang-raped.'
As I looked at her, Blood Thunder Sword Guest Bu Jong-hwan said,
"She's the Emei Sect's Wise Flower Divine Maiden."
"Why is a martial world's heroine in such a state?"
"The Wise Flower Divine Maiden arrived most recently among us. Eight days ago, I think... She endured days of torment from the Embroidered Uniform Guards upon arrival. After the Embroidered Uniform Guard Chief had his fun, he dragged her off with his men."
"......"
Her mind seemed shattered. Geuk Ho, seeing her state, was furious. He clenched his fists, grinding his teeth.
"Damn emperor loyalists! Is this how humans treat women?"
Clang!
Geuk Ho immediately sliced her bars and pulled her out. The Wise Flower Divine Maiden showed no response even as he carried her. Utterly broken. Geuk Ho looked at her pityingly and said,
"Hey. We're definitely taking the Wise Flower Divine Maiden."
"Don't tell me—tell Master."
"Tch."
As Geuk Ho smacked his lips, I asked Capital Envoy Jo Choong-myeong and Blood Thunder Sword Guest Bu Jong-hwan,
"What crimes did you commit to end up here? The Great Thunder Prison..."
Jo Choong-myeong shouted vehemently.
"No!! I never heard I'd be brought here."
"What?"
"The Embroidered Uniform Guards suddenly searched my home and confined my clan. They said I was under suspicion and needed temporary investigation, then took me somewhere. I woke up here."
I turned to Blood Thunder Sword Guest Bu Jong-hwan, who pleaded desperately.
"I... I committed no crime. A month ago, I was strolling near Luoyang out of curiosity when I saw strange terrain and came here. The Embroidered Uniform Guards attacked suddenly, and I ended up imprisoned."
"......"
After a moment's thought, I asked,
"How long have you been locked up?"
"Not sure, but a bit over ten days."
"I came in much the same way."
They hadn't been here long. I went back to the gathered mutants, brought one over, and showed them. Rather than shock, they just grimaced—they already knew of these aberrations.
"What happened to these?"
"Not sure... But the longer you're here, the more you're dragged off somewhere. Those who return scream in agony for a day or half. Sometimes they wander the corridors after release."
"Hm."
The body-mutated ones seemed the fate of long-term inmates. After thinking, I told Geuk Ho,
"Senior Brother, wait here a moment. I'll find Master and report."
"Yeah. Go."
I used lightness skill to quickly find Lee Gwang and Jin So-cheong. The corridor wasn't long, so I located them soon. They knelt before someone, the atmosphere grave.
"Kuhk..."
Jin So-cheong wept hot tears unlike ever before, and Lee Gwang was no different. He clutched an aberration, shoulders heaving silently. As I stood blankly watching, Lee Gwang said,
"We're heading back. Mission failed."
"Yes? What do you—"
"General Hwang Yeon is gone..."
"......!!"
As Lee Gwang rose, I examined the aberration. Unlike others, only its body was mutated, constantly squirming—yet its face remained blankly that of a human elder.
I knew instinctively.
'General Hwang Yeon.'
I pondered where things went wrong. Recalling the "mutation period," one conclusion emerged.
'...We came too late.'
We should have arrived at least a month earlier.
Dumbfounded, I quickly reported the findings from the other side. Lee Gwang listened silently, then replied,
"Then let's rescue the survivors and withdraw."
"Understood. The mutants..."
"One under each arm. Maybe they can be restored."
Thus, with the Hwang Yeon rescue a failure, we retraced the side path out of the Great Thunder Prison. Outside, Mang Ryang and the Half-Heaven Alliance crew waited, having cleared the Embroidered Uniform Guard bodies and prepared horses.
Mang Ryang glanced between the aberrations and Lee Gwang, then said,
"Failed, huh."
"No excuses."
"How could it be your fault, Brother Lee Gwang? The timing was off..."
"What now?"
Lee Gwang asking others' opinions first showed the general's mutation had shaken him deeply, clouding his judgment. Considering that, Mang Ryang paused before speaking calmly.
"Back to base first. If we can reverse the mutants, options may open."
"......"
But everyone present knew, unspoken: it was near impossible.
Then Miho's shikigami whispered to me secretly.
[That place earlier was suspicious. I sensed terrifying demonic power.]
I'd kept Miho's shikigami for emergencies, for communication. Miho could check my status and exchange thoughts remotely. I sent my will to it.
[Miho. Why didn't you say so then?]
[You lot are pure martial artists with no spell resistance. Whatever lurks in that thunder prison's depths is potent demonic power—fighting unprepared is death even for the strongest warrior. Potent sorcery is terrifying.]
[......]
[The plan was flawed from the start. Baek Woong, be ready to flee anytime.]
Hearing Miho, I sensed it.
Something's gone wrong this life.
No—the first button was off.