Chapter 234
Chapter 234
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 234
Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm
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The Sword Demon brought Tuma to his base, the Shadowless Sect. After tying him up tight and throwing him into a secret chamber, the Sword Demon summoned me.
"Baek Woong. I need your torture techniques."
"You mean the Eight Trigrams Seal?"
The Sword Demon nodded.
"The Eight Trigrams Seal and the Six Harmonies Exhausting Kill. I know plenty of torture methods myself, but nothing surpasses those two. The Thunder God Style's techniques are truly fearsome."
I thought for a moment. Then I said,
"Tuma's stamina is too low right now. If we jump into it rashly, he'll die before spilling any information."
Torture isn't something you rush into. Especially the Eight Trigrams Seal and Six Harmonies Exhausting Kill, which inflict the worst pain a human can endure—they carry a high risk of shock death. The Sword Demon, looking somewhat fatigued, said,
"You're right. I'm pretty worn out myself and need some rest, so let's start the torture in two hours. Heal him up until then."
"Understood."
It was a contradictory task, but the Sword Demon wanted Tuma healed. He was the enemy who'd killed his daughter, but the information Tuma held was priceless. Losing him to a mistake would be a huge blow. For me too, chances to capture Tuma alive weren't all that common across my past lives, so I decided to proceed with caution.
Creak.
"Is that Protector Baek?"
"By the sect leader's order, I'm here to treat the prisoner."
"Yes, sir!"
I passed the Shadowless Sect guards and entered the secret chamber where Tuma was held. Lighting the oil lamp revealed Tuma's gruesome form, limbs severed, sprawled on the floor. I stared at him for a long while, lamp in hand.
Then something astonishing happened.
Squelch...
"......!!"
Something writhed and moved. Looking closely, black tentacles—or perhaps liquid?—were emerging from the severed stumps of his shoulders and legs. I found the sight hideous, but I could also tell it was slowly regenerating Tuma's body.
I approached and checked his pupils' movement, confirming he was unconscious.
'This is too much for me alone.'
My medical skills weren't up to it. Without delay, I left the chamber and hurried to Physician Gang Jeon-gil's quarters.
"Physician Gang, come with me."
Kang Jeon-gil, who'd been caught off guard by my sudden visit, looked up at me with his sunken eyes.
Henan's foremost physician, Gang Jeon-gil!
One of the world's five great physicians, he matched Huasomyeong in skill. Due to the White Lotus Cult's past atrocities, he'd found it hard to operate in the martial world and had secretly taken refuge in the Shadowless Sect. Of course, I'd known him for quite some time.
"Protector Baek. What's going on?"
"Something bizarre I can't judge on my own."
"Hmm...? Let's go take a look."
Gang Jeon-gil, flustered but grabbing his medical tools, followed me. When I brought him to the chamber and showed him Tuma, he spotted the black liquid tentacles too. He cried out in shock.
"Wh-what is this?!"
Squelch...
"As you see, the sect leader severed his limbs, but they're regenerating on their own."
"Urgh...!! I've never seen or even heard of anything like this."
If Gang Jeon-gil declared it so, this was undoubtedly one of the world's rarest phenomena. He stared at the tentacles with a mix of fear and curiosity, then handed me a pair of gloves.
"Protector Baek, put these on and collect a sample of that tentacle. I need to analyze it."
"Understood."
I drew my sword and sliced a tentacle into a bowl. It seemed definitely material, dripping slime as it fell in. The problem was, even severed, it wriggled like it was alive, giving anyone who saw it chills. Once I'd fully sealed it in a box and handed it to Gang Jeon-gil, he took it and asked,
"What exactly happened?"
I explained in detail that the captive was Tuma of the Eight Demonic Lords, how he'd transformed into a dragon human to fight the Sword Demon and lost. After hearing me out calmly, Gang Jeon-gil pondered and said,
"I can't say for sure, but... it seems like a separate lifeform parasitizing him."
"Parasitizing?"
"Ancient medical texts from ages past mention a treatment where special organisms were implanted into the body. This tentacle might be something like that... but it's so unique, I haven't a clue. Ngh..."
Gang Jeon-gil scratched his head in frustration. After much thought, he said,
"I'll check my medical texts for any references first."
"Thank you. We need to restore this guy—how should I proceed?"
Gang Jeon-gil eyed Tuma steadily, then said,
"It's dangerous, so no more invasive surgery. You could endanger yourself. Better to feed him decoctions and use energy infusion for healing."
"Thank you."
Following Gang Jeon-gil's instructions, I brewed and fed him medicine, then channeled qi into him. Thanks to the external nourishment, the tentacles visibly worked harder to restore his body.
Squelch.
In just one hour, Tuma's knee cartilage had already regenerated. Watching the speed, I let out a groan.
"At this rate, he'll be fully recovered in a day."
It was terrifying.
A man with all four limbs severed, regenerating them in a single day!
The tentacles had an incredible healing effect, despite their grotesque appearance. Regrowing missing limbs was beyond any physician. Given they were parasites, it seemed like an instinct to keep the host alive.
Around then, Tuma began regaining consciousness. Spotting me, he said,
"Urgh... kill me. I have nothing to say..."
"Tuma. What are those tentacles?"
Tuma glanced at the mass healing his body. Then he smirked.
"Heh heh... God's blessing."
This was the Shadowless Sect, and in one hour, the murderously intent Sword Demon would come for interrogation. He had to know that, yet he spoke so boldly in this death trap. Tuma was no ordinary man—that's why he could lead a faction.
But I sensed his words weren't mere mockery; they held deeper meaning. There might be a clue in what he'd said unconsciously.
'God's blessing...? If it's blessed by the lizardfolk's god...'
I suddenly recalled the grotesque forms of the lizardmen in the Great Thunder Prison. I'd thought it a curse, but Monk Mangnyang had called it the fierce god's blessing.
What humans saw as a curse could be a blessing to lizardfolk. Taking that as premise, I expanded my thinking and applied it to Tuma's situation. After pondering deeply, I blurted out,
"Tuma, aren't you ashamed? The power you rely on isn't human—it's divine. For a martial artist to depend on something other than his own strength."
I'd said it lightly to provoke him. But unexpectedly effective—Tuma lost his composure and shot back,
"Shut up. So what? Humans are meant to borrow divine power anyway."
"Borrow divine power?"
I feigned puzzlement. Thinking I knew nothing of lizardfolk, Tuma sneered on,
"Kuhahaha... Those ignorant of gods can never defeat their followers. Torture and kill me—it won't change your doom."
"Hmm, maybe."
"......?"
My ready agreement left Tuma bewildered.
But I thought he had a point. Hadn't I myself been tossed around by the [Ancient Ruler] or Great Thunder Immortal? Having directly experienced myth-level beings like Yeo Dongbin, Xiang Yu, or the Moon Rabbit, I had to admit divine power was absolute.
Personal martial prowess mattered, of course.
But knowledge of gods might matter more.
Sorting my thoughts, I said,
"Tuma, you'd better answer honestly."
"......"
"Think about what you did to Lady Seomun-hye. Now it's just whether you die easily or in agony."
Speaking calmly, I saw a glint in Tuma's eyes.
"Who are you? Just a Shadowless Sect grunt, yet you talk like you're above it all."
Tuma was sharp. Wondering if it showed in my words, I nodded.
"You could say that. As I said, I have no personal grudge against you."
"......"
Given the choice, Tuma seemed to mull it over. Gauging me, he said,
"You'll really let me die easy?"
"I'll judge by your sincerity."
"...Fine."
Rather than pointless bravado upholding Wind God Faction's honor, Tuma wanted an easy death. Losing to the Sword Demon had already shattered his warrior's spirit. And as a faction man, he knew how vicious and cruel torture could be.
Judging I'd coaxed him enough, I began questioning.
"That ability to turn into a dragon—what is it?"
"The power to become the legendary dragon human."
"I want to know how you acquired it."
"Acquired... more like received a procedure."
"Procedure?"
Tuma answered,
"Strange-robed sorcerers came from the imperial palace. They performed some ritual on us for three days and nights. When I awoke, I could transform into a dragon human."
"You don't remember the ritual?"
"I was fed something called Demonic Oblivion Broth and fell into a coma—total blackout."
As expected, the Wind God Faction was in bed with the imperial palace. Likely, the Imperial Guard Commander's mention of knowing the dharma protectors stemmed from alliance with Yong Bi-cheon. This much I'd predicted, so I asked something else.
"How many in the Wind God Faction gained this power?"
"Four including me, as far as I know. The other three were from the faction too, but I don't know who."
"Did you volunteer?"
"Yes. All of us volunteers burned with desire to grow stronger."
"Did the dharma protector Yong Bi-cheon or Yong Jung-il undergo it?"
Tuma flinched at the sudden question.
"Wh-what? How do you know of Lord Yong Jung-il..."
Yong Jung-il's identity seemed top secret. No wonder—if word got out one of the Nine Great Sects' leaders was Yong Bi-cheon's son, the world would erupt. But I'd learned it naturally in past lives, so I brushed it off.
"Not important. Answer my question."
"...Neither did."
"Why?"
"......"
Tuma didn't answer, but I could guess.
A honeymoon with the potentially hostile imperial palace lacked trust. Who knew what tricks they'd pull under "procedure," so they tested it on expendable Wind God underlings. Yong Bi-cheon and Yong Jung-il were strong enough without it—no need.
I stared him down.
"Impressive power, but no side effects? Like shortened lifespan?"
"Those who undergo it eventually dragonize fully, lose control, and rampage. It worsens to full berserk. That's all I know."
"...You sure took it willingly."
"......"
True to his nickname, Tuma was a battle maniac who'd bet everything on strength. Abandoning humanity for power? No big deal. I could understand, if not fully.
'The real issue is the imperial palace. If they're sharing this with the Wind God Faction, they might have loads of dragon human soldiers...'
The Sword Demon had subdued dragon human Tuma with his intent severing technique, but dragon human abilities weren't to be underestimated. Physical prowess far surpassed humans, and burst combat could exceed peak experts. Dozens charging? No survival.
"This was side stuff. Now the real questions—answer properly."
For about an hour, I interrogated Tuma, extracting info. Satisfied, I fetched the resting Sword Demon. Hearing I'd gotten it all, he looked pleased.
Looking coldly down at Tuma, the Sword Demon said,
"Farewell."
"Urgh..."
Swoosh...
The Sword Demon's sword lifted slightly. One swing, and Tuma would be shredded into hundreds. But I interjected right then.
"Wait."
"Protector Baek. Why?"
For a moment, I wondered if I was being too cruel. Shaking it off, I said,
"We need to verify."
"Verify?"
I walked to Tuma. Then applied the Eight Trigrams Seal.
"Graaaaaagh!!!"
Tuma screamed instantly. Overwhelmed by horrific pain, he tried rolling, but I'd sealed his whole body's acupoints—he couldn't. Watching, the Sword Demon got it.
"I see! Even a stone bridge needs testing before crossing."
"Yes."
I repeated the agonizing torture, re-interrogating. Unlike normal warriors, Tuma's regeneration let me crank up the Eight Trigrams Seal's intensity safely.
"Grrraa... you... bastard..."
Plus, the tentacles strained desperately to keep him alive—he couldn't die even if he wanted.
'Sorry, but each bit of info is life-or-death.'
Bad info could get the Sword Demon killed or Seomun-hye sold into slavery. Had to use harsh methods. Torturers steel their hearts for that.
Vowing in my next life to go easier on Tuma, I pressed on ruthlessly. All I could do was confirm info as fast as possible.
Once done, I finally trusted the intel. As expected, to screw us before dying, Tuma had lied about thirty percent.
"Now, truly farewell."
Splat, crunch.
We pulverized Tuma into meat chunks, then left the chamber.
The Sword Demon said to me,
"Now I get what the Twelve Rulers are like. Your contribution was huge."
"Thank you."
Gravely, the Sword Demon said,
"He's got no interest in human martial world. Sole aims: drive out lizardfolk, crush Death God's cult... and retrieve the demonic treasure called Spirit Commanding Moon-Cutting Blade—that's why he came to the Central Plains."
"Even offering the Black-White Lotus won't sway him much."
"No choice then. We'll sell him the Wind God Faction intel we just got from Tuma."
"Agreed."
Now we had a strategy for the Twelve Rulers.
Sell the information!
For him, that would stick better than elixirs like Black-White Lotus.
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