Chapter 47
Chapter 47
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Subduing Demon Hall
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I and Hyeoncheon Doin roughly stopped the bleeding on Ryu Cheon-ho's body and infused him with internal energy to stabilize his pulse. Then we headed to Mangnyang. He was in the sixth-floor hall, breathing raggedly with a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth, sweat pouring down profusely. Clearly exhausted both physically and mentally, I asked him worriedly.
"Are you alright?"
"Hoo... hoo, I'm fine. For the price of using the treasure, this is a bargain..."
Cough!
Mangnyang spat out a mouthful of blood and shook his head. Regaining his composure, he said.
"I'll handle the cleanup."
Whoosh!
As soon as he finished speaking, flames erupted from the ground below, beginning to scorch the scattered corpses of the Brocade Guards and monsters with a sizzling sound. The intense heat carbonized their bodies in no time. They turned brittle enough to crumble at a touch, leaving scarcely any trace of life.
I leaped down quickly and used my internal energy to whip up a wind, sweeping all the remains into an unseen back alley. The site was now so clean it was hard to believe a massacre had occurred. A little more tidying, and it would be impossible for pursuers to find any clues.
'Though killing is forbidden, the dead are an exception, I suppose.'
I felt I'd made the right call bringing Mangnyang along. Without him, we couldn't have planned this operation, we'd have been stuck fighting two against eleven, and even diverting attention or disposing of the Brocade Guard bodies would have been tough. Patting the pale-faced Mangnyang on the back, I said.
"You're the best strategist."
Without Mangnyang, how many times would I have died solving this? At least three or four, fumbling through trial and error. Considering the mental drain, he was as good as a benefactor.
"Kekeke... Not bad."
Mangnyang chuckled and said.
"Let's go. There's much to hear from him."
We took Ryu Cheon-ho and headed to the secret passage exit outside the village. Amid the chaos of fleeing people, we draped rags over him and posed as refugees, slipping past eyes without issue. Soon, we dragged him inside a building and tossed him down.
Ryu Cheon-ho had passed out earlier when one arm and one leg were severed. I considered waking him right away, but with Mangnyang in poor shape, I prioritized him. I said to Hyeoncheon Doin.
"Could you perform true energy healing on Mangnyang? His qi is off."
"Of course. Come this way for a moment."
Hyeoncheon Doin led Mangnyang into a small room. With Wudang Sect's true energy healing, he'd recover soon enough. No way Hyeoncheon Doin would harm him now, so I entrusted him without worry.
Hummm.
I then infused qi into the sprawled Ryu Cheon-ho. Terrifying power slithered into his eight extraordinary meridians, and he awoke with a face like his whole body was pierced by needles.
"...Kuaaak!!"
"Get a grip. I have much to hear from you."
"Hmph... Madman!"
Realizing he was done for, Ryu Cheon-ho bit his tongue to avoid torture. No hesitation—clearly well-trained. But I watched leisurely as his jaw muscles failed to move, leaving him gurgling.
"......?!"
"I sealed your muscle movement to prevent suicide. If you wanted to die, you should have when you were alone earlier."
Hyeoncheon Doin surpassed me in human body manipulation and acupoint suppression. With him blocking suicide, biting his tongue was impossible. I gazed coldly at Ryu Cheon-ho and said.
"You've trained against torture, I assume?"
"......"
"I don't know many torture methods, so I'll use my specialty."
Swish.
I extended my hand and pressed a finger to his philtrum. Then I forcefully infused qi. Confirming it permeated and adhered, I muttered.
"This is Qian."
"......?"
"Commencing Eight Trigrams Seal."
He looked clueless. Understandably—the Eight Trigrams Seal, transmitted alongside Six Harmonies Exhausting Kill in the Thunder God Style, was a secret technique focused solely on sealing and tormenting foes. Thunder God Style practitioners could extract most info without crude torture.
Next, I pressed his throat.
"This is Dui."
Crackle.
"Huh... ugh!!"
He convulsed like electrocuted. After the philtrum, qi into the lung area hyperactivated his nerves—heightening pain sensitivity. Smirking at his puzzled eyes, I said.
"Qian deadens your head, Dui controls your lungs. Li, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Gen, Kun follow, sealing the eight parts in sequence. Pain will intensify, time perception slow."
Snap!
Not even a hard flick—just a light finger snap to his forehead.
"Kuaaaak!!"
Yet Ryu Cheon-ho writhed as if sawn into. Likely a stinging as if skin peeled strand by strand. Grinning, I told him.
"Only two trigrams in, and it's still weak. Let's continue."
The Eight Trigrams Seal imposed internal energy restraints on four body parts—head, arms, legs, torso—and four organs—brain, heart, lungs, genitals—totaling eight. As trigrams progressed, pain maximized, time sense chaotic. Far more effective than crude physical torture, eventually shattering will and soul.
But it consumed vast internal energy. Four trigrams alone needed over eighty years' worth, exponentially more per trigram. Never used on a human before, unsure my limit, but even now, completing all eight wasn't guaranteed.
Still, effective enough. Just two trigrams, and Ryu Cheon-ho looked to have forgotten life's joys. Normally needs a hundred lashes for that.
He'd endured till then, but crumbled as my finger touched over his heart.
"This is Li."
Tears streaming, he cried.
"W-Wait! Just a moment!"
"What?"
"What do you want to know? What must I say to live?"
His attitude flipped; he thrashed. Trigram sensory overload too intense for his will. Squatting, I gazed coldly.
"Live for what? You've lost an arm and leg. Can't even be a warrior—barely a commoner. Still want to survive?"
"Ugh... Yes. Please spare me. I'll tell everything I know."
"......"
"Please..."
Tears and snot mixing as he writhed pitifully. Most would waver. But I felt no pity.
His agony overlapped village folk maddened in slaughter. Thousands suffered. No sympathy for the mastermind begging.
"I just followed orders! Please... spare me!"
"Orders... You mean the Brocade Guard Chief Commander?"
"Y-Yes."
"Higher up?"
"Don't know. Grunts like me just hear from above. Vice Commander issues direct orders."
Brocade Guards were impressive. A peak expert who could cross blades with a Wudang elder called himself a grunt. Vice or Chief Commanders might be world's apex.
Pondering, I asked.
"Family?"
"...Yes."
"Where?"
"......"
He hesitated. Promised everything, but family safety stalled him. I activated Li's direction, heightening senses. He flailed, screaming.
"Uwaaaak! Aaa, aaaaaak!!"
I couldn't feel his pain as caster. But eyes half-rolled, limbs trembling like aspen—beyond any torture master's work. I loosened the seal slightly and asked.
"Speak."
"Huh... hick... Hogyang..."
"Shaanxi Province. Not far."
Arms crossed, I asked.
"If your family in Hogyang were mission targets, what then?"
"I-I'd... relocate them first."
"And Hogyang's other folk?"
"......"
"Just collateral?"
As I raised my hand like to strike, he panicked.
"N-No choice! How defy orders?! Brocade Guards demand absolute obedience!"
"Convenient excuse. 'Orders' ends it. Even as thousands die mad."
He spoke bitterly—likely sincere.
"Ugh... Whoever you are, foolish. Brocade Guard might exceeds imagination. Even Nine Great Sects' protection won't save you."
"I know. Ten squads, you're squad leader Cheon-ho."
"......!!"
Eyes bulging. I'd named their structure and secrets. Calmly, I said.
"No surprise. You'll spill all: organization, secrets, bases, targets, officers' arts."
Told him deliberately—to warn I'd detect lies.
"S-Say it, and spare me?"
"Of course."
Eyes darting desperately, he spilled. I listened calmly, noting ties to other groups intriguing.
I probed more. After about an incense stick, I asked.
"So this was the 'first attempt'?"
"Far as I know..."
Relief. Per him, shaman and Guards massacring together was new. No prior villages sacrificed. We'd crushed the plot, stunting the evil's growth.
Glancing at Mangnyang, he seemed unsurprised. By my persuasion, he'd suspected this.
"Then when did the shaman decipher the Nameless Disciple Book?"
"About a year ago... Then planning began, Guards got special training."
One year ago.
Repeating, I said.
"You could brainwash with special incantations—how'd you manage?"
"What..."
"......"
Crackle.
"Kuaaaak!! A-Alright! We ten Cheon-ho learned brainwashing incantations from the shaman!"
As expected. No orthodox demonic trick—otherworldly evil. Likely taught to controllers like squad leaders for recruiting.
"How learned? He can't speak human."
"No words, but conveys mind-speech. And to Vice/Chief Commanders, higher sorcery."
"Higher sorcery? Incantations too?"
"Don't know. But after, they grew vastly stronger."
"Stronger? How much?"
Hesitant, he said.
"Brocade Guard and East Depot heads were equals—both transcendent realm. But year ago, shifted. Chief Commander overwhelmingly crushed East Depot Admiral. Now East Depot aids with intel."
"......!!"
Unexpected; I groaned.
Their tops matched sect leaders. But 'overwhelmingly' meant Chief transcended transcendent. Few I knew matched—like Triple Excellence Lee Gwang.
To eradicate Guards, felling Chief prerequisite. Pondering, I asked Ryu.
"If I and that Taoist combined vs. Chief—what odds?"
"......"
"Answer."
Reluctantly.
"You're mighty—rare upper peak experts. But even together, can't win. His power transcends human."
"I see."
With family spilled, unlikely lie. Chief truly formidable.
"So Chief is palace's top expert?"
"Undoubtedly. Plan assumed all murim enmity; with Chief, victory assured."
"Hmm."
"Done? Release me!!"
Then.
"Not yet."
Turning, Mangnyang and Hyeoncheon Doin approached. Mangnyang's complexion improved post-healing, no more coughing.
Mangnyang pointed.
"Ask the same from start once more."
"......!!"
Despair on Ryu. Curious glance at Mangnyang; he explained.
"His eyes say 'survive this, free.' Not all lies, but mixed falsehoods or omissions for cover. Re-ask till truth."
"But might kill him."
"You can adjust. I'll watch."
Mangnyang discerned truth. Glancing at Hyeoncheon Doin, he averted eyes.
"I know this for murim justice."
Relieved. Uncomfortable if detached Taoist condoned demonic punishment and torture. But he grasped scale, sought info to shield self/disciples. Pragmatic when needed.
"Fine. I'll adjust to not kill."
Finger to seal again, Ryu shrieked hysterically.
"Staaahp!!!"
Interrogation ended two shichen later.
"Heh... hehe..."
Ryu drooled, urine-soaked, half-mad on chair. Sitting better than lying. Pure pain wrecked him sans physical ruin.
Mangnyang watched全程, probing lies/omissions. Confident in intel's veracity.
To Hyeoncheon Doin, Mangnyang said.
"Good disciples didn't come timely. Harder to disengage if they had."
"Hmm, what should I do?"
"Return to Taejeong Hall now, greet them. Excuse: bandit subjugation. Backlash, but better than Guard entanglements."
"As you say."
Hyeoncheon Doin's face uneasy—he'd uncovered vast truth. Thought demonic outbreak only; not Guards aiding shaman. Now, deflect Guard scrutiny from Wudang.
He'd escape cleanly. Guard might suspect, but his stature and their shadiness meant surveillance, not confrontation.
To me, Hyeoncheon Doin said.
"And you?"
"What?"
"Guard squad annihilated, shaman self-destructed. Still fight them?"
Casual concern.
I shook head casually.
"No intent. Too risky henceforth. I'll erase traces, vanish."
"I see."
"We'll clean up. Do what you must, quickly."
"Understood."
Flash!
Hyeoncheon Doin vanished. Confirmed gone, Mangnyang said.
"Lie. You won't stop here."
"......"
Slash!
Wordless handblade severed Ryu's neck. Head slid off bloodlessly. Never planned sparing. Wiping blood on cloth, I said.
"Obviously. Momentum like fine steed and tiger—smash Guards to close doors decade. Cripple enforcement; emperor's will futile."
Safer that way. Half-hearted flight lets them grow—like the monster. Palace gains advantages ongoing. I'd preemptively crush, erase pursuit thought.
Also, ideal timing amid their confusion. One squad gone, shaman dead—Guards stalled. Gather intel, counter in gap.
"Why not hide?"
"Not choice. Traces not fully gone—just time. Eventually, they'll hunt."
Mangnyang smiled wryly.
"Battle-honed judgment. You're right."
"And you?"
"Follow Baek Woong, naturally. Same boat."
Eyes gleaming, he said.
"Strike while iron hot. If resolved, way to crush Guards swiftly."
"What?"
His words set our course.
"Seek my teacher in Luoyang."
True Mangnyang Elder, his master!
Central Plains' top sorcerer—even Wudang elders revere. We'd seek his aid.
============================ Author's Note ============================
Made some minor edits.