Chapter 24
Chapter 24
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 024
Chapter Title: Moyong Clan Underground Prison (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The First Heavenly Demon learned that the man presumed to be the missing Yang Hui-gun was in the Moyong Clan's underground prison.
He immediately set about infiltrating the Moyong Clan's underground prison by any means necessary.
His method was simple.
"What? You ate everything and now you're saying you can't pay?"
He was picking a fight at a guesthouse that paid monthly protection money under the Moyong Clan's wing.
As the First Heavenly Demon, freeloading without paying felt a bit embarrassing, but he had no choice.
Infiltrating the entrance of a major clan like the Moyong Clan and reaching the underground prison was a real hassle.
The First Heavenly Demon was skilled at smashing everything from the start, but not at sneaking in or hiding his presence while avoiding direct confrontation.
"Yeah. Got a problem?"
When the First Heavenly Demon started strong-arming them, the waiter and innkeeper argued at first, but he ignored them.
Even when the Moyong Clan's forces arrived, the First Heavenly Demon remained brazen. In fact...
Thwack!
He even struck a low-level Moyong Clan warrior.
Killing him outright would have been easier; trying to keep him half-alive was annoyingly difficult.
It was pure drudgery for the First Heavenly Demon.
"Have you ever seen such a scoundrel?"
"Looks like he's got some status, but not much luck."
"This won't do. Lock him in our clan's prison and let him sober up for a few days."
In the end, the First Heavenly Demon achieved his goal.
They couldn't just let it slide—not after he'd beaten one of their own bloody, breaking his nose and fracturing his nasal bone. He was promptly handed over to the Moyong Clan's underground prison.
"You're in for a rough time."
The Moyong Clan warriors smirked as they led him to the underground prison.
Even tough thugs changed after experiencing the Seven Jails of the underground prison—a place known for its brutality and terror.
But the First Heavenly Demon didn't care about them.
'That's the warden right there.'
Pretending to be dragged weakly into the underground prison, he subtly glanced toward the warden.
Sure enough, a powerful aura emanated from him. No matter how well concealed, it couldn't fool the First Heavenly Demon's senses.
'Some big shot from the clan is in the warden's room.'
Realizing there was definitely something suspicious about this underground prison, the First Heavenly Demon inwardly cheered.
Feeling his efforts hadn't been in vain, he was convinced Yang Hui-gun was alive here.
"You dare touch one of our clan's warriors?"
"Your family might be impressive, but this is Moyong Clan territory."
"Even your mighty parents can't reach you here."
While the First Heavenly Demon was lost in thought, the guards began gathering in groups of three or five.
All prisoners in the Moyong Clan's underground prison had their acupoints sealed, preventing them from circulating internal energy.
The guards sealed acupoints to handle prisoners easily, often beating them a few times for good measure.
Especially someone like Gunryong the First Heavenly Demon, who had assaulted a Moyong Clan warrior—they'd be treated harshly.
"Seal his acupoints first."
The guards, trained in the Moyong Clan's unique acupoint-sealing technique, approached him. The moment they reached for his body...
Thud!
Something astonishing happened.
Incredibly, the guards coming to seal him collapsed simultaneously, like puppets with cut strings, fainting on the spot.
How could this be?
Wiggle, wiggle!
The First Heavenly Demon, sitting indifferently, wiggled his fingers.
"Who's sealing whom?"
The guards had collapsed before they could even register it because Gunryong the First Heavenly Demon had extended his finger first, sealing their acupoints.
In that brief instant, he unleashed finger winds with the Demonic Cult's acupoint-sealing technique—superior by at least ten levels to the Moyong Clan's—blocking their energy flow and pressing their blood vessels to plunge them into deep sleep.
Whoosh!
Having knocked out every guard without exception, the First Heavenly Demon stepped out of the prison.
Ironically, the guards were now trapped inside, while the prisoner roamed freely outside. Host and guest had swapped places.
Clank!
He even locked the prison door behind him, exuding the air of a perfect victor.
It was late at night, so the warden was slacking off instead of patrolling properly. The other prisoners were deep asleep. From now on, it was the First Heavenly Demon's time alone.
'He was seen in the deepest underground prison, right?'
Recalling the testimony from Abyss Hall's Mok-gyeong, he slowly descended deeper.
The lower he went, the darker it became. The underground dampness mixed with the stench from long-imprisoned prisoners assaulted his nose.
'Hui-gun, where are you?'
Seeing the prison's poor conditions, the First Heavenly Demon worried for Yang Hui-gun's safety and scanned the surroundings.
The lowest level matched Mok-gyeong's description perfectly.
Worse than animal pens; it was impossible to tell if they were alive or dead.
Thanks to his advanced martial arts, he could check their breathing to see who still clung to life.
About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea later...
'That blue spot on his nape...!'
The First Heavenly Demon spotted a single emaciated, twisted figure showing only his back.
The man was so parched he couldn't even groan, slowly dying.
Had he not turned around, the blue spot on his neck would never have been visible.
'It's like U-ryang's!'
Recalling the blue spot he'd seen on Yang U-ryang, he hurried to that cell.
The prison was made of cold iron—hard and frigid enough to repel even considerable internal energy—but the First Heavenly Demon ignored it.
Heavenly Demon Divine Art
Overwhelming internal energy melts cold iron prison
Sizzle!
Drawing upon the Heavenly Demon Divine Art—the most powerful and domineering internal art in existence—he instantly warped and melted the cold iron prison completely.
This was utterly impossible.
Even an enlightened master would need years of striking and channeling energy to bend a cold iron prison even slightly.
No one in the world possessed such insane internal energy and cultivation method—fewer than three at most.
'Hui-gun!'
Rage boiled in the First Heavenly Demon's heart like a thousand Buddhas aflame; he wanted to smash everything right then.
The only reason he stayed calm was one thing.
He was curious if this was truly Yang Hui-gun, and if so, what crime he'd committed to fall out of the Moyong Clan's favor.
Swish!
Having completely destroyed the prison, he approached the presumed Yang Hui-gun and examined him carefully.
Murderous intent erupted from him, making him tremble with fury.
"You filthy bastards!"
The First Heavenly Demon unleashed unbearable rage.
He was absolutely certain this pitiful man, more wretched than a corpse, was Yang Hui-gun.
There were two reasons.
First, Yang Hui-gun's physique resembled the loyal ghost sword Yang U-ryang so perfectly it was like his reincarnation—leaving him stunned.
And second.
'I've performed meridian pushing and acupoint stimulation on Yang Dae-un and Yang Yeon-hwa, who share Yang Hui-gun's bloodline, to aid their cultivation.'
He knew their physical traits and energy flows well. This man's faint, fading flow matched the Yang family eerily.
Tremble!
The First Heavenly Demon was so furious his eyes nearly burst veins.
His head knew it wasn't time to rampage; Yang Hui-gun's safety came first.
But seeing Yang Hui-gun—who resembled his cherished, regretted loyal ghost sword Yang U-ryang—in such a pathetic state, he couldn't hold back.
"Raaaaagh!!"
Unable to contain his fury any longer, along with all his rage...
Heavenly Demon Divine Art
Unprecedented gale of internal energy ravages the prison
Kaboom!
The result was horrifying.
With one outburst of rage, the underground prison collapsed in the blink of an eye, reduced to rubble. Prisons melted or crumbled, triggering tectonic shifts like a natural disaster.
"Whoa! The prison just collapsed!"
"Now's our chance! This is it!"
For the prisoners locked in the underground prison, it felt like the heavens had opened a path.
Long-term inmates from the depths, frozen in shock at this windfall, soon fled, amplifying the nighttime chaos in the Moyong Clan.
"Hui-gun!"
The First Heavenly Demon ignored fleeing prisoners and collapsing guards.
To him, the most important was Ghost Sword Manor's heir, the Ghost Shadow Sword Yang Hui-gun—who so closely resembled Yang U-ryang.
Extremely speaking, he wouldn't trade Yang Hui-gun for the entire Moyong Clan.
Kaboom!
His rage pierced the heavens. Only after several more massive energy outbursts causing natural disasters did it finally subside—not from regained reason, but harsh reality.
'Not now. I have to save Hui-gun!'
Having brushed death countless times, he realized Yang Hui-gun's condition was dire.
In the worst case, he could die or become unable to cultivate martial arts ever again.
Huuu.
Calming his rage with deep breaths...
Hoist!
He slung Yang Hui-gun over his shoulder.
He wanted to start treatment immediately, but the place was a mess, and Moyong Clan forces could swarm any moment.
"The underground prison collapsed!"
"Catch the prisoners!"
"Don't let the heavy offenders from the deepest level escape!"
The Moyong Clan forces, mobilized by the massive rumble from the First Heavenly Demon's aftermath, rushed to apprehend the prisoners.
Especially the First Heavenly Demon carrying someone—he looked perfect for subduing and capturing.
The moment they approached...
The First Heavenly Demon, who had been bare-handed for infiltration...
Lightly extended his hand, unleashing his first palm technique and blasting palm winds.
It was the Heaven and Earth Wind Cloud Palm Technique, which scattered tremendous sword aura and palm winds backed by immense internal energy.
Kwaaaaah!
The moment he thrust his hand, massive palm winds and palm gang flowed out, crashing over the Moyong Clan forces like a tidal wave.
It was a one-sided massacre, a form of venting.
Splash!
When the First Heavenly Demon finally stopped, the surroundings looked ravaged by disaster: buildings collapsed, people lay dead without a sound.
"Anyone who blocks my path will die."
Today's First Heavenly Demon was merciless.
Unlike when he infiltrated, he strode out the front gate with majestic dignity.
This was unprecedented in Moyong Clan history.