Chapter 75
Chapter 75.
'That woman... she's someone who resisted until the very last moment.'
Taking advantage of the gap when the barrier opened.
The woman who had tried to inflict damage somehow through the electric shock device.
The woman with the impressive facial scar, despite being revived by the Sacred Fire, maintained her scar as she bowed in submission to Lee Ganghan.
"Director..."
"Kuk...!"
And as she began to bow.
The Lowest Grade Disciples who had been showing pitiful expressions also.
"What are you doing? If you don't want to end up like that, pay your respects to the Heavenly Demon!"
At her command.
"Heavenly Demon Eternal, Ten Thousand Demons Prostrate..."
They began bowing one by one.
Then, unlike the 3 people who had undergone Bone-Splitting Muscle-Tearing Torture.
The remaining people's bodies no longer swelled up.
"...Phew."
Director Jin, who let out a sigh of relief upon seeing this.
"May I ask what has happened to us? I was certain we had died..."
Cautiously asked Lee Ganghan a question.
"I simply chose the latter between leaving you as corpses or reviving you as Lowest Grade Disciples. Isn't that better for you too?"
"Ah..."
So in the end, in exchange for the Heavenly Demon saving them.
They had to live here as Lowest Grade Disciples.
As these people gradually understood how the situation was unfolding after hearing Lee Ganghan's words.
"I also have a question. Are you affiliated with China?"
"That is..."
"N-no! We are from North Korea...!"
At Lee Ganghan's question.
One man stepped forward and tried to hide his identity by claiming to be from 'North Korea' using awkward Korean.
[A Lowest Grade Disciple dares to lie to the Heavenly Demon.]
[You will be subjected to Bone-Splitting Muscle-Tearing Torture.]
"What, what? How did you figure that out too...?!"
Becoming the 4th victim of Bone-Splitting Muscle-Tearing Torture.
"Uaaaaak!"
He rolled on the ground.
"...That's correct."
In a situation where lies were immediately exposed.
Director Jin nodded with a solemn expression.
"So you tried to kidnap me since recruitment didn't seem possible."
"Yes. Before permission from above was granted, this was something I initiated. The Party didn't officially step forward."
"There was no permission from above to kidnap me? That's hard to believe."
"If I had lied, I would have ended up like that."
Indeed, seeing how the system that had been mercilessly imposing punishments remained quiet.
It seemed this woman had initiated it.
'But isn't Director a high position? She looks young though, that's interesting.'
Whether she had strong backing.
Or exceptional abilities.
Indeed, when subduing these people at home, she was the one who resisted most persistently.
As Lee Ganghan stared at her intently.
Swoosh.
She suddenly knelt down.
"First, the kidnapping attempt, although the method may have been extreme... this was for the sake of the Heavenly Demon and the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Because the main temple of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect is in our China."
The main temple of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect?
Could she be referring to where the original Heavenly Demon Divine Sect was located?
'Wait, did it actually exist in reality?'
Among martial arts sects, I heard that places like Shaolin Temple actually exist.
But they wouldn't have been using internal energy and such.
Wasn't the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect just a fictional organization?
As Lee Ganghan looked at Director Jin with suspicious eyes.
She bowed her head deeply to Lee Ganghan.
"I know the actual location of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect."
"You do?"
"Yes. Traces of the destroyed Heavenly Demon Divine Sect remain there. If the Heavenly Demon goes to that place, you will be able to achieve greater accomplishments."
"Hmm."
Even after waiting a while after she finished speaking.
Seeing that her condition remained fine, it seemed it wasn't a lie.
Or.
'Even if it's actually wrong information, if she herself is convinced it's correct, she might not receive punishment.'
The man who spoke awkward Korean earlier was obviously lying, anyone could see that.
But someone like Director Jin in front of me now, who has conviction in herself.
It seemed the system might not punish such a person.
As Lee Ganghan thought about the cases that did and didn't result in Bone-Splitting Muscle-Tearing.
"The Heavenly Demon Divine Sect really existed...?"
"Hard to believe."
"How does the Director know about this?"
The agents behind them were also quietly murmuring after hearing this story.
It seemed the actual location of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect was also.
Information that only the Director knew.
"Where is the location?"
"It's in a secret place in the Tianshan Mountains. If the Heavenly Demon goes to China, I will personally escort you."
"Go to the country that tried to kidnap me? Why would I? You said it would just be ruins anyway."
"But... if the Heavenly Demon goes there. The extinguished Sacred Fire at the center of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect will also blaze again. And when the Sacred Fire blazes, the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect will be revived."
What's with this person?
'She seems to know something about the Sacred Fire?'
I don't think I talked much about the Sacred Fire on TowerTube.
Especially the information that there's a Sacred Fire at the center of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect.
Unless you open Ten Thousand Demon Battle, you wouldn't know that, right?
And where did she get the information that the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect would be revived if this blazes?
Lee Ganghan tilted his head and slowly spoke.
"But there's no need to go all the way there to revive the Sacred Fire."
"Pardon...?"
"It's already here, isn't it?"
"It's... here?"
At those words, Director Jin, who looked around with a surprised face.
Swish.
Having used up energy to revive 21 people.
She discovered the white flame whose embers had weakened.
"Ah. Could that be the Sacred Fire...?!"
"Yeah."
"No wonder you could revive the dead...!"
Upon hearing Lee Ganghan's answer, her eyes changed.
Swoosh!
She suddenly began sprinting at full speed toward the Sacred Fire.
Then.
"Sacred Fire! The true descendant of the Divine Sect has returned!"
Director Jin, standing before the flame.
Called herself a 'true descendant.'
***
Jin Jiaxian, Director of Bureau 1014 under the Ministry of State Security.
Despite her young age, the reason she rose to the position of Director was.
Because of her miraculous record of 100% mission success rate.
And behind achieving this 100% success rate were.
Physical abilities far surpassing trained men and.
Cool judgment.
However,
'That's the Sacred Fire...!'
The long-cherished wish passed down through generations in her family.
Seeing the 'Sacred Fire' needed to fulfill this wish actually exist before her eyes.
She momentarily lost her composure.
Actually, thinking calmly.
She didn't need to shout in this situation where the Heavenly Demon was present.
She could have waited for an opportunity later to reveal 'herself.'
"Descendant of the Tian clan, Tian Jiaxian commands. Return the position of Heavenly Demon to the true successor!"
With some kind of conviction that the Sacred Fire would follow her words.
She revealed her real name before the flame.
Gone was her previous composure and calmness.
The Director's appearance, passionately shouting at the Sacred Fire.
"Huh...?"
"D-Director...? Suddenly what?!"
Was too unfamiliar even to her subordinates, the agents of Bureau 1014.
As they looked at each other's faces, not understanding what was happening.
'Why is she acting like that?'
Lee Ganghan, who was puzzled by Director Jin who suddenly ran out.
'Tian clan?'
Seeing her claim to be from the Tian clan.
He recalled Divine Maiden Cheon Seran.
-The Cheon surname is the surname of the clan that once ruled as Heavenly Demons in the former Heavenly Demon Divine Sect. I wondered if a descendant of the Cheon clan had found a way to enter Heavenly Demon Valley.
She had definitely said the Cheon clan was the surname of the Heavenly Demon.
Though she seemed unaware that she herself was from the Cheon clan.
Anyway,
'So that woman is a descendant of that Cheon clan?'
I should subdue her immediately.
If this goes wrong.
It could end up being a case of cooking porridge for the dog.
As Lee Ganghan tried to subdue Tian Jiaxian with cold eyes.
Flare...!
"Ugh, uugh...!"
Tian Jiaxian's body was suddenly covered and blazing with rising white flames.
"S-Sacred Fire, are you following my words!"
At first, with a face full of joy.
She looked at the flames wrapping around her body.
[Surnames have no meaning.]
"What...? That can't be. The Sacred Fire obeys the commands of the Tian clan..."
Seeing the message that appeared before her eyes, Tian Jiaxian despaired.
No.
This was 180 degrees different from what she had heard from her father and grandfather?
"You definitely said it, that the Sacred Fire was the foundation of the Tian clan... that the Sacred Fire would unconditionally follow our words...!"
[That is distorted information. The Tian clan has no value.]
Meanwhile.
Flare...!
Tian Jiaxian was completely consumed by the Sacred Fire's flames.
'Hmm... she was cut off at the Sacred Fire level.'
Even being a descendant of the Tian clan wasn't much.
As Lee Ganghan grasped the situation looking at the same message that appeared before his eyes.
Ding.
[A Lowest Grade Disciple has committed the grave sin of Betraying the Demon and Destroying the Sect.]
[Would you like to subject Lowest Grade Disciple 'Tian Jiaxian' to Death by Dismemberment?]
Along with the charge of Betraying the Demon and Destroying the Sect.
A message appeared asking to subject her to Death by Dismemberment.
'Death by Dismemberment 'means... the execution method of cutting off all limbs.'
Compared to the others getting Bone-Splitting Muscle-Tearing.
Since she dared to tell the Sacred Fire to give up the Heavenly Demon's position, a stronger punishment was applied.
Still.
"I can't execute her right now. I need to hear her story about being a descendant of the Heavenly Demon."
[Death by Dismemberment is postponed.]
[Subjecting to Bone-Splitting Muscle-Tearing Torture.]
Then the execution was postponed for now.
A system message about subjecting her to Bone-Splitting Muscle-Tearing.
"I need to hear what she has to say first."
[The sin committed by Lowest Grade Disciple 'Tian Jiaxian' is too great, so Bone-Splitting Muscle-Tearing must be carried out first.]
Even at Lee Ganghan's words, a system message appeared saying punishment must be given first.
'But this doesn't feel like a neutral system message.'
Rather than a value-neutral system notification message.
It felt like there was some will behind it.
Lee Ganghan tilted his head and asked about this.
"But who is the entity sending the messages? It doesn't seem like a system message."
[It is the will of the Sacred Fire, the revelation of fire.]
"Ah. A revelation of fire?"
The revelation of fire was one of the triggers for assigning a Divine Maiden to the Sacred Fire.
It seemed like a message that the Divine Maiden would interpret.
Since Lee Ganghan, the Heavenly Demon, came directly into Ten Thousand Demon Battle.
The Sacred Fire's messages were appearing intuitively.
"I'll do the Bone-Splitting Muscle-Tearing after the conversation."
[Understood. However, the time the Heavenly Demon can remain in Ten Thousand Demon Battle is not much left. Please be mindful of the time.]
"I have a time limit?"
I spent all that money to establish the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect guild.
But the actual owner can't stay long?
Lee Ganghan tilted his head.
[If the Heavenly Demon continues to stay in Ten Thousand Demon Battle, all the Sacred Fire will be absorbed into the Heavenly Demon. Currently, the Sacred Fire's power is weak, so the centripetal force trying to be absorbed into the Heavenly Demon is stronger.]
The Sacred Fire explained the reason.
"What happens if the Sacred Fire is absorbed?"
[If you absorb the Sacred Fire right now, your Heavenly Demon Constitution will immediately rise to Grade B, but the method to obtain the Sacred Fire again will disappear. The functions of Ten Thousand Demon Battle will also be reduced, and the guild system will not operate normally.]
"If I leave it?"
[If you continue to strengthen the Sacred Fire here, from a long-term perspective, you can raise the Heavenly Demon Constitution to even higher grades. Ten Thousand Demon Battle and the guild system will also operate normally.]
Then I can't give up Ten Thousand Demon Battle and the guild system just to raise the Heavenly Demon Constitution to Grade B right now.
"Got it. Then let me know when time is up. I'll ask some questions in the meantime."
[I will do so.]
As Lee Ganghan's words ended.
Thud, Thud...
Tian Jiaxian, who had been wrapped in the Sacred Fire, rolled on the ground.
She stopped at Lee Ganghan's feet.
"Uh, uugh..."
Despite being wrapped in the Sacred Fire for quite a while.
Tian Jiaxian had no burn marks.
But the mental shock seemed significant.
"This can't be... This shouldn't be possible..."
Hugging both her arms tightly.
She was trembling all over.
"Father definitely said... that if we just obtained the Sacred Fire, we could revive the Divine Sect and fulfill our clan's long-cherished wish..."
"Hey, get a grip."
When Lee Ganghan spoke to her.
Swoosh.
"Lee Ganghan...!"
Tian Jiaxian glared at him with eyes full of venom.