Chapter 2
Chapter 2
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Stealing Manuals from the Martial Alliance's Armory (1)
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Cheol Ryu-yeop, the Iron Leaf, was a hidden weapon shaped like a thin leaf made of iron. It was also the Altar Lord's moniker.
To try and kill a subordinate for retreating… that man was a villain worse than any from the Unorthodox Path or the Demonic Sect.
Gauging the sound of the projectile slicing through the air, I quickly twisted my torso and ducked my head.
*Fwip!*
A searing pain shot through my right cheek as warm blood trickled down. A fraction of an inch closer, and the Iron Leaf would have been lodged in my neck.
‘Son of a bitch! If I make it out of here alive, and I ever run into that bastard again, I swear I’ll kill him.’
I had heard rumors that the Altar Lord would throw his signature weapon, the Iron Leaf, to kill or maim any subordinate who fled from a fight, but I never imagined I would be on the receiving end.
Just then, a low hum reached my ears.
*Gooooooooo!*
‘It’s blowing!’
My priority was no longer reaching the valley entrance; I had to find cover.
‘There!’
Not far off, I spotted a large boulder by a stream. If I could huddle beneath it, I might survive the disaster. Right now, I had no other choice.
*KRA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWAAAAAANG!*
An earth-shattering explosion erupted. It was so loud that it was silent; my ears went numb, and the turbulent air hammered against my chest like a thousand mallets.
I sprinted toward the boulder with every last ounce of strength I had, launching myself forward at the very last second.
* * *
“Ugh…”
When I came to, I was curled up in a narrow space under the massive boulder.
I crawled out on all fours. Hundreds of huge rocks were piled so high that they blocked out the sky. The gaps between them looked tight, but I thought I might be able to squeeze through.
If I had been buried under smaller stones, I would have been killed instantly, or even if I’d survived, I would never have escaped on my own.
*Rumble!*
After a full two hours, I finally managed to pull myself out from under the fifty-foot-high pile of rubble.
“Gasp, gasp, gasp!”
I heaved for breath, then passed out again. My body was covered in severe injuries, and I was utterly exhausted from escaping the rockslide.
* * *
*Peck, peck, peck, peck!*
“Urgh…”
I awoke to the pain of something sharp jabbing repeatedly at my back.
As I struggled to sit up, something on my back took flight with a flutter of wings.
It was a crow. It must have thought I was dead and had landed to peck at my flesh.
The great valley, which had been over four hundred yards long and one hundred fifty yards wide, had vanished completely.
In its place was a vast field of rock, with the faint outline of mountains and fields visible beyond it.
I stood up and looked around, but there was no one in sight. It seemed I was the only survivor.
I couldn't even tell which direction the Seven Demonic Palaces of Soul Suppression, which had once stood majestically in the valley, had been.
My legs trembled as I stood.
‘Ugh! Just have to keep moving.’
I began to walk, my body shaking uncontrollably.
As I stumbled and fell over the uneven rocks and stones, a venomous resolve began to grow within me.
The Martial Alliance, hiding behind a mask of justice—weren’t they the real demons?
‘Vile bastards!’
* * *
The next time I regained consciousness, I was in a clinic in a village.
According to the physician, I had walked all the way to the middle of the village street before collapsing, and ten days had passed since.
In truth, I had pushed myself to reach this village precisely so people would find me.
And as a crowd gathered around my fallen body, I had muttered as clearly as I could.
“I’m from the Martial Alliance… injured fighting in the Valley of Soul Suppression on Mount Yeoryang. Help me.”
Because I had a Martial Alliance Token in my possession, identifying me as one of their subordinates, the villagers had immediately carried me to the clinic.
Low-ranking warriors like me carried a bronze token, engraved with our rank.
The Martial Alliance had ten ranks in total, and I was at the very bottom: a foot soldier.
Members of the Martial Alliance received everything for free, anywhere in the world.
* * *
On my thirteenth day at the clinic, warriors from the Martial Alliance’s Taiyuan branch arrived.
No, ‘stormed in’ would be a more accurate description.
Clinics were obligated to contact the nearest Martial Alliance branch or regional office whenever one of their members was admitted.
I had originally planned to leave the Martial Alliance after this mission, but I changed my mind after nearly being crushed to death under a mountain of rock when the Valley of Soul Suppression was destroyed by Thunderclap Bombs.
I intended to exact a small measure of revenge on the Martial Alliance. I wanted nothing more than to wring the neck of their so-called Alliance Lord, but for now, I had to settle for the best I could do.
This act could very well be a new turning point in my life.
That is, if my plan didn't go awry.
But I knew my plan was fraught with danger.
* * *
From Taiyuan, I was transported directly to the Martial Alliance headquarters.
I was put in a carriage and escorted by four warriors from the Taiyuan branch, but it felt less like an escort and more like a prisoner transport. That was exactly the feeling I got.
The warriors themselves probably didn't know why they were transporting me or monitoring my every move.
But I could guess the reason.
The Martial Alliance wanted to know if I, the sole survivor from the Valley of Soul Suppression, knew about the Thunderclap Bombs.
The moment they confirmed that I knew they had collapsed the valley with explosives, they would kill me without a second thought. They had to cover up their shameful deeds.
Therefore, I had to put on a very good act from now on. To get my revenge on the Martial Alliance and achieve my goal, I first had to stay alive.
* * *
The Martial Alliance headquarters was located on the banks of the Luo River, at the foot of Mount Jinbao, southwest of Luoyang in Henan Province.
The carriage I was in paused briefly before the main gate of the headquarters.
From inside, I could tell that the warriors from the Taiyuan branch were leaving and that warriors from the headquarters were taking over.
The carriage then proceeded into the Martial Alliance grounds, winding through a series of turns before finally coming to a stop.
*Clack!*
“Get out!”
The voice of the warrior who yanked open the carriage door was menacing. It was clear he was treating me like a prisoner.
I deliberately stalled, shuffling around inside the carriage.
“Get out, now!”
“Y-yes!”
Startled by the shout, I scrambled to get out on my knees, only to tumble out of the carriage.
*Thump!*
“Hnngh!”
Of course, it was an act. My wounds hadn't fully healed, but I wasn't so weak that I couldn't control my own body.
But my scarred body was gruesome enough to make anyone flinch, so I was sure the act would be convincing.
“Get up!”
A voice as sharp and cold as ice struck the back of my head as I lay on the ground.
“Ugh! My apologies.”
I grimaced and put all my strength into my arms, trying to pull myself up by grabbing the carriage door.
*Drip, drip, drip…*
Several wounds that had just begun to heal tore open, and blood started to flow. I had strained myself on purpose, hoping for exactly this.
“You insolent…!”
“Ah… I’m sorry…”
My face contorted in pain, I looked at the man who had shouted, feigning as if I were at death’s door.
He was dressed in a light red uniform, and on his left chest were embroidered the characters ‘Discipline and Punishment’.
‘A Disciplinary Enforcer!’
I had a strong heart, but the moment I identified him as a Disciplinary Enforcer, my body froze like stone.
This confirmed it: I was a prisoner.
Within the Martial Alliance headquarters, the only ones who wore blood-red uniforms were the masters of the Hall of Discipline.
These weren't mere warriors like me; they were masters. And Disciplinary Masters at that.
The Hall of Discipline was the organization that oversaw crime and punishment within the Martial Alliance.
It was said that even an innocent person, once suspected and dragged into the Hall of Discipline, would have a crime manufactured for them.
Of every ten who walked in, three died, five were imprisoned in the dungeons, and the remaining two emerged as cripples or broken shells of their former selves.
In other words, no one ever walked out unscathed.
Just how vicious they were was evident in their moniker: Disciplinary Enforcers. The ‘Enforcer’ part was taken from the term for the grim reaper.
I had been dragged to the Hall of Discipline.
‘Damn it all!’
I had anticipated this might happen in the worst-case scenario, but now it was my reality.
But even if the Hall of Discipline could crush my body, it would never break my spirit.
* * *
“Ak Bi-ryong! How is it that you alone survived and returned? Explain yourself!”
Ak Bi-ryong was the name my father had given me.
The Disciplinary Master interrogating me repeated the same question over and over.
“I was fighting the enemy when the valley suddenly collapsed. I was buried under a pile of rocks and lost consciousness. I barely managed to survive.”
And I repeated the same answer.
‘Kill me if you want. Did you think I’d crawl into the tiger’s den without being prepared for this?’
The interrogation turned to torture. This, too, was expected.
The Disciplinary Master treated me like a criminal—me, whose only crime was risking my life for the Martial Alliance.
The more intense the torture became, the deeper my resentment grew.
* * *
I was released five days after being taken to the Hall of Discipline.
They say that of ten who enter, three die, five are imprisoned, and two emerge crippled or broken. I fell into the third category.
I was now a half-cripple, no better than a broken man.
* * *
The Hall of Discipline seemed to have concluded that I knew nothing about the Thunderclap Bombs.
Fortunately, instead of being cast out of the Martial Alliance, I was sent to the infirmary to be treated.
The Alliance magnanimously informed me that once my treatment was complete and I could function to some degree, I would be discharged.
After suffering all manner of torture in the Hall of Discipline, I was in a state where I couldn't even crawl on my own.
Fifteen of my fingers and toes were broken, and all my fingernails and toenails had been pulled out.
My arms and legs were broken in six places each, and five of my ribs were fractured, piercing my internal organs.
I had been subjected to severe waterboarding, leaving my lungs filled with fluid, and my head had been beaten so badly that my mind drifted in and out of consciousness, and I fainted frequently.
In this condition, I wasn't just a half-cripple; I was completely broken.
But I was still alive, which meant my plan was still in motion.
This was a plan that would only end with my death.
* * *
I recovered quickly, but the infirmary staff didn't know that.
A month later, my broken bones had set, new nails were beginning to grow, and my wounds had mostly healed.
I was able to move around slowly by holding onto the walls, but I pretended to be completely immobile, having the attendants clean me and feed me.
Then, late at night, I would sneak out of the infirmary, unseen by anyone.
* * *
I had risked everything to return to the Martial Alliance for one reason and one reason only: to infiltrate the Grand Martial Archives.
The Alliance’s archives housed tens of thousands of martial arts manuals from the Nine Great Sects and One Union, as well as every other major sect and clan.
Not only that, it contained a comprehensive collection of ancient, lost techniques from the last thousand years of the Central Plains, as well as martial arts manuals from Tibet, the North Sea, Japan, and Hainan Island—techniques that had once dominated their eras.
With the martial world in such turmoil, the Nine Great Sects, major clans, and prominent factions had moved all their treasured manuals to the Martial Alliance’s archives.
There was no safer place in the world.
I planned to steal them all. If I could learn every technique in the archives, wouldn't I become the strongest fighter in existence?
* * *
For several nights, I braved the evening dew, my eyes burning as I searched for a way to infiltrate the Grand Martial Archives. And finally, I found one.