Chapter 32: Strategy, Knowledge, and Insight
I walked quietly through the dark thicket at the heart of the forest. Moments later, a majestic cliff loomed into view amid the deep mountains and valleys, as if rejecting any human touch. It wasn't just a simple precipice. Right in the middle of the rock face yawned a long crevice, like the mark of a single massive axe blow. That was the entrance. When that gap split open, one could step into that tomb.
[Ten Thousand Demons Mausoleum.... It's been a while, hasn't it.]
The Ten Thousand Demons Mausoleum served as both the tomb for high-ranking demons and a repository safeguarding the sacred relics they'd left behind. Excluding the graves of past Heavenly Demons, it was the greatest treasure vault of the entire Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
I'd been inside exactly twice.
[As a thief?]
'As a thief, I snuck in once later on. But the first time was when I was pulling double duty as the Young Cult Leader. That bastard shoved the whole ceremony on me.'
[Tsk tsk. Just like you'd expect.]
When a high-ranking demon passed from the world, a grand funeral was held—and as a member of the Cult Leader's Palace, the Young Cult Leader had to attend. Yong Baek-heon found it a hassle and dumped it on me instead.
Thanks to that, I'd gotten a close look at the mausoleum's inner layout.
The Ten Thousand Demons Mausoleum twisted and tangled like an anthill—a labyrinthine maze.
[That's only fitting for a place like this. If it had a simple layout...]
'There'd be no end to the lunatics drooling at the chance to grave-rob it.'
[Exactly. And the demons of the Hundred Thousand Mountains are just the type.]
The ancient demons couldn't have failed to anticipate what Bongmareung and I knew now. No one knew exactly when the mausoleum had been built, but it was riddled with defenses against tomb raiders.
For starters, to block external access entirely, the entrance stayed sealed shut at all times. The sole stone gate—the only way in—required a specific wavelength of demonic energy to open.
'And it only cracks open once a month for maintenance during funerals.'
Even then, just for a brief moment before slamming shut again. If a graverobber slipped inside and failed to escape, they'd be trapped with the corpses for a full month.
The mere thought was hellish, so I'd been extra cautious on my first infiltration.
[You must've seen the 'tomb guardians' then. Quite the shock, eh? Heh heh heh...]
'Yeah. Using monsters like that as gravekeepers? Scared the shit out of me.'
The second line of defense was the mausoleum's guardians, the so-called tomb guardians—or Su-myo-ja, as Bongmareung called them. They were selected from criminals who'd committed grave offenses and been thrown into the underground dungeons.
But these weren't ordinary demons. They'd been injected with powerful drugs and something far worse than the Boiling Blood Gu-worm: the Nangsi-gong, a demonic creature. These twisted them into mutants—withered husks like mummies, stripped of reason, existing solely to protect and maintain the Ten Thousand Demons Mausoleum. Half-beast, half-fiend.
[Tomb guardians are basically just monsters. The Nangsi-gong's a corpse-eating centipede, you see? It reacts with the drugs to animate the dead flesh...]
'Bong, I saw them myself—no need for the lecture. They were plenty disgusting.'
Anyway, mindless and obedient, the tomb guardians were perfectly suited as mausoleum keepers.
About a year ago, on the day they'd opened the entrance for maintenance, I'd scaled down the cliff and slipped inside.
'And I scoped out how they guard the relics, too.'
[Hmm, even I don't know that part. How do they do it?]
'You'll see for yourself soon enough.'
I started moving again. Ragged figures in tattered blood-red robes—the tomb guardians—were gathering before the mausoleum. It was time for it to open.
* * *
“……”
“……”
The tomb guardians possessed no reason whatsoever. But hierarchies of power existed among them, with a clear chain of command.
By established protocol, the one who'd wielded the mightiest martial arts in life—the tomb guardian captain—opened the gate.
A bony arm emerged slowly from beneath the captain's ragged blood-red robe. But it gripped the cliff face with crushing force, as if ready to shatter the limb itself.
Thud!
“……”
With a grinding crunch of pulverized earth, the crevice in the cliff began to split wide. The Ten Thousand Demons Mausoleum yawned open.
A blast of eerie demonic energy, dampness, and the stench of decay poured out, as if lying in wait.
The captain took a step forward, and the other guardians followed in its wake. Their footsteps echoed in frigid silence.
At some point, they all halted in unison. From their bosoms, each drew forth an object the size of a fist.
Lanterns to light the way.
[Oh ho! So that's how they do it.]
The moment the mausoleum cracked open, I'd slipped inside on a shadow, timing it perfectly. Knowing they'd light their lanterns, I'd taken cover behind a sheltering outcrop.
'First time I came, I had no clue they used those. Lights flared up everywhere—nearly got me.'
[Heh heh heh! Must've jumped out of your skin.]
The guardians reignited their lanterns and resumed their march. Now they'd wander the labyrinthine depths, tending to their duties.
This was my window.
[Do you know where Mansal Yo-ho's remains are kept?]
'Yeah. Scoped it out last time.'
Mansal Yo-ho had been one of the previous generation's Great Protectors—a witch skilled in sorcery and spells rather than raw martial prowess.
Even on that prior visit, I'd had her relic in mind. Simple reason.
'Perfect for stealing.'
[Kekeke! Makes sense. It's just a pair of 'chopsticks,' after all.]
Back then, not knowing enough about the guardians, I'd only scouted before bailing.
'This time, it's mine.'
I began weaving through the shadows, dodging the lantern-lit guardians.
Stone sarcophagi holding ancient demons' remains dotted the maze. And beside them, display cases designed for clear viewing from the front.
Lavish cases of Western glass, spared no expense, stood next to the coffins. At the sight, Bongmareung spoke up with evident delight.
[Looking good! Everyone's still in one piece!]
'Hey, old man—we're just grabbing one thing. Don't get drooly.'
[What a shame. I've always griped about it—why stash treasures like these in a dump?]
'That's what you get for treating them like junk.'
[…….]
I could only steal one item here. The reason lay in those special cases.
The relic containers were filled to the brim with a unique liquid called Soul-Chasing Liquid.
[Soul-Chasing Liquid? What's that?]
'An alarm system. Crack the case even a little, and the liquid starts evaporating. Turns the guardians' lantern flames from yellow to red.'
Chemical reaction with the vaporized liquid.
That's how the guardians detected intruders or thefts.
[Then a full sweep kicks off immediately...]
'Only way out for a thief is beating down the swarming guardians.'
Impossible for me. Devoid of reason, they felt no pain. Plus, they retained their peak Transcendent Human Realm prowess from life—absolute peak experts by Central Plains standards.
A horde like that? No chance for me.
'That's why the chopsticks are perfect. I can bore a tiny hole in the case.'
[A hole? So what?]
My plan: Bore a minuscule hole, extract Mansal Yo-ho's death chopsticks, plug it as best I could, and bolt.
The Soul-Chasing Liquid would evaporate slowly; the alarm signal would spread gradually.
'Guardians' lanterns would shift color one by one, starting closest.'
Of course, they'd converge en masse. But by then, I'd be long gone from the area.
Slow the evaporation just enough to slip out before the net closed—like a puff of wind.
'Not bad, right?'
[Clever little brain you've got.]
'Hey, call it strategy, knowledge, and insight—not "little brain."'
[Same difference.]
Stingy ghost. One more corner, and Mansal Yo-ho's sarcophagus—and relic case—would appear.
I peeked around, checking the guardians' retreating backs.
“……”
Eerie silhouettes of fiends. Confirming no issues with the sarcophagi and cases, they moved on.
I crept forward silently. Finally, I reached the case.
Through the hazy glass, a pair of blue bamboo chopsticks gleamed: Mansal Yo-ho's death chopsticks.
[Hurry and bore the hole. I'll keep watch for guardians.]
Bongmareung could now sense the surroundings independently, thanks to my Extreme Heaven Nine Wheels Art hitting three wheels. He borrowed one to use my qi sense separately—though it needed my permission and a trickle of my core demonic energy.
[Hey now! We'll replenish the core energy soon enough. Still griping when I'm helping?]
'Fine. Thanks.'
I steadied my breath and reached into my bosom. Just like the Bok Clan manor infiltration, I'd prepped special tools for this heist.
[A thick iron rod with a saw blade on the end?]
'Yep. For making a small hole.'
A hole-boring tool, its tip lined with razor-sharp teeth like some beast's maw.
I pressed it to the top of the case and twisted vigorously. It ground away with a faint rasp, chewing through the wood.
The front was glass, but the rest was timber—easy enough.
At last, the hole pierced through.
Hiss....
[Oh ho! They've embedded a type of energy like this? Fascinating.]
The Soul-Chasing Liquid inside bubbled furiously, drawing an excited tone from the spirit. Sometimes I wondered if this guy was really bound to my fate.
'Quiet now! Gotta focus from here on out!'
As the liquid vaporized, a faint breeze stirred around me—the air reacting. A race against time.
I had to fish out the death chopsticks through this pinhole.
'That's why I added sticky resin to the other end.'
I yanked the rod free and jabbed the sticky tip through the hole, probing deep into the case.
Key was slapping the resin precisely on the end of Mansal Yo-ho's chopsticks—to reel them out.
[Bit more left! No—right!]
'You're distracting me! Just watch for guardians!'
Peering through the glass, I positioned it and snagged one. A little fumbling, but it came free quick.
[Well, aren't you something!]
Like noodles from a bowl, the chopstick slid out—Bongmareung chuckling all the while.
'Yo, Bong? You're actually on lookout, right? No line of guardians behind me?'
[Coast's clear—hurry it up!]
The second was faster. No fumbling; resin smacked right on, and I pulled steadily.
A pair of bamboo chopsticks, exuding an uncanny demonic aura, now rested in my palm.
'Mansal Yo-ho's death chopsticks.'
I shook off the dripping Soul-Chasing Liquid and tucked them away. Bongmareung groaned nostalgically.
[Ahh, such a refined, familiar charm. Mansal Yo-ho's delicate yet sharp temperament lingers in them...]
'Old man, you're coming off real pervy right now. Save it for when I use the Spirit Absorption Demonic Art later?'
Now to plug the hole: Slap on a small wooden patch slathered in glue. Best I could do.
Impossible to fully stop the evaporation or leak once the hole was made. No need, anyway.
[Better to leave it slightly open—lure the guardians here while you escape.]
'Exactly.'
Done. Recalling the maze's layout, I bolted.
At the same moment, the mausoleum's air shifted. The guardians had spotted their lanterns turning color and were mobilizing fast.
[They're coming from the left! Rightward ho!]
'Got it.'
Bongmareung and I picked the safest path. The exit was close now—just had to slip past the final stretch guarded by the captain.
But then.
“...Huh?”
I froze mid-stride, like a man caught in irons.
A passing sarcophagus bore three starkly familiar characters etched deep.
I drifted toward it, mesmerized.
“Yong Dae-seok...?”
My gaze shifted naturally. The relic case bore the dead man's name. Inside, a white mask slumbered in profound repose, glowing faintly.