Chapter 47: Welcome |
As Taoist Hyuncheon and I quickly staunched Captain Ryu’s bleeding and infused him with internal energy to stabilize his pulse, we then moved to Mang-ryang. Mang-ryang was panting heavily on the sixth floor, with a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth and drenched in sweat. Clearly exhausted both physically and mentally, I asked him worriedly.
“Are you alright?”
“Huh… Huh, yes. It’s a small price to pay for using the treasure…”
Cough!
Mang-ryang spat out a mouthful of blood and shook his head vigorously. He seemed to regain his composure and said,
“I’ll take care of the aftermath.”
Whoosh!
As soon as he finished speaking, flames surged up from the ground, engulfing the scattered bodies of the Embroidered Uniform Guards and the monsters, quickly reducing them to ashes. The intense heat made it a quick process, leaving barely any trace of the bodies.
‘Is it okay to dispose of the dead, even if killing is forbidden?’
I felt grateful for bringing Mang-ryang along. Without him, this operation would have been impossible to set up. We would have had to face a 2 against 11 battle, and it would have been difficult to avoid public attention or dispose of the Embroidered Uniform Guards’ bodies. I patted the pale-faced Mang-ryang on the back and said,
“You are the best strategist.”
I wondered how many times I would have died trying to resolve this situation without Mang-ryang. At least three or four times, undergoing trial and error, and wasting a lot of mental energy. Mang-ryang was indeed like a savior.
“Heh… Not bad.”
Mang-ryang chuckled and said,
“Let’s go. There’s a lot to learn from this guy.”
We took Captain Ryu and headed towards the secret passage exit outside the village. Even amidst the chaos, we managed to avoid attention by disguising the ragged Ryu as a refugee. Eventually, we threw Captain Ryu inside a building.
Captain Ryu had been unconscious since his limbs were severed. I thought about waking him up, but seeing Mang-ryang’s poor condition, I decided to take care of him first. I asked Taoist Hyuncheon,
“Can you perform Mysterious Heavenly Divine Technique on Mang-ryang? He’s in bad shape.”
“Of course. Follow me.”
Taoist Hyuncheon took Mang-ryang to a small room. Mang-ryang would likely recover his strength soon if the Wudang Sect’s Mysterious Heavenly Divine Technique technique was used. I felt comfortable leaving Mang-ryang in his care, confident that Taoist Hyuncheon wouldn’t harm him.
Whoosh
I then infused Qi into the sprawled Captain Ryu. As the formidable energy whirled into his meridians, he woke up as if pricked by needles all over his body.
“… Aaagh!!”
“Get a grip. I have a lot to ask you.”
“Ah… You’re crazy!”
Captain Ryu, realizing he was unlikely to survive, immediately tried to bite off his tongue to avoid torture. His decisiveness suggested thorough training. But I calmly observed as he struggled, unable to move his jaw muscles properly.
“……?!”
“I blocked your muscle movements to prevent your suicide. If you wanted to kill yourself, you should have done it when you were alone earlier.”
Taoist Hyuncheon possesses superior skills in controlling the body’s energy flow and pressure points than I do. If he has blocked Captain Ryu’s ability to bite his tongue, then self-inflicted harm would be impossible. I looked coldly at Captain Ryu and said,
“You must have received training to resist torture.”
“……”
“I’m not well-versed in torture methods, so I’ll use the one I’m best at.”
Swoosh
I extended my hand and touched his philtrum, then forcefully injected Qi into it. The energy penetrated through the philtrum, and once I confirmed it had adhered, I muttered,
“This is Qian (heaven, 乾).”
“……?”
“Beginning the Eight Trigrams Seal.”
He seemed not to understand what I meant. And rightly so, as the Eight Trigrams Seal is a secret technique passed down within the Thunder God Style, used solely for sealing and tormenting an opponent, a form of torture. Those trained in the Thunder God Style could extract almost any information from their captives without the need for bothersome torture.
Next, I touched his Adam’s apple.
“This is Dui (lake, 兌).”
Crackle
“Ugh… Ahh!!”
Suddenly, he convulsed as if electrocuted. Following Qian, the infusion of Qi into Tui intensified his nervous system’s activity. This also meant an increased sensitivity to pain. I looked at Captain Ryu’s eyes, wet with confusion, and smirked.
“With Qian, I’ve subdued your head, and with Dui, your lungs. Li (fire, 離), Zhen (thunder, 震), Xun (wind, 巽), Kan (water, 坎), Gen (mountain, 艮), and Kun (earth,坤) will follow, each afflicting one of the eight body parts with a seal. Your sensitivity to pain will increase, and your sense of time will slow down.”
Thwack!
It wasn’t a hard hit, just a light flick on the forehead.
“Aaagh!!”
Yet, Captain Ryu writhed in agony, feeling as if his head was being sawed open. It was like every skin cell was being peeled off. I chuckled at him and said,
“I’ve only applied two of the Eight Trigrams Seal, and it seems mild. Let’s continue.”
Applying the Eight Trigrams Seal meant sealing the four limbs and the four inner parts: the brain, heart, lungs, and reproductive organs, using internal energy. As the trigrams ascend, pain intensifies and the sense of time becomes chaotic, more effective than physical torture. Eventually, it leads to the destruction of mental strength and even the soul.
However, applying the Eight Trigrams Seal consumes vast amounts of internal energy. Just applying four trigrams requires over 80 years of cultivated energy, and the cost increases exponentially with each trigram. I had never used it on a human before, so its limits were unknown to me, but even I might not be able to apply all eight.
But it was effective enough. With just two trigrams, Captain Ryu already looked like he had forgotten all the joys of life. Normally, it would take about a hundred lashes to elicit such a response.
Captain Ryu had been holding on, but when my finger moved to point above his heart, uttering a single word, he crumbled.
“This is Li (fire, 離).”
He cried out, tears streaming.
“Wait! Just a moment!”
“What is it?”
“What do you want to know? If I tell you, will you let me live?”
Captain Ryu’s attitude changed abruptly, struggling under the overwhelming sensory overload caused by the Eight Trigrams Seal. I squatted down, looking at him indifferently.
“What’s the use of living? You’ve already lost an arm and a leg. You can’t even live a normal life, let alone as a martial artist. Do you still want to live?”
“Uh… Yes, please. I’ll tell you anything I know.”
“……”
“Please…”
His tearful and snotty state, writhing on the ground, was indeed pitiable. Normally, such begging would sway someone’s heart. But I felt no sympathy for him.
The sight of Captain Ryu’s agony overlapped with the scenes of people being slaughtered in madness. Thousands must have suffered in that tragedy. The orchestrator of such a calamity begging for his life didn’t move me.
“I was just following orders from above! Please… spare me!”
“Above… Are you talking about the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guards?”
“Yes… that’s right.”
“And above that?”
“I don’t know. Low-levels like me just follow the orders passed down. Only the sub-leader gives direct orders.”
The Embroidered Uniform Guards were a formidable organization. Even a martial artist capable of holding his own against an elder of the Wudang Sect referred to himself as a low-level member. This suggested that the martial arts skills of the deputy commander and the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guards might be among the very best in the martial world.
After a moment of thought, I asked,
“Do you have a family?”
“… Yes.”
“Where do they live?”
“……”
Captain Ryu hesitated, unable to speak. Despite his earlier claim of willingness to say anything, the safety of his family made it difficult for him to talk. I activated the Li part of the Eight Trigrams Seal on him, intensifying his sensations. He convulsed and screamed in response.
“Aaahh! Ah, ahhhh!”
I couldn’t fully understand the pain he was experiencing, as it’s impossible for the one who administers the Eight Trigrams Seal to know. But seeing his eyes roll back and his limbs shake uncontrollably, I could assume the pain was beyond what any usual torturer could inflict. I slightly loosened the seal’s effect and asked again.
“Speak.”
“Hu… Huu… Ho-gyeong…”
“Shaanxi Province, not too far.”
I folded my arms and asked,
“If your family in Ho-gyeong were the target of a mission, what would you have done?”
“I… I would have moved them before… before the mission.”
“And the other people living in Ho-gyeong?”
“……”
“They are expendable?”
As I raised my hand as if to strike, he panicked and exclaimed, “I can’t help it! How can I defy the orders from above?! Absolute obedience is required in the Embroidered Uniform Guards!”
“What a convenient excuse. Just say ‘I was ordered to’ and it’s all over. Even if thousands die in madness.”
Captain Ryu spoke pitifully, likely revealing his true feelings.
“Whoever you are, this is foolish. The power of the Embroidered Uniform Guards is far greater than you think. Even with the protection of the Nine Martial Sects, you cannot escape death.”
“I know. Your organization is divided into ten groups, and you are a group leader and Cheonho.”
“……!!”
Captain Ryu’s eyes widened in shock. What I had said was essentially the organizational structure and a secret of the Embroidered Uniform Guards. I looked at him impassively and said,
“Don’t be surprised. From now on, you will spill everything about the Embroidered Uniform Guards – their organizational structure, secrets, headquarters, objectives, and the martial arts skills of their leaders.”
My revelation was a warning that I could detect any lies.
“If I tell you all this, will you let me live?”
“Of course.”
Captain Ryu rolled his eyes desperately and began to spill information. I listened calmly, particularly interested in the relations between the Embroidered Uniform Guards and other organizations.
I pressed for more information. After about an hour of listening, I asked, “So, this was their ‘first attempt’?”
“As far as I know, yes…”
It was a relief. According to Captain Ryu, this was the first time the Embroidered Uniform Guards and sorcerers collaborated on a massacre. This meant there were no previous village sacrifices. By thwarting this plot, we had prevented the monsters from growing stronger.
I glanced at Mang-ryang. He seemed indifferent. Based on the justification I had given, it was natural for Mang-ryang to be skeptical, but it seemed he had considered this possibility from the start.
“When did the sorcerer interpret the Nameless Ritual Sacrifice Rites?”
“About a year ago… That’s when the initial plan was drafted, and the troops of the Embroidered Uniform Guards began their specialized training.”
One year ago.
Reflecting on his words, I asked,
“You’re capable of using a special kind of speech charm to brainwash people. How is that possible?”
“What are you talking about…”
“……”
Crackle
Captain Ryu’s response and my subsequent action of intensifying the Eight Trigrams Seal indicated that I was not just seeking information but was also testing his truthfulness. The subtleties of these interrogative techniques reflect the depth and complexity of the martial arts world portrayed in the novel.
“Aaagh!! Alright, alright! The ten captains, including myself, received the power of brainwashing speech charms from the sorcerer!”
As I suspected, this was not a mere trick from the Left Path sects. It felt more like a malevolent power from another realm, likely given to the captains, the controllers, to persuade and brainwash new recruits into the Embroidered Uniform Guards.
“How did you learn it? That being can’t speak human language.”
“It can’t speak, but it has the ability to communicate innate words to the sorcerer. And it’s believed that it taught more advanced techniques to the deputy commander and the commander.”
“Advanced techniques? Are they also speech charms?”
“I don’t know. But ever since they learned them, both the deputy commander and the commander have become much stronger.”
“Stronger? To what extent?”
Captain Ryu hesitated before responding, “Originally, the commanders of the Embroidered Uniform Guards and Eastern Depot 9organization of eunuchs) were almost equal in martial prowess, both considered supreme in the martial world. But a year ago, the power dynamics changed. The commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guards overwhelmingly defeated the Eastern Depot admiral, and since then, the Eastern Depot has been supporting the Embroidered Uniform Guards with their intelligence network.”
“……!!”
This was unexpected information.
If true, it meant the top commanders of the Embroidered Uniform Guards and the Easter Depot were initially on par with the grandmasters of the Nine Great Sects. But if the Embroidered Uniform Guards’ leader could ‘overwhelmingly’ defeat them, it suggested his skills surpassed even the supreme masters. The only ones I knew of with such ability were, at most, the likes of Threefold Expert Lee Gwang.
If I intend to eliminate the Embroidered Uniform Guards, the key would be whether I can defeat their commander. Pondering this, I asked Captain Ryu,
“If Taoist Hyuncheon and I joined forces against your commander, what would our chances be?”
“……”
“Answer me.”
Captain Ryu reluctantly replied,
“You both are formidable warriors, rare even among the top martial masters… But even together, I don’t think you could defeat the commander. His power has transcended humanity.”
“I see.”
It didn’t seem likely that Captain Ryu, having divulged even his family’s whereabouts, would lie about this. The commander’s strength must indeed be formidable.
“Then, is this commander considered the strongest in the imperial court?”
“Undoubtedly. The plan was predicated on turning all the forces of the martial world against us, but with the commander in charge, it was calculated that victory wouldn’t be difficult.”
“Hmm.”
“Is that enough now? Release me!”
It was then I heard a voice from behind.
“Not yet.”
I turned around to see Mang-ryang and Taoist Hyuncheon walking towards us. Mang-ryang’s complexion had notably improved after receiving meticulous Qi healing. He was no longer coughing.
Pointing at Captain Ryu, Mang-ryang said,
“Start from the beginning and ask the same questions again.”
“……!!”
The despair in Captain Ryu’s face deepened. Noticing my curious glance, Mang-ryang explained the reason.
“There’s a look in his eyes that suggests he thinks he just needs to survive this situation. While not everything he told you is a lie, he might have mixed in some falsehoods or conveniently omitted information. We need to ask again until he starts revealing the truth.”
“But he might die from this.”
“You should be able to adjust the intensity appropriately. I will watch him closely, so proceed without worry.”
Mang-ryang seemed to have a knack for discerning a person’s truthfulness. I glanced at Taoist Hyuncheon, who turned his head and said,
“I understand all this is for the justice of the martial world.”
This reassured me. I had been uncomfortable about a detached Taoist like Hyuncheon being involved in such intense interrogation. But he seemed to have realized the gravity of the situation and was willing to gather as much information as possible to protect himself and his disciples. It appeared that in dire circumstances, Taoist Hyuncheon could accept reality.
“So be it. I’ll try to keep you alive.”
As I prepared to apply the Eight Trigrams Seal again, Captain Ryu screamed as if having a seizure.
“Stop it, pleaseeeee!!!!”
The interrogation ended two hours later.
“Hehe…”
Captain Ryu was a wreck, drooling and soiled, sitting in a chair. It was better to have him seated than lying down for this. Repeated torture had driven him half-mad. It was possible to break a person like this with pain alone, without any physical harm.
Mang-ryang had watched the entire process, pointing out any lies or omissions. Thus, I was confident that the information we had extracted this time was mostly true.
Mang-ryang then spoke to Taoist Hyuncheon.
“It’s fortunate your disciples didn’t come on time. If they had, it would have been difficult to extricate them from this.”
“What should I do now?”
“Return to Taejong Hall immediately and meet your disciples. Find a plausible excuse, maybe to chase bandits or something. You’ll bear some bad reputation, but it’s better than getting entangled unnecessarily with the Embroidered Uniform Guards.”
“I’ll do as you say.”
Taoist Hyuncheon looked uneasy, perhaps due to suddenly learning such shocking truths. He likely never expected that the Embroidered Uniform Guards were aiding a sorcerer. Now, his concern was to divert attention from the Wudang Sect and avoid unnecessary trouble.
Taoist Hyuncheon should be able to extricate himself from this situation without much risk. The Embroidered Uniform Guards might suspect him, but given his stature in the martial world and the Embroidered Uniform Guards’ own dubious activities, they likely wouldn’t act rashly and would probably just keep an eye on him.
Taoist Hyuncheon looked at me and asked, “What will you do?”
“What do you mean?”
“Having destroyed the Embroidered Uniform Guards and with the evil sorcerer dead, do you still plan to confront the Embroidered Uniform Guards further?”
His tone was probing.
I shook my head as if it was obvious.
“Not at all. Fighting the Embroidered Uniform Guards any further is too risky. I plan to erase all traces and go into hiding.”
“I see.”
“I’ll take care of the rest here. You should hurry to do what a Taoist must do.”
“Understood.”
Whoosh
Taoist Hyuncheon disappeared from the room. Once I was sure he had left, Mang-ryang approached me.
“You’re lying. You don’t seem like someone who’d stop here.”
“……”
Sssshhh!
Without a word, I swiftly executed a hand-chop, severing Captain Ryu’s neck. His head slipped off almost bloodlessly. From the beginning, I had no intention of leaving him alive. Wiping the blood off my hand, I explained my reasoning.
“Of course. We’re in a position like a tiger and a horse at full speed; we need to crush the Embroidered Uniform Guards to the point they’re shut down for at least ten years. If their execution force is devastated, even the emperor’s will can do little.”
This approach was safer. Tentatively evading would only allow the enemy to grow stronger, similar to how the demons gain power. The royal family would continuously make favorable decisions. My plan was to utterly destroy them before they could even think of pursuing me.
“Also, this moment of confusion and investigation is an opportunity. With one unit of the Embroidered Uniform Guards destroyed and the sorcerer dead, they will struggle to act rationally for a while. During this hiatus, we must gather information and strike back.”
“Why do you dislike the idea of hiding?”
“It’s not about liking or disliking; it’s not feasible. Today’s traces aren’t completely erased. Sooner or later, the Embroidered Uniform Guards will come hunting for me.”
Mang-ryang smiled bitterly.
“Your judgment has sharpened through these battles. You’re right.”
“What will you do?”
“I must follow you, Baek Woong. We’re in the same boat now.”
Mang-ryang’s eyes sparkled as he spoke.
“There’s a saying, ‘Strike while the iron is hot.’ If you’re determined, Baek-woong, there’s a way to swiftly crush the Embroidered Uniform Guards.”
“What is it?”
Mang-ryang’s following words determined our next destination.
“Let’s seek help from my master in Luoyang.”
Mang-ryang’s master, the true Monk Mang-ryang!
As the greatest sorcerer of the Central Plains, even Wudang Sect elders held him in awe. We were heading to seek assistance from this venerable figure.
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