Chapter 73
“Ugh… ugh… just let me live. Please just let me live!”
“I’ll do whatever you say. So please!”
“Your Excellency! I have a sick old mother at home. I won’t hesitate to do any dirty work, so please just spare my life!”
A musty, dusty smell and the scent of blood simultaneously pierced the nose in the underground stone chamber.
The young men and women in their twenties who had been dragged here numbered over a hundred.
They looked around with terrified eyes.
In the air, what appeared to be human entrails were hanging like curtains, and the floor was soaked with blood.
Unless one was a fool, one could tell that something terrible had happened here, and that it was about to happen again.
Therefore, all the young men and women who had been dragged here could easily guess that they would be the next sacrifice.
‘My goodness… what is all this!’
Wi-ji Chan could not hide his astonishment.
After realizing that the force behind the Black Water Sect was a group called the ‘White Lotus Cult,’ he had infiltrated through espionage and had changed his face and body shape with a transformation technique.
Thanks to that, it didn’t take long for him to find out that the Black Water Sect was kidnapping people on a large scale, and today, he had even witnessed the terrible fact that they were digging out the entrails of living people and collecting their fresh blood.
Although he was an evil sect member, since Wi-ji Chan had a soft heart, he could not help but tremble at the hellish situation in the room.
Tremble.
It was when Wi-ji Chan’s shoulders were trembling violently.
—Clank!
The iron door at the edge of the underground stone chamber, which had been firmly closed, opened…
Figures wearing masks carved with beasts on their cloaks strode into the room.
Among them, a man opened his mouth softly.
“You ignorant children. How can you show tears before a sacred ritual?”
Although it was a small voice, everyone could hear it clearly.
‘Profound internal energy.’
Wi-ji Chan realized that the masked man’s internal energy was considerable.
“Please save me!”
“Please… please!”
“I’ll do anything! So please just let me live!”
Just as the screams of the kidnapped young people were echoing like cries.
“@#$%%&*…!”
A strange sound that was completely incomprehensible came out of the masked man’s mouth.
For Wi-ji Chan, who was well-versed in not only Chinese but also Sanskrit and Korean to some extent due to his extensive knowledge from a young age, it was a strange language he had never heard before.
‘No…!’
Wi-ji Chan was astonished again.
But the surprise was not because of the unfamiliarity of the strange language.
It was because of the wave that the strange language possessed. Surprisingly, that wave was spreading only to the kidnapped young men and women.
Of course, if Wi-ji Chan’s ki sense had not developed to the point where he could even detect a sharp ki wave, he would never have noticed.
“Ugh…”
“Aaaah!”
“Take me! Take me away!”
The people, who had been consumed by the wave of the strange language, quickly lost their focus, drooled, and began to murmur like people who had lost their minds.
‘It’s a hypnotic spell. To cast a hypnotic spell with just a simple voice. He’s a sorcerer with considerable magical power!’
A conflict arose in Wi-ji Chan’s heart.
No.
It was closer to a killing intent.
It was because the masked man’s hypnotic spell was so dangerous.
‘What if that person casts a hypnotic spell on me? I might be defeated without any countermeasures.’
That sense of crisis.
At the same time, a curiosity about the ‘White Lotus Cult,’ which possessed such a sorcerer.
Wi-ji Chan agonized over whether to immediately slaughter the sorcerer and intimidate the members of the Black Water Sect to conduct a large-scale investigation into the White Lotus Cult, or to watch the situation further and act secretly.
But.
—Clang, clang!
Soon, Wi-ji Chan’s head and heart became completely empty.
Shashashashashak!
Hundreds of transparent threads stretched out from the hands of the figures wearing masks on their cloaks, and soon, those threads began to cut open people’s stomachs.
Rip, riiiip!
The flesh of living humans was torn like paper.
In the midst of the pouring entrails and the flowing fresh blood like a fountain.
Even in the face of death, the people under the hypnotic spell were clearly smiling at the empty air.
‘These people… what on earth…’
Wi-ji Chan’s resolve wavered precariously.
It was not that he was afraid of the cruel sight.
Because he had the martial arts to slaughter everyone in the room if he put his mind to it.
But he was also human.
As long as he was human, he could not be fine after witnessing such a scene of carnage.
A nauseating feeling of foreignness enveloped his whole body, and it felt as if he would vomit at any moment.
‘I have to get a grip.’
In a moment of crisis, Wi-ji Chan composed himself.
If he couldn’t control a moment of anger and stepped forward, it might become a situation of beating the grass and startling the snake.
‘It’s not time yet. Until I dig into their core, I have to hide my identity.’
Wi-ji Chan, who had barely suppressed his killing intent, clenched his fist tightly.
***
“The number one hero in the world, one shot loaded!”
“Loaded!”
“Continuous playback until the Twin Dragon Fortress!”
“Ah! Like the sand of the Yangtze River!”
“The heroes of the Jianghu~ Among them!”
“The most shining one is me!”
“Let’s go! Let’s go! To the martial world! Upholding righteousness!”
Henan, Wuzheng Mountain.
A tremendous singing voice that echoed throughout the foothills of the mountain erupted.
The source of the melody was none other than a few students of the Human Division, led by So-ah.
‘Why are they becoming more and more like So-ah?’
‘They must all be crazy.’
‘This is getting more and more out of hand!’
The faces of those who were watching So-ah and a few students were filled with bewilderment.
Although they had been so worried about this journey that they had lost sleep at night when they left the academy…
As soon as they spent about 10 days with So-ah and arrived in Henan, they had completely forgotten their worries about the Green Forest Demon Emperor, Jang Beon-pal, and were even humming a song, so it was natural for them to be dumbfounded.
But it was understandable.
Because even the prudent Tang Il-gi had forgotten his worries while watching So-ah’s confidence.
‘I’m crazy too. For some reason, I’m not afraid of anything when I’m with Young Master Jin.’
All the students must have been thinking that.
As they ran hard while singing like that, time passed meaninglessly, and soon the Human Division was able to reach their destination.
Before their eyes, a dozen or so grand and splendid residences, which were hard to believe were the residences of mere mountain bandits, unfolded with a magnificent presence.
“Waaaaah!”
“This is…”
“The Twin Dragon Fortress, the holy land of the Green Forest?”
The Eighteen Fortresses of the Green Forest.
There was no need to mention its long history.
It had long been known as the representative bandit group of the Jianghu, and the martial arts of the successive general fortress lords were also renowned as first-rate, so it was a force that no one could dare to look down on.
In addition, the current general fortress lord, Jang Beon-pal, was not only proudly listed among the Ten Great Masters of the Unorthodox Path, but was also called an eccentric who was unpredictable due to his eccentric character.
The hearts of the students, who had been so relaxed that they were even humming a song, began to pound.
But.
“Is anyone there!!”
So-ah’s single shout erupted without regard for the students’ anxious hearts.
‘The first greeting…’
‘What’s with that?’
‘I don’t know…’
In a moment of regret.
As expected, burly men with extremely fierce appearances approached, frowned, and asked bluntly.
“Who are you guys?”
At that, So-ah’s eyebrows also drew into an eight-character shape.
“You guys?”
“What?”
“Why are you so rude for a bunch of thieves?”
“What?!”
“Be careful.”
“…”
“You’ll shit blood if you keep that up.”
He had decided not to act rashly.
He had said he would try to negotiate through conversation.
All of So-ah’s promises were lies.
‘No, what…’
‘A dispute as soon as we arrive?’
‘It’s my fault for trusting that human, ugh!’
The students frowned and squeezed their eyes shut.
***
Gulp.
A touch-and-go situation.
At least, for the students.
But So-ah did not think so at all.
“As for myself, I am a guest who has come to the Twin Dragon Fortress on a mission from the Martial Alliance. But I’m a little offended. Do you guys treat your guests like this?”
Several thoughts simultaneously crossed the minds of the mountain bandits.
The Martial Alliance.
It was certainly a name they could not ignore.
But could they just let this young brat’s arrogance slide?
In the first place, the mountain bandits of the Twin Dragon Fortress were different from ordinary mountain bandits in their courage.
As long as the general fortress lord, Jang Beon-pal, was holding out, there was no need to be afraid even of the Martial Alliance.
“Keke. The young brat seems to be acting up, trusting in the name of the Martial Alliance. It seems you’ve come because of the matter of the Daemyeong Escort Agency. If you don’t want to be punished, either get lost or offer a gift and enter the mountain fortress.”
“What gift?”
“If you want to enter the Twin Dragon Fortress, you should naturally offer a gift.”
“Is there such a law in the world?”
“You arrogant brat! Did you climb Wuzheng Mountain without even knowing the laws of the Twin Dragon Fortress? With just a bunch of brats who haven’t even shed their baby fat?”
With a jeer, the mountain bandits burst into laughter.
At that, not only So-ah, but also the students who had been silent, were furious.
‘Although Jang Beon-pal is a great man…’
‘Those mountain bandit bastards, who are not even a handful, are ignoring us?’
‘Ah… I’m getting pissed off.’
In particular, Han Baek, whose character was similar to So-ah’s, had his face contorted in red and blue.
In that moment.
A sly smirk began to appear on So-ah’s face.
‘Let’s be prepared.’
‘What’s going to happen is going to happen.’
‘I’ll bet my wrist that that thief’s head will be broken.’
The students did not fail to notice that it was So-ah’s ‘pre-explosion phenomenon’.
As expected.
“Ah! That’s right! A gift. I have to prepare a gift. Look at my mind. Hey, thief. I’m sorry.”
“Wh-What?”
—Thwack!
So-ah’s stone fist was embedded in the mountain bandit’s head.
“Ugh!”
The scream was not long.
With the end of a single syllable, the mountain bandit’s body collapsed like a rotten old tree.
“You crazy bastard!”
—Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!
At the same time, the other mountain bandits let out a warning cry and drew their swords.
Although they had been prepared since the opponent had mentioned the ‘Martial Alliance,’ they were flustered because they had not expected him to act so recklessly.
But.
Thwack!
So-ah’s body was like lightning.
In a flash, So-ah’s foot was embedded in the mountain bandit’s abdomen, and soon, the club held in his right hand began to stir up the room like a living venomous snake, drawing a parabola.
Thwack, thwack, thwack!
“Aaaaaaack!”
“Kwaaak!”
“Ouch!”
In an instant, a dozen or so mountain bandits screamed and fell like autumn leaves.
“A gift?”
Thwack, thwack, thwack!
“A giiiift?”
Thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack!
“Even if they are thieves, if a guest comes, they should at least offer a bowl of cold water, but a gift? Hah! These arrogant bastards…”
So-ah growled and cursed at the fallen mountain bandits.
“I knew it.”
“You have to be careful when you threaten people.”
The students, as if they had expected it, just showed an indifferent reaction.
But just then.
“Who dares to cause a commotion in my house!”
A huge roar that made one’s hair stand on end echoed like an echo.
‘A great lion’s roar!’
For a moment, the students froze.
Even So-ah was surprised and his eyes widened.
Before their eyes, a man with a height of eight feet and a fierce face reminiscent of a demon appeared.
***
“Are you the master of this mountain fortress?”
“You? Master? Look at this brat.”
So-ah thought that he had finally met a proper opponent today.
Although he had maintained an attitude of not bowing to anyone, regardless of age or seniority, using his martial arts and special status, it seemed that such things would not work on the person in front of him.
‘I’ve never seen a person bigger than Grandpa Wi-ji in my life.’
Moreover, his ki was also unusual.
If the Diamond Indestructible Body existed, wouldn’t it look like that?
Muscles that looked like they would burst, as if they were wrapped in iron armor.
A fierce impression and a murderous gaze that would make even the grim reaper cry.
Moreover, his huge height, which seemed to easily exceed eight feet, was enough to make one tremble just by looking at it.
But.
“I’ll ask you one more time. Are you the master of this Twin Dragon Fortress?”
A faint smirk appeared on So-ah’s face as he asked back.
(End of Chapter)