Chapter 137
Uncle Chil-bok.
A middle-aged man in his fifties, now a benevolent worker of Liaoning who had long since washed his hands of his past, but.
In his youth, he was not just good with his fists, but was a man called 'the devil', unparalleled in tormenting people.
Therefore, there was no one in the entertainment district of Liaoning who did not know Uncle Chil-bok.
Because even now, his juniors, former gangsters, current waiters, or red-light district uncles, would flinch at the mere sight of Uncle Chil-bok's face.
Since that was the case, it was needless to say for Yuk Jeong-ran, who had been in Liaoning for over 10 years, and even So-ah, who had been serving as the chairman of the <Liaoning Shopping District Prosperity General Assembly> since the year before last, had heard the rumors.
Seeking help from such an Uncle Chil-bok was an excellent choice.
"Lady Yuk. How long do you think it will take?"
"He'll be completely broken in half a day."
"That guy is no ordinary tough nut."
"Do you think Uncle Chil-bok was called 'the devil' in the dark world of his youth for no reason? That place is different from the martial world. What more is there to say when Uncle Chil-bok was the worst of the worst even in a world where only pure villains gathered? Hohoho!"
"But how did he become so kind? He's called a bodhisattva now."
"They say his daughter was born while he was living as a gangster. After that, he got his act together and started living diligently."
While Uncle Chil-bok was preparing his torture tools, So-ah and Yuk Jeong-ran had a conversation.
Myo-seon, who was listening to the conversation, turned pale, and the Eastern Depot man, who was about to have a beautiful fight with the devil,
'Those things... those things... about me... uwa-a-a-ak!'
...trembled his legs.
Fear is originally amplified by vague imagination.
***
Uncle Chil-bok's torture technique was so terrible that it was hard to describe.
So much so that Myo-seon and Yuk Jeong-ran could not watch and had to leave.
Were those two ordinary women?
Myo-seon was a 100-man commander-level official of the Martial Alliance in the blood-splattering martial world, and Yuk Jeong-ran was a seasoned businesswoman who had experienced all sorts of hardships.
But even with the courage of two people who were bolder than ordinary people, Uncle Chil-bok's torture was so cruel that they could not watch it with their eyes open.
Even So-ah.
'He's really scary. Uncle Chil-bok is one thing, but that guy's will to endure it is also tough, so tough.'
He had no choice but to click his tongue.
Uncle Chil-bok first cut off the man's two ears nicely.
Then, as blood flowed like a fountain, he quickly stopped the bleeding with a prepared gauze towel and hemostatic medicine, and then opened his mouth.
"Since he's a guy who committed murder and human sacrifice, he's a tough nut. Then shall we slice this part this time?"
What was surprising was that even while uttering such a murderous line, Uncle Chil-bok's expression was extremely calm.
"Kwa-a-a-ak! Y-You son of a bitch! I'll kill you! I'll definitely kill you! I'll peel off your skin and sprinkle salt on it, and then I'll gouge out the eyes of your family and kill them!!"
The Eastern Depot man had a seizure.
How angry must he be, a member of the Eastern Depot, the second major martial force of the imperial palace, being tortured by a mere tavern manager?
Besides.
'Dammit! To feel fear towards such a piece of trash! F*ck!'
It seemed he couldn't help it, being human.
Seeing Uncle Chil-bok, whose expression did not change even after neatly slicing off both ears, he no longer felt human, and the fear that had risen in a corner of his heart began to swell to an extreme.
But.
"How did you know?"
An unimaginable question came out of Uncle Chil-bok's mouth.
"Wh-What?"
"I was just thinking of peeling off the skin and sprinkling a lot of salt on it. And I was also going to gouge out the eyes. But you guessed it like a ghost. Do you use something like mind-reading?"
"You... you..."
"Now! Shall we start slicing the flesh? Young Hero Jin. Please tie a rope tightly around this guy's leg. If he moves around, I might cut a nerve while trying to just peel off the skin. To feel the pain to the extreme, I have to peel off just the skin!"
In an instant, So-ah was so dumbfounded that he couldn't utter a single word.
"What are you doing? Young Hero Jin. I asked you to tie this up."
"Ah... y-yes! Brother!"
Before he knew it, the word 'brother' came out of So-ah's mouth instead of 'uncle'.
***
"Kwa-a-a-a-ak!"
Chik—
Chik—
"Uwa-a-a-ak! Stop... stop it!"
Chik—
Chik—
Chik—
"Please... please just kill me! Jin So-ah! Aren't you the grand disciple of a prestigious orthodox sect? And you're still doing this, you're a human—!"
The Eastern Depot man could not finish his words.
The skin layer of his chest, which was one of the most sensitive parts of the body, was thinly sliced off, and salt was sprinkled on it.
The pain that accompanied it was an extreme pain that the man had never experienced before.
"My goodness! My ears are going to fall off. Seeing that you're still shouting at the top of your lungs, you must have a lot of energy left. Young Hero Jin. Do you see the ointment on the table over there? Please bring it to me. It seems salt won't be enough. No matter how tough a nut he is, if I apply the ointment, he'll come to his senses and have no choice but to confess."
"Yes! Brother Chil-bok!"
The moment So-ah's eyes lit up and he took a step to bring the ointment.
"Stooooop! Stop it! I'll... I'll talk! I'll tell you everything I know!"
The Eastern Depot man cried out.
"Huh? What... pfft!"
The moment So-ah saw the man, he burst out laughing.
Because he was sobbing with tears.
'No, there's no need to cry so sorrowfully?!'
If the Eastern Depot man had heard So-ah's thoughts, he would have cursed him using all the vocabulary he could muster.
In that moment.
Uncle Chil-bok asked So-ah.
"Young Hero Jin. What should we do? Shall we stop for a moment?"
"Ah... ah! Yes, brother. Let's at least hear what that guy has to say. Haha."
Hearing the confirmation of So-ah, who had affably upgraded his title from 'uncle' to 'brother', Uncle Chil-bok brushed the salt off his hands and said to the Eastern Depot man.
"Hey. Actually, the act of torturing you is very painful for me. But what can I do? Since you guys, whether it's the White Lotus Cult or whatever, are committing human sacrifice on innocent people, I have no choice but to contribute to stopping it by using my skills. Please confess everything coolly. If you make me use my hands one more time... I'm sorry, but then, you'll piss and shit a whole bucket."
'Y-You son of a... sob, sob...'
At the words of Uncle Chil-bok, which could be either comfort or intimidation, hot tears once again flowed down the Eastern Depot man's eyes.
***
"So, you're not a White Lotus Cultist. Is that what you're saying?"
"That's right... how many times have I said it? I have nothing to do with the White Lotus Cult."
"But where is this bastard speaking informally?"
So-ah mercilessly slammed his fist on the man's head.
"Uwa-a-a-ak!"
Although it was just a flick on the head with not even a handful of internal energy, So-ah's flick, whose bones were harder than steel, was a shock on the level of being hit on the head with a sledgehammer.
Only then did the Eastern Depot man.
'This guy is not human! The grand disciple of the Five Great Families! How can he be so atrocious? These two bastards are both just devils!'
...desperately realize that the two people in front of him, So-ah and Uncle Chil-bok, were just 'devils' who had excluded not only consultation, but also reason and principles.
"If you speak informally one more time, I'll grind your tongue and sprinkle salt on it."
"S-Salt? Hii-i-ik!"
The Eastern Depot man, who had come to his senses at the word 'salt', trembled and opened his mouth again.
"I... I understand. Informal... absolutely... I will absolutely not speak informally."
"That's right. Then now, confess your true identity and the forces behind you. Execute!"
"I... I am the 14th seat agent of the Eastern Depot, and the one behind me is Eunuch Han."
The man's words were shocking.
They had clearly appeared at the Heroes' Tournament and had caused a scene, and last night, hadn't they tried to kidnap Myo-seon?
He had thought they were naturally members of the White Lotus Cult.
But to be a member of the 'Eastern Depot', an organization of the imperial court of all places...
"Alright. But why did the Eastern Depot attack the Martial Alliance and try to kidnap Myo-seon?"
"That is..."
The circumstances of the past flowed out of the man's mouth.
The fact that Eunuch Han and the White Lotus Cult were in a cooperative, symbiotic relationship, and that through that cooperation, they intended to seize the world, starting with the martial world.
"Are you guys really in your right minds? You have a lot of nerve, a lot of nerve. You guys who live off the country's money join hands with a cult to deceive the world, and what's more? You're going to seize the world? The wooooorld?"
So-ah, who was dumbfounded, dragged out the end of his words in disbelief.
"Y-Young Hero Jin. Please... aren't I just a guy who does as he's told?"
"Hey, you bastard! Would you kill your parents if someone told you to? Look at this son of a bitch talking!"
"Kwa-a-a-ak!"
Unfortunately, the man was hit by So-ah's sledgehammer flick on the head once again.
Before he knew it, his head had risen high like a raised mountain peak.
But.
"Hey, hey! Stop with the theatrics. Huh? Let's start the interrogation again."
'This f*cking bastard!'
Theatrics?
Does this look like theatrics to you?
Ugh...
The Eastern Depot man, barely swallowing the words that were about to come out of his throat, nods his head.
"Then why on earth did you try to kidnap Myo-seon? Were you trying to get information?"
"N-No, Young Hero Jin."
"Then?"
"The girl named Myo-seon..."
"Girl?!"
"Ah... no! It is because the young lady named Myo-seon suffers from the Nine Yin Severed Meridians."
What the hell is this all about now?
As the situation became more and more complicated and confusing, So-ah, perhaps because his annoyance was welling up without him realizing it.
"Ah, what are you talking about, really!"
...once again slammed a flick on the man's head.
But, oh no!
It seems he had failed to control his strength.
The Eastern Depot man had fainted.
***
'So-o-o-lt... root... is...'
'Hmm...'
'So-o-o-lt... root... i-i-i-s...'
'Yes... I'm dead... it's better this way... to be able to die...'
'Sprinkle salt!'
'Gasp!!'
It didn't take long for the man to regain consciousness.
He had opened his eyes with a start at the words of So-ah, who was shouting about salt while pouring cold water on him.
"S-Salt... no!"
"You don't like salt, do you?"
"Yes!"
"Now. Then shall we confess why you tried to kidnap Myo-seon of all people?"
"That is! Young Hero Jin!"
After that, the words of the Eastern Depot man flowed like a stream, and his precise pronunciation and clear eloquence were no less than that of any eloquent speaker.
But the content of his words was so shocking that So-ah could not close his mouth, his eyes as wide as lanterns.
"So... that eunuch bastard named Eunuch Han has a peerless martial arts manual. And if a person suffering from the Nine Yin Severed Meridians learns it, they can achieve great success. Is that what you're saying?"
"Yes. As expected, you are so intelligent that you understood right away..."
"What, you punk! Are you being cheeky again?"
"I'm sorry..."
So-ah's head was spinning.
Especially, a great curiosity arose in the part about the <Peerless Martial Arts Manual>.
"Is it really a peerless martial art? That thing called the Sunflower Manual?"
"Hmm... as far as I know, Eunuch Han has learned about 7-star of the Sunflower Manual."
"How strong is that old geezer?"
"He... I heard that he has achieved bone-marrow washing, the gathering of the five qi, and the gathering of the three flowers."
"Where is this bastard lying?"
"Ah... it's true, Young Hero Jin!"
So-ah, barely suppressing his violently pounding heart, fell into thought.
'With just 7-star, he achieved bone-marrow washing, and not only the gathering of the five qi, but also the gathering of the three flowers? This... is truly...'
A jackpot.
If he could experience all the phenomena of the Transformation Realm with just 7-star, then when he mastered it up to the pinnacle of 12-star, it wouldn't matter if it was the Profound Realm or whatever, it would strongest unconditionally.
'The number one in the world!'
On the one hand, he even got goosebumps.
Of course, he couldn't believe the man's words as they were, but judging from the circumstances, he judged that there was some credibility.
"Hey!"
"Yes?"
"That thing called the Sunflower Manual."
"Yes?!"
"I think I have to take it."
"What... does that mean..."
"Where is Eunuch Han now?”
(End of Chapter)