Chapter 141
Eunuch Han, who had been struck by So-ah's Iron Head Art, flew nearly ten feet and was thrown to the ground, feeling an extreme pain as if his skull was being crushed.
"Keu-euk...!"
Somehow, although the part that was hit was his head, blood gushed from his throat.
It was a phenomenon of blood backflow due to a concussion and internal injuries.
It was, without a doubt, the first insult and humiliation he had experienced since becoming the head of the Eastern Depot.
But.
'What a terrible repulsive force... it won't be easy to break that old man.'
So-ah, who had actually landed the Iron Head Art, on the contrary, frowned.
The Iron Head Art was imbued with the great power of his 'awakened' state.
Therefore, he had expected that at least Eunuch Han's skull would be shattered...
'He's the first person I've seen who didn't lose consciousness even after being hit squarely by the Iron Head Art, after Master Gwangwon. How can a eunuch old geezer have such a good constitution?'
Moreover, the So-ah who had fought with Master Gwangwon and the So-ah of now were on a different level.
Besides, wasn't Master Gwangwon a master of bare-handed combat, and a master of external qi art whose whole body was covered with skin and muscles like steel?
'It must be the mystery of the Sunflower Manual.'
So-ah once again vowed that he would definitely seize the Sunflower Manual from Eunuch Han today.
In that moment.
Eunuch Han, who had collapsed, raised his body and growled.
Before the humiliation of his later years, his eyes burned like lava, as if singing of his anger.
"How da-a-are you! I swear on my honor, even if I die, I will gouge out your eyes!"
Simultaneously.
From Eunuch Han's entire body, hundreds of transparent threads made of Vajra Heavenly Silkworm Thread once again burst out with an explosive sound and covered the surroundings.
'There are sharp golden needles at the end of the threads. It was a good thing I came wearing the soft-armored mail.'
In So-ah's naked eye, the fine metal attached to the end of the threads came into view.
The metal was a golden needle in the shape of a gear, and it was designed and refined to completely sever the muscles and tendons the moment it was embedded in the skin.
But since he had the soft-armored mail he had obtained from the trial of the second room, So-ah did not feel any particular fear.
"Eunuch grandpa. Let's see how long you can last."
So-ah, who had said that, rushed forward with his lightness skill, letting out a roar.
***
The weapon that Eunuch Han used was so difficult and peculiar that the expression 'bizarre' was not enough, and it became a difficult task for So-ah.
In fact, it was called a weapon, but it wasn't even a weapon.
An innumerable number of transparent threads continuously shot out from his body and clashed with So-ah's fist strikes...
The surprising thing was that these threads dug into So-ah's weak points like living organisms.
In a word.
'This isn't a one-on-one fight, it's a one-on-a-thousand fight, dammit.'
So-ah had to fall into the illusion that he was fighting a battle with thousands of soldiers.
In the meantime.
From the Heaven-Shattering Consecutive Cannon to the Human Sword Single Strike, the Heavenly Bird Thunder Kick, the Eight Walls of the High Mountain, and the Tsunami Explosion Kick.
So-ah's body, which had been pouring out all the attack arts of the Ten-Second Invincible Arts and narrowing the distance with Eunuch Han, was tightly bound by thousands of transparent threads.
No matter how much So-ah's divine might was like a light imbued with lightning, unless he performed a cloning technique, there was no way to strike down all the thousands of organically moving threads.
"Kekeke... I can finally put an end to you!"
Eunuch Han, who had been one-sidedly pushed back and had only been retreating, could not help but rejoice.
Because he couldn't even dream of a counterattack, let alone a preemptive strike, and to make matters worse, his internal injuries were also serious, so if this continued, he wouldn't be able to last even one shichen.
But.
"Eunuch grandpa. Are you happy? Kekekek."
The moment he saw So-ah's smiling face, Eunuch Han realized that something was wrong.
Complacency eventually became a fatal mistake.
So-ah's torso became a wind point.
The wind power derived from the wind point swirled roughly and then manifested a huge whirlwind.
Simultaneously,
"H-Hee-ik!"
The thousands of threads were soon entangled with the whirlwind that So-ah had created, and even Eunuch Han's body was submerged in the typhoon.
'Done, you're caught!'
This was So-ah's intentionally designed strategy.
Under the judgment that he could not possibly strike down all the threads, he had revealed a weak point, created a situation where he could neither move forward nor backward, and had then executed the Iron Armor Great Rotation to entangle Eunuch Han.
"Uwa-a-a-a-a-a!"
So-ah, the transparent threads, and Eunuch Han.
The moment the complicated three-formed creatures became entangled and became one with the typhoon.
Eunuch Han cried, and So-ah laughed.
***
—They say that the number of strange and extraordinary people in the martial world is like the sand of the Yangtze River!
An adage he had heard until his ears were calloused.
So-ah keenly felt those words anew.
'It was quite a struggle. If I hadn't achieved the Profound Realm in the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons, I might not have been able to win.'
He had thought he could win easily since Eunuch Han was just a eunuch.
But when he actually opened the lid, Eunuch Han's martial arts were among the strongest of the people So-ah had faced, so he had to draw out the power of his 'awakening' and fight a desperate battle for nearly one *shichen*.
"Didn't you listen carefully?!"
Flash—
...he was able to bring Eunuch Han to his knees and give him the humiliation of having to raise his hands.
'...Eunuch Han, who had intended to seize not only the martial world but also the imperial court and become the master of the world, has become such a dog-like figure!'
At that sight, the former Eastern Depot agent, now a hostage, once again realized the futility of life and the truth that there is always someone better than the best, and became solemn.
'Yes... I am not being servile. In front of that human... in front of that devil-like brat, anyone in the world would become like that.'
He rationalized himself that way.
In any case, after doing so, his heart became much lighter.
Of course, for Eunuch Han, it was just the beginning.
"Jusht... jusht... let me live...(Just, just let me live.)"
Eunuch Han's hair had been torn out, and he was revealing a bald head covered in blood.
Moreover, most of his teeth were gone, and his gums had receded, so his pronunciation was slurred...
So-ah, who was watching that desperate sight, smiled with satisfaction, and then suddenly pouted and said playfully.
"Hmm... that's difficult. I want to let you live, but you've committed too many sins, and your life and death are not under my authority. Ah! How regrettable!"
In an instant, the hostage man trembled once again.
'It's not just his martial arts. He's definitely the best in the world at mocking people too!'
But as if he had no pride, Eunuch Han once again pleaded earnestly.
"How can you shay... that my life and death... are not in your handsh?(How can you say... that my life and death... are not in your hands?)"
"Ah! That's because of your position, old man. The head of the Eastern Depot is a big shot among big shots, right? It's a big waste to just beat you to death with my own hands. Besides, you conspired with the White Lotus Cult to plot a rebellion, so shouldn't I wrap up that crime and throw it at them? At that point, His Majesty the Emperor will also issue an imperial edict to subjugate the White Lotus Cult. If we borrow the power of the country to catch those guys, the work will be much easier, right?"
At So-ah's words, not only Eunuch Han but also the hostage man were so impressed that they clicked their tongues.
'Ah! Was this guy looking several moves ahead...?'
'I thought his purpose was to seize the Sunflower Manual and Eunuch Han's illegally accumulated assets... but that wasn't it. He was drawing a big picture from the beginning!'
Of course.
'Killing two birds with one stone, good for the sister and good for the brother-in-law, isn't it? Kekeke.'
So-ah's inner thoughts were that obtaining the Sunflower Manual was the top priority, seizing the wealth was the second, and the rest was just a secondary part.
"So, eunuch old man."
"..."
"First, hand over the Sunflower Manual and the slush fund you've hidden."
***
"Kwa-a-a-a-ak!"
"Uwa-a-a-a-ak!"
Thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack!
"Keu-ha-a-a-ak!"
He had not expected this.
He had just said that the Sunflower Manual was only in his head, that he had burned the original, and that he did not have the slush fund with him at the moment.
But So-ah, who had been speaking respectfully as if he felt pity just a moment ago, suddenly changed and started hitting him on the head.
But that flick on the head had such a powerful force that Eunuch Han was covered in the pain of his soul scattering.
"Shtop! Shtop it! Why are you doing thish!(Stop! Stop it! Why are you doing this!)"
"What are you saying, you eunuch bastard!"
"Ku-wa-a-a-ak!"
"Phew, I'm so pissed off, really. I called you old man, old man, so you thought I was a pushover? What? You burned the Sunflower Manual and you don't have the slush fund with you now? Are you kidding me, you bastard? Ah, this won't do. Let's just get hit more."
Only then did the hostage man realize that So-ah's purpose was only money.
That the human named Jin So-ah was a person who was crazy about money.
'I was mistaken for a moment. As expected, that human is a devil.'
So-ah clenched his fist and raised his right hand high into the air.
In that moment.
"W-Wait!"
Eunuch Han shouted, restraining him.
"I'll... I'll give you everything... the Shuflower Manual... and the shlush fund..."
Only then.
Grin—
So-ah smiled sinisterly.
"You should have done that from the beginning. Aww! Hey, old man. I'm a person who knows the order of seniority. It would have been nice if you had just given it to me from the beginning, right? What is this, what is this? Anyway, give me what you have to give. I'll hand you over to Lord Bao, the magistrate of Kaifeng, so you can ride the dog-headed guillotine and go to the underworld. That's humane enough, right?"
Eunuch Han nodded his head.
Then, he took out a very small wooden box from his bosom and held it out to So-ah.
"What is this?"
"That... that ish..."
***
So-ah, who had heard Eunuch Han's words, was astonished.
At the same time, he shifted his gaze to the wooden box.
'Divine Skill Wooden Box'
Because that wooden box was a 'dharma treasure' named the 'Divine Skill Wooden Box', a thing that contained a great power.
"So. I can store all sorts of things in this small wooden box? And if the owner's magical power is outstanding, I can load more capacity?"
"That's right... that wooden box... when I went to Dongyeong (Japan) as a communicasion envoy... from the Heavenly King... I received it as a gift... it's a rare and precious..."
"Ah-ah! That's enough. Your voice is already terrible, but your pronunciation makes it even more creepy. Phew, you uselessly long-lived old geezer."
'Son of a bitch!'
Whose fault is it that my pronunciation is like this!
It's because I was hit by you and my teeth and gums were all shattered, that's why!
Eunuch Han, who was trembling with rage, cursed So-ah clearly in his mind.
But So-ah's attention was entirely focused on the dharma treasure called the 'Divine Skill Wooden Box'.
So-ah opened the lid of the wooden box.
Then, inside the wooden box, a black ki that could not be projected was forming a curtain of darkness, and it seemed that the use of this dharma treasure was a bag of 'subspace' designed with mysterious powers and techniques.
Thrust—
So-ah immediately put his hand inside the wooden box.
"Oh!"
Then, wasn't something caught in his hand, which had been sucked in deep?
So-ah did not hesitate and pulled it out.
What was in his hand was.
"Th-That's a gold ingot, isn't it?!"
It was a gold ingot that was sparkling, emitting a yellow light.
Simultaneously.
"I... I hit the jackpot!!!"
So-ah shouted at the sky.
How long had it been since he had obtained the treasure of the Ghost Valley Villa in the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons, and now he had even gotten a rare dharma treasure and a gold ingot.
It was only natural that the words 'I hit the jackpot' would come out...
He put his hand in again.
"Again!"
He put his hand in again.
"Again... again? How many gold ingots are there?"
This time, he put both hands into the wooden box and pulled out whatever he could grab at random.
"Gold ingots... this... is a bank note? How much is it? 200,000 silver coins?! And... this is a diamond?!"
This was truly a jackpot, a bountiful harvest, good luck, and heavenly luck.
A light of joy appeared on So-ah's face.
But.
"Kwa-a-a-a-a-ak!"
So-ah's stone fist once again presented Eunuch Han's head with a mountain peak-like lump.
This time, it was so painful that Eunuch Han could not even protest.
He could only grab his head and roll on the floor.
Watching such an Eunuch Han, So-ah let out a roar.
"You eunuch who deserves to be struck by lightning and die! How can a guy who works for the country take so much slush fund? The common people work their tongues out to pay taxes, and after taking care of their families, they don't even have enough money to buy a new set of clothes for the Spring Festival. This eunuch bastard has really taken a lot, hasn't he?"
Aren't you going to swallow all that money anyway?
Besides, it would be a relief if you were struck by lightning and died, a relief!
You're like a common dog of the world!
Eunuch Han wanted to say those words.
He wanted to say them so much.
That tears flowed.
(End of Chapter)