The Blood Thunder Gate Master went deathly pale at the chief steward’s words.
“Your complexion looks terrible. Are you feeling unwell?”
“N-No. Could you at least tell my elder brother that I’m here? Tell him I have urgent business with him.”
“I’m sorry. The people the Gate Master is meeting right now concern the future of our sect.”
“Listen. I’m here over something that concerns the future of the Heavenly Yin Gate as well. So at least go tell him I’ve come.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I’ll explain everything once I see my brother. Just hurry and pass along the message.”
“Hmm. I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“The Gate Master gave strict orders that anyone who approached was to be killed. Even if that person was me.”
“Then take me to him. I’ll speak to my brother myself.”
“I can’t. If I did that, I’d be killed.”
“Listen, what I’m saying is—”
Just as the Blood Thunder Gate Master was trying to persuade the chief steward—
“Hey. That’s enough.”
The Blood Thunder Gate Master whipped around.
“He doesn’t want to see you. I’d say I’ve given you plenty of chances already, wouldn’t you?”
“J-Just give me a little longer...”
Jin Muryang bared his white teeth in a grin.
“I’ll handle it from here.”
CRUNCH—
“Urk!”
Jin Muryang’s hand clamped around the chief steward’s collar.
“I don’t like talking for long. Where’s your Gate Master? Take me to him.”
“Ghk! W-What do you think you’re doing?! R-Release me this instant!”
“Oh? You’ve got some backbone. Good. If you can endure this, I’ll let you go.”
Bluish energy rippled around Jin Muryang’s fingertips.
“Body-Shattering Meridian-Severing Torture. First Stage.”
CRRK— CRACK—
Wherever his fingers struck, the chief steward’s body began twisting in grotesque ways.
“Gghaaaaaagh!”
Bluish veins bulged all across his body, while his eyes swelled as though they might burst from their sockets at any moment.
His screams soon fell silent, but judging by his expression, the pain had not faded.
It had simply become so overwhelming that he could no longer scream.
Jin Muryang kindly explained.
“Body-Shattering Meridian-Severing Torture. It’s a torture technique I invented. There are eight stages in all, but most people can’t make it past the second. Shall we see how far you can get?”
The chief steward desperately tried to say something.
“Hm? What was that?”
Jin Muryang leaned closer and finally caught the faint voice.
“I-I’ll... do... anything... p-please...”
“What? Already? I haven’t even fully applied the first stage yet.”
Jin Muryang stared at him in disappointment.
“Still, we should at least finish the first stage. Don’t you think?”
Tremble, tremble—
The chief steward’s entire body shook violently like an aspen leaf.
The sight was so horrific that even the Blood Thunder Gate Master, who prided himself on having seen every manner of gruesome thing, squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head away.
Meanwhile, Jin Muryang continued his considerate explanation.
“The wonderful thing about this torture art is that once it’s over, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with your body. Fascinating, isn’t it? Heh heh heh. Since you’ll never be crippled or die from the torture, its greatest advantage is that I can enjoy myself for as long as I want.”
What kind of demonic torture technique was that?
To suffer like this and still come out physically unharmed?
“If I really dislike someone, I can even make them live with that pain for the rest of their life.”
It was horrifying enough that the Blood Thunder Gate Master did not even want to imagine it.
“There was only one person who ever came through this torture completely fine...”
Obviously no one.
Why even bother saying it?
“...Just one.”
What?
Someone had endured that insane torture?
“...Even now, whenever his body feels stiff, he sometimes asks me to do it for him.”
Was that man insane?
“He says nothing leaves him feeling as refreshed as Body-Shattering Meridian-Severing Torture. Anyway, aside from him, no one has ever endured it.”
Him?
That monster served someone?
And apparently that person was even stronger than he was.
After all, the man supposedly used that lunatic torture technique as a massage.
“Do you know why I’m telling you this?”
The Blood Thunder Gate Master shook his head.
“I’m nothing special. There are plenty of monsters in this world you people couldn’t even begin to imagine.”
At Jin Muryang’s words, the Blood Thunder Gate Master suddenly began questioning everything.
There were super-monsters out there that even a monster like this feared?
The martial world had suddenly become a terrifying place.
About a quarter of an hour passed.
TAP— TAP—
Jin Muryang released the chief steward’s pressure points.
The man collapsed face-first onto the floor, drooling with a vacant expression.
THUD!
Tremble, tremble—
His body was still shaking from the aftereffects of the pain.
“Hey. Get up.”
No response.
“If you don’t get up, I’ll do it again.”
At Jin Muryang’s words, the chief steward convulsed and desperately struggled to his feet by sheer force of will.
His face was filled with a fierce desire to survive.
“Feel like guiding us now?”
The chief steward nodded frantically.
“Good. Let’s do better from now on.”
“Yes!”
“Then lead the way.”
“J-Just follow me.”
The Blood Thunder Gate Master watched the chief steward limp ahead with pity in his eyes.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you coming? Or do you want a taste too?”
“What? N-No! I-I’m coming right now! I’m coming!”
He absolutely did not want a taste.
*****
Hyeol Sagwang, Gate Master of the Heavenly Yin Gate, wore a sly smile as he enthusiastically described his sect’s advantages to someone.
“That is everything we can offer. Please put in a good word for me with the Godfather. Make sure he knows just how devoted I am to him.”
“Ha ha ha. The Godfather knows your heart better than anyone, Gate Master Hyeol, so put that concern aside.”
Hyeol Sagwang broke into a radiant smile upon hearing that his devotion was understood.
Everything was going smoothly.
He felt as though he could fly.
It won’t be long now. The day they return to the world, the people of the Central Plains will look up to our Heavenly Yin Gate. Heh heh heh.
Hyeol Sagwang rose from his seat in high spirits.
“Now, now. Enough of these troublesome discussions. Let us go to the banquet hall. Every delicacy under heaven and all manner of fine liquor have been prepared. We can drink and enjoy ourselves through the night.”
“Ha ha ha. It would be discourteous to refuse such hospitality. Let us go.”
He stepped forward to open the door.
Then he sensed someone outside.
He had clearly ordered that no one was to approach.
Irritated, Hyeol Sagwang opened the door and found his chief steward standing there in a haggard state.
“Hm? What happened to you?”
“G-Gate Master...”
The moment the chief steward saw Hyeol Sagwang, tears of grievance spilled from his eyes.
“What in the world is wrong with you?”
Hyeol Sagwang stared at him in bewilderment.
Then a voice came from behind.
“How convenient. You came out on your own.”
Hyeol Sagwang turned toward the voice and saw one familiar face beside another he had never seen before.
“Brother Gi? When did you arrive? And who is that beside you?”
“E-Elder Brother...”
“Hm?”
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
What exactly was he apologizing for?
For interrupting him?
Had his younger brother done this to the chief steward?
“Move.”
“Yes...”
The Blood Thunder Gate Master obediently stepped aside.
Hyeol Sagwang looked even more confused.
“You’re the Heavenly Yin Gate Master?”
The outright disrespect made Hyeol Sagwang’s expression darken.
And in front of his guests, no less.
He needed to leave a powerful impression on them here.
“You seem to have little use for that tongue. I’ll tear it out for you.”
Blood-red light flared in Hyeol Sagwang’s eyes as he reached for Jin Muryang.
CLACK—
CRRRK— CRACK—
“Hm?”
What?
Why was his hand bent backward?
He stared at it in disbelief.
Then the pain struck.
“Hngh!”
It was real.
Even after suffering it himself, he could hardly believe what had happened.
“Bastard. Someone’s talking to you and you attack without warning... Now you’re making things awkward for me when I came here hoping for a peaceful conversation.”
Peaceful?
The chief steward and Blood Thunder Gate Master stared at him as if they had just heard something absurd.
Far more astonishing, however, was the fact that Jin Muryang had not only casually caught Hyeol Sagwang’s strike, but had then bent his fingers backward.
Hyeol Sagwang was shaken.
Where had an expert like this suddenly come from?
Worse, he had been humiliated in front of them.
Rage surged through him.
Laughter came from behind.
“Ha ha ha. Gate Master Hyeol, it seems we expected far too much from you.”
They were disappointed.
At those words, a blood-red mist rose from Hyeol Sagwang’s body.
The chief steward and Blood Thunder Gate Master cried out in alarm.
“Aaagh! I-It’s the Blood Cloud Fills Heaven Art! Get away!”
Everyone scattered in panic as the bloody mist engulfed Jin Muryang.
“Impermanent Blood Formation!”
The blood mist surrounding Jin Muryang began raging violently, as though it meant to swallow him whole and tear him limb from limb.
PA-PAT—
A hand burst effortlessly through the violently churning blood mist, seized Hyeol Sagwang by the collar, and dragged him straight into it.
“Gasp!”
Hyeol Sagwang froze in shock.
He was about to be caught in his own martial art.
“Damn it!”
He hastily withdrew the technique.
A moment later and his own blood mist would have shredded his face.
The instant the mist vanished, Jin Muryang appeared exposed.
You fool! You let your guard down.
He must have assumed he held the advantage and grown careless.
Ordinary martial arts would not work.
Hyeol Sagwang needed to unleash the strongest technique he could use immediately.
Without hesitation, he gathered his inner power and struck toward Jin Muryang’s heart.
“Crimson Cloud Heart-Slashing Strike!”
CRAAACK—
A victorious smile appeared on Hyeol Sagwang’s lips.
There could be no doubt about this one.
The blood-cloud qi that had entered his body would now rip the bastard’s heart to shreds.
Die writhing in agony.
He was already imagining Jin Muryang collapsing in torment when he saw the man grinning at him.
Something was wrong.
“That one hurt a little.”
A little?
It was not supposed to hurt a little.
“I’d love to play with you some more, but I’m a little busy. For now, enjoy some pain.”
Bluish energy appeared around Jin Muryang’s hand.
The chief steward took one look at it, convulsed, and fainted on the spot.
What the hell?
What was so terrifying about that that merely seeing it made him pass out?
Hyeol Sagwang’s attention wandered for a single instant.
TAP— TAP—
Then unbearable pain erupted throughout his body, like enormous spikes forcing their way into his flesh.
“Gghaaaaagh!”
Leaving Hyeol Sagwang twisting in agony behind him, Jin Muryang turned his gaze elsewhere.
The three people who had been speaking with Hyeol Sagwang moments earlier were still standing there, perfectly calm.
“I came here to play with this guy.”
Jin Muryang licked his lips.
“But looking at you lot has made me lose interest in him.”
He tilted his head slightly.
“How should I put it? You give me a nostalgic feeling.”
A familiar presence was stirring something inside him.
“What are you bastards?”
The three smiled faintly at Jin Muryang’s question.
“I don’t believe we have any obligation to tell you.”
“Release Gate Master Hyeol. Do that, and we’ll spare your life after merely cutting off your arms and legs.”
Horrifying words flowed from a perfectly calm voice.
Jin Muryang’s smile deepened.
“That’s usually my line. Sounds different hearing it from someone else.”
“Ha ha ha. So you insist on drinking the penalty wine?”
“Penalty wine sounds good. What’s the side dish?”
“Eternal agony. Did you think we would allow you to lie down and die in peace?”
Jin Muryang answered with unmistakable delight.
“Heh heh heh. Now that is an excellent side dish. Good!”
He laughed happily, then fixed the three men with a murderous stare.
“Elder Brother probably won’t complain if I kill you bastards.”
A vast killing intent billowed from Jin Muryang’s body like the wings of a demon.
“It’s been a very long time since I’ve been this excited.”
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