Episode 298

After receiving orders from Jeok Saeng, the Lower District Sect departed for the nearby city of Yunan.

He then did not return till late at night.

He was the one who always presented strategies that exceeded expectations.

Jinmu, who was drinking with Cheon Woo-myung and Evil Sect’s Heaven’s Emperors, as a means of passing time waiting for the plan to be done, became curious about Jeok Saeng’s plan, which he didn’t ask about.

A means of entering without destroying the walls.

“Hmm, should I just ask?”

“What?”

“……”

Would you understand even if I told you?

Jinmu was laughing and filling the empty glass over and over again, as Jeok Saeng approached him on horseback as if he must have sensed his feelings.

He was dressed in wooden armor and looked as if he was going into battle at any moment.

“Heavenly Lord, I would like to try an attack, but would it be alright to allow me to do so?”

“I heard the attack would be carried out two days later?”

“I don’t feel so reassured by just looking at the maps of the castle; I will have to see how they respond too.”

“You wish to go there and see it for yourself?”

“Yes. I cannot be sure unless I see it with my own eyes.”

“Would you like to go alone?”

“Not alone. I would like to get some help from the Assassin Hall, who are swift in speed.”

“Would So Yak-byeok do?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm…”

After thinking for a moment, Jinmu called Hwang Shin and So Dong-bo over. Even though So Yak-byeok would be there, she had a role to play now. So it would be difficult for her to protect Jeok Saeng as well.

“Protect the Commander.”

“Yes.”

“Jeok Saeng.”

“…Uh?”

“Do not get too close. Your life is precious.”

“Yes!”

“Then, go now.”

“Yes, Heavenly Lord!”

After receiving permission from Jinmu, Jeok Saeng raised his hand, and a group of warriors from one corner of the camp went running towards the castle of Evil Sect’s Heaven.

Hwang Shin and So Dong-bo, followed closely behind Jeok Saeng, who was riding ahead of them.

“To seek permission after having already prepared things…. I have no idea what this guy is thinking.”

“Right. If he had to go in alone, why not take the Iron Sword Troops along? What are those assassins of use for now…”

“……”

Cheon Woo-myung let out a sigh, perhaps because he was very disappointed that he couldn’t participate in a real battle.

Well, if there was a fight, he seemed like the kind of guy to rouse from sleep and jump right into it.

Jinmu shook his head, chuckling, and got up.

“Where is Se-chan?”
“He said earlier that he was going to interrogate Song Yeo-bang?”

“Interrogate?”

“Yes.”

That guy is so toxic. Interrogating an old man who would die any time.

Jinmu bit his tongue at how vicious Myung Se-chan was looking.

After the collapse of the Shanxi Chamber of Commerce. Song Yeo-bang, who had all of his bones crushed by Jinmu, was held captive lying on a table.

“You told him to find out where those kidnapped children were taken to.”

“……”

“Maybe that’s why he’s still interrogating him? But that guy rarely opens his mouth to speak.”

“Is that so? Maybe we should go and see how Se-chan is doing?”

“Well, you’re saying that because you have nothing more to do here.”

Cheon Woo-myung rose and followed Jinmu.

Swish, swish.

In the small cabin, splinters of wood were placed down, as thin as needles.

Myung Se-chan, who carefully checked the sharpness of the tips of the splinters, smiled with satisfaction and turned around.

Lying in front of him was none other than Song Yeo-bang.

Having had his dantian destroyed by Jinmu, the man looked no different from a regular old man.

Actually, it didn’t matter even if he didn’t lose his dantian. Because every bone in his body has been shattered.

“Hmm, seriously. Heavenly Lord is amazing with his fists. How did he break your bones down so finely?”

Myung Se-chan approached and sat down, sticking out his tongue at how vicious Jinmu looked.

“Hey old man, Song Yeo-bang.”

“……”

“Why don’t you start speaking now? Where is the place you sent those kids to?”

“…Kill me.”

“Ah, of course I will kill you. If you keep your mouth closed like that, I will kill you, in a way as painful as I can manage.”

“…Kill me.”

“Woah, you’re an old man with a big mouth. It bothers me so much.”

Myung Se-chan sighed and held up a wooden splinter.

“This is from a tree called the desiccating tree. It’s a very precious little guy that literally absorbs water. When it drinks water, it splits into small pieces. I assure you, this will be quite thrilling.”

“……”

Myung Se-chan, after looking for it thoroughly, located the swollen vein in Song Yeo-bang’s arm and carefully inserted the splinter.

“…Hmm!”

After a while, Song Yeo-bang’s eyes, which had been normal, suddenly enlarged to the point it looked like they were tearing apart.

“Uh? I just inserted one splinter inside though? We have a lot left to insert. If you say something, that will be good. I will just kill you.”

“…Sh…shut…up.”

“Right. Right. This is how it should go.”

Myung Se-chan smiled and nodded like he knew it would unfold in this manner, and slowly began to insert the splinters into various parts of Song Yeo-bang’s body.

When the number of splinters inserted exceeded five, Song Yeo-bang began to tremble wildly and he began to froth at the mouth.

“Woah, that’s amazing. The desiccating splinter must be stabbing your heart by now, yet you’re still holding it in.”

“Ugh…kuak…”

Song Yeo-bang’s eyes rolled back and he shook his head as he felt the tremendous pain spread vividly through the bones, despite being broken.

“You need to tell me just one thing. The place where the kids were sent to.”

“Ugh…uhh….”

Despite Myung Se-chan’s sly deception, who was whispering like the devil and said he would stop the pain right away, Song Yeo-bang held on.

Myung Se-chan clicked his tongue at the obstinacy of not opening the mouth despite veins bulging and eyes shedding bloody tears.

“What a toxic fellow. Fine, then you’ll die.”

Despite his gentle urging, Song Yeo-bang held on for a few moments more before finally snapping his neck without a word.

“…Damned old man. I just wasted a precious thing. This costs me a lot.”

Myung Se-chan, who was grumbling, slowly turned his head.

Beom Jong, a woman tied to a pillar that supports the tent, was looking at him with wide eyes.

“It ended up being your turn now.”

“…!”

“Heavenly Lord doesn’t exactly like to harass women, but…it cannot be helped in your situation, can it? Since Song Yeo-bang is dead, there is no one left to answer my question except you. So, please understand.”

It’s too much to be kind to a subject who tortured a person right in front of their eyes.

Let alone smiling brightly, why explain in such detail?

The closer Myung Se-chan got, the more Beom Jong, who had witnessed the painful death of Song Yeo-bang, began to struggle inanely.

“What? Song Yeo-bang is dead?”

Two people entered, lifting the curtain of the tent.

It was Cheon Woo-myung, a man with a huge body.

“Right. He didn’t say a word.”

“…Still, he was the master of the opposition force. He wouldn’t open his mouth easily.”

Jinmu nodded at Myung Se-chan, who stood up and bowed his head.

“Are you going to interrogate her now?”

“Yes. If you do not feel like it, I will not do it.”

“……”

Jinmu, who was looking at Beom Jong’s wide eyes for a moment, sighed and shook his head.

“It can’t be helped, it is unfortunate for the kids.”

That one line brought despair to Beom Jong, who had hope for a while.

“Will you just watch?”

“Yes.”

“Alright then.”

Myung Se-chan answered briefly and sat down in front of Beom Jong.

And he smiled really brightly. Like the Grim Reaper ready to claim his life at any moment…

“Kwak!”

Then, as the splinter entered her body, a sharp scream which seemed to rip out from her throat echoed outside the tent.

“…?”

In one corner of the rebels’ camp.

Three figures moved in the shadows created by the bonfire that lit up here and there, ears perked up.

They were the hiders from Shadow Troops, who were deployed to monitor the movements of the rebel forces.

They watched the camp from afar and secretly hid in the camp while Jeok Saeng was heading out with the warriors.

Skk.

Those who were looking at each other exchanged glances and gestures.

A woman screamed.

This was by no means a common thing that could be heard on a battlefield. It was something that was enough to pique their curiosity.

A person who appears to be the leader of the masked people spread his hand and sent a signal.

Find the source of the scream.

The subordinates nodded and quickly spread out. It didn’t take long to find the source of the scream.

A tent located on the outskirts of the campsite.

The light inside was so bright, that no shadows appeared even as they approached.

The masked man approached with as little presence as possible, took a blade out from his sleeve, sliced open a part of the tent, and put an eye over the gap to look inside.

“What are you doing?”

“…?”

The masked man’s leader turned his head at the voice which was heard.

Standing in front of him was Jinmu, a man whose presence was not detected and that was holding his limp subordinates in both his hands.

“ Did Wol-cheong order it? Do you know what you’re doing?“

“……”

The masked man’s eyes trembled.

Just when did he appear?

It was clear that they all held in their qi and made sure no one was around.

Moreover, he didn’t even hear the sound of his subordinates getting attacked…?

“Hmm…is it alright to get hit now?”

What…?

The moment Jinmu, in front of him, grinned, his form blurred and with no way of escape, this tremendous pain seared throughout his solar plexus.

“Kuak!”

All he could do was scream in despair.

Jinmu’s fist, which dug deep into his body, made him bend forward like a shrimp, and he soon lost consciousness.

Clench!

The reason he was able to avoid having his head smack the ground was due to the hand which grabbed his hair… It was a great misfortune that befell him.

Clench!

The moment he let go of his hair, an elbow powerfully struck the masked man’s chin.

Thud.

The masked man’s body stretched out in the air and he fell down.

“What’s this? Why are they all so weak?”

Jinmu frowned and grumbled at the sight of the masked man getting knocked out with just two hits.

“I could have done it…”

“You don’t control your strength.”

When Cheon Woo-myung complained, Jinmu scolded him and grabbed the fallen man by the collar.

“Fetch those two guys from over there.”

“Yes.”

As Jinmu dragged one man into the tent, Cheon Woo-myung followed with the others on his shoulders.

“Intruders?”

“Seems like it.”

At Myung Se-chan’s question, who was interrogating Beom Jong, Jinmu tossed the masked men onto the ground.

When Beom Jong passed out during the interrogation, Jinmu had sensed an uncanny presence and headed out, and subdued the masked men.

“It seems like they were quite curious about this place?”

“Well…”

“Hmm, I guess Yu Wol-cheong must have turned into a stone-faced person to even think of inspecting the enemy lines like this.”

“……”

Jinmu shook his head at Myung Se-chan’s words.

“Take it off.”

Swish!

As soon as the order was issued, Cheon Woo-myung turned the three of them over and pulled off their masks.

These were people he had never seen before.

Well, of course. It wasn’t just one or two warriors in Evil Sect’s Heaven, so how can Jinmu recognize them all?

Of course, the same went for Cheon Woo-myung.

“Uh?”

But it didn’t seem that way for Myung Se-chan.

“What?”

“This guy, why does he look so familiar?”

“Familiar?”

“Hmm. Yeah…”

Judging by the way Myung Se-chan was rubbing his chin and pondering, it didn’t seem like the captive men were of high ranks.

“Ah!”

“…?”

“Woah, this. I don’t know if Yu Wol-cheong, that bastard, is insane or not.”

“What?”

“This guy is Dong Kwan. After the death of Heavenly Lord, Yu Wol-cheong had appointed him to take up the position of an elder.”

“Elder…you say?”

Jinmu looked down intently at the face pointed out by Myung Se-chan.

A man that was truly old and of an elder’s rank, had sneaked into the enemy camp.

“Does this even make sense?”

“…Well, of course it doesn’t.”

Myung Se-chan shook his head.

“Right?”

“Yes. This isn’t sensible…and from what I know, this guy called Dong Kwan’s martial arts aren’t for hiding either.”

The merit of his martial arts wasn’t in stealth. This meant…

Look at these bastards. This is fun, so fun.

Jinmu thought of something and smiled slyly.

If this goes well, he would strike a jackpot.

“Se-chan.”

“Uh?”

“Take a closer look at the face. Let’s take a closer look at this situation.”

“Sure.”

While Myung Se-chan was examining the masked man’s face in detail, chaos broke out outside.

From the sound of soldiers running around and shouting.

“We seem to be having a lot of guests tonight. Right, Woo-myung?”

“Hehe, let me take a look.”

As soon as he was called upon by Jinmu, Cheon Woo-myung rushed savagely out of the tent.

That’s right, go ahead and welcome our guests.

Let us find out what it is everyone’s come to pick up from here and eat them up late into the night.