Chapter 221

Only Tang Qing’s laughter resounded thunderously throughout the hall.

Jin Ja-gang did not react and silently thought.

Tang Qing views and judges the world through a political lens. He uses all situations, objects, and people. That is the King of Hell’s blade.

If one chooses only overly political reasons, that becomes a weakness instead.

Jin Ja-gang thought so. Rather, he thought he could attack the King of Hell using that point as a weakness.

Jin Ja-gang’s thinking was not wrong.

It was just that his opponent had more blades than Jin Ja-gang.

Tang Qing stopped laughing and looked at Jin Ja-gang with a grinning smile. Due to his mouth torn to his ears, even that appearance was bizarrely grotesque.

“What are you pondering? I said it’s a gift? There’s nothing to refuse. Hurry up and accept it.”

Jin Ja-gang answered.

“I was wondering if it’s alright to receive such a thing without any price.”

“How much goodwill without price exists in this world?”

Tang Qing’s eyes flashed while still wearing a smile.

“For now, become one of my blades.”

“For now… you say?”

“I’ll sharpen and nurture you well. I promise. As long as you follow me well, after I die, the next world will be yours.”

It was truly a tremendous proposal, but to Jin Ja-gang it was no different from a flower without fragrance.

“Can you handle it? I was originally a blade meant to strike the Poison Sect.”

To Jin Ja-gang’s question, Tang Qing answered.

“My blade enters another’s sheath with difficulty to draw! There’s a saying that when my blade enters another’s sheath, it’s hard to draw. It means that even if it’s mine, when it enters another’s hands, it’s difficult to use as one pleases. Your blade is the same. After entering my sheath, it will become a blade you cannot use as you please.”

Tang Qing spread both arms.

“So, come now… hurry and pull the Soul Seizing Thread.”

Anyone could see Jin Ja-gang was cornered. Jin Ja-gang couldn’t take any action and finally closed his eyes.

He wondered if he should threaten to kill himself if his purpose was himself. Jin Ja-gang’s action unconsciously revealed itself as bringing the Soul Seizing Thread close to himself.

At that sight, Tang Qing giggled and laughed.

“Ehihihihi! Ehihihihihi! If you want to become a son-in-law but then say you’ll die yourself, that doesn’t make sense, you bastard. Ehihihihi. From the beginning, you should have just knelt and begged to be spared. Right?”

Then Jin Ja-gang opened his closed eyes.

The area below his eyes had turned reddish. Sharp enough to make one’s tongue ache appeared at the corners of his eyes.

Several Tang family masters scoffed.

Savage killing intent. The lowest type among killing intents.

However, their mockery disappeared instantly.

As the reddish killing intent around his eyes disappeared, Jin Ja-gang’s presence gradually grew larger. Even masters with considerable internal energy felt their bodies prickling with goosebumps.

The killing intent emanating from Jin Ja-gang gradually intensified like the morning sun. Eventually, killing intent flew wildly like arrows shot by tens of thousands of troops. Some had to raise their internal energy to resist as their bodies stiffened.

“Kugh!”

Someone among the warriors groaned and stepped backward.

But Jin Ja-gang’s killing intent didn’t stop there. The killing intent that had been flying wildly like arrows softened, then suddenly transformed into mist and swirled around.

Like getting soaked by drizzle without noticing until realizing one’s whole body is wet, they were overwhelmed the moment they felt the killing intent.

Warriors with lesser martial arts were already feeling chills and trembling.

Warriors who should accept life and death numbly through repeated training were feeling the fear of death. It was the primordial fear of feeling the annihilation of existence.

In their eyes, Jin Ja-gang appeared as death itself.

Not killing intent using internal energy, but rough wild killing intent emanating from life.

It was also killing intent that could never be seen from someone of Jin Ja-gang’s age.

Moreover, red and blue blood vessels protruded prominently on Jin Ja-gang’s right face, neck, exposed right arm and hand.

He was raising internal energy with Mad Blood Heaven technique.

Because of this, Jin Ja-gang’s appearance looked even more eerie.

Tang Gui-ok nodded slightly.

“How did he reach sovereign killing intent at that age?”

Tang Qing also admired.

“He knows how to create quite an atmosphere. I really like him in many ways. However.”

Tang Qing shook his head to brush away Jin Ja-gang’s killing intent like shooing away annoying mosquitoes, then said.

“I’m getting bored waiting. So, what’s your answer?”

Tendons bulged in Jin Ja-gang’s lower jaw. Jin Ja-gang bared his teeth and spat out words as if chewing them.

“If you want to put me in a sheath, even if you sheathe the blade, you’ll have to always watch where that blade tip is pointing.”

“What can someone in a sheath do? I’ll handle that myself, so don’t worry unnecessarily…”

“Gu Mingfu, successor of the Golden Flower Trading Company.”

Jin Ja-gang muttered someone’s name, then explosively unleashed his internal energy.

Pop.

Blood vessels in his right eye burst and his eye was stained with blood, and the Soul Seizing Thread ring in Jin Ja-gang’s hand was pulled once.

All around became quiet.

As if suddenly releasing a bowstring that had been pulled taut.

Jin Ja-gang’s action triggered silence.

Jin Ja-gang’s bloodshot eyes also made the atmosphere even more ominous.

Furthermore, what was the meaning of what Jin Ja-gang said before pulling the Soul Seizing Thread?

“Lee Wi-haeng, owner of the Sangbo Company!”

This time the voice was a bit louder than before. Jin Ja-gang bit his teeth tightly and pulled the Soul Seizing Thread.

Pop pop!

Blood vessels in his neck burst and blood seeped out.

“……”

Tang Gui-ok made an uncomfortable face and mumbled, and Tang Qing also didn’t speak.

“Wei Guo, elder of the Five Elements Sect!”

Jin Ja-gang pulled the Soul Seizing Thread for the third time.

Pop pop!

Blood burst from his right wrist and head, and Jin Ja-gang’s body was gradually covered with blood.

But…

Suddenly the Tang family warriors were greatly shocked.

“Th-that there…!”

For some reason, blood drops were forming in the middle of the Soul Seizing Thread extending to the underground prison.

This wasn’t Jin Ja-gang’s intention, but it happened due to the characteristics of the Soul Sezing Thread.

Every time he forcefully pushed internal energy into the Soul Seizing Thread, the scale-like fibers of the Soul Seizing Thread stood up sharply. Then, following the direction of the fibers, blood drops came up backwards from the underground prison.

What had happened in the underground prison needed no explanation without looking further.

Blood spurts from severed necks were forming droplets and coming up along the Soul Seizing Thread.

“Song San-in, master of the Wushan Escort Agency!” Just as Jin Ja-gang called out another name and pushed internal energy into the Soul Seizing Thread, blood drops formed on the Soul Seizing Thread and again streamed up along it.

Pop pop pop.

Now Jin Ja-gang’s right half was completely soaked in blood. He had become a blood person, continuously spurting thread-like blood.

Stretching the Soul Seizing Thread to a hundred chi length and injecting internal energy into it was by no means easy. Jin Ja-gang was also considerably overexerting himself.

Tang Qing muttered.

“Spilling blood… blood following… and below that, heads must be rolling.”

Tang Qing’s composure had greatly diminished.

“You bastard. Don’t tell me those names you’re calling out are…”

Tang Qing was speaking to Jin Ja-gang when Jin Ja-gang pulled the Soul Seizing Thread again. Tang Qing’s words were cut off.

“Ha Gang, abbot of Yongxian Temple!”

Pop pop. Thread-like blood spurted from Jin Ja-gang’s body like a spring again. The blood drops formed on the Soul Seizing Thread increased. Blood drops formed in succession and were pulled up.

Tang Qing asked Jin Ja-gang with a somewhat hardened face.

“I’ll ask again. Those names you’re calling out now are…”

“Wang Hanbu, chief administrator of the Southern Trading Post!”

Jin Ja-gang opened his eyes wide and gritted his teeth. He put in all his strength until his canines showed, pushing in internal energy. His face turned bright red as blood continued to spurt.

Jin Ja-gang’s appearance with bloodshot eyes, becoming a blood person and baring his teeth, was close to that of an evil spirit. The Tang family warriors became creeped out and unconsciously swallowed dry saliva.

Tang Qing contorted his face severely and explosively shouted with internal energy.

“A person is asking you a question, you bastard!”

Only then did Jin Ja-gang stop his actions.

Having consumed all the internal energy raised in one breath, even his internal energy was released.

Drip, drip, drip.

The blood of the underground prisoners that had formed on the Soul Seizing Thread dripped to the floor.

“Huff, huff.”

Jin Ja-gang gasped for breath.

However, even though he was panting, he didn’t look tired. He wore a menacing expression with an evil spirit-like face. Though not smiling, he looked as if he would immediately laugh “ehihihi!” like Tang Qing if someone poked his ribs from the side.

Most irritating was Jin Ja-gang’s gaze. From when Jin Ja-gang pulled the Soul Seizing Thread to kill prisoners until now, he had never once taken his eyes off Tang Qing.

Grind, Tang Qing ground his uneven teeth and said.

“You bastard’s son, answer properly. What was the name of the last prisoner you sent up?”

Jin Ja-gang answered without hesitation.

“Won-nyeong, sect leader of the Great Heaven Sect and head of the Chongqing Association.”

It became certain. Jin Ja-gang was calling out the names of those he was killing.

How could Tang Qing not know the meaning of this!

Jin Ja-gang was sharpening his blade. Carving the resentment of the underground prisoners onto each blade edge, so he wouldn’t forget even after entering the sheath.

It was a ritual swearing that someday he would cut Tang Qing’s neck with that blade!

Grind grind grind!

Tang Qing ground his teeth as if to shatter them several times.

“This bastard…”

Murderous intent appeared in Tang Qing’s eyes.

The warriors around Tang Qing suddenly thought Jin Ja-gang’s killing intent had weakened. But in reality, it was because Jin Ja-gang was concentrating his killing intent to respond to Tang Qing’s killing intent.

Tang Qing was feeling an intense temptation to kill Jin Ja-gang at this moment.

A dangerous fellow.

I must kill this bastard now!

It might be shameful and embarrassing to feel threatened by that young blood clot. After acknowledging him and saying he’d take him as a son-in-law, killing him might invite mockery from many.

But he’s dangerous.

This bastard is too dangerous.

I absolutely cannot let him live! Even if it’s certain that my reputation, authority, and face will all be damaged, I must kill him! Forget the promise with Mang Ryo! Even if the great enterprise of scheming for the world is right before my eyes!

Tang Qing’s hand twitched. But at that moment, Tang Gui-ok intervened at just the right time.

“No matter how well a blade cuts, if the edge is forged backwards, it would be utterly useless, wouldn’t it, elder brother?”

At those words, Tang Qing suddenly came to his senses.

Tang Gui-ok had awakened him.

Why was he obsessing over Jin Ja-gang? No matter what, compared to himself, he was just a mere youngster, so why was he responding seriously?

“Was I bewitched?”

He had lost his reason unknowingly, reacting to Jin Ja-gang’s killing intent, unpleasant tone, and rebellious behavior. It seemed he had been influenced by the sovereign killing intent he encountered after a long time.

Tang Qing exhaled deeply to scatter his thoughts.

“Huuuuk!”

Then his mind became clear. His heated head and narrowed vision returned to normal.

How could he compare Jin Ja-gang, who had nothing to rely on but his own life, with what he had built up? He found himself ridiculous for trying to kill Jin Ja-gang even at the cost of abandoning what he had accumulated over decades.

The great enterprise was right at hand, yet he had almost ruined everything by losing his reason over one youngster.

The fellow who made him this excited would have to be killed later, but not now. His responsibility was too great to ruin the great enterprise because of Jin Ja-gang alone.

“Since he won’t accept the gift, I have nothing more to do here. You, as family head, handle the rest.”

As soon as Tang Qing reached his conclusion, he turned around without delay.

The Tang family warriors were briefly confused by Tang Qing’s change of mood, then quickly accepted it.

The absolute ruler’s whim.

It was one of the many blades Tang Qing possessed, a secret treasure that only an absolute ruler could wield.

However, in the end, Tang Qing had returned to political judgment even while drawing out his secret treasure.