Chapter 218: Different Paths Lead to Different Destinations (3)

If there was anyone busiest among the Demonic Cult warriors in Hengshan, it would be the Strategist Sang Han-cheon.

The library of the Hengshan faction became Sang Han-cheon's residence. The Demonic Cult warriors thought Sang Han-cheon would move immediately. However, contrary to expectations, Sang Han-cheon stayed holed up in his quarters without going out.

Many Demonic Cult warriors came to see Sang Han-cheon, but none of them actually met him in person.

The library that became Sang Han-cheon's quarters was empty. The bookshelves and books that once filled the room had long been discarded, and the spacious quarters now only contained one desk, one chair, and one bed.

Sang Han-cheon sat in the only chair, facing forward. On the wall in front of him hung an enormous map of the Central Plains.

The only thing Sang Han-cheon had done since entering this place was stare at the map of the Central Plains. He spent most of the day sitting and looking at the map without taking any other action.

"Hmm!"

Life began to stir in Sang Han-cheon's face, which had been expressionless like a stone statue. This change occurred four days after he entered this place.

Sang Han-cheon stood up from the chair.

After sitting motionless for days, every joint in his body ached. Still, Sang Han-cheon didn't show any sign of discomfort.

He called for someone.

"Il-mong."

"Yes, Sri Strategist."

Suddenly, a white figure appeared before him without a sound.

His hair was white, his eyebrows were white. Even his eyes and skin were white. He was a man who looked unreal.

Il-mong was Sang Han-cheon's confidant.

He only listened to Sang Han-cheon's orders and obeyed no one else. In fact, very few even knew of his existence.

"What changes have occurred while I've been here?"

"Two more of the Seven Great Demon Masters have arrived."

"Who?"

"The Full Moon Immortal Jin Hye-won and the Invincible Spear Dan Ho-sang have come. The Sect Leader said he would send the rest of the Seven Great Demon Masters if you wish."

"Yun Gwang and Lee Seon-chang didn't come?"

"They can arrive within three days if you command, Sir Strategist."

"No, that's fine. It's better this way."

Sang Han-cheon smiled.

Yun Gwang's title was Heavenly Killing Divine Whip, and Lee Seon-chang's title was Swift Wind Divine Fist. They were also strong members of the Seven Great Demon Masters.

"I will give them separate orders."

"Understood."

"And gather all the leaders here."

"Right now?"

"Yes!"

"Even the Holy Maiden?"

"Although she's just a pretty shell, she's still a member of the leadership."

"I will call her too."

"You should!"

Sang Han-cheon smiled gently.

Il-mong disappeared as suddenly as if he had never existed. Still, Sang Han-cheon wasn't surprised.

He leaned against the window and looked outside.

Spring was in full bloom. Green buds were sprouting on branches that had been barren, and flowers were releasing their fragrance.

Sang Han-cheon enjoyed the warm spring breeze.

Meanwhile, Deung Cheon-so and the other Seven Great Demon Masters entered his quarters first. The leaders followed, and Eum Yu-gyeong was the last to enter before the door closed.

Despite the many people gathered, not even a breath could be heard in the room. Their gazes were fixed on Sang Han-cheon's back as he looked out the window.

'Sir Strategist.'

Sang Han-cheon was called the Demon Sky Thousand Thoughts.

Although his appearance was ordinary, it was said that the strategies contained in his small brain reached the heavens.

Whenever he gathered people like this, countless people died and blood flowed like rivers. So they couldn't help but be tense.

The one who broke the suffocating silence in the room was Deung Cheon-so.

"Sir Strategist, everyone has gathered."

"Is that so? I was lost in thought and committed a discourtesy. Have you all been well? It's good to see your faces like this."

Sang Han-cheon slowly looked around at the people gathered in the room with a smiling face. The warriors who met his eyes slightly lowered their heads in acknowledgment. However, Eum Yu-gyeong's face was noticeably hardened.

'Has that monster finally started to move?'

There was no one here who wasn't a monster. In terms of pure martial arts, they were among the best in the demonic cult. But even such people feared Sang Han-cheon.

For them, killing dozens or hundreds of people was not an issue. But Sang Han-cheon used them like his limbs.

When Sang Han-cheon moved, thousands or tens of thousands of lives lost was not even a problem.

In Eum Yu-gyeong's eyes, she could already see a sea of blood.

At that moment, Sang Han-cheon's gaze stopped on Eum Yu-gyeong.

"The Holy Maiden seems to have concerns."

"No, Sir Strategist. I was just lost in thought for a moment. I'm sorry."

"No, that can happen."

Sang Han-cheon smiled meaningfully. His smile somehow felt ominous.

"Holy Maiden."

"Yes?"

"I have a favor to ask of you. It's for the sake of our cult, so I believe you will certainly grant it."

As Sang Han-cheon spoke, his smile deepened, and Eum Yu-gyeong's face gradually hardened.

***

To the left of the main gate of the Shouzhou branch, there were rows of newly built barracks. They were created to accommodate the recently influx of warriors.

Immediately after the outbreak of the Righteous-Demonic War, numerous warriors entered the Shouzhou branch. Most were dispatched from the Murim Alliance, but there were also many who came on their own with the sole intention of upholding justice in the martial arts world.

They were not from large sects like the Nine Great Sects or Five Great Families. Most were from lesser-known small and medium-sized sects or were wandering warriors, but their spirit was as high as the sky.

When their numbers exceeded four hundred, the Murim Alliance grouped them into a unit. They were called the Demon Extermination Unit.

The Demon Extermination Unit was assigned the role of being the first to enter the battlefield when war broke out in Shouzhou, to break the spearhead of the demonic cult. So their quarters were located on the outermost part of the Shouzhou branch.

People were lined up in front of the Demon Extermination Unit's barracks. They were all men in shabby clothes, holding poor wooden bowls and spoons in their hands. The warriors of the Demon Extermination Unit were waiting to receive their meals.

At the front of the line was a large cauldron. Inside the cauldron, a white porridge of unknown ingredients was boiling.

A cook who seemed to have been dispatched from the kitchen was ladling out one bowl of porridge at a time with a large ladle.

"What is this?"

The warriors made dumbfounded expressions as they looked at the porridge in their bowls. When they stirred with their spoons, the contents floated up, and it was mostly vegetables.

"How can there not be a single piece of meat? How are we supposed to fight eating this?"

"Damn! Whose mouth is it, and whose snout is it?"

"Shit! How are we supposed to fight well eating this?"

Complaints burst out immediately.

Some impatient ones confronted the cook.

"Why is the food like this?"

"Well…"

"We need meat to fill our stomachs, what is this? Did you embezzle all the meat?"

"That's not true. We just cook with the ingredients we're given. We're also at a loss because this is all we received."

The cook desperately tried to explain.

In fact, the cook was also wronged. The ingredients that came down from above were all there was, and he did his best to fill everyone's stomachs with the insufficient ingredients.

The warriors who received the food were at a loss for words at the cook's desperate explanation. They came all the way here with the intention of protecting the martial arts world, but they didn't expect the treatment to be this poor.

The discriminatory treatment towards wandering warriors and those from small sects was not just today's issue, but they didn't expect it to be like this even for those who voluntarily gathered with the intention of saving the martial arts world from crisis.

"Damn it!"

"It looks like things are going downhill."

The warriors shook their heads as if they had lost the energy to argue further and dispersed.

Among them was Song Gyeong.

Song Gyeong was a warrior from a wandering background. He was only twenty years old, but he knew well how important it was to uphold justice in the martial arts world. That's why he came here. To contribute his meager strength.

"Still, this kind of treatment?"

"It will get better. Just be patient a little longer."

The middle-aged man comforting Song Gyeong was Jang Il-wan.

Jang Il-wan was a wandering warrior in his early forties. He was a legend who had survived for twenty years in the world of wandering warriors where even the next day couldn't be guaranteed. And he was also the person Song Gyeong respected the most.

Song Gyeong pouted his lips at Jang Il-wan's comfort.

"When exactly?"

"I heard it's because the supply isn't smooth. Once the supply line is secured, proper supplies will come in."

"I'll starve to death before we get proper supplies."

Song Gyeong stirred the pale porridge with his spoon. Again, there was nothing substantial.

Jang Il-wan smiled.

"Still, isn't it better than not eating anything?"

"You're always too kind, big brother."

Song Gyeong started eating the porridge as if he had no choice.

"Damn! It tastes awful."

Jang Il-wan looked at the constantly grumbling Song Gyeong as if he found him cute.

At times like this, he was like an immature youngest brother, but once deployed in battle, Song Gyeong was more reliable than anyone else.

Contrary to his gentle appearance, Song Gyeong was quite a skilled warrior. Although he couldn't compare to disciples from large sects, he was still a reliable helper to Jang Il-wan.

The two quickly emptied a bowl of porridge. There was hardly any solid content, so it didn't feel like they had eaten anything.

Song Gyeong licked the porridge off his fingers.

"Just ruined my appetite. Tsk!"

"Stop grumbling. You're not a child anymore."

"I am still a child. I'm only twenty years old."

"That's old enough to be an adult."

"Tch!"

"Wait here for a bit."

Jang Il-wan dusted off his bottom and stood up. Song Gyeong looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"Where are you going?"

"To the dining hall."

"What?"

"How can an older brother sit still when his younger brother is hungry? I'll go see if there's any leftover food in the dining hall."

"But the cook said this is all there is."

"That's just for the dining hall assigned to this side."

"Huh?"

"Do you think there's only one dining hall here? With so many people who have come here. There must be other dining halls. If we search there, there might be some leftover food."

"But…"

"Just wait a little bit."

"You don't have to."

Despite his words, Song Gyeong was smiling.

It had been over five years since he started following Jang Il-wan. Jang Il-wan had excellently guided and cared for him until now.

To Song Gyeong, an orphan, Jang Il-wan was both a brother and a father. For the past five years, Song Gyeong had trusted and followed Jang Il-wan, and Jang Il-wan had comforted Song Gyeong and brought him this far.

If Jang Il-wan hadn't come here, Song Gyeong wouldn't have come either. For him, his relationship with Jang Il-wan was more important than justice in the martial arts world.

Song Gyeong leaned against a sunny wall, waiting for Jang Il-wan to return.

How much time had passed?

"Song Gyeong, Gyeong-ah!"

Suddenly, someone called out to him and came running. Song Gyeong stood up with a bright expression.

"Ah! Hyung."

The name of the big man running towards him calling his name was Woo Yang-chun. Like Song Gyeong, he was a wandering warrior following Jang Il-wan.

But Woo Yang-chun's expression was not normal.

"What's wrong?"

"So, something terrible has happened."

"What?"

Song Gyeong jumped up from his seat.

An ominous feeling swept over him.

"S, Senior brother…"

"What about Senior brother?"

"Well! Senior brother, senior brother…"

Song Gyeong dashed off in the direction Woo Yang-chun had come from.

'Please!'

Tang Ha-ran demonstrated how to use the Soul Seizing Thread.

She held the ring-shaped arm guard that was the main body of the Soul Seizing Thread and infused it with internal energy.

Pop! The arm guard separated into two with a sound. It had become two rings.

The separated ring fell downward but stopped midway and dangled.

“The rings of this arm guard are connected by the Soul Seizing Thread.”

Indeed, looking closely, there was an extremely thin thread connecting the separated rings. It was almost invisible at first glance.

Tang Ha-ran threw the metal bridal crown into the air and wrapped it with the Soul Seizing Thread. Then she gripped the rings in both hands and pulled left and right. The Soul Seizing Thread became taut and the crown stopped, caught in midair.

“Normally it’s just thread, but if you inject internal energy into this Soul Seizing Thread again…”

Tang Ha-ran injected internal energy into the Soul Seizing Thread while pulling the rings to both sides.

Slice!

Immediately, the crown wrapped in the middle by the Soul Seizing Thread was cut in half and fell.

“It becomes a blade sharper than any precious sword, cutting through everything it catches. Even protective qi like Iron Shirt or Golden Bell Cover.”

When Tang Ha-ran blew internal energy into the arm guard, the ring was quickly pulled and merged back together.

Clink.

Tang Ha-ran held the ring in her hand, then quickly separated it while throwing. The separated ring flew and wrapped around the prison’s iron bars. Tang Ha-ran pulled the ring.

Snap!

The iron bars were instantly cut away. Tang Ha-ran spun the ring while pulling it with internal energy to merge the separated ring back into the original arm guard.

Jin Ja-gang was also amazed seeing the power of the Soul Seizing Thread.

“If I had known how to use it earlier, I wouldn’t have had to struggle looking for the key to the shackles.”

“Even if you knew how to use it, you probably couldn’t have used it.”

Tang Ha-ran smiled while throwing the arm guard to him.

Jin Ja-gang caught the arm guard, put it on his wrist, and examined it again. The ring itself was also solid, so most blades could be blocked with this. If worn on the wrist normally, it could serve as excellent armor. Actually, he had originally thought that was its only purpose.

Jin Ja-gang tried injecting internal energy into the arm guard.

Rattle, rattle.

Even when he tried hard to inject internal energy, it didn’t work well.

“You need to be careful not to let the Soul Seizing Thread get tangled. If it gets entangled and can’t be untied, it can’t be fixed anymore.”

Even separating just one was not easy, as he had to push internal energy all the way to the Soul Seizing Thread connecting them.

Without injecting internal energy, the Soul Seizing Thread was just tough thread.

“It’s difficult.”

“You need to completely wrap the Soul Seizing Thread with internal energy and understand its structure.”

Jin Ja-gang concentrated on the arm guard and slowly injected internal energy. He groped the inside of the arm guard with internal energy to picture its structure in his mind.

The arm guard had the thickest ring serving as a reel with the Soul Seizing Thread wound around it. And the opposite end of the thread was connected to another ring.

Feeling carefully, when he blew in internal energy, the Soul Seizing Thread surprisingly swelled up. Like Tang Ha-ran’s Blood Scale Whip raising its scales, the Soul Seizing Thread raised its fibers and became rough.

So when the Soul Seizing Thread swelled to its maximum, the caught ring seemed to be pushed out and separate automatically.

Pop.

After practicing several times, Jin Ja-gang was able to separate it somewhat more easily.

Of course, if he didn’t quickly withdraw the internal energy he had put in, his fingers could get caught in the Soul Seizing Thread and be cut off. The key technique for separating the rings was to inject a large amount of internal energy and quickly recover it when the rings separated.

To use it skillfully would require much longer practice.

After practicing a few more times, Jin Ja-gang wore the arm guard on his left wrist.

Jin Ja-gang could only circulate internal energy through his right side. While wearing it on his right wrist would be convenient to use, since he used his right hand for everything like throwing hidden weapons or gripping weapons, he might accidentally inject internal energy into the Soul Seizing Thread by mistake.

He thought it would be better to keep it on the left side and take it off to use when needed.

Tang Ha-ran was pleased to see Jin Ja-gang getting accustomed to the Soul Seizing Thread faster than expected.

“If you want to learn Flash Severance, I can teach you that too.”

Jin Ja-gang thought for a moment, then shook his head.

“I’ll learn that after we get out of here.”

“What?”

Tang Ha-ran asked carefully.

“Um, it’s a bit awkward to ask this, but… do you really think you can get out of here? Seriously?”

“I can’t guarantee it, but if I thought I couldn’t get out, I wouldn’t have come in.”

“Just in case, I’m asking – is there some secret passage in this underground prison that I don’t know about…?”

“I looked around all the lower floors for several days, but there didn’t seem to be anything like that. Though of course, even if there was, I might not have noticed it.”

“Then how are you planning to get out of here?”

It had been quite a while since meeting Jin Ja-gang. Yet not a single person’s shadow had appeared in the prison.

As Jin Ja-gang said, there was a high possibility that Tang family warriors were heavily positioned outside the prison. And among them, there would probably be considerable masters mixed in.

“I thought you were waiting leisurely, thinking you couldn’t get out anyway. Then shouldn’t you have quickly broken through before they could prepare properly?”

Tang Ha-ran frowned.

Jin Ja-gang could tell this wasn’t her being angry at him, but blaming herself.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m deliberately waiting.”

Tang Ha-ran sighed.

“It’s good being with you, but I’m still upset that you’re trapped because of me.”

After saying she was upset, Tang Ha-ran’s face suddenly reddened.

Was “upset” even a word befitting a martial family’s daughter?

“What am I saying right now? Like women from ordinary households.”

Jin Ja-gang smiled silently.

“Anyway!”

Tang Ha-ran changed the subject.

“What do you mean you’re deliberately waiting? If you stay holed up here, even great-aunt or grandfather might come later.”

If Family Head Lady Li Hua or King of Hell Tang Qing came out, then no matter what plan Jin Ja-gang had, he would absolutely be unable to escape.

But this time too, Jin Ja-gang smiled.

“Seeing how quiet it is, they haven’t come yet.”

“That would be right. If they had come, they wouldn’t be waiting quietly.”

“Then I should hurry them along a bit.”

“You’re going to deliberately hurry them? How?”

“I’m thinking of making threats.”

Jin Ja-gang looked at Tang Ha-ran with a slightly worried expression.

“But since Miss is a Tang family person, my methods might be burdensome for you.”

“I…”

Tang Ha-ran paused briefly, then looked outside the prison and said.

“From the moment I take even one step out of this prison, I’m not a Tang family person. Even if not me, others won’t see me as a Tang family person.”

Throwing off family rules oneself was the same as giving up being a Tang family person.

“And I just decided something.”

“What?”

“If we can get out of this place alive.”

Tang Ha-ran took a deep breath and looked at Jin Ja-gang.

“Then I’ll abandon the Tang surname and become a Jin family person.”

“Miss Tang…”

Jin Ja-gang read Tang Ha-ran’s heart from her eyes.

However, Jin Ja-gang still felt burdened. No, it was because of the countless lives weighing on his shoulders.

“The day I can become free is the day my given duty ends.”

Tang Ha-ran immediately answered.

“I’ll wait.”

“That day might never come.”

Because the possibility of dying before then was greater.

Tang Ha-ran again answered immediately without long thought.

“I’ll still wait.”

Jin Ja-gang nodded.

“I understand.”

“But instead!”

Suddenly Tang Ha-ran opened her eyes fiercely.

“If you look at other women besides me then, I won’t let it slide.”

Jin Ja-gang found Tang Ha-ran’s jealousy endearing. His frozen heart seemed to keep melting.

If heaven helped and he could safely complete his revenge…

Then it would be good to go deep into the mountains with Tang Ha-ran to farm and live.

Jin Ja-gang smiled naturally.

Tang Ha-ran urged him.

“Answer quickly!”

“Yes. I under…”

But suddenly Jin Ja-gang remembered his promise to find Craftsman Zhang’s wife. And Zhang’s daughter Rang-rang and Soso from Guizhou Medicine Sect too.

“……”

When Jin Ja-gang didn’t answer, Tang Ha-ran’s eyebrows twitched.

“Excuse me?”

* * *

Jin Ja-gang came up the stairs of the underground prison.

As expected, numerous Tang family warriors were waiting outside.

Warriors with swords and spears numbered at least a hundred, and archers were even positioned on the side walls. There were also several masters from the Tang family and vassal families.

No matter how skilled Jin Ja-gang was, he absolutely couldn’t break through this encirclement and escape.

When Jin Ja-gang appeared at the entrance of the underground prison, the warriors stirred and raised their weapons.

Among them, one elderly warrior stepped forward and shouted.

“You bastard! Your guts are really swollen! How dare you hide in the underground prison like a rat!”

But Jin Ja-gang didn’t care.

Jin Ja-gang had brought someone behind him, but it wasn’t Tang Ha-ran. It was a prisoner he had brought from another cell in the underground prison.

Jin Ja-gang pushed the prisoner forward.

The entrance to the underground prison was full of poison Jin Ja-gang had spread.

The prisoner couldn’t open his eyes properly, as if it had been a long time since he’d been outside. But Jin Ja-gang pushed his back, making him move forward.

Stepping on and swallowing the poison, he naturally became poisoned. His brief freedom was short-lived – the weakened prisoner couldn’t withstand the poison and coughed up blood while walking forward.

The warriors just watched without rashly approaching. The prisoner crawled toward the Tang family warriors as if asking for help.

One master raised his internal energy to block the poison and went to the prisoner.

He wondered if Jin Ja-gang had released the prisoner to convey some message.

However, the prisoner died with a wronged expression, not knowing the reason himself, without saying anything special.

“What the hell is this…!”

When the warrior looked up at Jin Ja-gang, Jin Ja-gang had already looked around at the warriors and went back down into the underground prison without saying anything.

* * *

Jin Ja-gang’s actions were immediately reported to Tang Qing.

Tang Qing had documents piled on both sides of his desk and was frantically handling business when he read the bamboo slip reporting Jin Ja-gang’s actions and stopped moving.

At that moment, the atmosphere in the hall became cold.

Sixty scholars stopped their work and looked at Tang Qing with expressionless faces.

Tang Qing held the bamboo slip and frowned deeply.

“He brought out a prisoner and just pushed him out…”

The scholar who brought the bamboo slip explained.

“We immediately moved the prisoner for examination, but found nothing unusual except Clear Blood Gland Snake poison and Glauber’s salt poison.”

Tang Qing read the bamboo slip again.

The dead prisoner was from an old vassal family who had been caught betraying the Tang family and spying.

But why Jin Ja-gang had specifically chosen him to send out was unknown. There was no connection with Jin Ja-gang.

“Trapped in a prison he can’t even escape from, yet instead of begging to be spared, he sends out prisoners to kill them?”

Having spread heavy poison at the entrance, it was incomprehensible why he would come out to do this.

Then a scholar ran up and piled new bamboo slips. Tang Qing picked up the topmost one.

It said Jin Ja-gang had again dragged out another prisoner and sent him outside. This time they saved the poisoned prisoner and interrogated him, but again Jin Ja-gang had conveyed no message.

“Crazy bastard. Is he planning to drag out all the prisoners inside one by one?”

Tang Qing’s face, which had been laughing in disbelief, suddenly hardened.

Only then did he realize Jin Ja-gang’s intention.

“This damn dog-like bastard son of a bitch!”

Tang Qing immediately shot up from his seat. Several scholars immediately followed behind him.