Ascension of the Heavenly Demon - Chapter 289

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 289

The realm of Gang energy.

Though not yet complete, for Mujin who had reached its starting point, the presence or absence of a sword wasn’t particularly important.

A sword is merely a tool for using internal energy more efficiently.

If there’s no need to conserve internal energy?

Simply condense qi and shape it like a sword.

The moment he made up his mind, Gang qi stretched out from Mujin’s hand and was swung.

“Huk!”

Gwak the Elder, who had thought he was safe because there was no sword, could only turn pale with shock.

The iron skewer sword was pathetically cut in half along the trajectory drawn by the swung hand.

“G-Gang qi?”

What Mujin held in his hand was a qi sword.

It was a mistake.

Because of Mujin and Dan Yeonhwa’s appearance.

At most, they looked to be around thirty.

It was hard to think of them as masters of Gang qi at such an age.

‘Damn it, so they’re from the Demonic Sect.’

He had thought they looked like they were born for the righteous path, but seeing those pitch-black eyes, that was definitely it.

Then it made sense.

Demonic Sect martial arts had radical aspects that could lead to great achievements at a young age.

Gwak the Elder, having corrected his misjudgment, immediately made a decision.

Though he had lived his entire life as an assassin, his opponent was a master of Gang qi.

Even with a surprise attack, he’d be lucky to leave a scratch, so a frontal confrontation would be insane.

Even if he fled, he’d be caught quickly.

Then?

He needed to divert attention.

Gwak the Elder quickly kicked a piece of the iron skewer sword that had fallen to the floor.

Swish!

His target was Dan Yeonhwa.

He had to flee while the man was protecting her.

But while kicking the blade fragment was fine, the atmosphere immediately turned strange.

Grab!

Blood light poured from the black pupils of Mujin, who had caught the iron skewer flying toward Dan Yeonhwa with his bare hand.

Gwak the Elder couldn’t even take two steps.

His limbs felt bound by invisible threads, and tremendous weight seemed to press down on his entire body.

‘The, the air…’

Whether due to the blood light, everything visible took on a red tint as if bathed in sunset, and the air inside suddenly became several times heavier.

Creak, crack, crack.

Without being touched, the desk and chairs twisted, and the already old inn made sounds as if it would collapse.

‘What, what is this guy…’

It was even shocking.

The moment their eyes met, his breath was cut short.

Meanwhile, the aura Mujin was emitting was growing stronger and stronger.

It was because of the Mad Soul Art.

Martial arts created by incorporating the mental insights realized by the man who had been the Heavenly Demon in the final stage of turning to good.

The angrier he became, the stronger he grew.

It couldn’t be helped.

Gwak the Elder had touched Mujin’s reverse scale that was Dan Yeonhwa.

Of course, even in such a situation, the spot where Dan Yeonhwa sat remained intact. It was proof that Mujin, while emitting a terrifying aura, had not been consumed by demonic nature.

But from Gwak the Elder’s perspective…

“Urgh.”

His increasingly constricted limbs made him feel like he would suffocate, and his knees buckled under the mountain-like pressure bearing down on him.

Thud!

His kneeling knees dug into the floor.

Even so, the pressure of qi didn’t stop, and Gwak the Elder’s body was slammed to the floor as if performing a full prostration.

“Grrrrgh.”

Mujin took no action whatsoever.

He was crushing Gwak the Elder by pressing down on space with pure internal energy alone.

Just when his crushed body seemed about to burst.

“Senior Brother.”

“…”

“Stop it. We have things to ask him.”

With her single word, Gwak the Elder, who had been wandering the boundary between life and death, barely managed to preserve his life.

As the crushing force disappeared as if washed away, he trembled like someone with malaria and vomited blood.

“Urgh!”

Only then were his internal injuries triggered.

Thanks to vomiting blood until the floor was soaked, Gwak the Elder’s face immediately turned pale.

His eyes were filled with terror.

Still, he was alive.

It was truly fortunate that he had a personality that listened well to the woman’s words.

“Senior Brother.”

“…Mm.”

“It seems there are others approaching.”

When Dan Yeonhwa frowned after listening to the birds’ sounds, Mujin flicked his four folded fingers all at once.

Pop! Pop pop pop!

The flying Jipung pierced through Gwak the Elder’s wrists and ankles. He had severed the limb meridians and suppressed the demon pressure points so he couldn’t move.

In case he targeted Dan Yeonhwa again.

“Wait. I will definitely tear you apart piece by piece with great care.”

After making this murderous threat, Mujin immediately spoke to Dan Yeonhwa.

“Dan Mae, wait a moment.”

“…Yes.”

Mujin’s appearance, completely different from usual, was not easy for even her to adapt to.

The chill contained in his red pupils was enough to make her feel chilled.

“Whoo…”

Mujin expanded his aura.

The presence that had filled the interior of the inn instantly spread out in all directions.

And the moment he detected the positions of all those approaching.

Crack, crash!

As he simultaneously detonated all the extended aura, the inn exploded into pieces.

The only intact place was the desk where Dan Yeonhwa sat.

It looked as if she alone sat forlornly in the center of the ruins.

Those who had been approaching couldn’t help but be startled by the sudden situation and looked up at the sky.

Mujin, watching them with cold eyes, raised his hand.

Murderous intent was carried in the aura extending from his palm, and soon red light spread out to fill the sky.

“Die.”

With a quiet word, the surging blood light poured down like rain.

There was no need to use martial techniques or be fierce.

It was no different from stepping on ants to kill them.

Crash crash crash crash crash crash!

And soon, the surroundings became quiet.

Corpses that couldn’t even scream lay scattered across the ground.

It had all happened in an instant.

“Huu…”

Having finished the slaughter, Mujin’s eyes had returned to their usual black color and were soon hidden beneath his calmly settled hair.

“…Sorry.”

Mujin spoke awkwardly to Dan Yeonhwa, who looked somewhat startled.

“It’s alright.”

Dan Yeonhwa shook her head with a bitter smile.

He had been angry because of her…

After some awkward silence, Mujin approached Gwak the Elder.

“Ugh…”

He had already seen it.

An unimaginably skilled master.

He was no different from a flying insect caught in a spider’s web, waiting only for death.

The efforts he had endured to become an assassin, the training to become indifferent to pain – all were useless.

He was simply afraid.

Of this man before his eyes.

“Who are you?”

“…Gwak Geosan…sir.”

The old man, Gwak Geosan, whose reason had been all but crushed, answered while trembling violently.

“Your affiliation?”

“I lead the Ghost Gang.”

“Ghost Gang?”

“Contract killing…”

“Why would an assassin organization kidnap people?”

“We received a contract. To bring those kidnapped by a bandit group…”

Gwak Geosan answered without lies.

“Who commissioned you?”

“Manager Yeon at the Sammun Guild.”

“Manager Yeon?”

“A merchant. That’s all I know. Really. Please…”

Gripped by extreme fear, Gwak Geosan even shed tears, making his lived life seem meaningless.

He was begging to be spared.

One who had been closer to death than anyone.

It was because of the demonic aura remaining on Mujin’s body.

Sometimes it paralyzed a person’s reason, inflicting pain greater than death.

“Do you have anything to prove your words?”

“Yes. Inside the inn, there are letters exchanged with them.”

“I understand.”

When Mujin nodded, Gwak Geosan looked relieved like someone who had finally escaped from terror.

“Dan Mae.”

“Yes?”

“This won’t be pleasant to watch.”

At Mujin’s words, Dan Yeonhwa turned her head.

Thud!

At the hand placed on his head, Gwak Geosan’s trembling body went limp.

There was no reason to spare him.

The sins he had committed in life could not be fully repaid even with death.

“It seems this matter is not small. We must hurry to find evidence and go to the Sammun Guild. Since Young Master Munhyeon has gone there, there shouldn’t be major problems, but there’s always the possibility of unforeseen circumstances.”

“…Yes.”

* * *

After the rattling created by the bumpy dirt road had lessened and only fine vibrations shaking the body continued for quite some time, the cart stopped.

It was different from before when they seemed to be passing through government checkpoints.

It wasn’t a brief stop but a complete halt.

‘Have we arrived?’

Soon he felt the box moving.

It was being transported somewhere.

‘Is this the final destination? Or do we have to move again? Damn, I don’t think I can endure much more…’

Though he couldn’t tell day from night, roughly two days and half a day?

That seemed about how much time had passed.

That would probably be the limit.

The kidnapped people might starve to death in the boxes otherwise.

But his body was killing him.

If not for his experience with long secluded training and sitting in meditation until his joints stiffened while trying to achieve ascension at Taiji Cave, he never could have endured it.

But even lying meditation had its limits.

No matter how much he controlled his physiological functions to a level similar to the ghost breathing technique that resembled a corpse, suppressing even appetite and bodily needs, he could endure no longer.

What wealth and glory was worth going through such ordeals?

Let me see if I ever do this again.

As regret flooded over him like a tide, the boxes began being stacked somewhere.

These guys even organize things properly, it seems.

But the stacking sounds continued.

There were only ten of them.

‘Hmm, it seems there are others kidnapped from different regions too?’

His curiosity grew.

Then the surroundings became quiet.

Silence continued.

Perhaps this place was another waypoint before being moved elsewhere, but… this hostage game ends here.

These damn bastards should know when to stop testing one’s patience.

His foot, pierced while checking if pressure points were suppressed, hurt like hell too.

He couldn’t stand it anymore.

Crack.

Zhuge Munhyeon slowly restored strength to his body and immediately broke the box.

Crash, thud!

Since it had been stacked fairly deep inside, nearby boxes came tumbling down.

“Huh? Where is this?”

Everything was pitch black.

He couldn’t see anything.

“Is this some kind of warehouse?”

Just as he was tilting his head in confusion, suddenly a door swung open and light poured in.

A torch.

Having been in darkness the whole time, it was hard to adjust and irritation surged.

“What!?”

Some man who had apparently assessed the situation by torchlight cried out in surprise.

Smack! Crack!

Two men fell to his immediately swung fists.

They seemed to be guards watching the warehouse.

“Bastards, shining that blinding torch around like idiots.”

Zhuge Munhyeon muttered irritably and picked up the torch that had fallen to the floor, looking around.

One entrance.

It was a space blocked off at the back.

Besides the box he had broken himself, there was a considerable amount stacked up.

“Are you saying all of these are boxes containing kidnapped people?”

It was absurd.

What the hell were these bastards doing?

Seeing that the box he had been in was placed fairly deep inside, there seemed to be an order to how the boxes were stacked.

Probably the ones near the entrance were those who came in first.

“These bastards, what exactly is their purpose?”

He couldn’t make heads or tails of it.

If they kept stacking them like this, those who arrived first would starve to death and then some.

As worry piled upon worry.

“Ah!”

One thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

Zhuge Munhyeon hurriedly broke the boxes near where he had been.

He wasn’t the only one who had disguised himself as a hostage.

Han Bulhae’s group and Jin Yalim were pulled out of their boxes.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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