Chapter 68: Chapter 68
“Call me when you’re done talking.”
Ji Dae-ho grinned as if he’d finally finished his business and walked outside. On his way out, he patted Sa Ho-jeong’s shoulder. Hik! Sa Ho-jeong flinched in fright as a bonus.
They said even the most notorious prisoners didn’t dare piss toward the Guardian Dragon Hall’s direction. Well, not saying it was undeserved. Even in the righteous sects, there were things worth learning.
“Sit.”
Jang I-seo gestured at the spot before him with his chin. Sa Ho-jeong scanned the surroundings with distrustful eyes, then scuttled over like a crab and sat.
He kept glancing behind him and spoke.
“That tiger bastard… Hey, that guy’s the Hall Master, right? Fuck. Worse than I heard. My ears are still ringing. But… where is this? You Guardian Dragon Hall too?”
Pfft! Jang I-seo burst out laughing before he could stop himself. Truly remarkable. Beaten that badly and still not cowed.
Jang I-seo shook his head and spoke low.
“Hey.”
“What. Hey? Did you just call me ‘hey’? Some green punk, no fear?”
“Younger than you, but not by much. I look young for my age.”
“Heh heh. Crazy bastard. Hey! What’s faster, that tiger bastard coming through that door behind me, or me gouging out your eyeballs? Take a guess.”
“How about adding one more option. You crying and begging me to ask you.”
“What the hell are you saying, you fuck… Kgh!”
PAH-PAH-PAK!
Sa Ho-jeong, who’d lunged like a beast, froze mid-strike with fingers curled like a hawk’s talon.
Jang I-seo’s sword-fingers had struck his mute point and numb point before he could blink.
“Just to clarify, since you don’t seem to understand. The Hall Master didn’t simply beat you. He sealed your meridians. Why? Because this way, you’ll be compliant.”
At Jang I-seo’s helpful explanation, Sa Ho-jeong’s eyes bulged with blood vessels.
Pressure point striking on a warrior who’d surpassed the absolute realm was supposed to be virtually impossible, due to smooth qi circulation.
But the Clever Tiger Ji Dae-ho had pounded Sa Ho-jeong’s meridians into stagnation with his fists first.
In other words, Sa Ho-jeong’s current condition was worse than third-rate. His qi couldn’t flow properly.
“And one more thing. I’ve picked up quite a few miscellaneous skills on the sly. One of them happens to be an interrogation technique. Every time I count to ten, it delivers a bit of pain. Called the Ten-Second Pain. The first round is bearable, but it keeps getting worse. Still, compared to bone-severing and joint-dislocating, it’s relatively peaceful. I give you advance warning. But having experienced it during training, I can tell you it hurts more. So when you’re ready to answer my questions, speak up.”
This snot-nosed punk, running his mouth!
Sa Ho-jeong snorted inwardly and radiated killing intent. As if daring him to try.
But it didn’t take long to realize how foolish that thought was.
Tuk.
‘GAAAAAAH-!’
Instantly, the sensation of his shoulder bone being struck by an axe and his tendons being severed flooded him.
Blood vessels spread in his eyes. Tears already beading.
It genuinely hurt.
But more terrifying was…
‘It gets worse than this?’
The dread that greater pain would arrive in ten seconds, and Jang I-seo’s bright, cheerful voice counting.
“One, two, three… ten.”
GAAAAAH! A soundless scream echoed within.
His eyes grew moist. His gaze shifted to desperate pleading.
“Not ready to talk yet?”
W-wait!
“Fair enough. One, two, three… ten.”
GAAAAAAAAH-!
Tears fell in drops. And inwardly, he pleaded desperately.
Release the mute point so I can talk, you bastard! Sob.
The ordeal continued for quite some time.
*
Time passed. Only after Sa Ho-jeong had wept enough to swell his eyes shut did Jang I-seo finally release the pressure points.
“Fuck… My body’s this intact?”
Examining himself belatedly, Sa Ho-jeong muttered in disbelief.
He’d thought he’d been shredded and salted.
Far from unexpected, his body was bizarrely unharmed. Without a single wound. Enough to feel embarrassed about having bawled his eyes out moments ago.
“If you’re curious, we can go again.”
At Jang I-seo’s indifferent offer, Sa Ho-jeong waved his hands frantically.
“No. Who said that? Fuck. I’m just saying. Why so impatient?”
Jang I-seo snorted with a laugh. He had to acknowledge that Sa Ho-jeong was genuinely a madman. To remain this defiant after the Ten-Second Pain.
The Ten-Second Pain was an interrogation technique learned from the Life-and-Death Divine Physician at the Hidden Pavilion.
Rather than inflicting actual injury, it was a form of illusory art that tricked the mind into perceiving pain. Close to hypnotic confusion.
Naturally, making it work required creating the right conditions of anxiety and desperation. But once caught, the perceived pain was beyond imagination.
Because pain tolerance varied from person to person, the Ten-Second Pain continuously updated to each individual’s personal maximum.
Therefore, even among operatives, those who endured it for long were exceedingly rare.
Sa Ho-jeong had lasted over a quarter-shi. That alone deserved acknowledgment.
Naturally, the record holder was Agent 103, who had endured a full day.
“Huu. Fine. Looks like that Ma I-sin bastard ditched me anyway. I’ll give you what you want. You’re doing this because you want to hear something from me, aren’t you? Ask. But…”
But? Sa Ho-jeong raised a cold gaze and added a condition.
“Let’s trade.”
“Trade?”
“My brother. Sa Do-cheol. The fact that he’s been quiet means he’s probably not alive anymore. Not saying there’s any touching brotherly love. But he’s blood. Revenge is owed. Who did it? You’re Guardian Dragon Hall, you should know.”
“I know.”
Jang I-seo nodded evenly. Sa Ho-jeong’s eyes blazed as he slammed the floor.
“Good. Who? Tell me. Don’t tell me it was that adjutant bastard? Even if my brother died like an idiot, to some nobody… What… Really? Wait, that bastard’s name was…”
“Jang I-seo.”
“Fuck! Right, that piece of shit bastard. It was him? Hah, fuck. My brother was a real idiot. Died to some nobody like that? How did he die? No, how old is that bastard?”
“Twenty-eight.”
“Twenty-eight. Yeah. Perfect age to fillet and feed to pigs. Fine. Where is that bastard?”
“My turn. The Soul-Befuddling Powder that was in the Lust Flower Tower. Where did you get it?”
Jang I-seo cut to the core without a flicker of expression. Sa Ho-jeong snorted loudly and answered readily.
“Iron Horse Bandits.”
Iron Horse Bandits? A name Jang I-seo had never heard. There shouldn’t be an organization he didn’t know about.
“An emerging bandit group…?”
“Calling them bandits is underselling it. Suspicious bastards. Every one of them is no ordinary fighter. Even the officers would give me or my brother a hard time.”
Jang I-seo tilted his head. Officers that required the Sa brothers to handle meant at minimum absolute realm.
Not to be taken lightly. His ignorance of them was the stranger part.
“Their headquarters?”
“Don’t know. How would I know where a bunch of horseback-riding nomads disappear to?”
Jang I-seo crossed his arms and let out a low murmur.
The claim of ignorance was probably genuine. Even a madman like Sa Ho-jeong wouldn’t have met them inside Cheonsan.
“Now my turn. That Jang I-seo piece of shit…”
“Do you know the Mad Physician?”
“I know Mad Dog. That’s Sa Ho-jeong.”
Got it. Jang I-seo nodded and stood. Questions were done.
“Good work. Spend the rest of your life repenting quietly in Duora Prison.”
Sa Ho-jeong raised his head and demanded.
“Fuck, hey! So what is that Jang I-seo bastard! How did he kill my brother? At least tell me something!”
Huu. Jang I-seo exhaled and answered briefly.
“Curious?”
“Tell me. Then I swear I’ll never forget this debt. On my neck.”
“…That bastard is me.”
“What?”
“Jang I-seo.”
“So why is that you?”
“Why do you think so?”
Jang I-seo walked toward the door. Sa Ho-jeong awkwardly rose and reached out as if to grab him, muttering.
“Huh…? Wait. Hey, fuck, hold on. I’m thinking! I said hold on! Hey. Hey, you snake bastaaaaard-!”
Belatedly grasping the situation, Sa Ho-jeong screamed and charged.
But if even his brother hadn’t been a match, what could he do in his current state?
Jang I-seo’s spinning back kick connected cleanly with the charging Sa Ho-jeong’s jaw.
“Gek…”
Pupils dilating, he crumpled to the floor like a straw doll.
Through the open door, Ji Dae-ho and the Guardian Dragon Hall warriors flooded in.
Ji Dae-ho surveyed both men, then gestured to his subordinates.
“Drag him to the Guardian Dragon Hall.”
Yes, sir! The warriors answered in unison, bound Sa Ho-jeong’s arms, hoisted him up, and disappeared outside.
After everyone had left, Ji Dae-ho spoke again.
“Did you get the answer you wanted?”
“Yes. He said they obtained it from a group called the Iron Horse Bandits. Have you heard of them?”
“Iron Horse Bandits…? Never heard the name.”
Understandable. The Guardian Dragon Hall handled internal affairs. They were outsiders. The Flying Dragon Hall or Counter-Espionage Division would be more likely to know.
“From the sound of it, they’re an outside force significant enough that the Sa brothers had to handle their officers personally.”
“Good work. Leave the rest to us. We’ll squeeze Sa Ho-jeong dry and request cooperation from the Flying Dragon Hall.”
Jang I-seo nodded. For now, that was the most reasonable course.
The Flying Dragon Hall Master was cunning and untrustworthy, but his intelligence network was second to none.
Especially for matters outside the cult, there was no better candidate.
His role ended here.
“Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.”
Jang I-seo used the apology as a clean exit, drawing a clear line.
Ji Dae-ho clicked his tongue with regret and nodded.
“I’ll relay your message to the Physician.”
“Thank you.”
“Thank you? You did everything from start to finish. I’ll definitely repay this debt.”
That much wasn’t necessary, but he’d never refuse a debt. Jang I-seo smirked and bowed his head.
“Go rest.”
“Looks like things will be busy for a while.”
Ji Dae-ho smiled back and walked out. Then, as if remembering something, he turned at the entrance.
“Oh, invite me to the next feast. We’ve gotten quite close, I’d say. I’ll be hurt if you don’t.”
“Haha, I’ll definitely send word.”
“Heh heh. I’ll be off. Don’t come out.”
“Yes. Take care.”
Ji Dae-ho raised a hand in a light wave, crossed the garden, and departed the Seventh Small Palace.
Close friends, huh…
Jang I-seo smiled as he watched his retreating figure.
Anyway, the Slaughterhouse was finished. His promise to the Demon Physician was fulfilled. He’d learned where the Soul-Befuddling Powder originated.
Honestly, he wanted to dig deeper, but the road ahead stretched nine thousand li.
“Most importantly… I need to survive first before there’s a next.”
Jang I-seo glanced at his arm, where dark veins showed beneath his sleeve.
Less than ten days remained until his meeting with the Heavenly Demon.
From here on, he had to focus entirely on finding the clue.
By any means. Without fail.