Chapter 9: I Got Caught

[ Title: A Study on the Cheongpungjeon Strategy ]

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(Photo)

20,000 hours.

Playtime certification complete.

I’ve genuinely cleared every single ending there is, but these Heavenly Demon Cult bastards are beyond redemption.

There’s just no hope for reform.

Starting with their so-called “cult leader,” the guy is so full of resentment toward society, brimming with nothing but malice toward the martial world. 

And his underlings? 

Every last one of them is out of their damn minds.

Unless you plan on becoming the Heavenly Demon yourself, don’t even think about joining the Heavenly Demon Cult.

Want an easier playthrough?

Then you absolutely have to keep the Heavenly Demon Cult in check from the very beginning. 

No question.

No need to worry about grudges or consequences.

When it comes to killing these demonic cultists, people will cheer you on— nobody’s gonna complain, lol.

Making enemies of the demonic cult while also turning the righteous faction against you?

Unless you’re some insane chaos-loving maniac, that’s straight-up impossible.

Oh, and for reference, even the most notorious martial world outlaws will give you reputation points if you kill demonic cultists, lol.

Same goes for players who just wanna roam around freely, enjoying the open world without worrying about endings.

If you leave these cultists alone, the genre shifts from wuxia to straight-up apocalypse, you get me? LMAOOOOOO.

By then, there’s basically no way to stop them, so unless you wanna reset, keep that in mind.

Leave these bastards unchecked, and the martial world will be reduced to ashes.

****

Honestly, Cheongun felt a thrill.

Hong Soyeon was a demon practitioner.

A rare demon practitioner who had mastered demonic arts, no less.

Demonic arts were, as the name suggested, sinister and aberrant martial techniques.

They granted faster achievements than any orthodox martial art, but at the cost of countless side effects— like steroids in the world of bodybuilding, so to speak.

It wasn’t just a matter of becoming slightly eccentric.

Some practitioners destroyed their dantian, had their personalities shattered, saw their lifespans drastically shortened, or even had parts of their bodies melt away.

The side effects varied wildly depending on the type of demonic art practiced.

The mere willingness to take such risks meant one was already half-mad with obsession for martial arts, and with such lunatics gathering at the peak of power, it was no wonder the Demon Cult was known as a fanatical religion that worshipped strength.

However, their numbers weren’t large.

Practicing demonic arts was taboo in the martial world.

Honestly, that was why Cheongun had been excited.

Not only had he encountered one of those rare demon practitioners, but he had even managed to capture her alive and unharmed.

For Cheongun, whose martial prowess improved just by being near a demon practitioner, this was nothing short of a stroke of destiny.

Just think about it.

If simply being near her activated his trait, and if there was no time limit to its duration, wouldn’t it be possible to keep her tied up and carry her around like a pet, effectively maintaining a permanent activation of his trait?

A companion demon practitioner, so to speak!

Of course, he’d have to endure the ethical controversies, but worrying about reputation in the martial world was just plain foolish.

It was a decision perfectly in line with Cheongun’s character.

However.

“…It’s not working?”

Exactly five hours later, the trait deactivated, and everything returned to normal.

Unbelievable! My battery!

It seemed this unique trait of his did have something like a duration limit after all.

The only silver lining was that the trait reactivated exactly one day after deactivating.

Duration: 5 hours.

Cooldown: 24 hours.

New information acquired.

And so, one day, two days, three days passed…

Without fail, Cheongun sought her out, sat cross-legged, and wasted his time away.

Naturally, Hong Soyeon stared at him as if he were a madman.

“Have you lost your mind?”

“Mind your own business.”

“My, my. Even madness should be graceful. Do you have any idea how terrifying and humiliating it is for a woman to have some lunatic visit her every day, staring at her relentlessly?”

“Still better than dying, don’t you think?”

“…”

Hong Soyeon was bound tightly, her pressure points sealed, unable to move a muscle.

To make matters worse, the location was the underground prison of the Justice League’s branch.

And now, this madman came every single day to grate on her nerves— she was on the verge of losing her mind.

‘I think I’ve really bitten off more than I can chew this time.’

Hong Soyeon was sharp.

But Cheongun was the first person whose mere gaze radiated madness.

It wasn’t just his eyes, either.

Having crossed blades with him and exchanged words, she was certain of it.

A lunatic of the highest order.

That was her assessment of Cheongun.

The wise avoid madmen.

Especially madmen who were also formidable martial artists.

Hong Soyeon sharply turned her head away.

Seeing this, Cheongun spoke up.

“Hey there.”

“Don’t talk to me.”

As Cheongun threateningly raised the fishing rod in his hand, Hong Soyeon grumbled before finally speaking.

“What do you want?”

“What’s your cultivation level?”

“How ignorant. Don’t you know it’s rude to ask someone about their cultivation level?”

“Want to get hit for being ignorant?”

“I’m at the initial stage of the Peak Realm.”

The initial stage of the Peak Realm.

No wonder the internal energy emanating from her felt unusual.

At that level, she could rightfully call herself a master in the martial world.

And this confirmed one thing—

The stronger the demonic practitioner faced as an enemy, the more their traits seemed to amplify.

The first demonic practitioner he’d met was Sa Un-cheon from the Black Forest Sect, right?

Hong Soyeon was undoubtedly stronger than him.

Because of that, though the increase was slight, the enhancement of her traits was noticeably greater than Sa Un-cheon’s.

Hmm, well, it’s a good thing either way.

The stronger the opponent, the stronger he becomes.

That’s a pretty meaningful piece of information.

A few days later.

“Hey.”

Hong Soyeon was the one to speak to him first this time.

And with a sly, flattering smile.

“I have a favor to ask.”

“A favor?”

“The reason the Great Hero spared me— it’s because I’m useful to you, right? Even though I’m part of the Heavenly Demon Cult, my life matters more to me than anything else.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“If I were truly so loyal, I would’ve swallowed the poison pill the moment you caught me.”

Hmm, that’s a fair point.

It was the first time he’d seen an assassin spit out a poison pill because they didn’t want to die.

“So? What do you want to say?”

“The moment I spat out the poison pill, I betrayed the cult. If they find out I’m imprisoned in the Golden Jail, the Blood Shadow Sect will send assassins to silence me before I can spill any secrets.”

“I see.”

“Like I said, my life is the most important thing to me. So if the Great Hero guarantees my safety, I’d be more than willing to cooperate with you.”

“Cooperate how?”

“You have business with the Heavenly Demon Cult, don’t you?”

Cheongun stared intently at Hong Soyeon.

It was true— he did have business with the Heavenly Demon Cult.

Because, to him, demonic practitioners were like internal energy batteries.

Hong Soyeon alone wasn’t enough.

The more batteries, the better!

For efficient internal energy growth, periodic battery replenishment was essential.

And it wasn’t just about martial arts.

Cheongun had already been pondering this.

To achieve his ultimate goal— a carefree life of leisure— the Heavenly Demon Cult had to be eliminated.

Then, Hong Soyeon, who had been staring at him, parted her lips.

“I have a good idea. Want to hear it?”

“What is it?”

“Lend me your ear. So, here’s the thing…”

****

Deep in the night.

The underground prison was as dark as pitch.

The sound of ragged breathing sliced through the silence.

Hong Soyeon sat tied up, leaning against the wall.

Her body, sealed by pressure points, couldn’t move an inch.

Between the disheveled folds of her clothes, her smooth thighs were exposed.

Swoosh—

Suddenly, the darkness trembled ever so slightly.

A black shadow brushed against the floor as it approached, and soon, a masked woman appeared beyond the iron bars.

She was an assassin from the Biyeongmun.

Beneath the mask, her sharp eyes scanned the surroundings.

Then, she looked down at Hong Soyeon and spoke.

“What a sight to behold. Elder Hong.”

Elder Hong?

At those words, Hong Soyeon’s eyes narrowed sharply.

“Elder Baek? Why are you here?”

The woman scoffed.

“Why? I came under the orders of the Sect Leader. Forgive my rudeness.”

“I won’t forgive you. How about you turn back empty-handed?”

“That might be a bit difficult. You know what happens when an assassin disobeys orders, don’t you?”

“What happens?”

“Hoho! I’m about to show you right now.”

The masked woman laughed like a madwoman.

“Don’t misunderstand. I bear no personal malice, alright?”

“Sure you don’t.”

“Before that, how about you give me one last report? Depending on the value of the information, I’ll grant you a special opportunity—a painless end.”

Hong Soyeon’s breath hitched for a moment.

Then, a sigh-laced voice escaped her parted lips.

“Want to lend me your ear?”

The masked woman tilted her head slightly, pressing her ear against the iron bars.

Hong Soyeon strained to lean forward and whispered into the woman’s ear.

“Dumbass.”

“What?”

“You’ve been played.”

That was the moment.

“!!!”

Whoosh—!

A fishing line shot out from the shadows, instantly coiling around the woman’s neck.

At the same time, a single finger darted out like lightning from the darkness.

Hong Soyeon struck the woman’s shoulder with a pressure-point attack, infused with internal energy.

Then, forcing the woman’s jaw open, she rummaged inside her mouth—

Tock—

A poison pill dropped to the floor.