episode_0049

From the perspective of extracting information, torture was highly inefficient.

Torture is an act that incites hostility from the other party.

How can one trust the information divulged by a target whose animosity has been heightened through torture?

Furthermore, the victim of torture, the one receiving the torture, would be wary of the torturer in order to avoid the moment.

Instead of conveying accurate facts, they would end up saying what the torturer wanted to hear.

However, Cheong didn’t know the exact facts anyway.

Even if they did, it wouldn’t have mattered.

There was a deep-seated malice within.

A relentless, whispering, powerful urge.

Blood and blood. And more blood.

Screams. Roars of agony. Blood boiling and bubbling. Weak, barely clinging breaths. Forced down sobs.

Eyes devoid of focus, trembling fiercely, unable to find a place, expanding into emptiness and disbelief in the face of the intuition of death, eyes with different charms.

All those moments of pain were so beautiful.

Shivering all over, unable to hold back the labored breath, every nerve, bone, and muscle in the body burning with a terrible pleasure.

Ah. So this is how artists live in madness.

Inhaling mercury vapor to paint, coughing up blood while writing, the reason for it all.

Then, a short life wouldn’t have been unfortunate.

They would have lived happily forever.

That’s why Cheong’s attitude was different from torture.

It was more akin to an exploration towards truth or a religious worship ritual.

They instinctively sought to minimize the harm the subject endured through groans, screams, and breaths.

Dissecting while alive, seeking ways to keep that life going.

To keep it alive to inflict more pain.

That’s why Cheong’s touch was delicate and cautious.

It was the only evidence they had finally obtained.

Suddenly, Cheong’s touch stopped.

Ah. Could it be dangerous to touch anything else here?

It was an unfounded intuition.

Ah, it was going so well.

Cheong withdrew, pondering.

“Please, please, just kill me instead…”

The figure of a person turned into a bloody mess begged.

The vocal cords, tortured by screams, could only produce a sound like sand scratching, and the squeezed lungs couldn’t function properly.

“Do you… have you done something bad?”

Cheong’s voice trembled.

“We’re secret friends, right? Won’t you tell me a little? What would make you go over three hundred points?”

Yeah. I should have figured this out first.

I just recklessly blurted out without thinking.

Have I been living too thoughtlessly?

I admit it and reflect again.

But anyway, this world is the one at fault.

Kidnapping someone who was living well.

“I… I deceived people…”

“Ah. The missing people?”

Cheong raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, no. Would that make me lose three hundred points? Is deceiving people such a bad thing?”

“I knew… those people wouldn’t come back…”

“Ah. You knew that and still sent them to their deaths? That makes sense. How many did you send?”

“Two, three times a week. It’s been over half a year.”

“What? Then let’s see. Ten people a week. Over half a year, that’s over sixty people, right? Hmm. Hmm. That should pass.”

Cheong nodded.

If they had driven at least sixty people to their deaths, it would be around three hundred points for a wicked deed.

No, no. Isn’t killing a bad person a righteous deed?

“Is that all?”

“I also mastered a certain skill.”

“A skill? What skill?”

“Heart Devouring…”

Cheong didn’t know martial arts anyway.

But just by hearing the name, they seemed to know what it was.

Heart Devouring. Isn’t that a martial art that eats hearts?

In reality, it was a more heinous skill than Cheong had thought.

Seopsumgong achieved the attainment of inner power by consuming purified hearts through the distorted vision of the Dark Cult, refined through the art of alchemy.

To complete the dark heart of Seopsumgong, the essence of a nine-year-old child must be transferred to the heart, a process accompanied by excruciating pain.

Furthermore, regardless of the qualities and constitution of the learner, the progress of inner power was solely determined by the number of hearts consumed.

In reality, achieving greatness did not necessarily result in a significant increase in inner power.

The issue lay in the dreadful method of alchemy and the possibility of extracting skilled practitioners of inner power.

This was the reason why Seopsumgong was widely known throughout the land as a practitioner of dark arts.

“So, you consumed the heart?”

“They brought it to me…”

“They? Who are they?”

“I don’t know, really, I truly don’t know.”

It wasn’t a lie.

Cheong gently tapped the back of his head.

“No, why? Why do you need to offer human hearts to those you don’t know just to refine your inner power? Although, it does sound like it might be delicious. Do they come fresh?”

“What…”

Cheong slapped his cheek lightly.

“No, that’s not right. Cannibalism is not okay. Sorry. My mind is a bit all over the place. Anyway, why? Why bother?”

“To become a Gatekeeper, to become a Gatekeeper…”

He was more determined than expected.

Their group was planning to carry out some operation with the kidnapped commoners, and after that, they would launch an attack on the Great Gate, where the eldest son, Wang Sonseok, would be severely injured, and the second son, Wang Sonman, would defeat the enemies with a brilliant performance.

Only then did joy bloom in Cheong’s heart.

Ah. So this is the price of evil deeds?

They were just scoundrels, well, they deserved to die.

He realized that his hobby had actually contributed to world peace.

He felt a sense of accomplishment and pride.

“Now that I’ve told you everything, spare me.”

“What? You asked to be killed earlier, didn’t you?”

“Please…”

Dealing with someone who doesn’t understand words is frightening.

Cheong was in a state of intense concentration as he studied the mysteries of the human body.

But once they were able to communicate, the desire to live quietly emerged.

“Well. I’ll spare you. Thanks to you, I was able to solve my dilemma.”

“Please spare me…”

Despite his face being stripped of its skin, a hopeful light shone in his eyes.

The human will to live was truly remarkable.

Of course, the people he had betrayed were probably the same.

So, he couldn’t kill him just yet.

He had taken great care to keep him alive, and killing him now would be a waste.

“Well. Fine. I’ll let you go this time. So always be grateful. Got it?”

And so, the enjoyable time came to an end!

Why did enjoyable times always pass by so quickly?

Feeling regret, Cheong roughly threw Wang Sonman onto the bed and headed out.

In a different way than Wang Sonman had expected, lying on the bed was still a step towards his goal.

Cheong opened the iron door and stepped outside.

The sun was already shining brightly.

Come to think of it, he had a feeling that this shady underground chamber, where he had been led to in secret, was a suspicious place from the start.

Probably a place for secretly consuming hearts and meeting unknown people.

Surprisingly, Cheong was in a neat state.

Although his sleeves were sticky, his face wiped with his hands, and his neck covered in dried blood, compared to his usual disheveled appearance, he looked relatively clean.

Since the underground chamber was not far from the Great Gate, Cheong quickly encountered the gatekeepers.

—-

The Great Gate was bustling from morning onwards.

A valuable guest had gone missing, and the second son had not shown himself either.

The search was conducted cautiously, taking into account the guest’s feelings.

However, the Grand Master Wang Gaeyook wasn’t particularly worried.

He probably just had some business to attend to since he left early in the morning.

The young masters of the Jangryongji Society seemed concerned, but this city wasn’t originally a sinister place.

Wang Gaeyook firmly believed in that.

So when the missing guest brought up something that only Wang Sonman could claim, he was almost shocked to the point of collapse.

People are weak to unexpected shocks.

But that was just the beginning.

It was after urgently sending the second son to the council that the guest’s words had an impact.

“He deceived and abducted the missing people. I heard it directly. He plans to join forces with the bad guys, kill his brother, and take his place as the successor.”

“That’s absurd! Such, evidence, do you have any? Even if that scoundrel is shady, would he really scheme such evil deeds…”

“He’s said to have mastered the Seopsumgong technique, right? If we call in a master, we can find out, can’t we?”

“Seopsumgong!”

Wang Gaeyook sighed and staggered.

Wang Sonseok, who was beside him, quickly supported him.

“Such, such…”

If Wang Sonman had truly mastered the martial arts, confirming it wouldn’t be difficult.

Why lie about something that could easily be verified.

It was truly a perfect piece of evidence to support the situation.

At that moment, Cheong clapped his hands and drew attention.

“Well, then. Next. Have you identified the location where the group of unknown people took the others?”

Cheong looked at Wang Gaeyook intently as he spoke.

“In the end, the Grand Master is responsible, right? So, shouldn’t we go together?”

The people who were taken were lowlifes who didn’t matter to anyone.

So there was no need to rush to rescue them!

If they’re alive, they can be rescued at any time.

Honestly, he didn’t really want to go out of his way to save a guy who sold even his wife to pay off gambling debts.

But what about the ones left behind?

Cheong remembered the grandmother’s face, her desperate expression as she asked for help finding her child.

Even if she didn’t have much time left in her life, the grandmother deserved to live out the rest of her days.

It wouldn’t do to have her son running around all day, begging and pleading with the half-assed swordsmen.

Maybe this was truly the last chance for Ihahsam to turn things around and find a wife to live a good life with.

Or he could end up like those gambling addicts in the underworld, selling his children again.

But, the remaining person shouldn’t be held back by regrets because of such a guy.