"Hey! Bring me some alcohol!" Wei Honglian's words were concise as she returned to her residence after several days.
Cha Guang subtly glanced at her and gestured to his subordinates. His gestures were clear—move quickly, as she seemed furious. The subordinates scurried into action, moving with the urgency of someone facing a life-or-death situation.
Cha Guang quietly approached Wei Honglian. "Are you injured?"
"..."
"Haha, if the Great Lord has ended up like this, the opponent must have been turned into a bloody mess..."
Thud!
"Ugh!"
Cha Guang staggered, nearly falling over from the force of the blow to the back of his head. Wei Honglian glared at him with fierce eyes.
"What, did something good happen? Why are you grinning like an idiot? Huh?"
"I-I'm sorry!"
"Where's the alcohol? I told you to bring it immediately!"
"The subordinates are bringing it now."
"And you?"
"...Yes?"
"What are you doing just ordering them around? If you have nothing to do, go make some snacks! Make them spicy!"
"Yes!"
Cha Guang stumbled out of the room. He had tried to lighten the mood but ended up getting scolded instead. He felt so wronged he could scream.
Wei Honglian snorted angrily. "Damn it, I'm in a terrible mood."
She sat slouched in her chair, her temper flaring. Her index finger tapped the table rapidly, as if practicing a swift sword technique. The speed and force were so intense it seemed like she might punch a hole through the table.
Wei Honglian was thinking about Seo Ryang. She kept replaying his blank expression and the words he had spoken so casually.
- It seems our training together ends here.
- We started together, but our goals were different. Your fight is over, but mine is still ongoing.
- Don't meddle in things that aren't your business. Leave when it's time to leave.
"Hmph!"
She snorted so hard that snot almost came out. Wiping her nose roughly, she gnawed on her lips.
"What? Different goals? Don't meddle? Huh?"
She couldn't help but think that was just like him.
To be fair, he wasn't wrong. She had been the one to suggest the training, and while it hadn't gone exactly as she imagined, her goals had been achieved.
But did he have to be so cold and cutting? Really?
Bang!
The table dented under her fist. She held onto the last thread of her sanity, stopping herself from smashing the expensive table to pieces.
"Damn it! Hey, you guys! Why haven't you brought the alcohol yet?"
As if on cue, the door opened, and the subordinates brought in the alcohol. Even though the snacks hadn't arrived yet, Wei Honglian hastily started drinking. She didn't even bother pouring it into a cup, gulping it straight from the bottle.
The subordinates quietly slipped away. They knew from experience that getting on the Great Lord's bad side at a time like this would be disastrous.
After drinking for a while, Wei Honglian snorted again.
"Whatever, I don't need to worry about him. He'll handle things on his own. Or not. It doesn't matter anymore."
Yeah, that's all that matters.
Wei Honglian calmly sipped her drink. With each cup, her expression grew more twisted.
"...Damn it!"
"Here we are."
"Thank you."
"Not at all. I'll take my leave now."
Chil Wujang turned to leave.
Seo Ryang watched his retreating figure and spoke up. "How did it go?"
"What do you mean?"
"I'm asking about the investigation. I know about the fourth, but was one of the deputy leaders involved too?"
"...The details of the investigation are confidential. I hope you understand."
Seo Ryang nodded. "Stay strong."
Chil Wujang's shoulders twitched. But he quickly regained his composure and walked away with his characteristic quiet and steady gait.
Seo Ryang smiled. 'He's not a bad guy.'
After all, not everyone in the Demon Sect is a devil. There are people like Aenghwa, Ma Dongpil, and Chil Wujang, who live by their own righteous values.
'In that case...'
He looked at the door. 'I wonder what kind of person the Punishment Hall Leader is.'
He had summoned both the Third and Fourth Princes, the highest-ranking figures in the Divine Sect. Even for the Punishment Hall Leader, this would be a heavy burden.
Yet, he had summoned them anyway, which meant he had a purpose that needed to be fulfilled, even if it was burdensome.
Creak.
Seo Ryang opened the door and entered. 'Hmm.'
Instead of a room, there was a long corridor leading to it. 'A unique layout.'
If there had been someone inside, he would have sensed their presence.
The true opening of the Shadow Demon Art, the first of the Hell Gates, the Netherworld Ghost Gate, had heightened his senses.
Until now, he hadn't felt the need to open it. The reason was that once the Netherworld Ghost Gate was opened, demonic energy would visibly manifest.
He had kept it sealed, thinking it unnecessary to draw attention. But now, his thoughts had changed.
If he wanted to increase his prominence, he needed to stand out. From his aura to his martial arts, everything needed to be more dazzling.
In that regard, he was grateful to Song Gyeong. Thanks to him, Seo Ryang realized his presence was still lacking.
'Tch, to achieve my dreams, I have to do things I don't like. Let's think positively.'
After all, the position of Third Prince alone made him a target of attention. There was no need to tiptoe around.
Seo Ryang walked down the corridor.
Step, step.
The corridor was eerily quiet.
Every few steps, there were lanterns hanging on the walls, but their dim light only added to the eerie atmosphere.
'Damn it, they always have to create this horror atmosphere.'
He really didn't like this.
For some reason, this dark corridor felt like a thorny path he had to walk for freedom. A damp, eerie, and slightly terrifying path.
'Freedom... Damn it, when I think about it, it's really a twisted path.'
No one had ever caught him, but there were times when his legs would twitch uncontrollably, three or four times a day.
He wished he could just break free from all this complicated nonsense. With his current strength, he could probably sneak out using his divine techniques...
'That's nonsense.'
He would definitely be caught before even passing through the inner sect.
Even if he escaped unnoticed, it would still be a problem. The Divine Sect would surely send terrifying demons to find the missing Third Prince. Among them would be experts even Seo Ryang couldn't handle.
He couldn't sacrifice his future for a moment of freedom.
What he wanted was complete freedom, free from anyone's interference. His experience of being trapped in the Heavenly Alliance and the Iron Blood Fortress had made him even more cautious.
Seo Ryang's eyes slightly reddened. 'Everything I'm doing now will be a great help in the future. I have to believe that.'
He hadn't expected to make such a resolution while walking down this corridor. A surge of strong will made him clench his fists.
'Let's finish today's business properly, beat up that bastard Hong Weimen, and then observe the situation. Don't rush, you idiot.'
As he calmed himself, he finally saw an ancient-looking door.
'Hmm, we're here... Huh?'
Seo Ryang frowned.
There were two presences inside the door. It must be the Punishment Hall Leader and Hong Weimen.
But one of the auras was extremely ambiguous.
'What is this aura?'
It was vague yet clear, stiff yet fluid. It was an aura that couldn't be described with a single expression.
'...This feels really unpleasant.'
Whatever, let's just face it.
Creak.
Seo Ryang pushed the door open.
At the same time.
"You've arrived."
One of the two people sitting at the round table stood up.
In an instant, Seo Ryang's eyes darkened.
"We've prepared a seat for you. Please, Third Prince."
The Punishment Hall members showed minimal courtesy to the higher-ups, as their work required maintaining at least a semblance of equality.
This was evident in Chil Wujang. His manners were precise, his words clear, neither excessive nor lacking.
But the person who stood up now was different. He acted as if they had been close friends for a long time.
"We've prepared some fine wine. I hope it suits your taste."
He was neither tall nor short.
He looked to be in his early fifties. Despite his graying hair, his face showed few wrinkles. His clothes were ordinary, neither particularly luxurious nor shabby.
His appearance was the same. He wasn't ugly, but he wasn't handsome either. He looked like someone you'd commonly see in the marketplace.
The Punishment Hall Leader, Go Gu, was filled with such ordinariness and ambiguity. There was nothing unique or solemn about his aura, making him seem all the more unusual.
"Huh? Haha! Is there something on my face? Why are you staring so intently?"
"Are you the Punishment Hall Leader?"
The old man smiled kindly. "Yes, I am Go Gu, the Punishment Hall Leader."
Seo Ryang stared at him intently, then shifted his gaze to the side.
There, Hong Weimen sat with an expressionless face. He had a cup but hadn't touched the wine yet.
"Haha, it seems the Third Prince is in a bad mood."
"..."
"Regardless, you've come a long way. Please, have a seat. You must be tired after three days of interrogation."
He kept smiling.
Seo Ryang shook his head. "I won't sit there."
Go Gu looked puzzled. "Why not?"
"You called me, a madman, and that idiot over here. That means you have some purpose, right?"
Hong Weimen's expression turned cold. Being called an idiot in front of the Punishment Hall Leader didn't sit well with him.
Go Gu looked flustered. "Why such harsh words? It's hard to follow, Third Prince."
"I don't know what your purpose is, but I have no intention of talking to someone who hides their true intentions. I might toy with others, but I don't enjoy being toyed with."
"Huh?"
A flash of demonic energy passed through Seo Ryang's eyes.
Hum.
The Shadow Demon Art surged, and the Six Paths of Heaven and Earth naturally unfolded. The purification of the Formless Art automatically cleansed the surroundings, making the Divine Sense even more sensitive.
"What a strange mask."
"..."
"The Black Crows wore masks, but there was no ambiguity about them. They felt like judges, executioners. But you're different."
Go Gu's smile deepened. "What do you mean?"
"You're wearing a mask, even though it's your real face. A mask ten times thicker and a hundred times more ambiguous than the Black Crows'."
"Is that how it seems?"
"Of course. You're hiding yourself, aren't you?"
The conversation was hard to follow, and even Hong Weimen frowned, unsure of what was being said.
But Go Gu's reaction was different. "...Indeed, you are remarkable."
At that moment.
Thud. Thud thud thud.
Hong Weimen's eyes shook.
Thud! Crack!
A cold aura emanated from Seo Ryang's expressionless face.
Sssss...
Go Gu's face was changing.
It wasn't a metaphor—his facial features were literally shifting. Bones twisted, muscles writhed uncontrollably. A hazy gray mist began to rise from his ever-changing face.
'The Bone Shrinking Art...'
A martial art that uses powerful internal energy to artificially alter a person's bones and muscles.
'I thought it was just a fictional martial art made up by gossipers.'
There are many strange martial arts in the world, but he had never considered that one could actually change the human body's structure. Changing bones and muscles would also shift the positions of internal organs and could even damage nerves.
If such a martial art truly existed, why would assassins go to such lengths to obtain human skin masks?
Thud thud thud! Crack!
"You're the third person to instantly recognize my transformation."
His tone changed as his body transformed. The appearance Go Gu had shown Seo Ryang until now was entirely fabricated. His current tone revealed his true personality.
"I wondered how you managed to survive eight months in the Deadwood Forest. It seems your unparalleled insight played a significant role."
Whoosh.
Finally, Go Gu's true form was revealed. He appeared to be a robust man in his late thirties.
"How is it? Satisfied?"
Seo Ryang pointed at the table with his chin. "I'm hungry. Bring out some snacks."