novelraw Chapter 153 : Chapter 153
Chapter 153 : Chapter 153
Chapter 153. There are no secrets in the world.
While rescuing Great Monk Gongheo, Jin Cheon also freed the other prisoners and led them out of the Demonic Prison.
However, escaping the Demonic Prison was not as easy as he had thought.
The prisoners' health was in very poor condition due to their long confinement in the Demonic Prison, making it difficult for them to even walk.
“Protect the prisoners thoroughly.”
“As you command.”
Jin Cheon commanded the warriors of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult to do their best to ensure the prisoners could safely escape the Demonic Prison.
While nothing could be done for those who had already died, Jin Cheon's goal was to ensure the safe return of every single one of those he rescued…….
Meanwhile, Dang Cheon-wi was truly shocked as he helped Jin Cheon evacuate the prisoners.
‘Wh-what is this.’
Among the prisoners Dang Cheon-wi saw, there were not only Great Monk Gongheo but also many figures from Shaolin, as well as the Emei Sect, the Wudang Sect, and even the Sichuan Tang Clan.
Jin Cheon's words that the Righteous Heavenly Alliance had built a secret prison here on Mount Hua and had been kidnapping, imprisoning, and torturing their political enemies were by no means a lie.
“Did you see clearly?”
“Yes, Senior Brother.”
Dang Cheon-wi answered Jin Cheon's question, gritting his teeth.
He was already disillusioned with the Righteous Heavenly Alliance's actions, but after facing its true nature, he was grinding his teeth in anger.
“This is the true nature of the Righteous Heavenly Alliance bastards. They shout for justice on the outside, but behind the scenes, they don't hesitate to commit all sorts of dirty and vile acts.”
“I didn't know it was this bad.”
“Yes, I suppose so.”
Jin Cheon nodded his head as if he understood.
“Who would have imagined that the so-called Righteous Heavenly Alliance would go this far.”
“Senior Brother……”
“Starting with today's events, I will crush the Righteous Heavenly Alliance one by one. I will not let anyone who stands in my way live. There are no exceptions. Even if it's you.”
“……!”
Startled by Jin Cheon's menacing threat, Dang Cheon-wi almost took a step back without realizing it.
Having seen with his own two eyes what a monster Jin Cheon was, his body reacted with fear on its own.
“I repeat, you are no exception.”
“I have no such intention.”
Dang Cheon-wi smiled.
“What power do I have to block your path, Senior Brother? I have neither the power to stop you, nor the intention to. A trash-like group like this deserves to disappear.”
“If you think so, then there will be no unpleasantness between us.”
“However……”
“Speak.”
“I hope there will be as few unnecessary sacrifices as possible. Like massacres for mere entertainment……”
“What do you take me for?”
“Yes……?”
“I might deal with enemies, but do you think I would commit massacres for fun? Me?”
“Th-that is.”
Dang Cheon-wi was so flustered he didn't know what to do.
He had made a slip of the tongue due to the prejudice against the Demonic Cult ingrained in his mind.
“Don’t worry. That won’t happen.”
Jin Cheon grinned and lightly placed a hand on Dang Cheon-wi's shoulder.
“If I were to commit such acts, how would I be any different from the previous Heavenly Demon? If I act like that, then you can stop me by all means. If it comes to that, you can kill me. So that I can't run rampant anymore.”
“Haha, hahaha……”
“Let's go.”
Jin Cheon moved his feet.
“Yes, Senior Brother.”
Dang Cheon-wi's face, as he followed Jin Cheon, was as peaceful as if he had laid down a heavy burden.
* * *
A veritable sea of corpses and blood had unfolded on Cloud Terrace Peak.
The bodies of the Righteous Heavenly Alliance warriors who had been guarding the Demonic Prison, including support personnel, nearly a thousand in total, were scattered everywhere.
Of course, since it was dark now, the terrible tragedy could not be properly witnessed, but when the day broke, a scene straight out of hell would unfold.
“A good sight.”
Jin Cheon looked at the sea of corpses and blood spread before him and smiled brightly.
Although it was a dark night, Jin Cheon's eyes could easily see through the darkness.
“S-Senior Brother?”
Dang Cheon-wi flinched, startled.
To think he would smile at the scene of a massacre, making the words they had just shared seem meaningless…….
“This is an exception.”
“Yes……?”
“I have my reasons, so just let it be.”
“Yes, Senior Brother.”
Although Dang Cheon-wi had no idea what Jin Cheon was talking about, he figured there must be some reason and didn't bother to ask.
The atmosphere wasn't right for it either.
That being said, it wasn't as if Jin Cheon was just idly appreciating the scene of the massacre.
Time was not infinitely abundant.
‘I must head south quickly.’
This Mount Hua, where the Demonic Prison was located, was, in fact, no exaggeration to say it was the center of the Orthodox Faction.
Right next to it, on Mount Zhongnan, was the Zhongnan Sect, a member of the Nine Sects One Gang, and next to that was the Kongtong Sect, and if one went east to Hubei Province, the Wudang Sect was located.
If they didn't quickly leave Mount Hua and head south, down to Hubei Province, and get on the Yangtze River, it would be troublesome.
“Monk, I have a favor to ask.”
“I shall do so.”
Great Monk Gongheo understood Jin Cheon's meaning and nodded his head.
There would be no one better than Great Monk Gongheo to control the prisoners from the Orthodox Faction.
Since the Orthodox Faction prisoners would not easily trust the words of the Demonic Cult, Jin Cheon decided to entrust that task to Great Monk Gongheo.
“You must all be in disarray, but this old monk will say a word. Amitabha.”
Great Monk Gongheo explained to the prisoners from the Orthodox Faction why they had to follow the Demonic Cult.
“It is dangerous to return to your respective sects right now. Therefore, it is of utmost priority to first go to the Demonic Cult, receive their protection, and recover your body and mind. This old monk will also be going to the Demonic Cult, so I would appreciate it if you would come with me. Amitabha.”
The prisoners from the Orthodox Faction obediently followed Great Monk Gongheo's words.
And for good reason, to them, the Righteous Heavenly Alliance was an enemy worse than the Demonic Cult.
Hadn't the Righteous Heavenly Alliance kidnapped and imprisoned them, then extracted their martial arts through all sorts of torture?
As a result, the prisoners' resentment towards the Righteous Heavenly Alliance was beyond imagination, to the point where they thought the Demonic Cult was better.
Wasn't it the Demonic Cult, not their own sects, that had rescued them from the Demonic Prison just now?
Meanwhile, there was no need to persuade the prisoners from the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult or the demonic practitioners who had learned demonic arts.
“Heavenly Demon’s reign! Ten thousand demons bow in submission! Long live, long live, long long live!”
The demonic practitioners imprisoned in the Demonic Prison shed hot tears and worshipped Jin Cheon and the warriors of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Having been saved from a place with no dreams or hope, only endless despair and pain, even a demonic practitioner could not help but shed tears.
“Liege, we must hurry. In at least one or two shichen, the Righteous Heavenly Alliance will grasp our movements and begin to respond.”
Danmok Cheong urged Jin Cheon.
“Yes, we must hurry.”
“For now, we just need to get down the mountain.”
“And then?”
“Carriages are prepared. We plan to transport the prisoners to the Yangtze River by carriage.”
“We won't be able to fit all these people.”
“We have mobilized as many assets as possible. We can sufficiently carry about five hundred people, so you need not worry.”
“The capability of the Bat Squad?”
“Of course.”
Danmok Cheong smiled.
All the affairs of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult that occurred in the Central Plains were carried out by the Bat Squad, the intelligence agency under the Outer General Manager.
Escorting the prisoners of the Demonic Prison was also the Bat Squad's mission.
Just as they had escorted Jin Cheon when he had expressed his intention to defect to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult in the past.
“Good.”
Jin Cheon showed a smile towards Danmok Cheong.
“When we return to the Cult, I must speak to the Cult Leader so that the Bat Squad can be greatly praised.”
“L-Liege.”
“For all the hard work they do, they are always given a harsh evaluation. Their perception and treatment within the Cult are not very good either. But from now on, it will be different. I promise.”
“Thank you for your grace, Liege.”
Danmok Cheong knelt on one knee and bowed to Jin Cheon.
As someone from the Bat Squad, he knew better than anyone the hardships and sacrifices that the members of the Bat Squad endured while operating in the shadows.
For Jin Cheon to recognize them and promise better treatment in the future to resolve their past sorrows, Danmok Cheong could only be deeply grateful.
“Then, let's move quickly.”
“As you command.”
Jin Cheon immediately commanded the warriors of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, leading the prisoners who had been confined in the Demonic Prison out of Mount Hua's Cloud Terrace Peak.
‘A pity.’
Jin Cheon was regretful that he could not further appreciate the gruesomely beautiful scenery of Cloud Terrace Peak, but he had no choice but to turn his steps away.
As moving with the battered prisoners was no easy task…….
* * *
The Demonic Prison was among the most secretive and important facilities managed by the Righteous Heavenly Alliance.
As such, the news that the Demonic Prison had been devastated by an attack from the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was reported almost in real-time.
Carrier pigeons, one after another, carried the news, delivering the message that the Demonic Prison had fallen to the Demonic Cult's attack to the Righteous Heavenly Alliance's main headquarters in Hubei Province with great speed.
Having maintained a swift communication network in preparation for any eventuality, they were able to send the urgent report at a speed that was beyond imagination.
Meanwhile, the Sword Saint and the Great Divine Physician of Immortals were in a secret room on the top floor of a brothel, enjoying grain tea, or more precisely, expensive liquor.
And by the side of the Sword Saint and the Great Divine Physician, completely naked courtesans, wearing only sheer silk robes, were playing the zither or dancing.
“My head aches from thinking all day.”
“Don’t worry too much. There’s nothing we can do until enough information has been gathered.”
“Well, that’s true, but……”
“Let’s wait calmly. There are no secrets in the world. Information is bound to leak out somehow. No matter how much those bastards try to hide it, how much can they really hide?”
The Great Divine Physician of Immortals spoke as if it were nothing and quietly emptied his cup.
“But even I can’t help being curious. I’m so curious about what those bastards are plotting.”
“Indeed.”
As the Sword Saint and the Great Divine Physician of Immortals were exchanging cups and conversing.
Thud thud thud thud thud!
The sound of someone running from far down the corridor was heard, and the door was thrown open.
It was a highly unusual event.
How could some fearless fool throw open the door while the Righteous Heavenly Alliance Leader, the Sword Saint, and his close friend, the Great Divine Physician of Immortals, were drinking with courtesans in a secret room unknown to the outside world?
But the Sword Saint and the Great Divine Physician of Immortals were not particularly surprised, nor were they angry.
Rather, it was the courtesans who were startled and fled the room…….
“A-Alliance Leader.”
The one who had thrown open the door.
The Demon Extermination Squad Leader, Ho Jong-ak, opened his mouth with a trembling voice.
Moreover, not only his voice but also his hands and feet were trembling, so it seemed something must have happened.
“S-something terrible has happened.”
“……Speak.”
The Sword Saint, realizing the gravity of the situation, spoke as if preparing himself.
For Ho Jong-ak, who had committed all sorts of dirty and vile acts as the Sword Saint's right-hand man, to react like this, it meant that something had gone terribly, terribly wrong.
“Th-the Demonic Prison… the Demonic Prison……!”
“……!”
The Sword Saint and the Great Divine Physician of Immortals realized what had happened before Ho Jong-ak could even finish his sentence.
The Demonic Prison was a matter of top-secret classification even within the Righteous Heavenly Alliance, and it was not something to be uttered carelessly.
For the words ‘Demonic Prison’ to be directly mentioned from Ho Jong-ak's mouth meant that its existence had not only been revealed but had reached a point where the entire world knew about it.