Namgung Clan’s Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal

Chapter 56

56. Tell Me If It Hurts.

It’s hard to imagine what would happen if you became their enemy, but if you went to the Heavenly Prison of the Namgung Clan, you could see it with your own eyes.

Just how terrifying Sun Wukong could be when you met him as an enemy.

"I’ll talk! I’ll tell you everything!"

Sensing Sun Wukong’s presence from beyond the iron bars, the White-Eyed Demon Lord shouted in a fit of panic.

Before Sun Wukong could even respond, the White-Eyed Demon Lord spat out his words in a frenzy.

"I—I’m part of the organization called the Dosan Sect—urk!"

Sun Wukong reached through and tapped the White-Eyed Demon Lord’s throat.

The words caught in his throat, and he coughed up blood. Sun Wukong spoke in a voice lower than usual.

"I told you, I don’t want to hear it."

"I—I’ll talk. I’ll tell you everything I know!"

"No. I don’t need it."

Sun Wukong grinned.

He grabbed the White-Eyed Demon Lord’s hair roughly and yanked his head up.

Sun Wukong crouched down, bringing his face right up to the White-Eyed Demon Lord’s nose.

His unfocused pupils trembled in their cloudy whites.

Even though he couldn’t see, the White-Eyed Demon Lord’s whole body shook uncontrollably.

It was as if he could see Sun Wukong’s eyes.

Cold, emotionless, and chilling eyes.

There was a depth in them like a bottomless abyss.

Sun Wukong smirked playfully as he watched the squirming centipede.

"Don’t talk. I don’t want to hear it from you."

"Why...?"

"Why? Because of the Sealing Technique, obviously."

The White-Eyed Demon Lord fell silent.

Because of the Sealing Technique, he couldn’t say what Sun Wukong wanted to hear. If he tried, he’d die on the spot.

"Tsk, trying to run your mouth and die so easily?"

Sun Wukong’s eyes curved in amusement.

Unable to endure the pain any longer, the White-Eyed Demon Lord was planning to trigger the Sealing Technique and end his own life.

"Suicide is a sin. Of course it is."

"..."

A look of shock appeared on the White-Eyed Demon Lord’s face.

Sun Wukong pressed down hard on his scalp.

"Alright. Let’s practice again today."

Sun Wukong grinned.

"Practice breaking the Sealing Technique."

The White-Eyed Demon Lord’s body trembled violently.

The horrific situation he wanted to escape from, even if it meant dying.

The Sealing Technique was a brand burned into a person’s mind.

And now, practicing to break that seal...

‘He’s going to dig through my brain again...’

The pain he’d suffered so far flashed through his mind like a brand. The White-Eyed Demon Lord shook uncontrollably.

A foul stench filled the air. The White-Eyed Demon Lord, a monster whose skills had put Muhwa in the infirmary, had wet himself.

If it were just physical pain, he could endure it. Every martial artist, even the most wicked, had endured the pain of grinding their bones and honing their bodies.

But Sun Wukong was on another level.

"Alright, tell me if it hurts."

Sun Wukong struck an acupoint in an instant. The White-Eyed Demon Lord’s voice was cut off. He couldn’t make a sound.

"You scream too much. It hurts my ears. So keep your mouth shut."

...But you just said to tell you if it hurts.

The White-Eyed Demon Lord’s mind went completely blank.

* * *

The Yangha Iron Workshop now belonged to the Namgung Clan.

All the Azure Hero Society martial artists who used to guard the workshop had disappeared. Only one martial artist from the Namgung Clan stood watch.

That was more than enough.

No one in Anhui Province would dare pick a fight with someone wearing the Namgung Clan’s uniform.

Even the most renowned martial artists who swaggered up to the Yangha Iron Workshop now approached with caution.

The Namgung Clan’s martial artist watched this with a matter-of-fact attitude.

But even he bowed deeply when someone entered.

"Isn’t that Master Sun? What brings you here...?"

"Don’t mind me. I’m just here to pick up my order."

"If you’d told me in advance, I could have brought it back to the clan for you."

Wasn’t Sun Wukong the one who could share a drink with the clan leader himself?

Even the elders were sometimes surprised by how casually Sun Wukong treated Namgung Jin-Baek.

Naturally, the Namgung Clan’s attitude toward Sun Wukong had become very cautious.

As the Namgung Clan’s martial artist showed such respect, all eyes in the area turned to them.

Sun Wukong was used to drawing stares thanks to his unique appearance, so he didn’t pay it much mind.

"It’s heavy. How could I ask you to carry it?"

"Haha, I’ve handled greatswords weighing at least fifteen geun before. Carrying something is nothing."

"I doubt it."

Sun Wukong grinned mischievously. The Namgung Clan martial artist tilted his head in confusion.

Just then—

Master Artisan Hyeok, recognizing Sun Wukong, hurried over.

"You’re here! The weapons you ordered are all finished!"

Sun Wukong nodded.

Master Artisan Hyeok gestured, and several burly craftsmen moved at once.

He gave a wry smile.

"Sorry it took longer than expected."

"That’s because I kept butting in, isn’t it?"

"And we’ve never refined and forged so much steel at once before..."

The Namgung Clan’s martial artist, listening to their conversation, looked puzzled.

Why did it take so many craftsmen just to fetch a single weapon?

The craftsmen grunted as they carried a huge box.

It took five strong men, their faces flushed red, to bring it over. It was clearly no ordinary item.

They set the box down in front of Sun Wukong.

Even though they lowered it gently, the floor shook with a loud thud.

"Please take a look, Master Sun."

Inside the box was a plain iron staff, with no special decorations.

But...

‘Isn’t that just a solid chunk of steel?’

That’s supposed to be a staff?

The Namgung Clan’s martial artist gaped.

Just by looking at it, you could tell it was absurdly heavy. The weight was enough to make the floor tremble. Sun Wukong lifted it easily with one hand.

Of course, that alone wasn’t so special. It was impressive, but even the Namgung Clan’s martial artists could manage to lift it.

Their martial arts focused on internal energy, but they’d trained their bodies as well.

But to spin it around one-handed like Sun Wukong did—now that was jaw-dropping.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Fwoosh! Whoosh!

The Air-Splitting Roar rang in their ears.

The sound was like the air itself being torn apart, sending chills down everyone’s spines.

Every time he swung the staff, the fierce wind made their cheeks tremble.

‘He’s... swinging that thing like it’s nothing?’

The martial artists watching all gaped in disbelief.

‘That’s a staff?’

Even a glancing blow from that would tear flesh and shatter bones.

Even with Body-Protecting Hard Qi, it didn’t feel safe.

‘What a monstrous weapon.’

Even the craftsmen who made the iron staff were shocked.

Originally, it wasn’t supposed to be this heavy.

A giant with monstrous strength could have handled it.

But after Sun Wukong kept coming by and interfering, this monstrous thing was the result.

They’d hesitated several times while making it, but they couldn’t refuse.

‘He’s the Namgung Clan’s retainer and the owner of the Meteorite Iron!’

After spinning the staff for a while, Sun Wukong nodded in satisfaction.

"Did you use the meteorite iron I gave you for both ends?"

"Ah, yes. That’s right. We melted down that sword fragment and wrapped it around both ends like a band."

"Not bad. Good craftsmanship. It’s a shame there wasn’t more material, though."

"..."

Master Artisan Hyeok was momentarily speechless.

That much meteorite iron would make any martial artist in the world go crazy.

And he says it’s a shame there wasn’t more...?

Seeing his shocked face, Sun Wukong chuckled.

"I’ll bring more soon, so next time, let’s cover both ends completely."

If he brought that much...

The craftsmen’s faces turned pale with shock.

Sun Wukong snickered.

"That’s the only way it’ll be useful."

Now, to collect the Seven Star Sword Fragments...

Honestly, it was a hassle. But he knew a shortcut.

‘They’ve probably already gathered most of them.’

I’ll just take them.

* * *

Wuhan, Hubei Province.

Located at the heart of the Yangtze River, it was the center of water and land transportation for Hubei Province and all of Central Plains.

Every day, huge ships sailed up the river, unloading and loading countless goods.

Naturally, the largest merchant groups and escort agencies in the Central Plains flourished around Wuhan.

The Nanhe Escort Agency was a prime example.

Dominating the waterways of Hubei, it was the top escort agency in the province, and one of the five largest in the Central Plains.

Its estate was vast, befitting its reputation, but unlike its grand and splendid exterior, the interior was rather modest. There were no extravagant luxuries—just pristine white porcelain.

That was likely due to the escort master’s personality, who preferred poetry and music to ostentation.

"Master, the guest from Shandong you mentioned has arrived."

The escort master’s eyes softened.

"A guest from Shandong, you say? Entertain him in the Pavilion of Drunken Scenery. It’s a perfect night to enjoy the view of Wuhan, the night sky, and a little wine."

The escort master greeted his guest with a warm smile.

Unlike his generous host, the guest had a sharp look.

A gaunt body, long, flowing hair, and half-lidded, lazy eyes.

"Welcome, Lord Gyo."

"It’s been a while, Baek Family bastard."

There was a chill in Lord Gyo’s voice.

The escort master quietly turned to gaze at the sky.

"Did you come because a star disappeared from the heavens?"

"Star? What nonsense is that?"

Lord Gyo scowled. Though his body was thin, the aura he radiated was as fierce as crashing waves. Yet the escort master’s face remained calm.

"The brightest star in the sky has vanished."

"Baek Family bastard, I know you’re good at reading the stars, but that’s not what matters. It’s about what happened in Anhui Province. You’ve heard, haven’t you?"

"I have. Many of my people died."

"Our side lost contact with several as well. At first, I thought it was the Namgung Clan’s doing."

"..."

"Not that it’s wrong. It was a retainer of the Namgung Clan who did it."

The escort master listened quietly. Lord Gyo frowned. He seemed to know everything already, so there was no need to explain further.

"He calls himself the Great Sage Equal to Heaven."

"..."

"The very one the King spoke of."

"..."

"The King may be a bit obsessive, but that man’s skills are not to be underestimated. Whether he’s truly the Great Sage or not."

"He’s the real deal. The brightest star in the sky has vanished, so that star must be here on earth now."

"I didn’t come here to listen to your astrology."

"So, what do you want to say, Lord Gyo?"

"The King ordered us to lay low if the Great Sage appeared, so my Dosan Sect will halt all activities and watch. What about you, Baek Family?"

"That’s difficult."

The escort master gave a sly smile. Lord Gyo frowned.

"I still have unfinished business."

"Still haven’t found all those sword fragments?"

"I’ve found almost all of them, except for a few. The last one is with that man. But there’s one more thing that bothers me."

The escort master gazed at the view of Wuhan with a strange look.

"Isn’t that Wudang Mountain over there?"

"...Baek Family, what are you thinking?"

"If the Great Sage has appeared, I’ll also halt my activities and watch. The King will return soon, after all. But when he does, I should have a gift ready for him."

Lord Gyo sighed. The escort master grinned.

"Don’t worry. Things are already in motion."

Lord Gyo shook his head as if he couldn’t be bothered.

He waved his hand and walked down from the pavilion.

He paused and turned back.

"...Whether it’s the Seven Star Sword, the Golden Binding Rope, or any other treasure, it’s meaningless if you don’t survive to claim it, Baek Family."

"That’s why we have to find them while we’re still alive, don’t we?"

At the escort master’s smile, Lord Gyo turned and walked away without another word.

His shadow faded and disappeared without a trace.

The escort master’s warm smile vanished.

His gaze hardened as it landed on the Buddhist mural painted on the pavilion ceiling.

Shakyamuni Buddha radiated light, with the heavenly army below.

And on the opposite side stood a golden monkey, and beside him, a monkey with fur as white as frost.

The escort master gave a bitter smile.

"So we’re not on the same side anymore."

His words trembled faintly at the end.