Chapter 414: Chapter 414

The nauseating stench of old mold, deeply ingrained blood, and filth unique to underground prisons assaulted Beak Suryong's nose. Torches hung sporadically along the walls leading into the depths, their flames flickering ominously whenever the wind stirred the shadows.

"You must remain silent about what you're about to see. You have neither seen nor heard them."

Baek Suryong recognized the man he was following at once, despite not having seen his face. How could he fail to recognize the Demonic Strategist? The moment he saw this detestable figure, he knew which memory from his past life had been awakened.

This is the day I first met my masters.

They passed through several thick iron doors before reaching the deepest level of the prison. Even among the Blood Cult Elders and the Patriarchs of the Eight Great Clans, few had ever visited this place.

A phosphorescent pearl embedded in the ceiling cast a faint light across the interior of the prison. Trapped within were once-peerless masters who now looked like half-dead corpses.

Baek Suryong gazed at his teachers with a sorrowful heart. Maeng Ho'ak, the Bandit King; Hyonwon Hu, the Crazy Demon; Eun Yerin, the Ice Moon Goddess; and Moyong Hon, the Sword Saint, were all peerless masters who had impacted the world. Even the Blood Cult, the most powerful organization then, feared they might join the orthodox murim.

Recognizing them, Baek Suryong—no, Instructor Number 27—stared at the peerless masters with quivering eyes.

The Demonic Strategist asked, "Your job is to claim their martial arts as our own. Can you do it?"

"Of course," Number 27 agreed.

The truth was, he had no choice but to oblige. If he came this far only to refuse or hesitate, the Demonic Strategist would kill him in an instant. Despite being the Blood Cult's best instructor, in the eyes of an elder, he was nothing more than an insect that could be crushed with ease.

Unfortunately, the Demonic Strategist overlooked the fact that the insect he had chosen was the most venomous parasite in the Blood Cult.

"Still, even I will need considerable time to break them."

The Demonic Strategist spun around, his eyes glinting menacingly. "I understand. Our Grand Plan is a long-term strategy, so I can spare you some time. Nevertheless, how long do you think you'll need?"

Number 27 deliberated for a moment. If he named too long a period, the Elder might doubt his abilities. Too short, and he'd tighten a noose around his own neck. After a while, he answered, "Ten years will be enough."

"Ten years... You're calmer and bolder than I expected." The Demonic Strategist smiled in satisfaction. "If you succeed in this task, the Cult Leader himself will reward you."

Number 27 knelt on one knee and bowed his head. "Hail the Blood Demon, in blood shall we reign supreme! I'll surely succeed in my mission!" he declared, emitting the fervor of a religious zealot.

The Demonic Strategist nodded, seemingly pleased.

Had he seen the sneer on Number 27's face that was hidden by his lowered head, though, he would have killed him instantly.

"...Elder, may I begin my work immediately?" Number 27 asked deferentially.

"Of course. If you need anything, just submit a request for it. I'll be leaving now."

The Demonic Strategist left.

"......" Number 27 remained prostrate for a long time. By the time he raised his head again, he had organized his thoughts.

"Hey, kid," growled the large man who'd been sitting slumped in a corner, staggering to his feet. Although a large golden needle was embedded in his qi center and iron chains bound his limbs, the beast trapped in this cage still exuded a terrifying aura. "Tell me about the outside world."

Maeng Ho'ak bared his teeth in a savage grin. Even if the cultists had sealed his qi center and severed the tendons in his limbs, it took more than that to extinguish a peerless master's spirit.

Number 27 quietly clenched his teeth, bracing himself against the pressure that threatened to crush his entire body.

Meanwhile, Baek Suryong, who could only observe his past life's memories from a third-person perspective, mused, He's terrifying even now.

He wanted to search for the necessary memories to answer his questions as he had before, but for some reason, he couldn't exert his own will at all. Something was forcibly preventing him from taking control of his body.

I'll have to just watch for now.

Baek Suryong gave up trying to wrest back control his body and decided to focus on the situation before him.

Master Maeng pressed his rugged face right against the iron bars. Grinning fiercely, he continued, "This shitty place is too damn boring. I need to hear some news from outside for entertainment, but all the guards run away at the drop of a hat."

"......" Fresh chapters posted on novel★fire.net

Number 27 knew that several attempts had already been made to steal the four masters' martial arts. However, all of them failed. His turn came only after the Blood Cult's most renowned masters threw in the towel.

"Are your ears plugged? Or are you too scared of that elder to speak?"

Although Maeng Ho'ak was clearly the one trapped in prison, Number 27 felt a creeping sense of fear, as if he had stuck his head into a tiger's maw. Still, he wasn't intimidated, at least on the outside.

"My ears aren't plugged, and I'm not particularly scared."

"Hmph !You call yourself brave, yet you trembled like a rabbit in front of that scrawny elder."

The Bandit King, Maeng Ho'ak, was a man whose innate disposition was akin to that of a wild beast. An equal relationship could never be re-established if one's spirit broke before him even once.

Number 27 instinctively grasped this fact. I can't let myself be overwhelmed. If I can't even lift my head in front of this man, I won't be able to face the other masters, either.

Sneering, he taunted, "A beast trapped in a cage is speaking. How fascinating."

"What did you just say?" Killing intent flashed in Maeng Ho'ak's eyes. At the same time, he slammed his forehead against the prison's iron bars with all his might.

The thick iron bars only shook slightly and remained intact, but Number 27's legs almost gave out from fright.

Baek Suryong shook his head inwardly. I was really surprised back then. Even now, I still think he's a madman.

Not only was the Bandit King Maeng Ho'ak's qi center sealed, his entire body was bound by iron chains to prevent him from using his innate brute strength. Twelve iron needles, almost like stakes, were embedded in him.

KWAANG! KWAANG! KWAAANG!

"Come over here and say that again! I'll smash your skull right now!"

Number 27 sighed. He'd heard that until now, the only way to calm the rampaging Maeng Ho'ak was to wait until he exhausted all of his energy.

That is, until I came here.

He strode toward the prison, stood directly in front of Maeng Ho'ak, and took a deep breath.

"SHUT THE FUCK UPPPPP!"

He slammed his own forehead against the prison's iron door.

"I'M IN THE SAME SHITTY SITUATION AS YOU, DAMN IT!"

"...What the hell?" Maeng Ho'ak stared dumbfounded at the man who only came up to his chest, so astonished that his anger instantly subsided.

Hyonwon Hu opened his eyes and muttered, "It seems another madman has arrived."

Eun Yerin glared at them in annoyance, while the Sword Saint's pure white eyebrows twitched.

Oh my... it seems I was quite the madman myself.

Baek Suryong wanted to look away, embarrassed by his past self, but he couldn't. At that time, he had been desperate to make a lasting first impression, and acting crazy was the only thing he could think of.

Number 27 glared at each of the masters trapped in the prison, blood trickling down his forehead. "I said I'm in the same shitty situation as you, damn it. Do you take me for an idiot? After I learn your martial arts, what then? Do you think the Demonic Strategist will let me live?"

""......"" The four masters stared blankly at Number 27 with faces that said, 'What kind of crazy guy is this?'

The Blood Cult martial artists who had come before had all tried to coax the masters with sweet promises or harsh threats. Nevertheless, convincing such proud peerless masters to divulge their martial arts was no easy feat. That was why they had all failed.

This guy was different, though. His martial arts skills were mediocre, and his social status seemed low, but his sheer boldness was unmatched.

The first to acknowledge this fact was Maeng Ho'ak.

"Ku... Kuhahaha!" Maeng Ho'ak's booming voice echoed throughout the prison. This was the first time in his life that anyone had dared to butt heads with him. "I like you. If you were a bandit, I would've made you my lieutenant right away."

"I'll pass. Instead, I'd like to propose a deal."

Number 27 smirked. He had succeeded in piquing everyone's interest. These people, who normally woudn't have wasted a second on him, were listening to him intently.

He had to be careful, though. If he spouted nonsense here, their interest would immediately fade.

"You heard me tell the Demonic Strategist that I needed ten years, right? Within that time, I'll help repair your injuries and restore your strength."

Various emotions, such as astonishment, disbelief, suspicion, and anger, surfaced on the four masters' faces.

Number 27 pointed at the golden needles stuck in their abdomens. "They haven't destroyed your qi centers completely yet, have they? After all, if they were destroyed in a cramped prison one, you'd die within days. For masters of your caliber, I think you can fully recover if we pull out the needles and treat you with miracle herbs."

"We don't need your miracle herbs," Hyonwon Hu interjected.

Baek Suryong nodded. "Fine. The second problem is the severed tendons. The Blood Cult has a secret medicine that can reconnect them. Of course, they won't be exactly the same as before, but you should be grateful just to have them reattached."

"Why are you doing this?" Eun Yerin asked.

Number 27 returned her gaze. "Don't you want to escape this hell?"

This was the moment the plan to escape the Blood Cult in the future was first born. It was still just a rough idea, of course, but they had ten years to figure out the details.

Number 27's eyes glowed with a ghastly blue flame. "However, to deceive the Demonic Strategist, we need to throw him some bait."

This was the most crucial part of the plan.

"We need to keep the old codger pacified for ten years. That means I have to consistently show him positive results to deceive him and trick him into letting his guard down. For that, I need your martial arts."

The Sword Saint scoffed coldly. "So, in the end, you mean to offer our martial arts to the Blood Cult?"

Number 27 shook his head and smiled deviously. "We just have to teach them phony martial arts. You know, the kind of booby-trapped martial art that can be learned normally at first, but the further they delve into it, the more their blood and qi will become entangled, eventually resulting in qi deviation and death. We'll screw them over without them realizing it until it's too late."

From the beginning, Number 27 had planned to hand over fake martial arts. After explaining the plan's basic outline, he asked everyone, "Now, choose. Either die slowly here, or cooperate with me and die fighting."

The masters in the prison stared at Number 27 in silence for a while. He didn't avoid their gazes, but stared right back.

I was so scared inside back then...

Baek Suryong felt overwhelmed as he took in the masters' terrifying stares. He felt as if they were searching for a weakness in the archenemy standing before them.

"Fine. I'll go along with your scheme."

"It's better than dying without being able to do anything."

"I'll kill you if you betray us."

"Before we escape this place, can you find someone for me?"

Number 27 didn't know what the masters saw in him, but having succeeded in the gamble of a lifetime, he let out the breath he'd been holding and burst into a hollow laugh. "Then, for the next ten years, I'll be in your care."

Of course, there was still no trust between them. It was merely a transactional relationship formed out of mutual need.

Still, Master Maeng frowned in displeasure. "By the way, are you going to keep calling us 'you'?"

"Since you'll be learning our martial arts, shouldn't you address us as 'Master'?"

"Understood. I'll do so." Number 27 nodded indifferently.

At that time, he could never have imagined how the relationship that began with a simple deal would evolve.