Light Novel World
Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon
Chapter 149 – Frog in a Well (1)
Translated by : moonchildkhz
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The Charred Dragon Unit had no mercy for its enemies.
Even those who had broken limbs were dragged away as prisoners.
No one was an exception.
Peng Hak, who had two broken legs, was dragged towards the Demonic Army by members of the Charred Dragon Unit.
“Khh. Khh. ”
Every time he was dragged forward, his legs would be rattled and he would groan in extreme pain.
Peng Hak was not the type of person to suffer and stay put.
“You guys, do you know who I am?! I am a direct descendant of the great Hebei Peng Clan. At least treat your prisoners right!” he shouted, swinging his arms about.
The two Charred Dragons dragging him off seemed bothered. Different expressions flitted across their faces, eventually settling on something strange.
Approaching Peng Hak was Gwan Tae-ryang.
Bam!
Gwan Tae-ryang’s fist slammed into Peng Hak’s stomach. A giant wall of force swelled, breaking Peng Hak’s body like a sickle.
“Cough!”
There was a gasp, before Peng Hak was screaming through the air. He landed on the ground.
But broken legs couldn’t bear such force.
Kaka-dang!
Thud!
Peng Hak rolled across the ground, crashing face first into a pile of dirt.
“Huff. Huff. ”
He lay there for a while, as the pain did not easily go away.
Gwan Tae-ryang reached out and grabbed the man’s head.
Win –
As he was pulled up by his hair, Peng Hak met Gwan Tae-ryong’s gaze. Inside, it was like a massive hurricane.
A beast seemed to growl in his ear, “Your identity and status count for shit here. Even if you were the Buddhist Star, you would be a prisoner just the same.”
“How dare—”
He was about to say ‘How dare you?!’ However, Gwan Tae-ryang was much faster.
Bang!
“Ahhh!”
Gwan Tae-ryang kicked Peng Hak in the shin. The broken bones were splintered into three smaller ones.
Peng Hak was blinded by pain.
“Your situation is one of a prisoner, not an ally. Keep that in mind. Otherwise, you will feel suffering worse than death.”
“Ugh.”
Whether it was because of the pain of broken bones or if it was because of Gwan Tae-ryang’s threats, Peng Hak’s eyes filled with tears and he did not rebuke.
Watching from the side, Sa Ryong-hui had to give kudos, even if the man was his enemy. He’s the perfect opponent.
Meanwhile, Gwan Tae-ryang approached Sa Ryong-hui. Grabbing the end of the rope, he shouted at the men behind.
“We’re moving!”
Was it because he had been beaten up by Gwan Tae-ryang? Peng Hak did not groan in pain as he was dragged away.
Despite leading the New Dragon Battalion for such a long time, Sa Ryong-hui had never seen such an obedient Peng Hak.
However, if everyone is so terrified, the Cult of the Heavenly Demon sure lives up to its name.
Sa Ryong-hui was the leader of the New Dragon Battalion.
He was a thorough member of the Orthodox martial society. As such, all of his information about the Cult of the Heavenly Demon was controlled by the Martial Alliance.
The information he knew was all about sects being eviscerated and civilians being plundered.
Of course, that was all information manipulated by the Martial Alliance, but it was all Sa Ryong-hui knew.
So he was worried.
If the Cult of the Heavenly Demon, who treated everyone so inhumanely like this, ruled the world, the land would be covered with blood and screams. Slaughter and piles of corpses everywhere.
That was why he asked.
“What happens to us now?”
Gwan Tae-ryang briefly answered, “Everything is up to the Leader.”
The captives were eventually dragged into the Demonic Army’s camp. Tied together like that, they looked like caught fish.
The demons inside the camp giggled and burst into laughter.
This caused discontentment among those of the New Dragon Battalion.
Most of the members of the New Dragon Battalion were the descendents of some faction or another. Whether major or minor, they could be considered as carrying the future upon their shoulders.
Although they had been divided based on their skills inside the group, that was purely internal assessments of the New Dragon Battalion. Nothing changed outside, in Murim.
On the contrary, every person of the New Dragon Battalion was praised as a young hero.
Treated like that, Tang So-bong could not believe she was being laughed at by a bunch of demons.
“Don’t fucking….”
She was about to shout ‘Don’t fucking laugh!’ but at that moment, Tang Han-mae shook her head from the side.
It was a signal of ‘don’t do that’.
Tang Han-mae then glanced at Peng Hak.
Tang So-bong endured what she was feeling, seeing Peng Hak being dragged with his broken bones.
She was afraid to end up like that.
“Huh?”
Tang So-bong then made a sound of confusion. As she was being dragged off, she seemed to have seen something among the demons.
At the noise, Tang Han-mae and Sa Ryong-hui turned to follow her gaze.
“What?”
“Oh!”
And soon they were also exclaiming.
They had found a familiar face.
“You…” Sa Ryong-hui could not help but say, eyes wide.
The other person also had their eyes wide at the sight of Sa Ryong-hui.
Soon, the other person rushed forward.
It was Kang So-san that made eye contact with Sa Ryong-hui.
Since Kang So-san was considered Woon-seong’s disciple, he was able to move about freely in the Demonic Army’s camp. He had come out because he had seen prisoners.
But one of those prisoners was Sa Ryong-hui.
As Kang So-san walked forward, Gwan Tae-ryang bowed.
“Young Master.” [1]
The Captain of the Charred Dragon Unit was ranked not higher than Woon-seong’s disciple.
Kang So-san awkwardly greeted the Lieutenant, then stood in front of Sa Ryong-hui.
“Why are you here?” Sa Ryong-hui asked Kang So-san, with a face of incomprehension.
“That…”
Kang So-san briefly explained to him what had happened.
Sa Ryong-hui heaved a long sigh. “Yes, I see.” The Heavenly Demon is the man who left that trace, the one I wanted to meet. Since it’s the Heavenly Demon, I guess it makes sense he can leave a marking like that. “Isn’t it hard being with the Demonic Cult?”
In response, Gwan Tae-ryang’s eyebrows twitched. The same was true of the other demons, who were listening closely.
Sharp energy hit Sa Ryong-hui all of a sudden. A chill went down his spine.
In contrast to them, Kang So-san shook his head with an innocent expression.
“No, they are very good to me.”
“Good to you?” Sa Ryong-hui echoed, not understanding Kang So-san’s words at all.
At this time, someone ran out and told Gwan Tae-ryang, “Head inside. The Leader orders to bring the prisoners in quickly.”
Gwan Tae-ryang glanced at Kang So-san.
Kang So-san was also looking at Gwan Tae-ryang.
“Young Master, I think we will have to take these men with us.”
Sa Ryong-hui had helped Kang So-san match the trace Woon-seong had left behind.
“It is the Leader’s orders.”
But this gratitude did not compare to the gratitude Kang So-san felt towards Woon-seong.
It had been Woon-seong who saved him and his sister when they had been threatened by the Black Law Sect. He had even brought the siblings here, as promised.
That Woon-seong had passed a command.
Kang So-san nodded. “Then it cannot be helped.”
At Kang So-san’s words, Gwan Tae-ryang bowed his head slightly and brought the prisoners inside.
Until then, Sa Ryong-hui was still murmuring in disbelief and confusion. “Treat you well? It can’t be…”
The demons are insane.
The Demonic Cult is the worst of them.
It is the Demonic that insists on walking the evil and unorthodox path.
They take blood from their brothers and sisters. And if they can become strong, they will slaughter without hesitation.
Even children are no exceptions. Occasionally, the demonic will catch and eat the flesh of children.
Those were the stories that Sa Ryong-hui had heard.
But one word from Kang So-san had shaken his thoughts.
Are you trying to deceive me?
Using Kang So-san?
No way. That wouldn’t have been worth it. Moreover, no matter how he observed, Kang So-san’s smile was real.
Does that mean I have been wrong all along?
He suddenly had the thought that the demonic might be people, just like him and the rest of Zhongyuan.
In the meantime, Gwan Tae-ryang had been leading them forward. Soon, they reached the center of the camp. The soldiers had gathered in the center, but left an empty space.
On one side of the space was a dazzling throne.
It was a throne with black dragons climbing up the armrests and extending across both sides.
The prisoners were forced to kneel right in front of the throne.
“Unh!”
Peng Hak groaned when he was forced onto his broken legs.
No one felt sorry for him.
This place was the definition of hostile.
There were enemies everywhere. There was no one in the world who felt sorry for his enemies.
How long had they been kneeling?
Drums sounded inside the camp.
The demonic practitioners began to react.
The believers slowly and politely knelt on one knee. Then, all together, they shouted high towards the Heavens.
“Hail the Immortal Heavenly Demon!”
“Hail the Immortal Heavenly Demon!”
As the cry ebbed, the practitioners parted down the center.
A man wearing a black dragon embroidered robe slowly appeared.
The man appeared to be the same age as Sa Ryong-hui. But all the demonic believers were bowing down before him, as if worshiping him.
The same was true of Gwan Tae-ryang, who had dragged them here.
They were all subservient to the man in the black dragon robe.
Sa Ryong-hui suddenly came to a realization.
The young man who had just appeared was the Heavenly Demon.
It was Woon-seong’s entrance.
Woon-seong sat down on his throne and looked down at the prisoners. His cold eyes swept over the group.
At this time, Woon-seong grabbed the armrests of the throne.
Wooduk—
There was a harsh sound as the torso of the black dragon was distorted. Clear fingerprints remained on the armrests of the throne.
Woon-seong’s gaze was focused on two of the prisoners. He was swallowing his anger.
The Tang and Peng Clans.
The Sichuan Tang Clan and the Hebei Peng Clan.
They had been at the heart of the formation which once sealed Woon-seong and Nok Yu-on.
Now, their bloodline was in Woon-seong’s sight.
[1] just to reiterate, Kang So-san is not the Young Leader.