CMW | Chapter 2.2

He fell asleep as soon as he lay down, but suddenly, a commotion woke him up. The memory of having to flee in the night to escape the Heaven-Splitting Calamity Demon flashed through his mind, startling him awake. As he wiped the dried drool from his mouth from sleeping face down, he heard an anxious voice calling from outside.

“Young Master Lee…? Young Master Lee…?”

Recognizing Sidong’s voice, Lee Hwasu got up and flung the door open.

“What is it?”

Sidong, looking up at him, blinked and said,

“The leader is looking for you, Young Master Lee. You must go to the Heavenly Dragon Hall immediately.”

Lee Hwasu grimaced and retorted,

“What if I say I’d rather become crocodile food than listen to that guy?”

At his sarcastic remark, Sidong looked distressed.

“This is not the time for that. The leader urgently seeks you, Young Master Lee. If I don’t bring you, I’m as good as dead.”

“If you’re trying to threaten me with nonsense, stop it. I’m not going.”

Lee Hwasu replied firmly, ready to use martial arts if necessary. Sidong’s face turned pale at his determination.

“No! It’s not nonsense, it’s true.”

Suddenly, Sidong dropped to his knees. Clinging to one of Lee Hwasu’s legs, he pleaded.

“Please, spare me, Young Master Lee. I’ve trained so hard, but I can’t lose my martial arts and have my tongue cut out. If that happens, I’ll have to live as a servant in the Heavenly God Palace forever!”

“Let go!”

Lee Hwasu shook him off with force. Sidong, who fell backward, clasped his hands together and cried.

“My dream is to go out into the martial world someday. I want to see the world with my own eyes, even just once. Can’t you go to the Heavenly Dragon Hall for my sake…? Please, Young Master Lee. Sob, sob…”

Whether Sidong’s words were all lies or not, his desperate demeanor was evident. Seeing him like that, Lee Hwasu’s expression turned conflicted. He felt uneasy about making a young boy cry and worried about what would happen if Sidong really lost his tongue and martial arts because of him. In the end, he couldn’t hold out for long and reluctantly spoke.

“…Fine. I’ll go to the Heavenly Dragon Hall, so stop crying.”

“Sniff, sniff… Really?”

“Yes, so lead the way quickly! If it’s a showdown, I’ll have it with Ju Ryongjin!”

At Lee Hwasu’s command, Sidong quickly got up and turned around. He was about to rush out the door but hesitated and looked back at him.

Ju Ryongjin was supposedly urgently looking for him, so he didn’t understand why Sidong was hesitating. Then Sidong leaned closer to Lee Hwasu and sniffed, wrinkling his nose at the smell of sweat coming from him.

“You were training martial arts late and went to sleep without changing your clothes?”

Lee Hwasu awkwardly explained,

“Well, I was tired…”

“You should train in moderation. What if you collapse from overdoing it? You can’t meet the leader like this, so at least wipe your body with a wet towel. I’ll quickly get you some fresh clothes.”

Under Sidong’s insistence, Lee Hwasu ended up cleaning himself and changing clothes. Wearing the new robe Sidong provided and tying his hair neatly, he headed to the Heavenly Dragon Hall, feeling strange and awkward.

He was going to meet a brute like Ju Ryongjin, yet he was grooming himself. It felt like he was a new bride entering the bridal chamber. Lee Hwasu glared intently at the back of Sidong’s head as he walked ahead.

“…You seem to have quite the knack for things.”

Sidong pretended not to hear Lee Hwasu’s muttering. As he glared harder, a sudden loud noise erupted from somewhere.

Boom!

The blue tiles of the Heavenly Dragon Hall shook, and the hanging lanterns swayed as if they would fall. A large ripple spread across the pond, and a delayed wave of energy rushed in. Seeing this, Sidong grabbed Lee Hwasu’s sleeve and pulled.

“Oh no, we must hurry!”

Pulled along by the running Sidong, Lee Hwasu dashed into the Heavenly Dragon Hall. Inside, people who seemed to be attendants were running here and there. Yet, whether the talk of tongues being cut was true or not, no one was speaking amidst the chaos. They passed through the bustling corridor, guided only by the commotion, heading into the dark depths of the Heavenly Dragon Hall.

Sidong stopped in front of a large door adorned with a painting of a demon. There, he released Lee Hwasu’s garment and bowed his head, announcing inside.

“Leader, Plum Blossom Sword Wolf Lee Hwasu has arrived.”

From what felt like a distant place, Ju Ryongjin’s voice echoed.

“…Let him in.”

Starting with the Sura Gate, layers of paper doors opened one after another. After eight layers of doors opened, Ju Ryongjin’s quarters, shrouded in curtains, were revealed.

He wasn’t alone. Shadows of several men intertwined behind the curtain. Seeing this, Lee Hwasu flinched and froze in place. Almost immediately, a cacophony of voices pierced his ears.

“Aaaah…!”

“Huff, huff, huff.”

“Ah! Ah! Haah! Aaaah!”

“Haa, haa, ugh!”

The mixed voices surged like waves. Lee Hwasu, his face turning pale, covered his mouth with his hand. Even though he had only drunk water after vomiting everything he ate, his stomach churned.

As he trembled, trying to suppress the rising nausea, Sidong, who was bowing his head beside him, urged him.

“What are you doing? Hurry and go inside.”

“You want me to go in there?”

“Yes, quickly…”

Just as Sidong was about to urge him again, Ju Ryongjin suddenly let out a scream.

“Kraaah!”

At the same time, blood splattered on the curtain, and a death cry echoed.

“Kuh…!”

Thud!

Roll…

Something fell from under the curtain and rolled to a stop at Lee Hwasu’s frozen feet. It was none other than a head with eyes wide open.

“Eek.”

Lee Hwasu swallowed a groan and stepped back. Amidst the thick scent of blood, the cries grew louder. It was unmistakably Tang Seoran’s voice.

“Haa! Haah! Haaa! Aaaah!”

The sound of flesh slapping against flesh grew louder, and the cries turned into near screams. Lee Hwasu covered his face with both hands and collapsed to the ground. But that didn’t lessen the shock and fear.

When he closed his eyes, the last image of the hellish scene flickered before him.

If this isn’t hell, then what is?

“Aah…!”

Whether it was the climax or not, Tang Seoran’s moans subsided. With a thud, something fell, and silence enveloped the surroundings. In contrast, Ju Ryongjin’s heavy breathing became more pronounced.

Soon, the curtain was drawn back, and the sound of Ju Ryongjin’s footsteps thudded closer. As his presence neared, a nauseating mix of blood and bodily fluids filled the air. It was a stomach-churning stench.

“Ugh!”

Lee Hwasu couldn’t hold back and retched. Even though nothing came out, he bent over, gagging. When he was done, tears welled up in his eyes.

Before he could lift his sticky eyelids, Ju Ryongjin grabbed his hand and pulled him up. Only then did Lee Hwasu look up at him with tear-filled eyes.

“Huff… huff…”

Ju Ryongjin’s breathing was still rough. His face was bluish under his disheveled hair. His entire body was covered in blood, and even though he had just climaxed, his manhood stood erect like a club. As if he couldn’t expel the raging demonic energy through ejaculation, he spoke with a heaving chest.

“Huff, huff… Why, why are you so late?”

“Ugh… ugh…”

Lee Hwasu couldn’t form proper words. Seeing him only groan with a pale face, Ju Ryongjin dragged him inside. Lee Hwasu tried to twist his hand, but there was no strength in his movements. It wasn’t because of intense martial arts training but because Ju Ryongjin was terrifying and horrifying.

Inside, on the bed, lay a headless corpse. The bedding was soaked with blood, and bodies that were practically corpses were strewn about. Tang Gongja, stained with bruises and bodily fluids, lay unconscious, and several men were also passed out. Ju Ryongjin had handled them so roughly that none of them were without blood between their legs.

Ju Ryongjin threw Lee Hwasu among them. Lee Hwasu, thrown into a damp corner of the bed, flipped over in fright and sat up. He was afraid Ju Ryongjin might climb on his back and press him down again.

Regardless, Ju Ryongjin pushed Tang Gongja and the men to the floor. Then he climbed onto the empty bed, kneeling.

“Huff, huff…”

His panting breath heated Lee Hwasu’s forehead. Lee Hwasu curled up and tightly shut his eyes. He didn’t want to cry, but tears welled up on their own. Even when Lee Hwayoung had beaten him harshly, he hadn’t shed tears, but now they flowed freely.

“Hic… ugh… sniff…”

Lee Hwasu bit his lips hard to suppress his sobs. He had lived a pure life, knowing nothing of women, only practicing martial arts. To think he would lose his cherished virginity to such a beastly person! The thought of being violated was indescribably miserable and horrifying.

At that moment, Ju Ryongjin’s fingertip touched Lee Hwasu’s forehead, tangled with stray hair.

Lee Hwasu screamed in terror.

“Aaah!”

Ju Ryongjin flinched at the sound.

“…You scared me.”

“G-get away!”

Lee Hwasu, who was pressed against the wall as if trying to merge with it, flailed his arms wildly and spoke, causing Ju Ryongjin to let out a “Ha?” sound of disbelief.

“Why are you whining and, whew, causing a fuss. Ugh.”

“Would you be okay if you were in my shoes?”

Lee Hwasu shouted with his eyes tightly shut. Then, the shadow of Ju Ryongjin, which had been blocking his view, moved away, and he heard the sound of something collapsing.

“Ugh… If anyone wants to cry, ugh, it’s me. Huff.”

His words were mixed with groans, prompting Lee Hwasu to squint and look in that direction. Through his blurry vision, he saw Ju Ryongjin sprawled on a massive bed. He spoke with a heaving chest, as if in great pain.

“That damn Demon-Sealing Blood Technique or whatever… Huff, hurry up. Huff, huff.”

Only then did Lee Hwasu remember why he had been dragged here. He had forgotten because Ju Ryongjin’s behavior was so inhuman, but Ju Ryongjin hadn’t brought him here just to intimidate him. He needed Lee Hwasu’s energy because his own energy channels were twisted by demonic arts, putting him at risk of inner demon possession.

Lee Hwasu barely managed to shake off his fear and regain his composure. As he lowered his tense arms and relaxed his shoulders, he noticed the dark circles around Ju Ryongjin’s eyes, which were bloodshot. It seemed like the demonic energy had reached his head, making him look like someone on the brink of death.

Wouldn’t he die if left alone like this?

Lee Hwasu clung to a sliver of hope and tried to stall for time, but Ju Ryongjin caught on to his intentions. He abruptly sat up, grabbed Lee Hwasu’s hand, and said,

“Don’t try anything foolish. If I… whew, if I’m consumed by the demonic energy, it won’t end with just my death. I’ll become a mad demon and, huff, turn the entire martial world into a sea of blood.”

His warning wasn’t an exaggeration.

The reason the Heaven-Splitting Divine Technique is classified as a demonic art is not only because it drives its practitioners to death but also because it turns them into madmen. Those who succumb to inner demon possession become murderers, killing indiscriminately until they self-destruct.

If Ju Ryongjin, who had mastered the Heaven-Splitting Divine Technique to its extreme, became such a lunatic, the martial world turning into a sea of blood wouldn’t be an empty threat.