MD Ch 1 Part 2

I was left alone in the icy water prison. Unable to move my hands or feet, unable to speak, my mind raced.

I had clearly transmigrated into my book, and no amount of regret could change the reality before me.

Following the storyline of my own novel, I, Yu Ke, the villain of the century, had finally been captured by Song Qiyuan, the Sect Leader of the righteous Qingcang Sect.

I just… I thought I could write whatever I wanted. Now I’m being punished for it. It seems the book transmigration trend my friend kept ranting about has finally caught up with me.

But my novel wasn’t finished! I’d only written up to this point before collapsing. Did that scene just… happen naturally?

A chill ran down my spine as I recalled the look of pure hatred in Song Qiyuan’s eyes.

‘Growl.’

The sound broke the silence of the prison. Embarrassed, I swallowed. On top of the agonizing pain, I now had to endure the annoying pangs of hunger.

It wasn’t until I transmigrated that I truly understood how cruelly I had written.

What does it feel like to have your lungs pierced by iron chains?

What does it feel like to have your hands and feet nailed to the floor?

The answer is: only those who have experienced it know.

Back then, I’d poured all my effort into tormenting the villain, and now I was reaping what I’d sown. Every breath was a struggle, blood constantly oozing from my wounds and the corners of my mouth. I felt a pang of shame as I tried to suppress the rumbling of my stomach.

With no windows in the prison, I couldn’t tell the passage of time. I just existed, minute by agonizing minute, my once-clear mind slowly fading into a hazy fog.

Creak.

The faint sound of the stone door opening reached my ears. It was audible enough, but I was too dizzy to open my eyes.

It wasn’t Song Qiyuan who entered. Anyone with even a modicum of skill wouldn’t waste their Qi parting the constantly flowing water in the prison. The unknown figure splashed through the water, stopping in front of me. Their voice, though lacking authority, was rough.

“Come with me quietly!”

I detected a hint of fear in their tone, likely the fear of Yu Ke, the villain, deeply ingrained in the hearts of cultivators across the land.

Look, I get that you’re scared, but could you be a little gentler?!

The more frightened you are, the tighter you grip!

The figure tried to remove the chains from my hands, but they had been embedded for so long that the gruesome juncture of flesh and metal wouldn’t budge. As time passed, both of us grew increasingly frantic. Finally, the figure drew a dagger from their waist and stabbed my hand!

What the—!!!

With a swift, decisive cut, they sliced through the flesh of my hand, then repeated the process on my feet.

Despite my Demon Lord status, I couldn’t even yell, only whimpering as I trembled.

The figure glanced at me with a mixture of awe and pity. I immediately hardened my expression, mustering every ounce of dignity I could.

Then, with a sudden jerk, they ripped out all four nails.

No mercy whatsoever!

Free from the chains, I collapsed forward, unable to stand. The efficient, albeit brutal, figure quickly grabbed me under the arms and dragged me out.

The pain was too much to speak.

I just hoped they wouldn’t touch the chains in my lungs…

Shorter than me, the figure dragged me along, my feet scraping against the ground. At least the floor of the water prison, though filthy, had been somewhat soft. Outside, I was immediately assaulted by the urge to end it all.

My mangled feet were mercilessly scraped against the hard stone floor. After a short distance, the figure started panting, their grip loosening. My unfortunate legs promptly gave way, sending me crashing to the ground.

The blood flowing from the holes in my feet began to spread across the ground. The sight of it made my heart ache as much as my body.

This bastard was definitely sent by Song Qiyuan to torment me, right? Even though I’d been reduced to a mere mortal from the mighty Demon Lord, couldn’t I still fight back? Was sending this sickly chicken of a man to drag me around some kind of twisted joke?

…Right, because I’m totally capable of overpowering even a sickly chicken and escaping.

I was dragged by this man through a maze-like path, turning seven or eight times, passing four or five forks, before finally seeing a glimmer of the exit.

By this point, the pain was so intense I couldn’t even groan. Unintentionally, I ended up leaning my entire weight on the man who had been tormenting me. The thought of crushing him filled me with self-loathing. Why did I have to make the Qingcang Sect’s prison so damn complicated?

Initially, I thought descriptions like, “a dark and long tunnel, where those who entered would wander until they lost consciousness,” or, “Just as they thought they’d turned a corner and returned to a previous spot, a similar corner would appear again…” sounded cool and sophisticated.

Turning written words into reality is way more insane than I ever imagined.

As I was being dragged along in a daze, the man fumbled against the wall and pressed an unremarkable stone. The thick stone door began to rise, revealing a blinding light that seeped through the widening gap. It shone on my head, then my body, so bright I couldn’t open my eyes.

I quickly squinted, but my vision had already gone white, and my eyes burned.

This time, I couldn’t blame anyone but myself. I had completely forgotten the basic common sense that you should close your eyes after being in darkness for a long time. Apparently, I’d flushed that knowledge down the toilet along with my last meal.

Oh… food…

‘Growl.’

My stomach responded to my thoughts, effectively broadcasting my hunger to the man beside me and the group of people waiting outside.

Right. Once my eyes adjusted to the light, I was shocked to see a large crowd gathered outside.

Representatives from all of the One Sect, Three Clans, and Six Great Families of the Immortal Realm were standing at the prison entrance, staring at me like I was some kind of monkey.

At the forefront stood Song Qiyuan, the Sect Leader of the Qingcang Sect. He wore a black robe embroidered with gold threads, exuding an aura of power. Even amidst the crowd, his handsome features were striking.

Those clothes didn’t really suit his personality. In my novel, Song Qiyuan was supposed to favor white and have a less gloomy disposition. He needed to be approachable to have disciples, and the protagonist of my novel, Heavenly Demon Tribulation, was a righteous cultivator who radiates positive energy.

Our eyes met before I could look away. The man who had been smiling and chatting moments before instantly hardened his expression upon seeing me. Contempt and disgust filled his eyes, and the corners of his lips curled into a cruel smirk.

So, that gloominess is reserved just for me, huh?

“Isn’t this the once majestic and imposing Demon Lord Yu Ke? How did you fall into such a state? Even emitting such vulgar noises from your stomach?”

So what? Is it my fault I’m hungry?

“Your current appearance is truly repulsive.”

Hey, little protagonist brother. Try being stuck in a rotting water prison for half a month with four nails in your hands, two azure chains through your lungs, and see how you look!

“This man deserves to be punished. But this punishment is too light. Throw him into the Ten Thousand Insects Pit and let him be devoured by venomous insects!”

Hey, man! Are you sure you’re a righteous cultivator? Aren’t you supposed to strive for good? You’re way too cruel!

As I inwardly fumed at Song Qiyuan, some random nobody stepped forward and spoke with a sneer.

“The Demon Lord was once known for his elegance and beauty. Seeing him like this is truly worse than death. Clinging to life so pathetically… he has no dignity left.”

D*mn it.

Those words stung. I knew all about the countless atrocities Yu Ke had committed, but being looked down upon by someone so weak was infuriating.

“Elegant and beautiful? He’s nothing but a villain! My son was dragged into his lair and I never even saw him one last time before he died! You bastard, you’ll pay for my son’s life!”

As the crowd continued to condemn Yu Ke, a long whip, over three chi in length, suddenly whistled through the air like scattering flower petals, lashing towards me.

The whip was beautiful, and so was the person wielding it. With a slender face, willow-like eyebrows, cherry lips, and a graceful figure, she was no mere girl, but an elegant woman.

Despite her beauty, the whip struck with merciless force. The sharp crack echoed through the air, and I felt that if it hit my neck, my head would fly off, and if it hit my waist, I would be cut in two.

In a flash, the man beside me drew his sword from his waist and parried the ferocious whip with a graceful flourish. Then, he scooped me up and leaped away, landing smoothly a short distance away.

“Head of the Mo Sang Clan, this villain is already in the custody of the Qingcang Sect. His life and death are at the discretion of our Sect Leader. Do not interfere. Otherwise, I will not stand idly by.”

“…..”

I was speechless.

You bastard, you have such impressive martial arts and internal energy, why didn’t you use them back in the prison?!

Were you deliberately tormenting me? What grudge do you have against me?!

You damn bastard!

A wave of anger washed over me at the realization that I’d been toyed with, leaving a bitter taste in my blood-filled mouth. I turned my head and noticed the skin on the man’s jaw. The more I looked at it, the stranger it seemed. I struggled to lift my hand from where it was pinned against his side and managed to touch his skin. It felt… dirty with dried blood. And then I realized what was so strange.

This skin… it’s fake.

“Xiao Yun, sheathe your sword and do not be disrespectful.”

Everyone knew that Song Qiyuan’s words lacked sincerity. By condoning his subordinate’s actions, he was making his own stance clear. It was a blatant display of power. Although no one knew the true extent of Song Qiyuan’s strength, the fact that he had captured Yu Ke single-handedly spoke volumes.

The woman, addressed as Mo Sang, glared at me and slammed her whip against the ground with a resounding crack. She then swiftly retrieved the whip into her storage space and reluctantly retreated towards the Mo Sang Clan.

The man beside me sheathed his sword, gave a slight bow, and then whispered in my ear.

“My Lord, it’s me. Gu Jincheng.”