Chapter 64

As Cheong-ra paced in front of the iron bars, examining the outside, Mu-gyeol tapped the floor and invited him,

"Devotee Ye, come sit here and rest. Your leg hurts, doesn't it?"

"It's alright. I just want to walk for a bit."

In truth, his leg was in severe pain and he wanted to sit and rest. However, this was a prison cell. Neither the floor nor the walls were clean at all. He didn't want to lie on a floor where insects might spring out at any moment. Even now, he felt like all the hair on his body was standing on end. But then Mu-gyeol crouched down, fidgeted, and picked up something. In an instant, goosebumps spread all over Cheong-ra's body.

"Devotee Ye! Look at this. It's a pill bug."

Cheong-ra's gaze wavered. He tried to keep his eyes fixed somewhere around Mu-gyeol's shoulder and spoke calmly. His forcibly smiling lips trembled.

"A pill... bug, I see."

Mu-gyeol, oblivious, smiled brightly and rolled something around on her palm. Cheong-ra quickly averted his gaze.

"When you touch it, it rolls up like a bean. And if you leave it alone, it crawls around."

Cheong-ra, who had turned pale, retreated step by step. Just then, as Mu-gyeol was looking at Cheong-ra with an innocent expression, the sound of heavy footsteps approached, and the large man appeared beyond the bars. He opened the barred door and barked,

"Come out. While I'm asking nicely..."

Before he could finish his warning about behaving well, Cheong-ra quickly came out. Mu-gyeol dropped the pill bug on the floor, dusted off her palms, and scurried out. Cheong-ra felt an urge to thoroughly clean Mu-gyeol's palms. His entire body felt itchy.

The large man looked at Cheong-ra with suspicious eyes, then prodded his shoulder with the staff, signaling him to walk. Cheong-ra limped slowly, looking around to his left and right. Judging by the large man's expression, he didn't seem too pleased with Cheong-ra's pace, but seeing his injury, he seemed to be tolerating it.

"Who exactly are you people?"

Cheong-ra asked, but the large man completely ignored him. Not really expecting an answer, Cheong-ra concentrated his inner energy, hoping to see any distinguishing marks that could identify this group.

On both sides of the long cave passage were prison cells, each holding several people. In the darkness of the cells, the eyes of frightened or resigned people gleamed faintly in the lamplight. Cheong-ra's face hardened.

'They've kidnapped and imprisoned so many people...?'

He couldn't understand how there had been no rumors about so many people going missing. Was the government unaware of this fact, or did they know but take no action?

After passing through the long corridor, they came to a wide open space. Over ten people were trembling with fear, standing in a corner. Among them, Cheong-ra spotted a familiar face and unconsciously called out,

"Nun Mu-hwa!"

"Ah! Devotee Ye! You're safe!"

Immediately, the large man swung his staff and struck the ground with a bang. Cheong-ra reflexively pushed Mu-gyeol behind him for protection. Mu-hwa hesitated and then stepped back. The clearly kidnapped people screamed.

"Quiet! How dare you cause a commotion without permission!"

The large man snarled menacingly and then painfully pushed Cheong-ra's back with the end of his staff. After glaring at him, Cheong-ra limped towards Mu-hwa. Mu-gyeol, who had been clinging to Cheong-ra's collar, ran to Mu-hwa and threw herself into her arms.

"Martial Sister Mu-hwa! I missed you."

"Mu-gyeol, oh my. You've been here all this time. How scared you must have been."

Mu-hwa, confirming that Mu-gyeol, who had gone missing two months ago, was still fine, hugged her young martial sister who was sniffling. Unlike the other civilians, Mu-hwa also had chains and shackles on her hands and feet. It seemed to be because she had learned martial arts, like Cheong-ra.

'Has Dang Ran-yeong entered this place too?'

Cheong-ra slowly looked around. There were thick stone pillars here and there, looking like they could easily hide a person. However, no voice transmission came to reassure him. Cheong-ra started to feel uneasy. Dang Ran-yeong was someone who never tolerated disobedience to his words, and he had gone against his orders...

'Even so, he wouldn't just leave me in a place like this.'

As Cheong-ra was trying to think this way, his gaze stopped at a certain spot. On one side of the cavern was a flat, square stone. No, more precisely... it looked like an altar. As he stared intently at the dirty stains left on top of it, the man wearing the iron mask appeared. The large man bowed his head in greeting.

"Executioner, all preparations are complete."

As the iron-masked man nodded, two waiting martial artists appeared carrying a large iron bowl. Another one brought a goat. They easily lifted the goat, which was bleating mournfully, onto the altar, and the iron-masked man took out a sharp dagger from his bosom.

And with that, he slit its throat. Blood poured into the iron bowl. They carefully placed the severed goat's head in the center of the bowl and bowed.

"Gasp..."

Shocked, Mu-hwa inhaled sharply and hugged Mu-gyeol tighter. Cheong-ra's face also turned pale. What did I just see?

'These people... They're not ordinary criminals. They're using evil sorcery. They're cultists!'

Evil cults. Compared to what these groups do, even evil sects seem ordinary. They are people who have abandoned all human morality and truly walk the path of madness. Cheong-ra's heart raced as he witnessed a scene he would never have known about if he hadn't been captured.

They poured oil into the iron bowl filled with goat's blood. The large man let out a shout and lifted the heavy iron bowl full of oil onto a high brass stand behind the altar. After inserting a wick into the stand and lighting it, a blue flame rose from the end of the wick.

"Come forward one by one in order!"

The civilians who had witnessed this abhorrent scene didn't want to move. However, the cultists beat down a resisting man and forcibly dragged him to the altar.

Cheong-ra unconsciously clenched his fists and stepped forward, but the large man who was watching closely beside him threateningly raised his staff. The eyes behind the large man's mask flickered with madness, warning that he wouldn't tolerate any interference with this ritual.

Fortunately, they didn't kill people as sacrifices. Instead, they forced them to kneel in front of the altar, slightly cut their palms to draw blood, then soaked the blood onto cotton. Then they dipped it in the oil sloshing in the iron bowl and lit it on fire. Soon, a blue flame rose.

This process of cutting people's hands, drawing blood, and lighting fires was repeated one after another. The size of the flame varied for each person, and the iron-masked man was pleased when it was larger. People were classified into three levels according to the size of the flame. When it was Mu-hwa's turn, the size of her flame was particularly large and distinctive.

"Haha! Good, very good! The Demon Army will be pleased!"

The iron-masked man, greatly satisfied, turned his gaze to Cheong-ra. Feeling ominous, Cheong-ra stepped back, but this time the large man personally grabbed his arm and dragged him. As he was forcibly made to kneel in front of the altar, his injured leg hurt too much to resist.

"I, I have great expectations for you... Let's see how beautiful a flame you'll produce."

The iron-masked man let out an eerie laugh and raised his dagger. The large man gripped Cheong-ra's arm so tightly it might crush, and pulled it up. The tip of the dagger pointed at the lower part of his palm. Cheong-ra gritted his teeth. Just as the sharp blade was about to cut into his flesh.

A flying dagger came from somewhere and lodged in the iron-masked man's wrist. As it had accurately targeted a pressure point, the pain must have been severe because the iron-masked man immediately dropped the dagger and screamed. In the process, Cheong-ra felt a sharp sensation on his palm, but when he checked, it was just a slight cut that barely drew blood. The large man immediately gripped his staff and looked around.

"Who's there! Show yourself at once!"

Cheong-ra, relieved at the sight of the dagger, quickly moved away from that spot. Right then, something else flew at high speed, aiming for the iron-masked man's head. The large man swung his staff with all his might to deflect it, but that was exactly what the attacker had intended. Upon impact with the staff, it burst, scattering small, sharp hidden weapons in all directions.

"Argh!"

The large man screamed and covered his face. Fortunately, at that moment, Cheong-ra was positioned behind the large man, effectively using him as a shield. Was even this part of Dang Ran-yeong's plan? Soon, Dang Ran-yeong, dropping his concealment, leapt down from the ceiling, scattering hidden weapons. Though they seemed to be thrown randomly, the hidden weapons flying in various directions accurately targeted the cultists. Screams and groans erupted simultaneously from all directions.

Deeply relieved at Dang Ran-yeong's appearance, Cheong-ra quickly ran to Mu-hwa.

"Nun Mu-hwa! Let's get out of here first!"

"Yes, Devotee Ye!"

Mu-hwa swiftly picked up Mu-gyeol and led the civilians out of the place. Behind them, heart-rending screams echoed loudly as Dang Ran-yeong did whatever he was doing. Frightened by the screams, people rushed out of the cavern almost at a run.

"Does anyone know which way the exit is?"

Mu-hwa asked in confusion after leaving the cavern. People murmured and looked at each other, but having all been suddenly kidnapped and brought here, no one knew the way out.

"Everyone, please be quiet for a moment."

Cheong-ra raised his hand to quiet everyone and then surveyed the surroundings. Of the paths leading in two directions, one side was particularly devoid of any noise or presence. A faint scent of blood wafted from that direction.