Chapter 30. The Grand Plan (1)
The Heavenly Demon's martial prowess often left people in shock, but in truth, the Demonic Cult wasn't inherently a powerful faction.
They diligently practiced martial arts, yet very few possessed talent, and among the martial arts they cultivated, there wasn't a single technique capable of elevating one's cultivation to higher realms.
No, not "few," but none. The advanced martial arts I saw in the Demonic Cult before my regression were all techniques established and taught by the Heavenly Demon himself.
This was only natural. Their resentment toward the martial world meant they rejected being a part of the grand flow of the martial arts world as a whole.
Unable to inherit or develop the deep-rooted martial traditions nurtured by the Central Plains, they were destined to fall short in terms of profound martial arts.
But they needed strength.
To achieve that, they embraced demonic techniques with severe side effects and wholeheartedly accepted Evil Method.
Unlike the martial artists of the Central Plains, who shunned sorcery, the Demonic Cult actively refined and advanced it. Perhaps because of this, their sorcery surpassed the level of the Central Plains martial world, even if their martial arts didn't. The mental restrictions they employed were part of that mastery, which even someone like Tang Jincheon couldn't easily unravel.
However.
"I think I might be able to help with that."
"…What did you say?"
Tang Jincheon furrowed his brows, his expression twisted with disbelief. My claim must have sounded absurd, but I was completely serious.
The mental restriction was one of the most advanced sorcery techniques of the Demonic Cult, a skill so high-level that even the Righteous sect alliance had struggled against it.
That was why it became one of the first sorcery techniques to have a countermeasure developed.
"Due to my origins, I have at least some superficial knowledge of such vile methods."
"Don't think you can brush everything off just by saying you're from Zhejiang Province."
"Then how about trusting your future son-in-law this once?"
"That's… not entirely to my liking, but it's better than before."
Tang Jincheon nodded reluctantly. His words sounded skeptical, but he wouldn't be disappointed.
Though I had only memorized the countermeasures as they were taught, the methods themselves were created by some of the Central Plains' greatest minds.
The Zhuge Clan, renowned for their expertise in formations; the monks and Taoist sects, known for their ability to cleanse evil and restore balance; and the Sama Clan, though not on par with the Demonic Cult, proficient in sorcery.
These three groups, who would have never collaborated if not for the righteous sect alliance, had come together to craft these countermeasures.
***
Following Tang Jincheon, we arrived at the most secluded room in the guest inn. Inside, the old man I had seen before was tied to a chair.
Though his appearance was shabby, his body showed no visible signs of blood or injuries. He didn't look like someone undergoing interrogation.
But his condition was far from normal.
His gaze was vacant, his pupils unfocused. He mumbled incessantly to himself, and drool dripped from the corner of his mouth.
He looked like a man whose mind had already broken. To someone unaware, it might even seem like a cruel act of bullying an ordinary old man.
"Cut the act. No one here is gullible enough to fall for your pathetic charade."
"…How unfortunate," the old man muttered.
His lifeless eyes still managed to focus on me with precision. Though his tone was listless, there was no hesitation in his words.
Shrugging, I continued speaking.
"The renowned Poison King wouldn't have ruined you to the point where you couldn't even speak. And even if he did, he'd have fixed you back up by now."
"You're surprisingly adept at flattery."
"I'm merely stating the facts."
"Look at you, still greasing your words even now."
As Tang Jincheon and I exchanged light banter, the old man's face twisted in irritation.
"Disgusting… Is the so-called elder of the righteous faction teaching a child not only how to kill but also how to torture? The rumors about the Tang Clan…"
"Quiet."
With a swift jab to his pressure point, I silenced him. Since his dantian had already been shattered and he had no inner energy, it wasn't difficult.
"Let me guess. You were going to spout some self-destructive nonsense about how martial artists are nothing but murderers, or that martial arts should be eradicated. Save it. I don't care about your warped ideology."
I met his murderous glare with indifference, placing my hand over my chest.
Mental restrictions typically operated in two ways.
The first was by inflicting immense pain to prevent certain actions—Poison-induced pain was a prime example of this method.
The second was by implanting powerful suggestions into the subconscious mind. This was achieved through Soul manipulation techniques or specialized rituals. However, this method was so intricate that only a few could utilize it.
Uniquely, the Demonic Cult combined these two approaches into one unified restriction.
They didn't place separate restrictions but interwove them, creating a more robust system.
If the pain from Poison-induced pain was removed, the suggestion would activate, causing the victim's heart to stop. Conversely, if their mental state faltered, the suggestion would restore their sanity, ensuring the restriction remained intact.
If their consciousness was completely broken in one blow, the Poison-induced pain would immediately corrode their heart and kill them.
In theory, the restriction could be neutralized by simultaneously overcoming both the pain and the suggestion. But how could one precisely gauge the moment when someone's consciousness wavered or sharpened?
Every individual had different constitutions and mental strengths, and they could also feign weakness to confuse their interrogators.
Though I had memorized the countermeasure, the complex explanation of how it worked largely went over my head.
All I knew was what I needed to do.
I pressed my hand against the old man's chest, sending my inner energy through to his heart. His shattered dantian had left his meridians desiccated, but I forcibly pushed my energy through.
The old man's eyes widened in agony as my energy forcibly expanded his meridians. It didn't matter; he was bound tightly enough that he couldn't even twitch a finger.
As my energy surged through the forcibly widened meridians, it began to break through the barriers within him. Blood trickled from his seven orifices as the resistance was crushed.
If I hesitated here, he would bleed out and die. Without delay, I struck at the key meridian points I had memorized and sent my energy surging.
Puhaak!
The old man coughed up a mouthful of blood. His vacant gaze became even more hollow, and though his heart beat slowly, it continued steadily.
The restrictions had been lifted, but the lingering effects of the Bewildering Soul Poison were now taking hold.
"Phew."
I removed my hand and turned to Tang Jincheon.
"It's done. I triggered the Thunder Sea Meridian. He'll either die or become a vegetable within an hour, so the interrogation must be completed before then."
"This easily?"
Tang Jincheon's face was one of disbelief.
To prove it, I drew my sword and thrust it to the old man's face, stopping just short of his eye. He didn't even flinch.
But when I asked him a question, he immediately responded.
"State your name and position in the Demonic Cult."
"Ye Neunghak. Leader of the Evil Hound Unit."
Ye Neunghak mumbled vacantly. Tang Jincheon nodded in surprise.
"Incredible. This is the first time I've heard such information about the Demonic Cult. I'll need to verify further, but it doesn't seem like he's lying. How on earth did you manage this?"
Tang Jincheon looked astonished, especially as Ye Neunghak continued drooling bloodied saliva.
I sheathed my sword and replied, "I'll explain everything later. For now, focus on the interrogation. Time isn't on our side."
"Yes, right. You said we have about an hour? That's not much time… Let's see."
Tang Jincheon paused to gather his thoughts before asking his next question.
"Why did the Demonic Cult target the Tang Clan and Sowol?"
"I heard… it could interfere with the Grand Scheme."
"The Grand Scheme? Don't tell me the Cult Leader ordered an attack on my daughter?"
"No… The Cult Leader merely had concerns. The actions were… my independent decision."
"Hah. Independent decision, you say. It would take some serious nerve to issue such orders. So, what exactly is this Grand Scheme?"
"The annihilation of the martial world… the ultimate plan for collective vengeance."
"Tch. Just another bout of the Demonic Cult's delusions."
Tang Jincheon clicked his tongue, clearly dismissing the idea.
In this era, his reaction was natural. Many believed the Demonic Cult's attempts at revenge were laughable because, historically, they had always failed.
Even when they raised their swords against the Central Plains, they had never made it past the Qingcheng Sect before retreating to the Ten Thousand Mountains.
Still, the current Demonic Cult had the Heavenly Demon.
He wasn't yet called the Heavenly Demon, but this lunatic would eventually reach the Flowering Stage—perhaps even beyond—with his demonic arts.
The invasion I remembered from my past life would occur about fifteen years from now, yet it seemed the groundwork had already begun.
Tang Jincheon dismissed it as delusional rambling, but to me, it felt different.
Although the Heavenly Demon had yet to claim his arrogant title, he was already the leader of the Demonic Cult and had likely been preparing for years to attack the Central Plains.
Tang Jincheon continued questioning Ye Neunghak, asking about their other members, the Cult's current state, and whether they were targeting any factions besides the Tang Clan.
Though Ye Neunghak answered obediently, his knowledge as a mere unit leader was limited.
The interrogation felt somewhat unproductive. Soon, foam mixed with blood began to leak from Ye Neunghak's mouth—time was almost up.
Recognizing this, I turned to Tang Jincheon.
"Father-in-law, may I ask the final question?"
"Oh? Ah, yes, I suppose that makes sense. It was you and Sowol who captured him, and your methods made this interrogation possible."
"Thank you."
I bowed briefly before stepping in front of Ye Neunghak. I stared at his half-glazed eyes and asked:
"What is the Cult Leader's current level of martial prowess?"
"The Cult Leader… has reached the Extreme Demon Realm."
Ye Neunghak coughed out the answer, shuddered violently, and then collapsed.
"That's it," I muttered, gazing down at his lifeless body.
"Extreme Demon Realm. So, he's already reached the Extreme Demon Realm…"
It was the realm commonly referred to as Hwagyeong—the Flowering Stage.