Episode 16: Sihyeolgok (2)
Cheonjihoe (天地會).
There were two people walking side by side on a walled street leading to the main building.
It was King Myeongdo Son Yun one of the eight executives of Cheonjihoe and a member of the Five Kings and Bangsang Jo Uigong.
As he walked Jo Ui-gong spoke as if he was frustrated.
“Maybe you should have told the vice-president that I accepted you as a disciple?”
To his words King Son Yun clicked his tongue and responded.
“It’s no use talking about it.”
“Why?”
“Have you ever seen the Lord of the Association retract an order he once gave?”
“…..”
At these words Bangsa Jo Ui-gong could not take his lips off.
As Son Yun said the Lord of the Lord never went back on an order once given and sometimes even punished him severely if he failed to carry out his orders.
Considering that there was no way he could be persuaded.
“Well… I thought I finally found someone useful.”
“I wonder if it’s worth using.”
I read that cursed secret book for the first time.
How many people have died trying to read it?
Moreover he had learned the sword technique of Wolmaek which had been cut off 100 years ago and he sent that guy to Shihyeolgok without even looking at his face.
This was behavior that I couldn’t understand no matter how much I tried to do it.
Sihyeolgok is a place where almost 80% or 90% of people die even though each faction selects and sends those who are reasonably useful.
It was not given a name that meant corpses and blood for nothing.
“First of all I guess I’ll have to ask Gokju to report it to me. “I can’t let that poor guy die like this.”
Hearing these words Son Yun looked at Jo Eui-gong with strange eyes.
There was no way he would come out here unless he really liked it.
He also felt sorry for the guy.
He could be persuaded appropriately and make him an ally or he could take the sword out of his head and resurrect Wolmaek but why doesn’t he do that?
He sent it to Hyeolgok which could be said to be the worst selection process…
‘no way?’
King of Myeongdo Son Yun’s eyes narrowed.
Is that really the reason why it was sent as a poetry song?
‘Are you trying to test it?’
* * *
Sihyeolgok (尸血谷).
“The set time is Lee Gak. There is an iron bead that looks similar to this in the water of the valley. Find this and come to the front of this main street. “Anyone who doesn’t find it dies.”
-Roaring!
The boys were agitated by the words of the person wearing the demon mask.
It was now midnight.
Although there were warriors wearing red belts and holding torches here and there it was impossible to see the inside of the valley clearly.
Looking for that small iron ball in this dark place filled with countless pebbles?
It’s literally like looking for a needle in a sandy beach.
At that time a boy who looked to be about 17 years old and was standing in the front row raised his hand and said.
“Isn’t it too much to kill someone just because they can’t find one iron ball? “Everyone here has been recruited from each faction but even so…”
“You don’t want to do it?”
The demon mask cut him off and asked:
At this the boy hesitated with a nervous look on his face and then spoke.
“I don’t think it’s a selection process based on finding the iron ball and not finding it….”
– Perfect! puck!
“Oops!”
At that moment before he could even finish speaking the boy fell to the floor with a desperate scream.
‘!!!!!!’
Those next to him who saw this could not hide their bewilderment.
As expected there was an iron bead lodged deep between the boy’s eyes and it seemed as if he had died instantly.
I was confused but the demon mask spoke in a loud voice.
“Those who question what they are told or give up also die.”
The commotion suddenly turned into silence.
Everyone was aware of the reality that someone would lose their life.
‘This is crazy.’
Mo Yu-cheon cursed inwardly.
It was absurd to suddenly order something like this but what if you die if you don’t find the iron ball?
He was a hostage for his family.
But I don’t know what this is doing to me.
‘If only the air gate wasn’t blocked…’
It might be easier to find it if you focus on your eyesight.
However since inner strength was prohibited this was literally an act of buying and suffering.
As I was doing this the demon mask spoke.
“For your information there are not as many iron balls in the valley as there are here. So you’d better hurry.”
‘!?’
There aren’t enough iron beads here?
Everyone could not hide their embarrassment.
Isn’t that the same as saying that some of them will inevitably die?
“The moment the scented candle burns out it’s a complete loss. “Light it.”
At the command of the demon mask one of the warriors in red belts waiting next to the large incense burner lit an incense candle.
-Chiii!
Then the boys who were making noise and not knowing what to do ran towards the valley all at once.
With over 800 people running at once the ground was shaking for a moment.
Everyone seemed to be blocked so no one was making light attacks.
First of all it could be said that it was a fair situation.
“Damn it!”
Seeing this scene Mo Yu-cheon glared at Mo Gyeong-un and then ran like other boys.
-with a splash! with a splash!
There was no other way in the current situation.
First I had to find an iron ball.
Otherwise you die.
Mok Yu-cheon who followed the others into the valley looked down.
‘shit…’
How can I find this?
It was dark.
No I could barely see the waves and I couldn’t see anything in the water.
It was impossible to find it with the naked eye.
-Papa pa pa pa paak!
“Ugh! “Where the hell are you?”
“Aaaah!”
Boys’ irritated voices were heard here and there.
Since they too could not see into the water they seemed to be looking for it by sticking their hands in and digging through the pebbles in the water of the valley.
So of course
“Ugh!”
“Cow hands…..”
My hands were bound to get damaged.
Some even broke their fingernails while turning over rocks.
If you protect your hands with internal energy something like this would be rare but it was natural to get hurt with bare hands.
-Chrrrrrr!
Mo Yu-cheon also felt pain because his fingers were scratched by sharp stones and pebbles.
But there was no other way.
There was no way to find the iron ball except by using his hands.
What if I don’t find it all of a sudden?
-Thump thump!
As I became impatient my heart began to beat rapidly.
It was my first time experiencing this kind of tension in my life.
Then Mok Yu-cheon turned his head and made a bewildered expression.
‘What is that kid doing?’
Everyone jumped into the valley water and was busy searching.
But Mok Gyeong-un was watching with his arms crossed.
He was acting like it was someone else’s business.
‘You crazy bastard.’
Rather than going into the valley and seeing what’s there what are you doing there?
Did you go crazy because you wanted to die?
Mo Yu-cheon who was dumbfounded quickly looked away.
Even if he is a half-brother or something if he doesn’t find his share of iron beads now he will die.
-Papa pa pa pa paak!
While everyone was frantically searching the water in the valley nearly half of the scented candles had already burned out.
It’s almost over.
There was only half of the time left.
It was then.
“Turn it off.”
With the sound of shouting warriors in red belts holding torches in the valley water threw the fire into the valley water and extinguished it.
It was already dark but when the torch on the water went out it became difficult to see even the people around.
“Damn it!”
“How are you going to find it?”
Complaints broke out here and there.
But even though he was yelling like that he didn’t take his hand out of the water.
If you don’t find it you will lose your life.
“Gokju. “This time more than half of them may be weeded out.”
The middle-aged warrior next to the demon mask spoke in a whispering voice.
That’s why no one was able to find even a single bit of it.
Until now there had been at least one or two people in each section of the Iguan Gate who had found the iron ball but this time there was none.
“I don’t think there’s that level of aggravation.”
The evil spirit mask called Gokju also nodded his head in agreement.
I didn’t know that an unprecedentedly small number of people would be selected.
By now one or two people should have found the iron ball and brought it back so the rest will become impatient and focus even more frantically on their senses.
This was a gateway that stimulated the five senses and sense of survival.
Those who were eliminated from this were not worth surviving.
‘They said they sent talented people from Bigyeongmun and Jusalgok Mohwabang but were they just chaff than I thought?’
It was while I was doing it.
“I found it!”
Finally among the riders the first one to find the iron ball came out.
He was an 18-year-old boy and although his hand holding the iron ball was bloody and mangled he was smiling brightly because he was so happy.
Those around him couldn’t help but feel envious of the boy like this.
Then perhaps realizing that they were running out of time they searched for more pebbles in the water.
-with a splash! with a splash!
“Gasp…”
The boy who found the iron ball walked out of the water breathing heavily as if he was a little tired.
‘it’s okay. it’s okay.’
Such luck!
Not only did he survive but he found this out first.
With this you will be able to stamp his face.
It was a moment when I was loving it so much.
-Splash splash!
I heard something running behind me.
When he looked back he saw a boy with a rugged appearance running towards him.
“Give it to me!”
I aimed so confidently.
It looked like they were trying to snatch it before it went out of the water.
It seemed like there was at least one guy like this.
‘Damn it!’
The boy was exhausted but he ran like crazy.
Even though he was out of the water the rugged-looking boy ran towards him and shouted as if he had no intention of giving up.
“You bastard! “If we catch you we’ll turn you into a blood clot!”
-Papa papapak!
The big guy was too fast.
I didn’t know the distance difference could be reduced this much.
If you are really caught the iron ball you worked so hard to find will be taken away by that guy.
The boy turned his head again and tried to run with all his strength.
however
‘!?’
what?
When was this guy in front of me?
Were there some guys who didn’t come into the valley?
A panicked boy tries to turn
-Park!
At that moment the boy in front rushed towards him at incredible speed.
He was so fast that he was caught before he could turn.
‘What a piece of shit!’
Naegong must have been banned so why is it so fast?
It was literally a dilemma.
Enemies back and forth.
As the situation became more urgent the boy made an unexpected choice.
‘Do you think these bastards will take this away?’
The boy put the iron ball he was holding into his mouth and swallowed it.
The bulky boy who saw this from behind screamed out how annoyed he was.
“You son of a bitch!”
If it’s like this it can’t be taken away right?
The boy grinned and laughed.
however
“It’s really annoying.”
-Park!
“Huh?”
The boy’s head was held in both hands.
Then
-Wood!
At that moment his neck was broken.
The boy whose neck was broken could not even scream and died on the spot.
‘!?’
The rugged-looking boy who followed him five paces behind couldn’t help but feel embarrassed.
Although he also intended to steal the iron ball he had not made up his mind to kill the boy in front of him.
But now it happened right in front of my eyes.
But something even more shocking happened.
-Kwasik!
‘!!!!!!!!’
Not only did he kill the boy he ripped off the boy’s neck with his bare hands.
Then he forced his hand down his neck and
-Wow! grasp!
The dead boy took out his iron ball which he had swallowed.
His blood-soaked hands and iron beads.
-Drop drip!
Blood soaked the floor.
‘This…this is crazy…’
The moment he saw this the boy with a rugged look was at a loss for words.
What kind of guy exists?
As I was perplexed the off-white boy no Mok Gyeong-un turned his head dusted his blood-soaked hands on the floor and opened his mouth.
“why? Do you want it?”
– Creepy!
At that question the boy with a rugged look shook his head like crazy.
When he made eye contact with the guy his heart felt like it was going to explode and his legs felt so weak that he felt like he was going to fall down at any moment.
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