RDM (Novel) Chapter 367


C 367


The boy's hunched back made him appear small, but his eyes were always filled with a venomous gaze.


His eyes, which had become docile as he led the Heavenly Flower Troupe, a desire he had had since childhood, now held their original venom, or even more.


Pyo Wol knew what that look meant.


It was the look of a beast who had lost everything.


He had no idea what had happened in that time, but it was clear that there had been a great deal of loss.


So Geoksan's gaze was on Pyo Wol.


The moment he met So Geoksan's gaze, Pyo Wol realised that he had been recognised.


Although his appearance and behaviour had changed, there was one thing that had never changed.


It was his gaze.


The occasional red glimmer in his pitch-black eyes was a feature unique to Pyo Wol.


Geoksan remembered that look.


That's why he recognised it at once.


It didn't matter why he hid his face and pretended to be someone else. What mattered was that Pyo Wol had infiltrated this place like a poisonous snake and brought a ray of hope to him who had seen no hope.


But So Geoksan never acted rashly. He didn't even acknowledge that he recognised Pyo Wol.


He just stared with his uncanny eyes.


There were many meanings in that look.


Pyo Wol did not avoid So Geoksan's gaze. He didn't act hastily either. He just looked back.


"Hehe!"


So Geoksan suddenly let out a sinister laugh, picked up the bowl that had fallen to the floor and began to eat the porridge with his bare hands.


His actions made Hwang Akchu and his subordinates feel uncomfortable.


Until now, he had simply seemed to be lost in madness, but now they felt as if a sword was pointed at their throats.


"Damn!"


Hwang Akchu shuddered and quickly closed the window.


He hurriedly distributed the food to the other rooms.


There were a lot of rooms, but there were only three that actually had people in them, one of which was So Geoksan's room. However, Hong Yushin was not in any of them.


He seemed to be imprisoned in another area.


"Let's get out of here."


As soon as all the food had been distributed, Hwang Akchu led his subordinates out of the room in a hurry.



Pyo Wol naturally followed them out.


When they returned to the military camp, Pyo Wol blended in seamlessly with the others.


Hwang Akchu muttered to himself.


"But didn't eight of us go in?"


"Huh? Wasn't it seven who went in?"


"No! There were definitely eight."


"But now there are only seven."


"Hmm!"


Hwang Akchu furrowed his brow.

 

By his count, there were definitely eight people. But only seven were visible to the eye.


"Did I make a mistake?"


"Being here for a long time can make you lose your mind, right? It seems like it's happening to you too."


"Hey! So you're saying I'm going crazy?"


"Hehe!"




Perhaps because the tension had been lifted, they exchanged jokes without hesitation.


As they talked to their subordinates, the uneasy feeling naturally disappeared.


***

Thud!


Gu Ja-hwang placed a pair of gauntlets on the table.


The table, made of carved stone, echoed loudly as the heavy gauntlets were put down.


The gauntlets were made of a special metal found only in the West.


The weight was three times heavier than iron of the same size. The strength was more than five times greater.


For an ordinary person, just wearing the gauntlets would be enough to dislocate their shoulders. Most warriors couldn't even wear them because of their incredible weight. But for Gu Ja-hwang, the weight was just right.


Gu Ja-hwang took out a dry cloth and carefully began to clean the gauntlets.


The gauntlets were stained with the blood and flesh of countless people. Although he had wiped them roughly, they would deteriorate if he didn't clean them thoroughly whenever he had time.


So Gu Ja-hwang cleaned the gauntlets whenever he had the time.


In fact, cleaning the gauntlets was the only thing he could do in such a small space.


"It is boring! If I had known, I would have gone to Eungdam instead!"


It had been two hours since they had heard that people were looking for them at the Eungdam pier.


He had sent his subordinates to find out what was going on, but he still felt regret.


No matter how strong he was, he was still human.


He missed the fresh air outside after living in such a confined space for so long. But if he, as the leader, broke the rules and went outside frequently, the prison's discipline would inevitably collapse. So he suppressed his desire and sent his subordinates instead.


"Hmm!"


Gu Ja-hwang carefully put on the cleaned gauntlets.


He liked how the gauntlets felt, and how tightly they clung to his wrist and forearm.


In this harsh world, the only things he could trust were his sturdy body and a pair of gauntlets.


Wearing the gauntlets, Gu Ja-hwang stepped outside.


The huge underground room came into view.


"Unreturnable Prison... Whoever named it did a good job.


A place you can never return to once you've been imprisoned there.


He was the warden responsible for the Unreturnable Prison.


When Gu Ja-hwang came out, the warriors in the military tent greeted him.


"Warden!"


"Have you come out?"


Gu Ja-hwang nodded his head and walked past them.

 

Hwang Akchu, who was resting on one side, hurried up to him.


"Brother, are you out?"


"Is there a problem?"


"No... there isn't."


"Why do you say that?"


"Pardon?"


"Your tone seems different than usual."


"No, there's nothing wrong."


"Is that so? That's a relief."


Gu Ja-hwang stroked his chin with the hand in his gauntlet.


Hwang Akchu watched Gu Ja-hwang's mood carefully.


Although they had a personal relationship as brothers, he knew how strictly Gu Ja-hwang distinguished between public and private matters.


Gu Ja-hwang's nickname, Diamond Blood Warrior, was a terrifying name not only to his enemies but also to his allies.


Even someone like Hwang Akchu, who had been with him for a long time, had a feeling of fear in his heart.


Gu Ja-hwang asked Hwang Akchu.


"Is there still no news from Daejin?"


"Yes!"


"Hmm!" 


Gu Ja-hwang frowned.


It had been two days since Cheol Daejin had gone out with the Blood Demons. It was the first time that Cheol Daejin had not contacted him for such a long time.


"That's worrying."


"Is it because there is no contact from Daejin?"


"That, and the fact that there are people snooping around the Eungdam pier."


"Do you think his whereabouts have been revealed?"


"Hmm!"


At Hwang Akchu's answer, Gu Ja-hwang's expression became serious.


He had been on the battlefield with Cheol Daejin for a long time. As a result, he knew better than anyone how extraordinary his martial arts skills and meticulous thinking were.


Although they both held the position of Warden, Cheol Daejin's martial arts skills were several levels higher than his. That's why he mainly performed external tasks.


"It might just be a small delay. Don't worry too much. Who do you think Cheol Daejin is? He's not someone who can be defeated easily."


"Is that so?"


"He's like a devil. You can trust him."


"Hmm!"


At Hwang Akchu's words, Gu Ja-hwang's expression softened a bit.


Although Hwang Akchu's martial arts skills were not outstanding, he had the power to put people at ease. He also had excellent leadership skills, so Gu Ja-hwang assigned him to manage the internal personnel while Cheol Daejin was in charge of the external tasks.


Gu Ja-hwang asked.


"How is he?"


"Who?"


"The hunchback."


"He's terrible."


"Is he still holding on?"


"Yes! Even after taking the Demon Heart Poison, his spirit hasn't been broken."


"A unique beast, huh?"


"It's the first time I've seen such a person."


Demon Heart Poison was a poison made from the secret arts of the West.


Once ingested, it would invade a person's energy, causing them to lose their reason and obey their master's commands.

 

Ordinary people would submit immediately after ingesting the Demon Heart Poison, but So Geoksan had been resisting for several months. It was the first time even Gu Ja-hwang had seen someone with such mental strength. That's why he was even more tempted.


If he could subdue So Geoksan and make him obey, it would undoubtedly be a great power.


"Did you also burn the Demon Heart Poison incense?"


"Yes!"


"Keep burning it. He should be nearing his limit by now."


"I will."


Hwang Akchu nodded.


It was rare for Gu Ja-hwang to use Demon Heart Poison and incense at the same time. It meant that he was very tempted by So Geoksan and the people in the area where he was imprisoned.


The problem was that they had strong mental strength and were still holding on, but their limit was not far away.


That's when it happened.


"Master!"


Suddenly, one of the warriors who had been guarding the entrance to Unreturnable Prison came running.


"What is it?"


"A letter has arrived from outside."


"What?"


Gu Ja-hwang hastily grabbed the letter and read it.


Hwang Akchu asked cautiously.


"Is it from Daejin?"


"No, it says another guest is coming from outside."


"A guest?"


"Yes! Make sure you have a room ready."


"Don't worry, we have plenty of empty rooms."


"Tsk! A new guest at a time like this."


Gu Ja-hwang clicked his tongue.


He had a bad feeling.


He felt a creeping sensation at the back of his neck, as if something was wrong.


This was the first time he had felt so uncomfortable since coming here.


The sense of crisis he used to feel on the battlefield suddenly reared its ugly head.


The problem was, he didn't know what it was.


This was the first time he had ever been in such a situation.


At least, it was the first time since he came to the Unreturnable Prison.


Gu Ja-hwang shook his head to dispel the negative thoughts.


Man Slaughter will be joining us soon. What could possibly go wrong?


Now it was time to welcome the new guest.


"You take the lead with your subordinates and escort the guest."


"Yes, Master."


Hwang Akchu bowed and retreated.


He hurriedly led his subordinates to where the vertical cave led to the surface.


Gu Ja-hwang, who had been watching him for a moment, suddenly punched towards the back.


Kwaang!


A military tent was blown away with a loud explosion.

 

"What's going on?"


"What happened?"


The startled subordinates rushed over.


They looked back and forth between the shattered tent and Gu Ja-hwang.


They wanted to ask why, but Gu Ja-hwang's expression was so serious that they didn't dare speak.


Gu Ja-hwang walked over to the collapsed tent.


A whirlwind rose from his fists.


It was a sign that he had gathered a lot of energy in both fists.


The subordinates could only swallow their saliva at the sight of Gu Ja-hwang.


Why is he doing this?


Could it be an intruder?


The subordinates kept a close eye on Gu Ja-hwang, ready to move at a moment's notice.


All the warriors in Unreturnable Prison were those who had followed Gu Ja-hwang across countless battlefields.


Even though they were trapped 300 metres underground, tending to the prisoners, their sense and skills as warriors had not rusted.


Whisk!


Gu Ja-hwang cleared the tent.


For a moment, a look of relief appeared on the faces of the tense subordinates.


It was because there was nothing in the tent that Gu Ja-hwang had cleared.


Of course. Who would dare to enter here?


It seems that the master's nerves have become sensitive.


They thought it was fortunate to see Gu Ja-hwang's more human side.


Gu Ja-hwang muttered as he looked into the empty tent.


"Did I feel something wrong? I thought I felt someone's gaze."


He had felt a tingling sensation a moment ago.


Gu Ja-hwang thought it was someone's secret gaze. That's why he threw a huge punch at the tent. However, disappointingly, there was nothing in the tent where he had felt the gaze.


"Did I really misinterpret it? Me?"

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