Chapter 184
No Jeok, a master at the peak of the Blood Sect, was a notorious heavy drinker.
Not just someone who loved alcohol—he was addicted to it to the point that life without it felt unbearable.
That’s why his nickname was “Drunken Ghost.”
He might have once been known as “Deadly Arrow,” but no one remembered that name anymore.
Now, among the Blood Sect disciples, he was simply “No Jeok the Drunken Ghost,” the booze-obsessed madman.
He was even foolish enough to be caught a few times drinking alone in the outer corridors during guard duty—times when he claimed he was just stepping out for a moment—by the leaders of the Black Blood Demon Troop, Du Dang, and the White Masked Assassin, Gu Woojeol.
“Stupid drunken ghost.”
That was how the Blood Sect members saw No Jeok.
Lately, during every watch, the Drunken Ghost found himself sinking into a deep gloom.
The torment of not being able to drink even a drop during his entire shift felt like his heart was withering away.
“If only I could taste just one drop… just one drop…”
He believed that one sip would wash away all his suffering and bring him back to life.
But even a booze fiend like him knew he absolutely couldn’t give in.
He knew all too well that one drop wouldn’t satisfy him.
And if he got caught drinking by Gu Woojeol again, he wouldn’t live to see another day.
Du Dang didn’t care much about such things, but Gu Woojeol was meticulous and strict—unlike most Blood Sect disciples.
So No Jeok endured the teasing from his comrades, waiting impatiently for his watch to end.
Then, suddenly, his nose twitched.
“Sniff, sniff, sniff. Hmm?”
His eyes snapped open.
Though faint, the scent was unmistakable.
Alcohol.
The smell of liquor was drifting through the air.
His keen, almost animal-like sense of smell had caught it.
He quickly traced the scent’s source.
“Where is it? Inside the corridor?”
Yes.
The faint but intoxicating aroma was definitely coming from inside the outer corridor.
His experienced nose could even gauge the quality of the liquor.
“This isn’t some cheap mid-grade stuff. This is high-quality liquor!”
He swallowed hard.
Glancing around, he saw none of his comrades had noticed.
No Jeok’s body trembled with restless anticipation.
He couldn’t hold back.
“I have to find it!”
He didn’t care why there was alcohol here.
All that mattered was confirming the source—and figuring out how to excuse himself and get there without raising suspicion.
Then, two glowing lights suddenly appeared deeper inside the corridor.
Bright green flames flickered side by side, like will-o’-the-wisps.
The others noticed and whispered warnings.
“Look over there!”
“Lights? What’s that?”
Only moments later did they realize the lights were the gleaming eyes of a predator.
Snap!
A massive black leopard, the size of a tiger, suddenly leapt out from the corridor and darted into a side passage.
Two Blood Sect masters, momentarily stunned, grabbed torches and charged after it.
“I’m going!”
“Me too! We’ll catch it!”
The other four hesitated, deciding not to move.
Though large, it didn’t seem to require more than three peak masters to capture a leopard.
They exchanged amused remarks.
“How did a leopard get into the outer corridor?”
“Remember? They said there was a collapsed section over there last time.”
“Oh, right. Shouldn’t they fix that?”
“Fix it? Why bother? No one ever comes here anyway.”
While the others chatted, No Jeok quietly stood, grabbed a torch awkwardly, and said,
“My body feels stiff. I’ll go help catch that leopard.”
His comrades sneered.
“You? Just going to hide somewhere and drink again, aren’t you?”
“Yeah. You, Drunken Ghost, moving for anything other than booze? Come on.”
But No Jeok snapped back angrily.
“What are you talking about? Where would I get liquor to drink right now? Just watch—I’ll skin that leopard myself!”
With that, he strode into the corridor.
But as he moved toward the leopard’s path, he glanced back at his comrades.
The moment their eyes shifted away, he darted into a different passage—the one where the scent of alcohol was strongest.
No Jeok ran with all his might into the dark corridor, ignoring the shouts behind him.
“You idiot! Not that way!”
He laughed quietly, running on.
The intoxicating scent teased his nose, making him feel like he was about to lose his mind.
“Heh heh heh! Not just ‘that way’—this is exactly the right way. The smell of liquor! Real liquor! Ha ha ha!”
After running for some time, the scent grew sharp and pungent.
Suddenly, he spotted a beautiful gourd-shaped bottle resting in a corner.
Its elegant curves left no doubt—it was a bottle of liquor.
“Ohhh! It’s really here!”
No Jeok cheered.
He had no idea why the bottle was here.
Maybe the spirit who had taken the form of the black leopard had left it as a gift.
None of that mattered.
What mattered was grabbing the bottle, popping the cork, and pouring it into his mouth.
“Heh heh heh!”
Just as he reached for the bottle with tears of joy in his eyes—
Pshhh!
A small piercing sound rang out, and his body stiffened.
He’d been struck by a hidden needle from behind.
“?!”
No Jeok couldn’t immediately understand what was happening.
Right after the prick, a leather whip suddenly wrapped around him from behind.
Whirr!
It all happened in an instant.
“No, no!”
Wrapped tightly like a cocoon, he was dragged away, his eyes filled with sorrow as he stared longingly at the bottle.
His beloved liquor was slipping away.
Sun Woojin and his group had kidnapped No Jeok using the hidden needle technique of Jeung Chil and the whip of Ya Woonhyang.
They retreated deeper into the corridor and set him down, preparing to interrogate him.
Jeung Chil and Seol Poong created a barrier in the air, blocking all sound from escaping.
Then they released the pressure points on No Jeok’s meridians.
No Jeok immediately shouted loudly.
“You righteous sect scum! How dare you crawl all the way in here! Do you think you’ll leave even a single bone behind?!”
Jeung Chil ignored his words with a bored expression and asked Sun Woojin,
“So, how do you plan to interrogate him?”
Sun Woojin smiled slyly.
“I’ve learned the Bone-Cracking Torture Technique before. Let’s put it to use.”
“…You learned torture techniques on the side? What the hell have you been up to out there?”
Sun Woojin ignored the remark and addressed No Jeok.
“We’re going to ask you some questions. If you want to answer, blink your eyes.”
No Jeok remained defiant.
“Don’t make me laugh! I won’t say a word to righteous sect dogs like you!”
Snap!
Ignoring him, Sun Woojin struck the pressure points again, unleashing the first level of the Bone-Cracking Torture.
Crack!
No Jeok’s muscles and bones twisted painfully, his eyes widening in agony.
“Ughhh!”
Unable to speak due to the pressure points, only pained groans escaped his lips.
After watching him for a moment, Sun Woojin increased the intensity.
“This is the next level. There are ten in total. Let’s see how long you can last.”
“Ughhh!”
No Jeok’s body began trembling uncontrollably.
The group swallowed nervously, alternating their gaze between the trembling No Jeok and the calm Sun Woojin, who methodically twisted his muscles and bones to increase the pain.
The scene had a maddening edge to it.
Jeung Chil muttered with a shudder,
“See? There’s something off about this guy. Who learns torture techniques on the side like that?”
Bi Sa-yeong and Seol Poong cleared their throats awkwardly, avoiding eye contact.
Sun Woojin stopped at level five, released the pressure points, and allowed No Jeok to speak.
But No Jeok, pale and exhausted, still refused to say what they wanted to hear.
“Arrgh! You damn bastards! Did you really think I’d break under this kind of pain?! Hahaha! You say there are ten levels? Try a hundred! What I’m about to tell you is about your mother…!”
Snap!
Just as it felt like some utterly blasphemous curse was about to spill out, Sun Woo-jin furrowed his brow and quickly sealed his blood points.
It seemed they really had to push through all ten levels.
At that moment, Ya Woon-hyang, who had been watching lazily from behind, suddenly spoke up.
“Wait a moment.”
Everyone turned to her with puzzled looks as she stepped forward and addressed Sun Woo-jin.
“May I give it a try?”
Sun Woo-jin looked surprised at her offer but nodded nonetheless.
Ya Woon-hyang then pointed at the sake bottle that Jung Chil was holding.
“May I borrow that for a moment?”
Jung Chil’s eyes widened in alarm as he clutched the bottle protectively.
“W-what?! My, my sake again? Why now?!”
The precious Sobongju he treasured was already less than half full.
Earlier, when Sun Woo-jin had asked to borrow it briefly, Jung Chil had reacted as if he were sending off his own child.
But since Sun Woo-jin had promised firmly that he only needed to smell it and wouldn’t touch the sake itself, Jung Chil had reluctantly lent it as bait.
Now, Ya Woon-hyang was asking to borrow his precious sake again.
In a languid voice, she said, “Just for a moment.”
Jung Chil hesitated, eyes wary, unsure what to do.
Then Bi Sa-young, standing nearby, patted him on the shoulder.
“Come on, Sa-suk. Pretty Sa-jil just wants to borrow it briefly to help take down the Blood Sect’s gang. She’s not going to drink it, just borrow it for a moment. Let her have it.”
Jung Chil eyed her suspiciously.
“R-really? She’s not going to drink it?”
Bi Sa-young nodded confidently.
“Of course not! Do you think we have time to be drinking right now?!”
Reluctantly, Jung Chil handed the bottle over to Ya Woon-hyang.
But the moment she took it, she sent a silent message to Bi Sa-young.
Please restrain Old Jung, Great Assassin.
Huh? What did you say?
Bi Sa-young was startled, but before he could respond, Ya Woon-hyang was already moving.
She strode straight up to No Je-eok and tilted the bottle, dripping a few drops of sake into his mouth.
Instantly, both their eyes bulged wide open.
“Ughhh!”
No Je-eok reacted even more violently than when he’d been subjected to the Bone-Crushing Pain technique.
And Jung Chil, of course, exploded with fury.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing, you little witch?!”
But Bi Sa-young was quicker to act.
He swiftly sealed a blood point behind Jung Chil’s back.
Snap!
“Ugh! Ughhh!”
Jung Chil, with his blood points sealed, howled as if being tortured.
Ya Woon-hyang didn’t even glance back.
Meanwhile, Sun Woo-jin quickly reconstructed the energy barrier Jung Chil had been blocking, completing the soundproofing.
Everything unfolded as if rehearsed.
Ya Woon-hyang released No Je-eok’s acupoint and said, “If you tell us what we want to know, I’ll let you drink this sake.”
No Je-eok’s eyes, which had resisted the Bone-Crushing Pain, began trembling uncontrollably.
Behind him, Jung Chil wailed desperately.
“Ughhh!”
Ya Woon-hyang’s voice remained calm and lazy.
“But if you don’t talk…”
She slowly tilted the bottle to the ground.
The sake inside spilled helplessly onto the floor.
Splash!
No Je-eok finally roared like a wild beast.
“No! You cruel woman! Don’t do this! I’ll tell you everything! I swear I will!”
Jung Chil’s cries echoed alongside.
“Ughhh!”
Amid the chaos, Sun Woo-jin looked at Muk-rang with a stunned expression.
‘Is he really serious?’
Muk-rang, who could read intentions and detect lies, replied.
Shortly after, Sun Woo-jin’s group learned the full details of the situation inside the Demon King’s Tomb from No Je-eok.
Ya Woon-hyang dripped a little sake into his mouth each time he revealed useful information, and in the end, he passed away with a peaceful smile.
But as always, where there is happiness on one side, there is sorrow on the other.
While No Je-eok died content, Jung Chil wept endlessly.
When his tears finally stopped, his eyes burned with murderous intent.
The moment his blood points were released, it looked like he could flood the place with blood.
Ya Woon-hyang approached him with her usual languid gaze.
She met his murderous glare calmly and said, “When we get back, I’ll give you three jars of Sobongju.”
For a moment, Jung Chil’s eyes flickered.
When she released his blood points, he shouted loudly.
“Don’t lie, you witch! How could you possibly give away something so precious…!”
But she cut him off.
“I can make it.”
“…What?”
Jung Chil was momentarily stunned, unable to speak.
Ya Woon-hyang repeated firmly, “I can make it. Not just Sobongju, but Sohongju, Dugangju, Baekaju—I can make them all. One of our ancestors was a notorious drinker who collected every brewing method in the world, determined to taste every kind of liquor.”
Jung Chil’s mouth dropped open.
Sobongju, Sohongju, Dugangju, Baekaju.
All were famous regional liquors.
He stared blankly, disbelief written all over his face.
“You’re saying you can make all of those? Is that really true?”
Ya Woon-hyang smiled mysteriously.
“When we return, I’ll make them all for you. Since you’re Sa-suk.”
With that, Jung Chil’s anger completely dissolved.
The crisis was over.
Six Blood Sect experts guarding the outer passage were just about to change shifts.
“Hey, shift change!”
“Ugh, finally done. I’m so sick of this.”
“Tch, glad we can finally rest. Now, how do I send off one more Shijin?”
“Huh? Why are there only five? Where’s Joo-gwi?”
“No idea. He went in to catch the leopard that snuck into the passage. The two who went in first missed it and came back, but he never came out. You know what that guy’s like.”
“Heh heh heh, that Joo-gwi really wants to die, huh?”
“Ha, it’s because Sir Si-gwi isn’t here right now. His bad habits are back.”
Hidden in the shadows of the passage, Sun Woo-jin’s group watched the shift change with sharp eyes.
Sun Woo-jin sent a silent message.
Everyone responded with thumbs-up.
According to No Je-eok, the outer passage guards changed every one Shijin—two hours.
So if they struck right after the shift, no new guards would come for a full Shijin.
But that didn’t mean they had a full two hours.
Because the outermost guards and the inner ones alternated shifts every half Shijin, the outer guards would pass through this passage again after half a Shijin to change shifts.
So they only had half a Shijin to act without being detected.
Sun Woo-jin closed his eyes, heightening his senses to watch the departing guards with his divine sight.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes and locked gazes with Seol Poong.
Seol Poong nodded back.
It was time.
As before, the black tiger moved first.
Sun Woo-jin stroked the black tiger’s neck, sending a silent command.
‘Can you lure them down this passage?’
The black tiger seemed to understand and rose, sauntering toward the Blood Sect members.
Soon, a commotion broke out among the guards spotting the black tiger’s gleaming eyes.
“What’s that light?”
“An animal? It’s the black tiger!”
“That’s the one the guards mentioned earlier! Two of us will chase it!”
“I’ll go!”
“Me too!”
Bang!
Two top-tier martial artists grabbed torches and dashed after the black tiger into the passage.
They shouted as they pursued its retreating form.
“Pretty fast! No wonder the others couldn’t catch it!”
“Yeah, but they didn’t catch Joo-gwi!”
“What? Heh heh heh! Looks like he’s as good as dead.”
Then, suddenly, something long and slimy shot up from the floor, tripping their legs.
Thud!
“Ugh! What the—?!”
“A snake?”
The two masters didn’t fall but staggered, eyes fixed on the long, black, snake-like object.
One of them realized it was a whip and gasped to warn the other.
“Th-that…!”
But he never got the chance to finish.
Shhhk!
“Gah!”
“Ugh!”
From the shadows on the floor behind them, two figures rose like ghosts, covering their mouths and slitting their throats.
Sun Woo-jin and Bi Sa-young.
The torches fell from the martial artists’ hands, caught lightly by Seol Poong and Jung Chil.
Thud! Thud!
Their movements were perfectly synchronized, as if they’d been training together for months.
The five exchanged glances, nodded, and silently moved back toward where the martial artists had been standing guard.