In the Underground Prison

Chapter 97. In the Underground Prison

"Ugh. What a miserable fate."

"How did we end up like this? We're just trying to tag along for a meal?"

"That's what I said, didn't I? I said we should just ignore them and pass by quietly."

In a shabby underground prison.

A young man in beggar's rags was grumbling, sighing heavily.

"But why did you have to charge in without a second thought and cause this mess! Ah! This is driving me crazy! Seriously! If you have a mouth, say something!"

At the beggar's grumbling, another man, whose patience had reached its limit, shouted back.

"How was I supposed to know they were from the Joy Palace! And as members of the Orthodox Faction, how could we just stand by and watch innocent people being dragged away like that!"

At that, the man in beggar's rags latched onto his words with sarcasm.

"Oh, look at the Righteous Warrior, a Righteous Warrior has appeared. And that's why we ended up captured here, isn't it? Am I wrong?"

"You...! You really...!"

"That's enough, both of you."

Before their argument could escalate, a monk who was with them intervened.

He was a man who looked taciturn at a glance.

But his condition was particularly dire.

His eyes were bruised, his lips were split, and his face was swollen….

"But Monk Doil! Weren't you also badly injured because of this?"

"How can we blame Daoist Myeonghyeon for stepping forward for a just cause? In the end, this happened because my skills were lacking, not because of Daoist Myeonghyeon."

"Tsk, well, since you put it that way… I understand."

At the calm words of Monk Doil, the man in beggar's rags, Jongpal, finally clicked his tongue and stopped grumbling.

Thus, the identities of the three were revealed.

Myeonghyeon of Wudang, Doil of Shaolin, and Jongpal of the Beggars' Union.

Among them, Doil was a promising figure hailed as the future of Shaolin, known as the Martial Dragon, one of the Six Dragons and Four Phoenixes. Myeonghyeon was a talent who received all the love of the Wudang masters.

And Jongpal, at a young age, had risen to the rank of the Four Ultimate Beggars, making him one of the most promising of the younger generation in the Beggars' Union.

It was a combination of individuals whose skills were by no means lacking anywhere they went.

So how did such men end up locked in this shabby prison?

The three of them had known each other for some time, having crossed paths here and there.

They happened to meet at an inn and decided to travel together to a nearby destination.

As they were leisurely making their way over mountains and across rivers, they witnessed some men kidnapping villagers in a small rural town at the foot of a mountain.

Unable to stand by, the chivalrous Myeonghyeon charged in without a second thought, and a battle immediately broke out.

Nothing was wrong with that.

What could be wrong with the actions of a martial artist from the Orthodox Faction who rushed in upon seeing injustice?

However, this time, the opponent was just too strong.

If they had been ordinary bandits, it would have been one thing, but their opponents happened to be formidable figures they couldn't handle on their own.

"The Joy Palace. I never dreamed we would encounter them in that small rural village."

"Indeed. Our luck was just rotten. Phew."

The Joy Palace.

It was a group notorious in the martial world, with the Phantom Divine Monarch, one of the Ten Great Masters, as its lord.

Thus, faced with the opponent's unexpected skill, the three were overpowered and ended up in this state.

But why on earth were they indiscriminately capturing ordinary people living in a rural village?

They simply couldn't understand it.

When they were first brought here, this prison was already filled with countless people, each locked in their own cell, their eyes darting about in fear.

What on earth were these bastards planning to do with all these people!

The scene naturally provoked such thoughts.

It was a truly horrifying situation.

"First, we must find a way to escape and report this to the Murim Alliance."

"With what means? We've already been subdued so we can't use our martial arts. How are we supposed to escape from this prison?"

It was a hopeless situation where they could do absolutely nothing.

It was then.

Some men dressed in the same clothes entered the prison and led them somewhere.

Already subdued and unable to use their martial arts, resistance was not even a dream.

Dragged away, they arrived at a large room.

The men, members of the Joy Palace, forced them to their knees and then began to shove something into their mouths.

"Wh-What! Gack, cough!"

It was a liquid with a strong, fishy smell.

They struggled with all their might, but it was useless. They were forced to drink every last drop.

The chilling sensation as it went down their throats was utterly nauseating.

"What did you make us drink!"

Myeonghyeon and Jongpal shouted.

Their faces filled with utter indignation, they glared fiercely at the Joy Palace members.

But the men just smirked and laughed, none of them opening their mouths.

"It's poison."

A sharp, clear voice answered.

Turning their heads toward the sound, they saw someone just entering the room.

"A deadly poison that will cause your five viscera and six entrails to melt one by one if you miss even a single day's antidote."

He was the Vice Palace Lord of the Joy Palace, the Blood-faced Ghost, Neungbeomseong.

He was the one who had defeated Doil of Shaolin, the man known as the Martial Dragon.

As the right-hand man of the Phantom Divine Monarch, he too was a master of the highest caliber.

No matter how much Doil was called the future of Shaolin, the Blood-faced Ghost's realm was still too high for him to face.

Perhaps defeat was inevitable.

"It's quite an expensive poison, but we need to take this precaution to be at ease."

"You bastard...! Do you think you'll get away with this!"

Myeonghyeon screamed at the top of his lungs.

Given the situation, he couldn't control his emotions, and his face turned red and purple with rage.

"Ah, are you talking about the Nine Great Sects or the Beggars' Union? Well, the thought of them all coming at once is a bit frightening, I admit."

"Give us the antidote and release us now! If you do, I'll at least grant you a clean death—!"

"But what to do about this."

"No one knows you're here."

"...! The villagers definitely saw us, what are you—!"

Judging by the number of people locked in the prison, not all the villagers had been captured.

So if any of the villagers who witnessed the situation stepped forward….

But a story that shattered Myeonghyeon's hopes flowed from the Blood-faced Ghost's mouth.

"Ah. Them? I killed them all, except for a few we needed."

"What?"

For a moment, Myeonghyeon's face went blank without him realizing it.

Behind him, the faces of Doil and Jongpal also hardened coldly.

Watching the three, who had been rendered speechless, the Blood-faced Ghost's lips stretched into a wide grin.

"My, my. You take us for fools. Did you think we wouldn't consider that? Ah, what to do now? How will the Nine Great Sects and the Beggars' Union ever find us and punish us? Hmm? Heh heh."

The pupils of the three men trembled violently.

To commit such a horrifying act and then cackle without the slightest hesitation, he looked just like a demon.

How could such wicked humans exist?

However, whether the three were shocked or not, the Blood-faced Ghost shrugged as if it were nothing and continued speaking.

"Your timing is fortunate. The Arena opens tomorrow, as it happens. To think such precious talents would walk right in on their own. The Palace Lord will be very pleased."

It was clear that by 'fortunate,' he wasn't referring to the three of them.

The Blood-faced Ghost added with a smirk.

"I'm sure I don't need to say it, but it would be best not to try anything foolish. That is, if you don't want to die a gruesome death as your organs melt away."

With those final words, the three, including Doil, were dragged back to the prison.

Slumped on the prison floor, they remained silent for a long time, stunned.

The story they had just heard felt completely unreal.

Of course, they had heard endless tales of the deeds committed by such villains.

But seeing it firsthand was far more vicious and cruel than anything they had ever heard.

How could someone wear a human face and do such things, how!

Amidst the lengthening silence, it was Doil who quietly spoke first.

"For now… let's not speak of that matter."

Among the dead were surely the family members of those in this prison.

If they heard that news, how much would they despair and wail?

There was no need to add to the suffering of those already trembling with fear from being captured here.

Though the pain and sorrow were inevitable, it would be better for them to find out when—if—they managed to survive and return from this place.

At Doil's words, Myeonghyeon and Jongpal also nodded.

It seemed they thought the same.

"...I'm sorry. This is all because of me."

After a moment of hesitation, Myeonghyeon let out a deep sigh and bowed his head in apology.

At that, Jongpal cleared his throat and shook his head.

"No. There's no need to apologize. I was just frustrated earlier. Besides, it's not like we could have just ignored such an atrocious act, could we?"

As if in agreement, Doil also nodded.

Myeonghyeon could only bite his lip in apology.

It was truly the worst possible situation. How on earth could they escape this place!

It was simply bleak.

Just as they were sighing heavily in this utterly desperate situation.

Another person was dragged into the prison.

The men holding him on either side spoke as they entered the cell.

"Where's this one from?"

"I heard they picked up some foolish-looking scholar who was loitering around on their way back."

"Kekek. What rotten luck. If it wasn't for the Arena opening tomorrow, he might have been let go. Kekek."

"Alright, get in there!"

Chuckling, the men who had dragged the scholar opened the iron bars and shoved him inside as if throwing him.

*Thud.*

The man collapsed weakly to the floor.

But no one stepped forward to help him up.

The first to approach the man was Myeonghyeon.

He helped the man up.

"Hey. Are you alright?"

*Nod.*

The man kept his gaze lowered and gave a small nod.

It seemed he was speechless from the shock of being suddenly captured and thrown into an underground prison.

Looking at the man, Myeonghyeon ground his teeth.

"These evil bastards! How can humans be like this!"

What on earth were they planning to do, capturing people so indiscriminately?

One thing was certain: it was for no good purpose.

Myeonghyeon, along with Jongpal and Doil, lamented.

But in their despair, they failed to see it.

That the eyes of the man who had just been dragged in were settled into an unnaturally cold calm.