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암천향 (Dark Heaven Village)

It seemed like the pirates had one heart and mind. From their perspective, it was much more advantageous to sacrifice their leaders to survive than to clash with the naval forces that had no chance of winning. When the betrayal occurred in an instant, I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Bwahaha. Trapped, aren’t they?”

“Ugh… don’t joke around!!”

Koohaak!

Suddenly, the clothes of the pirate chiefs tore open dramatically, and their bodies began to swell. The monstrous fish I had seen before appeared on the ship. They had ballooned in size to the point where they could no longer be considered human.

[Kurgh… Kurgh…]

Bang!

“Aaaaargh!”

As the pirate chiefs swung their swords, there was a thunderous explosion, and a few of the nearby pirates were ripped to shreds. It seemed that in that state they lost their sanity in exchange for immense power. I didn’t want the ones I intended to extract information from to die, so I leaped forward.

“Get out of the way!!”

Thunderclap!

Lightning surged through my body. My suddenly accelerated body zipped past the pirate chiefs like a phantom. One of them met the Ten Thousand Success Sword Technique’s slashing blow, while another received the Heavenly Thunder Infinite Spear’s strike. Moments later, their bodies shattered in an explosive splatter.

Kuwaaaack!

The foul-smelling blood unique to merfolk gushed from the severed bodies. The surviving pirates recoiled in horror. One remaining rogue lunged at me, shrieking.

[Kiyaaa – !!]

The Thunder Shadow Step and Heavenly Gathering Kill unfolded. I deftly dodged the attack from the pirate chief turned merfolk and promptly sliced off his left arm. With one arm severed, he writhed in agony, and I followed up with a powerful kick that shattered his right leg.

I could have killed him right then, but I didn’t. If that was my intention, I would have started a slaughter from the beginning.

[Kyaaa!]

The pirate chief sank to his knees. As the effects of his berserk state wore off, his body gradually shrunk back to human size, and he rolled his eyes anxiously, trying to regain his composure. It seemed he realized I had spared his life on purpose when he asked.

“W-What do you want?”

“Everything that you know!”

“Will you let me live then?”

“Of course. Didn’t I say that from the start? What were you listening to?”

The pirate chief looked nervously over my shoulder at the Blood Blade Group pirates standing behind me.

“Save me from those guys too.”

“I’ll do that. But you need to start talking now.”

I let a chilling killing intent sparkle in my eyes.

“Tell me the location of your base, and how you became like this in detail.”

“Got it… I’ll tell you everything.”

The pirate chief, hesitant for a moment, began revealing what I was curious about. I was left dumbfounded and asked him.

“What?”

“I’m telling the truth.”

I scratched my head, incredulous.

“Are you seriously saying there’s a city of merfolk underwater?”

The pirate chief nodded.

“That’s right…”

The other pirates listening nearby murmured amongst themselves.

The pirate chief said that the three of them were pillaging when they were visited by the merfolk. The merfolk revealed themselves as the Sea God’s clan and promised them great power in exchange for working for them. Since then, the pirate chiefs had accepted the merfolk’s flesh, building an undefeated legend through their pillaging and occasionally receiving the merfolk’s assistance for easier navigation, even avoiding sea disasters in advance.

Moreover, the now merfolk pirate chiefs visited the underwater city of the merfolk to report on their recent conditions or receive knowledge.

“Where is this underwater city?”

“It’s located below the island in the region near our base…”

“Directly beneath?”

“If you look in the northwest direction, you’ll find it…”

I asked again.

“Good. So what was the reason you ambushed the naval forces this time despite their presence?”

“That’s because the Sea God’s clan issued the orders.”

“They personally issued the orders?”

“That’s right… Among the goods included in this operation, there’s something the Sea God’s clan desperately needs.”

My eyes widened. This seemed like crucial information indeed.

“Something crucial? What is it?”

“It’s an item accidentally imported from the Western Regions… a strangely shaped vessel.”

“What does this vessel look like? Hey, bring something to write with.”

After giving orders to a nearby pirate, one dashed inside to retrieve paper and ink. As the pirate chief held the brush and began to move, I studied his condition. Strangely enough, normally one would expect him to die from blood loss, but his wounds were already healing.

Once the drawing was completed, I memorized its shape. Indeed, it was the most peculiar vessel I had ever seen since birth. I examined the drawing closely and then asked.

“Why do you need this vessel?”

“I don’t know…”

“Hmm. Understood.”

Whack!

I swung my spear and beheaded the pirate chief. It was so swift and clean that he likely didn’t even feel pain. Ultimately, he was destined to die anyway, so I decided to just let him go peacefully.

This was the price for my information.

I spoke to the remaining pirates.

“Raise the white flag.”

“Yes.”

Whoosh!

After a while, I raised the white flag on the pirate ship and returned to my side. My vice commander, Ahn Hyeon, looked astonished at my return.

“Did you really subdue the flagship all on your own? That’s some great martial arts!”

“Oh, stop it… but there’s something serious we need to discuss.”

“What is it?”

“I want to speak privately.”

“Understood.”

Ahn Hyeon left the handling of the aftermath to his subordinates and went to his office. Once we were alone, I pulled the pirate chiefs’ severed heads from a cloth and displayed them, causing Ahn Hyeon to grimace.

“What is this? What kind of monster is this?”

“These are the pirate chiefs.”

“What…!!”

“If you interrogate the Blood Blade Group officials who surrendered, you’ll see I’m telling the truth. These are the leaders of the Blood Blade Group.”

“Heh…”

Afterward, a pirate was dragged in to confirm the story, and upon hearing it was true, Ahn Hyeon slumped back in his chair as if drained.

“Alright, put that head away. It reeks.”

“Yes.”

As Ahn Hyeon opened the cabin’s window for ventilation, he murmured.

“How could such a monster exist in this world?”

“Ahn vice commander, we need to crush their base. It’s not far from here.”

“……”

He seemed hesitant. Although they had succeeded without any casualties, launching an attack on the pirate’s base wasn’t something he had anticipated. I resolved to persuade him repeatedly.

“Think about it. Unless we assault their base, the Blood Blade Group will keep resurrecting. The damage to the merchant ships will continue. Doesn’t it make sense to achieve great merits before those annoying incidents occur?”

Ahn Hyeon appeared to perk up at the mention of “merit.”

“Indeed… Very well, let’s go for the assault.”

I detailed the location of the base the pirate chief had revealed. Ahn Hyeon spread out the map and seemed to instantly recognize the location. Shortly after, we headed out to attack the pirate island that served as their base.

We arrived at the pirate island in less than half a day. As soon as the naval forces approached the pirate island, they fired the Red Cannon to declare war.

Kwaaaah!

The pirates on the island panicked, but soon the naval forces, including myself, landed and began sweeping through the pirates. There were about 100 pirates left, but it took less than half a moment to subdue them all.

As the easy suppression of the pirate island concluded, Ahn Hyeon walked out to the beach and sat down in a chair. In a stern voice, he ordered.

“Decapitate everyone.”

Puraak!

Puraak!

One by one, the pirates’ necks fell in the sandy area. It seemed he had deliberately chosen this spot as a good place for beheading. Once the successive beheadings finished, Ahn Hyeon led his men to further explore the pirate island where they discovered buildings hiding various captives, including slaves and women.

The condition of the slaves and women was horrifying. The male slaves looked as if they were on the brink of death from severe overwork, and some were severely disabled due to the pirates’ wrath. Moreover, it was evident that the women had been subjected to torment by the pirates, with many pregnant.

What was even more appalling was the sight of ‘trophies’ scattered throughout the pirates’ quarters, where slaves had been cruelly killed for fun. There were numerous signs of torture as well. The rumors of the pirates’ brutality toward humans were indeed true.

As Ahn Hyeon witnessed this atrocity firsthand, he trembled.

“I made the right call by following your suggestion. These scum have no value in living.”

“Mmm…”

“Bring the captured Blood Blade Group officers here.”

At Ahn Hyeon’s order, the naval soldiers bound the Blood Blade Group officials and brought them forth. They thought they had secured their lives, but they looked utterly confused.

Staring down at them coldly, Ahn Hyeon ordered.

“I am Ahn Gyeong-ik, commander of the left navy department. I have been entrusted with full authority. Therefore, during wartime, I can carry out punishments without permission from the left navy department. Not even a judge’s approval is needed. I will act according to my personal conscience regarding this horrific tragedy.”

The pirate officials trembled in fear.

“My lord! What are you saying?”

“Listen closely.”

As Ahn Hyeon continued, the pirates went into a panic.

“I will execute Lingchi upon you.”

“Aaaaah!!”

“No!!”

Some bit their tongues and collapsed right there, taking their own lives. Biting one’s tongue was not something one would do lightly, but the pirates were so horrified by the thought of Lingchi that they resorted to it without hesitation.

First, naval soldiers brought in a crucifix-shaped torture device they had found on board. Then, to make up for the lack of numbers, they quickly cut down wood to create a torture device to bind the Blood Blade Group officials to it.

They brought along some white powder and sprinkled it into their mouths. I curiously asked Ahn Hyeon.

“What is that?”

“Opium.”

“……!!”

“The key to Lingchi is to keep them alive for as long as possible.”

As Ahn Hyeon bluntly replied, the preparations for Lingchi continued. Eventually, they tightly secured the officials’ mouths with gags to prevent them from biting their tongues anymore. As the effects of opium started dulling their senses, Lingchi commenced.

Ssk!

Sskak…

The naval soldiers wielding thin blades that resembled razors began slowly peeling the flesh away without changing their expressions. It resembled the act of filleting fish, and while the officials of the Blood Blade Group, thanks to the opium, didn’t feel immediate intense pain, they seemed to be aware that something terrible was happening to them. As they opened their eyes wide and flailed about, the torture continued.

Ahn Hyeon remarked.

“It’s standard to start with less vital extremities like fingers or toes.”

Pusshush!

Although blood flowed, they used some kind of medicine to staunch it each time. While blood gradually pooled, flesh continued to fall away as if hair were shed, eventually landing on the ground. While fingers and toes were gradually severed, the expressions of the Blood Blade Group officials became teetering on the brink of madness.

The horror of dying slowly while unable to move, like being filleted as a fish, was unimaginable.

“After stripping away all the flesh, we’ll shatter their joints.”

“But won’t they die before that?”

“That’s why we give them opium to keep them alive as long as possible.”

I quickly learned from Ahn Hyeon about the details of Lingchi.

Lingchi is a punishment where the flesh of the criminal is cut off while they are still alive, hence the literal definition of separating flesh from bone. In historical records, it was referred to as the “slicing punishment,” and in the Ming legal code that set the standard for the law, it was written as “Lingchi execution.” Originally, it was an exceptionally brutal punishment, rarely carried out on a whim, but Ahn Hyeon was empowered by the general’s authority, so it was feasible.

It was also known by such names as Hundred Cuts Punishment or Killing with a Thousand Cuts, meaning a punishment where one is killed by a hundred or a thousand cuts. It’s said that a eunuch named Liu Jin, notorious for corruption and abuse of power, underwent as many as 6,000 cuts before facing Lingchi.

The next day, when I returned, more than half of the Blood Blade Group officials were dead. But whether dead or alive, the sight of the naval soldiers calmly peeling away flesh and muscle was terrifying. A couple of them even had their chests opened, exposing their ribs, while one of the soldiers chuckled and shoved one of those bones into the eye socket of a dead Blood Blade Group official.

When that soldier noticed me, he said.

“Ah! Sorry! Please don’t tell anyone.”

“But doesn’t giving them opium mean they won’t feel much pain?”

The naval soldier grinned widely.

“Not exactly. There was a person who survived after receiving 200 cuts of Lingchi, but apparently, during the process, the effects of the opium fluctuated, and the intense pain of being eaten alive by insects came flooding back. They used to occasionally vomit things like their hearts before dying.”

“……”

I was appalled at the nonchalant attitude of the naval soldier. It suggested he had seen this happen many times before.

Lingchi was completed on the third day by morning. After it was over, the Blood Blade Group officials’ bodies were literally just scraps of bones. The remaining-boned torsos were placed in a basket, alongside their internal organs and heads, at the tip of a pole.

The extermination of the Blood Blade Group was complete.

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