Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 495

A flash!

Deung Cheon-Gyo’s eyes gleamed.

Whether he noticed it or not, the Deputy Head of the Punishment Division flipped through a few documents and began to speak.

“Well, first of all…”

The Deputy Head clicked his tongue.

“For now, a formal investigation will proceed. We need to confront the victim and hear their side of the story.”

“…”

Deung Cheon-Gyo remained silent, merely staring intently at the Deputy Head’s face.

The Deputy Head cleared his throat. It was never pleasant to have someone of the Joint Faction’s Sect Leader’s stature glaring at him silently.

But there was nothing he could do. The Martial Law clearly stated that regardless of rank or status, everyone who entered the Punishment Division must be treated equally.

Of course, that Martial Law was often interpreted flexibly depending on who the person was. Just like in this situation.

No matter how much they emphasized fairness, he was still a Sect Leader of one of the Nine Great Sects. Considering his contributions and history in the martial world, they couldn’t treat him the same as a heinous criminal, no matter how strict the Martial Law was.

Besides, they hadn’t even heard the victim’s side of the story yet. Although he was the perpetrator, it was difficult to conduct an accurate interrogation.

“In other words, you can think of this as a temporary detention, Sect Leader. Of course, if we hear the victim’s story and determine the situation is serious, you will continue to be detained.”

Deung Cheon-Gyo opened his mouth.

“So, you’re detaining me first even though there’s no risk of me fleeing?”

His voice was low and subdued.

The Deputy Head cleared his throat again.

“There are witnesses. Normally, after receiving a report, we hear about the incident and, depending on its complexity, either immediately detain the person or proceed with house arrest.”

“That’s a haphazard way of doing things.”

“It may seem that way.”

Even as he answered, the Deputy Head tilted his head slightly. He felt a strange familiarity in Deung Cheon-Gyo’s voice. Familiar, yet somehow unsettling.

The Deputy Head continued.

“When you were apprehended, you didn’t deny that you attacked the Military Affairs Unit’s Captain first. There are witnesses, a victim, and the perpetrator doesn’t deny it, so it’s only natural that you’re here.”

Why did he admit it? Was it pride? The only witness was Moyong Gun, and no matter how much influence he had, he could have simply denied it.

The Deputy Head should have pondered that more deeply.

“Thanks to you persuading Yong Hwa Jin-In [a title for a highly respected Taoist master], our work has become easier. We are grateful for that and will be more careful in our future investigations.”

“It was necessary.”

“Yes?”

“It would have been troublesome if Yong Hwa Jin-In had gone on a rampage. That’s why I persuaded him.”

The Deputy Head smiled.

“Thank you. Your concern for the Martial Alliance is truly exceptional. We can’t erase your crime, but we will consider any mitigating factors as much as possible.”

He was someone who considered the hierarchy and influence of the Punishment Division and the Martial Alliance. That’s what the Deputy Head thought.

At the same time, he felt that strangeness again.

‘Why does my ear feel so itchy?’

Deung Cheon-Gyo’s voice was getting lower and lower. Was it simply because he was in a bad mood?

“Still, I have some good news for you, Sect Leader. It seems we can somehow postpone the investigation into the Joint Faction’s Four Sign Swords. We will try our best to reach an agreement with Captain Yeon Ho-Jeong.”

“Is that so? Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“You’re welcome.”

“…?”

“…”

“Yes?”

“Yes?”

Confusion spread across the Deputy Head’s face.

“Do you perhaps have something else to say to me?”

“Do you perhaps have something else to say to me?”

Deung Cheon-Gyo repeated the Deputy Head’s words exactly.

The Deputy Head, who had been quietly observing Deung Cheon-Gyo, cleared his throat and spoke.

“I understand you’re upset. But this is an official setting, so please refrain from such jokes.”

“I understand you’re upset. But this is an official setting, so please refrain from such jokes.”

The Deputy Head’s face hardened.

Even if he was the Sect Leader of the Joint Faction, he was still a perpetrator who had come to the Punishment Division. Such behavior in the interrogation room was unacceptable.

“Enough, Sect Leader.”

Only then did Deung Cheon-Gyo close his mouth.

The Deputy Head sighed.

“I know you’re very upset. As I said, I will try my best to consider any mitigating factors in the minor details…”

“What’s your name?”

“Yes?”

“Your name. I’d like to know the name of the person investigating me.”

Depending on the interpretation, it could be heard as intimidation of the Deputy Head. The influence of the Joint Faction’s Sect Leader was not small.

The Deputy Head, who had been quietly observing Deung Cheon-Gyo, opened his mouth.

“My name is Seok Bang-Heon.”

“Seok Bang-Heon… A good name.”

Deung Cheon-Gyo’s voice became even lower, sounding as if he were speaking from a cave.

The Deputy Head, Seok Bang-Heon, felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

Could a person’s voice really get that low?

No, it was possible. His own voice was just as low. However, Deung Cheon-Gyo’s voice was usually high for a man, and as he was older, it was quite aged…

“…?!”

Suddenly, surprise flickered across Seok Bang-Heon’s face.

‘That’s my voice?’

At that moment, Deung Cheon-Gyo smiled.

It was a cold smile that Seok Bang-Heon had never seen before.

“Thank you.”

Fwish!

Seok Bang-Heon’s body froze.

Thud!

Seok Bang-Heon’s head hit the table, and his breath was already gone. The blood flowing from his nose and mouth slowly stained the table.

As if he had been waiting for this, Deung Cheon-Gyo rose from his seat.

“Hah.”

Clang!

The handcuffs snapped instantly.

Deung Cheon-Gyo found the key on Seok Bang-Heon’s body, removed the iron cuffs from his wrists, and laid his body against the chair.

Seok Bang-Heon’s face, with blood streaming from his nose and mouth, still held the expression of surprise. He had died without even realizing he was dying.

Deung Cheon-Gyo raised his right hand.

Chiiiiiiik!

With an ominous sound, a reddish aura formed a shape in his hand.

It was a mask. A mask of red aura, shimmering like a heat haze, was there.

It was an astonishing sight. When imprisoned in the Punishment Division, one’s inner energy was first sealed by acupressure, and then they were handcuffed. Those handcuffs were no ordinary items; they slowed down the movement of inner energy through the acupoints over time.

In other words, it was impossible to break the handcuffs with physical strength or to draw such mystical inner energy.

Swoosh.

Deung Cheon-Gyo placed the mask of inner energy on Seok Bang-Heon’s face.

Whoooom.

The red mask, floating an inch above the face, began to mold itself to Seok Bang-Heon’s face.

“It’s a shame there’s no time.”

When the Blood Demon Mask reached its peak, it could even cover a person’s skeleton. Deung Cheon-Gyo’s Blood Demon Mask Technique had reached that level.

However, it would take more than half a day to mold the skeleton. Even then, it would take more than three days to transform by covering his own body and changing his skeleton with the Bone Shrinking Technique.

Right now, there was no time to perfectly copy Seok Bang-Heon’s body or transform.

‘Well, it would be a waste to use up one of my Blood Demon Mask Technique uses for such a small fry.’

Whoooom.

The Blood Demon Mask gradually turned blue.

Deung Cheon-Gyo put the blue mask on his face.

Crack!

Soon, an astonishing thing happened.

Crack! Crack!

The shape of his facial bones and muscles changed.

The white beard disappeared, and even the color of his hair changed. It was a change that was hard to believe even with one’s own eyes.

“Ugh.”

A groan of pain escaped from the mouth of the man who was now Seok Bang-Heon, formerly Deung Cheon-Gyo.

He was second to none in patience, but this process of bones twisting and muscle structure changing was hard to endure.

In fact, less than 30% of those who learned the Blood Demon Mask Technique survived. Of that 30%, more than half died from the shock to their heart meridians during the transformation.

Under the name of Blood Demon, even he, who had mastered the Demon Mask Technique to the highest level, felt the threat of death every time. That was how dangerous this martial art was.

That was why the power of the Blood Demon Mask Technique was so brilliant.

After a while.

“Huff! Huff!”

He took a deep breath and quickly regained his composure.

‘It’s done.’

It was perfect.

Seok Bang-Heon was slightly taller and had a larger build, but the difference was negligible, and changing his face was enough.

He changed into Seok Bang-Heon’s clothes and left the interrogation room.

“Deputy Head.”

“Hmm.”

The officers passing by bowed to him.

Seok Bang-Heon nodded with a stern face and walked through the hallway.

He could hear the officers whispering behind him.

“The Deputy Head’s expression is not good.”

“He was in charge of interrogating the Joint Faction’s Sect Leader. It’s understandable.”

“Sigh, the atmosphere is going to get tense again.”

There was a lot of information hidden in their conversation. He could roughly grasp what kind of person Seok Bang-Heon was.

After a while, as he was going down to the first floor, an officer bumped into his shoulder.

“Ouch!”

He glared.

“Can’t you watch where you’re going!”

“I-I’m sorry!”

With those words, he went down to the first floor.

It was then.

Kwaaaang!

A huge explosion and a massive fire erupted in the distance.

“Gasp! What, what is that?!”

“It’s an explosion!”

“Where? Where did the explosion happen…?”

“Over there!”

At that moment, he shouted.

“Officers, don’t panic and secure your positions!”

The officers who had rushed out bowed their heads.

“Understood!”

He shouted to the gatekeeper.

“Prepare for any possible situation! Gatekeeper, lock the gate as soon as I leave! There might be traitors helping the criminals escape!”

The gatekeeper, though puzzled, bowed his head.

“I will follow the Deputy Head’s orders!”

He quickly went out the door. At the same time, the main gate of the Punishment Division closed.

He didn’t go to the place where the fire had broken out. He could tell how the situation was unfolding just from Pung Byeok-Ja’s Demon Mask inner energy.

‘Wait, Pung Byeok-Ja. Just hold on a little longer.’

He quickly went around to the back of the Punishment Division building and found the sword mark on the west outer wall.

It wasn’t hard to find. He had made it himself.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

He dug into the ground with fierce hand techniques, and the speed was truly remarkable. Each time his hand moved, the ground was being dug up.

How long had he been digging?

A large iron box, about three feet long, one foot wide, and two feet high, appeared.

Clank!

When he opened the box, it was full of black spheres.

The spheres, which exuded a dangerous aura, were small Jincheon-Rois [Thunderclap Bombs], or bombs, secretly manufactured by the Imperial Palace.

He put one of them in his pocket and swung the box around.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The Jincheon-Rois flew and scattered all over the Punishment Division building.

“Huh? What’s this?”

“A sphere? No. It’s too big and heavy to be a sphere…”

He smiled.

‘It’s not a sphere.’

Whoosh!

He climbed over the hill and pulled the safety pin of the Jincheon-Roi in his pocket.

With a blank face, he threw the Jincheon-Roi towards the Punishment Division.

After a while.

Kwaaaang! Kwa kwa kwaang!

With a tremendous explosion, the buildings of the Punishment Division began to collapse.

Whoooosh!

A crimson flame soared high into the sky.

At the same time, he realized that Pung Byeok-Ja, under the influence of the Blood Demon Mask’s suggestion, had committed suicide.

‘Perfect.’

He turned his body.

Swoosh!

Using a wind-like movement technique, he had already left the inner walls of the Martial Alliance.