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chapter 147
“Arghhh!”
“Ughhh!”
“Save me…!”
“My arm! My aaarm!”
The ward overflowed with the screams of the injured.
Most of them were survivors from Pingxin.
Lu Wuchen moved among the patients, his face covered by a mask, devoted entirely to treating them.
Beside him, his secretary was giving a report on the day’s events.
“…So currently, Pingxin is completely annihilated. It’s going to take quite a while before we can tally the survivors.”
“They tried to use Pingxin as a sacrifice, and instead they only got themselves slaughtered, eh? Hah. Before long, there’ll be a bloody storm within the Committee—or rather, within the Party itself.”
“……”
His tone was calm and matter-of-fact.
But the secretary pressed his lips tightly together and said nothing.
Just as Lu Wuchen finished inserting the last acupuncture needle into a patient, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and spoke.
“Prepare a negotiation table with White Burn.”
The secretary’s eyes widened.
That was essentially a declaration of surrender.
“Th-that’s impossible! The Party will never allow…!”
Lu Wuchen simply stared at him in silence.
The secretary’s complexion went pale.
“B-but the Party has already ordered a firm response to th-this incident…”
“I’ll take responsibility.”
“……”
“Continuing this standoff with White Burn will only lead us to self-destruction. We couldn’t even hold off a single combat unit. If Astra intervenes on top of that, could we possibly handle it?”
The rebuke was sharp.
The secretary clamped his mouth shut.
In China, criticizing or rejecting the Party’s orders was taboo.
Yet Lu Wuchen brushed it off as if it were nothing.
Was it the confidence of being one of the mere nine top rankers in a nation of billions?
Or was it simply his innate stature?
“Anything beyond this is needless loss. If we’re not careful, the Committee itself might suffer an irreparable blow.”
“……”
“I’d rather not see that. The Party will be in turmoil for a while anyway, so they won’t be able to directly censure us. Proceed.”
“…Yes. Understood.”
At that moment, the secretary realized something.
He’s simply on another level. Unlike those at the top who care nothing for how many underlings die so long as their own careers prosper—he’s fundamentally different!
The proof was right in front of him.
When someone of Lu Wuchen’s stature came down, the local officials would normally swarm around him, trying to curry favor.
But Lu Wuchen kept his visit completely secret—even the hospital director was ordered to stay silent.
All because he didn’t want pointless formalities interfering with the medical staff.
He even personally treated the most critically injured.
The secretary’s chest swelled with pride, realizing he served such a man.
He hurried to carry out the order—but then, junior aides rushed in and whispered urgently to Lu Wuchen.
“The Committee branches in Shanxi and Sichuan have lost some communications. Reports indicate signs of troop movements and gatherings in those regions.”
“Several of Chairman Feng’s close aides have disappeared one after another. Traces show some of them have recently made contact with Chinese-Russian forces abroad…”
That was only what he could overhear.
The rest seemed even more serious.
In some regions, military supplies and hunter subsidy funds had gone missing.
A… a rebellion!?
It seemed Feng Jinghao wasn’t stepping down quietly, but instead stirring up a major crisis.
Even Lu Wuchen’s expression hardened.
“You heard them. Move quickly.”
“Y-yes, sir!!”
The secretary dashed off in a rush.
It seemed the storm engulfing the Central Heroes Committee was far from over.
Lee Hyun swallowed the Nine Gods Talisman just as Sun Wukong instructed.
Eating a holy relic felt absurd—
but once he did, he understood why.
The talisman melted and slid down his throat.
And then—
Whoooosh!
“……!!”
His mana circuits flared violently.
Not that their capacity increased—
they simply grew fiercer.
Like a wild beast.
[You have absorbed the holy relic: Nine Gods Talisman. The relic activates, causing your mana to take on a violent nature.]
[Nine Gods Talisman]
The holy relic once wielded by the Great Sage Wuyong King.
Forged from the malice gathered by devouring countless immortals and buddhas. Simply carrying it imbues one’s mana with brutal, baleful energy.
At times, it may even turn against its wielder. Handle with care.
-
Type: Holy Relic, Talisman
-
Origin: Myth, Journey to the West
According to Sun Wukong, the talisman was a kind of charm.
Not something used as a weapon—just keeping it in one’s inventory yielded effects.
The accumulated evil karma from slaughtering immortals and buddhas infused the wielder’s mana, producing terrifying destructive power.
Because it was aligned with the dark arts, it resonated strongly with inner emotions.
But—
A power that could consume its owner if mishandled.
A blade steeped in evil karma recognized no friend or foe.
“The Nine Gods Talisman differs from Wuzheng’s Curse Scripture. The scripture is refined, spells unraveled into polished verses. The talisman, however, drags out one’s primal malice and karmic sins. It’s more savage, more violent.”
Lee Hyun closed his eyes to steady his mana.
Sun Wukong’s voice echoed at his ear:
“But precisely because it’s tied to emotion, it pairs well with the senses of a demon. That is—if you can master it. Or if the relic’s master remains intact.”
Even Wukong’s tone carried a hint of tension.
“But right now, the relic’s true master is broken. Which means the relic itself is broken too. Keep your head straight.”
Lee Hyun couldn’t respond. The boiling mana surged up to his pineal gland.
It felt like his thunder-gate was being corrupted—
or like cracks were spreading through his soul.
Bzzzzzz!
[Gingoa maintains your mental barrier. Ruyi Jingu Bang regulates your metabolism with super-recovery.]
“Alright. Let’s begin.”
Stars burst across Lee Hyun’s darkened vision.
[The Guardian Contract begins! Wuyong King is not in a state to willingly enter a contract.]
[■■da■ ■■gong’s aid intervenes. The myth of Wuyong King begins to reveal itself.]
Flash!
His vision flipped.
He stood in a damp, oppressive cavern.
A cave?
But not an ordinary one—
the air reeked of rotten blood and bone.
At the far wall, piles of skulls rose like towers.
Ding!
[You have entered an Event Dungeon.]
[Dungeon: Wuyong King’s Cave]
[You have entered a fragment of myth where the Great Sage Wuyong King’s divinity has collapsed and is decaying.]
[Before meeting the Seven Great Sages, Wuyong King was a demon king who drove countless immortals and buddhas into terror. To other demons, he was a symbol of dread.]
[Now, you must build rapport with Wuyong King.]
Objectives:
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Recognition as a Demon
-
Recognition as a Friend
Success: Gain Guardian qualification.
Failure: Death.
Finding Wuyong King was not difficult.
Crunch. Crack.
A massive ape, over three meters tall, sat gnawing bones and sucking marrow.
Scarlet fur bristled with thick demonic energy—
so intense it was closer to malevolent qi.
So this is Wuyong King…
Said to have devoured more immortals and buddhas than anyone—
those skull towers must be his victims.
So much resentment and hatred layered here… how could anything survive in this environment?
Lee Hyun wondered if a proper contract was even possible—
Clang!
Metal rang at the cave’s mouth.
“Heh. Would you look at that. Immortals, buddhas… you really did eat them all, huh?”
It was the sound of Ruyi Jingu Bang striking rock.
In walked Sun Wukong in human form, tongue clicking in disbelief.
Wuyong King slowly lifted his head.
Bloodshot eyes rolled lazily toward him.
Drip. Drip.
Blood still dribbled from his lips as he rumbled in a low, cavernous voice:
“…What is it, monkey…? Why are you here…?”
“Me? Just came to watch.”
Wukong grinned slyly, resting his staff across his shoulder.
“Heard there’s a monster even worse than me in here. Thought I’d come see for myself.”
“Curious…? Sightseers… don’t last long…”
Wuyong King’s fist clenched around a bone with a hollow snap. His voice remained sluggish, dripping with gloom.
“Then try eating me too. Or—”
Wukong pulled something from his belt and shook it.
A gourd flask.
A sweet fruity aroma wafted out.
“Want a drink together? Might be harder for you than it is for me.”
Wuyong King stared slowly, unreadable.
“Hmm?”
But Wukong just smiled, shaking the flask again.
“……”
A heavy silence thickened the cave.
Then—
Wuyong King rose to his feet.
Thud!
“Blood-serum wine… my most cherished drink…”
“This one’s Hua Fruit Wine. Made by fermenting the fruits of Huaguo Mountain in stone crevices for hundreds of days.”
“I… like drinking… Let’s share…”
Wuyong King placed two skulls upside-down on a rock table he’d neatly split.
One cup held the crisp fruit wine.
The other, foul-reeking rotten blood wine.
The contrast was stark.
Wukong folded his arms, eyeing the so-called blood-serum wine in front of him.
“Don’t like it…?”
“Why wouldn’t I? It’s alcohol. Just curious—it’s the first time I’ve seen something like this.”
“My… treasured liquor… Aged with the blood and marrow… of cherished buddhas…”
Wuyong King sat opposite him, a faint smile tugging his lips.
Lee Hyun watched the whole scene in awe.
So the contract proceeds by using Wukong’s myth as a catalyst… But what’s his plan? I can’t adjust to this place at all…
He didn’t know much about Wuyong King. But the sheer pressure and grotesqueness made one thing clear—this was truly a Demon King.
Young Wukong, however, gave a different impression.
Too pure to be called demonic,
too domineering to be called immortal or buddha.
Something straddling that border.
Yet that was why, to Lee Hyun, young Wukong felt even more terrifying.
Unpredictably intense—perhaps that was why he was called Demon King.
Different even from the thought-echo I saw in Huaguo. I’ll need to learn from this too…
Lee Hyun resolved to capture every detail with his Fiery Golden Eyes.
But how to actually seal this contract here—?
“By the way… is that… a snack? Can I eat it…? But… humans taste bad.”
“…!?”
Suddenly, Wuyong King turned his gaze.
As if staring directly at Lee Hyun.
Those eyes were sharp and threatening.
Lee Hyun froze, face stiff—
“Keep your eyes open, idiot. How’s that a human? That’s a friend.”
Wukong gave him a subtle nod to sit.
Lee Hyun realized this drinking bout itself was the contract method.
So—how to appear like a fellow demon?
He let a thought flash, then flung open all his intent.
Whooom—
[Trait: Fighting Style – Applied. You reveal the senses of a demon!]
“While wandering the human world, I forgot to mask my senses. Do I qualify to sit and drink with you now?”
He lowered his voice deliberately.
Compared to Wuyong King or Wukong, he was but a speck of dust—
yet it was enough to soften Wuyong King’s sharpened eyes back into lethargy.
“Apologies… I mistook you.”
Good. It worked.
[From now on, you are perceived as a demon.]
[First trial condition of the Guardian test achieved.]
Demons perceive not form, but essence.
Luckily, it had worked.
“But you too… must offer drink… We both… set drinks on the table… I hate… freeloaders…”
But he couldn’t just conjure liquor out of nothing.
What could he present that might win over Wuyong King’s favor from ages past?
Wait—what about that?
A sudden idea.
The more deeply he earned Wuyong King’s goodwill, the more control he’d have over the talisman’s violent nature.
But for now, Wuyong King’s attitude toward him was mere indifference. Without Wukong there, sharing the same table might have been impossible.
So—he needed a gift. Something irresistible.
And he happened to have just the thing.
Lee Hyun spoke with a hint of mischief:
“Would this perhaps suffice?”
From his inventory, he drew forth a relic.
The Heavenly Furnace of the Jade Emperor.
“…!!!”
At that moment—
Wuyong King’s eyes lit up like a galaxy of stars.
