Book 16 Chapter 15

The Final Gate of the Five Elements: Zhongtuguan (中土關)

"Finally, the last gate," Biryun said, stretching. It was a good morning with fresh air. It felt like it was cleaning his lungs. Next to him, Hyoryong was imitating him.

Being a role model for others was indeed a troublesome affair.

"Many teams didn't get good scores at the Water-Fire Gate last time. Thanks to that, we could make up for the points lost at the Metal-Earth Gate. If we get first place in this gate, we have a good chance of winning this Volcano Branch Assembly!"

Before the start of the final gate, there was to be a speech and a lecture in the central training grounds. Biryun, having reunited with his teammates, headed to the training grounds together. Many people had already gathered in the training grounds, and a familiar face was seated on the podium. It was Elder Hyuk. People were lining up in front of their respective marked teams.

Once everyone had gathered, Hyuk began his speech.

"As you are aware, this is the final gate. I am very pleased and proud that you have all arrived here safely without any incidents. I apologize for not adhering to the proper order of mutual generation and destruction, but please do not blame me too much. This gate inevitably had to be placed last because it takes a considerable amount of time. It was an unavoidable choice."

Just how long would it take for him to say such a thing? Hyuk's words, as the leader of the Ten Spiritual Lords of Heaven's Law, were enough to arouse doubt in people's minds. The crowd began to murmur.

"Then, I will explain the procedure and rules of Zhongtuguan."

The participants listened attentively to Elder Hyuk's words, as if not wanting to miss a single detail. According to the elder's explanation, this gate was a golden opportunity to overturn all previous rankings at once and create a dramatic comeback. However, the content of the gate was not easy either.

"Survive in nature for fourteen days using only your own strength. That is the main rule. It can be said that there are no other rules. However, each team must secure their own living space in nature. We will not provide any sleeping arrangements here. But as a special service, we will provide one blanket per person. Food is also each team's responsibility. Hunting or gathering, it's all good. Secure your own food and water. You are welcome to make pottery if you can. Also, there are rumors that many fierce beasts live around the area where Zhongtuguan will be conducted. Not long ago, a tiger was caught by someone. There have also been casualties from tiger attacks. Please be careful to avoid such misfortunes. There are countless wolves as well. Some people have seen bears. You must fight against any sudden threats such as thunder, lightning, heavy rain, landslides, or wind. No one will help you. The only ones who can help you are your companions beside you. Trust your companions and cooperate to successfully pass this gate."

Elder Hyuk paused for a moment, looked around, and then continued.

"How you survive will be an important factor in the scoring. And everyone, please receive this 'Heavenly Law Token' from the law enforcers standing in front of your teams."

Hyuk pulled out a wooden token the size of a 호패 (a tiger's claw-shaped token).

"This Heavenly Law Token has your team and name inscribed on it, along with the Heavenly Law Seal to verify its authenticity. You must guard this token well for the next seven days. Losing this token will be considered disqualification. This is a safety measure prepared for extreme circumstances!"

Then, murmurs arose from various places.

"Now, let us begin the final Earth Gate of the Five Elements Assembly of the Volcano Covenant. Please move according to the guidance of the law enforcers assigned to each team. The eleven teams will move to different locations to undergo the test. Team 1, please depart first. We will depart at intervals of thirty minutes."

"Alright, Team 1, please depart."

Under the instructions and guidance of the law enforcer in charge of Team 1, Daegongja, along with nine others, followed behind. Biryun watched them from a slight distance to the side. Biryun waved as if in greeting, and Gyook of Hyulsimran, standing next to him, politely bowed to Daegongja Bi, wishing him good luck. Bi, who nodded dismissively at Gyook's greeting, met Biryun's gaze. Bi's eyes were cold and indifferent.

"I'll go ahead and wait. This time won't be easy."

Could this be considered a challenge or a provocation? All of the Sky-Measuring Seven Devils were astonished that Daegongja Bi had shown interest in someone. Was this seemingly foolish person worth that much?

"We'll have to wait and see."

First Wood-Thursday Gate, Team 1 victory. Second Metal-Earth Gate, Team 2 victory, Teams 1 and 7 disqualified. Third Water-Fire Gate, Team 7 victory, Team 1 second place.

Currently, Team 1, to which Daegongja Bi belonged, Team 2 led by Yongcheonmyung and Maharyeong, Team 3 led by Moyonghwi and Imseongjin, Biryun's Team 7, and Team 11, centered around disciples from Macheongak, were competing for the lead. And the place where the outcome would be decided was none other than the final gate of the Volcano Branch Assembly's Five Elements Branch Assembly, Zhongtuguan.

The only things they could bring were their weapons, one blanket per person, one set of cutlery, and one flint. Nothing else from Hongmaegok could be brought. Even a pot had to be acquired according to one's ability. However, personal items among those were allowed.

The test finally began. No, it would be more appropriate to call this gate a trial rather than a test.

Most people had little experience living in such natural environments. Even if they had trained in sects located in the mountains, there was human society and civilization within them. At least there was a roof to shelter from the wind and rain, and a blanket to keep warm. And above all, there was food.

Suddenly, these people were left to the mercy of nature. At first, they were bewildered, unsure of what to prioritize.

Surprisingly, it was Biryun who showed them the way. He knew well what humans should do when abandoned in nature. He showed no signs of distress even when thrown into a deep mountain gorge; instead, he seemed more vibrant. Upon being dropped into nature, he suddenly became competent and skilled in all aspects.

It was an accidental discovery of the cave. Following Biryun's suggestion to gather dry firewood before dark, Nayelin was scattering around and doing so when she stumbled upon something hidden by the bushes not far from a small stream. It was a rather spacious and deep cave. It was unexpected good fortune. Moreover, there seemed to be no previous occupants like bears or tigers. If there had been, it would have been unfortunate. For those who had already claimed it.

"This is good. We won't have to build temporary thatched huts intentionally," Biryun said, praising Nayelin, the discoverer. Shelter, water, and food – these three were the most urgent tasks to secure for survival. If the cave hadn't been found, they would have really intended to build one.

"Let's set up our base here for now!"

Everyone agreed. They soon gathered grass and trees to block and camouflage the entrance. There was no need to invite trouble by exposing it unnecessarily.

Two of the three most important issues, water and shelter, were now resolved.

"What about food now?" Nayelin asked worriedly. She too was experiencing this kind of life for the first time.

"We'll have to hunt. And we'll also look for mountain vegetables and fruits."

"Hunt?"

"Don't worry. I have a reliable ally!"

"Ally?" Biryun smiled at Nayelin's question.

"Heeeeeek!"

Biryun put his fingers to his lips and let out a loud whistle.

PeEeEeEeEk!

The next moment, a dignified prince of the sky with blue feathers soared down, landing on Biryun's right arm. It was his beloved bird, Uremae.

"Oh, it's been a while. You brought him, didn't you? Most people left their falcons behind."

Biryun smiled faintly and nodded.

"You might not know, Yerinn, but this guy is a very capable hunter."

Biryun's Uremae was exceptionally intelligent. While everyone else had left their messenger falcons at the falconry, Biryun was the only one who hadn't, and for good reason. Furthermore, although there were many messenger falcons at the Cheonmu Academy, few were as capable hunters as Uremae. He was also an excellent tracker. He knew well what his master wanted and could always point out the location of prey with his sharp eyes.

"So, are we going hunting now?"

"No! There's still one thing left."

"What is it?"

"We need to prepare for the most serious threat!"

"The most serious threat? What on earth is that?" Biryun answered without hesitation.

"Humans!"

The mountains were deep and the trees were dense. The watchers were far away, and the knives were close. Prey, released into the field without knowing the harshness of the world… It was a thought that anyone would have at least once in this situation, to somehow shake off the competitors and win. Moreover, among those who possessed both the resolve and the greed to act on their thoughts, there was a wicked gang called the Three Fiends.

Even within Macheongak, where fierce and violent individuals were not uncommon, they were troublemakers. Their actions, despite their young age, were no less than those of malevolent spirits. It was not easy for three such individuals to gather. That's why they became the Three Fiends. The Three Fiends of Macheongak. They were ostracized and avoided even within Macheongak.

Committing evil deeds within Macheongak, where the best talents of the dark path gathered, was not easy. Without sufficient ability, one would be instantly annihilated. However, they had maintained their nefarious reputation for over three years. This showed that their skills and methods were extraordinary. Indeed, with such skills, they were likely chosen as representatives for the Volcano Branch Assembly. It was the result of prioritizing strength over dignity. They happened to be in the same team and had another opportunity to strengthen their bond. This Zhongtuguan, in particular, was a perfect environment for them to unleash their violence, cowardice, and depravity to their heart's content.

The only rule was survival. Hunting was essential for survival. So they began hunting humans. And finally, their first prey appeared before them. One was a beauty so stunning that even the beast-like humans' eyes would go wild. Her icy beauty, as if carved from ice, and the invisible magic hidden behind it fiercely stimulated their lust. The one with long bangs beside her didn't look particularly strong. But suddenly, that one raised its head and shouted precisely towards their hiding spot.

"Hey, you three on the tree, why don't you show yourselves now?"

The one with long bangs seemed to have surprisingly good intuition. To think they would be detected… Still, there was nothing to fear.

"Hehehe, you noticed so quickly!"

There were rumors that these three were opium addicts. And their tiny pupils and excessively wide whites of their eyes had the power to make one think those rumors might be true. They called it "sa-baek-an" (four white eyes). The whites of their eyes were all around, top, bottom, left, and right.

Their bloodshot, slit pupils and thin lips, which seemed to extend to their ears on their pointed chins, dripped with saliva.

One of them licked his blade with his long tongue.

"I can't wait to see blood. Hehehe!"

Their eyes, more repulsive than a venomous snake's, swept over the woman. He was panting like a rutting dog. It was better for one's mental health not to know what lewd thoughts were swirling in his head.

"Which team are you guys from?"

"Hehehe, you want to know that so badly? We are the elders of Death Team 4."

"We are the three who will show you hell. You've probably heard of the Macheongak Three Fiends, even you country bumpkins, right?"

"I don't know! I'm not so idle that I need to know such useless details!" Biryun replied coldly. His sarcasm was enough to provoke their anger.

"I'll kill you particularly brutally! First, I'll hang you upside down from a tree for a day until blood rushes to your head and you scream in pain. Then, I'll rip out your intestines while you're still alive, peel off your skin, and only then will I cut your throat!"

It was a threat filled with madness, so horrifying that just hearing it sent shivers down one's spine.

"If you can do it, be my guest!"

"Ah, we'll spare the woman over there, so don't worry! She has a lot of service to provide us alive! Hehehehehe!"

The eyes of the three beasts gleamed with lust. Nayelin had to shrink her shoulders in disgust, like a toad licking with its tongue. It was a physiological disgust, unrelated to the level of martial arts.

"Those words have sealed your fate!" Biryun said in a chilling voice tinged with the cold of winter.

The words of the Three Fiends were right.

As they boasted, the agony of being hung upside down from a tree for a full day was indeed beyond imagination. As blood rushed to their heads, their fragile brains screamed, and their bloodshot eyes seemed about to pop out of their sockets.

"Gurgle… You… son of a bitch… You're all… dead…"

A scream that seemed to wring his lungs from the depths of his throat escaped. But no one listened. No one was idle enough to listen to such worthless voices.

"What do you plan to do with them?" Obivan asked, glancing at the Macheongak Three Fiends dangling from the tree.

"We'll leave them like that for a while! They seem to want it that way," Biryun replied dismissively, about to place a pot over the campfire he had just lit.

"Those Three Fiends, who were notorious even in our Macheongak, reduced to such a miserable state… I told you we should just cut them off!"

The ones who had boasted about being the Macheongak Three Fiends, who made even crying children tremble, were now naked, bound with ropes, and hanging upside down.

Obivan strongly argued for castration, but it was rejected for the sake of the women's mental health and their evening appetite. Biryun's very persuasive argument was that they couldn't look at such a vulgar sight to enjoy a delicious dinner.

They were a mess of tears and snot. Biryun scowled slightly.

"It's only been a day, and you're already exaggerating!"

"People who only hurt others have low resistance when they themselves suffer. This is because they usually forget that they too can be hurt. This can be called self-inflicted misfortune."

"Regret is always a habitual latecomer. It's never fast. By the time you regret it, it's always too late!"

To harm others, one must be prepared to be harmed oneself. That is fairness. And people who have such empathy never harm others.

"These guys are just the beginning. They just started first because of their youthful exuberance." Biryun thought the same.

"They'll probably come out one after another. Should we start issuing numbered tickets to decide the order of attack?" Then, he suddenly let out a strange smile and started laughing.

"Hehehehe! At times like these, warnings and lessons are needed. If you want to harm others, you must be prepared to be harmed yourself, but kids these days have no such preparedness. Just like those three! Speaking of which, what did they say they would do to us? First, hang us upside down… we've done that, did they say they'd cut off our legs? No, no, was it skinning first…"

As Biryun vaguely rummaged through his memories, Nayelin from beside him offered assistance.

"First, they said they'd take out our intestines while we were alive, then peel off the skin, and finally cut our throats."

Nayelin accurately recounted the events of that time. Her voice carried no emotional fluctuation, which made it even more terrifying. No emotion could be read in her eyes.

"Ah, right! That's what happened! I remember now. Yerinn's memory is indeed remarkable. Hehehehe, cut off the throat… Those guys have a good idea. So, shall we cut off their heads first, then take out their intestines, and then hang them as a warning?"

Biryun's eyes gleamed like the flames of hellfire. Then Obivan, too, let out a sinister and eerie laugh. He chimed in, making sure his voice was clearly audible to the three hanging men.

"Hehehehe! That's a very good idea. It would be a good example to show that this is our territory, and what happens to those who encroach upon our territory! This is truly a lesson in 'empathy'!"

Even though it was slightly inaccurate, it didn't matter to them. Then, screams burst from the mouths of the three unruly ruffians who had been rampaging just moments before. They cried out in desperate voices, begging for forgiveness.

"We were wrong! We were wrong, sir! We were foolish for not recognizing you. Please have mercy!"

The Three Fiends simultaneously screamed and wailed. Their faces, which should have been red from blood rushing to their heads, had somehow turned pale.

"Please, we'll be new people from now on, so please forgive us… Brother! Sir! Great hero!"

Biryun pretended not to hear, picking his ear with his pinky. Obivan focused on trimming his fingernails. Hyoryong stirred the campfire with a branch.

The voices of the Three Fiends, who only feigned repentance when their lives were at stake, seemed not to reach their ears. They were not so naive as to believe that the Three Fiends had sincerely repented their wrongdoings overnight. The pleas and entreaties of the Three Fiends fell into the abyss of futility, like stones dropping from a cliff.

"Sir, God, Brother, Buddha, please save us!"

Finally, the three men, who had been muttering with their faces close together, turned their gazes towards the Three Fiends, who were hanging like dried croakers.

Hehehehehe!

Kekekekekeke!

The Three Fiends trembled with fear. The gazes and laughter of the three approaching them, from their subjective perspective, could not be called human. It was as if hell was descending behind them.

And they finally realized. They had made an enemy of someone they should never have opposed. But as Biryun said, regret is always a habitual latecomer, never fast.

Today, as always, regret is late.

Biryun, with an indifferent expression, drew his sword. It was a sword so sharply honed that it exuded a chilling aura just by looking at it. He took ample time and slowly raised the sword.

He did not intend to prolong their suffering. Ending it in an instant was mercy. To do so, a blow so fast that they could not perceive the boundary between life and death was necessary. Only extreme speed could make that possible.

As the raised sword reached its apex, Biryun's eyes sparkled.

Shhiik!

With a sharp sound that cut through the wind, the sword was brought down.

Puwaaaaaaaah!

Blood gushed from the neck like a fountain.

The three women watching squeezed their eyes shut. Did they find it too brutal? But the world is bound by the food chain of the strong preying on the weak. Humans must sacrifice many things to survive. However, let us not forget to be grateful for those sacrifices, and let us not be greedy as much as possible…

Biryun skillfully peeled off the hide and said, "Yerinn, has the water boiled?"

"Yes! It's ready, Ryun!" Nayelin nodded.

Tonight's dinner was rabbit stew.