47. The Man Who Seals Pressure Points
"I've heard enough."
Sun Wukong stood up from his seat. Neung's face, already pale, now looked deathly ashen. He wasn't rising simply because the conversation was over.
Blood-red energy gathered in both of Sun Wukong's hands.
No one in the room needed an explanation to understand what that meant.
The conversation was finished.
He had no more business with any of them.
And now, he would track down the rat he had deliberately let escape...
'Ah, so he was waiting on purpose.'
Up in the rafters, the courtesans' bodyguards—essentially their pimps—were stationed.
Normally, they watched over the women, but in emergencies, they would help or contact the outside.
Sun Wukong had seen through all of this and calmly waited.
'He's planning to kill everyone here, not just us.'
As that realization hit her, Neung's vision went black.
It's hard for anyone to remain calm in the face of death.
Neung was especially so. She glanced at her younger sisters sitting on either side of her.
'After surviving hell, are we really going to die here at the hands of this monster?'
Her mind raced.
Of the Shandong Seven Shadows, four—including Neung—were skilled in martial arts.
These four were first-rate fighters. Having always worked together, they were adept at coordinated attacks.
But she couldn't make a rash decision.
She quickly exchanged glances with her sisters, but the emotion in their eyes was unmistakable.
'Fear...'
A fear so intense it was almost incomprehensible.
She knew exactly where it came from.
'We used the Heart-Seizing Technique to rile up the Hwangbo Clan's warriors, but they were all taken out.'
There hadn't even been a proper fight. Hwangbo Yong had fainted from a single flick to the forehead. The Heart-Seizing Technique, which they'd honed for years, was broken in an instant.
The other warriors had all been slapped unconscious.
'None of them were in their right mind, but even if it had been the perfect situation—if they hadn't been affected by the Heart-Seizing Technique or incorruptible incense—it would've been the same.'
Neung bit her lip hard. Even if they attacked together, they couldn't win. She understood this perfectly. That was the source of her terror.
But that wasn't all.
Though they didn't realize it, a more primal fear had taken root deep inside.
The kind of fear a small creature feels before a powerful predator.
Neung squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them again.
They couldn't win by fighting. But she couldn't just give up and die, either.
If they wanted to live, they needed to offer a reason to be spared.
"The night is long. That means there's plenty of time to talk. We could keep talking until dawn, then wait for the next night and talk some more, couldn't we?"
Sun Wukong let out a dry laugh. Under the soft lights, her pale face and red lips looked especially striking. Even her large eyes exuded a decadent charm. Sun Wukong could see why the Hwangbo Clan had fallen for her so easily.
'She really is a temptress, just like in the past.'
A dangerous sort. Sun Wukong clenched his fist.
"So, you let that rat run off to call for help, thinking you could do something to me?"
Neung's expression darkened.
The Heart-Seizing Technique wasn't just a martial art skill. It was a seductive art formed from glances, gestures, the curve of a smile—everything combined.
'...If he were the type to bargain with lust, things wouldn't have gotten this far.'
She realized instinctively that their strongest weapon was useless.
This was someone completely unaffected by the Heart-Seizing Technique, even when mixed with potent incorruptible incense.
Neung's fingers, pressed to the floor, twitched.
'If I throw myself at him here, maybe at least a couple of the younger ones could escape.'
If the four first-rate fighters attacked at once, maybe two or three of the youngest could get away.
One or two might survive.
Just as Neung steeled herself—
Sun Wukong's cold eyes suddenly curved into a smile.
"...!"
It was such a dramatic change that Neung was momentarily stunned. The atmosphere shifted in an instant.
His entire demeanor had changed. It was so drastic, she wondered if he'd used some kind of disguise technique.
A moment ago, he looked like a cold-blooded man whose mouth smiled but whose eyes were icy.
Now, he looked like a friendly, cheerful fellow, grinning from ear to ear.
While Neung was still reeling from the change, Sun Wukong spoke.
"Alright. Since there's so much to talk about, let's take our time and talk later."
"...!"
Suspicion flickered in Neung's eyes. Sun Wukong grinned mischievously.
"What, should I just kill you all now?"
"N-no, Great Hero..."
Neung bowed her head, her voice trembling in a way that was unlike her usual self.
"Still, you should stay quiet while I'm gone, right?"
With that, Sun Wukong approached Yung, who was seated at the far left.
The courtesans flinched, but quickly realized what he intended. He was going to seal their pressure points.
Just as expected. Sun Wukong had learned not only about Murim from Wujing, but many other things as well.
Pressure Point Sealing Technique was one of them.
'A pressure point that puts people to sleep? Humans really do come up with all sorts of things.'
Back in my day, we used sleep-inducing spell techniques or stuck sleep bugs under people's noses. What a hassle that was.
Compared to that, just pressing a few pressure points is so much easier.
Sun Wukong, fired up by curiosity, had learned the Pressure Point Sealing Technique.
It was a more advanced skill than he'd thought. You had to know all the pressure points of the human body, and each person's depth, position, and resistance were different. You had to know all the variables, and the trick was in injecting the right amount of internal energy.
Contrary to popular belief, not every martial artist could perform this technique—it was actually quite advanced.
Of course, to Sun Wukong, the so-called "levels" of Murim were nothing but trivial nonsense.
The real problem was that Wujing was the one who'd taught him the Pressure Point Sealing Technique.
Thwack!
As soon as Sun Wukong pressed Yung's pressure point, Yung's body jerked backward. His arms curled up and trembled, foam bubbled from his mouth, and his eyes rolled back. He convulsed violently.
Neung gasped.
"You said you wouldn't kill us!"
"Hm? I said I'd let you live, didn't I?"
"So by 'let us live,' did you mean cripple us? Are you turning us into vegetables so we'll stay quiet?"
As her beloved youngest brother twisted in agony, Neung couldn't help but shout.
Sun Wukong scratched his head awkwardly.
"Ah, is that not how it's done?"
"..."
Neung was speechless. Was he some kind of pervert who enjoyed toying with people? No, that wasn't it. That sheepish look, the way his shoulders hunched...
'Good grief.'
You don't even know the technique and you're trying it out? Is he trying to kill someone?
It would be better to just kill them outright—dying like this...
The pain of dying from blocked pressure points was said to be indescribable.
Neung bit her lip and pressed Yung's pressure point herself.
Yung, who had been convulsing, soon relaxed and fell into a peaceful sleep.
Sun Wukong let out a short sigh of admiration.
Ah, so that's how it's done. With a sheepish look, he said,
"Alright, you do each other."
"..."
"Or should I do it?"
Sun Wukong reached out his hand. It was a threat. The other courtesans screamed. Neung's face turned pale.
It was a bizarre situation—being forced to seal her fellow hostages' pressure points—but there was no other choice.
Neung, worried her sisters might be crippled, did her best to seal their pressure points properly.
After finishing with Sunflower, the last one, Neung realized something.
"...Ah."
There was no one left to seal her own pressure point.
She looked at Sun Wukong with trembling eyes.
"I'll do it for you."
Neung's face went white.
Sun Wukong smiled brightly.
"Don't worry. I'm a fast learner."
Neung's face went blank with shock. Will I really wake up and see my sisters again...?
Contrary to her fears, Sun Wukong quickly mastered the trick of the Pressure Point Sealing Technique.
How could he not pick up a simple human skill? Sun Wukong's focus shone through.
After sealing Neung's pressure point safely, Sun Wukong stepped outside and smacked Wujing, who was standing blankly by the door, on the head.
"Ow!"
Wujing clutched his head and yelped.
"Why'd you hit me all of a sudden?"
"I asked you to teach me the Pressure Point Sealing Technique, and you taught me how to cripple people?"
"Well... I learned it a bit sloppily myself. Haha."
Wujing laughed awkwardly. Sun Wukong was about to hit him again, but looked away. As expected, Muhwa was nowhere to be seen.
"Where's the Law Enforcement Hall Leader?"
"Ah, that guy burst out from inside!"
"That guy?"
"That Hao Sect member from the Hwangbo Clan!"
"Oh?"
"I'm sure it was one of them. It was dark, but I remember his face."
"Then why are you still here?"
"Well, you told me to stand guard and not let anyone in, didn't you? I'm just following orders."
Sun Wukong gave him a look of exasperation.
Feeling embarrassed, Wujing confessed,
"Their Light Body Technique was so fast, I couldn't even think about chasing them."
Sun Wukong pointed to the annex.
"I've sealed the courtesans' pressure points. Keep an eye on them."
"Watch them?"
"If anything happens, kill them."
At the cold words, Wujing stiffened.
Sun Wukong had decided to spare them for now, but if they tried anything, he wouldn't hesitate to kill them with a Single Strike.
"Understood. But Great Hero, how are you going to track them? It's too dark to follow their trail."
Wujing could follow the traces of Light Body Technique if he wanted.
The problem was time.
It would take a long time to track them in the dark.
Of course, Sun Wukong wouldn't have any trouble, but it would still take longer than usual.
Sun Wukong pointed casually at the sky.
"I've got a guide."
Wujing's gaze followed his finger upward.
"Huh?"
Something white was flying through the sky.
Sun Wukong chuckled. The Earth God really was useful.
* * *
The Central Plains are vast.
Even Anhui Province, just a part of the Central Plains, covers a massive area.
Most people live and die without ever leaving their hometown.
Even now, there are countless untouched stretches of wilderness.
A hidden cave in an unnamed mountain.
Two monsters stood facing each other.
The atmosphere was tense, as if they might draw their swords and attack at any moment. But neither made the first move.
They both knew they couldn't easily defeat the other.
An old man with a lump beside his nose glared at his opponent and spoke.
"What is the Dosan Sect, which should be active in Shandong, doing here in Anhui Province?"
The man opposite him, his eyes bloodshot, replied in a slick voice,
"Then shouldn't the Great Corpse Sect be off collecting rusty sword fragments in Hubei? Why are you in Anhui?"
The old man was momentarily at a loss for words.
The other man chuckled and added,
"Sure, sometimes things happen. But if you're going to do something, do it right. I don't care if the Blood-Iron Fiend dies, but the Chief of Honam Island is dead too, isn't he? And you stirred up the Namgung Clan for no reason—now it's a hornet's nest. If you're going to do it, at least finish the job properly."
"..."
"Besides, didn't you just run away and hide? Isn't that right, Nine-Brain Elder?"
The old man with the lump, Nine-Brain Elder, bit his lip.
He wasn't without a retort, but he glared at his opponent with bloodshot eyes. His gaze radiated such intense Killing Intent it was as if he could tear the other apart.
"You... do you even know who's at the Namgung Clan right now?"
The other man snorted.
"Who? The Namgung Clan's head? Or the missing Sword God?"
"Great Sage Equal to Heaven."
"...!"
A heavy silence fell.