Hell's Handbook

Su Jin knew from the expression on their faces that their minds had gone into the gutter and hurriedly explained, “Don’t misunderstand – this woman is an unwelcome guest. Remember Black Leopard mentioned someone was going round investigating me? She’s the one.”

Everyone’s eyes widened in horror as they recalled Black Leopard’s earlier visit. Kano Mai asked, “Did you ask her why she was trying to investigate us?”

“Not yet. I fought with her and her companions, but the other two got away,” said Su Jin.

Yun Tianye and the rest were shocked by this revelation. They knew what Su Jin was capable of. He was able to kill a grandmaster with just one finger, yet someone had been able to escape him. These people were certainly formidable fighters.

Su Jin motioned to Kano Mai to go to the room with him. They had to interrogate this woman.

After they left, Wei Wu remarked, “While we were asleep, Mr. Su was actually engaged in battle with a few others. It’s such a pity we weren’t able to watch it.”

Yun Tianye, however, frowned and said, “Don’t be silly. This is not a matter any of you can afford to be mixed up in. Mr. Su’s fight with those people wasn’t that simple.”

“Of course it wasn’t. Two people actually managed to escape, so they must have been experts among experts,” Zhou Zhenghe chimed in.

Yun Tianye nodded. “Did you notice that Mr. Su’s clothes were damaged?”

His disciples looked confused, while Thomas said very confidently, “Those were bullet holes, and the diameter of the holes were quite large. Those bullets must have been fired from a modified gun of sorts.”

“Oh no! Are you saying Mr. Su is injured? Should we call for a doctor?” said Sang Qiu’er worriedly.

Yun Tianye smiled and said, “No, no. His breathing is even and his blood circulation is excellent. He’s in very good health.”

After he said that, Zhou Zhenghe, followed by Thomas, then Wei Wu, Sang Qiu’er and Yun Han realized what Yun Tianye was trying to say.

“You mean… Mr. Su’s body can hold up against bullets?” asked Zhou Zhenghe in disbelief as he swallowed hard.

Yun Tianye nodded slightly. His gaze was a little dreamy as he said, “Legend has it that at the peak of martial arts, one can reach saintly levels. Once you reach that level, your body would be like it was made from metal. Your blood moves like ocean waves and your coming and going would be like lightning! So, Mr. Su has actually already reached this level. No wonder he could kill Kassimo, a man close to grandmaster level, with just one finger.”

His disciples still couldn’t figure out what level Su Jin was even after their teacher had praised him to the skies. Zhou Zhenghe asked directly, “Master, so… what level is Mr. Su at right now?”

Yun Tianye stroked his beard, then a glint shone in his eyes as he said, “Those whose bodies have reached saintly levels are called Martial Saints!”

“Martial Saint!” Everyone took some time to let those words sink in.

“Master, besides Mr. Su, are there any other Martial Saints in the world?” asked Yun Han.

Yun Tianye shook his head at first, then nodded. As everyone looked puzzledly at him, he explained, “I don’t think we have anybody at this level right now, but we had a few before. There’s Zhang Junbao from ancient times, then Li Wenshu in more modern times. They should have both been Martial Saints.”

“The great senior of the Wudang Sect, Zhang Sanfeng, as well as the God of Shooting, Li Wenshu!” Wei Wu had a dreamy look in his eyes as well. These two characters were legends in the martial arts world and had been leaders in their generation. But what made him really excited was the fact that someone comparable to them had appeared now, and this person was right by his side.

Zhou Zhenghe suppressed the excitement in his heart and asked, “Master, is there more beyond Martial Saint?”

Yun Tianye gave his most senior disciple a pleased look and said, “Legend has it that there’s more.”

“What?!” All of them were shocked. They couldn’t believe a normal human being could possibly go any further than this, since Su Jin’s case was already almost impossible to believe.

“Those whose physical bodies have reached saintly level are called Martial Saints, and once you’ve reached this stage, training your physical body becomes meaningless. The only road ahead for Martial Saints is to go from being a saint to becoming a god,” said Yun Tianye.

“From sainthood to godhood?”

“That’s right. This is referring to your consciousness. Your thoughts have to reach a higher level, and once they reach a godly level, your physical body will evolve once more. But by that time, you won’t be human anymore. You’d be a Martial God, an actual deity!” said Yun Tianye with a hopeful look in his eyes.

Everyone was too stunned for words. An ordinary person could become a god? That sounded impossible.

But Yun Tianye shook his head and said, “Too bad, that’s just a theoretical level. How many experts in the history of martial arts have made it there?”

“Perhaps… Mr. Su can,” said Yun Han suddenly.

Yun Tianye turned to look at Su Jin’s room. He didn’t respond to Yun Han because he had no idea if Su Jin could reach that stage or not.

Meanwhile, Su Jin was getting ready to interrogate Tracy. He had no idea that Yun Tianye had actually managed to clearly describe the road he was on in such simple terms.

But Yun Tianye had underestimated Su Jin. He thought that Su Jin was only a Martial Saint without realizing that based on Su Jin’s body, he was already a Martial God. If the psychokinesis kept within the seal that the Mad Hatter had created were to be fully unleashed, then Su Jin would be an actual Martial God.

Su Jin flung Tracy onto a chair, then sat down with Kano Mai across from her.

“Now, tell me everything about yourself, and the two men who escaped,” said Su Jin.

Tracy scowled, paused to think, then said, “Mr. Xu, it is our fault for attacking you, but I’m willing to compensate you for it.”

“Mr. Xu?” Kano Mai blinked in surprise, then said to Su Jin, “They’ve mistaken you for Xu Ran?”

“There’s an old Chinese saying, people are afraid of becoming famous like how pigs are afraid of becoming the right size for slaughter. Clearly, Xu Ran’s the right size now,” said Su Jin as he burst out laughing.

Kano Mai burst out laughing as well. “Gosh, it’s not the first time Xu Ran’s taking the rap for you too.”

Su Jin shrugged in response, while Tracy realized something was amiss and said, “You… you’re not Xu Ran?”

“I never said I was Xu Ran. You guys just assumed I was,” said Su Jin with a laugh.

Tracy immediately flew into a rage when she heard his response and yelled, “Let me go! You idiot! Do you know who my father is?”

“Who? Li Gang? (In 2010, two girls were knocked down in front of a university, one died and one was injured. The driver didn’t care about them and drove in to send his girlfriend to her dorm. When he drove out, security stopped him but instead of asking after the victims or admitting his crime, he told security to bring charges against him if they dared, and that his father was Li Gang. He turned out to be the son of the deputy chief of a police station in the city, and the words “My father is Li Gang!” became a meme referring to the children of the rich and famous in China who often use their parents’ influence and wealth to get away with everything.)” Su Jin raised an eyebrow. “Miss, let me remind you – regardless of whether I’m Xu Ran or not, I can kill you by just pointing a finger at your head.”

Tracy’s expression shifted but she puffed her chest out and said, “You won’t be able to take my father’s wrath! He will tear you to pieces!”

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“If Xu Ran can take it, I can take it too. So, stop beating around the bush.” Su Jin was losing patience. He should have been sleeping at this hour, not interrogating the stupid kid of some supposedly powerful individual.

Tracy retorted, “My father is ranked #97 on the owner ranking and he’s really powerful! If you dare to be disrespectful to me, he will make you pay!”

“So much bullshit… you know what psychokinesis can do. If you keep this up, I’m going to get information directly from your memories,” said Su Jin in an irritated voice.

Tracy had a look of disdain in her eyes as she said, “We both have the same Spirit Power after all. I admit that you’re stronger than me, but as long as I solidify my psychokinesis into a ball, you won’t be able to…”

Su Jin unleashed his psychokinesis before she could finish her sentence. Most of it was still sealed away, but the amount he could use now was more than enough to keep this woman under control.

Tracy’s attitude immediately changed after she felt Su Jin’s psychokinesis crash on her like a mountain. She became more cooperative and answered all his questions.

“Now, tell me about yourself,” said Su Jin.

“My name is Tracy, I’m from France, and I’m the top psychokinesis owner of the Dark Council,” replied Tracy without hesitation.

“The Dark Council? What a childish name. Is it some interest group or something?” asked Su Jin with a chuckle.

“The Dark Council is an organization set up by owners in the western part of the world. Our philosophy is that ordinary people should allow themselves to be ruled by owners and that they should look to owners like the gods and deities they used to worship,” replied Tracy.

Su Jin and Kano Mai looked rather horrified. This Dark Council sounded almost identical to that cult from Chu Yi’s world.

“What about the two guys who got away?”

“Murray and Jack evolved into vampires after going through a Challenge. They are also members of the Dark Council and they hold high positions.”

“How many members does the Dark Council have?”

“24. But there are at least 30 people who are as capable as the members. The chairman of the Dark Council is also as capable as my father, so you’ve offended two terrifyingly powerful people at once. You’re doomed!” Tracy stared down at Su Jin, certain he was going to die.

But Su Jin merely laughed. “Let me guess. Since you’re all so afraid of Xu Ran and you only take in people from your side of the world, does that mean… Xu Ran taught you guys a hard lesson before?”

“Humph! If you were Xu Ran, I wouldn’t say anything more and I’d plead with you for mercy. But you aren’t him!” said Tracy.

Su Jin tapped his nose with a finger. If he wanted to live in peace in this world, he needed to be famous enough. He had to make a victim out of the Dark Council and tell the world that Xu Ran wasn’t the only person in the east whom they couldn’t afford to offend.

“From time immemorial, many stupid children have brought trouble to their fathers for nothing. Since all of you thought I was Xu Ran before this, then… you shouldn’t have tried attacking me in the first place.” Su Jin shook his head, unable to understand why these three would have chosen to do something so crazy.

“That… that’s because we didn’t know you were so good at close range fights! If you were really Xu Ran, then once we curb his ability to use his psychokinesis, we would…”

“The real Xu Ran would not be defeated this easily either. In fact, you’d die a more terrible death,” sneered Su Jin. Someone with as much experience and power as Xu Ran would probably have a way to defend themselves against unforeseen attacks. After this experience, Su Jin himself had already started thinking of a few ways to defend himself in the future too.

Tracy was still useful to him, so he kept her alive for the moment. He believed that as long as he kept her here, the Dark Council would come looking for him. But he couldn’t continue staying here with Yun Tianye and the rest, because he might be putting their lives in danger as a result.

The next morning, Su Jin and Kano Mai moved out of the bungalow. They got Black Leopard to find them a new residence and the young man got everything prepared within the next half an hour. Su Jin explained it away by telling the rest that he and Kano Mai wanted more couple time.

Time slowly ticked by and Su Jin was surprised that the Dark Council was able to hold their anger in. They still hadn’t appeared even after he had waited until he had to start a new Challenge.