‘Energy traces…?’

  What was Surendranath trying to prove by checking energy traces? The question arose in Saksham’s mind.

  He had spent a long time in the Death Hall. He understood that every person’s prana carried slightly unique characteristics. Because of this, when someone uses their prana especially in combat, faint traces of it could sometimes remain on the other person’s body.

  Those traces of prana would linger around a person’s body for at least five to seven days. They were extremely faint, so faint that ordinary martial artists could not feel them, only some specific methods could detect them.

  After five to seven days, those traces would naturally dissipate, merging back into the air along with other surrounding prana.

  However, when a person dies, all the internal energy—the prana within their chakras would burst out. And if someone had killed that person, the dead person’s prana would cling to the killer’s body. In such cases, those traces would not remain for just five to seven days, they could linger for a month or even longer.

  ‘Is he thinking he’ll find traces of Devika’s prana and lunar energy on our bodies? Humph… nonsense.’

  Saksham thought this and he was right. That was exactly what Surendranath intended. If traces of Devika’s lunar energy were found on Saksham, Shivansh, or their friends, it would prove that they had secretly killed her.

  Jeet understood this as well. But he had no hesitation. He knew his disciples had not killed Devika. Still, for Surendranath’s satisfaction, he was willing to proceed.

  “Fine. I will check the energy traces on my disciples. But listen carefully, Surendranath. Once this is over, you will not create any more baseless trouble, and you will stay away from my disciples. Understood?”

  Jeet stated his condition.

  Surendranath quickly agreed. His immediate acceptance made Jeet slightly suspicious, but he did not dwell on it.

  Jeet had Aditya bring a small black box from another room. It was round and somewhat flat. Taking it in his hand, Jeet looked at Surendranath and said,

  “Here. You check it yourself. I don’t want you complaining later.”

  Surendranath took the box and opened its lid. Inside was fine white sand, like flour. He stared at it for a moment, then took a tiny grain onto his finger and formed a hand seal with his other hand.

  After a few moments, the grain of sand on his finger suddenly disappeared, as if it had never been there. Then, in the blink of an eye, his finger faintly glowed. The light seeped into his finger, taking the shape of a thin vein, and it glowed dark red.

  “Hmm… everything is fine. No irregularities.”

  Surendranath said calmly, closing the box and handing it back to Jeet.

  This sand was no ordinary sand. It was a mystical substance known as Resonance Sand. The sand possessed a strange ability it could detect energy present on a person’s body.

  When applied to someone, its grains would enter the person’s nadi and provide information about the energy flowing through them. If someone possessed solar energy, their veins would glow red. If they possessed lunar energy, their veins would glow blue after applying the sand. That was one of its functions.

  But it had another use as well.

  It could reveal traces of foreign energy lingering on a person’s body. After applying the sand, it would not only show the individual’s own energy but also any additional energy traces present.

  When Surendranath applied the grain to himself, his vein glowed red because he possessed Solar Energy. No other color appeared, meaning no foreign energy traces were on him.

  People often used Resonance Sand for this exact purpose. It was an old yet simple method. While it only indicated whether foreign energy was present, that alone was often enough in investigating crimes. Once confirmed, other techniques could then identify whose energy the traces belonged to.

  “All disciples, stand straight together!”

  Jeet ordered Shivansh, Saksham, Aditya, Vansh, and Manish.

  They immediately lined up. They knew what the Death Hall Master was about to do. They had undergone this procedure before during Death Hall missions. It was nothing new to them.

  Jeet formed the same hand seal Surendranath had used. Closing his eyes and exhaling slowly, he prepared to throw the sand...

  But Surendranath interrupted.

  “Jeet… if your disciples are truly innocent, I will leave peacefully. I am prepared for that. But if they are guilty, you will hand them over to me. Especially Shivansh. Understood?”

  Clench!

  “Fine! But you remember your words as well. Don’t back out in the end!”

  Jeet replied through gritted teeth and then threw the Resonance Sand over his disciples.

  The sand flew through the air and fell over the bodies of Shivansh, Saksham, Aditya, Vansh, and Manish, mostly on their hands, foreheads, and throats. As soon as the sand touched them, a white light flashed, and when the glow faded, faint red veins began to burn on their hands, foreheads, and throats.

  Saksham looked at his hand. He already knew that would happen. He was about to open his mouth to speak in front of Surendranath when suddenly...

  ‘?!’

  The red veins on his hand suddenly turned green. Then blue.

  After a few moments, they returned to red, but this time there was a faint blue glow along the edges of the veins, which had not been there before.

  “H-how... is this?... N-No! This is impossible...”

  Saksham muttered in a suppressed voice, staring at his hand. Along with his hand, the same veins had lit up on his forehead and throat, each edged with a faint blue glow.

  Not only him, but Shivansh, Aditya, and Vansh were in the same state. Red veins on their hands, foreheads, and throats, each lined with a faint blue glow. Only Manish’s body showed nothing like that. His veins remained purely red. They did not turn green, nor did any faint blue color appear along their edges.

  Seeing this sight, Jeet’s eyes widened in shock. He had used Resonance Sand many times, but never in his life had it shaken him like this.

  On the other side, Surendranath was not pleased at all by what he saw. Instead, his anger only grew stronger.

  ‘The Fourth Elder was absolutely right!’

  Surendranath said to himself inwardly. Everything that had happened was exactly what the Fourth Elder had told him. It was he who had suggested checking the energy traces on the Death Hall Master’s disciples.

  Surendranath looked at Jeet and said,

  “So what do you say now? I told you, didn’t I? The truth is now in front of everyone.”

  Jeet heard him but did not pay attention. He directly asked Shivansh, Saksham, Aditya, and Vansh,

  “You four... did you fight with any female, a few days ago? Just say that you did. I cannot believe my own eyes...”

  Hearing Jeet’s voice, Shivansh, Saksham, Aditya, and Vansh said nothing. They simply stood with their heads lowered. In truth, even they had no idea how these lunar energy traces had appeared on their bodies.

  “How...?”

  Shivansh said softly while looking at his and the others’ hands.

  “Oh... I understand... That day, when the four of us went to help that Fourth Elder’s disciple... we killed several female bears and boars... and brought their hides with us... I think this lunar energy must have come from those female bears and boars...”

  Shivansh spoke in a very low tone, in such a way that it sounded as if he had no interest in this entire matter at all. As if none of this concerned him.

  It was because of his depressed state, but that did not mean he was unaware of what was happening. He was simply uninterested, yet he was listening and understanding everything.

  He had remained silent until now because the matter had been only about him. But now it had gone beyond that. Now his friends were getting dragged into it as well, which he did not want at all.

  Sring!

  Surendranath drew his sword and attacked Shivansh at full speed.

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  “Lies! Lies! Lies! Bastard!!! How many more lies will you speak?!”

  Shivansh did not move from his place. He was ready to take the blow of Surendranath’s sword.

  But at that moment, Saksham pulled him aside.

  Cut! Splat!

  “Brother, have you gone mad? Come to your senses!”

  Saksham shouted while holding Shivansh. He had pulled him away and saved him, but Surendranath’s strike still sliced through the fingers of his hand, leaving only his thumb intact.

  Aditya, Vansh, and Manish rushed to stand beside Shivansh and Saksham.

  There was not even a hint of fear on Shivansh’s face. He did not care that his fingers had been cut. Seeing this only made Saksham, Aditya, Vansh, and Manish even more furious.

  “Master! Why are you not doing anything? Stop the Third Elder!”

  Manish shouted while looking at Jeet. In response, Jeet said,

  “I can do nothing now... If you ask me, you should step away from him as well... I never imagined in my life that my disciples would do something like this... Tch!”

  Manish exclaimed in shock,

  “What are you saying? Just because lunar energy traces appeared on them, you also believe they killed Devika? What if this lunar energy belongs to someone else? What if it is not even Devika’s? No, forget that, first tell me what has happened to you? You were never like this! You always tried to get to the bottom of things and solve them. Why the hell are you stepping back now?!”

  Instead of Jeet, Surendranath answered Manish’s questions,

  “Because your friends have been fooling all of us for so long! That so called new disciple of the Fourth Elder, the bear and boar hides, all of it is a lie! A lie! None of it is true! If there was even a shred of truth in what they said, if they really brought bear and boar meat that day, then tell me, where is that hides now? Where is it?!”

  “We gave that hides to the Fourth Elder...”

  Shivansh said slowly. It was true. They had handed it over to the Fourth Elder through that disciple.

  “Lies! Another lie! That day you did not bring any bear or boar hides, but my daughter’s... Haa! I will go mad trying to explain this. My head is spinning now. Boy, get out of my way. You were not directly involved in my daughter’s murder, so I am sparing you and giving you time. Move away from me right now, or I will not spare you either.”

  Manish clenched his fists tightly and stepped forward.

  “I am not moving. Do whatever you w...”

  He had barely finished speaking when someone grabbed him from behind and pulled him back. Before he could see or understand anything…

  Tak! Tak! Tak!

  He lost consciousness. Jeet had struck his pressure points and knocked him out.

  “I do not wish to lose any more disciples…”

  Jeet said, lifting Manish’s body onto his shoulder. He then looked at Surendranath and spoke,

  “Third Elder… forgive me for not seeing this matter clearly until now. I will not say anything further, nor will I stand in your way… just… allow me to ask them one thing.”

  Surendranath was still furious, but he nodded and said that whatever he had to say, he should say it quickly.

  “Thank you…”

  Jeet replied and walked toward Shivansh, Saksham, Aditya, and Vansh. He positioned himself in such a way that Surendranath could only see his back, not his face. Then he spoke softly.

  “Tch! Tch! I did not expect this from you… especially not from you, Shivansh.”

  ‘?!’

  Shivansh, Saksham, Aditya, and Vansh were slightly startled after hearing Jeet’s tone. It did not sound like him. The way he was speaking felt strangely familiar, yet they could not place where they had heard it before.

  And then it happened...

  Suddenly, something clicked inside Shivansh. The same Shivansh who had seemed completely uninterested until now suddenly widened his eyes and shouted at Jeet.

  “You-You?! So it was you! You! Because of you, Devika is dead! AHHHH! I will not spare you!!!”

  He screamed and even lunged toward Jeet, but before he could reach him, Jeet had already stepped away.

  Jeet looked at Surendranath with a sad and gloomy expression and walked out of the hall, carrying Manish with him.

  “Stop! Where are you going?!”

  Shivansh shouted like a madman.

  But before he could do anything else, he felt something. Surendranath’s aura… his sword came toward him, and then…

  Slash!

  His arm was severed.

  Clench!

  Shivansh gritted his teeth, and then…

  Tak! Tak! Tak!

  “Surendranath! Listen to me! I know who Devika’s killer is! I have figured it out! You have to trust me! I know everything now! A massive scheme has been set against us!”

  Shivansh pressed the pressure points on his severed arm to stop the bleeding and shouted at Surendranath. But…

  “Huhuh—Hahahah!!!”

  Surendranath burst into loud laughter. Hearing that laughter, Shivansh fell silent. After laughing, Surendranath spoke.

  “Gasp!… How much longer… How much longer will you try to fool us all? How much?! Do you think I will believe you? You killed my daughter and committed an unforgivable sin. I will give you and your companions the most merciless death imaginable!”

  Shivansh tried to speak again, but Surendranath did not listen. He began slaughtering them mercilessly.

  Hands, legs, throats, arms… whatever caught Surendranath’s eye, he struck with his sword. He drew a second sword into his other hand and used a martial arts technique to cut down Shivansh, Saksham, Aditya, and Vansh.

  Horrifying screams echoed throughout the Death Hall. The sound of destruction thundered outward, shaking the entire Society. Many people had seen Surendranath enter the Death Hall earlier, and some had been secretly watching from a distance to see what would happen.

  But after hearing those screams, they began stepping out from their hiding places. Within moments, disciples from other Halls, Sects, and Clans, along with some of their leaders, gathered near the Death Hall.

  They all stood outside. No one dared to enter.

  After some time, the doors of the Death Hall opened. From inside, only one person emerged…

  Surendranath.

  His body was drenched in blood, his eyes lowered, and blood dripped from the edge of his sword, staining the ground red.

  Seeing him in that state, people felt as though they were witnessing a demon walking out before them.

  Surendranath did not say anything to them; he simply walked away. No one stopped him. In fact, there was no one who could stop him no one had the courage.

  After he left, people went inside the Death Hall. And when they reached inside, they were stunned by what they saw. The entire corridor of the Death Hall was filled with blood. Hands, legs, intestines, eyes, liver, and who knows what else lay scattered, all cut apart. Nothing was left intact. Even the hands and legs that remained had their skin completely peeled off.

  Nothing was left. And then they saw Shivansh’s severed head. After that, they saw Aditya’s and Vansh’s heads as well. What remained of them was hardly recognizable their skin and hair had been torn away. They were dead.

  Then they saw another body, Saksham’s body. He was in the same condition though his head was still attached. But his legs, hands, stomach who knew what had been cut off from his body. His internal organs had spilled out.

  Everyone present felt immense fear toward Surendranath after witnessing this sight. Seeing all this, they understood that Surendranath must have done it because he had probably found proof that they were responsible for his daughter’s death.

  But even so, to give someone such a merciless death… They were still thinking about all this when suddenly…

  “Cough! Cough!”

  In that silent corridor, the sound of someone coughing echoed. When everyone turned to look, they realized that Saksham was still alive!

  But how? No one knew.

  More importantly… what should they do now? Just then, a person stepped forward from among the crowd, the Divine Physician Hall’s Physician Narayan.

  He lifted Saksham’s body from among the others, gathered some of his severed parts as well, and left. He was a physician; his duty was to save lives. He was simply doing his job.

  Also... If he experimented on Saksham's body, in this state then he might even get some inspiration for new medicines or pills. There are many opportunities with this situation, so he took Saksham with him.

  Within a short time, news of what Surendranath had done spread throughout the Society. Even the Society Leader came to know, and he summoned Surendranath to hear his explanation. Surendranath told him everything and said that it was revenge for his daughter.

  The Society Leader also summoned Death Hall Master Jeet. Jeet came and confirmed that what Surendranath had said was true. He also stated that in the end, when Shivansh was caught, he had started behaving like a madman.

  In the end, the Society Leader listened to them and let them both go. However, he still gave Surendranath a small punishment, one year of exile in the mountains of the Himalayas. Surendranath accepted it without hesitation.

  But he did not know that after his departure, things were going to get even worse.

  A few days later, it was discovered that Saksham was actually alive, or rather, he had not completely died. The Divine Physician Hall was treating him.

  As soon as Surendranath heard this news, he abandoned his journey into exile and rushed to the Divine Physician Hall to kill Saksham. He would not allow anyone responsible for his daughter’s death to remain alive!

  But then another piece of news emerged… Death Hall Master Jeet was dead. Or more accurately, he had been killed by his disciple, Manish. Why?

  Because when Manish learned what had happened to Shivansh, Saksham, Aditya, and Vansh, he could not control himself. He placed all the blame on the Death Hall Master, killed him, and in the end, took his own life as well.

  This had now become a serious matter… because a crucial Inner Member of the Crimson Heaven Society had died, Death Hall Master, Jeet. He was no ordinary Inner Member; he was a Hall Master, a true martial master. His death would cause significant losses to the Crimson Heaven Society.

  And there was another issue, if Jeet and almost all the other members of Death Hall are dead, then the martial arts techniques of the Death Hall would, in a way, perish as well.

  Because without a master or anyone to tech, a technique’s existence would be limited only to its theoretical aspects. As a result, perhaps no one would even wish to learn those martial arts in the future.

  This was something the Society Leader absolutely did not want for the Crimson Heaven Society. Because of this, he made a important decision… to save Saksham.

  He ordered the Divine Physician Hall, specifically Physician Narayan, to save Saksham at any cost. This made Physician Narayn to abandon any thoughts of experimentation on Saksham's body. And he tried to keep him alive and staylize him.

  Saksham was the last person from the Death Hall, who knew its techniques the best. If he lived, then the Death Hall’s techniques would live on as well.

  When Surendranath found out about this, he was furious, but he could not go against the Society Leader’s order. As a result, unwillingly, he had to return to exile and this time, it was extended to four years instead of one.

  Physician Narayan gave his all, and after one months of relentless effort, Saksham was finally out of danger. He was alive; out of danger, he now only needed rest.

  But…

  His face had completely changed. Some parts of the flesh on his body had been replaced with flesh from other areas, and his entire body was covered in stitches. In fact, Physician Narayan had to perform plastic surgery on his face and certain other parts. Because of this, his complexion and appearance had greatly changed.

  If anyone were to see him now, they would not even recognize that he was the same old Saksham.

  A few months later, Saksham opened his eyes. But when he did, his very first question was...

  “What is my name?…”

  When Physician Narayan heard this, he told him his name. But after hearing his own name, Saksham began screaming loudly, and then he fainted again.

  Physician Narayan once again tried to bring him back to a stable condition. When he opened his eyes again, this time Physician Narayan asked him questions first. From his answers, he realized that Saksham’s memory had not been affected. However, when he once again called him by the name ‘Saksham,’ he screamed again. This time, along with the screaming, he repeatedly shouted ‘Surendranath’—that name kept coming to his lips.

  Physician Narayan understood that whenever Saksham was called by his name, it must remind him of the horrific scene he had witnessed, when Surendranath was massacring him and his companions.

  Physics Narayana gave him some hynopsis medicine and performance some hypnosis to make him forget his name for a while. This was the only solution; to not let him know how own name.

  Otherwise he would not survive, he has to give up his name...

  The name he once loved the most now brought him pain. The name he once cherished now tormented him. The name that once reminded him of Shivansh now reminded him of his lifeless body. How pitful...

  ***

  “Death Hall Master… the surgery was successful… your hand has now been reattached.”

  Physician Narayan’s voice echoed in the Death Hall Master’s mind, and then… his eyes opened. Death Hall Master or rather, Saksham—opened his eyes. His severed hand had now been reattached, perfectly restored.

  “Haa!…”

  He let out a breath and rose to his feet, then began walking outside, as if nothing had ever happened.