Chapter 8
Chapter 8
8.
Ten Thousand Streams Return to Poison Divine Art (3)
A short while later.
Un-hyeok, having returned to his residence, immediately took his place in the center of the room without a moment's rest.
'First, I'll establish the foundation.'
Those who practice Poison Arts have a different dantian than ordinary martial artists.
Through the incantation of the Ten Thousand Streams Return to Poison Divine Art.
Creating a Poison Pouch, called a dokjeong, was the priority.
However, what was needed at this moment was poison.
But currently, due to the Poison Demon Sect's financial difficulties, there wasn't a single Poisonous Plant or Poisonous Substance to be found.
'Fortunately, there's a silver lining.'
Un-hyeok sat in a lotus position and closed his eyes.
His self-observed inner body was filled with all sorts of toxins.
'I've lived recklessly. It's a miracle I'm even alive.'
His liver was enlarged to an alarming extent due to alcohol.
His lungs had turned black from cigarettes.
His Blood Vessels were also filled with toxins.
"Hoo, ha…"
Breathing in and out, he recited the incantation of the Ten Thousand Streams Return to Poison Divine Art.
A faint green haze rose from Un-hyeok's body.
The toxins throughout his body began to gather in his lower dantian according to Un-hyeok's Willpower.
"Ugh…!"
A searing pain as if his Blood Vessels were burning.
Un-hyeok bit his lip tightly, sweating profusely.
'I've been down this road before. I can endure it.'
Gradually, the room filled with the green Poisonous Mist that Un-hyeok emitted.
At that moment.
A voice in his ear.
「Welcome.」
Un-hyeok's vision flipped.
「Transgressor of Heavenly Principles.」
Caw-!
Caw-!
A sky dyed red.
Countless corpses formed mountains, and their blood flowed like rivers.
"Where…?"
Then, someone appeared leisurely.
Un-hyeok frowned as he looked at him.
"That appearance…"
Dang Un-hyeok.
The guy who appeared with the appearance he had before he died introduced himself.
「Welcome to my space, transgressor.」
"Ten Thousand Streams Return to Poison Divine Art."
「How is it? Knowing you would come, I put some effort into it. I don't know if you like it.」
"You think I'll be seduced by this?"
「Of course, this isn't all I've prepared.」
Snap-!
As Sin-gong snapped his fingers.
The screams of countless Vengeful Spirits, and intense resentment and murderous intent echoed in his head.
「Weren't you seeking revenge? I'll lend you my power. Eradicate everything that lives and breathes.」
"Kugh, shut… up!"
Even with his ears covered, it was so overwhelming to maintain his sanity.
Un-hyeok knelt on one knee.
「Don't think too hard.」
Swoosh-!
Sin-gong reached out his hand towards Un-hyeok.
「If you just take this hand, you can achieve everything you desire.」
The temptation whispered by the Peerless Divine Art.
As the Demonic Art gradually took over his mind, Un-hyeok's eyes turned bloodshot.
"Krrr…"
Un-hyeok unconsciously reached out to take Sin-gong's hand.
A smile appeared on Sin-gong's lips.
'He's passed the point of saving.'
「That's right, there's no need to take the difficult path when there's an easy one. Just entrust yourself to me without thinking…?」
Just before he grabbed Sin-gong's hand, his hand stopped.
「…?」
Un-hyeok clenched his fist and punched himself in the face with all his might!
「…!」
“…I feel a little more awake now.”
「How…!」
Un-hyeok smiled weakly.
"I've been tricked once, I'd be an idiot to fall for it twice."
Sin-gong wore an dumbfounded expression.
「…I've been around for hundreds of years, but I've never seen anyone like you. To think you could break free from the temptation on your own.」
"Look who's talking."
Indeed, was this Sin-gong?
Those who transcended human limitations could imbue their Willpower into martial arts manuals.
Learning the Ten Thousand Streams Return to Poison Divine Art was different from learning ordinary martial arts manuals.
'I'll subdue him.'
But Sin-gong was not an easy opponent.
「If I can't persuade you, I'll force you to.」
Snap-!
As Sin-gong snapped his fingers again, the toxins that had been gathered in his dantian to create the dokjeong began to flow in reverse.
"Kuaaaagh-!"
If this continued, he wouldn't be able to withstand the rampaging toxins and his body would explode.
「If I wanted to, killing you right now would be nothing. So choose.」
Sin-gong coldly looked down at Un-hyeok.
「Will you die a dog's death without even getting revenge? Or will you obediently listen to me?」
Gritting his teeth so hard they seemed about to break, Un-hyeok raised his head and glared at Sin-gong.
"I'd rather… die."
「What…?」
The hunting dog of the Sichuan Tang Clan, Dang Un-hyeok.
A cripple who had lived his entire life on a leash.
There were some offers that he could never accept, even if he died.
"I won't be swayed by the likes of you. Even if I get revenge, it won't be your will."
Un-hyeok's eyes blazed.
"It's my will."
Kugugung-!
Sin-gong's eyes trembled slightly.
「Y-You crazy bastard! You're adding strength to the reversed poison! Aren't you afraid of death!」
"I already died once and came back to life. You think I'm afraid of dying?"
「You…!」
"Rather, you're the one who should be afraid. I'm the only one in the world who knows your incantation now. If I die, you'll just become one of the countless lost martial arts."
Un-hyeok's death meant the extinction of Sin-gong's existence.
"Either way, you and I are bound by fate."
As if struck at his weak point, Sin-gong showed a rare moment of panic.
「Kugh…!」
"Then I'll ask the question now. Are you going to die with me like this? Or are you going to obediently listen to me!"
Un-hyeok shouted, spitting out blood.
"Choose! Ten Thousand Streams Return to Poison Divine Art!"
It was a gamble with his life on the line.
After a moment.
Sin-gong closed his eyes as if he had given up on something.
「A checkmate.」
Then, he suddenly burst into hearty laughter.
「Kahaha! How amusing, how amusing. Alright, I lost. Transgressor of destiny.」
The moment Sin-gong wiped away the tears that welled up in his eyes.
For some reason, the space surrounding Un-hyeok turned pure white again.
Before he knew it, Sin-gong's face had transformed into the kindest expression in the world.
「Congratulations. Transgressor, you have passed my test. I can trust you.」
"What is…?"
「I would like to tell you in detail. But the given time is not enough.」
Sin-gong's figure was gradually fading.
「Sacred Fire.」
Whoosh-!
A noble flame burned in his hand, changing colors.
「Find the Sacred Fire's ember.」
"What is that…?!"
「I have hidden my martial arts and the Sacred Fire in the Water Demon Cave. If you enter and take the test, you may naturally obtain it.」
While they were talking.
Sin-gong's figure had already become transparent.
Un-hyeok desperately tried to grab him.
"W-Wait! You have to explain properly before you go!"
「I wish you luck, my successor.」
That was the end.
The pure white space collapsed, and Un-hyeok's mind returned to reality.
The toxins in his body were still rampaging, having lost their way.
'Let's think about the details later. Right now, it's more important to create the dokjeong with the Ten Thousand Streams Return to Poison Divine Art that I've learned.'
As he recited the incantation of the Ten Thousand Streams Return to Poison Divine Art again, the toxins followed Un-hyeok's control at a faster rate than before.
Half an hour later.
Thud-!
Red blood flowed from his nose along with a sound from his nasal bone.
Evidence that even the toxins in his head, where many acupoints were concentrated, had all gathered in his dantian.
'With this, the inside is clean. Now, for the finishing touch…'
"Hup!"
The moment he took a strong breath, the Poisonous Mist that filled the room was sucked into Un-hyeok's dokjeong.
Un-hyeok circulated the poison through the Lesser Heavenly Cycle and then the Greater Heavenly Cycle.
One cycle.
Two cycles.
Three cycles.
Flash-!
Un-hyeok opened his eyes.
A faint green light in his pupils.
But soon, his pupils turned black again.
"Hoo, that was damn hard."
Thud-!
Un-hyeok left those short words and collapsed from exhaustion.
Meanwhile, in Lyun Hui's office.
Lyun Hui was listening to an unexpected report from Seok In-gu.
"Un-hyeok hasn't come out of the Dark Writing Repository for seven days?"
"Yes, Song Scribe said so. After the Young Sect Leader saw a fragment of the Ten Thousand Streams Return to Poison Divine Art, he read all the martial arts manuals in the Dark Writing Pavilion."
"Hmm…"
Well, Lyun Hui was also wondering why his eldest hadn't shown his face for several days.
'Suddenly reading martial arts manuals. Has he become interested in martial arts?'
Anyway, it was fortunate.
It seemed that his eldest son's change wasn't just a impulsive whim.
"By the way, Sect Leader. Go-gu, the Sect Leader of the Black Kill Sect, is visiting the Poison Demon Sect. What should we do?"
Lyun Hui frowned.
"How absurd. He's been eyeing the Poison Demon Sect, yet he's coming to ask after our well-being."
The Black Kill Sect was originally one of the subordinate sects that followed the Poison Demon Sect.
But as the Poison Demon Sect's fortunes faltered, they revealed the ambition they had been hiding.
"He's probably coming to boast about poaching our warriors again."
"I thought so too, so I looked into it… This time, it's someone unexpected."
"Who could it be?"
Seok In-gu carefully spoke.
"The Ink Shadow Squad Leader is transferring to the Black Kill Sect this time."
"I see… Neung Ja-pil is leaving too."
In-gu pleaded.
"Sect Leader. Can't you hold onto Neung Squad Leader?"
"How can I do that?"
"I know. The reason why the Sect Leader hasn't stopped the warriors from leaving is for their sake."
Due to Un-hyeok's womanizing and drinking, the Poison Demon Sect's finances had plummeted to the worst.
There was no monthly salary to give to the warriors, so he didn't hold them back even when they left.
That was the best consideration Lyun Hui could give.
"If the Sect Leader holds him back, Neung Squad Leader won't be able to leave. You know how much he cares about the Poison Demon Sect."
But Lyun Hui shook his head.
"Listen, Chief Seok. You're mistaken."
"What do you mean?"
"We shouldn't hold him back even more because he cares about the Poison Demon Sect."
Lyun Hui smiled bitterly.
"We should let him go. The current sect is not enough to contain him. So, we shouldn't hold him back so that he can fly freely."
"But, Sect Leader…"
"Enough."
Lyun Hui raised his hand to stop Seok In-gu.
"Let's end this conversation here. My mind won't change."
“…Yes.”
"But I don't want to hear that from the Black Kill Sect Leader. Go and tell him. We've received enough regards, so there's no need for him to come."
Seok In-gu nodded.
"I understand. I will tell him that."
He thought he wouldn't have to see Go-gu's face.
Until the door to Lyun Hui's office suddenly opened.
"Hahaha! Poison Demon Sect Leader, how have you been? It's been a while!"
“…Black Kill Sect Leader?”
A slick-looking man, Go-gu, greeted Lyun Hui with clasped hands.
"Hahaha! I'm sorry. This is embarrassing, but I wanted to see the Sect Leader so badly that I was impatient. I shamelessly came to visit you first."
"You…"
Clap clap-!
As Go-gu clapped his hands, the attendants who had come with him entered.
They placed several boxes in front of Dok Ryeon-hwi.
"The Sect Leader also knows that the Black Kill Sect's blacksmithing skills are excellent, right?"
Of course.
Another way the Black Kill Sect had been eating away at the Poison Demon Sect.
They had poached the blacksmiths who were the Poison Demon Sect's source of financial income.
"These are the highest-grade weapons that our Black Kill Sect has made this time. I brought a few because I didn't want to come empty-handed. Please forgive my rudeness for the sake of this."
Go-gu bowed his head and grinned.
Lyun Hui's stomach was boiling.
'Arrogant…'
This was why Lyun Hui didn't want to meet Go-gu.
His actions were no different from a fox.
'If I get angry even though he offered a gift to ask for forgiveness, I'll look petty. That's no different from smearing my own face.'
Lyun Hui suppressed his anger.
“…First, sit down.”
"As expected of the Sect Leader! I, Go, am deeply moved by your magnanimity."
"Spare me the useless words."
Despite Lyun Hui's cold attitude, Go-gu maintained a good-natured smile throughout.
That was because Go-gu was enjoying this moment of scratching at Lyun Hui's insides.
"Chief Seok."
"Yes."
"Go and bring some tea."
"I understand."
Seok In-gu left the office with the attendants Go-gu had brought.
A place with only the two of them.
Lyun Hui spoke first.
"I heard you recruited Neung Squad Leader."
"Haha, this is embarrassing… Has the story already spread?"
"Yes, if you've come because you're worried that I'll hold onto Neung Squad Leader, you can go back. That won't happen."
His intention to send him back quickly was obvious, but Go-gu wouldn't miss this opportunity.
"Ehey, Sect Leader. You're too hasty. I haven't even been sitting here for an ildagyeong yet."
"I think even half a bandagyeong is a waste of time for you."
Go-gu burst out laughing.
"Sect Leader, you're joking too much."
"I'm not close enough to joke with you. Unless it was in the past."
In the past, when the Poison Demon Sect was strong, Go-gu had acted as if he would give Lyun Hui his liver or gallbladder.
In fact, Go-gu's purpose in coming today wasn't to talk about Neung Ja-pil.
"By the way, Sect Leader. The Water Demon Cave is about to begin. Who have you decided on as the candidate to enter?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Our Black Kill Sect is planning to send my eldest son, Eo-ryeong."
Lyun Hui's face slightly distorted.
Go-gu didn't miss that moment.
"The Sect Leader will of course…"
Go-gu's lips twitched.
"Send your eldest son, Young Master Un-hyeok, right?"