The Serpent in the Grass
'Damn it!'
The youngest of the Five Baekrang Wolves cursed violently under his breath.
"Die!"
A fierce shout from his side sent a chill down his spine.
He whipped his head around in panic, but he was a fraction of a second too late.
The sharp Sword Qi sliced into his right arm, rendering it completely useless.
'Damn it! They're much tougher than I thought!'
Although the Five Baekrang Wolves had an overwhelming advantage in numbers, the gap in individual martial prowess was just as staggering.
Dang Hwa-young, the "Iron Flower," was a peak-tier Transcendental master.
Her younger brother, Dang Hwa-soo, the "Iron Sword," was a high-tier Transcendental master.
The Wolves' initial advantage against the siblings had quickly evaporated as the sheer difference in their cultivation began to tell.
'What on earth is he waiting for?!'
The youngest darted a resentful glare at their eldest brother, who was still standing idly by.
At some point, a strict hierarchy had formed among the Five Baekrang Wolves. The eldest, who had always been the strongest, had grown even more formidable after aligning with Pagun.
In the beginning, the eldest had acted as a benevolent mediator between Pagun and the rest of them. But gradually, that generosity had vanished.
'It all started when Second Brother made his rapid breakthrough.'
A year ago, the second brother had shattered the barrier to the Transcendental Realm. Soon after, the third brother followed suit, and eventually, the fourth and the youngest achieved the same.
It was the very power they had craved ever since they agreed to become Pagun's lackeys, so the Wolves had been ecstatic. The problem, however, was that the eldest brother's wariness of them had intensified.
At first, they could understand his anxiety. Anyone in the eldest's position would feel a twinge of jealousy and wariness toward their sworn brothers catching up. Yet, it was practically impossible for any of them to surpass the eldest. The difference lay in their very origins.
While the second through the youngest were of lowly birth, having wandered the Unorthodox path as common thugs, the eldest had been a somewhat renowned martial artist in an Unorthodox sect before joining the Baekrang Bandits. Since that inherent gap in their foundations only widened over time, the eldest's growing paranoia made less and sense.
'Don't tell me... you plan to kill us all?'
Perhaps sensing the youngest's murderous gaze, the eldest let out a soft chuckle.
A strange, chilling smile played on his lips.
'Eldest Brother!'
As the youngest fumed inwardly, the eldest finally spoke.
"You can come out and help now. I believe the dead weight has been sufficiently weeded out."
The eldest spoke to the empty air, causing everyone on the battlefield to freeze.
"Bwahahaha!"
With a booming laugh, two elderly men materialized on the battlefield.
The arrival of the Black and White Twin Sabers instantly shifted the tide of the battle.
Ho-sung, who had been busy subduing the Baekrang bandits alongside Yoo Sung, looked on with growing unease.
"Even those old monsters have shown up."
The Black and White Twin Sabers were known to be staying at the bandit stronghold as Pagun's guests. No one had expected them to reveal themselves so openly.
"They are peak-tier Transcendental masters. It's said that their combined attack can even suppress a master of the Transformation Realm. It won't be easy for the Iron Flower to handle them alone."
Yoo Sung nodded at Ho-sung's warning.
If nothing else, the two elders had broken through to the Transcendental Realm long before Dang Hwa-young, meaning the gap in their experience was vast. When martial artists of similar realms clashed, victory was usually decided by mastery and combat experience. The only ways to overcome such a gap were superior martial arts techniques or divine weapons—neither of which Hwa-young possessed.
'Even without that, she'd struggle in her current exhausted state.'
Despite their best efforts to hide it, the movements of the Iron Flower and the Iron Sword had slowed significantly compared to the start of the battle.
"Go and support them."
"Are you sure you'll be alright?"
Ho-sung asked, casting a worried glance at Yoo Sung.
"You don't trust me?"
"Of course I do."
Initially, Ho-sung had been deeply concerned because he didn't know the extent of Yoo Sung's recovery. But after spending time together, he had realized that Yoo Sung was also a Transcendental master—though he wasn't entirely sure whether he was high-tier or peak-tier.
'He's probably peak-tier.'
If Yoo Sung was on par with Hwa-young or himself, he would be perfectly fine on his own. Besides, considering Yoo Sung's ten years of brutal experience, he was bound to be far more reliable than Ho-sung himself.
"Then please, be careful!"
Having made up his mind, Ho-sung didn't hesitate. He leaped through the air, heading straight toward Hwa-young and Hwa-soo.
"You trust me a bit too much," Yoo Sung muttered, clicking his tongue as he watched Ho-sung's retreating figure.
He scanned his surroundings. The bandits, who had been trembling in despair just moments ago, now wore expressions of renewed hope. It showed just how much faith they placed in the strength of the Black and White Twin Sabers.
"Well, we have reinforcements of our own."
Even if they weren't allies he could trust blindly, there were others here to help.
"You bastards!"
With a thunderous lion's roar, the martial artists of the Cheondo Gate burst onto the scene.
No matter how much resentment they harbored toward Yoo Sung, they couldn't afford to ignore the plight of the Tang family. They wouldn't dare try any underhanded tricks for now.
"Alright, that side is taken care of."
Feeling much lighter, Yoo Sung turned his gaze elsewhere. In the distance, a separate group was quietly observing the entire battlefield.
"Hmm."
After a moment of deliberation, Yoo Sung slipped away, heading in a completely different direction from the main clash. Not a single soul on the battlefield noticed his departure.
"Exquisite."
The man relished the battlefield, which was filled with agonizing screams.
On his forehead, the characters for Ilma—the First Demon—were carved with striking prominence.
He had once possessed clean, handsome features, but the brand of "Ilma" had left him hideously disfigured. Of course, he hadn't intended to carve the characters there from the start. After a stroke of bad luck left him with a massive scar on his forehead, he had decided to brand himself to cover it up. Though he was currently just a mid-tier demon, he harbored grand ambitions of one day becoming a high-tier demon.
"If you can, bury them all. Understood?"
Yeo Mi-ho's command made Ilma's heart race with excitement.
Ever since the fall of the Matian, demons had been desperately trying to gain entry into the Ten Demonic Sects. They believed that once the Ten Demonic Sects united as one, the golden age of demons would return.
Of course, the Ten Demonic Sects looked down on lowlifes like Ilma. The demonic world was far more cold-blooded and merciless than anyone could imagine. It was a world governed by a strict hierarchy, where those without strength were stripped of everything. In their world, might was the only justice, and the cries of the weak were dismissed as mere noise.
Tap.
"...!!"
"To think a member of the Ten Demonic Sects would be lurking in the outskirts of Sichuan. So, this was all your scheme after all."
Hearing the voice right beside his ear, Ilma's eyes shook violently.
'When did he...?'
The voice belonged to Yoo Sung, who had been fighting on the battlefield just moments ago. Ilma had only let his mind wander for a split second, and his eyes had been trained on the battlefield the entire time. Yet, he hadn't even noticed Yoo Sung slip away.
"I'm asking you. Is there someone from the Ten Demonic Sects here?"
When Yoo Sung repeated his question, Ilma gave a slight nod.
"Is that so? Who is it?"
Instead of answering Yoo Sung's follow-up question, Ilma lunged.
"Die!"
Yoo Sung chuckled as Ilma lunged, seizing the opening Yoo Sung had deliberately left for him.
"I didn't expect you to tell the truth anyway."
Demons were far more cunning than people gave them credit for. In the past, they might have relied on brute force, but things had changed. With the rise of the Matian, the demonic path had become highly organized, leading to its rapid and terrifying growth.
"Judging by how things are playing out, it seems the Yeo clan is involved."
Each of the Ten Demonic Sects had distinct characteristics. Since they were all vying for the position of the next Demon Emperor, they would never let an opportunity like this slip by. But why go to such lengths to come all the way here?
'Is the Soul-Shattering Weapon really worth that much?'
Thinking of the demonic weapon, Yoo Sung slowly reached out his hand.
"Ugh!"
"Now, tell me everything you know."
At Yoo Sung's quiet command, Ilma's eyes glazed over, and he began to speak as if possessed.
Around the time Yoo Sung captured Ilma, the battle was reaching a fever pitch.
The momentum, which had briefly swung in favor of the bandits when the Black and White Twin Sabers joined the fray, shifted once more with the arrival of the Cheondo Gate.
Yoon Ji-gang, one of the Five Sages of Cheondo Gate, fought with a savagery that completely contradicted his scholarly appearance.
Boom!
"Bwahahaha! Today, one of the Five Sages of Cheondo Gate shall fall!"
The white-clad elder, the White Saber, roared as he relentlessly pressed Yoon Ji-gang.
"Elder Yoon is fighting hard! Let us not bring shame to him!"
While the White Saber was occupied with Yoon Ji-gang, the Cheondo Gate, under the command of Kwak Yoo, was systematically cutting down the subordinates of the Five Baekrang Wolves.
Of course, the deaths of these minor lackeys would not decide the outcome of this battle.
The true victors would be determined by who remained standing among the key players: the Black and White Twin Sabers, the Five Baekrang Wolves, the Iron Flower, the Iron Sword, and Yoon Ji-gang.
Clang!
Dang Hwa-young's face stiffened as a heavy impact reverberated up her wrist.
A barrage of fists from the Black Saber rained down upon her.
Though renowned for his saber techniques, the Black Saber was also a master of fist arts. Each strike was incredibly powerful and laced with murderous intent, befitting an old monster who had once dominated Sichuan.
Dang Hwa-young's swordplay grew sharper and more precise in response.
To an onlooker, the duel seemed perfectly balanced, but the scales were slowly tipping in the Black Saber's favor.
'What is this?'
Hwa-young had been feeling an odd sensation for some time now.
Her breath was growing ragged much faster than usual, and her limbs felt leaden. She had been pushing herself hard recently, but she wasn't called the "Iron Flower" for nothing. She believed that ironclad stamina was the absolute foundation of a swordsman, and she took immense pride in her physical endurance.
Yet, to be tiring and losing her breath so rapidly could only mean one thing.
'Poison?'
But when? And who could have administered it? Was it the Black Saber before her?
'No, his complexion is just as pale as mine!'
"You wretched girl..."
The Black Saber glared at her, finally realizing his own condition.
"Underhanded wench. I suppose a girl from the Tang family could never truly defeat her opponents with a sword alone."
Feeling the poison spreading through his veins, the Black Saber sneered, mocking Hwa-young's reputation.
"It wasn't you?"
"...Wait, it wasn't you either?"
Only then did they realize that someone else was pulling the strings from the shadows.
- Sister!
Hearing Dang Hwa-soo's urgent voice transmission, Hwa-young bit her lip.
The poison made their situation incredibly dire, but fleeing was not an option.
"Hehehe."
The Black Saber let out a sinister chuckle, causing Hwa-young to furrow her brow.
"What is so amusing? Neither of us is in any condition to laugh."
In a normal duel, both parties would typically pause to hunt down the hidden poisoner before resuming their fight. But that was an unwritten rule of the Orthodox path. To those of the Unorthodox path, even this treacherous turn of events was merely another variable to exploit.
"This is why I despise greenhorns. Panicking over a little poison? What does it matter who planned this? In the end, only one of us will walk away as the victor of this battlefield."
Hearing the Black Saber's cold, resolute declaration, Hwa-young shifted her mindset.
"Right. I seem to have forgotten for a moment."
Before she had returned to Sichuan, she had roamed the Jianghu with that exact same resolve. It seemed that spending too much time around the Tang family had made her soft.
Shhh.
"No matter who is behind this, I will be the one who wins."
Seeing Hwa-young regain her composure, the Black Saber laughed heartily and threw a punch.
'It worked!'
The eldest of the Five Baekrang Wolves scanned the battlefield with a sinister smirk.
The poison he had secretly dispersed was finally beginning to take effect.
"Ugh!"
The third brother was the first to collapse, coughing up blood.
"Brother!"
The youngest cried out, lunging toward his fallen sibling.
Slash!
Dogan Mabu was not about to let such an opening slip by.
"Fools!"
He spat, glaring down at the decapitated body of the youngest.
However, Dogan Mabu's face was also pale, indicating that the poison had begun to take hold of him as well.
Seeing that everyone on the battlefield was slowly succumbing to the toxin, the eldest brother's grin widened.
'I was worried for nothing.'
Honestly, attempting to use poison against members of the Tang family was a suicidal gamble. But luck had been on his side. While the siblings were entirely focused on the Black and White Twin Sabers, his hidden poison had quietly spread. Since the toxin was designed to disperse through the mounting pile of corpses, they would have succumbed eventually anyway, exactly as he had planned.
'Hahaha! Everything is going perfectly!'
In the distance, he saw the second brother stumbling toward him with eyes full of resentment. He looked ready to tear the eldest apart, but he was currently held back by Ho-sung and Kwak Young.
"Forgive me, but at least one of us has to survive," the eldest muttered, justifying his betrayal.
He leisurely surveyed the battlefield. Soon, everyone here would collapse from the poison, and he would be the sole survivor walking away with a smile.
Tap.
"...?!"
"Hand over the antidote."
At the sound of that nonchalant voice, the eldest brother froze completely.