The Poison King Awakens
It had certainly begun as a gentle breeze.
Muffled by the clamor of the battlefield, the breeze had gradually grown, eventually swelling into a massive typhoon that swallowed everything in its path.
Before his wind, all things were equal, and all were plunged into despair.
Sssssss.
The old man had wanted to pierce through the very wind that had brought him despair, to perfect his own Myriad Heavens.
At first, he could not even grasp its essence.
Just like when the master of the wind had first appeared in the Jianghu, sowing calamity in his wake.
The bastard's wind had become a colossal wall, effortlessly swallowing everything the old man threw at it.
Yet, as time passed, he slowly began to understand. He realized that his Myriad Heavens, which he had believed to be fully mastered, was actually riddled with flaws.
From that day on, the purpose of his closed-door cultivation shifted.
His ultimate goal was to surpass the Wind Calamity, the one who had left a mental demon within him.
In the process, he strove to perfect his own lacking martial arts.
Thus, time flowed by.
Had there been no progress at all, he would have long since stepped outside to seek a successor.
But heaven, in its cruelty, had left the old man with a glimmer of hope.
Five years passed in that hope, as he pushed back the wind he had conjured, inch by inch, day by day.
"It is about time I stepped out."
He had achieved the desired results, yet his ultimate goal remained out of reach.
Perhaps it had been impossible from the very beginning.
I was so obsessed with a futile endeavor that I was losing sight of what truly mattered.
The moment he realized this, the Poison King awoke from the inner demon that had blocked his path for so long.
His pleasant sense of achievement was short-lived, however, as an uninvited presence shattered the Poison King's solitude.
"Who goes there?"
A faint anger and a crushing pressure instantly surged toward the intruder.
Step.
The man who appeared, effortlessly shattering his pressure, bore a calm, unbothered expression.
"You...?"
Recognizing the man, the old man's eyes wavered.
"It's been a while, Poison King."
The Poison King clicked his tongue at the man, who acted as naturally as if he were visiting an old friend.
"I am much older than you, you rascal."
"If it makes you uncomfortable, I can speak formally."
"Forget it. That would only be more awkward. I heard you were dead."
"Did you actually believe those rumors?"
"Of course not. Knowing what kind of monsters you lot are, there is no way you would die so easily. Heaven wouldn't allow it."
Clicking his tongue, the Poison King made a hand gesture.
A gentle breeze sliced through the air as countless hidden weapons rained down fiercely around Yoo-sung.
It was the Myriad Heavens Flower Rain, hailed as the ultimate martial art of the Tang Clan.
Unlike the standard technique, the Poison King'sMyriad Heavens Flower Rain manifested naturally, without any warning or shift in the air.
Swoosh!
Sharp daggers sliced through the void,
Pitter-patter.
and needles laced with various poisons fell like rain.
Unfortunately, the dense, falling might of the Tang Clan failed to reach Yoo-sung.
For the gentle wind that constantly drifted around him refused to let anything threatening near its master.
"Tsk!"
Clicking his tongue, the Poison King withdrew his inner energy.
"It has been five whole years."
The result of focusing on his Myriad Heavens for a period neither short nor long was quite substantial.
He had reflected on his past arrogance and, unlike before, had found a way to pass down the Myriad Heavens intact to future generations.
Even so, the competitive spirit of a martial artist had not faded from his heart.
Then again, it would be more of a problem if a martial artist lost their competitive drive.
That was why, despite Yoo-sung's sudden appearance, he had not panicked and had instead shown off his achievements.
Though he had never expected that he wouldn't even be able to graze him.
"Have you grown even stronger in the meantime?"
"Well, I couldn't exactly just idle away. The world is in chaos, after all."
"I heard Matian had vanished."
"That is just the delusion of fools."
At Yoo-sung's reply, the Poison King nodded.
After the Lord of Matian died, Matian had disbanded.
Leaving no trace behind of where they had once resided.
As if they had been waiting for the Lord of Matian's death, Matian went into hiding, and the Ten Demonic Sects rose to take their place.
"Seeing as you have emerged again, it seems things are about to begin."
His voice carried a strange undertone.
"The winds flowing around you... they carry quite a nasty curse."
"Ah, you figured that out too?"
Yoo-sung was not surprised in the least.
The wind flowing around him brought about "calamity."
The reason he had chosen to wander the Jianghu for ten years was to escape the calamities that sought him out, regardless of his will.
If he stayed at home and misfortune befell his family because of him, he wouldn't be able to bear it.
He had the strength and confidence to protect them, but he needed at least a shred of certainty.
The result of his wanderings to gain that certainty was becoming one of the Three Calamities, feared as the Evil God of Matian.
A being who punished evil.
Of course, none of those titles meant anything to Yoo-sung.
All he desired was to sweep away fate and gain the absolute certainty to prevent misfortune.
That was why he had returned.
After slaying the monster known as the Lord of Matian.
"Now, wake up from your futile dream and return home."
"I was planning to do so anyway, but that can't be the only reason you sought me out."
Even as they spoke, the Poison King constantly strained to see Yoo-sung's face.
Yet, even with his exceptional vision, Yoo-sung's face remained obscured.
"I told you, stop trying. It's futile."
"Tsk!"
The Poison King clicked his tongue and withdrew his inner energy.
"It seems the trash you brought in is trying to ruin the clan. How long are you going to turn a blind eye to reality? Isn't it about time you started acting like the Poison King?"
"You insolent brat, lecturing me."
Despite his words, the Poison King nodded.
Indeed, the primary reason he was ending his closed-door cultivation was the severe internal strife within the Tang Clan.
A few days ago, a letter had arrived for him.
Elder, it is Joong-myung.
Among the branch members, Joong-myung had always caught his eye.
He was different from the other branch members, whose only ambition was to usurp the main lineage's position and enter the Tang Clan's inner sanctum.
Dang Joong-myung had focused solely on the prosperity of the Tang Clan.
In his heart, the Poison King had wanted to hand over the position of Patriarch to him, but reality did not permit it.
Nevertheless, he had left Dang Joong-myung with a means to contact him in case of an emergency.
Although no contact had been made for over five years, the Poison King had not kept his eyes and ears completely closed.
Until now, the internal strife of the Tang Clan had not been severe enough to warrant his direct intervention.
However, the letter from a few days ago was the problem.
There are those within the Tang Clan who harbor a loathsome demonic energy. They are exceedingly cunning, making it difficult to grasp their tails, but I have finally managed to track them down. However, I lack the strength to drive them out. Please return before any more blood is spilled.
He thought the polite yet subtle reproach of his absence was very typical of Dang Joong-myung.
And so, he had to act.
"Yes, I must step out. By the way, are you still active under the name of the Wind Calamity?"
"I have never once active under that name. Others simply chose to call me that."
"Then what are you called now?"
"I don't know."
"Insolent brat. I shall have to find out myself."
"Do as you please."
With those final words, Yoo-sung vanished.
Once his presence had completely dissipated, the Poison King's suspicion turned into absolute certainty.
"Astounding. Was he truly a martial artist who has not even reached thirty?"
When the Wind Calamity first shook the world, rumors had circulated that he was not even twenty, but the Poison King had not believed them.
Five years ago, on the day he met him face-to-face and received a massive shock,
he realized the bastard was far younger than he had imagined.
Yet, even now, five years later, it was the same.
"Hmph. As if I won't be able to find you."
It wasn't that he intended to do anything upon finding him.
Every time he engaged in a light spar with the bastard, a strange realization washed over him.
Of course, an even greater despair usually followed, but for a martial artist, despair and enlightenment were separated by a paper-thin margin.
If one overcame it, they would advance toward a grander future; if they succumbed to despair, that was where their path ended.
Therefore...
"We shall meet again soon. But first, I must put my house in order."
Along with his indifferent murmur, the Poison King's aura surged out sharply.
It was the moment the true master of the Tang Clan returned, bringing his long closed-door cultivation to an end.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
It had been a rest of about fifteen days.
The five martial units that had first set out under the banner of the Sichuan Righteous Alliance.
Their achievements were more splendid than expected, but the gains and losses were starkly divided.
The hunt for the Sword Heaven Demon Ghost, undertaken jointly by the Qingcheng Sect and the Demon Extermination Unit, had ultimately ended in failure.
The Wol-ah Unit, centered around the Emei Sect, had only managed to suppress two unorthodox sects.
The same went for the Diancang Sect and the direct line of the Tang Clan.
Their common thread was that internal issues arose after their initial success, preventing them from advancing further.
On the other hand, the Hongjak Unit had achieved everything they desired without a single hitch.
Because of this, the looks directed at the Hongjak Unit were far from friendly.
Some doubted their excessively extraordinary achievements, while others praised the ability of the Hongjak Unit Leader, Dang Hwa-young.
Lightly ignoring the gazes of those around them, the members of the Hongjak Unit spent their time as they pleased.
However, during this period, they were occasionally summoned by the leadership, and a strange investigation began.
Though kept hidden from the public, it was the moment when the internal issue of "betrayal" became a harsh reality.
Amidst such thorough investigations, all the martial units completed their preparations to move once more.
From early morning, the unit leaders were summoned by the leadership and entered a state of standby.
"We have a mission!"
With their long rest over, a new mission was handed down to the five great martial units.
Excluding the Changcheon Unit and the Wol-ah Unit, the remaining three martial units shall assist the Sichuan Merchant Coalition henceforth.
Looking at the order issued under the name of the Qingcheng Sword Venerable, Woo Il-seo, the members of the Hongjak Unit wore puzzled expressions.
"Why the merchant guilds?"
"There's nothing good about getting involved with those money-grubbing bastards."
Since the Hongjak Unit consisted of many successors of fallen clans, their feelings toward the merchant guilds were far from favorable.
To revive a fallen clan, many things were required, but the most urgent, of course, was money.
They had hoped for a bit of assistance based on past favors.
However, the Sichuan Merchant Coalition had coldly rejected their requests, drawing a clear line.
Having not forgotten that memory, they did not find this mission particularly appealing.
However, Heo Won-ho strove to find something deeper within the mission.
"Could it be that there are demonic practitioners within the Merchant Coalition as well?"
Currently, the Sichuan Righteous Alliance was secretly searching for those colluding with the demonic practitioners.
Surprisingly, though they had briefly clicked their tongues at the stealth of the demonic practitioners—whom the mysterious power of the Demon Extermination Unit could not detect—
once the Demon Extermination Monks began thoroughly digging into the Sichuan Righteous Alliance, clues slowly began to surface.
As expected, they had joined hands with the Ten Ghosts, leaking information in exchange for rewards.
Thus, assisting the Sichuan Merchant Coalition had to be an extension of that effort.
This might be my chance to repay the humiliation of that day.
Heo Won-ho's eyes gleamed coldly as he recalled the merchant guild that had subjected him to great humiliation.
"Indeed, we are to find the traitors hiding within the Merchant Coalition. We must act before those bastards join hands with the Ten Ghosts and siphon off Sichuan's wealth."
Was that not the very reason the Sichuan Righteous Alliance had risen?
Sichuan's affairs are to be resolved by the combined strength of Sichuan's righteous path.
"Now, everyone, state which merchant guild you wish to go to. If there are no overlaps, I will prioritize sending you to your desired guild."
At those words, the unit members quickly voiced their choices.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Naturally, Yoo-sung chose the Cheonhyang Merchant Guild.
For he did not wish to see the Cheonhyang Merchant Guild, where his older sister and brother-in-law resided, defiled by the hands of demonic practitioners.
On the other hand, Kwak Young also sought out the Cheonhyang Merchant Guild to assist Ha Tae-young, who might become his wife.
"This time, we will definitely find out who stands above whom."
Kwak Young's eyes, which had initially burned with blatant dissatisfaction, now blazed with intense rivalry.
On the way from the Sichuan Righteous Alliance to the Cheonhyang Merchant Guild, Kwak Young and the people of Cheondo Gate excessively fueled their competitive spirit against Yoo-sung.
Dang Hwa-soo clicked his tongue at the sight but did not directly intervene.
"Help Sung out well this time."
Dang Hwa-young had set off to assist another merchant guild, while he himself accompanied Yoo-sung to the Cheonhyang Merchant Guild.
I must wrap things up quickly and join my sister.
At that time, the three of them did not know.
Just how deep and vast the seeds of the demonic practitioners hidden within the Cheonhyang Merchant Guild truly were.