Chapter 182
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 182
Chapter Title: King of Beasts (2)
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A young man, mounted on an beast of extraordinary size that had burst forth with a roar, had, in the blink of an eye, slashed the abdomen of the Tang Clan's greatest master and taken him hostage.
Aenoe Mountain was rife with hostage situations today.
"You... you bastard!"
Tang Pyo gritted his teeth and stood up.
The blade embedded in his left shoulder had torn through the joint. He would likely live the rest of his life with one arm.
But he was more worried about the Clan Head's safety.
"You filthy cultist! Release the Clan Head at once...!"
*Stab!*
Tang Pyo's eyes widened. Seo Ryang, who had at some point reversed his grip on the Meteor Crimson Saber, had just stabbed Tang Jeon in the thigh.
Seo Ryang glared at Tang Pyo.
It was a look that could unnerve even the Lord of the Dark Cloud Pavilion of the Tang Clan, said to be the most ruthless in the Central Plains.
"Shut your mouth, or I'll pluck out your Clan Head's eyeballs and crunch on them like stir-fried vegetables."
A chill ran down his spine.
Though the words were tinged with a playful malice, the killing intent in his voice was real. A single careless word from him could get the Clan Head killed.
"Dongpil!"
"Yes, Young Master!"
"Any word on how far the True Demon Unit is?"
"No contact yet, sir."
"The Berserk Demon Unit?"
"The same."
"Damn it."
He had been forced to summon units that were returning to the Cult after completing their missions. He had felt apologetic at first, but now that the situation had come to this, it was just frustrating.
*No, I shouldn't be disappointed.*
He had called them to pressure the Beast Palace with information. While their actual arrival would be a great help, he couldn't expect that much.
*The Lord of the Beast Palace couldn't have come with only his personal guard. He was after not only his own disciple but Yeo Ganghui as well.*
If Yeo Ganghui had been the one to check on Yeo Sangrin's well-being instead of him, he would have certainly died. The strike had been so fast that even he, having reached the pinnacle of the demonic path, would have been caught off guard.
In other words, the Lord of the Beast Palace had no intention of letting the bloodline of the Ice Palace's Lord live.
*I'll handle my own problems.*
Just then, a suppressed voice escaped Tang Jeon's lips.
"You... you son of a bitch! Let me go!"
*Stab!*
"Kuaaaargh!"
Tang Jeon screamed. The moment his dantian was sealed, his demonic pressure points were also struck, paralyzing his limbs. If he could have moved, he would have immediately clutched his left eye.
*Thud.*
A cleanly gouged eyeball fell to the ground.
Seo Ryang shook his crimson saber.
"On second thought, it seems too disgusting to chew."
Tang Pyo's face turned pale.
He almost let a stream of curses fly but managed to hold them back.
The Clan Head had already lost one eye. He couldn't let him lose the other.
"...What do you want?"
"I like how straightforward you are."
Seo Ryang said coldly.
"Are the Green King Corps the only forces you brought?"
Tang Pyo was inwardly shocked. He hadn't expected the demonic bastard to recognize the Green King Corps at a glance.
"Th-that's right."
*Stab!*
Tang Jeon's body trembled as if stricken with malaria. The crimson saber had pierced his thigh once more.
Tang Pyo's face contorted.
"What are you doing, you bastard!"
"You were trying to use poison."
"......!"
"I don't know if it's a blood toxin or a neurotoxin, but it won't work on me. However, I don't like the act itself. Do you really want to make your Clan Head blind?"
Tang Pyo ground his teeth. He never imagined the man would instantly see through his attempt to administer poison.
"I'll say it again. Is it just the Green King Corps?"
"Didn't I just say it was!"
"A liar's end is never a good one. I'll ask one last time. Is it just the Green King Corps?"
*Shing.*
The crimson saber was placed right under Tang Jeon's nose.
The sharp edge of the blade radiated a terrifying aura. Blood began to well up on Tang Jeon's nose even though the blade hadn't touched him.
Tang Pyo bit his lip.
"...The Dark King Corps is on standby at the northern foot of Aenoe Mountain."
"The Green King Corps and the Dark King Corps. That's quite an overkill. I guess you couldn't bring yourselves to trust the Beast Palace, could you?"
The Green King Corps specialized in poison, and the Dark King Corps in hidden weapons. They were the Tang Clan's representative military forces. Considering the nature of poison and hidden weapons, they possessed enough power to annihilate a major sect in a surprise attack.
"I'll make this brief. Summon the Dark King Corps and strike the Beast Palace."
"Wh-what did you say?!"
"You don't need to wipe them out. That would be impossible anyway. But you can inflict some damage. After all, two of the Tang Clan's representative units are gathered here."
"......!"
"The Beast Palace doesn't trust you either and has brought a considerable force to the south. But they don't know about the Dark King Corps."
Tang Pyo growled.
"If you want to make a deal, do it properly! Fighting the Beast Palace is absurd!"
"You think you'll lose?"
"......!"
"Well, this is the Beast Palace's front yard. Come to think of it, comparing a group like the Beast Palace to the likes of the Tang Clan is ridiculous."
It was a goading tactic, childish as it might be.
But surprisingly, this tactic worked on Tang Pyo.
"Nonsense! You think our clan would lose to the likes of the Beast Palace!"
The Tang Clan was as prideful as they were ruthless.
So, when told they were far inferior to the Beast Palace, it was no wonder Tang Pyo lost his temper.
"Then prove it."
"Grr!"
"I'll give you half a day. It shouldn't be too far from here. Rough them up a bit and come back, and I'll release your Clan Head."
"How can I trust you?"
"Whether you trust me or not is your choice. I'll throw in one more thing."
Seo Ryang smiled.
Despite being consumed by rage, Tang Pyo felt a chill run down his spine at that smile. The man was covered in blood and his demonic energy was unstable, yet he felt strangely intimidated.
"There's a fellow named Tang Gyeong imprisoned in our Cult's Thunder Prison. You saw the letter, right?"
"......!"
"I'll release him along with your Clan Head. I'm offering to release the Lord of the Poison Dragon Pavilion, said to be the most knowledgeable about poisons in the Tang Clan. Isn't that worth betting your life on?"
Ma Dongpil's eyes wavered.
*Young Master.*
He was inwardly puzzled.
The Young Master he knew wasn't one to take hostages and make threats. He was the type who preferred to draw his sword and smash everything to pieces rather than deal with the headache.
And Tang Gyeong?
The moment he was imprisoned in the Cult's Thunder Prison, only the Cult Leader had any say over him. It wasn't a matter that even the Cult Leader's disciple could promise so readily.
"What's it going to be?"
"Guh!"
Seo Ryang, who had been staring at Tang Pyo, suddenly roared.
"Choose, quickly!"
At that moment, the trembling Tang Jeon opened his mouth.
"D-don't agree to the deal!"
"Clan Head!"
"How can you trust a cultist! These bastards are not to be trusted!"
Seo Ryang smirked.
"That's a funny thing to say. You people, who wiped out a village called Cheonghwa-ri in Sichuan twenty years ago, dare to speak of trust?"
In an instant, the faces of Tang Jeon and Tang Pyo turned deathly pale.
"And that's not all. Didn't you also annihilate two mid-sized factions, the Crescent Blade Sect and the Martial Saber Gang, just to test the potency of your poisons?"
Tang Pyo muttered involuntarily.
"H-how do you know that...?"
"Lord of the Dark Cloud Pavilion!"
Startled, Tang Pyo shut his mouth.
Seo Ryang's smiling face turned cold again.
"Choose."
Tang Pyo, who had kept his lips tightly sealed, finally nodded.
"...Fine."
"Lord of the Dark Cloud Pavilion, you!"
"I will return shortly, Clan Head."
Tang Jeon's face twisted. His words no longer held any sway.
Tang Pyo glared at Seo Ryang and spoke.
"I'll go and wipe them all out."
"Good thinking."
"But this isn't a fair trade. You seem to care a great deal for that swordsman. We'll take him as a hostage."
Tang Pyo gestured toward Ma Dongpil with his eyes.
Ma Dongpil's gaze deepened.
"Young Master. I will go..."
*Stab!*
Horror filled everyone's faces. In a flash, Seo Ryang had torn off Tang Jeon's little finger.
Tang Pyo's face stiffened as he was about to shout, "What are you doing?!"
*Swoooosh!*
A devastating killing intent erupted from Seo Ryang's body.
The air seemed to freeze as the killing intent merged with the hazy Nine Hells Demonic Art.
"Fair?"
Seo Ryang grabbed Tang Jeon's index finger.
*Crack! Splatter!*
Tang Jeon's body trembled violently. The excruciating pain was one thing, but the venomous killing intent emanating from behind him had nearly driven him mad.
"Tang Gyeong is off the table."
"......!"
*Crack! Crackle!*
In an instant, Tang Jeon's right hand was crushed.
Seo Ryang's hand moved to his left. This time, he intended to tear off all the fingers on his left hand.
"If you're not out of my sight in three seconds, your Clan Head dies."
There were no sensational threats like gouging out his eyes or carving out his heart. He simply said he would kill him, and those words sounded more terrifying than any other threat.
"One."
*Crack!*
The index finger broke.
"Two."
Tang Pyo's fists trembled.
"Green King Corps, follow me!"
*Fwoooosh!*
With Tang Pyo in the lead, the entire Green King Corps moved out.
Ma Dongpil and Yeo Ganghui were stunned by this unbelievable sight. Even though he held the Clan Head hostage, they hadn't expected them to actually move on Seo Ryang's threat.
Then Ma Dongpil saw it.
*Is he trembling?*
Although Tang Pyo was moving swiftly, his limbs were subtly shaking. His face was pale, as if he were ill.
Ma Dongpil's jaw dropped.
*He's been invaded by demonic energy!*
At first, it was anger, but now it was fear. Tang Pyo was practically compelled to move by Seo Ryang's killing intent-infused demonic energy.
It wasn't unheard of for someone to freeze up under an opponent's overwhelming presence. But for a master of Tang Pyo's caliber to be in such a state was almost unheard of.
*It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it 'wounding with the will'.*
Wounding with the will was a state where one could harm an opponent with their mind alone.
Of course, it was an exaggeration. It was absurd to think that merely having the will to kill someone would actually kill them.
But with his aura alone, he had seized the will of such a powerful master and forced him to move.
If this wasn't wounding with the will, what was?
*Thump!*
Tang Jeon collapsed to the side. Having been directly hit by Seo Ryang's killing intent at close range, his eyes were vacant and dazed.
"Hoo!"
Seo Ryang gasped for breath. The demonic energy and killing intent that had risen to his head were slowly subsiding.
*I got carried away.*
He had hated the Tang Clan even back in his days as an assassin. When those bastards spouted nonsense about taking Ma Dongpil hostage, he had lost it for a moment.
It was also due to his physical condition.
*All three of my dantians were shaken.*
He hadn't suffered such internal injuries even when he fought tooth and nail with Mok Gang-in, the Vice Lord of the Sword Palace, right before reaching the pinnacle of the demonic path. Expending most of his demonic energy in a short burst to break through the collapsed cliff had taken a heavy toll.
*If only I hadn't been hit by that palm strike...*
He touched his abdomen.
The spot where he had been grazed by the Heavenly Tiger's descending palm still throbbed. A direct hit would have been impossible to escape from, even for him.
"Young Master."
Ma Dongpil approached his side, a look of concern on his face.
"Are you alright?"
"Kid, do I look alright to you?"
Seo Ryang turned to look at Yeo Ganghui.
Yeo Ganghui's expression was quite complicated.
"I've kept my promise."
"......"
"Take your sister and go down. This is no place for the Ice Palace. I'll come find you when things are settled."
"I cannot do that."
"What?"
Yeo Ganghui, with Yeo Sangrin on his shoulder, stood up.
"It will take some time to finish things, won't it?"
"It should be over before tonight."
"Please wait. I will take this child to a safe place and then return."
*Fwoosh!*
He didn't even wait for a reply. Executing a movement technique, Yeo Ganghui vanished from their sight.
Seo Ryang let out a small laugh.
"Stubborn as an ox."
He turned back to Ma Dongpil.
"You did well. If it wasn't for your sword energy, I would've lost an arm."
"It was nothing, sir."
Seo Ryang patted Ma Dongpil's shoulder and walked over to Geumho. The beast nuzzled its head against Seo Ryang's chest.
"Do you have any internal injury medicine?"
"Ah, of course."
Taking the medicine from him, Seo Ryang sat down cross-legged.
"Geumho will stand guard. That monster cat won't be coming to its senses for a while, so you should circulate your energy too."
"I'm fi—"
"You're not fine. The final battle will be fierce."
"Sir?"
Seo Ryang stared at the collapsed cliff.
"He's alive."