Chapter 98
Chapter 98
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: The Blood Poison Valley
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Dang Gon let out a bitter smile.
‘These old men. They come scurrying over the moment I learn the family’s secret arts.’
Dang Pyo was one of the neutral elders who had supported neither Dang Ryeong nor Dang Bi.
But upon hearing the rumor that Dang Gon had received the Pear Blossom Dew Leaf from Dang Pae and entered the secret cave, he had come to seek him out.
“With less than a month remaining?”
At Dang Gon’s question, Dang Pyo smiled placidly.
“Why should the date matter? It is for the Lord to decide, after all.”
“Still, to suddenly offer me your support… I’m a bit taken aback.”
“Personal ability is important, but the position of Young Lord requires a faction to support it. Without one, even if the Lord were to choose you, you would find it difficult to maintain your position.”
He took a sip of tea before continuing.
“That is why your brothers are so desperately trying to gather forces.”
“I am aware.”
Even if Dang Pae wanted to choose Dang Gon, it would be impossible without a solid base of support.
The minimum requirement to become the next Lord was to have the backing of at least one-third of the Dang family’s blood relatives.
“The reason I have come here, old man that I am, is because the blood relatives of the One Star Hall and the Medical God Hall have reached a consensus. With this, you should have no trouble being chosen for the position of Young Lord.”
“It won’t be for nothing, I assume. What is it that you want?”
At Dang Gon’s direct question, Dang Pyo nodded, looking rather pleased.
“You truly have changed. You were always polite and good-natured.”
Dang Pyo took another sip of tea and nodded.
“But that was not the bearing of a Young Lord. Now, however, you seem ready.”
As Dang Gon stared at him intently, Dang Pyo spoke in a low voice.
“The condition is simple. You must prove that you are as capable as Dang Ryeong and Dang Bi.”
His gaze slid over to Bu Eun-seol and Heuk-pyo before he continued.
“Deal with the Blood Poison Valley, which has been grating on the main family’s nerves as of late. Do that, and everything will be resolved.”
“The Blood Poison Valley… you say?”
Dang Pyo nodded, and Dang Gon’s face darkened.
‘An unreasonable demand.’
The Blood Poison Valley had originally been nothing more than a small unorthodox sect tucked away on Mount Gwangjung.
But over the last ten years, its power had grown exponentially, and recently, it had even begun cultivating poisoned men who showed no fear of the Dang family’s poisons and hidden weapons.
Currently, Dang Gon’s entire force consisted of Bu Eun-seol and Heuk-pyo.
With them alone, dealing with the Blood Poison Valley was impossible.
“That is…”
Just as Dang Gon was about to shake his head, Bu Eun-seol nodded.
“Accept it.”
“What are you talking about? The Blood Poison Valley is…”
“I have an idea.”
Seeing the look in Bu Eun-seol’s eyes, Dang Gon felt a surge of confidence.
A strange belief had taken root in him—that with Bu Eun-seol, even the impossible could be made possible.
“Very well. I will do it.”
“Good.”
Dang Pyo nodded.
“You must think I’m making an unreasonable demand, don’t you? But I truly intend to support you.”
Dang Pyo said calmly.
“Until now, you have had no supporters to speak of. If you do not accomplish something on the scale of dealing with the Blood Poison Valley, it will be impossible to win the hearts of the inner court’s blood relatives.”
His words made sense.
Less than a month remained until the decision of the Young Lord was made.
If he didn’t achieve something this dramatic, almost none of the blood relatives would trust or support Dang Gon, who had always been an outcast.
“Do not worry.”
Dang Gon rose from his seat and calmly clasped his hands.
“I will be sure to handle the matter of the Blood Poison Valley. In return, Uncle Pyo, you must keep your promise.”
“Of course. If I had come to speak nonsense, I would not have come at a time like this.”
Dang Pyo stood up with a gentle smile.
“Well then. I wish you good fortune.”
When Dang Pyo finally left, Dang Gon, who had been tense the whole time, let out a sigh and sat down.
“The old-timers never miss an opportunity.”
“Old ginger is the spiciest.”
As Bu Eun-seol finished the thought, Dang Gon sighed.
“I trust you, but don’t you think this is a bit much?”
“Not at all.”
“The Blood Poison Valley isn’t some neighborhood martial arts school… Aren’t they a sect that controls the entire Heuksu area? You want the three of us to just go and attack a place like that?”
Bu Eun-seol said placidly.
“You have troops, do you not?”
“Troops? Are there troops I don’t know about?”
“Dang Ryeong once said he would give you the masters of the Poison Battle Hall and the Eight Arms Hall.”
Dang Gon couldn’t hide his dumbfounded expression.
“You believed him? Besides, the situation now is different from back then, isn’t it?”
At that time, Dang Ryeong had intended to give him troops to use him as a check against Dang Bi.
But would Dang Ryeong really help Dang Gon, who had now officially become a candidate for Young Lord? Dang Gon thought not.
“No matter how good a man my brother is, he will never help me this time.”
“On the contrary. He will definitely provide the troops.”
“Why?”
Bu Eun-seol spoke with a confident expression.
“He has the pride of being the eldest of the Dang family. He will give you at least some troops, if only to save face.”
* * *
“The Poison Battle Hall… you’re only giving me one?”
Inside Seohwa Pavilion, in Dang Ryeong’s office.
Dang Gon, seated at the table, suppressed his bursting disappointment as he asked. Dang Ryeong smiled and nodded.
“My apologies. Even with my order, the hall masters refused…”
Initially, Dang Ryeong had promised to give both the Poison Battle Hall and the Eight Arms Hall to Dang Gon.
But now, he was offering only one—the new Poison Battle Hall, composed of members who had just completed their training.
‘Members who just completed their training?’
Dang Gon almost burst out laughing at the absurdity.
Throwing members with no practical experience into a fierce battle was impossible.
There was another problem.
If he took a large number of young men and suffered heavy casualties, the failure would be greatly magnified.
“Do you need more troops?”
The rumor that Dang Gon was heading to the Blood Poison Valley had already spread throughout the Dang family.
But Dang Ryeong was feigning ignorance, forcing a look of apology.
Dang Gon was no longer fooled by Dang Ryeong’s gentle and kind mask.
“Not at all.”
Dang Gon smiled brightly and shook his head.
“To receive the support of the young members of the Poison Battle Hall thanks to you, brother, is more than I could ask for. Thank you very much.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that.”
Dang Ryeong patted Dang Gon’s shoulder apologetically.
“I will immediately dispatch the members of the Poison Battle Hall to Cheongyang Villa.”
“Thank you, eldest brother.”
Dang Gon clasped his hands and bowed his head.
As he left with a placid expression, Dang Ryeong’s smile slowly froze.
“I made a foolish promise.”
With the gentle smile gone, Dang Ryeong’s face was as venomous as a snake that had just shed its skin.
“To think Father would suddenly change his mind.”
After returning from the secret cave, not only Dang Gon’s aura but his entire personality had changed.
Normally, he would have been unable to hide his expression, but now he was concealing his inner thoughts like a cunning serpent.
“You should not have given him even the Poison Battle Hall.”
Dang Seo-rin, who was standing by his side, said in a low voice.
“Even if they have just finished their training, the members of the Poison Battle Hall are all warriors worth a hundred men.”
“Huhu. Training and real combat experience are two different things.”
Shedding his cold gaze and donning his gentle smile once more, Dang Ryeong spoke leisurely.
“The young members are full of vigor and little else. Inexperienced troops will only be a burden.”
“Is… that so?”
“Of course. Dang Gon is bound to fail anyway. He will only end up sacrificing the young men of the Poison Battle Hall.”
Despite his words, there was no ease in Dang Ryeong’s expression.
Seeing Dang Gon’s changed aura and his refusal to reveal his true intentions, Dang Ryeong felt him breathing down his neck.
‘To think I’d feel threatened by my third brother, whom I never even paid attention to.’
Shaking his head, Dang Ryeong forced a smile.
‘No, it’s just a needless worry. He’s destined to fail, isn’t he?’
No matter how much Dang Gon’s martial arts had improved after learning the family’s secret arts, the Blood Poison Valley was a major sect with its own power base.
With such a small force, he wouldn’t even be able to inflict a scratch on them.
‘That man…’
Only then did Dang Ryeong realize there was one more major source of anxiety.
It was the unknown existence named Bu Eun-seol.
*Whoosh.*
Young men clad in black martial arts uniforms moved with footwork as swift as the wind.
Each carried a short sword on their back and a hidden weapon pouch made of deerskin at their waist.
These were the members of the Poison Battle Hall, fresh from training and being deployed into their first real battle.
‘Hmm.’
Observing the young men’s footwork from the rear, Bu Eun-seol narrowed his eyes.
‘Better than I thought.’
As befitting the esteemed family of hidden weapons, their footwork was quite impressive and disciplined for members who had just finished training.
Under normal circumstances, Bu Eun-seol might have offered them a word of praise.
‘But it will be difficult in a real battle.’
In a fight involving many, not one-on-one combat, practical experience is paramount.
If they were thrown into battle as they were, they would fall into confusion, run around aimlessly, and ultimately lose their lives in vain.
*Thud.*
Upon finally arriving at Mount Gwangjung, where the Blood Poison Valley was located, Dang Gon, at the head of the group, raised his hand.
The young men of the Poison Battle Hall following behind also halted and lowered their stances.
“That is the Blood Poison Valley.”
At Dang Gon’s words, the young men all raised their heads and looked down into the gorge.
Sects with “Valley” in their name usually took advantage of their geographical location to turn their base into a fortress.
But the Blood Poison Valley had no need for such measures, as all its members were poisoned men who had no fear of surprise attacks.
“From now on, you will…”
Dang Gon trailed off with a sigh.
The young men of the Poison Battle Hall were all tense, their bodies stiff ahead of their first real battle.
‘If they go in like this, they’ll be annihilated.’
Just then, Bu Eun-seol stepped forward and spoke.
“I have a good strategy.”
“A strategy?”
Bu Eun-seol addressed the young men of the Poison Battle Hall.
“You may lack practical experience, but I saw earlier that your footwork is quite excellent.”
Masters who use hidden weapons must be swift with their hands and feet.
The Dang family, a renowned house of hidden weapon arts, was proficient not only in hidden weapons but also in footwork.
“Order them to have Heuk-pyo lead the Poison Battle Hall members to secretly infiltrate the Blood Poison Valley.”
“Infiltrate? And then what?”
“Have them set fire to the main buildings.”
“Fire… you say?”
“That is correct. They don’t need to burn them down completely; just drawing attention is enough. There is no need to engage in combat. Simply hindering those who try to extinguish the flames will suffice.”
After a moment of thought, Dang Gon shook his head.
“We are not a band of marauders. As vicious as the Blood Poison Valley may be, it is not right to set fire to their base just to attack them.”
“The point is to create a diversion, not to actually burn the place down.”
Bu Eun-seol said placidly.
“The Blood Poison Valley is also a sect that specializes in poison and hidden weapons. There is only one thing they would protect above all else.”
At that, Dang Gon’s eyes gleamed.
“A place like the main family’s Myriad Poison Vault, you mean.”
For sects that use poison, the poisons themselves are their most valued asset.
The Dang family’s Myriad Poison Vault not only stored countless potent poisons meticulously crafted through their secret arts, but also housed spirit creatures like the White Crane Spirit Snake and the Myriad Poison Golden Tortoise, which couldn’t be obtained even for a fortune.
The Blood Poison Valley, which primarily used poison, would surely have a similar place where they stored their poisons.
“Such a place would be managed by high-ranking individuals. If a fire breaks out, they will rush there immediately.”
“I see.”
Dang Gon nodded as if he understood everything.
A diversionary tactic.
Bu Eun-seol intended to start a fire to deceive the enemy and divert their attention and forces, then use that opportunity to swiftly take down their leadership.