Chapter 241
Chapter 241
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 241
Chapter Title: Clash at the Jinsha River
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Led by the Poison King Squad and the Nine Heavens Squad, the Tang Clan's armed forces moved toward the Jinsha River, the border between the Western Frontier and Sichuan.
Trailing behind them, Namgung Hyeok spoke to Dang Myeong-ok as the Thunder Dragon Squad followed.
“We’ll move in groups of three to guard against their poison arts. Staying too clustered will amplify the damage, so we’ll keep at least ten paces between flanks.”
This was the greatest danger when facing poison experts.
The Five Poisons Sect’s venom, brewed in the sweltering climate of the Southern Barbarians, was unmatched in toxicity.
Fail to maintain proper distance, and they could be wiped out by the poisons the enemies unleashed.
Even the Tang Clan warriors, masters of poison and hidden weapons, had suffered repeated defeats against the Five Poisons Sect. Ordinary fighters faced even greater peril.
“We’re heading upstream.”
“Upstream?”
“We’ll drive the Five Poisons Sect from upstream and herd them downstream.”
Dang Myeong-ok spoke in a calm tone.
Namgung Hyeok let out a low hum.
“Well, do whatever you want.”
“You have to follow our lead. We won’t take responsibility for any casualties from acting alone.”
“Fine, fine. Upstream it is, right?”
Namgung Hyeok nodded readily.
Gazing at the rolling highlands, he asked,
“But they’re definitely still around here, the Five Poisons Sect?”
“Yes. For some reason, they’ve been lingering in the area.”
“Lingering...”
Namgung Hyeok trailed off.
The fact that the Five Poisons Sect was still patrolling meant they hadn’t found the Millennium Crimson Crane yet?
How many days had it been?
‘Considering they came from Anhui Province, it’s been at least a month.’
From the moment they first received word and rushed to Sichuan until now, that was about the time elapsed.
No matter how long the Jinsha River stretched, it had been long enough for something to turn up.
The site of the Millennium Crimson Crane was said to become a poisoned land, so it shouldn’t be hard to spot.
Namgung Hyeok let out another low hum.
‘Fighting the Five Poisons Sect isn’t the issue.’
Right now, the ones closest to the Millennium Crimson Crane were the “Association” members.
That belief hadn’t changed.
Namgung Hyeok turned to Dang Myeong-ok.
“What do we do once we reach upstream?”
“We’ll backtrack from where they raided the main house. If we spot them along the way, we’ll pursue, and we’ll clean up any Five Poisons Sect poison experts patrolling the border region.”
“Simple enough.”
Dang Myeong-ok furrowed her brow.
His confident attitude made it seem like the Five Poisons Sect was beneath notice.
Whether it was arrogance or genuine confidence would reveal itself in battle.
Dang Myeong-jin sneered.
“Don’t get in the way with unnecessary meddling. Fighting poison experts is entirely different from regular warriors.”
“......”
“Just stay back. Don’t cause trouble. I’ll sweep away every last one of those Five Poisons Sect bastards.”
Dang Myeong-jin bared his fangs in a grin.
A faint killing intent emanated from him.
The Tang Clan never forgot a grudge. Having already suffered losses from the Five Poisons Sect’s preemptive strike, their rage and venom rose naturally.
Namgung Hyeok waved dismissively with an apathetic expression.
“Yeah, handle it however.”
“Don’t interfere... Huh?”
“We said handle it yourselves. So we just trust in the young master of the Tang Clan, right?”
Namgung Hyeok chuckled dryly as he brushed past Dang Myeong-jin.
Dang Myeong-jin glared at the back of Namgung Hyeok’s head with a dumbfounded look.
‘Did that punk just disrespect me?’
No, maybe not...
That bastard’s way of talking was off.
It clearly felt like an insult, yet mulling it over left a strange sensation that it wasn’t.
As Dang Myeong-jin floundered in confusion, the Tang Clan approached the Jinsha River.
Beneath the endless blue sky, the highlands rolled like waves, and the Jinsha River rushed swiftly below.
Even as they moved upstream, messenger birds flew busily back and forth.
The spirit birds that could recognize people, the Thousand-Li Messengers, flapped their wings without rest.
Screeeeech!
Each sharp cry brought a Thousand-Li Messenger flapping toward the Tang Clan leadership.
“Enemies spotted thirty li out.”
“They’ve appeared on the Silk Path to the east! Our scouts sent ahead have been wiped out!”
“They’re in the west too!”
“Enemies nearby!”
The leaders reported urgently.
The situation churned rapidly out of sight.
“Family Head! The Golden Dragon Squad requests reinforcements!”
“Which side?”
“Enemies ten li downriver! Over two hundred of them!”
“Who’s with the Golden Dragon Squad?”
“Fifth Elder is leading them.”
Tang Uicheon’s eyes widened fiercely.
Hearing that the Golden Dragon Squad, held by Ghost Soul Life-Seizer Tang Cheon-u, was in crisis, his savage gaze flashed.
Among the forces deployed along the Jinsha River, the Golden Dragon Squad was the largest.
At news of their peril, Tang Uicheon issued swift orders.
“Move toward the Golden Dragon Squad! We’ll strike their rear and ambush them! Hurry!”
Tang Uicheon dashed urgently toward the Golden Dragon Squad’s position.
The leaders and Poison King Squad followed him, and the Tang Clan warriors moved in perfect unison.
As they neared the Golden Dragon Squad’s location, the poisonous aura grew noticeably stronger bit by bit.
Soon, it stung the skin.
Tang Uicheon signaled with his hand.
The Poison King Squad had already taken antidotes, donned protective gear, and masked their faces.
They naturally spread out over two zhang, forming a defensive formation.
This prevented the disaster of being clustered and swept by poison all at once.
Their elite precision was evident.
Tang Uicheon circulated the Three Yang Divine Art. The poison seeping into his skin vanished in an instant.
He turned his head, scanning the surroundings.
Where poison experts clashed, the land became a poisoned wasteland. Not even a blade of grass could grow properly amid the toxic miasma.
Entering such a hazardous zone naturally prompted a search for his kin.
Yet.
‘Those fools?’
The Thunder Dragon Squad was trudging straight into the poisoned area.
Brought along in the urgency, hoping they might help, they were proving useless and obstructive.
They weren’t even using basic protective gear properly.
If Nangong Clan warriors died like dogs in the poison land, it could spark tiresome complications.
Minimal protection was needed to avoid backlash later.
He sent a transmission to Dang Myeong-ok.
[Keep ten zhang from the Poison King Squad. Once in the battlefield, form up and stand by.]
[They’ll be hard to control.]
[Just keep them from interfering.]
[...Yes!]
Tang Uicheon regulated his breathing as he eyed the highlands where the battle raged.
Far off, black mist rose like a dark curtain.
The Golden Dragon Squad was surrounded by the Five Poisons Sect, who pressed with ferocious attacks.
Tang Uicheon arched his brows, his protective garb billowing as he charged into the fray.
The Poison King Squad and Tang Clan poison experts followed silently.
Clang clang clang! Kaang! Psssh!
Sounds like rain pattering on a metal tray rang out in succession.
The black mist blinded them in an instant, and poison pierced their protective gear.
“Hup!”
“Mmgh!”
The Poison King Squad held their breath, widened their spacing further, and hid their hands in their sleeves.
Tang Uicheon circulated the Three Yang Divine Art alongside the Myriad Streams Return to One Divine Art.
As he repelled the poison, his inner energy gathered in his palms.
His eyes gleamed green, capturing the scene within the black poison fog in a flash.
“Urk!”
“Gah!”
“Argh!”
The Golden Dragon Squad retreated haphazardly, struck by hidden weapons and venomous insects flying from the mist.
Then came the wave of red-and-black Five Poisons Sect disciples crashing in.
Shiiiia!
Chwaaaang!
Poisonous creatures hurled like projectiles ravaged the Golden Dragon Squad.
Puk puk puk puk!
Pfffooo!
“Kaaaaah!”
“Aaaaah!”
The Golden Dragon Squad resisted, spewing fountains of blood at the Five Poisons Sect disciples.
But the movements of the already poisoned Golden Dragon Squad bordered on desperate flailing.
Ghost Soul Life-Seizer Tang Cheon-u unleashed a palm strike.
Boom!
With a sonic boom, poison blasted forth, felling Five Poisons Sect disciples in one go.
Yet venomous insects crawling over the fallen disciples kept pushing him back.
“Mmgh! Hold on just a bit longer! Reinforcements are coming! Hold your breath and take cover!”
Risking inhalation of poison, Tang Cheon-u opened his mouth to rally and command his allies.
Squeezing out his energy, he launched Dark Heaven Palms. Dark palm shadows carried over a dozen needle strikes forward.
Puk puk puk puk!
Though he turned enemies into instant porcupines, Tang Cheon-u’s expression remained grim.
Even he, whose poison arts had reached a profound realm, struggled to breathe properly amid the Five Poisons Sect’s poisons and vermin.
Warriors of lesser attainment in the Golden Dragon Squad were already collapsing, blood spurting from their seven apertures.
‘When the hell are reinforcements coming?!’
Each new wound let poison seep into his skin, birthing excruciating agony.
Only his resolve as a Tang Clan warrior let him endure the pain and block the Five Poisons Sect disciples.
As he stared dazedly at the scorpion-like swarm of enemies, it happened.
“Fifth Elder! Fall back!”
A short but majestic voice rang in his ears.
Kwaaaang!
A thunderous roar rivaling heavenly thunder exploded from the rear, sweeping away the incoming Five Poisons Sect disciples like a tidal wave.
“Kaaaaah!”
“Keok!”
“Cough!”
Struck by Tang Uicheon’s Green Shadow Poison Palm, the Five Poisons Sect disciples spewed blood from their orifices and collapsed into puddles of gore.
Panicked by the fearsome palm force, the Five Poisons Sect disciples faltered, allowing the Poison King Squad to plunge in.
Pew pew pew pew pew!
Ssssaaa!
Strong needles, feather darts, and spine darts fired from the poison fog toppled Five Poisons Sect disciples like rotten logs.
Caught off-guard by the Poison King Squad’s flank ambush, they fell helplessly.
Afflicted by the Tang Clan’s ultimate poisons, Five Poisons Sect disciples crumpled like decayed timber.
“Get the wounded out of the poison fog!”
Tang Clan poison experts swiftly evacuated Golden Dragon Squad warriors from the mist.
Tang Uicheon glared murderously at a Five Poisons Sect disciple revealing a venom grub in the fog.
“Wipe them all out!”
At his icy command, the Poison King Squad bared their killing intent.
Paaat!
The Poison King Squad unleashed deadly techniques on the Five Poisons Sect disciples.
The Tang Clan’s ruthlessness showed why they inspired terror in the martial world.
Ghostly poison arts too swift to detect and hidden weapons moving like limbs swept through the enemies.
Wherever the Poison King Squad passed, screams erupted unfailingly, and corpses piled up.
The remains were gruesome.
Mangled beyond recognition, the bodies began piling under the poison fog.
“Urk!”
“Gah!”
“Ku, gah!”
Stifled groans burst as Five Poisons Sect disciples fell.
The poison fog seemed to churn.
The Poison King Squad showed no mercy.
They even checked to ensure death.
For the Tang Clan, nursing deep grudges against the Five Poisons Sect, it was only natural.
Tang Uicheon turned to Tang Cheon-u.
“What happened?”
“We tracked their trail and ran into them. They were searching the area, like they were looking for something.”
“Looking for something?”
“Yes!”
“To dare wreak havoc in our territory!”
Though fury blazed, doubt flickered on Tang Uicheon’s face.
Intelligence sent to the clan had noted suspicious movements, and now Tang Cheon-u echoed the same.
He commanded the Poison King Squad.
“I need to interrogate some. Three will do.”
The Poison King Squad captured three Five Poisons Sect disciples alive in an instant.
They stripped their upper garments to check for hidden poisons, bound their arms, sealed their acupoints, and presented them.
As Tang Uicheon eyed the captives with fierce killing intent, commotion erupted from the side where the wounded were being moved.
The uproar spread rapidly, soon turning to screams echoing across the field.
“Kaaaaah!”
“Poison bugs!”
“Enemies! Five Poisons Sect!”
Tang Uicheon snapped his head up.
“......!”
Black shadows sliced through the poison fog, surging forward.
Wuuuuuum!
With a ground-shaking rumble, swarms of venomous insects blackened the sky and flew into view.
‘Where did this many come from?’
Enemies unmentioned in reports—where had they sprung from?
Was this a trap?
As his doubts swelled, the Five Poisons Sect’s elite Thousand Poison Squad flooded the highlands, blanketing it.
The battlefield’s atmosphere flipped in an instant.