Chapter 245
Chapter 245
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 245
Chapter Title: Emerging from the Inferno
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Accompanied by a pungent stench, thick black smoke blanketed the sky. The flames ravaging the plateau like the fires of hell still burned with ferocious intensity.
Whoosh! Sizzle!
The Tang Clan warriors stared blankly at the poison ground, mouths agape, as waves of scorching heat rose from it.
Their gazes turned toward the spot spewing fire and smoke like an active volcano.
Thud. Thud.
Seeing Nangong Hyuk and the Thunder Dragon Squad emerge from within the acrid smoke with flames at their backs, the Tang Clan warriors gulped nervously.
"Ah...."
"Th-those guys...."
"Urgh!"
Some inexplicable thrill struck their minds.
They recalled the overwhelming might of those who had turned the poison ground into a flaming hell and swept through the Heavenly Venom Squad.
Seeing the Thunder Dragon Squad carrying out Tang Clan warriors they hadn't been able to rescue while fleeing the inferno sent shivers of electricity coursing through their bodies.
And the moment they spotted the Heavenly Venom Squad members slung over the shoulders of those following behind like trophies, sighs of relief burst forth.
"We survived!"
"We're alive!"
"Hahaha! We made it!"
"H-ha ha ha!"
Only then did the reality of escaping with their lives sink in, spreading a wave of relief through the entire Tang Clan force.
As they exhaled sighs of relief, Family Head Tang issued an order.
"Treat the wounded first and recover the bodies!"
"Yes, Family Head!"
At his command, the Tang Clan warriors sprang into action.
They moved the injured away from the increasingly fierce flames and gathered the corpses.
Since the poison ground itself was burning, even the air at a distance carried a nauseating mix that induced dizziness and queasiness.
The Tang Clan warriors retrieved the scattered hidden weapons scattered everywhere and quickly cleared the area.
While busily tending to the wounded, Family Head Tang received a report from Tang Cheonu.
"We've finished recovering the bodies. The severely injured have been sent to the branch in the border region. Those showing signs of poisoning have been given preliminary treatments, and we're monitoring their conditions."
"Hmm...."
"We successfully captured thirty-six Heavenly Venom Squad members alive. The Nangong family is holding them...."
Family Head Tang turned his head, spotting Nangong Hyuk in a corner, wearing a satisfied smirk.
The sight of that grinning face sent an odd chill down his spine.
And the Thunder Dragon Squad behind him was trembling as if they might foam at the mouth and collapse any second....
'....Poisoned by the smoke?'
For a fleeting moment, he wondered if they were hallucinating.
No, probably not. Still, there was an eerie madness emanating from the Nangong family warriors.
Family Head Tang let out a light breath and approached Nangong Hyuk.
"Thank you. We owe you a great debt."
"Not just any debt."
"....The main family doesn't forget favors. We're too busy treating the wounded and cleaning up right now, so let's talk at the assembly point."
"Ah, now? Hold on a moment."
Heave-ho!
Nangong Hyuk grabbed the legs of the Heavenly Venom Squad Leader, Salmugeuk, whom he'd set down on the ground, and slung him over his shoulder like a sack.
"Let's go."
"...."
"Not coming?"
Drag drag drag....
Nangong Hyuk dragged Salmugeuk along like a sack without waiting for a reply.
Following behind, Nangong Ryong, the Peng siblings, So Hye-yeon, and the Thunder Dragon Squad each dragged Heavenly Venom Squad warriors by the ankles.
Amid it all, Sogolgae's grumbling could be heard.
"Jeez, treating people like luggage. If you're gonna take 'em, at least load 'em on a cart. How long are we gonna drag these?"
His words didn't quite match his actions.
Drag drag drag....
Despite his complaints, he grabbed one Heavenly Venom warrior by the ankle and dragged him along.
Family Head Tang watched them in a daze before shouting to the Tang Clan warriors.
"Finish up and move to the assembly point! Let's go!"
* * *
Drag drag drag....
Thud thud.
Step step!
The Tang Clan procession snaked across the undulating plateau.
The severely wounded had already been sent ahead, so the group's pace was swift—twice as fast as a typical escort caravan.
Amid the long line, Tang Clan warriors kept stealing glances sideways.
In the middle of the Tang Clan procession, the Thunder Dragon Squad dragged the Five Poisons Sect poison experts across the rolling terrain, leaving the Tang Clan warriors slack-jawed.
'Is that even allowed?'
'....Treating them like meat from a butcher shop.'
'Urgh, they're really doing it.'
They couldn't help instinctively thinking that as they watched the Thunder Dragon Squad roughly slinging the Heavenly Venom Squad members over shoulders or dragging them like freshly caught pigs from a slaughterhouse.
The way they flopped and swayed with every step of the Thunder Dragon Squad truly resembled dangling pork carcasses.
A strange madness radiated from Nangong Hyuk's sly grin and the Thunder Dragon Squad's repeated mutterings of "fuck" and "shit."
Even the unflappable Tang Clan warriors furtively eyed their deranged aura.
Fearing eye contact might provoke a fit, they quickened their pace, and the Tang Clan procession soon arrived at the branch in the border region.
A modest manor built for Tang Clan merchant caravans passing through Silk Way came into view.
"It's the branch!"
"We've arrived!"
"Move it! The branch is right ahead!"
Exhausted from the battle with the Five Poisons Sect, the people perked up with wide eyes.
Relief at reaching safety brought cheers from the group.
The Tang Clan warriors swiftly entered the branch.
It had also suffered an attack, leaving it in dire straits, but it was spacious enough to treat the wounded and let everyone rest.
Once inside the manor, Family Head Tang commanded.
"Treat those with injuries, and the rest unpack the gear!"
At his shout, the Tang Clan warriors bustled about.
Meanwhile, upon arriving at the branch, Nangong Hyuk's eyes gleamed as he abruptly headed toward a warehouse tucked in one corner.
The Thunder Dragon Squad quickly followed.
Whether they vanished or not, the Tang Clan people rapidly tidied up and tended to the wounded.
Family Head Tang gathered the leadership and said.
"For now, stabilize the wounded and send the severely injured back to the main family."
"Yes!"
"....Without the Nangong family's help this time, we might have been wiped out."
Family Head Tang's voice sank low.
The leaders' faces grew somber.
Victory didn't mean no losses.
A narrow escape was still a narrow escape, and casualties were casualties.
Tang Cheonu, who had led the Golden Dragon Squad, said heavily.
"I'm sorry, Family Head. It was my failure."
"No. Even if I and the Poison King Squad had been there, we couldn't have guaranteed victory easily. Don't blame yourself."
"Even so...."
"The real issue is something else."
The leaders swallowed hard at Family Head Tang's stern tone.
Family Head Tang swept his gaze over them and spoke.
"The Five Poisons Sect's poisons have changed."
"....Urgh!"
"They were poisons and techniques unlike any we've seen before."
It defied common sense.
There had been constant large and small clashes with the Five Poisons Sect over the years.
They knew their poisons, poison arts, and hidden weapons and how to counter them.
Of course, they might discover potent new venomous insects or poisons. Long years of poison research could yield such advances.
But this shift was beyond what could be achieved in a short time.
It was like taking a single step forward, but that step required decades of effort and experience.
Moreover, wielding deadly poisons at that level demanded at least a few experiments.
Yet the Five Poisons Sect had shown no signs beforehand.
It was as if the poisons had dropped from the sky.
"They were already perfected poison arts and poisons."
"We can interrogate the captives the Nangong family took alive. And find out why the Five Poisons Sect mobilized such a large force."
"Of course. But there's something even more important."
"....Something more critical?"
The Tang Clan leaders tilted their heads.
Family Head Tang uttered a single grim word.
"Immunity."
"....!"
"The Nangong family warriors didn't flinch even against the Five Poisons Sect's ultimate poisons that overwhelmed our main family's fighters. It proves they're ahead of us in cultivating poison resistance."
"Urgh!"
Shock flashed across the leaders' faces.
They had noticed it too.
Even the Tang Clan's elite poison experts struggled in the Five Poisons Sect's poison mist, yet the Thunder Dragon Squad had rampaged freely.
Their martial arts were impressive, but their poison immunity delivered the greater shock.
A poison mist the mighty Tang Clan couldn't handle.
Hadn't they personally seen them building that immunity over mere days?
"I never imagined they could build such resistance in so short a time."
"....How is the Nangong family so proficient in poisons? It's suspicious."
"That's not the point. This is absolutely vital for the main family. Beyond the fight with the Five Poisons Sect, it could play a huge role in advancing our poison arts!"
"....!"
"We must uncover it. How they cultivated that immunity—no detail can be overlooked, not even a single hair's breadth!"
The leaders nodded vigorously at Family Head Tang's words.
Strengthened poison immunity wasn't just for enduring enemy poisons.
It shortened the time to perfect their own poison arts and enabled even stronger ones.
Consider the fortune the Tang Clan invested in building immunity!
The method Nangong Hyuk devised rivaled priceless treasures.
Family Head Tang looked at Tang Myeong-ok.
"Did you notice anything unusual while with that boy, Nangong Hyuk?"
....Everything from one to ten was unusual.
Tang Myeong-ok quietly shook her head, then suddenly paused, her eyes lighting up.
"He said our main family's antidotes and poison wards were dangerous."
Family Head Tang was slightly startled, then impressed.
'He planned for fire attacks from the start! Maybe even accounted for acidic poisons....'
Otherwise, he wouldn't have told them to discard poison wards that burned easily.
If he'd prepared for acidic poisons too....
'Just where does that kid's insight and experience come from?'
The more he learned about Nangong Hyuk, who handled decisions he himself couldn't make lightly with ease, the more astonishing and shocking it was.
"Where are the Nangong family warriors now?"
"They went toward the warehouse earlier."
"The warehouse.... Let's go there!"
Tang Myeong-ok flinched.
It was the first time she'd heard her father speak with such urgency.
It showed just how crucial Nangong Hyuk's poison immunity secret was.
'I should have watched him more closely from the beginning.'
She regretted her words and actions toward the Nangong family.
Missing every gesture of Nangong Hyuk stung all the more now.
Tang Myeong-ok furrowed her brows slightly.
"Father, but will they reveal such a secret easily?"
"We'll uncover it by any means necessary."
"Hmm."
As Tang Myeong-ok felt a negative vibe,
Tang Myeong-jin, who had been quietly observing, stepped forward.
"Father! Do you really need to go yourself? Let me go get that secret from him...."
"You thunderstruck fool!"
"A, Father?"
Tang Myeong-jin jumped in alarm at Family Head Tang's bellow.
Anger laced Family Head Tang's voice.
"Do you think this is just about a secret technique! We owe them our lives—we must show proper respect! Who do you think you are, strutting around!"
"....S-sorry."
"Be quiet and follow!"
Tang Myeong-jin made a sulky face and fell back at Family Head Tang's icy murmur.
The leaders headed toward the warehouse.
"It's this way."
Family Head Tang nodded at the shabby warehouse door.
Indeed, signs of life came from inside.
The leaders slowly opened the large door.
Creak!
With a heavy groan, sunlight filtered gently inside, illuminating the interior.
Family Head Tang's gaze followed Nangong Hyuk, then trembled violently.
"Ah, you. Ah! This bastard had a poison pill hidden in his molar? What, planning to bite down on it?"
"Ah, ahh...."
"Ah, you."
"Ah...."
"I said ah, you fucker!"
Smack!
"Quek!"
Nangong Hyuk smacked the back of Salmugeuk's head, forcing his mouth open.
Behind him, the Thunder Dragon Squad rapidly shoveled dirt with thudding sounds.
Beside them, Heavenly Venom Squad members dangled from pillars like fruit, looking piteously toward them....
What in the world....
What the hell are they doing?
Mouths open, digging holes, hanging people from pillars....
"...."
At that moment, a Thunder Dragon Squad member glared fiercely and shouted.
"Who the fuck opens the door while we're working?!"
"Is that you, little bro?"
"You bastard!"
"Huh? Young master, the Tang Clan Family Head is here."
The Thunder Dragon Squad member, shoulders heaving, blinked and looked at Nangong Hyuk.
Nangong Hyuk turned his head.
"Huh? Why's the Family Head here?"
"...."
"Ah, no big deal."
"R-right now you're live-burying...."
"Don't worry. This is Anhui Province etiquette."
The leaders gaped at Nangong Hyuk's hearty laugh.
A stench reminiscent of Sa Do-ryeon wafted thickly from them.