Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Since I've Dug the Trap (1)
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"...To think this happened. My daughter suffered for four years... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. It's all my fault."
He wept.
Embracing his daughter, he cried and regretted his decisions.
"If only... If only I'd come to the Tang Clan sooner...!!"
"No, Father. I know it was because of me that you suffered. I know..."
-Four years, huh. Even if he'd come to the Tang Clan then, they couldn't have cured her.
'No need to mention that.'
Dang Yu-wol shrugged his shoulders.
"Let's get to the main point."
"...Yes, my lord."
His face streaked with tears, Ji Gong prostrated himself fully before Dang Yu-wol.
It was a pledge to devote everything to serving him.
And so, Dang Yu-wol addressed him casually, as if it were only natural.
"Father?"
"This man cured you."
"...I see."
Thus, Ji Seon did not hesitate to prostrate herself before him as well.
It wasn't because he had saved her life.
"Thanks to your benevolence, my father no longer has to suffer."
"You don't need to think that way."
To her, Dang Yu-wol spoke calmly, as always.
"I saved you because I needed Ji Gong's martial prowess."
"But..."
"Just think of it as an exchange—you gave, and I received."
Ji Seon didn't know what to do but still didn't rise.
Staying like this would only lead to parallel lines.
Dang Yu-wol cut straight to it.
"Stay in the Tang Clan for the time being. Ji Gong will be working here too."
"Yes. Understood."
"Is anyone outside?!"
"Yes, Young Clan Head."
"Escort this young lady to a guest room."
"Understood."
A Tang Clan servant entered and led her away.
As Ji Gong fidgeted anxiously, Dang Yu-wol nodded.
Ji Gong followed after them.
'I have some time left.'
-Get back to work.
There were many documents to review.
Dang Yu-wol focused on the papers again.
About half a shichen later, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in."
It was Ji Gong.
His eyes were red and slightly swollen—he must have cried for a while.
"What should I do? Must I fight the Sacheon Merchant Alliance's experts? If it's what my benefactor wishes, I'll stake my life to battle them."
"Save that life for later."
-To use against the Blood Cult?
'Exactly. Forward progress is the way of Daoist sects.'
Blood Cult martial arts were weak against Daoist or Buddhist styles.
Ji Gong would be a great help, then.
No point in acquiring a peak expert and not using him to the fullest.
"First, there's something you need to know."
"What is it?"
"Do you know that Heavenly Net Earthly Poison isn't something easily obtained?"
"Yes. The Healing Sage Sect said the same. They said Heavenly Net Earthly Poison can't be made anymore, which is why it's so expensive..."
"Wrong."
"...What do you mean?"
"Creating Heavenly Net Earthly Poison requires a special inner art."
"Pardon?"
"It's called the True Voice Bone Art. Ever heard of it?"
Special ingredients had to be infused with internal energy by someone who had mastered the True Voice Bone Art to complete Heavenly Net Earthly Poison.
"No..."
"From what I know, there are people who practice that art, and an organization that controls them."
"Where... where is that?"
Suppressing his rage with difficulty, Ji Gong asked hoarsely.
His patience was praiseworthy.
Had he not held back, his internal energy would have exploded and destroyed everything here.
To him, Dang Yu-wol said calmly.
"The Black Alliance."
"...!!"
"And one more thing."
Meeting Ji Gong's trembling, rage-filled eyes, he continued.
"The one who poisoned your daughter is Go Cheok."
"...!!"
"If you want the truth, go to the Poison Remnant Sect in Yun'nan Province's Zhongwei County."
"Poison Remnant Sect? I've heard of them. The assassin sect that uses poison, right?"
"Yes. Go Cheok commissioned them to poison your daughter."
"...Understood."
Ji Gong rose with a hardened expression.
Dang Yu-wol said coldly to him.
"You're not thinking of going alone, are you? Those guys have the Black Alliance backing them."
"...Even so!!"
"Even a peak expert would have a hard time. I'm coming too. Prepare to depart."
"...Yes."
Ji Gong bowed deeply and left.
Watching him go, Ye-ui asked in wonder.
-How did you know that?
'When the Blood Cult took over Sacheon, Go Cheok defected to them.'
-Oh ho. That's when?
'Yeah. He once reported on Heavenly Net Earthly Poison in a meeting.'
Recalling the report from his previous life, Dang Yu-wol bared his teeth.
"Alright. Shall we go clean up some trash?"
The border between Sacheon and Yun'nan.
Screams echoed through the Poison Remnant Sect, the sole martial sect in Yanhong County.
"Kuaaaak!!"
With every flash of deep blue sword energy, Poison Remnant Sect disciples fell dead.
"Wh-what is the meaning of this?!"
"Do you not know we are the Poison Remnant Sect?!"
No answer came to their furious roars and resistance.
The hatred of a enraged peak expert could not be stopped by mere words.
"Damn it!! We'll use poison..."
Poison didn't work well on peak experts.
But they couldn't just sit there and take it.
The moment they tried to use their hidden poisons.
"Where do you think you're going."
Disciples struck by flying darts soaring like light spewed black blood.
"Wh-what is this... poi... poisoning...?!"
A sword energy user who also wielded poison?
The shocked Poison Remnant Sect disciple looked past the middle-aged man swinging the deep blue sword energy.
"You... you bastard?!"
A young man with a youthful air was casually flicking his hand.
'That's the one...!!'
Using unidentified poisons and darts, he was neutralizing the disciples.
p>No, not just the disciples.
Even the absolute peak experts sent by the Black Alliance were falling to him.
"Wh-who are you?!"
"None of your business."
A dart embedded itself in the head of the Poison Remnant Sect disciple who had barely asked.
"You insolent whelps!! Do you know where you are to cause such havoc?!"
Finally, the Poison Remnant Sect leader stepped forward.
But despite his fierce shout, his face was deathly pale.
'Damn it... what the hell...?!'
"Do you not know the Poison Remnant Sect belongs to the Black Alliance, and that I call the Black Alliance Leader 'brother'?!"
"No idea. Why should I care?"
The young man, Dang Yu-wol, flicked his hand.
At his signal, the middle-aged man, Ji Gong, swung his sword amid swirling murderous intent.
"Damn it!!"
They would use the deadly poison from the Black Alliance.
That should give them a chance to escape.
So he thought.
'If it's Crane Purity Divine Scarlet...!'
A poison refined from Crane Purity Divine Scarlet.
Even a peak expert couldn't ignore this.
The Poison Remnant Sect leader thrust forward the hidden weapon tube in his sleeve.
The hidden weapons inside were coated in poison—this would buy him time to flee.
"Die... Huh?"
His hand.
It wouldn't move.
It had stiffened as if his whole body were paralyzed.
'...When?'
The Poison Remnant Sect leader looked at his arm.
A long needle was already embedded there.
"You bastard...?!"
Poison.
An unknown poison that caused paralysis.
'How could he have such poison...?!'
He too had trained in poison arts.
He had built up considerable resistance to most poisons.
Yet he was poisoned this quickly.
"You..."
The Poison Remnant Sect leader could say no more.
Sword energy had slit his throat.
"Good work, Ji Gong."
"Yes, my lord."
"Now all that's left is to check the records here."
Dang Yu-wol strode forward, and Ji Gong meekly followed.
"Eek!!"
"Pl-please spare us! Mercy!!"
"I have no intention of killing those without martial arts."
Ignoring the mere servants and attendants, the two headed to the leader's chambers.
"Here it is."
"What kind of records?"
"Let's see... Ah, this must be it."
Quickly scanning the books, he pulled out one and handed it over.
Ji Gong's eyes widened as he took it.
[Client: Go Cheok]
[Target: Ji Seon (Daughter of peak expert Ji Gong)]
[Poison Used: Heavenly Net Earthly Poison]
[Commission Fee: 600 gold taels]
"...Th-that... Kuooo...!! Kraaaaa!! You son of a bitch!!"
It was real.
He had despaired over his daughter's poisoning, cursing the heavens.
To learn that the very man who had shown him kindness was the culprit.
His gratitude turned into equal rage.
"Aaaaaah!! I'll kill you!! I'll tear you apart!! Go Chooooook!!"
"It's not bad to vent your anger, but no need to waste it in the wrong place."
"...My lord...!!"
"Someone once said there's nothing as futile as revenge."
-Nonsense.
"What a joke. Nothing's sweeter than revenge in this world."
Dang Yu-wol lightly patted Ji Gong's back.
"So don't forget—I'm behind you. I'll take responsibility for everything that comes from your revenge."
"...Th-thank you... Thank you."
"If you're truly grateful."
"...Yes."
Dang Yu-wol spoke with utmost leisure.
"Can you discard a warrior's honor for my sake?"
Ji Gong, staring blankly at him, nodded.
This was the man who saved his daughter and aided his revenge.
For such a man.
"I've already offered my honor and martial arts to you, my lord. Use them as you will."
Ji Gong's answer more than satisfied Dang Yu-wol.
"I-is this real...?!"
Go Cheok gnawed at his thumbnail.
"What the hell is that Ji Gong thinking?!"
Ji Gong hadn't shown up for work for days.
That alone wouldn't have been a problem.
"Ji Seon!! What were the guys guarding that wench doing?!"
Even his daughter, Ji Gong's leash, had vanished from her prison.
"Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. Damn it."
He'd brought in tracking experts to analyze.
The result: they'd headed to the Tang Clan.
'No way. No way, right?'
Anxiety gnawed at him.
Dang Yu-wol had revealed the Tang Clan's medical prowess while treating General Ga Won-seong.
They'd solved what the Healing Sage Sect couldn't.
Maybe.
Maybe they could antidote Heavenly Net Earthly Poison too?
'No. Impossible. That wastrel...'.
He desperately denied it.
But that denial was refuted.
'But that wastrel destroyed Gihwan Escort Agency and revealed he was hiding his power...'.
Then.
Then.
Anxiety surged.
'Th-this won't do. Absolutely... absolutely not.'
What if that mongrel Dang Yu-wol found out he'd poisoned Ji Seon?
Like a spark igniting a field, his unease spread.
"Merchant Group Head!!"
"Wh-what is it?!"
"Guests from the Black Alliance have arrived!!"
At that moment.
A balm arrived to soothe his anxiety.
"O-ohhh!!"
His secret donations to the Black Alliance had paid off.
"Quickly! Bring them inside!!"
Moments later, a sturdy middle-aged man entered Go Cheok's room.
Seeing his face, Go Cheok couldn't help but rejoice.
It was Joo Jang-ho, the external branch leader of the Black Alliance and a peak expert known as the Tyrant Slayer Sword.
"Hm? Merchant Group Head Go. Something wrong?"
"W-well, you see..."
Go Cheok hurriedly explained the situation.
Listening for a while, the Tyrant Slayer Sword shook his head in disbelief.
"Come on, it's just the Tang Clan. What's there to fear from a clan that's already ruined?"
"No, it's not! Gihwan Escort Agency already fell to them!"
"They probably just used some pathetic poison."
He exuded confidence as if it were obvious.
That attitude.
It so resembled how they'd dismissed the Tang Clan in the past that Go Cheok's anxiety surged anew.