Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: Deep Poison (2)
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"Ah..."
Everything appeared to move in slow motion.
This was his own death.
Realizing this, Gal Yeong squeezed his eyes shut.
He was one of the Yangtze River Waterway Branches.
The pinnacle master who ruled the Yellow Dragon Dock, a force of unorthodoxy.
This was Gal Yeong's end.
-Must you always push yourself this hard?
Though he seemed at ease, Ye-ui knew Dang Yu-wol was straining himself.
Yet Dang Yu-wol remained utterly nonchalant.
'I won, that's what matters.'
He looked down at the fallen Gal Yeong.
Gal Yeong's breathing had completely stopped.
-Well done. Take this first.
He had faced the killing intent of a pinnacle master head-on.
He had clashed against qi reinforcement.
No matter that he had once been a Martial God; now he was merely at the peak realm.
Facing a pinnacle master was no easy feat.
-Are you all right?
'Of course.'
After swallowing the internal injury recovery pill, Dang Yu-wol turned his gaze.
The battle was far from over.
He scanned his surroundings.
'The most dangerous spot right now is...'
Where the soldiers were.
His inner energy reserves were not abundant.
But this was a time to fight.
"Huuu..."
He slowly exhaled, circulating his inner energy.
He could still move.
And so he dashed toward the chaotic melee.
"You bastard!!"
Dodging a savage sword strike, he unleashed a light palm thrust.
The enemy struck in the chest staggered back.
In that gap, he hurled a hidden dart.
"Keurk!!"
"Die!!"
More enemies surged behind the retreating foe.
But that was within expectations.
Dang Yu-wol seized the enemy beside him.
"Wha?! Keurk!!"
He used the man as a shield to block the attacks.
Seizing the moment of hesitation from the enemy who had struck his comrade, he plunged the Black Viper Sword into the man's throat.
And then.
"Haaap!!"
Ten Thousand Blossoms in the Sky unfolded.
Dozens of hidden darts exploded outward like a burst, sweeping through the surrounding enemies.
"Young Master Tang!!"
"Thank you!"
Watching the soldiers dispatch the paralyzed foes, Dang Yu-wol flashed a grin.
At his smile, the enemies tensed and gulped.
* * *
The battle quickly tilted toward victory for the military.
Thanks to Dang Yu-wol's intervention.
"As expected, poison is the best in large-scale battles!!"
"Incredible! Poison scattered once, and they drop in heaps!!"
"It's thanks to all of you fighting so well."
Despite his immense contributions, Dang Yu-wol was the same as always.
Calm, as if nothing had happened.
"You've worked hard! Take a rest!!"
The captain laughed heartily toward him.
'What an extraordinary man!!'
So young, yet so composed!
His future was promising.
"Hey. Did you take down Gal Yeong?"
"Barely..."
"Barely? How many pinnacle masters have you felled so far?"
Gu Hwan-gae chuckled and patted Dang Yu-wol's back.
How reliably dependable he was.
Who would see this young man nearing his early thirties as anything but seasoned?
"Heh heh. Next up, aren't you facing Enlightenment realm experts?"
"I'd rather pass on that."
'Pinnacle and Enlightenment are worlds apart.'
Dang Yu-wol shook his head with a smile.
Toward him, Hwan-gyu bowed deeply and politely.
"Thank you."
"Immortal, why say such things."
"They were after me and my disciples. Dealing with them... truly..."
"Don't say that."
Dang Yu-wol shook his head.
"Didn't you fight for my sake as well, Immortal?"
At his response, Hwan-gyu smiled awkwardly.
"I thank you all as well. Jeomchang Sect will not forget its duty to the Great Empire."
Not a few soldiers had been injured or killed.
Hwan-gyu bowed on behalf of Jeomchang Sect.
But Captain Seol Ryu-a and the ship captain were of the same mind as Dang Yu-wol.
"We're escorts. From the Empire's view, bandits are meant to be killed anyway."
"Exactly. Dealing with thieves is our job."
They had fought the nation's enemies.
If anything, the officials like them should be the ones expressing gratitude.
What a heartwarming sight.
Watching it, Gu Hwan-gae spoke up.
"Hey. I'm hungry. Got anything to eat?"
"Hahaha! We'll prepare a meal right away!"
The injured received treatment from Physician Yang Ui-seok.
In the meantime, Dang Yu-wol began meditating to regulate his energy.
His inner energy was nearing depletion.
"I'll stand guard."
Under Seol Ryu-a's protection, Dang Yu-wol closed his eyes.
A few Minor Cosmic Cycles filled his dantian to the brim.
When he slowly opened his eyes, only Seol Ryu-a and Gu Hwan-gae remained.
"Hwan-gyu said he's with his disciples."
He placed a few steamed buns in front of him.
Then, munching one, Gu Hwan-gae spoke bitterly.
"Seems the lad's uneasy about his first kill."
"Will he be all right?"
They had seen battle before, but hadn't killed then.
This time, they had slain bandits with their own hands.
"First kill hits hard..."
Even among soldiers, not a few retired from the shock of their first kill.
No matter that they were martial artists, the burden wouldn't be absent.
"Eh. Hwan-gyu will look after him."
Gu Hwan-gae dismissed it casually.
If he couldn't overcome this, he needn't enter the martial world.
"Better that way. What's so great about being a martial artist anyway."
"Elder..."
"Yu-wol, you too?"
"Killing people, you mean? No."
Before regression, after regression.
He hadn't felt burdened.
Was it because it was kill or be killed?
Or because the Tang Clan had been exterminated, hardening his heart to poison?
'Maybe I was always like that...'
"A fine mindset for a slayer demon."
"Hahaha..."
"Enough to make a name in the martial world."
"Captain Seol!!"
An officer who had entered the enemy ship called out.
He seemed to have found something.
"Shall we go together?"
"Let's. You coming too?"
"Yes."
Entering the pirate ship the soldier had shouted about, he pointed gravely at a box.
Inside the box lay a statue of Buddha carved from green gemstone.
"A Buddha statue? Why would he have this?"
"Probably looted from somewhere."
Gu Hwan-gae inspected the box closely.
Meanwhile, Seol Ryu-a checked the documents beside it.
"It's from Wudang Sect to Shaolin Temple."
As they reached wonderingly for the statue.
Dang Yu-wol grabbed them.
"Step back. Don't touch it."
"Why?"
To Gu Hwan-gae's question, Dang Yu-wol slowly lifted it.
"It's poison."
The moment he touched the Buddha statue, the Three Yang Return to Origin Art reacted.
Proof it was poison.
"This?!"
"Poison?!"
A Buddha statue from Wudang to Shaolin was poison.
Seol Ryu-a and Gu Hwan-gae were stunned.
"Isn't it just a gemstone Buddha?"
"Just jade carved... is it coated in poison?"
"No. The gem itself is poison."
A stone called verdant rigid poison stone, found in the Western Regions.
"It resembles green jade. But..."
"But?"
"Prolonged contact causes headaches, abdominal pain, and such symptoms."
"Heh."
"Ignoring that and continuing exposure leads to nausea, fatigue, loss of appetite, and even infertility."
"Good grief... such a dangerous thing exists?"
"It's not widely known. It's rare, only found sporadically in the Western Regions."
"Amazing... Young Master Tang's knowledge is truly impressive."
"Anything else special about it?"
As Gu Hwan-gae asked in wonder, Dang Yu-wol pointed at the statue.
"Verdant rigid poison stone's toxicity is so insidious that only skilled physicians notice the symptoms."
"Really?"
"Yes. That's why it's often used for assassinations via long-term storage."
-Didn't expect to see this here.
Dang Yu-wol calmly examined the green Buddha statue from all angles.
"Y-You're just holding it."
"I'm shielding it with qi."
Dang Yu-wol placed the green statue back in the box.
Come to think of it, the box was unusual too.
"This is... what?"
"Lead."
As Seol Ryu-a said.
The soft metal commonly seen was lead.
Inspecting the lead box, she grew serious.
"If it's emitting poison as you say, Young Master Tang, things are getting suspicious."
"Why would Wudang send this to Shaolin?"
Gu Hwan-gae agreed.
He examined the box closely.
"Doubt if it's even from Wudang to begin with. Beyond that, why did these pirates have it?"
"Does it say where it's being sent?"
"Mm... Yanggan Merchant Group. That's operated by Wudang."
Gu Hwan-gae handed over the documents reluctantly.
"No chance of forgery?"
Gu Hwan-gae shook his head.
Precise appraisal was needed for certainty.
But it didn't seem forged to him.
"Anyway, we'll keep it."
Dang Yu-wol closed the box.
Leaving it open too long was unwise.
"If it reaches Shaolin, the monks could be in danger."
It looked like a treasure carved from green jade.
Those ignorant of poison could be poisoned.
"Yes. Better as you say, Young Master Tang."
"Better in knowing hands."
With their agreement, Dang Yu-wol took the box.
He searched for anything else noteworthy beyond the heavy box, but found nothing.
"Then let's head back."
The investigation ended, leaving only questions.
Returning to the warship, the captain approached.
"What happened?"
"Well..."
Dang Yu-wol explained briefly.
The captain looked quite perplexed, as it was beyond comprehension.
"Why would Yellow Dragon Dock have Wudang goods..."
"We'll investigate."
"Yes. It's a martial world matter... we'll stay out of it."
"Thank you."
"Then, as planned, to Wuqiang County in Hubei."
Further east along the Yangtze lay Hubei's largest port.
The original goal was patrol and bandit subjugation up to there, so proceeding as scheduled.
"Any casualties?"
"Some serious injuries."
"I see..."
"But thanks to you all, nothing life-threatening."
Relief showed on the captain's face.
"Especially escaping the early crisis was fortunate."
Being surrounded on the cliff had been perilous.
But thanks to Dang Yu-wol and Gu Hwan-gae, they overcame it.
"Truly remarkable poison arts. I've newly learned the prowess of Sacheon Tang Clan's poisons."
"Thank you for the praise."
"The soldiers say we should call you Poison Dragon."
"Too much."
As he smiled and demurred, Gu Hwan-gae lightly tapped his back.
How many pinnacle masters had Dang Yu-wol felled thus far?
This was skill, not luck.
"At your level, you're top among the later generation."
"Yes. Poison Eyes Dragon, Blood Cult protector, and now Yellow Dragon Dock leader."
"He took down pinnacle masters even back in Sacheon."
"Truly impressive!"
Seol Ryu-a gazed at him with sparkling eyes, as if eager to enlist him in the military soon.
-At this rate, you might get conscripted.
'I'll dodge it well.'