Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Empty House Burglary (2)
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-Formations are laid out from the start.
Formations designed to divert you elsewhere if you take a wrong step.
As Ye-ui said, Dang Yu-wol snorted upon noticing them.
‘Compared to the ones I saw in the Blood Cult, these are pathetic.’
He passed through the disorienting formation with ease.
The formations, traps, and fake treasures that followed were overcome without much difficulty.
-For a Divine Thief, this is pretty shabby.
‘Now the real challenges begin.’
The moment he took a step forward, a new formation activated.
His five senses were stirring up fear.
‘This is nothing.’
Compared to the terror of losing his family.
Compared to the emptiness after achieving everything, it was insignificant.
-Still, not bad.
‘Yeah.’
As he ventured deeper, the sophistication of the formations and traps increased dramatically.
It was astonishing that someone with this level of skill resorted to burglary.
-This guy... If we coax him right, he could be useful.
‘He’s doomed to die anyway. Might as well put him to good use somewhere.’
-Exactly.
‘Not a bad idea.’
It would be a waste to squander a Divine Thief’s talents on theft and deception.
-The Blood Cult will soon start seeing you as a real threat.
‘Yeah. Defense is a must.’
The Tang Clan currently had the Black Child Corps and experts from the previous generation.
There were plenty of protective measures as well.
But one could never have too much preparation.
‘If we’re aiming to become the world’s greatest clan, we’ll need to fortify the household too. He’d be a huge asset to the Tang Clan.’
-Looks like it’s wrapping up. Block that device on the right.
‘Here?’
-Yeah. Right there. Then jam the Soul-Severing Thread into the one above.
‘Didn’t expect you to know about mechanical formations.’
-That was ages ago.
His tone carried a hint of nostalgia.
But he said no more.
Dang Yu-wol had no desire to pry, so he followed Ye-ui’s instructions.
-Good. Move forward.
A massive cave came into view as he advanced.
-There’s poison inside that triggers on contact.
‘No issue.’
He circulated the Three Yang Return to Origin Art.
Enveloped in Reverse Heaven qi, he stepped into the cave.
Sssssss!!
White smoke hissed from spots throughout the cave.
‘Not much of a poison.’
The cave’s guardian poison was swiftly absorbed by the Three Yang Return to Origin Art.
-Even decent fighters would’ve been poisoned...
Joy tinged Ye-ui’s voice.
-Since that enlightenment last time, your absorption has gotten even better.
‘If you grow, you reap the rewards.’
Of course, he inhaled every last bit of the poison qi.
This was more than enough to expand his dantian.
-We’re almost there.
Ye-ui was right.
The cave’s end was in sight.
‘Impressive.’
-Yeah.
There were more than a few items that screamed rarity at first glance.
Famed swords, famed sabers, famed paintings.
Jade Buddha statues to golden Primordial Heavenly Venerable effigies.
Even the pre-regression Dang Yu-wol had rarely laid eyes on such treasures.
‘No gold bricks or anything?’
-These are easier to carry anyway.
Dang Yu-wol crammed the sack full of treasures.
It felt heavy when he hefted it.
-Just leaving like that?
‘No way. This’ll do nicely.’
-Paralysis poison?
‘I hear Divine Thieves carry a Blood Poison Resistance Bead that resists most poisons.’
-My poisons might bypass it... but what’s the point?
‘I’m thinking Heart Poison.’
He left one jade Buddha statue behind and rigged a few devices on it.
Finally, he scribbled a note, slipped it underneath, and grinned.
‘Now the Divine Thief will see this and come running.’
He could easily picture the man’s face.
“Good work!”
“Good work!”
The Zhongnan Sect’s days were long.
They rose before dawn and swung their swords.
“Whew... How long do we have to keep this up...”
After morning training came prayers to the Primordial Heavenly Venerable.
Around noon, they prepared meals for guests visiting the Zhongnan Sect.
Then more training and prayer.
Until nightfall.
This was especially true for the lay disciples in the outer court.
“I’ll pass the exam this time.”
“Me too.”
“If we pass, we become official Taoist disciples of the Zhongnan Sect, right?”
“Yeah. I can’t wait.”
“But it’s so tough...”
Na Se-ryeon smiled warmly at the grumbling disciples.
“Martial arts aren’t taught to just anyone, as the saying goes.”
“Ugh...”
They grumbled, but there was no helping it.
Even with talent, lay disciples had to undergo five years of training and verification.
That was the law of the Zhongnan Sect.
“Sister, you’ll graduate from lay disciple soon, right?”
One of the lay disciples lying down spoke up.
The woman lying in the corner smiled gently at the words.
“Probably. But I’m too old to properly master martial arts...”
The oldest among the current lay disciples.
Na Se-ryeon spoke listlessly.
“I entered this year at twenty-three. Climbing high will be tough.”
“Hehe. If I become a formal disciple, I’ll outrank you, Sister?”
“Maybe. Just pretend you don’t know me then.”
“Okay!”
Na Se-ryeon smiled gently at the girl’s innocent reply.
“Alright, everyone! Bedtime! Training tomorrow too!”
At Na Se-ryeon’s call, the lay disciples settled into their beds.
Exhausted from the busy day, they drifted off quickly.
“...”
But not one.
Na Se-ryeon alone opened her eyes and slipped quietly outside.
Her ever-smiling face was now taut.
‘Someone’s infiltrated the secret vault.’
The formation in the secret vault had triggered.
The signal tugged at her mind.
How?
-Click.
She opened the door and headed cautiously to one place.
Near the Zhongnan Sect’s Moonlight Pavilion was the lodging of a Zhongnan elder.
The residence of the absolute peak expert, Immortal Hyun-go.
“Having trouble sleeping?”
“No, Uncle Master. Someone’s broken into the secret vault.”
“......”
Uncle Master.
She was merely a lay disciple.
She had no right to address a Zhongnan elder that way.
Yet Immortal Hyun-go did not rebuke her.
“Se-ryeon, Se-ryeon. I’d rather you call me Elder than Uncle Master.”
And rightly so—the woman before him was the disciple of his junior brother, dead five years prior.
“I won’t deny that you’re the disciple of the previous Divine Thief and Zhongnan’s top sword, Immortal Hyun-gang Jong Ri-hyeon. Even so, you...”
“Uncle Master...”
“Sigh. Fine. Fine. I know you want to succeed the Divine Thief.”
“Thank you, Uncle Master.”
“The secret vault breached... Hard to believe.”
“...Yes.”
“The formations and mechanical arts you learned are the culmination of generations of Divine Thieves’ efforts.”
“That’s true.”
“Even I couldn’t confidently say I’d breach it. It really happened?”
“...I’m at a loss too.”
“Then let’s go.”
Having long collaborated with the Divine Thief, Hyun-go dashed off with his grand disciple.
The Zhongnan lightness skill, Big Dipper Heavenly River Step, unfolded.
‘Her lightness skill has improved even more.’
Not a Zhongnan technique.
The Divine Thief’s Moonlight Step—she wielded it masterfully.
‘Junior brother would’ve been thrilled to see this...’
“Uncle Master. Here.”
“...Indeed. Clear signs of intrusion.”
She clenched her teeth.
‘Master said protecting is as vital as stealing for a Divine Thief.’
That was why she’d diligently studied formations, mechanical arrays, and traps, convinced she’d achieved mastery.
Now that pride lay shattered.
“Not brute-forced.”
“Yes. The formations are intact.”
Meaning the intruder had deciphered the formations’ principles and found the safe paths.
“More painful than a simple breach. Let’s go in.”
They plunged inside swiftly.
Traps, mechanisms, more formations.
All dismantled.
“...Impossible.”
Upon reaching the cave, she couldn’t conceal her shock.
“Th-the treasures that filled this place... how...”
The cave’s trove of treasures had vanished.
Only one remained.
The jade Buddha statue.
“There’s paper underneath.”
“...Could be rigged. I’ll lift it.”
Na Se-ryeon carefully raised the jade Buddha.
“Ugh?!”
As expected, a trap on the statue.
One guaranteed to trigger upon lifting.
‘Poison?’
But she wasn’t worried.
She possessed one of the Divine Thief’s treasures: the Blood Poison Resistance Bead.
“Cough!”
“Se-ryeon!!”
“...What poison is this...?”
Unbelievable.
The Divine Thief’s Blood Poison Resistance Bead, which blocked nearly all poisons.
Yet the toxin had pierced it.
“Ugh...!!”
Excruciating pain seized her entire body.
Like the agony of the Seven Deadly Poisons.
“Gather your qi!! Don’t let the poison sink into your dantian!!”
She desperately circulated her inner power.
Meanwhile, Hyun-go hastily unfolded the paper.
[Divine Thief. Come to the room with the blue flag at Chi-wang Pavilion in Yichang. If you don't want to die.]
“Se-ryeon! Adjust your breathing now!!”
A poison that pierced the Divine Thief’s Blood Poison Resistance Bead.
Potentially fatal.
Hyun-go placed his hand on the back of the woman in lotus position and channeled vast inner power into her.
‘Why?’
No trace of poison.
So insidious and lethal even he couldn’t detect it?
“...We’ve tangled with a real headache.”
They were mistaken.
Dang Yu-wol’s poison was merely Bone-Cleaving Agony Powder.
It inflicted only pain.
But they couldn’t see it that way.
“...It felt just like Bone-Cleaving Agony. Surely not a one-off pain?”
“...Right. A poison left by the one who cracked every Divine Thief mechanism.”
Left by such a person to lure him out.
Would it end with mere pain?
They had no choice but to suspect.
“Haa...”
The mind-confounding toxin had already taken hold.
“...What now?”
“This note means he knows who you are. No other explanation.”
Grinding his teeth with a grave expression, Hyun-go sighed.
“We’ll head out. You come with me.”