149. Dao King
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was a dragon's pond and a tiger's den. That cramped little world crawled with Super Peak experts and top-ranked bigshots, and right at the pinnacle sat the Heavenly Demon, planted there like a mountain.
Being in a place like that, the rest of the jianghu naturally felt like a walk in the park by comparison.
But I'd forgotten one key thing: the protagonist of this world wasn't Mu Jin from Return of the Murim Lord—it was me.
Protagonists have a weird knack for drawing crowds wherever they go.
And now, staring at the hulking, sleeveless old man in front of me, that fact hit me all over again.
"High expert. Aside from the Supreme One, it's the first time I've seen someone exuding that kind of presence."
Pa Cheon's words were spot on, of course.
Dao King Paeng Yu-gun.
The Poison King was already on another level of absurdity, but the Dao King transcended even that.
To put it bluntly, right now, aside from the Heavenly Demon, there were maybe two or three people in the entire cult who could take him on.
That was the caliber of this man, Paeng Yu-gun.
His gray-white hair was cropped short, and a thick, bushy beard covered his wrinkled face. Yet his eyes burned with unyielding sharpness.
'This guy's charisma is off the charts.'
Honestly, I had to take back what I'd said about Yeon Ju Dam, the young lord of Sa Wang Castle, looking like a tiger.
No, he could still be a tiger.
But if I had to compare—
'Yeon Ju Dam's a cub, and Paeng Yu-gun's a battle-hardened old tiger.'
Not some aged, sickly, worn-out beast.
This was an old tiger scarred from countless battlefields, still very much in his prime.
"Greetings, Dao King."
As I started to rise from my seat, Paeng Yu-gun waved me off.
"Skip the formalities. Sit."
It was just a casual flick of the hand, but it felt like a gale-force wind whipping through.
"So you're the kid they call Kim Dong Yun."
"Yes, sir. Kim Dong Yun, from the Eastern Lands."
"I hear you're quite the catch for our little So So."
"......Pardon?"
"Coming from the East is no flaw at all. A Tang Clan poison master? Solid as they come. And a descendant of that famous Yak Seon to boot?"
"Well—"
"Just have exactly five kids—no more, no less. Any more than that, and they'll be beating each other senseless, giving you headaches."
"Grandpa!"
Paeng So So practically flew to Paeng Yu-gun's side.
"What, embarrassed to talk kids in front of your future husband?"
"No, five's not enough! Ten at least!"
"You say that 'cause you've never had any. Ten's way too many."
"Still, we gotta have 'em do 5-on-5 showdowns later!"
"......"
Right, I'd blanked on it for a second because of his overwhelming entrance.
But the Ha Buk Paeng Family was a clan where even their brains were packed with muscle.
That pure, unadulterated brain-muscled innocence—bluntly tossing out stuff like that in a crowded room without a hint of shame—was the true symbol of the Ha Buk Paengs.
"Martial prowess can never reach true heights without intelligence......"
Pa Cheon clicked his tongue. The Paengs had indeed gone all-in on one stat.
If your body was that exceptional, your brain didn't need to work overtime.
"Bah, five or ten, whatever. So, when's a good wedding date? Should I have those Mu Dang fortune-tellers pick a lucky day?"
"Sorry to interrupt, sir."
"Hm?"
"I already have a fiancée."
"What?"
For an instant, it felt like a house-sized fierce tiger was swinging its paw at me.
All he'd done was narrow his eyes.
'......So this is a different league altogether.'
He hadn't even fully unleashed his simsang, yet it brushed past like an illusion.
This was the kind of phenomenon I'd only felt from the Heavenly Demon, Yi Se-ryeong.
Of course, hers had shaken my very soul, making it feel like my existence was being erased.
Maybe thanks to that heavy "preventive shot," I just got a little startled—no real damage.
Seeing that, Paeng Yu-gun—
"Tch. Guess it's true."
—smacked his lips in disappointment.
"To withstand that? Definitely not some average punk. But we can't make our precious So So a concubine either."
So that had been a test of sorts.
The old monsters of the jianghu all had this passive skill for springing tests on people out of nowhere—no point getting upset.
Super Peak experts were the type who carved their will into the world itself.
Fancy way of saying they were stubborn as hell, refusing to budge on anything.
Most of them had some quirky side, so it was best to just roll with it.
"Tch, what a thick-skinned one. Who'd take a stubborn colt like you?"
"Grandpa!"
"Kehahaha! I've got business with the Eastern Sword Dragon here, so go play."
"Yes, sir! See you later!"
Paeng So So scampered off again.
"Sorry about that."
"No need. Pour me one first."
I filled Paeng Yu-gun's cup.
He downed it in one go and spoke.
"I heard you saved our So So."
"I didn't do much. That was the Tang young lord."
"But you took on that bastard Mu Gi."
Calling the Poison King by name and slapping "that guy" on it? Across the whole jianghu, you could count 'em on one hand. And Dao King was one.
"So here's the thing. I was gonna give you a gift."
"No need. I didn't do anything special."
"Remember this, Eastern Sword Dragon: refusing's a virtue back East, but here in the jianghu, it's rude."
"Then I'll gratefully accept."
"But I'm still miffed you dared mention a fiancée while eyeing our So So. How about this?"
Paeng Yu-gun said it with a sly undertone.
"Let's make a bet over drinks. Win, and I'll teach you the saber arts left by the Three Joys Saber Saint."
"......You're serious?"
What mattered most to a martial artist?
Obvious: martial arts.
No clan or sect ever leaked their arts outside—they were sacred secrets, common sense in this jianghu.
Especially from the Three Joys Saber Saint!
Three hundred years ago, that legend's ruins had rocketed the Paengs back to prominence.
His saber arts? A priceless treasure beyond measure.
"Can't hand over the Cheonhwasamnakdo, of course—that's our secret transmission. But the introductory art, Noe Yeong-do? I'll teach you that. Personally."
Before I could even react, Pa Cheon jumped in.
"Take it. You must take it."
Pa Cheon pressed urgently.
"Even as an intro art, anything from the Three Joys Saber Saint will be a huge help when I forge new sword forms."
Obviously.
Like how better ingredients make tastier dishes.
And not just handing over a manual—this was Dao King Paeng Yu-gun teaching it himself?
Like a mega-corp chairman personally tipping his top stock pick.
'I might not get it, but Pa Cheon will. He grasped Do Il Gwang's intent in no time.'
Saber arts could apply to swords just fine.
Still, the reward felt too big. Probably some ulterior motive.
"You sure I deserve such an over-the-top opportunity?"
"Of course. You saved a Paeng clansman and kept the jianghu at peace. Without you mediating, I'd have stormed the Tangs flat-out."
He said it so earnestly, I felt bad for doubting.
"And above all—"
Refilling from the jug, Paeng Yu-gun continued.
"I never said I'd just give it. You gotta win the bet. Acting like it's a done deal? In the jianghu, booze means Paengs, and Paengs mean booze—since time immemorial."
Sorry, but with the Heavenly Demon Divine Art's energy in me, it was a done deal.
"As they say, three rounds for the latecomer. Have another."
"Hahaha! What a fun guy!"
Paeng Yu-gun downed another, then roughly wiped the booze from his beard, clearly getting fired up.
"Mm. This won't do. The Thunder Shadow's purifying qi neutralizes my poisons on its own."
Suddenly, Paeng Yu-gun bellowed.
"Dang————Mu————Gi!"
He called the Poison King's name like a steam whistle.
Not fitting the world's vibe, but his voice was locomotive-huge.
Folks winced and covered their ears in agony, but snowy-bearded Paeng Yu-gun didn't care a whit.
Dang Mugi appeared quietly, as always.
"......What is it, brother?"
"Oh, you're here."
Pretty casual for a pair of 70+ geezers, but no one dared comment.
Their bond went back at least 50 years.
"Fancy a poison-versus-booze showdown with your clan's poison master. But straight-up's no fun. You got that San Gong Dok, right?"
"We do."
"Scoop a spoonful each. Lets me drink without inner energy messing it up."
"One spoonful kills a normal person. Scrambles your qi flow, leads to deviation into devil."
"You think I'm normal?"
"No, but still."
I'd seen plenty of crazies, but Paeng Yu-gun was the real deal.
Who chugs San Gong Dok just to savor booze better?
Dang Mugi didn't argue further. With a resigned look, he ladled it into Paeng Yu-gun's cup.
"Truly the Dao King!"
"A true hero among heroes! San Gong Dok for a contest!"
Dao King pumped his fist at the cheers. Applause and roars erupted.
'Wait, then.'
Muyoung Sintu Gongjin was probably watching this too.
"Poison King, sir."
"None of that 'sir.' Call me Grandpa now—we're family."
"Right, Grandpa."
"Yeah? What's up?"
"I'll have some San Gong Dok too, please."
Regret flickered across Dang Mugi's face as he poured it into my cup, eyes dim.
Paeng Yu-gun, meanwhile, burst into hearty laughter, pleased.
"Hohoho! Look at this kid—copying me?"
"A contest demands fairness, no?"
"Good man! A real one. Let's get wild!"
Paeng Yu-gun thrust his cup at me, buzzing with excitement. I clinked mine against it.
And, as expected—
"Woooaaah!"
"Eastern Sword Dragon! Eastern Sword Dragon! Eastern Sword Dragon!"
—I beat even Paeng Yu-gun. He flopped face-down on the ground, stunned.
The crowd roared, but I figured it was about time.
Spotlight-stealer Muyoung Sintu would strike now.
So, time to fake being wasted.
"Your face looks way too sober."
'I've got ways.'
"Like what?"
I took a deep breath—hup—and held it.
'Hold my breath and wait.'
"......"
What? Why?
"That pathetic plan actually......works."
Pa Cheon sounded baffled. Before he finished, white mist blanketed the area.
"Wh-what's this?"
"Some surprise from the Tangs?"
Half-confused, half-curious, people plunged into the fog.
"No response from the jade's power. It's him."
Pa Cheon Sword's power held steady, at least.
And right then—
"He's got me!"
Pa Cheon vanished from my side.
"Fast. Covered ten zhang in a blink."
'Not yet.'
"Out of the banquet hall! Still?!"
'Just a bit more.'
"Tch, outhouse! The outhouse!"
I hadn't had much to absorb lately, but Pa Cheon Sword was a demon blade that devoured human energy.
So—
'Now. Suck it dry for once.'
Pretending to Be the Heavenly Demon