Chapter 179
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 179
Chapter Title: Oops, My Hand Slipped lol;;
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"Why did you suddenly stop?! The Murim Alliance is in danger!"
As we raced toward the Murim Alliance, the man who'd announced the Heavenly Demon's arrival shouted when Namgung Yeon abruptly halted.
"Time to drop the act."
"What do you—"
"You think I wouldn't notice while the Heavenly Demon infiltrates the Murim Alliance?"
"......"
The man, who'd been playing dumb, suddenly had veins bulging across his body as it swelled in size. Then he charged straight at me.
"Gurk... Gruuk...!"
What the hell...
I reared back my fist to meet the freakishly transforming assailant.
"Duck!"
Namgung Yeon dashed up from behind and kicked the man skyward.
The guy's body kept expanding as it flew, morphing from human into something balloon-like. It grew so grotesque my eyes narrowed in disgust.
Kaboom!
It detonated in a massive explosion right in the air.
"In-hyeok, you're no spy. That attack was clearly aimed at you."
"What the hell just happened...?"
I'd thought the Heavenly Demon was coming, only for some human bomb to try killing me instead.
Good to know she trusted me, but I was totally lost on the bigger picture.
"The Heavenly Demon alert was just a ploy to separate us briefly. And these filthy tricks... this reeks of..."
Shuuu—
Dozens of hidden weapons flew in from somewhere, targeting Namgung Yeon. She deflected them all, and where they stabbed into the ground, the earth began to melt.
"Keeheehee... Long time no see, sis."
"Dang Un. It had to be you."
A cackling old man with a creepy, slit-eyed cartoon-villain grin emerged, hands clasped behind his back.
Calling Namgung Yeon "sis" with that face... my brain hurt from the cognitive dissonance.
"You're the Heavenly Demon Cult's Grand Elder. What are you doing here?"
"Nothing much. Just kill that guy next to you, sis, and we'll leave quietly."
Why me all of a sudden?
Had the geezer lost his marbles? I'd never seen him before—why try to kill me?
Namgung Yeon looked equally baffled, frowning as she demanded answers.
"Why do you want this man dead?"
Dang Un raised his index finger toward the sky.
"The Heavenly Demon. She demands his death."
He snapped open his eyes—bloodshot whites and dark green irises gleaming.
"Why would the Heavenly Demon order his death?"
"I merely obey her command."
"Not gonna answer, huh."
Namgung Yeon drew one of her two swords from her waist—the long, razor-sharp blade etched with lightning patterns.
Dang Un broke into a cold sweat upon seeing it.
"Even the Heavenly Thunder Sword...?"
"Dang Un, it's time to end our long, sordid grudge."
"You won't hand him over...?"
"Never crossed my mind."
"Such a shame."
Dang Un flicked his fingers lightly, and dozens of people surged from the surroundings. Like before, their bodies swelled into balloons, primed to explode.
"Keeheehee... You think I'd fight you head-on, sis?"
"Dang Un...!"
The sneering bastard ignored her, vanishing on the spot. The human bombs latched onto Namgung Yeon and me, then detonated one after another.
Boom! Kaboom! Bang!
The chain explosions overlapped into one massive blast.
Namgung Yeon, trying to escape, hurriedly unleashed her protective aura to shield against the sudden eruption.
Oh no...!
Only after blocking the blast with her aura did she realize In-hyeok had been caught in it too.
She quickly cleared the dust, searching for him—then sensed a presence behind her.
"...!"
Was Dang Un attacking while she was vulnerable? She whipped around with the Heavenly Thunder Sword.
"It's me. Me."
In-hyeok had caught her blade barehanded and tilted his head with a grin.
"Unscathed...?"
"As you can see, perfectly fine."
Namgung Yeon sighed in relief at his condition.
But seeing him grab her Heavenly Thunder Sword with his bare hand—and survive that explosion unscathed—made his realm even harder to gauge. She'd pegged him for Flower Realm at best.
No signs of bone refinement or rejuvenation... Could he really have reached the same Transcendent Realm as her at his age...?!
As Namgung Yeon marveled at In-hyeok, poison-coated daggers flew at his back.
Clang! Clang!
He swatted them away, and Dang Un revealed himself.
"Expected you to be fine, sis, but not this punk."
"All flash, no pain."
"Insolent brat...!"
Dang Un's veins throbbed in rage at the taunt, but he calmed and continued.
"Keehee... True, you've earned your rep for toying with Heukran."
Heukran... the one with those massive tits.
That titjob still haunted my dreams.
Wanna reunite and eye-rape her again.
"Toyed with her, yeah."
My confirmation drew his signature creepy laugh. He opened his eyes fully.
"We'll retreat for now, but soon the Heavenly Demon herself will come for your head."
Basically admitting he couldn't take me, so he'd tattle to the boss?
Murim folks sure loved dressing up cowardice as ominous prophecy.
"Like hell!"
Namgung Yeon shot forward, unleashing Crescent Sky Sword Dance with her longsword at Dang Un.
"See you later, sis."
He scattered poisonous mist and vanished before her strike landed.
"Poison Fog...!"
She completed her sword form to disperse the mist without inhaling the toxin.
Frustrated at letting him escape, she sheathed the Heavenly Thunder Sword and approached me.
'First, I'll head to the Murim Alliance for some business. We'll return to the academy later. Plenty to discuss, but it'll keep.'
We parted ways with Namgung Yeon heading to the Alliance. I returned to the Murim Academy alone.
I bet Ga-hee and Se-rin are worried.
I'd left without a word, after all.
Where's my dorm, though?
I'd been dragged around by the Sword Queen without getting assigned one—or even asking.
Who to ask? I wandered the academy grounds.
"Dang So-hye?"
"You...!"
I spotted her walking alone and greeted her casually. She scowled, eyeing me warily.
Murim folk get this guarded over a sparring bruise? She even tried poison on me.
"Something up?"
"Nah, just never got my dorm assignment."
"Men's dorms are that way. Look for the nameplate with yours carved on it."
"Women's dorms?"
"Why do you need—"
"Gotta see Pang Ga-hee and Se-rin."
She seemed wary but answered helpfully enough. I thanked her and turned to check my dorm.
"Wait."
"Yeah? Something to say?"
"No, your neck..."
She circled behind me, inspecting my neck.
"This poison...! You're poisoned. Not mine... Who got you?"
Her grave expression suggested it was nasty.
Probably from the fight with Dang Un.
"While with the Alliance Lord, some guy named Dang Un attacked us."
"Dang Un...?!"
Whoa...
She recoiled at the name.
Same clan—family, maybe?
Family in the Heavenly Demon Cult's Grand Elder?
"You mean the Poison King Dang Un...?"
"Dunno about 'King,' but he was a creepy old geezer giggling 'keeheehee.'"
"Sounds like him."
"What's he to you?"
"My grandfather. The shame of the Dang Clan... traitor to the righteous sects."
Pain twisted her face as she spoke bitterly.
"Anyway, that's not the point. You're in bad shape—Poison King's toxin!"
"Feel fine, though."
I wasn't serious. Sure, some stinging, but my body handled it no problem.
As I moved to leave, she grabbed my collar.
"Come with me. I'll detox you."
No reason to refuse the kindness. Despite her prickly vibe, her heart seemed good.
Her place wasn't so much a dorm as a poison apothecary—shelves crammed with vials.
"All these poisons?"
"Yeah. Shirt off, face down."
"Got it."
I stripped and prone'd without fuss.
She prodded my neck, then frowned.
"What... the poison's gone?"
"Gone?"
"It was clear as day earlier... Are you immune to all poisons or something?"
Thousand Poisons Immunity—that invincible murim trope?
For me, less immunity, more "too tough to care."
"All good? Can I dress?"
"Uh... yeah..."
She stammered, flustered. I scanned the room.
Vials labeled with poison names everywhere. One caught my eye.
"Aphrodisiac...? Why's that here?"
"It's a poison type too. Don't touch—insanely potent. Tiny dose is dangerous."
"......"
Suddenly, my hand felt slippery.
Tried setting it down, but it slipped—popped the lid and doused Dang So-hye.
"Kyaa! What the—?!"
"Oops."
My hand slipped.