Chapter 294
Chapter 294
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 294
Chapter Title: Sichuan Tang Clan (4)
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I executed the Shadowless Heaven-Splitting Step and kicked off the ground.
Do-ol Wol-ma wore a startled expression and hurled his body toward me.
However.
At that instant.
Holes drilled throughout the passage spewed forth poisonous smoke.
Sizzle-
“!”
In the meantime, as Do-ol Wol-ma flinched.
I slipped out of the passage, and soon the door of gleaming steel at the exit slammed shut.
Boom!
My sworn brothers immediately surrounded me.
“Hey!”
“Eon hyung!”
“Young Hero Eon!”
“Brother Yong-un!”
“Are you all right?!”
Gulp!
Along with the group and the Sichuan Twin Evils, warriors of the Tang Clan led by Tang Ok-gi's two older brothers were visible.
‘…Not everyone, but some disciples from Emei and Qingcheng have crossed over here.’
Confirming their presence, a sense of relief that they had survived washed over me first.
Next, the thought that I had successfully lured Do-ol Wol-ma flashed through my mind, and a laugh escaped me unwittingly.
“Keuhehehe.”
However, that laugh soon turned into a cough that felt like my insides were flipping over.
“Keuhk. Kek, cough. Keuk.”
It was only natural.
The short path from the main street of Chengdu to here had been anything but easy.
Being pursued by an opponent who could tear me apart while he radiated killing intent had exhausted both body and mind in itself.
‘Not only did I fail to shake him off completely, but I kept him at a razor-thin distance.’
I had even clashed with him directly to prevent him from suspecting it was a lure.
In that process, the backlash from using the Blood Tide Technique to execute techniques beyond my body's limits had returned.
On top of that, I had inhaled a bit of the leaking poison while escaping the passage, so it wasn't strange that my stomach was churning enough to make me cough like this.
“Cough keuhk. Cough.”
Seeing me like that, my sworn brothers furrowed their brows.
“Eon hyung!”
“Brother?! No, you were laughing just fine, then why all of a sudden?”
“Did Young Hero Eon suffer internal injuries?!”
“Tang Ok-gi! Check his pulse!”
“Not me—the old man should! Weird old man! Hurry!”
Gwi-ui grabbed my arm and checked my pulse.
“It's a form of exhaustion. He'll be fine after some rest.”
Gwi-ui's diagnosis was spot-on.
My body was something I knew well.
‘The bit of poison I inhaled—my body that's absorbed the Thousand Poison Pill will handle it on its own.’
The coughing was a natural reaction, so if I rested a moment and regulated my breathing, I'd be fine.
But with my sworn brothers stomping their feet in worry, it was making me more restless instead.
I waved my hand to signal I was okay, then at some point smirked and opened my mouth.
“What did I tell you? I kept my promise, right?”
At my words, Tang Ok-gi let out a sharp shriek.
“Kyak! What do you mean, what! I really want to jab an acupuncture needle into your philtrum!”
Yin Ha-seong, standing nearby, jumped up as well.
“No, you suddenly started laughing like you'd lost your mind, then coughed like you were about to vomit up your organs—I thought it was serious!”
Then my master chimed in.
- That fool has indeed lost it. Why provoke someone out to kill you that much?
‘That's exactly why Do-ol Wol-ma fell into this trap.’
- Bullshit. Fine, everything else aside—but why say you were welcome to the Tang Clan at the end?
‘…That was.’
- Admit it. That's just your personality.
‘…What exactly do you mean by that personality, Master?’
- Who knows?
While I exchanged a few words with my master like that.
A booming sound came from inside the passage, followed by banging noises.
Bang! Bang!
Bang bang bang!!!
I stared at the Sichuan Twin Evils and asked.
“The banging is Do-ol Wol-ma, but what's the booming?”
Gwi-ui answered my question.
“When the mechanisms in this passage activate, poisonous smoke fills it, and barriers installed in sections drop down at the same time.”
“A device to completely trap the intruder and poison them, right?”
“You could say that.”
In the midst of that, the banging suddenly stopped.
Yin Ha-seong opened his mouth.
“It's gone quiet? Did they finish him off?”
“Chant the sutras to resurrect him properly—chant the sutras.”
“Ow!”
I flicked Yin Ha-seong's forehead.
Then I asked Gwi-ui again.
“Phew. Do-ol Wol-ma. Will a monster like that go down?”
“A normal person would be spewing blood from all seven orifices the moment they inhaled it, but that old demon's realm is one thing—demonic cultivators practice bizarre martial arts, and their bloodlines are nothing like ordinary people's...”
At Gwi-ui's words, Dok-goe opened his mouth as if asking what nonsense that was.
“Why are you talking weak, Ja-un? Did getting smacked by that demon freak you out?”
“Wasn't it you who got smacked and sent flying?”
“...Khm. That poison we poured is One-Chopstick Elephant-Slayer Poison. Even the elephants of the Southern Barbarians drop dead with their tongues lolling out in an instant if you just dip a chopstick in it and feed them. No way that demon survives it.”
At Dok-goe's words, a few of my sworn brothers tilted their heads.
Among them, Wu So-ryeong quietly asked me.
“...Eon hyung. But are elephants beasts resistant to poison? Why compare it to an elephant?”
“What are you talking about? You don't know elephants?”
“I've handled a lot of ivory so I know the name, but I've never seen one.”
“They're beasts that live in the Southern Barbarians or Tianzhu, size of a house...”
As I tried to explain, I saw Namgung Yun's ears perk up.
“You don't know either, Yun-i?”
“I know. Why wouldn't I know elephants?”
“You know?”
“Yeah. They're even in chess pieces, aren't they? Huge size, teeth that sell for a fortune, used in wars.”
“...Doesn't know.”
“I know.”
“Then draw it. Roughly on the ground.”
“......”
Namgung Yun couldn't draw it.
Yin Ha-seong, rubbing the spot where I'd flicked him, snickered.
“Puhaha. Yun hyung's secretly such a country bumpkin when you look at him.”
At that moment, the banging that had paused resumed.
Bang!!
It felt much louder than before.
Bang!!!!
Axe marks began appearing on the gleaming steel door blocking the exit.
It was the moment everyone gathered there drew their swords and assumed ready stances.
“Everyone, prepare!”
Kwaaaaang!!!!!
Not long after, the gleaming steel door tore apart, and Do-ol Wol-ma—eyes bloodshot, body covered in blisters—emerged, roaring.
“Eon Yong-un! You bastard!!!!!”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Seeing Do-ol Wol-ma's appearance, Dok-goe gritted his teeth and muttered.
“...Doesn't look like the poison had zero effect, but how did that old demon crawl out alive?”
Tang Ok-gi pointed at Do-ol Wol-ma's left hand.
“Left hand. The pinky is pitch black, old man. Looks like he forced the poison there?”
“...How is that even possible?”
I raised Regret and answered.
“Elder. For Demonic Cult bastards—especially a great demon like Do-ol Wol-ma—there's no point in questioning that.”
In the meantime, Do-ol Wol-ma, grinding his teeth, sliced off his blackened pinky right there and swung his twin axes with radiating killing intent.
“To insult this seat so! I'll grind you lot into dust without a trace left!”
Swaaaaek!
Swaaaaak!
Gwi-ui spoke upon seeing Do-ol Wol-ma.
“That old demon isn't in perfect shape either! Tang Clan retainers! Make him pay for touching the Sichuan Tang Clan of the world! Emei and Qingcheng, lend a hand!”
Led by Tang Yun-gi and Tang Jun-gi, the Tang Clan warriors scattered hidden weapons as they charged.
The Emei and Qingcheng disciples kicked off the ground as well.
My sworn brothers and I tried to join them.
But Gwi-ui and Tang Ok-gi blocked me.
“Yong-un, sit this one out for a bit.”
“...Pardon?”
“What pardon! Your hands are shaking, aren't they? You used that weird speeding technique of yours? You need rest after that.”
“Ok-gi's right. I said rest would fix it, but not in this short time. If you circulate inner power now, your insides will flip.”
The other sworn brothers spoke up too.
“Yes. Young Hero Eon. Please rest until your stomach settles, then join us.”
“What nonsense, Jeong-hyeon. We have to finish that great demon with our own hands so Yong-un doesn't need to lift a finger.”
“Yun hyung's always so inflexible. That's how you get Yong-un hyung to rest even briefly with his personality. Jeong-hyeon has his reasons, that's why he hasn't seen an elephant. Right, So-ryeong dongsaeng?”
“I haven't seen an elephant either?”
“My clan's Namgung.”
“...What's that got to do with our family?”
“Anyway, let's go.”
Chatting among themselves like that, they charged straight at Do-ol Wol-ma.
Among them, Jeong-hyeon lingered last and spoke once more in a solemn tone.
“Young Hero Eon. Just as you trusted us, please trust us in return.”
Seeing them insist I sit it out.
I nodded that I understood and sat cross-legged.
“Got it. I'll do that, so you join quick.”
“Yes!”
In truth, after drawing out power beyond my level with the Blood Tide Technique, it was right to rest properly.
During training at the academy to improve Blood Tide Technique proficiency, moving without sufficient rest often caused cramps in my limbs.
‘It'd be dangerous for me and everyone else.’
However, I couldn't close my eyes and meditate.
I massaged my limbs while keeping watch on the battle with Do-ol Wol-ma.
‘We can't say we're overwhelmingly superior.’
The Tang Clan's forces had joined.
But Emei's Plum Blossom Sword Guards and Qingcheng's Azure Cloud Sword Guards had split their forces with the Chengdu main street side.
‘The silver lining is that Gyeongmin and Daoist Sim Deok are here. And the poison seems to be working on Do-ol Wol-ma.’
The Sichuan Twin Evils each said the poison had taken effect while eyeing Do-ol Wol-ma. It looked that way to me too.
‘Slower technique speed than the fights on the Chengdu main street or in Ojuk Forest.’
Especially the axe in his left hand after severing the pinky.
Whoooong!
However, Do-ol Wol-ma compensated for the slowed speed with intricate footwork and a longer axe grip, while.
Swaaaaak!
Kaaaang!!!
“Keuk!”
Led with an overwhelming strike from his superior realm to instill fear, attempting to pull the back-and-forth of the melee toward his side.
“Jeong-hyeon!”
“Yes! Young Hero Namgung!”
Fortunately, my sworn brothers were unfolding linked formations as if they were of one body, each doing their part.
Chaeng! Chaeng!!!
Cha cha chaeng!!!!!
The Tang Clan warriors, who had many relatively lower-realm fighters mixed in, and the Emei and Qingcheng disciples whose movements still overlapped at times, were becoming the sacrificial lambs.
‘If we're not careful, this could end in total annihilation.’
Chwaaak!!!
Seeing the warriors sent flying split apart, I stopped massaging my limbs and rose to my feet.
At my action, my master spoke up.
- Joining in?
‘Yes.’
- Didn't your brothers ask you to trust them and stay out? They're fighting well... Thinking they can't do without you is arrogance.
‘That's not why I'm doing this.’
- Then? Feeling sorry for the dead warriors?
‘No.’
I felt no pity for the warriors sacrificed to Do-ol Wol-ma's axe.
‘No room for pity in a warrior's choice.’
They were warriors.
There must have been a reason they first took up the sword, and if they overcame fear to thrust it at Do-ol Wol-ma, they had something they wished to protect.
‘I just realized that everything I want to protect is right there.’
- You'll use Blood Tide Technique?
‘Without it, how could I even reach Do-ol Wol-ma right now?’
- Will your limbs hold up?
‘Somehow, for a brief moment.’
- Wonder who you take after to be this reckless.
‘Like master, like disciple. Don't you know? The one who calls himself my master did the Kunlun Sword Debate alone...’
- Shut your mouth.
I let out a long breath to soothe my churning insides.
“Fuuu.”
I drew blood on my left hand once more.
Then I activated the Blood Tide Technique within my body and circulated Heaven-Splitting inner power.
Thump-
Unlike in Ojuk Forest, it felt like every vein in my body was screaming.
“...Heuk. This really will be just a moment.”
At the same time, time began to stretch out like pulled taffy.
I kicked off the ground without hesitation and leaped into the melee.
Lightning-fast, I wove through our allies charging at Do-ol Wol-ma and reached a spot about ten paces from him.
Booong-
At that instant.
A gap emerged from Do-ol Wol-ma's subtly slowed left hand.
I immediately regripped Regret.
Executing the Shadowless Heaven-Splitting Step, I slipped into his range in an instant and thrust out the Heaven-Splitting Blind Assault technique.
Swaaaaak!
The bastard twisted his body as if to say he'd gladly let me stab if I offered my neck in return, slashing with his axe.
Bwoooong!!!!
That would be far too great a loss on my end.
I bent backward at the waist and scraped the ground with my knee, sliding in to dodge Do-ol Wol-ma's axe.
Swaa-
The moment that axe passed a paper's thickness above my face.
Chwaaaak!
Dok-goe darted into the gap like lightning, taking the axe blade on his shoulder to halt it.
Ignoring his flying left arm, he spat poison straight at Do-ol Wol-ma's face.
“Puhuu!!!!!!”
Do-ol Wol-ma reflexively pulled back his neck to dodge it.
That created the perfect opening.
I didn't miss the moment and kicked off the ground.
I thrust Regret into Do-ol Wol-ma's neck.