Chapter 141: Setting the Trap (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 141: Setting the Trap (2)
I headed straight for the Tang Clan.
The Blood Wind Squad insisted on following me, but I barely managed to shake them off by pointing out that I was only going to meet Tang Ja-seong, not starting a war.
In a battle between true masters, bringing those guys along would only lead to their meaningless deaths. Even I had to be careful to save my own skin.
However, since Jeok Yeong and Chu Bong-hwa were at a level where they could at least protect themselves, I took only the two of them with me.
"Why are we going to the Tang Clan?"
"I have something to collect."
Tang Ja-seong and Tang Bin owed me a debt. Furthermore, I needed specific equipment to surely hook the Heavenly Lord’s son—things essential for the upcoming fight.
Upon arriving at the Tang Clan, I was able to meet Tang Ja-seong almost immediately. We were escorted to the clan’s guest reception hall.
"I didn't expect you to visit so suddenly. You didn't even send word."
Tang Ja-seong’s face beamed with genuine delight at my arrival.
"It’s an urgent matter; I couldn't afford any delay."
I explained the current situation to him—the reason the Divine Light Sect had entered Sichuan and their imminent plan to raid Commander Do’s residence. Since the Tang Clan Leader had rejected an alliance with the Divine Light Sect, leading to a conflict with the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, the Tang Clan was already on bad terms with them.
Tang Ja-seong, who had personally fought against the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, ground his teeth at the mere mention of the Divine Light Sect.
"How can I help you?"
Fearing that our conversation might be overheard, I spoke to him via Sound Transmission.
"Hmm..."
As I continued the Sound Transmission, Tang Ja-seong’s humming grew longer and deeper.
"This is something difficult for me to handle on my own. I will report this to the Clan Leader and seek his permission. Since the Clan Leader is also furious with the Divine Light Sect, I believe this will be settled easily."
Tang Ja-seong left and returned half a shichen [one hour] later.
"The Clan Leader has given his permission. He trusts you even more because it is Young Hero Eo who is asking. However, to prepare both items, it will take at least a full day. Will that be alright?"
"A day should be enough time."
I tried to remain calm, knowing that being impatient wouldn't help. Besides, the items I had requested weren't things that could be produced instantly, so I had no choice but to wait.
Shortly after Tang Ja-seong left, Tang Bin stopped by.
"Young Hero Eo, may I speak with you privately for a moment?"
She was hesitant because Chu Bong-hwa and Jeok Yeong were by my side.
I smirked. It looks like she brought what she promised.
I nodded and followed Tang Bin into another guest room. She pulled something from her robes.
"What is this?" I asked, feigning ignorance.
"It’s a Poison Avoiding Bead."
The Poison Avoiding Bead was a round, jade-colored orb about the size of a thumb. It was threaded on a string, meant to be worn around the neck.
So this is the legendary Poison Avoiding Bead that money can't buy.
Legend had it that simply holding this bead in one's mouth could neutralize most poisons.
"This is extremely precious. I am giving it to you because I promised."
Judging by her lingering regret and hesitant manner, I could tell just how valuable this bead truly was.
"Thank you."
I didn't refuse; I took it immediately and hung it around my neck. Where else would I ever find such a treasure?
The things I hated most in this world were poison and the bastards who used it. Now, even if that hidden-weapons master Do Geon showed up, I had nothing to fear.
I returned to the guest room where Jeok Yeong and Chu Bong-hwa were waiting. Even in this situation, Jeok Yeong was circulating his energy. This guy practiced his Energy Guiding Technique and martial arts whenever he had a spare moment. Thanks to that, his skills had reached yet another level.
Chu Bong-hwa, on the other hand, was lost in deep thought, not even noticing my return.
Not wanting to disturb them, I sat quietly in a corner. Suddenly, a thought occurred to me, and I pulled the leather pouch from my robes. It was the pouch containing the Soul Spirit Beads, which I hadn't had the chance to examine properly due to a lack of time.
During my fight with the Divine Light Sect elders, I had unleashed the Thunderbolt Shaking Heaven technique, a feat that should have been impossible with my own internal power. From the fifth form of the Nine-Section Soul-Severing Sword onward, the techniques required at least three jiazi [180 years] of internal energy, so I hadn't even considered them.
Even with sufficient power, Thunderbolt Shaking Heaven required lightning-attributed energy. However, after swallowing the Thunder Demon Emperor’s bead, I had successfully performed the technique. This led me to believe that by consuming other Soul Spirit Beads, I might be able to perform the remaining forms.
The sixth form of the Nine-Section Soul-Severing Sword, Soaring Clouds Without End, was a technique one could usually only dream of seeing. Every time I looked at the manual for this sword art, I felt a simultaneous sense of terror and respect for my fake father, Woo Cheong-rin. The man who created this was not human.
Yet, even such a genius had died a hollow death on the road due to the Divine Light Sect’s schemes. In the end, we lived in a world where those who plotted behind others' backs were the ones who prospered.
Soaring Clouds Without End did not literally mean that the changes of a cloudy hill were endless. The "Cloud Hill" referred to the momentum of internal energy being projected outward, resembling a bank of clouds. This projected True Qi acted like Sword Glare, but the energy itself contained poison, capable of annihilating all enemies in the vicinity.
To achieve this, one's internal power had to possess poisonous properties, which was only possible for those who had mastered poison arts. Among the Soul Spirit Beads was the bead of the Five Poison Demon King.
However, I couldn't bring myself to reach for it. I had an innate revulsion toward poison, so I decided to give up on Soaring Clouds Without End.
Instead, I looked for the Soul Spirit Bead related to the seventh form. The seventh form of the Nine-Section Soul-Severing Sword was Void Heavenly Strength, a technique that, like the Hundred-Step Divine Fist, could strike distant enemies with formless Sword Glare.
But as I reviewed the oral formula for Void Heavenly Strength, I realized it wasn't a problem that could be solved by internal power alone.
This is a matter of realization.
I used to scoff whenever I heard that advanced martial arts required "realization." I thought the formulas were simply about which blood vessels to move the energy through—what was there to "realize"?
But now that I was actually encountering advanced martial arts, I saw that the meaning of a formula wasn't fixed to a single definition. This made me realize that everything changes depending on where a person stands.
How could the mountain viewed from halfway up be the same as the mountain viewed from the summit? From the middle, you see nothing but forest, but from the top, the peaks and the entire terrain are laid bare.
Elder Third Rate had once told me:
"People are not equal. Their positions are different, so why do they labor under the delusion of equality? The reason your sword cannot reach a master is that the place you stand is different from where the master stands."
It wasn't just about training; their feelings, thoughts, and life experiences were different. How could all that be bound under the single name of "equality"?
Damn it. I don't want to admit it, but with my current skill, I can never fully comprehend this Nine-Section Soul-Severing Sword.
Realizing this fact brought a mixture of frustration and anger.
"What are these ghostly things?"
Chu Bong-hwa approached and asked while I was lost in thought.
"Items I'm holding for a moment at a friend's request."
As I began putting the Soul Spirit Beads back, Chu Bong-hwa quickly snatched one up, turned it over in her hand, and said, "I thought it was strange that ghostly energy was always leaking from you. It was because of these."
She continued, "The ghostly energy is strong. If you keep things like this too close, they might steal your sanity. Be careful."
She didn't forget to add that warning, sounding genuinely concerned. Her voice made my heart ache slightly. I suppose we had grown fond of each other without realizing it during our time together.
Then, she held the bead to her nose and sniffed.
"But why does this bead smell like crap?"
The one Chu Bong-hwa was holding was the Thunder Demon Emperor’s Soul Spirit Bead.
Well, of course it did. It hadn't been that long since I pulled it out of a pile of dung.
*
Like Jeok Yeong, I spent my time in meditation, and the hours flew by. Tang Ja-seong visited us at dinner time.
"The work is being finalized, so it will be finished by tomorrow morning."
I told Tang Ja-seong what I had in mind.
"I don't think we can defend Commander Do’s residence by ourselves. Could the Tang Clan locate Phoenix King Yeop Seung and the Fist King in Sichuan and relay this news to them?"
I didn't mention that the masters of the Black Fortress were also involved in this operation, as it might cause unnecessary misunderstanding.
Early the next morning, Tang Ja-seong came to our room.
"These are the things you requested, Young Hero Eo."
Tang Ja-seong placed a large crate and a small box on the table. Chu Bong-hwa, perhaps expecting something grand, looked at the roughly handled crate and box and said dismissively, "Doesn't look like much."
She casually flipped open the lid of the crate.
"What? It’s just a Wind Breaker Cloak."
It was a Wind Breaker Cloak, similar to the battle surcoats worn during combat. I quickly closed the lid and retorted, "It’s not just a Wind Breaker Cloak. It’s a weapon that will save my life."
"What’s the other thing?"
Chu Bong-hwa opened the small box as well. Seeing the box emitting a thick chill, she muttered, "Are you planning to carry ice around in this?"
That box was called an Ice Case, used by the Tang Clan to preserve special poisons. I had specifically requested it from Tang Ja-seong for this plan.
"I'm going to store medicinal herbs in it."
Losing interest at my words, Chu Bong-hwa immediately turned away.
"If it’s a hidden weapon or poison that can be made in a single day, it can't be that impressive."
Perhaps because she had lived a long time or because she was a master at the Extreme Intent Realm, she was cynical and pessimistic about everything. Fearing Tang Ja-seong might take offense, I said, "Please understand, Brother Tang. Lady Chu doesn't know the full story."
"No, she is right. They aren't particularly grand items, but their power depends on how they are used."
This guy was certainly developing the aura of a great man. In the past, he would have flared up and started a fight over such a comment. Having crossed the threshold of death several times seemed to have made him much more mature.
"Thank you, Brother Tang."
"I would like to act with you, Young Hero Eo, but my position makes it difficult. I apologize for not being able to help, as there is a grave matter currently facing my clan."
While having a poison master like Tang Ja-seong would be beneficial, in some ways, he could be a hindrance. This matter had to be led entirely by the Black Fortress; the intervention of other powers wouldn't be ideal.
Although I didn't get to see the Tang Clan Leader as I had hoped, I wasn't too disappointed. The leader of the Tang Clan wasn't someone just any random person could meet.
"Brother. Let's go."
Jeok Yeong, who had been silent since arriving at the Tang Clan, finally spoke. It seemed he didn't care for the atmosphere of the Tang Clan either.
I headed toward the government office where Danyeong was staying, accompanied by Chu Bong-hwa and Jeok Yeong.
"My brother is supposed to arrive this evening or tomorrow morning at the latest. You've come quite early," Danyeong said when we arrived ahead of the scheduled date.
I led Danyeong to a secluded spot.
"I came early because there is something we must do first. I've received intelligence that the son of the Divine Light Sect’s Heavenly Lord has entered Sichuan, and it seems he is after the medicinal herb."
"What? Then what should we do?"
Danyeong, who had personally experienced how strong the Divine Light Sect masters were, was greatly alarmed.
"That is why I have prepared a few things."
The tension on Danyeong’s face eased. "Prepared?"
"Yes. First, I have summoned the masters of the Black Fortress who are in Sichuan. Some are as skilled as the Phoenix King or the Fist King, and others can hold their own against the Divine Light Sect’s Guardians. They will be lying in ambush around this office today. Even if you see them, please act as if you don't know they are there."
Danyeong looked relieved to hear that such great masters would be protecting them.
"And one more thing. As a final touch, we need to move the Thousand-Year Snow Blossom Fruit to a different box, just in case the worst happens."
"That’s difficult. The Thousand-Year Snow Blossom Fruit will rot immediately if it is removed from the Ten Thousand Year Cold Jade Box."
This was because the fruit required constant cold to be preserved.
"That’s why I brought a device from the Tang Clan that keeps things as cold as the jade box."
"Ah! Is that so? But there’s no reason to change the box, is there?"
"No, there is. Since the Shadowless Ghost Thief has already stolen it once, they will know the shape and characteristics of the box. If it’s not the Ten Thousand Year Cold Jade Box, they will be suspicious. We might have to hand this box over to them if things go south, and we can't leave the Thousand-Year Snow Blossom Fruit inside if that happens."
Danyeong was a clever woman. Realizing my intention for swapping the boxes, she looked at me with a meaningful smile.
"Young Hero Eo, you look so innocent, but you are truly meticulous."
"It pays off."
In fact, my enemies often let their guard down because of my innocent and clumsy-looking face, only to suffer for it later.
I placed the Thousand-Year Snow Blossom Fruit into the Ice Case and put the item I had brought from the Tang Clan into the Ten Thousand Year Cold Jade Box.
"Hide the Ice Case separately and securely, and keep this Ten Thousand Year Cold Jade Box in your quarters."