How Could I Be This Grateful
Do Gwang's final ultimatum left Moyong Jin with no choice but to clench his lips shut. If he'd been a man who cared about the gazes of others and his own reputation, he might have charged at Do Gwang shouting at the top of his lungs. But Moyong Jin, unlike the hollow laughter he favored, was an exceedingly cool and calm person. And his instincts were screaming at him in a frenzy—absolutely do not attack that man.
The reason was crystal clear. First, the gap in power was overwhelming. You could tell the moment their fists even grazed each other. Two Super Peak masters, ranked among the Hundred Great Masters, had joined forces to defend—and yet they'd been pushed back three steps. And this man hadn't even used a single ounce of his inner energy!
And now he wanted to pick a fight here? It wouldn't just be him—it'd be the complete annihilation of every Murim Alliance warrior who'd come along.
Second, there was no clear justification, and a matter of critical importance had arisen that absolutely needed to be verified. The people who had so matter-of-factly admitted to killing him—the deaths of the Cheongseongpa disciples could be sorted out later, but the missing elders were claimed to be Blood Religion spies. If that turned out to be true?
Then the young man standing before them wouldn't be a murderer or a demon—he could become the hero of Sichuan who saved the world.
"Look behind you." Moyong Jin's thoughts raced. The crowds that had gathered were listening to that man's explosive speech with perfect clarity. If, in this situation, the Dang family elders couldn't bear the humiliation of their patriarchs' deaths and attacked Do Gwang, only for it to later come out that the dead elders had truly been Blood Religion agents—then the Murim Alliance would become the laughingstock of the world, a bunch of idiots who attacked a hero to protect Blood Religion spies!
"Haha... living as long as I have, I never thought I'd be jealous of Heukpyo Sect lowlifes."
Moyong Jin recalled Gwon Taeo, who had wisely tucked his tail between his legs and fled the moment things looked bad. The thought that he hadn't risen to the position of sect leader for nothing crossed his mind naturally.
While he was busy with these complicated calculations, an urgent telepathic message flew into his ear.
> "Branch Leader, I have a sick old mother and many children at home to care for. Please make a careful decision. I don't want to die."
It was Gwok Byeok, Head of Law Enforcement, drenched in cold sweat and pleading through telepathy. Moyong Jin shot back a response through telepathy, his expression one of utter disbelief.
> "Haha... Head of Law Enforcement, your parents passed over ten years ago, and you've lived your whole life as a bachelor. You think I don't know that?"
> "I'm just saying. And even if it's not me, there are plenty of Murim Alliance members with sad stories like that. You know that, right?"
Gwok Byeok's shameless retort left Moyong Jin with no choice but to nod heavily. As he'd said, the eyes of the Murim Alliance warriors who were gulping down saliva in tense anxiety had long since lost all will to fight.
But—was it really acceptable for the Eight Great Families' Dang family to be running wild like this? As a branch leader of the Murim Alliance, you couldn't just retreat in a disgraceful, cowardly manner like Paedomun would.
And so Moyong Jin made his decision and stepped forward to mediate.
"Uh, this Do Gwang fellow... how about you calm down first."
Do Gwang scrunched his face in irritation at Moyong Jin's cautious words. Ah, this wasn't going to be resolved easily through conversation. That man's eyes radiated the aura of someone who would swing his idiotic iron rod right this instant!
Moyong Jin quickly opened his lips to ease the tension.
"Haha... let me tell you a truly amusing story to help this young hero blow off some steam. So the Wudang Sect Taoists were walking down the road..."
He was ambitiously opening his mouth, vowing to turn this murderous tension into an ocean of laughter!
At Gwok Byeok's display of outrage, his eyeballs nearly rolled out of his head. "This crazy old man!!! Is he out of his mind wanting to die? If he throws out a story like that here, the first head to get caved in by that lunatic's iron rod will be mine for sure!"
But before Gwok Byeok could even rush forward to stop him—
"Aaaiiiight!! You bastard!!!!"
Dang Muntae's eyes shot up with bloodshot fury as he bellowed. He had no idea what amusing story might come out of Moyong Jin's mouth, and frankly, he wasn't curious at all! But he'd clearly read the intention behind that old man's feeble attempt to lighten the mood.
'That branch leader wants to mediate between us and that man somehow!'
That was absolutely not to be allowed. Favors doubled, grudges multiplied tenfold. Beyond that principle, the situation facing the Dang family right now was fatally dire. Not only had a Dang family elder been stained with the disgrace of trying to harm the common people with poison techniques—but on top of that, the Third Elder had been hit with the absurd slander of being a Blood Religion spy!
"Our patriarch could never be a spy!" He had devoted himself to the family more than anyone. As a result, despite being the adopted heir, he'd never risen to the position of elder. Decades of companionship—fifty years of standing side by side—and this patriarch who was like a beloved older brother was a spy? Did that even make sense!
Yet alongside his boiling rage, an inexplicable unease crept up on him. What if—truly what if—Third Elder was a Blood Religion agent?
"The honor of our Sichuan Dang family would plummet into an irreversible abyss!"
And so, whether Third Elder was a Blood Religion spy or not, that man's mouth had to be stopped right now. Rip out his tongue here and kill him, then later buy off or silence the Murim Alliance. Even if Moyong Jin had complaints, he was of the same orthodox faction, so the Murim Alliance couldn't recklessly move against the Dang family!
Thus deciding, Dang Muntae charged toward Do Gwang in an instant.
FWOOOOSH—!!!
"Die!!"
He drove his palm, overflowing with murky yellow-green poison energy, straight into Do Gwang's chest! Full Poison Returning Palm! The Dang family's terrifying ultimate technique that melts veins and dissolves bones throughout the entire body the moment it makes contact!
A sly grin spread across Dang Muntae's lips. No matter how high heaven he was, if he let his guard down and took this Full Poison Returning Palm head-on, there was no way he'd survive.
"Haha!! That arrogant bastard let his guard down!!"
Confident of victory, he raised his head to look at Do Gwang's face. The man's face should be deathly pale, distorted with terrible agony from the poison!
Dang Muntae believed this with absolute certainty. But—
"Huh...?"
A stupid, slack-jawed sound escaped his lips. Because instead of turning deathly pale, the man's complexion was glowing with a healthy flush, rosy and bright.
"Oh..."
A pure exclamation slipped from Do Gwang's lips.
"How could I be this grateful..."
He was wearing a genuine, satisfied smile.
Devour the poison, refine it into divine energy.
"Your poison energy is truly sweet. My body happens to be weak right now—shall I give you a bit more?"
It was because Dang Muntae's peak-level poison technique, the very technique that had consumed his soul to unleash, was far too delicious! Do Gwang's dantian was roaring with ecstasy as a torrent of inner energy exploded inward.
"Y-you bastard...!"
Dang Muntae's jaw began to tremble. He'd taken the Full Poison Returning Palm head-on and wasn't even scratched! "Could this man have the legendary Thousand Poisons Immunity that's only passed down in stories!"
Dang Muntae, who had no idea that Do Gwang possessed an even more broken ability than Ten Thousand Poisons Immunity, was experiencing shock unlike any other shock. This was the appearance of a monster that utterly shattered common sense!
As Dang Muntae reeled from the shock, the moment he tried to draw a breath—
"If something comes, something has to go too, right?"
One corner of Do Gwang's mouth curled up in a sinister grin.
Utterly terrified, Dang Muntae scrambled backward to create distance. But it was already too late—Do Gwang's palm had stretched out like a ghost and plunged into Dang Muntae's chest!
FWOOOOSH—!
"HURK—!!!"
Bright red blood spurted from Dang Muntae's mouth like a geyser.
"Elder brother!!!"
Dang Mundeok's scream erupted. And not only that—the Dang family warriors and Murim Alliance members could only gape in horror, eyes bulging.
What Dang Muntae had unleashed—the Full Poison Returning Palm—was returned to him completely intact. No, in a form several times more precise and destructive! The poison energy radiating from Do Gwang's palm emitted such a dazzling turquoise glow that one could barely call it poison!
Observe the flow, penetrate the source.
"...That realm you spent your whole life reaching for—I'll use it much better."
Do Gwang had seen the Dang family's technique once with his eyes—and had elevated it to the realm of a transcendent god, unleashing it!
"Kk... HURK—!!!"
Dang Muntae collapsed to his knees, writhing in the agonizing torment of his entire blood circuit being twisted, unable to let out even a proper scream.
"Y-you bastard... just what the hell are you...!?"
Before Dang Muntae could spit blood-froth and ask in a hoarse voice—
"Skull."
Do Gwang cut him off casually. Not throat—skull. Understanding this immediately, Dang Muntae frantically waved his hands, begging for his life.
"W-wait...!"
But it was already—
CRACK—!!
Do Gwang's iron rod came down without mercy, crushing Dang Muntae's skull. CRASH—!!
Dang Muntae couldn't even let out a proper scream as he collapsed to the ground in a heap, lifeless.
At that unbelievably gruesome sight—
"........"
"........"
Heavy silence. No one dared open their mouth. They were so afraid of even making a sound that all they could do was swallow dry spit.
Then—
"So, are the Murim Alliance folks gonna keep yapping?"
Do Gwang slung his blood-soaked iron rod over his shoulder and asked casually.
"Th-that..."
Moyong Jin's beard trembled. He couldn't bring himself to answer no matter what.
At that moment, another telepathic message flew into his ear.
> "Branch Leader, if you're going to fight, just give me a look. I'll hand in my membership on the spot and bolt out the back door."
> "Actually, I want to rip the branch leader's insignia off right now and run for my life!!"
The two were frantically exchanging telepathic messages filled with genuine feeling, each wishing to resign. Meanwhile—
"AAAGH! Elder brother!!!!!!"
Dang Mundeok wailed, tears and blood streaming down his face.
"Elite warriors of the Dang family! Rip that bastard to shreds!!"
Dang Mundeok's nearly suicidal order rang out. As it fell—
"Ugh, noisy."
Do Gwang crumpled his expression and covered his ears. FWOOSH—! This time, blindingly clear and blue energy exploded from his body. Clear Radiance surged like it would swallow the inn whole.
And then—
SHHHHRRRK—
Do Gwang's figure vanished like a mirage, and—
BOOOOM—!!!
A thunderous explosion erupted that would have split the inn to splinters. The spot where Dang Mundeok had been standing was transformed into a pit of blood, unrecognizable in shape!
At that sight—
"AAAGH!! If we don't take this bastard down, we're all dead!!"
"Even if I die, I swear I'll drag you down with me!!"
The Dang family's elite warriors lost all reason, scattering their poison energy and killing intent in every direction as they charged at Do Gwang.
"Whatever. Die or don't."
Do Gwang swung his iron rod in a grand arc with a flat expression. CRACK—!!
"KRAAAAGH!!"
CRASH—!!
"KIEEEAAAH!!"
The Dang family warriors' bodies flew as the inn's pillars shattered. What cut through the air wasn't poison or killing intent—it was their own broken bones and blood.
"Hehe, I wanna join too!"
Do Hwa leaped into the storm of blood with a bright smile. The short sword in her hand traced bloody arcs like a dance. SHICK—! SHICK—!
"Kieee—! Sav, save...!"
"Demon...! Demon bitch!!"
The Dang family warriors' throats erupted like geysers under the lightning-fast short sword. Without even the breath to scream, they fell like wheat before a reaping scythe. Utter one-sided slaughter. Against the overwhelming might of Do Gwang and Do Hwa, the Dang family's elite warriors were pathetically swept away.
And so, without even a corner of resistance, the Dang family's formation was annihilated, leaving not a single survivor.
THUD. THUD.
Do Gwang brushed off the blood-soaked iron rod on the ground and looked back at Moyong Jin and Gwok Byeok.
"So, what are you gonna do now?"
At his question—
"Th-that..."
"Uh..."
Moyong Jin and Gwok Byeok. And the Murim Alliance warriors behind them could only protrude their lips like goldfish, unable to do anything else.
***
— Sichuan Dang Family, Medical Chamber —
"Hmph... dear old grandfather..."
Dang Aran lay motionless on the bed, her body wrapped tightly in bandages, tears streaming endlessly as she looked at Dang Taebo. Her patriarch hadn't opened his eyes even once since suffering that calamity in the middle of Seongdo, remaining unconscious.
Even with all of the Dang family's top experts mobilized, they couldn't do much. His limbs were so badly broken that they couldn't even bring themselves to apply proper treatment. As a result, Dang Taebo was destined to live the rest of his life as a cripple.
"That Paedomun's Light Technique... I'll never forgive it... Hmph..."
As Dang Aran wailed, a large, gentle hand patted her back. "A-ran, don't cry..."
It was Dang Jung-hyeok, head of the Sichuan Dang family. He wiped his daughter's tear-streaked cheeks with the warmest face a father could have.
"First Elder and Second Elder have taken the elite warriors and gone. That bastard will soon be dragged before you on his knees."
His gaze toward his daughter was infinitely warm and gentle. Yet deep inside, cold and calculating thoughts were turning.
'For daring to mess with our Dang family... I don't know what kind of lunatic he is, but on some level I'm quite grateful.'
He glanced at Dang Taebo lying in the sickbed and snorted inwardly. It had been over four years since he'd become head of the family. The old fogeys relied only on the authority of his father, the Poison King Dang Jin-kyeong, who was in closed-door training, to obstruct him at every turn.
'Those old men always oppose whatever I try to do.'
The elders' position was unanimous: once the Poison King completed his closed-door training, he would definitely reach the ranks of the Six Heavens of the World and become the Poison Star. Until then, the family should devote all its resources to preservation and maintenance. To Dang Jung-hyeok, this was less like being a family head and more like "don't act rashly, just sit there and breathe."
So the fact that Third Elder had returned in this pathetic state was cause for celebration as head of the family. Moreover, Third Elder was missing entirely. From his perspective, this was the perfect opportunity to streamline the family's power structure.
He even felt like he wanted to reward the lunatic who put Third Elder in this state. But he couldn't say that openly. Though he'd given the old men plenty of trouble, Third Elder had been the kindest grandfather to his youngest granddaughter, Dang Aran.
"So I had no choice but to send many elite warriors along with those old men..."
Anyway, those so-called elite warriors were nothing more than soldiers serving the old elders, not his direct subordinates. Since things had come to this, he even thought it would be nice if that lunatic's martial arts were so absurdly powerful that he swept away First Elder and Second Elder entirely.
Unaware of her calculating father's inner thoughts—
"That Paedomun's Light Technique... Please avenge Grandfather!"
Dang Aran's eyes burned only with her desire for revenge against Do Gwang.
"Of course. That's why I didn't send First Elder and Second Elder directly."
"But he's no ordinary man... We can't let our guard down..."
"Right, right. I know. That's why I also sent many elite warriors. He will definitely be forced to his knees before our Dang family."
As Dang Jung-hyeok soothed her with a gentle smile, Dang Aran finally turned her gaze back to Dang Taebo lying on the bed.
"Hmph... is there really no way to heal Grandfather's body?"
At his daughter's pitiful question, Dang Jung-hyeok sighed uncomfortably and replied.
"Seems like there's no choice... At least the useless one who knows medicine says she can't do anything."
He pointed with his chin to a woman crouched in the corner. Shabby clothes, no makeup, a plain face. By her appearance alone she could have been mistaken for a servant—but...
"Elder So-ryeong! Are you really saying you can't heal Grandfather!?"
Now Dang Aran was calling out sharply. She too was a legitimate daughter of the Sichuan Dang family—though an illegitimate one, born to a concubine. Within the family she was treated worse than a servant.
"...Yes, Miss. My ability is insufficient; there's nothing I can do."
Dang So-ryeong bowed her head with an emotionless voice. That meager reply made Dang Aran's eyes flip.
SLAP—!
"You useless bitch!"
Dang Aran slapped Dang So-ryeong's cheek hard. "...I'm sorry."
Dang So-ryeong's cheek flushed red, but she didn't flinch an inch, apologizing mechanically. That indifferent attitude only fueled Dang Aran's rage further.
SLAP—!
"Sorry doesn't cut it!"
SLAP—!
"It should've been your limbs that got shattered, not Grandfather's!"
As Dang Aran rained down blows fueled by malice, the friction of her palm cutting through the air filled the sickroom. Dang So-ryeong's cheek swelled instantly, her lips split, and red blood trickled down.
"......"
Yet she didn't rebel even once, merely bowing her head in silence. She endured that one-sided violence without a word.
Dang Jung-hyeok stood with his back turned, saying nothing. 'I don't particularly like that she doesn't unleash her full abilities, but the result doesn't hurt me, so I'll pretend I didn't see it.'
He knew well. If Dang So-ryeong applied her full medical skills, she could adjust Dang Taebo's shattered bones and clear his blood circuit to some extent. But she didn't. Because Dang Taebo had always treated her like vermin, abusing her constantly. In other words, she was deliberately concealing her medical skills and standing by.
Dang Jung-hyeok knew this too, but he kept his mouth shut and simply watched. Because Dang Taebo becoming a cripple was to his advantage.
But then—
CRASH—!!!!!
An enormous explosion, as if dozens of thunderbolts had struck at once, shook the Dang family estate!
"What the hell was that?!"
Dang Jung-hyeok's relaxed expression hardened instantly. And then—
"C-could it be... that lunatic...!?"
Dang Aran was seized by an ominous premonition. Could it be—First Elder and Second Elder too? And was that lunatic attacking the main hall?!
Meanwhile, in that hellish chaos—
"...."
Dang So-ryeong didn't move at all. She didn't care how things turned out. Whether the Sichuan Dang family was reduced to ashes and embers or not.
Or rather—
'...I wish they'd all just burn to nothing.'
Deep in her heart, she had been fervently wishing for destruction. Dang So-ryeong didn't know that the lunatic who would perfectly fulfill that dark wish was currently charging toward the Dang family's main gate, intent on smashing it to pieces.