155
Chapter 155: It Just Smells Foul.
The Sacheon Alliance maintained a triangular front by connecting three regions: Cheongseong to the east of Dayi, which could be considered the center of Sacheon, and the Qingcheng and Amisan above and below it.
Depending on the situation, they moved their forces organically around this triangular formation to support each other.
However, with one axis of this triangle—the Ami Sect—having closed its gates, Cheongseong, which had primarily acted by sending reinforcements to the Qingcheng and Amisan from the rear, now had to directly face the forces of the Paewangseong.
As a result, the Sacheon Tang Family in Cheongseong was bustling more than usual. After assessing the situation, the Poison Dragon of Sacheon burned the letter he had been reading with Sammae Jin-Hwa (三昧眞火).
“Hmm. The Sacheon Tang Family. It’s been a long time.”
“It seems we won’t have to wait much longer to return to the main family.”
At his subordinate’s expectant words, the Poison Dragon of Sacheon curled the corners of his eyes. The subordinates he kept close and the Poison Legion he had personally raised were all family members who had left the Tang Family with him.
Though they were currently under the protection of the Paewangseong, they harbored thoughts of returning to the Sacheon Tang Family and restoring it to its former glory.
“Prepare thoroughly. You know as well as I do that this is no family to be easily toppled.”
The subordinate glanced at the Poison Dragon’s expression before cautiously asking,
“What do you intend to do with the current family head?”
Though Tang Qihu and the Poison Dragon of Sacheon had parted ways due to ideological differences, they were still siblings born from the same womb. There might still be familial affection between them.
But contrary to the subordinate’s concerns, the Poison Dragon’s expression and voice were chillingly cold.
“I’ll melt them slowly from the toes up and make them die in agony as an example.”
Even with just a faint wisp of poison energy rising from his fingertips, the armrest of the chair he was touching melted away.
The subordinate hurriedly suppressed the poison energy.
The poison of the Poison Dragon of Sacheon, who had even obtained the secret arts of the Five Poison Sect, had reached a level even other poison masters couldn’t handle.
“I won’t let the elders who supported the family head’s foolish ideas off the hook, either. It’s because of them that the Sacheon Tang Family has become so weak.”
“That’s true.”
“Once I return, I’ll become the new family head and remake the Sacheon Tang Family.”
As he smirked with a dangerous smile, a crack formed on the Poison Dragon’s face.
The puzzled subordinate asked,
“What’s wrong?”
“The Sacheon Alliance. I thought those cowards would just hole up and defend like they always have, but they’ve mustered some courage.”
“Could it be…?”
As the subordinate jumped up in realization, alarms signaling the enemy’s invasion and battle cries infused with internal energy echoed from all directions.
“I’ll go check.”
At the Poison Dragon’s nod, the subordinate hurriedly rushed out of the tent.
Left alone, the Poison Dragon leaned back into the half-melted chair.
The keen senses of a supreme expert, transcending human limits, allowed him to effortlessly survey the entire Paewangseong camp.
He paid no mind to the flow of battle. No matter the situation, he could turn the tide if he stepped in. Even if all his forces were annihilated, it wouldn’t matter.
Yet, the reason he meticulously scanned the camp with his energy perception was to find someone.
Finally, something caught his attention—a presence rapidly approaching his location.
Among the countless presences he sensed, this one stood out dominantly.
“So, you’ve come.”
With a smile, the Poison Dragon withdrew his energy perception and slowly rose. By the time he stood, the chair he had been sitting on had already vanished.
Only acrid smoke rose from where it had been.
***
The Sacheon Alliance had chosen to launch a preemptive strike rather than focus solely on defense.
While they aimed to catch the Paewangseong off guard, they also had enough firepower to strike the forces led by the Poison Dragon of Sacheon, thanks to Mu Hwi’s presence.
Moreover, the goal of this raid wasn’t just to inflict damage but to behead the Poison Dragon himself.
The idea of a preemptive strike had been Mu Hwi’s suggestion.
Kwaang!
The Plum Blossom Swordsmen charged forth in unison, their steps resonating like thunder.
With every flutter of their plum blossom-adorned robes, screams and shouts from the warriors of the Paewangseong filled the air.
“How dare you come here!”
“Saves us the trouble of going to Cheongseong!”
The warriors here were the main force that had crushed numerous sects under the command of the Five Martial Lords.
Though they wouldn’t even blink at the elites of most sects, they were sweating profusely just holding their ground against the Plum Blossom Swordsmen.
With every surge of violet sword light and petals of sword energy, the ground beneath was dyed red with blood.
As the vanguard of the Plum Blossom Sword, their swords shone brilliantly, slowly carving a path forward.
The Dark Scent Flutter, the Purple Sunset Heart Method, and the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Techniques.
The twenty-four Swordsmen, who had trained the same martial arts and moved in perfect sync, now moved as one, like a single sword.
The power of the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Formation was immense.
But the formation they were deploying now was different from usual.
Until now, the Plum Blossom Swordsmen had primarily used the formation to combat large numbers of formidable enemies.
The Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Formation was designed to fluidly adapt to any situation, whether offensive or defensive.
However, they had lacked the mastery to utilize the formation’s full potential, condensing the combined power of the formation and then releasing it outward for offensive purposes.
But now, things were different.
“Mu-cheol, move faster! Mu-cheol and Mu-hwa, widen the gap by one step!”
At Hyeon Baek’s command from the rear, the movements of Hwasan Four Flowers, who was cutting down Paewangseong warriors at the forefront, shifted.
Swoosh!
Mu-cheol’s Iron Plum Sword Technique unleashed an even fiercer storm of sword energy, its destructive power unmatched among the Plum Blossom Swordsmen.
The overwhelming force of the sword wind could topple even a pavilion in an instant, crashing down upon the Paewangseong warriors.
As Mujin and Mu-hwa took wedge-shaped positions in the space Mu-cheol had carved, the entire formation’s movement began to change.
Mu-cheol and Mu-hwa exchanged glances and nodded.
Previously, the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Formation had taken the shape of a circular flower.
But now, with Mu-cheol, Mujin, and Mu-hwa at the forefront forming a wedge, the rest of the Swordsmen stretched out behind them like the length of a longsword.
“Muryun and Musang, move from Xun (巽) to Dui (兌)! Musan and Muho, from Kan (坎) to Kun (坤)!”
Under Hyeon Gak’s commands, the positions of the Plum Blossom Swordsmen constantly shifted, continuously gaining momentum to push forward.
Hwasan Four Flowers, at the tip of the wedge, spearheaded the formation’s breakthrough power, while Hyeon Baek and Hyeon Gak at the center coordinated the entire formation like the hilt of the sword.
As the Plum Blossom Swordsmen advanced rapidly, countless hidden weapons rained down from above—the Poison Legion, personally raised by the Poison Dragon of Sacheon, had revealed themselves.
“It’s the Poison Legion!”
Among Paewangseong’s many forces, the Seven Great Swords were renowned as elites, but the Poison Legion was considered no less formidable.
The morale of the Paewangseong warriors surged.
Cha-cha-cha-cha!
Though the sheer number of hidden weapons threatened to overwhelm the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Formation, the Swordsmen didn’t falter.
“First and Third Squads, Upper Wind!”
At Hyeon Baek’s command, the designated members unleashed successive sword winds toward the falling hidden weapons.
The overlapping sword winds formed an impenetrable wall.
Even if some hidden weapons broke through, they were easily brushed aside with a flick of their plum blossom robes, woven from Heavenly Silkworm Thread.
The Plum Blossom Swordsmen defiantly slaughtered the Paewangseong warriors despite the Poison Legion’s barrage. The Poison Legion’s leader glared in disbelief.
“Release it!”
At his firm command, the Poison Legion members unleashed their poison energy.
Green, red, and even black poison energies bloomed everywhere.
“Those madmen!”
“Retreat!”
Even the Paewangseong warriors, who had faced the Plum Blossom Swordsmen’s overwhelming martial prowess with determination, recoiled in terror at the Poison Legion’s toxins and scrambled to retreat.
The Poison Legion’s poison was so feared that even their allies avoided it. Seeing this, Hyeon Baek immediately issued another order.
“All units! Be cautious!”
At his command, the Plum Blossom Swordsmen channeled their internal energy through specific meridians using the Purple Sunset Heart Method.
By directing energy to acupoints like Shuigou (水溝), Lianquan (廉泉), Tiantu (天突), and Yutang (玉堂), they prepared to burn or suppress any poison that penetrated their Poison-Resisting Pearls.
Though they had taken the Pill crafted at Mu Hwi’s request and additional antidotes provided by the Sacheon Tang Family, they didn’t neglect further precautions.
“Damn them!”
The Poison Legion’s leader gnashed his teeth as the Plum Blossom Swordsmen continued to shine with violet light even within the murky poison mist.
“Did you really think poison alone could stop the Plum Blossom Swordsmen?!”
With Hyeon Baek’s retort, some of the Swordsmen leaped onto the tents. The Poison Legion had positioned itself not just on the ground but atop the tents as well.
Clang!
Though poison might not work, the Poison Legion wasn’t defenseless. Some hurled hidden weapons, while others wielded poison palms or poison claws.
Yet the Plum Blossom Swordsmen remained unfazed, consistently extending their swords to draw plum blossoms in the air.
Though the Poison Legion and the Swordsmen clashed chaotically, with every surge of plum blossom fragrance pushing back the noxious poison, the Poison Legion’s numbers dwindled.
“The infamous Poison Legion is falling this easily?!”
“The Plum Blossom Swordsmen! They truly are Hwasan Sect’s finest!”
“They exceed the rumors! They could hold their own against the Wudang Seven Swords or the Eighteen Arhats!”
Warriors of the Sacheon Alliance watching the battle couldn’t help but marvel.
The sight of the Plum Blossom Swordsmen overwhelming their enemies while their robes fluttered like banners was nothing short of spectacular.
Splat!
The Poison Legion’s leader ignored his severed right arm soaring through the air and glared at Mujin, who was scattering sword energy.
Defeat was imminent.
Determined to take Mujin down with him, he pulled out a black orb the size of a fist from his sleeve.
The Poison Dragon of Sacheon had restored some of the forbidden weapons sealed away when the Sacheon Tang Family turned to the righteous path. The Black Sand Pearl (黑砂珠) was one of them.
Melting the seal with his poison energy, the Poison Legion’s leader charged at Mujin.
His outstretched left hand didn’t even grab Mujin—instead, his palm was pierced by Mujin’s sword.
But the leader smirked and pushed his hand further onto the blade, forcibly closing the distance.
“Too late to realize now!”
As he forced himself closer, he detonated the Black Sand Pearl between himself and Mujin.
Boom!
A small explosion erupted, releasing a cloud of black dust.
This wasn’t just poison—it was Ghost King’s Spirit (鬼王靈), poison-infused sand mixed with countless minuscule hidden weapon fragments.
Too small to deflect with weapons, even the slightest contact would allow them to burrow into the skin, rotting it and leaving internal wounds.
‘You won’t even be able to move your sword. How will you block this?’
The Poison Legion’s leader proudly looked at his hand gripping Mujin’s sword.
As he watched Mujin get engulfed by the black poison, he laughed despite his own rapidly decaying flesh.
Whoosh!
Then, the sound of the wind arose.
Its source was Mujin’s left hand.
His fingers moved fluidly, weaving together into a single, elegant motion.
Five streams of wind spiraled from his palm, swirling like a vortex as plum blossom petals spun within.
The chaotic airflow gradually sucked in the Black Sand Pearl’s poison, drawing it into Mujin’s palm.
“What…?”
Even as he succumbed to the poison, the Poison Legion’s leader’s eyes widened.
By the time Mujin’s hand completed five rotations, the Black Sand Pearl’s poison had coalesced into a black sphere floating above his palm.
The leader, spewing black blood, gaped.
“The Plum Blossom Scattering Hand’s Vortex Wind Filtering Flower. We were already informed about the Black Sand Pearl by the Sacheon Tang Family.”
“Damn it.”
At Mujin’s calm words, the leader realized his mutual destruction had failed and let out a hollow laugh before collapsing.
***
“How unexpected. I thought you’d come with your forces in a full assault, yet here you are alone.”
Standing alone atop the central tent, the Poison Dragon of Sacheon watched Mu Hwi appear with interest.
“I don’t need to help. They can handle it themselves.”
Mu Hwi studied the Poison Dragon.
He wore a splendid palace dress, modified to cling tightly to his body, ensuring no hindrance in combat.
Mu Hwi narrowed his eyes at his long hair, which cascaded down to his waist. His sharp eyes didn’t miss the powder-like substance falling from his hair with every movement.
“Don’t tell me that powder in your hair is poison?”
“You’ve got quite the keen eye for a man. Correct. Some say long hair is nothing but a hindrance to warriors, but for me, it’s another weapon.”
Mu Hwi shook his head.
If true, poison would scatter everywhere he moved.
“You’ve even poisoned your own hair. You’re completely insane.”
“Hehe. Care to touch it? It’s drenched in poison, but the strands are soft.”
Mu Hwi gently gripped the hilt of the Sim-myeong Sword.
“You’ll be embarrassed when you realize poison doesn’t work on me.”
“That won’t happen.”
With a firm voice, the Poison Dragon unleashed a poison palm. A massive green palm strike hurtled toward Mu Hwi.
Swoosh!
As he drew his sword and split the palm strike apart, the concentrated poison energy burst outward, engulfing him.
The Poison Dragon smirked—but so did Mu Hwi, standing unharmed within the poison.
“It just smells foul.”
Mu Hwi lunged at her.
Around him, dozens of iron butterflies took flight.
“Now, let’s play.”