Chapter 114
Chapter 114
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 114
Chapter Title: The Eastern Bear Marten and the Western Immortal House
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‘Isn’t the Madok Woongri that spirit beast guarding the Golden Radiant Herb?’
That’s right.
The culprit that had poisoned Han Ibi.
The ferocious source of poison that was barely kept in check through the power of the Red Dream Great Law.
Only then did Han Ibi understand why his master, Song Myeong-cheon, had been so tense.
Curiosity piqued, Han Ibi edged a little closer to the cage.
That was when it happened.
Screeech.
A strange noise rang out.
Everyone looked around in confusion, unable to make sense of it. Even Dang Ho-yeon of the Sichuan Tang Clan.
And soon, the group realized the sound was coming from the throat of the Hyungheun Seonga.
Clack clack clack clack.
This time, it was like the clash of metal.
Shockingly, it was the sound of the Hyungheun Seonga’s teeth chattering together.
Baek Mi-hu said with a worried expression.
“What’s going on?”
Dang Ho-yeon’s face hardened in an instant.
“Everyone, please head back the way you came.”
Wang Cheong-rin, equally tense, asked,
“W-Why, Instructor?”
Dang Ho-yeon stared gravely at the Hyungheun Seonga, its teeth still clacking, and replied.
“This is the sound it makes when it reaches peak excitement. It’s documented in numerous reports from battles against the Demonic Cult… We captured and raised this one for quite some time, but this is the first time I’ve seen it like this…”
That was when it happened.
Screeech!
The Hyungheun Seonga roamed the inside of the cage, letting out eerie cries with bloodshot eyes.
There was no trace of the cute creature they’d seen at first—no matter how hard they looked.
It paced the interior of the cage at blinding speed, as if obsessed.
And then…
Thud.
The Hyungheun Seonga suddenly coiled its body, pushed off, and hurled itself at the wooden bars.
The force was so immense that the hefty cage wobbled noticeably.
Grrrr.
It bared razor-sharp fangs toward Han Ibi.
Its movements grew even more violent.
It kept ramming the cage as if determined to smash right through.
Wang Cheong-rin’s face was now pale with fear as she said,
“I-It’s scary.”
But the wood held firm.
The timber was specially treated ebony sourced from the southern tropical rainforests, as tough as iron.
Perhaps because of that.
The Hyungheun Seonga stopped slamming into the bars and began savagely gnawing at them with its teeth.
Sensing things were going south, he grabbed the capture gear stashed under a nearby table.
It was equipment prepared for just such an emergency.
What Han Ibi saw looked like an enormous butterfly net.
The only difference was the net part—white and shimmering, far from ordinary weave.
Dang Ho-yeon urged the trainees.
“Hurry and get out. We don’t have time.”
Sizzle.
Then came another bizarre sound.
Smoke was rising from where the Hyungheun Seonga gnawed at the cage.
A foul stench spread through the space along with the smoke.
It seemed to be using the potent acidity of its innate poison.
Seeing this, Dang Ho-yeon shouted urgently.
“Quick! Get out now!”
Mun Won-bi asked,
“What about you, Instructor?”
At that moment, Han Ibi spotted the weasel-like beast successfully tearing a chunk from the wooden cage and yelled.
“Everyone, watch out!”
Kyaaarrr!
With a chilling screech, the Hyungheun Seonga broke free of the cage.
Like a rubber ball escaping confinement, it bounced wildly in all directions, scattering eerie cries.
Dang Ho-yeon swung the capture net to block its path.
But the Hyungheun Seonga, several times faster than the net, revealed no openings.
Dang Ho-yeon flailed the net wildly, like someone swatting a mosquito, further agitating it.
The beast’s bloodshot, ferocious eyes reacted sharply to every movement.
The moment the net’s edge grazed its head.
Screeech!
The Hyungheun Seonga shrieked irritably at Dang Ho-yeon.
It seemed ready to pounce at any second.
Judging this his chance, Dang Ho-yeon bolted in the opposite direction from the exit.
A lure to draw it away and protect the trainees.
The Hyungheun Seonga howled savagely, glaring at Dang Ho-yeon.
However…
Shockingly, it whipped its head toward not Dang Ho-yeon—who’d been provoking it—but Han Ibi.
Meeting those horrific eyes sent a chill down Han Ibi’s spine.
And it didn’t take long to confirm his gut feeling was spot on.
Using its beastly elasticity, the Hyungheun Seonga curled into a ball and launched straight at Han Ibi.
Startled, Han Ibi unleashed his lightness skill, kicked off the wall, and drew his Hanjo Sword mid-leap.
Missing its strike, the Hyungheun Seonga twisted in midair, rebounded off the wall, and shot toward Han Ibi.
It felt exactly like a bullet incoming.
In his panic, Han Ibi grabbed a nearby chair and hurled it.
But mocking him, the Hyungheun Seonga used the chair as a springboard and barreled straight at him.
“Ugh!”
Han Ibi let out a sharp yelp as he fell flat on his rear.
But he’d narrowly dodged the attack.
Just then, he noticed Dang Ho-yeon charging back, sensing the situation spiraling.
Dang Ho-yeon said,
“Everyone, get out and bring the Sichuan Tang Clan here. Seal the entrance until they arrive. There’s a lock outside.”
He swung the capture net at the Hyungheun Seonga once more.
Mun Won-bi and Wang Cheong-rin couldn’t help but hesitate.
At that moment, Baek Mi-hu calmly donned her claw gauntlets and told Wang Cheong-rin,
“Cheong-rin, hurry to the exit and call for backup. We’ll stay and help Instructor Dang.”
Hearing this, Mun Won-bi drew his sword and added,
“That’s right, Lady Wang. Our lives are in your hands. Please fetch reinforcements!”
Wang Cheong-rin had no choice but to leap up and dash off.
“Just hold on a bit. Please wait. I’ll bring help right away.”
Watching her vanish through the entrance, Baek Mi-hu and Mun Won-bi gritted their teeth, steeling themselves for battle.
Mun Won-bi saw Dang Ho-yeon and the beast playing a deadly game of tag and bellowed to draw its attention.
“You sly beast! Come at this Beggar Clan’s door guard! I’ve lopped off the necks of countless arrogant mutts, but I’m dying to taste weasel blood.”
It was like a model student attempting profanity.
His delivery sounded like scripted theater dialogue—awkward as could be.
Still, his shout worked; the weasel-like creature momentarily turned its gaze.
It coiled and sprang toward them in a flash.
Mun Won-bi and Baek Mi-hu tensed, assuming defensive stances.
But then.
The Hyungheun Seonga pulled off an impossible right-angle turn, bypassing them to slash razor claws at Han Ibi instead.
To it, everything in the world seemed to follow the pattern: intro-rise-turn-Han Ibi.
Han Ibi felt a twinge of annoyance and thought,
‘Damn. What the hell? What did I even do?’
Nothing.
He’d done nothing wrong.
But the usually docile Hyungheun Seonga’s frenzy was all because of Han Ibi.
He’d taken a direct hit from the Madok Woongri’s attack and been afflicted with its deadly venom.
The Madok Woongri’s poison spread rapidly through the bloodstream, now locked in a stalemate with the Red Dream Great Law and Golden Radiant Herb’s energy injected to counter it.
The Madok Woongri’s ceaselessly aggressive venom source.
And the Red Dream Great Law’s true energy, constantly self-healing.
These two forces were in perfect deadlock, temporarily suppressing each other to prevent outbreaks.
So while he wasn’t at fault, he’d undeniably provided the trigger.
The Hyungheun Seonga charging at him now was reacting with uncontrollable revulsion to the Madok Woongri venom flowing in Han Ibi’s blood.
It bared its fangs again, lunging for his nape.
Han Ibi barely blocked with a combo of Bagua Step and Zhongli Swift Leopard Step.
The frenzied Hyungheun Seonga was a ferocious beast god incarnate.
As if understanding this, the system chimed in.
‘Of course not. System, learn to read the room for once. If I whip out the Red Dream Great Law here, I’m done for.’
Han Ibi resolved to navigate this crisis by combining his current abilities.
Luckily, he had prior experience clashing with the Madok Woongri once.
He knew bone-deep that even a single scratch from claw or fang against these venomous beasts was forbidden.
Thus, he defended with utmost caution.
Suddenly, the Hyungheun Seonga lunged at his ankle.
Han Ibi, startled, swung his Hanjo Sword at its maw using its swift property.
But with reflexes beyond imagination, it clamped down on the blade with its teeth.
Clang!
Han Ibi tried to shake it off with a flourish.
But…
The Hyungheun Seonga rode the final recoil of his swing, launching its curved claws at his side with all its might.
A razor-edge crisis!
Clang!
Someone blocked its path.
Baek Mi-hu, claw gauntlets equipped, poised for attack.
Staggered by her ambush, the Hyungheun Seonga curled up and sprang again.
Like a cat, it lashed out with both claws.
Baek Mi-hu raised her sharp gauntlets to guard her torso, parrying barely.
It was like a massive cat battling a small one—a scene that would linger in any onlooker’s memory.
After several exchanges, Baek Mi-hu’s left gauntlet finally struck the beast’s body.
She cheered inwardly, but felt an odd, squishy impact.
The Hyungheun Seonga tumbled across the floor.
Seizing the moment, Dang Ho-yeon netted it and shouted,
“Its skin has a jelly-like elasticity—stabbing won’t wound it!”
Anyway, it was trapped in the net’s mesh.
Mun Won-bi cheered,
“We got it!”
But the Hyungheun Seonga flattened itself, then thrashed like a bowstring released, writhing wildly inside.
The force was so great Dang Ho-yeon staggered like a fisherman with a monster catch.
In that frenzy, a tiny gap opened.
The Hyungheun Seonga exploited it and burst free.
“No!”
Han Ibi and the others cried out, but it was too late.
It had clamped firmly onto Dang Ho-yeon’s left wrist.
Startled, Dang Ho-yeon swung down at it.
The Hyungheun Seonga landed nimbly and dodged the counter, springing away.
Baek Mi-hu and Mun Won-bi pursued, reigniting the melee.
As Han Ibi moved to join.
Dang Ho-yeon’s voice rang out.
“Young Master Zhongli. Hurry… Cut off my arm now.”
(Continued in the next chapter)