Chapter 146
Chapter 146
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 146
Chapter Title: Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors
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A short while later, I was escorted into the inner chambers of the Sichuan Tang Clan. Glancing at the experts surrounding me, I thought to myself.
'As expected, they're not mere gatekeepers. They're on the level of elders from any ordinary sect... Why would elites like these guard the clan's front gate on a regular basis?'
I'd brushed past them lightly earlier, but these three were no ordinary foes. Even if I went all out, it would be tough to defeat them without injury. No matter how grand the Sichuan Tang Clan was, they couldn't have experts like this lying around everywhere. It was peculiar.
Seated in the inner chamber, waiting for me, was a middle-aged man exuding a majestic aura. Radiating a powerful presence, he spoke first.
"A genius of the world, indeed. More than capable of overturning the Beggars' Sect Sichuan branch."
I was inwardly startled. To avoid being underestimated, I'd reduced the Heaven-Sealing Blood Binding Technique to half potency, letting a controlled amount of internal energy leak out. Yet the middle-aged man showed no disturbance at my power. He was gauging my true ability while confident he could handle whatever level it reached.
I carefully assessed his eyes and aura. Subtly, his presence overflowed its vessel, densely weaving through the surrounding space.
'A Transcendent Expert...'
If the Sichuan Tang Clan had a Transcendent Expert, there could only be one.
And if he was of middle age, there was no doubt.
I clasped my hands in salute and said.
"It is an honor to meet you, sir of the martial world."
"Do you know who I am?"
"You are the clan head of the Sichuan Tang Clan, the One-Hand Rakshasa Tang Mugeuk."
At my guess, he chuckled and replied.
"Correct. I lead the Sichuan Tang Clan."
The One-Hand Rakshasa Tang Mugeuk!
From what I'd heard from the Great Beggars' Sect Leader, he was one of Sichuan's premier experts and the head of the Tang Clan. Just as with the Nine Great Sects, the heads of prestigious martial clans were implicitly the top experts of their sects—a martial world convention. Thus, it was no surprise that the head of the Sichuan Tang Clan, a top-tier clan in Sichuan and the Central Plains, was an extraordinary master.
Moreover, the One-Hand Rakshasa Tang Mugeuk had reached the Transcendent Realm in his personal arts, and in the Central Plains martial world, he was quietly feared like the God of Death. Especially among the Eight Demonic Lords, the Poison Demon had been utterly crushed by him, to the point the clan was untouchable.
He was somewhat unfamiliar to me, but that stemmed from Thunder God's disciple Lee Gwang paying little heed to the Sichuan Tang Clan, who specialized in poisons and hidden weapons. Lee Gwang had deemed it unlikely he'd ever cross paths with Tang Mugeuk in his lifetime, so he'd known of him but never mentioned or cared.
'In any case, the One-Hand Rakshasa Tang Mugeuk is one of the Central Plains' top hidden weapon masters. I must be cautious.'
I tensed inwardly.
Back when I'd fought First-Class Experts alongside Jin So-cheong, even a hidden weapon specialist called the Remnant Dragon had prompted endless warnings from my senior brother. Considering Jin So-cheong's true prowess, that was extraordinary. It meant hidden weapon arts were so tricky that even a Transcendent like him had to stay vigilant or risk being unable to counter.
How much more so for the One-Hand Rakshasa Tang Mugeuk, a supreme expert incomparable to the likes of Remnant Dragon. One misstep, and this room could become my grave.
Tang Mugeuk said.
"Very well, Baek Woong. What brings you to our Sichuan Tang Clan?"
"As I mentioned, I've come to purchase information."
"Purchase information... A novel concept to us, but not impossible. If you can offer sufficient compensation, it's entirely feasible."
Responding in a rather positive tone, Tang Mugeuk cracked his knuckles. Hiding none of his intrigue, he said.
"Tell me what information you seek. I'll appraise its value and set a price."
"......"
I felt slightly at a disadvantage. Pricing information sounded fair at first glance, but it was tantamount to them openly stating they'd demand whatever they wanted. Still, I wasn't in a position to haggle aggressively with Tang Mugeuk, so I cleared my throat and spoke.
"Ahem... While searching for the last known whereabouts of the Celestial Oddity Dongbang Mukeol, I ended up at the Sichuan Tang Clan. I want to know where he went."
The One-Hand Rakshasa Tang Mugeuk's eyebrow twitched. After a moment's thought, he said.
"Hand over gold!"
"...Pardon?"
"In my judgment, that information is worth its weight in gold. Gathering that much might be beyond you, so at least one ingot of pure gold."
One ingot of gold.
An unimaginable fortune for any commoner. Even powerhouses or merchants who'd never run short for life would bow low and grant favors for it. A hundred out of a hundred would think it overpriced, no matter how valuable the intel. After hearing him out, I countered.
"If I don't have gold, would an equivalent item suffice?"
"That works too. A martial world's rare treasure, an esoteric manual, or at least a peerless spiritual elixir—I'd accept those."
"Better to just hand over the gold, then."
Tang Mugeuk smirked.
"I'm not prying into why you're seeking Dongbang Mukeol. I could subdue you by force right now, but I'm not. No poisons either. Know that this is extraordinary courtesy from the Sichuan Tang Clan."
"......"
Tang Clan courtesy seemed a brazen mix of bluff and threat. I wanted to snark back at Tang Mugeuk but held my tongue and pressed on.
"While we're at it, I'd like to know the Sichuan Tang Clan's view on Dongbang Mukeol and how you'd handle him if he returned."
"Oh ho... Confident you can pay up?"
"It's a matter of how much sincerity I offer."
At my artful dodge, Tang Mugeuk burst into laughter.
"Haha, that spirit's not bad. Fine. Pay up, and I'll include that."
"Understood."
I reached into my spatial pocket pouch and pulled out a remaining gold ingot, placing it on the table.
Thud.
"......"
Tang Mugeuk's expression, which had been watching me like a grandfather amused by his grandchild, twisted oddly as I grinned.
"Please appraise it. I guarantee it's ten-karat pure gold."
Even Tang Mugeuk wouldn't have expected me to carry gold ingots around. Technically, I'd retrieved it from the pouch's inner space, but he had no inkling of its existence or function. He picked up the ingot, examined it closely, and sighed.
"...Hah, it is."
"You can tell at a glance?"
"My line of work involves handling gold and silver often. I pride myself on an appraiser's eye."
Replying, the One-Hand Rakshasa Tang Mugeuk eyed me transparently.
"As promised, the information. But first, a question."
"What is it?"
"What do you plan to do once you find Dongbang Mukeol?"
I answered flatly.
"I want to know why he gambled with the Gambling King at Wuhou Temple."
"That incident, eh."
Tang Mugeuk seemed satisfied. Then his face took on a strange cast.
"...But do you have confidence in defending yourself against him?"
"I've trained sufficient self-defense arts."
"If that's what you think, I won't say more."
A moment later, Tang Mugeuk began sharing the 'information.'
According to him, the Celestial Oddity Dongbang Mukeol's recent visit to the Sichuan Tang Clan was about three months ago—well before my reincarnation began. Dongbang Mukeol had demanded outright to study their poisons, throwing a tantrum. Tang Mugeuk had initially tried sending him off peacefully. But an argument escalated into a clash of egos, sparking a fight.
Dongbang Mukeol fled, overwhelmed by the clan's elites. At that point, Tang Mugeuk added bitterly.
"Since then, our inner clan's elite Ten Thousand Poisons Squad has taken over gate duty from the outer disciples. Can't let our guard down, not knowing when that old monster might rampage back."
"I see."
The three Peak Experts I'd met at the entrance were from the Ten Thousand Poisons Squad—the clan's proudest elites, inner circle powerhouses. In other words, they were the elder-affiliated aces with skills rivaling the elders themselves. Raised from childhood with deadly resolve to master poisons and hidden weapons, their prowess was inevitable.
'The Sichuan Tang Clan's sleep paralysis powder must've been stolen by Dongbang Mukeol then.'
I wanted to confirm directly but couldn't. In Tang Mugeuk's shoes, I'd never admit to a secret vault being raided—I'd hide it desperately. No need to pluck whiskers from a tiger rashly.
I asked my question.
"I've heard unofficially that the Celestial Oddity Dongbang Mukeol's medical skill is the world's best. Why do you think he coveted the Sichuan Tang Clan's poison knowledge?"
"Hmm... I've pondered that myself."
Lacking resistance, perhaps, Tang Mugeuk sipped his tea and continued.
"He was desperate, not just casually curious. Seemed he had a real use for it. Of course, we never transmit poisons outside blood ties, so I refused outright. But he dangled all sorts of compensations to tempt me."
"That urgent?"
"Yes. Looking back, he seemed to pursue the ultimate realm where medicine and poison converge."
Dongbang Mukeol had been desperate for poison arts. I mulled it over inwardly and asked again.
"Is it possible to cure diseases with poison?"
"Why not? Medicinal poisons are one and the same—poison becomes medicine with proper use. It's all about dosage and ratios."
"Even for a strange affliction from a curse?"
"Curse? You mean sorcery?"
"Yes."
"Hmm..."
Caught off guard, Tang Mugeuk furrowed his brow in thought. After half an incense stick's time, he replied.
"Ordinary poisons wouldn't work. Curse poisons lack material vectors or pathogens, unlike others—so no matter how potent, it's impossible. But there's one poison that can sever even sorcery's karmic links."
"What is it?"
"Formless Poison! Theoretically, the strongest poison."
Formless Poison!
A concept I'd never heard. Even after a decade under Hwasermyeong honing medicine, nothing similar. Tilting my head, I prompted Tang Mugeuk.
"It's just a notion, at most. Not even our Sichuan Tang Clan, let alone the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect or Soul-Forgetting Valley, has ever produced one. We merely aspire to it as the ultimate realm."
"So Formless Poison severs sorcery's roots because it's not material either?"
Impressed, Tang Mugeuk nodded.
"Exactly. Sharp mind you've got."
"Hmm... If Formless Poison isn't material, how do you even create it?"
Bewildered, I countered. Having wrung Black Snake Society knowledge to brew poisons myself, I knew the mundane, laborious process. Non-material poison? A contradiction in terms. Enthused by the topic, Tang Mugeuk explained animatedly.
"Formless Poison's principle is freely dismantling the most primal links in all things. Naturally, material poisons can be countered by other materials. But a poison existing without matter? No antidote or defense possible against it."
"Sounds like a novel."
"Heh heh. That's why delving into poisons feels like dreaming. Like ordinary martial artists chasing their arts' pinnacle."
I sensed he'd ramble endlessly on poisons if left unchecked, so I shifted topics.
"After that, Dongbang Mukeol met the Gambling King, swept the underworld gambling dens, played mahjong at Wuhou Temple, then vanished."
"I heard. Quite the slippery fellow."
"Any guess where he went?"
"Probably Yunnan. Last intel I have says he passed through the Wuyue tribe lands there."
"......?"
Yunnan?
The Central Plains' southernmost tip, gateway beyond civilization to Southern Barbarian territories. Passing Wuyue lands meant he'd effectively left the Central Plains. As I looked stunned, Tang Mugeuk said.
"Advice: don't pursue him. I'd love if you caught him, but that's impossible against that old freak. Hate to see a young prodigy like you throw his life away rashly."
"Is his martial prowess that high?"
"Bluntly, his internal energy is undoubtedly the world's best. Nearing the Star Realm."
"......!!"
My mental image of Dongbang Mukeol's power kept rising. I'd pegged him as just another Transcendent Expert, but such phrasing meant far beyond. Even guardian lion statues would hesitate—a true Transcendent art. Makes sense; otherwise, he couldn't have escaped unscathed from Tang Mugeuk and the clan's Peak Experts' assault.
'I need to seriously consider this.'
I'd assumed even against Dongbang Mukeol, activating Thunder Roar and Baek Woong Resolve would buy escape easily. But if he exceeded expectations, I might be subdued before acting. Worst case, I'd need means to match or surpass him.
"Sorry, but could you describe his martial arts' traits?"
"You're set on chasing him, then."
"Yes. Wuyue lands or Southern Barbarians, I'll find him."
"Fine. His signature seemed hand and palm arts—Peak techniques blending rigidity with hidden softness. Highly adept at my clan's finger strikes, especially dominant in area-control prolonged fights. Also, he could briefly manifest protective aura. Truly beware."
"......"
Concentrating internal energy to forcibly create protective aura?
Impossible with ordinary energy. Unlike sword aura or flames, it required pure enlightenment; otherwise, the consumption was immense. Exceeding even Thunder Roar's drain—most martial artists would perish trying. To defensively manifest it forcibly meant astronomical internal energy reserves.
Perplexed, I said.
"With such immense power, why hasn't Dongbang Mukeol made a name in the martial world?"
"Who knows. Weirdo."
"......"
Tang Mugeuk's curt reply showed real distaste. For the Sichuan Tang Clan's head, reigning like the God of Death, to loathe him so—Dongbang Mukeol was something else.
Casually, I asked.
"If human-faced tree spirits actually exist and one wanted to harvest its inner core, what method?"
"Hahaha, you like novels too? As if those are real."
"Just hypothetically."
"Hmm... If so, I'd drain the acidic sap first, then prep antidote elixir and transfer the core via water cloth once exposed. Bury in cool, sunless ground for 33 days to shed excess toxicity, then refine meticulously into a poison core via elixir forging."
"I see. What about the body?"
"The corpse is a massed qi lump too—drain poison, dry, pulverize, and consume for elixir-like tonic, vitality, or virility boosts. Folklore says the face part grants immortality."
Tang Mugeuk half-jovially humored me. Who else would trek to the Tang Clan, proffer gold, and grill on poisons but me?
"Thank you."
I nodded. Now I knew how to recycle a human-faced tree spirit corpse.
"Any intel on the Gambling King?"
"He's vanished too. Ask the Beggars' Sect."
"Yes."
With business done, I left the Sichuan Tang Clan, used teleportation in a deserted spot, then headed to a remote valley. Miho, at my side, said intrigued.
"You wrapped it up well. No need for charm arts."
"Yeah... Lucky."
Miho had hidden near Tang Mugeuk via transformation arts before the meeting—feasible only for a great yokai like her.
As an inanimate disguise, even Tang Mugeuk's sublime arts couldn't detect it. If talks soured or combat erupted, she'd ambush with charms or strikes. But Tang Mugeuk proved amenable, averting the need.
Miho said.
"Next destination: Yunnan, then."
"Yeah."
My eyes gleamed.
"First, though, I need to find experts who can handle Dongbang Mukeol."