Chapter 45 - Poison Dragon
Chlop, chlop, chlop.
"Mm."
Warm tea poured into the porcelain cup, producing a faint, melodic trickle.
Hyeonjin, the leader of the Wudang Sect, began his day as always with a light cup of tea.
Drinking a warm cup in the morning was like quietly letting sunlight into a body and mind chilled overnight. As the tea slid down his throat and warmed his insides, the cold energy lifted, and a gentle heat spread like embers from kindling, loosening his stiffened meridians.
Slurp.
Hyeonjin took a sip. As the cozy warmth spread through his belly, the thoughts he'd kept buried deep in his chest slipped out unbidden.
"Hoo... what a pity."
Solemn yet gentle, the grand leader of mighty Wudang. Even he, one of the great pillars upholding the murim, was just a man before attaining enlightenment in the Dao. Alone like this, he often found himself tripped up by worldly desires.
"That was the Taecheong Pill I brewed after years of effort..."
Hyeonjin's eyes softened.
The Sword Demon's blood kin, now a disciple of Wudang.
In Wudang's long history, had there ever been such a case?
Why would the Primordial Heavenly Lord of this age send such a tremendous trial?
Yet Hyeonjin was the man who had risen above brilliant contemporaries and seniors to claim the leader's seat. He had turned calamity into fortune, offering that precious Taecheong Pill to Jin Hayeon to win the Sword Demon's favor.
Thud.
Right. It was already gone.
To truly grasp the Dao, one must always walk the middle path.
"I had to give that much to our pretty little junior sister. Of course. I'm her senior brother, after all..."
Still, calling her "junior sister" at his age...
Somehow, today's tea tasted bitter.
As Hyeonjin smacked his lips...
Thud thud thud thud thud!
Someone came rushing toward his quarters early in the morning.
Now, just the sound of those footsteps made his heart sink.
"What does that fool want this early?!"
Bam!
The antique door flew open violently.
"Senior Brother Leader!"
Hyeonmyeong—the one who had brought news of Muheo before—thrust his flushed face inside.
Hyeonjin scowled and bellowed.
"You fool! How old are you, still yanking doors open like that?!"
"It's urgent! Look at this!"
Without permission, Hyeonmyeong dashed inside and shoved a torn letter at Hyeonjin.
That meant it wasn't addressed to the leader himself.
Hyeonjin narrowed his eyes and glanced at the letter in Hyeonmyeong's hand.
"What's that?"
"Hurry! Read it!"
"..."
"Good news!"
"Ah. Is it?"
Only then did Hyeonjin relax his guard and take the letter, unfolding it.
He read it carefully, character by character.
But contrary to Hyeonmyeong's bold claim, Hyeonjin's expression wasn't bright.
"The Tang Clan allied with the Demonic Cult for wicked deeds! And Cheongpung, who was in Sichuan, gave them a thrashing! They're calling him the Wudang Divine Dragon in the jianghu now! Hahaha!"
"..."
Hyeonjin slowly lowered the letter.
Then he stared at Hyeonmyeong with a look of utter disappointment.
"Wh-why do you look like that?"
"Over a hundred Tang warriors, including their clan head, died in a single night. Does that make a Taoist laugh?"
"But... they allied with the Demonic Cult..."
Bam!
Hyeonjin slammed the floor hard.
Hyeonmyeong flinched, shoulders hunching as he gauged the mood.
"You fool! Aren't demonic beasts human? Does allying with the Demonic Cult mean they all deserve death?!"
"Well... now that you say it, you're right."
"Besides! Have you forgotten who our little junior sister's uncle is?!"
"...Ah!"
Only then did Hyeonmyeong's mouth gape open.
Hyeonjin clicked his tongue and lowered his voice.
"Hoo... think about it. If it were you, could you turn the Tang Clan into a sea of blood overnight?"
"Mm..."
Hyeonmyeong's mouth clamped shut in a straight line.
He'd been so thrilled by news of Cheongpung's great feat that he hadn't considered it.
"That..."
"Tsk tsk. Still harboring pride at your age? It wouldn't be easy. Not easy at all. Even I couldn't do it. This isn't just about martial arts. You, me, even Cheongpung—we're the same. Slaughtering so many, and righteous folk at that, without mercy? Impossible."
"...!"
Hyeonmyeong's eyes widened.
As expected, the leader didn't speak idly.
From a single letter, Hyeonjin had pierced the truth of the Sichuan Blood Demon incident.
"Then who...?"
"We'll find out."
"How?"
"Mm..."
Hyeonjin pondered briefly, then his eyes sparkled as he spoke slowly.
"Send word to Unbong County."
"Unbong County... to Senior Uncle Muheo?"
"Mm. No, to our little junior sister."
"Ah! Better her than Senior Uncle. What should I say?"
Hyeonjin turned his gaze out the window.
"Ask how her uncle is doing."
Jin Muhon stepped down from the cart and stretched.
He'd been roughly treated, but pain flared here and there in his body.
For some reason, the wounds from Wi Mugeol weren't healing easily.
"Clan Head. Are you all right? Really going alone?"
Go Seokchu eyed Jin Muhon stretching, his gaze uneasy.
His commission ended at guiding them to Poison Dragon Valley, but Jin Muhon had ordered him to wait until the job was done.
'Damn it. What a shitty situation.'
Even from this distance, the murderous intent wafting from Poison Dragon Valley prickled his skin. The Tang Clan's elite—and even the Poison King—cowering in traps? Of course it'd be like that.
If he stuck around and the Sword Demon died to the Poison King, he'd be dead meat too.
But bolting now? If the Sword Demon survived by some miracle, his head would roll later.
'Still... the Sword Demon won't go down easy. No way. Can't even imagine that guy dying.'
Jin Muhon, stretching, turned his head.
"Why's my ear itching? Talking shit?"
"Pardon?! Why do you keep saying that! I'm offended! For the last ten years, I've said over and over you're the man I respect most—"
"Shut it."
"Yes, sir."
Jin Muhon cracked his neck.
"I'll be back. Wait here."
"Uh... how long should I wait?"
Jin Muhon furrowed his brow slightly.
Go Seokchu hurriedly added,
"M-my stomach's rumbling! Need to know when you're coming back to avoid screwing up!"
"Deal with it."
"Yes, sir!"
Step. Step. Step.
With that, the Sword Demon headed toward Poison Dragon Valley.
'That vicious bastard. What the hell's Buddha doing, not dragging scum like him off.'
Jin Muhon stopped abruptly.
"Clan Head! Good luck!"
Go Seokchu cupped his fists and bowed. His booming shout echoed all the way to Poison Dragon Valley.
As if out for a stroll, Jin Muhon sauntered toward Poison Dragon Valley.
Step. Step. Step.
The closer he got, the eerily silent the surroundings became.
Despite the scorching sunlight of Yunnam, the wind from the valley was chillingly cold. His nose stung—poison qi mixed in, no doubt.
"There it is."
From afar, the valley mouth looked like a monster baring black fangs.
Cliffs rose on either side, jagged like dragon scales; the ground and grass lay blackened and dead.
Step. Step. Step.
Jin Muhon stepped into Poison Dragon Valley without hesitation.
Inside, sunlight barely penetrated, leaving deep shadows.
Dark green poison mist pooled calmly up to his knees on the ground.
"Poison, huh."
Sensation faded slowly below his knees.
A valley with only an entrance, no exit.
Yet it was surprisingly spacious inside.
To spread such thick poison throughout? For just him? Wasn't the Tang Clan's response excessive?
Sssshhh—
Jin Muhon unleashed Cloud Peak Demon Sea.
Red blood mist rose, pushing back the poison mist bit by bit.
The reaction came swiftly.
—Who are you. Who are you. Who are you.
A shrill voice echoed from higher up the valley.
It sounded like a ghost's wail, reverberating long before fading.
Jin Muhon looked up and said lightly,
"Weren't you waiting for me?"
No answer for a while.
Instead, frantic presences stirred above.
At the same time, the poison mist pushed back by the blood mist writhed, darkening in hue.
Shwaaaaa—
Suddenly, rain poured from the sky.
Countless hidden weapons rained down on Jin Muhon, blackening the clear blue sky.
"Must have money to burn."
Poison was money, and so were hidden weapons.
Jin Muhon would've focused on a single point, not wasted them over such a wide area.
He raised his right hand into the air.
Shwaaaaa—
Hidden weapons halted midair in a radius of about half a zhang around him.
Instead, sharp darts embedded densely across the entire valley floor.
With vision already blurred by clashing mists, stepping freely was now risky.
Chrrrrrk!!
This time, something streaked fast from the poison mist with an eerie sound.
Jin Muhon focused his gaze.
Hundreds of projectiles.
"Idiots."
He extended his left hand forward.
At the same time, he dropped his right, unleashing his will.
Shwick! Boom boom boom!!
The needles he'd held in the air collided with incoming projectiles.
The struck shots exploded violently with thunderous roars.
Explosions chained in sequence.
Kaboom!!
Black poison liquid surged from the projectiles like waves, engulfing Jin Muhon.
'Poison shots, huh.'
Jin Muhon kicked off the ground, leaping upward.
Dodging with footwork would've been dicey with the poisoned needles below.
Sizzle!!
The black liquid scorched even the relatively intact ground viciously.
"Die!!"
"This is your grave!"
Shwick! Shwick! Shwick! Shwick!
As Jin Muhon leaped, Tang warriors poured from the valley walls, raining swords and darts.
Jin Muhon drew his Four Emperors Sword.
—Kiiiiieeeeek!!!
A bone-chilling shriek echoed through Poison Dragon Valley.
The unexpected phenomenon threw off the sword paths of Tang warriors near Jin Muhon.
A slight gap was all he needed.
Slash!
Jin Muhon swung swiftly.
The severed head spun in the air, spraying blood.
"You bastard!!"
Fierce sword wind assailed his back.
Midair, Jin Muhon stepped his right foot on his left instep, spinning his body.
Clang clang clang clang clatter!!
He parried three warriors' swords with swiftblade technique.
The recoil flung his form backward.
"Urk!"
A warrior waiting for his opening gaped in shock as Jin Muhon bore down on him.
Clutching his sword, Jin Muhon coiled around the man like a serpent, planting a foot on his back as if piggybacking, then exploded inner energy from his toes to soar skyward.
Crack!
"Gaaahhh!!!"
The warrior with a shattered spine plummeted into the thick poison mist below.
—Uwaaah! Save me! Save meee...
Soon, agonized screams rose from the mist.
They melted away like flesh dissolving in acid.
Thud!
Jin Muhon jammed his Four Emperors Sword into the cliff, pausing to catch his breath.
"Damn! Where?!"
"Division Head! Up there!"
"That way!"
The airborne Tang warriors floundered briefly without a target, then spotted him and turned.
Jin Muhon watched curiously to see what they'd do.
A lightness-skill master at the pinnacle might redirect midair to a cliff, but that required Poison King level.
"Fire!"
The falling Tang warriors thrust out their left hands toward where Jin Muhon dangled.
Chrrrrk! Shwaa! Chrrrrrk!
Dozens of silver threads shot toward the cliff from midair.
"Oh? Heavenly Silken Threads?"
Probably used to traverse the valley without touching the mist.
Jin Muhon smirked and extended his left hand toward the incoming threads.
The forceful threads halted midair before embedding in the cliff.
"Wh-what?"
"Uwaaah!"
"Falling! Division Head!"
"Projection force! Unleash projection force!"
Jin Muhon gazed coldly at the plummeting Tang warriors.
Thud! Thump thump! Boom! Splat!
Various sounds rose from below: ear-splitting screams, bodies bursting, agonies from poison, projection force splattering on the ground.
True pandemonium.
—Ughhh...
S-save...
Shwaaaaa—
Then the poison mist below writhed like serpents.
It swallowed not just the fallen warriors but even the masters who'd barely survived.
—Ugh! Uwaaah!
Wh-what's this!!
Dodge—gack! Hack!
Warriors' bodies melted stickily while alive.
Jin Muhon watched the gruesome scene stone-faced.
The mist that devoured dozens coalesced sluggishly, then surged skyward like an imugi.
Kaboom!!
Jin Muhon looked up where the mist headed.
Midway up the opposite valley wall.
From a pitch-black cave mouth, a fierce-looking old man glared down.
"...Poison King."
The jianghu's old poison viper had finally revealed himself.