CHAPTER 047: People Aren't Easily Trusted.
“···Sword··· Demon···.”
A strangled voice leaked from the Poison King's mouth.
His eyes narrowed even more ferociously, gleaming savagely as if he would chew Jin Muhon up and swallow him whole.
The Poison King thrust his black prosthetic arm forward.
Shwaaaaa!!
From behind the Poison King, the Poison Dragon gaped its maw wide and lunged at Jin Muhon.
“You're in quite the hurry.”
Jin Muhon muttered curtly and stepped forward.
Power surged from his upper dantian in an explosion, scattering blood mist ahead.
Kwaaaaang!!
Crimson blood mist clashed against the Poison Dragon midair.
A massive shockwave tore through the cave's air. The ground trembled, and chunks of rock rained down from the ceiling with a rumble.
Jin Muhon and the Poison King both staggered back several steps.
“You bastard!!”
The Poison King's left hand shot up like lightning.
Chwararak!
Dozens of hidden weapons sprang from between his fingers, carried on venomous qi as they swarmed like a hive of bees.
Kagagagang!!
Jin Muhon whipped the Four Emperors Sword in swift arcs.
Sparks flew wildly as the deflected projectiles embedded into the floor and walls with wet thunks.
Jin Muhon kicked off the ground, racing up the wall.
Tatata!
The closer he got to the Poison King, the thicker the poison permeating the air grew.
Enveloping himself in blood mist, Jin Muhon successfully closed in.
Shaeek!
The Four Emperors Sword traced a clean arc toward the Poison King's throat.
“Hmph!”
The Poison King raised his prosthetic without hesitation.
Kaaaang!
“···?”
Sparks flew as the Four Emperors Sword was repelled.
In the instant Jin Muhon betrayed surprise, the Poison King surged forward, unleashing a venom palm with his left hand.
Jin Muhon countered with his own left palm.
Peueok!
The Poison King's left hand collided with Jin Muhon's.
“···!”
In that moment, acrid venom burrowed into Jin Muhon's palm.
And it wasn't just poison—the Poison King's internal energy had grown several tiers beyond what it was fifteen years ago.
“Keuk!”
Jin Muhon spat dark red blood and flew backward.
Kwaaaang!
He slammed violently into the cave wall, but the moment his feet hit the ground, he unleashed Void Change.
The instant Jin Muhon blurred away in afterimages,
Pubububuk!!
Dozens of hidden weapons hammered into where he'd stood.
The blood mist dispersed.
“Heh heh heh.”
A satisfied laugh spilled from the Poison King's lips.
The Sword Demon who had stolen his clan's loyal warrior and right-hand man.
That devil was now kneeling before him, bleeding.
It filled the Poison King's chest with mad elation.
“Uhahaha!”
He threw his head back in triumphant laughter.
It felt like the past ten years of abandoning his humanity were finally rewarded.
By now, the Poison Dragon had shrunk and slithered behind him.
“What's wrong, Sword Demon? Can you save those precious subordinates of yours with that?”
Jin Muhon slowly rose, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
His hand trembled. The poison was spreading fast.
A sensation like his meridians turning to stone.
This was no poison to take lightly—it was his first time facing it.
“Mm···.”
The Poison King smirked and spoke.
“It's called Bloodstone Venom.”
“···What?”
“A new poison I devised recently. It hardens the victim's meridians and dantian like stone. How is it? To your liking?”
“···.”
It was exactly as the Poison King boasted.
However, Bloodstone Venom targeted only the lower dantian—Jin Muhon's upper dantian remained unaffected.
He hurriedly sealed off the poisoned meridians.
'Left side···'
For the time being, his left arm and leg would be hard to use freely.
But Jin Muhon had the Dual Intent Divine Art.
Internal energy from his upper dantian faintly coursed through his remaining meridians, exerting its power.
Jin Muhon met the Poison King's gaze with a hollow expression.
“I got properly done in.”
The Poison King's eyes flashed wide.
“What? Uhahaha! To hear such words from the mighty Sword Demon! What a joyous day! Uhahaha!”
His booming laughter shook the cave as if it might collapse.
Rock fragments fell from the ceiling, cracks spiderwebbed across the walls and floor.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The Poison King slowly advanced toward Jin Muhon.
“However, Sword Demon.”
He licked his thin lips and continued.
“This won't satisfy me. I want to see you writhe in more agony. You'll cooperate, won't you?”
The corner of Jin Muhon's mouth twitched up.
“You have peculiar tastes.”
“Kekeke. Still pretending to be composed to the end? Fine. Let's see how long you last.”
The Poison King extended his prosthetic arm.
At the gesture, the Poison Dragon raised its head.
“Ah, hold on.”
Jin Muhon slightly raised the Four Emperors Sword and spoke.
The Poison King's eyes narrowed like a serpent's.
“What? You wouldn't beg pathetically for your life now, would you? That would disappoint me greatly.”
“Not that. I stopped by the Sichuan Tang Clan on my way here. Most of your warriors were gone—oddly, you don't seem surprised.”
“···!”
The Poison King's eyes bulged.
“You went to the main house?! Why! No—Jupyeong! What happened to Jupyeong?!”
Greenish venom seeped from his widened eyes.
Jin Muhon tilted his head innocently.
“It's strange. I expected at least a hundred. Even that fool of a clan head regretted sending men to you, old man.”
“No··· way···.”
The Poison Dragon shuddered uneasily, pulling away from him.
Jin Muhon glanced at it, then unleashed Cloud Peak Demon Sea.
Fifth stage: Sword Intent.
But this time, not to summon four souls from the blood mist—to discern the Poison Dragon's true nature.
'As expected.'
The Poison Dragon was no mere condensation of poison.
How else could intangible venom be controlled so precisely, unless it were a spirit sword?
'It's souls.'
He sensed the grudges of the dead within the Poison Dragon.
Torment, rage, fear, injustice.
But the Poison King could only mimic half of it, unable to draw their true power.
“Your Sichuan Tang Clan warriors must've mixed with your blood. Shameless bastard. You devoured your own family.”
“You son of a biiiiiitch!!!”
The Poison King bellowed and thrust his prosthetic forward.
The Poison Dragon lunged at Jin Muhon.
Staring into its approaching eyes, Jin Muhon unleashed his will.
Kwaaaaang!!!
Just before it engulfed him.
The Poison Dragon veered slightly, slamming into the ground behind Jin Muhon.
A deep crater formed, hissing steam rising.
'It works.'
Jin Muhon pieced together information from Tang Jupyeong and the Poison King's words.
Elixir pills and demonic arts made by absorbing the dead's souls.
Forbidden techniques passed from Cheon Gunak.
This seemed to be,
'Ma-seon's martial art.'
Ma-seon's arts slumbered in the Heavenly Demon's Annals.
Scribbled on human skin without a name.
Accessible only to those permitted entry into the Heavenly Demon's forbidden knowledge—but obtainable by anyone who could enter.
'Cheon Gunak. You bastard.'
Something had clearly happened around the Heavenly Demon.
But the Poison King obtaining it long ago was the puzzle.
'Whoever it was infiltrated the cult early.'
“How can this be! It can't be! It can't!”
The Poison King screamed in disbelief.
Yet the shattered Poison Dragon on the floor didn't reform at his call.
“Cough!”
Still, the airborne poison invaded Jin Muhon's lungs. He hacked up a clump of blackened dead blood.
“Old man.”
Jin Muhon wiped his bloody mouth lightly.
“Looks like you got played.”
“Played by what?!”
“Someone handed you that demonic art. Nameless, probably.”
“What nonsense! That was the Heavenly Demon's···!”
The Poison King trailed off.
Jin Muhon caught a glimmer of certainty in his demeanor.
He smirked.
“Old man. Did you think it was Soul Absorption Great Law? Makes sense—your internal energy grew, after all.”
“Then it isn't?!”
Even as they spoke, Jin Muhon circulated Dual Intent Divine Art.
The venom receded bit by bit, his stiffened meridians loosening faintly.
“Think about it. Even among past cult leaders, few mastered Soul Absorption Great Law. Whoever gave it to you—how could they hand over something like that?”
Kuung!!
The Poison King stomped in rage.
The cave floor cracked with a jjjeojeok, making Jin Muhon waver.
“Five tiers! Five whole tiers of internal energy! If not Soul Absorption, how else could I gain this much?!”
Now venom seeped not just from his eyes but nose, mouth, and ears.
His face blurred behind the poisonous haze.
Jin Muhon's smile deepened.
“Tell me who gave it to you. I'll reveal what demonic art you actually learned.”
“···.”
“Old man. Don't you know why it's called demonic? Your power grows now, but it'll soon choke you. You need to know what it is to counter it.”
“Mm···.”
The poisonous mist around the Poison King's face twisted in turmoil.
Meanwhile, Jin Muhon gathered the venom into a single point with Dual Intent Divine Art.
The Poison King's silence dragged on.
Soon, Jin Muhon had condensed the poison ravaging his left side into his left hand.
'Just a bit more.'
Poison against poison.
The sight of the Poison King succumbing would be quite the spectacle.
“He was···.”
Finally, he compressed it into his left index finger.
But then.
The Poison King heavily opened his mouth.
“Who··· was he?”
“What bullshit? If you don't know, who does?”
The Poison King shook his head violently, face contorted in confusion.
“I don't know. I can't remember. Someone definitely gave me the demonic art··· but no name, no face.”
Some kind of brainwashing.
Whoever it was handled things thoroughly.
“Euk!”
The Poison King groaned, clutching his head.
His eyes shook, pained moans leaking through clenched teeth.
“Enough. Don't force it. That's how everyone ages.”
“You··· fucking bastard!!”
Kwaaaang!!
The Poison King kicked off the ground, closing the distance.
He'd avoided close quarters to leverage poison and projectiles.
Not from lack of confidence—but now,
“I'll ponder after I kill you!”
Kwaaaang!!!
The Poison King thrust his left hand.
Even from afar, the venom palm stung the skin.
Jin Muhon anchored his left foot and twisted sideways. Then, deliberately exposing his left side awkwardly, he slashed upward.
“Hahaha! The mighty Sword Demon flails like a cripple!”
The Poison King easily dodged the sword and stepped to Jin Muhon's left.
His left hand targeted the heart.
“It's over! Sword Demon!”
Jin Muhon focused all his venom—and internal energy—into his left index finger, stabbing the Poison King's palm.
Puuk!
“Euk?”
The Poison King's eyes bulged in shock.
He'd assumed Bloodstone Venom had stiffened Jin Muhon's body.
Even dragging out needless talk to let it spread.
“H-how···?”
Yet Jin Muhon wielded his left hand freely, piercing even the venom palm.
The Poison King's scheming mind short-circuited completely.
“Told you, old man. Don't trust people so easily.”
“Wh-what?! Eueok!!”
Jin Muhon detonated the venom from his fingertip.