Chapter 29
Episode 29
Master and Disciple (1)
The three of them pursued Muxiang deep into the mountains.
The rugged terrain grew increasingly treacherous.
Cheong Yeon's breath came in ragged gasps, her mouth dry as cotton.
Yet this time, she gritted her teeth and endured.
She couldn't dare hinder Se-woon's pursuit.
'Young Master Tang is risking his very life to track them down. I must not hold him back.'
An extraordinary aura emanated from Se-woon as he led the way.
Both Ha-young and Cheong Yeon had been stunned when the pursuit began.
Se-woon, who claimed to enhance his senses through family martial arts, had abruptly tapped into his Xiantian Qi.
The sight of him channeling that life-draining energy without hesitation to rescue the hostages—
He was the very embodiment of a true xia.
'...I'm so ashamed.'
Cheong Yeon, who had earlier complained about the difficult path, now hung her head in embarrassment.
After pressing deeper into the mountains—
Crunch.
Finally, Se-woon halted.
-Found them.
His voice resonated in their ears through Sound Transmission.
Hidden behind dense foliage and ancient trees, the mouth of a cave came into view.
Even without approaching the entrance, they knew instantly—this was the Poison Demon's hideout.
"—!"
"......!"
The thick scent of blood permeated the air, undiminished even by Mountain Incense Water.
They didn't charge in immediately upon discovering the hideout.
First, they scouted for guards before retreating to a safe distance.
This wasn't cowardice—it was strategy.
They needed a solid plan before infiltrating the cave.
Their opponent was none other than the Poison Demon.
A reckless assault would only endanger the hostages further.
"What should we do now?"
Ha-young spoke cautiously, her gaze fixed on Se-woon.
Unconsciously, he had become the group's de facto leader.
Se-woon answered without hesitation.
"Lady Cheong, return to headquarters and inform my father and Abbess Abbess Geumhwa of this location."
"...Understood."
Cheong Yeon's reply was subdued.
Though she wished to stay and fight, she swallowed her pride—this wasn't the time for stubbornness.
"Thank you. As for you, Lady Do—"
Se-woon turned to Ha-young, preparing reinforcements in case of emergencies.
Tension was evident on her face.
"—I'd like you to infiltrate the cave with me for the rescue mission. Can you do it?"
"Yes, of course."
Surprisingly, Se-woon didn't push her away this time.
There was one reason:
'To navigate the cave undetected, we need Do Ha-young's eyes.'
Setting aside his reservations, he acknowledged her usefulness.
Tracking the hideout hadn't been his feat alone.
Whenever the Mountain Incense Water's trail vanished—
[Young Master Tang. Over here—faint, but unmistakably man-made traces.]
—Ha-young's Divine Artifact, known as the Dragon Eye in his past life, had uncovered clues even he couldn't find.
Her vision would be invaluable in this trap-laden den.
'I must help Young Master Tang no matter what.'
Ha-young's acceptance stemmed from genuine goodwill.
Though she'd once envied Se-woon for their master's favor and the Alliance Leader's gifts—
Watching him sacrifice his lifespan to save hostages had inspired awe.
Her doubts remained, but she now respected him as both a comrade and a mentor.
"I'll bring reinforcements as fast as I can. Please, both of you, be careful."
"Don't worry, Yeon-ah."
With final words of concern, Cheong Yeon vanished in a burst of lightfoot technique.
Alone in the silence—
"Let's prepare to move in."
Se-woon's grave voice broke the stillness.
The cavern's air reeked of noxious poison, long saturated by the Poison Demon's presence.
-Three paces ahead—a trap mechanism.
-Understood.
-That indented stone on the wall is also rigged. The moment it's touched, bolts will fire.
-Noted.
Se-woon advanced cautiously under Ha-young's guidance.
Her abilities surpassed his expectations.
Her Dragon Eye glowed faintly in the dark.
'She truly can perceive the fabric of all things.'
Though not yet at her past life's level, her talent was undeniable.
She navigated the pitch-black cave as if under noon sun, identifying every unnatural formation and evading traps with ease.
'How terrifying she was as an enemy—and how reassuring as an ally.'
The irony wasn't lost on him—this same power had once hunted him down.
Yet oblivious to his conflicted thoughts—
'Without Young Master Tang, infiltration would've been impossible.'
Ha-young marveled at Se-woon's prowess.
Oddly, no torches or glowstones lit the cave—not even traces remained.
Of course—the blind Poison Demon needed no light.
Normally, infiltrating a blind foe's lair should be easier, but not against this monster.
Ya Yul-seung's other senses were terrifyingly acute.
His hearing mapped terrain and movement through sound alone.
His smell distinguished every living and non-living intruder.
To rescue the hostages, they had to deceive these superhuman senses.
The problem? Neither knew proper stealth techniques.
Yet—
Despite traversing deep inside, they remained undetected.
All thanks to Se-woon.
[No guards this far in—he must be alone.]
[We've passed the last trapped section.]
[Let's pick up speed.]
[Agreed.]
With no minions spotted after half a shichen, Se-woon hastened their pace.
Yet even at full speed, their footsteps made no sound.
'To think the threads can even muffle noise—their applications are endless.'
Countless silk strands woven into their boots' soles absorbed all sound, rendering their steps silent.
As for scent—they'd turned the Poison Demon's own weapon against him.
'They say the Tang Clan were ancestors of poison—but who'd imagine a technique to reclaim Mountain Incense Water?'
Se-woon had lied to Ha-young about using Tang poison arts—the truth was far simpler.
Using Golden Silkworm Art and Xiantian Qi, he'd withdrawn the dispersed incense.
The method resembled manipulating Invisible Rain—just extracting instead of releasing.
As the narrow passage widened—
Ugh...!
"—!"
"—!!"
A pained groan reached their ears.
Their eyes met in the dark.
[Young Master Tang.]
[Yes. We've found them.]
Ha-young tensed as she followed Se-woon.
Hostages meant proximity to the Poison Demon.
Peering around the corner—
"......!"
The sight struck Ha-young like a physical blow.
A cavernous chamber sprawled before them—a scene from nightmares.
Corpses piled like mountains. Blood pooled ankle-deep.
Her vision swam.
[Do Ha-young.]
"—!"
Se-woon's lion-like roar through Sound Transmission snapped her back.
[...Forgive me.]
Steadying herself, she scanned the area.
Ugh...
Following the groans, they found the hostages—cocooned upside-down from the ceiling like grubs.
Only one still lived: the youngest caravan guard, unconscious and limp.
[The Poison Demon must be further in.]
[I'll retrieve the boy first.]
Thanks to Se-woon's warning, Ha-young moved with icy precision.
Drawing her sword—
Swish!
—she severed the boy's bindings without hesitation.
Thunk!
Her blade followed the Dragon Eye's guidance, cutting only restraints.
A flawless noiseless strike.
Whoosh!
Se-woon caught the falling boy with Heavenly Silk, simultaneously pressing his sleep acupoint.
Checking the boy's pulse, Ha-young swallowed a gasp.
[He's lost too much blood. Without immediate treatment—]
Then—
KRAKOOOOOM!
'What—?!'
A deafening scream and shockwave erupted from the chamber's depths.
Wham!
Ha-young instinctively shielded the boy—
—only to find Se-woon already holding him, leaving them in an accidental embrace.
CRASH!
Flustered, Se-woon deployed Heavenly Silk's defensive form—Silk Canopy—to disperse the shockwave.
The silk shield scattered the force harmlessly.
As the storm passed—
[S-sorry!]
Ha-young recoiled belatedly.
But Se-woon had bigger concerns.
'This is—!'
His pupils constricted at the sight beyond.
He knew instantly—Angsinru was running wild.
A golden opportunity to kill his nemesis and reclaim the Tang Clan's poison arts had arrived.
[Take the boy and flee.]
[What? No—]
[The Poison Demon's in turmoil. I can't miss this chance to avenge my clan.]
[Alone? It's suicide! Let me—]
[No. The boy needs immediate treatment—every second counts.]
[...!]
[You know how critical his condition is.]
Ha-young's pupils trembled as if quaking.
The cave's poison-laden air was killing the boy with every breath.
A comrade's life versus a child's.
After agonizing moments—
[...I'll return with help the moment he's stable.]
[I won't stop you then.]
[Be careful.]
Whoosh!
Without farewells, they dashed opposite ways—Ha-young outward with the boy, Se-woon inward toward the Poison Demon.
Se-woon's mind churned with regrets.
'If I'd killed my uncle sooner and come here earlier—could I have saved more?'
Had his delusions of saving future lives doomed these people?
'Huff... huff.'
Focus, Tang Se-woon.
His chest tightened; his skull throbbed.
But he endured.
This wasn't the time for guilt.
"Guh...! Gahk!"
Suddenly, the Poison Demon's agonized screams echoed.
-Kihihi! Here—a gift! The Diancang Sect Leader's head!
-My disciple—this Divine Artifact you forged is truly monstrous! Hundreds slaughtered in days!
-Kekeke! How does it feel, contributing to this demonic reign?
-Ah yes—you perfected the Three Ultimate Poisons in my absence? Marvelous, isn't it?
Memories of past atrocities flooded Se-woon's mind.
'...Just focus on killing him now.'
Reaching the cavern's end, Se-woon found—
Hiss.
A faint moonlit altar, upon which lay a single withered gray flower.
Clearly, Angsinru had been plucked mid-bloom to absorb its poison.
'And now he's paying the price.'
Sizzle!
The Demon's arms blackened as if charred—left limb rotting from fingertips to shoulder, right flickering between necrosis and normal.
Desperately resisting the poison's spread.
Too distracted to notice Se-woon's arrival.
Perfect for assassination.
'Now!'
Without hesitation, Se-woon prepared to strike.
Haaa.
Slowly channeling Xiantian Qi through Golden Silkworm Art.
His meridians flooded with searing energy.
Hummm!
A vibration only he could feel—
Sring!
—as Invisible Rain materialized like an arrow nocked in his right hand.
The Sichuan Overlord poised to strike.