Who Are You? (2)
His hair had turned a perfect green, down to the very strands.
He had finally completed the Myriad Poison Body.
Everything happened in an instant.
Cheon Dok tossed Cheong Yeon aside like an emptied tangerine peel.
Whoosh.
Lifeless, she landed amid the bloodied poison experts like discarded trash.
A dull thud echoed faintly as she hit the ground.
Thud.
Cheon Dok didn't even glance at his disciple.
She had always been nothing more than a living elixir to him, raised for this very purpose.
Exuding his innate aura, Cheon Dok addressed Han Bin in an emotionless tone.
"From now on, I shall deal with you myself."
"Then who was the guy you had fighting me earlier?"
Han Bin shrugged with an incredulous look.
Cheon Dok narrowed his eyes at the provocation.
"This time will be different."
Han Bin grinned and waved him off dismissively.
"Never met a big talker who could actually fight, and never seen a loudmouth survive standing in front of me."
At Han Bin's words, Cheon Dok's lips curled into a viscous smile.
"No more words."
"Fine by me. Just come at me."
Han Bin crooked his index finger, taunting his foe.
The problem was that his taunt didn't land this time.
Cheon Dok approached silently, ignoring him completely.
Thud. Thud.
Deliberately radiating a massive pressure to intimidate, he closed in.
But Han Bin just smiled and retreated backward.
A head-on clash right now would favor his opponent.
Cheon Dok, transformed in appearance and aura alike, was a different beast entirely.
He had been tricky enough before, but now that he had perfected the Myriad Poison Body, fleeing was the smart play.
The key was understanding the source of that change.
To Han Bin's eyes, it resembled the Demonic Cult's Reverse Blood Divine Art.
Which meant all he had to do was stall.
Of course, stalling wasn't foolproof for Han Bin either.
Not when his infinite inner power only lasted a little shy of an incense stick's time.
His plan was simple.
Steal the formulas, then bolt.
Wait until Cheon Dok's power waned.
It was feasible thanks to his recovery attribute that endured the poison haze, and techniques precise enough to land strikes on formulas despite the skill gap.
Han Bin swiftly reactivated Gugeol Ship-pal-bo and Jeon-gwang-seok-hwa.
Swish-swish.
As Han Bin circled Cheon Dok, the man thrust his sword laden with terrifying poison qi.
Swoosh.
The poison qi surged like a flood, dominating the surroundings.
* * *
The ferocious pressure of the poison qi made even those watching the life-or-death duel from afar flinch.
Not just the Heuksa Gate members—now the Red Blood Alliance Tiger Squad had stepped out from their perimeter too.
They had been putting on a drinking show to lull the enemy into complacency, but that was no longer necessary.
The gourds in the Red Blood Alliance Tiger Squad's hands held water, not liquor.
So Daeseop called out lowly.
"If our lord is in danger, we all bolt!"
The muscles in So Daeseop's arm, gripping his new blade, twitched fiercely.
He was burning with impatience.
Then Sim Miho spoke quietly.
"Captain, that's against orders."
"Without our lord, we're nothing anyway. You know that too, Deputy Sim."
"Is our lord the type to go down easy? And you know we can't even get near that place. Step within ten jang and we'll be puking blood and collapsing. It'd just get in his way for sure."
"Hmph."
So Daeseop let out a low grunt, then his eyes gleamed.
"Then if our lord dies, we die too."
"I'm all for that."
Finishing her words, Sim Miho glanced around.
From the youngest, Jo Ho, to the eldest, Jangsan, all had gleaming eyes.
Agreement with So Daeseop's words.
The Red Blood Alliance Tiger Squad stamped the ground in unison with their heels.
Thud. Thud.
It sounded like war drums echoing on the battlefield.
Their sentiment toward Han Bin.
That instinctive action struck others as sacred.
Yi Mu-myeong, dressed as Han Bin, stamped his sword into the ground too.
Thud.
Jang Ja-myeong, weaponless, started to slam his vial down but hesitated, then stomped his foot instead.
Thud.
Even the Heuksa Gate crew abandoned their grudge against Han Bin this once and stomped.
Thud.
Se Jaeo, standing behind them, widened his eyes and slammed his sword, Maehwa Samgyeong, into the ground.
No matter how he looked at it, this duel transcended human limits.
He had seen sword qi, sword auras, and sword rings clash before.
But this was on another level.
Did the Volcanic Sect have any peak expert who could go one-on-one like that against a poison cultivator?
If he searched among the sect leader or past masters, sure, there'd be someone who could slay that guy called Cheon Dok.
But not in a duel like this.
They'd suppress with sheer martial prowess from a distance untouched by poison qi, using sword rings or flying swords—that would be it.
They could win, but no one could wield their sword against the poison like that.
Not unless they were from Sacheon Dang Family or Baekdok Valley.
And who the hell was that guy anyway?
He seemed close with Seol-hwa, so maybe Young Master Han Bin of the Four Young Lords? But wasn't Han Bin with the Red Blood Alliance Tiger Squad?
Pondering briefly, Se Jaeo channeled inner power into his Maehwa Samgyeong.
Boom!!
He was cheering for real too.
They weren't the only ones watching Han Bin's duel with clenched fists.
Jin Semi, still at the inn, observed from the rooftop.
Unlike the anxious Red Blood Alliance Tiger Squad, her mind swirled with a strange doubt.
Han Bin's fighting style felt oddly familiar.
"What is this? And this feeling..."
Jin Semi trailed off.
Her heart suddenly pounded.
She murmured softly to herself.
"Crimson Dragon Hero..."
* * *
Cheon Dok's gaze, fixed solely on Han Bin until now, finally shifted toward the inn.
Thud. Thud.
The racket was getting on his nerves.
Han Bin grinned at the sight.
His Red Blood Alliance Tiger Squad was commendably drawing attention without needing instructions.
He turned back to Cheon Dok.
Han Bin's way of handling the attacks was characteristically light and evasive.
Like flower seeds scattering on the wind, he effortlessly slipped out of the space Cheon Dok dominated.
Could a sword slice flower seeds?
They'd be swept away by the wind before the blade even touched.
That was the principle Han Bin used to evade the poison qi.
Enraged, Cheon Dok bellowed.
"Why do you just buzz around like a bee? Do I look like a flower...?"
He couldn't finish.
Han Bin had suddenly appeared right in front of him.
As Cheon Dok loaded poison qi into his sword, Dok-a, to cleave down at Han Bin—
Han Bin's blade traced a bizarre trajectory.
Even with the space filled with poison qi, Cheon Dok blocked leisurely.
Clang!
Cheon Dok's brow twitched.
A strange shock had transmitted to him.
Falling Plum Blossoms technique?
Countering poison qi with Falling Plum Blossoms?
Doubts began piling up.
He had never heard of such a thing in his Murim journeys.
But he had no time to think further.
Han Bin's sword flew at him again.
Clang!
As he swung, Han Bin said lowly.
"Bees don't just circle. Sometimes they sting—and kill."
"You bastard!"
Clang!
The exchange continued.
Cheon Dok wasn't reeling from the impacts; Han Bin's uncanny methods baffled him.
And the sword trajectories grew ever more complex.
His mind tangled just as much.
With the space dominated, reduced to desperately blocking the enemy's blade?
On top of that, resisting his own poison qi?
'Is that guy immune to myriad poisons or something?'
Only a Myriad Poisons Immunity Body could withstand a Myriad Poison Body's emanations.
A seething rage boiled within Cheon Dok.
'Where the hell did a freak like that pop out from?'
That was when it happened.
A stinging sensation at his waist.
Han Bin's sword had grazed it.
At the same time, text appeared before Han Bin's eyes.
Formula confirmed via Dragon Eye.
Earth-Grade Formula Ja (Ja) acquired.
Earth-Grade - Geun (Geun), Ja (Ja)
As Han Bin had predicted, the Earth-Grade formula was taking shape.
But completion wasn't the issue now.
He swiftly thrust out Wol-a.
'Attack the east, strike the west.'
Based on Jeon-gwang-seok-hwa's utility, he relentlessly struck with feints.
Of course, he kept using self-inflicted traps too.
Attack the east, strike the west embodied real-fake profundity.
One in five attacks was guaranteed to land.
This success used the technique's raw power.
Han Bin wove three techniques together.
Self-inflicted trap, attack the east strike the west, Jeon-gwang-seok-hwa.
Block Wol-a, and two-tenths of the force rebounds.
Land one in five strikes guaranteed.
Dazzle the eye with blinding speed.
That trio targeted Cheon Dok.
Invisible clashes ensued.
Cheon Dok's transformed blade matched Han Bin's speed.
Clang! Clang!
The ringing of Wol-a and Dok-a sounded like vibrations.
Was Yongrin Sword Art heaven-sent martial prowess?
Its techniques surpassed even the Myriad Poison Body.
Pierce!
Han Bin struck Cheon Dok's body once more.
Not lethal, but enough to harvest the formula.
Formula confirmed via Dragon Eye.
Earth-Grade Formula Muk (Muk) acquired.
Earth-Grade - Geun (Geun), Ja (Ja), Muk (Muk)
One formula left.
Retreating, Han Bin narrowed his eyes.
Infinite inner power seemed invincible, but there was an unexpected side effect.
His body couldn't withstand it.
Pondering briefly, Han Bin flicked the blood from Wol-a cleanly.
Splat!
A quick self-check suggested he could hold out for the remaining time.
Then Cheon Dok charged at him.
Having caught his breath, Han Bin flew to meet him.
Suddenly, an uncanny sensation transmitted through Wol-a.
Slice.
Plop.
A flap of Cheon Dok's robe fell to the ground.
'What?'
Han Bin's eyes narrowed.
Cheon Dok had offered his chest without resistance.
In such a tense duel, yielding his chest so emptily?
Impossible!
A bad premonition hit; Han Bin erased Quick Sword Chaos Dance and recalled another technique.
Cheon Dok's robe flap rolled on the ground, but he smirked.
Suddenly, blood gushed from the deep chest wound like a fountain.
But it split into droplets mid-air, flying at Han Bin.
Like a swarm of bees.
That the blood was green horrified all onlookers.
No time to dodge—the poison blood from Cheon Dok's chest engulfed Han Bin instantly.
Not even a corner of his robe visible.
Covered in poison blood, Han Bin froze.
Simultaneously, he turned into a green silhouette, petrified in place.
Seeing Han Bin as a green statue, Cheon Dok smirked.
"I'll tell you the technique that ended you while you can still hear. It's called Heaven-Earth Full Poison. Poison that blankets heaven and earth—don't feel bad about your lacking ability. Any Murim expert standing before me would end up like you. Ahem."
Cheon Dok coughed dryly and bound his chest.
Then, eyeing Han Bin's form amid the green blood poison, he continued.