Chapter 131
Chapter 131
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 131
Chapter Title: What an Interesting Thing (2)
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“Hey, old timer. Let’s call it there.”
Cheol Woo, who had sensed something off and come out, shattered the pressure bearing down on Black Wolf.
Freed from Dang Cheon Hwa’s aura, Black Wolf immediately bared his fangs again.
“Ha! What a guy.”
Dang Cheon Hwa let out a hearty laugh.
Most wild beasts, once exposed to such pressure, wouldn’t dream of baring their teeth again. Even the tigers called kings of the mountains were no exception. He hadn’t expected a mere wolf to try it.
“Not your average wolf, huh.”
A pleased smile spread across Dang Cheon Hwa’s face. He was the type who loved vicious breeds, whether man or beast.
“Who might you be, old timer? Your robes don’t look like they’re from the Hahu Clan.”
Cheol Woo gently stroked Black Wolf’s scruff as he asked.
No matter how it started, the old man was grinning at Black Wolf now, but he couldn’t speak carelessly in case there was some connection to the Hahu Clan.
Dang Cheon Hwa, lost in old memories, had come alone to the hall where Hahu Gok had once resided in life. The current situation intrigued him greatly.
“I’m an old friend of the hall’s former master.”
When Dang Cheon Hwa pointed at Hahu Gok’s hall, Cheol Woo’s expression shifted.
To claim friendship with Hahu Gok meant the old man was of similar age and had made some name for himself in the martial world. Of course, his skill wasn’t anything to fear, but it was fortunate they hadn’t made a mistake with a guest of the Hahu Clan.
‘Whew, that was close.’
He shuddered at the thought of nearly brawling with a mourner.
“And who might you all be?”
As Cheol Woo was lost in thought and slow to reply, Sima Geon emerged from the room and spoke politely.
“I’m Sima Geon. This one’s Cheol Woo.”
Receiving Sima Geon’s glance, Noe Jeon hurriedly bowed.
“Noe Jeon here.”
“So you’re the famous ones I’ve heard about.”
Cheol Woo’s brow furrowed at Dang Cheon Hwa’s patronizing tone, treating them like kids. Noe Jeon, gauging the mood, quietly grabbed Black Wolf’s scruff and backed away. But Sima Geon remained utterly unperturbed.
“Are you the Poison Specter, sir?”
Dang Cheon Hwa blinked in surprise at Sima Geon’s question.
“You know of this old man?”
“The Sword Freak mentioned you a few times, so I recognized you right away.”
“Oh? What did that fellow say that let you spot me so quickly?”
His casual tone carried a hint of anticipation.
“He’s as neat and organized as someone with OCD. Stubborn as they come, unmatched under heaven. First impressions make people hate his arrogant air—like no one’s worth his time—but his bark’s worse than his bite. He never looks down on anyone. And his loyalty matches that stubbornness; it’s the best in the world, he said.”
Dang Cheon Hwa burst into booming laughter at the mix of praise and criticism.
“Indeed, no one knows this old man like the Sword Freak. Nice to meet you anyway. I never dreamed I’d run into the stars of those rumors here. I heard you were with him at the end, but you’re still hanging around?”
“No, we went home and only stopped back for some business.”
It was right then.
Ha Hu Yeon came rushing up, her face drained of color.
Upon hearing from Ha Hu Mong that Sima Geon’s group had arrived, she’d bolted without a second thought.
The hall her great-grandfather had used in life was right next door to where Sima Geon’s group was staying. If there was no connection, fine—but her gut feeling was terrible.
She could already picture the stubborn Poison Specter, famed as the prickliest in the Central Plains, clashing with Cheol Woo’s no-holds-barred style.
She’d run desperately praying nothing happened before she got there. But her eyes caught Sima Geon facing off against Dang Cheon Hwa.
The worst possible scenario!
She had to stop it somehow.
“No!”
Ha Hu Yeon leaped between Dang Cheon Hwa and Sima Geon, spreading her arms wide and shouting.
The stares turned on the sudden intruder varied, but everyone thought the same.
“What kinda idiot move is that?”
Cheol Woo asked with a dumbfounded look.
“Pardon?”
Ha Hu Yeon glanced at Cheol Woo in confusion, then around at everyone staring at her the same way.
“I-I thought you two were about to fight...”
“Even if a fight did break out, is this something you jump in to stop? You charge in like that, you’ll choke before you can breathe.”
Under Cheol Woo’s scolding, Ha Hu Yeon sheepishly lowered her still-outstretched arms.
Dang Cheon Hwa smiled warmly at Ha Hu Yeon as she bowed her head and backed away.
“At least she’s got some guts, like a proper man.”
He highly admired her reckless bravery—throwing herself between them purely to stop a fight, without a thought for her own safety.
Ha Hu Yeon halted her embarrassed retreat.
It wasn’t a hard pillar or wall; it was something fuzzy. She glanced back.
“Eek!”
She recoiled as if spring-loaded, without time to think.
“W-what is that?”
Ha Hu Yeon, now several paces away, yelled at the thing that had startled her: Black Wolf.
“Why so jumpy? This is Black Wolf.”
Noe Jeon chuckled, petting Black Wolf’s head.
“Black... Wolf? Oh, that Black Wolf!”
Ha Hu Yeon recalled Cheol Woo once mentioning a wolf named Black Wolf. She also remembered Sima Geon entering the Hahu Clan’s sparring match under Black Wolf’s name.
“So this is him.”
“Yep, this is Black Wolf.”
“I never imagined I’d see him right in front of me like this.”
Ha Hu Yeon spoke with a pleased smile, but her body edged even farther from Black Wolf.
“But why’s Black Wolf here? I thought you left him at the Divine Demon Division.”
“Little So dropped by a while back. Brought a baggage lump with her.”
Noe Jeon teased Cheol Woo at his words.
“Calling your comrade a baggage lump! I’ll tell Big Sis So when she wakes up.”
“Hmph! Do what you want.”
Cheol Woo snorted and waved her off dismissively.
As Cheol Woo and Noe Jeon bickered, Sima Geon, deep in thought, called out to Dang Cheon Hwa.
“Elder.”
Dang Cheon Hwa turned to him.
“I’m sorry to ask, but could I request a favor from you, sir?”
Sima Geon’s demeanor was impeccably polite.
As Sima Geon bowed his head, Dang Cheon Hwa’s eyes narrowed slightly.
He hadn’t shown it, but from the moment he’d faced Sima Geon, every hair on his body had stood on end.
The tension he felt now, for the first time since clashing with the Sword Emperor forty years ago...
‘Maybe even beyond that.’
He was intensely curious what this man, who might surpass even the Sword Emperor, wanted.
“Let’s hear it. Speak.”
Dang Cheon Hwa nodded readily.
“What an interesting thing.”
Those were Dang Cheon Hwa’s words the moment he spotted So Surin lying on the bed after Black Wolf.
Cheol Woo had called So Surin a baggage lump, but now that Dang Cheon Hwa referred to her as a “thing,” his face twisted in annoyance. Seeing it, Dang Cheon Hwa scoffed.
“Feeling offended?”
“I don’t think calling a person a ‘thing’ is right.”
“Does she look like a person to you?”
“If not a person, then what?”
“A monster. Can’t live, can’t die.”
“Then...”
Cheol Woo started to flare up but shut his mouth under Sima Geon’s sharp glare. Thinking it over, it wasn’t entirely wrong.
“But are you lot okay? That thing... yeah, the poison aura leaking from her body is no joke.”
“We can handle it.”
Dang Cheon Hwa turned away, looking like he regretted asking. Sima Geon’s reply made him grimace.
“Let me take a look.”
Not asking permission but notifying them, Dang Cheon Hwa began examining So Surin.
He checked her pulse like a physician, infused qi into her body, flipped her eyelids, pried open her mouth to inspect her tongue, and massaged her hands and feet.
The clincher was drawing blood from her near-indestructible body and tasting it directly. Cheol Woo’s face crumpled like he’d bitten into shit as Dang Cheon Hwa rolled the blood in his mouth like fine liquor.
After a long while of every method imaginable, Dang Cheon Hwa scowled deeply and asked,
“Who the hell did this to her?”
“The Myriad Poison Valley did it.”
“Knew it! Only those bastards would pull insane shit like this with poison.”
Their factions differed, and they’d rarely clashed directly. But like the Sacheon Tang Clan that rose through poison, Myriad Poison Valley had too—so they were keenly aware of each other.
“They used the Immortal Myriad Poison Spirit Control Technique.”
“I’ve heard of it before. Some mad ritual to create a monster called the Poison Blood Demon or whatever.”
“Can she be cured?”
Sima Geon asked earnestly.
Sima Geon’s care for his comrade touched him deeply, but there was only one answer.
“I don’t know.”
As Sima Geon and Cheol Woo both deflated, Dang Cheon Hwa gave a hollow chuckle.
“You fools. This is the culmination of what poison experts have researched for generations. How much time, money, blood, and tears do you think went into it? I know it’s inhuman garbage no one should do. But I can’t dismiss the obsession they showed to reach this point.”
Cheol Woo openly showed his disappointment at Dang Cheon Hwa’s excuse-like words.
“Boss, let’s stick to the original plan and head to the Living Immortal Medical House. If we need treatment, they’re the best bet.”
Dang Cheon Hwa’s eyes flashed at the mention of Living Immortal Medical House.
“You were planning to go to them instead of our home clan?”
“They’re the top for medicine.”
Cheol Woo grumbled back.
If the Living Immortal Medical House couldn’t fix it, they’d go to the Sacheon Tang Clan next, of course. They’d returned to the Hahu Clan partly to ask after Sima Hyeon and Sima Ho again, but more to bridge to the Tang Clan.
“Nonsense! For simple injuries or illness, maybe, but when it comes to poison, they can’t touch our clan’s toes.”
“You said you couldn’t do it either.”
“I didn’t say I couldn’t. I said I don’t know.”
“So you can fix her?”
“Hey! Are your ears clogged? I said I don’t know!”
Dang Cheon Hwa raised his voice, and Cheol Woo bristled right back.
“Stop waffling and just say it: can you or can’t you?”
“It’s not waffling—I mean I won’t know until I try. I’ve never seen anyone hit with the Immortal Myriad Poison Spirit Control Technique. How could I guarantee results?”
As Cheol Woo opened his mouth again, Sima Geon reached out and clamped it shut.
“Will you help us?”
Dang Cheon Hwa glanced at Sima Geon’s face and smirked.
“If I wasn’t going to help, I wouldn’t have wasted breath yapping. Honestly, as a poison researcher, when else will I get a chance like this? Plus your ties to the Sword Freak, and the debt our clan owes.”
“Pardon? Debt?”
Sima Geon tilted his head; the Sacheon Tang Clan had no prior connection he knew of.
“Know the Demon Buddha Temple?”
“Yes.”
“We’ve got bad blood with them, deep bad blood. They gave us hell once. We scraped by with Hahu Clan’s help, but we were always watching for payback. Then a few years back, I heard the Demon Buddha Temple got smashed in the Heavenly Demon Cult’s unification. And today, from that Hahu kid outside, I learned you lot were key players in uniting the cult. Not your intent, maybe, but our clan’s grateful anyway.”
Sima Geon smiled back at Dang Cheon Hwa’s grin.
“Truly, thank you. We’re in your hands.”
As Sima Geon bowed again, Cheol Woo glanced at the bed and chimed in.
“That kid lying there took down more of those crazy Demon Buddha monks than anyone.”