The Poisoned Shield
Mu Ilho stared at Jang Muhwi in disbelief.
“How did you catch the Tang family’s hidden weapon with your bare hands…?”
“It’s fine,” Jang Muhwi replied calmly. “Better than letting an ally get hurt, isn’t it?”
His nonchalant answer sent murmurs rippling through the crowd.
Of course, that wasn’t his true intention.
Jang Muhwi had no interest in sacrificing himself for others. Every move had unfolded exactly as he planned.
The method for achieving Hundred Poison Immunity was simple enough: repeated cycles of poisoning and detoxification. Through countless exposures, a martial artist’s body gradually developed resistance. The process demanded immense endurance and time. But there were shortcuts for those willing to seize them.
One such method involved absorbing a massive dose of high-grade poison all at once, then neutralizing it in a single, decisive purge. Ordinary clans could never attempt it. The poisons required were not mild toxins but peak-level lethal compounds, each one worth a fortune. And the antidotes capable of countering them were even more expensive.
A typical Murim family attempting this would bankrupt itself completely. Only clans that specialized in poison arts could even consider it, and in the Central Plains, such groups were few. Everyone knew the Sichuan Tang Family stood among them.
The poison Dang Jihwa had just unleashed was precisely the peak-grade toxin Jang Muhwi had been waiting for. If possible, he needed to draw out every variety of venom she possessed. That had been his first objective.
This trial was both a gateway and a giyeon. Lucky encounters did not simply fall into one’s lap. You had to reach out and pluck them yourself. That was the hard lesson he had learned in his previous life.
The pain of poisoning was nothing compared to the agony he had endured before. Trivial.
Jang Muhwi fixed his gaze on Dang Jihwa without the slightest tremor.
One of the examiners finally spoke. “A spirit of heroism rarely seen in recent years.”
“Indeed. Most impressive,” another added with a chuckle.
As the examiners voiced their astonishment, Wang Jimak joined in. “And his character is first-rate as well!”
He meant every word. Righteous sects constantly preached about laying down one’s life for comrades. But how many martial artists actually did so? The young talents gathered for the Dragon Gate Assembly were competitors far more than allies. Yet here was someone throwing himself in front of danger for rivals.
In truth, Wang Jimak had been most curious about Jang Muhwi’s character. The Jang family had only shown him the youth’s talent, never his true nature.
While Wang Jimak gazed at Jang Muhwi with warm approval, Gudo Mosang tilted his head.
“Don’t you find the current situation rather strange?”
“What do you mean?”
“Didn’t Dokhwa clearly use poison? So why does the boy look completely fine?”
“Well…”
Wang Jimak glanced toward Dang Jihwa as if reluctant to speak. Mosang leaned forward eagerly.
“Out with it. Are you saying the kid has already reached Hundred Poison Immunity?”
“This is merely my speculation.”
Wang Jimak stroked his beard quietly, and the other examiners gathered around him. They were equally curious about the truth.
All eyes fixed on him as he continued in a low voice. “It’s likely that Dokhwa didn’t use real poison.”
“No way…”
“Otherwise, how could the boy still be standing there?”
Wang Jimak pointed at Jang Muhwi. Mosang pondered for a moment before nodding slowly.
“That must be it. Even I wouldn’t be standing if I’d taken a direct hit from the Tang family’s poison.”
The other examiners breathed sighs of relief and returned to their seats.
But they were all mistaken.
Jang Muhwi’s left hand, the one that had caught the Butterfly Flying Dagger, had already turned pitch black. He was most certainly poisoned.
Even Mu Ilho, standing right beside him, hadn’t noticed the severity of the situation. But he at least knew Jang Muhwi was injured.
With a trembling voice, Mu Ilho urged, “We must treat you immediately…”
“There’s no need. Passing this gate comes first. Take the others and stand behind me. I’ll act as your shield…”
“What are you saying?”
“I’ll block every hidden weapon. Just follow me without worry.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Don’t concern yourself with me.”
Jang Muhwi turned away as if it were nothing and faced Dang Jihwa once more. As he stepped forward in silence, his eyes gleamed with purpose.
A faint smile touched his lips as he drew the Mother-Child Needles from his sheath. After confirming their position, he swiftly stabbed them into the back of his hand.
No one saw it. He had positioned himself at a subtle angle.
This was his second plan.
The Mother-Child Needles did not only attract each other. While they ignored ordinary metal, they reacted strongly to the Tang family’s poisons. Thanks to that, the venom that had just entered his system would now gather toward the needles.
As if to prove it, even darker blood began flowing down the back of his hand. But the technique successfully slowed the poison’s spread throughout his body.
After completing the emergency measure, Jang Muhwi walked slowly toward Dang Jihwa.
At that moment, her eyes blazed with fury. Not only had he blocked her Butterfly Flying Dagger with his bare hand, but now he approached as if nothing had happened. The shock was considerable.
Hidden weapons and poison were the pride of the Tang family.
“Are you challenging me?”
…
Jang Muhwi offered no reply.
If he opened his mouth, he feared he might lose consciousness. The Mother-Child Needles could not draw out every trace of poison. And the Tang family’s venom was very real.
It felt as if molten lava were flowing through his veins. That was Jang Muhwi’s reality. Yet to others, his silence appeared as nothing but contempt.
Dang Jihwa’s sleeves fluttered once more.
The hidden weapons flew from within them. Jang Muhwi did not dodge. He blocked them again with his left arm.
To onlookers, it was impossible to tell whether he had truly blocked them or simply taken the hits. In truth, he had taken them deliberately. After all, who in the Jianghu would willingly receive the Tang family’s hidden weapons?
Step by step, Jang Muhwi continued forward.
After only five paces, his martial robe had become tattered rags. The marks of Dang Jihwa’s assault were everywhere. Only seven steps remained.
The eyes of the young talents following behind him gradually reddened. The thought that Jang Muhwi was sacrificing himself for them was unbearable.
His shredded clothes. The way his shoulders kept heaving. They were clear proof that he had reached his limit.
Their hearts pounded violently.
Among them, Mu Ilho’s eyes were the reddest of all. In this single trial, he had already lost count of how many times Jang Muhwi had saved his life. No matter what he did, he could never repay such a debt.
Without realizing it, Mu Ilho stepped in front of Jang Muhwi. He had no intention of showing off. It was pure instinct, a desperate attempt to protect him.
When he moved forward, the other young talents followed, forming a wall before Jang Muhwi.
Dang Jihwa’s eyebrows twitched at the sight.
She could not accept that not just one, but every single one of these juniors now stood defiantly before her hidden weapons and poisons.
“You dare!”
Her voice had gone completely cold.
She flicked both sleeves. Seven Butterfly Flying Daggers shot forward, streaking toward the young talents. These were her final hidden weapons.
The daggers reacted to their targets’ strength and internal energy, much like how a thin sheet of paper would dance on the slightest breeze. Even the rhythm of breathing had to be considered when launching them. They responded to the smallest variables.
One might be blocked. But seven at once? No one could stop them all.
Moreover, each of the seven daggers carried a different poison—the Tang family’s infamous Seven Color Poison. Seven distinct venoms with unique colors and properties. Even if one knew their composition, only direct descendants of the Tang family could create the proper antidotes. Without the specific cure, even someone who had reached Hundred Poison Immunity would likely perish within moments.
The young talents froze at the sight of the incoming daggers. The blades, which had initially gleamed silver, were now changing colors—some turning deep blue, others burning crimson. The phenomenon came from the multiple poisons.
They had stepped forward out of conviction to save Jang Muhwi. But now, facing the deadly barrage, none of them could move.
At that instant, Jang Muhwi bit his lip.
He had no intention of yielding any of this poison to others. Every drop of venom carried by Dang Jihwa’s weapons had to be absorbed by him alone. Others might call it madness, but Jang Muhwi was certain. In his previous life, he had built his resistance to poison through exactly this method.
He pulled the young talents blocking his path backward.
“Everyone, step aside.”
They staggered back from the force of his pull. Only Mu Ilho stood his ground. Jang Muhwi moved in front of him.
His hand shot forward.
Whoosh!
The energy of the Shadowless Heart Method flowed through his meridians. What he used was the Jang family’s Long Gate One Hand technique—a method that opened like a gate to snatch away an opponent’s weapon.
His hand traced the shape of a massive door, gently gathering the incoming Butterfly Flying Daggers one by one.
In truth, the Jang family’s Long Gate One Hand was considered weak and rarely used by anyone. It contained no profound mysteries. Yet under Jang Muhwi’s control, the daggers were caught one after another. For weapons that reacted to internal energy and power, this technique was their natural counter.
Clack!
He caught the final dagger.
A completely ordinary technique with neither visible power nor internal energy had stopped all seven weapons.
Having blocked them all, Jang Muhwi walked forward slowly. He passed Dang Jihwa without a word and approached the stone tablet behind her. He placed his sword upon it.
The tablet bore the names of countless righteous heroes. Laying one’s weapon beneath those names proved that the trial had been passed.
Only then did Jang Muhwi turn back toward Dang Jihwa.
“Thank you for showing restraint… cough!”
He vomited a mouthful of black blood.
The examiners’ eyes widened.
“W-wait. Isn’t that a sign of poisoning?”
“Then… Dokhwa didn’t go easy on him. The boy actually blocked all her hidden weapons?”
“And not just that. He offered his own body for his comrades. Incredible.”
The examiners stared at the stunned Dang Jihwa.
Just then, Mu Ilho reached Jang Muhwi’s side. After setting down his own sword on the tablet, he quickly supported his friend. Then he looked at Dang Jihwa.
“Save my dear friend.”
That was only the beginning.
The other young talents turned their gazes toward her as well.
Jang Muhwi quietly observed his surroundings. The last thing he confirmed was the reddened eyes of both the examiners and his fellow candidates.
Having verified the situation, he closed his eyes peacefully.
His final plan was simple: let things take their course. It rested on his faith in the Murim Alliance’s rules.
The Dragon Gate Assembly was an official event of the Murim Alliance. Even the Sichuan Tang Family had to follow its regulations. Thanks to that, no one had ever died during the assembly. Every incident fell under the Alliance’s responsibility—including compensation.
He had endured until now through sheer willpower. The poison remaining in his body required an antidote. And not just any antidote—a peak-grade one specifically matched to these toxins. The kind the Tang family guarded most jealously.