Leaving the Poison Forest Valley
Three months passed in the blink of an eye.
In that time, Poison Forest Valley had transformed so thoroughly it was as if heaven and earth had been remade. Glaciers had taken root in the sweltering heat of Sichuan. The valley had become a place of all four seasons at once—an impossibility made real by the Yin Spirit Ice Fox. It had reshaped the land into something akin to Mount Heaven, yet stranger still, more wondrous.
And as the valley changed, so too did the Three Elders. Diverse poison qi now saturated the very air, and their bodies and internal energy adapted in kind. Growth that had long since stalled began again. In the end, each of them advanced an entire stage.
Jegal Mu, who had settled in for a temporary stay, fared no differently. At first the vicious poison qi had tormented him, but he gradually adapted. Even in sleep his body worked to purify the toxins. The result: Jegal Mu, too, reached the realm of Ten Thousand Poison Immunity.
All of it was thanks to the Yin Spirit Ice Fox—and to Tang Cheonwi.
“I still don’t understand…”
Jegal Mu frowned as he watched Tang Cheonwi.
“Can a spiritual beast truly follow a human so willingly?”
The Yin Spirit Ice Fox was the sovereign of Mount Heaven—a spiritual beast of the highest order. The higher a creature’s rank, the further it stood from humankind. They could never be tamed. Least of all this one.
“And that aura around him…”
Jegal Mu studied the energy coiling about Tang Cheonwi. Poison qi he had never seen before. A power even his sworn brother Tang Bi did not possess.
“There’s no explanation for it except Tyrant Blood Poison Qi.”
Tang Bi appeared beside him without warning.
“Don’t try to understand the Tang Clan.”
“You truly don’t know either, Brother Tang?”
“I’ve only heard the stories. I’ve never seen the real thing.”
“So you can’t speak with certainty.”
“I can only hope Cheonwi has mastered Tyrant Blood Poison Qi.”
A lost martial art of the Tang Clan—or rather, a discarded one. Everyone who attempted it had died, and so it had vanished from the world.
“If it is Tyrant Blood Poison Qi, then that boy is free of Soul-Sealing Extreme Poison.”
He would become the existence they feared most. Immunity to Soul-Sealing Extreme Poison meant he could surpass not only the greatest of the present age, but the greatest of all history. To them, Tang Cheonwi would become the number-one threat to watch.
“Our Tang Clan will keep an eye on Cheonwi as well. The Jegal Clan should do the same.”
“I intend to. With that boy, the martial world could turn into a sea of fire at any moment. I can hardly afford to look away.”
As the two men spoke, Tang Cheonwi approached.
“Grandfather, I intend to leave Poison Forest Valley now.”
“Already?”
“I’ve stayed long enough.”
“Very well. This old man will miss his grandson, but I can’t keep you here forever.”
“I’ll come visit again.”
“If you ever need this grandfather’s help, just say the word.”
“Please don’t leave Poison Forest Valley if you can help it, Grandfathers. This place is perfect for suppressing Soul-Sealing Extreme Poison.”
“Aigoo, how this grandson dotes on his old grandfather!”
Tang Bi rubbed his cheek against Tang Cheonwi’s face.
“Ugh.”
It was the truth. Fight poison with poison—use barbarians to control barbarians. Overwhelm the powerful Soul-Sealing Extreme Poison with even stronger toxins of every kind. Within the transformed Poison Forest Valley, there was no need to suppress the Soul-Sealing Extreme Poison with internal energy. Left free, the surrounding poison qi attacked it on its own. Here, at least, Tang Bi could display the martial prowess of his former days.
“But you’re leaving without entering the Ten Thousand Poison Cave?”
“It doesn’t feel like the right time yet. I’ll go in later.”
“You’ve got your own plans, I’m sure. All right. See you next time.”
After bidding farewell to everyone, Tang Cheonwi turned last to Elder Dokno.
“You’ve made progress, haven’t you?”
“Hoho. You could tell?”
“I believed that Elder Dokno, once called the Medicine Sage, would be more than capable of creating an antidote.”
“Hohoho. What a lovely great-grandson I have.”
Elder Dokno’s expression was light, almost carefree.
“The only pity is that without a test subject, producing the antidote will take longer.”
His gaze flicked meaningfully toward Tang Cheonwi.
“Bodies as fine as yours are hard to come by, Great-Grandson.”
“Once my business outside is finished, I’ll stop by and serve as your test subject.”
“No wonder Eldest Brother talks about you every single day. Come running the moment your work is done.”
“Yes, Elder Dokno.”
And with that, he left Poison Forest Valley. Every face was filled with regret—even Jegal Mu’s.
“What about you? Aren’t you leaving?”
At Elder Dokno’s question, Jegal Mu answered,
“Must I go as well?”
“I mean, aren’t you going home?”
“This Poison Forest Valley feels like home already.”
Jegal Mu had no intention of leaving. Resisting the poison qi had naturally raised his internal energy and realm. A few more years here, and he felt certain he could break through the wall that had blocked him for so long.
“Ahem. From now on I can’t let you stay for free. One gold coin a day for room and board.”
“What kind of daylight robbery is that?!”
“Hah! The daylight robber is you, Jegal Mu, you bastard! Do you think the air of this Poison Forest Valley is something just anyone can breathe? It’s air you couldn’t buy for a thousand gold. Isn’t that right, Elder Hyeolno?”
Elder Hyeolno, who had been listening with arms folded, nodded silently.
“Places like the Profound Ice Courtyard of the North Sea Ice Palace, the Twin Extreme Heaven Courtyard of Mount Wudang, and the Red Cloud Blood Pool of the Demonic Cult—Poison Forest Valley has become one of them.”
Those three sites overflowed with yin or yang energy, ideal for enlightenment. And among them all, Poison Forest Valley now stood at the very peak.
“Still, one gold coin is…”
“You’re the one who advanced a full stage fighting the poison qi. Surely you’re not calling it expensive?”
Jegal Mu’s conscience twinged. Elder Dokno was right—this was a place worth a thousand gold to remain in.
“Fine. I’ll pay one gold coin.”
“Two.”
“Why did it suddenly jump by one?!”
“Punishment for lacking a conscience.”
“Ugh… two gold coins, then.”
“Three.”
“What now?”
“For talking back.”
Jegal Mu’s face crumpled. Seeing the price about to keep climbing, he stopped arguing and hurriedly locked in a figure.
“Ten gold coins!”
“At least you have some conscience left.”
Elder Dokno accepted the ten gold coins with a satisfied smile. Elder Eumno looked at his friend with pity.
“No matter that you carry the epithet Hyeonpa of the Cheongangyukjwa, to our eldest brother you’re just his little brother’s friend, Mu.”
Even after growing old together, a younger brother remained a younger brother.
On the outskirts of Chengdu, in a shabby manor—
“Aaaargh!”
A disheveled woman shrieked. She hurled everything within reach—the flower vase on the table, the teacups, anything she could seize.
“Young Miss, please calm yourself. You’ll collapse again if you keep this up.”
An old woman tried to soothe her.
“I’ll tear that Tang Cheonwi to pieces and kill him! I’ll kill himmm!”
The howling woman was Tang Cheong. She had been cast out of the Tang Clan. Blood ties had at least spared her complete ruin; her internal energy had been sealed and she had been expelled. They had even provided this rundown manor in Chengdu. Far from grateful, her rage only swelled. The more her mind cleared, the hotter her thirst for revenge against Tang Cheonwi burned.
“If Young Miss continues like this, the young master will only grieve.”
The woman who had been screaming like a madwoman fell silent. She smoothed her tangled hair and forced her heart to settle.
“That’s right. I still have Gwan. If I don’t pull myself together, only my Gwan will suffer.”
The old woman patted her back.
“Steel your resolve. You and the young master still have me.”
“Yes! I still have my nanny!”
Tang Cheong’s head snapped around.
“Nanny, please. Kill Tang Cheonwi for me. If that bastard doesn’t die, the rage will drive me insane.”
The old nanny was a supreme master of the Tang Clan—a poison master who had entered the Latent Poison Body. She had once served Tang Sauk, Tang Cheong’s great-uncle, known as the Ink Bird. In her day she had also been called Dokseompapa, the Poison Flash Crone.
“I failed to protect Young Miss. For that sin, I will take that bastard’s head myself.”
The nanny had not been in the Tang Clan during recent events. She had been at the side of Tang Cheong’s son, Tang Gwan, who had entered Qingcheng Sect as a lay disciple. While she was away, disaster had struck. Had she been present, Tang Cheong would never have been driven out in such humiliation.
“Really?”
Tang Cheong’s face lit up with a radiant smile. The nanny’s realm was Transcendence. Ordinary Tang Clan experts could not even stand before her. That strength was precisely why Tang Cheong had once strutted with her chin held high—because Dokseompapa stood behind her.
“But not from here. Go to the safe house and ask them for aid.”
“Will those people even take me in?”
“They restored even my shattered dantian. They’ll heal Young Miss’s dantian just as quickly.”
It was thanks to the nanny that Tang Cheong had ever made contact with them at all. With their help, Yuhongak’s influence had swollen to its present size. If it was them… then just as the nanny said, they might restore her dantian.
“Don’t you want to personally destroy the Tang Clan that abandoned you?”
Dokseompapa stoked Tang Cheong’s hunger for revenge.
“The Clan Lord cast aside a youngest sister he once wouldn’t have traded for the world. And the Grand Elder? He must have heard the news about Young Miss, yet not a single word of concern has arrived.”
“How could they do this to me?! Am I even their flesh and blood?!”
Exactly as intended, Tang Cheong’s fury climbed toward the heavens.
“Look around the manor. They’re so afraid Young Miss will do something foolish that they’ve stationed Tang Clan martial artists all around to watch you.”
“This is no better than exile.”
“The Tang Clan has always regarded Young Miss as a threat.”
“I’ll make them regret treating me this way!”
“Those people will give Young Miss the power she wants. Take that power and have your revenge on the Tang Clan.”
“I’ll do as you say, Nanny.”
Dokseompapa smiled with quiet satisfaction. Then she looked up toward the roof.
“It seems a little rat has been listening to our entire conversation. What shall we do, Young Miss?”
The staff in her hand came free. A transparent blade emerged; she swept it upward—
KWA-DEUK!
Sword energy split the roof clean open. The eavesdropping shadow was revealed. The moment Tang Cheong saw the figure, rage poured from her lips.
“You’re the one who sticks to Tang Cheonwi’s side!”
“Yikes, I’m screwed.”
Tang Ildo startled violently and bolted, taking the thirty-six stratagems of fleeing for all they were worth.
“Catch that bastard!”
Nearby Tang Clan martial artists rushed in to grasp the situation, only for Dokseompapa’s single sword stroke to cleave their bodies in half.
As Tang Cheonwi left Poison Forest Valley, Hwancheonjihwan spoke into his ear.
I thought you would enter the Ten Thousand Poison Cave.
Master will decide as he sees fit, you know.
You, shut it for a moment.
Bad words are not allowed, Hwancheon-ah.
Hwancheonjihwan ignored Bongsin. Answering would only give the little map a thread to tug forever.
“Now really isn’t the time. I can’t afford to miss the latter half of the Dark Blood True Scripture.”
In his previous life, Hwancheonjihwan had told him: the chance to obtain the latter half of the Dark Blood True Scripture came only once. Fail to meet the conditions, and the opportunity was gone forever.
You even knew about that?
“Tyrant Blood Poison Qi has to reach at least the seventh star before the latter half becomes obtainable.”
Where in the world did you get this kind of information?
“Secret.”
Tang Cheonwi gave a short, dry laugh. At present his Tyrant Blood Poison Qi stood at the fifth star. Two more remained. Once he fully dissolved the Myeonghoncheongdok still melting inside him, he would reach the sixth. After that, only one more star, and he could challenge the hidden cave of Poison Forest Valley.
Looks like I’ll have to wake Myeonggyeong-i and figure out this bastard’s real identity.