Chapter 188
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 188
Chapter Title: Move Quickly
Ha Mu-baek stared up at the sky.
Pududududuk.
A moment later, high in the heavens, countless birds soared by as tiny specks.
Ha Mu-baek's arm moved swiftly.
He hurled his sword toward the sky.
Saeaeaeek!
The blade, infused with qi, soared higher and higher.
Ha Mu-baek watched it intently, motionless.
His gaze guided the sword as it danced through the air.
"Huk... T-That's... Flying Sword..."
Ju Woo-myeong, channeling his internal energy to heighten his vision and behold the sight, muttered in shock.
The pinnacle of sword arts, known as Sword Flight.
It was unfolding right there in the sky above.
As the freely maneuvering blade in midair sliced through, messenger pigeons and doves rained down like hail.
About twenty birds fell before Ha Mu-baek.
He frowned at the ones he'd missed.
He gathered the items tied to the fallen birds' legs.
Fortunately, there were no poisons—only letters.
But when Dang Ji-yeon and the Fierce Dragon Corps disciples saw the letters, their faces filled with dismay.
It couldn't be helped.
They were in code.
No one could make sense of the contents.
Only Ha Mu-baek and Han Seol-bing peered piercingly at the letters.
Their faces darkened severely.
It was what they'd expected, but seeing it with their own eyes was different.
"The Blood Cult, as expected."
"Yes."
At those words, the disciples' gazes snapped toward them.
They hadn't yet told the others about the Blood Cult's poison.
They'd only explained its viciousness when disaster struck in Wuchang before they could mention its origin.
"B-Blood Cult?!"
"Hiiik!"
And there were others shocked by the revelation.
The Dongjing beggars.
They weren't fools either.
After Ha Mu-baek used his internal energy to burn away the poison lurking in their bodies, their minds cleared.
They now instinctively knew something was wrong with the food at Moon Dragon Inn.
The strange urges after eating there. The messenger pigeons and doves from Moon Dragon Manor.
And the Blood Cult.
"Ugh... urk! Urk!"
One of them started dry-heaving.
They'd just eaten Moon Dragon Inn's food moments ago.
It didn't matter that the poison was now neutralized.
What mattered was that they'd eaten food tampered with by the Blood Cult.
One started, and soon the others followed suit, retching as if to empty their stomachs completely.
"W-What the hell did we eat?!"
The apparent leader among the Dongjing beggars asked, his face pale as death.
His gaze fell on his crippled brother writhing on the ground.
They'd begged for a merciful end, yet this was the result.
"Think of it as bad luck."
Ha Mu-baek had no intention of explaining further.
He focused solely on the letters.
Blood Cult code.
There were many varieties, but thankfully, he recognized this one.
He'd learned a few from the Blood Cult and Demonic Cult during past wars.
Decoding it mentally, he grasped the contents.
"These crazy bastards!!!"
A guttural curse exploded from Ha Mu-baek's mouth.
"Analyze the poison," he urgently told Dang Ji-yeon before leaping into motion.
He poured every ounce of his power into it.
"W-What's happening?"
Dang Ji-yeon asked hastily. Doubt flickered in the disciples' eyes.
But Ha Mu-baek vanished in an instant, as if he had no time to answer.
The remaining gazes turned to Han Seol-bing.
She trembled, muttering lowly.
"These... mad bastards..."
Ha Mu-baek raced toward Wuchang at full speed.
Time was of the essence.
In a split second, Wuchang could turn into hell.
"Phantom Soul Poison."
That was the poison's name from the letter.
And they planned to disperse it in Wuchang.
Enough to poison five hundred people.
He had to stop it.
Once poisoned and turned into man-eaters, there was no turning back.
He had to prevent the dispersal at all costs.
Ha Mu-baek extended his senses to their maximum.
He scrutinized every movement at Moon Dragon Inn and Moon Dragon Manor.
After the pigeons and doves took flight.
They were indeed busy.
Suspicious figures were on the move.
'Ones trying to smuggle out the poison.'
The letter said they'd send that quantity of Phantom Soul Poison back to headquarters.
And conversely, others heading toward Wuchang.
Ten in number.
He needed to stop the poison from leaving, but something more urgent came first.
Preventing its dispersal.
Thanks to the food at Moon Dragon Inn and Moon Dragon Manor, most of Wuchang's people already harbored traces of Phantom Soul Poison in their bodies, great or small.
If refined Phantom Soul Poison were then scattered atop that...
Not just five hundred—far more could turn into man-eaters.
Innocent civilians.
'I'd tear these fuckers apart and chew them up, and it still wouldn't be enough.'
Ha Mu-baek's eyes blazed with fury.
These bastards were always like this.
Martial artists or civilians—it didn't matter.
For their goals, they'd sacrifice anyone mercilessly.
Ha Mu-baek's form accelerated even further.
Wall Thunder Dog charged at the forefront.
Gathering all the Beggar Clan beggars near Wuchang brought over two hundred.
Among them, a hundred had martial prowess above a certain level.
Wall Thunder Dog now led those hundred beggars toward Moon Dragon Manor.
"You bastard!!! Gwang Hoe-cheon!!!!"
A roar thick with rage erupted from Wall Thunder Dog as he vaulted over Moon Dragon Manor's walls.
"Intruders! Stop them!"
The manor's warriors blocked the beggars' path.
Wall Thunder Dog had no interest in talk.
To him, this was the lair of Blood Cult collaborators and traitors.
"Blood Cult remnants! Wipe them all out!"
Wall Thunder Dog swung his staff, bellowing.
Thud! Thwack!
Warriors struck by his staff flew off as bloody pulps.
No mercy in his hands.
He bolted straight for the central hall.
He already knew Hyung Ui-cheon—no, Gwang Hoe-cheon—lurked in its topmost chamber.
With a leap of lightness skill, he soared up.
Crash!
He smashed through the window into the top floor.
And faced him.
The piglet lounging on the couch.
Their eyes met.
Gwang Hoe-cheon smirked.
"You've come."
"You son of a bitch."
Killing intent saturated Wall Thunder Dog's voice.
"This isn't the time to be here, is it?"
Gwang Hoe-cheon's question.
He firmly believed his subordinates would soon scatter Phantom Soul Poison over Wuchang.
"Gwang Hoe-cheon! Killing you is my top priority."
His grip tightened on the staff.
"Kukuku. Still the same. Obsessed with trifles, missing the big picture."
"You bastard!"
At Gwang Hoe-cheon's mockery, Wall Thunder Dog's staff flew.
Kwajik!
The couch shattered.
But Gwang Hoe-cheon was gone.
"Hehe. Perfect timing. I just lifted all the seals."
A short distance away.
Gwang Hoe-cheon stood with an even deeper smile.
For his bulky frame, his movements were astonishingly light.
His fist shot toward Wall Thunder Dog.
Wall Thunder Dog swung his staff to block.
Boom!
A deafening blast sent shockwaves everywhere.
Wall Thunder Dog's eyes widened.
"How?!"
It matched his staff evenly.
Gwang Hoe-cheon.
A genius in martial arts, but weaker than him.
Having hidden his skills for years, his level shouldn't have risen.
Yet now he matched him perfectly.
"Kukuku. The seals weren't just restraints."
Laughter spilled from Gwang Hoe-cheon's mouth.
Simultaneously, his massive body began twisting grotesquely.
Flesh bulged and writhed unnaturally.
"Not a chance!"
Wall Thunder Dog swung his staff undaunted.
His qi-charged green bamboo staff gleamed emerald.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions rang out in succession.
Gwang Hoe-cheon parried with fists wreathed in red qi.
All the while, his body kept changing.
The grotesquely warping form began shrinking.
His bulky mass diminished bit by bit.
Eventually.
It became a sleek, muscular build.
And his movements quickened.
Wall Thunder Dog countered with Drunken Eight Immortal Steps and staff techniques.
"Colluding with the Blood Cult turned you into a monster!"
Kwakwakwang!
The surroundings shattered.
"Kukukuku. Whether I'm a monster isn't the point, Wall Thunder Dog. Soon, Wuchang will become a living hell. Kuhahaha!"
"Move quickly, quickly."
The apparent leader of the ten-man group urged his subordinates.
They were acting on East Chief Steward's orders.
They knew exactly what poison they carried.
"Beggar Clan thugs are heading here. Avoid them and scatter the poison in as many places as possible."
"Yes."
Nine subordinates replied in unison.
"When dispersing, keep your mouths shut and hold your breath. Don't ingest or inhale it. You know what happens if you take more than a lethal dose, right?"
The nine nodded.
You become a inhuman monster.
Craving to devour anything.
The ten slipped out of Moon Dragon Manor cautiously.
Avoiding the Beggar Clan beggars as much as possible.
Behind them echoed Wall Thunder Dog's massive shout.
By a hair's breadth.
A little longer, and they'd have run into the Beggar Clan.
Moon Dragon Manor's activity was frantic, but Wuchang remained peaceful.
The bizarre incident was just a tiny spot in vast Wuchang.
For most residents, it was another ordinary, tranquil day.
Save for the sudden spectacle of countless birds filling the sky.
The ten warriors melted into the crowds and moved.
They'd already selected ten dispersal points.
Per East Chief Steward's instructions.
Beggar Clan groups moved through Wuchang's streets.
People tilted their heads in curiosity.
Wondering what was going on.
Some sensed trouble might brew today.
The ten passed the beggars with calm expressions.
Exchanging nods.
They wove through the throngs stealthily.
Finally reaching the first spot.
Dragon Training Pavilion's main gate.
This was ground zero.
Disperse the first dose here, then scatter to the other nine.
When chaos erupted from the incident here, hit the other nine simultaneously.
That was the plan.
Near Dragon Training Pavilion's gate bustled a busy avenue. Dispersing poison there would maximize panic.
With the pavilion in chaos, Righteous Heaven Alliance's Wuchang branch would focus there.
Creating gaps elsewhere.
Strike the nine spots then...
Wuchang would become hell.
They exchanged glances and nodded subtly.
One kicked off a nearby building wall, leaping high into the air.
As the gate guards eyed him like, "What's this lunatic?"
He pulled a small pouch from his bosom, broke the seal, and hurled the contents in all directions with full force.
The wind was perfect.
The crowds were ideal.
The day was splendid.
For poisoning countless people.
This should even seep into the pavilion.
Now carried by the air, it'd infect at least fifty.
With over fifty monsters born, they'd slip away in the chaos to hit the other nine.
Plan successful.
As he judged so.
Saeaeaeaeek!
A air-ripping whoosh echoed from somewhere.