Chapter 201
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 201
Chapter Title: Big Brother
Three days had passed since completing the antidote.
The antidote was still reacting to the Soul-Mixing Poison, dispersing it completely.
The mood was excellent.
Even so, Dang Ja-cheong and Gong Son Mu-oe showed no signs of stopping their experiments with new antidote combinations.
They were preparing for any unforeseen circumstances.
Dang Ji-yeon took the Soul-Mixing Poison again this morning, just as she had before.
Sure enough, the antidote reacted immediately, scattering the poison in an instant.
"Good."
For the time being, there wasn't much left to do.
They had decided to prepare the antidote in small pill form, so all that remained was to set up the pill furnace with the ingredients.
Now was the time to observe the results, so there was nothing more to handle.
Thus, she decided to stretch her limbs for the first time in a while.
She practiced her martial arts diligently every day, but training alone was different from sparring with a partner.
'That Jin-san kid's Spirit Snake Nine Whip was pretty decent.'
She was delighted by how much her younger brother had changed since entering the Fierce Dragon Corps of the Dragon Training Pavilion.
A faint smile played on Dang Ji-yeon's lips as she headed to the Fierce Dragon Corps training grounds.
Thinking she'd give him a proper thrashing today, just as usual.
"Tahat! Ha!"
The cadets were immersed in their training, their clear shouts of exertion ringing out.
Even during the break period, their dedication was impressive.
Especially since this was the Fierce Dragon Corps—not the Hidden Dragon Corps or the Wa Dragon Corps.
She knew how lazy many got during breaks, using excuses like returning to their clans or sects to slack off from the Dragon Training Pavilion.
The Hidden Dragon Corps cadets back at the Tang Clan were no different, usually.
Dang Ji-yeon's eyes scanned for Dang Jin-san.
There he was, diligently swinging his whip.
Last time it had been a sword, but after getting utterly wrecked by her whip, he seemed to be focusing solely on whip training now.
Yet Instructor Ha Mu-baek was overseeing his practice.
Of the Tang Clan's martial arts: the Spirit Snake Whip Method.
By a Dragon Training Pavilion instructor, no less.
'Instructor Ha... just who the hell is he?'
Of course, she knew some things.
The hidden hero of the last two wars.
Her father had told her about him multiple times.
But the glimpses she'd gotten of Ha Mu-baek herself...
The way he handled the corpse soldiers in Shikhwang City, detoxifying the poisoned, his elusive martial arts, and now guiding her clan's whip techniques.
The more she learned, the more enigmatic he became.
"He's quite something, isn't he?"
Gong Son Bi-yeon's question from beside her drew an unconscious nod from Dang Ji-yeon.
Gong Son Bi-yeon had joined her on the way to the training grounds, saying she wanted to loosen up now that things had calmed down a bit.
Her body felt stiff from being glued to antidote mixing and testing.
"He seems impossible to figure out."
Gong Son Bi-yeon smiled softly at the response.
Dang Ji-yeon watched her, struck by just how dazzlingly beautiful she was.
Even she, another woman, felt captivated.
With few people around the Dragon Training Pavilion during the break, Gong Son Bi-yeon had removed her veil.
Her stunning smile was fully on display.
"Hm?"
Ju Woo-myeong paused his sword practice, his gaze turning toward them.
He'd sensed their presence.
And then...
Ju Woo-myeong nearly froze but quickly regained his composure.
An incredibly beautiful woman had caught his eye, but he already had some resistance built up.
After all, Yeon Ha-min, who trained with him, was just as stunning.
No, Ha Seol-ran too.
The realization startled him.
He'd figured out who this beauty was.
Immortal Chrysanthemum Flower Gong Son Bi-yeon.
He'd glimpsed her from afar during the Eastern Expedition Tournament, but she'd worn a veil then.
This was the first time seeing her bare face.
He was shocked by her unearthly beauty but calmed himself—only to be shocked again by why he'd needed to.
'Ha-min and Seol-ran's beauty rivals one of the Five Flowers of the Martial World?'
He'd thought they were beautiful, but not this level.
Ju Woo-myeong glanced between Gong Son Bi-yeon, Yeon Ha-min, and Ha Seol-ran before his face flushed beet red.
No matter how accustomed he'd grown to beauty, as a Wudang Taoist, his immunity to women was still low.
And seeing women like this so often? That was only since coming to the Dragon Training Pavilion.
"Huh? What's up?"
Baek Ri-pyeong turned at Ju Woo-myeong's reaction, followed by Dan Mok Un-roe and Nak Woo-jin doing the same.
The difference? They couldn't tear their eyes from Gong Son Bi-yeon.
They were used to Yeon Ha-min and Ha Seol-ran by now, but Gong Son Bi-yeon's first-time beauty hit them like a thunderbolt.
Yeon Ha-min and Ha Seol-ran shook their heads and clicked their tongues at the sight.
"Tch. Anyway."
"Tch tch. Men."
Only then did Dang Jin-san pause his whip and turn.
He'd been that focused on training.
The first person in his view: Dang Ji-yeon.
"Witch! You're here! Today, I'll finally... Huh?"
Dang Jin-san's bold shout at Dang Ji-yeon trailed off and stopped.
That's when he finally noticed Gong Son Bi-yeon.
His brain had short-circuited.
Ha Mu-baek surveyed the cadets and shook his head.
Still immature kids.
Fools who might crumble to a single honey trap.
"What's the occasion?"
Dang Ji-yeon smiled brightly at Ha Mu-baek's question.
"I wanted to stretch a bit and spar. Hope I'm not intruding?"
It wasn't the first time. No intrusion at all.
"Do as you like. Thanks to you, I've spotted their weaknesses too."
Gong Son Bi-yeon's cheeks flushed faintly at Ha Mu-baek's words.
She knew why he'd say that.
She could feel the cadets' stares.
As she hurriedly reached for her veil, Ha Mu-baek stopped her.
"No need. Must be stuffy. I'll handle these idiots."
With Ha Mu-baek's permission, the cadets moved to the edges of the training grounds.
The outcome of the spar was obvious.
Dang Jin-san strode confidently to the center.
Gong Son Bi-yeon joined Ha Seol-ran and Yeon Ha-min.
"Sorry for causing a scene."
She spoke carefully.
"No, it's on them for being pathetic. Never knew they had it in them."
Yeon Ha-min shot a sharp glance at the cadets opposite.
Ha Seol-ran nodded slightly beside her.
"Today will be different."
Dang Jin-san declared, staring at Dang Ji-yeon.
"Ho ho. After just a few days of practice? You might end up in even worse shape today."
In response to Dang Ji-yeon, Dang Jin-san slammed his whip against the ground once.
The two faced each other.
Dang Jin-san attacked first.
His whip lashed out with lively momentum.
Dang Ji-yeon easily sidestepped with light footwork, then swung her own whip.
Chaaak! Chak! Chak!
The two whips intertwined in midair.
Like two black snakes battling overhead.
Ha Mu-baek watched impassively.
'Her talent for poison has overshadowed her martial prowess.'
Among the juniors her age he'd seen since arriving at the Dragon Training Pavilion, Dang Ji-yeon was the strongest.
Even now.
She was matching Dang Jin-san's level appropriately.
Just like last time.
Though she hadn't held back at the end.
It was like instructional sparring.
She seemed rough on her brother, but watching closely revealed her affection as an older sister.
Ha Mu-baek understood, having a cherished sibling himself.
The spar intensified.
A glint entered Dang Ji-yeon's eyes.
'How did he improve so much in just days...'
He was unrecognizable.
What on earth had that Ha Mu-baek guy taught her brother?
Suddenly, she wanted to join the Fierce Dragon Corps' seventh squad and learn under Ha Mu-baek herself.
Poison was great, but so was martial arts.
The thrill of growing stronger was addictive.
Dang Ji-yeon's whip movements grew ever more exquisite.
Dang Jin-san kept up.
He even surprised her with unexpected strikes now and then.
His whip skills, which had seemed immature compared to his swordsmanship, had transformed in mere days.
As her mind wandered briefly, Dang Jin-san's whip slipped her guard, rising from below.
Dang Ji-yeon knew the follow-up and shifted left—
But the whip cunningly pursued.
'What?'
Caught off guard by the unforeseen motion.
He'd mixed Eighteen Cloud-Sweeping Whips into Spirit Snake Nine Whip.
The Tang Clan's introductory whip art: Eighteen Cloud-Sweeping Whips.
Springing it mid-spar focused on Spirit Snake Nine Whip? Unthinkable.
A simple shift, but it perfectly exploited her lapse.
Dang Jin-san's whip reverted to Spirit Snake Nine Whip flows.
Jjjaak!
It struck Dang Ji-yeon squarely.
"Yes!"
Dang Jin-san cheered at his plan's success.
In truth, Ha Mu-baek had advised this tactic.
Exploiting the opponent's carelessness.
Dang Ji-yeon leaped back, out of whip range.
"Eh!"
"Whoa..."
The watching cadets gaped.
Ju Woo-myeong and the male cadets turned their heads aside.
Dang Ji-yeon glanced down at the stinging spot.
Between her upper chest and neck.
Her clothes were torn from the whip strike, exposing pale skin.
A red welt marked the spot.
It hadn't hit her chest proper, but a bit lower and it might have.
Only then did Dang Jin-san realize.
"Ah, no. I didn't mean to hit there... I swear..."
He flailed his arms, stammering in panic.
It was true.
Focused on landing a hit, not where.
He'd swung at the opening.
This was the result.
Dang Jin-san backed away hesitantly.
Dang Ji-yeon covered the tear with her left hand.
Her face burned crimson.
She knew such things could happen in combat.
In a life-or-death duel as a martial artist, it'd be trivial.
But this was a spar.
With her brother's comrades and instructor watching.
Humiliating.
That was her honest feeling.
It swiftly turned to rage.
Her eyes blazed.
The whip in her right hand writhed as if alive, then slowly rose.
Straightening like a spear.
"Whip... Aura."
Dan Mok Un-roe gasped in surprise.
Faint but unmistakable: aura coated the whip.
'As expected.'
Ha Mu-baek nodded knowingly.
Not yet thirty, yet she'd reached the aura realm.
Impressive.
"S-Sis! I mean, this was..."
"Witch" became "Sis" in his desperation.
"Die!"
With her shout, Dang Ji-yeon's Whip Aura flew at Dang Jin-san.
"Kaaaaack!"
His screams echoed from her merciless barrage.
No one intervened.
They just averted their gazes slightly.
How long did it last?
"Enough!"
Ha Mu-baek shouted.
"You'll actually kill him."
Dang Ji-yeon coiled her whip around her waist at his follow-up.
Yeon Ha-min hurriedly brought her windbreaker cloak.
Still chilly weather, so she'd worn it; she'd taken it off during training and now handed it over.
"Thanks."
Dang Ji-yeon bowed slightly, donned the cloak, and fastened it.
Only then did the male cadets straighten their gazes.
"Tch. Idiots. You'd die on the battlefield acting like that."
Their faces stayed flushed despite Ha Mu-baek's scolding.
"Tsk... tch. Real... stuttering fools..."
Dang Jin-san, sprawled on the ground half-dead, muttered at the sight.
Zzzt.
Dang Ji-yeon's sharp glare shut him up instantly.
'Ugh, these guys. Next time in Chengdu, gotta take 'em and fix this properly.'
Even then, that's what Dang Jin-san was thinking.
Afterward.
Dang Ji-yeon and Gong Son Bi-yeon left the training grounds, while Ha Mu-baek tended to Dang Jin-san's wounds.
"Idiot."
Ha Mu-baek's rebuke.
"I-I didn't aim there..."
As Dang Jin-san tried to explain, Ha Mu-baek shook his head.
"Not that. Why'd you stop? You landed the hit."
"Uh..."
"Your opponent froze from the result, but you panicked and retreated. What then?"
"..."
"Worse happens on the battlefield. If a young female corpse soldier from Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest charges naked, you gonna back off?"
Dang Jin-san hung his head.
"Oppa."
Ha Seol-ran called to Ha Mu-baek then.
Her expression was peculiar.
Ha Mu-baek startled.
"No, this was a special case, sure. But I'm warning you about real combat."
Even he faltered under his sister's stern look.
The watching cadets' lips curved into sly smiles.
Meanwhile, Dan Mok Un-roe's eyes were slightly unfocused.
His mind raced.
Replaying Dang Ji-yeon's moves, imagining how he'd counter with Eighty-One Forms Galaxy Illusion Sword Method.
Essentially sparring a virtual Dang Ji-yeon in his head.
Ha Mu-baek, dodging Ha Seol-ran's glare, spotted Dan Mok Un-roe and chuckled.
He recognized the state.
'Typical of him—passionate about everything.'