Chapter 5 - 30 to 36

Wait, how does this guy know my name?

Clearly, in Dangjeongil's memory, there was no one as handsome as the man in front of him. More importantly, didn't you just ask if his fists were all right? Judging from the fact that you know that, it seems like he wasn't a Bongwidae warrior...

Perhaps it was because he had heard about the fist. Dang Jeong-il felt a sense of foreboding as he recalled the incident when his fist bone had broken. The feeling coming from the other person's facial features felt somehow familiar. He had definitely met them somewhere. Dang Jeong-il, who was searching his memory once more, suddenly asked with a bewildered expression.

"Surely… life extension…?"

"I remember."

"… … ."

When the man affirmed, Dang Jeong-il was momentarily speechless. There is a limit to how much a person can change. How could this happen?

'What have you been eating…?'

Aside from his handsome face, his limbs were also dazzlingly developed. He would naturally be able to gain an advantage over his opponents. He came across as a true master.

"More than that, liver? That guy."

"Oh, oh! You said it yourself. It's called Taeeulmukgeompa."

"hmm."

Dang Geuk-rin, the young man who was shaking in pain on one side, was looking at him. There were many things that were not right about this lonely battle. It was the first time he felt the eyes of surveillance, and while he was sensing the two's presence with his senses, he also felt the formation's structure change strangely and thought it was strange.

And when he arrived, Tang Geuk-rin was wielding two swords and wielding a pair of swords. Tang Yuanming knew at a glance that it was not Tang Ga's martial arts. The underlying energy was clearly from Tang Ga's secret method, but the temperament was completely different. That's why he immediately took action as soon as he felt suspicious. Perhaps if Tang Yuanming had been even a little late in spraying the Umochim, Tang Jeong-il would have passed away by now. Of course, if he had known that Tang Jeong-il was in danger, he might not have bothered to save him… .

'Could it be that the Jegal family and the Taeeulmukgeom faction are intertwined?'

I couldn't help but have such doubts. What if the Zhuge family could intervene in the world of Jinbeop, where the battle of loneliness was unfolding, and if Tang Geuk-lin, with the help of the Zhuge family, eliminated the participants one by one...?

If there had been no obvious name, it would have been possible for Dang Geuk-rin, who was a liver transplant, to win the Sogaju competition. If that had happened, Dang Geuk-rin, who may or may not have the blood of the Dang family flowing through his veins, would have become the next Danggaju and Sogaju.

'I'll have to keep that in mind.'

I hadn't forgotten the obvious. The first time I climbed the mountain, they had followed me. At the time, I had lost track of them because I lacked the inner strength and my senses had not yet mastered the Jusamangyeok, but it didn't seem like they had good intentions in pursuing me. They might have been connected to the Jegal family or the Taeeulmukgeompa.

"It's the government day."

"Uh, yeah?"

"Don't fuss. I don't have any ill feelings towards you now. It happened when I was young, right? Surely you're not still harboring feelings about something that happened when you were young."

"… Yeah, yeah."

Dang Jeong-il nodded, but showed a slightly bewildered expression. You're being scheming… When I heard that if the treatment at Yakwangdang had been delayed even a little, he would have been completely unable to use his fists, how much did it make me shiver? For a warrior, it was almost like standing on the brink of life and death. Dang Moon-chan, who had been hit with him, had one arm completely disabled.

In addition, Dangjeongil had nightmares for a while. I had a dream where I was startled by the murderous intent of Dangjeongmyeong for several days. I would wet the blanket every time. It was a humiliating memory.

"Do you know anything more about that guy? Like his back?"

"… That guy is Dang Geuk-rin."

"Danggeukrin?"

Dang Jeong-il tilted his head. It seemed like he had heard of it before. He was about to search through the memories of the boy from before when Dang Jeong-il continued.

"He was originally the strongest candidate to win this competition. He is also the elder's favorite disciple."

"The elder? Then does the elder have a connection to the Taeeulmukgeompa?"

"… I don't know about that. I guess you'll have to ask him."

Dang Jeong-il pointed at Dang Geuk-rin with a nod. Dang Geuk-rin was trying to stand up with bloodshot eyes. Although he was a liver, thanks to his training at the Tang family, he must have some degree of resistance to poison.

Dang Myeong-myeong, who had been staring at it indifferently, put his hand in his bosom and then took it out. There was a needle stuck between his index and middle fingers.

After seeing that, Dangjeongil asked.

"To kill? Shouldn't we get more information? For what purpose did the Taeeulmukgeompa send a spy to the main house…?"

"It's obvious. Since he made them participate in the competition, he must be aiming for the position of Sogaju. Or maybe he's trying to kill as many participants as possible to greatly weaken the power of the next main family."

As he said that, Dang Geuk-rin was watching him closely. That's why he couldn't miss the sharp wavering in Dang Geuk-rin's eyes. It seems his guess was right.

"The elder will have to take responsibility for this. I don't know for sure, but I think there are already participants who have died by his hands."

"That's right. You said that you killed several people besides me. At first, you were holding a bloody sword… But wouldn't it be better to leave this guy alive? If we're going to interrogate the elder like you said… "

He said that he should interrogate him and prove that he was a traitor. At first glance, it seemed reasonable. Dang Geuk-rin's eyes had a glimmer of hope. He felt that if he could just get out of this place, there would be a way. Elder Dang Seok-joong would definitely protect him. People tend to believe what they want to believe.

This poison that caused pain that seemed like it would tear the intestines was definitely extremely poisonous, but in the case of poison of this magnitude, it was common to carry an antidote with you just in case. Dang Geuk-rin looked at Dang Sang-myeong with desperate eyes. Quickly, detoxify me!

But Dang-myeong firmly shook his head.

"No. You don't have to. I have you."

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"huh…?"

"There's a witness, so why bother taking this guy here?"

'…!'

Tang Geuk-rin was flustered. His head was throbbing. Could it be that he was going to die here? This Tang Geuk-rin, no, Mak In-geuk? Without even being able to properly bloom? This is ridiculous…!

However, no matter what Tang Geuk-rin thought, the death sentence was passed. Dang Yu-myeong threw away one of the feather pillows he was holding.

Pick.

This time, he aimed for the neck again. Tang Geuk-rin, who was barely able to resist the poison, fell down with a thud. He seemed to have completely lost consciousness. It seemed that he would naturally die after a little while.

'How did you do it?'

Dang Jeong-il, who was watching Dang Sang-myeong use his hands, broke out in a cold sweat. It didn't seem like he had used enough strength, but Umochim shot out quickly and upright. Although it was only Han Soo, he could tell that his mastery of dark techniques was not ordinary.

And what about the poison? How much of a poison must it be that was able to defeat Dang Geuk-rin with just a small amount of poison applied to the Umochim? It seemed more powerful than the Hongsa powder he had used.

In fact, the method by which Dang-myung-myeong fired the U-mo-chim was completely different from other dark techniques. It was thanks to the eye of the stream, the method of seeing the flow. With the eye of the stream, Dang-myung-myeong ...

And the poisonous request madness itself is poisonous. The amount of poisonous heat applied to the Umochim was really small, but thanks to the poisonous request madness enhancing its poisonousness, the Umochim alone has enough killing power.

It was a sophisticated tactic that even Dangjeongil could not have guessed, but it was enough to make him wary.

'… It seems like he has truly become a monster. I absolutely cannot stand up to him… .'

With that determination, Dang Jeong-il thought that fate was truly strange. When his fist bone was crushed, he had hated Deung-myeong so much that he wanted to kill him, but as time passed and he owed his life to him, he could not simply hate him.

Creak… .

Tang Geuk-rin, who had been rolling his eyes and squirming, let out a gasping sound for a moment and then finally became quiet. His lifeline had been cut off.

It was a disappointing end for someone who was a strong contender for the championship in this year's Sogaju competition, as he lost his life to a mere two Umochims.

When Dang Jeong-myeong moved his hand slightly, surprisingly, the two needles stuck in Dang Geuk-rin's neck were pulled out on their own and returned to Dang Jeong-myeong. It was the art of recovering hidden energy, the art of Yeon-gi-ryun. Dang Jeong-il was once again greatly surprised and vowed that he would never provoke Dang's feelings.

And then he opened his mouth with an expression as if he had made a decision.

"It's a given."

"hmm?"

"Thank you. You saved my life. And I'm sorry. When I was little… ."

"Okay. Don't worry about it. It's just something you do when you're young."

Dang-myung waved his hand slightly. It wasn't an empty remark, but he really thought so. At that time, he had warned and punished them enough. If the other person doesn't necessarily hold a grudge about that time, then there's no need to think badly of it either.

'… How manly.'

Dang Jeong-il felt a liking for that attitude of Sang-myeong. It was refreshing and cool. Whether it was his martial arts, his personality, or his appearance, everything about Sang-myeong suddenly seemed good.

"Anyway, if you need my help, just let me know. I'm a member of the Tang family too. I'll never forget your kindness."

"… Then let's go to my parents' house and ask them to be a witness about this incident."

Dang Jeong-il, who had suddenly become friendly, looked at him with a strange gaze and said, "Don't worry, Dang Jeong-il nodded vigorously."

'That's good.'

The Presbyterian Church was a gathering of old men who were greedy for power, who had stripped their mother, Dokbong Dang Ji-hye, of her position as the head of the household. Naturally, they had planned to take care of it at some point, and this incident allowed them to get involved with the elders. On top of that, since the party administration was also friendly, things seemed to be going a little easier.

****

"Well then, I wish you good luck."

"okay."

Dang Jeong-il, who was giving polite words of wisdom, looked at him with eyes that still hadn't adapted to the situation.

Dang Jeong-il decided to give up on the lonely battle and go outside the world of Jinbeop. He had already been saved by Dang Sang-myeong when he was almost killed once, and had also witnessed his skills, so winning was out of the question.

Finding a way out was easy, because the world of Jinbeop was shrinking by the minute.

"Don't tell the guards about the liver."

"Okay. I'll just pretend I don't know."

Dang Geuk-rin was planning to keep quiet for now. There was no need to go around talking about this group from now on. He thought it wouldn't be too late to return to his family and start questioning them. Maybe there were other traitors or people who were cooperating with Dang Geuk-rin.

Anyway, that was the last time Dangjeongil spread his light sword and moved away. It was to voluntarily drop out.

Meanwhile, Dang Yuanming searched through Dang Geuk-rin's body, but there was not a single item that could prove that it was a liver transplant.

It didn't matter though. I had the strength now anyway.

A mere thread of justification would suffice.

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Once again, the commander, who had expanded his scope by using the injection method, began to move towards Chuwolgwanghaeng.

If my guess was correct, there should now be only one or two participants left. Ugh… .

There was a boy rolling around on the ground, drooling. From his wide-open eyes and clenched teeth, you could tell how much pain he was in.

And in front of him, a girl was looking down at the boy with a cold expression. The girl's face was so hideous that it was hard to open my eyes and look at, and her skin was not only rough but also had pus flowing out of it, making it even more horrifying.

'The effect is certain.'

Dang Yeong-ryeong felt the boy's breathing getting weaker by the minute and thought, "Is this really Dang Gossip Poison?"

The ten most severe poisons in the Tang school of poison, and it is said that even a master who has reached the Hwagyeong stage would have difficulty avoiding death if he or she is hit by one of these. These are truly the most severe poisons!

The original ten kinds of poison were Tangga Shippok, but after going through many troubles, only four kinds of poison were passed down to Tangga today. However, since Tangga members did not bother to tell the outside world about this fact, the public still called it Tangga Shippok. Regardless of the actual number of kinds, it became a term that simply referred to Tangga's peerless poison.

In any case, these kinds of poisons were not only difficult to obtain or manufacture, but also had tremendous killing power, so they were treated as very precious items within the Tang family. It would not be an exaggeration to call them family treasures.

Does Dang Yeong-ryeong have such gossip?

It wasn't completely impossible. Her maternal grandfather was the third elder, Dang Seok-hyung, who was considered a real power in the presbytery. In addition, Dang Seok-hyung was known as the best in the family's poison technique. This means that it would be relatively easy to access the Dang family's poison. It would be quite possible to hide a moderate amount.

However, this was quite a risky attempt even for Dang Seok-hyeong. If it was discovered that he had given the Dang Gaship Dok to his granddaughter who was participating in the Sogaju competition, the other elders who had their blood relatives or disciples participate in the competition would not have stayed still. He would have to be prepared to be dismissed from the council of elders.

'So, if you use this poison, you must kill your opponent.'

Dang Seok-hyung strongly advised them not to leave any witnesses behind.

Of course, there was a risk, but with the Danggasipdok, it was like taking an overwhelmingly advantageous high ground in the final hurdle of competition, the battle of loneliness. If Dangyeongryeong won the competition and became the Sogaju, Dangseokhyung's power would continue in the future. The position of the next Gajuju would also be occupied by Dangyeongryeong.

The grandfather decided that it was worth the risk.

Moreover, thanks to joining hands with Zhuge Jia, Tang Yingling did not encounter others in the battle of loneliness. It was Zhuge Changxin's consideration that he could save his power. Zhuge Changxin designed the structure of the formation world to be finely adjusted, and disrupted the sense of direction of those within it, so that they would collide with each other. Except for the 28th, Yu Myeong, who had amazing aura.

The boy in front of Tang Yeong-ryeong now may have moved of his own volition, but in reality, it was simply the result of Zhuge Changxin inducing the two to meet at Tang Yeong-ryeong's request.

As the Dangyeongryeong, he needed an opponent to test the power of poison.

The poison she received from her maternal grandfather was called Hwaronghodok (火龍呼毒).

'Among poisons, there are cold poisons and hot poisons. They mean that they contain cold and heat respectively. They do not normally reveal their properties, but when they enter the human body and poison it, they cause the poisoned person to feel terrible cold or heat. Of these, hot poison… and among these hot poisons, the most vicious is this Hwa-ryong-ho poison⎯'

I don't know if it's true, but Dang Seok-hyung said that Hwa-ryong-ho-dok was 'the breath of the Hwa-ryong dissolved in poison.' He said that it was a poison that had been passed down from long ago, without any recipe.

On the outside, Hwa-ryong-ho-dok looked like nothing more than a blood-red liquid.

To verify its power, Dang Yeong-ryeong dropped two drops of Hwa-ryong-ho-dok on a small spear. Then, he used the Silver Sleep technique to deceive the boy's senses and hid, then succeeded in hitting the spear through a surprise attack.

And the results were rolling in right before our eyes.

"Hot… It's hot!"

The boy seemed to feel an unbearable heat. Could it be a hallucination caused by addiction? That was the moment Dang Yeong-ryeong thought.

Hurrruk!

Suddenly, flames burst out from the boy's body.

"…!"

Tang Yeong-ryeong looked at the boy with astonished eyes. The boy's body burned with tremendous heat. The flesh melted away and the bones were exposed. The bones were soon consumed by the flames, and after a while, the boy disappeared from the world, leaving behind only a little bit of ash. It was as if he had been hit by a powerful hot sun.

'This much power with just two drops…'

It was something that was hard to believe even when I saw it with my own eyes. Rather than feeling guilty for having committed murder, Dang Yeong-ryeong felt a strange joy flowing through her body. With a distorted expression, the girl trembled slightly. With this, anyone can be killed. Even if it was a master who had reached the level of Hwa-gyeong, it wasn't a lie that it could be killed…!

After a while.

Where the girl had been, there was only a pile of white and black powder.

****

"Youngest. What is going on…!"

A middle-aged man carrying two crossed black swords on his back muttered in a mournful tone.

He was Mak In-hu, the leader of the Taeeulmukgeompa.

In Mak In-hu's hand was a strangely shaped insect that was squeaking and squeaking in a very sad way, as if it was mourning someone's death.

This strange insect was called a minggo, and minggo originally came in pairs.

If you put two Myunggo together and ten days pass, the two Myunggo become psychically connected and can tell each other's life and death no matter how far apart they are. That's why when one dies, they cry out in sorrow like they do now.

Since the Myunggo was basically a type of parasite, it could use various animals, including humans, as its host. And when the host died, the Myunggo also died. Because of this habit, there was nothing better than the Myunggo when it came to guessing someone's life or death.

Danggeukrin.

No, it's just a show.

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After Mak In-hu, he did not just send his youngest son to the Tang family as a concubine without taking any measures. He would not be able to see him for at least a few years, so he should be aware of his life and death. He should also be able to guess the situation of how things are going.

That's why I planted a famous spirit in Mak In-geuk's body. If the famous spirit here was quiet, it meant that Mak In-geuk was carrying out his mission as a spy without any problems. I could rest assured. Mak In-hu was disappointed in his eldest son who was becoming more and more dissolute as he grew older, so he had high expectations for Mak In-geuk, the youngest. He was even thinking of replacing him with the youngest son if he returned after making a decent contribution to the downfall of the Tang family.

however….

Now, with less than a year left until the cattle race.

Suddenly, the famous singer who had been quiet for years started to cry.

After that, he had a gut feeling that his youngest son, whom he cherished, had died a violent death, although he did not know the reason.

'… I didn't do anything special as a father.'

Even a hedgehog loves its own young. As the owner of Sapha, Mak In-hu, who had shed tears of blood from the eyes of many people, felt heartbroken. He remembered that his youngest son had been born with extraordinary talents, and resentment welled up in his chest.

Crunch!

Queek!

After closing the door, he clenched his fist hard and burst the worm. The strange insect left behind a final scream, then turned into a handful of blood and fell to the floor.

bang!

As he walked out the door, Mak In-hu shouted.

"All disciples, prepare to go! Now!"

"… Long story. What's going on?"

The scholar who was in charge of the role of a strategist and general in the Taeeulmukgeompa hurriedly approached me. Why are you suddenly going on a mission? I was already nervous because of the strange noises… .

But he just swallowed his saliva and couldn't ask any more questions. That was because Mak In-hu, who always looked relaxed, had bloodshot eyes. The scholar, who figured out that his anger was no small amount of anger, simply lowered his head. He knew very well that if he went against her will, he could get his head cut off.

At Mak In-hu's shout, Taeeulmukgeompa quickly became chaotic. However, while maintaining a suspicious expression, everyone prepared their weapons and began to gather in front of Mak In-hu.

After seeing that sight, Mak In-hu finally spoke in a slightly calmer voice.

"You pass the signal directly to the other breakwaters."

"Yes. But what if it's a chimney?"

"If you add that it is a party, a competition for cattle, a joint farm, and the harvest time has come, they will understand."

"All right."

After taking a quick look at the scholar who was retreating, Mak In-hu looked up at the sky. The face of his youngest son who had said that he would follow his father's words was vivid in his mind.

'In-geuk-ah. Your grudge will be repaid by this father. Among those with the last name Dang, there will be no one who returns alive from Gongdongsan…!'

Taeeulmukgeompa's long-sleeved shirt, muttering to himself, seemed to be filled with flames in his eyes.

****

For several days, Deungmyung traveled across the mountains in a light-weight, moon-chasing manner.

The world of formations that unfolded for the battle of solitude was so vast that no matter how much I ran, I couldn't catch a single being in the middle of the battle. Only animals were caught.

The day quickly grew dark.

'At this point, it's almost certain.'

After catching a suitable-sized deer and having a quick meal, Dang-myeong thought to himself that there was definitely an intervention by Zhuge Liang, which he had left as a suspicion.

In this vast world of formations, only Dang Geuk-rin, Dang Jeong-il, and other participants whose names and identities were unknown, as well as Dang Yuanming, were placed particularly close to each other.

'The plan was to make them fight each other. Even manipulating their formations.'

In any case, there is only one winner in the battle of loneliness.

It's an environment where they have no choice but to fight even if left alone, so why do they have to place certain people close by to induce them to fight early...?

The final battle of solitude was a battlefield designed to last for months. But the fact that so many participants were placed within a few hours of each other meant that there had to be a conspiracy.

'There must be someone who benefits. That person will be in league with Zhuge Liang.'

Dang-myung was slowly getting closer to the truth through his deductions.

Jegalga and Taeeulmukgeompa.

And the tails and traces that were attached when I first came to the common mountain.

With such things in mind, Dang-myung prepared a place to sleep. If he gathered enough fallen leaves, he could lie down quite comfortably. Although he did not live on the cliff like the other members, he had spent quite a long time in the mountains in his previous life, so it was not difficult to prepare.

'Inhale.'

With a light wave of his hand, the fallen leaves scattered everywhere gathered together in an instant. When he was able to lie down comfortably, Dang-Myeong stopped waving his hand.

Soon, Dang-myeong lay down with his back against a pile of fallen leaves and slept quietly in the darkness.

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A couple of hours had passed and only the sound of thin breathing could be heard.

There was Inyoung, quietly approaching Dang-myung while spreading out her silver sleeping spell. A few hours ago.

After killing the boy, Tang Yeong-ryeong, who was slowly moving towards the center due to the shrinking world of the law, happened to see smoke rising from afar.

'I am a participant.'

She knew it as soon as she saw it. One of the contestants was hunting animals and grilling their meat. She could hide everything else, but there was nothing she could do about lighting a fire. She couldn't eat raw meat.

'It's a little strange.'

I thought we would meet someday, but it was sooner than I expected.

The Zhuge family, who joined hands with Tang Yeong-ryeong, had decided to intervene in the world of formations to ensure that the battle of loneliness would flow in her favor. Excluding the boy who had been killed by the Fire Dragon Poison and herself, the remaining participants should have been placed close together and would be busy killing each other by now…?

It was a situation that could not help but raise questions.

Tang Yeong-ryeong thought that maybe Zhuge Jia was not handling things properly as he said, or maybe the other party had already dealt with all the other participants.

'It's probably the latter.'

Although he wasn't aware of it, Dang Yeong-ryeong had become quite cautious since he had been treated badly as a child. He didn't let his guard down easily.

She waited for the night to deepen. So that the other person's guard would be lowered. It would be better if he could at least sleep.

Only after everything became so quiet did she begin to move. Very slowly.

Dang Yeong-ryeong applied Hwa-ryong-ho-dok to the rain and performed the silver sleeping technique while hiding it on his back so that the moonlight would not reflect.

The silver technique she used was called Mangjaegong (忘在功), and it was something she learned from her maternal grandfather, the third elder, Dang Seok-hyeong. Although the secret technique of the shadow technique was quite secretive among the martial arts of the household, this was even more suitable for hiding. It was difficult to detect even if you were not a skilled expert, because it concealed not only your movements but even your breathing to the extreme. However, it had the disadvantage of being very slow.

"… … ."

In the silence that had descended, Dang Yeong-ryeong walked cautiously. Although he trusted Mang Jae-gong, he had no idea how strong his opponent's tactic was, so he decided that it was best to be as cautious as possible.

Fortunately, thanks to the moderate amount of moisture, the dirt underfoot crunched very quietly. The chances of the other person noticing were extremely slim.

After quite some time, Dang Yeong-ryeong finally succeeded in getting close enough to identify the opponent's face. As expected, the opponent was lying down with his eyes closed, completely oblivious. He seemed to be in a deep sleep.

'…Who is it? Was there someone with this appearance in the competition?'

Tang Yeong-ryeong felt a little shaken and thought. In fact, he had wanted to guess the other person's identity when he came here.

There were two guesses.

Tang Geuk-rin, a disciple of the great master Tang Shizhong and originally her strongest rival.

And then one day, her mortal enemy, Sangmyung Lee, revealed his hidden skills and brutally destroyed her face.

But the handsome man sleeping in front of me was someone I didn't know at all.

Dang Yeong-ryeong looked at his face for a moment as if appreciating it. The more she looked at him, the more handsome he seemed. From his sharp forehead to his sharp nose like a sword, and his skin as flawless as porcelain made by a master craftsman. She couldn't help but be impressed. The thought that it would be a shame to kill him like this suddenly crossed her mind.

But I soon shook that thought away.

'It's just skin and bones anyway.'

Fortunately or unfortunately, she had already let go of her appearance from her childhood, so she was not dazzled by the man's good looks. Furthermore, she had accepted Zhuge's proposal. Her marriage partner was almost already decided.

No matter how handsome he is, he is just a competitor in the battle of loneliness. He is just a bright apricot. It is right to kill him and win the competition to become the owner of the cow.

With that thought in mind, Dang Yeong-ryeong took out the dagger he had hidden behind his back and brought it forward. The dagger was bright red because it was coated with the Hwa-ryong-ho-poison.

There was no need to hesitate since he had decided to kill. Dang Yeong-ryeong threw the dagger without even aiming. After all, at this distance, he could hit the target even with his eyes closed.

That wasn't the end of it. Dang Yeong-ryeong assumed that the opponent might be pretending to be asleep, and continued to spray deadly powdered poisons in a wide area. They were extremely toxic, to the point that they could be called extremely poisonous, or powdered poisons that had the effect of causing sanguinity. The light green and dark purple powders spread like fog in an instant. It was a dragon poison technique of considerable level.

All of this was an attack that was poured out in an instant while she was approaching sufficiently and unfolding her silver sleep technique and net-work technique. She was clearly meticulous and had never let her guard down. There was almost no opening in this surprise attack.

That's right. No one would have thought that a man who looked like he was lying down would be able to dodge all these attacks.

"…!"

Dang Yeong-ryeong couldn't believe it even though he saw it with his own eyes. The man who was lying down just before the rain hit him disappeared like a goblin. Even if he had noticed the surprise attack and prepared in advance, the reaction speed and the accomplishment of the divine technique were unbelievable.

'… Where is it?'

Dang Yeong-ryeong hurriedly raised her spirit level, but she couldn't find the man. He must have been nearby, but she couldn't sense any signs of him.

Dang Yeong-ryeong tried to retreat while spraying poison and secret medicine in a hurry. Since the surprise attack had failed and he had lost track of them, he was in a completely disadvantageous position.

That was when.

Crap!

Dang Yeong-ryeong was suddenly grabbed by someone's neck. Only after being caught did he realize that the man had jumped out of the poisonous fog. How was he okay? Although it wasn't as strong as Hwa-ryong-ho-dok, he had passed through a poisonous dance consisting of extreme poison and mountain poison. Even if his breathing had stopped, if it had touched his skin, there should have been some kind of abnormality...?

The questions did not continue any further.

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The man lifted the hand that was holding Dang Yeong-ryeong's neck. Dang Yeong-ryeong felt her breath catch in her throat and glared at her opponent. Whether it was her natural brute force or her internal energy, her evil power was no joke. If she had just a little more strength, her cervical vertebrae would have broken. Dang Yeong-ryeong thought that she couldn't die like this and tried to spray whatever poison she could get her hands on. However, the strength in her grip on his neck slightly disappeared and the man opened his mouth.

"Dang Yeong-ryeong…?"

"Who, who… ."

Although she was still suspended in the air, she managed to catch her breath, so Dang Yeong-ryeong tried to talk. Seeing that the other person recognized her, she thought that if she did well, she could turn the tide. She still had Dang Gossip Poison⎯ Hwa-ryong-ho-poison left in her. If she acted calmly… .

But the next moment, Dang Yeong-ryeong couldn't help but lose his senses.

"Can't you recognize me? Well, I guess that's understandable since we've both changed a lot. I'm Yeonmyeong. Of course."

"…what…?"

A spark flew from the eyes of the questioning Dang Yeong-ryeong. How could it not be so? The mortal enemy that he had endured and separated from for years was right in front of him. Furthermore, unlike his own hideous appearance, which he did not know what had happened, the bastard had become a handsome man who reminded him of the story of Song Ok and Ban-an. He felt his blood boil.

one side.

Looking at her like that, Dang-myeong thought, "This is quite a stubborn bad relationship."

I never thought I would encounter Dang Yeong-ryeong in the lonely battle. I thought she might have some kind of connection to the Zhuge family, but I didn't bother asking. Just looking at her eyes, I could tell that she was full of resentment, so I didn't think she would answer. Her already ugly face was distorted, making it even more horrifying to see.

'What goes around comes around.'

Dang Yuanming did not feel sympathy. If he had not awakened in his previous life, wouldn't he have lived a miserable life, being bullied instead? Dang Yuanming understood that Dang Yeongyeong held a grudge against him, but he thought that there was no need to feel guilty about it.

Anyway.

In fact, Yu Myeong-myeong had already noticed that Dang Yeong-ryeong was cautiously approaching. Since the masters who had reached the original realm were always activating their senses, they rarely suffered assassination attempts. What about Yu Myeong-myeong, who had already reached the Hwa-gyeong? Naturally, even while sleeping, his senses were spreading out like a spider web, and the moment Dang Yeong-ryeong got caught up in it, he had already woken up.

He could have launched a surprise attack, but Dang-myeong just pretended to sleep and waited for his opponent.

The purpose was to find out whether the opponent intended to kill the contestant like Dang Geuk-rin, or simply to win the competition.

The attack was simple. A poisoned raincoat. And then a powdered poison spray using the dragon poison technique.

Normally, it would have been an attack that he would have been helpless against, but Dang-myung easily dodged it. It was because the divine shadow technique had reached its peak, and after reaching Hwa-gyeong and breaking through the Im-dok-yang vein, the use of his true energy had become much more free. His true energy usage had become as fast as his thoughts.

I swallowed a little bit of the poison powder, but it didn't really matter. Rather, the poison request madness consumed the poison, and my internal energy increased slightly.

Since even moderate amounts of poison would no longer increase the poison request frenzy, the fact that the internal energy had increased was also evidence that the poison used by Dang Yeong-ryeong was quite vicious.

'It looks like they were planning to kill me since they sprayed poison on me.'

Yu Myeong-myeong looked at Dang Yeong-ryeong with cold eyes. Putting aside the existing ill-fated relationship, Yu Myeong-myeong was not so soft as to just let it go even though the other person had used a trick. Furthermore, it is the Dang family rule to repay kindness twice and resentment tenfold. If someone was trying to take your life, you should take it.

"…!"

Did he sense murderous intent from Yu Myeong-myeong? Dang Yeong-ryeong's expression became urgent. If Yu Myeong-myeong were to apply even a little strength to his hand, it felt like his neck would snap and he would die.

But that doesn't mean he wants to beg for his life from his enemy. Now, the only thing Tang Yeong-ryeong can trust is Hwa-ryong-ho-dok. Tang Ga-sip-dok⎯ The most extreme poison among extreme poisons that can even kill the masters of Hwa-gyeong!

Dang Yeong-ryeong pretended to writhe in pain and secretly took out a bottle of Hwa-ryong-ho-dok. Then, with nimble fingers, he opened the cap with only one hand and sprayed it directly at Dang-myeong. It didn't seem like the guy would let go of his neck anyway. He calculated that if he didn't dodge, he could kill the guy with Hwa-ryong-ho-dok.

however.

chin.

"What are you talking about?"

Her attempt was finally blocked. At the moment when the Hwa-ryong-ho-dok was about to be sprayed, the lightning-quick hand of Dang-myeong grabbed her wrist.

Dang Yeong-ryeong's face was filled with despair.

"It's poison."

Dang Yeong-ryeong temporarily immobilized Dang Yeong-ryeong's arm with a bloodletting technique and then took away the poison bottle.

"What kind of poison is it?"

"… … ."

"If you don't say anything, there's nothing I can do."

Dang Yeong-ryeong slightly bent his hand to make Dang Yeong-ryeong's face look up at the sky. This allowed his mouth and esophagus to open naturally.

Then, Dang Yeong-ryeong, who realized what Dang Yeong-myeong was trying to do, shouted in a panic.

"It's a party joke! It's a party joke…!" You're saying this is a party sect?"

"That, that's right…!"

Dang Yeong-ryeong looked at the poison bottle with anxious eyes and agreed. Suddenly, he remembered something from his childhood. At that time, he threatened me by mentioning his maternal grandfather, but that bastard, Yuan Myeong, did not hesitate at all and used his hand. Then he took the poison and medicine in his bosom and poured it all over his body. Didn't that make his face look so ugly?

If he had not revealed the identity of Hwa-ryong-ho-dok, Dang-ryong-myeong would have definitely poured it into Dang-yeong-ryeong's mouth. Dang-yeong-ryeong knew very well how painfully the boy who had been hit by Hwa-ryong-ho-dok had died. In the end, the heat of Hwa-ryong-ho-dok had left no trace of the body.

I had no choice but to reveal the identity of the poison because I didn't want to die like that even if I had to die.

one side.

'What a joke.'

Dang Yeong-myeong was slightly surprised by the identity of the red liquid inside the poison bottle and thought it was fortunate. If Dang Yeong-ryeong had spoken even a little later, wouldn't he have almost wasted this precious thing?

For the person who mastered the Dokyo-Cheong-Gwangsim method, the extreme poison is no different from an elixir that has the function of increasing internal strength. If it is a Dangga-Sip-Dok, it is a very bad poison that is even counted among the most poisonous Dangga, so it will definitely be able to significantly increase the Dokyo-Cheong-Gwangsim technique.

It was a shame that the amount wasn't much, but it was still a considerable amount of income.

However, Dang Yeong-myeong did not show his true feelings on his face and instead tilted the poison bottle towards Dang Yeong-ryeong. This was because he still had things to ask.

"What is your relationship with the Zhuge family?"

"More than that, ugh. Put this away… please."

"The answer comes first."

Tang Yeong-ryeong tightly closed her eyes at Dang-myeong's firm attitude. If the poison bottle tilted just a little bit more, it seemed as if the blood-red Hwa-ryong-ho-poison would spill out at any moment. It seemed as if death was right before her eyes.

"…they said they would intervene in the lonely battle and help. So that I could become a cow owner."

"Did you tamper with the formation? So that the other participants, excluding you, would fight first and then be hit?"

"…that's right."

To be exact, one of the boys who died in the Hwalonghodok was assigned to her side, but Dang Yeong-ryeong did not mention that fact.

'My guess was right.'

Dang-myeong thought with shining eyes. The surveillance gaze he felt when the first battle of solitude began. That must have been Zhuge Liang's trick.

"This… ."

At Dang Yeong-ryeong's pleading tone, Yuan Ming retrieved the poison bottle containing the Hwa-ryong-ho-dok. For now, he had heard the answer he wanted. Next, he returned the neck that had been bent back to look at the sky to its original position. It seemed uncomfortable to speak. Because there was still something left to ask.

Dang Yeong-ryeong, who was breathing with a much improved expression, continued to ask Dang Sang-myeong questions.

"What about Tang Geuk-rin? Is he also connected to Zhuge Liang?"

"Danggeukrin? I don't know about the other leaders. Really."

"Then what did Zhuge Liang ask in return for helping you? There must have been a reason worth taking the risk."

"…They want to be subordinate to our family. The family fortunes have fallen so much that it is now difficult to maintain the family line."

"So you're going to come under the main family? Then I guess your involvement in this competition is clearly an irregularity. It was a ploy to secure the next Sogaju as your backer."

"…yes."

"But what do you believe? Don't hide it and tell me. I think the Zhuge family must have put forth some other conditions."

The power of Dang-myung's hands was restored once again.

"We're getting married! We've promised to get married…!"

"Marriage? With you?"

"… Yes. With the help of the Zhuge family, I decided to become the Sogaju, and then marry the later Jisoo that the Zhuge family would choose for me. I thought it was a good offer. Since my face looks like this anyway…"

"If you're trying to buy sympathy, then leave it at that. It won't work."

Dang Myeong-myeong spoke coldly and thought for a moment. There was something that didn't seem right. This competition was no joke. It was an event where all the key figures of the family, including many elders, were involved. It was none other than a place to select the next leader of the party.

Even the Zhuge family must have taken a considerable amount of risk in carrying out the task, but the only thing they gained was the support of Sogaju by joining the Tang family…?

'The numbers don't add up. It's not like you're planning on swallowing the whole thing.'

The dictator came to a conclusion that was somewhat close to the truth and pushed the Zhuge family to the back of his mind. There was no rush to decide on the Zhuge family. Since the suspicion of the intervention in the Goksol War had already been solidified, wouldn't they be anxious instead? If he were to become the Sogaju instead of the Tang Yeong-ryeong.

"and."

Dang-myung opened his mouth again. Now it was time to ask something really important.

"How did you get the Tang family book? It must be treated as a precious book by the family."

"…that."

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"Your grandfather must have stolen it. If he doesn't get caught, he'll have a clear advantage in the battle of loneliness."

"… … ."

Dang Yeong-ryeong had no choice but to remain silent. If she was caught smuggling in Dang Gossip Poison, not only would she be finished, but so would her maternal grandfather, the third elder, Dang Seok-hyeong. However, there was no good excuse.

"So. What kind of poison is this? Among the poisons of gossip."

I knew about the existence of Danggasipdok, but I didn't know the specifics. What name does it have, its appearance, its effects, and so on.

"… It's called Hwa-ryong-ho-dok."

"Hwa-ryong-ho-dok? What an unusual name."

"They say that among the poisons, there are those called hot poisons or cold poisons. Hwa-ryong-ho-poison is the worst of the hot poisons. It is so bad that it can be included in the Tanggasip-poisons."

"And you were going to use it on me?"

"… … ."

Dang Yeong-ryeong was speechless again. The more he spoke, the more he felt cornered. But he couldn't not answer…

'I'm going to turn around.'

It's not that Dang Yeong-ryeong was on the verge of going crazy. He had been waiting and waiting for the enemy who had made his face like this, and finally met him, but he was subdued without being able to do anything, and he was caught with Dang Gosip Poisoning, which he absolutely could not be caught with. What if the lonely war ended like this and Dang Yeong-ryeong became the owner of Soga?

It was terrifying just to imagine.

Her maternal grandfather, Samjangro Dang Seok-hyeong, would probably be deposed, and she would not be able to avoid punishment either. It was questionable whether she would be able to survive before that.

I tried to continue the conversation somehow and wait for an opportunity, but that didn't work either. One of my arms was completely useless because the blood vessels were blocked, and my neck was also tied. Besides, it seemed like Deungmyung had run out of things to be curious about.

The approaching catastrophe felt so vivid and tangible.

No matter how much I think about it, I can't see a way out of this crisis.

Dang Yeong-ryeong looked at the poison bottle containing the Hwa-ryong-ho-dok with a look of despair and thought.

'… Even if the world were to change, there's no way he would volunteer to drink that.'

Even if you are a master who has reached the level of Hwagyeong, if you become addicted, you cannot guarantee life or death. It is the worst of poisons⎯ Danggasipdok.

What are the chances that he would gulp it down because he was thirsty for a moment? I was having such pointless thoughts.

"I think you've been mistaken about something all along."

Dang Yeong-myeong brought the vial of poison containing Hwa-ryong-ho-dok to his mouth. Not to Dang Yeong-ryeong, but to his own mouth.

"Poison won't do anything to me."

Even if you call it a deadly poison, it's just an elixir⎯ As he added that, Dang-myeong poured the Hwa-ryong-ho-dok into his mouth. Soon, his throat started to tingle. It was clear that he had swallowed blood-red venom…!

'Am I dreaming right now…?'

Tang Yeong-ryeong felt a mixture of shock and joy at the unbelievable reality. How could such a fate exist? Did Tang Yuanming lose his mind for a moment? Of all things, he swallowed Tang Gossip Poison!

Now the thought of being alive crosses my mind. I thought I was dead, helpless. This can't happen unless the heavens are watching over me.

'Oh, God of Heaven and Earth. Oh, Lord of Primordial Heaven. Thank you, thank you…!'

Tang Yeong-ryeong looked at Tang Yuanming while expressing gratitude to those who had never visited him before. He had confidently swallowed the Tang gossip poison, so he knew that some kind of reaction would come soon. Maybe the flames would rise from his insides. He should immediately shake off his arm and get far away, in case the flames spread.

In that way, Dang Yeong-ryeong waited with expectant eyes for what was about to happen.

****

"I can see the common mountain. It's really long."

Cheon Jin Bang Bang Ju Jeong Yeon Song, wearing a yellow military uniform, said.

"hmm."

A middle-aged man with crossed black swords nodded slightly. He was the leader of the Taeeulmukgeompa. Behind him, a large group of people, probably over three hundred in number, were lined up. Each of them was wearing a different outfit. This meant that each of them belonged to a different affiliation. The Taeeulmukgeompa was the most numerous.

After learning of the death of Mak In-geuk, the youngest son who had been sent to the Tang family as a spy, Mak In-hu immediately led his troops. He was angry about his son's death, but Mak In-geuk's death also meant that the Tang family's competition for the small family's position was nearing its end. He wanted to bury them in the public mountain before they returned to the Tang family.

Letters were sent to other sects that had been previously discussed, and those who were close to them each sent a small number of personnel. Cheonjinbang, Hyeonjungdomun, and Mokyeonggung dispatched personnel, and from Cheonjinbang, with which they had a close relationship, Bangju Jeongyeonsong personally led the troops.

"By the way, I think we have a bit too much power to deal with the Tang family's children."

It was the words of Jeong Yeon-song of Cheonjinbangju. He had also brought Cheonjinbang's main force at Mak In-hu's request. The number of people from Taeeulmukgeompa and Cheonjinbang alone was around two hundred.

"Of course, if we're only dealing with the Tang family's rookies, then it's excessive force, as Jeong Bang-ju said. But isn't there more than just Tang family guys on that mountain?"

"You mean the communist faction in mind?"

"Yes. If they had mobilized ambiguous power, the Gongdong faction would have moved. The old faction is no longer called Sega, so it is different from the Tang family. There is a risk that we will be subjugated. The Tang family must have considered this and are competing at the Gongdong Mountain. However, if they face this many people, the other side will have no choice but to be cautious. Can't we use that opportunity to finish off the Tang family?"

"Indeed. I understand. This will set the Tang family back twenty years. The later indices that we've worked so hard to gather and polish will all be brought to low status before they can even bloom…!"

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"That's right. The power-hungry fight among the elders will continue for a while longer."

Mak In-hu nodded indifferently, and Jeong Yeon-song let out a sinister smile.

"But, it's so long."

Jeongyeon Song said as if a thought had suddenly occurred to her.

"I suddenly remembered… Why, didn't you say that you planted a small seed during the previous meeting? The whole Tang family could have fallen into the water. What happened to the seed you planted back then? I've always wondered about that."

"… I failed. But thanks to that, I learned that the competition is over."

"It looks like you planted a seed among the participants? They are quite capable. It would be a shame to throw it away."

"That's right. He was a guy I cared about…"

Unable to reveal that it was his son, he simply trailed off and walked away.

"Let's stop."

Although I barely managed to suppress my life, I couldn't hide the fact that my footprints were deeply entrenched like furrows.

Jeongyeon Song guessed that something was going on when she saw him, and followed him silently, thinking, "Surely he wasn't a hidden child."

And then followed three hundred men, each armed with their own weapon. The sight of them lined up and entering the mountain looked like a swarm of ants.

It was an afternoon scene with the sunlight pouring down in earnest. A secret space created by the law.

A middle-aged man with an intelligent appearance was lost in thought with anxious eyes. Even his usual leisurely spread-out quilt was tied to his waist. An uneasy look flowed through his entire body.

'I completely misjudged…!'

The middle-aged man, Zhuge Changxin, bit his lips tightly. The blood in his body seemed to be cooling down. It was due to the sense of crisis he had not felt in a long time.

In the fourth year of the Tang family's small-scale competition, the final stage of the lonely battle, Jegalga had selected three candidates with a strong possibility of winning: No. 2, No. 10, and No. 28.

Based on the qualities he had shown so far, No. 28 seemed to be the most outstanding, but Zhuge Changxin had excluded him. This was because he had intended to bring him into the Zhuge family after defeating him in the competition. He wanted to make No. 2 or No. 10, who were inferior to him, into the main characters of the Tang family. In the form of owing a debt to the Zhuge family.

As a result, Dang Yeong-ryeong of No. 2 accepted Zhuge Jia's proposal, and Dang Geuk-rin of No. 10 rejected the proposal.

It was a natural thing for Tang Geuk-rin. He already had a partner he was planning to marry. It was none other than the granddaughter of his teacher and elder, Tang Shizhong. Having the Zhuge family as his backer was certainly an attractive proposition, but the elder's firm support was more important.

In addition, since Tang Geuk-rin's true identity was that of a spy from the Taeeulmukgeompa, getting involved with Jegalga was nothing more than inviting unnecessary danger. Furthermore, since he possessed the secret swordsmanship of the Taeeulmukgeompa, he was confident that he would win the battle of loneliness with his skills.

Although he was thus caught in the crossfire by Tang Geuk-lin, Zhuge Changxin was not overly worried. He thought that if he had placed most of the participants, Tang Geuk-lin, and Tang Yuanming close by, they would fight among themselves and die, and above all, if Tang Yeong-ryeong, the second person, became the Sogaju, it would be an easy problem to solve.

however.

As soon as the battle of loneliness began, Jegal Changsin realized that something was wrong.

First of all, the skill of No. 28 was completely beyond expectations.

A sense of aura and eyesight that can instantly see through surveillance within the world of Jinbeop, and even swordsmanship that seems to cut through space itself. Isn't this display of inaction that defies common sense?

Number 10, Dang Geuk-rin, was also extraordinary.

Jegal Changsin could observe the inside of the world of Jinbeop where the battle of loneliness was taking place using his visionary eye, Jinmyeongan, and could sense the survival of the participants in the battle of loneliness. However, because the connection between the world of Jinbeop and Jinmyeongan was unnaturally severed by Tangmyeong, he could only detect the movements of the participants.

I gave up on monitoring the obvious and was manipulating the formation as planned to have the participants face each other, but didn't the signs of those who encountered Dang Geuk-rin quickly disappear?

It meant that Tang Geuk-rin was slaughtering other contestants as if he had been waiting for them. This would have been difficult to do if the skill gap was not so clear.

However, Tang Geuk-rin's solo did not last long. Tang Dang-myeong, who was quite a distance away, encountered Tang Geuk-rin for some reason, and soon Tang Geuk-rin's presence disappeared. As time passed, the first person to be eliminated alive emerged from the world of Jinbeop. It was a boy named Tang Jeong-il. I wanted to ask him more details, but it was difficult because of the Bongwidae warriors.

We had to guess at the situation inside entirely based on guesswork.

Zhuge Changxin knew that there were now only two surviving participants in the world of Jinbei where the battle of loneliness was taking place.

Number 2 Dangyeongryeong and number 28 Dangsangmyeong.

Depending on who wins the battle of loneliness, the fate of the Zhuge family will be determined. They could receive full support from the next master of the Tang family, or they could face extreme hostility. And without the support of the Tang family, the Zhuge family would inevitably fall completely.

Zhuge Changxin now had to admit that he was trying to kill two birds with one stone, but not only was he losing both, he was also burning down the entire house.

Will Dang Yeong-ryeong be able to kill or defeat Yu Sang-myeong and become the final winner of the lonely battle?

'difficult.'

Zhuge Changxin was negative. And he found it painful to have to entrust the future of his family to uncertain possibilities.

That was when.

'what?'

This space where Zhuge Changxin was was a key area where he could sense the inside and outside of the Seven-Sail Hwan Palace Formation. Zhuge Changxin suddenly felt the presence of countless people outside the formation.

'Two hundred… no, over three hundred. Where on earth did they come from?'

Zhuge Changxin's eyes quickly turned gray-white. He opened the Zhuge family's secret eye technique, the True Mind Eye, to see outside the formation. The True Mind Eye could no longer be connected to the formation world where the battle of loneliness was unfolding, but he could explore the outside of the Seven-Shot Ring Palace Formation with the True Mind Eye. Soon, the scenery outside the Seven-Shot Ring Palace Formation entered Zhuge Changxin's mind.

Their clothing and weapons were of various types, as if they were a mixture of various forces. Zhuge Changxin, who was observing them, muttered in slight surprise.

"That guy…!"

Among those in the lead, there is one with a distinct characteristic. A middle-aged man with black twin swords crossed. Although Zhuge Changxin had never seen him before, he knew from his characteristics that he was none other than Mak Inhu, the leader of the Taeeul Mokgeom Sect.

If it was Taeeulmukgeompa, it was one of the best factions among the many factions under the Black Lotus that had settled in Sacheon. Why did Mak Inhu, the owner of such a place, show up here at Gongdongsan? And he was leading a large force of over three hundred people, as if preparing for battle.

Besides, the competition for the Sacheon Dangga small business was currently reaching its final stages.

The place and timing were coincidental.

'… Was there even a liver?'

While considering the possibility that Sejak was among the key figures of Bongwidae or Dangga, Jegal Changsin thought of a countermeasure. It seemed that the location of the Seven-Seasoned Circle was not precisely identified. They were gradually closing the gap around a certain area, and at this rate, it was only a matter of time before the existence of the formation was revealed.

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'The possibility of the common wave moving is slim.'

Tangga said that he had already asked for the understanding of the Gongdongpa in advance while preparing for the Sogaju competition. In other words, the Gongdongpa would have guessed that this huge number of uninvited guests were not coming towards them. Unless they were blatantly invading their territory, the Gongdongpa would have chosen to wait and see rather than step forward and shed the blood of their disciples. Unlike when they were called the Old Sect, the Six Sect now values self-preservation rather than the banner of annihilation.

In the end, the story was that we had to deal with them with our own power alone.

'We are numerically inferior.'

The number of people on this side, including the Bongwidae warriors and the contestants, was only about eighty. Even in terms of numbers alone, there was a difference of more than three times.

But there was no sign of concern on Zhuge Changxin's face. Was there some way to deal with it?

'I made fun of my family's stubbornness.'

Although the opponents were numerous, the Zhuge family's best formation was in full display here. The Seven-Sail Circle Palace Formation⎯ It was like seven formations laid out in layers. In other words, it was possible to divide their forces into seven and aim to defeat them individually.

With the secret techniques and poison techniques of the Bongwidae warriors, they could hide behind the formation and kill efficiently.

If not, he could have chosen to run away. He would have trapped the incoming men in one of the Seven-Sawed Rings formations, and taken the guards and contestants outside. After all, the only ones watching outside would be a small number of enemies.

That's when my thoughts went that far.

'…for a moment.'

What if we bring them into the world of formations prepared for the battle of loneliness?

At the moment, there were only Dang Yeong-ryeong and Dang Yu-myeong. And Zhuge Changxin predicted that Dang Yu-myeong would have the upper hand. If his prediction was correct, the future of the Zhuge family would be bleak. It might even be difficult to join the Dang family.

In that case, wouldn't it be better to just get rid of them both with the help of the Sapa guys?

What Zhuge Changxin came up with was a kind of murder by borrowing someone else's hand!

In any case, the only people who knew about the formation were those dispatched by the Zhuge family, including him. If they kept silent, there would be no way for the Bongwidae or the Tang family to know the truth. It would be buried forever as a secret. The fact that the Zhuge family intervened in the Battle of Gudok and that Zhuge Changxin deliberately arranged for them to die.

"… … ."

Zhuge Changxin was silent. Was he perhaps contemplating his last moments regarding the safety of his family and his conscience?

within.

A cold venom flowed from Jegal Changsin's eyes as if he had made a decision.

****

'…Why is there no response?'

Dang Yeong-ryeong looked at Dang Sang-myeong with wavering eyes.

Clearly, he swallowed the Hwa-ryong-ho-dok, but why did he feel no particular abnormality? Dang-myeong just kept his eyes slightly closed, as if he was savoring the poison.

Suddenly, what he had said just before flashed through my mind. He clearly said that poison couldn't do anything to me.

'That's nonsense!'

Dang Yeong-ryeong vehemently denied those words.

There are rumors floating around about masters who have achieved the state of being impervious to poison, but that is nothing more than an exaggeration. Masters who have reached the state naturally have excellent ability to control their energy, and with that ability, they can hold onto or expel poison. Masters have excellent resistance to poison as well as physical ability, so if given time, they can deal with most poisons. That is how the saying that they are impervious to poison came about.

However, even if he had reached that level of skill, there was a poison that he could not deal with, and that was the poison of Danggasip. It was a poison that even a master of Hwagyeong could not guarantee life or death if he were poisoned by it.

Meanwhile, in Tangga, there was a realm that was legendary, unlike the Mandok Bulchimjiche.

The Poisonous Realm (毒人之境)⎯ It was said that when one reached this state, also called Poisonous Realm for short, one's very existence became poisonous. It was said that no poison could harm a poisonous person, and that even a single drop of his breath or blood could kill dozens of people.

It was a forgotten story now, but Dang Yeong-ryeong knew that this realm existed because she had heard it from her maternal grandfather.

Are you saying that Dangunmyeong has reached the Germanic territory?

If you were to drink the Hwa-ryong-ho-dok and still be fine, that was the only answer. It was a poison for which there was no cure.

"Good."

Dang-myeong finally opened his eyes and muttered. The deep green light in his eyes grew darker and then faded again.

After drinking Hwaronghodok, Dangmyeong had a strange experience. As the poison of the Hwaronghodok that had entered his body was swallowed by the poison of ...

It wasn't a bad thing. The extreme Yeolyanggong and Hanbinggong clearly had tremendous power.

The size of the poisonous request madness itself also increased slightly. It was a small amount of Hwa-ryong-ho-poison, but the internal energy increased considerably. It was called Dang-ga-sip-poison, and it had a stronger poison than any poison I had ever encountered. Of course, to Yu-myeong-myeong, it was just an effective elixir.

'If I become a small business owner, I have to find out about the gossip from the start.'

Thinking like that, Dang Yeong-ryeong looked at her. Her eyes were filled with distrust, as if asking how she could eat the gossip poison and still be fine.

Of course, there was no need to explain it, and there was nothing more I wanted to ask.

"You, German… ."

"Enough. Just die."

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It seemed like Dang Yeong-ryeong was about to say something, but Dang Yeong-myeong just grabbed his hand and snapped his neck.

With an expression of disbelief, Dang Yeong-ryeong died. The firmness of his hand⎯ However, Dang Yeong-myeong was not so lenient as to spare the life of someone who had attempted to take his life. It might have been different before he awakened to his previous life.

The ill-fated relationship that had continued for quite some time was spread out on the floor, and Dang Yeong-ryung looked at the face of Dang Yeong-ryung and tried to leave. If the prediction was correct, this was the end of the lonely battle. He was the only contestant who survived in this world of the law.

However, as he was about to leave, Yuan Mingming soon felt a great change in the world of formations. The sky that had been in the middle of the night suddenly brightened and the sun rose. He had been able to sense that the formations were changing little by little, secretly, and that they were affecting the terrain and sense of direction, but this meant that the Zhuge family was openly changing their formations. Even those with little sense could sense it.

As the battle of loneliness ended, I briefly thought that the formation would be disbanded, but I soon realized that wasn't the case.

As the senses expanded to the point of death, a huge number of human signs began to be detected. "It seems like a pretty high-level formation. It's really long."

As soon as I entered the world of Jinbeop, Cheonjinbangju Jeongyeonsong spoke.

"I think so."

A middle-aged man carrying two black swords crossed over his chest, after blocking the long gate of the Taeeulmukgeompa, nodded in agreement.

Since we had narrowed down the possible locations of the Dangga figures through tracking, it didn't take long to discover their formation, which was camouflaged against a cliff.

If they had not known about the existence of the formation at all, they would not have known, but since they had assumed that the figures of the Tang family were hiding somewhere in the public mountain, they sharpened their senses and began searching, and they found them right away.

After that, Mak In-hu decided to enter without much thought.

Usually, formations were used to hide objects or people with illusions. Some more elaborate formations even confused the senses, but even so, they did not work on those who had trained their senses to a level that was almost like extrasensory. For masters like Mak In-hu or Jeong Yeon-song, it was not difficult to find their way within the formations.

So, leaving about thirty men to catch those who were running away, Mak In-hu led about three hundred men into the formation. However, what was strange was that the formation showed its true colors without much resistance, as if welcoming them.

Anyway, as soon as we entered the formation, the scenery changed as if it were a lie.

The cliff was nowhere to be found, and the surrounding area had turned into a dense forest. Mak In-hu sharpened his senses, but he could not believe that the scenery he was seeing was an illusion.

Jeong Yeon-song also seemed to feel and say the same thing.

"It's a strategy that can fool our senses, so I guess the Zhuge family is involved. They were once considered a powerful family along with the Tang family, but they are on the verge of collapse, so they might have some deep exchanges."

"Jeong Bang-ju's words seem to be correct. I heard that the formation of the Zhuge family touches the realm of sorcery, and the distinction between the real and the false is meaningless. It's not just a disruption of the senses, but the space within the formation itself feels expanded and real, so it's clearly the formation of the Zhuge family or a higher level formation."

"Let's start searching. It's a long story. If we search it, won't we find something? Even if the formation is wide, there are three hundred people here. If we spread out and search, we'll be able to find traces right away."

"Let's do that."

After Mak In-hu, he instructed his disciples to search a wide area. The formation seemed quite mysterious, but he was not too worried. For now, he was going to look for the Tang people who were hiding, and if they were not visible, he was going to destroy the formation itself. His Taeeulssanggeomsik was a skill he received from Heuksa-ryeonju Yu Gil-jun, and it was an extremely refreshing and powerful swordsmanship that made him who he is today.

If I found the boundary of the formation and poured out the Taeeul Twin Swords towards it, the formation would probably not be able to handle the power and would break down.

After some time, the men who had gone out to search returned.

"Long story. I found the boundary of the formation. Strangely enough, the range seems to be gradually shrinking…"

"Fragments of flesh and blood, presumably human, can be seen in several places. What's strange is that it's as if the body was subjected to a sect inspection…"

"A relatively intact body was found to the west. The cause of death is presumed to be severe poisoning. There are slight marks around the neck…"

After hearing the report, Mak In-hu had a gut feeling. The youngest son, Mak In-geuk, had met his end here. Had he successfully practiced the Taeeul Double Sword Style that he had taught him in the Tang family? The few pieces of meat that his subordinates had brought were slightly rotten, but it was not difficult to see that he had achieved the Taeeul Double Sword Style.

'You've learned it well. How wonderful.'

The pieces of meat that looked like Mak In-geuk's skill were very thinly sliced, like sliced raw fish. The fact that he had mastered it all by himself meant that Mak In-geuk's talent was greater than anyone had thought. It was an achievement that could not be compared to Mak In-hu's other three sons.

"Wow. It really is similar to the swordsmanship of the Guipa. It seems like it is a direct demonstration of the Taeeul Double Swordsmanship. If someone has this level of skill, they must be one of the best talents in the Tang family."

Cheonjinbangju Jeongyeonsong said without hiding his admiration. He had witnessed the swordsmanship of Makinhu several times, so he could recall the Taeeulsanggeomsik just by looking at the shape of the flesh and the sword marks left on it.

"Let's go west first. They say there's another body there. It's a young man who looks to be about seventeen years old."

"…Let's go."

After a moment, Mak In-hu answered in a slightly calm voice and moved forward.

As soon as I spread my light sword and moved, I was able to find the body my subordinates had mentioned.

'…Youngest.'

Mak In-hu sat down and examined the body. He recognized Dang Geuk-rin, or rather Mak In-geuk, at a glance. He had grown up and become a young man, but his face from when he was young remained. How painful must his last breath have been? He was frozen in the same position as when he had rolled his eyes and writhe.

There were no external wounds. There were only two extremely fine needle-prick marks on his neck. As his subordinates had said, he seemed to have been poisoned. If he had died from the poison applied to the fine needle-prick weapon alone, then it must have been an extremely poisonous poison. His skin was extremely pale, and the lichen all over his body seemed to indicate that he had been dead for several days. His life must have ended when Ming-go began to cry.

"I think we came in on the right track."

Jeong Yeon-song, who was looking at the body together, said.

"It seems like the children of the Tang family are killing each other. It's all about the position of the Soga family. If we do it right, it seems like we can root out all the Tang family's buds here."

"… That's only natural. That's why I came."

A faint murderous aura flowed from Mak In-hu, who had raised his body. He had witnessed the death of his youngest son, whom he had secretly cherished, with his own eyes. It felt like a flame was burning in his chest. If the Tang family bastards were in front of him right now, he would have slaughtered them mercilessly.

The Taeeulssanggeomsik achievement of the Makin Theater, as seen in the sword marks, was of a considerable level. It was a pity and regrettable. If he had that kind of talent, he would definitely be able to raise the Taeeulmukgeompa to an even higher level…!

'Those bastards who use poison so trivially dare…'

Mak In-hu thought. He didn't know who killed his son Mak In-geuk, but he must have used a cowardly trick. Otherwise, Mak In-geuk, who had mastered the Taeeul Double Swords to that extent, would not have been able to defeat him─ After all, the fallen Tang family's ignorance couldn't have been that great.

"Everyone, listen up."

Mak In-hu spoke with his inner strength. His deep voice resonated and reached the three hundred people clearly. He had the appearance of a leader of a force that commanded four thousand people.

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"From now on, search thoroughly and find the rat bastards of the Tang family. There must be some who have noticed our entry into the formation and are hiding. If you find any, report them immediately. Today, none of the Tang surnamed bastards should be able to escape this place alive."

As soon as the last words were spoken, the three hundred people dispersed and scattered here and there. Each of them would search with their senses sharpened, so it was only a matter of time before they discovered the hidden men.

'I will slaughter them all in thousands of pieces, no matter how many there are.'

Mak In-hu's eyes sparkled with murderous intent as he reached back and fiddled with the handles of the black twin swords.

****

"Dangwonjin Musa. A problem has occurred."

"A problem? What does that mean? Zhuge Liang."

Tang Yuanjin asked Zhuge Changxin, who was looking for him with a hardened expression, "The competition for Sogaju is nearing its end. The battle of loneliness has begun. Is there anything particularly problematic?"

"There is an intruder."

"An intruder? How did you know about this place, which is covered by the Seven-Shot Rings?"

"I don't know about that. There may have been a plot, or they may have been tracked."

"Have you identified yourself?"

"… Even if the others don't know, I can recognize one person. It's definitely Mak In-hu, the leader of the Taeeulmukgeompa. It's not common to see him wearing black twin swords on his back."

"Taeulmukgeompa…! Why are those who should be in Sacheon here…?"

"Isn't it because they're targeting the talented people of Guiga? They are potential candidates for becoming small business owners, so it wouldn't be strange for them to want to kill them and eliminate the possibility of Guiga's revival."

"How many people? How many people? If we make a surprise attack with poison and secret weapons, what are our chances of winning?"

"There are over three hundred of them. And even if they weren't the last ones there, there were a lot of people who looked unusual. We might end up getting hurt."

"…where are they now?"

"They've already entered the formation. They entered without a single moment of hesitation."

"Zhuge Liang. Didn't you say that the Seven-Sail Ring Palace Formation consists of seven formations? If so, they must have entered one of them. Wouldn't it be right to evacuate them first?"

Tang Yuanjin's doubts were natural. Why was the Chilsae Hwan Palace Formation safe? Even if there was an unexpected invasion, the enemies could be driven into one formation, and the remaining six formation worlds could safely escape. Even if there were over three hundred people, if they were all in one formation world, it wouldn't be a big threat.

"That's it… ."

"Why are you blurting out your words, Zhuge Liang."

"I'm ashamed. I couldn't even imagine this kind of situation…."

After Zhuge Changxin trailed off, he looked at Tang Yuanjin's expression. Tang Yuanjin, who felt that something was seriously wrong, urged him to answer.

Soon, Zhuge Changxin finally spoke.

"… Those guys have entered the world of the True Law where a lonely war is unfolding. As you know, we cannot intervene there."

"What does that mean…? Are you saying that the leaders who participated in the Battle of Loneliness have to deal with three hundred people, including the Taeeulmukgeompa?"

"… … ."

Tang Yuanjin was taken aback by Zhuge Changxin's silence.

****

'It's the enemy.'

Dang-myeong hid himself in a relatively close place and observed the newcomers who had entered the world of formations. He could tell right away that they were enemies. They were carrying swords and had vicious faces, and they were searching the world of formations as if they were slaughtering people. Anyone could tell that they were not coming with good intentions.

And there were conversations that could be heard here and there. Words that seemed hostile to the party. Competition. Small business. The party guys. Slaughter. Talk about pulling them out.

Where did all these people come from? Suddenly, the thought of being chased when I first came to Gongsan naturally crossed my mind. It seemed like it would be impossible to pinpoint the exact location of this place without those guys following me.

After some time, they dispersed and began to search. Unlike the initial passive search, they seemed to be moving with some sort of confidence. They were even more excited.

However, they did not detect Dangmyeong, who had been hiding in the forest with the shadow of the divine law.

Dang-myung just watched them move with transparent eyes for a while. He was waiting for them to disperse and gain enough distance between them.

There were about three hundred of them. It was an absurdly large number to deal with alone.

In fact, if it was Yuanming, he could have just torn apart the world of Jinbeop and escaped. With their level, there was no way they could chase the light-hearted moonlight march that Yuanming was displaying. Or, there was also the option of joining up with the Bongwidae. With their dark techniques and dragon poison techniques, wouldn't it be easy to deal with a hundred people?

But of course, Deungmyung didn't feel the need to do that.

'That's great. My practice partner just rolled in on his own two feet.'

Danjangyeoljidok dipped a handful of scallions into the poison bottle and took it out, then Tangmyungmyeong raised his lips.

The swordsman who learned the art of memorization laughs silently.

It was the smile of the god of death, but no one saw it. Death penalty. Didn't the chief justice look a bit distraught?"

"Did you feel it too, priest? He is usually cold as ice, but for some reason he is openly showing his murderous intent. Does he have a grudge against the party?"

"By the way, did you see the piece of meat that was just now? I would believe it even if you said it was a trace left by the main faction's inspection."

"Cheon Jin Bang Ju said the same thing. It's very similar to the original Tae Eul Ssang Geum Sik."

"It can't really be the Taeeulssanggeomsik. Isn't that the long and best swordsmanship that the Black Lotus Lord bestowed upon us? Besides, this is a place where the young ones of the Tang family compete against each other…"

A group of Taeeulmukgeompa figures were moving through the bushes, chatting away. There was no hint of tension among them.

That's understandable, since the number of people gathered here is as many as three hundred.

Three hundred─ It wasn't just the number of people, but also those with a certain level of skill. It was a force that could destroy any small or medium-sized sect overnight. There was even the Taeeulmukgeompa Jangmun Mak Inhu and Cheonjinbang Bangju Jeong Yeonsong. With this level, it's natural to think that they could even fight the Gongdongpa.

"Oh, that corpse from earlier. Death penalty."

"A corpse? Presumed to have been poisoned?"

"Yes. I checked his entire body, but the only external injuries were two needle marks on his neck."

"That's right."

"If it was to that extent, it must have been a stabbing with something like a needle. The amount of poison that entered the body would have been at most one or two drops. And yet, he died like that… ."

"Even if they're young, they're called Tangga. There's a high chance that they have absurdly high venom. If you encounter them, be careful of both the dark weapon and the poison. Even a slight brush with a dark weapon coated with a high venom can be dangerous."

"I will keep that in mind. Death penalty."

But what kind of poison was it? That was before the man could even finish speaking.

Pick.

"Priest..?"

dump.

As if it were a lie, the man rolled his eyes and fell down helplessly. A single needle, a type of blunt needle, was deeply embedded in his forehead and trembled. His complexion instantly turned dark, and the sight of veins rapidly sprouting above his skin and spreading throughout his body was extremely eerie. It was obvious as day that this was a phenomenon caused by a strong poison.

"It's an attack!"

"Watch out for the poison! It's the guy who uses the Umochim…!"

"Death penalty. The priest is not breathing. I guess…"

"Don't hide like a coward, show yourself!"

The crowd was in disarray. If they were going to launch another surprise attack, now would be the time. However, the attacks did not continue for a while.

'What a rabble.'

There was someone who was lost in thought while watching them. It was none other than Dangmyeong who had killed their presence with the new method of shadowing. He thought they were a good opponent to test his hidden skills, but they were too arrogant. So he threw a needle to instill a sense of alarm and just finished off one of them.

He threw the Umochim through the path that was visible through the Anbeop Shiryuan, but none of them noticed the surprise attack of Dang-yun-myeong. It was natural. With their shallow sense of smell, they would not have been able to predict the swordsman's path.

The poison that Dang Yi-jeon had made was applied to the Umochim. However, this time, for some reason, it showed a stronger poison effect than when it was used on Dang Geuk-rin. The man who was hit died faster than expected, and the characteristics that appeared on his skin were different. It was because Dang Yu-myeong ate the Hwa-ryong-ho-dok and his poison request madness grew a little more.

The obvious answer was to wait long enough for them to get ready for defense.

'It is not easy to create an environment like this.'

A group of three hundred people.

After hearing the conversation, Dang-myeong could tell that they were members of the Sacheon Apostolic Sect, including the Tae-eul-muk-geom-pa. Since the deceased Dang-geul-rin was a traitor from the Tae-eul-muk-geom-pa, it was not difficult to guess that this intrusion had some kind of connection to Dang-geul-rin's work.

The Safa faction in Sacheon was an 'obvious' enemy. At this point, the Tang faction was almost the only political faction in Sacheon, and the factions that claimed to be in the middle of the political faction could not help but watch the Black Lotus. In order for Sacheon to live peacefully, Tang had to either convert to the Apostles and join the Black Lotus faction, or lay the foundation for the Jeongdo faction to establish itself, and the power balance would be somewhat balanced.

In fact, it didn't matter if the Tang family belonged to the Sado clan, but since they had a reputation as a long-standing military family and also didn't want to bow down to the Black Lotus clan, they decided to choose the latter.

An obvious enemy - that meant he didn't have to worry about his enemies. He could test his magic and poison without hesitation.

Moreover, since this was a world of true laws, completely free from the world's attention, Dang-myeong planned to make full use of this opportunity to examine his own inaction. He wanted to know how far his secret powers and poison would go.

I didn't want them, my precious training partners, to lose their lives in vain in a surprise attack or something like that.

'I guess this is about right.'

Dang-myung looked at those who were raising their guard to the max and put his hand in his bosom. Now he could feel a bundle of umokim, which was familiar. He lightly dipped the tip of the umokim into the poison bottle containing the poison of Danjangyeoljidok and took it out. This was enough. He now knew from experience that if you add the poison request madness to this, it would become a poison so severe that it could easily take a person's life.

Phew─

The obvious answer was to throw a bundle of feathers high into the air. The feathers naturally scattered, but even those with good eyesight would have difficulty distinguishing them simply by relying on their eyesight.

However, the sense of the hundreds of needles scattered in the air like a dense net that stretched out around him was also aware of each and every one of them. It was truly an overwhelming feeling!

'Fall.'

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It was when Dang-myeong muttered to himself and clenched his right hand.

Ss ...

"?"

Only then did the disciples of the Taeeulmukgeompa realize something was strange and looked up at the sky─

Already hundreds of feathers were falling like raindrops from the dry sky.

"oh my god."

Rain poured down on the ground as someone muttered in a dazed voice.

Pibibibibibibibig─!

Only a breath had passed.

As if they had made a promise, the disciples of the Taeeulmukgeompa fell to the ground without exception. They had four or five needles stuck in various places on their bodies.

The sound of gasping for breath can be heard here and there simultaneously. The four brothers were all born on different days, but they all died on the same day at the same time.

They were the elite of the Taeeulmukgeompa, but they were killed by Deungmyungmyeong's hand—the secret weapon of the dark magician Umochimwoo—without even being able to swing their swords properly.

"… … ."

For a moment, silence falls.

It was something that no one could easily believe. He killed over twenty people with just one hand. And he was just a boy of sixteen.

Looking at the corpses with bulging veins, Dang-sang-myeong waved his hand. Then, as if it were a lie, the blood vessels began to flow out of the corpses and return to Dang-sang-myeong's hand. It was a skill utilizing Yeon-ki-ryun, a non-learned skill in recovering secret weapons.

The firing and retrieval of the secret weapon was free, not befitting his age. If someone with even a little knowledge of the secret weapon had seen it, they would have said that the next dark king was here.

Although it was a series of shocking scenes, the person who recreated the scene had an indifferent expression. He just absentmindedly brushed away a few drops of blood on his pillow.

'If there's enough poison, mass murder won't be a problem. It doesn't even require much internal energy.'

Although it was my first time using it in a real battle, I was satisfied with the killing power of the Umochimwoo. Above all, it was efficient. It didn't take up a lot of space or consume a lot of venom.

Moreover, since allowing even one attack would result in a fatal wound, it would be difficult to completely block or evade the Umochimwoo without taking damage unless one was extremely skilled in divine techniques or had exceptional acumen.

'Next is the east.'

The new form of Dang-myeong, who had once again taken the Umochim into his arms, quickly dispersed. The shadow of the divine law that had reached Daesung had spread out.

After a while.

In the place where Deungmyung had left, there were about twenty corpses lying around, with only small needle marks left here and there on their bodies.

Perhaps because of the silence that had suddenly settled in, the wind that had happened to blow felt chilly.

Or is it just announcing that the hunt has begun in earnest?

Aiming for 300 in one go─

The hunt of a swordsman who has mastered the art of memorization.

****

"Just a long text. Doesn't something seem strange?"

It was some time after Mak In-hu ordered his subordinates to search that Cheon Jin-bang-ju Jeong Yeon-song felt something strange, just as he had said.

It was quiet, but too quiet.

If they hadn't found anything, they would have just come back and reported back here and there, but a significant number of people weren't reporting back. It was as if they had gotten lost.

Mak In-hu nodded with a stern face.

"I was already feeling something strange."

"How about we call all the subordinates first? I have a bad feeling about this."

After hearing Jeong Yeon-song's words, Mak In-hu called a few of his subordinates nearby and ordered them to bring in everyone who had gone out to search. He thought that nothing bad would happen, but he thought it was right to touch on the uneasy part.

The subordinates who ran after receiving the order to block the bridge returned sooner than expected. They were lost in thought.

"We're in big trouble. Long story short…!"

They told what they saw. They said that the people who had been searching in groups of between a dozen and thirty had all fallen dead.

"What do you mean? Everyone was poisoned…?"

"It seems like they were hit in the same way as the bodies I saw at first. When my disciple examined them, he saw that they were all stabbed with needles, and it seemed like they had all been severely poisoned."

The first corpse I saw was Dang Geuk-rin and Mak In-geuk. Sparks flew from Mak In-hu's eyes right away. He instinctively felt that it was the work of the evil man who killed his youngest son.

Soon, all the unmanned people who had received the call from Mak In-hu gathered together. Their expressions were also serious. This was because they had witnessed the corpses of their comrades everywhere on their way back.

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"… Is this all?"

Mak In-hu muttered while looking at the lined up people. He had a bewildered expression. That was understandable, because the number of people that had been three hundred had decreased significantly to about one hundred and twenty. It wasn't that there were fewer people gathered. The number of bodies of his subordinates that he had found after quickly searching the surroundings was well over one hundred and fifty, so if you add them up, the number would be roughly correct.

"That's ridiculous."

Cheonjinbangju Jeongyeonsong opened her mouth with a serious expression.

"It's only been a little over an hour (two hours) since the search order was given. And yet, without anyone noticing, nearly one hundred and eighty people have been killed? Even the murder methods are all the same. It's a long story. Maybe the murderer is…"

Jeong Yeon-song, whose words were vague for a moment, spoke meaningfully.

"It might just be one person. I don't believe it."