Chapter 11 - 70 to 76

As expected, we passed through a passageway and arrived at a space with ten small rooms arranged in a circle.

In front of each room, a cloth was spread out like a curtain with numbers from one to ten written on it.

'Rather, the poison is less strong here.'

In a way, it was strange. Isn't this place where the most poisonous of poisons, called Danggasipdok, gather? But why is the poison not thicker than outside the passage, but lighter?

'Is it because of the poison?'

The obvious guess was that the poison had been continuously sucked in. The people who frequented the poisonous ...

'…no.'

I quickly denied the speculation. The words of the warrior of the dark king came to mind.

- It's called blood poisoning. Most poisons won't attack you if you just keep it in your mouth.

He said that the poisonous liquor was not something that absorbed poison, but something that 'prevented it from invading'. If that was the case, then there would be no reason for the poison here to be diminished.

Unless there is someone who deliberately drinks poison like a given name these days.

Feeling so puzzled, Dang Myeong-myeong suddenly thought of a certain hypothesis.

He had already experienced the poison outside the passage, so he thought that the poison here where the gossip poison was located had diminished. But what if the poison here had not diminished, but the poison outside the passage was too strong?

Suddenly, the formation I had seen a little while ago flashed through Deungmyung's mind.

The magic of radiation that was hidden inside, even mobilizing the Gohwangji - it seemed like something had been sealed or forbidden from entering for a long time. Could it be related to that?

'Okay. For now.'

Let's check the party gossip first -

Dang-myung put aside his thoughts and stepped forward, starting from the place where it said "一" (一).

****

The Presbyterian Church is now a nominal institution.

Among them, several people were gathered and sitting in the residence of Elder Dang Myeong-sin. They were all close blood relatives of Dang Myeong-sin, and were now excluded from important positions in the family.

Dang Ji-hyeok, the nephew of Dang Myeong-sin and the former Lord of the Dokwang, opened his mouth with a serious expression.

"Uncle. What should I do about this? I have been waiting for an opportunity to take my time, but that Dokbong woman has already ascended to the position of head of the household…!"

"Woman. Be careful what you say. You are the head of the family."

Dang Myeong-sin, who had scolded Dang Ji-hyeok with harsh words, raised his spirits and looked around before continuing.

"Ji-hyuk, your recklessness has always been your problem. If you think about it, isn't it your fault that you ended up participating in the Sogaju competition?"

"…Why are you talking about that now?"

"If you hadn't sent that guy into the competition so rashly, this wouldn't have happened."

After shooting like that, Dang Myeong-sin glanced at the boy who was bowing his head to one side like a criminal. He was Dang Moon-chan, the son of Dang Ji-hyeok. He was once the boy who had Dang Myeong-sin's expectations all on his shoulders, but due to some incident, one of his arms was completely destroyed and he lost all his potential.

Looking at him, Dang Myeong-shin spoke in a tone of reproach, as if his fever was rising again.

"No. That guy Moon-chan is the same. He didn't even recognize the potential of a cow owner and just turned a blind eye to it…? Only if his eyes weren't hollow…. This is how you rich people ruined everything I've built up over my entire life. It was foolish of me to have supported you all this time just because you were blood relatives…!"

"… … "

Tang Moon-chan said nothing. It wasn't just because he was embarrassed by his uncle's words. He was currently consumed by resentment and jealousy toward Dang-myeong.

'If only that guy hadn't been there…'

He thought about it dozens, hundreds of times a day. If he hadn't gotten involved with Yu Myeong-myeong, if he had been at the top of his game, how could he have been sitting in the position of Soga-ju? Of course, he knew that Yu Myeong-myeong's talent and accumulated achievements were enormous.

But it was unbearably painful to live a life like this, withering away like an unblooming flower, without even making a proper effort.

'I need to fix my arm. My arm… that way, I have at least some chance of getting revenge on that bastard.'

Now, Tang Moon-chan also knew. His left arm was completely ruined by Dang-myeong. On the outside, it looked completely healed, but his energy and pulse were completely out of sync, so he couldn't use it at all. It meant that he couldn't become a master with just ordinary qigong.

Dang Ji-hyeok said.

"Uncle. Is the inaction of the head of the household really that great? Even so, it is hard for me to believe that he became a master in an instant after living a life close to seclusion for over ten years."

"Whether you are convinced or not is not important. The inaction that Dokbong showed that day was not a lie. That overwhelming presence… I don't know what kind of realization he had, but even if it was Hwagyeong, I would believe it."

"I… that much."

"Everyone who was present at the inauguration ceremony of the head of the household must have felt that way. He was an unstoppable force. You must have seen the expressions on the faces of the president and the five elders. It was a difficult situation to handle even with just one sleeping dragon called Sogaju, and now that sleeping dragon has wings called Dokbong. They have the upper hand in both legitimacy and force. It has become a situation that is difficult to turn around."

"It's become difficult."

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"Yes. The Gaju and Sogaju families will have a very solid grip on power for at least several decades. During that time, there will be no room for us to interfere. It's already as good as being defeated. If we plot a rebellion or something, we'll be wiped out. On the contrary, they might be waiting for that."

"… … "

It was a chilling story. Everyone present had seen Dang-myeong ascend to the throne of Soga-ju on his own. They had witnessed the scene of Elder Dang Seok-jung and Third Elder Dang Seok-hyeong being killed. Even the process itself.

As soon as they secured the justification, they immediately showed their cruelty - as Dang Myeong-sin had said, the thought that plotting a pointless treason was the path to self-destruction flashed through their minds.

"… What are your uncle's plans? Aren't the funds drying up due to the pressure from the General Office? Like other elders, we are having a hard time just maintaining the health center."

Dang Ji-hyeok asked. All they had left was the Geonjeongdae, a direct military unit under the leadership of Elder Dang Myeong-sin. However, since the General Headquarters decided not to allocate any more budget for the Geonjeongdae, they had reached a point where they had to cover them entirely with their own money.

If this were to happen and the Geonjeongdae were to be disbanded naturally, the Dang Myeong-shin family would naturally fall as well. Something had to be done before that happened.

"I know. So I thought about it too."

Dang Myeong-shin lowered his voice and said.

"… I guess I'll have to leave the family."

****

Dangdangmyeong confirmed all the gossip poisoning.

As expected, there were only four left. Even in the empty spaces, there were books about their origins, origins, and effects of poison. However, the only regret was that most of them did not have any specific recipes.

The only thing that could be prepared was the incomplete poison, the official name of which was the incomplete formless poison, the incomplete formless poison. The poison that the great elder Dang Seok-jung used to ambush Dang Sang-myeong was this incomplete formless poison.

'I can't tell even if I look at it.'

Naturally, he had no particular interest in the manufacture of poisons. This was because he had to be well-versed in both pharmacy and self-study, as well as have some sense for the mixing of medicines and poisons. This was completely separate from his talent for ignorance.

So, Dang-myung-myeong copied down the recipe and put it in his bosom. He intended to hand it over to Dang-yi-jeon. It seemed that it would take quite a long time to make the intangible mountain. Since Dang-yi-jeon had not yet reached the age of maturity, if he started making the intangible mountain now, wouldn't he be able to make it at a relatively young age? Of course, since this recipe was one of the Dang-ga-sip-dok that was like a family heirloom, he would have to get permission from his mother, the head of the household, to hand it over.

The remaining nine poisons had no recipes or anything like that, and only the route through which they were obtained and their effects were written down. However, there were some parts of the explanation that were quite absurd.

For example, it was like this:

- In places where Mannyeonhwari live, you can almost guarantee that Hwa-ryongs are also living there. Hwa-ryongs, as is typical of the dragon species, sleep a lot and usually sleep quietly, but once they are awake, they cannot control their violent temper and scorch the surrounding areas. It can clearly be defined as a disaster that harms humanity. They harm people by breathing out breath hotter than lava, and Hwa-ryong-ho-dok is when this breath is trapped and liquefied through magic. Hwa-ryong-ho-dok is the most powerful of all hot poisons… .

It was a book left behind about the Hwa-ryong-ho-dok that had already been experienced.

Other poisons, except for Hwa-ryong-ho-dok, also had this explanation. I could guess why they were just handed down without any recipe. It was like they were just extracted from some imaginary or legendary spirits. It means that they are natural poisons.

Only Intangible Myungsan was able to create it by combining and blending several poisons that were relatively easy to obtain over a long period of time.

However, it was stated that the intangible mountain was the least toxic of all poisons. The efforts put in were meaningless.

In any case, as confirmed by Dang-myung, the four remaining Dang-gossip poisons were as follows.

Fire Dragon's Breath

Formless Dispersion

Dragon killing poison

Saljohwa (Murder)

There wasn't much of the dragon poison and poisonous flowers left. In particular, the poisonous flowers were in a small jade bottle, and it was clear that only a few drops were left.

- The dragon race is something between a spirit and a weakling, and ordinary martial arts do not work on them. Only with a strong will and a strong spirit can they inflict a small amount of damage, and even then, they quickly recover. In order to easily kill such dragons, the most efficient way is to insert the poison of the Yongsalgal (龍殺繼) into their sore spots… .

Yongsalgal seemed to refer to a venomous, poisonous, venomous creature in the shape of a fox. After all, a venomous creature was not a living being, but rather a ghost, and its venom was said to be completely different from that of a living being. How bad must its venom have been to kill a dragon?

It is said that the poison was so terrible that it even became known as Yongsalgal.

one side.

- Those who have reached the state of harmony have reigned as absolute rulers of humanity since ancient times. Among them, there are those with personalities worthy of respect, but there are also many who use their incredible power to cause all kinds of harm. It is too regrettable to risk injury or death in order to deal with such people. Use poison without mercy on such people. However, it is also a shame to use poisons that are no different from the vision of the main family, so I would like to leave a plan for future generations… .

As the name suggests, Saljohwa was a poison used to kill the unmanned people of Jo Hwagyeong. It seemed to have been left behind by someone from the previous generation, and it was passed down with a will that the poison should not be spared when an evil person who appeared in the world was unbelievably strong or threatened the family.

The poison was the essence of poison extracted directly from one's own body by someone who had reached the point of poisoning. The books left behind with the Tanggashipdok contained stories that were not well known to the world. Some of them were familiar to Dangsangmyeong, but there were also many that he was encountering for the first time.

Things like the Mandok Bulsimjiche and the Dokinjigeon were like that.

It is clear that there is a body that is impervious to poison. This is because the founder of the family, Muyeonggaek, has achieved it. However, it is different from the impervious to poison body that people in the world talk about. The impervious to poison body, as commonly defined, does not really mean a body that is impervious to poison. Masters who have reached a certain level are bound to have greatly developed abilities to manipulate energy, and with such abilities, they can hold onto or expel poison. To ordinary people, it may seem that they are impervious to poison at all. However, there is a limit to blocking poison in such a way. A true impervious to poison body is not simply one that prevents poison from invading, but one that makes it useless or even beneficial even if it does invade…

One of the most amazing things about him is that he has truly achieved the status of an impervious spirit. Even the poison of the Tang Dynasty cannot harm him, which is truly amazing.

The descendants who wanted to hang in the same place tried day and night, but even though there were those who reached the Hwagyeong, there were none who dared to be impervious to poison. So I thought I had to do something different. With the mindset of building a tall tower that would reach the sky from the ground up, I started to build up my resistance to poison. The human body is mysterious. At first, the skin is extremely fragile, but if you hit and beat it, calluses will form and muscles as hard as stone will take hold. Moreover, if you tear those calluses and muscles, they will become thicker and tougher. I thought that resistance to poison was the same. If I gradually overcome strong poisons, wouldn't I eventually become resistant to Danggasippo? After so many years, I was able to reach a point where I could swallow several Danggasippo and still be fine. I decided to call this the Poison Realm… .

Naturally, I guessed what kind of state of uninterrupted and unchanging body Muyeonggaek had achieved. It must mean that he had truly mastered the Dokyocheong Gwangsim method. According to my mother's words, the Dokyocheong Gwangsim method was Muyeonggaek's uninterrupted and undisciplined learning.

Did they not know that the answer was in the basic Dokyocheong Gwangsim method, which was no different from the basic technique, and that they had been fixated on the poor breathing method called the Ascending Heart Method or something? - That was very likely the case. The Dokyocheong Gwangsim method was not a breathing method that could quickly build up true energy. Ultimately, if you achieved greatness, you would be able to eat up the poison and quickly increase your internal energy, but the breathing method itself would have seemed ordinary.

In any case, it seems that there were several people among our ancestors who had reached the level of Germans. In addition to those who wrote that they left behind a death sentence, those who called themselves Germans left behind several things in different handwritings.

After becoming a German, I feel that my very existence has become poisonous. If I want to, I can kill people with just my breath, and I can take the lives of dozens with just one drop of blood…

No poison in the world could work on me who had reached the realm of poison. The only exception was the poison of my family, Danggaship Poison. I feel that I still have a long way to go before I can reach the realm of Muyeonggaek…

The numbers from one to ten in the Il-dang-ga-sip-dok were not given for nothing. They are arranged in order of weakest to strongest poison. If you can endure from the one-poisonous Intangible Famous Mountain to the three-poisonous Hwa-ryong-ho-dok, then it would not be an exaggeration to say that you have become a poisoner…

It seems that when you build up your tolerance for poison and become able to withstand even gossip, you are finally in a state of poison.

Since he had no intention of becoming a German, he skimmed through it. It was a pity for his ancestors who had undergone rigorous training, but in his view, reaching the level of a German was not only inefficient, but also had clear limitations.

The intangible mountain is poisonous.

Hwa-ryong-ho-dok is the three poisons (poisons).

The five poisons of the poisonous plant.

Dragon poison is the eight poisons (A poison).

Among the ancestors who reached the realm of Dok-in-ji, the one with the greatest achievements extracted the essence of poison and created O-dok Sal-jo-hwa. The others were said to have remained at the level of Sam-dok or Sa-dok.

It is nothing compared to the poisonous frenzy that devours all poison.

'… By the way.'

The obvious answer was to stand where the ten poisons were and think. No, strictly speaking, the expression 'existed' is incorrect. From the first poison to the last, there was clearly a trace of existence or existence. As time went by, the poison was used, so the amount decreased or disappeared.

However, when I pulled back the cloth with the number ten written on it and entered the place, there was no trace of poison at all. There was only a thin book neatly placed there.

The content of the book was simple but surprising.

First of all, the person who wrote the letter was none other than Muyeonggaek.

All the books left here did not clearly state who wrote them, but this one book alone clearly stated that the author was Muyeonggaek, the founder of the Sacheondangga family.

The story of Muyeonggaek continued in a calm manner, and was mostly about loneliness (墨毒). It refers to a person who collects poison and locks it up to survive.

It is said that one hundred poisonous snakes are created in this way, and the last one to survive by repeating the same process is called a true poisonous snake.

Among the ten poisons, the most vicious one was the poison of true poison.

What obviously caught my interest was the following passage.

一I created a real poison with these two-faced men who had poison instead of poison.

****

Once again, Dang-myeong, who had exited the passage, swung his shuriken into the air. The sword energy burned and tore through the space, revealing the sight hidden in the formation.

A new passage. The strange papers that are stuck all around it. On the grayish paper, there are letters written in blood red. '禁' and '封'. Looking at them again, it is extremely gloomy.

'… It must be sealed here?

The obvious thought came to him as he lightly swept away the strange paper at the entrance of the passage filled with darkness. He had inferred it from the writing of the guest of the void that he had read in the place where the ten poisons should have been. That there was a true poison here.

It was said that the Muyeonggaek created loneliness with the Imaemangryangs, and with that loneliness, he created true loneliness. It was said that by eating dozens and hundreds of Imaemangryangs, a completely new Imaemangryang was born.

The poison that the bastard spits out is truly terrifying. It is so strong that no one but Muyeonggaek would be able to handle it. Muyeonggaek said that before his lifespan ended, he received help from his close friends to seal the bastard, Jingodok. After reading this far, it was natural for Yu Myeongmyeong to recall the sealing technique hidden in the formation.

Only those who have realized the true meaning of poison can use true poison.

The writing of the guest of the guesthouse ended like that. Dang-myeong-myeong immediately realized that he was talking about the greatness of the Dokyo-cheong-gwang-sim law. The thought that he might be able to obtain the ten poisons flashed through his mind. So he moved immediately.

'I can tell for sure when I stand here.'

Dang-myeong felt the poison that had thickened in front of the passage. It was now clear where the poison inside the poison chamber was coming from. It was not the poison of the Tang family, but rather it was coming from inside the sealing technique formation.

'Just a little more.'

He sucks in the air laden with poison. As soon as the poison enters his body, it is transformed into qi by the poison request and accumulates in his danjeon. This replenishes the internal energy consumed by the strong energy.

I want to be prepared in case something happens.

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After quite some time had passed, Dang-myung began to slowly remove the amulets made of Gohwangji.

The amulets remained firmly attached even after quite a long time, and it was not easy to remove them with simple force.

But of course, Deungmyung knew the trick.

'Solve it.'

I put my intention into every single gesture I made as I took off the talismans. Then, as if by magic, the talismans began to fall.

In fact, this was a natural thing. Since the magic that the Radiants implemented was something like a highly specific wish, in order to neutralize it, one had to use a magic equivalent to reverse magic or mobilize even more willpower. As a Radiant, it was inevitable that the latter method would be chosen.

How many talismans did you take off like that?

Kwarrrr r r r r r ling!

Suddenly, a loud noise erupted, as if the sky was falling down.

at the same time.

Gooooooooooooo

A sense of ominousness was rising from the darkness of the passage. Something was taking shape in the darkness. It seemed to be whitish, or perhaps glowing with a soft blue glow.

'They said it was a foolish thing…!'

Dang-myung was slightly nervous about the unusual presence, and prepared to release the closed veins at any time. It was a shame that five of the twelve meridians had been filled, but unless he filled all twelve meridians to form the Yongrin, the closed veins were simply forbidden.

Since it was my first time encountering an unfamiliar being called Imaemangryang, I tried not to let my guard down.

It was a time when Dang-myung was paying attention.

Pfft!

Suddenly, something that could be called a wave of energy burst out from inside the passage and blew away all the talismans that had not yet been removed…?

The magic that had been sealing something was broken in an instant.

[at las!!]

Suddenly, something like a cheerful voice entered Dang-myung's mind. It wasn't a voice. It was a thought that came to his mind on its own.

What on earth is going on?

However, there was no time to question the obvious. Something unidentifiable and grayish rushed straight towards him.

" !"

Dang-myeong unfolded the shadow of the divine law and tried to retreat for the time being. If the guy was a true god created by Yi Mae-mang-ryang as he had guessed, he must have been a ghost or a spiritual being. He decided that it would be better to avoid it for the time being rather than confront it.

[No way.]

Surprisingly, the guy easily caught up to the shadow of the new technique that Dang-myeong was using. It seemed to be because his movements were very free. He moved quickly without any resistance.

Naturally, I had to admit it right away. I couldn't shake off the fact that he was following me. I had to change my response. Instead of evading, I attacked. I swung my right hand at the same time as I thought. I didn't know if I could catch him, but if I could touch him, I would immediately generate a strong energy. No matter how much of a spirit it was, I couldn't just ignore an attack filled with a strong will.

however.

[It worked!]

The bastard ran towards Dang-myeong's hand with a look of excitement, as if he was celebrating a victory. Then, avoiding the grasping fingers, he quickly dodged into the arch of his palm.

'what.'

As soon as Dang-myung withdrew his hand in disbelief, his right arm up to his upper arm was instantly dyed purple. This was because an enormous amount of poison had burst out in an instant.

[You can endure this. You have a nice body. I really like it. And in that instant, you closed the Jianjing point and stopped the expansion of the poison? That's incredible reflexes. But... huh?]

The guy who had infiltrated Deungmyung's arm muttered as if it was funny, and then at some point he looked embarrassed.

[You… How? No, more than that, this energy… ]

I can really feel how hard it is to believe.

That was understandable, because Dang-Myeong's arm had already regained its original color.

The poisonous substance that cannot be processed is scattered so vainly.

No, it wasn't scattering. The poison was being eaten by something…! 'I have to get out!'

The entity that had infiltrated Dang-myeong's right arm, 'Cheonggak', instinctively sensed danger.

0| Energy.

It wasn't unfamiliar.

Before becoming a tyrant, he is a being that deals with poison, and he cannot help but feel fear.

Long ago-

He became lonely because of 'someone' and eventually became truly lonely after eating other loners, and he became a being with truly tremendous venom.

Even if it was the poison of the dragon, it was nothing compared to his poison, so he was proud that he had reached the pinnacle of arrogance.

but.

The 'someone' who made him truly lonely was a being who was useless even to Mandok.

That was because of the unique energy he controlled - the poisonous energy. There are bound to be all sorts of strange things in the world, but who would have thought that there would be an energy that preyed on poison...!

The poisonous dragon was a natural enemy to all beings that handled poison.

Even if he is reborn through solitude, he is nothing more than prey.

'Someone' - The man who was called a 'Muyeonggaek' by others, with the help of the astrologers, trapped the man with no identity in his body.

It would be crazy if it were original.

It is natural for one soul to reside in one body. Ordinary humans cannot withstand the higher level of spirits. It means that the body is taken away.

However, he was completely subdued by the poisonous energy, and instead of having his body taken away by the spiritless guest, he ended up having his poisonous energy exploited whenever necessary.

Surprisingly, Muyeonggaek was able to transform the powerful poison he spat out into his own internal energy. This was also due to the power of the poison skill.

Yes, to put it simply, he ended up acting as a reserve dantian for the guest of honor.

The Muyeonggaek called him Cheonggyeongbaeksa (靑角면弼), short for Cheonggyeong. Originally a man with a snake-like appearance, he took on the form of a white snake with blue horns after becoming Jingodok.

Anyway, so many years have passed.

There were many things. Muyeonggaek established a family called Sacheondangga, and secretly went around with his followers to eliminate those who were causing harm to the world. He did not discriminate between people and evil spirits.

I've even killed a bunch of people called 'dragons' a few times.

Dragons, neither spirits nor omnipotent beings, were a disaster in themselves. They lived for almost eternity and had the power to destroy a small country alone. If it weren't for their habit of sleeping for long periods of time, the world might have already been covered in death.

The Muyeonggaek always called dragons 'beings born from heaven's mistake.'

I liked the lonely and lonely Heungbaeksa.

I didn't care what the royalties were. I just waited for the life of the guest to run out. Only then would I be able to regain my freedom.

I wish he were killed before his time runs out, but I realized early on that that was unlikely to happen.

This is because the inaction of the invincible guest, built on poison, reaches all the way to the heavens.

Time passed and passed.

The wait was long, but it's finally over.

The life of a guest is just about to end.

It seemed like he was finally being liberated, but it wasn't smooth sailing. Before his life ended, Muyeonggaek called the radiators and once again removed the hearing white snake from his body and spoke.

-Hearing. Your contributions have been considerable, so I will not destroy you. However, if I were to release you, a powerful and arrogant man, into the world, that would also lead to disaster. Therefore, I will seal you.

I think it would be good to cultivate myself inside. So that I don't have to kill anymore. Saying so, Muyeonggaek took away the poison of the hearing white snake for the last time.

The radiators then used their magic to seal him. It was a magic that would have been impossible to resist, but the hearing-white snake, who had almost all of his venom removed, was helpless against it.

It was impossible to properly gauge the passage of time inside the magic circle. It was only possible to guess that a long time had passed due to the thickening poison.

Then today.

The hearing white snake suddenly felt the power of the sealing magic circle weakening.

I didn't know why, but I didn't care and I didn't need to know.

The only thing that matters is that we can be liberated from this horrible space.

Because of the accumulated energy, when the magic circle was halfway released, the hearing white snake was able to forcibly tear the magic out.

And as soon as I came out, I realized.

'…there is no radiation.'

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The fact that there was no radiation capable of handling magic meant that there was no chance of it being sealed again.

All he could see was a young man with a young face - it seemed that he had broken the seal, whether by mistake or not. Thinking that he was very happy, the hearing white snake rushed to the young man.

The purpose was to take over the body and find out about it. As a demon, if you banish a person's soul and take over their body, you can read their memories as well.

I wanted to find out the intention behind releasing the sealing magic circle and how much time had passed.

Since he didn't seem to have much achievement, the hearing-white-skinned man was able to rush in without hesitation. He didn't realize that the young man was learning the technique of the closed-circle technique. It's the Dokmunmuhak of the Muyeonggaek.

No, in fact, the hearing-white-snake was confident that he could subdue his opponent even if he was a Hwa-gyeong warrior. This was because the poison that had accumulated over many years was very strong. That thick poison was the source of his strength.

The young man's evasive maneuvers were quite good, but he could not shake off the man who was so immature. The young man who was running away changed his mind and attacked by swinging his hand, and the hearing white snake thought that was right and dug into the young man's body through his long heart.

Immediately afterwards, he spewed out poison. With the intention of poisoning and causing death. Since he was only going to scrape out the memories and throw them away anyway, all he needed was a split second of time after the spirit fled.

But what is this?

The young man surprisingly withstood the poison. His right arm, which should have rotted away, merely turned purple. Not only that, but he also blocked the Jianjing point on his shoulder in an instant, preventing the poison from spreading throughout his body.

The young man's response in such a short period of time was in many ways beyond expectations, and also strange. The sense of accomplishment that was clearly felt did not seem that deep...?

The questioning didn't last long.

Soon, an even greater shock came over the hearing-white-snake.

'This is…!'

How could I forget this spirit?

The lonely guest's poison that I had been so afraid of - an energy just like that was slowly approaching me.

While swallowing the poison that the hearing white snake had spewed out.

****

'That's ridiculous.'

Dang-myeong looked down at his right arm and thought. It was an absurd poison. It was incomparable to the Hwa-ryong-ho-dok, one of the three poisons of the Tang gossip poisons. If he had been just a little bit late in blocking the Jianjing point and raising the poison request madness, he might have been hit.

The guy who had emerged from the magic circle and was presumed to be Lee Mae-mang was now struggling to escape from Dang-myeong's right arm. When did he come in, and why is he trying to escape now?

"No way."

While repeating back what the guy had said, Dang-myung completely wrapped his right arm in the poisonous request madness. He completely blocked his escape. The guy trapped in his right arm was going completely crazy, but Dang-myung calmly increased the density of the poisonous request madness.

'… Maybe I can complete Yongrin here.'

The amount of internal energy that was increasing by the minute was so enormous that I could not help but think that way. How much poison could it possibly contain? It was a similar feeling to carefully melting a piece of candy.

As I was concentrating like that, the guy who was trying to escape my right arm stopped moving as if he had given up and started talking to me.

[Wait a minute!] [You, what kind of relationship do you have with a guest without a guardian…! How can you…?]

"He is a descendant. He is not a Dokyogi, but a Dokyocheongwanggi."

[That lineage is still going on… . Whether it's Dokyogi or Dokyocheongwanggi, the name doesn't matter. Rather, let's stop this for now. Let's talk about it. If we keep doing this, we'll be wiped out… !]

"Let's talk about it…?"

He asked back as if it was obvious. I couldn't tell exactly what he was trying to do, but I could tell that it wasn't well-intentioned.

Just looking at the way it spews out poison as soon as it enters the body, that's obvious.

The one who was speaking directly into my head was some kind of spiritual being… I already had an inkling that it was Yi Maemangryang. It must be the Jingodok that Muyeonggaek spoke of. The source of the Ten Poisons.

[Yes…! If you handle the Dokyogi, or rather the Dokyo Request Madness, you know very well that my poison will be of great help. After all, your ancestor, Muyeonggaek, also sought coexistence with me…!]

"No need."

[what…?]

The hearing-white-skinned man asked dumbly. What is this kid talking about now?

The poison he possessed was so extreme that it was hard to find it again in the world, and this meant that for those who wield the poisonous madness, it was an elixir that could not be replaced by anything else. Even the poison possessed by the omnipotent and omnipotent Hearing White Snake would rise again after a certain amount of time, so it was like a spring that would never dry up…

Of course, Myeong-myeong was also not unaware of this fact. Completely eradicating the Hearing White Snake now would be no different from killing the goose that laid the golden eggs.

However, the name of the person was not the type to leave any regrets. He was a guy who entered my body with impure intentions. I had no intention of letting him go on a good-natured basis. No matter how useful he was. Furthermore, there were ways to become stronger, even if it wasn't poison. Is there any need to risk being tied down to someone like Lee Mae-mangryang?

Dang-myeong, who thought so, said.

"I don't have the interest to save someone who was my enemy."

[This is crazy…!]

The hearing-white snake swore at him. He felt that the words of the poisonous request were not empty words as he gradually grew stronger, blocking the path of retreat and taking control of the surrounding area.

How can I be this unlucky…?

After serving as a reserve dantian for over a dozen years, he was sealed away, and after enduring for hundreds of years, he finally found his freedom, only to be destroyed by the descendants of the one who sealed him away…!

Is there another being among these impotent beings who has lived such a strange life?

[Please believe me. If I had known that you had mastered the Dokyo Request Madness, I would not have acted so foolishly. I will help you, just this once…]

"Your tongue is long. Just perish."

Although the hearing-white-skinned man pleaded, Dang-myeong firmly refused.

I've already made up my mind. I'm going to get rid of that guy.

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I don't know if I could put some kind of restraint on him, but unfortunately his natural name was not Radiance. He had no skill in magic or anything like that. However, his swordsmanship had reached the level of a master.

[No. I can't die like this…!]

The hearing-white snake resisted desperately. It poured out powerful poison several times in an instant.

But it was no use.

Because the Dokyo Cheonggwanggi was a spirit that preyed on Mandok.

No matter how hard he struggled, he was just prey.

Dang-myung's right arm slightly turned purple and then returned to its original color repeatedly.

The hearing-deaf person was going crazy.

After waiting for so long, is this the awaited, futile destruction?

In a situation where there was nothing he could do with force, the only way to survive was to convince Deok-myeong. He had to somehow gain his trust…!

In the end, there was only one thing left to do to survive.

To chain oneself with this shackle-

The hearing-white-skinned man spoke with difficulty after making up his mind.

[…I will become your food god. So please save me.] You want to be my food soul?"

Dang-myung asked with a surprised expression.

I knew what a Shikshin (식신) was from my teacher, Geom-Gwi. He was also a person who had a close relationship with the Bangsa.

It is said that the famous magicians can force the subjugated Yi Mae-mangryang to obey them and treat them like servants. In this case, the subjugated Yi Mae-mangryang is called Shik-sin.

The food spirit must absolutely obey the orders of its master, Bangsa, and cannot threaten or attack its master no matter what. This is because its very existence is subordinate to its master, and it is said that if its master Bangsa dies, the food spirit, Imaemangryang, will also disappear.

Of course, the opposite is true - when the food spirit disappears, there is no effect on the radiation.

However, the only beings that could be used as food spirits were those with significantly lower ranks. This was because there were limits to the ability to bind those with ranks higher than that using magic.

'There's no way a guy with this much energy would be low-class.'

This was my first time encountering this evil being, but even so, considering the venom it contained, I thought it was by no means a lowly being. It also had the intelligence to communicate in a strange way.

A being like that claims to be a food spirit - it's a situation that can't help but be suspicious. Dang-myung didn't trust the bastard's words and instead became wary. He didn't know much about the magic used by the radiators, so he didn't want to be greedy.

[…Why don't you reject the request for a poisonous drink? Didn't you say you would become my food spirit? Don't you know what this means…?]

"I know. You want to be subservient to me."

[But why…?]

"Amongst the two spirits, aren't only those of the lowest rank capable of becoming a food spirit? I don't know for sure, but you don't seem to be of a low rank. If you're going to try to trick me, then stop. Besides, I'm not a reaper, so I don't know any magic that can definitely restrain you. Even if you call me a food spirit or something, I don't like it."

[what…?]

The hearing-white-snake was dumbfounded. The offer he had just made—to become a food spirit—was a sweet story that no one could ever refuse. While lowly beings could be transformed into food spirits through magic, a high-ranking being with a powerful aura like the hearing-white-snake could not be controlled by magic alone. Only when one has the will to become a food spirit can one truly become one.

Of course, unless it is a very serious case, it is rare for a high-ranking being to bow down and become a food spirit. The hearing white snake is currently trapped in the body of the deity and is on the verge of disappearing from existence, so it is making this suggestion. It would be better to become a food spirit and plan for the future than to disappear.

Don't humans say that too? They say that even rolling around in dog shit is better than living in this world.

But this ignorant guy didn't notice the pumpkin that had rolled in with the vine and was about to kick it away with his foot...!

I was getting angry and frustrated, but my priority right now was to convince him.

The hearing aid worker tried to remain calm and explained.

[ You are not entirely wrong. Usually, the only people who can be subdued by magic and turned into food spirits are those of low rank. However, it does not mean that those of high rank cannot become food spirits. Since they become food spirits by their own will and not by magic, it is not something that is well known even to the spectators. It is such a rare case. ]

"Of your own will? Not magic?"

Only then did Dan-Gyun-Myeong show interest. The white snake surrounding his right arm, which had been infused with the poisonous poison, was still there, but he stopped pressing on it.

Sensing the possibility, the hearing-white-skinned man continued speaking urgently.

[Yes. I know that you are not a radiation. You don't smell of magic, and you don't seem to have even one talisman made of goby paper. However, even if you don't know magic, it doesn't matter if I become your food soul. My will, which is full of illusions, is no different from magic. If you agree, I will become your food soul.]

"hmm."

[… You also handle the poisonous request madness like that idiot, so you know how much of an advantage it is to be able to draw out my poison as much as you want. What are you hesitating for? If you have any questions, just tell me. I will be happy to explain.]

"No. The conditions are too favorable for me. Let me think about it."

[… .… ]

The hearing-white-snake was silent for a moment. He said it was a food god, but honestly speaking, it was no different from asking to become a slave. However, he did not easily dispel his suspicions. He looked like a young child who had not even lived for twenty years at most, but he was as cautious as a hundred-year-old man. Could it be that he had returned to his old age?

[… I just don't want to disappear in vain. Since I was the one who attacked first, I thought I should do this much to gain your trust.]

"Then why did you attack me all of a sudden?"

[… … .]

The hearing-white-snake was furious at the obvious nagging, but he had nothing to say. That was because it was not wrong. When he got out of the sealing magic circle, he could have just left this place. If it was a sin to let his guard down because there was no radiation, it was a sin. Could it be that he had thought things would turn out like this?

"Anyway, it's fine. Trust me. I'll accept you as a food spirit. If you try to do something wrong… ."

[That won't happen. Let's proceed right away.]

As soon as the permission of the sage was given, the hearing-white-sage immediately spoke. Since he had decided to become a food spirit anyway, there was no need to hesitate. Although his situation was somewhat miserable, it was better than being annihilated here and there. And although becoming a food spirit would restrict his existence, it was better than being trapped in a sealing magic circle.

Dang-myung looked down at his right arm with an interested gaze. He was still surrounded by the hearing-white-snake with his poison-requesting madness, but out of nowhere, something like white fog began to gather around his right arm. It was not a tangible energy.

The white fog gradually became thicker and began to form a shape by gathering together.

"What is this? If there is some other intention behind it, I will destroy it without hesitation."

[… This is my incarnation. This is a necessary process to become a food spirit, so don't be alarmed.]

The hearing-white-skinned man added urgently, thinking, "What a suspicious guy. He would react so sensitively just by showing his incarnation. He seemed to know a little about radiation and food spirits, but seeing this, he seemed completely ignorant of magic.

"Baeksa (White Beginning)…?"

Dang-Myeong said as he saw the white fog taking shape.

The white snake, literally a white snake. It was so large that it filled the space, coiled around itself and flicked its red tongue, and after a while, blue horns sprouted from its head.

This was the true form of the hearing-white snake, who was both lonely and hopeless.

[Call me Cheong-gyeong, not Baek-sa. That guy, Mu-yeong-gaek, calls me that too.]

Heung-gyeong said that with his eyes shining and immediately started muttering something. Soon, something like a thread came out of his horn and came fluttering up to Dang-myeong's chest.

[It's called a psychic thread. If you hold it, my spirit will belong to your soul. It means you will become a food spirit.]

Strangely enough, Dang-myeong could instinctively tell that his hearing was telling him only the truth.

This was possible because the hearing was the true form of my existence, the incarnation. Since I knew that the obvious would not doubt it, I did not bother to explain it.

Dang-myeong slowly reached out and grabbed the psychic's ear.

Hwaaaaak!

A dazzling flash of light erupted. The incarnation of hearing split into tens of thousands of pieces and shattered along with the light. And as the pieces of light descended, they immediately crashed into Dang-Myeong and were absorbed.

'… This is how it feels.'

Dang-myung immediately noticed.

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What should I say?

There was a feeling that I held the power of life and death of another being in my hand.

Finally, Imaemangryang Heungcheong was accepted as a food god.

****

The poison of the four thousand and one families.

There was a figure walking out of the storage room where the Tang gossip books were stored.

"Sogaju. Are you okay…!"

The warrior of the dark king, who had been anxiously waiting for the official's order in front of the poisonous poison, greeted him and spoke. He had been quite anxious because he had been drinking soju without any poison. The inside of the poisonous poison was filled with thick poison. It was possible that something bad would happen.

Besides, it took quite a while to check the gossip. I also felt an inexplicable vibration.

There were many signs of anxiety, so the warrior of the dark king was thinking of waiting a little longer and then going in to find the cow himself.

With a poisoned drink in his mouth.

"But, I… ."

"hmm?"

"A halo emanates from the body of the cowherd…."

"ah."

At the words of the warrior of the dark king, Yuan Ming let out a short exclamation and gathered his energy. Then, the faintly leaking deep green light disappeared as if it were a lie.

'It's not easy to control.'

Definite name thought to himself.

The identity of the deep green light was none other than the Yongrin, the Guardian Spirit. It was a martial art that could only be achieved by filling all twelve meridians with internal energy using the method of the closed vein.

Before entering Dokgo, Deungmyungmyeong had only closed five meridians. Due to the nature of the closed meridians, the difficulty level increases significantly as the number of meridians closed increases. However, he closed the remaining seven meridians in that short period of time…!

Of course, this was all thanks to the hearing that he had acquired through the food god. Up until now, there have been many incidents that could be called coincidences for Dang-myung, but this was one of the few that could be counted on one hand.

From the perspective of someone who deals with the madness of single-mindedness, hearing is something that cannot be compared to any elixir.

Just a moment ago, as soon as Dan-Gyeong-Myeong took possession of the hearing as his food spirit, he spat out most of the venom he had. Then he made the poison-requesting madman eat them up.

The poison that the hearing possessed was so vicious that it was classified as one of the ten poisons, the highest level among the ten poisons. In other words, it brought about a tremendous increase in internal energy for Dangsangmyeong.

As a result, Dang-Myeong gained enough internal energy to achieve the lung meridian of all twelve meridians in one breath.

As all the meridians were filled with strong energy, the self-defense energy began to be constantly implemented, just as the mother had said.

It was Yongrin, the martial artist of the old days, who revealed himself to the world after hundreds of years of struggle.

The original Ganggi Muhak required a tremendous amount of internal energy consumption, but the Yongrin, a self-defense Ganggi skill implemented through the closed veins, was activated constantly while causing extremely little waste of true energy. It was satisfactory even as a natural name.

However, if there is one drawback, it is that if you are not careful, a deep green halo will cover your entire body. This is a phenomenon that occurs when the internal energy that is filled up to the meridians and even the small veins bursts out through the skin. It is perfect for attracting attention.

[Do you really need to hide it? That guy, Muyeonggaek, was out in the open.]

The hearing spoke as if it was strange. The self-defense armor was not only a symbol of the strong, but it was also an extremely splendid piece of armor. I couldn't understand why they would bother to hide it.

'I just want to live an ordinary life this time.'

The obvious answer was to say it to himself. As he accepted it as a food spirit, he was able to convey his intentions with just his thoughts because he was connected to hearing and spirit.

[This life…? You speak as if you have lived several lives. By the way, you want to live an ordinary life… Is that really possible?]

Hearing added meaningfully.

[There must be a reason why you were given that much power. Just like your ancestor, Muyeonggaek. A wide corridor.

There are quite a few people coming and going.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew between them and two figures passed by.

"Look over there…! Those two who just passed by… ."

"Why, but. This isn't the first time I've seen unmanned people. Just hurry up and walk. There's a long way to go."

"No, I'm wearing a dobok."

"What? Really…!"

The civilians who were urging their pace were whispering and casting surprised glances. The two people who passed by with the wind were wearing yellow uniforms and showing off their mysterious footwork. The fact that they were moving away in an instant made it clear at a glance that they had learned a sophisticated method of meditation.

However, the civilians were not surprised simply by such skill. The Sado Bangpa warriors who were scattered all around the area always showed off their martial arts skills as if they were bragging. It was just that they did not have the discernment to distinguish between the depth and shallowness of their achievements, but the sight of the warriors performing light martial arts was a common sight.

What caught my eye was their behavior. They were wearing martial arts uniforms and even wielding long swords. It was an outfit that was hard to find in this land.

Here, Sacheon is a land ruled by the Black Sorcerer's Association and its subordinate Sado Bangpas. Naturally, the public's interest in the Black Sorcerer's Association leader, Yu Gil-jun, was bound to be great. There is no one who does not know the reason why he founded the Black Sorcerer's Association.

Cheongseongpa 一 It was once one of the pillars of the old school and the representative Taoist sect of Sacheon. Because of one of Cheongseong's disciples' actions, not only Cheongseong, but also Ami and Jeomchang were implicated and destroyed. It was a truly shocking event, in which Yu Giljun, who was only in his twenties at the time, brought down three of the nine venerable great sects.

After the Black Lotus was established in the place where Cheongseong used to be, all the large and small Taoist sects in Sacheon had no choice but to be destroyed. Among them were the secular sects of Cheongseong, but there were many more Taoist sects that had nothing to do with them. However, the Apostle sects under the Black Lotus, as long as they wore the Dobok, they would somehow connect them to Cheongseong and punish them.

It was obvious what his intentions were. He must have intended to catch the eye of the Black Lotus Master, who was no different from the Great Master of the Apostles, and receive the Divine Sword.

In fact, it is said that Yu Gil-jun personally created and taught the Sangseung Martial Arts to some of the people who were confirmed to have massacred the Cheongseong secular school in the early days of the founding of Heuksaryeon.

Anyway.

One of the men in yellow uniforms, who had been shooting out, leaving the civilians' mutterings behind, opened his mouth.

"Four hundred. If you go a little further, you will reach the castle where the party is."

"…"

The other middle-aged Taoist did not answer, but simply nodded heavily. His hard expression seemed to indicate that his thoughts were complicated.

It was a bit of a strange sight. The two of them didn't seem to have much of an age difference, but one of them was calling the other Sa-baek. It was hard to do that without some serious mismatch. Or maybe the one called Sa-baek had reached Banro-hwan-dong.

'What a disaster.'

Glancing at the silent Sa-baek-il Tae-heo, the disciple of the Gongdong-pa, Hyun-so looked back on his journey so far.

****

It all started when Tae-heo came to the communal mountain where Dang-ga was staying and examined the bodies of the three hundred warriors who had died. He said that it was the work of only one person, and immediately said that he had to visit Dang-ga. He rarely spared his admiration for the exquisite secret technique.

So he returned to his hometown and asked the chief priest to allow him to travel to Sacheon, and he was immediately granted permission by the chief priest, Taecheong. Taecheong had always supported Taeheo, who was a disciple, without a second thought, in everything he did. He had helped Taeheo in both material and spiritual ways so that he could reach Hwagyeong.

Hyunso was ordered to follow Taeheo. Since Hyunso had been under Taeheo's care since he was young, he had expected things to turn out like this.

Hyunso guessed Taeheo's intentions in deciding to go to Sacheon. It was impossible for Kunlun alone to stop the demonic cult that had begun to spread. Gongdong had to help. However, because of the Black Lotus in Sacheon in the south, Gongdong was also in an awkward situation where he could divert his sect's forces elsewhere. He could have committed the folly of going to put out a fire in someone else's house and burning down his own house.

However, it was impossible to just let Kunlun collapse. After Kunlun collapsed, it was obvious where the Demonic Cult would head.

At this time, the possibility of the Tang family was confirmed. According to Tae-heo's usual theory, the Sapa bastards were just people who believed in numbers and made a fuss. If it weren't for Yu Gil-jun, the Black Lotus Master, they would have been nothing more than a rabble. So, if the Tang family had the dark techniques suitable for mass murder, they would have been able to handle the Sachon's Apostolic Forces, including the Black Lotus, to some extent.

Anyway, the purpose of this trip to Sacheon was to seek cooperation from the Tang family. In Sacheon, which had become a completely secular world, the only one who claimed to be the righteous one was the Martial Arts Family - if they truly had potential, they would resolve the issues of the Demonic Cult and help revive it.

However, Hyunso was skeptical. I don't know what Sa Baek-in Tae-heo saw at the scene of the Gongdongsan tragedy, but if the Tang family had power, wouldn't they have stood up and shaken off their rage long ago?

And apart from that meeting, Hyunso had a feeling that the signs for this Sachon trip were not good even before departure. For some reason, he felt that he would definitely have to use the Bokma Sword Technique.

I was anxious, so I tried telling Tae-Heo to take off his uniform and walk around, but it didn't work.

His four hundred, who had reached Hwagyeong, was a man whose pride in the Buddhist order reached the sky. He said that he was afraid of the Sacheon Buddhist sect's scoundrels and that he was taking off the yellow robe, which was like a symbol of the community, and that such a thing would never happen. Hyunso quickly gave up. He knew from experience that Taeheo rarely gave in to his stubbornness.

However, Tae-heo agreed with the idea that they should move quickly since they were not out on a tour. The two of them advanced southward while performing light moves. Many eyes were fixed on their uniforms, but they did not care because they could move quickly without the rumors about them reaching the ears of the various apostles.

Then the problem arose.

At the inn where he stopped by to have a quick bite, Tae-heo started to become extremely cautious. Considering that Tae-heo had always been peaceful since he ascended to the throne, this was a strange thing.

"Four hundred. Why are you like that…?"

"quietly."

What Tae-heo was looking at was a man sitting on one side. He was moving his chopsticks around the noodles that were generously topped with Go-myeong, and it looked like he had already poured a few sips of cheap Cheongju. Hyun-so didn't find anything strange at all.

Tae-Heo said with a serious face.

"… I think it's Yuga."

"Huh? Are you talking about the Black Lotus Potion…?"

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"Yes. You're trying to act like a criminal while putting on airs. But you can't fool my feelings."

The sense of a warrior who has reached the realm of Hwagyeong is extremely sharp. Even if a warrior of Hwagyeong like Diarrhea hides his realm, he can recognize him. It would be difficult for a warrior of Hwagyeong to be active here in Sacheon other than Heuksa-ryeon-ju, so Tae-heo guessed that the man was Yu Gil-jun.

"… Then shouldn't we avoid the body for now? I don't doubt Sa-Baek's skills, but the opponent is a Black Lotus. There's no benefit to causing unnecessary friction."

"They must have already noticed my presence."

As expected.

As soon as Tae-Heo finished speaking, the man put down his chopsticks and walked towards Hyun-So.

"Hoo. That uniform. Is it communal? I've heard of it. By the way, it seemed like you were staying quiet. What's going on in Sacheon? You even sent a military officer to Hwagyeong.

"It must be a valuable resource… Do you have any business with the main unit?"

"Black Lotus Potion…?"

"You ask even though you know. Yes, I am Yu Gil-jun."

" !"

• • • •

Hyunso was shocked. He asked with a sense of improbability, but the man in front of him answered yes. He was none other than Yu Giljun, the Black Lotus Master, the supreme being of the Sacheon Martial Arts World and the pinnacle of the Apostolic Forces…!

'I've heard rumors that you have an unusually outgoing hobby… .'

Hyunso recalled a story he had heard in passing. Yu Giljun, originally from the back alleys of Heukdo, had become a Heuksa-ryeonju and was in a position to enjoy all kinds of delicacies, but he had said that he lived a frugal life. He had thought it was just a rumor, but seeing him eating cheap food in such a shabby inn today, it seemed like it wasn't a lie.

At the same time, I thought it was ironic. Of all places, in the vast Sacheon, I had to meet someone I absolutely should not meet… .

At that time, Tae-Heo stepped forward.

"I don't have any business with the Black Lotus. But… Are you alone? I don't see any of your followers."

"Why, do you think you can win alone? Should I mix it up a bit?"

Yu Gil-jun said with a laugh. Meeting Tae-heo was unexpected for him. Sometimes he missed the days when he wandered around the back alleys. At those times, he would escape alone like this and enjoy his escape, but out of nowhere, he felt the presence of a man who had arrived at Hwagyeong.

Yu Gil-jun thought it was a good thing. It was always a great source of inspiration for him to compete with the strong. In particular, the martial arts of the Jeongdo Daebangpa, known as the old school, had depth as it had been passed down for a long time, and it was a great help in strengthening his own martial arts.

Tae-Heo was silent for a moment at Yu Gil-Jun's provocative words and then said.

"… Even so, your body is twice as strong as mine."

"It's hard to follow the context. Are you expecting me to go to engineering school?"

"It's just that the years we've lived are different. You probably know how the decisive battle between the Hwagyeong masters will go. The influence of internal energy is absolute. Furthermore, the internal energy built up through the main sect's secret method will have an overwhelming effect against your Sima's martial arts."

"The community is arrogant."

"What…?"

"Just because I have mastered the art of the Sado sect, do you think I will be defeated by the history of you who have mastered the art of the Tao? It has already been ten years since three of the old factions were defeated by me. Would it be any different if we were all in a joint sect?"

"You'll know when you try it out. Let's go. Neither of us will like it when we hurt each other's people."

Yu Gil-jun passed between Hyun-so and Tae-heo. It was an action that would be difficult to show unless one was confident that they could deal with attacks whenever and wherever they came.

"Follow me. There's a place where you can fight for your life."

If you're scared, you can run away, I won't chase you - Yu Gil-jun said as he flew up. His light-as-a-feather technique was very impressive.

Hyunso opened his mouth right away. He noticed that Taeheo was about to kick the ground.

"Four hundred. No! If something happens… !"

"Don't stop me. How can I endure such words? Yu Gil-jun, I must show that bastard that the common martial arts are the best in the world. And this is my chance. If I kill him here, the Sacheon factions will be in shambles in no time."

"…"

Tae-heo's words made sense. It seemed that Heuk-sa-ryeon-ju had come out without any escort. If not now, it might be difficult to find a chance to eliminate him. Above all, if Tae-heo really defeated Yu Gil-jun, the power of the Gong-dong faction would soar like a bamboo shoot!

"You have to be careful, Sa-baek. There might be other traps."

"Of course. Trust this hundred."

In the end, Hyunso and Taeheo also followed Yu Giljun, using their lightness. With each step they took, the surrounding scenery was pushed back, but once they opened up the distance, it was not easy to close it. This is proof that Yu Giljun's new method was great.

After traveling such a considerable distance, Yu Gil-jun landed in an empty lot with few people.

Is it possible that there are no people living around here? I couldn't sense any other signs of life.

Moreover, Yu Gil-jun really seemed to have come alone, without any entourage. He had great confidence.

"Okay, let's begin."

Phew! Heuksa-ryeon-ju was already a strong man among the strong who had defeated three of the old factions.

Cheongseong, Ami, and Jeomchang.

Now, they are faded names, but they are a lineage that has continued a history of hundreds of years with the community. Their power was by no means weak. Nevertheless, they were all destroyed in the same year, so you can guess how weak the Black Death League was. Even then, the Black Death League did not have as many forces under its command as it does now. In terms of numbers, it was inferior to the three sects. It was accomplished entirely by Yu Gil-jun and a few of the early Black Death League figures who were like his family.

And now, more than fifteen years have passed since then.

It was obvious that Heuksaryeonju Yu Giljun would become even stronger.

Nevertheless, the reason Taeheo confidently stepped forward was because of the characteristics of joint martial arts.

The mountain great sects known as Gupa were able to wield the power of destroying evil to some extent because they had developed their martial arts based on the internal energy of Taoism or Buddhism. Among them, the one that the world considers the best by far was Taishan Beidou Shaolin, but in fact, there were two sects that were even more obsessed with implementing the power of destroying evil than Shaolin: Kunlun and Gongdong.

The reason was simple. The two factions were located at the crossroads where the Demonic Cult crossed over to the Central Plains. While other factions could only encounter the Demonic Cult once in their lifetime, Kunlun and Gongdong had to deal with them on a daily basis. Naturally, they developed in the direction of maximizing the power of the Pasa contained in the Martial Arts. The power of the Pasa also had a significant effect on the Demonic Cult.

However, at some point, Kunlun began to focus more on practical martial arts than the power of the Pasa. In a way, it was natural. In order to properly wield the power of the Pasa against the demonic cultists, one had to achieve a certain level of accomplishment, but that was too difficult. Before the accomplishment could deepen, countless disciples died, so Kunlun's position must have been to ensure the survival of his disciples.

Ironically, Kunlun, who had come to value such practical martial arts, at some point began to resemble the Demonic Sect they had fought against on a daily basis. Despite being Taoists, they did not hesitate to spread murder, and their temperaments also became rough and violent. The only evidence that they were Taoist disciples was their pure background built on the basis of the Samcheongsingong (Deucheonggong) and the uniforms they wore. It was no wonder that the nickname of the Kunlun sect leader at the time was Ma-seon (魔仙).

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Gongdong, who was relatively more comfortable than Kunlun, had been devoted to strengthening the abilities of the Pasa in his own martial arts for many years. He firmly believed that the true path to extermination of demons lay there.

The sword technique that was completed in this way was the strongest sword technique of the Gongdongpa, the Bokma Sword Technique (伏魔劍法)!

The name itself means subduing the demon. Needless to say, it is the martial arts of ascension. It is a sword technique that goes beyond the limitations of simple sword techniques or swordsmanship. It is a martial art that amplifies the original auspicious Taoist energy to the extreme and contains it in a single sword. It is a martial art that is virtually a natural enemy to Sima's group.

However, in order for the Bokma Sword Technique to properly exert its power, the one who learned it had to reach the state of Hwagyeong. This is because the function of amplifying true energy ultimately depends on the mind. In a broad sense, the Bokma Sword Technique was no different from the martial arts of strong energy.

The public made all of the disciples of the Japa master the Bokma Sword Technique. Even those with meager achievements could implement the Bokma Sword Technique to the extent that it was effective. At this level, wouldn't it be worthy of being called the Divine Sword Technique?

Anyway, the reason Hyunso thought he had a chance of winning was because of this Bokma Sword Technique.

Sa-Baek-In Tae-Heo, who had reached Hwa-Gyeong, was someone who could properly demonstrate the supernatural ability of amplifying true energy contained in the Bokma Sword Technique. If he were to amplify the original, powerful power of the common mixed energy technique to the limit and put it into a single sword, even if it was the Black Lotus Spell, there would be no way to do it.

Isn't his ignorance based on evil?

But that was a mistake.

The martial arts of Yu Gil-jun, the Black Lotus Master, were clearly not pure. He did not build them up properly, layer by layer, but rather took the advantages of various martial arts and connected them in a disorderly manner. Of course, this was possible because he was born with the qualities of a great master.

What is the reason why the evil way is not the right way?

This is because they are trying to take advantage of the results without following the proper process.

It is certainly tempting to think that you can reach your goal without any proper effort. That is why there are many people who walk the path of the apostles. However, there is a limit to the achievements that can be made that way. It may seem slow, but steadily, step by step, is the only way to reach the ultimate goal.

But Yu Gil-jun of Heuksaryeonju was different.

It's taken to the extreme by taking only the fruits. Extremely efficient.

Originally, the martial arts that were easily built up were bound to collapse just as easily, but Yu Gil-jun examined and studied all the martial arts of the Sacheon martial arts world, and strengthened his own martial arts to the utmost. The qualities of a great master that he possessed allowed him to instantly see through the martial arts of his opponents and learn only the useful principles from them.

When he encountered Tae-Heo's Bokma Sword Technique, Yu Gil-Jun laughed.

****

'It was more monstrous than I thought. The Black Lotus…'

Hyunso thought as he recalled the events of that time.

Taeheo's Bokma Sword Technique was truly amazing. The auspicious energy from the Gongdongpa Simbeop Honwon Ilgi Gong was continuously amplified. It seemed as if the energy of any Sima would immediately fall apart upon impact.

In fact, Yu Gil-jun was at a disadvantage in the first few moves.

No, it seemed like he was at a disadvantage. His blood-red, crimson energy was repelled helplessly every time Tae-Heo's sword technique was unleashed.

But there was not a hint of tension in Yu Gil-jun. Instead, he muttered as if he found it interesting.

'Hoo. Is that so? This is something new.'

The black sword of the evil Tae-heo could not reach the black lotus. And Yu Gil-jun, who had been observing the Bokma sword technique that Tae-heo was using for a while, suddenly displayed a new technique, took a quick step back, and raised his index finger.

At the tip of his index finger, a crimson aura condensed into a dot. It was a branch of martial arts called Jigong (指功). It was a technique used by arrogant masters of Naegigong, but what was surprising was that waves that shook the air suddenly burst out from the crimson aura compressed into a red dot. It was incomparable to simple resonance. I could feel the power contained in my skin.

Tae-Heo and Hyun-So were shocked. The tremendous energy was growing endlessly. But that wasn't the only reason they were shocked. The way the power was growing was so familiar.

It's exactly the same as the strongest swordsmanship of the Gongdong faction, the Bokma Sword Technique…!

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'Thank you.'

As he said that, Yu Gil-jun fired his Jigong. The blood-red orb filled with great power reached Tae-heo in an instant. Since evasion was impossible, Tae-heo had to bear the full brunt of the attack.

The auspicious true energy of the Honwonilgi Gong, amplified by the Bokma Sword Technique, poured out from the Taeheo Sword, but it was only enough to stop the bloody orbs that gave off a strange feeling. It was hard to believe. Such a powerful true energy of the Four Guardians!

In the end, Tae-Heo was able to cut through the bloody orb only after enduring internal injuries and increasing his energy. Black Lotus Lotus, who had been watching the scene with a pleased expression, opened his mouth.

'You have received a great gift from the Lord. It is called the Bokma Sword Technique. Out of respect for its origin, I will call it the Bokma Shinggong (伏正神功).'

It was an obvious mockery.

The ignorance of the four gates was discovered, and even the principles were taken away, which helped the enemy create a new ignorance. The humiliation and frustration Taeheo felt were enormous.

In an instant, the wound on Dojin's body caused a spurt of blood.

'Is this more than enough to pay for the lives of you two?

Go. I will spare you. - After leaving those words behind, Yu Gil-jun turned around.

Looking at his back, Hyunso felt a sense of relief at having survived, and a sense of terrible despair at the same time. It felt like a high cliff that was impossible to climb seemed to be getting farther away. Even though it was getting farther away, its height was unimaginable… .

The battle between Yu Gil-jun and Tae-heo ended briefly, but its aftereffects seemed to have spread far and wide. There were quite a few Apostle's wave warriors who immediately smelled the scent and rushed in.

'The guys from over there saw Yeonju's face. It seems like there was someone who recognized her.'

'Then, that wave was indeed caused by the Lotus Sutra. After all, there couldn't be another being that could display such skill.'

'So, did those Taoist priests dare to be rude to Yeonju…?'

'You've come out of the stomach. You're walking around in Sacheon wearing a dobok. Do you not know what's going on in Cheongseong?'

'But which of the six factions didn't wear yellow uniforms? I'm sure I heard about it, but I can't remember.'

'It looks like he's gotten a piece of the action from either the Sixth Wave or the Sixth Wave. He must be a very important person in my faction. If we capture him, we'll be able to take out the gold in a box.'

'I wonder if he might have hidden a secret weapon in his bosom.'

'One of them is very likely to lose. If we join forces, we have a good chance of winning.'

The greedy Sapha warriors rushed forward without fear.

Hyunso had to swing his sword in place of Sa-baek, who was suffering from an internal injury. If Tae-heo's internal injury were to worsen here, it would take a considerable amount of time to recover, and he might not be able to recover his original martial arts skills.

Fortunately, the Bokma Sword Technique that was unleashed against them displayed its power to the fullest. Those who crossed swords with Hyunso were shocked at how their power was wasted and died in vain.

However, the number of Sapha warriors was too many. As the number of people dying increased, their greed grew stronger. They guessed that the two Taoist priests would soon run out of energy.

'You must be tired! I just saw you staggering!'

'Just push a little harder! Think of gold and silver.'

'Don't kill them, even if you lose an arm or two. They have value as hostages only if captured alive.'

Hyunso was filled with anger at the pressure from those who were excited. Those Sapha gangsters were taunting the Daegongpa by treating them like fish that had caught everything.

'These insolent guys…!'

Hyunso swore at him, but in the end he had no choice but to run away.

No matter how many there are, we are being chased by nameless Sapa guys. It is extremely humiliating. However, dying in a place like this by Sapa thugs would be an incomparable humiliation. We had to put aside our pride and try to survive.

It was difficult to return to the group again, since they had already entered deep into Sichuan.

There was only one choice. Ask for help from the only sect that walks the path of virtue in the land of Sacheon, Sacheon Dangga. That was why Tae-heo and Hyun-so were heading to Seongdo. That was the destination of this trip to Sacheon in the first place.

And the Sapa drones chasing them soon realized their destination.

'Those Taoist bastards. They're planning on going to the saints.'

'A saint? He must be trying to hide in the party.'

'You're digging my own grave. The Tang family is also isolated in the city.'

'I guess it's just a matter of buying some time. First, chase after him...!'

After a fierce chase, Tae-heo and Hyeon-so finally reached Seongdo.

There, I encountered a young man of exceptional beauty. He was a man so handsome that I could tell at a glance that he was from a prestigious family. When he saw Tae-heo and Hyeon-so, he opened his mouth as if he was puzzled.

"Was there a Taoist monk in Sacheon…?"

It was common knowledge that it was difficult to find Taoist monks in Sacheon anymore.

That is why Dang-myung expressed his doubts.

"Yellow uniforms… I think they are probably members of the Gongdong faction. Sogaju."

The one who answered the mutterings of Dang Yuanming was Dang Wonjin, who had become the official leader of the Bongwidae. Although he did not possess any outstanding martial arts skills compared to the other Bongwidae warriors, he was able to assume the position of leader mainly because of his relationship with the 7th Division of the Competition and the intimacy he had built while accompanying Dang Yuanming up close. In any case, from Dang Yuanming's perspective, the level of the Bongwidae warriors seemed to be average.

Right now, Yuan Ming was walking around the city with the party members and party loyalists. The Bongwidae all came out to escort them, but Yuan Ming ordered them to further develop their skills and left alone. He thought that if he went around with the Bongwidae hanging around, it would only attract attention and cause trouble.

Of course, even without the guard tower, it was still a sight to behold.

'Hey, that Confucius. I'm seeing your face for the first time.'

'How can a person's appearance be like that? It's like there's a halo around him.'

'Come to think of it, didn't you see that guy walking towards you earlier? I heard the rumor is that the new head of the family is very handsome. Could that be him?'

'For something like that, there isn't much escort. The level of the accompanying warriors seems quite high.'

'Hey, go and tell that person something.'

The gossip was quite loud. Some women who appeared to be from high-ranking families even showed their subordinates a secret favor by offering to treat Dang-myeong to refreshments or meals.

However, it was only a bother to Dang Miso, who already had her heart set on Dang Mi-so. He had the members of the party politely decline all of them.

In fact, the reason I came out to look around the city like this was partly because of Dang Miso. As you can see from the fact that she brought her father, Dang Jeok-sin, with her, Dang Yu-myeong had the idea of establishing a trade association in mind. She wanted to check the volume of goods in the city and select items and locations that would be advantageous for a trade association. Of course, she could have asked someone else to do the job, but Dang Jeok-sin had no choice but to see it with her own eyes and talk to other merchants, so Dang Yu-myeong went along. It wouldn't hurt to develop friendships with prospective craftsmen.

After his mother, Dokbong Dang Ji-hye, ascended to the throne, the family quickly became organized and stable.

It was now decided that it was time to turn our attention to the outside world. It would be difficult for the family to remain isolated in the city forever.

Thanks to the appointment of a capable person as the general, there was no need to worry for the time being, but it was clear that if things continued this way, the funding would dry up again. Even if the newly reorganized Uigak led by Dang Ho-yeol and Dang Yi-jeon began to function properly, it was not normal to rely on them for most of the finances like during the Yakwangdang era.

In the end, the family's sphere of activity had to be expanded. I thought the first step would be to establish and operate the upper group. In doing so, various frictions would inevitably arise, and in the process of resolving such frictions, wouldn't the family's territory naturally expand?

Anyway, that's why Deungnyeong was outside the city limits.

"It's a common house… It seems like you're a guest of the main house."

If they were the Gongdongpa Taoists as Dangwonjin said, I thought they would definitely come to Dangga. The Sogaju competition that happened a while ago - wasn't there a bloody incident at Gongdongsan? They left the bodies of the Sacheon Sapa warriors, including the Taeeulmukgeompa, as they were.

If the joint investigation had been conducted separately, it would have been questionable.

First of all, almost all of the corpses were those of Sapa's unmanned forces, and it must have felt like the Tang family figures, including Dang-myeong, had left the place in a hurry.

Also, if the person who came to investigate had a little more discernment, he would have noticed that it was all the work of one person.

'… I didn't expect that you would come all the way to Sacheon's hometown.'

The obvious name seemed a bit shaky.

It is not that the city where the Tang family is located is located in the middle of Sacheon. Sacheon is a land where the Apostolic factions under the Black Lotus are scattered.

It is clearly a place where it would be burdensome for a Taoist clan to send people. To such a place, without even taking off their uniforms and disguising themselves, only two people are sent…?

'That makes sense.'

After looking at the two, Dang-myung immediately understood. They both looked quite tired, but only one person was wearing a tattered uniform, as if he had been in a fierce battle. The ends of his clothes were covered in thick dirt.

And a middle-aged Taoist priest who looks relatively healthy.

[Hwagyeong is a good person.]

'okay.'

At the words of the hearing, the obvious name was inwardly positive. Because of the self-defense power of Yongrin, the achievements revealed through the closed veins were limited, but that did not mean that the sense of energy had become dull. There was only a limit to the range of the sense of energy.

Certainly, if he was a master of Hwagyeong, he would be worthy of being sent to Sacheon alone. As long as he didn't meet Yu Gil-jun, the Black Lotus Master, there wouldn't be any particular danger.

'… Have you ever met a black lotus?'

Dang-myeong tilted his head inwardly. The Taoist priest, who looked healthy and well-off, seemed to have suffered serious internal injuries despite his appearance. His energy was extremely unstable. Perhaps he was only able to use a very small portion of his original internal energy. He guessed that at best, he could only use simple light techniques. If he used proper martial arts or made violent movements, his internal injuries would get worse. He probably wouldn't be able to fight even if he wanted to.

That's why it seemed like another, less accomplished one, was in charge of the fighting.

As the two middle-aged Taoist priests approached, their level became more and more apparent. One was undoubtedly a being who had ascended to the level of Hwagyeong, while the other was only slightly better than Tang Yuanjin.

A Taoist priest with a similar appearance to Dang Won-jin, who was disheveled and had no military duties, shook my hand and spoke to me.

"Immeasurable Life Buddha. Nice to meet you. Confucius. We come from the Gongdongpa. I am Hyeonso and this person goes by the name Taeheo."

"You are the Gongdongpa Taoists. I am Deungryungmyeong."

Dang Yuanming nodded and greeted him. Behind him, Dang Yuanjin whispered in a low voice, slightly surprised. If it's Sogaju and Taeja Bae, it's the same distribution as the Tang Dynasty's Jang Moon-in…!

Even though the middle-aged Taoist named Tae-heo was injured, Dang-myeong realized that he was a master of Hwa-gyeong and assumed that he had either returned to his old age or was suppressing aging with his powerful internal energy. That was why he was able to remain calm.

Meanwhile, Hyunso said, delighted at hearing the name Dangmyungmyeong.

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"I happened to hear that person call you Sogajusi… And if he uses the Dang surname, could he be from the Sacheon Dang family…?"

"Yes, that's right. Do you have a purpose for your hometown?"

"Four hundred! That's it. These are the Dang family members…!"

Hyunso spoke to Taeheo with a bright face at the obvious affirmation and continued speaking.

"Sogajoo. We have come to your hometown on business. Normally, we would visit properly and formally, but as you can see, the situation is not favorable.

"If it's not rude, can I just stay home and rest my body? Even if it's just for a while. Even if it's just until Sa-baek's internal injuries stabilize…"

"Yes, that's right. It's not that difficult. By the way, did you meet any black lotus on your way here?"

"How can the owner of Soga…?"

Hyunso asked back in confusion. The Sa-Baek-In Tae-Heo had fought the Heuk-Sa-Ryeon-Ju and was running while using light techniques to avoid being pursued by the Sa-Pa warriors.

How did the head of the church here in Seongdo know that fact?

Of course, since he had already seen through the realm of Taeheo, he just threw it out there. It was extremely rare for a master who had reached the realm of Hwagyeong to suffer internal injuries to this extent.

'You're brave to come back alive. No, did they save you?'

That was when.

"Stop!"

A tremendous voice was heard from afar. It was assumed that the person who originally had a good voice had strengthened his voice with great internal energy.

Hyunso said with a look of defeat.

"Oh. Looks like they're here."

"Those guys?"

"During the battle with the Black Lotus, there was a group of Sapa who knew that the Lord Sa-Baek had suffered internal injuries and they kept rushing at him. At first, I tried to fight them off, but as time went on, their numbers grew…"

"How many are there?"

"There must be over a hundred of them. No, maybe two hundred… . Wouldn't it be better to quickly evacuate to your hometown? They seem to be almost there, so we should hide before they confirm our presence…"

Hyunso spoke urgently. He spoke about escape without hesitation. Even so, how could he not want to cut down and kill the guys who chased him with a single sword while shouting proudly? However, from the position of entrusting his body to Sa-baek for his convalescence, he thought that he should minimize the damage to the family.

Let's avoid fights that can be avoided - because we know that although the Tang family is still alive in Sacheon, its power is by no means high. Since the Tang family is located in Sacheon, where the Sado faction is rife, it would be unfavorable for them to have conflicts with other factions.

In addition, there was no particular escort around Sogaju Dangmyeong at the moment. There were only two young men by his side, and one of them was a scholar. Hyunso raised his senses in case there were any hiding people, but he couldn't catch anyone.

In that case, the only people capable of fighting were Hyunso himself, Dangmyeong, and the warrior who seemed to be his escort. It was too much for them to handle the Sapha warriors who were rushing towards them now.

But Dang-myung was still calm.

"Please calm down."

"Huh? What do you mean…?"

"I was already planning to start organizing Sacheon, so I'm grateful that you two have helped me relieve some of the hassle."

"!?"

• • • •

A question arose on Hyunso's expression. What is Lee Ja talking about now? Over a hundred Sapha warriors are rushing in, and he is saying that it is a good thing? Are you in your right mind right now…?

"Come this way. The owner will take care of it."

Dang Won-jin, who knew the meaning of the name, guided Hyun-so and Tae-heo to the safety of the back.

"No, this is…."

Hyunso was still unable to continue speaking, and Taeheo looked at the young man, Sogaju of Dangga, with shining eyes. As if he was expecting something to happen.

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In the meantime, the Sapa warriors came rushing in, each holding their own weapons. It seemed like the warriors of several factions had joined together to form a group, rather than just one.

The man in the lead among them spoke.

"What are you? Your face is half and half like a woman's."

"I know it when I hear the voice. It's the guy who was yelling."

"I asked who it was… bang!"

He let out a short scream before speaking, and fell down. Without even thinking about putting his hands on the ground, he fell head first. Only those who had achieved a certain level of eye-dharma could see a small needle quivering on his left cheek.

The man who had been making a gurgling sound for a moment became quiet. His breath had stopped. A person's life had been lost so vainly.

"… … "

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Silence fell on the room as if it were a lie. Among the Sapha warriors who had gathered around chattering and enthusiastically, no one spoke easily.

Even when Dang-myung snapped his fingers and retrieved the pillow.