chapter 305

The More You Press, the More It Bounces Back (2)

Lee Gwak’s expression was grim.

The most likely place where Nam Woo-Gyeong was being held captive was the prison. So Lee Gwak also risked danger to search the prison. However, he couldn’t find Nam Woo-Gyeong anywhere in the prison.

“If not the prison, then where did they lock him up?”

The interior of the Nine Dragons Clan was as vast as the Jade Heaven Alliance. Because of that, it wasn’t easy to pinpoint where Nam Woo-Gyeong was confined. Still, Lee Gwak couldn’t give up.

“If I were them…”

Lee Gwak thought from the perspective of the Nine Dragons Clan.

Nam Woo-Gyeong was a big shot.

The position of the young master of the Hao Clan carried a different weight compared to the heirs of other sects. Naturally, kidnapping him would be a huge burden.

“If they can’t persuade brother Woo-gyeong to their side, they’ll have to kill him to keep the secret. Brother Woo-gyeong isn’t someone who would succumb to threats. Then how would they try to persuade him? Poison or brainwashing?”

Lee Gwak leaned more toward poison.

Brainwashing wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

Especially for someone like Nam Woo-Gyeong, who had strong mental fortitude, he wouldn’t be easily brainwashed.

In the Jianghu, there existed mind-controlling techniques and martial arts like the Soul Enchantment Art that interfered with the mind, but they didn’t easily work on those with strong martial arts or firm mental strength.

Nam Woo-Gyeong was strong in both martial arts and mental strength.

Then the remaining option was poison.

It was the easiest way to make someone submit, and also the most convenient to handle.

In a sect like the Nine Dragons Clan, which upheld the righteous path, they couldn’t openly operate facilities related to poison.

“Medicine Hall?”

Sects of the level of the Nine Dragons Clan usually had a Medicine Hall within them. If it was the Medicine Hall that purchased various medicinal herbs, it would be easy to procure poisons without arousing suspicion.

“The Medicine Hall should be on the east side of the inner court, right?”

Recalling the information he had heard from the Hao Clan, Lee Gwak moved his steps.

All around the inner court, martial artists of the Nine Dragons Clan were patrolling. But thanks to the martial arts tournament, the vigilance was more lax than usual.

Lee Gwak acted calmly.

Whenever he encountered the martial artists of the Nine Dragons Clan, he would greet them with a slight bow. His nonchalant demeanour didn’t raise any suspicions from the martial artists of the  Nine Dragons Clan.

Anyone would have thought that Lee Gwak was a martial artist belonging to the Nine Dragons Clan.

Having been in the Jade Heaven Alliance for a long time, Lee Gwak knew better than anyone how these large sects operated.

With so many people, it was impossible to know all the members. Once inside, unless he did something particularly suspicious, the chances of getting caught were slim.

Moreover, people’s attention was entirely focused on the martial arts tournament right now. Even the martial artists on patrol were chatting about the matches of the prodigies that took place in the morning.

Lee Gwak moved towards where the Medicine Hall was located.

As with other major facilities of the Nine Dragons Clan, the Medicine Hall also had martial artists standing guard. But compared to other places, the vigilance was particularly tight.

The level of the martial artists standing guard was higher than elsewhere. Their sharp eyes and the natural aura they exuded were not qualities of people who would normally stand guard at the Medicine Hall.

No matter how important the Medicine Hall was, it didn’t make sense for martial artists of this caliber to be guarding it.

Lee Gwak’s eyes shone sharply.

He had a feeling that his guess might be correct.

The problem was how to infiltrate the Medicine Hall without being detected by their surveillance.

Lee Gwak briefly looked around.

Fortunately, there was a large tree not far from the Medicine Hall. Its dense foliage was more than enough to obscure people’s view.

Lee Gwak launched himself up the tree and waited patiently for his chance.

The people standing guard were also human.

No matter how much they kept their nerves on edge and watched their surroundings, there would inevitably come a moment when their attention was distracted.

After nearly two hours, the opportunity came. The martial artists on guard all turned to look in one direction.

A female martial artist with an impressive, curvaceous figure was hurrying somewhere. The guards stared blankly at the woman’s sensual body.

“Oh!”

Someone involuntarily let out an exclamation.

That’s how striking the woman’s figure was.

“Ahem!”

Realizing their lapse belatedly, they cleared their throats.

By the time they regained their composure and focused on their surveillance again, Lee Gwak had already silently slipped over the wall.

Lee Gwak climbed silently to the roof of the medicine hall. The roof was the perfect place to move stealthily. Trusting the guards outside, no one would be lurking on the roof.

As the name suggested, the interior of the Medicine Hall was filled with the scent of medicinal herbs. Lee Gwak moved towards the place where the scent was particularly strong.

From below the ceiling, he could faintly hear someone conversing.

“He’s tough. Still hasn’t yielded.”

“Truly an extraordinarily tough guy. If it were an ordinary person, they would have given up long ago.”

Lee Gwak concentrated his internal energy into his fingers and pressed the ceiling. Then, silently, a small hole was created.

Lee Gwak brought his eye to the hole.

It was a room filled with various medicinal ingredients. In one corner, a hot decoction pot was steaming.

In the center of the room, someone was lying on a platform.

In the darkness, Lee Gwak’s pupils trembled.

The man lying like a corpse on the platform was none other than Nam Woo-Gyeong, whom he had been desperately searching for.

All over Nam Woo-Gyeong’s body, his blood vessels were bulging like earthworms. His bloodshot eyes were wide open, and he was gritting his teeth as if enduring pain.

Beside Nam Woo-Gyeong stood two men with their arms crossed, looking down at him.

They were Seo Pil-Cheon, the head of the Medicine Hall, and Jang Yoo, the deputy head.

Their eyes were filled with astonishment as they looked at Nam Woo-Gyeong.

Nam Woo-Gyeong had been transferred to the Medicine Hall this morning. Brought directly by Eun Moo-Young.

They couldn’t have been more surprised.

Eun Moo-Young was the young master of the Nine Dragons Clan. He was not someone who would get involved in such dirty work directly. The fact that Eun Moo-Young had brought someone who was the young master of the Hao Clan was even more astonishing.

Eun Moo-Young ordered them to use the Worm poison.

The worm poison usually consists of a pair of Yin Worm and Yang Worm.

Yin Worm and Yang Worm were connected spiritually, and usually, the Yang Worm would obey the Yin Worm, its mother body.

Because of that, a person infested with the Yang Worm had no choice but to obey the one controlling the Yin Worm.

What Eun Moo-Young gave them was a worm poison called the Heavenly Insect Poison, which was the most vicious of all the worm poisons.

However, it was difficult to infiltrate the body with the Heavenly Insect Poison. In a healthy body, it was difficult for the worm to survive in the early stages.

Therefore, a separate preliminary process was necessary.

By using various poisons in combination to deteriorate Nam Woo-Gyeong’s condition, they artificially created an environment where the worm could survive.

This was something that should never be done.

If this fact became known in the Jianghu, the Nine Dragons Clan would surely become a public enemy. No matter how much power the Nine Dragons Clan wielded in the world, they couldn’t stand against the entire Jianghu.

If the world had been in a normal state, Eun Moo-Young wouldn’t have taken such a reckless gamble. But now was a time of chaos.

The world was in turmoil, and it was so chaotic that one couldn’t predict what would happen the next day. Several sects were being annihilated in a single day, and new ones were being established.

In such a chaotic world, for the Nine Dragons Clan to survive, and further, to surpass the Jade Heaven Alliance and become the hegemon of the world, they had to take risks.

The current methods could only maintain the status quo. To move forward in this stagnant situation, they needed to do something different.

“Other things are manageable. The problem is information power. Our sect’s information network is pitiful compared to the Jade Heaven Alliance.”

The biggest reason the Nine Dragons Clan was being pushed back by the Jade Heaven Alliance was the lack of information power.

Eun Moo-Young had found the solution in the Hao Clan.

The group with the most extensive information network in the world was the Hao Clan. To subjugate the Hao Clan, more extreme methods were necessary.

A person infested with the Yang Worm of the Heavenly Insect Poison could never refuse the commands of the one possessing the mother Worm.

They were harming none other than the young master of the Hao Clan. If they failed, the repercussions would be endless. If they weren’t careful, the Nine Dragons Clan could end up isolated in the sea of information. Therefore, they had to succeed at all costs.

Seo Pil-Cheon examined Nam Woo-Gyeong closely.

“His physical condition has deteriorated to the worst. Now we can slowly proceed to implant the Heavenly Insect Poison.”

“But are we really going to implant the Heavenly Insect Poison?”

Jang Yoo looked at Seo Pil-Cheon with a worried expression.

As a physician, the thought of implanting such a horrific worm poison into another person’s body was quite unsettling.

Seo Pil-Cheon replied with a cold expression.

“We have no choice. If it were for my personal safety, I would never do it, but isn’t this for the Nine Dragons Clan? If it’s for the greater good, I’m willing to step into the mud.”

“Hall… Master!”

“If you’re reluctant, you may withdraw. I’ll handle it alone.”

“No. I’ll do it together.”

“That’s more like it. Soon, the young master will come to check. Let’s finish before then.”

“Understood.”

Jang Yoo brought out a bottle made of jade. When he opened the stopper, there was a tiny insect that was indistinguishable to the naked eye. The insect, smaller than a grain of millet, was the Heavenly Insect Poison.

Seo Pil-Cheon brought the jade bottle close to Nam Woo-Gyeong’s ear. Now, they just needed to put it into his ear. The Heavenly Insect Poison would infiltrate Nam Woo-Gyeong’s brain through his ear.

Once it settled in the brain, no method could extract it.

Nam Woo-Gyeong’s eyes widened.

In his bloodshot eyes, a mix of anger and fear swirled.

“Grr! Eun Moo-Young. How could you do this to me?”

He regretted having followed Eun Moo-Young so compliantly.

He never imagined Eun Moo-Young would use such extreme measures. If he had known in advance, he would have fought against Eun Moo-Young even if it meant the annihilation of the Hao Clan’s branch in Nine Dragons Nest.

He wanted to jump up from his spot immediately, but the poison had permeated his entire body, and he didn’t even have the strength to move a finger.

Filled with resentment, Nam Woo-Gyeong trembled all over.

At that moment, he felt a cold sensation in his ear. Seo Pil-Cheon had brought the jade bottle to his ear.

Clang!

Jang Yoo lightly tapped the jade bottle with a metal chopstick.

The Heavenly Insect Poison, reacting to the sound, moved towards Nam Woo-Gyeong’s ear.

It was at that moment that Nam Woo-Gyeong’s eyes widened.

Thud!

Suddenly, a small noise echoed and Seo Pil-Cheon and Jang Yoo collapsed. They fainted without even knowing what had happened.

At that moment, Lee Gwak silently dropped down from the roof. He had subdued the two of them.

Lee Gwak hurriedly snatched the jade bottle. Fortunately, the Heavenly Insect Poison was still inside the bottle. Lee Gwak closed the stopper of the bottle and approached Nam Woo-Gyeong.

“Brother!”

Nam Woo-Gyeong was too poisoned to even respond. But his eyes were filled with joy.

He didn’t know how Lee Gwak had found this place, but just seeing his face brought a sense of relief.

Lee Gwak quickly took out a wooden box from his bosom. When he opened the box, there were several small pills.

It was the antidote that the Divine Physician had given him to use in times like this. Most poisons could be detoxified with just one antidote pill. Having already saved Namgoong Yeon-Hwa’s life in Soho, Lee Gwak didn’t hesitate to give it to Nam Woo-Gyeong.

“Urgh!”

After a while, Nam Woo-Gyeong let out a rough breath.

Nam Woo-Gyeong’s body, which had been lethargic due to the poisoning, regained a bit of vitality. The poisoning had been somewhat alleviated.

Since his body was so weakened, he didn’t have the strength to move his limbs, but he regained enough energy to lift his head and speak.

“Gwak-ah?”

“Are you alright, brother? We must get out of here quickly.”

“But how?”

Instead of answering, Lee Gwak hoisted Nam Woo-Gyeong onto his back.

There wasn’t much time left.

Judging from the conversation of the martial artists, Eun Moo-Young would arrive soon. They had to escape before then.

Lee Gwak, carrying Nam Woo-Gyeong on his back, climbed onto the roof of the hall.

The men standing guard outside had not yet noticed the disturbance inside. They watched their surroundings without a hint of suspicion.

At that moment, a group was approaching from afar.

Striding imposingly, they were Eun Moo-Young and his subordinates.

Lee Gwak hadn’t turned the corner yet, so the martial artists guarding the hall hadn’t noticed his presence.

“Whew!”

Lee Gwak took a deep breath and glared at the martial artists guarding the north.

Plop!

In an instant, two martial artists rolled their eyes and collapsed. They fainted without knowing what had happened.

At that moment, since Eun Moo-Young’s group turned the corner and appeared, the other martial artists guarding the hall didn’t notice the disturbance that had occurred in the north.

Swish!

Lee Gwak silently leaped over the northern wall and disappeared.

Unaware of this fact, Eun Moo-Young asked the leading martial artist guarding the Medicine Hall.

“You’re keeping guard well, I presume?”

“Yes! We are guarding tightly so that not even an ant can get through.”

“Hmm!”

Eun Moo-Young nodded and entered the Medicine Hall.

The next moment, a furious roar erupted from inside.

“What is the meaning of this?”

The martial artists guarding the hall hurriedly rushed inside.

Seeing the interior, their faces turned pale.

The physicians were collapsed, unconscious, and Nam Woo-Gyeong, who should have been lying on the bed, had vanished without a trace.

Eun Moo-Young approached the leading martial artist.

“What is happened has happened?”

“Th-that, I also… don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“I’m sorry.”

Feeling dizzy, the leading martial artist tightly closed his eyes and bowed his head.

Swish!

At that moment, a chilling sound of something cutting through the air echoed inside.

Simultaneously, the head of the leading martial artist separated from his body and fell to the floor. Unable to suppress his rage, Eun Moo-Young beheaded him.

Sheathing his sword, Eun Moo-Young issued an order.

“Seal the fortress immediately. We must prevent him from escaping outside.”

“Yes, sir!”

The moment Nam Woo-Gyeong set foot outside the fortress, disaster would begin for the Nine Dragons Clan. They had to prevent the worst-case scenario.

Eun Moo-Young’s face twisted grimly like that of a demon.

Outside, the martial arts tournament was in full swing.

To display the might of the Nine Dragons Clan, they had allowed numerous martial artists inside. One of them must have rescued Nam Woo-Gyeong.

The problem was that they had no idea who the culprit was. But they couldn’t openly interrogate the martial artists who had entered upon the Nine Dragons Clan’s invitation. If they weren’t careful, it could cause even bigger problems.

“Nam Woo-Gyeong!”

Eun Moo-Young ground his teeth so hard they could break.

Grit!