Chapter 388: Shadow of the Yin God (2)
Kugugung!
The stone door of the grand hall was exactly as it was before. However, it seemed the work to carve it much straighter than before had been done. Unlike the past, where it looked somewhat like a bandit’s lair when seen differently, right now it was inexplicably giving off the feeling of a completely different world.
“It has changed a lot since then.”
At Yeon Ho-jeong’s calm words, Yang Cheon had a hard time holding back a leaking smirk.
“You are truly a brazen bastard.”
“What do you mean?”
“Whatever the reason, it is a place you were a part of even for a time. Do you really have no sense of guilt?”
Yeon Ho-jeong shook his head.
“It was just a mission. If I feel guilty about every single thing like that, I wouldn’t be able to do this job.”
“You seem to have excellent views on professional spy activities.”
“It’s not like I ever received spy training. I don’t have the time for that either. However, since a situation came where I had to deceive the opponent, I just did my best within the scope of what I could do.”
It wasn’t that the Black Path only had despicable people or villains. Rather, the Black Path was where the more chivalrous one was, the more preferential treatment they received.
In other words, he couldn’t score any points even if he said without hesitation that he deceived him in front of Yang Cheon, who was even called the Combat King. It would only increase his vigilance.
And precisely because of that, Yang Cheon could actually trust Yeon Ho-jeong’s abilities. Because those who evaluate themselves harshly are the ones with outstanding abilities.
‘He wouldn’t be a bastard who doesn’t know that. If this is also a calculated remark, he must truly be a snake-like bastard.’
Of course, Yang Cheon didn’t think Yeon Ho-jeong’s remark was a calculated move. At least the Yeon Ho-jeong he saw was an owner of a brilliant brain, but he wasn’t a petty person.
Kugugung!
The door to the grand hall closed.
Yeon Ho-jeong smacked his lips.
“That White Rat gentleman, his gaze was quite bloody.”
“It can’t be helped. White Rat is the leader of the Twelve Earthly Branches and my number one trusted subordinate. The sense of betrayal towards you would be greater than mine, not smaller.”
“I somehow thought it would be like that.”
Yang Cheon sat down on a chair. It wasn’t the Grand Master’s Chair, but a small chair in front of a table placed to the side.
“There shouldn’t be a need to waste time here.”
“Of course.”
“I will ask. How do you plan to detoxify the Yin Desolation Divine Palm? No, before that, is this really a symptom of poisoning?”
Yeon Ho-jeong spoke straightforwardly.
“When I was the head of the Information Department, didn’t you suddenly lose consciousness, Manor Lord Yang?”
“……I did.”
“Didn’t you feel anything strange then?”
“It would be a lie to say no. But no matter how much I introspected inside, there was no particular abnormality in my body.”
Yang Cheon’s eyes deepened.
“I know my body well. This is not arrogance. You also broke through the Wall of the Martial End, so you must know how the physical body and qi change after breaking through the extreme realm.”
“Of course I know.”
“The realm of the Ultimate that the people of the world talk about is on a different dimension from the Wall of the Martial Arts´ End. Once you rise to that realm, everything changes. It varies from person to person, but if you concentrate, you can even see through the texture of objects.”
Yeon Ho-jeong also knew. Because he had also entered such a realm.
“And that is the same for my own body. Even though I am not a physician, I pride myself on being better than any physician under heaven at least when it comes to seeing my own body.”
“I think that is a reasonable pride.”
“Even so, are you sure that I was poisoned?”
“I am sure. I say it again, but Manor Lord, you must have also felt something.”
Yang Cheon stared at Yeon Ho-jeong silently.
Just as he said, Yang Cheon had felt something strange from a long time ago. However, it was literally just a suspicion; he couldn’t be certain.
“Just as Manor Lord Yang said, peak masters who have entered the realm of the Ultimate have a different eye for seeing the world.”
“……You speak as if you’ve entered that realm.”
“That is not what’s important. The important thing is how you gained those‘eyes’.”
“What does that mean?”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes shone.
“Several factors are needed for an internal martial artist to enter the supreme realm. However, the root of it is Qi.”
“Of course it is. But what does that……”
“The golden palm print engraved on Manor Lord Yang’s chest is not a wound that causes poisoning. That palm print is just a factory.”
“Factory?”
“That’s right.”
“What factory do you mean?”
“A factory to process and refine Manor Lord Yang’s true qi, and ultimately make you a puppet.”
“……?!”
Yang Cheon’s eyes opened wide.
Yeon Ho-jeong sighed.
“It is understandable that Manor Lord Yang couldn’t notice it. You said the Ghost Life Divine Physician, the physician counted as the first in the Black Path, examined Manor Lord Yang’s body, but it is not easy for a physician to discover it.”
“……”
“Manor Lord Yang is seeing the world through Qi. The realm you achieved is so high that qi always surrounds your whole body even unconsciously.”
“……That’s right.”
“What the Yin Desolation Divine Palm poisoned was not Manor Lord Yang’s physical body, that is, body tissues. It was your true qi.”
“……!!”
Yang Cheon’s mouth slowly opened.
“It poisoned my true qi?”
“That’s right.”
“Are you saying it contaminated qi with qi?”
“That’s right.”
“……I will ask again. Are you saying that my true qi, which has reached the realm of Saintly Heaven, was contaminated due to the Evil Lust Cult Leader’s Yin Desolation Divine Palm?”
“That’s right.”
Yang Cheon shouted abruptly.
“What nonsense!”
Although he yelled without realizing it, Yang Cheon was caught in the thought that Yeon Ho-jeong’s words might be true.
It was safe to say that there were absolutely no cases where a peak master who had entered the realm of the Ultimate lost consciousness in a situation where they hadn’t discovered any abnormal symptoms.
Even so, Yang Cheon had lost consciousness. If it had been during a battle, his life would have flown away right then and there.
As that thought arose, Yang Cheon felt a chilling sensation for the first time in a truly long while.
Yeon Ho-jeong said in a heavy tone.
“Have you never doubted it even once? Regarding the utility of the Yin Desolation Divine Palm.”
“……?!”
“The Yin Desolation Divine Palm is a scary martial art. As a type of hidden force that explodes the opponent’s heart meridians, it is a martial art that even a peak master of the same level has no choice but to be extremely reluctant against. But it is not like responding to it is completely impossible either. That is, if you know the characteristics of the Yin Desolation Divine Palm.”
“……!!”
“The Evil Lust Cult Leader is strong. Enough to defeat Manor Lord Yang. Why do you think a peak master like that let Manor Lord Yang live, even after using a martial art that, while powerful, would have its countermeasures exposed if rumors spread?”
Yang Cheon’s eyelids trembled.
“……Because he had confidence. The confidence that I wouldn’t go against him.”
“That is exactly it.”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes turned cold.
Just mentioning the four characters”Evil Lust Cult Leader” made his mood completely sink.
“When I was the head of the Information Department of the Black Dragon Manor, I felt something strange in Manor Lord Yang’s true qi. It was an enormous qi wave, but I felt a strange flaw in the leaking true qi. Of course, the qi wave itself was amazing, but unbefitting the reputation of the Combat King, I got the feeling that the qi was turbid.”
“……”
“The person involved wouldn’t know. Because you already see the world with your contaminated true qi. Unless you engaged in a life-and-death battle with someone, no answer can come out from just looking into the wound without a proper fight. Because you haven’t even squeezed out the ultimate strength.”
Yeon Ho-jeong pointed at Yang Cheon’s chest with his index finger.
It was quite a provocative action, but Yang Cheon couldn’t reprimand Yeon Ho-jeong’s action.
“Like paper slowly getting wet in water, Manor Lord Yang’s true qi was already being penetrated little by little by the demonic qi of the Yin Desolation Palm Force.”
“……I can’t believe it. No matter how much stronger he is than me, contaminating the true qi of someone who has risen to the realm of the Ultimate is almost close to impossible.”
“The one who wields that ability close to impossible is the Evil Lust Cult Leader. The martial arts of the Evil Lust Cult are traditionally skilled in Penetrating Force. Probably in the field of hidden force, it will be hard for anyone in the Central Plains to catch up to the Evil Lust Cult Leader.”
That was exactly why it was difficult to catch the Evil Lust Cult Leader during his time as the Dark Emperor.
If one engaged in a life-and-death battle, one had to catch him immediately. Otherwise, if one allowed an attack, they would have to fight while poisoned by the Evil Lust Cult Leader’s demonic qi in the future.
Of course, Yeon Ho-jeong also hadn’t known at the time that the Yin Desolation Martial Art even had the ability to contaminate true qi.
However, the sixth sense he had gained through countless scenes of carnage told him. That he must not allow even a single strike from the Evil Lust Cult Leader’s Yin Desolation Martial Art. If he allowed a strike, he must at least not let him escape.
And that was exactly why Yeon Ho-jeong had tried to subjugate the Evil Lust Cult Leader together with Murong Jun, who was revered as the Sword God. Regardless of the realm of martial arts, he was an incredibly dangerous enemy.
“If so.”
At some point, Yang Cheon’s eyes also became as cold as Yeon Ho-jeong’s.
“If you knew that, why didn’t you tell me during your time as the head of the Information Department?”
“What kind of talk is that? You are the Combat King. Such a bigshot established an organization called the Black Dragon Manor without a sound or rumor, and on top of that, you were an enemy. Why should I do something good for an enemy?”
Since he spoke so confidently, Yang Cheon also couldn’t help but be struck speechless.
Yeon Ho-jeong shook his head.
“And, I didn’t know well either at the time. I just thought about it after returning to the Alliance. I also sought advice from the best physician.”
“A physician?”
“There is such a person. A woman who is young in age but her skills slap the cheeks of the Ghost Life Divine Physician.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smacked his lips.
“Anyway, there is a detoxification method transmitted by that person. It will take some time, but with Manor Lord Yang’s level of skill, you will be able to correct your contaminated true qi in less than two days.”
“……Good.”
Yang Cheon hardened his eyes.
“I will bury the stories of the past as they are. Then how should I detoxify this?”
“The detoxification method is surprisingly simple. It’s just that it costs a bit of money.”
“Money?”
“That’s right. But I heard the financial power of the Black Dragon Manor is inherently amazing. So it won’t be difficult. Ah! Just in case, it would be better to call the Ghost Life Divine Physician and detoxify it together.”
“What kind of method is it?”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled bitterly.
“Do you have spirit pills in your warehouse? A spirit pill possessing medicinal power comparable to the Great Restoration Pill of Shaolin?”
* * *
Two days later.
“Yeon……!”
Murong Yu, who almost called him Brother Yeon without realizing it, cleared his throat and politely bowed his head.
“Have you arrived, Grand Commander.”
“Uh, uh. You all worked hard waiting. Did you hear from Gang-ryang?”
“I did. But I can’t believe it. Did you really go to the Black Dragon Manor?”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.
“Why? Were you worried I left my subordinates behind and went to play at some courtesan house?”
Murong Yu was flustered and waved his hands.
“T-Those thoughts are……”
“Haha, I know.”
“So, how did it go?”
“What do you mean how did it go. I came back after seeing everything with a perfectly fine body.”
“……Heoheo.”
Gang-ryang, who was crossing his arms from a distance, grumbled.
“It’s a relief that you returned safely, but it seems you also received a present?”
Yeon Ho-jeong smirked.
“You have ghost-like wits. Is it that obvious?”
“It can’t help but be obvious. Even though you fought until your head busted with the Combat King under heaven, not only is your body perfectly fine, your qi wave is blazing vigorously.”
The soldiers of the Righteous Justice Army, who were quietly listening to their conversation, were greatly surprised. Because they couldn’t have even imagined that Yeon Ho-jeong would have fought with the Combat King.
“That’s true too.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smacked his lips.
“I received a good medicine as a present. I was going to save it if possible, but he told me to eat it before going. Said it was the price of the Combat King’s life or something? So I ate it.”
“I’m sure you did.”
“I’m telling you it’s true, you punk.”
“I will believe you.”
“Don’t just believe me, it’s true!”
“I got it.”
At that time, Murong Yu said.
“In any case, it is a relief that you returned safely. Then……”
“Yeah. We should slowly get moving.”
Yeon Ho-jeong looked towards the south.
His mischievous eyes immediately turned cold.
“Because I also received a piece of information about the target. We can skip the trivial searching.”