Chapter 336: The Mastermind (3)

‘That thing?’

Tang In-hae, the patriarch of the Sichuan Tang Clan, displayed a glint of interest in his eyes.

And for good reason. The snake-shaped walking cane grasped by that man in his mid-thirties was none other than the Eight Poison Snake Staff, the staff of Guyang Sa-oh, the patriarch of the Guyang Clan.

Guyang Sa-oh was the only one who could match Tang In-hae’s reputation in terms of poison, and they had engaged in several duels over the long years, making it impossible for Tang In-hae not to recognize the cane.

But why was this young man holding Guyang Sa-oh’s cane?

‘Could he be a descendant of that old man Guyang?’

Just as Tang In-hae was wondering, it happened.

-Swish!

Ma Ra-hyeon, the masked man, unfurled his Pungsinpo and used extreme high-speed movement to create distance, saying,

“Will the elder do it?”

“Hasn’t this matter between your lord and me already concluded?”

At Tang In-hae’s words, Ma Ra-hyeon suppressed the energy he had unleashed and pointed at Tang In-hae with his palm, as if conceding to him.

Seeing this, Tang In-hae snorted.

Although he was quite surprised by the tremendous lightness skill, he found it absurd that Ma Ra-hyeon was displaying an attitude of conceding to someone.

“This is no longer tolerable. Does the venerable one take me so lightly…?”

“Your opponent will be this old man.”

‘!?’

Tang In-hae flinched for a moment.

He had only thought about getting away from that monster somehow, so he hadn’t realized it, but this voice was extremely familiar.

‘Could it be?’

Tang In-hae looked at the man’s face.

It wasn’t a face he recognized.

Which meant…

“That face, could it be a Human Skin Mask?”

“As expected of you, little brother Tang. I thought you would recognize me by voice alone.”

“Big brother Guyang?”

“It’s been a while, little brother Tang.”

Upon hearing how he was addressed, an exclamation escaped Tang In-hae’s mouth.

He had suspected it, but it was indeed his one and only longtime rival, the Eight Poison Snake Staff Guyang Sa-oh.

He had thought their next meeting would be when they were both more advanced in age, but who would have imagined they would face each other like this, with Guyang Sa-oh wearing a Human Skin Mask?

However, this wasn’t a major issue.

Rather…

“…Big brother Guyang, why are you with them?”

“It just turned out this way.”

“Just turned out?”

“That’s right. Anyway, didn’t we agree to duel at White Jade Hall in due time?”

“That’s true, but big brother Guyang, isn’t there still time left until the appointed date?”

“This old man has his circumstances, so it seems difficult to wait until then.”

-Simmering!

As soon as he finished speaking, a green poisonous aura flowed out from Guyang Sa-oh’s entire body.

He had instantly drawn out up to seven of the Eight Poisons.

From the beginning, they knew each other’s abilities better than anyone, so he had unleashed his poisonous energy close to his full strength.

Faced with his momentum, Tang In-hae’s complexion darkened.

Until Guyang Sa-oh revealed himself, Tang In-hae had thought that with his difference in martial arts, he could repel them if he went all out.

But the situation had completely changed.

If that old man, his equal in poisonous techniques, was determined to stop him, there was no escape.

Moreover…

-Swish!

Tang In-hae shifted his gaze to look at the masked Ma Ra-hyeon.

If that villain who had surpassed the wall during their duel intervened and launched a sneak attack, he would suffer a miserable defeat.

As if sensing his thoughts, Guyang Sa-oh spoke.

“This will be the final duel of our lives, little brother Tang. None of you should interfere.”

“We’ll do as you wish.”

“Understood.”

“Keheheh. This will be quite a spectacle.”

Seop Chun and Mong Mu-yak gave brief responses, while the heretic monk Ja Geum-jeong rubbed his hands together as if excited.

Ma Ra-hyeon nodded his head with a slightly regretful look in his eyes.

Having reached enlightenment and experienced a surge in his martial arts, he had inwardly wanted to test himself against a master of similar or higher level, so he was disappointed to miss this opportunity.

However, even though they had expressed their intention not to interfere, Tang In-hae was not one to take their words at face value.

“Big brother Guyang. They are no different from enemies to our sect. I cannot easily trust their words. And do you think we can properly focus and engage in a duel in this situation?”

Patriarch Tang In-hae wanted to avoid this confrontation at all costs.

The monsters had to be avoided until their duel concluded, but if he remained trapped here, the worst-case scenario could unfold.

“Big brother Guyang. Please postpone our duel, even if just for the sake of our past ties. I implore you with utmost sincerity.”

-Clap!

Tang In-hae clasped his hands together and bowed his head, even performing a formal salute.

Seeing his behavior, the heretic monk Ja Geum-jeong gulped down some wine from his gourd and sneered.

“Tsk tsk. He’s really going all out to avoid being caught by his master.”

“What did you say!”

Tang In-hae glared fiercely at him.

Then Guyang Sa-oh spoke, drawing out even more poisonous energy and momentum.

“Your opponent is this old man.”

“Big brother Guyang!”

“Listen, little brother Tang. The only choice given to you is to fight against this old man. If you refuse and attempt to flee, even if it’s not a duel, I will have no choice but to detain you here as per my agreement with that person. Now, let’s begin!”

-Whoosh!

With those words, Guyang Sa-oh unleashed a fearsome momentum, infusing his green poisonous energy into his serpent cane and executed a sweeping strike.

‘shit!’

Faced with his attack, Tang In-hae had no choice but to respond.

He, too, exuded a purple, no, indigo poisonous aura and unleashed his own technique to block the strike.

-Boom!

-Sizzle!

As their poisonous energies collided, the surrounding grass withered and the ground began to turn black due to the impact of their clashing forces.

Although they had only exchanged a single move, the two rivals who had completed their probing could discern each other’s improved skills.

‘That old man Guyang has become even stronger.’

‘As expected, he has grown stronger. But now that I have nearly perfected the Eight Poison Secret Technique, let’s settle this once and for all!’

Thus, the life-or-death duel between the two arch-rivals began.

***

[Father.]

Moo-jin called out to his father, Moo-jeok.

In response to his call, his father Moo-jeok, without taking his eyes off the dark valley that seemed like an endless abyss, opened his mouth.

[What is it?]

[How long do we have to stay here?]

[How would I know?]

[I don’t understand why our family has to go this far.]

[Then you’re saying we should neglect the duty passed down from our ancestors and leave this place? Moo-jin. The moment we leave here, the Central Plains will turn into a wasteland.]

[…I know that, but this is almost like volunteer work.]

[Volunteer work or not, it doesn’t matter. If many people can find peace because of us, that’s enough satisfaction.]

[It’s not very satisfying to me.]

[Then what will you do about it? Are you saying you’ll just leave?]

[No, not that… It’s just a bit frustrating. Grandfather and you have been stuck here for so long…]

[Then train hard and figure out a way to deal with that thing. Then our family won’t have to stay here like this.]

[…]

Moo-jin furtively glanced down at the valley that resembled a bottomless pit.

If that were possible, would they be doing this?

The ancestor who could be considered their progenitor was born with such innate strength that it was said all the energies of heaven and earth had gathered within him, so he had no equal. However, his descendants, including Moo-jin himself, were different.

Perhaps because their bloodline had grown thinner with each generation, they had become much weaker compared to their predecessors.

[Sigh. I’ll stop talking about it.]

[You too.]

Moo-jeok chuckled.

Then Moo-jin stood up and spoke.

[Even if it’s like this here, until when do we have to continue serving the Tang Clan? No matter how much it’s a request, no, a dying wish from the wife of our progenitor, is the Tang Clan really in that much danger? There aren’t many among the martial artists who can threaten them.]

[Of course, it’s rare for them to be in that much danger.]

[Right? You think so too, Father?]

[But it’s not always the case.]

[What do you mean?]

[Have you already forgotten about the day of the Great Calamity?]

[…That was when inhuman beings went berserk and caused chaos.]

[Yes, that’s right. But at that time, the one your great-grandfather confronted to protect the Tang Clan was not an inhuman being, but a deformed human.]

[Deformed? I see.]

-Tap tap!

Moo-jeok tapped his forehead with his finger and said,

[He had an eye here too.]

[…Where in the world is there a person with three eyes?]

[Does it sound like a lie? But what can you do? This father of yours also saw that three-eyed freak fifty years ago.]

[You saw it? Where?]

[Here.]

[What?]

Moo-jin couldn’t hide his surprise at those words.

This place was a hidden forbidden area.

How could someone enter this place that even ordinary people, no, even exceptional martial artists couldn’t see with their naked eyes?

[So what happened?]

[What else could have happened? This father of yours drove him away.]

[Phew.]

At that, Moo-jin let out a sigh as if it was anticlimactic.

Well, of course.

It was hard to imagine his father, who had unlocked the Force Suppressing Bracelet up to the second stage, something no one in their clan had achieved for generations, being defeated by someone.

However…

[It wasn’t easy to drive him away.]

As he spoke, Moo-jeok slightly lifted his upper garment.

Then, a long scar running across the center of his chest was revealed.

Seeing this, Moo-jin’s eyes widened as he asked,

[Wasn’t this the scar you got from fighting great-grandfather?]

[No. It’s the wound inflicted by that bastard.]

[But why did the scar remain like this?]

Their clan possessed a recovery ability bordering on regeneration to an extraordinary degree.

Although it was rare for them to get wounded, even if they did, it healed quickly, so it was unusual for scars to remain unless it was a severe injury.

That’s why Moo-jin had always found the scar on his father’s chest puzzling.

[I don’t know. It could be because that bastard’s peculiar energy slowed down the healing, or it could be because the wound was that severe.]

‘!!!!!’

At his words, Moo-jin’s expression hardened.

His father was called invincible, a title that was no exaggeration.

To think there was a being who not only left a scar on his invincible father but also managed to escape alive.

He must be truly formidable.

As Moo-jin inwardly marveled, his father Moo-jeok solemnly advised,

[Don’t neglect your training. Our clan is growing weaker with each generation. Even if it’s not that three-eyed freak, there’s no guarantee that a new powerhouse won’t emerge at any time.]

***

-Boom boom boom boom!

‘…That new powerhouse is right here.’

Moo-jin inwardly clicked his tongue.

He had unlocked the Force Suppressing Bracelet up to the third stage and was displaying his full strength, yet his opponent was withstanding it.

No, as the enemy gathered that power into one and unleashed a violent black aura from his entire body, he became even stronger.

It wasn’t mere luck that he had blocked that punch earlier.

-Swish swish swish!

‘Fast.’

Moreover, in terms of speed, the enemy was a step above Moo-jin.

Even if he could vaguely discern the enemy’s location with his naked eye, it was difficult to catch up with the extreme high-speed movement.

Whenever Moo-jin thought he had caught him, the enemy would scatter using the Shifting Image Technique.

Furthermore…

-Swish! Swish!

-Clang! Crash!

Moo-jin stopped running, tilted his head to the side to avoid the sword, and then struck the incoming sword with his fist.

‘shit.’

He had to constantly deal with the two black-colored swords imbued with this vicious aura, which further diverted his attention.

In that case, a different approach was needed.

-Crack! Creak!

The biceps and forearms of Moo-jin’s blackened right arm bulged greatly.

Not only did his muscles swell, but the surrounding energy began to converge towards his fist.

-Rumble!

Sensing an ominous feeling, Mok Gyeong-un, who had been using extreme speed and the Clear Water Surpassing Steps to exploit openings, tried to create distance.

That very moment.

Moo-jin abruptly swung his fist towards the ground.

‘Third Stance of the Secret Technique: Ground Destruction!’

-Kwaaang!

As soon as his fist struck, an astonishing event unfolded.

With the point of impact as the center, the ground within a radius of about thirty jang began to shake violently as if an earthquake had occurred, and soon, along with cracks…

-Crumble! Crash crash crash!

The shattered fragments of the ground all shot upwards.

‘What?’

Mok Gyeong-un was dumbfounded.

Who would have imagined that his movements would be obstructed in such an absurd way?

With no room to even set foot as the entire ground shattered and debris flew up, Mok Gyeong-un had no choice but to momentarily stop and use his Demonic Swords to block the fragments.

That very instant.

-Boom!

“Got you.”

Moo-jin appeared in front of the halted Mok Gyeong-un.

Along with his appearance, Moo-jin’s fist flew towards Mok Gyeong-un’s face.

-Swish!

It was at that precise moment.

Mok Gyeong-un kicked off the Evil Commandment Sword that had flown close to him and soared upwards.

‘He dodged it?’

Having eliminated any footing, Moo-jin hadn’t expected him to utilize the Ghost Hungry Sword.

However, would he let him escape?

Such a feat was possible after unlocking the third stage of the Force Suppressing Bracelet.

-Boom!

Moo-jin kicked the air.

Leaping into the air, Moo-jin interlocked his hands and spun his body while rotating.

‘Fifth Stance of the Secret Technique: Revolving Flying Dragon!’

-Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

As he rotated his body, creating a whirlwind, a tremendous gale arose.

The force was so strong that the sound of the air being torn could be heard all around.

Seeing Moo-jin swiftly catch up to him, Mok Gyeong-un clicked his tongue and tried to change direction to evade.

However…

-Whoosh!

The whirlwind generated by Moo-jin was strangely drawing in everything around it.

Due to the immense pulling force, Mok Gyeong-un’s figure, who had tried to change direction, was about to be sucked into the center of the whirlwind.

‘Ah.’

A glint flashed in Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes.

The reason for the pulling force seemed to be because the whirlwind was generated inwardly.

The moment he was sucked into it, it would be the end.

However, while an ordinary person would be desperate to escape from this…

‘The weakness of rotation is…’

-Swish!

Mok Gyeong-un stretched out his hand, and the Evil Commandment Sword that had been flying in the air was drawn in.

-Thud!

Kicking off the air while grasping the Evil Commandment Sword, Mok Gyeong-un gained even more speed due to the pulling force and swiftly flew towards the center of the whirlwind.

‘Seems like a mistake.’

Seeing this, Moo-jin smirked.

Although the center of the whirlwind could be a weak point like the eye of a typhoon, he himself, with his monstrous strength, was positioned at that center.

The center was absolutely not a weakness.

Rather, it could be said that Mok Gyeong-un had chosen the worst possible move.

But at that very moment…

-Swish!

The Plundering-killing Sword flew in.

The target was not Moo-jin.

The Plundering-killing Sword created a foothold for Mok Gyeong-un, who was flying towards the whirlwind.

-Thud thud!

Mok Gyeong-un kicked off the blade of the Plundering-killing Sword twice.

At that moment, his figure split into two.

-Swish! Swish!

One of the split figures pulled the Evil Commandment Sword and stretched forward.

At that instant, the tip of the Evil Commandment Sword trembled, and a predestined whirlwind arose.

‘Competing with whirlwinds?’

Moo-jin scoffed.

Could the predestined whirlwind generated by a mere sword block his own whirlwind created with his entire body?

‘Huh?’

But there was something strange about the whirlwind.

Since the directions of these whirlwinds were colliding, they should have been fiercely rotating in opposite directions, but…

‘The same direction?’

The whirlwinds were rotating in the same direction.

This was not the right-rotating Chasing Whirlwind Sword, but the left-rotating Reverse Chasing Whirlwind Sword.

-Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

Thanks to this, the two whirlwinds cleverly adhered to each other without pushing each other away, and an unexpected event occurred.

A passage opened up in the middle.

Through that passage…

-Swish!

A black line appeared.

Seeing this, Moo-jin immediately stopped rotating.

‘I knew it.’

He had thought that if an opening was created, this technique of concentrating power into a single point would be used in some way.

If not for this, there was no way to deal a fatal blow to him.

Moo-jin’s eyes sparkled.

Then…

-Clang!

Moo-jin clapped his palms together as if applauding.

Along with the sound of metal, the blade of the Evil Commandment Sword was suddenly caught between his palms.

Although tremendous power flowed through his hands as the enemy’s strength converged into one, it wasn’t a significant problem to withstand it with the force of the third stage of the Force Suppressing Bracelet unleashed.

Moo-jin spoke with a smile.

“Do you think the same technique will keep working?”

-Grip!

With those words, Moo-jin, while grasping the sword with his left hand, tried to swing his fist towards Mok Gyeong-un’s chest.

However, before it could even touch…

-Gush!

Mok Gyeong-un’s face turned pale, and black blood flowed from his mouth.

Judging by the rapid depletion of his energy, it seemed he had suffered severe internal injuries.

The victor had finally been decided.

‘Having used techniques that strain the body in succession, it’s only natural that he couldn’t endure…’

-Stab!

It was at that very moment.

Moo-jin looked down at something sharp that had pierced through his chest.

It was a sword imbued with vicious black sword energy.

“This… How?”

As he was bewildered, Mok Gyeong-un spoke, lifting the corners of his mouth.

“…Although it takes quite some time compared to directly unleashing it, it’s possible to concentrate power into one point even with the Demonic Swords. The effort of deliberately becoming bait was worth it.”

“Bait?”

Moo-jin’s expression twisted in pain.

If concentrating power into the demonic sword had failed, Mok Gyeong-un could have died, yet he had risked