Chapter 155: Chapter 155
The Beast Palace Lord charged straight forward.
Toward him, the Crescent Moon Staff fell while drawing a half-moon.
Because he had emphasized manliness so much, everyone thought the outcome would be decided in this single move.
However, they say a person discovers another side of themselves when standing before death. The Beast Palace Lord’s steps came to an abrupt halt. Soon, he shouted more urgently than anyone.
“W-Wait a moment!”
Simultaneously, the Crescent Moon Staff came to a dead stop. Cheon Woo-jin, wearing a somewhat drained expression, tilted his head slightly and looked at the Beast Palace Lord.
At that sight, the Southern Barbarian martial artists were astonished. To really stop just because he was told to stop. Did he show excessive courtesy before an enemy because he was from the Righteous Path?
However, the righteous martial artists who had heard of Cheon Woo-jin’s martial prowess, even through rumors, thought differently.
‘To possess that kind of composure against the Beast Palace Lord…’
Was that not truly an attitude suggesting he could kill him whenever he made up his mind? Even just looking at the roar of the dark iron staff displayed a moment ago, it was martial prowess that far surpassed common sense.
“Do you have something to say?”
“Thinking about it, this fight itself is unmanly. Because I already suffered an irrecoverable injury while facing the Sect Leader of Mount Emei.”
Saying so, the Beast Palace Lord pointed to his lower parts.
Cheon Woo-jin furrowed his brows. Pointing to something that did not need pointing to caused unpleasantness to well up.
But the Beast Palace Lord continued speaking as if he knew no shame.
“How about postponing it to next time?”
“Normally it would be a matter to consider, but right now it is difficult. You and the Southern Barbarian martial artists uttered insulting remarks and actions toward Mount Emei and the Martial Alliance members, did you not?”
“Is that so?”
Cheon Woo-jin nodded his head.
Instantly, the gaze of the Beast Palace Lord abruptly changed.
“Then drop dead, you son of a bitch!”
Simultaneously with that, chains surged all at once from all directions, including left, right, behind, and even above and below Cheon Woo-jin.
The eight protectors who had been escorting the Beast Palace Lord in secret had stepped forward. The chains they threw were tools used to bind the legs when hunting large beasts.
Surging at truly astonishing speed, the eight chains bound Cheon Woo-jin’s limbs and torso respectively.
At that sight, Abbess Jin-wol let out a sigh of dismay.
“Hoo! Immediately, the disciples of Mount Emei…”
However, her words could not reach their end.
Because an utterly absurd sight unfolded.
Having entangled the Hidden Dragon Squad Leader’s entire body through the protectors, the Beast Palace Lord suddenly spun around. Then, exposing his back completely, he began sprinting away.
That’s right. He was running away.
For a martial artist who had reached the level of Beyond the Heavens to show his back and flee like that. It was a sight no one could have imagined.
It seemed this was the same for Cheon Woo-jin, who let out a hollow laugh.
“Truly manly.”
Saying so, Cheon Woo-jin tried to raise his arm. At the same time, the iron chains tightened even more firmly. Their mission was to forge a path of survival for their Palace Lord even at the cost of their own lives. Because that was what protectors were.
However, there were things that could be achieved by throwing away one’s life, and things that could not. They thought they had bound him completely, yet Cheon Woo-jin’s right arm was slowly rising.
“Kugh!”
The two protectors binding his right arm had faces flushed red as if on the verge of bursting. Even after drawing on all their internal power, the two veteran experts could not handle that single arm.
Soon, the Crescent Moon Staff held in Cheon Woo-jin’s right hand rose above his head. Dark Heavens Qi slowly filled it. As before, a colossal energy caused the world to tremble, and finally, the moment his full strength was infused into the Crescent Moon Staff.
Clang! Claaang!
All eight iron chains snapped apart. Merely from brushing against his skin, they had failed to endure the aftermath of that energy.
The eight protectors who had been holding the chains suffered twisted qi channels, collapsing onto the ground and vomiting blood.
Soon, Cheon Woo-jin fired the Crescent Moon Staff.
Swiiiiish!
Leaving his hand, the Crescent Moon Staff tore through the atmosphere and flew toward the Beast Palace Lord’s back.
Filled with Dark Heavens Qi, the Crescent Moon Staff drew a long, pitch-black tail, and reacting to Cheon Woo-jin’s heart, it released a roar that shook heaven and earth.
In the minds of everyone watching that spectacle, a single word naturally surfaced.
Black Dragon.
As if a single black dragon was hunting an arrogant tiger, it surged with ferocious momentum.
The Beast Palace Lord also felt the colossal energy flying toward him from behind.
Simultaneously with that…
Thump!
The steps of the Beast Palace Lord, who had been running like a wild beast, slowly slowed. Soon, coming to a complete stop, he lowered his head and looked at his chest.
The iron staff had pierced through his back and penetrated all the way out the front. Even then, the lingering dark, murky energy slowly burned and evaporated his entire body.
“Wh-What kind of…”
His words could not reach their end.
The Beast Palace Lord’s body collapsed forward with a thud.
“…”
The battlefield, where the sounds of clashing blades and screams had run rampant, became utterly quiet. In particular, Abbess Jin-wol, who had personally faced the Beast Palace Lord, could not hide her astonishment.
When the Hidden Dragon Squad Leader first appeared, she was quite surprised.
When the Beast Palace Lord began to flee, she was truly surprised.
But when that Beast Palace Lord was slain in a single strike, she felt as though the path she had walked her entire life was in vain.
Though she had not reached Beyond the Heavens, she was an expert close to it. At the very least, she had the discernment to look at an opponent properly. In her eyes, Cheon Woo-jin felt as though he was in a place even higher than Beyond the Heavens, the realm commonly called Transformation.
At a time when not only Abbess Jin-wol but everyone on this battlefield could not even compose their emotions.
Cheon Woo-jin, who had slain the Beast Palace Lord, retrieved the Crescent Moon Staff with an impassive attitude.
The first to come to their senses were the Southern Barbarian martial artists.
It was not because they were stronger than the Mount Emei martial artists. Because as allies, the women felt reverence toward Cheon Woo-jin, while as enemies, the Southern Barbarian martial artists felt despair that went beyond terror.
The latter emotion was far more primal and desperate.
Coming to their senses, the Southern Barbarian martial artists immediately began to flee. In every direction. Spreading out as widely as possible. They scattered in sheer panic just like an ant colony facing human footsteps.
When such a large number of martial artists fled all at once, someone would die, and someone would live. That was common sense. However, in the world, there were occasionally existences to whom common sense did not apply.
Cheon Woo-jin put away the Crescent Moon Staff and quietly drew the Crane Feather Fan.
* * *
Late at night, Renhuai County in Guizhou Province.
Even in this peaceful place just like the village’s name, martial artists dispatched by the Martial Alliance were standing guard.
The scale of the village was small, and because it was a place where people rarely came and went, the martial artists’ job was to fight drowsiness rather than enemies.
Rustle.
Nodding off, two martial artists raised their heads in surprise. Something was rustling in the bushes and approaching this way.
The two exchanged glances, then unsheathed their saber and sword respectively.
“Who is there?”
“This is a guard zone of the Martial Alliance. Turn back.”
However, no answer came.
As the footsteps drew closer, the tension of the martial artists only grew greater.
Soon, the bushes right in front parted.
“Oh, what a shock.”
A young woman appeared, gasping in shock while patting her chest. She was holding a small sickle and a basket, and the basket was filled with medicinal herbs.
“…Who are you?”
“Did you happen to lose your way?”
The martial artists’ guard relaxed somewhat. Because there was no trace whatsoever of martial arts cultivation in the young woman.
The woman looked at the martial artists in shock, unable to open her mouth. Tears even began to well up in her eyes bit by bit.
At that sight, the martial artists wore troubled expressions. The woman’s pale skin and large eyes needlessly stimulated their protective instincts.
“Do you happen to need help?”
The woman nodded her head.
When a martial artist took out a waterskin from his waist and handed it over, the woman slightly moistened her throat, only then shedding teardrops as she opened her mouth.
Because she spoke while weeping, her explanation was jumbled, but to summarize, she was saying that because herbs were harvested especially well today, she excitedly roamed around, lost her way, and night fell.
The martial artists let out hollow laughs.
“It is dangerous here. Furthermore, it is late at night…”
“We will first guide you to the Martial Alliance’s safehouse, so you can descend the mountain when dawn breaks. Ah, of course you can share a room with a female Alliance member.”
In case she misunderstood, the martial artist hurriedly added. Whether the opponent was a young woman, an old lady, a man, or a child, in any case, this place was dangerous right now. Protecting commoners as Martial Alliance members was only natural.
Soon, one of the two martial artists on guard took the woman and headed toward the safehouse where the Martial Alliance members stayed.
.
.
.
Upon arriving at the safehouse, the woman wore a much more relieved expression.
The safehouses established in various places centered around the Guizhou Branch were bright despite the night, had many people, and above all, the words ‘Martial Alliance’ written on people’s martial robes and fluttering flags felt reassuring.
Perhaps because of that. The woman who had been on guard and keeping quiet the whole time asked in a somewhat more relaxed tone.
“By any chance, warrior, have you been to Sichuan?”
Feeling proud that the woman’s heart seemed to have eased, the martial artist answered.
“Of course. Serving in the Martial Alliance, one travels to all kinds of places. What is Sichuan? I also often go to Shanxi or Hebei on the opposite side.”
“Wow, then have you also seen people of the Sichuan Tang Clan? I heard those people are very scary.”
The martial artist smiled gently.
Indeed, even to himself who cultivated martial arts, the Sichuan Tang Clan was an object of fear. It was obvious how much exaggerated rumors must have spread among commoners.
“Yes, there are many scary people. After all, there are many martial artists who use poison. Of course, I am fairly strong too.”
“Aha.”
The woman nodded her head.
Exchanging all kinds of talk like that, they walked together deeper into the safehouse. Several martial artists came out to give her water and food, saying they would guide her to a room shortly.
Of course, according to Martial Alliance procedure, they properly checked her pulse to see if there were any traces of martial arts training. As expected, she was an ordinary herb gatherer with no dantian, let alone martial arts.
It was at that moment.
Bzzzz!
A sound like swinging a long stick at tremendous speed was heard. The martial artists and the woman simultaneously looked toward the source of the sound.
A hornet was flying above their heads.
When the woman instinctively cowered, the martial artist who had guided her stepped forward needlessly to drive the hornet away.
To those who cultivated martial arts, something like a hornet posed no threat whatsoever.
“Huh? Why is this thing so fast?”
However, the hornet’s movements were strange. On top of being excessively fast, it was flying while tracing a bizarre trajectory.
In the end, having waged a life-and-death duel with the hornet, the martial artist allowed one sting to his forearm in exchange for slapping it swiftly with his other hand.
Yielding flesh to sever bone. Seeing the martial artist dealing with a single hornet with an attitude of flesh-for-bone, laughter burst out everywhere.
“Bwahaha, anyone watching would think you were facing at least an elder of the Demonic Cult.”
“Ow damn it, this stings more than I thought?”
“Again, making unnecessary fuss just to brag…”
Before the words could even finish.
Thud!
The martial artist stung by the hornet suddenly fell flat. Because his entire body went rigid, his face collided directly against the ground.
“Wh-What?”
The martial artist who had been teasing him hastily rushed over to examine him. Soon, his expression turned white as death. The guy who had been laughing and talking until moments ago had died from a single hornet sting.
However, the horror was only beginning.
Bzzzz! Buzz!
The hornets reappeared.
That too, hundreds of hornets easily.
The gazes of the martial artists, whose faces had already turned pale, directed toward the ground.
Hiss!
Dozens of pure white venomous serpents that had gathered at their feet before anyone noticed were flicking their tongues while looking at the martial artists.
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.
.
Chishui County, on the border of Sichuan and Guizhou.
Because it was the route heading into the Sichuan heartland, the Martial Alliance’s guard was even more thorough. A large number of experts were deployed, and those with exceptionally keen energy senses were also positioned everywhere.
Even so, the herb gatherer approached the Martial Alliance members standing guard once again. Until she arrived here, there was no one who stopped her.
Because she truly did not cultivate martial arts.
The faction ruling the Southern Barbarians alongside the Beast Palace, Poison Valley.
They did not cultivate conventional martial arts. They merely communed with all poisons scattered under heaven: poisonous insects, venomous snakes, poisonous herbs, and so forth.
Uniquely, Poison Valley had five valley lords, and this woman pretending to be a lost herb gatherer was Fifth Valley Lord Hong-rin.
“Excuse me, may I ask for directions?”
Hong-rin shed tears once again. At that pitiable expression, the martial artists on guard approached cautiously. Because all the Alliance members in Renhuai County had died, the tragedy of that place had not been delivered here.
Just as before, around the time the martial artists were half taken in by her detailed story.
Grab.
In an instant, someone grabbed her wrist.
Hong-rin acted startled.
The one who grabbed her arm was a middle-aged man wearing a bamboo hat pressed low.
“Wh-Why are you doing this?”
Hong-rin pretended to be pitiful by gathering her hands to her chest, and the martial artists on guard asked the suddenly appeared middle-aged man.
“Who are you?”
“This place is the territory of the Martial Alliance…”
However, the middle-aged man placed his index finger to his lips. It was a gesture telling them to shut up. Soon, lowering his stance to crouch down, he pointed beneath the martial artists’ feet.
“There is a snake here.”
“Wh-What!”
Greatly shocked, the martial artists hurriedly stepped back.
Chuckling, the middle-aged man spoke.
“It is a Seven-Step Snake, which is said to kill you before you can even take seven steps if bitten. I saved your lives. Young Lady almost met with disaster as well.”
Saying so, the middle-aged man made a hissing sound with his mouth as if a snake was making it, and gently stroked the Seven-Step Snake’s chin with his index finger.
Then the notoriously vicious Seven-Step Snake turned around as if satisfied and disappeared into the bushes.
“…”
The pupils of Fifth Valley Lord Hong-rin trembled somewhat. Turning away the Seven-Step Snake so easily was one thing, but above all, the forearm grabbed by the middle-aged man was scorching away in the distinct shape of a handprint.
In all the world, excluding the valley lords of Poison Valley, there was only one person capable of handling venomous snakes this well and administering poison at this level.
“…You are the Poison King.”
At the words ‘Poison King,’ the Martial Alliance members were startled out of their wits. Had he, the Family Head of the Tang Clan and an expert of the Realm Beyond the Heavens, come to this place!
Soon, the middle-aged man rose to his feet and took off his bamboo hat. Then, receiving the moonlight, a dark green, ferocious eye-glow was revealed even more clearly.
Because of those pupils, more weight was added to the middle-aged man being the Poison King.
However, soon a laugh that was a bit too frivolous to be the Poison King flowed out.
“Heh, I really look that way?”
Having been mistaken for the Poison King, it was Dok-ra-su, who was in the best mood he had experienced recently.