Chapter 394: Dragon Bone Poison (1)
‘So, he’s suspicious of me!’
Even in that moment, Ok Girin seethed with fury as he looked at his fallen subordinate.
“Come out, you bastard! Stop hiding and firing hidden weapons!”
Unable to hold back his rage, Ok Girin charged in the direction the hidden weapons had come from. Mak Gyo shouted after him.
“Young Master!”
When Ok Girin heard Mak Gyo calling out, he turned his head.
“I have something urgent to tell you.”
“What is it? Say it from there!”
Chasing Yong Hwarin was more urgent to Ok Girin, so he couldn’t afford to wait for Mak Gyo to catch up.
Just as Mak Gyo opened his mouth to speak, a ping! sound rang out behind him. He flinched and then collapsed forward.
“Guh!”
He slammed face-first into the ground and died on the spot.
From the looks of it, he’d likely been struck by Yong Hwarin’s Dragon Scale Finger.
“Strategist!”
Ok Girin roared with anger as his brilliant tactician was taken out by a hidden weapon.
Mak Gyo had been an extremely important asset to Ok Girin.
Especially now, with the Great Dabie Sect alliance assembled to attack the Heavenly Central Sect, he was a critical figure who needed to serve as the army’s strategist.
It was only because of Mak Gyo’s presence that Ok Girin had resolved to accept command over the Great Dabie Sect alliance from Yang Gwak.
“You bastard! I’ll kill you!”
Seizing the moment, the Demonic Master shouted.
“Yong Hwarin killed Strategist Mak and fled upward!”
Ok Girin roared.
“Twelve Masters of the Absolute Peak Swords, chase him down!”
Hearing the shout from over a hundred jang away, Yong Hwarin deliberately laughed out loud.
“Hahahahaha!”
“There he is! After him!”
Just as the Demonic Master had said, the laughter came from up ahead, and the Heavenly Demon Sect experts charged after Yong Hwarin.
Yang Gwak sneered down at the lifeless Mak Gyo.
“If you hadn’t betrayed me, this wouldn’t have happened. Betrayal always ends like this.”
Though he spoke with derision, Yang Gwak felt no peace in his heart. Mak Gyo had once been his follower.
“Junior Brother Eum, let’s go. We’ve discovered Yong Hwarin’s trail, so we’ll catch him soon.”
The Demonic Master looked down at Mak Gyo and muttered to himself.
‘You’ve only yourself to blame for being too clever. In the end, you turned into Yang Xiu of Cao Cao.’
Yang Xiu, Cao Cao’s strategist, was known for seeing through his master’s intentions, but he had acted too presumptuously and was executed by Cao Cao for it.
After staring at Mak Gyo for a moment, the Demonic Master sprinted toward the cave Yong Hwarin had mentioned.
With the brainy strategist gone, the situation naturally came under the Demonic Master’s lead.
Even someone as shrewd as Eum Sajeok had no choice but to defer to the Demonic Master in Mak Gyo’s absence.
“He’s entered the cave.”
The Heavenly Demon Sect experts had chased Yong Hwarin all the way to the cave.
The Demonic Master stopped Ok Girin from charging in and spoke.
“Young Master, we don’t know what traps he might’ve laid inside. We can’t rush in blindly.”
That made Ok Girin pause and step back in alarm.
“You’re right. Then should we just wait here?”
He asked naturally, as if the Demonic Master were filling the role of a strategist.
“No, Young Master. You and the others should wait. Send in the Twelve Masters of the Absolute Peak Swords first.”
“Yes, that sounds like a good idea.”
Ok Girin ordered the Twelve Masters and martial artists from Yang Gwak’s Hidden Abyss Demon Unit to enter the cave.
Then, Yang Gwak sent a telepathic message.
—Junior Brother, why’d you stop him? You should’ve let the Young Master go in too, so he’d have to fight Yong Hwarin himself.
The Demonic Master replied via telepathy.
—Senior Brother, if I hadn’t stopped him, the First Elder would’ve. I spoke up first to earn his trust.
Yang Gwak was impressed by that.
Anticipating another’s thoughts and acting accordingly was no easy task.
—Still, we need to steer him from now on.
Yang Gwak wondered what kind of scheme his junior would use to control Ok Girin.
“Young Master, please grant me authority over the Twelve Masters of the Absolute Peak Swords. Then Senior Brother Yang and I will go in and return with Yong Hwarin’s head.”
At those words, Ok Girin looked at Eum Sajeok.
He stared, as if trying to gauge the meaning behind Eum Sajeok’s request.
Then Ok Girin smirked.
‘These bastards! They’re trying to keep me out of the cave so they can take all the credit for themselves.’
Ok Girin shook his head.
“No. I’ll go in and take Yong Hwarin’s head myself. How could I ask only you two to risk your lives?”
At that, First Elder Han Domeong blocked his path.
“Young Master, that’s out of the question. We don’t know what dangers lie in that cave, and Yong Hwarin isn’t someone to be taken lightly.”
Eum Sajeok quickly agreed with Han Domeong.
“That’s right. Leave this to us. If you wait here with the First Elder, we will return with Yong Hwarin’s head.”
Han Domeong glared at Eum Sajeok, who kept trying to sway Ok Girin.
“Young Master, please entrust this task to these two.”
Ok Girin didn’t like the First Elder’s hesitation, especially when they had the Twelve Masters of the Absolute Peak Swords—Heavenly Demon Sect’s finest—and even Hua Yingwei.
He believed they were trying to steal his credit, so he held firm.
“I will behead Yong Hwarin myself. Let’s go into the cave. How can the elites of the Heavenly Demon Sect allow their pride to falter because of a single man?”
When Eum Sajeok deliberately put on a distressed face, Ok Girin smirked with satisfaction.
‘Heh, this Young Master has seen through all your schemes.’
Ok Girin boldly stepped into the cave.
Watching him, the Demonic Master grinned.
Once they were all inside, Yong Hwarin appeared at the spot.
“Two tigers have entered the same den—this should be entertaining. I was planning to confuse them myself, but Elder Masa will handle that. He’s one level above me in that regard.”
Yong Hwarin installed a formation at the entrance to prevent any easy escape.
Then, together with Mo Biyoung, who had been waiting nearby, he headed to the inn.
He was curious why the Greatest Sword Under Heaven had come looking for him.
Entering the inn, Yong Hwarin saw an elderly man and a woman sitting leisurely, enjoying their meal.
It looked like a grandfather and granddaughter dining warmly together.
Having seen the Greatest Sword Under Heaven during the Sword Debate of the Three Externals, Yong Hwarin approached the old man and bowed.
“This is Yong Hwarin, Final Flame of the Martial World. I greet you, senior.”
Jo Wonmuk glanced at him and spoke.
“So now we just wait and see who comes out alive?”
“That’s right.”
“A shame I won’t get to see such an entertaining show.”
“Watching isn’t the only fun part. Imagining the process after seeing the result is also entertaining.”
At that, Jo Wonmuk forgot his dignity and burst into laughter, spitting grains of rice.
“What did you say? Hahahahaha! Yes, that sounds amusing too.”
Jo Wonmuk liked Yong Hwarin, who didn’t shrink back in the slightest in front of him.
Yong Hwarin had once tried to inject qi into Jo Wonmuk, who had suffered internal injuries after passing through the Triple Convergence Formation.
That kind of boldness couldn’t be trained—it had to be innate.
“Im-ah, what do you think? Isn’t this man fit to be your match?”
Jo Wonmuk joked as he motioned to Yoo Maelim beside him.
Yoo Maelim, accustomed to such teasing, ignored him and stood, offering a clasped-hands salute.
“I am Yoo Maelim of the Hundred Swords Sect.”
“Ah, so you’re the famed Holy White Sword.”
Though Yong Hwarin wasn’t a peerless beauty, his neat and composed appearance didn’t put Yoo Maelim off.
‘It’s true. Anyone might mistake him for a frail scholar. Who would believe this man is the most formidable young expert in today’s martial world?’
Yoo Maelim silently scanned him from head to toe.
Then, turning to the woman beside him, she offered a greeting.
“Then, this must be the renowned Heroine Mo Biyoung, the Flower of Yongjung.”
Since Yoo Maelim spoke first, Mo Biyoung returned the greeting with a clasped-hands salute.
“I am Mo Biyoung.”
After brief introductions, everyone sat, and Jo Wonmuk spoke.
“I wonder if it’s okay for us to be this relaxed.”
“We need to eat as well. After our meal, I’ll hear why the Greatest Sword Under Heaven came to visit this junior.”
“Oh?”
Jo Wonmuk did not see this young man as youthful at all.
It felt like facing the seasoned Greatest Sword of the Central Plains or even of the entire continent—he was not someone to be taken lightly.
He had clearly grown since their encounter at Mount Jungeuk, which left Jo Wonmuk in quiet admiration.
And even in this situation, Yong Hwarin’s composure in insisting on eating pleased him.
“Yes, one must eat. You need strength to fight.”
A little while later, after finishing his meal, Yong Hwarin looked at Jo Wonmuk and said,
“You may speak now.”
Jo Wonmuk, who had watched Yong Hwarin eat heartily, finally spoke.
“Let’s talk over tea.”
Mo Biyoung personally poured tea into Yong Hwarin’s cup.
“I am currently poisoned. And I believe only you can detoxify me.”
Yong Hwarin tilted his head.
“I’m sorry, but I know next to nothing about poisons or poison arts.”
“This poison doesn’t require knowledge of poison arts. Only you can neutralize it.”
“You speak in riddles, senior.”
Jo Wonmuk quietly stared at Yong Hwarin and said,
“The energy within your body is the same as the poison that has afflicted me.”
“Are you saying there is poison within my body?”
“Strictly speaking, it’s not poison. But it can also be considered one.”
“I truly don’t understand what you mean.”
Jo Wonmuk now spoke in a far more serious tone.
“Im-ah, could you leave us for a moment?”
Yoo Maelim hesitated, then stood up.
“I’ll go to my room and change into something more comfortable.”
As Yoo Maelim went upstairs, Mo Biyoung also stood up.
“I’ll follow Lady Yoo.”
“You may stay.”
Mo Biyoung smiled.
“No, I’d like to change into something lighter as well. We might end up in a fight, after all.”
As the two women left on their own, Yong Hwarin asked,
“Please explain what you mean in detail.”
Jo Wonmuk took a sip of tea before speaking again.
“The tea tastes rather nice.”
He relaxed for a moment and then continued.
“After the Sword Debate at Mount Jungeuk, I sought a quiet place to tend to my internal injuries and pursue the Sword Heart. I found a location, but it was sealed with an unusual Absolute Formation. My curiosity piqued, I went in with the intention of breaking through it. Not long after, I discovered a large cave. When I reached its entrance, I found bones. I couldn’t progress any further through the formation, so I left with just the bones.”
Yong Hwarin, more intrigued than expected, became absorbed in the tale.
“But after touching those bones, I became poisoned. I hadn’t realized they were imbued with a potent toxin. Later, I learned I wasn’t the only one aware of that place. Poison Valley had long been working to break the formation. And once they realized I had discovered it, they didn’t stay quiet. They attacked immediately. Though I managed to endure a few of their poisons, they weren’t serious—until their toxins combined with the poison in the bones and inflicted internal injuries.”
Jo Wonmuk paused briefly, then went on.
“That’s when I heard Im-ah was treating people in a plague-stricken village. I went to her, hoping she could detoxify me. But even she couldn’t identify the poison. She said she had never seen anything like it. And because of the Poison Valley bastards chasing me, Im-ah ended up in danger as well.”
After hearing all this, Yong Hwarin asked,
“Did you find out what those bones were?”
Jo Wonmuk nodded.
“I did. Or rather, I believe you, junior, may know even better than I do.”
