Chapter 1311
I think I know? (1)
⁃ Poison alone cannot defeat a true master.
That’s certainly true.
⁃ There has never been the world’s greatest expert from Sichuan Tang clan. This is due to the clear limitations of poison.
That might also be true.
⁃ If the Tang clan does not change, it can never rise above everyone.
Though bitter, that’s an accurate observation.
The poison of Sichuan Tang clan has not made the Tang clan the best in the world, nor has it made its members the best in the world.
Therefore, Tang clan remain rulerls not in the world, but in Sichuan only.
But to all these statements, Tang Pae had only one response in mind.
‘So what’s the problem?’
Are there any among those who point out Tang clan’s weaknesses who want to become enemies with the Tang clan?
Are there any sects who dare to wage war against the Tang clan, despite its glaring flaws?
There are none. Without a doubt, there are none.
A sect riddled with flaws.
Yet, it is revered more than any other sect in the world, and feared more than any other sect.
Even with its flaws, the Tang clan is still the Tang clan, and even if it cannot be the best, it remains the Tang clan.
Hwaaaaah.
From within Tang Pae’s sleeve, black poison fumes billowed forth.
It was as if it was spewing forth from the depths of hell.
The thick poison, carried by Tang Pae’s unleashed aura, engulfed the bloody warriors in a haze so dense that even the keen insight of seasoned fighter could not penetrate.
“This, this is…”
The bloody warriors’ faces turned deathly pale in an instant.
Hadn’t they already seen what happened to those who were caught in that sinister poison?
They had to escape. They must not be swept away!
But even though they knew it, there was no way out.
This was a gorge, after all. A narrow gorge hemmed in by cliffs on both sides, carved by nature’s forces.
Their backs were blocked by allies, and they had no room to maneuver except forward and upward.
However, the poisonous haze unleashed by Tang Pae had already tainted everything above their heads black.
“Fall back!”
Someone shouted loudly.
Those under orders promptly leaped back without hesitation.
Retreating in the face of pursuit was never an option.
But charging forward despite seeing that sinister venom was akin to biting a blade and falling flat on one’s face.
So, wasn’t there no other choice?
Having chosen to retreat for the time being, they moved quickly.
But Tang Pae couldn’t possibly allow them to retreat so easily.
Swooooosh!
Breaking through the venomous haze that engulfed them like volcanic ash, something swiftly sprang forth.
“Ugh!”
The calm sounds of those intending to retreat turned into bewildered exclamations.
Squish! Squish! Squish!
“Gah!”
“Ugh!”
Those who were injured without knowing what hit them groaned in pain.
Though they were no strangers to suffering, the unexpected attack caused screams to erupt from them momentarily.
“Don’t panic, retreat! It’s nothing… no…”
The loud command to withdraw was abruptly cut off in the middle.
The bodies of the injured ones staggered.
Suddenly, the world before their eyes began to spin.
“P-Poison?”
This was a serious symptom of poisoning.
But when? They hadn’t been exposed to the venomous haze.
Someone, reeling from severe dizziness, suddenly glanced down at their arm.
There was a tiny wound there.
It appeared to be nothing more than a minor scratch from a child’s play, but the area around it was tinged with purple.
“J-just from this… minor wound…”
They were a pursuit squad of Haomun.
Given the nature of their missions, it’s natural for them to be familiar with poisons.
So, all members should have some level of immunity to poisons.
But what kind of poison could possibly incapacitate Haomun’s warriors so quickly?
Even if it was poison smeared on the arm of someone who brushed past, it wouldn’t amount to more than a single drop!
“Gah… gah…”
Purple veins began to bulge on the bloody warrior’s body.
It seemed like they could burst through the skin at any moment.
Intense dizziness and agony made it difficult to stand properly.
But what was even more horrifying was that, as if paralyzed, their bodies wouldn’t move as they wished.
In the eyes of the bloody warrior, the creeping black poison appeared.
The slow spread of the black poison was no different from the approach of death.
His eyes widened in horror.
“Oh, no…!”
Hwaaaaaah!
Before the thought could even fully form, the poison engulfed them.
Splat.
Once again, as several disciples were swallowed by the venomous haze, Gwak Cheol [곽철(郭撤)] swiftly intervened.
In an instant, he lost nearly ten subordinates.
They couldn’t lift a finger or utter a word.
‘To think it’s just that guy!’
Gwak Cheol’s eyes blazed with anger.
The Tang clan’s member they encountered upon entering the gorge didn’t seem particularly threatening.
With that level of skill, just mobilizing five subordinates would easily crush him and still leave survivors.
But the outcome was quite the opposite.
Far from crushing him, his subordinates were now writhing as half-melted corpses.
‘What kind of poison is this?’
Who wouldn’t know that the Tang clan’s poison was renowned throughout the world?
The Tang clan was not named the Manipulators of Poison for no reason.
The Tang clan’s poison is a subject of caution for all martial sects across Gangho.
Yet, never before had they heard of the Tang clan’s poison possessing such formidable power.
“Daeju!”
Gwak Cheol clenched his lips tightly.
Even at this moment, the poisonous cloud continued to spread.
Logically, they should retreat behind the gorge until all the venom dissipated before re-entering.
But for how long?
If that Tang clan bastard’s poison was truly all there was, then of course, they would do just that.
But who could guess how many more poisons lurked within those wide sleeves?
One wrong move, and they might find themselves merely spectators, doing nothing until the enemies broke through the gorge.
If they hesitated, Gwak Cheol himself would find it difficult to survive.
“…We break through.”
“D-Daeju?”
“The poison, push it back with our inner strength. Just avoid direct contact. If we can get close, he’s nothing. Kill him.”
His orders were given.
There was no room for dissent. Only obedience.
As if dispelling their confusion, a surge of determination filled the bloody warriors’ eyes.
“Charge!”
Paaaaaah!
They surged forward once more.
They thrust the thin swords into their scabbards and pushed with all their might.
But in that instant, within the dense venomous mist, a greenish dagger suddenly sprang out.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The palm-sized flying dagger buried itself to the hilt in the heads of those leading the charge.
If the dagger had been launched from the hands of Tang Pae with full visibility, they could have easily avoided it.
Daggers were dangerous but ultimately just simple weapons.
However, the situation, with the venomous mist completely obstructing their view and their need to charge forward with all their strength, turned an ordinary flying dagger into a completely different weapon.
Thud! Thud!
Those who climbed over their fallen colleagues without even being able to scream gritted their teeth and unleashed their inner strength.
“Haaaaah!”
How desperate they were became evident as a suppressed cry erupted from the lips of the pursuit squad, who normally valued stealth.
Raging streams of energy pushed back the venomous mist.
Confirming they could repel it with their inner strength, a glimmer of hope flickered in their eyes.
“Move in!”
As those who released the inner strength paused for a moment, others behind them stepped forward, pouring out their internal energy once again.
It felt like they had practiced it multiple times, even though it was their first encounter, their movements synchronized effortlessly.
It was a sight that clearly demonstrated their level of training.
No matter how potent the poison was, it meant nothing if it didn’t make contact with the body.
Those who repelled the poison regained their confidence and pressed forward.
Their response to the situation was undeniably correct.
If only that was the poison that Tang Pae had.
“In one breath, push forward…”
Swish!
The color of the poisonous haze seemed to shift from black to red in an instant.
Drawing their swords at the forefront was not a decision made by reason, but by instinct.
And it was that instinct that saved them.
Crack!
Something tangled around the swords they extended by instinct.
‘A net?’
A crimson net, aiming to engulf them after piercing through the poisonous haze, wrapped tightly around the thin swords.
If they had tried to block the net with their hands, it was obvious what kind of state they would be in by now.
‘I-I survived…’
That crimson-tinted net was surely smeared with the wicked poison of the Tang clan.
Merely touching it would likely dissolve a person into a handful of bloodied flesh.
Those who blocked the net with their swords couldn’t help but exhale a sigh of relief involuntarily. But at that moment, someone who felt a chilling sensation from above hastily looked up.
Something above their head…
“Hmm?”
There was nothing there.
His eyes saw nothing.
All that was visible was just the cloudy sky.
Suppressing his curiosity and unease, he lowered his gaze again.
Then, a sudden thought crossed his mind, causing him to pause.
‘Wait?’
A cloudy sky? Was the sky always cloudy today?
He widened his eyes.
“Ah…”
It wasn’t just cloudy.
The sky was covered by something.
Like the sky seen from the deserts of the Western Plateau, obscured by something…
Before his brain could even organize his thoughts, his mouth opened first.
“Danger! Above!”
Attempting to retrieve his sword and leap backward, but the tightly entangled net refused to release them easily.
In the end, they quickly released the swords and jumped, but that momentary hesitation sealed their fate.
Shoooom!
With a sound resembling the rush of waves, something poured from the sky relentlessly striking the bodies of the bloody warriors.
‘Sand?’
It didn’t hurt. There wasn’t even a scratch.
Just tiny grains of sand covering their bodies.
But the bloody warriors quickly realized the situation.
They had to.
Stinging.
A sensation like being lightly pricked by needles was felt all over their bodies.
The eyes of the bloody warriors were deeply tainted with despair and fear.
They had heard of it before.
The Sand of the Tang clan.
That fine sand infiltrates the skin and pores, poisoning people.
An extremely lethal sand with no antidote.
It is said that the sand severs not only a person’s life but their soul as well.
“S-Soul Serving Sand [단혼사(斷魂沙) – danhonsa]!”
The sensation was akin to hundreds of sharp razors shredding through their bodies.
Those engulfed by it screamed like wild beasts, writhing in agony.
Their bodies trembled incessantly.
The pain was so intense that even losing consciousness was not allowed.
Groaning horrifically and convulsing, they could only hope for someone to end their lives.
Swish!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
In that moment, several sharp daggers, flying through the poison, consecutively pierced the foreheads of the bloody warriors.
Thud. Thud.
Them, struggling in agony, collapsed like rotten straw.
Perhaps, at the moment their lives were severed, they felt gratitude towards Tang Pae.
Gradually, the poisonous haze subsided.
Tang Pae, who revealed himself behind subsided haze, pulled back the flying daggers with a flick of his fingers.
Thunk.
Tang Pae, holding ten daggers in hand, looked at the bloody warriors, who dared not approach him, and spoke calmly.
“Let me propose a question.”
“…”
“Will my poison run out first? Or will all of you die first?”
The bloody warriors shuddered.
Tang Pae chuckled and continued.
“I think I know?”
Once again, the flying dagger sliced through the air like gleaming ray of light.
On the very land where the daggers had shone the brightest, a long time ago.
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