Episode 899

The ground was a mix of broken, pure white stones and yellow soil.

Three silver lines crossed upon it.

Three daggers, each with varying speed and force, flew toward Chung Myung, tracing lines that could only be described as beautiful.

One flew straight ahead, while the other two arced in large circles to the left and right.

The speed of the daggers circling around was much faster than that of the straight-flying dagger. By the time they reached Chung Myung’s vicinity, they arrived almost simultaneously.

‘No!’

Paat!

Chung Myung swung his sword with lightning speed, knocking away the daggers from the left and right.

Kwang!

Kwaang!

The moment the sword and daggers collided, a massive shock wave swept through the land. The ground shook as if cracking, and the soil rose up.

Paat!

Yet, Chung Myung extended his sword forward without a single flaw, even amidst the great shock. The tip of the sword rushed towards the incoming dagger like a lightning bolt.

At that moment.

Swish!

The straight-flying blade instantly changed direction, soaring upward just before making contact with Chung Myung’s sword, like a poisonous snake raising its head towards its prey.

“Euk!”

“That…!”

The disciples of Mount Hua, watching the fierce battle with sweaty palms, gulped and gasped.

The sword swung horizontally, and the rising dagger seemed poised to pierce Chung Myung’s face at any moment.

But the opponent was Chung Myung.

In a situation that would have flustered anyone else, Chung Myung’s reaction was astonishingly fast. Almost simultaneously with the dagger’s change in direction, his head tilted back violently.

Swish!

The dagger passed right in front of Chung Myung’s face.

‘A-avoid it…’

And at that moment, Baek Cheon saw it.

Whirl.

The dagger, which had barely missed Chung Myung’s face, changed direction again in the air at a right angle.

“What…!”

This time, even Baek Cheon, who usually knew what was going on, couldn’t help but be shocked. Even Chung Myung seemed flustered, his eyes wide open.

Paat!

The dagger changed direction near Chung Myung’s face and flew straight at him, leaving him no time to think about avoiding it.

Kakak!

But Chung Myung had something faster than his body. His sword was quickly pulled back to block the flying dagger.

Kakakak! Kakakaka!

The dagger didn’t lose its momentum, even though it was blocked by the sword. It spun around and pushed further as if trying to pierce through the sword.

And!

Kakakak!

The dagger twisted to the side, passing right next to Chung Myung’s face.

Kwaaang!

The moment the dagger struck, the ground flipped over and shot up as if a shell had landed there.

“….”

Chung Myung slowly turned his gaze towards the completely shattered ground.

A faint red line seemed to be engraved on his cheek, but soon it gradually became clearer.

Drip.

Red blood flowed down from his clearly wounded cheek.

“… this mister?”

Chung Myung glared at Tang Gunak, gritting his teeth.

“… Are you really trying to kill me?”

Jo Gul looked on with a stiff face.

In the first place, a dagger was a weapon that could not be easily called back once released from the hand. In other words, unlike a sword, it could not be stopped even if it pierced the opponent’s heart.

Therefore, those who use dagger techniques or assassination weapons must consider the opponent’s situation as much as possible before engaging in duels, before the fight turns into a life-or-death battle where both sides aim to take each other’s lives.

But the dagger that Tang Gunak released showed no consideration for the opponent. Rather, it seemed filled with a will to take the opponent’s life.

“If the opponent wasn’t Chung Myung, he would have died for sure.”

A dagger that had once been hit flies back at the face, changing direction? If he had been in a situation like that, Jo Gul wouldn’t have even thought of responding correctly to it.

If he knew, he could respond, but if he didn’t know, he had no choice but to suffer. Doesn’t the world call such attacks’ assassin’s moves’?

That meant Tang Gunak was now firing off these attacks of assassin movements right from the moment the battle began. And this shouldn’t happen.

“Sasuk.”

“Just watch.”

But Baek Cheon, who regained his composure, said as if it was nothing serious.

“… But…!”

“Just because you use assassin techniques, it doesn’t mean you will kill the opponent. As long as there is one guarantee, it doesn’t matter how many techniques are used.”

“Guarantee?”

“Yes.”

Baek Cheon nodded lightly.

“I am certain that the opponent will definitely be able to block it without taking any damage.”

“…”

At those words, Jo Gul closed his mouth.

Baek Cheon sighed and looked back and forth between Tang Gunak and Chung Myung.

‘That’s an absurd amount of trust.’

He watched with his own eyes the incomprehensible sight of Chung Myung, who was training them, growing stronger at a faster rate than them. That is why he had no doubts regarding Chung Myung’s strength.

But how could Tang Gunak be so sure?

If he hadn’t been sure that Chung Myung would come back stronger than he thought… no, maybe the strongest, he wouldn’t have been able to start giving out the killing intent the moment they met.

At that moment, a soft voice came.

“It is fortunate.”

“Uh?”

Baek Cheon turned to Yu Yiseol.

His samae, who always had an expressionless face, mumbled lightly while fixing her gaze on the two people ahead.

“He won’t be disappointed.”

Hearing that, Baek Cheon’s mouth curled into a smile.

“That seems clear.”

He looked at Chung Myung, who was lightly wiping the blood from his cheek.

“I guarantee you, this much won’t be enough to stop that insane bastard.”

The voice was filled with confidence and trust.

But then, a perplexing voice echoed in their ears.

“Poison?”

“….”

“Poisonnnn? No, did this guy just put poison on his weapon? Ah, my head is spinning! Oh my!”

“…”

Chung Myung grabbed his head and staggered. Baek Cheon’s face paled. Jo Gul and Yoon Jong looked back at him with sullen expressions.

“… are you sure?”

“….”

“He has made promises and seen blood more than once, yet he is being so reckless.”

“…”

Baek Cheon just looked up at the distant sky without saying a word.

Chik.

The blood dripping down the finger touched the sapphire stone below, and white vapor rose. This meant that the poison mixed with blood was truly strong.

Chung Myung glared at Tang Gunak as if it was absurd.

“POISONNN?”

“What nonsense.”

Tang Gunak shrugged his shoulders as if it was nothing.

“Euk!”

Chung Myung grabbed the back of his neck, which was stiffening.

“No, are you saying you will use poison while fighting? Poison? And that too like this?”

“I didn’t mean to speak about this…”

“What?”

“Isn’t it a bit embarrassing for you to say this with your own mouth? You should have some conscience.”

“….”

Chung Myung’s mouth was wide open.

Was the person who used poison on a dagger really talking to him about conscience?

Even Chung Myung, who was devoted to leading and had a heart like a god, couldn’t overlook this…

-Ah, stop with the disgusting nonsense!

‘Ah, just be silent there! I think I will tear off all that glue on the ancestral tablet!’

Chiik.

Chung Myung’s teeth clenched as he saw the floor still sizzling.

“You want to win so badly?”

“I don’t necessarily want it, but…”

Tang Gunak smiled broadly.

“My skills are not enough to draw out all your skills, so what can I do? I have no choice but to use everything I can.”

“… Isn’t poison of no use? I said it is useless to use between skilled warriors?”

“That is wrong.”

Tang Gunak glared at Chung Myung with cold eyes.

“Of course, it is hard to defeat someone like you with poison. But at least I can make you waste your qi and stamina suppressing the poison, and if the injury gets worse, then the poison can do its work.”

“…”

“It’s just something to do. No, if it can benefit me by a single inch, wouldn’t it be strange not to use it?”

“… Uh?”

“It is obvious who would benefit more: you, who has to use all your stamina to drive out the poison, or me, who just applies a little poison before the fight?”

… Now that he heard it, it sounded plausible?

Then why didn’t that bastard Tang Bo use poison during the war? Was he an idiot?

At that moment, the conversation he had with Tang Bo flashed through Chung Myung’s mind.

-But why don’t you use poison?

-No, this annoying man! You have to have poison to use it!

-You don’t give poison to someone who came from the Tang family?

-Seriously, do you think poison just comes out when you dig the ground? When did all the poison piled up in the Tang family run out? When would the Tang family even have time to make that poison again? If they fail to make it, it will be ruined.

-You incompetent jerk.

-Be careful with those words. If you have poison to place on the dagger, even the Taoist hyung could be hit, just once… hahaha. Let’s talk about it. Don’t draw the sword. Is it because the people of Mount Hua live on grass and stuff? You don’t know jokes or what… Eikkk!

Ah… he was a moron.

“Euk!”

Chung Myung felt dizzy for a moment and quickly turned his internal qi to suppress the poison.

Chung Myung’s unique, clear, and righteous qi neutralized the poison in an instant.

Chung Myung finally caught his breath and raised the sword while chattering his teeth.

“If you come out like this, I cannot stay still.”

“No.”

Tang Gunak shook his head.

“This isn’t all.”

Tang Gunak’s hands disappeared into his sleeves and emerged again. In his right hand was another dagger, and in his left, a collection of thin, fine needles.

The blade of the dagger glowed with a pale green hue in the light.

Chung Myung’s expression hardened slightly as he realized once again that Tang Gunak was serious about this.

“Of course, I want to see how strong you have become. But you also need to know one thing.”

“…One thing?”

“Who I am.”

Tang Gunak’s intimidating voice weighed down on Chung Myung.

“Who will fight alongside you? Who is the Poison King, Tang Gunak?”

The green robe that covered Tang Gunak’s entire body began to flutter. The qi he was emitting scratched at Chung Myung’s nerves.

Chung Myung’s mouth twisted and opened slightly, revealing his pure white teeth. His face contorted like a mad spirit.

“Really…”

Kuak!

Even from Chung Myung’s body, which was holding the Dark Fragrant Plum Blossom Sword, a storm-like qi soon rose.

“You only say things that you want!”

Kwang!

At that moment, Tang Gunak stepped on the ground and unleashed the daggers. The five vividly colored daggers spun around like intertwined threads and flew toward Chung Myung.

“Hahah!”

Chung Myung let out a cheerful voice and rushed toward the daggers flying at him.

Oat!

Chung Myung’s sword, which emitted a red sunset-like hue, dug into the five daggers flying at him. In that split second, the extended sword split in all directions and struck down the daggers that were spinning at incredible speed.

K-kwang!

A bursting sound! Flying daggers!

But what greeted Chung Myung immediately was a cloud of sand that covered his head for a brief moment.

‘Soul Destroying Sand.’

Poisonous sand was scattered, and hundreds of needles rained down from above. Even amidst the Soul Destroying Sand, assassin needles were mixed in.

‘Ghost King’s Order.’

The vicious dark weapons, which were only used against the enemies of the Tang family, covered Chung Myung’s entire body.

At that moment, Chung Myung’s sword trembled and began to create what should have been in Mount Hua.

Red plum blossoms.