Chapter 146

Chapter 146
## Chapter 146: Flying Heaven Stronghold (3)

Sangjeon was a small settlement situated roughly a hundred li from the **Flying Heaven Stronghold**.

The party led by **Dang Cheonhwa**, having finished their business with the **Hahuu Clan** much sooner than anticipated, happened to cross paths with **Sima Geon** and his companions. The latter group had just finished the task of dismantling the **Four Blood Forest**.

Overjoyed by this chance encounter, the warriors sat down to drink in the late afternoon, exchanging vivid accounts of their recent exploits.

As darkness fell, their talk turned toward a more somber subject: the hidden agents of the **Blood Fiend Cult** currently infiltrating the world of martial arts.

“…They embed a parasitic gu poison within the host. It is an ancient technique, and they are almost certainly using it now to bolster their ranks of puppets. If the righteous sects possessed enough **Blood Poison Pearls**, we could strip away their disguises instantly. The tragedy is that they are so exceptionally rare that searching the entire world might only yield a few.”

“**Blood Poison Pearls**?”

“That’s right. The **Blood Poison Pearls**.”

“What exactly are those?”

**Sima Geon** inquired, unfamiliar with the term.

“What do you think? They are mystical spheres capable of neutralizing toxins. If you carry a **Blood Poison Pearl**, most poisons are rendered harmless. It is a treasure beyond price.”

**Cheol Woo**, who had been focused on devouring a plate of meat, wiped his greasy chin and looked at **Dang Cheonhwa**.

“Does your **Tang Clan** have them?”

“Why? Are you planning to sneak in and take one?”

“Who are you calling a thief? I’m just intrigued by such a legendary object and want to lay eyes on it. Besides, my constitution isn’t so fragile that I’d drop dead from a little poison.”

**Cheol Woo** struck his chest with pride, causing **Noe Jeon** to let out a mocking snort.

“Have you already forgotten how you almost met **King Yama** after **Eum Seolhui** poisoned you not long ago?”

“That wasn’t the poison; it was the sheer number of wounds I took that nearly did me in! And be honest—is the venom from those psychos in **Myeondok Valley** normal? I only made it because it was me. Anyone else would have been at the gates of the afterlife the moment it touched them.”

**Dang Cheonhwa** nodded, conceding the point to **Cheol Woo**.

“You aren’t wrong. The toxins produced in **Myeondok Valley** are indeed lethal.”

“Can the **Blood Poison Pearl** stop those as well?”

**Dang Cheonhwa** shook his head at **Noe Jeon’s** question, his look suggesting such a feat was asking too much.

“The **Blood Poison Pearl** is not a miracle cure for everything. However, it would certainly dampen the severity of the effect.”

“So, does your family actually own one?”

**Cheol Woo** pushed for an answer.

“We do.”

“Ha! I knew it. But are they exclusive to the **Tang Clan**?”

“Hardly. If I recall correctly, there are a handful of other places that hold such treasures.”

The group leaned in, listening intently to **Dang Cheonhwa**.

“To start, the imperial palace.”

A collective murmur of understanding rose from the table.

The court was a den of shadows and assassination plots. If there was any place that required a **Blood Poison Pearl** more urgently than the world of warriors, it was the imperial throne room.

“I am also fairly certain the **North Sea Ice Palace** keeps one.”

“**North Sea Ice Palace**? There’s actually a place with a name like that?”

**Dang Cheonhwa** stared at **Cheol Woo** with utter disbelief.

“I never thought I’d live to see a martial artist who hadn’t heard of the **North Sea Ice Palace**.”

**Cheol Woo’s** face turned red at **Dang Cheonhwa’s** weary sigh.

“Hey, it’s a big world! You knew about it, didn’t you?”

**Cheol Woo** looked to **Noe Jeon** for backup, but **Noe Jeon** only spoke louder.

“Even if we have no business in the frozen lands, everyone knows the name of the **Ice Palace** in the far north.”

**Cheol Woo** turned his head, wide-eyed with shock.

“Even you knew, boss?”

“I don’t know their history, but I’ve certainly heard the name,” **Sima Geon** replied.

His eyes glinted for a second, but **Cheol Woo** failed to notice the change in his expression.

“And… you?”

**Cheol Woo** asked **So Soring** with a shaking voice.

“Only a complete moron wouldn’t know. Be quiet. Now, where else?”

“Lastly, it is highly probable that the **Heavenly Demon Cult** possesses one.”

“**Heavenly Demon Cult**? Never heard of it.”

**Sima Geon** tilted his head to the side.

“I am not certain which specific branch holds it. But when the **Blood Fiend Cult** first appeared, there was a faction that used the pearl to expose their spies. They realized the pearl could reveal the hidden agents. That knowledge was eventually shared with us.”

“Ah! So the gu poison you mentioned reacts to the **Blood Poison Pearl**.”

“Exactly. It was a shocking discovery—the pearl, normally used for defense, makes the internal gu glow. It only works on the specific gu used to create their thralls, but that alone was a massive advantage. It might have been the very thing that allowed us to push back the **Blood Fiend Cult** in the past.”

“Then the **Tang Clan** must be safe from spies. You can just check everyone with the **Blood Poison Pearl**.”

“Perhaps. But those monsters are persistent, and we don’t know all their methods. We are less at risk than most, though. Since we know they are moving again, the elders coming from our main house will likely bring the **Blood Poison Pearls** with them. If we have the chance, I will show you.”

“Are they coming to the **Flying Heaven Stronghold**?”

**Cheol Woo’s** curiosity was piqued.

“They won’t arrive in time for this. They will likely head toward the **Nangong Clan**. For all we know, the **Nangong Clan** might already be infested with **Blood Fiend Cult** moles…”

*Creak!*

The door swung open abruptly, cutting **Dang Cheonhwa** off.

**Nangong Gyeong** stood in the doorway, his face ashen as he gripped the frame.

“You’re in no state to be looking for more wine. I told you that your recovery is far from complete, even if you are feeling better.”

**Dang Cheonhwa** clicked his tongue, but **Nangong Gyeong** shook his head urgently.

“We have a serious problem, senior.”

**Manchu** stood up quickly, offering his chair to **Nangong Gyeong**.

“A problem? Don’t tell me the enemy has launched their assault already?”

“No, it isn’t an attack.”

“Then what? Speak up. What has you so shaken?”

Unable to contain his stress, **Nangong Gyeong** grabbed the cup of sake in front of **Dang Cheonhwa**, drained it in a single gulp, and raised his voice.

“The Lord of the **Flying Heaven Stronghold** has completely lost his mind.”

**Dang Cheonhwa** frowned at the sudden, confusing statement.

“Explain yourself clearly. What do you mean he’s lost his mind?”

“Earlier today, I sent a messenger from our house to the **Flying Heaven Stronghold** to explain our current situation, correct?”

“Yes. What about it?”

“We just received the response from the **Flying Heaven Stronghold** Lord…”

**Nangong Gyeong** glanced toward **Sima Geon**. He paused, let out a heavy, tired breath, and then forced the words out.

“He has formally rejected the assistance of these friends.”

**Dang Cheonhwa’s** eyes narrowed sharply.

“He rejected the help?”

“He claimed their presence would cause ‘discomfort’ and told them they shouldn’t bother coming at all…”

“That absolute lunatic!”

**Dang Cheonhwa** slammed his fist onto the table, spliting the heavy wood in half.

“What is his justification? He wouldn’t say something so stupid without a reason.”

“It’s because…”

“Speak! Why is that idiot talking such nonsense?”

**Nangong Gyeong** closed his eyes tightly.

“He refused because he claims he cannot accept help from someone affiliated with the **Heavenly Demon Cult** while he is preparing to fight the **Heavenly Demon Cult**.”

“Absolute horseshit!”

**Dang Cheonhwa** roared.

“What a pathetic, narrow-minded fool! If it were only his own life on the line, I wouldn’t care. But it isn’t! There are countless lives hanging in the balance, and he turns away allies over such a petty grievance? Is that the leadership of a stronghold?!”

**Dang Cheonhwa** fumed, looking as though he would personally throttle the **Flying Heaven Stronghold** Lord if the man were in the room.

“I have warned him and lectured him a thousand times, yet he clings to that useless pride. A legendary tiger has sired a pathetic dog. He hasn’t inherited a single drop of his father’s greatness. If the previous lord knew what his son was doing, he’d be weeping in the grave.”

**Dang Cheonhwa** sighed, mourning the memory of the former leader of the **Flying Heaven Stronghold**, a man who had been a true hero.

“So, what’s the move, boss?”

Interestingly, while the others were furious, **Cheol Woo** had been silenced by **Dang Cheonhwa’s** explosion of rage. He asked his question in a somewhat muted tone.

“It’s simple. If we aren’t welcome, we don’t go,” **Sima Geon** answered, sounding entirely unbothered.

“Hey! You can’t just decide like that!” **Dang Cheonhwa** interrupted, clearly panicked. “Don’t listen to that fool’s babbling. I’ll go and beat some sense into him, so don’t worry about it.”

“He is the master of the house. If the master says stay away, there is no point in forcing an entry.”

“But still…”

**Dang Cheonhwa** spent a long time trying to change **Sima Geon’s** mind, but the cold, steady resolve in the young man’s voice eventually made him stop.

*’You moron! Do you have any idea what you’ve just thrown away?!’*

**Dang Cheonhwa** ground his teeth, cursing the image of **Sang Gancheon**, the current Lord of the **Flying Heaven Stronghold**.

—

“So, you have dispatched the **Blood Light Martial Emperor**?”

**Muk Noegang** asked, his surprise evident.

“Indeed. My initial plan was to strike the **Nangong Clan** directly, regardless of any interference from the **Blood Fiend Cult**. I was prepared to let them take whatever scraps they could if it meant we ended the conflict quickly with our current momentum. However, our military advisor’s discovery of the **Blood Poison Pearls** changed the strategy. Even if it takes longer, our priority is now to flush out as many **Blood Fiend Cult** spies as we can find.”

The warmth in **Gwan Woong’s** eyes made **Hyeong Mugang** smile sheepishly.

“I see. I had assumed I was being called here to be punished for my inability to properly handle the opposition.”

**Muk Noegang** said, his posture relaxing slightly.

“Hahaha! No one is unaware that the division you commanded, **Muk Clan Head**, was the smallest and weakest of our forces. To achieve what you did with so little—why would I punish you? You deserve a reward.”

**Gwan Woong** laughed heartily.

When the **Black Dragon Muk Clan** had first rejoined the **Heavenly Demon Cult**, they were mostly welcomed, but certain factions had been vocal in their disapproval. To those who had remained, the long-absent **Black Dragon Muk Clan** from the **Southern Frontier** seemed like an unwelcome intruder trying to reclaim old status.

Because of this, **Gwan Woong** had placed them at the front of the conflict to prove their worth. As he had hoped, their stellar performance had silenced all critics.

“More than ten moles were uncovered in the **Blood Light Martial Emperor’s** sector. Most were minor figures, but two were actually in command of their own factions.”

“That is more than I expected. Then, in the group I was leading…”

“Yes. The **Blood Light Martial Emperor** moved in to identify and purge them. I originally intended to just send the **Blood Poison Pearls**, but the advisor insisted on a more direct approach, so we increased the scale of the operation.”

**Muk Noegang** turned his attention toward **Hyeong Mugang**.

**Hyeong Mugang** cleared his throat before speaking in a measured tone.

“There are two primary reasons for sending the **Supreme Elder** and bringing you here, **Muk Clan Head**. First, the **Blood Poison Pearls** are simply too vital. The gu poison used by the **Blood Fiend Cult**—which they call the **Soul-Seizing Gu**—is nearly impossible to find without them. Even if it only catches those specific hosts, the advantage is massive. We couldn’t trust such a rare treasure to just anyone; if the **Blood Fiend Cult** intercepted it, the loss would be catastrophic. That is why we requested the **Supreme Elder**.”

“Is the **Supreme Elder** beyond suspicion?”

“The owners of the **Blood Poison Pearl** were the **Iron Blood House**.”

“The **Iron Blood House**…”

“Yes. The current leader of that house is the younger brother of the **Supreme Elder**.”

“That makes sense,” **Muk Noegang** nodded.

“If the **Supreme Elder** turned out to be a spy for the **Blood Fiend Cult**, we would be doomed. Even in his own house, someone infected with the **Soul-Seizing Gu** was discovered.”

A faint, bitter smile touched **Gwan Woong’s** lips.

“The reason the Lord mentioned is the second part of this. In any crisis, the only group we can offer our absolute, unwavering trust to is the **Black Dragon Muk Clan**. That is why you were summoned here to the capital rather than to where the **Supreme Elder** is stationed.”

“Then their current forces…”

“The **Soul Demon Sword Elder** will take over the **Supreme Elder’s** post for the time being.”

**Muk Noegang** fell silent. He wasn’t very familiar with the **Soul Demon Sword**, but **Hyeong Mugang’s** calm demeanor suggested there was no cause for alarm. What mattered most was that the **Black Dragon Muk Clan** had secured the Lord’s total confidence—not through politics, but through merit.

**Muk Noegang** stood up and immediately dropped to one knee.

“Your servant **Muk Noegang** pledges his life to the protection of the Lord.”

“I know I can count on you.”

**Gwan Woong** looked at **Muk Noegang** with a gaze full of genuine conviction.