Chapter 503
Chapter 503: The Beginning of Night (8)
During my previous existence, revealing my origins had always filled me with deep humiliation.
“You hail from Hefei’s Iron Sword Sect, then?”
“The Taeul Sect? Since when does such a faction exist in Hefei?”
Time and again, I was forced into tedious justifications regarding my birthplace and the lineage of my sect.
Once those drawn-out clarifications concluded, the inevitable follow-up invariably sounded the same.
“By what miracle did the Taeul Sect secure a place within the One Hundred Eight Peaks?”
Even as their open derision stung, I had to swallow my fury.
Stirring their displeasure would only demand a resolution through martial conflict.
Yet, being an ordinary disciple of the Taeul Sect, I lacked the prowess to uphold our dignity through strength of arms.
I once assumed that attaining true power would shield my pride from such petty slights.
‘Evidently, I was mistaken.’
Despite wielding vast martial might compared to my past life, tolerating their scorn proved no less grating.
“I have yet to see what makes the Tang Clan so formidable.”
The circumstance tasted all the more bitter because we were within their domain as visitors.
Though uninvited by the elders, I had accompanied Dang Seohui. Being met with such condescension still rankled deeply.
The sole distinction now was that I no longer needed to suppress my indignation.
“Do you plan to step forward one by one, or will all of you attack together?”
I currently held sufficient might to back whatever sentiment I chose to display.
“……”
“……Ha. What sheer conceit.”
“Far more brazen than the rumors claimed.”
Oddly enough, the turbulent irritation brewing in my chest began to subside.
My challenge had clearly struck a nerve; the expressions of the Tang Clan warriors hardened instantly.
Their collective, suffocating aura surged toward me, exerting a pressure that would urge any lesser man to flee.
Even so, I held my ground without betraying a single trace of tension.
Earning the renown where a single mention of one’s name commands instant recognition for one’s sect was an honor forged solely through trials like this.
Should I assert my dominance here, every member of the Tang Clan present would have no choice but to offer a silent nod of acknowledgment whenever the Taeul Sect was named hereafter.
“Well? Decide. Either approach suits me.”
The eldest among the five challengers stepped into the clearing.
“Have you ingested a Hundred Poisons Pellet?”
“Never. Those are far beyond my modest means.”
“……What?”
A baffled sneer distorted his features.
“How, then, did you shrug off the Paralysis Powder?”
“It struck me as considerably milder than the bite of the Three-Fanged Serpent I encountered back in Mukrim.”
“A Three-Fanged Serpent sank its fangs into you?”
The martial artist gaped at me as if regarding an impossible phenomenon. Recovering his composure, he reached for an iridescent mother-of-pearl vial and unclasped an iron chain whip.
“Then it seems I must treat you in earnest.”
A sharp metallic rattle echoed.
The iron chain whip slipped loose, slithering across the stone floor like an aroused viper.
“Do not fret excessively. Every toxin I employ comes with a ready cure.”
Before he could finalize his stance, I channeled the Void-Destroying Fist and unleashed the Sacred Flame Demon-Extinguishing Hand.
A sudden detonation tore through the air.
A burst of searing flames swallowed the mother-of-pearl vial resting in his grasp, shattering it to fragments.
The warrior stood frozen in utter shock.
The moment his footing wavered, I engaged the Taeul Eighty Thousand Divine Steps to flash into his personal space. Just as I raised my fist to execute the Myriad Blossoms Invincible Fist directly into his face, a commanding shout shattered the silence.
“What is the meaning of this shameful display?”
A voice, even-toned yet carrying immense resonance, reverberated across the entirety of the Guest Pavilion.
A nervous swallow broke from the throat of the man staring down my impending strike.
I reined in my fist and turned to identify the speaker.
A burly, towering figure stood watching us, glaring fiercely with wide, intimidating eyes.
“Is this how you receive guests under our roof? Where did you learn such insolence?”
At last, a voice of reason had arrived.
The curious spectators perched upon the surrounding walls vanished into thin air, leaving no trace behind.
Only the initial five intruders remained within the courtyard, frozen stiff in rigid posture.
“W-We beg your pardon! We merely wished to assess what sort of individual he was……”
“Enough!”
“O-Our deepest apologies.”
An imposing authority emanated from him effortlessly, aligning perfectly with his ruthless appearance.
His rugged, weathered visage seemed far more suited to a bandit chieftain ruling a mountain fortress.
Curiously, there was an unmistakable sense of familiarity about him……
“Are you Jin Sowoon?”
I promptly brought my fists together in formal courtesy.
“Jin Sowoon, Hall Master of Yuseong Hall, greets you.”
I purposefully declared my standing within the Martial Alliance’s Yuseong Hall rather than mentioning the Taeul Sect.
“Understood. A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Dang Mუგap.”
That familiar visage……
“……?”
Could it truly be? Was this hulking warrior actually the progenitor of that sugar-craving glutton—meaning, the Deputy Hall Master?
Reeling from the revelation that Dang Mუგap was indeed the direct heir of Poison King Dang Hyeokje and the father of Dang Seohui, I simply stared at him in disbelief.
“Is there an issue?”
“Ah, not at all.”
Though one should never evaluate character by external traits, I offered silent thanks to the heavens that Senior Dang had inherited none of her father’s brutish countenance.
While my mind drifted, Dang Mუგap cast his gaze toward the scorched remnants of the mother-of-pearl vial.
Turning his focus back upon me, he delivered an unexpected judgment.
“Fascinating. You have passed.”
“Excuse me?”
“You came seeking an audience with my father, did you not? Accompany me. He has concluded his consultation with the Tang Clan physicians and is prepared to receive you.”
“……”
Once more, any semblance of context was withheld.
……Just what was wrong with every person I encountered today?
Only Dang Seohui and I were granted permission to enter the Poison King’s presence.
Ilgak sought to accompany us, but Dang Mუგap dismissed him without a second thought.
“You shall await here.”
“……”
Gaining entry to an inner sanctum barred even to an ordained warrior of the Shaolin Temple produced a surreal sensation.
Departing from the grand architecture typical of the Tang Clan estate, we were ushered toward a modest, solitary pavilion.
Stepping past the threshold behind Dang Mუგap, I noted the meticulously kept interior, rich with aged, understated refinement. Positioned at the primary seat of an expansive central table sat an elderly figure, his piercing gaze locked onto our approach.
‘The Poison King himself!’
His demeanor remained precisely as I remembered from my former life.
Though modest in physical stature, his aura carried the unyielding density of solid granite.
The cold, verdant gleam in his irises made him appear almost otherworldly.
I bowed deeply, clasping my hands with utmost reverence.
“I am privileged to meet you. I am Jin Sowoon, Hall Master of Yuseong Hall.”
Dang Hyeokje lowered his vessel of tea to the wood.
“Have you arrived acting as a representative of the Martial Alliance?”
“Not entirely.”
“Why offer such an ambiguous reply?”
Having never exchanged words with him in my previous life, I had remained ignorant of his demeanor.
Now, clarity dawned.
‘So this is the origin of Senior Dang’s peculiar cadence.’
I gathered my wits and elaborated.
“I framed my introduction in that manner because I am presently bound to a mission on behalf of the Martial Alliance.”
“Hmph……”
A low hum escaped Dang Hyeokje as a solitary brow arched upward.
“Your aim is to obtain the Heart-Calming Spirit Pellet?”
“That is correct.”
“Were you not made aware that I neither compound medicine nor perform diagnoses any longer?”
“I was informed.”
“Then explain.”
Dang Hyeokje swept his piercing glare from my stance toward Dang Seohui.
“Did you venture here fully aware of my rule out of disregard for the Tang Clan? Or did you presume I would cast aside a settled mandate on a whim simply because my own kin made a plea?”
The negotiation had begun to unravel.
The weight of my blunder settled over me.
The burden of culpability had already fallen square on Dang Seohui’s shoulders.
“Seohui, was this your suggestion?”
I had acted entirely out of self-interest.
The gravity of the crisis had convinced me that bypassing standard decorum was acceptable, fueled by my foreknowledge of coming calamities.
Yet from the perspective of the Tang Clan, and particularly before the Poison King, this petition was easily interpreted as blatant disrespect.
In the past, the Poison King had already fractured lineage customs to ensure Dang Seohui inherited his supreme arts.
I had failed to anticipate that our sudden appeal might agitate old wounds and trigger his ire.
I hastily attempted to intercede.
Allowing Dang Seohui to suffer rebuke on my account was unthinkable.
“It is not—”
“Did I address you?”
Though void of overt murderous intent, meeting his emerald gaze made my heart drop like a stone into an abyss.
Was this the very definition of walking straight into ruin?
“Seohui, what keeps you silent?”
“……”
A suffocating tension gripped my chest.
I had not foreseen such an impasse.
Had my reckless maneuvering permanently fractured the bond shared between this grandfather and his granddaughter?
Just then.
“That is indeed the case.”
“What?”
“Repeat that?”
Dang Seohui’s calm confession stunned both myself and Dang Mუგap simultaneously. Even Dang Hyeokje’s placid eyes flickered with fleeting astonishment.
“I was the one who insisted we seek you out and plead our case.”
That was a lie.
Dang Seohui had initially deemed the idea unthinkable. It was I who had leaned upon her family ties to engineer this meeting.
“Do you truly perceive me as a fool willing to dismantle vital clan decrees merely to indulge the whims of my granddaughter?”
She was enduring her grandfather’s wrath for an offense entirely fabricated.
All to shield me.
“N-No, the reality of the matter is—”
The moment I stepped forward to clarify the truth, Dang Seohui’s fingers gripped the fabric of my sleeve.
“That is not the reason.”
“If not that, then pray tell what prompted this?”
Her fingers tightened their hold against my sleeve.
“I came to the conclusion that Jin Sowoon’s endeavor takes precedence.”
“What did you say?”
“Guided by that judgment, I chose to bring him before you.”
“You deemed his task superior in importance to a decree issued by my own mouth?”
Dang Hyeokje’s countenance soured as though a bitter poison coated his tongue.
“I did.”
Dang Seohui spoke without a flicker of doubt.
Looking as though he had suffered a blow from someone he held dearest, the Poison King’s mouth twitched slightly before he managed to steady his speech.
“……On what grounds do you place such faith in its importance?”
“I have no clear reason.”
“……”
“However.”
Dang Seohui turned her clear, steady gaze toward me.
“Nothing that Jin Sowoon undertakes is without profound significance.”
“Incredible……”
“Good grief……”
Dang Mუგap let out a soft murmur of bewilderment, while Dang Hyeokje released an exhausted sigh of sheer disbelief.
“Father, given that Seohui has gone to such lengths, perhaps it is worth listening to his reasoning?”
Prompted by Dang Mუგap’s measured intervention, Dang Hyeokje emerged from his contemplation and fixed his stare upon me once more.
“State your purpose. Why must you secure the Heart-Calming Spirit Pellet?”
Dang Seohui held my gaze and gave a faint, encouraging nod.
Having grown accustomed to her fixation on candied fruit and traditional yakgwa confections, witnessing such steadfast resolve left me momentarily off-balance.
Even so, I could never squander the opening she had forged by braving her grandfather’s displeasure.
“It is required for the greater good of the martial world.”
“Be precise.”
“To state it plainly, it is an essential remedy intended to preserve the lives of the martial artists venturing into the Sword Tomb.”
In my previous existence, while the Demonic Cult had orchestrated the slaughter within the Sword Tomb, the true catastrophe stemmed from an environmental agent known as Mindless Illusion Powder.
The noxious spores released by the moss the Demonic Cult had scattered across the subterranean crypt induced terrifying visions while stripping the mind of basic human empathy.
It dismantled every foundational virtue that defines humanity—grief, mercy, kindness, fellowship, and love.
In their absence, the victims succumbed to insatiable urges toward carnage, savagery, depravity, and hunger, degenerating into feral beasts disguised in mortal flesh.
Because the toxin bypassed the physical flesh and targeted the psyche, even masters possessing peerless poison immunity succumbed to its effects.
Remarkably, however, consuming a Heart-Calming Spirit Pellet enabled the afflicted to rapidly restore their mental clarity.
Naturally, admitting such future insight openly was impossible, forcing me to construct a plausible fabrication.
“The oppressive presence of the entities I encountered within Mukrim carried an effect akin to spiritual venom. The individuals who ingested the Heart-Calming Spirit Pellet retained their sanity until escaping Mukrim’s perimeter.”
“……And you suspect these entities dwell within the Sword Tomb?”
“Failing to account for that contingency leaves the present anomalies utterly inexplicable.”
“……”
I held little hope that my fabricated account sounded convincing.
After all, the rationale remained hollow.
My original design had been to initiate a trade utilizing the Myriad Herbs Compendium, but the entire exchange had veered completely off course.
Following a prolonged pause, Dang Hyeokje rapped his knuckles lightly against the tabletop.
“Are you conscious of the fact that your claims lack both structured logic and compelling evidence?”
Unsurprisingly, my hurried narrative failed to sway the keen mind of Dang Hyeokje.
“Above all else, hazarding clan resources amid such precarious times based on nothing more than conjecture is unthinkable.”
“I acknowledge that. Which is why—”
Suddenly, he cut in.
“Nevertheless, that does not leave you entirely without recourse.”
For the very first time, the faintest trace of a smirk touched Dang Hyeokje’s mouth.
“Strongest-Decides-the-Wish.”
A smothered grimace echoed from the side.
“Father…… surely you do not mean……”
“Keep your silence.”
“……”
Dang Hyeokje directed his words back toward me.
“Strongest-Decides-the-Wish is an ancient custom of the Tang Clan capable of overriding any formal clan mandate. Are you prepared to stake your resolve upon it?”
The concept of a mechanism able to overturn the clan’s verdict was promising, yet the terminology itself felt ominous.
“Dare I ask what Strongest-Decides-the-Wish entails……?”
“It dictates that supremacy in martial strength grants the authority to command whatever one desires.”
“……”
In what way did that differ from the brutal survival-of-the-fittest doctrine favored by the Black Path?
“Should the terms displease you, see yourself out.”
Fair enough. Resolving the matter through sheer martial application was vastly preferable to explaining how I had come to inherit the ancient legacies of the Divine Physician of Life and Death, an immortal figure who had disappeared two centuries prior.
“Very well. I accept the challenge.”
The instant my confirmation left my lips, Dang Mუგap strode out of the inner chamber without a word.
Noticing another tentative tug at my sleeve, I glanced over.
“Hall Master Jin.”
Dang Seohui stared up at me with an expression identical to the agonizing dilemma of choosing between candied fruit and sweet yakgwa.
“Exercise absolute caution. Even I nearly lost my life.”
“Pardon?”
Just what was that supposed to imply?
Comments for chapter "Chapter 503"
MANGA DISCUSSION
Madara Info
Madara stands as a beacon for those desiring to craft a captivating online comic and manga reading platform on WordPress
For custom work request, please send email to wpstylish(at)gmail(dot)com