Chapter 198: The True Face of Namgung Yoo (2)

Even if it brought about numerous side effects, its sheer power was enough to make one’s tongue curl in awe.

Kkaang!

When Majung swung his sword, Baek Cheonggye instinctively struck it with his fist.

A sound like hammering on iron echoed out.

To some, it might have sounded like someone striking a bronze gong.

Baek Cheonggye endured the scorching sword strike of Majung, his flesh being torn apart in agony.

He had lost the ability to feel pain when he purified his body with the Hundred Poisons and trained in Corpse Art.

This was the first pain he felt since then.

‘As expected of one of the Four Demonic Heavens.’

Though he admitted it internally, his expression remained composed.

If he were to fall here, not only he but also Namgung Yoo would be at the mercy of these bastards, so he wrung out every drop of his internal strength.

Majung lunged with a straight stab, his sword flickering red with sword qi.

Baek Cheonggye charged directly at the sword, grabbing it with his left hand.

Ddiing!

Any ordinary flesh that grabbed a sword wrapped in sword qi would be shredded like strands of hair.

But Baek Cheonggye merely bled red, thick drops falling to the ground.

At the same time as grabbing the sword, Baek Cheonggye thrust his right fist at Majung’s chest.

Puhk!

Majung took the blow to the chest and slid backwards.

Kooluk!

He spat out a mouthful of blood and muttered in awe.

“I never imagined anyone could take the True Flame of the Fire Bird with their bare hand.”

He hadn’t said it aloud, but Baek Cheonggye’s left palm was mangled to shreds.

That’s why he couldn’t open his hand and kept it tightly clenched.

If he took even one more of Majung’s sword strikes, he would be torn apart.

It was fortunate he’d managed to strike Majung’s chest with his right fist and inflict internal damage.

“I must have underestimated Senior Baek’s martial arts. I nearly found myself on the road to the afterlife just to satisfy my curiosity.”

Despite the internal injury, his expression was calm.

Majung shook his head and pulled out a ceramic vial that Lee Yung had given him previously.

Then he charged at Baek Cheonggye once more.

“Not so fast!”

This time, he threw his punch infused with a complex variation of techniques.

Ddididiiing!

The moment Majung’s sword bounced off his fist, something seemed to fly at him, so Baek Cheonggye struck.

Puk!

The ceramic vial shattered, and a thick cloud of blue powder billowed into the air. Majung unleashed a relentless assault.

Baek Cheonggye snorted in disdain and responded.

“You think you can do anything to me with mere poison! My body has been forged by a hundred poisons!”

As Majung pressed forward with overwhelming momentum, Baek Cheonggye was driven onto the defensive.

Amidst the flurry of blows, both inhaled the blue powder floating midair over several breaths.

Baek Cheonggye didn’t worry about the poison Majung had spread—he believed there were few poisons in this world capable of killing him.

When one of the Namgung Clan’s guards inhaled the blue powder while defending and attacking, Namgung Yoo urgently said,

“Fall back and steady your breath.”

Once poison entered the body, one could slow its progression with internal qi.

But Namgung Woo, one of the guards, responded with a puzzled look.

“It’s not poison.”

“Pardon?”

“You mean… it’s not poison?”

“Yes, I don’t feel any poison qi at all.”

Just then, Baek Cheonggye staggered.

“This is…!”

Majung leapt back and said,

“Since Senior Baek’s body cannot be affected by poison, I used a different method.”

It was bizarre that Baek Cheonggye, with his extreme poison resistance, looked like someone suffering from poison, while Namgung Clan’s guards were completely fine.

“Leader, what is this?”

Baek Cheonggye muttered with a bitter smile.

“What I inhaled wasn’t poison… it was an antidote.”

“Hahaha! You guessed it right. That’s none other than the Thousand-Poison Antidote Pill that the Tang Clan boasts of.”

Looking at the staggering Baek Cheonggye, Majung continued.

“I had hoped to capture Senior Baek without using this, but it seemed we would end up dragging each other to death, so I had no choice. I ask for your understanding.”

Namgung Yoo, hearing the words “Thousand-Poison Antidote Pill of the Tang Clan,” understood.

The Thousand-Poison Antidote Pill could neutralize a thousand types of poison. Its value was comparable to the spiritual pills of the prestigious orthodox sects.

Since Baekdok Sigong was a technique that completed Gangsigong through a hundred poisons, the Thousand-Poison Antidote Pill severed the true qi of Baekdok Sigong.

Even if its duration was only brief, the antidote had an effect on Baek Cheonggye as if Mount Gunja had been dropped upon him.

That was why the guards of the Namgung Clan experienced no abnormal effects even after ingesting the Thousand-Poison Antidote Pill.

“There was no other choice if I wanted to capture Senior Baek. I ask for your understanding.”

Despite addressing him as a senior, Majung looked far from respectful.

Baek Cheonggye trembled as he spoke.

His true qi no longer flowed properly, and his body felt as heavy as a soaked cotton wad.

“These people have nothing to do with me. Let them go. Then I will follow you quietly.”

Majung grinned slyly.

“Hahaha, senior, what kind of logic is that? Do you take me for a fool? Did I not already suggest a quiet resolution earlier? But Namgung Sojeo flatly rejected that offer. The one who makes the choice must bear the consequences of that choice.”

Namgung Yoo stepped forward and said,

“Leader, it’s still too early to give up.”

Namgung Yoo spoke with firm determination.

“Guard Yang, assist the Leader.”

As Namgung Yang supported Baek Cheonggye under his arm, Namgung Yoo pulled a small cylinder from her robe and ran forward.

“Seize her!”

When three warriors from the Heavenly Demon King's Unit blocked the way, Namgung Yoo pulled the string attached to the canister.

Ssswaaaak!

Dozens of large needles fired from the cylinder, and the three warriors dropped dead on the spot without even having time to scream.

“I carry more than ten hidden weapon cylinders on me. Let’s see who’s still standing after I use them all.”

Majung clicked his tongue.

To think Namgung Yoo had not used her hidden weapon cylinders until now, even amidst such a desperate battle—it was a display of remarkable restraint.

He scolded himself for having underestimated her.

As Majung launched an attack at the fleeing Namgung Yoo, she immediately pulled out two more cylinders from her robe.

Puhng!

Red smoke burst from one cylinder like flame.

Then, pulling the cord of the other, dozens of small needles rained down like a storm.

“Ugh!”

Not expecting simultaneous poison and hidden weapon attacks, Majung gasped and struck the air, retreating five jang.

During that time, Namgung Yoo had already fled nearly fifty jang.

“This is shameful. I had hoped to capture her myself.”

Majung let out a long whistle.

For this operation, Majung had prepared a second trap.

He had deployed his subordinates as a secondary line of ambush.

Though weaker than the Heavenly Demon King's Unit, he believed they were sufficient to tie down Namgung Yoo.

Now that Baek Cheonggye, who had been serving as a shield, was wounded, Namgung Yoo and her guards would not be able to break through the encirclement formed by over twenty of his subordinates.

Seeing the warriors blocking her path, Namgung Yoo charged forward.

“Miss!”

The guards shouted in alarm, but Namgung Yoo replied,

“You two, just block the enemies behind me. I will break through this line.”

Namgung Yoo charged straight at the warriors blocking her path.

Seeing this, Majung clicked his tongue.

“Hmph… has she resolved herself to death rather than being captured?”

Namgung Yoo pulled out a hidden weapon cylinder and fired it at the enemies in front of her.

“Wha—!”

However, each time Namgung Yoo fired her hidden weapon cylinder, only the one at the front of the line was struck.

As the front man fell, the enemy behind would immediately attack from the rear.

Still, Namgung Yoo pulled out another hidden weapon cylinder and fired again.

Then they raised the corpses of their fallen comrades to block the needles.

She had used all ten hidden weapon cylinders she carried, yet more than ten enemies still stood in her way.

Though they were inferior to the Heavenly Demon King's Unit in terms of skill, they were far more ruthless.

“I'm breaking through.”

Namgung Yoo charged forward without hesitation.

Majung’s subordinates launched a human wave assault to block her.

Swords stabbed at her from all directions, but Namgung Yoo focused solely on defending the front.

Her guards deflected the attacks from the left and right, but she had no time to dodge the blades flying toward her abdomen and chest.

Since she was breaking through head-on, there was no room for defense.

“Damn it!”

Majung, who had been running, grimaced and let out an exclamation.

In his eyes, he could already see the image of Namgung Yoo, bleeding from her abdomen and chest, dying.

But then Majung’s eyes went wide as if they were about to pop out.

Ttaeng! Dding!

Two swords bounced off absurdly from the abdomen and chest.

In that moment, a guard passed by and severed the necks of both men.

“Was he wearing quality armor?”

It would have made sense if he had been wearing the quality armor (보의) that covered the upper body.

But when another subordinate struck Namgung Yoo’s nape with a sword, even that blade was repelled.

When even an unarmored nape deflected the sword, Majung muttered.

“Surely, the Namgung young lady hasn’t mastered Gangsigong, has she?”

However, there were no signs of Gangsigong in Namgung Yoo, as he had seen until now.

While Namgung Yoo still disregarded defense and charged ahead to clear a path, one martial art came to mind.

“Could it be Cheolposam?”

Cheolposam (鐵袍杉) was an external martial art from an unorthodox sect that hardened the skin as though clad in iron armor.

Majung hadn’t even considered that a woman might train in such an external art, so for a moment he let out a hollow laugh in disbelief.

Namgung Yoo was already breaking through the encirclement of his subordinates and escaping.

Majung had taken an unexpected blow from Baek Cheonggye and no longer had the strength to chase after Namgung Yoo.

He too pretended to be calm, but in truth, he was so heavily wounded that he needed to circulate his qi immediately.

Majung plopped down on the spot and sat cross-legged.

“Pursue her! I’ll follow after treating my internal injuries.”

“By your command!”

At Majung’s order, his subordinates and the martial artists of the Blood Heaven Ghost Demon Unit began to pursue Namgung Yoo.

Yong Hwarin moved stealthily, following the signal left by Go Ram.

But he soon realized there was no need for such caution.

As he followed the signals, he felt as if someone was expecting him.

‘So they figured I’d come if they captured Seok Unjeong and Seok Jamyung.’

Suddenly, it felt as if he were dancing on top of their scheme.

But there was no other way. For now, he had no choice but to play along with their plan.

Only by doing so could he rescue Seok Unjeong and Seok Jamyung.

At the final signal, Yong Hwarin met Go Ram. Go Ram had been hiding using the Dragon Concealment Heavenly Art and greeted Yong Hwarin.

“You’ve gone through much. Where is Lady Seok?”

“She’s at the manor on top of that hill.”

“Any movements?”

“Some people went in and out because of meals, but no one saw Lady Seok. She seems to be imprisoned inside.”

“Then she’s been there all day.”

At Yong Hwarin’s words, Go Ram nodded.

“That’s what’s strange. If they kidnapped Lady Seok, there should have been some movement, but they haven’t budged. I think they’re waiting for someone.”

“And that someone is likely me.”

Neither Go Ram nor Gam Heum seemed particularly surprised by that thought—they had likely considered it already.

“If they’re waiting for you, Young Master, then they’ll be thoroughly prepared. I think we need to call in all of the Ten Prodigies of the Heavenly Central Sect.”

Yong Hwarin shook his head.

“We have to protect Lady Hoi, so we can’t spare any people. We’ll rescue Lady Seok on our own.”

“From what I’ve gathered during reconnaissance, the one who kidnapped Lady Seok is that Third Young Master we saw in Soho.”

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