Chapter 81 – The Noble One

Chapter 81 – The Noble One

“What is this…”

San-ho's hand, colored with bewilderment, fell from Tang Yun-mu's neck. Staggering heavily and collapsing to the floor, his eyes were directed toward empty space. When their lost and trembling gazes met, Tang Yun-mu trembled slightly.

San-ho struggled to understand what had happened to him.

Actually, there was nothing difficult about it. He was not confused, and the cause and effect were clear. Even so, the reason he kept trying to organize his thoughts was likely because it was utterly unbelievable.

“Kk… uuu…”

He could tell that Tang Yun-mu's life was fading away. The vitality was disappearing from his trembling eyes, and from his gaping mouth, only the occasional sound of scratching metal, rather than a groan or a sigh, leaked out.

“………”

Above all, the clearest fact was that his body was incredibly light. This was similar to the feeling when one consumed a spiritual medicine or elixir pill and absorbed its energy into the dantian.

No, in fact, there was something even more similar.

Borrowing Flowers to Offer to Buddha.

A flower that absorbed all the energy of a human offered as a tribute. He felt the same sensation as when he had absorbed that flower into his body. That strange and fulfilling feeling of Innate True Qi and all the internal energy cultivated until then flowing inside.

Even if some internal energy was absorbed, it would not pose a major threat to one's life, but Innate True Qi was different.

What was Innate True Qi? The true qi that a person possessed since birth, an energy far more powerful than ordinary internal energy. Since it was life itself, the very foundation of existence, losing it meant certain death.

In other words, San-ho had just absorbed Tang Yun-mu's life itself. All of the martial power he had accumulated throughout his life and even the life force of his Innate True Qi. With decades of internal energy pouring in at once, it was only natural that he felt a sense of fullness.

‘My goodness.’

Upon realizing that fact, his stomach could not help but churn.

Covering his mouth, San-ho bowed his head.

Only then did the words spoken by Tang San-ho in his mental image make complete sense.

You have to use it carefully.

But if it was a power that extorted someone else's life and led them to death, shouldn't there have been a much stronger warning than just telling him to use it carefully!

He had thought it would be a mind law that merely increased internal energy at best, but to think it even stole Innate True Qi. San-ho bit his lip at the shocking capability.

‘…Although it is true that this also increases internal energy.’

It was not that he felt pity or regret for Tang Yun-mu.

He was simply confused by the fact that he had absorbed a human being like a spiritual herb.

San-ho stared blankly at Tang Yun-mu at his feet.

Having lost everything in an instant, he was dying like a decayed piece of wood.

Then, a sudden thought crossed San-ho's mind.

‘Wait a minute, this… I think I know what this is. I've definitely heard of it somewhere.’

Absorbing others' internal energy and Innate True Qi. Information that had been temporarily forgotten, overshadowed by the function of Borrowing Flowers to Offer to Buddha, came to mind. Surely, wasn't there a martial art like this?

“…!!”

Soon, his eyes widened as he realized something.

He realized that the function of the third secret manual was similar to the Star-Absorbing Art, which was a type of qi harvesting technique. A technique that sucked internal energy from acupoint to acupoint through physical contact. It was a martial art known to have severe side effects as much as it had ridiculous functions.

‘Then why do I not feel any side effects?’

Feeling doubtful, San-ho began to recall the three secret manuals he had learned one by one.

First, the first secret manual.

A mind law that naturally accepts the qi flowing in nature, absorbing it into the dantian to build up internal energy.

‘If I were to compare it… is it like a solar battery? Since it receives natural energy just by staying still?’

The second secret manual.

A mind law that can transmit internal energy absorbed in the dantian to others.

‘If I organize it that way, this would feel like a walking portable charger. In that if they lack internal energy, I can share mine.’

And the last secret manual.

A mind law that can absorb others' internal energy and Innate True Qi, taking it in as one's own internal energy.

‘This one is a bit tricky. Similar things are… maybe about two, the Star-Absorbing Art and Borrowing Flowers to Offer to Buddha?’

The fact that one could transmit one's cultivated internal energy to others, or draw it from them, was extremely unique. Although the source was unknown, he could tell it was a martial art created for a specific purpose.

‘They must be connected as one.’

It was at the moment his worries were about to deepen.

Tang Yun-mu, who was squirming on the floor, mumbled something.

“No… ble… will… fulfill…”

“What?”

At the faint, inaudible voice, San-ho, having calmed his churning stomach, stepped closer. Tang Yun-mu's eyes were staring straight at San-ho.

“Noble… One. Please… fulfill… your will…”

Although it was a weak strength that could not even be counted as a momentary rally before death, Tang Yun-mu was repeating the same words with the utmost desperation and hope he could muster. Noble One, please fulfill your will.

It was strange for it to be his last words before death.

Having poured out curses just a moment ago, to suddenly bless someone else. Because he did not know who the words were directed toward, San-ho frowned.

“No… ble One… Will…”

Just like that, he repeated the same words a couple more times, even shedding tears, before finally falling quiet. As his prayer-like wish disappeared along with his life, a quiet silence descended upon the Poison Depository.

San-ho quietly looked down at Tang Yun-mu's cooling corpse.

The Noble One. Who was he talking about?

***

Tae Ju-ha and his group arrived in Yuqing of Guizhou.

It was the place pointed out by Hao Sect Master Gong-ri as the headquarters of Bidocheon, the culprits who had attacked Sichuan.

Yuqing of Guizhou, where they arrived, was a region with so many cloudy days that it was said there were never three consecutive clear days. Moreover, it had complex mountainous terrain, making it suitable for hiding.

Thus, it was a place where public enemies of the martial world, unknown to the orthodox sects, occasionally made an appearance.

Led by Tae Ju-ha, several water bandits from the waterway stronghold followed behind. The Leader of the Dark Five Squad and the Leader of the Flying Thunder Squad of the Tang Clan, who had departed together from Sichuan, followed them while hiding their presence as if providing cover.

Tae Ju-ha, who was lightly kicking off the ground along the foot of Mount Gaeho in Yuqing, asked one of his subordinates.

“Didn't you say it was around here?”

“Yes, according to the map, this vicinity is correct. However, it only said it was inside Mount Gaeho, so it seems we will need more time to find the headquarters.”

While looking around and making their way through the complex mountain terrain, it happened to rain. The damp air among the green vegetation of the forest path humidly filled his lungs.

“Hmm…”

Just then, he felt a pungent burnt smell mixing with the scent of grass leaves wet with rain. As the air became damp, a smell from further away drifted in on the wind.

Tae Ju-ha's expression changed in an instant.

“Follow me.”

Tae Ju-ha deployed his lightfoot technique toward that direction with animalistic instinct, feeling the raindrops falling tap-tap on his face gradually increase.

How much time had passed like that?

Before long, they arrived at a strangely carved canyon. If not for the rising black smoke, it was a location that would not have been easily seen, hidden by bizarrely shaped rocks.

A few houses revealed among the pile of rocks were burning.

“Chief Stronghold Leader, over there…!!”

“Wait.”

Just as a hot-tempered subordinate was about to take a step, Tae Ju-ha held him back. He felt a strange sense of incongruity.

“Why is that?”

Quickly scanning the surroundings with his eyes, he spoke in a low voice.

“…It's a trap. Keep your eyes forward and watch the ground.”

“Pardon?”

“There is a fire, but isn't it odd that no one is trying to put it out?”

“…!!”

His subordinates began digging up the ground with swords, spears, and tree branches. Sure enough, those in the lead discovered pit traps where the ground collapsed and raised their hands. Inside the traps, sharply carved bamboo spears were messily embedded.

“Here is one too.”

That was not all. If they touched the tripwires set at ankle height, boulders would drop from both sides. Because they were hidden by grass leaves and could not be seen, if they had made a mistake, five or six heads would have easily been shattered.

After finding all the traps laid out around the houses, there was hardly any safe ground left.

“Tsk…”

Clicking his tongue briefly, Tae Ju-ha took large strides toward the house.

Fortunately, due to the heavier downpour, the fire in the house was mostly extinguished. White smoke puffed up from the places where the fire had died out. When he lightly kicked the half-collapsed gate, it crumbled with a crash, and the dust in that spot soon lost its momentum and subsided.

Frowning for a moment, Tae Ju-ha waved his hand to clear the smoke.

Then, the horrific sight was revealed there.

“Ha!”

Sprawled corpses filled the interior.

Corpses so badly burned that it was difficult to recognize their shapes. A disgusting smell of melting flesh, the scent of blood, and a burnt odor wafted in. Leader of the Dark Five Squad Tang Jin-hyeok, who had entered with him, approached while covering his mouth with his sleeve.

“They wouldn't have set the fire themselves.”

“Yeah. Looking at it, it seems the traps outside weren't set by these guys either.”

“Who on earth did such a thing…”

It was at that moment.

A very faint pulsation was felt in Tae Ju-ha's energy sense.

Following the pulse that was so faint it seemed he would die at any moment, he saw a man whose body was thirty percent burned dying while leaning against a pillar. His clothes were melted and tangled stickily with his flesh, and on his head where the flames had reached, his hair was completely singed and hideously distorted.

Thanks to the rainwater extinguishing the fire, it seemed that, unfortunately, he was still breathing.

Tae Ju-ha strode over and grabbed him by the collar, lifting him up.

“Are you the culprits who attacked the Tang Clan?”

“………”

“Answer me!”

“Kk-uuuu…”

The culprit writhed in pain, making a bizarre sound.

As if simply begging to be killed.

Tears flowed continuously from his single remaining intact eye.

“……”

At the sight that was too horrific to look at, the warriors of the Tang Clan frowned. Several even turned their heads away.

“If you answer, I will end your life.”

Tae Ju-ha used that pain as bait to urge the culprit to answer.

Then, the culprit's gaze, which had been wandering in the air, turned toward Tae Ju-ha. The desperation to end this horrific pain ate away at his consciousness. The terrible pain was vivid, and everything else became completely faint.

“Ugh… kk-uaaaa…”

When the culprit's mouth opened along with the bizarre sound, Tae Ju-ha's eyebrows twitched.

The culprit's mouth was completely empty.

In the mouth where what should be there was missing, only the red trace of a severed tongue remained. Only then did Tae Ju-ha's gaze turn to the culprit's hands. As expected. His fingers were also all severed.

“What on earth is this…!!”

At Tang Jin-hyeok's shocked voice, Tae Ju-ha replied in a low tone.

“It's a method that wicked people often use. Severing the tongue and fingers to prevent words from leaking out.”

“………”

“It seems the information they need to hide is extremely important.”

“Which means… there is a mastermind behind this.”

Nodding his head, Tae Ju-ha added strength to his hand gripping the collar.

“Who instigated the attack on you guys?”

“Kk-ua… kk…”

The tongueless culprit was not in a state to provide an answer. No matter how many times he asked, he only made similar hiccuping sounds.

It was at that moment.

Just as Tae Ju-ha, clicking his tongue, was about to throw his body aside, the culprit who was making strange noises painfully raised his hand. His trembling hand passed his waist and reached up to his chest.

Fresh blood that had not yet stopped flowed from the severed surfaces of his fingers. Without stopping there, the culprit exerted all his strength to raise his hand. The culprit's hand, which slowly rose…

“…The sky?”

It was pointing at the sky, above all of their heads.

That was the end. The culprit's hand, which had risen slowly, quickly fell down. The pain of being burned alive had finally cut off his breath.

Tae Ju-ha threw his body, which would never rise again, onto the floor.

Swhaaaa—

The heavy rain pouring from the sky was already washing away the scent of blood. Dark red blood flowed like a stream over the muddy ground.

As a result, Hao Sect Master Gong-ri did not tell a lie. The culprits were indeed all here. They were just one step too late.

“Ha…”

Tae Ju-ha, who had always reigned above others and had never chased after anyone's tail, let out a hollow laugh. Sweeping back his rain-soaked hair, he murmured in a low voice.

“Fine. So you want to play.”