Chapter 27

"Uh…"

When Turan first landed on the deck, the pirates couldn't even speak for a few seconds, wearing dumbfounded expressions.

Their brains momentarily refused to comprehend the surreal sight of a human leaping dozens of meters between ships.

But after a few seconds, some unnamed pirate broke this silence by shouting loudly.

"K-kill him! Fight!"

About seventy pirates approached wielding all kinds of weapons that could harm people, from swords and axes onward.

Turan was internally perplexed.

Normally when a magician suddenly appears showing such ability, they should lose fighting spirit and surrender, so why?

However, his confusion didn't create any meaningful change in this battle.

Just as a mouse suddenly charging wouldn't give it a chance even if it startled a bear.

As he stretched his hand toward beyond the deck, blue waves rose responding to Turan's will, instantly releasing hot heat and transforming into ice needles sharp enough to pierce anything.

"Th-that is…"

"Run-!"

Before the word "run" could even finish, dozens of ice needles rained down on the pirates gathered on deck.

The result was unspeakably brutal.

Some died instantly with pierced heads, some struggled choking with pierced throats, some collapsed with pierced chests or stomachs…

In an instant, fifteen or sixteen pirates lost their lives or were incapacitated.

And this was just using far weaker power than he could actually use, deliberately acting like a knight.

Humans not born with magic power were this fragile.

"Don't be scared, you bastards! We'll die anyway if we can't kill him!"

While the pirates in front screamed with ice needles stuck throughout their bodies, someone in the back shouted this.

Hearing this, he could understand why the pirates were resisting so desperately.

They too knew Turan wouldn't let them live.

Against the pirates rushing in urgently, Turan gathered some water drawn from the sea in his hand to create an ice longsword.

He could sweep them all away by shooting more ice needles, but to pretend to be a knight, he needed to show himself fighting in close combat while conserving power at this point.

"Gak-"

Bodies falling helplessly with severed necks.

Before the longsword imbued with strength that could crush even iron, human flesh and bone weren't even obstacles.

After cutting down one like that, he met incoming attacks with proper stances while grazing necks, then took one big step back to create distance before extending the longsword to cut three simultaneously.

Unlike when sparring weapon techniques with Haram, he felt no combat elation from these actions.

The pirates' physical abilities were no match for Turan, and their combat skills were even cruder.

During this, the pirates' attacks did touch Turan's body several times.

After all, with only two hands and one sword, he couldn't block all attacks coming from every direction while restricting his power and speed to knight level.

If he were a master like Haram, it would be different.

"Urk…"

But there was no need to even try blocking such attacks.

He felt a large pirate's full-strength thrust at his exposed neck slide off without even piercing the skin.

Several more afterward slashed and stabbed at his shoulders, chest, and back, but none of their attacks were effective.

A noble's body wasn't fragile enough to be pierced just because ordinary people swung sharp metal.

Even without the guardian magical device, it probably wouldn't have been much different.

After about three minutes had passed, Turan realized he was the only person standing on the deck.

Only low groans and pain-filled screams echoed across the blood-soaked deck.

"Aaaaah!"

"M-mommy, I'm cold, mommy-"

"Please spare me…"

Looking down at the fallen pirates, he threw the ice longsword to the ground, just as several grappling hooks clanked onto the deck.

Because the two ships had crossed after he jumped ahead, the Blue Marlin had to circle around once to catch up to the pirate ship.

Captain Pires, who skillfully walked across the rope maintaining balance, clicked his tongue looking around the pirate ship's deck.

"It's finished, Captain."

"So it seems. This is, well…"

Pires wore an expression like he wanted to say many things but couldn't find the words.

Presumably suspecting whether Turan might not be just a knight.

But unlike him, the sailors approaching from behind all shouted something incomprehensible, filled with excitement.

"You-you're amazing! Long live Sir Knight!"

"Woooooah!"

"You bastards! Serves you right!"

Some sailors, unable to contain their joy, kicked fallen pirate corpses and fell over.

Then, one sailor spoke looking at Turan's appearance.

"But shouldn't you see the ship's doctor first?"

"Right! No, since it might be hard to move, let's call the old doctor here!"

The sailors had reason to make such a fuss, as Turan was covered in blood with clothes torn in places, looking quite injured.

Turan smiled and shook his head.

"No need to worry. I'm not injured anywhere. This is all the pirates' blood."

"Is that really true?"

"My goodness…"

"As expected of a divine descendant."

Actually, an ordinary knight's skin would have been cut when stabbed with bare flesh.

If it hit a vital point like the eyes, it could have been a fatal blow.

Of course, the sailors didn't know such details, so they just remarked how amazing knights were.

"Then may I go in and rest first, Captain?"

"Of course. Boatswain!"

"Yes! You maggots, clear the deck first! Throw them all overboard, whether alive or dead!"

Boatswain Lenak shouted with a red face while laughing.

* * *

While the sailors handled cleanup, Turan returned to the Blue Marlin, removed his ruined clothes and washed himself.

It was convenient that with only men aboard, there was nothing to mind even on deck.

"Could I borrow some spare clothes?"

"Here! But they might smell a bit, is that alright…"

"Doesn't matter."

Though Turan had particularly good smell due to his bloodline traits, he wasn't especially sensitive to bad odors.

Since the sense of smell quickly fatigues anyway, unfamiliar smells become familiar soon after first noticing them.

If not for that, he wouldn't have stayed in such a beggar-like state until first staying in Orem City.

"Whew…"

After washing and changing into sweaty sailor clothes, Turan put his blood-soaked original clothes in his cabin.

With Asiz's magic, the clothes would return to normal before long.

Looking at the current state, probably in a few hours.

Coming up to deck, Captain Pires had already returned to the Blue Marlin.

"We're still searching, but for now that ship appears to be a merchant ship that went missing from Abacha years ago. Seems the pirates captured and were using it."

"I see."

"Would it be better to sell it?"

When Turan made an expression asking what he meant, Pires smiled and said.

"Since you finished the fight alone, the ship's ownership belongs entirely to you."

"Ah."

Come to think of it, such a ship must be worth no small amount, but though it barely counted as a fight, his head wasn't working properly for a moment after the clash.

"What's usually done?"

"You could return to Abacha and demand compensation for returning it to the original owner, or sell it in the Enril Desert… but I think it's better to just sell it at an island on our current route. The North Sea Archipelago always needs sailing ships. Original goods are most expensive where they're needed."

The North Sea Archipelago was, as the name suggested, islands scattered in the middle of the North Sea, also serving as trade intermediaries between the world's northwest, central, and northeast regions.

The Blue Marlin was also planning to stop at one of these North Sea Archipelago islands soon to resupply food and water.

Captain Pires spoke with a somewhat troubled expression.

"But you see, moving a ship that size requires quite a lot of manpower…"

"So you need transport fees. How much should I give?"

Pires blinked his one eye with an "eh."

He apparently hadn't expected Turan to agree so readily.

"It's not like I can drag that ship alone anyway. If using people, I should pay them."

Having learned about sailing ships over the past week, he knew moving a ship that size wasn't easy.

Though they said they assigned plenty of sailors in case of deaths during rough voyages, operating another ship of similar size couldn't be easy.

The work would probably double and watch duties would double too, so how could they be worked without any compensation?

"In that case, about one-tenth of the profits…"

"Two-tenths. Can I leave the sale entirely to you too?"

"How could I refuse! I have quite a few contacts there so I'll make sure to get a good price."

Watching Captain Pires's delighted expression, Turan suddenly realized a new problem had arisen.

His backpack was already about to burst with gold coins, so how would he store money from selling a sailing ship?

He would probably need to buy something expensive but small at the island they stopped at.

If such things were for sale, that is.

Shortly after, the sailors cheered and shouted hurrah toward Turan again at something Captain Pires said.

He had probably encouraged them saying this knight would give them some of the ship sale money so work hard.

Though Turan alone had fought, while celebrating the victory and even passing around drinks, for some reason suddenly there was a commotion on the pirate ship connected by ropes.

One sailor shouted with a shocked expression.

"Captain! Merfolk, there's merfolk!"

"What? Merfolk are attacking too? Where?"

Captain Pires shouted in surprise.

After being fine for the past week, getting hit by pirates and merfolk in succession seemed too much.

But the sailor's following words revealed it wasn't what he thought.

"N-no, that's not it… the pirates were keeping merfolk captive. Under the ship!"

* * *

When Turan returned to the pirate ship, Boatswain Lenak was stripping and shaking down his subordinates who had gone below.

He said they had to search this way since those sent to search the pirate ship's interior might secretly hide valuable items on their bodies.

It was quite an ordeal in the North Sea's early winter weather, but no one complained.

How dare they complain when someone might steal from the knight who had just slaughtered seventy pirates?

"So, there's merfolk inside?"

"Yes. I haven't gone in yet myself, just received the report."

"Well done. Lord Turan, shall we go in?"

"Let's."

Of course, if merfolk really existed, their ownership would also belong to Turan.

Entering the cabin below deck, Turan asked Pires.

"By the way, do merfolk sell for high prices?"

"I hear beautiful female merfolk sell for enormous prices. Rich people who seek rare things go crazy for them."

Turan recalled the characteristics of merfolk he had read about in books.

They sing among reefs to lure ships, then sink them to eat people, wasn't it?

Was it really because their voices were that good, or did they have some special power to enchant people?

Now he would find out directly.

"This way."

Clank, coming down to the ship's bottom, Turan widened his eyes in surprise at the sight before him.

The merfolk the sailors mentioned had the appearance of a young boy who looked only thirteen or fourteen years old.

Beside him, Pires clicked his tongue.

"It's male? Male ones probably sell for dirt cheap. Unless it's one of those legendary royalty that can transform into fish…"

Then, hearing Pires's words, the merboy shouted in anger.

"How dare you! Male, you say! I am Prince Arma, forty-seventh prince of North Estadale! Show proper respect, land dweller!"

Indeed, the merboy's voice was more beautiful than any human voice Turan had ever heard.

Like the background instruments played during theater performances, one might say.

But more surprising than the voice was the content of his words.

"…Is he saying he's royalty?"

"Seems so. Though he might be bluffing thinking we'll spare him and sell him instead of killing him."

Seeing how the pirates kept a male merfolk that wouldn't fetch money, it might be true, Pires said with a serious expression.

"Can you transform into a fish, mer-prince?"

"Th-that I cannot!"

"Why?"

"Well, being tied up out of water like this… I need to enter the sea in perfect condition to transform."

Turan and Pires could feel their thoughts align without speaking.

This kid was trying tricks to escape.

"What shall we do?"

"Merfolk quite often eat people too, right?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll kill him. He won't fetch money anyway."

"But if he's real it would be such a waste…"

"We can't let him go to verify. If he won't transform he won't sell anyway."

Turan immediately reached toward the merboy.

Since he looked like a child outwardly, it seemed better to give him a painless instant death.

Sensing danger, the merboy backed away and shouted.

"I-I've never eaten humans before! And I don't plan to! If you spare me I'll give you treasure!"

"Treasure?"

When Turan paused, the merboy, Arma's face brightened.

"Yes, treasure! Left behind by the Frea gods you serve!”

Chapter 27: Everyone Must Stand Alone Someday (2)

Dam Ho asked:

"Are you not afraid of me?"

Bang Jin-bo answered:

"At first I was, but I'm fine now. Heh heh!"

Dam Ho found Bang Jin-bo strange. Even adults could not meet his eyes and turned their heads away, yet only Bang Jin-bo circled about him, displaying endless curiosity.

In truth, Bang Jin-bo was curious about everything concerning Dam Ho. Sometimes he was frightened, but he was certain that Dam Ho would not harm him.

"How did you end up in that place?"

"Where are you going?"

"How old are you, brother?"

Bang Jin-bo asked Dam Ho incessantly.

As his questions continued, Cho Su-gwang and Oh Gi-o's expressions grew increasingly haggard. They feared that if Dam Ho grew annoyed, he might do them harm.

But Dam Ho showed no reaction, for reasons they could not fathom. He lay on the wagon all day long, staring blankly at the sky, and Bang Jin-bo chattered beside him without ceasing.

When his questions ran dry, the boy spoke of himself.

Losing his mother in childhood, wandering the Central Plains with his father, and traveling to the Western Regions—all of it he recounted in meticulous detail.

The lonely boy Bang Jin-bo talked, and Dam Ho, accustomed to silence, simply listened.

People found their pairing peculiar. They were utterly disparate, and yet somehow complementary.

When the sun reached its zenith, Cho Su-gwang ordered his party to rest briefly. Thanks to this, the people of the Silver Lotus Trading Company could at last catch their breath.

While everyone rested, Dam Ho approached Cho Su-gwang. His mere presence made the man tense.

"What can I do for you?"

"Can you dispose of this?"

Dam Ho produced something from his bosom and offered it to Cho Su-gwang. The moment he identified the object in Dam Ho's hand, Cho Su-gwang's eyes went wide.

It was a stone the size of a child's fist, shaped like a cat's eye, radiating a brilliant glow.

"Is this— a cat's eye stone?"

Even night-luminescent pearls had grades. The cat's eye stone, which resembled a feline's eye, was among the most precious of all—a treasure of treasures.

Cho Su-gwang had heard of its existence but had never actually seen one.

"M-may I… touch it?"

Dam Ho handed him the stone.

Cho Su-gwang's hands trembled as he took the cat's eye stone.

'This is genuine. A treasure that no amount of money could purchase.'

If he brought this to the Central Plains, wealthy men would come bearing tens of thousands of gold. The cat's eye stone was an item that anyone with wealth would covet.

A glint of greed appeared in Cho Su-gwang's eyes.

If he could possess this stone, he would commit even murder for it. If he killed Dam Ho now and swallowed the stone, he would be rich beyond imagining without lifting a finger.

But the moment he looked at Dam Ho's face, that thought vanished into thin air.

Though hidden behind the tangled hair, the light in Dam Ho's eyes, glimpsed in passing, was terrifying beyond measure.

The man was one whom even the martial artist Oh Gi-o feared. Not only was taking it by force impossible, but he had no desire to provoke a grudge unnecessarily.

"I will be honest. This cat's eye stone is worth at least thirty thousand gold taels."

"Thirty thousand?"

"That is the minimum estimate. If you find the right buyer, it could fetch as much as a hundred thousand."

Dam Ho's eyes lit up.

The cat's eye stone was one of the night-luminescent pearls embedded in the cavern's ceiling. Still, it seemed he would need money upon reaching the surface, so he had brought two of the finest quality.

What he had offered Cho Su-gwang was one of them.

"Can you dispose of it?"

"To sell this, you would need to enter the Central Plains."

"The Central Plains?"

"Indeed! It would be impossible in a small county. You would need to sell it in the provincial capital at the very least."

"Would you buy it yourself?"

"I am tempted, but I have only ten thousand gold taels in my possession. That would not come close to the value of your cat's eye stone. However greedy a merchant I may be, I am not so shameless as to offer so little."

"Then I will sell it to you for ten thousand."

"Truly?"

Cho Su-gwang's voice trembled involuntarily.

'Not a calamity, but a god of wealth?'

Dam Ho nodded.

In any case, he owed Cho Su-gwang and the Silver Lotus Trading Company for the comfortable transportation. He was indeed in their debt, and more to the point, selling the cat's eye stone himself would be exceedingly troublesome. It was easier to think of it as settling a debt.

"Please… wait a moment."

Cho Su-gwang hurried to the wagon in which he rode, lest Dam Ho change his mind. There, in a pouch, lay his entire fortune.

"These are trade drafts from the continent's most reputable exchange. Six drafts of one thousand taels each and thirty drafts of one hundred taels. The remaining thousand is in silver taels—please verify."

Dam Ho nodded and tucked the pouch into his bosom without verifying the amount.

The fact that he did not even check the sum when conducting a transaction of ten thousand taels gave Cho Su-gwang a momentary look of regret. He realized the man had no sense of finance at all.

He wished he had bargained harder. But he quickly shook his head.

Everything in moderation. If he pressed too hard and offended the man, there was no telling what consequences might follow.

Cho Su-gwang hastily stowed the cat's eye stone in his own bosom, fearing Dam Ho might change his mind and ask for it back.

"Where is the nearest village?"

"Why do you ask?"

"If I travel with you, many will be uncomfortable. Let us part ways at the next village."

Cho Su-gwang brightened.

"A little further north from here lies Turfan. It is a developed settlement where merchants traveling to the Western Regions always stop. We happen to be headed there as well, so you may accompany us that far."

"So be it."

"If we hurry, we should arrive by this evening. Please endure a little longer."

Dam Ho nodded and returned to his seat. Bang Jin-bo was the first to greet him.

"Brother, this is for you."

"What is it?"

"Dried meat. I made it myself. Heh heh!"

Dam Ho looked at Bang Jin-bo for a moment, then accepted the dried meat.

"My thanks."

"When you feel peckish, just eat some and you'll be fine."

Bang Jin-bo, seemingly shy, handed over the dried meat and ran off toward the others. Bang Woo-gwang, who had been standing nearby, gazed after his son with a wistful expression.

Bang Woo-gwang bowed to Dam Ho.

"Thank you. For accepting a young child's kindness."

"…"

"I tried my best to look after him, but he must be quite lonely. That is why he behaves toward you in that manner…"

Bang Woo-gwang trailed off.

To him, the merchants of the Silver Lotus Trading Company were like family. Of course, they treated Bang Woo-gwang and his son well. But that did not resolve his fundamental loneliness.

The merchants were each occupied with their own work, and the guards did not serve as companions for the young Bang Jin-bo. Bang Woo-gwang himself was not the talkative sort.

In the end, Bang Jin-bo had no choice but to endure his loneliness alone. As that loneliness accumulated, perhaps it had led him to show curiosity even toward a frightening figure like Dam Ho.

Dam Ho leaned against the wagon and closed his eyes.

Bang Woo-gwang no longer found him frightening. Rather, he seemed forlorn and lonely.

"Hoo!"

Bang Woo-gwang let out a long sigh.

After a brief rest, the Silver Lotus Trading Company was underway once more.

Cho Su-gwang drove the party forward, and as a result, they arrived in Turfan before evening.

Turfan was an oasis city situated in the southern basin of the eastern end of the Tianshan mountain range. The water that flowed from the Tianshan formed a vital reservoir for the people and travelers who dwelled here.

Around the oasis, buildings of yellow earth stood in rows. They were mud houses constructed from the local loam. For that reason, the landscape of Turfan felt somewhat desolate.

Upon entering the city, Cho Su-gwang spoke on behalf of the group.

"This is Turfan. You may stay in any of the buildings around the oasis."

"Can I purchase a horse?"

"The livestock market is held on the outskirts. If you go there, you will be able to buy one. If you mention the Silver Lotus Trading Company, they will treat you well."

"My thanks."

"Then I wish you good fortune."

Cho Su-gwang hastily clasped his hands in farewell and moved away from Dam Ho.

He wished to spend no more time with Dam Ho, lest the man change his mind.

He led his party to a fairly large inn within the oasis. It was a place they always visited when passing through.

Bang Jin-bo approached Dam Ho.

"Brother, are we already parting?"

His face was on the verge of tears.

Dam Ho thought that Bang Jin-bo was deeply emotional. That was why he spoke more coldly.

"We cannot travel together in any case. It is better to part sooner rather than later."

"Brother?"

"Learn cooking well from your father."

With those words, Dam Ho turned away. Bang Jin-bo stood staring after Dam Ho's receding figure.

It was then that someone placed a hand on Bang Jin-bo's shoulder.

"Are you that saddened?"

"Father?"

"As he said, he is not a man who belongs with us. If we travel together, it will be uncomfortable for him, and for us as well."

"But…"

"He is a man of the martial world. There is nothing good that comes from entanglement with martial artists. You know well enough how dangerous they are. Your mother was also at the mercy of their…"

"I understand, Father."

Bang Jin-bo cut his father off.

Bang Woo-gwang, only then realizing his mistake, looked at the empty air. Bang Jin-bo seized his father's hand and tugged.

"Come on. Everyone is waiting."

"Very well."

Bang Jin-bo glanced back once. But Dam Ho had already vanished.

'Brother!'

Turfan lay between the Central Plains and the Western Regions—a waystation that merchants traveling between the two must always pass through—so finding an inn was no great difficulty.

Dam Ho entered a small inn in a secluded corner. The innkeeper started slightly.

Dam Ho's appearance was wretched beyond measure.

His tangled hair concealed his face entirely, and dust covered his shoulders.

'Is he a beggar?'

The thought crossed the innkeeper's mind in that instant.

At that moment, Dam Ho produced a silver tael from his bosom. The innkeeper's eyes lit up.

He hurried over.

"Welcome."

"Give me a room."

"How many days will you be staying?"

"Two."

"Understood. And, of course, you will be wanting meals?"

"Mm."

Dam Ho nodded.

"Very well. Please follow me."

The innkeeper led him to a room.

The room, built of mud bricks, contained only a crude wooden bed. Rough and plain though it was, it still exuded warmth.

The innkeeper smiled.

"And if you open this…"

He threw open a door on one side of the room. A well was visible.

"You may bathe there."

"Mm."

"If you need anything, please call."

"Bring me scissors and a knife."

"Understood."

Dam Ho flicked a finger. A silver tael flew toward the innkeeper.

"Will that suffice?"

"That is more than enough!"

The innkeeper grinned and rushed out.

A single silver tael from Dam Ho was more than enough for over a month's lodging. The fact that Dam Ho would stay only two days meant a handsome profit.

Having lived almost entirely cut off from the world, Dam Ho had no sense of the value of money. He did not know how potent the money he carried was, nor what it could purchase in the outside world.

Dam Ho stripped and approached the well.

Splash!

He poured water over his entire body.

The dust and filth clinging to his body seemed to wash away with the fatigue.

Standing in his dripping state, Dam Ho remained motionless for a long time. He did not move until the wind had completely dried his soaked body.

Only after a considerable time had passed did Dam Ho re-enter the room.

On the bed were the scissors and knife that the innkeeper had brought.

Snip, snip!

Dam Ho began cutting the hair that had obscured his face. Locks of hair piled up at his feet.

As the hair was cut away, the face it had hidden was revealed—a face obscured by a beard.

Dam Ho then took the knife. The blade traced the line of his jaw.

Scrape, scrape!

Beneath the tangled hair gleamed a feral gaze. Beneath a sharp nose, lips pressed tightly together. And a jawline angular and hard.

For the first time in twelve years, his face was revealed to the world.

Neigh!

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

Yong-myeong heard the horse leaving. Though his body was becoming increasingly stiff, his mind remained clear.

‘No. What are you trying to do!’

Just moments ago, Jin Ja-gang had dragged Yong-myeong off the road and into the forest path. Then he had concealed Yong-myeong with branches and leaves.

It couldn’t have been easy for a ten-year-old child to drag a full-grown adult, especially one who was injured, yet Jin Ja-gang had done so without making a single sound of complaint.

He had taken considerable time to meticulously arrange the surroundings.

Then suddenly, he mounted the horse and began heading back the way they had come.

‘What on earth is he thinking…’

Because his mind was clear, Yong-myeong felt all the more anxious.

He resented his own helplessness, unable to move even a finger due to the paralysis, forced to simply wait.

***

Read only at nineheavens.org

Translated by Nine Heavens!

https://discord.gg/XC9DTsTQ9Z

***

The pursuit team from the Extreme Poison Sect had begun tracking Yong-myeong and Jin Ja-gang.

Hidden Dragon Bell Sa Heung-sam, Longlao, and Relentless Dagger, who had previously lost Jin Ja-gang, had rejoined forces to lead the warriors.

“We must hurry to catch them before they leave Yunnan—if they make contact with outsiders, this will become much more troublesome!”

Sa Heung-sam, skilled in tracking, took command of the pursuit team. As Sa Heung-sam used his lightness skill to lead the way, Longlao, Relentless Dagger, and twenty Extreme Poison Sect warriors followed behind, also using lightness skills.

Considering that the Extreme Poison Sect had only about two hundred warriors in total, and less than half of them were properly trained in martial arts, they had committed a significant portion of their forces.

This was necessary because both Jin Ja-gang and Yong-myeong knew the true nature of the Extreme Poison Sect. They couldn’t allow the two to leave.

While Jin Ja-gang might be discounted due to his young age, Yong-myeong was the Vice Sect Leader of the Medicine King Sect and had considerable connections in the outside world. From the Extreme Poison Sect’s perspective, he was far more dangerous than Jin Ja-gang.

Moreover, the longer they remained unfound, the more likely the Martial Arts Alliance’s Yunnan Branch would intervene, potentially leading to the worst-case scenario of interference in the Extreme Poison Sect’s internal affairs.

For Miao Ligoujao, the leader of the Extreme Poison Sect, this was something that had to be prevented at all costs, which is why he had deployed such a large pursuit team.

After riding for between half and one shichen, they spotted something approaching from ahead. Sa Heung-sam’s eyes gleamed strangely.

“Hmm?”

Neigh!

Incredibly, it was an empty horse with no rider.

The warriors looked to Sa Heung-sam for direction.

The look meant “what should we do?”

“Stop it.”

Sa Heung-sam gave the order.

One of the Extreme Poison Sect warriors nimbly used his lightness skill to jump onto the running horse. Then, grabbing the reins, he brought the horse to a halt.

“Whoa, whoa.”

The warrior who had mounted the horse patted its mane, stroking it gently.

Snort! The horse shook itself.

Relentless Dagger’s expression turned peculiar as he observed the horse.

“That’s the horse they were riding!”

“Hmm?”

Why would the horse that Yong-myeong and Jin Ja-gang had been riding return?

“Did they abandon the horse and flee?”

At Sa Heung-sam’s words, Relentless Dagger shook his head.

“That’s unlikely. My dagger pierced them both, so they should be poisoned. To get as far away as possible, they would need the horse.”

“But if the poisoning worsened, they might have reached a state where they could no longer ride.”

“Hmm, you’re right. That’s also a possibility.”

As Sa Heung-sam and Relentless Dagger conversed, they noticed that the warrior who had mounted the horse was examining his hand.

“What’s the matter?”

The warrior smiled sheepishly.

“It’s nothing. I think I got pricked by a thorn while grabbing the reins…”

“A thorn?”

What an unexpected thing to mention.

But the warrior’s face suddenly turned pale.

He clutched his chest and fell from the horse.

Thud!

“Huk, huk, huk, huk.”

“What the!”

The fallen warrior rolled on the ground, foaming at the mouth.

“Kkeuk, kkeuk!”

Other warriors rushed forward in alarm, but Longlao stepped in to block them.

“Stand back.”

Longlao was a master of poisons. Instinctively recognizing poison at work, the warriors hastily retreated.

Longlao was a stout elderly man with a short mustache and a topknot, carrying a small box shaped like a book chest that scholars use to carry books.

Longlao took deerskin gloves from his sleeve and put them on.

Then he grabbed the warrior’s wrist and carefully checked his pulse. Sa Heung-sam and Relentless Dagger approached, summoning their internal energy.

“Is it poison?”

“That’s right.”

“What kind of poison is it?”

Longlao looked at them as if their question was absurd.

“Well now, when someone is poisoned, shouldn’t we first determine if they can be saved? Isn’t that the proper order?”

Sa Heung-sam didn’t respond. He knew that Longlao’s words didn’t come from any concern for human life or a kind disposition.

“It seems I can’t save him.”

At Longlao’s words, Relentless Dagger expressed disbelief.

“Is the poisoning severe?”

“That’s part of it, but I don’t yet know what poison it is.”

“If it’s a type of poison even you don’t recognize…”

“My, what an impatient fellow you are. I can only know for certain what poison it is after he dies, so let’s wait until then.”

The poisoned warrior heard this and desperately gripped Longlao’s collar.

“Kkeuk, kkeuk!”

Longlao used his internal energy to press down on the warrior’s hand, causing it to twist and fall away from his clothing.

Longlao looked at Relentless Dagger and said:

“Ah, don’t misunderstand. I heard that this child uses poison. If we can’t identify this poison, we could all be in danger, which is why I’m doing this.”

Relentless Dagger retreated with a bitter smile.

The poisoned warrior continued to foam at the mouth, writhing in agony, but Longlao paid no heed.

“Kek, kek!”

Not long after, the poisoned warrior even lost control of his bladder, with blood mixing in his urine.

Longlao examined the warrior again. He looked at the puncture site, checked his rolled-back eyes, and peered into his mouth.

“Ulcers have formed on the skin where he was pricked, his mouth is dry. There’s a garlic-like smell from his mouth, and he’s passing bloody urine…”

Longlao nodded.

“As I’ve been told, it’s arsenic. Moreover, it’s an extremely potent arsenic capable of causing acute poisoning. How did he obtain such a thing?”

By this time, the poisoned warrior had died.

“Tsk, tsk, what a waste of talent.”

Longlao muttered to himself as he approached the horse. Carefully examining the reins, he picked out a crushed fragment of a plant that had been attached to them.

“It’s deadly nightshade. He pulled out thorns from deadly nightshade, coated them with poison, and planted them in the reins.”

Sa Heung-sam frowned.

“Is he threatening us not to follow?”

Longlao laughed heartily.

“A threat means he has a problem. Such potent arsenic is difficult to obtain even in our Extreme Poison Sect. He’s probably almost out of poison.”

Several warriors sighed in relief. Poison was both troublesome and dangerous, making them nervous during pursuit. Hearing that there wasn’t much poison left was reassuring.

Sa Heung-sam moved the dead warrior’s body to the roadside and gestured to the warriors.

“From now on, if you spot anything suspicious, don’t overlook it—report everything.”

“Yes!”

Sa Heung-sam slightly reduced the pursuit team’s pace.

Judging by the horse’s condition, he estimated they could catch up within half a day at most… However, the pursuit team had to stop again shortly after.

“There are traces of them ahead!”

Plants were pressed down in the bushes by the roadside, as if someone had been lying there.

“Check it.”

One warrior carefully approached and examined the spot.

“Judging from the sap that has seeped into the plants, it seems recent. The size suggests it was a child, not an adult, who was lying here. And…”

Something was carved on a tree next to where the traces were found.

The warrior approached to read the strange writing carved into the tree.

Suddenly, the warrior felt a sharp pain in the sole of his foot and jumped up.

“Ack!”

There was a throwing dagger embedded in the warrior’s foot. The dagger had been planted upside down in the ground.

It was the very dagger that Relentless Dagger had embedded in Jin Ja-gang’s abdomen.

“Keuuk!”

The warrior gritted his teeth and immediately pulled out the dagger. He then took out medicine from his pocket and tried to consume it, but collapsed before he could do so.

The warrior began to convulse.

Longlao approached to check.

“It’s arsenic poison again.”

Sa Heung-sam’s face wrinkled with displeasure.

Relentless Dagger asked Longlao:

“Is there no antidote for arsenic?”

“The arsenic this boy uses has a completely different potency than any arsenic we’ve known before. If I knew the composition ratio of this arsenic, I might be able to prepare an antidote, but this isn’t my laboratory, so there’s nothing I can do right now. Our only option is to take the antidote from him.”

Longlao shook his head.

Indeed, wasn’t this the poison that had even killed formidable masters like Bloody Hand and Great Desert Saber?

“This doesn’t bode well.”

Sa Heung-sam issued orders to the pursuit team with an uncomfortable expression.

“Continue forward.”

Sa Heung-sam began to think that this pursuit might be more challenging than expected.

The pursuit team stopped again not long after.

“There are traces of someone pushing through the forest path!”

There was a thicket of dense vines by the roadside.

Very clearly, there were signs that someone had forced their way through the vines, breaking and snapping branches along the way.

“To anyone…”

Relentless Dagger swallowed his words.

It was as if someone had deliberately left signs saying, ‘I went this way.’

Sa Heung-sam examined the road and saw horse hoofprints overlapping in both directions.

This meant the horse had gone further ahead and then returned.

Yet how could they know if this was a trick? Jin Ja-gang and Yong-myeong might have dismounted here and the horse continued forward before returning, or they might have ridden ahead, returned, and then fled into the mountain path from here.

Either way, they had to check.

“Verify it!”

Sa Heung-sam designated one of the warriors for the task. A bearded warrior stepped forward.

Though his internal energy was only at the half-gapja level, he had the deepest internal energy among the warriors.

The bearded warrior put on pigskin gloves. Though inferior to deerskin gloves, they still provided some protection against poison.

The bearded warrior cautiously entered the vines. The trail through the vines was so obvious that there was no reason to lose the path.

The bearded warrior pushed aside the clinging vine branches as he proceeded, then stopped. He turned back with an incredulous expression and reported:

“The traces end just one zhang ahead. Beyond that, there is no sign of human presence, only dense undergrowth. There are no signs of damage at all.”

This meant there were only traces of someone starting to push through the vines and then stopping. Perhaps they had started to go through the vines but changed their mind and turned back?

Sa Heung-sam snorted.

“Is he trying to waste our time?”

But it seemed more than a simple delaying tactic. The bearded warrior who had entered the vines suddenly collapsed as he was walking back.

“Keok!”

Thud!

The bearded warrior fell forward and continued to gasp for breath as if experiencing respiratory distress.

He tried to resist by summoning his internal energy, but this only intensified the pain. Instantly, blood vessels burst in his eyes, turning them crimson.

When Longlao approached, he saw that the warrior’s hands were fine thanks to the pigskin gloves, but the issue was his face and neck, which had been scratched by the vine thorns. Already, the scratched areas were swollen with ulcers forming.

Longlao examined the vines. The vines had a round hole through them as if someone had passed through.

A faint sulfurous smell emanated from all the vines.

The boy had boldly spread poison over the entire thicket of vines!