Chapter 398

The leaders of the three Poison Sect Cliques had not yet left outside the great hall.

They watched everything: boarding up windows with planks, surrounding the area with poison-repelling cloth, and placing bird cages everywhere.

They remained silent for quite some time afterward.

Tap Tak-yeon was the first to speak.

“I never thought we’d actually bring down King of Hell.”

Ro-gwan crossed his arms and said.

“Even so, King of Hell isn’t dead yet. If King of Hell comes out alive, we’re next.”

Yuk Ha-seon stood leaning on his crutch.

“Hmph. Rather than hoping King of Hell comes out alive, we should hope Poison Dragon comes out alive.”

The three were not low-skilled masters. They already knew that countless martial artists were surrounding them, including surveillance eyes watching them.

If they made any suspicious moves, those people would act immediately.

“Though they accepted our words because we staked our lives, it’s true we did something harmful to the Tang family. We’re probably hateful as thorns in their eyes.”

“Can Poison Dragon come out?”

“Well. What’s certain is that we can’t easily leave this place until then.”

The three looked at the great hall, then turned their heads to one side.

A middle-aged martial artist with extraordinary presence was walking toward the three.

The approaching martial artist spoke to the three without any greeting gesture.

“The family head has prepared a place for you three to rest. Please follow me.”

Tap Tak-yeon’s ears reddened slightly at the martial artist’s rude attitude.

“Look here. Treating us as if we’re criminals is very unpleasant.”

The martial artist looked at Tap Tak-yeon and answered.

“How could that be? I’ve merely come to deliver a message.”

“Soul Seizing Hall Master Tang Sang-yul! Do you think we don’t know you’re the Soul Seizing Hall Master? There was no need to send you just to deliver a simple message.”

That Tang Sang-yul came personally could only be seen as wanting to remember their faces and the feeling of their presence.

Soul Seizing Hall Master Tang Sang-yul was a death messenger. Being remembered in a death messenger’s ledger couldn’t feel good.

Tang Sang-yul smiled slightly.

It was an unpleasant smile.

Yuk Ha-seon stopped Tap Tak-yeon.

“No need to get angry. Even if he’s confirmed our faces, there’ll be no problem if Poison Dragon comes out alive.”

“That’s right. Please follow me.”

Tang Sang-yul moved first without waiting. That too was clearly an unpleasant attitude.

Ro-gwan called to Tang Sang-yul who was walking ahead.

“Soul Seizing Hall Master, let me ask just one thing.”

Tang Sang-yul stopped walking as if annoyed.

“Speak.”

Ro-gwan asked.

“If King of Hell had quietly accepted the standing committee’s decision and stepped down without harming Poison Dragon or using force, what would you have done?”

Tang Sang-yul briefly looked up as if thinking, then turned around and answered.

“The family head said that in that case, we should cut off all three of your heads for the crime of slandering older brother and hang them outside the main gate.”

Tap Tak-yeon reddened with anger.

“What?”

Yuk Ha-seon laughed.

“Since we originally entrusted our lives to Poison Dragon, we should be prepared for that much. Three of us for King of Hell’s one head isn’t bad.”

Ro-gwan also nodded with a bitter expression.

“As expected of Lady Li Hua. She’s not the Tang family’s mistress for nothing.”

Tang Sang-yul turned back with indifferent eyes and said.

“Well then, shall we go?”

“Let’s go.”

While Tap Tak-yeon and Yuk Ha-seon followed Tang Sang-yul, Ro-gwan briefly looked back.

He saw Yeong-gwi endlessly staring at the great hall.

Ro-gwan let out a low sigh and turned his head.

What on earth had happened during that short journey with Jin Ja-gang to Sichuan?

What had turned Yeong-gwi, who had been burning with revenge, into a woman?

Even knowing that heart, Ro-gwan couldn’t bring himself to say anything.

Right now, not only for Yeong-gwi but for themselves too, he could only hope Jin Ja-gang would return alive.

* * *

The first thing Tang Gwi-ok did after leaving the great hall was to visit Tang Ha-ran.

Tang Gwi-ok gestured. A martial artist following behind placed a bird cage he was carrying by the window. It was a small bird with a white belly and blue crest-like feathers growing on its head.

“If that bird cries severely or shows strange behavior, you must immediately evacuate from this room.”

“I understand.”

Tang Ha-ran’s expression hardened.

Tang Ha-ran was also a member of the Tang clan. She knew the meaning of the Blue-crested Bird.

Red-crested birds are sensitive to the Eight Great Extreme Poisons, while blue-crested birds react to the Three Great Fatal Poisons.

A blue-crested bird appearing meant one of the Three Great Fatal Poisons had been used!

Probably bird cages with blue-crested birds were being placed throughout the inner courtyard by now.

“Older brother was defeated by Poison Dragon and collapsed.”

Tang Ha-ran’s eyes widened at Tang Gwi-ok’s words. Tang Ha-ran tried to stay calm, placing her hand on her belly and taking deep breaths.

“Poison Dragon didn’t lift a finger. The poison mushroom that had been growing inside older brother for a long time finally devoured him.”

“What happened to him?”

“He’s alive. For now. He’s trapped in the great hall with older brother.”

Tang Gwi-ok paused briefly before continuing.

“He really was amazing. That child was enduring even as the poison fog of Soul Extinction spread. The poison fog of Soul Extinction that even our family’s elders couldn’t endure.”

The Tang family’s Three Great Fatal Poisons.

Soul Extinction, Compassionate Eye, Burning Erasure!

They didn’t need flashy names like the Eight Great Extreme Poisons such as Demon Family Blood Mountain Powder or Absolute Emperor Death Poison. They were poisons that didn’t need to be shown off or boasted about. The moment any of the Three Great Fatal Poisons appeared, no martial artist in the martial world could survive. They were poisons that didn’t need to be mentioned or remembered.

Tang Ha-ran’s voice trembled.

“How could one of the Three Great Fatal Poisons be used in the inner courtyard?”

Tang Gwi-ok gave an answer somewhat off from the question.

“Only older brother and I in our family know the source of Soul Extinction.”

Tang Gwi-ok spoke with mouth movements without making sound.

Bone marrow.

Soul Extinction, one of the Three Great Fatal Poisons, was poison produced from Tang Qing’s bone marrow.

“So while I understand son-in-law is amazing, I don’t know how long he can survive.”

Being trapped in the same space as Tang Qing who produces Soul Extinction…

“Are you sure you don’t need to go see him? I can’t guarantee when the poison fog will subside or if your husband will be alive until then. The great hall is sealed, but conversation should be possible from outside.”

Tang Ha-ran shook her head.

“I made a promise with him. I would protect this child no matter what happens.”

“You’re still thoughtful and strong.”

No one knew what was happening inside the sealed great hall.

Jin Ja-gang might be in a state of high concentration trying to survive. In such a situation, if Tang Ha-ran ran to the great hall and cried outside, Jin Ja-gang could become greatly mentally unstable.

“If he survives, he’ll come find us. No, he will return alive. I’ll wait with this child until then.”

“If your husband returns alive, from that moment not only your life but your husband’s life and this child’s life in your belly will be different from before.”

Jin Ja-gang, who brought down King of Hell among the One Master, Two Buddhas, Three Dao, Two Kings, was no longer a wild man.

Jin Ja-gang would become a great figure. Someone no one in the martial world could treat carelessly. His position within the Tang family would also rise unimaginably high.

For Tang Ha-ran too, it was heart-stirring. Honestly, she had never imagined the day would come so quickly when Jin Ja-gang would bring down grandfather Tang Qing and stand tall in the martial world.

But Tang Ha-ran suppressed her stirred heart and lowered her head.

“The birth is not far off. I only think of the child.”

Tang Gwi-ok stroked Tang Ha-ran’s hand as if understanding.

“Yes. You only worry about that. This child is our Tang family’s future.”

* * *

Jin Ja-gang woke from deep sleep.

The poison fog was still terrible.

The poison was so fierce his eyes wouldn’t open properly. Pus had hardened and stuck firmly to his eyelids. Every breath made unpleasant gurgling sounds from his lungs.

It was a situation where ordinary masters would have died several times over.

‘Tremendous poison.’

This level of poison seemed much more powerful than even the Four Emperors Divine Beast.

Soul Extinction’s poison fog continued seeping in through his skin and breathing.

The Asura Blood inside Jin Ja-gang and Soul Extinction’s poison energy continuously fought to devour each other.

Jin Ja-gang didn’t mind.

Whichever won, it would all become Jin Ja-gang’s.

Primordial Origin.

The distinction between turbid and pure energy was no longer meaningful.

Even if ten thousand things mixed and tangled, their source was ultimately the same.

Soul Extinction devoured Asura Blood. Jin Ja-gang accepted it. Soul Extinction, having devoured Asura Blood, rampaged as if excited. But Soul Extinction’s belly split and Asura Blood poked its head out from there. Asura Blood appeared as if turning Soul Extinction’s shell inside out.

Soul Extinction still remained in abundance. New Soul Extinction flowing in from outside devoured the newly born Asura Blood. Then it rampaged before its body split and transformed into Asura Blood.

Rather than Soul Extinction devouring Asura Blood, it had conceived it.

The conceived Asura Blood devoured Soul Extinction from inside the belly, gradually growing larger.

The amount of poison fog was enormous and seemed to spring endlessly from Tang Qing’s body, but ultimately it had to be finite.

Jin Ja-gang absorbed all the surrounding Soul Extinction.

Now the poison fog could hardly be felt.

Asura Blood, having devoured all Soul Extinction and grown to tremendous size, roamed through Jin Ja-gang’s body and even ate Jin Ja-gang’s insides. It ate bones, joints, and muscles.

Then it vomited out new bones, joints, and muscles.

Pop.

Jin Ja-gang’s outer skin split while he lay down.

Just as Asura Blood had split Soul Extinction’s belly and burst out from inside, pale new flesh sprouted.

…

Flash!

A blinding light covered the dark great hall.

Rustling, Jin Ja-gang raised his body. His clothes had all melted away and his old skin remained only as scabs. His hair had all rotted and crumbled when touched. When he brushed his arm with his hand, a handful of scabs fell away.

Tang Qing lay beside Jin Ja-gang.

Jin Ja-gang listened to Tang Qing’s breathing. Tang Qing was tenaciously alive. But even while alive, he had become something that wasn’t truly living.

Tang Qing, already small and slight, was extremely emaciated. His cheeks were sunken and his eyelids had dropped so deep it was impossible to tell if his eyes were open or closed.

Only faint poison energy remained in the great hall.

Jin Ja-gang took a deep breath.

All remaining poison energy was sucked in by Jin Ja-gang’s breathing.

When Jin Ja-gang exhaled with a puff, no poison energy remained in his breath.

Now he could go outside.

Jin Ja-gang felt his body had become much lighter. Volcanic power filled his entire body.

Jin Ja-gang walked to the blocked door. He put his hands into cracks in the broken door and pulled left and right.

Crack crack crack crack!

The planks and poison-repelling cloth that had been hammered in several layers tore away. Embedded wooden nails flew in all directions.

Finally sunlight leaked in.