Chapter 442

The person caught in ambush immediately leaped down and attacked An Yul-jin with a dagger. An Yul-jin activated his internal energy. Suddenly, An Yul-jin felt a pain like being stabbed in the stomach with needles.

“Urgh!”

Poison?

When on earth was poison administered!

Flash! The assassin sharply stabbed at An Yul-jin. An Yul-jin rolled on the floor. The chair he had been sitting in cracked open.

An Yul-jin hurriedly employed the An family’s internal energy cultivation method to avoid the assassin.

It was the An family’s specialized mental technique for suppressing poison and healing internal injuries. It allowed one to endure to some extent even in places full of toxic energy.

However, the moment he employed the mental technique, the poison spread even faster and his intestines hurt as if they would break.

To use poison against a divine physician! At first glance, it seemed like a ridiculous action, but with this kind of poison, it was a different story.

An Yul-jin immediately recognized the nature of the poison. This was poison tailored to his mental technique. That’s why the more he used his internal energy, the more severely the poison clung to him.

But he couldn’t not use internal energy. The assassin’s skill in infiltrating up to the ceiling beams while avoiding his senses was no joke.

The assassin, knowing that the longer time dragged on, the more disadvantageous it was for An Yul-jin due to the poison, didn’t rashly approach.

However, for the same reason, An Yul-jin tried to draw up his maximum internal energy to subdue the assassin at once.

After fighting the assassin for over ten seconds, An Yul-jin broke the assassin’s arm and twisted his neck bones to paralyze him from the waist down. He poked his jaw with his fingers to dislocate joints and paralyze his tongue. Now the assassin couldn’t move his mouth or anything below his neck, making it impossible to commit suicide rashly.

“Huff… huff.”

After subduing the assassin, An Yul-jin removed his mask.

An Yul-jin’s face contorted. It was an old master from a sect that was practically an ally of the An medical family.

Moreover, wasn’t this the very place An Yul-jin had given hints about the poisoned salt this time!

“How could you… how could you betray me!”

An Yul-jin struggled to suppress his rising anger and first dealt with the poison in his body. The poison had spread throughout his five organs, making it difficult to suppress.

Then the door opened and An Yul-jin’s nephew An Gyu rushed in with a group of warriors.

“Uncle! Are you alright?”

A single thought flashed through An Yul-jin’s mind.

The assassin had attacked him inside the An family compound. Yet he leisurely waited for the poison to spread. Even though An Yul-jin could have shouted for help.

That meant!

An Yul-jin looked into the eyes of his nephew An Gyu, who came running worried about his safety. Deep in his gaze was killing intent.

That explained the entire current situation.

An Gyu attacked An Yul-jin as soon as he entered. It was a deadly strike filled with murderous intent.

However, An Yul-jin, who had already predicted the attack, avoided An Gyu’s strike.

So it was an insider who had used poison.

This morning… the confections An Gyu had brought.

He had praised them as delicious.

An Yul-jin shed tears of blood.

“You bastard! How did I raise you and protect this family!”

“Please forgive me, uncle. But how can our An family survive after making enemies with Shaolin Temple! I will take uncle’s head to Shaolin Temple and beg for forgiveness!”

An Gyu attacked An Yul-jin together with the warriors.

An Yul-jin was furious. He had no luxury to show mercy anyway. He immediately used a life-saving desperate technique to smash An Gyu’s head. Then he killed all the dozen or so warriors who came charging.

In the process, the poison spread severely and one of An Yul-jin’s eyes burst.

Loud noises began to be heard from outside.

What had happened in other families was also happening at the An medical family!

An Yul-jin immediately went outside and quickly commanded the suppression of the rebellion.

Because An Yul-jin had survived, those who had attempted rebellion were also flustered.

The rebellion was completely suppressed in half a day.

An Yul-jin made all the ringleaders and participants kneel and tortured them.

He selected the most painful pressure points on the body and stuck dozens of acupuncture needles densely. The An family compound was filled with screams.

Those who had rebelled couldn’t endure even one hour and confessed.

The sect leader who had tried to kill An Yul-jin had instigated their rebellion over several years and supported them from behind.

An Yul-jin immediately summoned his remaining warriors for retaliation. He also contacted friendly sects and families.

He knew the martial world situation was not normal. However, if he remained still after being attacked, he couldn’t survive in this cold martial world. Once marked as prey, it was over.

“These bastards dare… repay kindness with enmity? I will never forgive them.”

The An medical family also became one of the families participating in the chaos.

***

The Namgung family is a sword family and one of the two pillars supporting the Yangtze River Sword Sect together with Wudang Sect. Even when other sects withdrew from the Yangtze River Sword Sect, they continued to help Master Haewol’s work.

Previously, they had also protected Jin Ja-gang from behind by dispatching Disaster Sword Guest to Mount Song.

However, the Namgung family made enemies with Baek Li-jung’s Righteous Alliance as the price for supporting Master Haewol. From small businesses to branch territories, there was nowhere they didn’t clash constantly.

But now rumors spread that Master Haewol had joined hands with the Demon Cult and died at Dujiang Pass, so the Namgung family that had helped Master Haewol was truly in a difficult situation.

Sword King Namgung Rak.

Called the Two Kings of the martial world together with King of Hell, a supreme master who dominated an era at the somewhat early age of just over sixty.

He called the descendants of his family and drank tea silently for a long time with a very cautious expression.

From their twenties to fifties. Over twenty direct descendants of the Namgung family watched Namgung Rak with tense expressions, waiting for his words. Today’s summons had been made suddenly as all kinds of chaos erupted in the martial world, so they couldn’t help but be nervous.

Even normally, Namgung Rak was a very slow person, unlike his title of Sword King. He was slow in speech and actions and decisions.

But today his silence was particularly long.

The maids had already replaced the teapot three or four times for each person.

Then Namgung Rak first opened his mouth after a full hour.

“So…”

Namgung Rak slowly looked around at the descendants watching him and said.

“You all must know that Master Haewol has passed away. Our Namgung family has been helping Master Haewol’s work both materially and spiritually from behind the scenes.”

All the descendants agreed.

However, Master Haewol had died bearing the worst infamy of joining hands with the Demon Cult.

“What Master Haewol said while preparing for the great undertaking… after he departed, our Namgung family should handle things on our own.”

The descendants perked up their ears. What did that mean?

Namgung Rak explained leisurely.

“Our Namgung family fought together with Master Haewol against invisible enemies for the sake of righteousness alone, without any compensation. But suddenly he was abandoning the main family and going his own way. Hehehe.”

Namgung Rak stopped talking again, brewed tea, and blew on it.

“I wondered what that meant… then yesterday Mount Hua Sect contacted us. Demanding we clarify whether our Namgung family has any connection to the Demon Cult.”

Namgung Rak’s brow slightly furrowed after drinking the cooled tea.

“Even if they look down on our family, there should be limits…”

The descendants were indignant.

“How could Mount Hua Sect say such things to us!”

Namgung Rak nodded.

“But today the family head made another statement. The night before, Righteous Alliance bastards attacked several of our family’s businesses.”

“What?”

“We absolutely cannot let this slide!”

“Isn’t this their scheme to profit by using the Demon Cult as a pretext amid the martial world chaos!”

“That’s right. So today, I think I need to make a terrible decision.”

Namgung Rak put down his finished teacup and said.

“I need to kill some Mount Hua Sect Taoists.”

At the end of Namgung Rak’s slow motion of putting down the teacup, wind suddenly arose.

Flash!

Before anyone knew it, Namgung Rak’s hand was pointing toward the sky holding a sword.

Crack. The table where he had placed the tea had not a single scratch, but only the teacup was finely chopped into dozens of pieces and spread like flower petals.

Namgung Rak slowly sheathed his sword and said.

“After that, the sects that left the Yangtze River Sword Sect. Then the Righteous Alliance. Finally, Shaolin Temple.”

***

“Hoo… hooo.”

Baek Li-jung arrived in Chongqing looking completely like a beggar. His hair was disheveled and his entire clothing was soaked in blood while covered in dust, making him pitch black.

With his shoulders hunched and body trembling violently, he didn’t look like Baek Li-jung at all.

He even constantly muttered something with his mouth.

“Yubei… tabi ba… pusi… sau… abu…”

Baek Li-jung arrived at the compound where the Righteous Alliance branch was located.

The gatekeeper who had been wary seeing Baek Li-jung’s appearance panicked upon seeing the token Baek Li-jung presented.

“The Alliance Leader has come!”

Clang clang clang clang!

The gatekeeper urgently rang the bell.

Baek Li-jung pushed the gatekeeper aside with rough breathing and entered inside. As he entered the compound, numerous martial artists and warriors gathered.

Baek Li-jung staggered inside like a sick person.

“Alliance Leader?”

The Chongqing Righteous Alliance branch was managed by someone related to the Baek Ri family. It was Pyeong Tak, a sword master who was Baek Li-jung’s second cousin.

“What on earth happened?”

“Ar… Pedra chaseta… pohuda…”

Baek Li-jung, bent over at the waist, constantly muttered before closing his mouth and looking up at his brother-in-law Pyeong Tak who blocked his way.

“…Move.”

“What did you say?”

But there was something strange about Pyeong Tak’s eyes as he asked back. Pyeong Tak carefully looked Baek Li-jung up and down and asked.

“Alliance Leader, are you sick somewhere? You’ve been muttering strange sounds since earlier.”

Baek Li-jung panted and glared at Pyeong Tak. His eyes were reddish, looking very painful.

Incomprehensibly, a smile gradually began to appear on Pyeong Tak’s lips as he watched such a Baek Li-jung.

At that moment, swoosh! Baek Li-jung’s sword Heavenly Vermillion Sword diagonally cut through Pyeong Tak’s body.

“…?”

Pyeong Tak died with his eyes wide open, still in the position of just trying to grab his sword handle.

Pyeong Tak had originally intended to attack Baek Li-jung!

However, he couldn’t do anything, and was even struck down by Baek Li-jung before even attempting an attack.

Pyeong Tak’s diagonally cut upper body slid off his torso and fell to the floor.

Baek Li-jung spoke as if he had no interest in Pyeong Tak’s impure intentions.

“I said move.”

The warriors surrounding him belatedly attacked Baek Li-jung.

Baek Li-jung swung Heavenly Vermillion Sword at almost invisible speed and cut down all the warriors who rushed at him.

It was truly in the blink of an eye.

When no one was left to block his way, Baek Li-jung unhesitatingly dragged Pyeong Tak’s upper body along the floor as he entered the compound.

The bloodstains left on the floor as Pyeong Tak’s upper body was dragged were horrifically gruesome.

Baek Li-jung’s eyes had completely lost their sanity.

Baek Li-jung didn’t know why his family’s second cousin and the warriors had attacked him, but he didn’t particularly want to know right now either.

“Pedra… chaseta… baramo…”