Chapter 192

Chapter 192: Cannot See the Tree Before One's Eyes (2)

When the Martial Alliance had first been established, Yu Jin-mun had been residing in Luoyang. Because of this, he had witnessed the confrontation between the Namgung Family and Dam Ho closer than anyone else.

He had seen with his own eyes the devastating sight of martial artists from the Namgung Family—one of the Five Great Families—being annihilated by Dam Ho. The fear he felt toward Dam Ho was beyond imagination.

In the first few days after witnessing Dam Ho's martial prowess, he had suffered nightmares. That was why he recognized him at a single glance.

"How are you here?"

"Is there a problem?"

"That's not…"

Yu Jin-mun's voice wavered.

It was not just him. The remaining Golden Guard martial artists were also visibly shaken.

'The Fist Demon?'

'How is he here?'

Among those present, there was not a single person who did not know the legend of the Fist Demon.

The greatest killer in the Murim.

A martial might so fearsome that even the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families dared not provoke him.

Among all those who had clashed with him, virtually none had survived unscathed.

The Reaper who brought death wherever he went.

That was how the Murim defined the Fist Demon.

Everyone knew that Dam Ho had been designated as a public enemy by the Martial Alliance, yet not a single person dared to raise a hand against him.

Move, and you die.

Dam Ho displayed no threatening posture, and yet every person in that place felt the chill of death upon them.

'The physician was traveling with the Fist Demon. Damn it all!'

Yu Jin-mun cursed his own tenacity in insisting on verifying the identity of Jong Ri-yeon's companion. Had he remained ignorant, he would not have to suffer this torment.

Dam Ho approached Yu Jin-mun.

Yu Jin-mun could not even conceive of retreating. He simply stared at Dam Ho.

Dam Ho's gaze, drawing near enough to touch, fell upon the sword still in Yu Jin-mun's hand.

"Are you going to fight?"

"N-No! Not at all!"

Only then did Yu Jin-mun realize he was still holding his sword, and he hastily dropped it.

He knew how shameful it was for a martial artist to discard his weapon before an enemy, yet he felt not the slightest shred of embarrassment.

'What does it matter? That man is the Fist Demon—the greatest killer in the Murim. I want to live. I want to live.'

Fighting spirit? Resolve to do battle?

Such emotions could only be mustered toward an opponent of comparable strength. Dam Ho was far too terrifying an adversary for him to bear.

Jong Ri-yeon moved to Dam Ho's side.

Only then could Yu Jin-mun recall why her name had seemed so familiar.

'Jong Ri-yeon of the Divine Physician. Why didn't I think of it sooner?'

He cursed his own dullness.

Dam Ho's gaze turned to Jong Ri-yeon.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine."

"I told you it was pointless."

"Yes, you did."

Jong Ri-yeon managed a bitter smile.

She had wanted to resolve matters on her own, but in the end, Dam Ho had been forced to intervene as well. This was not the outcome she had desired.

Wherever Dam Ho acted, a bloodbath inevitably followed. Though in this case, even without his involvement, blood would have been spilled regardless.

Dam Ho paid Yu Jin-mun and the Golden Guard no further attention. His gaze had shifted to the corpses of the middle-aged couple lying on the ground.

Their bodies had already begun to decompose, turning soft and putrid. Given a little more time, they would dissolve into nothing but a pool of blood.

"Is it the same poison?"

"Similar."

"But there is a difference?"

"They are undoubtedly born of the same root. If there is a difference, it is that the previous poison was several times more potent."

"Can the same poison differ depending on who wields it?"

"That is possible. Even martial siblings who learned medicine under the same master produce differing results. Those who cultivate poison techniques likewise vary depending on their constitution, their heart method, and the types of dormant toxins within their bodies."

"Then it could be a martial sibling—or a junior brother or sister—of the previous user?"

"That is possible, but not certain. Everything at this point is merely speculation."

"Th-Then you are saying there is more than one poison human?"

Until now, Yu Jin-mun had held his tongue, but the two's conversation forced him to interject.

If even a single poison human was difficult to contend with, the prospect of two or more was nothing short of catastrophic.

"It is only a conjecture."

Dam Ho replied with indifference, but Yu Jin-mun could no longer maintain his composure.

"Heavens above! A poison human…"

The Murim he knew was a fair world where battles were decided by swords, spears, or fists. The strength of one's martial arts and intellect determined everything.

No matter how fearsome Dam Ho might be, he could not single-handedly slay thousands or tens of thousands of people. No martial artist could. Not even the Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.

But when poison was introduced, the calculus changed entirely. With proper application, a single vial of poison could kill thousands.

And if that poison human was a being composed entirely of lethal toxin, the destruction it could wreak was too terrifying to imagine.

"If it comes to this, the Tang Family of Sichuan must step forward. The only way to counter a poison human of the Demonic Cult is through them."

"The Tang Family? If it is them, then perhaps…"

Jong Ri-yeon nodded.

The Tang Family was a renowned house of poison and hidden weapons. Since both were taboo in the Murim, they refrained from venturing outside Sichuan Province and conducted their activities within its borders.

Within Sichuan, the Tang Family's prestige was beyond imagination. Even though the Qingcheng and Emei Sects existed, no name could rival the Tang Family's standing.

For some reason, the Tang Family had, for generations, been pathologically obsessed with poison. They researched countless toxins, developed antidotes, and pursued their work as though they would not rest until they had catalogued every poison in the world.

If they were to intervene, they would provide a definitive defense against poison humans. The problem was that they were located thousands of li away in Sichuan.

Yu Jin-mun called forth one of his subordinates. He was the lightest and most agile of the Golden Guard martial artists.

"Il-mong. Ride to the Martial Alliance at once and inform them that a poison human has appeared. Be sure to convey that we must secure the Tang Family's cooperation."

"Understood."

"The future of the Martial Alliance rests on your legs. You must arrive safely."

"Leave it to me."

The subordinate replied and departed the village with a solemn expression.

Though hasty, Yu Jin-mun was undeniably a competent leader. Even as he was shaken by the appearance of a poison human, he managed to calmly formulate countermeasures.

Having dispatched his man, Yu Jin-mun looked toward Dam Ho. Fear still lingered in his eyes. But he overcame it and spoke.

"I know that you, Hero Dam, have a history of enmity with the Martial Alliance. But in this moment, might it not be wise to set aside old grievances and unite against our common enemy?"

"Our common enemy?"

"The Demonic Cult. I understand that you are not exactly on friendly terms with them either. Am I mistaken?"

"Well said!"

Yu Jin-mun's expression froze for an instant at Dam Ho's words. But it was only a moment, and he quickly resumed as though nothing had happened.

"I am grateful. Hero Dam, I ask only that you do nothing at all."

"You mean for me to simply watch?"

"This is our fight."

Yu Jin-mun gritted his teeth.

Dam Ho regarded him with a cold gaze. Yu Jin-mun's eyes were bloodshot, but he did not flinch from Dam Ho's stare. Yet inwardly, he was burning with anxiety.

If Dam Ho refused, they would be forced into conflict with him even before facing the poison human. The outcome of that confrontation was painfully obvious.

'We would be annihilated.'

And yet he could not retreat. To do so now would deal a devastating blow to the authority of the Martial Alliance.

Dam Ho spoke.

"Are you sincere?"

"I am… sincere."

Yu Jin-mun's eyes wavered, and Dam Ho seized that moment.

Dam Ho stared at him unblinkingly. Yu Jin-mun could not bring himself to meet that gaze.

His fists were clenched tight with tension when, unexpectedly, words came from Dam Ho's lips.

"I will watch."

"Thank you."

Only then did sighs of relief escape from all around. The Golden Guard martial artists had been holding their breath in equal measure.

Seeing that the situation had resolved more favorably than expected, the tension in Jong Ri-yeon's face eased slightly.

"Hero Yu."

"Speak, Miss Jong."

"I will investigate how the people were poisoned."

"I appreciate it."

"Just to be safe, when drinking from the village well, always test the water with a silver needle for poison first."

"Naturally."

Yu Jin-mun answered firmly and withdrew. The Golden Guard martial artists, weighed down with worry, each voiced their concerns.

"Can we truly trust him?"

"If word reaches the Alliance that we cooperated with the Fist Demon, the Captain will surely hold us accountable."

"That is why we are providing only minimal cooperation. If they hold us accountable after that, so be it. We have no time to waste. Everyone, strengthen the guard."

"Understood."

Yu Jin-mun divided his twenty martial artists into pairs and stationed them around the perimeter for thorough surveillance.

They inspected the well, their source of drinking water. Fortunately, no poison was detected.

Jong Ri-yeon approached Dam Ho.

"Will you truly do as you told them—simply watch?"

"I gave my word."

"Very well. Then I will tend to the villagers while investigating the poison."

Jong Ri-yeon hurried toward the area where the villagers were quarantined.

Left alone, Dam Ho stood beneath a large tree, watching Yu Jin-mun and the Golden Guard carry out their movements, and then closed his eyes.

The crisis came the following dawn.

"Aaagh!"

A piercing scream suddenly tore through the morning sky. The patrolling martial artists rushed toward the sound.

"How can this be!"

"Jin-pyung…"

Two Golden Guard martial artists were rolling on the ground, poisoned. They fought desperately, circulating their internal energy to resist the toxin. But the foam at their mouths indicated a grave condition.

"How?"

Yu Jin-mun's pupils shook.

They had been moving in pairs, maintaining strict vigilance. They had confirmed multiple times that all was clear, and yet his men had been poisoned. It was inconceivable.

Jong Ri-yeon, upon hearing the news, came running.

"Hold on a little longer. You must hold on. I will find a way to cure you."

She drew silver needles from her pouch and inserted them into the vital points of the poisoned martial artists.

These were points that stimulated dormant yang energy.

'For those who have not cultivated martial arts, there is no way to respond. But these are martial artists who have trained their internal energy. If I can bolster their strength enough to resist the poison, I will surely find a means to treat them.'

Dam Ho had used a similar method to drive out the poison.

Their level of internal energy was incomparably weaker than Dam Ho's, but combined with her acupuncture, they might endure long enough. In the meantime, she intended to diagnose them and develop an antidote.

"Ughhh!"

"Argh! It hurts!"

The poisoned martial artists thrashed wildly.

Jong Ri-yeon had them moved indoors.

"You must absolutely not touch them directly. If you do, you will be poisoned as well."

"Understood."

At last, the poisoned martial artists were quarantined. Jong Ri-yeon, her mouth and nose covered by cloth, tended to them.

"Please save them."

"I will do my best. In return, Captain, please ensure no one else is poisoned."

"You have my word."

But despite Yu Jin-mun's assurance, four more were poisoned. Meanwhile, the two who had been affected first lost their lives.

Jong Ri-yeon had no time to mourn their deaths. She was forced to devote all her energy to caring for the newly poisoned.

Jong Ri-yeon was desperate.

"This is not a single poison. At least two, perhaps three different toxins have been combined."

She ransacked the home of a village herbalist and gathered every medicinal ingredient she could find.

Drawing upon every scrap of knowledge she possessed, Jong Ri-yeon prepared a detoxification pill. But even after administering it, the condition of the poisoned martial artists did not improve.

Jong Ri-yeon studied their states and murmured to herself.

"I must remove the Blue Moon Grass. The fever is spiking too high. Then should I substitute the Sensory Grass?"

Thick beads of sweat formed on her brow.

Jong Ri-yeon labored with every fiber of her being to determine the correct formula for the antidote.

In the meantime, two more died, and two more were poisoned.

Jong Ri-yeon's mind was fraying at the seams, and fear spread among the Golden Guard martial artists like wildfire.

Despite their stringent precautions, comrades had been poisoned, and comrades had died. The fear that they might be next paralyzed their reason.

"We are all going to die."

Yu Jin-mun fought desperately to maintain control. But as time passed, the anxiety only deepened.

The incident occurred the following night.