Chapter 24 : Poison Demon

Chapter 24: Poison Demon

A group of martial artists was traveling through the winding mountain paths of Mount Waok, located south of Chengdu.

Mount Waok was renowned for its treacherous terrain.

At the front, the escort flag bearing the character ‘Man (萬)’ from the Ten Thousand Seas Escort Agency fluttered in the wind.

Martial escorts of considerable skill and experienced escort guards formed a formation guarding the central wagon carrying the Murim Alliance’s cargo.

Their intermediate-rank mission from the Murim Alliance was to receive the Alliance’s cargo from Chishui County, on the border of Sichuan and Guizhou, and deliver it safely to the Alliance’s Shaanxi branch.

No one dared let their guard down, and the atmosphere was tense and serious.

Strangely, from inside the wagon came a strong scent of alcohol that didn’t match the tone of a formal escort.

“Krrk, this stuff... this drink is absolutely divine.”

“Ooh, I knew you’d appreciate it. It’s ‘Spring of Southern Sword,’ Sichuan’s famous liquor, specially prepared for you, Master Tak Bi.”

“Ooh, isn’t this the very drink that Li Bai mentioned exchanging for a fur coat worth a thousand gold coins in his poem ‘Wine Before Battle’?”

Astonishingly, inside the wagon carrying the Murim Alliance’s cargo, a wild drinking party was taking place.

Drinking on duty during an escort was unheard of and absolutely forbidden in the Ten Thousand Seas Escort Agency.

But just this once, it couldn’t be helped.

The man sitting before them was a special-grade wanderer, barely recruited to undertake this Murim Alliance mission.

The drinking was prepared specifically to appease the infamous ‘North Wind Blade’ Tak Bi.

Thus, Tang Hyuk, the senior head escort of the Ten Thousand Seas Escort Agency and right-hand man of Tang Hoyeol, was—

‘The poem by Li Bai was not “Wine Before Battle” but “Bring in the Wine.” You ignorant bastard of a wanderer.’

“Yes! It’s exactly that drink.”

Suppressing his boiling frustration, he forced a smile like a street merchant and replied politely.

“Wahaha! Of course a top-tier master like me, the youngest among the special-grade wanderers, deserves top-grade liquor like this!”

“Absolutely true. Our Chief Head Escort himself especially…”

Tang Hyuk, realizing too late that he’d mentioned Tang Hoyeol’s name, quickly tried to retract his words.

But the moment the title ‘Chief Head Escort’ left his lips, Tak Bi’s brow furrowed deeply.

Tak.

Tak Bi slammed down his cup.

“Click, what’s the use of expensive liquor if the one pouring it doesn’t match the grade?”

He clicked his tongue, visibly displeased.

Ugh, here we go again.

Tang Hyuk cursed internally.

This wasn’t the first time Tak Bi had thrown a tantrum like this.

-If you want to serve me, shouldn’t the Tang Clan Head or the Chief Head Escort come themselves!

-Or at least have one of those famous young masters from Sichuan bow their heads to me!

To be fair, Tak Bi’s complaints weren’t entirely baseless.

If it were a normal escort, not a Murim Alliance mission, Tang Hoyeol would have led it personally.

But there was a simple reason he couldn’t.

‘Phew, Chief Head Escort had to remain at the escort agency to monitor the main clan’s movements in real time.’

If the main Tang Clan discovered that Tang Hoyeol had undertaken this intermediate mission on his own,

He had to drag out the completion of the mission as much as possible, so Tang Hoyeol remained stationed at the escort agency.

“Ha, haha. Master Tak, please don’t be like that. Here, have another drink.”

“Tch, another drink? You think this will placate me?”

Tang Hyuk smoothly poured him another glass to change the topic.

As always, Tak Bi grumbled until the aroma of Spring of Southern Sword wafted up again and eventually gave in.

Seeing the man with half-glazed eyes gulp down drink after drink, Tang Hyuk sighed inwardly.

To think this was the special-grade wanderer they paid a fortune to recruit—it was frustrating.

‘No matter how foul it gets, I must endure it. In the world of Jianghu, strength is everything.’

Despite his demeanor, Tak Bi was indeed a top-tier master.

Though he had only just managed to reach the pinnacle realm,

He was the most talked-about rising bladesman among the wanderers recently.

‘Still, thanks to this bastard, we made it safely to this area near Chengdu.’

Tang Hyuk recalled Tak Bi’s divine presence as he massacred the bandits who tried to rob the wagon—

Neigh!

Suddenly, the wagon came to an abrupt stop.

“Ugh!”

“W-What is it?”

The sudden jolt overturned the table, creating a mess.

Tak Bi’s expression turned icy as Tang Hyuk quickly rushed to the coachman’s seat.

The coachman was trying to calm the horses, but they were terrified and wouldn’t settle.

“What’s going on?”

“I-I’m sorry, Head Escort. The horses panicked because of that old man who suddenly appeared in the middle of the road.”

Old man?

At the coachman’s words, Tang Hyuk looked ahead.

Sure enough, a hunchbacked, white-haired blind man was standing right in the middle of the road.

“Hey there, old man. You need to move aside so the wagon can pass.”

“Kihihi. Heehee.”

A madman?

A blind man wearing dark glasses that glinted in the sunlight—he was clearly not sane.

“Hah, looks like the horses got spooked by the reflection from that old man’s glasses.”

“Oh! You’re here, Master Tak. We’ll handle this, so…”

“Handle my ass. Move aside.”

Tak Bi strode confidently toward the old man.

Greed flashed in his eyes.

‘Heh, what use does a blind old man have for glasses anyway?’

The glasses looked expensive, and Tak Bi’s intent was clear.

“Hey, old man. Can’t you see your little stunt ruined my clothes? How are you going to compensate me for this?”

“Where’s the cargo?”

Suddenly, the old man’s tone changed.

The crazy laughter vanished, and a chilling demonic qi exploded from him.

Wooong!

At the same time, the jet-black lenses of his glasses began turning blood-red.

The eerie sight sent shivers down Tak Bi’s spine.

‘At least equal to me!’

Sring!

Sensing danger, Tak Bi hastily drew the greatsword strapped to his back.

But he never got the chance to swing it at the enemy.

Clang!

The greatsword tumbled to the ground.

Tak Bi clutched his throat, his face pale with terror.

There hadn’t even been a visible poisoning process, but Tak Bi was already deeply poisoned.

“Keugh, keugh!”

“Heehee. Tasty, wasn’t it? It’s a deadly poison that rots the tongue first.”

The old man’s tone had once again shifted to that of a madman.

It was a bizarre sight, as though two people shared one body.

“Gurgh, gack!”

Black blood gushed from Tak Bi’s mouth.

Watching that horrific scene, Tang Hyuk’s face turned pale.

‘H-How is that man alive?’

Crimson dark glasses and overwhelming poison arts that toyed with a peak master like a child.

Any member of the Tang Clan would recognize that figure.

The great demonic practitioner once known for his confrontation with the former Clan Head, Poison Lord Tang Eui-tae.

Poison Demon Yelü Sheng had returned from the dead!

Grab.

In that instant, Yelü Sheng seized Tak Bi’s neck and lifted him high.

“So even a so-called ‘special-grade’ wanderer wants to die protecting honor?”

“Grrk!”

Tak Bi frantically shook his head.

Then hastily pointed toward the wagon of the escort party.

Yelü Sheng burst into laughter.

“Kihihi. Ah, right. Just now, I melted your tongue away, didn’t I? Heehee.”

“Grk!”

“Then I suppose you’re no longer useful. Die.”

Crack.

Tak Bi’s neck snapped, and his body went limp.

After throwing Tak Bi’s corpse aside, Yelü Sheng turned his body toward the wagon.

“Heehee, now who should I ask about the cargo’s whereabouts?”

“All escort party members, flee! Anyone who survives must get the word out!”

Pabat!

Tang Hyuk, concealing the cargo inside his robe, fled the battlefield and shouted to the rest of the escort team.

The moment Tak Bi, the strongest of their group, was killed so easily, the annihilation of the escort team was certain.

If there was to be any chance of saving even one person from that great demonic practitioner, or preserving the cargo, this was the only way.

Watching the Tang Clan members scatter in all directions, Yelü Sheng flicked his tongue.

“What a nuisance.”

“Kihihi. But this is what makes the hunt fun.”

The crimson dark glasses of the Poison Demon gleamed ominously as he spoke to himself.

Ten Thousand Seas Escort Agency.

Chief Head Escort Tang Hoyeol’s office.

“Hehe.”

Tang Hoyeol, tending to an orchid, let out an involuntary giggle.

Though he was supposed to maintain dignity as the Clan Head of the new Tang Clan, the thought of the gold to be poured upon him made him unable to stop smiling.

‘Three days ago, the carrier pigeon said the cargo would be received in Chishui County and was en route—so it should be soon now.’

A sticky greed shimmered in Tang Hoyeol’s eyes.

Tang Muyeol had neither superior martial skill, character, nor business acumen compared to him.

Only because he had been born a little earlier, the position of Clan Head had been taken from him—but the day to repay that resentment was near.

‘That arrogant brat Tang Sewoon will be the first to be thrown out of the clan penniless.’

Tang Hoyeol ground his teeth, recalling his nephew who had recently dared to challenge him without knowing his place.

Just then—

Crash!

A sudden commotion broke out outside his office.

Sounds of things breaking and his subordinates panicking echoed loudly.

He was still wondering what was happening when—

The office door burst open, and an escort drenched in blood appeared.

“Huff! Huff! C-Chief Head Escort. T-There’s a big problem.”

Only one survivor had returned to the Ten Thousand Seas Escort Agency.

The more Tang Hoyeol heard the report, the colder his expression became—colder than ice.

Poison Demon Yelü Sheng had suddenly ambushed the escort team.

Special-grade wanderer Tak Bi had been killed.

Even the survival of Head Escort Tang Hyuk was uncertain, and the theft of the Murim Alliance cargo was almost confirmed.

As Tang Hoyeol processed the current situation, his next course of action became clear. He asked the escort in a low voice:

“Who else survived?”

“I-I don’t know. Everyone scattered without a moment’s thought.”

“Then there might be someone heading to the main clan.”

“I-I don’t know. But why do you ask?”

Puuk!

A grotesque sound of flesh tearing rang out.

The escort looked down at his own body with wide eyes.

Tang Hoyeol’s hidden weapon had pierced deeply into his body.

Thud.

The escort collapsed, eyes still wide open in confusion.

“Because the fewer people who know we failed the Murim Alliance mission, the better.”

Tang Hoyeol muttered as he looked down at the corpse with emotionless eyes.

There was not a trace of guilt.

Damn it. Why did it have to be today?

He quickly turned to begin erasing all traces of wrongdoing from the office.

“Damn it. As soon as the Mount Emei Sect Leader hears, she’ll come straight here.”

Two hours ago, a spy planted in the main clan had reported that Geum Hwa, the Sect Leader of Mount Emei, had visited the main Tang Clan.

They might still be discussing unrelated matters, but if a survivor had gone to the main clan, Geum Hwa would soon be after him.

Because he had deceived the Murim Alliance and accepted a mission based on false information.

Even if the unexpected variable was Poison Demon Yelü Sheng, Tang Hoyeol could not escape responsibility.

‘This won’t do. I have to run and plan for the future.’

If he were dragged before the Court of Justice of the Murim Alliance, he would not come out unscathed.

Tang Hoyeol stopped trying to destroy evidence.

Even if the main clan received the news, they would first move to rescue the escort party.

“Damn it. I’ll just grab the important documents and valuables for now…”

But just then—

Crash!

A piercing sound ripped through the air—

Crack!

Something suddenly flew in and tore the office door clean off.

Tang Hoyeol’s startled face and the corpse of the escort were revealed.

“You look far healthier than I expected, based on what I heard.”

“…You.”

Tang Hoyeol directed killing intent at the intruder.

“Uncle, I’ve come so you can pay for your crimes.”

Tang Sewoon said quietly.