Chapter 25 : One Must Pay for Their Sins (1)

Chapter 25: One Must Pay for Their Sins (1)

The moment he heard from the escort guard that the Poison Demon had attacked the escort party,

Sewoon was suddenly struck by a memory he had completely forgotten.

– The Murim Alliance Escort Goods Plundering Incident.

According to the original history, it was not the Ten Thousand Seas Escort Agency, but one of the Sichuan regional escort agencies, the Sunlight Escort Agency, that had suffered the incident.

An escort party carrying out a mid-level mission for the Murim Alliance had been ambushed by an unidentified assailant.

Not only the goods, but the entire escort party had vanished without a trace, and the perpetrator was never found, ultimately classifying it as a cold case.

Even later, no truths or background details ever came to light, and the incident had been forgotten until now.

‘…To think that this was the work of that Poison Demon bastard.’

The moment he heard the name Poison Demon, Sewoon unconsciously clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms.

Assassin, Seo Surin, Do Hayeong…

The three of them were people he could never forget, nor should ever forget.

Likewise, the name Poison Demon, Yelü Sheng, was something he could never allow himself to forget.

However,

the reason was completely different from the former three.

‘I always thought we would meet again someday, but I never expected it would be this soon.’

The Poison Demon was the only person with whom Sewoon, in both his past and current lives, had formed a master-disciple relationship.

He was both benefactor and nemesis.

‘…So you’ve come at last, Master.’

Sewoon bit down hard on his lower lip.

Before the regression.

The deepest level of the Blood Cult’s prison.

“Blood! Corpses! Bring the offerings now!!”

“Kihihi! Kihi!”

The demonic practitioners imprisoned in the dungeon were unleashing crazed roars.

The deepest level of this prison was where those who defied the Blood Demon’s orders, or caused major incidents driven by their own desires—such as instigating the Sichuan Blood Massacre—were confined.

There, the Demonic Craftsman, Tang Sewoon, was also present.

Clank. Clank.

Tang Sewoon was silently changing the restraints that bound the prisoners’ limbs.

One of the imprisoned demonic practitioners spoke with a sly tongue to Sewoon.

“Demonic Craftsman, help me escape from here. In return, I’ll teach you a Divine Art that will shake the heavens and earth.”

“They say you can’t learn martial arts, right? But my power is different. I use sorcery, not qi! Now, just offer a hundred virgin girls as sacrifices and…”

Srrrk.

Tang Sewoon lifted his head without giving a single reply.

The demonic practitioner flinched involuntarily.

From those eyes, which held nothing but emptiness and void, a chillingly brutal killing intent surged.

“U-Urgh!?”

The aura of fear from the Blood Cult’s supreme being, the one who had imprisoned him here, was radiating from Sewoon.

The demonic practitioner ultimately rolled his eyes back, foaming at the mouth, and lost consciousness.

Clank.

After securing the new restraints, Sewoon quietly stared at the unconscious prisoner.

A human scum, unchanged even in the face of death.

‘If they’re doomed to die anyway…’

There was a chilling glint in Sewoon’s eyes as he looked down at him.

As Sewoon stood there deep in thought—

“If you want, I’ll save your entire clan with their lives.”

A voice slithered into Sewoon’s ear like a snake.

Startled, Sewoon quickly turned around.

With a twisted smile, the Poison Demon, Yelü Sheng, was staring at him.

“Kyaahaha, you hesitated! You did!”

“Shut up!”

Though Sewoon spat the words like a seizure, his body trembled uncontrollably.

Because the Poison Demon had seen right through his true thoughts.

Sewoon had truly considered whether he should sacrifice the demonic practitioners to save his clan.

Angshin Tears… That extremely toxic poison, once considered a forbidden substance even in Jianghu, could only be created by extracting Corpse Rot Poison from the corpses and grudges of such demonic practitioners using special materials.

If he applied it to his demonic weapon, perhaps he could even slay the Blood Demon.

But—

“...Ugh!”

Sewoon was so repulsed by the fact that he had even considered such an insane act that he vomited for a long time.

As his time in the Blood Cult grew longer, he had come to think like a demonic practitioner himself.

Trying to leave quickly, limping as if fleeing, he heard the sound of the Poison Demon’s manic laughter echoing from behind.

“Kyaahaha, you thought about it! You really did! I’ll help you! You know no one in this world understands Corpse Blood Poison better than I do! So come! Come to me! You were always meant for the Demonic Cult, not the Orthodox Path!”

With each word the Poison Demon uttered, Sewoon felt as though his very flesh was sinking deeper into a swamp.

“You’re not like Tang Eui-tae—you’re the one who resembles me the most! Kekekeke! So come anytime you need! I’ll always be here, waiting fondly for you!”

Until he had completely escaped that dungeon, the Poison Demon’s laughter echoed relentlessly in Sewoon’s mind.

The meeting was immediately halted.

Because neither side could afford to overlook this incident.

Tang Muyeol moved swiftly, having grasped the situation.

“There could still be survivors! Leave only the minimum personnel behind at the main house—everyone from the Tang Clan will depart for Mount Waok immediately! Have the Dark Flower Unit Leader prepare at once!”

“Yes, understood!”

“Clan Head, I’ll accompany you!”

“Would you really do that, Sect Leader?”

“Of course! I’ll aid in treating the survivors!”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Geum Hwa joined the rescue team.

With the appearance of the Poison Demon, this matter could no longer be contained within the Sichuan Tang Clan alone.

Because the culprit was none other than the former Grand Demonic Master, the Poison Demon.

Over the years, he had committed unspeakably horrific murders, and the Murim Alliance had issued a kill-on-sight order should he ever be confirmed alive.

At that moment—

“Clan Head. After I capture Tang Hoyeol, I will follow as the rear unit.”

Sewoon declared that he would capture Tang Hoyeol and follow afterward.

At the sudden declaration, Tang Muyeol was greatly flustered.

“What are you talking about? That man has surpassed the Peak level. There's no way you can handle him alone...?”

“His level is equivalent to Sun Ugon’s. I can suppress him well enough, so please leave the criminal to me and proceed ahead. As you said, time is of the essence.”

Despite his father's objections, Sewoon did not back down.

Even Geum Hwa tilted her head with a puzzled look as she glanced at Sewoon.

However, Sewoon’s unexpected action was not decided lightly.

‘Even if I join the pursuit of survivors, it won’t make a big difference.’

Since he hadn't obtained the Ten Demonic Weapons, the Poison Demon’s toxic arts could still be countered with the medical skills of the other two.

Even without his participation, the number of survivors discovered would neither increase nor decrease.

The reason was simple.

The emergence of survivors was something that had occurred at the Poison Demon’s whim in the first place.

‘If he had truly wanted to kill, no one would have survived.’

The only reason any survivors returned to the Tang Clan was thanks to the Poison Demon’s capricious nature.

That madman made every decision in chaotic and unpredictable ways.

Moreover, the father he knew and Geum Hwa would clearly prioritize rescue and relief at the scene over chasing the Poison Demon or recovering the goods.

‘No, even if they wanted to track him, it’d be impossible.’

Sewoon was certain that without him, the pursuit team would never be able to find even the slightest trace of the Poison Demon.

The fastest way to chase him down was to leave the advance party and pursue alone.

‘There’s no one in this world who knows that man better than I do.’

The reality after his return was different from his past life. So this time, he had to uproot everything to prevent such a tragedy from repeating.

‘And I must also eliminate Tang Hoyeol now. He could become a much greater threat in the future.’

Whether it was due to his grandfather’s dying wish or not, his father was particularly lenient when it came to blood relatives.

That’s why he had to eliminate him with his own hands before it was too late.

-If I had known you would mesh so well with the Blood Cult, I wouldn’t have driven you out. I should have just made you the Head Escort of the Escort Agency. Hahaha.

He had sold orthodox martial artists to the Blood Cult and mercilessly plundered innocent civilians.

And he lived a life of arrogance under the protection of the Blood Cult until the end.

‘This is where I sever both of their cursed ties.’

Ultimately, the decision he presented to Tang Muyeol was one made by weighing ‘a few lives possibly held captive by the Poison Demon’ against ‘thousands of lives that might be lost in the future.’

The problem was...

‘Damn it.’

...that this way of thinking was exactly how a Demonic Practitioner would reason—something he so deeply despised.

No one noticed.

But Sewoon had to force himself to suppress the nausea he felt toward himself over and over again.

And then, back to reality.

“P-penance? Nephew, what are you talking about all of a sudden?”

Tang Hoyeol looked at Sewoon, who had suddenly appeared, with an expression of wrongful innocence.

To the unknowing, his performance was so natural that they might have been completely fooled.

But in stark contrast to Tang Hoyeol’s act, the corpse of the escort lying dead on the floor with eyes still open painted a grim picture.

“Ah! You must have misunderstood because of this guy. I was shocked, too. Not only you, but even I was attacked by an assassin…”

“Enough with the nonsense, Uncle.”

At the continued lowly acting, Sewoon’s voice turned cold.

“Aren’t you ashamed to speak like that in front of a disciple from another sect who’s young enough to be your daughter?”

“If you carry the blood of the Tang Clan, then stop behaving like a disgrace and hold your head up proudly—even if it’s to accept death.”

Sewoon’s harsh words were so scathing that even his companions were shocked.

But the effect was tremendous.

Crack!

A grinding of teeth was heard as Tang Hoyeol’s expression suddenly changed.

It was a gaze completely different from the previously sincere look.

Thick killing intent shimmered in his eyes—so chilling and threatening—as it turned toward Sewoon and his companions.

In that moment, Hayeong and Cheong Yeon felt chills run down their spines.

‘W-what kind of human has eyes like a serpent…?’

‘Even if the Tang Clan has fallen, they said never to underestimate Poison Toad Tang Hoyeol. It was true.’

Their sudden appearance, like Tang Muyeol, was a result of Geum Hwa’s concern for Sewoon.

—I couldn’t send you alone when your body isn’t even fully healed because of me.

Though she had witnessed firsthand that Sewoon had indeed taken down Sun Ugon alone.

Knowing that he was not fully recovered, she had sent the two as support.

Tang Hoyeol’s known martial level in the martial world was the beginning of the Peak level.

And Hayeong was also at the start of the Peak level.

Cheong Yeon had reached complete mastery as a First Rate Martial Artist.

Geum Hwa had judged Sewoon’s level as the pinnacle of the First Rate level.

So she believed that if the three combined their forces, they could subdue the opponent easily.

“Khuhuhu, yes. Seems like you’ve come knowing everything, so let’s stop playing around now.”

Swoosh!

In that instant, a dreadful aura exploded from Tang Hoyeol’s entire body.

He unleashed the full force of his Peak-level power.

Step. Step.

He walked slowly from the office into the hallway where Sewoon’s group was waiting.

He seemed completely at ease, as if he didn’t consider himself in any danger.

“So that arrogance of yours is because of the girls behind you, is it?”

“Shut your filthy mouth, scum!”

“Sister, calm yourself.”

Provoked by Tang Hoyeol revealing his true colors, Cheong Yeon shouted.

Hayeong immediately tried to calm her down.

“The Sect Leader of Mount Emei must have headed straight to the scene of the attack. Khuhuhu, should I thank you for that?”

“…Tang Hoyeol. No one is coming to help you. I’ll spare your life, so surrender now.”

Hayeong maintained her composure and spoke in an icy tone.

As soon as the subordinates of Ten Thousand Seas Escort Agency learned that the mission had failed, they had immediately surrendered.

It was only natural.

After all, they were not tied to the Murim Alliance in any way.

There wasn’t a single person willing to risk their life to protect Tang Hoyeol.

“Surrender, huh…”

When she suggested he surrender, Tang Hoyeol’s expression showed a hint of hesitation.

At that moment, Hayeong, without realizing it, let her guard down for just a second.

Squeak—!

Suddenly, a tearing sound ripped through the air, piercing their ears.

From the sleeve of Tang Hoyeol, a bolt shot out at lightning speed.

It was the Soul-Chasing Bolt, one of the forbidden tools of the martial world.

A wrist-mounted automatic crossbow—an abominable weapon said to be capable of killing even a Peak-level martial artist with a single shot.

‘The trajectory isn’t aimed at me! Then...!’

“Sa...!”

The target was Cheong Yeon.

But unfortunately, due to her still-incomplete training, she hadn’t even realized the bolt had been fired at her.

The bolt was about to pierce through her eyeball and impale her skull.

Chwarararak!

A black line flashed before Hayeong’s eyes.

At the same time.

Whiik!

Cheong Yeon, as if she were a Peak-level master, spun her body gracefully and dodged the incoming bolt with perfect timing.

Tang Hoyeol was shocked that his trump card had failed.

“Hee-Hiik?!”

But the same shock was shared by Cheong Yeon, who had dodged it perfectly.

Her eyes, widened in disbelief, revealed she had no idea what had just happened to her.

‘...Thread?’

Meanwhile, something flashed in Hayeong’s eyes.

A black thread was tied around Cheong Yeon’s wrist.

Indeed, it was Sewoon who had yanked her body away using the black thread of the Heavenly Net.

Cheong Yeon, realizing too late that it had been Sewoon who helped her, turned toward him, trying to say something.

But neither of them had time to thank him.

“Tch, what a waste. I could’ve killed that wench right there.”

“You shameless...!”

“Well, at best, you’ve only bought her a few extra seconds of life!”

Because Tang Hoyeol had immediately drawn his primary weapon from his robe and resumed attacking.

Swaaack!

Slaash!

The whip that earned him the nickname Poison Toad sliced through the air.

It was the Toad’s Saliva Whip, Tang Hoyeol’s unique weapon, made from the scales of the Silver-Horned Snake.

Though made of leather, it had durability on par with steel.

Crack!

Crunch!

The Toad’s Saliva Whip struck ferociously, tearing everything around it apart.

Because of the whip's extreme reach, all three had to focus solely on evasion.

But even that was no easy task.

‘This man is definitely not just at the initial stage of Peak level.’

The power embedded in the whip had reached the mature stage of the Peak level.

A cold bead of sweat slid down Hayeong’s forehead.

Realizing the danger, she immediately sent a telepathic message to Sewoon.

Hayeong was flustered.

She hadn’t expected Sewoon to be so unyielding.

Of course, since the opponent was from the Tang Clan, he would likely be more familiar with the man’s hidden weapons and tricks.

‘...But in actual combat and martial experience, I should be superior.’

Given the enemy’s unexpectedly high martial level, the competence of the one leading the combined assault was more important than ever.

Typically, the one in command would be the one doing the most direct fighting with the enemy.

“Hup!”

Chwararak!

At Sewoon’s sudden shout, Hayeong reflexively stepped one pace backward.

And then.

Sweek!

With a chilling slicing sound, a gash appeared exactly where she had just been standing.

“Hmph! Let’s see how long your luck holds!”

The slithering, storming whip once again raged toward her.

Crack-crack-crack!

Once again, Sewoon’s voice echoed in her mind.

Amidst the crisis, doubts were quickly swept from her thoughts.

Whiik!

As a member of the Nine Dragons and Four Phoenixes, she began moving intently, following the commands of the unknown Sewoon.