Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1310. What the hell is that guy? (4)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
Tuuuuuuung!
Lee Jayang's body flinched at the sound of the explosion ahead.
'Is this the Little Divine Monk Hye Yeon (소신승(小伸僧))?'
His eyes trembled violently.
Strong. No, ‘strong’ alone cannot fully express it.
Moreover, it wasn't just Hye Yeon.
Even Namgung Dowi's strength had far surpassed what Lee Jayang had ever imagined.
Before the power they displayed, all he could do was tremble.
'To this extent...'
The gap was so vast that it didn’t even spark jealousy anymore.
Of course, they were originally someones who received the evaluation of being different from countless other rising talents and carried the weight of the world’s expectations upon their shoulders.
Comparing himself to them was unreasonable from the start.
But what shocked him so deeply was how much stronger they had become in just a few short years.
What was most surprising was how much the gap had widened in such a short time.
'They definitely weren't this strong at Murim Competition.'
They were definitely strong back then.
So strong that even the thought of defeating them was inconceivable.
But the gap definitely wasn't to this degree.
It was at least possible to harbor hope that someday he might face them as equals with time and dedication.
But the martial prowess displayed by Hye Yeon and Namgung Dowi had utterly shattered that hope.
While he had been diligently running, they had already flown so high into the skies they could no longer be seen.
‘What on earth happened in those few years?’
Innate talent alone couldn't explain this.
“Run faster!”
“Come inside!”
Hearing the shouts continuously pouring from behind, Lee Jayang bit his lip hard and ran.
He didn't have the luxury of being shocked by these things every now and then.
The entrance leading into the gorge was absurdly narrow.
Hye Yeon was relentlessly clearing a path, but it would still take time for the mass of people to fully enter.
Other Mount Hua disciples and Hainan Sect elders were blocking those who attacked trying to exploit this gap.
“Move faster! Damn it, the hell are you drawing useless sword! Keep them sheathed and close ranks, you idiots!"
Lee Jayang screamed as if about to spit blood.
His voice carried all his indignation, irritation, self-disappointment, and powerlessness.
"Yes!"
Hainan Sect disciples squeezed their bodies into the gorge.
"That’s it!"
"Move! You lot!"
Im Sobyeong’s voice thundered across the gorge.
The moment the command fell, the disciples of Mount Hua leaped over the heads of the Hainan Sect disciples like agile squirrels and rushed forward with lightning speed.
"Elders to the middle! Be on guard for attacks from above!"
"Understood!"
The elders led by Geum Yangbaek gave a loud response and moved like lightning into the gorge.
The enemies stationed outside the gorge desperately tried to grab their ankle, but it was impossible with their strength after losing more than half of their force to Namgung Dowi and Hye Yeon.
'Is it done?'
If they had managed to break through and enter, it could be considered half a success.
Lee Jayang clenched his fists tightly as he glanced back.
Hope that had been buried deeply began to rise.
But then.
'Huh?'
His eyes bulged.
Through the narrow field of vision constrained by the cliffs on both sides, he could clearly see it.
The dense dark forest they had passed through was trembling violently.
“T- There…!”
Beyond the violently quivering bushes, countless figures in crimson masks emerged.
These blood-red enemies who ran out from the dense forest immediately rushed toward the gorge.
Goosebumps ran down Lee Jayang's entire body.
"Th- They're coming! The rear! The rear!"
His scream rang out like a shriek.
“Fuck, behind us!”
The voice was urgent, almost desperate.
Lee Jayang prided himself on being one of Hainan Sect disciples with a decent understanding of military strategy.
That was precisely why he couldn't help but know.
The horror of being surrounded from both sides in this narrow gorge.
Moreover, those rushing in from behind showed extraordinary momentum even at first glance.
They appeared to be of the same kind as those who had previously ambushed them.
“E- Elders! Behind us! We must defend the rear! Damn it, Elders!”
Lee Jayang screamed, desperately trying to convey the situation, but his voice was buried in the battlefield noise.
'N- No!'
Lee Jayang's eyes shook violently.
The disciples of Mount Hua and Hainan Sect elders had already advanced to the front.
That meant the blood-red assassins would fall upon Hainan Sect common disciples at the rear.
The outcome of such a clash was already evident.
“Shit, damn it all!”
Lee Jayang quickly stomped the ground and launched himself into the air.
If the elders couldn't move immediately, then at least he must go.
He had no confidence he could stop them, but he would fare better than the sajes left defenseless at the rear.
As his body rose into the air, he could see the blood-red enemy who rushed to the gorge's entrance in an instant.
His heart pounded as if it would burst, and his stomach twisted painfully.
But despite his determination, the blood-red enemy moved faster.
'I, I have to stop them….'
It was then.
Pueoeoeoeng!
Pueoeoeoeoeng!
An explosion echoed from the entrance to the gorge and black smoke engulfed the entrance in an instant.
'What?'
Paat.
Almost simultaneously, someone grabbed Lee Jayang's ankle mid-air and yanked him down to the ground.
“Whoa!”
"Don't go in front of me."
"…Yes?"
"You'll get poisoned."
The person who had yanked Lee Jayag to the ground slipped both hands into his wide sleeves.
"An ambush from the rear… Obvious but still effective. But they overlooked one thing.”
The man at the rear line was Tang Pae.
“There’s an old proverb in Kangho: Don't chase after Tang Family’s back. Seems like your masters never taught you that.”
Tang Pae pulled out poison bottles and poison pellets from his sleeve and raised the corner of his mouth.
Soon the thick poison smoke began to clear, gradually revealing those who had been engulfed by it.
"Guh, keuruk..."
The blood-red enemy clutched their throats and their bodies convulsing violently.
The pain seemed extreme, with some convulsing and dropping their weapons.
This was what makes poison so terrifying.
In a one-on-one duel situation, one can remain cautious and avoid exposure, preventing poison from fully demonstrating its lethality.
Even if one does get poisoned, internal strength can suppress it to some extent.
But such method was impossible on the battlefield.
In the chaos of a battlefield where every second was urgent and unpredictable, it was inconceivable to remain on constant guard against poison that could strike from anywhere and any time.
And naturally, there was no time to control or suppress poisoning.
“Keuk!”
“That damn bastard!”
Even as they watched their comrades succumb to poison and collapse before them, the ones following behind could do nothing.
How could they leap in when the poison smoke was still clearly visible?
"Take the antidote pills!"
"Yes!"
The blood-red martial artists all put something in their mouths at once.
Tang Pae sneered at the sight.
"Antidote pills. Not a bad move.”
If only the one before them weren't the rightful successor of Tang Family.
‘People don’t really understand Tang Family.’
Even Mount Hua likely doesn't fully understand Tang Family as a sect.
Tang Pae believes that the direction Tang Gun-ak has taken was the correct one.
He also thinks Chung Myung's criticism wasn't wrong—that they're too obsessed with poison to the point of being consumed by it and lacking personal martial prowess.
Wasn't that why he too was devoting all his energy to training the Twelve Flying Daggers?
But at the same time, he doesn’t believe his criticism tells the whole truth.
Tang Family was a renowned martial sect standing equal with Namgung Family.
Would such a sect truly be so foolish and shortsighted as to place all their bets on poison while knowing its limitations?
Poison has perfect strengths that hidden weapons cannot possess.
Perfect strengths that have sustained Tang Family as a sect until now.
"He's just a weakling! Cut him down in one breath!"
Tang Pae snickered.
Those words weren’t entirely wrong.
He was weak.
The martial strength he possesses doesn’t come close to Hye Yeon or Namgung Dowi.
Not to mention Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword or Mount Hua Righteous Sword.
But that didn’t mean Tang Pae was less valuable than them.
Because he was none other than a member of Tang Family.
“Hit!”
As the poisonous smoke began to dissipate, the blood-red martial artists stepped over the bodies of their fallen comrades and charged toward Tang Pae at once.
Whether from seeing their comrades die or from fear of the poison, their killing intent was sharper and fiercer than ever.
However, Tang Pae calmly opened the bottle of poison in his hand and remained unfazed.
“Is it really that hard to understand?”
The moment the cork was removed, a terrifying poisonous energy leaked out. It was so potent that even Tang Pae who had spent his entire life handling poison involuntarily flinched.
"That a Tang Family member's martial might isn't measured in that way."
Kaaaang!
Tang Pae threw the bottle into the air and struck it with his palm strike.
Hwaaaaah!
When the bottle shattered, the poison liquid inside mixed with Tang Pae's fist force and spread like a fully opened fan.
A unique fist force of Tang Family meant for covering area rather than power.
What it carried was not overwhelming internal strength nor formidable force.
It carried refined poison.
“Ugh!”
The enemy charging in unknowingly exhaled at that moment.
Physical attacks can be blocked.
Internal strength can be met with internal strength.
But how does one defend against poison carried by fist force?
"Eup!"
The palm force hit them like the scorching ash from an erupting volcano.
In the end, they raised their internal strength and faced the fist force.
They didn't forget to close their eyes and hold their breath.
The fist force itself wasn’t particularly powerful.
If they avoided inhaling the poison, they could endure this much with their bodies alone.
But... unfortunately, that wasn’t the correct response.
Something akin to scalding steam swept across their bodies.
As they instinctively opened their eyes, confusion flickered across their faces.
An indescribable itchiness engulfed their entire bodies.
“Kuaahhh….”
That was just the beginning.
After just one breath's worth of time passed, the itching transformed into unbearable itching.
That itching soon turned to burning pain, and finally transformed into violent agony.
"Keuuaaa..."
“Aaaaahhh!”
Horrifying screams filled the gorge.
Extreme pain like having their entire body branded with hot irons.
No, perhaps it was worse.
The poison clinging to their skin was actually melting the skin.
"Grrrk…"
One by one, the blood-red martial artists spewed black blood from their seven orifices and collapsed where they stood.
Over ten people died with their skin melted black.
It all happened in an instant.
"Y- You bastard..."
Those who saw their comrades dying half-melted stared at Tang Pae with pale faces.
Meanwhile, Tang Pae calmly applied a thick layer of poison onto his twelve daggers.
A dark green liquid stained the daggers.
A chill ran down the spines of everyone at the sight.
"Of course, I’m weak. But…"
Tang Pae slowly lowered his hand holding the dagger.
"The poison I use has nothing to do with the wielder's strength. That’s the terrifying thing about Tang Family."
His hand not holding the daggers emerged from his sleeve.
The moment they saw the poison pellet in it, the bloodthirsty men flinched and instinctively stepped back.
“I guess I am of the Tang surname after all.”
“….”
“The thrill of using these poisons in real combat outweighs any hesitation about taking lives. Come. I'll feed you plenty of the poison personally bestowed by Gaju-nim himself."
In Tang Pae's gleaming eyes, a sharp and sinister killing intent glimmered menacingly.
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