Chapter 42: Thousand Poisons Old Demon
A crimson robe.
Sleeves stiff with layers of dried blood.
The loose fabric hung around his thin frame in a grotesque way.
The moment the strange man in red appeared, the others immediately lowered their heads.
He gave a casual nod, as though it were only natural.
“How are the materials?”
One of the men beside him hurriedly answered.
“As you ordered, Old Demon. We've kept them in the best condition possible.”
“Good....”
The man they called Old Demon approached the missing disciples.
He bent down and looked over their faces one by one.
“Hm....”
“The righteous sect types always grow up so neatly.”
He smiled.
“Their muscles are clean, their blood and qi flow evenly...”
His fingers stroked one disciple's cheek.
“That's what makes them so enjoyable to play with.”
Then his smile widened.
“If they're dried properly... they should make very fine powder.”
His yellowed teeth showed.
“To think we gathered twenty-three such excellent materials.”
“How fortunate.”
Twenty-three.
That was the exact number of missing members from the scouting team and investigation team.
Beside me, Yu Seola's gaze turned cold.
Hyeongwon's hands trembled around the shaft of his spear.
Both of them looked ready to jump out at any moment.
I stopped them.
“Wait.”
“We need to figure out their strength first.”
Anyone capable of subduing twenty-three Kunlun disciples couldn't be weak.
And the old monster in the red robe bothered me most of all.
...I'm sensing demonic qi from him.
Unlike the others inside the stone chamber...
the man in red gave off the ominous aura unique to members of the Demonic Cult.
My instincts warned me not to move carelessly.
Then...
the red-robed old man suddenly lifted his head.
His gaze turned directly toward the pillar where we were hiding.
“Seems a few little rats wandered in....”
He chuckled while staring straight at us.
“How long do you plan to keep hiding?”
We had already been discovered.
For a moment, retreat crossed my mind.
But trying to escape through that narrow passage would probably put us in even more danger.
Hyeongwon and Yu Seola seemed to reach the same conclusion.
If we've already been found...
We exchanged glances.
Then nodded.
All three of us stepped out from behind the pillar at once.
The red-robed man's eyes gleamed.
“Oh?”
His smile widened.
“Three more fresh materials.”
Hyeongwon ground his teeth.
“You bastard...!”
I ignored the provocation.
He's trying to rile us up.
This was enemy territory.
If we charged in blindly, we'd only put ourselves at a disadvantage.
I kept my companions from losing control and looked at the red-robed man.
“Was this your doing?”
“Were you the ones who did this to our disciples?”
He nodded without hesitation.
“That's right.”
“They're materials this old man found.”
Then he grinned.
“And soon, the three of you will look just like them.”
That was enough for Hyeongwon.
He shouted,
“You bastard!”
“How dare you lay hands on disciples of the great Kunlun Sect!”
He raised his spear.
“I will never forgive you!”
“You won't leave this place alive!”
The old man laughed.
“Kukuk.”
“How amusing.”
“To say something like that in front of this lord....”
His eyes sharpened.
“But I believe the ones who won't leave alive...”
“are you.”
The moment he finished speaking...
the men behind him drew their weapons.
We raised ours as well.
I asked,
“Who are you?”
“Are you from the Demonic Cult?”
“Why did you kidnap Kunlun disciples?”
The man chuckled.
“The Demonic Cult, huh....”
Then he spread his lips into a wide smile.
His rotting yellow teeth made the expression even more disturbing.
“Well, you're all going to die and become my materials anyway.”
“I suppose I can at least tell you my name.”
He spoke proudly.
“This lord is Eum Jeokheon.”
My eyes widened.
“Eum Jeokheon...?”
Then the title escaped my mouth on its own.
“Don't tell me...”
“the Thousand Poisons Old Demon?”
The old man looked pleased.
“Oh?”
“So you know me.”
He nodded.
“That's right.”
“I am the Thousand Poisons Old Demon, Eum Jeokheon.”
A chill ran down my spine.
Thousand Poisons Old Demon, Eum Jeokheon.
A lunatic obsessed with poison.
A master ranked among the Hundred Great Poisoners Under Heaven.
And a murderer who had slaughtered hundreds of innocent civilians and martial artists with poison arts.
He was one of the public enemies of the martial world, hunted by both the righteous and unorthodox factions.
Why is the Thousand Poisons Old Demon here?
After becoming a public enemy, he should have fled beyond the Central Plains and disappeared.
At least...
that was what I remembered from my previous life.
Yet here he was.
Standing inside this underground stone chamber.
Grinning as he called our disciples "materials."
I unconsciously glanced at Hyeongwon and Yu Seola.
Eum Jeokheon was a master of poison arts.
A vicious killer who had harmed countless people through both cunning and powerful martial skill.
Can the three of us really beat the Thousand Poisons Old Demon?
Hyeongwon noticed my expression and scoffed.
“What are you thinking so hard about?”
“If those bastards really kidnapped our disciples...”
He tightened his grip on the spear.
“then we just beat them down.”
Yu Seola smiled faintly beside him.
“You're not worrying about me, are you?”
She raised her sword.
“I'm Yu Seola.”
“The blood of Explosive Sword Yu Gwangcheol flows in me.”
Then she added confidently,
“I'm the future greatest swordswoman of Kunlun.”
For some reason...
the fear and impatience in my head vanished.
What the hell was I worrying about...?
Right.
These two had inherited the teachings of Kunlun's strongest masters.
They were geniuses chosen as representatives among countless Kunlun disciples for the Elders' Lecture Gathering.
A clash was unavoidable now.
Even if we were weaker...
we couldn't let our spirit break first.
I nodded toward them.
“Right.”
“Let's show these vicious bastards exactly what Kunlun's strength looks like.”
Hyeongwon gripped his spear tightly.
“I'll teach these villains how severe the spear of the Martial Discipline Office can be.”
Yu Seola raised her sword.
“Kunlun's sword shows no mercy to the wicked.”
Both of them spoke with confidence.
Still...
I could sense the tension hidden beneath their words.
...It's fine.
I steadied my breathing and tightened my grip on my longsword.
If we didn't have this much resolve, we never would've come this far.
As if mocking our determination...
Eum Jeokheon nodded.
“Then let's hurry and collect these fresh materials.”
He turned toward his subordinates.
“Capture the spear user and the girl.”
His smile twisted.
“Alive, if possible.”
His men surged forward at once.
“Everyone, be careful!”
Hyeongwon shouted as he gripped his spear with both hands.
Yu Seola lowered her stance and raised her sword.
Then...
Eum Jeokheon looked directly at me.
“As for you....”
A sinister smile spread across his face.
“Since you recognized this lord...”
