1235 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Vrrrrr-! A persistent vibration resounded near his left ear. The noise faded, leaving silence in its wake, followed by pain. “Ghh!!” His temples and cheekbones throbbed with a dull ache. Instinctively raising his hand, he saw his fingertips trembling. Did he get hit? When? How? Moreover… ‘The poison should be spreading, shouldn’t it?’ In the Tang Clan, one's resistance to toxins developed through exposure from an early age. Mastery over poison was crucial for lineage succession. Among them, Tang Cheongi had minor resistance to extreme poisons but was quite confident in handling paralysis-related toxins. Though his grandfather found it unsatisfactory compared to the clan's standards, he was confident in his skills nonetheless. ‘Why.’ Why was that guy unaffected? Drip. Drip. Blood pooled on the ground. He couldn't tell if it was from his mouth or from Baek Yangcheon’s hand. His mind was swimming, his vision blurred. It was a clear indication that he wasn’t in good shape. “What are you doing?” “……!” Baek Yangcheon’s words made Tang Cheongi’s knees tense. Instinctively, he swung his dagger once more. Whoosh-! The thrown dagger sliced through the air. Baek Yangcheon twisted his upper body to evade. But. Snap. Seeing this, Tang Cheongi tensed his thumb and forefinger. The thread attached to the dagger pulled taut. The spinning dagger shot back toward Baek Yangcheon, but— “……Tsk.” Slash-! With a swipe of his hand, Baek Yangcheon deflected the dagger. Despite being imbued with energy, the dagger rolled uselessly on the ground. ‘Why.’ Why wasn’t he affected by the paralysis? Even with that maneuver just now, if Baek Yangcheon were paralyzed, he should have collapsed. Instead, he merely continued to look down at him. “……What’s this.” He heard a voice. “What's the point of this?” For some reason, disappointment filled his tone. The inscrutable sound made Tang Cheongi's insides churn. * * * His hand stung. Even a blade wrapped in energy was enough to pierce the toughest skin. Though a tingling sensation lingered where it burrowed into the bone, that was all. “What is this supposed to accomplish.” I narrowed my eyes at Tang Cheongi in front of me. He merely stared back at me in surprise. ‘What the heck is this.’ Is this some kind of a joke? The clumsy sparring was almost exasperating. ‘Even if he can use the Mind's Eye…’ I had already analyzed Tang Cheongi's movements and feints. They were at a level where I didn’t even need the Mind's Eye. ‘He’s supposed to be a Poison Dragon, yet…’ Why is he so mediocre? Using daggers instead of short swords was amusing. I had seen this technique used by Tang Soyeol. As far as I knew, it was a martial art meant for short swords. Using a dagger lacked force and didn’t hold the weapon well. So when he used the dagger, I assumed there might be some advantage to it. ‘…Why even use it?’ I don’t understand the reason for using it. It wasn’t powerful and the technique was shallow, as if he’d learned it just enough to mimic. ‘What’s going on here?’ How did someone this weak rise to the rank of a family head? The only thing he did decently— ‘The stealth technique was quite good.’ For a moment, I lost track of his presence. Without the Mind's Eye, I would have been taken off guard. I had anticipated a surprise attack, so I enveloped my hand in energy. That was what the Mind's Eye alerted me to. Thanks to that, I managed to block it with my hand, though it did leave a scar. ‘…The Thousand Poisons Immunity is still intact.’ My body had already reached a point where no poison could affect it, so Tang Cheongi's poison couldn’t penetrate. The distance closed rapidly. My fist moved even quicker, landing a hit on Tang Cheongi successfully. The issue was— “Try harder.” Tang Cheongi, having taken a punch, couldn’t gather his wits. “This isn’t all you’ve got, is it?” I hadn’t struck a vital point. I was careful with my strength, so a blow to the temple wouldn’t be fatal. Why can’t he pull himself together? ‘Even his attempts at attack…’ Throwing a dagger wrapped in energy to aim at an empty bluff using a thread? It was a decent tactic, but that’s about it. ‘He should try applying Void Wind instead.’ I couldn’t precisely gauge Tang Cheongi's level, but if he had tentatively used Void Wind, he might have managed better. Thwack-! “Ugh!” I kicked Tang Cheongi in the upper body, making him skid across the ground. “I thought you were blabbering because you were capable, but it turns out you're not.” Approaching him with a frown on my face. His movements were slow. It was natural given his lack of energy. Still, Tang Cheongi wouldn’t be able to avoid it. Tang Cheongi tried to move. The Mind's Eye caught his trajectory. I struck his rising ankle again. “Ghk!” He staggered and fell once more. Anticipating his fall, I calculated and landed a punch. Smack-! My fist dug deep into his solar plexus. “Ugh…!!!” He gasped, completely brought to his knees. “Ugh.” He kept heaving violently, and even that annoyed me. ‘Why is he like this.’ He was weak, frail, and overall low in standard. How did this state lead him to become a Poison King? It was completely different from the Poison King I knew. ‘Did he gain some great fortune or opportunity?’ Otherwise, it’s hard to comprehend. “How insignificant. What were you hoping to achieve at this level?” “…….” He flinched. “If you were going to run your mouth, you should've at least known your place. What were you trying to pull?” What could he possibly achieve with this? He might have huffed and puffed in my direction, that could have bothered me. Honestly, I was irritated, but given that he was the Poison King, I could tolerate it. But— “You’re too weak.” “…….” I couldn’t ignore the fact that he was weak. “Do better. What are you so scared of?” “……You…” Did he take my words as simple provocation? There was a spark in Tang Cheongi's eyes, but— Smack-! “Argh!” I slapped Tang Cheongi’s cheek hard. “What are you gonna do, staring at me like that?” Trickle. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. His upper body wobbled, failing to regain balance. I seized him by the collar and pulled him forward. “You couldn’t even manage a sneak attack properly. Why are you using techniques like Blade Arts that don’t suit you, only to weaken yourself further? What about your poison skills? Paralysis toxin? If you’re going to do it, at least do it properly. With that weak-minded attitude, how do you plan to teach anyone?” “……!” Tang Cheongi’s eyes widened at his words. “……How do you know, you bastard…….” How did you know that Blade Arts didn’t suit him? Or perhaps— “The paralysis toxin? It was obvious. The scent was unmistakable.” I detected it with my nose and confirmed it with the Mind's Eye. On hearing that, Tang Cheongi burst out angrily. “That's nonsense…! Paralysis toxin is supposed to be odorless and colorless! How could you detect something mixed with internal energy?” “Who said it's odorless?” “It was the previous head of the clan who stated it.” “The former head? Ah.” I knew who. “Poison Heaven?” “……You!!” Calling him by his alias so casually made Tang Cheongi rush forward. I could see him staggering; his ankle from earlier was still in pain. So what else could I do? Thud-! “Aargh!” Kick that same ankle again, of course. I sighed, looking down at the fallen Tang Cheongi. “The Poison Heaven was extraordinary. Sure, he could get away with saying that. He was someone who, despite his shady experiments behind closed doors, led the Tang Clan to prosperity as part of the Orthodox faction.” But. “Not everything he said was correct. There was definitely a scent.” There’s no such thing as odorless and colorless. Paralysis toxins had a distinctive smell. “Did you say it was faint because it mixed with energy? So what? Then it means the energy itself is tainted. It’s even more obvious that way.” “……!” Writhing in pain, Tang Cheongi’s body stiffened. “You see, poison techniques are powerful precisely because they’re so difficult to master. How could their effects be weak when it’s possible to imbue energy with poison?” Even what seemed merely energy carried toxicity. The foreign destructive force absorbed into one's energy was potent in its own right. Leaving aside the grueling torture-like training amidst poisonous insects and herbs from childhood, it was a formidable martial art. The issue was. “When something foreign mixes with energy, it becomes too easy to discern.” That it stands out too much in a martial duel was the problem. Which is why focusing on stealth techniques made sense. To conceal these weak points. But. “Why can’t you do that?” Tang Cheongi offered no answer, simply staring at me. Unlike his daughter. That thought crossed my mind for a moment. ‘Tang Soyeol would have.’ At least if she recognized a problem, she would’ve tried to overcome it somehow. But what is this person? What on earth. “What are you running away from? What are you hiding?” “…….” I heard the grinding of teeth. Raising himself, Tang Cheongi struggled to respond. "……For someone who knows nothing, you sure talk a lot. What do you know to speak so carelessly?” “I don’t know anything. That’s why it’s clearer. You keep trying to escape.” “Running away from what, exactly?” “Dunno? Pressure? Or maybe pride? Whatever it is, I can tell you're scared out of your wits.” “…….” “Though why you decided to vent all these petty feelings on me, I can’t fathom.” I flashed a smile. “Do you think I’m a joke? Beneath that clumsy skillset of yours, are you that dismissive?” Thud-! Tang Cheongi released energy throughout his body. He seemed provoked by my words. He once again drew out his dagger. This time, it felt different from before. ‘Lethal poison.’ Not a paralysis toxin—lethal poison. Spurred on, Tang Cheongi prepared to attack with everything he had. “……What do you know…….” “…….” I was unimpressed. He hadn’t even taken a proper stance. He was too busy focusing on the poison. Although for a scion of a prestigious family, perhaps that was enough. ‘He's just going to come straight at me.’ An attack without any stealth felt oddly honorable. ‘Is it orthodox?’ Maybe not something that should be said of a clan infamous for its surprise attacks. Nonetheless, that wasn’t important. “……I won’t let this go.” “Looks like it.” Crack-!! Breaking the ground beneath him, Tang Cheongi charged forward. A single streak of light green light shot towards me. Like a massive snake opening its jaws wide. “This is—!” “Lethal poison…!!!” The martial artists looked aghast, realizing Tang Cheongi was unleashing lethal poison. In martial duels like this, using lethal poison was forbidden. It implied a readiness to kill one’s opponent, so it was naturally banned. Wham!! “What!?” “Barehanded!?” I pierced through his energy, grabbing Tang Cheongi's wrist. “……!” Hiss-!!! The sleeve of my clothing burned from the poison, but my skin remained unharmed. This is why Thousand Poisons Immunity is great, after all. “I told you.” Feeling the energy, I spoke to Tang Cheongi. “Always eager to escape. So insubstantial, it’s hardly worth dealing with.” Tang Cheongi's lips moved as if to reply. My fist moved first. Pulling the wrist I had hold of, I accelerated, channeling all my strength into my fist. Crack-!!! “Urgh!” I slammed Tang Cheongi’s cheek with all my might, leveraging my strength to drive him hard into the earth. Kraaaash—!! Debris scattered everywhere, and Tang Cheongi’s body smashed through the martial stage, collapsing instantly. “…….” The release of lethal poison dispersed into the air. “Gasp-!” “Keep your distance!” Amidst others moving to avoid the poison, I looked at the referee. “Can I step down now?” “…….” The referee alternated between looking at Tang Cheongi's partially crushed face and me, before speaking. “……The victory goes to…Baek Yangcheon of the Blue Dragon faction.” Only upon hearing that did I descend. ‘……Perhaps now I can finally rest?’ Having gone through consecutive duels, it should be manageable, right? Leaving Tang Cheongi behind with that thought, I stepped down, but— “Oh, damn.” The subsequent events gave me a pretty big headache.