Sichuan.
Tang Family.
The supreme leader of the group also known as Tang Sect was shaking his hands uncontrollably, as if he was feeling some sort of discomfort.
One of the twelve venerable elders of the central plains martial world, the arrogant man titled as the King, who was said to have reached the pinnacle of the world in Poison Arts and stealth techniques.
Yet, here he was, compulsively shaking his hands.
Occasionally, he would peel his nails or tap his fingers on the desk, but the more he did so, the more restless his heart became instead of finding peace.
No one could imagine that the Poison King, known as one of the most sinister and dangerous figures among the nine great sects and one of the four major schools, could be quivering like a startled thief in a secret chamber.
But even a lord as ruthless and unfeeling as the head of the Tang Family couldn’t escape the torments of worry. If it were possible, he would have already ascended to one of the five great summits of the martial world long ago.
“Haa… Haa… Please…! Let her return safely…!”
Prior to being one of the most formidable martial artists in the central plains, the Poison King was also the father of a child. Moreover, a father who loved his family deeply.
He had permitted his daughter’s impulsive decision out of momentary madness to journey to the Four Directions.
It wasn’t the daughter’s fault—it was his. Carried away by his obsession with his deceased wife, he had readily sent his daughter to Wuchien Valley as a proxy for himself.
All he could feel now was the bitter regret.
‘I must have gone mad… Sending Sobaek to Wuchien Valley in pursuit of such an absurd dream! I should have gone myself!’
The Poison King beat his chest repeatedly, almost punishing himself.
He only had resentment for himself. For sending his daughter to danger due to his greed. As the day of her return approached without any news, his self-flagellation only grew.
The Tang Sect of Sichuan was a cold-blooded place, closer to the Evil Sects rather than the righteous ones. Succession disputes were so severe that family members would poison each other’s food without hesitation.
The Poison King was a towering figure who ultimately ascended to become the head of this ruthless Tang Sect. Some might call it incredible, but the actions that stained his hands with the blood of his own bloodline were universally condemned.
Then he met his wife. A woman who understood and embraced all of him. The Poison King, once called the Iron-Blood Poison for his supposed lack of humanity, transformed into the most devoted lover after meeting her.
He deliberately had only one son, unwilling to involve him in the violent struggle for succession. Though there was a daughter, she couldn’t ascend as the head of the family anyway, and she had no interest in power.
However, their blissful life didn’t last long. As the world is marked by both comedies and tragedies. The Poison King, who had once enjoyed a life wealthier than any emperor could envy, lost his wife to the hateful hands of the Blood Cult.
Thereafter, during the daytime, he mercilessly exterminated the members of the Blood Cult. Consumed by tears of blood, he transformed into the Malevolent Asura of Arms and wiped out every Blood Cult member he could locate without mercy. He tore apart their flesh, shattered their bones, and squeezed their muscles.
To soothe the grievous karma that his wife suffered and the complete sorrow she endured.
At night, he researched ways to revive his wife. Without a proper body left to create a proper tomb for her, it wasn’t possible to let her leave so easily. Or, perhaps, ‘he’ couldn’t let her go.
He engaged in the study of forbidden occult practices disapproved of by righteous sects and conducted experiments with cadavers and live criminals without hesitation. It was easier during the wartime when the world was chaotic.
Even after the war ended, the determination and obsession in the middle-aged Poison King, similar to his youthful days when he killed his siblings to ascend to the headship, never ceased. People were brought secretly to a psychiatric ward within the medicine hall, and he devoted himself to experiments, purchasing a large number of unregistered orphans left by the war for his research.
Though no matter what he did…
Even if he killed everyone in the world…
Even if he committed sins under the guise of obsession…
It shouldn’t have been like this for the daughter, the jewel who was dearer than his eyes, it absolutely shouldn’t have been.
The daughter, Tang Sobaek, born to Poison King and his wife, was considered as precious as an heirloom.
The term ‘precious as jade’ was somewhat incongruous for a family associated with the cold-blooded Tang Sect, but it was a testament to the harmony within their family. At least, until the war broke out.
“Please, Sobaek… This father is mad…! I’ve been blinded by the deceased, neglecting my living daughter you… Thus, please… Return safely…”
Clasping his hands together tightly, the Poison King beseeched. The muffled ramblings of the man echoed through the dim poison chamber.
“I don’t need that Eternal Rebirth Elixir or anything… I won’t send you to any dangerous places again… Please, please, please… For heaven’s sake, don’t get hurt… If I lose you, what purpose would I have in living…”
At that moment, a sound unlike anything else came from outside the door.
Knock knock.
It was a simple presence he had noticed earlier. The Poison King dismissed it, assuming it was a servant. Likely, it was a cue that it was mealtime and time for him to leave.
“Go away… I have no appetite for food…”
Knock knock knock.
Even after the Poison King’s low command, the knock did not cease.
“Didn’t I tell you to leave? My mood is exceptionally foul now…!”
Knock knock knock knock.
Despite his irate words, the servant outside the door showed no hesitation. The already irritable Poison King bit his lip, clenched his fists, and stood up, his heavy body rising.
It was a meager presence. How dare a commoner defy his orders so rudely! He was determined to give them a proper reprimand. If they were powerful or not made no difference.
“You will need considerable preparation… my friend…”
Creeak.
Uttering ominous and malevolent words, he opened the door to find no one there.
“Hmm? What is this? Was I hearing things? But I clearly sensed the presence…”
As the spine-chilling sensation ran down his back, the Poison King, stretching his neck, glanced around the door.
“Here we are!”
A girl hiding next to the door spread her arms and whispered quietly.
A girl with glossy black short hair reaching down to her shoulders.
“Wow, you’ve become incredibly emaciated. Hmm, have you even cried in my absence?”
“Sobaek? Sobaek! Sobaek!”
“Revisiting you, but it’s not tears, it’s sweat. Truly, befitting the Iron-Blood Poison, to not shed a tear even when your child doesn’t return…”
Actually, his tear ducts had dried up from weeping too much, but that wasn’t important right now.
“Sobaek! Sobaek! You’ve finally returned!”
By the time he finished speaking, there was far too much they had to share.
Whoosh!
The Poison King immediately embraced the girl. The girl, engulfed in the Poison King’s embrace, made a faint sound as if she couldn’t breathe.
“Ugh! It’s dirty! Dad! Please clean at least!”
Rather than the pressure, it was due to the dust-covered, messy inner room. However, the Poison King now found even this endearing.
Gripping the girl more tightly, the Poison King repeated his words like someone under a spell.
“Absolutely, absolutely do not separate… Do not indulge in any foolishness. I had our daughter, yet this father was deceived by ghosts and failed to distinguish what was important. I’m sorry, truly sorry.”
“…Well, you’ve realized it now, haven’t you?”
“Sobaek, Sobaek, Sobaek! Is there anywhere injured? Any harm or pain? If so, tell me immediately. I’ll treat everything using every means at my disposal. Even the Eternal Rebirth Elixir you fetched will be given to you. Henceforth, I will not look at anything else but our Sobaek!”
The repeated mutterings were akin to a solemn vow to himself.
Tang Sobaek, trying to break free from the grip that constricted her breathing, sighed instead and slightly curled her lips, then gently patted the back of the Poison King’s head that rested on her shoulder.
“That’s enough, stop it already. I couldn’t obtain the Eternal Rebirth Elixir anyway.”
“Eh? Is that so? Was it not there? Was the information from Chusun incorrect?”
“No, it was there, but I simply didn’t bring it. Why, are you upset? You were just causing a fuss earlier about seeing me only.”
“No! Henceforth, let alone those objects, I won’t accept them anymore! I will stop all meaningless endeavors and focus purely on our Sobaek!”
Tang Sobaek laughed, while the Poison King wiped away his tears of relief after dissipating the long-built tension and worries.
Whatever the future may bring, for now at least,
The Poison King was playing out his own personal comedy.
*
The martial world is as vast as the Yangtze River, the martial artists as numerous as ants, and the hermits as countless as grains of sand.
However, the true masters are few and far between.
Perhaps at most, a hundred per major faction? If we narrow the definition of “high-level experts” to only the most supreme ones—there are even fewer.
Among the righteous sects, a dozen; among the evil sects, three; among the black path, two; and among the killer paths, four.
In fact, fifty years ago, both the black path and the killer paths were part of the evil sects, under the massive organization known as the “Four Directions of Evil.” Back then, the Four Directions of Evil was an organization that could rival the Martial Arts Alliance in size.
But due to a single bailiff from the Imperial Office, the Four Directions of Evil were destroyed and scattered. What’s left of the current evil sects are nothing but bandit clans.
Bandit clans—another name for the seventy-two mountain forts and the eighteen water forts of the Yangtze River.
A massive league of bandits where only the most renowned mountain forts across the country could belong: the Seventy-Two Green Forest Mountain Forts. A dream and the pinnacle for all bandits, led by the Supreme Lord of the Green Forest.
There are two supreme experts within the Green Forest Forts. One of them is the Green Forest Supreme Lord, one of the twelve venerable elders and also the Chief of the Green Forest General Fort. The other is another of the twelve venerable elders, the Forest Lord, who serves as the Deputy Chief.
Generally, bandits are poor. It’s usually impoverished slash-and-burn farmers, slaves, or farmers who have turned to banditry after struggling to survive or committing crimes. Many bandits even die of hunger, living in destitution.
However, things change once you reach the rank of a Fort Leader. Not to mention the Green Forest Forts, but if you’re the Chief or Deputy Chief, you’ll amass wealth comparable to a major trade guild owner.
Tink, Tink—Refined Medicine Room.
“The gleam of gold is always stunning to behold,” Forest Lord said with a sigh.
Moreover, Forest Lord was a man consumed by greed. He enjoyed amassing wealth and would occasionally indulge in a bath of gold to truly soak in the goods. His childhood experience of being sold due to his parent’s poverty played its part.
“If everything in this world could be made of gold… ah, but that would degrade the value of gold, wouldn’t it? If everything I own could be gold…”
Basking naked in his golden bathtub, Forest Lord let his imagination run wild. It was a ridiculous fantasy but one that brought him immense joy precisely because of its impossibility.
“Deputy Chief! Visitors have arrived!”
But dreams always shatter right at their peak.
The sudden shout from his subordinate drew Forest Lord out of his golden bath.
“What? What is it? I clearly stated that I wouldn’t handle any affairs during leisure time.”
“Bu, but… the visitors…”
“Visitors? Huh. Has the Green Forest Fort become so soft that we entertain visitors now? Is this a guesthouse?”
“That… the visitors’ identity…”
“Skrt. Fine. I’ll go see them myself then.”
Swish—splash.
Golden water rippled like waves as it dripped from Forest Lord’s body like a tidal wave. Golden droplets gleamed and scattered as they fell.
Seeing this, the servant gulped. If he could just scoop a handful, he’d live a rich life without worries, but such greed was impossible to indulge in. After all, he only had one life.
“Phew, who are these visitors that they need me to come personally? Has a Yangtze River Fort Chief arrived or something?”
Grunting with irritation, Forest Lord dressed himself and headed outside. His body, just moments ago submerged in bathwater, felt no chill, having reached the realm of Water-Immune Qi.
“The Green Forest Fort is no place for those without urgent business. Find the Chief directly, not me. Easier targets mean lower crimes, right?”
“Fort Leader! Have you arrived?”
“Yes, I’m here. What are all of you gathered here for?”
“It… It’s the visitors…”
“Ah, this nonsense about visitors again. If they’re nothing special, you’ll pay with your lives today. What’s all this chatter, huh?”
The twilight evening, where night and day coexisted in cool weather.
The mountain fort was brightly lit as daylight, as torches claiming to be little suns burned brightly everywhere.
Hundreds of shadows flickered and danced in the torchlight, befitting the second-largest mountain fort in the world. Of course, it was rare for hundreds of people to gather all at once.
Either they were preparing for the pillaging of a major trade guild, or the Green Forest Chief had arrived, or…
“Is there a war, or something? You said visitors?”
Unexpected attacks had come, perhaps.
“Hey, stand aside, everyone. What’s all this commotion about? Tell me already…”
Feeling the unusual atmosphere, Forest Lord snatched a sword from one of his subordinates and pushed his way through the crowd, stepping forward. Unbeknownst to himself, he was channeling his Qi.
And there they were, four people: one man and three women.
“Who… who are you people…?”
They had weapons at their waists but didn’t seem particularly threatening. Forest Lord, stepping forward solemnly, announced loudly.
“I am Forest Lord of the Seven Mountain Fiends, Lin Zun! Identify yourselves for arriving at this late hour!”
It was a deliberate attempt to intimidate, his shout filled with inner force, reverberating loudly enough to make the Green Forest soldiers cover their ears in fright.
However, the four travelers who bore the brunt of the sound waves were completely unfazed.
“Hmm? Are they experts? Come to think of it, their appearance does seem somewhat familiar…”
The leading man among the travelers responded with a voice as loud as his, a youthful figure with silver hair and clear blue eyes.
“I am White Blade Wanderer, traveling toward Taewon Jin. As night approaches, I require a place to stay for the evening, and your mountain fort lies conveniently along my journey. Would it be an imposition to ask for lodging?”
The man requested lodging for the night. Forest Lord scoffed at the thought.
They weren’t a charity organization or some great personage but mere bandits who raided and plundered others’ possessions.
He was about to immediately decline, definitely would have if he hadn’t recognized the woman standing guard-like behind the man.
“Ah, Jade Flower! From Kunlun Jade Flower!”
One-third of the Three Martial Heroes and regarded as the foremost woman in the martial world, Kunlun Jade Flower.
Not one of the twelve venerable elders, but arguably a superior expert within the righteous sects of the martial world.
Such a formidable woman had actually come to his mountain fort, seeking to burden herself on him. Forest Lord was deeply perturbed and mulled over the situation.
“Wait, White Blade Wanderer? Of the Taewon Jin? That mysterious expert?”
The White Blade Wanderer, who disappeared after the Seven Flowers Battle along with Moon Blossom, was also one of the famous figures in the current martial world. For saving Mount Heng’s Sword Sect from a black path attack and swiftly stabilizing the chaotic Taewon Jin, among other feats.
The connection between Jade Flower and White Blade Wanderer was unclear, but they did share one commonality.
“You are the heroes of the righteous martial world!”
“Come inside quickly! With your esteemed presence, we must celebrate tonight!”
And they were adversaries of the righteous sects, an opposing force to the Green Forest Fort.
“Come quickly! With your esteemed presence, we must celebrate tonight!”
Not to mention that he shouldn’t antagonize them frivolously, especially since Jade Flower alone could make the outcome uncertain, and adding White Blade Wanderer—an unknown expert—would be disastrous.
They hadn’t come to fight, merely seeking a place to stay for the night, so there was no point in antagonizing them.
However, it was peculiar how Jade Flower, who normally would exterminate bandits and outlaws without mercy, was behaving so meekly.
Even if a fight were to ensue, luring them to drinks under the guise of a feast would be the best tactic. While the entire Green Forest Fort could surely prevail if mobilized, doing so would be costly with potential casualties, offering no gain but losses instead.
Completing his calculations in his head, Forest Lord opened the gate of the Green Forest Fort.
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