Let’s get to know each other better! (2)

In the future, beast warriors of the Beast Palace reminisced about that day.

“When a tiger leapt into a flock of sheep, they say it caused quite a stir. But in reality, the sheep weren’t in such a frenzy because the tiger was eyeing them, right?”

“Exactly, that’s right.”

“Usually, when the tiger attacks, the sheep rush to one side, and the tiger might snatch one or two from the corner of the group, and that’s it.”

“After all, it’s not common for a predator to deliberately attack prey it wouldn’t even eat, right?”

“Indeed… That’s absolutely true.”

Therefore, the scene of that day couldn’t be explained with these words.

“If we must find something similar…?”

“Is there anything we can find that’s similar to that?”

“Well, not really. It might not be similar, but… still, when trying to explain to those remaining in the palace, there was only one thing I could think of.”

“What is it?”

“Once, I saw a weasel sneaking into a chicken coop. That weasel, being so vicious, just killed all the chickens without even eating them.”

“Indeed. Weasels are like that.”

“Meanwhile, the chickens were trapped inside the coop, unable to escape… It was truly a mess.”

“…That’s true.”

“That was exactly the situation, exactly. We were the chickens…”

“Was Hwasan Geomhyeop the weasel?”

“No… Come to think of it, this analogy seems a bit off. Comparing that to a weasel isn’t quite right. Um… yeah. It was just Hwasan Geomhyeop breaking into a chicken coop.”

“…”

“…I still have nightmares about that day. This demon-like blum blossom swordsman running towards me with eyes filled with malice…”

“Stop. Please, stop…”

“It feels like I can still hear the screams from that day. Like an auditory hallucination…”

***

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

The disciples of Hwasan were brave.

That fact was undeniable by anyone. The most courageous among those venturing into the perilous Gangnam were from Hwasan, and those who stood against the fearsome Bishop of the Demonic Cult were also from Hwasan.

In truth, even without such examples, no one would deny that Hwasan was the most courageous faction in Gangho… to go even further, no one would refute the fact that they were the sect with their guts spilling beyond the confines of normalcy.

Yet, these same disciples, who were from the bravest sect in Gangho, were now screaming in terror and fleeing as if they had seen a ghost.

“Get out of the way!”

“No! If Sasuk falls, what will we do?”

“Shut up, you idiot! I don’t have two lives!”

As a long-term victim… no, as someone who had experienced Chung Myung’s tantrums for a long time, Baek Cheon knew better than anyone else the state Chung Myung was in. When he was in such a state, there was no way to handle it. If you wanted to live, you had to run first.

However, sadly, even their backs were all too familiar to Chung Myung.

“Kwaaaaaaah!”

“Aaaaah!”

“Eeeek!”

Startled by the desperate screams coming from behind, Baek Cheon instinctively threw himself to the ground. In that moment, something fierce flew over his head.

“Y-you, you’ll die… N-noooo!”

Before the words could finish, Chung Myung struck Baek Cheon’s chin, sending him soaring gracefully into the air.

Even as he flew from the strike, maintaining a straight posture, an involuntary admiration of ‘Indeed, it’s Baek Cheon’ surfaced from the spectators. Of course, the person being sent flying by a hit wouldn’t be pleased to hear such words.

Having launched Baek Cheon with a single blow, Chung Myung, with bloodshot eyes, set his sights on the next victim, emitting beast-like sounds from his mouth.

Yoon Jong lowered his stance and cautiously extended a hand. 

“Ch-Chung Myung. L-let’s calm down first, okay? Be reasonable…”

“Calm down?”

“That…!”

“Caaaaaaaaalm?”

“Eeeeeeeek?”

Chung Myung’s foot suddenly landed squarely in Yoon Jong’s face. Unable to scream, Yoon Jong spun like a well-struck top, tumbling over Namgung and Nokrim, landing into a corner.

Thud.

A white mist rose from Yoon Jong’s face. When they saw the clear imprint on his face, shivers ran down everyone’s spine.

‘Baek Cheon Dojang and Yoon Jong Dojang…’

‘All in one blow…’

The people present had been locked in a brutal fight for several days now. They understood each other’s abilities remarkably well.

Baek Cheon and Yoon Jong were swordsmen one couldn’t possibly label as mere beginners anymore. If thrown into Gangho right now, wouldn’t they be considered exceptional, capable of defeating top-notch experts? But exceptional swordsmanship aside, their fate was simply fair in the presence of Chung Myung.

“Why am I…?”

The moment Jo Geol regained consciousness and raised his upper body, he glanced around with bewildered eyes. Amidst the eerie atmosphere, he momentarily froze. His gaze met with Chung Myung, whose eyes were almost halfway rolled back.

A subtle silence fell.

Jo Geol smiled.

“Ah… I should’ve just died a little earlier.”

And in that moment, like a wild beast, Chung Myung pounced on Jo Geol, relentlessly unleashing punches.

“You guys!”

“Ahhhh!”

“Are you even human? Are you?”

The stone-like fists fallen down on his face like a downpour. Jo Geol’s head spun wildly.

“Die! Die, you bastards! Die!”

As his head spun, with each change of perspective, the sight alternated between the bewildered faces of those looking at him and the frenzied gaze of Chung Myung.

“Huh…”

Even as his consciousness dimmed, a faint smile lingered on Jo Geol’s lips. Nearby, Yoon Jong, who had also lost consciousness, wore a similar smile.

Certainly not driven to madness, nor entirely out of their senses.

“You all… are all done now…”

If others who had only faced Hwasan until now were to suffer the same fate, then even dying would be an advantage.

“Experience it… for once…”

Despite his swollen face, Jo Geol, who had been smiling contentedly, slumped to the side. Chung Myung slowly rose, looking at the fallen Jo Geol.

Thud.

A single drop of blood fell to the ground from the tip of his fist. That small sound spread through the eerily quiet training grounds as if all life had vanished.

“…If they’re human.”

Those looking at unconscious Jo Geol nervously turned their gazes to Chung Myung.

“There should still be limits.”

“…”

“Setting fire?”

“That’s Nokrim…”

“Putting poison in food?”

“That’s Tangga, I saw it!”

“The Lord pretends to fight first and falls ill, and those brutes who dragged the beasts here aren’t even capable enough, letting them attack the villages?”

“That’s the Ice Palace…”

“Those Beast Palace lunatics…”

“Are you even human, all of you?”

Of course, even if one had ten mouths, there was nothing to say. However much Chung Myung orchestrated the situation, everyone bore responsibility for letting things escalate to this point. 

“I misjudged. At least I thought you were human. I thought you’d behave like humans do. But… you weren’t even human?”

“…”

“Well, then there’s a suitable method for that. In the past! The great leader of Hwasan said this.”

“What, what did he say…?”

“A dog, a madman, and a monk who doesn’t listen – whip them!”

– I have never said that about dogs and madmen!

“Quiet!”

Despite not a single human making a sound, Chung Myung suddenly screamed into the air and charged towards Tang Pae, who was nearby. 

“Stop him!”

“Protect the Young Lord!”

Members of Tangga screamed in panic. They hurled daggers and spewed poison at the charging Chung Myung.

“Urrraaaaah!”

Drawing his sword and spinning like a windmill, Chung Myung surged forward. Strong wind pressure scattered the venom, and the daggers ricocheted in all directions.

“H-hik!”

Tang Pae swiftly retreated, frantically grabbing handfuls of hidden weapons and flinging them in all directions.

“Uwaaaah! Swift goosefoot poison! Cow hair needles! Ghost King’s Jade Bell! Blood Red Thorn! Ah! What else! Ah! Seven steps…”*

Thud.

But Chung Myung, reaching right in front of his nose despite all of the struggles, seized Tang Pae’s wrist.

“Seven step? What?”

“…”

“Seven-Step Soul Chasing Sand?”

“Ha… haha.”

Cold sweat streamed down Tang Pae’s forehead.

“Do-Dojang! Surely I wouldn’t throw such heinous things at Dojang…”

“Is that so? Then what’s in this hand?”

Chung Myung lightly shook Tang Pae’s hand while gripping the wrist. As he did, the poison pouch held in Tang Pae’s hand shook weakly.

“This is, uh… just a simple inner strength scattering poison**. Very weak, that…”

“Oh, really?”

“That, that’s righ-”

“Is this guy messing with me right now?”

“Gulp!”

Without delay, Chung Myung landed a punch into Tang Pae’s abdomen. In that shock, his mouth instantly gaped open. Chung Myung forcefully pushed the poison pouch held in Tang Pae’s hand straight into that gaping mouth.

“If it’s just a simple scattering poison, it shouldn’t be much trouble.”

“G-g-gulp!”

“It’s okay. You won’t die, won’t die. At most, it’ll be soul chasing sand. You’re not really going to die, are you?”

Tang Pae, foaming at the mouth, fell backwards. As a basic practice, people of the Tang clan develop resistance to poisons from an early age. So, someone of Young Lord’s status wouldn’t be likely to die from the poison he used, but if he consumed something like Seven-Step Soul Chasing Sand, it’d be hard to play the role of a human for quite some time.

“G-gu…gurgling!”

Sure enough, the fallen Tang Pae began convulsing and contorting strangely, foaming at the mouth.

Witnessing the situation, everyone was dumbfounded. Where else would you see a person from Tang clan collapse due to poison? And that too, a Young Lord of the Tang clan.

“Oh, do you all enjoy being poisoned?”

At Chung Myung’s question, all the members of Tang clan frantically shook their heads. However, Chung Myung began rummaging through Tang Pae’s sleeves, steadily pulling out something.

“T-that’s dangerous to touch carelessly!”

“But where did you… learn this? Why so casually…”

Chung Myung chuckled, holding Tang Pae’s poison pouches in both hands, and began to laugh heartily.

“Oh, have you used this before?”

“…”

“Come on, where would I have used something like this? Obviously, it’s my first time.”

“It doesn’t seem like it.”

“You seem quite familiar with it though…”

“It’s the first time, truly. So… let’s see, let’s try it out, you bastards!”

“But your words don’t match!”

Chung Myung threw the poison pouches, exerting considerable force. Green, black, and pink poisonous clouds spread out from the thrown pouches, surrounding the members of the Tang clan, coloring their surroundings in an instant.

“Eeeek!”

“No, why did that guy bring such a variety of poisons!”

“Don’t, don’t breathe! You’ll get poisoned!”

In a feast of poisonous smoke that seemed like an otherworldly occurrence, Chung Myung, who had torn everything he was carrying like clothes that didn’t fit him anymore, rushed in, giggling like a madman.

“Hehehehe! This is exiting!”

Trapped within the dense venomous cloud, members of the Tang clan shoot up into the sky like fireworks. It was pitiable, to say the least.

Cheonumaeng, finally realizing the ordinary truth that any recklessness incurs a price, now understood the cost.