Seven days and nights later.
Jaseong's group finally arrived at Mount Hwaak in Gansu Province.
It was the location of Poison Valley.
The entrance to Poison Valley was hidden within treacherous mountains.
Between the deep ravines, a violet poisonous mist billowed thickly like fog.
A desolate land where not a single blade of grass grew properly.
At the entrance, a stele as tall as a person stood.
[Poison Valley's Domain (毒谷重地) — This is Poison Valley's land. Do not enter recklessly.]
The red letters engraved on the stele were as vivid as blood.
"From there on is the territory of Poison Valley."
Gu Janghu gestured beyond the stele as he spoke.
Jaseong looked around.
Near the stele, he saw slash-and-burn folk tilling the fields.
Their shabby clothes and the hoes in their hands made them look just like rustic farrs.
But Jaseong's eyes could not be deceived.
Sssaa—
When he activated his Samadhi Eyes, he saw the energy flowing from the bodies of the slash-and-burn folk.
It was not the faint energy of ordinary people.
It was a sharp, sticky energy imbued with murderous intent, the aura of martial artists.
[So they're experts with rather sharp murderous intent.]
When Jaseong spoke telepathically, Gu Janghu answered in turn.
[They're disguised as ordinary slash-and-burn folks, but in truth, they're Poison Valley's gatekeepers.]
As Jaseong's group approached, the slash-and-burn folk simultaneously set down their hoes and straightened up.
Their gazes turned piercing in an instant.
The oldest-looking man stepped forward and blocked their path.
"What business do you have here?"
Jaseong looked down at them coldly as he answered.
"I ca because I have sothing to ask the Valley Lord of Poison Valley."
"You must have lost your mind. The Valley Lord of Poison Valley isn't soone just anyone can et. If you don't want to end up crippled, turn back."
The Poison Valley gatekeepers spoke, making no attempt to hide their murderous intent.
But Jaseong paid no heed and stepped forward.
"Move. If you do, you might live."
At that, the gatekeepers' faces twisted.
"How arrogant! How dare you act up at the very entrance to Poison Valley!"
"You must have a death wish!"
The gatekeepers simultaneously reached into their robes.
In their hands were poison-tipped needles shimring with a blue light.
No matter how skilled an expert might be, those poisonous needles—which could rot flesh with just a graze—were clearly a threat.
Lee Rin and the Northern Sea protectors tensed, reaching for their swords.
But in that mont—
Whoosh!
Before Jaseong could even move, Gu Janghu stepped forward first.
A chill wind stirred between his hands.
"For dark weapon techniques, respond with dark weapon techniques."
Chuchuchuchuchuchu!
From Gu Janghu's fingertips, willow-leaf flying blades fanned out and flew continuously.
At the sa ti, Poison Valley's gatekeepers also flung their poison needles.
Shwik! Shwik! Shwik!
Dozens of needles rained down.
But Gu Janghu's willow-leaf flying blades were no ordinary throwing weapons.
'Swimming Dragon Rules the World!'
The energy extending from Gu Janghu's fingertips twisted the trajectory of his blades.
The blades twisted and danced through the air like living dragons.
This was the secret martial art of the Guryong Clan—Guryong Flying Blade.
Kakang! Kakang! Kakakang!
The flying blades weaved through the air, deflecting every incoming poison needle.
Not a single needle reached Jaseong's group.
The next mont—
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Without losing montum, the blades barreled toward the gatekeepers.
"Guh!"
"Argh!"
The gatekeepers scread as they collapsed.
But none of them coughed up blood.
Gu Janghu had controlled his energy, striking them with the handle of each blade.
Thanks to that, they were not dead, but their arteries had been blocked and they could not move an inch.
In an instant, more than ten gatekeepers were subdued.
"Impressive skills."
Jaseong offered a brief complint.
Gu Janghu, retrieving his spent blades, smiled faintly.
"Shall we continue, then?"
Stepping over the fallen gatekeepers, Jaseong walked toward the entrance of Poison Valley.
Behind him, Lee Rin and the Shadow Division followed.
The deeper they went into the ravine, the thicker the purple miasma beca.
A pungent, fishy stench stung their noses, and an eerie energy brushed across their skin.
They were nearing the stronghold of Poison Valley.
"What on earth is flowing through this valley to make it sll like this?"
Lee Rin said, clamping her nose.
"But great hero, is it okay to just break in like this? Shouldn't we wait for the Left Protector and our upper managent experts before going in together...?"
"The Left Protector has already arrived, or nearly so."
"What? How do you know?"
Jaseong looked up at the sky.
Activating his Samadhi Eyes, he saw energies in the sky, and far to the north, a white hawk flying.
It was the hawk belonging to Gal Seo-ryeong, the Left Protector.
'They're close enough to run in at my signal.'
Just then, as Jaseong's party was nearing Poison Valley—
Ssss—
Suddenly, the purple miasma thickened.
And behind that fog, at least a hundred martial artists appeared.
'Those are...'
Jaseong looked at the three n at the front of the group.
They were the ones from the (face sketches) Hyang-I had given him.
The eldest, Dok Ilhu.
Middle-aged, his face dotted with age spots and his eyes filled with malice.
He wore gloves made from viper skin.
The second son, Dok Ihu.
In his early thirties, his fra was small, but his eyes were sharp.
A mocking sneer always lingered at his lips, and little gourds dangled around his waist.
The third son, Dok Samhu.
The youngest of the brothers.
He had good looks but a cold expression, holding a mysterious sword ill-suited to Poison Valley.
"To dare invade our Poison Valley—how bold."
Dok Ilhu spoke in a low voice, brimming with displeasure and murderous intent.
"And who are you supposed to be?"
"Hao Sect. I am Jaseong, Lord of Scarlet Lotus Hall."
"... Hao Sect? What does an intelligence organization want with Poison Valley? I doubt we possess any information worth stirring up the martial world."
"Don't play dumb. We ca here after already learning the truth."
"What are you talking about?"
"The drugs you released into the Red Light District of the Hao Sect. We ca to call you to account for that cri."
"Absurd. What drugs, what cri? Regardless, since you've stepped into our valley, give up the thought of leaving unhard!"
Bellowing, Dok Ilhu took his stance.
At once, Jaseong activated his Samadhi Eyes.
Sssaa—
The world began to slow.
He could see the true ki of the three brothers.
Though their abilities lagged a few levels behind his, as heirs of Poison Valley, they could have any number of sinister tricks.
Caution was required.
"Kkiruk!"
Mansul, from inside Jaseong's robes, readied a technique.
His silver fur shimred with green spiritual ki, sensing danger.
[Lee Rin. You take the rear with the Northern Sea protectors.]
[Understood, great hero.]
[Gu Janghu. You and I will take down the three rising stars at the front.]
[Understood, hall lord. Who knows what kind of dark weapons they may be hiding.]
Jaseong and his party simultaneously assud their stances.
Just as the battle with Poison Valley was about to break out—
"Wait!"
Suddenly, a woman's voice resounded.
Flap!
A woman landed with lightness skill.
It was Dokgo Yeon, the girl immune to all poisons, whom they had t in the Tianxia Association's takeover operation.
She radiated a peculiar beauty.
Skin pale as moonlight, lips tinged blue and red like a frozen rose.
Her jawline and eyes were sharp as a snake's.
Everything about her exuded a dangerous, bewitching aura.
Dokgo Yeon's throat moved as she spoke.
[Lord of Scarlet Lotus Hall. Why did you barge into Poison Valley without so much as a ssage?]
It was telepathy.
Jaseong replied in turn.
[We ca because of Soul-Bewildering Powder, which your Poison Valley released into the pleasure district. You trespassed into our Hao Sect's domain and didn't even send a word to .]
Dokgo Yeon's eyes turned puzzled.
[Wait a minute. Lord. Are you saying our Poison Valley distributed drugs in the pleasure district?]
[Don't play dumb. We confird that part of the drug originated from Huaining County, in Gansu Province, the very ground of your Poison Valley.]
At that, Dokgo Yeon sent telepathy to her half-brothers, questioning them.
The three brothers' expressions turned subtle.
A mont later, Dok Ilhu spoke up.
"If you an Soul-Bewildering Powder, I've heard of it. It's popular in the pleasure districts of the Central Plains lately. But why co asking about it here in Poison Valley?"
"We obtained information and evidence that Soul-Bewildering Powder showed up in Huaining County, within Poison Valley's territory in Gansu."
"So just because the drug ca from Huaining County, you assu it's the work of Poison Valley? What logic is that?"
"... That drug can't be made without advanced synthesis. Other than Poison Valley and the Sichuan Tang Clan, are there any other sects in the Central Plains with the expertise to produce it?"
"Then it must be the Tang Clan's doing. It isn't us."
Because of Dok Ilhu's reply, the tension between the parties thickened.
Even with Dokgo Yeon's attempts at diation, a fight seed inevitable.
Swish. Swish.
At the peak of tension, Poison Valley's experts behind Dok Ilhu drew their dark weapons.
They were poised to strike at Jaseong's party at any mont.
Jaseong's side was not idle either.
At Gu Janghu's sign, over a hundred assassins, concealed in the trees, revealed themselves.
They were the elite ard force of Scarlet Lotus Hall—Shadow Division.
Moreover, Jaseong had prepared for any contingency by having a thousand-strong force from the Tianxia Association and Guangxi Province's Dark Path stand by.
They were being commanded by Ansun's Hyang-I via carrier pigeon.
'If an all-out war with Poison Valley erupts, they'll all charge in. We just need to fall back, regroup, and bide our ti until they arrive. Plus, Hao Sect's upper managent is already close by. There is absolutely no reason for us to retreat here.'
That was why Jaseong remained so composed.
But just as both sides' tension peaked, Dokgo Yeon stepped forward again.
"No matter how much of an unorthodox sect Poison Valley may be, we don't deal in trivial, lowlife things like drugs. Show the drug. I'll analyze it myself in the research division of Poison Valley and prove it isn't ours."
Dokgo Yeon declared, standing between the two parties.
She was desperately blocking a clash between Jaseong and her family for one reason—
Jaseong was her base of support to beco the young head.
If that very support fought against her own house?
Her plans would be ruined.
She simply could not allow a battle now.
"......"
Because Dokgo Yeon held her ground so stubbornly, her three half-brothers could not move against her.
Jaseong also hesitated for a mont.
'Poison Valley is infamous even among the Evil Path Association's Four Great Clans and Seven Sects for their cunning. So I can't believe their words blindly... But their attitude sohow really seems like they're not involved.'
Then Gu Janghu and Lee Rin sent him telepathic ssages, their throats trembling.
[Hall lord. Sothing feels off. It really doesn't look like Poison Valley's doing.]
[I think so too. If Poison Valley was lying, even the minstrels of the Red Light District would be jealous of their acting.]
[...]
[Why not do as they say, at least this once? Dokgo Yeon promised to prove it, and if we start fighting now, all their warriors will rally here. The Left Protector and upper managent are nearby, but who knows what losses there might be.]
[...]
[Instead, since we don't know what tricks Poison Valley might pull, let's insist the analysis be done sowhere safe for us. If they agree even to that, let's wait as Dokgo Yeon suggests.]
It was the kind of thought lauded as brilliant even by the Eternal Divine Physician.
After a mont's thought, Jaseong shifted his hand to his Wicked Fla Sword at his waist.
At that point, the three brothers' throats twitched as they exchanged telepathy among themselves.
Their hands moved gradually toward their dark weapons.
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