Chapter 16 : Chapter 16

Chapter 16. I’ll Give You a Good Punch (3)

“It’s gotten even more tremendous.”

A laugh escaped from the sheer futility of it.

The approaching poison energy was several times larger and more lethal than what he had seen before.

Who would call that a man-made disaster?

It was enough to be called a natural disaster.

How could that much poison energy have been accumulated inside a single person’s body?

And how did she survive while enduring it?

‘There probably wasn’t a single day that wasn’t painful.’

A woman born in pain and raised in pain.

A woman who probably never had a single moment of peace since birth.

On top of that, a woman of misfortune who was supposed to lose her life at the hands of her own older brother.

The woman who fit the description of a tragic heroine more than anyone else was Dang Seoyeon.

The Han Cheong-un before regression could not save her.

At that time, the Murim Alliance had designated Dang Seoyeon as an evil person, and Han Cheong-un had believed it.

That was why he cooperated in subjugating her.

But this time is different.

“I will save you now. Young Lady Dang.”

Han Cheong-un opened the lid of the medicine bottle containing the Divine Immortal’s Tear and drank it down.

The smooth medicine went down his throat, and a massive amount of energy spread through his body.

Normally, he would have to guide this to his lower dantian through qi circulation breathing, but…….

“Here I go!”

Now was the time to move.

To save that pitiful woman.

Han Cheong-un plunged his body into the terrible poison energy without hesitation. And…….

“Kuuuuk……”

The moment he entered, an excruciating pain enveloped his entire body.

A pain like thousands of bees swarming and stinging his skin.

‘Crazy, wasn’t this supposed to be Myriad Poisons Invulnerability?’

The resistance to poison that could be obtained after eating the Divine Immortal’s Tear was known to be comparable to Myriad Poisons Invulnerability.

And yet he felt this much pain?

‘If I came in with my bare body, I would have melted instantly.’

Han Cheong-un bit his lip hard.

The poison energy was far more intense than he had thought. So he couldn't delay for a single moment.

One step. And another step.

He walked forward, step by step.

He wanted to run with lightweight footwork, but he couldn't.

As long as the resistance from the Divine Immortal’s Tear couldn't completely break through this poison energy, he had to resist it as much as possible with his internal energy.

So for now, he just had to walk.

Inside this terrible poison energy.

Forward, and forward again…….

The further he went, the stronger the poison energy became.

Chiiiiik…….

The sound of flesh cooking came from his skin.

A burn? No, it wasn't on that level.

His skin peeled off, and blood flowed out.

But he doesn't stop.

Splash……. Splash…….

His clothes became damp, making it hard to walk.

Was it moisture contained within the poison energy?

‘No, it’s my blood.’

A hollow laugh escapes.

His skin has peeled off to the point where this much blood is flowing, yet there is no pain.

His sense of pain must be paralyzed.

He rips off his clothes, which are soaked in blood and hindering him.

Riiip! Rip!

And he walks again.

Time is precious.

When the effect of the Divine Immortal’s Tear wears off, at that moment, he will melt into a pool of blood.

He must go forward.

Right now, only going forward is the answer.

* * *

It is dark.

Her mind is hazy.

But in this haze, for the first time since birth, she was feeling at ease.

There is no pain.

Normally, the poison energy accumulating in her body always gnawed at her, but now it was fine.

Was it because she had released all the poison energy to the outside?

The pain that had been eating away at her body was gone.

‘Ah, so this is what it’s like.’

So everyone else besides me has been living in this state.

They don't vomit blood all the time, they don't suffer from the pain of their five viscera and six bowels feeling like they're being stabbed with needles, they can just be this comfortable.

I'm envious.

And I resent them.

Why do I alone have to live in such pain?

‘It’s not like I was born like this because I wanted to be…….’

Then she hears a sound.

A faintly ringing bell.

Listening to that sound, which seemed not of this world, everything becomes peaceful.

She felt like closing her eyes and being immersed in this sound forever.

It was so sweet and seductive.

‘I’m tired now.’

I don’t want to strive for anything anymore.

Dang Seoyeon’s eyes slowly closed, and she let go of all control over her body.

And memories of the past flash through her mind, one by one.

The memory of struggling to master poison arts to escape the heavenly punishment of the Myriad Poisons Body.

A meal gathering of the Sichuan Tang Clan members, where she was absent.

The maids who attended to her, yet were extremely afraid.

The little puppy that died vomiting blood just from being touched by her hand.

There was not a single good memory.

‘Yes, let’s forget everything.’

She was tired of resentment and tired of self-blame.

Let’s forget everything and just sink into the dark abyss. Then it will be peaceful.

Then…….

[Young Lady Dang.]

It was at that moment.

Dang Seoyeon’s eyelids, which were about to close completely, trembled faintly and stopped.

And what came to mind was the memory of a boy with a bright smile.

[I bought a trinket from the street. I thought it would suit you, my lady.]

[This is called Janggi. I’ll teach you how to move the pieces first.]

[That time, I was.]

At that moment, Dang Seoyeon realized.

She had it too.

A life she thought had nothing, but even for her, there was a single being that lit up her world.

That small, warm light.

It was the first small star to visit her, who was like a dark night without a single point of light.

If even that was gone, her life would truly be no different from a dark night sky without a single point of light.

“Uht……”

Dang Seoyeon tried to regain consciousness again. She tried to somehow regain control of the poison energy spreading outwards. But…….

Excruciating pain returned to her body, but she endured it. However…….

Tinkle. Tinkle. Tinkle…….

The bell sound grows louder.

Every time the bell rang, intense pain tried to make her submit.

“Aaargh……. Aaaaaargh!”

Dang Seoyeon cried out in pain.

She was used to pain, but this was different.

The Taoist’s soul-subduing art, which had suppressed her spirit, was directly attacking her soul.

This pain was on a different level from physical pain.

The gradually loudening bell sound warned her.

Do not resist.

You cannot resist anyway.

Submit and be at ease.

It was just the sound of a bell, but she felt a force she could not dare to defy.

“Ah……. Aaaah……”

I think I’m going crazy.

No, maybe I’ve already gone mad.

Am I really me right now?

‘I was wrong. It’s all my fault. I’m sorry for being born. I’m sorry for being useless. Everything…….’

She feels nothing but irresistible fear and a pain reminiscent of a living hell.

The moment she was about to lose herself and break…….

“……dy.”

Someone calls her.

“Young Lady Dang.”

It’s not a voice she could call familiar, but it was definitely a voice she had heard before. And the moment she heard that voice, the terrifying bell sound slowly receded.

“Are you alright? Young Lady Dang?”

Her vision slowly returns.

Someone calling her amidst the dense poison energy.

The owner of the sturdy arm that was gently supporting her back and neck. He was…….

“Young…… Master Han?”

“I’m glad you seem to be safe.”

It was Han Cheong-un.

Her small light had appeared before her.

The overwhelming joy and emotion were brief.

The moment her mind returned, she…….

“St…… stay away……. Ah…… Aaaah…….”

What should she say first?

It’s dangerous to come in contact with her, a Myriad Poisons Body.

No, this space itself is dangerous.

And Han Cheong-un’s appearance in her eyes was…….

“Young…… Master?”

The majority of his skin was melted and peeled off.

Blood was flowing from his seven orifices.

Seeing that the focus of his eyes was off, it seemed his senses weren't intact either.

“R…… Run. Run away.”

“Young Lady Dang……”

“I’ll die. I’ll…… I’ll die alone…… so please run away.”

“It’s already too late.”

She knows.

It’s already too late.

She too was a body that had learned the poison arts of the Sichuan Tang Clan. How could she not know?

Han Cheong-un’s condition was so severe that it was a miracle he was still alive.

“Ah……. Aaaaaah……”

Watching her suffer in guilt, Han Cheong-un smiled bitterly.

‘My calculation was wrong. To think even the resistance from the Divine Immortal’s Tear wouldn’t be enough.’

He thought that with the resistance from the Divine Immortal’s Tear, he could withstand the poison energy emitted by the Myriad Poisons Body.

But he was mistaken.

The poison energy she emitted was so potent that it couldn't be completely blocked even with the resistance created by the Divine Immortal’s Tear.

Of course, it was thanks to that resistance that he was able to get here.

And he could achieve the initial purpose of coming here.

“Young Lady Dang. I will save you now.”

“Don’t do it. Just run away. Please!”

Han Cheong-un smiled.

And with difficulty, he lifted his spear.

He couldn't properly put strength into his body, but a final strike should be possible.

In that state, Han Cheong-un…….

Domain.

Han Cheong-un immediately deployed his Domain.

This special ability that even he himself did not understand.

This, which changes the flow of time between oneself and others, is not a martial art.

It is a special power that Han Cheong-un had obtained unintentionally.

In other words, it was a power of the same lineage as the Ghost Spirit Taoist's sorcery or her Dragon Eye. That’s why…….

‘I can see it.’

He sees a blackish shadow behind Dang Seoyeon.

It had the form of a human, but there was no need to even think about who was the source of that thing, which was full of malice and yin energy.

“I’ll give you a good punch.”

With those words, Han Cheong-un’s spear is swung.

Han Cheong-un, who had accurately perceived it within his Domain, cut something.

Chwaaaak!

The moment the dark something was struck by Han Cheong-un’s blow, it scattered into pieces.

* * *

A dark, empty secret chamber.

Inside, a man vomited blood and collapsed.

“Keo-heo-eok……”

He, who had been performing a ritual in the center of a magic circle, was the Ghost Spirit Taoist who had been casting a soul-subduing art on Dang Seoyeon.

He suddenly vomited blood and collapsed to the floor.

“Keuk……. To break the ritual?”

The stronger the effect of a spell, the stronger the backlash.

Especially when it is forcefully broken, the aftermath directly affects the caster himself.

“How dare that brat……”

The Ghost Spirit Taoist ground his teeth.

To lose the Myriad Poisons Body that was almost in his grasp.

‘I needed to use that to extract the poison for the Jiangshi…….’

A sigh escaped him naturally.

One of the cornerstones he had been working on for a long time for his great cause was ruined.

All because of a brat who appeared out of nowhere.

“Damn brat, I’ll tear you apart alive……”

The Ghost Spirit Taoist bit his lip as he spoke.

He realized he couldn’t do that.

‘He’s already been poisoned by the Myriad Poisons Body’s poison anyway. He won’t be able to survive.’

That’s right.

No matter how powerful the Ghost Spirit Taoist was, he couldn't kill a dead man again.

“Fuuuu……. It can’t be helped. I’ll have to give up on the Myriad Poisons Body and use a substitute……”

The Ghost Spirit Taoist gave up on it.

Since it had come to this, it seemed he would have to modify his existing plan a little. But it was fine.

‘There is more than one path.’

That unsettling brat was annoying, but if he was going to die here anyway, there was no need to worry about him further.

* * *

“Ah……”

The moment Han Cheong-un destroyed the Ghost Spirit Taoist’s curse.

Dang Seoyeon received a shock to her spirit and lost consciousness.

Han Cheong-un caught her as she was about to fall and safely laid her on the ground. And then…….

“Is this it?”

He did what he could.

He broke the Ghost Spirit Taoist’s plot, so the Guizhou Bloodshed Incident should be averted now. Of course, there was still a lot to do after this. But…….

“Cough……. It seems this is as far as I go.”

He vomited blood, but there was no pain.

From Han Cheong-un’s experience, this was not a good thing.

If the nerves that transmit pain were destroyed, not even the Great Celestial Immortals could save him.

“It can’t be helped. Still……. I saved people, so……”

In the end, Han Cheong-un let go of his final thread of consciousness and collapsed. No, at least that’s what he thought.

Stands.

Han Cheong-un, who was about to hit the ground, recovered his balance and stood up nonchalantly. And then…….

“……”

Han Cheong-un looked around.

The terrible poison energy that filled the heavens and the earth.

Han Cheong-un, realizing he was in the midst of it, let out a small laugh. And then…….

“What a feast.”

With that one sentence, Han Cheong-un.

No, that existence began to absorb the poison energy that had spread in all directions.

All the poison energy that Dang Seoyeon had discharged.

The deadly poison energy that even the Myriad Poisons Body herself could not fully handle disappeared as if it were being sucked in.

The catastrophic poison energy that seemed like it would cover all of heaven and earth in death vanished as if it were a lie. And…….

“Splendid. I’ve recovered a considerable amount of power.”

That existence smiled a very satisfied smile.

And that existence’s gaze fell on Dang Seoyeon, who was collapsed on the floor.

Looking at the woman lying on the floor with hair as white as snow, that existence licked its lips and said.

“So that wench was the master of this energy?”

That existence smiled and approached Dang Seoyeon.

And it brought its hand to her heart and infused her with an energy as dark as jet-black.

While doing so, it said…….

“Consider it an honor. For you have received the essence of this body.”

That was the end of it.

After handling things up to that point, that existence returned the body to Han Cheong-un, and all that was left behind was Han Cheong-un and Dang Seoyeon, collapsed on the floor.

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