Episode 139: The Demonic Sect

The poison of the Jimsae had a peculiar characteristic.

Until now, it was believed that the Jimsae’s poison was a single type, but in reality, it was a concoction of various toxins.

First, a poison that disrupted the flow of internal energy spread, followed by toxins that harmed the body and threatened life. There were poisons that hardened the lungs and organs, and others that clotted the blood when mixed. Tang Mujin clicked his tongue in frustration.

“I tried to analyze it as if it were a single poison, no wonder it was taking so long.”

It hadn’t been long since the Jimsae perched atop the prison when a reaction occurred. Two guards emerged with grave expressions.

“Where’s the third one?”

Several possibilities came to mind. Perhaps only two guards were on duty at night, or maybe one had sneaked off for some fun. Both were plausible.

The two guards, scanning their surroundings, spotted the Jimsae on the roof and turned pale.

“What the hell, why is the Jimsae here?”

“I don’t know, but the poison isn’t as strong as I thought. Let’s drive it away.”

“Yeah! Let’s get rid of it!”

”…You want me to do it?”

“You’re more skilled than I am. My limbs are already starting to stiffen.”

One guard feigned weakness, pushing the task onto the other, clearly reluctant to approach the Jimsae.

After a brief argument, one guard reluctantly climbed onto the roof.

“Why is the nest here? That sack looks like food. Who put it there?”

“Get rid of it all!”

The guard’s movements became cautious as he approached the Jimsae, the air thick with poison that threatened to harm him.

Of course, Tang Mujin had no intention of just watching until the guard cleared the Jimsae’s nest.

In his right hand, he held a stone the size of a fist.

“Let’s see how you like this.”

Tang Mujin had often used his skills to throw daggers or needles, but the most extensive part of his training involved throwing stones. After all, when fleeing, stones were the easiest to find.

He positioned himself at an angle.

“Throwing isn’t about arm strength; it’s about using your whole body.”

Tang Mujin stepped forward with his left foot, twisting his body dynamically as he swung his arm. His shoulder, which had been pulled back, snapped forward, and his arm, like a whip, released the stone. It sliced through the air at incredible speed.

”!”

The guard on the roof sensed the incoming stone with sharp intuition and reflexively raised his right hand.

But his body, still sluggish from the poison, couldn’t keep up. His arm felt unnaturally heavy, and his movements were slow.

“Damn it, shi—”

Before the guard could shield his head, the stone struck his temple.

Thud!

A sound that should never come from a human head echoed, and the guard on the roof collapsed.

Though the stone hit his temple, blood trickled from his nose.

“Instant death.”

Even a martial artist wouldn’t expect to die from a stone throw.

The other guard, witnessing this, was startled and looked in the direction the stone had come from.

There stood Tang Mujin, watching the surviving guard with a tilted stance. The guard’s eyes widened.

“You’re the one who came last time!”

“One who doesn’t know his place. You should be begging for your life.”

Though the guard’s martial skills were superior, Tang Mujin was more agile.

The guard was tense, and Tang Mujin found it amusing.

“A master afraid of me. How delightful.”

The guard moved to a less toxic area and drew his sword from his waist. Despite the poison, he seemed capable of wielding it.

“Come! I’ll show you the difference in our skills.”

Tang Mujin had no intention of getting close.

There was a cleaner, safer way to fight, so there was no need to risk a sword clash.

In his left hand, between his fingers, were three needles.

But the guard couldn’t see them. The darkness and distance obscured them.

The guard gripped his sword with both hands, pondering.

“Is he not affected by the poison? Or does he have a way to block it? No matter. The skill gap is significant enough to subdue him.”

He planned to draw Tang Mujin in, exploit an opening, and end the fight swiftly.

Just as the guard finished his thoughts, he felt a sharp sensation at the back of his neck. He turned his gaze behind him.

“Is there an enemy behind me?”

But there was no one there.

”…A bug?”

He brushed the back of his neck, feeling something long and thin.

“A needle?”

At that moment, the guard sensed the poison spreading from the back of his neck. It wasn’t the mild poison of small insects.

The problem was, there wasn’t just one type of poison.

“A poison that clots blood. One that paralyzes muscles. What’s the third?”

The poison spread from the back of his neck, traveling through his meridians to critical points on his head. All were lethal. Any point on the head could be.

The guard tried to expel the poison with his internal energy, but the Jimsae’s poison in the air hindered its flow.

His internal energy, uncollected, clumped like thick mucus, refusing to move, and when gathered, dispersed like mist.

“The situation is dire.”

The guard made a decision based on his combat experience.

Instead of leisurely expelling the poison, he needed to kill his opponent quickly. Better to suffer madness from poison than a sword to the neck. With luck, he might get treated.

He raised his sword, searching for his opponent. But Tang Mujin stood still.

The guard shouted.

“Come at me!”

Tang Mujin’s response was indifferent.

“Why should I?”

“You’re not going to run away without pride, are you?”

“Run?”

Tang Mujin laughed.

“Running is for losers. But you’re the one who’s lost.”

“Impossible! The fight hasn’t even started.”

“No, it’s over. You can’t even stand properly.”

Only then did the guard realize his vision was tilting.

The dizziness, once mild, surged like a wave. He couldn’t stand straight.

He glared at Tang Mujin. It was all he could do.

He couldn’t advance, retreat, or expel the poison with his internal energy. It was too late for that.

His legs gave out. Unknowingly, he knelt, his upper body leaning forward until his forehead touched the ground. He looked like a criminal offering his neck to an executioner.

Tang Mujin approached slowly, drawing his sword.

“Not the end you wanted, I’m sure. But what can you do?”

He plunged the sword into the guard’s back, piercing his heart. There was no personal grudge, so there was no need to prolong the suffering.

Tang Mujin searched the dead guard’s body. Surely one of them had the key to the prison.

But to his surprise, neither guard had the key.

“What…?”

He searched again, but the result was the same. His heart sank.

The prison was designed to hold martial artists, with bars thicker than a thumb.

Tang Mujin could cut through an opponent’s sword with his blade, but he wasn’t confident about cutting through those thick bars.

And cutting one bar wouldn’t suffice. He’d need to cut both top and bottom to create a gap, and at least two bars to make space for a person.

The prisoner, Sam Anbul, was large, so three bars would be necessary.

”…Did I kill the guards only to find I can’t free them without the key?”

No, that couldn’t be. Even if the guards didn’t have the key, it might be hidden somewhere in the prison, out of the prisoners’ reach.

But Tang Mujin doubted it. Among the prisoners, there were likely those skilled in telekinesis.

Leaving the key in the prison was akin to inviting them to escape whenever they wished.

“But that’s the only chance I have.”

Just as Tang Mujin was about to rush into the prison, the door swung open.

“Was there a third guard?”

Tang Mujin instinctively stepped back, holding needles in his left hand and a sword in his right.

As he prepared to throw the needles, he recognized the familiar faces of Namgung Myung and Hong Geolgae.

”…?”

To his surprise, Namgung Myung held something in his right hand. A set of keys.

“When did he get those?”

Namgung Myung, initially startled to see Tang Mujin, quickly regained his composure and shouted confidently.

“Hey, isn’t that Dang Mujin? Don’t worry, we’re here to rescue you!”

“You idiot. I’m the one doing the rescuing.”

“Still as clueless as ever. When you’re embarrassed, just say thank you.”

Next to Namgung Myung, Hong Geolgae nodded in agreement. Dang Mujin watched them with a wry smile.

“This is ridiculous.”

“Just as I expected. Getting yourself captured to infiltrate the cult’s prison isn’t something a normal person would think of.”

Of course, Dang Mujin wasn’t fooled by Namgung Myung’s nonsense. He’d overheard their bickering when they visited the prison a few days ago.

Chances were, they got caught and were stuck until a bird distracted the guards, allowing them to swipe the keys.

Either way, it worked out. Dang Mujin snatched the keyring from Namgung Myung.

“Hey, why are you taking the keys?”

“I have someone else to free.”

“Ugh, who is it?”

“Sam Anbul.”

Namgung Myung and Hong Geolgae squinted at Dang Mujin.

”…You’re joking, right?”

“Not at all. I’m dead serious.”

“Have you finally lost it, messing with poison all the time?”

“We need Sam Anbul’s help to escape. Do you know how many top fighters the cult has?”

Namgung Myung hesitated at the mention of top fighters but didn’t back down.

“And you think Sam Anbul will help just because you ask? You might lose more than just an arm this time.”

“No. We’ve become friends while I’ve been here. Besides, Sam Anbul is also at odds with the cult leader and needs to get out. He’ll help us.”

There was a certainty in Dang Mujin’s eyes.

Normally, Namgung Myung and Hong Geolgae would have backed off, saying something like, “Alright, if you insist, we’ll trust you this time.”

But now, they hesitated, as if they believed asking for Sam Anbul’s help was a bad idea, even if he was an ally.

“What, you don’t want help from a cult member? Or is it because of your grudge over the arm? I get it, but…”

“No, it’s not that. I actually like my new arm. But there’s a more complicated issue.”

“Sorry, but we don’t have time to chat. We can sort out grudges later. Let’s focus on escaping alive.”

Dang Mujin dashed into the prison.

Just as he remembered, Sam Anbul was in the deepest part, more securely confined than the others.

While most prisoners were simply locked up, Sam Anbul was shackled to the wall with thick cuffs on his wrists and ankles.

He had struggled so much that his skin was raw and bleeding.

To make matters worse, he seemed to have been humiliated. Unlike the other prisoners who maintained some dignity, Sam Anbul was covered in filth, reeking of rotten food.

‘This is brutal. They don’t care about the consequences.’

As Dang Mujin inserted the key into the cell door, a small metallic sound echoed.

Sam Anbul’s eyes opened. Despite the poison affecting his inner strength, his gaze was still intense.

“Dang Mujin. How did you get here?”

“I’m here to rescue you! Let’s escape together.”

“Hmm…”

Sam Anbul’s response was lukewarm. Dang Mujin shouted at him.

“Staying here only leads to betrayal or death! Stop hesitating and get ready to leave!”

Dang Mujin unlocked Sam Anbul’s shackles. But Sam Anbul hesitated to stand.

“I have nowhere to go. I turned my back on the world to join the cult. If I leave here, I’ll just wander aimlessly, living without purpose.”

“The world is vast. As long as you’re alive, you’ll find a place to stay. You’ll find something you want to do.”

Sam Anbul closed his eyes, lost in thought. Despite his immense strength and iron will, he was just like any other person, filled with doubts and worries.

When Dang Mujin finally freed his cuffs, Sam Anbul stood up.

“Alright. I don’t know where I’ll end up, but I do have something I want to do.”

“Good decision!”

As Dang Mujin moved to leave, a prisoner in the next cell shouted.

“You’re escaping the cult? Take me with you! I can help!”

That seemed to trigger a chain reaction, with many prisoners clamoring for help.

“Me too!”

“Get me out! I don’t want to die from this poison!”

“I’ll do anything if you just let me out!”

Dang Mujin glanced at Sam Anbul, who nodded.

“They’re in the same boat as me. They’re not here for heinous crimes but for opposing the cult leader. But the choice is yours.”

All eyes were on Dang Mujin.

As always, the decision was his to make.

The choice didn’t take long. Having more people against the cult leader couldn’t hurt.

‘If nothing else, they can be a distraction. It’ll increase our chances of escape.’

Dang Mujin quickly moved through the prison, freeing the captives.

The cult members, bothered by the poison seeping from above, coughed as they fled the prison.

Dang Mujin and Sam Anbul were the last to leave. The stench from the food scraps on Sam Anbul was overwhelming.

’…Thank goodness it’s not summer.’

Dang Mujin looked around. Hong Geolgae and Namgung Myung stood apart from the others, watching him from a distance.

Their faces were marked with a clear unease, a stark contrast to their earlier confidence.

‘What’s going on with them?’

Then, Sam Anbul spoke.

“I don’t know where I’ll end up, but I can take care of what I want to do right away.”

“What?”

Sam Anbul strode toward Hong Geolgae and Namgung Myung. They trembled, unable to flee.

Sam Anbul reached out and grabbed their shoulders, his eyes blazing with fury.

“What was it you said earlier? Something about a fool who got discarded? Eat this instead of your meal?”

…It seemed the guards weren’t the ones who had dumped the scraps on Sam Anbul.

Dang Mujin felt a sharp headache coming on.