Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 158 – Coercion (4)

-Snap!

“Ugh.”

Eldest Young Master Na Yul-ryang’s wrist was twisted and broken.

Na Yul-ryang frantically tried to shake off his broken wrist.

However,

-Crack!

‘This fiend?’

He couldn’t move his wrist at all.

It was the same even when he raised his right hand’s martial power to the tenth level.

Mok Gyeong-un said to him,

“What’s wrong? Is it difficult to pull out your hand?”

‘!?’

Na Yul-ryang’s eyes sharpened.

Although the pain from his broken wrist bone should have been agonizing, Na Yul-ryang instead glared at Mok Gyeong-un with a look of disbelief.

The person’s martial power was below his own, so there was no way he could break his wrist.

However, a strange phenomenon occurred.

Suddenly, the person’s martial power surged to twice its previous level.

Wondering what was going on, Na Yul-ryang noticed that the veins on Mok Gyeong-un’s right hand, which was grasping his wrist, had become bulging, black, and grotesque.

‘What is this?’

Na Yul-ryang could see through his Penetrating Eye.

Mok Gyeong-un’s right hand had an eerily surging energy.

This was not a normal form of power.

‘This person has learned a bizarre technique.’

How he learned it was not important.

What mattered was that Mok Gyeong-un’s martial power had surpassed his own, limited to his right hand.

At this,

-Whoosh!

Na Yul-ryang raised his left hand’s finger, generating a blue sword energy.

He then attempted to behead Mok Gyeong-un in a single stroke.

This person must be killed on the spot, or he would be far too dangerous.

-Swish! Clang!

However, at that moment, Na Yul-ryang’s sword energy was stopped before it could even touch Mok Gyeong-un’s neck.

The one who blocked it was none other than,

“Poison King!”

The Poison King, Baek Sa-ha.

Without using poison, he had created strong energy with his hand and blocked Na Yul-ryang’s sword energy in an instant.

Baek Sa-ha said to Eldest Young Master Na Yul-ryang,

“You intend to kill my disciple right in front of me?”

“…”

At Baek Sa-ha’s words, Na Yul-ryang’s gaze turned frigid.

That person, his disciple, had broken his wrist and was still grasping it, yet Baek Sa-ha was trying to protect him?

At this, Na Yul-ryang warned in a low voice,

“Are you willing to make an enemy of this young master for the sake of a mere disciple? Will that truly benefit the Baek Clan?”

“…Are you threatening me now?”

Faced with Na Yul-ryang’s forceful words, anger seeped into the Poison King Baek Sa-ha’s voice as well.

No matter how close Na Yul-ryang was to being the Society Leader’s successor, Baek Sa-ha was one of the Five Kings, a high-ranking executive of the Heaven and Earth Society.

In terms of position, he could even be considered above Na Yul-ryang.

No matter how arrogant Na Yul-ryang was, to provoke him in such a manner?

“I now clearly understand how you view me and the Baek Clan. Then, let me warn you as well. If you do not immediately withdraw, I will do my utmost to prevent you from becoming the successor.”

“What?”

The expression of Na Yul-ryang, who was receiving a warning in return, grew even more ferocious.

All his attention was focused on somehow killing Mok Gyeong-un, yet this old man kept interfering, fueling his anger even further.

“Did I not say it? If you do not step back, I will ensure to obstruct you from becoming the successor.”

“Poison King!”

-Rumble!

As Na Yul-ryang’s voice rose, his aura surged menacingly.

The wind swirled, causing his clothes to flutter.

Likewise, as if unwilling to be outdone in terms of aura, the Poison King Baek Sa-ha began releasing a poisonous energy from his entire body.

-Rumble!

A purple poisonous energy rose, exuding an ominous aura.

His poisonous energy, having become a complete Poison Master after reaching the 8th stage of the Wave Demon Poison Scripture, was incomparable to before.

As Baek Sa-ha took a step forward,

-Sizzle!

Part of the ground was being corroded.

In an instant, the atmosphere intensified.

It would not be surprising if the two were to engage in a life-and-death battle at any moment.

However, that would signify a complete confrontation between them, so Baek Sa-ha was cautious, and in Na Yul-ryang’s case, with one of his wrists grasped by Mok Gyeong-un, neither of them made the first move.

It was at that precise moment.

-Shudder!

An immense killing intent surged.

As if the sudden killing intent was a signal flare, Na Yul-ryang and Baek Sa-ha reflexively separated their clashing hands and unleashed lethal techniques towards each other.

-Clang clang clang!

In an instant, their hands collided about four times at close range.

It was a simplified exchange of techniques.

-Sizzle! Whoosh!

As the poisonous energy and murderous intent clashed, the surrounding ground corroded and cracked.

However, their confrontation did not continue from there.

The reason being,

‘This bastard?’

Mok Gyeong-un, who had been grasping Na Yul-ryang’s wrist, pulled his body into an embrace while still holding his wrist.

Na Yul-ryang was momentarily dumbfounded.

To engage in such antics at this critical moment, had this bastard gone mad?

“Let go immediately!”

“I can’t do that. Master! Please grab Eldest Young Master’s left hand.”

“What?”

-Grab!

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, Baek Sa-ha reflexively grabbed Na Yul-ryang’s left hand, with which he had been exchanging techniques.

As a result, Na Yul-ryang was unable to move either his right or left hand.

Na Yul-ryang clicked his tongue in disbelief.

“These bastards, seriously!”

Na Yul-ryang drew upon the energy from his entire body and released sharp murderous intent through his skin.

-Swish swish swish swish swish swish!

For a supreme master of the sword like him, his entire body was akin to a sharp weapon.

However, even as this sharp murderous intent pierced his body, Mok Gyeong-un remained motionless and instead embraced Na Yul-ryang even tighter.

-Crack!

‘This person’s left hand’s energy?’

Na Yul-ryang furrowed his brows.

The energy in Mok Gyeong-un’s left hand, which was wrapped around his waist, was extraordinary.

From this, Na Yul-ryang could discern.

‘It’s not limited to one hand?’

It seemed Mok Gyeong-un could unleash that strange technique with both hands.

As Mok Gyeong-un applied more force to his left hand encircling Na Yul-ryang’s waist, he felt his upper body being compressed.

At this, Na Yul-ryang’s eyes completely lost their sanity.

“You son of a bitch!”

Already filled with madness, his anger reached its peak, and he tilted his head to the side and headbutted Mok Gyeong-un, who was embracing him, with the force of his tenth-level martial power.

-Bang! Crack!

“Ugh.”

Mok Gyeong-un’s head was thrown back from the headbutt.

Not missing this opportunity, Na Yul-ryang headbutted him again.

-Bang!

“Ack!”

Blood spurted from Mok Gyeong-un’s forehead where he was headbutted.

Na Yul-ryang let out a crazed laugh and headbutted the bleeding Mok Gyeong-un once more.

“Ha ha ha! Try keeping your hold now.”

-Bang! Bang! Bang!

After about three headbutts, at that moment, veins bulged on Mok Gyeong-un’s forehead, turning black.

Then, just like Na Yul-ryang, Mok Gyeong-un tilted his head back and headbutted him.

-Crack!

“Ugh!”

“Oof!”

The heads of the two, who had headbutted each other simultaneously, were thrown back.

The force was enough to send them flying apart, but they didn’t separate as Mok Gyeong-un held Na Yul-ryang tightly.

However, both their faces were covered in blood, to the point of making one frown.

“Ha…”

That was Baek Sa-ha’s current expression.

Although he had helped Mok Gyeong-un upon his request, this could hardly be considered a martial arts confrontation.

He had no idea how things had turned out this way.

As he was thinking that, Eldest Young Master Na Yul-ryang, his face distorted, opened his eyes and displayed a crazed look.

“I’ll kill you!”

It seemed he would only be satisfied by killing Mok Gyeong-un on the spot for dragging him into this dog fight.

At this, Na Yul-ryang unleashed the technique of the Golden Silkworm and unexpectedly freed his left hand, which had been grasped by Baek Sa-ha.

-Bang!

“What?”

But it was at that very moment.

‘!?’

-Sizzle sizzle sizzle sizzle!

The parts of his body in contact with the person felt like they were burning in pain.

The reason was the crimson poisonous energy rising from Mok Gyeong-un’s entire body as he embraced Na Yul-ryang.

Na Yul-ryang’s expression contorted at the materialized crimson poisonous energy.

This was none other than,

“Poison Master?”

Releasing poisonous energy from one’s entire body was something only possible for those who had reached the realm of a Poison Master.

‘No way?’

Even the Poison King Baek Sa-ha couldn’t hide his shock upon witnessing this scene.

He had surmised that Mok Gyeong-un’s martial prowess had increased at an alarming rate, but it was still unbelievable.

He had not yet properly taught Mok Gyeong-un the Wave Demon Poison Scripture.

He had merely shown him the secret art once.

Yet now, Mok Gyeong-un was displaying the Poison Master Body, which could only be unleashed upon reaching the 8th stage of the Wave Demon Poison Scripture.

‘How can this be?’

How was this possible for someone who had only seen the secret art of the Wave Demon Poison Scripture once?

Then, could it be that he had…?

‘Broken through his threshold?’

In an instant, goosebumps rose all over the Poison King Baek Sa-ha’s body.

He was not easily surprised by most things, but this was something he couldn’t help but be shocked by.

Was this truly possible?

It was at that moment.

-Sizzle!

“Aaaaargh!”

For the first time, a scream of pain erupted from Na Yul-ryang’s mouth.

Even for an expert of the Transformation Realm like him, it was impossible to block all the penetrating poisons while being embraced by someone who had become a Poison Master, releasing poisonous energy from their entire body.

That was the terror of a Poison Master, who themselves became poison.

With a mere touch, they become a lethal venomous hand.

“Aaargh!”

Enduring this immense pain, Na Yul-ryang raised his sword energy on the finger of his left hand, which he had freed using the Golden Silkworm technique.

-Whoosh!

‘You… son… of… a… bitch…’

Then, he attempted to pierce Mok Gyeong-un’s left ear and penetrate his head as Mok Gyeong-un tightly embraced him.

However, at that moment,

-Smack!

Someone forcefully struck the back of Na Yul-ryang’s head.

It was none other than the Poison King Baek Sa-ha.

No matter how much of a Transformation Realm expert Na Yul-ryang was, he couldn’t help but have his mind go blank and his inner energy disrupted by this unexpected blow.

Not missing this chance, Baek Sa-ha sealed his acupoints.

-Tap tap tap tap!

With his acupoints sealed, Na Yul-ryang’s head drooped.

At this, Baek Sa-ha hurriedly dissuaded Mok Gyeong-un.

“Enough! Stop it!”

In response to his words, Mok Gyeong-un shook his head and said,

“We must kill him.”

“I don’t know what happened, but if we kill Eldest Young Master now, we will die by the Society Leader’s hand. Are you fine with that?”

“…”

-Swish swish swish swish!

At his words, Mok Gyeong-un, who had been hesitating for a moment, released his Poison Master Body.

Then, he removed his arms from Na Yul-ryang’s body, which he had been embracing.

-Thud!

The unconscious Na Yul-ryang collapsed to the ground limply.

After glancing at the fallen Na Yul-ryang, Mok Gyeong-un turned his gaze towards Baek Sa-ha and said,

“It’s troublesome, but Eldest Young Master is better as an enemy than the Society Leader.”

“Oh my.”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, the Poison King Baek Sa-ha clicked his tongue.

It seemed he had not properly seen this fellow’s true nature.

Baek Sa-ha took something out from his bosom.

It was a red cloth bundle.

Inside the cloth was a golden elixir pill with a faint fragrance.

“What is that?”

“Poison Avoidance Bead.”

“Poison Avoidance Bead?”

“It’s a Poison Avoidance Bead made for consumption, capable of detoxifying most poisons.”

“Most poisons?”

“Yes.”

The Poison Avoidance Bead was an elixir pill with the highest efficacy in detoxification.

Just the ingredients alone cost a thousand gold pieces, and it was so precious that even the Baek Clan only had a few, as it took more than a decade to manufacture.

However, now was not the time to be stingy with it.

If Eldest Young Master were to die, they would make an enemy of the Society Leader.

-Grip!

After crushing the Poison Avoidance Bead, Baek Sa-ha mixed it with other medicinal substances from his waist, opened Na Yul-ryang’s mouth, and pushed it down his throat.

‘I don’t know how it turned out this way.’

Just a quarter of an hour ago, he had achieved a breakthrough and was savoring the utmost joy.

But now, he was utterly confused.

Both Mok Gyeong-un’s rapid advancement in martial arts and these two trying to harm each other.

As he was thinking that, Mok Gyeong-un suddenly approached.

“Why are you doing this?”

“I apologize, but even if we don’t kill him, I think I should take this.”

“What?”

Before he could finish, Mok Gyeong-un plunged his index finger deep into Na Yul-ryang’s right eye, whose acupoints had been sealed, rendering him unconscious.

Then, with his finger,

-Squish!

He gouged out Na Yul-ryang’s right eyeball and pulled it out.

‘!!!!!!!!!’

Shocked by Mok Gyeong-un’s sudden action, the Poison King Baek Sa-ha was momentarily at a loss for words.

Mok Gyeong-un showed the extracted eyeball to him and said with an eerie smile on his blood-covered face,

“This is a bit troublesome, you see.”