A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 199

199. Dang Wol-ah’s Wrath

Dang Wol-ah’s hand distorted the mask, revealing the grotesque face of the strange man.

No one present could fail to understand the meaning of that hideous appearance, which would make anyone grimace.

“A Poisoned Man?”

“Impossible. Only one Poisoned Man can be created in a generation!”

Besides, a Poisoned Man couldn’t move like that.

More than anything, didn’t they seem to be using the Fierce Tiger Poisonous Energy Art?

The elders and key figures of the Tang Clan couldn’t hide their bewilderment.

Crack.

The mask in Dang Wol-ah’s hand shattered. Simultaneously, the two strange men who had been flung away kicked off the ground again, heading towards Dang Wol-ah.

Tap, tap.

The two strange men lunged at Dang Wol-ah from the left and right. The eerie red energy surrounding their fingertips sliced through the air.

Swoosh.

Dang Wol-ah took a step back, brandishing Sowol.

Bang, bang.

With two explosions, the two strange men were flung away again. But in the meantime, the strange man pinned down by Dang Wol-ah’s sword was freed.

The strange man, his mask gone, kicked off the ground and flew towards Dang Wol-ah.

Whoosh.

The strange man’s hand reached out towards Dang Wol-ah once more. Dang Wol-ah swung Sowol down at the strange man.

Whooosh.

Behind the veil, Dang Wol-ah’s eyes gleamed, and a tremendous spirit seemed to emanate from her slender body.

Thud.

A heavy reverberation spread through the training ground.

Crack.

The strange man was once again pinned under Dang Wol-ah’s sword.

The strange man’s two hands, shimmering with red light, blocked Dang Wol-ah’s Sowol, but the impact transmitted through Sowol shook the strange man’s entire body, and subsequently left cracks in the training ground floor.

It was a result that was hard to believe came from a small sword.

“Kark.”

A strange sound like a groan leaked out. Dang Wol-ah opened her other hand wide and reached for the strange man’s head.

Thud, hiss.

As Dang Wol-ah grabbed the strange man’s head, a pungent smell spread. The strange man’s potent poison reacted instantly on Dang Wol-ah’s hand. But Dang Wol-ah didn’t care at all.

Woo-oong.

Dang Wol-ah’s white hand turned green. At that moment, the strange man’s scream echoed through the training ground.

“Kieaaaaaa!”

It was a terrible, ghostly scream. The strange man convulsed all over and screamed.

“Kuh-uk.”

“Ugh.”

People covered their ears. Even the elders with deep inner strength did the same.

Only then did Tang Hu-gwang realize the seriousness of the situation.

Tang Hu-gwang immediately took out the hand he had been holding in his pocket. It was a short black stick with a blood-red bell at the end.

Ting-a-ling, ting.

“Strike them all!”

With the violent ringing of the bell, the strange men immediately turned towards Dang Wol-ah.

Tap, tap.

The strange men, who were rising with bizarre movements, and the strange men who were fighting the elders, immediately kicked off the ground.

“White Tiger Captain!”

Tang Hu-gwang shouted. The White Tiger Captain, who was facing the Silver Sword Captain, immediately flew to Tang Hu-gwang’s side.

The Silver Sword Captain chose to protect the other elders and key figures of the Tang Clan instead of pursuing. The elders who were fighting the strange men also retreated.

Whooosh.

Four strange men with grotesque masks lunged at Dang Wol-ah from all directions.

“Kya-gek!”

“Krrr!”

The strange men didn’t hide their bizarre noises. Not only their hands but their entire bodies were dyed red and shimmering.

They looked like evil spirits.

Anyone could see at a glance that the result would not be good if they collided like that.

“Wol-ah, dodge!”

“Get out of the way!”

“Be careful!”

Not only Tang Hwa-ryeon and the old woman Tang Un-yeong, but even the Clan Lord Tang Ok-dam shouted. The other elders felt the same way.

If Dang Wol-ah was harmed here, everything would be over.

Rustle.

Dang Wol-ah’s hand fell from the strange man’s head. The strange man collapsed helplessly like a doll with its strings cut.

Thud.

One had fallen, but the other four were lunging. Dang Wol-ah raised her head.

“Kya-ak!”

“Kyak.”

Eight eerie red hands lunging from all directions.

But Dang Wol-ah didn’t dodge or look away. It was as if she was accepting something destined for her.

And the next moment.

Kwa-gwa-gwak!

An intangible force erupted from Dang Wol-ah’s entire body.

Although it was clearly some kind of energy, it poured out of Dang Wol-ah like a violent storm.

‘Heok.’

‘Ugh.’

The onlookers retreated without realizing it. No, it was as if their bodies were being pushed back involuntarily. Their faces changed at the tremendous force, and their bodies instinctively cowered.

Flutter.

Dang Wol-ah’s veil fluttered as if caught in a storm, and her clothes fluttered, swept away by the force.

But above all, what captivated people’s attention was the silver hair dancing in the air like an illusion.

“Kyareuk!”

Despite the tremendous force, the strange men were lunging at Dang Wol-ah.

Even in the face of that overwhelming energy, which anyone could clearly recognize, especially those with high levels of skill, the strange men didn’t hesitate at all.

And the result of that recklessness was obvious.

Kwang!

A blast loud enough to shake the training ground erupted, and one of the strange men flew helplessly into the air. His mask shattered and scattered in the air. But that wasn’t the end.

Bang, Kwang!

Two strange men flew into the air again. And Sowol, emitting green light, mercilessly plunged towards the fourth strange man.

Kwang, crack.

The fourth strange man couldn’t withstand Dang Wol-ah’s Sowol. The strange man collapsed upside down on the floor in a terrible shape. A mask was no longer left.

Thud.

Dang Wol-ah’s foot rested on the strange man’s back. And then her white hand grabbed the strange man’s head.

“Kieaaaaaa!”

A tremendous, ghostly scream pierced their ears.

A scream that would make anyone cover their ears. But Dang Wol-ah’s face, slightly revealed under the fluttering veil, was expressionlessly looking down at it.

Her high nose, red lips, and snow-white skin visible under the veil.

It was a beauty that could be called heavenly, but at this moment, it looked more eerie to people than the strange man’s scream.

Thud.

The scream stopped, and the convulsing strange man collapsed.

Was he dead? The strange man’s body was as still as a corpse, and people swallowed their saliva without realizing it.

“Kyareuk!”

The remaining three strange men flew towards Dang Wol-ah again.

The red energy was rising like flames from their entire bodies, but everyone could tell that their momentum was not as strong as before.

Kwang, Kwang.

Once again, an explosion erupted, and one strange man was flung away. And Dang Wol-ah’s white hand landed on the heads of the two strange men who knelt on the floor.

“Kyaaaaaaak!”

The two strange men screamed simultaneously. Sowol, embedded in the training ground floor, shone coldly.

The more they heard it, the more eerie the ghostly scream became.

Even the elders trembled at the sound, but Dang Wol-ah’s expression remained unchanged.

Thud, thud.

The strange man collapsed like a corpse. Dang Wol-ah picked up her sword, Sowol, which she had stuck in the training ground floor.

Woo-woo-oong.

Sowol cried.

“Kyareuk.”

The last remaining strange man let out a strange cry again. But the strange man couldn’t dare to attack Dang Wol-ah and hesitated.

Shuffle.

Dang Wol-ah walked towards the strange man. That soft and small footstep sounded like the sound of death approaching to everyone at this moment.

Shuffle, shuffle.

“Kya-aak!”

The strange man, unable to withstand the pressure, instinctively flew towards Dang Wol-ah.

Ignoring all defense, the strange man swung his two hands, dyed red, like a desperate struggle. But it didn’t work on Dang Wol-ah.

Rustle.

The moment her sword, Sowol, shining with green light, touched the strange man’s fingertips.

Flick.

Before they knew it, the strange man was falling towards the floor. Dang Wol-ah’s sword had twisted the strange man’s attack.

‘That’s!’

Elder Tang Bi-gwang widened his eyes. It happened in an instant, but it clearly looked like a move of ‘Lee Hwa Jeop Mok’ [a technique to redirect an opponent’s force].

‘No, that can’t be…….’

Lee Hwa Jeop Mok is to twist the opponent’s moves. But what was shimmering from the strange man’s fingertips was clearly poisonous energy, or an energy comparable to it.

If you can move the opponent’s sword energy or energy as you please, there is only one thing that comes to mind.

‘Tai Chi Wisdom Sword?’

Elder Tang Bi-gwang immediately shook his head. Tai Chi Wisdom Sword is the legendary ultimate secret of Wudang [a prominent Taoist sect].

Although Dang Wol-ah has mastered all the secrets of the world, how could she have learned even the Tai Chi Wisdom Sword of Wudang?

Kwang!

The strange man, who had been struggling desperately, crashed to the floor with his momentum.

Tang Bi-gwang quickly regained his composure and watched the situation unfold.

But his question did not disappear and remained stuck in a corner of Tang Bi-gwang’s mind.

Shuffle.

Dang Wol-ah’s foot was placed on the strange man’s chest.

The small strange man looked up at Dang Wol-ah. The mask was already gone, and the terrible face was exposed.

Anyone could tell that the last remaining strange man was trembling slightly. But Dang Wol-ah didn’t hesitate.

Thud.

Her white hand landed on the strange man’s head. And the terrible ghostly scream followed.

“Kieaaaaaa!”

Thud.

The scream stopped, and the last strange man collapsed. But no one could open their mouths. This was because Dang Wol-ah’s force, which was pressing down on them at this moment, had not changed at all.

“Oh, this won’t do.”

The one who opened his mouth was the White Tiger Captain. The White Tiger Captain, who was standing as if protecting Tang Hu-gwang, said with a bitter expression.

“I’ll step down at this point.”

Pak.

Before he could finish speaking, the White Tiger Captain flew towards the entrance of the training ground. It was a quick and accurate judgment of the situation, worthy of the leader of the White Tiger Squad.

“Oh, no!”

Someone shouted. At this rate, they would miss the White Tiger Captain.

But Dang Wol-ah was faster.

Tak.

A sound came from Dang Wol-ah’s hand. It wasn’t a wind strike or an iron pellet, but a small sound.

But at that moment, the White Tiger Captain’s whole body stiffened, he lost his balance, and crashed to the floor.

“Keok.”

Thud.

The fallen White Tiger Captain forced himself to get up. But his body was no longer listening to him. Besides, his vision was already blurring.

‘This, this is…….’

It was clearly a symptom of poisoning. But when, how? Dang Wol-ah’s figure was visible in the White Tiger Captain’s blurred vision. But even his voice was no longer coming out. The White Tiger Captain lost consciousness as it was.

“Heul.”

Tang Hu-gwang, who was watching, let out a hollow laugh. Seeing Dang Wol-ah’s ability to incapacitate a master of sword energy manifestation in an instant, he was beyond dumbfounded and even felt empty.

“How did you do it?”

Tang Hu-gwang asked Dang Wol-ah.

Rustle.

There was no answer. Dang Wol-ah took a step towards Tang Hu-gwang. Tang Hu-gwang knew that she would not answer him.

“The words that you would take on everyone were not a bluff.”

Rustle.

With one more step, Dang Wol-ah approached. Tang Hu-gwang felt that Dang Wol-ah’s force pressing down on him was getting stronger.

“But you’re finished now too.”

Grind.

Tang Hu-gwang gritted his teeth. And said.

“Deputy Clan Lord.”

“Yes, yes!”

The answer came from a corner of the training ground. A man hiding behind a large pillar behind Tang Hu-gwang answered, trembling. He also attended here as a Deputy Clan Lord and was hiding, taking advantage of the chaos.

Tang Hu-gwang said with a bitter smile.

“Detonate the Thunderclap.”

“Heok! Thunderclap!”

The single word ‘Thunderclap’ plunged everyone into fear at once.

The Thunderclap, named after the lightning of the sky, was a fire bomb with tremendous explosive power from the Tang Clan’s secret tradition.

Even a single one could blow away this training ground, and the sharp fragments pouring out from within would instantly take everyone’s lives.

“But, but Inner Clan Lord…….”

The Deputy Clan Lord hesitated. It was understandable. Detonating the Thunderclap was the same as annihilating all the key figures of the Tang Clan here.

With the ignition device of the Thunderclap in his hand and the Thunderclaps placed on the ceiling beams, it would surely be so.

“You stupid bastard!”

Tang Hu-gwang’s eyes rolled back for a moment.

“Don’t you know that if you don’t kill them, you’ll die! Detonate the Thunderclap now!”

“B, but…….”

The Deputy Clan Lord looked back and forth between Tang Hu-gwang and Dang Wol-ah.

He had seen the White Tiger Captain collapse with a single gesture from Dang Wol-ah a little while ago. Who could guarantee that it wouldn’t happen to him?

The slender figure of Dang Wol-ah, her face covered with a veil, looked like the messenger of death to the Deputy Clan Lord. A god of death who could take his life with a single finger.

“Eek.”

Seeing the Deputy Clan Lord hesitating, Tang Hu-gwang felt like his blood was rushing backwards. If he had time to do that, he should detonate the Thunderclap and immediately run away.

“You incompetent bastard!”

Exploding with anger, Tang Hu-gwang flew towards the Deputy Clan Lord.

Boom.

“Ugh!”

Tang Hu-gwang’s palm struck the Deputy Clan Lord’s chest directly, and the Deputy Clan Lord spat out blood and flew backwards. And Tang Hu-gwang grabbed the ignition device of the Thunderclap that the Deputy Clan Lord was holding.

‘Got it.’

Now, with a single gesture, the Thunderclap will detonate. He might get caught up in it, but one thing is certain.

Those here will all die.

It was that moment.

“Keok.”

Tang Hu-gwang realized that his hand was not moving as he intended. Tang Hu-gwang turned his stiffening head and looked at Dang Wol-ah. And he uttered the question that the White Tiger Captain had thought of.

“H, how…….”

Shuffle.

Dang Wol-ah took a step.

“The basics of poison are to strike the opponent’s weakness.”

Dang Wol-ah’s cold voice flew and struck Tang Hu-gwang’s chest.

Dang Wol-ah’s red lips moved, and her soft voice flowed out.

“From the moment I entered this place, my poison was filling this place.”

‘Heok.’

The elders were surprised at Dang Wol-ah’s words. They recalled the force that had erupted from Dang Wol-ah at first.

It was not just a threat to quell the argument, but a method of lower poison.

‘F, from the beginning…….’

This place was completely in Dang Wol-ah’s palm. Without even noticing it, how did their appearance of being angry and shouting look to Dang Wol-ah?

Ping.

A wind strike flew from Dang Wol-ah’s hand. The wind strike accurately struck Tang Hu-gwang’s hand, and the ignition device of the Thunderclap slipped from Tang Hu-gwang’s hand and rolled away.

Ting, thud.

At the sound of the ignition device rolling away, some people swallowed their saliva without realizing it. Tang Hu-gwang couldn’t move even a finger until that moment.

“Sister.”

Dang Wol-ah said quietly. Tang Hwa-ryeon realized the meaning and immediately flew to grab the ignition device of the Thunderclap.

‘It was real.’

The ignition device of the Thunderclap was real. How on earth did he get his hands on this? Tang Hwa-ryeon looked at the detonating cord leading to the Thunderclap. And she very carefully disassembled the ignition device.

“Hoo.”

After a while, Tang Hwa-ryeon let out a sigh of relief. The danger of the Thunderclap had disappeared.

Everyone was relieved when Dang Wol-ah asked.

“Did Tang Baek-ho make these children like this?”

Tang Hu-gwang tried hard to give strength and answered.

“Y, yes! This Spirit Squad is what Tang Baek-ho left behind…….”

“Wol-ah!”

Tang Hwa-ryeon shouted urgently. She seemed to be trying to stop Dang Wol-ah, but Dang Wol-ah didn’t stop.

“First, he made Poisoned Men, and then forcibly flowed the Fierce Tiger Poisonous Energy Art into their bodies?”

Tang Hu-gwang was surprised. This was because Dang Wol-ah accurately pointed out the core process of creating the Spirit Squad.

“He thought that Poisoned Men might instinctively adapt to the Fierce Tiger Poisonous Energy Art.”

No one can master the Fierce Tiger Poisonous Energy Art. But if it is a Poisoned Man, which is the purification of extreme poison, might they be able to manifest the Fierce Tiger Poisonous Energy Art?

Tang Baek-ho saw the possibility. If the extreme poison of the Poisoned Men and the Fierce Tiger Poisonous Energy Art were combined, it would not be a dream to pacify the world.

“Huhu. That’s right. They are the Poisoned Men of the Tang Clan’s secret tradition and those who have mastered the true Fierce Tiger Poisonous Energy Art.”

Tang Baek-ho did not teach the Fierce Tiger Poisonous Energy Art. Instead, he forcibly flowed the poisonous energy into the children. In the same order as the blood points he used to operate the poisonous energy.

The Fierce Tiger Poisonous Energy Art mercilessly burned and destroyed the children’s blood points. But among them, children appeared who instinctively realized the operation of the Fierce Tiger Poisonous Energy Art.

The result was the ‘Spirit Squad’.

“Fierce Tiger Poisonous Energy Art?”

Dang Wol-ah said in a calm voice.

“Yes. You could say that. Except that they are terribly bad at it.”

But the Spirit Squad disappointed Tang Baek-ho. They instinctively manifested the Fierce Tiger Poisonous Energy Art, but it was close to animalistic desperation.

The level of the Fierce Tiger Poisonous Energy Art did not dare to reach Tang Baek-ho, and they lost their reason, so there was no room for improvement.

Besides, there was one more fatal flaw.

Tang Baek-ho ordered them to be abandoned. But Tang Baek-ho died before the abandonment was carried out. And the Spirit Squad was left in the hands of the Inner Clan Lord.

“Until these five were created.”

Grind.

A chilling sound flowed from Dang Wol-ah’s lips.

“Wol-ah! That’s…….”

Tang Hwa-ryeon shouted once again, but she couldn’t stop Dang Wol-ah’s next words.

“How many died?”

Silence fell. And the elders could understand why Tang Hwa-ryeon was trying to stop Dang Wol-ah.

‘Oh, my god.’

Tang Bi-gwang shuddered.

If this matter leaked to the outside, they would immediately be branded as public enemies of the martial arts world, and even if they were designated as a cult group and suppressed by the imperial army, they would have nothing to say.

They would literally be destroyed or exterminated.

No one could open their mouths in the face of that terrible possibility. Not only the Clan Lord but also all the elders with gray hair were silent.

This was the most fatal flaw of the Spirit Squad.

Shuffle.

Dang Wol-ah turned her head.

“Even so.”

The voice of the slender Dang Wol-ah echoed clearly in people’s ears.

“Should I just leave the Tang Clan alone?”

Whooosh.

Anger erupted from Dang Wol-ah. People realized clearly at that moment. That Dang Wol-ah, not Tang Hu-gwang, who was wielding the Spirit Squad and the Thunderclap, was the real threat facing the Tang Clan.

It was an unavoidable judgment created by their own misdeeds accumulated over a long period of time.

“That is for Young Lady Wol-ah to decide.”

A quiet male voice was heard from behind.

People turned their heads. And they noticed a young man in a scholar’s attire looking at Dang Wol-ah with a dark expression.

Standing between Nam-ak Old Lord and Shin-ui, the peerless beauty and the handsome young man, he looked at Dang Wol-ah and said. Dang Wol-ah’s question a little while ago was not directed at the elders, but at this young man.

“And whatever the result.”

The scholar young man, Son Bin, said with clear eyes.

“I will gladly support Young Lady Wol-ah’s decision.”

No one knew who that young man was. But one thing was clear.

Dang Wol-ah asked him, and he answered. That seemingly weak scholar young man was the first person Dang Wol-ah acknowledged.