Chapter 494
Srrrt! Schk! Schk-schkk!
Scales split apart, and massive chunks of flesh were neatly severed at precise intervals.
Beneath it all, the colossal bones emerged, so immaculately clean that it almost seemed unnatural.
Thud! Srrrt!
A display of near-miraculous skill.
The breathtaking sight left the onlookers stunned, murmurs of disbelief rippling through the crowd.
“Hey, Hyeok, I really need to ask… Is the Tae Won Jin Clan actually a family of fishermen?”
“Would you like me to relay that question directly to the Young Lord?”
“Of course not, you idiot. But seriously, this kind of skill isn’t normal. He must be—”
“Young Lord! Hyeok here was just wondering if—”
“Hey! Hey!”
“Were there fishermen among our ancestors? How is the youngest capable of this?”
“…Young Lord?”
“If Zhuge Liang were alive to see this, he would’ve fallen right off his four-wheeled chariot. Don’t you agree, Daoist Master Hyun Gong?”
“My goodness, Amitabha-Amen-Guan Yin Bodhisattva…!”
“…Daoist Master?”
While the rest of the crowd debated the Tae Won Jin Clan’s lineage and unknowingly formed a religious coalition, one man had entirely different thoughts.
‘Heh. Look at this brat.’
Moon Kyung’s keen eyes captured Jin Taekyung’s movements—each slash, each precise cut executed with an almost supernatural grace.
‘What immense strength… but that’s not all. His speed and precision are impeccable.’
A single subtle movement could reveal the level of a martial artist.
By that standard, what Jin Taekyung was demonstrating was nothing short of astonishing.
‘An incredible level of mastery. It’s hard to believe he’s barely past twenty.’
Moon Kyung already knew that Jin Taekyung far surpassed common sense.
It wasn’t just him—the entire Murim knew.
Even the most elite disciples of the Nine Great Schools struggled to break past the wall of mastery in their early twenties, but Jin Taekyung had reached the absolute peak, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the grandmasters of past generations.
But that wasn’t what truly impressed Moon Kyung.
‘He’s as refined as a veteran warrior. At his age, power control like that is unheard of. There’s not a single wasted movement.’
Thud! Srrrt!
Even the slightest motion was efficient.
Most people his age would be conscious of their audience, putting on unnecessary flair. Yet, Jin Taekyung wielded his blade with the quiet, purposeful efficiency of a seasoned traveler following the shortest, most direct path to his destination.
‘Just like when he fought the Imoogi.’
Assassins were trained to observe, to analyze every surrounding factor. Their craft required them to eliminate targets while always securing an escape route.
And Moon Kyung wasn’t just any assassin—he was the greatest assassin of his time.
From Sichuan to this very moment, he had been watching Jin Taekyung—not as an ally, but as an assassin assessing a target.
‘Heavenly Martial Body… So it was true.’
It had been forty years since Moon Kyung left Murim. A span long enough for the mountains to change four times over.
In that time, he had lived as a physician, diagnosing and treating thousands, gaining unparalleled experience.
And yet, even with all his knowledge, he couldn’t fully comprehend Jin Taekyung’s body and natural aptitude.
‘Similar to Cheongpung, but strangely different.’
His gaze flickered toward Cheongpung before drifting away.
Cheongpung was the only one who could be considered comparable.
No, in terms of sheer comprehension and application of martial arts, Cheongpung might even surpass Jin Taekyung.
Yet, even Cheongpung—who possessed an extraordinary physique—was not quite like Jin Taekyung.
‘If Cheongpung is sculpted, then Jin Taekyung is born.’
The shape of his muscles, the structure of his bones, the circulation of his internal energy—everything was perfect.
A true Heavenly Martial Body.
Moon Kyung’s eyes grew contemplative as he studied Jin Taekyung.
‘If he fully masters my assassination techniques…’
For a brief moment, a thought flickered in Moon Kyung’s mind.
But he quickly dismissed it.
‘Ridiculous.’
Martial arts were like an endless mountain range.
The masses at the base of the mountain believed Moon Kyung had reached the summit, but he knew better—beyond him lay even greater peaks.
The world of martial arts was an unfathomably vast domain.
Even he had not yet seen the full potential of his techniques.
No matter how extraordinary Jin Taekyung was, achieving true mastery in a short time was impossible.
‘Especially now.’
The war was already at their doorstep.
With the countless battles ahead, the best approach was to teach him only what was necessary.
Too much of anything, even martial arts, could be harmful.
That was why even Jeok Cheon-Gang, the Fire King, had entrusted Jin Taekyung to him.
‘But… what the hell am I supposed to teach this brat?’
For the first time in a long while, Moon Kyung felt uncertain.
“Cheong Sohyeop! Ready?”
“Yes, benefactor!”
“Use Plum Blossom Sword Technique! Cut it up!”
“Ack!”
“Daoist Master! Where are you?!”
“Hmph. Right here!”
“Why aren’t you working?! Do you not see the rest of us laboring?!”
“I-I was just about to take a short break…”
“Daoist Master, you lack teamwork! How can you be so selfish?!”
“I-I’m sorry…”
“Show your sincerity through action! Great Wisdom Sword, commence!”
“…Amitabha!”
Srrrt! Srrrt! Srrrt!
Under Jin Taekyung’s overwhelming leadership, the corpse of the Divine Water Dragon was swiftly dismantled.
While the others gasped in admiration, Moon Kyung only grew more frustrated.
‘Seriously… what the hell do I even teach him?’
At this rate, the brat would probably grow just fine on his own.
But after a moment of hesitation, Moon Kyung made up his mind.
No. Now that it had come to this, he had to see it through to the end.
Somewhere deep inside, he wanted to watch just how far this cocky brat could go.
‘First, I need to fix that reckless attitude of his.’
With that thought, Moon Kyung casually approached Hyeok Mu-jin, who was staring in awe.
“Hyeok Mu-sa.”
“Whoa, that’s insane. He just cut through that whole thing in one stroke—Oh, hey, Moon Kyung. What’s up?”
“Young Master Jin must be exhausted. Wouldn’t it be thoughtful to bring him some water?”
“Hah. You always think ahead. I’ll bring him some right away.”
“Please don’t tell him it was from me. It would make me happier if Mu-sa-nim received the credit instead.”
“You… damn brat!”
Hyeok Mu-jin looked at Moon Kyung with teary eyes as he accepted the leather waterskin.
Of course, inside it was not only cool, refreshing water but also a lethal poison—Seven-Step Soul Chasing Powder, a toxin so potent that one wouldn’t survive beyond seven steps after ingesting it.
—
“…What is this?”
After the work was finished, Hyeok Mu-jin approached me, holding the waterskin with a proud expression.
“It’s water. I thought you might be tired, so I brought it for you.”
“You’re not the type to be this thoughtful.”
“I personally filled this up! Why don’t you ever trust me?!”
Maybe I was being too paranoid. Seeing how genuinely aggrieved he looked made me feel slightly guilty for suspecting him.
Besides, after all that work, my throat was parched.
“Hmm. Is that so?”
“Forget it! If you don’t want it, don’t drink it! I’ll drink it myself!”
“Hey, hey. Fine, just leave it. I’ll drink it.”
“Whatever!”
“Just stop whining already. You’re getting on my nerves.”
“…Alright.”
After sending Hyeok Mu-jin away, I carefully opened the waterskin and took a sniff. The scent was normal.
‘Seems fine so far…’
Still, I remained cautious. I carefully tilted the waterskin, letting a single drop land on my tongue.
‘Just to be safe, I’ll start with one drop—’
Beep!
■ You have been poisoned by [Potent Seven-Step Soul Chasing Powder]!
– [Potent Seven-Step Soul Chasing Powder] is a lethal toxin capable of killing dozens of oxen with just a single drop!
– Severe internal injuries and organ failure are imminent! Immediate treatment is required!
“…Hyeok Mu-jin, you son of a bitch.”
Shit. That’s not what I meant by “just one drop.”
‘Inventory open! Summon!’
I hastily equipped my Universal Antidote Pill and activated Scorching Yang Energy to purge the poison from my system.
A moment later, another system notification popped up, confirming the detoxification. But it wasn’t over yet.
Beep!
– You reacted swiftly, but the poison’s aftereffects remain!
– Your [Tendons] have suffered minor damage!
– Due to the damage, some stats have decreased!
– [Strength] has decreased by 5!
– [Agility] has decreased by 5!
– Status effect: [Severe Abdominal Pain] has been inflicted!
– The status effect will recover with time, but the stat reduction is irreversible!
“This is some bullshit.”
Wait, no—real bullshit.
A total of 10 stat points gone?! That’s basically an entire level-up’s worth!
‘A whole level’s worth of stats—just like that?!’
I didn’t even need to guess who was behind this.
Seeing all my hard-earned stats vanish in an instant, a fiery rage bubbled up from the depths of my soul—ggrrrrrgle.
…Wait. That wasn’t rage.
It was diarrhea.
Of all the possible status effects, I had to get stuck with this crap.
As an unbearable wave of pain twisted my insides, my vision blurred. I staggered away.
“Hey, Jin Do-wu. Where are you going?”
“Benefactor, where are you headed?”
“Move. Out of my way. The disassembly is done, all that’s left is sorting the materials. I just… need to take care of something real quick.”
“Benefactor… are you going to take a dump?”
Don’t say it out loud, you absolute bastard! What if Moon Kyung hears?!
Face pale, I stumbled forward, barely managing to reach a secluded spot where I could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
‘That was close.’
Publicly shitting myself would have been humiliating enough, but if Moon Kyung saw—I’d never hear the end of it.
At least I had made it out of sight, so now I could—
‘Wait. Out of sight?’
Just as the thought crossed my mind, my foot landed on solid ground.
Then—
Step, thud.
A faint sound reached my ears.
A chilling sensation ran down my spine.
On instinct, I launched myself into the air.
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
Four blades whizzed past, narrowly grazing my clothes and skin.
Had I reacted even a fraction slower, those daggers would have embedded themselves into my chest, back, and limbs.
‘What the actual—?!’
Tap.
Steadying myself mid-air, I landed softly, eyes locking onto the shadowy cliffside ten meters away.
“Let’s take it easy, alright?”
Ssshhkk.
Like a mirage, the silhouette wavered before stepping into view.
A dry voice spoke.
“I told you before. I decide how your training goes.”
“You nearly killed me, and you call that training?! If you’re gonna do this, at least face me properly—”
“I wasn’t hiding. I was observing.”
“And now you’ve been caught. What good is hiding if you’re exposed?”
“I revealed just enough for you to notice. If you couldn’t, you might as well shove a sword down your throat and die.”
“You—”
“You?”
Moon Kyung.
No—the Killing Star.
As I met the assassin’s deep, piercing gaze, a shiver ran through my entire body.
ggrrrrrgle… splurt.
That wasn’t a shiver of fear.
It was diarrhea.