The Heavenly Demon Cult’s Strongest Maid - Chapter 72

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 72

Creak.

Earlier dawn morning than yesterday.

Shin Geum, having made thorough preparations, quietly opened the shop door and came out.

‘Hmm.’

The sound of insects was unusually quiet today.

That meant only one thing.

“Don’t act rashly.”

Shin Geum made a request to the empty air.

“Poison doesn’t discriminate between people. Just block them from escaping at the perimeter.”

There was no response, but Shin Geum began walking slowly as if that was enough.

Shin Geum’s footsteps were lightly imprinted on the moist ground wet with night dew.

How long had she walked like that?

The surroundings gradually became quieter.

Shin Geum almost closed her eyes, erasing her sight while heightening her five senses, including hearing.

“…”

Malicious beings had crept into the place where Hyeon-wol-dang’s shadows had withdrawn far away.

The same aura as yesterday, but there were many of them.

Even so, they were all about the same level to Shin Geum.

Shin Geum stepped forward without hesitation. However, her direction was different from usual.

Just before reaching her destination, the Dawn Market, she turned her body and headed toward the sparsely wooded forest.

Before long, the sun was dimly brightening from the east.

Shin Geum put her hand into her sleeve while facing the cold dawn wind.

Drop.

Drop.

Wherever she passed with quick steps, small bean-sized somethings dropped to the ground with soft sounds.

Shin Geum moved around here and there for a while as if she had lost her way, then soon positioned herself in the center of the clearing.

“Come out.”

There was no need to waste time. Shin Geum released her restraints and sent her voice infused with internal energy.

Then, from behind a tree at a considerable distance in front of her, a man revealed himself.

“Were you hiding your martial arts?”

“Did you follow me here without knowing?”

The man showed no sign of surprise at all. That meant he had known everything from the beginning.

“You’ll have to come with us.”

“What if I refuse?”

“There will be no further kindness.”

“If you can manage that, then try it.”

At Shin Geum’s leisurely attitude, the opponent gave a final warning.

“If you’re expecting help from someone, you’d better not.”

He was referring to Hyeon-wol-dang that protected Shin Geum.

How utterly ridiculous.

Who was worrying about whom?

“Twelve.”

When Shin Geum looked around the forest and recited the number, cracks appeared in the man’s expression.

In the ruthless Gangho, carelessness was forbidden.

The man would realize that today, but unfortunately, by then he would no longer be a person of this world.

“Hah.”

Shin Geum sneered and suddenly swung her hand toward the man.

Whoosh—

A ball the size of a child’s fist flew toward the man’s feet and exploded.

Pop!

In an instant, thick smoke spread around him.

‘Poison?’

Perhaps she might be a master of poison arts.

Words he had heard in passing when receiving orders to bring Shin Geum suddenly came to mind.

The man quickly stopped breathing and took out an antidote pill to put in his mouth.

Then he leaped to the side to avoid the smoke while observing Shin Geum.

‘That!’

Her hands were smooth without a single wrinkle. From the way they glinted faintly in the dawn light, she was definitely wearing transparent gloves, poison-proof hands.

‘She really is a master of poison arts!’

The biggest weakness of poison arts was the inability to distinguish between friend and foe.

This applied to the practitioner using poison techniques as well.

Unless one had a body immune to all poisons, naturally one couldn’t touch poison with bare hands.

Therefore, poison-proof hands were an inseparable element in poison techniques that handled poison.

Bang!

Boom!

“…?”

While hastily pushing away the poison smoke with palm force, the man suddenly felt something strange.

That was because he couldn’t smell the characteristic fishy scent of poison.

Even from the small amount of smoke he had inevitably inhaled before taking the antidote pill, he couldn’t detect any poison.

‘I’ve been tricked!’

Just then, he saw Shin Geum quickly fleeing the way she had come.

‘To fall for such a shallow trick!’

The man’s face turned red with humiliation. He kicked off the ground and leaped up, instantly blocking Shin Geum’s path.

“Not a chance!”

Whoosh!

The man struck out with a palm without a moment’s hesitation.

“Hmph!”

Not to be outdone, Shin Geum also met him with a palm strike.

Crash!

The two palm forces collided, and an ear-splitting explosion swept through the area.

“Ahhh!”

Following that, the man’s scream echoed through the forest.

“You, you old hag!”

Somehow, the man who was staggering backward had hands covered entirely in blood.

His palms were densely packed with ox-hair needles that had appeared at some point.

Shin Geum had hidden projectiles within her palm force and launched them.

“Grr!”

The man gritted his teeth while clutching his torn hand.

Whoosh!

Regardless, Shin Geum fled again, avoiding him.

“Block her!”

The man hastily stopped the bleeding while ordering his subordinates.

At that, all the Blood Wolves who had been hiding rushed out and surrounded Shin Geum.

As expected, there were twelve in total.

“How dare you make my hand like this?”

The bleeding had stopped, but the man’s one hand was in a pitiful, tattered state.

“Since I was told to bring you back alive, I’ll have to personally cut off one of your arms, old hag!”

The man was certain that Shin Geum would be frightened by these words.

Since she had been caught after fleeing using fake poison and hidden weapons, he planned to take her arm in the most cruel way possible.

“Do you really think you can do that?”

Shin Geum snorted and strongly stomped her foot.

Thud!

It felt like a signal flare announcing the start of war.

Whoosh—

The ground shook lightly with Shin Geum at the center.

That vibration soon became waves that spread to the surroundings.

Pop!

In the thicket not far from Shin Geum.

Something seemed to burst there, and yellow smoke shot up.

Pop! Rat-a-tat-tat!

That was only the beginning.

Sounds like roasting beans occurred in succession, and the entire vicinity was instantly covered in smoke.

“The same petty tricks again!”

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me!

Remembering his earlier mistake, the man rushed toward Shin Geum regardless.

“Gack!”

However, without taking even half a step, the man staggered.

His hair stood on end.

‘This is real!’

The moment he realized this fact, the poison had already penetrated deep into his lungs.

“Urgh!”

The man who coughed up black blood quickly climbed high up a tree to escape the poison fog.

That wasn’t the only problem.

The Blood Wolves who had been surrounding Shin Geum were also not free from the poison fog.

Some sat down on the spot like people who had given up their lives, using internal energy circulation to control the poison, while others climbed trees like the man to avoid the poison.

Among them, those with weak internal strength couldn’t endure it and collapsed while coughing up blood.

‘The antidote pills don’t work!’

Since the opponent might be a master of poison arts, all the Blood Wolves had been given antidote pills.

He had heard they were good enough to overcome most poisons, even if they weren’t the highest grade.

But looking at the situation, they were completely useless.

‘What kind of poison is this…!’

The man’s eyes looking downward were filled with fear for the first time.

Would he be able to return alive?

That’s when it happened.

Thud!

The sound of stomping echoed through the area again. Then the poison smoke that had been slowly settling rose up once more and swallowed the man and the Blood Wolves.

‘To complete such a perfect Poison Zone in such a short time!’

Cheon-yeong, who was watching Shin Geum’s performance from outside the Poison Zone, was truly amazed.

The poison was one thing, but the process of preparing the formation was astonishing.

The cunning plan of cleverly placing poison pouches to create traps and luring the opponents there flowed as naturally as water.

Most of all, the range of the Poison Zone that filled a radius of ten zhang was remarkable.

Though he had never studied poison arts, he could tell without asking that this was a level not just anyone could achieve.

‘Indeed, it’s the Thousand-Hand Poison Flower!’

The master’s guess about Shin Geum’s identity was not wrong.

Her skills hadn’t diminished even after decades had passed.

Cheon-yeong felt a chill down his spine at the abilities of the woman who had once shaken the entire Gangho.

If possible, she was the type he absolutely never wanted to meet as an enemy.

“Is everyone alright?”

“Maknae was poisoned and retreated quickly!”

The answer to his checking question brought him back to his senses.

“How is his condition?”

“Fortunately, it’s not dangerous. We gave him the antidote the Elder provided in advance.”

Last night, Shin Geum had given them antidotes in preparation for any unforeseen circumstances.

She had warned them to maintain a distance of at least ten zhang, but Maknae must have gotten hurt while being too curious.

With his impatient nature, it seemed like he would cause an accident someday, and today was that day.

“The poison doesn’t look mild. Don’t approach, and as agreed, only catch those who escape the Poison Zone.”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

After this fight ends, the Tak Family might have to wage war for the first time in a long while.

This time, their lord would absolutely not back down.

‘Seon-hwa…’

This was a matter involving someone who was like a real younger sister to him and that person’s daughter.

Cheon-yeong’s eyes looking at the Poison Zone gleamed more coldly than usual.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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