The World’s Greatest Martial Arts Instructor - Chapter 178

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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 178. Maybe If She Were a Witch

 

 

“I don’t have much knowledge about poisons, so I can’t be certain. Still, I don’t usually get poisoned by ordinary toxins… But the one at Wolryong Inn had an effect on my body too.”

At Ha Mu-baek’s continued words, the cadets’ expressions gradually became serious.

“Moreover, it was an extremely subtle poison that even I had difficulty detecting.”

Han Seol-bing’s complexion hardened.

It was because of the part about a poison that could affect Ha Mu-baek’s body.

‘A man who’s practically immune to ten thousand poisons showed symptoms of poisoning?’

She was shocked by that fact.

War doesn’t discriminate between means and methods. Would those vicious Blood Cult and Demon Cult not have used poison?

Countless poisons were scattered across battlefields, and many lost their lives to poisoning.

Ha Mu-baek was someone who survived those battlefields. Because of that, his body became immune to almost all poisons.

And yet a poison that could penetrate Ha Mu-baek’s body? It was truly hard to believe.

When the topic of poison came up, the cadets glanced at Dang Jin-san.

They couldn’t help it.

Wasn’t he a direct descendant of the Sichuan Tang Family?

The Sichuan Tang Family was the only sect in the orthodox Murim that specialized in poisons.

“Even if you look at me like that… If I had talent with poisons, I wouldn’t be here.”

Dang Jin-san said with a bitter smile.

Neither with poisons nor with whips.

Wasn’t Dang Jin-san the one sent to the Maengryong Corps by his father, the Family Head, because he showed no talent or achievement in the Tang Family’s secret arts?

“What kind of poisoning symptoms were they?”

Yeon Ha-min, who regained her composure first, asked.

Ha Seol-ran still couldn’t hide her restless expression upon hearing that her elder brother had been poisoned.

“I became desperately craving the food I had eaten there.”

Everyone’s eyes widened at that answer.

They had visited Wolryong Inn out of curiosity to experience something strange, but that had been a symptom of poisoning.

“It’s not that strong a poison. I deliberately stimulated the poison to accelerate its effects, which is why the symptoms appeared quickly.”

The speed of his chopsticks eating the food seemed to slow down, then stopped entirely.

“After that, the poison naturally disappeared completely.”

It was completely incomprehensible.

Using a poison so subtle that even a master like Ha Mu-baek could barely detect it, just to attract customers to an inn?

That made no sense.

There must have been some purpose behind it.

“According to what you’re saying, Instructor, people who ate food there would start craving it desperately after a day or two because the poison began taking effect.”

Dang Jin-san summarized what he had heard.

“And the fact that the craving disappeared after enduring it for several days was because the poison was eliminated.”

Ha Mu-baek nodded.

“Based on what I experienced, that would be correct.”

“Then those Dongting Ten Heroes we saw? We could think that they showed such behavior because their poisoning became severe from continuously eating food at Wolryong Inn.”

Dang Jin-san was making his own analysis, despite claiming he had no particular talent with poisons.

“In cases like this, what we can speculate is…”

Everyone’s attention focused on Dang Jin-san’s mouth.

“It seems like they’re experimenting with some new poison. First small amounts on animals, then large amounts on animals, then small amounts on people. It looks like they’ve entered that stage now.”

At Dang Jin-san’s words, the cadets looked at him with admiring expressions.

Seeing those looks, Dang Jin-san said with an embarrassed expression.

“I said I have no talent with poisons, but this is something all Tang Family children learn when they’re young.”

Then he picked up his chopsticks and ate some nearby food.

It seemed he was trying to hide his embarrassment.

“What do you think the purpose is?”

Han Seol-bing asked Ha Mu-baek.

Ha Mu-baek shrugged. It wasn’t something he could know either.

It was just a poison that made you desperately want to eat the food. How could anyone predict how it might evolve?

More precisely, it made you desperately want to eat that poisoned food.

It was ambiguous to call it a drug.

The food’s taste was ordinary, and the poison had no taste at all.

There were no special hallucinations or symptoms immediately after eating.

When the poison absorbed qi energy from the victim’s body and began taking effect, it made them desperately crave that poison.

Just that much.

“I don’t know anything about poisons, so I have no idea what the intention is.”

What could the purpose possibly be?

“Hmm. I’m not sure if this is unfortunate or fortunate.”

Dang Jin-san, who had been pretending to focus on eating, spoke up.

“My sister should arrive in Muchang around tomorrow.”

“Sister?”

“More precisely, my immediate elder sister.”

The Tang Family Head had five sons and three daughters.

Quite a large number of children.

Dang Jin-san was the fourth son and sixth child overall.

He had two elder sisters above him and one younger sister below.

His immediate elder sister would be the Tang Family Head’s fifth child.

“Could it be the Thousand Poison Sage Maiden?”

Han Seol-bing thought of someone.

As the deputy leader of the Hocheondang, she had to know the list of people to keep track of in Murim.

Ha Mu-baek also knew that title and name.

“Sage Maiden… Maybe if she were a witch.”

Dang Jin-san shook his head vigorously.

His expression as he said this showed with full force that he meant those words sincerely.

“Oh, then…”

At that moment, Ha Seol-ran looked at Dang Jin-san with a flustered face.

Ha Mu-baek grinned as if finding it amusing.

“Not a sage maiden but a witch? Are you referring to me as that witch, Jin-san?”

At the coldly sounding voice.

Dang Jin-san froze completely.

He couldn’t even turn his head.

 

***

 

“Instructor Ha prevented the Maengryong Corps cadets from eating dinner after he had lunch at Wolryong Inn?”

Byeokryeokgae questioned his subordinate’s report.

“Yes, sir.”

Now that he had stepped down from the position of Dae Ho-beop and remained only in Muchang, the Beggar Sect members simply called Byeokryeokgae “sir.”

It was Byeokryeokgae’s instruction.

He had recently detected suspicious behavior from Wolryong Inn and Wolryong Pavilion.

So he had been watching them even more carefully, and now Ha Mu-baek was acting this way too.

“There’s definitely something there… What exactly are you scheming, Hyeong Ui-cheon?”

Byeokryeokgae frowned.

Just when he was putting all his efforts into finding traces of Gwang Hoe-cheon, there was this sudden movement from Danan Trading Company.

These bastards didn’t seem like they had simply come to take over Muchang’s commercial rights.

“Ah, and they say the Second Young Lady of the Sichuan Tang Family has arrived in Muchang.”

“You mean the Heavenly Poison Fairy Dang Ji-yeon?”

She was famous as the one with the most outstanding abilities regarding poison among the late-stage masters.

Someone so exceptional that the title “Heavenly Poison” was attached to her epithet before she even reached the age of thirty.

“She was looking for Dang Jin-san in the marketplace.”

“…I’ll need to investigate this more thoroughly.”

After pondering something for a moment, Byeokryeokgae gave orders to his subordinates.

“Keep a close eye on those two for now.”

“Yes, sir.”

Something felt like trouble was brewing.

 

***

 

“Jin-san. What’s wrong with you? How about looking at this older sister here?”

Her voice was colder than the northern wind and snow, with subtle killing intent mixed in.

Rustle.

As her arm moved and the sound of rustling clothes was heard.

Dang Jin-san’s head turned stiffly.

He knew well that the sound of those rustling clothes was a warning directed at him.

If he continued to ignore her, that crazy woman who would definitely poison him was his very own older sister.

“H-how are you here already… And how did you know this place…”

Dang Jin-san’s eyes were hollow.

His voice sank as if he had given up on everything.

“I pushed myself a little to see my beloved younger brother even a day sooner. And I found this place by asking a beggar I met on the road.”

Focus gradually returned to Dang Jin-san’s eyes as they trembled finely.

Right, arriving a day early could be explained by hurrying.

But why would a beggar know his location?

What was he to them?

Of course, it was because he had been with Ha Mu-baek and Dan Mok Un-rae.

The Beggar Sect in Muchang was always keeping their antennae up regarding Ha Mu-baek’s movements.

Also, Dan Mok Un-rae was being looked after by Byeokryeokgae.

“Why would the Beggar Sect…”

That feeling flowed out as a resentful mutter.

“Right. I found that strange too. I really asked without much expectation, just in case, but they told me you were here, so I hurried over. And then you call this older sister a witch… You’ve gone crazy from not seeing me for nearly a year. Yes. That’s right. You’ve gone crazy.”

Ha Mu-baek and the group just watched the two of them.

No, Ha Mu-baek kept grinning as if he found it amusing.

In fact, Ha Mu-baek and Ha Seol-ran had sensed her approach.

Ha Mu-baek naturally knew the presence of a Tang Family martial artist.

Ha Seol-ran had felt someone with a similar presence to Dang Jin-san approaching.

After glaring at her younger brother for a moment, Dang Ji-yeon’s gaze turned to Ha Mu-baek and the cadets.

“I apologize for showing such an unseemly side at our first meeting. I am Ji-yeon of the Tang Family. I am this worthless fellow’s older sister.”

She politely performed a cupped fist salute.

She had bold features, but they made her appear attractively beautiful.

Dang Ji-yeon exchanged greetings with Ha Mu-baek, Han Seol-bing, and the cadets.

Dang Jin-san looked at his sister with a sullen expression.

“Father asked me to definitely convey his deep gratitude to Instructor Ha.”

At Dang Ji-yeon’s additional thanks, questions arose in Ha Mu-baek’s eyes. There hadn’t been any particular reason for such gratitude.

“He said you made a person out of the scoundrel the family had given up on…”

At the following explanation, Ha Mu-baek chuckled.

Dang Jin-san had talent. It just didn’t match with the Tang Family.

“He was a fellow with that much capability, so the Family Head needn’t worry too much about it.”

At Ha Mu-baek’s response, Dang Ji-yeon looked at her younger brother with fresh eyes for a moment.

She had already heard from her father about what kind of person the instructor before her was.

The hidden hero of the last war.

When they heard such a person had become an instructor at the Maengryong Corps, how surprised Father had been.

And when they learned he had become Dang Jin-san’s supervising instructor, Father had harbored subtle expectations.

When Dang Chu returned to the main estate and Father heard news of Dang Jin-san from him, expectation turned to joy.

To think he had fought one-on-one with Dang Chu, who had been no match for him at the main estate, and won.

Father was overjoyed thinking he had finally become a true martial artist.

How could she not be surprised when such a person evaluated her younger brother as having talent?

The younger brother she had seen at the main estate had truly been a hopeless dullard.

“Ahem. It’s a talent that cannot be recognized by a witch’s discernment.”

Meanwhile, Dang Jin-san, having recovered his composure, once again used the word “witch” and straightened his shoulders proudly.

A sharp gaze turned toward Dang Jin-san, but he was confident.

It was because he knew his sister’s temperament.

Since she had already exchanged greetings with the instructor and cadets and put on the mask of public appearance, he was confident it was safe to provoke her moderately.

“And Father said he would like to invite Instructor and the cadets to the main estate during this break period.”

At these words, the cadets’ eyes widened.

The Family Head of the Sichuan Tang Family.

They were surprised that such a great person had invited them.

“What? You came because of that?”

A deflated expression appeared on Dang Jin-san’s face.

It was because he had worried a lot about what could be the reason for his sister’s sudden visit.

“Since you didn’t come to the main estate during the last break and aren’t coming for this break either, Father sent me. He told me to drag you back if you tried to run away.”

Unlike when speaking to Ha Mu-baek, her voice was filled with chilling coldness.

Dang Jin-san made a slightly startled expression.

“I’m grateful for the invitation, but it seems we have something that needs to be resolved right now. Could we postpone it a little?”

At Ha Mu-baek’s words, Dang Ji-yeon tilted her head.

Something that needs to be resolved had ‘just now’ come up?

“Ah, we could ask sister to help us. We were just talking about that anyway.”

Dang Jin-san said with delight.

His face was full of selfish intent to put his sister to work.

The topic had come up at just the right time.

They had been discussing their lack of knowledge about poisons when his sister’s story came up.

And she had arrived at exactly that moment.

“What do you mean?”

Dang Ji-yeon asked.

“Rather than standing like this the whole time, please have a seat first.”

Come to think of it, she had been standing the entire time.

Since there was enough space, she took a seat and the story began.

Ha Mu-baek carefully explained everything he had experienced today.

As she listened to the story, her expression changed in various ways.

“Hmm. An unknown poison indeed. It’s natural that silver needles showed no reaction. The poisons that silver needles react to are limited. Types like arsenic. And they also react to eggs, so you shouldn’t rely solely on silver needle test results.”

At Dang Ji-yeon’s words, the expressions of everyone present changed.

It was because they learned for the first time that there weren’t that many poisons that react to silver needles.

Dang Jin-san was the same.

Seeing that expression, Dang Ji-yeon’s sharp gaze turned toward Dang Jin-san.

“Sigh. A guy who’s supposed to be direct lineage of the Tang Family….”

A small mutter that flowed out with a sigh. Dang Jin-san quietly averted his gaze.

“For now, I should try eating it myself directly. According to Instructor Ha’s words, there shouldn’t be any immediate danger.”

The time was already heading toward late night.

In the end, they decided that Ha Mu-baek, Han Seol-bing, and Dang Ji-yeon would go to Wolryong Inn around lunchtime tomorrow.

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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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