The World’s Greatest Martial Arts Instructor - Chapter 179

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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 179. Too Fast

 

 

Cold but refreshing air seeps into the lungs.

Though it was the usual morning they always greeted, today the atmosphere among the cadets felt strangely subdued.

It was because of the story they heard at the inn yesterday.

After eating such delicious food, to hear such an unsettling story.

The mood couldn’t be good.

Still, training proceeded.

As lunchtime gradually approached.

The cadets’ gazes turned toward somewhere beyond the walls of Gyoryong Hall.

Even though there was no way they could see it.

Han Seol-bing had already left her post, and Ha Mu-baek hadn’t even come out.

The remaining cadets also hurriedly headed toward Damryong Pavilion.

 

***

 

It was still a bit early to call it lunchtime.

There was no line.

However, the first floor of Wolryong Inn was packed with people.

The shopkeeper quickly guided them to the second floor.

Ha Mu-baek, Han Seol-bing, and Dang Ji-yeon took their seats.

Each ordered their favorite food, and the dishes came out quickly.

Ha Mu-baek slowly ate his fried chicken while carefully contemplating his internal state.

Han Seol-bing ate noodles and dumplings with a face full of curiosity.

Dang Ji-yeon ate roasted duck.

Before eating, they shared small portions of each other’s food.

It was because poison might have been put in only specific dishes.

Ha Mu-baek had already tried it once, but this was the first time for the other two.

Han Seol-bing’s expression was subtle after tasting the food.

Perhaps because the taste of yesterday’s food still lingered on her tongue, the contrast in flavors was too stark.

“This isn’t ordinary taste… it has no taste at all, does it?”

Han Seol-bing said, frowning.

“It’s because we ate something too delicious yesterday, so there’s a comparison. If you eat at Damryong Pavilion and then come here, it’s just mediocre taste.”

“I should become a regular there from now on.”

Unable to forget the taste of yesterday’s food, Han Seol-bing said so.

Ha Mu-baek smiled broadly.

“You might be disappointed.”

“What?”

“Why do you think such a delicious place only had that many customers?”

“Huh?”

Come to think of it, that was strange.

If it was such a delicious inn, it should normally be bustling with people all the time.

“Inns have delicious days and tasteless days. It’s truly a matter of luck.”

“There must be several head cooks.”

Dang Ji-yeon, who had been slowly savoring the taste of roasted duck, chimed in.

“That’s right. I heard there are four or five head cooks, and one of them made yesterday’s dishes.”

“Huh.”

Han Seol-bing let out a small exclamation.

“Then how did you, Instructor…?”

“Someone told me the work schedule.”

Ha Mu-baek answered as if it was nothing special.

“Share it with me.”

Han Seol-bing said with sparkling eyes. She seemed to have liked it very much.

Her status was also extraordinary, so she must have experienced all kinds of delicacies, yet she had such a reaction.

‘Head Cook Jo’s recommendation is definitely trustworthy.’

Ha Mu-baek nodded slightly.

“We’ll see.”

A short answer.

At that answer, Han Seol-bing pouted her lips.

“You two get along very well.”

Dang Ji-yeon said with a gentle smile.

“We’ve spent years rolling around on battlefields together.”

Ha Mu-baek answered indifferently. At those words, Han Seol-bing pouted her lips once again.

“More importantly, do you sense anything?”

Ha Mu-baek’s question.

Dang Ji-yeon slightly frowned her delicate eyebrows and said.

“I can’t distinguish it by taste. I’ve tried all the food we ordered, but I can’t taste anything.”

Having undergone training to distinguish poison by taste, her sense of taste was extremely sensitively honed.

Since she said there was nothing strange about the taste, it must be poison with the taste completely erased.

Ha Mu-baek’s gaze turned to Han Seol-bing.

“Nothing special. Neither taste nor internal energy.”

It was the same for Ha Mu-baek as well.

The three people who finished their meal left Wolryong Inn and headed toward Gyoryong Hall.

Manager Dong was carefully watching the backs of those three people.

 

***

 

“Ha Mu-baek…”

Manager Dong’s report was delivered to Hyeong Ui-cheon through a subordinate.

“A troublesome bastard has gotten involved.”

Alone in his room, observing the scenery outside the window, wrinkles formed on his plump brow.

When coming to Muchang, the one thing that concerned him was precisely Ha Mu-baek’s existence.

“And Dang Ji-yeon on top of that…”

Hyeong Ui-cheon also knew the reputation of the Heavenly Poison Fairy Dang Ji-yeon.

“Did he catch a scent of something?”

Otherwise, there was no reason for Ha Mu-baek to come with Dang Ji-yeon the day after taking Dan Mok Un-rae’s group out.

“That bastard goes crazy when it comes to the sect’s affairs…”

It wasn’t unexpected.

He had thought that guy would also take interest if it was something big enough to cause such a commotion.

“Too fast.”

Considering that bastard’s personality, it was too fast, even if it was fast.

That guy who had been living as if everything in the world was bothersome since the war ended, visited Wolryong Inn around lunchtime yesterday.

And he even waited in line to have his meal there.

‘Even that bastard shouldn’t be able to notice anything strange.’

It was incomprehensible.

He had also eaten food mixed with Jamhon poison and experienced its symptoms.

In that process, there was nothing that could be suspected as poison.

With the small amount used in the current experiment, it would disappear after a single dose, having no effect.

Of course, if taken continuously over a long period, it would proceed according to their desired purpose.

In such a situation without worry of detection, they had chosen Muchang as a massive testing ground to determine the proper amount and frequency.

There were some who showed meaningful reactions last evening.

Once they obtained their desired results, they planned to withdraw the Jamhon poison and operate normally.

But before that, Ha Mu-baek had gotten involved.

It was a troublesome situation.

It was difficult to make the first move just because he had gotten involved.

That would be like confessing that they were suspicious.

‘The beggars are still lurking around too.’

Several beggars in the scenery outside the window caught his eye.

 

***

 

After finishing their meal, Ha Mu-baek’s group headed straight to the Maengryong Corps 7th Group Training Ground.

There, the cadets were waiting with necks stretched out in anticipation.

“How was it?”

Dang Jin-san asked first.

“Nothing special besides what I told you yesterday.”

At Ha Mu-baek’s answer, his gaze turned to Dang Ji-yeon.

“First of all, it’s tasteless.”

A poison without taste, she said.

If his elder sister said so, then it was so.

At such a young age, when it came to poisons, she was among the top five in the family.

Han Seol-bing and Dang Ji-yeon sat in cross-legged positions. It was to observe the changes within their bodies.

Ha Mu-baek, as always, lay diagonally against the rock.

The cadets accepted this as usual and began their cultivation again.

Though they couldn’t concentrate properly.

How much time had passed like this?

Around the time when the western sky was gradually turning red.

Ha Mu-baek felt that dust-like qi energy once again.

‘A similar reaction.’

At a similar time to yesterday, there was stimulation of similar intensity.

Since Ha Mu-baek knew what reaction would follow, he burned away that qi energy with his internal energy.

Then he glanced at Han Seol-bing and Dang Ji-yeon.

There was still no reaction from them yet.

‘Ah, Head Cook Jo.’

Just then, he remembered the man who had eaten lunch with him yesterday.

Since ordinary people showed symptoms after a day or two, he should go see Head Cook Jo first.

He had to prevent him from being unable to resist the urge and going back to Wolryong Inn.

So he left the training ground and headed to Damryong North Hall.

 

At the time when dinner preparations should be in full swing, Head Cook Jo had come outside the building and was trembling violently.

“Head Cook Jo?”

“Ah, Instructor.”

Head Cook Jo turned around at Ha Mu-baek’s call.

His eyes were also trembling finely.

“What’s wrong?”

“Wo, Wolryong Inn, those bastards are the most despicable scoundrels under heaven.”

Head Cook Jo spoke with a slightly trembling voice.

“I don’t know what trick they used to make symptoms appear after a day or two… but those bastards mixed drugs into the food. I thought the shopkeeper’s appearance was normal. But now that I’m experiencing it myself, this is…”

Head Cook Jo paused for a moment.

His body shook violently.

“Opium poppy. It’s similar to what those addicted to opium poppy show.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I saw people who lived soaked in opium during chaotic times.”

“But why are you out here? In such thin clothing.”

“When I smell food, these symptoms get much worse. So I’m trying to suppress the urges somehow by deliberately cooling my body with the cold.”

Having experience seeing opium addicts, Head Cook Jo instinctively knew.

The moment he gave in to this urge and sought out Wolryong Inn again.

He would become addicted to it.

At least by coming outside the kitchen to a cold place, the trembling and urges were gradually decreasing.

It was a possible response because he had heard that urges would disappear if endured for just a few days.

How long had he been like that?

“Phew… I think I can live now.”

Head Cook Jo’s complexion returned to normal.

“I didn’t know that food smells would trigger stronger urges.”

“Those bastards deserve to die. How dare they play such tricks with food. This is poison, poison.”

Head Cook Jo’s voice was filled with anger.

“Come here for now.”

Ha Mu-baek grabbed Head Cook Jo’s wrist.

Then he slowly pushed in his internal energy to examine the area near Head Cook Jo’s tongue.

Sure enough, there was qi energy gathered about the size of a grain of rice.

“Your mouth will hurt a little.”

“What? Ahhh!”

As soon as he voiced his confusion, a burning pain struck his tongue.

Since he was trying to burn away qi energy that had grown to the size of a rice grain, pain was inevitable.

“You should be fine now.”

Ha Mu-baek released Head Cook Jo’s wrist.

“What? Ah…”

Head Cook Jo, who was about to ask again, felt the change in his body.

He no longer felt any urge for Wolryong Inn’s food.

“Head Cook Jo can’t be away from the kitchen during such a busy time.”

“Th, thank you.”

He couldn’t understand what kind of miracle it was.

Still, it was certain that Ha Mu-baek had done something, so he bowed in gratitude and hurriedly ran back to the kitchen.

Ha Mu-baek watched his retreating figure and then turned around.

“It’s certain they set it up to react with food somehow.”

That’s why ordinary people and Head Cook Jo had different reactions.

It seemed that people more familiar with food had more intense reactions.

 

When Ha Mu-baek returned to the training ground.

Han Seol-bing still showed no reaction.

Dang Ji-yeon seemed the same as well.

At that moment.

Dang Ji-yeon’s eyebrows twitched.

“Found it.”

And her quiet murmur that flowed out softly.

She opened both her eyes.

“Thanks to Instructor Ha, I found it easily.”

She had heard that a speck-like energy gathering on the tongue comes first.

That’s why Dang Ji-yeon had been concentrating all her focus around her tongue.

“My internal energy cultivation hasn’t reached Instructor Ha’s level yet, so I plan to keep observing this for now. When symptoms appear to some degree, I’ll examine it properly. I need to extract the poison as well. Then.”

With that, Dang Ji-yeon left the training ground and headed to the inn where she was temporarily staying.

Purple Cloud Ten Thousand Transformations Poison Art.

It was the internal energy mental method Dang Ji-yeon was learning and the Sichuan Tang Family’s supreme poison art.

One of the mysteries of the Purple Cloud Ten Thousand Transformations Poison Art was that it could wrap poison that entered one’s body with internal energy and extract it outside the body.

However, there was one restriction.

To do so, one had to become completely naked.

Since one could only know from which acupoint to extract the poison after operating the poison art.

That’s why Dang Ji-yeon left for the inn where she could be alone.

“Extract the poison?”

After Dang Ji-yeon left, Ha Mu-baek tilted his head and muttered.

Even Ha Mu-baek didn’t know everything.

“There is such an internal energy mental method in the Tang Family. Though it has restrictions.”

Dang Jin-san spoke briefly.

Since it was a family secret, he couldn’t explain in detail.

No matter how much his elder sister was called a witch, he couldn’t bring himself to say that she had to become naked to extract the poison that entered her body.

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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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