Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

A dark, moonless night blanketed by thick clouds.

The only sound was the occasional hoot of an owl cutting through the stillness.

By the shallow waters of the Tang Family River, which quietly wound its way around Tang Clan Mountain, three figures darted across the rocks that jutted out above the surface.

• Tap, tap, tap.

The three figures, clad in black stealth attire with hoods concealing their faces, moved quickly and silently.

Once they crossed the river, they took cover behind a large boulder near the riverbank.

“Let me remind you once more: we cannot afford to be discovered. That’s why our sect entrusted this mission to us, the best infiltrators. Understood?”

The leader of the group whispered a stern warning, and the other two, bowing low, replied in unison.

“Blood Cult Reborn, Blood Reigns Over the World! Of course, Grandmaster!”

“We understand!”

“According to our intelligence, neither the Tang Clan leader nor the Heavenly Poison Deity is present at the estate. Tonight is the perfect opportunity. Success is mandatory!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Once you retrieve the manual, leave no stone unturned to deliver it to His Excellency. If you’re caught, bite the poison hidden in your mouths and end it. Reveal nothing. We cannot afford to draw the ire of the martial world. Your spilled blood will pave the way for our sect’s dominance!”

“Blood Reigns Over the World! Understood!”

Timing their infiltration with the guards’ shift changes, the three intruders snuck deeper into the Tang Clan estate.

They first searched the Clan Leader’s quarters but found nothing. Next, they approached the Heavenly Poison Deity’s hall, but the formidable defenses made entry impossible.

Their intelligence that the hall was impenetrable proved correct.

“We’ll try the Heavenly Poison Deity’s residence as a last resort!”

“Yes, Grandmaster!”

In a final, desperate move, they slipped into the Heavenly Poison Deity’s quarters.

And there, they found it.

“This is it!”

In the dim light, they spotted a copy of the Blood-Water Venom Claw manual resting on a side table beside the bed.

Judging by the scribbles and annotations, it seemed the Heavenly Poison Deity had been analyzing the manual.

“A copy of the Blood-Water Venom Claw!”

“We didn’t recover the original, but to find a copy here is beyond our expectations!”

“Heaven itself must favor our sect! Let’s head to the rendezvous point!”

Overjoyed, the three infiltrators slipped out of the residence, intent on fleeing to the mountain range beyond Tang Clan Mountain.

Since they had synchronized their infiltration with the guards’ shift change, they couldn’t retreat back across the Tang Family River without risking capture.

However, their deep infiltration proved problematic. The further they had ventured into the estate, the more fortified the outer perimeter had become.

“The guards are far more numerous than expected,” one of the masked men observed.

“Perhaps the absence of the Clan Leader and the Heavenly Poison Deity has heightened security,” the leader speculated, frowning.

The leader climbed onto the roof of the Heavenly Poison Deity’s quarters, scanning the surroundings.

Just then, the clouds parted slightly, revealing the wide training yard in the distance, connected to the peak of Tang Clan Mountain.

To his surprise, the yard was completely unguarded.

No lanterns were lit, and the four guards who were supposed to patrol there—according to their intelligence—were nowhere to be seen.

‘Why is it unguarded?’

According to their prior reconnaissance, there should have been four guards stationed there at all times. Yet now, the yard was eerily silent.

With no other viable escape route, the three masked men decided to head for the training yard.

As soon as they set foot in the yard, an ominous sound rumbled through the air, emanating from the hollow trunk of an old tree.

• Wooooom!

“A… mechanism formation?!”

The three masked men leaped in panic, realizing they had triggered a trap.

But instead of warriors swarming like bees, actual bees surged toward them—a dense swarm of Golden Bumblebee Kings.

Their collective buzzing roared like thunder, a harbinger of the chaos to come.

***

"Halt! You scoundrels! How dare you sneak into the Tang Clan!"

"Stop right there!"

The shouts of the warriors echoed in the distance.

Torches moved rapidly toward the mountain, their flickering light visible even from afar. Following the commotion, we raced toward the inner training yard reserved for direct descendants—which now looked more like a beekeeping yard swarming with Golden Bumblebee Kings.

“What on earth is going on!?” my sister demanded as we reached the training yard entrance.

Gu Pae, the deputy commander of the Venom Blood Squad, hurriedly approached, his face tense.

“Miss Hwa-eun, intruders! Two of them have fled toward the mountain, and the commander has taken the squad to pursue them. One remains here….”

His voice trailed off as he pointed toward the center of the training yard.

In the moonlight, we saw a figure sprawled on the ground.

The Golden Bumblebee Kings swarmed around the body, preventing anyone from approaching.

‘Why do my pet insects always end up involved in these deadly incidents? Seriously, what bizarre experiences have I had since joining the Tang Clan?’

Realizing I was the only one who could deal with the bees, I sighed, whispered an apology to the Golden Bumblebee Kings for waking them, and cautiously approached the body.

It appeared the person was already dead. Holding my breath, I dragged the body away, carefully avoiding the bees.

Gu Pae inspected the corpse.

While I felt uneasy about the idea that my insects might have killed yet another person, Gu Pae reached an unexpected conclusion after examining the body.

“This isn’t the work of the Golden Bumblebee Kings. He bit down on a poison pill and killed himself.”@@novelbin@@

“A poison pill?”

Relief washed over me that the bees weren’t responsible this time, but my sister’s expression grew icy at Gu Pae’s words.

Her sharp voice cut through the tension as she issued orders to the gathered warriors.

“Biting a poison pill and committing suicide means they had a lot to hide. Inform Mother to handle the immediate aftermath, and gather the elders! Assemble a pursuit team at once!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

The warriors quickly dispersed, moving in all directions to carry out her commands.

***

• Crunch! Crash!

The ground beneath me gave way, collapsing into a pit of dirt as I was practicing my lightfoot techniques.

“Ahhh!”

“So-ryong! Grab my hand!”

I screamed instinctively as I fell. Just before I sank knee-deep into the pit, Gu Pae darted forward and caught me.

“Thank you. I thought I was done for,” I said, exhaling deeply.

“Are you hurt? You must be careful. Miss Hwa-eun would be heartbroken if anything happened to you,” he replied, helping me out of the hole.

But as I pulled myself out, a chilling sound emerged from below.

• Ssshhhh… Ssshhh!

It was a sound both eerie and strangely familiar, and I froze as I turned to look inside the pit.

“This…!”

The pit was too deep for anyone to climb out of alone, and within it were countless snakes, writhing and coiled together in a horrifying mass.

“A snake pit?”

Gu Pae stood beside me, his hand still steadying my shoulder, as he peered into the pit and confirmed my suspicion.

A snake pit—an accumulation of snakes, often found in crevices or burrows, typically as a shared refuge.

In my past life, I had encountered such phenomena in nature, but this one felt different.

Unlike a typical snake pit, the darkness in this hole seemed malevolent, exuding an ominous aura that sent shivers down my spine.

It felt alive, like the gaping maw of some predator waiting to devour.

The snakes inside, unusually aggressive, hissed and writhed as though angered by our intrusion.

• Rumble!

As if agreeing with my unease, thunder cracked overhead, and storm clouds rolled in, announcing the approach of rain.

“Something about this feels… wrong,” I said.

Gu Pae nodded gravely. “It must be a death pit, a place where yin energy accumulates. Snakes sometimes gather in such places, their venom heightened. Be cautious.”

I didn’t know what a death pit was, but I decided to ask about it later.

“I see. That explains why the snakes are so unusually aggressive. Even the flower snakes shouldn’t behave like this.”

The snakes below were mostly Tiger-Striped Vipers, also known as flower snakes, which typically weren’t aggressive. Their hissing, however, suggested otherwise.

“Let’s move on. I’ve delayed us enough, and the rain looks like it’s coming fast,” I said.

“Understood, So-ryong,” Gu Pae agreed.

We continued our pursuit of the thieves who had infiltrated the Tang Clan.

The chase had entered its second day.

One thief had committed suicide by poison pill after being captured by the Golden Bumblebee Kings on the first night. But two others had fled into the mountains, and we were determined to catch them.

Although I had little personal stake in this, I volunteered to accompany Hwa-eun when she led the pursuit. My mother-in-law was tasked with handling internal matters, and I couldn’t let Hwa-eun go alone.

At some point during the hunt, we had split into smaller groups to cover more ground. Now, Gu Pae and I led a team of ten warriors tracking the thieves through the rugged terrain.

It wasn’t long before we heard a shout from up ahead.

“Over there! Get them!”

Without hesitation, our group sped toward the source of the commotion.

We arrived at a clearing at the base of a shallow cliff.

The two thieves, cornered by a group of Tang warriors, were trying to scale the cliff using their lightfoot techniques. But each attempt was thwarted by the warriors, who hurled projectiles to keep them grounded.

• Ting! Ting! Ting!

“This is the end of the line for you!” one warrior yelled.

“Tch!” one thief spat in frustration, retreating behind the scattered rocks at the cliff’s base.

With our arrival, their chances of escape dwindled further.

“Close the net and charge at once!” Gu Pae commanded.

Including our reinforcements, twenty warriors now surrounded the thieves. Following Gu Pae’s orders, the warriors tightened the encirclement.

When the circle closed in, the real fight began.

“Attack!” Gu Pae shouted.

At his signal, the warriors lunged at the thieves, throwing daggers and striking with precise, deadly movements.

Within moments, one thief was subdued and collapsed to the ground.

But the other thief proved more formidable.

“Be careful! That one’s movements are unusual!” Gu Pae warned.

The skilled thief dodged the warriors’ strikes, countering with deadly precision. Two warriors fell, clutching their wounds.

• Crack!

• Patter… patter… pour.

Rain began to fall, quickly turning into a downpour. The sound of raindrops mingled with the clashing of weapons as the battle raged on.

Despite the thief’s skill, the overwhelming numbers of the Tang warriors forced him toward the cliff.

The moment his back touched the cliff face, Gu Pae gave the signal.

“Step back! Three Illusionary Kills!”

The warriors parted as Gu Pae hurled a throwing dagger at the thief.

• Clang! Clang!

The thief managed to deflect two of the dagger’s paths with his dual daggers, but the third struck true, piercing his shoulder.

“Gah!” he cried out, blood streaming down his arm.

The rain diluted the blood, turning the ground beneath him into a murky red.

“If not for this rain, the poison on my dagger would’ve incapacitated him completely,” Gu Pae muttered.

Even so, the thief’s injury rendered him vulnerable.

Just as we thought the fight was over, a new figure suddenly appeared.

• Boom!

“Ha ha ha! Step aside!”

A middle-aged man in a red martial robe landed between the thief and the warriors, his hand lashing out.

• Slash!

“Urgh!”

A Tang warrior fell, his chest torn open by the man’s claws. Blood sprayed like mist before the rain washed it away.

“Fall back! He’s a master!” Gu Pae shouted.

The man, with his tied-back hair and piercing gaze, exuded a deadly aura. Ignoring Gu Pae’s question, he turned to the injured thief.

“Did you retrieve it?”

“Yes! It’s here. It seems to be a copy made by the Heavenly Poison Deity.”

“Not the original, but it will suffice. Well done.”

The thief handed over a red book bound with yellow thread—a book I instantly recognized.

“That’s the manual for Blood-Water Venom Claw!” I exclaimed.

All eyes turned to me.

“I’ve seen Grandfather study it before. It’s a copy he made to analyze its techniques.”

Gu Pae’s face twisted with fury as he glared at the man.

“How dare you infiltrate the Tang Clan to steal that cursed manual!”

Ignoring Gu Pae’s anger, the red-robed man sneered, tucking the manual into his robe.

“The cowards of the Cult wanted to avoid trouble and simply retrieve the manual, but with so many bugs crawling around…”

“Forgive us!” the thief stammered.

“No need. This is perfect,” the man said, grinning wickedly. “With this manual recovered and the Heavenly Poison Deity absent, what better time to announce our return?”

He stretched his hands, the air growing thick with malice.

“Blood Cult. Use the Cult’s martial arts. Leave no one alive.”

“Yes, sir!”

Before I could process his words, I saw the thief absorb the blood of his fallen comrade.

“W-What is that!?” I gasped.

Gu Pae’s voice trembled as he muttered the answer.

“Blood Cult…”

"Blood Cult? Could it really be the Blood Cult?"

Gu Pae’s words triggered a memory.

I recalled the moment when the elders of the Tang Clan examined the original Blood-Water Venom Claw manual. Their reactions had been one of shock and dread.

“The words ‘Blood Cult’ and ‘Blood-Water Venom Claw’ are written in blood on this cover! There’s no doubt about it!”

“It’s true then. This book did originate from the Blood Cult…”

Now, the truth of our suspicions was confirmed.

The man in the crimson martial robe smirked and finally spoke, his voice filled with malicious glee.

“Indeed! I am none other than Gu Cheon-ak, Elder of the Blood Cult, known as the Blood Talon Eagle Claw! Rejoice, for you shall be the sacrifices that announce the Blood Cult’s return!”

“An Elder of the Blood Cult…” Gu Pae muttered, his face pale.

For a moment, despair clouded his expression, but his resolve quickly returned. Turning to the Tang warriors and me, he barked out orders.

“Form the Five Venoms Extinguishing Fire Formation! So-ryong, fire the signal dagger!”

“Understood!”

At Gu Pae’s command, the Tang warriors moved swiftly, forming their battle formation. I reached into my robes, pulling out the signal dagger, a special weapon used by the Tang Clan in place of warning horns.

Before I could launch it, the Blood Cult Elder’s gaze turned toward me.

“Blood Shadow, stop that boy. We can’t have reinforcements arriving. Don’t kill him—his vital blood will aid my recovery immensely.”

“Understood!”

Gu Pae’s eyes widened in alarm as he roared, “Don’t let them near So-ryong! Protect him!”

“Let’s see you try!” the Elder sneered, unleashing a wave of energy.

• Boom!

The Tang warriors’ formation buckled under the force, scattering them momentarily. The man called Blood Shadow lunged toward me like a missile.

He was fast—so fast that even as I clutched the dagger, he grabbed my wrist before I could throw it.

“Take a nap. The Elder has special plans for your blood,” he sneered, raising his hand to strike the back of my neck.

“So-ryong!” Gu Pae shouted in desperation, but he was locked in combat with the Elder and couldn’t reach me.

Time seemed to slow as Blood Shadow’s hand came down.

• Crunch!

He froze.

His expression shifted from smug confidence to confusion, then horror.

From my wrist, torso, and shoulder emerged a swarm of O-Gong centipedes.

The centipedes, having recently molted and grown more potent, bit into Blood Shadow’s abdomen, arms, and neck with relentless ferocity.

“Gah…!”

In the dim light, I saw his eyes glaze over, the life draining from them.

The venom coursing through him was far deadlier than before. Unlike when Tak Wonyang had died, where the body merely darkened, Blood Shadow’s flesh began to dissolve slightly, as though melting.

• Squelch.

His lifeless body collapsed into a rain-soaked puddle, the venom seeping into the surrounding water and staining it with a sickly hue.

• Boom!

A thunderclap jolted me, and I turned to see the Blood Cult Elder glaring at me.

He had just blasted the Tang warriors backward with his energy and now looked toward me with an expression of disbelief.

“A spirit beast? Hah, things are getting interesting!”

His surprise was evident—he hadn’t anticipated Blood Shadow’s death.

Ignoring his gaze, I aimed the signal dagger skyward and released it.

• Fweeet! Fweeet! Fweeet!

The sharp whistle echoed through the rain, cutting through the chaos. Moments later, the faint sounds of rushing feet and distant shouts grew louder as reinforcements from the Tang Clan began converging on our location.

***

The sharp sound of tearing fabric echoed.

"Urgh!"

"You must have felt confident throwing those flying daggers, but without Mandok Shingun, you’re all as good as dead! Hahaha!"

Another warrior clutched his chest, a long gash from the enemy's claws visible, and stumbled backward before collapsing.

A warning followed immediately.

"Don’t get too close!"
"That’s incredible internal energy! Avoid direct confrontation!"

The injured warrior was dragged back by others, who tore his uniform to staunch the bleeding. I had to find a way to help, too.

For now, my skills were limited to beginner-level internal cultivation, light-foot techniques, and throwing daggers.

Without proper footwork training, I was useless in such chaos. That’s why my older sister had assigned me to provide support.

"Just hang in there!"

Already, twenty warriors lay around me, unconscious or worse. Among them, a senior member of a branch family.

It had barely been half an hour since the battle began, and the situation was steadily worsening.

Initially, we thought victory was assured as soon as we launched the attack and reinforcements from the Tang Clan arrived.

But the enemy was relentless, tearing through our forces as if to reduce our numbers before reinforcements could fully arrive. Half our warriors were already out of commission.

Still, with additional members of the Tang family, including my sister and several elders, I believed we could handle the fight if we treated it like a raid.

"Soryong! What is happening with this Five-Poison Extinguishing Formation?" my sister demanded, taking in the chaotic scene.

"That man is an elder of the Blood Cult! He’s overpowering Gu Pae, the squad leader!"

"The Blood Cult?!"
"An elder of the Blood Cult?!"

Everyone looked shocked, but my sister quickly assessed the situation and issued orders.

"Everyone, assist Squad Leader Gu Pae!"
"Yes, Miss! Let’s go! Adjust the Five-Poison Extinguishing Formation to the Nine-Poison Extinguishing Formation!"

As the Poison Blood Squad and the family elders charged the enemy, the balance finally seemed to shift.

But it didn’t last long.

A branch elder beside me muttered bitterly, "Damn it! If only it weren’t raining!"

Rain was our biggest disadvantage.

The downpour washed away the poisons applied to our concealed weapons, rendering them almost useless. Even items prepared for water resistance couldn’t be deployed properly in this weather.

The formations we used, such as the Five-Poison or Nine-Poison Extinguishing Formations, required poisonous smoke or powders to achieve their full effect. In this rain, none of that was feasible.

We were left with pure physical combat, and to make matters worse, the enemy was regenerating.

A scream tore through the rain, drawing my attention.

One of our warriors was caught by the enemy, his claws impaling the man’s stomach as he drained his blood.

"Damn it, he’s at it again," I muttered under my breath.

The more we weakened, the stronger he grew with each victim. And with the sound of the daggers muffled by the rain, our reinforcements hadn’t fully arrived.

Only half the family forces had made it so far.

Dragging the frustrated elder further under a tree for some cover, I heard my sister’s commanding voice ring out.

"Nine Illusion Slashes!"

A volley of throwing daggers shot toward the enemy, a more advanced version of the technique Gu Pae had used earlier.

"Did we get him?" the elder beside me shouted, clenching his fists.

I winced. Never, ever say that.

Sure enough, the daggers that seemed destined to hit were deflected with a wave of the enemy’s hand and redirected back toward my sister.

-CLANG!

"Such sharp technique! With that pretty face, you must be the Tang Clan’s famed Poison Moon Flower. Let’s see if you can block this!"

-BOOM!

"Ahhh!"

My sister barely evaded the daggers, but the enemy was already closing in.

With a powerful strike, he sent her hurtling toward me. Blood dripped from her mouth as she staggered, arms crossed to brace herself.

"Lady Hwa-eun!"

"S-Soryong! Cough...!"

She tried to return to the fray but collapsed after taking a single step, vomiting blood.

I quickly supported her, and she looked at me, gripping my hand firmly.

"Soryong... I can’t do it. You must go back to the family and bring reinforcements. The Blood Cult elder absorbs life energy to recover—this fight is beyond us as we are now."

Her request left no room for argument.

I hesitated. Leaving them in such a situation felt wrong, but I was undeniably the least useful here.

As I faltered, voices around me urged me on.

"Soryong, please! For the family’s sake!"
"We’ll hold the line until you return! Hurry!"

Even Gu Pae and the squad leader nodded.

"Understood. But my light-foot technique isn’t great—I don’t know if I’ll make it quickly..." I muttered.

I turned to leave, but my sister suddenly embraced me, her rain-soaked warmth pressing against me as she whispered in my ear.

"Soryong, remember what I taught you. You can do this. And... let’s train together again at night."

Before I could respond, she leapt back into the fray, charging toward the elder.

It was the first time she had hugged me.

Though my mind was a whirlwind of emotions, I turned and bolted toward the Tang family.

There was no time to waste.

With each step, I pushed myself harder, the rhythm of a techno dance track playing in my head as I sprinted through the rain.

The pounding beat kept me moving, faster and faster.

-Tap, tap, tap.

-Tap, tap.

-Tap.

My frantic sprinting, powered by light-foot techniques, gradually came to a halt.

Something felt off, a nagging suspicion I couldn’t shake from my mind.

It had been two days since we began tracking the masked assailants. While I hadn’t been running all night, we’d still covered considerable ground.

But doubt began creeping in.

Could those left behind truly hold out long enough? It would take me at least half a day of running at full speed to reach the family, gather reinforcements, and return.

And another concern arose.

The clan’s strongest martial artists were already on missions, including my grandfather, the Mandok Shingun, and my brother-in-law.

Would there even be anyone strong enough left at the clan to defeat that monster?

We didn’t need numbers. Weaklings would only feed the enemy, speeding his recovery. What we needed were elite fighters like my grandfather or brother-in-law.

My unease culminated in a single, grim thought:

What if they sent me away under the pretext of summoning reinforcements, just to save me?

I was the youngest, after all. Was this their way of sparing at least one life?

Faces flashed through my mind—Gu Pae, the squad leader, and the elders of the family—all staring at me with unwavering determination as they spoke:

"From now on, you’re one of us."
"Of course! Even in death, you’re family!"
"Soryong, please! For the sake of the Tang Clan!"
"We’ll hold the line until you return with reinforcements. Go now!"

"Family, huh... Does that word carry such weight? Or is it just cooperation? Am I being sheltered because I’m weak?"

The idea of being part of the greatest assassination clan in the martial arts world hadn’t meant much to me before. I didn’t think I was truly one of them yet.

But to everyone else, I already was.

Their warmth and conviction brought a faint smile to my lips, even in this dire situation.

And so, I thought about how to turn things around.

Pulling scattered Tang Clan warriors together? That would take too long, and even if I succeeded, there was no guarantee of victory.

I was scared, no denying that.

I’d never been in a real fight like this, where it was kill or be killed.

But maybe I’d seen too many hero movies in my past life because abandoning those who considered me family felt cowardly.

The Blood Cult... blood... essence... regeneration...

Thoughts raced through my head, and then, a cold sound reached my ears.

-Ssssshhh.

“That sound...?”

I ran toward the source and found myself at the entrance of a dark cave.

The hissing sound came from snakes slithering inside, the same cave I’d narrowly avoided falling into earlier.

Standing at the edge, I peered into the depths. Snakes hissed back at me, their glossy bodies writhing.

"Wait here for a moment. It’s going to be fine," I murmured, setting the O-gongs (centipedes) down and cutting a vine from nearby.

I tossed the vine into the cave and climbed down without hesitation.

“If Spicy Fabre’s involved, this will be solved in Spicy Fabre’s way.”

Please don’t let this be another snake-bite death ending...

Despite my bold words, my heart pounded wildly as I descended.

The dark pit yawned open like the gaping maw of a massive snake, ready to swallow me whole.

-Ssshhh. Ssssshh!

The sound grew louder as I hit the cave floor. Snakes surged toward me, their warning cries echoing.

-Bite! Crunch!

They began nipping at my ankles, but the bites were shallow for now.

“Settle down! I’ll be out soon!” I yelled to the O-gongs, who screeched nervously from above.

Looking at the writhing mass of snakes at my feet, I recognized them: Rhabdophis tigrinus, also known as tiger keelbacks.

Unlike other snakes, tiger keelbacks are known to swallow their prey tail-first, but that’s not their only unique trait.

Despite being considered non-venomous for years, they actually have two types of venom:

1. Neck venom: Derived from toads they consume, stored in their neck glands to deter predators.
2. Rear fangs: Tiny, backward-curved fangs hidden deep inside their mouths.

This unique fang structure explains why they were long thought harmless. To inject venom, a keelback has to open its mouth wide, sink its fangs deep into thin-skinned areas like fingers or wrists, and exert considerable effort.

Even if someone were bitten on the ankle, their thick skin would make venom injection unlikely. Additionally, these snakes lack the muscular structure to force venom through their fangs, further reducing their lethality.

But right now, surrounded by their writhing bodies, I swallowed hard.

I had to let them bite me properly.

I might like snakes, but being bitten was not a hobby of mine—especially since I’d died to one in my previous life.

Still, I had no other option. The clan’s antidotes and the Tang Clan’s martial arts techniques for poison resistance gave me a slim hope.

The distance to the clan was too far, and gathering scattered warriors wouldn’t guarantee victory. This was the only chance to save my family.

I can do this. Fabre, you’ve got this.

I recalled the flow of the Ten-Poison Core Technique that my grandfather had ingrained into me.

The Tang Clan’s internal energy cultivation methods were designed to resist poison and slow its progression through the body.

Focusing on my dantian and the qi circulating through my body, I calmed my frantic thoughts and anxieties.

My grandfather had once explained the hierarchy of the clan’s internal cultivation techniques:

The Five-Poison Returning to the Origin Art was the foundational entry-level technique, while the Ten-Poison Core Technique, which I was currently using, represented an advanced stage.

At first, I misunderstood the Ten-Poison Core Technique, thinking it was tailored specifically for me, someone with the Ten-Poison Physique, who could only handle ten poisons. But according to my grandfather, it was a technique inspired by the Tang Clan’s founder, who had conceptualized it after observing a two-headed snake.

Other martial artists in the clan learned techniques tailored to general poison mastery, but this one was reserved exclusively for direct descendants. It was the key to attaining mastery over a hundred or even a thousand poisons.

However, my grandfather had been clear about one thing: my natural constitution was too weak to handle more than ten poisons.

I had to learn this technique while gradually introducing poisons into my body through the clan’s special concoctions. With each new poison I absorbed, the efficiency and power of the technique would increase. But attempting to handle more than ten poisons would overwhelm my body and lead to disaster.

That reassurance—that the tiger keelback’s venom wouldn’t count among the ten poisons—was enough to help me relax.

Letting my arms hang loose at my sides, I prepared myself.

After all, the tiger keelback, being a rear-fanged species, could only reliably bite thinner areas like fingers or wrists.

-Crunch! Snap!

As soon as I let my arms hang, the snakes latched onto my fingers and forearms, their jaws working to inject venom deep into the wounds.

"That’s it, bite down hard," I muttered, feeling their bodies coil around my wrists.

Thankfully, these snakes lacked the ability to climb trees or scale my body. Their movement stopped at my wrists, their writhing mass constricted to my forearms.

-Hiss... Hiss...

Above me, the O-gongs screeched wildly, clearly alarmed by what was happening.

"Calm down, you guys," I said, trying to reassure them. "I’ll be out in a moment."

Once I was sure the snakes had delivered their venom, I pulled my arms free. My hands and forearms were riddled with puncture wounds, tiny beads of blood forming at each bite.

It was time to get out of the cave and back to the battlefield.

I reached for the vine I had thrown earlier to climb out, but when I tried to move my legs, I realized something alarming.

My legs wouldn’t budge.

"...This wasn’t part of the plan."

The swarm of snakes had coiled tightly around my legs, pinning me in place. Worse, some were beginning to climb higher.

"This... definitely wasn’t part of the plan," I muttered, growing uneasy.

-Tap. Tap. Tap.

Something tapped lightly against my head, followed by a rapid movement across my face.

The O-gongs had leapt onto me, scurrying down my body.

-Hissssss!

As if responding to their presence, the snakes suddenly recoiled.

In an instant, the swarm began retreating toward the edges of the pit like a receding tide.

A few slower ones hesitated, but Bini, the most fearless of the O-gong trio, sprang from my body and sank her mandibles into one of the stragglers. With a swift motion, she slammed it onto the cave floor.

-Hiss! Hissssss!

The remaining snakes hissed and scrambled even further back as Bini stood her ground, vibrating her antennae furiously in a display of dominance.

The snake she had bitten was already turning black, its body stiffening as venom coursed through it.

"Bini, let’s go. It’s fine now," I called out.

Only after issuing two more warnings did Bini finally crawl back onto my shoulder.

"My daughters, your dad is so proud of you!" I exclaimed, my heart swelling.

Raising them had been worth it. These three—Cho, Hyang, and Bini—weren’t just ordinary centipedes. They had saved me, putting any pet cat or dog to shame.

Still, I couldn’t afford to linger. Suppressing my emotions, I grabbed the vine and climbed out of the pit.

Time was ticking.

"Let’s go, girls! Back to where the action is!"

Focusing my internal energy into my legs, I propelled myself forward, heading back toward the battlefield.

In my head, I recalled a techno dance track I’d once heard in a club. Its relentless tempo synced with my stride.

Fast. Faster. As fast as possible.

***

The downpour continued relentlessly.

After two intense clashes, the battlefield was at a tense standstill.

The enemy had plunged his fingers into the chest of another warrior, draining his blood with disturbing ease.

But no one could stop him.

Tang Hwa-eun’s breathing was labored.

“Haah... haah...”

In just two clashes, the raging beast of a man had incapacitated most of the Tang Clan’s warriors and elders.

All around her, Tang warriors lay sprawled on the ground, groaning in pain.

Without Soryong to assist, there was no one left to tend to the injured.

I wonder... Is Soryong doing alright?

Her thoughts wandered to the young boy she had sent off alone earlier.

What if the enemy had stationed others nearby to ambush him? The thought sent a chill through her.

But then she remembered Soryong sprinting through the rain, his reckless footsteps carrying him toward the Tang estate.

The memory brought a brief smile to her lips.

She made a promise to herself: if she survived this, she would ask him what song he had been humming to keep his pace.

Wiping the blood from her mouth with her soaked sleeve, Tang Hwa-eun turned to the remaining warriors and shouted,

“Stay away from him! Keep your distance and focus on long-range attacks! The rain will stop soon, and once it does, signal the scattered warriors to regroup!”

“Yes, Miss!”

Sending Soryong to summon reinforcements had been her decision.

The moment she had been struck by the elder and leaned on Soryong for support, she had realized she couldn’t leave him here.

He was only fifteen—a boy who didn’t even fully grasp that he was now part of the Tang Clan.

She couldn’t let him remain in this seemingly hopeless situation. That’s why she had sent him away, with the excuse of gathering help.

It had been a lie.

Even if reinforcements arrived, the strongest warriors—the ones capable of holding off this monster—were absent. Her father had led the Poison Extermination Squad on a mission, and her grandfather had taken the clan’s top martial artists to aid the Governor of Sichuan, who was suffering from severe poisoning.

Even if they mustered all the warriors left at the estate, there was no guarantee they could defeat this elder of the Blood Cult.

As she gave what might be her final orders, one of the injured elders shouted from beneath a tree,

“Hwa-eun! Flee, like Soryong!”

“No! How can a direct descendant of the Tang Clan abandon its members in the middle of a battle?!”

Gripping her whip tightly, Tang Hwa-eun refused to retreat.

Her concealed weapons were all expended, and she knew that getting too close to the enemy would risk being captured and drained of her life essence. The whip was her best option.

“If we can’t save you, how can we face the clan leader? The branch family exists to protect the direct line! You have a duty to preserve the Tang Clan—leave now!”

The elder’s voice trembled with desperation.

“I only sent Soryong because he’s too young to die here. But what if he doesn’t make it back? What will become of the Tang Clan then?”

“Enough of this nonsense! The Tang Clan never abandons its own!”

Their argument was cut short by the mocking laughter of the Blood Cult elder, who slicked back his rain-soaked hair and sneered.

“Amusing. If my prey keeps running, my fun will end far too quickly. Perhaps I should slaughter everyone here and march straight to your Tang estate. With no clan leader or Mandok Shingun to stop me, turning it into a wasteland would be a fitting announcement of the Blood Cult’s return.”

His taunt was a clear threat. He wouldn’t allow anyone to escape.

“Damn it!” the elder cursed through clenched teeth.

The choices were clear: die fighting here or somehow kill the monster before them.

If even one of them fled, and the elder kept his word, the Tang estate would fall.

“Even if we all perish, we’ll take at least one of his arms with us!”

“Yes, Miss!”

The Tang warriors braced themselves for what might be their final stand.

Then, a voice interrupted them from behind.

“You’re right. The Tang Clan never abandons its own.”

Everyone froze.

Hwa-eun turned in disbelief.

“Soryong?”

“Soryong!”

“What are you doing here?!”

For a moment, they thought he might have brought reinforcements. But Soryong stood alone, his O-gongs perched on a nearby tree.

“You said the Tang Clan doesn’t abandon its own, didn’t you?”

He grinned, shrugging off his shirt like a third-rate thug and gripping daggers in both hands.

Without waiting for a response, he charged straight at the elder.

“No! Stop!”

“Soryong, don’t!”

The cries of protest were drowned out by Soryong’s reckless assault.

With no proper training in footwork or martial arts, his attack was absurdly outmatched.

As expected, the elder caught him by the neck in an instant.

“Urgh...” Soryong struggled, clawing at the hand that held him aloft.

“Well, well. Have you come to offer yourself to the Blood Cult?” the elder sneered, delighted.

He wasted no time plunging his claws into Soryong’s abdomen.

The sickening sound of flesh tearing filled the air.

“Argh!”

“Hmm? You tried to block me?” the elder chuckled as Soryong crossed his arms to shield himself.

But the claws pierced through his defense, and the elder began greedily draining his blood.

Veins bulged grotesquely on Soryong’s arms as his life essence was siphoned away.

“Arghhh!”

“Soryong!”

“Save him! Everyone, attack!”

Desperation overtook the Tang warriors as they charged the elder, trying to rescue Soryong.

But their reckless assault only hastened the clan’s downfall.

The elder tossed Soryong aside and counterattacked, incapacitating the remaining warriors and elders.

As the sun finally broke through the clouds, casting light on the battlefield, the Tang Clan’s fate lay in darkness.

Hwa-eun cradled Soryong’s limp body, despair etched into her face.

She had heard tales of the Blood Cult’s might, but witnessing it firsthand was beyond anything she could have imagined.

Monsters that grew stronger with every drop of blood they drained.

How many lives had that elder stolen to reach such power?

“Aah…”

“Hahaha! That annoying rain of concealed weapons was starting to get on my nerves, but that little brat solved everything in one go. I’ll grant you the mercy of a painless death.”

The elder of the Blood Cult began approaching Tang Hwa-eun slowly, his eyes fixed on her like a predator cornering its prey.

In response, Hwa-eun clutched Soryong’s limp body tightly to her chest.

Then, just as the elder took his third step, he suddenly froze, his expression twisting into shock and panic.

“What... what have you done?! You... Urgh! No, this can’t be... Scattered Energy Poison? That’s impossible! The Cult’s internal technique is supposed to be immune to—this is absurd! Who... what are you?!”

The words Scattered Energy Poison made Hwa-eun’s eyes widen as she looked down at Soryong in disbelief.

Neither the Tang warriors nor herself had carried any poisons strong enough to use in this battle, especially not something as rare and deadly as Scattered Energy Poison.

In fact, Soryong hadn’t even been given any poisons, nor had he been taught the Tang Clan’s poison techniques.

Yet, nestled in her arms, Soryong’s pale face broke into a faint smile.

“What am I?” he said weakly, his voice laced with defiance. “I’m your natural predator.”

His words sent Hwa-eun’s heart racing uncontrollably.