The Lazy Young Master of the Jin Clan

“You all fought well.”

Gwak Doyeop looked at the fourteen martial artists lined up on the sparring stage with a proud gaze.

These were the late-stage prospects with the brightest futures in the righteous martial world.

In particular, the talent shown by the martial artists of the White Moon Palace seemed to prove that they were indeed the true children of the White Moon Divine Lord.

“There are still matches left, so I hope you will show off your talents to your heart’s content until the very end.”

While Gwak Doyeop’s speech was ripening, Jin Sohyun sat on the eaves and gripped a short spear.

His gaze was scanning the entire sparring stage and the surrounding spectator seats.

A vast amount of information entered his mind through his eyes and ears.

It was an act that not only ordinary people but also most martial artists could not imitate.

“Hm?”

It was also Jin Sohyun who first noticed the anomaly.

A boy named Ju O came into his sight.

He didn't know who he was, but he was a boy with a clear impression who had been sitting in the spectator seats with Moyong Susu and watching the matches since some point.

At first glance, there seemed to be nothing different.

But.

“The bird isn’t here today.”

The little bird with yellow feathers that he always carried in his bosom was nowhere to be seen.

At that moment, Jin Sohyun’s gaze turned to the sky.

There was a bird there.

It was a lark with yellow feathers.

And above the lark was a hawk.

The hawk that always circled above the estate at the same time.

Common sense dictated that a lark could not fly freely in the sky where a hawk was present.

‘A bird…’

At the same time as he noticed the anomaly, birds appeared from beyond the estate wall.

They were all small hawks.

There were more than ten of them.

Jin Sohyun’s hand, who had discovered this, automatically gripped the short spear.

He raised his internal energy, and the tip of the short spear aimed precisely at the birds.

In the meantime, the ten hawks flew over the estate and soared above the sparring stage.

“Heup!”

Jin Sohyun was about to shoot the short spear, imbued with internal energy, toward the hawks.

But at that moment, Jin Sohyun’s mind spun furiously.

A short time, enough to be called a fleeting moment.

Something held in the talons of the small hawks came into his sight.

The world slowed down.

The flapping of the hawks’ wings became clear, and the black sphere held in their talons stood out.

At the same time, Jin Sohyun’s not-so-distant memories flashed through his mind.

‘A bird appeared during the Nameless Pavilion incident too.’

The hawk had lured Jin Sohyun to the assassins of the Nameless Pavilion by dropping a bamboo tube containing a letter.

This time, it wasn't a bamboo tube.

A black sphere with an ominous light.

‘Poison.’

An exterminating poison resembling the Formless Earth Killing Poison, created by the Hao Sect and the Poison Sect in collaboration.

That poison, for which there was no antidote, had a high density and a property of sinking downwards.

What if he shot down the hawks here?

The iron balls held in their talons would fall along with them.

If the balls contained an exterminating poison with the same toxicity as the Formless Earth Killing Poison.

‘They will all die.’

In just a few breaths, over a hundred late-stage prospects would be massacred.

Jin Sohyun’s hand, which had gone through dozens of thoughts while the birds flapped their wings a few times, moved on its own.

He gripped the short spear and launched himself into the air. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Giving up even on stealth and leaping with all his might, the roof tiles exploded and the debris scattered everywhere.

At the unexpected explosion, the gazes of everyone gathered at the sparring stage turned to the men in black soaring into the sky.

“Men in black!?”

“Protect the disciples!”

“Move at once!”

At the sudden appearance of the men in black, the Alliance warriors, thinking they were assassins from the heretical path sent by the Heretic Path's Alliance, moved busily.

Gwak Doyeop and the four temple masters drew their respective weapons and assumed a state of full readiness.

At that moment, Jin Sohyun, who had soared into the sky, threw the short spears.

The spearheads, imbued with the power of a lightning flash, cut through the air and accurately pierced the hawks.

Flap—!

There was no way they could resist.

There was no way a mere creature could dodge Jin Sohyun’s lightning flash, which even a peak-level master would find difficult to avoid.

As the shot-down hawks dropped the black iron balls they were holding in their talons, he spread the net he had prepared in advance.

“Hyaaaaaap!!”

Jin Sohyun performed the Shadowless Steps and leaped around on the roofs.

Kwang— Kwang— Kwang—!!

Having no time to control his strength, Jin Sohyun shattered roofs and walls and leaped around like a flea.

In the meantime, the huge net, made by weaving several nets together, gently wrapped around the falling iron balls.

Following that, Jin Sohyun pulled one of the short spears stuck in a hawk, tied it to the net, and shot it up into the sky.

‘I’ve done it this far…! But what now!?’

The iron balls would fall eventually.

But it was too dangerous to catch them with his hands.

If even one of them exploded in mid-air, the poisonous gas would spread everywhere.

The situation had become even more dangerous.

Jin Sohyun, who was looking around, discovered the white sword placed next to Gwak Doyeop.

It was the White Heaven Sword, which was scheduled to be given to the winner of the Four Divine Assembly.

‘What if it’s the Exploding Flying Sword?’

As Jin Sohyun approached at high speed, Gwak Doyeop aimed his sword at him.

“How dare you! Do you know where this is!”

As Gwak Doyeop swung his sword quickly, the surprised Jin Sohyun gritted his teeth.

There was no time to explain now.

“I’ll explain later!!”

Jin Sohyun’s figure, who had performed the Shadowless Steps with all his might, disappeared from the air.

‘To be this fast!?’

Gwak Doyeop was greatly surprised and sucked in a breath.

While his sword was cutting through the empty air, Jin Sohyun, who had the White Heaven Sword in his hand, quickly shot out and aimed at the net that was still in the air.

‘I have to end this in one go.’

He raised his internal energy to the fullest, imbued it into the sword, and then shot it up with all his might.

The White Heaven Sword, which was shot out like an arrow, drew a straight line and flew, sticking into the net containing the iron balls.

The very next moment.

A huge explosion occurred.

Kwa—ang!!

A huge explosion that shook the axis of the earth.

Watching the net and the iron balls that had vanished without a trace, Jin Sohyun let out a sigh of relief.

“Phew! That’s a relief!”

If it weren't for his previous experience, he wouldn't have been able to react so quickly.

‘But… what do I do now?’

He had appeared out of nowhere and even blown up the White Heaven Sword, which was to be given to the winner of the Four Divine Assembly.

To explain, he had to reveal his identity.

But if he did, all his efforts so far would be for naught, and Jin Sohyun would have to go through all sorts of hardships to survive the assassination threats of the Heretic Path's Alliance again.

“Let’s run away.”

Since no one was hurt or dead, it should be fine to run away like this.

Just as Jin Sohyun, who thought this, was about to leave.

Jin Sohyun, who happened to shift his gaze to the sparring stage, saw several people rushing toward Cheon Yerang.

They were the martial artists of the Namrangbang, who had shown amazing skills in the group competition.

‘Why are they…?’

The world slowed down again.

He could see the martial artists of the Namrangbang putting their hands into their bosoms.

Whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

And the moment he discovered the killing intent in their eyes, Jin Sohyun moved.

“Miss Cheon!!”

At the call of a familiar voice, Cheon Yerang’s gaze landed on the man in black and then fell.

A martial artist of the Namrangbang approached before her eyes.

He took out a wooden box from his bosom and threw it at Cheon Yerang.

She was a very outstanding martial artist.

And she was a person with blue eyes.

The blue eyes accurately saw through the movements of the Namrangbang martial artist and clearly witnessed the wooden box he had thrown.

Cheon Yerang’s body, which had been swinging a sword for over 20 years, moved before her head.

The moment the sword in her hand was about to cut the wooden box, someone grabbed Cheon Yerang’s wrist one step ahead.

“Don’t!”

It was the man in black.

When did he get here?

But without even a moment to think about such things.

He could see the wooden box exploding and a mist spewing out from within.

Jin Sohyun, who realized that it was the exterminating poison created by the Hao Sect and the Poison Sect, placed his hand on Cheon Yerang’s abdomen.

“I’m sorry.”

With the apology, Cheon Yerang felt her body move away from him.

Tadadat!

Cheon Yerang, who had landed gracefully after her body floated up, raised her head and stared straight ahead.

There, she could see the martial artist of the Namrangbang, who had inhaled the poisonous gas, collapsing, bleeding from all seven orifices.

‘Poison!’

Although she realized it was poison, Cheon Yerang tried to run there.

‘He’s still there.’

Because the man in black who had pushed her away was trapped in the poisonous mist.

But this time too, someone blocked her.

“Move…!”

“Cheon Yerang!”

Realizing that it was Cheon Gaseong who had blocked her, Cheon Yerang stopped in her tracks.

“It’s poison. And a poison so powerful that a person can die in a single breath.”

“…”

Cheon Gaseong, who discovered that Cheon Yerang’s gaze was shaking greatly, said indifferently.

“There is nothing we can do.”

“…”

“Be calm.”

While Cheon Gaseong was restraining Cheon Yerang, the remaining three martial artists of the Namrangbang moved busily.

They put their hands into their bosoms to carry out the poisoning that their previous comrade had failed to do.

But this time, the Alliance warriors did not stand still.

“You bastards!!”

“Don’t get close! They have poison!”

“Attack from a distance!”

Skilled masters unleashed their sword ki, saber ki, or palm and fist techniques, and the three martial artists of the Namrangbang, who had to receive the attacks of numerous masters with their entire bodies, were beaten to a pulp and died on the sparring stage.

At the same time, the poison boxes they were holding exploded, and poisonous mist spread in all directions.

However, since the disciples on the sparring stage had already evacuated, there were no further casualties.

“Is it over?”

Yeom Yoa wiped the sweat that was trickling down her chin.

It was then.

“No!!”

Before Gwak Myeong could stop him, he leaped up onto the sparring stage.

At that, the man in black who was trapped in the poisonous mist stretched out his hand.

“Don’t… come… it hasn’t… disappeared yet…”

Although his face was covered by a mask, Gwak Myeong knew who he was.

‘Jin Sohyun! Why are you here!?’

Jin Sohyun, who was said to have had his muscles and veins severely damaged and his pressure points seriously injured, to the point where he could no longer use martial arts, had appeared at the venue where the Four Divine Assembly was being held.

“This is… a new poison with similar properties and form to the Formless Earth Killing Poison. Of course… there is no antidote.”

Watching Gwak Myeong’s greatly shaking gaze, Jin Sohyun laughed awkwardly.

‘Looks like I’ve been found out.’

Jin Sohyun felt the poisonous gas encroaching on his entire body.

Moreover, feeling the poison flowing out from his body, which was covered in poisonous gas, Jin Sohyun launched himself into the air without hesitation.

Gwak Myeong, who could only watch Jin Sohyun go over the wall and over the roof, had Gwak Doyeop and the three temple masters approach him from behind.

“Master Gwak!”

Gwak Doyeop came right up to Gwak Myeong.

“Do you know who that person is?”

“I… don’t know either.”

“His condition?”

“It seems… he was hit by the enemy’s poison.”

“Damn it! Alliance warriors, listen! The enemies won’t be far! Find them at once! And the Zantetsu Guard will protect the disciples! But!”

Gwak Doyeop looked at Heonwon Hu and said.

“Black Tortoise Daoist Temple Master, wait for me. It seems we have something to talk about.”

“…”

From both sides of Heonwon Hu, Beom U and Yeom Yoa aimed their swords and sabers.

“You’ll have to explain in detail… what happened here.”

The desolate voice of the enraged Gwak Doyeop froze Heonwon Hu’s entire body.

“Huh!?”

In the midst of the chaos, Moyong Susu realized that Ju O, who had been sitting next to her, had disappeared.

“Moyong! What are you doing!?”

At the call of Oh Seolhwa, who was evacuating, Moyong Susu placed her hand on her sword hilt and said.

“Ju O.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The boy named Ju O. He said he also came from the Namrangbang.”

“So what…”

Oh Seolhwa’s expression changed.

“That means.”

“If we find where that boy disappeared, we might be able to find the mastermind behind the enemies.”

Hyeok’ugun, who had approached them at some point, chimed in, and Moyong Susu nodded her head.

“But… is it okay for us to move on our own?”

As Oh Seolhwa asked worriedly, Moyong Susu furrowed her delicate brows.

“There’s no time to explain! We might lose them at this rate!”

“But if we move rashly, we might be in danger instead. We don’t know how much poison they have left.”

“That’s…”

While Moyong Susu was hesitating, Cheon Yerang approached with her sword in hand.

“I will take the lead. So, to me.”

Cheon Yerang’s blue eyes felt colder than usual today.

“Guide me to him.”

(End of Chapter)