Chapter 9
“Did Tang Ha-ryeong say there were many rumours about Hyeokmun Mountain?”
She probably played a significant role in spreading those rumours.
The Human-Faced Spider never lets humans who invade its territory leave alive.
So why doesn’t the Human-Faced Spider attack me?
The reason is simple.
The Human-Faced Spider is a creature that the old man raised with great care since childhood.
Thanks to that, I’ve also built a close relationship with it since I was young.
It was brought from the southern regions.
Most of them died because they were so difficult to raise, and this one is the only survivor.
The male spider was doing well too, but one day, it disappeared.
It turns out that after mating, she ate her husband to replenish her energy.
The Human-Faced Spider, affectionately called Jinju, is the queen that commands all spiders in this area.
It has the intelligence to understand human speech.
A massive body that radiates monstrous strength.
With its potent poison, even the strongest martial artists become mere prey before the Human-Faced Spider.
The old man and I didn’t set up traps around the forest for no reason.
It wasn’t to keep people out but to prevent unfortunate incidents where the Human-Faced Spider would attack people.
Now that I think about it, it’s been a long time since I last saw the Human-Faced Spider devour people like this.
Lee Seon muttered softly as he watched the scene unfolding before him.
“Brutal.”
A black wave made of spiders engulfed the bandits.
One by one, the torches began to go out.
As the bandits fell, the darkness deepened.
“I’ll kill you for sure! I’ll tear you limb from limb!”
Ho-myung screamed, his eyes bloodshot.
Sorry, but that’s going to be tough.
The Human-Faced Spider is a powerful spiritual creature that only a martial artist of the Flowering Realm could kill.
An unknown mountain bandit like you is far from being a match for it.
“Jinju, don’t toy with him and finish it quickly. It’s getting noisy.”
As if it understood Lee Seon’s words, the Human-Faced Spider sank its fangs into Ho-myung’s neck.
Ho-myung’s body trembled, then stiffened in place.
Even a small amount of the poison causes paralysis, and with so much injected into him, his heart would soon stop.
Just as he turned to leave the area.
Screeech!
The Human-Faced Spider let out a scream.
This was the sound it made when it was afraid of something.
But what could the Human-Faced Spider possibly fear from mere bandits?
Lee Seon sensed something unusual and turned around.
Beside Ho-myung stood someone else.
A man dressed in white clothes embroidered with red patterns.
What stood out most was his unnaturally pale skin.
How did he get this close without me noticing?
All of Lee Seon’s senses belatedly rang alarm bells.
He broke into a cold sweat.
Things were starting to take a strange turn.
“Who are you?”
From the atmosphere and his aura, it was clear that this guy was bad news.
Even from this distance, the stench of blood was overwhelming.
How many people had he killed?
Ho-myung looked at the man and moved his lips.
He’s here!
Tears welled up in his eyes.
He was overwhelmed with relief that this man had arrived just before he became spider food.
“You’ve done well.”
But the man immediately shattered Ho-myung’s hopes.
Thud!
The man’s hand pierced through Ho-myung’s chest.
“Guh, guh…”
Why?
“You’re of no use anymore.”
When the man withdrew his arm, he held a still-beating heart in his hand.
As the heart was ripped out, Ho-myung’s body shrivelled, as if all the moisture had been drained from it.
“The only useful thing left was this heart.”
He lifted the blood-red heart and stuffed it into his mouth, devouring it greedily.
Crunch, crunch.
His red eyes gleamed eerily, even in the darkness.
Screeech…
Jinju bristled, puffing up its fur at the terrifying gaze.
“It’s not polite to stare so intensely at someone while they’re eating.”
The man wiped his mouth with his bloodstained white sleeve.
“…Should I be polite to a monster that eats the hearts of living people?”
“Monster, you say? That’s a bit hurtful.”
The man flashed a grin, baring his teeth.
“It’s quite an amusing sight. A human controlling a Human-Faced Spider.”
Screeech!
Control? That’s hurtful for our Jinju to hear.
Lee Seon didn’t move recklessly.
Even though he might be unaware of how things worked outside.
He knew that such brutal martial arts, capable of tearing out a heart, were extremely rare.
This was likely the work of a sect, or perhaps the Demonic Sect.
Yet, it leaned more towards the Demonic Sect.
Even though the bandits and pirates in the sects are wild, they’re still strong enough to rival orthodox factions.
There’s no way they would tolerate a heart-eating killer.
‘The life energy has completely disappeared.’
Just a moment ago, that man was alive, but now he looked like a mere corpse.
Judging from his methods, he’s probably not from a sect.
Based on the overwhelming sinister energy emanating from the man, the answer was clear.
“Demonic Sect?”
“No.”
The man wiggled his finger.
“Then where are you from? What kind of cult would tolerate murder? I’d like to hear its name.”
“I am Wi Yu-gi of the Blood Sect.”
The Blood Sect. I’ve heard of it.
In the martial world, there are countless madmen.
Regardless of their affiliations, every now and then, a group of crazed lunatics emerges.
One such group was the Blood Sect.
“In the past, the martial world called me Blood Bird Hand.”
Having such a nickname meant he was a notorious demonic figure in the past.
The Blood Sect members are nothing but scum.
It’s said that they value human lives as little as flies.
The Blood Sect is a group of monsters who abandoned their humanity in exchange for power.
I might die today.
A cold sweat ran down my back.
When it comes to sheer strength, there’s no dispute that the most formidable group in the Central Plains is the Demonic Sect.
But if the Demonic Sect is overwhelming strength, then the Blood Sect is unparalleled cruelty.
In the martial world, the Blood Sect is synonymous with fear.
Their identity is rooted in their ruthless methods, killing anyone with a heartbeat, whether a civilian or a martial artist.
Despite this, as he watched Lee Seon prepare for battle, Wi Yu-gi, the Blood Bird Hand, couldn’t hide his curiosity.
“Aren’t you afraid of me?”
“If it were back when the Blood Sect was the epitome of fear, maybe, but now? Not so much.”
Twitch.
A vein bulged on Wi Yu-gi’s forehead.
Just as he said, the once powerful Blood Sect eventually fell to the allied forces of the orthodox factions.
“…You sure have a big mouth for someone so young.”
His hands turned as red as if he were wearing crimson gloves.
The aura around his hands became so solid it was visible to the naked eye.
…Hand Qi?
Without reaching a similar level, just clashing against it would be impossible.
Qi manifestation is a power that only those who have truly established themselves as warriors can wield.
The power to slice through even sword energy and cut iron with ease—it’s truly terrifying.
“…What a predicament.”
It’s burdensome enough dealing with the remnants of the Blood Sect.
If the opponent has reached the level of the Extreme Demonic Stage, victory is unlikely.
‘I still have a card to play.’
I have no intention of fighting head-on.
Besides, I’m not alone in this place.
Our Jinju.
Scientific name: Human-Faced Spider.
Known in the world as the King of Venomous Creatures.
No matter how strong he is, even a martial artist of the Extreme Demonic Stage can’t withstand the Human-Faced Spider’s attack without protection.
Similarly, the Human-Faced Spider’s hide won’t withstand his Hand Qi.
But with me supporting the fight beside it, he won’t be able to attack recklessly.
“Jinju, let’s give it our best shot together.”
I offered a warm word, hoping to ignite our fighting spirit.
“……”
But there was no response.
“…Jinju, no way?”
A bad feeling washed over me, and I glanced back.
No way. There’s no way our Jinju would abandon me and run away.
But the spiders that had filled the area were nowhere to be seen.
Even the giant spider that boasted such a massive body had disappeared.
I couldn’t help but curse.
“Damn it.”
“The spider is smarter than the human.”
Wi Yu-gi chuckled.
“Are you ready to pay the price for running your mouth?”
Wi Yu-gi, who had been approaching slowly, took a few more steps before stopping.
“…!”
His red pupils dilated, and he quickly widened the distance between us.
He tore his clothes and wrapped them around his mouth and nose.
‘He’s unnecessarily sensitive.’
Lee Seon clicked his tongue at the sight.
The aggressive aura that seemed ready to close the gap any second had dissipated, but it wasn’t enough to ensure safety.
“Why the sudden change? Didn’t you say you’d make me pay?”
“…When did you spread the poison?”
“Who knows.”
This poison wasn’t spread by Lee Seon.
This place is the habitat of the Human-Faced Spider.
From the thin threads that ride the wind to the fine hairs that scatter.
It’s hard to find a spot here that isn’t coated with poison.
While the toxicity is far weaker than a direct injection, continuous exposure makes it impossible to prevent the poison from gradually spreading.
Of course, the poison had no effect on Lee Seon.
Wi Yu-gi glared at him with burning eyes.
“If you thought you could stop me with this, you’re mistaken.”
Of course, such a thing won’t stop a demonic warrior.
But if that’s the case, why did you distance yourself from me?
The higher one’s martial level, the more sensitive they become to poison, making it difficult to poison a master.
But if they do get poisoned, even a master’s best option is to slow the spread of the poison in their body.
“You shouldn’t think that rag of yours can block my poison.”
Rank and titles mean nothing.
Before poison, everyone is equal.
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