CFZ

"Young Master Gu—!"
The Poison King shouted, his eyes widening in shock. It was because Gu Yangcheon had suddenly collapsed.

And it wasn’t just a simple fall.
“Keheok…!”
Crack, crackle.

Lying on the ground, Gu Yangcheon vomited blood in great quantities. The color was so dark that at a glance, it seemed almost black.
“This is…”
It was evident at first glance that something was gravely wrong. The Poison King furrowed his brow as he examined Gu Yangcheon.

“Young Master Gu, are you alright…?”
He stopped mid-sentence. The Poison King’s gaze landed on Gu Yangcheon’s body, and the sight made him bite his lip immediately.
This is bad.

Just moments ago, there had been minor fluctuations in his energy, but it had been manageable. Now, however, his condition had worsened beyond imagination. The energy wasn’t just fluctuating; it was rampaging wildly.
The energy, seemingly intent on destroying everything, was tearing through his meridians with uncontrollable violence.
“Kuhhh… Hrrk…!”

Gu Yangcheon groaned in agony, his blood-smeared face drenched in anguish. It wasn’t hard to imagine the unbearable pain tearing through his body with such uncontrolled energy.
It was as if thousands of needles were dancing inside his meridians.
And yet, despite witnessing such torment, the Poison King was at a loss for what to do. Energy that had gone berserk like this couldn’t be touched easily. Careless interference can lead to an irreparable deviation of mind and body caused by the disturbance of the cultivation process.

Not only would Gu Yangcheon be at risk, but the one attempting to control the energy could also become ensnared.
Leaving it alone until it subsided on its own? That wasn’t an option either.
If this continues, his energy could explode in a matter of moments.

Interference could cause deviation, while leaving it alone would result in his body exploding under the pressure of his energy. No matter what was done, despair seemed inevitable.
“Damn it.”
There wasn’t enough time to think. No time to deliberate. Or rather, there wasn’t much choice to begin with.
He had to intervene. Somehow, he had to control that energy. The problem was…

Can I even control it?
The Poison King wasn’t confident he could. Interfering might drag him into inner demons' possession as well.
That much was clear.

Should he leave things as they were? Would it be better to run outside and fetch a doctor instead?
Rationality told him that might be the wiser option.
“Don’t move.”

Despite such thoughts, the Poison King’s hand was already reaching for Gu Yangcheon.
He had to save him. For his daughter’s sake, if not for the future of Zhongyuan itself. This young man had to be saved.
Even though Gu Yangcheon wasn’t to his liking, the thought of losing such a prodigious talent before his very eyes was unbearable.
The decision wasn’t made by the Poison King of the Tang Clan, a master of poisons feared throughout Zhongyuan. It was made by Tang Cheongi, the man—a father, a witness to brilliance, and someone who refused to let such a blazing star be extinguished before his eyes. He reached out to calm the energy, to stabilize it. As he approached Gu Yangcheon with this intent—

Swoosh!
“…!?”
Tang Cheongi stopped in his tracks. Gu Yangcheon, who had been groaning with his bloodied face pressed to the ground, raised a hand to stop him.

“Young Master Gu…? Why…?”
“Don’t… come… closer…” Gu Yangcheon rasped, coughing violently mid-sentence.
Despite the obvious danger, why was he stopping him?

Could it be?
Does he intend to die like this?
Perhaps he feared dragging others into his predicament and wanted to let himself perish.

The fleeting thought sent a chill down Tang Cheongi's spine, and he moved more urgently.
“Stop thinking foolish thoughts and stay still! I am the Poison King! I’m not someone to falter in the face of this!”
Though his anxiety gnawed at him, Tang Cheongi forced himself to ignore it. Now was the time to muster nonexistent confidence.

“Just trust me and stay still. I will save you no matter what.”
Ignoring Gu Yangcheon’s protests, Tang Cheongi moved forward once again.
“Ah…! Just stay… still…!” Gu Yangcheon shouted, his voice hoarse. The effort caused him to cough up another mouthful of blood.

“What is…?”
Tang Cheongi hesitated, puzzled by his resistance. But what happened next was even more shocking.
Puk!

“What!?”
Gu Yangcheon suddenly spread his fingers wide and plunged them into his chest.
Blood flowed from the wound, soaking his robes and pooling on the floor. Tang Cheongi stared in disbelief, his mouth agape.

Hsssssss—!
“Kuhhhh…!”
From the point where Gu Yangcheon’s hand pierced his chest, his energy began to move.

“This is impossible…”
Tang Cheongi exhaled sharply, unable to believe what he was witnessing. He couldn’t fathom what Gu Yangcheon was doing, but somehow, it was affecting the rampaging energy.
By driving his hand directly into his chest, Gu Yangcheon made direct contact with his internal energy. He was using that connection to bring the rampaging force under control.

Normally, energy that had gone berserk to this degree was beyond any cultivator’s control. It was untouchable. Attempting to rein it in would bring—
Unimaginable pain.
Especially in Gu Yangcheon’s condition. The agony must have been unbearable.

And yet… he endures it to take control?
Even as Tang Cheongi watched, he could scarcely believe it. The veins bulging in Gu Yangcheon’s neck and face hinted at the extreme pain he was enduring.
And yet…

What kind of monstrous control is this…?
Bit by bit, Gu Yangcheon’s overwhelming energy was being stabilized. The sight was incomprehensible, even as Tang Cheongi bore witness.
“Keu… hhh…”

Sweat and blood soaked Gu Yangcheon’s body. His trembling frame made it clear how excruciating the ordeal was, yet he remained unmoving, focused solely on controlling the energy.
As the rampaging force gradually calmed, Tang Cheongi watched in stunned silence, unable to speak.
Nearly half an hour passed like this.

“Haa… haa…”
Gu Yangcheon’s breathing was labored. His entire body trembled with exhaustion, evidence of how drained he was.
Tang Cheongi finally exhaled the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

He really did it.
Against all odds, the rampage had been stopped. Though Tang Cheongi couldn’t fathom the method, the crisis had passed. He cautiously approached the trembling Gu Yangcheon.
“How… what in the world happened? Why did this occur so suddenly…?”

He approached with care and asked. In response—
“…Ah… arm…”
Gu Yangcheon muttered weakly.

“What was that?”
Tang Cheongi leaned closer, amplifying his hearing to catch the faint words.
“…fuck… fucking…”

“…Huh?”
““Damn strong... that damned dog, that damned bastard...”…”
Gu Yangcheon spat out incomprehensible curses before collapsing into the pool of his own blood.

“…What?”
Tang Cheongi froze for a moment before springing into action.
“Young Master Gu…! Get a hold of yourself!”

He quickly hoisted Gu Yangcheon onto his back and dashed out of the building.
The carefully crafted maturation chamber of the Tang Clan, a place of great prestige, was left in shambles, stained with blood. But Tang Cheongi paid it no mind.

   *****************
   

The forest near Sichuan.
A location somewhat distant from the Martial Alliance branch.
The sun was setting, and the surroundings were gradually darkening. Soon, the moon would rise. Amid this twilight, two women strolled through the woods.
At first glance, it was clear neither of them was ordinary.

Both possessed stunningly beautiful faces, their features sharp and striking. Their attire, too, was far from ordinary, exuding an air of elegance and prestige.
One of them had golden hair that softly glimmered, illuminating the darkening forest. The other had a striking mane of silver-white hair.
As they carefully moved through the forest, the golden-haired woman, Wi Seol-ah, called out ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) to her companion.

“Unni.”
“…Hm?”
“Do you know the way around here?”

At Wi Seol-ah’s question, Namgung Bi-ah shook her head.
“No.”
“…”

Namgung Bi-ah’s confident response made Wi Seol-ah nod in resignation. It confirmed her suspicions.
“I think we might be lost.”
“Yeah.”

“This doesn’t look like the location on the map, does it?”
“…No…?”
“…Let me check again.”

Wi Seol-ah sighed and pulled out a parchment from her sleeve. It was a map provided by Gu Yangcheon himself.
She was certain this map was supposed to guide their investigation.
“…”

As she scanned the details, her brow furrowed. Namgung Bi-ah noticed her expression and asked.
“What’s wrong?”
“Well…”

Wi Seol-ah bit her lip before speaking hesitantly to Namgung Bi-ah.
“…Even looking at this, I can’t make sense of it.”
“…”

Though she had confidently decided to recheck it, she was just as clueless as before. Scratching her cheek in embarrassment, Wi Seol-ah gave a sheepish smile. Namgung Bi-ah reached out and gently patted her hair.
“It’s fine.”
“…You’re right. We’ll figure something out. Let’s stay strong.”

“Mm.”
The real issue lay in the fact that the two of them had been sent out together. At least one of them should have been someone capable of handling such tasks.
But Gu Yangcheon had carelessly paired them without considering this, so it was no surprise things weren’t going as planned.

Even so, neither Wi Seol-ah nor Namgung Bi-ah voiced complaints. They understood why Gu Yangcheon had made this decision.
“…Anyway…”
Wi Seol-ah muttered softly, and Namgung Bi-ah gave a slight nod.

He was deeply possessive.
He likely didn’t want them associating too much with other men. It was a petty move, but they decided to overlook it for now.
Wi Seol-ah, still scanning the parchment, looked up at the sky and spoke.

“It’ll be night soon. Should we head back?”
“…Yes.”
There had been explicit orders to return once the sun set. And with the moon already faintly rising, it was time to go.

The only problem was…
“…Where do we go?”
“…”

They were, after all, lost.
Granted, it was just a nearby mountain, and if the two of them truly put their minds to it… Well, even if Namgung Bi-ah couldn’t, Wi Seol-ah could likely find the way without much trouble.
Furthermore, Wi Seol-ah knew of one quick and foolproof method.

“Unni.”
“Yeah?”
“Which direction do you think we should go?”

Wi Seol-ah asked Namgung Bi-ah, who thought for a moment before pointing in one direction.
“…That way.”
“Got it. Let’s go.”

Without hesitation, Wi Seol-ah grabbed Namgung Bi-ah’s wrist and started walking.
In the exact opposite direction Namgung Bi-ah had pointed.
Namgung Bi-ah frowned slightly, looking mildly annoyed, but this method was their best bet.

This approach had worked for them before.
“Unni, remember? We found our way last time using this method too.”
In a similar situation, they had used this method and successfully found the path. It was remarkably effective.

Believing it would work again, they set off.
The forest quickly became darker as night fell, but neither of them was afraid of the dark.
Additionally, Wi Seol-ah’s sharp vision allowed her to navigate through the shadows, making finding their way easier.

As they walked for a while…
“…”
“…”

They both stopped simultaneously, narrowing their eyes. Then, as if silently coordinated, they exchanged glances.
-Unni.
Wi Seol-ah’s voice echoed directly into Namgung Bi-ah’s mind.

-Do you sense something?
-Yes.
Wi Seol-ah nodded. Namgung Bi-ah’s reaction confirmed it. They both sensed something ahead.

Namgung Bi-ah immediately launched herself into the air.
The moment she leapt, her presence vanished from the world.
It was an excellent display of stealth.

Hovering above, Namgung Bi-ah surveyed the forest below.
Sniff.
“…”

She wrinkled her nose in discomfort. It was clear now—something was definitely there.
Descending back to the ground, Namgung Bi-ah glanced at Wi Seol-ah, who was already in a combat stance with her sword drawn.
-Should we move in?

Namgung Bi-ah shook her head.
-No. If we discover anything, we’re supposed to report back immediately.
-But it seems like a formation. If we don’t confirm it now, it might disappear later.

-No.
Namgung Bi-ah’s voice was firm. His orders were absolute.
After all, she had already been scolded severely for taking the Martial Alliance entrance exam without permission a few months ago.

For now, she had resolved to follow instructions closely. That way, when she inevitably caused trouble again, she might get off more lightly.
“…”
Wi Seol-ah pouted at Namgung Bi-ah’s unwavering stance but eventually sheathed her sword in reluctant agreement.

Having confirmed there was something there, they prepared to leave. But just as they were about to move…
[…Do you not think so?]
A distant voice made them both hold their breath. Simultaneously, they sharpened their senses to catch the conversation.

[Leader, Ilcheon Sword’s actions seem odd. The lack of communication is suspicious as well.]
[Has Mok Branch Leader reported anything unusual?]
[No, sir. He reported no abnormalities.]

[It seems you don’t trust his report.]
[That’s correct.]
[Hm… It doesn’t matter. Whether it’s that one or another, they’re all destined to be eliminated.]

[But, Leader—]
[You seem concerned about the Star King. Don’t be. I have plans….]
Click.

The voices abruptly stopped.
The presences they had been tracking vanished completely.
Wi Seol-ah turned to look at Namgung Bi-ah.

“Unni… shouldn’t we go check this out—huh?”
She was about to suggest investigating when she realized Namgung Bi-ah was no longer standing beside her.
Looking ahead in alarm, she saw—

“…”
Namgung Bi-ah had already drawn her sword and was charging forward.