The Treasure of the Tang Clan, Ten Thousand Liquid Rejuvenation Pill
Tang Hyemi rushed toward the Tang Clan members and spilled the truth that Cheon Ryuyeong could no longer keep hidden.
"The Invisible Deadly Poison is fake. In reality, it's just fine powder."
Everyone except Tang Cheolhyeon and Tang Nam-u—who already knew the truth—fell into shock, struck speechless.
When one is too shocked, the reaction comes late. That was exactly what was happening to the Tang Clan members. Their dazed faces simply stared blankly at Tang Hyemi.
She quickly continued.
"And those demon cultists calling themselves the Black Wolf Unit seem to have suspected as much. But we must not waver. The Scholar of the Martial World strictly urged us to keep our morale burning just as it is now."
The Tang members struggled to suppress the countless questions rising to their lips.
Instinctively, they knew unleashing a torrent of noisy questions now would be extremely dangerous.
They grit their teeth and tried their best to maintain the same morale-filled stance as moments ago.
Their hidden weapons were spent, their poisons gone. And their only supreme expert—the Clan Lord of Venoms, their pillar of hope—did not look to be in good condition.
Facing a hundred demon cultists under such circumstances was no easy task. And if morale dropped on top of it all, despair would be inevitable.
The mid-ranking officers standing at the front quietly spoke to those around them.
"Stay calm."
"We are Tang Clan."
"Even if the enemy is strong, we outnumber them nearly five to one. There's no reason to fear."
Everyone nodded and tightened their grip on their weapons. Yet the shadow of unease could not be driven from their faces.
They had believed it was a battle already won, thought the danger had passed…
And then they saw it: traces of fine powder clinging faintly to the hair and clothes of their companions.
If it were truly the Invisible Deadly Poison, it should have vanished by now.
Thus, while anxiety flickered in their eyes, so too did admiration for the Scholar of the Martial World.
What he had shown in the Grand Arena was sheer bravado, yes—but beneath that bravado lay meticulous cunning, exploiting human psychology to perfection.
Hadn't even they been completely deceived?
Remembering his audacious stratagem, a strange faith began to rise above the fear.
The Tang Clan members looked to Cheon Ryuyeong as he strode forward between worry and trust.
The Venom-Seeress glanced between Tang Hyemi and Cheon Ryuyeong and asked:
"Hyemi. What is the Scholar of the Martial World thinking? Why approach the enemy so recklessly?"
The Elder of Absolute Venoms added:
"Did he not give us any instructions or requests? If the Black Wolf Unit has caught on about the poison, we must prepare as well…"
Many eyes turned back to Tang Hyemi. With an embarrassed shrug, she replied:
"I don't know. He didn't have time to tell me anything."
"…"
"All he said was: Please trust me."
Tang Cheolhyeon broke his silence.
"That's all?"
"He also said the Tang Clan would be safe."
A faint smile curved Tang Cheolhyeon's lips. But the Venom-Seeress, still worried, cautiously offered:
"Shouldn't we still do something? Prepare against the demon cultists' attack—"
Tang Cheolhyeon shook his head, cutting her off.
"The commander here is the Scholar of the Martial World."
"But—"
"The only order we received from the commander was to trust and wait. All we need do is remember the resolve with which we had accepted death and stand ready to fight. And besides…"
With a bitter expression, Tang Cheolhyeon sighed and added:
"What other choice do we have?"
The Venom-Seeress could not answer. She bit her lips, eyes fixed on the Scholar of the Martial World and his guards standing between them and the Black Wolf Unit.
"Scholar of the Martial World… I'll trust you. Please, protect us… to the very end."
Her earnest prayer slipped out in a whisper.
The Black Wolf Leader, Cho Ji myeong, was dumbfounded.
Seeing Cheon Ryuyeong boldly stride forward with only six guards, he let out a laugh despite himself.
Pa reuk narrowed his eyes and spoke.
"The same. Exactly the same."
Mongchu asked:
"What's the same?"
"In the Grand Arena, he was like this too. He appeared so boldly."
"You mean—"
Before Mongchu could finish, Cho Ji myeong did.
"He's plotting the same trick. Trying to confuse us with words."
Mongchu scratched his head and laughed brightly.
"Keh-heh-heh. Looks like the Leader guessed right. If he truly had the Invisible Deadly Poison, there'd be no reason for this. He must be trying to sweet-talk us because something's lacking."
His voice was deliberately loud so the subordinates could hear.
The Black Wolf soldiers' faces brightened noticeably.
They had braced for death and a swift, decisive strike. But if there truly was no deadly poison, then even the last lingering fear in their hearts could vanish, leaving them free to fight.
Though they couldn't be completely sure yet, their thoughts were tilting toward that conclusion.
Pa reuk, too, spoke to Cho Ji myeong with an excited face.
"Leader, I think so as well. Hah! If this goes well, we might achieve great merit!"
Yet Cho Ji myeong's face, instead of showing joy, had hardened. Mongchu tilted his head curiously.
"Leader, is something wrong?"
Cho Ji myeong frowned deeply.
"The opponent is the Scholar of the Martial World."
"Eh?"
"What might have worked in the Grand Arena… here, such behavior only convinces us the Invisible Deadly Poison is fake."
Mongchu, Pa reuk, and the surrounding Black Wolf members faltered.
Indeed.
They were not the Demon Sect's high council or Black Heaven Lotus' executives. As hostages, their worth was little.
There was no reason to feign having poison in order to negotiate. He could just scatter it and charge. The fact he wasn't doing so—it bothered them.
If the opponent were anyone but the Scholar of the Martial World, they might dismiss it. But for that terrifying strategist to reveal his hand like some amateur? It didn't sit right.
Watching Cheon Ryuyeong halt between the two forces, Cho Ji myeong's eyes widened.
"Don't tell me… he's trying to negotiate?"
Pa reuk, unable to contain curiosity, asked:
"Negotiate what…?"
But before he could finish, Cho Ji myeong called out toward Cheon Ryuyeong.
"Are you trying to negotiate with me?"
Cheon Ryuyeong smiled faintly.
"Didn't you say you had no intention of talking with me?"
Cho Ji myeong's lips curled in a cold smile.
"If the negotiation is you, then it changes."
"…"
"If you willingly become my hostage, I'll gladly spare the Tang Clan. I promise it. The Tang Clan will be safe."
At his words, everyone gasped.
The Black Wolf Unit was shocked. The Tang Clan members were shocked. Even Cheon Ryuyeong's six guards were shocked.
Namgung Soo asked, face stricken:
"Commander! Is what the Black Wolf Leader says true?"
His trembling eyes betrayed the thought that perhaps it was.
Cheon Ryuyeong snapped open his golden war fan with a swoosh and fanned slowly.
"How about this title: not the Spear of the Battlefield, but the Fox of the Battlefield? Who in this world would call the Black Wolf Leader merely a brave and reckless general?"
Cho Ji myeong's smile deepened.
"Then I can take that as confirmation my guess was correct?"
As Cheon Ryuyeong was about to answer, Dokgo Seol interjected.
"No! Absolutely not!"
Jo Jeonhu also joined in.
"Why would you do such a thing?"
Namgung Soo gazed up at Cheon Ryuyeong on his white horse with dazed eyes.
"It… really might be the best choice right now. But still…"
Cheon Ryuyeong replied with a wry expression.
"I am the commander."
"…?"
"Do you really think the one leading the battle would make himself a hostage?"
Dokgo Seol exhaled in relief and asked:
"Then why did you respond that way to the Black Wolf Leader's words?"
"I never said I would negotiate, nor did I ever agree to become a hostage."
"But… you told the Black Wolf Leader that it was fine to call him the Fox of the Battlefield."
"That was merely praise, fitting for a seasoned commander who has been through countless battles."
"...?"
"I only meant that it was impressive how he judged the absence of the Invisible Deadly Poison, and inferred negotiation simply from my stepping forward. It was to say that he possesses not only intelligence, but also vast experience, intuition, and insight."
Dokgo Seol shook his head in disbelief. Once again, Cheon Ryuyeong was praising an enemy commander in the middle of a battlefield, just as he had done before.
Cheon Ryuyeong then turned his gaze back to Cho Ji myeong and said:
"Why would I need to become your hostage when we have the Invisible Deadly Poison?"
Cho Ji myeong's face twisted in anger.
"Hmph! So you intend to feign ignorance until the end. If I had been at the Grand Arena, perhaps even I would have been fooled by your little play. But since I was away, I wasn't swept up by your silver tongue and atmosphere. That is your misfortune. Enough! We have no more need for words. Go back! We attack now!"
Cheon Ryuyeong calmly folded his fan and replied:
"The Black Wolf Leader is truly a fine commander. You could have simply attacked to capture me, yet you went so far as to give me a warning. You are a true warrior. You cannot even be compared to the higher-ups who abandoned their subordinates and fled. In fact, I thought as much the last time we crossed blades briefly—I respected you, though you were my enemy."
At his composed demeanor, the orthodox sect members clicked their tongues inwardly. At the same time, anxiety gnawed at them. None of them could understand what Cheon Ryuyeong was relying on to act so boldly.
Cho Ji myeong raised his Blue Dragon Halberd high.
"I will count to three. After that, we charge. One!"
Cheon Ryuyeong suddenly waved his hands in mock panic.
"Hahaha! Why the rush? Don't you have anything you want to ask me?"
"No need. I will no longer be deceived by your slippery tongue. Two!"
Tension swept across the Tang Clan's faces. Cheon Ryuyeong's six guards nearly suffocated under the crushing aura of more than a hundred Black Wolf soldiers pressing down on them like a storm.
Pyeong-u shouted urgently:
"Brother! We can't protect you and fight the Black Wolf Leader at the same time!"
Dokgo Seol also cried out:
"Retreat! Now!"
Namgung Soo joined in as well:
"Is this really the time for a battle of nerves?"
Jang Deukmu looked bewildered, while Hwa Ga-yeon seemed half out of her senses. For them, this was their first large-scale battle.
In the Grand Arena, they had managed to remain calm because Cheon Ryuyeong's stratagems had worked. But now, the enemy had already seen through the truth of the poison and looked ready to charge at any moment.
Hwa Ga-yeon barely managed to keep her mind from drifting away. Standing defenseless before a hundred savage wolves—it made her legs tremble uncontrollably.
Only Jo Jeonhu, grim-faced, raised his five-foot greatsword and spoke:
"Do not fear! When the Black Wolf Leader counts three, we retreat calmly! Lady Seol, you guard Young Master Cheon. Pyeong-u, you and I will cover the rear as we withdraw."
Pyeong-u nodded firmly.
"Yes."
"You take the very rear. Stand before me."
"..."
"You're the strongest here, aren't you?"
And finally, Cho Ji myeong shouted the last count.
"Three!"
But just before he could give the order to attack, Cheon Ryuyeong cried out:
"The death of one Black Wolf soldier is—!"
The charge halted mid-step. Cho Ji myeong's Blue Dragon Halberd froze in the air.
Almost by reflex, Jo Jeonhu shouted back:
"—Repaid tenfold!"
Then, realizing what he had just said, he covered his mouth in shock.
"Huh?"
That was the very battle cry the Black Wolf soldiers had used when they charged last time.
The Tang Clan members were confused. The Black Wolf soldiers wore dumbfounded expressions. Then, in the next instant, a thick killing intent rose from Cho Ji myeong and his men.
Cho Ji myeong glared at Cheon Ryuyeong, shouting:
"You dare to mock us to the end—!"
But Cheon Ryuyeong cut him off:
"You cannot attack me. You must not kill me."
Pa reuk ground his teeth and muttered to Cho Ji myeong:
"This is exactly how he tricked us at the Grand Arena."
Cheon Ryuyeong shouted again:
"Because if you do, all the subordinates the Black Wolf Leader cherishes will die. Not only you, but every one of them!"
Pa reuk cried again:
"The same! Exactly the same as before!"
The veins bulged on Cho Ji myeong's forehead. He roared:
"Madman! If you have the Invisible Deadly Poison, then scatter it! Soldiers, cut down that bastard and the Tang Clan at once—!"
Meanwhile, the guards watching Cheon Ryuyeong grew paler. Namgung Soo muttered, shaking his head:
"As expected… it's because of his head injury…"
Jang Deukmu and Hwa Ga-yeon nodded miserably. Despite the danger, Dokgo Seol looked only at Cheon Ryuyeong, eyes full of worry.
"Are you alright? Young Master Cheon, are you truly alright?"
But Cheon Ryuyeong did not answer her. Instead, he shouted back at Cho Ji myeong:
"Black Wolf Leader! With that clever head of yours, do you really not understand why I am saying this?"
"Invisible Deadly Poison… nonsense—"
"That's not it! The Invisible Deadly Poison is fake!"
"What?"
Cho Ji myeong stopped mid-step. Pa reuk's jaw dropped. Mongchu and the others froze in disbelief.
What had the Scholar of the Martial World just said?
If they had to put their feelings into one thought:
"Is the Scholar of the Martial World… insane?"
The guards, including Namgung Soo, sighed and turned away in despair, convinced his head injury was to blame.
Cho Ji myeong took a few more steps forward, pointing his Blue Dragon Halberd at Cheon Ryuyeong.
"What did you just say?"
Cheon Ryuyeong replied calmly:
"I said the Invisible Deadly Poison is fake."
"Keh-heh-heh. And you're telling us that now? Why? So we can fight openly?"
"Where has that sharp mind of yours gone? Why do you think I told you not to attack me, even though I have no poison? Why did I tell you to value the lives of your men?"
"..."
"If you expose the truth and win merit by cornering us… what do you think your superiors will do? They'll become fools, idiots."
"…!"
"Humiliated as fools, do you think they'll let you live? Do you think they'll let the Black Wolf Unit survive?"
Cho Ji myeong's eyes trembled. The entire Black Wolf Unit faltered. The guards held their breath, and the Tang Clan members swallowed hard, their faces pale.
A chill ran down their spines.
The battlefield, moments away from erupting with war cries and thunderous footsteps, fell into dead silence.
Cheon Ryuyeong's cold words pierced that silence:
"In the Grand Arena, even their most elite subordinates were left to die while they fled—just to save their own lives, to keep their own positions. How do you think such men will see your merit? Do you really believe they'll let you bask in glory?"
"..."
"Black Wolf Leader, even if you earn merit by fighting us and losing men, you will die the moment you return. The merit will be theirs, and disgrace will be yours. And those subordinates you so dearly love, the very ones who cry that one life is repaid tenfold—they will all die too."
Cho Ji myeong stood frozen like a statue, staring silently at Cheon Ryuyeong.
Cheon Ryuyeong shook his head.
"Is that your dream? Your ambition? To win a little merit while leading the Black Wolf Unit to their deaths? And not even to die honorably in battle like a warrior—but to vanish under false charges, remembered only with disgrace? Is that the end you wish for?"
The Black Wolf soldiers sagged as strength drained from their shoulders. Even Mongchu sighed and said:
"Leader, the Scholar of the Martial World speaks the truth. We should… plan for the future."
Pa reuk muttered bitterly:
"Damn those young masters, those dog-like higher-ups!"
There was no fight to be had.
Win, and die. Lose, and die.
A hopeless predicament.
And if they won, they would die disgraced.
Retreat was the only option left.
Cho Ji myeong lowered his Blue Dragon Halberd and sighed at Cheon Ryuyeong.
"Haaah… You rule the battlefield with your mind alone, turning countless blades useless."
He turned his head to look at his subordinates.
Their morale, once soaring, had melted away. To defeat the Tang Clan—who outnumbered them fivefold—was now impossible.
Swallowing a heavy sigh, Cho Ji myeong faced Cheon Ryuyeong once more.
The Scholar of the Martial World.
It wasn't that he was becoming a God of War—he already was one.
Cheon Ryuyeong spread his folded golden fan and fanned leisurely, speaking toward Cho Ji myeong:
"Withdraw."