chsdbacks Chapter 16
Chapter 16
Chapter 16: Raging Fire Poison
As a strange glint flickered in Sohwa’s eyes, a frantic voice reached her ears.
“Jeomchil-ah, stay back!”
“I have to help!”
“Staying put is helping.” The old physician gently restrained Yeon-a. “What if you get hurt? Wouldn't that upset them?”
Yeon-a, though clearly frustrated, obeyed. But she was stubborn. Gripping her oversized sword, she stepped forward, positioning herself protectively in front of the old physician. And then...
Thud.
She subtly shifted her stance, her left foot extended, blocking Sohwa's path. Then, in a voice brimming with unearned confidence, she declared, “Don't worry. I’ll protect you.”
“...” Sohwa’s gaze darkened. Her valiant pose, so earnest yet so inadequate, would have been endearing if Sohwa hadn’t witnessed her being thoroughly outmatched by Tang Min earlier.
Sohwa discreetly averted her gaze, focusing on the scene ahead. It seemed best to pretend she hadn’t seen anything. It was the only humane thing to do.
As the rain of arrows ceased, the hidden enemies emerged, charging towards them. But there was no real sense of danger.
“Keuk!”
“Euk!”
The chilling aura emanating from the injured warriors remained unchanged, but the foul odor attacking Sohwa's nose was fading. Their numbers were dwindling.
The warriors, clearly accustomed to fighting together, moved seamlessly, their actions coordinated without a single word exchanged. Those with more severe injuries focused on deflecting the remaining arrows, while those who could still move freely cut down their attackers with swift, decisive movements.
Suddenly, a wave of intense heat washed over Sohwa.
“Hanwon!” The deputy leader shouted, lunging forward. He caught a falling figure and quickly checked his condition.
“Hanwon! Wake up! Hanwon!” It was one of the Black Tiger Unit warriors who had gone ahead to clear a path.
The warrior’s lips were twisted in a strange grimace. He had clearly pushed himself to his limit, his body going limp the moment he was caught.
Hanwon raised a trembling hand, weakly grasping at the deputy leader's robe. He tried to speak, his lips moving soundlessly, his tongue seemingly paralyzed. But one word reached them, clear and distinct.
“Poison...”
“What? What are you trying to say?” The deputy leader, unable to understand, asked again, “Do you know what kind of poison it is?”
Sohwa, understanding Hanwon's intent, rummaged through her pouch, searching for antidotes. "What kind of poison?" she asked. Hanwon’s gaze shifted from the deputy leader to Sohwa. But he couldn't answer, his eyes closing slowly.
“Hanwon! Wake up!” The deputy leader shook him roughly. Sohwa gently placed her hand on his shoulder, stopping him. Then, kneeling beside the fallen warrior, she lifted his sleeve.
“Miss!” The deputy leader’s face was a mask of horror. Tang Sohwa had exposed Hanwon’s wound and was now... putting her bloodstained finger in her mouth.
She had tasted the blood to identify the poison.@@@@
‘A paralytic agent?’ A tingling sensation spread through her mouth, quickly followed by numbness. She felt a tightening in her esophagus and stomach.
As she observed the effects of the poison, she flinched, her stiff muscles spasming involuntarily. The spasms were rhythmic, like a heartbeat, but far more violent.
The intense contractions felt like they were tearing her insides apart. She grimaced, but the spasms gradually subsided, the tightening in her muscles easing. Her body, recognizing the toxin, had begun producing its own antidote.
Why was it here?
She quickly located the remaining Black Tiger Unit warriors, five of them lying unconscious on the ground. She repeated the process she had used with Hanwon, tasting their blood.
It was Yeolhwachodok.
After reviving the last warrior, she placed an antidote in his mouth. Thankfully, she wasn't too late. As his comrade infused him with internal energy, his complexion began to improve.
But a sense of unease settled over Sohwa.
In her past life, the Namgung Clan had also sought out the Divine Physician's troupe. It was highly likely they had encountered this group. If the Anhui branch of the Martial Alliance had been involved, they would have been no match for these warriors and would have resorted to using poison.
However, the Martial Alliance had kept this incident a secret.
Sohwa let out a hollow breath. ‘...They suspected us from the very beginning.’ She had thought it unfair that they had blamed the Tang Clan for the massacre committed by the unknown group using potent poisons. But it seemed they had their reasons, their suspicions fueled by circumstantial evidence.
Perhaps this was the beginning of the curse that would eventually lead to the Tang Clan’s downfall.
Sohwa clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white.
“Miss, we need to go back now.”
At Yoonjin’s voice, she relaxed her hands, her face carefully blank. She looked up at him, her gaze cold, and he flinched. She averted her eyes and nodded slowly.
“Yes, let’s go.”
When they returned, the bodies of their enemies had been piled together, and Hanwon lay before the old physician.
“Miss!”
“Noona!” The deputy leader and Tang Hak rushed towards them.
“He’s stable, but we can’t stay here any longer.”
“But we can’t just leave him!”
The deputy leader’s pragmatic resignation and Tang Hak’s stubborn defiance mirrored the conflicting emotions churning within Sohwa.
Without a word, she walked towards the injured Black Tiger Unit warrior and pulled a small, palm-sized wooden box from her sleeve.
“Miss.” The deputy leader frowned, but she ignored him, approaching the old physician and opening the box. Inside were the five Yeonjuhwan pills.
“You said these would prevent necrosis and accelerate healing?” she asked Jincheol, who nodded in confirmation.
Satisfied, she took out the pills and placed one in each of the five injured warriors’ mouths.
“Miss!” The deputy leader’s sharp cry startled even the other Black Tiger Unit warriors.
The Yeonjuhwan were legendary elixirs, coveted by all martial artists. Tang Min had entrusted them to Sohwa because he knew her pragmatic, unsentimental nature. To see her use all five pills on these critically injured warriors, their survival uncertain, was shocking.
The deputy leader's heart sank. He was both terrified of what Tang Min would do when he found out and strangely relieved.
Sohwa placed the empty box on the ground and looked up at the old physician. “When Elder Tang Min returns, we’ll come back for the Divine Physician's troupe. I’ll leave them in your care.”
Jincheol looked at her, his expression unreadable, then replied, “I give you my word. I will do everything in my power to protect them.”
A heavy silence descended, the thoughts of these individuals, their allegiances and motives intertwined, hanging heavy in the air.