The Poison Heavenly Dang Je-mun
One of the five heroes who thwarted the Blood Demon’s bloody calamity. A prominent figure who helped transform the Tang Gate, which was considered a sect at the time, into a righteous faction, later aiding in the establishment of the Murim Alliance.
A character I’ve heard several times from Shin Noya, who supposedly said he was one of those crazy guys.
‘…It’s not that guy. It’s this old man.’
I examined Dang Je-mun’s appearance with wide eyes.
Long, straight hair flowing down to her waist. A subtly glowing green hue, especially a light green so beautiful it makes Dang So-yeol and the Poison King look like mere shadows in comparison.
I was racking my brain, trying to recall where I’d seen such hair color.
‘It’s quite reminiscent of the color of a lake.’
It almost seems to shimmer like it’s alive.
Her gaze, dreamy and slightly hooded, holds pupils that sparkle like jewels.
At first glance, she might resemble Dang So-yeol, but she has an undeniably feminine and mature vibe.
Especially the chest…
‘…’
Well, it may not be as exaggerated as Namgung Bia’s, but it looked rather inconvenient for martial arts.
Is that woman really the real Dang Je-mun?
Could she be the younger or older sister of the Tang faction leader, perhaps?
If that’s not the case…
‘So, the Tang Je-mun was a woman all along?’
It’s not strange for a hero to be a woman, but how did her name come to this?
As I stared at the so-called “leader,” puzzled, she—no, she began advancing toward me.
Shuaaa—!
The detective exhibited great hostility towards her.
What’s his deal now?
Looking at our hostile detective, Dang Je-mun tilted her head and spoke.
[How fascinating. You have a spirit with you.]
“A spirit… is that what you mean?”
That sounds vaguely familiar, but… I couldn’t quite place it.
[Who on earth are you?]
“…”
[It’s definitely not Shincheol… but I can feel his energy.]
I forced a bitter smile in response to her inquiry.
Her words began unraveling the mystery of this place for me.
‘So, this place too.’
An arrangement made for Noya.
The things Bulyeong mentioned, and Yeon Il-cheon confirmed…
Does it mean the Poison Lake of the Tang Gate was also prepared for Shin Noya?
If Dang Je-mun is around, it must be certain.
“Noya… no, I actually have a connection with the Shincheol Taoist.”
[Are you a descendant of Shincheol?]
A descendant…
With the volcano faction still intact, can I even dare call myself that?
“Yes.”
I already knew it.
If I hesitated, Shin Noya would definitely scold me later.
He’d be like, “You raised me through diapers; pretend you don’t know, huh?”
“I am his descendant.”
With that, I no longer hesitated.
[…]
Dang Je-mun’s expression darkened a little after my revelation.
Why? What’s the reason for that expression?
[…So, Shincheol ultimately didn’t survive.]
“Ah.”
Is it regret?
Every time I’ve met past heroes, they’ve all expressed regret or despair over this.
The fact that Shin Noya hasn’t returned to life.
It seems to weigh significantly on them.
[I have something I want to ask you.]
“Do you believe I’m a descendant?”
Her casual declaration of me as a descendant flustered me instead.
Dang Je-mun’s puzzling gaze focused on me as she uttered:
[Isn’t it?]
“No… yes, that’s correct… but.”
Swish.
As I hesitated, Dang Je-mun came closer and pointed at my chest.
[You are ominous.]
“…”
I inhaled sharply at her sudden proclamation.
A chill swept over my neck.
In the past, I recalled hearing similar words from Yeon Il-cheon in the Shinryong Temple.
-You are a calamity.
He had certainly told me that.
Even now, I hold an unsettling sense that maybe that’s true.
[There’s an overwhelming, indescribable presence, and the instability—well, it’s quite burdensome to gaze upon in many ways.]
“…”
[But.]
The tip of her finger drew nearer, soon poking my chest.
I felt no actual touch.
[I can feel the essence of Shincheol in here.]
“…!”
[That alone is enough for me. You are indeed his successor.]
“I might have obtained this… through questionable means.”
[If that were true, he would have definitely been angry. Shincheol is that kind of person.]
It was a steadfast conviction.
I gazed into her eyes.
Her radiant green irises revealed a profound emotion.
It was so potent and deep that I could almost fathom how Dang Je-mun viewed Shin Noya.
‘This old man says he’s never been in love…’
After all that fussing with me, it felt like a weird twist of fate.
Just wake up! I’ll sort everything out!
Amidst those thoughts, Dang Je-mun called for me again.
[Descendant.]
“Yes, senior.”
[…Have you ever seen Shincheol?]
“…”
Her tone was unusually cautious.
I could sense the mix of anxiety and anticipation swirling in those words.
“I have seen him.”
A flicker of joy alighted in Dang Je-mun’s eyes.
“…We are still together now.”
[That…?]
Looking at Dang Je-mun’s expression, which had brightened to a degree I hadn’t seen before, an inexplicable wave of guilt washed over me.
‘Still not waking up even now, huh?’
Shin Noya’s silence was starting to get on my nerves.
When I met Yeon Il-cheon last time, he stirred awake, even if just for a moment.
Why the silence now?
I glanced at the excited Dang Je-mun, and with a sigh, I briefly relayed the story of how I first encountered Shin Noya.
[…]
After the explanation concluded, only regret remained in Dang Je-mun’s eyes.
When I mentioned absorbing Shin Noya alongside the spirit creature and that we had journeyed together for several years.
It appeared her heart had soared at the thought of Shin Noya being there.
However, now that he was asleep and hadn’t awakened for nearly a year, it seemed to greatly dishearten her.
[I guess that’s why you didn’t seem surprised when you saw me.]
“…Yes.”
We’ve met so many times that I could now roughly deduce these things.
‘The biggest surprise is that the leader is actually a woman.’
I had no idea she would turn out to be such a delicate and fragile figure.
Dang Je-mun still looked half-dead with disappointment in her eyes.
Maybe it’d be better to leave her be for now.
Yet, with limited time, I had to ask my questions without delay.
“The Iron Fist referred to me as a calamity.”
Upon my words, Dang Je-mun’s eyes lit up.
[Are you talking about Yeon Il-cheon?]
‘Oh.’
It might just be my imagination, but a flicker of hostility appeared in her gaze when mentioning Yeon Il-cheon.
“Yes, he said I was a calamity.”
And I almost died.
Just recalling that time sends chills down my spine. If it weren’t for Shin Noya, I might have really met my end.
“Senior, do you share that sentiment?”
I pondered long and hard before asking this.
Because it’d be problematic if Dang Je-mun took it upon herself to eliminate me like Yeon Il-cheon attempted.
Despite those reservations, the question emerged, fueled by my trust in her sentiments for Shin Noya.
If I am a descendant, surely she wouldn’t end my life.
In response to my question, Dang Je-mun replied:
[What did Shincheol say about that?]
What was Shin Noya’s counter to such claims?
What he told me back then…
Clearly…
“…He said to believe in yourself, not in the words of others.”
That’s what he told me.
What can a warrior do if they don’t trust themselves?
Dang Je-mun offered a faint smile at this.
[That sounds like Shincheol.]
It seemed she found my answer agreeable.
[Exactly… If that were the case, he would have responded just like that.]
“What do you think, senior?”
[Well.]
Even if Shin Noya’s response was one way, how about Dang Je-mun’s own opinion on matters?
In response to my inquiry, she stared at me with an unnervingly cold gaze.
And then she spoke.
[If it were me, I would likely have given the same response as Yeon Il-cheon.]
“…!”
The chill in her voice started me.
It must be ‘ideology.’ How can both Yeon Il-cheon and Dang Je-mun resonate such a vibe?
Just as I was about to look around in case something might unfold,
[However…]
Dang Je-mun immediately erased the chill, continuing her speech.
[If Shincheol said it, then it must be true.]
I felt a wave of relief wash over me, though mixed emotions began crowding my mind.
Every statement contained the essence of Shin Noya.
Just how much emotion must be encapsulated to evoke such sentiments?
“I guess you have a great deal of trust in Noya.”
[…]
There was no reply to my statement.
Dang Je-mun simply continued observing me silently.
Those eyes appeared to be searching for Shin Noya.
“Senior…?”
Upon hearing my call, Dang Je-mun turned and moved toward a certain direction.
It was the dark place where she had first manifested, but soon the shadows cleared to reveal a small platform.
‘That’s…’
I spotted a fist-sized boulder resting upon the platform.
A snow-white stone radiating a soft, luminous glow.
I widened my eyes, gazing at it.
‘White Horse Stone.’
The White Magic Stone which a Grade 100 monster would have possessed.
The coveted item I had yearned for so badly all this time stood right there.
[As the descendant knows, I am the death wish left behind by Dang Je-mun.]
As I was mesmerized by the magic stone, Dang Je-mun resumed speaking slowly.
[It is one of the arrangements prepared for Shincheol, as well as the longing and regret I still harbor for him. That is who I am.]
“Longing and… regret.”
Her words ignited an inexplicable question in my mind.
Setting aside longing and regret.
I grasped that this was a note prepared by Dang Je-mun.
‘But why prepare the White Horse Stone?’
The magic stone holds little value for ordinary individuals.
No matter how much energy it might possess.
It was odd that she had prepared a White Horse Stone for Shin Noya, considering it’s not an item that can be absorbed like a spirit or a demon.
I wanted to inquire about this from the party leader.
[Houin.]
Before I could do that, Dang Je-mun called for me first.
“Yes.”
[To obtain this Poison Heavenly Corps, you must pass a test.]
“Yes?”
[This too was prepared for Shincheol… but if you are his descendant…]
“W-wait a moment.”
[What is it?]
It felt like I misunderstood something from the party leader just now.
“…Is it the Poison Heavenly Corps?”
She definitely said that. Poison Heavenly Corps.
Dang Je-mun tilted her head in confusion at my question.
[Yes. Didn’t you know?]
Dang Je-mun pointed at something with her fingertips. My gaze shifted.
When I turned my head slightly, it suddenly became clear to me.
There sat a bowl beside the White Horse Stone, atop which a round batch of inner layer was stacked.
…Why am I just noticing that now?
‘Is that what they mean…?’
Could it possibly be the entirety of the Poison Heavenly Corps?
Gulp…
I involuntarily swallowed dryly.
What exactly is the Poison Heavenly Corps?
It’s the divine corps of the Tang faction whose manufacturing method has been lost, making it unable to be produced anymore.
It is said to surpass even the famous Shaolin Great Harmony Corps in the Central Plains right now…
‘And it’s all piled up like that…?’
It didn’t seem like there was just one; there appeared to be at least more than ten.
Seeing my unexpected reaction, Dang Je-mun questioned me.
[Could it be that the descendant does not require inner court…?]
“No, it’s absolutely necessary. That’s exactly what I came here for.”
[Indeed.]
At my resolute declaration, Dang Je-mun nodded, as if she had anticipated my response.
After all, I journeyed all the way here to obtain it.
I have to find a way to secure it.
The White Horse Stone? What even is that?
Are we supposed to eat it?
“I’m ready for the test right now.”
I risked my life for the Poison Heavenly Corps.
I’m not afraid of any challenge whatsoever.
Shuaaa…
The detective looked at me cluelessly and whined, but I shot him a glare and tucked him away inside my sleeve.
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