Chapter 119: Water Knows the Answer

Peng Choryeo’s massive dadao moved in a dizzying, erratic dance.

The True Qi emanating from the attacking fishermen was tinged with an ominous, sickly purple hue— a telltale characteristic of Poison Qi.

In reality, very few poisons were actually purple, but since True Energy cultivation was fundamentally based on mental imagery, and people instinctively associated purple with poison, most Poison Arts manifested with that color.

Facing opponents wielding Poison Arts was always incredibly tricky.

Even the slightest scratch could potentially lead to fatal poisoning. This forced opponents onto the defensive, constantly guarding their bodies, unable to maintain a sustained offense.

“Sister, it’s dangerous!” Tang Nanah suddenly cried out.

With a series of surprisingly cute ping! ping! sounds, several small, round objects flew through the air, whizzing past Peng Choryeo.

The results, however, were far from cute. The fishermen struck by these curving hidden weapons immediately burst into tears, staggering blindly as their vision was overwhelmed.

This was the Tang Clan’s infamous Petal Lotus dart. Shaped like an uneven lotus blossom, it emitted a distracting sound in flight and followed a confusing, erratic path, making it notoriously difficult to dodge or block.

Handling such a weapon required considerable skill, proving that Tang Nanah’s proficiency as a martial artist was by no means insignificant.

Peng Choryeo didn’t waste the opening created by the distraction. Her massive dadao, now imbued with a powerful Energy Aura, swept down decisively. A fisherman caught in its path was instantly split horizontally, his two halves tumbling gruesomely to the ground.

Flowing seamlessly into her next move, Peng Choryeo spun her body, the huge blade following like a natural extension, and cleanly sliced another fisherman through the waist. She then settled into a ready stance, the broadsword held firmly behind her back.

It was the preparatory stance for the renowned Five Tigers Breaking the Gate Dao.

This was the signature martial art passed down through the Peng Clan, specifically designed to pursue extreme speed even while wielding an enormous dadao. Legends claimed that when mastered to its absolute peak, the rapidly striking blade embodied the ferocious momentum of five attacking tigers simultaneously.

By achieving blinding speed with such a heavy weapon, it was considered a peerless dao technique, possessing both crushing weight and astonishing quickness.

One swing of Peng Choryeo’s blade could effortlessly cleave a person in two. Seeing this devastating power, the remaining fishermen hesitated, instinctively widening the distance between them and their terrifying opponent. Abandoning close combat, they resorted to throwing hidden weapons from afar instead.

Peng Choryeo’s dadao became a blur, tracing dense, overlapping lines through the air, creating a shimmering, net-like defensive screen in front of her.

This technique was known as a Curtain; performed with a sword, it was a Sword Curtain, and with a dao like this, it was a Dao Curtain.

Clang! Clang! Ping! Metallic sounds rang out continuously as the incoming projectiles met the swirling blade. Heavier hidden weapons were deflected forcefully, sent ricocheting away. Lighter ones, like needles or small darts, were simply swept aside by the powerful currents of wind generated by the massive, rapidly moving dadao.

Seeing their ranged attacks proving ineffective, the fishermen grew bolder, redoubling their efforts and unleashing a veritable storm of hidden weapons.

A defensive Curtain like that must consume enormous stamina and Internal Energy! they likely thought. She can’t possibly maintain it indefinitely! If we keep up the pressure, we can overwhelm her when she falters!

A reasonable strategy, perhaps. Except… showing off hidden weapons in front of a high-ranking member of the Sichuan Tang Clan? Utterly futile.

Tang Nanah calmly reached into her bosom and produced a large bamboo tube.

(It was, after all, a defining characteristic of Tang Clan members—always pulling unexpected, often deadly, items out from hidden pockets within their clothing.

And the reason the Tang Clan inspired such fear often lay precisely within the contents of those hidden pockets.)

Seeing the infamous bamboo tube, the fishermen’s faces instantly turned deathly pale.

“Rainstorm of Pear Blossom Needles! SCATTER!” someone screamed in warning. But it was already too late.

BOOM!!!

With a sound like a small explosion, thousands of incredibly fine needles erupted from the bamboo tube, spraying forward in a dense cloud.

Each needle was meticulously coated with a potent, fast-acting poison, dried to a fine powder.

As the nearly invisible needles penetrated skin and embedded themselves in flesh, the powdered poison instantly dissolved upon contact with blood. Within moments, fishermen began to foam at the mouth, collapsing to the ground, their bodies spasming uncontrollably.

Peng Choryeo let out a breath, the immediate threat neutralized. She took the brief lull as an opportunity to check on Qing,

Who had charged ahead earlier with the old man, effectively leaving Peng and Nanah to cover the rear guard. She glanced back towards the main path…

“Ha. My goodness…” Peng murmured, blinking in surprise.

At that moment, Qing was… holding one of the surviving fishermen by the foot, swinging his entire body around in threatening circles like a primitive club.

Peng Choryeo’s eyes suddenly shone with admiration.

Now that is the true, undeniable strength of the flesh! Magnificent!

Finally, Qing staggered slightly, then with a mighty heave, threw the human weapon she was holding. Simultaneously—

DEEEENG—!

The clear, resonant sound of a massive Buddhist temple bell echoed through the air, causing everyone still standing to turn towards the source with startled eyes.

—Enemy general! Defeated!—

The round object she held aloft was, presumably, the head of the Transcendent fisherman she’d just dealt with.

Huh, Peng Choryeo thought briefly. Does Qing-ah enjoy reading Romance of the Three Kingdoms? But that wasn't important right now. Dealing with the remaining fishermen took priority.

“Eldest Senior Brother!”

Someone screamed in anguish. Seeing their leader defeated, some cried out in grief, while others completely lost their will to fight, already starting to back away.

Perfectly timed, Qing’s voice rang out again, loud and clear:

—Those who surrender will die comfortably! Those who run away will be chased to the ends of the earth! Those who want to live will die! And those who want to die? They will also die!—

It was quite possibly the most bizarre, nonsensical threat ever uttered in the history of the martial world.

Wasn't she essentially saying she would kill them all, no matter what they did?

Normally, cornering even a lowly field mouse without leaving any path for escape would provoke desperate, venomous defiance. Wouldn't such a threat simply incite the remaining enemies to fight to the death?

However, before Peng Choryeo could even begin to lament Qing’s apparently flawed psychological warfare tactics, the remaining enemies promptly scattered in all directions, running for their lives in utter panic.

Peng Choryeo stared, momentarily dumbfounded, then marveled.

Since they were going to die anyway, was scattering in hopes that at least one might survive the smarter decision?

Perhaps Qing-ah’s strategy was more profound than it sounded…

Just then, Qing’s voice echoed again, filled with bloodthirsty glee:

—Where do you think you’re going?! You fuckers, consider yourselves already dead!—

Peng Choryeo reconsidered.

Okay… maybe it wasn’t a strategy after all?

There are times when you win the battle but effectively lose the war.

This appeared to be precisely such a case.

“Ah… The Oyangjeuk fish…” Tang Nanah sighed, looking around the now-secured fish farm in dismay.

It was completely empty.

The nets strung between the stakes had all been deliberately cut. All the Oyangjeuk fish that had been cultivated within the vast enclosure had already been released, escaping into the main flow of the Min River.

Still, the investigation hadn’t been a complete loss.

At least they now knew the identity of the attackers.

“Yunnan Poison Man, Ja Cheolju,” Tang Nanah identified from examining the belongings on the leader’s corpse. “He was the Eldest Senior Brother of the Five Poison Sect.”

Qing tilted her head curiously.

Yunnan Poison Man? Does that mean the Tang Clan’s Eldest Senior Brother equivalent would be called ‘Sichuan Poison Heaven’ or something?

Wait, do clans even have an Eldest Senior Brother position like sects do?

Hmm. Actually, ‘Sichuan Poison Heaven’ sounds kinda cool…

“But how did you even win?” Peng Choryeo asked Qing directly, frowning slightly. “Ja Cheolju’s cultivation realm should have been Late Stage Transcendent, correct? And you, Qing-ah, are only Late Stage Peak Realm, aren’t you? How was that victory possible?”

“Eh, he didn’t seem all that strong, though?” Qing shrugged nonchalantly. “Compared to that Demonic Cannibal, there was a huge difference in power level.”

Of course, Qing herself was now incomparably stronger than she had been back then.

Not only had her Internal Energy reserves increased dramatically, but her fundamental physical attributes had all surpassed normal human limits due to the Overhaul Rebirth.

However, the primary reason for her seemingly impossible victory lay elsewhere.

“Our Qing-ah simply had good fortune,” Peng Choryeo explained patiently. “It appears he couldn’t fully utilize his poison arts due to concern for the woman you were holding and swinging around as a weapon.”

She elaborated: Poison Art practitioners cultivate a Poison Core within their energy center, concentrating potent toxins and wrapping them carefully with their own Internal Energy.

The more skilled the practitioner, the deadlier the poison within the core becomes. This creates a dangerous paradox: if they don’t maintain meticulous control with their Internal Energy, the poison can leak out and harm the practitioner themselves.

Consequently, Poison Art masters must always dedicate a significant portion of their Internal Energy simply to containing and protecting their own Poison Core. This severely limits the amount of energy available for offensive or defensive techniques, making them effectively half-crippled compared to other martial artists of the same realm in terms of raw power output, speed, and technique execution.

And that wasn't all.

The process of cultivating a Poison Core involves years spent studying countless poisons, gradually absorbing them into the body, and nurturing the toxic core.

This naturally leaves far less time for dedicated weapon training compared to other martial artists. As a result, their pure martial skill with weapons or unarmed combat is often underdeveloped, another significant weakness.

Furthermore, if their energy center is ever severely damaged during a fight, they risk dying horrifically from being poisoned by their own internal toxins.

“Ugh, Sister,” Tang Nanah interjected, looking distinctly disappointed by Peng’s explanation. “If you say it like that…”

It makes Poison Arts sound completely useless, like trash.

“Of course,” Peng Choryeo quickly clarified, “that assessment excludes the poison itself. Poison, unfortunately, doesn’t distinguish between friend and foe, which is why he was foolishly defeated by a single hostage situation. But normally, facing a skilled Poison Master in direct combat is extremely tricky and dangerous.”

Poison Qi infused into True Energy can subtly poison an opponent merely through contact or even close proximity during clashes.

And that wasn’t the extent of their methods.

They might quietly release airborne poisons, directing them using subtle energy manipulation techniques like Material Void Absorption; they often carried bizarre and unpredictable hidden weapons coated in toxins; some could even spit poison or splash poisoned blood. The constant risk of potentially lethal poisoning made even engaging them directly a hazardous proposition,

Qing, however, who was effectively immune to most conventional poisons thanks to her unique constitution, reached a different, simpler conclusion.

So, basically, poison users are easy targets.

Which means the Sichuan Tang Clan probably isn’t that big a deal either, right?

As Qing was pondering this,

Peng Choryeo looked at her with a subtle, thoughtful expression.

“By the way, Qing-ah?”

“Yes?”

“I observed you fighting just now, and… hmm.” Peng hesitated slightly. “Please don’t take offense, I don’t mean anything bad by this, but could you listen for a moment?”

“What is it?” Qing asked, curious now.

Peng Choryeo adopted a serious expression.

“Qing-ah. Honestly? A dao suits your fighting style much, much better than a sword.”

“Oing? Me? You think so?” Qing blinked, surprised.

Peng Choryeo nodded, her voice filled with absolute conviction.

“Yes. Definitely. And,” she added with a grin, “a very LARGE dao at that.”

Life as a long-term guest? Truly, paradise on earth.

If only my Sister-wannabe Crutch were here now, Qing sighed internally, lounging comfortably in her luxurious Tang Clan guest room. It would be absolutely perfect.

Then I could make her help me bathe, do my laundry, dress me every morning…

Suddenly, a disquieting thought occurred to her.

Wait. Haven’t I become… kind of a degenerate lately?

She was sure—absolutely certain—that right before she’d been kidnapped and taken to the Demon Cult, she’d spent her days eagerly, joyfully, dancing with swords alongside her Sword Brother.

The Ximen Qing of that time possessed a soul that practically sparkled, burning bright with the fervent desire to become a true master.

How… how had she fallen so far? How had she become so utterly depraved and lazy?

Come to think of it… it was probably all those damn Crutches’ fault!

Not walking on her own feet, not washing with her own hands, not even dressing herself anymore—she’d completely let herself go, becoming utterly spoiled and undisciplined!

Thinking back on it, she realized with dawning horror, it must have all been an insidious, evil scheme concocted by those Demon Cult bastards to weaken my resolve!

When exactly did I start finding the idea of sweating from exertion unpleasant?

Qing frowned, engaging in deep self-reflection.

Okay. Starting tomorrow, I absolutely need to go back to the Underground Life-and-Death Arena.

Need to get some practice fighting against Transcendent Realm opponents anyway.

Right. So, I’ll just rest for the remainder of today, then.

As she settled back down onto the comfortable bed, finally ready to relax, something else suddenly popped into her mind.

Ah. Crap. That Female Xiang Ji thing… I completely forgot about it AGAIN!

As a direct result of this train of thought finally resurfacing, Qing eventually found Peng Choryeo and confessed everything about her unintentional impersonation.

“So, our Qing-ah was the infamous ‘Female Xiang Ji’ of the Underground Life-and-Death Arena all along?” Peng Choryeo raised an eyebrow, looking more amused than angry. “I did hear that the Female Xiang Ji there also wielded a massive dadao?”

“Yeah, well, I kinda just left it at the arena because it was super annoying to carry around everywhere,” Qing explained sheepishly. “Actually, think about it—if I went out with my face covered and carrying that ridiculously huge sword, people would immediately know who I was anyway, right?”

She glanced nervously at Peng Choryeo’s expression.

To her surprise, Peng Choryeo looked rather pleased.

“Then,” Peng said, her eyes gleaming with interest, “that means our Qing-ah already possesses a Dao Technique she practices? One specifically designed for a dadao?”

“Uh, well, yeah, I kinda learned one along the way,” Qing admitted. “It’s called the Blood Shadow Thunder Lightning Dao Technique.”

“Oh?” Peng’s interest visibly sharpened. “From the Royal Demonic Path?”

“Ah! You know the Blood Shadow Thunder Lightning Dao Technique?!” Qing exclaimed, surprised.

“Is there possibly any sect in the world that uses a dadao that I wouldn’t know about?” Peng replied dryly.

(In truth, very few martial arts sects specialized in the unwieldy dadao.)

“However,” she added, her expression turning curious, “it is indeed intriguing how you came into contact with the martial arts of those particularly vicious Demonic Cult members.”

“Oh, that? I killed some guy they called their Young Sect Leader and took it from his corpse,” Qing explained casually.

“Excellent!!” Peng Choryeo declared, slapping Qing heartily on the back again. “As it happens, I possess a spare dadao suitable for practice! Why don’t we have a friendly spar? I’ll even overlook the matter of you impersonating my title. What do you say? How about it?”

“Well,” Qing grinned, “if you’re offering, I’d obviously be grateful!”

After sweating profusely during their vigorous sparring session, Qing felt remarkably refreshed, invigorated, and strangely nostalgic for her earlier training days.

Moreover, Peng Choryeo proved to be an excellent and insightful instructor.

Under her guidance, Qing’s proficiency with the Blood Shadow Thunder Lightning Dao Technique began to increase by leaps and bounds.

And this—their shared passion for the way of the dao (specifically, the big fuck-off dao)—explained the reason why the resonant sound of clashing heavy steel echoed throughout the otherwise peaceful Tang Clan compound almost every single day thereafter.

“Qing-ah! Shall we delve deeper into the profound principles of the Dao together?”

“Yes! I want to learn!”

Clang! Clang! Clash!

“Do you know what the largest, most magnificent, and truly most beautiful weapon among all possible armaments is, Qing-ah? It is, of course, the dadao!”

“The dadao!”

Clang! Clang!

“Isn’t the very name ‘Dao’ magnificent? It implies walking the Way (Dao) of the Dao itself! And among all daos, the great dao is called the Dadao! Therefore, the Dadao is truly the greatest weapon among all great weapons!”

“Then let’s go walk the Way and practice the Dao right now!”

Clang! Clang! Clang!

“Ah… Is there truly no one else with whom I can share the profound joys of the Dao?”

“I’m right here~!”

And so, the two of them stuck together constantly, enthusiastically exploring the Way of the Great Dao. Watching this budding, intense friendship from the sidelines, however, was another young woman, her eyes filled with unshed tears.

That… that unworthy vixen! Tang Nanah seethed, watching Peng and Qing train together with matching passionate expressions. This absolutely cannot be allowed to continue!

Tang Nanah’s gaze turned vicious, cold and sharp as poisoned steel.