Chapter 158: For Whom Does the Hammer Toll?

All hell broke loose as the Namen Sect martial artists collapsed one after another.

Those with a shred of loyalty cried out for their brothers and seniors, desperately trying to restrain their comrades who were spasming violently.

However, only physicians already prepared for such a scenario could safely handle those afflicted by the extreme poison.

Among the Namen Sect thugs, the few who possessed even a modicum of loyalty tried to help their family, only to collapse and tremble alongside them.

Amidst the chaos, Qing cut down three more enemies rushing towards the main gate.

After that, the courtyard was eerily empty, save for the poison victims twitching and convulsing.

They had endured the disgrace of abandoning their sect's safety for their own survival. It was reminiscent of the old story of Han Xin crawling between another's legs—a true display of talent for virtuous experts, one might sarcastically remark.

To think they'd actually retreat further inside.

Their shrewdness was astonishing.

"Should I set it on fire?" Qing asked. "We haven't had spring rain lately, so it should burn nicely."

"A fire attack would be effective," Zhuge Ihyeon replied. "If we could spread poison bombs, why not fire? However, Sister, if the fire spreads too much, will Old Man Ban's grandson be safe?"

"Tsk, why did he have to get caught?" Qing complained. "Burning everything down would be so much simpler."

"Hmm. Sister," Zhuge Ihyeon said carefully. "Could you perhaps, just a little, maintain the dignity of a heroine of the Orthodox Murim?"

Qing drew herself up, adopting a ridiculously formal tone. "Hmph. I intended to purge these filthy Unorthodox Faction Demonic Adepts with fire! However, alas, I cannot bring myself to execute the plan, lest an innocent child be caught in the blaze. It is truly most regrettable."

"See? You can do it if you try," Zhuge Ihyeon said, nodding with satisfaction.

Qing dropped the act immediately. "Trying to maintain dignity is going to make my lips chap. Why drag out something I can say in two words?"

"Its value lies in the difficulty of maintaining it," he countered smoothly.

That was the persuasive power expected from the most intelligent musclehead around. The eloquence of smart guys was frustrating, but impossible to refute.

"Alright," Qing said, changing the subject. "Let's go find that grandson. They must be completely out of it, so we just need to beat them until someone talks."

It was then.

"You idiots!" a voice roared from within the compound. "Did you think a colorless, odorless poison would linger forever?! Where did you learn the wretched habit of abandoning your post when facing the enemy?! You, you, and you! Tell everyone the poison has dispersed and regroup!"

"Y-Yes! Understood!" came a trembling reply from deeper inside.

An old man with a fierce expression etched into his wrinkled face emerged. The power embedded in his voice was extraordinary, causing Qing to cautiously assess him.

Surely, not another Unrestrained Realm master popping out of nowhere?

Meanwhile, the old man stood proudly amidst the corpses and soon-to-be corpses, declaring, "This old man is Yu Chaseung, a Disciplinary Officer of the Unorthodox Path. Surely, you've heard of my reputation."

"The Blood-Forged Sword Demon!" Zhuge Ihyeon cried out.

Qing frowned inwardly. She couldn't understand why everyone, friend or foe, felt compelled to shout out a moniker the moment they heard a name. Was it some kind of custom or rule in the martial arts world?

"Is he famous?" she asked Zhuge Ihyeon quietly. "No, wait. You shouted because he is famous. Is he strong?"

"He is a great Demonic Adept at the late stage of the Transcendent Realm," Zhuge Ihyeon replied, unable to hide his tension.

However, hearing this, Qing's expression relaxed. "Ah. Then he's manageable."

"Sister, did I perhaps say late Peak Realm?" Zhuge Ihyeon double-checked, alarmed. "My words must have slipped. Not late Peak Realm, but a great Demonic Adept of the late Transcendent Realm."

"You said it right the first time," Qing confirmed dismissively. "Late Transcendent Realm, you said? Well, I'm Ximen Qing, who has transcended the Peak Realm. Even Unrestrained Realm masters get wrecked if they mess with me. Right, Nanah?"

Tang Nanah nodded beside her. "Uh-huh. Yeah."

"You defeated an Unrestrained Realm master?" Zhuge Ihyeon exclaimed. "Sister, why wouldn't you share such an interesting story with this little brother sooner? I'm quite disappointed."

Watching this casual exchange, Yu Chaseung's expression hardened. In the martial arts world, stating one's name was meant to intimidate by flaunting one's realm or backing. Hearing 'Unorthodox Path' and 'late Transcendent Realm' should have made run-of-the-mill youngsters tremble and look for an escape route.

But they were casually chatting?

Yu Chaseung's mind raced. Come to think of it, a colorless, odorless extreme poison wasn't something you could buy just anywhere by flashing some cash. Strong poisons usually had distinct colors and smells; colorless, odorless ones were typically weak. A poison satisfying both conditions was incredibly rare, not easily obtained even with a fortune.

Adding to that, the beauty of the young woman, even hidden behind a veil, was enough to stir desire even in an old man like him. Putting two and two together led to a likely conclusion.

"Isn't the child over there the Tang Clan's Poisonous Speaking Flower?" he asked, his gaze shifting to Tang Nanah.

"Huh? You know me?" Nanah asked, surprised.

Ugh. Yu Chaseung swallowed a groan internally. Just as he feared, this incident involved the Tang Clan. Looking again, the massive young man also seemed different. If these were rising stars gathered for the upcoming Murim conference, he must be the successor of the Zhuge Clan, the one called Beastly Sage.

The timing couldn't be worse. The Murim conference was a unity event for the Orthodox Murim; this was precisely the time to avoid giving them any pretext for conflict. Wasn't creating a common enemy the best way to foster unity?

"Ahem," Yu Chaseung cleared his throat, addressing Qing and Zhuge Ihyeon again. "This old man, as a Disciplinary Officer of the Unorthodox Path, came here to investigate rumors that the Namen Sect Leader was manufacturing nefarious potions. I presume you two are here for the same reason?"

Zhuge Ihyeon picked up the cue. "We were merely trying to rescue a kidnapped child. But if you speak of potions, surely you don't mean..." His voice trailed off meaningfully.

The Namen Sect Leader was a leper. And an evil potion concocted by a leper was something too gruesome to even mention.

"Hmm. How unfortunate," Yu Chaseung said gravely. "It seems the rumors are true. By the authority vested in me as a Disciplinary Officer of the Unorthodox Path, I hereby expel the Namen Sect. Therefore, this old man is no longer associated with them."

His conclusion was clear: cut his losses.

"This old man must take his leave now," he continued. "Pressing duties await, and I have no time to linger in a place with which I have no connection."

Just as Qing was about to retort, Zhuge Ihyeon grabbed her shoulder and shook his head subtly.

"Why?" she whispered.

"The Namen Sect Leader is also a martial artist who has entered the Transcendent Realm," Zhuge Ihyeon whispered back. "Are you confident you can handle two Transcendent Realm experts simultaneously?"

Qing paused. "Hm. That's... a bit much, yeah." She clicked her tongue, then shouted after the retreating Yu Chaseung, "Consider yourself lucky, old man! Watch your back on dark nights. Next time we meet, you die!"

Even though her face was hidden, it wasn't something a young slip of a girl should say. Yu Chaseung forcefully suppressed the surge of anger rising within him. "The child hiding her face has a rough tongue," he said coolly, turning back slightly. "Shouldn't such words be spoken after revealing one's name?"

"My name is Ximen Qing," she declared loudly, "and my Master is the Zenith Among Women. Satisfied? Next time we meet, old man, you die."

"Ahem. Did she inherit that temper too..." Yu Chaseung muttered under his breath, breathing an inward sigh of relief. He had done well to restrain himself; he'd almost provoked the disciple of the Rabid Bitch. To pass down her surname, she must cherish this disciple immensely. This girl was a walking human trap.

"Ahem. This old man will be going now," he announced formally. "Would you mind stepping aside?"

"Do you really need to pass through here?" Qing drawled, deliberately loud. "Why not just hop over the wall? Bad guys usually like climbing walls, don't they? Thieves, robbers, assassins, arsonists, kidnappers, even perverts with voyeurism. All those bastards climb walls."

Zhuge Ihyeon shot her a reproachful look, silently asking why she felt the need to provoke him further, but Qing pretended not to notice, looking away innocently.

Having said it loud enough for him to hear, Yu Chaseung could no longer climb the wall. Doing so now would brand him as one of the lowlifes she listed. He forced his boiling blood pressure down. She's the Rabid Bitch's disciple, so she's probably some little mad dog bitch, he thought, trying his best to ignore her as he walked with stiff dignity towards the main gate.

"Ah. Right," Qing called out just as he reached the threshold. "Hey. Old man."

He stopped, turning reluctantly. "...What is it?"

"Earlier, you said something about the 'wench hiding her face.' I'm not hiding because I'm ugly, you know?"

Yu Chaseung scoffed. "That's what all the girls who hide their faces say."

"Ha! Everyone's shocked when they see me," Qing retorted.

"What, are you pockmarked or something?" he challenged. "If you're so confident, why not show your face?"

At that, Qing lifted her veil.

Yu Chaseung's eyes widened dramatically in shock.

In that instant of stunned surprise, Qing's right hand subtly reached out, her fingers closing gently around Yu Chaseung's wrist.

"What is this?" he snapped, startled back to reality.

Qing grinned mischievously. Experts at the late Transcendent Realm wouldn't normally let their bodies be grabbed so easily; the slight surprise had worked perfectly.

"Ever heard of the Buddha's Palm?" she asked sweetly.

"Wh—"

Before he could finish, immense internal energy surged violently from Qing's core. It was an incomparably intense flow compared to when she faced the Cannibal Demon Lord. Not only had her internal energy reserves grown several times larger, but the flow through her Eight Extraordinary Meridians, widened by the Overhaul Rebirth and the Inverse Marrow Washing Sutra, was also completely different.

As it was a Buddhist divine art, the qi of the Great Tranquil Zen Art and the Inverse Marrow Washing Sutra took the lead, shouting excitedly, "Let's gooo!", followed closely by the true qi of the Nourishing True Soul Sutra and its Daoist brethren. Seeing this, the demonic energies looked on enviously until the true qi of the Yue Maiden Cultivation Technique, upholding the Golden Mean, gave a single nod. Excited by a proper summons after so long, the various true qi playfully jostled and clamored, noisily exiting her core.

Deeeeng—!

The sound of a great Buddhist temple bell resonated, loud yet not jarring.

Suddenly, dust billowed thickly around them. Within the cloud, Yu Chaseung's captured wrist began to swell grotesquely. Lumps of flesh bulged up his arm past the elbow, spreading over his shoulder. His clothes ripped as his entire body inflated, his head doubling in size... then, just as suddenly, it all deflated. He shrank back to normal like a popped balloon and collapsed limply to the ground.

As the dust settled, the spot behind where Yu Chaseung had fallen revealed the wreckage of a ten-foot section of the wall, now completely gone, leaving only shattered debris.

It was the Cintāmaṇicakra form, an Internal Explosive Qi Strike application of the Buddha's Palm, unleashed with her full power after a long time.

Qing let out a long, weary sigh. "Huaah. That really drains your true qi. Completely."

"Sister?" Zhuge Ihyeon stammered, gaping at the scene. "What in the..."

"Ah, this is called the Buddha's Palm," Qing explained casually.

"Why would you know the Buddha's Palm, Sister?" Zhuge Ihyeon exclaimed, then realization dawned. "Ah! Was this why you deliberately provoked him about the wall?! No martial artist would climb the wall after hearing that!"

"Yep," Qing confirmed with a tired smirk. "Once I grab them, even someone at the Transcendent Realm is manageable. If they were prepared for a direct clash of Internal Explosive Qi Strikes, it might be a fight, but if they're caught off guard like that, they stand no chance."

"Indeed!" Zhuge Ihyeon's eyes gleamed. "Inducing the enemy's carelessness to strike their opening! Isn't this a most despicably brilliant tactic! Sister, you always manage to surprise this little brother!"

Wait, what? Was that actually a compliment? Qing thought, narrowing her eyes slightly. Ever since before, it feels like he's constantly talking down to me.

Internal Explosive Qi Strikes, despite all the talk of profound principles, were essentially brutish contests of internal energy. That's why she had gone through so much trouble provoking and dodging the Cannibal Demon Lord, trying to deplete his internal energy first. However, her Master had confirmed her internal energy was comparable to the Unrestrained Realm now. So, someone merely at the Transcendent Realm was... well, quite manageable indeed.

Just then, the Namen Sect martial artists finally swarmed back out, led by a figure completely wrapped in bandages, not a speck of skin showing on his face or hands.

The bandaged man rushed forward, shouting urgently, "Disciplinary Officer! I deeply apologize for involving you in this unfortunate incident... Disciplinary Officer?" His voice faltered as he saw the scene.

"Your Disciplinary Officer?" Qing asked nonchalantly, holding up the limp form by the wrist. "You mean this thing?"

Suddenly, Tang Nanah tilted her head, a flicker of confusion crossing her face. Wait, wasn't her right arm unusable?