TYDOFC 01

Chapter 1

Outside the window, a massive blaze shot up as if it were about to devour the sky.

As though it were a signal, assassins dressed in black approached.

“Don’t come any closer!”

I shouted sharply, clutching my fallen father in my arms.

Then I took out the poison hidden in my bosom.

This was Ilbochuhon Poison.

The deadliest of deadly poisons—just inhaling it would kill a person on the spot, before they could take even a single step.

Father had given it to me, saying it was only to be used in the most dangerous of times.

“Every child of the Sichuan Tang Clan must always carry a poison capable of protecting themselves.”

Had Father known?

That the time to use this poison would come so soon?

With this Ilbochuhon Poison, I could kill every one of these assassins.

But there was a problem.

I’ll die too.

Unlike other Tang Clan children, my body had absolutely no resistance to poison.

Because of that constitution, I had never been able to train in poison arts—not even once.

I had lived a life where I couldn’t even go near poison, let alone learn to use it.

The only knowledge I had came from stories Father occasionally told me.

But now—

There’s no other way.

I steeled myself for mutual destruction and quickly counted the assassins.

Ten in total.

Not a bad number.

I have the Ilbochuhon Poison. With this I can…!

But something felt off.

When a Tang Clan member took out poison, assassins were supposed to retreat at once.

Yet—

They’re not retreating?

A strange chill crept over me.

The assassins showed no sign of backing away.

Instead, they drew even closer.

“Why… aren’t you running?”

I stared at them, confused.

Then—

Whish!

The hood of one nearby assassin slipped off, revealing his face.

A corpse-pale visage with bluish-black skin.

Blackened sclera and blood-red pupils.

Goosebumps prickled my whole body.

This wasn’t the face of a living human.

And at that instant, when my eyes met his, I understood why he hadn’t fled from the Ilbochuhon Poison.

“This… this is!”

My fingers went limp, loosening their grip on the poison.

If this assassin was a Dokgangshi, then the Ilbochuhon Poison was useless.

Poison didn’t work on a Dokgangshi.

Dokgangshi—
Monstrous beings created from the corpses of poison masters, impervious to any poison in existence.

That was the Tang Clan’s Dokgangshi.

They were not something that could be driven away with a mere Ilbochuhon Poison.

But—

How?

The Grand Method for creating Dokgangshi had been lost long ago.

The Tang Clan had banned the practice, destroying every manual that contained the technique.

So how had they reappeared in this world?

Suddenly my vision darkened and strength drained from my hands.

There was no way out.

I can’t escape.

No matter what I did, there was no way to flee from so many Dokgangshi.

Especially with Father collapsed from poison—

All the elders of the clan were at Tang Mountain right now.

There was no one to save Father and me.

Given my constitution, it was already a miracle I’d survived this long surrounded by Dokgangshi.

My hands trembled.

One of the creatures reached its blackened hand toward me.

I couldn’t dodge.

My body felt completely frozen.

I clenched my eyes shut.

And at the moment the Dokgangshi swung its terrible poisoned claw—

“Stop. Don’t touch her.”

A familiar voice came from somewhere.

I opened my eyes.

The voice had come from beyond the door, behind the Dokgangshi.

“All of you, stand down.”

At that single command, the Dokgangshi withdrew from me all at once.

Creak.

As they stepped back, a man in green robes strolled in leisurely.

“…Ah?”

I widened my eyes at the familiar face.

It was Tang Pae-jin, the Tang Clan’s First Young Master—my uncle.

He walked toward me through the parting ranks of Dokgangshi.

“U-Uncle?”

Why were the Dokgangshi obeying his orders?

Why was he here?

He was supposed to be at Tang Mountain today with the elders.

Why was he here now?

My head froze, unable to sort through the sudden situation.

I stammered his name.

“Uncle…”

And the moment the word left my lips, I realized it.

Dokgangshi—only the Tang Clan’s forbidden method could create them.

“Don’t tell me…”

And my uncle Tang Pae-jin, who was freely controlling them.

“…It’s you!”

“Tang-bi, you’re a mess,” he said.

“It was you! You did this!”

Tang Pae-jin had betrayed the clan.

He had struck Father down and slaughtered all who followed him.

Why didn’t I see it sooner?

Right after Father collapsed, the assassins had poured into Tang Manor as if they’d been waiting.

I glanced at Father.

His cheeks were turning pale.

I could feel, vividly, the terrible poison eating away at his life force.

Drip.

A tear fell.

I hadn’t wanted to cry, but absurdity and resentment brought tears to my eyes.

Through them I stared at Tang Pae-jin.

“Why? Why… why did you betray the clan?”

“I didn’t betray it. I merely took what I wanted in my own way.”

His dry lips moved.

“Don’t worry, you won’t be lonely. I’ll send the others soon.”

At his words my mind went blank.

So from the start, he planned to kill everyone.

Even the Clan Head—Grandfather—and all who opposed him.

I glanced outside.

If that were so, then the forces under Tang Pae-jin weren’t limited to what I saw here.

Ten Dokgangshi wouldn’t be enough to face Grandfather, the world’s greatest poison master.

And sure enough—

“Let’s finish this quickly.”

Someone standing behind Tang Pae-jin muttered lazily and vanished.

For a brief instant, I felt an overwhelming demonic energy from him.

Demonic energy?

Then—

I lifted my head to glare at Tang Pae-jin.

“You’re completely insane!”

To bring in the Blood Demon Sect!

Step.

Tang Pae-jin took a step toward me.

“It’s taken a long time—ten whole years since I first poisoned him.”

I held Father tighter and glared back.

“…Ten years?”

Father had only collapsed two days ago.

And yet he said he’d poisoned him ten years ago?

It didn’t add up.

Tang Pae-jin sneered.

“Yes. Your father has been dying slowly for years. Thanks to his endurance, I had time to complete my grand plan.”

Then—

Thrust.

“I’m grateful for that, at least.”

“What?”

Tang Pae-jin’s hand pierced my abdomen.

I felt the cold, sharp hand tearing through me.

Slowly, I lowered my head to look at his hand.

Then I raised my eyes to his.

“N-No…”

I had known Tang Pae-jin envied and hated Father.

That he feared and resented his talent.

But to bring the Blood Demon Sect into the clan?

I wanted to ask why he’d done all this, but my tongue was stiff.

There were mountains of things I wanted to ask, but I couldn’t.

Gush.

Dark red blood poured out.

My body, which had barely been standing, collapsed.

I clutched my torn belly and glared up at him.

Above me, his voice rang out.

“Don’t resent me too much.”

“Khk… khhh!”

“It’s best to remove future trouble. The body of Mandokbuchim….”

What?

Even through the haze, the word Mandokbuchim burned into my mind.

I fought to keep my fading consciousness.

Mandokbuchim?

Had he mistaken me for something?

Mandokbuchim—the body immune to all poisons.

But I was the opposite: the worst constitution, unable to develop immunity to any poison.

A veritable disgrace of the clan.

And yet he called me Mandokbuchim.

He must have misunderstood.

But I couldn’t refute or laugh at it.

My mind was slipping away.

Everything felt distant, surreal—Father lying limp and warm in my arms, my own blood flowing.

“Burn the bodies.”

With that, Tang Pae-jin swept out of the room, the red-stained sleeves of his green robe fluttering.

For an instant my eyes met those of the demonic man behind him.

He glanced at me briefly, then strode past.

The Dokgangshi reached for me again.

Drip.

Hot tears streamed down my face, falling onto Father’s.

I curled myself around him as tightly as I could, clutching him with all my remaining strength.

Blood filled my mouth and my eyes slowly closed.

I could feel death creeping toward me.

And then—darkness.

Fifteen years old.

That was the end of my short life.