He flicked it with his fingers exactly as it was, and it shot forward in a straight line, tracing a perfect trajectory.

CRUNCH—

WHUMP—

“Gah!”

The walnut shell flew through the air, pierced the wall, and struck someone outside.

THUD—

When the eunuchs went outside at the sound of something collapsing, they found a cleaner who had been sweeping the building lying on the ground.

“Why a cleaner?”

“Do you still not understand? It means men like that are attached to us no matter where we stay. That is why information reaches their ears so quickly, and that is why their intelligence network is so extraordinary.”

“Then what should we do?”

“We must remove their center first.”

One man’s name left the eunuchs’ mouths at the same time.

“Jeok Wigang!”

“Yes. Him. We must remove him first.”

“The Embroidered Uniform Guard is protecting him like an iron wall, so it will not be easy. There have already been several failures, have there not?”

“I will act personally.”

“What? You, Chief Eunuch?”

“Yes. Until now, I left it to you because I did not want troublesome matters arising, but no longer. It will be faster for me to resolve this matter myself.”

“It is dangerous. One wrong move, and you may fall into the trap they have spread.”

“If this is a trap, then I will blow away the trap with everything inside it.”

His blazing eyes looked as if beams might burst from them at any moment.

“We will help as well.”

“The Hanlin Academy has also contacted us, saying they will lend their strength.”

“Hmph! Tell them there is no need. Tell them to hurry in after the matter is settled and merely stabilize things.”

“Understood.”

JOLT—

When the Chief Eunuch rose from his seat, the eunuchs also stood up as one.

“Are you going straight to Jeok Wigang?”

“No. First, I will deal with the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.”

“What?”

“The more I think about it, the more intolerably insolent he seems. I will cut off the head of the bastard protecting Jeok Wigang and send it to him as a gift.”

No eunuch tried to stop the Chief Eunuch as he stormed out, his face filled with killing intent.

*****

A dark street.

Ye Yahyeon was moving urgently toward somewhere.

“They should make the underlings handle little chores like this. Seriously.”

He was moving in haste with an irritated look on his face when he sensed something and stopped.

This feeling was...

“What business might the Chief Eunuch of the Eastern Depot have with me?”

The Chief Eunuch of the Eastern Depot revealed himself from the darkness.

His face was filled with killing intent.

Seeing that expression, Ye Yahyeon gave a faint laugh and said,

“Judging by your face, I don’t think you came looking for me for anything pleasant.”

“Think of your last words. Still, in consideration of our bond as comrades, I will give you enough time to leave a single line.”

“Last words? Wow. You’re overflowing with confidence, aren’t you? Do you think you can beat me?”

“There is no reason I cannot.”

“Interesting.”

SHING—

When Ye Yahyeon drew his gold-mounted guard saber, the Chief Eunuch gave a faint laugh.

“No last words?”

“No. None.”

“Good. Then let us begin at once.”

Ye Yahyeon curled a finger.

“Come on.”

“You arrogant bastard. I will split your body apart just as it stands!”

The Chief Eunuch’s pupils narrowed vertically.

The instant Ye Yahyeon saw those eyes, a chill ran down his spine.

Those eyes.

And at the same time, the strange energy erupting from the Chief Eunuch’s body.

There was no doubt.

“Well now. You really are a comrade.”

The Chief Eunuch was someone from White Horse Heaven.

Ye Yahyeon was certain.

Then he could not deal with him in any ordinary way.

Just who is he?

Judging by his energy, he seemed to be either the same kind as Ye Yahyeon or a higher class.

And those pupils.

He is definitely of the Dragon-Scale race.

A race said to be physically superior to humans in both body and stamina.

If he truly was Dragon-Scale, he would be a troublesome opponent.

Perhaps it would be different if all Four Divine Demons were together, but alone, Ye Yahyeon would find him extremely difficult.

Still, he had no choice.

It was too late to avoid him.

Damn it. Of all things, Dragon-Scale...

There was hope.

He himself had become stronger than before, so perhaps he might be able to manage somehow.

Fingers curved like dragon claws flew toward him with terrifying speed, as if they would tear his body to pieces at any moment.

WHOOOOM— WHOOOM—

He was fast, but not so fast that Ye Yahyeon could not dodge.

Compared to Jeok Wigang’s movements, this much was nothing.

At the same time, openings appeared here and there.

If he let those pass, he would not be a martial artist.

CRAAACK—

“Urgh!”

Whenever an opening appeared, Ye Yahyeon drove in through the gap and counterattacked, making the Chief Eunuch groan in pain.

“You damned rat!”

SHRRRRR—

Silver scales appeared on the enraged Chief Eunuch’s face and began to tremble.

Apparently, what Ye Yahyeon had thought was skin had not been skin after all.

As expected, he really is Dragon-Scale. His durability is ridiculous. I hit him that many times, and all he does is grimace.

Ye Yahyeon had continued aiming at openings and attacking, but the blows did not seem to have done any major damage.

Anyone else would have been badly injured or collapsed, unable to rise, yet the Chief Eunuch was perfectly fine.

As expected, he is a troublesome being. I need to get out of here before his form changes.

The Dragon-Scale race became stronger each time their form changed, and if they reached a complete dragon form, they possessed strength that could not be handled.

So escaping while he was still in human form was the only viable option.

Fortunately, Ye Yahyeon had trained his lightness art tremendously in order to avoid Jeok Wigang.

So that actually helped me like this.

First, he had to get out of here and inform Jeok Wigang of this fact.

That the Chief Eunuch of the Eastern Depot belonged to White Horse Heaven, and that he was not human, but Dragon-Scale.

One of the Dragon-Scale race’s traits was an astonishingly handsome face.

I heard Noble Consort Man was so deeply infatuated she could not pull herself out of it. That makes sense.

Because he had been focused on Jeok Wigang’s whereabouts, which were directly tied to his own safety, he had paid no attention to the Chief Eunuch’s face.

Had he looked more closely, he would have realized the man was Dragon-Scale.

This was why information mattered.

If he had known, he would have fled the moment he saw the Chief Eunuch.

While those thoughts passed through his mind, the silver scales on the Chief Eunuch’s face grew even darker.

As he gradually transformed into a dragonkind form, his speed and strength also increased.

Ye Yahyeon had dodged easily earlier, so he thought it would be the same this time.

RIIIIP—

The front of his clothes was torn away.

Had he dodged even slightly later, it would not have been the front of his clothes, but the skin of his chest that had been ripped off.

The Chief Eunuch grinned °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° and said,

“You arrogant human. Now that you have seen my true form, you will not leave here alive.”

“That is not for you to decide.”

He said that, but the situation was not good.

Unlike before, he could see no openings now.

The Chief Eunuch had corrected his own weaknesses in an instant.

Ye Yahyeon had confirmed that continuing to clash with him would only bring losses, so now his highest priority was to find an opening, avoid the bastard, and escape.

Unlike before, the Chief Eunuch’s hands had now changed like a beast’s claws, flying at him wildly while spraying absurd force.

WHOOOOM— WHOOOOM— WHOOOOM—

SHAAAK—

Ye Yahyeon dodged this way and that while scattering poison, but it had no effect.

“Kekeke. Poison does not work on me.”

That damned body.

If poison did not work, then the man was his natural enemy.

Of all things, he seemed to be one of the Dragon-Scale race who handled poison.

Ye Yahyeon had not thought he could kill him with poison, but he had thought he might be able to buy a little time.

He had been completely wrong.

Come to think of it, the reason the Emperor had been ill was also said to be poisoning.

This bastard must have poisoned him.

“They said you were the strongest Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in history, and it seems that was not empty praise. You are the first man ever to avoid my attacks to this degree.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

“I will give you a chance. Come under me. If you do, I will spare your life and make great use of you.”

“What an honor. But what should I do? I cannot.”

“So you refuse? Kekeke. I see. Then let us end this now.”

The moment Ye Yahyeon dodged the Chief Eunuch charging at him again with terrifying speed, something flew toward his face.

“You damned—!”

He hurriedly drew up all his energy, concentrated it into both hands, and crossed them.

KRRRAAANG—!

“Urgh!”

Even though he blocked with all his strength, a tremendous shock traveled through his arms and into his body.

Ye Yahyeon’s body lifted into the air and flew far backward.

Right before he fell, he twisted in midair and regained his balance, but he seemed to have suffered fairly serious internal injuries.

SKRRRRT—

A vile sensation spread through his whole body, as though his organs had been shaken out of place.

Without even realizing that something was flowing from his mouth, Ye Yahyeon glared at the Chief Eunuch of the Eastern Depot.

“To think you blocked that. Impressive.”

What in the world had attacked him?

The question was answered quickly.

“A tail...”

A tail was moving from the area around the Chief Eunuch’s backside.

Then came the Chief Eunuch’s next attack.

If Ye Yahyeon dodged, the tail came flying in; if he dodged the tail as well, scales flew at him.

PIPIPING—

WHUMP-WHUMP-WHUMP—

“Urgh!”

Scales lodged themselves all over Ye Yahyeon’s body.

“Kekeke. The scales embedded in your body are coated with a poison only I can neutralize.”

He could feel the poison’s energy entering his body.

By instinct, he knew.

This poison was not one he could neutralize himself.

Still, he had resistance to poison, so he could slow the poisoning as much as possible.

The problem was that doing so meant he could not use his full strength.

Yet the greater problem was that in order to flee from the Dragon-Scale man, he had to run with everything he had.

SHRRRRR—

More scales than before appeared across the Chief Eunuch’s body.

The raised scales seemed to absorb the sun’s energy.

“No matter how much I fight, I absorb the sun’s energy, so my strength does not fall. You, on the other hand, have been poisoned, and you are straining with everything you have to suppress it, so your energy will soon run out.”

Ye Yahyeon gave a faint laugh and said,

“So? Are you going to wait until I run out of energy?”

“Why? Would you like me to kill you right now?”

“Could you?”

“Kekeke. I cannot show you that much consideration. My poison is special, so feel it for yourself.”

“How is it special?”

“A pain you have never once experienced in your life will come for you. Kekeke.”

“Never experienced? Truly?”

“Yes. Why? Are you beginning to regret refusing my offer?”

“Regret? Heh. No. I was only curious whether a pain I have never experienced would be worse than the pain I know.”

“Is that so? Then I will let you experience it sooner.”

In that instant, the Chief Eunuch vanished.

Ye Yahyeon instinctively thought he had to block, so he urgently drew up his energy and shielded his body.

KRRRAAANG—

KWA-KWA-KWAAANG—

Ye Yahyeon’s sword aura barrier and the Chief Eunuch’s tremendous energy collided, and the surroundings exploded with a powerful shockwave.

And that was not the end.

The Chief Eunuch’s attacks came flying in one after another without pause.

Ye Yahyeon could barely keep blocking them.

Because of that, the poison spread rapidly, and pain began rising through him.

“Grrrk!”

A groan leaked from Ye Yahyeon’s mouth.

“It seems the poison is finally spreading. For someone who handles poison, you are rather impressive.”

“Kaaak! Ptui!”

Thud, thud—

HISSSS—

The ground touched by the saliva Ye Yahyeon spat melted away.

He had spat out part of the poison in his body.

Even after removing some of the poison, Ye Yahyeon’s condition worsened sharply.

His vision blurred, and an extreme pain, as if every muscle in his body were twisting, came over him.

“No matter how I look at you, you really are impressive. It should hurt so badly you cannot even stand properly.”

“Heh! I have experienced pain worse than this. This much is a pain I can endure.”

At Ye Yahyeon’s words, the Chief Eunuch grinned and said,

“Bluff all you like. Shall we see how long you can last?”