Chapter 32
One Da-gyeong ago.
“What are you talking about...! *San Gong Dok*...!”
“Shh. Keep it down. They’ll hear us over there.”
I calmed down the agitated Munseok Ajae for a moment, then whispered again.
“Exactly. That bastard, the Sichuan Tang Family Grand Elder. He secretly spread *San Gong Dok* as he passed through here.”
“Th-that can’t be. I didn’t feel anything, and besides us, there are other Sichuan Tang Family Martial Artists here...”
“Munseok Ajae, why are you so naive? Of course, those guys would have taken antidotes beforehand. And there’s no way someone of your Martial Arts level could detect a poison secretly spread by someone like the Sichuan Tang Family Grand Elder.”
“...Is that so. Then, the reason the Grand Elder spread *San Gong Dok* here must be...”
“To kill all the Haomun people, I suppose. Ah, if he intended to kill them, he would have used a potent poison from the start, so perhaps his goal is not to kill but to subdue them.”
“...”
Munseok’s face turned pale at those words. I then asked him something that had been bothering me.
“More importantly, Munseok Ajae. There’s something I’m curious about.”
“...Something in this situation?”
“By any chance, what’s the Sichuan Tang Family Grand Elder’s name?”
Munseok Ajae looked as if he couldn’t understand why I was asking that now, but he soon sighed and told me.
And then...
“*Dang Yeonmyeong*. The Grand Elder’s name is *Dang Yeonmyeong*.”
“...Ah, shit.”
...Somehow, the title of Sichuan Tang Family Grand Elder had felt familiar, and as soon as I heard the name, I immediately remembered.
*Demonic Poison Dark Emperor* *Dang Yeonmyeong*.
When the Murim Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Cult first waged war, many Martial Artists of the Righteous Faction disregarded the Heavenly Demon Cult. However, as the true extent of their power was revealed and the tide of battle turned, many defected to the Heavenly Demon Cult.
*Dang Yeonmyeong* was one of those Murim Alliance traitors who rose to the highest ranks.
As soon as he defected to the Heavenly Demon Cult, he handed over all the secrets and inner workings of the Righteous Faction, and then massacred all his former comrades with his Poison Arts.
*No wonder she had so much information; it turns out there was some connection with Haomun?*
In the original story, *Dang Yeonmyeong* dies just before the war breaks out, at the hands of the regressed Protagonist.
Therefore, now, several years before the war, it wasn’t his time to die yet.
*If I don’t intervene here, will those Haomun bastards get completely wiped out by the Tang Family guys?*
It was then that I began to ponder.
“...Sect Leader.”
“...What?”
“The Sect Leader is in danger...”
Munseok Ajae mumbled, staring at the top of Cheongwolru as if he had lost his mind.
Even...
“The Sect Leader...!”
“Ah, Mister. Calm down. Just calm down.”
I barely managed to grab him as he tried to rush towards Cheongwolru. When I blocked his path, Munseok Ajae spoke to me with an urgent expression.
“...The intention to subdue the Sect Members outside is clearly to threaten the Sect Leader. Or perhaps the Grand Elder has already harmed the Sect Leader...!”
“I get it. But what are you going to do by going there now, Mister? If you even brush against the Tang Family Grand Elder’s Poison Arts, your body will just melt away. Think rationally for a moment. Your life is hanging by a thread just trying to hold out here, so where do you think you’re going?”
What I just said was a purely rational judgment for Munseok Ajae’s safety. Even if he followed the Grand Elder to the Haomun Leader, he wouldn’t be of much help.
He’d just throw his life away.
Munseok Ajae couldn’t possibly not know that. But...
“The Sect Leader is my Benefactor.”
“...”
“Even if I can’t help, I can’t just stand by when she’s in danger.”
...Munseok Ajae’s eyes were already filled with something inexpressible. And that was something that couldn’t be stopped by the yardstick of rational judgment.
No matter what I did now, it seemed clear that Munseok Ajae would rush to the Haomun Leader.
“Ah, damn it...”
Frustrated, I scratched my head irritably, wondering if I had any reason to help Munseok Ajae.
First, is Munseok Ajae my Benefactor?
No.
He had given me small favors a few times, but it certainly wasn’t enough to call him a Benefactor.
Next, is Munseok Ajae someone I need?
No.
The person I need is the Haomun Sichuan Branch Leader, not Munseok Ajae. I already know the code to contact the Sichuan Branch Leader, so it doesn’t matter if Munseok Ajae isn’t the Sichuan Branch Leader.
Then, finally...
*...Do I want Munseok Ajae to live?*
...
I couldn’t easily answer the question I’d asked myself. And then an old memory surfaced.
*Hey, you. You look like a Beggar... How about working at a Courtesan House or Inn that I run? Huh? Why am I being so nice? Well, it’s because you remind me of myself when I was young. Haha, I was quite handsome in my youth, you know.*
“...Haa, shit.”
It certainly seemed true that Munseok Ajae had worked as a host in his youth. Since when had he been flirting with me...? My heart was uneasily stirred.
“...Move aside quickly. I’m going to the Sect Leader, so you just stay here... No... you said *San Gong Dok* was spread, right? In that case...”
“...No.”
Even as I was deliberating, Munseok tried to push past me, as if time was precious. I firmed my resolve and blocked his path.
Just then...
“What have you two been doing all this time?”
...A man who appeared to be the leader of the Tang Family Martial Artists approached us with suspicious eyes, having been watching us talk.
“...”
From the moment the Grand Elder spread *San Gong Dok*, it was already decided that the Sichuan Tang Family and Haomun would clash.
And I...
*Clang-!*
“...”
“...”
I decided to help Munseok Ajae—no, Haomun.
The moment I drew my blade and cut the man’s throat, Youngest, Munseok Ajae, the other Tang Family Martial Artists, and even the Haomun Fighters all stared at me with surprised eyes.
The first to regain their senses were the Tang Family Martial Artists.
“...Th-those bastards killed the Pavilion Lord-! Kill them-!”
They immediately plunged their hands into their wide sleeves, pulling out various hidden weapons and daggers, and seeing this, the Haomun Fighters also...
“Those bastards are moving-! Block them-!”
...immediately drew their blades and met them, and the battle began.
Even as the surroundings grew chaotic, I patted Munseok Ajae, who still wore a dazed expression, on the shoulder and said.
“I’ve already killed the strongest one. The *San Gong Dok* still needs a little time to spread through their bodies, so we need to subdue them quickly. You can do it, right?”
“...Y-you, why...”
“Meanwhile, I’ll go up there.”
“...!”
As I said that and turned my back, Munseok’s slightly trembling voice followed from behind.
“...Thank you.”
“...Don’t misunderstand. I’ll collect my payment properly. 200 Gold Gwan won’t even be close.”
After saying that, I looked back at Youngest.
“Youngest, just don’t die.”
“Yes, sir!”
Youngest’s cheerfulness even in this situation meant I wasn’t worried about him at all.
I then put my blade back into its sheath and headed upstairs.
**
*Tch.*
I clicked my tongue in regret, looking at my blade that had grazed *Dang Yeonmyeong*’s neck and then flown straight into the wall.
Of course, I knew an attack of this level wouldn’t work, but failing to get an easy kill still felt a bit disappointing.
“...Who are you?”
“Who am I? I’m a host here, and I came to deal with a Troublesome Customer. You bastard.”
“You’re spouting incomprehensible nonsense.”
*Dang Yeonmyeong* said that, subtly sizing me up. He probably wanted to gauge my Martial Arts level.
But...
“What about my subordinates outside...”
*Whoosh-, Crash-!!!*
Naturally, I had no intention of allowing that.
I leaped, imbued my fist with Aura (Gang Qi), and swung, forcing him to dodge.
He dodged, but my fist definitely connected.
*Dang Yeonmyeong*’s face was visibly contorted into a pulp. And then...
*Sizzle-.*
My fist, which had touched his face, also turned red as if it had come into contact with a strong acid (strong acid), and I felt a searing pain.
In that moment, I understood *Dang Yeonmyeong*’s level.
A Mature Poison Master. Perhaps even beyond that.
Having reached that stage, it could be said that his body *was* poison, and poison *was* his body.
*But that level is enough to melt Aura (Gang), even if only for a moment.*
I couldn’t help but be surprised by *Dang Yeonmyeong*’s level, which was higher than I’d expected. And I wasn’t the only one surprised by the current situation.
“You used Aura (Gang Qi)...?”
He, who had always worn an arrogant expression, looking down on everyone, finally began to contort his face.
“Is that possible at your age...? What is your true identity...?”
“Turn off your Poison Arts and fight me, and I’ll tell you.”
“You dare play word games in front of me.”
*Hiss-.*
Perhaps finding my words laughable, even more Poisonous Qi began to emanate from his body.
Someone approached me, seeing that sight.
*Thud.*
“Stop...”
It was the Haomun Leader.
She must have been poisoned earlier, as her face had been pale and she couldn’t steady herself since the moment I entered.
Nevertheless, she dragged her body towards me and whispered.
“Even you... run... away... That... no one can defeat...”
Her eyes already held a learned helplessness. I could somewhat understand why she said that.
The realm of a Mature Poison Master.
If an eagle were to catch and eat a Poison Frog and die from the poison, whose victory would that be?
That’s what a Poison Master is. No one, not even the Strongest Under Heaven, would want to fight a Poison Master.
Because the moment you choose to fight, even if you kill your opponent, you’ll be left with fatal injuries.
*In the original story, the Protagonist lost an eye when he caught that bastard, didn’t he?*
It was an unavoidable outcome because, at the moment he cut *Dang Yeonmyeong*’s throat, Poison Energy entered his open eye.
Losing an eye was a painful, fatal blow for a Martial Artist, but the Protagonist inwardly reassured himself that he had killed the bastard at a cheap price.
But...
“Haomun Leader, no matter how potent a poison a frog possesses, do you think it can become the strongest animal?”
“What do you mean by...”
“It means I don’t like seeing people who only know how to use poison acting all high and mighty.”
...I had no intention of sacrificing my eye just to take down *Dang Yeonmyeong*.
“It’s pathetic, that old man who dedicated his life just to become a Poison Frog.”
“...”
At this, the Haomun Leader was speechless and looked at me with a bewildered expression. I pushed her away from me, then enveloped my entire body in Aura.
And then, I leaped towards him.