Chapter 24: Mixing Alcohol Makes You Drunk Faster

When I accepted the bet, the Leader of the Lower Filth Gate smiled and poured a drink into the glass.

“This is rice wine. What kind of poison is mixed in it is a secret. Please understand.”

“Just give it to me.”

The Leader of the Lower Filth Gate handed the glass filled with alcohol to the courtesan, who then handed it to me.

Tak.

The subtle scent of rice wine wafted from the glass placed in front of me.

Srrk-.

…No, upon closer inspection, it wasn’t subtle. The strong scent pierced my nose.

Originally, rice wine has a fruity scent like apples, but this one smelled like fermented apples.

I couldn’t guess what kind of poison was in it… Even a lover of strong liquor would hesitate to drink it due to its appearance and scent…

Sluurp-.

I lifted the glass and drank it down.

“Hmm~.”

At first, it was definitely tingly. It felt like my mouth and tongue were burning.

But that’s the way alcohol is meant to be enjoyed. After fully savoring the burning sensation on my tongue, I slowly swallowed it down my throat.

As it went down my throat, a lingering aftertaste remained in my mouth. It felt like I had concentrated the essence of a hundred apples into my mouth.

At the same time, my internal energy automatically circulated to detoxify the alcohol.

Just one glass made me feel tipsy. This drink was truly a masterpiece.

“Tastes good.”

“…Does it?”

When I gave my honest opinion, the Leader of the Lower Filth Gate had a slightly awkward expression.

No, she seemed a bit flustered.

Of course, she would be. She was confident, but I enjoyed the drink too much.

‘Who told you to challenge me with strong liquor?’

I chuckled inwardly and spoke to her.

“I finished the glass. I think I’m fine. Do you want to check for yourself?”

“…No. You seem perfectly fine at a glance. The first round is your victory. As promised, you can ask one question.”

“Alright, then the first question.”

Although it was obvious I would win the third round as well, I decided to ask the most important question just in case.

“Tell me about the high-level information regarding the Heavenly Demon Cult that you mentioned earlier.”

Information about the Heavenly Demon Cult. In fact, I participated in this drinking competition to hear about it.

The Leader of the Lower Filth Gate seemed to know I would ask this first, as she opened her mouth without any reaction.

And the information she gave me was…

“It seems that the executives of the Heavenly Demon Cult have left the Ten Thousand Great Mountains and infiltrated the Central Plains.”

“…What?”

…It was shocking.

I was serious now. I had to ask again.

“…Is that true? Without a shred of falsehood?”

“It is our tradition and pride at the Lower Filth Gate to never lie when selling information. Our spies have confirmed that martial artists with the mark of an Elder were seen leaving the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.”

“……”

…Yes, the Lower Filth Gate doesn’t lie about things like this.

Knowing that made me even more confused.

…Why? Why on earth…?

Why has the plot of the novel changed?

There would be some changes in the future since I was reincarnated into this world. But did my actions affect the movements of the Demonic Sect?

My head was already hurting, but the next words from the Leader of the Lower Filth Gate hit me like a double blow.

“It is believed that the Deputy Leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult was among them.”

“…That hikikomori left the Ten Thousand Great Mountains?”

“Hikikomori… I don’t know what that means, but… Do you have a connection with the Deputy Leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult?”

“……”

I didn’t answer that question, of course.

When I remained silent, the Leader of the Lower Filth Gate observed me and continued her questions.

“…You are trembling slightly.”

“……”

“I thought you possessed exceptional martial prowess. Why do you tremble at the mere mention of the heretics from the Northern Region?”

The Leader of the Lower Filth Gate seemed genuinely curious.

The heretic martial artists who only caused minor disturbances in the Northern Region.

That was the common perception of the Heavenly Demon Cult.

Of course, it was understandable to see them that way. They had been hiding in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains for hundreds of years without any significant movements since the first Heavenly Demon.

But that didn’t mean they were weak.

‘It’s bothersome… Killing them is a hassle, can’t they just die on their own?’

They were just waiting for the right moment, hiding their claws thoroughly.

Heretics from the Northern Region?

The person with the most information in the world was saying such things.

It showed how complacent the current Murim was. That complacency would drag Murim into hell. That was the future I had seen in the novel.

But now, the ones who would bring that disaster were moving faster than expected?

…It’s troubling.

So troubling that I wanted a drink.

“…Hey, I’m done with my question, so pour me the next drink quickly.”

“…You speak as if you’re ordering white liquor at an inn.”

The Leader of the Lower Filth Gate looked bewildered but reached for the next drink.

Hwaaah-.

I knew the moment she opened the lid.

This one was much stronger than the previous one.

As she poured the drink into the glass, she began to explain.

“This time, it’s Bamboo Leaf Liquor.”

“Bamboo Leaf Liquor? I want something more intense and luxurious…”

When I complained, the Leader of the Lower Filth Gate chuckled and handed the drink to the courtesan.

“This is high-quality Bamboo Leaf Liquor made directly in Sichuan, the origin of Bamboo Leaf Liquor. It’s on a different level from the cheap ones you find in inns. Of course, what kind of poison is mixed in is a secret.”

“…Fine. I want to get drunk, so just give it to me.”

I took the drink from the courtesan and first smelled it.

The sweet and refreshing scent of Bamboo Leaf Liquor was strong. I immediately drank it down.

Sluurp-.

“Hmm.”

Not bad.

As the Leader of the Lower Filth Gate said, it was different in taste and depth from the cheap Bamboo Leaf Liquor found in inns. Of course, it was quite tingly due to the poison mixed in.

‘She must have prepared a lot.’

Even a skilled martial artist would be knocked out by this strong liquor. But no matter how strong it was, to me, it was just a delicious drink.

“I finished it. Can I ask my question now?”

“…You seem fine again, so go ahead.”

Tsk tsk.

Poor thing.

Even the Leader of the Lower Filth Gate must have some pride, but she’s being thoroughly trampled by me.

‘You should choose your opponents more carefully when making bets.’

I clicked my tongue inwardly and casually continued with my question.

“Uh… How did you know I was interested in the Heavenly Demon Cult?”

“I received all the information about the Shanxi Yoo Family earlier. It turns out that Elder Wi Yongmyeong is actually a Demonic Human. I could infer from there to some extent.”

“Well… As I expected.”

There was no other way for the information to leak, so I roughly guessed it would be through that.

Even after receiving the answer to my question, I felt quite indifferent.

I wasn’t particularly curious about anything other than the first question.

My main concern right now was the Heavenly Demon Cult, which was acting differently from the novel.

‘Damn… I originally planned to ignore them…’

I intended to live a joyful and carefree life, not caring about the Heavenly Demon Cult or the Orthodox Sects. But they kept catching my attention.

It felt like watching a child play with fire in front of a barrel of oil.

It should be fine, right? Even if the plot changes a bit, the overall flow should follow the novel, right?

In the novel, although the world turned to ashes, the Murim Alliance eventually won. I didn’t see the last part, but they had the upper hand, so they probably won.

‘It’s fine. It’ll be fine. Don’t get involved, just like I decided a year ago…’

I tried to suppress my anxious feelings and calm my mind. In the meantime, the third drink was prepared.

The Leader of the Lower Filth Gate opened the lid of the last drink and explained as before.

“The last one is a complete secret.”

“Really…?”

Sluurp-.

Unlike the previous ones, this drink didn’t have a strong or tingly scent as it was poured.

But it was called Returning to Simplicity and Truth. Since it was the last drink, it must be the strongest despite appearing ordinary.

‘Should I be a bit more cautious?’

From the moment I received the glass from the courtesan, I drank it with a slightly different mindset than before.

But…

“…?”

This is strange.

Why does the drink… taste sweet?

“Is something wrong?”

When I made a puzzled expression, the Leader of the Lower Filth Gate spoke up.

Her expression was calm, as if she had given up on everything. Curious, I asked.

“The drink… is sweet?”

“The drink… is sweet, you say…?”

“Yeah. Did you give up because you thought I wouldn’t be affected… Ugh!”

It was then.

Ugh-.

A wave of nausea rose from my stomach, and the intoxication clouded my focus.

The effects of the drink were kicking in.

Pabat-.

I quickly closed my eyes and sat cross-legged. I needed to circulate my internal energy to detoxify.

‘What the hell…? It was fine until now, why suddenly…’

I couldn’t help but be flustered. It had been fine until now, but suddenly… even though I…

‘Sigh, lucky guy. With this, your Ren and Du meridians are open, so you won’t be affected by most poisons. You’re almost at the level of being Immune to All Poisons.’

…That’s what I was told!

I felt wronged, but there was no time to question it. I focused on detoxifying my body as much as possible.

The only fortunate thing was that my detoxification speed was faster than the spread of the poison in my body.

Srrk-.

But then, I sensed movement in front of me with my eyes closed. The Leader of the Lower Filth Gate had stood up.

‘What is she trying to do…?’

Using force during a drinking competition is a basic rule. So I was even more puzzled by the Leader of the Lower Filth Gate’s actions.

‘If she tries anything strange, I’ll punch her first, detoxification be damned.’

With that thought, I continued detoxifying. At that moment, the Leader of the Lower Filth Gate spoke.

“You are truly arrogant. I have been watching you all this time, trying to win against you, but how can you be so distracted during our bet?”

I must have been too obvious with my distractions. But since her tone didn’t carry any hostility, I remained silent and focused on detoxifying.

“Poison mixing doesn’t only happen outside. It can also happen inside the body. Do you remember the drinks you had today?”

Damn, how could I remember that? And mixing poisons inside the body?

Grrr-.

No wonder it felt like new poison was rising even as I detoxified. Is this what she meant?

But it would be over soon. Just a little more, and I could completely detoxify.

Meanwhile, the Leader of the Lower Filth Gate continued speaking to herself.

“The drinks you had today contained Snow Lotus Herb, Freezing White Poison, Fire King Poison, and Alcohol Poisoning Flower. Of course, I mixed them in a way that wouldn’t be life-threatening, so there’s no problem. Even if they mix, they won’t become a deadly poison for martial artists…”

“……”

“But when those poisons mix with certain spices from the snacks you had today, they become Drunken Immortal Wine, which the third family head of the Sichuan Tang Family, who was Immune to All Poisons, used to enjoy.”

“…!”

A drink enjoyed by someone Immune to All Poisons…? But I’m… almost Immune to All Poisons?

I was momentarily flustered, but I continued detoxifying. I tried not to be swayed by the Leader of the Lower Filth Gate’s words and focused on my task.

“Oh, but I made a small mistake. The key ingredient of Drunken Immortal Wine is the sour taste of tangerines, and I almost forgot that.”

“…What?”

Sensing something ominous in her next words, I hurriedly opened my eyes.

But…

Tak.

Her soft hand was already covering my mouth, and something had already gone down my throat.

Gulp.

From the brief taste on my tongue, it was a tangerine.

I thought nothing would happen from eating a mere fruit, but…

Bubble.

“…!”

As soon as the tangerine touched the poison in my stomach, it created a strange reaction, bringing an overwhelming intoxication.

“Ugh…”

My mind was spinning. An unbearable fatigue washed over me, and my eyes grew heavy.

For the past few years, I couldn’t get drunk. Even if I did, I couldn’t get deeply drunk.

But now, I was so intoxicated that my mind was hitting rock bottom.

It brought me a rare pleasure, but at the same time…

“Damn it…”

…It also brought the frustration of losing the bet.

“…See you when I wake up, damn woman.”

“Yes, let’s see each other again when you wake up.”

With that, I closed my eyes, looking at the Leader of the Lower Filth Gate.

And when I opened my eyes again…

“Are you awake?”

“Ah…”

I found myself lying on someone’s lap.