Chapter 218: To Invite Someone Over Just to Serve Cheap Liquor

TL: FoodieMonster007

A searing liquid burned down Big Tiger's throat.

He had never tasted anything like it. The moment he swallowed, Big Tiger knew he had ingested something forbidden.

The Poison King approached and handed him a black pill.

"Chew it thoroughly and swallow. Or all your insides will melt."

Startled, Big Tiger snatched the pill. A cooling sensation spread through him as the antidote took effect.

"You must take this antidote once a day until I completely detoxify you. For every two hours you're late, one of your organs will melt. Your heart will be the last to go."

Big Tiger's vision went dark, but a sliver of hope remained. They were keeping him alive for a reason.

"What should I do now?"

"You'll take us to Jisaeng. He's the second, I'm the third, and he's the fourth."

Geom Mugeuk first pointed to Seo Daeryong, then to the Poison King.

The Poison King asked with a surprised expression.

"Why me?"

"We need three people. As you can see, he can't step forward because he's wearing a mask."

He deliberately avoided using the title 'the Smiling Demon' in front of Big Tiger.

The gazes of the Poison King and the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon met again.

"Given the circumstances, I'm asking this of you."

It was not something the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon would normally ask, but he spoke politely to the Poison King.

Just as the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon had stepped back earlier, the Poison King readily accepted.

"Very well. I'll do it."

Just then, Big Tiger spoke cautiously.

"They all look so young. I don't know if he'll believe it."

At that, Geom Mugeuk said something meaningful.

"Making him not believe is the core of this job."

Big Tiger did not understand. He asked the one question that had been bothering him.

"Since I've even taken poison, let me ask one thing. Who in the world are you people?"

"Who else? We're the beloved younger brothers of our Big Bro."

Geom Mugeuk pressed his acupoint, and Big Tiger collapsed into sleep.

After putting him to sleep, Geom Mugeuk addressed the two Demon Supremes.

"Strategist Go is proceeding with the plan. We should hear from Jisaeng within a few days. He's thrown out a sparkling, dazzling bait that Jisaeng can't possibly refuse."

This operation proceeded exactly according to Go Wol's plan. Geom Mugeuk had told Go Wol not to feel pressured and to plan comfortably.

Go Wol's enemy was not the Evil Alliance or Jisaeng. It was the pressure he felt as a strategist to handle things perfectly and thus look good in front of Geom Mugeuk.

Seo Daeryong tucked the corpses of the dead Four Iron Sword Tigers under his arms.

"I'll take care of the bodies."

"I'll help you."

Geom Mugeuk tucked the last corpse under his arm and followed Seo Daeryong outside.

He and Seo Daeryong dug a deep pit in the backyard and buried the three men. Considering their evil deeds, they should have been thrown on a mountain for beasts to eat, but since they had to impersonate the men, they could not.

"As expected, when I'm out with you, Director, the bodies pile up."

"It might be because of you."

"Because of me?"

"When we first met, you said our Cult would never change. Because of that, I resolved to make it change."

Seo Daeryong stared silently at Geom Mugeuk, then spoke softly.

"I only gave you one thing, but you, Director, repay me with ten."

This meant his words had been that thankful and encouraging.

Geom Mugeuk thought that for someone who knew gratitude like this, he could give not just ten, but a hundred.

Seo Daeryong looked at the corpses in the pit.

"Sorry. It seems you died because of me."

After covering them with dirt, Seo Daeryong tamped the ground with his feet. When he finished without leaving a trace, Seo Daeryong spoke to Geom Mugeuk.

"Aren't you going inside?"

"Let's go in a bit. Let's give those two some time to get acquainted."

Seo Daeryong looked at the building.

"Come to think of it, the two scariest people in our Cult are in there."

Seo Daeryong was inwardly curious how Geom Mugeuk would describe the two of them.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon looked out the window while the Poison King needlessly organized the poisons in his bag.

Then, they both spoke at the same time.

"The Poison King…"

"The Smiling Demon…"

"Ah, you speak first."

"No, you speak first."

Silence followed until the Poison King spoke first.

"I never thought I'd end up in a place like this with you."

"The same goes for me."

"Do you know? When the Second Young Lord talks about the Demon Supremes, his eyes sparkle most when he mentions you, the Smiling Demon. It's like he gets excited. That's the feeling I get."

The eyes within the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's eyeholes smiled pleasantly, perhaps because he heard something he liked.

"It's the same for me. I think I also get excited when I'm with the Second Young Lord. I don't know why."

He would never know that in Geom Mugeuk's life before regression, he had wanted to befriend him. He was the only person who had shown his face while dying by Geom Mugeuk's sword. He would never know their deep connection continued from before the regression.

The Poison King, however, felt something different.

"I feel uneasy when I see the Second Young Lord. It's like he's a poison with no antidote."

This meant that once addicted, there was no solution. It also meant he did not want to fall into such a relationship.

"When we make poisons, we consider a poison without an antidote a failure."

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's gaze returned to the window. Far in the yard, the poison with no antidote walked this way, talking with Seo Daeryong.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon spoke in a small, almost inaudible voice.

"I don't mind."

A few days later, a subordinate reported to Jisaeng.

"I've heard a strange rumor about the Four Iron Sword Tigers."

"What rumor?"

"About a month before they came here, they supposedly robbed an escort mission and got three top-grade Luminous Pearls."

Jisaeng startled at the words 'top-grade Luminous Pearl'. They were not only incredibly expensive but also so rare that money alone could not buy them. The wealthy magnates of the jianghu bought them as soon as they appeared, and the Four Iron Sword Tigers had obtained three?

"There's also a rumor that several of the Four Iron Sword Tigers died in the process."

"When we investigated them before, there was no such incident, was there?"

He had several candidates for the Miracle Deity Loan. After a thorough investigation, he had finally chosen the Four Iron Sword Tigers.

"It seems to be because it was a recent event."

Yet Big Tiger had shown no sign of it. When asked to see his brothers' faces, hadn't he said he would show them anytime? If several of only four had died, that meant everyone except Big Tiger was dead.

"It won't be difficult to confirm. We had to meet once anyway. Go tell the Four Iron Sword Tigers I want to meet."

One hour later, Jisaeng met the Four Iron Sword Tigers again at the same manor.

Again, a screen was lowered in front of Jisaeng, allowing only him to see the faces on the other side.

"We greet the Elder. These are my younger brothers. Now, greet him."

The three men removed their bamboo hats at Big Tiger's words. Jisaeng flinched in surprise the moment he saw them.

The young man to Big Tiger's left was handsome, with a clear, deep gaze that made it hard to believe he was one of the evil Four Iron Sword Tigers. The man on the other side was small and also did not fit their image. The last man looked so young he seemed to have just stepped into the jianghu, far from being one of the Four Iron Sword Tigers.

"You're younger than I thought."

"Being young, won't we work more passionately?"

Geom Mugeuk, the Poison King, and Seo Daeryong had not even bothered with a simple disguise. Fake beards might have avoided suspicion, but they deliberately chose not to wear them. This was all part of Go Wol's strategy.

Jisaeng asked Geom Mugeuk.

"Since when have you been one of the Four Iron Sword Tigers?"

Geom Mugeuk glanced furtively at Big Tiger and spoke in a trembling voice.

"It's been quite a while."

Jisaeng's mouth lifted at the corners when he saw Geom Mugeuk trail off without a precise answer.

The rumor might be true.

He thought that Big Tiger's brothers had died robbing the escort mission, and he had recruited new people.

Big Tiger spoke confidently, as if he had nothing to hide.

"Recently, my younger brothers were injured or left, so I took in new ones. They're all trustworthy men, so you don't need to worry about the Miracle Deity Loan."

Jisaeng concealed his fierce inner thoughts and spoke pleasantly.

"Seeing such young and gallant tigers gives me confidence. Please devote yourselves to the great cause. I'll reward you with the wealth of the Ghost Shadows."

"We will give our utmost loyalty."

And so, the first meeting between Jisaeng and the Four Iron Sword Tigers ended.

Three days later, the fake Jisaeng sent a telepathic message to the real Jisaeng from a moving carriage.

[The one called Big Tiger among the Four Iron Sword Tigers has top-grade Luminous Pearls.]

The real Jisaeng stopped the carriage. He was a man who would exchange telepathic messages even while driving, no matter how important the topic, but now he had stopped completely.

[Is that true?]

[Yes.]

The real Jisaeng could not hide his excitement. Top-grade Luminous Pearls were his favorite treasure, and he collected them by any means necessary.

Among treasures, two had prices that only ever rose: the Luminous Pearl and the Antitoxin Bead.

Jisaeng bought Luminous Pearls whenever he accumulated money. He did not buy cheap ones. He only sought top-grade Luminous Pearls.

He did not keep his money in a private bank, because Yayul Han or the Evil Alliance could one day search it and take everything. They had the power and capability to do so.

So, he kept only a portion of his money in the bank and converted the rest into Luminous Pearls. He chose them over gold, paintings, or art because they were small and light, making them easy to store and transport.

[Could it be that someone is trying to pull a trick?]

The fake Jisaeng answered confidently.]

[That's why I confirmed it again through an information broker. It's certain. They attacked an escort shipment, and three of the Four Iron Sword Tigers died in the process.]

He did not know that Go Wol was the one who spread the rumor and controlled the information in this region.

[The one strange thing, however, is that he took this job even after earning so much money.

[Have you ever seen that thing called greed be satisfied?]

That was something the fake Jisaeng felt every time he saw the real Jisaeng.

[Perhaps the man intended to hide in the Elder's shadow.]

[How many does he have?]

[He says three.]

Not one, but three. He did not need to hesitate for even a moment.

[Get rid of them as quickly as possible and retrieve the Luminous Pearls. Find others to entrust with the Miracle Deity Loan.]

[The Central Plains are full of trash like the Four Iron Sword Tigers. I will find new ones soon.]

He was a man whose greed for wealth could not be stopped by anyone.

[I was trying to get deer meat but ended up with a tiger's hide!]

Jisaeng laughed heartily and started the carriage again.

Only one thing could make him laugh so boisterously.

The Four Iron Sword Tigers received an invitation from Jisaeng.

When they arrived, food and liquor were set out. The side dishes were meager, and the liquor was so cheap it was hard to bring to one's lips.

Geom Mugeuk smiled, guessing the meaning behind the spread.

"Now that we're one family, how about removing the screen? I'd like to see the Elder's esteemed face."

Jisaeng laughed from beyond the screen.

"As expected of the young, you have spirit. Good."

The screen between them was removed. Jisaeng showed his face without concern, as he intended to kill them all anyway.

Geom Mugeuk raised his cup high.

"Come, let's have a drink together!"

Jisaeng did not raise his cup. He revealed a cold emotion, and the atmosphere chilled.

"Big Tiger, there's a rumor going around about you."

"What rumor are you talking about?"

"I hear you landed a big score?"

"I'm not sure what you're talking about."

"We're family now. Let's just have a look."

"I really don't know what you're talking about."

Big Tiger flatly denied it.

Jisaeng nodded.

"Yes, that's to be expected. I would've done the same. I understand."

As soon as he finished speaking, four martial artists entered the room. They were filled with killing intent, their skills superior to the Four Iron Sword Tigers.

They were Jisaeng's most cherished limbs. He mainly used them when he needed to kill people secretly.

"The three new guys don't know anything anyway, so kill them first."

At that, Geom Mugeuk said to Big Tiger.

"Our poor Big Bro is about to lose all his younger brothers again."

Big Tiger sighed at Geom Mugeuk's words and looked at Jisaeng. His gaze said it all.

You're in big trouble now.

An unknown unease made Jisaeng's heart turn cold. He shouted to his subordinates.

"Hurry up and kill them!"

The moment he spoke, the four men collapsed in unison, as if crumbling.

Jisaeng's face turned pale with shock. All four subordinates had died without even swinging a sword. His order was 'kill them', not 'die'. So why in the world did you guys…?

"Poison!"

The Poison King already waved a fan gently. It was his unique poison weapon, the Emptiness Fan.

Even though four people were poisoned at once, the others in the same space were perfectly fine. This admirable move was a poison art only the Poison King could execute. When he used poison, he lost all trace of cuteness or freshness. He became cold and ruthless, a completely different person.

Jisaeng shot up and drew his sword.

Just as he was about to shout and alert the real Jisaeng and the others outside, Geom Mugeuk brought an index finger to his lips.

"……"

He had only gestured for silence, but Jisaeng's muting point was already sealed.

"To invite someone over just to serve cheap liquor. This will be better."

Jisaeng stared at the small poison vial extended toward him and felt it. The greatest crisis of his life had arrived.

And it was a crisis far too great to have arrived.