Chapter 223: Dealing With a Poison Master Is Always a Dirty Business

TL: FoodieMonster007

Were the two of them similar?

The Poison King would have protested. They had nothing in common.

I said it to turn the True Venom Sage's attention to me.

I achieved my objective. The True Venom Sage's attention shifted from the Poison King to me.

That's right, deal with me.

"Don't people feel bad for no reason when they see someone who looks like them?" I asked.

The look in the Poison King's eyes said it all.

Me and this ugly bastard?

The True Venom Sage shared that question.

"Where exactly do we look alike?"

He clearly thought they didn't resemble each other at all.

"In my eyes, you two look very similar. Even your gazes and auras are the same. You're both rebellious in a way, yet you have depth."

The True Venom Sage frowned. His expression screamed, You're saying this crap in a situation like this? Rebellious? Depth? In this underground prison where people are dying?

"Weren't you that handsome when you were young?"

Why would he be upset about resembling a handsome person? The problem was that he didn't believe me.

"Cut the crap. Tell me why you stepped up to save this man."

The True Venom Sage blatantly revealed his killing intent. He looked ready to poison me if I spouted any more nonsense.

"I received his help in the prison."

"How much help did you receive to risk your life?"

I looked at the Poison King.

"When I was fighting like a dog, that man became a dog and fought alongside me."

The Poison King's face flickered with surprise and emotion. He hadn't expected that reason.

Fortunately, my words worked on the True Venom Sage better than any long explanation.

"What's with all this talk of loyalty among prisoners? If you act presumptuously one more time, you'll disappear into a pool of blood."

"Yes! I'll be careful."

The True Venom Sage looked between me and the Poison King with a displeased expression but didn't escalate the situation. Every one of them was an important test subject.

The True Venom Sage locked the Poison King back in the prison and left.

I sent a telepathic message to the Poison King.

"You did well to endure."

"Why'd you step in? I could've handled it myself."

"I know."

"You were worried I'd cause trouble, weren't you?"

"No."

"Don't lie!"

After a brief pause, I told him.

"On the contrary, I was afraid you would endure it."

"!"

The Poison King stared at me, startled.

"I was afraid you'd endure it. That you'd take the slap and endure that bastard's humiliation. The Poison King would've probably endured it for our plan."

The Poison King's large, clear eyes widened.

"What if your flattery didn't work and that bastard tried to kill you?"

"Then we would've had to flip the table. We'd stage it to look like that bastard killed everyone here from Gwangpok's side effects, then died himself. Then we'd leave."

"Then what about Aecha? He's the type to hole up in his den and rarely come out, isn't he?"

"If we think about it, we'll find a solution."

"The reason you took such a risk… was just because you didn't want to see me suffer?"

"Just? That's a very important reason. It's a big enough deal to be worth flipping everything over and going back."

He gave me a look that asked, is this more flattery? I revealed my true feelings.

"The proportion of sincerity in the mix of flattery and sincerity is steadily increasing."

The Poison King stared at me, then disappeared from the small window.

Every day, prisoners died.

Each time, the True Venom Sage came to the prison, confirmed their deaths, glared at the Poison King, and left. The Poison King's existence was still a thorn in his side.

He should have trusted his instincts more and questioned why that clear gaze grated on his nerves so much.

However, he was tired from continuous research failures and failed to examine the sense of crisis that constantly sent him signals.

On the contrary, Gwangpok poisoned him every day. The Poison King had administered the poison with such exquisite skill, and since the True Venom Sage had no reason to use his inner arts intensely in his daily life, he failed to recognize it.

As the True Venom Sage left, the Poison King asked me.

"If our plan works, will Aecha show up here?"

"He'll definitely show up. According to Strategist Go's investigation, Aecha and the True Venom Sage don't have a good relationship. If he hears the experiment was a success, he'll come to see for himself."

"Based on the trend so far, we should have a conclusion within about ten days."

The end was in sight.

For ten days, I focused solely on the Heavenly Demon Defense Art.

Sometimes, chaotic surroundings lead to unexpected focus. That was the case for me. In this cramped, squalid prison where prisoners died every day, I focused on my training more than ever before.

Finally, I progressed with the Heavenly Demon Defense Art.

It was the result of recent changes in my body from my rising inner arts, combined with the training here. Slowly but surely, the Heavenly Demon Defense Art advanced toward complete mastery.

The Heavenly Demon Defense Art had risen a level and was certainly different. It reacted to danger more quickly and sensitively, and it felt more closely connected to me.

The prisoners continued to die even as I trained.

I overheard the martial artists delivering food. If this attempt failed, they planned to continue the experiment by kidnapping ordinary martial artists.

These people didn't care about the lives of others if it was for their own goals. No, from the beginning, they had no regard for the lives of others.

They were absolute evil. Who could possibly stop masters like the True Venom Sage and Aecha conducting secret experiments in a place like this?

"Stopping such evil deeds is my demonic path."

For the first time since I had said those words, someone asked me about the next generation.

The Poison King asked me.

"And after you die? Do you think the next Heavenly Demon will be able to protect that demonic path? I'm asking if another person like you could possibly appear."

"Why should I worry about what happens after I die? The people who are left will figure it out."

"You worked so hard to establish a new demonic path. Wouldn't it be a waste if the next generation ruins it?"

Yes, they might ruin it. However, I believed that was something I couldn't control. No, I thought it was right not to get involved in the first place.

"It's not like they'll listen just because you order the future generation, is it? Will they listen if you ask them? They'll just watch how we live. If they think it's cool, they'll follow. If they don't like it, they'll change it."

Just as I did.

Just as the Poison King predicted, all the prisoners were dead on the tenth day.

Only Geom Mugeuk and the Poison King remained.

Food was provided for several more days, and naturally, the two did not die.

A few days later.

The moment the two had been waiting for arrived.

Finally, Aecha visited the underground prison with the True Venom Sage. Aecha, who had been secluded in his den, showed himself for the first time.

"Did you really succeed?"

"I did! See for yourself. Two successful formulas have been developed. We just need to research them further to make a more stable formula."

"Let's have a look!"

Aecha peered through the iron door's peephole into the prison where Geom Mugeuk and the Poison King were held.

His joyful eyes turned into snake eyes.

"They're both too young. Does it only work on young people?"

For a moment, the True Venom Sage almost cursed. It was always like this, but he didn't expect Aecha to pull this crap today of all days.

"Aren't you looking down on me too much?"

A cold wind blew between the two men.

"I was just saying. No need to get so worked up."

After that annoying remark, Aecha looked between Geom Mugeuk and the Poison King in the prison.

No matter how I look at it, they seem too young?

At that moment, Aecha's heart pounded. His sense of crisis activated fiercely.

What is this? This ominous feeling?

Like a gambler changing cards before an addict, the pinnacle of the Poison King's martial arts was unleashed on the unorthodox sects' greatest poison master. A small hole was all he needed.

"!"

Instantly, Aecha's expression hardened. He forced a smile and approached the True Venom Sage.

"You've truly worked hard!"

The moment he drew near.

SHWIIK!

Aecha drew his sword like lightning and stabbed the True Venom Sage's arm.

The surprise attack caught the True Venom Sage completely off guard.

The moment the True Venom Sage reflexively tried to spray poison, Aecha subdued his demonic acupoints a step ahead.

"Are you crazy?"

At the True Venom Sage's shout, Aecha grabbed him by the neck.

"What's wrong with you? Did you take Gwangpok?"

The True Venom Sage thought Aecha had gone berserk from Gwangpok. Otherwise, there was no reason for him to suddenly try to kill him.

Aecha couldn't be trying to get rid of him after the experiment's success. In preparation for such an event, only the True Venom Sage knew how to make Gwangpok. He hadn't written it down anywhere. It was only in his head. Knowing that, Aecha had no reason to kill him.

"The antidote! Give me the antidote!"

Aecha suddenly coughed up blood.

His face turned black. Only then did the True Venom Sage realize he had been poisoned. Aecha had attacked, misunderstanding that the True Venom Sage had poisoned him.

"You bastard! I knew you'd betray me like this someday!"

"It wasn't me! I'm telling you, it wasn't!"

If the two had been on good terms, they would have calmly assessed their surroundings, but their relationship was like that of enemies, so they could only think that the other was trying to kill them.

Just then, the subordinates of Aecha and the True Venom Sage rushed in from outside.

"What's going on?"

"The True Venom Sage has betrayed us! Kill them all!"

Aecha's subordinates drew their swords and stabbed the True Venom Sage's subordinates to death. It happened in an instant. Surprised by the claim that their leader had betrayed them, the True Venom Sage's subordinates couldn't immediately counterattack with poison.

After they were all dead, Aecha's subordinates rushed toward Aecha and collapsed one by one.

Aecha thought the True Venom Sage's subordinates had used poison. In reality, Geom Mugeuk had fired finger qi bullets to press their blood points and put them to sleep. They were the best witnesses to explain this situation.

Both the poisoning and the pressing of the blood points were done inconspicuously from inside the prison through the small window.

Aecha's eyes went wild as he saw his own subordinates collapse.

"You traitorous bastard! Give me the antidote before I kill you!"

Aecha gripped the True Venom Sage's neck even tighter. A little more force and it would break. Unable to breathe, the True Venom Sage choked out his words.

"If I'd really intended to kill you, you'd already be dead."

Since that was true, Aecha was momentarily confused.

Right, if he wanted to kill me, wouldn't he have used a stronger poison to kill me instantly? He wouldn't have allowed a counterattack like this either.

It was at that moment.

"……"

The key hanging from the waist of a fallen subordinate of the True Venom Sage floated into the air.

The True Venom Sage saw it first and his eyes widened.

The key flew through the air and opened the iron door of the Poison King's cell.

CHAK!

Startled by the sound, Aecha also looked in that direction.

The key flew through the air again and opened the iron door of Geom Mugeuk's cell.

At the sound of the CHAK, the hearts of Aecha and the True Venom Sage sank.

As the doors opened, Geom Mugeuk and the Poison King walked out of the prison.

Aecha was momentarily dazed.

Am I seeing things because of the poison?

Geom Mugeuk and the Poison King walked side by side toward the two men.

The True Venom Sage grasped the situation first.

"Kill them! This is their doing!"

Aecha snapped to his senses and swung his sword at Geom Mugeuk.

How could an attack that wouldn't have worked as a planned ambush possibly work now? Aecha's sword thrust futilely into the air. Geom Mugeuk closed the distance with the Steps of the Yama King and subdued Aecha's demonic acupoints.

Aecha stared at Geom Mugeuk with a shocked expression. It finally hit him. Something had gone terribly wrong. He shouldn't have subdued the True Venom Sage and stabbed his arm.

The Poison King strode forward and opened the poison pouch at the True Venom Sage's waist. The True Venom Sage inwardly rejoiced.

You dare touch my poison pouch? Good, hurry up and die!

Of course, he would die. If it could be touched so carelessly, would it even be the True Venom Sage's poison pouch?

However, his opponent handled the poison more skillfully than he did.

A gust of wind carried the True Venom Sage's poison to Aecha's face.

"No!"

Aecha's desperate cry turned into a horrific scream.

"Aaaaaaaargh!"

Since it was a unique poison that only the True Venom Sage used, he would be the one who killed Aecha.

Then who would kill the True Venom Sage?

An unseen force moved Aecha's hand, which held the sword.

PUK!

It plunged into the True Venom Sage's chest.

"Aaaaaaaargh!"

"Uuuuuggghhh!"

The two men let out wretched screams at the same time.

Geom Mugeuk went over, poked the True Venom Sage's eyes below the sockets with his fingers, and then flicked his nose.

Blood flowed from his nose and eyes. Since his body already contained enough Gwangpok administered by the Poison King, the conclusion would be that the True Venom Sage went berserk from Gwangpok's side effects, and the two destroyed each other.

"…Why, of all things?"

The Poison King gave a curt reply to the True Venom Sage's pained question.

"Because you made your medicine like shit."

Geom Mugeuk added nothing. He didn't say that a sword fight broke out and many innocent people died because of his medicine, or that a child who lost his family was left all alone. Those words would have been wasted on him. They wouldn't have left even a small scratch on his conscience.

However, for a man so full of pride, the Poison King's words must have been a deep wound.

This time, Aecha, his face half-melted by poison, asked Geom Mugeuk with difficulty.

"…Who are you? Who are you people?"

Geom Mugeuk stared at him silently before speaking softly.

"That man is Gwangpok, and I am Heukbi."

He named the two main drugs they sold.

He wanted to say more, but Aecha's life ended there. Just fifteen minutes ago, he would never have imagined his life would end so meaninglessly.

The True Venom Sage watched Aecha's head fall and spoke to the Poison King.

"…I have something to say."

The Poison King moved closer to his side.

The True Venom Sage bit the inside of his cheek and spat out blood mixed with a potent poison.

CHWARRRRK!

The Poison King opened the Emptiness Fan to block it.

Blood trickled down the fan. Besides the True Venom Sage's blood, the fan bore the marks of many battles. The Poison King seemed to leave those marks as they were, without removing or replacing them.

"A third-rate poison master's poison won't work."

Thoroughly toyed with until the very end, the True Venom Sage trembled in agony and shame before his head finally slumped.

Geom Mugeuk looked down at the two dead men in silence. This meant more than just killing one of Yayul Han's four subordinates.

This moment saved countless lives that would have died from Gwangpok in the future, and it achieved revenge for the boy who lost his mother and younger sibling. He could now go to Seo Daeryong. He could tell him to go back and tell the boy that his revenge was fulfilled. That no evil can stand before our Cult. So now, he should live happily, at least for himself. Their deaths held such meaning.

Geom Mugeuk bowed his head respectfully to the Poison King.

"You've truly worked hard."

He had suffered a great deal in this cramped, suffocating place. While Geom Mugeuk himself had spent all his spare time training, the Poison King, who was used to living in the nature of the Thousand Poisons Forest, must have felt truly stifled.

"Dealing with a poison master is always this difficult and dirty."

"I enjoyed it. Being with you, the Poison King."

"Stop releasing the poison. It's already enough."

"Pardon?"

The Poison King left the clueless-looking Geom Mugeuk and strode out first.

Just before leaving, Geom Mugeuk fired a finger qi bullet to release the blood points of Aecha's subordinates he had put to sleep.

A moment later, they heard a commotion behind them. "The True Venom Sage has gone mad!" "He betrayed us!" "Inform the higher-ups!" The two silently disappeared from that place.