Chapter 646: Don't Listen, Just Kill Him!

TL: FoodieMonster007

So Cheongrak was utterly dumbfounded. He never imagined he would be framed as a liar today. However, that was not the most important issue at the moment.

The poison isn't working?

So Cheongrak grew flustered. He would never have become so agitated in any other situation. He knew perfectly well that panicking would only make him appear more suspicious. The fact that the poison had no effect, however, dealt him a tremendous shock.

Seeing So Cheongrak's flustered state, the Demonic Fire Lord and the White Bone Spirit Demon exchanged glances. So Cheongrak's current reaction seemed like that of someone hiding something.

Forcibly calming his startled heart, So Cheongrak administered another poison. This time, he chose the Mad Sprint Poison.

This particular poison did not cause direct physical harm. Instead, it was a toxin that made one lose control of their emotions, causing them to erupt in rage and madness. It was a poison that only the highest-level poison arts masters could handle, and its properties were completely different from the Baeksa-bun he had used before.

Get agitated! Explode with your pent-up anger at them!

The moment that happened, it would be over. Those two prideful old demons would never let it slide. It did not matter if the anger was directed at him. As always, the one who got agitated first was the one who lost.

He fully expected Geom Mugeuk to erupt in anger and start shouting.

However, Geom Mugeuk did the opposite. He simply smiled even more brightly and spoke to the two old demons.

"I can't tell you how fortunate it is that you two are so prudent and wise."

He's smiling? He's smiling? So Cheongrak was even more surprised by Geom Mugeuk's reaction.

The poison didn't work again!

Geom Mugeuk was perfectly fine. He even cornered So Cheongrak again with a detestable look on his face.

"Look at him, unable to say a word. It's clear he was aiming for mutual destruction. If I were you two, I would've already lost my temper, started cursing, and beaten that man to a pulp."

So Cheongrak barely suppressed the urge to scream. He was so furious that he wondered if he had accidentally poisoned himself with his own concoction. But that wasn't it. If the poison had affected him, he would have definitely screamed.

Just why isn't the poison working?

At that moment, one person flashed through So Cheongrak's mind.

Could it be? Did the Poison King give him an antidote to take beforehand?

It was possible to take an antidote in advance to prepare for a specific poison. Of course, one had to know exactly which poison the opponent would use. Could the Poison King have possibly predicted that he would use Baeksa-bun and the Mad Sprint Poison?

Even if, giving him the benefit of the doubt, the Poison King had predicted his poisons and provided an antidote in advance, it would be impossible to flawlessly block two poisons with such completely different properties. Moreover, they would have to be taken in the correct order.

Ah, come to think of it, it was not just two poisons. Was there not the one he administered at the very beginning? The poison that makes one's blood and qi expand and burst the moment they use their inner arts also had no effect.

Is the Poison King really that skilled?

So Cheongrak was lost in thought. Should he use his trump card poison to kill him? Or should he stick to the original plan and have him killed by these two?

I have to kill him while I have the chance!

If Geom Mugeuk tried to kill him, he would die helplessly. His life was on the line, so he had to kill him first and worry about the rest later.

In the end, So Cheongrak administered his ultimate poison. The ingredients were so rare that he never used it unless it was a truly dire situation.

The True Lifeless Poison.

It was a lethal poison he had created himself that killed the target instantly. Since death was immediate upon administration, there was no antidote.

He won't be able to block this one. He should have rolled his eyes back and collapsed.

This time, too, Geom Mugeuk was perfectly fine. He even continued to sow discord.

"Speak honestly. You never intended to perform the great ritual to break the restriction in the first place, did you?"

So Cheongrak's eyes widened. He was shocked by the fact that even his signature poison had no effect. However, his expression made it seem as if Geom Mugeuk's words had hit the mark. He needed to say something to clear the suspicion, but So Cheongrak could not recover from the shock that the True Lifeless Poison had failed.

Even the Poison King couldn't create an antidote that could prepare for the True Lifeless Poison in advance. If such an antidote existed, it would be no different from making a person have Myriad Poison Immunity. There's no way such an antidote exists.

At that very moment, So Cheongrak flinched, his eyes widening.

No way…

So Cheongrak's body trembled. It could not be, right?

Right, there's no way.

So Cheongrak looked at Geom Mugeuk with trembling eyes. Despite being hit with poison after poison, he was completely unaffected. He should have at least shown some discomfort or dizziness, but instead, he was smiling at him.

From that relaxed demeanor, four words came to So Cheongrak's mind. The four words that practitioners of the poison arts dreaded seeing even in their dreams.

Myriad Poison Immunity!

Meanwhile, Geom Mugeuk's attempts to create a rift continued.

"Look at that anxious expression. Do you still think he's not deceiving you two?"

The Demonic Fire Lord and the White Bone Spirit Demon stared at So Cheongrak in silence. He had certainly been reacting suspiciously ever since his lie about not having inner arts was exposed.

Staring at Geom Mugeuk with a face full of disbelief, So Cheongrak finally reached a conclusion.

"The Young Cult Leader has Myriad Poison Immunity!"

In the heavy silence that followed, Geom Mugeuk responded nonchalantly.

"Is that the best excuse you could come up with?"

Just then, the Demonic Fire Lord shouted irritably.

"Both of you, stop!"

As emotion filled the Demonic Fire Lord's grating voice, it became even more unpleasant to hear.

"What is all this nonsense?" His anger was directed at both of them.

So Cheongrak calmly explained the situation. "I just administered a series of poisons to the Young Cult Leader. But not a single one worked. That's why I couldn't properly respond to the Young Cult Leader's provocations."

Then, Geom Mugeuk asked the two old demons, "Have either of you ever seen someone with Myriad Poison Immunity in your lives?"

The Demonic Fire Lord had never seen anyone with Myriad Poison Immunity. The White Bone Spirit Demon had reached the age of one hundred and fifty, so it was plausible that he might have seen it once.

The White Bone Spirit Demon was the same. He had never even heard of anyone who had Myriad Poison Immunity.

Geom Mugeuk taunted So Cheongrak. "Well then, you'll see one today. Here, I have Myriad Poison Immunity, so take a good look. Why don't you call a painter and have a portrait of us drawn together?"

The two old demons did not look at Geom Mugeuk, instead staring at So Cheongrak with suspicious eyes. The meaning in their gazes was clear.

What's all this nonsense about Myriad Poison Immunity?

So Cheongrak's chest felt tight with frustration.

Damn it! What kind of proper judgment could these old ghosts, who should have died several times over by now, possibly have?

However, he could not just let them go like this. Especially not in a situation where poison did not work on Geom Mugeuk.

"Didn't I tell you? The Young Cult Leader is no ordinary person. Why else would I have called both of you to deal with him, even after suppressing his inner arts?"

The two old demons were half-convinced, half-doubting. They had come here to kill Geom Mugeuk in the first place. The very fact that they were half-doubting meant that Geom Mugeuk's ploy to drive a wedge between them was working perfectly.

"Then we can just confirm it." Geom Mugeuk made an unexpected proposal.

"Let's see the location for the great ritual and confirm the person who will assist with it. After you've confirmed whether that man truly intends to perform the great ritual for you, you can kill me."

At that, the Demonic Fire Lord asked Geom Mugeuk with a suspicious gaze. "Why are you willing to go that far? We're the ones trying to kill you."

The White Bone Spirit Demon also suspected Geom Mugeuk with a similar sentiment.

"The reason is simple. It's because that man is so detestable. He looked down on our Cult and plotted to have you two Seniors and me end up in mutual destruction. Though we were active in different eras, aren't we all fellow demonic practitioners?"

So Cheongrak's expression hardened. Our? He could tell Geom Mugeuk was using that expression intentionally.

Geom Mugeuk's words continued. "Don't we demonic practitioners have our own unique temperament? We'd rather die fighting than be used and killed by others! Especially by rat-like bastards who scheme and plot in secret!"

As he said this, Geom Mugeuk glanced at So Cheongrak.

Agreeing completely with that sentiment at least, the two old demons glanced at So Cheongrak.

So Cheongrak could tell. Every time Geom Mugeuk spoke, the old demons' trust in the Young Cult Leader grew.

I can't win with words. I have to make a move.

Geom Mugeuk continued to press him. "What's so difficult about showing us the location for the great ritual in advance?"

At that moment, So Cheongrak said to the old demons, "Kill the Young Cult Leader. Then I will immediately escort you there. I will also summon the person who will perform the great ritual with us."

So Cheongrak glared at Geom Mugeuk.

No matter what tricks you pull, you won't be able to move them.

The blood-red energy flowing from the Demonic Fire Lord's body and the aura of death emanating from the White Bone Spirit Demon's eyes grew more intense. No matter what, the two of them were people filled with hatred for the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. Although So Cheongrak was acting suspiciously, their determination to kill Geom Mugeuk remained unchanged.

Just then, Geom Mugeuk calmly raised a question.

"Isn't it strange?"

Wondering what trick he would pull next, So Cheongrak shouted.

"Don't listen, just kill him!"

However, the words Geom Mugeuk uttered were ones they could not help but listen to.

"What's strange?"

In response to the Demonic Fire Lord's question, Geom Mugeuk laid out his point. "Assuming that man's words are true, he called you two here after suppressing my inner arts. He could have just killed me himself, so why did he specifically have you two do it?"

As So Cheongrak was about to interject, the White Bone Spirit Demon raised a hand to stop him. With a look that told him to continue, Geom Mugeuk answered his own question.

"It's to let the world know that you two are the ones who killed me. If that happens, you'll be hunted by the masters of our Cult for the rest of your lives. Father would never let it go."

After a moment, the White Bone Spirit Demon, who had been listening, spoke in a child's voice. "Do you think we weren't prepared for that much?"

Of course, they were prepared to be hunted.

What Geom Mugeuk intended to say was just beginning. "However, you won't be hunted. Because you won't be able to break the restriction."

An aura of darkness began to flow from the White Bone Spirit Demon's eyes and dominate the surroundings, but Geom Mugeuk's words continued to flow.

"You must know that their goal is for our Cult and the Murim Alliance to fight to the bloody end and suffer mutual destruction. But in a situation where it's revealed that you two killed me, do you think my father will start a war?"

Geom Mugeuk shook his head firmly. "He will postpone the war for the sake of revenge. He's a man who would start a war for his son, so there's no way he wouldn't seek revenge. Is that truly the situation they desire?"

The gazes of the White Bone Spirit Demon and the Demonic Fire Lord wavered slightly. He could feel them being swayed.

"But would you two let yourselves be caught so easily?"

They had no intention of being caught easily. Although they had talked about killing even the Cult Leader, they had not orchestrated all of this just to die.

Geom Mugeuk pushed them even more forcefully. "Would they want the war to be postponed? Or would they prefer that the two of you, who killed me and the head of the Demon Slaying Brigade, die because you can't break the restriction? All while saving the enormous cost of the great ritual."

His words were so plausible that the hearts of the Demonic Fire Lord and the White Bone Spirit Demon wavered.

The White Bone Spirit Demon spoke to So Cheongrak as if giving a command. "Lead us to the location of the great ritual."

The White Bone Spirit Demon's gaze towards him was resolute. So Cheongrak could not refuse. When even he found himself nodding at Geom Mugeuk's words, how could those two old demons not be swayed? He was well aware that Geom Mugeuk was no ordinary person, but experiencing it firsthand was enough to make him lose his senses.

It was obvious that any clumsy attempt to disobey would only make the situation more difficult. However, even if they were going, he had to suppress Geom Mugeuk's inner arts. Saying so directly would surely provoke the prideful old men and be counterproductive, so he spoke indirectly.

"The Young Cult Leader might launch a surprise attack."

To that, the Demonic Fire Lord replied confidently. "Don't worry about that. We'll handle it."

The Demonic Fire Lord said to Geom Mugeuk, "You two walk side-by-side in front. We'll follow behind."

He could no longer refuse. He truly hated such variables, but there was nothing he could do.

"Very well, let's go."

In the end, So Cheongrak led the way.

Even so, today's outcome won't change.

Geom Mugeuk followed right behind him, and the two old demons followed after. The patients, their guardians, and the physicians were still asleep. Geom Mugeuk did not spare them a single glance, as if they were of no concern to him.

And so, So Cheongrak led the three of them out of the infirmary. People they encountered within the clinic bowed their heads respectfully to So Cheongrak. He usually returned greetings warmly, but he had no mental leeway for that now.

The place So Cheongrak led them to was his own residence. After manipulating a series of hidden mechanisms on the desk, bookshelf, and display cabinet, a secret door leading to a basement opened.

Following the stairs all the way down, they found a spacious area. Luminous pearls were embedded here and there, illuminating the surroundings well, and it was not stuffy, suggesting there were air vents. This was the place where So Cheongrak secretly practiced his poison arts. The surrounding walls were fully stocked with all sorts of poisonous herbs and toxins. His decades of secrets were all here.

"We will conduct the great ritual here."

Upon arriving, the stiff expressions of the Demonic Fire Lord and the White Bone Spirit Demon relaxed.

Did he not anticipate this situation? So Cheongrak was inwardly curious about Geom Mugeuk's true intentions. Why on earth did he insist on seeing this place? Was it just to buy time? To stall while waiting for someone to come and rescue him?

If so, you've made a misjudgment.

This underground space, completely enclosed by walls, was an impossible place to escape from. Moreover, with the secret entrance closed, no one could come looking for them here.

So Cheongrak looked at Geom Mugeuk. He was looking around as if he were a guest touring a house.

"You seem to have a meticulous personality, but your organization of poisonous herbs is quite poor. Shall I organize them for you? I happen to be someone who has received intense training in organizing poisonous herbs."

The moment he saw that relaxed demeanor, a chill ran down So Cheongrak's spine as he realized one thing.

Come to think of it, we're also trapped with no place to run.