Chapter: 515
A small park behind the Tang Gate.
This is a space that the former head, Dokgun, extravagantly decorated with a lot of money.
It’s so beautiful that it feels out of place for a park belonging to the Tang Clan.
There were absolutely no poisonous plants in the park, and it was literally designed as a resting spot with beautiful flowers blooming and water flowing through each season.
The Poison King was walking through with his brow heavily furrowed.
As the Poison King glided past the flower-lined path, countless warriors followed behind him.
In contrast to the beautiful scenery, their expressions were exceedingly dark.
The expression on the face of the head of this group was no different.
-It’s done. Come here.
While he was in the residence, a voice whispered in the Poison King’s ear.
At those simple words, the Poison King immediately got to his feet.
Yet, his back was soaked in sweat.
‘It’s just been a day at most.’
It’s only been a day since Gu Cheol-woon arrived.
After hearing the circumstances, Gu Cheol-woon had said he would listen to the rest of the story after finishing up his task.
And so, a day passed.
The Poison King was trapped in a situation where he had no clue what to do.
Does this mean that the entire situation was wrapped up in just a day?
‘That doesn’t make sense.’
How on earth did he accomplish that?
Even though it was something he had summoned, the Poison King couldn’t comprehend how it was possible.
Thinking this, the Poison King raised his head to gaze into the sky.
A blue light spread across the center of the night sky.
A brilliantly glowing sphere floated as if it were conjuring the scene.
It was indeed terrifying. Just looking at it made him sweat sweat drip.
‘It’s truly frightening….’
It was a power so terrifying it could instill fear in Dokwang, the head of the four great families.
And that’s not all.
The warriors already in the palace were paralyzed with fear as they witnessed the bizarre happenings.
At most, it was one person’s doing. Even so, it could be said that the entire clan was under pressure.
Seeing this made the Poison King unexpectedly burst into laughter.
“Haha….”
“My lord…?”
The warrior behind the Poison King reacted in concern to his laughter, to which the Poison King gestured nonchalantly.
“It’s nothing. Just a funny thought crossed my mind…”
Right, it’s a funny thought.
How could it not be amusing?
The Poison King was a warrior before becoming the head of the household.
There was no way he wouldn’t know, yet he had briefly forgotten.
This is not some distant place, but the Central Plains.
‘A world where strength reigns supreme.’
It’s a realm filled with people who worship might and hone themselves through it.
If Gu Cheol-woon were to think about what set him apart, it wouldn’t be difficult at all.
It’s an exceedingly simple answer.
‘…He is stronger than me.’
You can’t solve everything with sheer force. That’s just how the world operates.
One thing.
Most issues are resolvable, and the reasons for an inability to resolve them are plentiful.
‘When lacking power.’
That’s when someone doesn’t have enough strength to manage the situation.
Only at that moment do people begin to seek out other forms of strength.
He was no different.
That was the extent of it.
Due to his lack of power, he called forth someone stronger.
That individual could finish the job effortlessly because he was indeed stronger than him.
The power to topple an entire clan.
That was all he possessed.
‘I don’t have that kind of power….’
That is the crux of the issue.
It’s so bitter and burning.
Like a wound searing under flames, it sharpens his awareness.
He had never considered himself incompetent in his life, yet now he simply felt dazed.
In this state, the Poison King bit down to regain his senses.
He needed to snap out of it.
If he collapses here, the clan crumbles.
That damned reality was forcibly compelling the Poison King to stand tall.
‘Shit.’
He merely walked forward.
Now was the time to endure. As always, being the clan head meant that kind of responsibility.
Gu Cheol-woon had only sent a word to meet him; he could easily lose track of the location. However, locating the destination wasn’t that difficult.
‘It’s hot.’
With each step, he felt an increasingly intense heat.
From the moment the Poison King exited his quarters, he could tell that this energy belonged to Gu Cheol-woon.
It was a direction he was illuminating.
He kindly beckoned him to come over.
Although it is a park within the Tang Gate, the distance was considerable. Not only had that odd message been sent from there to here, but this energy was emanating to guide him as well.
Now, it was utterly absurd.
‘As time passes, you simply become more amazing.’
When everyone else remained stagnant.
Only Gu Cheol-woon would change.
It had always been that way.
Even during the latter days of the late Jisoo era when the Poison King was dubbed the Poison Dragon, the same rang true.
Gu Cheol-woon was a being living in an entirely different world.
One he couldn’t even dare to look up to. It was far too humbling to even consider jealousy.
Only when he quite literally vanished did he manage to forget such things momentarily.
He trudged forward as emotions weighed his feet down.
The blooming flowers and trees, while once captivating, had now faded out of view.
After some time had passed.
Huuuu-!
“…Ha…”
The Poison King exhaled the breath he had been holding.
He sensed the oppressive heat lifting.
The senses that had been dimming gradually reignited.
As his vision cleared, the Poison King cautiously surveyed his surroundings.
“…!”
Eyes widening, he took in the new scene.
“Where is this…?”
Different.
This was not the scenery of the park he had been walking through moments ago.
The beauty of the flowers and trees had vanished, replaced by desolate cracked earth and decayed grass.
The Poison King instantly recognized the land.
This was terrain altered by poison.
The dryness and decay were likely the cause.
‘Was there such a place in the Tang Dynasty?’
As a clan dealing with poison, one would think they would have maintained it rigorously for the sake of their public image.
Who would’ve thought that such a place lurked within their own clan?
Frowning, the Poison King examined the area.
“Is it a formation…?”
He sensed a faint energy.
There were traces of a high-level formation set up to obscure this terrain.
Feeling that, he clenched his fists.
“…What on earth have you been doing?”
The Warlord.
What on earth had his grandfather been up to?
This was part of a sinister secret.
While the Poison King surveyed the surroundings, his gaze landed on one particular spot.
It was the path they had taken to reach this place.
“That’s…?”
He had initially wondered how they were able to penetrate such a robust formation.
The reason lay at the entrance.
The entrance had been left wide open.
A gap created to isolate the outside world. Someone had forcibly torn it apart, damaging the formation.
The original formation was something that should never be tampered with carelessly.
If someone attempted to force their way through, they would have to endure the full backlash contained within the formation.
Knowing that even the warriors were careful to dismantle it, it was shocking to witness it ripped away carelessly.
“Ha.”
There was no need to seek out who had done this.
In any case….
“You’re late.”
The mastermind was already waiting here.
The Poison King turned his gaze towards the voice that came from behind.
There stood someone who seemed to be causing him trouble.
“…Former head of the clan.”
Gu Cheol-woon with his hair dyed red.
The Poison King flinched upon seeing Gu Cheol-woon standing at a distance, fixated on him.
He felt nothing.
Despite his formidable appearance, it felt even shallower than when he had gripped his neck last night.
The prickly sensation sent chills down the Poison King’s spine.
The Poison King was not a fool.
He understood precisely what it meant to feel nothing.
‘Is the gap in our levels really this significant?’
When there’s a gap with the opponent, situations like this often occurred.
If the Poison King saw a warrior who had just reached their peak or faced a top-tier warrior, they would feel something similar.
If it were the reverse, how would one possibly explain it?
The Poison King sighed, stifling the words that bubbled to the surface.
“…Is that what you’ve found?”
He gestured towards what appeared to be behind Gu Cheol-woon.
A doorway appeared to lead down into darkness.
He had been completely unaware that places like this and entrances existed even within the Tang Clan.
The Poison King cautiously approached the entrance, offering his thanks to Gu Cheol-woon.
“…I truly appreciate it, former clan chief.”
“….”
Having taken the light ticket, he was about to descend into the underground.
Crack-!
“…!”
Gu Cheol-woon gripped the Poison King’s arm, halting his steps.
A distant pressure weighed heavily on the Poison King’s arm, making him swallow.
“…Former clan chief?”
-This is the last time. Dangcheon-gi.
“….”
-You called me to rid your family of its sins, so I’ll let that slide. But know this clearly.
The energy resonating from the words echoed within the Poison King’s mind and spread throughout his body.
He felt like he might drop and vomit at any moment.
-Compared to others, I paid respect to you, who lived a decently humane life, to do this.
Gu Cheol-woon’s red eyes turned to face the Poison King.
-If you attempt to use my child as an excuse one more time…
The killing intent in his voice nearly caused the Poison King’s legs to buckle.
But it didn’t give way.
Gu Cheol-woon was suppressing even that.
Without his consent, he wouldn’t be able to collapse.
This was a show of power.
-There won’t be a next time.
“…I… understand. I’ll keep it firmly in mind…”
As soon as the Poison King managed to utter those words, Gu Cheol-woon loosened his grip.
Instantly, the suffocating pressure vanished.
Stagger.
As the Poison King wobbled, the warriors behind him instinctively put their hands on their swords.
“…Stop!”
The sight prompted an outburst from the Poison King.
“Remove your hands from your swords right this second. This person is a highly valued guest of the Tang clan.”
With a forceful shout, the warriors carefully readjusted themselves.
The Poison King understood.
The reason Gu Cheol-woon had given the warning was ultimately to protect the Poison King’s honor in front of all these warriors.
Furthermore, it was certain that even if he charged in with the intent to die, he couldn’t win against Gu Cheol-woon.
Just looking at the earlier pressure was evidence enough.
“My apologies…”
“Please leave.”
In response to the Poison King’s apology, Gu Cheol-woon nodded slightly and started toward the underground.
Following suit, the Poison King also trailed behind.
Upon descending into the underground, the Poison King found himself at a loss for words.
From what he could gather, it appeared to connect with the torture chamber owned by the Tang Clan.
Even the sorcery, formations, and mechanisms were mixed together, managed in secrecy.
It was such a finely tuned combination that he couldn’t even imagine how much money was spent on it.
To the point where even the clan head was clearly unaware…
“…How could this be….”
It took longer to descend into the basement than it did to travel from the residence to the park.
This indicated just how outrageously deep it was.
After a lengthy descent, the sight that greeted him was…
“…Hell itself.”
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to label it as such.
The sight of blood and the acrid stench lingering midway down the stairs.
The poison that thickly smothered the air was evident.
Most of it belonged to the monstrous creatures.
When the Poison King reached the bottom, he was confronted with the sight.
Corpses of beasts piled up in various corners.
Green and blue grades mixed without distinction.
Upon inspection, all of them were known to be creatures that utilized poison.
They had been disassembled, with skins and insides separated.
The bones had been gathered too.
Or so it appeared, with evidence of blood being drained as well.
What on earth were they planning to do with this?
The Poison King felt compelled to shut his eyes tightly.
Gu Cheol-woon then asked the Poison King.
“Are you scared?”
Are you afraid? The Poison King nodded.
“…Yes, very much so.”
How could he not?
He had struggled so diligently to rid himself of every ounce of his past so that he might stand within an honorable sect.
He was unable to cleanse even a single hint of it.
In fact, wasn’t it becoming even darker?
The Poison King was genuinely terrified of that.
In response, Gu Cheol-woon simply said,
“Then endure it.”
He spoke plainly.
There would be no alternative.
“If just this amount is enough to shake you. I wouldn’t even choose to bear witness.”
“….”
If he trembled at the sight of these beast corpses, he wouldn’t last much longer.
The Poison King bit down on his lips at Gu Cheol-woon’s words.
He realized it too. Within the horrifically expanded pool of evil blood.
That meant it wasn’t merely the blood of ‘monsters.’
Human blood was undoubtedly mixed in, and in significant quantities too.
It didn’t end with only beasts; countless humans had also met their ends in this very place. That would be the implication.
Even without the clan head knowing.
“I’m curious.”
Amidst this, Gu Cheol-woon remarked.
“Are you still claiming to be a sect?”
“….”
His interest seemed genuinely simplistic.
Is it right for a faction to do such things?
It wasn’t a tone laced with sarcasm or mockery.
The sincerity with which he sought an answer deepened the wound.
The space was far from over.
Now it was merely an entrance at best.
The Poison King continued to walk forward, trying to soothe his weary body and mind.
After a few more steps, they finally entered what appeared to be a spacious central area.
“Oh, you’ve arrived?”
Someone stood within. The Poison King widened his eyes at the sight.
“…Gu Gongzi?”
The young man had a fierce demeanor and bore a resemblance to Gu Cheol-woon.
He was of slight build for a man, staring fixedly at the Poison King.
Gu Yangcheon awaited him.
“How could you…?”
Just as the Poison King was about to ask why that boy was here, he noticed someone lying down in front of Gu Yangcheon.
The individual was trembling and prostrated on the ground.
The Poison King could infer who it was by the clothing and ambiance around him.
Could that be…?
“…Elder…?”
Thud-!
The Poison King was about to call out, but the elderly man suddenly began banging his head against the floor.
Then, in a nearly pathetic manner,
“I’m sorry…. I’m sorry…. I’m the scum of the earth…. Please forgive me…. I’m so sorry….”
“….”
Thud-! Thud-!
He began to express his guilt aggressively.
What on earth is going on here?
Of course, the Poison King and the warriors standing behind him.
“….”
Even Gu Cheol-woon looked uneasy at the unfolding situation.
“Oh, it’s just….”
Gu Yangcheon, standing nearby, spoke with an unexpectedly awkward expression.
“I was a bit bored waiting… so I figured I’d make him confess…”
He said, not quite meeting their gazes.
“I suppose that process was a bit over the top. Haha…! Isn’t it just hilarious?”
Gu Yangcheon forced a laugh.
Naturally, no one joined in the laughter.
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