Chapter: 516
As time passed, it was around noon.
The incident that burst out in the middle of the night caused quite a stir.
So far, it had only been noisy within the Tang Gate.
I wonder how long this can last.
If the Poison King fails to control public opinion within the clan, it won’t be long before news spreads throughout all of Sichuan Province and even the entire Central Plains.
It was something that could happen.
‘Rather… it can’t be helped.’
How could it not be?
The fact that the Tang Gate had secretly been conducting human experiments.
The truth about that matter had come out.
If they couldn’t contain the rumors, it was just a matter of time before everything spread across the nation.
The captured First Elder confessed everything while repenting for his sins.
He talked about the evil deeds done over the past century to make the Tang Gate the most powerful.
The plan mentioned repeatedly, to create the Cheonmujiche.
The full details of this plan had been revealed.
‘It was much worse than I thought.’
By the time I checked in my previous life, everything had already been erased, leaving only traces behind, so I only saw small fragments.
I could understand that truth by looking at the current underground of the Tang Gate.
I remember the corpses of poisonous creatures stacked like mountains.
There were so many that the basement was rather spacious, but it was filled to the brim.
Up to that point, it didn’t matter.
Experiments using monsters? That’s something I’d heard of often enough.
Just consider the Moyong Family; they keep monsters trapped underground, pulling threads to use for their silk business, and even the Murim Alliance was continuing their experiments using monsters.
So, it shouldn’t be something that gets everyone in a frenzy.
Of course, there didn’t seem to be any need to proceed with this project secretly.
So, what was the issue here?
That would be…
‘Human experimentation.’
Maybe that was the problem.
By the time I subdued the elder and collected the unconscious Heavenly King,
Ah, at that time, the flames clinging to the Heavenly King’s body had extinguished.
Oddly enough, it dimmed just as the Poison King arrived.
I wonder if my father had something to do with it, but I have no way to know for sure.
Anyway,
When the Poison King dug into the Tang Gate’s basement, or even a little deeper,
What unfolded was a sight that would make even my father’s brows furrow.
The thick scent of blood was sharp enough to make my nose tingle. I wondered where this stench was coming from, only to find it was emanating from beyond a door that was tightly sealed.
When we forcibly opened that door and stepped inside, everyone clamped their mouths shut at the sight within.
There was so much piled up on the floor that not a single gap was visible.
It took me a bit to realize that they were all human remains.
Rotting flesh.
So decayed that it was hard to discern any form.
Blood had dried and congealed, and fragments of flesh lay scattered, releasing an awful stench.
Uuuuk…!
One of the unmanned fighters behind me suddenly started to vomit.
If they were part of the Poison King’s swordsmanship group, they must have experienced quite a bit, yet this sight was too much for them to bear.
It truly was a revolting sight.
At that moment…
Swish.
My father suddenly placed his hand on my back.
Just as I was wondering why, I felt a thin barrier forming around me.
Only then did I realize the truth.
This space was thick with poison.
Hooook—!
At the same time, a breeze stirred.
I saw the poison that had filled the room getting sucked away somewhere.
It was the Poison King’s hand.
He was gathering all the poison floating around into one spot.
‘How fascinating.’
I wondered if this was a martial art of the Tang Gate, like how the Gu Clan manipulates heat for their techniques.
Soon, all the toxins in the room disappeared, revealing the grisly scene of the corpses and various apparatuses that suggested disturbing experiments had taken place.
I already knew what those things meant.
Because I had heard all about it from the elder a long time ago.
Moreover, even with so many bodies piled up, I felt rather indifferent.
After all, I’ve seen worse in my previous life.
Is this all there is to it?
Of course, this was just from my perspective. The Poison King and others might feel differently.
Crack.
As evidence, a harsh sound came from the Poison King’s hand.
It was as if he wanted to smash everything but was forcing himself to hold back.
You could also hear him straining to keep his breath steady, filled with emotion.
After a few seconds of tension, the Poison King finally said,
“Could you… please… step aside for a moment…?”
He looked at my father and started to speak.
Internally, I was quite startled by those words.
‘He is planning to let this go out.’
Who wouldn’t see this situation as the Tang Gate engaging in underground machinations?
Whether or not the Poison King personally got involved, there could still be problems if they tried to send a witness away.
There’s no way the Poison King wouldn’t know this; has he gone off the rails?
As I gazed at the Poison King with a peculiar expression, my father simply replied,
“Sure.”
He didn’t say much and just agreed to the Poison King’s request.
It was a bit unsettling, but since my father said it was fine, I had nothing more to add.
So, I followed my father, who turned to leave, and briefly glanced at the back of the Poison King.
Due to the nature of the Tang Gate, most people were relatively small in stature.
I couldn’t help but notice how particularly small the Poison King appeared.
That nagged at me.
After that, I couldn’t go straight to my room.
Given the circumstances, I had to wait back at the main building.
From then on, things progressed at quite a rapid pace.
“…The Third Elder and Fourth Elder are involved in this affair.”
This came about because the captured First Elder continuously spat the truth about what had occurred.
“Everything is for the will of Lord Dokgun…”
“So that the Tang family can rise to become the greatest…”
We moved forward with the intention of making the Tang the best family.
The current state of the Tang Gate does not represent a proper family.
How can a clan that has lost its power claim to be the best?
These were the earnest words that the elder spoke.
Shortly after, when the Tang Gate began handling and selling iron,
That was the moment when they diverted from their original intention.
The elder mentioned that was the issue at that time.
This being the flow chosen by the Poison King’s father, the previous head of the family, who began to shift the course.
Those elders who opposed this decision chose to take matters into their own hands, leading to the explosion of these events.
That’s about the gist of it.
It wasn’t particularly an intriguing story.
‘I told him to speak sincerely, so it seems unlikely to be a lie.’
Due to the restrictions placed on the elder, what he said wouldn’t be a fabrication.
However, it sounded so pointless that it hardly seemed sincere.
Up to that point, it didn’t bother me much.
Even when I first heard that the disappearances occurring in Sichuan over the past few years were the work of the Tang Gate.
Even when they mentioned that these events were used to conduct human experiments.
Even when the First Elder stated that he was acting on behalf of the head of the family due to his lack of capability.
The Poison King had been listening patiently to his words.
“Right after the medicine was completed… through the princess, the world…”
Slash—!
Upon hearing that he aimed to kidnap Dang So-yeol and feed her the finished potion, the Poison King swung his sword and beheaded him right then and there.
The Poison King, who normally didn’t use a sword, took the initiative to strike.
Blood sprayed, soaking the floor, and the atmosphere around them chilled in response to the unprecedented intensity of the Poison King’s actions.
Clearly enraged, the Poison King gritted his teeth and ordered the Tang Gate’s warriors,
“Bring the Third Elder and Fourth Elder to me!”
His face twisted in rage looked quite demon-like.
Witnessing this shocked me.
‘Ah, he shouldn’t have killed that one.’
My astonishment was due to the alarming thought of the First Elder’s death.
There was so much valuable information to be obtained, but I couldn’t hear it all thanks to the Poison King’s timely arrival.
With that one body gone, my own predicament grew a bit more troublesome.
‘…Darn it.’
Nevertheless, it wasn’t a total loss.
If I succeed in manipulating the mind, I’ll potentially be able to restore some of that broken psyche.
As the elder’s head rolled on the floor and the warriors began to scatter at the command of the King, I also decided to take my leave.
Staying any longer would’ve been rather problematic.
I could sense things were about to get noisy, so I thought it best to slip away for a moment.
I wondered if my father would come with me.
“Go on ahead.”
He spoke as if he already knew I was going to leave.
“…And you, my lord?”
What will my father do?
When I asked him, he regarded me with a look that suggested he was dissatisfied with something.
What? Did I do something wrong?
As I pondered, my father spoke.
“Address me properly.”
“Excuse me?”
“This is not your family estate.”
“…What does that mean?”
It seemed like a rather odd statement.
What should I even call you? Should I just call the head “head”? What do I call you?
After giving it a moment’s thought, I uttered the only word that came to mind.
“Father…?”
“…”
At my title, my father nodded in acknowledgment.
Was this the correct answer?
I had no clue why it pleased him, but let’s move on to the main point.
“Aren’t you coming with me?”
“Not just yet; the deal isn’t finished.”
“A deal?”
I looked up in confusion as he began to walk away.
Then, a sound entered my ear.
-I made a deal with the Poison King. If he helped me with this, I’d give him priority in trading with the Tang Gate.
I widened my eyes at my father’s words.
No, when did he even discuss that…?
There couldn’t possibly be a deal at that point.
‘Is he referring to capturing the elders?’
I quickly glanced back at the Poison King, realizing that he must have predicted this and called my father in.
‘That explains why he seemed to be making such a fuss over this issue.’
Such operations ought to be conducted quietly; if the criminals sensed something, they could flee.
I always thought it was odd for the Poison King to cause such a ruckus in a crowded area.
‘That guy….’
The Poison King proved to be much more cunning than I had originally believed.
The reason for stirring things up was evidently to enhance the clan’s authority and influence.
He intended to display the clan’s power by handling the elders and gathering the clan’s scattered pieces for a time.
Sigh…
Feeling somewhat entangled in something stickier than expected, I couldn’t help but chuckle lightly.
The Poison King was far more capable than I anticipated.
But what concerns me is…
‘Priority trading rights.’
As the clan holds the highest stakes related to iron,
Having the ability to conduct preferential trading with them is incredibly valuable.
To my knowledge, the Murim Alliance previously held that position.
‘Can our clan really acquire this?’
Especially given the current talk surrounding our collaboration with the Moyong Family.
Is it even permissible to take something like this from the Murim Alliance? If so, the Gu Clan’s power would surge dramatically.
Having one clan grow so formidable is something the Murim Alliance would despise the most.
‘…I believe my father will handle it.’
After I thought about it for a moment, I dismissed the concern.
My father will surely figure it out.
If any issues arise, it’s typical for Madam Mi to step in and resolve things.
I watched my father leisurely depart to deal with the elders before setting off again.
My destination was already determined.
“Oh, Your Majesty…?”
In a spot slightly behind the main building,
I spotted a woman petting a wolf that looked vaguely familiar.
The woman was, of course, Dang So-yeol.
This was Dang So-yeol’s residence.
She greeted me with a bright smile as soon as she saw me.
That smile, while cheerful, also seemed somewhat shady, which caught my attention.
It particularly nagged at me, having been a matter I had unconsciously focused on.
“What’s going on?”
“I was just curious about what you were doing.”
It was just around the time the Poison King was busy putting the situation in order.
Yet upon seeing Dang So-yeol’s response, it felt like the Poison King had kept things secret from her.
‘The guards around her seem more vigilant than usual.’
Around Dang So-yeol’s residence,
The number of unmanned fighters stationed was double the usual, and most of them possessed higher abilities than normal.
It appeared he’d prepared for any unpredictable situation, but hadn’t informed Dang So-yeol.
As if to confirm, a Tang Gate warrior suddenly appeared and reacted upon seeing me.
-Old ball…
-I’m already aware. No need to worry.
-…
It seemed he was warning me not to speak about the elder, thus he initiated the first word.
“Oh, Your Majesty. This is the wolf I’m raising. Isn’t it cute?”
Dang So-yeol cheerfully introduced the wolf she was petting, clearly excited by my presence.
It was a massive wolf with black fur… uh, how should I put it?
“…It looks kind of rude?”
There was something about its appearance that didn’t sit well with me.
Growl…!
As if it understood, the wolf bared its teeth. This little brat?
Just as I considered giving it a light scolding, Dang So-yeol swiftly raised her hand and stopped me.
“That’s adorable!”
“…Oh, alright.”
Sure, if you think it’s cute, then that’s what matters.
I can’t really criticize someone for their pet choice.
After all, I’m the one who has an odd snake I’m raising.
‘Now that I think about it, I never named that creature.’
I recalled the rival being (probably) asleep in his quarters right now.
I keep him around because he seems helpful and smart, but somehow, I hadn’t given him a name.
What should I call him?
The pondering didn’t last long.
‘Let’s go with Ddoldol.’
Since he helps out a lot, I suppose I’ll just call him Ddoldol.
Shaaa!
From somewhere, I could hear what sounded like Ddoldol screaming in the distance.
Just a figment of my imagination, I hope.
I nodded slightly before turning to Dang So-yeol and asking.
“The reason I came here isn’t just a social call. I have something to ask you.”
“To me?”
“Yep.”
I looked into her one lightly tinted, light green eye and asked, “Do you ever want to get stronger?”
“…Yes?”
Even I thought it was a very random question.
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