Chapter: 830
Thud—!
When the rebar hits the ground, it makes a crunching sound.
The man, drenched in sweat, exhaled wearily as he turned around.
Ilcheonggeom, a middle-aged man with unsettling eyes, looked at a man and asked, “What?”
In response to Ilcheonggeom’s question, Moon Dohyeok, still on his knees, spoke.
“…The Poison King and the Holy King have made contact.”
“Poison King?”
Ilcheonggeom frowned at Moon Dohyeok’s words. Suddenly, the Poison King? That was too unexpected.
A few years ago, the secret human experiments that had been going on were revealed, and the Tang Clan had acknowledged their guilt and entered a state of confinement. And now, the Poison King visits the branch?
‘While Dok-kwon is active, that might make sense, but he’s just the daughter’s father…’
The head of the Dok clan and the secondary clan head should ideally remain in their own confines…
‘Has he come to see my daughter?’
The daughter of the Tang Clan currently residing in Seongryongdae. Was that the reason for his visit? That would at least provide some justification.
‘What’s going on here?’
What kind of business could possibly bring the Poison King face to face with the Holy King, of all things? Especially at this critical time!
‘Could it be that he’s noticed something?’
A wave of anxiety began to rise. Just when I was preparing for this situation, they had to make the king’s appearance among so many martial artists?
I suspected that perhaps the King might have sensed something.
‘If he did notice, whose doing could it be?’
All sorts of thoughts whirled around in Ilcheonggeom’s mind.
Could it have been the work of Gaekcheonmun’s manipulations from the beginning? Or had the Holy King done something without anyone knowing?
Given the number of martial artists involved, was there a chance the Poison King might be involved? If not, then…
‘Perhaps it’s someone’s betrayal.’
Ilcheonggeom shot a murderous glare at Moon Dohyeok. If there were to be a traitor, this guy would top the list.
Should I deal with him first before I understand the situation? Just as Ilcheonggeom was about to wrap his hand tightly around his sword in preparation, Moon Dohyeok hastily added, “But, fortunately, it seems the Poison King and the Holy King haven’t noticed the plan.”
“…”
At Moon Dohyeok’s added words, Ilcheonggeom halted his movements.
“Why do you think that?”
“The teacups were different.”
“Teacups?”
“Yes, the Poison King didn’t drink even a single sip of tea, and the Holy King finished all his cup.”
The Holy King had drained his tea while the Poison King hadn’t touched his at all. While it seemed a simple detail, it was quite significant information in this context.
The issue was…
“That alone should not be enough to be certain.” It was far from conclusive.
Even if the Poison King appeared to have not consumed any tea, there was no telling if he had or not. Even so, we’re dealing with the Poison King here.
‘Even if he didn’t drink it, there’s a strong possibility he could feel its presence.’
Among powerful martial artists, he might rank lower in strength, but in battle, no one was stronger than the Poison King.
That signifies that poison holds substantial value.
The Poison King was currently the utmost authority among those who handle such toxic substances.
Even if it was just sitting at the bottom of a cup, lightly touched, wouldn’t the Poison King have realized it?
Ilcheonggeom couldn’t be sure of this.
And not being certain meant far too many implications.
At that moment…
“Ha, Your Highness,” Moon Dohyeok hastily interjected, “If the Poison King had noticed, then the Holy King wouldn’t have been able to drink all the tea!”
If the Poison King had caught onto what was prepared, it was extremely unlikely the Holy King would have gulped it all down.
That was the essence of Moon Dohyeok’s statement, which Ilcheonggeom also found puzzling.
Also…
“I think it’s strange that the Holy King remained silent…”
Even if he noticed, it’s absurd to think that the Poison King wouldn’t communicate about having drunk poison to the Holy King.
If he had realized it, there’s no way the King would have simply sat by.
It was a situation that could have turned the entire branch upside down instantly. So, the fact that it remained quiet all this time was odd.
Did he truly not know?
If that’s the case, then no matter how I looked at it, it left a sour feeling.
‘This is strange.’
Ilcheonggeom felt a hollow sensation creeping up his spine.
Is this a variable? If it is, I should create a bit of distance. I need to buy myself some time to assess everything.
Including whether or not the poison was detected.
‘What on earth does the Poison King want?’
I had to figure out why he had come to the Sacheon branch.
Thus, for that reason, it was also necessary to withdraw a little.
‘…I can’t back out now.’
I’ve come too far to retreat.
Not only had I already turned rogue, but I had also allied with Sapara, the head of Gyecheonmun. I had even aimed to turn the poison to my advantage.
Where on earth could I retreat to? Fluttering—! Ilcheonggeom threw on the martial arts uniform lying on the ground and looked at Moon Dohyeok.
‘There’s no one to trust.’
This guy is no different from Gyecheonmunju.
There was no one to trust here. Is that stifling? It wasn’t.
‘After all, this is just how the Central Plains operates.’
A sea of experiences I’ve learned through thick and thin. The key is simply who lives and who can rise.
From that viewpoint…
‘At least this guy is reliable.’
The man in front of me… whatever his name was, his loyalty to the Cheongryongdae was something to appreciate.
The others are all full of hidden agendas, so he seemed the better choice.
Moreover, a particularly crucial point is how to deal with that later.
‘Easiest option.’
A person I could handle anytime.
When I looked at him, I thought it was best to utilize him. With this in mind, Ilcheonggeom smiled slightly and said, “Mr. Moon.”
“Yes! Your Lordship.”
“I grasp the situation, so let me investigate further.”
“That… er… what did you say?”
As Moon Dohyeok looked bewildered, Ilcheonggeom stepped forward and added, “Do you remember what I mentioned to you last time?”
“Oh! I remember!”
Moon Dohyeok responded with a brightness that suggested he had been waiting for this.
“You asked me to report the movements of the Cheongryongdae to the Holy King!”
“Good memory… as expected of you. I can rely on you.”
“Oh, it’s nothing, really.”
Moon Dohyeok beamed at Ilcheonggeom’s praise.
Seeing this, Ilcheonggeom nodded lightly.
As expected.
‘I don’t think it’s him.’
At the very least, this one still had utility.
“Well then, Captain Moon. May I ask you for another favor?”
“Of course! Anytime!”
“Thank goodness.”
With a smirk, Ilcheonggeom continued speaking to Moon Dohyeok.
“It’s nothing special, just a little favor.”
Tap, tap. Ilcheonggeom playfully patted Moon Dohyeok’s shoulder a few times and said, “Add one more detail to this report.”
“If I may add… what would it be?”
“The Blue Dragons have discovered some unique information… They will likely be preparing some moves in a few days after confirmation. Say something along those lines.”
“…!”
At Ilcheonggeom’s words, Moon Dohyeok immediately grasped the intentions behind his statement.
Information? Yes, they’re compiling it. The Blue Dragon Corps consists of formidable elites among the Tang Clan.
Of course, their diligence in gathering would likely mean they had already gathered a considerable amount of information.
But for Ilcheonggeom to state this, it was almost akin to deliberately leaking the information.
And it was fake information too.
Are they starting to move now?
I gently stroked my chin as I walked. It seemed like they should be attempting something by now.
What tactics shall I choose?
The news of the Poison King visiting the branch would have spread by now.
I was genuinely curious about how Ilcheonggeom would respond to this.
Would he opt for a more distant approach… or just push forward undoubtedly?
It seems he’ll want to push through, at any rate…
It would be a perilous cliff to retreat from, given all the mischief he’s been up to.
From my perspective, it seems he would choose the latter.
It’s hard to be completely sure about this.
In the end, there was no telling how it would all unfold.
This will alter the plan slightly.
I never would have anticipated that the Poison King would actually show up at the branch on that day, so it caught me by surprise.
With something unexpected having happened, it was necessary for me to address it.
Hmm.
Thus, I wasn’t overly concerned about this part.
Because as soon as things started to unfold, I had already set plans in motion.
…The crucial thing was,
How far does Ilcheonggeom’s suspicion reach?
The Poison King and I. And Gyecheonmunju. Perhaps even the branch manager.
The general range of Ilcheonggeom’s suspicions might encompass these figures.
I could possibly add a few more names to this list, but honestly, it didn’t heavily weigh on my mind.
If that’s as far as he gets, then that’s the end of this road.
To be honest, it would be nice if it just all unraveled smoothly.
But if it’s too straightforward, it might not be entertaining.
An absurd thought suddenly flashed through my mind, like a lunatic.
Crap.
I shook my head, trying to brush that feeling aside.
It wasn’t like I was joking, but the creeping thought was utterly revolting.
I pulled myself together. I turned my gaze to the side.
Hrumph~hmm.
A bright-eyed woman blissfully accompanied me, sniffing the breeze. Just watching her eased my tension slightly.
The day after the Poison King’s visit had passed.
I ordered my subordinates to concentrate on gathering information rather than training and set my sights on the Tang Clan Hall.
Beside me was Dang So-yeol. She was the one humming cheerfully.
Noticing this, I casually asked Dang So-yeol, “How long has it been since you left?”
From what I knew, she had been away from home for quite a while.
The same held true for her training with the Dark King and her visit to Hanam afterward.
“…Um… Has it been two years?”
With her uncertain answer, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
‘Guess she had been in intensive training.’
She seemed to imply that she hadn’t returned home at all — possibly an intensive training retreat.
Well, it’s undeniably tough to reach that level without being an absolute hardcore practitioner.
I observed Dang So-yeol as she walked briskly.
‘I think she’ll surpass the Poison Pill before long.’
Dang So-yeol from my previous life.
It looked like she wouldn’t be far from surpassing her.
But…
‘It’s not like it’s insurmountable.’
The reason the Antidote was so formidable was due to her reaching the pinnacle of the Poison Arts.
I still remembered that space filled with the toxins she exhaled.
Just getting close would rot your skin, and if you even inhaled a trace of it, unless you had extraordinary resilience, death would be instant.
This was also the reason she could endure the Demonic Cult’s onslaught.
With her overwhelming lethality, she could take down opponents effortlessly over a vast area with relentless vigor.
Dokbi, who possessed ‘Immunity to All Poisons,’ was indeed that exceptional of an entity.
‘But what about now?’
How does Dang So-yeol fare in the present?
She strode like a child on cloud nine. At a glance, she looked like she was prancing through the air, but I had to squint to watch her feet.
I can’t hear any footsteps.
Despite her lively pace, there was absolute silence.
This wasn’t merely a dirt path; it was stony ground with lumps of rock scattered everywhere.
If she could move without making a sound over such a surface…
That means her stealth skills have risen considerably.
She must have nearly mastered the art of stealth.
While it would still be challenging for her to reach the Dark King’s level, she must have inevitably bumped up her skill to a remarkable extent.
In fact, Dang So-yeol had once even tricked my senses for a moment.
Due to that, she had become more attuned to shadows than poisons, but I personally thought that was a blessing.
At least this way,
She wouldn’t face the same death as in her previous life.
A woman who had sacrificed herself to protect Sacheon.
That would suffice. That would be all that was necessary.
“Your Highness… I mean, Your Grace?”
“Huh?”
“What are you staring at like that?”
“Oh.”
I hadn’t even realized I was staring at Dang So-yeol with such intensity.
Somehow, her cheeks were faintly flushed.
I hadn’t understood before, but now I realized what that reaction indicated. Now that I know, there’s not much I can do about it.
At least not right now.
I slightly averted my gaze and muttered, “It’s nothing. Just reminiscent of old times.”
“Old memories? When?”
“Oh, a long, long time ago.”
“A long time ago… Ah! When we first met?”
“That’s not it… something vaguely similar, though.”
Back when I killed you.
That was probably a discussion I would never be able to have again.
“If it’s similar… when?”
“Let’s go.”
“Oh, alright.”
I dragged along Dang So-yeol, who looked ready to ask more questions, and we began moving.
The destination was now right in front of us.
I raised my head to gaze upwards.
A large plaque prominently displayed above the heavy door.
Sacheondangmun.
It was the renowned family estate I had returned to after such a long time.
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