Chapter: 831
“Welcome.”
As we passed through the gate, an old woman greeted us.
“Thank you for coming.”
She had a kind and gentle appearance. As I understood, she was the newly appointed head of the Tang Clan’s medical center.
Was she the only elder who survived?
I cautiously bowed my head at the old woman.
“I hope you’ve been doing well.”
“It’s always the same. How have you been, Your Majesty?”
“Well, I…”
“I hear that you are doing so well that I’m quite proud of you.”
“… haha…”
I smiled awkwardly. There’s not really much I can say in these situations.
It isn’t just about liking it; it’s even more awkward to show off. This was just about my limit.
After a brief greeting, the old woman smiled and glanced aside.
“Miss.”
“Hello…”
At the old woman’s gesture, Dang So-yeol also bowed her head. For some reason, that reaction seemed slightly uncomfortable.
“It’s been a long time. I’ve taken note of how you’ve been soaring.”
“… thank you.”
The conversation didn’t last long. It seemed the old woman was aware of Dang So-yeol’s discomfort.
Did something happen to Dang So-yeol? It was something I’d never heard of.
I thought about asking, but it didn’t seem like the right time.
“First, I’ll take you to the manufacturing room. The master is waiting for you.”
Right now, we needed to sort out the reason we had come to the Tang Clan.
I walked alongside the old woman for a while. The inside of the clan was not much different from before.
They said they had sealed the entrance, but it was still being somewhat maintained.
But…
‘It’s a bit worn down.’
It seems they couldn’t maintain the former splendor.
The slightly dim ambiance and tranquil atmosphere gave off a rather eerie feeling.
The grand appearance that once displayed the power of the Tang family, referred to as the Four Great Families, didn’t feel quite as formidable anymore.
In a way, it was an inevitable outcome. Furthermore, it was something the clan had brought upon itself.
Seeing that, I sneaked a glance at Dang So-yeol.
Like before, her expression didn’t seem very pleasant either. The problem was whether that was due to the current situation of the clan or another reason entirely.
I made an effort to ignore it and walked on.
After a little while longer, we finally reached our destination.
The Medical Center.
I nodded at the name written on the building as I noticed something strange even before we opened the door.
‘This energy.’
A strong energy emanated from within the premises. And it wasn’t just any energy.
‘Is that poison?’
Miasma.
And quite a significant amount at that.
It didn’t pose a particular problem for me. With my immunity to poison, it wouldn’t affect me anyway.
Moreover, even with a lot of it around, it wouldn’t be so concentrated that it digs deep into me, so if your level is high enough, it’s bearable.
Dang So-yeol, well, she’s someone who has learned poison techniques, so she’d probably be fine too.
“If it’s uncomfortable, please arrange a cloth…”
“No, it’s alright.”
The old woman, not knowing about my immunity, asked cautiously, but I naturally declined.
“I can manage. Let’s go in.” I grasped the door and opened it. At that moment,
Hwaaak-! A rush of energy surged forth from inside.
The interior was filled with a strong medicinal scent, mingling with the poison.
Squinting, I peered inside.
“Are you here…?”
Inside stood a tired-looking middle-aged man, the owner of the Tang family, the Poison King.
“I apologize for not coming out to greet you…”
The Poison King, speaking in a weary voice, flinched mid-sentence. This was because he saw Dang So-yeol standing next to him.
“Wow, you’re here.”
“Father…”
His demeanor was rather ambiguous.
As the Poison King caught his breath while looking at his daughter, Dang So-yeol let out a sigh and addressed him.
“It’s been a while.”
“Yeah, I’ve been doing well…”
“I heard you visited the branch yesterday.”
In the midst of conversation, Dang So-yeol interrupted the Poison King.
“Uh, that was because I had some business with the old prince…”
“I explicitly told you I would come see you today.”
Her voice had grown slightly cold. Because of that, the Poison King started to fumble even more.
“It was that urgent…”
“Well, I guess so. It must have been really urgent. But…”
Dang So-yeol frowned slightly and added, “But why didn’t you come looking for me?”
“…”
Upon hearing this, the Poison King directed his gaze toward me.
I could feel it in his eyes. It seemed he was silently asking for my help…
‘What can I do just being here?’
There was nothing I could offer. I was genuinely curious about it. Isn’t it strange that he came all the way to the branch and left without seeing his daughter?
‘At that moment, I thought maybe he didn’t want to get into trouble.’
Looking at Dang So-yeol’s reaction, it seemed that wasn’t entirely the case.
It seemed like there was something I didn’t know.
“That is…”
The hesitant Poison King tried to say something but was cut off.
“… That’s alright.”
Tang So-yeol turned away as if she didn’t want to hear any more.
“… I’ll go ahead. I’ll see you again when you’re done with your work, Prince Gu.”
“Uh? Uhhh…”
She spoke to me as if notifying me, then vanished. Wow… Is it just me or have her step techniques improved in the meantime?
Time flew by in an instant.
“…”
I scratched my head, uncertain about how to react.
I turned my gaze back to the Poison King.
“…”
“…”
Even making eye contact didn’t help. The awkwardness just lingered.
“… First, please come in.”
The Poison King spoke in a slightly sad tone, so I entered without saying anything.
“Ahem. Excuse me for a moment.”
The expression on the Poison King’s face was too sorrowful to ask any questions. He looked so hurt I couldn’t even attempt to comfort him.
’I heard he hasn’t been home in years.’
I thought it was solely for training purposes. But does he have other circumstances as well?
I was very curious, but I needed to hold back.
‘If he didn’t say anything, there must be a reason.’
That Dang So-yeol didn’t mention anything to me. There’s absolutely no reason for me to pry.
Along with that, the Poison King was silently conveying something to me with his eyes.
‘Please don’t ask.’
It seems to be an issue he wouldn’t want to discuss. So please, don’t ask. I couldn’t ignore those eyes, so I kept trying to look past them.
After entering the Medical Center, I looked around as if checking out the situation.
‘Hmm.’
This place is a mess.
That thought popped into my head.
The interior was in complete disarray. Various unidentifiable materials were scattered everywhere.
I picked one up.
‘This is….’
I looked it over, my eyes widening a bit. It appeared to be a simple herb, but its shape felt familiar.
‘Isn’t this the Small Grass?’
It looked like a weed, but it was actually an expensive herb. It shouldn’t be lying around like this.
‘And that’s not all.’
Along with the small grass, other valuable ingredients caught my eye. I couldn’t help but let out a laugh.
‘It wasn’t like this when I came last time.’
The last time I found the Tang Clan, it certainly wasn’t in this mess. This state truly reflected the current situation.
Perhaps my disbelief was visible; the Poison King cleared his throat.
“Ahem. Hmm, I have been quite busy lately.”
“… How busy do you have to be to treat ingredients this way?”
Especially in the Tang Clan, of all places.
“With everything nearing its conclusion, I’ve found it hard to manage anything else.”
“Understood.”
I let it slide since it wasn’t my place to interfere in organizational matters. What mattered was the outcome.
“So.”
The Poison King turned to me.
“Is there really a way?”
His eyes were filled with determination as he spoke.
How could his expression change so quickly, from struggling with my daughter to this?
No, maybe it’s supposed to be this way?
It was about reclaiming the long-lost legacy of the family. It could perhaps also provide a chance to resurrect their lineage. For the Poison King, this was incredibly important…
And of course, it was a significant matter for me as well.
“… First, please show me the current situation.”
I had to ascertain what the circumstances were. After hearing this, the Poison King immediately guided me deeper into the area.
The manufacturing room inside the Medical Center. This space exuded a particularly strong aura.
‘This must be it.’
There was no mistaking it.
The quantity of medicinal and poisonous herbs here was much higher than outside.
A boiling cauldron of uncertain intention.
The ingredients inside, and the clusters situated to the left.
I could even sense an unidentifiable foul stench. It was so bad that I had to block my sense of smell.
Following the stench, I quickly found the source.
I pointed to it and asked, “Is that it?”
“…”
The Poison King nodded. I was correct.
As I approached, I saw some unrecognizable dough. This was what’s causing the awful smell. Also…
‘The reason the Poison King is distressed.’
Failures that had not transformed into Dokcheondan. This must be it.
I reached out and grabbed a handful of the dough. The stench intensified.
It was not just mushy; it was mixed with poisonous herbs, making the strong toxicity palpable.
“Hmmm…”
The situation is grave. How could it have spoiled so badly?
“This is what’s known as Dokcheondan dough.”
“Not exactly. It failed before the success stage.”
“Can you see what kind of phenomenon this is?”
Just as I finished asking, the Poison King brought something over.
What he held looked intact compared to the dough in my hand. The poison remained, but at least it didn’t reek.
There was even a substantial amount of energy infused within it, indicating that it was meant for some advanced concoction.
And atop it,
Woof.
The energy inside my heart responded to the object. Something triggered a reaction from my magical senses.
It was a magic stone.
A vividly red magic stone.
The magic stone from a red demon. The Poison King, gripping it tightly, picked up a tool.
Ugh!
Grind grind grind—!!
He forcefully crushed the magic stone into the tool.
As he did, fine powder began to fall from it, settling atop the dough, and without missing a beat, he started kneading the mixture.
At that very moment…
Cheeeeeeeee—!
“Eh?”
The color of the dough blended with the powder instantly changed, and it began emitting a foul smell again, just like before.
It was proof that it was decomposing in real-time.
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