Chapter: 847
The night passed, and dawn arrived.
I didn’t sleep. There were too many things to organize in the meantime.
Since my body didn’t feel strained even after a few days without sleep, I spent the night working.
The Iron Line must already be on the move. Others are probably acting the same way.
How Ilcheonggeom would react was still uncertain, but since I had advanced the plan, I had to keep an eye on the variables.
Given that everyone was set in motion for this, I couldn’t just sit idly by.
Thus, before the sun had fully risen, I took my first step.
My destination was Tang Clan Hall.
“Hello.”
“…Come in.”
The expression on the Poison King’s face as he unexpectedly sees me is quite subtle.
Looking at the situation, it seems he was having breakfast.
“Confucius…?”
And with Dang So-yeol, too. I chuckled at the sight. It looks like my worries were for nothing.
“Oh, sorry to interrupt your meal. It’s something urgent.”
“Ahem….”
At my words, the Poison King shot a disgruntled look somewhere. It seemed directed at the gatekeeper or the martial artists of the Tang Clan.
The reason was probably that he was upset I wasn’t stopped from entering.
I understood his dissatisfaction at being interrupted during his time with his lovely daughter.
‘What can I do?’
Even so, there was nothing the Poison King could do to me.
I was aware of how much I had done for him, and how much I had helped. Why would he stop me? Knowing this, he merely made a face.
“…So, what brings you here at such an early hour?”
I couldn’t help but smirk at the Poison King’s tone.
Is this guy really giving me moral lessons?
“Yes, I apologize for coming at this early, busy hour, but it’s genuinely urgent.”
I certainly wasn’t the type to overlook that. This was really quite pressing.
“I feel embarrassed to say this…”
“Then just don’t say anything…”
“Since I’ve decided to lay the iron plate, I’ll simply tell you.”
I faced the Poison King and said, “Please give me the poison ivy I created.”
“…”
“Oh, I’m in a hurry, but I can wait while you finish eating.”
“He really is crazy….”
“I can hear everything.”
“I meant for you to hear.”
“Oh, I see.”
I nodded.
Well, it was said loud enough to be heard. Nodding, in agreement, the Poison King let out a deep sigh and asked,
“…Will one be enough?”
I smiled faintly at that and replied, “For now.”
I might need more, but one sufficed for the moment.
After waiting outside briefly, the Poison King appeared with a composed expression after finishing his meal.
“Did you enjoy your meal?”
“Thanks to you, it was quite bad.”
“Glad to hear.”
“What?”
“It was a joke.”
It was indeed a joke, but the Poison King frowned, apparently displeased.
Seeing this, I said,
“I didn’t eat either, so please don’t glare at me like that.”
“That has nothing to do with me.”
“Haha. That’s quite sad to say. I even made you a seat.”
“…”
At my additional comment, the Poison King briefly closed his mouth. Then he awkwardly turned his head and replied,
“…Thank you. It’s thanks to you.”
As always, the Poison King is a man who knows how to admit when he’s in someone’s debt. Knowing this, I also have a fondness for him.
“No problem.”
I answered while looking straight ahead. I wondered if Dang So-yeol’s matters had been resolved, but this wasn’t the time to worry about that. My urgency took precedence.
As we walked together, we soon found ourselves in front of the building we’d arrived at last time.
It was the place where I had sweated for hours to create Dokcheondan. I entered the room and headed straight down to the basement.
A cool breeze brushed my cheek. It was chilly outside due to autumn, but here underground, it felt even colder.
‘No, it’s not just because it’s underground.’
It’s better to think of it as the surroundings being artificially adjusted to preserve the contents.
I don’t know how they managed this.
‘Because my knowledge in that area is very limited.’
I knew absolutely nothing about the English Dan. I had never studied it in my past life.
In the first place, there hadn’t been any need for that.
‘When I have the magic sword, what’s the point of worrying about Yeongdan?’
There are powerful Yeongdans like Shaolin’s Daehwandan or Hwasan’s Jasodan. However, they were utterly meaningless to me.
Certainly, they would be helpful, but at that time, it would have been better to hunt and devour the red monsters instead.
‘But if I had known this would happen, should I have researched a bit?’
Who would have guessed I’d end up creating and even consuming English Dan like a madman?
Even now, it astonishes me that I had no inkling back then.
It’s all meaningless worry.
I ventured down a bit further, using the lantern as my guide. The end was in sight.
The Poison King descended the stairs and grabbed the doorknob that blocked his path, opening the door.
creak.
As the door swung open, a breeze faintly slipped through the crack.
‘Oh.’
The wind brushed past like before, but this time, it felt different.
It was fragrant. A profoundly wonderful scent lingered in the air.
It resembled well-processed medicinal herbs, mixed with the unique freshness and slight astringency of Yeongcho.
Following the Poison King, I stepped inside.
Only then did I discover the origin of the fragrance.
The air in the room was colder than before and laden with a vibrant aroma.
All of this came from the Yeongdan and Dokcheondan stacked before me.
“Are you storing them here?”
“It’s more like maturing than storing. They said it needs to mature for at least four months.”
“But why would you choose a place like this…?”
“What do you mean ‘a place like this’!”
The Poison King flared up, apparently offended by my choice of words.
“This is the bloodline of the Tang Clan. A sacred place where only direct descendants can enter.”
“…Are we going here?”
To me, it appeared just like a small, cold room.
At that moment.
“Indeed, it is a space created by Dokjeolcheon long ago.”
“Oh…”
Suddenly, it felt profoundly significant. If this was made by the great and elegant Dangjemun, it surely had noble intentions behind it.
“…It truly is an extraordinary place. Hearing all this makes it unmistakably sacred.”
“Well, you seem to recognize its importance.”
“That’s right. If it was made by Dokjeolcheon, there’s bound to be a purpose behind it… But, can you really bring me to such a grand place? You said it was reserved for direct descendants.”
Reflecting on this had me questioning. Why on earth did you drag me here when I was simply asking for Dokcheondan?
Even as a benefactor, it didn’t seem fair for me to come into a place reserved for direct kin.
The Poison King calmly responded to my question.
“It’s fine.”
“Excuse me?”
“Honestly, it all seems rather similar when you look closely. Who knows, it might feel increasingly so in the future.”
“…Why are you making such a fuss about it? Let’s not get carried away and focus on clear arguments.”
That was quite a strange remark. Why should we get worked up over it?
What will come next?
I was baffled and asked that, but the Poison King continued ahead, pretending not to hear me.
That guy?
“My lord—”
“Let me ask you. What do you need?”
“…”
It seemed he had no intention of answering me at all. I sighed and gave up.
“I need what I made.”
The term was a bit ambiguous, yet it referred to something I had imbued with my energy and transformed into a chemical weapon.
“I happen to have just one left.”
The Poison King flipped a cloth over.
On the other side were the three Dokcheondan pills I had made last time, and beside them lay a single pill, presumably the Yeongdan I crafted.
The Poison King gestured toward it and said, “Take it.”
Caught off guard by his nonchalant tone, I asked, “Huh? You’re just giving this to me?”
“…Why are you so surprised?”
“Well, it’s still a Yeongdan, isn’t it?”
“You made it and asked for it, didn’t you? And if you won’t give it to me, is that to say you won’t take it?”
“No. I’ll definitely think about it, but ultimately, I’d steal it if I had to.”
“Then why did you bother asking me? sigh.”
This time, the Poison King sighed at my audacity. It seemed even he had thrown in the towel.
“Very well. If you truly don’t want to simply take it, perhaps you could bring along your son-in-law to the clan.”
“I will gratefully accept it.”
I snatched the pill without waiting for him to finish what he was saying. There was no need to listen to any more pointless banter.
I felt the pill’s texture in my hand. Just like last time. It seems the same, yet something about it felt distinctly different.
“Old Confucius.”
“Yes.”
“I must ask, what exactly are you planning to do with this?”
Sudden alarm rang in my mind at the Poison King’s question. I realized I had asked for it without providing a reason.
But in this situation, the Poison King just handed it over to me?
Thinking it over felt strange. The old man wasn’t the type to simply give things away like that.
‘I wonder if he is just handing it over because I made it.’
If that’s the case, he held a solid reason, yet I felt a bit uneasy.
As I mentioned, the Poison King is not a simple person. Even if I am considered a benefactor, he wouldn’t be this generous without wanting something in return…
‘…This feels oddly frightening.’
What does he really want from me to act this way? I had my suspicions, but for now, getting my hands on the Yeongdan took priority.
“Why would I even consider where to use it? Since it’s a Yeongdan, naturally I need to eat it.”
“…Huh?”
The Poison King tilted his head at my response.
“Didn’t you just consume one yesterday?”
“Yes.”
“But you’re planning to eat another one…?”
“Yes.”
“…”
“Don’t worry. I’m not insane.”
I understood why the Poison King regarded me with that expression. A martial artist would definitely recognize the significance of continuously consuming Yeongdan.
Anything can be poisonous in excess, and Yeongdan is no exception.
The amount of energy contained in a single pill of Yeongdan is enormous. A martial artist can only absorb a limited amount of energy at a time. This also varies with one’s realm level. If a first-class martial artist consumed Dokcheondan, they wouldn’t even be able to digest three-tenths of that energy properly.
The Poison King himself had only digested one pill of Dokcheondan and couldn’t fully absorb it, keeping it circulating within his body.
He must be planning to gradually digest the energy completely.
At that pace, it would likely take him at least a month, or perhaps two.
In situations like this, what if the Poison King decides to consume even more Dokcheondan?
In that case, the energy would overflow, and he wouldn’t gain even five percent, much less eight.
Moreover, the sheer amount of energy could strain his body, so it wasn’t surprising he looked at me as if I were crazy.
Of course.
‘This doesn’t concern me at all.’
Even if there were side effects, it wouldn’t affect me.
Regardless of how much energy I consumed, I would digest it and store it within my body.
That ability was what allowed me to grow at such a rapid pace in my past life.
“I assure you I have thought this through, so you need not worry.”
I attempted to soothe the Poison King. However, his response was somewhat different.
“I’m primarily not worried.”
“Excuse me?”
“If Old Confucius is fine, then you likely have something else on your mind. In my view, you seem the type who would go to great lengths to avoid a loss, even in dire situations.”
“…”
That seemed an odd compliment, but the trailing comment made it difficult to take fully as praise. Everything is positive, yet why the dig?
“Why do you look at me that way…?”
“I was curious about your intentions. Hearing you claim you’d consume two pills in succession left me in disbelief. Eating such precious items in a row… One’s conscience…”
“… Oh, yes. You can stop talking now.”
I cut him off, realizing he would continue on without end if I let him.
“Anyway… I urgently need to eat this for personal reasons.”
“Got it. Help yourself to it all.”
“Yes?”
“I’m joking. Haha!”
“…”
It definitely didn’t feel like a joke. Am I misinterpreting? No, it appeared to be pure revenge!
Revenge against me for interrupting his meal with Dang So-yeol!
These old men are ridiculously petty.
Tsk…
I clicked my tongue and slowly allowed the pill to slide into my mouth. At the same time, I addressed the Poison King.
“Your Highness.”
“Why? Have you lost your appetite? If so, I can…”
“If something feels off after consuming it, please refrain from messing with me.”
“…”
The Poison King, who was about to respond, froze and his expression turned serious within an instant.
“I understand.”
“Thank you.”
He agreed silently without questioning. I expressed my gratitude since this was a difficult request.
After gauging his reaction, I popped the pill into my mouth, chewed, and swallowed it.
Same flavor as yesterday. Same aroma. And same energy.
gulp.
As soon as I swallowed it, the energy surged through me in every direction.
The deep, rich energy engulfed my body almost immediately.
But.
‘Was I wrong?’
I didn’t feel anything particularly unusual.
If my initial guess was accurate, I had assumed Yeongdan housed some sort of mechanism, but if no changes occurred, that would indicate my assumption was incorrect.
‘What a shame… Was this not it?’
Half disappointment. Half an inexplicable sense of reassurance.
Feeling odd, I glanced back.
“Your Highness, I apologize, but it seems…”
And my eyes locked onto something hardening.
“Oh.”
The emotions within me shifted once again. Moments ago, I thought I was wrong. Alas, that was not the case.
“This…”
Looking back, the world had transformed.
The sky and all visible surroundings turned a deep black. It was that place I had seen previously.
The difference being…
Unlike last time, I was not outside the door but inside it.
In other words,
“…It was a bit annoying searching around, but this works perfectly.”
That means the guy I’ve been hunting was right in front of me.
A throne as black as the world itself.
On that throne, there were cracks and breaks, as if it was teetering on the brink of collapse.
And above it…
The guy was sitting there.
“Hey.”
As I called out, he slowly lifted his head and stared back at me.
His whites were blackened, and his irises were tinged with purple, emanating a horrific murderous intent.
Our gazes met.
The nauseating feeling rushed in all at once. I fought back the urge to retch. Barely managing to collect myself, I said,
“Good to see you, you fucking idiot.”
I addressed him.
“Mind if we have a quick chat?”
Kugugugugu—!!
The ground shook in response.
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