The flower of poison arts was not poisoning, but detoxification.
The Poison King’s words meant only one thing.
“You’re saying So Jeongrak is not a physician, but someone who uses poison arts.”
At Geom Mugeuk’s words, the Poison King toyed with the teacup before him and said,
“You’re the one who uncovered it.”
Until Geom Mugeuk found the answer, So Jeongrak had been a physician skilled at detoxification.
But the moment Geom Mugeuk found the answer—that Myeongsim Clinic might be the place supporting Cheonae Geosa—Physician So Jeongrak became a master of poison arts.
But uncovering that truth would not be easy.
So Jeongrak, too, was a man who had lived for many long years as a respected physician.
In some ways, he was even harder to deal with than Cheonae Geosa. He had placed countless martial artists under the most difficult debt of all to repay: a debt of life.
After all, the martial artists whose lives had been saved thanks to So Jeongrak must fill not only Wuhan, but all of the Central Plains.
Geom Mugeuk asked the Poison King,
“Among poisons, is there one that can control people?”
The Poison King nodded as if it were only natural.
“It is possible if one uses gu poison.”
The Poison King asked Geom Muyang,
“Great Young Master, was there only one person being controlled? Or were there many?”
“I have seen several so far.”
“Were they important figures?”
“No.”
After confirming the number and the details in that way, the Poison King gave Geom Mugeuk his answer.
“Then it likely wasn’t gu poison. The insects that control people are difficult to obtain and not easy to handle, so they can’t be used indiscriminately.”
Geom Mugeuk drew his conclusion.
“Then besides So Jeongrak, there must be someone else with the ability to control people. So Jeongrak, who uses poison arts as well as medicine, couldn’t possibly have mastered sorcery or some grand method for controlling people on top of that.”
The Poison King nodded as if in agreement. If So Jeongrak’s ability to detoxify poison surpassed even the Divine Physician’s, then his poison arts must also have reached the extreme. And since he was well versed in medicine as well, there was no possibility he had learned something else besides.
“The Alliance Leader will investigate Cheonae Geosa’s side, so we will have to uncover this side ourselves.”
It would not be difficult for the four of them to sneak in and kill So Jeongrak. No, there was no need for all four to go in.
To Geom Mugeuk, who was immune to all poisons, So Jeongrak posed no threat at all.
But what they had to do was prove that he was the force behind it all.
They had to reveal the truth that he was not a physician practicing medicine, but a poisoner practicing poison arts.
Then they had to show that evidence to the Murim Alliance Leader. They had to make the Orthodox Murim learn of it.
After all, they could not kill him without evidence and then ask people to trust them. That was precisely what made this matter difficult.
“I’m thinking of approaching him.”
He thought it could never be uncovered from a distance. The period during which So Jeongrak had hidden his identity was far too long.
“How?”
At Mabul’s question, Geom Mugeuk smiled and answered,
“What method is there to approach a physician? I have to go as a patient.”
But there was a problem. According to the information sent by Tongcheongak:
“The problem is that if I go as an ordinary patient, I won’t be able to attract So Jeongrak’s attention. He has so many patients, and they say there are more than twenty physicians working under him. Ordinary patients can hardly even see So Jeongrak’s face. However, those afflicted by deadly poison are an exception. The more unusual the poison, the more it will draw his interest.”
In the end, it meant that only by going there poisoned by a deadly poison could they properly meet So Jeongrak.
Naturally, everyone’s gaze turned toward the Poison King.
“Fortunately, we have someone here who can administer a poison for So Jeongrak to detoxify.”
At Geom Mugeuk’s words, one corner of the Poison King’s mouth lifted slightly. Geom Mugeuk knew what meaning was contained in the Poison King’s smile.
That bastard dares detoxify my poison? Does he truly think he can?
Geom Mugeuk knew better than anyone that when it came to poison, the Poison King was utterly sincere.
“I know, I know. If the Poison King sets his mind to poisoning someone, no one can ever detoxify it.”
At those words, the Poison King’s expression stiffened. Just once, someone he had sworn would die had returned alive. Of course, he had said the man had not returned with a normal body, but it was still something that had left a deep wound in the Poison King’s pride.
“Please make it a poison that he can barely detoxify over several days. If possible, one that will draw his attention.”
The Poison King surely possessed such a poison.
The problem was not the poison, but the patient.
“Whom should I poison?”
At the Poison King’s question, the answer had, in truth, already been decided.
Geom Mugeuk excluded the Poison King first.
“You can’t step forward yourself, Poison King.”
Because there was a possibility the other party would recognize the Poison King. No matter how much he hid himself, there would surely be something that only those two could recognize.
“And it’s not as if Lord Mabul can step forward either.”
As he said that, Geom Mugeuk quietly glanced at his elder brother.
“As you know, my brother is tough, so he endures pain well.”
Geom Muyang looked utterly dumbfounded.
In truth, even if Geom Mugeuk wanted to do it, he could not. He was immune to all poisons, so poison would not work on him. The only person present who knew that fact was the Poison King.
“I’m the temporary cult leader, Brother.”
Then he asked Mabul for support.
“Even if it’s the Poison King, if he poisons the temporary cult leader, Father will scold him, won’t he?”
Mabul did not stand by and let him drive the matter toward Geom Muyang.
“He’d be scolded even more for poisoning the Great Young Master.”
“Why?”
When Geom Mugeuk asked as if protesting, Mabul answered as if it were obvious.
“He’s the eldest son, isn’t he? The Cult Leader has always cherished the Great Young Master greatly.”
“What about me?”
“Well, I suppose he cherished you too.”
“That’s too much! Brother scolds me for being rude to Lord Mabul, and Lord Mabul only takes Brother’s side. Did you two conspire together?”
Geom Muyang could tell.
Geom Mugeuk had asked Mabul for support in order to bring up those words. In order to let Mabul know that he had scolded him for acting rudely.
‘Why go that far? I hated you so much.’
Mabul, for his part, was also making an effort.
“You’re better at acting sick, aren’t you?”
“How would you know when I’ve never even tried? And don’t you think acting as the patient’s guardian is even more important?”
As a faint smile formed at their exchange, Geom Muyang said to the Poison King,
“I will do it.”
To Geom Muyang, this matter felt like fate. He had nearly killed Geom Mugeuk with a poison-coated hidden weapon. That was why they had come this far.
And now, a situation had arisen in which he had to be poisoned. Could this not be fate telling him to pay the price for that mistake?
“Instead, bring one martial artist from the safe house.”
At Mabul’s concern, which showed just how much he cared for him, Geom Muyang smiled faintly and said,
“It is all right, Lord Mabul.”
“How is it all right? It isn’t just any poison, but one strong enough to catch that man’s eye. Your body will be damaged greatly. I would rather do it myself.”
He truly wanted to do that for him. At times like this, how nice it would have been if his appearance had been ordinary.
As if thanking him for that sentiment, Geom Muyang bowed his head politely.
Then he bowed politely to the Poison King as well.
“I entrust this to you.”
Watching him, the Poison King gave him an unexpected gift. In such a situation, would he be the sort of man to simply administer poison and be done with it?
“In the process of treating the poison I administer this time, your body will gain greater resistance to poison. Even if you are struck by the same poison, you will be able to endure far longer than you can now.”
From those words, one could tell that the Poison King intended to use an extremely precious poison.
Geom Mugeuk quickly stepped forward.
“I’ll do it! Poisoning my brother? This unloved second son will do it. What kind of law is this? Do all of you truly only like my brother?”
Only then did Mabul’s expression ease as he spoke to the Poison King. As for safety, he trusted him to handle it well.
“Still, I ask that you use a poison that hurts less.”
Geom Mugeuk stuck out his lips and made one hateful remark.
“Then it won’t be effective. It should be a poison that makes him scream on its own…”
At that moment, a scream burst from Geom Muyang’s mouth.
“Urgh!”
The Poison King had merely glanced at Geom Muyang once.
In an instant, his face turned pale and he clutched his chest. The poison had been administered before they knew it.
“Uuuugh.”
The groan that flowed from Geom Muyang was no ordinary sound.
“Good grief, you really are impatient!”
Geom Mugeuk swiftly hoisted his brother onto his back and rushed outside.
Mabul was inwardly startled. He knew well how skilled the Poison King was at administering poison, but to think he had done it right before his eyes and he had not noticed at all.
Then the Poison King said calmly,
“The Great Young Master will be fine.”
That single word from the Poison King was more reassuring than anything else.
Mabul watched the two men rush into Myeongsim Clinic for a moment, then said,
“It will take time to treat the poison.”
Mabul knew the best way to repay the Poison King’s kindness.
“Let us go dig up some poisonous herbs.”
* * *
Myeongsim Clinic was far larger than it had appeared from the outside.
In the courtyard, as large as a plaza, there were countless people. Amid the pungent scent of medicine reaching all the way to the entrance, the scene of the place unfolded.
There were patients limping along wrapped in bandages, physicians in white robes hurrying to and fro, workers unloading piles of medicinal herbs from carts, women trimming herbs beneath trees, and people lined up side by side pounding medicinal herbs in mortars.
There were also ordinary people, not martial artists, standing in line. At a glance, they were clearly destitute people, the penniless and poor. They said the clinic treated such people for free, and it seemed that was truly the case.
With his brother on his back, Geom Mugeuk ran into the place and shouted,
“My brother has been poisoned! Poisoned!”
Then a young man nearby ran over. Judging by his appearance, he was not yet a formal physician, but seemed to be someone who assisted the physicians while learning medicine.
“This way! Hurry, this way!”
The place the young man guided them to was where patients in urgent condition were gathered.
“If you wait just a moment, a physician will come soon.”
After having Geom Muyang laid on a bed, the young man hurried off to call someone.
Geom Mugeuk looked around the place. The twenty or so beds were full of patients, from people stabbed by blades to people with cracked skulls. The place was filled with critical patients.
He had known it was large in scale, but Myeongsim Clinic in reality was truly bustling.
“Looks like there’s a war going on somewhere besides ours.”
Geom Muyang heard him, but could not answer at all. It truly hurt as if his whole body were burning away. Because his mind was perfectly clear, he felt the pain in its entirety.
“Brother, are you all right?”
At Geom Mugeuk’s question, Geom Muyang cursed at him with his eyes. Do I look all right? You try going through this!
“I really wish I could hurt in your place.”
Contrary to his words, his eyes were smiling. If he did not tease him now, when would he? That intention was plainly visible in his smiling eyes.
Thinking that focusing on something else might lessen the pain a little, Geom Mugeuk kept talking to him.
“Your internal energy?”
Geom Muyang frowned and nodded. It meant he could use it. The intention was to make sure he could use martial arts if an emergency arose. In that brief instant while administering the poison, the Poison King had considered everything that needed to be considered.
Just then, a young physician came to the area.
“What poison was he struck with?”
“I don’t know. Please, save my brother!”
The physician examined Geom Muyang’s condition. When he touched his body, Geom Muyang let out a scream.
“Uaaaaaagh!”
If his brother was screaming like this, then it really had to hurt.
The young physician was clearly flustered. He tried to determine what poison it was and to reduce the pain, but the screams only grew louder.
Without even saying to wait a moment, the physician ran out.
Looking down at his suffering brother, Geom Mugeuk suddenly wondered what he would do if this situation were real. If this were not a situation where he could trust that the Poison King had made all the proper arrangements?
What if his brother were truly dying before his eyes?
What would he feel then? Seeing how his chest tightened on its own and a chill ran down his spine, he could feel that his feelings for his brother had grown much deeper.
“You’ll laugh later as much as you endure now. So hold on just a little longer.”
His brother’s mouth shaped the words.
Shut up!
Soon after, another physician rushed over. This time, it was a middle-aged physician, older than the one before.
He examined Geom Muyang’s condition more skillfully than the young man earlier.
But he, too, could not stabilize his body. In truth, it was only natural. How could ordinary physicians handle the Poison King’s poison?
Fortunately, he gave up more quickly than the young physician had. Just from that, one could tell his skill was much higher.
After the middle-aged physician withdrew, a short while later, at last, he arrived.
The moment he saw the physician with a kind impression and dignified build, Geom Mugeuk knew. This man was So Jeongrak.
Instead of wearing a nameplate that said So Jeongrak, he wore wings. Three or four physicians followed respectfully on either side of him.
He was someone Geom Mugeuk had never seen before. Perhaps the reason there had been no Poison King among the Twelve Zodiac Kings was that this man existed separately.
As So Jeongrak passed the patients, he issued prescriptions. With a single sweeping glance at a patient’s condition, the prescription came out.
“Boil equal parts green wood lotus and seven-star grass and have him drink it!”
He unwrapped the next patient’s bandages, examined the wound, and personally applied golden wound medicine.
“Fortunately, the sword merely grazed past the organs.”
Just by looking at the outside, he could tell whether the internal organs had been injured or not.
It was the same with the next patient.
He personally set the bones of a patient said to have fallen from a high place and applied splints. He showed no concern even when blood stained his body.
When his hands touched them, the screams of pain died down.
As if amazed, Geom Mugeuk looked down at Geom Muyang. Even amid that pain, his brother was watching So Jeongrak.
In that way, treating patients without hesitation like an immortal descended from heaven, So Jeongrak reached Geom Muyang’s bed.
Seen up close, perhaps because of his dignified build, his skin was taut and his eyes held vitality.
The previously unhesitating prescriptions paused for a moment.
After examining Geom Muyang’s condition, he asked Geom Mugeuk beside him,
“Who afflicted him with this poison?”
Geom Mugeuk answered him,
“I don’t know. My brother has such a filthy temper that he has many enemies.”
Even while enduring the pain, Geom Muyang visibly looked dumbfounded.
“I heard that when it comes to detoxifying poison, you are the best physician in the Central Plains. Please, save my brother.”
So Jeongrak’s gaze deepened as he looked down at Geom Muyang. Surprisingly, So Jeongrak knew of this poison.
“This poison is one that only three people in the world can detoxify.”
Absolute Regression, Chapter 640