“What poison is it?”
Geom Muyang’s heart dropped. He had truly never imagined that So Jeongrak would have poisoned his younger brother.
The man had neutralized the Omang Divine Poison administered by the Poison King. How could a poison administered by someone like that be ordinary?
“Answer me! What poison was it?”
Geom Mugeuk had never seen his elder brother this agitated before. Even when he had lost the position of successor, his brother had not been this shaken.
“To think seeing you worked up could be this moving.”
“You brat! Don’t joke around!”
Geom Muyang was genuinely angry. Staring straight at his startled, agitated, furious brother’s face, Geom Mugeuk spoke calmly.
“Brother, I’m fine.”
Geom Mugeuk’s eyes were calm. The way he stood and the aura he gave off did not make him seem ill in the slightest.
“How are you fine when you were poisoned?”
“To me, poison liquid is water, and poison smoke is smoke from a campfire. No, it’s less than that. It doesn’t even sting my eyes.”
“Stop talking nonsense!”
“I’m immune to all poisons.”
“Fine, you’re immune to all pois—what? What did you just say?”
Geom Muyang’s eyes widened as he stared at Geom Mugeuk. What did I just hear? Looking at his brother’s expression, Geom Mugeuk said it again.
“I said I’m immune to all poisons.”
For a moment, Geom Muyang could not say anything. He knew better than anyone how strong his younger brother was, how gifted a martial talent he had been born with, and how extraordinary a person he was.
But immune to all poisons?
Immunity to all poisons was an entirely different matter from all of that.
Even in the history of the martial world, there were only a handful of martial artists who had achieved such a state. That was how difficult it was.
It was a realm that could only be reached not through an ordinary fortuitous encounter, but through one bestowed by the heavens themselves. That was what immunity to all poisons meant to Geom Muyang.
That was why he suspected until the very end that his younger brother might be joking. But from Geom Mugeuk’s utterly serious eyes, he could tell. It was true. He really was immune to all poisons. The words that followed proved it.
“If I weren’t immune to all poisons, I would have taken charge of this matter somehow. I wouldn’t have let you handle something that dangerous.”
No wonder he had been so stubborn about making him play the patient.
Geom Mugeuk smiled and added a joke.
“Even if you want to kill me, poison won’t work.”
Geom Muyang did not feel jealous. On the contrary, he felt good. After all, he had lost the fight for succession to a younger brother with such an extraordinary destiny.
“How did it happen?”
“I was lucky enough to gain a fortuitous encounter while saving Pavilion Master Seo of Hwangcheon Pavilion.”
Perhaps this was the reason the heavens were helping his younger brother.
The Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was living a life of saving, not killing. How could the heavens fail to take notice?
Every time he stopped a tavern table from being smashed, every time he ran to save someone, perhaps fragments of fortuity for his younger brother were gathering one by one.
“What does it mean that So Jeongrak poisoned you?”
“It means he’s someone who uses poison arts.”
At the same time, it also meant that the place backing Cheonae Hermit was definitely Myeongsim Clinic.
Geom Muyang thought of So Jeongrak. He remembered the devoted way the man had cared for patients. He remembered how passionately he had taught the younger physicians.
“Was all of that an act?”
At Geom Muyang’s doubtful question, Geom Mugeuk’s gaze deepened. It would be better if it had all simply been hypocrisy and acting.
“Or perhaps, after acting for so long, it became his real life.”
He could feel that dealing with this So Jeongrak would be no easier than dealing with Cheonae Hermit Hwa Yulcheong. After all, they had to deal with a man who lived such a respected life right in front of the Martial Alliance’s main headquarters.
“Let’s head back for now. We need to discuss this with the Poison King and Demon Buddha.”
* * *
When the two entered the estate, Geom Mugeuk burst into laughter at the sight spread out before him.
The courtyard was filled with medicinal herbs laid out to dry. He could tell without looking. During the three days they had been at the clinic, their Demon Buddha must have been subjected to terrible labor exploitation.
“We’re back.”
When Geom Mugeuk spoke loudly, Demon Buddha came out of the building first.
“You’ve returned?”
Demon Buddha looked relieved to see that Geom Muyang was safe.
There was no way Geom Mugeuk would let that pass.
“I’m here too! The temporary Cult Leader and patient’s guardian who diligently carried out his duties is also here.”
Demon Buddha was about to turn around and go back inside regardless.
“A temporary Cult Leader who even got poisoned.”
Demon Buddha flinched in surprise and turned back. Instead of looking at Geom Mugeuk, he looked at Geom Muyang.
When Geom Muyang merely nodded lightly instead of reacting as if to tell his brother not to joke around like that, golden radiance burst from Demon Buddha’s body.
“Poison King, come out for a moment.”
He called for the Poison King first.
“That is too much. You judge by my brother’s reaction rather than by my words!”
Ignoring Geom Mugeuk entirely, Demon Buddha shouted once more.
“Hurry and come out!”
At that, the Poison King came outside.
“The temporary Cult Leader has been poisoned.”
Despite the urgency in those words, the Poison King remained calm. Instead of examining Geom Mugeuk, he squatted down and looked over the poisonous herbs spread out in the courtyard as he said,
“He must have done something to deserve it.”
Just as Demon Buddha found that reaction strange, Geom Mugeuk spoke from behind him.
“Demon Buddha, I am immune to all poisons.”
Demon Buddha turned toward Geom Mugeuk. Though Geom Mugeuk looked at him with serious eyes, Demon Buddha once again tried to determine the truth through Geom Muyang.
Geom Muyang nodded. There could be no answer more certain than that reaction.
‘Truly astonishing and remarkable.’
Only then did Demon Buddha understand the Poison King’s reaction.
“You already knew, Poison King.”
The Poison King nodded. Back when Geom Mugeuk had taken the Heavenly Secret Pill, the Poison King had revealed it then. He had said he already knew that Geom Mugeuk was immune to all poisons.
Geom Mugeuk did not bother hiding the secret from these two.
“Now two more people know that secret. Ah, Pavilion Master Seo knows as well. He was with me when I obtained the fortuity of immunity to all poisons.”
He had no intention of deliberately boasting about it, but in this situation, where they had to face poison arts, he had no intention of deceiving his brother and Demon Buddha.
Demon Buddha did not rejoice at being told the secret. Instead, he spoke to Geom Mugeuk with a grave expression.
“Do not tell anyone else about this from now on. Since you told me, you may think you should tell the other Demon Venerables as well out of fairness. Do not think that way. As of today, this matter becomes an eternal secret. Promise me.”
How could Geom Mugeuk not know what he meant? He was making sure the secret would not leak any further, if only because of the promise made to him. The fewer people who knew, the safer it would be.
“I promise you, Demon Buddha.”
Geom Mugeuk bowed politely. This was precisely why Geom Mugeuk liked Demon Buddha and held him in high regard.
Because of him, Demon Buddha’s dream had been crushed, so it would not have been strange for him to resent him. And yet he sincerely worried about him like this. Though short in stature, Demon Buddha possessed a heart greater than anyone else’s.
Geom Muyang felt grateful to Demon Buddha as well. When he had heard his younger brother say he was immune to all poisons, he had not thought this far. There was still much he had to learn from Demon Buddha.
Geom Mugeuk reported to the two Demon Venerables.
“The fact that he poisoned me means he knows my brother’s and my identities.”
Geom Muyang tilted his head.
“Then why did he only poison you? If he meant to kill, he would have tried to kill me too.”
So Jeongrak had even detoxified his poison, had he not? He detoxified him, then poisoned his younger brother. There was something inconsistent about it.
Geom Mugeuk looked at the person who could answer that question. It was the Poison King. He was still moving here and there, examining the poisonous herbs spread around the courtyard.
“Normally, when poison enters my body, my body eliminates the toxicity on its own. But this time, I left the poison inside and brought it back.”
At the words that he had brought the poison back, the Poison King rose from his spot and approached Geom Mugeuk. He made Demon Buddha and Geom Muyang step back.
“Let’s see what poison it is.”
Geom Mugeuk extended his hand forward.
Sssssst.
A tiny droplet formed at the tip of Geom Mugeuk’s finger. He had expelled the poison he had left inside his body.
Geom Mugeuk was not merely a simple body immune to myriad poisons, one through which poison did not work. Having brought his martial arts to the extreme, Geom Mugeuk could even display such a level.
The Poison King fanned the scent toward himself with his hand, and immediately identified the poison.
“It is Three-Day Life.”
Three-Day Life was a poison Geom Mugeuk also knew.
Geom Mugeuk had once helped the Poison King in the Thousand Poison Forest. He had learned a great deal about poisons at that time, and Three-Day Life was one of the poisons he had learned about then.
Fwoosh.
The Three-Day Life at his fingertip burned away under his scorching yang qi.
“He wasn’t trying to kill me.”
Three-Day Life was a terrifying lethal poison. If one failed to take the antidote within three days after being poisoned, one would die on the fourth day. That was why it was called Three-Day Life, because one could live only three days.
“If he had simply meant to kill me, he would have administered a poison that killed me instantly on the spot. No, since he had to avoid notice, he would have administered a poison that made me die tonight or tomorrow morning. But to administer a poison that kills only after three days?”
Geom Mugeuk’s gaze turned to the Poison King.
“It seems So Jeongrak knows that the one who poisoned my brother was you, Poison King.”
The gaze that had been on the Poison King now turned to his brother.
“You asked why he poisoned only me instead of you, didn’t you? He wanted to say this to the Poison King.”
His gaze returned to the Poison King as he conveyed what he believed to be So Jeongrak’s intention.
“I neutralized your poison, so now try neutralizing mine.”
At that moment, the Poison King laughed as if it were absurd.
“So he tested me.”
Three-Day Life was one of the poisons whose presence was truly difficult to detect after one was poisoned. It was the most suitable poison to use as a test.
“If you had failed to discover within three days that I had been poisoned? You would have borne responsibility for failing to prevent the successor of our cult from being poisoned to death right before your eyes.”
Even if his father forgave him, it would be something the Poison King himself could not endure.
For an instant, a cold chill gathered in the Poison King’s eyes, then vanished.
“Of course, you naturally would have noticed.”
Geom Mugeuk believed it. No matter where the Poison King was looking, no matter how distracted he was by something else, he would have noticed.
He might fail to notice if Geom Mugeuk’s severed arm were brought to him because he was too busy looking at poisonous plants and insects, but there was no way he would fail to notice Geom Mugeuk being poisoned. It was a matter related to poison, after all.
“Have you perhaps met So Jeongrak before?”
At Geom Mugeuk’s question, the Poison King shook his head. Regarding him, he had only heard rumors that there was a physician in Wuhan highly skilled at detoxification.
“I do not know what he is scheming, but he has challenged you, Poison King.”
Geom Mugeuk thought the provocative word “challenge” would make the Poison King say he would go find him at once, but surprisingly, he was not shaken at all.
He squatted down again and began wrapping the well-dried poisonous herbs in paper.
That is how you should be, Poison King. That’s right. Reacting means losing.
Demon Buddha squatted down beside him and began helping. The Poison King taught him how to wrap the poisonous herbs.
Demon Buddha began wrapping the poisonous herbs exactly as he had learned. His hands moved so skillfully and neatly that it was hard to believe he had only been taught once.
“I intend to visit So Jeongrak again in three days. If I go there unharmed, he will think you detoxified me. I plan to see what poison he administers next and confirm their intentions through that.”
Geom Mugeuk said to the Poison King,
“Please handle the conclusion later, Poison King.”
That was surely what the Poison King wanted. Since the man had challenged him with poison like this, the Poison King had to see it through to the end.
Seeing no reaction from the Poison King, Demon Buddha instead grew tense. Had he not experienced it several times in his life? People like this were truly frightening when angered.
Just then, a martial artist from Tongcheon Pavilion, who always delivered messages, arrived there.
“An urgent letter.”
He handed the urgent letter to Geom Muyang and withdrew.
After checking the contents, Geom Muyang relayed the news with a startled expression.
“The Golden Demon Command has been broken.”
At the words that the Golden Demon Command had been broken, everyone was shocked. Even the Poison King, who had shown little reaction despite the other side challenging him with poison, sprang to his feet. Demon Buddha had risen before him.
“Who broke it?”
At Demon Buddha’s question, Geom Muyang answered,
“It was not one person. It was the Demon Flame Lord and the White Bone Soul Demon.”
They were demonic figures from the previous and even earlier generations, men whose names alone could plunge the martial world into terror.
And the most important part was the final sentence of the message.
“They are coming here to Wuhan.”
A heavy silence settled for a moment.
In a situation where they had to deal with Hwayulcheong and So Jeongrak, people bearing infamy that was the complete opposite of theirs were on their way.
“They say they cannot tell which route they are taking or when they will arrive.”
Their martial arts were so formidable that tracking them properly must have been impossible.
Geom Muyang asked Mabul,
“I understand that those upon whom the Geumma Order has been placed are bound by a restriction.”
Mabul nodded and replied,
“That is correct. If they undo their internal energy on their own, they will die within a few days. Seven days at most.”
Anger flashed across Mabul’s face.
“It seems these old bastards are prepared to throw their lives away.”
Breaking the Geumma Order was not merely a matter of violating the cult’s rules. It meant defying the strictest decree of the Cult Leader, and so it was the gravest of all serious crimes.
They were prepared to die?
Geom Mugeuk thought differently. If they had simply gone senile with age, or intended to burn bright one last time before dying, that would actually have been better.
“Or perhaps they have a way not to die.”
Men like Mayeomgun and Baekgol Honma were the sort who cared about their own reputations as well.
“If they were the type to break the Geumma Order just to enjoy a mere seven days of freedom before dying, they would have caused trouble long ago.”
Therefore, there was only one reason they had moved.
“The bastards behind this must have promised to lift their restrictions.”
The three who were listening nodded. Yes, if not for that, there was no way not just one, but both of them would have moved at the same time.
“Is there a possibility the restrictions have already been lifted?”
At Geom Muyang’s question, Geom Mugeuk shook his head.
“If they intended to make use of those old demons, they wouldn’t have released them in advance. Instead, they must have given them certainty that the restrictions could be lifted.”
Just what sort of faith had they given to make those old demons move?
Geom Muyang said worriedly,
“Their target must be you.”
Geom Mugeuk shook his head.
“If that were the case, So Jeongrak would have administered a deadly poison that would have killed me instantly.”
“If you are not the target, then why are they drawing them to Wuhan?”
There was clearly another purpose. The first possible reason that came to mind was this.
“First, it must be because the person who can lift their restrictions is here.”
They would have to fulfill the demands of the bastards behind the scenes and have the restrictions lifted within seven days. They did not have much time.
“What if they come and kill righteous faction experts in Wuhan? Then how will the righteous martial artists view this situation?”
Geom Mugeuk, his elder brother, the Poison King, and Mabul were already in Wuhan.
And if it became known that those infamous old demons of the previous and even the prior generation had joined them as well? Fear and hatred would move the righteous murim.
“I don’t know exactly what their goal is.”
Geom Mugeuk calmly added, his gaze deepening. What made the two old demons coming here frightening was not their terrifying martial arts.
“People with nowhere to return to are coming.”
Absolute Regression, Chapter 642