Boom-!
A steel bar drops to the floor, letting out a harsh crash.
A man soaked in sweat exhales as if exhausted and turns around.
A middle-aged man with chilling eyes, Ilcheonggeom, looks at the man and asks.
"What?"
At Ilcheonggeom's question, Mun Dohyeok speaks while kneeling.
"...The Poison King and the Sage King have made contact."
"Poison King?"
At Mun Dohyeok's words, Ilcheonggeom frowned. The Poison King, out of nowhere?
It was too sudden a figure.
A few years ago, when their secret human experiments were exposed, the Tang Clan admitted their sins and sealed their gates. But suddenly the Poison King visited the branch?
'Poison Fist is active, but. Since she's a daughter, that's understandable.'
The Patriarch, the Poison King, and the Young Patriarch shouldn't be stepping outside the clan...
'Did he come to see his daughter?'
The Tang Clan daughter who is said to be the Vice Commander of the Holy Dragon Unit. Did he visit to see her?
If so, that's a valid excuse, but.
'What's going on.'
What business could the Poison King have to face the Sage King?
And at this timing, no less.
'Perhaps. Has he noticed something?'
A slight sense of anxiety rises.
Right now, as they were preparing things to suit the situation. Out of all the countless martial artists, why the Poison King at a time like this?
He wondered if the Sage King had caught onto something.
'If he noticed, whose doing would it be?'
All sorts of thoughts swirl in Ilcheonggeom's head.
Was it the scheme of the Gyecheon Sect Master from the start? Or did the Sage King do something again?
Since it's Sichuan, what's the possibility of the Poison King being involved? If not that.
'Is it someone's betrayal?'
Ilcheonggeom stares at Mun Dohyeok with a murderous gaze.
If anyone were to betray him, this guy would be the prime suspect.
Should he dispose of this guy first before grasping the situation? Just as Ilcheonggeom was about to move, subtly wrapping his hand in Gangqi—
"But. T-thankfully, it seems the Poison King and the Sage King haven't noticed the plan."
"..."
At the added words, Ilcheonggeom stops his movement.
"What makes you think so?"
"The teacups were different."
"Teacups?"
"Yes, I confirmed that the Poison King didn't drink a single sip of tea, while the Sage King emptied his cup."
The Sage King drank all his tea, and the Poison King didn't drink his.
It may seem like simple tea, but in the current situation, it was considerable information.
The problem was.
"You can't be certain just from that." It was far too lacking to be certain.
Even if it looked like the Poison King didn't drink a single sip, he might have, and even if he didn't, he is the Poison King.
'Even if he didn't drink it, the likelihood that he sensed it is high.'
Among King-tier martial artists, he may be close to the bottom in pure martial prowess, but on the battlefield, no one is stronger than the Poison King.
That meant poison held significant value.
And the Poison King was currently the highest-ranking existence among those who handled such poison.
Even if it was in the pot and brewed weakly, would the Poison King really not know?
Ilcheonggeom couldn't be certain of this.
And. Not being certain meant too many things.
Then.
"B-But Commander."
Mun Dohyeok hastily adds to Ilcheonggeom.
"If the Poison King had noticed. Wouldn't the Sage King have never drunk all his tea?"
If the Poison King had noticed what they had prepared, there was no way the Sage King would have drunk it.
That was Mun Dohyeok's point. And it was also a part Ilcheonggeom found curious.
Also.
"I think it's also strange that the Sage King just stayed still..."
Even if he had noticed, the Poison King, knowing the Sage King drank poison, wouldn't have kept quiet about it.
If he had known, the Sage King wouldn't have stayed put in the first place.
It was something that would justify flipping the branch upside down right then and there. Yet the fact that it remained quiet even as time passed was strange.
Did they truly not know?
If so, it was a good thing, but no matter how he looked at it, it just felt fishy.
'It's strange.'
Ilcheonggeom felt a strange sensation run down his spine.
A variable? If it was a variable, he needed to distance himself a bit. Thus, he had to buy time to figure it out.
Including whether or not they noticed the poison.
'Just what is the Poison King here for?'
Including the reason he visited the Sichuan branch. He had to find out as much as possible.
Therefore, stepping back for a moment was necessary for that.
'...I can't back down now.'
He had already come too far for that.
Not only had he already formed a grudge, but he had even joined hands with the Gyecheon Sect Master of the Demonic Path. And he had tried to use poison utilizing this.
Where else could he retreat to? Flutter-! Ilcheonggeom draped the martial uniform placed on the floor over himself and looked at Mun Dohyeok.
'There's no one to trust.'
The Gyecheon Sect Master goes without saying, and this guy is the same.
There is absolutely no one to trust. Did this feel stifling? That wasn't it.
'The Central Plains are like this anyway.'
A truth learned through countless experiences. The only important thing is who survives and who can rise.
From that perspective...
'It's at least this guy.'
The martial artist in front of him named Mun... Mun-whatever.
A guy who longs to return to the Azure Dragon Unit and will give his all in loyalty to him.
The other guys are full of unfathomable intentions, so this one was at least better.
Especially on an important point, the same went for when he disposed of him later.
'The easiest.'
A guy he could dispose of at any time.
Seeing that, it was right to use this guy for now. Recalling this, Ilcheonggeom smiles slightly and speaks.
"Squad Member Mun."
"Yes! Commander!"
"I understand the situation, so I'll look into this part more."
"W-what do you mean..."
Approaching the confused Mun Dohyeok, Ilcheonggeom adds.
"Do you remember what I told you last time, Squad Member Mun?"
"I-I remember."
As if he'd been waiting for it, Mun Dohyeok says to Ilcheonggeom.
"You told me to write down the Azure Dragon Unit's movements and send them to the Sage King."
"You remember well... As expected of you. Reliable."
"N-no, not at all."
At Ilcheonggeom's praise, Mun Dohyeok smiles as if happy.
Seeing that, Ilcheonggeom nods slightly.
Just as expected.
'It probably isn't this guy.'
At least he could use this guy a bit more. Such a thought crossed his mind.
"Then, Squad Member Mun. Can I ask you another favor?"
"Of course...! A-anytime."
"That's a relief."
Chuckling, Ilcheonggeom continues speaking to Mun Dohyeok.
"The favor isn't anything big."
Tap tap. Patting Mun Dohyeok's shoulder a few times, Ilcheonggeom says.
"Add one fact during this report."
"If I add it... what kind...?"
"The Azure Dragon Unit found some special information.... After confirming it, it seems they'll prepare their stance in a few days. Something like that."
"...!"
At Ilcheonggeom's words, Mun Dohyeok immediately understood his intention in saying them.
Information? They were gathering it. The Azure Dragon Unit was a group where strong elites even within the Main Alliance gathered.
Naturally, their collection ability was also outstanding, so they must have already acquired a considerable amount of information.
But for Ilcheonggeom to deliberately say this was no different from intentionally leaking information.
Fake information, at that.
******************
'He's probably starting to move slowly.'
Advancing his steps, he stroked his chin. It was about time he'd be attempting something.
'What kind of move will he choose?'
He must have already heard the news that the Poison King visited the branch.
Just how would Ilcheonggeom react upon hearing this? He was truly curious.
Would he choose to distance himself a bit...? Or would he push forward as is?
'He'll probably push forward, but...'
Retreating was impossible considering all the things the bastard had done; stepping back would only lead to a cliff.
So, in my view, choosing the latter was obvious as day, but.
'It's hard to be completely certain.'
How he'll come out is ultimately unknowable.
'If so, it changes a bit from the plan.'
I never expected the Poison King to visit the branch that day either, so that made it even more so.
Since an unexpected event occurred, he had to respond to it.
'Hmm.'
That was why the worry regarding this part wasn't that big.
Because he had already taken measures as soon as the situation arose.
...The important thing is.
'How far Ilcheonggeom's suspicions have reached.'
The Poison King and I. And the Gyecheon Sect Master. Adding the Branch Head, too.
The approximate scope of Ilcheonggeom's suspicion was this.
A few more could be added here, but he didn't pay much mind to even that.
If it was just up to there.
If the guy was just up to there, that would be the end of it.
'Honestly, it'd be nice if things went smoothly.'
But if it's too easy, it might be a bit boring.
Like a crazy bastard, such a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
'Bullshit.'
He shook his head to brush it off.
It wasn't a joke, and the creeping thoughts were utterly disgusting.
He snapped out of it. To do so, he looked to his side.
"Hmm~ hm."
A woman humming a tune and following along brightly. Seeing that, his chest felt a bit relieved.
The day after the Poison King visited.
Having ordered the squad members to focus on information gathering rather than training, I headed straight for the Tang Clan as soon as I woke up.
Dang Soyeol was also by my side. The owner of the humming was her.
Looking at her, I casually asked Dang Soyeol.
"How long has it been since you went?"
As far as I knew, Dang Soyeol had been away from home for quite a while.
From her training with the Shadow King to visiting Henan afterward.
"...Um... a year or two?"
I chuckled at Dang Soyeol's uncertain answer.
'That means it was during her prime training period.'
Does that mean she didn't go home during that time? She was practically in closed-door training.
Well, it'd be hard to reach that level without clinging on desperately.
Looking at Dang Soyeol walking briskly, I recalled.
'It seems she'll surpass Poison Empress soon.'
The Dang Soyeol of my past life.
It looked like there wasn't much left until she surpassed her.
However...
'She doesn't have Invulnerability to Ten Thousand Poisons.'
The reason Poison Empress was strong was because she reached the end of Poison Arts.
I still remember the space filled with the poisonous aura she exhaled.
Not only would one's skin rot just by touching it, but if one were to inhale it, they would die instantly on the spot unless they had a high realm or immunity.
This was also the reason she could hold out against the Demonic Cult. Overwhelming lethality over a wide area and endless energy.
The Poison Empress, who possessed Invulnerability to Ten Thousand Poisons, was such an existence.
'But.'
How would the current Dang Soyeol fare?
Dang Soyeol walking as if she was excited. At first glance, she looked like she was half-skipping, but I had to narrow my eyes at her feet.
'I can't hear her footsteps.'
Even while moving like that, not a single sound could be heard.
It wasn't just regular ground, but a dirt path mixed with stones here and there. To walk on such a path without making a sound meant.
'Her skills have reached a certain level.'
It was similar to saying she had almost mastered the Stealth Arts.
Naturally, it would be hard to reach the Shadow King's level, but she must have reached an impressive level.
After all, Dang Soyeol had even managed to deceive my senses for a moment.
Because of that, she became more specialized in Shadow Arts than Poison Arts, but I actually thought that was better.
That way, at least.
'She won't suffer the same death as in my past life.'
The woman who threw herself away to protect Sichuan.
That was enough. Only that was enough.
"Commander... no, Young Master?"
"Hm?"
"Why are you staring like that?"
"Ah."
It seemed I was staring intently at Dang Soyeol without realizing it.
No wonder Dang Soyeol's cheeks were faintly flushed.
I hadn't known before, but now I knew what that reaction meant. I only knew, but there was nothing I could really do about it.
At least, for now.
I averted my gaze slightly and said.
"...It's nothing. Just thinking about the old days."
"The old days? When?"
"A very, very long time ago."
"A long time ago... Ah! When we first met?"
"Not quite... Well, roughly similar."
A long time ago, when I killed you.
This was probably a word I'd never be able to bring up forever.
"If it's similar... when?"
"Let's go."
"Ah, yes."
I dragged Dang Soyeol, who was about to ask more, and moved my steps.
The destination was already right before my nose.
I raise my head and look up.
A large plaque above the heavy gates came into view.
Sichuan Tang Clan.
The prestigious clan of the past that I visited for the first time in a while.