Chapter 210: In the Middle of the Great Training Ground
Chapter 210: In the Middle of the Great Training Ground
An old man with thinning white hair sat at the entrance to the Thousand Poison Forest. His aura was formidable even at a glance, and several poison pouches were fastened to his waist—the hallmark of the poisoners who called this forest home.
Counting the pouches on the old man’s waist, there were nine in total.
A beginner in the poison arts wore a single pouch, while the Poison King himself wore twelve. Thus, the number of pouches alone was enough to gauge just how great a master this old man was.
“I am Geom Mu-geuk. I have come to see the Poison King.”
When I greeted him politely, the old man identified himself.
“This old man is called Sangseon.”
He was the Poison King’s right hand and one of the Four Great Poison Humans of the Thousand Poison Forest.
“A distinguished person has come out to meet me.”
“A precious guest has arrived, so this old man had to greet him personally.”
I had sent word in advance that I was coming, but I hadn't expected Sangseon to come out himself.
“Follow me carefully.”
I followed Sangseon into the forest. The woods were incredibly dense.
“Of all the territories of the Eight Demon Lords, this Thousand Poison Forest is the largest.”
It was indeed vast enough for him to boast about.
Ssssss.
As we walked, I noticed a snake with a peculiar shape.
“That is a White Blood Snake. Uniquely, its blood is white. If you are bitten by that fellow and cannot take an antidote, you will die in less than fifteen minutes.”
It was said that a thousand types of poisonous creatures existed here. The Thousand Poison Forest was a place where one’s body might never be found if they took a wrong step amidst the lethal herbs, insects, and snakes.
On the way, we encountered a poisoner gathering herbs. The poisoners here were called Poison Fangs, and the number of pouches hanging from their waists varied.
After passing through the dense forest, we arrived at the Poison King’s residence. It was a circular building—low-slung but sprawling over a massive area.
“I will wait here. Go inside and have your talk.”
“Thank you.”
I stepped inside.
The interior was not divided into rooms but consisted of one massive, open space.
Everything was there. Dozens of bookshelves and desks, all sorts of devices of unknown purpose, beds, tables, wardrobes, cabinets, and even a wooden tub for bathing. Truly, everything a person needed to live was in this single space. This was the Poison King’s sanctum.
In the middle of the room, the Poison King was crouched amidst a mess of various items, intently reading something.
This was my first meeting with the Poison King.
In my youth before the regression, I had only seen him once or twice from a distance. By the time I returned as an older man to gather materials for the Great Regression Art, he had already passed away. So, seeing him up close like this was a first for me.
To describe my first impression of him briefly: he looked youthful and scholarly.
People often imagine the Poison King as a hunched-over old man or someone with skin covered in boils, inflammation, and peeling scales due to the side effects of poison—essentially, someone whose face and body are a wreck. However, the current Poison King was remarkably clean-cut.
Despite being middle-aged, he looked incredibly young. If the Cult ever held a contest for the most youthful face, I was certain the Poison King would take first place.
He looked young enough to be my friend if we walked together. Furthermore, he exuded a highly intellectual atmosphere; just based on looks, he seemed even smarter than Chief Strategist Sama Myeong.
If not for his deep green robes and the twelve pouches at his waist, anyone would have taken him for a scholar. No, with his handsome, boyish features, he could even pass for a student learning from a scholar.
Ah, so the Poison King was this youthful.
I even wondered if his growth had stopped at some point because of the poison.
To think he committed those acts with such an innocent face? That he dreamed of becoming the World’s Greatest Poison Lord and ruling the Murim?
The Poison King had lived a life that truly did not match his appearance.
As I approached him, the Poison King spoke without taking his eyes off his book.
“Bring me that blue bottle on the desk.”
The Poison King’s voice was as youthful as his appearance.
I picked up the blue bottle he mentioned and walked over to him.
“Be careful. If even a single drop of Blue Poison splashes on you, you’re dead.”
I won't die! Even if I drank every poison in this room, I wouldn't die!
The Poison King mixed the poison I handed him with another mixture sitting in front of him.
The moment he mixed them—
Pop!
With a sharp sound, poison mist billowed up. I stepped back and quickly waved my hands. What a noisy welcoming ceremony.
Whoosh.
I emitted internal energy, gathering and trapping the rising poison mist between my palms. I intended to lead it away and blast it out the window, but...
“No! Wait!”
The Poison King ran over and brought a large sack.
“Drive it in here.”
I pushed the poison mist I had gathered into the sack. The Poison King tightly tied the mouth of the sack with a string and tossed the bag of poison mist next to a table. Then, he began rummaging through his books again.
“Just what went wrong?”
He was lost in deep thought. He still hadn't spared me a single glance. It wasn't that he was intentionally ignoring me; he was simply completely immersed in his own world.
I slowly scanned the interior. The cabinets lining the walls were filled with countless bottles, and I could tell they were all either poisons or antidotes. It looked like a library where poisons were shelved instead of books.
“Ah! Was this the mistake? Hey, bring me that Evil Poison Herb over there.”
I brought him the Evil Poison Herb from among the many herbs scattered across the desk. Even though he saw that I had correctly picked it out from the numerous plants, he showed no reaction.
“Put that here, and go over there and get me a ladle of water.”
He kept giving me errands. Bring this, bring that. He moved busily. In the meantime, he pounded and ground the herbs.
When he mixed the Blue Poison into the newly combined mixture, it didn't explode this time.
“It worked! It worked! The Evil Poison Herb was the problem!”
The Poison King was overjoyed, seeing that the mixture was correct this time. Then, he finally noticed me standing beside him.
“By the way, who are you?”
Our dear Poison King sure took his time asking.
“Did you give me all those errands without even knowing who I was?”
“I thought you were one of my kids. So, who are you?”
“I am Geom Mu-geuk.”
“Ah, right. They said you were coming today. So it’s you. The talk of the Cult, Geom Mu-geuk. What brings you here?”
Even though he knew my identity, his tone and attitude didn't change at all.
He acted like a scatterbrained eccentric, but the faint green glow emanating from his eyes had remained constant since I entered the room. It meant his emotions were being consistently controlled. This alone was a reminder that I must never forget: a Demon Lord is, above all else, a Demon Lord.
“I have a favor to ask.”
“What favor?”
“Please persuade my father.”
The Poison King suddenly thrust his face close to mine. His skin was fair and clear. How could someone who handled poison have such good skin?
“I don't want to.”
The Poison King refused flatly without even hearing the details.
“I’m allowed to refuse, right? This isn't some kind of pressure from the Cult Leader’s son, is it?”
“It is not.”
“Good. A young brat shouldn't start by learning such wicked habits. Your business is done, so why aren't you leaving?”
The Poison King was disorienting, yet he was no pushover.
“No, I’m leaving. I’ll see you again.”
I bowed politely and walked out. Sangseon, who had guided me earlier, was waiting at the entrance. He didn't ask a single question about what had happened inside.
“Please send word that I will visit again tomorrow.”
“I shall.”
I memorized the path as I followed him out of the Thousand Poison Forest.
* * *
I returned to the Thousand Poison Forest the next day.
Today, Sangseon guided me to the Poison King’s residence again, but it was a different path from yesterday. I could see his intention. He was trying to prevent me from learning the way to the residence.
However, it was a futile effort, as he didn't know how good my memory and sense of direction were. Today, I learned yet another path to the Poison King’s home.
When I arrived, he was digging in the ground near the house.
“It was definitely here...”
The ground was dug up in several places. It seemed he had buried something and couldn't find it.
With dirt smeared on his face and body like a child, he looked almost cute. But the cuter he looked, the more bizarre it felt because of the disconnect with the things he would do in the future.
In the future, the number of martial artists who died by his poison would reach the thousands. He was someone who would cause a literal massacre.
The Poison King barely acknowledged my greeting, focused entirely on digging. I borrowed a shovel from Sangseon and began digging as well.
A strange light flickered in Sangseon’s eyes as he watched me. On the other hand, the Poison King only cared about whether what he was looking for came out of the ground he was digging. It wasn't an act; he was truly absorbed in the task. He even burst out laughing to himself. To an ordinary observer, he looked like a complete madman.
Now I understood perfectly why the Demon Doctor said the key was getting the Poison King to come out of his laboratory. I also understood why everyone said persuading him would be difficult. This man lived entirely within his own world.
I dug in a few spots nearby. Whenever something came up, I gathered it all to the side. All sorts of things appeared: boxes, bugs, larvae, snakes, trash, and strange tools.
As I was digging in a certain spot...
“Ah! Why is that there?”
The Poison King shouted and ran over to where I was digging. It seemed one of the things I had unearthed was what he had been looking for.
The box he picked up contained a sticky liquid that gave off a foul stench.
“Kyah! It’s aged perfectly!”
“Was this what you were looking for?”
The Poison King looked at me and gasped in surprise.
“When did you get here?”
This was partly an act and partly not. He had recognized me, yet he had also forgotten me.
“I arrived a while ago. You seemed to be looking for something, so I started digging too.”
“Good job, well done.”
He laughed happily, then suddenly turned serious.
“I’m sure I refused you yesterday.”
“Today, I came purely to help you, Poison King. Seeing you yesterday, I realized you needed someone to assist you.”
“Is your scheme to steal and learn my poison arts?”
“Can the Poison King’s arts be stolen and learned so easily?”
“Not a chance.”
“Then it should be fine.”
The Poison King stared at me intently. The green glow in his eyes felt as if it were piercing into mine. Of course, that light had no effect on me, as I had mastered the New Eye Technique.
Rather, I felt something about him. In that moment, an image came to mind—an image of the Poison King walking out of his own world and standing on the boundary of the outside world.
In this moment, he was no eccentric.
I could tell. This person before me was someone who desired to become the World’s Most Powerful Poison Lord. He had crossed that boundary only once, and when he did, thousands died.
“Shall we see how well you work?”
His emotions showed on his face. I’ll work you so hard today that you’ll never want to come back!
The Poison King put me to work. He gave me serious tasks with the intention of driving me away.
“Take those poisonous herbs over there and sort them out here.”
As he ordered, I brought the sacks of herbs and began classifying them.
I abandoned the intention of persuading the Poison King. I also abandoned the desire to get on his good side. I only thought about being with him and figuring out what kind of world he lived in. If I couldn't understand his world, I would never be able to persuade him.
“Now, organize those newly arrived herbs over there as well.”
Every day, poisonous materials that the Poison Fangs gathered from the Central Plains were brought here. It would have been fine if it were just herbs, but there were also many types of grotesque poisonous creatures.
I handled the herbs and creatures skillfully. Once I became immune to all poisons, my aversion to them vanished completely. Before, the mere thought of poison made me frown and want to stay away, but I no longer felt that way.
He seemed surprised by how well I performed the tasks he gave me.
“I thought you’d act like a pampered noble, but you actually know how to work.”
I was already well-versed in poisonous herbs. That was why I had easily passed the trials related to them in the Small Heaven Cave back then.
Of course, the variety of herbs handled here was so vast that it far exceeded my knowledge. Every time an unfamiliar herb came in, I asked the Poison King. I asked until he was on the verge of saying, "Stop asking!"
When the day’s work was done, the Poison King questioned me about the herbs he had taught me. Since he couldn't find fault with my labor, he attacked my memory.
“What did I say the name of this herb was?”
“It is the Night Orchid Herb. It’s a poison mainly ground up and put into spicy food. It leaves no trace at all.”
I repeated exactly what he had explained.
“Then what about this one?”
“The Black Mountain Hundred-Day Herb. If someone is poisoned by it, the effect lasts for a hundred days. They will waste away before eventually dying.”
I explained it precisely as he had told me.
“You brat! Why are you so smart?”
His eyes burned with the determination to find a flaw in me tomorrow. In this moment, he looked like nothing more than a spoiled brat my own age.
“I’ll see you tomorrow!”
* * *
I went to see him again the next day.
The Poison King’s assumption that I would stop coming after a few days was a huge mistake. He didn't know what kind of person I was—how much effort I put in to achieve a goal once I set it.
Today, I finished the day’s work as well.
I made no effort to intentionally become close to him. I didn't strike up conversations, nor did I try to look good. I didn't even use the Flattery Divine Art. I only silently did what I was told.
Perhaps that was why the Poison King was the first to speak up.
“Doing this won't change my mind. Once I say something, I never take it back. If I ever break my word, I’ll go to the middle of the Great Training Ground and shout ‘I am a dog’ and bark five times in front of everyone.”
It was a moment where he reaffirmed his resolve not to give in. He said it to tell me not to come anymore, but I also reaffirmed my own resolve.
“Since you’ve set such a condition, Poison King, I should set one too. If I fail, I will also call everyone to the Great Training Ground and shout. I’ll shout that I am a ‘dog son of a tiger father’ and bark five times.”
Whether it was because he hadn't expected such a response, the Poison King laughed loudly.
“I look forward to seeing what kind of face the Cult Leader makes then.”
Excited by the bet I had proposed, the Poison King brought out paper and a brush.
“Alright, since you’ll be coming often, let’s start by writing a memorandum! A memorandum stating that you came to the Thousand Poison Forest of your own will, and that even if an accident occurs while working and you get poisoned, you won't hold me responsible. How about it? Do you have the confidence to sign?”
Looking into his excited eyes, I issued a provocation of my own.
“Only if you write one as well, Poison King.”