Chapter 214: We Are Hellhounds
Chapter 214: We Are Hellhounds
For a moment, I couldn't say a word.
It was a silence born of both surprise and joy. Those words meant he had lost the bet.
"Watch out! You're going to step on an ant!"
I flinched, pulling my boot back just before it crushed the tiny creature.
I wasn't entirely sure why he was letting me win. Was it because of the rapport we’d built? Was it his distaste for the True Poison Recluse of the Unorthodox Path Alliance? Was it for the boy who had lost his family? Or was it simply because of those poison ants marching in a line?
Regardless, the reason didn't matter.
"Poison King!"
I lunged forward and pulled him into a fierce hug, squeezing him with everything I had.
"Thank you. Thank you so much."
Before I knew it, the Poison King was dangling one of the poison pouches from his waist right in front of my eyes.
"Do you want to die? Let go of me this instant."
"Yes, sir!"
I scrambled back immediately.
The Poison King stood up, his expression sour. "Let’s go. We’ll go bark, and then we’ll go see the Cult Leader."
He intended to put the plan into action right away.
"Poison King, I’ll bark in your place."
"You?"
"You’ve given me your permission so graciously; I should repay the favor. I’ve done nothing but learn from you until now, haven't I?"
"You’re really going to bark for me?"
"Yes."
The Poison King laughed at my sincere response. "Aren't you smiling a bit too brightly?"
"I’ve gone from a dog back to a human. Of course I’m happy."
"Let’s move."
We had to act before he changed his mind. We headed straight for the Grand Training Ground.
"Please wait here at a distance," I said. "I’ll go give them a good, loud barking."
As I started toward the center of the grounds, the Poison King caught my arm.
"Stay put. I’m the one who’s going to bark. I’m not a man who breaks his word."
"Are you sure you'll be alright?"
"What about you? You’re someone who might become the Heavenly Demon one day."
"I thought you said you’d never support me?"
"I won't."
Our gazes locked. His face still looked youthful, but his eyes held a profound depth. He wouldn't support me, yet he possessed the maturity to worry about my future as the Heavenly Demon. This was the true nature of the man known as the Poison King.
"I’ll bark. You stay here."
The Poison King—a man who hated even stepping outside the gates of the Thousand Poison Gate—began walking toward the center of the training ground.
Watching him, I added a new principle to my life: Never presume to define another person's world.
Look people straight in the eye, say what needs to be said without hesitation, and never judge anyone prematurely. I was adding these principles to my life, one by one.
As soon as the Poison King appeared, every eye in the vicinity was drawn to him. Even without exerting a specific aura, he naturally commanded attention. The presence of a Demon Lord was beginning to manifest.
The cultists were stunned. The Poison King, a man rarely seen in public, had appeared in the middle of the Grand Training Ground.
People stopped in their tracks, and heads poked out of building windows. A crowd began to gather. Among them were those seeing the Poison King for the very first time.
At first, people approached with curiosity—Is that really the Poison King? He’s so young?—only to realize the weight of his identity and retreat, covering their noses and mouths in fear.
The Poison King waited for the crowd to reach its peak. He could have barked quickly while few were around and claimed he’d kept his promise, but he didn't. He was a man among men. He just happened to be a man who hated going outside.
Word spread, and more people flocked to the scene.
Among them was Demon Monarch Jang Ho. He looked as reliable as ever. I gave him a small nod, and he bowed respectfully from a distance.
Seo Dae-ryong, the investigators from the Huangquan Pavilion, and even the enforcement martial artists came rushing out. Seo Dae-ryong sent me a startled message via telepathy.
— Pavilion Master, what is going on?
— I’m on my way to uncover the mastermind.
— What? What do you mean?
— Didn't you say it at the gisaeng house where the accident happened? That you wanted to find out why such a thing occurred?
— I did.
— I’m on my way to find out.
— At the training ground?
— Yes. This is the starting point.
Seo Dae-ryong looked confused, but I offered no further explanation.
The perimeter of the Grand Training Ground was now packed with people. Every gaze was fixed on the Poison King. The man who spoke to snakes with a boyish face, the man who lost himself in thought while staring at poisonous insects, the man who drew cute pictures on his poison pouches—he stood tall and undaunted under the scrutiny of so many cultists.
Everyone knew. If the Poison King decided to kill everyone here—if those twelve poison pouches at his waist were opened—every single person present would be annihilated.
Once he felt enough people had gathered, the Poison King raised his hand. The murmuring ceased instantly.
In that moment, when the crowd was so silent you couldn't even hear a breath, the Poison King let out a loud, clear bark.
Everyone was shocked. No one expected the Poison King to gather a crowd just to bark like a dog. Some even recoiled in terror, thinking he had gone mad and was about to release his toxins.
Right then, another shout rang out through the grounds.
"A tiger's den has a puppy in it!"
The one who shouted was, of course, me. I walked toward the Poison King, barking loudly as I went.
The Poison King stared at me, his expression asking what on earth I was doing. How could I let him bark alone?
"Let’s bark together."
"No! You are..."
"It’s fine."
I gave him a confident smile. It was a smile of self-assurance, knowing that something like this could never diminish my dignity as the future Heavenly Demon.
And this wasn't just about pride. It was a gesture of friendship and gratitude toward the Poison King. I wouldn't leave him to bark by himself.
For the second round, I barked first.
The Poison King looked at me as if I were utterly incomprehensible. However, a smile he couldn't hide played on his lips.
I would get closer to the Poison King. My goal was that one day, when I finally revealed, "I am immune to all poisons!" I would see joy on his face rather than any other emotion. It was a difficult goal, considering the Poison King and immunity to poisons were natural enemies.
We barked together.
Since we were doing it anyway, we made them long, howling barks like wolves—grand and impressive. We weren't just any dogs; we weren't common mutts. We were magnificent hounds loyal to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult! We were hellhounds that tore into evil.
The onlookers whispered among themselves. Everyone wondered what was happening, but no one dared to laugh.
It was then that someone among the spectators started barking along with us.
It was Seo Dae-ryong. Once he started, the investigators of the Huangquan Pavilion followed suit, and then the enforcement martial artists joined in. The Poison Fangs began to bark, and even Jang Ho joined the chorus. People were stunned to see a Demon Monarch barking, and his loyal Demon Army began to bark as well.
Other cultists followed their lead. In an instant, the Grand Training Ground turned into a complete madhouse.
In that chaos, we barked together five times in total.
This moment of barking together felt far more satisfying than simply watching the Poison King lose a bet.
*
After turning the place into a kennel, I entered the Heavenly Demon Hall with the Poison King.
Before opening the doors, the Poison King took several pills.
"What kind of medicine is that?"
He gave an unexpected answer. "Medicine to calm my nerves."
I looked at him, bewildered. "You didn't take any when you were barking in front of all those people?"
"This is ten times more nerve-wracking than standing on the training ground. Right now, I’m not just going to see the Cult Leader. I’m going to defy him."
My father had been certain the Poison King would never side with me. Since he had been completely swayed, it was no exaggeration to say this was more than defiance—it was a challenge.
"Besides, the Cult Leader dislikes me."
"My father is a martial artist to his core, so he tends to look down on anything that isn't orthodox martial arts. He dislikes poison arts, not you personally. My father is often misunderstood in that regard."
"I’ll pass on the consolation."
"It’s not consolation. Think about it. If he truly disliked you, would he have made this bet? Would he have allowed such an important wager with someone he genuinely hated?"
That seemed to hold some logic, as the Poison King didn't argue back.
"And so what if my father dislikes you a little? Everyone gets hated sometimes."
"People like me get dragged away in the middle of the night."
"Don't worry. Even if he boiled all the other Demon Lords in a pot, he wouldn't boil you."
"Because he’s afraid he can't eat me due to the poison?"
"No. Because if you’re gone, the Murim Alliance will invade immediately."
"You don't have to flatter me anymore. I’m going to keep my promise regardless."
"I don't want to stop. I’m going to keep flattering you. My gratitude for today will last forever."
"You’re only saying that because you think I won't survive today, aren't you?"
We entered the Heavenly Demon Hall. We walked side by side down the Path of Blood toward my father.
It seemed my father had already heard the news of our barking at the training ground. The atmosphere was solemn and cold.
After offering a respectful greeting, the Poison King looked at my father and spoke formally.
"Cult Leader. Please grant the Second Young Master's request."
My father glared at the Poison King with terrifying intensity. "I trusted you, of all people."
The Poison King looked troubled. "I am sorry."
"What on earth swayed you?" my father asked, sounding genuinely curious.
The Poison King hesitated for a moment before answering. "I was moved by the Second Young Master's mourning."
Both my father and I were surprised by his unexpected words.
"Many people died in this incident. I was moved by the way the Second Young Master mourned for those he didn't even know. I believe you can tell what kind of person someone is by the way they mourn for others."
The Poison King, who had been trembling outside the door, spoke quite boldly in front of my father.
My father’s gaze shifted to me. "Are you happy?"
"I feel like I’m walking on air. For the first time, I’ve achieved something because the Demon Lords supported me together. I will never forget this day."
I conveyed my joy honestly.
In truth, all of this was thanks to my father. His sharp rebuke had been the catalyst.
How open is your own world?
With those words, I realized the Poison King's world wasn't closed. If he truly lived in a closed world, he wouldn't have barked at the training ground, nor would he be standing here now. It was simply that I had been looking at him through a closed lens.
It’s all thanks to you, Father.
But I didn't say those words aloud. Now was the moment to let my father vent his frustration. I believed that, at least in part, my father had wanted me to win. I chose to believe that.
As always, my father kept his word.
"Fine. I grant your request."
I performed a deep bow on the spot. "Thank you, Father."
I knew this wasn't an easy decision for him. That was why I had to handle this matter perfectly.
"If you’ve made such a request, it must be because you’re confident you can leave no evidence that we were involved?"
"Yes. I will do my absolute best."
"Doing your best isn't enough. You must handle it so that there is absolutely no sign that we were the ones who killed them."
Eliminate Ya Yul-han, the second-in-command of the Unorthodox Path Alliance, and his four henchmen without anyone knowing it was our doing. It was a mission bordering on the impossible, but I answered vigorously.
"Yes! I will do so."
The Demon Lords had all stepped forward to get this permission, the Smiling Demon had risked his life, and the Poison King had barked at the training ground. I had to succeed, perfectly.
My father had already returned to his usual demeanor. He was not the type to look back once a decision was made. He wasn't one to hold a grudge.
"Who will you take with you?"
"I will go with the Smiling Demon."
"The two of you might not be enough. Three would be more reassuring."
Just as the Poison King's expression turned to one of dread, my father’s gaze landed on him.
"You go and help them."
"I cannot, Cult Leader!" The Poison King jumped, looking absolutely horrified.
"You cannot?"
At my father’s low, quiet question, the Poison King answered instantly. "No. I can. I will."
My father’s expression seemed to say, You sided with him so easily? Now pay the price. I take it back—my father was definitely someone who held a grudge.
My father stood up. "Poison King, listen."
As my father unleashed the aura of the Heavenly Demon, the Poison King bowed low in respect.
"Yes, Cult Leader."
"From this moment, I authorize the use of the Twelve Extreme Poisons."
"I obey your supreme command."
The Twelve Extreme Poisons, the Poison King's primary toxins, could only be used with my father’s explicit permission. It was a testament to just how terrifying his poisons were.
After bowing respectfully to my father, the Poison King and I left the Heavenly Demon Hall.
"You said you were nervous, but you spoke better than I did," I noted.
"It was all the medicine." The Poison King let out a sigh that seemed to shake the earth. He, who hated leaving the Thousand Poison Forest, was now heading out into the Central Plains.
"It’s dangerous outside the Thousand Poison Forest!"
"Actually, you’re the most dangerous thing out there, Poison King."
The Poison King glared at me as if it were all my fault.
"I’m sorry. I didn't know it would turn out like this either."
"I’m not going. I refuse."
"Alright. I’ll go with the Smiling Demon. You stay hidden safely in the Thousand Poison Forest."
"If I do that, I’ll really be dragged away." The Poison King vented his frustration pointlessly. "Once I’m out there, I’m going to kill everyone. I’ll stop at every village and massacre them all. You think I won't?"
He really, truly did not want to go.
"Since the opponent is who they are, my father must have been worried about me. Seeing as he’s sending out the Cult’s ultimate secret weapon."
"That’s not enough to comfort me! Not at all!"
With slumped shoulders, the Poison King trudged toward the Thousand Poison Forest. I shouted after him.
"We’ll be leaving as soon as possible, so please get ready! Thank you so much for today!"
In response, the Poison King barked as he walked away. He sounded like a very angry dog.
Smiling at his retreating figure, I turned my steps toward Villain Valley.