Chapter 218: Inviting Someone Over and Serving Cheap Liquor
Chapter 218: Inviting Someone Over and Serving Cheap Liquor
A searing liquid scorched its way down Daeho’s throat.
It was a taste he had never experienced in his life. The moment he swallowed, Daeho knew—he had consumed something he should never have touched.
The Poison King approached and handed him a single black pill.
“Chew it thoroughly before you swallow. Otherwise, your internal organs will melt away.”
Startled, Daeho hurriedly crunched the pill. As the antidote took effect, a refreshing, minty sensation spread through his chest, cooling the fire.
“Until I have completely detoxified you, you must take this antidote once a day. For every hour you are late, one of your organs will liquefy. The heart is the last to go.”
Daeho’s world turned dark. Yet, a sliver of hope remained; they were keeping him alive because he still had some use to them.
“What... what must I do now?”
“You’re going to take us to Ji-saeng. That man over there is I-ho, I am Sam-ho, and that gentleman there is Sa-ho.”
As he spoke, Geom Mu-geuk pointed first to Seo Dae-ryong, then to himself, and finally to the Poison King.
The Poison King looked at Mu-geuk with a startled expression. “Why me?”
“We need three people, and as you can see, the Smiling Demon cannot show his face because of his mask.”
Mu-geuk deliberately avoided using the title 'Smiling Demon' in front of Daeho.
The Poison King and the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon locked eyes once more.
“Since the situation is as it is, I must ask this favor of you,” the Smiling Demon said politely. Though it wasn't strictly his place to ask, he showed the Poison King due respect.
Just as the Smiling Demon had readily stepped back earlier, the Poison King now accepted the request.
“Very well. I shall do it.”
At that moment, Daeho spoke up cautiously.
“Everyone looks so young... I’m not sure if he’ll believe it.”
Geom Mu-geuk replied with a cryptic smile.
“The fact that he won't believe it is the very heart of this operation.”
Daeho couldn't understand what that meant. However, he asked the one thing he had been curious about all along.
“I’ve already swallowed your poison, so let me ask one thing. Who on earth are you people?”
“Who else? We are the cherished younger brothers of our Great Brother here.”
As soon as Geom Mu-geuk pressed his acupoints, Daeho collapsed into a deep sleep.
After putting him under, Mu-geuk turned to the two Demon Lords.
“Strategist Go is handling the arrangements, so Ji-saeng should contact us within a few days. He’s cast a glittering, brilliant bait that the man won’t be able to refuse.”
The operation was proceeding exactly according to Go Wol’s plan. Mu-geuk had told Go Wol to design the plan comfortably, without feeling pressured.
Go Wol’s true enemy wasn't the Unorthodox Path Alliance or Ji-saeng. It was the internal pressure of wanting to perform his duties perfectly to impress Geom Mu-geuk.
Seo Dae-ryong tucked the corpses of the deceased Iron Sword Four Tigers under his arms.
“I will take care of the bodies.”
“I’ll help you.”
Mu-geuk tucked the remaining corpse under his arm and followed him outside.
Together with Seo Dae-ryong, he dug a deep pit in the backyard and buried the three men. Considering the atrocities they had committed, they deserved to be thrown onto a wild mountain to become food for beasts, but since they had to impersonate them for now, that wasn't an option.
“As expected, corpses start piling up whenever I’m out with you, Pavilion Master.”
“It might be because of you.”
“Because of me?”
“When we first met, you said the Cult would never change. Those words made me steel my resolve. I decided I would make it change, no matter what.”
Seo Dae-ryong stared at Mu-geuk in silence for a moment before speaking softly.
“I gave you but one thing, yet you repay me with ten.”
He meant that Mu-geuk’s words were a source of immense comfort and strength.
If it’s someone who knows how to be grateful like this, I could give him a hundred, let alone ten, Mu-geuk thought.
Seo Dae-ryong looked down at the corpses in the pit.
“Sorry. Apparently, you died because of me.”
After covering them with soil, Seo Dae-ryong packed the earth down with his feet. Once the ground was leveled so as not to draw attention, he turned to Mu-geuk.
“Are you not going inside?”
“Let’s wait a bit. Let’s give those two some time to get closer.”
Seo Dae-ryong looked toward the building.
“Now that I think about it, the two most terrifying people in the Cult are in there.”
Seo Dae-ryong was inwardly curious. How did Mu-geuk perceive those two?
*
The Extreme Evil Smiling Demon was staring out the window, while the Poison King was pointlessly organizing the toxins in his bag.
Then, both spoke at the same time.
“Poison King...”
“Smiling Demon...”
“Ah, you go first.”
“No, please, you speak first.”
A brief silence followed before the Poison King spoke up.
“I never imagined I would end up in a place like this with you.”
“Nor did I.”
“Do you know? When the Second Young Master talks about the Demon Lords, his eyes sparkle the most when he mentions you. It’s as if... he’s genuinely excited. That’s the impression I get.”
Perhaps it was because he heard something pleasant, but the eyes within the Smiling Demon’s mask crinkled into a happy smile.
“I feel the same. I feel excited when I am with the Second Young Master. I do not know why.”
He would never know. He would never know that in Geom Mu-geuk’s life before regression, the Smiling Demon had wanted to be his friend. He would never know that he was the only person who had shown his face to Mu-geuk before dying by his blade. He would never know that the deep bond between them had stretched across time, from a life that no longer existed.
On the other hand, the Poison King felt differently.
“When I look at the Second Young Master, I feel uneasy. It’s as if... he is a poison without an antidote.”
He meant that once one was addicted, there was no way out. It was also a way of saying he didn't want to fall into such a relationship.
“In our craft, a poison without an antidote is considered a failure.”
The Smiling Demon’s gaze returned to the window. Out in the yard, the poison without an antidote was walking toward them, chatting with Seo Dae-ryong.
The Smiling Demon whispered in a voice so low it was barely audible.
“I don’t mind.”
*
A few days later, Ji-saeng received a report from a subordinate.
“I’ve heard a strange rumor regarding the Iron Sword Four Tigers.”
“What rumor?”
“About a month before they arrived here, they supposedly raided a merchant convoy and obtained three Supreme Night-shining Pearls.”
Ji-saeng was stunned. Supreme Night-shining Pearls were legendary. Not only were they incredibly expensive, but they were so rare that they were difficult to obtain even with a mountain of gold. The wealthiest in the Jianghu bought them up the moment they appeared. And they had obtained three?
“There are even rumors that several of the Iron Sword Four Tigers died in the process.”
“There was no such mention when we investigated them beforehand, was there?”
There had been several candidates to entrust with the Immortal’s Debt. They had investigated them thoroughly, and the Iron Sword Four Tigers were the ones finally chosen.
“It seems it was a very recent occurrence.”
Yet Daeho hadn't shown even a hint of it. Hadn't he said he would show his brothers' faces whenever Ji-saeng asked? If several out of only four had died, it meant everyone except Daeho was a replacement.
“It won't be hard to verify. I had to meet them once anyway. Go and tell the Iron Sword Four Tigers that I wish to meet.”
Half an hour later, Ji-saeng met the Iron Sword Four Tigers again at the manor where they had met previously.
As before, a bamboo screen hung in front of Ji-saeng, allowing only him to see the others.
“Greetings, Elder. These are my brothers. Come, greet him.”
At Daeho’s word, the three men removed their bamboo hats. The moment he saw them, Ji-saeng flinched.
The youth to Daeho’s left was handsome. His eyes were so clear and deep that it was hard to believe he was one of the Iron Sword Four Tigers who lived a life of villainy. The man on the other side was small in stature, also seemingly ill-suited for the group. The last man looked far too young to be a member; he looked like he had only just stepped into the Jianghu.
“They are younger than I expected.”
“Since they are young, won't they work with more passion?”
Geom Mu-geuk, the Poison King, and Seo Dae-ryong hadn't even bothered with common disguises. If they had come out wearing fake beards, they might have avoided suspicion, but they deliberately refrained. This was all part of Go Wol’s strategy.
Ji-saeng asked Mu-geuk, “How long has it been since you became one of the Iron Sword Four Tigers?”
Mu-geuk glanced at Daeho and then spoke in a trembling voice.
“It... it has been quite a while.”
Seeing him falter and fail to give a precise answer, the corners of Ji-saeng’s mouth curled up.
The rumors might be true.
He figured the original brothers had died during the raid on the convoy, and Daeho had recruited new people to fill the gaps.
Daeho spoke confidently, as if he had nothing to hide.
“My brothers recently got injured or left, so I’ve taken in new ones. They are all trustworthy, so you need not worry about the Immortal’s Debt.”
Hiding his predatory thoughts, Ji-saeng spoke in a pleasant tone.
“Seeing these young and gallant tigers gives me confidence. Please, devote yourselves to the great cause. I shall reward you with wealth and honor.”
“We shall serve with all our loyalty.”
Thus, the first meeting between Ji-saeng and the new Iron Sword Four Tigers concluded.
*
Three days later. From a speeding carriage, the Fake Ji-saeng sent a voice transmission to the Real Ji-saeng.
— The one called Daeho among the Iron Sword Four Tigers possesses Supreme Night-shining Pearls.
The Real Ji-saeng brought his carriage to a halt. Usually, he would exchange voice transmissions while driving, no matter how important the topic, but now he stopped completely.
— Is that true?
— Yes.
The Real Ji-saeng could not hide his excitement. Supreme Night-shining Pearls were his favorite treasures, and he collected them by any means necessary.
Among treasures, there were two whose value only rose and never fell: Night-shining Pearls and Poison-Repelling Pearls.
Ji-saeng bought Night-shining Pearls whenever he amassed enough money. He didn't buy cheap ones; he only sought the supreme quality.
He didn't put his money in banks. This was because Ya Yul-han or the Unorthodox Path Alliance could one day raid his accounts and take everything he had saved. They possessed that kind of power and were more than capable of doing so.
Therefore, he only kept a portion of his funds in banks and converted the rest into Night-shining Pearls. He chose them over gold or art because they were small, light, and easy to transport.
— Could someone be trying to play a trick on us?
At the suspicious question, the Fake Ji-saeng answered confidently.
— That is why I verified it again through an information broker. It is certain. They raided a shipment, and three of the Iron Sword Four Tigers died in the process.
He didn't know. He didn't know that the one who spread the rumors and the one who controlled the information in this region was none other than Go Wol.
— The only strange thing is that they took this job even after making such a fortune.
— Have you ever seen greed satisfied?
That was something the Fake Ji-saeng felt every time he looked at the Real Ji-saeng.
— Perhaps he is trying to hide under your shadow, Elder.
— How many did you say he has?
— Three, apparently.
Not one, but three. There was no need for even a moment’s hesitation.
— Eliminate them as quickly as possible and recover the pearls. Find others to entrust with the Immortal’s Debt.
— The Central Plains is crawling with trash like the Iron Sword Four Tigers. I will find replacements soon.
When it came to greed for wealth, no one could stop him.
— I set out to get deer meat and ended up with tiger skins!
Ji-saeng chuckled heartily and set the carriage in motion again.
Only one thing could make him laugh so jovially.
*
The Iron Sword Four Tigers were invited by Ji-saeng.
When they arrived, the room was set with food and liquor. The side dishes were meager, and the liquor was of such poor quality it was hard to even bring to one's lips.
Guessing what this spread signified, Geom Mu-geuk said with a smile, “Now that we’ve become one family, why don't you remove the screen? I wish to behold your honorable face, Elder.”
Ji-saeng laughed from behind the screen.
“As expected of the young, you have spirit. Very well.”
The screen between Ji-saeng and the Iron Sword Four Tigers was removed. Since he intended to kill them all anyway, Ji-saeng showed his face without concern.
Mu-geuk raised his cup high.
“Come, let us have a drink together!”
However, Ji-saeng did not pick up his cup. He allowed his cold emotions to surface, and naturally, the atmosphere chilled.
“Daeho, I heard a rumor regarding you.”
“What rumor are you referring to?”
“I heard you hit the jackpot.”
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”
“We’re family now. Let’s have a look.”
“I truly don't know what you mean.”
Daeho feigned total ignorance. Ji-saeng nodded.
“Right, that’s only natural. I would have done the same. I understand.”
As soon as he said that, four martial artists entered the room. Radiating killing intent, they were warriors whose skills far surpassed those of the original Iron Sword Four Tigers.
They were Ji-saeng’s most cherished subordinates, used primarily when people needed to be killed discreetly.
“Since the three new ones don't know anything anyway, kill them first.”
At that, Mu-geuk turned to Daeho.
“It seems our poor Great Brother is going to lose his younger brothers again.”
At Mu-geuk’s words, Daeho let out a sigh and looked at Ji-saeng. His gaze seemed to say: Now you’re in for it, too.
A strange sense of foreboding made Ji-saeng’s heart turn cold. He shouted to his subordinates.
“Kill them, now!”
The moment the command left his lips, the four men collapsed simultaneously, as if their bodies had simply dissolved.
Ji-saeng turned pale with shock. All four of his subordinates had died without even being able to swing a sword. His command had been 'kill them,' not 'die,' so why on earth...?
“Poison!”
The Poison King was already gently waving a fan. It was his unique weapon, the Avici Fan.
Even though four people had been poisoned at once, the others in the same room were perfectly fine. This single move, which drew genuine admiration, was a poison technique that only the Poison King could perform. There was no trace of youth in him when he used poison. Cold and heartless, he felt like a completely different person.
Ji-saeng leaped to his feet and drew his sword.
Just as he was about to scream to alert the Real Ji-saeng and the other subordinates outside, Geom Mu-geuk brought his index finger to his lips.
Shh.
He only made a gesture for silence, but Ji-saeng’s mute acupoint had already been struck.
“Inviting someone over and serving such cheap liquor... This might be better for you.”
Staring at the small poison vial held out toward him, Ji-saeng realized it. The life he had enjoyed so much while riding the coattails of the Unorthodox Path Alliance had just encountered its greatest crisis.
A crisis far too great to overcome.