Chapter 440: The Position of the Poison King, Set by Father
Chapter 440: The Position of the Poison King, Set by Father
Is there a question more provocative or insulting to a Poison King than asking why he creates poison?
Had our relationship been any less cordial, he might have snapped back immediately.
What kind of question is that to ask a Poison King?
Or perhaps he would have countered with a question of his own: And why do you practice swordsmanship?
Fortunately, the Poison King realized my question wasn't just some mindless remark. Instead of answering, he simply stared at me.
I walked slowly, stepping between the display cases.
"There is so much poison here."
The sheer volume of toxins in this single aisle alone was staggering. While much of it had likely been passed down through generations within the Thousand Poison Forest, the Poison King himself must have collected a vast amount. There were undoubtedly many new concoctions as well, like the one he had just perfected.
"Why do you pour such passion into creating poison, as you did just now?"
It was a fundamental yet deeply personal question. He could answer as a Demon Lord, or he could give a personal reason. It was the kind of question where the answer shifted depending on how one chose to interpret it.
I turned back to the Poison King and added, "You’ve dedicated your entire life to poison, haven't you? What does poison mean to you, my Lord?"
For a fleeting moment, I saw a spark of passion in his eyes—an intensity I had never seen before.
He must have heard he was strong countless times. He must have been told he was a terrifying man just as often. But had anyone ever acknowledged that he had dedicated himself to his craft?
Did the weight of those words burden him? The Poison King shifted his gaze toward the poisons on the opposite shelf.
A brief silence followed. He still hadn't answered why he made poison.
I posed a new question. This, too, was something I was asking for the first time since meeting him.
"Or is it that you wish to one day dye the world in blood using your toxins?"
That had been his life before my regression.
This time, the response was quick. Without looking back, the Poison King replied, "If I must."
I actually felt a sense of relief. To me, that answer felt further removed from a sea of blood than a hollow claim that such a thing would never happen. After all, the person who takes their own life is often the one who was smiling yesterday, not the one who was weeping.
Was I worried he might commit such atrocities again? Not at all. I knew better than anyone how the same person could change completely depending on their situation, environment, and the people around them.
The Poison King before my regression and the Poison King now were entirely different people. Or rather, they were the same man living two different lives.
Just like me.
"It seems I’ve asked a pointless question. Please forgive my rudeness."
At that, the Poison King, who had been staring blankly at the poison vials, slowly shook his head.
"I have never been asked such a thing before."
Indeed, who would dare ask the Poison King why he made poison?
And the reason he hadn't answered wasn't because of my question.
"I have never given it serious thought, either."
If I were the younger version of myself, I wouldn't have believed him. I would have dismissed it as him trying to sound cool. But I knew better now. The higher the realm one reaches, the less one tends to overthink the basics.
"You must have thought about it once. You just can't recall it right now."
"Yes, perhaps once. But I cannot remember when that 'once' was."
"It seems even the Poison King cannot escape being swept along by the currents of life," I said playfully, but his expression remained solemn.
He walked over to a shelf and picked up the vial containing the Ten Thousand Deaths Absolute Poison he had finished today. The way he looked at it seemed to ask:
—Why did I make this? Why did I refuse to give up, even after repeated failures?
Before his contemplation could pull him too deep into his own world, I provided the answer for him.
"It was to protect the Cult."
For the Poison King, that was clearly the wrong answer.
"The Cult Leader is here; why would I need to protect it?"
It was time to properly explain the reason for my visit.
"The people of the Orthodox and Unorthodox Factions likely fear you more than they fear my father."
At the root of that terror was a specific kind of dread: the fear of dying without even getting the chance to fight.
If you die fighting an opponent, no matter who they are, you don't feel cheated. But a fight against the Poison King is over the moment you take a wrong breath or a single sip of tainted water.
Perhaps the reason the Poison King was the ultimate deterrent wasn't the fear of mass slaughter, but the fear of dying a dog's death.
"There is a reason I asked those questions earlier."
I told the Poison King everything that had happened since my return, including my concern that my father might be dreaming of the Unification of the Murim.
Even after hearing the whole story, the Poison King’s expression didn't change. He had likely known all along that I had a specific reason for coming to the Thousand Poison Forest today, even when he first brought me here.
"Even if everyone else opposes the Cult Leader's dream, shouldn't you be the one to support him?"
"It seems he didn't just give me his good looks; he passed down his stubbornness as well."
"So, you intend to block the Cult Leader's path?"
I felt terribly sorry toward my father, but I nodded silently and began to persuade the Poison King.
"I hope these poisons remain here forever."
"Do you wish to make me a useless man?"
"Quite the opposite."
"The opposite?"
I slowly touched a poison vial in front of me. The label on the bottle read Flame Soul Fatal Poison. It was a terrifying toxin; even a few drops would cause the poison to spread like wildfire, snaring the lives of everyone in the vicinity.
"As long as these poisons remain here, your terror and majesty will endure. The moment you unleash them upon the Murim, that terror will turn into rage. Your majesty will be smothered by resentment."
The Poison King said nothing.
"The essence of poison arts is not poisoning, but detoxification."
Those were words I had said to him before. Since he had taught his own successor the same thing, he clearly shared that sentiment.
"When you detoxified the Poison Tyrant's venom and saved everyone last time, you were magnificent, my Lord."
I couldn't tell what he was thinking at that moment, but I spoke my heart plainly.
"Please, do not live as the Poison King who administers toxins in my father's Demonic Path, but as the Poison King who detoxifies them in mine."
I had said everything I wanted to say, sensing that I had already lost to my father, who had helped manufacture poison today without saying a word.
"I apologize for my rude request."
I bowed politely. It was an imposition, made without truly knowing his heart.
The Poison King, who had remained silent until then, suddenly spoke.
"You are mistaken about one thing."
It was something I truly hadn't considered.
"Do you think the Cult Leader intends to use me as his vanguard to achieve the Unification of the Murim?"
"Is that not the case?"
"Four years and seven months ago, when I went to gather poisonous herbs with the Cult Leader, he said something to me."
And then, a startling truth was revealed. The Poison King repeated the words my father had said to him that day.
"I will not unify the Murim with poison. My Murim has no need for poison arts."
I was stunned. I never imagined my father would say such a thing. I knew he disliked poison arts, but to say it directly to the Poison King...
"Were you not offended?"
"I was. But I wasn't upset. It was much better than him pretending otherwise while secretly hating my craft."
That was how my father treated the Demon Lords.
And those two men had manufactured poison together today without exchanging a single word. Perhaps there was a bond between them that only they understood.
The Poison King shared the final words my father had spoken that day.
"To me, you are not a man who strikes the Murim, but the man who protects this Cult. Even if my Unification of the Murim fails, the Cult will not fall because of you."
That was the position my father had set for the Poison King—the final bastion.
"I promised that day to follow the Cult Leader's will."
Only now could I understand the Poison King's end in my previous life.
When the Cult Leader's Palace was overrun and my father died, the Eight Demon Lords gave up on revenge. Until now, I thought they had been suppressed by Hwa Mu-gi's overwhelming martial prowess. I thought they had chosen life over death. I viewed it as a betrayal, though I understood it was a losing battle anyway.
But today, for the first time, a different thought occurred to me. Perhaps a situation I didn't know about had unfolded that day—a situation where everyone had to give up on revenge.
Because I didn't think the Poison King would have just stood by. Yet he hadn't sought revenge, and he later met a tragic end after causing a massacre.
We were likely thinking of the same person, but the Poison King broke the silence.
"It is because I like poison."
It was the answer to my earlier question. He hadn't been able to give that simple answer for a long time. It wasn't because he couldn't remember it.
Do I still truly like poison? Or have I forgotten that feeling and started making it out of habit?
He must have been searching for the answers to those internal questions.
"Of course it's because you like it," I said, as if I had known the answer all along.
The Poison King looked at me.
"A person who doesn't like poison couldn't crouch for hours just to watch a poisonous insect crawl. Such a person wouldn't give names to venomous snakes. You truly love poison, my Lord. Please, make sure to show me—tell me—what lies at the end of that love and dedication."
As the Poison King, these were likely words he had never heard from anyone else. Not from my father, and certainly not from the version of me before I regressed. No, I believe even the old man who sent me back had words he wanted or needed to hear. Words that every person needs to hear at least once in their life. I had just said those words to the Poison King.
The Poison King looked at me and smiled. A sense of joy and gratitude lingered in his eyes.
"I can't let this good atmosphere go to waste. So, are you on my father's side? Or mine?"
The answer came quickly. As the Poison King walked out of the storehouse, he said calmly, "I am on no one's side."
*
The person who gave me a clear answer was the One Flower Sword Venerable.
"I will follow the Cult Leader's will."
She made her decision without even a hint of hesitation.
She had listened to my explanation while practicing her swordsmanship at the training ground, and she spoke those words as she unleashed her final technique.
Having finished her session, she gulped down water from a jar at the edge of the training ground.
There had been a change since I last saw her. She had stopped wearing makeup a while ago, but now her hair was completely white.
"This is my natural hair, without any adornment."
The white of her hair contrasted beautifully with the red camellia carved on the scabbard of the One Flower Sword, creating an elegant look.
"You become more impressive every time I see you, Sword Venerable!"
"As expected! I knew you would say that."
It wasn't just her appearance that had changed. I could feel that her martial realm, which had already ascended a level, was now pushing toward yet another height.
"I appreciate the compliment, but I will still follow the Cult Leader's will."
It was expected. When it came to respect for my father, she was second to none.
What if I couldn't persuade her?
The remaining Demon Lords were the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord and the Demon Buddha. Even if the young Soul-Seizing Demon Lord took my side, if the Demon Buddha followed my father, half of them would already be with him. Since the Poison King was neutral, even if the Blood Heaven Blade Demon took my side, the count would be four to three.
"That's cold! Have you forgotten? I am your sparring friend."
The One Flower Sword Venerable gave a regretful smile.
"You and I have become quite close, haven't we?"
"Yes."
"And you know how grateful I am to you?"
"I do."
"No, you probably don't. You don't know just how grateful I am. But I must say this."
The One Flower Sword Venerable revealed her honest feelings. Words I truly hadn't expected came from her.
"I am worried that the Cult Leader won't start a war."
Our friendship was one thing, but her convictions were another matter entirely.
"I believe that if it is the Cult Leader, he can achieve the great task of unifying the Murim. As you know, he is a truly extraordinary man. The opportunity to fulfill our Cult's long-cherished wish has arrived. If we miss this chance, our descendants will regret it for generations to come."
It occurred to me that perhaps the biggest reason she practiced so bloodily was to one day fulfill the dream of unification alongside my father.
"Perhaps the fact that he has a son like you can be seen as a trial for the Cult Leader. Great deeds are always accompanied by trials. That destiny is simply playing out."
They were words that could have been hurtful, but she continued calmly, looking straight at me. By speaking honestly rather than deceiving me, she was offering her own form of apology.
"I sincerely hope the Cult Leader overcomes the trial that is you. I truly wish for him to achieve his great work."
The One Flower Sword Venerable asked with a gentle gaze, "I'm sorry if I've offended you."
I replied with a smile.
"Not at all. I'm actually grateful that you were honest with me."
"I'm glad you feel that way."
"The next time I visit, I'll come as your sparring friend."
I bowed politely to her and turned to leave.
Then, from behind me, the One Flower Sword Venerable said something unexpected.
"Don't be too disappointed. From where I'm standing, you're the one winning this match."
I turned back to her, confused by her words.
But she had already drawn her sword and resumed her training.
"That is why I am unconditionally on the Cult Leader's side."