Chapter 612: A Cure That Doesn't Exist in This World
Chapter 612: A Cure That Doesn't Exist in This World
"Where did you get this?"
At Geom Mu-geuk’s question, Geom Mu-yang signaled to a subordinate standing at a distance.
"Where did you obtain this counterfeit Charge?"
The subordinate answered Mu-yang’s inquiry promptly.
"We received intelligence that the Black Hand Sect, a Black Path gang, was secretly trying to acquire a Charge. we recovered this item during the subsequent raid."
"And the sellers?"
"They used an escort agency to deliver the goods."
This meant they had used the agency as a middleman to keep their identities hidden.
"What about the payment?"
"They claimed they would come to collect the money once the goods were received."
Geom Mu-geuk and Geom Mu-yang exchanged looks. These were no ordinary crooks. Offering to take payment after delivery meant they were supremely confident in their ability to collect it.
"Collect the steel needles embedded over there and identify the poison!"
"Yes, sir! I will send them to the Thousand Poison Forest immediately."
Geom Mu-yang picked up the Charge and began to walk away.
"Where are you going?"
"To the iron workshop. Master Gwak might know who made this."
"I’m coming with you."
Geom Mu-geuk followed close behind his brother.
"Slow down!"
Mu-yang’s pace was hurried, his mind clearly racing. His expression was grim—and not just because a near-perfect counterfeit of a hidden weapon had appeared.
His heart hammered against his ribs with a delayed sense of dread. The realization that he had almost killed Geom Mu-geuk was sinking in, and that shock quickly curdled into rage.
Hire the person who made this? Not a chance. His brother had almost died. He didn't care who they were; he wasn't going to let this slide.
It was a strange feeling—being this furious over the fact that his brother had almost died. There was a time when he had actually wished for Mu-geuk’s death.
He reflected on how human emotions were as fickle as the wind. He wondered what other emotions he would encounter at the end of this particular gust.
The two of them soon entered the iron workshop. The roar of intense heat and the rhythmic clanging of hammers greeted them.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Inside, hundreds of shirtless men were hard at work. They were melting ore, hammering iron, and hauling supplies. The scent of sweat and the metallic tang of iron wafted through the air, carried by the sweltering heat.
A man at the entrance recognized Geom Mu-geuk and bowed politely.
"I’m here to see Master Gwak."
"Please wait a moment."
While the man went to fetch the master, Geom Mu-geuk waited with his brother.
"A shallow trick like that isn't enough to kill me," Mu-geuk joked. "I’ll make sure to kill you properly next time."
He had intended the joke to lighten the mood, expecting a sharp retort, but Mu-yang’s grim expression didn't budge. He could feel that his brother was truly shaken and angry.
Mu-geuk felt a surge of gratitude. He was grateful that the idea of almost killing him was such a significant matter to Mu-yang now.
And there was one more lesson to be learned: he had to be careful at all times. Accidents happened when one least expected them—when one’s guard was down. Since everything could change in an instant, he had no choice but to live with even greater vigilance, however exhausting that might be.
A moment later, Master Gwak emerged.
"You’ve come together."
"Greetings, Master Gwak."
After exchanging pleasantries, Geom Mu-yang handed him the Charge.
"It’s a Charge."
Master Gwak took the weapon. There was a separate organization within the Cult that designed hidden weapons; the iron workshop merely manufactured them according to those blueprints.
Master Gwak tilted his head, examining the device more closely. "It’s a bit light."
He noticed the weight difference immediately. Upon closer inspection, he found several other discrepancies.
"It’s a counterfeit."
"Correct."
"It’s crafted so exquisitely that one wouldn't notice at a glance."
Master Gwak called a subordinate to bring disassembly tools. He skillfully took the Charge apart and inspected the interior. His surprise deepened as he looked inside.
"They’ve replicated not just the exterior, but the internal mechanisms almost perfectly. I imagine the power would have been nearly identical to the original."
It was that well-made.
"You’re right. I almost died," Mu-geuk remarked.
Master Gwak asked with a grave expression, "Were the steel needles coated in poison?"
"Yes, they were."
"The core technology of the Charge is preventing the poison from damaging the internal mechanisms. This is so good I’d believe it if someone said we made it ourselves. To think someone with this level of skill is making counterfeits..." Master Gwak let out a sigh that was a mix of lamentation and anger.
"Do you have anyone in mind?"
At Mu-geuk’s question, Master Gwak named a few individuals.
"A few names come to mind, but they are all men of high reputation. Master Hong of the Murim Alliance, Master Ju of the Unorthodox Path Alliance, or Master Yang of the Continental Iron Workshop. But those men aren't the type to produce fakes."
They were all renowned masters. In other words, the counterfeit was the work of someone of that caliber.
"There might be someone unknown out there," Mu-geuk suggested.
Master Gwak nodded. If masters in the Murim were as numerous as grains of sand on a beach, the same could be said for craftsmen. There were likely those with innate talent who could shock the world, still swinging their hammers somewhere, unaware of their own true worth.
"If you think of anyone suspicious later, please let me know."
"I will."
After bidding Master Gwak farewell, Geom Mu-geuk left the workshop with his brother.
"How are you going to handle this?"
"I’ll handle this personally. I’ll take care of it, so you don't need to worry."
Geom Mu-yang walked away with long strides. After a short distance, he turned back and warned, "Don't you dare interfere!"
Because he had almost killed Mu-geuk, he intended to settle this matter alone. To have almost killed him and then receive his help—that didn't sit well with Mu-yang’s pride.
"I’m busy too. I wish I actually had the time to interfere."
Mu-yang resumed his walk. Watching his brother’s retreating figure, Geom Mu-geuk began walking in the opposite direction. His pace was just as hurried as Mu-yang’s.
*
"Absolutely not. You especially cannot go out with the First Young Master."
When Mu-geuk said he wanted to go out with his brother to handle the matter, Sama Myeong refused firmly. There was a clear reason for his opposition.
"The successors of the Cult cannot leave the headquarters together for such a matter. It is explicitly stated in the Cult’s regulations."
It was a precaution in case both of them met with disaster.
"So the reason I’ve been able to roam around freely until now was because my brother was here at the Main Cult."
Sama Myeong’s expression suggested that wasn't the only reason, but he didn't deny it either.
"But why do you wish to go with the First Young Master?"
"It’s entirely due to my anxiety."
Sama Myeong asked cautiously, "Do you suspect those people are behind this?"
"Let’s just say I’m the type to see a turtle and get startled by a pot lid."
Mu-geuk had crossed paths with those enemies and survived several brushes with death. Knowing they could appear anywhere and at any time, he couldn't let his brother go out alone. Of course, this could simply be the work of a criminal organization making and selling fake weapons.
"Can’t I just go and check if it’s a turtle or a pot lid?"
"No."
It would have been easier to persuade his father, but persuading Sama Myeong seemed impossible.
"I suppose this is how Father felt whenever he let me go out."
"With all due respect, the Cult Leader never worried about you at all, Young Cult Leader."
Given his father’s personality, he simply hadn't shown it, but how could he not have worried? In the past, Mu-geuk might have tried to sneak out, but he couldn't do that now.
Sama Myeong offered a solution. He, too, didn't take the First Young Master’s safety lightly.
"Send a Demon Lord with him."
Mu-geuk had already been thinking the same thing. But there was a problem.
"My brother will refuse. He even warned me not to get involved."
"So you won't send one?"
Mu-geuk shook his head. "I can’t do that. I’ll send a Demon Lord."
"If you give the order, any of the Demon Lords will go."
Mu-geuk had already decided whom to send. "The person I intend to send is someone who won't listen to my orders."
*
The place Geom Mu-geuk arrived at was the Thousand Poison Forest.
The Poison King was in the woods near his residence. He was standing alone with his hands behind his back, staring at a tree. To an outsider, he might have looked lonely, but Mu-geuk knew this was a time of supreme happiness for him.
"Lord Poison King! I’m here!"
Mu-geuk called out cheerfully. He hadn't been able to see the Poison King before leaving the Cult last time, so it had been quite a while since their last meeting.
"Shh!"
The Poison King signaled for him to be quiet and returned his gaze to the tree. Mu-geuk approached quietly and stood beside him.
Two poisonous insects were overlapping on the tree. They appeared to be mating.
Mu-geuk turned to look at the Poison King. He still looked like a beautiful young boy.
You’re wasting that handsome face. Shouldn't you be out in the world looking for a woman?
However, the Poison King seemed to find more joy in the increasing number of insects in the Thousand Poison Forest than in such pleasures.
"Sangseon told me on the way here. He said the poison on the hidden weapon was Bone-Melting Divine Poison."
According to Sangseon, Bone-Melting Divine Poison was developed specifically to coat hidden weapons with Bone-Melting Acid. It was a terrifying concoction made by mixing various toxins with Bone-Melting Acid as the primary ingredient; upon impact, it would instantly dissolve the affected area and the internal organs.
Because of its potency, it was extremely difficult to handle. One had to ensure it didn't dissolve the hidden weapon while inside the launcher, yet still allow it to manifest its full effect once fired.
The Poison King remained silent, still staring at the insects.
"My brother is going to leave the Cult to investigate the counterfeit weapons personally. I’d like you to follow him secretly."
This was a difficult request. He wasn't asking the Poison King to go with Mu-yang, but to watch over him in secret.
"Since they’re using Bone-Melting Divine Poison, they might use other toxins as well."
Though he had seemed like he wasn't listening, the Poison King refused immediately. "I don't want to."
"I said the enemy might use poison!"
"Tell Sangseon to pack some antidotes."
Mu-geuk hadn't expected him to agree easily. The Poison King had always hated leaving the Thousand Poison Forest.
"Now, now. I came prepared for this." Mu-geuk cleared his throat and spoke in a solemn voice. "As the Acting Cult Leader, I command you. Poison King, heed my order!"
The Poison King turned toward Mu-geuk. For a moment, it looked like he might respectfully accept the command, but then—
"I refuse."
A breeze whistled between the two of them.
"It’s an order from the Cult Leader!"
"You’re the Acting Cult Leader."
"This is treason! Treason, I say!"
"Then try and arrest me."
The authority of the Acting Cult Leader held no sway here.
"You’re being too much. You’d go if my father told you to, wouldn't you?"
"You aren't the Cult Leader."
The Poison King’s gaze returned to the tree. The insects had already finished their business and disappeared.
"Then I shall reveal my second secret weapon."
A faint smile played on the Poison King’s lips. This was why he could say "I refuse"—because he knew Mu-geuk would handle it with such flexibility.
"There is a reason you absolutely must go this time."
"What reason?"
"I almost died because of you, Lord Poison King."
The Poison King turned back to Mu-geuk.
"Do you remember? The man who escaped after being hit by your poison back then."
Mu-geuk hadn't told the Poison King yet that the Combat King had returned from the dead. He had to leave the Cult again last time before he could meet him.
"That man came back alive."
Surprise flickered across the Poison King’s face. "That’s impossible."
He also knew very well that Mu-geuk wouldn't lie about such a thing.
"The impossible happened."
A brief silence followed.
"How did it happen?"
"It seems they performed several Great Regression Arts to barely keep him alive. Even so, he wasn't fully healed; he reeked of a foul poisonous energy whenever he fought."
It was a blow to the Poison King’s pride. Of course, Mu-geuk didn't bother trying to clumsily soothe that pride.
"He came back even stronger than before. I almost died because of him, so you really should grant me this favor."
He was being pushy, but it worked on the Poison King. The fact that someone he was certain had died was actually alive was a significant blow.
"If you find me so unreliable, why are you trying to send me? Send your favorite, the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon."
After a short pause, Mu-geuk answered. "Because I’ll feel more at ease if it’s you, Lord Poison King."
"Are you giving me the disease and then the cure?"
"A mistake is a mistake, but skill is skill."
The Poison King’s eyes sharpened. "The Smiling Demon would be hurt if he heard that."
"Lord Smiling Demon would understand. And so would the other Demon Lords. None of them could deny what I just said."
He was speaking in circles, but the meaning was clear: The Poison King is the strongest.
Mu-geuk felt the Poison King’s resolve softening.
"Sigh." The Poison King let out a sigh and sat on a small rock beneath the tree. "So they brought him back to life, did they?"
Mu-geuk sat down beside him. "I heard it cost them an astronomical amount of money. I almost died along with the Smiling Demon in that fight. And even this time, with the Fist Demon and the One Flower Sword Venerable following me, there were dangerous moments. That’s why you have to go. I can’t overlook even a one-in-a-million chance."
The Poison King still hadn't given his answer. So, Mu-geuk brought up another person.
"If you don't want to go alone, why not go with the Demon Buddha? You can dig up some rare poisonous herbs while you’re out. Have you been out herb-hunting with him lately?"
The Poison King shook his head. "He hasn't come by at all lately. It’s gotten awkward between us."
"What? You’ve become awkward in such a short time?"
Mu-geuk burst into laughter, and the Poison King, finding his own words amusing, laughed along.
"You said to watch over him secretly, right? Do you think I can be secret if I’m with that man?"
That golden radiance was the polar opposite of secrecy.
"That’s why I came to ask you."
"I might just end up killing everyone."
"Just make sure you bring my brother back alive." Mu-geuk spoke with total sincerity. "You have no idea how much I want to go with you."
And instead of watching bugs mate, I’d love to go out and play with some female warriors with you.
The Poison King studied Mu-geuk for a moment before finally nodding. "I’ll go."
That was enough. He no longer had to worry about his brother.
"I’ll consider the debt settled then."
"What debt?"
"The debt for me almost dying because that guy survived."
"How is that my fault?!"
The words Mu-geuk wanted to hear finally came out. Right, it wasn't the Poison King’s fault.
When it came to sensitive matters of pride, it was better to talk them out candidly like this. Discussing it repeatedly, teasing him, talking about it again, and teasing him some more. Trust was built for moments like these. It was better to feel a bit annoyed in the moment and move on. One shouldn't let things be glossed over only to have them linger in the mind long after parting.
"Do you know? You possess a cure that doesn't exist anywhere else in the world."
Mu-geuk looked at the man beside him and added with a bright smile:
"You are the cure for my anxiety, Lord Poison King."