Chapter 641: Or There’s a Way Not to Die
Chapter 641: Or There’s a Way Not to Die
“What kind of poison is it?”
Geom Mu-yang’s heart plummeted. He had never imagined that So Jeong-rak would actually poison his younger brother.
Their opponent was a man who had successfully neutralized the Centipede Python Poison—a toxin administered by the Poison King himself. How could any poison used by such a man be ordinary?
“Tell me! What poison is it?!”
Geom Mu-geuk had never seen his brother this agitated. Even when his position as successor was being snatched away, Mu-yang hadn't been this worked up.
“I never knew seeing you so worried could be this touching, Brother.”
“You punk! Stop joking around!”
Geom Mu-yang was genuinely furious. Staring intently at his brother’s shocked, agitated, and frantic face, Geom Mu-geuk spoke calmly.
“Brother, I’m fine.”
Mu-geuk’s eyes were steady. His posture and the aura he radiated didn't suggest someone suffering in the slightest.
“You were poisoned. How can you be fine?”
“To me, liquid poison is just water, and poisonous mist is nothing more than campfire smoke. Actually, it’s less than that. It doesn't even make my eyes sting.”
“Stop talking nonsense!”
“I possess a Body Immune to All Poisons.”
“Right, you have a Body Immune to All Poisons… Wait, what did you just say?”
Mu-yang’s eyes widened as he stared at Mu-geuk. Did I just hear that correctly? Seeing his brother’s expression, Mu-geuk repeated himself clearly.
“I said I am immune to all poisons.”
Mu-yang was speechless. He knew better than anyone how strong his brother was, how naturally gifted he was in martial arts, and how special he was as a person.
But immunity to all poisons?
That was an entirely different story from anything they had discussed before.
Even in the long history of the Murim, the number of martial artists who had achieved a Body Immune to All Poisons could be counted on one hand. That was how difficult it was to attain.
It wasn't just a fated encounter; it was a realm that could only be reached through a miracle bestowed by the heavens. That was what such immunity meant to Mu-yang.
Because of that, he doubted until the very last moment if his brother was playing a prank. But he could see the truth in Mu-geuk’s incredibly serious gaze. The words that followed proved it.
“If I didn't have a Body Immune to All Poisons, I would have taken this task myself no matter what. I wouldn't have left such a dangerous job to you, Brother.”
No wonder he had been so persistent about making Mu-yang play the role of the patient.
Mu-geuk smiled and added a joke.
“Even if you wanted to kill me, poison wouldn't work.”
Mu-yang felt no jealousy. Instead, he felt a sense of relief. He had lost the succession battle to a brother with such a magnificent destiny.
“How did this happen?”
“I stumbled upon a fated encounter while saving Pavilion Master Seo of the Huangquan Pavilion.”
Mu-yang thought that perhaps this was why the heavens were helping his brother.
The Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was living a life of saving people rather than killing them—how could the heavens not take notice?
Every time he stopped a tavern table from being smashed, every time he ran to save a life, pieces of destiny must have been gathering for him, one by one.
“And what does it mean that So Jeong-rak poisoned you?”
“It means he’s someone who uses poison arts.”
At the same time, it was confirmation that the Myeong-sim Clinic was indeed the faction backing the Heaven’s End Recluse.
Mu-yang thought of So Jeong-rak. He recalled the man’s devoted appearance while caring for patients. He remembered how passionately he taught the junior physicians.
“Was all of that just a facade?”
At Mu-yang’s doubt, Mu-geuk’s gaze deepened. He would have preferred it if everything had been a mere act.
“Or perhaps, while acting the part, it became his real life.”
Mu-geuk felt that dealing with So Jeong-rak would be just as difficult as dealing with the Heaven’s End Recluse, Hwa Yul-cheong. They had to eliminate a man living a respected life right in front of the Murim Alliance headquarters.
“Let’s head back for now. We need to discuss this with the Poison King and the Demon Buddha.”
* * *
When the two entered the manor, Mu-geuk burst into laughter at the sight unfolding in the courtyard.
The yard was filled with medicinal herbs laid out to dry. He didn't even need to ask to know how much the Demon Buddha had been exploited for labor during the three days they were at the clinic.
“We’re back!”
When Mu-geuk called out, the Demon Buddha was the first to emerge from the building.
“You’ve returned?”
The Demon Buddha looked relieved to see that Mu-yang was safe.
Mu-geuk wasn't about to let that pass.
“I’m here too! I, the Acting Cult Leader who faithfully performed the role of the patient’s guardian, am also here!”
Whether he heard him or not, the Demon Buddha simply turned to go back inside.
“I’m an Acting Cult Leader who was even poisoned.”
The Demon Buddha flinched and turned around. He looked at Mu-yang instead of Mu-geuk.
When Mu-yang nodded slightly instead of telling his brother to stop joking, a golden radiance erupted from the Demon Buddha’s body.
“Poison King, come out at once!”
He called for the Poison King first.
“This is too much. You judge based on my brother’s reaction rather than my words!”
Ignoring Mu-geuk’s complaints, the Demon Buddha shouted once more.
“Come out this instant!”
The Poison King finally stepped outside.
“It is said the Acting Cult Leader has been poisoned.”
Despite those urgent words, the Poison King remained nonchalant. Instead of checking on Mu-geuk, he crouched down to examine the poisonous herbs spread out in the yard.
“He probably did something to deserve it.”
Just as the Demon Buddha was feeling bewildered by that reaction, Mu-geuk spoke from behind.
“Demon Buddha, I have a Body Immune to All Poisons.”
The Demon Buddha turned toward Mu-geuk. Mu-geuk looked at him with a serious gaze, but the Demon Buddha once again tried to verify the truth through Mu-yang.
Mu-yang nodded. There was no answer more certain than that.
Truly, how surprising and magnificent!
Only then could the Demon Buddha understand the Poison King’s reaction.
“The Poison King already knew.”
The Poison King nodded. Back when Mu-geuk had taken the Heavenly Energy Pill, the Poison King had revealed it then—that he already knew Mu-geuk was immune to all poisons.
Mu-geuk didn't bother hiding the secret from these two.
“Now two more people know the secret. Ah, Pavilion Master Seo knows as well. He was with me when I obtained the fated encounter.”
He had no intention of bragging, but in this situation where they had to face poison arts, he had no intention of deceiving his brother or the Demon Buddha.
The Demon Buddha didn't rejoice at being told the secret. Instead, with a grave expression, he urged Mu-geuk.
“Do not tell this to anyone else from now on. Do not think that just because you told me, you should tell the other Demon Lords for the sake of fairness. As of today, this matter becomes an eternal secret. Promise me.”
How could Mu-geuk not know what he meant? The Demon Buddha was trying to ensure the secret wouldn't leak any further, even for the sake of his own promise. The fewer people who knew, the safer it was.
“I promise, Demon Buddha.”
Mu-geuk bowed his head respectfully. This was why Mu-geuk liked and held the Demon Buddha in high regard.
His own dreams had been thwarted because of Mu-geuk, so it would be natural to resent him. Yet, he was sincerely worrying for him like this. Though small in stature, the Demon Buddha had a heart larger than anyone else’s.
Mu-yang felt equally grateful. When he first heard about the immunity from his brother, he hadn't thought that far ahead. He still had much to learn from the Demon Buddha.
Mu-geuk reported to the two Demon Lords.
“The fact that he poisoned me means he knows the identities of my brother and me.”
Mu-yang tilted his head.
“Then why did he only poison you? If he wanted to kill us, he would have tried to kill me too.”
Furthermore, hadn't So Jeong-rak cured Mu-yang’s poison? He cured one and poisoned the other. It lacked consistency.
Mu-geuk looked at the person who could provide the answer: the Poison King. He was still moving here and there, inspecting the poisonous herbs spread across the courtyard.
“Normally, when poison enters the body, the body eliminates the toxicity on its own. But this time, I kept the poison and brought it back.”
At the mention of bringing the poison back, the Poison King stood up and approached Mu-geuk, signaling the Demon Buddha and Mu-yang to step back.
“Let’s see what kind of poison it is.”
Mu-geuk held out his hand.
Sssss.
A tiny droplet formed at the tip of Mu-geuk’s finger. He had expelled the poison he had been holding inside his body.
Mu-geuk wasn't just a simple poison-resistant body where poison didn't work. Having reached the pinnacle of martial arts, he could perform such feats.
The Poison King fanned the air toward his nose to catch the scent and immediately identified the toxin.
“It’s Three-Day Life.”
Three-Day Life was a poison Mu-geuk knew well.
Mu-geuk had once helped the Poison King in the Thousand Poison Forest. He had learned a lot about poisons then, and Three-Day Life was one of them.
Whoosh.
The Three-Day Life on his fingertip was incinerated by Heat Yang True Qi and vanished.
“So he wasn't trying to kill me.”
Three-Day Life was a terrifying extreme poison. Once infected, if one didn't take the antidote within three days, they would die on the fourth. Thus, it was called Three-Day Life because one could only live for three days.
“If he simply wanted to kill me, he would have used a poison that causes instant death. Or, since he had to avoid attention, he would have used a poison that kills tonight or tomorrow morning. But using a poison that kills after three days?”
Mu-geuk’s gaze turned toward the Poison King.
“It seems So Jeong-rak knows that the person who poisoned my brother was you, Poison King.”
His gaze shifted from the Poison King to his brother.
“You asked why he only poisoned me and not you? He wanted to say this to the Poison King.”
Turning back to the Poison King, he conveyed what he believed to be So Jeong-rak’s intention.
“‘I cured your poison, so now you try curing mine.’”
For a moment, the Poison King chuckled as if it were absurd.
“He’s testing me.”
Three-Day Life was one of the poisons that was incredibly difficult to detect once someone was infected. It was the most suitable poison to use as a test.
“If you hadn't discovered that I was poisoned within three days? You would have been held responsible for failing to prevent the successor of the Cult from being poisoned to death right under your nose.”
Even if his father forgave him, it was something the Poison King wouldn't be able to bear.
For a split second, a cold chill flickered in the Poison King’s eyes before vanishing.
“Of course, you would have noticed it anyway.”
Mu-geuk believed it. No matter how much the Poison King seemed to be looking elsewhere or how distracted he appeared, he would have noticed.
He might not notice if his own arm was cut off while he was busy looking at poisonous herbs, but there was no way he wouldn't notice Mu-geuk being poisoned. Because it involved poison.
“Have you ever met So Jeong-rak before?”
At Mu-geuk’s question, the Poison King shook his head. He had only heard rumors that there was a physician in Wuhan who was exceptionally skilled at detoxification.
“I don't know what his scheme is, but he has challenged you, Poison King.”
Mu-geuk thought the Poison King would immediately go find him at the provocative word "challenge," but surprisingly, he wasn't agitated at all.
He crouched back down and began wrapping the well-dried poisonous herbs in paper.
This is just like the Poison King. Right. If you react, you lose.
The Demon Buddha crouched down beside him and began to help. The Poison King showed him how to wrap the herbs.
The Demon Buddha began wrapping them as taught. His movements were so skillful and neat that it was hard to believe he had only learned it once.
“I plan to visit So Jeong-rak again in three days. If I show up perfectly fine, he’ll think the Poison King cured me. I intend to see what other poison he might use and confirm their intentions through him.”
Mu-geuk spoke to the Poison King.
“Please handle the finishing touches later.”
That would be what the Poison King wanted. Since the man had challenged him with poison, the Poison King would have to see it through to the end.
The Demon Buddha felt more tense because the Poison King showed no reaction. Hadn't he experienced it many times in his life? Someone like this was truly terrifying when angry.
Just then, a warrior from the Tongcheon Pavilion, who always delivered news, arrived.
“An urgent missive.”
He delivered the message to Geom Mu-yang and withdrew.
After checking the contents, Mu-yang shared the news with a shocked face.
“The Forbidden Demonic Order has been broken.”
Everyone was startled. Even the Poison King, who hadn't reacted much to the challenge, sprang to his feet. The Demon Buddha had stood up even before him.
“Who broke it?”
At the Demon Buddha’s question, Mu-yang replied.
“It’s not just one person. It’s Ma Yeom-gun and the White Bone Soul Demon.”
They were demons from the previous generation and the one before that—names that alone struck terror into the Murim.
And the most important detail was the final sentence of the missive.
“They are coming here, to Wuhan.”
A heavy silence fell.
In a situation where they had to deal with Hwa Yul-cheong and So Jeong-rak, individuals with the exact opposite notoriety were coming.
“It says it’s unknown which path they are taking or when they will arrive.”
Since the martial arts of those two were so high, it must have been impossible to track them properly.
Mu-yang asked the Demon Buddha.
“I understand that those under the Forbidden Demonic Order have a restriction placed upon them.”
The Demon Buddha nodded.
“That is correct. If they release their internal energy on their own, they will die within a few days. Seven days at the most.”
A flash of anger crossed the Demon Buddha’s face.
“It seems these old fossils are prepared to throw their lives away.”
Breaking the Forbidden Demonic Order wasn't just a matter of violating a cult rule. It was a violation of the Cult Leader’s most strictly forbidden command, making it the gravest of all crimes.
Prepared to die?
Mu-geuk thought differently. It would actually be better if they had simply gone senile in their old age or decided to burn out in one last blaze of glory.
“Or there’s a way not to die.”
People like Ma Yeom-gun and the White Bone Soul Demon were individuals who valued their lives and reputations.
“If they were the type to enjoy a mere seven days of freedom after breaking the Forbidden Demonic Order and then die, they would have done it long ago.”
Therefore, there was only one reason they moved.
“The masterminds promised to lift their restrictions.”
The three listening nodded. Indeed, if that weren't the case, two people wouldn't have moved simultaneously.
“Is it possible the restrictions have already been lifted?”
At Mu-yang’s doubt, Mu-geuk shook his head.
“To use those old demons, they wouldn't have lifted them in advance. Instead, they would have given them the certainty that the restrictions can be lifted.”
Just what kind of assurance had been given to move these old demons?
Mu-yang said worriedly, “The target must be you.”
Mu-geuk shook his head.
“If that were the case, So Jeong-rak would have poisoned me with something that causes instant death.”
“If you aren't the target, then why are they drawing them to Wuhan?”
There was clearly another purpose. The first reason that came to mind was this:
“First of all, it must be because the person who can lift their restrictions is here.”
Since they would have to fulfill the masterminds’ demands and lift the restrictions within seven days, they didn't have much time.
“What if they come and kill the Orthodox Faction experts in Wuhan? Then how will the Orthodox martial artists view this situation?”
Mu-geuk, his brother, the Poison King, and the Demon Buddha were already in Wuhan.
If it became known that notorious old demons from previous generations had joined them? Fear and hatred would drive the Orthodox Murim to action.
“I don't know exactly what their goal is.”
Mu-geuk added calmly, his gaze deepening. The two old demons coming here weren't scary just because of their terrifying martial arts.
“Men with nowhere to return are coming.”