The Strong Survive (7)
The next day, Yeon Hojeong went straight to check Mak Won's pulse.
“Hmm.”
“Can you tell? What kind of poison is it?”
Yeon Hojeong released Mak Won's wrist and answered calmly.
“As I told you before, I cannot identify the exact poison. However, I can determine its category.”
“That alone is impressive. You truly are a remarkable man.”
Mak Won had every reason to be astonished.
The Three Sects were an unknown faction that dwelled beyond the Central Plains. Different lands meant different climates and different foods. Because the environments differed, the plants, animals, and everything else were different as well. No matter how thoroughly one understood the poisons of the Central Plains, it was impossible to fully grasp those from foreign lands.
Yet Yeon Hojeong recognized the category of an extreme poison from beyond the Central Plains—one so potent that even Mak Won, one of the Three Lords, could not detoxify it himself.
On the other hand, Yeon Hojeong was the one surprised by Mak Won's physical condition. This is to be expected, but… His pupils subtly dilated as he observed the older man. Truly incredible martial arts.
Opportunities to examine the meridians of an absolute expert who had broken through the Limitless realm did not come often.
Yeon Hojeong could see every detail of the solid, vast map drawn by Mak Won's qi pathways. Extraordinary. This is on another level compared to Vice Leader Yang. While the superiority in martial prowess is obvious, the martial path he has forged for himself is in no way inferior to the Combat King's.
In the past, he had also checked Yang Cheon's pulse. He had been deeply impressed then as well. In truth, Yeon Hojeong had reached this same realm himself, but the journey to get there was entirely different for every individual.
By examining the meridians of two Holy Heaven-level experts, he had now been able to glimpse the traces of how they had attained the Limitless realm.
Of course, simply copying those traces would not grant instant enlightenment. Still, the insight alone was immensely valuable.
Yeon Hojeong carefully reflected on the map of Mak Won's meridians before speaking.
“It is a type of neurotoxin. In that sense, you are fortunate, senior.”
“Fortunate?”
“If it had been a hemotoxin, even someone of your caliber would not be in this condition. It is not due to the concentration of the poison qi, but the nature of the poison itself.”
“What do you mean?”
“Hemotoxins from the Central Plains fall into two categories. Those that cause extreme coagulation of the blood, or those that interfere with the blood's natural ability to clot.”
“I see…”
“You suffered a severe internal injury. The internal bleeding was quite serious. Had this vicious hemotoxin acted up even once during that time, your internal organs would have begun rotting one by one.”
Rotting organs.
Even the greatest expert under the heavens would find such damage fatal. If irrecoverable organs such as the kidneys or lungs were affected, one would carry lifelong disabilities even after the poison was purged.
“Of course, hemotoxins have difficulty condensing into highly concentrated poison qi by their very nature. In the Central Plains, it would not be an exaggeration to say that aside from the Tang Clan, no faction is capable of producing such extreme hemotoxins.”
“That is fortunate, at least.”
“Yes. However, that does not mean neurotoxins are safe. You endured it because it was you, senior. Any other expert of similar standing would likely be hovering at death's door by now.”
“In ordinary cases, inner energy travels through the body's nervous system to reach every part. I believe nearly all inner energy cultivation methods in the world operate this way.”
“Correct. That is why you remain unharmed, senior. Your absolute inner energy is protecting every single nerve.”
“I understand. However, it is not only my inner energy that flows through those nerves—the poison qi does as well. Its source is my dantian. Unless the poison essence settled there is removed, my body will continue to die, little by little.”
“Your assessment is precise.”
Mak Won's expression grew grave.
“What do you think? Can you extract it?”
Surprisingly, Yeon Hojeong nodded as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
“I can extract it.”
“Hmm, that is a relief.”
“Extracting it is possible, but the problem is that you may sustain injury during the process.”
“Injury?”
“You could permanently lose a portion of your inner energy.”
It was a rather shocking statement.
“Of course, this is only my speculation. My knowledge of toxicology is not particularly deep. I only know a little because I once researched the poisons of the Three Sects.”
“How many people in the entire Central Plains could have researched the poisons of the Three Sects?”
“……”
“Almost none, I suppose.”
“Not almost. You are likely the only one.”
“Perhaps.”
“If someone well-versed in the poisons of the Three Sects says this, any physician would likely reach a similar conclusion.”
Unexpectedly, Mak Won's expression was not particularly dark.
“What does it matter? Losing part of my inner energy does not erase my enlightenment. If I can remove such a dangerous poison at that price, is it not a profitable exchange?”
His mental fortitude was extraordinary.
Indeed. Mak Won possessed such strong spirit that he did not lose composure even when faced with information that would shock most martial artists.
But it was not merely a matter of mental strength.
To an expert who had broken through the Limitless realm, losing a portion of one's inner energy was not a catastrophic blow. Even if they lost a third of their power, Limitless experts could recover their original strength within a few years.
That said, not everyone could remain as calm as Mak Won. After all, inner energy was the root of power. To go from exerting ten parts of strength to only seven would bring an immense sense of loss.
“There may be a method to extract only the poison essence without losing any inner energy. I will look into it.”
“It would take time.”
“Most likely.”
“As time passes, the poison qi will spread further. In the end, the amount of inner energy I lose will only increase, correct?”
“It will. Though this is merely conjecture.”
Mak Won gave a small chuckle.
“Then there is no reason to hesitate. Find the method. I will have it extracted immediately.”
Yeon Hojeong smiled bitterly.
“Regardless of the reason, I bear responsibility for allowing the poison to reach this stage.”
“There is no need to speak of the past. What matters is the present.”
“True. But you are a valuable asset for the coming war. I must make every attempt possible.”
“And if I end up losing more than half my inner energy?”
Yeon Hojeong shrugged.
“If it comes to that, I will request spiritual medicines from the Vice Leader or the Martial Alliance to restore as much as possible.”
“My friend, I do not mean to boast, but even ten of Shaolin's Great Recovery Pills would struggle to replenish half my inner energy.”
When considering only the raw quantity of qi, the medicinal power of ten Great Recovery Pills would overwhelm half of Mak Won's inner energy and still have strength to spare.
However, the higher one's cultivation and the more refined one's inner power, the less effective spiritual medicines became. Novices could absorb the full power of a single pill, but as one's inner energy grew more advanced, the amount that could be absorbed decreased steadily.
“Please wait a few days. I only described the worst-case scenario. A true specialist in poisons may see the situation differently.”
“If you insist, then I understand.”
“Until I return, focus on circulating your energy. That alone should slow the spread of the poison qi.”
“I will do so.”
After leaving Mak Won's quarters, Yeon Hojeong went directly to find Baek Seo.
“I need to send a letter to the Martial Alliance.”
“What should the letter contain?”
“Request that they dispatch Ki Woo-hee, the head of the Medical Pavilion, to Hunan. If necessary, I can write it myself.”
“For something this simple, I can write it here and have it delivered immediately.”
“Thank you. And please deliver this as well.”
The letter Yeon Hojeong produced was sealed in a green envelope.
Baek Seo's eyes gleamed.
“For the Tang Clan Leader?”
“He should be at the Martial Alliance. I need more detailed information regarding senior Mak Won's poison.”
“Understood.”
“Then I will take my leave.”
Yeon Hojeong turned to go.
“Deputy Yeon,” Baek Seo called.
“Is there something else?”
“I am not sure if this is worth mentioning, but earlier the Second Young Lady appeared to be looking for you.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
“I see. Thank you.”
“And Deputy Yeon.”
Baek Seo's gaze deepened.
“Try not to cause any incidents, if possible.”
“Do I seem like a walking disaster to you? Do not worry. I have no such intentions.”
“Then that is good.”
“However, the Vice Leader's thoughts on the matter may differ.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Just a thought. I will be going now.”
With that, Yeon Hojeong left Baek Seo's residence.
Baek Seo watched his retreating figure and murmured softly.
“He really is a dangerous man.”
Grrrrrung.
The cave wall opened, and the cool outside air washed over his lungs.
Having left the Black Dragon Department, Yeon Hojeong headed toward the location the maid had described—a forest five li southeast of the entrance.
And there, Bu Seon was waiting.
“You were looking for me?”
“Deputy Yeon.”
“With all your heavy responsibilities, what could possibly bring the Second Young Lady to seek someone as insignificant as myself?”
Bu Seon's eyes deepened.
Seeing her remain silent, Yeon Hojeong spoke bluntly.
“You missed him.”
“How did you know?”
“It is written all over your face.”
“……”
“Did you train with your junior brother?”
“I did not.”
The corner of Yeon Hojeong's mouth curved upward.
“So it was not that clumsy excuse about defeating your eldest senior brother yourself to prove your worth.”
“The third is arrogant. His pride is excessively strong. He appears simple and easy to manage, but the moment he senses he is at a disadvantage, he will use every underhanded trick available.”
“If you cannot even handle one man who resorts to petty schemes, holding onto the position of successor will not be easy.”
“I simply did not want to waste time worrying about someone I should not even need to consider. Dealing with him personally is better than training with such a fool.”
“As expected of you.”
Yeon Hojeong frowned.
“So why did you call me? If you missed him, why not chase him down and snap his neck?”
He spoke such brutal words without hesitation.
Bu Seon stared at him intently.
“Do you know something?”
“What?”
“When you act like this, you seem far more like someone from the dark factions than we do.”
“I cannot tell if that is a compliment or an insult.”
“It is a compliment. I am even a little envious.”
“So what is your business with me?”
“I will speak plainly. When is the next mission?”
Yeon Hojeong's eyes flashed.
“And why would you need to know that?”
“If possible, I would like to participate in the next mission as well.”
“……”
“Is that not allowed?”
“Why ask me? Would it not be better to go directly to your master and request permission?”
“Master does not concern himself with such trivial matters.”
“Well, that is true enough.”
Yeon Hojeong crossed his arms.
“Why do you wish to join this mission?”
“It will be dangerous, will it not?”
“The mission? Obviously. One mistake could cost you your life.”
“That is nothing new.”
“True. The real problem is that it could genuinely be life-threatening. We are going to persuade a Holy Heaven-level expert. If such a master loses control and decides to kill us, it is unlikely any of us would return alive.”
“Yet you intend to take your sworn brother and the swordswomen of Botam on such a path.”
“……”
“There must be a reason.”
“There is.”
“I do not know the full circumstances, but the main purpose is to risk your life to learn about the world, is it not?”
Yeon Hojeong's expression grew serious.
“That is the greatest reason.”
“I wish to do the same.”
“……”
“Please guide me.”
Yeon Hojeong, who had been quietly observing her, gave a cold smile.
“As expected, you are still lacking.”
“Pardon?”
“To make a request with your true intentions so clearly visible—what would that do to your master's reputation?”
Bu Seon's face stiffened.
“What are you saying?”
“Did your master order you to monitor me?”
Bu Seon's eyes wavered.
After studying her gaze for a moment, Yeon Hojeong chuckled and turned away.
“Before you learn about the world, you should learn to govern yourself. Your mental discipline is still insufficient.”
“Deputy Yeon. I…”
“Go catch that clumsy eldest senior brother of yours. Then I will consider it.”
Srrrk.
Yeon Hojeong paused and looked back at Bu Seon.
His coldly gleaming eyes made her flinch.
“Remember this well. Remember why I gave you this opportunity.”
“……”
“The law of the strong is not something that applies only to you. Now that you have come here, do not forget that I, too, live according to those same rules.”