Chapter 72
Chapter 72
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: Hundred-Day Poison Trial
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Deep in the mountains near the provincial capital of Sichuan Province.
Unlike an ordinary mountain, there were no traces of human presence anywhere to be seen, yet a middle-aged man was climbing it.
This place was a strategic location geographically close to the provincial capital of Sichuan Province, but people didn't just avoid climbing the mountain—they stayed far away from it altogether.
The reason was simple.
The entire mountain belonged to the rulers of Sichuan, the Tang Clan.
Yet the man ascending the mountain now proceeded with calm familiarity, as if such facts meant nothing to him, deftly navigating the treacherous paths toward his destination.
A valley sunken like a new moon's crescent, cliffs sharp as knife blades, streams pooling with water so clear one's face reflected perfectly in it.
Having passed all these breathtaking sights, when he reached a certain point, the surrounding scenery changed completely.
Rumble...
In the middle of a forest where not a breath of wind stirred sat the hunched back of an old man.
He wore a thin robe and was an elderly man with a full head of white hair. His gaunt frame and hollow cheeks were deeply etched with wrinkles.
However, contrary to his frail appearance, the area around the old man was filled with poisonous plants—all withered to dust and blackened, bent at the waist, while the trees were twisted and dried up, having reached the end of their lives.
It felt as if the word "death" itself accompanied him. What was even more eerie lay spread out before the old man.
Mountains of corpses from venomous insects and creatures piled high.
Facing this, the middle-aged man caught a stench that pierced his nostrils.
But without a change in expression, he steadied his breathing and spoke.
"Patriarch, the time is up."
At those words, the old man's movements paused briefly.
Tang Ilgeuk, Patriarch of the Tang Clan of Sichuan and one of the Nine Martial Sovereigns known as the Heavenly Poison Sovereign, slowly parted his lips.
"Has a hundred days passed already?"
"Yes, it has."
"Wait a moment. I'll try just one last thing."
In his grasp was a crimson centipede that seemed to embody blazing flames.
It had over four hundred legs, and given its resemblance to the legendary dragon, it was undoubtedly the Heavenly Flame Dragon Divine Poison Centipede, a venomous creature known to harbor fire poison.
Caught by Tang Ilgeuk, it writhed and bit into the back of his hand viciously, but he felt no sensation at all.
Casually, he stabbed his thumb with a dagger, then pressed the dripping thick blood against the centipede.
Instantly, its shell pierced through, and starting from where the blood touched, half its body tore away.
The centipede thrashed wildly in agony for a moment, but soon its scarlet body was completely overtaken by blackness, losing all life and going limp.
Tang Ilgeuk looked down at the extinguished centipede, disappointment flickering in his eyes.
"...I had some hopes for this one too, but it's the same as the rest."
Tang Ilgeuk was the only warrior in the current world to have reached the realm of immunity to all poisons.
Thus, his body, at the pinnacle of poison mastery, had gradually evolved in another direction. Over time, even his blood and breath began to carry toxicity.
He had become a Poison Human, a living embodiment of ultimate venom.
One day, while spending dull days at the peak of poison arts, Tang Ilgeuk suddenly harbored a question.
'Is there truly any living being in the world that can withstand my poison?'
With that question came purpose. He began collecting all the renowned venomous insects and creatures of the world that bore deadly poisons.
Once he had gathered them in abundance, he secluded himself in these deep mountains for a hundred days, feeding each one his blood bit by bit.
Yet the results of his experiments were always the same.
They couldn't endure it.
Not even a single day—none could last even an hour.
This was already his tenth Hundred-Day Poison Trial, but he still hadn't found a single lifeform that could consume his poison.
"It seems this Hundred-Day Poison Trial has failed as well."
His voice carried no trace of regret now.
It was as if he were simply reciting a predetermined outcome.
Watching him from behind, Dang Jeon, captain of the Tang Clan's Patriarch Guard, the Poison Heaven Squad, offered words of comfort.
"You'll surely succeed next time."
"No, this was the last one. After thousands of attempts, all failures... It seems there truly is no creature in the world that can withstand my poison."
To have a goal found in his later years end so futilely.
His calm tone only made it more poignant.
"Unless there's someone else who has achieved immunity to all poisons..."
But that wouldn't happen.
He was the only one in the world to have reached that realm.
"Regrettable, but we must call it here. Even a thousand years wouldn't yield an answer."
Setting the centipede down from his hand, he continued.
"So, any noteworthy events at the main house in the meantime?"
"Well..."
Dang Jeon trailed off hesitantly, and Tang Ilgeuk sensed something amiss.
He didn't press, simply waiting.
Soon, Dang Jeon broke out in cold sweat and spoke.
"There was a slight issue with that matter..."
"That matter?"
"The acquisition of the Myriad Gold Exchange you mentioned before."
Myriad Gold Exchange?
Tang Ilgeuk tilted his head in puzzlement.
Just before starting the Hundred-Day Poison Trial, the Myriad Gold Exchange's position had been shrinking steadily.
Since the Tang Clan of Sichuan was the only one to express interest in acquiring it, he had assumed it would fall into their hands naturally with time. What problem could have arisen?
"Tell me."
"Actually, the situation has reversed recently. The Myriad Gold Exchange's finances have stabilized, and they're restoring their overall power."
"Finances stabilized?"
"Yes. They're returning money without hesitation to any customers who demand it. As a result, the rumors spreading about the Myriad Gold Exchange have completely died down."
"Ho."
"And now, dozens of peak-level experts are guarding the exchanges. We're investigating where they came from, but haven't identified them yet."
The Tang Clan of Sichuan had long since accounted for every single coin in the Myriad Gold Exchange's coffers.
Yet in just a year or so, their finances stabilized, and they even hired an excessive number of warriors?
"Sounds like someone's fully taken it over."
"Yes. The circumstances suggest as much."
"Heh heh heh. Interesting, very interesting. For someone in Sichuan to steal prey meant for our Tang Clan."
He didn't know who had acquired the Myriad Gold Exchange, but one thing was clear: it was someone with guts spilling out of their belly.
Slowly rising from his seat, Tang Ilgeuk turned away from the corpses of insects and venomous creatures.
"Then let's head back now."
A fierce interest ignited in the old man's previously vacant pupils.
Southwest Sichuan Province, Xingwen County.
The Xingwen branch of the Myriad Gold Exchange.
Several men stood before the exchange in the town center, their brows deeply furrowed.
A few days ago, the exchange had fully resolved all customer complaints.
Those wishing to withdraw their deposits received their principal safely, and most left reassured after witnessing it.
But not everyone was the same.
Even though the exchange now had no issues, some still harbored grudges.
"Come out, branch manager!"
"Is this how you do business or not?!"
"You pay back half and complain?"
The ones shouting coarsely were mostly martial artists, but hidden motives lay beneath their bluster.
Of the world's Three Great Exchanges, excluding the Myriad Gold Exchange, the other two—Supreme Exchange and Heavenly Hundred Exchange—hadn't acted overtly, but secretly hoped for its downfall.
Going from three great exchanges to two would make a world of difference in prestige.
Thus, without allying openly, they hired ronin in secret to stir up customer dissatisfaction and cause disturbances at the Myriad Gold Exchanges.
Though the ploy to unsettle customers had failed due to the overflowing funds, it wasn't over yet.
The hired ronin now picked fights shamelessly, demanding half the principal back and blocking the entrance.
Unrighteous martial artists joined in, throwing tantrums and wreaking havoc, filling the entrance with shouts that kept ordinary customers away.
'Going according to plan.'
As the disturbance made normal operations impossible, sinister smiles crept onto the lips of a few central martial artists.
Then.
Rumble—
As the exchange doors opened, a man in a bamboo hat stepped out.
The face of the martial artist facing him shadowed over.
"You the one?"
"...What?"
"The beggar demanding half his loan back—I'm asking if it's you."
"Y-You bastard...!"
At the insulting words, the martial artist's hand instinctively reached for his sword.
But before he could draw it.
Bang!
With the sound of something solid shattering, his body flew into the air.
Flying through the sky for the first time in his life, he soon crashed to the ground with a splat.
The martial artists stared blankly at the scene before their gazes converged on one man.
"You lot too?"
"...Pardon?"
Boom!
Man Hyobom plunged into the midst of the martial artists, grabbing them haphazardly and hurling them skyward.
"He's a madman! Everyone run!"
They had no idea.
That Divine Demon Blood Death Squad members were dispersed across every Myriad Gold Exchange branch in Sichuan Province.
And it wasn't just Man Hyobom.
Danri Hyang unsheathed his razor-sharp blade right before the martial artists without warning, while the other squad members subdued the rowdy martial artists with force in the same manner.
The only one among them who tried talking was Han Baek, but even he decisively speared the unreasonable ones with his spear and hung them at the village entrance, clearing the area in front of the exchange spotlessly.
With three or four Divine Demon Blood Death Squad members guarding each branch, it was impregnable like an iron fortress, showing no gaps.
And the main branch was guarded by just one person—but that was the least worrisome place.
Ji Wolhon.
The captain of the Divine Demon Blood Death Squad was there.
'Heh, what incredible skill.'
Geum Hyeonmong let out a hollow laugh in admiration after confirming Ji Wolhon's overwhelming prowess.
He subdued the martial artists who came to cause trouble at the main branch as if twisting candy threads— it felt like a tiger versus cats, no, a dragon versus rats.
After watching the scene briefly, Geum Hyeonmong turned on his heel.
'Everything's changed.'
Just a change in ownership, and it was all reversed.
Not only providing overflowing funds, but dozens of renowned warriors from across the land came to support the exchanges.
'And that's not all.'
One day.
That was all the time needed for the baseless rumors about the Myriad Gold Exchange across Sichuan Province to vanish.
Clutching his pounding heart, he hurried toward the annex room.
"Are you in? I have something to discuss briefly."
"Yes, come in."
Inside the annex, Cho Sa-hyeon was gracefully composing a letter.
As she paused and sealed it, Geum Hyeonmong, seated opposite, spoke up.
"Is your stay here comfortable?"
"Yes, it is."
"Good."
Nodding, he soon expressed his gratitude.
"Truly, thank you. We've been saved by your grace."
With the Myriad Gold Exchange's finances stabilized, everything proceeded smoothly.
Customers trying to withdraw funds dwindled exponentially, and branches gradually resumed normal operations one by one.
Thanks to the warriors they brought, the troublesome martial artists who had caused endless headaches were easily subdued.
"And once again, I'm in awe of Dark Fragrance's influence."
The baseless rumors that had spread across Sichuan Province.
The talk that the Myriad Gold Exchange's funds had completely run dry vanished perfectly in just one day.
Geum Hyeonmong couldn't help but be astonished by the reach and speed.
He too had tried every method to quash the rumors.
But every attempt proved futile, whereas with Dark Fragrance's involvement, they disappeared cleanly in a single day.
Thus, he couldn't help but marvel at the current situation.
"Hehe, that was possible only because of the trust the Myriad Gold Exchange built over hundreds of years."
After mutual flattery, a brief silence fell.
Not because there was nothing to say.
Geum Hyeonmong, with questions brimming to the tip of his tongue, had debated dozens of times in that short moment whether to speak.
As if reading his mind, Cho Sa-hyeon gently prodded.
"If you have something to ask, feel free. Aren't we comrades in the same boat now?"
"...I understand."
Swallowing hard, he opened his mouth with a stiff expression.
"To be honest, I've been speculating who might be the one who took over the exchange from behind the scenes."
The one who acquired the Myriad Gold Exchange.
Geum Hyeonmong had guessed several candidates for that figure's identity.
"But as time passed, the list narrowed rapidly."
One who could command Dark Fragrance under their banner.
One possessing overflowing wealth and able to dispense it freely.
One who could dispatch dozens of experts capable of shaking the world.
And one who could use Dark Fragrance to erase rumors across Sichuan in a single day.
"No one capable of all these feats remained in my mind."
Dry sweat trickled down his sideburns.
"So, who on earth took over this exchange?"
It was enough to make ghosts wail.
No one in the world satisfied all those conditions came to mind.
Geum Hyeonmong looked at her with trembling eyes.
Meeting his gaze, Cho Sa-hyeon replied flatly.
"You seem full of questions."
"Yes."
"...Someday, surely."
She faintly lifted the corner of her mouth.
"You will meet them."