Chapter 76
Chapter 76
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Research
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Dang Harin's laboratory was located in a remote spot even within the Tang Clan.
Yuseong soon learned why.
Slither.
A snake with a flashy appearance crawled around beyond a small iron cage at the back of the lab.
Its tongue flicked out—clearly a venomous serpent at a glance.
Not just that one; countless venomous creatures swarmed behind the other cages as well.
"Aww, my cute little darlings! Have you been well?"
Dang Harin greeted the venomous beasts with exaggerated fuss.
"..."
Regardless of anything else, she definitely had a bizarre aesthetic sense when it came to poison creatures.
How could those grotesque things possibly be cute?
Having his attention immediately seized by the venomous creatures upon entering the lab, he now surveyed the interior he hadn't properly examined before.
The shelves lining the walls were packed with books, and even a quick glance at the titles showed they were all about poisons.
On shelves along the other wall, numerous vials were displayed.
They were obviously filled with venom.
Anyone could see this was a space dedicated to poison research.
With all these dangerous things crammed inside, the lab had no choice but to be tucked away in a remote location.
By now, Dang Harin had finished feeding the creatures and returned with a vial in hand.
"Alright, since you said you'd help with the research, let's decide how we'll conduct the experiments."
"I'll just handle the detoxification, right?"
"Yeah, but don't detox me right away. I need to check the poison's symptoms myself. I'll signal you when to do it."
"...Isn't that dangerous? If you're too late, you could die."
Mastering poison arts didn't grant immunity to all poisons.
He might be resistant to some, but for most, it only mitigated the symptoms.
If it was a poison that killed instantly upon ingestion, Yuseong might not even have time to act before Dang Harin dropped dead.
'Not that there's anything I could do to help in my current state anyway.'
If that happened, no matter how scatterbrained he was, the Tang Clan Patriarch wouldn't look kindly on Yuseong for indirectly contributing to his daughter's death.
It wouldn't be about the Heavenly Fortune Stone processing anymore—the barely mended relations with the Murim Alliance could sour again.
But.
"It's fine. The poisons here might kill you if ingested, but none will drop me dead on the spot. Those are in the Poison Blood Pool or... Anyway, how long does detoxification take? Should I get some acupuncture in advance?"
She had personally witnessed him placing needles from the crown of the head across Yucheon Immortal's entire body during the detoxification.
The reason she asked if she should get needles preemptively to shorten detox time was obvious.
"You plan to endure it to the limit after ingesting the poison?"
"Of course. That's the only way to really know what effects it has. I've checked everything I can with other methods. I need to feel it myself."
"...Does this help you find the way to become a Poison Person?"
"The final secret manual was lost. The descriptions in the materials I've researched so far are too vague, so I have to verify them directly."
With that explanation, Yuseong had nothing more to say.
Dang Harin continued.
"First, put in the needles."
Seeing her lightly grab her clothes as if to undress, Yuseong hurriedly stopped her.
"No! Yucheon Immortal was in critical condition, so that was necessary. You don't need anything like that! If it's recent poisoning, I can detox right away!"
If the Patriarch's daughter was caught stripping in the Tang Clan...
Just imagining it was terrifying.
Yet Dang Harin was grinning mischievously.
'Ha, she was joking.'
He still hadn't adjusted to her unpredictable personality.
"Don't pull that stuff anywhere else, and stop stripping down like that."
Dang Harin mouthed the word "old fogey."
"I'm not an old fogey—you're the reckless one."
"By the way, Yurin was cute. You two old fogeys suit each other well."
"Huh? Out of nowhere?"
"Nah, just saying. So no need for needles in advance, right?"
"Yeah."
Once Yuseong took out his needle pouch and prepared, Dang Harin poured venom from the vial into a small cup, filling it to the brim.
"Let's start."
"Just a little to begin with—"
He tried to say drink just a little, but in that instant.
"To feel the effects properly, I need to drink plenty. You trust me, right?"
The pitch-black venom vanished into her mouth in a flash.
"..."
Dang Harin sat cross-legged, as if observing her internals.
"Mmm..."
An uncomfortable groan escaped her lips.
Before long, blue veins began slowly bulging across every exposed inch of her skin.
"...!"
Yuseong tensed, but no signal came from Dang Harin.
Her finger had been twitching steadily since earlier, so it wasn't paralysis poison either.
'How long does she plan to endure, Dang Harin?'
The veins swelled to the point of bursting, and her face turned deathly pale.
'Isn't this dangerous now?'
Yuseong watched anxiously, yet Dang Harin's expression didn't flicker.
Time passed in that state.
Black poison sweat poured from her body like rain.
'No way, is she really going to mess up like this? I should detox her now...'
Yuseong, sitting across from her, felt his pupils tremble wildly.
At that moment, Dang Harin's hand clenched into a tight fist.
Yuseong hurriedly thrust his hand toward her chest.
So urgent was he that he had no time even to use a long needle.
In a flash, he pressed his palm to her left breast and activated the skill.
[Detoxification]
Divine Power flowed through his palm into her chest, transforming into the detoxification skill.
Remote detoxification was possible, but less precise.
As he'd heard in advance, it was crucial not to let the detoxification skill's aftereffects reach the poison core at the root of her poison arts.
Untested, but destroying the poison arts Dang Harin had built up so far... would be disastrous.
"Wow! Amazing! The poisoning symptoms vanished in an instant! Immediate effect... perfect!"
Dang Harin, eyes open, examined her body in admiration.
Her skin had returned to normal.
Then her gaze lingered on her left breast.
A clear trace remained of Yuseong's desperation.
A red handprint was stamped like a brand across the upper left breast, half-exposed.
In his focus on detoxification, he hadn't used the healing skill.
"Sorry."
Even if for detoxification, the spot wasn't ideal.
Dang Harin waved off Yuseong's reflexive apology.
"Nah, you had to for the detox—no helping it. Hang on, let me record this."
Dang Harin pulled out writing tools and jotted down notes on the poison she'd just experienced.
"Hmm... ears go deaf... a bit later, venom reaches the head too..."
Humming a tune as she recorded the symptoms, she looked thoroughly enjoying herself.
"Alright, this one's a no-go!"
Meaning it wasn't the poison needed for becoming a Poison Person?
Without Yuseong just now, Dang Harin surely would have died.
He'd been on edge thinking she'd die any second, yet she didn't seem to value her life at all.
***
Exhausted, Yuseong returned to his assigned quarters.
Dang Harin had stayed in the lab, saying she had more to test and asking him to come back tomorrow.
Knowing Yuseong's abilities could detox even the deadliest poisons in an instant,
From the next poison on, Dang Harin endured until black nosebleed streamed down nonstop.
Ignoring Yuseong's anxiety that she might keel over any moment.
As a result, Yuseong's body was fine, but the mental fatigue was immense.
"Whew... she's insane..."
Back in his quarters, Yuseong finally uttered what he couldn't say to her face.
As he recalled the recent events, he heard footsteps outside.
"Um, Yuseong? Are you back?"
It was Nangong Yurin's voice.
"Nangong Small Lady?"
"May I come in for a moment?"
It was dinnertime.
Thinking she might want to go together, he invited her in.
But the moment he saw Nangong Yurin enter cautiously, Yuseong grasped her purpose.
"What happened to your shoulder...!"
The shoulder of Nangong Yurin's uniform was soaked in blood.
What in the Tang Clan could have injured her?
"Ah, this? I got a little hurt sparring with real swords. Could you treat it for me?"
"Of course I'll treat it. But sparring?"
"Yes, while you were helping Sister Harin, I've been sparring with Murim Alliance warriors to train hard. I haven't properly trained in so long. I need to get stronger..."
Nangong Yurin murmured, but her last words were too soft to catch.
Sister Harin?
Thinking back, Dang Harin had referred to her as Yurin earlier instead of Nangong Small Lady.
Just this morning, they'd been politely addressing each other as Dang Small Lady and Nangong Small Lady.
When did they drop the formalities?
Even on the carriage ride here, Nangong Yurin hadn't liked Dang Harin much due to constant teasing.
"Uh... alright, just a moment."
Nangong Yurin turned her back and pulled down the shoulder of her uniform.
"..."
Yuseong's healing skill worked fine over clothes,
'But this feels less awkward.'
He waited silently.
Nangong Yurin's shoulder heaved greatly.
After a deep breath, she turned back.
Despite her considerable martial prowess, her shoulder was delicate.
The deeply indented line of her collarbone drew the eye.
Yuseong forced his gaze to the wound.
Fortunately, compared to the blood on her uniform, the wound didn't look too severe.
Still, a sword wound like that must have made moving her shoulder uncomfortable.
For external injuries, Yuseong didn't bother pulling out needles.
He lightly gripped her shoulder.
[Healing]
He usually healed external wounds only up to near closure.
'Plenty of Divine Power left, and no scars on such a pretty shoulder.'
Pouring in Divine Power, only bloodstains remained as the wound rapidly mended.
"All done. It's perfectly healed."
"Thank you, Yuseong. It's always so wondrous to see. Um..."
"Yes?"
"Could you... call me Yurin too...?"