Chapter 93
Chapter 93
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: Elixir from Poison
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Herbs?”
The Sect Leader looked at Cheonhwi, who had shown up out of nowhere, with bewildered eyes.
“Why are you suddenly looking for those?”
“I was thinking of making some elixirs.”
For a moment, the Sect Leader's mind went blank.
‘Making elixirs?’
Elixirs weren't something you could just whip up easily.
Even the various sects had poured immense time and effort into producing just one.
And there were plenty of sects that still couldn't make them.
‘But if it's Cheonhwi...’
The Sect Leader's complicated expression shifted to one of anticipation.
It was none other than Cheonhwi.
The one whose medical arts even the gods would covet.
“Do you know how to make elixirs?”
“I can probably manage somehow.”
Cheonhwi said it as if it were no big deal.
What was so hard about making elixirs?
‘You just roughly toss in the herbs and extract the energy inside, right?’
Meanwhile, the Sect Leader felt deflated by the response, which was far from what he'd hoped for.
“So you're saying you don't know how to make them right now.”
“If we're splitting hairs, yeah.”
“......Do you have confidence?”
“Yes.”
The Sect Leader stared at Cheonhwi.
Most of his anticipation had faded, but a sliver remained.
‘Yeah. If it's Cheonhwi, who knows.’
That tiny bit fueled his hope.
The Cheonhwi who had elevated Hyeondo to his current realm.
The Cheonhwi who had changed the fate of Mount Hua Sect, which had been on the path to ruin.
“Understood.”
The Sect Leader nodded with a face full of resolve, speaking softly.
“Spirit herbs or spirit materials would be hard to obtain, but I'll have the herb gatherers procure regular herbs.”
“Tch. Got it.”
It was a somewhat disappointing outcome.
He would have preferred spirit herbs if possible.
‘No helping it.’
What he needed right now was a large quantity of elixirs.
Mount Hua Sect's finances weren't nearly good enough to make elixirs from spirit herbs or materials.
‘Guess I'll settle for this for now.’
That very evening.
“We've brought a whole bunch.”
“Is this enough?”
The gates of Mount Hua Sect were bustling.
The Sect Leader had summoned the herb gatherers through the Medical Hall Leader.
“Boundless gratitude. Truly, thank you.”
The herb gatherers, who had been setting down their sacks at the Sect Leader's beaming smile and words of thanks, startled and waved their hands frantically.
“Oh, no need!”
“We've had plenty of herbs lately because your Taoists took care of the beasts.”
“Thanks to you, my wife and kids can relax when I go herb picking now.”
The herb gatherers smiled brightly as they spoke.
“Haha. Is that so.”
In contrast, the Sect Leader gave a bitter smile.
‘Who would have thought that incident would turn out like this.’
In truth, the beasts had been dealt with because Cheonhwi wanted to eat meat.
Yet it had led to such a positive result.
‘I should have acted sooner if I'd known they were suffering from the beasts.’
To those who practiced martial arts, beasts were something they could handle anytime.
But not for the herb gatherers.
‘......This is my fault.’
Dealing with the beasts was something that could have been done anytime.
But he hadn't.
No, he hadn't even paid attention to it.
‘I've been too focused only on our sect.’
Looking at the herb gatherers who couldn't hide their joy, the Sect Leader berated himself.
In his determination to strengthen Mount Hua Sect, he had neglected those around them.
‘Hyeonsang, Hyeonsang. No matter how strong we become, how can we call ourselves Mount Hua Sect if we don't help the weak?’
As he reflected, the Sect Leader recalled the teachings of his master from the past.
‘The strong have always protected the weak. How could I have forgotten?’
The Sect Leader closed his eyes gently.
Then he bowed deeply and formally.
“Boundless gratitude. If you ever face any inconveniences while gathering herbs, please come to our sect anytime and let us know.”
“Really?”
The herb gatherers' faces lit up.
They didn't need help right now, but just hearing those words filled them with gratitude.
And from no one less than the Sect Leader of Mount Hua Sect—it felt all the more reassuring.
“Hahaha. Then we'll come ask for help later.”
“We're grateful just for the words.”
As the Sect Leader smiled warmly.
“Looks like they've already arrived.”
Cheonhwi appeared right on cue.
“Eek!”
“G-Ghost!”
The herb gatherers, seeing Cheonhwi pop out like a ghost, jumped back in fright.
Cheonhwi ignored their shock and eyed the sacks.
“Mind if I take a look?”
As the startled herb gatherers flinched.
“He's a disciple of our sect.”
At the Sect Leader's words, the herb gatherers gradually came to their senses, confirmed Cheonhwi's Taoist robes, and patted their chests in relief.
“Haha. A young Taoist of Mount Hua Sect.”
“Go ahead and look. Even among what we have, these are the top-grade ones.”
Cheonhwi picked up a herb at their words.
And then.
*Crunch—*
He bit right into the herb.
A bitter taste spread across his tongue.
‘Hmm. This one's no good.’
He spat out the chewed herb to one side and picked up another to chew.
“......What the heck is he doing?”
“Trying to check the efficacy, maybe?”
“Just by chewing?”
“He's a Taoist, isn't he?”
The herb gatherers' fussing quieted as they watched Cheonhwi's sudden actions.
“Huh?!”
“W-Wait!”
“W-Why is that in the sack?!”
The herb gatherers shouted in panic upon seeing the grass in Cheonhwi's hand.
Meanwhile, Cheonhwi looked at the grass.
‘This one's different from the others?’
The grass in his hand wasn't like the herbs.
But pinpointing exactly what it was? Tricky.
‘Well, tasting it will tell.’
As Cheonhwi moved to put the grass in his mouth.
“N-No! Don't eat that!”
“That's poison grass!”
The herb gatherers rushed to stop him, but it was already in his mouth.
“Hmm?”
A sharp pain stung his tongue.
Poison seeped from the swallowed grass, slowly flowing into his body.
Cheonhwi's face turned purple.
“Cheonhwi!”
The Sect Leader panicked at the sight of apparent poisoning and rushed over.
At that moment.
*Whoosh—*
Cheonhwi circulated his inner energy.
The Plum Blossom Divine Art spread from his entire body, carrying a faint plum blossom scent, gathering the remaining poison in his body to one spot.
Then he thrust out his index finger.
A drop of black poison beaded at the fingertip before dropping to the ground.
*Sizzle—*
The herb gatherers, snapping out of it as the acrid poison smoke tickled their noses, covered their noses.
“Gasp!”
Meanwhile, the Sect Leader approached Cheonhwi.
“A-Are you okay?”
*Fwoosh—*
Instead of answering, Cheonhwi exhaled the poison from his mouth.
The foul stench dispersed into the air, carried away by the wind.
Finally, Cheonhwi spoke.
“Yeah. I'm fine.”
Cheonhwi smacked his lips.
It had a poison so potent it numbed the tongue, but it contained far more energy than any herb he'd swallowed so far.
‘This could be useful if done right.’
Cheonhwi's eyes gleamed.
Even back in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, there had been elixirs made using poison grass.
It was the famously known Return Spring Pill from the Central Plains.
‘It caused agony for days, but it definitely built up inner energy.’
He recalled the demonic cultists writhing in vomit and diarrhea after taking the Return Spring Pill.
‘No one died, though.’
Meanwhile, the herb gatherers were aghast to see Cheonhwi unscathed after eating the poison grass.
What was that poison grass?
Mountain Arsenic Frost, a poison so vicious that just chewing it rotted your insides, leaving you unable to even speak.
No one bought it unless for assassination.
Yet he was fine!
Soon, they all trembled in unison, as if competing.
“Aah! It's the Little Immortal Sage!”
“We've unwittingly offered poison grass to the Little Immortal Sage!”
Then Cheonhwi approached them.
“Gasp!”
“Hic!”
“......!”
Fearing divine punishment from the Little Immortal Sage, the herb gatherers cowered preemptively.
“What was that poison grass I just ate?”
An unexpected question came.
“You don't know?”
At Cheonhwi's follow-up, one herb gatherer snapped to attention.
“M-Mountain Arsenic Frost!”
“Got a lot of it?”
The herb gatherers panicked.
“W-We have a little......”
“I-I don't.”
“Hmm, I need it.”
Upon hearing Cheonhwi's murmur, the herb gatherers exchanged glances, nodded simultaneously, and shouted.
“I-I'll procure some!”
“If the Little Immortal Sage wants it, we can provide anytime!”
“We'll gather it somehow!”
“Great, if you're offering.”
Cheonhwi smiled satisfactorily at their words.
“Phew.”
“He didn't get angry.”
As the herb gatherers sighed in relief and patted their chests.
“Next up, then......”
Cheonhwi tossed the Mountain Arsenic Frost into the sack on the left, then picked out another herb and chewed it.
This one might work?
Hmm. Pass on this.
This one's needed.
How many did he chew and swallow?
*Gulp—*
After chewing and swallowing the last one, Cheonhwi looked at the divided herbs and said.
“I'll buy everything on the left.”
The Sect Leader stepped forward.
“Don't need the right side?”
Cheonhwi didn't even glance at the discarded herbs on the right.
“Nope.”
“Understood.”
The Sect Leader approached the herb gatherers, who stared at Cheonhwi with blank eyes.
“We'd like to purchase the herbs on the left. How much?”
The herb gatherers jumped and waved their hands.
“Oh, no! Money's fine.”
“W-What money?”
“We mixed poison grass in with the herbs out of negligence?”
It was indeed the herb gatherers' mistake.
If another disciple had eaten it, it could have been a disaster.
‘But it didn't happen.’
The Sect Leader smiled gently.
“Haha, that was just a mistake, wasn't it?”
“A mistake is still a sin, isn't it?”
“Please accept these herbs as atonement for our sin against the Little Immortal Sage.”
“But that would hurt your pride......”
As the Sect Leader looked troubled.
“Please!”
The herb gatherers pleaded earnestly.
They had nearly killed a Mount Hua Sect Taoist.
A crime worthy of death, and now take money too?
Not even beasts would do that.
“P-Please just take it.”
“We want to help the Little Immortal Sage.”
“Haven't you been handling the beasts for us all this time? Please accept these as thanks.”
Faced with their repeated earnest pleas, the Sect Leader awkwardly smiled and accepted.
“......Haha, alright then.”
“Thank you!”
“Oh, thank you!”
“No need to bow anymore.”
As the herb gatherers kept thanking him and the Sect Leader awkwardly tried to stop them.
“This amount is way too little.”
Cheonhwi eyed the piled herbs.
The herbs and poison grass barely reached his waist—far short for mass-producing elixirs.
‘Gotta ask the Wind Merchant Guild.’
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Returning to his hut with the herbs, Seollan and Jeokgeom were waiting.
“Welcome back?”
Seollan smiled and greeted him, while Jeokgeom beside her forced a grin.
“H-Haha. It's ready.”
Jeokgeom hurriedly plated the roasted wild boar.
“Put it away.”
With those words, he set the sack on the floor, catching Seollan's eye.
“What's that?”
“Herbs.”
“Herbs?”
At the out-of-left-field answer, even disinterested Seollan and Jeokgeom looked puzzled.
“What for?”
“Making elixirs.”
Seollan's eyes widened.
She knew even as an outsider that making elixirs was difficult.
But.
‘If it's Martial Uncle, he might really do it.’
She was the same as the Sect Leader.
“You can make elixirs too?”
“Nah. First time trying.”
“Huh?”
As Seollan stared blankly, Cheonhwi pulled out the herbs from the sack.
As Seollan eyed them curiously, Cheonhwi turned to Jeokgeom.
“Jeokgeom.”
“Y-Yes? Yes!”
At the call, Jeokgeom squeezed his eyes shut.
‘Damn! Again today? I should've trained hard even after Martial Uncle left.’
He recalled the recent days of one-sided beatings disguised as training.
“Light a fire there.”
“Fire?”
Jeokgeom was dumbfounded by the order.
“Not gonna?”
“A-Alright!”
“And Seollan, fill a cauldron with water and bring it.”
“Got it.”
As the two carried out the orders.
“Ingredients are plenty, but actually making the elixir is the issue.”
Cheonhwi recalled a book he'd read long ago.
Spirit Pill Manufacturing Method.
A secret manual detailing how to make a few spirit pills in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
“Let's see. What can I make with this?”
As he pondered while looking at the herbs.
“Fire's lit.”
Jeokgeom, charred black like coal, came running.
He turned to see fierce flames roaring from the dry firewood.
“I brought it too.”
Cheonhwi gently placed the cauldron Seollan brought over the fire.
“This one should work, right?”
He recalled one spirit pill.
Then he tossed the herbs into the cauldron one by one.
And finally, he grabbed a handful of Mountain Arsenic Frost and sprinkled it in.
“This is how you make the Mad Demon Heaven-Shaking Pill, yeah?”