Chapter 238
Chapter 238
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 238
Chapter Title: Poison Resistance Training
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“Gurk, guuuurk, guuuuaaaack!”
“Guhhh, uuuuugh!”
“Huff! Heave! Huff!”
The Thunder Dragon Squad writhed on the ground, limbs twisting like snakes coiling into knots as they let out agonized groans that sounded like their guts were boiling over.
Every groan sent their bodies spasming.
‘F-Fuck! How the hell did a beggar’s life turn into this shit?! Why?! Why me?!’
Sogeolgae clutched his newly acquired begging bowl, grinding his teeth.
He was getting a firsthand taste of what it felt like to have his intestines being ripped apart.
‘Th-Those poisons from the Tang Clan of Sichuan can’t be ordinary!’
Uwaaaack!
His stomach wasn’t just queasy—it felt like it was melting away.
And it wasn’t just Sogeolgae.
Everyone was the same.
This was pain no human could endure.
‘You fucking bastard!’
“Ow, you heartless prick!”
Fuck, his tongue was all twisted up, slurring his words.
He wanted to hurl curses at that damned Namgung Hyeok, lounging there sipping booze like it was nothing!
Sogeolgae scraped at the floor, thrashing wildly.
Namgung Hyeok picked up some snacks.
Sprinkle, sprinkle!
He dipped a finger into one of the blood pouches on the table and sprinkled a pinch of mysterious powder over the snacks.
Splat!
“Keuh! This one’s got a kick!”
Then he dumped green powder from another pouch into his cup and downed it in one gulp.
Gulp!
“Keuh! This one’s spicy, hot as hell!”
That madman.
Was he seriously tasting poisons right now?!
Unbelievable.
Critiquing poison flavors like a wine connoisseur?
Even on the brink of death from agony, everyone stared at Namgung Hyeok’s insanity in utter bewilderment.
Namgung Hyeok kept smacking his lips, sampling powders, then grabbed a funnel and jammed it into the mouth of the collapsed Paeng Jung-hyeok.
“Cough, guurk! S-Spare...”
“You won’t die, won’t die. I just tried it myself.”
“F-Fuck...”
“Hey now, this is the golden ratio.”
Fuck, golden ratio for poison powder?!
“Ugh! Ugh!”
Paeng Jung-hyeok had no choice but to swallow the contents pouring through the funnel. His eyes bulged like they were about to split open.
Tap, tap, tap!
“Guuuuuuuugh!”
Namgung Hyeok firmly pinned down the flailing Paeng Jung-hyeok.
Tremble, tremble. Gurgle!
Finally, Paeng Jung-hyeok foamed at the mouth and collapsed.
Everyone watching froze in terror.
“F-Fuck, why do we have to do this?!”
“You’re fine as hell over there!”
“Sp-Spare us, young master! Mercy! We’ll die if we eat more!”
“Yeah, you won’t die.”
Namgung Hyeok smiled gently.
“It all turns into blood and flesh. I’m eating it too.”
You’re perfectly fine, you monster!
Namgung Hyeok shrugged at the writhing Thunder Dragon Squad.
The Five Poisons Sect rivaled the Tang Clan in handling toxins.
Without even basic resistance, it was obvious they’d be wiped out before they could fight back.
‘And we’ve gotta catch that Millennium Crimson Crane.’
The area with the crane was said to be thick with poison mist that warped the terrain. If they collapsed from a bit of this, what then?
“Quit whining after eating this. Aren’t you fighting the Five Poisons Sect? You wanna drop dead from a little poison?”
“Kek, keaack! Th-This won’t build any resistance!”
“I’ve tested it all. Trust me.”
“Can’t tr—ugh!”
“Alright, one bowl left. Finish it up.”
Wow, fuck.
Talking like he’s feeding them some precious tonic?!
They desperately wanted to bolt, but the paralysis poison they’d already swallowed left them unable to twitch.
Surviving half a day of this was a miracle in itself.
‘Master, this unworthy beggar goes first.’
‘Dad...’
‘That devil bastard! Even ghosts would run from him!’
‘Revenge, I’ll get revenge!’
‘I-I’m done for!’
As the sprawled bodies twisted and shuddered everywhere.
Geon Cheon-hwi, flipping over, suddenly widened his eyes.
What the hell?
Jang Ung, what’s wrong with him?
Face pale as a ghost, limbs shaking violently, foaming at the mouth...
“Gulp, guurk! Guuuuuurk! Ngh...”
Then came the death rattle.
‘He’s dying?’
Dying?
Geon Cheon-hwi endured his gut-wrenching pain and shouted.
“Jang Ung! Breathe! Breathe, damn it! Breathe! Kek, breathe!”
“Hngk! Hngk!”
“Fuck, this is killing us! Young master! Young masteeeeer! He’s dying! He’s really dying!”
Meanwhile, Jang Ung’s face turned pitch black by the second.
“Gasp! Heave!”
“Y-Young master!”
“Jang Ung’s done for! Eyes rolled back, his eyes!”
“Doctor, doctor!”
Chaos erupted as they called for Namgung Hyeok.
Forcing poison down throats and now actually killing someone—that devil!
At the frantic cries, Namgung Hyeok finally turned.
“Hm? What’s up with this guy?”
You did this, you bastard!
Namgung Hyeok clicked his tongue.
“Tsk! This kid’s that fragile?”
“Ugh...”
“Sheesh.”
Namgung Hyeok placed a hand on Jang Ung’s chest.
Call a doctor! A doctor!
Like putting a hand on the chest fixes anything!
As the trembling crowd watched in confusion.
Whooooom!
The energy of the Heavenly Bright King Art rose from Namgung Hyeok, flowing through his palm into Jang Ung’s body.
The Heavenly Bright King Art filtered out impure energies.
Poison was impure, unnecessary qi to it.
Naturally, it was prime food for the Heavenly Bright King Art.
That’s why Namgung Hyeok could devour countless toxic herbs unscathed.
The art’s astonishing power.
It began slowly circulating through Jang Ung’s flesh.
With every movement of the Heavenly Bright King Art, the poison in Jang Ung’s body melted away and burned off.
The purest qi under heaven erased the filthy toxins in an instant.
“Call a doctor, a doc—huh?”
“Hm?”
“His color?”
Geon Cheon-hwi and the squad flinched.
“Guh, guhhh...?”
Jang Ung’s wildly convulsing body stilled, his eyes focusing.
His deathly black pallor returned to healthy flush in a flash.
“Wh-What?”
“Huff?”
“He’s alive?”
He’d been on death’s door moments ago?
No, he’d felt his breath fading too!
Even Jang Ung blinked in confusion.
‘What happened?’
His mind was sharp—sharper than ever, bursting with energy.
Feeling his dantian’s inner energy surging, Jang Ung panicked.
The paralysis was gone; his body moved freely again.
What in the world...
“Y-Young master?”
Namgung Hyeok shook off his hands.
“You good?”
“Y-Yes! Thanks to you!”
“Thanks, my ass.”
Namgung Hyeok smiled faintly.
“Then drink up.”
“Huh?”
“Drink, punk.”
“You crazy—!”
Healing then poisoning again!
Jang Ung spun to flee in horror, but no chance.
Namgung Hyeok grabbed his nape, slammed him down, and jammed the funnel into his gaping mouth from the impact.
Thud!
Gulp, gulp! Guluuuurk!
“Kuaaaaaagh!”
Jang Ung’s face drained to ashen death once more.
“Trying to dodge, punk?”
Namgung Hyeok chuckled and turned away.
The onlookers sighed.
“Ah...”
“Fuck.”
“Ugh...”
Ah, can’t even pass out in peace.
That devil can heal too!
Resigned, they averted eyes as Namgung Hyeok slowly turned to them.
“No worries, you won’t die.”
Hey, just kill us already?
Shudder.
The pained trembling ones slyly looked away, but Namgung Hyeok didn’t care.
With a healer’s touch(?), Namgung Hyeok fitted funnels to each one in turn.
His “kind” ministration cradled the pitiful souls.
Grateful(?) for Namgung Hyeok’s care, Namgung Ryong and the squad shuddered limbs in fervent response.
* * *
“Th-That madman! Does he even know what he’s doing?!”
Dang Ui-cheon bellowed in outrage.
The toxins Namgung Hyeok was shoving into mouths were top-tier even among Sichuan Tang Clan poisons—stuff requiring serious prep to handle.
Secret Tang Clan brews.
What happens when amateurs gulp secret poisons?
Mass casualties, that’s what.
No matter the reason, the Tang Clan couldn’t escape public scorn.
People dying from Tang Clan poisons? Who’d defend them?
It was the world’s greatest injustice to him.
“Not content with looting our poison herb stores, now he’s raiding the main family’s secrets! Th-That grim reaper! Ignorant bastard!”
Dang Ui-cheon, fuming, suddenly tilted his head.
‘But how’s no one been carried out dead yet?’
One should’ve turned black and keeled over by now?
No news?
‘All dead?’
Nah.
If disaster struck, it wouldn’t be this quiet.
Look, no death reports—just bitching that the ghost-proof bastard cleaned out the poison herb hall!
“Family Head! Poison herb hall reports shortages!”
“Those bastards are draining our main family’s assets!”
“They claim it’s for building resistance and keep ransacking it—no sign of stopping!”
“No matter how we beg, they won’t budge. They’re not here to help—they’re here to gut us?!”
“Heh, the herb hall doctors tried intervening and got kicked out. Damned scum!”
The elders’ grievances pierced the heavens.
Bewilderment fueled rage.
Head throbbing, Dang Ui-cheon pressed his temples.
‘Chaos inside and out.’
The Namgung Clan wouldn’t act without intent.
Pondering, Dang Ui-cheon spoke in a low, sunken tone.
“When the tournament winners arrived, I had hopes, but looks like Namgung sent clowns. Insane fools stirring up the main house.”
“Then...?”
“We watch for now. If they pull tricks, they’ll learn what the Tang Clan is.”
A chill glinted in Dang Ui-cheon’s eyes.
“How we treat enemies.”
There’s a saying in the jianghu:
Unless friends with the Tang Clan of Sichuan, don’t even share a table.
Whatever those blasted youngsters were up to, they’d be useful somehow.
Plus, Namgung reinforcements were en route—use what you can.
Friend or foe after? Decided in the process.
Dang Ui-cheon changed topics.
“Watch for now. What’s the Five Poisons Sect doing?”
The Tang Clan leaders began their meeting.
The mood sank heavily again.
* * *
Geon Cheon-hwi muttered at the bright moon.
“Thought I was a goner.”
“He really trying to kill us?”
“I vote yes.”
Tak Hyeok-dong and Jang Ung voiced reasonable suspicion.
Having nearly died once, they shuddered.
“Never thought I’d be force-fed poison in this life.”
“...It’ll end here, right?”
“Fuck. Don’t jinx it. When’s that guy ever played fair?”
If this was real resistance training, it wouldn’t wrap in a day or two.
From experience, Namgung Hyeok knew no half-measures.
The squad’s complaints soared.
Beating pain was one thing.
Poison agony was like drowning bound or buried alive—worse.
“Fuuuck, wanna bolt.”
“Yeah, I’m ready to run.”
“Me too.”
“Keuh, guts still twisting. Inner energy won’t flow...”
“You ate the qi-draining poison earlier.”
“Fuuuuck.”
The sprawled squad looked like a battlefield.
Geon Cheon-hwi sighed deeply.
Then blinked blankly.
“...But seriously, did we build resistance?”
“Does that come that fast?”
“This time it was bearable.”
“Mm!”
Poisons that felt instantly fatal grew tolerable after two or three doses.
Like toughening up from beatings?
Adapting to hits after a few, same with poison maybe.
As they groaned in pain.
Geon Cheon-hwi turned, tsking.
“Why’s a Beggar Clan bum building poison resistance?! I’m out!”
“I, Paeng Jung-hyeok! As young heir of Paeng Clan, I won’t build tolerance to Tang poisons! I’m leaving!”
Try running.
See what happens.
Never tested escaping Namgung Hyeok yet?
They wouldn’t grasp why the complaining squad stayed put.
Heh heh heh—Geon Cheon-hwi startled at the laugh bubbling inside.
‘...Fuck, was I always this twisted?’
Doubt crept in.
Near ink turns black.
Crazy dragon below, driving me mad too.
Such thoughts when—
“Dine, please.”
“Hm?!”
“Meal time!”
After a day of poison, metallic taste lingered.
Even raging Paeng Jung-hyeok and Sogeolgae whipped around.
“Th-Think we can leave tomorrow.”
“Yeah. Gotta eat first.”
They agreed, welcoming the feast.
“Eat full and live!”
“Damn right!”
“Can’t leave on empty after just poison!”
“Let’s eat!”
Geon Cheon-hwi and all sat.
A massive banquet.
Feast rivaling ten days of hospitality!
They ravenously dug in.
Geon Cheon-hwi tore into a duck leg.
“Delicio—ugh?”
Hey, fuck. Familiar taste?
Pffft!
“Gurgle!”
“P-Poison...”
“F-Fuck, you Crazy Dragon...”
“Kek, keaack!”
Blood fountains sprayed as bodies thudded onto the table.
Geon Cheon-hwi gaped ahead—Namgung Ryong was shaking his head.
“N-Not eating...?”
Nod, nod.
Speak up, damn it.
Thud!
Geon Cheon-hwi’s face-plant ended the “meal” in a flash.
Namgung Ryong wiped his brow.
Dodged it.
Self-soothing when—
Creak! Bang!
Namgung Hyeok burst into the hall.
Seeing all faces planted on the table, he grinned satisfied.
“Nice, devouring Tang grub heartily? Gotta stay vigilant.”
Bro, no.
“Hm? You didn’t eat, bro?”
“Mmph.”
“Good. You’ll live long.”
“Mmph!”
“What?”
Hm?
“Eat. Meal time.”
“...This?”
“What else? It’s food.”
Bro, no—mmph mmph!
Namgung Hyeok kindly stuffed a duck leg into Namgung Ryong’s mouth.
Namgung Ryong flailed, foamed, and keeled over.
“Ah, rewarding.”
Namgung Hyeok chuckled, starting his late meal.