Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: The Important Thing is the Contract (1)
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If the person they needed to inspect was a Blood Cultist, they would naturally have hidden it.
"Isn't there a problem inside? The Blood Cult may have infiltrated."
"...Do you really think so?"
Dang Yu-wol's words made sense.
But Seol Ryua could only show her regret.
"There has been a strange atmosphere in the military lately, but..."
"Isn't the imperial court investigating that?"
"I believe it's underway now."
"I see. Then let's head back for now."
"Yes. Let's go quickly."
After wrapping things up, Dang Yu-wol's group quickly headed out of the village.
And they sensed something off.
There were even more soldiers guarding the area around the village than when they had entered.
"What...? Call your superior."
Seol Ryua ordered a nearby soldier.
He hurriedly ran off and brought back his superior.
"What happened? Why are there so many people here?"
The superior answered Seol Ryua's question in a fluster.
"Not long after you all entered the village, ruffians began attacking Hwegang County."
"What?! What about General Song?! What about the damage?"
"He's safe. Fortunately, the Beggars' Sect members in Hwegang County were monitoring the surroundings, spotted their movements, and reported it!"
"Oho... If it's Beggars' Sect members, then Elder Gu Hwan-gae?!"
"Yes. And with the cooperation of the murim warriors in Hwegang County, we were able to repel them. The damage wasn't too severe, they say."
"I see. Understood. Prepare a cart."
"Yes!!"
As soon as a horse-drawn cart was prepared, they loaded the Blood Cult Protector onto it.
"Now we're heading back. Haha. Executing justice really lightens the heart."
With things seemingly wrapped up, Hwan Gyu wore a relieved expression.
But Seol Ryua couldn't afford to.
Because the interrogation of that bastard still remained.
Upon arriving at Hwegang County with the cart, everyone grimaced.
"This... is bad."
Hwegang County's condition didn't look good.
Quite a few murim warriors and soldiers could be seen with injuries.
"Let's head to the government office quickly."
Anxiety mixed into Hwan Gyu's expression.
He was worried his disciples might have been hurt.
"Master..."
"You're back..."
At the entrance to the government office stood two young Taoists.
Blood stained their robes here and there, suggesting they had participated in the battle as well.
"Little brother..."
"Yes. Leave the rest to us."
They left Hwan Gyu to tend to his disciples, and Dang Yu-wol and Seol Ryua entered.
Amid the busily moving people, Song Juk was waiting.
His expression was bright, as if he had already received the report.
"Excellent!! To carry out the mission so successfully!!"
He had expected good results, but not this well.
Song Juk glared at the acupointed Blood Cult Protector as if he wanted to kill him.
"I want to cut that bastard's head off right now, but we need the information first..."
"We need to confirm if he's really a Blood Cultist and what their objective is."
"Indeed. And much more besides."
They had captured an important figure.
He let out a sigh of relief.
"Anyway, we'll handle everything related to the interrogation. You all have done great work."
Song Juk bowed sincerely.
For an imperial general to bow to mere wanderers.
Dang Yu-wol gave a wry smile and bowed in return.
"We merely did what needed to be done."
-We absolutely have to dump shit on those Blood Cult bastards later.
"Is it possible to do the poison cleansing in Ji-ro-gang Village as well?"
"It'll take a few days, but..."
"A few days? That's impressive."
Even the imperial palace had stepped in for poison cleansing before.
But it had taken nearly four months.
Yet just a few days?
"This feels like we're imposing too much. Can you help?"
"That's fine for me, but..."
Dang Yu-wol glanced back.
With his group there, he couldn't decide rashly.
"What's wrong?"
"We plan to cleanse this place's poison before leaving... Is that alright?"
By then, Hwan Gyu had entered with his disciples, a soft smile on his lips.
"If it's something we can do, it's best to help as much as possible."
He had witnessed this place's misfortune.
So he had to help where he could.
Especially since it was for the sake of justice.
"Thank you! I will surely repay you!!"
With Hwan Gyu's permission, Song Juk rejoiced.
"First, I'll arrange a place for you all to rest."
"Yes. Thank you."
"And if you need any materials, don't hesitate to ask for as much as you want."
'Perfect. We needed some herbs anyway. We can restock here.'
"If there's anything else you need, just say so."
"We appreciate the general's consideration."
"Then rest well. You've worked hard."
Not long after Song Juk greeted Dang Yu-wol and left, Gu Hwan-gae came by.
"Hey. Who are those guys?"
"Seems like you've figured it out roughly."
"...Blood Cult?"
"Yes."
"Just what is your deal with the Blood Cult?"
"We're foes who can't live under the same sky."
His nonchalant tone nearly made even Gu Hwan-gae nod along.
'There's something there...'
But it wasn't a bad thing.
For a guy like Dang Yu-wol not to side with the Blood Cult was something.
"While monitoring their movements, several Beggars' Sect disciples got severely poisoned."
"Severely?"
"Yeah. And there are murim warriors injured from fighting them."
"I'll have to step in."
"Then let's go right now. Oh, and tell me what happened in that village too. I'm dying of curiosity."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. Why the hell would Blood Cult bastards go to such lengths to stop you from investigating that village?"
"Haha. Why don't you ask General Song?"
"Sigh. Fine, fine. Let's go for now."
Gu Hwan-gae led Dang Yu-wol to a treatment center set up behind the government office.
There, several beggars could be seen groaning, vomiting, or bleeding black blood.
-This is brutal. Can you make an antidote? I can help if you want.
'It's not hard. I can handle it alone.'
The poison wasn't as difficult to neutralize as expected.
For this level, it was better to make the antidote directly.
"Hey. Bring me Hae Wol grass, Yang Gu, warm water, and a mortar. And Am Yeom salt and Yang Gi powder too."
"Yes!!"
Dang Yu-wol's skills were already well-known.
Thus, the physicians moved swiftly.
"Here you go!"
"Thank you."
Using the herbs they brought, Dang Yu-wol skillfully prepared the antidote.
"Hey, are you a physician?"
A burly man and a woman trying to hold him back approached him.
"What is it?"
"I'm Paeng Ho-san of the Hebei Paeng Clan. Can you take a look at this guy too?"
"No, Young Master. The physician said earlier there's no poisoning. It might just be your imagination..."
"He's been listless nonstop!! Sorry. If you need money, I'll pay."
With his urging, Dang Yu-wol sighed.
And he instructed the approaching physician on how to treat the Beggars' Sect disciple.
"Give me your wrist."
"Yes."
Dang Yu-wol took her pulse and sent internal energy through it.
Then he said gravely.
"You're poisoned."
"I-Is that true?! Damn it!! But why doesn't she have the same symptoms as those guys?"
"Naturally. This woman has been taking a different poison long-term. And..."
Dang Yu-wol looked at Paeng Ho-san, then grabbed his hand.
"Wait a moment."
After checking his pulse as well, Dang Yu-wol said calmly.
"You're poisoned too."
At Dang Yu-wol's words, Paeng Ho-san froze stiff.
Unlike his words, he hadn't felt any signs of poisoning at all.
"Y-You seem like a skilled physician, but you must have made a mistake. I'm not poisoned."
If he were poisoned, he should feel something wrong with his body.
But he had never once sensed any signs of poisoning until now.
"I've trained in martial arts myself. If there were something wrong with my body, I'd have noticed."
-Typical murim man.
'Well, those who cultivate martial arts tend to notice bodily abnormalities quicker than ordinary people.'
-But that doesn't mean they can detect every sign of poisoning.
'That's why so many warriors fell to the Blood Cult's poisons.'
To murim folk, martial arts were their life and conviction.
Thus, many among them refused to believe they were poisoned and ended up dead.
"Look at this."
"What's this?"
"Hwal Gi Ju Geun, an herb. It mainly grows in the Shaanxi region."
"Why this?"
Dang Yu-wol mixed it with Am Yeom salt, decocted it, and offered it.
"Take a sip."
Puzzled, he did as instructed and took a sip.
"Ugh?!"
In that instant, his vision spun, and his legs went weak.
His dantian's internal energy reacted wildly to the medicinal power.
"Cough!!"
Blood flowed from his nose, and his cough brought up blood.
The woman cried out in shock, but Paeng Ho-san raised a hand to stop her from approaching.
"D-Don't come. You might get poisoned too..."
"Don't worry. This poison doesn't spread that way."
"This... what the...?"
Unable to endure, Paeng Ho-san collapsed to the ground.
Dang Yu-wol swiftly inserted needles, and Paeng Ho-san groaned.
"It's done. It might sting a bit."
After finishing the treatment, Dang Yu-wol lightly sliced the tip of his finger with a knife.
"Gasp..."
In that moment, the black blood from his nose stopped.
Instead, black blood began flowing from his finger.
"Now do you understand?"
"T-This... this is...?"
"What's accumulated in your body is the energy of a precious tonic called Haiyeo Kyunglu."
"Haiyeo Kyunglu...?"
"Long-term use strengthens the body and dantian, deepens the gaze, and improves eyesight."
"......"
"And it causes small black spots to appear on the back."
It was exactly as Dang Yu-wol said.
After starting the precious tonic his clan provided, he had heard his skin toughened and his eyes sharpened.
"Lan-a! Are there spots on my back?!"
"Y-Yes!! Th-There are! Small ones!"
Confirmed by Dang Yu-wol's words, Paeng Ho-san seemed quite shocked.
Lan, who had been looking at him worriedly, cautiously asked.
"You said it's a tonic? Then why is it poison?"
"Poison can be used as medicine, and medicine as poison."
"......"
"It's all about dosage, method, and combinations."
"S-Such..."
"But that doesn't mean there's no countermeasure."
"Really?"
"I'll make a medicine to resist it. Come back in three days."
"W-Wait! What about Lan?! If Lan's poisoned too...!!"
"I'll prepare for the young lady as well."
"But... how did you know? Even the Immortal Physician Sect didn't say I was poisoned."
"I cultivate poison arts, and with poison arts' internal energy, I can sense the toxic energy mixed in the body."
"...Even the Immortal Physician Sect can't match the Sacheon Tang Clan when it comes to poisons?"
"I won't deny it."