I Became the Protagonist Who Monopolizes Fortuitous Encounters in a Martial Arts Novel Chapter 43: Invincible Poison Man (1)
The special invited instructor, Black Hawk Claw Wang Pil, had left Cheonmu Academy on some personal pretext. The instructors and higher-ups kept it hushed up, but us upper-class cadets knew exactly why he'd bolted.
Soon after, rumors spread like wildfire through Hebei's martial world: peak expert Wang Pil had been utterly crushed by some no-name cadet. Pathetic, really.
For now, my martial arts were solid enough.
Even after smashing Wang Pil, my skills had skyrocketed, putting me right on the cusp of the superhuman realm. But to leap to the next level, I'd need advanced techniques—something I couldn't grind out through effort alone.
So what to do with my spare time?
"Time to focus on honing my medical skills."
Ever since visiting the Henan Yun Family and receiving the Yun Family Heavenly Prescriptions from the world's greatest physician, Yun Yeop, I'd been hooked on medicine.
And there was a damn good reason I had to level it up.
I need to save that guy drifting through Hebei Province's slums.
As someone who knew every major plot point of Seven Falls, Eight Rises: The Invincible Fist King, I was well aware that once winter hit, a body would turn up in those slums, sparking a massive uproar.
In the original story, no one could prevent his death. But with me stepping in, maybe things could change.
To save him, I had to sharpen my still-lacking medical prowess.
"Any good ideas?"
There were a few ways to build medical skills. The obvious first was treating tons of patients. Yun Yeop had told me: a healer's skill grows with every patient who dies under their hands.
Nothing beat real-world practice.
But that's way too risky.
So I went with option two. Treating patients with acupuncture wasn't the only path. There was another way: getting hands-on with top-quality herbs—seeing them, tasting them, brewing decoctions, experiencing their effects firsthand.
It might be slower than dealing with live patients, but it was safer.
Still, this has issues too.
I was just a cadet. Who'd let me raid their herb stores freely? And skipping upper-class lessons to trek back to the distant Henan Yun Family? No chance. I was stumped—until it hit me.
"Maybe... this could actually work!"
A grin spread across my face. I bolted straight for Cheonmu Academy's pharmacy.
* * *
"What did you just say? Are you out of your mind?"
Yeong Ryeong, the stunning manager overseeing incoming herbs at Cheonmu Academy's pharmacy, snorted in disbelief.
"Hmm? Didn't hear me? I want to use mid-to-high-grade herbs like Guryu Root, Guryu Seed, and ten-year-old He Shou Wu to practice brewing decoctions."
I flashed a sly smile at the pretty Yeong Ryeong.
This woman secretly admired the protagonist Cheon Myeong in the original Seven Falls, Eight Rises.
She'd been heartbroken when he got kicked out, the first woman to fall for him. And conveniently, she ran the pharmacy—perfect for scoring herb access through her connections.
"Ha! You ignored my dinner invite last time... and now you waltz in with this outrageous request?"
Yeong Ryeong's cheeks flushed apple-red with indignation, her excitement bubbling over.
In the original, protagonist Cheon Myeong was a total blockhead with women—oblivious to the core. There was even this scene:
—"Your legs must ache from servant work. Don't overdo it. As pharmacy manager, I can give you nourishing herbs and decoctions. Come find me anytime."
Yeong Ryeong was elegant but picky and past prime marrying age, yet she'd fallen hard for handsome Cheon Myeong at first sight. Even with her bold advances, he was too dense and busy to notice, brushing her off casually every time.
No wonder she's baffled by my request now.
But I had no choice. She was my only shot.
"Couldn't be helped. To shed my servant status and become a man worthy of you, Yeong Ryeong... I had to devote myself entirely to martial arts."
The pharmacy manager surely knew my recent hot streak. And as a former deep admirer, she'd be hanging on every tale of my exploits.
"Huh? R-Really?"
Predictably, Yeong Ryeong—sheltered her whole life amid herbs, clueless about the world—bit immediately.
Plus one more thing.
Current me had shed my mortal husk and ditched servant rags, looking even more dashing.
If she liked me grimy as a servant, she'd be even more smitten now. Time to play every card I had.
I grinned brighter than ever, locking eyes with her big, adorable ones.
"Absolutely. Haven't heard the rumors? Skipped meals, poured my soul into training—and barely clawed my way here. Finally got a proper status."
Bam! Our gazes met, and her whole face lit up.
Last time it was annoyance-fueled heat. This time? Different. Her crush smiling dazzlingly, far handsomer than before—she was shaken.
"Truth is, the herbs are an excuse... I just want to get closer to you, Yeong Ryeong."
I gently took her hands. She jolted, her pulse racing under my grip.
Then came the green light.
"Ahem. What herbs did you need again, Cadet Cheon Myeong?"
After that, it was smooth sailing.
* * *
"Feels a bit unfair, doesn't it?"
Thanks to Yeong Ryeong's generosity, I had free rein over mid-to-high-grade herbs—and even a dedicated brewing space stocked with cauldrons.
Back in the real world, my charm was meh. But in this upgraded-body Seven Falls, Eight Rises world? Totally different.
Never knew women could be this nice.
Smitten Yeong Ryeong went beyond kind, granting me these perks. Felt a tad guilty.
But no time to be picky.
"Gotta boost my medical skills and brew the Complete Dragon Tonifying Yang Decoction."
The guy I needed to heal suited decoctions over acupuncture, and curing him required the Henan Yun Family's secret brew to purge harmful energies and flood his body with vitality.
With my current skill, it's a stretch.
But grinding a month straight in this spot? Possible.
All conditions met for medical growth—now just grind, grind, grind.
Days: upper-class classes. Nights: here, messing with herbs, mixing, reveling in it.
The hands-on experience was huge for a novice like me. About a month later!
"Got it!"
After endless toil, I nailed the Complete Dragon Tonifying Yang Decoction.
It was a month on paper, but pure effort and herbs? Easily a year for an average healer.
"That reddish-brown hue, the sharp, bitter tang like poison!"
The crystalline glow was unmistakable. I even tested it myself—no doubt.
Now, just find the guy.
With the decoction done, next: locate the patient. I raced to Hebei's slums.
Frankly, needle in a haystack. The slums sprawled endlessly—without foreknowledge, years wouldn't cut it.
Still, I persisted doggedly.
Per the original, he floats down this river—the lifeline of Hebei slums.
He'd drift along the Hahe River piercing Hebei, washing into the slums by chance.
And he wasn't ordinary. That's why I poured my heart into this.
"The man I'm reviving is none other than one of the Ten Great Warriors of the world, Sacheon Dang Family's deputy leader—the Invincible Poison Man, Dang Gwanwol."
To resurrect Dang Gwanwol, famed for the world's deadliest poisons and one of the Ten Great Warriors.
In the original, he was ousted unjustly from deputy leadership, then found dead in Hebei slums, causing chaos.
Dang Gwanwol fell victim to internal Sacheon Dang Family strife.
The family's famed for two things: poisons and hidden weapons. Dang Gwanwol led the Poison Heaven Faction and was deputy leader, but clashed with the Hidden Heaven Faction under the family head—and got purged.
Ambushed at home, what a raw deal.
Without that lapse, the Invincible Poison Man wouldn't have fallen. Among Entry to Divinity experts in the Ten Great Warriors, he ranked top-tier.
No matter how strong, a home ambush was inescapable.
Especially with betrayal from his trusted Poison Heaven Faction underlings. The flying eagle crumbled helplessly, fleeing desperately till the end.
Cornered by relentless pursuit, he plunged off a cliff.
"A river ran below that cliff—and it connects to this Hahe River."
That's why I staked out this downstream spot.
It sucked now, but no complaints. Reviving Dang Gwanwol and earning a poison art lesson in return? Massive growth.
And more.
Right now, poisons could kill me dead.
Sure, Great Power Iron Hardening Skill offered absolute defense, but against an Invincible Poison Man-level expert? Different story.
Master both, learn his poisons... then?
"Impervious to Ten Thousand Poisons wouldn't be an overstatement."