Invincible Poison Man (2)
The Invincible Poison Man, Dang Gwanwol, was the unrivaled master and specialist in the realm of poison arts. Learning poison techniques from him would essentially eliminate my fatal weakness—my Achilles' heel, wouldn't it?
But my desire to save him wasn't solely because I coveted his poison skills.
'After purging the world's top ten martial artist and vice leader Dang Gwanwol, the Sichuan Tang Clan stirs up all sorts of trouble.'
The reason was that the current clan head, the Dark Heaven Arhat Dang Wirong—a master of hidden weapons—was an enormous schemer with domineering ambitions. He harbored dreams of dominating Sichuan Province as its overlord. The problem? Sichuan was also home to two sects rivaling the Tang Clan in power.
"Sichuan Province houses the Emei Sect and Qingcheng Sect, both part of the Nine Great Sects."
In the end, the Tang Clan clashes repeatedly with Emei and Qingcheng over dominance in Sichuan, souring relations between the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families.
'How many innocents die or get hurt in the crossfire between those two massive factions?'
For that reason alone, I had to save Dang Gwanwol somehow and bolster a force to check that ambitious bastard Dang Wirong. With Dang Gwanwol alive, Dang Wirong wouldn't run wild, and we could curb the Tang Clan's rampage—which claims countless victims in Seven Falls, Eight Rises: The Invincible Fist King.
"According to the original story, it should be around here..."
I'd been scouring the lower reaches of the Yellow River for days on end. It was starting to feel hopelessly vague on an ordinary day like any other.
"Huh? Wh-what's that?"
Just as the search for Dang Gwanwol grew exhausting and monotonous, I spotted a human figure bobbing far downstream at the river's bend.
'Could it be?'
I dared to hope, but this river often carried corpses, so I held back from getting my hopes up. Still, I caught a glimpse of yellow robes symbolic of the Sichuan Tang Clan, so I dove into the water without hesitation.
Swimming hard, I reached the figure and confirmed it—bingo!
'Found him!'
Floating face-down in a rigid, corpse-like pose, this was unmistakably the Invincible Poison Man, Dang Gwanwol. I knew not from his face—his condition was dire, swollen blue and purple, features unrecognizable.
'It's the Tang Clan's robes!'
Torn and tattered, but the yellow patterns screamed Sichuan Tang Clan. My sharp eyes caught it; an ordinary person would've dismissed it as just another body and passed by.
'Emergency measures first.'
I hauled him to shore and immediately began first aid. No modern medicine here—my medical skills were all I had to rely on. Fear? None. I'd planned and prepared for this moment long before finding him.
Whoosh!
I swiftly drew a gleaming item from my bosom—the Yun Clan Silver Needles, a gift from the Henan Yun Clan alongside the Heavenly Fate Manual of the Yun Clan. This treasure excelled at detecting poisons and proved its worth instantly.
Slither!
Pricking Dang Gwanwol, the needle turned black, confirming his poisoning.
'The Invincible Poison Man boasts immunity to all poisons, but he was struck by hidden weapons on the brink of death and betrayed.'
Paralyzed and invaded by toxin, even his famed immunity couldn't save him. His body was saturated with poison and riddled with grave wounds—he was in critical condition.
Flash-flash-flash!
I relentlessly applied the silver needles, focusing, focusing harder.
'I'll save him, no matter what!'
The life of the world's top poison master—who once commanded the world—hung in my hands, along with the fates of countless others. No room for half-measures.
"Huff... huff!"
Treating him drained me more than unleashing full-power martial arts. It was also a profound reminder of how noble and grand it is to save a life.
'We've crested the hump!'
Thanks to swiftly suppressing the poison with the silver needles and aggressive treatment? Where he'd have washed up as a corpse in the slums, Dang Gwanwol now clung to life. A monumental shift—the grim future was already changing.
Sling!
I hoisted him onto my back and headed straight for an empty house. Couldn't take him to Cheonmu Academy—too many eyes, and Tang Clan affiliates were there. That'd be suicide.
So I'd prepared in advance. Hebei's slums overflowed with abandoned shacks; I'd secured a relatively clean one days ago, prepping a vat of Complete Dragon Tonic Bath. All that remained was reheating it.
Whoosh!
Fearing his spark would flicker out, I frantically stoked the fire under the medicinal tub.
"Hold on just a bit longer, Young Master Dang."
Once he took this tonic bath, he'd not only fully recover but regain all his power as one of the world's top ten martial artists and the supreme poison master.
Bubble-bubble!
I heated the tonic and poured it into his mouth. While waiting for him to swallow,
"Hah!"
I didn't forget to channel my inner energy into his vital points. As a novice physician, my edge over others was my familiarity and vast reserves of inner energy, making energy-based healing a breeze. In other words, my Internal Healing Arts were unmatched.
And one more thing.
Divine Transformation Heart Method!
This supreme art shone in every domain. What if I poured everything into it for internal healing here, with no prying eyes?
Flash!
My hands glowed with the golden light of the Divine Transformation Heart Method, the energy seeping into his vitals. To Dang Gwanwol now, this golden inner energy was a lifeline, synergizing with the tonic bath.
'Open your eyes, Great Hero Dang!'
The Invincible Poison Man, Dang Gwanwol. Contrary to the cold, stoic image of a poison expert, he was profoundly righteous and sentimental.
'Even when his Poison Heaven Hall subordinates betrayed him, he could've easily poisoned them dead.'
Yet he chose to tremble with betrayal and bear it himself. That alone showed how deeply he cherished his men.
"You must live."
You were too great a warrior and man to die pathetically to cowardly hidden weapons. Moreover, you needed to survive, check—and ultimately punish—that current head, Dang Wirong.
'When Dang Gwanwol's body washed up, Dang Wirong slandered him as a treacherous vice head coveting the seat, even in death tarnishing his honor.'
I had to stop the story from following the original plot. Personally leaping in to rewrite Seven Falls, Eight Rises: The Invincible Fist King. That was my mission, the reason I'd transmigrated here.
"Cough! Hack-hack!"
Right then—as sincerity moves heaven, as they say—after my all-out efforts, the Invincible Poison Man's breathing and consciousness returned. Half a day had slipped away in vain.
"He's awake!"
I whooped in joy, but it was too soon to relax. He could slip back into unconsciousness if I let my guard down.
Slither!
I fed him a pre-prepared Recovery Pill—one I'd concocted from premium herbs while brewing the tonic, focused on stamina over inner energy.
"Ugh... uuum."
A groan escaped his lips amid the harsh coughs. A good sign. Soon after.
Flash!
His eyes opened. I propped up his torso, leaning him against the wall.
Our eyes met, and I nearly shouted in glee but held back.
'Can't call him Great Hero Dang here.'
One slip naming him, and he'd suspect how I knew his identity. Better play dumb.
"How's your body feeling?"
His gaze was clear, the swelling and purple hue much faded.
"Wh-where... is this...?"
He forced out a hoarse whisper. His voice alone screamed exhaustion.
"This is a slum in Hebei Province."
I pulled back the hut's curtain demonstratively, revealing the scene.
"What? H-Hebei?!"
At "Hebei," he yelled, forgetting his frailty. No wonder—he operated in Sichuan, worlds away from Hebei.
He'd reached this distant Hebei fleeing for his life, ambushed and trapped en route beyond Sichuan.
'He'd desperately escaped, ultimately hurling himself into the river connected to the Yellow River.'
I saw through his plight but feigned ignorance, asking calmly.
"Yes. I'm a cadet at Cheonmu Academy in Hebei and also a physician who treats the slum poor."
It wasn't entirely a lie—I'd helped those in need while passing through.
"Cheonmu Academy cadet... physician?"
The mismatched titles stunned him anew. He tried rising at "Hebei" again, but it was futile.
Wobble!
Agonizing weight and pain crushed him the instant he stood.
"Argh!"
He collapsed in agony, consciousness fading.
"I don't know who you are... but now's the time to lie down and rest, not stand."
I understood his urge—to bolt out and kill that damned Dang Wirong. But what could he do? Not in this state.
"Rest deeply, then. I'll help you fully recover."
With that, I gently pressed a Sleep Acupoint with the Yun Clan Silver Needle, inducing slumber.
"Uuuuh."
He drifted off with a brief groan. Beaming proudly, I gazed down at him, silently cheering.
'Finally, I saved him!'
In the original, he'd have arrived as a corpse. Reviving him to consciousness? The Invincible Poison Man remake was smoother than ever.