Chapter 82: Fighting the Poison Demon-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 82: Fighting the Poison Demon-1
"Kekeke, stop right there."
It was the moment Sun-woo raised his sword, poised to pierce the neck of the Human-Faced Spider.
A familiar voice from behind him halted his movements.
The voice carried enough internal energy to feel like a significant threat. Judging by the sound, it was undoubtedly the old man who had saved him from the Poison King.
Ah, shit.
Sun-woo cursed under his breath and turned around. He was irritated at being interrupted.
"Gasp!"
As soon as he turned, Sun-woo’s eyes widened in shock. The old man’s appearance had changed drastically since their last encounter.
His face, which had previously looked eccentric but still human, had completely melted away, revealing raw, red flesh. His entire body was covered in similar melted scars.
Most striking of all were his teeth, which were stained pitch-black by poison. He looked every bit as hideous as the Tang Clan Head, whose face had been horribly disfigured by burns.
"Kekeke, why so surprised? If I can kill the Poison King at the cost of these wounds, isn't it a profitable trade?"
Noticing Sun-woo’s gaze, the Poison Demon burst into laughter.
He meant it. The Poison King was a man who had reached the sublime realm of Heart Poison. To kill such a man at the cost of these injuries was indeed a bargain.
Sun-woo’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. This hideous old man had killed the Poison King?
Who exactly was the Poison King?
He was the great hero of the Great War of Righteousness and Demons who had single-handedly annihilated the Black Armored Cavalry—the terror of the Murim twenty years ago. He was the head of the Sichuan Tang Clan, the greatest family in the Central Plains, and an absolute master known as the World's Greatest Poisoner.
Furthermore, he was a man so powerful in the arts of venom that people dared to call him a King.
And this old man had defeated such a monster using poison?
Fear instinctively welled up inside Sun-woo. He had known the old man was formidable, but he never imagined he possessed the strength to kill the Poison King.
"I... I congratulate you on defeating the Poison King."
Sun-woo spoke with forced humility. The old man before him was at least in the Transcendent Realm. He had no desire to make an enemy of such a person. Since the man seemed to be an enemy of the Tang Clan, Sun-woo figured he might be able to gain something if he played his cards right.
"Kekeke, it was nothing."
The Poison Demon was currently in high spirits. Even Sun-woo’s blatant flattery felt good to his ears. He was likely basking in the joy of having defeated the Poison King and solidified his position as the World's Greatest Poisoner.
"But why did you stop my blade, Old Master?" Sun-woo asked, his voice laced with confusion.
He could overlook the sudden appearance, but he couldn't understand why the man had stopped him from killing the Human-Faced Spider. Surely he hadn't felt lust looking at that fragile female form?
"A Human-Faced Spider in human form... we can't just kill it, can we? I intend to dissect it slowly."
Sun-woo felt another surge of doubt. Wasn't he the one who caught it? Why was this third party suddenly barking orders?
"I'm the one who caught the Human-Faced Spider, though?"
"I've saved your life twice now, yet you show no gratitude."
Sun-woo had indeed been saved from the Poison King once. But other than that, they had never met. Twice? What did he mean by that? Had the man saved him from some unknown danger without him realizing it?
"Wasn't it only once?"
"Kekeke, am I not letting you live right now despite your talking back? That makes it twice. Or is it three times now?"
The Poison Demon gave Sun-woo a deep, unsettling smile.
This son of a bitch.
Sun-woo cursed inwardly. It was pure nonsense. The old man was simply using a roundabout way to say he’d kill Sun-woo if he didn't hand it over immediately.
Sun-woo’s expression soured. Of course, a Human-Faced Spider was an incomparable treasure to masters of Poison Arts. Even so, seeing the man steal it so brazenly felt incredibly petty. He had felt quite favorable toward the old man when he saved him from the Poison King, but that favor had now turned into resentment.
This sucks.
Sun-woo’s mind began to race. No matter how strong the man was, it felt like a waste to just hand over the Human-Faced Spider. Why should he give up something he had risked his life to obtain?
He began to slowly observe the man, measuring his aura. He was wondering if he could win if they fought.
Looking at the man's condition, he seemed to have taken considerable damage during his fight with the Poison King. In contrast, Sun-woo only had a few holes in his body and was low on internal energy and stamina; he didn't have any other major injuries.
It was then.
"Do you have a problem?"
Perhaps sensing Sun-woo’s gaze, the Poison Demon spoke as his aura began to flare. A heavy pressure started to weigh down on Sun-woo’s body. The aura alone was enough to tell him that the man was significantly stronger than him.
Shit.
Sun-woo cursed. This was a signal that the man would use force if necessary.
Should I just flip the table?
Sun-woo fell into a dilemma. He had now reached the Transcendent Realm himself. The thought that the man might not be an insurmountable wall began to creep into his mind.
"Oh, heavens no. What problem could I have? Please, take it."
Sun-woo bowed his head toward the Poison Demon. Although he had reached the Transcendent Realm, he hadn't even had time to properly consolidate his enlightenment. Fighting a monstrous old freak who had long since mastered the Transcendent Realm in this state would surely be a losing battle.
"Good, good. There's no reason for you to have a problem with what this old man says."
The Poison Demon nodded, seemingly satisfied with Sun-woo’s answer. He had been prepared to kill him if necessary, but he was glad the boy knew how to listen to reason. It would have been heartbreaking to kill someone who had piqued his interest for the first time in a long while.
"By the way, may I ask who you are?"
Sun-woo asked for the Poison Demon's identity. Even if the Human-Faced Spider was gone, he needed to know who this old man was. He had to know his identity to either use him or cooperate with him.
"This old man is the Sect Leader of the Five Poison Sect and an Elder of the Demonic Cult, the Poison Demon."
"Ah..."
Sun-woo was momentarily speechless. He had suspected the man was extraordinary ever since he saw him emitting an immense poisonous aura while confronting the Poison King, but he never imagined it would be the Poison Demon, who had vanished twenty years ago.
If he was the Poison Demon, his actions made perfect sense. The fact that he could emit an aura equal to the Poison King's, his grudge against the man who had annihilated the Demonic Cult's Black Armored Cavalry, and his persistence in killing the Poison King even while suffering injuries that melted his entire body—it all clicked.
Only the man once called the World's Greatest Poisoner could have achieved such feats.
Shit, I almost died.
Sun-woo quickly praised himself for his humble submission. If the man before him was the Poison Demon, he wouldn't have stood a chance, even having reached the Transcendent Realm. This was a man who had entered that realm over twenty years ago. His experience and mastery were on a completely different level. No matter how badly injured the man was, Sun-woo had no desire to act reckless against such a dangerous opponent.
"But why are you here?" Sun-woo asked.
According to the novel's setting, the Poison Demon was supposed to have vanished twenty years ago after the Heavenly Demon was defeated by Lee Jae-won. It seemed like a MacGuffin the author had left for a side story but then forgot about when the novel ended.
So why was such a MacGuffin suddenly appearing at the Tang Clan? And during the succession contest, no less?
"For revenge and a declaration."
"I'm sorry? What do you mean?" Sun-woo asked, puzzled.
Revenge for the annihilation of the Black Armored Cavalry, one of the Demonic Cult's main forces, made sense—but what did he mean by a declaration?
"Revenge for the destruction of the Black Armored Cavalry, and a declaration announcing the revival of the Heavenly Demon!"
The Poison Demon spoke with immense joy.
"..."
Sun-woo was at a loss for words. He was too shocked to speak. Why was the Heavenly Demon suddenly being brought up?
The Heavenly Demon was the final boss of High School Senior Goes to Murim. He was a monster among monsters, so powerful that he had never lost a single battle until his defeat at the hands of Lee Jae-won, who was heavily buffed by plot armor. Even Lee Jae-won had only managed to repel him through a series of miraculous strokes of luck.
Sun-woo’s expression turned grave. If the Heavenly Demon had truly been revived, this was a serious problem.
According to the setting, his goal was to destroy the current Murim and create a new one to rule over. In short, he intended to kill every martial artist currently alive. The revival of such a dangerous being filled Sun-woo with dread.
"Now, it's your turn."
Unaware of Sun-woo’s deep concern, the Poison Demon spoke nonchalantly.
"Pardon?"
"Tell me why you've disguised yourself as a legitimate son of the Tang Clan."
"Ah!"
Sun-woo snapped back to reality. Come to think of it, he wasn't in a position to be worrying about the Heavenly Demon's revival.
"I infiltrated the clan because I needed the Poison Essence," Sun-woo answered truthfully.
Heavenly Demon or not, what he needed right now was the Poison Essence. He had come here specifically to save Ok-ryeong. Any other worries were a luxury.
After speaking, Sun-woo began to gauge the Poison Demon's reaction. The Poison Demon likely intended to turn the Tang Clan upside down. Naturally, he would claim the Tang Clan's treasures for himself, and those treasures would include the Poison Essence.
That was why Sun-woo had cast his line. If the Poison Demon was greedy for the Poison Essence as well, they could not coexist. They would immediately become enemies.
Sun-woo lowered his hand and brushed his thigh. If the Poison Demon said he couldn't give him the Poison Essence, Sun-woo was prepared to draw his sword and strike immediately.
"Kekekeke, you've got guts, boy. To think you'd make an enemy of the Tang Clan for a mere Poison Essence."
Unaware of Sun-woo’s internal resolve, the Poison Demon let out a boisterous laugh and looked at him with a favorable gaze.
Whew.
Sun-woo breathed a silent sigh of relief. It seemed the man wasn't interested in the Tang Clan's Poison Essence, even if he wanted the Human-Faced Spider.
"Then, can you give the Poison Essence to me?" Sun-woo asked immediately.
He needed a firm commitment. It would be disastrous if the man agreed now only to change his mind later.
"Kekeke, at least you have basic manners, asking for my permission."
The Poison Demon seemed pleased that Sun-woo had asked. If Sun-woo had claimed the Poison Essence as his own, the old man would have killed him on the spot. Fortunately, it seemed he wouldn't have to use his hands.
"Fine, I shall give it to you. But there is a condition."
The Poison Demon granted permission readily, though it came with a catch.
"A condition? What is it?" Sun-woo asked warily.
"You, boy. Join the Demonic Cult."
Shit.
Sun-woo cursed inwardly. He knew things were going too smoothly. Nothing in life was ever easy. What was this sudden talk about joining the Demonic Cult?
"A mere nobody like me in the Demonic Cult? That is far too much honor for me to accept."
Sun-woo tried to deflect. It might have just been a passing comment.
"Then there is no Poison Essence for you, kekeke."
The Poison Demon continued with his eerie laughter.
Damn old man.
Sun-woo cursed again. It seemed it wasn't just a passing comment.
"Now, decide. What will it be?" the Poison Demon asked.
"I will join."
Sun-woo chose to join without hesitation. He didn't really have a choice. If he refused, he would either die at the Poison Demon's hands or, even if he survived, the Poison Essence would be out of his reach.
Besides, didn't he have the Zhu-Rong Art, a legendary cheat-like martial art? Once he got the Poison Essence, he could just find an opportunity to slip away. Who would recognize him once he changed his appearance?
"Kekeke, a wise choice."
Satisfied with Sun-woo’s answer, the Poison Demon smiled.
"Then let us go and annihilate the Tang Clan first. We must wipe out every last member of their bloodline."
"Pardon?" Sun-woo asked blankly.
"Ah, and don't forget to bring the Human-Faced Spider. Since it's in human form, it should be easy to carry."
The Poison Demon spoke with excitement, but Sun-woo’s face remained frozen in shock.
Wipe out every last member of the Tang Clan?
Then what would happen to Tang Seo-yoon and Madam Un Ga-ryeo?
"Could I... perhaps have two of the women for myself? There are a couple I've had my eye on, hehe."
Sun-woo spoke up urgently. He prayed and prayed in his heart. Please let him agree. Please.
"Did you not hear me? I said I would wipe out their bloodline. From their in-laws to their distant cousins, everyone dies. No exceptions."
The Poison Demon firmly rejected Sun-woo’s request. From the perspective of a man consumed by a grudge against the Tang Clan, it was a natural response, but for Sun-woo, it was a disaster.
Cold sweat began to pour down Sun-woo’s back. He couldn't let them die. Tang Seo-yoon was the only true friend he had made since falling into this world, and Madam Un Ga-ryeo was a woman he felt responsible for.
How could he let them be killed?
But if he didn't follow the Poison Demon, he wouldn't get the Poison Essence, and Ok-ryeong would die.
He couldn't let that happen either.
He had reached a crossroads, and Sun-woo had to choose. A choice he wouldn't regret, no matter what it was.
Sun-woo fell into deep thought.