130 Avoid Poison Jade
“Vicious. Truly vicious.”
Dok Ma muttered as he pulled something from a silk pouch.
“Even so, this seems a bit much.”
Inside the pouch was a transparent gem shaped like a hexagonal prism, emitting a faint pinkish glow.
“Do you really know what this is?”
Avoid Poison Jade. A jade that can neutralize even the infamous Seven Treasures Soul-Scattering Powder, and block some sorcerous poisons as well.”
“……So you do know. Then you must realize how precious it is.”
“It's why you beat the Poison King, right?”
“And yet you're still taking it?”
“The mission leader can requisition supplies needed by his companions. It's the cult's law.”
“That damn cult law!”
“It's just a loan for this trip through the jianghu. If you don't like it, take it back.”
Dok Ma sighed and flexed his hand open and closed repeatedly. Finally, he placed his hand over mine.
“You must return it after this jianghu trip ends.”
“I swear it on the honor of Sado Ga.”
“In that case, I feel a little better.”
I withdrew my hand. The Avoid Poison Jade was now in my grasp.
Most jades were round orbs, but some, like this one, had unique shapes.
And the Avoid Poison Jade doesn't need to be absorbed—just carrying it provides detoxification.
Of course, it wasn't that it couldn't be absorbed; it was more that it couldn't.
Like most treasures, the Avoid Poison Jade defied the world's principles, making its exact mechanism unknowable.
But it was passed down that everyone who'd tried absorbing it had lost all their accumulated inner energy.
As long as I don't absorb it, I'm good.
Watching this, Dok Ma smacked his lips bitterly.
“You're a perfect Heavenly Demon Cult member on the outside, but your core is pure jianghu wanderer.”
“I'll take that as a compliment.”
“It's an insult.”
I tucked the jade into my bosom and said to Dok Ma,
“I need one more thing.”
“……Young Master Sado. Aren't you pushing it? The Avoid Poison Jade more than covers the cost.”
Dok Ma twisted his lips.
“Do you think you can get cocky just because you have the Avoid Poison Jade? Even it has limits.”
Dok Ma's sleeve fluttered. When a poison expert's sleeve billows like that, it's time to tense up more than ever.
“When the Avoid Poison Jade turns semi-transparent and then fully opaque, it can no longer detoxify.”
Sure enough, the jade in my bosom began to vibrate faintly.
“Did you know that someone at my level or the Poison King's could overwhelm it in just ten breaths?”
But I kept my gaze steady on Dok Ma without flinching.
“Seems a few recent wins against young punks have bloated your confidence. You dare walk into a poison master's home without precautions?”
The jade's vibrations grew stronger.
“Want to test it for real?”
That was enough.
“I was going to propose a deal that benefits you.”
At the word “deal,” Dok Ma's eyes changed.
He was the Heavenly Demon Cult member most accustomed to jianghu ways, after all.
“What kind?”
“On this jianghu trip, I won't restrict your actions at all. No reports needed. Do whatever you want.”
“Y-You're serious?”
“But.”
Dok Ma swallowed hard, waiting for my next words.
For cult members, “missions” and “reports” were sacred.
Just like how branch chief Kwak Jin in Taeryeong County had warned me about activities outside my mission.
In the cult's current isolationist policy, leaving for the jianghu was only allowed for missions. Freedom from that was a golden opportunity for Dok Ma.
“But from the jianghu onward, treat me like a stranger.”
“A stranger?”
“We might even have to fight each other.”
“What the hell are you scheming?”
Dok Ma stuck out his tongue in disbelief.
“Fine. I'll do it. It's what I wanted anyway.”
“Good. Departure at dawn tomorrow, just past the hour of the tiger.”
Dok Ma nodded.
Yokai.
As I left Dok Ma's estate, Pa Cheon spoke to me.
To break my habit of looking at Pa Cheon when speaking, I fixed my gaze ahead and replied inwardly.
What?
How did you know Dok Ma had an Avoid Poison Jade?
Transmigrator privilege.
I have no idea what that means. There are only two in the Heavenly Demon's secret vault, yet they keep popping up like this. This is your fourth jade already.
Flicker Jade, Flame Fire Jade, Time Wheel Jade—and now Avoid Poison Jade.
It was all because of that damn power inflation.
Rare items in the early game started popping up everywhere as the story progressed.
Later on, someone even made their pet pig wear a pearl necklace like a jade collar.
Your little tricks never cease to amaze Pa Cheon.
I need it.
My enemies on this jianghu trip: the fake Yakseon's descendants and Dang Si Yul's faction from the Tang Clan of Sichuan.
All poison users. I needed solid protection against poison.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Art's energy will drive out the poison anyway.
It might, but I could get hurt or die from the symptoms before it's expelled.
True enough.
Getting burned and then extinguishing the flames doesn't prevent scars. Same with poison—detoxifying doesn't mean no aftereffects.
Of course, the Heavenly Demon Divine Art's recovery would heal me fast, but avoiding injury altogether was priority one.
Back home, I headed straight to the family head's training hall, ordering no one—not even Sa Wol—admitted.
I took out the Avoid Poison Jade.
Dok Ma lived up to his name.
About a third from the tip was already semi-transparent.
And that was just from his casual killing intent, without any real techniques.
Facing a poison master like Dok Ma and lasting ten breaths is impressive in itself.
Super Peak experts imprint their will on the world. A poison one? They could create unprecedented toxins nearly impossible to detoxify except by themselves.
“The Avoid Poison Jade recovers in two ways: wait for natural restoration over time, or release all absorbed poison at once.”
Yokai, did you provoke him on purpose?
“Exactly. The only way to get Super Peak-level poison. Probably instant death even for Peak experts.”
Dok Ma was prickly and hated losing his stuff.
When I openly provoked him, that poison he released couldn't have been ordinary.
You're insane.
“You think only martial artists risk their lives on blade edges? Transmigrators too.”
To survive this mad world, I needed mad ideas.
That was my enlightenment.
“Dang Si Hyeok thinks I'm Yakseon's descendant and a Super Peak expert. I've bluffed before, but this time I might need to act.”
The real Yakseon's heirs descend. But there's a problem.
Pa Cheon continued.
Just expelling poison won't let you pass as a poison expert—wait.
I grinned and drew the Black Rain Needle I always carried like a talisman.
“Item power. Why else keep a good toy like this?”
The Black Rain Needle lets you poison without training in poison arts. Heh.
The Black Rain Needle hadn't seen much use since returning to the cult.
The cult was a den of monsters, and I lacked ways to replenish effective poisons.
Ask Dok Ma for specific poisons? That'd be like spilling my plans. I could excuse mountain exhaustion poison for self-training, but others had obvious uses.
Anyone else would be the same.
But out in the jianghu, I was free of those constraints.
I could even restock via Dang Si Hyeok if needed.
It was proof I was Yakseon's heir anyway—might as well flaunt it.
Your wits are Super Peak level, at least.
“A compliment?”
What else can Pa Cheon say?
“You sure know how to talk pretty.”
Hmph. True warriors don't rely on external trinkets.
“Yes, yes. You're above it all.”
Pa Cheon was right, of course.
Treasures could be lost.
Especially later, when a famous thief shows up.
‘The lunatic who finds the cult, tries to steal treasures, and gets caught.’
Not active yet, but better safe.
The next half-day brought more visitors.
Word of my third mission must've spread—Hyeok Mun came by.
He gave me a fang the size of my finger, saying, “Protect the jade body.”
Red Dragon bone. I could tap Red Dragon energy in emergencies.
Kwak Jeong came too, sobbing as he handed over a bulging bundle: “Be careful on the long journey!”
“I'll reach Peak and go with Master next time!”
First-rate couldn't enter the jianghu, so Kwak Jeong clenched his fist.
He might hit Peak by my return.
Cheol Mu Geuk grumbled but packed gear for Sa Wol and Tak Horak. “Bring back fine liquor the jianghu folk love.”
……They'd adapted well. This send-off proved it.
The next dawn, I left the cult with my group.
Sa Wol, Tak Horak, Dok Ma, and Mu Geuk-i on my shoulder.
I'd planned on Song Yang Geon, but too risky.
Even with friendly forces, without me and Sa Wol, the family would lack experts.
Song Yang Geon was too flashy anyway. I assigned him to train Sado Ga forces.
Luckily, he wasn't curious about the outside.
Mu Geuk-i instead.
“See you on return. Leave word via branches.”
Dok Ma vanished at Baekhoe River.
“Mu Geuk.”
Piiiik!
Mu Geuk-i grew huge—room for all of us.
Too late for a carriage now.
A Super Peak on urgent mission couldn't leisurely carriage it.
“Let's go. Target: Gansu Province.”
Mu Geuk-i beat its wings powerfully.
.
.
.
A full day later.
“B-Brother!?”
I met Dang Si Hyeok again.
Pretending to Be the Heavenly Demon