Chapter 130
Chapter 130
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 130
Chapter Title: Poison Gong! Poison Gong! Poison Gong! (2)
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Upon hearing that the Hundred Poison Pills were complete, I immediately sought permission from Division Leader Myeong Tae-seong.
"Division Leader. If there's no role for me in today's training, may I step out for a bit to handle some business?"
At my words,
Myeong Tae-seong made it clear that his instruction to sit out today's training didn't mean I was completely off the hook. He added a note of caution.
"Watching is learning too, but you have a deep understanding of the Chae Jak Formation, so if you have urgent business, go ahead. Just know that when I said to sit it out, I didn't mean vanish entirely. We're trying this just for today, but we'll test adaptations for various scenarios later."
"Yes. I understand. That's why I specified 'today's training'."
Once he confirmed I fully grasped his intent, he readily nodded and offered congratulations.
"Very well then. From what I overheard, your pill refinement research succeeded? Congratulations. Impressive work."
"Not at all."
"No need to downplay it. I came from Blue Bamboo Pavilion myself, but back in our day, we didn't even have secret spirit pills, let alone cheap dorm-branded remedies. Achieving this without any inheritance from seniors is remarkable."
But this congratulations wasn't just for me.
I had funded the Blood Water Ten Thousand Poison Brew, provided the lab and equipment, spirit herbs, and kept urging them not to slack off—offering support in every way I could.
However, the recipients being Brother So Cheon or that Ha Seong guy wouldn't have yielded the same result.
'It's because it was Dang Ok-gi.'
So, I subtly shifted aside to direct Myeong Tae-seong's gaze to Dang Ok-gi behind me and credited him directly.
"I just provided the lab. I didn't do much."
"Is that so? I've never heard of a first-year succeeding in pill research, so I thought your involvement made it happen."
"Yes. I only helped materially. From start to finish, it was basically all Dang Ok-gi here. Elder Apothecary lent a hand too."
"I see. Truly impressive, Cadet Dang Ok-gi. I've heard early on that the children of Great Hero Dang Ho-tae, the Poison Sage, are all exceptional, but becoming connected and witnessing it firsthand... My sincere congratulations."
In the onslaught of praise, Dang Ok-gi flushed red and offered a fist salute to Myeong Tae-seong, stammering as he spoke.
"...Uh. Um. It's not full pill refinement research. I just tweaked an existing recipe with different ingredients and reduced the potency?"
"That's what's impressive. You couldn't have used pricier materials, so you essentially devised a mass-production method."
"...Ri. Right. Anyway, Cadet Eon Yong-un says I did it alone, but that's not true at all. There was support and encouragement from Cadet Jin Kyung-ryong, Cadet Yin Ha-yeon, and our Blue Bamboo Pavilion friends. Elder Apothecary helped a lot too. And those opportunities came because Cadet Eon Yong-un believed in me and supported me."
"Hahaha. It's heartwarming to see you all humbly passing the credit."
Myeong Tae-seong chuckled heartily at Dang Ok-gi's words for a moment.
But then he tilted his head, noticing something odd.
"...Hm? I didn't realize when we met at the Murim Alliance or on the journey since you wore the Righteous Martial Academy's white uniform. That orchid emblem on your black uniform... Are you from Fragrant Orchid Pavilion, Cadet Dang Ok-gi...?"
Leaving Division Leader Myeong Tae-seong behind as he stroked his chin, muttering about 'Fragrant Orchid cadets in our Blue Bamboo Pavilion?' and 'Before that, why pill research in Blue Bamboo Pavilion?',
Dang Ok-gi and I headed to the lab.
Still flushed from the earlier scene, Dang Ok-gi grumbled at me as we walked.
"Just do it your way! Why stir things up?! You embarrassed me in front of Division Leader Myeong!"
"...? I always praise what's good and call out what's not. I get mad sometimes if someone capable slacks off."
"Sometimes?"
- Sometimes?
What.
What do you mean.
"So what should I have said if I'd done it my way?"
"...I, I don't know!"
"Silly. Anyway, good job on the statement. Calling Blue Bamboo Pavilion folks 'friends' was especially touching. Can't wait to check the test results and share the news with the other 'friends' once training ends."
"Kyaaah!!"
"Ha. Now I can't even tease you that aside from Miss Jeon Gal, your only friend is me. With so many friends now. Oh. What a shame."
"I'm really gonna kill you...."
Bickering with Dang Ok-gi like that, we soon arrived at the lab.
Dang Ok-gi unlocked the sturdy iron safe I'd equipped—sized just right after investing decent coin upon setting up the lab—and reverently pulled out a rectangular wooden box, handing it to me.
I opened it immediately.
Click-
Inside the wooden box, on cushioned padding, lay small pills—one-tenth the size of the Thousand Poison Pill I'd swallowed—arranged at precise intervals. They gleamed ethereally.
'This brilliance...'
The Hundred Poison Pills.
Of course, I didn't just stare.
I quickly counted them.
"Two-four-six-eight-ten rows. Total of ten?"
"Made twelve, but one got soaked in the reagent Elder Apothecary suggested for testing, so unusable. Pulled another just in case."
Unlike before Myeong Tae-seong, Dang Ok-gi recited almost verbatim what he'd said in the original story upon succeeding with the Hundred Poison Pills.
His words confirmed deep down that the research had succeeded perfectly.
But he seemed uncertain, furrowing his brows as he asked me.
"...But you're planning to give these to the kids, right?"
"Obviously."
"Is that okay?"
I understood his concern.
The Thousand Poison Pill was the history of the Sichuan Tang Family itself.
He'd freaked out over side effects when I swallowed one.
'With Dang Ok-gi of all people calling his Blue Bamboo Pavilion peers "friends"—his bonds really are that deep.'
These were his own creations, like children, and though Elder Apothecary advised, it was natural for him to worry.
And sure enough,
That's exactly what came from Dang Ok-gi's mouth.
"Like I said when you took the Thousand Poison Pill, this isn't something you just swallow. Honestly, no one but me has been exposed to trace poisons since childhood. For others, using poison like medicine on the already poisoned..."
I cut him off with a chuckle before he finished.
"Neutralize it with spirit pills."
Dang Ok-gi paused, thinking, then clapped sharply.
"Ah? Right, you gathered more spirit pills meanwhile? The Clarity Restoration Pill from Elder Apothecary, the Crimson Plum Pill for top cadet in the spring tournament? And the Hwangbo family's from the herb market last time..."
"Heavenly King Five Elements Pill. But I took the Clarity Restoration Pill at the Murim Alliance. Got two left: Heavenly King Five Elements and Crimson Plum. Here, take them."
"Y-You're giving those away? The great Eon Yong-un who only bought one each even for the Tang family?"
"...That was really because I worried you'd hate the taste? But thinking about it, you're the one who's fleeced my wallet most among my circle. You treat me most like a cash cow. Wanna see what a real one looks like?"
"No! Don't! I was just shocked and misspoke. What I meant was... those are spirit pills?! You okay giving away something so precious?!"
Well, his reaction was understandable.
The Righteous Martial Academy, backed by the entire orthodox martial world, is why spirit pills flow freely here.
Step even slightly beyond Sword River Valley, and they're rare.
'Not just rare—most wanderers search lifetimes without finding any, ending nameless.'
Hence the joke that even parents and children don't yield spirit pills or fortunes to each other. Dang Ok-gi's surprise was natural.
But I had no reason to hold back.
'Took Elder Apothecary's Clarity Restoration Pill, so my body's in cooldown again—no immediate effect if I ate now.'
Considering the Unsealing Room incident and this assassin attack, demonic cultists seemed poised to raise heads earlier than in the original.
Time to invest in Eon siblings and protagonist generation peers.
'Need growth from those who shone in the original, whom I trust.'
I'd verified the blueprint recently.
'Auto-hunt packs a punch.'
Besides, rare fortunes to others were different for me.
'Got the Bear Bile Pill entrusted too.'
From aiding Peng So-jin's aptitude discovery, the Northern Peng Bear Bile Pills, and events in my head yielding spirit pills or fortunes.
No need to hoard Crimson Plum and Heavenly King Five Elements Pills.
'Skimping here could turn to shit later.'
Thus, I dismissed Dang Ok-gi's doubt.
"Don't make a fuss over nothing."
At my words, Dang Ok-gi smirked incredulously, shaking his head.
"...You're so weird. Stingy on small stuff, but big-picture generous."
He began gauging the spirit pill dosage needed to neutralize the Hundred Poison Pills.
"...Hm. Neutralizing Thousand Poison Pill takes three thirty-year spirit pills. Hundred Poison is one-tenth potency, so split two accordingly? But Heavenly King Five Elements has only twenty-year potency... Your two won't cover ten people?"
"Yeah. So poison them first."
"Huh? What?"
We lacked enough spirit pills to administer Hundred Poison Pills like I did the Thousand Poison Pill.
But it was worth trying.
'Adapt the method of using poison like medicine on the already poisoned.'
Feed poison first to induce intoxication, then Hundred Poison Pill.
'If Hundred Poison Pill alone works, done.'
If side effects emerge or it fails to suppress properly?
'Then feed split spirit pills to suppress.'
This maximizes our limited spirit pills.
"Efficient, sure. B-But is it safe?"
"If it's safety, you've got it covered, and we'll report to the academy anyway—Health Office supervisor prof will oversee. Poison's the smoke bomb you used en route to Murim Alliance."
"Mara Hocho Bomb?"
Mara Hocho Bombs combined irritant toxins from spicy-scented fruits with paralytics.
'Like training tear gas or CS gas in modern terms.'
Unused on journey to avoid blowback.
Not lethal to sturdy martial artists.
So, at my poison-first plan, initially flustered Dang Ok-gi nodded upon hearing details.
But he raised one question.
"Key issue: the kids have to agree. Will they?"
Why worry about that?
"...? If I say do it, they will."
Eon siblings said they'd follow even to Dosan Sword Forest less than a month ago.
Protagonist-gen from other dorms—like Jeon Gal Seol-ji with her wish as collateral, or tied by weaknesses/interests—would come if called.
That's why I said it.
At that moment, my master's and Dang Ok-gi's minds synced despite communication failure.
- ...Pitiful.
"...Pitiful."
Well, anyway.
Thus, the Hundred Poison Pill dosing plan was formed.
I pushed it swiftly.
Converted a sub-building annex into a dosing room.
Secured consents starting from Eon siblings: Jeon Gal Seol-ji, Namgung Yun, Peng So-cheon, Eon Yong-myeong, Cheon Jang-ho, etc.
Bundled consents, Elder Apothecary's opinion, research summary into docs and submitted to academy—approval complete.
Flawless submission got quick okay; dosing date set with supervisor professor.
Thus arrived dosing day.
Dosing in groups of three.
First into the room: Woo So-rung, Jeong Hyeon, Namgung Yun.
"...Uh. Brother Jeong Hyeon, did you see the picture on the dosing room door?"
"Yes, Brother Woo So. Yellow paint with a skull slapped on."
"What does it mean?"
"No idea. Why Young Master Eon carved such a eerie symbol, and 'Transformation Release' above it baffles me."
"...Hey, Blue Bamboo. That's not the point now. Why's that hateful Eon Yong-un wearing that red hat again?"
As the three muttered, I spoke in a dry tone.
"Welcome, gentlemen."