Chapter 113
Chapter 113
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 113
Chapter Title: A Feast of Deadly Poisons
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"Just to remind you again: safety first, safety second, and safety third. You're all precious assets of the Murim Alliance, after all. Haha. We've already mapped out the route in advance, so please be careful not to stray from the path."
Tang Ho-yeon then took the first steps toward the building.
Wang Qinglin said,
"It's called poison, so now that we're about to go in, it feels a bit unsettling."
Mun Won-bi said,
"It has to be way safer than that trap-filled place last time."
Han Ibi spoke while quietly following behind Tang Ho-yeon, glancing at Baek Mi-hu.
"We'll know once we go inside."
Han Ibi brought up the rear of the group.
The moment he stepped inside, Wang Qinglin's voice rang out.
"Oh my! Can you believe it? It's so pretty. It must smell amazing. Can I take a whiff?"
Han Ibi turned his gaze, and there was a pale purple flower resembling a violet.
It was in full bloom, looking quite beautiful.
Wang Qinglin clapped her hands and said,
"It's so pretty. I want to take it home later."
Han Ibi said with a pitiful look,
"Did you already forget how you were creeped out just outside? If you're so confident, go ahead and smell it."
At that moment, Tang Ho-yeon smiled and said,
"That's right. Just as Young Master Jong said. As I mentioned earlier, you must not touch anything here recklessly. Follow only the path I indicate."
Wang Qinglin looked disappointed and said,
"Ahh. It's so pretty. You're saying that flower has poison too?"
Tang Ho-yeon said,
"Of course. Everything here possesses toxicity without exception. If you end up on missions later, remember this experience and never touch anything by mistake."
Wang Qinglin replied dejectedly.
"Yes..."
"That flower is called Dalchuo. It emits a sweet fragrance, but smelling it is dangerous. Dalchuo is mainly boiled down from its stems and petals and concentrated to coat weapons or hidden projectiles."
Han Ibi's group moved further ahead.
There were even more intriguingly shaped poisonous plants.
Mun Won-bi pointed at the plant and asked,
"Is this one poisonous too? Wow, it's really huge."
Wang Qinglin said in amazement,
"Oh my, it looks so bizarre. Like a giant tray or something."
Tang Ho-yeon smiled and said,
"That's a type of poisonous plant called Snake-Capturing Flower."
Han Ibi narrowed his eyes and said,
"Oh ho. So it's like a kind of 'trap'."
Tang Ho-yeon said,
"Exactly. You've got it right."
He then picked up a twig from the ground and flung it toward the broad, tray-like leaf.
Thud.
"Whoa!"
The group couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
The moment the twig touched it, the massive tray-shaped leaf snapped shut in an instant.
It reminded them of a Venus flytrap.
Tang Ho-yeon said,
"This plant emits a scent that lures poisonous creatures. It attracts venomous insects too, but snakes fall for it the most."
Wang Qinglin asked in surprise,
"So it catches and eats snakes?"
"Yes. Once a venomous snake, poison frog, or blindworm gets caught, it clamps down with tremendous pressure and immediately secretes deadly venom to dissolve and digest it."
"Eek! That's a truly horrifying flower."
"Moreover, since it feeds on poisonous creatures and digests them, even though it's a plant, you could say it's reached the realm of immunity to all poisons."
Han Ibi let out an exclamation too.
"If it could walk around, it'd be an unrivaled supreme under heaven."
Tang Ho-yeon chuckled as if amused and said,
"The digestive fluid it produces is a peerless deadly poison with extreme acidity. But harvesting it is quite tricky, so it's labor-intensive to use as poison. That's why it's reserved for very important occasions."
Han Ibi shook his head and said,
"I won't ask what those important occasions are."
Tang Ho-yeon burst into laughter and said,
"I'll leave that to your imaginations."
After finishing his explanation, Tang Ho-yeon slowly walked on, describing various poison trees, plants, and flowers.
The varieties were incredibly diverse, and the types of poisons and their symptoms seemed endless.
Once done, Tang Ho-yeon headed to the next room first.
Han Ibi said,
"The spaces are divided up."
Tang Ho-yeon said,
"Of course. Different habitats, you see. Poisonous plants are finicky to cultivate, so they require great care. Ironically, though, these plants produce poison to protect themselves."
"Thinking about how humans exploit that protective poison makes them seem a bit pitiful."
"Interpretations vary. Now..."
Entering the next room, Tang Ho-yeon said,
"This is where we cultivate poisonous mushrooms."
Baek Mi-hu said,
"Just like we learned first: their appearances are dazzling."
Tang Ho-yeon said,
"Haha. Exactly. I brought you here to experience just how pretty poisonous mushrooms can be. Even if you starved for ten days, never eat them..."
Wang Qinglin said,
"Ugh. Knowing now makes them even creepier."
Tang Ho-yeon laughed heartily and said,
"But no need to worry. As far as I know, no plant has ever attacked a human first. So if you encounter plants or mushrooms like these, never touch, discard, or consume them."
Han Ibi firmly committed the scenes before his eyes to memory.
Finally, the group entered the next room.
The interior of that room...
Compared to the others, it was rather plain.
It resembled a workshop or laboratory, with only liquids and powders sealed tightly in porcelain containers.
Han Ibi asked,
"Instructor Tang, what are those?"
Tang Ho-yeon said,
"I brought them for reference in our training. These aren't extracted from animals or plants—they come straight from the earth."
"From the earth?"
"Yes. For example, that arsenic trioxide is obtained by heating a stone called orpiment."
"Ah, so that's the infamous arsenic."
The one often used in lethal poisons or assassinations...
Tang Ho-yeon's explanation continued.
"Poisons like these can have their concentration adjusted to control the speed of poisoning, making them especially favored for covert assassinations."
Other toxic substances like lead and mercury caught the eye too.
Tang Ho-yeon smiled and said,
"Now, let's move to the next section. Even the trainee instructors who came before found this one fascinating."
Intrigued by his words, Wang Qinglin and Mun Won-bi entered the next room with sparkling eyes.
"Wow!"
They couldn't help crying out.
This place held cages containing all sorts of insects and animals.
It was obvious without asking. They had to be venomous creatures.
A truly diverse array of poisonous creatures was on display.
The Tang Clan of Sacheon wanted to show the Murim Alliance.
The true extent of their poison-handling prowess.
The tremendous potential to stir up wind and waves across the jianghu if they so desired...
And that strategy was bearing fruit to some extent.
The sprouts of the Alliance's Flame Society—its top talents—would no longer dare look down on the Tang Clan of Sacheon.
Tang Ho-yeon cautioned once more,
"Absolutely, absolutely do not stray from the path."
Wang Qinglin said,
"Understood, Instructor. But... are there really this many creatures with poison?"
There were the classic ones like scorpions, but also unexpected ones like ants, bees, and snails.
Wang Qinglin, Mun Won-bi, Baek Mi-hu, and the others gazed at the various poisonous creatures with curious eyes, exclaiming in wonder.
Even Baek Mi-hu, who usually carried herself maturely, looked a bit excited, like she was at a zoo.
Watching them leisurely from behind, Han Ibi thought,
'Young masters of the jianghu, warriors, whatever—they're just kids at heart in moments like this.'
Then Wang Qinglin called out to Han Ibi, who was lagging behind.
"Wow! Young Master Jong, look at this frog's color."
Unable to resist her urging, Han Ibi approached pretending to be reluctant.
She was right.
The frog, presumed to carry deadly venom, had a bright red body dotted with vivid yellow spots.
A visual effect that made it seem like your body would melt just from touching it...
Feeling uneasy, Han Ibi drew closer.
By then, Wang Qinglin had already moved on to view other creatures.
'Bright red like it's on fire... such a tacky primary color... Huh? W-wait. Something's off.'
Han Ibi leaned in closer to the frog.
The frog twitched.
'Hmm? It seems...'
Han Ibi tilted his head and took another step toward the frog's cage.
The frog flinched and backed away.
'This is weird. It didn't do that when Wang Qinglin looked earlier.'
Han Ibi was about to take one more step when he noticed the line marked on the floor and stopped.
The Tang Clan had marked it as a danger zone not to enter.
But curiosity only grows the more you suppress it.
Han Ibi glanced at Tang Ho-yeon, then stealthily extended one hand toward the frog.
The red frog thrashed about as if trying to escape the cage.
There was clearly a causal link between the two events.
'Hmm? Do I look that scary? Why's it avoiding me?'
This time, Han Ibi approached the snakes, the epitome of poison.
Seeing their flickering tongues made his face scrunch up instinctively.
Humans are innately afraid of snakes.
Yet...
'These guys too!'
The coiled snakes writhed, trying to put distance between them.
To make sure, Han Ibi turned and approached the cage of yellow blindworms.
Their reaction was no different.
They squirmed as if terrified, slinking back like puppies desperate to poop.
Even the massive poison snails...
Their slow, desperate crawl toward the back wall was a sight to behold.
"Waaah!"
Wang Qinglin's excited voice rang out then.
Startled, Han Ibi looked over.
She stood before a sturdy wooden cage.
"It's... it's so cute!"
Tang Ho-yeon hardened his expression and said,
"Hold on. This one requires utmost caution."
"Pardon? But it looks so adorable. Does this one have poison too?"
"Not just poison... it's utterly lethal."
"Ahh. I can't believe it."
At that moment, Mun Won-bi asked,
"What's its name? Hmm... it looks just like..."
Tang Ho-yeon cut in.
"It resembles a marten. But it's not a Central Plains creature."
"Not from the Central Plains?"
"Correct. This animal is called the Ferocious Immortal House... a precious venomous creature the Demonic Cult has carefully bred for ages. Each one is treated as a spirit beast."
Everyone's faces showed shock.
Wang Qinglin said incredulously,
"But it doesn't look that fierce."
Tang Ho-yeon nodded and said,
"True. Normally. But the Demonic Cult knows how to control them. They can excite the Ferocious Immortal Houses and turn them savage in an instant."
"How?"
"We don't know. Whatever their claims of religious reasons, that's unlikely. Our Tang Clan is researching the method. But today's most important lesson: if you encounter a Ferocious Immortal House in the field... evade it immediately."
Mun Won-bi asked back,
"Evade it?"
"Yes. There's a saying: Eastern Bear-Marten, Western Immortal House. If the 'Demonic Poison Bear-Marten' reigns as king of poisons in the east, the Ferocious Immortal House rules the west. And the two are natural nemeses. Legend says when those spirit beasts clash, the heavens collapse and seas overturn. Just a tale from books, though."
Han Ibi was so shocked his breath nearly stopped.
(To be continued in the next chapter)