Chapter 129
Chapter 129
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 129
Chapter Title: Black Wolf (3)
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"They called it the Immortal Ten Thousand Poisons Demon Control Art. Does the Leader know what a Poison Blood Demon is?"
"No idea."
Sima Geon shook his head.
"Just like the name says, it's about turning someone into a monster with Poison Blood. I mentioned it earlier. Once you become a Poison Blood Demon, you're not only immune to all poisons but also possess a body as indestructible as diamond. You think that's human? It's a monster."
Cheol Woo subtly glanced at Sima Geon.
"But the process was pure agony. I can't even remember how much poison I swallowed or how many venomous bugs bit me. In the end, they threw me into a pond made entirely of poison. I was soaked in it for a hundred days. And that's how I ended up with this body."
So Surin picked up the water cup on the table.
The clear water turned into pitch-black venom in an instant.
"Even my breath carries poison. Just like that bastard said, probably my blood has turned to poison too."
So Surin's smile was utterly forlorn, as if he loathed the monster he had become.
"Did you learn poison arts too?"
"I did. I tried to resist, but the excruciating pain left me no choice. That bastard mocked me playfully, saying it was the only way to control the poison invading my body. I can still picture his face. How could a kid's mind be so demonic?"
So Surin's eyes burned with murderous intent, as if he'd tear Yin Di-so apart if he appeared before him right now.
"How young was this kid?"
At Cheol Woo's question, So Surin softened his fierce expression.
"Not even twenty. That old geezer Blood Slaughter Grandpa said he was the greatest genius in the history of Ten Thousand Poisons Valley."
"Bullshit! Genius my ass. Like you said, he's a demonic little shit."
"Leader."
So Surin looked at Sima Geon.
"When I escaped, the old man left a dying message for you."
"Yeon Jeok-chu?"
"Yeah."
Sima Geon let out a deep breath and nodded.
"Tell me."
"He begged you to kill him. With your own hands."
"What the hell? Who said anything about killing? We just need to rush over and save him."
Cheol Woo bellowed, but So Surin sadly shook his head.
"It's too late."
"Too late for what? Hurry up and we'll make it in time."
Cheol Woo fidgeted as if ready to bolt out the door right then.
"The final stage of the Immortal Ten Thousand Poisons Demon Control Art is Soul Forgetting."
"What?"
"Soul Forgetting. That's what it erases."
So Surin tapped his own head.
"The old man and I were the last ones to hold out. Everyone else was done for ages ago. I'd trained in Soul Capturing Arts since I was a kid, but the old man... he was incredible. He endured purely on willpower. But in the end, his body gave out. I wanted to drag him out somehow, but I couldn't."
So Surin agonized over the moment he had no choice but to escape alone.
"Your body isn't normal either. Whether from the poison arts or not, your internal energy is all tangled up and raging. It's a miracle you're holding on like this."
"I know. At some point, I started suppressing the poison arts' energy on purpose, and that's what caused it. I tried to sort it out, but no luck. I nearly died several times just getting here. But there was one upside. Without the pain of the tangled energy, even with my Soul Capturing Arts, I wouldn't have lasted through the Soul Forgetting stage."
"I tried driving out the poison qi in your body, but it failed. It's mixed too thoroughly with your original inner power, making it hard to filter out bit by bit."
"Can't be helped. I steeled myself for this. That mad bastard knew my condition and threw a fit about it."
So Surin spoke casually, but Sima Geon and Cheol Woo couldn't stay calm.
"Don't worry. We'll figure out how to fix you up somehow."
"How?"
"Grab the bastard who did this to you, beat the crap out of him, and the method will come out."
"Doubt it. It won't be easy. That lunatic had half-given up on me already. Oh, he did threaten to kill me outright and turn me into a jiangshi."
So Surin shrugged it off, but Sima Geon and Cheol Woo realized Yin Di-so was far madder than they'd imagined. The bastard had said it right to his face while munching on candy.
"So removing the poison qi from his body is the key."
At Man Chu's words, Sima Geon shook his head.
"It's not just in his body. His whole being is poison at this point."
"That's rough."
"It is. That's why I asked just in case."
Man Chu pondered for a moment, then glanced toward the room where So Surin was sleeping.
"In my opinion, calling it an illness is odd. Anyway, there are only two places that might heal him."
"Where?"
Cheol Woo couldn't hold back.
"First, the Living Immortal Medical House. They say no illness exists that the Living Immortals can't cure—they're unrivaled in medicine."
"Hm."
Cheol Woo grumbled, recalling their last visit. Despite their huge help in getting the Thunderbolt, those folks had shunned them as demonic path scum. They'd even doubted the story about obtaining the Great Reversion Pill.
"The other place?"
"The Sichuan Tang Family. They might actually be more suitable than the Living Immortals. No one in the world knows more about poisons than the Tangs."
"As expected."
Sima Geon nodded, his face saying he'd thought the same. He'd considered the Tang Family first when pondering how to save So Surin. Though he'd never clashed with them directly, their poison techniques were infamous even in the demonic path.
Since Ten Thousand Poisons Valley—similar in nature to the Tangs—had researched something bizarre like the Immortal Ten Thousand Poisons Demon Control Art, the Tangs might have similar forbidden arts.
"But will they treat him willingly? They don't even know us. If they don't outright reject us as demonic path filth, we'd be lucky."
Thunderbolt sounded skeptical, and Cheol Woo's face hardened.
"We beg as many times as it takes."
"And if they still refuse?"
"Make them agree."
Everyone pictured Cheol Woo storming in and threatening the Tangs outright at his confident reply.
"Still, just in case, shouldn't we bring a physician from Clear Heart Clinic? I hear they're quite skilled, even among the Living Immortals."
Sima Ho cautiously offered his opinion.
"Right. Let's ask the physician to treat him first. We can check if the Living Immortals can handle it too."
Sima Geon approved, and soon after, Man Chu dashed to Clear Heart Clinic. In Hwang Jeong's absence—treating at the Living Immortal Medical House with Sima Jin—he brought back Hwang Jo, the new head of Clear Heart Clinic.
Hwang Jo was the grandson of Pill King Hall Leader Hwang Seung and a highly regarded talent in the Living Immortals.
"We should have gone to you, but we called you here—our apologies."
Sima Geon bowed to Hwang Jo.
"No need. I heard the gist."
Hwang Jo smiled it off.
"Where's the patient? I heard his condition is dire."
"This way."
Sima Geon led Hwang Jo to So Surin's room. Before opening the door, he warned him.
"Even breathing spreads poison around him."
"What? That severe?"
"Yes. I'll protect you as best I can, so no need to worry too much, but please be cautious just in case."
"Don't worry. I've learned basic martial arts. I can hold my breath for about fifteen minutes."
"Good."
Sima Geon smiled lightly and opened the door.
A foul stench spread, but Hwang Jo, already holding his breath, was unaffected.
Sima Geon used his protective aura to push back the poison qi swarming Hwang Jo. After standing a moment to check himself, Hwang Jo confirmed no issues as Sima Geon had said and approached the patient.
So Surin lay on the bed, face twisted in pain from his disrupted qi and blood.
Sima Geon could suppress the glowing poison qi with his inner power, but he'd stepped back to let the physician diagnose accurately.
Hwang Jo grasped So Surin's wrist for the pulse.
Hearing a physician was coming, So Surin showed no reaction. He looked devoid of expectation.
After a brief nod, Hwang Jo carefully extended his hand.
Sima Geon started to intervene, realizing direct skin contact was dangerous, but Hwang Jo spread his fingers with a smile.
He wore thin gloves like human skin. He'd prepared them after hearing about the poison from Man Chu.
Sima Geon relaxed as Hwang Jo took So Surin's wrist.
Closing his eyes, Hwang Jo probed the issues in So Surin's body solely through his fingertips. His expression was deadly serious—and grew darker as time passed. Sima Geon and Cheol Woo's faces hardened in tandem.
After over fifteen minutes of pulse-taking, Hwang Jo exited the room wearily.
Down in the courtyard, he first removed his gloves.
He drew a deep breath, resuming his halted breathing.
After a few breaths to steady himself, Hwang Jo turned to Sima Geon.
"From the pulse, it's worse than I h…… Aaaagh!"
Suddenly screaming, Hwang Jo rolled sideways.
A massive shadow—the Black Wolf—approached him.
"W-wolf! S-save……."
Facing the Black Wolf up close, Hwang Jo trembled in terror.
"Back off."
At Sima Geon's shout, the Black Wolf, nearing Hwang Jo, turned away immediately.
"Whoa, our physician. Smaller bladder than I thought."
Cheol Woo laughed, helping Hwang Jo up.
"It's not small! How could I not be startled when a wolf appears out of nowhere?"
Fearful of the Black Wolf approaching again, Hwang Jo hid behind Cheol Woo.
"Hey, I told you to take Black Wolf away so the physician wouldn't freak."
Cheol Woo yelled at his awkwardly standing brothers.
But they felt wronged too.
Even Gwa Yu, barely succeeding in feeding it, couldn't muster the courage to approach the Black Wolf yet. Thunderbolt had taken it out briefly but returned using the excuse of needing the outhouse.
The Black Wolf pacing the courtyard had frozen everyone solid. Sima Ho had outright fled to a room. They had no spare thought for the physician.
"Wh-what happened?"
Thunderbolt appeared, hiking up his pants.
"The physician got scared of Black Wolf. That's why I told you to take him outside."
"Sudden urgency. Sorry, physician."
Thunderbolt bowed to Hwang Jo.
"N-no, it's fine now. But I've never seen such a huge wolf."
His shock fading, curiosity filled Hwang Jo's eyes instead of fear. Its massive size aside, the silver-gleaming fur was mystical.
"Physician."
Sima Geon called.
"Yes?"
"Have a seat. We have much to hear."
"Ah! Sorry."
Hwang Jo sat on the offered chair, embarrassed.
"How is it?"
"Far worse than described. Not just the five viscera and six bowels, but……."
Sima Geon, wanting the verdict first, cut him off.
"Can it be treated?"
"Impossible."
Hwang Jo shook his head without hesitation.
"Even for the Living Immortals?"
Sima Geon pressed. His desperation didn't show, but it burned inside.
Hwang Jo furrowed his brow, thinking long and hard before sighing deeply and shaking his head.
"Honestly, I don't know. The patient's condition doesn't seem treatable with needles or herbs alone. But back home, there are physicians far beyond my level—maybe they have a way."
A vague "maybe possible, maybe not."
The most perfunctory, ambiguous answer imaginable.
Crude as it sounded, anyone could toss it out. Yet Sima Geon couldn't complain. Even he felt Hwang Jo had said the absolute best he could.
"What now?"
Cheol Woo asked, face full of worry.
"Not sure."
Sima Geon had no ready reply.
"But one thing's certain."
"What?"
At Sima Geon's question, Cheol Woo's demeanor shifted fiercely.
"Heavenly Demon Cult, Ten Thousand Poisons Valley! We're not letting those bastards off the hook."
Awooooo!
As if understanding Cheol Woo's words, the Black Wolf let out a long howl.