Ten Thousand Poison Ghost
"Wh-what is this?!"
Hwancheonjihwan cried out in panic.
The result was nothing like what he had expected. He had been certain the boy would melt into the Black Deep Abyss and become nothing more than a handful of poison water…
Instead, the exact opposite had happened.
No—it had far surpassed anything he could have imagined.
"T-to completely absorb the Black Deep Abyss… What kind of monster are you?!"
That Black Deep Abyss was a treasure trove of elixirs to any poison master. It held the dissolved inner cores of things like ten-thousand-year polar ginseng and ten-thousand-year fire pear. Even a modest absorption could grant a hundred and twenty years of internal energy. Yet the poison qi was so ferocious that drawing in large amounts was virtually impossible. Do it and you might die.
No!
You would definitely die.
Yet Tang Cheonwi had swallowed the entire Black Deep Abyss whole. And that was not all. He had devoured every last drop of poison inside the Poison Blood Pond.
"He even perfectly mastered the Tyrant Blood Poison Qi. That is the internal art only the clan’s founder, Tang Mumyeong, ever learned…"
Hwancheonjihwan babbled in utter confusion.
"You can’t mean… Huh?!"
He checked Tang Cheonwi’s condition and recoiled in pure shock.
"You actually… achieved Ten Thousand Poison Ghost?"
Even reaching the second stage, Poison Blood God, was extraordinary. Only five people in the entire Tang Clan’s history had ever done so. Yet Tang Cheonwi had skipped Poison Blood God entirely and arrived straight at Ten Thousand Poison Ghost. It was impossible. An unprecedented event in the entire history of the martial world had just occurred.
"I was only joking when I said it. This is ridiculous."
While Hwancheonjihwan stared at Tang Cheonwi as though he were some freak of nature, Tang Cheonwi was calmly observing his own body.
So the power really has completely vanished, just as I thought?
Even the meager third-class internal energy he had possessed was gone without a trace. His dantian was empty. No energy rose within it.
If I hadn’t experienced this in my previous life, I would have been panicking right now.
Upon becoming a Ten Thousand Poison Ghost, one’s internal energy vanished completely. In its place, blood itself could serve as internal energy. His blood was already pure poison; he could draw upon that power to manifest true energy. In other words, blood and breath were now the vessels of poison.
In my previous life I became a Ten Thousand Poison Ghost in my mid-twenties. In this life I have done it at fifteen.
That, too, had only been possible because of Hwancheonjihwan. Without the ring, he never would have reached this stage.
Am I the first in Tang Clan history?
Even the first stage of a poison body, Latent Poison Body, was enough to draw attention. He had reached the final stage—Ten Thousand Poison Ghost. A quiet satisfaction filled him. He had lived this life once already. The second time, he was growing even faster.
More than that, absorbing every poison in this place feels even better.
His younger brother Yuhyeon was already a poison body. Even if the Poison Blood Pond vanished, it would not affect him. But the half-brothers were different. They too were supposed to become poison bodies through the Poison Blood Rite.
I will not give those bastards any power.
The ones who benefited most from the Poison Blood Pond were those half-brothers. They had built their factions upon this place. Why on earth would he hand them a gigantic elixir warehouse? Better to absorb it all himself so that no one else could gain strength from it.
Heh. The adults’ faces will be a sight to see.
Only one task remained now: extracting the Black Dragon Gold Pill from Hwancheonjihwan.
Looks like I won the bet.
"Th-this doesn’t count!"
The greatest of the divine treasures, Hwancheonjihwan, loses a bet and then declares it void? What would the other divine treasures say if they heard that story?
Divine treasures were prideful creatures. Hwancheonjihwan in particular was exceptionally arrogant. He considered himself the finest among all of them. If word got out that he was trying to weasel out of a lost wager, his pride would be dragged through the mud.
"If you go telling the other divine treasures about this, I won’t let it slide!"
So you concede the bet, then?
"Of course! I’m the type who always keeps his word."
Hwancheonjihwan switched stances with impressive speed.
"Just remember—you’re only the second person ever to take a Black Dragon Gold Pill from me."
I know.
"Huh? How would you know that?"
The only person who had ever received a Black Dragon Gold Pill from Hwancheonjihwan was none other than the founder of the Tang Clan—the man hailed as the greatest martial artist in history. The Poison Sage, Tang Mumyeong.
My closest friend told me.
"What kind of bastard knows something that important?"
Someone as prickly and arrogant as you… but secretly kind-hearted, too.
"Hmm. Sounds like a brat worth meeting once. Introduce me next time."
The comparison to himself immediately made Hwancheonjihwan view “that fellow” favorably. He had no idea that he himself had been the one to teach Cheonwi the information. What an idiot.
"Anyway, since I lost the bet, I’ll tell you where the Black Dragon Gold Pill is sleeping."
In an extremely cautious voice, Hwancheonjihwan revealed the resting place of the Black Dragon Gold Pill.
Tang Cheonwi stood motionless in the hollow that had once held the Black Deep Abyss. Tang Ho called out to him.
"Cheonwi!"
"……"
Tang Cheonwi simply continued examining his own condition and gave no reply. Tang Ho called again.
"Are you all right?"
He carefully approached.
"Come to your senses. Do you recognize your uncle?"
At the continued calls, Tang Cheonwi’s head finally turned.
"Uncle."
"Yes, it’s Uncle Tang Ho. How is your condition?"
"I am fine."
Tang Ho checked the boy’s breathing. Poison qi was flowing out with every breath.
"You did it!"
Tang Ho was overjoyed. Not only had the boy survived the Black Deep Abyss—he had become a poison body. Even without circulating internal energy, poison qi seeped out with his mere breath. That was the first stage: Latent Poison Body, the mark of a true poison master.
"You must have gone beyond Latent Poison Body and reached Poison Blood God."
As he examined Tang Cheonwi’s body more carefully, Tang Ho suddenly flinched.
"Th-this… What in the world happened? You absorbed the Black Deep Abyss—why is your internal energy completely empty?"
Tang Ho was dumbfounded. Had the boy not just absorbed the Black Deep Abyss? Then how could there be no internal energy at all?
"I do not really know myself, Uncle."
Tang Cheonwi deliberately played ignorant. He still needed to remain the clan wastrel. Only then would the factions that had once rebelled continue to strut about freely—and the freer they became, the more advantageous it was for him. He would be able to slowly, thoroughly wipe out those bastards who deserved to be chewed up and spat out. That was the surface reason. The true purpose lay elsewhere.
"May this uncle examine you more carefully?"
"Of course."
Tang Cheonwi extended his arm. His uncle immediately took his pulse.
"Mmm."
A groan slipped from Tang Ho’s lips.
"What cruel trick of heaven is this… His dantian is ruined."
His uncle sighed. The eldest son of the Sichuan Tang Clan had lost his internal energy. Even a wastrel with internal energy was worlds apart from one without it.
"The blessing of becoming a poison body has come hand in hand with a curse…"
It only appeared as though the dantian and meridians were in tatters. In truth they were perfectly fine. The poison of the Black Deep Abyss had fused with his blood and purified his blood vessels and meridians more thoroughly than before. They had simply become so different from an ordinary dantian that they looked destroyed.
"Does that mean I can no longer learn martial arts?"
Tang Ho seemed to realize his slip. He quickly composed his expression and offered comfort so that Cheonwi would not despair.
"A ruined dantian can be treated. Is our Tang Clan not the foremost house in poison, hidden weapons, and medicine?"
He patted the boy’s shoulder.
Seeing him look so worried makes me feel guilty for deceiving him.
This was the uncle who had always worn the same gentle smile, the man who had stood as a shield for both him and Yuhyeon whenever their father scolded them. Deceiving such a person left a bitter taste.
"This uncle will somehow restore your dantian. If it is the Medicine Sage, he will be more than capable of repairing it."
At the words “Medicine Sage,” Tang Cheonwi’s eyes lit up. That was exactly why he had put on this act in front of Uncle Tang Ho—to secure an audience with the retired Medicine Sage of the clan.
"You would not go to such lengths for someone like me, would you…?"
"Nonsense. Since when does our wastrel nephew speak such weak words?"
"I heard it is difficult to meet the elders who have retired from the clan."
"If the eldest grandson of the Tang Clan has lost his dantian in the Poison Blood Pond, the family elders will roll up their sleeves and step forward themselves. So do not worry."
"Thank you, Uncle."
"But once your dantian is fixed, you must not skip training. Work hard. Understood?"
"Yes."
"Good. With that kind of attitude, there is nothing in this world you cannot achieve."
Uncle Tang Ho continued to encourage him, then made a suggestion.
"If you seem to have little talent for hidden weapons or swordsmanship, why not try learning Poison Arts instead?"
In the past, the Sichuan Tang Clan had been renowned for hidden weapons, Poison Arts, and medicine. The modern Tang Clan was a little different. Hidden weapons and medicine remained the same, but Poison Arts had been replaced by Poison Use Technique. The two looked similar, yet their nature and scope of application were entirely different. Poison Arts were martial arts that projected poison qi through palm techniques and fist techniques. Poison Use Technique, on the other hand, was the craft of killing enemies with prepared poisons, toxic insects, and poisonous herbs.
"Poison Arts… you say?"
"Do not misunderstand. Poison Arts have long been looked down upon in the Sichuan Tang Clan, but in the old days there were many who looked down upon the entire world with those same arts."
Poison Use Technique was far more efficient—a skill one could refine without great effort. Poison Arts were considered the height of inefficiency and had gradually been abandoned. In recent years they had become objects of outright contempt.
"I will do as you say, Uncle."
To master powerful Poison Arts, one absolutely needed to become a poison body first.
"A wise choice. Poison Arts can truly be called the essence of the great Tang Clan."
He knew that better than anyone. In his previous life, what he had obtained from Hwancheonjihwan was precisely the Dark Blood True Scripture—a manual of Poison Arts.
"I also believe Poison Arts are the best."
"What a fine boy."
Uncle Tang Ho patted his shoulder and then asked one more question.
"Cheonwi, there is something your uncle is curious about. Can you tell me?"
"Please speak."
"When you absorbed the Black Deep Abyss, what were you thinking that caused every poison in the Poison Blood Pond to rush into you?"
It was pure curiosity on Tang Ho’s part.
"The poisons of the Poison Blood Pond are no different from elixirs for the Tang bloodline, are they not?"
"That’s true."
"I simply did not want to hand that elixir warehouse over to anyone else."
Any other adult would have scolded him on the spot. But Uncle Tang Ho was different.
"Haha! That is exactly the kind of thought our little reprobate nephew would have."
He only laughed heartily and offered not a single word of rebuke.
Outside the cave, people stood watching the entrance and muttering among themselves.
"The Black Deep Abyss formed a whirlpool? What kind of absurd phenomenon is that?"
"The Black Deep Abyss, which rivals even the Heavenly Heavy Water in weight, moved like that? It is clearly an anomaly."
"Clan Lord, we must seal the entrance at once before the poisons of the Black Deep Abyss engulf the clan."
Tang Baek’s brothers each added a word. The Poison Blood Rite had continued for hundreds of years, yet nothing like this had ever happened. There had been Tang blood relatives who fell into the Black Deep Abyss and died, but never once had it been said to whirl. Just as his brothers claimed, it was an anomaly.
Ho and Cheonwi are still inside. Must I really close it?
Tang Baek sank into thought. Meanwhile the master of the Poison Physicians’ Hall, who had been treating the children affected by poison, also spoke up.
"Clan Lord, it seems we cannot treat this child here. The poison of the Black Deep Abyss is viciously strong."
"Take him to the Poison Physicians’ Hall."
"Yes, Clan Lord."
The master of the Poison Physicians’ Hall led the injured children away. A short while later—
Kuuung!
A massive vibration rolled out from the Poison Blood Pond. The very ground on which they stood split open. An earthquake was underway.
"Clan Lord, you must make a decision quickly."
"If the Poison Blood Pond explodes, the clan will be reduced to rubble."
"Brother Tang Ho and Cheonwi are inside, but… please think of the other blood relatives as well."
As time passed, the trembling stopped. At the same moment, the ferocious poison qi that had been seeping from within the cave vanished completely. Just as Tang Baek was thinking how strange it was—
"What a relief."
Tang Cheonwi and Tang Ho were walking out of the cave. Tang Baek felt a wave of relief. The other brothers, however, wore ambiguous expressions. That lasted only a moment. As though nothing had happened, they warmly welcomed the two who had emerged alive.
"Whew. I thought we were done for, Brother Tang Ho."
"We even considered sealing this place because it looked like the Poison Blood Pond was about to explode."
"Is Cheonwi all right?"
"Why have you only come out now?"
Each of them offered a remark. Watching them, Tang Cheonwi curled one corner of his mouth upward.