The Poison King's Gambit
My hair was a disheveled mess from just waking up, and my eyes were heavy with exhaustion.
My body creaked with lingering muscle aches, and my right arm, still unhealed, throbbed with pain every time I moved.
Yet, perhaps because I had reached the Peak Realm, I felt an underlying lightness deep within my core. I managed to push my upper body up.
"Wow..."
A soft exclamation escaped my lips. The sight unfolding before me was so bizarre that the words slipped out before I could stop them.
I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand, wondering if I was still dreaming.
It was just that surreal.
"...What did you say?" I asked, my voice still thick with sleep.
The young man kneeling before me spoke.
"...From now on..."
"From now on?"
"Young..."
"Young?"
"...I will be serving the Young Master..."
"Serving?"
"...My name is Dang Cheon-il of the Dang Clan."
Screeech!
The sound of teeth grinding echoed from somewhere.
His fists were clenched so tightly that the veins on the backs of his hands bulged like thick ropes.
His face was flushed crimson, less from embarrassment and more from sheer, unadulterated rage.
Yet, knowing he couldn't afford to explode, the young man—Dang Cheon-il—forced the words out through grit teeth.
"...I will serve you... with all my heart and soul... Please... take care of me."
"...Ha."
A dry laugh escaped my lips at his words.
"Bwahahahahahahaha—!!"
While I managed to keep it to a dry chuckle, Yoo Chun-gil was practically rolling on the floor. He clutched his stomach, floating and spinning in the air, clearly finding this to be the funniest thing he'd ever seen.
"Hahaha... Hahahahaha... Hahahahaha—!!!"
He was incredibly loud. Frowning at the noise ringing in my ears, I looked down at Dang Cheon-il.
"Your attitude is quite different from last time," I remarked.
"..."
"I guess your body's feeling better. Well, it's not like I beat you up that badly."
"Grrr..."
As I needled him, a low growl escaped Dang Cheon-il's throat. But it was just a sound; he didn't make any other move.
He was enduring it. I could see him desperately holding himself back.
"Young Master Dang."
"...Yes..."
"Are we speaking formally now? I could've sworn you dropped the honorifics last time we met."
"..."
"Aren't you going to answer?"
"...No, it's fine... You may speak comfortably, Young Master..."
"Then I'll do just that."
"..."
"Cheon-il? Why the long face? What's wrong? Feeling like crap?"
Creak!
The moment I dropped the honorifics, his reaction became highly entertaining.
What a great show to start the morning. It felt incredibly satisfying.
Seeing him in this state brought me immense joy, but...
...Tsk.
While I chuckled on the outside, my mind was a tangled mess.
And how could it not be?
That old Poison King is really something else.
Why had Dang Cheon-il suddenly shown up first thing in the morning acting like this?
Anyone else might have found it baffling, but unfortunately, I had dealt with this kind of nonsense countless times in my past life.
The moment I saw the situation, I knew exactly what was going on.
What a sly old fox.
This was entirely the Poison King's doing. The fact that the arrogant, foul-tempered Poison Dragon was suddenly bowing his head, and the fact that he had shown up at dawn to put me in this awkward position...
All of it pointed to one thing.
So this is how you want to play it?
It was the Poison King's scheme to guarantee he'd wring the Rain of Flowers Filling the Sky out of me.
I couldn't help but marvel. It was a variable I hadn't factored into my calculations.
I never would have thought. Seriously.
Who could have predicted that he would sell out his own son?
Well, maybe someone else could have, but I certainly hadn't. I hadn't realized his obsession with the Rain of Flowers Filling the Sky was deep enough to make him exploit his own flesh and blood.
As I bit my lip in frustration, trying to keep Dang Cheon-il from noticing my annoyance, Yoo Chun-gil spoke up.
"I have noticed this from time to time..."
Yoo Chun-gil stopped laughing and addressed me.
"For someone who claims to have lived a harsh life, you possess a strange, naive innocence."
He chuckled.
"I wonder if you simply underestimated the Poison King, or if you take the world too lightly."
"..."
I didn't argue. If I had to answer his question, it would be the former.
I underestimated him.
I had underestimated the Poison King, and I had let my guard down.
It was a completely plausible scenario.
It was something I easily could have added to my list of possibilities, yet I had dismissed it. This was the price of my complacency.
Tsk.
Shaking off my thoughts, I looked at the Poison Dragon.
Dang Cheon-il kept his eyes glued to the floor, as if he had dropped something precious down there.
"Fine. I'll ask, if only for form's sake. What is the meaning of this?"
I cracked my neck slightly as I asked.
Honestly, I already knew his intentions, so there was no real need to ask. But Dang Cheon-il needed to say it. He must have prepared an explanation to give me.
"...Well... From now on, I will be serving the Young Master as a benefactor of the Dang Clan."
"Ah. Our dear Cheon-il is going to serve me? Even though I have servants, a noble member of the main family is going to do it personally?"
"..."
Dang Cheon-il remained silent. From his expression, he didn't seem to understand the situation either.
Which means he was practically dragged here against his will.
Was the Poison King's influence really that absolute?
I don't know. Looking at his usual behavior, he doesn't seem like the type to move easily just because the Poison King throws a fit.
I recalled what the Poison Dragon had done at the banquet hosted by the Poison King. The fact that he had picked a fight with me right in front of everyone proved he wasn't someone who could be easily suppressed by the Poison King's authority alone.
For him to bow his head like this...
It meant he had either committed a massive blunder or had his weakness thoroughly exploited.
...But what weakness could he possibly have?
The only trouble Dang Cheon-il had caused recently was fighting with me. Could that really be used to blackmail him?
He might get scolded, sure.
But was it enough to make him bow his head this low? I wasn't so sure.
Hmm.
There was definitely something else. Then, it clicked.
"...So, our dear Cheon-il has decided to serve me?"
"...That is... correct."
"Until when?"
"..."
Dang Cheon-il shut his mouth at my question.
"How long are you going to serve me?"
"...Well, that is..."
"Never mind. You don't have to answer."
I cut him off before he could speak. Dang Cheon-il looked momentarily flustered by my dismissive attitude.
Why bother asking? The answer was obvious anyway.
"It's until you fully learn the Rain of Flowers Filling the Sky from me, right?"
"...!"
Dang Cheon-il flinched the moment the words left my mouth.
It seemed I had hit the mark.
"Tsk."
Clicking my tongue, I stood up completely.
"...Well then, let's go pay a visit to the Family Head first."
There was no point in talking to this guy any further. I had teased him enough to satisfy myself for the morning. Now, it was time to get down to business.
"...Right now?"
"Yeah."
Dang Cheon-il looked even more bewildered when I said we were going to see the Family Head immediately. He clearly hadn't expected me to demand a meeting first thing in the morning.
I hadn't even sent word ahead. We were just going to barge in.
Normally, such behavior would be unthinkable, but...
"It's fine. Let's go."
It didn't matter.
After all...
The Poison King is probably waiting for me anyway.
That old man would be the one waiting for me most eagerly.
*
"You have arrived?"
The Poison King welcomed me the moment I entered the room. He showed no surprise at my sudden intrusion.
There were even two cups of tea already prepared on the table.
One was for the Poison King, and the other was for me.
"Did you sleep well last night?" I asked, offering a polite greeting.
"Unfortunately, not very well," the Poison King replied, shaking his head.
He showed me what he was holding in his hand. It was a throwing dagger.
"The distracting thoughts cluttering my mind kept keeping me awake."
"...Hahaha..."
In short, he had stayed up all night trying to practice the Rain of Flowers Filling the Sky.
"I spent the night reciting the text and trying to grasp the meaning behind what Young Hero Bang left behind, but unfortunately, I gained nothing."
"...To say you gained nothing seems a bit harsh. Didn't you do quite well from the very beginning?"
The Poison King stared at me in silence.
His gaze clearly said, Are you seriously saying that right now?
"Ahem..."
The moment I had handed over the secret manual, the Poison King had read it and immediately attempted the Rain of Flowers Filling the Sky.
On the surface, it had looked decent. The daggers flew straight, filling the sky and raining down in a manner befitting the technique's name, but...
...The problem was what I did right after.
The issue was the version of the Rain of Flowers Filling the Sky that my hand had cast on its own right after the Poison King's attempt.
The difference in mastery was night and day.
If the Poison King's technique was a light drizzle, mine was a torrential downpour.
It must have been then.
That was when the look in the Poison King's eyes changed.
He had been completely captivated by the technique I displayed. And I had felt the intense, burning desire that took root in him immediately afterward.
I had perceived everything. It was so vivid that it was impossible to miss.
"...Sigh."
I let out a short sigh.
I had formulated a plan on my way here, but looking at the Poison King now, it all felt pointless.
A brief exchange was enough to tell me that petty tricks wouldn't work on this old man.
"What do you want me to do?"
So, it was better to be direct.
"What is it you want, that you went so far as to assign Young Master Dang to me?"
"I believe Young Master Bang already knows my intentions."
You already know what I want, don't you?
I smacked my lips awkwardly at the Poison King's response.
"I'm amazed you managed to coax him into this... I never thought he would adopt such a submissive attitude."
"He is a more obedient son than he appears."
"...Ah. Is that so?"
I almost laughed at the absurdity. That was hardly convincing.
"So... what is the real reason you attached him to me? You must know very well, Family Head, that my relationship with him is far from amicable."
It wasn't just bad.
Setting aside my own feelings, the Poison Dragon looked at me as if I were his mortal enemy for some reason.
It's different from the simple rivalry between the Poison Sovereign and the Sword Saint.
The hostility he directed at me was far more distinct, though I had no idea why.
"That is precisely why I did it."
"...What do you mean by that?"
"There is no better way to appease someone than by making an arrogant child bow his head to them, is there?"
"..."
I nearly lost control of my facial expression at his calm remark.
Not only did he casually describe his own son as arrogant, but he had also coolly calculated that having the boy bow to me would put me in a favorable mood. It was mind-boggling.
...He really is something else.
His martial prowess was one thing, but his terrifyingly calculating mind made him an incredibly difficult opponent to deal with.
"So, what exactly do you want to get from me by using him?"
"The Rain of Flowers Filling the Sky."
The Poison King answered without a moment's hesitation. Like me, he had no intention of hiding his goal.
"I wish to obtain it from you, Young Master Bang."
"...Obtain it? I already gave it to you."
I had stayed up all night writing down the manual for him. What more did he want?
As I frowned, the Poison King pulled a book from his robes. It was the very manual I had written and handed to him.
"Indeed. I do not believe this book is incorrect."
"Then what is the issue?"
"However, I simply believe you possess a much faster method than this."
"...As I told you before, that was merely a fluke."
"A fluke, you say..."
The Poison King clearly didn't believe me. His eyes questioned whether such a technique could truly be executed by mere chance.
This is frustrating.
This wasn't good. While it wasn't actually a fluke, it wasn't far from one either.
Furthermore...
"...Even if you attach Young Master Dang to me, I won't be able to teach him properly. I don't know much about the Rain of Flowers Filling the Sky myself."
"Is that so?"
"...Yes. I am telling the truth."
"It matters not."
"Excuse me?"
The Poison King took a sip of his tea, dismissing my words as if they were of no consequence.
"All I ask is that you share as much as you can with the boy, Young Master Bang."
"...Ah. So..."
What the Poison King was saying right now was...
"You don't believe a single word I'm saying, do you?"
He refused to believe that I didn't know how to use the Rain of Flowers Filling the Sky.
This old man was really...
"I'm telling you, I don't know how to—"
"Just half a year."
"...What?"
"If you share what you know with the boy for exactly half a year, I, too, shall place a boulder over my mouth."
"...What do you mean by a boulder?"
"Should a secret not remain heavy? No matter what that secret may be."
"...!"
As he spoke, the Poison King's gaze drifted down toward my dantian.
I immediately understood the meaning behind that look.
Damn it.
It was a warning.
The Poison King was pointing out that the energy of the Dang Clan resided within my body.
And he was also noting that, for some inexplicable reason, that energy hadn't exploded and was circulating smoothly.
He noticed it after all.
My worst fears had been realized. The Poison King knew that the Dang Clan's energy was flowing inside me.