The Poison Sovereign's Legacy
It was around the time night was gradually falling.
I was quietly staring at the ceiling when Yoo Chun-gil suddenly popped out of nowhere and spoke to me.
I stared at him and frowned.
"...Where have you been all this time?"
He had vanished in the middle of the day, only to show up now that the sun was completely down.
As I stared at him in disbelief, Yoo Chun-gil let out his signature chuckle.
"A stroll? You're a ghost who floats around. What do you mean, 'stroll'?"
A stroll, my foot.
When I clicked my tongue in annoyance, Yoo Chun-gil giggled.
"Worry? Don't say such horrifying things."
Of all the things in the world to worry about, why would I worry about this old man?
If anyone needed worrying, it was me, not him.
Do you have any idea what I went through while he was gone?
"I was out there working myself to the bone, and you just show up late looking all relaxed..."
"You just said you went for a stroll."
"Like what?"
...
Yoo Chun-gil replied while cheerfully poking his own cheek with a finger.
Watching him do that made my stomach churn.
I really wished he would die.
I know he's already dead, but I wished he could die about three more times.
"...I seriously wish your limbs would get torn off and you'd die."
"I said it so you could hear me. I pray to god you hear me."
Tsk.
Clicking my tongue, I got up.
As I stood up, Yoo Chun-gil smirked and asked.
"...How does it look to you?"
...
What a brutal way to verify. So if I had failed, I would have died?
...Well, I suppose so.
I couldn't even deny it. My conversation with the Poison King just moments ago had been terrifying enough to warrant that assumption.
Maybe it was a miracle I was even alive.
It still hadn't fully sunk in.
How did I actually pull that off?
What kind of guts did I have to act like that in front of one of the Five Kings?
It was a relief things worked out, but if they hadn't, I might have been killed on the spot.
I realized it from time to time, but I really wasn't normal either.
What kind of crazy bastard would show such bravado in front of the Poison King?
And right in the heart of the Dang Clan's territory, no less.
Seeing the old man cackling without a care for my inner turmoil made me want to smack him.
"...Nothing major, my ass."
"Old man."
With a deep sigh, I began to tell Yoo Chun-gil what had happened.
Specifically, about my encounter with the Poison King.
After listening to my explanation, Yoo Chun-gil floated in the air, resting his chin on his hand.
I kept my explanation brief, summarizing only the essential details.
I told him that the Poison King needed the Full Moon and the successor of the Sword Saint, and that the ghost of an old man was clinging to the Poison King's back.
Upon hearing this, Yoo Chun-gil tilted his head as if lost in thought.
"He seemed to absolutely despise you, old man."
Judging by his expression, he looked so vicious he could have been mistaken for an evil spirit.
Hearing this, Yoo Chun-gil spoke with a look of mild surprise.
"What is?"
...
Has he completely lost his mind?
When I stared at him with a look of pure disdain, Yoo Chun-gil laughed heartily.
"It better be a joke."
If he was being serious, I would have been justified in flipping the table right then and there.
Yoo Chun-gil stroked his beard slightly and continued.
"...Who is it?"
When I asked cautiously, the corners of Yoo Chun-gil's mouth curled upward.
...
At Yoo Chun-gil's words, I bit my lip slightly.
"Is it the Poison Sovereign?"
Yoo Chun-gil nodded, and I let out a heavy sigh.
So it really was the Poison Sovereign.
I had my suspicions, but still...
It was really him?
I couldn't help but frown at the realization.
Who was the Poison Sovereign?
He was the former head of the Dang Clan and one of the heroes who fought against the Demonic Cult during the Great War of Good and Evil.
The poison he unleashed was potent enough to blanket an entire region.
When it came to sheer slaughter, he was a master who boasted an even more overwhelming presence than the Sword Saint.
And at the same time...
He was also a divinely gifted craftsman.
Not only had the Poison Sovereign reached the heavens with his poison arts, but he was also a master of metallurgy.
All weapons and armor forged by the Dang Clan were created in a place called the Iron River.
The weapons forged in the Iron River were categorized into one of four grades: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Special.
Even obtaining a Silver-grade weapon was enough for it to be hailed as a masterpiece or a rare treasure in the Central Plains.
Yet, any weapon forged by the Poison Sovereign's hands was guaranteed to be Gold-grade at the very least.
Just how incredible was that?
They said that holding a Gold-grade weapon could bridge the gap of an entire realm of cultivation.
It was likely an exaggeration. A difference in cultivation realms wasn't some trivial joke; how could a mere weapon bridge such a gap?
Well, of course...
I've never actually seen such a weapon, so I wouldn't know for sure.
Even so, it was hard to believe.
Regardless...
The Poison Sovereign was a legendary craftsman capable of forging such weapons with ease.
A man who had reached the heavens not only in poison arts but in other fields as well.
That was the Poison Sovereign.
But...
So that ghost is the Poison Sovereign?
The ghost glaring at me from behind the Poison King.
If Yoo Chun-gil was right, that was indeed the Poison Sovereign.
I did hear that he passed away.
Was it about five years ago? I remembered hearing the news that the brightest star of the Dang Clan had fallen.
It was impossible to miss. One of the few remaining masters of the Heavens Beyond Heaven in the Central Plains, and the only one capable of forging the finest Special-grade weapons in the current Dang Clan, had vanished.
That news alone had sent shockwaves throughout the entire Central Plains.
Yoo Chun-gil burst into laughter upon hearing that the Poison Sovereign had died and become a ghost.
...I got the feeling they were close, but I wondered if it was really okay for him to laugh like that.
After laughing for quite a while, Yoo Chun-gil suddenly wiped the smile off his face and looked at me.
In that instant...
A shiver ran down my spine.
The moment I met Yoo Chun-gil's glowing blue eyes, goosebumps broke out all over my body.
"...Yeah, pretty much."
I answered while averting my gaze, trying to hide the fact that I was intimidated.
Yoo Chun-gil fell silent for a moment, seemingly contemplating something.
After a brief pause...
"Pardon?"
He spoke to me with a massive grin on his face.
...
I stared at him, utterly dumbfounded by his sheer audacity.
How could he say something like that so casually?
Squeezing things out of the Dang Clan? I asked Yoo Chun-gil, my face filled with bewilderment.
"How exactly are you planning to squeeze them, and from where?"
I was genuinely curious.
When I asked with absolute sincerity, Yoo Chun-gil looked at me with a rather peculiar expression.
"Yes, Elder?"
"You're imagining things."
Yoo Chun-gil pulled a bizarre face at my response.
Then, shaking his head slightly, he continued.
"Why not just tell me now? It's better for me to know so I can prepare. What secrets could there possibly be between us?"
I suppose that makes sense. Yoo Chun-gil nodded as if agreeing with my logic.
"Just tell me once you've decided."
We reached a smooth, mutual agreement.
What a terrifying old man.
I really couldn't let my guard down for even a second.
What the old man had just referred to was connected to what happened last time.
He meant the technique I had used on that member of the Heaven-Destroying Palace, or whatever they were called.
The act of killing someone and then pulling their soul out of their body to extract information.
Even after witnessing that, Yoo Chun-gil hadn't asked me a single question about it.
He had only stared at me with a chilling smile.
That was actually scarier. It would have been better if he had grabbed me and demanded to know what it was.
But Yoo Chun-gil didn't do that.
He doesn't care what secrets I hold.
Whatever my circumstances were, it didn't matter to him, and he didn't care if I kept them to myself.
That was Yoo Chun-gil's attitude.
It was the same now.
Yoo Chun-gil was using it as leverage.
I know you have secrets.
I won't pry, so don't pry into mine either.
With such a clear boundary set, I couldn't ask him anything further.
...Tsk.
I moved my body. There was no point in staying here any longer.
It was about time. Do-hyeong and Cheon Ui-jin had probably already headed over, so I needed to get going as well.
"Well, stay here. If you follow me, it might cause trouble. I need to go out for a bit."
Yoo Chun-gil asked, looking at me.
I replied as I put on my clothes.
"...A welcoming banquet, of course."
I had to go attend something that was bound to be incredibly uncomfortable.
I stepped outside after putting on my clothes. As soon as I did, a guide from the Dang Clan was waiting for me.
"It is an honor to meet you."
"Not at all. Lead the way, please."
After exchanging brief, polite bows, he began to guide me.
I thought to myself as I followed him.
Come to think of it, where did the Sword Emperor go?
Chu Gong, who was pretending to be our carriage driver.
I wondered where he had disappeared to.
I hadn't seen him since we parked the carriage.
It's comfortable not having him in my sight, but it's still quite bothersome...
His sudden absence after being around was distracting in its own way.
What is he really up to?
I still couldn't figure out the Sword Emperor.
I had tried to subtly observe and read him throughout the journey, but I still had no idea what his intentions were.
Will I understand if I watch him longer?
Well, honestly, I wasn't sure.
I just hoped nothing would happen, even if I didn't manage to find out anything.
Lost in these thoughts, I saw a building up ahead.
It was a structure that looked far larger than the Cheongwol Guesthouse.
To compare, it was about the size of the training hall used by the martial artists of Cheongwol Gate.
The building was brightly lit with lanterns, and I could sense the presence of many people inside.
As we drew closer, the guide announced loudly.
"Young Master Bang Seong-yeon of Cheongwol Gate is entering!"
Good grief. Did he really have to announce it that loudly? I felt a bit embarrassed, but I didn't let it show.
Creeeeak!
The doors swung open, revealing the interior.
The atmosphere was quiet yet bright.
I could see tables lined up, laden with food.
Scanning the room, I spotted Do-hyeong and Cheon Ui-jin sitting near the center of the tables.
Is that the spot?
There was a clearly vacant seat right next to them.
I walked slowly toward it.
I surveyed my surroundings as I walked.
Why did they have to go through all this trouble...
I just wanted to sleep, but they insisted on holding a welcoming banquet.
I couldn't skip it either, given my position.
Just as I was about to quietly sit down in the empty seat...
Clatter!
Suddenly, the sound of something shattering echoed through the room.
Naturally, I turned my head toward the sound.
"...N-No way—!"
Over there stood an elegant noblewoman, her hands trembling in shock as she stared at me.
What's going on...?
I stared back, wondering what was happening.
"B-Brother..."
Brother?
"Brother Bang...?"
"...Excuse me?"
At the woman's words, the noisy hall instantly fell dead silent.