The Poison Sovereign's Request
["Uh... right. Sure."]
The Poison Sovereign sounded slightly taken aback.
["...What on earth are we going to do with him?"]
Yoo Chun-gil let out a deep sigh, shaking his head in dismay.
Seeing their reactions, it was my turn to be dumbfounded.
No, seriously, it's a Great Pill of the Shaolin Temple. Am I supposed to just say no?
The Great Pill was a legendary elixir, ranked at the absolute pinnacle of all spiritual medicines in the Central Plains.
It was something money couldn't buy. You would be lucky to catch a glimpse of one even at the grand martial tournaments hosted by the Martial Alliance.
If I were to sell it...
I could secure enough wealth to live comfortably for the rest of my life.
I would never have to worry about money again until the day I died.
Of course, that was assuming one thing.
...As long as my father doesn't find out.
If the Bang family caught wind of it, there was no telling what those greedy bastards would do with it. I had to keep it a secret.
But what if I didn't sell it? What if I consumed it instead?
...I would become incredibly powerful.
There was a reason martial artists sang praises of the Great Pill day and night.
It felt like a bit of a waste to stuff such a treasure into this trash body of mine, but whether I sold it or ate it, this was an astronomical opportunity either way.
"So, Elder. I am all ears. Would you care to explain, at your own pace, what it is you need me to do?"
["Uh... well..."]
The Poison Sovereign wore a bizarre expression at my sudden shift in attitude, glancing over at Yoo Chun-gil.
["...Is he always like this?"]
["I am deeply embarrassed right now... Do not speak to me."]
Yoo Chun-gil averted his gaze as if he couldn't bear to hold his head up.
Seeing this, a smirk played on the Poison Sovereign's lips.
["You swore up and down that you would never take a disciple, yet in death, you chose a successor who is your spitting image."]
["Who are you calling my successor?"]
Yoo Chun-gil furrowed his brows in irritation.
["I am merely utilizing him out of sheer, absolute necessity. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have spared him a single glance."]
"Old man. I can hear you. You know that, right...?"
["On top of that, he is incredibly disobedient, and despite having absolutely nothing to his name, his arrogance knows no bounds..."]
"I said I can hear you, you old geezer!"
["Sigh..."]
As Yoo Chun-gil relentlessly badmouthed me right to my face, the Poison Sovereign cackled in amusement.
Then, he turned his gaze back to me, seeing my disgusted expression.
["Child."]
"Yes, respected Elder."
["You can cut the flattery now."]
"Ah, shall I?"
["..."]
The Poison Sovereign seemed slightly thrown off by my instantaneous shift in demeanor. Why? I only did it because he looked like he wanted me to.
["...A-Anyway, will you grant my request?"]
"I will have to hear it first before I decide."
If it was some ridiculously difficult task, I wouldn't do it even for a Great Pill.
When I made my stance clear, the Poison Sovereign nodded and continued.
["I know you will be entering the Secret Vault. My request is for you to bring out a certain item from within."]
"An item...?"
["Yes."]
"What kind of item is it?"
["A sword."]
"A sword?"
I frowned at his words.
A sword...?
"You want me to bring a sword out of the Secret Vault?"
["Correct."]
"..."
Receiving his confirmation, I stroked my chin with my index finger.
A single sword from the Secret Vault.
It didn't sound like a particularly difficult condition. If doing just that could net me a Great Pill...
It's definitely a sweet deal, but...
The problem was...
"How am I supposed to bring it out?"
The location in question was the Poison Sovereign's Secret Vault.
Not only did I have no idea what was inside, but there was no way I would be allowed to just walk out with whatever I pleased.
Especially a sword.
There was no way the Poison King, Dang Gyeong-ak, would permit such a thing.
However...
["Do not worry. I have a way."]
The Poison Sovereign replied to my concern with a calm expression.
["Child, all you have to do is pick it up and walk out. It is as simple as that."]
"...And you're giving me a Great Pill for something that simple?"
["Yes."]
"..."
The Poison Sovereign spoke with absolute certainty, but the more he did, the deeper my suspicions grew.
Why?
Why on earth?
If he was willing to give me a Great Pill just for bringing it to him, what kind of sword was this?
"Hmm..."
I fell into deep thought.
Then, I shifted my gaze to Yoo Chun-gil.
The old man merely stared back at me with a blank expression, resting his chin on his hand.
It was as if he was saying:
Go ahead, make your choice.
He looked like he was just waiting to see what I would decide.
...Damn old geezer.
Would it kill him to help me out a bit? He always pulled this crap at times like this.
"Whew."
I let out a sigh and spoke to the Poison Sovereign.
"...Alright, let's do it."
There were many things to consider, but I made my choice for now.
Funnily enough, my reasoning was simple.
...Well, things will work out somehow.
Rather than overthinking it, I figured that even if things went south, that demon-like old man would bail me out.
It was a decision born entirely of a "whatever happens, happens" mindset.
Upon hearing my answer, the Poison Sovereign vanished, leaving behind a brief word of thanks.
Afterward, I was left alone with Yoo Chun-gil to talk.
As we chatted about this and that...
["You asked the girl to forge a sword for you?"]
Rather than the Poison Sovereign's Secret Vault or the repairs to Man-wol, Yoo Chun-gil reacted to my meeting with Dang Ye-ran.
"Yes."
["And? Did she agree to do it?"]
"Yeah. She said she would."
When I added that she had practically begged me to let her do it, Yoo Chun-gil's face soured.
What was that about? Why was he making such a disgusted face?
["...What a rotten world we live in."]
"...What do you mean by that?"
["I should have ground all those handsome-faced bastards to dust."]
"That is an incredibly violent thing to say for someone who saved the world."
It was truly chilling.
Yoo Chun-gil grumbled in response.
["Then what do you plan to do with the Dark Iron Sword?"]
"The Dark Iron Sword...? Ah."
I had temporarily forgotten about that.
Before coming to Sichuan, Yoo Chun-gil had promised to give me a Dark Iron Sword as a reward for a bet involving his secret stash.
"Come on. That has nothing to do with this."
Who knew when Dang Ye-ran would actually finish forging her sword?
Besides, it wasn't like I had to use every single sword made for me.
Still, there's no way it could be better than a Dark Iron Sword.
We were talking about Dark Iron here.
A sword made from one of the few metals that could rival Cold Iron.
No matter how much soul Dang Ye-ran poured into her craft...
...The quality of the materials dictates the quality of the blade.
That was an immutable law of blacksmithing.
["So, your conclusion is to take both?"]
"Isn't it always best to take everything you can get?"
["Your stomach will burst from greed, you brat."]
"My digestion is actually quite excellent, despite how I look."
["Haha..."]
Since I refused to back down even an inch, Yoo Chun-gil let out a hollow laugh in disbelief.
["Is that why you agreed to that fool's request as well? Just to take everything?"]
I didn't have to think hard about who the "fool" was.
"Do you mean the Poison Sovereign?"
There was only one person Yoo Chun-gil would refer to like that, after all.
"Well, he's offering a Great Pill. Of course I have to do it."
["Without even knowing what might be waiting for you?"]
"There's bound to be something. But if push comes to shove, I trust you'll do something about it, old man."
["...Ha, what a shamelessly brazen expectation."]
"If it were truly dangerous, you would have stopped me, wouldn't you?"
If it was somewhere I shouldn't go or if it was too risky, he would have warned me.
But instead of doing that, he just stood by and watched to see what I would do.
"Doesn't that mean you want me to try?"
["Tsk tsk... You are overinterpreting. I was simply too lazy to intervene, so I just watched."]
"Ah, yes. Of course you were."
As if I'd believe that.
I was too lazy to argue, so I kept the retort to myself.
In any case...
"Whatever the case may be, I think a single Great Pill makes it well worth the attempt."
If I could obtain the Great Pill...
It was worth a shot.
When I spoke with that determination...
["Why do you assume it will only be one?"]
"Huh?"
Yoo Chun-gil spoke as if my assumption was laughable.
["Did I not tell you? The Dang Clan has plenty of things ripe for the taking. There is no way it is just a sword."]
"..."
["And yet, you are satisfied with a single Great Pill? Tsk, tsk. Your ambition is far too small."]
"...Ha."
A chuckle escaped my lips before I could stop it.
"Didn't you just tell me my stomach would burst from greed?"
["And did you not reply that your digestion was excellent? Why? Are you scared?"]
"Come on. As if."
I smiled, meeting Yoo Chun-gil's glowing blue eyes.
"I've never been one to turn down free handouts."
["Now that is a rather fine disposition."]
"Hehehehe."
["Kyahahaha!"]
Greedy laughter echoed through the chamber, lit only by a single lantern.
It was perhaps the moment of greatest harmony between me and the old man since we had met.
A few days flew by in the blink of an eye.
The date the Poison King had mentioned had finally arrived.
Time had truly flown like an arrow.
"...Ugh..."
I stepped outside, trying to shake off my persistent fatigue.
It was even worse because I had been tossing and turning for the past few nights.
"I'm going to die at this rate."
I grimaced, rolling my stiff shoulders.
After pushing myself through consecutive days of training, my body felt completely broken.
Ah, I should have taken it easy.
I ended up in this state because I tried to push my limits for no good reason.
This is why people shouldn't overexert themselves.
...I got too excited after hearing about the Great Pill.
Because things seemed to be going my way, I had overstepped my bounds.
As a result, muscle aches flared up all over my body.
"Ugh."
Suppressing the pain, I forced myself to walk. When I stepped outside, someone was already waiting for me by the door.
Seeing them, I lightly licked my lips.
The realization that the time had come made me feel a bit tense.
Upon spotting me, the man leading the group spoke.
"My name is Mun Geuk-yeon of the Poison Shadow Unit."
"I am Bang Seong-yeon."
"We have come under the orders of the Clan Leader. I will be guiding you, Young Master Bang."
The men greeted me with polite bows.
I nodded in response.
"Yes. I look forward to your guidance."
"Please excuse us for a moment."
With those words, my vision was obscured.
They had covered my eyes with a blindfold.
I wasn't surprised, as this was something they had already explained beforehand.
"We shall move now."
They slowly led me along.
It felt like we walked for about fifteen minutes.
We repeatedly went up and down, climbing stairs out of nowhere only to descend again shortly after.
They were likely taking a roundabout route to disorient me, but I wondered just how far we had to go.
Just as that thought crossed my mind...
"We have arrived."
The words I had been waiting for reached my ears, and my vision cleared once more.
This place is...
A few lanterns cast a dim light over the area.
The floor was made of rough stone, and the entire space was enclosed by stone walls.
Looking back, I saw a pitch-black entrance. We must have come through there.
...This is a bit intimidating.
If the Dang Clan decided to secretly murder me here, no one would ever find out.
...Where are we?
I wondered about our location.
Since I had been brought here blindfolded, I couldn't pinpoint where we were, but...
["Directly beneath the Clan Leader's office."]
"..."
Yoo Chun-gil calmly provided the answer.
["Why go through all the trouble of taking a detour? They could have just walked straight here... Tsk. The Dang Clan bastards are all weirdos, every single one of them."]
I did my best to ignore Yoo Chun-gil as he clicked his tongue repeatedly, and shifted my gaze.
On the opposite side of the entrance, standing near a wall that seemed to block the path, someone was watching me.
It was the head of the Dang Clan, the Poison King, Dang Gyeong-ak.
"You have arrived."
"Clan Leader Dang."
"I apologize for the discourtesy, but it was necessary for security."
"Not at all."
I smiled awkwardly at the Poison King's apology.
...I already know exactly where we are anyway.
I bowed politely to the Poison King while subtly scanning my surroundings.
There weren't many people here.
Seven in total, including the Poison King?
Four of them wore veils, making it impossible to discern their gender or age.
The only ones showing their faces were the Poison King and the remaining two individuals.
The expressions of those two were quite peculiar.
They looked completely bewildered, as if they had no idea why they were standing there.
Just then...
"...Young Master Bang?"
One of the two standing in a daze, Cheon Ui-jin, called out to me in surprise.
If he was here, then the identity of the other person was obvious.
"Bang Seong-yeon."
Hearing the young man's voice, I looked at him and smiled.
He was a martial artist of the Sowol Squadron who had accompanied me to Sichuan.
He was my direct senior, and...
"What... is going on here?"
...the man who would serve as my lucky charm for this mission: Do-hyeong.