The Poison Within
“This color, these black spots scattered throughout… and most importantly, this smell.”
It was Yakseon who spoke.
“There’s Sahyeolcho mixed in here.”
“Sahyeolcho?”
“I once read an old text left behind by the Demonic Cult. It’s a type of poisonous herb mainly used in the unorthodox sects. It numbs the mind, and with prolonged use, the soul gradually collapses until only an empty shell remains. Originally, it was employed for torture and brainwashing.”
A chill ran down my spine at his words.
‘What? Then Namgung I-hwa… Ju Sang-jin?’
No. That couldn’t possibly be true.
Namgung I-hwa was someone who lived solely for Ju Sang-jin.
Still, I needed solid evidence.
I immediately headed back to Ju Sang-jin’s quarters with Yakseon.
Before we even entered, Yakseon frowned deeply as he caught the lingering scent.
“Good heavens. The smell is this thick? Is this a torture chamber?”
“It isn’t. This is my second brother’s room.”
“Hah. For the scent of Sahyeolcho to be this strong in a young master’s quarters…”
Yakseon shook his head in disbelief, yet he still stepped inside without hesitation.
“You…!”
Ju Sang-jin lunged at us again in a fit, but I lightly struck the back of his neck and knocked him unconscious before laying him gently in the center of the room.
“Please examine him.”
“Hah, there’s nothing to examine. He’s already been poisoned.”
Yakseon identified Ju Sang-jin’s condition at a glance. Even so, he personally checked the young master’s pupils and pulse to observe his state in greater detail.
His demeanor while treating a patient was quite different from his usual mischievous self.
“Fortunately, it seems he hasn’t been taking it for long.”
“Can you detoxify him?”
“What? Who do you take me for?”
Yakseon rolled up his sleeves and thumped his chest confidently.
“Detoxifying Sahyeolcho isn’t particularly difficult. The real problem is…”
“Problem?”
“They mixed something else in with it. That’s why I said it felt similar to a Hwanhondan. It’s alike, yet clearly different.”
“So it’s difficult?”
“It’ll just take some time.”
I nodded at Yakseon’s words. The issue would be if detoxification were impossible, but the fact that it could be done—regardless of how long it took—was what mattered.
“Please prepare the antidote. If you give Lady Danhui the list of ingredients needed, she’ll procure them right away.”
“Haha, very well. Ahem. Still, for the young master of the Ju Family to end up like this… This is going to cause quite the scandal.”
“……Indeed.”
A sigh escaped me. Yet the real problem lay elsewhere.
‘This is different from my previous life.’
In my past life, Ju Sang-jin had never been in this state.
No—the entire sequence of events had diverged from the very beginning, starting with the martial competition.
‘Because I won. And humiliated him in the process…’
Was that why the future had changed?
‘No. The overall flow hasn’t shifted.’
The fact that the family head and eldest brother chose to travel the martial world after the competition remained unchanged.
‘It changed because I intervened.’
Because I, who already knew the future, had altered the course of events.
And Yakseon, who now stood beside me, was another example.
Originally, I was supposed to meet him by pure chance when I came of age. This time, however, I had sought him out.
Perhaps divergences from my previous life were inevitable.
The traitor within the Ju Family.
Starting with the former leader of the Baekryongdae, I suspected Sa-an Gwi-gun was the mastermind behind it all.
‘Good. Since I’ve already decided to change things, I might as well do it properly.’
I turned to Yakseon.
“There’s somewhere I need to go. Please return and rest, Elder.”
“Eh? Where are you off to now?”
“I have something to confirm. You should go ahead.”
As I spoke, I gave Muyoung a meaningful glance.
“I’ll escort him back.”
Muyoung promptly led Yakseon away. I let out a small sigh as I looked at the unconscious Ju Sang-jin, then left the room as well.
I hadn’t wanted to see someone reduced to such a state. The Ju Family needed every member to unite their strength.
Of course, the traitors were excluded. Those parasites had to be eradicated.
They were vermin who siphoned vital information from within the family and offered it to the Demonic Cult like offerings.
Whoosh!
I immediately launched myself toward Namgung I-hwa’s quarters.
* * *
Late at night.
I spent the entire day observing Namgung I-hwa’s movements. She remained holed up in her quarters without so much as stepping outside. Not a single person entered or left.
‘But something was strange.’
The problem was the constant sound of voices coming from inside.
‘Who on earth is she talking to?’
Even more suspicious was the fact that no one besides Namgung I-hwa herself was visible within the quarters. No one entered, and no one exited.
‘Well, mere suspicion won’t yield answers.’
I lay down where I was. It seemed I would have to confront her directly. With my thoughts still in disarray, there was nothing else I could do.
The next day.
As soon as dawn broke, I sought out Yakseon and headed straight for Namgung I-hwa’s quarters with him in tow.
However…
“You may not enter.”
A guard blocked our path at the entrance. The same man who hadn’t noticed me when I snuck in earlier now made openly entering far more difficult.
“Why not?”
I glared at the guard as I spoke. He wasn’t one of the Ju Family’s warriors. Namgung I-hwa, whose pride reached the very heavens, had brought her own guards from the Namgung Family. Even the family head, finding it awkward to have warriors from another sect within the Ju Family, had permitted only one—and this man was the result.
For a mere guard, his skill was considerable.
‘Peak realm.’
One might wonder who would assign such a valuable Peak-level expert as a guard, but this was Namgung I-hwa. She was the sole beloved daughter of Namgung Yeom, head of the Namgung Family. Her father’s affection might well extend beyond even a Peak expert.
“The lady has forbidden anyone from entering.”
“I can’t even offer my mother a simple greeting? I am her son, after all.”
“……It is not permitted.”
The guard was resolute. For a moment, I considered subduing him, but a far better option stood right beside me.
I flashed an ominous smile at Yakseon, who was staring blankly, then addressed the guard.
“This is Elder Yakseon. He wishes to pay his respects to my mother.”
“……Eh?”
“My apologies, Elder Yakseon. I should have informed you beforehand……”
Before Yakseon could protest, I quickly covered his mouth. Fortunately, the quick-witted elder shot me a glare before letting out a deliberate cough and playing along.
“Yakseon……?”
The guard’s expression shifted. He swiftly scanned Yakseon from head to toe with sharp eyes.
“Are you truly the Yakseon of the Heavenly Pair of Immortals?”
“Do you think I’d drag some beggar here just to pull a stunt like this?”
I could feel Yakseon glaring at me, but I ignored it.
“……I’ll inform the lady. Please wait a moment.”
After all, this was the renowned Yakseon of the Heavenly Pair of Immortals. Few could even hope to meet him, yet here he was, personally coming to pay his respects. If this were a lie, the youngest young master would face severe punishment for daring to misuse the elder’s name.
“You little bastard, what the hell are you doing? And what was that about a beggar?”
The moment the guard disappeared, Yakseon exploded in fury.
“Your words are excessive. If I’m a bastard, does that make the family head—who is called the Sword Venerable—a bastard as well?”
“Y-You brat! That’s not what I meant!”
Yakseon flustered. I chuckled and turned my gaze away.
The guard soon reappeared.
“Please come in. The lady will see you.”
“Thank you.”
Thus, Yakseon and I were granted entry into Namgung I-hwa’s quarters.
* * *
The moment I stepped inside, every hair on my body stood on end.
‘What is this unpleasant sensation?’
Yakseon seemed to feel it as well. He immediately furrowed his brow and whispered to me.
“This place is even worse than that young master’s quarters.”
“……It is.”
A foul stench seeped into my nostrils. Unlike Ju Sang-jin’s room, this one carried a far more damp, deeply repulsive odor.
Eventually, we were led into Namgung I-hwa’s chamber.
She wore white silk robes, her dark hair neatly braided to one side. Her eyes, as they regarded us, held a chill colder than glacial ice. Though her lips curved into a smile, her gaze toward me was filled with unmistakable venom.
“I greet my stepmother.”
“……Yes.”
Namgung I-hwa answered reluctantly. Her eyes immediately shifted to Yakseon.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Namgung I-hwa.”
“Hoho. The lady of the Ju Family is every bit as beautiful as the rumors claim.”
Yakseon spoke with exaggerated politeness as he took a seat.
“Now then, what business might you have with me?”
Namgung I-hwa asked politely. The name of the Heavenly Pair of Immortals was not something even she could treat lightly.
“Well…… I, that is…… um……”
Yakseon faltered. He had been dragged here against his will, after all.
“I brought him, Mother.”
“……”
Before Yakseon could make a mistake in his confusion, I quickly cut in. Namgung I-hwa’s gaze turned to me.
“You? Why?”
“You’ve seemed unwell lately, so I thought I’d have some medicine prepared for you.”
“What nonsense. Since when have you ever cared about me?”
Even with an outsider present, Namgung I-hwa made no effort to hide her venom.
“Go and behave yourself. Whether you read a book or go do something else, know that not a single person in this house cares about you.”
“Yes, yes. I’ll do that. Before that, though……”
I adjusted my expression and grabbed Namgung I-hwa’s wrist.
“W-What do you think you’re doing?”
Startled, Namgung I-hwa let out a sharp cry. The door burst open, and the guard from earlier rushed in. He seized my hand and spoke in a low, urgent voice.
“Young master, release her.”
“Move.”
“I said release her.”
“Hah, this is getting annoying.”
This damned guard couldn’t even properly assess the situation. This was the Ju Family. A Namgung warrior had no place interfering here.
“What are you doing? Drag this brat out immediately!”
Namgung I-hwa shouted sharply at the guard. He reached for his sword hilt.
That was when it happened.
“Don’t draw that.”
Muyoung’s low growl came from outside the door.
“The moment you draw your sword, blood will rain in this room. Is that what you want?”
At Muyoung’s question, the guard frowned and looked to Namgung I-hwa.
“What are you waiting for? Just draw it! Throw them out or kill them—do whatever you want!”
Her eyes wavered for an instant. A slight tremor ran through her, and her lips twitched as though something were trying to burst forth.
“……!”
At Namgung I-hwa’s words, the guard flinched. Ordering someone’s death had clearly crossed a line.
“See? Your master isn’t in her right mind right now.”
I spoke quietly to the guard.
“Will you withdraw and keep silent? Or will you wait until this lady suffers something far worse?”
“……”
His hand trembled on the sword hilt. The face of his master reflected in his eyes was no longer that of the noble lady he once knew.
Witnessing the guard’s reaction confirmed that something was indeed amiss. Moreover, the moment I channeled my energy into Namgung I-hwa’s wrist, I felt a strange current.
It was chilling and cold, yet strangely persistent and clinging—a truly filthy sensation.
‘Demonic qi.’
It was demonic qi, but of a slightly different quality.
‘Could it be……?’
Sa-an Gwi-gun.
Was this his demonic qi?
In the end, the guard stepped back. I pressed Namgung I-hwa’s pressure points as she screamed, forcing her into unconsciousness. The flustered guard tried to move again, but this time Muyoung drew his sword without hesitation.
“Elder Yakseon will examine her. If you truly care for your master, cooperation would be wise.”
The guard could offer no response. This wasn’t how things should have gone, but there was no choice.
“Hah.”
Yakseon’s expression grew grave as he checked the unconscious Namgung I-hwa’s pulse. It was markedly different from when he had examined Ju Sang-jin.
He looked at me with a serious face.
“Just who have you been fighting all this time?”