Chapter 120
The Poison King, Gongsun Gak.
In his youth, he was a promising famous doctor in Foshan, Guangdong.
But after his old mother was bitten by a seven-spotted snake while gathering medicinal herbs and died, he devoted himself to studying poison…
For seventeen years.
Through the secret book of the <Complete Collection of Ten Thousand Poisons>, which he had obtained by chance, he was able to be reborn as the world’s best detoxification expert and a master of poison arts.
However.
Power does not last ten years, and a flower does not bloom for ten days…
The brilliant golden age did not last long.
Although the Poison King’s poison arts covered the world in fear, there was a clear limit to what he could do with his own abilities in the Jianghu, which was dominated by huge forces.
Moreover, in the underlying psychology of martial artists, there was a certain sense of anxiety about poison, as well as a deep sense of disgust.
The Sichuan Tang Clan was an exception because it was a ‘group force’ with a long history and vast power, but the Poison King was just an individual, so the resentment and public anger against him grew day by day.
Therefore, the Poison King, who was in deep thought, devised a plan.
It was to defeat the God of War, Moyong Cheon, who was enjoying the greatest fame of his time.
But that plan became a failure.
Although he had prepared for the duel with great effort, he was defeated because he could not handle the God of War’s Ten-Second Invincible Arts.
After that, he retired to Yunnan and spent a long time as the master of the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons.
And the current Poison King.
‘…What kind of shameless bastard is this?’
He couldn’t help but be bewildered.
“Hehet.”
The young uninvited guest, who had been arguing without losing a single word, smiled bashfully as soon as he heard his name.
“…You annoying brat. Why don’t you growl like you did before?”
“Aww! Senior. You know?”
“What… what do you mean you know?!”
“First, can’t we go to a quiet place and talk it over?”
“What senior! Why am I your senior?! And where is there a quiet place!”
“You said you were the owner of this place, right? Then you must have a house.”
“Suddenly? You want to go to my house?”
“Then where do we go? Is there a tavern or a teahouse in this remote jungle? There’s nothing…”
“Y-You… you shameless and impudent!”
“Aww! Let’s just go. I’ll tell you when we get there. Okay?”
“You…”
He felt like he was going to be speechless from being so dumbfounded and flabbergasted.
But the Poison King felt a strange curiosity.
The spear he had thrown at the elephant was imbued with a strong true ki.
Considering that he had knocked it away as if it were nothing, So-ah’s martial arts must have at least reached the peerless realm.
Moreover, he had been lonely in his remote mountain life, so the deep nostalgia for the ‘human’ he had met after a long time must have played a part…
In the end, the Poison King.
“If you’ve come here for no good reason and caused trouble. You’ll be punished!”
Although he spat out curses, he took So-ah and Jeon Woo-chi to his mountain villa.
***
“So. You guys were dispatched from the Martial Alliance. And currently, the key figures of the Martial Alliance have been hit by the Ten Fragrances Tendon Severing Powder and are unable to use their internal energy… is that what you’re saying?”
“Yes!”
“So what?”
“What do you mean, so what? Of course, you have to give us the Tathagata Grass, which is the main ingredient of the antidote. Hahahat.”
“Why should I?”
“Yes?!”
“So, the Orthodox Path brats are poisoned. What does that have to do with me that I should give you the Tathagata Grass?”
“Ah…”
It wasn’t that he hadn’t expected it.
So-ah, and Jeon Woo-chi.
They knew that the master of the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons was an eccentric old man called the Poison King, and they didn’t even expect him to easily give them the Tathagata Grass.
Therefore, So-ah had been treating the Poison King with extreme politeness, using a little more forced charm and friendliness than usual.
But now that he was trying to persuade him, his mind went blank.
Because the Poison King, who had never had any connection to the Orthodox Path, had no obligation to give them the Tathagata Grass, and even if he did, he would not easily hand over such a precious spiritual grass.
“Alright. Then, senior. Let’s do this.”
“…?”
“I won’t ask you to give me the Tathagata Grass. Instead, it’s okay if I dig it up myself, right?”
“What? You annoying brat! I am the master of the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons. How dare you dig up the Tathagata Grass as you please?”
“Do you have a land deed?”
“What?!”
“I’m asking if you have a document that specifies that this Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons is your land.”
So-ah, who had judged that further conversation with the Poison King would be meaningless, changed his attitude without a moment’s hesitation.
‘You really… your personality… what are you going to do?’
Jeon Woo-chi’s face turned red, as if he was dumbfounded.
But So-ah didn’t care whether he did or not.
“Senior. It may seem like I’m being unreasonable, but in fact, I’m not at all. This matter is, on a small scale, a matter of many people’s lives, and on a large scale, a matter of the existence of the entire Jianghu. If you insist, I have no choice but to take my own measures…”
“What did you say…”
“If I can’t get the Tathagata Grass. The entire Jianghu will be ruined.”
“What do you mean by that?”
For a moment, the Poison King’s brow furrowed.
***
So-ah and Jeon Woo-chi explained the incidents related to the White Lotus Cult to the Poison King step by step.
Only then did a change occur in the Poison King’s heart, and he seemed to be in deep thought.
So-ah, not missing the opportunity, added.
“Senior. You understand, right? What will happen to the world if such wicked people seize power? Although you were not a member of a prestigious orthodox sect, you were once a person who was involved in the Jianghu, weren’t you?”
At that.
“What is your identity?”
“I am the great disciple of the Moyong Family. My name is Jin So-ah.”
“The… the great disciple of the Moyong Family? Then what is your relationship with the Great Hero God of War?”
“I am his top disciple. Although I don’t have the Moyong surname, I am registered with the Moyong family.”
In that moment.
The Poison King’s shoulders trembled slightly.
His eyes were filled with deep regret and longing.
“Are you really the disciple of the God of War?”
“I told you so.”
“Then you must have been taught the Ten-Second Invincible Arts?”
“Of course. The Great Whale Heart Law, the ten ultimate techniques of the Ten-Second Invincible Arts, as well as medical arts, massage, and the method of making medicinal water. I am the one who has inherited everything from my grandfather.”
“Then the story changes.”
“Yes?”
“Follow me.”
***
After following the Poison King for a shichen.
A majestic waterfall that spewed out a vast stream of water and a valley with all kinds of strange-looking plants appeared before the eyes of So-ah and Jeon Woo-chi.
‘I can’t close my mouth.’
‘It’s truly a magnificent view.’
It wasn’t a brilliant landscape with a flower garden with pretty leaves falling one by one or a pond where brocade carp played.
But in the mysterious atmosphere of the valley, which was different from the Central Plains and had a pleasant sense of unfamiliarity.
So-ah and Jeon Woo-chi, as if they were great explorers, looked around with shining eyes.
Just then.
The Poison King, who was staring into the air, spoke in a low voice.
“Although I have turned my back on the world, I can never forget two people in my life. Do you know who they are?”
“…”
“…”
So-ah and Jeon Woo-chi, who could not have known, watched him in silence.
“One is my mother, and the other is the God of War, Moyong Cheon.”
“My grandfather?”
“In the past, I was foolish. I once wanted to defeat the God of War and rule the world. Therefore, I went so far as to request a duel with him.”
At the unexpected story of his grandfather, So-ah couldn’t help but listen attentively.
“My poison arts were worthy of being called the best in the Jianghu. But I could not reach the God of War. Therefore, in order to defeat him, I resorted to a despicable trick…”
“A despicable trick?”
“Yes. I tried to poison the God of War when there were seven days left until the duel. As a result, the God of War was poisoned by the Ten Fragrances Tendon Severing Powder on the day of the duel.”
It was a shocking fact.
Moreover, So-ah’s eyes widened at the fact that the poison was coincidentally the Ten Fragrances Tendon Severing Powder.
“You can’t use your internal energy if you’re poisoned by the Ten Fragrances Tendon Severing Powder, right?”
“That’s right.”
“But how…”
“He…”
“…”
“He subdued me without using his internal energy.”
‘Ah…!’
‘My goodness…!’
So-ah and Jeon Woo-chi couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
The Poison King was a supreme master who had once ruled the world with his poison arts…
But Moyong Cheon had subdued such a Poison King with only his external arts, so it was natural that a great wave arose in the hearts of So-ah and Jeon Woo-chi.
“What’s more ridiculous is that the God of War forgave me even though he knew everything. And he told me. Not to accumulate any more evil karma. Not to harm people with poison. After that day, I came down to Yunnan and became the master of the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons.”
In front of the secret story he had never heard from anyone, So-ah had a complicated feeling.
The Poison King’s trick was despicable and deserved to be blamed, but it was a thing of the past, and the current Poison King himself was reminiscing about Moyong Cheon and expressing his respect, so he couldn’t just blame him.
“Did you say your name is So-ah?”
“Yes.”
“I am indebted to the God of War. So, I want to grant you what you want.”
“Really? Elder?”
“That’s right.”
“You’ve thought well.”
“But unfortunately, I don’t have the Tathagata Grass.”
“What on earth is that…”
“To get the Tathagata Grass, you have to cross that cave.”
The Poison King pointed to a large cave beyond the waterfall with his finger.
‘Is this old man playing with me right now?!’
It was the moment when a vein popped out on So-ah’s forehead.
***
After hearing the Poison King’s explanation once, So-ah and Jeon Woo-chi nodded their heads and understood his words.
“I see… I thought it was too quiet and nothing special for a place called one of the three great forbidden areas of the world.”
“That’s right.”
The two had thought that the entire valley they were currently in, including the hut where the Poison King lived, was the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons.
But that was just a misunderstanding.
It turned out that the real ‘Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons’ was the cave beyond the waterfall that the Poison King had pointed to.
“It’s a pity, but inside that cave, there are terrifying bats that suck blood regardless of whether they are beasts or humans, and it’s teeming with strange poisonous insects and poisonous snakes. Moreover, not a single ray of light can pass through that cave, and since stone water gushes out from all directions, you can’t even light a fire.”
The Poison King’s face was infinitely distorted as he said that.
So-ah, hearing the reality of the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons, got goosebumps.
“Ugh, what a disgusting place.”
“So, how can you get the Tathagata Grass…”
“But I have to get it.”
“What did you say?”
“Even if there’s something worse than bats, poisonous snakes, and poisonous insects in there, I have to go in and get the Tathagata Grass.”
“You… are you confident?”
“Hah! Senior. I am the disciple of the God of War. Yes?”
“Hoho… you crazy brat.”
“I get that a lot.”
The Poison King was at a loss for words at So-ah’s wit.
“I know your martial arts are outstanding. Since you are the successor of the Ten-Second Invincible Arts, it’s only natural. But it’s impossible to get the Tathagata Grass by defeating the demonic beasts in a dark space where no light can enter. If you had realized the peerless realm and achieved the mysterious realm, it might be a different story.”
“No.”
“…”
“Of course, I haven’t achieved the peerless realm or the mysterious realm that you mentioned, senior. But at least the darkness is not a problem for me.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Have you heard of the heart lamp?”
“The heart lamp…”
The heart lamp.
It was a word that referred to the lamp of the heart.
The Ten-Second Invincible Arts aimed for the heart lamp in its ultimate form.
Therefore, So-ah had achieved the limit of reflexes that humans could not reach through extreme physical training, such as wandering through mountain paths with his eyes covered and being beaten.
Of course, he had not reached the level of perceiving things with the lamp of his heart as the expression ‘heart lamp’ suggested, but the essence of the Ten-Second Invincible Arts was to gradually approach the heart lamp as this training was repeated.
“Esteemed Poison King.”
“…”
“Um. I will go.”
In that moment.
A mysterious sound, as if recalling a divine summons, was imprinted in So-ah’s mind.
[O chosen one of the Ghost Valley Mountain Manor. Do you wish to challenge the trial of the second room?]
It was an old.
But a familiar summons.
‘Could this place be… the second room of the Ghost Valley Mountain Manor?!’