Chapter 123
"I can't take it anymore! I have to go in myself!"
"You Taoist brat. Didn't you say your magical power is still weak? That's the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons. You'll probably have all your blood sucked by the vampire bats and not even leave a corpse behind."
"I have decided to share life and death with So-ah, so I am not attached to the matter of living or dying."
"Hah... that fellow, his loyalty is truly something else."
"Because So-ah would have done the same for me."
A considerable amount of time had passed since So-ah entered the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons.
Jeon Woo-chi, anxious from the beginning, seemed to have finally decided to enter the cave himself.
However.
"Stop. Don't go in and just become a burden."
The Poison King stopped Jeon Woo-chi.
In truth, he didn't care whether Jeon Woo-chi lived or died, but So-ah was the disciple of his benefactor, Moyong Cheon, and he was moved by Jeon Woo-chi's conviction to enter the perilous place, willing to face death for the sake of loyalty.
"...But."
"If that fellow is truly the disciple of the God of War, then even though the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons is one of the three great forbidden zones of the world, he will be safe."
"Elder..."
"Good intentions do not always guarantee the right results. Your good intentions could, on the contrary, become a poison to that child."
"Ah...!"
While fidgeting, Jeon Woo-chi was inwardly surprised by the Poison King's eloquence.
He had been impressed by his auspicious physiognomy when he first saw him, but had been somewhat disappointed by his frivolous behavior...
But after arriving at this waterfall, the side of the Poison King he showed while reminiscing about his past with the God of War held the image of a martial artist who had dominated an era, as well as the image of a master who boasted the world's best knowledge of poison.
"But I can't help but feel uneasy..."
"Did you say your name is Jeon Woo-chi?"
"Yes, Elder."
"Let's wait for another half shichen."
"..."
"If So-ah doesn't come out even after that, I will enter the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons with you."
"Elder!"
At the Poison King's words, Jeon Woo-chi stared at him with admiring eyes.
At that.
"Keke. Don't be surprised. If I'm lucky enough to come out alive, I want to catch a vampire bat and use it for research, so stop looking at me with those burdensome eyes, you Taoist brat."
Although he said that, Jeon Woo-chi could tell.
Perhaps the Poison King was not the eccentric and ill-tempered person or the villain that rumors made him out to be.
***
"Ugh... hmm..."
So-ah had a dream.
A dream of running across a golden bridge in the middle of the sea under the gray sky unique to the dream world...
But it turned out that the golden bridge was not a real bridge, but the back of a giant sea dragon.
The sea dragon instantly scattered a brilliant golden light and powerfully ascended into the sky.
Even for someone who was ignorant of dream interpretation, it was truly an auspicious dream.
Of course, the reason So-ah had such a dream...
"Heh... hehe... my treasure..."
...was the result of the joy from the reward of the second room, which he had witnessed just before fainting, being reflected even in his subconscious...
And.
"My treasure!!!"
Shaking off the drowsiness, So-ah's eyes shot open.
In that moment.
"Kik-kigik?"
So-ah discovered a baby beast on top of his body.
"Gasp! W-What? What is this!"
Although he was startled, a look of affection soon filled So-ah's eyes.
"Hmm... it looks like a monkey. Is it an animal that only grows in Yunnan?"
So-ah slowly extended his hand towards the beast.
At that, the baby beast brought its head forward and began to rub it against him.
"Look at that little one's charm. Keke. It's so cute I could die."
The animals he had seen in Yunnan all strongly stimulated So-ah's tastes.
The elephant was one, and now even this monkey-like baby beast.
"Kik-kik!"
As if it had noticed his feelings, the baby beast burrowed into So-ah's arms and licked his face like a puppy.
"Ah! Hey! That tickles! Hahat."
So-ah, who even kept a great white tiger, Huidungi, as a pet at home, how cute must this sight have looked to him?
But now was not the time to be wasting time watching a mere beast's antics.
"Now, little one? Be good, okay? Your big brother is very busy right now."
At the same time, So-ah pushed the baby beast away and immediately walked over to where the Vajra Copper Men had vaporized.
As expected, the three wooden carvings he had seen when he fainted were there, glowing with a brilliant light.
"Thank you! Thank you, Grandpa Wi-ji!"
So-ah once again expressed his gratitude to the Heavenly Demon, Wi-ji Un, who had gifted him the <Map of the Ghost Valley Mountain Manor>, and then opened the wooden carvings one by one.
At that.
"Hmm... the fragrance is amazing."
In the first wooden carving was the greatest treasure of all, a spiritual pill from beyond the heavens.
The <Vajra Copper Man Divine Pill>.
"Just smelling it, it's truly a rare and precious spiritual pill... Just how many spiritual herbs and medicines must have been condensed to make it like this."
Gulp—
So-ah swallowed his flowing saliva and swept his loving gaze over the <Vajra Copper Man Divine Pill> once.
Then he immediately picked up the next wooden carving.
This time, the size of the wooden carving was not small.
At a glance, he expected a large divine weapon.
As expected.
When he opened the wooden carving, a suit of armor that emitted a clear silver light came into view.
"Wow?!"
Of course, it couldn't be compared to the <Vajra Copper Man Divine Pill>, but So-ah was, on the contrary, more emotionally moved.
"This isn't an ordinary steel armor. It's a soft-armored mail that has elasticity and allows for free movement!"
So-ah, who was examining and fiddling with the armor, could not hide his great astonishment.
Because that armor was the soft-armored mail, which was so difficult to forge that it couldn't be made even for a thousand gold pieces.
Moreover.
So-ah immediately tested the hardness of the soft-armored mail.
In an instant, his surprise doubled.
He had struck the armor with fist energy, but the soft-armored mail did not budge.
"Wow... this is... really..."
He was so happy that he even felt dazed.
In the trial of the first room, only the <Great Purity Ultimate Divine Pill> had come out, but perhaps because the difficulty had increased, in the trial of the second room, a whopping three rewards had come out, so it was understandable.
"Should I give it to my junior sister? Should I give it to my junior brother? Or should I give it to my new disciple?"
So-ah fell into an unexpected dilemma.
But soon.
"Nope, not a chance. Not this one!"
So-ah, who was confident in his true martial arts, had no interest in gauntlets or armor commonly used by brawlers, but he felt a natural greed for the soft-armored mail.
And...
This time, it was time to open the last wooden carving.
"Huh?"
In the last wooden carving was a single book with no name written on it.
It was a shabby book with traces of long years.
So-ah, full of anticipation, quickly flipped through the pages.
"...Oh! This is!"
This time, too, the reward did not disappoint So-ah.
The book was a scholarly work containing countless types of poisons and the essence of their antidotes, a comprehensive encyclopedia of ten thousand poisons that compiled information on poisonous plants and animals and the efficacy of medicinal herbs.
"Wow. This is much more detailed than the drawing of the Tathagata Grass that Lord Yeon drew for me."
So-ah, while flipping through the pages, discovered the section on the Tathagata Grass.
There, a drawing of the Tathagata Grass, so detailed that it could be compared to the real thing, and its efficacy and effects were recorded.
"Hoo... They say that at the end of hardship comes pleasure. After enduring a hellish trial, a luscious fruit follows!"
His body, his mind, and even his spirit felt light. So-ah casually looked around.
As expected, in this paradise-like estate, the Tathagata Grass was scattered everywhere.
Moreover.
"Aren't those the ingredients for the medicinal water? And at that level, they're top-grade..."
The hell instructor's specialty.
Weren't the main ingredients for the 'medicinal water' that enabled the 'thrashing' training also sticking out their leaves like common weeds in the field?
'This is a jackpot, a jackpot! Kikikik.'
The corners of So-ah's mouth ascended towards the sky.
'But how long was I unconscious? And my head, shoulders, knees, arms... there's no place that doesn't hurt. Phew...'
Only after confirming all the rewards did So-ah slowly begin to face the aftereffects of the [awakened state].
In fact, the awakened state of no-thought and no-self was to explode the potential deeply embedded in the foundation of the human body, and it carried the serious risk of death if handled incorrectly.
To put it nicely, it was awakening, but this [awakened] state was similar to a kind of [qi deviation].
Therefore, it was only natural for So-ah, who had even drawn out the power of the <Great Purity Ultimate Divine Pill> in his awakened state, to not regain consciousness for about seven days and nights.
But the fact that he was able to regain consciousness in less than half a day was thanks to So-ah's insane level of tenacity towards the rewards.
Anyway, since that was the real inner story, the fact that the current So-ah was suffering from extreme fatigue and all sorts of severe pain was, on the contrary, a blessing from the heavens.
'For now, let's just take the treasures and get out. I can come back and dig up the medicinal herbs later.'
Having made up his mind, So-ah, with the soft-armored mail on his upper body, was about to head back to the stone cave with only the <Vajra Copper Man Divine Pill> and the encyclopedia of ten thousand poisons.
In that moment.
"Kik! Kik-kik!"
The baby beast, which had been constantly circling around So-ah, seemed to sense that he was about to leave, and after shouting, it leaped up and landed on So-ah's shoulder.
"Hmm... you don't have a mom and dad?"
So-ah asked, stroking the baby beast's head.
Of course, he didn't expect an answer.
But.
Nod, nod—
Whether it was a coincidence or not, the baby beast nodded its head as if it had understood So-ah's words.
"Gasp... what? You understand what I'm saying?"
Of course, this time too, it was a joke thrown out for fun, and the baby beast showed no particular reaction.
But it seemed to like So-ah, as it showed no intention of getting down from his shoulder.
"You. If you go to my house, there's a tiger the size of a house. Will you be okay? Hahaha."
So-ah, who said that, also seemed to have no intention of parting with the baby beast.
With the beast gently perched on his shoulder, So-ah left the estate.
***
"So-ah!"
"I was just about to go in, and you came out just in time!"
Jeon Woo-chi and the Poison King, seeing So-ah emerge from the waterfall, breaking through the pitch-black darkness of the cave, were overjoyed.
"But... So-ah."
"Hut!"
But soon, the two shifted their gazes to the baby beast on So-ah's shoulder.
Of course, their reactions were different.
"What's... that, So-ah?"
Jeon Woo-chi seemed to feel absurd that So-ah, who had gone to get the antidote, had suddenly brought back an unidentified beast.
"It's a great ape (gorilla), isn't it?!"
The Poison King, as if he knew the species of the baby beast, exclaimed in admiration.
"A great ape?"
So-ah asked the Poison King back.
"Yes. A great ape, at a glance, is similar to a monkey, but it is a completely different animal. They are intelligent, and when they become adults, they possess immense strength and become monsters that can uproot large trees with their bare hands. However, they have a gentle disposition and never attack humans or other animals, so they are truly remarkable."
"Aha!"
"But come to think of it, that fellow can't be seen as an ordinary great ape."
"Why?"
"Where did you meet it?"
"Well... the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons, of course."
"The Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons is a mysterious forbidden zone made of spiritual creatures and spiritual herbs. A creature that lives in such a place would surely be different from an ordinary great ape."
Hearing the Poison King's words, So-ah felt an even greater attachment to the baby beast called a great ape.
"Hehe. So you're that amazing, huh? Huh?"
"Kik-kik!"
Seeing So-ah innocently conversing with a mere beast, Jeon Woo-chi covered his face with his hands.
'How can I stop that! That!'
But since he had been so worried, he actually felt like he could fly just from the fact that So-ah had safely escaped the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons.
"So-ah. By the way, did you get the Tathagata Grass?"
"Brother Woo-chi."
"Yes?"
"Don't be surprised."
"Ah! What is it now?"
Seeing So-ah's playfully distorted face, Jeon Woo-chi did not doubt his success in the slightest, but he deliberately asked with a playful tone.
In that moment.
"Brother Woo-chi! We hit the jackpot!"
So-ah shouted so loudly that the waterfall seemed to shake.
'...You again. What have you done this time?'
Jeon Woo-chi wondered what on earth So-ah had done, but since it was undoubtedly a good thing, he just let out a low laugh.
Of course.
It didn't take long for him to realize just how tremendous the 'jackpot' So-ah was talking about was.