Chapter 152
Chapter 152: Flesh and Blood (1)
I stepped out of the herb field for a moment and called Kang Hae-san.
—Tae-yang.
His voice was weak, a little dark.
"Park Je-hwang?"
—He's home right now.
"You sure?"
—Yeah. Hasn't taken a single step outside in days.
"Got it. You haven't been spotted?"
—Nope. Keeping myself well hidden right now. Ugh. Cold and…… Hungry.
"I gave you my coat, didn't I."
—Mm-hmm……. Thank you. Must be because I haven't eaten.
"Keep watching. I'll call again."
—Okay.
"Hang in there."
—Tae, Tae-yang!
Kang Hae-san's urgent voice.
"I know. I'll put 1,000,000 won in your account, so spend it wisely."
—Thank you!
"Make sure you eat."
—You're really the only one I've got. Tae-yang! I'll really do my best.
Kang Hae-san's voice brightened again.
[Kim Tae-yang says, ‘It feels strange that Kang Hae-san says I'm the only one he's got’. +10,000 Happiness]
Hehehe.
Kim Tae-yang, beloved by his enemy.
As he transferred 1,000,000 won to Kang Hae-san, he thought.
‘Is this guy Kang Hae-san really not afraid of anything?’
Everyone knows Park Je-hwang is Ghost.
‘Yet he's out there surveilling that Ghost without a trace of fear.’
Well, come to think of it.
The danger of being caught and killed might be less terrifying than the immediate gnaw of hunger.
Wrrrrr—.
I returned to the poison herb field.
"Everything I ordered—is it all done?"
"Yes."
I asked Omar about the things I had requested.
Omar pointed to the items.
It was a medicine cabinet divided into compartments.
2 meters tall, 80 centimeters wide.
5 meters long.
Better craftsmanship than I had expected.
[Kim Tae-yang asks, ‘What is this?’ +1 Happiness]
‘Just wait.’
‘Everything has its use.’
I tended to the human oxen.
Then walked back to stand before the entrance into the Murim Tower.
[Kim Tae-yang asks, ‘You're going back in?’ +1 Happiness]
‘Yeah.’
It hadn't been 10 days since clearing 38th floor, but.
[Kim Tae-yang says, ‘Park Je-hwang will think he's going in together for 39th floor?’ +1 Happiness]
‘Do I have to do things the way Park Je-hwang wants?’
‘I always have to stay a step beyond what that guy expects.’
‘That way he can't get his bearings and keeps clinging to me.’
[Kim Tae-yang snickers. ‘Poison Demon, you're the incarnation of push-and-pull’. +10,000 Happiness]
‘And on top of that.’
‘There's something I'm specifically targeting on this 39th floor—which means Park Je-hwang could end up being nothing but dead weight.’
‘Above all, the only door that opens after clearing 39th floor is 40th floor.’
‘I can't be wandering around with Park Je-hwang on a floor with a round number—there's clearly something special about it.’
‘The one thing I'm worried about is Park Je-hwang mindlessly running around while I'm inside the tower—but that's resolved too.’
As Kang Hae-san's report confirmed, Park Je-hwang hadn't budged from his home.
"Let's go."
‘To overturn Park Je-hwang's expectations.’
‘For the sole benefit of you and me, Kim Tae-yang.’
I grabbed the medicine cabinet and entered the tower.
* * *
Wrrrrr—.
[Entering 39th floor of the Murim Tower (Republic of Korea).]
[Mission (39th floor): Eliminate Gu Cheon-sa, the Ten Thousand Poison Army commander guarding the underground secret vault of Poison Valley, along with 50 elite warriors.]
—Time Limit: 1 Day
—On Success: 500,000 Happiness Points awarded
Time limit: 1 day.
Aside from the Ten Thousand Poison Army finally making an appearance, the main mission was nothing special.
As always.
What mattered was the bonus mission.
[A bonus mission is granted for first entry.]
[Bonus Mission: Separate the flesh and blood of the Ten Thousand Poison Army commander Gu Cheon-sa]
—Time Limit: 2 Hours
—On Success:
① Main Mission (39th floor) counted as cleared
② Happiness Points tripled (×3)
③ His bone powder
—On Failure: The warriors of Poison Valley sealing off the underground will double in number.
‘This one's a bit gruesome.’
‘Separate flesh and blood, huh.’
I smiled lightly, grasping precisely what the tower intended.
"Hff! Haah."
‘This suffocating stench of poison.’
‘A little ventilation wouldn't hurt.’
Stepping into 39th floor, memories came flooding back vividly.
As before, I wore the human skin mask of the White-Faced Scholar for this 39th floor. The 12,900-won white fan was the same as well.
‘The strategy that's worked well all this time.’
Creeeeak—.
Thud.
I set the medicine cabinet I had brought near the entrance.
The long medicine cabinet made in the poison herb field.
The underground was silent.
Stretching from where I stood all the way to the far end were the medicine cabinets, lined up in a row.
‘Like visiting a library filled with poison.’
The situation might have been different from my past life.
But based on the 39th floor intel received from Japan's Prime Minister, climbers who made it past the halfway point were when the Ten Thousand Poison Army and Poison Valley fighters would begin to appear in earnest.
"That's the same as my past life."
I deployed Ten Thousand Streams Return to Origin.
The 20 branching threads swept across the medicine cabinets of Poison Valley.
In an instant, 20 small jars of poison flew toward me and settled neatly into the medicine cabinet made in the poison herb field.
"They're researchers of poison. To me, that makes these incomparable treasures."
‘A precaution in case the Poison Valley medicine cabinets shattered during the fighting—best to secure them in advance.’
‘The range I could currently extend was roughly 3 zhang.’
I pocketed everything and stepped forward again.
There was no reaction from Poison Valley.
Whoosh—.
Step, step, step—.
I continued advancing with the same method.
By the time I reached the halfway point, I had managed to transfer half of everything inside Poison Valley's medicine cabinets into my own.
I had tried to make it as large as possible, but my medicine cabinet was already full.
‘I'd need to pick the best of the best—though that wouldn't be easy right now.’
"For now, this much should be plenty as insurance."
‘The rest I'd hate to leave behind.’
‘But I could sort that out after the battle.’
"Shall we."
I took another step forward.
"Who goes there!"
Right on cue, the Poison Valley men finally appeared.
I was wearing the White-Faced Scholar's human skin mask—but I hadn't assumed it would work just as reliably on 39th floor.
The Poison Valley men flinched.
Standing behind them—the Ten Thousand Poison Army!
"There you are."
Hiss—.
I activated Wind God Steps and charged at them.
The wind that brushed past my ears split even the darkness of the underground as it became a gale.
"W-White-Faced—"
Slash—.
The moment I strike, faster than any word, grazed the front row of Poison Valley fighters—crimson blood sprayed out like a gust and swept through the group.
"……!"
The Ten Thousand Poison Army commander narrowed his eyes.
‘The look of a man who couldn't comprehend what was happening.’
‘He hadn't expected much.’
‘That brief moment of hesitation.’
‘That was more than enough!’
Where Ro-dam, the Iron Instrument God's divine sword, had grazed, an afterimage lingered—and at last, the enemy filled his gaze entirely.
"……!"
The Ten Thousand Poison Army commander's eyes went wide and he called out swiftly.
"That's not the White-Faced Scholar! That's not the White Blood Fan!"
‘Figured that out just now?’
‘The Poison Valley grunts may have only ever glimpsed the White-Faced Scholar from a distance—but fooling the eyes of someone at the level of the Ten Thousand Poison Army commander was never going to be easy.’
But.
‘It was already too late.’
I had reached the realm.
My body was light as a feather in flight, and the energy strike loaded in my sword was heavy as a mountain.
The energy wave of the bloody wind that began from my hand surged in every direction.
Ro-dam, shimmering with a blue light, sent a crimson storm of blood scattering in all directions.
"Gaaaah!"
The Poison Valley men screamed.
The moment my momentum reached them, my sword sheared through bone.
Slash—.
My body reacted before I was conscious of the blood that spurted out.
His mind was still stunned.
The sword that struck a neck was already piercing the heart of the next enemy—yet not a single Poison Valley man had managed to throw even one punch at me.
Snap!
My grip closed around the Ten Thousand Poison Army commander's throat.
Crack—.
I seized the commander's pressure point and simultaneously twisted the bones of his neck.
Not a fatal blow.
The poison hands then aimed for his back—but
Ten Thousand Streams Return to Origin sent Storm Pear Blossom Needles fanning out like a peacock's feathers.
A volley fired without even looking—the heads of more than 10 men burst open, and as if by agreement, they all collapsed at once.
‘Such was the peak of the late Transcendent Peak realm.’
I gripped the commander's throat and dragged him along.
Even with their master captured.
Shudder, shudder, shudder, shudder—.
Not a single soul in Poison Valley could block my path.
Where my footsteps stopped was.
A steel prison in the shape of a human.
‘Should it be called a human-shaped iron spike prison?.’
‘It was what the Ten Thousand Poison Army commander had shown me in my past life, saying he would lock me inside it.’
Creeeak—.
A grating metallic sound rang out as the lid swung open.
Inside and on the underside of the lid.
Long iron spikes packed densely on both sides—rusted with blood, grotesquely sharp.
Shudder, shudder—.
Fear filled the eyes of the limp Ten Thousand Poison Army commander.
"Ten Thousand Poison Army Commander, how many have you locked inside this prison?"
"P-please, spare—."
"Now it's your turn."
Crack!
I shoved the Ten Thousand Poison Army commander into the human-shaped prison.
The long iron spikes drove into dozens of places from his back down to his calves—
"Ugh!"
A short grunt tore from the Ten Thousand Poison Army commander.
I shut the lid as well, packed full of iron spikes.
Creeak—. Thud—. Clank, clank.
The iron spike prison rattled as if the Ten Thousand Poison Army commander were thrashing inside—
And a moment later, blood trickled steadily through the gaps in the prison.
[Flesh and Blood Separation]
‘A mission that appeared impossible at first glance—but the method was clear.’
Swish.
I turned.
About 10 Poison Valley men remained.
I asked them.
"Will you fight?"
"……!"
They exchanged glances and faltered.
"Too late."
Slash!
Immediately, the shoulder of the man at the front caved in, and behind him, a head rolled away.
‘The blood of the one who hesitated was the first to flow.’
Only then.
"N-no!"
"Please spare us!"
The men let their shoulders sag in defeat.
"Then."
I clasped my hands behind my back.
"Kneel."
* * *
Thud, thud—. Clank, clank—.
Inside the human-shaped iron spike prison, the Ten Thousand Poison Army commander was writhing.
True to its nature as a torture device meant to drain blood without killing—
Blood was pouring steadily from the bottom of the prison.
Had the Ten Thousand Poison Army commander been even at Transcendent Peak, the human-shaped prison would have shattered—but he had not reached that level.
Or he could have detonated his poison energy to its limit and melted the iron spikes—but the commander had not done that either.
‘A small sealed prison.’
‘Unless one walked the path of Poison Man as I did, that poison energy might very well harm oneself.’
"Just as I thought—a pampered coward."
The Ten Thousand Poison Army commander had the audacity to kill others but lacked the courage to face his own death.
"We've finished the cleanup, sir."
The surviving Poison Valley men reported to me.
They eyed Ro-dam at my hip with fearful gazes, constantly watching my expression.
While the Ten Thousand Poison Army commander bled out, I led them through Poison Valley's underground, selecting poisons.
Prioritizing what I didn't have, what I needed, what I could never obtain elsewhere.
"If I'd known it would come to this, I needn't have bothered stuffing things in earlier."
Precious poisons were tucked neatly one by one into my medicine cabinet.
7 parts poison herbs and toxic substances.
The remaining 3 parts were medicines.
’Things that would become antidotes.’
‘And materials for my hair growth elixir.’
‘Precious ingredients to further refine the Hair Growth Elixir had gathered.’
Even after selecting carefully, the medicine cabinet was full—so I cut off the upper sections of Poison Valley's own medicine cabinets and prepared a few more.
"There's so much, I'm not sure I can take it all with me."
‘I'll go into 40th floor, store it there, then bring it back to the poison herb field later.’
Swish—.
I turned my gaze to the Poison Valley survivors.
They flinched and averted their eyes.
I pointed to the human-shaped iron spike prison.
"Open it."
The Poison Valley men opened the prison lid.
Blood nearly drained, his face white as a sheet—and more—the Ten Thousand Poison Army commander labored to open his eyes.
"Ugh!"
He stared at me with sunken eyes.
"I won't…… Ask who you are."
He had reverted to honorifics.
‘Meaning, just please spare my life.’
Even as he spoke those words, blood continued to flow without stop.
‘At this rate, left as is, he'd die soon enough.’
"Aren't you curious who I am?"
"I am not curious. Cough, cough."
"I doubt that."
Swish.
I peeled the human skin mask halfway off, from the chin up.
The Ten Thousand Poison Army commander sharply turned his head away.
‘Meaning he had no intention of looking at my face.’
‘What a pathetic will to survive.’
I removed the human skin mask entirely, grabbed the commander's chin, and forced him to face me.
"Look at my face carefully."
"……!"
A flicker of bewilderment crossed the Ten Thousand Poison Army commander's eyes.
"Who does it remind you of?"
"Da…… Dang Cheon-ryong?"
It was the name of my late father.
Kim Tae-yang's body and face were the spitting image of my past life self.
‘I myself had felt my father's presence every time I looked in a mirror.’
I gave a slow nod.
"T-that can't be……. The head of the Dang Family has been dead for ages……. Ah!"
The Ten Thousand Poison Army commander finally recognized me.
"Dang Seon……! Cough—."
He coughed up blood along with my name.
"Hehehe. So you were alive after all."
"Were you waiting to meet me?"
"That's right. Cough—. Cough."
Coughing blood mixed with his words, the commander broke into a faint smile.
The Ten Thousand Poison Army commander, reverting to informal speech.
‘Could his feelings have changed? Hope began to flicker in his eyes.’
"You came for this, didn't you?"
The Ten Thousand Poison Army commander strained to unhook the skull dangling at his waist and held it out to me.
"1 of the Eight Great Extreme Poisons. Seven Steps Soul-Severing Powder!"
"……."
"I'll give you what you need—so spare my life. Cough."
"I'm not interested in that."
"……!"
I brushed aside the hand thrusting the skull toward me.
"Ten Thousand Poison Army Commander. I know you've been chasing me. You did quite a thorough investigation on me."
I stated the reason I had kept the commander alive.
"Where is my mother?"