847 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

The night passed, and dawn arrived. I hadn't slept. There was simply too much to organize in that time. Besides, a few days without sleep wouldn't harm me, so I spent the night working. Cheol Jiseon was likely already in action, and others would be doing the same. It was uncertain how Il Cheonggeom would respond, but with the plan accelerated, we needed to be wary of any variables. Since everyone else had been set in motion, I couldn't just stand by idly either. Before the sun rose completely, I set off. My destination was the Tang Clan. ****************** "Greetings." "...Come in." Poison King's expression was curious as he looked at me, surprised by my sudden visit. Judging by the situation, it appeared he was just having breakfast. "Young Master...?" With Tang Sohyeol, no less. Seeing this, I chuckled. It seemed things they were worried about had resolved well enough. "I'm sorry for interrupting your meal. Something urgent has come up." "Hmph..." Poison King glanced displeased at somewhere—probably the guards or martial artists of the Tang Clan. The reason likely was why they hadn't prevented me from coming in. I understood his displeasure at having his precious time with his daughter interrupted. 'Well, what can he do?' However, there wasn't much Poison King could do to stop me. Having received so much help and given so much support, he knew he couldn't simply turn me away. "...So, what's the matter? To visit so early and in such a busy time?" I laughed softly at Poison King's tone. This old man sure knew how to pointedly dig. "Yes, I apologize for coming at an early and busy time. But it really is urgent." I wasn't going to be brushed off. This was genuinely pressing. "It's a bit awkward to bring it up, but..." "Then just don't mention it..." "I've decided to be shameless, so I'll just say it." Looking at Poison King, I said, "I need some of the Dokcheondan I made." "...." "Oh, it is urgent, but I can wait until after you finish your meal." "You really are a crazy one...." "I can hear you." "I said it for you to hear." "Ah, fair enough." I nodded understandingly. Indeed, considering the volume, he had said it to be heard. Accepting it as such, I continued nodding, while Poison King sighed deeply and said, "...Will one pill be enough?" Smiling widely at his response, I replied, "For now, yes." I figured I might need more later, but one would suffice for now. ****************** Later, as I waited outside for a moment, Poison King emerged with the same expression after finishing his meal. "Did you enjoy your meal?" "I couldn't, thanks to you." "That's good to hear." "What?" "I'm joking." It was really just a joke, but Poison King frowned, finding it not to his liking. Seeing this, I remarked, "I skipped breakfast as well, so please don't glare at me like that." "That's irrelevant to me." "Ha-ha. That's a bit harsh. I went through the trouble to arrange this, didn't I?" "..." At my added words, Poison King fell silent for a moment, then turned his head awkwardly and said, "...Thank you. It's thanks to you." As always, Poison King was a man who could acknowledge things. Knowing this was why I also regarded him with favor. "You're welcome." Facing forward, I answered. My interest was piqued about whether the matter with Tang Sohyeol had been resolved, but that wasn't my concern at the moment. I had more pressing matters. Walking alongside him, we soon arrived at the building I had visited previously. The place where I had sweated for hours to produce the Dokcheondan. Proceeding inside, we immediately descended to the basement. A cool gust brushed against my cheek. It was autumn outside, which meant it was already cooler, but it was even more so down here in the basement. 'No, not just because it's underground.' The environment had been altered to artificially create these conditions to store the spiritual pills. That was likely the reason. I wasn't sure how the method worked. 'It's an area I'm nearly clueless about.' I knew next to nothing about spiritual pills. I had never looked into them in my past life. There was never any need. 'With the Demonic Heavenly Absorption Technique, what good would spiritual pills do?' Be it Shaolin's Great Elixir Pill or Huashan's Jasodan, many powerful elixirs existed, but they were of little consequence to me. They could be helpful, of course, but it was more beneficial to find and consume red monsters instead. 'I should have looked into it a bit more, given what's happening.’ Who would have thought I'd end up crazily consuming spiritual pills, let alone making them... It's intriguing to me now, but the former me would've had no clue. It's a meaningless concern. Using the lamplight as guidance, I descended a bit further. The end was in sight. Poison King descended the stairs ahead and grasped the door handle of a door that blocked our path and opened it. Creak. As the door opened, a faint breeze brushed past through the crack. 'Oh.' The wind once again swept through, but this time there was something different. The scent was present—fragrant and deep. It was as if it were a finely brewed medicinal herb or the unique freshness and richness of spiritual herbs combined. Following Poison King into the room, I could finally identify the source of the fragrance. The colder room temperature than before and the scented air. All of it emanated from the spiritual pills at the far end. It was the Dokcheondan that released this aroma. "Is this where you've been storing them?" "More like maturing them. They've been maturing for at least four months, as it was said to be necessary." "But why would you need such a place for that...?" "Such a place? How can you say that!" At my choice of words, Poison King burst out indignantly. "This is the sacred place of the Tang Clan's bloodline. Only direct descendants are allowed here." "...Does it go here?" To me, it just seemed like a cold and narrow room. Then. "Yes, it is said that this space was created by Dokjeolchun himself in ancient times." "Oh...." Hearing the explanation, the place appeared significantly different. If this was a location created by the great and noble master of the Tang Clan, it surely held some dignified intention. "...It's truly an extraordinary place. Now that you've explained, it indeed feels sacred." "Of course. You recognize it well." "Yes, if it was created by Dokjeolchun, it certainly has a purpose... But, is it alright to bring me to such a grand place? You mentioned it's for direct descendants only." Reflecting on it, this seemed quite strange. Why bring me here just because I asked for some Dokcheondan? If only direct descendants could come here, it seemed a bit unreasonable for me to be allowed, even if I was a benefactor. To my question, Poison King replied nonchalantly. "It's fine." "Pardon?" "When you think about it roughly, it's somewhat similar. Won't it make more sense later on?" "...What do you mean by 'roughly'? Things should be considered more clearly, not roughly." It was a rather puzzling statement. Why view it so vaguely? And what's this about the future? I was baffled and questioned him, but Poison King just ignored me and walked ahead. Did that man just...? "Headmaster-." "But tell me, what exactly do you need?" "..." He seemed to have no intention of answering. I sighed and let it go. "I need the one I made." A spiritual pill that's awkward to call a Dokcheondan—a creation infused with my energy, blending the fire arts within it. "There happens to be one left." Poison King pulled back a cloth. Three Dokcheondans that I made earlier were stored on one side, and another, placed separately, appeared to be the spiritual pill I made. Pointing to it, Poison King said. "Take it." Surprised by his casual tone, I asked, "Pardon? You're just going to give this to me?" "...Why the surprise?" "Well, because it's a spiritual pill, after all." "It's something you made and requested. Moreover, if I refused, wouldn't you just take it anyway?" "No. I might doubt for a bit, but I'd end up taking it, even if it meant stealing." "Then why even ask... sigh." In response to my blunt words, Poison King sighed. It seemed he was giving up as well. "So, if you don't just want to take it, maybe you could marry into the Tang Clan-." "I'll gratefully take it." I grabbed the pill without listening further, having no need to entertain useless talk any longer. I could feel the texture of the spiritual pill as I held it. It was similar to before, but something felt different. "Young Master Gu." "Yes." "A bit late to ask, but what do you plan to use it for?" I realized then that I hadn't explained my reason for needing it. But in this situation, Poison King just handed it over without questioning it? Recalling that, it struck me as odd. This man wasn't someone who would just hand out things so easily. 'Is it because he thinks, as he mentioned, that I made it?' The rationale might stand, but it still felt a bit unsettling to me. As I mentioned, Poison King wasn't a simple man. Even as a benefactor, he wouldn't act this way without a reason... '...This is oddly intimidating.' What does he expect from me? Doubts crossed my mind, but my immediate concern was the spiritual pill. "There's nothing to do with it. Since it's a spiritual pill, I should obviously consume it." "...Hmm?" At my response, Poison King tilted his head in perplexity. "Didn't you have one just yesterday?" "Yes." "But you're saying you'll take another...?" "Yes." "..." "No need to worry. I'm not insane." I understood why Poison King was giving me that look. Martial artists were well aware of the implications of consuming spiritual pills consecutively. Too much intake of anything can be toxic, and spiritual pills are no exception. The energy contained in one spiritual pill was immense. The amount of energy a martial artist could absorb at once was limited, and this varied according to their level. If a top-tier martial artist took a Dokcheondan, they wouldn't likely be able to absorb even thirty percent of the energy properly. Even Poison King himself couldn't fully absorb a single Dokcheondan and was storing the energy in his body. He was probably going to take his time to gradually absorb the energy fully. At that pace, it could take at least a month or possibly two. At the very least, he'd need that much time to absorb eighty percent of the energy. In such a situation, were Poison King to consume more Dokcheondan, the energy would overflow and he wouldn't absorb even fifty percent, let alone eighty percent. The excessive energy could even pose a risk to the body, so it wasn't odd for Poison King to see me as reckless. Of course. 'That's not a concern for me.' Even if there were side effects, they weren't an issue for me. No matter how much energy I consumed, I could absorb and store it in my body. This was the reason I could grow so rapidly in my previous life. "I have a plan in place, so you needn't worry." I reassured Poison King. Yet, his reaction was somewhat unexpected. "I'm not particularly worried." "Pardon?" "If Young Master Gu is fine with it, it likely means he has some sort of plan. From what I've observed, you seem to never act to your detriment, even if it means being quite... shrewd." "..." It sounded like a compliment, but the latter part stuck out. Why was 'shrewd' mentioned even when everything else seemed good? "Then why are you looking at me in that way...?" "I was curious about what you'd do. Hearing you want to consume two consecutively is quite astounding. To consume such invaluable things in succession... Your conscience is rather..." "...Ah, yes. That's enough." If I let him continue, he’d probably keep at it, so I cut him off. "Anyway... I have my reasons, so I need to take it." "Understood. Just devour it all." "Pardon?" "Just kidding. Hahaha." "..." That didn't seem like a joke at all—was I mistaken? No, it still felt like a form of payback. A payback for interrupting his meal with Tang Sohyeol. These older men were ever so petty. 'Tsk...' I clicked my tongue softly and brought the spiritual pill to my lips. Simultaneously, I addressed Poison King. "Tang Headmaster." "What? Changed your mind? Then..." "If anything happens after I consume it, please do not interfere." "..." Poison King paused, changing his expression. His face suddenly turned serious. "Understood." "Thank you." Without asking for reasons, he accepted it. Difficult as the decision was, I expressed my gratitude. I observed his reaction and put the spiritual pill into my mouth, chewing and swallowing it. The same taste as yesterday. The same fragrance. And the same energy. Gulp. As soon as I swallowed, the energy dispersed in all directions. The deep and rich energy swiftly took over my body. However. 'Was I wrong?' I didn't perceive anything unusual. If my assumption was correct, I thought the spiritual pill would trigger something, but if there was no change, it meant I was mistaken. 'A shame... Is this not it?' A mix of disappointment and an inexplicable sense of relief filled me. With a peculiar feeling, I turned around. "Tang Headmaster. I apologize, it seems..." And then my gaze froze. "Oh." The emotions bottled up inside reversed. Just moments ago, I thought I was wrong. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. "Darn." Turning around, the world had changed. The sky and all visible surroundings were charred black, exactly like where I had been last time. The difference this time was... Rather than being outside the doors, I was inside. This meant. "...No need to go searching, this is convenient." The one I sought was right in front of me. A throne as dark as the world. The throne was cracked and damaged, looking as though it would crumble at any moment. And there on top. The figure was seated. "Hey." Calling out, the figure slowly raised its head and looked at me. White eyes dyed black and pupils turned violet, exuding a chilling and widespread killing intent. Our eyes met. A nauseating sensation surged instantly. I endured it, barely steadying my breath. "Nice to meet you, you damned lunatic." I said to the figure. "Shall we have a little chat, just the two of us?" Rumble—!! The ground shook in response, as if to answer.