After finishing the meal, Tang Jincheon returned to his office. He stared at the documents scattered across his desk for a moment before letting out a curt remark.
"They're hardly trustworthy, wouldn't you say?"
"Indeed. In a world where a clan head abandons his Personal Guard and runs off alone, it's hard to judge everything based solely on the Beggars' Sect's information."
"Still sulking, are you? Blame your own slow feet, not me."
"…"
In a corner a short distance away, a middle-aged man in green robes kept his mouth tightly shut.
At the quiet defiance of his half-brother and Personal Guard, Tang Yujin, Tang Jincheon let out a hearty laugh.
"For someone who looks so fierce, you haven't changed a bit, have you?"
"Compared to the clan head, I look rather gentle. Besides, they say a person only changes when they're about to die. I plan to live a long, long time, so I can't afford to start changing now."
"I suppose that's true. That's also why I had you look into young hero Cheon."
"It seems you've taken quite a liking to him, and So-wol seems to as well. So why not call him your son-in-law?"
"We haven't even held the Engagement Ceremony yet—what nonsense is that? Maybe later, but not now."
Seated, Tang Jincheon quietly read through the information on Cheon Hwi written in the documents.
It was a report hastily commissioned, so the information hadn't been properly filtered nor neatly organized, but even so, it was more than sufficient to grasp the overall flow.
"An orphan born on the outskirts of Zhejiang Province. As a child, he begged; as he grew older, he joined the Jeoksa Faction, a local black path sect, and clumsily took up the sword. …Up to this point, it's a life story you see all too often."
In Zhejiang Province, which had become practically a den of the Unorthodox Sects since the founding of the Black Alliance, this was even more common.
But what followed in Cheon Hwi's trail was anything but ordinary.
Just as it seemed he was beginning his life as a black path martial artist in the Jeoksa Faction, he suddenly vanished for several days.
And when he reappeared, he had killed every martial artist in the faction, including its sect leader, taken their valuables, and disappeared.
For a boy who had never even had the chance to learn martial arts, it was an act hard to believe on either count—whether in terms of martial level or the skill of his hand.
And it didn't end there. Afterward, Cheon Hwi continued to wander through various villages in Zhejiang Province, repeatedly exterminating the infamous black path sects there.
'I thought perhaps he bore a grudge, since so few survivors remained, but aside from the Jeoksa Faction, there was no real connection between them.'
Except for the fact that these were the sects most notorious for cruelty in the region, they shared almost nothing in common.
Still, it was hard to call it a righteous deed, since he had stripped away everything of value.
Like taking money from his own pouch, he plundered only those sects that would leave no loose ends behind. If one had to put a name to it, this was the sort of behavior one might expect from a lone wandering expert of the Unorthodox Sects.
And so Cheon Hwi had stirred up one place after another across Zhejiang Province for a while, but at some point he vanished without a trace, only to reappear at a black market in Hubei Province.
He had reportedly paid a premium to urgently acquire Blood Poison Wine—likely the day before he kidnapped Tang So-wol.
A few days later, there was testimony that he had bought food and daily necessities for two people in Yugyeong Village, and that was the last trace of him before the present.
"Yujin. Looking at all this, what kind of man do you think young hero Cheon is?"
"One born among the vicious, and more vicious still. …But the fact that you're asking me this suggests that wasn't the case in reality?"
"Right. At the very least, he didn't act cruelly toward just anyone."
Tang Jincheon still remembered the moment he first laid eyes on Cheon Hwi.
A killing intent so vicious that one could hardly believe he was a martial artist of that level. A poison energy that would not waver until the last enemy fell, even if he was drenched in blood.
Yet all of it melted away like spring snow before Tang So-wol.
On top of that, the way he caused no trouble whatsoever while staying with the Tang Clan and devoted himself solely to training was a sight to behold.
"…His blade was sharp, but that edge was always turned outward."
Slightly different, but Cheon Hwi's attitude was one that any martial artist of the Tang Clan would inevitably find familiar.
Perhaps that was what drew Tang So-wol to him.
"Still, there were too many things that gave me pause, so I arranged a meal to settle the matter."
"It seems things didn't go well?"
"Both yes and no."
"Can't you just tell me plainly instead of beating around the bush?"
"Yujin. Would it kill you to try using your head a little?"
"That's exactly why I walked away from the succession race and everything else thirty years ago."
"Ha! When you put it that way, I've got nothing to say."
Tang Jincheon took a sip of the tea he'd brought to clear his palate, then continued.
"I've confirmed that the problem I was worried about doesn't exist. But I couldn't ask for the details."
"The Poison King of the world, you say?"
"Precisely because he is the Poison King of the world. If I told you that young hero Cheon had resolved So-wol's heavenly punishment—something even I couldn't manage—would you believe it?"
"What do you mean by that…"
Tang Jincheon relayed the Oral Formula he had heard moments ago to his flustered half-brother.
At first, Tang Yujin could only blink blankly, wondering what this was all about, but before long, his eyes sharpened.
Though he had no talent for poison arts and had focused on the Hidden Weapon Art instead, he was still a master who had reached the Transcendent Peak.
He could tell that the Oral Formula just shared contained a profound level of martial wisdom.
"You're saying young hero Cheon taught you this?"
"They say you had a fortuitous encounter. I'll need to verify the Oral Formula separately, but I don't think there will be any major problems."
"…Are you saying there was a poison art master of that caliber outside the Tang Clan?"
"There was one among the previous generation of masters. You know of him too—the one with the alias Poison Physician."
"Isn't he someone who's been dead for nearly 200 years? Strictly speaking, he'd be from two generations ago."
"A person dies, but their knowledge lives on. Besides, wasn't it the Poison Physician who revealed what kind of constitution the Poison Spirit Constitution truly is—when everyone thought it was just an ordinary incurable disease?"
Tang So-wol is not the only one born with the Poison Spirit Constitution.
There had been a few in the past, but how often would a person living an ordinary life consume poison to the point of being poisoned?
Most lived and died without ever realizing what their constitution was, or even if they knew, they lacked proper poison arts to make use of it.
But the Poison Physician, born into a family of physicians, was different.
He quickly realized the peculiarity of his own constitution, and his knowledge of both medicine and poison was considerable.
If medicine is also a kind of poison, and poison can also be used as medicine, then with his constitution he could treat countless people.
With that single thought, the Poison Physician wandered the Central Plains, saving many lives and building his reputation. It was around that time that the Poison Spirit Constitution became widely known.
"Though they say he walked a different path from the Tang Clan, records show that the Poison Physician's medical arts were also a superb poison art. There was only one thing he could not cure—his own infertility."
"It seems he even succeeded at that in his later years."
"Thanks to that, So-wol was able to breathe a sigh of relief."
"Heh. If this truly is the Poison Physician's enlightenment, then what matters is what we offer in return for the favor. Does young hero Cheon have something he wishes for?"
"I want nothing in return."
"Pardon?"
"Oh, before that—when I asked how he'd collect So-wol's life debt, he said he'd like to share a meal with us."
"What does that even—"
"He said he needed family. And he said it while looking at So-wol."
"…"
Tang Yujin was at a loss for words. Seeing his younger brother like that, Tang Jincheon let out a soft chuckle.
"Honestly, I still have my doubts. Even if that Oral Formula truly came from the Poison Physician, where did he get the martial art from, how did he notice the Unorthodox Sects were trying to harm So-wol, how did he know her location, and was the purple poison-nurturing herb he found in the cave really there by coincidence…"
"So you've decided not to doubt him."
"His request to become family left quite an impression. Besides, he's a benefactor who has given the Tang Clan much, no matter how you look at it."
Saying this, Tang Jincheon gathered the documents on his desk and burned them with Samadhi True Fire.
"And so, I've decided to betroth him to So-wol."
"That is a wise decision. Talent like that should be kept close if one can. However, if there is one thing that weighs on my mind, it is the will of the elders and of So-wol herself…"
"Don't worry about that part."
To Tang So-wol, he had spoken of the various benefits of bringing Cheon Hwi into the Tang Clan, but from the very beginning, Tang Jincheon's reason for his decision had been a single one.
"It seems So-wol has already taken a liking to young hero Cheon. The elders may be somewhat displeased, but in the end, they will follow my opinion. Since learning of the side effects of the Poison Spirit Constitution, they have said that matters of marriage are to be decided entirely by my will and So-wol's."
"If there had been such a story, that would be fine. But So-wol has taken a liking to young hero Cheon… Well, having gone through such an ordeal at her Murim Debut, I can understand."
She had left the clan with a heart full of hope, only to be told by a boy younger than herself to go back home the moment she set foot in the martial world.
She naturally refused, but the next day she was defeated by the boy who came at her head-on, and was kidnapped on the spot.
Even up to this point, it must have been a great shock to Tang So-wol, who had been born as the youngest of the Sichuan Tang Clan, raised with all kinds of love lavished upon her, and who had even been gifted with genius-level talent thanks to her Poison Spirit Constitution.
Yet, the worries she had were completely unfounded, and the month-long life in the cave was more enjoyable than she had expected.
And at the end of it all, there was indeed someone who truly sought Tang So-wol, and Cheon Hwi raised his sword to face him.
She heard later that there had even been a Peak Realm martial artist among them, so he truly must have been staking his life.
Tang Yujin, having recalled up to that point, nodded her head.
"Even I would fall for that one."
"Coming from a man who took four concubines, that sounds rather loaded."
"If you're envious, remarry. It's been over ten years since your sister-in-law passed away. Even the youngest, So-wol, is all grown up now."
"Not interested."
Tang Jincheon brushed aside the pile of ash that had accumulated on his desk before speaking.
"…We do plan to hold an engagement, but that doesn't mean we're marrying her off right away. I need to observe more of what kind of man young hero Cheon is. In the meantime, So-wol's heart might change as well."
"Isn't that exactly what an engagement is for? However, you can't just keep observing forever. Do you have a period in mind?"
"Ten years."
"?"
"Doesn't it take ten years for a person to judge another person?"
"That's too long, isn't it? By then, So-wol would be thirty."
"There are already those whispering that So-wol's marriage has been delayed. Since things have come this far, what difference would a little more time make?"
"Speak your true mind, clan head… no, brother."
"There's no longer any reason to marry her off early, so why rush? Even if not for a lifetime, I'd like her to stay by her father's side a while longer."
"She's a live-in son-in-law anyway, so it's not as if So-wol will be leaving the house, so what…"
Tang Jincheon snorted at Tang Yujin's dumbfounded reaction.
"How would a man with only sons ever understand the heart of a father with a daughter?"
"You're not the only person in the world with a daughter, brother. Please, at least realize how overly protective you're being."
"Me? I'm perfectly normal. Mm. That's right, exactly."
Tang Jincheon pretended not to hear Tang Yujin's words and instead raised his voice even louder.
Tang Yujin normally respected Tang Jincheon as a trustworthy clan head, a close older brother, and an upright martial artist, but…
When it came to matters involving Tang So-wol, he only ever showed a lamentable side, and a sigh slipped out on its own.
"Hoo. If things go on like this, what will you do if So-wol and that Cheon Hwi kid end up causing some kind of accident?"
"What was that?"
"It's fine now, since young hero Cheon is still young, but who knows what might happen later. To bind a man and woman in the prime of their youth with an engagement and then leave them alone for so long—do you truly wish for nothing to happen…?"
"…"
Tang Yujin trailed off, but his meaning had been conveyed clearly enough.
Tang Jincheon, whose brows had been twitching, steadied his increasingly rough breathing and spoke.
"By then, one of the two will have to die."
"You intend to make So-wol a widow."
"Ah, that came out wrong. What I meant was that I would teach them a lesson through a sparring match by then."
"That doesn't sound much different to me…"
"Well, if it's a sparring match rather than a life-and-death duel, he won't die. In any case, young hero Cheon is no ordinary man."
Saying this calmly, Tang Jincheon refilled his empty cup with tea. But this time, instead of drinking it as is, he rubbed his fingers over the cup and sprinkled a bit of purple powder into it.
As Tang Yujin sighed at the sight of him deliberately turning ordinary tea into a pungent poison tea, Tang Jincheon muttered quietly in a composed tone.
"Speaking of which, since he's to become a member of the Tang Clan, even if he doesn't master the poison art, he should at least have basic resistance. Let's start training with poisons that aren't life-threatening…"
This is all for Tang So-wol and Cheon Hwi. Saying this, Tang Jincheon muttered the names of various poisons.
Tang Yujin watched her half-brother for a while, then let out a sigh.
"I suppose I'll have to find some good spiritual medicine for them separately."
It was Tang Yujin who felt a pang of guilt.