Poison becomes medicine depending on how it's used.
That's why the Tang Clan is as famous for its medical arts as it is for its poison arts…
"But… is that really possible?"
"Yes. Strictly speaking, it's not the main effect but a side effect, but it is possible."
Perhaps because she still wasn't fully confident, Tang So-wol continued her explanation through Voice Transmission, careful not to let it reach Seomun Hwa-rin's ears and give her false hope.
-If we mix one of the poisons obtained from the Seven Blossom Centipede with a sound-type poison, the Yin Energy carried by the poison will go beyond freezing the Meridians and cause even the Yin Energy inside the body to run rampant.
-Merely hearing about it sounds dangerous.
-Yes. Unless one has mastered the Yin-Cold Energy Cultivation to a high level like Hyang-i, or trained in a Yang Gang Qi Skill that can offset Yin Energy, it is an Extreme Poison that is difficult to resist.
-You intend to feed that to Senior Seomun Hwa-rin?
-Of course not. On top of that, several more poisons must be mixed in. First, I would blend in other poisons to alter it into a slow-acting variant that delays the onset of poisoning, and then add two more poisons from the Seven Blossom Centipede to limit the area where Yin Energy gathers…
-So it's a poison that doesn't lead to death.
-Correct. But on its own, it is still just a poison. So if I separately create an antidote to neutralize its toxicity… the danger disappears, and only the side effects remain as intended.
To summarize roughly, it's like using a poison that sends Yin Energy into a frenzy as a base, delaying its effect, neutralizing it, then concentrating it on the desired area to induce growth.
-…It sounds complicated. Are you sure this will really work?
-I cannot guarantee the effect because I am not fully confident in that part myself. However, it will not be dangerous.
Why?
Because it's not enough poison to poison Senior Seomun Hwa-rin.
Didn't you say it was an Extreme Poison…?
That's why we neutralize it. Besides, a Harmony Realm martial artist can expel most extreme poisons after a few days of suffering.
True enough. The higher a martial artist's realm, the more their resistance to illness and poison grows exponentially. That must be because internal energy allows them to do so much more.
Even at Transcendent Peak, being poisoned might cause pain and weakness, but death becomes increasingly rare. What about a Harmony Realm martial artist?
As Tang So-wol said, it's not surprising that one could resist a poison called Extreme Poison.
That's exactly why the Tang Clan's poison art is so famous.
Even a Harmony Realm martial artist can be brought to death's door by a poison that surpasses the limits of ordinary toxins.
…I couldn't help but feel uneasy.
"Are you really sure this is fine?"
"Hoo. Young hero Cheon, are you doubting me that much? This method requires an antidote by design, so if anything goes wrong, we can simply cure the poison."
"So-wol is right. There's no way I'd be unable to handle a poison I had administered myself. Above all, I am prepared to risk any danger to achieve what I desire."
"Even you, Hwa-rin unni! The process is complicated, but it's not dangerous, so it's fine… Hwa-rin unni."
"…Seomun Hwa-rin, senior?"
I exchanged glances with Tang So-wol, then looked down below.
There, Seomun Hwa-rin rolled quietly to a stop and popped her head out, grinning widely.
"Hehe. Did you think this lady had made no progress at all? I've faced several Harmony Realm martial artists in the meantime, so while I may not be your equal, I've achieved something of my own!"
"Hmm. So what Hwa-rin unni is saying now is…"
"Exactly so! At this distance, my Qi Sense has grown sharp enough to eavesdrop on the contents of Voice Transmission!"
"…"
"…"
Seomun Hwa-rin, who had demonstrated the art of bragging while still lying down, left both me and Tang So-wol with no choice but to fall silent.
Wait, she actually heard that?
As I rolled my eyes at the unexpected situation, Seomun Hwa-rin, who had curled up her body and risen, gradually wore an increasingly serious expression.
This was not her usual innocent demeanor. It was the dignified bearing of a Transcendent Peak absolute master and a veteran of the martial world who had weathered countless storms.
Seomun Hwa-rin, who rarely showed this mature side outside of battle, opened her mouth.
"I have a dream."
"…What dream is that?"
"To live the ordinary life that everyone else enjoys. To live the happiness of a woman that I had no choice but to give up."
"…"
I knew. The sighs she sometimes let out while staring at the empty air, the gaze with which she looked at me and the Ghost Sound Witch as if we were something dazzling — those were etched deep into my heart.
Seomun Hwa-rin smiled calmly at me as I kept my mouth shut, then continued.
"To do that, wouldn't I first have to win your heart?"
"I think the current Seomun Hwa-rin is just fine as she is."
"Hmph. Is that truly so?"
Seomun Hwa-rin gestured with her chin, pointing alternately at Tang So-wol and Seol Ri-hyang.
They were poison pouches and yin energy pouches that ranked among the finest in the entire Central Plains.
Finally, Seomun Hwa-rin tapped her own chest lightly.
Her unshakable composure settled my mind into a calm stillness.
"Hmph! This is precisely why this lady needs that poison."
Seomun Hwa-rin whipped her head around and fixed Tang So-wol with an earnest gaze.
"For that reason, So-wol, can you help this lady?"
"…Of course, that was my intention from the start. But I cannot do it right this moment. As young hero Cheon said, it may not be dangerous, but it is also true that it is complicated and full of variables, so I must take my time to research it properly and verify its effects. Above all, I cannot guarantee how effective it will be."
"Mm. Then there is no helping it. I shall wait, so I leave it in your capable hands."
"Yes. You can trust me."
Tang So-wol and Seomun Hwa-rin exchanged firm looks and shook hands. I had no idea what kind of understanding had passed between the two, but at any rate, it seemed to have been resolved well.
I let out a sigh of relief, but only for a moment. This time, Seol Ri-hyang approached and asked in a casual tone.
"But Cheon Hwi. I've been thinking about this lately."
"Hm? What is it?"
"I mean, I've gotten a lot stronger than before, and so has Sister Tang, and Sister Seomun was already strong to begin with — so why does it feel like we're more worried than ever? Sometimes it feels like too much."
"That's…"
"It doesn't seem like it's just because of the Heavenly Demon. Am I right?"
"…"
She's right.
It's true that the Heavenly Demon has become aware of me, and that the day I fight him draws ever closer — that is a heavy pressure.
The intensity had only grown stronger; the fear of the Heavenly Demon itself had been writhing within me since before my regression.
What weighs on my mind these days is the regression itself.
I died and regressed. And the Heavenly Demon is someone who has experienced regression many times before me.
If that is so, does that mean there exists an entity so powerful that even that monstrous Heavenly Demon could not overcome it?
Even if I somehow manage to bring down the Heavenly Demon, how am I supposed to deal with that unknown entity?
…And if I too were to fail, and end up like the Heavenly Demon, repeating regressions over and over.
Then how long could I hold on to my sanity? Would I one day become like the Heavenly Demon as well?
The experience of falling victim to the Blood Buddha's schemes, being trapped in a trap, and reliving the most despairing moments over and over.
In other words, I had experienced, at least once, a small-scale regression that repeated endlessly without limit.
Without my even realizing it, that kind of anxiety had been branded into me.
Even though I couldn't speak of the details, even as I freely used my memories from before the regression and changed the future… no, precisely because of that, it must have come to mind all the more often.
But life had always been filled with anxiety.
There was a time when I believed that as long as I held a sword, I could do anything, and a time when I believed that once I reached the Harmony Realm, there would be nothing to fear.
But now that I actually held a sword and had reached the Harmony Realm, what had changed?
Nothing had changed. There was still little I could do with a single sword, and I still feared those stronger than myself.
So the only thing I could do, and the only thing I had to do, was to live the present moment with all my might, as always.
After a moment of deliberation, I spoke.
"Once this matter is settled, wouldn't it be wise to look into a decent estate?"
"Huh? Suddenly?"
"We can't stay with the Tang Clan forever."
The Tang Clan wouldn't cast us out, but there was a reason we couldn't simply settle for the present.
"If we're going to rebuild the Seomun Clan, we should scout out a suitable estate in advance."
"…This is a bit sudden. For this one, it's certainly a good thing, but somehow it feels rushed, and that worries me. Is there some reason?"
"No. It's not as if we're leaving the clan right away; we're only looking into locations. It's not about rushing—I just want to dream of what comes next."
At my words, everyone wore surprised expressions and stared at me intently.
"…Did I say something strange?"
"Surely not! We were just surprised to learn for the first time that young hero Cheon could speak so positively."
"Mm-hm. See, environment matters, doesn't it? If you'd lived as a martial artist of the Black Alliance, there'd never have been a day you said something like that."
"Ohh. A rough Hwi wouldn't have been bad either, but this one finds the present better."
Tang So-wol spoke as if I were originally a twisted person pessimistic about everything.
Seol Ri-hyang, perhaps because she had realized something closely tied to regression at the Liao River, spoke with meaningful words.
And Seomun Hwa-rin, after racking her brains and pondering something, nodded with satisfaction.
The reaction was so completely unexpected that a hollow laugh escaped me on its own.
"Heh… Well, it seems no one objects, so let's proceed with Senior Seomun Hwa-rin's poison and the matter of the manor as planned… And now, let's wrap up something a bit more urgent."
"If it's urgent, then it must be about organizing the proposal to hand over to Sect Leader Oh?"
"On top of that, we'll need to discuss the matter with the Beast Palace Lord as well."
If it were merely a matter of meeting, heading to the Beast Palace right now wouldn't be difficult.
Though it was a place where common sense differed greatly from the Central Plains, if a force of this scale came knocking politely at the gate, how could they refuse to open it?
However, we weren't going to fight—we were going to build a friendly relationship. Rather than barging in unprepared, it would be easier to prepare what the Beast Palace Lord currently needed before going.
"But I'm weak at things like this. So I'm asking you, Tang So-wol."
"Huh?"
"Sorry, Tang unni. I don't know anything about this either…"
"Hyang-a?"
"Th-this one can at least cheer you on from the sidelines!"
"…"
Tang So-wol's eyes sank darkly.
***
Tang So-wol, with faint dark circles under her eyes from struggling all night. The proposal she had put together was quite impressive, given the effort.
Now all that remained was for the Centipede Sect Leader to make up his mind. But.
"…I-It's suspicious!"
"What?"
Maeng Yu-baek trembled violently, yet he still said everything he had to say in front of Tang So-wol.
She continued with a look of incomprehension.
"They're all good proposals… But I won't be fooled by sweet words like this anymore! You must have some other motive, don't you?!"
"If I had to say, I do covet the poison of the Seven Flowers Centipede."
"Then I'll ask that we trade the Seventh Brother's poison on a regular basis. Hmm. I don't want to repeat the same mistake. It would only make things harder for my sect members…"
It was a reaction that clearly showed there was some story behind it.
Good proposal, won't be fooled, mistake, hard on my sect members.
Each word choice laid their inner thoughts completely bare, so it was simple to infer. …And the fact that their thoughts were so easy to read only added to my certainty.
"Ah! Young hero Cheon, could this be—?"
"Hmm. So it's that after all."
Fraud.
It was practically an annual ritual for young martial artists who had just left the martial world for the first time.
If the Centipede Sect had been bound to their current situation because they were swindled…
Thump, thump, thump!
While I was sifting through my memories, the sound of someone pounding on the front gate reached all the way to the office—the house was that small. And then.
"I say, Lord of the Centipede Sect! If you borrow money, you ought to pay it back!"
"Th-the Cheonghwa Merchant Guild…!"
Maeng Yu-baek, clutching the pouch of silver he'd received yesterday, stamped his feet in a panic.
Ah, right. So the gatekeeper had mistaken us for the Cheonghwa Merchant Guild when he first saw us.
A good idea came to mind.
I pointed toward the door and flashed a wide smile.
"Lord Centipede. It seems those fellows have distorted our goodwill. I'll deal with them quickly, so would you care to reconsider?"
"…"
After hesitating for a long while, Maeng Yu-baek squeezed his eyes shut.
"At least… I'll be able to leave Yunnan, right? Fine. If that's the case…"
His expression was as solemn as someone fleeing a wolf only to walk into a tiger's jaws.
That's too much.