Tang So-wol eyed me with suspicion and kept her distance. I held out the purple flower in my hand toward her once more.
"This is a purple poison-nurturing herb."
"…What?! You're saying this is that purple poison-nurturing herb?!"
Startled, she crawled back as close as she had pulled away. She examined the flower closely again, then nodded in admiration, over and over.
Of course. It wasn't that she didn't recognize the purple poison-nurturing herb—she had simply refused it on principle because it was a flower gift from me.
That was infuriating in its own way, but… what mattered was that I had managed to deliver the purple poison-nurturing herb to Tang So-wol much earlier than before.
Before the regression. Tang So-wol had fought hard against the attackers, but in the end, she couldn't overcome their numbers and had to flee.
The fact that she had managed to hold out that long was remarkable in itself. If Tang So-wol hadn't been a genius, if she hadn't been born with the special Poison Spirit Constitution, it would have been impossible.
At any rate, after fleeing until her internal energy and stamina were completely drained, Tang So-wol happened to arrive at this cave, or so she said.
She had tucked herself into a corner, planning to quietly recover before leaving… and that was when she found it. The purple poison-nurturing herb.
The purple poison-nurturing herb was a peculiar spiritual herb in many ways. First of all, the flower-like part wasn't actually a flower—it was a transformed stem dyed purple. And despite having "poison" in its name, it had almost no toxicity.
However, the purple poison-nurturing herb had the effect of doubling the power of any poison mixed with it, regardless of the poison's type.
That was why it was called a poison-nurturing herb rather than a poison herb. For any martial artist specializing in poison arts, it was a spiritual herb they would search for with all their might…
For Tang So-wol, who could store poison within her body and then reproduce it or synthesize it with other poisons, it was a treasure worth more than a thousand pieces of gold.
But the Tang So-wol before the regression, despite discovering the purple poison-nurturing herb, hadn't had enough time to absorb it. In the end, she could only use it as a one-time amplifier to strengthen the poison she expelled from her body.
Thanks to that, she was able to take down most of the attackers who had tracked her to the cave, but the problem was that the amplified poison energy was too strong.
A wave of poison energy that a first-rate martial artist couldn't control, and that even the Poison Spirit Constitution could barely endure.
Tang So-wol managed to escape with her exhausted body by some miracle, but by then, half of her face had already melted away.
But if she fed herself the purple poison-nurturing herb beforehand, the story would be different.
The Poison Spirit Constitution is a constitution that can remember and harbor all poisons. It's a trait closer to a poison creature than a human.
Have you ever seen a poison creature die from its own poison? You might find one somewhere, but most poison creatures have immunity to their own poison.
Tang So-wol was the same. If she properly absorbed the purple poison-nurturing herb, she would not only be able to strengthen the power of her poison art, but also gain the immunity to withstand the poison art that had become so strong.
In other words, she wouldn't have to throw away a treasure like before, nor would she have to harm her own body.
I said to Tang So-wol, who was still staring at the purple poison-nurturing herb in my hand with a dazed expression.
"I'll loosen the seal again. Eat it."
"Pardon?"
"If you absorb it now, how long will it take for your body to memorize the purple poison-nurturing herb?"
"…So you know that I have the Poison Spirit Constitution."
"It's hardly a secret."
"That's true, but not many people know what the Poison Spirit Constitution is capable of."
"So are you going to eat it or not?"
"Surely not. If you're offering, I'll gladly accept. But if you're going to release me this often and even hand over spirit herbs, couldn't you just let me out on a regular basis?"
"…I'll think about it while we're together in the cave."
"That's more than enough."
Tang So-wol nodded with a triumphant expression. When I released her restraints once again, she snatched the purple poison-nurturing herb away in a flash, afraid I might change my mind.
Then, as if tasting it, she stretched out her tongue and began licking the flower part.
"Beee…"
"…What exactly are you doing?"
She sent me a signal with her hand to stay still, then began savoring the purple poison-nurturing herb once more.
My gaze kept drifting to her crimson tongue as it flicked restlessly. Come to think of it, this was Tang So-wol's Murim Debut.
She'd been pampered at home her whole life, so she clearly had no idea how she came across to strange men.
I didn't mind, but she really shouldn't act like that anywhere else…
"Hoo."
A sigh slipped out of me on its own. At the same time, Tang So-wol pulled her tongue away from the purple poison-nurturing herb and nodded.
"Mmm. I see now. I'd say it'll take at least three months to absorb it completely."
"That much? I thought the poison of the purple poison-nurturing herb itself was negligible."
"True, but there's no helping it this time. Absorbing the purple poison-nurturing herb means doubling every poison I've ever memorized. Naturally, my body needs time to adapt to that."
"I see."
I understood. The purple poison-nurturing herb itself could be absorbed quickly, but the problem was the existing poisons that would grow stronger because of it.
If I was careless, my body wouldn't be able to withstand the poison energy and something would inevitably melt away, just like Tang So-wol before the regression. So she meant to absorb it little by little, adapting step by step.
"While you're imprinting the poison into your body, handling other poisons will be difficult—and of all things, it's the purple poison-nurturing herb that doubles the potency of other poisons. I'd say you won't be able to use your poison art for a while. If you're careless, the poison you carry could run wild."
"…You knew about that too?"
"It just so happened."
"Even those who aren't Poison Humans can use poison art. There's also the ordinary way of applying poison."
"So you carry poison around the ordinary way?"
"…"
Tang So-wol pressed her lips tightly shut. Of course. If she could make poison herself, why would she bother carrying it around separately?
I shrugged and looked around the empty part of the cave. It was fairly spacious.
"Anyway, three months, huh. Next time I'll have to make a wooden dummy for hidden weapon training."
"I appreciate the offer, but I have no intention of showing my martial arts in front of young hero Cheon."
"You've already shown them all, and yet you say that when none of them worked against me?"
"Ugh… That's—!"
Was she remembering how she'd been captured by me? Tang So-wol's face flushed red, then began to turn pale.
I let out a soft laugh at her colorful change of expression and shook my head.
"I'm not asking you to show me some secret art. A martial artist can't skip training. If the techniques you've already shown me don't satisfy you, then practice your fundamentals."
"That's…"
"No matter how powerful your internal energy, it's useless if you can't wield a sword properly. A body that doesn't move only rusts."
"I—I know that much! Fine. If you're going to say it like that, then I'll do it! Hurry up and prepare a wooden dummy for me!"
"Not today. I'll make one tomorrow."
"…You provoke me like this, and then you say tomorrow?"
Tang So-wol glared at me with a look of disbelief. In response, I silently pointed outside.
"The sun will be setting soon. By the time you've gathered the purple poison-nurturing herb and completed your Qi Circulation, it'll be just about time to sleep."
"Ugh…"
"I still have training I didn't finish today, so don't expect me to cut into my sleep to make it for you."
"…"
Only then did she seem to accept it, Tang So-wol quietly nodding her head.
"Then you'll make it tomorrow, young hero Cheon."
"I know I'm only saying this now, but for someone who was kidnapped, you sure act like you own the place."
"It does feel like I'm only saying this now, but you'll still do it, won't you?"
"…"
This time, I nodded silently, and Tang So-wol burst into laughter as if she'd just heard the funniest joke in the world.
"Ahaha! There's no rush, so let's take it one step at a time."
"I'll be the one doing all the hard work, but fine."
At my reply, she sat down cross-legged with a satisfied look on her face. She was about to swallow the purple poison-nurturing herb in one gulp when she paused and turned to me with a sly grin.
"Would you mind serving as my Cultivation Guardian?"
"I'm the most dangerous thing in this place, you know?"
"That's exactly why I'm asking you."
"…I plan to train in my own way. If anything gets in the way, I'll clear it out for you."
"Yesss. Then I'll just casually circulate my Qi right next to you, young hero."
Tang So-wol smiled brightly, swallowed the purple poison-nurturing herb in one bite, and closed her eyes just like that. A truly defenseless sight.
I watched her for a moment, then drew my sword. It was a bit lacking, but I had done my internal energy training in the morning, so wasn't it time to train my External Arts?
My current body was soft, having only recently begun learning martial arts. My muscles were lacking, my balance was off, and I ran out of breath easily.
In other words, I was still like a piece of scrap metal full of impurities. I had to hammer it again and again until I forged it into a single sword.
There was no special method. Just swinging the sword until I collapsed from exhaustion. It was what everyone did, and that was precisely why it was the most important thing.
"Hah!"
A muffled grunt, and the sword split the air. A plain vertical slash, untainted by any technique.
The follow-up strikes were the same—nothing but honest, straightforward cuts and thrusts.
I was born lowly, and luck had never favored me, so I could never learn proper martial arts.
Like any Unorthodox Sect, I learned all sorts of miscellaneous martial arts, patching together a rootless style from whatever pieces I found useful.
That was the foundation of my martial art.
But the longer I spent swinging my sword, killing people, and barely surviving, the more I came to realize something.
That killing a person required no great skill.
A sword swung at the right moment, aimed at the right spot. It needed to be neither faster, nor stronger, nor more flashy.
After all, a person is a fragile creature that dies if a sword pierces just an inch into a vital point.
So I discarded all the miscellaneous tricks I had learned. They were nothing more than third-rate or second-rate martial arts, not even advanced ones, so I didn't regret letting them go.
Instead, I swung an ordinary sword. Just like when I first held one.
Whoosh!
The blade cutting through the air produced an air-splitting sound. That wouldn't do. Wasn't it proof that the tip of my sword was wavering?
I sharpened my mind and continued to swing the sword. Within the reach of my arms, putting in the strength I could muster, but making it move as I intended.
How many times did I swing like that? I could feel it changing little by little with each successive strike.
The trajectory drew a cleaner, straighter line, and the air-splitting sound that had been ringing in my ears lessened, if only a bit.
On the other hand, the sharpness contained in the sword only grows in presence.
It wasn't that I had achieved enlightenment just from swinging the sword a few times. It was simply that this body was becoming more suited to the sword.
It was a pity that this young body was still frail, but on the flip side, I was satisfied with how quickly it grew because of its youth.
Having started training properly from a much earlier age, I should be able to reach a higher martial level than I had before my regression.
Whether that would be enough to bring down the Heavenly Demon, I didn't know… but I had to try everything I could.
In the worst case, I would have to forcibly drag Tang So-wol, who would throw away her life for the sake of her family's revenge, out of the Central Plains. So I would at least need to reach the Harmony Realm.
The Harmony Realm, huh. It was a distant story, but if I had to do it, I had no choice but to see it through.
I steeled my mind, which had been briefly loosened by my conversation with Tang So-wol, and swung the sword. Again and again. Without rest.
The moment I finally collapsed, my body so drained that I couldn't move even a single finger.
"Dammit, what kind of training is this?! Who trains this recklessly?!"
Startled, Tang So-wol rushed over and caught my body before it hit the ground.
"…This is how I've always trained."
"It's a perfect way to ruin your body."
"I wasn't swinging blindly. Every strike was calculated, so there's no—"
"Sure, sure. I get it. Just lie down for now, will you? Ugh, look at this sweat. You should probably wash up if you can… but I doubt you have the strength for that, right?"
"As you can see."
"Then let me wipe you down properly, so just stay still."
"Thank you."
"It's nothing. I've received plenty from you, so this is the least I can do."
With a noticeably warmer tone, Tang So-wol used a change of clothes as a towel and wiped down my body. After roughly drying me off, she tilted her head and asked.
"But I've heard that while there are those who grow stronger through Rejuvenation, there are none who grow weaker… Could it be that young hero Cheon truly was just a young hero?"
"…I'm glad you finally understand."
"It's all because of that old man's way of speaking. By the way, I thought I was a genius, but the Central Plains really is vast. To think there'd be a genius greater than me."
"Enough with the flattery. Go to sleep now. I think I'll be drifting off soon myself."
"Aren't you being too defenseless? To be this exhausted in front of me. Aren't you going to tie me up again?"
"You asked me to stand guard for you, so you're just as defenseless."
"Ah! Speaking of which, I asked you to stand guard, but what are you doing dancing around with a sword?!"
"So, did it interfere with your Qi Circulation?"
"That's not it, but…"
Tang So-wol trailed off. Her expression showed she couldn't understand it at all, but in truth, it was only natural.
It wasn't that he was swinging his sword carelessly—he'd swung it so that his Aura enveloped Tang So-wol. If anything, she would have felt a sense of stability.
Whether she hadn't noticed that much or not, Tang So-wol let out a deep sigh and stood up.
"Well, that's enough. Anyway, let's get some sleep now. We have a lot to do tomorrow, don't we?"
With that, Tang So-wol lay down in her spot. Her voice came through the drowsiness that was washing over her.
"See you tomorrow."
I couldn't remember what I'd answered.
***
Life after that was no different from the first day.
Wake up in the morning, train my internal energy, then head to the lower village to buy the day's meals and whatever supplies I needed.
In the evening, I'd focus on my External Arts training until just before falling asleep, then collapse into bed.
As this routine repeated, the cave gradually became a more livable place, and Tang So-wol and I grew a bit closer.
Quite some time had passed, and Tang So-wol had absorbed more than half of the purple poison-nurturing herb, while I had also built up first-rate internal energy.
As usual, we were sharing the food I had bought from the lower village when I sensed a faint killing intent and stepped outside.
"Hah."
Sure enough, in the distance, a group of martial artists was forming a formation around the cave where Tang So-wol and I were staying, advancing toward us.
Among them, there wasn't a single person wearing green martial robes.