Chapter 113
113
Saliva dribbled from his parted lips. Physiological tears streamed down, blurring his vision.
He tasted a coppery flavor, as if blood was rising from his throat.
“Dang Jung! Stop it!”
“Seolyak, calm down. He’s from the Tang Clan.”
Ok Hwan and Dang Jung’s desperate voices sounded distant and faint.
“From the Tang Clan?”
“I said he’s my nephew. Don’t kill him.”
Gui Su Shin-ui frowned at Dang Jung’s plea and slowly withdrew his hoteng.
As the iron mass constricting his neck disappeared, a fit of coughing erupted. He curled up, clutching his throat, which felt as if it were burning.
“I thought that Inner Energy felt familiar… You. Are you a disciple of the Poison King?”
“Cough, cough! Y-Yes…!”
“…How troublesome. If that senile old man finds out I laid a hand on his disciple, he’ll throw a fit.”
Gui Su Shin-ui muttered, shaking his hand with a displeased expression.
His muttering was more of a threat not to tell his master than a soliloquy. He hurriedly replied.
“Cough, nothing, cough! Happened.”
“Unlike your master, you’re quite clever.”
Gui Su Shin-ui gave a faint smile and turned away.
Ok Hwan, who had been watching them with a worried expression, approached and gently took Gui Su Shin-ui’s hand.
“Seolyak. Why did you come after so long? I was worried something had happened.”
“What could have happened? Nothing did.”
“You’ve come all this way, at least have some tea before you go. I missed you.”
“…Okay.”
Only then did a faint smile appear on Gui Su Shin-ui’s lips.
Dang Jung, who had been glaring at Gui Su Shin-ui with a sulky expression, approached him and offered his hand.
“Can you get up?”
‘Can you get up?’
His grandfather from a long time ago overlapped with him. Remembering him awkwardly comforting him, something hot welled up in his chest.
“…Ah.”
He almost burst into tears for real this time.
“…Yes. I can get up.”
Forcing himself to compose his expression, he took Dang Jung’s hand and stood up.
\ \ *
The tea that Gui Su Shin-ui had offered smelled of bitter medicinal herbs.
As he fidgeted, glancing around, Gui Su Shin-ui said coldly.
“I brewed it with Spiritual Energy-infused herbs, so drink it all before you leave.”
“Yes?”
“I heard from your master that you have a unique constitution. I can’t let you leave with Internal injuries.”
As he said that, Gui Su Shin-ui’s gaze rested on his neck. He seemed concerned about the bruise.
“…Thank you.”
He bowed his head and took the teacup, and Dang Jung asked.
“What kind of constitution is it?”
“The talent your clan desires so much. Immunity to all poisons.”
“Ah, so medicine doesn’t work on you.”
“That’s right. Poison and medicine are only a hair’s breadth apart.”
“Immunity to all poisons? Then this Tang Clan descendant is stronger than you, Brother?”
Paengrak’s eyes sparkled as he looked back and forth between him and Dang Jung. Ok Hwan also had an intrigued expression.
“Then is the young lady learning Poison skill?”
“Yes. I’ve learned a little.”
“Oh my. Did you hear that, Cheoncheon? Hwayeon would be so jealous if she heard.”
“…Hwayeon can’t.”
“Cheoncheon, you’re so stubborn. With Hwayeon’s talent, she could easily pass the Murim Alliance entrance exam. Isn’t it a waste? Just teach her.”
“That child has to go to Hubei. Besides, what man in the world would want to marry a woman who handles Poison. If I taught her, she’d be hated by her in-laws.”
“That’s what I mean by stubborn. Cheoncheon. Does a woman have to live only looking at a man? Is that what Hwayeon wants?”
Ok Hwan shook her head.
Even so, she smiled and gently stroked Dang Jung’s cheek.
Her gaze was full of affection, as if she loved even his stubborn mouth.
“Ugh, how cheesy. Brother, just send the Betrothal Letter already. You two are burning up whenever your eyes meet, why aren’t you getting married?”
Paengrak rubbed his goosebump-covered arms and moved away from the two.
Ok Hwan giggled and flicked Paengrak on the forehead.
“Rak, you little rascal, you say all sorts of things. Do you even know what ‘burning up’ means?”
Gui Su Shin-ui, who had been watching the three of them, had a face as gentle as the spring sunshine.
But knowing what the consequences of Dang Jung’s choice were, he couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable in this place.
He swallowed hard and hid his face with the teacup.
What is Gui Su Shin-ui thinking?
Has he been endlessly repeating these conversations with his thoughts? Why did he create this illusion in Bidong?
Judging by the fact that he tried to Slaughter the Entire Family him for seeing something he shouldn’t have, Gui Su Shin-ui also knows that this technique is not normal.
A chilling atmosphere made his toes curl up. As he broke out in a cold sweat, Gui Su Shin-ui asked in a languid voice.
“Does the tea not suit your taste?”
Unlike the seemingly gentle question, his eyes were ice-cold. It was a warning not to show any strange behavior.
“Ah, no! It’s delicious!”
He forced a stiff smile and gulped down the tea.
Perhaps worried about him, Dang Jung looked back and forth between him and Gui Su Shin-ui before speaking.
“Who is your master?”
“My master is…”
“Poison King.”
Gui Su Shin-ui interrupted him and answered instead. Dang Jung frowned and asked again.
“Seolyak, that old man you hate the most?”
“That’s right. That nasty old man. To be entangled with the disciple of that annoying old hag is troublesome.”
“Cough, cough!”
At Dang Jung’s words, he hurriedly covered his mouth.
…That’s my grandfather.
As he couldn’t stop coughing, Dang Jung patted his back and said nonchalantly.
“I understand how you feel, but don’t badmouth your master in front of his disciple. My nephew will be surprised. He’s still young.”
“He’s young, so I need to tell him clearly. That his master’s infamy could hold him back.”
Gui Su Shin-ui retorted, glaring at him. His beast-like, intense gaze made him instinctively cower.
“You, it’s best not to go around saying you’re a disciple of the Poison King. Your master made a lot of enemies. It would be unfair to die because of your master, wouldn’t it? Time has passed and most of them are dead, but you never know.”
It was a warning that ‘I also have ill feelings towards your master.’ He quickly nodded his head.
Gui Su Shin-ui didn’t seem to like his grandfather.
But, if that’s the case, why did he create Dang Jung in his memories as a thought?
Seeing that his expression wasn’t good, Dang Jung became annoyed.
“I told you not to scare the kid, why are you intimidating him?”
“When did I intimidate him? I just told him the truth.”
“Cheoncheon, Seolyak. Why are you fighting? It’s a pleasant day with a guest. Let’s not do that and enjoy the tea. Okay?”
The two, who had been raising their voices, suppressed their anger at Ok Hwan’s mediation.
“That’s right. Your clan has always been your priority. Even if it’s a child you’re seeing for the first time, you protect them without hesitation just because they’re from the Tang Clan.”
“Huh? Why is the story jumping like that? Seolyak, you always get angry at me whenever the Poison King is mentioned. It’s not my fault that someone from my clan has a bad personality, is it?”
It is your grandfather's fault. That's your grandfather...
Regardless, Gui Su Shin-ui didn’t even pretend to listen and sipped his tea.
It seemed that Gui Su Shin-ui hadn’t revealed that he was the Poison King to Dang Jung.
…He’s been cursing him in front of the person himself all this time. This person also has a terrible personality.
He felt bloated, as if he had indigestion even though he hadn’t eaten anything. As his complexion turned pale, Paengrak stared at him intently.
“Young lady. Are you okay? You don’t look well.”
“I’m fine. I think I drank the tea too quickly.”
“You were surprised by my brother and Seolyak noona, weren’t you? Those two are always like that. They act like mortal enemies, but when a battle starts, their teamwork is perfect.”
“Oh… Are they good together?”
He was a little curious about that.
He had never seen his grandfather work with another Martial Artist.
Seeing that he was showing interest, Paengrak became excited and continued to explain with gestures.
“Seolyak noona’s swordsmanship is flashy. While the opponent is captivated by noona’s sword, my brother uses Hidden Weapons to shashak! Then the enemies fall like autumn leaves. It’s spectacular to watch from the side?”
Paengrak lowered his voice and whispered.
“This is a secret, but my brother has never won against Seolyak noona…”
“Who has never won? If I used Poison, I would have won a long time ago!”
Dang Jung shouted. He was taken aback by his strong reaction.
Perhaps the reason why his grandfather hated swordsmen so much was…
‘Beautiful, indeed. Yes, it’s different from the power-wielding of ignorant swordsmen.’
‘Those who use swords are all unlucky.’
It was because of Gui Su Shin-ui. He hated them because of that person.
“Haha, noona and brother are…”
Just as Paengrak was about to tell the story of the two with a grin, Gui Su Shin-ui snapped his fingers.
Snap!
At the same time, the three people who had been moving and laughing stopped abruptly. The surroundings became silent as if space-time had stopped.
The figures of the three people seemed to distort, and before he knew it, he was standing inside a dark cave.
In the heavy silence, only he and Gui Su Shin-ui were moving.
Gui Su Shin-ui looked down at him with cold eyes.
“You seem to be enjoying yourself? So, what are your impressions of seeing this venerable one’s flaws? Disciple of the Poison King.”
At the ice-cold voice, he quickly lowered his head.
“I didn’t intentionally try to peek. I apologize for my rudeness.”
“The Dang Clan’s rudeness isn’t a one- or two-day thing, so there’s no need for an apology. I’m just curious about your master’s intentions in sending you.”
“…Yes? Ah, no! My grandfather didn’t send me! I accidentally…!”
“This venerable one doesn’t like lies. Why did the Poison King send you? Is he protesting that I ignored his letter?”
Gui Su Shin-ui gave a crooked smile.
His grandfather sent a letter? He should be in seclusion?
He seemed to have come to a conclusion even before hearing his answer, and muttered.
“Well, the reason doesn’t matter. I can just rush to Sichuan and grab that old hag by the collar. …It wouldn’t be bad to go down together at this point. We’ve lived for far too long.”
To go down together, that wasn’t a word to be uttered unless they were enemies. He cautiously asked.
“Um… Weren’t you and grandfather friends?”
Then Gui Su Shin-ui’s expression became terrifying. He roared, emitting a fierce aura.
“What nonsense. Ever since that detestable master of yours took Ok Hwan’s life, this venerable one has never considered him a friend for even a single day.”
He turned pale and looked up at Gui Su Shin-ui.
What is this all about?
Didn’t Ok Hwan die because of the Demonic Sect?
