Chapter 278

“A bed? Do you have a bed?!”

“Yes, yes! Over there!”

“Please warm some clean water!”

“Ah, right away!”

Sun Woo-jin and his group hurried into the Guang-gyeon gang’s lodging. They quickly laid the poisoned Baek Mu-ho on a bed and began examining his condition.

Baek Mu-ho no longer coughed up blood, but his face remained pale, and he was still unconscious.

Sun Woo-jin grasped Baek Mu-ho’s wrist and began taking his pulse.

Of course, the one actually interpreting the pulse was Muk-rang.

“When I first saw him, the black lines in the whites of his eyes and the bluish tint on his teeth stood out. That’s why I said he was poisoned. I thought it was still early since he could move around, but apparently, that’s not the case.”

“Is his condition serious?”

“Hm, very serious. There’s a herb called Seunghong. It’s used to treat syphilis. If used properly, it can improve the condition, but if overused, it causes lethargy and muscle breakdown. In severe cases, it leads to coughing up blood and even death.”

Sun Woo-jin swallowed hard at the mention of coughing up blood and death.

That was exactly the symptom Baek Mu-ho had shown.

“So, was it because of misuse of that herb?”

“No, it’s not Seunghong. It’s a similar mineral poison, but far more insidious and vicious. The characteristic of mineral poisons is that they accumulate slowly in the body and then suddenly manifest symptoms—just like this. Baek Mu-ho has probably been poisoned over a long period by someone. The symptoms just appeared now.”

Sun Woo-jin squeezed his eyes shut.

It was an unfortunate coincidence that the poison, which had built up over time, flared up right in the middle of his confrontation with Jin So-eun. He felt sorry for Baek Mu-ho, but the timing was undeniably suspicious.

At that moment, Jeon Seok-gu of the Guang-gyeon gang, who had been watching cautiously nearby, spoke up.

“Um, did you really poison Lord Baek?”

Yeon Tae-jin, who had been frowning while watching Sun Woo-jin take the pulse, snapped irritably.

“After seeing this, you still ask that? If we had poisoned him, why would we bring him here and do this?”

“Ah, s-sorry.”

The Guang-gyeon gang shrank back under Yeon Tae-jin’s sharp tone.

Seeing this, Jin So-eun looked at them with pity and said gently, “We suddenly got caught up in this, so Yeon unnie’s a bit on edge. Please understand. And we’re really sorry for barging into your lodging like this. We’re only causing trouble.”

Her soft tone and voice left the Guang-gyeon gang staring blankly at her.

Seeing her beside the fierce Yeon Tae-jin was like witnessing a Bodhisattva next to a demon.

They were reminded once again that the most important thing about a person isn’t their appearance.

And they realized something else.

There was no way someone as pure and innocent as this orchid-like young lady could have poisoned Lord Baek.

Meanwhile, Sun Woo-jin, who had just finished taking Baek Mu-ho’s pulse, fell into a serious silence.

Seol Poong cautiously asked, “Brother, how is his condition?”

Snapping out of his thoughts, Sun Woo-jin smiled faintly and replied, “He’s not in immediate danger of dying, but there are some concerning points.”

He then turned to Jeon Seok-gu and asked, “I heard the head of the Soju Baek family is bedridden. Do you know the details? And where is the Baek family’s eldest son now?”

At the mention of the Baek family’s eldest son, the Guang-gyeon gang’s faces darkened.

They exchanged glances before Jeon Seok-gu sighed deeply and answered, “You didn’t know? The Baek family’s eldest son passed away recently.”

Sun Woo-jin’s eyes sharpened.

“Passed away? What happened?”

“He died while chasing prisoners from the Sa-wang-ryeon. They received word that the escaped Bi-ju-sa monsters were near Soju, so he went out to capture them, but…”

“Bi-ju-sa monsters…”

Sun Woo-jin’s gaze sharpened as he pondered for a moment, then asked again, “Who exactly are these Bi-ju-sa monsters? Were they stronger than the Baek family’s eldest son?”

“Huh? No, not really. If they were, he wouldn’t have gone out with such a small group. They were top-tier fighters, but the eldest son was on the verge of becoming an absolute master, so they were considered manageable.”

“So they went to capture them but ended up getting defeated. Then what happened to the head of the Soju Baek family?”

Jeon Seok-gu felt something strange as he answered Sun Woo-jin’s question.

At the time, he had just thought it was a sad event and hadn’t given it much thought, but now, recalling it, it felt significant.

He swallowed nervously and said, “The head was deeply shocked by the eldest son’s death. He suddenly started coughing up blood and collapsed… huh?!”

As Jeon Seok-gu recalled the memory, a sudden thought struck him, and he looked at Baek Mu-ho in surprise.

Hadn’t Baek Mu-ho also collapsed after coughing up blood?

Of course, unlike Baek Mu-ho’s sudden collapse, the Baek family head had a legitimate reason to be shocked.

So no one had found it strange at the time.

But now, thinking back, it was quite odd.

Baek Cheong-gwang, the head of the Soju Baek family, was a master ranked among the Thirty-Six Stars of the world.

Could such a powerful man really be bedridden for nearly half a year just from a shock?

Jeon Seok-gu muttered to himself, “Could it be…”

A terrifying possibility, one he would never have considered before, was creeping into his mind.

He quickly shook his head, denying the thought.

“No, no! That can’t be! The Baek family always has Elder Yang from the Daepung Yang clan watching over them! With such a famous doctor, there’s no way they wouldn’t know if the head was poisoned!”

The Daepung Yang clan, located in Daepung, was one of the Forty-Three Great Clans of Sa-wang, renowned for their medical expertise.

“Daepung Yang clan…”

Sun Woo-jin repeated the name silently, then smiled faintly and asked, “I was just asking how the head collapsed. Why are you so sure it couldn’t be poisoning?”

“Eh?”

Jeon Seok-gu was momentarily stunned by Sun Woo-jin’s question.

Then he realized something.

Sun Woo-jin hadn’t said a word about that.

All the thoughts he had just voiced were his own speculations and conclusions.

Scratching his head, Jeon Seok-gu stammered, “Ah, no, I just…”

Sun Woo-jin smiled knowingly and said, “Anyway, we need some herbs to treat Lord Baek. Could you have your brother buy them? Of course, we’ll pay.”

Jeon Seok-gu frowned but then boldly declared, “We can’t use outsiders’ money to treat the pride of Soju, the Baek family’s lord! Just name the herbs! I’ll buy everything!”

At that moment, Yeon Tae-jin, who had been listening nearby, interrupted with a sharp tone.

“You’re going to let that guy go outside? I always think you’re too soft. What if he goes out and reports us to the Baek family’s warriors?”

Jeon Seok-gu snapped back angrily, “Do you think I’d do that after knowing you’re not villains?!”

He looked utterly wronged, eyes wide with indignation.

Yeon Tae-jin just scoffed.

“No one announces they’re going to betray you before doing it. So you never really know.”

“Hey!”

Jeon Seok-gu, now furious, was about to shout at Yeon Tae-jin when Sun Woo-jin quietly intervened.

“Enough, Yeon Sojeo. I trust Jeon hyung.”

Both turned to look at Sun Woo-jin in surprise.

Yeon Tae-jin scowled, clearly displeased, while Jeon Seok-gu’s face lit up with gratitude.

Yeon Tae-jin asked grumpily, “You say he’s too soft? What exactly makes you trust him?”

The real reason Sun Woo-jin trusted him was because Muk-rang had confirmed his sincerity.

But he couldn’t say that to Yeon Tae-jin, so he just smiled and replied, “Though he’s a second-rate warrior, from the moment I met him, he never acted unmanly. He didn’t bully the weak or behave rudely by relying on strength. In fact, among the warriors we saw today, he was the friendliest to ordinary people. I believe someone like that is trustworthy. And realistically, if we don’t trust him, we can’t treat Lord Baek. Then we won’t be able to clear his name from the poisoning accusation.”

Yeon Tae-jin still frowned, clearly not convinced.

But she couldn’t find a retort.

In the end, she glared once at Jeon Seok-gu, scoffed, and turned away.

“Hmph!”

Jeon Seok-gu pounded his chest and declared boldly, “Watch closely, Hyungjang! Though I’m just a common second-rate warrior, I’ve never been ashamed as a Soju warrior! Leave it to me! I won’t betray your trust!”

Sun Woo-jin smiled warmly and thanked him.

“Thank you. Then please buy the herbs I’ll name now: Cheonggye, Tobok…”

Jeon Seok-gu listened attentively, his expression serious.

Despite his nickname as a mad dog, he looked quite dependable.

---

The Soju Baek family.

Located at the very heart of the pleasure city of Soju, and boasting the largest estate in the area, the Baek residence was currently thrown into utter chaos.

“Deploy all the warriors immediately! Search every inch of Soju! We must not let those fiends slip away!”

“Yes, madam! Don’t worry!”

For the past hundred years, the Soju Baek family had lived peacefully within Soju, without a single incident.

This was largely because the family’s founder, Baek Dongseong, known as Yeui Gon, was a straightforward and unpretentious warrior. His descendants had inherited his temperament, showing no greed for power or wealth.

Thanks to this, they had created an ideal haven where warriors and common folk coexisted harmoniously.

The warriors and citizens of Soju respected and loved the Baek family without question.

But the past year had been different.

The century of peace was shattered, replaced by a nightmare that seemed to repeat endlessly for the Baek family.

A year ago, the eldest son and perfect heir, Grand Prince Baek Muryong, died.

The shock was so great that even the family head, Baek Cheonggwang, collapsed.

People understood the grief Baek Cheonggwang must have felt as the father of the Grand Prince.

Yet, they firmly believed he would soon recover and rise again.

After all, he was one of the thirty-six supreme warriors of the realm—a peerless master.

But a year had passed, and he still hadn’t risen.

Rumors even whispered that he might never rise again.

That left only the second son, Baek Muho, and the third son, Baek Mujak.

But Baek Muho had no interest whatsoever in succeeding the family’s legacy.

He was more like a free-spirited ronin than a noble heir.

Baek Mujak, the third son, was said to have ambition, but lacked both the ability and the character to lead.

And now, to make matters worse, Baek Muho himself had fallen victim to a vicious ambush by those fiends.

The rage burning in the hearts of the Soju Baek warriors was beyond words.

“Find them! They’re a group of five—two women, one old man, and two young men!”

“Those bastards! I’ll tear them apart limb by limb!”

The warriors of the Soju Baek family, the very pillars of Soju, mobilized en masse, sealing the estate gates and scouring every corner of the city.

Not only the elite warriors of the Baek family but even the rarely seen, top-tier elders had joined the search.

The tense atmosphere weighed heavily on the usually carefree citizens of Soju, who couldn’t help but grow serious.

“What’s going on? Why are all the Baek warriors out in force? Wait, even the Grand Elder is here?”

“Haven’t you heard? There are rumors that someone poisoned Prince Baek Muho.”

“What?! Prince Baek Muho?! Who dares?!”

“They say it’s outsiders—a group of five.”

“Five outsiders?! Damn them! If they cross me, they won’t live to regret it!”

In an instant, everyone in Soju who cared for the Baek family was boiling with anger.

Yet, ironically, the quietest place at that moment was inside the Baek estate itself.

Madam Byeon, the lady of the house who had ordered the warriors’ deployment, watched their movements with a meaningful gaze before quietly making her way toward the inner chambers.

She headed to the infirmary.

A short while later, upon entering, she saw Doctor Yang from the Daepungyang family examining Baek Cheonggwang, who was still unconscious.

She studied the family head’s condition with a complicated expression, then asked the doctor,

“How is he?”

Doctor Yang sighed deeply.

“I don’t think he will wake.”

Then, through a private message, he added,

—The third son will likely ascend as the new family head soon.

A faint, cruel smile flickered across Madam Byeon’s beautiful face—a smile that strangely suited her, yet was chilling in its ruthlessness.

Madam Byeon was, in fact, the biological mother of the third son, Baek Mujak.

She sent a private message back to Doctor Yang.

—The second son is definitely dead from this, right?

Doctor Yang hesitated for a moment.

“Hmmm.”

Then he replied again,

—I can’t guarantee it’s irreversible yet. You should send someone to the apothecary just in case. If anyone comes to buy these herbs, follow them: Cheonggye, Tobok…

As Doctor Yang’s message reached her, Madam Byeon’s eyes gleamed with greed and ambition.