Chapter 344: The Dawn of the Second Day
At the break of dawn, Tang Mujin was quietly gathering his belongings when he felt a gaze on his back. Turning around, he found Dan Seol-young watching him from beneath the covers.
As he fumbled for an explanation, Seol-young yawned widely and spoke, “Leaving a bit earlier this time, aren’t you?”
Mujin often wandered far from home, only to return to his family estate for a year or half before setting off again. This time, however, his stay had been much shorter. He had come back in winter and was leaving as spring drew to a close.
There was only one thing he could say. “I’m sorry.”
He braced himself for anger or complaints, but Seol-young’s response was unexpected. She wriggled under the blanket and said, “No need to apologize. I’m fine. But it’s nice to hear you say it anyway.”
“I’m not just saying it. I really am sorry.”
“And I’m not joking when I say it’s okay. I used to get upset when you left, but my perspective has changed.”
“How so?”
“I realized that if I were just one of the many people around you, who would I turn to in a crisis? No one better than you came to mind.”
Seol-young stretched her legs under the blanket, reluctant to leave its warmth. Her toes wiggled beneath the covers.
“It just took me a while to see that my husband isn’t just impressive in my eyes. It took me five years of marriage to figure that out.”
Though her words could have sounded sarcastic, Mujin knew there was no malice in them. He couldn’t fathom how much she had struggled with these thoughts while he was away.
“And there’s something more important.”
“What is it?”
“I wondered if having you stay home would make me happier. But I realized it wouldn’t. Of course, I want you by my side, but I also love seeing you use your talents and be recognized for them. There’s a certain thrill when people gather at the estate.”
Mujin paused his packing and sat beside her, reaching under the blanket to hold her hand. Her hand was rough, yet soft—much like Seol-young herself.
“Don’t worry too much. I’m not helpless without you. By the time you return, the estate might be filled with new structures. I might even be busy tearing down a few buildings to rebuild them properly. I’m a busy woman too.”
Mujin chuckled softly, recalling the first time he met Seol-young near the Shaolin Temple. Her energy, confidence, and sharp mind had captivated him. But it was her aura—standing strong and independent—that had truly drawn him in.
“You’re taking your pack again, right?” she asked.
“Of course.”
“Open that box over there.”
She pointed to a small box by the bed. Inside were various items, some familiar, some not.
“I put in a whetstone, some flint, a few new brushes, and a silk pouch with some herbs. There’s also a special box for the bloodworms you mentioned starving last time. It has a double wall so they can feed themselves.”
“You knew I was leaving?”
He asked, though he knew it was impossible. He had only decided the night before.
“I didn’t know you’d leave today. But I figured you’d go eventually, so I prepared.”
Seol-young knew him too well, perhaps better than he knew himself.
“Will it take a year again?”
“I’ll try to be back in a few months.”
“So, about a year then.”
“Why?”
“Every time you say a few months, it ends up being a year.”
She laughed, reaching out to place her hand on his. With a confident smile, she pulled him closer.
“Anyway, with all this preparation, I think I deserve breakfast in bed today.”
“Of course.”
Mujin slipped under the covers, holding her tightly.
By noon, Mujin emerged from the room, feeling the fatigue in his bones. Soon, Hyun-gong appeared, greeting him with a respectful nod.
“Here to collect your fee?”
“Not at all. Just wanted to say goodbye before you leave.”
“Then I guess I don’t need to give you travel money.”
“Ha! You’re too much, Master Tang.”
“I’m serious.”
“Come on, Tang. Don’t be like that.”
Mujin chuckled at the sudden shift in formality.
“Join me.”
Hyun-gong’s face lit up with joy. “A blessing indeed!”
Traveling with Mujin meant ample funds and plenty of opportunities.
“Got everything packed? How long will it take?”
“Almost done. Just a moment.”
As Mujin finished packing, Mok Wan-ah approached him.
“Seol-young said you’re leaving again?”
“Seems so. I was going to tell you after packing.”
Wan-ah hesitated before speaking. “Can you leave tomorrow instead?”
“Why?”
“I have something for you. Come to my room tonight.”
Mujin couldn’t think of anything he needed from Wan-ah, except perhaps more bloodworms. But it wasn’t a difficult request.
“Alright.”
That evening, Mujin headed to Wan-ah’s room. The door was closed, with paper carefully sealing the gaps.
“Can I come in?”
There was no response, but he entered anyway. After all, Wan-ah had asked him to come.
Inside, a single candle flickered, and Wan-ah sat beside it. But it was the smell that caught Mujin’s attention—a mix of sweat, a sharp scent, and a heavy, familiar poison. The poison of the Human-Faced Spider.
“You!”
Mujin exclaimed, but Wan-ah, eyes closed, spoke softly, “Sit far away and absorb the poison.”
Her breath carried a deadly poison, enough to kill an ordinary person.
It was clear now. Wan-ah had swallowed the spider’s poison sac.
But the poison in the air wasn’t as potent as when Mujin had faced it directly. Wan-ah had filtered it through her body, purifying it.
She was taking the greatest risk, filtering out the poison’s most dangerous elements herself.
Wan-ah’s resistance to poison was stronger than Mujin’s, but even she seemed to struggle with the spider’s poison sac.
Her face was pale, her body trembling, sweat beading on her skin.
“You’ll die! Spit it out!”
“I can… manage… I think.”
Her voice trembled, betraying her uncertainty.
“Hurry! It’s dangerous!”
“But it’s helpful, isn’t it?”
Wan-ah smiled, a pained but determined smile.
“That’s all for now. If it gets dangerous, help me.”
She had no intention of expelling the poison sac.
Mujin considered forcing her to, but he knew it could be even more dangerous.
In the end, Dang Mujin cleared his mind and sat cross-legged a short distance away.
There was no exchange of words between Dang Mujin and Mok Wana. They simply felt each other’s breath in the silence.
The venom in Mok Wana’s exhalations was more potent than the amount Dang Mujin inhaled.
The room was thick with poison, growing denser by the moment. Dang Mujin’s body began to tremble slightly, his muscles refusing to obey.
Yet, he focused his mind, guiding the poison to his dantian, then to his core.
”···.”
But soon, Dang Mujin’s body reached its limit.
Just as a leather pouch can’t hold an endless supply of water, there was a limit to the poison his body could contain.
’…This is too much. This isn’t training anymore; it’s a matter of survival.’
He steadied his breathing.
Even someone trained in poison arts like Dang Mujin could die from an overdose. In fact, he was in more danger than most martial artists, as the poison he harbored was hundreds of times more than what others could withstand.
As if a bursting pouch, the poison within him began to seep out. If he could harness and control it, he would survive; if not, he would perish.
Contrary to his fears, the poison of the Spider Lord didn’t explode outward. Instead, it began to weave a new web, creating a larger, stronger nest within him.
It felt like an eternity had passed.
In reality, only a few breaths had elapsed from the moment he reached his limit to the completion of the new nest.
Despite this, Dang Mujin felt a clear achievement in his poison arts.
He realized that Mok Wana must have undergone a similar process at some point.
Without guidance, Mok Wana had likely found a way through sheer agony and struggle.
Thanks to that harrowing experience, Dang Mujin achieved his breakthrough with relative ease.
Finally, the poison he inhaled surpassed the amount Mok Wana exhaled.
The poison that had filled the room slowly drew into Dang Mujin’s lungs.
The vast amount of poison settled into the nest created by the Spider Lord’s venom.
Dang Mujin realized that this nest was not unlike the inner core of an animal.
It was similar to a poison core, yet distinctly different.
An unnamed phenomenon.
What should he call it?
‘Poison Essence, perhaps.’
A double-edged sword.
The Poison Essence would be the source of his poison arts, but if an enemy pierced it, death would be unavoidable.
If the concentrated poison spread throughout his body in an instant, there would be no way to survive.
And then, Dang Mujin realized something. Unlike the poison core that remained fixed in his dantian, the Poison Essence moved slowly as he directed it.
‘If the Poison Essence is pierced, I’m dead anyway. Where should I place it?’
The answer was clear from the start.
Dang Mujin slowly moved the Poison Essence to the space between his heart and spine.
If the heart is pierced, death is certain. Placing the Poison Essence near the heart would allow the poison to circulate more swiftly through his body.
The Poison Essence settled into place.
The poison that had filled the room was now contained within Dang Mujin’s Poison Essence.
Yet, Mok Wana’s breath still carried traces of poison.
The Spider Lord’s venom sac had dissolved within Mok Wana, but the poison still coursed through his veins.
‘What should I do now?’
As Dang Mujin pondered, his eyes met Mok Wana’s.
Mok Wana bit the tip of his tongue lightly. Red blood welled up, forming a droplet at the tip.
But as time passed, the red droplet turned increasingly transparent.
At first, Dang Mujin thought it was saliva. But it wasn’t. Within the pale pink liquid, a massive amount of poison swirled. It was the last essence held by the Spider Lord’s venom sac.
Mok Wana gazed intently at Dang Mujin.
His body still trembled slightly, drenched in sweat from enduring the pain.
With his tongue still bitten, Mok Wana smiled faintly, mouthing the words to Dang Mujin.
‘It’s hard. Hurry.’
Dang Mujin approached Mok Wana to absorb the Spider Lord’s essence.
“Be careful out there, okay?”
“Yeah.”
The next morning, Dang Mujin left the Tang family estate, receiving farewells from its members. Accompanying him were Hyun Gong, Hong Geolgae, and Seolhwa.
As they neared the outskirts of the city, Hong Geolgae asked, “What took you an extra day?”
It was a casual question, but Hyun Gong gave Dang Mujin a knowing smile, and Seolhwa’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. It was clear what they were thinking.
Dang Mujin felt the need to clarify. Last night wasn’t just about that.
“Last night? Mok Wana passed the Spider Lord’s poison to me by… well, let’s just say it was a complex process.”
He explained the events of the previous night, omitting only the final steps.
Hyun Gong and Seolhwa seemed slightly disappointed.
After the story, Hong Geolgae shared his thoughts.
“Like a muslin cloth.”
“A muslin cloth?”
“You know, when you put vegetables in a muslin cloth to simmer and extract the broth.”
”···.”
Hyun Gong burst into laughter.
It was a rather cheap analogy, fitting for a beggar, but Hong Geolgae’s words captured the essence of the previous night’s events.
’…How can he describe Mok Wana’s sacrifice like that?’
Dang Mujin wanted to refute Hong Geolgae’s words, but no suitable retort came to mind.
Instead, he chose a different approach.
“From now on, you’re on your own for meals.”
Hong Geolgae regretted his words a little.