No matter how skilled Hyun Gong was, he couldn’t shake off Nam Gong-myeong’s pursuit. In the end, Hyun Gong found himself being dragged along, his shoulders firmly gripped by Hong Gyeong-gae and Nam Gong-myeong, as he shouted defiantly.
“Look at you, filthy dogs of the Tang family!” “Be precise. Are you saying the Tang family is filthy, or are we?” “That depends on how you conduct yourselves—!” “Still haven’t come to your senses, I see.”
As Nam Gong-myeong and Hong Gyeong-gae hauled Hyun Gong away, Yeom So-yul watched with wide eyes. Yet, to everyone else, the scene was nothing out of the ordinary.
“What’s happening now?” “Who knows? Probably just another petty bet. It’s not like it’s the first time…”
If you stayed at the Tang family estate for a month, you’d witness such scenes a couple of times. The only thing that changed was who was dragging whom to whom.
Hyun Gong was dragged to the front of Tang Mu-jin and forced to kneel. Tang Mu-jin, sitting with his legs crossed, scolded Nam Gong-myeong and Hong Gyeong-gae.
“You useless fools. How could it take you so long to catch a mere leader of the Wudang Sect?”
In any performance, one must be thorough to the end. Hong Gyeong-gae and Nam Gong-myeong exaggeratedly bowed their heads.
“We apologize. This one was particularly desperate to escape…” “Hmm. I see. Just seal his pressure points and leave.” “Yes, Master.”
Nam Gong-myeong and Hong Gyeong-gae pressed Hyun Gong’s acupoints, then left the room with mocking smiles.
Tang Mu-jin spoke in a slightly amused tone.
“Why did you run so desperately today, knowing you’d be caught anyway?” ”…”
Hyun Gong couldn’t give a specific answer. It was just a gut feeling, a sense that today was more ominous than usual.
But he soon realized his instincts were right when Tang Mu-jin pulled out a chain made of interlinked steel rings. The clinking sound echoed in Hyun Gong’s ears.
“Wait. Why are you bringing that out?” “Stay calm. It’s all for your own good.”
What could someone obsessed with medicine and poison do after binding another’s limbs? Hyun Gong instinctively understood what Tang Mu-jin intended.
“You can’t be serious…?” “Stay still, and it’ll be over safely. Don’t worry.”
There are certain phrases that should never precede the word “safely.” “If you cooperate,” “as long as no one finds out,” and “stay still” are among them.
Hyun Gong tried to use his inner energy to break the acupoint seal, but it was futile. This wasn’t some amateur’s work; Nam Gong-myeong had sealed it with utmost precision.
Tang Mu-jin connected Hyun Gong’s vital points and observed him closely.
’…It’s working!’
Too much of anything is harmful. As excessive heat lingered in Hyun Gong’s body, a flush appeared on his neck, and sweat began to bead on his forehead.
If left unchecked, he’d feel weak and uncomfortable. If it continued, his energy would deplete, and eventually, the heat would overwhelm his mind, driving him mad or worse.
‘But this method is a bit slow. There’s a faster way to end a life.’
As he initially thought, manipulating the body’s energy to produce poison at vital points. If poison continuously formed near the heart, how could one endure? If it formed in the brain, what then?
With this experiment, Tang Mu-jin confirmed his theory. He could permanently control the flow of energy within a body, making it possible to generate poison at vital points. Absolutely.
‘The key is how thoroughly I can complete this process.’
The only way to master such a skill is through endless repetition. But once perfected, even a mere touch could end a life. Naturally, a subtle touch is far more effective than a direct strike.
Tang Mu-jin snapped out of his thoughts. Hyun Gong, having expelled the paralyzing poison, was now staring intently at him.
In Hyun Gong’s eyes was a resolute determination. If he was going to suffer, he might as well face it head-on and be done with it. He spoke with calm defiance.
“Why are you sweating so much? If you’re going to do it, just get it over with.”
Tang Mu-jin chuckled.
“It’s already done.”
”…You didn’t do anything. You didn’t even inject poison.”
It wasn’t particularly fast, but the process had been so discreet that even Hyun Gong hadn’t noticed.
“I was researching in a different direction. Did you feel anything unusual during the experience?”
“Well, my head hurt a bit, and I was sweating. But it passed quickly.”
“Exactly. That’s what I aimed for.”
”…Just that?”
“It’s the first step in a new poison technique. I’ve restored everything to normal, so there’s no need to worry.”
Tang Mu-jin explained his hypothesis to Hyun Gong: manipulating the flow of energy within someone to generate poison at vital points.
Hyun Gong pondered the explanation seriously. Though he knew little about poison techniques, it didn’t matter. This was more akin to a medical skill.
Having spent years at the Tang family estate, Hyun Gong had picked up enough medical knowledge to surpass most physicians, so he quickly grasped the feasibility of Tang Mu-jin’s idea.
At least, based on the medical knowledge he had, it wasn’t impossible.
However, Hyun Gong cautiously advised Tang Mu-jin.
“Even if you master this skill, don’t tell anyone.”
“Why?”
“I’m sorry, I can’t provide that information.”
“Well, it’s not like I haven’t helped you before. Just don’t forget the favor and send five gold coins to the Wudang Sect every year, treating me as your elder brother…”
Of course, Tang Mu-jin had no intention of sending gold to the Wudang Sect or treating Hyun Gong as his elder brother.
So Tang Mu-jin made Hyun Gong an offer.
“That might be difficult, but I’d like to repay you in another way.” “In another way?”
Tang Mu-jin whispered quietly.
“I’ll let you choose the next test subject.”
A short while later, Tang Mu-jin emerged from the room, calling out urgently.
“Nam Gong-myeong, Nam Gong-myeong!”
His voice was so urgent that Nam Gong-myeong, who had been secretly inspecting the Tang family’s treasure vault, was startled and rushed outside.
Nam Gong-myeong asked Tang Mu-jin, “What’s wrong? Is something the matter?”
Tang Mu-jin replied in a voice filled with anxiety.
“I’m sorry, I can’t assist with that.”