Episode 74: Grudge

Baek Chuseo felt a faint poison seeping into his skin.

“I’ve walked into a trap.”

This was his first time facing someone skilled in poison arts directly.

In truth, he hadn’t faced many opponents, even those without such skills. Baek Chuseo had never fought a life-or-death duel, and his experience in martial contests was less than ten.

Unlike training, martial contests had clear winners and losers. Victory brought honor, but defeat tarnished one’s name.

Baek Chuseo was well aware that his abilities often fell short of people’s expectations.

That’s why he never actively sought out opponents for martial contests and avoided challenges with various excuses.

It was better to quietly continue his training than to risk disgracing the Jeweon Baek family with a loss.

However, his lack of experience in martial contests didn’t mean he was clueless about facing someone skilled in poison arts.

“They say the first rule is not to inhale the poison.”

While poison could seep through the skin, the amount was minimal. Baek Chuseo held his breath and quickly assessed the situation.

“The minion chose an indoor setting to prevent the poison from dispersing.”

His first move should be to defeat the one blocking the door and escape the room.

Baek Chuseo glanced at the minion.

“Young.”

The minion couldn’t be much older than twenty.

At that age, unless he was a prodigy from a prestigious sect, reaching the level of a first-rate martial artist would be difficult.

Even if he had only trained with a sword, his skills would be limited, and learning poison arts would have further hindered his swordsmanship.

Yet, the minion stood confidently blocking the door, which Baek Chuseo found laughable.

“Following a master like that must have raised his expectations.”

Some people, after following someone far more skilled, start to believe that their master’s abilities are their own.

“The master was a formidable opponent, but a novice like you can be cut down with a single strike.”

Setting a trap with poison is meaningless if you can’t keep your opponent ensnared.

Baek Chuseo drew his sword and assumed a stance. The Baek family sword technique, the Path-Clearing Sword.

His inner energy gathered in the sword. The technique wasn’t flashy, but it was precise and efficient, unfolding from Baek Chuseo’s fingertips.

True to its name, the Path-Clearing Sword was strong and straightforward. While not the most powerful technique of the Baek family, it symbolized the Jeweon Baek family and the Sword King.

The poison lingering in the room dispersed with the sword’s movement. Baek Chuseo thought that if the opponent was foolish, he’d be cut down, and if he was clever, he’d retreat.

But the nameless novice chose a different path. He countered the Path-Clearing Sword with a bizarre technique.

With a fluid wrist movement, his plain sword climbed up Baek Chuseo’s like ivy. The problem was the speed, which was alarmingly fast.

Hesitating even slightly would cost Baek Chuseo a few fingers, so he quickly withdrew his sword and stepped back.

“A flexible sword? No, a transforming sword?”

Unlike typical sword techniques that emphasized strength and momentum, this was an unusual and rare technique.

No wonder he had the audacity to block the door.

Baek Chuseo still had some breath left. He could finish this with the next move.

He executed his most confident technique, the Meteor Stream. The sword strike, resembling a meteor, slashed diagonally. Unlike the straightforward Path-Clearing Sword, this technique included variations, making it dangerous to counter with mere tricks.

This time, he thrust his sword directly at the opponent. The two swords met, creating a strange balance.

Though he didn’t cut down or repel the opponent as planned, the swords’ contact achieved his minimum goal. Baek Chuseo channeled his inner energy into the sword.

However, his plan to overwhelm the opponent with sheer inner energy quickly fell apart. Instead, Baek Chuseo’s energy flow began to twist.

“What kind of inner energy is this?”

While not a supreme elixir, Baek Chuseo had consumed his share of minor elixirs.

His inability to advance to the next level was due to a lack of insight, not a lack of inner energy.

Compared to martial artists of similar skill, Baek Chuseo had a considerable amount of inner energy.

Even if the opponent’s skill surpassed his, it should have been in the depth of swordsmanship or insight, not in the amount of inner energy.

Yet, it happened. The inner energy flowing through the connected swords wreaked havoc inside Baek Chuseo. He staggered back, retching.

At that moment, he felt a hand grab his hair. The young man pulled Baek Chuseo’s head back.

“Now, take a deep breath.”

Baek Chuseo had no choice but to inhale, wondering what kind of poison filled the room. A poison that rots bones and organs? One that clots blood?

It was neither. Within just two breaths, Baek Chuseo felt a searing pain as if his lungs were being torn apart. It was like having a blade twisting inside his chest. The poison didn’t stop there, seeping under his skin and through his veins, making him feel as if his insides were being shredded.

“Aaaargh!”

Baek Chuseo’s face turned a furious red, veins bulging at his temples.

The pain was excruciating, as if he might die at any moment, yet he felt no physical damage. That made it all the more terrifying. It seemed the opponent’s sole purpose was to torment him.

Dang Mujin watched Baek Chuseo writhe in agony for a long time.

When Baek Chuseo’s eyes rolled back and he started foaming at the mouth, Dang Mujin opened the door slightly and let Baek Chuseo’s head hang outside.

Just as the pain had spread rapidly when he inhaled the poison, it vanished quickly when he breathed fresh air.

Within just a few breaths, the pain in his lungs disappeared, and within five breaths, the intense pain throughout his body was more than half gone. It was as if the agony he’d felt was a mere illusion, leaving only a faint trace of discomfort.

Baek Chuseo gasped for air, tears and snot streaming down his face.

The relief of the pain washing away was overwhelming. The air tasted sweet.

But just before the pain completely vanished, Dang Mujin grabbed Baek Chuseo’s hair and threw him back into the room. He pressed down on Baek Chuseo’s back, forcing the fresh air out of his lungs.

Before long, Baek Chuseo’s convulsions resumed, even more violently than when he first inhaled the poison.

After some time, Dang Mujin allowed Baek Chuseo to breathe fresh air again, only to throw him back into the room once more.

The master hadn’t taught Dang Mujin this technique. He had learned it from reading a poison manual.

The manual detailed not only how to create and neutralize poisons but also how to use them effectively. Among the methods was one for inflicting great pain on an opponent.

The key was to prevent the opponent from adapting to the pain.

One could increase the pain gradually or inflict it at irregular intervals. Dang Mujin chose the latter.

If pain were continuous, a person might gradually adapt. But by alternating between pain and relief, one could never adjust to the agony.

Moreover, adding psychological fear to physical pain amplified the suffering several times over.

Not long ago, Dang Mujin wouldn’t have been able to do such a thing, but now he felt no remorse.

Would he be able to do this to others in the future? He wasn’t sure yet. But at least with Baek Chuseo, he was confident in inflicting pain without hesitation.

After repeating the cycle of fresh air and poison six or seven times, Baek Chuseo was half out of his mind. He babbled incoherently, scratching at the floor.

When Dang Mujin tried to let him breathe fresh air and then throw him back into the room, Baek Chuseo drove his inner energy-infused fingers into the floorboards.

All he gained was a few more breaths of fresh air. But those brief moments allowed Baek Chuseo’s thoughts to advance a step further.

“This guy is interested in the Salmak, and I have no loyalty to protect it.”

Baek Chuseo cut to the chase. Negotiations were only for those who might listen.

“The Salmak! The Jeweon branch leader of the Salmak is at the warehouse behind the Jo Wolru in the east of Jeweon!”

“Ah, the Salmak. The Salmak is important too…”

Dang Mujin replied in a listless voice, pulling Baek Chuseo away. Baek Chuseo’s fingers couldn’t withstand Dang Mujin’s strength.

The floorboards shattered as Baek Chuseo’s fingers were pulled free, and Dang Mujin calmly tossed him back into the room.

Baek Chuseo inhaled the poison again, writhing and screaming with his eyes rolled back.

“What do you want from me? Just say it!”

“What I want isn’t something you can give, no matter how hard you try.”

“Then kill me!”

“There’s no need to rush. You’ve inhaled enough poison; you’ll probably die by dawn. Don’t expect anyone to come rescue you. Everyone inside the fortress is sound asleep.”

Baek Chuseo trembled. It wasn’t the fear of death. He knew he was as good as dead the moment he was overpowered and inhaled the poison.

The problem was that it was evening now, and he would have to endure this horrific pain until dawn.

Baek Chuseo cried out in a raspy voice.

“Just do it now! Kill me, please!”

Dang Mujin stared at Baek Chuseo, recalling the contents of the grim book he had read. When it came to causing harm, the knowledge of dark arts was unparalleled.

An idea struck him. Dang Mujin grabbed Baek Chuseo by the neck and delivered a fierce kick to his lower abdomen. The blow shattered Baek Chuseo’s energy core, scattering his internal power.

“Ugh…”

The pain must have been excruciating, yet Baek Chuseo’s reaction was surprisingly subdued. The agony from the poison coursing through his veins far outweighed the physical pain.

Dang Mujin sat Baek Chuseo down, propped up a table in the room, and tied Baek Chuseo’s upper body to it with a long rope. Despite the restraints, Baek Chuseo writhed in agony.

In a low voice, Dang Mujin spoke.

“If you want to be free from this pain sooner, it’s best to stay still now.”

With those words, Baek Chuseo’s struggles began to slow.

Dang Mujin extended his index finger and touched Baek Chuseo’s forehead. A single drop of thick, black poison oozed from his fingertip, staining Baek Chuseo’s skin.

Then, Dang Mujin drew a dagger and left a small cut on the tip of Baek Chuseo’s nose.

“The substance on your forehead is extracted from the root of the Death Lotus. Once it mixes with your blood, you’ll die instantly. It won’t be too painful.”

Dang Mujin secured Baek Chuseo’s arms to the table again, ensuring he couldn’t move.

“Until the poison on your forehead reaches the cut on your nose, try not to struggle. If you hold out, you’ll die quickly. But if you thrash around and the poison spreads elsewhere, it’ll be a much more painful death. Simple, right?”

As Dang Mujin finished speaking, Baek Chuseo’s eyes widened, and he stopped moving.

He couldn’t afford to let his instincts take over and thrash about. He had to consciously perceive, accept, and endure every sensation.

The pain was so intense that blood vessels burst in his eyes, turning the whites a vivid red, and his skin darkened to a bruised hue.

The poison dripped down much slower than expected.

Yet Baek Chuseo endured the torment with superhuman resilience. Not to survive, but to die.

And then, after what felt like an eternity, the poison on his forehead reached the cut on his nose.

Baek Chuseo met his end with a grotesque mix of agony and relief etched on his face.

Dang Mujin confirmed Baek Chuseo’s death and left the Jeweon family estate.

Stepping outside, the cool breeze finally cleared his head.

Dang Mujin recalled Baek Chuseo’s words.

“The warehouse behind the eastern side, near the Moonlit Pavilion, right?”

He melted into the shadows, heading east toward Jeweon’s grounds.