Emperor Namgung Mu of the Thousand Years - Chapter 39

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#039

 

“One poison to finish off the remaining golden toad should be just right.”

 

“Poison? Haven’t you already bought enough medicine here? And now you want poison for half a golden toad?”

 

“Mangeop Guiwon Pill. I believe it should still be in the Tang Family’s warehouse, correct?”

 

“…Mangeop Guiwon Pill…?”

 

“The poison created by Dang Eul-jin, the Poison Blood Demon, a legendary figure and one of the previous patriarchs of the Sacheon Tang Family. According to the stories spread throughout the martial arts world, two of the three pills were used, so there should be one remaining.”

 

“Ah… I’m amazed by your knowledge every time. Yes, that’s correct. There should be one pill.”

 

Steward Gam blinks as he searches his memory.

 

“It’s been stuck in the Martial Arts Hall warehouse for a long time, so I’d have to check…”

 

Steward Gam’s expression wasn’t very good as he answered. That was understandable, since it was also a dark chapter in the Tang Family’s history.

 

“But why are you looking for that useless, shameful poison that no one would seek?”

 

Suddenly, I recalled that cunning man with dark purple hair.

 

…I deliberate until the very last moment.

 

And then I make my decision.

 

“I’d like to buy that remaining pill.”

 

Mangeop Guiwon Pill.

 

Dang Eul-jin, the Poison Blood Demon, rumored to be both the greatest genius and worst eccentric in the Tang Family’s history.

 

This was his life’s masterpiece, created by dedicating his entire life to reading the constellations of heaven and extracting the energy of earth to make exactly three pills.

 

His goal in creating this poison was singular.

 

‘A deadly poison that could lead even the greatest master under heaven to death in one strike.’

 

The poison was completed, and the Mangeop Guiwon Pill was treasured by the Sacheon Tang Family for a time as an absolute secret treasure and the family’s last bastion.

 

However, the poison that everyone believed in with unwavering faith soon became a shameful chapter in the Tang Family’s history.

 

At this point, the poison was closer to being a burden and a source of shame for the Sacheon Tang Family rather than a precious ancestral treasure.

 

“You want to buy that Mangeop Guiwon Pill?”

 

Therefore, Steward Gam’s reaction to my words was, in a way, natural.

 

“Master Namgung Hwi, you know what rumors that medicine carries, don’t you? And you still want to buy it?”

 

“Yes, that’s correct.”

 

At my words, Steward Gam’s face hardened for a moment. He asked in disbelief.

 

“No, Master Namgung Hwi. You’re not someone ignorant of martial arts world affairs, so how… why are you seeking that shameful failure?”

 

He emphasized the word ‘failure’ as he spoke. I shrugged my shoulders lightly.

 

“A failure? The Poison Blood Demon, the pride of the Tang Family, would be hurt to hear that.”

 

“No matter that it’s a previous patriarch’s work, that… it’s not just anything, but the legendary ‘elixir’ that made the Blood Sect leader ten years younger. No one from the Tang Family can speak well of it, even in jest.”

 

Steward Gam sarcastically called it an ‘elixir’ and openly displayed his displeasure. It was a natural reaction for someone from the Tang Family.

 

The Poison Blood Demon was confident this poison would definitely be effective.

 

All seventy-nine types of poison left by the Poison Blood Demon in the Sacheon Tang Family were thoroughly effective. So the later generations wouldn’t have doubted the efficacy of the Mangeop Guiwon Pill either.

 

But there was a problem: this poison, as the Poison Blood Demon emphasized, was designed to work only on truly ‘strong’ individuals.

 

The issue was that no one knew the appropriate constitution for the poison to take effect, that is, where exactly the standard for that strength began.

 

In the past, the Tang Family actually believed in this elusive legend and, when the family’s fate hung by a thread, staked their destiny and deployed it twice in actual combat to subdue super-masters from the opposing camp.

 

The first time was against the leader of the evil sects who was staining the Central Plains with blood at the time.

 

The second time was against the Blood Sect leader, known to be even more vicious.

 

The results were disastrous.

 

The Tang Family’s elite risked their lives to somehow infiltrate and successfully feed the poison to their targets, but the two leaders didn’t die.

 

Rather, far from being poisoned to death, they experienced rejuvenation as their blocked blood vessels opened, age spots disappeared, and they became ten years younger, while all the Tang Family elite whose identities were exposed were brutally killed.

 

Naturally, these two disastrous failures became widespread rumors throughout the martial arts world and became a story that gossips always brought up when mocking the Tang Family.

 

‘But they didn’t know.’

 

I muttered to myself.

 

‘The Poison Blood Demon’s poison didn’t fail. It’s just that the standard for the “greatest under heaven” that the genius targeted for applying his poison far exceeded the common sense of the martial arts world.’

 

The proof of this lay in my memories from my previous life.

 

The last remaining Mangeop Guiwon Pill that everyone ridiculed was later bought by someone, and that masterpiece of the Poison Blood Demon instantly killed Sword Master Seo Ganghyeok of Hwirong Hall, who claimed to be immune to all poisons and unrivaled under heaven, without him being able to lift a finger.

 

‘The evil sect leader and even the Blood Sect leader were fine, but the Sword Master died…’

 

If all the numerous theories about the Sword Master that I remembered were true,

 

it made sense.

 

‘Besides, if that evil sect leader I know was the type to face opponents head-on with external martial arts,

 

and the Blood Sect leader was someone who valued sorcery over martial arts, it makes even more sense.’

 

The current patriarch of the Namgung Family, that is, my father, didn’t gain his absolute status in the martial arts world because of his individual martial prowess.

 

It was decisively due to reorganizing the declining family, then granting external surnames to five absolute reclusive masters of the martial arts world, including the Sword Master, bringing them under the Namgung Family’s allegiance and receiving their oaths of loyalty.

 

Even now, the five masters pledge loyalty not to the Namgung Family, but solely to the current patriarch.

 

“…Sigh, it is here, but I’m not sure if this is really right.”

 

After returning to the Sacheon Tang Family and searching through the alchemy room’s warehouse for a while, Steward Gam emerged holding a purple wooden box.

 

“I’ll ask one last time. Don’t you want to change your mind even now? We’d like to dispose of this love-hate object too, but no matter how shameful and worthless it is, it was still made by our predecessors, so we can’t sell it cheaply. Are you really going to buy this?”

 

“Yes, I am.”

 

“…Then I understand.”

 

I look down at the purple wooden box that Steward Gam handed me.

 

Opening it, I see that even the round pill is dark purple in color.

 

Black-purple.

 

There’s even what appears to be a gold fragment embedded in the center.

 

‘Anyone would think this is perfectly tailored for the Sword Master—a perfect match.’

 

I don’t know how the future will change by taking this.

 

But one thing is certain.

 

That cunning man with dark purple hair and golden eyes, the Sword Master, won’t die from being poisoned by this.

 

…However.

 

“No matter how I think about it, I can’t just let this pass by as if nothing happened—I’d be too disappointed in myself.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“I’ll buy this Mangeop Guiwon Pill. And—”

 

I rummage through my belongings and pull out a poison I bought earlier while placing numerous orders with the craftsmen.

 

It was Geummo Chilsan, the most expensive medicine and strongest deadly poison at Taesim Workshop.

 

Among the many poisons, I chose this one thinking it would look most similar to the Mangeop Guiwon Pill I’d heard about in my previous life, but seeing them side by side, Geummo Chilsan and Mangeop Guiwon Pill really did look remarkably alike.

 

“Why are you suddenly taking that out?”

 

In front of the puzzled Steward Gam, I calmly removed the Mangeop Guiwon Pill from the purple wooden box and rolled the other one in instead.

 

“What are you… doing?”

 

Steward Gam cried out in surprise. I calmly closed the wooden box and held it out to Steward Gam again.

 

“I’ll buy the Mangeop Guiwon Pill, but keep this wooden box as it is, stored in the warehouse as if it were the original Mangeop Guiwon Pill, and if someone later tries to buy it at a high price, don’t hesitate to take their money and hand it over. It should help the Sacheon Tang Family’s finances.”

 

“Master Namgung Hwi! No, Young Master! What nonsense are you talking about?!”

 

Steward Gam exclaimed.

 

“Are you telling us to commit fraud in the Tang Family’s name? This is a matter of integrity!”

 

I looked at him steadily and said.

 

“Fraud? That’s absurd. Wouldn’t it actually be better for the buyer? Instead of unintentionally ‘deceiving’ someone ignorant by giving them the ‘worthless poison’ that all under heaven knows about, you’re putting in a ‘genuine deadly poison’ that actually works. In terms of value alone, Geummo Chilsan is a precious poison traded by weight in gold. The buyer would actually profit.”

 

“That… that’s sophistry! How can you…!”

 

“Steward Gam.”

 

I cut off his words.

 

“Is this ‘Mangeop Guiwon Pill’ the Tang Family’s glory, or its shame?”

 

“…Well, it’s a shame, but.”

 

“Then let me ask you. Is it more beneficial to let the family’s shameful failure rot in the warehouse, or to exchange it for practical money that satisfies everyone while also helping the Tang Family’s currently difficult finances, with the other party paying a satisfactory price?”

 

Steward Gam’s mouth shut tight. I drove in the final nail.

 

“I spoke to you about ‘trust’ earlier, Steward. This is also an extension of that test. Judge with your own eyes whether this Namgung Hwi will be harmful or beneficial to the Tang Family in the future, and what kind of person he is. Of course, even after saying all this, if you refuse to bend your will, I will respect that.”

 

“Even so—”

 

“And one more thing.”

 

I held up three fingers.

 

“Three months at most. If this wooden box isn’t sold within three months, I’ll pay the same amount as the Myriad Calamity Return Pill without question and buy this wooden box back.”

 

“What…? You’ll even buy back this wooden box at the same price if it doesn’t sell?”

 

“That’s right. I pledge this on my name. Now then, I’ve said everything I needed to say, so I’ll ask once more to the steward responsible for the Tang Family’s affairs.”

 

I straightened my posture.

 

I asked again in a calm and considerate voice.

 

“What will you do now, Steward Gam?”

 

“…”

 

A long silence passed. Steward Gam looked back and forth between me and the wooden box with complicated eyes.

 

In his gaze, I could see him agonizing over the long-held principles he’d maintained as the family’s steward, the immediate financial difficulties choking them, the benefits of accepting this deal, and the risks involved—all in a brief moment. Watching the old steward’s wrinkled hands tremble faintly, I waited silently for all of this.

 

After a long while, he let out a deep sigh as if he’d resolved himself to everything and spoke.

 

“…Truly, Master Namgung Hwi—”

 

“I don’t know if this will be any comfort, but I’ll take full responsibility. However, what’s certain is that regardless of taking responsibility, there won’t be any problems to begin with.”

 

“…Very well. I’ll trust you, Master Namgung Hwi. But remember this. This isn’t some thoughtless gamble considering only money, but rather think of it as this old man’s ‘investment’ in the trust we’re exchanging, looking at the bigger picture.”

 

As I thought, he was someone with his own considerations.

 

I answered without hesitation.

 

“By all means.”

 

If my thinking is correct, this will definitely sell within three months, and there absolutely won’t be any gossip about it afterward.

 

If it had been someone who could openly reveal their name to buy it, when Sword Master Hwirong was poisoned in my previous life, there’s no way not even a trace of their name would have circulated in this martial arts world so mysteriously.

 

The fact that they thoroughly hid their traces means, in other words, that they thoroughly cut off any grounds for being questioned about why they did what they did when something happened—something I know well from countless dealings in the underworld.

 

“Phew, I don’t know if this is the right thing to do… but in any case, if it’s for the Tang Family’s finances.”

 

Though he didn’t express it, Steward Gam also seemed to be under severe pressure regarding the Tang Family’s finances.

 

With a deep sigh, he quietly tucked the wooden box containing the Golden Hair Seven Mountain into his sleeve.

 

“Will this really sell in the near future?”

 

“Yes. And make excuses about it being an ancestral item and ask for a high price with all your might. I think even if you ask for five gold ingots, they’ll readily buy it.”

 

“…At that price, you could get much better poison overflowing?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“…Five gold ingots, just thinking about it makes me happy. With that much, this old man would truly have no regrets.”

 

They’ll definitely buy it.

 

The buyer will pay an extremely high price and buy that to feed someone.

 

“Still, it’s funny to say this in this situation, but Master Namgung Hwi is conscientious down to the smallest details.”

 

“What do you mean by that?”

 

Steward Gam smiled.

 

“You used the excuse that Golden Hair Seven Mountain looks similar, but honestly, if you only thought about money, you would have just disguised it to look similar and replaced it with cheap poison. But the fact that you specifically replaced it with Golden Hair Seven Mountain, one of the expensive medicines, shows that you considered the buyer who would purchase the predecessor’s inferior medicine, doesn’t it?”

 

I paused for a moment, then nodded heavily.

 

“That’s… right.”

 

Steward Gam spoke with impressed eyes.

 

“As expected of Master Namgung Hwi. I really think I’ll trust and help you with anything from now on.”

 

Actually, I had a different reason for putting in Golden Hair Seven Mountain.

 

Sword Master Hwirong’s skills are real. That’s why whoever poisoned Sword Master Hwirong in my previous life also went to the trouble of obtaining Myriad Calamity Return Pill to poison him.

 

In other words, in that sense, Sword Master Hwirong, who is immune to all poisons, definitely won’t die from the Golden Hair Seven Mountain I substituted.

 

However—

 

‘For a while, just touching alcohol to his lips will give him terrible hangovers.’

 

Golden Hair Seven Mountain has strong poison but also quick effects with antidotes. During the detoxification process, it leaves harmless pain similar to hangovers, and if it’s detoxified through the rapid adaptation of immunity to all poisons… well, heaven knows what will happen.

 

As far as I know, he’s currently under a drinking ban from the family head.

 

He considers drinking once a month his life’s pleasure and looks forward to that day so much he’d jump over walls and run.

 

I’m just adding a little revenge to that day.

 

Is it a bit cruel…?

 

Anyway, whatever happens, it’s better than dying, isn’t it?

 

Who told him to play around with fingers when he shouldn’t?

 

Right, this much should cover the cost of dumplings and my belt…

 

“Of course. Of course.”

 

I nodded repeatedly at Steward Gam’s words while rummaging through my clothes.

 

“I really put in Golden Hair Seven Mountain thinking of the other person.”

 

I rummaged through my clothes, pulled out jerky, and chewed it.

 

Don’t hate me, Sword Master Hwirong.

 

After all, the bottom of this martial arts world is cold and ruthless.

 

“This is exhausting.”

 

Steward Gam now spoke with a hearty laugh.

 

“Come to think of it, it’s lunchtime, so how about we have a meal together—”

 

“—So you’re here?!”

 

-CRASH!!

 

The door burst open inward with a thunderous sound. What rushed in with rough momentum was an old man with sharp eyes. His tightly pressed lips and the intimidating aura emanating from his entire body were visible.

 

Steward Gam jumped in surprise and shouted.

 

“Dangmutae…?! No, Elder Yi, what brings you here…”

 

“Where is he, that outsider from Namgung—”

 

Elder Yi’s shout was cut off mid-sentence. His eyes met mine as I stood next to Steward Gam.

 

“…Oh ho. So you’re the one? The bastard who’s been stirring up the Tang Family as he pleases!”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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