Episode 10: Falling Victim to Blood Drying Powder
“Consuming small amounts of poison regularly builds resistance. As you overcome the poison, your internal energy deepens as well.”
Won Seung nodded, though he couldn’t shake off his unease. Poison Master gave him a meaningful smile.
“There’s something you need to learn first.”
“What is it?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
*
A few days later.
Poison Master disappeared somewhere and only returned in the afternoon. After Won Seung finished his training, Poison Master led him to the storage at the back.
“Gasp! There’s a dead person here!”
In the middle of the storage was a wooden platform, and on it lay the naked corpse of a man.
The body seemed freshly deceased, as the skin had not yet begun to decay. The calluses on his feet suggested he had been a farmer.
“Did you kill this person?”
“I only kill those who deserve it.”
Poison Master shook his head.
“I procured this with difficulty from a nearby village cemetery.”
He gestured for Won Seung to come closer. Hesitantly, Won Seung approached.
“Poison and medicine are two sides of the same coin. Understanding poison allows you to grasp medicine, and vice versa. Master both, and your achievements will come swiftly.”
Won Seung nodded.
“To learn medicine, you must understand the human body.”
At that moment, Won Seung had no idea of the horrifying experience that awaited him. He thought perhaps he would learn about the body’s acupoints or structure. But then Poison Master picked up a small knife and plunged it into the corpse’s abdomen, slicing it open.
Already nauseated by the strange smell emanating from the body, Won Seung retched at the sight of the exposed innards.
Poison Master sternly shouted.
“Keep your eyes open. To properly learn medicine or poison techniques, you must understand how the body’s organs look and function.”
That night was truly horrific for Won Seung.
Poison Master dissected the corpse, separating each organ and explaining their functions, though none of it registered with Won Seung. The stench from the decaying organs was suffocating.
Eventually, the muscles and bones were separated. The corpse was reduced to a pile of bones and flesh.
Won Seung vomited repeatedly, tears and snot streaming down his face. He feared he might even vomit up his own insides.
The lesson ended in chaos due to Won Seung’s constant vomiting. Once the dissection was over, Won Seung dashed out of the storage, his mind blank.
Watching him leave, Poison Master sighed.
“Looks like I’ll need to get another one.”
A few days later, Poison Master brought in another corpse.
“This time, it’s an excellent specimen.”
Poison Master said proudly. It was the body of a robust young man who had practiced martial arts.
“He was killed by a stab wound. The liver was destroyed instantly, a testament to the killer’s skill.”
The body appeared freshly deceased. Won Seung suspected Poison Master might have killed someone to obtain it.
‘He might keep bringing people until I learn properly. I can’t let my ailing master do such things.’
Won Seung decided it was better to finish quickly than to keep repeating this ordeal. This time, he steeled himself and performed the dissection. Since the body was fresh, the smell wasn’t as overwhelming as before. However, he still ended up vomiting everything in his stomach afterward.
But by the next time, Won Seung had grown accustomed and calmly examined all the organs, determining the cause of death.
“This person died from a tumor in the large intestine. They must have suffered severe diarrhea and pain before dying.”
Poison Master nodded.
“He must have been ill for a long time. Look at the liver; you can see the damage from excessive medication.”
From then on, Poison Master occasionally brought in corpses to dissect, explaining the causes of death and the effects of medicine and poison.
Once Won Seung understood the human body, Poison Master began teaching him poison techniques in earnest. From early evening until late at night, they handled and mixed various poisons, sometimes even ingesting them. Won Seung’s body became conditioned to poison, developing a resistance.
*
Before he knew it, the leaves had fallen, and winter returned. This winter’s training was brutal, with several dying while climbing icy cliffs.
As more comrades died, a rebellious glint appeared in the children’s eyes. Like Won Seung, they realized they could die from the harsh training, fueling their anger and resentment.
The difference between Won Seung and the others was that they showed their feelings, while Won Seung hid his.
By spring, only fifty thirteen-year-olds remained. Thirty-four boys and sixteen girls.
As the forsythias bloomed, Instructor Jang gathered the children and stepped onto the platform. In his hand was a large wooden box.
‘What kind of medicine are they going to give us now?’
Won Seung recalled the Oblivion Pill they took when they first arrived.
Instructor Jang spoke as if offering a favor.
“This is the Bright Vitality Pill, which will enhance your internal energy. By taking it, you’ll gain five years’ worth of energy, so you must diligently practice your breathing exercises.”
Won Seung’s ears perked up at Instructor Jang’s words. Having already consumed the Meridian Cleansing Pill to gain twenty-five years of energy, adding five more would give him thirty years’ worth. Then he could handle even the most potent poisons.
‘It’s a different pill from the Meridian Cleansing Pill, so it should bring results.’
Though there might be some strange poison in it, Won Seung was confident he could detoxify it.
So this time, he took the Bright Vitality Pill without hesitation. After administering the pill, Instructor Jang instructed the children to sit and practice their breathing exercises.
He wanted to verify the results himself.
Upon taking the Bright Vitality Pill, Won Seung felt a burning sensation in his chest, unlike the Meridian Cleansing Pill. Then a refreshing energy spread throughout his body. Warm energy flowed from his dantian, merging with the pill’s energy.
As the two energies harmonized, Won Seung circulated them through his entire body. As he practiced his breathing countless times, the pill’s effects spread throughout his body.
When Won Seung opened his eyes, darkness had already fallen. He had been practicing his breathing all day since taking the pill in the morning.
Instructor Jang was nowhere to be seen, replaced by guards.
Won Seung didn’t immediately get up but observed his surroundings. The other children were still practicing their breathing. Won Seung was the first to awaken.
He continued practicing his breathing while seated, feeling his energy had significantly increased.
‘I must have surpassed thirty years by now.’
Even if he only absorbed half of the promised five years, that would still be three years. Is there anyone my age with this level of energy? Won Seung wondered if he could defeat the instructors once he fully mastered the Splendid Sword Technique.
As night deepened and the children began waking one by one, Won Seung rose at an appropriate time. The children were overjoyed, feeling as if they could fly. They had all gained ten years’ worth of energy by combining their five years of training with the Bright Vitality Pill.
‘They should have given it to us earlier.’
Won Seung thought as he observed the children. If they had, some of the children who died last winter might have survived. But then he realized it made sense to give it when there were exactly fifty children left.
Though not as potent as the Meridian Cleansing Pill, the Bright Vitality Pill was still a precious medicine, likely requiring significant resources to obtain. Rather than giving it to a hundred children, it was more efficient to give it twice to the surviving fifty to cultivate exceptional assassins. After all, the children’s lives weren’t important to them.
Won Seung was curious about the true nature of the place that was training them. Investing so much energy over ten years to raise assassins must serve a special purpose.
‘Could it be an assassin’s guild?’
An organization specializing in contract killings might undertake such an endeavor.
Then he remembered Poison Master waiting for him. He hadn’t brought lunch or dinner, so Poison Master must be starving.
‘Oh no! I almost became a disciple who lets his master starve.’
Won Seung hurried to the upper kitchen to gather food and headed to his quarters.
“Why are you so late?”
Poison Master asked in a grumpy voice.
“Do you know what happened today?”
Won Seung recounted taking the Bright Vitality Pill. Poison Master flinched and then took Won Seung’s pulse.
Closing his eyes, Poison Master checked Won Seung’s pulse and pressed several acupoints. Won Seung immediately felt dizzy and staggered.
“Why am I feeling like this?”
Poison Master sighed and said.
“The pill is indeed the Bright Vitality Pill. But there’s a little trick involved.”
“Are you saying it’s poisoned?”
Won Seung had examined his body after taking it and found nothing amiss, so he tilted his head in confusion. Poison Master nodded.
“The poison is very subtle. You will likely take the pill annually. After the third dose, the poison will begin to take effect.”
Won Seung’s face turned pale.
“What should I do? What kind of harm will this poison cause?”
“Don’t worry. It’s a chronic poison, so it won’t cause immediate problems. Moreover, it might even aid you in mastering poison techniques.”
“Really?”
“Yes. The poison is called Blood Drying Powder. Once it takes effect, you’ll need an antidote every year. Otherwise, you’ll die as your blood dries up.”
“Oh!”
What a vicious plan. Won Seung realized he was thirteen this year. He would take the pill two more times, and the poison would manifest in the year he turned sixteen.
‘They plan to make us slaves to the poison as soon as we leave this training facility.’
Won Seung was furious about having consumed poison, but Poison Master seemed unconcerned.
“Regardless, thanks to the Bright Vitality Pill, you’ve achieved thirty years of internal energy. If you diligently practice your breathing and continue consuming poison, you’ll reach forty years of energy before you turn twenty. That’s truly remarkable.”
“At twenty… only forty years. When will I ever reach a full cycle?”
Poison Master looked at Won Seung thoughtfully and continued.
“Even I, who consumed countless poisons, only achieved a full cycle at fifty. Forty years at your age is an extraordinary accomplishment. Even in prestigious families or clans, such achievements are rare.”
“It’s all thanks to your Meridian Cleansing Pill, Master.”
Poison Master shook his head.
“No, the Meridian Cleansing Pill could only yield such results because you diligently practiced your breathing and laid a solid foundation. Even the children of noble families start training their internal energy at five or six, but who among them would have trained as earnestly as you?”
Come to think of it, that’s true.
“But it won’t matter if I fall victim to Blood Drying Powder.”
Won Seung spoke, hoping Poison Master would offer an antidote, but Poison Master replied indifferently.
“Focus on mastering poison techniques. You’ll be able to handle such a poison on your own.”