Episode 14. You Are the 18th Leader of the Heavenly Poison Sect
The symptoms of the Poison Master were unprecedented.
A Poison Master is a rarity, emerging perhaps once in several centuries. Yet, the fact that such a master is being attacked by the very poisons he accumulated is unimaginable. It was astonishing that he was still alive.
The state of the Poison Master was like a dam on the verge of collapse due to a flood. Holes were appearing everywhere, and while temporary measures were taken to plug the leaks, the situation had reached its limit. The dam had become so weakened that it was about to collapse all at once.
‘Then Master will turn into nothing but a pool of blood.’
Despite his massive build and fierce appearance, he was the only person Won Seung had opened his heart to and accepted as a master at this assassin training center. Thanks to him, Won Seung gained forty years of internal energy and profound poison techniques.
Won Seung wanted to save the Poison Master at any cost. So, after training, he would lock himself in the medicine room. However, the medicinal herbs were woefully insufficient.
“I need to go outside to get more herbs.”
Won Seung muttered to himself.
The Poison Master, with his keen hearing, chuckled from the living room.
‘A mere trainee talking about going outside.’
But then he realized that if Won Seung really went out, it would be disastrous. The Red Blood Mountain relentlessly pursues and kills any runaway trainees to keep its secrets.
The Poison Master knew that while Won Seung’s martial arts were decent and he had forty years of internal energy, he lacked the ability to control his energy and had no experience. If the Red Blood Mountain came after him, his life wouldn’t be guaranteed.
He couldn’t let him act recklessly and die.
‘I suppose I should tell him beforehand.’
After a moment of thought, the Poison Master realized it was time and called Won Seung.
“I have something to tell you.”
Seeing the serious expression on the Poison Master’s face, Won Seung listened respectfully. The Poison Master looked up at the western sky for a moment before speaking slowly.
“Far to the northwest, there’s a place called Dokgok in the Giryeon Mountains. The mountains are so high that the peaks are covered in snow all year round, making it a very cold place. Hidden among the snow-covered peaks is a strange valley with a warm climate all year round, and that is Dokgok. Hot springs erupt everywhere, allowing all sorts of flowers and trees to grow, and strange insects and animals to live there. That’s why it was called Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers in ancient times.”
The Poison Master’s story went back hundreds of years.
Long ago, a person skilled in medicine discovered this strange valley, named it Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers, and made it their home, accepting disciples. The countless rare plants, insects, and animals in Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers became ingredients for various medicines. When the medicines created by him and his disciples were introduced to the world, Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers became widely known.
Fame brought disaster. At that time, Dokgok was within the territory of the Seoha Kingdom. The king of Seoha favored the genius of Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers, but the kingdom was eventually destroyed by foreign invaders. The invaders, knowing of Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers’s existence, trampled it with their cavalry.
At that time, hundreds of the genius’s family and disciples lived in Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers, but they were all killed, leaving only the old genius alive. Having lost his wife, children, and countless disciples, the genius shed tears of blood and vowed revenge. After the invaders left, he returned to Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers, created poisons that could kill, and established the Heavenly Poison Sect.
“He is the founder of Heavenly Poison Sect, Cheondok Nojo.”
Won Seung dared not speak lightly after hearing the Poison Master’s lineage. He waited solemnly for the next words.
“The poison techniques of Heavenly Poison Sect have evolved over generations. That’s why the name Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers changed to Dokgok. However, they didn’t get along well with the Tang family, known for their poisons in Sichuan.”
Heavenly Poison Sect and the Tang family subtly competed for supremacy in poisons, but forty years ago, a disciple of Heavenly Poison Sect killed a direct descendant of the Tang family during a poison duel.
“The Tang family did not forget that grudge and soon launched a surprise attack on Dokgok.”
Once again, Dokgok was drenched in blood. The Tang family was thoroughly prepared. Many disciples of Heavenly Poison Sect were massacred in the sudden attack, and Heavenly Poison Sect was annihilated.
“However, there were survivors. They did not forget the grudge of Heavenly Poison Sect and vowed revenge.”
The Poison Master took something from his waist and handed it to Won Seung. It was a worn-out iron plaque, with “Heavenly Poison” inscribed on one side and a majestic mountain drawn on the other.
The Poison Master spoke with a solemn face.
“In the martial world, they call me the Poison Master. But my true identity is the 17th leader of Heavenly Poison Sect. That plaque is the token proving the position of the leader.”
The Poison Master tapped Won Seung’s head with his staff.
“You are now the 18th leader of Heavenly Poison Sect.”
Won Seung blinked in shock.
‘Me, the leader of Heavenly Poison Sect?’
It felt like a massive mountain had suddenly fallen on his shoulders. He put down the plaque and jumped up, shouting in confusion.
“Wait, Master. Just a moment!”
He then went to the well, drew a bucket of water, and drank a whole ladle of cold water before collapsing to the ground.
‘Leader of Heavenly Poison Sect? I’m only fourteen. How can I become a leader?’
He was just a child undergoing training at the assassin training center.
Survival was his top priority, followed by escaping, and third, if possible, avenging himself on the instructors and trainers.
Won Seung poured another ladle of cold water over his head. The shock cleared his mind. Still, he couldn’t understand why the Poison Master wanted to pass the leadership of Heavenly Poison Sect to him.
The Poison Master watched Won Seung through the window.
‘Does that boy not understand the significance of being a leader?’
It was an incomprehensible reaction to him. Even though the sect had fallen, being given the position of leader should have made him kneel with joy, not run away in shock.
‘Is it because he’s still young?’
He hadn’t initially planned to pass on the leadership. He had dedicated his life to avenging the sect. Such a life was enough for him alone.
There were three survivors at the time. They scattered to avoid the Tang family’s pursuit, and he instructed his two disciples to hide and train successors. They promised to declare the revival of Heavenly Poison Sect and return to Dokgok once he defeated the Poison King. But he couldn’t overcome the wall that was the Poison King and ended up sitting down.
Naturally, he intended to pass on the leadership to his disciple. However, he changed his mind and decided to pass the leadership to Won Seung, considering his safety after his own death. Although he hadn’t seen his disciples in a long time, he was sure they would take care of his safety.
Won Seung returned and sat down, glaring at the plaque. Then he sighed.
“Master, your grace is great, so it’s only right that I take on the role of leader of Heavenly Poison Sect and work hard to nurture it.”
Though he wasn’t keen on it, he understood the situation required him to accept it, which made the Poison Master feel a bit uneasy. However, outwardly, he showed a satisfied expression. After all, Won Seung was clever and quick to assess the situation.
“I have two disciples. Each of them has taken on three disciples. So, Heavenly Poison Sect consists of those eight, me, and now you, making ten in total.”
“That’s quite a small sect.”
“One who uses poison can kill ten people. So, it’s a greater force than a sect with a hundred people.”
“Well, Master, you alone can kill hundreds or thousands.”
“You know well.”
The Poison Master chuckled.
After a moment of thought, Won Seung asked.
“To defeat the Poison King, to what level must my poison skills rise?”
The Poison Master thought for a moment but had no answer.
“It’s best to avoid him.”
“The Poison King is from the Tang family, isn’t he? Now that I’m the leader of Heavenly Poison Sect, he’ll naturally try to kill me, won’t he?”
“He has mastered the legendary Shadowless Poison. Unless you’re a master of the Immortal or Life-and-Death realms, you can’t face him. You’re weak, so you have no choice but to hide.”
Won Seung thought that made sense. The Poison King would die someday. Heavenly Poison Sect could be revived by future generations, not necessarily by him. If he hid his identity as the leader of Heavenly Poison Sect and lived under another identity, the Poison King wouldn’t necessarily try to kill him.
Still, he needed to know, as the future was uncertain.
“What kind of poison is the Shadowless Poison?”
“Shadowless means it has no form. There were many rumors about it. But no one can definitively say, ‘This is the Shadowless Poison.’”
Won Seung sighed at the honest words of the Poison Master, considered the pinnacle of poison in the martial world.
‘People talk about things they don’t know as if they exist. The Shadowless Poison must be like that.’
The Poison Master frowned and spoke.
“The Poison King’s Shadowless Poison is a kind of heart poison. It’s said that at the Immortal or Life-and-Death realms, one can use a heart sword. No one knows what a heart sword is or how it works. They just say you can kill with your mind, but who knows what that means? However….”
The Poison Master paused. He recalled the day he fought the Poison King.
*
The two fought by deploying three poison techniques each. They used poison simultaneously and immediately neutralized the poison the opponent released. The situation favored the Poison Master, who had achieved the level of a Poison Master.
But instead of releasing a third poison, the Poison King wrote the character for “mind” on a blank sheet.
And he said.
“The mind is the poison.”
The Poison King’s gaze was deep, as if looking into an abyss with no end. A single word resonated from that abyss, striking something deep within the Poison Master’s consciousness.
In that moment, the Poison Master felt the poison within him waver.
Perhaps it was because of his third poison, which he named Heavenly Poison.
Heavenly Poison wasn’t a poison. By combining countless poisons and neutralizing them, he created a colorless, odorless energy. Heavenly Poison itself wasn’t a poison. However, when it entered a body with some imbalance, the absolute neutral energy would break, becoming a poison.
The Poison Master was confident that Heavenly Poison was the legendary Shadowless Poison, and he used it as a last resort against the Poison King. But it wavered under the Poison King’s heart poison, and he ended up being affected by his own Heavenly Poison.
*
Awakening from his brief recollection, the Poison Master looked at Won Seung, who was waiting for his answer with bright eyes.
The Poison Master explained the situation at the time. It was a painful memory of his defeat, but he had to prevent his disciple from recklessly challenging the Poison King.
“The Poison King broke my poison with just the character for ‘mind.’ I believe that’s the level of heart poison and the Shadowless Poison.”
“Master’s Heavenly Poison could also be considered a Shadowless Poison. It can infect others with its colorless, odorless energy.”
Then Won Seung had a sudden thought.
The Poison Master was poisoned by his own Heavenly Poison. The balance of his mind was disrupted by the Poison King’s heart poison, causing the sturdy poison within him to collapse on itself.
‘Perhaps the Poison King is a fraud.’
With a glimmer of hope, his heart felt much lighter.
“Master, as the disciple of the leader, I will properly pay my respects.”
As Won Seung performed the three bows of respect, the Poison Master solidified his resolve with a satisfied heart.
Rather than lying down and waiting for death, he decided to burn his last flame for his disciple.