At the entrance of the Thousand Poisons Forest, an elderly man with silver hair sat. Even at a glance, his presence was not ordinary, and he wore several poison pouches at his waist. These pouches were the symbol of the poison experts, the Poison Fangs of the Thousand Poisons Forest.
Counting the pouches on the old man’s waist, there were nine in total.
When one first learns poison arts, they carry a single pouch, while the Poison King’s pouch holds twelve. The fact that this old man wore nine pouches was an indication of how formidable a master he was in this place.
“I am Geom Mugeuk. I have come to meet the Poison King.”
I greeted him respectfully, and the old man introduced himself in return.
“I am Sangseon.”
He was the right hand of the Poison King and one of the four great poison experts of the Thousand Poisons Forest.
“You’ve come out just for me.”
“An esteemed guest has arrived, so this old man must greet him personally.”
I had sent word ahead that I would be coming, but I didn’t expect Sangseon himself to come out.“Follow me carefully.”
We entered the forest. It was truly dense.
“Among the Eight Demons Supremes territories, this Thousand Poisons Forest is the largest.”
It was indeed vast enough for him to boast about it.
*Rustle.*
While walking, I noticed a peculiar-looking snake.
“That is a White Blood Snake. Its blood is uniquely white, and if you’re bitten by that thing without consuming an antidote, you won’t last even a moment.”
It was said that this place housed over a thousand kinds of poisonous creatures. The Thousand Poisons Forest was filled with all sorts of toxic plants, venomous insects, and poisonous snakes. A single misstep could lead to one’s body never being found.
On the way, I encountered a poison expert gathering poisonous herbs. The poison experts here were called Poison Fangs, and the number of pouches on their waists varied.
After passing through the dense forest, I arrived at the Poison King’s residence. It was a circular building, low but of considerable size.
“I will wait here. Go ahead and have your conversation.”
“Thank you.”
I entered the building.
Inside, the space was undivided, a vast single room.
Everything was in there. Dozens of bookshelves and desks, all sorts of unknown devices, a bed, tables, wardrobes, display cabinets, and even a wooden tub for bathing. This place had everything one needed to live. This was the Poison King’s room. 1
In the middle of the room, the Poison King was crouched among various items, entirely engrossed in reading something.
This was my first meeting with the Poison King.
In my youth before regression, I had only seen him from a distance once or twice. By the time I returned in my later years to collect the Secret Demonic Soul, he had already died, so today was the first time I had seen him up close.
To sum up my first impression of him: he looked youthful and scholarly.
When people think of the Poison King, they often imagine a hunched-over old man or someone whose skin is marred by the side effects of poison—boils, inflammation, peeling skin—essentially someone whose face and body are far from intact. However, the Poison King of this era was immaculate.
Despite being middle-aged, he looked remarkably young. If there were a competition for youthful appearance at our cult, I was certain the Poison King would take first place.
He looked so young that, if we walked together, people might think we were friends. On top of that, he exuded an incredibly intellectual aura, appearing even smarter than Sima Myung, the Strategist Advisor.
If not for his dark green robe and the twelve pouches hanging at his waist, anyone would have mistaken him for a scholar. No, with his youthful appearance, he could even pass for a student learning from a scholar.
‘Oh, so the Poison King looked this young.’
I even mildly wondered if his growth had been stunted at some point due to poison exposure—it was that striking.
‘Did such a pure face really commit those atrocious acts? Did he truly harbor ambitions to become the Supreme Poison Master and dominate the martial world?’
The Poison King truly led a life that didn’t match at all his appearance.
As I approached him, the Poison King spoke without lifting his gaze from his book.
“Bring me the blue vial on the desk over there.”
His voice was as youthful as his appearance.
I picked up the blue vial he mentioned and walked over to him.
“Be careful. Even a single drop of Blue Poison could kill you.”
It won’t kill me! Even if I were to pour every poison in this room on myself and roll in it while lapping the floor, I wouldn’t die!
The Poison King took the vial I handed him and mixed it with another poison that was already in front of him.
The moment he mixed them—
With a *bang*, toxic smoke billowed up. I quickly stepped back, frantically waving my hands. What a flashy welcome! 2
*Whoooosh.*
I emitted my energy to gather the rising toxic smoke between my hands and contained it.
I was about to guide it out the window when—
“No! Wait!”
The Poison King rushed over with a large sack.
“Drive it into here.”
I directed the toxic smoke into the sack he held.
The Poison King deftly tied the mouth of the sack with a string, then tossed the bag filled with toxic smoke beside the table.
And just like that, he resumed flipping through his book.
“What exactly went wrong?”
He was deep in thought, still not sparing me a glance. It wasn’t that he was deliberately ignoring me; he was simply completely lost in his own world.
I slowly took in the room’s interior. The shelves lining the walls were filled with numerous bottles, and I could tell they were all either poisons or antidotes. It was like a library, but instead of books, it was stocked with poisons.
“Ah! Is this what’s wrong? Hey, bring me that Evil Poison Herb over there.”
I picked out the Evil Poison Herb from among the many scattered herbs on the desk and brought it to him. Even though I had correctly chosen the herb from among so many, he didn’t react at all.
“Just leave that there and bring me a jug of water from over there.”
He kept sending me on errands, fetching this and bringing that. I was constantly on the move, while he was busy grinding and mashing herbs.
When he mixed the Blue Poison with the newly combined concoction, this time it didn’t explode.
“That’s it! That’s it! The problem was the Evil Poison Herb!”
He was visibly pleased that he had finally gotten the mixture right.
Then he noticed me standing nearby.
“And who are you?”
Our Poison King, always asking the important questions right on time.
“Did you really not know who I was when you sent me on all those errands?”
“I was too busy to check, I thought you were one of my people. So, who are you?”
“I am Geom Mugeuk.”
“Oh, right. You were supposed to come today. So, it’s you. Geom Mugeuk, the talk of the cult. What brings you here?”
Even after learning who I was, his tone and demeanor didn’t change at all.
He behaved like an eccentric scatterbrain, but the subtle green glow emanating from his eyes had been consistent from the moment I entered the room until now. This indicated that his emotions were being meticulously controlled. It was a reminder that a Demon Supreme is always a Demon Supreme.
“I have a favor to ask.”
“What kind of favor?”
“Please persuade my father.”
The Poison King abruptly leaned his face towards me. His skin was flawless and smooth. How could someone who deals with poison have such good skin? 3
“No.”
The Poison King rejected me flatly, without even hearing me out.
“It’s okay to refuse, right? This isn’t some pressure play because you’re the cult leader’s son, is it?”
“No, it’s not.”
“Good, a young man shouldn’t be learning such underhanded tactics. Since our business is done, why are you still here?”
Despite his absent-minded demeanor, the Poison King was not easily swayed.
“No, I’ll be going. I’ll see you again.”
After greeting him politely, I walked out. Sangseon, who had guided me earlier, was patiently waiting for me at the entrance. He didn’t ask anything about what had happened inside.
“Please let him know that I will visit again tomorrow.”
“Understood.”
As I followed him out of the Thousand Poisons Forest, I memorized the path.
* * *
The next day, I returned to the Thousand Poisons Forest.
Once again, Sangseon silently guided me to the Poison King’s residence, but this time, it was a different route. I understood his intention. He was trying to prevent me from learning the way to the Poison King’s dwelling.
However, this was an unnecessary attempt since he didn’t realize how good my memory and sense of direction were. Today, I learned yet another route to the Poison King’s residence. 4
When I arrived at the Poison King’s place, he was digging near his house.
“It was definitely here, though?”
The ground was dug up in several spots. It seemed he had buried something and couldn’t find it.
With his face and body covered in dirt like a child, he looked endearing. The more adorable he appeared, the stranger I felt, knowing the disparity between this image and the atrocities he would commit in the future.
Thousand of martial artists would die by his poison in the years to come. He would indeed bring about a great massacre.
The Poison King was completely engrossed in his digging, paying no mind to my greeting.
I borrowed a shovel from Sangseon and calmly began digging alongside him.
Sangseon watched me with a curious look in his eyes.
In contrast, the Poison King was entirely focused on whether or not he would find what he was looking for in the soil he was digging. This wasn’t an act; he was genuinely immersed in his task. Occasionally, he would burst into laughter by himself. Just watching him, one would think he was undoubtedly insane.
Now, I fully understood why the Demon Doctor had said the key was to get the Poison King out of his lab. I also grasped why everyone believed it would be difficult to persuade the Poison King. This man lived entirely in his own world. 5
I dug several spots nearby, collecting whatever surfaced and placing them to the side. All sorts of things came up. Boxes, insects, larvae, snakes, garbage, and all kinds of strange tools emerged from the soil. 6
While I was digging in one spot—
“Ah! Why is that there?”
The Poison King shouted and rushed over to the spot where I was digging. It seemed that among the items I had gathered, he found what he was looking for.
The box he picked up contained a sticky liquid that gave off a foul odor.
“Wow! It’s perfectly aged!”
“Is this what you were looking for?”
The Poison King looked at me and gasped in surprise.
“When did you get here?”
It was both a performance and not a performance. He acknowledged me and forgot me at the same time.
“I arrived earlier. You seemed to be looking for something, so I decided to dig as well.”
“Well done, well done.”
He laughed cheerfully but then turned serious.
“I’m sure I refused you yesterday.”
“Today, I’m here purely to help you, Poison King. From what I saw yesterday, you could use an extra pair of hands.”
“Are you planning to steal my poison arts?”
“Could I really learn your poison arts that easily?”
“Not a chance.”
“Then there’s no problem.”
The Poison King stared intently at me. The green glow in his eyes seemed to pierce through mine. Of course, that light had no effect on me, as I had mastered the New Eye Technique.
Instead, I felt something about him. At this moment, I envisioned a scene.
The Poison King, stepping out from his own world, standing at the boundary with the outside world.
In this moment, he was no longer just an eccentric.
I realized it then. The person before me was the one aspiring to become the Supreme Poison Master of the martial world. He crossed that boundary just once, and thousands of souls had wailed and died.
“Let’s see how well you work.”
For the first time, emotion flickered across his face. If it gets too exhausting for you in just one day, you won’t be able to come back!
The Poison King assigned me tasks. He was determined to work me to the bone, aiming to drive me away.
“Sort those poisonous herbs over there.”
As instructed, I took the poisonous herbs from the sack and began sorting them.
I abandoned the idea of persuading the Poison King. I even gave up trying to impress him. My sole focus was to understand the world he lived in. Without grasping his world first, there would be no grounds to convince him.
“Now, organize the new poisonous herbs that just came in.”
Every day, the Poison Fangs would bring poisonous substances they had gathered from the Central Plains to this place. It was fortunate if it was just poisonous herbs; more often than not, it included all sorts of disgusting poisonous creatures.
I handled the herbs and creatures with skill. Since becoming immune to all poisons, I had lost any aversion to them. Previously, the mere thought of poison would make me frown, and I wouldn’t want to go near it, but now, I felt nothing of the sort.
He seemed surprised by how efficiently I worked.
“I thought you’d be too pampered to manage this, but you can actually get things done?”
I had always been skilled with poisonous herbs. That’s why, back during the Heavenly Cave trials, I easily passed the challenges related to poisonous plants.
Of course, the range of poisonous herbs handled here far exceeded my knowledge. Whenever unfamiliar herbs came in, I would ask the Poison King, “What is this one? What about that one?” until he finally snapped, “Stop asking so many questions!”
At the end of the day, the Poison King quizzed me about the herbs he had explained to me. Unable to find fault with my work, he instead targeted my memory.
“What did I say this herb was called?”
“It’s Yalan Herb. It’s usually ground up and added to spicy foods, making it indistinguishable.”
I recited exactly what he had explained.
“Then what about this herb?”
“That’s Heuksan Hundred-Day Herb. Once someone is poisoned, its effects last for a hundred days, during which the victim gradually weakens and eventually dies.”
I described it exactly as he had, using his own words.
“You little brat! Why are you so smart?”
His eyes blazed with the determination to find a flaw in me the next day. At this moment, he looked just like a kid my age throwing a tantrum.
“See you tomorrow!”
* * *
I visited him again the next day.
The Poison King had made a big mistake thinking I would give up after a few visits. He had no idea what kind of person I was, someone who would do whatever it takes once I set a goal. 7
Once again, I completed the tasks he assigned me and finished the day’s work.
I made no effort to befriend him. I didn’t start conversations, I didn’t try to impress him, and I didn’t resort to any flattery. I simply and silently did what was asked of me.
Perhaps that’s why the Poison King said this first:
“Don’t think this will change my mind. I never go back on my word once I’ve spoken. If I do, I’ll bark like a dog five times in the center of the Grand Martial Arena while everyone watches.”
It was his way of reaffirming his resolve not to give in, essentially telling me not to come back. But I steeled my resolve as well.
“Since you’ve set those conditions, I should set some too. If I fail, I’ll gather everyone in the Cult to the Grand Martial Arena and shout, ‘Like father, like son’, five times.” 8
Perhaps not expecting this, the Poison King burst into loud laughter.
“I can’t wait to see the look on the Cult Leader’s face then.”
Excited by my challenge, the Poison King grabbed some paper and a brush.
“All right, since you’ll be coming often, let’s write a contract! You’ll write that you’ve come to the Thousand Poison Forest of your own free will, and if you get poisoned while working, you won’t hold me responsible. How about it? Think you can sign that?”
Gazing into his thrilled eyes, I countered his challenge.
“I will if you write one too.” 9
1 : It’s kinda like isolation training…. Or a NEET room, really.
2 : We can always reconvert him to an IRL magician. Or a ninja.
3 : Maybe that’s why all those venomous Thots often have venomous beauty….
4 : Lol, learning all the escape routes beforehand with the unwitting help of the guards XDXDXD
5 : “Get that geek to drop his computer and go outside to touch grass !!!”
6 : Poison King would go bankrupt with all the illegal burying waste fines he would get IRL.
7 : You’ve underestimated this madman’s determination. Dude spent his whole life for the sole goal of regression, mutilating himself if necessary, this is quite easy in comparison.
8 : Hahahahaha, much more dangerous stakes XDXDXD
9 : Devil’s contract XDXDXD Mugeuk would be work well in Happyland ^ ^ (Vainqueur the Dragon)
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