After quite some time, Chun Jongsum began to regret using the poison on Bakgi.
‘Damn that poison!’
Chun Jongsum had learned about the poison because of a certain visitor at his home when he was very young. A middle-aged woman who hid her face with a red veil contacted his mother, Lady Baek. Chun Jongsum overheard their conversation while he was studying herbs.
‘How long will it take to see the result?’
‘Possibly a year.’
‘Good. Is there any way for one to notice it if they don’t have internal energy?’
‘There is no way. Someone with sixty years worth of internal energy can burn the poison from the body while meditating, but without it… there is no way.’
‘Good. I will trust your words then.’
‘So… where are you going to use the poison?’
‘I don’t know. What do you think?’
And the woman left. A year later, news of the Lord’s 7th wife Lady Hwa’s passing spread across the entire Demonic Cult. At the time, Chun Jongsum’s mother, Lady Baek, was also glad about the news since she hated Lady Hwa too. But the excitement didn’t last long.
After it became apparent that Lady Hwa’s death was due to the poisoning, the Poison Clan and Lady Baek became the number one suspect. If it wasn’t for Demon Doctor Baek Jongwu’s claim that the poison could be acquired even if it wasn’t for the Poison Clan, things would have gotten out of control.
The Lord became furious and arrested every servant who served Lady Hwa, but after finding out that the cook that had killed herself, they couldn’t find the real culprit behind it all. They found out that the cook had met with some woman with a veil, but they couldn’t find out exactly who it was.
After Lady Hwa’s death, the Lord cut ties with every wife from the six clans. And as for the Poison Clan, Leader of the House Baek Oh had to step down from his Eldership. Baek Oh knew that the Lord suspected his family, so he couldn’t even object and he too was suspicious that the culprit might be his own daughter.
‘No! It’s not me!’
Lady Baek wanted to tell the truth to the Lord. But if things got out that the source of the poison came from her, that was the same thing as saying that her family was behind Lady Hwa’s death anyway. So she couldn’t tell the truth. She deliberately sold the poison, not knowing who it would be used upon.
‘Jongsum, my child. You must keep this secret between you and me. Or else, even you will be hated by your father.’
Lady Baek told Chun Jongsum to not say a word about it and soon passed away while suffering from the stress.
‘Mother…’
Chun Jongsum became furious. The real culprit was hiding behind the six clans, and the fact that his mother died because of it only made him angrier.
‘No! It’s not my mother! It’s not!’
However, he had no way to find out who the red-veiled lady was. So, Chun Jongsum decided to become the future Lord and find who was behind the incident. He would then wipe out her entire family to avenge his mother.
‘If it wasn’t for that btch, my mother would still be alive!’
Chun Jongsum blamed all of this on Lady Hwa, and thought to kill Chun Yeowun, her son instead.
Nnnnnnghhhhhrgh!
However, he was the one who was on the verge of death. All the bones in his body had been destroyed and he couldn’t move. He despaired and was terrified of Chun Yeowun. No amount of martial art training would allow him to defeat this monster.
Your bones have all been crushed, so I should finish it then.
Chun Yeowun then began focusing energy in his hand, trying to finish it off by destroying the internal energy within Chun Jongsum. This was to ensure that Chun Jongsum would never try to hurt anyone without killing him.
‘W-wait! No!’
Chun Jongsum, who almost had given up, began twisting madly.
NNNNNRGH!
Having all his bones broken and taking internal damage were two different things. With the latter, there was no way one could be a warrior anymore throughout his entire life.
Stay still!
Chun Yeowun pressed on the blood points to make him stop moving.
NNNNNNGH!
‘Hmm?’
Chun Jongsum kept on trying to say something, so Chun Yeowun allowed Jongsum to speak by pressing on the blood point again.
Argh… ahh….
Chun Jongsum panted for few seconds.
Yyouush…. Mosher… wash keeled… nooot… bye… ma… crrrran….
His teeth were all gone and his chin was distorted, so it was hard to understand what he was saying.
‘I don’t know what he’s saying. Nano, analyze it.’
[Yes, Master. Interpreting from the pronunciation and lip movements.]
[Your mother was killed not by my clan.]
Nano told him with the correct pronunciation.
Huh? What are you saying?
Chun Yeowun became shocked and Chun Jongsum sighed in relief. He was trying to tell the secret he had been keeping all along, trying to stop his internal energy from being destroyed. But there was another reason for this. Chun Jongsum thought that if this monster brought out the real culprit, then the monster would go after the culprit and kill her in the most painful way possible.
[The real person who killed your mother is one of the ladies in the five clans other than mine.]
One of the ladies in the other five clans?
Chun Jongsum barely nodded. This was all he knew, but if Chun Yeowun yearned for vengeance, then he was going to find out no matter what.
[So please… don’t destroy my internal energy at least.]
Chun Yeowun asked Jongsum with a suspicious look,
So… how do you know this?
Nnngh?
How can I tell if you are telling the truth that the culprit is from one of the other clans?
It was hard to believe that the Poison Clan was innocent when his mother had died from the poison. Yeowun thought that the Poison Clan and Lady Baek were behind his mother’s death all along. Jongsum then couldn’t find the word to describes, but if he had to tell everything, then he had to say that his mother was the source of the poison.
‘Nano, analyze his facial expression.’
[Analyzing…]
Chun Yeowun activated Nano’s ability to find out the truth.
Is it true that culprit is with the other five clans?
Chun Jongsum nodded. This was true, so there was no need to hesitate.
[No change in muscle movement. Chance of lying: 5%.]
This meant that Jongsum was telling the truth. The truth was shocking however, for Yeowun had long thought that it was Poison Clan who was behind his mother’s death.
Then… does the Poison Clan… Lady Baek has nothing to do with my mother’s death?
At that question, Jongsum’s eyes shook slightly. He didn’t need to tell the truth about this, so he nodded. Nano’s voice resounded in Yeowun’s ears.
[Detected change in facial expression and eyes. Chance of lying: 75%.]
This was much higher than when it was used on Yumpa. This meant that the Poison Clan did have a part in Lady Hwa’s death. Yeowun looked down at Jongsum coldly.
I knew I couldn’t trust your words.
I-ish nott lyeeeeing…
Shut up.
Chun Yeowun then struck his underbelly. Chun Jongsum almost screamed from the pain coming up from his stomach, but he was put under silence by Yeowun as he pressed on the blood point. Yeowun punched again with the energy, destroying Jongsum’s internal energy.
All the energy within Jongsum’s body began to dissipate. It was gone.
‘My energy! No! NOOOOOO!’
At the medical room, Doctor Baek Jongmeng did not go home and waited.
Hmph… should I prepare an antidote?
He was worried that Yeowun went out full of anger. Even if he had gotten stronger, it could be dangerous if Chun Jongsum used his poisons. Yeowun was the first cadet that Jongmeng had become friends with, so he was worried that Yeowun might get hurt.
That’s when he heard someone running up the stairs. Soon, he heard guards talking in alarmed voices to go ahead, and the door opened.
What?! You!
Jongmeng looked at Chun Yeowun bursting in. He had someone on his shoulder, who was hanging like a rag doll.
What’s going on!
Do something about him first!
Chun Yeowun threw the man down on the bed. It was Chun Jongsum.
Nnnnrgh…!
He had bubbles coming up from his mouth, almost dying. His entire face turned purple as if he had been poisoned.
W-what have you done? What is going on?!
Jongmeng was baffled, but he quickly moved over to start checking on Jongsum. And the bed next to it was where Chun Mukeum laid. He was dumbfounded.
‘This bastard…’
He didn’t think Yeowun would really bring Jongsum next to his next bed, right on the verge of death.
