Chapter 9 - 57 to 62

That was the end of the story before the party.

In a way, he knew something that could overturn his family and the Yakwang Party just by revealing it, but before he entered the competition, he was only a child a little over ten years old.

Regardless of whether the words were credible or not, it would have been impossible to tell the truth from the enemy within the Yakwangdang.

It was the same even after participating in the competition. You couldn't trust the Amwangdae or Dokwangdae, let alone the Bongwidae. You never know who among them might be related to the Yakwangdang.

But since he was the son of Dokbong, who had become the new Sogaju, and had lost his father to the Yakwangdangju, he could be trusted. That was why I decided to tell him this story.

After a moment of silence, Dang-myeong opened his mouth.

"before."

"huh?"

"If your grandfather returns to normal, will he be able to function properly even if the King of Medicine and all his followers are killed?"

"what…?"

Dang Yi-jeon was surprised and asked back. It wasn't because he had said he would kill the people of Yakwangdang. He had already guessed Dang Yuanming's personality, which was not one to deal with grudges or troubles rashly.

"You can't possibly cure my grandfather? Do you know what kind of poison he was given?"

"Don't expect too much. You'll have to see for yourself to know for sure. If it's really just poison, there might be something you can do about it."

"… My grandfather suffered from cerebral erysipelas. It's a type of brain poison that affects the head. I don't know if you know, but brain poisons are weak, but they spread very finely throughout the body. In particular, cerebral erysipelas doesn't respond to medication once it starts to seep into the brain, so you absolutely have to treat it in the early stages of poisoning."

The words of Dang Yi-jeon, who continued to explain without being asked, were filled with distrust and resignation. It seemed as if he thought that no matter how obvious it was, he could not do anything about his grandfather.

Originally, there were not many schools that dealt with brain poison. It was natural. Most schools of poison valued the lethality of poison. Brain poison, which kills people or makes them idiots over a long period of time, was not only difficult to use, but also required considerable effort to manufacture.

Although it was somewhat in demand among the Beijing imperial family and political figures, even in those cases, the toxicity of the brain toxin was so weak that it often did not work on those who were in good health.

Even within the Tang family, the only one that dealt with brain poison was Yakwangdang. At one time, the head of the Jehyeonganchalsa, who oversaw the Sacheonseong Prison, called Yakwangdangju because of symptoms of dementia of unknown cause. At that time, Yakwangdangju discovered that the chief of the Jehyeonganchalsa was poisoned by brain poison, and this was the beginning of research on brain poison that has continued to this day.

And the brain poison that the Medicine King's Day created was cerebral toxicity. Because of the weak toxicity unique to brain poison, it was difficult to detect early, and because it had a poisonous effect that clouded reasoning, if the people around them did not notice something was wrong and take action, they would be left alone until the poison seeped into their brain.

His grandfather had already been poisoned by cerebral edema more than ten years ago, so it was safe to say that his brain had not simply been invaded by the poison, but had been completely destroyed.

Treating a grandfather like that? It just sounded completely absurd.

Dang-myung said it like this.

"Do you remember when I safely took the poison you made? Like the poison of the short-term fever?"

"… I remember. This is a different story. It's about detoxification."

Tang Yi-Jeon was mistaken. He said that the reason that Dang-Myeong was able to consume a poison as severe as Danjang-Yeol-Ji-Dok and remain unharmed was because he had a high resistance to poison.

It was said because he didn't know that the power of the poisonous spirit that had reached the Great Star could be turned into a true spirit by eating its poison.

Dang Myeong-myeong didn't say anything else and just smiled faintly. So, if your grandfather is cured, can we erase the Yakwangdang?

"… There won't be any major problems. We might be short-handed right now, but… If we can just hire a few people who are good at pharmacy, I think we'll be able to handle the work that Yakwangdang is doing now within a few months. My current level isn't that bad compared to back then. I'll teach you well."

It was a surprising story. The head of the Yakwang family was the best in the family, even if he didn't know anything about poison, but he was the best in medicine, including pharmacology. But now, Dang Yi-jeon, who was only fifteen years old, was evaluating himself as having skills that were not far behind the head of the Yakwang family.

"Okay. Okay then."

Dang Yi-jeon nodded without being too surprised. He knew Dang Yi-jeon's skills very well. Most of the time, he had seen him making poisons rather than medicines, but Dang Yi-jeon was able to quickly make various poisons even in the communal mountains where there were no proper medicinal herbs or poisonous plants. He must have had some knowledge of pharmacy.

Above all, since the head of the Yakwangdangju was his teacher, he would be able to make a more accurate evaluation than anyone else.

"The story has become long."

"really."

Dang Yuri said with a slightly surprised look on her face at Dang Dang-myeong's words. The sun was already setting. The sunlight streaming in through the cracks in the window was reddish.

"As for Mi-Ryeo… let's hear about it after the Yakwangdang matter is over."

"okay."

"If you're not going to go back to Yakwangdang right away, then come with me."

"… Is that okay? It's been a while since I've seen my mother. I don't want to be bothering you unnecessarily."

"I don't think it'll work out. We've been together for more than a year or two. I think my mother would like it. I've never brought a friend with me before."

Dang Yi-jeon, who had been pondering the words of Dang Sang-myeong for a moment, nodded slightly. The word friend had a strange resonance. Of course, he was worried about his grandfather's safety, but nothing would change immediately if he went. Rather, he would be under the surveillance of the Yakwang Dangju that day. It would be better to move together with Dang Sang-myeong, who had become the head of the household.

"Well then, let's take our leave now."

Dang-myung said as he got up.

It was a busy day.

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Although I hadn't finished all my work yet, I had roughly sorted out the urgent matters and had roughly decided on what I would do next, so I was ready to go see my mother.

'mother.'

A young boy who had left the family three years ago took over as head of the household after his mother.

As he left the room where Sogaju Dokbong had been using, Sogaju Dangmyeong muttered, "This is just the beginning."

****

"… Indeed, is he the son of that Dangwiryong?"

A middle-aged man dressed in a literary style, muttering with a look of surprise on his face.

He was the current head of the Yakwang Party.

He was carrying out his daily medical treatment, prescriptions, and research on poisons and medicines as usual when he heard some surprising news.

It is said that the three elders, Dang Seok-hyeong and Dang Seok-jung, who were considered powerful figures in the presbytery, died. According to the family law, they were killed by the new head of the household.

I wasn't really interested in how such a thing was possible. After all, I was planning to leave the party sooner or later and start a new family. I was planning to lead the Yakwang Party and create a new medical family under the Heuksa-ryeon.

He thought that if he received even a little bit of the martial arts of ascension from Yu Gil-jun of Heuksalyeonju and then took the inner medicine of Mannyeonhwari, he would be able to form a force that was one of the best in Sacheon in an instant.

However, what was concerning was that the new owner of the small business was none other than Dang-myeong. Many people called him Dok-bong's son, but it was a little different for that day.

'The Son of Dangwiryong 1'

It was because, in the distant past, when he had an argument with Dang Wi-ryong and poisoned him, that even the conversation is now vague.

It would be extremely unlikely for that to happen, but if it were to become known, it would be unlikely that Sogaju, who had become the owner of the house, would remain silent.

'I need to take care of it slowly.'

The eyes of that day flashed fiercely. The only people who knew what had happened at that time were members of the Yakwangdang and the former Yakwangdang leader, Dang Ho-yeol. The Yakwangdang's subordinates were no different from accomplices who had committed the crime together, so all they had to do was keep their mouths shut, but his master, Dang Ho-yeol, was different.

Dang Ho-yeol loved Dang Wi-ryong as if he were his secret son. Although he was currently addicted to brain toxicity and barely regained consciousness for a month, he didn't know what he would do if he found out that Dang Wi-ryong's son had become a sogaju.

'It's a shame that the toxicity of the inner lining can't be completely removed…'

It was during the bloody battle with Magwangcheon that the existence of the Mannyeonhwari's Naedan was discovered. The family's power, which had been so prosperous that they were called Sega, was instantly reduced by the attack of the crazy demons demanding the handover of Dokbong Dangjihye.

The force itself was great, but there was a certain madness in the Magwangcheon minions. If their skills were lacking, most of them would choose to join Donggwi Eojin instead of retreating. Countless masters of the family died.

It was a crisis situation where it seemed like the sect would be destroyed. At that time, Dang Ho-yeol, the head of the Yakwang sect, casually brought up the subject. He said that he had to report the truth about Mannyeonhwari to the head of the sect. He even went to the Amdokjeon himself.

That day, I was shocked. The inner workings of Mannyeonhwari! Did such a monster really exist?

However, Gaju stubbornly refused to take the medicine. He said that even if he took Mannyeonhwari's medicine with his talent, it would be difficult to achieve great things. He said that it would be better to save it for future generations.

And then, right after, during the battle with Magwangcheon, Gaju died.

The fight was somehow concluded, and the elders who had taken power after driving out Dokbong Dang Ji-hye, the head of the household, seemed unaware of the existence of Mannyeonhwari Naedan.

Dang Ho-yeol also asked him to keep quiet, as there would be a great uproar if the existence of the Nae-dan was revealed.

From then on, he hatched a plan. He planned to somehow ascend to the position of the head of the medicinal kingdom and consume the inner power of Mannyeonhwari.

Originally, he had an interest in martial arts, but he entered the Yakwangdang because he had no talent for martial arts. Surprisingly, he was talented in medicine, and he caught the eye of the Yakwangdang leader, Dang Ho-yeol, and became his disciple. However, he was not satisfied on the day. He wanted to build up great military power and act as a strong man in the martial arts world.

However, when he learned about the inner workings of Mannyeonhwari, his forgotten dreams came back to life and became his desires.

Then, the cause of the trouble was an altercation with Dang Wi-ryong, Dokbong's husband.

'I'm disappointed. I can't entrust the Yakwangdang to you.'

The words of the head of the Yakwangdang family, Dang Ho-yeol, completely turned the tide that day.

The innermost part of the Mannyeonhwari seemed within reach, but then it felt completely out of reach. After spending a whole day thinking about it, he made a decision. He decided to get rid of everything that was in his way.

The first thing to do was to neutralize Dang Ho-yeol, who was the head of the Yakwangdang and his teacher. He used the brain poison to blur his reasoning and killed the Yakwangdang members who could be considered Dang Ho-yeol's confidants by poisoning them with deadly poison. The same goes for Bu-dang-ju, who was no different from being executed.

Dang Wi-ryong, who had caused such great shame, was also secretly poisoned to death. Dok-bong was greatly heartbroken by this, but he felt that the elders were pleased.

They defined what happened at Yakwangdang as an internal power struggle and recognized that day as the new head of Yakwangdang.

On that day, he tried to kill the last son of the unjust and grandson of Dang Ho-yeol, Dang I-jeon, but soon changed his mind.

Master Dang Ho-yeol now had nothing to lose. He wanted to use it as a means to sway his mind.

Because only Dang Ho-yeol knew the method to completely remove the poison of the evil spirit from the Mannyeonhwari.

But now it's too dangerous.

Since Dang Wi-ryong's son has become a Sogaju, it is right to take care of himself.

It was clearly said that the previous party had also returned from the competition. If I come to the main hall to see my grandfather's face, I will send my grandson and grandson together to the underworld—a serious murderous intent appeared on the face of that day as he thought so. The day has dawned.

The lady who came out to the front door said.

"Be careful."

"Yes, Mother."

"Ijeon, you too. It was nice meeting you. I will ask you to continue to support me in the future."

"Thank you for your concern, ma'am. I owe you something."

Dang Yi-jeon greeted him politely and thought, "You are indeed Dok-bong. Your beauty was even more vivid under the morning sunlight."

Even though she was approaching middle age, Dokbong Dang Ji-hye was beautiful. Rather, she had become more mature with age, and her gestures and speech naturally had an old-fashioned elegance. Even if she were said to be a princess of the royal family, it would be believable.

But Dang Jeong-myeong thought a little differently when he saw that kind of wisdom.

'You're getting old.'

It has been more than three years since I left my family and participated in the competition. In the meantime, the wrinkles around my mother's eyes and mouth have deepened a little, and her voice has changed slightly. A few strands of gray hair can also be seen. Perhaps it is because she was not small in worrying about her son.

I don't feel well.

Dang-myung wanted to feel his mother's love and warmth for a long time. Unlike his father who passed away young, he wanted to fully enjoy the youth and lifespan that was given to him. No, he wanted to enjoy it even more.

"I will do it. Sogaju."

There was a figure approaching, breaking the reverie. Bongwi-dae Dang Won-jin. He bowed his head slightly to Dang Ji-hye. It was a gesture of respect to Soga-ju's mother and former owner.

The day before, it wasn't just the couple that shared a secret.

'…I'm sorry I couldn't protect you.'

'It's not the fault of the guards, is it? It's okay, everyone, raise your heads. There are many faces I miss, but I can't see them properly.'

'…miss.'

__Jang No-do is like that, and everyone still calls me that. Aren't I a little old to be called Miss now? Hehe. I have a grown son like this.'

Bongwi-dae and Dokbong, who had reunited with their former master, seemed to have some thoughts about the years that had passed. The connection that had continued through the generations was also strange.

Meanwhile, Dang Ji-hye did not ask how Dang Yuanming could win the competition and become the head of the household. The family that met death in the competition

It was because I knew that there were later indices. Some of their lives would have been cut short by the hands of my son, Dang-myung. It was a consideration of my own. It was something I could have found out later if I asked the Bong-wi-dae warriors.

I just asked about his appearance, which had become more hunched over than it had been a few years ago. He had completely transformed himself. Yu Myeong-myeong simply smiled and answered. Yu Myeong-myeong smiled and answered. Isn't that obvious? Whose bloodline is it?

What happened today was something I had already heard from Nobok Jang Chun-sam all day long.

Dokbong wanted to be a shelter that his son, who had the heavy responsibility of leading the family in the future, could always rely on.

'If there's anything this mother can do to help, please let me know.'

'Yes, I will ask you soon.'

Dang-myung said with a meaningful smile. He had something in mind.

I deliberately did not mention the incident at Yakwangdang that I had heard from Dang Ijeon, which was related to my father's grudge. It was because I did not want to stain my mother's hands with blood.

As we will see later, it was an obvious decision that we should take matters into our own hands for now.

"Then let's go. As I told you, someone from the General Office will come out soon."

"okay."

"Mother, please arrange the world according to your taste, and choose a place to live according to your convenience."

"Okay. Most of the stuff I used to have is still there, so I don't think you'll need anything major. Go ahead and go."

Now that his name was Sogaju, his family had to move to Gajujeon, Amdokjeon. His family now consisted of only Dokbong Dang Jihye and a few slaves.

As a small-scale household, it was right to stay in the dark cell to handle various large and small matters and for security purposes.

Anyway, with that simple request, Dang-myeong started walking. Dang-i-jeon was next to him, and a long line of Bong-wi-dae followed behind him.

It is the procession of the Sacheon Dangga Sogaju.

The destination was Yakwangdang.

****

The office of the head of the Yakwangdang family.

"It's strange."

A middle-aged man with a neat beard muttered while looking at a cracked teacup.

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Although it was quite old, it was a masterpiece among masterpieces that a white porcelain craftsman had painstakingly created over many years.

I really liked the teacup with the blue and white background and the very elaborate design of the crane and deer, which seemed to be praying for the health and longevity of the owner of the medicinal herb garden. Even when I poured and drank ordinary tea, it felt like medicinal tea.

As usual, I poured myself a cup of tea this morning to whet my appetite. But out of nowhere, there was a small sound and a crack appeared in the cup.

It was a pity, but this sudden incident came as an ominous sign.

'Come to think of it, that guy from before the party hasn't come back yet.'

That day, I was stroking my beard for no reason and thinking.

It was unexpected. Wasn't he someone I cherished since I was little? After three long years of competition, I thought he would first check on my grandfather's safety after returning home.

When I called the people below and asked them, they said they hadn't even set foot in Yakwangdang all night. I wonder why. Since they were born and raised in Yakwangdang all their lives, they probably wouldn't have anywhere else to go.

My thoughts on that day deepened. In the midst of my daily routine, that was the only variable.

Could it be because I recalled past events yesterday for the first time in a long while?

The sight of the teacup spitting out tea water through the cracks overlaps with the image of the father of the deceased, who was dying while spitting out dark red blood.

That was when.

"Master!"

"…What's the fuss this early in the morning?"

Dan-gil frowned at the incoming Bu-dang-ju. He was a man with no great talent in pharmacy or medicine, but he had been appointed Bu-dang-ju only because of his connections with the Black Lotus. He was more interested in trivial matters than in his assigned duties.

I didn't like the fact that he was making such a fuss when he was already on edge because of the teacup incident.

But he couldn't help but be surprised by the words that followed the unfair remark.

"… This is a big deal! The Sogaju Dangmyeong led the Bongwidae to visit the main temple!"

****

Dang Yuanming led several Bongwidae warriors and entered Yakwangdang along with the party transfer. The rest of the men were ordered to surround Yakwangdang and monitor for escapes.

"Why did the Lord Sogaju…?"

"Please forgive me for greeting you only now. I have been busy with work at the church…."

"Instead of this, how about we meet with the head of the household first? I will make sure to leave a message."

The people of the Yakwangdang that they encountered spoke to him anxiously, overwhelmed by the momentum of Yu Sang-myeong and the Bongwidae warriors. Yu Sang-myeong looked at them with cold eyes without saying a word. According to what Tang Yi-jeon had said, most of those currently in the Yakwangdang were no different from those who had participated in the poisoning of their father.

However, it was not yet time for punishment. The first thing to do was to check on the condition of Dang Ho-yeol, the former head of the Yakwang clan and the grandfather of the previous Tang clan.

Dang I-jeon guided Dang Sang-myeong to the residence in Yakwangdang where he had originally stayed with his grandfather.

But there was no one there.

"…I can't see my grandfather."

Before the party, Dang-yi-myeong beckoned to the Yakwang-dang members who had been observing him. He asked them as they approached him, timidly.

"Where did you move the previous king of the medicine kingdom? This is my grandfather before the party."

"That is…."

"You don't seem to want to live."

When Dang-Yang-Myeong gave a vague nod, Dang-Won-Jin stepped forward. He had a long dagger in his hand, which he had taken out at some point. As he swung his arm like a lightning bolt, the head of the man who had been hesitating to speak fell down with a creaking sound. Thud.

"uh ?"

"…"

"What are you doing now?"

"Sogaju. Are you out of your mind…!"

The people of Yakwangdang who were watching were shocked and opened their mouths. Killing someone just because they hesitated to answer…?

It was a sight that could only be seen among the Sapha forces, whose authority was so great.

"It's an urgent matter, so speak quickly. I have plenty to say anyway, so don't test my patience."

"!!!"

• • • •

The person in charge of the Yakwangdang looked astonished at Dang-myeong's words, but the next person named spoke without the slightest hesitation. The former head of the Yakwangdang, Dang Ho-yeol, is currently in the underground prison.

The reason there was a brain prison in Yakwangdang was simple. It was to isolate the families who were known to have serious mental illnesses. However, except in extreme cases, it was rare for them to be locked up in a brain prison.

The cold, damp, underground prison was such a bad environment that the condition would only get worse and never improve. To put it simply, keeping him there was no different from leaving him there and hoping he would die.

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"You bastards…!"

Dang Yi-jeon was furious. Who was to blame for his grandfather's mental instability? It was because of the brainwashing drug that the head of the Yakwangdangdang had written.

How could they do something like that to a perfectly fine person and then lock him up in a brain prison while he was away competing? I couldn't help but get angry.

Dang-myung opened his mouth quietly.

"Wonjin."

"Yes. Sogaju."

"Kill all the guys here and come to the brain prison."

"…Your Honor"

Soon, with the gesture of Dang Won-jin, the Bongwidae warriors disappeared.

The name of the order moved towards Noeok along with the party. The dark weapons thrown by the Bongwidae warriors behind him were clearly felt flying through the wind. Was it poison? The sounds of dying slowly, along with screams of the last moments and groans of pain due to poisoning, were caught in my ears.

The cow that created a terrible sight with just one word,

He walked calmly with an indifferent expression.

As soon as you enter Yakwangdang, the thick smell of medicinal herbs gradually fades.

We arrived at the brain prison on the outskirts.

"It's here."

Dang I-jeon speaks at the entrance to Yakwangdang Noe-ok. He sees a staircase leading to the basement, and the musty humidity coming up from there makes him frown.

"He's alive. Don't worry."

The obvious one was that he didn't miss a single sign of the death of the person in question. It was from the direction of the brain. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that his breathing was as faint as a thread, but he was definitely alive. It must be the former head of the medicine king family, Dang Ho-yeol, the grandfather of the previous Tang Dynasty.

I went down to the brain prison with the relieved Dang Jeon. All kinds of moss grew on the stone walls, and there was only one torch placed in the middle of the passage, so the light was dim.

On the way down, I had to pass several wooden doors, and they were so poorly maintained that the edges of the doors were starting to rot. Those that were difficult to open and close were broken off with my feet as I passed by.

Going down a little further, I saw several rooms blocked by iron bars. From one of them, I could hear an old man groaning.

"grandfather…!"

Dang Yi-jeon ran shouting. Beyond the iron bars, an old man with a beard that grew in many directions and hair that was so disheveled that it was hard to tell when it was last trimmed was trembling in chains. The old man was the former head of the Yakwangdang clan, Dang Ho-yeol.

"Step back."

After saying that, Dang-myung took out his shuriken. In an instant, a deep green aura began to ripple.

'Yes' (銳)

He swung it at the bars with the logic of the ignorant, which maximizes sharpness. With a sharp, cutting sound, the bars fell down with a thud. Dang Yi-jeon approached with surprised eyes. Although they were rusted because they had not been maintained, they were still made of iron. The cross-section was very smooth. As if they had been cut with a peerless sword.

"Grandpa! Open your eyes. I'm here…!"

Tang Yi-Jeon went into the brain prison and grabbed the old man and shook him, but his grandfather did not easily regain consciousness. All he could see was his eyelids covering more than half of his pupils fluttering intermittently. Only a groan escaped from his slightly open mouth.

"… I guess they even used mountain air poison"

After taking your pulse briefly, Dang Yi-jeon said, "I thought it was strange that you had no energy. Your body was shaking like an aspen tree.

His grandfather, Dang Ho-yeol, may not have been mentally sound, but he was relatively healthy thanks to his profound internal energy that had been cultivated over many years through elixirs and the like. If it had been any other ordinary brain poison instead of cerebral poison in the first place, he would not have suffered. Because of cerebral poison, his wits were clouded and he could not display the martial arts he possessed, but that did not mean that he was restricted by shackles like he is now.

This was probably because the internal strength that had supported his old body had collapsed. Most likely, he was poisoned by the mountain air poison.

"for a moment."

Dang-myeong sat down, felt Dang-ho-yeol's pulse, and injected his true energy to observe his insides. The details were more serious than he had thought. First, there was a poisonous aura that felt like it had dyed his entire head black. It was not difficult to guess that it was caused by cerebral palsy.

Next, there was poisonous air that had filled every nook and cranny of the body's veins and bone marrow. They were dispersing Tang Ho-yeol's inner strength as soon as they could. The process of dispersing energy was very easy. In a way, it was natural. Originally, my true energy was gathered through the strengthened will through the mind method. Tang Ho-yeol's inner strength, which had been clouded by the brain poison, was extremely vulnerable to the poisonous air.

"… How is it? Can you cure it?"

Tang Yi-jeon asked anxiously. He, too, was well-versed in pharmacy and medicine, and knew that his grandfather's condition was not hopeful. Cerebral erysipelas alone was difficult, and there was also unidentified acid poisoning. Usually, when two or more poisons were mixed together, it was really hard to find a detoxification method. This was because the poisons affected each other, and the medicine used to detoxify one could change the properties of the other poison.

It's a desperate situation.

But 一

The obvious answer was small but powerful.

"Maybe. If I think about it, it'll be simple."

"what?.."

Tang Yijun asked back with an expression of disbelief. Did you just say it was easy? Who has been struggling for over ten years to find a way to take care of his grandfather?

However, while the party transfer was unbelievable, he could not deny that he had some kind of anticipation. After all, Deungmyung has always shown results that exceed expectations. Maybe it will be the same this time.

If only my grandfather could live a normal life again… .

'… Then, no matter what happens, I will be on your side. Even if you ask for my life, I will gladly give it to you.'

Before the party, there was a light of determination in his eyes.

one side.

Dang-myeong slowly poured his true energy into Dang-ho-yeol's body. The poisonous spirit that had reached Dae-seong was truly a natural enemy of all kinds of poisons. He had even consumed Hwa-ryong-ho-do, one of the poisons of the Tang family. Brain poison and mountain poison would not be a problem at all.

However, there was something to be careful of. The poisonous request madness of Dang-myung-myeong was a concentrated poison itself that had eaten all kinds of poison and grown in size. It didn't cause any particular abnormalities inside Dang-myung-myeong-myeong's body, but when it entered another person's body, it could actually emit poison. Since Dang-myung-myeong ...

'So you must not lose your will.'

Eat the poison, but do not release it - Dang Ho-yeol concentrated like that and spread the poison request madness throughout Dang Ho-yeol's body. Using the magic of virtue, it happened quickly. The poison request madness that was spreading met the mountain poison that had settled throughout Dang Ho-yeol's body.

'Eat it up!'

As soon as the name of the spell was given, the poisonous spirits began to eat away at the energy of the mountain poison in one breath. It was a strange phenomenon. Could this really be called detoxification? It should be called an admiral, or a food poison.

The old man's complexion gradually began to return. His body stopped shaking, and his faint groans ceased. As the poison from the mountain air poison disappeared, his internal energy gradually began to play its role. In fact, even this was enough to overcome a very dangerous situation.

But Dang-myung didn't let his guard down.

__It has to be completely removed so that there are no aftereffects.'

I know that the poison of the mountain spirit was deeply embedded in the veins and marrow. Dang Ho-yeol was my friend's grandfather. He was also someone who could be expected to help me in the future, so Dang Yu-myeong meticulously removed all the poison from the veins of his body. In the process, he even used the poison-requesting energy to eat away the turbid energy that had accumulated over the years. He eliminated even the slightest poison.

Dang Ho-yeol's entire body's veins became as clean as those of a newborn baby. It was a kind of effect similar to a bee's wash. Feeling that, Dang-yul-myeong thought, "I should do that to my mother later."

It took only a moment for all the poison below the neck to be removed.

Tang Yi-jeon couldn't hide his surprise. He was watching his grandfather's condition, which he thought was irreversible, improve every moment. He couldn't even make a small sound for fear of interfering with the treatment, but his expression was engraved with astonishment.

How on earth is he detoxifying it? On the surface, it seems like he just let the true energy flow away. Could it be that the true energy itself has the ability to detoxify? However, it was a well-known fact during the competition that the internal energy method that Dang-myeong learned was the basic method of the Dok-yo-cheong-gwang-sim method among the martial arts.

'perhaps….'

Tang Yi-Jeon could no longer help but be hopeful. His grandfather might be cured…!

Anyway.

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Now all that remains is the head, the area invaded by the cerebral palsy.

Dang-myung collected all the poisonous madness that had spread throughout the old man's body and gathered it towards his head.

Normally, it would have been nearly impossible to restore a tooth that had been eroded to this extent by brain poison. Well, to use a metaphor, it would be like making faded fabric look like new again.

However, from the perspective of the person who is obsessed with poison, it doesn't really matter how long the addiction has been going on or how deep the poisoning is. They just want to take out the poison and eat it.

The venom of the brain poison, the brain poison, was originally extremely weak. It was a poison that was intended to prevent the victim from living a normal life or to make them stupid, rather than killing them.

That means, it is an easy prey for the poisonous request madman. The obvious name is the poisonous request madman's will. Eat up all the poison in his head!

I only managed to take a breath or two.

Dang Yunmyeong took his hands off Dang Hoyeol and stood up.

As if he had done everything he could.

Immediately after.

The old man, who was once called the King of Medicine, suddenly stood up with a sharp gaze.

****

After a while.

"What a strange fate… ."

After more than ten years of suffering and coming to his senses, Dang Ho-yeol muttered with deep eyes.

It felt like I had woken up from a long sleep. There were times when I would regain consciousness, but I was never completely clear-headed, and even then, it only lasted for a short time.

There was barely enough time to tell the story to Dang Yi-jeon, the last remaining blood relative and grandson.

To be honest, even he, the head of the Yakwangdang, had no other choice. When he regained consciousness after being hit by the bastard's brain poison that day, the poisoning had already progressed to the point where it was difficult to do anything. He thought it would be difficult to go back to how it was before…

Dang Ho-yeol closed his eyes for a moment and recalled the handsome, scholarly young man with whom he had spent time without formality.

Dang Wi-ryong was a man of great spirit, although he had no training in martial arts. He never backed down from the thugs who insulted his wife. He was killed, but Dang Ho-yeol, who knew his temperament, was certain that he would never have regretted it.

And the son of Dangwiryong, who didn't even know he existed, grew up and saved him. He said he was friends with his only grandson. The most surprising thing is that he was a friend of Bokmajeon or

It is said that he won the competition that was no different and achieved the position of Sogaju. It made me think that he was indeed the son of Dokbong and Dangwiryong.

Dang Ho-yeol opened his eyes and spoke with a kind expression.

"Thank you, Sogaju. For giving this old man his life back."

"It was something I had to do, at least for the sake of my father."

"Besides, I know that it wasn't just a simple detox. Rather, my body feels much lighter than it did ten years ago. It must have been Sogaju who helped me."

Tang Ho-yeol opened his mouth with shining eyes. It wasn't just words, but it really felt like he had been washed by the great monks of Shaolin, and his whole body felt light and clean. When was the last time he felt so happy with the flow of his true energy moving with his breathing?

"I don't know if there will ever be a need for this old man. But I swear it. I, Dang Ho-yeol, will do whatever Sogaju asks me to do, even if it means carrying a bundle of firewood and jumping into the fire. After all, it's my life that I gained thanks to you, so I don't regret it. You too should work hard so that you can be of help to Sogaju."

Dang Ho-yeol seemed to value trust. Looking at him, Yu Myeong-myeong guessed the character of his father, whose face he had never seen before. There must be a reason why he was so good at killing.

"Let's go outside for now. It seems like quite a few people have gathered here. Maybe you'll see some faces that are welcoming to you."

At Dang-Hyo-Yeol's words, Dang-Ho-Yeol and Dang-I-Jeon nodded and walked away. The unpleasant humidity and musty smell of the underground prison were already bothering them. It was because they had relaxed.

I started to go back up the passage of the brain prison and soon I heard a commotion on the ground. It was quite a lot of people. It seemed like the guards were blocking the entrance of the medicine king's party.

Finally, the party of Dang-myeong passed through the entrance to the underground prison and came down to the surface.

The shock quickly spread among the people of the opposite Yakwangdang. It was because their old lord was standing there looking so perfectly normal. Although his appearance was still that of a shabby old man, his flowing temperament was completely different. A strong energy wave was sprouting from his entire body.

How on earth…?

The fact that Dang Ho-yeol's details were irreversible was known better than anyone else by the Yakwangdang figures who had directly dealt with him. His head had been invaded by the venom of the brain poison, and it was now difficult to expect a clear consciousness, and his body had also become no different from the body of a mortal without a single bit of internal energy due to the poison of the mountain air that had taken deep root in every corner.

But the appearance I see now is so good that I could believe it was completely healed. What kind of harmony did Sogaju Dangmyeong perform in the brain prison? It didn't take that long.

At that time, a middle-aged man with a stern expression stood out among the people of Yakwangdang.

"… I am the head of the Yakwang Dang family. I am here today."

"It's a given."

"If you had given me the message, I would have prepared to welcome you. Of course, it is right for me, as the head of the household, to visit you, but I have been busy with church affairs, so I hope you will understand that I have not been able to do so… ."

That day, he poured out his words and rolled his head. How Dang Ho-yeol was cured was not a very important issue at the moment. Before heading to Noe-ok, the Bongwi-dae warriors mercilessly killed the people of Yakwang-dang, so he could already guess what Dang-myeong meant.

'I'm sure he knows what my father's doing.'

In this situation, there was absolutely no room for conflict by force. Two of the elders had already died at the hands of the Sogaju. It was just yesterday that the elders' council was disbanded due to both legitimacy and force. The direct armed forces were useless. So even if they were called the Yakwangdang, there was nothing they could do.

You must not oppose it.

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I made a quick decision that day. The only thing that would give me the upper hand was the legitimacy. The case of Dang Wi-ryong was only circumstantial anyway. I was going to catch Dang Ho-yeol no matter what he said. He seemed to be hallucinating from brain poison. I was going to say that locking him up in a brain cell and feeding him mountain air poison was an inevitable measure because his symptoms were getting worse.

Also, that day, there was something to believe. The contribution of the Yakwangdang within the family was not small. If they did not have the wealth they earned, the family would immediately begin to falter. Even though the former head of the Yakwangdang, Dang Ho-yeol, came to his senses, the people who were actually running the Yakwangdang now were those who were on the same boat as Dang. It was impossible for Dang Ho-yeol to take control.

In the end, unless you kill and eliminate the Yakwangdang, it would be difficult for the owner of the small house to persecute the Yakwangdang without a justification.

This was the conclusion reached that day.

'I just have to get through this one time.'

If I could somehow avoid this moment, I would be fine. I had already decided to leave the family and join the Black Lotus sooner or later. All I had to do was bring the timing forward a little.

however.

"I can hear the sound of your head rolling from here."

Dang-myung said it like this.

"Do you have anything to say? This is the last one though."

It wasn't a word directed at that day. Dang Ho-yeol slowly shook his head. He no longer had any feelings for that day or the members of the Yakwangdang. He didn't want to get angry by talking to them unnecessarily. He just stepped back and said quietly. Please dispose of it as you wish.

"Wonjin. Call in the guards outside."

"Yes. Sogaju."

Dang Won-jin immediately took out something like a flute and blew it vigorously. A high-pitched sound of beeping echoed for a long time. It was the order for the guards to assemble.

"Wait a minute…! Sogaju, I don't know why you came to the church, but there must have been some misunderstanding…"

Because he had a bad feeling that something was going on, Dan-Gil opened his mouth in a hurry. For some reason, it seemed that Dang-Myeong had no intention of talking to him.

"Misunderstand."

He opened his mouth as if to say that it was obvious.

"It looks like you've prepared some kind of excuse. Give up."

"Huh…? What is that?"

"It means that there is no need for a justification or law to punish non-humans."

"… This is crazy!"

The day retreated in fear. It was clear from what he had just said. The Sogaju clan had no intention of letting them live…!

The words "crazy" came out naturally. Don't you know your position within the Yakwangdang family? If they're not there, where are you going to get your money from right now…?

In the meantime, the guards who had heard the assembly order gathered. They all moved with incredible stealth. It was clear that they were masters who would be difficult for the members of the Yakwangdang to deal with.

'I can't die like this.'

That day, he tried to turn his back and run away from his subordinates. Although the inner circle of Mannyeonhwari was looming, wasn't his life more important? In order to cause confusion, he tried to shout at his subordinates to disperse and run away.

however.

Fit.

With a small sound, he realized that his body was not moving as he wanted it to. Before he knew it, a thin needle was stuck on the back of his neck.

"It's called a short-sleeved shirt. It was created by the previous party."

Even with just one drop, you lose consciousness along with the pain of your internal organs burning. Before the words of Dang-myung could even finish, he let out a groan and rolled around on the floor. Then, he rolled his eyes and completely lost consciousness. His breathing was so weak that it seemed like it would stop at any moment.

The members of the Yakwangdang were gripped by fear. Their leader was on the verge of losing his life with just one move. They could not even think of fighting back. They could only hope for leniency.

But Dang-myung opened his mouth with a cold look in his eyes.

"Today, we will erase the Yakwangdang. Kill them all."

"Your name."

The eighty-five guards answered briefly in unison and began to move silently.

Soon, screams and the scent of blood filled the hall. News of the Yakwangdang quickly spread throughout the clan.

That is why there were many people who were watching the procession of Sogaju Dangmyeong closely.

"… I was wondering where you were going so early in the morning. I didn't expect this to happen."

"They say the Yakwangdang has completely collapsed. They say there are few survivors."

"It was practically a massacre. Only the elder Dang Ho-yeol, who was the head of the Yakwangdang, his grandson Dang I-jeon, and a few children who were in the recovery stage survived."

"I guessed yesterday that Sogaju's hands were cruel… but what on earth did he do wrong?"

"You'll announce it soon, right? I'm worried, though."

"What are you talking about?"

.After the Black Lotus rose to power, the main family's source of income almost dried up. It's not easy to leave this city. We've been relying heavily on the wealth earned by the Medicine King Party, so what are you planning to do…?"

The members of the household shared their concerns. They did not know what wrongdoing the Yakwangdang had done, but they also said that considering their contributions, there was room for some leniency.

Dang Yuanming left the cleanup to Dang Hoyeol, Dang Yijeon, and several Bongwidae warriors and returned to Amdokjeon. Of course, he took care of Mannyeonhwari's internal affairs.

Finding the inner part wasn't difficult.

It seems that items that contain spirituality, such as elixirs or elixirs, usually have their own way of storing them. In particular, in the case of the inner tablets of spiritual objects that have not undergone any special processing, it is said that they should be stored in a specially treated space so that their spirituality is not damaged. The inner tablets of Mannyeonhwari were stored in a herbal medicine vault that only the head of the medicine king could enter. Since the former head of the medicine king was Dang Ho-yeol, it was easy to get them.

'This is something that was originally passed down from generation to generation. The previous heads of the clans willingly gave up the Naedan for the sake of future generations. Those who reached the Hwagyeong thought that their own inaction was enough, while those who did not reach the realm thought that they lacked the qualities. There were times when the person who took on the role of the Medicine King Dangju lacked the skills to handle the Naedan.'

The internal organs of spirits that have lived for a long time usually contain strong poison along with spirituality. If you took it raw, you would most likely die from not being able to overcome the poison. Or at least suffer a serious internal injury. That is why the demand for medicinal herbs or spirits was higher than for internal organs. They were also relatively easy to store.

Also, because the poison of the inner dan would quickly wither if removed, it was impossible to remove the poison in advance. The spirituality that was in balance with the poison would quickly disperse into the atmosphere. That is why the inner dan of Mannyeonhwari still contained poison. Furthermore, there was a risk that if he tried to remove the poison with ambiguous skills, he would lose a significant portion of the spirituality it contained. That is why he kept Dang Ho-yeol alive on the day of his death in order to learn the method. In order to fully consume the inner dan of Mannyeonhwari.

'Since this has happened, I wish Sogaju would take the lead. Just give me a few minutes. I will cleanly remove the poison.'

'No. I appreciate your sincerity, but I will take it as is.'

'… If you are not going to take it right away, it would be better to keep it here. The spirituality may be scattered.'

'I'm going to take it.'

I left behind Dang Ho-yeol, who had a questioning expression on his face. Only Dang Yi-jeon, who knew that Dang Yuanming had consumed countless doses of poison, looked at him with tired eyes.

Dang-myung took out the inner part of the man-nyeon-hwa-ri that he had brought. It was shaped like a reddish bead. The surface was rough.

There was a strange purple glow in the inner chamber, and I had the feeling that it was caused by poison.

'You can't just throw away something this precious. That's not right.'

Dang-myeong grabbed the inner potion and poured the poison-requesting madness into it. In fact, he could have just taken it and removed the poison that was bursting out, but he had his own thoughts, so he decided to just absorb the poison for now.

'Eat it up.'

The poisonous spirit of the poisonous spirit, filled with ideology, began to suck up the poisonous energy of the inner venom of the Mannyeonhwari according to the master's command.

Suuuuuu

The purple color of the bead begins to fade quickly, indicating that the poison is disappearing.

'It's heat poison.'

The nature of the poison was familiar. Since I had already consumed the Hwa-ryong-ho-dok, I could tell right away. In a way, it was natural. After all, it was a perennial Hwa-ri that lived in lava. I guessed that if someone who had not learned the martial arts based on Yeol-yang-gong had taken the Nae-dan, all of the meridians in his body would have burned.

'But it's not as bad as Hwa-ryong-ho-dok.'

Clearly, the poison contained in the inner body of the Mannyeonhwari was extremely poisonous, even to Yu Sangmyung. The size of the poison requesting madness was growing rapidly. However, it was incomparable to the Hwa-ryong-ho-dok, one of the poisons of the Tang family. Yu Sangmyung felt a little puzzled. A more vicious poison than that contained in the Mannyeonhwari that lived in the lava - did it really contain the breath of the Hwa-ryong as the story goes?

After some time with the thought, the purple light finally disappeared completely from the orb. The poison was completely removed.

When the Emperor retrieved the poisonous spirit, the inner chamber, which had become slightly smaller, began to glow a bright red. The surface became smooth like a jewel crafted by a craftsman.

The spirituality that had originally been extraordinary was now felt very clearly. If I took it, wouldn't I be able to acquire a huge amount of internal energy in one go?

It was a sight that would have terrified Dang Ho-yeol if he had seen it. Even if he had, it would have been impossible for him to completely remove the poison to this extent.

Anyway, feeling his internal energy slightly increased, Dang-myung packed the red inner garment into a small silk-lined box.

In the first place, he had no intention of taking Mannyeonhwari's internal medicine.

From the perspective of the natural mind, who had already reached the state of Hwagyeong and whose internal energy circulation was constantly continuing, there was a limit to how much internal energy could increase. It was a state where he was not necessarily bound by elixirs, elixirs, or the internal energy of spirits. Rather, what was important was the efficiency of his true energy. And the efficiency of his true energy was also extremely excellent after going through the stimulation of the veins and the transformation.

So, I thought it was natural. If I could obtain the inner workings of the Mannyeonhwari, I would rather give it to my mother.

Simply increasing your internal energy may not allow you to instantly surpass your realm and achieve a complete transformation, but at least you can attempt to achieve a half-life transformation. Strong internal energy usually slows down the aging of the body, but if it goes too far, there are often cases where you become completely younger.

'You must live long. Take care of your father's share too.'

Dang-myung sincerely wished for his mother's happiness. She was the woman who had taught him the maternal love he had never felt in his previous life. He wanted to live an ordinary life together for a long time.

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'You must be here by now.'

The obvious answer was to go outside right away. Perhaps because the poison was almost completely eliminated, the spirit of the inner dan didn't disperse easily, but it was still felt to be slowly dissolving into the air. It would be best to give the medicine to his mother as quickly as possible.

When I asked the guard, the answer I got was that he was indeed in the same place he used to live when he was a sogaju.

Dang-myeong moved to where Dok-bong Dang-ji-hye was staying, unfolding even the new law.

"mother."

"It's a life extension."

Dang Ji-hye greeted her son with a slightly excited expression. Perhaps it was because the place reminded her of the time when she was a small family, when she was in the prime of her life. Or perhaps it was because she was reminiscing about her lowly husband.

It seemed that Dang Ji-hye still did not know about the Yakwangdang affair.

Dang-myung opened his mouth right away. He handed me the box containing the inner part.

"Mother, please take this/

"What is this…?"

Tang Zhihui, who accepted the package with a puzzled look, was startled. The spiritual energy that was leaking out through the gap was incredible. It was so great that she believed that the Great Hwandan of Shaolin was inside.

Dang Ji-hye opened the box and her eyes widened.

"… Isn't this the inner workings of Mannyeonhwari?"

"You know what I mean."

"It looks like you went to Yakwangdang with Lee Jeon-i. I don't think he would have given it to you so easily that day… Maybe Elder Dang Ho-yeol would know."

// //

Dang-myung didn't necessarily answer. He could tell his mother about the Yakwangdang after she took Mannyeonhwari's Naedan.

"I've finished refining it. Take it quickly. I'm still feeling a bit drained."

"… No, thank you, but this is for you to take. You have to lead the family in the future. Even though I may not be of any help to you as a mother… I cannot take away something so precious."

"It is true that it is valuable, but it is not of much help to me right now. So it would be better for your mother to take it."

"what…?"

Dokbong Dang Ji-hye was surprised by Dang Dang-myeong's words, who shook his head. "It doesn't help?" What does that mean? It's the inner lining of Mannyeonhwari.

If you properly absorb the spirituality contained within, you will be able to gain enormous internal energy…!

"It would be faster to show you."

Since he didn't think his mother would be easily convinced anyway, he immediately showed his force.

Hwaaaaaaaah-!

In an instant, a tremendous wave of energy surged from Dang Yuanming's body. Not only Dang Yuanming, but also Dang Jihye's clothes fluttered with a rustling sound, and the furniture in the room shook. How much internal energy must one have to show such a sight?

• • •

Tang Zhihui couldn't hide her astonishment at her son's internal energy achievements that were far beyond her expectations. What on earth happened during the competition period that made his skills improve so much…!

However, Yuan Ming felt slightly embarrassed when he saw his mother's surprised face. In fact, the internal energy he had just mobilized was only about a third of his power. Judging from his reaction, he felt like he had used too much force. He could also sense that the guards surrounding him were tense.

"… Have you eaten any perennial ginseng?"

"It was just a coincidence or something."

After beating around the bush a bit, Dang-myung continued speaking.

"So, don't worry. Now, Dokbong's son will have no rivals, at least among his peers. And… if Mother becomes stronger, won't I feel a little more at ease?"

// //

Dang Ji-hye looked at her son in silence for a moment. It was something she realized anew, but he really grew up well - not only was he handsome, but he also had a heart that cared for his mother, and he was also incredibly talented. It wasn't just because he was her biological son, but he was really good. She thought that the daughter-in-law she would one day receive would be very lucky.

"Mother. Even now, the precious energy is dissipating."

"okay."

When Dang Ji-hye finally nodded and thought as Dang Dang-myeong complained once more, Yeon-myeong's words came true. As a mother, I shouldn't hold back. Let's become stronger and stronger so that my son doesn't have to worry anymore. Let's go back to the days when I was the most beautiful in Sacheon and the most powerful. Let's go back to those days when I was young and never stopped becoming stronger.

Dang Ji-hye made that pledge and lifted the ban she had been imposing on herself.

Hwaaak-!

Tang Zhihui's energy surged in the blink of an eye. The energy wave that burst out instantly was quite powerful. It was certainly inferior to what Tang Yuanming had shown, but it was still quite high.

"mother…?"

Dang-myung made a rare surprised expression. He knew his mother's level better than anyone else. It was 'to deceive the sense of a person who had reached the level of a flower.

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Because it's almost impossible.

But what is this?

Mother- Dokbong Dang Ji-hye revealed a level of energy far beyond what he had sensed. Surprisingly, it is said that she had deceived the senses of a master who had reached Hwagyeong and hidden her achievements. It is beyond common sense.

Dang Ji-hye said, smiling.

"It's been a long time since I've seen such a surprised face."

In fact, this mother is not that weak either - Dang Ji-hye added as she poured the red bead into her mouth in one go. How could Tang Zhihui deceive the feelings of Dang Yuanming and hide her achievements?

That was thanks to the closed edition and hidden secret of the family head, the only one who had no education.

The way ordinary martial artists hide their achievements is largely the same.

Unmanned aerial vehicles that have reached a certain level are usually able to naturally control their momentum. Even if they are not able to control their momentum perfectly enough to be called a counterattack, this in itself has the effect of giving them a certain level of accomplishment.

In the case of a person who has reached the state of Hwagyeong, it is possible to completely control his momentum to the point where he appears to be a commoner who has never learned martial arts. However, he was able to control his outwardly visible achievements by intentionally displaying an appropriate level of momentum.

In other words, to put it simply, it is no different from artificially controlling a fast-flowing torrent and changing it into a stream. And when necessary, changing it back into a torrent.

However, the senses of a martial artist who has reached the level of Hwagyeong are extremely sensitive, and they can even sense the energies of the masters. That is why it is common for ordinary martial artists to be unable to hide their achievements in front of Hwagyeong masters.

Likewise, even the masters who have reached the state of Hwagyeong cannot help but recognize each other. They will feel the energy that has been built up layer by layer throughout their entire bodies.

But the lung vein was different.

Closed version - closing the veins,

Hidden - Hide one's accomplishments.

As the name suggests, this was actually a method close to taboo. It was not simply about hiding one's own achievements, but rather about sealing them.

The energy is trapped in a specific meridian, closed and locked. Of course, it cannot be used in the middle of the path, so as not to cause any disruption to the energy. In that way, the energy is not just collected, but completely secreted and cannot be revealed to the outside. No matter how excellent the sense of energy is, it cannot be detected.

That was why Dang-Myeong couldn't properly guess his mother's achievements.

one side.

Tang Zhihui, who had released the lung vein and swallowed the Mannyeonhwari's inner qigong, immediately sat cross-legged. This was because the inner qigong that had fallen into her body was melting away and an enormous amount of energy was bursting out. It felt like the spirituality contained in the inner qigong was exploding.

Dang Ji-hye was originally a Sogaju. That means that as the next head of the household, she had experience taking various elixirs, including Cheonsimhwan from Yakwangdang. She knew very well that the pure energy that filled her body would not wait forever. She had to use her mind method as quickly as possible to make the energy her own.

The inner energy of the spirit that swims in lava and can easily live for ten thousand years contains extremely pure energy. It is comparable to the energy that has been refined for a very long time through the breathing techniques of Buddhism or Taoism. If you simply draw it along the path of the mind method and insert it into the danjeon, it becomes internal energy!

It was truly an incredible feat. It would not be an exaggeration to say that every moment was a coincidence.

The energy of the inner dan did not stop there. It began to melt into the major meridians and veins of Dang Jihye's body. It did not disappear - it had to be considered a kind of reserve of true energy. When the consumption of internal energy reached its peak, the accumulated true energy would reveal itself.

There is a type of energy commonly called innate energy. Also called jinwonjigi, this energy refers to the pure energy that all living things possess when they are born. Since this innate energy is the unique energy that all living things possess, if it is reduced or damaged, it will cause a huge blow to the physical body. Recovery is almost impossible.

Sometimes, martial artists will use their innate power as a last resort after their internal energy has been depleted. It may be because they desperately need a handful of internal power, or because the opponent is truly a great enemy with whom they cannot live under the same sky.

In any case, Dang Ji-hye had gained one more energy before using her innate energy. Wouldn't it be okay to say that her entire body had become a new danjeon?

This was not the end. At some point, Dang Ji-hye's face began to change strangely, and if you looked closely, not only her face, but also parts like her neck and the back of her hand were gradually changing.

Her originally pale skin had become almost transparent, the wrinkles that had deepened with age were gradually fading, and her skin was becoming more vibrant and elastic.

It was amazing. At this moment, Dang Ji-hye was clearly turning back the years and becoming younger.

It was clear what was going on.

Banrohwandong…!

It was thanks to the energy that overflowed throughout the body after taking the Mannyeonhwari's internal medicine that accumulated in the meridians and veins and even affected the skin. This could also be called a coincidence. After all, not just anyone could achieve the Banrohwandong.

In order to achieve a return to normalcy, several conditions had to be met, just like today's Tang Zhiyi.

A huge amount of energy had to be spread throughout the body at once, and it had to be very densely accumulated throughout the body. Not only that, but the amount of inaction one possessed had to be 'appropriate'. Those who reached an excessively high level could not achieve anti-aging because they could completely control the enormous energy produced by taking rare elixirs or the inner sac of spirits. It only delayed aging.

But Dang Ji-hye's expression was not bright. Rather, she was gradually becoming tinged with impatience… .

'There's no time.'

Although she had gained quite a bit of internal energy in a short period of time, Tang Zhihui could see that compared to the entire energy that had originated from the Mannyeonhwari's internal energy, what she had gained was nothing more than a drop in the bucket.

The energy of the inner sphere continued to expand. It stretched out to where it could extend, and melted into where it could penetrate. This was due to the nature of the spirituality that the inner sphere contained, which wanted to return to nature. It was only natural.

Tang Zhihui thought. The energy of the Mannyeonhwari Internal Energy is now starting to expand within her body, but what if it eventually fills up all the meridians and veins of her body and there is no more place it can extend? What if it cannot penetrate?

Of course, she would try to leave her body. And if the energy and spirituality of the inner self were to disperse into the atmosphere, that would be the end of it.

It would be a waste to throw away the priceless treasure that her son had given her. That was the reason why Dang Ji-hye couldn't help but feel anxious.

at that time.

Someone put a hand on the famous point behind her back. Tang Zhihui, who had her eyes closed to concentrate, flinched slightly, but soon calmed down.

Because she guessed that it was her son who had touched her.

'You seem impatient.'

Dang-myung saw through his mother's condition at a glance. Her initial movements, which had been steadily building up her internal energy, were noticeably shaking. She seemed to have lost her composure. He could guess—she must have been afraid that such a large amount of energy would be wasted.

If you think about it, it was natural.

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In the long history of martial arts, there were probably cases where people would obtain and consume elixirs of the highest quality or the inner essence of a very rare spirit. However, aren't there very few stories of people becoming one of the best masters in the world using such rare items?

There is a reason for everything. In most cases, it is because the enormous energy that has settled in the body after taking elixirs has not been made one's own. Just like Tang Zhihui now.

Dang-myeong had fully anticipated and observed the current situation. And only when his mother achieved her desired recovery did he decide to intervene.

Dang-myeong sent out the poisonous spirit through Jang-sim. The poisonous spirit that entered the body through Dang-ji-hye's famous bloodline immediately encountered the powerful spirit that was about to spread out to the four corners of the earth. No, the spirit had already spread out to the four corners of the earth and was now about to leave the body. If that happened, the spirit would return to the state of nothingness.

'Not yet.'

In fact, from Yu Sang-myeong's perspective, this was enough to achieve the desired result, but if luck was on his side, his mother could have made further progress here. Since there was no point in losing, Yu Sang-myeong was determined to give it a try.

The spirituality that the inner energy of Mannyeonhwari contained is pure energy in itself. If you lead it according to the path of the energy of the mind method, it will naturally transform into the inner energy without any special refinement. That is what Dang Jihye was doing.

Taking a huge amount of energy little by little and converting it into internal energy through luck - it wasn't a wrong method. It was definitely a stable and standard method.

However, it would be very difficult to internalize all of the energy of the inner body within the given time. No, it would be impossible.

Ultimately, this means that a change is necessary.

Spirituality is pure energy in itself. If so, then it doesn't necessarily have to go through the path of fortune. As always, enlightenment begins from a small beginning.

Since Tang Zhihui, who was already in a state of trance, had no time to listen to the voice, Tang Yuanming wanted to demonstrate it himself. How could he handle this great energy? He would clearly observe what was happening inside her.

The name of the title was a little bit spiritual. It didn't have to be much. The goal was just to help my mother achieve enlightenment.

'This will do, Mother.'

Wishing for the moon, Dang-myung muttered to himself.

The energy of the inner sphere that was separated, a small amount of spirituality, and a single line of poisonous madness were intertwined. They did not mix. The two were clearly different energies. It was a different matter from pure things. Just like water and oil do not mix.

However, Dang-myung was well aware of the Dokyo-Cheong-Gwanggi. Not only the path of the energy, but also its functions, characteristics, nature, and the core image…

And spirituality is a pure energy that can become anything. You can see this just by looking at how it can be internalized through a simple path of energy.

The obvious intention was to omit that path of fortune.

Even without such a process, spirituality can become a self-requesting madness.

'Be transformed.'

I have put my mind to it. Become an energy like the entangled poisonous madness.

Then, something amazing happened. The poisonous madness that had been intertwined with spirituality became an even greater poisonous madness!

Naturally, there was no room for Dang-myung-myeong to change his spirituality through luck. This was because the place where the incident occurred was not Dang-myung-myeong but Dang-ji-hye-myeong's body.

Simply by changing one's mind, one can change the nature of one's energy.

• • • •

Suddenly, Tang Ji-hye's closed eyelids fluttered with a surprised expression.

Naturally, he repeated the same process twice more.

Take away your spirituality and transform it into a madman who only uses his thoughts.

Take away your spirituality and transform it into a madman who only uses his thoughts.

Anyway, if Dang Ji-hye doesn't gain enlightenment here, the energy and spirituality of the Mannyeonhwari's inner altar will disperse into the air. Dang Yu-myeong planned to repeat this until she gains enlightenment.

And when you try the fourth one.

Dang Ji-hye's dantian moved.

No, she just felt that way, but what actually moved was the sum total of all the internal energy she had accumulated so far.

'Okay.'

Dang-myung took back the Dokyo-Cheong-Gwang-Gi with a small sense of relief.

He realized that his mother had attained enlightenment.

Now everything is up to Dokbong, the mother.

Of course, even if you attain enlightenment, there is no guarantee that your attempt will be successful. This is because it is not easy to manipulate qi with your will. You may absorb all of the energy of your inner body, or you may blow it all away.

Dang-myeong waited quietly for his mother, recalling the saying, "Do your best and leave the rest to fate." Now, there was nothing he could do. The rest was up to his mother to do on her own.

Time passed like that.

Knock knock knock!

The sound of bones breaking was heard from Dokbong's body.

Dang-myung quietly smiled and left the room.

What on earth is going on inside…?'

Jeong Jin-hee, who had just become a member of the Amdokjeon, was waiting in front of the room, suppressing her rising curiosity.

When Dang-myeong first called Jeong Jin-hee, she couldn't hide her trembling heart. Why did Soga-ju call me…?

Even though he was a handsome man, he was still looking for a woman. It was only natural that a cheeky thought would pop into Jeong Jin-hee's mind.

But contrary to her expectations, the order was simply to do something ordinary. Wait at the place where her mother was staying, and help her with her bath. She would probably need to wash herself.

So that's what she was waiting for.

'… By the way, I keep hearing a sound like a bone breaking. Are you sure you're okay?'

It wasn't that it wasn't, the sound of a door being knocked over had been heard for over an hour. Jeong Jin-hee called out to Dokbong Dang Ji-hye several times and asked if she could come in, but there was no answer from inside.

Every time that happened, the Bongwidae warriors who had been keeping a close eye on the surroundings would come forward with their new magic and tell Jeong Jin-hee not to enter unless they received permission from Dokbong.

'Isn't that obvious? Whose name is it?'

Jeong Jin-hee nodded and thought so. Aside from her peerless beauty, it was a well-known fact that Sogaju Dangmyeong's hands were extremely cruel. So it would be wise not to do anything that could upset him even a little.

What gave me some peace of mind was that the noise coming from the room was gradually decreasing.

Dddd ...

It sounds more like a bone being realigned than a bone breaking.

And then after about an hour or so had passed.

// //

Suddenly an unfamiliar silence fell.

Jeong Jin-hee felt some kind of presence and carefully opened her mouth.

"Madam. The Sogaju sent you. May I come in…?"

"…what about other people?"

"The guards are far away."

As she answered, Jeong Jin-hee felt a little puzzled. As far as she knew, Dok-bong, Soga-ju's mother, was in her middle age. But the voice she was hearing now sounded very young. If she exaggerated a little, she could believe that she was around her age.

"Come in. But it's going to stink a little bit… no, really badly…"

"…?"

• • • •

Jeong Jin-hee felt puzzled once again at Dang Ji-hye's warning. How could there be a foul smell coming from Dok-bong's residence, of all places…?

Now that I think about it, the thumping sound had been heard for quite some time. Although Jeong Jin-hee had no knowledge of martial arts, he cautiously guessed that the sound had come from the process of learning some kind of martial art.

It looks like you've been sweating - I thought that as I opened the outer door... .

"town!"

Jeong Jin-hee was startled and took a step back without realizing it. The smell that wafted into his nostrils was unusual. Even though there was still one more door to the room where Dang Ji-hye was.

'… Did you relieve yourself in the room?'

"There's no way that would happen if you have dignity," he thought, but the increasingly strong stench made Jeong Jin-hee certain. It was poop…

This definitely smells like shit…!

Jeong Jin-hee took a deep breath to steel her resolve, but soon regretted it greatly. It felt like her lungs were being polluted. No, it felt like they were rotting away.

He wanted to take out a cloth and cover his mouth and nose, but it would be impolite to do that in front of Sogaju's mother, so Jeong Jin-hee tried to straighten his expression that was becoming increasingly serious and spoke.

"Then I will go in, ma'am…!"

He carefully opened the door. Jeong Jin-hee made a firm resolve. Judging from the smell, the room might be covered in urine - even if that were the case, he must never panic.

But surprisingly, the room was neat.

In the middle, a beautiful woman was looking embarrassed, and a foul smell was coming from her. To be exact, it was coming from the palace she was wearing - originally pink, but it was stained with black and yellow here and there, as if it had been contaminated with something. In addition, the fabric seemed damaged in some places. It was as if she had been poisoned.

But what surprised Jeong Jin-hee the most was that the peerless beauty looked to be in her twenties at most. Her face was so similar that it was almost believable that she was siblings with Sogaju Dangmyeong.

Jeong Jin-hee called her cautiously.

"lady…?"

"Thank you. For coming here. First, could you take off my clothes for me…? As you can see, my whole body is sticky, so it's not easy to take them off by myself."

• • • •

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Judging from what he said, it was indeed Dokbong. It was hard to believe, but now Jeong Jinhee had no choice but to admit it.

Dokbong Dang Ji-hye has defied the years and become younger…!

****

'This is it, Hwagyeong…!'

After taking a bath with the help of Sibi Jeong Jin-hee, Dang Ji-hye was deeply moved as she observed her inner self. An incomparably powerful internal energy had settled in her dantian, and the energy from it was flowing through her entire body with tremendous momentum. This was because the Imdokyang vein had been opened.

As a person who is unmanned, I was able to reach the state of a flower that no one could hope for in one breath. It was truly a coincidence among coincidences. There was no way I could not be moved.

yes-

Dang Ji-hye achieved the feat of turning back. When she looked at Dong-gyeong, she was meeting the eyes of a beautiful woman in her twenties. It was her from her younger days.

Even though I took Mannyeonhwari's internal medicine, I gained too much.

Dang Ji-hye knew very well who it was all thanks to.

Sogaju's natural name - It was because of her son who changed one day. Thinking back, it was a series of surprises from then on. She defeated three of her peers, including Dang Yeong-ryeong, the granddaughter of the three elders, all by herself, and won the competition, and when she came back, she even judged the elders with force and practically disbanded the elders' council, and even became Sogaju herself.

I was wondering how much of my son's inaction would make such a thing possible… .

'It's Hwagyeong.'

Tang Zhihui remembered that Tang Yuanming had touched the famous point on her back and breathed life into her, causing her to become enlightened. He had shown her the ability to change the nature of energy with just her will. After seeing it several times, Tang Zhihui also gained enlightenment and was able to try it, and by heavenly luck, she succeeded in one go. She completely transformed the energy of her immense inner energy into internal energy, and with that internal energy, she even opened up the Imdokyang vein!

Since he was able to give such enlightenment, it was reasonable to assume that his name would have also ascended to the level of Hwagyeong.

To be honest, it was hard to believe. Hwa-kyung at the young age of fifteen…?

It was clear that this was an unprecedented event in the long history of martial arts.

'You'll find out soon enough.'

Dang Ji-hye felt that the level of her senses had completely changed from before. The feeling of being able to see the actions of the people scattered around her residence one by one was both unfamiliar and new.

Also, although it was still awkward, if I focused, I could use the strong energy. I practiced repeatedly, holding the sword and creating and destroying the purple river. It consumed a lot of internal energy, but after taking the inner energy of the Mannyeonhwari, I gained much more internal energy than that, so I could handle it.

Half an hour later.

Soon, a large, unmistakable presence began to take hold in her aura.

****

After hearing that his mother had regained consciousness and even finished bathing, Dang-myeong visited her.

"Congratulations, Mother."

"It's all thanks to you. I really did well in giving birth to a son."

"Why are you suddenly here…?"

Dang-myung scratched his head and thought, It's strange what his mother said, but it doesn't feel so bad.

After that, Dang Ji-hye asked a few questions. It was mainly about the work of Yakwangdang. She heard it from Sibi Jeong Jin-hee while taking a bath. It was said that Dang Yuan-myeong, who had left early in the morning, had completely destroyed Yakwangdang.

Dang Yuanming answered calmly. The story of Dang Yijun and his grandfather, the former head of the Yakwang Party, Dang Hoyeol. The relationship between Dang Wiryong, the father, and Dang Hoyeol. The circumstances in which the head of the party, Dang Dangi, poisoned his father.

Dokbong listened quietly without showing any particular anger. It had already been fifteen years since her husband had passed away. She had a hunch that someone in the family had poisoned him, but she kept quiet to avoid trouble. She even used the Pyeommaek Eunhyuk to hide her martial arts skills.

It was all to protect his son.

And so the son grew up and took revenge on his father. He felt more proud and relieved than angry. Originally, he had thought that the hand was too cruel, so he wanted to say a few words, but Dang Ji-hye decided not to. The Yakwangdang scum had received their just punishment.

It was better to finish it off with certainty than to leave ambiguous regrets - that's what Tang Zhihui thought. She also had the blood of the Sacheondang family flowing through her veins.

"But Yeonmyeong-ah."

"Yes, Mother."

"When did you get to Hwagyeong? I still can't believe it. You're only fifteen years old. It's too fast. There's never been anything like this in the martial arts world. Even someone like Dharma or Jang Sam-bong wouldn't have achieved it as quickly as you did."

"I came up during the final round of competition, the battle of loneliness."

Dang-myung immediately admitted it without hiding his inaction. After all, his mother was also in the realm of Hwa-gyeong. He couldn't fool her feelings.

"It was a good thing. That's why we were able to deal with those Taeeulmukgeompa guys so easily."

"Yes, I guess so."

"Anyway, your achievements are too fast. It's worrisome. If the Apostles or Magical Factions find out about your achievements, they might try to eliminate you by force. Especially if you come face to face with the Black Lotus or Magical Heavenly Faction…"

Yu Myeong-myeong listened to his mother's words quietly. I can understand her concerns. From the perspective of the apostles and the mado, even if Yu Myeong-myeong had reached a critical point, there was a high chance that they would take the risk and try to eliminate him. Considering his age, he would become even stronger in the future. They would try to nip him in the bud before he becomes a bigger threat.

Maybe Yu Gil-jun of Heuksaryeonju or Yeon Jung-hyeok of Magwangcheonju would come forward.

'It might be too early to confront them.'

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Since he had once attained the realm of the swordsman in his previous life, he was confident that he would not lose even if his opponent was a warrior of the Hwagyeong. This was because, apart from his internal energy, his understanding of swordsmanship was extremely profound.

But what about the combined efforts of two, three, or more masters of the flower arts?

Honestly, I'm not confident.

In particular, Sacheon had been the world of the four great powers for a long time. There was no defense to restrain the Black Lotus together, so there was a possibility that it would be surrounded by various forces and attacked together. I don't know how many masters of the Black Lotus are there, but as my mother said, we need to be on guard.

Dang Ji-hye said.

"So this mother wants you to hide your achievements a bit. By using the closed vein technique."

"If you say it's a lung infection…?"

"I showed it to you when I took Mannyeonhwari's Naedan."

"ah."

"If you use the closed vein technique, you can avoid being discovered by even a person who is a Hwagyeong. It is an exclusive martial art that is only passed down to the head of the main family or the head of the minor family."

As she said that, Dang Ji-hye casted the Pyeokmaek Eun-chui. Dang Yuanming was slightly surprised. It really felt like his mother's achievements were just ordinary. To deceive the senses of a martial artist who had reached Hwagyeong…?

"You must be wondering why such ignorance is passed down in my family."

Dang Ji-hye slowly opened her mouth.

"The founder of my family is a man named Muyeonggaek (無影客), who was known as the best assassin in the world in the past."