The only way is to poison the well.
To safely steal the medicinal herbs and Spirit Medicines from the Medicinal Herb Garden, I'd have to kill all the martial artists there before entering.
The Medicinal Herb Garden has its own well. They use the underground water from that well as their drinking water.
In this world, the higher one's Cultivation Realm, the stronger their physical body becomes, but this doesn't grant immunity to poison.
Unless they've specifically cultivated resistance to poison... but the martial artists of the Meteor Sword Sect haven't done that. Still, given their Cultivation Realm, ordinary poisons won't work.
The martial artists at the Medicinal Herb Garden are at least at the Middle Rank of the Will Manifestation Stage. Even if they were poisoned by a common toxin, they could expel the poison through their Qi.
The venom of a viper, common in these mountains, wouldn't suffice.
It's alright. I know a specialist in poisons.
Having made up my mind, I began planning my schedule.
Let's do it tomorrow. The Medicinal Herb Garden follows the same routine every day, so there's little to consider.
Besides, there wasn't much time left for this special mission. I needed to steal the Spirit Medicine, enhance it, consume it, and digest it.
To poison the Medicinal Herb Garden's well, I'd need to infiltrate the garden. Throwing poison into the well from outside was too far and impossible.
But I have a drone.
Hacking successful.
Drone hacked for 35 minutes.
I was confident in my drone piloting skills, but I chose to use hacking. With my hacking skill, I could control objects with my will, ensuring the poison would be released flawlessly. It was better to succeed in one decisive strike than risk a manual error.
The drone silently flew toward the well inside the Medicinal Herb Garden, carrying the poison suspended beneath it.
Yuria's masterpiece the ultimate Extreme Poison. Last Twilight.
This poison, named Last Twilight, allows its victims to remain seemingly unaffected for about six hours after exposure. During this time, it lies dormant within the body before unleashing its full potency, systematically destroying internal organs and the brain.
Given its extreme toxicity, the raw materials alone cost over a billion Korean won.
The drone entered the well and released the poison. With this, the preparations were complete. All that remained was to wait six hours.
Six hours from now, it'll be around midnight.
I retreated and began eating dinner with Seong Jigun. While eating, we made sure to circulate and make a strong impression on everyone, establishing a solid alibi for tonight's events.
"The mistress of the Desolate Inn has quite the figure. She's in her forties, but she's still beautiful enough to satisfy even Yujin. More than five men have proposed to her..."
I listened to Seong Jigun's chatter. Whenever we were alone, he always brought up women. Seventy percent of his stories were crude jokes, and the remaining thirty percent were about attractive middle-aged women. The guy's tastes never changed.
"So, are we going to Hunan City today?"
"Yeah. I haven't been to the city lately because I've been practicing the Meteor Sword Art."
"We have servants for that."
"The servants are okay, but I'm getting bored. The city has a huge population and all sorts of women."
Seong Jigun had no idea about the incident I'd caused at the Medicinal Herb Garden.
I hadn't wanted to share my share with him, and this was something I could handle alone.
"Hey, hey. We haven't even been in the Meteor Group for long. What will people think if we go to Hunan City to play around? Show some restraint."
"Then when are we going to Hunan City?"
"Maybe the week after next..."
I quickly shut my mouth. Someone was approaching us.
"Ha ha. New recruits. Still training late tonight?"
He was a member of the Meteor Group, a man with short hair and scars on his neck and ears who greeted us familiarly.
His name was Baek Doheo, our senior... or rather, our superior.
"Greetings, Lord Baek Doheo."
Seong Jigun and I quickly performed the cupped-fist salute.
"Enough with the formalities. Are you two heading to the training grounds again?"
"Yes, Lord Baek Doheo. We want to grow stronger as quickly as possible," I replied.
In truth, I was just following Seong Jigun's lead.
To maintain our routine of training together, I had to go along with it, even when I didn't feel like it. This way, when I used Automatic Progression, I could see myself training with Seong Jigun.
"Impressive. Very well. I'll join you two tonight."
"Thank you!"
Since my senior was offering to help, there was no reason to refuse. Besides, it would provide me with a solid alibi, which was advantageous.
Midnight.
Using the Illusioner, I rendered myself invisible and slipped into the Medicinal Herb Garden undetected.
Near a tree bordering the garden, I deactivated my invisibility and launched a drone. I couldn't simply barge in; there might be guards who hadn't eaten anything that evening and thus remained unpoisoned.
Moreover, this world possessed mysterious artifacts called Magic Tools. It wouldn't be surprising if the Medicinal Herb Garden's guards carried poison-antidote Magic Tools.
It's difficult to get a complete picture with the drone alone. In that case...
I used the drone to drop a noisy toy at the center of the Medicinal Herb Garden.
If the warriors of the Medicinal Herb Garden were awake, they would have come to investigate the noisy toy. But fifteen minutes passed, and no one emerged to check on it.
A toy this loud and no one comes out? They must all be dead. Heh heh heh.
I strolled leisurely into the Medicinal Herb Garden.
Time was on my side. No one would notice anything amiss until the garden's servants arrived in the morning.
I immediately rushed to the herb fields. The fields weren't too large, and all the herbs cultivated here were ingredients for Spirit Pills. Mass production would likely compromise their quality.
Moreover, these were Spirit Herbs the raw materials for Spirit Medicines. To artificially cultivate such herbs, the land needed to possess Spirit Veins, channels through which Spirit Energy flowed.
Heh heh. Looks like I've got about a hundred here.
I pulled out a hoe and a basket from my Inventory and began harvesting the medicinal herbs in earnest. With each swift movement, the basket filled steadily.
This one seems a bit underdeveloped... Eh, whatever. Even if I have to dispose of it later, I'll just pick it for now.
Even if some were underdeveloped, I had the Bright Ascension Chart. With it, I could transform any underdeveloped herb into a fully mature one.
Just selling these herbs would let me live without money worries for the rest of my life.
Of course, I had no intention of selling them. I wasn't short on funds anyway.
Having harvested all the herbs, I entered the Medicinal Herb Garden's main building, where the air was thick with the scent of medicinal herbs.
"..."
I found a man collapsed on the floor, a corpse with blood staining the corner of his mouth. He had died from the poison I had released into the well.
I felt no pity whatsoever.
I searched the man's pockets, figuring that as a warrior from the Medicinal Herb Garden, he might be carrying at least one Spirit Medicine.
Tsk. Empty-handed.
I stepped over him and began meticulously searching the rest of the Medicinal Herb Garden.
Spirit Medicines proved elusive. The only place I hadn't searched was the Lord of the Medicinal Garden, Seong Dochun's, chambers.
Does Seong Dochun manage the Spirit Medicines separately?
It made sense. Spirit Medicines were practically treasures. From Seong Dochun's perspective, even the warriors of the Medicinal Herb Garden couldn't be fully trusted.
Entering Seong Dochun's chambers, I scanned the room.
The first thing I saw was Seong Dochun collapsed on the floor. He lay dead, his hand still clutching a medicine box, as if he had died trying to concoct an antidote.
I immediately searched Seong Dochun's body, suspecting he might be carrying a potent Spirit Medicine in his robes.
Why is this bastard lying here with a bead in his hand?
Upon closer inspection, I noticed a dark bead clutched in his left hand. It didn't look valuable, so I left it there. Apart from the bead, Seong Dochun carried nothing else.
Could it be in the medicine box?
I opened the box. It contained various medicines, but none were Spirit Medicines. They were likely antidotes.
I'll take these for now. I can identify them later.
I began rummaging through Seong Dochun's room. Opening the luxurious medicine chests, I found the Spirit Medicines I had been longing for:
The Spirit Binding Pill, Fragrant Vermilion Pill, and Sui Xia Pill.
There were ten Fragrant Vermilion Pills and ten Sui Xia Pills, but only three Spirit Binding Pills. Among these, the Spirit Binding Pill was the most potent Spirit Medicine.
I want to consume them immediately, but... I should enhance them with the Bright Ascension Chart first.
That would maximize their effectiveness.
After gathering all the Spirit Medicines, I was about to flee when I noticed the study and paused.
Alchemy books? If I learn Alchemy, I can create Spirit Medicines myself. I should take these too.
I stuffed all the expensive-looking books into my Inventory and fled the Medicinal Herb Garden.
Back in my room, a satisfied smile spread across my face.
Days like this are the most satisfying.
First, I placed the Sui Xia Pill into the Bright Ascension Chart. Using the Spirit Binding Pill would undoubtedly take too long, so I decided to use Spirit Medicine that could enhance my cultivation relatively quickly, aiming for Entry Stage 6.
If I consume the enhanced Spirit Binding Pill in my current state... I could reach Entry Stage 7... or even Entry Stage 8.
I planned to advance my cultivation realm through Spirit Medicine gradually.
It hadn't been long since the tragedy at the Medicinal Herb Garden. If my cultivation realm suddenly skyrocketed, anyone with half a brain would suspect me.
This world is abundant in Spirit Medicine. I should secure some for my counterpart here first... and bring a few back to the real world. While I'm at it, I'll grab some for Yuria too.
As I gazed contentedly at the Bright Ascension Chart, a sudden thought struck me.
There was an event in the Original Work that I had been eagerly anticipating. It was about to unfold.
Damn it. The exact date wasn't specified... Still, I know the general location, so I'll just have to install surveillance cameras and check daily.
The next day, as expected, the Meteor Sword Sect was thrown into chaos.
All the martial artists in the Medicinal Herb Garden the sect's most vital area had been poisoned to death, and both the Spirit Medicines and Spirit Pill Alchemy techniques had been stolen. It would have been stranger if there hadn't been an uproar.
Sect Leader Seong Godan declared a state of emergency. Security within the sect was tightened to an extreme level, and restrictions were placed on all entry and exit.
Leaving or entering the Sect required the Sect Leader's permission.
Faced with this unprecedented crisis, the members of the Meteor Sword Sect carried out their daily routines with tense expressions. They couldn't simply abandon their duties.
Servants working within the Sect trembled as they performed their tasks, moving with extreme caution. They even paid attention to their footsteps to avoid being caught.
Seong Jigun and I were unable to train. We had to stand guard in one of the Sect's territories.
At least it's better than what the others are doing. They're tearing apart the mountains and even Hunan City under the guise of searching.
Seong Jigun, standing beside me, stared at me with serious eyes.
"This incident at the Medicinal Herb Garden... you weren't involved, were you?"
My face immediately scrunched up.
"Are you crazy? Even if I'm a scoundrel, I'm not that much of a scoundrel."
I was surprised by how sharp Seong Jigun's intuition was.
"Right? I was just joking."
"How would I realistically obtain poison strong enough to kill the Lord of the Medicinal Garden?"
"You got sleeping powder last time."
"Is sleeping powder the same as poison that can kill the Lord of the Medicinal Garden?"
"True. It's not like you can easily get your hands on extreme poison capable of killing someone at the Five Elements Qi Stage. But when will this whole mess end?"
"I don't know, but it'll last at least three months."
"...Three months without going to Hunan City?"
"That's the minimum. And Hunan City isn't what matters right now. Just stay away from the servants."
"The servants... wouldn't it be okay just occasionally?"
"That 'occasionally' might end up being the day of your memorial service, so just hold back."
"Hmph. Who the hell is the culprit anyway? Because of that bastard, nothing's going right."
I calmly replied to Seong Jigun, who was venting his frustration.
"You said it."
A few days later, I received unbelievable news.
'Seong Dochun, the Lord of the Medicinal Garden, is alive...!'
I wanted to believe it was a lie, but I personally witnessed Seong Dochun moving with the Elders.
Finding out why Seong Dochun was still alive wasn't difficult. The Meteor Sword Sect was buzzing with the news of his survival.
'...He had the Blood Poison Pearl? Was that what he was holding back then?!'
The Blood Poison Pearl had absorbed the poison.