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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Ascension
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Ascending the Castle
"The one who ordered me to put poison in your food, Grand Prince, was Sir Karox Livingtine, the Knight Commander."
"Karox?"
"That is correct."
Having been here for over a month, I'd naturally learned about the people in high positions.
Karox Livingtine is the older brother of the Marquis's wife, Kaina, and the commander of the Silver Eagle Knights.
Rumor has it he landed a position far beyond his abilities thanks to Kaina's marriage to the Marquis. To put it simply, he was a parachute appointment who became a knight commander through nepotism.
"So that's why you hesitated when I questioned you yesterday. It was because of Karox."
"Yes. Commander Karox was the one who gave me the order, but I believed he was connected to the Marquis's wife, Kaina."
"What exactly did that bastard order you to do?"
"He told me to make you die of illness before the year is out."
"This year, you say?"
"Yes."
It was now April, a pleasant spring month perfect for activity. That left me with about eight months.
"Did he specify a method?"
"They know nothing about poisons. They just told me to make it look like you died naturally from an illness, leaving the method of how to kill you entirely up to me."
"Good."
"Pardon?"
A good way to use Karox, Kaina, and Peru came to mind.
"You get money from them to buy the poisons, right?"
"That is correct."
"Then take their money and get me the poisons I tell you to."
"Huh?"
I decided to make this guy my bread shuttle—no, my poison shuttle. I wouldn't have to spend my own money, nor would I have to buy the poisons myself. It couldn't be more convenient.
Since Karox told Peru to kill me within the year, I figured I could milk them for quite a lot during that time.
I'll bleed them completely dry.
I wasn't the heir yet, nor was I free from my punishment, so I'd need the Marquis's permission to get any money. To think I'd found such an easy way to acquire poisons—I was ecstatic.
"Ugh..."
As I stared silently at Peru, he looked terrified, unsure of what to do.
"How old are you?"
"I am twenty."
"How did you learn about poisons?"
"I was sold to the Livingtine family when I was eight and learned from a poison master there."
"Are there many others like you in the Livingtine family?"
"At first, there were twenty of us, friends, but I was the only one who survived."
Teaching poison to children, who weren't even adults and had weak immune systems... it was only natural that everyone except Peru, who must have a natural tolerance, would die.
I had found it strange that Peru's affinity for me was neutral even though he'd poisoned me, but now I understood.
Peru had no personal interest in me; he was just following orders. In fact, he hated Karox and the rest of the Livingtine family.
He called the dead children his friends. If I played my cards right, I might just gain a decent servant.
Having roughly organized my thoughts, I looked at the cloth bundles Peru had laid out.
"So, let's see what we have here. This is Hanyangcho."
"That is correct."
The bundle on the far right contained Hanyangcho. It was already aged to the point of being poisonous, so it seemed I could eat it right away.
"This is..."
From the second bundle came something that looked like a green vegetable, shaped like a spring onion. I honestly didn't know what it was, so I decided to use my Eye.
[Creator's Eye is activating.]
[Yeokrokpa (易綠芭)] (Attribute: Organ Failure)
A plant that can only grow in withered lands, it contains a poison that affects the internal organs. A single root can produce enough poison to fell ten healthy adult men.
"Yeokrokpa."
"Th-that's right."
I'd have to be careful with the dosage when I ate this one.
The third bundle revealed a black leaf shaped like a maple leaf. Its dark, reddish-black color was so grim it sent a slight shiver down my spine.
[Mukjakyeop (墨雀葉)] (Attribute: Confusion)
A black leaf with a reddish tint, only nine of which are said to grow on a single maple tree. It contains a substance that affects the mind, making it an ingredient in truth serums.
"You even have Mukjakyeop. You carry around some pretty good stuff."
"Gasp! How..."
Seeing me identify not only the Yeokrokpa but the Mukjakyeop as well, Peru was so startled he fell backward.
"The fourth one is..."
"That is an antidote for the poisonous herbs."
"I see."
My interest waned at the mention of an antidote. The Sichuan Tang Clan's trait came with the basic ability to detoxify any poison I learned, so it was useless to me.
"But why were you carrying these poisons? If you were trying to kill me, Hanyangcho alone would have been enough, wouldn't it?"
"It would take a long time to kill you with just Hanyangcho. When the symptoms of Hanyangcho poisoning begin to show, you mix in a weak dose of Yeokrokpa. The target will think it's just an upset stomach and dismiss it. But in reality, the two poisons combine and cause them to slowly wither away."
This was the advantage of poison. You could combine them to create even more hellish and subtle toxins.
"So it wasn't time to use it on me yet."
"That's right. It hasn't been long since you started consuming Hanyangcho, Grand Prince, so I was just holding onto it."
"Can you procure any and all poisonous herbs or substances?"
"Rare ones would be difficult, but I can acquire most of them."
"Good. Then I'll be counting on you."
I spoke to him in a soft, asking tone, not a forceful one.
"Understood."
Now that I had the information and the poisons, I decided to send Peru away before arousing suspicion.
"It's late, so you may leave for today. I will call for you when I need something. Tell Karox that everything is proceeding as planned."
"Understood. But how will you call for me?"
"I have a way, so don't worry and just go."
"Then I will take my leave."
After Peru left, I waited a moment to confirm his presence was gone from the door, then flopped down on my bed.
"Free poison!"
After seeing the Sichuan Tang Clan's trait, I had thought the most difficult part would be acquiring poisonous herbs.
I wasn't the heir, I was still being punished so I couldn't use money freely, and even if I had money, I had no idea where to buy poisons.
But to find a poison shuttle this easily... I felt like I'd hit the jackpot.
"Well then, shall we begin?"
Normally, elixirs were needed to accumulate internal energy quickly. Elixirs like Gongcheong Seokyu, Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng, or Daehwandan.
But the Myriad Poisons Magnetic Divine Qi was a special technique that could increase internal energy not with elixirs, but with poison. If I ate all the poisonous herbs before me now, I felt I could reach at least the third star.
"Of course, it would be difficult to do that in a single night."
I decided to start with the familiar Hanyangcho. I grabbed a handful of it from the bundle and began to chew and swallow.
"Ugh."
It tasted disgusting. Maybe because Hanyangcho was a weak poison, it just tasted like raw grass.
I'd just eat what he brought for now, but in the future, I'd have to ask Peru to prepare it somehow. The taste itself was torture.
[You have consumed Poison (Hanyangcho).]
[Myriad Poisons Magnetic Divine Qi is absorbing Poison (Hanyangcho).]
[The proficiency of Myriad Poisons Magnetic Divine Qi has increased.]
[Your proficiency with Weak Paralysis Poison has increased.]
Watching the messages about my proficiency and skill increasing, I forced myself to swallow the poisonous herb.
"Kugh..."
My desire to grow stronger quickly was so great that I'd eaten all the Hanyangcho before I knew it.
This is where it really begins. I have to focus.
To absorb the effects of the herbs down to their very roots, I sat on the floor and began to circulate the Myriad Poisons Magnetic Divine Qi.
As I used the internal energy technique, distracting thoughts like 'My mouth feels dry,' 'My throat feels clogged,' and 'I'm so full I'm sleepy' gradually quieted down.
Focusing my mind on the flow of internal energy, my mind entered a state of no-thought, like a raging sea gradually becoming a calm, windless ocean.
**
[Myriad Poisons Magnetic Divine Qi has reached the 2nd Star.]
"Ah!"
A large message window appearing before my eyes brought me back to my senses. The message announcing I'd reached the 2nd Star made me feel like I could fly.
"But I didn't sleep again. Oh well, doesn't matter."
I'd intended to sleep tonight, but when I came to, I realized I'd been so engrossed in my internal energy technique that I'd spent the whole night at it again.
"Huh? Wh-what is this!"
A pungent odor assaulted my nose, snapping me fully awake. It was a vile smell, like food waste that had been left to ferment for months.
Looking around, I saw that the pajamas I was wearing were stained completely black.
"Don't tell me... is this the waste from inside my body?"
It varies depending on the story, but it's often said that when you learn martial arts, impurities are expelled from your body.
These impurities usually come out two or three times, either when an internal energy technique reaches a stable phase or during a complete metamorphosis of the body. It seemed the waste had been discharged because my Myriad Poisons Magnetic Divine Qi reached the 2nd Star.
"A smell this foul... it has to be impurities. Wait, the time..."
The sun was rising and birds were chirping. Arin would be here soon.
"Damn it! I don't have time for this."
First, I gathered the scattered poisonous herbs on the floor, put them back in their bundles, and shoved them under the bed.
"This isn't going to work..."
The smell wasn't just on my clothes; it was coming from my entire body. There was no hiding this.
"She's already here!"
Perhaps thanks to my Myriad Poisons Magnetic Divine Qi reaching the 2nd Star, I could sense Arin approaching. I quickly surveyed the room, finished tidying up, and opened the window.
Click.
"Ugh."
The moment Arin entered my room, she let out a groan. Then, she stared at me silently with a look of disgust.
It felt like it had been a month since I'd last seen that look in Arin's eyes.
"Grand Prince!"
"Ah, uh..."
"What in the world happened?"
"I just woke up like this."
"You're lying again."
How was I supposed to explain it? I couldn't just say, 'I was training my internal energy, and the impurities came out.'
"Arin, I think I need to wash up. Could you prepare things for me?"
"You're right. Now is not the time for questions."
Arin took the washbasin she'd brought and left again.
Arin was a wise woman, after all.
As I opened all the windows in the room to air it out, Arin returned, her preparations apparently complete.
"Everything is ready. Please head to the bath."
Because of the smell, Arin spoke from outside the door without coming in.
"Alright. Thank you."
It seemed even Arin was susceptible to bad smells. I felt sorry for her, but I couldn't help but smile.
"Huh?"
"What is it?"
"It's nothing."
My body felt incredibly light compared to yesterday. It was like taking off sandbags I'd been wearing.
They say that when impurities are purged, your body becomes lighter, and the speed at which you accumulate and circulate internal energy increases. This must be the effect.
At this rate, I should be able to increase my training regimen.
Though I reeked, I headed to the bathroom with a spring in my step, feeling like I could fly.
I was worried the black grime wouldn't wash off, but aside from having to wash for a long time because of the smell, there were thankfully no issues.
After washing myself clean, I changed into the fresh training clothes Arin had left for me and was about to leave the bathroom. I stopped in my tracks before the large mirror in the changing room, as if mesmerized.
"Wh-what the. Who is this?"