Chapter 2
“Save me?”
If detoxifying the poison were that easy, then she wouldn’t be dying like this.
Living and dying by poison—the very essence of the Sichuan Tang Clan.
As the saying goes, using the power of poison to kill an enemy and even using it to waste away one’s own life, such is the life of Tang Ha-ryeong.
It’s absurd to her.
To detoxify Cold Snow Poison, it takes more than just being proficient in poisons.
First, one must be so skilled in medicine that they can understand another person’s body like the back of their hand.
Second, they must possess enough Yang energy to neutralize the Yin energy of Cold Snow Poison.
Otherwise, they would need the inner elixir or spiritual medicine of a creature comparable to the poison.
Judging by the boy’s appearance, he’s either around her age or even younger.
How could a mountain boy possibly help her?
Poison is the pride of the Tang Clan.
Normally, she would be furious, but Tang Ha-ryeong just sighed.
It would be ridiculous to lash out at someone who only wanted to help.
Even though she was on the brink of death, she didn’t want to appear that pathetic.
“Forget it. This isn’t a poison that just anyone can detoxify.”
If something goes wrong, the boy could also be consumed by the Yin energy of Cold Snow Poison.
Tang Ha-ryeong managed to hold on because she was a woman.
If an ordinary man with no martial arts training were to touch her body, it wouldn’t be surprising if he immediately froze to death.
However, Lee Seon did not back down.
“I think I can detoxify it.”
Tang Ha-ryeong raised her hand to stop him from approaching.
“Stop saying nonsense. Leave.”
Lee Seon quickly hid behind a tree.
He must have thought she was going to send out a Wind Blade like before.
Seeing this, Tang Ha-ryeong smiled weakly.
“Don’t worry. I don’t have the strength to do that anymore.”
“How can I believe that?”
Lee Seon looked at her with distrust.
“I thought you were in league with those guys. Now that I know you’re not a bandit, I don’t plan to attack.”
Lee Seon glanced at the frozen bandits beside them.
The sight of strong men, fully armed with swords, frozen solid by a mere wave of a woman’s hand was indeed quite terrifying.
Tang Ha-ryeong apologized.
“Sorry.”
It was a bit late, but since she apologized, it should be fine.
Only then did Lee Seon’s expression soften.
“My name is Lee Seon. What’s yours?”
Tang Ha-ryeong hesitated for a moment.
She worried about how this boy might react if he learned her name.
The reputation of the Sichuan Tang Clan was formidable.
Even if someone approached her with good intentions, once they knew her identity, their gaze often changed.
‘Well, does it matter?’
But then a bitter smile appeared on her lips.
What would it matter even if she revealed she was from the Tang Clan?
She was going to die soon anyway.
“Tang Ha-ryeong.”
Without any fear, Lee Seon plopped down beside Tang Ha-ryeong.
“So, what brings you to these mountains?”
Had anyone ever spoken to her like this before?
Tang Ha-ryeong blinked her eyes for a moment.
Lee Seon pointed at the ice statue of the bandit with one finger and the deep cut marks on the tree with the other.
“Judging by your unusual techniques, you must be a Murim warrior? It’s my first time seeing one up close.”
“Is that so? There are so many Murim warriors in this world.”
“Out of all those countless warriors, none of them have come this far into these mountains.”
Tang Ha-ryeong chuckled.
“That’s because this mountain is quite notorious.”
“Notorious?”
Hyeokmun Mountain.
**T/n: Crimson Gate Mountain**
Originally known as Hyeongmun Mountain, it is situated between Sichuan and Hubei.
However, ever since a massacre occurred decades ago, it has been called Hyeokmun Mountain.
‘Ha-ryeong, never go near Hyeokmun Mountain.’
‘Is it because of the rumours that people go missing there?’
‘It’s not just that. I’m worried something might happen to you.’
Tang Ha-ryeong nodded her head.
It was her father’s words, after all.
The Poison King, Tang Cheon.
As the head of the Tang Clan, feared by all Murim warriors, it was a bit strange that he believed in such absurd rumours.
Still, just because she didn’t understand didn’t mean she would go against it.
‘Don’t worry. I won’t go anywhere near there.’
The reason she ended up here wasn’t by choice.
She was caught up in a frantic chase and unknowingly arrived here.
Could her father have known that this would happen?
Despite his repeated warnings, she ended up facing death for stepping into the forbidden area.
“Why are you suddenly laughing in the middle of talking?”
Tang Ha-ryeong glared at the boy who had just cursed at her.
“Keep talking. What’s so special about Hyeokmun Mountain?”
“There’s a rumour that people keep disappearing here. Some say it’s the work of monsters, while others say a terrifying being lives here.”
“Are people afraid to set foot here just because of that?”
“If it happened only a few times, it could be a coincidence, but if it happens repeatedly, then it’s not just chance. That’s why people fear entering this place. You should leave as soon as possible, too.”
Lee Seon stood there, seemingly contemplating what she said.
“I’ve never heard of such stories before.”
“Well, now you have.”
Lee Seon raised a question.
“Did you see it yourself? Or did you just hear it from someone else?”
Tang Ha-ryeong hesitated to answer.
That was because she only heard the rumours as well.
However, even her father had warned her to stay away from Hyeokmun Mountain.
And her father was none other than the head of the Tang Clan.
“It’s not just a baseless rumour.”
Her voice grew smaller, as if she wasn’t even sure of herself.
Noticing this, Lee Seon smirked.
“You’re not even sure yourself, are you? Let me tell you, it’s just a rumour.”
“Do you have any proof?”
“Trust the words of someone who was born and raised here since infancy.”
Tang Ha-ryeong was taken aback.
“You’ve lived in Hyeokmun Mountain all your life?”
“That’s right. Thanks to that, I know this mountain inside out. It’s also how I found you.”
Tang Ha-ryeong finally took note of the boy’s attire.
Indeed, his clothes were as if he’d just casually stepped out of his home nearby.
‘…Hyeokmun Mountain is also known for being filled with venomous creatures.’
Before this place was called Hyeokmun Mountain, it was one of the places the Tang Clan visited to harvest venomous substances.
Of course, it’s been a long time since they stopped coming after the massacre.
The Tang Clan, who used to regularly collect venomous substances, no longer visits.
Furthermore, people’s footsteps have lessened compared to before, so the number of venomous creatures in this place must have increased instead.
How did this boy grow up among so many venomous creatures?
“Do you live alone?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Don’t lie about growing up here alone.”
Lee Seon’s lips curved into a playful smile.
“Like the gods or immortals in books, what if animals fed me their milk and raised me?”
So, he’s just a big talker.
She should have realized it when he first claimed he could detoxify her poison.
Tang Ha-ryeong sighed.
Still, having someone by her side while she was dying brought her a bit of comfort.
“Now, let’s see… Where was it… Ah, here it is.”
Lee Seon rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a small, round pill.
“Eat this. It’ll make you feel better.”
“I don’t need it.”
After all, she was already feeling ‘better’ in real time.
She could feel her body growing colder by the minute.
Even Tang Ha-ryeong knew that it wouldn’t be long until her heart froze over.
“I want you to take it. Just eat it.”
“Accepting a gift is up to the receiver.”
Lee Seon clicked his tongue.
“You won’t give in with a single word, will you?”
Her complexion was pale, and her gaze was gradually losing focus.
She was definitely dying.
Well, this was the kind of woman who would willingly sacrifice herself to kill her enemies.
“If you take this, the pain will lessen.”
Lee Seon had a rough grasp of Tang Ha-ryeong’s condition.
With her body filled with Extreme Yin Energy, her muscles, internal organs, blood vessels, and meridians must be freezing up bit by bit.
That kind of pain couldn’t simply be described in words.
“…I don’t need something like that.”
“You’re dying. Stop trying to save face.”
Although she appeared calm because she couldn’t move freely, it wouldn’t be surprising if she were writhing on the ground at this moment.
Lee Seon spoke softly, persuading her.
“I’m not giving you this pill. I’m giving you the right to maintain your dignity. Just die like this. Think about the faces of those who will see you in your final moments—twisted in agony as you suffer through unbearable pain. Their hearts would probably shatter, don’t you think?”
Whether the words struck a nerve or not, Tang Ha-ryeong gritted her teeth.
“Wouldn’t it be better to pass away peacefully in your last moments?”
Tang Ha-ryeong’s tightly shut lips slowly parted.
Like a flower bud opening, her white teeth were revealed.
However, Lee Seon’s hand, which had been near her mouth, withdrew.
“Huh?”
When Tang Ha-ryeong looked at him in confusion, Lee Seon grinned mischievously.
“Why did you suddenly open your mouth like that? Are you a fish?”
“What?”
“If you want something, say it with words.”
Tang Ha-ryeong’s pale face flushed slightly.
“You said you’d give it to me!”
“You must be losing your mind because you’re dying. You clearly said you didn’t need it.”
Tang Ha-ryeong bit her lip.
“I don’t need it!”
“Really?”
Lee Seon smirked and waved the pill between his fingers.
“All you have to do is say it. Why make it so difficult? Peace. A painless rest. A death that’s not cold is beckoning you.”
Tang Ha-ryeong yelled out in frustration.
“Give it, give it to me!”
“You should have said that from the start.”
Lee Seon slipped the pill into Tang Ha-ryeong’s mouth.
Crunch, crunch.
Tang Ha-ryeong glared at Lee Seon as she chewed.
It was as if she were biting down on Lee Seon himself.
Whatever it was made of, it left a bitter yet burning sensation as it went down her throat.
Seeing that she had swallowed the pill, the smile on Lee Seon’s face grew brighter.
“I don’t feel anything yet.”
“Glaring at me won’t make the medicine work faster.”
Tang Ha-ryeong suppressed her rising anger.
He was clearly trying to help her, but at the same time, he was teasing her.
Then, something unusual happened in her dantian.
The dantian, which had been filled with Extreme Yin Energy, suddenly surged with a force akin to molten lava.
Extreme Yin Energy and Extreme Yang Energy clashed within Tang Ha-ryeong’s dantian.
“Cough!”
Red blood flowed from Tang Ha-ryeong’s eyes, nose, and mouth.
“What… did you make me eat?”
“I gave you poison.”
Lee Seon smiled brightly.
“I know that! What did you give me?”
“Fire Blood Heaven Poison.”
Although she had never heard of the poison’s name before, she could easily deduce that it had properties opposite to the poison she had ingested earlier.
“…You must really want to see me in pain, huh?”
Tang Ha-ryeong’s face contorted in agony and disgust.
As the Extreme Yin Energy and Extreme Yang Energy collided and mixed, the pain became excruciating.
There are people in the world who derive pleasure from watching others suffer.
It seems she has run into one of those kinds.
“Why would I want to see you suffer?”
Lee Seon shook his head as if it were absurd.
“Then why…”
Lee Seon’s eyes curved into a smile.
“I told you, I’m saving you.”
—
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