Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 538

The next day, Yeon Ho-jeong immediately checked Mak Won’s pulse.

“Hmm.”

“Do you know? What kind of poison is it?”

Yeon Ho-jeong, releasing Mak Won’s wrist, replied,

“As I said before, I don’t know exactly what kind of poison it is. However, I can tell what kind of category it belongs to.”

“That alone is something. You’re truly an amazing person.”

Mok Won was indeed surprised.

The Samgyo [a mysterious group residing outside the borders] were a mysterious group residing outside the borders.

Different lands have different climates and different diets. This is because the environment is different.

When the environment is different, naturally, the wild plants and animals are also different. In other words, no matter how well one knows the poisons of the Central Plains, they cannot possibly know the poisons of the outer regions.

Yeon Ho-jeong knew the category of the extreme poison, which even Mak Won, one of the three leaders of the Samgun, could not detoxify himself.

On the other hand, Yeon Ho-jeong was surprised by Mak Won’s physical condition.

‘This much is to be expected, but…’

Yeon Ho-jeong’s pupils subtly dilated as he looked at Mak Won.

‘Truly amazing martial arts.’

The opportunity to check the pulse of an absolute master who has broken through the realm of Limitless was not easy to come by.

Yeon Ho-jeong could see every detail of how sturdy and vast Mak Won’s energy channels were.

‘Incredible. It’s a different level from Vice Chief Yang. The superiority of martial arts is clear, but the martial path he has achieved on his own is comparable to the Fighting King.’

In the past, he had also checked Yang Cheon’s pulse.

He was very surprised then as well. In fact, he had also reached this level, but the process of reaching it was completely different for each person.

In other words, Yeon Ho-jeong had already checked the energy channels of two Saint-level masters and could discover how they had reached the Limitless realm, the traces of their journey.

Of course, it wasn’t like he could instantly reach the Limitless realm just by following it. But that alone could be of great help.

Yeon Ho-jeong, pondering over the map drawn by Mak Won’s energy channels, said,

“It’s a type of neurotoxin. It’s fortunate for you, Senior.”

“Fortunate?”

“If it were a blood poison, even you wouldn’t be this fine. It’s not because of the concentration of the poison, but because of the type of poison.”

“What do you mean?”

“Blood poisons in the Central Plains are divided into two types. One that extremely coagulates the blood, and the other that prevents natural blood coagulation.”

“Hmm.”

“You suffered severe internal injuries. There was also severe internal bleeding. If such a potent blood poison had flared up even once in that state, your internal organs would have rotted one by one.”

Organs rotting one by one.

Even for the greatest master, rotting organs are a fatal injury. Especially if organs like the kidneys or lungs, which cannot recover, rot, they would have to live with a lifelong disability even after the poison is removed.

“Of course, blood poisons are difficult to concentrate into a dense poison. In the Central Plains, except for the Tang family, it’s no exaggeration to say that there is no group that can create extreme blood poisons.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Yes. But it doesn’t mean that neurotoxins are not dangerous. You were able to endure it, but even a master of your level would be gasping for breath by now.”

“Normally, internal energy is transmitted to each part of the body through the nerves. I believe that almost all internal energy cultivation methods in the world are like that.”

“That’s right. That’s why you’re safe. Because your absolute internal energy is protecting each and every nerve.”

“I understand what you mean. However, it’s not just my internal energy that’s extended to these nerves, but also the poison. And the source of that poison is my dantian [an area in the lower abdomen believed to be the center of vital energy]. Unless I remove the poison essence in my dantian, my body will gradually die.”

“That’s an accurate assessment.”

Mok Won’s face became serious.

“Is it possible? Can you extract it?”

Surprisingly, Yeon Ho-jeong nodded as if it were obvious.

“I can extract it.”

“Hmm, that’s a relief.”

“Extracting it itself is possible, but the problem is that you could also get hurt in the process, Senior.”

“Hurt?”

“You might lose some of your internal energy permanently.”

It was quite a shocking statement.

“Of course, it’s just my guess. In the first place, my knowledge of pharmacology is not that deep. It’s just that I’ve studied the poisons of the Samgyo, so I know a little bit.”

“How many people in the Central Plains have studied the poisons of the Samgyo?”

“…Probably almost none.”

“It’s not probably, you’re the only one.”

“Maybe.”

“If someone who is well-versed in the poisons of the Samgyo says so, any doctor would say the same.”

Mok Won’s expression was not as bad as expected.

“Well, what does it matter? Even if I lose some of my internal energy, my enlightenment won’t disappear. Rather, if I can remove such a dangerous poison for that price, isn’t it a good deal?”

His mental fortitude was extraordinary?

That’s right. Mak Won was a person with such strong mental fortitude that he didn’t lose his composure even after hearing something that could be shocking to a martial artist.

But it wasn’t just a matter of mental fortitude.

For a master who had broken through the Limitless realm, losing some of their internal energy was not a big deal. Even if they lost a third of their internal energy, those who were masters of the Limitless realm could regain their original strength within a few years.

That being said, not everyone would be as calm as Mak Won. After all, internal energy is the source of power. If they used to be able to use ten units of power, but now they can only use seven, how great would that sense of loss be?

“There might be a way to extract only the poison essence without losing internal energy.”

“It would take time.”

“Probably.”

“The longer it takes, the more the poison will spread, and the more internal energy I will eventually lose, right?”

“That’s likely. It’s just a guess.”

Mok Won chuckled.

“There’s no reason to hesitate. Just figure out the method. I’ll extract it right away.”

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled wryly.

“Whatever the reason, I am also responsible for letting the poison get that deep.”

“There’s no need to bring up the past. What’s important is now.”

“That’s right. But you’re going to be a valuable asset in the upcoming war, so I should try my best.”

“What if you lose most of your internal energy while doing that?”

Yeon Ho-jeong shrugged his shoulders.

“If that happens, I’ll ask the Vice Chief or the Martial Alliance to procure elixirs to restore it as much as possible.”

“My friend, not to brag, but even if you take ten Great Revival Pills from Shaolin, it would be hard to fill half of my internal energy.”

In terms of the sheer amount of energy, the potency of ten Great Revival Pills would overwhelm more than half of Mak Won’s internal energy.

However, the higher the level of a master, the more refined their internal energy, the less effective elixirs become.

When one is a novice, they can absorb all the potency of one Great Revival Pill, but as their internal energy level increases, the amount they can absorb gradually decreases.

“Please wait a few days. I was just talking about the worst-case scenario, and the perspective of a true poison expert might be different.”

“If you say so, I understand.”

“Until I see you again, please focus on circulating your energy. That alone will prevent the spread of the poison.”

“I will.”

Yeon Ho-jeong, leaving Mak Won’s residence, immediately sought out Baek Seo.

“I need to send a letter to the Martial Alliance.”

“What kind of letter should I send?”

“Ask them to dispatch the Medical Sage, Gi Woo-hee, to Honam. If it’s too much trouble, I’ll write it myself.”

“If it’s a simple letter like that, I can write it and deliver it right away.”

“Thank you. And please deliver this as well.”

The letter Yeon Ho-jeong took out from his chest was in a green envelope.

Baek Seo’s eyes lit up.

“The Tang Clan Head?”

“He should be at the Martial Alliance. I need to find out more about Senior Mak Won’s poison.”

“Understood.”

“Then.”

Yeon Ho-jeong turned around.

Baek Seo said,

“Vice Commander Yeon.”

“Is there something you want to say?”

“I don’t know if it’s necessary to tell you, but it seemed like Lady Lee was looking for you earlier.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.

“I understand. Thank you.”

“And Vice Commander Yeon.”

Baek Seo’s eyes deepened.

“Try not to cause any trouble.”

“Do you think I’m a troublemaker? Don’t worry. I have no intention of doing so.”

“That’s a relief then.”

“However, the Vice Chief’s thoughts might be different.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I’m just saying. I’ll be going now.”

With that, Yeon Ho-jeong left Baek Seo’s residence.

Baek Seo, watching Yeon Ho-jeong’s back as he walked away, muttered to himself,

“He’s a dangerous man indeed.”

Grrr. The cave wall opened, and the cool outside air filled his lungs.

Yeon Ho-jeong, having left the Black Dragon Unit, headed to the place the maid had told him about. It was a forest five li [approximately 2.5 kilometers] southeast of the Black Dragon Unit’s entrance.

And there, Bu Seon was waiting.

“You were looking for me?”

“Vice Commander Yeon.”

“What brings the busy Lady Lee to seek out this humble one?”

Bu Seon’s eyes deepened.

Seeing her silent, Yeon Ho-jeong said as if throwing a stone,

“You missed him.”

“How did you know?”

“I can tell just by looking at your expression, things like that.”

“…”

“Did you train with your junior brother?”

“I didn’t.”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s lips curled up.

“To defeat your senior brother directly and prove your ability… that’s not the reason, is it?”

“The third is arrogant. His pride is too strong. So he seems simple and easy to handle, but if he judges himself to be at a disadvantage, he’s the type to use all sorts of tricks.”

“With the ability to not even handle a guy who uses that many tricks, it won’t be easy to hold onto the successor position.”

“I just didn’t want to worry about a guy who wasn’t worth the trouble. It’s better to deal with him myself than to train with a clumsy one.”

“As you wish.”

Yeon Ho-jeong frowned.

“So why did you call me? If you missed him, why didn’t you chase after him and break his neck?”

He was good at saying such brutal things.

Bu Seon stared intently at Yeon Ho-jeong.

“Do you know what?”

“What?”

“When I see you like this, you seem much more like a member of the Black Dao than we do.”

“I don’t know if that’s a compliment or a curse.”

“It’s a compliment. I’m also envious.”

“So, what do you want to say?”

“Let’s get straight to the point. When is the next mission?”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes lit up.

“Why do you want to know that?”

“If possible, I’d like to be involved in the next mission.”

“…”

“Is that not possible?”

“Why are you asking me that? Wouldn’t it be better to go directly to your master and ask for permission?”

“Master doesn’t care about such trivial matters.”

“Well, that’s true.”

Yeon Ho-jeong crossed his arms.

“Why do you want to go on this mission with us?”

“It’ll be dangerous, right?”

“Mission? Of course. If you make a mistake, you could lose your life.”

“That’s not new.”

“That’s right. However, the problem is that it could be really dangerous. We’re going to persuade a Saint-level master. If such a master gets upset and tries to kill us, probably none of us will come back alive.”

“You’re planning to take your sworn brother and the sword master of Botaam on such a path.”

“…”

“There must be a reason, right?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t know the details, but isn’t the main reason to learn about the world while risking your lives?”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s face became serious.

“That’s the biggest reason.”

“I want to do that too.”

“…”

“Please guide me.”

Yeon Ho-jeong, who had been quietly looking at Bu Seon, smiled coldly.

“You’re still lacking.”

“What?”

“If you make a request that so clearly reveals your intentions, what will become of your master’s reputation?”

Bu Seon’s face hardened.

“What do you mean?”

“Did your master tell you to monitor me?”

Bu Seon’s eyes wavered.

Yeon Ho-jeong, who had been observing her eyes, chuckled and turned his body.

“It would be better to govern yourself well before learning about the world. You still lack training.”

“Vice Commander Yeon. I…”

“Go catch that clumsy senior brother of yours. Then I’ll consider it.”

Swoosh.

Yeon Ho-jeong stopped walking and turned to look at Bu Seon.

Bu Seon flinched at his cold, gleaming eyes.

“Remember why I gave you this opportunity.”

“…”

“The law of the strong is not only for you. Since I’ve come here, don’t forget that I too am living by the rules of the strong.”