Chapter 141
Of course, someone as skilled as the League Master wouldn’t be affected by such trivial medicinal ingredients.
However, fundamentally, medicine works by combining various ingredients to amplify their effects.
Then.
“If the reason behind the League Master’s poisoning was due to a combination of other ingredients?”
Yerin murmured softly, almost as if in pain.
“That… medicine from the Dang clan.”
“What?”
“The medicine given to me by the Dang family. The one said to alleviate discomfort!”
Yerin raised her voice sharply.
The doctor looked flustered as he responded.
“That medicine was just a blend of various herbs. Herbs to ease indigestion, herbs to calm heart-related disturbances, and…”
Suddenly, the doctor froze as if struck in the head.
“…Surely not?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Please wait for a moment.”
The doctor abruptly turned away, his mind racing as he frantically scribbled something onto paper.
After a brief pause, he sighed deeply.
“There’s no way…”
The doctor muttered with a sense of disbelief as he suddenly locked eyes with Yerin.
“The individual ingredients in that medicine aren’t dangerous. The blend itself seems fine. Or at least, I thought so.”
He clenched his teeth, his expression grim.
“I… I made a mistake.”
“A mistake? What are you talking about?”
“The medicine given by the Clan Master included Selru Grass.”
“Selru Grass?”
Yerin’s brows furrowed.
The doctor spoke quickly, urgency in his voice.
“As you may know, Selru Grass inherently contains cold energy. Depending on how it’s used, it can either suppress or amplify that cold energy. However, Selru Grass can only be neutralized by its own specific method.”
“I know that much.”
Yerin nodded, her expression thoughtful.
That’s why the Dang Clan had been at odds with the Ice Sect for so long.
Their vision, created with Selru Grass, could only be neutralized by the Thousand-Year Snow Blossom—the sect’s ultimate healing elixir.
“I naturally assumed the Selru Grass was used to calm heart fire. The League Master has been complaining about discomfort for quite some time.”
By now, the doctor’s voice was filled with intense emotion.
“The problem is that all the ingredients in that medicine were combined to amplify the cold energy of Selru Grass.”
“That means…”
“A medicine that would pose no threat to ordinary individuals could be deadly for the League Master, who has cultivated extreme inner strength.”
The doctor’s face contorted in anguish.
“Selru Grass, with its cold energy, opposes the League Master’s inner energy.”
Overwhelmed by self-recrimination, the doctor cradled his head in his hands.
“However, the leader is one of the top masters in the entire world of martial arts, so it would have been difficult for that kind of medicine to be fully effective. So, while taking the pills regularly, the energy would build up in the body…”
The doctor pointed to the tea leaves with trembling hands.
“This tea has exploded the effect.”
“……So it acted as a detonator?”
“Yes. Just as a drop of water in a jar full of water eventually overflows, the tea acted as a detonator.”
A deathly silence ensued.
The doctor was at a loss because of his guilt.
“Except for Selru Grass, they are all safe and commonly used medicinal herbs, and they are a combination.”
“…”
“I failed to notice. It’s all my fault…”
Unable to meet Yerin’s gaze, the doctor lowered his eyes in shame.
But only briefly.
“Snap out of it. There’s no time for self-blame.”
Yerin’s voice was cold, cutting through his thoughts.
The doctor’s eyes snapped open as though doused with cold water.
“Huh?”
“We need to figure out how this medicine came to the League Master.”
Additionally, there was something even more unsettling.
‘This medicine combined with the tea… would yield a similar effect to the tactics used by the Sect of the Four Heavens.’
By understanding the mechanisms of the Sect of the Four Heavens’ vision and replicating that effect through a similar concoction, only one organization could possess such capability.
‘Blood Cult.’
It could only be the Blood Cult.
Yerin clenched her jaw as a cold realization dawned on her.
“I need to meet with Commander Joo immediately.”
“Madam!”
The doctor rushed to follow Yerin’s lead, breathless.
—
Doyul tracked the servant with a stealthy approach.
The servant skillfully slipped into the back of Hongyeon Daru and then began tapping the floor in a peculiar rhythm.
Clunk!
A section of the wooden floor lifted.
A hidden trapdoor had been revealed beneath the floorboards.
The servant smoothly reached out and lifted the door.
A staircase extended downward from the square hole.
Following the servant down, Doyul watched cautiously as the servant closed the door behind them.
Clack!
The passageway was concealed again.
Doyul stepped forward cautiously.
“…There’s a place like this behind Daru?”
Doyul stared in astonishment at the concealed trapdoor.
The disguise was so thorough that it seemed perfectly seamless from the surface.
‘Did that servant tap like that?’
Doyul mimicked the exact rhythm the servant had used on the floor.
Clunk!
The door opened once more.
Doyul peered inside, his eyes narrowing as he took in the dim, pitch-black space.
The darkness was absolute, and without heightened inner vision, distinguishing any objects was nearly impossible.
‘Let’s go.’
Doyul leaped inside without hesitation.
Descending the stairs, he spotted a door directly across.
The faint glow of light seeped through the gap, suggesting the servant had entered that room earlier.
Raising his hand, Doyul carefully pushed the door open.
‘It’s not locked. Thank goodness.’
Quietly stepping into the room, Doyul suddenly tensed up.
‘That smell…?’
The stench inside the room was so foul it felt suffocating, threatening to paralyze his senses.
It was the stench of rotting corpses as if something had been decaying for days.
‘It stinks.’
Doyul swiftly scanned the room.
It was a typical underground chamber.
The most striking feature was a large wooden table covered with dark, dried stains. Various tools, seemingly used for grotesque purposes, were scattered haphazardly across it.
Next to the table was a massive wooden chest…
“…”
Doyul froze in shock.
Something protruded slightly from within the chest—a shape that unmistakably resembled a hand.
‘A human hand…’
The mere sight sent a shiver down his spine, raising goosebumps all over his body.
‘I need to check.’
Instinctively moving toward the chest, Doyul abruptly stopped, his expression hardening.
At the same time, a calm, leisurely voice resonated.
“You seem to have wandered into the wrong place, guest.”
A large man, towering and stocky, stared intently at Doyul.
While he bore an ordinary face, his distinctive trait was the long bangs that covered his left eye.
“Oh, isn’t this the master of Northern Sea Ice Palace?”
“….”
“Hmm, this is a far more impressive figure than I expected.”
The man clicked his tongue audibly as he spoke.
Doyul locked eyes with him, his expression blank as he quietly asked, “Inpimyeongu?”
Inpimyeongu—a mask crafted to mimic human faces.
Typically used for disguise, it was a tool to alter one’s identity.
“Hoo.”
The man raised his eyebrows in surprise.
Then he smiles sardonically.
“You have a good eye. You’re a big shot after all.”
The man raised his thick hand to his face as if intrigued.
*Rip!*
Peeling off the inpimyeongu, his true face was revealed beneath.
His overall appearance was fierce, like that of a wild beast. A deep scar ran across his left eye, suggesting he had lost vision in that eye.
The very features were ones Doyul recognized.
Doyul muttered in disbelief, “…Blood Wolf Sect Master?”
The leader of the Blood Wolf Sect, known for its crucial role in the Blood Cult’s operations.
Unlike the elusive Deputy Sect Master, Blood Wolf was infamous across the martial world due to his involvement in numerous bloodshed incidents.
He also shared a deep, personal enmity with Doyul, the reason being…
“Oh, you recognize me?”
A sly smile spread across the Blood Wolf Sect Master’s face.
“If I recall correctly, this is the first time you and I have officially met.”
“Why is Blood Wolf Sect Master here?”
Doyul responded with a lower tone, reflecting the bluntness of the man’s casual speech.
The Sect Master, however, chuckled, speaking as if in jest.
“Well, it’s for a grand undertaking.”
“…Grand undertaking.”
Doyul pondered the phrase carefully.
It reminded him of the voice he had once heard—the Deputy Sect Master’s voice echoing with fervent zeal.
‘Our sect’s ultimate goal has always been the same: the return of Blood Demon!’
The madness in that voice, the wild gestures.
It was something Doyul could never forget.
Meanwhile, the Blood Wolf Sect Master spoke calmly as if reminiscing.
“It’s strange, though. Our sect and North Sea Ice Palace seem to share a deep connection.”
Suddenly, a sharp glint appeared in Doyul’s eyes.
His face turned cold with rage as he stared down the Sect Master.
“The previous master of Ice Palace was a decent warrior. He deserved a better end.”
“….”
Doyul gritted his teeth quietly.
The memory of his father—the former master of North Sea Ice Palace—rose in his mind.
Blood Wolf was deliberately provoking him, stirring painful memories.
