Bakgi was already at the level of a master when he entered the academy. He quickly overpowered Chun Jongsum who threatened the other group members on the first day of the academy. Chun Jongsum warned him when he lost.
‘You enjoy your victory now. The claw of the Poison Clan is like good wine. It gets deeper as time goes on.’
Therefore, Bakgi always watched out for any signs of a poison attack, but he still got poisoned in the end.
“Hmph.”
Baek Jongmeng brought out more medicine to take out the poison. Chun Yeowun then asked the doctor, “How bad is it for him?”
Jongmeng smiled.
“He’s okay. Luckily, we detected it early. He’ll heal after a week of antidotes.”
“But isn’t it severe if he has the red dots?”
He remembered Baek Jongwu’s explanation to him regarding the poison. He said that since the red dots covered her entire body, Lady Hwa had no way to survive.
“Oh, that happened because I got it through his lungs.”
“Lung?”
“Yeah, it’s to check if he’s been poisoned. If he shows the signs of being poisoned without it, then it is too late.”
Yeowun then remembered that Hou Jinchang pressed on Bakgi’s chest during the duel.
‘Oh, so that’s what triggered the symptom!’
“So do you need that smoke to check it?”
“Not really. If your lungs get damaged, the poison might go into the wound and show the symptoms also.”
“Oh... I see. So, that’s why.”
Yeowun then realized why Bakgi showed the symptoms earlier. Jongmeng quickly boiled the medicine. Bakgi was still infuriated from the fact that he had been poisoned.
“Here, drink up.”
“...Thank you.”
Bakgi drank the medicine and Jongmeng said, “You must be angry, but aren’t you still lucky?”
“Yes?”
“Thanks to the 7th cadet, it wasn’t too late. If it was, then you really would have died.”
“Oh!”
Bakgi realized he had not shown his gratitude to his lifesaver. Bakgi got up and bowed to Chun Yeowun.
“I-I’m sorry. Thank you for saving my life. I really am thankful.”
Chun Yeowun waved it off. “Don’t thank me too much. I don’t want to see anyone dying from that disgusting poison. And... I was looking for the culprit behind it.”
Chun Yeowun’s last words showed that he was furious. It was deep hatred that came from his vengeance.
Bakgi was at a loss for words. He had expected it, but Yeowun’s hatred was beyond his imagination. Jongmeng then opened the curtain of the bed and spoke to Bakgi.
“How about you rest here in the medical room today?”
“Huh?”
“You will heal in seven days, but if you go back to your room, you will be targeted by the poison again.”
Bakgi frowned.
‘He’ll poison me again?’
If it wasn’t for Baek Jongmeng, Bakgi was going to go to Chun Jongsum and unleash his vengeance. But there was a chance that Chun Jongsum would poison him again when he was asleep.
“Dammit!”
It was irritating. Chun Yeowun agreed, “Yeah, stay here like the doctor said. I know how you feel, but you must heal first.”
“Ugh.”
“Leave Chun Jongsum to me.”
“What?”
Bakgi became shocked. Baek Jongmeng hesitated as he asked Yeowun, “What are you trying to do?”
“...I think I need a word with him.”
‘A word?’
However, seeing Yeowun’s eyes filled with hatred didn’t seem like he was just going to exchange some words with the prince. Jongmeng sighed.
“I heard rumors that you’ve become strong, but can you handle ones that use poison?”
Fighting against poison users wasn’t an easy thing, even for experienced martial artists. Even the leaders of the six clans said the Poison Clan was the hardest to deal with.
“Thank you for your concern, but I’ll be okay.”
Yeowun then began walking out and stopped. He then spoke to himself before going out.
“...If that is true, then I will send him next to your bed.”
“What?”
It seemed like he was talking to someone. Jongmeng and Bakgi exchanged glances and then heard an irritated person speak up.
“Hmph. That damn peasant.”
It was Chun Mukeum who was also in the medical room.
[Hey, peasant. The one you are looking for should be in the forest across the fifth building of the dorm.]
Chun Mukeum sent a telepathic message to Chun Yeowun. It was information about Chun Jongsum’s whereabouts after dinner. He told him this, but it was not for Yeowun or Bakgi.
“Heh.’
Chun Jongsum hated Chun Yeowun almost like Chun Mukeum himself. Chun Mukeum also hated the Poison Clan more than any of the other six clans.
‘You or that lunatic... I don’t care who dies.’
He told Yeowun the location, hoping it would kill either of the two, or both of them.
The sky had turned dark and the only place that had mountains around it was near the dorms. The building of the fifth dorm was where instructors stayed, so the cadets did not go to the forest across it. However, there was one who went there often. It was Chun Jongsum.
“Hehe...”
He traveled to the mountain every night, collecting poisonous herbs. Poison of Destruction. To learn this poison attack, one needed to poison himself and heal up countless times. This would allow one become the Poisonous Human, thus yielding hundreds of poisons inside the body, poisons so powerful that one could even melt qi.
‘With the internal energy at the master level, I will be at the fifth level of the Poison of Destruction.’
The Poison of Destruction had a total of nine levels, and the power went up exponentially beginning at the fifth level. Chun Jongsum was embarrassed when he lost to Bakgi and poisoned him in anger. He poisoned him every day and he saw the poison working today.
‘It’s a bit fast, but who will notice it?’
He had given a higher dosage, so the symptoms appeared faster than expected. However, there was no one in the academy who might know about the poison other than him and the members of the Poison Clan.
“Hehehe... Bakgi, I will kill you myself before you die to poison.”
If he reached the fifth level, there was no need to wait for Bakgi to die to the poison. It made him excited.
“What’s so exciting?”
“What?”
Chun Jongsum became surprised and got up. It was a dark night, so he couldn’t see the face.
‘W-what? That voice doesn’t sound like an instructors.’
Chun Jongsum then uncovered the candle that he had to hide in the darkness.
“You...?”
He saw the man’s face. It was Chun Yeowun who was glaring fiercely at him.
‘What? Why is he here now?’
Chun Jongsum was shocked. Yeowun spoke to him angrily.
“Is it fun playing around with poison?”
Chun Jongsum then realized Yeowun was talking about using the poison on Bakgi. However, he wasn’t sure if Yeowun was talking about his mother or Bakgi. But it didn’t matter as Yeowun was certain that he had noticed something.
“Hmph. What about it?”
“Red dots on Bakgi. Did you think I wouldn’t notice it?”
“You? Oh... OHHHH!”
Chun Jongsum then began cackling.
“Kekekekek! I see! That’s how! Your dirty mother was...”
Before he could finish, Yeowun charged in like lightning and crushed Jongsum’s face with his fist.
“ARARRRRGH!”
He was thrown to the back like a cannonball. It was so powerful that he slammed into a large tree, half destroying it. Chun Jongsum’s chin was turned weirdly to the left and all the teeth on his right side were either pulled or destroyed.
“Urrrgh...”
Chun Jongsum didn’t pass out from severe pain however and moaned.
‘What? What is going on?!’
He couldn’t understand what was happening. He only remembered being struck in the face. Chun Yeowun then came up with a demon-like face.
“It’s only the start.”