The Poison Demon and the Black Market (3)
In my past life in the martial world, I had mostly self-taught my martial arts.
But my other skills were learned from various masters.
Starting with the son of the Iron Instrument God, who taught me how to craft hidden weapons, I had formed many connections.
Among them was someone who taught me how to cultivate medicinal and poisonous herbs — an old friend of my father's.
A person who grew medicinal and poisonous herbs.
He was also an outer elder of our fallen Sacheondang Family.
I called him this.
Shennong.
The God of Farming.
After the family's fall, Shennong retreated deep into the mountains.
I had chosen the path of the Poison Demon, and with a face and body deteriorating from poison, I went to find him.
'Did you really have to?'
'Why couldn't you just forget and move on?'
I had expected a lecture.
"……."
But Shennong asked me nothing.
Simply.
"I'll have to plant more poisonous herbs."
Just those words.
As I continued my revenge through the martial world, I visited Shennong whenever I could.
Thwack! Thwack!
Thud thud thud!
Tilling the fields with a plow — this place was where I could briefly forget the chaos of the world and find comfort.
About fifteen years passed like that.
When those who had died by my hand surpassed a thousand, heading toward two thousand.
While Shennong was tending to the herbs in the field, I said to him.
"The herbs in this field grow remarkably well."
"Fertile land, isn't it?"
"Yes."
It was remarkable.
A place that could almost rival my own herb and poison field.
But my field was one of a kind in the world — a place thick with spiritual energy.
Yet this mountain slope of Shennong's had no such spiritual energy.
And yet, the soil was unusually fertile for a place like that.
"What is the secret?"
"What secret?"
I pointed to the compost heap.
"The secret to making that fertilizer."
"Nothing special."
"Come now, please tell me."
Shennong picked up his hoe and straightened his back.
He spoke.
"Do you know of the Demonic Cult War that occurred long ago?"
"Isn't it the great battle that took place a hundred years ago, staking the fate of the entire martial world?"
He nodded.
"That's right. There was a great battle then. Two thousand masters of the Demonic Cult and two thousand members of the Murim Alliance fought fiercely. Barely a few hundred survived."
Slowly.
He pointed to the ground.
"The battlefield is right here."
"Ahh……."
"Countless corpses are buried in this land. That is what made the soil so fertile."
"……."
"That's just how it is. The providence of nature."
Is that so.
Somehow, it feels frightening.
Not the fact that corpses are buried here — but the very principle of heaven and earth.
Shennong said it as if in passing.
"It's just my theory, but it seems the more wicked a person was, the better fertilizer they make. The particularly fertile patch over there was the Demonic Cult's main encampment."
"Haha, what an interesting thing to say."
Shennong looked at me.
"W-what are you looking at?"
Shennong pointed his hoe at me and said.
"If it's you, Poison Demon, you'd make the finest fertilizer of all."
"Come on! Where would you find someone as good-hearted as me!"
My words made him laugh.
I smiled bitterly and made a request of him.
"……When I die, please cremate me."
"Good grief! The things you say in front of your master!"
"Please, I'm serious."
It had to be that way.
The poison energy in my blood would kill all the land within a ten-li radius.
But.
"……I'll bury you properly."
"Master."
"Don't worry. The providence of heaven and earth always finds its balance."
He added quietly.
"Even poison energy will scatter into the soil just like all the rest."
***
Heave-ho, heave-ho.
Thud thud thud!
I was digging the ground.
This was my medicinal and poisonous herb field.
"My goodness. I can't believe I hadn't thought of this sooner…… I really was dead to the world."
All this time, I had been thinking there was no suitable place to hide the bodies.
A place only I know and only I can enter.
Isn't that exactly what my herb and poison field is!
Thud thud thud!
Thunk.
I tossed the shovel.
A deep pit had been made.
" Heave-ho."
The Chairman of Jeoksapa.
I threw Park Jeok-sa's body into the pit.
"You did nothing but evil deeds in life, so at least in death, become good fertilizer. Rest in peace."
I pressed my palms together and covered him with soil.
【People love the golden-colored glowing tower. +2,000 Happiness】
Master Shennong.
I think I'm about to become……
……truly terrible fertilizer.
And.
"Your revenge isn't far off now either, Master."
Just wait.
……Heavenly Demon.
I'm absolutely certain you'll become the finest fertilizer of all.
***
"That was a beautiful farewell to Park Jeok-sa."
I felt a sense of satisfaction as I headed toward the Black Market.
Carrying the golf bag filled with the swords and items I'd obtained from Nallyu Gang's chamber.
Oh, this golf bag was one Park Jeok-sa used to use.
I turned into an alleyway.
"This must be it."
A three-story market building that looked to be over forty years old.
The scale was fairly large.
On the first floor hung a worn 'Vegetable Shop' sign, with the business already closed.
Creeeak—.
Stepping inside the vegetable shop, a large iron door came into view.
Knock knock.
No response. Looking down, I spotted a card slot.
The first card I chose was.
"Let's start simple."
Clunk.
I inserted one of the Floor 10-and-below cards.
With a whirrr, the door opened.
Simple enough.
Upon entering, a whole other world unfolded.
Shops lined up in rows on both sides of the path.
Here and there, flea-market-style stalls were scattered about.
And a massive crowd of people.
"My, oh my. So this is where everyone's been."
People were gathered in a corner, so I went to take a look.
"Ahahaha! Three of a kind!"
"I've got five of a kind!"
"Asura wins all!"
There was a gambling den.
Thwack! Thwap thwap thwap!
Even an arena.
"There's nothing they don't have here."
I went back to looking at the stalls.
The stalls had climbers selling things they'd obtained while ascending the tower.
The proper stores with roofs and walls were both buying and selling.
For now, I entered one of the proper stores.
Swords and blades hanging throughout the shop.
No price tags.
'So you have to negotiate for everything.'
Since I didn't yet know the market rates.
I picked out a blade similar in quality to the ones I'd obtained in the Nallyu Gang's chamber on 1st floor, and asked the shopkeeper.
"How much?"
"1,500."
The owner glanced at me and said flatly.
I asked again.
"If I were to sell this — what's the purchase price?"
"700."
Half the price, then.
I left the store and walked around two or three more shops, and after getting a rough sense of the market rate for the Nallyu Gang's blades, the prices were all fairly similar.
I sold at the shop that offered the best price.
"Here — 48 million won. Please count it."
"It'll be right. Thank you."
I sold six blades at 8 million won each.
I still had just as many back in my herb field.
I hadn't sold Nallyu Gang's leader's blade or the items obtained on 2nd floor.
Thinking I'd look into those a bit more before selling.
As I sold all six at once, the shopkeeper remarked with what sounded like a compliment.
"Six blades all at once — must've been collecting them for a while?"
I took the chance to ask him something.
"Where would I find a shop that sells medicinal or poisonous herbs? I don't seem to have come across one."
"There are some around the corner over there, but they're all shut."
"Oh, did they go out of business?"
"Go out of business? Hardly. Business was so good they sold the whole lot. Word is some pharmaceutical company bought them up."
"……?"
"There's been quite a fuss lately, what with people trying to conquer 37th floor. They say 37th floor is full of poison, so people have been sweeping up all the rare medicinal herbs and elixirs trying to detox."
……Poison?
Information about the Murim Tower isn't usually released to the public, but the Black Market people seemed to know.
Poison, huh.
My heart starts thumping for some reason!
At 37th floor, there should be a fairly formidable sect appearing.
Which one could it be?
Childog Gate? Poison Hand Gate? Phantom Poison Pavilion? Poison Valley?
Honestly, none of them are really clicking for me, but.
The shopkeeper added.
"Medicinal herbs are rare and hard to come by as it is, and now that they've been swept clean, the prices have shot through the roof. If I were a seller, I'd have cashed out too. Good riddance to this rotten place."
"……."
"Try the stalls. I spotted a few with some."
"Thank you."
I gave my thanks and turned to leave.
"Why are you looking for a place that sells poisonous herbs? You're the first person I've ever seen buying them."
The shopkeeper threw that out behind me.
I didn't need to answer.
With a sense of disappointment, I headed toward the herb shop alley even knowing the stores were closed.
"It's true."
Every single one was closed.
"Haaa……."
I spotted two people sighing just like me.
Two men in their mid-twenties.
Standing in front of the herb shop with hollow expressions, letting out sighs.
They must be looking for something.
As I walked past them.
Sniff sniff!
The smell of medicinal herbs!
I quietly looked them over.
The two had a subtly similar look about them.
Brothers, perhaps?
They didn't seem like bad people.
If anything, they had an air of noble refinement about their faces.
Their clothes were also of exceptional quality, and the swords and bow each carried were clearly high-grade items at a glance.
They asked me.
"Why are you looking at us like that?"
"Because I smell medicinal herbs."
At that.
"……!"
The brothers' expressions shifted.
"Do you know much about medicinal herbs?"
Of course I do.
I nodded, and they held out the herbs they had on them.
Common ones.
Dangbaek, Guchancho, and Jeondae. Three types.
I could probably obtain them myself while climbing the tower.
Though Dangbaek and Jeondae had no roots, Guchancho still had its roots attached.
I could plant and grow it.
"Are you interested in selling that?"
"No."
A firm refusal. What a shame.
"Is there any way you could part with even just one of the Guchancho? I'll pay you generously."
But the brothers looked surprised.
"You know its name?"
I quietly nodded, and the brothers whispered to each other.
With a slight circulation of my energy, their whispered words came through clearly.
—He knows the name Guchancho…… There's hardly anyone like that these days, right?
—Still, you never know. He has no sect, so he might have come to the Black Market himself.
—You think?
—If he's a high-floor climber without a sect, he's exactly who we've been looking for!
—Then should we find out for sure?
—How?
—Ask about Guchancho's effects. If he knows that, it's certain.
—Alright.
Then the one who appeared to be the older brother asked me.
"Excuse me — do you also know the effects of this Guchancho?"
"It's better for external wounds than internal ones. It peels away in thin layers like an onion — if you apply it, even large wounds heal within a few days."
"You…… That's exactly right!"
Hmph.
Beyond that, there are four more effects, and six additional ones known only to me depending on the leaf, root, or stem.
No need to tell them that.
They started whispering again.
—He's completely right! See? I knew we'd just end up bothering him for nothing.
—Did I know this would happen……
—Doesn't matter. Let's try to ask for some advice.
—How? He looks like he's in a bad mood.
—This should do it.
The older brother bowed his head.
"I apologize, Senior. I failed to recognize you."
"Hmm."
I deliberately put on an expression of displeasure.
"Senior, as a way of apologizing, I'd like to give you this Guchancho."
Really?
"It's an herb we obtained with great difficulty as well. We paid 50 million won for it……."
Fifty million?
No matter how rare herbs were here, how on earth is a mere Guchancho worth fifty million won?
I was astounded.
At my expression hardening again, the brothers panicked.
"We're sorry. That must have been offensive? We attempted something undignified toward a high-floor Senior. We sincerely apologize."
They bowed their heads.
I wasn't entirely sure what was happening, but they seemed to have mistaken me for a high-floor climber.
I accepted it for now.
"It's fine."
I quietly shifted to a more dignified expression and tone.
These brothers want information from me.
And I want the same from them.
On top of that, they were offering to just hand over a fifty-million-won herb.
They must be quite desperate.
In that case, I should make them feel a little more pressed for time.
Slowly.
I subtly stepped back.
"Well then, I'll be on my way."
"W-wait! Senior."
The reaction comes immediately.
"Just a moment."
One of the brothers grabbed my arm.
I slowly turned my head and stared them down.
"Huh! S-sorry!"
They quickly let go, and I threw them a line.
"Don't you know that touching me without permission means death?"
"Y-yes, you're right. We were just so desperate……."
The moment's ripe.
I eased my expression slightly.
They'll surely ask me to spare just a moment of my time.
"Could you spare us just a moment, Senior?"
"Hmm……."
I tilt my head. Without even offering anything?
"We'll give you everything, Senior!"
The younger brother held out all of them — the Dangbaek, the Guchancho, and the Jeondae.
That should be about 100 million won, I'd guess?
"Please take it all. We only wish to speak with you briefly."
"Hmm."
"We know 100 million won is hardly enough to earn a chance to speak with a Senior like you. But please…… Won't you spare us just this once?"
"……."
"If it's not enough, we'll give you more! Beyond what we have here, we still have medicinal herbs stored elsewhere."
I slowly, reluctantly let myself be persuaded.
I shifted back to my normal speech as well.
"I suppose I have no choice. Let's head to that quiet corner over there."
【The brothers are delighted. +20 Happiness】
The points were a bonus.
The brothers' situation was as follows.
They were currently preparing to conquer 22nd floor.
And there was a reward from between 21 and 23 floors that they absolutely needed.
But the condition for that reward was quite demanding.
It required having a Red rating.
21 through 23 floors in South Korea have no Red rating. The information must have come from overseas.
I asked the brothers.
"Why are you trying to obtain that reward?"
"Our…… Father is ill."
The Red-grade reward I learned from the conversation with the brothers was Onon Grass.
Even in the martial world, it was an herb that grew only in the snowy mountain regions of the Northern Sea Ice Palace — a sect from beyond the frontier — and its cultivation conditions were extremely unusual.
First, it needed to be somewhere with very little sunlight, and virtually no humidity.
It grows only on the purest, bitterest cold energy.
In rough modern temperature terms, it would need to drop to minus 60°C, and the temperature would have to remain completely stable.
Would such a place be common?
The coldest city on earth sits at minus 60°C.
In other words, what a wretched herb.
Because it endures such freezing cold to grow, it has a nature resistant to extreme cold.
And so, when consumed, it has the effect of keeping one's body temperature consistently warm.
It was a rare herb even in the martial world, and not even my herb field had it. The cultivation conditions were just too demanding.
"Father has fallen ill with a serious disease. His entire body turns ice-cold……."
"No matter how much we try to keep him warm, he keeps getting frostbite and it just won't heal."
Hmm.
I recognize these symptoms.
It's not a disease one simply catches — it's the kind of symptom that results from being struck by a martial artist who uses Ice Energy techniques.
Had the brothers' father been attacked by an Ice Energy master?
And while Onon Grass is certainly an effective cure for Ice Energy damage.
With the medical technology of this era, a typical Ice Energy ailment should be treatable.
"Is there no medicine for it?"
"There is a treatment developed in America for Ice Energy injuries."
"America, hm…… That must be incredibly expensive."
"It's around three million dollars."
Are you serious! Three million dollars? That's 4.3 billion won.
"Good heavens. So you couldn't buy it then."
My eyes went wide at a price I'd never heard before.
"We bought it."
Their answer surprised me even more.
What?
They bought something that costs 4.3 billion won?
"We used the treatment twice, but Father just won't recover."
4.3 billion won worth, twice……?
That's 8.6 billion won?
"My goodness……."
My mouth suddenly starts to water.