Chapter 5. Kidnapping (4)
Tang Sowol eyed me warily as she subtly increased the distance between us. In response, I extended the violet flower in my hand toward her once more.
"This is Purple Flower Poison Enhancing Grass."
"What?! Did you just say this is Purple Flower Poison Enhancing Grass?!"
Startled, Tang Sowol quickly crawled back toward me, closing the distance she had just put between us. She carefully examined the flower again, nodding repeatedly in awe.
Ah, I see. It wasn't that she failed to recognize Purple Flower Poison Enhancing Grass—she had simply refused it earlier because she thought it was just a random flower gift.
That realization was slightly irritating, but regardless, the important thing was that I had managed to give her the Purple Flower Poison Enhancing Grass earlier than in my past life.
In my previous life, Tang Sowol had fought desperately against the attackers but was ultimately outnumbered and forced to flee.
Frankly, the fact that she had managed to hold out for so long was impressive. If she hadn't been a genius or born with the unique constitution known as the Poison Spirit Physique (독령지체, Dokryeong Jiche), she wouldn't have survived at all.
While fleeing, exhausted and drained of her inner energy, she had stumbled upon this very cave by sheer chance.
Planning to quietly rest and recover, she had wedged herself into a corner… and there, she had found it: the Purple Flower Poison Enhancing Grass.
This herb was remarkable in many ways. The part that resembled a flower wasn't actually a flower but a purple-tinted stalk. Despite its name, it had almost no inherent toxicity.
Its most notable property was its ability to enhance the potency of any poison it came into contact with, regardless of the poison's type.
Thus, it was known as Poison Enhancing Grass (배독초) rather than simply a poisonous herb. Martial artists who specialized in poison techniques would go to great lengths to obtain such a rare herb.
For someone like Tang Sowol, who could store poisons in her body and synthesize them into stronger toxins, this herb was a priceless treasure—worth more than gold.
However, in my past life, Tang Sowol had not had enough time to properly absorb the Purple Flower Poison Enhancing Grass.
In the end, she could only use it as a one-time enhancer, temporarily amplifying the poison she emitted externally.
With that amplified poison, she had managed to fend off most of the attackers who had pursued her to the cave's vicinity. But the problem was that the enhanced poison had been too strong.
As a first-class martial artist, she couldn't control its potency, and even her Poison Spirit Physique had struggled to withstand the surging waves of poison.
Though she eventually escaped with her life, half of her face had already been melted by the poison.
But this time, things could be different.
The Poison Spirit Physique allowed its wielder to remember and store all poisons they encountered. It was a constitution more akin to a poison creature than a human.
Have you ever heard of a poisonous creature dying from its own poison? It's rare, but it does happen. However, most poisonous creatures develop immunity to their own toxins.
Tang Sowol was the same. If she could properly absorb the Purple Flower Poison Enhancing Grass, not only would her poison techniques become far more powerful, but she would also develop the resistance necessary to withstand the enhanced toxins.
There would be no need to recklessly sacrifice both the herb and her body, as she had in my past life.
I spoke to Tang Sowol, who was still staring at the Purple Flower Poison Enhancing Grass with a dazed expression.
"I'll untie you again, so go ahead and take it."
"Huh?"
"How long will it take you to absorb it and imprint it on your body?"
"You knew that I have the Poison Spirit Physique, didn't you?"
"It's not exactly a secret, is it?"
"That's true, but there aren't many people who understand what the Poison Spirit Physique can actually do."
"So, are you going to take it or not?"
"Of course I'll take it! Thank you very much. But since you're being so generous with untying me and even giving me rare herbs, couldn't you leave me untied more often?"
"I'll think about it while we're both in the cave."
"That's more than enough!"
Tang Sowol nodded triumphantly, her face brimming with confidence. As soon as I untied her, she quickly snatched the Purple Flower Poison Enhancing Grass, worried I might change my mind.
Then, as if tasting it, she stuck out her tongue and licked the flower-like part of the herb.
"…What are you doing?"
Tang Sowol gestured with her hand for me to be quiet and continued savoring the herb.
My eyes couldn't help but follow her tongue, which flicked across the vivid purple surface. Come to think of it, this was Tang Sowol's first time venturing into the martial world.
Having grown up pampered at home, she probably didn't realize how her actions might be perceived by other men.
I didn't mind, but behaving like that around others might cause trouble.
"Hah…"
A sigh escaped my lips. At the same time, Tang Sowol finally pulled her tongue back from the herb and nodded.
"Hmm. I understand now. I estimate it will take at least three months to fully absorb it."
"Three months? I thought the Purple Flower Poison Enhancing Grass itself didn't have much toxicity."
"You're right, but there's no helping it. Absorbing the herb means doubling the potency of all the poisons I've already stored in my body. Naturally, my body will need time to adapt."
"I see."
I understood. While the herb itself could be absorbed quickly, the problem lay in the amplified toxicity of the existing poisons.
If she rushed the process, her body might fail to withstand the poison's power, and parts of her might melt—just like in my past life.
"So, while your body is adjusting to the herb, using poison techniques will be difficult, right? Since this herb enhances poison, there's a risk of the stored toxins running wild."
"You even knew that?"
"I happened to pick up that bit of knowledge."
"Even if someone isn't a poison master, they can still use poison techniques in a basic way. Applying poison externally is always an option."
"Is that why you carry poison around with you?"
Tang Sowol pressed her lips together in silence. Of course not. Why would someone who could produce poison internally bother to carry it around?
Shrugging, I glanced around the empty parts of the cave. It was quite spacious.
"So… three months, huh? I suppose I should prepare some wooden dummies for you to practice throwing your hidden weapons."
"I appreciate the thought, but I have no intention of displaying my martial arts in front of you."
"You already showed me everything you've got, and none of it worked. What's there to hide?"
"Ugh… That's—!"
Tang Sowol's face turned red, likely recalling how she had been captured. Then, her complexion paled as if reliving the embarrassment.
Chuckling at her colorful expression, I shook my head.
"I'm not asking you to show me some secret ultimate technique. I'm saying that as a martial artist, you can't neglect training. If you don't like the techniques you've already shown me, at least practice your fundamentals."
"Well… fine. I understand! If you insist, I'll do it. Just make those dummies already!"
"Not today. I'll make them tomorrow."
"…You're really going to provoke me like that and then say tomorrow?"
Tang Sowol stared at me in disbelief. I silently pointed toward the cave entrance.
"It's almost sunset. By the time you've absorbed the herb and finished your meditation, it'll be time to sleep."
"And I have my own training to finish tonight. I'm not going to stay up all night just to make those dummies."
Finally understanding, Tang Sowol nodded quietly.
"Alright. Tomorrow it is, Cheon Hwi-da."
"By the way, don't you think it's a bit much to act like a boss when you're the one who got kidnapped?"
"It's a little late to bring that up, but you're going to help anyway, aren't you?"
When I wordlessly nodded, she laughed gleefully.
"Haha! There's no rush, so let's take things one step at a time."
"Sure, though it's me who'll be doing all the work."
Satisfied with my response, Tang Sowol sat cross-legged and prepared to meditate. Before swallowing the Purple Flower Poison Enhancing Grass, she glanced at me with a sly grin.
"Would you mind standing guard for me?"
"I'm the most dangerous thing in this cave, you know."
"That's precisely why I'm asking."
"I'll be training too. If anything disrupts us, I'll deal with it."
"Understood. Then I'll go ahead and meditate right here next to you."
Smiling brightly, Tang Sowol swallowed the herb in one gulp and closed her eyes, her posture completely defenseless.
After watching her for a moment, I drew my sword. I had done my inner energy training in the morning—now it was time to work on my external techniques.
My body was still soft and underdeveloped, like unrefined steel. My muscles were insufficient, my balance was off, and I ran out of breath too easily.
In short, I was like crude metal filled with impurities. My goal was to hammer and temper myself until I became a well-forged sword.
There were no shortcuts. The only method was to keep swinging my sword until exhaustion claimed me. This was the simplest yet most essential part of martial arts.
"Hup!"
With a suppressed shout, I slashed through the empty air. A straightforward, vertical cut with no unnecessary flourishes.
The following strikes were just as simple—basic slashes and thrusts, executed without any flashy techniques.
I wasn't born with exceptional talent, nor had I been fortunate enough to learn prestigious martial arts.
In typical unorthodox fashion, I had learned various mediocre techniques and pieced together what I could, creating a rootless style of my own.
Yet, as I continued to swing my sword, fight, and survive, I had come to understand one thing:
You don't need grand techniques to kill someone.
A sword swung at the right moment, aimed at the right spot—that was all it took. You didn't need to be faster, stronger, or more dazzling.
After all, humans are fragile creatures who die when their vital points are struck.
Thus, I discarded all the useless tricks I had learned. They had been nothing more than second-rate techniques, anyway.
In their place, I returned to the basics. I swung my sword as I had when I first picked it up.
Whoosh!
The sound of my sword slicing through the air echoed in the cave. Not good enough—the tip of my blade wavered slightly, a sign of instability.
Sharpening my focus, I continued to swing. Within my reach, with as much force as I could control, I aimed to make my sword move exactly as I intended.
How many times had I swung my sword by then? I began to feel slight changes with each stroke.
The trajectory grew cleaner, forming straighter lines. The sound of the air being cut became quieter, and the sharpness of my strikes grew more pronounced.
No, I hadn't achieved some great revelation. My body was simply adapting, becoming more suitable for wielding a sword.
Though my body was still young and weak, I took solace in its rapid growth.
Starting proper training at an earlier age this time, I would surely surpass my past self.
Whether that would be enough to defeat the Heavenly Demon, I didn't know. But I had to try everything I could.
In the worst-case scenario, if Tang Sowol insisted on risking her life for revenge, I would have to forcibly drag her out of Zhongyuan. For that, I needed to reach the Transformation Realm (화경, Hwakyung).
The Transformation Realm, huh? A distant goal, but one I had no choice but to pursue.
Firming my resolve once more, I continued swinging my sword without pause.
Eventually, when my body was so exhausted I could no longer move a single finger, I collapsed onto the ground.
"What kind of insane training is this?!"
Startled, Tang Sowol rushed over and helped me sit up.
"…This is how I've always trained."
"You're going to ruin your body at this rate!"
"I didn't swing recklessly—I calculated every move."
"Yes, yes, I get it. Just lie down for now. Ugh, look at all this sweat. You should wash up if you can, though I doubt you have the energy."
"As you can see."
"Fine, I'll wipe you down a bit, so stay still."
"Thanks."
"No need to thank me. I owe you one, after all."
With a more familiar tone, Tang Sowol grabbed a spare set of clothes to use as a towel and gently wiped me down. After finishing, she tilted her head and asked:
"I've heard of people becoming stronger after regressing to their youth, but never weaker. Are you sure you're really just a young swordsman?"
"It's a relief you've finally figured that out."
"It's all because of that old man's way of speaking you have! I thought I was a genius, but Zhongyuan is truly vast. Who knew there were geniuses greater than me…"
"Enough of the flattery. Go get some rest. I'm about to pass out."
"Are you sure it's safe to leave yourself so defenseless in front of me? Aren't you going to tie me up again?"
"You asked me to stand guard, yet you're just as defenseless."
"Ah! That's right—I asked you to guard me, and instead, you started dancing with your sword!"
"Did it disturb your meditation?"
"No… not really…"
Tang Sowol trailed off, looking confused.
Of course, she wouldn't understand. I hadn't swung my sword randomly—I had done so in a way that enveloped her in my aura, providing a sense of security.
Not realizing this, Tang Sowol let out a long sigh and stood up.
"Well, whatever. Let's just get some sleep. We have plenty to do tomorrow, don't we?"
With that, she lay down in her usual spot. Her voice reached me as drowsiness crept over me.
"Goodnight. See you tomorrow."
I didn't remember what I said in response.
The following days proceeded much the same as the first.
Every morning, I trained my inner energy. Then, I would go down to the nearby village to buy food and other necessities.
At night, I focused on external techniques until I was too tired to stay awake.
As this routine repeated, the cave gradually became more livable, and Tang Sowol and I grew closer.
Time passed, and by the time Tang Sowol had absorbed more than half of the Purple Flower Poison Enhancing Grass and I had accumulated enough inner energy to reach the first-class level…
We were eating dinner, as usual, when I sensed a faint killing intent outside the cave.
I rose to my feet and stepped out.
"…Ha."
Sure enough, a group of martial artists was advancing toward the cave, slowly forming a perimeter around it.
Not one of them wore the green robes of the Tang Clan.