Chapter 936

Jeok Cheongang’s reaction to the truly grave news that the Emperor had been poisoned with Blood Soul Gu was short and to the point.

“That must hurt.”

“……?”

“What? Am I wrong?”

“Well, no, but it’s a little more serious than hurting.”

Anyone listening would think the Emperor had a cold instead of Blood Soul Gu.

Jeok Cheongang shrugged at my baffled look.

“Same difference. He’s in so much pain he’s at death’s door, isn’t he? Even that needlessly tight-lipped quack can’t cure him.”

At the sudden jab, the Divine Physician—who’d looked uncomfortable throughout my account—spoke up.

“The patient told me not to inform anyone until he spoke of it himself. I merely respected his wishes. And why am I a quack?”

“If a physician can’t cure an illness, he’s a quack. Take that Divine Physician name tag off today.”

“I never put one on. It wasn’t mine to begin with.”

“Since we’re on the subject, let me ask you something. What if……”

“I know what you’re thinking, but even if my master came, it wouldn’t change anything.”

I’d wanted to ask the same thing. The Divine Physician had answered a beat before I could, calmly and firmly.

“Blood Soul Gu…… is unlike any of the deadly poisons known to us. It’s almost as if it was created solely to kill its host.”

Jeok Cheongang gave a low groan.

“You mean there’s no antidote?”

“Poison and medicine come from much the same root. There must be a way to treat it. The problem is time.”

He was right. The Emperor was dying even now.

Three days ago, just after the battle in the grand banquet hall, he’d looked unusually exhausted. I hadn’t imagined it.

“From what I’ve seen, his vitality is already at its limit. I can’t even guarantee he’ll last another couple of months.”

For the Divine Physician to say that meant the poison had advanced beyond anything elixirs or internal energy could hold back.

Like a jar full of holes that wouldn’t fill no matter how much water you poured into it, the Emperor’s life force was draining away fast.

At this rate, he’ll die before long. If the Emperor dies suddenly, the Great Nation will be thrown into chaos.

Personal feelings aside, the Emperor couldn’t die.

He’d borne every kind of disgrace and ruled the Great Nation for over ten years without any serious unrest.

And he’d held on to the throne despite the powerful opposition led by the Eastern Heaven Demon Lord. That alone showed what an exceptional ruler he was.

I have to save him. For what’s coming, if nothing else.

I’d heard that outside the palace, things were already boiling like a cauldron over hot coals.

Two days before I woke up, the Emperor had carried out another large-scale purge, then posted hundreds of proclamations across the Imperial Capital.

The huge sheets, clearly stamped with the Imperial Seal, laid out the whole truth in detail.

They also carried the Emperor’s declaration that he would crush the vile traitors known as Dark Heaven.

The war is about to begin.

No—it had already begun.

The Emperor’s resolve was clear, and the people’s anger toward Dark Heaven was spreading like wildfire.

To them, Dark Heaven was an outside enemy threatening their homes and their lives. No one wanted war, but they had to fight to protect the peace.

And this war needed someone to lead them all.

A powerful leader, cool-headed and thorough, with the authority to push through bold decisions when necessary.

Experience on many battlefields would make that leader all the better.

“What do you intend to do, Young Master Jin?”

I answered the Divine Physician’s grave question calmly.

“We have to save him somehow.”

“But we have no way to do that. As I said, there isn’t enough time.”

“That’s all right. The method I’m going to try probably won’t take long.”

“You sound quite certain…… Do you have a plan I don’t know about?”

“I do. A brilliant one.”

Jeok Cheongang, who’d been listening in silence, suddenly widened his eyes.

“Wait. This plan of yours……”

“It’s what you’re thinking.”

“I’d forgotten all about it. Yes, that treasure changes everything.”

Jeok Cheongang tapped his forehead. Only then did the Divine Physician blink in apparent surprise.

“Don’t tell me you have the Myriad-Poison Ring in mind?”

“Of course. What else?”

“Huh……”

At his low sigh, I gave a short laugh and continued.

“Even against Blood Soul Gu, the Myriad-Poison Ring gives us a good chance. No—it can definitely cure him.”

The ring had absorbed even the Formless Ultimate Poison that had once threatened Jeok Cheongang, and without much difficulty.

The Divine Physician had treated Jeok Cheongang alongside the Slaughter Saint back then. He knew better than anyone what the ring could do, so it was strange that he hadn’t thought of it until now.

“I guess you’ve had a lot on your mind, given the circumstances. I understand. It happens.”

“Y-Young Master Jin.”

“It’s fine. As you know, I left it with Prince Shangshan—or rather, the Imperial Younger Brother. I’ll go get it now. It’ll only take a moment, so you can prepare the treatment while I’m gone.”

“Young Master Jin?”

“Oh, come on. Anyone can forget something now and then. Why are you making such a big deal of it? I’ll be off, then.”

I gave him a friendly smile and turned.

Or I tried to—until I noticed what he was holding.

“……?”

Wait. What’s that?

I stared at the all-too-familiar ring for a moment before breaking the silence.

“That’s strange. It looks a lot like something I know.”

The Divine Physician gave me a flat look.

“It would.”

“I guess they make incredible knockoffs on this continent. Where’d you buy it?”

“I didn’t buy it.”

“Oh, someone gave it to you as a gift?”

“It wasn’t a gift, either. I borrowed it for a while.”

“From whom?”

“I explained the general situation to His Highness the Imperial Younger Brother. When I said I needed it for something important and had come on your behalf, he handed it over without asking for details.”

My vision swam.

I steadied my breathing and managed to ask, “And that important thing was……?”

“What else? I’ve been to Qianqing Palace twice today.”

“I didn’t hear anything about that from His Majesty……”

“Did he need to?”

“Then the result was……?”

“Just what I told you earlier.”

Silence fell again, heavier and more suffocating than before.

No one ventured to speak. Then Jeok Cheongang’s low voice rang out.

“That plan was so brilliant it plugged up your nose, too.”

“……”

“……”

Yeah.

What now?

System

Quest

Dr. Choi Taekyung

You made a profound impression on the Emperor, who suffers from illness, by promising to treat him.

But for someone facing death, nothing is crueler than premature hope.

A man’s word is worth a thousand gold. Keep your promise.

Remove the Blood Soul Gu lodged in the Emperor’s head and free him from the pain that has tormented him for so many years.

If you fail to treat the Emperor……

Grade: Supreme Peak

Restriction: Jin Taekyung

Mission: Successful treatment (Incomplete)

Reward: ???

Failure: ???

I stared at the empty air, then quietly closed the holographic window.

Only one thought filled my head.

I’m screwed.

Really screwed.

Who could’ve guessed even the Myriad-Poison Ring wouldn’t work?

No matter how much I pressed him, unable to accept it, the Divine Physician’s answer never changed.

“It failed.”

“But it looked like it was going to work, right?”

“No. It failed.”

“So it almost worked? Missed by a hair?”

“It failed completely. It simply doesn’t work. In fact, the Blood Soul Gu sensed the ring’s energy, felt threatened, and struggled even harder. I still break into a cold sweat thinking about it.”

“Liar. Playing such a nasty prank on me, you little scamp.”

“……Young Master Jin. Would you come over there and speak with me for a moment?”

Something had glinted inside the Divine Physician’s sleeve. When I looked, I saw an acupuncture needle big enough to pierce the sole of an elephant’s foot.

A chill ran down my spine, and I made my way back to my quarters as if fleeing. That had been barely fifteen minutes ago.

Damn it.

What had made me bold enough to promise the Emperor he’d be discharged safe and sound?

I’d put all my faith in that overpowered item, the Myriad-Poison Ring. It had dealt with the Formless Ultimate Poison easily enough. Surely it could kill one lousy bug.

And yet.

I’m screwed.

Yeah. Screwed.

Worse than screwed.

Forget the quest—the Emperor’s death had to be prevented. But with my last hope, the Myriad-Poison Ring, gone, my vision had gone yellow.

“What the hell…… am I supposed to do?”

I stared blankly at the ceiling I’d grown accustomed to, muttering to myself. Then Hyuk Mujin—who seemed to have claimed one corner of the room as his own—came over and patted my shoulder, as if this were only natural.

“It’s all right, Captain. Everything’s all right.”

“Mujin.”

“Yes?”

“Do you even know what the hell you’re talking about?”

“I do.”

Mujin nodded confidently.

“You got dumped by Young Lady Ju, didn’t you?”

“……”

“Ah. Guess not. I’m sorry for overstepping.”

When it came to apologizing, he was a Supreme Peak master.

He bowed at the speed of light, then looked wistfully at the pocket watch hanging from my neck.

“But seriously, what happened?”

“Mujin. When you’re talking to someone, look them in the eye. Not at their watch.”

“It gleams so beautifully that I couldn’t help myself.”

I badly wanted to whack him on the back of the head, but I didn’t have the energy.

I let out a long sigh and explained the situation in broad strokes, taking care not to reveal that the Emperor was the person at the center of the story.

“So someone promised to treat a seriously ill person.”

“Yeah.”

“But after making all those grand claims, they have no plan or way to do it.”

Every word hurt.

I flinched and added cautiously, “That’s true, but to be precise, they had a way. Then it was gone.”

“Either way, there’s no way to treat the person now, right?”

“Right.”

“Hmm. Got it.”

Mujin nodded and delivered his judgment in a stern voice.

“What a total piece of shit.”

“……!”

“Don’t you think so too, Captain? How could someone give that kind of hope to a person who’d only just made peace with dying? With nothing certain to back it up. I don’t know what kind of bastard would……”

He saw me trembling. His voice dropped at once.

“I think he’s a very handsome, dignified, upstanding young man who always gives others hope.”

“……”

“……”

“……Are you done?”

“……Should I say more?”

“……No.”

Stop. You’re making me feel worse, you bastard.

I gave him a sad look, silently telling him to stop, then lowered my head, unable to face Hyuk Mujin.

Tap-tap-tap.

Someone approached at a run. The door opened, and a familiar face appeared.

“I heard it was important, so I took care of it as quickly as I could…… Oh my, why’s the mood so grim?”

It was Hong Jin.