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The tip of my tongue tingle.

It’s not just a strong poison, but perhaps because I’ve attained immunity to all poisons, my senses regarding poison have become more sensitive.

“Hmm.”

I swallowed what was in my mouth and took another sip.

Then I rolled it around in my mouth a few times, savoring it.

It was certainly not delicious.

“What kind of poison is this?”

What purpose does this poison serve?

I wanted to confirm that first.

Right after swallowing the tea, I briefly checked my condition.

After all, poison disintegrates and disappears quickly, but the moment lingers, so I needed to assess it then.

Suuu.

The poison I swallowed started to spread slowly but soon disappeared.

I nodded, feeling this.

I figured it out.

“Silver Heat Grass.”

The poison mixed in the plum tea was probably from Silver Heat Grass.

Maybe because I realized it at once, a sense of pride welled up inside me.

“It was worth studying.”

For the past few years, I had occasionally studied poisons with the help of Tang Soyeol and the Tang Clan.

Due to the immunity to all poisons, it didn’t matter if I didn’t know about them, but the opposite made me want to memorize even more poisons.

“The fact that I’m immune means it’s easier to use poisons.”

The previous life’s Heavenly Demon didn’t use poison, but I wasn’t her.

“I need to use everything usable.”

If it’s a poison or whatever, I’ll use everything I can.

For that, I had to study diligently.

Thanks to that, I could recognize the type of poison right away.

Silver Heat Grass only grows in shaded areas during hot, summer weather.

One characteristic is…

“It disrupts the flow of energy.”

It’s not a permanent poison, but it poses a risk of problems for several days after ingestion.

“Hmm.”

In terms of intensity, if one has no resistance, it could definitely incapacitate them.

It has almost no taste, and its scent is akin to a vinegar sharp enough to prick the nose, but it was diluted by the plum scent and that wouldn’t even be noticed.

This means…

“It was mixed that well.”

It indicated that preparations were made quite thoroughly.

Gulp.

Just after finishing all the remaining plum tea, I tossed the teacup carelessly.

Thud! Clatter!

I watched the cup roll after falling and nodded.

“First, I don’t think they plan to kill me… What’s the purpose?”

If they wanted me dead, a stronger poison would do just fine.

Even though my realm is high, a poison capable of killing a martial artist is more than enough around here, assuming I wasn’t immune.

“So that’s even more puzzling.”

Crack.

Relaxing my neck slightly, I moved.

In that moment…

“Ugh… uhhh…”

The person in front of me burst into tears.

It was a woman who seemed to be completely terrified.

I slowly bent down to meet her gaze.

And then asked.

“Excuse me.”

She flinched!

At my words, the woman trembled violently.

“What was your name?”

“…Bai… Bai… Baiyan… it is…”

Yes, Baiyan.

Right. That was her name.

“Yes, that’s right. Bai Servant.”

“…Y-Yes… P-Prince…”

I chuckled slightly at the trembling Baiyan and said,

“This tea had poison in it. The tea brought by Bai Servant.”

As I reached my hand out, the fallen teacup flew into my grasp.

“Did you know?”

“I-I-I didn’t know…. I really didn’t know….”

She was urgent and desperate.

A woman expressing denial to escape danger at all costs.

I tightened my grip on the cup I held.

Crash-!

“EEK-!”

The cup shattered in half, and Baiyan trembled at the sight.

I could see her lower garments getting wet; she must have lost control of herself.

“Right, you probably didn’t know. You wouldn’t have known.”

Seeing her shaking, I slightly stood up.

While her appearance was somewhat pitiful, her cold gaze didn’t waver.

That’s just how it is.

“You wouldn’t have known about the poison, but… you probably received a request to bring this tea, right? Am I wrong?”

“…!”

At my question, Baiyan’s eyes wavered.

“Well, that doesn’t make sense otherwise, does it? Bai Servant.”

You suddenly appear at dawn, bringing tea.

Making excuses with Lady Mi, and presenting Maehwa Seon’s tea.

There were too many strange points to count.

It was clearly an unusual situation.

That’s why I had brought the servant into my room.

In fact, it was too strange, and I wanted to see what she would do.

“I’m sorry…! Please forgive me, Prince…!!”

When Baiyan heard my words, she immediately knelt and prostrated herself.

“I-I really didn’t know…! I was just told that if I brought tea, I would get a huge reward….”

As expected.

“How much?”

“Pardon…?”

“How much did they offer you?”

Upon hearing my question, Baiyan blurted out a figure.

In terms of amounts, it was slightly less than what the Gu Clan gives its servants every six months.

For her, it must be quite a substantial sum.

“Truly… I had no idea it was poison-!”

Desperately clutching my leg, she shouted in that state.

“And yet, you must have had some idea.”

“…!”

Upon hearing my words, Baiyan stiffened.

“Since early dawn, they say ‘bring the tea.’ Doesn’t that sound strange? You must have imagined what might be in it at least once after hearing that.”

“…P-Prince….”

“What if there was poison? What if someone died from consuming it? Did you think that?”

Thunk.

I pulled my leg away, shaking off Baiyan’s hand.

“You must have thought of it. Certainly, you must have at least once. But in the end, you still did it. How’s that any different from knowing?”

“S-Save me…! I didn’t mean it like that…! I still have my widowed mother and younger brother back home…! That’s why—!”

“A widowed mother and a younger brother. I understand.”

“Y-Yes?”

The moment Baiyan expressed doubt,

Whack.

“Thud.”

I sent my energy into Baiyan’s neck and she dropped dead on the spot.

Watching Baiyan fall, I stroked my chin.

“Truly not a martial artist.”

Just an ordinary person with not a shred of energy.

My expression was indifferent as I murmured.

“Clean it up.”

[Yes.]

At my words, someone appeared, opened the door to my residence, and carried away Baiyan’s corpse.

It was one of the King of Demons’ subordinates.

Since I had assigned a task to Nahi, I was prepared with another person in place.

As the figure took Baiyan away, they suddenly spoke to me.

“Prince.”

“Yes.”

“Since there was an assassination attempt, how about strengthening the guard?”

At those words, I waved my hand dismissively.

“It’s fine.”

“However…”

Normally, the Gu Clan’s servants wouldn’t just enter my room.

Given that this was an unfamiliar location, extreme vigilance should have been maintained.

However.

“I intentionally let it be; so it’s actually a good thing.”

I was deliberately lowering my guard, to invite such events.

“The more they come, the easier it becomes to think.”

From the point of sending out an assassin, it’d also be easy to figure out who was watching me.

Timing would become clear.

Moreover.

“I’m handling the best assassins in Central Plains anyway.”

The assassins under the King of Demons follow my orders.

No matter how other assassins move, it’s not that much of a threat.

“So, I’ll prepare personnel to investigate who was behind this.”

“I’ll need you to do it quietly.”

“I understand.”

Baiyan mentioned that the one who commissioned her had their face entirely covered with black cloth, making them unrecognizable.

Given that she prepared tea, it seemed they wouldn’t have left much trace behind either.

‘Who could it be?’

I needed to ponder who had orchestrated this.

First, it’s confirmed that the plum tea given by Maehwa Seon was indeed real.

But neither Maehwa Seon nor Hwasan Sect were involved.

‘Neither of them has grounds to do that.’

This was also not the place to be making such direct preparations.

Then where could it be?

‘Could it be the Martial Alliance?’

That’s plausible.

It had the strength to pull it off.

But.

‘If it were the Martial Alliance, their execution would have been much clumsier.’

If it was them, they would never have used such an approach.

This might rather be…

‘Something meant to come off as clumsily done.’

It’s likely that Baiyan didn’t think she’d actually succeed.

I focused a bit more on that side.

‘It’s unlikely for them to send a servant to poison me at dawn.’

It was absurd to think it might work.

‘This is a probe.’

To see how vigilant I am, perhaps hoping for success, and even if it fails, they might still learn something.

Ideally, they might also want Baiyan to be captured, hoping she might spill something.

‘That would raise my guard.’

They attempted to use a servant to approach with poison.

By doing just that, my vigilance would increase, and perhaps that was intentional.

‘Or there might be another, unknown purpose.’

I lacked sufficient information to discern that.

Moreover.

‘What’s important right now.’

Isn’t discovering who did this, but recognizing that someone has appeared aiming for me.

‘It’s probably because of yesterday.’

If my performance during the preliminary round attracted attention, and made others seek to target me.

‘Well, this is interesting.’

That was the situation I was hoping for.

‘Figuring out who was behind this can always come later.’

Cricking my stiff neck, I stepped outside.

It smelled slightly foul, meaning I needed to have it cleaned up as well.

“Oh, and.”

As I crossed the hallway, I continued,

“The dead servant had a younger brother and mother.”

As soon as I said that, the person who had disappeared earlier appeared behind me.

“I will handle it.”

“Are you crazy? What do you mean handle it?”

I showed my disgust.

What a terrifying statement that is.

“First, please confirm if they truly exist.”

I requested to figure out if Baiyan spoke those words to save herself or not.

If, later, those words turn out to be true—

“I’ll give you some payment later. Please find her family and send them on.”

I planned to send money through someone.

The amount was exactly what Baiyan said her life was worth.

“…I understand.”

After my words, the figure didn’t say anything else and vanished without a trace.

Thud thud.

Afterwards, I brushed myself off and walked on.

The sky devoid of clouds.

Sunlight gradually shining down creates a warmth in the atmosphere.

Yet, in contrast, my mood felt incredibly grim.

Killing a person since dawn?

That’s not the case.

‘It seemed like someone intended to mess with me.’

What does that have to do with me?

I just had a restless dream.

But that dream has completely slipped my mind.

That made my mood even worse.

Clicking my tongue, I set my steps forward.

‘Whoever is behind this is someone willing to pull such tricks on me.’

I thought back briefly.

No matter how I pondered, the perpetrator must be one of two individuals.

‘One is, the Sword King. That old man seems like a strong contender.’

The other side is…

‘Emei Sect.’

One among the Gu Sect located in Sichuan.

A unique sect made solely of female priests, triggering memories of rumors I’d heard in my previous life.

‘I need to investigate this further.’

It seemed like something strange was beginning to waft in the air.

 

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