---

I think I heard something strange, and I frowned.

‘…Did I mishear it?’

Just a moment ago, that refined gentleman was speaking politely as if to create distance, and suddenly he’s calling me son-in-law. His words were filled with raw desire, leaving me dumbfounded.

Or not. Should I say I prefer his honesty?

‘I understand, but…’

The hope reflected in the Poison King’s eyes made me sigh slightly. It made sense why he would be so pleased.

My hands hesitated, unsure of what to do. I glanced away as I watched them.

Whoa—!

The dough was still glowing brightly.

Not just glowing, the energy emanating from the dough was incredibly powerful.

The difference was incomparable to what I felt before adding the Demon Stone. I could tell right away.

‘It worked.’

This was the real deal. There was no way I could miss it; it was splendid.

‘My prediction was right.’

What a relief it was.

I had worried, what if I was wrong? Silly concerns, as my expectations had proven spot on.

When the Poison King had come to me, claiming there was an issue with the Demon Stone, this conclusion had immediately sprung to my mind.

The issue lay with the demon energy of the Demon Stone. So, I extracted its energy, and there was no reaction.

Thus, if they insisted that the stone was necessary, then my conclusion was simple.

‘The stone must contain an energy that isn’t demon energy.’

It was a contradiction, since the stone was infused with demon energy, but since the result turned out this way, it was the right answer.

The real question was.

‘Why, of all things, the Red Demon Stone?’

Out of countless stones, why this red one? That was the first question that jumped to mind. I used to wonder about it, but now it felt a bit clearer.

‘Ah, I see.’

If I recalled correctly, it wouldn’t be possible without the Red Demon Stone.

To be precise, it’s more accurate to say that it was only possible thanks to the red one.

‘Choosing red was because that was the minimum requirement.’

I needed to confirm it properly but it seemed likely to be true.

‘Green and blue wouldn’t suffice.’

The value of energy a stone could possess varied by its grade, and within that context, the reason they specified red was undoubtedly about the quantity of energy.

‘You need energy of at least the level of red to make use of it.’

The amount of energy the Red Demon Stone contained.

That level should be necessary to put it to use, I presumed.

This was my immediate expectation. My limited information prevented me from being completely certain.

‘Especially.’

I looked back at the stone used for making the dough.

A stone created by absorbing all the energy and filling the vacant space with my own energy. It was the material made to create the current dough.

However.

‘The moment it left my hands, it shattered.’

I hadn’t ground up the stone fully, but immediately upon being dropped from my hands, it had broken to pieces.

‘Was it truly because it shattered from grinding it, or just from falling?’

That needed to be confirmed as well.

‘Either way, it’s established that this is the correct method.’

I succeeded in crafting the Poison Heavenly Pill. The only thing that mattered now was this.

After years of preparation, nothing could be more important than this achievement.

“Tang Clan Leader.”

“Right, son-in-law. Do you have something to say?”

“Um… uh….”

Flustered by the sudden change in attitude, I managed to switch gears.

“…I don’t know how to make a Spirit Pill, but could you do it for me?”

“Ah-!”

It seemed the Poison King finally snapped back to reality, approaching and grabbing the dough.

I observed intently.

‘It seems there’s no issue when it leaves my hand.’

The dough that had transferred to the Poison King remained unchanged. It was still radiant and even seemed to be gaining strength.

‘Is it okay?’

Though I wouldn’t know for sure until it was completed, it looked like it would be fine.

At that level of energy, there’s no way it wouldn’t produce at least an average Spirit Pill upon completion.

However, if it were to fail…

‘…That would be a bit troublesome.’

I’d have to come up with another method, and the mere thought of it gave me a headache, but thankfully, after a while of the Poison King working with the dough.

Time passed, and I found myself nodding at the sight of the three Spirit Pills before me.

“I really did it….”

The Poison King spoke, filled with emotion.

“Truly….”

He gazed at the Spirit Pills with an expression that seemed to scream he didn’t even want to touch them.

It was a look I had never seen before.

‘…Hmm.’

It was understandable, considering the situation. I got it completely.

“Tang Clan Leader.”

“Just speak, don’t hold back.”

“Could you please stop calling me son-in-law for a moment?”

“…”

The Poison King nodded quietly, his expression a mixture of regret making it utterly ridiculous.

I averted my gaze, looking at the Spirit Pills while asking.

“Are those going to the storage room now?”

“We do have a prepared space for them.”

“So, I guess it means we have to wait about half a year.”

“Assuming the method was correct, yes.”

The last part of producing the Poison Heavenly Pill.

If I successfully added the Demon Stone and succeeded in production, I had to leave it in a cool environment underground for six months.

It was a process all Spirit Pills, including the Shaolin’s Great Pill, had to undergo as well.

The periods and locations differ, but generally, it was said they went through a curing process lasting several months.

Only after such time could one finally…

‘Meet the Poison Heavenly Pill.’

It’s a shame we had to wait a few months. However, if it’s completed, then it won’t matter.

‘With this.’

The plans I initially had for the Poison Heavenly Pill would now become attainable.

The outcome was satisfying. The Poison King appeared relieved, indicating that things had turned out well.

Honestly, I hadn’t expected it to work this smoothly.

‘I figured it’d at least take a couple of days.’

After having a few setbacks, I planned to invest a bit more time with the Tang Clan if things didn’t work out. That was my thought process.

‘Nice.’

I felt a sense of pride, and my mood was surprisingly good. I thought that, yet…

“Hmm.”

Unlike the joy-filled Poison King, my gaze on the Poison Heavenly Pill had a slight unease.

There was no doubt it was a Spirit Pill.

Its energy and feel were strikingly similar to the Poison Heavenly Pills I had and those stored with the Tang Clan, albeit with a hint of instability, which I hoped would resolve itself during the curing process over time.

So, it turned out just fine. Was there even a need to feel uneasy?

While I thought this over, concerns crept into my mind.

The reason I was thinking this way was none other than…

“Tang Clan Leader.”

“Speak.”

“But can we really call that… the Poison Heavenly Pill?”

After going through all the trouble to create the Poison Heavenly Pill, questioning its identity felt strange, even to me.

“…”

To my surprise, the Poison King, too, hesitated to respond.

That’s likely because he understood the issues surrounding this Poison Heavenly Pill.

Everything was good.

‘The concentrated energy is nice, and the condition seems fine.’

It was a product that could hold its own against the Great Pill—there’s no doubt it was a Spirit Pill. But still…

‘…Is it really odd to call this the Poison Heavenly Pill?’

There was one major problem:

‘It has no poison energy.’

The absence of poison energy in the Spirit Pill was a glaring issue. While it retained a shimmering, deep energy and the unique holiness of a Spirit Pill, the most critical aspect, being poisonous, was missing.

When comparing the Great Pill and Poison Heavenly Pill, the reason I looked slightly up at the latter was simply due to the poison.

Consuming the Poison Heavenly Pill granted significant resistance to poison, improving one’s immunity, making it highly regarded. Yet…

‘It’s not there.’

The successful creation of the Poison Heavenly Pill failed to exhibit its signature poison energy. In fact…

‘It feels like I can sense something else…’

Instead of the poison energy that should have been there, something different took its place.

I was too familiar with that energy.

‘Fire Energy.’

Fire Energy (火气).

It was the energy that those who mastered Fire Techniques, or anyone who’d spent long years near flames, would possess in their bodies.

Becoming familiar with flames and carrying them within—that was the essence of Fire Energy.

‘So why is Fire Energy suddenly coming from the Poison Heavenly Pill?’

A blend of poisonous herbs and heavenly herbs, and suddenly, Fire Energy appears?

I wasn’t the only one who noticed this oddity, as the Poison King’s expression turned perplexed.

‘…Where did the problem arise?’

Where along the way had it gone wrong? The Spirit Pill was clearly completed, so what tangled it up…?

‘Oh?’

As the thoughts swirled, a realization hit me.

The reason the Poison Heavenly Pill contained Fire Energy instead of poison energy.

“Could it be…?”

I looked wide-eyed at my hand.

‘Because I infused my own energy into it?’

I had ground up the stone and imbued my energy. Could that have been the cause?

‘This seems reliable.’

I tried searching for another explanation, but nothing else could explain it.

Without this, there was no reason for Fire Energy to suddenly appear.

‘The dough contained the Technique of the Flame Wheel’s power.’

In reaction, Fire Energy seeped into the Spirit Pill. Which means?

“Tang Clan Leader, please eat one.”

“What?”

“Just eat one quickly, please.”

“What nonsense is this? How could I—! Cough!”

As he rambled on, I simply shoved it into his mouth. Forcing it in and making him chew, the Poison King struggled for a moment.

With one already inside, it was too late for him to resist.

At that moment, the Poison King shot me a resentful glance, but he found himself powerless.

Boom—!

The Poison King sat cross-legged right then and there. This was the action he took immediately after eating. It was simply a struggle for survival.

I slipped around behind him, placing my hand on his back.

Words weren’t needed. It was only natural the Poison King couldn’t speak mid-energy transfer.

Whoosh—!

I felt the flow of energy through my hand.

‘There it is.’

As he ingested the Spirit Pill, the energy began to distribute within him.

It was precisely the same situation that unfolded when he consumed the Poison Heavenly Pill.

Only that…

‘Indeed, it’s mixed with Fire Energy.’

It was simply missing the poison.

‘Is there an issue with the energy transfer?’

To confirm as well, I heightened the speed at which the energy traveled.

Swish—!!!

“Gah!?”

The sudden boost in velocity startled the Poison King, making him flinch.

“Focus.”

“…”

In an instant, I disseminated the energy throughout his entire being.

At the same time, I quietly retrieved the impurity qi that had accumulated and incinerated it with my left hand.

“…!!”

The Poison King reacted in a multitude of ways each time something occurred.

…What on earth was up with this fellow?

‘If we keep this up, he might end up dying from the energy flow. Is he truly so fearless?’

He should have experienced this more than once.

‘The energy is smooth to circulate. It’s definitely a good thing.’

Though it was newly made and thus a bit unsteady, the condition seemed pristine.

A slight shake could simply be rectified by distributing and stabilizing it; this level was acceptable.

Carefully, I synchronized the energy flows in the Poison King’s body and subsequently gathered it into a handful, placing it in his lower dantian.

“Gah… ugh.”

Perhaps due to the abundance of energy, the Poison King let out a pained moan.

Although it was entirely possible to transfer energy without hurting him, I purposely didn’t.

‘Too tedious otherwise.’

Well, he was the Poison King; I assumed he could handle at least this much. That was the thought I had in mind.

Only after continuing for a while did I…

“Cough…!!”

The Poison King collapsed forward, expelling a deluge of black blood.

Thud—!!

Black blood streamed from his mouth effortlessly.

“Gah… Hah.”

It was merely residual impurity qi. It appeared painful, yet in reality, it was a luxurious ordeal.

“Congratulations.”

I imparted my greetings as I watched the Poison King catch his breath.

My realm had slightly improved due to the recent events. I could tell, and given that the body’s master was the Poison King, he would definitely be more aware of it.

“Cough… Hah… Huh…”

Finally managing to catch his breath, the Poison King turned to face me.

Numerous emotions danced in his eyes.

“Did you just…”

“You don’t have to say thank you.”

“No, it’s not that—!! What are you doing without my permission?”

“Fire Energy is indeed manifesting…. Is it just an immunity, or can it be mixed? I’ve seen there are effects… so, if that’s the case…”

“Even if you label yourself a benefactor, this is a matter requiring my consent… wait… what are you doing?”

The Poison King seemed intent on ripping me apart, but he was unsuccessful.

Just as he had eaten the earlier doses, I took a completed Poison Heavenly Pill(?) and shoved it into my mouth.

‘Since I’ve tested it on the Poison King, it’s my turn now.’

If this truly was a Spirit Pill made with my energy, how would it react when I consumed it?

Driven by curiosity, I proceeded with the attempt.

The pungent aroma and taste enveloped my senses as it entered my mouth. I felt it and chewed it down.

Swallow.

The Spirit Pill slid down my throat, penetrating deeply into my body, and as I prepared for a gradual energy expansion, I focused on my breathing.

“W-what are you doing—!”

The Poison King responded as if struck by lightning.

His reaction was so drastic it prompted me to respond diligently.

“I mean, the Poison Heavenly Pill is here, and I resolved the issue for you. Isn’t it alright for me to eat it?”

After all, I had provided the crafting method as well. I contributed so much, yet for me just trying this felt unreasonable to him?

In that moment.

“Whatever, I can just make another batch….”

“Is it alright? Hey, Gu Prince!”

“Eh?”

The Poison King’s strange reaction raised more questions.

“What do you mean, is it alright?”

What was he talking about?

Unbeknownst to me, I noticed then that my position had shifted.

“Tang Clan Leader?”

The area around me felt detached from the Poison King and everything else.

Eyeing the sudden surreal phenomenon, I narrowed my gaze.

What on earth was happening…?!

 

---