Weijichun, the lord of the Murim Association.
He was the quintessential hypocrite described in the tales of the Heavenly Poison Sorceress.
Though he pretended to be an unparalleled hero in front of others, behind their backs, he committed all sorts of heinous acts to possess his granddaughter Dokgorin, becoming nothing less than a wicked villain.
Dokgorin only learned the truth of everything after the original story reached its climax, and by the time she discovered it, she had already been driven to the brink of destitution through Weijichun’s schemes.
Not only was he strong in martial prowess, but he was also exceptionally cunning, making it impossible for the original character, who had lost her family and background, to stand against him—truly the worst adversary.
“Hahaha! Thank you all for making such a long journey!”
He took to the stage, laughing boisterously and expressing his gratitude to the guests attending his birthday banquet.
“Originally, I intended to hold a simple celebration with just my family, but my first wife insisted that the one who stands above should set an example so that the lower ones wouldn’t hold back. So, I decided to change my plans and throw a grand feast!”
As he lightly joked about the circumstances of the banquet, the Murim men gathered beneath the stage erupted into roars of laughter, chatting amongst themselves.
“Hu hu, the lord of the Murim Association still has great wit.”
“Not just that, but his skin looks incredible! It’s hard to believe he’s turning sixty this year.”
“I heard that’s because of his rejuvenation treatment.”
Various praises flowed, reaching a point where one could almost call it the Lord’s celebration ode.
“Everything we eat and drink today will be covered by yours truly, so please, enjoy this banquet like a real feast!”
Waaah!
After his stage greeting, thunderous applause rained down on Weijichun as he descended the stairs.
Well, it wasn’t like he had lectured us like a principal for a long time; he kept it brief, so the response was quite natural.
Maybe it was just now that the atmosphere began to lighten, as even the previously dignified Murim men started to eat and drink in earnest.
Watching this, Dokgoseok, who was next to me, spoke up.
“Chilbongi, if there’s anything you want to eat, go grab it on your plate. You haven’t eaten anything since morning, right?”
“Huh? Can I really?”
“It’s the birthday banquet of the Murim Association leader, who supposedly has whatever power it takes to knock down a bird in the capital! There’s bound to be plenty of rare dishes you wouldn’t typically see, so you should eat to your heart’s content!”
After hearing Dokgoseok’s words, Kyungah, who was next to us, said with a hint of disbelief, “Isn’t it a bit excessive to issue checks you can’t cash just because it’s not coming out of your pocket?”
“Well, it’s not really costing me anything.”
“I really have to raise both hands and feet when it comes to your shamelessness.”
“Hmph.”
“Wait, I’m not complimenting you, you know?”
As the two squabbled, I roamed the yard with a plate in hand like a hawk on the hunt.
Weijichun, the final boss of the Heavenly Poison Sorceress, was right in front of me, but at my current standing, he was not someone I could deal with. Besides, there’s a saying that one must eat before climbing a mountain, right?
After taking a tour around the buffet-style food, I returned to my original spot, only to find Kyungah sister there.
“Where are the young master and lady?”
“Oh, they went to greet the Murim Association leader.”
“Really?”
I flinched at her words and turned my head.
Sure enough, as she said, Dokgoseok and Dokgorin were slowly approaching Weijichun, who was chatting with the notable figures of the Murim.
‘Is that really okay?’
Knowing what would happen in the future, I saw Dokgorin walking right into the tiger’s den, but considering there were plenty of eyes on them, I figured my worries were unfounded.
However, thinking and feeling are two different things, so I nervously watched the two approach Weijichun.
*
Weijichun, the lord of the Murim Association.
The moment Dokgorin laid eyes on her enemy, Weijichun, her head seemed to freeze in shock.
From a distance, she carefully observed her foe, Weijichun.
‘He seems much younger than before.’
In terms of years, it had been almost 18 years.
If that was the case, Weijichun would have been 78 when they perished together.
Even at that age, he still looked at her with eyes filled with lust.
‘What a ghastly old man.’
Muttering this internally, Dokgorin fiddled with the glass vial hidden in her sleeve.
It contained the concentrated extract of uranium obtained from black stone.
This was known as Heavenly Poison (天毒).
The strongest poison capable of killing even a god if alive.
It was an assassination tool she had prepared during her journey to take down Weijichun, the source of all evils.
‘But to feed this to him, I need to get close.’
There might only be one chance to administer the poison.
Weijichun himself was an extraordinary master, but all the Murim people attending this banquet were formidable, making vigilance tight around them.
If she exhibited any suspicious behavior, many would notice immediately.
Thus, she had to stealthily lace the poison.
‘Calm down.’
Muttering this to herself, Dokgorin seized the hem of Dokgoseok’s attire, who was idly fanning himself beside her.
“Hmm?”
When he looked her way, Dokgorin spoke first.
“Brother, shouldn’t we greet the Murim Association leader?”
“Well, that is true, but isn’t it a bit early? I think it would be better to wait until there are fewer people around.”
Seeing Dokgoseok’s lukewarm response, Dokgorin quickly added her reasoning.
“I personally want to greet the Murim Association leader.”
After hearing those words, Dokgoseok smiled cheerfully.
“Wait, are you saying you, too, respect the Murim Association leader like I do?”
‘Ugh.’
Caught off guard by the unexpected question, she forced a smile and replied.
“Of course! The Murim Association leader is the hero who led the Great War to victory.”
“Haha! If that’s the case, then we must indeed go!”
Fortunately, Dokgoseok bought her lie.
“Since our lovely sister wants to greet the Murim Association leader, as your brother, I must roll up my sleeves and make it happen!”
As he declared this, he clapped his folding fan loudly and insisted they greet Weijichun immediately.
‘Good.’
Everything is going smoothly according to plan.
As we approached Weijichun in the yard, his eyes lit up when he spotted her amidst his conversation with other guests.
For just a brief moment, the emotion that flickered in his eyes was undoubtedly ‘lust.’
Despite my hope, he still remained scum even after returning to the past.
Relieved by this realization, Dokgorin stood before Weijichun alongside her older brother, Dokgoseok.
“Greetings, Murim Association leader. I am Dokgoseok, the second son of the Dokgo family. I have come to congratulate you on your birthday on behalf of my father.”
“I’m Dokgorin, the youngest daughter of the Dokgo family.”
As they stood side by side and offered their respects, the Murim figures surrounding Weijichun gasped in admiration.
“Oh! The Dokgo family—aren’t they the famous family of the exceptional Jeolgum, Dokgojin?”
“I’ve heard the daughter of that household is beautiful, but she’s truly a peerless beauty! Once she grows up, she’ll surely break many hearts!”
Instantly, the attention turned towards the two.
And Weijichun, who was more sensitive than anyone to the gazes of others, would surely not let this golden opportunity slip away.
“Ah, I never dreamed the children of Professor Dokgojin, who was so kind to me during my academic years, would come here to celebrate! Thank you both for coming.”
Saying this, Weijichun warmly embraced the shoulders of Dokgoseok and Dokgorin.
A shiver ran down her spine from that natural skin contact, but Dokgorin masked it and boldly asked him.
“Leader.”
“Hmm?”
“It seems the wine in the cup you hold is empty. If you don’t mind, may I pour you a drink?”
“What—”
In shock at her sudden action, Dokgoseok tried to stop her, but Weijichun waved him off, willingly extending his cup.
“Well, then…”
Dokgorin picked up one of the nearby wine bottles.
The type of wine wasn’t particularly important.
After all, the Heavenly Poison she prepared was tasteless and odorless.
As she tilted the bottle, a clear amber liquid flowed from the mouth.
“Oh, so it’s the Huengju.”
Weijichun remarked with a pleased expression, but noticing Dokgorin’s intense gaze upon him, he stroked his face and asked.
“Dokgo Sojeo, did you find something on my face?”
“No, it’s just that your face seems familiar for some reason.”
“Haha, it seems you remember seeing me briefly in your childhood.”
“Perhaps that’s it.”
As she spoke and lowered her head, Dokgorin discreetly wrapped the neck of the bottle with Heavenly Silk.
It was a fleeting moment, but the concentrated uranium on the Heavenly Silk seamlessly mixed with Weijichun’s drink.
Not noticing the trick, Weijichun brought the filled cup of Huengju to his lips.
Dokgorin’s gaze was fixed on the wine cup in his hand.
‘Drink it, drink it, drink it, drink it.’
The extreme tension made time feel as if it were moving slowly.
Finally—
“Ah! This must taste even better because it was poured by Dokgo Sojeo!”
Weijichun downed the wine in the cup at once.
Watching this unfold before her eyes, Dokgorin couldn’t help but clench her fists tightly.
As long as he drank that, Weijichun would be a living corpse, no different from dead.
“Well, that’s a relief. I’m glad I could serve you.”
Having perfectly achieved her goal for coming to the capital, she bid farewell to Weijichun before slipping away with Dokgoseok, leaving the scene gracefully.
