A burning liquid slid down Daegu’s throat.

The taste was unlike anything he had ever experienced, and the moment he swallowed, Daegu realized he had consumed something he should never have touched.

The Poison King approached and handed him a black pill.

“Chew it well and swallow, or your organs will melt.”

Startled, Daegu hurriedly took the pill. As the antidote took effect, a burning sensation spread inside him.

“You must take this antidote once daily until I say you’re fully detoxified. Every hour you’re late, one of your organs will dissolve. The last to go will be your heart.”

Daegu’s vision darkened, yet a faint glimmer of hope remained. They must see some use in keeping him alive.

“What should I do now?”

“You’ll come with us to Jisaeng. That one there is Seo Daeryong, I’m Samho, and that person is Saho.”

At Daegu’s words, Geom Mugeuk pointed first to Seo Daeryong and last to the Poison King.

The Poison King asked me with a surprised expression,

“Why me?”

“We need three, and as you can see, he wears a mask and can’t step forward.”

I deliberately avoided calling him Soma in front of Daegu.

The Poison King and Geukak Soma’s gazes met again.

“This is the situation, so I ask you.”

Though not something Geukak Soma usually asked, he politely addressed the Poison King.

Just as Geukak Soma had readily stepped back earlier, the Poison King willingly accepted the request.

“Very well. I will do it.”

Daegu cautiously said,

“You all look so young, I wonder if I can trust you.”

Geom Mugeuk said meaningfully,

“Making you distrust us is the key to this mission.”

Daegu didn’t understand what that meant, but he asked something he had been curious about all along.

“Since I’ve taken poison, let me ask one thing. Who exactly are you?”

“Who else? We’re your beloved younger brothers, Daegu.”

Geom Mugeuk pressed his acupuncture point, and Daegu collapsed, falling asleep immediately.

After laying him down, Geom Mugeuk told the two Ma Jons,

“Gowol is handling the matter. Within a few days, Jisaeng will contact us. He’s been offered an irresistible, dazzling bait.”

This operation was proceeding exactly as Gowol had planned. Geom Mugeuk told Gowol not to feel burdened and to plan comfortably.

Gowol’s real enemy was not the Sado Alliance or Jisaeng, but the pressure of wanting to carry out the mission properly and impress Geom Mugeuk as a military leader.

Seo Daeryong carried the corpses of the fallen Iron Sword Tigers tucked under his arms.

“I’ll take care of the bodies.”

“I’ll help.”

Geom Mugeuk took the remaining bodies and followed outside.

Together, they dug a deep pit in the backyard and buried the three. Considering their evil deeds, they should have been thrown into the wild to become beast food, but since they now had to impersonate them, they could not.

“As expected, leaving with you, Lord, means bodies keep piling up.”

“Maybe it’s your fault.”

“My fault?”

“When you first met me, you said the main sect wouldn’t change. That made me ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) determined to make it change.”

Seo Daeryong looked silently at Geom Mugeuk and quietly said,

“I gave only one, but Lord, you repay tenfold.”

That meant it was a truly thankful and encouraging remark.

Someone who knows gratitude like that deserves a hundredfold, not just twelvefold. That was Geom Mugeuk’s feeling.

Seo Daeryong looked at the buried corpses and said,

“Sorry. You died because of me.”

After covering the pit, Seo Daeryong stomped the earth to hide the trace. Then he asked me,

“Aren’t you coming in?”

“Wait, let them get to know each other a bit.”

Seo Daeryong looked at the building.

“Come to think of it, the two scariest people in the main sect are here.”

He was curious how Geom Mugeuk would describe the two.

Geukak Soma gazed out the window, while the Poison King nervously tidied his poisons.

Suddenly, both spoke at the same time.

“The Poison King...”

“Soma...”

“Oh, you first.”

“No, you first.”

They fell into silence, until the Poison King spoke first.

“I never thought I’d be in a place like this with you.”

“Nor did I.”

“You know, when Lee Gongja talks about the Ma Jons and mentions you, Soma, his eyes light up. You can say he gets excited. That’s the feeling I get.”

Perhaps pleased, Geukak Soma’s eyes glimmered with a joyful smile.

“Me too. I feel alive when I’m with Lee Gongja. I don’t know why.”

He would never know that before Geom Mugeuk’s reincarnation, he wanted to be friends with Geom Mugeuk. He was the only one Geom Mugeuk showed his face to before killing him. Their deep bond predated reincarnation and would remain unknown to him forever.

The Poison King felt differently.

“I feel uneasy when I see Lee Gongja. Like a poison without an antidote.”

Meaning once poisoned, there’s no cure. It also implied he did not want to be caught in such a relationship.

“When we make poison, those without antidote are considered failures.”

Geukak Soma’s gaze returned to the window. In the yard far away, the antidote-less poison was walking over, talking with Seo Daeryong.

Geukak Soma whispered faintly,

“I don’t care.”

A few days later, Jisaeng received a report from a subordinate.

“I heard strange rumors about the Iron Sword Four Tigers.”

“What rumors?”

“About a month before coming here, they robbed a caravan and got three top-grade Night Glow Pearls.”

At mention of the top-grade Night Glow Pearl, Jisaeng was shocked. They were extremely rare and expensive. Even if you had money, they were hard to get because gangsters bought them up whenever they appeared. But they got three?

“There are rumors several of the Iron Sword Four Tigers died during the process.”

“We didn’t hear that during our investigation.”

There were many candidates for the immortal dish task. After thorough investigation, the Iron Sword Four Tigers were finally selected.

“It must have happened recently.”

Still, Daegu didn’t show it. When asked to see his brothers’ faces, he said he would show them anytime. If many died among the four, that meant only Daegu remained.

“It won’t be hard to confirm. We had to meet anyway. Tell the Iron Sword Four Tigers to meet.”

Half an hour later, at the manor where they met before, Jisaeng met the Iron Sword Four Tigers again.

Again, there was a floor only visible from Jisaeng’s side.

“An honored Elder. These are my brothers. Now, greet him.”

At Daegu’s words, the three removed their masks. Jisaeng was startled.

The youth to Daegu’s left was handsome. His clear, deep eyes made it hard to believe he was an Iron Sword Tiger with a history of evil deeds. Another man was small but didn’t fit the Iron Sword Tiger image. The last looked too young, like a newcomer to the martial world.

“Young than I expected.”

“Being young means more passion for work, right?”

Geom Mugeuk, Poison King, and Seo Daeryong wore no disguise. If they had fake beards, they might avoid suspicion, but this was part of Gowol’s plan.

Jisaeng asked Geom Mugeuk,

“How long have you been with the Iron Sword Four Tigers?”

Geom Mugeuk glanced at Daegu and answered in a trembling voice,

“For quite some time.”

His hesitation made Jisaeng smile inwardly.

‘The rumors may be true.’

They lost brothers robbing the caravan and hired new men.

Daegu spoke confidently, as if he had nothing to hide.

“Recently, my brothers were injured or left, so I recruited new brothers. All trustworthy, so don’t worry about the immortal dish.”

Hiding his fierce inner thoughts, Jisaeng spoke kindly.

“Seeing young, brave tigers, I trust you. Please dedicate yourselves to the cause. I will reward you with wealth and glory.”

“We pledge loyalty.”

Thus ended the first meeting between Jisaeng and the Iron Sword Four Tigers.

Three days later, riding in the carriage, Jisaeng sent a message to the real Jisaeng.

—Daegu of the Iron Sword Four Tigers has top-grade Night Glow Pearls.

The real Jisaeng stopped the carriage. No matter how important, he never stopped the carriage to exchange messages before.

—Really?

—Yes.

The real Jisaeng was visibly excited. The top-grade Night Glow Pearl was his favorite treasure, and he sought to gather as many as possible by any means.

Among treasures, two never dropped in value no matter what—the Night Glow Pearl and the Blood Poison Pearl.

Jisaeng bought Night Glow Pearls as soon as he had money. He never bought cheap ones, only the top-grade.

He never put money in the battlefield. Yaryulhan or the Sado Alliance might one day search his battlefield and take all the money he had amassed. They had the power to do that.

So he kept only some money on the battlefield and converted the rest into Night Glow Pearls. Not gold or paintings, but Night Glow Pearls because they were small, light, easy to store, and transport.

—Is someone trying to pull a trick?

When asked suspiciously, the fake Jisaeng confidently replied,

—I confirmed twice through information brokers. It’s certain. They robbed a caravan, and during that, three Iron Sword Tigers died.

He didn’t know that it was Gowol who spread the rumors and controlled information in the area.

—One strange thing is that despite making such a large sum, they took the job.

—When have you ever seen greed satisfied?

That was what the real Jisaeng felt watching the fake Jisaeng.

—Maybe they intended to hide in the Elder’s shadow.

—How many do they have?

—Three.

Not one, but three. No hesitation.

—Eliminate them quickly and recover the Night Glow Pearls. Find others for the immortal dish.

—The Central Plains are full of trash like the Iron Sword Four Tigers. We’ll find them soon.

His greed for wealth was unstoppable.

—Trying to get venison but ended up with tiger skin!

Jisaeng laughed heartily and restarted the carriage.

Only one thing could make him laugh so heartily.

The Iron Sword Four Tigers were invited by Jisaeng.

When they arrived, the room was set with food and drinks. The side dishes were meager, and the liquor was cheap, barely drinkable.

Geom Mugeuk, guessing the meaning of the poor spread, smiled and said,

“Now that we’re family, shall we clear the floor blocking us? We want to see the Elder’s face.”

Jisaeng laughed.

“You’re young and brave. Good.”

The floor between Jisaeng and the Iron Sword Four Tigers was removed. Jisaeng planned to kill them all anyway, so he showed his face comfortably.

Geom Mugeuk raised his cup.

“Come, let’s drink together!”

But Jisaeng did not raise his cup. His cold demeanor chilled the atmosphere.

“Daegu, there’s a rumor about you.”

“What rumor?”

“That you caught a big score?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“We’re family. Just watch.”

“I really don’t know.”

Daegu denied everything.

Jisaeng nodded.

“Right, that’s expected. I’d be the same. I understand.”

At that moment, four warriors entered. Fierce and superior in martial skill to the Iron Sword Four Tigers.

They were Jisaeng’s most trusted subordinates, mainly used for secret assassinations.

“Since the new three don’t know, kill them first.”

Geom Mugeuk said to Daegu,

“Poor Daegu is going to lose his brothers again.”

Daegu sighed and looked at Jisaeng with a gaze that said,

‘You’re in big trouble now.’

A chill ran through Jisaeng’s chest. He shouted to his subordinates,

“Kill them at once!”

The moment he spoke, the four men collapsed like falling walls.

Jisaeng’s face turned pale. The four subordinates died without a single sword swing. The command was “Kill,” not “Die,” so who were these people?

“Poison!”

The Poison King was fanning calmly. His poison weapon, Muganseon.

Although all four were simultaneously poisoned, others in the room were unharmed. This was a move only the Poison King could perform. There was no trace of cuteness or innocence in him when using poison—cold, ruthless, a completely different person.

Jisaeng sprang up, drawing his sword.

Just as he was about to shout to the real Jisaeng and other subordinates outside, Geom Mugeuk put a finger to his lips.

Shhh!

Just a gesture to be quiet, but Jisaeng’s vital point was already subdued.

“Calling someone over and serving this cheap liquor? This is better anyway.”

Looking at the small poison vial offered, Jisaeng felt that a life-or-death crisis had come to his once carefree life backed by the Sado Alliance.

A crisis too great to handle.