RM-Bab 214

Chapter 214: We Are Hellhounds

For a moment, I couldn’t say anything.

It was a silence of shock and joy.

His words meant he had lost the bet.

“Be careful! You’re about to step on an ant!”

I flinched and nearly stepped on the ant.

I couldn’t understand why he had conceded.

Was it because of the relationship we had built over time? Or was it because of the True Poison Master of the Demon Alliance, whom he disliked? Or perhaps it was because of the boy who had lost his family? Or maybe it was because of the line of poisonous ants passing by? In any case, the reason didn’t matter.

“Poison King!”

I hugged the Poison King tightly, with all my strength.

“Thank you, truly, thank you.”

The Poison King, who had been carrying a poison pouch at his waist, suddenly shook it near my face.

“Do you want to die? Won’t you let go?”

“Yes!”

I quickly backed away.

The Poison King stood up and said, “Let’s go. Let’s go bark and then head to the Sect Leader.”

He was ready to act immediately.

“Poison King, I’ll bark in your place.”

“You?”

“You’ve been so generous in allowing this, so I should repay you. I’ve only been learning from you all this time, haven’t I?”

“Are you really going to bark for me?”

“Yes.”

At my sincere answer, the Poison King laughed.

“Aren’t you smiling a bit too brightly?”

“From a dog to a human, I should be happy, shouldn’t I?”

“Let’s go.”

We had to move quickly before his mind changed.

We headed straight to the Great Martial Arena.

“Please wait here. I’ll go bark loudly and come back.”

As I was about to head to the arena, the Poison King grabbed me.

“You stay. I’ll bark. I’m not one to break promises.”

“Are you sure?”

“Are you sure? You could become a Heavenly Demon.”

“Didn’t you say you wouldn’t let me lose even if I died?”

“I won’t.”

Our gazes met in the air.

His face still looked youthful, but his eyes were deep.

He wouldn’t let me lose, but he was worried about what would happen if I became a Heavenly Demon.

This maturity was the true nature of the Poison King.

“I’ll bark. You stay.”

The Poison King, who usually didn’t even want to step outside the gates of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, walked toward the martial arena.

Watching him, I added a new principle to my life: Never hastily judge anyone’s world.

Look at people directly, say what needs to be said without delay, and never hastily judge anyone.

I was adding principles to my life one by one.

When the Poison King appeared, all eyes in the vicinity immediately focused on him.

Even without revealing any special aura, he naturally drew attention.

The presence of a Demon Sovereign was beginning to manifest.

The demons were shocked.

The Poison King, who was rarely seen, had appeared in the middle of the Great Martial Arena.

Not only did people stop in their tracks, but they also leaned out of windows to get a better look.

Gradually, more and more people began to gather.

Some of them were seeing the Poison King for the first time.

At first, they wondered, “Is that really the Poison King? He looks so young!” Some approached cautiously, only to cover their noses and mouths and retreat far away.

The Poison King waited until as many people as possible had gathered.

He could have barked quickly when there were few people around and fulfilled his promise, but he didn’t.

He was a man among men, even if he didn’t like going outside.

The news spread, and more people continued to pour in.

Among them was Demon Lord Jang Ho.

It had been a while since I last saw him, and he looked as dependable as ever.

I gave him a nod, and he respectfully bowed his head from a distance.

Upon hearing the news, Seo Daeryong, the investigators from the Yellow Heaven Pavilion, and even the Executioners came rushing out.

Seo Daeryong sent me a telepathic message with a shocked expression.

—Sect Leader, what’s going on?

—We’re going to uncover the truth.

—Huh? What do you mean?

—Didn’t you say at the brothel where the incident happened that you wanted to find out why this happened?

—I did.

—We’re going to uncover it.

—At the martial arena?

—Yes, we’re starting here.

Seo Daeryong looked confused, but I didn’t explain further.

Soon, the Great Martial Arena was bustling with people.

All eyes were on the Poison King.

The Poison King, who had been talking to snakes with his youthful face, who had been lost in thought while looking at poisonous insects, who had drawn cute pictures on his poison pouches, stood confidently under the gaze of so many demons.

Everyone knew that if the Poison King decided to kill everyone here, the twelve poison pouches at his waist would open, and everyone present would be annihilated.

When he felt enough people had gathered, the Poison King raised his hand.

The murmuring instantly died down.

At that moment, when so many people were holding their breath, the Poison King let out a loud bark.

Everyone was startled.

No one had expected the Poison King to gather everyone just to bark like a dog.

Some were so shocked they started to run away, thinking the Poison King had gone mad and was about to release his poison.

Just then, another shout echoed through the area.

“There’s a dog in the Tiger’s Den!”

The one who shouted was, of course, me.

I also walked toward the Poison King and barked loudly.

The Poison King looked at me with a “What are you doing?” expression.

How could I let him bark alone?

“Let’s bark together.”

“No! You…”

“It’s fine.”

I gave him a confident smile.

It was a smile of self-esteem, knowing that something like this could never tarnish the dignity of someone who had become a Heavenly Demon.

And this wasn’t just about self-esteem.

It was about friendship with the Poison King and a gesture of gratitude.

I wouldn’t let him bark alone.

The second time, I barked first.

The Poison King looked at me with an expression that said he couldn’t understand me at all.

But there was an unmistakable smile on his face.

I would get closer to the Poison King.

So that later, when I declared, “I am invincible to all poisons!” I would see joy, not any other emotion, on his face.

That was my goal.

A goal that was by no means easy, as the Poison King and invincibility to all poisons were opposites.

We barked together.

Since we were barking, we did it like wolves—long, very long, and impressively.

Not all dogs are the same; we’re not just stray dogs from the neighborhood, we’re the loyal hounds of the Heavenly Demon Sect! We’re the hellhounds that bite evil.

The onlookers murmured.

Everyone was wondering what was going on, but no one dared to laugh at us.

Just then, someone among the onlookers barked along with us.

It was Seo Daeryong.

When Seo Daeryong barked, the investigators from the Yellow Heaven Pavilion barked, and the Executioners barked.

The Poison Disciples started barking, and Jang Ho barked too.

When the Demon Lord barked, everyone was shocked, and the loyal demon soldiers began barking as well.

Other demons joined in.

In an instant, the Great Martial Arena turned into chaos.

We barked together five times in that pandemonium.

Seeing the Poison King lose the bet was nothing compared to the exhilaration of barking together in that moment.

+++

After creating a ruckus, the Poison King and I entered the Heavenly Demon Hall.

Before opening the door to the Heavenly Demon Hall, the Poison King took out a few pills and swallowed them.

“What kind of medicine are you taking?”

His answer was unexpected.

“It’s medicine to calm my nerves.”

I asked him in disbelief, “You didn’t take it when you barked in front of all those people?”

“This is ten times more nerve-wracking than standing in the martial arena. I’m not going to meet the Sect Leader now. I’m going to rebel against him.”

My father was certain the Poison King would never yield to me.

But since he had yielded so completely, it could be said that he was ready to fight rather than just rebel.

“Besides, the Sect Leader dislikes me.”

“My father is a martial artist to the core, so he’s a bit harsh on those who aren’t orthodox. But he dislikes the Poison Arts, not you, Poison King. My father often gets misunderstood because of such things.”

“I decline your comfort.”

“It’s not comfort. Think about it. If he really disliked you, would he have allowed this bet? If it were someone he truly disliked, would he have let such an important bet happen?”

That seemed to make some sense, as the Poison King didn’t argue back.

“And even if my father dislikes you a bit, so what? It’s just a bit of dislike.”

“Then one day, I’ll disappear without a trace.”

“Don’t worry. Even if all the other Demon Sovereigns are boiled in a pot, you won’t be.”

“Because of the poison?”

“No. Because if you’re not here, the Martial Alliance will immediately invade.”

“You don’t have to flatter me anymore. I’ll keep my promise anyway.”

“No. I’ll keep flattering you. Today’s moment will stay with me forever.”

“You’re doing this because you think I won’t survive today, aren’t you?”

We entered the Heavenly Demon Hall.

We walked side by side down the bloody path toward my father.

My father had already heard the news that we had barked in the Great Martial Arena.

The atmosphere was solemn and cold.

After paying our respects, the Poison King looked at my father and spoke respectfully.

“Sect Leader, please grant Young Master Yi’s request.”

My father glared at the Poison King fiercely.

“I trusted you.”

The Poison King looked troubled.

“I’m sorry.”

“What exactly made you yield?”

My father asked with genuine curiosity.

The Poison King hesitated for a moment before answering.

“I was moved by Young Master Yi’s mourning.”

Both my father and I were surprised by this unexpected answer.

“Many people died in this incident. I was moved by Young Master Yi’s mourning for those unknown people.”

I hadn’t realized the Poison King had been thinking this way.

He had been listening and thinking deeply all along.

“I believe you can tell what kind of person someone is by how they mourn others.”

The Poison King, who had been trembling at the door, spoke confidently in front of my father.

My father’s gaze turned to me.

“Are you happy?”

“I feel like I’m flying. For the first time, the Demon Sovereigns have supported me together, and I’ve achieved something. This will be a day I’ll never forget.”

I expressed my joy honestly.

In truth, all of this was thanks to my father.

His sharp rebuke.

“How open is your world?”

This one sentence made me realize that the Poison King’s world wasn’t closed.

In reality, it wasn’t closed.

If he had truly lived in a closed world, he wouldn’t have barked in the martial arena, and he wouldn’t be standing here now.

It was just that I had viewed him with closed eyes.

It’s all thanks to you, Father.

But I didn’t say that now.

This was the moment to give my father a chance to vent his anger.

I believe that at least half of my father’s heart wanted me to win.

I decided to believe that.

As always, my father kept his promise.

“Fine. I grant your request.”

I bowed deeply on the spot.

“Thank you, Father.”

My father knew this wasn’t an easy decision.

That’s why I had to handle this matter well.

“If you’ve made such a request, you must be confident that we won’t leave any evidence of our involvement, right?”

“Yes, I’ll do my best.”

“Just doing your best isn’t enough. You must ensure that no one knows it was us.”

We had to deal with the second-in-command of the Demon Alliance, Yal Han, and the Four Evil Generals without anyone knowing it was us.

This was a nearly impossible task, but I answered vigorously.

“Yes! I’ll do it.”

To gain this permission, all the Demon Sovereigns had stepped forward, the Extreme Evil Demon had risked his life, and the Poison King had barked in the martial arena.

Then I had to do it, perfectly.

My father had already returned to his usual self.

Once he made a decision, he never looked back.

He wasn’t the type to dwell on things.

“Who will you take with you?”

“I’ll go with the Extreme Evil Demon.”

“Two might not be enough. Three would be more reassuring.”

Just as the Poison King was making a “Surely not” expression, my father’s gaze turned to him.

“You’ll go along and help.”

“No! Sect Leader!”

The Poison King jumped up in horror.

“No?”

At my father’s quiet question, the Poison King quickly answered.

“No, it’s fine.”

My father looked like he was thinking, “He’s giving in so easily? Let’s see how he likes this.”

Actually, my father did have a bit of a vindictive streak.

My father stood up.

“Poison King, listen.”

As my father revealed the Heavenly Demon’s decree, the Poison King bowed respectfully.

“Yes, Sect Leader.”

“From this moment, I grant you permission to use the Twelve Ultimate Poisons.”

“I humbly accept your sacred command.”

The Twelve Ultimate Poisons, the Poison King’s signature poisons, could only be used with my father’s permission.

This showed just how fearsome the Poison King’s poisons were.

After paying our respects to my father, the Poison King and I left the Heavenly Demon Hall.

“You said you were nervous, but you spoke better than I did.”

“It’s all thanks to the medicine.”

The Poison King sighed deeply.

He, who didn’t even like leaving the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest, was now going to the Central Plains.

“The Ten Thousand Poisons Forest is dangerous!”

“Actually, you’re the most dangerous one, Poison King.”

The Poison King glared at me with a look that said it was all my fault.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t expect it to turn out like this.”

“I’m not going. I don’t want to.”

“Alright. I’ll go with the Extreme Evil Demon. You stay hidden in the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest.”

“If I do that, I’ll really be dragged away.”

The Poison King was getting unnecessarily worked up.

“If I go out, I’ll kill everyone. I’ll go to every village and massacre them. You think I can’t do it?”

He really didn’t want to go.

“Since the opponent is who they are, you must be worried. Sending out the sect’s ultimate weapon shows that.”

“That’s not comforting at all, not at all!”

The Poison King walked toward the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest with slumped shoulders.

I shouted after him, “We’ll leave as soon as possible, so get ready. Thank you so much for today!”

Then the Poison King barked as he walked away.

He was a very angry dog.

Smiling as I watched his retreating figure, I turned my steps toward the Evil Tune.