Chapter 31: The Bastard Who Deserves to Die Should Die
The banquet that had begun in the early evening did not end until nearly midnight.
The people who had filled the Guest Hall gradually began to leave.
The White-Robed Benevolent Gentleman...
no, the Blood Physician Butcher, Baek Cheongu, also quietly slipped away and headed toward his quarters.
The place where he stayed was far removed not only from the Kunlun members, but even from the annex where the Righteous Alliance envoy group was lodging.
There was a reason his quarters had been placed in such an isolated location.
Baek Cheongu himself had requested it.
“Every dawn and night, I have a habit of preparing medicine and tending decoctions that regulate blood and qi.”
“I worry that the medicinal scent and smoke produced during the process may disturb the meridians of others.”
“It would probably be best for me to stay somewhere quiet and alone.”
Because he was known to be highly skilled in both medicine and medicinal herbs, nobody doubted him.
Even the Sect Leader and Elders had readily agreed, praising his thoughtfulness as something befitting the White-Robed Benevolent Gentleman.
The moment Baek Cheongu reached his quarters, he locked the door and lit a lamp.
Dim light slowly revealed the room.
Large and small bottles covered the table.
Red, blue, and black liquids faintly glimmered inside transparent jade containers.
Beside them were carefully arranged poisonous roots, leaves, and dried medicinal ingredients.
An open book lay nearby, its pages densely covered in brush-written notes.
[ Soul-Dissolving Pill. Experiment No. 191.
All test subjects died after their internal organs melted and their meridians ruptured.
Survival following administration of Yangming Grass: impossible. ]
Baek Cheongu lifted his brush.
Then he added one final sentence.
[ Experiment No. 192 currently in progress. ]
He placed the brush down and released a satisfied breath.
The scent of poisonous herbs filled his nose.
For anyone else...
that sharp smell of death would have turned their stomach.
But to Baek Cheongu...
it was intoxicating.
His eyes moved toward the books hanging along the wall.
Every one of them had been brought here personally.
Their contents covered human physiology, reactions to poisons, the properties of toxic herbs...
and records of his own "research."
Some contained detailed drawings of dissected human organs.
Others carefully documented the condition of test subjects as they died from various poisons.
Every illustration and every note had been written by Baek Cheongu himself.
That was also why he had chosen to stay in a separate residence.
If someone happened to wander into his room...
his hidden true nature could be exposed.
Baek Cheongu slowly flipped through his records one page at a time.
He examined them as lovingly as though admiring precious works of art.
“Beautiful....”
A cruel smile appeared on his face.
At this moment...
the false mask of the White-Robed Benevolent Gentleman had completely disappeared.
What remained was the true face of the Blood Physician Butcher.
A mad murderer.
Then suddenly...
his smile faded.
"...Strange."
His eyes darkened.
A question had entered his mind.
It had already been three double-hours since the Sect Leader drank the Yangming Wine.
When the fire energy of Yangming Grass mixed with the remnants of the Soul-Dissolving Pill...
there was no immediate reaction.
But once three double-hours passed...
the victim's blood and qi should suddenly reverse.
Death should follow instantly.
“By now, they should have discovered the Sect Leader dead from a rampaging heart meridian....”
So why was everything still so quiet?
According to his expectations...
Kunlun should already have been thrown into complete chaos.
Was the amount of wine too small?
Or did I make a mistake in my calculations?
Baek Cheongu pulled a small box from beneath the table.
Inside were various ingredients.
Soul-Dissolving Pills.
Powdered Yangming Grass.
Other medicinal herbs and poisonous materials.
He took out a Soul-Dissolving Pill and some Yangming Grass powder.
Then he dropped both into a water bottle sitting on the table.
Dark red smoke immediately rose from the mouth of the bottle.
“Strange.”
He frowned.
“My calculations aren't wrong.”
“The ratio between Yangming Grass and the Soul-Dissolving Pill is perfect.”
He muttered as though trying to reassure himself.
Anyone who consumed both Yangming Grass and a Soul-Dissolving Pill would die.
There were no exceptions.
Unless...
like Baek Cheongu himself...
they had consumed the antidote known as Blue Scale Powder beforehand.
"...Hm."
Baek Cheongu leaned back.
“Perhaps the onset differs from person to person.”
He slowly nodded.
“Yes.”
“Even if it's delayed, he'll be a corpse by tomorrow morning.”
He picked up his brush again.
Then added another line to the book.
[ Experiment No. 192 result.
Individual variation confirmed in manifestation time. ]
A satisfied, sinister smile returned to his face.
“Soon...”
“even the summit of Kunlun will disappear.”
He had once again completed the order given by the "Sect Master" perfectly.
Once he returned to the Shadow Corps...
he would surely receive a proper reward.
I should ask them to prepare more test subjects.
Very young ones.
Fresh ones.
“Kukukuk....”
He laughed alone for quite some time.
It wasn't the gentle laughter he had shown at the banquet.
It was a laugh filled with murderous madness.
Then...
a voice suddenly echoed through the room.
“What are you grinning about?”
“Imagining yourself killing another innocent person again, you perverted murderer?”
Baek Cheongu's head snapped toward the sound.
A shadow stood beneath the dim lamp.
A man dressed in gray Taoist robes.
A name escaped Baek Cheongu's open mouth.
"...Han Mujin."
My sudden visit had clearly caught Baek Cheongu off guard.
Of course he's surprised.
The entire room was filled with evidence of the twisted murders he had committed.
Records of poison experiments conducted on countless people.
Research notes.
Poisonous materials.
Everything.
His mind was probably working furiously right now, trying to decide how to deal with the situation.
After a moment...
Baek Cheongu spoke.
“Coming into my quarters this late without warning and calling me a murderer...”
His voice remained calm.
“Even if you are the winner of the Elders' Lecture Gathering, Mujin, that is extremely rude.”
I laughed at his attempt to remain composed.
“Rude?”
“What else am I supposed to call a murderer besides a murderer?”
I sneered.
“Oh, should I call you the Blood Physician Butcher instead?”
“You perverted murdering bastard.”
Baek Cheongu's eyes visibly shook.
His secret identity...
known only to those inside the Shadow Corps...
had just been spoken aloud.
But even then...
he refused to remove his false mask.
"...Blood Physician Butcher?"
He frowned.
“What exactly are you talking abou...”
“Stop pretending you don't know, you murdering bastard.”
I cut him off.
“Want me to say more?”
My voice turned cold.
“You even poisoned Sect Leader Cheon Gwangcheon because you were trying to kill him.”
"..."
“The benevolent White-Robed Gentleman who saves countless lives?”
I scoffed.
“Thousands have already died by your hands inside the Shadow Corps.”
“And you still dare pretend to be some righteous physician?”
I stared directly into his eyes.
“Isn't that right, Blood Physician Butcher?”
The moment the words "Shadow Corps" left my mouth...
Baek Cheongu's lips twisted strangely.
“Kuk.”
Then...
he chuckled.
“How interesting.”
He laughed softly.
“I never imagined I'd hear the words 'Shadow Corps' here in Kunlun.”
His expression slowly changed.
The gentle mask disappeared.
His eyes became cold and twisted.
“Han Mujin.”
“What exactly are you?”
His voice lowered.
“How do you know about the Shadow Corps?”
At last...
the murderer removed the false face of the White-Robed Benevolent Gentleman.
The Blood Physician Butcher had finally revealed himself.
I stared at him coldly.
“You want to know what I am?”
I smiled.
“I'm a messenger sent by the Primordial Heavenly Venerable.”
“Sent from heaven to comfort the souls sacrificed by the Shadow Corps...”
“and deliver divine punishment to murderers like you.”
“A messenger from the Primordial Heavenly Venerable?”
Baek Cheongu chuckled.
“Kukukuk.”
“Interesting.”
“Very interesting.”
His eyes gleamed with sick amusement.
Then he gave me a bloody smile.
“I suppose I'll have to find out your identity myself.”
He tilted his head.
“If I cut off half your tongue, maybe you'll finally tell me the truth.”
Then he chuckled again.
