The Poison Demon’s Strategy for the Martial Tower Chapter 16

Chapter 16.

Who Built the Golden Tower (1)

While focusing on business, I read books in my spare ti.

I needed to know how the world worked.

After all, Kim Tae-yang's knowledge had its limits.

One cannot beco an absolute ruler simply by being strong.

A combination of both literary and martial arts was essential.

I watched Netube too, but the knowledge was biased, and reading was faster than listening, so I chose books.

Among them.

Swish.

The textbooks that kid hadn't finished.

It didn't take long to devour the textbooks that kid had.

For textbooks I didn't have, I went to the bookstore to read them.

I thought about buying them, but they let you read without buying.

This was different from Gangho.

A place this good exists?

And what was even more surprising.

The library.

"You... Just lend out books?"

"Yes."

"For free?"

"Yes."

My goodness.

This was sothing you couldn't even dream of in Gangho.

In Gangho, acquiring knowledge ant getting beaten with a cane at academies or schools, barely managing to learn by ear, didn't it?

It was a world where there wasn't even a free bean sprout.

It felt unfamiliar either way to not pay any value for obtaining so much knowledge.

Korean, English, Mathematics, Korean History, Economics, Social Studies, Biology, Geography...

The subjects I found particularly interesting were History and Economics, and Biology and Chemistry.

"Let's dig deeper."

I decided to study university textbooks.

Setting aside History and Economics for now.

Biology and Chemistry.

Pharmaceuticals and manufacturing are my specialty.

Modern knowledge has developed to a surprising degree.

While preparing for business, I put in earphones and listened to Biology and Chemistry lectures on Netube.

I didn't need to worry about sleep ti.

If I circulated my Qi with the Manryugwiwon Divine Art, 1 or 2 hours of sleep per day was enough.

I sat in the dicinal herb field, circulated my Qi, and read university textbooks.

【You feel joy. 5 Happiness】

If only I had enough ti.

...I want to go to university. Like my little sister.

Should I take the college entrance exam?

Ah, do I need to take the qualification exam first?

Anyway.

Like that, studying and training.

I finished a month of business.

From the revenue earned through 28 days of business, I deducted rental fees, material costs, and taxes as expenses.

Using good materials ended up costing more than I thought.

In addition, Short Skirt—now Min-jeong had given advice.

"Hand so out to our school's teachers' office too. Then business will be easier, right?"

"Is that necessary?"

"Don't you know about advertising? Try it. You won't regret it."

At those words, I gave out bungeoppang to Sanwang Technical High School.

She said teachers' office, but it included the cafeteria, security office, and administrative office.

Anyway, after all this and that, the total profit was.

16.84 million won.

Whoa. That's an amazing first month's inco, isn't it?

Who would believe it—200 million won annual salary from selling bungeoppang.

Ah, a miraculous success story.

With this level of inco, I should probably set aside a bigger portion for taxes.

The civil servant in charge probably didn't expect to earn this much and just gave a rough estimate.

When I got ho, I took out the backpack where I'd been putting the money I'd earned.

It's heavy.

Cash is my power.

I hid the backpack well under the bed.

"Terminal middle school graduate hides fortune."

Now! Then it's ti to focus on my main job.

A month has passed, so the cooldown has reset.

Wooong—

I entered the Murim Tower again.

【Entering the 4th Floor of Murim Tower (Republic of Korea).】

【This is your first entry.】

【Mission (4th Floor): Eliminate 20 mbers of Amwollu (Dark Moon Pavilion).】

—Upon success: 10,000 Happiness Points awarded

【A bonus mission is given for first entry.】

【Bonus Mission: Eliminate the Luju (Pavilion Master) of Amwollu (Dark Moon Pavilion), Wolyamalyeong (Moon Night Demon Spirit), Nam Heukgwang (South Black Light).】

—Ti Limit: 10 minutes

—Rewards upon success:

① Mission (4th Floor) considered successful (GOLD)

② Happiness Points Triple (×3)

③ Treasure 'Amwol Mask (Dark Moon Mask)' Fragnt 1/3

—Upon failure: The Wolyamalyeong (Moon Night Demon Spirit) of this floor and all rewards of the bonus mission will disappear permanently.

***

[Jeoksapa (Red Snake Gate) Chairman's Office]

Thud. Clatter.

The naplate that read Jeoksapa Chairman Park Jeok-sa.

The naplate fell to the floor.

The naplate was stained with blood.

Hiss, hiss.

Park Jeok-sa, as if his anger wasn't subsiding, breathed heavily and shouted at his subordinate.

"What? You can't tell ?"

"......"

"You can't even answer?"

Four n sprawled on the floor.

They were the thug boss and subordinates A, B, and C from 'Happy Loan Office'.

Thugs A and B were already dead.

Only the boss and C, who was supposedly a forr athlete, barely had any breath left in them.

Park Jeok-sa was dumbfounded.

Who was he?

Wasn't he part of the branch family under Jeongnyongmun (Red Dragon Gate), one of the three great sects of the Republic of Korea!

The branch family of the dragon. Snake.

Jeoksapa.

Others might say 'just gangsters'.

But Jeoksapa legitimately held a Murim Tower climbing license. Their pride was equally high.

Yet, how dare they, right in front of him!

The Happy Loan Office bastards who used to grovel.

"Can't answer!"

"Can't even think!"

Had talked back like this.

Park Jeok-sa asked again.

"Is my question difficult?"

"......"

The thug boss trembled violently.

"Who's the bastard that embezzled 100 million won from the office, is that so hard to answer?"

"N-no, sir. But......"

"But?"

"I-I can't answer."

The thug boss clutched his head and prostrated himself.

"This bastard really!"

"Aaaagh! Please don't even ask. Please!"

Blood poured from his nose in streams.

His eyes were bloodshot and bleeding, and the blood vessels all over his body bulged purple.

As if even hearing the question was agonizing.

The Gu Poison that Kim Tae-yang had planted in the boss's body was running rampant.

"Haah......"

Park Jeok-sa sighed and drew up his internal energy from his Artificial Dantian.

Wooooong—

His entire body filled with energy.

The Artificial Dantian he was wearing outside the Tower.

Sothing he obtained from the 'Black Market'.

He had two Artificial Dantians.

He had handed one over to be managed by Gukmubon, and he was wearing the other one now.

Naturally, the Artificial Dantian he handed over to Gukmubon was fake.

Since Gukmubon collected all the Artificial Dantians after Tower conquests.

He steadily accumulated his real internal energy in his own.

Gukmubon seed to roughly know, but they weren't strict about it.

He was feeding massive bribes to the managers at Gukmubon, and also, Jeoksapa was a branch family of the great Jeongnyongmun.

Park Jeok-sa recited the formula and gathered internal energy in his fist.

Woong!

This power was always thrilling to behold.

A thrill ran down his spine matching the power contained.

"E-excuse ! Chairman!"

Seeing the Qi gathering in his fist, Thug C was horrified. Park Jeok-sa grinned.

"You bastards betrayed , is that it?"

"Th-that's not—"

Crack! Thud! Thud!

At the fist he brought down, Thug C's front teeth all poured out clatter clatter.

C writhing on the floor.

Park Jeok-sa turned to look at the thug boss and said.

"You don't have to answer."

Crack!

"I'll find out myself."

The boss's head cracked, and brain matter flowed out.

Park Jeok-sa imdiately told his subordinates.

"You guys, go collect all the CCTVs in front of Happy Office."

The subordinate who had witnessed the murder right before his eyes stood dazed for a mont, then hurriedly ca to his senses and answered.

"Um... We don't have the authority to access security CCTVs—"

"Fuck! That's why we've been feeding rice cake money to the cops all this ti!"

Park Jeok-sa pointed at the door.

"Hurry up and go collect them. If the police say anything, tell them we'll upload all the ledgers we've kept online."

The subordinates rushed out.

"I'll find you, damn bastard. I'll make you just the sa."

He kicked the dead boss's corpse once more.

***

[Sa Ti, National Murim Tower Headquarters]

Minister Han Seung-pyo was also pressing the agents of Gukmubon.

"Is this all?"

"Yes, sir."

Director Han handed over A4 papers.

"These are the people who conquered floors 1 through 3 of Murim Tower that day."

Minister Han asked.

"The conclusion?"

"......I don't know."

At Director Han's words, the Minister's eyes widened.

Director Han, who always handled everything precisely.

It had been a while since the words 'I don't know' ca from her mouth.

She said.

"We investigated everyone who conquered up to the 3rd floor that day. But none of them achieved the unprecedented result of Gold grade."

"Then what results did those people achieve?"

"Yellow and Green."

The two lowest grades.

Minister Han closed his eyes and fell into thought before opening his mouth.

"The possibility they conquered from abroad?"

"We conducted a thorough investigation for a month, but there's nothing."

'Climbers' with Republic of Korea nationality aren't only in the country.

In the past, they occasionally entered Murim Tower from foreign countries.

In this case, even if the Murim Tower is in a foreign country, 'nationality' is applied first, so it's considered entering the 'Republic of Korea Murim Tower'.

However, license holders active abroad mostly aren't first-class expert level.

Those lower than that.

Also, other countries now don't permit foreigners to conquer Towers in their countries.

Climbers are like potential bombs.

There's no reason to harbor those who could beco a danger to their own country.

Above all, Gukmubon, which suffered from the 'Janggaeguk Incident', was strictly managing license holders' overseas departures.

Now that the Republic of Korea Tower has reached a standstill.

All the skilled people couldn't take even one step outside the country.

"Still, we don't know, so investigate more."

"Understood."

The Minister fell deep in thought.

The conclusion converged to one thing.

"......"

Director Han's eyes were shining as if she was thinking the sa thing.

The Minister said.

"It seems... There's a Ghost."

"I think the sa."

Ghost.

An unregistered license holder.

Even though Gukmubon thoroughly manages the Murim Tower.

Since humans do the work, there must be backdoors.

Soone who used bribes, or soone who can enter and exit secretly.

Especially, there was a high possibility they entered and exited using stealth and concealnt techniques.

Because it had already happened once in Japan.

Soone who ca out of the Tower imdiately collapsed in critical condition and was carried away.

But he was soone who wasn't registered in the Japan Murim Tower.

The Tower's surveillance network had been breached.

Then who is the Ghost?

Soone outstanding enough to create the unprecedented Gold grade.

One person ca to Minister Han's mind.

"Could it be... That retired person?"

"No."

Director Han shook her head.

It had already been several years since he finished conquering the 1st floor. The grade can't be changed.

It could only be changed upon first entry.

"The possibility he changed nationality and returned?"

"Still impossible."

"Investigate on the premise that everything is possible. The fate of Gukmubon depends on this."

"Yes."

"Check all CCTVs around the Tower, and find every single ant that entered the Tower."

"Understood."

Minister Han rose from his seat.

"Where are you going?"

"The Blue House."

Minister Han's head was throbbing.

Because he couldn't bring himself to tell the President 'I don't know'.

***

Ding!

【Mission (4th Floor): Eliminate 20 mbers of Amwollu (Dark Moon Pavilion).】

—Ti Limit: 3 days

—Upon success: 10,000 Happiness Points awarded

Ah, Amwollu?

The hypothesis was becoming certainty.

Nallyu Gang had deep bad blood with .

Amwollu was the sa.

Moreover.

"The ti sequence I encountered in my previous life."

After the Nallyu Gang incident ended, I was confined to the family by my father's order.

Since Sacheondang Family was so vast, saying 'confined' might be inappropriate.

But still, my movent was restricted.

And when a few months had passed, there was an assassination attempt.

The target was .

The one who sent that assassin was precisely Amwollu.

A pavilion that secretly gathers under the moon, subrged in darkness (Amwol).

True to its na, an assassin organization.

Their base was in Sacheon Province, where our Family was located.

Amwollu, which dared target Sacheondang Family, was thoroughly prepared.

After investigating for a long ti, they had even planted traitors.

It was the servant who attended to .

The traitor bastard opened the door, and they infiltrated, taking advantage of the guard warriors' shift change ti.

And they targeted .

I was young, but I fought bravely.

And by my side was soone braver than .

My faithful dog.

'Geumdok (Golden Poison)' was there.

Geumdok, whom I'd raised since childhood, was a very smart and loyal fellow.

Moreover, he was loyal beyond asure, to the point where if I told him to die, he'd even pretend to die.

He peculiarly had a long scar on his spine, and according to the breeder who gave this dog, he got it fighting a tiger.

Of course, Father didn't believe those words.

"This tiny puppy bit a tiger? Hahaha. That's funny."

The breeder insisted it was the truth. He even refused the large sum Father offered.

Father said he seed like a con artist, but my thoughts were different.

Geumdok was truly brave enough to bite even a tiger.

From when he was a puppy until he beca an adult dog as big as a calf. I raised him like a brother.

But a dog is a dog.

How could he handle a Gangho assassin!

A young boy like , and just one dog.

We were outnumbered but.

Grrrrr!

Geumdok bravely charged even as his whole body beca covered in blood.

Stab stab stab!

The daggers the assassin thrust into Geumdok.

Geumdok didn't let go of the assassin's arm.

......Even until the very mont he was dying.

Geumdok's eyes as the light of life was fading.

Geumdok was telling .

'......Run.'

During the ti Geumdok bought.

"Assassins!"

Father arrived, and Amwollu's assassins fled.

Slash!

......After even cutting off Geumdok's head in the end.

"Keuheuk! Father! Geumdok... Geumdok!"

I buried Geumdok in the yard, crying my eyes out, and held morial services for him every year.

Even after becoming the Poison Demon.

On little Geumdok's burial mound, Marigolds (Geumjanhwa) that resembled his fur color blood.

We couldn't catch the Amwollu bastards.

Even though we combed through Sacheon Province like searching for lice, there was no trace of those bastards.

That was from long ago in the past.

"Amwollu......"

Following Nallyu Gang, Amwollu.

It was as if Murim Tower had made up its mind to provoke .

"Why?"

Why do you keep dredging up my past?

......How grateful.

Grind!

My eyes were dyed with bloodlust.

Swaehon Gu! Cheonsang Toe! Biseo Jang (Flying Cotton Palm)!

Scattering Gu techniques, leg techniques, and palm techniques.

I headed straight for Amwolluju (Dark Moon Pavilion Master) Nam Heukgwang (South Black Light).

This place is the basent of so location.

There are no windows, no light enters.

All the more!

Crack! Smash!

There's nowhere to run either.

Since I don't show rcy in my hands.

Crunch!

There was no one to block.

First strike, second strike, third strike!

The overlapping energy waves doubled the impact.

Whoosh!

Making the torches hanging on the walls shake as if about to go out.

In the midst of that, my eyes swept left and right.

The one I was looking for with top priority was one bastard.

"Where's the bastard who killed Geumdok!"