The Poison Demon’s Strategy for the Martial Tower Chapter 38

Chapter 38.

The Poison Demon and The Chinese Spy (2)

Gukmubon Non-Ard Examiner, Bong Ju-min.

"Not heading ho yet? It's 10 o'clock."

"I still have so work left. Ha ha……."

He nervously waited, running his tongue over his newly implanted front and back teeth.

Where he was standing was the 7th floor. The very location of the Gukmubon Climber Data Server.

The ssage he had received. A request to et at 11 o'clock.

"You little Bungeoppang bastard……. How dare you blackmail ?"

Just thinking about it made his blood boil, but there was nothing he could do. He had already gotten himself involved.

"That said, I'm not about to just sit here and take it."

He had made his own preparations. He had already turned on a secret recording app on his phone. And he had borrowed his family mbers' phones and hidden them in various spots around the 7th floor.

‘Just try showing up, you little punk. I'll turn the tables and blackmail you right back.’

Tick-tock, tick-tock. 11 o'clock ca and went. There was no one on the 7th floor.

Just as irritation began to creep in.

"You said you'd co…… So why aren't you here?"

—I ca right on ti. Why the attitude?

Gasp! The voice that reached his ear sent a chill crawling down his spine. Bong Ju-min quickly looked around.

—Don't turn around. Just keep doing what you were doing. There are CCTVs.

The voice ca again.

……Could it be. Is, is this it? The thing he had only heard about in rumors.

—That's right. Transmitting Voice. Do as you're told.

"……!"

Transmitting Voice Into Secret! He had only heard of it by rumor — this was his first ti experiencing it firsthand.

A martial art that secretly delivers only one's voice to a distant target! This martial art, discovered exclusively within China's Murim Tower, could only be executed upon reaching the realm of a Peak Master.

A secret among secrets — said to be protected as a state secret even within China!

Gulp. In that case. ……Was the Bungeoppang seller a spy sent from China?!

Cold sweat ran down Bong Ju-min's back. If he were to collaborate with a spy, this wouldn't end at rely getting fired. Straight to prison!

"Ahh……."

His mouth went bone dry. Commands continued to pour into his ear.

—There's data recording the climbers' tower conquest progress, isn't there?

Nod, nod.

How far each climber had progressed through the tower's floors was protected as classified information.

A hacking incident had occurred so ti ago, and during that breach, the conquest progress and personal details of climbers from disadvantaged nations, kept hidden by the Korean Gukmubon, had been leaked.

In the end, the unprecedented situation of a disadvantaged nation's information falling into the hands of Japanese brokers had erupted.

After that, climber information was managed separately and only internally within the Gukmubon. The risk of hacking had been cut off at the source.

—Access the data. And don't nod your head.

Tap, tap, tap. Bong Ju-min entered the ID and password and pulled up the data on the screen.

—Open the Kim Tae-yang file.

Click.

[Na: Kim Tae-yang]

Alias: Poison Immortal

Floors Conquered: None

The file opened.

—Edit the floors conquered to 27.

The 27th floor! Not a high floor above 30, but not a low floor either. A floor beyond the 21st to 23rd floors, which the Gukmubon was currently paying close attention to.

In the end, it was just an ambiguous enough floor to slip past the Gukmubon's watchful eyes — the 27th floor! The Gukmubon kept its data server separated from the outside world, and once he made the modification, there would be no other data to cross-reference. Once modified, it was final.

'D-Damn it……. He really is a Chinese spy!'

Bong Ju-min's hands trembled wildly. Chinese climber spies.

Bong Ju-min had heard plenty about their brutality. They were said to kill without batting an eye, and the mont sothing went wrong, they'd slaughter your entire family. Spy in na only — they were assassins!

—I said, make the edit!

Tremble, tremble, tremble.

The mont he made the edit, a record of him accessing the data would remain. His hands were shaking so badly they wouldn't move from the keyboard — and then.

Crack! The glass cup on his desk suddenly shattered.

"Heok!"

Where the shattered glass cup had been, sothing shining was now embedded.

"A needle?!"

His heart plumted. Without a doubt. An assassination weapon used by Chinese spies!

Tap-tap-tap-tap! He changed the number in an instant.

[Na: Kim Tae-yang]

Alias: Poison Immortal

Floors Conquered: 27th Floor

—Well done. I've left sothing for you in the second drawer as a reward, so check it. See you again.

Slip. The energy that had been pressing down on his entire body suddenly vanished.

"Haaa……."

Bong Ju-min stood frozen for a long mont before barely collecting himself, wiping the sweat from his forehead, and rising from his seat.

"The phones, let check the phones first."

Surely sothing had been captured on them.

But!

"Huh, they're gone?"

Not a single hidden phone was to be found.

That couldn't be! In that instant, the Transmitting Voice the Chinese spy had sent ca back to him.

Thud! He opened the second drawer. Gift vouchers. 300,000 won.

"Damn it. I've been had!"

The Gukmubon's CCTVs had fild everything — the scene of him editing the data, and the scene of him opening the drawer and taking out the gift vouchers. If an investigation ca, there would be absolutely no way to talk his way out of it!

And on top of that.

"Just when on earth did he put these in here!"

It felt as though he had encountered the very devil from hell. Bong Ju-min felt all the strength drain from his body and slumped forward onto his desk.

'See you again.'

His Transmitting Voice still echoed in his ears.

For so reason, his newly implanted teeth kept aching.

"Ukhh! Mom……."

* * *

The Gukmubon business was all settled, and it was ti to prepare for the next climb. Once past the 30th floor, I'd likely have to et Bong Ju-min again. There was still plenty of ti.

This ti, I used the Samgeuk Yeonokro to make elixir pills while reading a book. 'Rich Climber, Poor Climber'. It was an economics book. Good food for thought.

Thud. I closed the book and checked on the fla in the Samgeuk Yeonokro once more, then stretched out long and wide.

The White Tiger Sword I'd stuck into the ground in the yard caught my eye.

[Treasure White Tiger Sword lv1: A precious sword capable of cutting through iron.]

The blade was forged from pure white steel, sharp and hard as a White Tiger's fangs. The tip extended without the slightest tremor, and along the blade were carved three slender grooves resembling a tiger's claws.

Whoosh! Picking it up and swinging it lightly, I could tell the three grooves were no re decoration. When the sword was swung, it was designed to cut through the air and let out a roaring sound, adding to its air of intimidation.

"Interesting."

The sword's hilt resembled the body of a White Tiger. The grip had a smooth yet firm texture, engraved with a pattern of alternating silver and black.

At the end of the hilt was a carving shaped like a White Tiger's head, and the eyes made from red gemstones were the highlight.

The eyes within the detailed carving radiated a dignity as though a real White Tiger were glaring at you.

One-line review?

"A loud but pretty sword."

It's a sword for killing, but it's heavily decorated. The Dark Tortoise Armor was the sa way. Hmm……

Was it really necessary to go this far? Quite different from our Dang Family's hidden weapons, where all ornantation was stripped away in pursuit of extre efficiency. Not entirely satisfying, but I could use it when climbing.

Normally, in most sects, a sword this heavily decorated was,

"Made with a shamanistic effect in mind?"

It might prove unexpectedly useful.

I made so elixir pills and returned to my room. There were plenty of Artificial Energy Centers I'd bought from the Black Market, and the Onon Grass being cultivated inside the 68-million-won 'Happiness' was growing without issue. A while back, 12 sprouts had erged — each set to beco a fortune worth 5 billion won.

"Our green-green herbs and sprout-sprout toxic plants are growing well."

I felt proud.

Mom wasn't ho. She had decided to open my Handso Bungeoppang's counter at the Baekgyeong Departnt Store food hall, and was currently preparing with Grandmother to mass-produce red bean paste and batter mix.

Division Manager Jeong Jang-hyeon of Baekgyeong said to leave it to their food business division, but— Well, that simply wouldn't do. Trade secret, this is.

A while back, Division Manager Jeong Jang-hyeon had co looking for . When I went to the departnt store, he led to the marketing team's conference room.

"These are the new nu items created by our Baekgyeong business division."

Graduates of prestigious universities began their presentation. Buldak Bungeoppang, Mala Bungeoppang…… nus cramd full of all the current trends.

"What do you think?"

Division Manager Jeong Jang-hyeon, brimming with confidence.

I told him.

"Not impressed."

"……Pardon?"

Vegetable, cream puff, pizza, sweet potato — I could stretch my understanding to those, however reluctantly. But Mala Bungeoppang? That crossed a line.

"Bungeoppang is red bean! Red bean and red bean alone!"

"W-Well, Director Kim!"

"Red bean! Throw everything else out!"

What I need are Happiness Points — not money. Ingredients that don't guarantee points are useless to . That's also why I haven't handed over Grandmother's recipe to Baekgyeong. The Bungeoppang made by Mom and Grandmother. The Happiness Points must go up without fail. If not, everything is pointless.

Division Manager Jeong Jang-hyeon continued to whine.

"Director Kim……. We need variety. That's the only way to guarantee sales. The supply of red bean is limited to a thousand units a day anyway."

He had a point. 4,000 won per unit, 1,000 units per day. Assuming 25 business days at the departnt store per month, at full sell-out, that's 100 million won in monthly revenue. For a business in which Baekgyeong had even invested equity to bring in only 100 million a month — Division Manager Jeong's reputation would be in tatters.

But.

"I have a plan."

"Director Kim!"

"Just trust and follow my lead."

"Even so……"

"If you don't like it, pull out your equity. And cancel the departnt store entry too."

"……"

Division Manager Jeong went quiet.

Now listen here, Division Manager Jeong. You need to think big.

This wasn't a business I started to make a few extra hundred won!

The news ca on the TV. Another Golden Tower special broadcast.

The usual content — the world is watching South Korea, heads of state and Murim Tower headquarters from various nations are lining up to et with the President and Minister Han Seung-pyo, and so on.

I heard it so many tis, it's getting old.

The top videos on NuTube are still dominated by Golden Tower-related content.

"Give quality information! Sothing useful!"

I pulled up a video I'd watched dozens of tis on NuTube. A video of an artisan making handcrafted candy. Drool—. Saliva pools. Now that's quality, useful information.

Should I have gone with candy instead of chocolate?

Co to think of it, Min-jeong had sent a video again today.

"Oppa! This is the chocolate I learned to make in school today. The ingredients are top-grade so the taste is twice as good! But there's sothing a little lacking, so I was thinking of trying to change it up my own way. Here, open wide! Ahh."

A heart-shaped chocolate pushed toward the screen.

Look at her. Subtly keeps pushing it on .

I posted for the first ti on the ssage board.

[Title: A 19-year-old high school girl is obsessed with ]

She keeps trying to confess to so I need a way to stop it. For reference, chaebol heirs are also obsessing over .

└ You an recomnd an ani with that kind of plot, right?

└ Stop sleeping and try doing sothing called work for once.

└ Get down on your knees and be grateful.

└ High school girl? You crazy bastard, I'm reporting you.

└ Next. Idiot.

An explosive response.

Ahh, another day worth living now that I'm free from the daily suffering that haunted my past life. I needed to enjoy it to the fullest while I could.

Because soon — I'd be entering the 17th Floor of the Murim Tower. And that might just drive mad.

* * *

[Entering Murim Tower (Republic of Korea) — 17th Floor.]

[This is your first entry.]

[Mission (17th Floor): Eliminate 30 mbers of Wind Flower Valley.]

— Ti Limit: 3 days

— Upon success: 10,000 Happiness Points awarded

[A bonus mission is granted for first entry.]

[Bonus Mission: Eliminate the Valley Master of Wind Flower Valley, Wind Flower Flying Shadow Yeon Hwa-jin.]

— Ti Limit: 30 minutes

— Upon success:

① Mission (17th Floor) counted as complete (GOLD)

② Happiness Points tripled (×3)

— Upon failure: Wind Flower Flying Shadow and all rewards from the bonus mission on this floor will permanently disappear.

I entered the 17th Floor.

When I had heard information about the 17th Floor's Wind Flower Valley at the Black Market, I thought my chest might burst.

The 21st Floor has Demon Wind Manor. That was right after the massacre of our Dang Family and the final battle. But if the 17th, 18th, and 19th floors were all Wind Flower Valley—

"That ans I can't take part in the Dang Family's final battle……."

Wind Flower Valley. A valley where wind and blossoms intertwine. It was an Orthodox sect of renown, one that pursued the spirit of free chivalry and beauty.

Their relationship with our Dang Family was a very long one. Wind Flower Valley's signature martial art was the Wind Flower Flying Rain. Like petals scattering in the rain, hidden weapons spreading out in trajectories the eye cannot follow — the secret martial art of Wind Flower Valley.

Does sothing not co to mind? That's right. Flowers Filling the Sky Like Rain. A martial art similar to the Dang Family's hidden weapon techniques was their signature art.

"Wind Flower Valley is our Dang Family's collateral sect."

Several generations ago, a branch of our Dang Family separated and beca its own sect. The Dang Family's hidden weapon arts begin with Celestial Maiden Scattering Flowers and culminate in Flowers Filling the Sky Like Rain. What represents our Dang Family's hidden weapon arts is the flower — Flower. The Wind Flower Flying Rain was a martial art modeled after this.

They too ranked among the top in the world for hidden weapon arts, but they were unable to inherit the secret techniques of our Dang Family's Celestial Maiden Scattering Flowers or Flowers Filling the Sky Like Rain.

Wind Flower Valley had offered great wealth to our Dang Family and sought to learn Celestial Maiden Scattering Flowers, but the Dang Family refused. A natural outco.

The Dang Family and Wind Flower Valley, once a single lineage long ago, gradually grew apart over successive generations. They had at least attended the Dang Family's major annual events, presenting tribute and paying their respects, but— Before we knew it, as our Dang Family walked the path toward annihilation, even those visits ceased.

And now I would et them again. The Dang Family's final battle. The hidden weapons raining down on our Dang Family from the right wing of the enemy, the Murim Alliance. They had been Wind Flower Valley's.