Chapter 395: Dragon Bone Poison (2)
Jo Wonmook took out an item neatly wrapped in sheepskin from his robe and unwrapped it.
“This is a piece of that bone. I cut it using the sword flux of a Fifth Jiazi-level practitioner.”
That alone revealed just how hard the bone was.
“It doesn’t seem any different from a regular bone.”
“No, look carefully. Don’t touch it—just look.”
When Jo Wonmook told me to examine it closely, I turned it this way and that. Then, I suddenly lifted my head.
“This is—!”
“Did you feel something?”
“Yes. This bone is—!”
Jo Wonmook nodded.
I unsheathed the White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword I was holding.
Srrrrng!
Perhaps due to being left exposed for a long time, the bone Jo Wonmook brought was closer to gray in color, but the energy it emitted was similar to that of the White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword.
“I ask you, junior. What is that sword made of?”
At Jo Wonmook’s question, I swallowed hard.
“This sword was forged by Master Guigok. According to the records he left behind, the sword was made from the bone of a half-dragon.”
“Just as I thought. That bone was a dragon bone. I’ve heard that dragon bones become increasingly poisonous over time, eventually becoming poison themselves.”
I nodded thoughtfully.
‘Now it all makes sense. Why the White Tiger Sword became a demon-subduing sword. Since it was made from the bone of a half-dragon, and its toxicity kept increasing, Shaolin Temple must have continuously infused it with exorcising energy to suppress the poison.’
As I lingered in thought, recalling what Jo Wonmook had said, a chill ran down my spine.
“Senior! Earlier, you said that I, too, carry the energy of the half-dragon. Is that from this sword?”
Jo Wonmook had remained composed even when experts from the Heavenly Demon Sect showed up, but now his expression had grown somewhat tense.
“That sword plays a part, yes, but I felt that energy from you. Detecting even a faint trace of someone’s energy requires at least Fifth Jiazi-level internal power. Since I’ve passed that level, I can pick up even the slightest traces. The reason we took such an interest in you when you reached the Peak Stage was because of an aura we had never encountered before. It was impossible to classify it clearly. But from tales we’ve heard, we had a vague idea of what it might be.”
“What is it?”
“It was dragon energy. I’d heard it was similar to lightning yet also akin to searing flame—and that very energy was sealed within your body.”
“In my body?”
“If you cultivate to the level of Fifth Jiazi, you’ll be able to sense it. You can’t feel it yet because you’re unaware of it. How far along are you in your cultivation?”
There was no point in trying to hide my level from Jo Wonmook’s sharp gaze.
“Recently, through a stroke of fortune, I reached the Fourth Jiazi.”
“Hmm. Then you wouldn’t be able to sense it yet. The energy is not only sealed exceptionally well, but unless you possess power strong enough to overwhelm it, it won’t reveal itself.”
Jo Wonmook stroked his chin as he continued.
“Originally, those born with dragon energy have a constitution that causes the body to grow abnormally large. Not only do they have huge appetites, but no matter how much martial training they undergo, their bodies continue to swell. And since human bodies aren’t meant to contain dragon energy, they gradually weaken and lose strength. This comes from the words of none other than the Eternal Healer Elder, master of Ima. When I once asked him about the rarest constitution in the world, he told me about the Dragon Yin Constitution. Occasionally, humans are born with the residual energy of dragons that failed to ascend to the heavens. But they usually grow ill and die before they even reach adulthood.”
As I listened to Jo Wonmook, I realized my hands were trembling.
‘Now I understand—finally. So that’s why…’
Everything from my past life suddenly made sense.
Why I was so weak, why my weight never dropped even with martial arts training and cultivating internal arts, why I was always sick yet constantly ravenous—it all added up now.
All those strange ailments stemmed from none other than the dragon energy.
‘Does that mean I was born with the Dragon Yin Constitution?’
To confirm it, I had to ask Jo Wonmook directly.
“Then… am I someone with the Dragon Yin Constitution you spoke of, senior?”
Jo Wonmook shook his head.
“No. Didn’t I already tell you? The dragon energy in your body is sealed.”
“Ah!”
A wave of questions surged through me.
‘Then who sealed the dragon energy inside me? If Father had done it, there’s no way he would’ve kept it secret all this time. Then who on earth…?’
As I considered various possibilities, one particular thought struck me like thunder, and I froze in shock.
“It can’t be…!”
But I didn’t want to think about it.
No—I refused to believe it.
‘If that’s true, then why didn’t they say anything to me? Why?’
My head was spinning in confusion when Jo Wonmook’s voice grounded me.
“Junior! Whatever you’re worrying about right now—set it aside for later. There’s something I need you to do right away.”
His words brought me back to my senses, and I straightened my posture.
“Please, tell me.”
“Rid me of the Dragon Bone Poison inside me.”
“You think I can do that?”
“If the energy within me harmonizes with yours, you’ll be able to neutralize the dragon’s toxic energy inside me.”
By neutralizing the poison, I could expel it from his body.
“Understood. I’ll give it a try.”
“Then let’s move somewhere else and begin the test.”
The two of us entered the guest room and took our positions. Mo Biyoung immediately assumed guard duty.
Next to me, Yu Maelim also drew her sword and stood guard, prompting Mo Biyoung to ask,
“Do you think Gagaga can really remove the poison from the Master?”
“This is something the Master has carefully considered. I’m sure it will succeed. From what I’ve seen, Young Master Yong is capable. He’s someone the Master himself acknowledged. You won’t come across someone like that easily.”
As Yu Maelim continued to praise me, Mo Biyoung felt an unfamiliar tension rise within her.
For someone like Mo Biyoung, who had never felt jealous of another woman because of a man, it was a feeling she was experiencing for the very first time.
“Gagaga will be able to heal the Master. I believe in Gagaga.”
At those words, Yu Maelim smiled softly.
“From what I can tell, you should be careful. Young Master Yong is someone with an abundance of romantic fortune.”
Mo Biyoung felt a sting in her chest at that.
It sounded like a declaration of war—as if Yu Maelim was warning that she too might join the ranks of Yong Hwarin’s women.
Mo Biyoung glared at Yu Maelim, who continued smiling sweetly, clearly displeased.
I approached the toxic energy inside Jo Wonmook’s body, the one referred to as Dragon Bone Poison.
Strangely enough, the poison didn’t feel foreign at all.
It felt as familiar as the energy from the Nine Dragons Heavenly Ascent Technique I had practiced for so long—no sense of discord at all.
‘He wasn’t lying.’
I could no longer doubt the claim that the energy of a dragon resided within me.
Soon, as I synchronized with the toxic energy, I slowly channeled it toward Jo Wonmook’s armpit.
That was because it was one of the parts of the body where moisture could be drawn out most quickly.
After about fifteen minutes, black poison began to ooze down from his armpit, soaking it.
A sour, sweaty stench filled the entire room.
It was the toxic scent of Dragon Bone Poison.
I removed my hands from the crown of Jo Wonmook’s head and wiped the poison from his armpit with a cotton cloth.
When Jo Wonmook opened his eyes, I took out a gourd bottle and dropped a single drop of Millennium Cold Jade Water into a teacup.
Immediately, the acrid scent of Dragon Bone Poison vanished.
“Amazing. What in the world did you use to neutralize that stench? Was it Bell Spirit Stone Milk?”
I nodded at that.
Jo Wonmook had only said it offhand, but when I nodded so seriously, his eyes blinked in surprise.
“Looks like I’m tasting all the rare elixirs in my twilight years.”
“If you drink this, you should be able to recover all your original qi.”
“I won’t refuse.”
Right now, he was being hunted by Poison Valley, and tensions were high with both the Heavenly Demon Sect and Blood Demon Castle, so Jo Wonmook had no reason to refuse.
What mattered most at this point was restoring his body to full health.
After drinking the tea laced with Millennium Cold Jade Water, Jo Wonmook began circulating his energy, and I stepped outside.
“How did it go?”
Yu Maelim asked, and I replied,
“The poison has been completely removed.”
At that, Yu Maelim, without realizing it, suddenly grabbed my hand and said,
“Young Master Yong, thank you. Truly, thank you.”
Mo Biyoung assumed she had done that deliberately and glared at her.
But Yu Maelim kept holding my hand and shaking it, unbothered.
As if things could escalate further, Mo Biyoung spoke up.
“Gagaga, let’s go get some rest.”
“Alright.”
I went into a quiet guest room, and Mo Biyoung followed behind.
Although she had intended not to speak, noticing that I looked deep in thought, she couldn’t stop Yu Maelim’s face from floating into her mind and ended up speaking.
“Gagaga, what do you think of Miss Yu?”
Her question, so sudden and about Yu Maelim, made me look at her.
Then, seeing the look on her face, I suddenly burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! Young Mae, are you jealous?”
“What? No, I’m not. Jealous, you say?”
“That’s exactly what jealousy is.”
“I said I’m not.”
Mo Biyoung turned her head away with a pout, and I couldn’t help but laugh again.
“Ah, my head was all tangled up, but thanks to you, Young Mae, I feel clear again. As for Miss Yu…”
I trailed off mid-sentence, then my eyes widened as if I’d just realized something.
“My goodness!”
“What is it?”
“Yu Maelim and The Greatest Sword Under Heaven.”
I repeated those words several times, as if stunned, then murmured again in disbelief,
“Those two are in love.”
“What? That can’t be.”
Mo Biyoung thought I was teasing her and chuckled softly.
But I was truly shocked.
‘Why didn’t I think of that before? In my previous life, The Greatest Sword Under Heaven achieved Body Reformation, took on the form of a middle-aged man, and he and Yu Maelim fell in love. Wait, could it be that the Millennium Cold Jade Water I gave him might trigger that transformation? No, he undergoes Body Reformation later on. Still, when he does, the Millennium Cold Jade Water will have helped greatly.’
Mo Biyoung asked seriously.
“Are you being serious? But how would you know something like that?”
I replied,
“Isn’t it obvious? Miss Yu clearly has feelings for him. Why else would she risk her life so recklessly, running around to save him? Do you really think that’s something you’d do just because he’s a former teacher you’re friendly with? Think about it, Young Mae. Imagine you were in Miss Yu’s shoes.”
At my words, Mo Biyoung’s eyes showed that she, too, had realized something.
“You’re right. That makes sense. The way Miss Yu looks at him—it’s not ordinary.”
“When she grabbed my hand earlier, it wasn’t because she liked me. It was because she was so relieved that the poison in him had been cured. That much is clear.”
As I explained in detail, Mo Biyoung nodded repeatedly.
