17. The Threat of the Immortal Poison (2)

I was thinking of tormenting them a bit with alcohol.

"By the way, do you two have enough time to drink today? I have much to discuss with you, and it seems you should speak well of me to the Black Cat Gang as well."

Han Go-wook chuckled softly.

"So you’re not as uptight as I thought. We have plenty of time. We usually get entertained at the Flower Pavilion, but this place isn’t bad either."

I took the lead.

"Let’s see the flowers after we’ve had a few drinks."

"That’s fine."

The flowers refer to the courtesans, but all I had in mind was to get them drunk.

My plan was to make them drink until they were on the verge of death.

I am the Immortal Poison.

I have always been the best at drinking without needing to use my internal energy to dispel the effects of alcohol.

It turned out that Jeon Pung and Han Go-wook were quite the drinkers as well.

However, as the conversation dwindled and we downed cup after cup of liquor, the two of them were starting to struggle.

The fact that we were drinking third-rate liquor instead of the first-rate kind didn’t help either.

Additionally, my constant efforts to keep the atmosphere heavy made it hard for them to digest the snacks they had eaten.

Jeon Pung shook his head and said, "This liquor is particularly strong today."

It couldn’t be helped.

The quality of the liquor was poor.

I smiled at Jeon Pung.

"Stop whining."

Han Go-wook, whose face had turned bright red, laughed heartily.

"It’s not whining. Let’s call for some girls. I’ve heard that Chae-hyang and So-ok are both beautiful, sing well, and dance well. Bring those two over."

I waved my hand.

"Don’t ruin the mood. Just drink."

I poured the liquor into their cups.

Only then did their expressions turn sour.

They were already quite drunk, and their responses were filled with attempts to avoid more alcohol.

"Didn’t we drink too much already?"

"I think I’ll take a break."

I laughed heartily and said, "Will you die, or will you drink? Choose. There’s no other option."

Jeon Pung glared at me.

"You brat, you’re drunk. Jaha, you should stop drinking too. You’re quite drunk. You really are an impudent fellow. You have a bright future ahead, but your drinking habits are terrible."

Han Go-wook also slammed his hand on the table and said, "That’s right. Your tone is the problem. If you speak like that when you meet the leaders of the Black Cat Gang later, you’ll get stabbed to death at the drinking table. Remember that."

I replied while munching on the snacks, "Is the leader of the Black Cat Gang really that impressive?"

"What?!"

"You’re crossing the line."

I looked at the two of them with a serious expression.

"Are you two drunk?"

"……."

"As you can see, I’m not drunk. If the leader of the Black Cat Gang is such a formidable man, then he could save you two right here. To be precise, I’ve never lived thinking about the future. Will you die by my hand here, or will you drink that liquor? Choose one. Lady Son!"

At the end, I raised my voice to call for Lady Son.

The door swung open, and Lady Son looked at me as if waiting for my command.

I ordered, "Bring me my long sword."

Lady Son nodded and then disappeared.

Before the two could say anything, I pointed my finger and said, "I’ll give you time until Lady Son brings the sword. If you don’t drink, I’ll take it as a sign to start this life-and-death duel right here. I expect you two to be better than the Jo brothers. After all, you’re masters of the Black Cat Gang, so you should be stronger than them."

As I spoke, the color drained from their faces.

Even without being drunk, they lacked the confidence to defeat me, and now that they were heavily intoxicated, they felt even more intimidated.

I glared at them with clear eyes.

"Make your decision quickly. I can hear footsteps. Thud, thud, thud. It seems they’re coming."

Soon, the sound of Lady Son’s footsteps could be heard.

With another creak, the door opened, and the two of them hastily downed their liquor.

"Ugh…"

Their expressions twisted.

It was no surprise, as they had just downed third-rate liquor without a moment’s pause.

I placed the long sword that Lady Son handed me on the table and poured more liquor.

"Good. Lady Son."

Lady Son looked at me with her hands respectfully clasped in front of her.

I pointed at Jeon Pung and Han Go-wook with my finger.

"My esteemed guests seem to be subtly looking down on me. It’s true that being from the Chosun family means being looked down upon everywhere. Lady Son, you must have experienced that too, right?"

Lady Son nodded.

"Is it because you trust the backing of the Black Cat Gang? But if I had truly feared the Black Cat Gang, I wouldn’t have killed the Jo brothers. Isn’t that right?" Lady Son nodded vigorously. 'That’s right.'

I pointed at their cups again.

"Come on, let’s drink. Lady Son, convey this to Cha Seong-tae. Gather all the warriors clinging to the three pillars and have them wait below. If Jeon and Han try to escape, kill them on the spot or bring them back to me. At that time, I’ll give them punishment liquor."

Lady Son nodded as if she understood my intentions and then left.

Jeon Pung and Han Go-wook were in such a drunken state that they could hardly keep themselves upright.

Yet, they knew that if they attacked me now, they would die immediately.

Jeon Pung said, "I’ll be right back."

I looked at his expression and said, "You’re going to throw up?"

"I need to urinate."

"Seeing that you still have the will to relieve yourself, you’re not too drunk. You’re not too drunk. You’re just clueless. Lady Son, order more liquor first and then convey the message."

As Lady Son returned from the hallway, she came in with her mouth tightly shut and nodded her head vigorously before closing the door.

Jeon Pung and Han Go-wook were so drunk that they didn’t seem to notice, but I found Lady Son’s silence frightening.

Perhaps they were truly scared that I might tear Lady Son’s mouth apart.

The two of them were in a daze.

After a while, Lady Son entered with third-rate liquor.

After placing it down, she frowned slightly and gestured to the two of them, saying, [Don’t throw up here.]

Once Lady Son left, I poured the liquor and said, "Alright, let’s drink."

At this, the two of them quickly covered their mouths.

They were on the verge of fainting.

I drank the same amount of liquor as them.

This time, I had no choice but to drink alone while saying to them, "Jeon-hyung, Han-hyung. Please speak well of me to the Black Cat Gang."

It was vague what I wanted them to say, but they nodded repeatedly.

"I’ll make sure to say it well."

"It won’t be a problem."

"Even if I say something bad, it won’t matter much. The leader of the Black Cat Gang can afford to ignore me. However, if things go awry and we end up fighting, I promise you this: if you two get caught by me again, you will drink until you die.

I won’t hit you, nor will I use my subordinates to assassinate you. Just remember that if you get caught by me again, you will drink more than today until you die. I do need to pay attention to the leader of the Black Cat Gang, but you two don’t. Let’s clarify that difference before we part ways."

Jeon Pung and Han Go-wook nodded vigorously.

I poked them playfully with my finger.

"Now you’re showing expressions that make sense. So… the last drink?"

"Ah, that’s fine."

Han Go-wook said pleadingly.

"I think we’ve had enough. We’ve drunk plenty. What should we call you from now on? Ah, I’ll speak positively above. Our Lu-ju should stop drinking now… just stop."

I liked their changed attitude and tone.

"Good. I’ll make sure to establish the sect of Il Yang-hyeon well. I’ve already decided on a name. I’m even building a decent sect building."

Of course, it’s the Jaha Inn.

"I hope the Black Cat Gang doesn’t expect tributes from us until then."

"Is there any immediate need for that?" I nodded.

"How can we expect tributes when the sect’s main gate isn’t even built yet? What kind of nonsense is that? Let’s just pass quietly. Later, I’ll surely visit the Black Cat Gang to talk. Good things come to those who wait. So, how about one more drink?"

"No, it’s best to do as you say. We shouldn’t expect tributes when we don’t even have a main gate. That’s not the way of the Jianghu."

I nodded with a satisfied expression.

"Well said. Let’s uphold the ways of the Jianghu from now on. People should live by the ways of the Jianghu. Convey this about the Jo brothers’ deaths."

"Speak up."

"Il Yang-hyeon’s Jaha killed the three Lu-ju because they did not uphold the ways of the Jianghu."

"I’ll make sure to convey that."

While the two of them strained to stay conscious, I drank again.

Now, every time I drank, they grimaced.

It seemed they were suffering from a severe headache.

I mumbled like a drunkard, "And so my journey as a hero begins again. I feel drunk, so I should head back. I need one more drink as a chaser."

"Ah, thank you."

"This was a truly enjoyable drinking session."

"I agree."

As the two of them helped each other up, I called out to the door, "The guests are leaving."

At that moment, Lady Son appeared and looked at me, gesturing as if to cut her throat. 'Should I kill them?'

I shook my head.

"Why kill them? They are esteemed guests, so don’t charge them for the drinks. Escort them politely to the entrance."

Lady Son nodded and then extended her hand as if to guide them.

Suddenly, I thought that Lady Son might not be in her right mind.

Or perhaps it was because those two had troubled the girls at the inn so much that she felt this way, but I didn’t bother to ask her.

Jeon Pung and Han Go-wook staggered to the entrance of the Mae Hwa Pavilion.

As they carefully descended the stairs, they suddenly stopped.

Young men from Il Yang-hyeon, dressed in various outfits and armed differently, had gathered.

Some were squatting, while others were laughing and playing around, but when the two of them appeared, they all fell silent, sending them sharp, hostile glares.

In the midst of this, Cha Seong-tae walked out, holding a dagger, and asked, "Should I kill them?"

Jeon Pung and Han Go-wook turned around, wondering who he was speaking to.

Lady Son had followed them down and stood there like a ghostly old maid, having forgotten how to speak.