NOVEL NEXT Chapter 85
Chapter 2: Twenty-Four Poisons Branch
“Ah, this is just like a scene from a gangster movie from my past life!”
It was a strange sensation that stirred within me as I watched the red wine glass being handed over. I could feel the blood mingled in this drink, and yet a familiar memory from my previous life fluttered to the surface.
“Here, drink up.”
“Understood. Ah, Father.”
I carefully brought the glass, filled with deep red wine, to my lips and gulped it down.
-Glug.
Immediately, I was hit with the sharp flavor of alcohol mixed with the faint scent of iron. The metallic taste of blood lingered on my tongue, reminding me of something I couldn’t quite recall.
‘Right! It feels just like some mob initiation scene from a movie!’
It was just like a ritual I’d only seen in films about gangsters. But as I contemplated this, it resonated in a rather strange way—after all, we were now family.
After finishing our little drinking ceremony, the surprisingly simple adoption into the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace was complete.
In simpler terms, I had been adopted into the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace.
“Now, So-ryong, you are one of us, a son of the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace! Hahaha! And around here, we don’t use surnames, so just call yourself So-ryong, not Wei So-ryong anymore. Just a little beast, right? That’s great! I hope you grow up to be a big, mighty one.”
“Cough. Understood. Father.”
My head was gently patted by the large hand of my father. I awkwardly smiled in response, but then my newly minted older sister, Seol-pyo, gently caressed my cheek.
“Listen, you can just call me Seol-sshi or Seol—okay? Let’s get along, alright? Oh, how cute!”
“Yes, uh, Seol-sshi. I’ll be in your care.”
Before being family, she had struck me as a fierce girl with a sun-kissed complexion, but now, she resembled a lovable little kitty cat. I chuckled again at the strange change in her demeanor.
‘In my past life, I adopted countless pets, but this is my first time being adopted myself, and it feels… exceptionally weird.’
This was my first experience being adopted across my past and present life.
I had always welcomed children into my home but never found myself in such a position of being welcomed. How did the kids I adopted feel?
‘But it doesn’t feel bad at all!’
While I felt a strange satisfaction, there was also a delightful joy in seeing the happiness on the faces of those adopting me.
I understood why they were so pleased—I must be a top-tier addition to their family, definitely an S-rank!
‘With a pedigree like mine, I am sure I’m an S-rank. No doubt about it!’
Having recently consumed some royal jelly from the Golden Hair Bee King had given me a brilliant flavor, and being still youthful, there was definitely something interesting about growing me up—a rarity very much sought after, even.
After a brief ceremony of adoption and welcome, a modest feast began with the Tang Clan members, and by late evening, the celebration finally concluded.
“So this is So-ryong’s room. What do you think? Like it?”
“Yes, it’s very extravagant!”
The room I was shown was entirely different from the simplistic atmosphere of the Tang Clan. It was lush and warm, with soft leopard skins on a comfy bed and wolf pelts scattered creatively about.
It felt like a penthouse in the midst of a jungle!
And here was my new dwelling space within the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace.
“You’ll mostly stay at the Tang Clan, but you need a place here when you visit.”
“Thank you, Seol-sshi.”
“Oh, don’t mention it! No need for thanks among family!”
“Ah, is that so?”
Just as I was awkwardly smiling at the new family situation, she added,
“Now, wait a moment while I prepare something and bring it over, okay?”
“Prepare? Bring what?”
‘What in the world? What’s she planning to arrange?’
Seol-sshi suddenly took off, and as I tried to settle down in comfy clothing to lay on the bed, she re-entered with Hua Eun!
Dressed in something akin to thin pajamas, her face was flushed a bright red, contrasting sharply with her usual demeanor, while Seol-sshi looked exuberant.
“What are you both doing here?”
I was taken aback by their sudden arrival and questioned them, when Seol-sshi blurted out something unbelievable.
“Well, now that we’re family, I thought we could have a little chat and share a bed!”
“Wait, the three of us? Together!?”
“Yes! I’ve always wanted to try this with my younger sibling since I’ve been alone for so long. Is that not alright?”
Startled, I stammered back. What was the hesitation in Seol-sshi’s gaze while she looked at Hua Eun, who was blushing up to her neck.
“Um, you know, in the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace, it’s customary for fiancés to sleep together…”
‘What a nice tradition… though wait, what did she just say?’
From what I gathered, it seemed that Seol-sshi’s suggestion meant if I refused, I would have to sleep with Hua Eun alone!
[Just agree! It definitely sounds better than the alternative with just us two!]
Sure enough, I felt Hua Eun’s trembling voice echo in my mind, and her eyes pleaded for my consent.
It seemed she too feared being alone with me in the room.
With a cautious tone, I asked Seol-sshi, “Does that mean I’ll have to lie in the middle?”
“Of course!”
Tonight, I wondered if I would even manage to sleep.
*
Seol-sshi was quite curious, wasn’t she?
While I sat at breakfast with sleepy eyes, chewing on some dumplings, she suddenly spoke up.
“Ryon, what you’ve been most curious about will be revealed after breakfast, so finish and follow me immediately. Got it?”
“Curious about what?”
“Ogong.”
“Oh, really?”
After breakfast, Seol-sshi led me to the back cliff of the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace, where my adoptive father waited for us.
As soon as I settled into my place, he suggested we check my internal energy methods.
“I noticed you’ve hidden the Beast Heart technique from the Five Poisons Return to Origin Divine Skill—Lord Mandok has permitted me to assess your martial abilities. Why don’t you give a demonstration of the Great Heavenly Circle?”
“Understood.”
My adoptive father spoke about discovering hidden secrets within the Five Poisons Return to Origin Divine Skill and urged me to showcase the Great Heavenly Circle.
As I sat down and began the process, he placed a hand on my back, examining the flow of my internal energy.
Once he finished, he nodded and said, “It seems it was hidden this way; that’s why it wasn’t noticed before. While it resembles the Beast Heart technique, it’s far from its original form. There’s no need to consult Lord Mandok about this.”
He wore an expression of relief.
What could be so significant about the Beast Heart technique? I cautiously asked.
“What exactly is the Beast Heart technique?”
Then Seol-sshi interjected to clarify, “Let me explain. The Beast Heart technique is a martial art passed down solely within the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace, allowing members to grow alongside beasts.”
The idea of growing alongside beasts sparked my interest.
I quickly inquired, “Growing alongside beasts?”
“Yes! The Beast Heart technique possesses a unique ability—it allows one to sense the hearts of beasts and command them. It’s essentially a martial art for harmonious combat together with the beasts!”
‘So, growing alongside them means mastering how to handle beasts?’
“You can command them, but how does it work to sense their hearts?”
At this, I furrowed my brow in confusion.
Seol-sshi smiled and said, “Just wait a moment.”
-Drum roll.
As I waited, ten wolves came charging in, kicking up dust as they approached.
Upon arrival, they bared their teeth at me.
-Growl!
“Hey! So-ryong is now my younger sibling, so don’t be hostile!” Seol-sshi shouted.
-Kiieeng!
At her scolding, the wolves dropped their ears and tails, looking remorseful as if they were saying sorry.
“Let’s do the Wolf Pack Formation!”
Shortly after that command, the wolves dashed fiercely toward my adoptive father.
-Woof Woof!
Ten wolves spun around like a windmill in perfect synchronization, while two lunged forward from the front and others simultaneously attacked from various angles, displaying a fierce yet beautiful choreography.
Even as a novice, I could tell that any ordinary expert would struggle to withstand such an assault.
However, despite the fierce charges, they failed to brush even the hem of my adoptive father’s robes. After a few rounds of attacks, Seol-sshi commanded the wolves, “Stop!”
Panting, the wolves came forward to Seol-sshi as if asking for praise for their performance.
-Kiieeng!
“Good job! Did you see that, Ryon? Like this!”
“Impressive! All ten at once?”
Seol-sshi handled the pack as if they were her own limbs.
Gazing at her with respect, I asked, “How… how can I sense their hearts and command them too?”
Both my adoptive father and Seol-sshi chuckled, responding to my question.
“After examining the Five Poisons Return to Origin Divine Skill, it seems your body reacts negatively to poisonous substances. Your innate abilities influence how far your skills can go—however, the Beast Heart technique does not inherently require one to absorb toxins.”
“What does it require, then?”
Excitedly, I asked about the possibility of communicating with my beloved poisonous insects.
But the answer had me caught off guard.
“Ultimately, it requires the essence of blood.”
“Wait, what? Blood!?”
Excuse me, after praising how dearly one cared about animals—now they mentioned blood?
As I gasped at the surprise, both adults smirked knowingly.
“It’s about just a drop, and of course, other bodily fluids are accepted too. That’s how you could command the Ogong!”
“Oh! I see!”
Accepting bodily fluids like saliva or blood as the means to register new beasts.
It didn’t seem as painful as accepting poison, and it wouldn’t interfere with filling my toxin reserves, so that was great for me!
For now, having accepted the toxins through the Five Poisons technique, I needed to work on those separately, but I was genuinely thrilled that I could register all three Ogong!
It felt like they could be completely separate entities.
‘Three Ogong slots! What a catch!’
“Please, grant me the Beast Heart technique!”
“Of course! You’re my son, so it’s only natural to pass it on. Sit, and I shall properly teach you the Beast Heart technique!”
“Thank you! Father! Thank you, Seol-sshi!”
I felt my earlier awkwardness dissipate as the words, Father and Seol-sshi, flowed from me so effortlessly.
Immediately, the Five Poisons Return to Origin Divine Skill began to alter as my adoptive father integrated them into my training, and I could feel the flow of energy as it started channeling upward.
‘This is!’
The depths of my heart revealed an infinite love and affection directed towards my dad.
Even now, the giant man’s hand resting on my father’s head echoed in my heart, prompting me to ponder, whether I should bite him or not.
‘Cough! Chao!’
And just as the incomplete Beast Heart technique concealed within the Five Poisons Return to Origin Divine Skill reached perfection, my adoptive father spoke.
“Now, hand over all your Ogong and lie back down.”
“I could get bitten…”
“Don’t worry. If they get rowdy, I’ll protect you with ‘Guardian Spirit Energy’. You just need to resist the urge to bite, right?”
With that, I handed him my Ogong while lying down as directed.
As I did so, I whispered to Chao in my heart to keep the other Ogong from biting my adoptive father.
“Go on, kids, be nice to your grandfather.”
“Can I do that?”
Just as I was about to lie down flat…
“Now, open your mouth.”
“My mouth?”
Suddenly, darkness obscured my vision.
As my adoptive father gazed down at me, I realized he was about to do something very peculiar with the Ogong he’d brought along.
“Now, your Ogong needs to drop a few drops of saliva in your mouth, so let’s get going! Feel the energy from the Ogong!”
He wanted to drop the saliva from the Ogong into my mouth!
Shocked, I shot upright in surprise and exclaimed, “Father, wait a moment!”
“What’s the problem?”
“Am I the only one who thinks this is strange?”
“?”
Both my adoptive father and Seol-sshi tilted their heads at my bewilderment.
To them, it seemed nothing was out of the ordinary!