Chapter 41

Gaesojoo

The reason I saved Jeongcheong was because I knew her allergy symptoms in detail, but it was absurd to think that I, a chef, could save the head of the Tang family who was dying of poisoning.

Unfortunately, it’s not something one can easily get involved in, as they say, a quack can kill a person.

“Miss Tang, I haven’t learned any medical skills...”

But when I showed my reluctance, she clung desperately to my collar.

“Please, sir, don’t refuse my request. Please. Sob...”

Tears fell from her chest.

‘Sigh... This is troublesome.’

Of course, if her father is dying, she would want to try anything, even believe a fraudster in such moments.

It was pitiful to see her, who was once lively like a freshly caught fish, now looking like a dead fish, and I thought I should at least go with her to see his face so she wouldn’t regret it.

It would be easier for her to accept if I went and said it was beyond my ability rather than bluntly refusing here.

“Alright, let’s go. Miss. What’s so difficult about me going to see the situation?”

“Really? Sir? Thank you. Thank you.”

Tang Yingying, with wide, surprised eyes, repeatedly expressed her gratitude, and I turned to adjust her collar, which had been bothering me.

“Can you wait outside for a moment? I’ll get dressed and come right out.”

Only then did she notice her attire and rushed out of the room, leaving behind a voice tinged with embarrassment.

“Yes, ah, I understand.”

***

Dressed in dark night attire, I followed her through the pavilions and out.

After a long walk, we arrived at a cave in the mountains behind the Tang family’s estate.

In front of the cave, numerous lanterns illuminated the area as brightly as daytime, and the shamans and the elders of the Tang family, whom I had met once, looked flustered.

When we appeared, the shamans blocked our way.

“No, Miss. No matter how urgent it is, this is a forbidden place. We cannot allow outsiders in. Even if the head of the family survives, you will not be able to avoid responsibility!”

“Move! If Father dies, what use is the Tang family!”

From what I heard, it seemed to be a forbidden place of the family, and it was impossible for an outsider like me to enter.

After a moment, the elders, drawn by Tang Yingying’s desperate voice, blocked our way and began to try to calm her, saying it was absolutely impossible.

“Miss, please calm down. We are doing our best. And the Poison King has already sent swift warriors to find him, so even if it’s late, he should be back within two or three days...”

“Can Father hold on for those two or three days until Grandfather returns?”

The Tang family’s elders were at a loss at Tang Yingying’s words.

It seemed that while the Poison King could save him when he arrived, the problem was holding on until then.

As the argument dragged on, time passed uselessly.

Finally, unable to bear the anxiety, Tang Yingying collapsed to the ground and began to cry.

“Can we just wait here for Father to die? Please, sir, just let me see him once. Sob...”

It was a pitiful sight to see Tang Yingying, who was in despair and hopelessness.

Unable to stand it, I stepped forward and asked the elders.

“Elders, you all know about the bet I made with the Poison King, right?”

“Of course, young sir. The Poison King said he would grant you any one wish...”

Since I had won the bet with the catfish, the Poison King had promised to grant me any one wish, and the elders, realizing the significance of my question, were surprised.

“Then...?”

“Yes, I want to use that wish now.”

“But that’s a wish the Poison King will grant. How can we...”

“He will take responsibility later. He said he would grant any wish.”

The elders, initially looking awkward, eventually moved aside.

Perhaps they were worried about the head of the family and wanted to let me, who seemed to know medicine, in, but they needed a reason to do so.

With my words, the situation became one where the highest elder of the family would take responsibility, so they seemed to have decided to pretend to give in.

“Sir, you’re using your wish for me...”

“It’s fine. Anyway, it’s just a gesture. Ahem. People are more important than a mere wish.”

Tang Yingying was very apologetic for wasting such a precious wish on her, but I decided to consider it as a large condolence payment.

It was a bit regrettable, but since I had no way to cure her father and I planned to do business in Sichuan, there was no reason to harm the Tang family.

It was a bit excessive as a condolence payment, but...

‘This is why we need the good Korean culture of 3,5,10.’

In my past life, I would have only needed to give Tang Yingying 100,000 won.

‘Or maybe 50,000 won?’

After using a wish that could have been turned into a gold ingot as a condolence payment, I followed Tang Yingying into the cave. As we walked in, a foul smell began to waft out, and when it became overwhelming, a large cavern appeared before us.

The cavern had stones embedded in the ceiling and walls, emitting a soft glow.

In the center of the large cavern was a large, square cauldron big enough for a person to fit inside. As I approached, holding my nose, I saw the head of the Tang family sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, only his head visible above a black, bubbling liquid.

The sight of him sitting with only his head above the black, bubbling liquid was reminiscent of...

‘Gaesojoo?’

It looked as if they were making Gaesojoo with the head of the Tang family.

‘How can they make Gaesojoo with a person...’

Surprised, I looked at Tang Yingying, then back at the head of the family, who suddenly opened his eyes and began to scold Tang Yingying.

“Yingying, why did you bring the young sir here?”

“But, Father. If we do nothing...”

“I must have been too greedy. It’s the result of my own actions. How many of the Tang family’s bloodlines have failed in this process? It’s due to my lack of skill, so it’s inevitable.”

Surprised by his seemingly normal appearance, I asked the head of the Tang family what had happened.

“What happened? Head of the family.”

“Young sir, that...”

In response to my question, the head of the Tang family tried to answer but suddenly his mouth moved strangely as if he couldn’t control it.

“Father!”

Tang Yingying cried out in shock.

“The feeling in my mouth is slowly fading. Yingying, be strong. Young sir, please take Yingying out. I know my condition well.”

“Father, please.”

As I tried to approach, the head of the family spoke to me in a warm voice.

“Young sir, you probably came here because you couldn’t refuse Yingying’s request. However, even if I leave here for treatment, the poison will prevent you from taking my pulse for a while. Yingying, who doesn’t understand the Great Law, brought you here.”

“Such...”

Tang Yingying’s face was filled with confusion and sadness at the head of the family’s words, and I had no choice but to support her, who was crying like a sprinkler, and head outside.

“By the way, what exactly happened? That sight...”

Curious about the scene of making Gaesojoo with a person, I asked for the reason, and Tang Yingying, wiping her tears, answered.

“That’s a technique I learned from you... Sniff...”

Tang Yingying’s explanation continued through her tears.

“...That’s how it happened. Sob, sob...”

From Tang Yingying’s explanation, I understood what had happened.

I had misunderstood; the Tang family didn’t need a way to eat pufferfish but rather the poison in the parts left after filleting the fish.

Indeed, it was the Tang family.

For snakes, you extract the poison from the fangs, and for scorpions, from the tail, but for pufferfish, they had been boiling the whole fish. Since I taught her the filleting method, Tang Yingying had been extracting the poison from the remaining parts since yesterday.

She had boiled the liver, ovaries, eyes, blood, and skin to extract the pufferfish poison and was trying to cultivate the Thousand Poisons Immunity.

So, the Gaesojoo in which the head of the Tang family was being boiled contained various poisons and medicinal herbs.

I thought the head of the Tang family would have the Thousand Poisons Immunity, but apparently not.

“So, the poison from the pufferfish I filleted increased the potency, but the pufferfish poison was too strong, causing the problem. But it was within the range allowed by the Great Law...”

I was shocked by Tang Yingying’s words.

‘Wait, you can develop resistance to tetrodotoxin?’

It seemed impossible, but in a world where people can tear wood with their fingernails and fly using lightness skills, it might be possible.

“So, the head of the Tang family is now poisoned by the pufferfish toxin?”

“Yes, sir.”

The head of the Tang family, despite his impressive appearance, was poisoned by the pufferfish toxin, tetrodotoxin.

And since he said the feeling in his mouth was fading, he was at stage 1 of the poisoning.

Pufferfish poisoning is typically divided into four stages:

Stage 1: Numbness or tingling around the mouth, with or without gastrointestinal symptoms.

Stage 2: Facial and other areas of paralysis, slurred speech.

Stage 3: Generalized flaccid paralysis, respiratory failure, aphasia, and fixed pupils.

Stage 4: Severe respiratory failure, hypoxia, hypotension, bradycardia, and unconsciousness.

Since I had memorized this information out of fear while learning to fillet pufferfish, I knew it well and asked Tang Yingying about the head of the family’s symptoms.

“Where is the Poison King?”

“He went to the Yangtze River to catch pufferfish...”

Since we had used all the pufferfish we had raised for banquets and filleted them, he must have gone to replenish the supply.

“Can the Poison King definitely save him when he returns?”

“Of course. Grandfather has already achieved the Thousand Poisons Immunity, so if Father can hold on until then, Grandfather can expel the poison with his inner energy and...”

‘It’s a matter of time, then?’

Ultimately, we needed to slow the progression of the pufferfish toxin, tetrodotoxin.

“How long has the head of the family been showing symptoms?”

Tang Yingying thought for a moment and answered.

“He said his body was itchy and that the Great Law had failed, about two hours ago.”

Pufferfish poisoning typically progresses to stage 2 within 4 hours (two hours), so with two hours already passed, his face would likely start to become paralyzed soon.

‘To slow the progression of tetrodotoxin...’

“Ah!”

“Did you think of a way, sir?”

At my exclamation, Tang Yingying asked urgently.

“No, it’s not supposed to work, but it might work with the Tang family...”

“What is it, sir? What is it?”

Tang Yingying, in a hurry, grabbed my arms.