Chapter 4. Words Spoken for the First Time in His Life

Bancheon's body felt heavy, weighed down by the reality of the situation.

If he were the Bancheon of the past, would acupuncture points even be a problem?

With just a flick of his sleeve, he could have sent Bancheon flying a hundred paces away.

But not now.

Bancheon was sitting on his chest, pressing his arms down with his knees, making it hard to breathe or push him off.

Bancheon was almost like a mountain.

No, let's be precise. His body was so weak that even an old man who hadn't practiced martial arts could do nothing about it.

"Bancheon, can't you get off... ahgah...?"

Before he could fully vent his anger, his mouth was forced open.

Bancheon used both hands to pry open his mouth and pushed his hand inside.

"Swallow and die. I'll follow soon, so you won't be lonely on your journey to the afterlife!"

"Ahgah... stop... gurk..."

Bancheon's hands were like steel clamps, preventing him from closing his mouth.

Moreover, he already felt dizzy and weak from the slight effort.

Meanwhile, Bancheon forced the poison into his mouth.

"Ugh!"

Bancheon, who had just been tearing his mouth open, now pressed his palm over it to prevent him from opening it. His palm also covered his nose, forcing Hou Gong to struggle for breath.

As he struggled, the poison began to dissolve on his tongue.

'Am I really going to die like this?'

Suddenly entering a different body and then dying just as suddenly.

Hou Gong was bewildered.

'From a poison that's just a snack? Me?'

No matter what he had to eat to die, it couldn't be poison. Or, even if he were to die a hundred times, it shouldn't be without understanding why.

Meanwhile, Bancheon, determined to die together, was using all his strength. His eyes, bloodshot from the effort, were red as he desperately tried to keep the mouth closed to prevent the poison from being spit out.

"Die, die—die, you bastard!"

In the midst of the struggle, Hou Gong managed to free one arm.

Smack!

He struck Bancheon's throat with the edge of his hand.

"Ugh! Huh, huh..."

Bancheon clutched his throat and fell to the side.

Hou Gong quickly spat out the poison.

Since some of it had already dissolved on his tongue, he gagged and tried to spit out as much as possible with his saliva.

"Keh! Keh! What?"

At that moment, Hou Gong felt dizzy.

His head spun, and the room seemed to move.

Was it his body spinning, or the floor?

Then the floor came closer to his eyes.

Thud!

Hou Gong fell face-first to the floor.

The poison was so potent that even a small amount that had dissolved in his mouth was enough to take effect.

'Unbelievable. Am I really going to die here...?'

His chest felt like it was burning, and half his body was becoming numb.

His neck stiffened, and his mouth opened involuntarily.

He couldn't breathe properly.

Even as he twisted his body and clutched his neck, he couldn't open his airway.

"Gurk... I, I... am not... your grandson. I am the leader of the martial arts alliance!"

No matter how he tried, the words wouldn't come out.

Hou Gong, clutching his neck, looked up at Bancheon in bewilderment. Bancheon's shadowed face had become even colder.

"Good, now die. Isn't this the death you've always wanted? You always said that if you could die, the pain wouldn't matter, right?"

'What kind of situation is this?'

Even if he had reincarnated, couldn't he have been a normal person? Why did he have to end up in the body of someone with suicidal tendencies?

Dying like this was more than just a grievance.

But if things continued like this, death was a foregone conclusion.

In that case, he had to resort to his last resort.

Hou Gong quickly gathered all the information he had and mustered his last bit of strength. He didn't want to do this, but he had no choice.

Whether it would work was another matter, but he had to try.

Shaking, Hou Gong extended his hand.

"Sa..."

"What?"

"Sa, save..."

"..."

"Save... me. Grand... father... gurk, gurk..."

"..."

His vision blurred, and his consciousness began to fade.

In the last moments of his consciousness, Hou Gong could see Bancheon's eyes waver.

***

In the bedroom of the Tianhua Library's heir.

The head of the family, Bancheon, and the doctor were looking down at the young man lying in bed.

"How is Banhang?"

The head of the family asked.

"Don't worry. Although the Blood You poison remains, it's not life-threatening. The poison can be completely removed in a month, or at most a month and a half. The pain will gradually decrease, and the partially paralyzed body will return to normal."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

'Damn, it was Blood You poison?'

The young man, or rather Hou Gong, was awake but pretended to be asleep, listening to the conversation.

He had managed to save his life at the last moment, but it was a bitter victory. He never thought he would end up begging for his life.

It was the first time in his life he had said such a thing.

Until now, he had only heard such words from others.

He was the one who decided whether to spare or kill.

Moreover, hearing that the poison was Blood You made him even more frustrated.

He knew Blood You all too well.

Blood You, also known as Blood Mushroom, was a poisonous mushroom.

When cooked, the poison in the mushroom became stronger, but the aroma also intensified, making it a popular snack during travels in the martial world.

It was a shame that it was hard to find and couldn't be eaten often, but Blood You mushrooms were unrelated to life and death. Yet, he had to lie in bed for a month because of a Blood You poison pill.

Just a snack!

The conversation continued.

"Head of the family, but I have a question..."

The doctor hesitated.

Earlier, the head of the family had sighed and complained for a long time about his grandson's attempted suicide, then tearfully pleaded for him never to do it again.

"Go on."

"By chance... so, what does it mean that the heir said 'save me'?"

The doctor's voice was cautious but filled with curiosity.

"Exactly what it sounds like. I didn't mishear..."

"Is that so? But..."

"If I hadn't heard it myself, I wouldn't have believed it."

The conversation continued without any sense of abnormality.

Although it was natural for a dying person to beg for their life, the two men reacted as if it were the strangest thing in the world.

"Good news, but how could it happen without any warning..."

"Hmm, his demeanor was different from usual. His tone of voice too."

"Did he show a passion for life?"

"No, not that. If it were, I would have noticed immediately. It was... just a look. An observation."

"Huh?"

"It seemed different from the apathy that comes from despair. It was a calm observation. Strangely, he didn't recognize me. He called me by my name without any respect."

"You mean he didn't recognize you? Then the Blood You poison must have affected his brain."

"Brain affected?"

"Yes, Blood You poison is extremely potent. Even a small amount can penetrate the brain, causing various effects like becoming aggressive or overly docile. It can even cause memory loss, so a change in tone is common."

"That could be. But..."

"Is there something bothering you?"

"No."

The head of the family was cautious with his words.

The grandson's unfamiliar attitude and change in tone had occurred before the Blood You poison was in his mouth.

From Bancheon's cautious demeanor, Hou Gong understood his thoughts.

'Let's just hope for the best.'

Even a glimmer of hope was better than none. The grandson, who had tried to kill himself by cutting his neck and wrists, had begged for his life, giving rise to a glimmer of hope in Bancheon's heart.

"Let's hope this turns out for the best."

"Agreed."

"To be honest, I'm more worried about you."

"Heh, me? I have nothing to worry about."

"I don't ask much of you. Just live for another thirty years."

"Only... I didn't think you'd say that."

They laughed and left the room.

In the afternoon, other visitors came to see the patient.

Two young men.

One of the young men, drunk, stumbled as he entered the room, almost falling. The other young man quickly reached out to support him, but he waved him off and fell backward.

"Brother, are you okay?"

The younger brother looked worried.

He had a gentle and soft appearance.

"I'm fine. Hey, Bu Meng! Don't get the wrong idea. I didn't fall. I was planning to sit on the floor from the start."

The drunk young man sat down on the floor calmly.

"Yes, I knew that."

"Anyway, is that beast still alive?"

"Seems to be sleeping."

"Sleeping? Ha, the crazy kid, can he even sleep? Younger brother, at this rate, he'll outlive us. He'll live so long, he'll die painting the walls with his own feces. He always talks about dying, but he'll probably live until he's old."

"Since he asked Grandfather to save him, maybe the eldest brother's mind has changed."

The younger brother's soft tone irritated the drunk young man.

"Eldest brother? Shut your mouth. I'll kill you first!"

"Sorry."

"You only have one brother. That's a beast, not a human. Understand?"

"..."

"Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Damn, this is disgusting. I didn't come to see that crazy face. I must be crazy. Let's go."

"..."

"Let's go!"

"Yes."

The two young men left, and the room became quiet again.

'So, this body has younger brothers.'

Hou Gong, listening to the conversation, had a sudden urge to see the drunk young man's face, but decided it wasn't the right time since he still lacked information.

In the evening, the head of the family, Bancheon, visited briefly, sitting silently before leaving. The doctor also came to check his pulse, but there were no other visitors.

Hou Gong continued to pretend to be asleep, observing the situation.

His body was weak, and he lacked information, so engaging in conversation would only make him more tired. It was better to gather as much information as possible while remaining quiet.

He did gain some insights.

This body's name is Banhang.

A person who had longed for death.

And the heir of the Tianhua Library.

Two younger brothers.

Moreover, the Tianhua Library seemed to be in decline.

The atmosphere was bleak, and the number of visitors was too few.

Even though the heir of a family had nearly died and then survived, only three family members had visited.

Whether the two younger brothers were cousins or younger brothers, considering that one came even while drunk, it seemed that everyone who could come had come.

When someone in the family is ill, the atmosphere naturally becomes gloomy.

Especially since Banhang had tried to kill himself by cutting his neck and wrists, the family's spirits must have been severely affected.