Chapter 100: When Many Gather, Each Raises Their Voice (4)

A silence fell over those remaining in the courtyard of the annex.

They were not people who had a prior relationship. There was no common topic to discuss, nor any will to do so.

When Dam Ho folded his arms and closed his eyes, the silence in the courtyard became suffocating. Namgung Su did not like the atmosphere and furrowed his brow. For some reason, it felt as though Dam Ho had intended this.

Hae So-wol stared at Dam Ho. For some reason, she could not take her eyes from him. Though Dam Ho must have felt her gaze, he did not open his eyes.

"Hoho! Well now."

Cho Yeon-woon scratched his head with a sheepish smile.

The situation had become awkward for Eun So-cheong and Bang Jin-bo. Though they were more mature than others their age, they were still essentially children. They did not yet have the nerve or situational awareness to break through such a stifling atmosphere.

It was Dam Ho who broke the awkward silence.

"Jin-bo."

"Yes! Hyung."

Bang Jin-bo answered as though he had been waiting. To him, Dam Ho's voice was the most welcome sound.

"Is the meal ready?"

"Ah, just a little more preparation."

"I'm hungry."

"Yes! Please wait just a moment."

Bang Jin-bo hurried to the hearth. Eun So-cheong followed behind him.

On the makeshift cutting board lay the fish, half-prepared. The pan placed over the hearth had already turned red.

It was more than hot enough for cooking—in fact, it was overheated. If he put the ingredients in now, they would burn immediately.

"In times like this…"

Bang Jin-bo poured oil onto the pan.

Sizzle!

The oil spattered in all directions as it touched the surface. Some of it splashed onto Bang Jin-bo's bare skin. But Bang Jin-bo did not grimace even once, focusing entirely on his cooking.

Bang Jin-bo forgot everything.

The uncomfortable situation, the many eyes watching him.

When he stood before the hearth, only the roaring flames were visible.

'I must focus on the fire.'

No matter how great a cook one might be, one could not create truly excellent cuisine without understanding fire.

One had to understand fire, to feel it.

Bang Jin-bo felt the flames rising from the hearth with his entire body. Sweat poured from his forehead and his whole body, but instead of a grimace, a smile hung on his lips.

'Jin-bo truly enjoys cooking.'

Eun So-cheong stared at him.

She could feel the world that Bang Jin-bo inhabited—a world of feeling the fire, of conversing with his knife and ladle. The sight was so dazzling it brought tears to her eyes.

"Ah!"

Eun So-cheong gasped without realizing it.

She had never known that a person so absorbed in something could be so beautiful. Though young, Bang Jin-bo had firmly decided on his future and was advancing toward it without wavering.

Swish! Swish!

Bang Jin-bo scored the surface of the fish fillets. Though they were already paper-thin and seemed as though they might tear, the fish fillets maintained their form.

It was precise knife work that would not tolerate even the difference of a single sheet of paper.

The thin fish fillets were placed into the searing oil.

Sizzle!

The oil bubbled, and the fish fillets curled to the side opposite the cuts. And upon the oil's surface, flowers bloomed.

"Wow!"

Eun So-cheong, watching Bang Jin-bo cook, gasped in admiration.

"Just a moment, the wine…"

Cho Yeon-woon felt around his waist, confirmed the wine bottle was there, and smiled.

One could tell just by looking. The dish Bang Jin-bo was making was the ultimate accompaniment to wine.

"Hoho!"

Cho Yeon-woon laughed like a villain.

Normally, Eun So-cheong would have scolded him, but at this moment, she said nothing.

The same was true for Hae So-wol.

Though she did not gasp aloud, she was captivated by the world of cooking that this boy, Bang Jin-bo, was revealing.

Hae So-wol's amazement was even greater.

'Amazing mental fortitude. If that boy had taken up the sword, he would have become an excellent swordsman.'

The skill with which he scored the fish fillets was extraordinary. Moreover, his intense concentration, unaffected by the chaotic surroundings, was remarkable.

Though he was somewhat heavyset, if he were to learn martial arts now, he would surely achieve no small measure of accomplishment.

On the other hand, Namgung Su wore a displeased expression.

Dam Ho had created the silence, and Bang Jin-bo had broken it.

All eyes were focused on them. Conversely, he was being completely ignored.

For Namgung Su, who had been the center of attention from birth, such an unfamiliar atmosphere was naturally unwelcome.

But until the negotiations inside the annex between Namgung Chang and the others concluded, he had to endure and wait.

Even in that time, Bang Jin-bo's cooking continued.

Clack clack clack clack!

The knife moved so fast it was nearly invisible. The prepared vegetables were julienned in an instant.

Bang Jin-bo placed the julienned vegetables into the oil as well. The hot oil cooked the vegetables in the blink of an eye.

Bang Jin-bo began to lift the julienned vegetables out with chopsticks. When he arranged them on the plate by color, a stunning presentation emerged.

At the center of the plate, the fish fillets served as an ornament.

"Whew!"

Cho Yeon-woon whistled at the sight of snowflakes blooming in a five-colored garden.

The final touch was the secret sauce made from his father's recipe. When the thick sauce was drizzled over it, the flavor of the fish fillets deepened even further.

"Hehe! It is done. Bang Jin-bo's special dish—Five-Color Snowflake Fish."

"I have never seen anything like this. Did you come up with it yourself?"

"It was written in my father's recipe book. But this is the first time I have made it."

Bang Jin-bo scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Jin-bo, you truly are amazing."

"Hehe!"

"Oh my! Look at you lot, lounging about. You little ones, flaunting your romance in front of adults. The grown-up games can wait ten years, so please hold off for now."

At Cho Yeon-woon's teasing, Bang Jin-bo and Eun So-cheong's faces turned crimson.

Eun So-cheong glared at Cho Yeon-woon.

"You are terrible, really!"

"Stop chatting and let's eat Jin-bo's food. My mouth is watering and I can hardly stand it."

Cho Yeon-woon produced the wine bottle and claimed a seat at the table. He called out to Dam Ho.

"Friend, come quickly. If Jin-bo's hard work gets cold, it won't taste as good."

Only then did Dam Ho walk toward the table. Bang Jin-bo and Eun So-cheong also quickly took their seats.

The uninvited guests, Hae So-wol and Namgung Su, could only stand and stare.

Bang Jin-bo waved to them.

"There is not much, but please join us. Come, sit."

Hae So-wol and Namgung Su stared at each other blankly for a moment. A moment later, Hae So-wol walked toward the table, but Namgung Su did not move.

He had no desire to sit at the same table as the unknown Dam Ho. His pride would not allow it.

Once Hae So-wol took her seat, the meal began.

"Wow! This is incredible!"

Cho Yeon-woon was the first to exclaim. He could not contain himself and took a sip of wine.

"Absolutely!"

Eun So-cheong's eyes widened.

Hae So-wol, after tasting a single bite, nodded to acknowledge Bang Jin-bo's skill.

Hae So-wol's gaze turned to Dam Ho.

Dam Ho was eating silently, his eyes half-lidded. Bang Jin-bo smiled watching him.

She thought the two of them looked remarkably well together. They looked different and felt utterly different in temperament, yet somehow they seemed alike.

Hae So-wol asked without realizing it.

"What is your relationship?"

"…"

When Dam Ho looked at her silently, Hae So-wol smiled faintly.

"I was merely curious."

"We are…"

When Bang Jin-bo hesitated, Dam Ho's voice came.

"Jin-bo is my brother."

"Is that so?"

"Yes!"

"You look well together. You could pass for true siblings."

Perhaps Hae So-wol's words were unexpected, for Dam Ho stopped eating and looked at her.

Hae So-wol did not avert Dam Ho's gaze. She even smiled slightly. She was beautiful, not by intention, but by nature's grace.

Bang Jin-bo stared at her, momentarily entranced. Had Eun So-cheong not pinched his side, he would have continued gazing for some time.

"Tsk tsk!"

Cho Yeon-woon clicked his tongue at the two of them, his brows furrowed in disapproval.

After rubbing his side for a moment, Bang Jin-bo noticed Namgung Su standing alone. Namgust Su's figure somehow looked lonely.

"Just a moment…"

Bang Jin-bo suddenly scooped portions of food onto a separate plate.

"Jin-bo."

Eun So-cheong looked at him with a puzzled expression. But instead of answering, Bang Jin-bo picked up the plate of food and walked toward Namgung Su, who stood alone.

"Um…"

"What?"

Namgung Su scowled. Gathering his courage, Bang Jin-bo held out the plate.

"P-please have some of this."

"…"

"It should still be enjoyable."

"Ha!"

At Bang Jin-bo's cautious words, Namgung Su let out a sudden sigh. His face plainly showed his annoyance.

"This is truly absurd. Are you pitying me and bringing me this garbage?"

"Why are you…"

"Then how else could you bring such pathetic food?"

"Pardon?"

"How absurd. Did you think I would eat this if you brought it to me? That a lowly cook of unknown origin like you would offer me such cheap food and I would put it in my mouth?"

"That… that is…"

Bang Jin-bo stammered.

He had offered the food out of pure goodwill. He had not expected it to anger Namgung Su this much.

In Namgung Su's eyes, emotions that were rarely visible were laid bare.

He had thought he had grown somewhat close to Hae So-wol. But Hae So-wol had gone over to Dam Ho's side without a moment's hesitation. And she was sharing a meal with Dam Ho. She was even smiling a smile she had never once shown him.

That sight had set a fire in Namgung Su's heart. And Bang Jin-bo's goodwill had poured oil on that flame.

Namgung Su hurled the plate of food to the ground and crushed it under his foot.

Bang Jin-bo could only stare, mouth agape.

The food he had prepared with all his heart had been trampled and defiled under someone's foot.

Tears surged up in an instant.

Bang Jin-bo could not even muster anger. He could only stare at Namgung Su in a daze. But that expression only inflamed Namgung Su further.

Namgung Su himself was startled. He was realizing for the first time that such inferiority lurked deep within his heart.

That made him even angrier. Namgung Su suddenly grabbed Bang Jin-bo by the collar.

"What do you think you are, you fat wretch?"

"I… I…"

Bang Jin-bo stammered.

Suddenly, Namgung Su raised his hand. He looked ready to strike Bang Jin-bo.

Bang Jin-bo closed his eyes tightly without realizing it.

At that moment, a chilling voice rang out.

"Let go."

Namgung Su's hand froze in midair.

His gaze turned to the owner of the voice. Dam Ho, sitting at the table, was the one who had spoken.

"What did you just say?"

"Let go. Before I break your hand."

When the sect leaders of the poison sects stepped forward, the warriors of Poison Valley could no longer target Jin Ja-gang.

When superiors were having their main meal, they couldn’t sprinkle ashes on it. Besides, with over twenty people already rolling on the ground, they were scared to attack.

While the sect leaders of the poison sects were sizing each other up, one sect leader and two elders rushed out like arrows.

“Brothers! Thank you for yielding the first move to our Nine Nether Sect!”

Though no one had yielded anything, the sect leader and two elders of Nine Nether Sect acted as if they had been given the courtesy.

The warriors stepped back.

The sect leader of Nine Nether Sect shook his sleeves toward Jin Ja-gang.

Two lumps wrapped in thin leather flew out from his sleeves. These were the Nether Plague Poison that Nine Nether Sect was proud of. The sect leader of Nine Nether Sect struck the lumps of Nether Plague Poison with both palms wearing gloves, pushing them forward.

Nine Nether Divine Palm!

Swoosh!

Streams like water poured toward Jin Ja-gang.

Jin Ja-gang realized he couldn’t dodge carelessly. He quickly pulled back and grabbed the nape of a warrior who had been retreating. Then he pressed the warrior’s knee joint to prevent him from moving and thrust him forward like a whip.

Thud, thud.

The warrior hit by the Nine Nether Divine Palm trembled and vomited blood.

Hiss!

White smoke rose from his flesh.

His arms and chest were hit, and the affected areas were burned, leaving the flesh tattered.

“Aaaaagh!”

The Nine Nether Divine Palm was a poison palm technique using the acid of Nether Plague Poison. The terrible acid melted the flesh, and then the palm force penetrated behind it.

The two elders positioned themselves on either side of Jin Ja-gang. Jin Ja-gang created internal energy with a handful of true qi and sent it to both hands. He put both hands into his sleeves and pulled them out. His right hand held a needle, and his left hand held a bamboo tube.

While pulling out his hands, he simultaneously threw the needle and sprinkled poison powder.

It was an improvised action, but he was lucky. The elder on the right tried to dodge the needle but couldn’t predict the trajectory of the needle that curved awkwardly and was hit in the knee. The elder hastily pulled out the needle. He pressed the acupoints around his knee and thigh to prevent the poison from spreading.

The elder on the side where poison powder was sprinkled flapped his wide sleeves frantically to scatter the poison powder.

Jin Ja-gang quickly checked which side to attack. One side had been hit by a poison needle, but that side had already sealed the acupoints, preventing the poison from taking effect. At best, he might survive by amputating his leg.

Therefore, Jin Ja-gang bit his little finger to hold poison in his mouth and lunged toward the side where he had sprinkled poison powder. The elder threw a punch at Jin Ja-gang while holding his breath. Jin Ja-gang couldn’t immediately use footwork since he had just used internal energy. He allowed the elder’s punch to hit his chest and abdomen.

Thud thud!

But in the meantime, he spat out the blood and poison he had been holding in his mouth.

Puff!

The elder leaned back to avoid it.

The difference in martial arts was significant.

Since Jin Ja-gang’s martial arts skills were inferior, when he used poison head-on instead of secretly, this much difference emerged.

Still, Jin Ja-gang had anticipated this. Thanks to fighting countless opponents stronger than himself.

He was already lunging forward while spitting blood and poison. At the same time, he stabbed the elder’s instep with a needle.

The elder was leaning back with both feet planted on the ground, so he couldn’t avoid even that.

The elder turned pale and completely lay down, rolling on the ground to escape. Jin Ja-gang didn’t want to give the elder time to press acupoints to prevent the poison from spreading, so he picked up a sword from the ground and followed, striking down.

Rolling on the ground was considered shameful in the martial world. But the elder didn’t stop rolling on the ground even with his face red. Living was more important than dignity.

However, the sect leader of Nine Nether Sect didn’t let Jin Ja-gang continue chasing the elder.

He flew forward to block Jin Ja-gang’s path. Jin Ja-gang tried to retreat regretfully, but the sect leader’s action was faster.

Even if he was the leader of a small to medium poison sect, he was much stronger than Jin Ja-gang. The sect leader of Nine Nether Sect’s double palms pressed down on Jin Ja-gang’s chest like crushing it.

Crack.

A terrible bone sound occurred.

Jin Ja-gang’s eyes became bloodshot. His bones cracked and palm force penetrated, shaking his internal organs.

But Jin Ja-gang gritted his teeth and endured the pain.

“Hup!”

A normal person would have fainted or become rigid, but Jin Ja-gang had been trained through long suffering. While giving up his chest, he simultaneously tore the sect leader of Nine Nether Sect’s sleeve with his sword tip.

Lumps wrapped in thin leather fell from the sect leader of Nine Nether Sect’s sleeve. Jin Ja-gang dropped his sword and caught one of the falling Nether Plague Poison lumps with his hand.

“Huh?”

While the sect leader of Nine Nether Sect’s gaze briefly went down, Jin Ja-gang bit the sect leader’s finger that was falling from his chest.

Even though he was wearing gloves, since he bit with all his strength, the pain was considerable.

“What!”

The sect leader of Nine Nether Sect was startled and raised one hand to strike Jin Ja-gang. Jin Ja-gang gripped the Nether Plague Poison lump with his bare hand and struck upward at the sect leader of Nine Nether Sect’s face.

“You crazy b*st*rd!”

The sect leader of Nine Nether Sect was surprised and turned his head. Jin Ja-gang just struck whatever he could reach – the nape.

Thud!

The thin leather of the Nether Plague Poison burst on the sect leader of Nine Nether Sect’s neck, and acid splashed.

Hiss!

“Aaaaah!”

Half of the sect leader of Nine Nether Sect’s neck and face were covered with acid, and smoke rose.

Jin Ja-gang’s palm was also burned, making his skin rough. But Jin Ja-gang’s skin had adapted in the hellish place full of acid. The efficacy of Kunlun Sulfur Jade Poison condensed over tens of thousands of years had made Jin Ja-gang’s skin strong. Though his flesh was burned, it wasn’t as bad as the sect leader of Nine Nether Sect.

The sect leader of Nine Nether Sect screamed and floundered.

Jin Ja-gang picked up a sword with his left hand and struck the sect leader of Nine Nether Sect’s ankle.

“Aaaaagh!”

The sect leader of Nine Nether Sect fell and tried to crawl away from Jin Ja-gang. Jin Ja-gang chased and struck with the sword several times. The sect leader of Nine Nether Sect’s legs continued to spurt blood.

The two elders couldn’t move carelessly due to poison and could only watch this scene with regret.

Other poison sects finally stepped forward. Due to dignity, multiple sects couldn’t attack simultaneously, so they had been watching each other, but somehow two sides ended up stepping forward at the same time.

“That guy belongs to our Dagger Valley!”

“Hmph, don’t underestimate our Iron Bamboo Gang!”

The valley master of Dagger Valley literally ran with poison-coated daggers, and the gang leader of Iron Bamboo Gang, Cheon Gwon, rushed forward with black poison chopsticks about two spans long, slightly longer than wooden chopsticks, held between his fingers.

Jin Ja-gang gritted his teeth tightly. The two sect figures attacking from the front and dozens of sect leaders waiting behind them. The masters of Poison Valley and Valley Master Wei Zong waiting at the end – he looked at them in turn.

‘At this rate…’

No matter how much Jin Ja-gang he was, he would become a rag after facing a few more without being able to handle them all.

Blood continued to flow from his leg, and his ribs ached. His right hand had no sensation. No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t face all of them in good condition.

Jin Ja-gang glanced up at the sky. It was much more overcast than before.

‘Yes…’

Fighting like this had no chance of victory.

If he fought a battle with no chance of victory and exhausted all his strength, he wouldn’t be able to seize the opportunity when it actually came later.

Jin Ja-gang took a deep breath.

From the left, the valley master of Dagger Valley was running, and from the right, the gang leader of Iron Bamboo Gang was charging. Jin Ja-gang picked up lumps of Nine Nether Sect’s Nether Plague Poison rolling on the ground with his left hand and began throwing them.

Then he pulled out needles and threw them consecutively. The needles hit the Nether Plague Poison lumps, causing them to burst and pour down in mid-air.

The valley master of Dagger Valley and the gang leader of Iron Bamboo Gang were quite surprised, but they weren’t the type to be caught by such an obvious attack.

The valley master of Dagger Valley quickly took off his robe, raised it above his head, then swung the robe widely to deflect the Nether Plague Poison.

The gang leader of Iron Bamboo Gang, Cheon Gwon, was bald and wearing a fur vest. He took off the vest and only covered his head with it. Drops of Nether Plague Poison fell, making holes in the vest and clothes, but he persevered and rushed toward Jin Ja-gang.

Seeing Jin Ja-gang’s seemingly flustered and hesitant appearance, a gleam of triumph flashed in the eyes of Iron Bamboo Gang’s gang leader Cheon Gwon.

“You!”

Cheon Gwon drove a poison chopstick into Jin Ja-gang’s hip bone at the pelvis.

Crack!

“Kuk!”

Jin Ja-gang’s legs became stiff and he couldn’t move. But more frightening than the paralysis was the bone-shaking pain. The blood vessels around the poison chopstick stuck in his hip bone swelled as if they would burst and spread like spider webs.

“One more!”

A black poison chopstick emerged from Cheon Gwon’s fingers.

Whirr!

Cheon Gwon spun the poison chopstick between his fingers and his eyes moved left and right. Jin Ja-gang’s right hand was burned red. He probably couldn’t even hold objects properly. A smile appeared on Cheon Gwon’s lips, and his gaze moved to Jin Ja-gang’s left shoulder.

Then he immediately drove the poison chopstick into Jin Ja-gang’s left shoulder blade.

Jin Ja-gang realized that along with the bone-shaking pain, his entire left arm including the shoulder was becoming paralyzed. Pain like being hit hundreds of times with a hammer throughout his upper body came.

A scream rose to his throat.

It was due to Iron Bamboo Gang’s poison, which was more specialized in pain than killing.

Cheon Gwon pulled out another poison chopstick and was about to stab Jin Ja-gang’s temple, then stopped right in front. Jin Ja-gang didn’t even close his eyes or scream, but glared at Cheon Gwon with veins bulging on his forehead.

“Hmph. How boring, you have great endurance.”

Cheon Gwon’s bald head had round spots like brands from where the Nether Plague Poison had burned through the vest and scorched his skin.

Hiss.

Cheon Gwon blew smoke from his head with a displeased face and withdrew the poison chopstick.

However, he didn’t just stop there and punched Jin Ja-gang’s face with his fist.

“This is for burning my head!”

Thud!

Jin Ja-gang was hit in the eye and staggered, trying not to fall backward. But since his legs were paralyzed, he instead fell forward awkwardly.

Cheon Gwon laughed loudly and cheered.

“I caught him!”

The valley master of Dagger Valley put his dagger back in his chest with a regretful expression.

Cheon Gwon looked at the valley master of Dagger Valley and other sect leaders and laughed proudly, then grabbed the fallen Jin Ja-gang’s hair and lifted his head.

Jin Ja-gang’s eye socket seemed fractured as his eyelid was swollen.

“You were laughing well, weren’t you? Huh? Try laughing now.”

Jin Ja-gang kept his mouth tightly shut and looked at Cheon Gwon with his one good eye, but surprisingly, his eye was unfocused.

Hahaha!

Cheon Gwon laughed loudly, then grabbed Jin Ja-gang’s hair and dragged him up to the main hall.

Jin Ja-gang was in a state where he couldn’t move except for his right hand, which was burned by Nether Plague Poison and couldn’t bend well.

Thud thud.

Jin Ja-gang kept hitting the stairs and ledges of the main hall and was dragged across the floor, but Cheon Gwon didn’t care.

Cheon Gwon dragged Jin Ja-gang across the main hall to Wei Zong’s presence.

In front of Wei Zong, he puffed out his chest with a proud face.

“Valley Master, I caught the limping one.”

But Wei Zong didn’t particularly praise him or show interest in responding.

“Strange.”

Cheon Gwon’s mood soured a bit.

“Valley Master… I caught the limping one and brought him before you. Stop saying it’s strange and keep your promise…”

Wei Zong waved his hand as if Cheon Gwon was bothersome.

Cheon Gwon frowned and called Wei Zong.

“Valley Master!”

Then Wei Zong glared at Cheon Gwon with wide eyes. Cheon Gwon flinched. Wei Zong said nothing, but Cheon Gwon found it hard to bear the killing intent pouring from Wei Zong’s eyes and hesitated.

“Kuk, kuung…”

In that short time, sweat formed on Cheon Gwon’s bald head. His fingertips trembled.

Fortunately for Cheon Gwon, Wei Zong didn’t keep looking at him. Wei Zong’s gaze moved from Cheon Gwon to Jin Ja-gang, who was being held by his hair.

“Who is it? Where is the other one?”

Those were the words that came from Wei Zong’s mouth.

Jin Ja-gang looked up at Wei Zong with swollen eyes.

Wei Zong’s eyes bulged as if they would pop out, and he spoke in a voice full of killing intent.

“Your martial arts skills are much worse than I thought. You don’t have the ability to tear living people’s limbs and pull heads from bodies. Who did that?”