Chapter 117: The One Who Walks Alone—The Solitary Path (2)

"We'll have to camp out tonight."

At Bang Jin-bo's words, Dam Ho nodded.

Despite their hurry, darkness was already gathering across the land.

Bang Jin-bo no longer needed Dam Ho's instructions to know how to set up camp. He lit a fire in a hollowed-out space beneath a large boulder and prepared their meal. They could have eaten simple rations, but Bang Jin-bo insisted on setting up a pot and fetching water from a nearby spring.

In the meantime, Dam Ho closed his eyes in meditation.

He had fought many battles. In the Divine Stronghold, of course, but also continuously after entering the Central Plains. There was perhaps no one who had fought as frequently in as short a time as Dam Ho.

The relentless battles had honed his combat instincts to their peak. At the same time, the deficiencies of the Shadow Fist became apparent.

The Shadow Fist he had created in darkness was certainly destructive. In a one-on-one fight, there were few fists that could rival its devastating power.

He had confirmed this fact in countless battles. The problem was when facing multiple opponents. When fighting numerous enemies at once, the Shadow Fist clearly lost its effectiveness.

But Dam Ho did not rush. Improving a martial art whose framework was firmly established was never easy—even for Dam Ho, who had created it.

While Dam Ho was deep in thought—

"Hyung, your meal is ready."

Bang Jin-bo's voice broke through his musings.

Dam Ho opened his eyes and looked at Bang Jin-bo. He had already set out a respectable-looking meal and was waiting.

"Heh heh!"

Bang Jin-bo's cooking skills had improved remarkably. He could now create something delicious with only a handful of simple ingredients.

What he had made today was beef porridge. He had used pre-prepared beef jerky and dried grain flour to make it.

"Good work."

"No need to thank me. Please eat, Hyung."

Bang Jin-bo scooped a bowl of porridge and handed it to Dam Ho.

For a porridge made in the wilderness, the aroma and taste were remarkably refined. Dam Ho felt fortunate to have met Bang Jin-bo.

Watching Dam Ho eat with relish, Bang Jin-bo picked up his own spoon. Even though he had made it himself, it was delicious.

"Heh heh! It's good."

"Good work."

"It was nothing. I just threw it together, so it wasn't difficult."

Bang Jin-bo waved his hand dismissively. Dam Ho watched him in silence.

Bang Jin-bo's face, which had once been purely youthful, now bore a mature expression. Through his many experiences, he had grown stronger in his own way.

Dam Ho found this endearing.

"Hyung, can I ask just one thing?"

"Go ahead."

"The Mount Hua Sect… are you all right? Leaving without meeting them?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Really? You said you were a disciple of the Mount Hua Sect."

"That's in the past."

Dam Ho answered with a calm expression.

After the incident at the Azure Sun Sword Sect, Han So-yu had come looking for him. But Dam Ho had not met her.

The bond between them had already been severed. Though a thin thread remained because of his Master, it was so fragile it could break at any time.

"Someday I will visit Mount Hua. But it doesn't have to be now."

Han So-yu had said that Sage Hyeon-so was doing well.

That was enough. For the time being, he had more than enough reasons not to concern himself with the Mount Hua Sect.

"So you won't be going to the Mount Hua Sect?"

"Not for now."

"Aww!"

"Are you disappointed?"

"They say the scenery at Mount Hua is exquisite. I've always wanted to see it at least once."

"Someday you'll be able to go."

"When that time comes, you have to take me."

"Agreed."

Dam Ho answered calmly.

A bright smile spread across Bang Jin-bo's face.

"Now go to sleep. We need to set out early tomorrow, so you should rest well."

"Yes!"

Bang Jin-bo answered cheerfully and went to bed. Perhaps it was the fatigue from the forced march, for he quickly fell into a deep slumber.

Dam Ho watched the sleeping Bang Jin-bo for a moment, then closed his eyes.

The next day, the two departed the campsite at dawn.

The descent from the mountain was not particularly difficult. The slope was gentle enough to descend on horseback, so they made their way down comfortably.

"Whew!"

When they reached a small stream at the base of the mountain, Bang Jin-bo let out a sigh of relief.

Descending the mountain on horseback had been quite exhausting. Though he had only ridden for half a day, he felt as though he had lost three or four catties of weight.

Bang Jin-bo dismounted briefly to wash his face. The cold water refreshed him and eased his fatigue.

"That's refreshing."

Bang Jin-bo smiled brightly.

With the heat gone, he had the leisure to look around.

Before them stretched vast rice paddies. The sight of rice stalks swaying in the wind was truly magnificent.

"Wow!"

An exclamation burst from Bang Jin-bo's mouth.

He had never seen such a vast expanse of rice fields. Dam Ho was no different.

Farmers could be seen tending the paddies here and there. With their trousers rolled up to their waists, they pulled weeds, and their sight stirred something in Dam Ho.

"Hahaha!"

Their laughter reached Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo even from this distance.

What could be so amusing? They chattered non-stop, their faces wreathed in smiles.

Sweat dripped heavily from their foreheads and chins, but not a single one complained of fatigue.

Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo watched the farmers in silence for a while. This was a different world from the harsh one they had experienced.

Women approached, balancing large baskets on their foreheads.

"Come have a snack while you work!"

The women called out to their husbands and children in loud voices. The farmers, who had been working with beads of sweat on their brows, smiled and walked toward their wives.

Suddenly, a middle-aged farmer seemed to notice Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo and looked their way. After watching them for a moment, he swaggered over.

"I don't believe I've seen your faces before. Did you come over that mountain?"

"Yes! We're from Hunan Province."

Bang Jin-bo answered.

A smile appeared on the farmer's face.

"Is that so? You've come a long way. Are you hungry?"

"Heh heh! I'm starving."

Bang Jin-bo grinned amiably. The farmer seemed to like his manner, for he smiled broadly and looked at Dam Ho.

"If it's all right, would you care to join us? It's nothing special, but…"

"That would be fine."

"But that one there doesn't seem to agree."

At Dam Ho's words, the farmer pointed at Bang Jin-bo.

Bang Jin-bo was looking at Dam Ho with an expression that suggested he might cry at any moment. His eyes were filled with desperate longing.

'Hyung, please.'

Bang Jin-bo was infinitely weak in the face of food.

At his desperate plea, Dam Ho nodded with a look of resignation.

"If we won't be a bother…"

"What bother could there be? It's just leftover food anyway."

The farmer led them beneath a large tree. Beneath it, a middle-aged woman with a child strapped to her back in a carrying cloth was spreading out a cloth.

On a tray atop the cloth sat steaming potatoes and a jug of homemade liquor.

"Dear, are you hungry?"

The woman welcomed her husband warmly, then paused when she noticed Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo. It was unusual to see strangers with him.

The farmer said gruffly, "They're travelers passing through. It's more fun to eat with others than alone."

"Again with this?"

The woman shook her head with a look of resignation. Her reaction suggested this was far from the first time.

But after a moment, she smiled brightly and said, "All we have are potatoes, but please eat."

Like husband, like wife—she, too, seemed to enjoy sharing with others.

"Thank you."

Bang Jin-bo sat down without the slightest hesitation, bowing gratefully. The woman covered her mouth and laughed.

Dam Ho also sat down heavily beside Bang Jin-bo.

The farmer picked up a large potato and handed it to Dam Ho.

"Please eat."

"Much obliged."

"Don't mention it. We have plenty of potatoes."

The farmer answered gruffly and began eating. His wife smiled softly at the sight of him.

He was truly a man of great warmth. When travelers passed by, he could not let them go without offering them at least a piece of potato.

It might be called foolish, but his wife loved him for it. His generous heart and tender nature.

The farmer picked up the jug and said to Dam Ho, "It's homemade liquor. Would you care for some? It may not taste refined, but it will quench your thirst."

When Dam Ho nodded, the farmer poured a full bowl and filled his own as well. Then he immediately began drinking heartily.

"Mmm! Good."

Wiping the liquor from his lips, the farmer smiled. He drank with such relish that Bang Jin-bo swallowed his own saliva without realizing it.

The farmer noticed and asked, "Do you want some?"

"Yes!"

"Liquor is best left until you're grown. When there's hair on your chin, then you can drink."

"Yes!"

Bang Jin-bo's face fell immediately. But it was only for a moment—soon he was eating potatoes with gusto, setting aside his disappointment.

Dam Ho also ate the potatoes with relish. Though they were simple fare without even salt seasoning, they seemed all the more delicious because they contained the farmer's wife's devotion to her husband.

The woman crouched in place and watched Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo with curious eyes.

She could tell at a glance that Dam Ho was no ordinary person. His appearance and bearing were clearly different from any traveler she had seen before.

Driven by curiosity, she asked, "Where are you headed?"

"We have no particular destination."

"Then are you wandering?"

"That's right."

At Dam Ho's answer, the woman nodded. Envy was clearly written on her face.

Born here, she had married a man from here.

To her, the world was only this place. That was why she still harbored longing for the outside world. When she saw people traveling freely like this, she often felt envious.

"Have you traveled far? Where was the most beautiful place?"

"Ah! This woman…"

The farmer clicked his tongue, and the woman flinched slightly. But the curiosity in her eyes did not fade.

Dam Ho answered without hesitation, "Of all the places I have seen, Mount Hua was the finest."

"Mount Hua? In Shaanxi Province?"

"Yes."

"Is Mount Hua truly that beautiful?"

"Of all the places I have seen…"

"What scenery at Mount Hua was so beautiful?"

"Well…"

Dam Ho searched his memories.

"Mount Hua is a mountain of stone, with vertical stone steps represented by the Hundred Fathom Cliff and the Thousand Fathom Hall. Climbing them makes you sweat as though rain were pouring down. But once you pass them, the Dragon Ridge comes into view, and beyond that stands Lotus Peak. Lotus Peak is most beautiful at sunset—the colors are exquisite. On the East Peak, the plum blossoms are unparalleled. The scent of plum blossoms carried on the spring wind can make one's head spin. When the plum blossoms fall, all of Mount Hua turns white with petals."

The words flowed from him of their own accord.

Since being trapped alone in the Thousand-Gold Demon Prison, memories that had not surfaced burst forth like a dam breaking.

The small thatched hut atop Cloud Peak, the view of Mount Hua from there, and his own figure with his Master.

The memories of his youth—striving so hard with his small fists to break rocks—swept through his mind like a flood.

Dam Ho's gaze sank deep.

The image of Mount Hua, long forgotten, came alive once more in his memory.

Mr. Jang’s condition, at least outwardly, had not worsened.

Whether the medicinal effects of the menstrual blood and Purple Gold Pills had worked properly, the purple boils that had appeared on his skin had almost completely disappeared.

However, he was still rarely lucid. Rather, the times when he broke out in cold sweats and had seizures during the night had increased. He also frequently showed expressions of pain.

It had already been nearly ten days since Mr. Jang had collapsed from poisoning.

Jin Ja-gang went to the mountains every day to gather medicinal herbs and carefully tended to Mr. Jang, but he gradually felt his limitations.

Not physical limitations, but limitations regarding himself.

‘What could be the reason?’

Was there some other condition he didn’t know about?

Was what he knew theoretically insufficient?

“Ja-gang…”

Mr. Jang, whose face had become half its original size compared to when they first met, called Jin Ja-gang.

Whether his mind had briefly cleared, he was looking up at Jin Ja-gang with hollow eyes.

“Cough cough, cough.”

Mr. Jang, who had been dry coughing, asked Jin Ja-gang.

“Am I… going to die?”

Jin Ja-gang shook his head.

“No. Why would you die, uncle? You’re getting better, so don’t worry and sleep some more.”

“Hehe, yes. I must live. For our Rangrang’s sake too… I must live…”

“You will definitely live. I’m going to go to the mountains for a bit.”

As Jin Ja-gang was about to leave carrying his basket, Mr. Jang called him again. No, it was more like talking to himself while addressing Jin Ja-gang.

“When I get better… let’s live together… somewhere far away… farming or something…”

Jin Ja-gang felt something hot rise from his chest, making him choke up.

Jin Ja-gang too couldn’t forget that warm evening.

Jin Ja-gang nodded.

“Alright. So steel your heart and stay strong.”

Mr. Jang scolded him in a weak voice.

“How can a patient stay strong, you fool…”

Jin Ja-gang smiled awkwardly as he left the house.

There were still targets for revenge remaining.

Baek Li-jung.

He was a mediator of the Martial Arts Alliance who arbitrated disputes between sects, and was known to the world as a great hero.

If he had been a righteous person… if he had been someone faithful to principles, Jin Ja-gang wouldn’t have had to live wandering through this carnage. He wouldn’t have had to harbor resentment and kill so many people.

But he had become corrupt.

He was the one with the highest authority who could have resolved everything at that time.

Having power, he should have been more fair and selfless than anyone else.

But he had used his power for corruption. Rather, he had led the corruption himself.

When he, who was at the pinnacle of power, became corrupt, justice disappeared and order collapsed, and thus Jin Ja-gang’s world crumbled entirely.

That’s why Jin Ja-gang thought he should be punished.

He should die by the hands of Jin Ja-gang, who had become a victim due to his misgovernment.

That was Jin Ja-gang’s last remaining mission.

But…

But Jin Ja-gang was feeling an intense temptation again at this very moment.

Longing for daily life.

The evening Jin Ja-gang had most wanted from deep in his heart.

He wanted to feel that feeling once more.

Honestly speaking, he had done well enough up to this point. None of the Medicine Sect people trapped in the mine shaft would have known Jin Ja-gang could accomplish this much. So no one could blame Jin Ja-gang if he stopped here.

Just annihilating all five of the Five Great Poison Sects that had dominated Yunnan was already a tremendous achievement. If Jin Ja-gang wanted to add something more to that, wouldn’t that truly be greed?

Moreover, having to kill someone who wasn’t from Yunnan’s poison sects but was in the heart of the Martial Arts Alliance…

“Whew.”

Jin Ja-gang let out a long sigh.

‘For now… let me just think about Mr. Jang’s situation.’

Jin Ja-gang shook his head to dispel his thoughts.

‘If there’s no improvement by tomorrow… I’ll have no choice but to call a physician.’

He hadn’t been back down since stealing the menstrual cloth, so he didn’t know for sure, but there would still be many eyes from the martial world in the village. He was worried that if he called a physician and it was revealed that they were connected to Poison Valley, Mr. Jang might suffer harm.

But if Mr. Jang didn’t recover like this, he would have no choice but to call a physician even at the risk of danger.

However, the situation was proceeding in a direction Jin Ja-gang had never anticipated.

“…”

Jin Ja-gang discovered traces of someone on the mountain path he climbed daily to gather medicinal herbs.

It was a small footprint that would be difficult to notice unless one looked carefully.

Under a tree. A round toe mark imprinted on the humus he had seen while clearing away fallen leaves to gather medicinal herbs.

Jin Ja-gang looked up at the tree. Someone, whoever it was, had been in the tree and jumped down.

‘Even though this is such soft soil, the entire footprint isn’t imprinted, only the toe…’

A master with excellent lightness skill. If it had been an ordinary person, their full body weight would have been applied and the entire footprint would have been deeply imprinted.

Jin Ja-gang covered it with fallen leaves to disguise it as if he hadn’t seen the traces. Then he ate tree fruits nearby and scattered the peels around the area.

Then he continued his mountain journey as if nothing had happened.

Originally, Jin Ja-gang had planned to go down to find a physician the next day, but he went to the mountains that day too.

While traveling the mountains, Jin Ja-gang checked the fruit peels he had thrown around yesterday. He could see that the peels had been stepped on or broken.

Someone was wandering around this area!

And it wasn’t just one or two people.

At least three or four people.

‘They seem to be watching at night or avoiding me when I come.’

Jin Ja-gang gathered medicinal herbs just like yesterday while eating tree fruits and throwing the peels in appropriate places. This time he also threw them in other places, not just around that area.

When he checked the next day, the new peels were stepped on and broken in various places.

It was certain. Their target was himself.

However, it bothered him that they weren’t taking action yet and were only watching. He might need to choose the method of killing them all to eliminate the danger, but he couldn’t yet distinguish between friend and foe.

‘What kind of people are they?’

He couldn’t move carelessly right now. He needed to take more time to confirm their identity and real purpose.

But unfortunately, Jin Ja-gang didn’t have time.

Mr. Jang’s condition was heading toward the worst.

‘Uncle!’

Now Jin Ja-gang truly had no choice left.

Jin Ja-gang took a deep breath and thought.

He needed to prepare for what would happen while he went to the village and what would occur after he returned from being away.

‘What I can use is…’

Wild bottle gourds growing in clusters like a field near Mr. Jang’s house.

There were enough growing in strings along trees and fences to use. Bottle gourds are gourds used as medicinal materials or for making bottles by hollowing out the inside.

They have effects for treating severe boils and scabies, so he had used them when treating Mr. Jang. However, they have some toxicity, so care must be taken in their use.

The toxicity of one gourd is small, but if you chew them all and extract only the poison, it becomes an excellent extreme poison.

‘But there’s no time to use gourds. Something else…’

Jin Ja-gang recalled the pinellia he had discovered while wandering the mountains yesterday.

Pinellia is called banxia because it flowers in midsummer, and it’s a plant that grows to about knee height with three compound leaves growing at the tip of the leaf stalk.

Jin Ja-gang went straight there to check the quantity. There was plenty of pinellia growing in the damp forest.

He pulled up one plant and rubbed the stem part with his hand. Each time he rubbed it, powder fell from the stem like dust and a rotten smell that stung the nose wafted up.

‘The stem has a terrible smell but no poison.’

Jin Ja-gang snapped off the root. The root was a round tuberous root. This part contains toxic components and must undergo sufficient processing when used as medicinal material.

Jin Ja-gang chewed the root.

Like most poisonous plants, it stung the tongue sharply and was spicy. His mouth remained numb for a while.

Jin Ja-gang thought for a moment and nodded.

‘This should be enough.’

Assuming the unknown uninvited guests numbered about ten, he needed to accumulate at least one layer of poison in his dantian. However, the amount of poison one pinellia plant possesses is very minimal. To accumulate more than one layer, he would need to chew at least hundreds of plants to absorb the poison.

And because there was no time, as quickly as possible.

“Whew.”

Jin Ja-gang opened his mouth wide, then closed it and loosened his jaw.

His jaw would probably hurt terribly for a while.

Jin Ja-gang began pulling up pinellia, separating the stems and roots, and started chewing the roots.

* * *

Jin Ja-gang returned home and confirmed there was glutinous rice and regular rice in the storehouse.

He pounded the glutinous and regular rice in a mortar to make powder, mixed it with hulled barley, put it in a pot, and set it over the fire.

Since it needed to be simmered over low heat for a long time, Jin Ja-gang slowly stirred the contents with a ladle while beginning to think about methods for using poison.

‘Until now, I’ve always bitten around my fingernails to extract poison liquid for use.’

Through countless practice, he had reduced the time it took to move the poison accumulated in his dantian to the Shaoze acupoint. Moreover, due to the bodily changes that had occurred this time, the meridians had widened, making that speed much faster.

However, to extract that poison liquid, he still had to tear the skin with his teeth, which took time.

‘Isn’t there a way to use poison more easily?’

They say true top-level poison masters can freely extract and use poison from their palms at will.

From childhood, they accumulate poison in their bodies using secret mental cultivation methods. They accumulate poison in their dantian for consumable use, and even completely change the bone marrow into poison marrow for unlimited use.

And when needed, they can freely emit poison through palm force.

Jin Ja-gang had tried it too, but it didn’t work well. To carry poison with internal energy and expel it outside the body requires special methods of internal energy operation. And that is a secret transmission passed down very secretly by each sect.

Therefore, at lower levels, they use poison by applying it to gloves or by bursting poison sacs. Most of the poison sect masters he had seen used poison in such ways.

He didn’t know how high-level masters he might have to fight in the future, but to survive, he had to always prepare even the smallest things.

“It would be good if the Shaoze acupoint didn’t heal after biting it.”

Jin Ja-gang’s skin heals very quickly even when wounded.

Jin Ja-gang looked at his little finger. Even though he had bitten the tip of his little finger every day to extract poison, it had already healed without even a scar. It should have been tattered by now.

Jin Ja-gang took out a short sword and cut the Shaoze acupoint.

No blood came out. He had become so skilled that he could precisely cut only the Shaoze acupoint without drawing blood, allowing only poison liquid to come out.

“There’s no choice.”

Even if it was troublesome, he would have to cut the Shaoze acupoint every morning for the time being. So he could extract and use poison liquid at any time.

After simmering for half a day, the contents of the pot became sticky.

When he tasted it, it was sweet.

This is called yitang, and in pharmacies it’s used for fatigue or overwork, makes weakness healthy, and is used in prescriptions for constipation. But commonly among the people, it’s just called taffy.

Jin Ja-gang had made taffy.

Of course, since he only knew the method and hadn’t received proper instruction, the taste and condition were just so-so.

Jin Ja-gang took the pot down and let it cool while taking out the contents and shaping them into baby fist-sized lumps. He put them in a basket to dry.

After finishing the preparations, he went to the room.

“Heu… heu…”

Mr. Jang’s breathing had become much weaker than yesterday.

Jin Ja-gang gripped Mr. Jang’s hand tightly.

“Hold on, uncle. I’m going to bring a physician now.”

Whether he understood Jin Ja-gang’s words, Mr. Jang’s hand faintly gained strength.

Jin Ja-gang immediately left the house and headed for Yunhua Village.