Chapter 122: The Fluttering of a Butterfly's Wings Summons the Storm (1)

Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo departed from the inn. Due to the incident the previous night, Shouzhou was in an uproar. People were reluctant to go outside, and the streets were lined with Daoists of the Nine Palaces Gate.

The Daoists stopped and searched anyone who aroused even the slightest suspicion. Fortunately, no one approached Dam Ho or Bang Jin-bo. Iron Crown Sage had ordered his disciples never to approach Dam Ho directly. They kept their distance, maintaining vigilance but never drawing near.

The intense gazes directed at them from all around made Bang Jin-bo shake his head. Having followed Dam Ho for some time, he was growing accustomed to it, but it was still unsettling.

'Am I going to become a celebrity at this rate too?'

Bang Jin-bo glanced over at Dam Ho. Dam Ho continued to ride the Dark Stallion in silence, his face betraying no emotion whatsoever. For ordinary people, the near-collision with the Nine Palaces Gate would have been a major incident, but to Dam Ho, it seemed to be nothing of consequence.

'My brother really is something else.'

Bang Jin-bo shook his head slightly. Ever since he began traveling with Dam Ho, the journey had never once been smooth. But he had no desire to part ways with him.

"Hehe!"

A small laugh escaped him. Fortunately, Dam Ho did not seem to notice. He simply urged the Dark Stallion forward in silence.

After riding for some time, the two arrived at the main road leading out of Shouzhou. Nearly a hundred Daoists had gathered there, the Nine Palaces Gate's forces blocking the road to the outside. They were conducting thorough inspections of anyone attempting to leave, scrutinizing women regardless of age with particular care.

As Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo approached, the Daoists' eyes turned toward them in unison. One was a man in black mounted on a black horse, the other a chubby youth carrying an enormous bundle on his back. It was a combination that would stand out anywhere. Yet not a single Nine Palaces Gate Daoist stepped forward. Iron Crown Sage's orders were being faithfully carried out even here—do not approach, do not obstruct.

That was the order.

As Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo passed through the blockade and left Shouzhou, two Daoists came sprinting toward the road at full speed.

"We've found the demoness!"

"She was spotted more than ten li outside the city!"

At their cries, the waiting Daoists rushed off. The road was cleared in an instant, and Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo were able to leave Shouzhou without further trouble.

Bang Jin-bo suddenly asked, "Do you really think that woman injured the Nine Palaces Gate's sect leader?"

"She most likely did."

"How can you tell?"

"When you learn martial arts, you'll understand."

"Really?"

"Yes."

At Dam Ho's words, Bang Jin-bo furrowed his brow. After thinking for a while, he finally spoke again.

"Hyung, I want to learn martial arts."

Dam Ho turned to look at Bang Jin-bo, surprised by the unexpected words. Bang Jin-bo wore an expression of absolute seriousness—something Dam Ho had not seen from him in a very long time.

"You want to learn martial arts?"

"Yes!"

"Do you want to become strong?"

"No."

Bang Jin-bo shook his head.

"Then why?"

"I want to save people."

"……"

"If you learn martial arts, you can cultivate internal energy, right? I was thinking that if you learn to use that internal energy properly, you might be able to infuse beneficial energy into food."

A glint of interest appeared in Dam Ho's eyes.

"What made you think of that?"

"It just occurred to me one day. Internal energy is truly miraculous, isn't it? It can make someone as strong as you, Hyung, and allow them to transcend human limits. So I thought—if you could use that energy to prepare food, it would surely benefit people."

"I see."

"Will you teach me martial arts?"

"No!"

"So I really can't learn?"

"It's not that you can't—it's that I can't teach you."

"What do you mean?"

"My martial arts are destructive. They have nothing to do with the concept you have in mind."

The Dark Shadow Fist, known throughout the world as the Solitary Path style, was a form of martial art that only Dam Ho could practice. To master the Solitary Path style, one needed the same killing intent and dark venom that Dam Ho possessed. Bang Jin-bo had no such killing intent. An ordinary person like him could never master the Solitary Path style, no matter how many times they were reborn.

"Then it's all right for me to learn other martial arts?"

"There is a martial art suited to every person. Somewhere out there, there must be one that suits you."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"If such a martial art exists, can I learn it?"

"Of course."

Dam Ho reached out his large hand and ruffled Bang Jin-bo's hair. Bang Jin-bo smiled with delight. Dam Ho was a man who, once he made a promise, would always keep it. Bang Jin-bo had never once seen him break his word. Someday, Dam Ho would surely find a martial art that suited him. He had promised. Bang Jin-bo began to imagine learning martial arts and became lost in the daydream.

Dam Ho watched him and thought to himself: 'Jin-bo would suit a martial art that harmonizes the energies of the Five Elements.'

Such martial arts were rare in the world. But they were not impossible to find. Dam Ho knew that when a human being devoted themselves to a single pursuit with single-minded determination, they could accomplish a great deal. He himself had grown in such a manner. Since he had walked the harsh path first, he could point others toward a safer route.

It was then that Dam Ho's thoughts were broken. He looked ahead. A sharp scent of blood, carried on the wind, had stimulated his nostrils. A deep furrow appeared between his brows. The smell of blood was stronger than he had expected. He did not wish to be involved, but the problem was that the scent was coming from the direction they were headed.

"Hyung?"

Bang Jin-bo had apparently also caught the smell of blood and snapped out of his thoughts. After traveling with Dam Ho, his sense of smell had become exceptionally keen—perhaps even keener than that of most high-level masters. The farther they walked along the road, the stronger the scent of blood became. And a short while later, they saw the source with their own eyes.

"What is this?"

Countless bodies lay strewn across the road. They were Daoists, wearing the robes and caps of their order.

"They look like Nine Palaces Gate Daoists."

Dam Ho nodded at Bang Jin-bo's words. All had been killed cleanly with a single sword stroke. They had likely felt little pain in their final moments. The sword strikes were neat to the point of being pathological.

Countless dead lay before them, but Dam Ho felt little. Bang Jin-bo, however, was different. Having Dam Ho beside him was some comfort, but the fact that a bloodbath was taking place nearby was enough to make him shrink.

Bang Jin-bo drove his horse forward, glancing around nervously. Dam Ho's expression, in contrast, showed not a trace of emotion. Whatever was happening around them had nothing to do with him. But the affairs of the world did not always bend to Dam Ho's wishes. Less than ten li later, they saw the Nine Palaces Gate Daoists locked in combat with a veiled woman.

"Grr!"

"Push harder!"

The Nine Palaces Gate Daoists shouted and fought desperately, but the veiled woman they faced was as immovable as an iron wall.

The veiled woman was Eum Yu-gyeong. The Nine Palaces Gate's Daoists attacked with desperate tenacity, but Eum Yu-gyeong felt little threat from them. The Nine Palaces Gate's Daoists were certainly strong—but only by ordinary standards. Their swords lacked the will to kill. A sword without the resolve to take the enemy's life was not enough to trouble a woman whose training ran as deep as hers.

The place where she had been born and raised was a land of the survival of the fittest—a hell where weakness was a sin and surviving by one's own strength was the natural order. Eum Yu-gyeong had been born at the very bottom of that hell and clawed her way up to her present position. Neither her mind nor her martial arts were so weak as to be threatened by the warriors of the Nine Palaces Gate. The only burden she felt was the fact that she would have to kill them all.

"Demoness!"

Iron Crown Sage roared at the sight of Eum Yu-gyeong. Seeing the righteous fury in his eyes, Eum Yu-gyeong shook her head slightly. She understood his anger. But anger should not be squandered so recklessly. When facing an enemy beyond one's capacity to handle, preserving one's strength was also a form of vengeance. A leader who, blinded by rage, drove all his subordinates to their deaths was no leader at all.

Tap!

Eum Yu-gyeong kicked off the ground. Her form shot high into the air, then plunged like an arrow toward the spot where Iron Crown Sage stood.

"Who says I will retreat? Yaaah!"

Iron Crown Sage's eyes bulged as he unleashed the most powerful technique in his arsenal. His sword qi erupted like a fan, spreading in every direction. He was attempting to predict and seal off all avenues of Eum Yu-gyeong's evasion. Though the sword qi hurtled toward her at close range, Eum Yu-gyeong did not so much as blink. She twisted her body in midair, and her entire form traced an unpredictable arc.

Ping!

The sword in her hand shot outward. There was no sword qi bound to Eum Yu-gyeong's blade. But as her sword clashed with Iron Crown Sage, he felt a power so immense he could not resist it.

"Demoness, you…"

Schlick!

In that instant, everything was cut through. The sword qi Iron Crown Sage had created. And his chest.

Pit!

Blood spurted. Not a great deal of it. But it was enough to sever his heart meridian and snuff out his life.

Iron Crown Sage's hand, now empty of its sword, flailed uselessly at the air. But only for a moment—then his body collapsed like a sandcastle.

"Elder!"

The Nine Palaces Gate Daoists rushed toward him in a frenzy. Their eyes were bloodshot, their chests seething with rage. Eum Yu-gyeong could feel it. But that was all. Anger unaccompanied by power was merely self-destruction. In any situation, the mind must remain clear, and one must be able to suppress the beating of one's heart.

Shwish! Shwish!

Her sword sliced through the air again and again. The remaining Nine Palaces Gate Daoists lost their lives. It was a truly terrifying swordsmanship.

Bang Jin-bo had never before witnessed such a fearsome display. Everything about Eum Yu-gyeong—from the movement of her blade to her breathing—was restrained to the utmost, achieving peak efficiency.

"Guh! Demoness…"

One of the Daoists, still clinging to life, glared at Eum Yu-gyeong with hatred in his eyes. But only for a moment—the light of life vanished from his pupils along with his focus.

"Whew!"

Only then did Eum Yu-gyeong sheathe her sword and let out a breath. Two unfamiliar gazes suddenly pricked at her. Mounted on horseback, she saw two men: Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo.

"Are you chasing me as well?"

The icy cold in her voice made Bang Jin-bo flinch. But Dam Ho merely studied her in silence. His gaze made Eum Yu-gyeong shudder—it was a look that seemed to see through her entirely.

Dam Ho's lips parted.

"So it was you."

Among the Four Phoenix, Zhuge Yan was famous for her beautiful appearance.

When Zhuge Yan smiled brightly, she didn’t look like a martial artist at all.

“It’s better to hold onto his weaknesses as much as possible. I won’t avoid fighting, but there’s no need to refuse anything that could give us even one more advantage when we do fight, right?”

“Haven’t we already… made sufficient preparations?”

“That’s insufficient. We need to find out why he’s caring for a patient in this place.”

He would advise Zhuge Yan but never go against her will.

Shin Yung immediately changed his stance and offered different advice.

“Please don’t let your guard down, Miss. In any case, he’s someone rumored to have annihilated all five of Yunnan’s Great Poison Sects.”

“Nag. I know. Even if they’re just dirty people who use poison, poison is still poison, so I should be careful. What was it, Hundred Fragrances? They say he even brought down someone like that. And…”

Defiance appeared in Zhuge Yan’s eyes.

“This mission absolutely cannot fail. All the other Three Dragons were also targeting this opportunity. If I fail, they’ll mock and belittle me and our Zhuge family.”

Shin Yung listened silently. Except when nagging, he generally just listened.

“This is a precious opportunity I obtained by throwing away all my pride and selling smiles I didn’t even want to give. Do you know how difficult it was to pull Baek Li-gwon to my side? There are even widespread rumors that the Baek Li family is actually aligned with the Sword Empress.”

Among the Four Phoenix, Zhuge Yan, who was somewhat lacking in martial arts level and family prestige, had lived feeling this as a great shame. It wouldn’t be wrong to call it an inferiority complex, but she herself thought it was others’ jealousy of her outstanding beauty.

Zhuge Yan bit her lips thinking of the other Three Dragons.

“So I have to succeed. No matter what happens, whatever methods I have to use.”

Before Zhuge Yan’s mood could worsen further, Shin Yung fulfilled his duty.

“If we can capture him and escort him to the Alliance, not only will you benefit, Miss, but our family’s prestige will also rise greatly.”

“But if we miss him here today, others will take him.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“He’ll return soon. Let’s go in.”

Zhuge Yan frowned as she stepped on the rotten leaves and entered the courtyard of Mr. Jang’s house.

* * *

The Zhuge family warriors who entered the house while enduring the smell searched through the entire house.

“There’s one patient lying unconscious in the inner room. He has high fever and is in a comatose state – his condition is serious. I think it might be symptoms from poisoning.”

Zhuge Yan asked the warrior if there was anything else.

“We didn’t see any other poison-related items at all.”

“Really? That’s more disappointing than expected. Or maybe he hid them somewhere?”

“However, there is one strange thing.”

“What?”

“Would you like to take a look?”

The warrior led Zhuge Yan to the back yard of the house.

There, black round cake-like objects were spread out in baskets.

“What’s that? Poison pills?”

But they were too big to be poison pills. They were as big as rice cakes that children hold and eat.

Who would carry around such things as poison pills?

Even if you tried to swallow them with water, they wouldn’t fit in your mouth all at once.

“In our opinion…”

The warrior said awkwardly.

“It’s taffy.”

“What?”

“If you look over here.”

The warrior pointed to one side.

There was one lump that had fallen from the basket on the ground, and ants were lined up and clinging to it.

If it contained poison, ants wouldn’t be attached to it like that.

“Is it really taffy?”

Shin Yung stepped forward.

“I’ll confirm it.”

Shin Yung drew up his internal energy to prepare and picked up the lump that had fallen on the ground. It smelled sweet. He brushed off the ants and lightly tasted it with his tongue.

He carefully savored the taste and waited, but there were no major problems. This time he broke off a piece from the lump in the basket and chewed it.

“It’s taffy. There’s no poison at all.”

The other three warriors also picked up the scattered taffy and tasted small pieces. It really was just taffy.

“Originally, houses with patients who are weak and frail from lack of energy often have taffy. Taffy is good for restoring energy.”

“Hmm. But it’s also strange to feed taffy to keep alive someone you’re using as a test subject for poison, isn’t it?”

Zhuge Yan also tasted the taffy.

“It’s not good.”

Perhaps because she was used to only eating high-quality things, it was just severely sweet and tasteless. Zhuge Yan only tasted a little before spitting it out.

“This is just an ordinary private house with nothing special. Why is he staying here of all places? The patient inside is probably that person’s husband, right? He seems to be an ordinary person unrelated to poison sects.”

Zhuge Yan laughed.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. He’s quite bold anyway. To think he was hiding in a private house not far from Poison Valley instead of running away. I hear he’s young too, so I’m looking forward to meeting him.”

But the person himself was later returning than expected.

After the bored warriors waited a long time, even picking up and eating taffy, he finally appeared.

* * *

Noon, when the sun was high in the sky.

Creak.

Someone pushed open the half-open gate and entered.

At first glance, an ordinary-looking appearance without any particular aura.

But his slightly limping gait was particularly noticeable.

Limp, limp.

The limping one!

‘That’s him!’

The limping young man was crossing the courtyard with a blade of grass in his mouth.

‘Snake Scorpion Poison King!’

Zhuge Yan could tell just by looking that he was the one she had been searching for.

But the limping young man glanced over them in the courtyard once, then just passed through the courtyard trying to go to the room!

Naturally, a warrior blocked his path.

The young man, Jin Ja-gang, stopped walking.

Jin Ja-gang turned his head and looked directly at Zhuge Yan. Since he had already heard that she was the highest-ranking person here.

“There’s a patient inside.”

Zhuge Yan examined Jin Ja-gang. His voice sounded as young as he looked. He seemed to be the same age or slightly younger.

His appearance was ordinary, but his exposed skin was particularly unusual. It was transparent and white enough to make Zhuge Yan envious.

Zhuge Yan snorted and mocked.

“Didn’t you make him that way?”

Jin Ja-gang couldn’t answer immediately. In a way, Mr. Jang had been poisoned because of him.

“That might be the case.”

Zhuge Yan twisted her lips.

“Evil faction trash.”

Jin Ja-gang didn’t waver and just looked at Zhuge Yan.

“Are you Snake Scorpion Poison King? What’s your relationship with the man inside?”

“Are you curious about who I am, or are you curious about the person inside?”

“You should be able to answer that much on your own!”

“Then I won’t answer.”

When told to answer on his own, he responded that he wouldn’t answer. Zhuge Yan’s eyebrows shot up.

“Arrogant?”

At that moment, one of the Zhuge family warriors suddenly retched. It was the warrior standing right in front of Jin Ja-gang.

“Ugh!”

The warrior continued retching, then wiped his mouth and cried out in surprise.

“Blood!”

At that moment, what came to the minds of the Zhuge family members was ‘poison.’

Shin Yung shouted.

“Step back! Take poison avoidance pills!”

The warrior was startled and stepped aside from in front of Jin Ja-gang.

Then he took out a poison avoidance pill and put it in his mouth. The other warriors did the same.

Shin Yung and Zhuge Yan also took out poison avoidance pills wrapped in oil paper and pushed them under their tongues.

But Jin Ja-gang just glanced at them once, then simply went into the room.

Zhuge Yan was surprised and flustered.

“When on earth?”

The other two warriors also looked uncomfortable, frowning and rubbing their stomachs.

Zhuge Yan and Shin Yung were the same. Though not as severe as the warriors, they could clearly sense that something strange had happened as their stomachs felt uncomfortable.

Zhuge Yan found it difficult to understand.

‘What? I’ve never heard of or seen this kind of poison technique. Did he use poison while hiding it from my sight?’

The internal energy of prestigious orthodox factions is very pure. Once you reach a certain level, just drawing up internal energy in advance increases your reaction and resistance to poison.

Just in case, she had been subtly circulating internal energy through her body from the moment she saw Jin Ja-gang.

But why were there symptoms of poisoning?

Zhuge Yan’s eyes were full of disbelief.

No matter how skilled a poison master might be, they couldn’t use poison without any sign. Even if they had sent poison through light energy, she should have been able to sense the energy.

He didn’t look particularly skilled in martial arts either…

“Could it be… that taffy from earlier?”

But there was no poison in the taffy. Shin Yung had confirmed it. Then what about that rotten smell from earlier?

Meanwhile, two warriors spat blood. It wasn’t severe, but it was enough symptoms to cause alarm.

“What’s going on!”

Zhuge Yan shouted angrily, but Shin Yung couldn’t answer either. Shin Yung also had to control his bubbling and boiling stomach with internal energy. He also didn’t know the reason.

Then the limping one who had entered the room came out again.

Clatter!

The startled warriors tensely gripped their sword hilts.

However, Jin Ja-gang was neither surprised nor flustered, nor did he get angry. He just looked around at them briefly with indifferent eyes.

Jin Ja-gang simply came out to the courtyard, went to the well, drew water and drank a bowlful. Then he poured the bucket’s water into a pot. He split firewood and lit a fire under the firewood to boil it. No matter how you looked at it, these were ordinary daily actions.

“Wh-what is he doing?”

His completely unconventional attitude made Zhuge Yan uncomfortable.

After poisoning them, he wasn’t saying anything afterward but just doing his usual tasks as if nothing had happened.

This even made it awkward to speak to him!

The warriors were staggering around because their bodies felt strange, and Zhuge Yan had nothing particular to do.

Watching the limping one who paid them no mind, Zhuge Yan’s eyes trembled.

“How dare… is he ignoring me?”

Jin Ja-gang scooped water in the bucket, put it in a jar, and washed his face. After finishing washing, he put grass in his mouth again and went toward the back yard.

His attitude was so everyday and peaceful that it was bewildering whether she should just start cutting with a sword or what to do.

The Zhuge family warriors were equally awkward. This kind of situation was a first for them too.

Jin Ja-gang quickly returned from the back yard. In his hands was a basket containing the taffy that had been hardening.

Jin Ja-gang came to the courtyard and looked into the basket. It had decreased by about half compared to the beginning.

The Zhuge family warriors felt slightly guilty. While waiting and getting bored, they had continuously picked up and eaten the taffy. But that was actually like secretly stealing and eating someone else’s property.

Jin Ja-gang silently looked at the Zhuge family members while chewing grass in his mouth.

Then after a long while, he finally opened his mouth.

“There were thieves in the house.”

Zhuge Yan’s face contorted.

“What are you treating people as? Really, from earlier…”

The limping one held out the basket to show the inside.

“Isn’t that right?”

“Don’t forget that this side’s patience also has limits. Evil faction trash.”