Chapter 141: Those Who Have Forgotten the Past, Those Who Cannot Forget (1)

Cho Yeon-woon was frozen stiff.

The ever-present smile had vanished from his face, replaced by a rigid, strained expression.

"Haha!"

An awkward laugh escaped his lips. The disheveled, wild-haired middle-aged man standing before him furrowed his brow slightly.

"Is something funny?"

"No."

With that answer, Cho Yeon-woon lowered his head.

Though there was nothing in all the world that Cho Yeon-woon feared, there was one exception—the man standing before him.

The middle-aged man was extraordinary in every respect. His hair was tangled and matted like a bird's nest, his tattered robes appeared to have been stitched together a hundred times over, and at his waist hung a massive broadsword. Not a single thing about him was ordinary.

Most striking of all were his eyes, barely visible beneath that wild tangle of hair.

Despite being well into middle age, his gaze burned with vigor and confidence. Perhaps that was why he appeared far younger than his years.

The man's name was Jang Il-san.

He was a man who had once shaken the martial world with the great epithet "Demonic Slaying Divine Blade."

He was the Sect Leader of the Baekjeon Sect, the master of the Baekjeon Victory Banner, and Cho Yeon-woon's Master.

Though Cho Yeon-woon feared nothing under heaven, before his Master Jang Il-san, he could not so much as straighten his back.

Jang Il-san regarded Cho Yeon-woon with a look of exasperation. Unable to bear that piercing gaze, Cho Yeon-woon lowered his head to avoid it.

"Tch! Fine, let me hear it then. So the Fist Demon is your friend, is that it?"

"Yes!"

"The man the Murim Alliance has publicly declared an enemy—is your friend?"

"Yes!"

"Heavens above!"

At Cho Yeon-woon's brazen response, Jang Il-san clicked his tongue in disbelief.

"I gave you orders to track down the Demonic Cult, and you go and befriend a demon?"

"It just happened that way, Master."

"You fool!"

"I'm sorry."

"Never mind. If you've already become friends, what's the use of saying more? But remember this one thing: once you give your heart to someone, give your all in that bond. So you never have regrets."

"I will keep that in mind."

A smile rose to Cho Yeon-woon's lips. At that, Jang Il-san struck him on the head with his massive fist.

Thud!

"Ow! Master, what if my head gets even dumber from that?"

"As if it could get any dumber!"

"Ugh!"

Cho Yeon-woon's face crumpled like a sheet of paper.

Jang Il-san snorted at the sight. But only for a moment—soon the smile vanished entirely from his face.

Only then did Cho Yeon-woon wipe the playfulness from his expression and look at his Master.

Until now, it had been the pleasantries of a master and disciple reuniting. But from this point forward, it was time for a serious conversation.

"You will be busy from now on."

"I know."

"There is much you must do."

"I am prepared."

Jang Il-san's eyes sharpened.

"The Demonic Cult is strong."

"Yes!"

"They are stronger than you can imagine. Thirty years ago, we were fortunate enough to defeat them, but do not expect such fortune to follow us again."

A chill clung to Jang Il-san's voice.

He could have rested easy as Sect Leader of a single sect, but Jang Il-san had not wasted a single day, devoting himself wholly to training.

It was because he believed the Demonic Cult would one day return.

"Now that the Demonic Cult has appeared again, the world will certainly be plunged into chaos. Many will die and be wounded."

"But we defeated them thirty years ago. We can defeat them again this time."

"Back then, we were merely lucky."

"Huh?"

Doubt flickered across Cho Yeon-woon's face.

Jang Il-san had stood on the front lines in the war against the Demonic Cult thirty years ago. He had shed more blood than anyone and slaughtered countless demons.

His blade had never known a dry day, and he had fought brutal battles day after day.

It was from such trials that he earned the epithet Demonic Slaying Divine Blade.

The martial artists who followed him had founded what was now the Baekjeon Sect.

That Jang Il-san should fear the Demonic Cult so was, at first glance, difficult to understand.

Come to think of it, Jang Il-san had always been this way.

He had always feared the Demonic Cult and worked to keep them in check. Sometimes his wariness went too far. Cho Yeon-woon had often wondered at his Master's behavior.

For the Master he knew was a man who needed fear nothing.

Jang Il-san placed both hands on Cho Yeon-woon's shoulders.

"Yeon-woon."

"Yes! Master."

"You must become stronger."

"What?"

"Stronger still, so that you may protect the Baekjeon Victory Banner."

"I understand."

Cho Yeon-woon nodded vigorously.

Jang Il-san turned away, muttering to himself.

"If only the Grim Reaper would lend his aid again this time…"

"Grim Reaper?"

Cho Yeon-woon tilted his head, having never heard the word before. But Jang Il-san had already stepped outside.

Cho Yeon-woon tilted his head in confusion.

"Who is the Grim Reaper?"

***

Swish! Swish!

Before Bang Jin-bo's eyes, the massive carcass of a slaughtered ox was being expertly dismantled. He watched intently as the animal was cut into neat, ready-to-eat portions.

The sight of slaughtering a living ox and pig was quite shocking. But that could not extinguish Bang Jin-bo's curiosity about cooking.

He nodded as he studied the meat being separated by cut.

"So that's how you debone it. Right! Twist it like that, cut the tendons, and the bones come right out."

The nearby woodsmen laughed at the sight of Bang Jin-bo talking to himself and cheering along.

"Haha! Is butchering an ox that fascinating?"

"Heh heh! I love cooking, you see."

"Then you must be a good cook too?"

"A little."

"Is that so?"

The eyes of the woodsman who had spoken to him lit up.

Bang Jin-bo still carried a bundle of crackers on his back. The sight of him was rather comical, yet also strangely earnest.

"Hey!"

The woodsman suddenly called to his companion who was butchering the ox.

"What?"

"Lend this fellow a knife."

"What do you mean?"

"This chubby fellow wants to learn deboning and meat trimming, it seems."

"Why would anyone learn that?"

"Stop talking and lend him a knife. It's not that hard."

"Fine."

At his friend's prodding, the middle-aged man nodded.

"Come here, chubby."

"Yes!"

Bang Jin-bo's face lit up as he hurried over.

"Tch! Is he really that excited? What's so great about cutting meat?"

The watching woodsmen shook their heads. But Bang Jin-bo paid them no mind.

"What should I do first?"

"Let's start with breaking down the carcass. Pick up this big cleaver."

"Yes!"

Bang Jin-bo lifted the broad cleaver.

It was so finely sharpened that the blade gleamed with a cold blue light.

"Be careful. If you handle it wrong, you could chop off your own fingers."

"Got it!"

"Now drive the blade between the breastbone here. Then give it a slight twist…"

Bang Jin-bo moved the cleaver exactly as the man instructed.

Shck! Shck!

The sound of meat being cut rang out with an almost cheerful cadence.

"Good! Now cut the tendons from there."

"Like this?"

"That's right! Then turn it the other way and slide it between the bones. Now apply pressure…"

Pop!

One of the ribs supporting the ox's ribcage sprang free.

"That's it! Well done."

At the man's praise, Bang Jin-bo smiled.

Swish! Swish!

With each stroke of the cleaver, the meat was separated into perfect, ready-to-cook portions.

"That's the loin. It clings to the inside of the ribs—the flesh is tender and delicious. Remember it well."

"Yes!"

"Next is the chuck. The meat is thick, so the blade won't go in easily. Be especially careful."

"Don't worry."

"That's right, push the blade in and follow the line of the spine. Carefully…"

Bang Jin-bo nodded, pouring all his concentration into the blade.

Swish! Swish!

His entire body was soon drenched in sweat.

Breaking down an enormous ox was by no means easy work. His hands trembled, and his breathing grew labored.

But Bang Jin-bo did not stop.

Before long, a bright smile had settled on his face. The woodsmen murmured among themselves at the sight.

"Look at that one. He's cutting bloody meat and he's that happy about it?"

"Indeed! He's even smiling."

Whatever they said, Bang Jin-bo focused every nerve on his fingertips as he carved the meat.

Clang!

At last, when he set down the cleaver, the great ox lay disassembled into neat, ready-to-cook portions.

He had broken down the entire ox by himself.

"Whew!"

Bang Jin-bo wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve.

His entire body was exhausted to the point where he could barely stand, but his chest swelled with the satisfaction of having accomplished something great.

"Well done. Good work."

The man who had taught him to butcher clapped him on the shoulder.

"Heh heh!"

"You're something else."

"Do you cook as well, sir?"

"Cooking—that's for the women."

No sooner had he spoken than the waiting women nearby began packing the cut meat into baskets.

"What, do you want to cook too?"

"Yes!"

"I thought as much. Go on after those women."

"Is that really alright?"

"As if I could stop you."

"Heh heh!"

"Go on! They saw how you handled that meat, so they won't object."

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

"Thanks to you, I learned a great skill. I won't forget it, and I'll make good use of it."

"What great skill. Now go on."

"Yes!"

Bang Jin-bo bowed deeply to the man and followed the women.

His heart was pounding with excitement.

'Heh heh! What kind of dishes will they make at the mountain stronghold?'

The mere thought of learning new recipes filled Bang Jin-bo with happiness.

"Come with us."

"Ho ho ho!"

The women surrounded Bang Jin-bo, laughing warmly.

The woodsmen watched and muttered.

"Is it really that great?"

"I suppose so."

"Well, I'm looking forward to it. What kind of dinner will he make tonight?"

They were laughing and chatting when suddenly a bird flew in over the mountain stronghold.

"Oh, it's a messenger pigeon."

It was a messenger pigeon from the village at the foot of the mountain.

The pigeon flew straight to Hwang Gyeong-mun's quarters.

“Uuugh…”

Groans and the stench of rotted manure echoed through the warehouse.

Jin Ja-gang stepped into the warehouse.

The three or four who hadn’t been hit by poison needles and were still fine stiffened in shock upon seeing Jin Ja-gang.

Jin Ja-gang looked at them and said.

“You’re all familiar faces. The worker and inspector from the merchant group staying at the inn across the street. The peddler, the beggar old man who was under the bridge by the stream…”

The leader who had been playing the role of a peddler shouted with needles stuck all over his face.

“Send up the signal!”

The beggar old man went to the window and lifted the wooden board covering it. Then he lit the fuse of a firework hanging on the window frame.

To prevent this from being stopped, the worker and inspector rushed at Jin Ja-gang.

Jin Ja-gang shook his sleeve. Needles scattered on the floor where the worker and inspector were running.

“Urgh!”

The worker stumbled and stepped on a needle, rolling on the floor. The worker who had rolled to Jin Ja-gang’s feet tried to grab Jin Ja-gang’s leg. Jin Ja-gang stepped on the worker’s hand with his foot.

Even without using internal energy, Jin Ja-gang had done nothing but swing hammers in the mine shaft for eight years without rest. His physical strength exceeded ordinary levels. Jin Ja-gang struck the worker’s head with his palm.

Thong!

The worker’s head hit the floor and bounced. Whether he had fainted, his pupils rolled back showing only the whites of his eyes.

“Snake Scorpion Poison King!”

The inspector didn’t dare approach Jin Ja-gang and instead grabbed a bundle of fabric that was piled nearby and threw it at Jin Ja-gang.

Jin Ja-gang lightly twisted his body to the side to avoid the bundle while drawing out a long needle and throwing it. The long needle thrown at close range embedded itself in the inspector’s wrist.

“Aaaaah!”

The inspector kicked over a shelf, causing it to collapse as he struggled. Jin Ja-gang was about to move forward but stopped and held long needles between his fingers.

The beggar old man was anxiously looking at Jin Ja-gang while blocking the firework with his body.

Jin Ja-gang crossed both hands simultaneously and threw the long needles. The needles drew the arc of Flying Thread Twelve Branches and embedded themselves in the beggar old man’s neck and back.

“Kheuk!”

In the meantime, the firework stuck in the window caught fire.

Hissss!

Red smoke rose up.

The beggar old man smiled triumphantly.

“Keheheh. You failed to stop me, Snake Scorpion Poison King!”

Jin Ja-gang was about to draw more needles from his sleeve but gave up and lowered his arm.

“That’s how it turned out in the end.”

The beggar old man’s forehead began to turn reddish.

“Hehe! No matter how much you struggle now, there’s no way for you to escape.”

Jin Ja-gang replied expressionlessly.

“Can’t I just kill all of you and escape?”

The corners of the beggar old man’s eyebrows trembled and his eyes gradually drooped.

“Already… this village is surrounded. Not one person can get out alive.”

“I just won’t go to Chae Ridge Mountain.”

“Naturally our warriors are also camped at the entrance to Lan Family Village.”

“I see. Then I can’t escape.”

“Of course not.”

The beggar old man’s cheeks had also drooped. His face was flushed red as if he had bathed in hot water.

“Then what were you planning to do with the people of this village?”

The beggar old man giggled.

“We just… do as we’re told…”

Jin Ja-gang’s expression grew cold.

“What was the reason for leaving me alone all this time?”

The beggar old man answered while laughing.

“From above, they said to wait, hehe…”

“What were you waiting for?”

“The movements of the evil faction…”

The leader made a pained expression but shouted in disbelief.

“Shut your mouth!”

The beggar old man looked confused with a sluggish expression, not understanding.

“Huh? No, why am I… babbling about such things…”

Jin Ja-gang answered.

“It’s not your fault. If you overuse raw ginseng, your body becomes lethargic. The sedative effect becomes excessive. Your mind becomes relaxed and you unconsciously spill everything you know.”

“Uh… mm…”

“I heard everything well.”

The beggar old man’s eyes almost closed as he slumped to the floor.

Soon Bian Bu entered from behind.

“Ah, so they’ve been spying on our movements all this time… So in the end, these damn b*st*rds were trying to connect us with you somehow.”

Bian Bu slit the throat of the worker who had fallen at the entrance with his dagger, then approached the inspector as well. When the inspector, who was still conscious, struggled, he first chopped at his legs with the dagger, and while the inspector screamed, he stabbed his chest and killed him.

Bian Bu grumbled.

“I knew this would happen. You’ve become quite the saint, haven’t you? Can’t you use poison that’s actually lethal? Am I your lackey? Huh? Following you around cutting throats for you?”

Jin Ja-gang looked at Bian Bu as if asking what he was talking about.

“What I used this time was lethal poison.”

Bian Bu examined the others. Most of them had died with blood foam at their mouths.

“…Oh, really? Must be poison with very poor effects.”

“I was thinking of giving them the antidote if they said they weren’t planning to attack this village.”

“…”

Bian Bu made a grumbling expression and looked at the leader.

The leader’s face was swollen.

The leader ground his teeth and said.

“Anyway, you two… will… bury your bones here…”

“May you achieve rebirth in paradise.”

Bian Bu stabbed the leader’s heart without even listening to the rest of his words.

When Jin Ja-gang stared at Bian Bu, Bian Bu shrugged.

“What? What is it?”

* * *

Bian Bu clicked his tongue as he came out of the fabric store.

He had seen red smoke rising from several shops and houses.

It seemed the spies’ hideouts weren’t just in one place but in several locations.

“Since we couldn’t stop them from sending the signal, now they’ll come flooding in like a tide.”

But Jin Ja-gang looked completely unconcerned. Bian Bu frowned.

“Really, you. I don’t like you. What kind of expression is that, like you know everything?”

Bian Bu narrowed his eyes.

“What? Don’t tell me… you planned this from the beginning? You deliberately let them send the signal?”

“They wouldn’t move otherwise.”

“What are you going to do by making them come!”

“I’m not making them come, I’m making them move.”

“So what will you do then?”

“Fight.”

Bian Bu’s face contorted.

“No, someone who wants to fight gives the enemy a signal to prepare? Are you crazy? Why open the gates of hell when you know?”

Jin Ja-gang showed a faint smile.

“Gates of hell… I think I’d be more familiar with that than expected.”

Bian Bu sighed heavily.

“Even if we sneak away, we’d have to fight several times, but you’re causing a riot and fighting… I can’t understand it.”

“Hide well until the fighting is over.”

“Will I be able to stay alive until the fighting is over? Regardless of whether you live or die, the existence of this village itself is uncertain.”

Bian Bu shook his head.

“You still don’t believe my words. Even in the Central Plains where there are so many watching eyes, entire families disappear overnight. How much more so in this remote mountain valley village where ethnic minorities live in the frontier of Yunnan – what watching eyes would there be to hesitate?”

“They will hesitate.”

“So by what means?”

Jin Ja-gang didn’t answer further.

“Hide well.”

Bian Bu sighed.

“Huu. Fine.”

Anyway, due to his injured leg, Bian Bu couldn’t run away properly. Right now, hiding while Jin Ja-gang fought was the best option.

It was obvious that Jin Ja-gang would fail. He could only hope that they wouldn’t touch the village and would just capture Jin Ja-gang.

Fortunately, Bian Bu knew where he should hide to have the best chance of survival. He had survived that way before.

The toilet or a pit where compost and manure were piled.

Since there were cases of being stabbed with swords or spears, if he could endure it once or twice, he could survive.

“If I die from shit poisoning because of you…”

“Ah.”

Jin Ja-gang said as if remembering something.

“Don’t hide in toilets or places where compost is piled.”

Bian Bu’s face contorted.

“Why!”

“It’s dangerous.”

“What’s dangerous about outhouses!”

Jin Ja-gang tied his hair that was fluttering in the wind tightly again and said.

“Yunnan’s winter winds are fierce.”

* * *

Bang!

Whoooosh…

Flames began shooting up here and there throughout the village.

With sounds like gunpowder exploding, the village residents came running out in surprise, causing an uproar.

Due to the already dry weather and fierce winds, the flames quickly spread to the fields and became a wildfire.

People ran around frantically and the village instantly became chaos.

“…”

Bian Bu, watching this from afar, couldn’t help but curse.

“Damn crazy b*st*rd.”

It wasn’t the Zhuge family who had set the fires.

It was Jin Ja-gang.

Now Bian Bu understood why Jin Ja-gang had told him not to hide in toilets or compost piles – it was because he planned to set fire to such places. When toilets or compost catch fire, they explode with loud bangs, creating much more attention than actual fires.

Moreover, since toilets and compost piles usually have no people, there would be the least casualties.

“Crazy b*st*rd…”

Bian Bu trembled.

He still couldn’t understand Jin Ja-gang and why he was doing such things.

* * *

The signal flare announcing that Snake Scorpion Poison King had moved.

And the subsequent fires in the village.

This series of situations caused considerable confusion for the Zhuge family warriors surrounding Lan Family Village.

Both those at the entrance and those at Chae Ridge Mountain were the same.

“Hmm?”

Zhuge Ming’s eyes narrowed as he looked down at the village from the mountain.

“What’s happening?”

Jin Ja-gang had definitely done something, but what it was hadn’t been revealed.

He couldn’t even tell why those fires had started or whether someone had deliberately set them.

“Any communication?”

“None!”

From the lack of further information, it seemed certain that the watchers had been dealt with. Then it would be impossible to enter the village until they knew the meaning of those fires.

The fires were getting worse and worse. It seemed the village would be almost completely burned down.

Even the smoke was rising very thickly.

The billowing smoke obscured their view so much that the village could barely be seen.

Zhuge Son-gi, who was watching this together, looked at Zhuge Ming with a worried expression.

“Elder brother?”

It was a call urging him to decide whether they should enter the village now.

Zhuge Ming fanned himself with his fan due to the burning smell and said.

“Hmm. If he doesn’t want to burn to death, he’ll have to come out of the village. Then at that time…”

But suddenly Zhuge Ming felt something strange.

The flames were spreading and the smoke was rising even more thickly.

But the direction of that smoke was unusual.

“The wind…?”

Zhuge Ming suddenly realized.

“Valley wind!”

The direction of the wind was different from a month ago. The wind had also become much stronger.

Moreover, the wind was blowing precisely toward Chae Ridge Mountain. The smoke was heading toward Zhuge Ming and his men.

If those fires didn’t go out, the fire would climb straight up to Chae Ridge Mountain and engulf Zhuge Ming’s forces.