Chapter 404 – The Meeting of Myth and Legend (1)

Anqing was a city located on the mainstream of the Yangtze River. With the massive waterway of the Yangtze River as its backdrop, countless ships docked or stayed here. Thanks to this, Anqing had enjoyed prosperity for a long time. But that was only until not long ago.

As the Demon Cult seized control of the Anhui Province area, the number of ships coming and going decreased to about one-fifth, and when martial artists' footsteps completely stopped, Anqing's long prosperity also came to an end.

The collapse of the Namgung Family, which had been the landlord of Anhui Province, and the numerous sects that had helped them was decisive. As the Demon Cult gained power, people's spending was reduced to less than half, and above all, when people from outside stopped coming, Anqing's economy was ruined.

Vitality disappeared from people's faces, and they were full of dark expressions. The only ones thriving were the people and martial artists who had converted to the Demon Cult.

People proselytizing the Demon Cult could be seen throughout the streets. They gathered people and taught the Demon Cult's doctrine. Among them were those who clearly showed dislike, but they couldn't openly rebel, being mindful of the Demon Cult's gaze.

Thanks to this, the atmosphere of the streets was extremely dark.

A group was entering Anqing. Three men on horseback and one boy following on foot behind them.

It was precisely Dam Ho's group.

"This is really…"

Bang Jin-bo shook his head while looking around the street.

Anqing was a place he had passed through once before. At that time, it was a wonderful city overflowing with vitality. But in its current state, no trace of its former glory could be found.

Namgung Seon-hwi's gaze was fixed on one place. It was ruins near the harbor. Miserable ruins where everything had burned and only ash and foundation stones remained.

If Namgung Seon-hwi's memory was correct, that place was a martial hall established by Namgung So-myeong, a collateral martial artist of the Namgung Family.

Namgung So-myeong had outstanding martial talent that was hard to believe for someone from a collateral branch, and his martial achievements were also exceptional. But due to his status as a collateral member, there was a limit to the position he could rise to within the Namgung Family.

Eventually, Namgung So-myeong left the Namgung Family and established a martial hall here in Anqing. Though he couldn't teach the Namgung Family's true secret techniques at the martial hall he established, he still built up martial basics quite solidly, so it was popular.

Namgung So-myeong's character was also quite excellent, so he belonged to the quite famous people in Anqing.

Namgung Seon-hwi had also come here several times, and each time Namgung So-myeong had warmly welcomed him. Just for the reason of using the same Namgung surname.

The martial hall established by such Namgung So-myeong had disappeared, leaving only ruins. It was the moment when the Namgung Family's collapse approached reality.

"Ugh!"

His breath was blocked as if someone was strangling his throat. He thought he had poured out everything the previous day, but there seemed to be much sediment still remaining.

Namgung Seon-hwi was able to regain his original complexion only after taking deep breaths several times.

'Whew! Whew! Calm down, Namgung Seon-hwi. What great work can you do if you're shaken by this much?'

Thanks to this, he was able to regain his composure quickly, but still not wanting to show his wavering eyes, Namgung Seon-hwi followed Dam Ho with his head down.

The place Dam Ho headed to was an inn near the harbor. It was the place most frequented by customers waiting to board ships operating on the Yangtze River.

Dam Ho's group settled at an empty wooden platform placed in front of the inn.

"Welcome, customers."

As soon as they sat down, the inn owner hurriedly ran over.

Dam Ho ordered simple refreshments from the inn owner and then looked around. Most of the customers around were men. Though it was strangely hard to see any women, Dam Ho didn't question it.

In times like now when neither law nor discipline worked, women and children suffered the most hardships. A woman in her right mind would be wise to refrain from going out. Especially in a place completely controlled by the Demon Cult.

Given the circumstances, it was natural that no women could be seen.

Anxious expressions were also evident on the faces of men waiting to board ships. Even sturdy adult men found it hard to guarantee their lives in turbulent times like now.

Their anxious emotions were being transmitted directly through the air.

Bang Jin-bo raised his head to look up at Dam Ho.

"It'll be like this everywhere we go, won't it?"

Dam Ho silently nodded his head.

It wasn't only happening in Anqing or Anhui Province. As they had experienced in Guizhou Province, the entire world was being swept up in turbulent times.

A world had arrived where having no strength was a sin. For those without power to survive in such a brutal world was an extremely difficult task.

The Namgung brothers stayed close to Dam Ho, holding hands tightly. They too instinctively knew that in such a world, only the strong like Dam Ho could be trusted.

That's when it happened.

"Believe in the Venerable One!"

"If you want to go to paradise, believe in and follow the Venerable One! The doors of the Divine Cult are always open!"

A group passed in front of the inn shouting loudly.

"Damn it! Those guys again?"

"They're people who've attached themselves to the Demon Cult."

Several people muttered while looking at them. Their faces were a mix of displeasure and fear.

The people shouting loudly to believe in the Demon Cult were residents of the same village as them. They had attached themselves to the Demon Cult first and went around propagating their doctrine as soon as the Demon Cult annihilated the Namgung Family and seized control of Anhui Province.

Rather, the tyranny of those who had the Demon Cult backing them was even worse than the Demon Cult itself. Even though they had known each other for a long time, they forced people to believe in the Demon Cult, and if not, they would report to the Demon Cult to cause suffering.

Given the circumstances, people feared and hated those who had become one with them more than the Demon Cult itself.

People bowed their heads to avoid their gaze. Because they didn't know what harm they might suffer if they even made eye contact.

Fortunately, they seemed to just pass by without paying attention to the people in front of the inn. At this, the inn customers sighed in relief. Just passing by without incident was something to be grateful for. But worldly affairs often flowed in directions that were hard to understand, and unfortunately now was that time.

The commotion of those who had been propagating the Demon Cult's doctrine suddenly grew louder. It was because of a woman who appeared in front of them.

She was a beautiful woman who appeared to be in her late thirties to early forties. Not only her hair but even her eyebrows had a subtle red tinge flowing through them, and her deep eyes held a deep yet mysterious light as if containing all the anguish of the world.

Even though the heat had reached its peak, she wore a silver fox fur scarf around her neck and was dressed in luxurious fur clothing, which rather than looking stuffy, increased her mysteriousness.

Not only those propagating the Demon Cult's doctrine but even the inn customers stared at her in fascination.

The middle-aged beauty walked gracefully and sat at an empty wooden platform at the inn. She briefly looked around and then spoke to the inn owner.

"Innkeeper, bring me some simple food and a bottle of wine."

Her voice contained strength unbefitting a woman. At this, the inn owner bowed and answered.

"Yes! Please wait a moment."

"Mm!"

It was when the beauty nodded her head.

"Wait!"

Suddenly a rough voice was heard. When the beauty turned her head, the people who had just passed by propagating the Demon Cult's doctrine were rushing toward her in a group.

She frowned and opened her mouth.

"What's the matter?"

"Hey! Your words are short."

"Short?"

"That's right. Do you know who these elders are to speak like that?"

A man in his forties who appeared to be the leader stepped forward. His pupils looking at the beauty contained the light of greed. The beauty was not someone who didn't know what that meant.

"Tsk! Don't spoil my wine and back off. That would be my mercy."

"Ha! Who's talking about mercy to whom? Don't you know this is the Divine Cult's territory? This Jang-chung has the glorious task of propagating the Divine Cult's doctrine. I'll give you too the chance to learn the Divine Cult's doctrine, so follow me."

"A dog trying to speak human words naturally produces nonsense. Get out of my sight immediately."

"Grrr!"

The face of the one who had identified himself as Jang-chung contorted. He had suddenly become a dog with the beauty's single remark.

He shouted angrily at his companions.

"Did you see this wench disrespecting our sect's doctrine?"

"We cannot leave alone someone who rejects the Divine Cult's doctrine."

"We must capture her immediately and investigate."

Those who had been propagating the Demon Cult's doctrine raised their voices in anger. The inn customers held their breath at their appearance of radiating madness like rabid dogs.

'Those bastards are trying to capture another innocent person.'

'It's all to satisfy their lust. Damn bastards!'

Though they were speaking plausibly, people all knew that Jang-chung and others were acting this way because they were captivated by the beauty's appearance.

The number of women captured by Jang-chung and others in this manner already exceeded dozens. People knew all too well what kind of treatment those captured women received.

Jang-chung forcefully grabbed the woman's delicate wrist.

"Come along obediently, wench! If you resist, you won't avoid a terrible fate, so it would be better to follow docilely."

The beauty was silent. Seeing this, Jang-chung thought the woman was scared. He had often seen most women initially resist fiercely but then become docile when faced with force.

'Hehe! I really did well to follow the Divine Cult. Otherwise, when would I ever get to taste such a wench?'

She was a woman with supreme beauty at first glance. Moreover, she had the mature charm of middle age.

Before following the Demon Cult, the woman was so beautiful that he wouldn't have dared harbor such thoughts. But now it was a situation where he could sufficiently covet her. Because he had the Demon Cult behind him.

That was the reason Jang-chung was pestering the beauty. Looking around, his companions also had similar expressions.

This wasn't the first or second time doing this. Having coordinated many times already, they knew what actions to take just by looking at each other's eyes. They felt their lower bodies already getting stiff and smiled lewdly.

"Sigh!"

At that moment, the middle-aged beauty quietly let out a sigh. Her eyes were submerged so deeply that their depth couldn't be fathomed.

"No matter how much history repeats itself, how can even something like this be reproduced exactly as it was decades ago?"

"What are you talking about? Decades ago?"

"It was the same then. There were countless people like you who committed all kinds of tyranny with the Demon Cult backing them."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Suddenly the beauty raised her head to look directly at Jang-chung. The moment Jang-chung faced her gaze head-on, he felt his heart sink with a thud.

An indescribable strange feeling and sense of discord were ringing alarm bells in his mind.

"Since I came out to the martial world after a long time, I didn't want to see blood, but since it's come to this, I have no choice."

"What nonsense are you spouting?"

Jang-chung shouted even louder to hide his fear.

At that moment, the beauty extended her white hand like a silver fish toward Jang-chung.

"Gack!"

Suddenly Jang-chung screamed and stuck out his tongue. This was because an invisible energy was strangling his throat with tremendous pressure.

"Hey! What's wrong with you?"

"What's this about?"

His nearby companions made a commotion, surprised by the sudden incident.

Then the beauty raised her extended hand upward. At this, Jang-chung's body floated lightly into the air.

Only then did people realize that the beauty was an unimaginably skilled master. To demonstrate the mystery of manipulating objects through air and move a human body like that required internal energy that transcended human limits.

"Gaaah!"

Jang-chung struggled in mid-air. All color had now disappeared from his face.

"P-please forgive…"

"How many women did you rape with the Demon Cult backing you? And how many people did you kill? Have you ever shown mercy to them even once?"

Jang-chung didn't answer. No, he couldn't. All blood flow to his head had been cut off.

The beauty made a gesture of twisting her wrist.

Crack!

Instantly, Jang-chung's neck twisted sharply and broke. Jang-chung died instantly with his tongue hanging out long, unable even to scream.

"Ugh!"

"How can this be!"

Jang-chung's companions who had committed tyranny together didn't know what to do at that terrible sight. Though they had been arrogant with the Demon Cult backing them, fundamentally they were ordinary people who knew no martial arts.

The beauty's gaze turned toward them.

"You're all the same. All equally unqualified to live. So die."

"Gack!"

"Cough!"

As soon as the beauty finished speaking, they vomited blood and collapsed. After writhing briefly, they never moved again.

Seeing this, Dam Ho's eyes sank deeply.

'Heart Word Kill.'

The so-called Word Command … the supreme realm where one could kill people just by speaking.

A legendary martial art that had been passed down only as vague oral tradition appeared before his eyes.

Woon-jeong said as if suddenly remembering.

“Come to think of it, didn’t the Tang family also stockpile large quantities of medicinal materials good for plague?”

Perhaps if they searched warehouses where medicinal materials were stored, something might be found.

“That’s a good idea. I’ll go and see for myself.”

When Jin Ja-gang stood up, the leaders of the three Poison Sect Cliques also immediately rose.

“We’ll also contact our main sects to check if there’s anything strange about the medicinal materials we’ve stored.”

“Then I’ll ask for your help.”

* * *

Jin Ja-gang confirmed the poison ingredients used in making Five Path Fatal Pills, then received Tang Gwi-ok’s permission to visit the Tang family’s medicine warehouse.

Tang Ha-ran accompanied Jin Ja-gang despite her heavy body.

The medicine warehouse was large-scale with over ten rooms.

Tang Ha-ran commanded the warehouse keeper.

“Bring all the lists of medicinal materials that came in related to plague over the past three years.”

Since the family head’s permission had already been given, the warehouse keeper respectfully brought out the ledgers.

Tang Ha-ran looked at the mountain of ledgers and slightly frowned.

“Can we really find it?”

The medicine warehouse was larger than ten ordinary pharmacies combined. There were hundreds of types of medicinal herbs, and even for one type of material, they were divided according to processes like purification, cutting, and preparation, and further divided into dozens of varieties by different degrees of drying, steaming, etc.

Moreover, even plague had various types.

Four seasons plague, seasonal plague, epidemic plague.

Even seasonal plague was divided into western dry plague, damp heat plague, warm poison, etc., and the prescriptions used accordingly differed.

They had to taste all those medicinal materials and check if Five Path Fatal Pill ingredients or poison were mixed in.

Fortunately, they didn’t need to inspect every single item of one type.

Since it would be used in large quantities targeting the entire martial world, not just a small region, any abnormalities would be immediately apparent.

Jin Ja-gang and Tang Ha-ran looked at the ledgers and went around the medicine warehouse checking medicinal materials.

Finding herbs needed for plague in the ledgers and checking them one by one was also considerable work.

If Jin Ja-gang had said he would do it alone, it would have taken an extremely long time.

“I did well coming along, didn’t I?”

Tang Ha-ran asked for praise in a proud voice. Jin Ja-gang responded with a short laugh instead of praise.

When Tang Ha-ran told him where medicinal materials were located, Jin Ja-gang would find them and taste them.

“Bamboo sap.”

A type of bamboo with pointed leaves, where the sap from joints is collected for medicine. Its nature is mild with a slightly sweet taste.

Jin Ja-gang tasted several samples of the cotton bamboo that was the raw material for bamboo sap, the juice extracted from cotton bamboo, and powder made by drying the juice, all lined up on shelves.

“There’s no problem with bamboo sap.”

Tang Ha-ran drew a long line through the ledger with her brush.

“Then next are the ingredients for Fragrant Purify Powder. Licorice, perilla leaf…”

Licorice was one of the medicinal materials that appeared in almost all prescriptions. It was best for hiding Five Path Fatal Pill ingredients or poison itself.

But there was nothing wrong with licorice either. No problems in the raw materials, dried and cut materials, or after completing processing and taking medicinal form.

“Next, Magnolia bark and tangerine peel, ingredients for Divine Emerge Dispersing Energy Powder…”

* * *

Already the second day.

Jin Ja-gang and Tang Ha-ran were still searching the medicine warehouse.

Tang Ha-ran yawned and said.

“Peach leaves. But this isn’t for eating, right? I don’t think we need to taste it.”

Jin Ja-gang thought briefly, then shook his head.

“The Five Path Fatal Pills I know are in antidote form, but they won’t necessarily only be used for consumption.”

Peach leaves are leaves of the peach tree. The flowers are called peach blossoms, branches peach branches, roots peach roots, sap peach resin, seeds peach kernels, using everything as medicine. Especially peach leaves are used by boiling and placing under beds to inhale the steam.

Jin Ja-gang tasted both dried and roasted leaves. He also tried the fumigation effect by boiling.

But there was nothing particularly strange.

“By now I thought something would appear…”

Tang Ha-ran sat for a while drinking tea, then dozed off nodding. She seemed tired from constantly concentrating because of the baby. Jin Ja-gang smiled seeing this and began moving again to search for medicinal materials.

* * *

A full four days had passed while Jin Ja-gang lived in the medicine warehouse with Tang Ha-ran, tasting and checking herbs by type. Yet about one-tenth still remained.

Since he had to chew even dried, hard medicinal materials, even Jin Ja-gang’s jaw hurt as he moved his lower jaw left and right.

But more worrying than the sore jaw was the lack of results.

“We’ve checked this much of the most commonly used materials, but Five Path Fatal Pills are still difficult to trace.”

Tang Ha-ran pushed aside the ledger with crossed-out lists with a tired expression. The remaining materials were herbs for prescriptions used exceptionally in special situations, practically meaningless. They weren’t medicinal materials that could be released in large quantities using plague as pretext.

Five Path Fatal Pills, excluding Soul Extinction from Tang Qing’s bone marrow, were generally composed of ordinary, easily obtainable poisons. So even trying to hide them, they couldn’t be hidden. No matter where they were hidden, Jin Ja-gang’s taste would have found the flavor of poison herbs.

Tang Ha-ran slightly frowned and rubbed her belly.

Jin Ja-gang immediately approached and held her hand.

“Are you alright?”

“A little… tightening.”

Just then, Divine Physician An Yul-jin entered with a servant carrying medicinal soup.

“Tsk, you should take medicine on time but you skipped it, so this happens.”

An Yul-jin checked her pulse and gave her the soup while saying.

“I barely made the poison energy settle inward, but it almost flared up again. The birth date is near, so absolutely don’t skip medicinal soup.”

Jin Ja-gang expressed gratitude.

“Thank you always.”

“It was just a promise with King of Hell.”

Of course, that King of Hell was lying in bed unconscious, unable to even control his bowel movements.

“You did something foolish. You didn’t know heaven and earth would turn upside down in a few days.”

An Yul-jin frowned and clicked his tongue. He had believed Tang Qing’s great undertaking would succeed, but before it even started, everything became useless due to Jin Ja-gang.

“Already in the same boat, though King of Hell is gone, Lady Li Hua will handle the aftermath. So you don’t need to be grateful.”

An Yul-jin refused Jin Ja-gang’s courtesy.

But Jin Ja-gang didn’t completely trust An Yul-jin’s words.

Considering the attitude An Ryeong had shown Jin Ja-gang, one could guess.

An Yul-jin was also someone who, like other noble families, thought of family safety first. But having been in the imperial palace for long years, palace behavior was ingrained in his body. He would attach himself to either side to survive.

Therefore, he wasn’t a trustworthy person.

He was only staying attached because Jin Ja-gang had become the mainstream, but if either the Tang family or Jin Ja-gang went wrong, he would immediately turn his back.

An Yul-jin briefly looked around the medicine warehouse.

“This is my first time in the Tang family’s medicine warehouse, but it’s an amazing level. They have far more medicinal materials than our An family’s medical practice. No, since they absorbed Medicine Sects, it’s natural?”

An Yul-jin didn’t probe deeply.

“I hope there are good results. No, there must be good results.”

An Yul-jin, who spoke bluntly, returned with the servant.

Tang Ha-ran asked wonderingly.

“The Divine Physician’s attitude toward you seems particularly sharp, or is it my imagination?”

“No, you’re right.”

“Why?”

Jin Ja-gang thought briefly, then unconsciously rested his chin on his hand.

“It’s probably because of Miss An.”

“Miss… An?”

Tang Ha-ran’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“I understand she’s the Divine Physician’s granddaughter. I once met her and got involved in an unpleasant matter.”

“Unpleasant… matter?”

“She told me to be prepared if I didn’t want to see blood… or to risk my life for loyalty in an age without loyalty, something like that.”

“She said that to you? Was she trying to die?”

“Actually, I think she said such things more because she was suffering from being unable to keep loyalty herself.”

“Ah… really? That woman said that?”

“It seems the An family medical practice has lived by making somewhat disloyal compromises to survive.”

“You know a lot about that woman?”

“It’s what I heard.”

Only then did Jin Ja-gang look back at Tang Ha-ran strangely.

“But your questioning tone seems strange today…”

Startled.

Tang Ha-ran was smiling mysteriously.

“…”

Tang Ha-ran asked.

“You know this is the first time you’ve rested your chin on your hand and fallen into thought in front of me?”

“…”

“You know?”

“…Did I?”

Jin Ja-gang pretended not to know and lowered his hand from his chin.

“Hohoho.”

“Haha…”

Tang Ha-ran suddenly erased her smile and asked coldly.

“What kind of woman is she?”

Instantly, Jin Ja-gang felt chills down his spine.

“We have no relationship at all.”

“If you have no relationship, why are you making excuses?”

“That’s not it. We should quickly finish the remaining work.”

Without realizing it, Jin Ja-gang turned his back to avoid Tang Ha-ran’s gaze.

He could feel Tang Ha-ran’s piercing stare from behind.

His spine felt cold.

Jin Ja-gang realized that even if the world’s destruction came right now, sometimes there could be scarier things than that…

* * *

They had tasted all medicinal materials related to plague in the medicine warehouse.

But Jin Ja-gang still hadn’t found a clue.

Tang Ha-ran drew a line with her brush on the last ledger and closed it.

The stacked ledgers collapsed with a rumble.

“There’s nothing left.”

“Is there anything we might have missed?”

“There could be.”

Jin Ja-gang looked at Tang Ha-ran in surprise, but coldness emanated from Tang Ha-ran’s eyes.

“A wife might have missed what her husband who wandered outside did.”

Chilling.

Jin Ja-gang tried to answer calmly and stood up.

“I’ll search a bit more.”

He could hear Tang Ha-ran’s irritated breathing from behind.

Jin Ja-gang fled to medicinal material shelves unrelated to plague for now.

“Huh… I didn’t wander outside just to live well by myself.”

Not only was work hopeless with no clues found, but Tang Ha-ran was also being needlessly spiteful, making him uncomfortable.

Looking around at whatever he could reach, Jin Ja-gang suddenly noticed sacks piled in one corner.

There were sacks full of wheat bran, and sacks containing rice, alum, loess, etc.

Jin Ja-gang called the warehouse keeper and asked.

“What’s that?”

“That’s where auxiliary materials are stored.”

Auxiliary materials are ingredients added when processing medicinal herbs. They’re added according to people’s constitution, or to enhance medicinal properties or mitigate toxicity.

Even licorice is processed with auxiliary materials.

‘Could it be…!’

Jin Ja-gang began opening and examining all the sacks piled like mountains on the spot.

Tang Ha-ran came behind him several times, but seeing Jin Ja-gang concentrating, she returned without a word.

Jin Ja-gang finished checking all sacks after another full day had passed.

But…

There was nothing.

There was nothing suspicious in the auxiliary materials either.

‘Where is it?’

His throat was parched.

Jin Ja-gang felt severe thirst and drank several bowls of water from the well.

‘King of Hell! Where on earth did you hide the Five Path Fatal Pills!’