Chapter 85

Kang Gyu and the two experts, who had been traveling since dawn using lightness skill, arrived at the village late in the afternoon.

A warrior from Iron Umbrella Sect who had gone ahead to prepare accommodations was waiting at the village entrance to greet the sect leader.

“Is the inn ready?”

“Yes. It’s over there.”

The warrior guided the sect leader and the two experts.

Two warriors who had departed earlier were standing in front of Hehe Inn, bowing their heads to the sect leader.

“Welcome!”

“We’ve prepared hot water in the inner room. Please relax in the bath while we prepare the food.”

Kang Gyu went to the upstairs guest room and stood in front of the prepared bath. However, he didn’t immediately immerse himself but instead took out a silver hairpin from his head and dipped it into the water.

He was being cautious because there were people targeting them.

Seeing no issues, he finally undressed and entered the bath.

While Kang Gyu was relaxing, the cook prepared food, and the innkeeper and servants brought it out. The food began to be set on several tables in the center of the first floor.

There were no other guests staying at the inn, making it feel spacious and even somewhat desolate.

However, Kang Gyu and the two experts seemed accustomed to such an atmosphere, sitting at the center table and eating the dishes brought to them. Naturally, they tested each plate with the silver hairpin and tasted a little to check for anything suspicious.

But nothing unusual happened until they finished their meal.

In truth, they had been anxious about something happening, so this was actually reassuring.

After Kang Gyu finished his meal, the thirty warriors finally arrived at the inn. Covered in dust, they lined up before Kang Gyu and greeted him.

“We’ve arrived safely.”

“Good work.”

Kang Gyu acknowledged their greeting and went up to rest in his room.

The inn became lively again. The warriors were making a commotion as they ate their late dinner on the first floor.

But then.

Cock-a-doodle-doo!

A sudden chicken’s crow disrupted the night at the inn.

Kang Gyu, who had been lost in thought while drinking tea at the table in his room, frowned.

It seemed like someone was killing a chicken, perhaps to have a drink.

“Hmm.”

It was common for people to enjoy themselves when away from the sect.

But this wasn’t the time for such things!

Their sect was under attack by unknown enemies and facing possible annihilation.

“These foolish bastards can’t get their act together.”

However, the recent anxious atmosphere within the sect had likely dampened everyone’s spirits.

For the sake of morale, he thought he should tolerate it just for today.

Kang Gyu, with a displeased expression, brewed another cup of tea.

His mind was troubled.

‘Who on earth is targeting us? The Martial Arts Alliance? Are there still people in the righteous factions who oppose us?’

There was too much to think about.

‘Or is it the unorthodox factions? But they have no particular reason to feud with us…’

Originally, the poison sects were closer to the unorthodox factions, so they rarely fought with other unorthodox groups.

‘True, they were displeased when we joined the Martial Arts Alliance… but we couldn’t help that. Besides, they wouldn’t go so far as to try to wipe us out over that.’

Cock-a-doodle-doo!

When the threat wasn’t as severe, when news of Stone Forest Gang’s annihilation had just spread, one of the division leaders had casually mentioned:

“Remember when Extreme Poison Sect was destroyed years ago? Could that be related to what’s happening now?”

At the time, he had dismissed it as nonsense. It seemed unreasonable to connect something that happened eight years ago to the present.

But seeing how persistently only the poison sects were being targeted, that comment seemed to have some merit.

‘This is maddening. Are we, who dominate Yunnan’s poison sects, supposed to be frightened by something like this?’

Cock-a-doodle-doo! Cock-cock-cock!

Kang Gyu became increasingly irritated as the chicken sounds continued.

The crowing had been going on for some time.

“How many chickens are they killing? One or two should be enough to eat!”

Unable to bear it any longer, Kang Gyu kicked open his door and stormed out.

The structure of the inn had an open center, allowing those on the second-floor balcony to see the first floor clearly.

Coming out of his room to the balcony, he saw a strange scene unfolding below.

Cock-a-doodle-doo! Flutter-flutter!

A chicken was flying around inside the inn. A young man was chasing it, floundering about trying to catch it.

He wasn’t from Iron Umbrella Sect. He appeared to be a chicken seller from the market, carrying several chicken cages stacked high on an A-frame carrier. But he had loaded too many cages and was struggling to maintain his balance.

Wobbling back and forth, he moved around the cramped inn with his carrier pole touching the ground, trying to catch the chicken.

The Iron Umbrella Sect warriors were watching and snickering, finding it amusing.

It was indeed comical. He could have put down the carrier and caught the chicken, but instead, he was trying to do it while still carrying the load.

How could he possibly catch a fleeing chicken like that?

“Is he some kind of idiot?”

But the very fact that this was happening displeased Kang Gyu.

What time did they think it was to be so carefree!

And with two experts from Poison Valley watching!

The fools weren’t the young man but his own sect members who were laughing.

Kang Gyu shouted angrily.

“What’s all this commotion!”

At his words, all eyes turned to Kang Gyu standing on the second-floor balcony.

“Ah, Sect Leader!”

The warriors quickly stood at attention.

The young man chasing the chicken also stopped, sensing the tense atmosphere.

“Report in detail why this commotion is happening!”

One warrior hastily explained.

“We were eating when suddenly a chicken flew in through the window.”

“And then?”

“This guy came from outside saying his chicken had flown in and asked if he could catch it…”

“So?”

Kang Gyu’s face contorted.

“And you just left him like that?”

“Well… it was so funny that we couldn’t help but watch.”

Kang Gyu gritted his teeth.

“You pathetic fools.”

Cock?

The chicken was pecking at the floor, wandering around the inn as if nothing had happened.

Kang Gyu was about to order them to catch it and throw it out.

“Immed-!”

The young man with the chicken cages bowed deeply in a panic.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I’ll catch it and leave right away!”

Kang Gyu’s mouth fell open.

“You idiot!”

He was carrying the A-frame with chicken cages stacked higher than his head, and he bowed while still wearing it!

Crash!

All the cages tumbled down, and chickens burst out.

Cock-a-doodle-doo! Cluck-cluck-cluck!

The chickens began flapping their wings and running in all directions as if they owned the place.

“Ah…!”

Kang Gyu was furious.

The warriors were alarmed but didn’t dare move freely, watching Kang Gyu for cues.

“My chickens! My chickens!”

Meanwhile, the young man fell while trying to catch the chickens and rolled around. He clutched his ankle as if he had sprained it, rolling back and forth.

“Aaagh!”

Yet he still got up and continued chasing the chickens.

It was absolute chaos.

Kang Gyu was so dumbfounded he couldn’t speak.

The chickens ran around causing havoc. Dishes of food on the tables were overturned and broken. Chicken feathers flew everywhere, and the dirt and sand from the chickens’ bodies scattered in all directions.

Moreover, whatever the chickens had been fed, they were leaving droppings and urine everywhere they went-on the floor, on the tables… white droppings and urine splattered wherever the chickens passed.

Chicken droppings are particularly foul-smelling. In an instant, the smell of chickens and their excrement filled the inn.

Kang Gyu had to hold his nose because of the stench.

A few chickens even flew up to the second floor. Kang Gyu’s face turned red with anger.

How could there be such a commotion over a few chickens when they had important matters ahead!

What if this guy was up to something? Why were they so defenseless!

Snap!

Kang Gyu grabbed a chicken by the neck as it passed by him.

He glared at the young man, then, suspicious, took out his silver hairpin and stuck it into the chicken’s wing and rump.

But only chicken blood appeared; the color of the hairpin remained normal.

‘Was I being too sensitive?’

Kang Gyu tightened his grip on the chicken’s neck.

Crack!

With a chilling sound, the chicken’s neck broke.

Kang Gyu threw the dead chicken down to the first floor.

“Clean this up immediately!”

At that moment, one of the Poison Valley experts moved.

“Let me handle this.”

It was Yang Tae, a Poison Valley expert with the title “Life-Ending Master.”

Yang Tae was in his fifties with a thin body, but he always wore loose, baggy robes that made him appear somewhat plump.

Yang Tae picked up a chopstick container that had fallen and was rolling on the table, then jumped onto the tabletop. The container held bamboo chopsticks.

Yang Tae took out one chopstick, held it with his thumb, index, and middle fingers, and threw it with all his might.

Whoosh!

Cock-a-doodle-doo!

A rooster that was flapping its wings and about to jump onto the table had its eyes pierced by the two-span-long chopstick. The chopstick went through both eyes simultaneously, skewering the head like a kebab.

The rooster fell, flapping its wings with the chopstick stuck in its head.

The Iron Umbrella Sect warriors were amazed by Yang Tae’s martial skill.

Yang Tae began to continuously take out and throw chopsticks.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

With each chopstick cutting through the air, one chicken’s cry was silenced. He was killing them by accurately piercing their eyes and skewering their heads with chopsticks.

It took less than a quarter of an hour to clean up the chaotic situation.

During this time, the young man continued running around trying to catch chickens but hadn’t caught a single one.

The last chicken flew onto a table. The young man desperately rushed to catch it.

Yang Tae threw a chopstick with a sneer.

Whoosh!

Right in front of the young man’s eyes, the bamboo chopstick was forcibly inserted into the chicken’s head.

Flutter.

The chicken with pierced eyes spun in place, flapping its wings before falling headfirst.

“Ah…!”

The young man could only kneel in despair, watching the dead chicken.

The Iron Umbrella Sect warriors gathered the dead chickens. They were easy to carry because of the chopsticks skewering their heads.

Yang Tae glanced at Kang Gyu.

It would have been nice to cook and eat a few since they were already killed, but the atmosphere was not conducive to that.

Yang Tae nodded to the warriors.

The warriors gathered the chickens and brought them to the young man. He staggered to his feet and accepted them. Even dead chickens were better than nothing to minimize his losses.

Yang Tae tossed a few coins in front of the young man who couldn’t speak.

“Be grateful you’re leaving here in one piece.”

The young man hung his head low.

“If you understand, take that and get out.”

The young man hastily picked up the coins and bowed his head in thanks. Then he loaded the blood-dripping chickens onto his carrier and left the inn.

Limp, limp.