Chapter 106: Dragons and Tigers Gather at the Lake (3)

Hwang Hye-ryeong asked.

"You are Jin-bo's brother?"

"That is correct."

"You two don't look alike at all."

"We are not blood relations, but it is the same."

"I see."

Hwang Hye-ryeong smiled softly.

Dam Ho regarded her expression for a long moment. It was clearly a face he was seeing for the first time, and yet the smile did not feel unfamiliar. That was what was strange.

"You said you were involved with the Greenwood?"

"Yes!"

Hwang Hye-ryeong answered readily.

It was a secret that should not have been known to the outside world, yet strangely, she did not wish to hide it from Dam Ho.

"The Grand Chief of the Greenwood, Master Hwang Gyeong-mun, is my father."

"I see."

Dam Ho nodded.

He did not know how formidable a man Hwang Gyeong-mun was, or how tremendous a thing it was to be the Grand Chief of the Greenwood. No—even if he had known, he would not have cared.

That was simply the kind of person Dam Ho was.

He judged people by who they were, not by their background or status. That was why he could clash head-on with the Namgung Family without hesitation.

Hwang Hye-ryeong was slightly shocked by Dam Ho's casual response to learning her great secret.

Bang Jin-bo was young and knew little of the world of the Murim, so his reaction was understandable. But for a martial artist of Dam Ho's caliber to react in the same way was not so easily explained.

"What business does the daughter of the Grand Chief of the Greenwood have here?"

"There are a few things I wish to investigate."

"What things?"

"That is a secret."

"I see."

"But I can tell you one thing. As you might guess, people like us in the Greenwood are extremely sensitive to the movements of the Murim."

"So you came because of the gathering at Dongting Lake."

"That's right. They might be discussing a campaign to subjugate the Greenwood. That is one of the reasons I am here. I cannot tell you the rest. I'm sorry."

"There is no need to apologize. Secrets must be kept."

"Thank you for understanding, Brother."

"……"

"Oh! It's all right to call you Brother, isn't it?"

At Hwang Hye-ryeong's words, Dam Ho nodded silently.

Watching Dam Ho and Hwang Hye-ryeong converse, Bang Jin-bo was quite surprised.

As far as he knew, Dam Ho was not a man who gave his trust to anyone easily. His particular air made it difficult for anyone to approach him casually. Yet he was conversing with Hwang Hye-ryeong as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

Hwang Hye-ryeong was the same. The only person she had opened up to here was Eun So-cheong. She was friendly with Bang Jin-bo as well, but that was due entirely to her connection with Eun So-cheong and his exceptional cooking skills.

The informal manner she was now showing toward Dam Ho was quite remarkable—at least, to Bang Jin-bo's way of thinking.

This time, Hwang Hye-ryeong asked the questions.

"Where is your hometown, Brother?"

"A small village near Taebaek Mountain in Shaanxi Province. It has no name, and it does not even appear on maps."

"What was it like?"

"Just an ordinary village. Nothing special, nothing different—a perfectly unremarkable farming hamlet. The men farmed rice, the women tended vegetable gardens, and they lived out their days that way."

"A place like that… I would like to live in a place like that too. Life in the mountain stronghold is so harsh."

Hwang Hye-ryeong looked up at the sky.

The blue sky stretched endlessly. It was a sight one could see every day upon opening one's eyes, yet today it somehow looked different.

Hwang Hye-ryeong thought it strange. She felt that if she stayed here any longer, she would grow sentimental.

She looked at Dam Ho.

The world called him Fist Demon, or the New Stronghold Blood Star.

Some called him the most demonic man of the age. Others called him one who hungered for blood.

All the rumors that reached her ear were uniformly sinister. But the Dam Ho she had seen with her own eyes was reserved, if not fierce.

He was merely darker and quieter than most—not the sort of man who flew into rages he could not control.

After gazing at Dam Ho for a moment, Hwang Hye-ryeong spoke.

"I should be going now."

"Are you returning to the stronghold?"

"Not yet. There is still work to be done."

"I understand."

"If you ever… need to find me, come to the Tyrant Dragon Stronghold. It is in Huangshan, Anhui Province."

"Very well!"

Dam Ho nodded.

Hwang Hye-ryeong stretched and rose to her feet.

In the distance, Muk Il-gwang was visible.

"I'll be going. I hope to see you again, Brother."

Hwang Hye-ryeong left behind her characteristic smile and departed.

Dam Ho gazed for a long while in the direction Hwang Hye-ryeong had vanished.

Bang Jin-bo regarded Dam Ho with a look of puzzlement. The expression Dam Ho was showing was that unfamiliar.

"Brother?"

"Hey, friend."

Just as Bang Jin-bo was about to say something to Dam Ho, a familiar voice reached his ears. Bang Jin-bo recognized the voice's owner.

'Yeon-woon hyung.'

Cho Yeon-woon was walking toward them through the crowd, waving his hand.

"I've been looking all over for you. Were the two of you having fun without me?"

Paying no heed to the stares of those around him, Cho Yeon-woon shouted at the top of his lungs. That was so very like him.

"Brother! Your voice…"

Bang Jin-bo blushed. Cho Yeon-woon draped an arm over his shoulder.

"You cute thing. You missed your big brother, didn't you?"

"Please lower your voice."

"Heh heh! I know. I missed you too."

Cho Yeon-woon ruffled Bang Jin-bo's hair.

"Sigh!"

Bang Jin-bo let out a sigh.

Cho Yeon-woon turned to Dam Ho and brandished two wine bottles.

"What say you to a drink as the sun goes down, friend?"

"……"

Without even waiting for Dam Ho's response, Cho Yeon-woon plopped down beside him. He then handed one of the wine bottles to Dam Ho.

When Dam Ho took the bottle, Cho Yeon-woon extended his own bottle forward.

"Cheers."

Clang!

The two wine bottles clashed in midair.

Late that night, a large ship was arriving at the pier of Yoyang. It was a vessel capable of transporting both horses and people—a Horse and Man Ferry Boat.

A large gangplank was lowered, and the passengers disembarked one after another.

"Finally, solid ground."

"Oh my! I'm dying."

The mouths of those who had set foot on land for the first time in a long while spontaneously spilled complaints. But smiles bloomed on their faces.

What greeted them was the sight of Yoyang lit up as a city that never slept. The splendid nocturnal view of Yoyang was more than enough to capture their interest.

The people hurried into the night of Yoyang.

After most of the passengers had left the pier, the final guests set foot on land.

"Finally, we've arrived."

The Taoist who was stretching his stiff body in every direction was none other than Myeong-gyeong. Behind him were Sage Hyeon-mu and Han So-yu.

The Taoists of the Mount Hua Sect had finally entered Yoyang. Relief was written on their faces.

Because they had encountered Myeong-gyeong along the way, they had arrived in Yoyang later than scheduled.

Though their bodies were exhausted from the long boat journey, their minds were clearer than ever.

"This is Yoyang?"

Han So-yu was rendered speechless by the city that never slept, spread out before her eyes. Having spent her entire life within Mount Hua, the dazzling sight before her was a spectacle she had never seen.

The same was true for the other Taoists. Having lived their entire lives in austerity, the unfamiliar sights before them made them feel inexplicably inadequate.

Myeong-gyeong, too, was astonished. Before becoming Sage Hyeon-geom's disciple, he had been an outer disciple. But even so, a remote corner of Shaanxi Province had been the extent of the world he knew.

For him, the city that never slept was utterly alien. He even wondered whether people could truly live in such a place.

Sage Hyeon-mu laughed at the expressions of his disciples.

"Ho ho! Is this enough to leave you speechless? There will be sights far more astonishing than this in the future, so it is too early to be surprised."

"There are sights more astonishing than this?"

"Not yet, but you will see them soon enough."

Sage Hyeon-mu swallowed the words 'once the Martial Alliance is established…' The fact that the Martial Alliance was being formed was still unknown to most of the disciples. Only those first-generation disciples like Myeong-gyeong and Han So-yu knew the truth to some degree.

While the Mount Hua Sect's disciples were still marveling at the city that never slept, a middle-aged swordsman and a woman in light attire approached them.

The middle-aged swordsman cupped his fists in greeting to Sage Hyeon-mu and spoke.

"Are you Sage Hyeon-mu of the Mount Hua Sect?"

"That I am. And you are?"

"I am Oh Gun-gi of the Hainan Sect."

"Ah! Elder Oh of the Hainan Sect. This old Taoist is Hyeon-mu of the Mount Hua Sect. Amitabha."

"It is a pleasure to meet you. You must have had a difficult journey."

"There is nothing difficult about it. But did you come to greet us in person?"

"Originally, Elder Namgung of the Namgung Family was to come, but due to certain circumstances, I came in his stead. Please understand."

Oh Gun-gi apologized courteously. Sage Hyeon-mu waved his hand dismissively.

"He is a man who cannot afford to be in two places at once. I can imagine how busy he is. How could I not understand? It is quite all right."

"Thank you for your gracious understanding."

Oh Gun-gi managed a bitter smile.

Namgung Chang was still not in a state to venture out into public.

Though he appeared normal on the surface, his mind was more unstable than ever. The psychological murder Dam Ho had inflicted had shaken his psyche to its very core.

The problem was that he could not confide this to anyone. Having to bear it alone and endure it only made Namgung Chang's mental state all the more precarious.

'Who could have guessed that such an absurd existence would be lurking in a place like this?'

For the time being, mentioning Dam Ho's name was taboo. Particularly in front of Namgung Chang.

That was why Oh Gun-gi had come in his stead to greet the Mount Hua Sect's martial artists.

The Mount Hua Sect was one of the Nine Great Sects.

Having recovered a measure of its former glory, the Mount Hua Sect's fighting force was among the upper echelons of the Nine Great Sects.

They would become a valuable fighting force for the Martial Alliance. They could not be treated lightly, like the five great sects within Hunan Province.

Oh Gun-gi asked.

"Have you arranged your accommodations?"

"We were about to do so."

"That is fortunate. Then please come with us."

"There is no need. We can arrange our own lodgings."

"No, we have already secured a place. There is more than enough room, so you will be comfortable."

"In that case, we will impose upon you for a time. Amitabha!"

At such insistence, there was no room for further refusal. Sage Hyeon-mu had no choice but to accept Oh Gun-gi's offer.

Sage Hyeon-mu gestured to Han So-yu and Myeong-gyeong.

"Come. Pay your respects to Elder Oh."

"Han So-yu of the Mount Hua Sect pays her respects to Elder Oh."

"Amitabha! This humble one is Myeong-gyeong."

Oh Gun-gi nodded at their greetings.

"It is a pleasure to meet you. To see the finest prodigies of the Mount Hua Sect with my own eyes is an honor."

Oh Gun-gi then called out to the woman standing behind him, Hae So-wol.

"This child is Hae So-wol, the senior disciple of our sect. Pay your respects to Sage Hyeon-mu."

At Oh Gun-gi's words, Hae So-wol approached and bowed.

"Hae So-wol of the Hainan Sect greets the Elder of the Mount Hua Sect."

"Ho ho! What a magnificent bearing. A pleasure to meet you. I am Hyeon-mu of the Mount Hua Sect."

"It is an honor to meet you."

"What honor is there in meeting an old Taoist? Since we have met, why not spend time together—youth with youth?"

At Sage Hyeon-mu's words, Han So-yu and Myeong-gyeong greeted Hae So-wol.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Martial Sister Hae. To meet the Azure Dragon in person is an honor."

"I am pleased to meet you. I am Myeong-gyeong, Martial Sister Hae."

Hae So-wol returned their courtesy.

"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Hae So-wol."

Beneath the gentle atmosphere, sharp gazes were exchanged.

Myeong-gyeong and Hae So-wol were both members of the Azure Dragon. But this was the first time they had laid eyes on each other.

Myeong-gyeong recalled Sage Hyeon-geom's instructions.

'Subdue all of the Azure Dragon and proclaim that the sword of Mount Hua is supreme beneath the heavens.'

That was his true purpose for coming to Yoyang.

Wei Zong was stunned.

It felt like he had been struck in the head with a hammer.

They’re dying…

The poison sect forces that were supposed to revive Yunnan’s poison sects.

His ambitions were dying along with them.

Everything was crumbling into nothing like bubbles. Wei Zong’s hideous face became even more distorted.

“Did I cooperate with those b*st*rds just to end up like this?”

The complex conflicts of the martial world raging like a typhoon.

Even in the midst of all that, how hard had he struggled to seek independent survival in Yunnan without interference?

All his efforts and hardships were becoming meaningless at this very moment.

It all seemed over.

But humans are truly frightening creatures.

Despite his feelings of despair, Wei Zong found himself unconsciously observing the faces of those who were dying.

Out of curiosity.

Because he wanted to know how Jin Ja-gang used poison.

Because his pride was hurt that he couldn’t read his opponent’s moves as someone who used poison techniques.

That’s why.

After observing the dying poison sect members in a daze for a while, a thought suddenly flashed through Wei Zong’s mind.

‘Hmm?’

Looking carefully at the poison sect members, they were dying very quickly from the moment symptoms appeared.

This was poison meant only for killing.

How many such poisons could there be in Yunnan?

The limping one had killed Iron Umbrella Sect’s warriors heading to Poison Valley with Abundant Sediment.

This meant he had taken Shadow Bureau’s poison and was using it.

However, he had hardly used Four Emperor Divine Water until now. Four Emperor Divine Water was actually the poison that represented Shadow Bureau more than Abundant Sediment.

‘Could it be… this is Four Emperor Divine Water?’

If the poison that the poison sect members were suffering from right now was Four Emperor Divine Water?

‘Four Emperor Divine Water! Four Emperor Divine Water has been applied somewhere!’

Where!

Wei Zong opened his eyes wide and looked around in all directions, then suddenly looked up at the ceiling.

Drip, drip.

Water droplets falling from the ceiling kept hitting his face.

Wei Zong stuck out his tongue to catch and taste the water droplets.

Though his sense of taste was almost lost due to the Bright Adversity Poison, there was a faint metallic taste. A very slight fishy smell was mixed in. Slightly different from the fishy smell that comes from rain.

Only then did Wei Zong realize where the Four Emperor Divine Water was coming from.

‘What kind of dog-like situation is this!’

Wei Zong immediately gathered saliva and spat it out.

It was rain. The rainwater leaking from above was mixed with poison!

The ceiling or the roof.

For some unknown reason, Four Emperor Divine Water was heavily applied there.

The Four Emperor Divine Water that had been applied fell down mixed with the rainwater leaking from the roof.

The rainwater that fell like that would have splashed on the mucous membranes of the eyes, ears, lips, sweat pores… all over the bodies of the poison sect members.

‘No, wait?’

But there was something strange.

Four Emperor Divine Water was a mixture of various poisons, but the main poison was snake venom. Human skin is surprisingly thick, so snake venom doesn’t cause poisoning just by touching the body.

There’s a reason snakes have sharp teeth. They make holes with their teeth and inject poison into them.

‘What’s falling from the ceiling is definitely Four Emperor Divine Water, but…?’

Something… something else was there.

One other thing was mixed into these raindrops.

Something that Wei Zong and the poison sect members didn’t know about.

Then Wei Zong’s eyes caught sight of an action the poison sect members were unconsciously doing.

The poison sect members’ attention was entirely focused on Jin Ja-gang. They were all just staring at Jin Ja-gang…

Scratch.

He could see someone scratching the back of their neck.

Scratch scratch.

Next to them, someone else scratched their forearm. Another person nearby scratched their forehead and cheeks.

But blood could be glimpsed here and there. Bloody water mixed with the rainwater falling from the ceiling flowed down.

Seeing this, doubt arose in Wei Zong’s eyes.

‘What is that?’

Perhaps because he was watching others scratch, Wei Zong’s arms also became itchy for no reason.

Wei Zong unconsciously tried to scratch his arm but was startled.

Wasn’t this strange somehow?

Not just his arms. His arms, legs, back, and stomach were all itchy.

Could this be itchy for no reason at all?

When Wei Zong looked at the poison sect members again, he could see that those who had been scratching simply at first were gradually scratching harder.

They were even scratching vigorously.

Their attention was entirely focused on Jin Ja-gang.

Most of them didn’t even know they were scratching their own bodies.

They were just scratching unconsciously like Wei Zong had just done!

Until blood showed!

Wei Zong watched quietly.

Those who had been scratching their bodies harder and harder soon twisted their bodies this way and that, then suddenly foamed at the mouth.

Poisoning!

Wei Zong’s eyes widened as if struck by lightning.

Only now did he realize the cause.

If you scratch, you die!

By then, the phenomenon of scratching bodies had completely spread, and almost all the poison sect members in the main hall were scratching their bodies.

It was a truly eerie sight.

Everyone was scratching their own bodies…

Wei Zong drew up his internal energy and shouted.

“Don’t scratch—!”

The poison sect members were startled by Wei Zong’s shout and turned around.

The poison sect members who had been about to scratch their bodies stopped their hands in surprise.

However, there were those who couldn’t stand the itching and soon twisted their bodies while scratching lightly here and there.

Wei Zong shouted again.

“I said don’t scratch— you idiotic b*st*rds—!”

The poison sect members flinched.

But the itching wasn’t something that could be easily endured. The poison sect members didn’t know why, but they bit their lips and endured the itching. Even without scratching, their skin was visibly turning red.

Then some inevitably scratched their arms and legs.

Once you start scratching, you can’t stop.

Due to some other poison that wasn’t Four Emperor Divine Water, their skin had become much weaker. When scratched, sores formed and skin peeled off. Blood appeared.

Pitter-patter.

Raindrops continued to fall from the ceiling.

They knew it was poison rain, but there was no way to avoid it.

It was itchy.

Wei Zong’s arms, legs, and back were also continuously itchy. It was so itchy he could die from being unable to bear it.

His body, soaked in poison rain, continued to cause itching sensations.

But if you scratch, you die.

Because Four Emperor Divine Water penetrates through wounds on the skin caused by scratching.

That was the reason Four Emperor Divine Water caused poisoning.

“This cunning b*st*rd…”

Wei Zong’s gaze met with Jin Ja-gang, who was standing in the middle of the main hall among the poison sect members.

Jin Ja-gang asked with a calm expression.

“Did you figure it out already?”

“Already” was clearly mockery.

Grind grind grind!

Wei Zong ground his teeth.

If there had been even the slightest suspicious sign before, he would have been sufficiently prepared for poisoning. But there had been nothing like that at all.

That’s why he never thought the rainwater falling from the ceiling was mixed with poison.

This couldn’t even be called a mistake.

It was something that happened unavoidably despite paying sufficient attention.

“You…!”

Wei Zong trembled with anger. The poison sect members were forcibly enduring the itching sensation while grimacing and twisting their bodies.

Compared to them, Wei Zong was somewhat better off.

His face had melted due to the Bright Adversity Poison, so he couldn’t feel the itching. His bare flesh just hurt as if it were burning.

* * *

Originally, Jin Ja-gang had planned to apply Four Emperor Divine Water to the roof. If he secretly made holes here and there in the roof while laying tiles, when it rained, the Four Emperor Divine Water would fall into the main hall mixed with rainwater.

Then he could spray Four Emperor Divine Water on everyone below the main hall.

However, that method had a fatal flaw.

As Wei Zong knew, Four Emperor Divine Water was mainly snake venom. Snake venom has almost no effect just from touching the skin or eating small amounts. Even if it fell on the poison sect members’ bodies mixed with rainwater, nothing would happen.

So even if he applied large amounts of Four Emperor Divine Water to the roof, that alone would be meaningless.

What he discovered then was…

Ginkgo.

Wei Zong couldn’t contain his curiosity and asked.

“What… what the hell is it! What kind of poison is this!”

Jin Ja-gang readily answered Wei Zong’s outcry.

“Duck Foot Tree.”

Duck Foot Tree is the ginkgo tree. It’s called Duck Foot Tree because its leaves resemble duck feet.

“Ginkgo? Ginkgo tree?”

Wei Zong repeated the words in disbelief.

The other poison sect members also had expressions of incomprehension for a moment.

That was understandable, because when thinking of ginkgo fruit, one usually thinks of the yellowish-white kernel inside the hard shell. Ginkgo nuts are mainly eaten roasted, but even so, they’re famous for causing stomach pain and inducing epilepsy if consumed in large quantities.

Jin Ja-gang spoke again.

“The outer seed coat of the Duck Foot Tree.”

“Ah…!”

Only then did the poison sect members show expressions of understanding.

The soft outer flesh of the ginkgo tree’s fruit causes considerable itching when it touches bare skin. It causes blisters, makes skin peel off, and even causes redness.

“Then, then this smell was…”

“Ugh!”

The foul smell that had been present since earlier.

Was that smell caused by the outer seed coat of the Duck Foot Tree!

There were so many ginkgo trees around that they hadn’t particularly paid attention to it.

Jin Ja-gang said, looking at the poison sect members surrounding him who were all grimacing.

“It was worthwhile. It was worth enduring the terrible smell and chewing and swallowing hundreds of raw ginkgo fruits.”

“Ugh… ugh.”

The poison sect members clearly had expressions of being unable to bear it.

“If it’s hard to bear, you can scratch. Then you’ll be comfortable.”

Jin Ja-gang even kindly explained.

“These raindrops you’re being hit with contain poison extracted from the outer seed coat of the Duck Foot Tree mixed with Four Emperor Divine Water.”

He had extracted almost fifty drops or more of the Four Emperor Divine Water remaining in his dantian. By simple calculation, it was a massive amount of poison that could kill over five hundred people!

That, together with the poison extracted from chewing ginkgo fruits, had been applied all over the roof and was flowing down with the rain.

“F-Four Emperor Divine Water!”

Only then did the poison sect members understand why their colleagues had been continuously dying.

If it was Four Emperor Divine Water, this intense killing power was understandable.

The poison sect members felt like they were going crazy. They were dying from itching but couldn’t scratch freely, and if they tried to endure it, it was painful.

“Ugh, ugh…”

The poison sect members kept twisting their bodies. They wanted to scratch but knew they would die if they did, so they had to clench their fists and endure.

Having been hit by rainwater falling from the ceiling for a long time, some were already shedding skin. Those who got it in their eyes developed eye inflammation, becoming bloodshot and even showing yellow discoloration.

Scratch and die, or stay still and die anyway.

If they ran outside the main hall, the righteous faction members were waiting.

It was truly being surrounded on all sides.

The poison sect members could only stamp their feet, not knowing what to do.

“Rather…”

Determination appeared in the poison sect members’ eyes.

Rather than continuing to be hit by poison rain in this place, it seemed like there was a higher chance of survival by going out and fighting the righteous faction members.

The poison sect members looked at each other, then watched Wei Zong. Though Wei Zong had a hideous appearance with his melted face and collapsed nose, at times like this he needed to say something. He needed to take the lead and fight.

Only then could they all move together and survive.

Wei Zong was not unaware of the poison sect members’ wishes.

But even in the midst of all this, Wei Zong still hadn’t completely satisfied his curiosity. Wei Zong’s eyes gleamed from behind the melted and stuck flesh as he asked.

“No. That’s not all. There’s still more. What’s the other one?”