Chapter 30

On the return journey, Turan sat in the boat carefully observing the newly acquired unidentified treasure.

Just big enough to fit in his palm.

Round edges and relatively flat front and back, its overall shape was similar to the compass he had brought.

Notably, it had a small button on one side that made a clicking sound and opened a lid when pressed.

Though the inside was empty with unknown purpose, it likely had some function too.

Fortunately, he didn't need to constantly hold this item to use it.

As long as he 'owned' it, like keeping it in a pocket, he could use its abilities anytime.

Turan felt countless presences passing beneath the sea with his eyes closed.

Groups of hundreds of tiny sparks, groups of over ten slightly larger lights, and even larger lights separately…

This detection range extended to about ten meters normally, and up to several dozen to over a hundred meters with concentrated focus.

Only after practicing the detection ability several times did Turan take out his compass again to check direction and head east.

After moving the boat for about an hour.

On the fifth use of detection magic targeting human scent, he finally sensed a faint trace from far away.

'Found it.'

After silently mooring the small boat beside the Blue Marlin and jumping onto the deck, the watchman sailor screamed seeing him.

"Ack! A m-monster- oh, it's Sir Knight? We thought you were staying on the island…"

"Had business."

Like Armani, the sailor had a very faint spark residing in his heart, and was all gray otherwise.

Whether due to racial difference, or because that one was royalty.

Receiving a respectful salute, Turan returned to his cramped cabin and lay on the bed.

Perhaps due to having much to think about, his head felt unusually heavy.

* * *

The next day, Turan slept late until the sun was high, then woke to a strange smell.

What woke him from deep sleep was a strong smell of blood.

'What's this?'

What would cause blood to flow on an island where merchant ships dock, not in the middle of the sea?

Going up to the deck, he could see the reason.

"Ow…"

"It hurts like hell, put some medicine on it!"

Sailors groaning and bleeding from their backs.

Beside them, Boatswain Lenak chewed some unknown herb while swinging a bloody whip in the air several times making sounds.

"Now, everyone repeat! Tardiness!"

"We won't do it!"

"Insubordination!"

"Is death!"

The sailors chanted responses to Lenak's words with dead expressions.

"What's all this about?"

"Oh, you're awake? We're punishing those who came back late after playing last night."

First Mate Osban watching the whipping with a blank expression explained.

Come to think of it, the captain had said something like this when leaving yesterday, but who would have thought they'd actually whip people for returning late.

Turan shook his head after watching the blood-covered deck for a while.

Though someone might die if they weren't careful, it wasn't right for him to intervene and break discipline here.

They had their own rules, and moreover, he had seen the sailors agree to this yesterday.

Instead, Turan observed how different sailors appeared through the holy relic's vision.

Though most showed no major differences, those injured by whipping showed blue flames in those areas turning red and dispersing.

"Where's the captain?"

"He went down to the island. Said he was going to find someone to buy the ship."

"I see."

As the ship's owner, and to check on progress, Turan headed to the island leaving behind the sailors being whipped.

"Hohoho, hahaha!"

"Blegh-"

"You b*st*rd! Think this is a toilet?!"

Miguel Island lived off merchant ships stopping for supplies during trade.

Naturally, many people visible on the streets were sailors from ships docked at that harbor.

Even in broad daylight there were those shouting wildly with drunken unfocused eyes, vomiting, and openly urinating in the streets…

It made him think they actually maintained minimal dignity on the continent.

Passing such sailors and heading to the center, he came upon a relatively clean, large building.

An upscale tavern that supposedly only allowed captains to enter.

As he approached, the large doorkeeper guarding the entrance extended his hand with an incredulous expression.

"Hey, this isn't a place for youngsters like you. If you miss your mother's milk, go find it from the whores over there."

Instead of answering with words, Turan lightly flicked his finger creating a spark, making the doorkeeper's face turn white.

Turan passed by as he bowed deeply and entered the tavern.

"Is that true?"

"I'm telling you! The number of people who fled from there must be at least tens of thousands. It'll probably remain a land of death for a while."

Captain Pires was deep in conversation with another captain who looked about his age in one corner of the tavern.

Noticing Turan's presence as he approached, Pires bowed in surprise.

"Lord Turan."

"Good morning."

"Yes. Though it's a bit late to call it morning… Ah, this is Captain Samudel of the Winter Crow. Unlike me, he's both captain and shipowner, and has agreed to buy your ship."

"Pleased to meet you, Lord Turan."

Captain Samudel was a middle-aged man wearing a pointed triangular hat who, unlike Pires, had both eyes intact but wore a hook on one hand.

Perhaps having bodily defects was a qualification for becoming captain.

Or maybe working as a sailor long enough to become captain inevitably led to injury somewhere.

"Likewise. How did the price work out?"

"Including the ship and various items inside, we agreed on one thousand Zahar gold coins."

Though he hadn't seen Zahar gold coins before and couldn't tell if it was a proper price, since he had promised Pires two-tenths of the profits, it wouldn't have been sold for an absurdly low price.

Turan nodded and naturally took a seat.

"Where are you from, Samudel?"

"Coming from the Enril Desert. With Abacha as destination, exactly opposite route from this friend. I was planning to buy another ship in Abacha anyway, so I'm glad to get one cheaply."

"Oh."

Samudel must have heard from Pires what kind of person he was, as he answered sincerely without looking down on him for being young.

After some small talk for a few minutes while cleansing his palate with salty ham and dates on the table, Turan brought up his main business.

"Could I buy something like a magical device? Or even a small item of equivalent value would be fine."

He explained his situation to the puzzled Samudel.

That he was traveling alone and couldn't conveniently carry around such a large sum.

After hearing the details, Samudel immediately gave an answer.

"This is just a transit area so no one here would have such things, you'd probably need to go to Komad."

Though Miguel Island was a strategic point for North Sea trade, it was just a place to stop for food and drink, and the island itself was too small for its economy to be active enough to have such items.

In fact, the island's natives weren't very wealthy, living off selling alcohol and bodies to sailors.

In contrast, Komad, the port city north of the Enril Desert and the Blue Marlin's destination, was the second largest city in Zahar territory, so there was a high chance of finding what Turan wanted.

"If you'd like, shall I write you a letter of recommendation? I have some connection with the Dirmin family ruling Komad. They have beast tamer bloodline so you could buy trained monsters."

Hearing this, Turan recalled Asiz's horse, Tilly.

That horse too had been purchased from a noble with beast tamer bloodline by the Berk family as a gift for Asiz.

It might be good to raise one like that powerful and intelligent red horse.

"I appreciate it, but…"

Understanding the question of why he would write such a thing, Samudel grinned.

"Since I'm giving you money, I know you have the means to buy trained monsters. I'm just mediating between seller and buyer, so don't feel burdened."

* * *

Two days later, the Blue Marlin resumed sailing after perfectly recovering physical and mental health, except for food, water, and some who had been whipped.

With about 2/3 of the voyage passed, the sailors' morale wasn't bad.

"This voyage isn't bad at all? Pirates became our money bags, and the weather's great…"

"Must be because we're serving a divine descendant."

As if annoyed by the sailors giggling while saying such things, on the third day of sailing dark clouds heavily covered the sky ahead.

The second mate on watch immediately spread word upon seeing this.

"Dark clouds ahead! Everyone prepare!"

The sailors, all experienced with the North Sea's fickle weather, were quick to prepare for the storm.

Boatswain Lenak had sailors loosen ropes to lower the sails, and the helmsman gripped the wheel while swallowing hard.

Others like the cook hurriedly moved items placed on deck inside due to the full hold.

But weather always strikes more unpredictably than expected, and lightning, rain and wind began pouring before preparations could finish.

Wind and rain in a season when snow wouldn't be strange instantly steal body heat.

The sailors tried their best to complete their tasks while shivering with blue lips.

Just then, a huge wave struck the ship's side hard.

"Aaaaah!"

A sailor loosening ropes atop the main mast screamed as he was thrown off by the rebound.

Whether falling onto the deck or into the sea from dozens of meters high, death was certain.

As everyone's faces froze, the falling sailor's body suddenly stopped mid-air.

"…Huh?"

"This way."

Following Turan's command and gesture, the sailor's body slowly descended back to the deck.

From a magician's perspective, ordinary people without magic power were like animals or inanimate natural objects.

In other words, using the same force as moving a person-sized rock could move ordinary people too.

"Get below!"

"Yes!"

After rescuing one person, Turan's activities continued.

He furled the sail that couldn't be tied due to the earlier fall by controlling ropes and cloth, and pushed back cargo rolling on deck.

Plus saving two more sailors who nearly bounced overboard from slipping.

After confirming all sailors except the helmsman had gone below deck, Turan closed the door while going down last.

Though brief, he sighed involuntarily from the extreme tension.

"Whew…"

"Th-thank you, oh god! Thank you so much!"

The one kneeling and sobbing as if in worship was the sailor who had been thrown earlier.

"You're not hurt?"

"No!"

"Good. That's fine then."

After appropriately comforting the sailor by patting his shoulder as he repeatedly expressed thanks, Turan sought Captain Pires.

He was discussing something with other senior sailors with serious expressions, but stopped talking and bowed deeply in thanks when Turan approached.

"Thank you, Lord Turan. Thanks to you, not just the sailors but all of us kept our lives. If we hadn't lowered the sails, we'd probably have sunk by now."

"I'm also one of the ship's crew now, so it's natural. How is it, can we weather the storm?"

"We can only trust the ship and helmsman's skill. The officers and I will need to keep going out to take turns. More worrying is how wet everyone is…"

With all deck cargo moved below, the cabin was packed without room to step.

The sailors, losing body heat to wet clothes, shivered trying to warm themselves with each other's body heat.

Turan watched this quietly before shouting loudly.

["Everyone in a circle!"]

Though thunder still boomed in the sky, his voice carried clearly to everyone in the cabin.

This was a crude imitation of the sound amplification magic used during the Arabion family head's procession.

Though much cruder than theirs, it was enough to reach dozens of people in a cabin this size.

["I'm going to make fire! Gather in a circle around me!"]

"Lord Turan, making fire now could be disastrous."

Captain Pires tried to stop him with a troubled expression.

If fire spread to the walls by mistake as the ship rocked, there would be no greater catastrophe.

"It's alright, I have a way to make fire that won't spread."

"Is that possible…"

Pires stopped himself from asking if that was possible.

He at least knew the magician before him was actually an upper-class powerhouse.

Shortly after, Turan confirmed all sailors had gathered in a circle before creating flame above his hand.

Having firmly fixed his position, the flame's location didn't change even as the ship rocked.

Simultaneously manipulating air flow to spread heat in all directions, warming temperature seeped throughout the cabin melting their bodies.

"Oh god…"

The sailors watched entranced as Turan held fire and shared warmth.

This was a completely different emotion from their exhilaration seeing him massacre pirates with overwhelming power days ago.

'Humans shall worship magicians, and magicians shall rule over and care for humans.'

For the first time in their lives, they felt cared for by a magician.

Chapter 30: Neither Kindness Nor Grudges Are Forgotten (2)

The youth's legs gave way.

It was plain to anyone that the youth was in no condition to fight.

Bang Jin-bo watched the youth with tears in his eyes. The youth was someone he knew well.

So Cha-myung—that was the youth's name, and he was one of the few people who had treated Bang Jin-bo with genuine kindness.

"Brother!"

Bang Jin-bo called out. But So Cha-myung did not seem to hear; he stared at the merchant.

The merchant's name was Geum Ju-sang. He and So Cha-myung were personally close, like brothers. But now, the warmth of old and the bonds of friendship were absent from Geum Ju-sang's eyes.

He must kill So Cha-myung to survive.

That single thought consumed Geum Ju-sang's mind.

"I am sorry."

Geum Ju-sang raised his sword and charged.

"Nnngh!"

Though terrified, So Cha-myung instinctively raised his sword to block.

Clang!

The clash of steel rang through the air.

"Wahahaha!"

"I will bet on the older man."

"Hah! That is no fun. The younger one looks far too weak."

"Fine! I bet one silver tael on the young one."

The Blood Wolf Gang's bandits laughed and wagered.

The lives of Geum Ju-sang and So Cha-myung had become someone's amusement.

"Those… cruel bastards!"

"Brother!"

The captives and Bang Jin-bo wept at the hellish sight.

Not half a day ago, these men had been brothers, caring for one another. To see them now, fighting to the death—this was nothing less than hell.

"This cannot be. Why is this happening…"

Thick tears streamed down Bang Jin-bo's cheeks.

The world he had known was collapsing.

The world that had been his home, his shelter, was crumbling.

His father was dead, and his acquaintances were risking their lives to kill one another.

"This is a dream. It must be a dream."

Bang Jin-bo bowed his head and murmured.

He was retreating from reality, unable to bear what his sober eyes beheld.

Slash!

"Aaah!"

Geum Ju-sang's sword grazed So Cha-myung's wrist, and he screamed. Blood flowed freely from his arm. But there was no time to stanch the wound, for Geum Ju-sang attacked again.

"Die! Please, just die, Cha-myung!"

Geum Ju-sang's bloodshot eyes bulged as he screamed.

So Cha-myung cried out.

"Ju-sang! How could you do this to me?"

"I am sorry. But I have a family."

"I have a wife and children waiting for me back home as well!"

"Then I have already said I am sorry!"

Geum Ju-sang shrieked and swung his sword. He was a demon made flesh.

The bandits watching the spectacle burst into laughter.

"See? The older man is better, is he not?"

"Damn it!"

So Cha-myung was already a blood-soaked figure.

Deep wounds gaped on his shoulder and abdomen, and he staggered unsteadily.

Geum Ju-sang delivered the final blow.

"Nnnaaaah!"

His scream echoed through the night sky. So Cha-myung moved no more.

Geum Ju-sang collapsed to the ground and burst into tears.

"Damn it! Damn it!"

His hands trembled violently.

The reality of having killed the man he called brother finally struck him. Only then did Geum Ju-sang comprehend what he had done, and he fell prostrate on the ground, sobbing.

"I'm sorry, Cha-myung! I'm sorry! Uhhuhuh!"

He scrubbed his bloodied hands against the ground, but the scent of blood would not fade.

"Tch! Boring."

Dong Ja-chwi clicked his tongue.

His face was suffused with irritation. He had wanted a more entertaining fight, but Geum Ju-sang's victory had been too one-sided.

He looked at Cho Bok. Cho Bok nodded and returned to the cage where the captives were held.

The people shrank from his gaze. No one among them wished to kill a loved one with their own hands.

The anguish in Geum Ju-sang's cries tore at their hearts.

'Damn it! I will not end up like that.'

'I will not go so far as to survive.'

They did not wish to be chosen by Cho Bok. But the god of fate was cruel and ignored their pleas.

"This one and this one. Bring them out."

This time, Cho Bok selected two merchants in their early forties. Both belonged to the Silver Lotus Trading Company and shared a close bond.

Cho Bok threw them swords as well.

"Heh heh! Fight."

"You wicked bastards! I will never be your plaything!"

Of the merchants, Yeom Pyeong—a man of steadfast character—glared at Cho Bok. Cho Bok clicked his tongue and looked to another.

The merchant Ju Seol-cheon also shook his head.

"I would rather die than do something so inhumane."

When the two men proved unexpectedly defiant, Cho Bok looked to Dong Ja-chwi with an awkward expression.

Dong Ja-chwi laughed.

"Heh heh heh! Fine men, indeed. Yes, such men exist in this world."

He rose abruptly. The bandits watched with keen interest.

A strange heat burned in their eyes. They imagined what would happen next, and their voices rose.

"They dare refuse our entertainment!"

"Heh heh! How will the chief kill them, I wonder?"

"I bet one tael he takes their heads in a single stroke."

"Then I bet one tael he tortures them."

A gambling frenzy erupted.

The bandits' raucous voices echoed through the clearing, and the captives were gripped by even greater terror.

Roused by the noise, Bang Jin-bo lifted his head.

He saw Dong Ja-chwi approaching the merchants. The man's face was twisted like a demon.

"Heh heh! You dare defy me?"

"Is this the act of a human? To place swords in the hands of loved ones and force them to fight each other?"

"So you refuse?"

"I will die before I do."

Yeom Pyeong answered boldly.

Among the merchants of the Silver Lotus Trading Company, he was known for his exceptional fortitude. He did not cower even before Dong Ja-chwi.

A lesser man would have flinched at Yeom Pyeong's steadfast gaze. But his opponent was none other than Dong Ja-chwi.

As chief of the Blood Wolf Gang, Dong Ja-chwi had been raiding in this region for years. He had no reason to be intimidated by the gaze of a mere merchant.

"You have spirit. And so you refuse to fight?"

"That is correct!"

"Then you must die."

Dong Ja-chwi smiled.

Crack!

"Kugh!"

In that instant, Yeom Pyeong was struck on the temple by Dong Ja-chwi's massive fist and crumpled.

Yeom Pyeong foamed at the mouth, twitching.

Dong Ja-chwi seized him by the collar and lifted him.

"Having spirit is fine, but you should choose your target wisely. Heh heh!"

Dong Ja-chwi forced Yeom Pyeong to meet his gaze.

Yeom Pyeong was already unconscious and could not meet the stare. But Dong Ja-chwi tilted his chin upward with brute force.

"Not knowing your place—that is why you must die."

"I…"

Crack!

Dong Ja-chwi's fist sent Yeom Pyeong's head snapping to the side. But he did not fall. Dong Ja-chwi still held him by the collar with his other hand.

Dong Ja-chwi struck again.

These were not the fists of an ordinary man but of one trained in martial arts. They were no different from weapons.

Crack! Crack!

Dong Ja-chwi's fists hammered Yeom Pyeong's face in succession.

Flesh tore and blood sprayed. His face swelled grotesquely until it was unrecognizable.

Yeom Pyeong had long since lost consciousness. Yet Dong Ja-chwi did not stop.

"How dare you! You, of all people…"

Dong Ja-chwi's eyes blazed with madness even in the darkness.

At his frenzied appearance, the people held their breath. Even the bandits who had been wagering did the same.

The bandits sensed that Dong Ja-chwi had gone too far. They knew well the disaster that followed when his rage was roused.

"Stop! Please!"

Ju Seol-cheon, unable to bear it any longer, pleaded with Dong Ja-chwi. But Dong Ja-chwi was unmoved and continued his merciless violence.

His violence did not end until Yeom Pyeong ceased responding altogether.

Thud!

Yeom Pyeong was battered beyond recognition, like a slab of well-pounded meat. Only the faint rise and fall of his chest indicated that he still drew breath. No other sign of life remained.

Dong Ja-chwi turned his killing gaze upon the captives in the cages.

"Is there anyone else who dares defy me?"

"…"

Everyone held their breath.

No one had the courage to defy him.

"Heh heh heh!"

Dong Ja-chwi's laughter drove into the people's hearts. Their heads bowed lower still.

Dong Ja-chwi's gaze swept over the captives one by one. It stopped at the cage where Bang Jin-bo was held.

"Bring out that fat one."

"Yes!"

The subordinates dragged Bang Jin-bo from the cage and brought him before Dong Ja-chwi.

Dong Ja-chwi looked at Bang Jin-bo and smirked.

"Fatty, do you want to live?"

"Yes! I want to live."

Bang Jin-bo nodded. Dong Ja-chwi placed a sword in the boy's hand.

"Then kill him."

The one Dong Ja-chwi indicated was none other than Yeom Pyeong, who barely clung to life.

"I… I cannot do it."

"If you cannot, you die."

"How could I kill a person…"

"Heh heh! That lump of flesh cannot be more important than your life, can it? Kill him, and you live."

Dong Ja-chwi grinned.

Bang Jin-bo saw in that face the image of a demon.

Dong Ja-chwi gripped the hand that held the sword with both of his and thrust it toward Yeom Pyeong.

"No! I won't!"

Bang Jin-bo shook his head desperately and resisted with all his might. But a young boy could not withstand the brute strength of a martial artist like Dong Ja-chwi.

Shake, shake!

The hand gripping the sword trembled. But it moved ever closer to Yeom Pyeong.

"Please…"

Bang Jin-bo clenched his teeth and shook his head. But Dong Ja-chwi was unmoved and applied more force.

"Wahahaha!"

"Kill him! Fatty!"

"The boy is learning a fine lesson today."

The bandits laughed at the spectacle.

Under the grip of the terrible madness that ruled the place, the captives could only weep.

"This is hell."

Everyone prayed for this hellish time to end.

Swish!

The tip of the sword in Bang Jin-bo's hand touched Yeom Pyeong's throat.

One more push and Yeom Pyeong's life would end.

When Bang Jin-bo felt the human sensation at the tip of the blade and shuddered, closing his eyes—

Thud!

A strange sound suddenly rang through the air.

The sound was quiet but oddly sharp, setting every nerve on edge.

Dong Ja-chwi's expression stiffened.

He looked toward the darkness.

Thud, slide! Thud, slide!

The sound grew clearer.

It seemed like just a little more time would pass before he could move.

“What’s going on?” Jin Ja-gang asked again, mouthing the words. Yong-myeong tried to say something by moving his lips and narrowing his eyes, then frowning, but Jin Ja-gang couldn’t understand.

‘I need to hide the mister again first.’

He thought he should pull Yong-myeong further in and go out to lure the enemies elsewhere.

But then.

There was an acrid smell, and suddenly his head started spinning.

‘Huh?’

Realizing something was wrong, Jin Ja-gang looked around carefully while lying flat. Only then did he notice the dark powder scattered around.

‘Poison powder!’

His head continued to spin until he finally felt like vomiting.

‘Urgh!’

Jin Ja-gang hurriedly covered his mouth. But he couldn’t hold back the nausea rising from within.

“Bleuurgh!”

He couldn’t help making a loud noise.

Though he covered his mouth, stomach acid flowed down his fingers. Even though he hadn’t eaten anything for a while and only bile came out, he continued to retch.

Thud!

Footsteps were heard.

Someone had been hiding nearby!

Jin Ja-gang lowered his body further and moved sideways. However, the uncontrollable retching continued to reveal his position.

“Huurgh! Bleeuurgh!”

The passing footsteps returned and stopped right in front of Jin Ja-gang.

An elderly voice was heard.

“Kukukuk. There’s no point hiding. I’ve scattered Nausea Powder everywhere around here.”

It was Longlao.

“I knew a small brat like you would be crawling on the ground.”

Longlao had used Yong-myeong as bait, scattered Nausea Powder, and lured Jin Ja-gang.

Jin Ja-gang blamed himself for falling into the trap despite being careful. Because he had been crawling on the ground, he inevitably inhaled the Nausea Powder without realizing it.

Jin Ja-gang tried to stand up and run away, but he staggered and sat back down.

“Bleeuurgh!”

By now, Jin Ja-gang was vomiting blood as there was nothing else left to expel. The Nausea Powder, true to its name, caused continuous retching.

Longlao gave a sinister smile.

“Hehe. For those who hide, Nausea Powder is far more effective than Paralysis Powder.”

Longlao looked at Jin Ja-gang for a moment, then unexpectedly spoke to him.

“It’s been a while. Do you remember me? Answer me. I’ll give you the antidote.”

It’s been a while?

Jin Ja-gang, whose mind was completely overwhelmed, was in so much pain that he was willing to answer anything. But Longlao was more cunning than Jin Ja-gang thought.

Just as Jin Ja-gang was about to speak, Longlao drove his foot into Jin Ja-gang’s solar plexus.

Thwack!

Being attacked at a vital point while trying to speak, Jin Ja-gang’s breath was completely cut off.

He rose into the air and then fell.

His breath was blocked, so he couldn’t even scream. Longlao wanted to subdue Jin Ja-gang quietly without alerting the other masters of the pursuit team.

“Kuk, keuup!”

Jin Ja-gang clutched his chest and crawled on the ground.

His solar plexus felt completely blocked with pain. Even amid this, he continued to retch and cough up blood.

Longlao approached and stepped on Jin Ja-gang’s back.

“There is no antidote. The Nausea Powder is fast-acting and will subside soon. But don’t get any strange ideas.”

When Longlao pressed down firmly with his foot, Jin Ja-gang made a wheezing sound as his lungs were compressed.

“Keuuuu.”

He was gripped by fear that his ribs would break and pierce his lungs, or that they might protrude through his back at any moment. It felt like a heavy rock was pressing on his back.

When Jin Ja-gang struggled wildly, Longlao slightly reduced the pressure from his foot.

“If your ribs break, you’ll develop chest pain and won’t be able to breathe, making it difficult to escape. If you don’t want that to happen, don’t try to run away. Though before that, your spine might be crushed first.”

Even in that situation, Jin Ja-gang was looking for a way to survive. However, with his back pinned down, all he could do was struggle. Jin Ja-gang had been completely subdued.

Longlao carefully searched Jin Ja-gang’s body with his deerskin-gloved hands. He was looking for poison.

But there was nothing to be found.

The only thing he found was the Hundred Flower Secret Scripture that Jin Ja-gang was carrying.

“Hmm.”

Longlao thought for a moment, then said:

“Before the others arrive, I’d like to ask you a few questions… Where did you put the poison? Surely you haven’t used it all up?”

From those words, Jin Ja-gang gathered that this old man was alone in the vicinity.

So he nodded. Longlao probably didn’t think that Jin Ja-gang carried the poison within his body.

Longlao applied pressure with his foot.

“Kueok.”

“Ah, that was just me getting angry and making a mistake for a moment.”

Longlao released the pressure from his foot.

“Let’s try again. Are you Jin Ja-gang?”

Jin Ja-gang nodded.

“Were you the one who spread poison around this area?”

When Jin Ja-gang hesitated to answer, Longlao asked again.

“What happened to the men who went after you? Are all four of them dead?”

There was no need to answer that.

“Seeing as they haven’t returned, they must all be dead. Then the traps, snares, and poison were all your doing…”

After thinking for a moment, Longlao suddenly applied pressure with his foot.

“Kueuuuuk!”

“Now, this is the most important question. Where did you get the poison you’re using? It’s from the Mixed Spring Ground, isn’t it?”

As his chest felt like it was about to burst, Jin Ja-gang quickly nodded.

“Hmph, to think we had a treasure in our home all along and never knew it.”

Though Longlao sighed, he couldn’t hide his smile. He was overjoyed at the thought of soon having that poison in his hands.

“Wait a moment. But the only one who entered the Mixed Spring Ground and came out alive was this little brat. That means I’ll have to secretly take him and go to the Mixed Spring Ground…”

Having witnessed the power of Jin Ja-gang’s poison firsthand, Longlao had no intention of sharing it with anyone else.

“What should I do…?”

While Longlao was deliberating, Jin Ja-gang gritted his teeth and tried to clear his mind.

The dizziness that had made the world spin was now subsiding, and the nausea was almost gone.

An ordinary civilian would have suffered from headaches for at least a quarter of an hour. But being Jin Ja-gang, he had already recovered.

As Longlao was considering how to smuggle Jin Ja-gang away, Jin Ja-gang was thinking about how to escape… but pinned down with his back under Longlao’s foot, there seemed to be no way to free himself. All he could do was flail his limbs. Due to the structure of the human body, no matter how far he reached back with his arms, he couldn’t reach Longlao’s leg.

He needed to free himself and have his limbs available to either kill Longlao or escape. He needed to be able to at least scratch with his fingernails…

But there seemed to be no way.

‘Ugh…’

Jin Ja-gang shuddered, thinking of what he had endured at the Extreme Poison Sect. He couldn’t be dragged back and suffer the same fate again.

‘No! I don’t want that!’

Desperately, he looked around. Though it was difficult to move his arms and legs, he searched for anything he could use in his surroundings.

That’s when Jin Ja-gang noticed the red-petaled plant right in front of him.

Even in late autumn, it was still blooming, with the flower stems clustered together and the thin, string-like flowers gathered in the center and spread out.

‘Spider lily!’

The spider lily, like monkshood, is a poisonous plant.

Jin Ja-gang carefully pushed his hand into the soil. Near the roots, he felt a round, onion-like bulb.

Strictly speaking, it’s not a root but a stem. The nutrients and poison are contained in this scaly bulb, which is specifically called Lycoris radiata.

But this spider lily’s poison has a unique effect.

It was something he had learned while playing pranks in Hundred Flower Valley as a child.

‘If I use this…!’

Whether it worked or not, this was the only option left.

Jin Ja-gang screamed, not too loudly, but enough to startle Longlao.

“Aaaah, it hurts! Ah, it hurts!”

Neither Longlao nor Jin Ja-gang wanted to be discovered by others. Surprised, Longlao reduced the pressure from his foot a bit more.

“My chest… my chest hurts. It hurts so much I can’t breathe.”

Jin Ja-gang flailed his arms and legs, clutching at the ground and writhing as if in great pain.

“Hmm? Oh my… Did I step too hard and break a bone? Alright, I understand, so be quiet.”

“Aaaah, it hurts! It hurts!”

Jin Ja-gang made more noise and continued to struggle. He scraped at the ground, scratching frantically.

“Hey, I told you to be quiet. You’re not listening to your elders, are you?”

Longlao applied slight pressure with his foot as a threat, but Jin Ja-gang only struggled more violently.

“Aaaaaaah!”

“Argh. This little…”

Since it seemed like a bone might have broken and pierced Jin Ja-gang’s lung, Longlao couldn’t apply more pressure.

Longlao reluctantly reduced the pressure from his foot and decided to press Jin Ja-gang’s acupoint to silence him.

To press the acupoint on the jaw, he needed to bend down. Pressing the acupoint behind the ear would stiffen the jaw and prevent speech.

Longlao bent down, grabbed Jin Ja-gang’s head, and positioned his middle finger near Jin Ja-gang’s ear.

At that moment.

There was a strong smell of grass.

Since they were deep in the mountains, the smell of grass wasn’t unusual.

What was strange was the sudden intensity of the grass smell.

Suddenly, his nose felt tingly.

Then he felt warmth under his nose.

Drip.

Something fell.

‘…Huh?’

Drip, drip, drip.

When he rubbed it with his hand, bright red blood stained his fingers.

Hot blood was flowing from his nose.

“A nosebleed?”

What could possibly cause a sudden nosebleed?

Longlao was startled enough that his hair stood on end.

Poison!

Longlao quickly moved away from Jin Ja-gang. He was too shocked to even think about stomping Jin Ja-gang to death.

His spine was damp with sweat.

‘How did I get poisoned? That brat was lying down and couldn’t even touch my body!’

Jin Ja-gang, who had been lying face down, got up and as he scraped the ground, he threw soil toward Longlao’s face.

It wasn’t particularly threatening. Longlao easily dodged by turning his head slightly.

The flying soil contained crushed grass, flowers, and small pebbles. But as they brushed past his face, that grass smell wafted strongly!

The moment he smelled it, his head throbbed. His stomach also churned.

“Urgh!”

Longlao immediately stopped breathing and summoned his internal energy. The continuous nosebleed blocked his airway and broke his concentration.

‘How in the world!’