Chapter 356 – A Single Small Pebble Creates Ripples Across the Entire Pond (3)
Time passed quickly.
The season had entered summer, and the heat was at its peak. During this time, many changes had occurred.
Among them, the greatest change was that Hunan Province had completely fallen into the hands of the Demon Cult. The Demon Cult, which had occupied Yueyang, seized all of Hunan Province with terrifying momentum. In this process, countless sects either suffered annihilation or closed their gates.
Hunan Province had now become complete property of the Demon Cult. The Demon Cult thoroughly blockaded Hunan Province. Cut off from external contact, Hunan Province was completely isolated, making it impossible for outsiders to know any news from there. Only a few merchant groups based in Hunan Province could enter and exit, secretly conveying internal news.
Having seized Hunan Province, the Demon Cult further strengthened its forces. They began gathering the forces they had secretly scattered throughout the world to Hunan Province.
The Demon Cult forces that entered Hunan Province in small groups of three to five converged at the main headquarters in Yueyang. The forces gathered this way were countless.
For the past several decades, the Demon Cult had ground its teeth and cultivated numerous forces. Until now they had thoroughly hidden them, but now there was no longer any need to do so.
Hunan Province was their world. Demon Cult branches were established everywhere, and they expanded their influence at a terrifying speed.
They preached to countless people and accepted those with useful talents among them. Having expanded their influence so rapidly, the Demon Cult rode this momentum to invade Jiangxi Province as well.
Jiangxi Province, adjacent to Hunan Province, had no large sects like the Nine Great Sects or Five Great Families. It was also beyond the Martial Alliance's sphere of influence. Therefore, Jiangxi Province fell into the Demon Cult's hands too easily.
With Hunan and Jiangxi Provinces, corresponding to the Central Plains' waist, being seized by the Demon Cult, southern Central Plains became isolated.
Most of the Central Plains' prestigious great sects were located in northern Central Plains, so they couldn't intervene in the southern danger. The only alternative was the Martial Alliance, but they too had moved to the north where Shaolin Temple was located, making southern Central Plains an undefended territory. And the Demon Cult gradually seized this undefended south piece by piece.
The Demon Cult had nothing to fear. The sects in the places they seized resisted with all their might, but what returned was merciless retaliation and violence.
Countless people died and were captured. It was truly the advent of a dark age.
With the situation like this, martial artists in the south abandoned their sects and fled north. They intended to somehow join the Martial Alliance and then recapture the south.
The world's chaos was reaching its peak, just like the hot summer days. People wanted the Martial Alliance and Nine Great Sects to end this chaos as quickly as possible. The Martial Alliance was also doing its best to stop the Demon Cult's expansion, but it still seemed insufficient.
While the Martial Alliance was failing to fulfill its role like this, previously unnoticed martial artists appeared from unexpected places.
Four young martial artists who put the brakes on the Demon Cult's advance that had been seizing the south like breaking bamboo. Those who suddenly arose in troubled times and dealt fatal blows to the Demon Cult were called the Four New Stars by martial world people.
Martial artists who revealed their presence in troubled times like brilliantly shining stars in the sky. They weren't from famous sects like the Nine Martial Dragons. But they were martial artists who had walked only the path of martial arts mastery. Those armed with skill rather than fame.
They became stars of the troubled times as soon as they appeared in martial world history.
Heavenly Bow Archer Yeom Cho-wol.
Life-Taking Guest Oh Gyeong-ui.
Demon-Slaying Blade Guest Dae Gun-sang.
Phantom Fairy Nok Su-bing.
People praised them by calling them collectively the Four New Stars.
The appearance of the Four New Stars became new hope for people. And starting with their appearance, countless young martial artists began to distinguish themselves. Their appearance breathed new vitality into the martial world.
New winds were also blowing in Ruyang County. Ruyang County was located only about a hundred li south of Dengfeng County where Shaolin Temple was situated.
Being positioned at one of the important crossroads leading to Shaolin Temple, countless martial artists visited and passed through here daily. Thanks to this, Ruyang County was enjoying unprecedented prosperity.
Among them, especially inns and restaurants were crying with joy from the crowds of people.
Clear Flow Inn was also one of the places crying with such joy. Clear Flow Inn was particularly favored by guests who came on horseback because it had a spacious courtyard and stables.
Ah-ho was a servant at Clear Flow Inn.
Having entered his third year as a servant, one of Ah-ho's jobs was managing the horses of martial artists staying at the inn.
Martial artists treasured their horses like their own bodies, so thunder would fall if their condition worsened even slightly. Therefore, the inn owner specially managed the martial artists' horses.
Having spent his childhood in stables, Ah-ho knew more about horses than anyone. He could grasp their condition and problems just by looking at their breathing and tail movements.
"Good grief!"
Such Ah-ho clicked his tongue while looking at the horse before his eyes.
It was a pure white horse without a single mixed hair. Its muscles were well-developed, and it was also large in size, looking down far below at ordinary horses.
It was surely a rare famous horse. But the problem was that its temperament was too nasty.
Because too many horses had come in, they had to put two or three horses in one stall. But the white horse wouldn't tolerate other horses being in the same space. When other horses were put in, it would bite and kick them out.
"Its personality is as nasty as its owner's. Tsk!"
Ah-ho recalled the white horse's owner.
He was a middle-aged martial artist who had lodged this afternoon. He was a very famous martial artist with tremendous intimidating presence. Because of this, the moment he appeared, all the martial artists staying at Clear Flow Inn had to watch his mood.
Indeed, he had an explosive personality and tremendous martial arts, so among those staying at the inn, no one existed who could match him. And the white horse he rode also had a nasty temperament, resembling its owner.
He didn't want to feed the white horse if he had his way. But if the owner knew his horse was starving, who knew how much of a fuss he would make.
Ah-ho shook his head and walked toward the furnace on one side of the stable. Above the furnace hung a large pot, and inside the pot, beans and oats were cooking. They were feed for the horses.
Neigh!
As soon as he opened the lid, the notorious white horse went wild. It was causing a ruckus, demanding to be fed first.
When the white horse caused a commotion, other horses joined in.
Neigh! Whinny!
The stable became noisy in an instant. Some horses even kicked at their doors.
"That demon…"
Ah-ho's face crumpled like paper. But the white horse, the actual culprit of the chaos, paid him no mind and went wild like crazy.
"Ahh!"
The chaos in the stable didn't settle at all. Ah-ho's expression looked like he was about to cry.
That's when it happened.
"Can I leave my horse here?"
Suddenly a low voice was heard from behind.
"Huh?"
Ah-ho was startled and turned around. Then he saw a man holding the reins of a jet-black horse. Like his horse, the man was wearing black clothes.
The moment the servant saw the man with disheveled black hair and body covered in a pitch-black long robe, he felt his entire body rapidly shrinking. Strangely, his breathing became blocked and cold sweat flowed.
Ah-ho answered carefully.
"Yes! That's right, but it's difficult to take in horses right now."
"Why?"
The man's gaze turned toward the space where the white horse was. Compared to other spaces that had two or three horses, that place had only the white horse, so there was plenty of room.
Ah-ho hurriedly made excuses.
"That fellow has such a nasty temperament that it doesn't want other horses to be together. It bites and kicks, so your horse might get hurt."
"It's fine."
"We can't take responsibility if your horse gets hurt."
"Alright!"
The man answered and simultaneously handed the reins to Ah-ho. Then he went straight into the inn.
"Well! I don't know either."
Ah-ho scratched his head and looked at the black horse whose reins he had received.
"Ah!"
Instantly an exclamation burst from his mouth.
It was a horse with muscles as well-developed as, no, even better than the white horse inside.
"What kind of horse is this?"
Ah-ho prided himself on having seen quite a few horses while at Clear Flow Inn. Among them were many that could be called famous horses. Like the white horse currently causing a ruckus in the stable. But none of the horses he had seen could compare to the black horse whose reins he now held.
Ah-ho's expression became ecstatic.
"How can this be!"
Without realizing it, he reached out and stroked the black horse's neck.
Snort!
The black horse didn't move and accepted Ah-ho's touch. Even in the way it calmly accepted Ah-ho's touch, dignity could be felt.
Only then did the servant realize the stable was quiet. When he hurriedly looked around, the horses that had been causing a ruckus were wagging their tails with heads lowered as if nothing had happened.
Ah-ho hurriedly looked at the white horse. While other horses had their tails tucked, only the white horse was glaring at the black horse. It was burning with fighting spirit while looking at the black horse.
"Well! I don't know either."
Ah-ho squeezed his eyes shut and put the black horse in the same stall as the white horse.
Rumble!
The stable shook as if it would collapse at any moment.

The man who had left his horse entered the inn.
"Welcome, guest."
The inn owner greeted him.
"Room?"
"You're very lucky, guest. There happen to be a few clean rooms remaining. Among them, the single room is the best, but it's a bit expensive."
Clink!
At that moment, the man took out a silver coin.
"Haha! This is more than enough. Will you also have a meal?"
The owner quickly pocketed the silver coin and asked.
When the man silently nodded, the owner guided him to an empty seat by the window.
"Please wait here for a moment and I'll bring dinner. Hehe!"
After confirming the man had sat down, the owner quickly ran to the kitchen to place the order.
The man sat and slowly looked around.
More than half the tables on the first floor were occupied. Most of those occupying seats had weapons at their waists. Proof they were martial artists.
They paid no attention to the newly entered man and were absorbed in conversation among themselves.
"It's really chaos. For the Demon Cult to seize southern Central Plains so quickly."
"Indeed. All the routes to southern Central Plains have been completely blocked. It's really serious."
"Whew!"
"But people like the Four New Stars have appeared to oppose the Demon Cult, haven't they? It's proof that hope still exists in the world, so there's no need to be too discouraged."
"Right! We must believe that."
They were martial artists who had voluntarily stepped forward to lend strength to Shaolin Temple and the Martial Alliance.
Most of the martial artists staying at Clear Flow Inn were like them. Though their individual martial prowess was weak, they still wanted to lend a hand before the martial world's crisis.
The figures commonly appearing in their conversations were precisely the Four New Stars. Their appearance had awakened many people's chivalrous spirit.
While people were chattering like this, rain suddenly began pouring outside.
Patter!
The rain fell fiercely as if it would sweep away the world. Rainwater splashed through the open window, but the man had no thought of closing it and indifferently looked outside.
At that moment, several people burst through the inn door.
"Oh my! The rain started pouring just as we arrived."
"What kind of rain… Damn it. We're all soaked."
They were completely drenched like drowned mice. Shaking off the water on their shoulders, they approached the owner.
"Do you have any spare rooms?"
"Of course."
"How much is the cheapest room?"
They haggled with the inn owner.
After that, several more people entered the inn to escape the rain. Thanks to this, the inn quickly became bustling with people.
Then the owner came carrying a tray of food.
"I'm sorry. Guests suddenly crowded in, so the food was delayed. Please enjoy."
"Mm!"
The owner placed the food on the man's table and returned to his place.
Even though freshly made food was placed on the table, the man didn't give it a single glance. Like a stone statue, he looked outside for quite a while.
It was then that a gleam appeared in the eyes of the man who hadn't moved at all.
A group was walking toward the inn through the rain. They wore bamboo hats on their heads and waterproof cloaks over their bodies.
As soon as they entered the inn, they removed their bamboo hats and cloaks. Then their faces were revealed.
They were all swordsmen emanating sharp momentum. Even though soaked by rain, blade-like sharp energy flowed from their entire bodies.
In their midst was a woman.
A beautiful woman with hair tinged with blue energy and purple cotton clothes that were particularly impressive.
Instantly, the gleam in the man's eyes became even more intense.

The master made her disciple mute?

Jin Ja-gang felt strange. Had Son Bi done something wrong to receive such punishment?

An Ryeong said.

“Son Bi’s problem was being too pretty. She even had a lot of charm, you know? So how popular she must have been. Countless men always hovered around Son Bi, and Son Bi was disturbed in her martial arts training accordingly.”

“So…”

“She made her unable to smile, unable to answer even when men spoke to her – made her mute. So she could focus only on martial arts.”

That’s why Im Yi-eon had been very displeased when Yuk Ha-seon wrote the character for ‘affection.’

“Even within Southern Sea Sword Sect there were voices saying it was too much, but when you think about it, it’s the same as Shaolin Temple’s Yang cultivation or boy cultivation. If you become too biased toward relationships between men and women, you eventually stagnate. The Sword Empress is extremely wary of that. It’s quite difficult for women to succeed as martial artists in the martial world.”

One sage, two buddhas, three swords, four phoenixes, five kings.

The eight masters of orthodox martial arts. But the Sword Empress wasn’t included there. There’s only one woman – Divine Nun In of Emei Sect.

Had that stimulated the Sword Empress?

Jin Ja-gang, who was listening, unconsciously blurted out.

“Which is happier depends on the person themselves, doesn’t it? I don’t think you must achieve great success in martial arts to be happy.”

An Ryeong stared at Jin Ja-gang.

“What could be greater for a martial artist than succeeding in martial arts? No, more than that, I’m extremely surprised right now. The word happiness coming from your mouth.”

Jin Ja-gang didn’t answer.

The happiness Jin Ja-gang wanted was so small and humble it was embarrassing to mention. But for Jin Ja-gang, it was also more difficult to achieve than anything else.

He didn’t even know if he could survive that long, and even if he survived and completed his revenge, he might get entangled in other revenge. That’s why he was going through this hardship to completely uproot the source and plan for future stability.

“Well, anyway. Son Bi didn’t want to tell you about becoming mute. It’s not really a secret anyway – everyone who should know knows.”

“You said she didn’t want to tell me herself, but now you’re telling me everything.”

“This is something I have to intervene in from the sidelines. Because it seems Son Bi has become interested in you as a person.”

“…”

“This is really amazing, you know? Son Bi has never been interested in any man since losing her voice.”

Jin Ja-gang said nothing.

“I wonder why? You seem to have truly strange charm. To the extent that age difference doesn’t even matter.”

“Don’t you think it’s useless to ask me that?”

“Yeah. I think so.”

“It would be better if you reduced your drinking.”

“Tsk. Some people can only say such things with the help of alcohol.”

She talks about others but doesn’t talk about herself.

Jin Ja-gang, if no one else, knows well what it means to not reveal one’s inner thoughts.

Either hiding them because you’re ashamed of your inner thoughts, or not wanting to say them because you don’t want to depend on the other person.

It’s one of the two.

Thud.

An Ryeong looked up at the sound from the inn’s roof.

“Huh?”

Drip drip drip.

The sound of water drops came from outside the window too.

“It’s raining.”

An Ryeong went to the window and looked outside.

“It’s not the rainy season yet. Is it a shower?”

Soon the raindrops became thick and began pouring down.

Whoooosh…

An Ryeong looked outside the window for a long time before finally returning to her room in the late dawn.

* * *

From early morning, Jin Ja-gang began boiling broth again.

Whoooosh. Amid the falling rain, sweet and salty smells spread through the inn.

Jin Ja-gang really seemed to have become an innkeeper.

Most martial artists normally practiced breathing exercises from early dawn as routine, so most were already awake then. Smelling the aroma, they began coming down to the first floor one by one.

The first to come down among them were Im Yi-eon and Son Bi.

But Son Bi’s expression was different from yesterday again. Instead of a cold impression, her face was somehow flushed and she was restless.

Im Yi-eon glared at Jin Ja-gang, who had briefly come out of the kitchen, as soon as she came down.

Then she asked.

“Do you want money, or something else?”

“I have enough money.”

Im Yi-eon extended her palm, then closed it while beckoning.

“Then come.”

Jin Ja-gang dusted off his hands and approached Im Yi-eon holding a ladle, as if it had been arranged beforehand. When Im Yi-eon reached out her hand, one chopstick from a nearby table was sucked into her palm.

Jin Ja-gang immediately swung the ladle. Like using a sickle, he drew short, large circles aiming at Im Yi-eon’s temples and neck. Im Yi-eon received the ladle with chopsticks and used continuous point attacks as if unfolding brocade techniques. The chopsticks stuck to the ladle as if attached, shaking it this way and that without letting go.

Jin Ja-gang’s body swayed left and right following the ladle.

Im Yi-eon suddenly vibrated the chopsticks rapidly once.

Clang!

The ladle bounced away as if she had released energy with the side of the chopsticks. Jin Ja-gang’s arms spread apart, leaving his chest exposed.

“Hmph. That should be worth a meal.”

Im Yi-eon threw the chopsticks into the chopstick holder and went to sit where she had sat yesterday.

Son Bi gave Jin Ja-gang a light bow and sat in the same place as Im Yi-eon.

Yuk Ha-seon came down, glanced at Son Bi and smiled.

Namgung Geol also came down and briefly cleared his throat.

“The Sword Empress seems to have taken a liking to Poison Dragon.”

Even without seeing it, he had sensed through qi that Im Yi-eon had taught Jin Ja-gang a technique.

Im Yi-eon answered coldly.

“I paid for yesterday’s meal.”

Yuk Ha-seon interjected.

“Though Poison Dragon is publicly known as a murderer in the martial world, he seems to receive surprisingly much favor from many people.”

At the mention of favor, Son Bi’s cheeks became even redder. The red flush on her cold expression revealed a maiden’s heart that could no longer be hidden.

“Stop the useless talk from morning and show some restraint!”

Im Yi-eon shouted sharply, glaring at Namgung Geol and Yuk Ha-seon with fierce eyes.

“Yaaaawn, slept well.”

Soon An Ryeong came down leisurely, stretching disheveled.

Then she was startled by the sharp gazes from Im Yi-eon and Son Bi.

“Heh… hehe.”

An Ryeong, sensing the atmosphere, didn’t join the two but shrank her shoulders and went to sit at another place.

Everyone in the inn were famous masters. Moreover, they wouldn’t have slept comfortably with their feet stretched out in the middle of enemy territory. Most had spent the night sitting in meditation with their nerves on edge.

Thanks to that, they had all heard what An Ryeong had babbled while drunk last night. It was no wonder Son Bi was glaring at An Ryeong.

An Ryeong awkwardly smiled while mouthing “sorry” to Son Bi, but Son Bi’s eyes only became sharper.

Jin Ja-gang confirmed the number of people who had come down and returned to the kitchen.

Whoooosh. The rain that had started at night continued until morning.

* * *

Jin Ja-gang reviewed in the kitchen the technique Im Yi-eon had shown him.

Originally there are separate methods for crossing weapons. But what Im Yi-eon had shown was completely different in trajectory.

It wasn’t weapon technique but complete continuous point attacks. Moreover, the second bouncing method didn’t feel much different from inch force.

To be precise, she had shown how to hold a weapon but not use it as a weapon, but use it like an extension of the hand.

‘So this was possible.’

Jin Ja-gang gauged the amount of noodles, then put five bundles of noodles into the pot where broth was boiling vigorously.

While stirring the noodles with the ladle, he concentrated on the sensation where the noodles and ladle touched. Noodles boiling in broth are like flowing water. If you stir the ladle too hard, they break, and if you scoop them up, they flow down as they please.

Jin Ja-gang wrapped the noodles up with the ladle and attached the ladle to the noodles flowing down in the air with continuous point technique.

A few strands of noodles flew out of the pot along with broth.

Not giving up, he dipped the noodles in broth to loosen them, then scooped them with the ladle and wrapped them up in mid-air several times.

At first he followed the noodles’ movement with the ladle, then soon tried to restrict the noodles’ movement with the ladle. Making the noodles subordinate to the ladle’s movement. He moved thinking of the ladle not as a ladle but as a hand.

Gradually the number of noodle strands flowing down decreased. Now the initiative in movement belonged to the ladle, not the noodles.

Whirrrr.

As he stirred the air with the ladle, the noodles moved following the ladle with almost no scattering. There were almost no noodle strands falling out of the pot. Even the broth didn’t splash out.

He could wind all the noodles onto the ladle without leaving a single strand, then put them in the pot and release them all at once.

For Jin Ja-gang, it was an unexpected enlightenment.

* * *

When Jin Ja-gang served bowls with noodles, the martial artists frowned and looked at him.

The amount of noodles in the bowls had decreased considerably compared to yesterday.

Martial artists generally eat small portions, but the noticeably reduced quantity was bound to be disappointing.

However, the moment they picked up noodles with chopsticks, they were surprised by the chewiness. Yuk Ha-seon picked up just one strand of noodles. The noodle strand rippled like a willow branch that had been pulled and released.

The texture was also very chewy.

Yuk Ha-seon muttered.

“Poison Dragon being an inn’s cook, and moreover this delicious… who would believe this?”

Namgung Geol laughed heartily.

“It’s not who would believe it, but who could eat it.”

“If you don’t have confidence to eat Poison Dragon’s cooking, you shouldn’t face Poison Dragon in the first place. You should have turned back the moment you saw the name Funeral Inn.”

“I agree with that.”

Im Yi-eon also picked up noodles with chopsticks, examined them closely, then snorted.

“Hmph. Not bad.”

It was unclear whether it was praise for the noodles or martial arts, but it was definitely praise.

Slurp, slurp.

The inn was filled only with the loud sound of slurping noodles without any more words.

Namgung Geol, who finished a bowl first, was regretful.

“Is there more?”

Jin Ja-gang shook his head.

“A guest is coming.”

The sound of light movement technique footsteps amid the rain sound.

When it rains, sound doesn’t travel far. Hearing such sound meant they were already very nearby.

Namgung Geol clicked his tongue.

“Why do they always come exactly when we’re eating? Tsk.”

Rain suddenly poured in through the open door. Someone had rushed in.

Splash!

The inside of the door was soaked. And there stood two martial artists who had come running with light movement technique.

They were the people Jin Ja-gang had been waiting for.

A Mount Hua Sect master in his fifties.

But the other one was someone Jin Ja-gang hadn’t expected.

It was So-min. The one he had met before while doing Marvelous Youth Squad missions with Yeong-woon and Pyo Sang-guk…

Jin Ja-gang looked at So-min briefly, then said to the Mount Hua Sect master and So-min.

“Please sit first. I’ll serve you warm food.”

But the moment So-min saw Jin Ja-gang, her eyes reddened. Unable to control her emotions, So-min shouted.

“Why!”

So-min cried and shouted.

“Why did you kill Brother Sang-guk! Why! There was no need to go that far!”

The Mount Hua Sect master scolded So-min in a low voice, but with a growling sound like a beast.

“Shut up.”

“Ugh. Kuk.”

So-min bit her lips tightly and cried.