Chapter 58: Fate Is Unfathomable, and the World's Affairs Cannot Be Foreseen (2)

Five Springs Mountain was said to hold a legend from the time of Emperor Wu of Han. The great general Huo Qubing, seeing his soldiers suffering from thirst, had struck the ground with his whip, and five springs had burst forth.

The Red Cliff Manor was situated on the slopes of this very Five Springs Mountain. Its scale—dozens of large and small halls that caught the eye at a glance—was unmatched even in Lanzhou.

Together with the Tongsu Sect, which had established itself on Mount Tong, the Red Cliff Manor had firmly secured its position as one of the two great powers of the Gansu Murim. Accordingly, the main gate of the Red Cliff Manor was perpetually thronged with visitors.

In the past few days, the number of visitors to the Red Cliff Manor had increased several times over. This was due to the sixtieth birthday celebration of the manor's master, Lee Sin-pung, which was only two days away.

Countless people had come to the Red Cliff Manor to congratulate the regional overlord, Lee Sin-pung, on his milestone birthday.

Among them were various opportunists who sought to ingratiate themselves with Lee Sin-pung to gain his favor, but there were also many congratulatory envoys dispatched from prestigious martial arts sects.

In particular, every martial academy based in Gansu Province had without exception sent its regards.

Given the circumstances, the Red Cliff Manor was suffering under the relentless flood of people. Servants, even low-ranking martial artists, had been mobilized to receive the guests.

"Steward, they are requesting more people at the reception hall."

"They say the accommodations are insufficient. What should we do?"

Yoo Gwan-so, the Outer Steward of the Red Cliff Manor, was wracked by headaches from the ceaseless stream of people seeking him out.

His current duty was to classify the guests by importance and assign accommodations accordingly. Normally, this entire task would have fallen to Chief Steward Gu Jung-myeong, but he was occupied with more pressing matters.

"We have no one to spare on this end either. Tell the reception hall to squeeze whatever they can out of the people they already have."

"But if we do that…"

"Do what? If they have complaints, tell them to come see me. As for the shortage of rooms, tell them to take it up with Inner Steward Jong Pyeong. He is converting the storehouse into guest rooms."

"Very well."

At Yoo Gwan-so's sharp orders, the servants hurried away.

Yoo Gwan-so watched them go and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Damn it! The work never ends."

"You still have it tough, Steward Yoo."

"Who… oh, Chef Song!"

Yoo Gwan-so brightened at the sight of the middle-aged man who had appeared before him. It was none other than Song Hwan, the head chef who oversaw the Red Cliff Manor's meals.

Behind Song Hwan, several horse-drawn carts loaded with ingredients and a number of servants were visible.

"Did you acquire everything you needed?"

"Yes. There should be no further need for me to go out."

"That is a relief. If the servants you took with you could return to their posts, things would lighten considerably."

"My apologies."

"Oh, not at all. You took the servants because of the master's birthday celebration. But it is a relief that you do not need them anymore. Ha ha ha!"

Yoo Gwan-so burst into hearty laughter. Song Hwan smiled gently in return.

For a martial artist, Yoo Gwan-so was remarkably easygoing. That was why he and Song Hwan got along quite well.

Yoo Gwan-so's gaze suddenly fell upon the unfamiliar figures behind Song Hwan. Dam Ho, mounted on the Dark Stallion, and Bang Jin-bo, on a white horse.

"Who are they?"

"Ah, I met them in Lanzhou. The one on the black horse is the older brother, and the fat boy is the younger."

"Then why did you bring them?"

"The younger boy is extraordinarily gifted in the kitchen."

"Ah! I see…"

"Yes. I brought them along in the hope of getting a little help."

"You have been working hard, Chef Song. With two chefs suddenly falling ill…"

"One must do what one can."

As Song Hwan's voice trailed off, Yoo Gwan-so studied Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo more closely.

There was no doubt about Bang Jin-bo. His portly build clearly indicated that he had nothing to do with martial arts. But Dam Ho was another matter entirely.

Yoo Gwan-so addressed Dam Ho.

"Have you trained in martial arts?"

Dam Ho nodded silently. Finding this manner somewhat rude, Yoo Gwan-so's brow creased slightly.

"What is your name?"

"Dam Ho."

Only then did Dam Ho open his mouth.

Yoo Gwan-so tilted his head.

"I have never heard that name before."

He looked at Dam Ho once more. His build and bearing were unmistakably those of a trained martial artist.

"Would you dismount?"

For some reason, Dam Ho complied and dismounted the Dark Stallion. In that instant, a curious look flickered in Yoo Gwan-so's eyes. He had noticed Dam Ho's slight limp.

It was no trick of the eye. Dam Ho's foot was indeed slightly deformed. This was not something that could be faked.

"Tch!"

Yoo Gwan-so clicked his tongue involuntarily. At his reaction, Song Hwan too glanced at Dam Ho's leg.

For a martial artist to be lame was tantamount to a death sentence. At least by their understanding, that was the case.

"Was it an accident?"

"An accident."

At Dam Ho's brief reply, Yoo Gwan-so's expression softened with sympathy. But only for a moment—he quickly made his decision and turned to Song Hwan.

"Are there any vacant rooms in the chefs' quarters?"

"The rooms of those who quit are still empty."

"Then they can stay there."

"That is exactly what I had in mind."

"Very well. Take them in."

"Thank you for your kindness."

Song Hwan bowed his head in gratitude.

Normally, those of uncertain identity could not set foot in the Red Cliff Manor. This had been the Red Cliff Manor's standing rule for years, yet Yoo Gwan-so had broken it and granted an exception.

"There is no need for thanks between us…"

"I will have the children send a late-night snack tonight."

"You will be busy preparing food for the celebration. There is no need to go that far…"

"I have enough room for that. Do not worry. Then!"

Song Hwan bowed to Yoo Gwan-so and entered the Red Cliff Manor. Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo followed behind him.

"Wow!"

The moment he stepped into the Red Cliff Manor, Bang Jin-bo let out a cry of wonder. The halls were several times more magnificent than they had appeared from outside, and the sheer number of people was staggering.

Bang Jin-bo had never seen such a grand complex of buildings or so many martial artists in all his life.

"There is no time to be gawking. Come this way."

"Yes!"

At that moment, Song Hwan's cold voice rang in Bang Jin-bo's ear. Having regained his composure, Bang Jin-bo hurried to follow.

The place Song Hwan brought them was a guest house located behind a medium-sized hall. Built in a semicircle around the hall's rear garden, the guest house had over twenty doors connected in a row. Song Hwan opened one of them.

The room was bare, without a single piece of furniture. All it contained was a single blanket. It was a room where one could do nothing but sleep.

Song Hwan addressed Dam Ho.

"While your brother works, you may stay here. If you grow restless, you are free to walk about the manor, but please do not cause any trouble. As you can see, with so many people gathered, the manor's guards are on edge."

"Very well."

"There is a stable behind the guest house. You may keep your horse there."

"Mmm!"

When Dam Ho nodded, Song Hwan turned his gaze to Bang Jin-bo.

"You come with me."

"Now?"

"Why? Is there a problem?"

"No."

"Let us go."

"Yes!"

Bang Jin-bo glanced at Dam Ho for a moment, then followed Song Hwan.

Dam Ho silently watched Bang Jin-bo and Song Hwan's departing figures before stepping into the room.

The room was barely large enough to hold two grown men lying down. But for Dam Ho, it posed no problem whatsoever.

Compared to the places he had endured, this was practically paradise.

Dam Ho leaned against the wall, sat down, and closed his eyes. But his heart was not at peace.

In the end, Dam Ho could not endure even a quarter of an hour and stepped outside.

"Wow!"

From Bang Jin-bo's mouth burst another exclamation.

The kitchen was responsible for feeding the countless members of the Red Cliff Manor, and it occupied an entire medium-sized hall to itself.

There were five chefs who cooked, ten assistants, and over a dozen servants who handled the menial tasks.

Before this overwhelming sight—something he had never even imagined—Bang Jin-bo stood with his mouth agape, unable to close it.

When Song Hwan entered, a servant recognized him and called out.

"The head chef has arrived."

The chefs who had been cooking immediately ceased their work and greeted him in unison.

"Welcome, sir."

"Mmm!"

Song Hwan nodded and surveyed the kitchen.

Across from the hearth, a table was piled high with food. These were dishes prepared to serve the guests who had arrived today.

Song Hwan picked up one at random and tasted it. As he ate, the chefs watched him with anxious expressions.

"It is passable."

"Whew!"

At that moment, someone let out a sigh of relief.

Song Hwan's palate was famously exacting as befitting a head chef. Any dish that failed to meet his standards was discarded on the spot.

Woo Bok-gyeom, the second-ranking chef, approached Song Hwan.

"Who is that little one?"

"A boy I met at the Lanzhou market. His cooking skills are quite impressive. Give him a hearth."

"Give him a hearth?"

Woo Bok-gyeom's eyes widened.

The hearth was the very heart of the cooking space. This meant that Bang Jin-bo was fit to stand as a full chef.

Bang Jin-bo's age was at most thirteen or fourteen. He was far younger than the assistants who bustled about the kitchen.

Under normal circumstances, a boy his age would be assigned to nothing more than washing dishes. To give him a hearth—it was unthinkable.

Woo Bok-gyeom asked again.

"Are you truly certain we should give the hearth to this boy?"

"His father was a chef, he says. He is far better than most chefs. Stop questioning me and give him a hearth."

"Very well."

When Song Hwan spoke with such finality, Woo Bok-gyeom could raise no further objections. Song Hwan's palate was notoriously refined. If the boy had passed it, he was undoubtedly an exceptional chef.

But his age remained a problem. Song Hwan might not see it as an issue, but every kitchen had its hierarchy.

Woo Bok-gyeom addressed Bang Jin-bo.

"You will use that hearth over there. Once the assistants prepare the ingredients, you must cook."

"What dish am I to make?"

"Stir-fried meat. Can you do it?"

"Yes!"

"Truly?"

"I can."

When Bang Jin-bo answered twice, Woo Bok-gyeom raised no further questions.

"Good. Make one plate for now. I will taste it and make my judgment."

Song Hwan did not object to Woo Bok-gyeom's instruction. As the second-in-command in the kitchen, he deserved a measure of authority.

"Yes!"

Bang Jin-bo answered with vigor and untied the bundle on his back. Out came his cooking implements—a cleaver, a ladle, and other tools.

"Oh! You have your own tools?"

Woo Bok-gyeom murmured, this time with surprise.

It was not merely a flashy exterior. The tools bore the patina of long use.

'So he has done some real cooking after all?'

Bang Jin-bo placed the cleaver on the hearth with practiced ease. Having kept it well-oiled with lard, the blade gleamed.

Bang Jin-bo arranged the ingredients beside the hearth atop the cleaver and began to cook.

Tsss!

Steam rose from the heated blade.

One hand gripping the cleaver while the other wielded the ladle to stir—Bang Jin-bo's technique was clearly far from that of a novice.

"Ohhh!"

Exclamations rose from throughout the kitchen. But not everyone was impressed.

'That fat brat!'

A boy of seventeen or eighteen ground his teeth as he watched Bang Jin-bo.

His name was So Jin-seo. Before Bang Jin-bo had arrived, he had been the most likely candidate to claim the hearth.

With Bang Jin-bo's arrival, the time he would spend as an assistant had only grown longer. Perhaps for that reason, his eyes held a sharp, envious gleam as he looked upon Bang Jin-bo.

“Urk!”

“Keuk!”

As Jin Ja-gang passed by, stifled groans of agony echoed around him.

Though his meticulously planned strategy had succeeded, the scene was akin to a one-sided slaughter. Yet, despite the intense killing intent radiating from him, Jin Ja-gang’s expression remained surprisingly calm.

He was deliberately suppressing the thrill of revenge.

He did so to avoid being consumed by emotion.

He knew that his path of vengeance was not ending here-it was only just beginning.

As Jin Ja-gang ended the lives of those still clinging to breath, he forcibly restrained his thirst for more.

‘I am neither a mad killer nor someone who revels in murder. But you all must die!’

Repeating this to himself over and over, Jin Ja-gang continued to cut down the survivors of the Stone Forest Gang.

Limping on his impaired leg.

When he had confirmed the deaths of nearly all, a harsh clattering sound came from the direction of the main gate.

Clang!

Someone had shattered the gourd Jin Ja-gang had left there.

It was Jo Yang.

Despite the severe wound on his back, Jo Yang, whose breath had not yet ceased, had crawled all the way to the main gate and drunk from the gourd.

Unfortunately for Jo Yang, it wasn’t an antidote but liquor. Moreover, it was the same liquor Jin Ja-gang had used to dissolve arsenic.

In other words, Jo Yang had consumed liquor laced with arsenic.

“Keuk-keuk!”

Jo Yang struggled desperately to survive, but there was no way it could detoxify him. On the contrary, ingesting a poison that exacerbated the antagonistic reaction only hastened his death.

Jin Ja-gang stood before Jo Yang.

Already, Jo Yang’s eyes were oozing discharge, and his face was covered in blisters-a complete mess. The poisoning was extreme. There seemed to be no chance of survival.

Jin Ja-gang quietly raised the skewer.

His gaze had calmed considerably. After regaining some composure, his killing intent had subsided. However, the murderous resolve deep within his heart had not vanished.

Jo Yang mustered all his remaining strength to speak.

“Urgh, you cruel… b*st*rd… keuk.”

Jin Ja-gang responded impassively.

“As if we could compare to you, who tortured and buried people alive.”

“…spare me.”

Jin Ja-gang paused for a moment.

Jo Yang spoke again.

“Spare me… you said if I let you pass… keuk… you’d spare me… keuk-keuk.”

“Did I?”

Jin Ja-gang nonchalantly grabbed Jo Yang by the legs and dragged him back into the courtyard inside the main gate.

They were back to where they started.

Jo Yang let out a sound that was neither laughter nor sobbing, a mix of disbelief and despair.

“Keuk, keuk, keu-heuk.”

The shadow of Jin Ja-gang’s raised hand fell over Jo Yang’s face. Jo Yang felt an overwhelming sense of injustice at having to die like this.

Even at that moment, Jo Yang believed Jin Ja-gang to be a descendant of the medicinal sects. He assumed Jin Ja-gang had heard somewhere about the Stone Forest Gang burying the medicinal sect members alive in the mine shaft and had come for revenge.

But he had silenced most of those who knew the secret-where could the rumor have leaked from?

Suddenly, Jo Yang recalled something Jin Ja-gang had said.

“The mine shaft I was in held all of them.”

He had dismissed it carelessly, but it wasn’t something to overlook.

‘W-wait! This guy came out of the mine shaft?’

In that instant, Jo Yang remembered the events from eight years ago.

The mine shaft they had collapsed with explosives was originally supposed to be restored a year later.

It was a valuable mine yielding high-quality cinnabar; they couldn’t leave it abandoned as a closed mine forever.

Thus, Wei Zong from Poison Valley had agreed to compensate the Stone Forest Gang financially for the year they couldn’t operate the mine.

Of course, Poison Valley likely hadn’t provided all the funds themselves. Though there were rumors that the money had come from the Martial Arts Alliance, Jo Yang didn’t care about the source.

Ultimately, it was the enormous compensation money that had blinded Jo Yang and led him to stage a rebellion. But in any case, that was what had happened back then.

Yet, a year later, while other mine shafts were all restored, one particular shaft remained unrestored.

It was because of *that man*.

*”Leave this mine shaft as it is.”*

That man was the one who had instigated Jo Yang’s rebellion and secured him the position of leader of the Stone Forest Gang. He was also an extraordinary fighter who had stood at the forefront during the conflict, slaughtering many of the Stone Forest Gang’s experts.

Because of that, even a casual remark from him was something Jo Yang couldn’t dare to defy.

Jo Yang had been satisfied with monopolizing the compensation money from Poison Valley and becoming the leader of the Stone Forest Gang, so there was no need to go against that man’s wishes.

Only now did it dawn on him.

A memory of having heard a similar story before resurfaced.

The Extreme Poison Sect.

He recalled that something similar had happened at the Extreme Poison Sect, where that man belonged.

Officially, it was said that a faction opposing the Yunnan poison sects had purged the Extreme Poison Sect.

However, among the rumors, there was another story.

‘A kid…!’

There was a rumor that a single kid, held captive by the Extreme Poison Sect, had annihilated the sect and escaped.

It was said that even that formidable man, who had instigated Jo Yang and slaughtered many Stone Forest Gang experts, had been defeated by the rumored kid, losing an eye and a leg.

‘From the mine shaft… that kid…’

Since that was a story from eight years ago, if the rumored kid had grown up, he would be about this age.

“Th-that’s impossible! Keuk! How could you survive coming out of there…!”

And then Jo Yang realized one more thing.

That man had left a message for him before heading to the Martial Arts Alliance.

*”If, by any chance, I mean, just in case something unusual happens at the Stone Forest Gang… even if it seems trivial, contact me as soon as possible, will you?”*

What did those words mean?

‘He knew?’

No matter how he thought about it, it could only mean that the man knew Jin Ja-gang would come out.

Jo Yang felt a hollow despair.

‘He knew! He knew this guy would come for us! That man knew!’

Yet, that man hadn’t given him the slightest hint.

Jo Yang’s mind swirled with a single word.

‘Prey…’

A single word churned through Jo Yang’s thoughts.

‘He used us as prey…!’

Prey, or perhaps bait.

Either way, it was the same.

Though the reason was unclear, they had been used as sacrificial pawns.

While it was also Jo Yang’s fault for not properly managing the faction and allowing it to fall into this state, he still felt wronged.

He had been played by someone else’s hand.

If that man hadn’t instigated him, he wouldn’t have staged a rebellion. If that hadn’t happened, they might have restored the mine shaft before this guy came for revenge, and perhaps found him first.

No, even if he had come for revenge, if the many experts hadn’t been killed and were still alive, couldn’t they have stopped him?

‘Unfair… It’s unfair!’

At that moment, Jo Yang felt something hot piercing through his chest. It seemed Jin Ja-gang had thrust the skewer into his heart.

With his last ounce of strength, Jo Yang grabbed Jin Ja-gang’s collar and pulled himself closer. Though he couldn’t see, he could still make out Jin Ja-gang’s outline.

Looking toward Jin Ja-gang’s face, Jo Yang opened his bloodshot, blister-covered eyes wide and spat out his final words.

“Mang… Ryo…! You bastard!”

With that, Jo Yang breathed his last.

Jin Ja-gang felt a sudden chill at Jo Yang’s final words.

“Mang Ryo…?”

Why would the name Mang Ryo come from Jo Yang’s mouth now, after eight years?

He was already dead. Jin Ja-gang had poisoned and killed him with his own hands.

He couldn’t understand the reason.

Jin Ja-gang stared at Jo Yang’s corpse for a long while.

* * *

Whoosh.

The manor of the Stone Forest Gang went up in flames.

The villagers looked toward the manor in alarm, but no one came running to extinguish the fire.

Instead, they retreated into their homes, locking their doors and trembling in fear. They must have recalled the internal conflict within the Stone Forest Gang from years ago.

Rather than getting involved and suffering consequences, it was better for their survival to pretend they saw nothing. Even as the stench of burning bodies filled the air, not a single villager approached the area.

From a distance, Jin Ja-gang watched the Stone Forest Gang’s manor burn to ashes. On his shoulder, he carried a hefty bundle.

This time, before setting the fire, he had gone inside and collected various items: clothing, valuables, and even the poisons used by the Stone Forest Gang.

Jin Ja-gang was no bandit, but he understood the importance of money.

To wander the martial world, money was necessary. For his future path of vengeance as well.

Jin Ja-gang watched until the Stone Forest Gang’s manor was reduced to a pile of ashes, confirming that no one emerged alive from the gate, before finally leaving the scene.

* * *

## Chapter 4: Where is Jin Ja-gang Headed?

An old man’s leisurely voice resonated.

“If we liken a stroke to a typhoon, the path a typhoon takes leaves trees uprooted and houses destroyed, turning everything into ruins… In the human body, what stands against such a typhoon is the heart. However, the organ that protects the heart’s function is the liver. The liver shields the heart from damage, so if poison is applied to the heart, the liver is the first to suffer harm.”

A relaxed afternoon.

In a large garden pavilion, an elderly man with snow-white hair was giving a short lecture to a few young men.

The young men listening to the lecture let out exclamations of awe.

“Truly, you are a master, Advisor!”

“We are endlessly amazed by your teachings, Advisor!”

“You’ve pinpointed aspects we hadn’t even considered.”

The old man chuckled modestly.

“Ho ho ho, I’m glad it was helpful. For an old man like me, rather than being cooped up in a room waiting for death, coming out into the warm sunlight to discuss poison theory with the younger generation is far better for my health.”

“Haha! That’s far too humble of you.”

“Exactly. Advisor, you’re still in your prime!”

At that moment, a warrior approached the pavilion and handed a small note to the old man. Upon reading it, the old man suddenly burst into hearty laughter.

“What’s the matter?”

The old man waved his hand dismissively to the young men.

“It’s nothing. Now, where were we?”

The young men continued their lively discussion over tea for a while longer before taking their leave.

Only then did the old man rise from his seat and step out of the pavilion.

Dressed in an elegant silk robe, anyone could tell at a glance that he held a significant position.

Yet, his physical condition appeared severely impaired.

Clunk, clunk.

The old man relied on crutches, and both of his legs were prosthetic. Moreover, his face was marred by burns, and one eye was covered with an eyepatch.

Despite this, his smiling expression made him appear surprisingly amiable, which was quite peculiar.

Clunk, clunk.

The old man walked leisurely along the path.

As he passed through halls and gates, the guards looked at him with respectful eyes and greeted him. The old man nodded with a smile and continued on his way.

He stopped at a hall deep within the compound.

A warrior guarding the entrance relayed a message inside and cleared the way.

“The Advisor of the Poison Control Bureau has arrived.”