Chapter 64: To Covet Another's Possessions, One Must Stake What One Holds Dear (2)

"Ugh! I'm dying."

Bang Jin-bo groaned and stretched his limbs.

"You've worked hard today."

Song Hwan gently patted Bang Jin-bo's shoulder with his thick hand. Bang Jin-bo had pulled his weight once again, allowing them to handle the flood of orders that had poured in like the tide.

"That's enough for today. The urgent work is done, so you may rest now."

"Waah!"

Cheers erupted from the cooks and assistant cooks.

Today had been the climax of the birthday celebration—the day the largest crowd had gathered to see Lee Sin-pung. The kitchen staff had been so consumed with cooking that they hadn't had a moment to breathe.

Song Hwan turned to Bang Jin-bo.

"It will be difficult, but could you help out through tomorrow?"

"Yes! I will."

"Thank you. You've worked tirelessly despite the hardship. Thanks to you, we've gotten through the worst of it."

"It's nothing. I'm enjoying the work. Thanks to this, I've learned about many dishes I didn't know before."

Most of the food that Sect Master Lee Sin-pung had eaten was prepared personally by Song Hwan. As head chef, Song Hwan knew many secret recipes unknown to others. Simply watching him cook had given Bang Jin-bo a great deal of instruction.

Song Hwan was a renowned master chef even within Gansu Province. The fact that he had cooked alongside such a man was an unforgettable, heartwarming experience for Bang Jin-bo.

Song Hwan clapped his hands and addressed the room.

"Everyone has worked hard. Let's wrap up for today and get some proper rest."

"Thank you for your hard work."

The cooks and assistant cooks bowed their heads to Song Hwan in unison. He gave them a wave of his hand and departed, followed by the second chef, Woo Bok-gyeom.

When even the other cooks had left, only Bang Jin-bo and So Jin-seo remained in the kitchen.

Bang Jin-bo smiled at So Jin-seo.

"Well then, Hyung, shall we begin again?"

"Yes!"

So Jin-seo nodded. A smile had risen on his face. Since hearing Bang Jin-bo's lesson on how to approach the fire, the smile had never left him.

*'Now I think I can understand the fire.'*

He could not yet fully comprehend it, but he had at least grasped a method for utilizing it. His cooking skill was advancing by leaps and bounds with each passing day.

It was all thanks to Bang Jin-bo.

After that, Bang Jin-bo never ceased offering So Jin-seo various pieces of advice. So Jin-seo was moved by Bang Jin-bo's unwavering consistency. He no longer envied Bang Jin-bo. On the contrary, he cherished and looked up to him.

*Clack-clack-clack!*

The sound of two knives striking cutting boards rang ceaselessly within the kitchen.

So Jin-seo tried to cook while understanding the fire as Bang Jin-bo had taught him, while Bang Jin-bo recalled the image of Song Hwan cooking during the day.

"Ha ha ha!"

Their laughter echoed through the kitchen.

Bang Jin-bo did not leave until long afterward.

"Ah! This feels good."

He stretched and looked up at the sky. The moon appeared especially bright tonight. The sight of the moon reminded him of his father.

"I'm doing fine without you, Father. So don't worry."

Bang Jin-bo waved at the moon and then took off running. In the distance, the guest quarters came into view.

"Hyung!"

Bang Jin-bo threw open the door. But Dam Ho was nowhere to be seen.

"Hyung?"

***

Jwa Sang-cheon was in excellent spirits.

Around him sat four young martial artists of similar age—all men he had encountered at Hongam Mountain Villa. They were young martial artists of comparable background, each one a prodigy of note in Gansu Province.

By chance they had ended up seated together, and finding their spirits aligned, they had remained in one another's company ever since.

"Ha ha! It's only now that I've found friends worthy of my time. I've wasted my life until now."

"Who among us hasn't? Meeting you all now is truly a blessing."

"How wonderful to share fine wine with such good friends."

Jang Hak-gyeong, Mo Jung-hyeon, and Yoon Sang-han—these were their names.

Jang Hak-gyeong was the young master of a considerable trading company based in Lanzhou. Mo Jung-hyeon was the chief instructor of Unyang Martial Academy. Yoon Sang-han was an outer disciple of the Tongtong Sect, known throughout Gansu Province as an extraordinary talent.

They drank in a separate pavilion within Hongam Mountain Villa. Jang Hak-gyeong's father's trading company contributed a very large sum to Hongam Mountain Villa each year, and thanks to this, they had been given a private pavilion.

Surrounded by high walls, the pavilion allowed them to drink freely without concern for the eyes of others.

They had drunk a great deal; their faces were flushed red, and wine bottles lay scattered at their feet.

Their drinking had reached a fever pitch.

"Senior Brother!"

A sharp voice suddenly pierced the pavilion.

"Well, if it isn't the world's most beautiful Junior Sister?"

Jwa Sang-cheon squinted at the woman who had entered the pavilion. It was none other than his Martial Sister, Mun Su-gyeong.

Mun Su-gyeong approached him.

"Senior Brother, what exactly are you doing here?"

"What do you mean?"

"You should be attending the celebration."

"What's the point? Even if I go, I can't even meet the Sect Master."

"What did you say?"

"No matter how much I linger there, do you think he'll see me? The Hyunhyeon Sect is beneath his notice."

"Senior Brother!"

"Accept reality, Junior Sister. Lee Sin-pung is beyond our reach. Forget about him and sit down here. Wouldn't building friendships with these gentlemen be far more beneficial for the future of the Hyunhyeon Sect?"

Jwa Sang-cheon spread his arms wide. At his posture, Mun Su-gyeong's expression darkened.

Since arriving here and meeting so many people, Jwa Sang-cheon's vanity had grown terribly. It had not been absent before, but it had never been this extreme.

"Senior Brother, please…"

"Just wait and see, Junior Sister. Under my leadership, the Hyunhyeon Sect will rise to even greater heights."

At Jwa Sang-cheon's words, Mun Su-gyeong shut her eyes tightly.

Jang Hak-gyeong and the others spoke up.

"Miss Mun, we've heard a great deal about you from Brother Jang. Don't be shy—join us."

"Indeed! As you can see, we are not bad company. Befriending us would be of great benefit to the Hyunhyeon Sect."

They spoke with perfect courtesy. But Mun Su-gyeong was not listening to their words.

She fixed her gaze on Jwa Sang-cheon.

"Senior Brother, where were you last night?"

"Hmm? Why do you ask?"

"You didn't return to the lodgings."

"Heh heh! I had business."

"What business?"

"Must I report my private affairs to you as well, Junior Sister? Don't flatter yourself. I am a disciple of the Hyunhyeon Sect, but I am not obligated to report everything to you."

"Senior Brother!"

"If you're not going to drink, then leave."

Jwa Sang-cheon waved his hand dismissively.

His high-handed behavior made Mun Su-gyeong's face flush red. She had still clung to hope because he was her Senior Brother, but Jwa Sang-cheon had done nothing but bring her deeper disappointment.

The fault lay with those around him. They had filled his lungs with air—or rather, inflamed his ego.

Just as Mun Su-gyeong was about to deliver one final remark—

The front gate of the pavilion opened silently. But Jwa Sang-cheon and the others were too absorbed in their drinking to notice.

"Oh?"

Mun Su-gyeong was the only one among them who saw the gate open. The great doors swung wide, and someone stepped inside.

At the sight of the man dragging one leg as he approached in silence, Mun Su-gyeong's pupils trembled.

A man with disheveled black hair, clad in a pitch-black leather robe.

*'The man Jin-bo called his brother.'*

He was the man who had accompanied the stout boy who had left such a deep impression on her during the journey here. Though the first meeting had been striking enough, she hadn't paid him much mind. Come to think of it, that was strange. No matter how preoccupied she had been with Lee Sin-pung's celebration, the fact that she had shown so little interest in someone with such an overwhelming presence was peculiar.

As Dam Ho walked toward them, Mun Su-gyeong realized why she had not paid him attention.

She was afraid.

*Tremble tremble!*

Her mind had first registered the fear, and to protect her body, it had deliberately pushed the existence of Dam Ho from her thoughts.

Dam Ho merely walked, yet her body shook like an aspen.

Mun Su-gyeong stumbled backward. She did not know how many steps she retreated. She stopped only when her back struck the bench where Jwa Sang-cheon and the others sat.

"What's the matter, Junior Sister? Have you changed your mind at last?"

Jwa Sang-cheon, who had not yet noticed Dam Ho's arrival, grinned. But when Mun Su-gyeong did not answer and continued to tremble, his gaze naturally followed hers.

"Hm?"

Only then did Jwa Sang-cheon spot Dam Ho. A puzzled expression crossed his face.

"You?"

At the sight of Dam Ho's eyes, his face began to twitch.

The pupils were perfectly black—utterly devoid of emotion or the slightest fragment of feeling. But the moment Jwa Sang-cheon looked into them, he felt his breath catch in his throat. It was as though his heart were being squeezed, and he could barely draw breath.

Overwhelmed by this unfamiliar, terrifying sensation he had never experienced before, Jwa Sang-cheon sprang to his feet.

"What are you doing here?"

He raised his voice deliberately, thinking it might help shake off the inexplicable fear gnawing at him.

"What's wrong, Brother Jang?"

Jang Hak-gyeong and the others regarded Jwa Sang-cheon's reaction with puzzled expressions.

At that moment, a quiet word from Dam Ho cut through the air.

"Why did you do it?"

It was a meaningless question to everyone else. They looked on in bewilderment. But Jwa Sang-cheon alone understood the implication behind Dam Ho's simple query.

"What are you talking about?"

He feigned ignorance. He could not afford to be humiliated before all these people.

"How dare you set foot in a place like this? This is no place for a commoner like you."

When Jwa Sang-cheon's expression turned ugly, Jang Hak-gyeong stepped forward boldly. Wine had stripped him of clear judgment, and the presence of Mo Jung-hyeon and Yoon Sang-han at his side emboldened him further. One was the chief instructor of Unyang Martial Academy, one of Lanzhou's premier academies; the other was an outer disciple of the Tongtong Sect. Common sense told him there was nothing to fear.

Mo Jung-hyeon rose with a smile.

"You seem to be a man ignorant of the ways of the world. I don't know what your quarrel with Brother Jang is, but this behavior is unacceptable. This space was specially provided for us by Great Hero Lee Sin-pung. Causing trouble here benefits no one."

Though Jang Hak-gyeong and Mo Jung-hyeon had spoken up, Yoon Sang-han remained motionless. He saw no need to involve himself.

But Dam Ho did not spare them a single glance. His eyes remained fixed solely on Jwa Sang-cheon.

Dam Ho spoke again.

"Why did you do it?"

"What are you talking about? I have no idea what you mean."

Jwa Sang-cheon maintained his denial to the end.

Earlier, while drunk, he had gone to the stable. The Black Stallion had been burned into his mind. Its pure black coat, from head to tail, with not a single white hair—its appearance was temptation itself.

He had paid the stable guards a few coins and tried to mount the stallion, but it resisted wildly. Furious, Jwa Sang-cheon had seized a nearby whip and beaten the stallion mercilessly. But the stallion refused to let him ride, resisting to the very end.

Exhausted from the beating, Jwa Sang-cheon had returned here and continued drinking.

Regardless of his reasons, the fact remained that he had beaten the stallion—an act that should never become public knowledge.

Just then, Mun Su-gyeong, who had recovered her composure, interjected.

"Senior Brother, what exactly did you do?"

"Silence! What do you mean, what did I do? Junior Sister, are you going to believe this fellow's word over mine? Over the word of the Hyunhyeon Sect's first disciple?"

"Senior Brother, what kind of person are you…"

Disappointment filled Mun Su-gyeong's face. She had spent over a decade in his company, seeing his face nearly every day. She could distinguish truth from falsehood by his expression alone.

Her sorrowful gaze cut Jwa Sang-cheon to the bone.

He turned on Dam Ho and shouted.

"That's right! I tried to ride your horse. So what? What's wrong with taking a ride? What's with all this fuss?"

"All this fuss?"

"Yes, all this fuss, you dog!"

Enraged, Jwa Sang-cheon forgot his fear and hurled a fist at Dam Ho. It was no ordinary punch. It carried the subtle principles of the Hyunhyeon Sect's secret martial art, the South Flame Fist.

A blow infused with killing intent flew toward Dam Ho.

"Senior Brother!"

Mun Su-gyeong screamed and shut her eyes tightly.

*CRASH!*

The vase’s contents splashed water onto Gu Sang-wol’s face, but he paid it no mind and swatted the vase away.

Gu Sang-wol didn’t even close his eyes. He had noticed Jin Ja-gang lowering his body, likely attempting to escape to the side while throwing the vase.

Sure enough, Jin Ja-gang, after hurling the vase, tried to slip away to the side but stopped immediately upon seeing Gu Sang-wol glaring with wide-open eyes.

A smug smile played on Gu Sang-wol’s lips.

Jin Ja-gang held no weapon in his hands and was completely cornered.

This gave Gu Sang-wol a moment of leisure. He wiped the poison from his dagger onto the hem of his own robe. He intended to subdue rather than kill, to inflict pain. Of course, he also planned to extract information about who was behind this through torture.

Only by exacting revenge a hundredfold for what he had suffered could he feel satisfied. Only then could he console himself for having been emasculated!

Gu Sang-wol, facing Jin Ja-gang who was pressed tightly into the corner, spoke in a low voice.

“You dare use poison on me? Know that you’ll crawl on your torso for the rest of your life.”

He would cut off his limbs, rendering him immobile, and then take his time torturing him!

“But if you surrender willingly, I’ll show mercy and leave you one hand to eat with.”

Yet, upon hearing Gu Sang-wol’s words, Jin Ja-gang stared directly at him!

“Did you say you would show me mercy?”

“Why? Is my mercy not to your liking?”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just that if you show mercy to me, it’s only right that I do the same to you. Unfortunately, I have no intention of showing you any mercy.”

Gu Sang-wol’s eyebrows twitched.

“This guy, only your mouth is alive, huh? Seems you don’t need any mercy!”

Just as Gu Sang-wol was about to charge at Jin Ja-gang, he suddenly felt a stinging in his eyes and a burning sensation on his face. Jin Ja-gang’s figure became blurry, preventing him from rushing forward.

“What, what is this!”

He had been poisoned.

Gu Sang-wol felt his heart sink.

Jin Ja-gang spoke to Gu Sang-wol as if chewing his words.

“Who dares to show mercy to whom?”

Gu Sang-wol ground his teeth.

“The water in the vase!”

That was the only thing that had splashed on his face.

“Argh!”

It didn’t seem like an ordinary poison; the pain was excruciating. In an instant, blisters formed on his face, and his vision became clouded.

Amidst this, as Jin Ja-gang’s shadow wavered, Gu Sang-wol hurriedly thrust his dagger forward.

Jin Ja-gang was prepared. He executed a footwork technique, twisting his body to let Gu Sang-wol’s dagger graze past under his armpit. However, Gu Sang-wol’s strike was so fast that he couldn’t completely avoid it.

The dagger sliced along the side of his ribs, cutting a long gash. Blood gushed out immediately.

The dagger that grazed him embedded deeply into the wall.

Jin Ja-gang gritted his teeth and drew in a breath of energy, converting it into internal power. He had already braced himself for such injuries when facing a master of superior skill.

Channeling internal energy into his right leg, he kicked upward at Gu Sang-wol’s lower body.

Thwack!

With a heavy thud, Gu Sang-wol’s body was lifted into the air.

However, since sensation in that area had already been lost, Gu Sang-wol didn’t feel much pain. He only sensed that the acupoint he had forcibly sealed to prevent the poison from spreading had been undone, allowing the poison from the Joint-Breaking Needle to surge through his body.

“Argh!”

Even with his vision impaired, Gu Sang-wol aimed his fingertips at Jin Ja-gang and struck downward.

Jin Ja-gang hurriedly rolled across the floor.

Crash!

Gu Sang-wol’s hand pierced through the wooden wall. Jin Ja-gang grabbed a chair and struck Gu Sang-wol’s back with it. Unable to pull his hand free, Gu Sang-wol kicked backward like a mule.

Bang!

The chair shattered into pieces upon impact with Gu Sang-wol’s foot. Jin Ja-gang seized a jagged piece of the broken chair and stabbed it into Gu Sang-wol’s lower back. The sharp wooden fragment embedded itself into Gu Sang-wol’s flesh.

“Urgh!”

Gu Sang-wol bit down on the groan escaping his lips and pulled his hand free from the wall. Turning his body, he swung a backhand strike. Jin Ja-gang blocked Gu Sang-wol’s forearm with his own arm.

Thud!

Pushed back by Gu Sang-wol’s immense strength, Jin Ja-gang tumbled to the side.

“Ugh!”

Jin Ja-gang couldn’t extend his arm for a moment. It throbbed as if it had been crushed.

Gu Sang-wol pinpointed Jin Ja-gang’s location by the sound of his groan. Leaping into the air, he gathered all his remaining strength and stomped downward with both feet. Jin Ja-gang rolled to the side.

Crash!

Gu Sang-wol’s feet smashed through the wooden floor. However, Gu Sang-wol wasn’t unscathed either. Due to the effects of the Joint-Breaking Needle, his knee joints had melted. His bones dislocated, and his kneecap protruded through the flesh. With his feet stuck in the ground, he stood like a scarecrow, unable to move.

“Urgh… urgh…”

Even with his vision gone, Gu Sang-wol searched for Jin Ja-gang, turning his head frantically. Jin Ja-gang stood up, shaking out his arm.

Gu Sang-wol’s body was trembling. It was due to the Joint-Breaking Needle. But even without the needle, he was doomed to die soon from the poison of the flying dart.

Gu Sang-wol forced open his froth-covered mouth and asked.

“You… who… who the hell are you?”

“Only now are you curious?”

“Don’t… mock me!”

Jin Ja-gang walked in front of Gu Sang-wol. Then, pulling out Gu Sang-wol’s dagger embedded in the wall, he answered briefly.

“A survivor of Hundred Flower Valley.”

“Hun… Hundred Flower…?”

Gu Sang-wol’s ashen eyes widened.

Hundred Flower Valley was a medicinal sect.

That meant the person before him was none other than a descendant of the medicinal sects. It made complete sense why he had annihilated the Stone Forest Gang and attacked them.

They had captured, killed, and tortured every member of the medicinal sects. Later, they had even buried alive the survivors they had thrown into the mine shaft.

And yet, someone had survived!

Even after a full eight years had passed.

Above all, as a descendant of those believed to have been completely eradicated, how deep must his thirst for revenge be!

His martial skills weren’t exceptional, but his mastery of poison was formidable. If other poison sects were caught unaware of this person’s identity, they would suffer significant damage from his poisons.

“Urghhh!”

Gu Sang-wol twisted his body as if in pain. Blood was gushing from his lower abdomen.

Gu Sang-wol secretly smeared his fingers with that blood.

Then, he stealthily wrote on the wall behind him.

He couldn’t write much.

‘Medicinal Sect.’

Those two characters would suffice. Other poison sect comrades would see these two characters he left behind and be on guard.

“How… did you survive?”

He also didn’t forget to distract Jin Ja-gang by speaking to him.

However, just as Gu Sang-wol drew a single stroke while speaking to Jin Ja-gang, sensation vanished from his fingertips, and suddenly they felt as if they were burning.

Snap!

Jin Ja-gang had cut off his fingers.

“Arghhh!”

Gu Sang-wol screamed.

Jin Ja-gang had no intention of listening to the screams any longer and slashed Gu Sang-wol’s throat.

Gu Sang-wol could no longer make a sound, only spewing blood from his severed neck.

Even as blood frothed and bubbled out, Gu Sang-wol was still alive.

“You asked how I survived?”

Only then did Jin Ja-gang pose the question back.

Gu Sang-wol felt wronged, but he was already a dead man. With the determination to at least hear the answer before dying, he nodded with all his might.

But Jin Ja-gang answered coldly.

“You don’t need to know.”

“You… damned… b*st*rd…”

Gu Sang-wol felt both rage and resignation as he died.

Jin Ja-gang confirmed Gu Sang-wol’s death and let out a long breath.

It felt as if a bone in his arm had cracked, and the gash on his side was deep, having scraped down to the bone. Blood flowed down to his feet, making them damp.

Fighting a master was never easy.

‘There’s still one more place left.’

The expert dispatched from Poison Valley remained.

According to information he had gathered during the day, the expert from Poison Valley was the strongest among those sent here.

Likely, he too was on his way to this house with Poison Valley warriors.

Fighting such a master in this condition would be tantamount to suicide.

Jin Ja-gang had to make a decision.

Fight, or retreat.

No matter how fast his recovery was, it would take at least a few days.

Jin Ja-gang made his choice.

‘Regrettable, but this is as far as I go this time.’

As soon as he made the decision, he let go cleanly. Now, he needed to leave this village as quickly as possible.

He tore a piece of cloth and bound his side. Just as he was about to leave, his eyes met those of someone who hadn’t yet died.

It was the Iron Umbrella Sect warrior he had used as bait earlier.

His shoulders had been dislocated and his legs broken by Gu Sang-wol, leaving him sprawled on the ground.

Yet, he was still alive, looking up at Jin Ja-gang with fearful eyes. His gaze was desperate, pleading to be spared.

Jin Ja-gang walked over to him and spoke.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“…?”

The Iron Umbrella Sect warrior’s eyes widened.

Without hesitation, Jin Ja-gang stabbed a blade into the warrior’s chest and left.

* * *

A long shadow was cast over the face of Noh Yuk, the expert from Poison Valley.

He had originally come here with twenty warriors.

But now, only ten remained.

Half had died in a single day.

Without a sound or trace.

And just moments ago, the screams had echoed from the Iron Umbrella Sect’s lodging.

What did that signify?

Noh Yuk was a man meticulous in all things. As soon as he realized something had gone wrong at the Iron Umbrella Sect’s lodging, he didn’t send anyone there but instead dispatched someone to the Shadow Bureau’s lodging.

However, the warrior sent to the Shadow Bureau’s lodging returned with a report that no one was there either. Apparently, they had all gone to the Iron Umbrella Sect’s lodging.

But after that, even the Shadow Bureau gave no word.

Not even a messenger was sent to him, nor was there any indication of what had happened before or after.

He had already waited a full hour, yet no contact came.

The answer was clear.

Not only Iron Umbrella Sect’s Do Nam-gi but also Shadow Bureau’s Gu Sang-wol had been taken down.

By an opponent so powerful they couldn’t even escape.

‘A trap…’

Noh Yuk trusted in his own skills. However, if Do Nam-gi and Gu Sang-wol had been defeated without even a chance to call for help, rushing in could lead Noh Yuk to fall into the same trap.

Thus, Noh Yuk judged that informing Poison Valley of the current situation took precedence over providing support or assessing the situation.

“Bring the messenger pigeon!”

At Noh Yuk’s command, a warrior brought a cage containing a pigeon.

Noh Yuk wrote a message, placed it in a small tube, and tied it to the pigeon’s leg.

It was a messenger pigeon for urgent communication with Poison Valley’s main sect.

Flutter, flutter.

The pigeon, carrying the urgent message, flapped its wings and took flight.

“We’re withdrawing immediately!”

Noh Yuk led his warriors out of the lodging without even time to pack.

But as they were leaving, they spotted Mang Ryo in front of the lodging. Mang Ryo was standing with his back to them, leaning on a cane.

“Elder Mang!”

Noh Yuk called out in relief.

Mang Ryo slowly turned his head, looking puzzled as he spoke.

“Where are you rushing off to in such a hurry?”

“There’s been an incident at the Iron Umbrella Sect and Shadow Bureau lodgings. Elder Mang, you must also flee quickly.”

Mang Ryo, seeming not to understand Noh Yuk’s urgency, responded.

“Ho ho, flee, you say?”

“Yes. Just moments ago, there was a dire situation…”

Noh Yuk stopped mid-sentence. He had noticed something in Mang Ryo’s hand as he turned.

A blood-soaked pigeon.

What Mang Ryo held was the very messenger pigeon Noh Yuk had just sent. The mark of Poison Valley was clearly visible on the tube tied to the pigeon’s leg.

“Elder Ma-Mang ! Could that be…?”

Mang Ryo answered as if it were nothing.

“Ah, I captured a suspicious messenger pigeon that was flying by.”

Noh Yuk’s facial muscles trembled.

“That’s the one I sent to my sect! Does Elder Mang even understand the situation…?”

“Ho, is that so?”

Noh Yuk felt rage boiling within him, but given the circumstances, he couldn’t press the issue further.

“We’ll settle this matter later. For now, let’s hurry and leave this place.”

As Noh Yuk and his warriors were about to leave the lodging, Mang Ryo didn’t step aside. Instead, he positioned himself directly in front of them, blocking their path.

“Elder Mang?”