Chapter 86: When the Blood Star Moves, a Storm of Blood Follows (2)

Bang Jin-bo's eyes were filled with intense focus.

Before him, blue flames danced. The flames heated the pastry to a perfect crisp.

"Now!"

Bang Jin-bo seized the moment and stuffed the prepared vegetables into the pastry.

He rotated the pastry with his wrist and stirred the filling inside with a large ladle. The pre-applied oil mixed with the vegetables, and a stimulating aroma spread in all directions.

When the finely minced meat was added, the aroma grew even more intense. Bang Jin-bo cooked, lost in a trance, oblivious to the passage of time.

There were women watching Bang Jin-bo as he cooked.

The woman with tanned skin sniffed the air and could not contain her admiration.

"Wow! That's really impressive."

"Isn't it, Sister? But the real thing starts now."

Eun So-cheong chimed in from beside her.

The tanned woman in the tiger-leopard vest was none other than Hwang Hye-ryeong.

"Honestly, I didn't believe you when you told me, but I have to admit it now."

"Right? Even the Head Chef of the Cheonha Jeil Ru acknowledged his skill."

Eun So-cheong puffed out her chest as though she herself had received the praise. At the sight, Hwang Hye-ryeong smiled.

'Cheong-mae is still as bright as ever.'

Eun So-cheong, despite being the precious only daughter of the Eun Family, possessed a refreshingly unpretentious demeanor. It was that aspect of her that had won over Hwang Hye-ryeong, who formed friendships regardless of social standing.

They were currently in the detached wing of the West Wind Inn. Eun So-cheong had rented the entire wing. She had then essentially kidnapped Bang Jin-bo and brought him there. And she had said one thing:

"I'm hungry!"

That was why Bang Jin-bo was cooking in the detached wing.

"Heh heh!"

Eun So-cheong rested her chin on her hand and watched Bang Jin-bo cook. The smile never left her lips.

Hwang Hye-ryeong watched Eun So-cheong with fascination. The bright and energetic Eun So-cheong was not unfamiliar—but seeing her so completely open and unguarded like this was a first.

"Hmm!"

As Hwang Hye-ryeong wore an intrigued expression, Eun So-cheong suddenly looked at her.

"By the way, is it alright for you to be out here on your own like this, Sister?"

"It doesn't matter."

"But…"

"It's fine! They're all so busy they won't even notice I'm gone."

Hwang Hye-ryeong smiled. Her smile seemed mischievous.

At that, Eun So-cheong sighed.

"What if the Green Forest gets stirred up again?"

"Ilgwang came with me, so it's fine."

The Ilgwang Hwang Hye-ryeong spoke of was her personal bodyguard. He was a master ranked among the best in the Green Forest.

"Sister, honestly…"

Eun So-cheong shook her head helplessly.

People did not know. They did not know what kind of person Hwang Hye-ryeong was.

When people spoke of the martial world, they typically thought of the Nine Great Sects or the Five Great Families. But one did not have to belong to a famous sect to be a martial artist.

Everyone who lived by the blade was a martial artist, and that category included the bandits of the Green Forest.

When people spoke of the Green Forest bandits, they thought of outlaws hiding in the mountains and looked down on them. But when their numbers exceeded ten thousand, the story changed entirely.

The Eighteen Green Fortresses.

It was a collective of the mountain fortresses that currently controlled the Green Forest. The eighteen fortresses were scattered throughout the Central Plains.

Each fortress stationed anywhere from several hundred to over a thousand men. Though their martial arts could not match the disciples of the sects that ruled the martial world, no sect could afford to dismiss their overwhelming numbers.

Above all, the Eighteen Green Fortresses had a Grand Fortress Master—Hwang Gyeong-moon.

Having entered the Green Forest at the age of thirteen, Hwang Gyeong-moon had fought for decades before ascending to the position of Grand Fortress Master.

With his formidable leadership and martial arts, he led ten thousand Green Forest bandits without difficulty.

It was said that Hwang Gyeong-moon's martial arts were in no way inferior to the elders of the Nine Great Sects.

So much so that he had earned the nickname 'Overlord Saber.'

Even the righteous martial artists who looked down on the Green Forest bandits did not dare mock Hwang Gyeong-moon.

Hwang Gyeong-moon had one daughter, born in his later years.

Her name was Hwang Hye-ryeong—the very woman sitting with Eun So-cheong.

Hwang Gyeong-moon was said to cherish Hwang Hye-ryeong beyond anything. If anything were to happen to her, he would mobilize the entire Eighteen Green Fortresses to punish the one responsible.

Whether she was aware of these circumstances or not, Hwang Hye-ryeong smiled at Eun So-cheong.

It was then that Bang Jin-bo brought a dish to where the two women sat.

"Here. The food is ready."

"Wow!"

Eun So-cheong beamed at the plate laden with food.

"I'll eat well, Jin-bo."

"Thanks!"

The two women picked up their chopsticks and began eating the food Bang Jin-bo had prepared.

"Just look at how tender this meat is."

"How did you get this flavor? I've never tasted anything like it."

What Bang Jin-bo had served was Dongpo Pork.

Hwang Hye-ryeong had eaten enough Dongpo Pork to grow tired of it. She thought she knew its flavor well. But Bang Jin-bo's Dongpo Pork was different.

"How can ordinary Dongpo Pork taste like this?"

"Because the chef who made it is not ordinary."

At Hwang Hye-ryeong's question, Eun So-cheong gave a simple answer.

"I see."

"I told you you wouldn't regret it."

"You were right. I'm glad I decided to stay here."

"Mm!"

Eun So-cheong nodded, then suddenly looked at Bang Jin-bo.

"But I don't see that man around?"

"What man?"

"Oh, the man who travels with Jin-bo. He's really scary."

"Is he?"

Hwang Hye-ryeong looked indifferent.

As the daughter of the Grand Fortress Master of the Green Forest, having grown up among rough men, she did not truly understand the meaning of fear.

In truth, her martial prowess was remarkable, and among the Green Forest bandits, there were few who could match her.

But Eun So-cheong, who had witnessed Dam Ho's martial strength firsthand, felt differently. Though young, she was acutely aware of how terrifying Dam Ho was.

"That man?"

"He went out on business. He said he might be gone for a few days."

"What business?"

"I don't know."

Bang Jin-bo looked dejected.

Dam Ho had said he would return soon, but being left alone for the first time made everything feel uncertain.

The thought that Dam Ho might not return at all crossed his mind, and he grew increasingly troubled.

Eun So-cheong noticed Bang Jin-bo's mood and patted his shoulder.

"Don't worry. He'll be back soon."

"You think so?"

"Of course!"

Only then did Bang Jin-bo's expression brighten.

'Hyung, please come back soon.'

On Heng Mountain existed the Hengshan Sect, one of the Five Great Sects of Hunan.

At its peak, it had rivaled the Nine Great Sects in prestige. But now its influence had diminished to the point where it barely qualified as one of the Five Great Sects of Hunan.

Still, it possessed enough power to be called the dominant force of Heng Mountain and central-western Hunan. At least in this region, there was no person or sect that could afford to disregard the Hengshan Sect.

The Hengshan Sect's Sect Leader, Jwa Mun-hyo, was known for his fiery temper. He was especially devoted to his people—once he formed a bond, he would care for them until death.

In the great hall, Jwa Mun-hyo and the elders of the Hengshan Sect were engaged in a heated debate.

"Sect Leader, do we truly need to construct the Imperial Temple at a time like this?"

"This is the perfect opportunity. Once the Imperial Temple is completed, we can demonstrate the sect's strength and attract more disciples."

"But we lack the financial means."

Chae Gyu, an elder of the Hengshan Sect, shook his head.

Chae Gyu managed the sect's finances. The Hengshan Sect's coffers were nearly empty. Yet Jwa Mun-hyo insisted on building a new hall—and not just any hall, but the most magnificent and grand one in the region.

He intended to showcase the Hengshan Sect's prestige to attract a large number of new disciples. In the eyes of Chae Gyu and several other elders, Jwa Mun-hyo's resolve looked worrying.

"Do not worry about the finances."

"How?"

"I have already spoken with several influential families who support us. They will provide funding."

"But…"

"Since the financial burden is resolved, I hope the elders will no longer oppose the construction of the Imperial Temple. This is not something I do for my own benefit. It is for the entire Hengshan Sect."

"We… understand."

"Haa!"

Chae Gyu and the other elders replied with resigned expressions. As Jwa Mun-hyo had said, with the financial problem resolved, they could not simply oppose it.

'But still. Building a grand hall to display prestige? What kind of absurd notion is that?'

The rise and fall of a sect had nothing to do with the size of its halls. What mattered most was the leadership and philosophy of the sect leader who guided it.

The decline of the Hengshan Sect could largely be attributed to the misguided policies of past sect leaders. The problem had arisen from always selecting the strongest martial artist as sect leader.

The strongest person in the current Hengshan Sect was indeed the Sect Leader, Jwa Mun-hyo. But unfortunately, his mind had not developed as much as his body. If that was the Hengshan Sect's tragedy, then it was a tragedy indeed.

Just as Chae Gyu was sighing, someone suddenly knocked on the hall door and called out.

"Sect Leader."

"What is it?"

"So Jin-pung, the great hero, is here."

"So Jin-pung?"

Jwa Mun-hyo rose from his seat.

So Jin-pung was a name he knew well. His martial arts were not particularly remarkable, but his reputation in the martial world was excellent, making him a worthy acquaintance. And Jwa Mun-hyo had built a friendship with So Jin-pung over many years.

When the hall door opened, So Jin-pung and a warrior of the Hengshan Sect appeared.

So Jin-pung was drenched in sweat, as though he had hurried here from a great distance, and he was panting heavily.

"What is it, Jin-pung?"

"Terrible—terrible news. The An Family Manor has been attacked."

"The An Family Manor?"

Jwa Mun-hyo's face contorted.

The An Family Manor's master, An Gyo-ik, was one of the Hengshan Sect's largest benefactors. Jwa Mun-hyo's sudden proposal to rebuild the Imperial Temple was partly because An Gyo-ik had pledged a considerable sum.

"Who would dare attack the An Family Manor without fear?"

"It was a single person."

"One person?"

"That one person devastated the entire An Family Manor. I barely escaped with my life to bring you this news."

"How dare he!"

Flames of fury seemed to burn in Jwa Mun-hyo's eyes.

Everyone in this region knew that the An Family Manor operated under the Hengshan Sect's protection. To attack it knowing this was nothing short of a deliberate insult to the Hengshan Sect.

"Summon the disciples at once. We march to the An Family Manor immediately."

"Sect Leader! But shouldn't we investigate further before—"

"To disregard the An Family Manor is to insult the Hengshan Sect. As a man who lives by the martial world, how can one endure such an insult?"

Jwa Mun-hyo's words held some logic, and Chae Gyu could say nothing more to dissuade him.

"Haa!"

His sigh echoed hollowly through the hall.

Jwa Mun-hyo led over a hundred warriors and departed the Hengshan Sect.

The distance from the Hengshan Sect to the An Family Manor was a mere thirty li. With lightness skill, they would arrive in less than half an hour.

In fact, Jwa Mun-hyo and the Hengshan Sect's warriors reached the An Family Manor in less than half an hour.

"What—?"

The Hengshan Sect warriors' eyes trembled at the sight of the An Family Manor.

They remembered it as a place of great beauty. After settling here, its master An Gyo-ik had devoted tremendous care to its cultivation.

But now, the An Family Manor before them was unrecognizable—reduced to utter ruin. Throughout the devastated estate lay mangled corpses, as though they had been struck and crushed by enormous hammers.

Though they belonged to one of the Five Great Sects of Hunan, the Hengshan Sect warriors had rarely seen such corpses with their own eyes.

Some could not bear to look and turned their heads away.

"Where is the culprit?"

Jwa Mun-hyo rushed into the An Family Manor.

There, he could see it.

A single mangled corpse. And a man sitting before it.

"Who are you, wretch?"

Jwa Mun-hyo's furious roar echoed through the An Family Manor.

Whether it was because he had sprained his ankle earlier or because he lacked energy, the young man was limping even as he used a carrying pole for support.

Kang Gyu disliked the young man for that reason alone, but he was more concerned about the inn, which was now messy and filled with foul odors.

“Aish.”

Kang Gyu frowned and clicked his tongue in displeasure.

The warriors began to clean up the chaotic inn.

Chicken droppings and urine were splattered everywhere.

It was an unexpected midnight cleaning session.

They could have brought in workers to help, but Kang Gyu forbade it.

They had rented the entire inn for safety reasons, and they couldn’t allow outsiders in for something like this.

So the warriors had no choice but to clean without complaint.

It was where they would be sleeping anyway, as there weren’t enough rooms at the inn.

But beyond the cleaning, an unexpected problem arose…

“In all my years, I’ve never experienced such a wretched thing. Aish, did I eat bad luck for breakfast? Where did they find such troublemakers? Ptui, ptui.”

The person cursing in the middle of the night was none other than the innkeeper.

Because of the chaos the chickens had caused, all the dishes were broken and the tables were stained.

All the chopsticks had to be thrown away too. The chopstick container on the table had been knocked over, scattering chopsticks across the floor. They were all trampled, broken, and soiled with chicken droppings and urine, rendering them completely unusable.

Hundreds of perfectly good chopsticks had become useless in an instant.

Setting aside the loss of dishes and chopsticks, the immediate problem was that they had nothing to use for breakfast the next morning.

Moreover, where could he find new tableware in the middle of the night?

With no choice, he was making his way to the market to look for pottery shops, but they were all closed.

“Ahhhh.”

What would happen if he couldn’t serve breakfast because of the lack of dishes and chopsticks?

He trembled at the thought of what Iron Umbrella Sect might do to him. He even considered running away. But he couldn’t do that, thinking of the cook and the servants still at the inn.

“This is driving me crazy, truly.”

Just then, he saw someone approaching with an A-frame carrier.

Limp, limp.

The innkeeper immediately recognized him.

“Oh, it’s you?”

It was the young man who had caused the chicken incident.

The young man put down his carrier and bowed his head to the innkeeper.

“I’m truly sorry about earlier.”

“Haa, apologizing now won’t fix anything. All the items…”

“I thought you might need these…”

The young man took a sack from his carrier and placed it in front of the innkeeper.

“Hmm? What’s this?”

When the innkeeper opened the sack, he found dishes, chopsticks, tablecloths, and other tableware inside.

The young man said bashfully,

“Since it was my fault, I thought it only right that I compensate you.”

“But how could you afford…?”

However, the innkeeper was in no position to refuse.

“Thank you. It was your fault, but you’ve saved me from a great deal of trouble. Come by when you have time. I’ll treat you to a drink.”

“No need. Ah… and this too.”

The young man also handed over some rice cakes wrapped in paper.

“These are made with my family’s secret recipe. They contain good medicinal ingredients. I feel sorry for everyone at the inn… They’ll be resting tomorrow, so please share these with them when they leave.”

“You didn’t have to do this. Thank you.”

The young man bowed and quickly disappeared. The innkeeper muttered as he watched the young man’s retreating figure.

“What a polite young man, rare these days. I haven’t seen his face before, so he must be from out of town. I hope he does well for himself.”

Having overcome the crisis thanks to the young man, the innkeeper breathed a sigh of relief.

When the innkeeper returned to the inn, he woke up the cook and the servants, shared the rice cakes the young man had given them, and they all slept soundly.

* * *

The warriors of Iron Umbrella Sect spent the night amid unpleasant odors.

Because there weren’t enough rooms at the inn, many warriors had to sleep on the first floor where chicken droppings were scattered. However, apart from a few complaining of headaches from the smell, nothing unusual happened.

The cook began preparing breakfast early in the morning. He kneaded dough and boiled noodles.

Kang Gyu was on edge because of the previous night’s incident.

Even when the noodles were served, he didn’t eat right away but waited a moment.

Then he dipped his silver hairpin into the steaming bowl.

He confirmed that there was nothing unusual about the silver hairpin.

The Iron Umbrella Sect warriors and the two experts from Poison Valley, who had been watching Kang Gyu, breathed sighs of relief.

When Kang Gyu nodded, the warriors finally took new chopsticks from the container and began to eat.

After finishing their breakfast of noodles, the Iron Umbrella Sect warriors promptly departed from Hehe Inn.

With all thirty of them leaving at once, the inn suddenly became empty.

Once the Iron Umbrella Sect warriors were out of sight, the innkeeper finally spat toward the door.

“Aish, ptui! Don’t ever come back.”

They had driven away his other guests, occupied the inn for days, and only paid half the fee.

He couldn’t afford to tangle with martial artists, especially Iron Umbrella Sect, which controlled the surrounding area, so he couldn’t even ask for the full payment.

Moreover, because they were a sect that used poison, it was unsettling that they had stayed at his inn. If rumors spread that a poison sect had stayed there, customers would avoid the place.

The innkeeper spat once more in the direction the Iron Umbrella Sect had gone, then went back inside and closed the door.

With rumors of the poison sect’s visit and the strong smell of chicken droppings, he doubted any customers would come anyway. He would have to close for a while to clean and reorganize.

Another thorough cleaning was needed.

* * *

Jin Ja-gang confirmed that the Iron Umbrella Sect warriors were noisily eating breakfast before he left the area.

Since his pace was slow, he needed to go ahead and wait at a suitable location for the poison to take effect.

The poisoning had been successful.

Ironically, Kang Gyu’s suspicious nature had actually helped with the poisoning.

Because Kang Gyu checked everything so meticulously, the Iron Umbrella Sect warriors never suspected Jin Ja-gang’s poison.

They would have no idea how they were poisoned or when it happened.

It was something so trivial, so ordinary, that anyone would overlook it.

‘If you don’t realize you’ve been poisoned by noon, none of you will survive today.’

Jin Ja-gang quickened his pace.

***

Lunchtime arrived.

The thirty regular warriors of Iron Umbrella Sect sat by the roadside, each eating a ball of rice they had ordered from the inn.

Kang Gyu and the two experts from Poison Valley, being faster, had gone ahead to have lunch in a nearby village.

However, some of the warriors eating rice didn’t look well.

“Ugh, why does my stomach feel so queasy?”

“I’ve even lost my appetite.”

“I should have learned lightness skill to follow the sect leader.”

The warriors’ leader, Division Head Yeom Jo, urged the others:

“Just eat it even if you’re not hungry. We need to get moving quickly. You know you’ll be in trouble if the sect leader returns and finds us here.”

The warriors grumbled as they chewed the lightly salted rice balls.

Then one of them stood up, rubbing his stomach.

“My stomach feels strange.”

“Where are you going?”

“Urgh, I need to… you know.”

As one warrior clutched his stomach and headed for the bushes by the road, several others stood up as if on cue.

“What’s wrong with all of you?”

“Well… my stomach…”

Soon, loud noises came from the bushes, and the warriors emerged with grimacing faces.

“Damn, did we eat something bad?”

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m passing bloody stools.”

“Did you dream about getting beaten by your wife in your sleep?”

Some laughed heartily.

But the laughter didn’t last long.

Other warriors began feeling unwell too.

“Damn it, I’m hurting too.”

“Why does it feel like my intestines are being torn apart?”

“Was the rice we just ate spoiled? It smelled fine though.”

More and more warriors complained of pain.

At first, Yeom Jo thought they were just making excuses. But then he too began feeling stomach pains!

“This won’t do. Let’s rest a bit.”

Eventually, they all had to squat by the roadside to rest.

But their condition didn’t improve at all. When they tried to walk, their stomachs hurt so much they couldn’t move.

They tried internal injury medicine and other remedies, but nothing helped.

The warriors were sweating profusely.

“Ugh, this is unbearable.”

All they could do was curl up, clutching their stomachs.

“D-Division Head. This… doesn’t seem normal.”

A warrior with a contorted face spoke to Yeom Jo, who was also gritting his teeth in pain and sweating heavily.

“Can anyone move? We need to call a doctor!”

Yeom Jo forced himself to shout, but everyone shook their heads. There was a village with a doctor about half an hour’s walk back in the direction they had come from. But getting there was the problem.

“I was fine earlier, why is this happening now?”

“Urgh… urgh.”

Groans of pain came from all around.

They couldn’t move, but they couldn’t just wait like this for the sect leader to return.

More and more warriors were crawling to the bushes to relieve themselves of bloody stools. Many couldn’t even stand and had to crawl on all fours.

“Argh!”

“I’m… I’m dying.”

“Why does it hurt so much!”

The Iron Umbrella Sect warriors had no idea why they were in such pain.

As they were stuck in this predicament, they spotted a traveler passing by on the road ahead.

A warrior who noticed the traveler shouted:

“You there! Please come here!”

The traveler heard the call and turned toward them.

The warriors’ faces brightened when the traveler approached.

“We’re saved… huh?”

The warriors’ eyes widened when they saw the traveler’s face.

The traveler was none other than the young man they had seen at Hehe Inn-the one who had caused the chicken commotion and earned a scolding from the sect leader.

Why was this young man here?

“Y-you, why are you here?”

But perhaps it was fortunate to see a familiar face.

“This is perfect timing. Go and call a doctor for us!”

The young man seemed not to understand the situation and approached the warriors without saying anything.

Then he began examining them one by one. He looked at their faces, checked their eyes, and felt their pulses.

The warriors, irritated, hurled insults at the young man.

“Are you a doctor? Can you tell just by looking?”

“Hurry up and bring a proper doctor!”

But the young man just blinked and continued looking around at the warriors.

The angry warriors shouted:

“This b*st*rd was clueless at the inn, and he’s clueless here too!”

“If you don’t want to die, go get a doctor while we’re still asking nicely!”

The young man asked:

“You want me to bring a doctor?”

“Yes! Can’t you see? Bring a doctor, a doctor!”

The young man asked again with an expressionless face:

“Why should I?”

“Does this b*st*rd really want to die!”

The warriors were furious, but the young man was their only hope, so all they could do was yell at him.

Suddenly, one warrior vomited blood.

Splash!

The young man asked:

“You want me to call a doctor?”

“Yes! Can’t you see? Go get a doctor, a doctor!”

The young man asked again with an expressionless face:

“Why should I?”

“Does this b*st*rd really want to die!”

The warriors were furious, but the young man was their only hope, so all they could do was yell at him.

Suddenly, one warrior vomited blood.

Splash!