Chapter 305

During his stay in the village, Jin Ja-gang fasted and didn’t drink even a sip of water.

As his internal energy increased from absorbing the Infinite Ghost Poison, unbearable hunger sometimes came.

Jin Ja-gang endured the hunger by reciting the incantations of the Jade Void Nine Lights Five Thunder Toad Art.

The Jade Void Nine Lights Five Thunder Toad Art had the effect of stabilizing mind and body as it concentrated Taoist studies. Even after the Fifth Light, difficult incantations from Taoist scriptures frequently appeared. Nevertheless, it wasn’t easy to overcome the hunger that kept coming.

This hunger wasn’t real hunger but thirst for becoming stronger, desire… spiritual hunger.

Jin Ja-gang gritted his teeth.

Finally, the Fierce Slaughter Demon God flickered before his eyes and gradually disappeared.

* * *

The three people, Yeong-woon, Pyo Sang-guk, and So-min, whispered while looking at Jin Ja-gang.

“Brother Jin seems to have been starving for five days now.”

“But why does he look like a different person this morning?”

Unable to endure it any longer, Pyo Sang-guk asked.

“Brother Jin, until yesterday you looked haggard and barely alive, but why do you look so healthy today?”

His face, which had been somewhat rough from not eating, became smooth overnight, and the brilliance in his eyes deepened.

The Infinite Ghost Poison had served as a miraculous medicine containing more than forty years of internal energy for Jin Ja-gang. After absorbing all the poison power, Jin Ja-gang finally entered the beginning of the Sixth Light.

Dikes were built in a total of six places: the middle dantian, the perineum, left and right palms, the right sole’s Bubbling Spring Point, and the Gate of Life Point.

An increase in dikes in the Jade Void Nine Lights Five Thunder Toad Art meant he could contain more internal energy.

Now Jin Ja-gang had surpassed the realm of mastery in pure internal energy alone.

He had sufficient conditions to become one of the top masters in any region.

Pyo Sang-guk and So-min looked at Yeong-woon. Though Yeong-woon had been freed from poisoning for about three days and was eating heartily, his face was still haggard. His eyes were sunken, cheeks hollow, and even dry patches had appeared. Compared to Jin Ja-gang’s pale face with transparent luster, the contrast was too stark.

Jin Ja-gang finished his first meal in days with just one bowl of watery rice.

But he showed no sign of hunger.

Jin Ja-gang said to the three who were looking at him as if amazed.

“Now that I’m stable, we can depart.”

* * *

As Piercing Ghost had promised, there were no more attacks from Leper Mound on the way to Chongqing.

Jin Ja-gang treated the three exactly as before. There wasn’t much difference between before and after knowing he was Poison Dragon.

Yeong-woon, Pyo Sang-guk, and So-min found Jin Ja-gang increasingly puzzling.

The three worried and had long discussions. After pushing and pulling for several days, So-min finally stepped forward. They decided to ask, trusting that Jin Ja-gang’s straightforward personality meant he wasn’t one to lie.

“Young Master Jin!”

Jin Ja-gang paused while gathering firewood and looked at So-min.

“Go ahead and ask.”

“What? How did you know I was going to ask something?”

“You’ve been whispering while looking at me for days.”

“Ah, then this will make questioning easier. We want to know what you did and didn’t do.”

“I’ve told you before.”

“I know. But…”

So-min glanced back. Yeong-woon and Pyo Sang-guk were cheering her on from behind. Depending on Jin Ja-gang’s answer, they might fight or part ways at this moment.

“Villagers near Stone Forest Gang’s manor were massacred. Did you do it?”

“No.”

“Is it true that you poisoned Chu Sa-jin, heir of Yunnan’s Five Ancestor Sect?”

“No.”

“Please tell me in more detail. Young Master Chu died instantly from deadly poison. Is it really not true?”

“No one dies from eating pokeweed. Pokeweed is poison that causes stomach pain.”

“Why did you use such poison? Did you spare him because he was from an orthodox sect?”

“I felt someone had instigated Five Ancestor Sect.”

“You deliberately didn’t use excessive poison because killing Young Master Chu might involve you in bad affairs. But since Young Master Chu died from poison… your prediction was correct.”

After thinking briefly, So-min asked again.

“Then the massacre of Yunnan orthodox sects at Poison Valley…”

“That wasn’t my doing either.”

Pyo Sang-guk interrupted.

“There was an incident where a village of common people burned. What about that?”

“If it’s common people… that was my doing.”

The three’s faces instantly stiffened.

“Then!”

Jin Ja-gang waited briefly before answering.

“It was a den of Shadow Bureau.”

Shadow Bureau was a group that worked as assassins among Yunnan’s poison sects, like Leper Mound. If disguised as an ordinary village, it might not have been properly known.

Pyo Sang-guk interrupted Yeong-woon’s words.

“Wait! If Brother Jin is that confident, wouldn’t the right way be to go directly to the Martial Alliance and explain?”

To Pyo Sang-guk’s words, Jin Ja-gang replied.

“Hundred Flower Valley was ambushed by Extreme Poison Sect and destroyed. I went through tremendous hardships to reach the Martial Alliance’s Yunnan branch for help. I was ten years old then. What do you think happened?”

“Not only Hundred Flower Valley but countless medicine sects were defeated by poison sects and destroyed. The Martial Alliance maintained neutrality without intervening in that process.”

“Did they maintain neutrality? Or do you want to believe that?”

“The Martial Alliance is always righteous…!”

Pyo Sang-guk was speaking when he suddenly made an awkward expression and scratched his cheek.

“…or so I’ve heard, but actually we also know there were times when that wasn’t true. Sorry for saying something unnecessary.”

Jin Ja-gang almost chuckled at Pyo Sang-guk’s humor.

Yeong-woon said.

“Brother Jin, you don’t need to antagonize the Martial Alliance.”

“I hope you won’t misunderstand just because I was from an orthodox sect and rarely attacked orthodox sects. If you point a blade at me, you’ll inevitably become my enemy.”

“No, no. Brother Jin is the one misunderstanding my words.”

Yeong-woon shook his head and said.

“Anywhere people live is the same. There are countless factions within the Martial Alliance too. Good people and evil people, and those who are enemies to Brother Jin and those who aren’t coexist. So even if you hate the Martial Alliance, don’t make the entire organization your enemy.”

Jin Ja-gang understood Yeong-woon’s words. He meant to distinguish between those to make enemies of and those not to within the Martial Alliance.

“It would be extremely difficult to actually do that. But if you make everyone your enemy, everyone becomes your enemy, and if you leave room, that much will become Brother Jin’s allies.”

After thinking briefly, Jin Ja-gang answered.

“Thank you for the advice. I’ll think and consider it thoroughly.”

* * *

Chongqing is a basin surrounded by mountains and located in highlands. Due to rivers touching three sides below, it’s also a place where you can see fog for a hundred days every year.

Geographically, it’s a place with frequent movement of goods, so the sight of donkeys carrying loads and traveling well through rough terrain was often seen.

Among these, Jin Ja-gang headed toward a village called Porcelain District at the mouth of Jialing River. It was a place Oh Tae had hinted about. Being by the river, it was prosperous with numerous shops lined up.

Originally, Yeong-woon and the others had somewhere else to go, not Porcelain District.

But they couldn’t leave Jin Ja-gang.

Jin Ja-gang looked back at the three and asked.

“How long will you follow me?”

So-min answered.

“We need to know what Young Master Jin plans to do in Chongqing before we can report. We’ll get in trouble if we just leave.”

“Then those clothes won’t do.”

The Taoist robes of Mount Hua and Wudang, and Zhongnan’s martial attire certainly stood out.

“And don’t carry weapons either.”

Since So-min was the only one carrying a weapon, she objected.

“Telling a swordsman to go around without a sword! That’s too much.”

“Then don’t follow.”

“Ugh!”

So-min puffed her cheeks and made a sulky expression before finally agreeing to follow Jin Ja-gang’s words.

Pyo Sang-guk asked.

“Where are you going that you want to move immediately without even resting a day?”

Jin Ja-gang smiled slightly and said.

“To see the Eight Great Families.”

When Jin Ja-gang suddenly said he came to study the writings of eight famous literary figures, Yeong-woon, Pyo Sang-guk, and So-min couldn’t understand and were bewildered.

Jin Ja-gang had dinner with the three, secured lodging, rested for a while, then went out for a night stroll. The three, having changed clothes, followed Jin Ja-gang around.

After seeming to look around the darkened village once, Jin Ja-gang headed to the entertainment district in the back alleys.

Even though it was close to midnight, many people were already drunk and wandering the entertainment district alleys.

Brothels with red lanterns lit everywhere were operating in various places.

So-min’s face turned red as a beet. No matter how much of a martial artist she was, walking through such places nonchalantly as a woman wasn’t something she was used to. Yeong-woon tried to dissuade So-min.

“This isn’t a suitable place for Sister Min. How about going back alone?”

So-min tensed her stomach and persisted.

“Hmph! If you put it that way, brother is also a Taoist so you shouldn’t come to places like this either. What will you two do after sending only me away?”

“We have to follow Brother Jin.”

“Brother Pyo doesn’t seem like that though.”

Pyo Sang-guk had been grinning and busy looking around since earlier. On the second floors of brothels with red lanterns, courtesans in thin silk garments that showed through sat with their chins propped, smoking pipes and laughing.

Pyo Sang-guk grinned foolishly and said.

“Right. Sister Min, go quickly. Leave this to me and brother. By the way, Brother Jin seems more versed in pleasure than he looks…”

So-min kicked Pyo Sang-guk’s butt.

“Geez! You scoundrel brother!”

Passing travelers giggled at the sight. Among them were drunk customers who harassed So-min.

“How about instead of those naive little brats, you play with us gentlemen? That’s cute.”

There were even those who blatantly looked So-min up and down.

So-min’s face turned bright red. Angry, So-min shouted.

“This young lady is a disciple of Mount Hua! How dare you harass a Mount Hua disciple!”

“Oh my, oh my. I’m so scared. What Mount Hua female disciple in a red-light district?”

“Is that kind of solicitation trendy these days?”

When the drunkards mocked her, Pyo Sang-guk clenched his fists and threatened them.

“These beggar-like bastards, if you’re going to drink, drink nicely. How dare you joke around with Sister Min? Want to get beaten?”

“What, punk? Who are you to make a fuss?”

“You want a taste too?”

As the two made a commotion, people gathered.

Yeong-woon smiled awkwardly at Jin Ja-gang.

“I’m sorry about this.”

“It’s fine. I expected it. Things seem to be going as planned.”

“Haha…”

Several thugs appeared from somewhere, restraining people and surrounding Jin Ja-gang and Yeong-woon’s group. They had rough faces with at least one knife scar each as a basic feature.

“Hey. Mount Hua disciple or whatever, if you come to someone else’s neighborhood, you should follow proper conduct. What are you supposed to do if you cause trouble in a business establishment? Are you really a Mount Hua disciple?”

“Want to see if that’s true or not by getting scolded by this young lady?”

So-min angrily tried to grab her sword hilt, then realized she had left her sword behind and awkwardly raised her empty hands. Of course, not having a sword didn’t mean she would lose to third-rate thugs, but her face reddened more from embarrassment.

“Oh really?”

As the thugs swaggered and tried to surround So-min and Pyo Sang-guk, Jin Ja-gang casually said from the side.

“I came with Old Master Oh’s introduction.”

The thugs looked at Jin Ja-gang and tilted their heads.

“Old Master Oh?”

But one of their faces suddenly turned pale.

“Did you perhaps come from Gubuk Village?”

“That’s right.”

The thug immediately bowed.

“I’m sorry! I failed to recognize you!”

While the other thugs just blinked, not understanding, the thug who had greeted asked Jin Ja-gang carefully.

“The reason you came here is perhaps…”

“I came to see the Eight Great Families.”

The thug bowed at a right angle again.

“I’ll escort you!”