Chapter 405

The leaders of the three Poison Sect Cliques, Ro-gwan, Tap Tak-yeon, and Yuk Ha-seon, all shook their heads.

“Word came that there’s nothing wrong with the medicinal materials on our side.”

“Same with us.”

Taoist Master Bok-cheon said with a heavy expression.

“It seems it’s not the medicinal materials.”

Since there were no traces of Five Path Fatal Pills even among the medicinal materials piled up in Tang family warehouses, Taoist Master Bok-cheon’s words were probably correct.

Those present racked their brains but couldn’t figure out how Tang Qing had intended to spread the Five Path Fatal Pills.

Tap Tak-yeon pulled his drooping earlobes and said irritably.

“It’s difficult to find the forces that tried to join hands with King of Hell, and it’s also difficult to find the poison King of Hell hid. This is truly being surrounded on all sides.”

Bian Bu said while holding his long pipe.

“There’s a saying among wandering medicine peddlers: To know medicine, first know poison; to know poison, first know medicine.”

Jin Ja-gang pondered and nodded. Bian Bu’s words made sense.

“I’ll check the Five Path Fatal Pills again from the beginning.”

* * *

“It’s this way.”

The person in charge of the Five Path Fatal Pills manufacturing room guided Jin Ja-gang.

Production of Five Path Fatal Pills had been stopped long ago.

However, due to incidents like Shaolin Temple’s Stone Vajras or Jin Ja-gang’s intrusion, it hadn’t been completely cleaned up.

Jin Ja-gang visited the Five Path Fatal Pills manufacturing room to inspect the raw materials and processes.

As Tang Gwi-ok had said, ordinary materials went into the general pills of Five Path Fatal Pills.

From the five poisons extracted from minerals to poisonous herbs like wild aconite and prepared aconite. From toads called toad venom to snake and scorpion poisons. They had simply precisely combined easily obtainable materials.

Jin Ja-gang carefully examined the materials that had been processed in the manufacturing room.

But the more he checked, the more discouraging it became.

Poison is poison, and that’s all. There are only degrees of strong or weak toxicity, but what could be strange about poison? It was difficult to find anything particularly unusual.

‘No. There must definitely be something.’

Jin Ja-gang didn’t give up. He had to find even one small clue.

Watching Jin Ja-gang taste and eat all the poisonous materials, the manufacturing room supervisor was amazed.

Even most Tang family members wouldn’t think of tasting so many poisons without rest.

While wandering around for a while, Jin Ja-gang stopped when he saw large wooden containers full of sweet potato-like lumps.

“These are prepared aconite.”

Prepared aconite is a tuberous stem with deadly poison. However, after proper processing, small amounts are also used as medicine. The medicine warehouse also had processed prepared aconite.

Jin Ja-gang picked up a lump and took a bite. Seeing him chew even deadly prepared aconite that could kill a large ox without any problem, the supervisor was astounded.

Jin Ja-gang’s brow furrowed.

“It’s salty.”

As if afraid Jin Ja-gang might ask him to try it once, the supervisor quickly explained.

“It’s salt-cured prepared aconite. To preserve the toxicity as is, it was pickled in brine and dried immediately after harvesting.”

As the supervisor said, white salt crystals were even soaked into the surface of the prepared aconite.

Jin Ja-gang recalled the taste of the prepared aconite he had tasted in the medicine warehouse.

“I remember the prepared aconite in the medicine warehouse being extremely bland.”

“Probably because the poison was removed and processed using the bland aconite slice method. It’s a method of soaking in clear water until all the salt is completely gone, changing the water two or three times a day. Then licorice and ginger are added to remove toxicity and…”

Jin Ja-gang wandered around the manufacturing room for a while longer, then couldn’t stand the thirst and came outside to drink well water.

“Huh…”

Most of the poisonous herbs in the manufacturing room were salt-cured, so they were bitter and salty.

It was like eating lumps of salt for half a day straight.

Come to think of it, he had drunk an enormous amount of water even after leaving the medicine warehouse. The processed medicinal materials in the medicine warehouse were very bland, unlike the salt-cured poisonous materials.

“Whether eating a lot of bland things or a lot of salty things, the thirst is severe. I was quite parched inside too.”

Jin Ja-gang spent a day checking all the poisonous materials in the manufacturing room, but only drank enough water to drain the well without finding any clues.

* * *

More than two weeks had passed since the rainy season ended.

Plague was rampant and the people’s hardship and sorrow had reached their peak.

Countless people died of starvation and plague disease each day.

Now even martial sects had reached a point where they could no longer just watch.

At that time, the Righteous Alliance was the first to step forward.

Baek Li-jung appealed from the front.

All martial sects of the martial world! At this time when the nation doesn’t step forward, may we at least stop current disputes and, with compassionate hearts, join forces to look after the pitiful lives of good people! I, Baek Li-jung, earnestly request this on behalf of the Martial Alliance!

He appealed for martial sects to stop disputes and engage in public relief.

The situation was very bad.

Inevitably, even Shaolin Temple declared a suspension of righteous campaigns. Even without considering political situations, they couldn’t cause disturbances during times of disaster. Shaolin Temple decided to temporarily stop righteous campaigns and pour all their strength into public relief.

Other sects began stepping forward one by one. In Sichuan, Emei Sect was already engaged in relief activities.

The Tang family also faced strong pressure.

Tang Gwi-ok called Jin Ja-gang and said.

“It’s difficult to wait any longer. Not only Sichuan but all sects in the martial world are participating in relief activities. Martial sects, being regionally based, cannot survive by ignoring local residents.”

The Tang Family Main House was Sichuan’s hegemon. They operated numerous businesses too.

But unable to confirm hidden Five Path Fatal Pills, they were preventing any food or medicinal materials from being taken out. Therefore, people’s resentment had greatly surged.

The three Poison Sect Cliques were also said to be under great pressure in their regions of influence.

“If we can’t find the source no matter how much we check and recheck, we can’t wait any longer. Especially since Sichuan is isolated, support from the center is hard to expect. Our Tang family must step forward.”

Jin Ja-gang had no choice either. They couldn’t keep blocking things indefinitely because of one suspicion.

“I understand.”

That day, the Tang Family Main House warehouses opened and food and medicinal materials were distributed to disaster victims.

* * *

The leaders of the three Poison Sect Cliques could no longer waste time at the Tang Family Main House.

Yuk Ha-seon said while preparing to leave.

“Perhaps, contrary to our thoughts, all of King of Hell’s plans have already turned to bubbles.”

Were Tang Qing’s final words merely simple stubbornness?

Jin Ja-gang answered.

“We can’t guarantee that either, or that it’s not the case.”

Tap Tak-yeon also had to leave.

“The sea route has opened and the Tang family has many ways to contact our side, so please contact us anytime.”

Ro-gwan was somewhat troubled. However, Ro-gwan also decided to leave.

“I had entrusted Leper Mound to you and decided to perish together with King of Hell. But shamefully, I’m still alive, so rather than taking my own life, I’ll try to help those who suffered damage and pay for my sins a little.”

Ro-gwan looked at a servant sweeping in a slightly distant place.

Swish, swish.

The servant was sweeping when they made eye contact with Ro-gwan and Jin Ja-gang with an expressionless face.

“Since Yeong-gwi has decided to serve you, she’ll always be connected to us.”

Yeong-gwi, disguised as a servant, slightly bowed her head to Ro-gwan.

The leaders of the three Poison Sect Cliques left the Tang Family Main House.

Jin Ja-gang couldn’t just stay still either.

Jin Ja-gang decided to go outside to personally examine the current situation.

Jin Ja-gang followed Tang family carts distributing relief supplies together with Yeong-gwi.

Even in just the Sichuan region, the disaster victims’ situation was miserable. Though the floodwaters that had overflowed receded and they returned to their original homes, almost nothing remained in the houses.

People of all ages and genders were mostly so thin their bones nearly showed through their skin, and their clothes were merely tattered rags.

Tang family warriors boiled medicine on one side while the carts began distributing food. Village people came crowding over weakly.

“Form a line! A line!”

“The quantity is insufficient, so only once per person!”

“If anyone in your family is sick, go separately over there to receive medicine!”

Tang family warriors barely controlled the hungry people by raising their voices. Jin Ja-gang also stood on one side participating in the distribution.

A child who might have been ten years old, with protruding cheekbones from hunger, cracked lips, and sunken eyes, hesitated in front of Jin Ja-gang.

Though Jin Ja-gang gave him one pancake made from steamed rice and wheat, the child stood there without leaving.

Yeong-gwi, disguised as a warrior, asked in Jin Ja-gang’s place.

“Why are you doing that?”

“At h-home… m-mother is sick… if you could give j-just one more…”

Jin Ja-gang was reminded of his old self and couldn’t just pass by. He gave one more pancake and took a bowl of boiled medicine.

“Let’s go see.”

Then the village people who were receiving distributions told Jin Ja-gang.

“It would be better not to follow him.”

Jin Ja-gang answered.

“The child says his mother is sick.”

The people nearby smiled bitterly with pale faces.

“How many people in this village aren’t sick?”

“Not only the child’s father but all the families in the front and back houses died of plague. It would be better if you don’t go that way either, sir.”

The child looked at Jin Ja-gang fearfully.

“Sir… please save our mother…”

Jin Ja-gang nodded.

“Let’s go.”

The child’s face brightened slightly.

When Yeong-gwi tried to follow, Jin Ja-gang stopped her.

“I’ll go alone.”

“Do I seem afraid?”

“We’ll have to burn all the clothes worn when returning to the Tang Family Main House. We’ll have to be conscious of others’ gazes.”

Yeong-gwi thought of something and her ears turned completely red. Though her face color was fine with the human skin mask, she apparently couldn’t hide her ears.

“I’ll escort from a distance.”

Yeong-gwi stubbornly followed Jin Ja-gang while keeping her distance.

The child’s house was in a place slightly removed from the village. The houses nearby were quiet. The aura of death could be clearly felt.

Inside the child’s house was naturally a mess. Though the child seemed to have cleaned up somehow, traces of vomiting and diarrhea still remained, giving off a foul odor.

The child handed a pancake to his mother.

“Mom, mom, there’s food.”

The child’s mother, in worse condition than the child, hurriedly chewed the pancake. Her chest seemed blocked as she patted it.

“Water… water…”

Jin Ja-gang gave boiled medicine instead of water. The child’s mother gulped down the medicine.

But she immediately vomited up the medicine.

The child’s mother began vomiting medicine into a chamber pot in the corner, retching.

The child cried while patting his mother’s back.

“Mom, don’t. Hold on. You have to eat. That’s medicine. Sob sob.”

Though the child’s mother forcibly swallowed the medicine and endured, it was useless.

“Water… water…”

The child brought a full bowl of water and gulped it down himself.

Fortunately, this village wasn’t short of water. When Jin Ja-gang tasted the water, there was no particular problem.

Yet not only the child but the child’s mother had parched lips.