Chapter 96

Chapter 96

Jin Ja-gang turned to look at the finance officer. The sight of him pretending to work as if nothing had happened was disgusting.

It was all a scheme to embezzle other people’s money.

When Jin Ja-gang looked at the scholar’s face, he was smirking. It was clear he believed that the person with the money had all the power.

But Jin Ja-gang couldn’t just accept one tael when they were supposed to receive five.

Jin Ja-gang realized he had no further business here.

“I’ll come back in three days and collect the full five taels then.”

The scholar made an irritated face.

“Ah, you just don’t get it, do you? Do you know how busy we are? Come back in three days and wait all day if you want, it’s up to you.”

Hearing this, Jin Ja-gang appeared to think for a moment, then smiled back.

A cold smile.

“You’ll be less busy by then.”

Jin Ja-gang’s smile faded as he left the office.

Behind him, he could hear the mocking voices of the young scholar and the finance officer.

“What a lunatic.”

“Let’s see if he can actually get his money properly.”

But Jin Ja-gang paid them no mind.

* * *

Jin Ja-gang returned to Mr. Jang’s house and explained the situation.

Mr. Jang looked troubled but didn’t blame Jin Ja-gang. He thought Jin Ja-gang’s straightforward personality had prevented him from accepting an unfair deal.

In any case, Mr. Jang would recover in a day or two and could go collect the money himself.

Jin Ja-gang returned to Poison Valley. Someone needed to be available to make repairs if anything broke or was damaged during the assembly in the area Mr. Jang was responsible for.

‘Three days…’

The duration of the poison sects’ assembly.

Whether he could eliminate Poison Valley within that period now depended entirely on heaven’s will.

The day of the poison sects’ general assembly arrived.

Poison Valley opened its gates wide to welcome guests. Representatives from small and medium-sized poison sects from all over Yunnan arrived one after another.

Though they were small sects, many had distinctive appearances and attire, perhaps because they all dealt with poison.

“Welcome!”

“We’re delighted to see you!”

Poison Valley was greeting guests with unusual brightness, but the poison sect members’ expressions were far from cheerful.

It would have been strange to be happy when three major poison sects had recently been completely wiped out.

So despite the Poison Valley warriors’ bright voices, the atmosphere remained heavy.

By morning, the number of people who had entered exceeded one hundred.

Before noon, the opening ceremony was held in the main hall where Jin Ja-gang had worked so diligently.

Chairs and long tables were arranged in a U-shape on the spacious floor of the hall, with representatives from small and medium-sized poison sects seated around them.

When Wei Zong, the Valley Master of Poison Valley, stepped onto the low platform, everyone stood to show respect.

People from poison sects don’t perform the fist-and-palm salute. Most merely gave a slight bow toward Wei Zong.

Wei Zong looked around with a calm smile and gave his opening remarks.

“Thank you for making the long journey here. I am truly grateful that so many of you have come during this difficult time for our Yunnan poison sects.”

Usually, poison sect assemblies included various events.

The main purpose was to discuss the future direction of the poison sects under the leadership of the major sects. Additionally, there would be exchanges of information about new poisons, simple demonstrations, and small martial arts competitions.

But this time was different. All the major poison sects except Poison Valley had been wiped out, and there were ongoing threats against the poison sects.

Wei Zong began to speak.

“Our Yunnan has been relatively sheltered from the turmoil of the Central Plains due to our distance… but the recent state of the martial world has been extremely chaotic.”

Wei Zong continued.

“Moreover, since the incident with the Extreme Poison Sect long ago, we are now experiencing the worst situation. Stone Forest Gang, Shadow Bureau, and Iron Umbrella Sect have all disappeared without a trace.”

Though they had all heard this news before coming, the representatives of the small and medium-sized poison sects still hardened their expressions at the shock.

“If things continue like this, the chaos in Yunnan will intensify, and we won’t be able to avoid the turbulent waves of the martial world. Therefore, I believe we must fill the void left by the three destroyed sects and reorganize quickly to prevent further chaos.”

The eyes of the representatives changed.

The territories that the three sects had occupied. With Poison Valley’s support added to those businesses, it wasn’t a dream to instantly become a major sect.

“However…”

Wei Zong drew out his words.

“As we are now, with each sect separated, it is difficult to defend against potential enemy attacks, which could come at any time. Though it may sound uncomfortable, we must now unite our strength to counter external forces.”

The room suddenly grew quiet.

No one could misunderstand Wei Zong’s meaning.

Wei Zong raised his voice and shouted.

“I propose that our Yunnan poison sects must become one! You may say whatever you wish to me. I am prepared to share everything, be it Poison Valley’s martial arts or anything else, for the sake of our Yunnan poison sects. First, I will distribute the business rights of the four major poison sects that Poison Valley currently manages. After all, if we become one, won’t these belong to all of us?”

The expressions of the representatives darkened.

In truth, they had come prepared for this.

But hearing the direct proposal to “become one” left them with mixed feelings.

It was clear that “becoming one” didn’t mean an alliance of equals. It meant being forcibly brought under Poison Valley’s control.

They couldn’t refuse either. If they did, they would likely end up as cold corpses. Just like the Medicine Sects long ago.

The only fortunate aspect was that Wei Zong was offering to share the business rights held by the four major poison sects. Though they would no longer remain as independent individual sects, they would gain considerable wealth compared to before.

Conflict showed on the faces of the poison sect representatives.

If refusal wasn’t an option, perhaps accepting was the best business decision.

But it was uncomfortable to lose their autonomy and essentially become subordinate to Poison Valley.

As everyone looked around awkwardly in silence, an old man stepped forward.

“Gwei Hu of Snake One Gang.”

Wei Zong gestured with his palm, indicating for him to speak.

The leader of Snake One Gang, Gwei Hu, shouted in a sharp voice.

“I have heard Valley Master Wei’s grand vision. But I oppose it!”

The other representatives were startled.

To openly oppose Wei Zong to his face!

Wei Zong was known for his outwardly gentle personality but inner cruelty. He was also famous for holding grudges.

The representatives unconsciously looked at Wei Zong’s reaction.

But Wei Zong nodded as if this was to be expected.

“I will listen to Gang Leader Gwei’s opinion.”

Gwei Hu raised his voice like an angry man.

“Our most pressing issue is identifying who attacked our poison sects! We don’t even have an outline of who they are, yet you’re suggesting we unite to face them? The order is wrong!”

Gwei Hu’s criticism resonated with many of the representatives.

There were ominous rumors circulating that Poison Valley might be responsible for eliminating the other major poison sects. Among the small and medium-sized sect representatives gathered here, quite a few actually believed this.

Amid the tension, Gwei Hu continued.

“Above all, rumors are circulating that Poison Valley harmed the other poison sects. Have you ever seen smoke without fire? Clarifying this issue should be our priority, Valley Master!”

The atmosphere turned cold at Gwei Hu’s aggressive statement.

The calm smile disappeared from Wei Zong’s face.

Gulp.

The representatives felt uneasy just watching.

Suddenly, Wei Zong burst into laughter.

“Gang Leader Gwei is right! That indeed seems to be the issue that should be addressed first. There should not be even the slightest hesitation in uniting our Yunnan poison sects.”

Wei Zong gestured toward the outside of the hall.

“Bring them in!”

Soon, Poison Valley warriors carried in several stretchers.

They were covered with white cotton cloth, and anyone could tell they contained people.

A strong smell emanated as the stretchers passed by.

When the cloth was pulled back from the dozen or so stretchers placed in the center of the hall, horrific corpses were revealed.

Some corpses were charred black, some had broken necks or torn-off limbs. Some were completely covered in blood, while others appeared relatively intact.

“These are corpses brought from Stone Forest Gang, Shadow Bureau, and Iron Umbrella Sect. Some of you may be able to identify which sect they belonged to.”

Wei Zong spoke with a hardened face.

“I am aware of the rumors circulating. But rather than claiming my innocence a hundred times, it’s better for you to see once with your own eyes. Look carefully. If there is even the slightest room for doubt, I will consider everything void and take my own life by biting a poison pill before all of you.”

Wei Zong even performed a fist-and-palm salute to the crowd.

The representatives took Wei Zong’s pledge seriously. They were also impressed by Wei Zong’s magnanimity in not minding the harsh words spoken earlier.

After Wei Zong finished speaking, people crowded around the corpses. They had been curious about the identity of the villain. The traces of killing left on the corpses might provide clues.

Watching them, Wei Zong smiled calmly. Then his eyes met those of Gwei Hu, who had just been speaking with such a sharp voice.

Gwei Hu gave Wei Zong a knowing smile. Wei Zong nodded slightly in return.

Gwei Hu’s opposition had been planned in advance.

If everything proceeded smoothly in such a coercive atmosphere, it would only increase resistance. They had skillfully shifted the focus from the controversial topic of integration or subordination to the corpses.

‘It’s always better to be thorough.’

The same applied to his promise to distribute the businesses of the other four major poison sects.

‘You get indigestion if you eat alone.’

Sharing wealth wasn’t a problem at all. If he became the unified leader of Yunnan’s poison sects, he could always accumulate more wealth.

Jin Ja-gang was watching the assembly taking place in the hall from a distance.

The assembly seemed to be proceeding smoothly.

The afternoon was already passing.

Jin Ja-gang looked up at the sky.

It was clear and blue without a single cloud.

‘It seems today won’t work either.’

Jin Ja-gang got up with a sense of regret. With the shelter gone, he would have to sleep roughly outdoors.

* * *

The second day.

Despite the welcoming banquet with drinks the night before, the assembly started early in the morning.

The examination of the corpses was almost complete.

Since the corpses had been killed in various ways, it was difficult to identify the culprit. However, it was clear that Poison Valley had not been involved.

In the afternoon of the second day, the corpses were removed, and discussions began about the organizational structure and personnel arrangements for the new unified body.

Like the first day, the second day passed without incident.

Jin Ja-gang checked the weather, but today was also perfectly clear.

‘Another failure today.’

If the weather didn’t cooperate by tomorrow, he would have no choice.

He would have to either force his plan or give up entirely.

But that night.

Under the cover of darkness, a shadow moved throughout Poison Valley.

Though the shadow’s movements seemed somewhat awkward and uncomfortable, it was incredibly agile. It made no sound as it walked, ran, and moved around.

“This can’t be right.”

The shadow tilted its head, then slowly surveyed the surroundings again.

After searching mainly through the kitchen and storerooms without finding what it wanted, the shadow climbed onto the roof of the main hall and looked down at Poison Valley.

“Has he given up…”

A single eye revealed in the dim moonlight.

It was Mang Ryo.

Mang Ryo crouched on the ridge of the roof for a while, then suddenly looked down.

“Hmm?”

Mang Ryo lowered his head and sniffed, sniff, sniff. He crawled around the roof, following the scent.

“Hmm?”

Then he jumped down and landed on the floor of the main hall. Mang Ryo moved around the floor almost like a crawling insect, checking everywhere. He turned over chairs, crawled under tables to smell, and even licked pillars to taste them.

A smile appeared on Mang Ryo’s face.

“That’s more like it. He wouldn’t give up so easily. But things won’t go as you planned. Hehehe.”

Having found what he was looking for, Mang Ryo slipped out of the main hall and Poison Valley as stealthily as he had entered.

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Jin Ja-gang turned to look at the finance officer. The sight of him pretending to work as if nothing had happened was disgusting.

It was all a scheme to embezzle other people’s money.

When Jin Ja-gang looked at the scholar’s face, he was smirking. It was clear he believed that the person with the money had all the power.

But Jin Ja-gang couldn’t just accept one tael when they were supposed to receive five.

Jin Ja-gang realized he had no further business here.

“I’ll come back in three days and collect the full five taels then.”

The scholar made an irritated face.

“Ah, you just don’t get it, do you? Do you know how busy we are? Come back in three days and wait all day if you want, it’s up to you.”

Hearing this, Jin Ja-gang appeared to think for a moment, then smiled back.

A cold smile.

“You’ll be less busy by then.”

Jin Ja-gang’s smile faded as he left the office.

Behind him, he could hear the mocking voices of the young scholar and the finance officer.

“What a lunatic.”

“Let’s see if he can actually get his money properly.”

But Jin Ja-gang paid them no mind.

* * *

Jin Ja-gang returned to Mr. Jang’s house and explained the situation.

Mr. Jang looked troubled but didn’t blame Jin Ja-gang. He thought Jin Ja-gang’s straightforward personality had prevented him from accepting an unfair deal.

In any case, Mr. Jang would recover in a day or two and could go collect the money himself.

Jin Ja-gang returned to Poison Valley. Someone needed to be available to make repairs if anything broke or was damaged during the assembly in the area Mr. Jang was responsible for.

‘Three days…’

The duration of the poison sects’ assembly.

Whether he could eliminate Poison Valley within that period now depended entirely on heaven’s will.

The day of the poison sects’ general assembly arrived.

Poison Valley opened its gates wide to welcome guests. Representatives from small and medium-sized poison sects from all over Yunnan arrived one after another.

Though they were small sects, many had distinctive appearances and attire, perhaps because they all dealt with poison.

“Welcome!”

“We’re delighted to see you!”

Poison Valley was greeting guests with unusual brightness, but the poison sect members’ expressions were far from cheerful.

It would have been strange to be happy when three major poison sects had recently been completely wiped out.

So despite the Poison Valley warriors’ bright voices, the atmosphere remained heavy.

By morning, the number of people who had entered exceeded one hundred.

Before noon, the opening ceremony was held in the main hall where Jin Ja-gang had worked so diligently.

Chairs and long tables were arranged in a U-shape on the spacious floor of the hall, with representatives from small and medium-sized poison sects seated around them.

When Wei Zong, the Valley Master of Poison Valley, stepped onto the low platform, everyone stood to show respect.

People from poison sects don’t perform the fist-and-palm salute. Most merely gave a slight bow toward Wei Zong.

Wei Zong looked around with a calm smile and gave his opening remarks.

“Thank you for making the long journey here. I am truly grateful that so many of you have come during this difficult time for our Yunnan poison sects.”

Usually, poison sect assemblies included various events.

The main purpose was to discuss the future direction of the poison sects under the leadership of the major sects. Additionally, there would be exchanges of information about new poisons, simple demonstrations, and small martial arts competitions.

But this time was different. All the major poison sects except Poison Valley had been wiped out, and there were ongoing threats against the poison sects.

Wei Zong began to speak.

“Our Yunnan has been relatively sheltered from the turmoil of the Central Plains due to our distance… but the recent state of the martial world has been extremely chaotic.”

Wei Zong continued.

“Moreover, since the incident with the Extreme Poison Sect long ago, we are now experiencing the worst situation. Stone Forest Gang, Shadow Bureau, and Iron Umbrella Sect have all disappeared without a trace.”

Though they had all heard this news before coming, the representatives of the small and medium-sized poison sects still hardened their expressions at the shock.

“If things continue like this, the chaos in Yunnan will intensify, and we won’t be able to avoid the turbulent waves of the martial world. Therefore, I believe we must fill the void left by the three destroyed sects and reorganize quickly to prevent further chaos.”

The eyes of the representatives changed.

The territories that the three sects had occupied. With Poison Valley’s support added to those businesses, it wasn’t a dream to instantly become a major sect.

“However…”

Wei Zong drew out his words.

“As we are now, with each sect separated, it is difficult to defend against potential enemy attacks, which could come at any time. Though it may sound uncomfortable, we must now unite our strength to counter external forces.”

The room suddenly grew quiet.

No one could misunderstand Wei Zong’s meaning.

Wei Zong raised his voice and shouted.

“I propose that our Yunnan poison sects must become one! You may say whatever you wish to me. I am prepared to share everything, be it Poison Valley’s martial arts or anything else, for the sake of our Yunnan poison sects. First, I will distribute the business rights of the four major poison sects that Poison Valley currently manages. After all, if we become one, won’t these belong to all of us?”

The expressions of the representatives darkened.

In truth, they had come prepared for this.

But hearing the direct proposal to “become one” left them with mixed feelings.

It was clear that “becoming one” didn’t mean an alliance of equals. It meant being forcibly brought under Poison Valley’s control.

They couldn’t refuse either. If they did, they would likely end up as cold corpses. Just like the Medicine Sects long ago.

The only fortunate aspect was that Wei Zong was offering to share the business rights held by the four major poison sects. Though they would no longer remain as independent individual sects, they would gain considerable wealth compared to before.

Conflict showed on the faces of the poison sect representatives.

If refusal wasn’t an option, perhaps accepting was the best business decision.

But it was uncomfortable to lose their autonomy and essentially become subordinate to Poison Valley.

As everyone looked around awkwardly in silence, an old man stepped forward.

“Gwei Hu of Snake One Gang.”

Wei Zong gestured with his palm, indicating for him to speak.

The leader of Snake One Gang, Gwei Hu, shouted in a sharp voice.

“I have heard Valley Master Wei’s grand vision. But I oppose it!”

The other representatives were startled.

To openly oppose Wei Zong to his face!

Wei Zong was known for his outwardly gentle personality but inner cruelty. He was also famous for holding grudges.

The representatives unconsciously looked at Wei Zong’s reaction.

But Wei Zong nodded as if this was to be expected.

“I will listen to Gang Leader Gwei’s opinion.”

Gwei Hu raised his voice like an angry man.

“Our most pressing issue is identifying who attacked our poison sects! We don’t even have an outline of who they are, yet you’re suggesting we unite to face them? The order is wrong!”

Gwei Hu’s criticism resonated with many of the representatives.

There were ominous rumors circulating that Poison Valley might be responsible for eliminating the other major poison sects. Among the small and medium-sized sect representatives gathered here, quite a few actually believed this.

Amid the tension, Gwei Hu continued.

“Above all, rumors are circulating that Poison Valley harmed the other poison sects. Have you ever seen smoke without fire? Clarifying this issue should be our priority, Valley Master!”

The atmosphere turned cold at Gwei Hu’s aggressive statement.

The calm smile disappeared from Wei Zong’s face.

Gulp.

The representatives felt uneasy just watching.

Suddenly, Wei Zong burst into laughter.

“Gang Leader Gwei is right! That indeed seems to be the issue that should be addressed first. There should not be even the slightest hesitation in uniting our Yunnan poison sects.”

Wei Zong gestured toward the outside of the hall.

“Bring them in!”

Soon, Poison Valley warriors carried in several stretchers.

They were covered with white cotton cloth, and anyone could tell they contained people.

A strong smell emanated as the stretchers passed by.

When the cloth was pulled back from the dozen or so stretchers placed in the center of the hall, horrific corpses were revealed.

Some corpses were charred black, some had broken necks or torn-off limbs. Some were completely covered in blood, while others appeared relatively intact.

“These are corpses brought from Stone Forest Gang, Shadow Bureau, and Iron Umbrella Sect. Some of you may be able to identify which sect they belonged to.”

Wei Zong spoke with a hardened face.

“I am aware of the rumors circulating. But rather than claiming my innocence a hundred times, it’s better for you to see once with your own eyes. Look carefully. If there is even the slightest room for doubt, I will consider everything void and take my own life by biting a poison pill before all of you.”

Wei Zong even performed a fist-and-palm salute to the crowd.

The representatives took Wei Zong’s pledge seriously. They were also impressed by Wei Zong’s magnanimity in not minding the harsh words spoken earlier.

After Wei Zong finished speaking, people crowded around the corpses. They had been curious about the identity of the villain. The traces of killing left on the corpses might provide clues.

Watching them, Wei Zong smiled calmly. Then his eyes met those of Gwei Hu, who had just been speaking with such a sharp voice.

Gwei Hu gave Wei Zong a knowing smile. Wei Zong nodded slightly in return.

Gwei Hu’s opposition had been planned in advance.

If everything proceeded smoothly in such a coercive atmosphere, it would only increase resistance. They had skillfully shifted the focus from the controversial topic of integration or subordination to the corpses.

‘It’s always better to be thorough.’

The same applied to his promise to distribute the businesses of the other four major poison sects.

‘You get indigestion if you eat alone.’

Sharing wealth wasn’t a problem at all. If he became the unified leader of Yunnan’s poison sects, he could always accumulate more wealth.

Jin Ja-gang was watching the assembly taking place in the hall from a distance.

The assembly seemed to be proceeding smoothly.

The afternoon was already passing.

Jin Ja-gang looked up at the sky.

It was clear and blue without a single cloud.

‘It seems today won’t work either.’

Jin Ja-gang got up with a sense of regret. With the shelter gone, he would have to sleep roughly outdoors.

* * *

The second day.

Despite the welcoming banquet with drinks the night before, the assembly started early in the morning.

The examination of the corpses was almost complete.

Since the corpses had been killed in various ways, it was difficult to identify the culprit. However, it was clear that Poison Valley had not been involved.

In the afternoon of the second day, the corpses were removed, and discussions began about the organizational structure and personnel arrangements for the new unified body.

Like the first day, the second day passed without incident.

Jin Ja-gang checked the weather, but today was also perfectly clear.

‘Another failure today.’

If the weather didn’t cooperate by tomorrow, he would have no choice.

He would have to either force his plan or give up entirely.

But that night.

Under the cover of darkness, a shadow moved throughout Poison Valley.

Though the shadow’s movements seemed somewhat awkward and uncomfortable, it was incredibly agile. It made no sound as it walked, ran, and moved around.

“This can’t be right.”

The shadow tilted its head, then slowly surveyed the surroundings again.

After searching mainly through the kitchen and storerooms without finding what it wanted, the shadow climbed onto the roof of the main hall and looked down at Poison Valley.

“Has he given up…”

A single eye revealed in the dim moonlight.

It was Mang Ryo.

Mang Ryo crouched on the ridge of the roof for a while, then suddenly looked down.

“Hmm?”

Mang Ryo lowered his head and sniffed, sniff, sniff. He crawled around the roof, following the scent.

“Hmm?”

Then he jumped down and landed on the floor of the main hall. Mang Ryo moved around the floor almost like a crawling insect, checking everywhere. He turned over chairs, crawled under tables to smell, and even licked pillars to taste them.

A smile appeared on Mang Ryo’s face.

“That’s more like it. He wouldn’t give up so easily. But things won’t go as you planned. Hehehe.”

Having found what he was looking for, Mang Ryo slipped out of the main hall and Poison Valley as stealthily as he had entered.

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