Following the River, Following the Wind - 4
The three-headed snake that Nang-jung Wang had sent to resolve the incident was a once-in-a-lifetime venomous serpent that would tempt any poison enthusiast more than some spirit pill, supreme martial art, or famed sword. Sure, it was just a hatchling so young that "small" didn't even begin to cover it, and its venom was still weak—but the Tang duo holed up somewhere in Sichuan had no idea. Even if they did know, wouldn't the poison grow stronger over time? They might even prefer securing it young and raising it to adulthood.
"Instead of searching for those who could be anywhere, we make them come to us. I'll spread the rumor as quickly as possible."
"But if word of a three-headed snake suddenly spreads, won't they get suspicious?"
The one flaw in this plan—the only variable—was whether those bastards would buy the rumor. Even I, who'd seen the damn thing with my own eyes, couldn't shake the thought, 'Why the hell is that here?' So how much more would the Tang scum, dodging pursuits from the Qingcheng and Emei sects, dismiss it? They might just write off Pojeongsa as a blowhard.
"Jwa-cheom Do-eosa."
"Yes, my lord."
"Don't think like an ordinary person."
His advice rang with utter sincerity again, drawing a wry smile from me.
"These are the kind who ransacked Qingcheng and Emei private grounds dozens of times just to hunt some poison beast. You think they'd ignore news of a three-headed snake? No chance. They'll take the bait at least once."
With that, Pojeongsa reached into the jar and pulled out the three-headed snake again.
- Shiiik! Shieeek!
It thrashed wildly, as if protesting why it was being yanked out again. Yet not one of its three heads bit him.
Docile little thing.
A normal snake would've struck dozens of times by now.
"And if it's not just a rumor but an eyewitness account, it'll carry more weight. For the next couple days, whenever I meet anyone, I'll bring this guy along."
I nodded. He meant to etch the snake's existence into the minds of Sichuan's high officials too. A rumor among the common folk was one thing; whispers among the elite were another level entirely. When those officials told their subordinates, who told colleagues and friends, who told their own kin and acquaintances... even nonsense could pass for truth. Especially when the source was a regional powerhouse like Pojeongsa. Who'd dismiss it as mere gossip?
"That's why I have a favor to ask of you, Jwa-cheom Do-eosa."
"Speak it."
"Could you visit Qingcheng and Emei and brief them on the plan? We're short on manpower these days; no one else to send."
I flinched for a moment. He was asking me to seek permission from sect leaders whose rage had surely turned their eyes bloodshot.
Well, yeah. Gotta do it.
But I couldn't refuse. Right now, Qingcheng and Emei disciples were combing Sichuan like bloodhounds, leaving the locals terrified. So far, no real harm beyond their menacing auras—but give it time. Fatigue sets in, tempers fray, and even rational folk can snap. Who knows what they'd do then? To avert the worst, I had to go. Showing official goodwill would soothe their fury. A rank-four noble and royal grandson like me showing up? That'd flip their outrage to compliance.
"I'll head out right away."
"Appreciated. I'll make sure the reward matches the request—look forward to it."
"Haha, your word alone has me thrilled already."
A sudden quest, but if the payoff was generous, no complaints. Roaming the realm was all about aiding local officials anyway. Do the job, get rewarded—what's not to like? Better for my sanity that way.
I hit Qingcheng first of the two sects. Simple reason: closer to the provincial capital. Word of an official's arrival had an elder sprinting to the gate; spotting me, he hustled straight to the sect leader.
"A three-headed snake?"
"Yes, Sect Leader."
The lightning-fast audience, thick with Qingcheng's raw emotion, had me cutting straight to it. Pojeongsa planned to bait the culprits with the snake.
"A three-headed snake would definitely lure them. If they tore up the earth for common vipers, they'd lose their minds over this."
The sect leader stroked his chin, murmuring, then nodded firmly as if piecing it together.
"What do we need to do?"
"Tell your disciples to lay low in the secular world for now. A full withdrawal would just look like a show of government-sect cooperation."
"Got it. Might do them good to rest up anyway."
He chuckled dryly, lifting his teacup. Accepting without hesitation—he must've worried about his disciples running wild too.
"Prefer green tea, Jwa-cheom Do-eosa? I can fetch something finer if you like."
"No need. Off to Emei next."
His wry smile at that gave me pause. The sect leader, stone-faced through our talk, reacting to Emei? Ominous.
"Emei won't snub you, but their fury dwarfs ours."
"...Something happen at Emei?"
Hard to parse. Per Pojeongsa's scroll, both sects had suffered massive humiliation. Qingcheng's blockade breached, elder stung by bees; Emei lost their detained suspect. No contest in outrage.
"They're rowdy and eccentric, sure—but martial artists eyeing poison beasts isn't rare. Poison arts aren't common, but they exist."
True enough. Poison arts were scarcer and harder to master than most, but Nang-jung Wang was a prime example. Uncommon, yes; mythical, no.
...Wait.
No way.
A hunch hit; I glanced at the sect leader.
"Emei had been delving into poison arts lately. Tragic timing—the thief struck then..."
"Ah."
His words confirmed it; I sighed.
Qingcheng and Emei had taken heavy losses in the founding war, sparking interest in various arts and techniques during recovery. Who knew poison arts were on Emei's list?
They got robbed blind.
The duo raiding their grounds dozens of times meant prime poison beasts inside. Emei, permanent owners, must've stockpiled masses—maybe from Emei Mountain, Sichuan, even the Central Plains. Losing it all in one go? Enough to make them spit blood.
Did that bastard get caught on purpose?
Come to think of it, unlike Qingcheng's hit-and-run, the thief had been briefly detained at Emei. I'd figured overwhelming numbers did it. But intentionally? To legally infiltrate and loot poisons?
Crazy bastard.
The Tang founder's obsession with venom was terrifying. No wonder they built a clan.
"Cut Emei some slack if they're heated. Even Sword Nun Bok-ho must be seething."
"Of course. Their losses were no small thing."
I nodded at his advice. Sword Nun Bok-ho—Emei's sect leader's moniker since Daesong's founding. Gentle and merciful in peace, but fierce and merciless against foes. If even she was raging, best brace myself.
Guess I wasn't braced enough.
"Pardon the intrusion, my lord. Is that deer you're riding a spirit beast?"
En route from Qingcheng to Emei, we met a shady figure. Black robes, pouches bulging at his waist.
"...It is."
He screamed "Sichuan's hot duo suspect," so I went on alert. Still, I held off arresting on sight—last shred of reason. People wear black; wanderers carry pouches. No need to nab innocents on flimsy evidence—
"Fascinating! A deer spirit beast! Does it gain self-defense when it evolves—like venom, say...?"
"Witcher. Take him."
No need to hear more; I ordered Jo Wi-cheo to capture. Why show up before me, poison-hoarding scum? First deer spirit beast he'd seen—curious if it evolved venomous?
Prejudice-free moron.
So free of bias he dreamed up a "venom deer" horror...
- Kki-iiing! Kki-ing!
Kki-ing-i seemed to grasp the fool's words, stamping the ground furiously in outrage. As if protesting that a sacred spirit beast like her couldn't possibly carry venom. We'd overlook her own past toxicity.
"...Huh?"
- Kki-ing?
Something off. Jo Wi-cheo, dismounted from Kki-ong-i, closed in instantly—but the thug still evaded his grasp. Weird. Agile enough to shake Qingcheng and Emei, sure. But dodging a super peak master head-on? Impossible unless extreme peak or another super peak.
"Looks like that one's poison-free! My apologies!"
With that, he pulled something from a pouch and hurled it at the ground.
"Fall back!"
Jo Wi-cheo retreated at my shout. Poison nut's toy—who knew what it did? Regrettable to lose the pursuit, but no point risking venom. The three-headed snake rumor would draw him out anyway.