The World Is Not Equal
The words had barely left his mouth when a curse exploded from the seat beside Myo Jin.
“What the hell?! You rude little bastard, running your mouth like that! You hear the name Baeksa Valley and still act like this? ‘If you’re not an official, mind your own business’? Do you really want to die that badly?!”
“……”
In an instant, the atmosphere turned explosive.
Though there were only eight people from Baeksa Valley, they showed no fear toward the investigation team of over twenty.
On the contrary, the warriors of the investigation team looked visibly nervous.
It made sense. After all, the so-called investigation team was mostly just escorts from the merchant caravan. There was no way they could withstand the waves of Baekwol Kingdom.
Captain Baek Jin-gang hurriedly stepped in to smooth things over.
“I didn’t mean to disrespect Baeksa Valley, so please don’t misunderstand. I only meant…”
Myo Jin stared at him intently, as if urging him to continue.
After a moment of hesitation, Captain Baek Jin-gang opened his mouth. He had no choice. Once the other party had decided to push the matter, there was nothing he could do.
“Sigh… We are from the Taehwa Merchant Group of Chang’an Castle. Two months ago, one of our caravans disappeared near Hwaryeongbu, so we came to find them. Given the circumstances, I suppose we were a bit on edge. It was all my fault. I apologize.”
While Myo Jin himself remained silent, the man beside him continued to pick a fight.
“So a bunch of mere merchants dared to pick a fight with our Baekhwa Valley? And in Hwaryeongbu, no less? You’ve got some serious guts.”
At that, Myo Jin raised a hand slightly and spoke.
“That’s enough. He said they were on edge because of their situation. We understand. Please enjoy your meal in peace.”
“Thank you. My name is Baek Jin-gang. If it’s not too rude, may I ask for your honorable name, Great Hero?”
“I am Myo Jin.”
“Huk! The Five Poisons Flying Tiger, Great Hero Myo Jin?! It is an honor to meet you. I will never forget today’s grace.”
Captain Baek Jin-gang’s face had turned deathly pale with terror.
The reason was simple. Myo Jin, the Five Poisons Flying Tiger, was a renowned expert whose name had spread all the way to Chang’an Castle.
Especially infamous was his specialty in poison arts. Anyone who crossed him was said to die without even knowing how or why.
Even Dan Bul-wi, who had maintained his composure until now, stiffened.
As Dan Yeop reached for a piece of pork, a tiny voice buzzed in his ear like a mosquito.
Do not eat anything.
At Dan Bul-wi’s transmission, Dan Yeop quietly withdrew his hand.
He looked at his adoptive father with renewed eyes.
Dan Bul-wi could use transmission!
As far as he knew, transmission was an advanced technique only high-level Murim experts could perform.
Could it be that during their journey to Baekwol Kingdom, Dan Bul-wi had stepped into the realm of true masters?
Well, Dan Yeop’s own martial prowess had improved too. It would have been strange if Dan Bul-wi had stayed stagnant.
‘Still… transmission, huh…’
When Dan Yeop looked at him with envious eyes, Dan Bul-wi subtly avoided his gaze.
Half of the warriors continued eating, while the other half, having lost their appetite, set down their chopsticks.
A short while later, the investigation team left the restaurant as if they were being chased out.
The warriors’ eyes were now completely lifeless, unlike when they had first entered.
Soon after, seven mounted men and three carriages began to move.
Inside the moving carriage.
Once they had put some distance between themselves and the restaurant, Dan Yeop asked Dan Bul-wi.
“Master, is the Five Poisons Flying Tiger Myo Jin really that famous?”
“He’s probably among the top ten in Namun Province.”
In other words, one of the top ten experts in all of Baekwol Kingdom.
“Ah…”
“His poison arts, in particular, are famous for being both secretive and merciless. There isn’t a single person in Baekwol Kingdom who crossed him and lived to tell the tale.”
“So that’s why you told me not to eat.”
“Just in case. Leaving your life in the hands of someone else’s goodwill is foolish. From now on, never eat food or drink water with a master of poison arts.”
“Understood.”
The faces of the warriors sitting across from the two men twisted in dismay.
They had all continued eating until the end.
After surviving on nothing but three meals a day for so long, it was only natural.
Around three in the afternoon.
The investigation team, which had been traveling along the Geumgang River, finally arrived at Suyanggo.
Shortly after, seven mounted men and three carriages stopped in front of the Baekju Nofang.
But in the end, disaster struck.
Roughly half of the seven riders and the warriors who had disembarked from the carriages suddenly clutched their stomachs in agony.
Captain Baek Jin-gang ran around with a hardened face, trying to assess the situation.
Twelve people were complaining of severe stomach pain.
More than half their fighting force had been neutralized in a single moment.
For now, Captain Baek Jin-gang led the team into Baekju Nofang.
Baekju Nofang.
Since they had begun the hasa process on the Double Ninth Festival and were now in the aging stage, both inside and outside the distillery were spotlessly clean.
Upon hearing that “people from the Taehwa Merchant Group have arrived,” the owner, Dam Ok-yeon, and her entire household rushed out to greet them.
When Captain Baek Jin-gang hesitated, unsure whom to greet first, Dam Ok-yeon stepped forward.
“I am Dam Ok-yeon, owner of Baekju Nofang. Are you perhaps from the Taehwa Merchant Group?”
“Yes. I am Baek Jin-gang, captain of the Taehwa Merchant Group’s escort division.”
“It looks like some of your people are ill… What happened?”
“We ate at a restaurant in Hwaryeongbu, and it seems something was wrong with the food.”
Since he wasn’t certain they had been poisoned, Captain Baek Jin-gang hid the fact that they had encountered the Five Poisons Flying Tiger.
“I see. We’ll send the patients to the guest quarters first and call for a physician. Would that be acceptable?”
At Dam Ok-yeon’s suggestion, Baek Jin-gang nodded readily.
“We would be grateful if you could.”
The people of Baekju Nofang escorted the afflicted warriors to the guest quarters.
In the meantime, Dam Ok-yeon guided the leaders of the investigation team to a separate building.
Separate building.
As soon as they sat down, Captain Baek Jin-gang asked urgently.
“What happened to Supervisor Seol Gyeong-mun and his party when they visited two months ago?”
“I only heard about it later. They disappeared along with the Baekwol Myeongju we produced here… We’ve been searching everywhere as well.”
The tone that seemed to suspect Supervisor Seol Gyeong-mun was too much for Dan Bul-wi, who finally spoke up.
“They didn’t disappear. They went missing. Have you found any clues at all?”
Though she appeared to be in her late forties, Dam Ok-yeon had already passed sixty.
Her face darkened at the interrogating tone.
“And who might you be, sir?”
“I am a close friend of Supervisor Seol.”
“Ah, so that’s why my words sounded offensive. However, I didn’t say that without any basis.”
“What basis?”
When Dan Bul-wi pressed her, Captain Baek Jin-gang intervened.
“Master Dan, please calm yourself. If you let your emotions lead from the start, it will only hinder the investigation.”
“Hmph!”
Dan Bul-wi snorted, clearly displeased.
But since there was truth in the captain’s words, he did not argue further.
Captain Baek Jin-gang turned his gaze back to Owner Dam Ok-yeon.
“What is your basis?”
“We investigated the last place the caravan stayed, and it was completely clean. There were no signs of a fight or struggle. That’s why I said they disappeared.”
A heavy silence settled over the separate building.
The people lost in thought did not open their mouths.
Baekju Nofang guest quarters.
The physician who had taken the warriors’ pulses thought for a long time before speaking.
“It is clearly poisoning. To detoxify them, we must first identify what kind of poison was used.”
Song Mu, startled, asked urgently.
“Then what happens? Will they die?”
“It is not a poison severe enough to take their lives. However…”
“However what?”
“Without knowing the exact poison, we can only use a general antidote. In that case, treatment will take a very long time. In the worst case, they may never fully recover.”
“Will they die?”
“They won’t die, but they will find it difficult to perform any physically demanding tasks.”
“What about the journey?”
“Their bodies won’t be able to endure it.”
When Song Mu stood there in a daze, the physician wrote out a prescription and left.
Baekju Nofang separate building.
Even after Owner Dam Ok-yeon left, Captain Baek Jin-gang, Dan Bul-wi, and Dan Yeop remained silent for a long time.
None of them could understand how the place where Supervisor Seol Gyeong-mun’s caravan had stayed could be so perfectly clean.
At that moment, Song Mu came running from the guest quarters in a panic.
“Captain! The physician just left. He says the warriors have been poisoned.”
“What? Poisoned? Damn it! It really was the Five Poisons Flying Tiger! What did he say? Can they be treated?”
“He said we need to identify the exact poison first. Right now we can only use a general antidote, but that won’t lead to a complete cure…”
“And if it can’t be cured?”
“He said they won’t be able to handle physically demanding work like traveling.”
“So we have to get the antidote from the Five Poisons Flying Tiger.”
“It seems that way.”
Captain Baek Jin-gang looked at Song Mu with a bewildered expression.
In truth, he did not want to meet the Five Poisons Flying Tiger again.
There was no guarantee the man would give them the antidote. Why would he even agree to meet?
He might try to kill them the moment they appeared.
In Baekwol Kingdom, being weak was a sin.
Even earlier that day, despite having done nothing wrong, they had been forced to apologize.
Even after lowering their heads, the man had still used poison. It would be stranger if he didn’t kill them.
At Captain Baek Jin-gang’s silence, Song Mu could only roll his eyes anxiously.
It was mutual understanding. He too was terrified of the Five Poisons Flying Tiger.
While the two men were busy reading each other’s expressions, Dan Bul-wi spoke.
“I will go meet the Five Poisons Flying Tiger.”
In that instant, Captain Baek Jin-gang’s face brightened with relief.
“Master Dan, do you truly mean it? If you would do that for us…”
“Before that, we must investigate the place where Supervisor Seol and his party stayed. Please ask Owner Dam where it is.”
“Understood. I will find out immediately.”
Fearing that Master Dan might change his mind, Captain Baek Jin-gang and Song Mu hurriedly left the building.
Once the two were alone, Dan Yeop asked.
“Are you really going to meet the Five Poisons Flying Tiger?”
“If my guess is correct, we will have to meet him eventually.”
“Do you think he was involved in Supervisor Seol’s disappearance?”
“We’ll know once we see where Supervisor Seol’s group stayed last.”
“Hmm. Do you have any defense against poison?”
“Poison is used quite often in Haomun as well. As long as you don’t eat or drink anything and avoid getting hit by blades or hidden weapons, you’ll be fine.”
“……”
Honestly, Dan Yeop found invisible poison far more terrifying than open blade fights.
Anyone who had seen people who had shared a perfectly normal meal suddenly clutching their stomachs and writhing on the ground would feel the same.
A short while later, Captain Baek Jin-gang and Song Mu, who had gone to speak with Owner Dam Ok-yeon, returned.
Captain Baek Jin-gang pointed at Song Mu and said.
“Song Mu will guide Master Dan to the location.”
Suyanggo, Mongtaek.
As Song Mu entered the residence with the signboard reading Mong Residence, he explained.
“This is the residence of the Mong family, which the Taehwa Merchant Group rents. It is the last place Supervisor Seol and his party stayed.”
Dan Bul-wi nodded and carefully examined both inside and outside the residence.
Indeed!
Just as Owner Dam Ok-yeon had said, there were no traces of a fight.
After thoroughly inspecting the area for about half an hour, Dan Bul-wi spoke to Song Mu.
“I’ve seen enough. Let’s go meet the Five Poisons Flying Tiger now.”
“Um… Master Dan, I actually don’t know where the Five Poisons Flying Tiger is.”
“So you’re telling me to find him myself? Weren’t you the ones who needed the antidote?”
“W-well…”
After hesitating, Song Mu reluctantly nodded.
“Understood. However, I will only tell you where he is and then withdraw. If that is acceptable, I will guide you there.”
“Do so.”
Dan Bul-wi readily agreed.
After all, a coward like Song Mu would be of no help even if there were a hundred of him.
A short while later, Song Mu stopped in front of a luxurious tavern.
“He is drinking inside.”
Dan Bul-wi looked up at the signboard hanging in front of the tavern.