0037 : “Did you say that this demon creature was illustrated in the Nameless Ritual Book?”
Both of us looked at each other in astonishment, our faces a mixture of surprise. There were so many things we wanted to say, yet we were at a loss for words. I was the first to break the silence.
“I went to that village before the fire by the Jianghe River. And I saw this demon creature there.”
“You actually saw this? That sounds absurd…”
“If I hadn’t seen it, would you think I made this up?”
“……”
Mangnyang seemed to want to deny it, yet he couldn’t. It was simply too improbable that my random drawing would match the illustration in the Nameless Ritual Book by chance. On the other hand, the likelihood that I had seen the Nameless Ritual Book and was deliberately playing a trick on Mangnyang was even lower. He had no choice but to believe my words were the truth.
“Please tell me what happened then.”
“Understood.”
I recounted to Mangnyang the events of the human sacrifice incident, the fanatics, and our encounter with the demon creature, including the tale of Hyun Cheon Do-in. While it ultimately ended with my untimely demise, I framed the conclusion to suggest that I had miraculously escaped. After listening to my story for quite some time, Mangnyang let out a deep sigh.
“Hah, it’s hard not to believe, yet it truly is unbelievable.”
“What do you think?”
I sought Mangnyang’s wisdom.
“Please wait a moment. I need to gather my thoughts.”
Swish.
“Mmm…”
Mangnyang said that and then stretched out the fan, pressing it against his temple while grimacing, resembling an elderly man in distress. As his expression changed facially as if he were desperately thinking about something, it wasn’t until half a meal later that he finally spoke to me.
“Baek Woong, so what are you planning to do next?”
“I intend to become a member of the Golden Eagle Guards. If fortune smiles upon me, I may acquire the Nameless Ritual Book, but even if that doesn’t happen, it’s fine. Anyway, there’s no need to rush.”
“Interesting… I somehow like you.”
Mangnyang murmured something before continuing.
“If my suspicions are correct, the fire near the Jianghe River, the human sacrifices, and the demon creature… There’s a tremendous conspiracy at play. It could even shake the entire Central Plains…”
“Do you know something?”
“It’s not the time to discuss that yet. This business could lead to both our undoing if we’re not careful. Now is not the time for certainty but for us to think strategically and gather even the slightest clues.”
Mangnyang’s face was unusually serious. In the past, when I’d sought his help to obtain the Nameless Ritual Book, he had seemed to view it as a refreshing diversion in his monotonous life. But now, his expression was one of sincere resolve, as if he had realized something significant from my tale. Yet, lacking certainty himself, he hesitated to share everything with me.
After a brief pause, Mangnyang asked,
“Do you have someone to assist you in Luoyang?”
“I have one or two people.”
The leader of the Great Sword Gate, one of the twin gates in Luoyang, might assist me. After all, he was a friend of my master and had even exchanged letters, recommending me to the Golden Eagle Guards. Though it’s possible that they might abandon me if I found myself in danger, I could likely count on their assistance as long as I didn’t display anything out of the ordinary.
However, Mangnyang shook his head.
“One or two won’t suffice. I will accompany you.”
“What?”
“I will persuade the most skilled individual I know to aid you from the shadows. If that doesn’t happen, you’ll surely die.”
“Die? I’m not going to approach the Nameless Ritual Book so recklessly. I’m willing to wait for years if need be; it’s overly pessimistic of you.”
Mangnyang smirked.
“Haha… that’s not the issue. Do you understand what it means for the demon creature and the Nameless Ritual Book to be connected? It implies that the Imperial Court is also significantly involved in this matter.”
“I had suspected as much.”
“Suspected? Do you mean you really have no idea what that implies?”
At Mangnyang’s next words, I fell silent.
“It means that the Imperial Court might have already interpreted the Nameless Ritual Book.”
“……!!”
It was unsettling, but is that really the case? For a moment, I hadn’t been able to connect the dots.
“Then could it be that…”
“Shut your mouth.”
As I was about to speak, a bit too eagerly, Mangnyang pressed his index finger against my lips and said urgently,
“No more reckless thoughts or speculations. We need more solid clues. Until then, consider every move as a matter of life and death. This is a tremendous conspiracy.”
“……”
It was clear that Mangnyang was far more astute than I. In that brief moment, he had grasped the situation and firmly established what needed to be done moving forward. While many thoughts crossed my mind, one thing was certain: the Imperial Court itself might become the enemy. Not merely for stealing the Nameless Ritual Book, but the possibility that the book itself was at the core of the conspiracy loomed large.
Every step was a path toward death. If I showed even a hint of suspicious behavior, the palace would undoubtedly become my grave. With this thought, my once lighthearted anticipation of going to Luoyang turned heavy with foreboding.
However, I spoke up after a moment,
“Is it really necessary to uncover this matter, given how dangerous it is?”
“What are you saying…?”
Mangnyang looked at me in disbelief. I crossed my arms and continued slowly,
“Neither of us has a mission to uncover this mystery.”
“That’s…”
“If you remain in hiding here, you wouldn’t need to risk your life entering Luoyang, and you could still enjoy your leisurely life as Mangnyang, the sage of Jinlang Valley. And if I don’t set my sights on the Nameless Ritual Book, I could live a comfortable life as a member of the Golden Eagle Guards. Isn’t that so?”
I no longer wanted to die. I had only sought the Nameless Ritual Book because fortune had smiled upon me, but if great dangers existed, I didn’t want to cling to it any longer. My conservative desire to retain my hard-won life as a martial artist was holding me back.
“……”
Mangnyang wore a dazed expression for a moment. Then, in a somber voice, he replied,
“You know one thing but not the other. Do you think I am acting out of anger for the tragic deaths of villagers I’ve never even seen? Am I risking my life to uncover the truth to protect the righteousness of the Jianghu?”
“……”
“Baek Woong. The tragedy you witnessed will inevitably strike a large, indiscriminate group someday. To a scale far beyond the tragedy that befell that village. When that time comes, do you plan to just leave it to luck and run away? Or do you intend to become a hound for the powers that be, handling their dirty work?”
Mangnyang’s words were earnest, laden with a fervent appeal.
From his perspective, I was the only one who could prevent the impending tragedy.
“No one understands the nature of the Imperial Court better than I do. I’ve learned it while working as an astronomer. They view the world as something disposable. If they are in charge of events, then someday, an unimaginable and terrifying calamity will undoubtedly strike. It is only natural to stop it while we still can.”
I was at a loss for words at how logical Mangnyang’s argument was. He was awakening points I hadn’t considered. Yet, when I reflected upon my own life in the moment, something didn’t resonate with me.
After a moment, I shook my head.
“I don’t want to suffer for no reason.”
“… You sound just like my master. How disappointing.”
Mangnyang spat this out bluntly, his expression overtly disapproving.
“If that’s how you feel, then I have nothing more to say. I’ll abandon my journey to Luoyang, and that’s for the best. Is there anything more you wish to hear from me?”
After some contemplation, I asked,
“If you were me five years ago, how would you have prevented that tragedy? Or, if I had come to you five years ago asking for help, what do you think you would have done?”
Mangnyang responded with a cold laugh.
“If I had been myself then, I would have secretly infiltrated and poisoned the well.”
“Poisoned the well?”
Mangnyang nodded.
“Regardless of if they were fanatics or not, being human means they need to drink. In a closed environment, the only sources of drinking water would be the well, a ditch, or a river. But as far as I know, that village was quite distant from the Jianghe River and had no ditches inside the village.
Ultimately, this means they relied on a well drawn from a distant waterway to survive. If strong poison had been poured into the well, their plans would have been easily thwarted. Although the fanatics might survive for a few days due to their resilience, eventually, they would die without water, wouldn’t they? Besides, the large-scale human sacrifices they required would make it challenging to choose another village at that point.”
“……!!”
“Moreover, the main culprits behind the conspiracy you mentioned, the Black-robed Man and the Flute Demon, are also human. Living in that village, wouldn’t they obviously need to drink water? If they fortuitously poisoned themselves and died, wouldn’t that be a significant gain?”
I was taken aback by Mangnyang’s scheme. Both Hyun Cheon Do-in and I, as martial artists, had only considered assassination by stealth, but following Mangnyang’s plan could yield double the results. We could simultaneously thwart the fanatics who served as the human sacrifice and potentially eliminate the perpetrators of the plan as well. Moreover, there would be no need to confront the Black-robed Man directly.
“Impressive.”
“Of course, those obsessed and vengeful individuals wouldn’t abandon their plans for just one poison. However, in that time of hesitation, if we consistently reported to the local authorities and spread rumors among the martial artists, they would eventually have no choice but to retreat. This wouldn’t require much martial prowess.”
Mangnyang sighed briefly.
“However, this is all in the past. What good is it for me to speak of strategies now for events that have already transpired? The villagers had succumbed to madness, giving birth to demons, and were annihilated. No one can change the past, so what purpose does this discussion serve?”
“……”
“And you must remain mindful. If they have given birth to demons, where do you think those demons are now?”
“Ugh…!!”
I inhaled sharply.
Indeed, where had all the demons gone? Places capable of housing such large and fierce creatures were hardly common. Even if they had incinerated the village to conceal their actions, transporting demons would have been extremely conspicuous. The silence regarding sightings of these monsters suggested they had likely vanished with the demons in complete secrecy.
‘Damn it…’
I was overwhelmed by the impulse to heed Mangnyang’s words and explore the conspiracy of the Imperial Court. The thought that those demons were somewhere in this world made my stomach churn.
But I held back. No matter how valid Mangnyang’s points were, and regardless of the impending calamity he spoke of, the likelihood of my death would be too high if I intervened. I wanted to turn a blind eye and look the other way rather than risk my life for an uncertain sense of justice. At least in this life, I wanted to live in peace as a martial artist.
Instead, I redirected the topic.
“You mentioned using poison earlier; what kind of poison would you use?”
“The fanatics have only the level of reason necessary for daily life left and cannot feel pain, right? Thus, strong pain-inducing or sensory-stimulating poisons would be ineffective. What is needed is a neurotoxin that can stop their movements against their will and lead them to death. A neurotoxin can paralyze the muscles throughout the body, causing death by asphyxiation and heart failure.”
“Do you possess a neurotoxin?”
“I know how to produce it. By adding special chemicals to snake venom, it can be made within a day. It would take a little longer to make it water-soluble, but it shouldn’t take more than two days.”
Indeed, he was a person of remarkable knowledge. Among the various martial clans, very few, including the Four Heavenly Masters, secretly pass down the art of poisons, and due to his extensive reading, he had acquired knowledge in this area.
I contemplated for a while before speaking.
“Mangnyang. If that’s the case, how about this?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m not yet ready to act on your advice to thwart the conspiracy. Even now, I have no intention of stopping it.”
“Hmm.”
“However, I am eager to learn the method for making that neurotoxin. So, how about we exchange information about what I could gain as a member of the Golden Eagle Guards for the neurotoxin recipe? I can’t promise to help you with what you do with that information, but I promise to pass it along.”
At this level, my life wouldn’t be at significant risk. Furthermore, since Mangnyang was currently disappointed in me, he might not be inclined to share the recipe. Thus, I was proposing my own compromise.
“… Very well! I will gladly teach you.”
Mangnyang readily agreed. It seemed he genuinely wanted to assist me, despite his initial reservations. After all, he had a spirit of righteousness within him.
Fortunately, there was still plenty of time before reaching Luoyang. With at least seven days available, I focused on learning the basics of poison-making, especially the recipe for the neurotoxin. I had to memorize the entire production method without missing a single word, and the material was extensive, so I had no thoughts of leaving the thatched cottage; I needed to study diligently.
The reason for learning the art of poisons is simple. Should I ever return to the past, I would be able to utilize it; furthermore, if I find myself with insufficient time to seek out Mangnyang, I would need to produce it myself.
‘I’ve finally learned it all…’
Four days later, I completed the recipe for the neurotoxin. After an all-nighter of study, I and Mangnyang, who had been chatting incessantly beside me, were utterly exhausted. The mental fatigue had weighed heavily upon us.
For about half a day, Mangnyang remained immobile, but when he finally awakened, he saw me off.
“If you ever change your mind, head to the shrine of Lu Dongbin, which is located five li southwest of Luoyang. If you have this sign marker, you may find salvation there should your life be in danger.”
Mangnyang handed me a small jade marker. I gazed at it intently.
“Do not go wandering there unnecessarily. It will bring misfortune.”
“Nonetheless, thank you.”
“Travel safely.”
After parting ways with Mangnyang, I set off for Luoyang.
It was approximately eight days later that I finally entered the city of Luoyang. After passing through the outer city gates on horseback, I slowly made my way towards the Great Sword Gate. Perhaps due to the daytime, the Great Sword Gate was bustling with disciples practicing their martial arts, no less crowded than the Iron Blood Gate. While their numbers seemed fewer overall, the average skill level of the disciples appeared higher.
I approached the main entrance of the Great Sword Gate, but the gatekeepers stopped me.
“Stop! What business do you have at the Great Sword Gate?”
“I am Baek Woong from the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School in Guanzhong. Please deliver this letter to the Master of the Great Sword Gate.”
“Hmm.”
After a moment, they disappeared inside and soon returned.
“Follow us.”
I followed the gatekeepers to a neatly arranged reception room. The decor was both splendid yet understated, allowing me to appreciate that this was indeed the most flourishing martial arts establishment in Luoyang. There weren’t many extravagant items in sight, but the ambiance hinted at the character of the owner.
After a brief wait, a man entered the reception room.
“I’ve heard about you. You are the instructor from the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School, Baek Woong?”
I stood and offered my respects.
“Yes. It is an honor to meet you, Master of the Great Sword Gate.”
Before me stood a distinguished middle-aged man dressed neatly in plain white robes—the Master of the Great Sword Gate, who was a dominant figure in Luoyang’s martial world, having speedily defeated a senior member of the Mount Hua Sect.
“Please, have a seat.”
“Yes.”
The servant standing beside us politely poured tea into our cups. The Master of the Great Sword Gate sipped his tea with grace, reminiscent of the leader of the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School, giving me the impression that two individuals of similar temperaments could become friends. Both exuded calmness and elegance, yet I suspected that the Master would likely be a formidable opponent in actual combat, akin to a tiger.
The Master of the Great Sword Gate spoke.
“You must have heard the recommendation regarding the Golden Eagle Guards?”
“Yes, indeed.”
“However, while I am to keep this a secret, unfortunately, a few of my disciples overheard that information. While I have no intention of going back on my word, they wish to test your skills.”
That was understandable. If a position that could have been theirs in the Golden Eagle Guards was taken by an instructor from another school, I too would likely be driven to madness. However, given the authority and honor of the Master of the Great Sword Gate, it seemed his disciples were looking to vent their frustrations on me.
“A sparring match, is it?”
“It’s not as grand as that; let’s call it a friendly sparring.”
Upon arriving, I sensed that matters had become complicated. Yet I had somewhat anticipated this, so I nodded confidently.
“Of course, I will.”
