Aenoe Mountain (3)

Yunnan Province, Sinpyeong, Yang Family Manor.

It was just one among countless Yang Family Manors in the world, but this one was special: it was one of the safehouses established by Yang Wi-ryeong of the Iron Blood Sect.

After hearing its approximate location, Neung Je-gang made ready to depart. If they simply left, they would drag a string of watchers along. To prevent that in advance, they needed Majil’s earth-boring talent again.

They extended the tunnel they had dug for infiltrating the Eastern Depot, linking it to the nearest foothill. When night fell, they slipped out through the tunnel.

Following mountain paths to a distant village, Neung Je-gang, now in a changed face, purchased a carriage. Through men sent by Cheon Jang-myeong, ample funds had reached him, so money was no worry.

The distance from Guilin to Aenoe Mountain was no short hop. It lay not in the Central Plains but in what people called the frontier—a place that, to ordinary folk, felt like the end of the earth.

“Have you ever been to Yunnan?”

Driving the carriage, Neung Je-gang asked Go So-jeong.

“…”

But there was no answer.

“Chief, Lady Go is doing Breathing Cultivation.”

Since taking the Ice Essence Crystal, she practiced whenever she had time. Thanks to that, Neung Je-gang had become a full-time driver, as when they headed for the Black Alliance. He now wore a thoroughly ordinary face.

“This is a problem…”

It truly was. They had barely left Guilin when the road split three ways—two major highways and one small path.

He did not know which way would take them the fastest to Sinpyeong. Not just Yunnan but Guangxi was new to him. Up to Guilin, the route was well-known and easy to find; beyond that, it was more wilderness than road.

“I should have bought a map—my mistake. In a small village it’s not easy to get one… We’ll just pick a road, find a big county seat, and get a map from the yamen.”

He ignored the small path and turned onto the right-hand great road. He figured a great road would eventually lead to a sizeable town or county, but the one he chose actually led into Guizhou Province.

As it turned out, his mistake helped. The Black Alliance’s eyes and ears spread across all Guangxi to find their sudden disappearance, but thanks to Neung Je-gang’s error they were heading to Yunnan via Guizhou.

The rain poured. Driving the carriage, he felt wretched.

Soon after crossing into Guizhou, he bought a rush hat and pulled it low. Using hard qi to shed rain while driving would only draw attention. So he let himself be soaked and gloomy.

Now and then he shook water from his clothes with internal force, but the fresh rain soaked him again at once.

“Tedious.”

It was truly tedious. Since entering Guizhou, he could not remember a clear sky.

He could only admire the people who lived in such places. And the farther they went, the higher the altitude climbed. The martial artists barely felt it, but the horses struggled.

After driving for a month, they finally passed Yuxi in Yunnan. Because the route had looped through Guizhou, they were ten days later than expected.

In the early dawn, Neung Je-gang at last knocked on the gate of the Yang Family Manor.

“Who’s there?”

The voice sounded clearly put out— understandable, with someone pounding the gate at dawn.

Without answering, Neung Je-gang took a square token from his breast and held it to the crack.

Creak—

A door that seemed unlikely to open, opened at once.

“My apologies.”

The houseman bowed deeply.

“Have the others arrived?”

“Yes. They’ve been waiting for days.”

They had indeed taken too long a roundabout route. He should have arrived first to wait; instead, he was last.

“Let’s go in.”

They drove the carriage inside.

“Please, a place to rest.”

“Yes.”

Stepping down, Go So-jeong and Majil stretched hugely. They had spent nearly all their time in the carriage; of course they were sick of it.

Still, they had traveled far more comfortably than Neung Je-gang, who had braved the endless rain with reins in hand.

“Chief, this scenery is killer.”

Majil broke off mid-stretch to marvel.

Following his gaze, they turned to see picture-book ranks of mountains unfurled like a folding screen. Dawn mists snagged along the peaks—magnificent.

Clearly, Yang Wi-ryeong had bought this manor with the view in mind.

After a short rest in the rooms the houseman showed them, they heard that the meal was ready and went to the main hall. There, those who would range Aenoe Mountain with them were gathered.

The number was surprisingly small—only four. With Neung Je-gang’s party, they numbered seven.

“Cheong Yeon is here too.”

Unexpectedly, Cheong Yeon had a seat among them, and so did Jo Gwang-yeong—the hot-tempered man who had crossed blades with Neung Je-gang.

But something felt off in the hall.

“Welcome.”

Cheong Yeon rose to greet them.

Jo Gwang-yeong also stood and bowed.

“Has he fully escaped the shadow of that duel?”

Neung Je-gang wondered but kept it off his face. He would learn it soon enough while traveling together.

Unlike those two, one man ignored them and ate first. Another only dipped his head a fraction. Whether they resented his late arrival or disliked taking orders from someone young, he could not tell.

“My apologies for being late. I am Secret Shadow.”

He greeted them and sat to eat.

[Cheong Yeon, why are those two so angry?]

He sent a voice-transmission as he ate.

[Several reasons. That you came late; that they had to race here without knowing the mission; and that one of them has bad blood with me.]

[With you?]

[The man on the right is Song Seok-jin, who lost the Chief Investigator post at Blood-Trace Unit to me. Lord Yang acknowledges his skill, but he’s arrogant; few like him. On the left is his friend Bae Ji-sang—very different temperaments, I don’t know how they became friends. Anyway, he’s a master of hidden weapons and poison. He was originally from the Tang Clan but cut ties and changed his surname. The No-Poison Sect Lord selected him specially—we need someone well-versed in toxins.]

Neung Je-gang nodded.

[And the man beside me is Jo Gwang-yeong—you’ve met. Youngest son of the Dorim Lord. I’d heard he was hot-tempered, but seeing him here, not so much.]

After losing so cleanly to Neung Je-gang, Jo Gwang-yeong had opened new eyes. He had grown earnest about martial arts and had shed much of his habit of flaring up first.

When the meal ended and tea arrived, they exchanged formal greetings. Song Seok-jin still wore a sour look; he clearly disliked being paired with Cheong Yeon.

“May we know for what purpose we’ve been gathered here?”

Bae Ji-sang asked.

“It’s confidential—but I’ll tell you.”

Feeling all eyes on him, Neung Je-gang spoke slowly.

“Tomorrow we go to Aenoe Mountain.”

“Aenoe Mountain?”

“Aenoe Mountain? What business in that hellscape…?”

Bae Ji-sang asked again.

“You all know about the incident in the Black Alliance. We’ve learned that the missing old servant—the presumed culprit—fled there.”

“He went in there alone?”

Bae Ji-sang, who dealt in poisons, knew Aenoe Mountain was a paradise for venomous creatures. Entering such a place alone, even to survive, was suicide.

“Surely none of you believe he was merely some old house-servant.”

“…”

Four men had died by his hand. How could he be ordinary?

But as the Black Alliance had been informed, he was just an old servant; because Man-eum Pavilion had withheld information, few knew he was a master.

“He is a poison master—epithet Escaping Demon, name Banwon. Once of the Heavenly Poison Grove. We presume he fled to their old haunt. We have also confirmed he has several helpers.”

To sharpen their caution, it was good to reveal this much—but he left out that the Grove had rebuilt and revived.

If he said seven people would face a reborn sect, some might lose their nerve in advance.

“Keep that in mind, and prepare what you need for Aenoe Mountain. Tell the manor’s steward; he’ll procure everything.”

“Shouldn’t we go out and buy it ourselves?”

Song Seok-jin asked bluntly.

“Our presence here is secret. Near Aenoe Mountain, there may be men passing news to him. You were told to move covertly when you left the Alliance…”

“Ahem.”

Song Seok-jin, Bae Ji-sang, and even Jo Gwang-yeong flushed and turned away.

Neung Je-gang’s face tightened. Their reaction admitted they had been anything but discreet. Only Cheong Yeon had moved quietly; he alone looked guiltless.

That meant the Heavenly Poison Grove might already know they had gathered in secret. Aenoe Mountain might already be carpeted with traps.

“This is serious. If Banwon has caught the scent, we will be stepping into a snare.”

He said no more and fell into a heavy silence.

“Could he really predict we’d dare go for him with so few? I don’t think there’s much to worry about…”

Bae Ji-sang ventured. If word spread that they had rushed here carelessly and failed, the sect lords who sent them would not forgive them.

Neung Je-gang chose to trust in the large follow-up force scheduled to arrive later. If that army drew the enemy’s attention, seven might pass beneath notice.

If not, they might all die.

“We must stake our lives.”

At his words, each felt a stone settle on the heart.

“When did the No-Poison Sect Lord depart?”

Neung Je-gang sought out the manor steward, who was in constant contact with the Alliance.

“Fifteen days ago. He’s traveling fast; he should reach the mountain in roughly ten days.”

“We need mountain-travel supplies. Especially large, sturdy leather water-skins—one per person. Plenty of rope, and as much antidote as you can find.”

“Understood. I’ll prepare it.”

“And most crucial—can you find someone who knows Aenoe Mountain well?”

“Well… if I ask around, it’s not impossible. But whether anyone will guide you, I can’t say. There’s a rumor lately that Aenoe Mountain has grown terrifying…”

“A rumor?”

“An old one. Even men from around here who went in have died. No one seeks Aenoe Mountain now.”

Sinpyeong lay within a stone’s throw of Aenoe Mountain. If word had spread that it had grown perilous, finding a guide would be hard.

“So we may have to go alone?”

No one would pledge life and limb to lead them in.

“Still, please try.”

“I will.”

Aenoe Mountain was a jungle of massive trees, lair to beasts and all manner of venomous things. One could say there were no paths at all.

Even so, there were paths—only ordinary folk could not find them. They needed someone intimate with such ways.

Morning broke. With fear at stepping into a deathland and a faint thrill in their chests, they set out carrying the supplies the manor had prepared.

They loaded three donkeys with gear. For a place like Aenoe Mountain, there were few better pack animals: slower than horses but hard to topple, they bore heavy loads over rough ground.

And one more person—Neung Je-gang smiled at the old man he met at the manor that morning.

“Just follow me.”

He said only that, a stubborn old fellow.

But having lived his whole life in Aenoe Mountain, Old Man Gang inspired more confidence in Neung Je-gang than anyone—and he had commandeered a donkey for himself besides.

A day out from Sinpyeong, they finally saw, ahead, trees so thick you would rarely see the like elsewhere.

Upon reaching the forest, Old Man Gang dismounted—and took off his shoes.

Finding it odd, Neung Je-gang had to ask,

“Elder, why remove your shoes in a dangerous place?”

“Your feet must feel, or you can’t find the path. Shoes deaden the sense—useless.”

He did not stop at shoes. He shed layers until he wore the bare minimum.

“And the clothes…?”

“This mountain’s full of beasts. Some charge at the rustle of cloth. You lot going in dressed like that?”

He clicked his tongue, eyeing the party.

They and the old man looked worlds apart.

They, afraid of snakes and scorpions, wore thick leather boots; fearing jungle mosquitoes and venomous things, they covered themselves in heavy garments— inflicting torment upon themselves in the sweltering heat.

Neung Je-gang wore his usual; the others, fully armored, looked clumsy even at a glance.

“Ts, ts. The more you wear, the harder it is to deal quickly when something venomous gets in…”

Shaking his head, Old Man Gang set off.

Despite his words, none of the party removed shoes or layers.

Old Man Gang led; Neung Je-gang followed—he had to protect the most important man among them.

Behind came Go So-jeong, then Bae Ji-sang, Cheong Yeon, Song Seok-jin, and last Majil, as they entered the jungle.

At last, they set foot on Aenoe Mountain.