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Chapter:06
Heaven’s Greatest Village
Myeon Jeong-hoon turned pale after checking the pouch at Jeom Soi’s waist.
‘W–what!’
It was there.
The gourd bottles—those that had once held the deadliest poisons of his clan, known throughout the land.
Myeon Jeong-hoon stared blankly at Jeom Soi’s waist, his face drained of color.
“Y–you didn’t mean you actually used what was left inside those… in these dishes, did you?”
Jeom Soi, oblivious to the horror in his question, smiled kindly.
“Yes, sir. You told me earlier, when you placed the new order, that no matter what else happened, I absolutely must not forget the seasonings for the dishes. So I poured some water into the gourds, shook them well, and emptied every last drop into the food, hehe.”
Kang Yu beamed brightly at that.
“I’m not sure if this is how it’s supposed to be, but this inn uses the same seasonings as my grandma back home. They make food taste amazing. I just wanted you two to try it for yourselves. Hahaha.”
“S–seasonings…?”
“Yep. What was the name again?”
Kang Yu scratched his head, trying to recall the labels on the small jars in old Granny Dang’s kitchen.
“Oh, right. Formless Poison and Gentleman’s Acid.”
“…!”
Myeon Jeong-hoon and Hwang Cheon’s jaws hit the floor at once.
Meanwhile, Kang Yu, smiling radiantly, pushed the freshly served dishes toward them.
“Go on, try it! Once you take a bite, you won’t be able to stop. It’s so good, you’ll lose your mind. You might even die from how good it is!”
Sweat poured down the two men’s faces as they stared at the bowls sliding toward them.
Lose their minds after one bite?
Of course they would—anyone who mixed Formless Poison and Gentleman’s Acid, the two deadliest toxins under heaven, would be lucky to die quickly!
Forget one of them dying—both of them would end up dead for sure!
There was no doubt now. This man saw through everything and was toying with them.
After all, what kind of household in this world used Formless Poison and Gentleman’s Acid as seasonings?
Even the Tang Clan of Sichuan, known for training with poisonous herbs, didn’t eat purified, undiluted poison like this.
If dogs could understand human speech, even they would bark in disbelief!
Myeon Jeong-hoon and Hwang Cheon cautiously glanced at Kang Yu’s face.
There was no malice in it—just pure, innocent brightness.
To think someone could urge suicide with such a childlike smile…
A demon.
This man was truly a demon.
It turned out Myeon Jeong-hyeok’s so-called dying words were true.
“Go on, eat up,” Kang Yu urged again.
“…”
As the demon continued to insist, both men began trembling uncontrollably—as if they had some strange illness.
Even the table and chairs shook from their quivering. Sweat dripped off their faces in sheets, and their mouths felt so dry it was hard to breathe.
Their eyes met midair.
“…”
For a brief moment—
Thud!
Both men simultaneously dropped to the floor, belly-down.
“P–please spare us!”
“Spare our lives, we beg you!”
“Oh my…”
Jeom Soi, startled, looked between them and Kang Yu.
‘He must be someone from an incredible family…!’
The King of Gillem’s underworld, Hwang Cheon, and the man he served so devotedly, were both groveling before a youth barely in his twenties.
That could only mean one thing—the boy was no commoner. He must be a descendant of one of the great noble families of the Central Plains, perhaps even with ties to the imperial court.
“P–please enjoy your meal…”
Fearing he’d get caught in the crossfire, Jeom Soi scurried down the stairs.
Meanwhile, Kang Yu looked down at the two men lying prostrate on the floor, confused.
“S–spare us!”
“Please, just let us live!”
“…Huh?”
Spare them?
All he did was buy them a meal—why were they suddenly begging for their lives?
Then he realized.
‘Ah… People really do say, if you save someone from drowning, they’ll expect you to carry their baggage too.’
They must be so destitute they were trying to cling to him for help.
It was a bit disappointing, but how bad must things be for them to act this way?
He recalled hearing that wealthy families sometimes took in retainers or “guest disciples.”
His village, Jangbaek-dong, wasn’t big—just his grandparents and a few others—but they could at least feed two extra mouths.
Kang Yu gave them a sympathetic look and sat back down.
“Um…”
“Yes, sir!”
“Yes! We’re listening!”
The two men shot upright like trained soldiers.
Kang Yu scratched the side of his face awkwardly.
“I have an errand to run, so I can’t travel with you right now. But if you really have nowhere to go… would you like to stay in my village?”
“Huh?”
“It’s called Jangbaek-dong. It’s in Mount Jangbaek—not too far from here.”
“J–Jangbaek-dong?”
“Yeah.”
“Jangbaek-dong? Jangbaek-dong…?”
Myeon Jeong-hoon repeated the name as if entranced.
“Jangbaek-dong…?”
And then—
“J–JANGBAEK-DONG!!!”
He fell backward in utter shock.
Hwang Cheon, bewildered, quickly sent a voice transmission.
『W–what is it, my lord? What’s wrong now?!』
But Myeon Jeong-hoon couldn’t even respond. His jaw trembled as if he’d seen a ghost.
“Y–you mean… you’re from Jangbaek-dong?”
“Hmm? You know my village?”
“!!!”
Upon hearing that confirmation, Myeon Jeong-hoon collapsed completely.
Jangbaek-dong!
Of course he knew that name.
He had first heard it as a child—not even ten years old at the time—but once he remembered it, it came back as vividly as if he’d heard it yesterday.
Jangbaek-dong.
It was the name his great-great-grandfather, Myeon Ji-hong, had whispered on his deathbed.
‘Jeong-hoon.’
The old man had been senile for years before Jeong-hoon was even born.
But that day, his eyes had been strangely clear.
‘Do you know a place called Jangbaek-dong?’
‘No, sir. Never heard of it.’
‘How about Mount Jangbaek?’
‘That I know. It’s near Gillem, right? You can even see it faintly on clear days.’
‘Yes. Jangbaek-dong lies somewhere on that mountain. It’s the village where the immortals of Mount Jangbaek dwell.’
‘Immortals?’
‘Yes. Beings who can fly through the sky and split mountains with a strike. Who can turn the earth upside down.’
Even as a boy, Jeong-hoon had scoffed inwardly.
‘Ah, I see…’
‘Our family, once mere gatherers of herbs, became a martial clan only thanks to the immortals of Jangbaek-dong. When I fell off a cliff while picking herbs, those immortals saved my life—and even taught me martial arts.’
‘Uh-huh… sure.’
The old man’s eyes had flashed brightly then.
‘Everyone said I was seeing things, but I know the truth. Jangbaek-dong is real. The immortals there saved me. What I saw wasn’t a dream—it was reality!’
His gaze had burned into young Jeong-hoon’s.
‘Never forget this, Jeong-hoon. Our clan exists thanks to the immortals of Jangbaek-dong. You owe your very life to them!’
‘Uh… okay.’
Then his eyes had gone cloudy again.
‘Live righteously. That was their only condition when teaching me martial arts—to use the power gained through fate only with integrity. Remember that always, understand?’
‘Y–yes, sir.’
Now, awakening from the memory, Myeon Jeong-hoon looked up at Kang Yu.
Jangbaek-dong.
So his great-great-grandfather hadn’t been mad after all.
It all made sense now.
Before Jeong-hoon became head of the family, the Myeon Clan had been small—barely more than a merchant guild. Their sudden rise to power just a decade ago had been unnatural.
Of course, such rapid growth came with corruption. They’d killed, extorted, and seized land by force.
That must have been why this being—this immortal—now stood before him.
To punish them.
“Would you like to eat together?”
That strange invitation earlier—it had been a test. A divine trial disguised as a meal laced with deadly poison.
Even if he didn’t fully understand it, he now knew one thing: he had to change his ways.
He straightened his posture and bowed deeply to Kang Yu.
“I… I will live righteously from now on. If you would show mercy, I shall never forget your grace.”
“…”
Kang Yu looked at him for a moment, then nodded.
“That’s good. Yes, a person should live properly. Everyone should earn their meals with their own effort.”
Jeong-hoon closed his eyes, moved.
Yes—he truly was an immortal.
Earn your meals with your own effort—surely that meant to live honestly and without greed.
“Then, as a first step… I’ll eat this food myself.”
“…!”
He was sparing them!
Tears filled Jeong-hoon’s eyes as he prostrated himself again in gratitude.
Later, Myeon Jeong-hoon and Hwang Cheon fled the inn alive and hurried back to the Myeon estate—only to find something even more miraculous.
His younger brother, who should have been half-dead, was perfectly fine.
No, more than fine—he seemed healthier than before.
“When I was cultivating, I swallowed a crumb of the pill we made. I thought it was poison at first… but maybe not.”
“…”
Even to those who had betrayed him, the immortal had shown mercy.
And yet he and his brother had spent their lives oppressing the weak.
Struck by realization, Jeong-hoon told his brother everything.
“Ha…”
Having experienced Kang Yu’s unfathomable power firsthand, Jeong-hyeok accepted his brother’s words without question.
“I’ve heard of that name too—Jangbaek-dong. I thought Great-Grandfather was just rambling nonsense…”
“That’s not the point. For the first time, I feel like we’ve been living wrong.”
“…”
That night, the brothers worked tirelessly to return all the wealth and land they had seized—twice over.
They then spent a fortune to procure the antidote to Gentleman’s Acid and personally sought out the abbot of Gillemsa Temple to beg forgiveness.
Though the Myeon Clan’s power waned, their reputation soared. In time, they became the true moral leaders of Gillem.
And so, on the first day of the second lunar month, peace came to Gillem—
all because Kang Yu had shared a single meal.
Back to the present, in a small inn in Gillem.
“Ahh, I’m stuffed.”
Kang Yu patted his bulging stomach as he stepped outside.
“Those poor uncles finally decided to live off their own work. That’s good.”
Completely unaware that he had just reshaped the fate of Gillem itself.
Burp.
Rubbing his belly, he muttered,
“Next stop—the Namgung Clan.”
And behind him—
“…”
