It was no coincidence that the Five Poison Sect was located at the southernmost tip of Yunnan.

The southernmost part of Yunnan, bordering Nanman, was humid and warm.

Because of this, it was teeming with swamps and strange poisonous insects rarely seen in the north.

By taking advantage of that environment, the Five Poison Sect became a rare and infamous poison clan.

Then, what about the Tang Clan of Sichuan?

There was no difference, even though it was a clan from Central Plains.

The capital of Sichuan was a basin.

Surrounding the Tang Clan were towering mountain ranges so high they were dizzying, and to the west, endless mountains and plateaus stretched out.

In that unexplored territory, there were still uncollected spiritual herbs and rare poisonous plants growing.

The environment of Wangjia Village, where Yi-gang had arrived, was also unique.

He inhaled deeply.

The damp scent of the night mist mixed with the smell of various types of grass filled the air.

“…It’s eerie.”

Yi-gang murmured softly.

Several rare spiritual flowers and herbs that were hard to find grew here.

Taking advantage of the villagers’ distraction while they prepared for the feast, he slipped away unnoticed.

There could be no better opportunity to investigate the forbidden area.

However, walking through the cemetery in the dead of night made the air feel chilling.

Yi-gang frowned as he looked around.

‘It doesn’t seem like it’s been properly maintained.’

「What’s so special about a place where decaying human bodies are buried? This much should be enough.」

He hadn’t expected the ancestral graveyard of the slash-and-burn farmers to be as well-kept as a royal tomb.

However, the cemetery was in a far worse condition than he had imagined.

Even the grass hadn’t been properly trimmed.

There were no proper tombstones, and at a glance, the place looked like nothing more than uneven terrain.

If that’s the case, why block access and act like it’s some sacred place?

‘…No, perhaps that’s exactly why.’

If they hadn’t restricted the villagers’ access from the start, the cemetery wouldn’t have been left in such a neglected state.

Since only the village chief and a few elderly people were allowed in, it was only natural that the cemetery had ended up like this.

‘Well then, let’s see what they’re hiding here.’

It didn’t seem like the area had been designated as forbidden simply because it was a sacred place where ancestors were buried.

He could feel it even before he activated the Scripture of Inexhaustible Mind and Body.

「This is the place. If there’s something hidden, it’s here.」

‘I feel the same way.’

This cemetery was the place where the energy of the dragon was felt most clearly.

However, Yi-gang was certain at the same time.

‘It seems there’s no dragon here after all.’

「I see…」

Bodhidharma’s voice sounded gloomy.

Even if a dragon truly existed, there was no way it would be hiding in such a cemetery.

Unless it was an Earth Dragon, like a giant earthworm.

Yi-gang comforted the disheartened Bodhidharma.

‘Still, I’m sure something is hidden here.’

He activated the Scripture of Inexhaustible Mind and Body.

Soon, his head felt dizzy as his vision brightened.

Subtle clues appeared like shifts in color or mist, and Yi-gang finally found what had been hidden.

‘It seems to be… here.’

Yi-gang felt a sense of hesitation.

In his vision, enhanced by the Scripture of Inexhaustible Mind and Body, he detected a faint reddish aura of fire energy.

What he discovered was an old burial mound.

Among all the graves there, it seemed to be the oldest—flattened by the passage of time and overgrown with grass.

The problem was that a strange energy was emanating from beneath that very grave.

Bodhidharma urged Yi-gang, who stood still, 「What are you waiting for? Dig it up.」

‘…’

Yi-gang hesitated for a moment before replying, ‘Digging up a grave feels unsettling.’

Grave digging had long been considered a taboo.

Even Yi-gang, who retained memories of his past life as a modern person, felt uneasy. How much more severe would it be for the people of Central Plains here?

They would undoubtedly consider it an unforgivable atrocity.

「Do you know the Suttanipata?」

‘I don’t.’

Bodhidharma spoke softly, 「It is the oldest scripture. In the Suttanipata, it is said that the human body is like a drum covered with leather. The body is woven with bones and tendons, layered with flesh, and covered with skin, concealing its inner workings.」

He recited the ancient scripture as if delivering a sermon.

「Inside, it is filled with intestines, stomach, heart, bladder, lungs, and spleen. The marrow inside the bones is like mud, the nose is filled with mucus, the throat with phlegm, the stomach with food, and the body overflows with sweat, oil, urine, and feces.」

‘I see.’

「Such is the filth of the human body, yet the ignorant, driven by avidya, consider it pure. If even the living human body is like that, do you still cherish the decomposed bones scattered beneath the ground?」

Indeed, Bodhidharma was truly a Great Ancestor of Zen Buddhism.

Then, Bodhidharma spoke firmly, 「Dig it up… And, this is likely a burial mound disguised to look like it contains a corpse. There’s no sign of corpse Qi.」

Yi-gang let out a sigh.

Fortunately, there was a shovel nearby that seemed to have been used for grave maintenance.

Just as Yi-gang picked it up—

“Oh no.”

He sensed someone approaching.

Turning his head and scanning the area, he saw torches drawing closer.

It was the village chief and the elderly men of the village.

While Yi-gang was still debating whether or not to dig up the grave, they had managed to come all the way here.

The elders glanced back and forth between Yi-gang and the shovel in his hand.

Then, they cried out in shock, “Y-You! Don’t you even know about bonds and virtues?!”

“Were you born without parents?! What are you doing? Quickly, seize him!”

Moments ago, these same villagers had been bowing respectfully to Yi-gang. But now, having caught him in what they considered a heaven-defying act of immorality, their attitude shifted dramatically.

Yi-gang was flustered by the relentless curses being hurled at him.

「Ahem.」

Startled, Yi-gang hurriedly threw the shovel aside.

The elders began running toward him with torches in hand.

Normally, Yi-gang wouldn’t have batted an eye even if a group of bandits—not frail, emaciated old men—came charging at him.

However, faced with the fiery determination of the slash-and-burn farmer elders wielding torches, Yi-gang found himself unusually flustered.

It was understandable, given the circumstances.

「Hmm, you seem to be in trouble now.」

‘I haven’t even started digging yet!’

「They, too, must stop clinging to their ancestors and those graves.」

‘Why don’t you go and tell them that yourself?!’

Finding the situation unfavorable, Bodhidharma fell silent.

If it weren’t for the fact that they were elders, Yi-gang would have beaten them down and subdued them immediately.

As he thought this, something struck him.

The elders who had just been expressing their intense anger…

Among them were the village chiefs.

But unlike the other elders, the chief wasn’t angry.

Instead, he wore a look of bewilderment.

As if he was shocked that Yi-gang was standing in front of that particular burial mound.

Yi-gang came to a sudden halt.

“Huff… Yeah, stay right there…”

“Ugh, huff, you scoundrel!”

Though they hadn’t run far, the elders were already gasping for breath.

Turning his body, Yi-gang instead charged toward the elders.

His speed was so fast that the elders had never seen anything like it in their entire lives.

“Get back!”

The elders panicked, wildly swinging their torches.

But Yi-gang, who could easily dodge the strikes of a first-rate swordsman, avoided them without effort.

He weaved through the dancing torches with ease.

At the very back, the village chief stood, frozen with fear.

Yi-gang reached out toward the torch that the startled chief thrust forward.

With a simple flick of his hand, Yi-gang snatched the torch and grabbed the chief by the collar, pulling him forward.

As he brought the torch closer to the chief’s face, he could clearly see the terrified expression plastered there.

“Calm them down.”

“H-huff, huff…”

“Right now.”

Yi-gang released only a faint trace of his aura.

However, the village chief’s face turned deathly pale, as if he had seen a ghost.

“S-Stop him, all of you!”

At his command, the elders who had been charging forward halted and began gasping for breath.

The chief trembled, his teeth chattering in fear.

Yi-gang soon noticed that the chief kept glancing behind him.

Looking down the slope toward the village, Yi-gang saw that one area was unusually bright.

It seemed that something was happening there.

“…What are you scheming?”

“T-that is…”

Initially, Yi-gang had planned to question the chief about the true nature of the cemetery.

However, after observing the chief’s suspicious behavior, he changed his mind.

“I don’t know what tricks you’re playing, but…”

Yi-gang didn’t believe that the Divine Monk’s group would be in danger.

Still, he issued a clear warning, “I hope, for your sake, this turns out to be a joke we can laugh about later.”

The chief shivered at Yi-gang’s cold declaration.

Dragging the chief along, Yi-gang made his way back to the village.

What awaited him there was something he had never expected.

All the young villagers had disappeared.

Perhaps they had been ordered to return home, as only the elders remained among the villagers.

Meanwhile, the Divine Monk’s group and the soldiers sat in front of the fire, having nearly finished all the food.

The soldiers were completely drunk.

They were all staggering, unable to keep their balance.

In contrast, the Divine Monk, Gal Dong-tak, and the Four Great Vajra sat quietly.

The Divine Monk welcomed Yi-gang as he approached.

“…What is all this?”

“They put on an interesting performance. You there, village chief, thank you for the show.”

The Divine Monk gave a polite nod to the village chief, whose face had turned deathly pale.

Then, clapping his hands again, the Divine Monk continued watching the “performance.”

「That is…」

Before them were people dancing while wearing a dragon-shaped mask.

It seemed there were about three people inside the mask.

The mask was quite well-made, and, to Yi-gang’s surprise, it even breathed fire from its mouth.

Although the performance was flashy and entertaining, there wasn’t anything particularly fearsome about it.

However, the soldiers’ reactions were different.

“Hiiieeek!”

“We’re sorry! We’re so sorry!”

They fell to their knees, clutching their heads and trembling all over.

Even for drunk men, their behavior was excessively dramatic.

Moreover, the “dragon” inside the mask scolded the terrified soldiers.

“I clearly told you that I spared your lives on the condition that you never return!”

“Hiiiek! We had no choice—we were ordered to come back!”

The voice coming from inside the mask belonged to an elderly man.

After toying with the soldiers for a while, the masked performers realized something strange and removed the mask.

Their eyes fell upon the village chief, who was held firmly in Yi-gang’s grasp.

They also noticed that the Divine Monk and his companions, sitting in the corner, showed no signs of fear.

“Uh…”

“T-this can’t be…”

The masked men dropped to their knees in despair.

Yi-gang turned to look at the village chief.

The chief had his eyes tightly shut.

When Yi-gang looked back at the Divine Monk, he saw the Divine Monk burst into a hearty laugh.

Then, the Divine Monk handed his teacup to Yi-gang.

The cup was still full, as if he hadn’t taken a single sip.

“I thought this was a remote village, but the tea’s fragrance is quite pleasant.”

Yi-gang accepted the teacup with a suspicious look.

“It seemed too fine a tea for a monk to drink, so I didn’t.”

“I had some, but my head started hurting, so I stopped,” Gal Dong-tak raised his hand and interjected.

Without a word, Yi-gang sniffed the tea and took a small sip.

“Ptooey!”

He immediately spat it out and flung the teacup aside.

With a terrifying glare, Yi-gang stared at the village chief.

“What were you trying to feed us?”

“I-I’ve committed a grave sin!”

The village chief fell to his knees, prostrating himself on the ground.

The other elders quickly followed, kneeling and bowing low beside him.

“Answer the question.”

As Yi-gang drew his sword, the village chief let out a terrified groan.

“I-it’s… Dream-Fright Herb…”

“Dream-Fright Herb?”

“It’s a flower that grows in the cemetery here. When brewed and consumed, it causes hallucinations and induces fear.”

“So, it’s a poisonous herb…”

Such poisonous herbs were found in many places.

Especially deep in the mountains of Sichuan, it wouldn’t be unusual.

The villagers had mixed it into the soldiers’ drinks and played tricks on them using the dragon mask.

Yi-gang, finding the situation absurd, asked, “Why do you even have a mask like that? It doesn’t seem like this was your first time doing something like this.”

As Yi-gang gripped his sword once more, the chief hurriedly replied, “It’s the Dream-Fright Herb we’ve used from time to time… for punishing fools or maintaining order in the village…”

Yi-gang now understood how the villagers’ belief in the dragon had been maintained.

The village chief and the elders had been using hallucinogenic herbs to manipulate them for years.

“Then, what’s in that place?”

“You mean the forbidden area?”

The village chief tightly shut his eyes, as if resigning himself to the inevitable, and answered, “There is a scale of Lord Fire Dragon there.”

“Are you kidding me right now?”

Yi-gang sneered coldly.

The chief clung to Yi-gang’s trouser leg, pleading, “It’s true! I swear it’s true!”

“No one else seems to know about this.”

The other elders stood with their mouths agape, looking as if they had never heard of such a thing.

“I’ll show you! I’ll show you myself!”

Yi-gang gave a silent warning that if the chief was lying, he wouldn’t get away unscathed.

The chief then led Yi-gang back up to the cemetery.

This time, without any interruptions, the chief personally began digging up the burial mound.

Fortunately, as Bodhidharma had said, there was no coffin inside.

Instead, there was a metal box of a suitable size.

“If you look inside, it’s really there!”

The village chief hastily opened the box.

Yi-gang immediately fell silent.

「It’s real… it’s truly real.」

It was there.

A brilliantly shining red scale.

The hide of a dragon.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep