Fist Demon of Mount Hua - Chapter 105

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 105. Dragons and Tigers Gather at the Lake—Part 1
The incident in which Dam Ho slaughtered the warriors of the Namgoong Clan never reached the ears of the world.
The only witnesses were a handful of people, including Cho Yeon Un. They held their silence, unwilling to let word of the catastrophe Dam Ho had wrought spread beyond their circle.
The incident was thus buried, yet the embers of discord still smoldered.
The Jin Geom Dae—an elite force the Namgoong Clan had painstakingly cultivated—had been utterly annihilated. This was not a wound the clan could simply ignore.
“Uncle, we cannot simply stand idle.”
Namgoong Su pressed his case with fervor.
His broken arm was splinted and wrapped in white cloth. The sight of him, so reduced by injury, was pitiful.
Namgoong Chang gazed at his nephew and exhaled a quiet sigh.
His temples had turned completely white. Streaks that had not shown themselves yesterday now covered the sides of his face.
“The honor of the Namgoong Clan has fallen to the ground. If we leave that man as he is, people will surely mock us.”
Namgoong Su spoke passionately, his eyes blazing red with bloodshot fury. Namgoong Chang understood his reaction.
The young man had known only triumph, racing down the road of success without fear. Now, for the first time, he tasted the bitterness of defeat. Wounded pride had kindled rage within him.
But Namgoong Chang had grown more cautious.
He had witnessed Dam Ho’s inconceivable martial prowess with his own eyes. Had he not seen it with those eyes, he would never have believed such a martial master existed.
There was something in Dam Ho beyond mere rumor.
Only those who had faced him directly understood his terror. There was something primal in him that made others fear—something that defied reason.
It was something that no words or letters could convey.
His presence conjured a single word from the depths of memory.
‘The Four Divine Emperors. Could he somehow be connected to them?’
But he quickly shook his head.
Over thirty years had passed since they vanished from the world. To think that someone connected to them had now emerged was too great a leap.
“Uncle!”
Namgoong Su’s voice shattered his reverie.
Namgoong Chang lifted his gaze to his nephew. He saw Namgoong Su’s jaw clenched tight.
At last, Namgoong Chang spoke.
“You must endure.”
“The honor of the Namgoong Clan has fallen to nothing. How can we endure?”
“Still, you must endure.”
“Uncle!”
“A gentleman’s revenge loses nothing by waiting ten years. For now, you must endure—no matter what.”
“How am I to endure?”
“Su.”
Weight entered Namgoong Chang’s voice. Namgoong Su flinched. His uncle held his gaze steady and continued.
“Do you think my heart is at ease? I am more devastated than you. The Jin Geom Dae were like my own nephews. How could I forget their deaths? And yet I endure. Do you know why?”
“Why?”
“The founding of the Murim Alliance is an irreversible tide of the age—a done deed. Countless sects will join it. They will compete for dominance, and so will we.”
“But that has nothing to do with—”
“It has everything to do with it. If word spreads that we lost the Jin Geom Dae to a single man—to Dam Ho alone—what then?”
……
“Have you considered it?”
“Considered what?”
“They would see our main house weakened and despise us. One or two lesser sects we could ignore, but if it is the entire Murim that sees us as broken—what would become of us?”
Namgoong Su had no answer. Namgoong Chang fixed him with an unyielding stare.
“You must endure. Until our main house secures dominance in the Murim Alliance. Revenge can wait until after.”
A low growl escaped him.
“You saw it yourself, did you not? Ordinary forces cannot wound him. At the very least, it would take the Geom Wang Dae of our main house—and perhaps even that would not suffice.”
“That… that level?”
Namgoong Su’s eyes widened with shock.
The Geom Wang Dae was the last bastion of the Namgoong Clan.
Namgoong Seon Wol, the clan’s patriarch two generations ago, had come to believe that the existing organizational structure alone was insufficient to protect the family.
In secret, he had hand-picked exceptional talents and subjected them to training methods unlike any other. The clan’s most precious medicines and forbidden techniques had been lavished upon them.
After decades of effort and sacrifice, the Geom Wang Dae was born. They served the Namgoong Clan across generations, revealing themselves only in times of existential crisis.
The last time they had appeared was over thirty years past—during the Demonic Cult’s invasion.
In that conflict, they had slaughtered nearly a thousand elite warriors of the Demonic Cult who had breached the Namgoong gates, displaying martial prowess that shook the world. Though they wore crimson masks that hid their identities, the Murim soon learned of their existence—the Geom Wang Dae.
Once the Demonic Cult’s assault ended, they vanished without a trace, returning to ordinary life to resume their vigil over the clan.
Only the family patriarch knew the Geom Wang Dae’s membership. Only the patriarch held the authority to command them.
For the Geom Wang Dae to move meant that both the Namgoong Clan and the Jianghu faced a Crisis of Survival.
No matter what positions Namgoong Chang and Namgoong Su held within the clan, neither could deploy them at will.
Namgoong Su clenched his teeth.
Now it was certain.
Dam Ho was strong enough to warrant the Geom Wang Dae’s mobilization.
He was a martial artist of an entirely different caliber from those upstart talents who had recently emerged into the world, each proclaiming his own excellence.
Once he’d clearly recognized his opponent, his blood cooled and reason returned.
“I… understand. I’ll exercise restraint.”
“Yes! For now, you must restrain yourself. Until we seize control of the Murim Alliance.”
“I will do as you say.”
“Never forget today’s humiliation.”
“I never will.”
“Good! That’s all I need. Go.”
“Yes!”
Namgoong Su answered and left the room.
Left alone, Namgoong Chang found himself staring at his own palms. Even now, merely thinking of him made sweat pool wetly across his skin and set his heart pounding violently.
Dam Ho had branded an indelible terror into his chest. Henceforth, whenever Namgoong Chang’s body heard the name Dam Ho, it would respond this way for some time to come.
“Will I ever overcome it?”
Namgoong Chang shook his head.
Before Namgoong Su, he had forced himself to appear strong. But no one frightened him more than this man.
Merely uttering Dam Ho’s name caused his eyelids to twitch involuntarily, and his limbs to tremble like aspen leaves.
“Damn it!”
* * *
A young Daoist, appearing to be in his mid-twenties, was walking along the road. A pleasantly warm breeze set the sleeves of his Neng La Robe fluttering softly.
With a confident smile and a leisurely gait, he moved slowly, taking in the surrounding landscape.
An ordinary Iron Sword hung at his waist, and with each step it made a dull clanking sound.
“This is fine.”
The young Daoist murmured to himself as he surveyed the scenery around him.
The mountain was too tall to be called a mere hill, yet smaller than a famous peak. It was a place whose name he didn’t even know, yet its beauty was extraordinary.
“This mountain is like a miniature version of Hua Shan.”
Indeed, the jagged rocky peaks and sharply jutting ridgelines evoked the image of Hua Shan.
The young Daoist paused and savored the beautiful landscape for a long while.
There was no rush, no need to hurry.
His master had told him to experience the world directly.
He’d said that simply by seeing and experiencing many things, his martial prowess would advance by leaps and bounds.
Following his master’s word, the young Daoist had seen and experienced much. Though his schedule had fallen somewhat behind, he harbored no concern.
If he wished, he could deploy his Gyeong Gong and arrive at his destination within the appointed time, no matter what.
It was while the young Daoist was still appreciating the mountain’s form.
“Ha! What fortune befalls a carefree Daoist. Here in such turbulent times, and yet you wander for leisure.”
Suddenly, a loud voice rang out, and a band of men emerged from the brush.
Without exception, rough-looking men wielded weapons—swords, axes, and the like.
The young Daoist tilted his head in puzzlement.
“Are you bandits?”
“Ha! We prefer the term Nok Rim to ‘bandits.'”
“Nok Rim? Then you’re bandits, without question.”
At the young Daoist’s reply, the rough-looking bandit chief let out a contemptuous snort.
“This young Daoist has no fear.”
“Heh! Of course—a young pup doesn’t know to fear the tiger, does he?”
“And the more ignorant of the world a man is, the less he knows fear. Heh!”
The bandits laughed and chattered among themselves, paying the young Daoist no heed.
Jang Gwang, the rough-looking bandit, stepped forward.
“Listen here, Daoist. We’re hungry, so why don’t you make a charitable offering and be on your way?”
“I’d give alms if I had anything, but I don’t.”
The young Daoist shrugged. Jang Gwang grinned wickedly.
“Then hand over that Iron Sword and go on your way.”
“That’s difficult. My master gave it to me.”
“Hmph! No wealth, no sword to offer. So what do we do?”
“There’s a good solution, isn’t there?”
“What might that be, Daoist?”
“Simply let me pass.”
“That won’t do. Our reputation would be ruined. Once word spreads that men got through unchallenged, our standing suffers. And when standing suffers, the revenue naturally declines.”
At Jang Gwang’s words, the young Daoist’s brow furrowed slightly.
“What would you have me do?”
“Don’t we have to take the Daoist’s life to preserve our honor?”
“Ha! You’d take my life to preserve your honor?”
“Forgive me. It’s simply our code of conduct.”
“You won’t regret this?”
The young Daoist’s question left an oddly resonant echo.
Jang Gwang’s brow furrowed for a moment. But soon he smiled thinly and barked an order to his men.
“It seems our Daoist friend needs a lesson in manners. Show him what you’re made of.”
“Yes, sir!”
The bandits answered in unison and moved toward the young Daoist.
Their shambling advance looked like a ragged mob. But the young Daoist noticed that appearances deceived.
Their footsteps were measured, their breathing deep and controlled. Their stance with weapons, their very presence—all spoke of discipline.
‘These are no ordinary bandits.’
The young Daoist shook his head slightly. Yet his expression betrayed no concern.
“Hah!”
The bandits roared and charged at the young Daoist.
Whoosh!
Sword wind and saber wind converged on the young Daoist.
In that instant, the young Daoist kicked lightly off the ground. An Iron Sword had materialized in his hand.
Schink!
The young Daoist drew his blade with effortless grace.
In that moment, plum blossoms bloomed on the barren hillside.
“Aargh!”
“Gaah!”
The bandits who had charged so eagerly screamed and fell. Across their chests as they writhed on the ground, plum blossoms rendered in blood had bloomed.
Countless martial arts existed in the world, but only the Hua Shan Sect could paint plum blossoms with such clarity. It was proof he was their disciple.
Light though the technique appeared, its destructive power was more than sufficient to kill.
“Damn it! So you really are a Daoist of the Hua Shan Sect.”
Jang Gwang, his men suddenly gone, stumbled backward.
The young Daoist’s eyes sharpened.
“You knew I belonged to the Hua Shan Sect, yet you attacked anyway.”
“Ugh!”
“Who gave you the order? Who commanded you to attack me, and why?”
“I don’t know the reason myself. I was simply told to verify and follow orders.”
“Hmph!”
As the young Daoist fell silent in thought, Jang Gwang seized the opening and lunged forward.
“Die!”
The Geo Chi Do in his grip traced a razor-sharp arc.
His target was the young Daoist’s chest.
Thud!
In that moment, a blood-red flower bloomed in the void.
“Cough!”
Jang Gwang’s eyes went wide. The young Daoist’s Iron Sword protruded from his chest.
“What… what is this?”
“The Hyul Maehwa Geom.”
The young Daoist murmured, withdrawing his blade from Jang Gwang’s chest. Jang Gwang’s body crumpled uselessly.
The young Daoist gazed down at the corpse for a moment, then shook his head.
“My master’s swordwork is flawless in every way—but the killing intent runs far too deep.”
Once the Hyul Maehwa Geom was unsheathed, blood was inevitable.
The young Daoist was its sole inheritor.
The Hua Shan Sect called him Myeong Gyeong.
Myeong Gyeong gazed upon the carnage he had wrought, then departed.
Some time after he vanished, a man in a tiger-striped robe crawled from the undergrowth.
Watching the direction Myeong Gyeong had gone, he spoke quietly to himself.
“A Daoist of the Hua Shan Sect wielding such a terrifying killing blade. No wonder the Director told us to keep watch.”
The man in the tiger-striped robe shook his head slowly.
His name was Gwak Geo Cheol, and he was deputy chief of the Heuk Su Chae, one of the eighteen bandit gangs of Nok Rim.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————