Fist Demon of Mount Hua - Chapter 106

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 105. Dragons and Tigers Gather at the Lake—Part 2
Cho Yeon Yun sat in the first-floor dining room of the Seophung Guest House. Across from him sat O Gun Ui.
Cho Yeon Yun found the meeting uncomfortable. This was not a gathering of his own making, but one that O Gun Ui had arranged.
Yet as a junior, he could not avoid a seat offered by a Jianghu senior, so he forced himself to sit, however reluctantly.
O Gun Ui’s expression was grave—and Cho Yeon Yun understood perfectly why: Dam Ho.
‘All because of that man…….’
Cho Yeon Yun exhaled quietly, almost imperceptibly.
What had happened that day had shaken not only Cho Yeon Yun, but O Gun Ui and Hae So Wol as well—though it remained unknown to the wider Jianghu.
An elite unit of the Namgoong Clan, one of the Five Great Clans of the Jianghu itself, had been annihilated by a single man. Under normal circumstances, it would have been an earth-shaking event that would ripple through the martial world.
The reason for the silence was simple: O Gun Ui and Cho Yeon Yun had maintained absolute discretion.
If word spread that the Gold Sword Unit had been wiped out by Dam Ho, the Namgoong Clan could not remain idle.
An all-out war between the Namgoong Clan and Dam Ho.
The very thought was terrifying.
No matter how formidable a single martial artist might be, they could never match one of the Five Great Clans.
Should the Namgoong Clan move in earnest, Dam Ho would certainly forfeit his life. Yet given the martial prowess Dam Ho had demonstrated in destroying the Gold Sword Unit, the Namgoong Clan’s losses would be far from negligible.
To prevent such a catastrophe, they had guarded the secret with desperation.
O Gun Ui’s expression was grave beyond measure.
The shock he had experienced was incomparable to Cho Yeon Yun’s.
Dam Ho was scarcely in his late twenties, perhaps early thirties—an age when a martial artist should be in his prime. Yet he could not rival Namgoong Chang, who had already earned his renown in the Jianghu.
But Dam Ho had shattered those assumptions, annihilating the Gold Sword Unit and inflicting upon Namgoong Chang a humiliation and wound that could never be erased.
Namgoong Chang would have to live forever in Dam Ho’s shadow. Whether he could ever escape that shadow, even O Gun Ui could not say.
After a long silence, O Gun Ui finally spoke.
“He is a friend of yours, is he not?”
“That is correct.”
“You have quite a remarkable friend.”
“A friend I find difficult to manage, to be honest.”
“I imagine so.”
O Gun Ui nodded in apparent understanding. Yet his eyes burned with a cold, piercing light.
“I will not beat around the bush. Who exactly is he?”
“That is…….”
Cho Yeon Yun hesitated.
He wished to answer, but in truth, he knew almost nothing about Dam Ho.
All he knew was Dam Ho’s name—two characters. Beyond that, his background was nearly a complete mystery.
‘I’m ashamed to have boasted of such a friendship.’
O Gun Ui’s gaze grew sharper still.
“I have never heard of any martial artist like him. The martial prowess he displayed could not possibly be that of a Late-Stage Master. Even Gu Mu Ryong cannot compare to him.”
“Well…….”
“Such a master appears as if dropped from the sky. Do you think such a thing is possible?”
“It is difficult to imagine.”
“You know well how much investment and dedication are required to cultivate a true master.”
A master is not forged in a single night. Only through systematic support and immense investment does one truly become a figure whom the Jianghu calls a master.
There is a saying that dragons are born from streams, yet in the world of the Jianghu, such a thing was impossible.
The Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Clans dominated the current Jianghu for precisely this reason. They possessed Secret Martial Techniques and profound insights accumulated over centuries, along with immeasurable wealth.
The harmonious combination of all these elements allowed them to cultivate disciples into masters. It was no accident that they were called Prestigious Sects.
Given such circumstances, it was extraordinarily difficult for true masters to emerge from anywhere outside the prestigious families.
Occasionally, exceptions appeared and brought unexpected delight, but never before had there arisen such a figure who defied all conventional wisdom as Dam Ho.
“As far as I know, he does not belong to any Prestigious Sect in the Jianghu.”
Cho Yeon Yun’s eyebrows twitched. He understood what O Gun Ui was beginning to suspect.
“Do you think he might be a member of the Demonic Cult?”
“Precisely.”
At O Gun Ui’s confirmation, Cho Yeon Yun’s expression hardened.
The Demonic Cult.
A synonym for terror that had drenched the Jianghu in blood decades ago.
Countless martial artists had been killed in battles against the Demonic Cult in those years. Even now, the Jianghu trembled at the mere mention of a Cult member, and anyone suspected of even the slightest connection would be branded an enemy of the martial world—it was only a matter of time.
“He is not a member of the Demonic Cult.”
“Are you certain?”
“I know his conduct better than anyone. Though his methods are indeed extreme and, in some ways, fierce, he has never fought without cause.”
“That alone is insufficient to claim he is not a Cult member.”
“Namgoong Chang was the one who provoked the confrontation first. Had he not started the quarrel, such a tragedy would never have occurred.”
“I understand that. Namgoong Chang did indeed provoke first. But even so, his response was excessive.”
“The Namgoong Clan’s response was excessive, wouldn’t you say? They tried to use the Gold Sword Unit to kill him simply because Namgoong So Hyeop’s wrist was broken.”
“Hmm!”
“It was a fight to protect himself. Even if his methods were cruel, that’s precisely why he cannot bear all the blame.”
At Cho Yeon Yun’s words, O Gun Ui pressed his lips together. Yet his expression remained one of unconvinced skepticism.
O Gun Ui and Cho Yeon Yun regarded each other in silence for a time.
It was O Gun Ui who spoke first.
“Are you certain you can remain his friend to the very end? If not, it would be better to part ways with him now. This is advice from a senior of the Jianghu. He will undoubtedly stir up great upheaval in the Jianghu and earn the hatred of countless people. There is little good to be gained from standing beside him.”
“I apologize.”
Cho Yeon Yun answered without hesitation. At such a swift reply, O Gun Ui’s brow furrowed.
“Not even worth reconsidering, then.”
“I have already accepted him as my friend. I cannot abandon a friend simply because circumstances grow difficult.”
“Even if the Baekjeon Sect suffers great disadvantage because of it?”
“You still do not understand the Baekjeon Sect well.”
“What do you mean?”
“My master despises relationships built on expedience—bitter one moment, sweet the next.”
Steel entered Cho Yeon Yun’s voice.
His master, Jang Il San, had always taught him that a man must possess loyalty. In truth, Jang Il San valued honor above all and was the kind of man who had never abandoned a friend under any circumstance.
One reason he had stood at the forefront of the war against the Demonic Cult was that his closest friend had been slain by them.
“Hmm!”
“If I were to abandon my friend out of concern for the Jianghu’s opinion, my master would be the first to kill me.”
“Foolish. Both you and… your master too…”
“I understand.”
Cho Yeon Yun rose from his seat with a slight smile.
O Gun Ui gazed at him, his eyes churning with conflicted emotion.
“Are you truly certain? That he is not a member of the Demonic Cult?”
“I am. Do you know why?”
“……”
“My master and I have been tracking the Demonic Cult for a long time, preparing for the day they might rise again. So we would know better than anyone.”
“Hmm!”
“You asked if I could remain his friend to the end. Then I will answer like this: I, Cho Yeon Yun, am willing to stake my life for my friend. Had it been otherwise, we would never have become friends in the first place.”
Before Cho Yeon Yun’s conviction, O Gun Ui found himself with no words to offer.
“I would prefer not to be called to such a meeting again. I have no wish to listen to sowing discord dressed up as advice. Then……”
Having clasped his fist in salute, Cho Yeon Yun stepped out of the guest house.
O Gun Ui sat in silence for a long while, his gaze unfocused. After considerable time had passed, he exhaled slowly.
“Sigh.”
The barbed words Cho Yeon Yun had left behind lingered like a knife’s wound, carving deep into his chest.
＊＊＊
Dam Ho was walking along Dongting Lake. Bang Jin Bo followed cautiously at his side.
After watching Dam Ho’s mood for some time, Bang Jin Bo finally gathered his courage and spoke.
“Brother!”
Dam Ho regarded Bang Jin Bo without speaking.
“I didn’t overstep that day and offend you, did I?”
“No.”
“Truly?”
“Yes.”
“Whew! Thank goodness.”
Only then did Bang Jin Bo release a breath of relief.
That day, Bang Jin Bo had witnessed Dam Ho’s madness and his killing intent. The terrifying figure Dam Ho had presented still lingered in his memory.
Yet what had truly frightened Bang Jin Bo was not that outward display. It was the fact that he had raised his voice against Dam Ho’s decision.
This was his greatest fear—that Dam Ho might come to hate him for it. He had spent days carrying this burden in his heart, but now, hearing Dam Ho’s answer, all his worry seemed to dissolve.
A smile blossomed across Bang Jin Bo’s face. Yet Dam Ho’s expression remained unchanged.
Dam Ho’s gaze suddenly turned toward Dongting Lake.
In the distance, a small boat was visible. Alone on the water’s surface, it seemed terribly lonely.
Dam Ho stood motionless, gazing at the boat for a considerable time. Bang Jin Bo, in turn, came to a halt beside him.
Bang Jin Bo studied Dam Ho’s profile.
There was the face that all the world feared. Yet Bang Jin Bo thought Dam Ho’s face was not so much frightening as it was desolate.
Dam Ho suddenly resumed walking. Bang Jin Bo hurried to catch up and fall into step beside him.
Dam Ho remained silent. Bang Jin Bo, by extension, fell silent as well.
How far had they walked?
Suddenly, laughter bloomed across Bang Jin Bo’s face. A familiar countenance had appeared in the distance.
“Sister!”
Bang Jin Bo waved his hand.
Dam Ho’s gaze naturally followed in the direction Bang Jin Bo was looking.
There stood a woman in a tiger-striped vest, her expression bright and lively. Dam Ho found her features strangely familiar.
After searching his memory for a moment, he recalled seeing her by the shores of Dongting Lake not long ago.
The woman approached Bang Jin Bo with quick, eager steps.
“Jin Bo.”
The woman who greeted Bang Jin Bo so warmly was none other than Hwang Hye Ryeong.
“Sister, it’s been a while.”
“It has. You’ve been scarce lately. Are you still staying at the Seophung Guest House?”
“Yes!”
“I should visit to taste the food you make, but I can never find the time.”
“I’ll be there for the foreseeable future, so please come whenever you think of it.”
“I wish I could, but I won’t be able to stay in this place long.”
A shadow flickered across Hwang Hye Ryeong’s eyes. But she quickly recovered, her smile settling back into place so smoothly that Bang Jin Bo noticed nothing of the shift.
“And who might this be?”
Hwang Hye Ryeong’s gaze turned toward Dam Ho, and Bang Jin Bo broke into a broad grin.
“He’s the older brother I mentioned to you before.”
“Brother? Ah!”
Hwang Hye Ryeong’s eyes lit up as recognition dawned.
She promptly cupped her fist in salute to Dam Ho.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Hwang Hye Ryeong.”
“Dam Ho.”
Dam Ho stared at Hwang Hye Ryeong intently, his gaze so piercing that she found herself at a loss for composure.
Bang Jin Bo asked him a question.
“What’s wrong? Brother?”
“Nothing.”
Dam Ho shook his head. Yet his eyes remained fixed on Hwang Hye Ryeong.

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