Fist Demon of Mount Hua - Chapter 107

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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 106. Dragons and Tigers Gather at the Lake—Part 3
Hwang Hye Ryeong asked a question.
“You’re saying he’s your older brother?”
“That’s right.”
“You two don’t look alike at all.”
“We’re not blood relatives, but we’re as close as brothers.”
“I see.”
Hwang Hye Ryeong smiled softly.
Dam Ho gazed at her intently. It was clearly a face he’d never seen before, and yet that smile seemed strangely familiar. That was what troubled him.
“You said you’re involved with Nok Rim?”
“Yes!”
Hwang Hye Ryeong answered without hesitation.
It was a secret that shouldn’t have been known to the outside world, yet she found herself unwilling to hide it from Dam Ho.
“Hwang Gyeong Moon, the Master of Nok Rim, is my father.”
“I see.”
Dam Ho nodded slowly.
He had no idea how remarkable a man Hwang Gyeong Moon was, or how extraordinary the position of Master of Nok Rim truly was. Or perhaps he did know, but it simply wouldn’t have mattered to him.
That was simply the kind of man Dam Ho was.
He saw people for who they were, not by their background or station. That was why he could clash so directly even with the Namgoong Clan.
Hwang Hye Ryeong was taken aback by the way Dam Ho treated her, as though her great secret were nothing at all.
Bang Jin Bo was still so young, and ignorant of the world of Jianghu, so one could excuse him, but for a warrior like Dam Ho to behave so casually—that was not easy.
“What brings the daughter of the Master of Nok Rim to this place?”
“There are certain matters I wanted to investigate.”
“What sort of matters?”
“That’s a secret.”
“I understand.”
“But there is one thing I can tell you. As you’ve probably guessed, those of us in Nok Rim are quite sensitive to the movements of the Murim.”
“You came because of the gathering at Dongting Lake.”
“Exactly. There’s a possibility they might discuss the suppression of Nok Rim. That’s one reason I came here. The rest I cannot speak of. I’m sorry.”
“There’s no need to apologize. Secrets must always be kept.”
“Thank you for understanding. Brother.”
……
“Oh, and it’s all right if I call you brother, isn’t it?”
At Hwang Hye Ryeong’s words, Dam Ho silently nodded.
Bang Jin Bo watched their exchange with some surprise.
The Dam Ho he knew was someone who rarely opened his heart to others. His distinctive presence made it difficult for anyone to approach him easily. Yet here he was, conversing naturally with Hwang Hye Ryeong.
Hwang Hye Ryeong was much the same. In this place, Eun So Cheong was the only one to whom she truly opened her heart. She got along well enough with Bang Jin Bo, but that was only because of her connection to Eun So Cheong and his remarkable cooking skills.
The casual, unguarded manner she was now showing toward Dam Ho was quite remarkable—at least, that was how Bang Jin Bo perceived it.
Now it was Hwang Hye Ryeong’s turn to ask.
“Where is your hometown, brother?”
“A small village near Taebaek Mountain in Shaanxi Province. It has no name, and doesn’t exist on any map.”
“What kind of place is it?”
“Just an ordinary village. Nothing special about it, nothing different—simply a plain, rural place. The men farmed rice paddies, the women worked the fields, and everyone went about their daily lives.”
“An ordinary place… I wish I could live somewhere like that. Life in the mountain fortress is so barren.”
Hwang Hye Ryeong gazed up at the sky.
An endless expanse of blue stretched above her. It was a sight she saw every time she opened her eyes, yet somehow today it looked different.
Hwang Hye Ryeong thought it strange. If she stayed here much longer, she feared she would grow sentimental.
She looked back at Dam Ho.
The world called him the Swift Horse, or the Blood Saint of Shen Jiang.
Some called him a rare Evil Martial Artist of the age, while others spoke of him as one thirsting for blood.
All the rumors that reached her ears were equally savage. Yet the Dam Ho she had witnessed firsthand was taciturn, perhaps, but hardly brutal.
He was simply darker and quieter than most, not the sort to lose control of his nature and run amok.
After studying Dam Ho in silence for a moment, Hwang Hye Ryeong spoke.
“I should be going now.”
“Back to the mountain fortress?”
“Not yet. I still have things to do.”
“I see.”
“If you ever have need of me… come to Pae Wang Chae. It’s in Hua Shan, Anhui Province.”
“I will.”
Dam Ho nodded in acknowledgment.
Hwang Hye Ryeong stretched and rose to her feet.
In the distance, Muk Il Kwang was visible.
“I’ll be going. See you next time, brother.”
Hwang Hye Ryeong left behind her characteristic smile and disappeared.
Dam Ho gazed for a long while at the place where Hwang Hye Ryeong had vanished.
Bang Jin Bo looked at Dam Ho with a puzzled expression. The sight of Dam Ho now was that unfamiliar to him.
“Brother?”
“Hey, friend.”
Just as Bang Jin Bo was about to say something to Dam Ho, a familiar voice reached his ears. Bang Jin Bo recognized its owner.
‘Cho Yeon Woon.’
Cho Yeon Woon came walking through the crowd, waving his hand.
“I’ve been looking all this time, haven’t I? The two of you have been having a pleasant time without me, is that it?”
It was so typical of Cho Yeon Woon to speak in a loud voice without regard for the eyes around him.
“Brother! Your voice, please…….”
Bang Jin Bo’s face reddened. At that, Cho Yeon Woon casually draped an arm across his shoulders.
“You cute thing. You’ve missed your brother, haven’t you?”
“Please lower your voice.”
“Heh! All right. I’ve missed you too, you know.”
Cho Yeon Woon ruffled Bang Jin Bo’s hair vigorously.
“Ugh!”
Bang Jin Bo sighed.
Cho Yeon Woon held up two alcohol bottles toward Dam Ho and shook them.
“The sun’s setting—how about a drink with me, friend?”
…….
Cho Yeon Woon didn’t wait for Dam Ho’s answer and plopped down beside him. Then he held out a bottle to Dam Ho.
As Dam Ho took the bottle, Cho Yeon Woon extended his own bottle forward.
“To our health.”
Clink!
The two bottles collided in midair.
Late into the night, a large vessel was entering the wharf at Akyang—a Yunma Dagang Vessel capable of carrying both horses and passengers at once.
A broad gangway descended, and passengers aboard the ship disembarked one after another.
“Finally, solid ground.”
“Oh my! I thought I’d die.”
From the mouths of those who had set foot on land after so long came natural groans of relief. Yet their faces bloomed with smiles.
What greeted them as they left the vessel was the nightscape of Akyang transformed into a City That Never Sleeps. The brilliant night scenery of Akyang was more than enough to capture people’s interest.
People hurried into the night of Akyang.
Most of the passengers had left the wharf, and the last few guests climbed ashore.
“We’ve finally arrived.”
A Daoist who muttered this while stretching his stiff limbs in various directions was none other than Myeong Gyeong. Behind him appeared the figures of Hyun Mu and Han So Yoo.
The Daoists of the Hua Shan Sect had finally arrived in Akyang. Their faces bore an expression of relief.
Because they had encountered Myeong Gyeong along the way, they arrived in Akyang later than scheduled.
Though their bodies were exhausted from spending such a long time aboard the ship, their minds were keener and more alert than ever.
“Is this Akyang?”
Han So Yoo found herself at a loss for words at the sight of the City That Never Sleeps spreading before her eyes. To her, who had spent her entire life in Hua Shan, the spectacle before her was something she had never seen in her life.
The other Daoists felt the same way. For those who had lived austerely their entire lives, the landscape before them was so unfamiliar that their spirits naturally flagged.
Myeong Gyeong was no exception in his amazement. Before he became a disciple of Hyun Gyeom, he had been an Outer Disciple, but even so, a remote corner of Shaanxi Province was the entirety of the world he had known.
For him, the City That Never Sleeps spreading before his eyes was far too unfamiliar. He was even seized with doubt as to whether people could actually live in such a place.
At the sight of his disciples, Hyun Mu burst into laughter.
“Ha ha! Are you already amazed at so little? There will be sights far more wondrous to come, so it’s premature to be surprised.”
“There are sights more wondrous than this?”
“Not yet, but you’ll see them soon enough.”
Hyun Mu swallowed the words ‘Once the Murim Alliance is established……’ The establishment of the Murim Alliance was a fact not yet known even to his disciples. Only First-generation Disciples like Myeong Gyeong and Han So Yoo knew the truth to any real extent.
While the disciples of the Hua Shan Sect marveled at the nightscape of Akyang transformed into a City That Never Sleeps, a middle-aged swordsman and a woman dressed in light armor approached them.
The middle-aged swordsman clasped his fist toward Hyun Mu and opened his mouth.
“Might you be Hyun Mu of the Hua Shan Sect?”
“I am, but what brings this?”
“I am O Gun Ui of the Haenam Sect.”
“Ah! Elder O of the Haenam Sect, indeed. I am Hyun Mu of the Hua Shan Sect. Amitabha Buddha.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. You must have had a trying journey.”
“There was nothing to trouble us. But you came to receive us in person?”
“Originally, Elder Namgoong of the Namgoong Clan was meant to come, but circumstances prevented it, so I’ve come in his stead. I hope you’ll understand.”
O Gun Ui offered his apology with formal courtesy. At that, Hyun Mu raised a hand in dismissal.
“Even two bodies wouldn’t be enough for such a man, would they? I can imagine how busy he must be—how could I possibly object? It’s perfectly fine.”
“Thank you for being so gracious about it.”
O Gun Ui forced a smile.
Namgoong Chang was in no condition to venture outside yet.
Outwardly he appeared unblemished, but his mind was more fractured than ever. The spiritual murder Dam Ho had inflicted had shaken his very soul to its foundation.
The trouble was that he could speak of it to no one. Forced to bear it alone in silence, Namgoong Chang’s mind could only grow more unstable.
‘Who could have imagined such an impossible being lurking in this place?’
For now, mentioning Dam Ho’s name was forbidden. Especially not in front of Namgoong Chang.
That was why O Gun Ui had come to see off the Hua Shan Sect warriors in Namgoong Chang’s stead.
Hua Shan was one of the Nine Great Sects.
Having recovered much of its former glory, Hua Shan’s martial strength ranked among the highest of the Nine Great Sects.
They would become a vital asset to the Murim Alliance. They could not be treated with the same indifference as the Five Major Sects within Hunan Province.
O Gun Ui asked a question.
“Have you decided on lodgings?”
“We’ll find something now.”
“As it happens, that works out well. Then come along with us.”
“That won’t be necessary. We can arrange our own lodgings.”
“No, we’ve already secured a place. There’s plenty of room, so you’ll have no difficulty staying comfortably.”
“Then I’ll impose on you for a time. Infinite Buddha!”
Having said so much, he could not refuse any further. In the end, Hyun Mu had no choice but to accept O Gun Ui’s offer.
Hyun Mu gestured to Han So Yoo and Myeong Gyeong.
“Come here and greet Elder O.”
“Han So Yoo of the Hua Shan Sect greets Elder O.”
“Infinite Buddha! I am called Myeong Gyeong.”
At the greetings of both, O Gun Ui nodded.
“A pleasure to meet you. To see such fine talents of Hua Shan before me—surely that is an honor for me.”
This time, O Gun Ui called forward the woman standing behind him, Hae So Wol.
“This is Hae So Wol, a first-generation disciple of our sect. Pay your respects to the Zhenren.”
At O Gun Ui’s words, Hae So Wol approached and bowed.
“Hae So Wol of the Haenam Sect pays respects to the Elder of Hua Shan.”
“Hah! Your Ki Technique is impressive. A pleasure to meet you, Hyun Mu of Hua Shan.”
“It is an honor to meet you.”
“Honor in meeting an old Daoist? Come now. Since we’ve met, let the young people get along well together.”
At Hyun Mu’s words, Han So Yoo and Myeong Gyeong greeted Hae So Wol.
“Nice to meet you, Hae So Wol. What an honor to meet one of the Nine Dragons.”
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Myeong Gyeong, Hae So Wol.”
Hae So Wol acknowledged them with proper courtesy as well.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you both. I’m Hae So Wol.”
Sharp gazes crossed beneath the genteel surface.
Myeong Gyeong and Hae So Wol each belonged to the Nine Dragons. Yet this was the first time they had laid eyes on each other.
Myeong Gyeong recalled the words of Hyun Gyeom.
‘Suppress all Nine Dragons and proclaim to heaven and earth that the blade of Hua Shan reigns supreme.’
That was the true purpose of his coming to Akyang.

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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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