Fist Demon of Mount Hua - Chapter 111

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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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Chapter 111. An Uninvited Guest Scatters Ash on the Feast—Part 1
Ordinarily, many people came and went from the Akyang Sword Sect. But today, several times more than usual had gathered within its walls, setting up their camps.
They were martial artists dispatched from the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Clans.
Originally the meeting was to be held at the Cheonha First Tower, but given the urgency of the matter, they had decided to convene hastily at the Akyang Sword Sect instead.
As a result, the martial artists of the Akyang Sword Sect found themselves suddenly reduced to errand-runners, hurrying back and forth without rest.
Though the Akyang Sword Sect was counted among the Five Great Sects of Hunan, it could not compare to today’s guests. They were overwhelmed by the intense aura radiating from the martial artists of the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Clans, their spirits dampened and subdued.
Moreover, the atmosphere hanging over the gathering was far from ordinary. The nerves of the visiting martial artists were drawn taut, and a savage intensity emanated from their very frames.
It seemed even conversation did not come easily. In the end, the Akyang Sword Sect’s martial artists had no choice but to read the room as hosts attending to their guests’ every mood.
‘Tch! What makes the Nine Great Sects so special?’
‘And what is the Five Great Clans but a handful of upstarts?’
They cursed silently a hundred times, a thousand times, yet kept their lips sealed.
In the largest hall of the Akyang Sword Sect, some thirty people had gathered.
Leaders dispatched from each sect—Namgoong Chang and Namgoong Su, O Gun Ui and Hae So Wol, Hyun Mu and Myeong Gyeong—sat in places of honor, each claiming their seat.
On one side sat Cho Yeon Woon, who had come to represent the Baekjeon Sect. Tears welled slightly in the eyes of Cho Yeon Woon, who had been stifling a yawn.
‘Tedious.’
Since his seniors had not spoken, Cho Yeon Woon had no choice but to keep silent as well.
Cho Yeon Woon gazed across the room, hoping this hour would pass as quickly as possible.
His eyes fell upon Sa Ma Gyeong Won, the Sect Leader of the Akyang Sword Sect, Eun Il Myeong, the Keeper of the Eun Clan Treasury, and Sim Woo Won, the Sect Leader of the Uiseon Sect, each occupying their own place.
Beside Eun Il Myeong sat Eun So Cheong as well. Though far too young to attend such a gathering, Eun Il Myeong had deliberately brought her along so that she might be introduced to the people present.
The gazes of Cho Yeon Woon and Eun So Cheong met across the hall.
‘Tsk!’
Cho Yeon Woon clicked his tongue.
Though he understood Eun Il Myeong’s intent, Eun So Cheong was still too young. Many years would pass before she could bear the weight such a gathering carried.
―Just hold on a little longer. When the opportunity comes, slip out with me.
Cho Yeon Woon sent a silent message to Eun So Cheong. The girl gave a subtle nod in reply.
Cho Yeon Woon’s gaze shifted then to Sa Ma Gyeong Won.
Sa Ma Gyeong Won was the master of the Akyang Sword Sect. Yet such was his station at this gathering that he had not only surrendered the great hall but found himself seated at the very foot of the table.
Though it galled him, Sa Ma Gyeong Won dared not voice his displeasure. The same was true of Eun Il Myeong and Sim Woo Won.
After all, the entry of the Murim Alliance into Hunan Province was an unstoppable tide.
‘To secure a position before the Murim Alliance was formed and to establish one after are as different as heaven and earth.’
‘The gap between those who secure their stake in the Murim Alliance now and those who do not will only widen, until at last it becomes unbridgeable.’
That being so, their judgment was that they must exploit this opportunity to the fullest. And thus they had swallowed their pride and taken the lowest seats.
Because the meeting had been convened in such haste, there were sects that had not yet arrived. Among the Nine Great Sects, the Konglun Sect, the Wudang Sect, and the Shaolin Sect had not yet appeared, while among the Five Great Clans, the Zhenzhou Yan Family and the Hebei Peng Family had not yet arrived.
The Konglun Sect, Shaolin, and the Zhenzhou Yan Family had not yet arrived because of the great distances they had to travel. The Hebei Peng Family, however, had been annihilated on the road. And the masters of the Wudang Sect were still on their way.
Though a great many had gathered, not a single one dared to speak rashly. So keenly did they all grasp the gravity of the crisis.
Truthfully, even as they had traveled here, a great number of them had harbored doubts about the establishment of the Murim Alliance.
The fear inspired by the word Demonic Cult was considerable, yet they had not yet confirmed its reality.
The creation of the Murim Alliance was no easy matter. Though the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Clans were to be its backbone, ultimately it would require the convergence of strength from all Murim.
Naturally, the formation of the Murim Alliance would demand enormous capital and manpower, and its maintenance would require even greater expenditure.
No matter how vast the wealth accumulated by the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Clans, bearing such costs would be no simple task.
So people had thought it urgent first to confirm the reality of the Demonic Cult. The establishment of the Murim Alliance could wait until after, they had told themselves consolingly.
But the situation had changed.
The masters of the Hebei Peng Family had been annihilated, and the Wudang Sect had suffered grave losses. The Demonic Cult was no longer a distant calamity.
“Hmm!”
Someone broke the oppressive silence with a low hum. As if given a signal, others began speaking in turn.
“Sigh! The Demonic Cult, no less. What misfortune has fallen upon us.”
“Surely it is not yet confirmed? We cannot be certain until the Wudang Sect’s Cheong Heo arrives.”
The speakers were Jindo Gyeong, an elder of the Jongnam Sect, and Yu Jin Sang, an elder of the Jeom Chang Sect. Both had come here as their sect’s chief negotiators.
Beginning with their exchange, the hall transformed into a raucous marketplace. People voiced their thoughts freely, raising their voices in dispute.
O Gun Ui turned his gaze toward Namgoong Chang.
Namgoong Chang remained silent still. His mind was deeply troubled, his thoughts yet unsettled.
He kept silence as much as possible, striving to judge the situation with cold clarity.
It was then.
“The Wudang Sect’s Cheong Heo has arrived.”
A voice came from outside, that of an Akyang Sword Sect martial artist.
In an instant, the hall fell silent as if by enchantment.
The doors opened, and an elderly Daoist in a Daoist robe bearing the Eight Trigrams pattern strode in with measured steps.
Beneath the Daoist Crown upon his head gleamed sharp, piercing eyes, and his face glowed ruddy with vitality.
This was Cheong Heo, the Zhenren of the Wudang Sect.
At his entrance, those seated in the hall rose to their feet one by one.
“Cheong Heo, it’s been a long time.”
“Welcome, Cheong Heo.”
The attitudes of those greeting Cheong Heo could not help but be deferential.
He was an elder of the Wudang Sect, one of the two great pillars of the Murim alongside Shaolin, and was even called the premier swordmaster of Hubei.
The weight his name carried far exceeded that of everyone gathered here.
“I am Old Cheong Heo. My apologies for the late arrival.”
“Not at all. We heard you came under attack. We’re fortunate you arrived safely.”
Namgoong Chang responded with calm composure, and Cheong Heo smiled slightly.
“Thank you, Elder Namgoong.”
“Please, sit. There is much we wish to hear from you.”
“I have much to tell as well.”
Cheong Heo took an empty seat as he spoke.
Now at last everyone had gathered in one place, and the conditions were set for a proper council.
Yu Jin Sang, an elder of the Jeom Chang Sect known for his impatience, spoke up.
“Were you truly attacked by the Demonic Cult, Cheong Heo?”
Yet no one made any effort to stop him. They were just as curious, after all.
Cheong Heo gazed slowly at each face in the hall. In their eyes, he saw a faint glimmer of fear.
Most of those present were recognized luminaries of the Murim. A single mention of the Demonic Cult was enough to make their pupils waver.
‘Sigh.’
Cheong Heo exhaled softly, unheard by others.
Though he understood their feelings, the sight of them trembling with fear before even crossing swords was disheartening.
Yet he could not let such thoughts show. He composed his expression and opened his mouth to speak.
“On the road here, we were attacked by unknown assailants. However, I cannot yet say with certainty whether they were truly members of the Demonic Cult.”
“How so?”
Doubt flickered across the faces of those gathered.
“Those who attacked us were undeniably formidable. Two First-generation Disciples and five Second-generation Disciples of our sect sustained grave injuries—that alone speaks volumes. Yet I cannot confidently say their martial arts were those of the Demonic Cult.”
Cheong Heo recalled the moment of the masked attackers’ assault.
There had been three masked assailants in all. The one who appeared to be their leader possessed power that made one’s teeth chatter.
While the leader engaged Cheong Heo, the other masked figures attacked the Wudang disciples.
Fortunately, the Wudang disciples united their strength to repel their assault, though they sustained considerable losses.
Cheong Heo himself had suffered a not-inconsiderable internal injury in his duel with the leader. But fortunately, he had managed to drive him off.
As the situation turned against them, the masked assailants fled. Cheong Heo barely managed to gather his disciples and arrive here.
Cheong Heo’s gaze turned toward Hyun Mu of the Hua Shan Sect.
“Is it possible that Hyun So of your sect also came here?”
“Pardon?”
“With the insight of a Taoist Scholar like him, he would surely be able to recognize the martial arts of the Demonic Cult. Is he here?”
“Hyun So… he did not come. In recent years, scarcely anyone in our sect has laid eyes on him.”
“Ah.”
Cheong Heo closed his eyes slowly.
‘Is it still because of losing his disciple?’
The memory of that day remained vivid.
Everyone had turned away from him.
He too had turned away from him.
It had been an unavoidable decision to save his disciple Yeon So Ha, yet his heart was not at ease.
Even less so after seeing the tears in Hyun So’s eyes. That was why he could not reach out to him.
Until coming here, he had harbored the faint hope that he might see Hyun So.
But Hyun So had not come after all.
If scarcely anyone in the Hua Shan Sect had seen him, Cheong Heo could scarcely imagine how profound his sense of loss must be.
‘Sigh.’
Cheong Heo was releasing another sigh when a man with bandages wrapped around his chest suddenly burst through the door.
It was Peng Guan Young, the sole survivor of the Hebei Peng Family.
Peng Guan Young cried out in anguish.
“They are certainly remnants of the Demonic Cult!”
“Peng.”
“What other martial artists exist but the Demonic Cult who could slaughter the masters of the Hebei Peng Family like rotten straw?”
Peng Guan Young’s cry shook the hearts of those assembled.
The rage of a man who had lost everything in an instant was truly terrible. With bloodshot eyes, he gazed slowly at each person in the hall, one by one.
“Why would the Demonic Cult attack the Peng Family? To prevent the formation of the Murim Alliance.”
“Peng, please compose yourself.”
“Namgoong. We cannot delay the formation of the Murim Alliance. A decision must be made here and now.”
“I know. Calm yourself for a moment, Peng.”
Namgoong Chang tried to soothe Peng Guan Young, but the more he spoke, the higher Peng’s voice climbed.
“Will it end with the Peng Family? They’re after the whole Murim. Just as they were before. We must establish the Murim Alliance. Only then can we stand against them.”
From inside the great hall, Peng’s voice reached Han So Yoo’s ears, and she frowned slightly.
The raw desperation in his tone—as if he were coughing blood—shook even her.
She knew the formation of the Murim Alliance was merely a matter of time.
The Hebei Peng Family’s forces had been annihilated. Peng Guan Young had fixed the blame squarely on the Demonic Cult.
Those gathered inside the hall surely agreed with him in their hearts, whether they said so aloud or not.
Of course, there remained a treacherous path before the Alliance could be established.
The matter of each sect’s share, the scale of contributions, and countless other procedures and negotiations lay ahead. The road was long.
It was then that Won Yul approached her.
“Won’t you enter, Lady Han?”
“No need. The outcome’s obvious—no point going in to confirm what I already know.”
“But still…”
“I’m more comfortable here.”
“Understood.”
Once Han So Yoo spoke so firmly, Won Yul had no choice but to relent.
They were standing in the Training Ground outside the great hall.
Besides them, a considerable number of martial artists from the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Clans were positioned there.
A few with whom she had ties exchanged polite greetings, but most of the gathered warriors stood awkwardly, eyes glazed and distant.
‘Once the Murim Alliance forms, these people will be among the first to join.’
Han So Yoo was lost in such thoughts when—
Crash!
“Aaaah!”
“A-an attack!”
Suddenly, a deafening explosion and screams erupted from the main gate of the Akyang Sword Sect.
“What?”
Han So Yoo’s face drained of color.
Bang!
In that instant, the walls surrounding the great hall crumbled inward with a tremendous roar.
Whoosh!
A violent surge of Qi came flooding in like a tidal wave.
“What is this?”
Han So Yoo instinctively crossed both arms before her face and chest.
Crash!
“Ugh!”
With a stifled groan, her body was driven backward. Her forearms swelled rapidly, puffing visibly.
“Impressive.”
At that moment, a low voice spoke, and a figure emerged from between the rubble.
A man wearing a golden mask—the Golden Lion himself.
Three masked followers trailed at his back.

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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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