Fist Demon of Mount Hua - Chapter 128

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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 128. Disaster Arrives Without Warning—Part 2
Bang!
Namgoong Chang slammed his fist down on the table.
Everything atop it flew into the air and clattered across the floor.
“What do you mean, a collision? Did I not order you simply to track their location?”
“It’s just that… Namgoong Su insists on pursuing them directly himself…”
“Su…”
A muscle twitched along Namgoong Chang’s shoulder.
Though most of Nok Rim consisted of nothing more than bands of common brigands, their numbers exceeded tens of thousands.
The man who held the power of life and death over those tens of thousands was none other than Tyrant King Hwang Gyeong Moon. And Hwang Hye Ryeong was his only daughter.
One misstep—a direct collision with Nok Rim—and the Murim Alliance could shatter before it even took root.
“Where is Su now?”
“He’s currently pursuing Hwang Hye Ryeong.”
A low growl escaped his throat.
Namgoong Chang clenched his teeth so hard his jaw trembled.
If this continued, a confrontation with Nok Rim was inevitable.
‘This was a mistake. I never should have sent him.’
Namgoong Su had been dejected ever since his right arm was broken by Dam Ho. To lift his spirits, Namgoong Chang had assigned him this task—never imagining disaster would strike like this.
“Send someone to tell Su to withdraw at once.”
“About that…”
“Speak.”
An ominous feeling crept through Namgoong Chang’s chest, and his eyes flickered with unease.
“Namgoong Su has already requested aid from Moo In of the other great clans.”
“He’s drawn in Moo In from other clans as well?”
“It appears the opponent’s martial prowess exceeds our expectations…”
Mook Il Gwang, who guarded Hwang Hye Ryeong, possessed martial prowess that far surpassed Namgoong Su’s estimates. He had torn through the Namgoong Clan’s encirclement and escaped on his own.
Had Namgoong Su’s right arm been whole—had this been before his clash with Dam Ho—he would have attempted to resolve the matter using only the strength of the Namgoong Clan.
But the shameful defeat and injuries he suffered at Dam Ho’s hands had cracked the bedrock of his confidence.
Terrified by Mook Il Gwang’s devastating power, Namgoong Su had turned to Moo In of the Five Great Clans with whom he had cultivated friendships.
Several Moo In, already caught up in the excitement of founding the Murim Alliance, threw their support behind him, and the situation spiraled beyond control.
“I was far too careless in my judgment.”
Namgoong Chang rose abruptly to his feet.
The situation had to be brought under control before it grew any larger.
Urgency etched itself across his face.
Gasp—gasp!
Hwang Hye Ryeong breathed heavily, her chest heaving.
She wore an expression of deep concern as she gazed at Mook Il Gwang standing steadfastly at her side.
His entire body bore small wounds. Though none were fatal, they had to cause considerable pain—yet Mook Il Gwang’s face remained perfectly composed.
“Are you unharmed, Miss?”
Instead, he was the one who worried for her.
“I’m fine.”
“Thank goodness.”
“But can we escape Akyang? They’ve already spread their forces across the entire city.”
“We must do our best. One thing I can promise you: you will not be captured or killed before I am.”
“Il Gwang!”
“To escape Akyang, we will need outside assistance.”
“Outside assistance?”
“Many Moo In from various sects are now in Akyang. If they establish the Cheonra Jimang, we will have no way out. We must find an ally and secure their help before that happens.”
“Then let’s go to So Cheong.”
“You mean Eun So Cheong of the Eun Ga?”
“Yes! She will help us.”
“Understood.”
Mook Il Gwang nodded.
He knew better than anyone how close Hwang Hye Ryeong and Eun So Cheong were.
For now, accepting Eun So Cheong’s aid seemed their only viable option.
Just then, rough voices echoed from beyond the alley.
“Guard this route. Post sentries.”
“That woman must not escape Akyang under any circumstances.”
Both their faces paled.
Just as feared, the Cheonra Jimang was already spreading across the entire city of Akyang.
“Let’s be on our way.”
“Yes.”
Hwang Hye Ryeong fell into step behind Mook Il Gwang.
She lifted her gaze toward the sky.
The face that rose in her mind at that moment belonged to neither her father, Hwang Gyeong Moon, nor her closest sister, Eun So Cheong.
It was the visage of a man entirely foreign to her.
＊＊＊
Dam Ho had crossed the mountains on horseback when he came to Wu Han, but on the return journey to Akyang, he traveled by water. Wu Han and Akyang were connected by the Yangtze River.
The vessel he boarded was not an ordinary Yunma Dagang Vessel. It was a small craft that Ha O Moon had procured.
Though not as large as a Yunma Dagang Vessel, it made up for it in speed. The captain steering the boat was also a man of Ha O Moon—a seasoned sailor who had navigated the Yangtze hundreds of times over.
The captain had received only one order from Jang So Chul.
To deliver Dam Ho to Akyang in the shortest time possible, by any means necessary.
The captain cast a sidelong glance at Dam Ho.
‘Who exactly is this man?’
The Jang So Chul he knew was a person of considerable presence.
Jang So Chul had never been cowed before any Moo In. He was the sort who held his own even when meeting with elders of the Nine Great Sects.
Yet after that man met Dam Ho, he had returned with a sickly pallor. The captain could not forget the look and tone in his voice as he commanded that Dam Ho must be taken to Akyang at all costs.
—Never let him become angry. Under no circumstances whatsoever…….
The captain could not fathom what about Dam Ho had frightened Jang So Chul so deeply.
The captain shook his head slightly and devoted himself to guiding the boat.
Dam Ho stood at the bow, gazing out at the relentless currents of the Yangtze.
‘Jo Yun San.’
At last he had obtained the answer he sought.
And yet he felt no exhilaration. If anything, his chest and mind had grown cold and still in a way they never had before.
‘He was hiding in the Heuk Su Chae.’
The thief had thrown himself into the Nok Rim.
In a sense, it was inevitable.
The first step is always the hardest. But once a man has immersed himself in such a world, he can never return to an ordinary life. Dam Ho knew this intimately—he himself was proof.
“Brother!”
Bang Jin Bo approached.
“The horses are secure in the hold. Don’t worry.”
“…….”
“Brother?”
“What is it?”
“Nothing, really.”
He could not bring himself to admit how terrified he truly was.
Dam Ho’s expression and bearing seemed unchanged from his usual self. Yet something was different.
Bang Jin Bo, who had traveled alongside Dam Ho for a long time, could perceive that subtle shift.
‘Terrifying!’
He had thought he had developed some measure of resistance to Dam Ho by now. But the sight of Dam Ho at this moment swept away all that hard-won composure as though it had never existed.
Already his breath came in shallow gasps, and every hair on his body stood on end. He could not bring himself to draw any closer.
“Sigh!”
Bang Jin Bo exhaled softly and retreated.
Only after withdrawing to the middle of the boat could he breathe properly. If it was this bad for Bang Jin Bo, there was no need to speak of the other sailors.
Though the vessel was small, it carried nearly a dozen crew members. But not one of them dared approach anywhere near Dam Ho.
The boat raced south at high speed.
Several times faster than when they had departed Akyang. Yet even this seemed insufficient to Dam Ho.
He watched the sun rise and set from the deck, remaining motionless save when Bang Jin Bo occasionally brought him food.
Four days passed in this manner.
The boat Dam Ho was aboard finally entered Dongting Lake.
Though he had been away for barely a fortnight, the surrounding landscape seemed strangely unfamiliar.
“Ah!”
Bang Jin Bo let out an exclamation of wonder as he gazed upon the shores of Dongting Lake adjacent to Akyang.
There stood a magnificent complex of palace halls that had not existed before. It was the Murim Alliance.
‘Incredible!’
Bang Jin Bo murmured in disbelief at the astounding pace of construction.
At this rate, they had erected a palace hall nearly every single day. It was impossible to fathom how much human and material resources had been poured into this undertaking.
There were still minor details requiring attention, but even so, the structure had achieved an imposing and undeniable grandeur.
Thud!
At last the boat touched the dock.
Dam Ho and Bang Jin Bo each led their horses off the ship.
“Phew!”
“The nightmare is finally over.”
Only then did the captain and crew, reduced to shambling wrecks, sprawl across the deck.
Exhaustion was written plainly across their faces. It could hardly be otherwise. They’d compressed five days’ travel into four.
Throughout the journey, they’d barely slept, eaten standing up, all while Dam Ho’s suffocating presence bore down on them in silence. No one had ordered them to drive the ship like madmen, yet they’d done exactly that.
The captain stared after Dam Ho and Bang Jin Bo’s receding figures with unfocused eyes.
Black from head to foot, and a black horse.
Only now, belatedly, could the captain place his identity.
“Gwon Ma—that man was Gwon Ma.”
A breath of relief escaped him unbidden.
The deeds attributed to Gwon Ma throughout the Jianghu were nothing short of unbelievably savage.
There were stories he’d kill anyone indiscriminately if the numbers suited him, drink their blood, even feast on human flesh.
That such a terrifying Evil Martial Artist had been aboard the ship he commanded—the thought sent ice through his veins.
‘A storm of blood will sweep through here.’
The captain had worried the entire journey bringing Dam Ho to shore. The atmosphere radiating from him was far from ordinary.
That precarious, vertiginous feeling of standing before a volcano about to erupt—only those who’d experienced it could truly understand.
“I don’t know anymore. It’s no concern of mine now.”
The captain simply lay on the deck, breathing heavily.
Meanwhile, having left the ship, Dam Ho made straight for Cheongsang Tower.
“Great Master!”
Un Jeong greeted him the moment he arrived.
“The commander is waiting inside.”
Dam Ho didn’t even wait for Un Jeong to guide him, stepping past her. The instant she saw his face, her color drained away.
“Oh!”
His expression was the same blank mask she’d seen at their first meeting. But now something was different.
That indescribable chill cut through her chest like a blade.
‘What… what kind of eyes…’
Un Jeong watched his departing figure with an expression of bewilderment. Beside her, Bang Jin Bo released a soft sigh.
Dam Ho passed through the corridor and entered Ki Ye Hwa’s quarters directly.
“Welcome.”
Ki Ye Hwa greeted him with careful courtesy.
Dam Ho didn’t sit. “Where are they?”
“Where are they?”
“They’re in Akyang. We’ve already secured their location, so there’s no need to worry.”
Ki Ye Hwa spoke calmly.
Dam Ho’s eyes grew distant and cold.
“You want something.”
“Yes.”
“What?”
“Save one person. Then I’ll tell you where they are.”
……
“That’s the condition for revealing the whereabouts of the Heuk Su Chae bandits currently in Akyang. This was already agreed upon beforehand, so it’s not a breach of contract.”
She spoke quickly, adding to her words.
She feared that if she wasn’t careful, Dam Ho might resort to force again, as he had before.
“Who?”
“Hwang Hye Ryeong… the only daughter of Hwang Gyeong Moon, the chief master of the Nok Rim Eighteen Clans. If she dies here, all of Akyang will become a battlefield.”

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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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