Fist Demon of Mount Hua - Chapter 137

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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 136. As Much as It Empties, So Too Shall It Fill—Part 2
Hwang Shan was counted among the finest mountains of the Central Plains.
There was even a saying that even if one combined all of the Five Sacred Mountains—Mount Tai, Hua Shan, Heng Shan, Hang Shan, and Song Shan—not one could compare to Hwang Shan alone, such was the mountain’s overwhelming splendor.
For more than half the year, clouds draped the peaks of Hwang Shan, which earned it the name Cloud Mountain, lending it an air of mystery as if celestial immortals might descend at any moment to walk upon those clouds.
A mountain ranked among the ten most treacherous in all the world, and first among the world’s countless peaks in beauty—Hwang Shan. And there, perched upon it, lay Paewangcae, the supreme headquarters of the Nok Rim 18 Strongholds.
Whoever held the inner sanctum of Hwang Shan thereby ruled over the apex of Nok Rim.
It was an unspoken law that had endured across generations.
The master of Paewangcae in this age was Hwang Gyeong Moon, Lord of the Paewang Do.
The most perfect martial artist ever produced by Nok Rim. A ruler standing at the pinnacle of tens of thousands. That man was Hwang Gyeong Moon.
Hwang Gyeong Moon possessed a robust frame that stood seven feet tall. Despite being past sixty, he bore muscles as taut as any young warrior’s, and carried himself with the commanding presence befitting a ruler of thousands.
His quarters lay at the highest point of Paewangcae. Opening the windows wide revealed the Sea of Clouds that enveloped Hwang Shan at a glance.
“Ah! What a magnificent sight.”
Hwang Gyeong Moon let out a murmur of appreciation toward the endless ocean of clouds below.
He had gazed upon this vista countless times since becoming master of Paewangcae, yet it felt fresh and new each time he beheld it.
Especially at sunset, the Sea of Clouds would blush crimson, creating a spectacle. It was Hwang Gyeong Moon’s favorite sight.
After gazing at the clouds for some time, Hwang Gyeong Moon suddenly shook his head.
“Still, I wonder how that spirited girl is faring.”
His only daughter, who had descended the mountain without so much as permission.
He had stationed Muk Il Gwang as her escort, so there was little cause for worry, yet his heart could not help but linger on her.
“The child had better satisfy her wanderlust and return quickly. A girl with such recklessness……. Tsk!”
Though he held the power of life and death over tens of thousands of Nok Rim Bandits and bore the fearsome epithet of Lord of the Paewang Do, he remained, at his core, a man of flesh and blood. Before the bonds of kinship, even he was powerless.
Whenever he thought of Hwang Hye Ryeong, a smile bloomed unbidden. His only daughter, born to him in his twilight years, was the very reason he drew breath in this world.
“A good match ought to appear for her soon.”
It was then that he murmured this.
“My lord.”
The voice of his trusted subordinate, Yun Choong, came from beyond the door.
“Come in.”
Hwang Gyeong Moon reclaimed in an instant the absolute authority of a sovereign.
Yun Choong opened the door and entered.
Yun Choong had walked alongside Hwang Gyeong Moon for thirty years. While not his equal, he too was a veteran martial artist with deep roots in Nok Rim.
He was both Hwang Gyeong Moon’s capable ally and his necessary restraint. It was precisely because Yun Choong stood at his side that Hwang Gyeong Moon could lead Nok Rim with measured balance.
At the sight of Yun Choong, Hwang Gyeong Moon smiled.
“What brings you, Choong?”
Officially they were Supreme Stronghold Master and Deputy Stronghold Master, but in their private dealings, they were sworn brothers of unshakeable trust. There were no walls between them.
“Five Stronghold Masters, led by the master of Heuksucae, have requested an audience with you, my lord.”
“Heuksucae? Then it is he, as I suspected?”
“Yes, it is Jo Yun San.”
“Hm! So he has finally resolved to make his move?”
Hwang Gyeong Moon’s brow furrowed.
Heuksucae was among the most formidable of the Nok Rim 18 Strongholds, commanding considerable strength. It was natural that he should keep close watch over their movements.
He had long known of Jo Yun San’s ambitions, and he acknowledged the man’s abilities as well.
Jo Yun San had clawed his way up from nothing to claim the seat of Stronghold Master of Heuksucae. Such determination and competence deserved respect.
“Tell me—how close are they?”
“It appears they shall arrive within three or four days, my lord.”
“What pretext does he offer?”
“The Demon Cult, my lord.”
“A fitting justification. He has chosen his grounds well.”
“Since he frames it as seeking countermeasures against the Demon Cult, there is no honorable grounds to refuse.”
“Clever indeed. Would you not agree?”
“Regrettably so.”
“Yes!”
Hwang Gyeong Moon nodded slowly.
His eyes blazed with keen intensity, and a grave, absolute authority radiated from his entire being.
“Jo Yun San……. Had he been lacking that rebellious streak, I would have named him my successor long ago.”
“What shall we do?”
“He comes seeking to discuss countermeasures against the Demon Cult. How could we refuse? Admit them.”
“Understood. I shall ensure all preparations are made.”
“Just in case, summon the Deung Ryong Dae as well.”
“Yes, rest assured. All shall be in readiness.”
Yun Choong answered and withdrew.
Left alone, Hwang Gyeong Moon cast his gaze toward the Sea of Clouds once more.
The sun was setting.
The whole world was drenched in crimson.
“How beautiful. Anything that burns away in its final moments is beautiful, isn’t it?”
＊＊＊
Crackle. Crackle.
Around the blazing fire sat Dam Ho, Bang Jin Bo, Hwang Hye Ryeong, and Muk Il Gwang.
Satisfaction shone plainly in the faces of Hwang Hye Ryeong and Muk Il Gwang.
The braised carp and porridge that Bang Jin Bo had prepared were nothing short of paradise itself. The carp meat melted on the tongue the moment it entered the mouth, while the freshly made porridge brought deep satiation.
Moreover, the damaged Original Qi of both had recovered considerably.
“Impressive work, little brother. We’re feeling much better thanks to you.”
“It’s nothing.”
Bang Jin Bo rubbed his nose with a finger, his smile radiating genuine pleasure.
In truth, the reason he had gone to the trouble of fishing for carp was to restore the Original Qi of both Hwang Hye Ryeong and Muk Il Gwang.
Carp had long been renowned as a restorative food, and to this he had added his father Bang Woo Gwang’s secret technique.
“Heh heh!”
The praise delighted him, but what pleased him even more was seeing how much the two had recovered their Original Qi.
‘Nutritional Cultivation—that’s the path I must walk from now on.’
Bang Jin Bo clenched his fist with determination.
Though young in years, he had set his goals and was walking his own solitary path with steadfast resolve.
Dam Ho respected Bang Jin Bo for quietly carving out his own way like this. The boy was more than worthy of such respect.
Dam Ho gazed quietly at the burning fire. The light danced and cast harsh shadows across his face.
It was then.
“Older brother……”
Hwang Hye Ryeong called to Dam Ho.
Dam Ho looked up and met her gaze, and she spoke carefully.
“May I ask you something?”
“Speak.”
“Could I know why you help us? What’s your reason?”
“…….”
“No matter how much I think about it, there’s no reason for you to help us. The danger is far too great.”
Her voice carried a note of apology.
Dam Ho studied her intently.
His eyes remained as expressionless as ever. Though such a gaze from him might unsettle anyone, Hwang Hye Ryeong did not look away.
“Then why do you call me older brother?”
“That’s…… because somehow you don’t feel like a stranger…….”
“I feel the same.”
“Yes!”
Hwang Hye Ryeong lowered her head as she answered.
It was not the warmest of responses, yet somehow she understood. Strangely enough…….
“It’s late. You have a long road ahead tomorrow, so sleep now.”
“Yes!”
Hwang Hye Ryeong answered in a small voice.
Already full from the meal, sleep was overtaking her. The moment her head touched the ground, she sank into deep slumber.
Dam Ho watched her quietly.
Bang Jin Bo tilted his head. He instinctively sensed that Dam Ho’s behavior was different from his usual manner, though he could not say precisely what was different.
Dam Ho turned his gaze toward Muk Il Gwang, who immediately straightened his back stiffly. The mere sight of Dam Ho’s eyes threw him into a state of tension.
“Speak.”
“Sp-speak of what, sir?”
“Everything.”
“Sir?”
“All of it! Everything you know.”
At the low murmur of Dam Ho’s voice, every hair on Muk Il Gwang’s body stood on end.
A massive beast, breathing foul air thick with murderous intent and hostility, crouched before him.
The stench—that sickly, metallic reek that arose only after a living creature had been consumed—seemed to cling to Dam Ho’s breath. The revulsion was overwhelming, and Muk Il Gwang found himself unable to move.
“The current situation in Nok Rim…….”
Muk Il Gwang spilled out everything he knew in frantic succession.
His words came without order, without structure. The pressure bearing down on him was simply too great.
Until now, Muk Il Gwang had never once imagined that anyone could exert such pressure upon him.
Though he respected Hwang Gyeong Moon, the ruler of Nok Rim, he had never felt this magnitude of oppression even from him.
It was unclear whose martial arts were stronger, but in terms of the sheer presence that gripped the human soul, Dam Ho held absolute sway.
Though he wore the skin of a human, one had to wonder whether he should be regarded as human at all.
Muk Il Gwang rambled on, unaware of what he was saying. Dam Ho stood with his arms crossed, listening to every word.
Most of it was disjointed and lacking any coherent logic, yet Dam Ho was carefully sifting through it all, extracting what might prove useful.
After a considerable time had passed, Muk Il Gwang finally fell silent, his entire body drenched in sweat.
Dam Ho opened his mouth.
“Rest now.”
“Yes! Thank you, sir!”
Muk Il Gwang cried out before he could stop himself, his voice ringing loud.
…….
“Would it… would it be all right if I called you sir?”
Muk Il Gwang’s voice grew smaller and smaller as he spoke, diminishing to barely a whisper.
Dam Ho fixed his gaze on Muk Il Gwang. In that instant, Muk Il Gwang felt a trickle of cold sweat run down his spine.
He had possessed a fierce, forbidding face from birth—so much so that his mother had fainted on the spot at the sight of her newborn.
As he grew, his appearance only became more menacing. Such an oppressive aura emanated from him that no one dared so much as meet his eyes.
Yet before Dam Ho, this very man became gentle as a lamb with ten thousand tails. It was a sight that would have shocked anyone who knew even a fraction of his true nature.
Dam Ho rose from where he sat and spoke.
“Call me as you see fit.”
Muk Il Gwang, interpreting this as permission, broke into a wide smile.
“Thank you, sir.”
He stood and bowed deeply. At the sight of Muk Il Gwang’s childlike sincerity, Bang Jin Bo let out a quiet laugh.
Dam Ho walked toward the river. The day was hot; he meant to wash his face.
Dam Ho plunged his head into the river water.
The chill shocked him awake, clarity flooding back into his mind.
Dam Ho settled on the riverbank and gazed upon the water’s surface as darkness descended. His eyes grew as fathomless as the river itself—a river empty of even the commonest lamplight, holding only an absolute black.
‘Jo Yun San… not merely a bandit, then?’
A smile played at the corner of his mouth.
Jo Yun San was a man of considerable ambition.
From the beginning, he was never the sort to rest content as a mere thief.
Though he had committed countless acts of plunder and slaughter as a bandit, these were only means to an end.
His ultimate goal was to rise as the Supreme Stronghold Master of Nok Rim, commanding tens of thousands of Nok Rim Bandits at the apex.
Even now, he was steadily advancing toward that ambition.
By force of his own will alone, he had become Stronghold Master of Heuksucae and brought many of Nok Rim’s outposts under his influence.
Had he been a complete stranger, his tenacity and fierce drive would have been almost admirable.
‘That’s right—it has to be at that level.’
Dam Ho smiled.
In the pitch-dark night, his teeth gleamed white as bone.

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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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