Fist Demon of Mount Hua - Chapter 141

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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 140. The Wind Never Ceases to Sway the Ancient Boughs—3
Hua Shan possessed several caverns formed by nature, and some of them lay hidden in places even the disciples of the Hua Shan Sect did not know.
Jamidong was one such place.
Within the Hua Shan Sect, only a handful knew of Jamidong’s existence. It lay in a location so secluded, and held such importance, that few were privy to its secret.
Jamidong was a natural cavern formed long ago. Yet over countless years, human hands had left their mark upon it.
Some had displayed their martial arts within these walls; others had inscribed their insights.
The walls of Jamidong bore these traces in full.
In Jamidong, long abandoned, sat a single man.
His name was Myeong Gyeong.
The most promising warrior of the Hua Shan Sect, and a member of the Gumuryong.
He had returned to Hua Shan mere days ago—a stark contrast to his confident departure, he came back with shoulders slumped.
People were shocked at Myeong Gyeong’s humble return, and more so at the news that he had been defeated by Dam Ho.
Myeong Gyeong was no mere promising junior. He was the Sect’s hope, its future—a talent expected to lead Hua Shan for at least the next thirty years—now broken beneath Dam Ho’s fist. The impact of that fact was truly staggering.
But no one was more shaken than Myeong Gyeong himself.
The moment he returned to Hua Shan, he had secluded himself in Jamidong for closed-door cultivation.
Sitting in meditation, Myeong Gyeong recalled that day.
The Blood Plum Blossom Sword that his master had imparted was flawless. And he had mastered it to perfection.
He had unfolded the Blood Plum Blossom Sword from beginning to end with absolute precision. It was the first time since learning it that he had executed it so flawlessly.
Yet despite such flawless execution, Myeong Gyeong had been utterly defeated. Thoroughly, without excuse.
Had Dam Ho not shown restraint, he would have been a corpse.
Facing Dam Ho directly had been truly frightening.
It was not merely his martial prowess—Dam Ho himself, as a man, possessed a power so terrifying that it made one’s skin crawl.
Myeong Gyeong bit his lip.
‘The difference between him and me is desperation. The killing intent to absolutely annihilate the opponent.’
What made Dam Ho’s fist so terrifying was the killing intent it contained. Facing him, Myeong Gyeong had come to understand this truth with bitter clarity.
‘How can one achieve that?’
His brows twitched.
The more he recalled Dam Ho, the more he felt the height of that wall. A wall as towering and immense as Hua Shan itself.
Then it came.
“Myeong Gyeong.”
A low voice pierced his ear.
Myeong Gyeong turned his head sharply. A familiar face appeared.
A middle-aged swordmaster, sharp as a well-honed blade, radiating a keen edge.
“Master!”
It was Hyun Gyeom, a Zhenren and Myeong Gyeong’s master.
Over the past dozen years, Hyun Gyeom’s presence had grown ever more razor-keen; standing before him, one could scarcely breathe, so blade-like was his aura.
Myeong Gyeong bowed hastily. Hyun Gyeom received his salute with a cold gaze instead.
“I have heard the story.”
“Master!”
“You were defeated, then?”
“I apologize.”
“Dam Ho…… that boy is truly so remarkable?”
Hyun Gyeom’s voice was as cold as frost.
He was disappointed in the disciple he had cultivated with such care.
It mattered not how strong Dam Ho was, nor how much renown he had earned.
What mattered was that his own disciple had lost to Dam Ho.
And that his own reputation had been shattered in consequence.
‘Defeated by a cripple, of all things.’
He still remembered vividly the image of that limping boy from twelve years ago.
The boy who had dared challenge his conviction that a cripple could never achieve greatness.
Hyun Gyeom had cast him out without mercy. A cripple achieving greatness in martial arts was a direct affront to his creed.
He had never once regretted that decision—not then, and not now, even with his disciple returning in defeat.
He was furious.
“Tell me. Is Dam Ho’s martial prowess so extraordinary? Beyond what you could withstand?”
“He is…… strong. His martial arts are formidable, but more than that, he himself as a person is terrifyingly strong.”
“That much?”
Hyun Gyeom’s eyes flickered slightly as he posed the counter-question.
“I cannot comprehend it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Why did you not accept him as your disciple then? Why did you choose me instead of him?”
Myeong Gyeong’s voice was wavering.
Hyun Gyeom’s eyes narrowed to slits.
His disciple had to be flawless. Only then could she inherit the Hua Shan Sect and guard it from foreign threats.
Yet that disciple was faltering.
Because of Dam Ho, whom he had cast away twelve years ago.
‘How dare he.’
A hairline fracture opened down the center of his resolute heart.
＊＊＊
Perched in the treacherous heights of Huang Shan, Paewangchai was itself a perfect fortress. While most mountain strongholds were ringed with massive wooden palisades, Paewangchai was built from great blocks of stone.
The buildings that rose above its ramparts were no crude wooden structures lashed together, but proper halls of stone and timber—a presence befitting the supreme headquarters of the Noekrims Eighteen Strongholds.
“Welcome.”
The moment they crossed Paewangchai’s threshold, Yun Choong greeted them warmly.
With a smile lighting his entire face, Yun Choong’s manner was remarkably reassuring.
“Uncle Yun!”
Hwang Hye Ryeong waved at the sight of him.
“Ha! So Hye Ryeong’s come at last.”
Yun Choong’s expression brightened considerably.
Hwang Hye Ryeong was far more than simply Hwang Gyeong Moon’s daughter. Everyone at Paewangchai treated her like a beloved child, and Yun Choong was no exception.
Hwang Hye Ryeong in particular called him uncle and followed him about, often indulging in childish wheedling. Because of this, her manner toward Yun Choong was marked by genuine affection.
“Thank the heavens you’ve returned safely. Tell me—was your journey through the Jianghu enjoyable?”
“Enjoyable, you ask?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Just… there was quite a bit to contend with, one thing and another.”
“Is that so? Then you must have had quite an ordeal. But now you’re home—rest easy and recover yourself.”
“Yes!”
Hwang Hye Ryeong nodded in agreement.
Once their exchange had ended, Hwang Gyeong Moon spoke up.
“See that these two are given lodgings. They are honored guests—show them every courtesy.”
“Understood, sir.”
Yun Choong was answering respectfully when Bang Jin Bo suddenly stepped forward.
“Would it be possible to watch while you butcher animals?”
“It’s possible enough, but why do you ask?”
“I have some interest in cooking, you see.”
Bang Jin Bo spoke shyly, his face reddening. At this, Yun Choong glanced toward Hwang Gyeong Moon, who answered with a nod.
Thereupon Yun Choong gestured toward the brigands standing to one side.
“Very well. Simply follow them, and all will be arranged.”
“Thank you.”
Bang Jin Bo bowed and rushed off toward the men Yun Choong had indicated.
Yun Choong’s attention turned toward Dam Ho.
“Great Hero, if you would follow me.”
Dam Ho nodded and fell into step behind Yun Choong.
After watching the two depart for a moment, Hwang Gyeong Moon spoke to Hwang Hye Ryeong.
“You come with me. There is much I must discuss with you.”
“Yes, Father.”
Hwang Hye Ryeong acquiesced without hesitation and followed Hwang Gyeong Moon.
The light in both their eyes had changed. They were no longer the tender gaze of a father and daughter.
Where before they had shared private reunion and intimacy, now came the time for official discourse.
The two moved to Hwang Gyeong Moon’s private quarters.
Once they were alone at last, Hwang Gyeong Moon’s expression turned grave.
“What is the meaning of this?”
He asked not as a father, but as the supreme leader of the Noekrims Eighteen Strongholds.
Hwang Hye Ryeong understood this, and so recounted in detail all that had transpired at Dongting Lake and Akyang.
When he had heard her complete account, Hwang Gyeong Moon’s expression noticeably hardened.
“The Murim Alliance and the Demonic Sect… nothing but ill tidings. The sole mercy is that the Demonic Sect keeps the Alliance too preoccupied to turn their full attention toward us.”
“But one day their blades will turn toward us.”
“They will indeed. It has happened too many times already. They require a scapegoat, and the Noekrims are nothing but convenient prey to their appetite.”
Hwang Gyeong Moon rose to his feet.
He opened the window, and the full vista of Paewangchai spread before him.
A lifetime of his sweat and passion lay soaked into this place.
It was not Paewangchai alone. He had devoted his entire life to preserving the Noekrims Eighteen Strongholds, and through that effort had built the prosperity of today—yet he knew better than anyone how precarious that prosperity truly was.
Hwang Gyeong Moon patted Hwang Hye Ryeong on the shoulder.
“You’ve worked hard. I’m glad you didn’t just go off on a pleasure trip.”
“How long do you plan to treat me like a child?”
“No matter how old you grow, a father’s eyes will always see you as one.”
She clicked her tongue.
Hwang Hye Ryeong wrinkled the tip of her nose, though even this seemed to look beautiful through her father’s gaze.
“And you’ve brought Kwon Ma home—quite the figure, I must say.”
Hwang Gyeong Moon glanced in the direction of Dam Ho’s quarters.
“Was he born to bloodshed’s summons? Or does he instinctively return to where blood flows?”
His eyes grew distant and contemplative.
Yun Choong had led Dam Ho to a small pavilion tucked away within Paewangchai. It was plain, stripped of any needless ornament, yet every detail bore the marks of careful attention.
From this vantage point, Paewangchai unfolded in its entirety before him.
The fortress walls, the arrangement of halls, the positioning of the warriors—all of it.
Hwang Gyeong Moon had laid it all bare to Dam Ho, a mere outsider, without reserve.
“Does that mean he’s confident enough?”
Dam Ho’s eyes narrowed.
Seeing Hwang Gyeong Moon in person, Dam Ho had to acknowledge that the man possessed considerable bearing. And his affection for Hwang Hye Ryeong was unmistakable—the tenderness that surfaced in his expression whenever she came into view made that abundantly clear.
Yun Choong spoke with a smile.
“Please rest here. If you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to call. Any guest of Hye Ryeong’s is a honored guest to me as well.”
Yun Choong’s smile was radiant and unguarded, bearing not a trace of pretense.
Few possessed the composure to smile so freely while standing before Dam Ho.
Dam Ho stared hard at Yun Choong, and the man soon averted his gaze, retreating quietly toward the door.
“Then I shall take my leave.”
Yun Choong smiled and departed.
Deep furrows creased Dam Ho’s brow as he watched the door close behind him.
Just then, someone knocked.
“May I come in… brother?”
The voice belonged to Muk Il Gwang.
“Come in.”
At Dam Ho’s permission, Muk Il Gwang entered carefully.
Two new axes hung across his back—he had retrieved a spare pair from the stockade.
His appearance had never been gentle to begin with, and the axes only sharpened that impression, though he did his best to assume a cautious expression.
“What brings you?”
“I thought you might grow lonely here alone.”
“Me?”
“If I’m intruding, I’ll leave.”
Dam Ho regarded Muk Il Gwang for a moment. Muk Il Gwang did not look away.
Crunch.
Muk Il Gwang bit down hard on his lip—an unconscious act to steel himself against Dam Ho’s piercing gaze.
For all his fearlessness in the world, something about standing before Dam Ho made him feel strangely small.
Dam Ho suddenly asked a question.
“Do you care for Hye Ryeong?”
“Pardon?”
Muk Il Gwang’s pupils trembled for an instant.
The shock left him speechless, though Dam Ho seemed unconcerned.
His reaction was answer enough.
“Keep that heart true, then.”
“Of c-course, sir.”
Muk Il Gwang spoke more loudly than he intended.
His face flushed crimson.
Dam Ho watched him in silence.
Appearance mattered little. What truly mattered was the heart within.
Muk Il Gwang possessed a heart unyielding and steadfast.
That was enough.
‘Yes. More than enough.’

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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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