Fist Demon of Mount Hua - Chapter 156

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 155. Every meeting must come to an end—Part 2
Since the founding of the Murim Alliance, every pleasure house in Akyang had enjoyed unprecedented prosperity. Cheonsha Tower, too, had flourished as never before since establishing itself in Akyang.
Though they had joined the Murim Alliance ostensibly to uphold the righteous cause of the Jianghu, they were fundamentally men brimming with vitality.
With martial power that far exceeded ordinary folk and vigor that overflowed, it was only natural they would seek out women. Cheonsha Tower was the place in Akyang where one could most easily embrace a beautiful woman.
As a result, the pleasure house attendants, managers, and servants of Cheonsha Tower found themselves uttering delighted gasps amid the endless stream of patrons.
“Sigh…”
Ki Ye Hwa released a soft breath.
Success too abundant brought its own troubles. The number of attendants fell short, forcing her to recruit more from elsewhere.
It had been only yesterday that she brought in attendants from other branches of the Hao Moon. Since they came from such distant places, there was no end to the concerns—their health foremost among them.
“At last I can breathe a little easier.”
By the nature of a pleasure house, once it establishes itself, patrons do not easily depart. If she could win over the martial artists of the Murim Alliance in these early stages, future operations would require far less attention.
Ki Ye Hwa picked up the teacup sitting on the table.
The fragrant aroma cleared her mind and spirit.
She gazed out the window while savoring the tea. Rain had begun to fall on Akyang—she couldn’t remember when it had started. Droplets fell even on the surface of Dongting Lake, visible in the distance.
The landscape, with its rising mist, was beautiful enough to border on mystical. Yet Ki Ye Hwa felt no particular stirring. Her mind was occupied by other thoughts.
“Where could he be…?”
The man the world called the Demon of Authority.
Because of her request, he had needed to rescue Hwang Hye Ryeong. Dam Ho, who had rescued Hwang Hye Ryeong, had immediately vanished from the world.
“By now, he should be at Paewang Fortress.”
Ki Ye Hwa found herself grateful.
Had Hwang Hye Ryeong been captured or injured by the Murim Alliance, Akyang would have become a battlefield in an instant. And they certainly would not have been able to enjoy the prosperity they now experienced.
More than anything, sending away Dam Ho—the eye of the storm—from Akyang was her greatest achievement. Had he remained here, these peaceful days would have been impossible.
“Miss Lu Zhu.”
The manager’s voice called from outside her door.
Ki Ye Hwa’s brow creased slightly at the sudden interruption to her thoughts.
“What is it?”
“There’s a guest in the Guest of Honor Chamber who wishes to meet with you directly.”
“You know I don’t meet guests in person.”
“Yes, I told them that, but…”
Something in the manager’s voice sounded off.
Ki Ye Hwa eventually opened the door. There stood the manager, his head bowed respectfully.
“Is this a figure the manager cannot refuse?”
“It is.”
“Who? Who would ask to see Ki Ye Hwa herself?”
“It’s the Strategic Commander of the Murim Alliance.”
“The Strategic Commander of the Murim Alliance?”
Ki Ye Hwa’s expression hardened visibly.
She knew well that the Murim Alliance’s Strategic Commander was Namgoong Chang. The title alone would have been formidable, but her visitor was also an elder of the Namgoong Clan.
Truly, a figure of towering importance.
“Sigh.”
Ki Ye Hwa exhaled without meaning to.
From the start, she had no choice in the matter.
For those who had made their home in Akyang, the word of Namgoong Chang was as final as a judgment on life and death.
“You said the Guest of Honor Chamber?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s go.”
Ki Ye Hwa departed her quarters alongside the manager, heading toward the Guest of Honor Chamber.
The Guest of Honor Chamber stood at the highest point of Cheonsha Tower. It was not a place one could enter simply by having money. Those who came and went from here held key positions in both the Jianghu and the government.
For this reason, the attendants assigned to the Guest of Honor Chamber were among the most beautiful and captivating in all of Cheonsha Tower.
The manager rapped on the door of the chamber and spoke.
“Miss Lu Zhu has arrived.”
“Come in.”
A sonorous voice came from within, and the manager opened the door. The room’s interior was revealed.
Two middle-aged martial artists sat facing each other. Though their faces were unfamiliar, Ki Ye Hwa had no difficulty discerning their identities.
‘Eyes That See a Thousand Li Namgoong Chang and the White-Blade Swordsman O Gun Ui.’
One was an elder of the Namgoong Clan and an elder of the Murim Alliance; the other was an elder of the illustrious Haenam Sect.
It would have been enough if only one had come to cause a stir throughout Cheonsha Tower, yet two such figures had arrived. Ki Ye Hwa could not help but feel inwardly tense. Yet contrary to her true feelings, her face bore a radiant smile.
“Ki Ye Hwa of Cheonsha Tower bows respectfully to the distinguished guests from the Murim Alliance.”
Her voice was so clear and pleasant that it delighted the ears of those who heard it. Yet both Namgoong Chang and O Gun Ui were hardened veterans of the Jianghu. They were not enchanted by her voice.
Namgoong Chang smiled and opened his mouth to speak.
“Pleased to meet you, Miss Ki. You’ve probably already heard, but I’m Namgoong Chang, military strategist for the Murim Alliance. That’s my friend, the White-Sword Swordsman O Gun Ui.”
“I’ve heard much of both your reputations. To have such esteemed figures visit our establishment at once—I hardly know what to do with myself.”
“There’s no need for such modesty.”
“Pardon?”
“A branch director of the Hao Moon is more than qualified to meet with us. Especially one who leads the Akyang branch—you’re among the top three power holders in the entire Hao Moon.”
Ki Ye Hwa’s expression hardened visibly.
Few knew her true identity. Still fewer were aware that the Akyang branch director wielded such power within the Hao Moon—only the organization’s innermost circle possessed that knowledge.
‘Where did this information leak from?’
But she had no leisure for such thoughts.
“Do sit down. My neck aches from looking up at you.”
Ki Ye Hwa nodded and took her seat.
If they’d come knowing everything, denial would be pointless.
“You haven’t come merely to listen to the laughter of pleasure house attendants, I take it.”
“Who wouldn’t enjoy the laughter of a beautiful young woman? It’s only a pity that circumstances prevent us from indulging.”
“If you don’t spend time with the attendants in a pleasure house, there’s hardly reason to visit at all, is there?”
“As you can see, we’re all too old to keep up with young women.”
Namgoong Chang smiled coyly.
His lips curved faintly upward, but his eyes glinted with a sharpness sharper than ever before.
“How unfortunate—butterflies spurning flowers.”
“One needn’t flutter around blossoms to achieve one’s purpose.”
“Then what brings you here?”
“We’d like to meet the Sect Leader of the Hao Moon.”
“What?”
“We hope you’ll arrange it for us.”
Namgoong Chang set aside his pretense and broached the matter directly.
“What does the Sect Leader wish to meet about?”
“We’d like the Hao Moon to join us in the struggle for the greater good of the Jianghu.”
“The Hao Moon was founded by the lowborn who merely wish to survive. What aid could we possibly offer? I fear only that we might tarnish the Murim Alliance’s reputation.”
“Is there rank or station in a struggle for the Jianghu’s sake? Put such worries aside. The Hao Moon’s assistance would be invaluable in our conflict with the Demonic Sect.”
“What strength could we lowborn possess?”
“The Hao Moon’s intelligence networks would prove crucial to the Alliance’s future movements.”
Namgoong Chang pressed relentlessly.
Ki Ye Hwa’s gaze shifted to the White-Sword Swordsman O Gun Ui.
O Gun Ui had not spoken a word, his eyes closed slightly, yet his hand never loosened its grip on his sword.
He stood ready to draw at any moment.
His message was unmistakable.
‘He will not tolerate a refusal of Namgoong Chang’s proposal.’
Whatever decision she made would determine the course the Murim Alliance took.
As if reading the complexity of her thoughts, Namgoong Chang spoke again.
“We could be good friends. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”
His voice was sweet and gentle as a demon’s whisper. Yet the moment she accepted his proposal, the Hao Moon would be thrust to the frontlines of war with the Demonic Sect.
For the first time, Ki Ye Hwa regretted her own decision.
‘If only I had secured the Demon of Authority…’
Then he would have become a formidable counterweight to the Murim Alliance. He was one who feared even them.
Shink!
O Gun Ui made as if to draw his sword.
She had never truly had a choice.
The law was distant; the blade was near.
“Very well. I’ll send word to the Sect Leader.”
“An excellent decision. Your resolve will save the Murim from the Demonic Sect’s grasp.”
“But the final decision rests with the Sect Leader. I can guarantee nothing.”
“Don’t worry. A Sect Leader of the Hao Moon’s standing would have the discernment to read the times. Surely he won’t be so foolish as to make a decision that brings ruin to his own organization.”
Ki Ye Hwa closed her eyes.
＊＊＊
“Gaaahhh!”
Jo Yun San released one last grotesque cry, then fell still. At last, his breath ceased.
While Dam Ho battled Yun Chung and the dark ghosts, Jo Yun San had fought an agonizing war against unbearable itching.
He fought with all his strength to resist the maddening sensation, but ultimately he could not endure it. His hands clawed frantically at his entire body. His skin peeled away in strips that flailed loose, yet he continued to scratch and tear, until finally he bit through his own tongue and ended his life.
Jo Yun San’s corpse bore scant resemblance to a human form. Dam Ho stared at the body in silence for a long moment.
Everyone held their breath.
By Dam Ho’s hand, the dead numbered in the hundreds that day alone. Yet despite such appalling slaughter, he showed not a trace of exhaustion.
“Chief… Chief of All Strongholds. Are you unharmed?”
The martial artists of Paewang Fortress came running late to support Hwang Gyeong Moon.
They were true Nokrim natives, untouched by Yun Chung’s recruitment. Imprisoned by him, they had been freed with the help of Muk Il Gwang and Hwang Hye Ryeong.
“I’m fine.”
His words said one thing, but Hwang Gyeong Moon’s condition was far from well. The Sanggong Poison poisoning and the Rebound Martial Force he’d unleashed had inflicted severe internal injuries.
He needed to treat those injuries as soon as possible. And he had to expel the Pae-Hyeol-San from his body.
“Father!”
“Chief of All Strongholds!”
Hwang Hye Ryeong came running with Muk Il Gwang, moments too late.
The sight of her unharmed brought relief flooding across Hwang Gyeong Moon’s face.
What he feared more than his own death was any harm befalling her.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry yourself.”
“Father.”
Hwang Hye Ryeong embraced him.
Father and daughter gave thanks for each other’s safety, drawing warmth from the embrace.
Though not bound by blood, the bond between them ran deeper still.
“Please, let me carry you on my back.”
Muk Il Gwang offered his support. But Hwang Gyeong Moon refused.
“It’s fine. I’ll walk on my own two feet.”
Wounded though he was, he remained a tiger. A tiger never leaned on another.
Hwang Gyeong Moon moved forward on unsteady legs. In the direction he walked stood Dam Ho.
Only then did Hwang Hye Ryeong and Muk Il Gwang notice him.
“You… are you…?”
Her voice trembled of its own accord.
Dam Ho was so covered in blood marks that his original form was barely discernible. Yet even marked as he was, his unwavering presence sent shockwaves through her heart.
In that moment, a distant memory surfaced in her mind like a phantom.
A burning village. People marked by blood. And two men.
Their faces, covered in gore yet fighting to protect their family, seemed somehow familiar.
Without knowing it, she murmured.
“Father. Brother.”
Then she collapsed.
“Miss!”
Muk Il Gwang caught her slender form urgently in his arms.
Dam Ho’s eyes caught the sight—and the voice she’d murmured in that final moment.
Dam Ho’s pupils trembled.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————