Fist Demon of Mount Hua - Chapter 177

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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 176. Time Brings New Connections—Part 1
Xinyang in Henan Province sits nestled at the foot of Dabieshan, a city renowned since ancient times for its tea. The variety cultivated here, known as Maojian Tea, numbered among the finest varieties prized throughout the Central Plain.
Xinyang was also famous for Nanwan Lake, which sprawled twelve times larger than West Lake in Hangzhou and cradled sixty-odd islands, large and small.
The jade-clear waters and emerald forests blanketing the islands formed a fantastical harmony that brought a refreshing coolness even to the hearts of those who beheld them.
A small island situated at the very heart of Nanwan Lake—hidden so utterly that none but the fishermen who worked these waters could have found it.
The small island, like the others, was thickly covered with lush forest. From without, it was impossible to discern anything of what lay within.
It was known as an island where no one dwelled. Yet contrary to what people believed, for some time now a man and a woman had been staying there.
A single crude hut, thrown together in haste.
A small platform stood before the hut, and upon it sat a woman of indeterminate age.
“Hmm!”
The woman humming softly as she watched the kettle come to a boil was none other than Jong Ri Yeon.
As the water finally boiled, Jong Ri Yeon steeped the tea and began to sip it slowly. A contented smile played at her lips.
“It really is delicious.”
The tea she was drinking was Maojian Tea, Xinyang’s signature product.
Since arriving here last winter, Jong Ri Yeon had scarcely gone a day without it.
The Maojian matched her particular taste perfectly. As a result, her palate had been well-satisfied during her stay here.
Jong Ri Yeon sipped her tea while gazing out at the dense forest.
“Will he not emerge today, either?”
It had already been three months since Dam Ho disappeared into the forest. In all that time, he had not once shown his face outside it.
“Sigh.”
Jong Ri Yeon exhaled softly and continued drinking her tea.
They had fled here to escape the pursuit teams of the Namgoong Clan. More than once they had come close to being captured, but each time Jong Ri Yeon’s quick thinking had extracted them from danger.
At that time, Dam Ho had been nearly at death’s door. Yet even in such a dire condition, he had killed the leader of the pursuit team. Ultimately, the Namgoong Clan had no choice but to abandon their chase.
After shaking off the Namgoong Clan’s pursuit, they had come here to hide. Henan Province was Shaolin Sect territory, a place beyond the reach of the Namgoong Clan’s influence.
The Namgoong Clan had sought the cooperation of Shaolin Sect, and Shaolin had accepted their request, joining the pursuit. But they could not uncover the whereabouts of Dam Ho and Jong Ri Yeon, concealed in Nanwan Lake.
When winter came and heavy snow began to fall, they finally had no choice but to abandon the search.
With the help of Jong Ri Yeon’s mysterious Acupuncture techniques, Dam Ho recovered swiftly. Once his body had recovered sufficiently, he retreated into the forest and did not emerge.
His battle with Namgoong Cheon had ignited Dam Ho’s fighting spirit. The sense of crisis—that his current strength was insufficient to face those stronger than Namgoong Cheon—drove him forward.
Occasionally, from deep within the forest came a chilling Killing Intent so powerful that even Jong Ri Yeon, distant as she was, shuddered beneath its weight.
“Sigh.”
Jong Ri Yeon had grown exasperated by Dam Ho’s obsession.
She had never encountered a man so relentless and yet so blind in his pursuit.
“What manner of past must one carry to possess such unwavering resolve?”
Jong Ri Yeon herself possessed fierce concentration, but she could not match the mad intensity of Dam Ho’s immersion.
She steeped another cup of tea.
During her time here, she too had not been idle. She studied the Medical Art further and worked to bring her Acupuncture techniques to a more refined Realm.
Thanks to this, her own abilities had advanced by leaps and bounds.
It was as Jong Ri Yeon raised the teacup to her lips.
Boom!
Suddenly a violent Qi Wave erupted like a tempest, sweeping through the entire thicket and engulfing Jong Ri Yeon.
“Ahhhhh!”
Struck directly by the Qi Wave, Jong Ri Yeon cried out and dropped her teacup. Her hair stood disheveled, her complexion drained pale.
“What…?”
Jong Ri Yeon looked toward the source of the Qi Wave with fearful eyes.
It came from the forest where Dam Ho dwelled.
Until now, the forest where Dam Ho stayed had always roiled with savage Qi Waves. For that reason, Jong Ri Yeon had not dared approach in that direction.
But after that tempestuous surge just now, no more savage Qi Waves emanated from within.
“What has happened?”
Her eyelids trembled slightly.
Silence settled over the forest. Even the wind seemed to have stilled.
Jong Ri Yeon held her breath, watching the forest. A brief moment felt like an eternity.
Then Jong Ri Yeon’s eyes widened.
Dam Ho was walking out from the forest.
‘He’s changed.’
Jong Ri Yeon recognized at once that Dam Ho was different.
An odd heat radiated from Dam Ho’s entire body. The shimmering heat rose like a Mirage, only to vanish just as quickly.
Eyes that had burned with the ferocity of a beast were now ice-cold, like winter frost. It made him seem all the more terrifying.
Dam Ho walked toward the platform where Jong Ri Yeon sat. She flinched without realizing it.
“You’ve… come out?”
“Yes.”
“Is your training finished?”
“Mostly.”
Dam Ho answered offhandedly and settled onto the bench.
Jong Ri Yeon handed him the tea she’d just brewed.
“Drink this.”
The freshly steeped tea exhaled a fragrance that was almost overwhelming. Dam Ho sipped it carefully, letting the heat linger on his tongue.
“Excellent!”
“It’s Maojian Tea. Even across the realm, it’s recognized as a fine variety.”
“Is that so?”
“Your injuries… they’ve all healed?”
“They have.”
“Then we’ll be leaving this place soon?”
Jong Ri Yeon’s expression brightened visibly.
She had spent the winter here through no choice of her own.
Though they’d shaken the Namgoong Clan’s pursuit, it was far too soon to lower their guard. If she fell into their hands again, she knew all too well what fate awaited her.
At the very least, she had to stay with Dam Ho until they crossed out of Henan Province.
“When will we depart?”
“Now.”
“Understood.”
The moment Dam Ho spoke, Jong Ri Yeon began gathering her belongings hurriedly.
There was little to gather—just a small bundle containing a change of clothes and Silver Needles.
“Let’s go.”
Jong Ri Yeon shouldered her bundle and spoke.
Dam Ho set down his teacup and made his way with her toward the shore.
“Black Ghost.”
At his call, the beast came bounding from the forest.
While Dam Ho had sheltered in the woods, Black Ghost had roamed freely among the trees. Her coat gleamed with lustre after the solitary winter, and her frame had grown even larger.
“Did you fare well?”
Dam Ho pressed his forehead to Black Ghost’s face and asked. The beast responded with a delighted cry and swept her tail in wide, windmill arcs.
Dam Ho lingered awhile in affectionate reunion before boarding the Small Wooden Boat they’d used to reach the island. When Jong Ri Yeon and Black Ghost climbed in after him, the tiny vessel rocked as though it might sink at any moment.
Dam Ho took up the oars. With each stroke, the small boat shot forward a dozen lengths as if it were a speed vessel.
“Aahhh!”
Jong Ri Yeon stood at the bow and drew in a long, deep breath. The wind still carried winter’s bite, yet it cleared her lungs with a crisp, bracing freshness.
All the tightness that had accumulated in her chest through the long months melted away. A smile bloomed unbidden across her face.
Black Ghost, equally pleased, barked repeatedly and wagged her tail.
The boat reached the shore of Nanwan Lake in moments. Dam Ho abandoned it without hesitation and made for Xinyang.
True to its reputation as the home of Maojian Tea, Xinyang’s streets were saturated with the fragrance of tea. Tea merchants and inns dominated the marketplace.
“Wait a moment.”
Jong Ri Yeon suddenly stopped in her tracks.
Dam Ho turned to her with a questioning look, and she smiled sheepishly.
“You can’t keep wandering around dressed like that.”
Jong Ri Yeon was gazing at Dam Ho’s clothes.
His Black Leather Long Robe had been utterly ruined in the battle with the Namgoong Clan. Since then, he’d procured shabby garments from a nearby farmhouse and worn them ever since. To an unsuspecting eye, he looked every inch a farmer.
Jong Ri Yeon had halted in front of a tailor’s shop. She seized Dam Ho’s hand and pulled him inside.
“Let’s have new clothes made here.”
Dam Ho entered the shop without objection.
“Welcome.”
A portly shopkeeper greeted them as they stepped inside.
“May we see some fabrics?”
“Of course. Our shop carries everything—furs from the Western Regions to those brought from the East. We’re never lacking in variety.”
“Do you have any durable leather goods?”
“Certainly. We stock wolf hides from Tianshan to crocodile leather from the South—our selection is quite diverse.”
The proprietor laid out an array of leathers, organized by type.
Jong Ri Yeon spent considerable time examining them carefully—looking, touching, even smelling each one. Finally, her choice fell upon Black Panther leather, which the shopkeeper said had been brought from Nanwan.
“This is the one.”
“An excellent selection. This particular hide was difficult to acquire—we had originally intended to present it to the imperial household.”
“How long would it take to make a robe from this?”
“If we hurry, it could be ready by tomorrow. Though of course, that would require substantial payment.”
“How much?”
“The leather and labor combined would come to twenty taels of gold.”
“Twenty taels of gold?”
A flicker of conflict crossed Jong Ri Yeon’s face.
Twenty taels of gold was enough for an ordinary martial officer to earn in a full year. To spend such an enormous sum on a single garment gave her pause.
Yet Jong Ri Yeon, as though she hadn’t hesitated at all, drew ten gold taels from her pouch.
“I’ll give you ten taels as a deposit first. I’ll pay the rest once I receive the robe.”
“Direct and generous, I see.”
“In exchange, you must make sure the robe is done properly.”
“Of course. Even if you searched all of Henan Province, you’d find few places that craft garments as carefully as we do.”
The proprietor thumped his chest and spoke with proud certainty.
Dam Ho regarded Jong Ri Yeon.
“Isn’t this too much?”
“I owe you that much. It’s my principle to repay every debt.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes! So don’t feel burdened.”
“Then let’s do it that way.”
Dam Ho nodded.
The proprietor returned with a measuring rod and took Dam Ho’s measurements. Dam Ho described to him the style of robe he wanted.
“So you’re after something in the style of a Wind-Resisting Robe—designed so it won’t impede you when you employ your martial arts. Is that right?”
“Exactly!”
“Understood. I’ll craft the finest garment to fit your frame perfectly, so rest assured. Our shop’s robes are…….”
The proprietor chattered on, seemingly unbothered by Dam Ho’s indifference. Dam Ho, done listening, stepped outside.
The two of them made their way directly to an inn nearby.
They took two rooms. Jong Ri Yeon said she wanted to bathe in warm water for the first time in ages and went inside. Dam Ho, traveling without luggage, settled into a seat in the dining hall on the ground floor.
He had entered the island in autumn and left it when spring had nearly ended. Unintentionally, he’d spent five months or so isolated from the world.
During that long stretch, Dam Ho had devoted himself entirely to martial cultivation.
It was the first time since leaving the Heavenly Golden Jade Palace that he had committed himself to martial arts for such an extended period.
Out in the world, he had engaged in countless fights. In that short span of time, he’d endured brutal encounters that ordinary martial artists might never experience once in a lifetime.
In the course of it all, he’d gained considerable martial insight, but he’d lacked the time to organize it systematically. Most notably, his fight with Namgoong Cheon had made clear the direction in which the Dark Form Fist must evolve.
Dam Ho believed that now, while recovering from his wounds, was the perfect opportunity to consolidate all the martial insights he’d gathered. So on the island in Nanwan Lake, while treating his injuries, he had methodically organized everything he’d learned.
Dam Ho clenched his fist.
Through countless fierce battles, his knuckles had accumulated many scars. The wounds on his hands bore witness to the life he had lived.
‘The day my hands receive no more scars will be my last day.’
When that day came, he would burn away everything, leaving no room for regret.

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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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