Fist Demon of Mount Hua - Chapter 19

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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 19. Rising from the Fall—Part 1
Cheongheo had led them far from Fengchen Tavern, to a place where no footsteps fell. Only when they reached that barren ground did the Jinsa speak.
“I am Cheongheo of Wudang. I know you’ve been watching. Come out now.”
……
“Im Horyeong.”
No answer came. Yet Cheongheo waited with the patience of one accustomed to silence.
After a moment, the earth rustled, and the ground ten paces distant shuddered.
Something flickered behind Cheongheo’s eyes.
The soil erupted, and a figure emerged.
“Im Horyeong?”
“Forgive me, Jinsa. I had to be certain no pursuers followed.”
The man who spoke, casting aside the cloth that had camouflaged him, was Im Horyeong—the head of Beiluobiao.
Im Horyeong was a ruin of a man. His left arm was gone, and his entire body bore the weight of old scars. His dust-caked clothes hung in tatters.
“Are you well, Im Horyeong?”
“I am unharmed. But the members of the bureau……”
Thick tears rolled down Im Horyeong’s cheeks.
All of Beiluobiao was dead save for him. Had not Mak Gung, the senior head, drawn the enemy’s gaze in a desperate bid for time, Im Horyeong would not have survived either.
He had seized the moment when his attackers grew careless, burying himself in the sand pit. An ordinary man would have thought only of preserving his own life. But Im Horyeong was no ordinary man.
His will to survive burned for one purpose alone: to avenge his fallen comrades.
Cheongheo placed a steadying hand on his shoulder.
“You are alive. That is mercy enough.”
“Jinsa……”
Im Horyeong’s shoulders convulsed.
Cheongheo said nothing, merely watching. He knew that no words could console such grief.
After a time, when Im Horyeong had steadied himself, he spoke again.
“Forgive me.”
“There is nothing to forgive. Tell me—what have you learned?”
“I tracked them to their base.”
“You did?”
“I staked my life on it.”
Im Horyeong’s jaw tightened, and his eyes burned a violent red with blood-shot fury.
The attackers had vanished northward with Beiluobiao’s goods. They could have simply fled, but Im Horyeong had pursued them in secret.
He believed that only by exposing his enemies and exacting vengeance could he honor the dead of Beiluobiao.
For two days he had tracked them, heedless of his life, and at last he had learned their destination.
“Are you certain they are remnants of the Demonic Cult?”
“I heard them speak. They used the word ‘Original Sect’—the Original Sect. In all the Gangho, only the Demonic Cult uses such a name. And they wore garments marked with symbols that evoke the Holy Flame.”
“Mm.”
Cheongheo let out a low sound.
It was not yet certain. But the mere fact that such words had passed their lips was cause enough—his journey here had not been in vain.
“You have done well.”
Cheongheo patted Im Horyeong’s back.
A tremor ran through him at the touch.
The smell of his comrades’ blood still clung to him, still circled like a phantom. It would not fade until their hatred was answered.
A faint tremor passed through Cheongheo’s eyes as well.
‘May it not be them……’
He prayed it was only Im Horyeong’s mistake.
While the others slept, Dam Ho cultivated beneath Hyunso’s watchful gaze. Now, even without the Yunyang Pill, the Jungheon Heart Sutra flowed smoothly through him.
Dam Ho’s mastery of the Jungheon Heart Sutra had already reached the fifth stage. It was the fruit of both the pill’s gift and his own relentless effort.
Since arriving here, Dam Ho had not skipped a single day of cultivation. While others passed the time in idle talk or drink, he had sat in meditation. And now the Jungheon Heart Sutra had become his to understand fully.
Hyunso murmured as he watched.
“The Jungheon Heart Sutra is a solid foundation. Just as Hwasan’s Heart Technique grew from it, so too can you forge your own path once this sutra deepens within you.”
To witness his disciple’s daily ascent was a profound joy to Hyunso.
Then Dam Ho opened his eyes, cultivation complete.
“Master.”
“Ah, so you’ve finished?”
“Yes.”
“Well done.”
Dam Ho rose from his cross-legged seat.
Though they had ridden hard from Hwasan with scarcely a rest, no weariness showed in Dam Ho’s face. The Jungheon Heart Sutra had rewarded him handsomely for his faith.
Hyunso’s face, by contrast, grew darker still.
“Is something troubling you, Master?”
“No.”
“Master.”
“It’s nothing. I simply have much on my mind. Don’t worry yourself.”
“Yes!”
“You stubborn thing.”
Hyunso forced a smile.
“Master!”
Mugyeong’s voice came from outside.
“Come in.”
At Hyunso’s permission, Mugyeong and Ungyeong hurried through the door.
“What is it?”
“Master Cheongheo has ordered an immediate departure.”
“At this hour?”
Cheongheo gazed out the window. It was still deep in the pre-dawn darkness.
“He said it was urgent.”
“Urgent?”
Hyunso’s brow twitched slightly.
At this juncture, urgent could mean only one thing.
‘The Demonic Cult.’
Hyunso rose quickly and turned to Dam Ho.
“Prepare yourself and follow.”
“Yes!”
Hyunso and Mugyeong rushed out first.
Ungyeong, who had been watching Dam Ho gather his master’s belongings, spoke.
“Would it not be better if you stayed behind?”
“Pardon?”
“If they truly are members of the Demonic Cult, no one will have the luxury to aid you.”
“Senior brother.”
“Rather than burden everyone, it would help us all if you remained here of your own choice.”
Ungyeong’s gaze was cold—so cold it raised the hair on one’s neck. Yet it was not enough to shake Dam Ho’s resolve.
“Why do you believe I would be a burden?”
“You truly don’t know?”
“Say what you will—I’m going.”
“Dam Ho!”
“I cannot let Master face such danger alone.”
With Dam Ho’s resolve stated plainly, Ungyeong had nothing left to say.
“I warned you clearly.”
“I heard you clearly.”
“Stubborn as they come.”
Ungyeong shook his head and turned away. As he moved toward the door, he paused and looked back.
“Still… please, be careful.”
He left without waiting for Dam Ho’s reply.
Dam Ho watched the doorway for a moment after Ungyeong vanished. But only for a moment—he quickly gathered his things and headed outside.
Before the Fengchen Tavern, the young masters of each sect had already assembled. Mounted on their horses, their faces bore the sharp tension of those preparing for battle.
Shortly after, Cheongheo and Hyunso emerged, along with Yeom Jung-hwa of the Jongnam Sect. At their side rode Im Horyeong, his left arm severed at the elbow.
Cheongheo addressed the young martial artists.
“Time is short, which is why I have summoned you at this hour. From now, we depart the Okman Gate and ride directly for Xinjiang. Everyone must take special care for your own safety and ensure you do not fall behind. Let us ride.”
Cheongheo mounted first and set out. Behind him, Yeon So-ha and the disciples of the Wudang Sect followed.
“We depart as well.”
Yeom Jung-hwa led the Jongnam disciples forward in turn.
The Hwasan disciples brought up the rear.
Mugyeong drew alongside Hyunso as they rode.
“Master.”
“What is it?”
“Once you’ve confirmed they are truly Demonic Cult members, please withdraw.”
“But—”
“Master said so himself: leave the fighting to the Wudang Sect and make your safety our first concern. So if battle does break out, please don’t hesitate to retreat.”
“Very well.”
Hyunso finally nodded.
Though rank and age made him the most senior, the true authority of Hwasan Sect rested with Mugyeong. Hyunso answered to his command.
‘Could it really be the Demonic Cult?’
Cheongheo arranged for Hyunso and Yeom Jung-hwa to meet with Im Horyeong. Im Horyeong recounted the battle that had erupted near Napo Bakho.
Im Horyeong’s account was remarkably detailed—so vivid that it felt as though one were witnessing the clash firsthand. The martial arts he described the enemies employing aligned almost perfectly with what Cheongheo knew of the Demonic Cult’s techniques.
Most striking was the sword method wielded by the raiders’ leader, which resembled the Manhwang Gujeol Sword—one of the Demonic Cult’s most infamous supreme techniques.
Above all, the flame insignia woven into their garments evoked the Holy Flame, the very symbol of the Demonic Cult.
Hyunso’s face darkened.
What price had they paid twenty years ago? The peace of the Gangho had been reclaimed only through the deaths of countless souls.
If these truly were remnants of the Demonic Cult, the Gangho might yet face even greater sacrifice.
‘Amitabha Buddha, please let it be anything but the Demonic Cult…….’
Hyunso prayed fervently, again and again.
Okman Gate appeared in the distance.
The soldiers guarding it came into view. Whether word had already spread, the gate swung open at their approach.
A desert red as blood stretched before them.
＊＊＊
The man’s chamber was vast. Countless bookshelves lined the expansive room, their spines crowded with volumes.
His desk occupied the heart of the shelving—positioned so that he need only reach out to pull any tome within arm’s reach.
The man appeared to be in his late forties, his face remarkably refined. Unlike most men, his complexion was luminously pale, his eyes sharp and piercing, and his lips pressed into a severe line—an arresting visage.
The man sat engrossed in his reading when it happened.
“Lord Wonju.”
A soft voice emerged from empty air.
The man called Wonju lifted his head. The voice continued respectfully.
“It is Noe Gong.”
“What is the matter?”
“We have a shadow.”
“A shadow?”
“It appears the previous course of action produced an unforeseen consequence. A survivor from the Beiluobiao operation has been confirmed.”
“Did you not say Chief Jong handled the matter thoroughly?”
“My apologies.”
At Noe Gong’s words, the man’s brow creased.
“Where has this shadow attached itself?”
“According to reports, to Wudang, Hwasan, and Jongnam.”
The man’s eyes turned to ice. He closed the volume before him and rose from his seat.
Three of the Nine Great Sects had picked up the thread—which meant the entirety of the Nine Great Sects could mobilize.
If the Nine Great Sects moved, the Five Great Families would follow, and soon all of Heaven’s Below would be in motion.
“We lack the strength to face the entire realm just yet.”
“What are your orders?”
“We abandon this place.”
“Pardon? But surely you do not mean to relinquish the Cheonjin Maoongok so easily?”
“It was inevitable eventually. Only the timing has moved forward.”
“Understood.”
“I will inform the Cult Leader myself. Begin the operation.”
“As you command!”
Noe Gong’s presence vanished.
Alone, the man murmured to himself.
“Before we go, we must leave them with a parting gift.”
His eyes gleamed with terrible light.

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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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