Fist Demon of Mount Hua - Chapter 35

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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 35. Not Every Wind That Brushes Past Is Warm—1
After the meal, Bang Jin Bo returned to his room, and Dam Ho stepped outside.
Whine!
As Dam Ho approached the stable, Heuk Gwi thrust out his head eagerly. Dam Ho gave the horse’s neck a light pat.
Heuk Gwi exhaled another plume of hot breath.
“Just wait a little longer. Soon you’ll be able to run as much as you like.”
Heuk Gwi scraped his forehooves against the ground as if he understood Dam Ho’s words.
Though they had not known each other long, Heuk Gwi understood Dam Ho’s speech as naturally as if they were kindred spirits.
Dam Ho was still passing the time with Heuk Gwi when it happened.
“That your horse, then?”
An unfamiliar presence made itself known, accompanied by an equally unfamiliar voice.
Dam Ho turned to see the old man who had come with Sim Ok earlier—Heuk No. He stood regarding Dam Ho with both arms tucked into his sleeves.
When Dam Ho looked his way, Heuk No approached in quick, measured steps.
“I saw it when you arrived, and it’s quite a fine horse. These days it’s not easy to come by animals of that quality.”
“……”
“Where did you find it?”
“A horse market.”
“Ho! You procured something of this caliber at a horse market? Impressive!”
Heuk No gazed at Heuk Gwi with eyes full of admiration—though they could not conceal an unmistakable hunger beneath.
For a martial artist, a fine horse is coveted almost as much as a superior weapon. This is doubly true for those who operate across expanses like these Steppes.
Heuk No himself was a martial artist who made his stage among the grasslands, so his appetite for a quality mount could hardly be surpassed.
Heuk Gwi, without a single stray hair and entirely black in coat, was plainly a fine horse at a glance. But that was not Heuk No’s true business.
Heuk No came to a stop before Dam Ho. The old man barely reached Dam Ho’s chest in height, yet his gaze burned with extraordinary intensity.
“Who are you?”
“……”
Dam Ho did not answer. He saw no reason to.
Heuk No’s gaze grew even more piercing—penetrating enough to see through a man’s very soul.
Ordinary people could not withstand such a stare. Within the organization Heuk No belonged to, only a handful could meet his eyes directly.
Yet Dam Ho neither avoided that gaze nor looked away. Instead, he returned it.
Within those dark, settled eyes lay not the slightest flicker of disturbance.
‘This man!’
In that instant, Heuk No felt a chill run down his spine.
It was like staring at an enormous boulder—a mountain so vast that its far edge could not be guessed at.
Dam Ho’s eyes carried that weight, and Heuk No found himself nearly overwhelmed.
Heuk No’s hand moved instinctively toward his weapon. Yet with superhuman restraint, he managed to check himself.
Though Dam Ho’s gaze held overwhelming gravity, it carried no killing intent.
Heuk No asked again.
“Who are you?”
“Dam Ho.”
“Is that your name?”
Heuk No’s eyes flashed with interest. Conversely, Dam Ho’s expression shifted to one of annoyance.
“Does it matter?”
“It does. Very much.”
From the moment he saw Dam Ho, Heuk No had discerned it: Dam Ho was a master of the martial arts.
The physique hidden beneath Dam Ho’s Black Long Robe was remarkably well-developed. Though Heuk No had seen many masters of External Martial Art, he had never encountered one whose body was as finely honed as Dam Ho’s.
Size alone, or mere rippling muscle, does not make one strong in External Martial Art.
As with all martial arts, harmony was paramount.
When the well-developed muscles of arms and legs achieved balance with those of the waist and back that supported them, true power could be unleashed.
By that measure, Dam Ho possessed the ideal physique for External Martial Art. Heuk No had never seen a martial artist whose body was as perfectly developed.
Though not exceptionally large, his frame was like a volcano ready to erupt—every fiber of muscle compressed with tremendous force, awaiting release.
That was why Heuk No had intervened to prevent Sim Ok from approaching him.
Sim Ok was skilled in martial arts but clumsy in human relations. Especially, having been indulged since childhood, she had a tendency toward careless speech.
It might not matter how one treated ordinary people, but with someone like Dam Ho, such carelessness would inevitably lead to conflict.
It was not that Dam Ho frightened him, but there was no need to sow pointless enmity at a moment like this.
“Are you connected to them?”
“Them?”
Dam Ho stepped toward Heuk No, his eyes flashing with confusion. In that instant, Heuk No noticed something: Dam Ho favored his leg.
‘What a waste! The man limps.’
What good is a perfectly developed body if the legs are compromised? A limping gait disrupts the body’s equilibrium and severely hinders mobility.
Heuk No quickly set the thought aside.
Based on Dam Ho’s reaction, it was clear he had no connection to them.
“I see. Then I’ll ask just one thing of you.”
…….
“Whatever happens in this place, simply go your way. It’s better for us both. I’ll take your silence as agreement. Please, remember what I’ve said.”
Heuk No turned without waiting for Dam Ho’s reply.
Dam Ho watched Heuk No’s receding figure in silence, his gaze growing darker and more distant.
The following morning, Dam Ho and Bang Jin Bo prepared to depart early.
Bang Jin Bo packed the ingredients with meticulous care.
“What do I do?”
He’d bought too much. No matter how hard he stuffed things in, there was no room left—especially not for the pastries, which were nearly as wide and tall as Bang Jin Bo himself.
For a master chef, pastries were as vital as life itself. They could never be left behind. After a moment of deliberation, Bang Jin Bo tied the pastries with cord and strapped them to his back. He looked just like a turtle.
“Done.”
Bang Jin Bo smiled with satisfaction.
Regardless of how it looked, he could move without difficulty. That was enough.
“Brother, let’s go now.”
“All right!”
Unlike Bang Jin Bo, Dam Ho had little to prepare. Lodging and food were all Bang Jin Bo’s responsibility.
Dam Ho needed only his Black Long Robe.
Once their preparations were complete, Dam Ho and Bang Jin Bo left the inn. Though it was early morning, the common room bustled with people—mostly merchants setting out on long journeys.
“Ha ha!”
“Look at that fellow. Just like a turtle!”
The merchants laughed heartily at the sight of Bang Jin Bo with the round pastries strapped to his back, the image indeed resembling a tortoise.
Bang Jin Bo’s face flushed with embarrassment.
It was then that Dam Ho spoke.
“Straighten your back.”
“Yes!”
Bang Jin Bo straightened his back at the command.
“Just as a martial artist draws his blade to fight, you battle the flames with your pastries. Carry that pride with you. What matters is not what others see, but the truth of what you do.”
“I understand.”
Bang Jin Bo nodded.
He believed in everything Dam Ho said. Dam Ho was the only person he truly trusted.
Bang Jin Bo glanced around, but his expression quickly darkened. Sim Ok was nowhere to be seen.
Dam Ho ruffled Bang Jin Bo’s hair.
“Are you disappointed?”
“Oh, no, it’s not that.”
Bang Jin Bo’s face turned red. He hurried to a table, and Dam Ho followed.
Once they were seated, Jeom So Yi came hurrying over.
“Are you leaving now?”
“Yes! Brother, please bring us something to eat.”
“Just a moment. I’ll bring it right away.”
Jeom So Yi rushed to the kitchen with a smile.
Dam Ho sat and surveyed the room.
There were faces he did not see. Most were merchants, and among them was Sim Ok, toward whom Bang Jin Bo had taken an interest.
It seemed Sim Ok and Heuk No had left the inn before them.
Bang Jin Bo was still looking around for Sim Ok. Dam Ho watched him silently.
Just then Jeom So Yi returned with a tray of food. It appeared to have been prepared beforehand. Looking around, all the merchants were eating the same meal.
Braised lamb, wild pear, and white rice—that was all.
“Ha! The morning meal is the same for everyone. Please, eat well. You too, young one.”
“Brother, thank you.”
“Think nothing of it. Well…….”
Jeom So Yi withdrew with a smile.
Dam Ho picked up his chopsticks, and Bang Jin Bo began his meal.
As he’d noticed the day before, the food at Cheong Gang Inn was remarkably delicious. Especially for Dam Ho, it tasted extraordinary.
Dam Ho picked at his food with chopsticks, savoring each morsel deeply. It was a habit he’d developed since entering the world.
Even when eating little, he chewed thoroughly before swallowing. He understood that this way brought no strain to his stomach.
There was something almost contemplative about the way he ate.
Bang Jin Bo, by contrast, ate with unbridled enthusiasm.
“Wow! The Five-Spice Powder is used perfectly. There’s not a trace of that gamey smell from the lamb!”
Five-Spice Powder was made from fennel, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, clove, and dried tangerine peel, ground together—one of the most fundamental seasonings in cooking.
Depending on how Five-Spice Powder was used, the flavor and aroma of a dish could transform entirely. Renowned master chefs each guarded their own secret proportions.
“What is this bitter taste? Licorice?”
Bang Jin Bo could discern the spices and seasonings used in a dish simply by tasting it, yet he did not neglect to keep eating.
Beads of sweat gathered on Bang Jin Bo’s forehead.
“Heh!”
He laughed.
His bright laughter somehow looked forlorn.
Dam Ho and Bang Jin Bo left the inn and made their way to the stables.
Heuk Gwi whinnied in greeting.
Dam Ho patted Heuk Gwi’s neck and mounted. Bang Jin Bo first loaded a bag of ingredients onto his own horse, then climbed into the saddle with considerable effort.
With bags and satchels of provisions strapped to the horse’s back and pastries slung across his own shoulders, Bang Jin Bo cut quite a comical figure. Yet his expression was resolute.
Once they left Hap Mil, they would enter the Central Plains within days. The Central Plains would be an entirely different world from what they had known.
He was both frightened and eager.
Bang Jin Bo glanced sideways at Dam Ho.
Dam Ho continued to stare ahead with that perpetual, expressionless gaze.
Though he had known Dam Ho for some time now, Bang Jin Bo had scarcely ever seen him smile.
‘Does he even know how to laugh? What kind of life has he lived to become so emotionally hollow?’
Now that some of the grief over losing his father had begun to fade, Bang Jin Bo found himself with the leisure to observe those around him.
He realized he knew almost nothing about Dam Ho—despite all the unconditional help he had received from him.
“Let’s go.”
Dam Ho’s flat voice came through.
His voice was hoarse and rough, like phlegm caught in the throat—it carried a power that made the listener flinch.
While Bang Jin Bo was still lost in thought, Dam Ho had already gone far ahead.
“Wait, let’s go together. Come on!”
Bang Jin Bo kicked his horse’s flank.
Only after drawing level with Dam Ho did a smile bloom across Bang Jin Bo’s face.
The two of them tore out of Hap Mil at a furious pace.
Once they left the town behind, there was nothing to hold them back. Both riders pressed their horses hard.
Heuk Gwi bolted forward as if unleashing all the pent-up racing instinct of the past days, running like a thing possessed. Bang Jin Bo’s horse pursued, and eventually began to foam at the mouth.
Yet it had the endurance to keep pace, refusing to fall behind. But as time went on, the distance between them widened.
Dam Ho and Heuk Gwi dwindled to a tiny speck and vanished.
“Wait, let’s stay together.”
Growing impatient, Bang Jin Bo finally called out loudly to Dam Ho.
Dam Ho appeared to hear him and slowed to a stop. Bang Jin Bo’s face brightened with relief as he galloped toward him, but as he drew closer, his expression hardened.
A wind had risen, carrying an unfamiliar scent. Yet Bang Jin Bo’s memory stirred—he had encountered a scent like this not long ago.
“Blood?”
That acrid reek assaulting his nostrils—it was unmistakably the stench of blood.
As he reached Dam Ho’s side, a shocking sight unfolded before his eyes.
“Ah!”
A crimson-stained earth, countless corpses strewn across it. And carrion birds and wild beasts feasting.
A memory he had hoped never to recall returned unbidden.
Bang Jin Bo squeezed his eyes shut.

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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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