Fist Demon of Mount Hua - Chapter 62

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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 62. Not Every Celebration in Another’s Home Brings Joy—3
The festivities at Hong Ams Manor continued the next day. In truth, this was when the real celebration could be said to have truly begun.
Musicians and acrobats had been invited to heighten the merriment of the occasion.
The performers struck up their instruments to stir the crowd’s excitement, while the acrobats displayed their various feats.
“Wow!”
“Magnificent!”
The guests’ enthusiasm reached its peak, and exclamations erupted from every corner.
As time wore on, ever more visitors flooded into Hong Ams Manor. The ones paying the price were the kitchen staff and servants.
The cooks had been in a frenzy since dawn preparing food, while the servants worked until their bones felt like they’d come loose, ferrying dishes from kitchen to hall.
“This is absolute chaos. I wonder if anyone will manage to eat properly in all this.”
Cho Yeon-un muttered as he surveyed the inside of Hong Ams Manor, which resembled a battlefield in the throes of war. Yet despite his words, a mutton skewer dangled from his hand.
Cho Yeon-un popped a piece of mutton into his mouth and scanned the crowd.
Among the throng of people, there was one he sought.
‘Dam Ho.’
Standing alone and motionless in a black leather coat was the man himself—Dam Ho. Though crowds gathered in small clusters throughout the hall, laughing and talking, he alone stood apart.
When Cho Yeon-un had proposed friendship, Dam Ho had given no answer. It would have been natural for his heart to sting, yet Cho Yeon-un smiled as though unbothered.
‘He trusts no one.’
Cho Yeon-un saw the gleam of distrust that dwelt in Dam Ho’s eyes.
Those eyes trusted no one and radiated an obstinacy that yielded to no one. It was as though an invisible wall of immense proportions stood erected around him. An ordinary person would never have dared attempt to breach such a barrier. But Cho Yeon-un was far from ordinary.
In Cho Yeon-un’s estimation, Dam Ho’s trouble lay not in his limp. Though he couldn’t say for certain, Dam Ho had sustained some profound wound to his heart, and from it had sprung a distrust of the world itself.
He found Dam Ho appealing.
Everyone wore masks as they moved through life. But Dam Ho, at least, revealed himself in his raw, unvarnished truth.
‘Well, time will sort it out.’
Bonds of fate are not forged by force alone. They can only take root when heaven’s will aligns.
Cho Yeon-un raised his eyes to the sky.
‘Did heaven guide me to this place merely to meet that man? Or is there some deeper purpose at work?’
The will of heaven was truly mysterious and profound—beyond the grasp and comprehension of any mortal mind.
He wished he could remain a while longer and deepen his friendship with Dam Ho. But he had duties to attend to, and lingering here any further was a luxury he could not afford.
‘If the thread of fate remains unbroken, we shall meet again someday.’
With that thought, Cho Yeon-un quietly slipped away from Hong Ams Manor.
Dam Ho had no interest whatsoever in the festivities. Acrobats were performing their tricks mere paces away, musicians were stirring the crowd to greater heights of excitement, yet none of it captured his attention.
His gaze was fixed on those moving about within the manor.
He watched a martial artist with an obviously fine sword at his waist converse with another who wore silk embroidered in elaborate patterns and wielded a steel whisk, while a well-fed patron patted his ample belly as he extolled the food.
“Ha! We’ve recently taken on a new disciple at our Martial House, and his talent is quite remarkable, I must say.”
“Everyone knows how formidable Director Jung’s martial prowess is. But to hear that his disciples possess such exceptional ability—the future of Qingfeng Martial House is truly promising!”
“And what of you, Director Yu? I hear you’ve expanded your Martial House?”
“Ha! It happened somewhat by accident. My spine’s been bent under the strain, I’ll confess. Though if the Great Hero Yi Sin-pung would lend me a hand, I believe I’d catch my breath. I don’t know if I’ll have the chance to meet him today, though.”
“He should appear soon enough—you’ll meet him shortly. I’m certain Great Hero Yi will lend you his support.”
“Do you think so?”
“Of course! Ha, ha, ha!”
“I can hardly wait to meet Great Hero Yi Sin-pung.”
They laughed loudly and spoke with great animation, yet they were men utterly unworthy of meeting Yi Sin-pung. Had they possessed any standing at all, they would have met him the previous night.
Most of those gathered were much like them—their words brimmed with pretense.
They resembled nothing so much as domesticated livestock. Wild beasts that hunt in the mountains never boast or display themselves. They conceal and conceal again, hiding themselves utterly until the moment they strike and sever the life from their prey.
Only those who have never risked their lives in true combat puff themselves up with such hollow swagger. The truly strong reveal themselves as they are—no more, no less. By that measure, there were no genuine masters in this place.
Then two martial artists entered the hall.
Though they were unmistakably two men, their faces were identical, as though stamped from a single mold.
Sharp brows cut like blades, piercing eyes beneath them, extraordinarily pale skin and a keen jawline—men in their mid-to-late thirties. Twin brothers were a rare sight in the martial world.
At their appearance, the gathered warriors began to stir.
“The Black and White Twin Ghosts.”
“What! They’ve come too?”
Gasps of astonishment rippled through the crowd.
The Black and White Twin Ghosts.
They were warriors of ambiguous allegiance who primarily operated across Shanxi Province. Their temperaments were volatile and unpredictable—no one knew what they might do next. Their martial prowess was formidable enough that few dared provoke them.
Moreover, as true twins, they possessed an extraordinary spiritual rapport. They could understand each other’s intent with nothing more than a glance. Thanks to this, they wielded power that surpassed the Combined Formation Technique without having to study it formally.
The Black and White Twin Ghosts swept the hall with cold eyes. At their gaze, the crowd dropped their heads in fear of making eye contact.
Seeing the people’s reaction, an arrogant smile played across the faces of the Black and White Twin Ghosts.
“Hmph! I heard this was Great Hero Yi Sin-pung’s sixtieth birthday celebration and expected to see some real martial artists. But it seems there’s nothing of note here.”

“Heh! What more did you expect? All we need do is save face for Yi Sin-pung.”
At the arrival of the Black and White Twin Ghosts, Director Gu Jung-myeong came rushing out.
“Welcome, welcome indeed. We are honored by your visit.”
“It’s been a long time, Director Gu.”
“Yes! In fact, we have been counting the days for your arrival. Allow me to show you to your seats.”
“Hmm.”
“If you will wait just a moment, the Manor Lord should appear.”
“Is your Manor Lord well?”
“Thanks to your concern, he enjoys robust health.”
“That is indeed fortunate.”
The Black and White Twin Ghosts smiled thinly and took the seats Gu Jung-myeong had indicated.
They occupied a hastily constructed dais overlooking the Training Ground below, where the festivities were taking place. A dozen or more chairs had been arranged upon it.
The Black and White Twin Ghosts sat upon that dais with all the swagger they possessed. They were beings who could afford such pride.
Dam Ho’s gaze slipped away from them almost at once. His face betrayed no reaction whatsoever.
It was then that people approached him.
A woman of fresh, luminous beauty, and a handsome youth with eyes angled upward at the corners.
They were Mun Su-gyeong and Jwa Sang-cheon.
Jwa Sang-cheon greeted Dam Ho as though they were old acquaintances.
“Meeting again, I see.”
Dam Ho regarded him in silence. Jwa Sang-cheon’s face flushed crimson.
“Do you have no manners? When someone offers a greeting, you acknowledge it properly.”
“Was that a greeting?”
“What?”
“I thought it was a dog barking somewhere.”
“You—!”
Jwa Sang-cheon’s shoulders trembled. He looked ready to strike Dam Ho at any moment.
Just then, Mun Su-gyeong seized Jwa Sang-cheon’s shoulder.
“Brother, please. Show some restraint.”
“Ugh!”
Jwa Sang-cheon’s expression twisted into something ugly.
The day before, he had waited to meet with Yi Sin-pung, but their turn never came.
After Yi Sin-pung’s audience with the disciples of the Gongdong Sect, he had received no one else, leaving Jwa Sang-cheon’s heart burdened with an indelible shame.
Jwa Sang-cheon had sought to vent his accumulated rage upon Dam Ho. But Mun Su-gyeong would not allow it.
“Brother, we should go.”
“But—”
“This will help no one—not Hyeon Hyeon Mun, nor yourself. If you insist on making trouble, I shall tell Father everything that has occurred here.”
“Damn it!”
When Mun Su-gyeong pressed her case so firmly, Jwa Sang-cheon dared do nothing rash. He cast a glare at Dam Ho instead.
‘One day you will kneel before me and beg.’
Jwa Sang-cheon turned away with a sharp rustle of fabric.
Mun Su-gyeong sighed and offered Dam Ho a respectful bow.
“Forgive my brother’s rudeness. He is not ordinarily like this, but something has troubled his mind of late, and he keeps overstepping his bounds.”
Unlike Jwa Sang-cheon, courtesy was woven into Mun Su-gyeong’s very being.
“By the way, has Jin-bo arrived as well?”
Dam Ho nodded silently, and Mun Su-gyeong’s smile brightened.
“Please send my regards to Jin-bo. Then—”
Mun Su-gyeong excused herself.
Dam Ho watched her receding figure in silence.
Just then, the voices of nearby merchants reached his ears.
“Have you heard the rumors?”
“What rumors are you speaking of?”
The onlookers showed interest at the merchant’s words.
“What? You haven’t heard yet?”
“Come now, what rumor is worth all this suspense?”
“A Blood Catastrophe has broken out in Xinjiang.”
“A Blood Catastrophe?”
A curious light kindled in everyone’s eyes.
Xinjiang was a place Dam Ho himself frequented often. That such trouble had arisen there was something one could not help but notice.
“You’ve heard of Seocheon Manor, haven’t you?”
“What merchant who travels beyond the border hasn’t heard of Seocheon Manor? So what happened there? Don’t keep us in suspense—out with it!”
“Well then, let me tell you. I hear that Seocheon Manor has fallen victim to a Blood Tribulation.”
“What are you saying? Seocheon Manor is one of the most formidable powers in Xinjiang itself. It’s been struck by a Blood Tribulation?”
“It’s the truth. You know my younger brother is stationed at Hyeol-rin Salmak, don’t you? That’s what he told me.”
“Ah!”
The merchant’s eyes gleamed at his chatty companion’s words. His instincts told him at once that what he was hearing was true.
“Seocheon Manor struck by a Blood Tribulation? Then they must have suffered terribly.”
“It’s far beyond mere suffering. They’ve been virtually annihilated—nearly wiped from existence. The manor lord, Eun Ha-seong, and most of the elite fighters under him have been completely destroyed.”
“That’s impossible…….”
The merchant’s face contorted with disbelief.
What manner of place was Seocheon Manor? Though little known in the Central Plains, any merchant who traveled the Western Regions knew that Seocheon Manor’s martial strength was in no way inferior to the greatest sects of the Central Plains.
“Which sect fought a war against Seocheon Manor? Was it Hyeol-rin Salmak?”
“Hyeol-rin Salmak prepared for war, but they say they never even had a chance to draw their blades.”
“If not Hyeol-rin Salmak, then which sect could it be?”
“Don’t be startled.”
The man’s voice dropped lower. Yet the concentration of those gathered around him only intensified.
“It was a single person.”
“What?”
“One man alone dyed Seocheon Manor in blood.”
“That’s impossible…….”
“It’s the truth. My brother said there was no hell more terrible than what he witnessed—corpses piled like mountains, blood that flowed like rivers. Wherever that man walked, death and only death followed. How desperate must things have been for the surviving warriors of Seocheon Manor to call him the Grim Reaper?”
“The Grim Reaper?”
“Yes! That’s why the whole region around Seocheon Manor has been in complete turmoil.”
“You don’t say?”
Disbelief flickered across the faces of those listening. Yet the man continued without changing his expression once.
“The Xinjiang Blood Star—a star of blood descended upon Xinjiang. Those who were present call him by that name.”
Gulp.
At such a sinister epithet, the crowd swallowed hard.
In that moment, the man glanced around the room.
“Do you suppose the Xinjiang Blood Star might have come here?”
“…….”
Everyone fell deathly still.
Then the merchant burst into hearty laughter.
“Ha ha! You’re joking, of course. Surely such a man would be a monster with three heads and six arms. There’s no way someone like that would be in a place like this, is there?”
“Ah, you! Didn’t I give you quite a fright?”
“You’re going to stop someone’s heart at this rate.”
Relieved exclamations erupted from all corners of the room.

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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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