Fist Demon of Mount Hua - Chapter 65

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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 64. To Covet What Belongs to Another, One Must Stake What One Holds Dear—Part Two
“Ugh! I’m dying.”
Bang Jin Bo groaned and stretched.
“You worked hard today.”
Song Hwan patted Bang Jin Bo’s shoulder lightly with his thick hand.
Bang Jin Bo had pulled his weight again today. Thanks to him, they’d managed to handle all the orders that flooded in like the tide.
“Everyone did fine work. Since the rush is finished, you’re all free to rest for the day.”
“Hurray!”
Cheers burst from the mouths of the cooks and their assistants.
Today had been the height of the 60th Birthday Celebration. It was the day the most people had gathered to see Yi Shin Pung. The kitchen staff had been so busy preparing food they’d barely had time to breathe.
Song Hwan spoke to Bang Jin Bo.
“It’ll be hard, but help me through tomorrow as well.”
“Yes, I will.”
“Thank you. You worked quietly despite the difficulty. We got through a real crisis because of you.”
“No, I’m doing this because I enjoy it. And thanks to you, I’ve learned so much about dishes I never knew before.”
Most of the food that the manor master Yi Shin Pung had eaten was made by Song Hwan himself. As the head cook, Song Hwan knew many cooking secrets that others did not.
Simply watching him work was an invaluable education for Bang Jin Bo.
Song Hwan was a well-known master chef even in Gansu Province. For Bang Jin Bo, the mere fact of having cooked alongside such a man was an unforgettable gift.
Song Hwan clapped his hands and spoke.
“Everyone worked hard. For now, finish cleaning up and get some good rest.”
“Thank you for your guidance.”
The cooks and assistants bowed their heads to Song Hwan in unison. He waved a hand to them and left. Woo Bok Gyeom, the second-ranking cook, followed behind him.
When the other cooks had all gone, only Bang Jin Bo and So Jin Seo remained in the kitchen.
Bang Jin Bo smiled at So Jin Seo.
“Then, shall we try again?”
“Let’s!”
So Jin Seo nodded. A smile played across his face.
Ever since Bang Jin Bo had taught him how to approach fire, the smile had not left his face.
‘Now I think I can truly understand fire.’
He could not fully master fire, but he had grasped how to use it. As a result, his cooking skill was improving by the day.
It was all because of Bang Jin Bo.
Bang Jin Bo continued to offer So Jin Seo all manner of advice. Moved by Bang Jin Bo’s consistent kindness, So Jin Seo was touched.
He no longer resented Bang Jin Bo. Instead, he cherished him and followed his lead.
Clack-clack-clack!
The sound of their two knives striking the cutting board echoed ceaselessly through the kitchen.
So Jin Seo worked to understand fire as Bang Jin Bo taught him, while Bang Jin Bo recalled Song Hwan’s movements from earlier in the day.
“Ha-ha-ha!”
Their laughter rang out through the kitchen.
It was some time later when Bang Jin Bo left the kitchen.
“Ah, that’s good.”
Bang Jin Bo stretched and looked up at the sky. The moon hung especially bright.
Seeing the moon, his father came to mind.
“I’m doing well even without you, Father. So don’t worry.”
Bang Jin Bo waved at the moon and then hurried off.
In the distance, the Guest House came into view.
“Brother!”
Bang Jin Bo opened the door wide. But Dam Ho was nowhere to be seen.
“Brother?”
＊＊＊
Jwa Sang Cheon was in exceptionally high spirits.
Around him sat four young martial artists of similar age. They were all warriors he’d met at Hong Am Manor.
Young martial artists with backgrounds similar to Jwa Sang Cheon’s. They were all celebrated Talented Individuals of Gansu Province.
Somehow they’d ended up seated together, and as their passions aligned, they had remained together since.
“Ha-ha! To meet friends who please my heart at last. I’ve wasted my whole life up until now.”
“Who would disagree? I’m truly grateful to have met you all now.”
“It’s wonderful to share good wine with friends like this.”
Jang Hak Gyeong, Mo Jung Hyeon, and Yun Sang Han—these were their names.
Jang Hak Gyeong was a branch manager of a considerable merchant house with headquarters in Lanzhou, and Mo Jung Hyeon was the head instructor of Yunyang Martial Academy.
Yun Sang Han was an Outer Disciple of the Gongdong Sect and was known as a most exceptional Talented Individual here in Gansu Province.
The place where they drank was a Separate House within Hong Am Manor. The merchant house run by Jang Hak Gyeong’s father sent a very substantial sum to Hong Am Manor each year. Thanks to that, they received special treatment and had been assigned the Separate House.
The high walls surrounding the courtyard shielded them from outside eyes, and they could drink freely without concern.
They had consumed a great deal of wine; their faces flushed crimson, and empty bottles lay scattered at their feet.
The drinking had reached its peak.
“Senior brother!”
A sharp voice suddenly cut through the Separate House.
“Who is this? If it isn’t the most beautiful woman in the world—our junior sister!”
Jwa Sang Cheon regarded the woman who had entered with heavy-lidded eyes. She was Moon Su Gyeong, his junior sister in the sect.
Moon Su Gyeong approached Jwa Sang Cheon.
“Senior brother, what are you doing here?”
“What do you mean?”
“You should be attending the celebration.”
“What’s the point? That master will never even see me.”
“What are you talking about?”
“No matter how much I show my face there, do you think he’ll deign to meet with me? The Hyun Hyun Moon means nothing to him.”
“Senior brother!”
“Accept reality, sister. Yi Shin Pung is beyond your reach—forget about him. Why not stay here and join us instead? Cultivating friendships with these people will do far more for the Hyun Hyun Moon’s future.”
Jwa Sang Cheon threw both arms wide. At this display, Moon Su Gyeong’s expression crumpled.
Since arriving here and meeting so many people, Jwa Sang Cheon’s vanity had grown considerably. It had been present before, but nothing like this.
“Senior brother, please…….”
“Wait and see, sister. The Hyun Hyun Moon will rise to even greater heights under my leadership.”
At his words, Moon Su Gyeong simply squeezed her eyes shut.
Jang Hak Gyeong and the others spoke in turn.
“Lady Moon, we’ve heard much about you from senior Jwa. Please, don’t be difficult—join us.”
“Quite right! As you can see, we are not ill-mannered men. Building friendships with us will be of great benefit to the Hyun Hyun Moon.”
They spoke with great courtesy, but Moon Su Gyeong was not listening to their words.
Moon Su Gyeong glared at Jwa Sang Cheon.
“Senior brother, where did you go last night?”
“Hmm? Why do you ask?”
“You didn’t even return to the lodging.”
“Heh heh! I had some business to attend to.”
“What business?”
“Must I account for my private affairs to you? Don’t mistake me, sister. I may be a disciple of the Hyun Hyun Moon, but I have no obligation to report everything to you.”
“Senior brother!”
“If you won’t drink with us, then leave.”
Jwa Sang Cheon waved his hand dismissively.
His arrogant gesture made Moon Su Gyeong’s face flush with heat. She had continued to hold out hope despite everything, yet Jwa Sang Cheon had brought her nothing but disappointment.
The fault lay with the men beside him. They had filled his head with hot air.
Moon Su Gyeong was about to speak one final time.
Without warning, the front gate of the Separate House swung open silently. But Jwa Sang Cheon and the others were so absorbed in their drinking that they noticed nothing.
“Oh?”
Moon Su Gyeong alone among them saw the gate open.
The heavy door swung wide, and someone entered.
The moment she saw the man dragging one leg as he approached quietly, Moon Su Gyeong’s pupils trembled.
A man with roughly disheveled black hair, dressed in a leather coat as dark as midnight.
‘The older brother of that boy.’
He had been beside that plump youth who had made such a deep impression on her during the journey here.
The initial impact had been strong, though she had not paid him particular mind. Yet now it struck her as strange. No matter how preoccupied she had been with Yi Shin Pung’s 60th Birthday Celebration, the very fact that she had shown no real interest in someone who had made such a striking impression was itself odd.
Watching Dam Ho walk toward the Separate House, Moon Su Gyeong understood why she had shown him no interest.
Shudder.
She had been afraid.
Her mind had recognized the fear first and deliberately pushed the existence of Dam Ho out of her consciousness to protect her body.
Dam Ho was merely walking, yet her body trembled like an aspen leaf.
Moon Su Gyeong took a few steps backward. She could not count how many. She stopped only when her body struck the bench where Jwa Sang Cheon and the others were seated.
“What is it? Sister. Have you changed your mind?”
Jwa Sang Cheon, still unaware that Dam Ho had arrived, chuckled. But when Moon Su Gyeong did not answer and trembled instead, his gaze naturally followed the direction of her eyes.
“Hm?”
Only then did Jwa Sang Cheon notice Dam Ho, and a look of confusion crossed his face.
“You?”
The moment Jwa Sang Cheon met Dam Ho’s eyes, his face began to quiver.
Those eyes held no tremor whatsoever, no flicker of emotion—perfectly black pupils. Yet as soon as Jwa Sang Cheon met them, his breath caught in his throat.
It felt as though his heart were shriveling, and he couldn’t draw a proper breath.
Gripped by a strange, unfamiliar dread he’d never known before, Jwa Sang Cheon shot to his feet.
“What are you doing here?”
He raised his voice deliberately, thinking that if he could only shout loud enough, he might shake off the inexplicable fear crawling through him.
“What’s wrong? Jwa?”
Jang Hak and the others regarded Jwa Sang Cheon’s reaction with expressions of confusion.
Then came Dam Ho’s quiet words.
“Why did you do it?”
The question was cryptic—leading nowhere.
Everyone else stood baffled, but Jwa Sang Cheon understood the hidden meaning behind Dam Ho’s simple words.
“What are you talking about?”
Still, he deflected first. He couldn’t afford to lose face in front of all these people.
“How dare you walk in here without knowing where you are? This is no place for an ignorant wretch like you.”
When Jwa Sang Cheon’s expression turned grave, Jang Hak eagerly stepped forward beside him. The wine had stripped away his judgment, and the presence of Mo Jung Hyeon and Yun Sang Han bolstered his courage.
One of them was the senior instructor of Yunyang Martial Academy, among Lanzhou’s finest; the other was an Outer Disciple of Gongdong Sect. By any reasonable measure, he had nothing to fear.
Mo Jung Hyeon rose as well, smiling.
“It seems you’re still ignorant of how the world works. I don’t know what quarrel you have with Jwa, but this isn’t the place for it. This space was specially provided to us by Yi Shin Pung. Such disturbances from outsiders benefit no one here.”
Though both Jang Hak and Mo Jung Hyeon had stepped in, Yun Sang Han remained seated, seeing no need to involve himself.
But Dam Ho didn’t spare them a glance. His gaze remained fixed solely on Jwa Sang Cheon.
Dam Ho’s lips opened again.
“Why did you do it?”
“Do what? I have no idea what you’re babbling about.”
Jwa Sang Cheon kept up his denial.
In a moment of drunken impulse, he’d made his way to the stables. The image of Heuk Gwi wouldn’t leave his mind.
The beast’s coat—jet black from head to hoof, not a single coarse hair mingled in—was pure temptation.
He’d slipped a few coins to the stable hands and tried to mount Heuk Gwi. But the beast fought him like a thing possessed.
Enraged, Jwa Sang Cheon had beaten Heuk Gwi savagely with the whip lying nearby. Yet the beast held firm, refusing to bear him no matter how hard the blows fell.
Exhausted at last, Jwa Sang Cheon had returned here and resumed drinking to pass the time.
Whatever the justification, the fact remained: he had struck Heuk Gwi, and it was shameful—something that could never come to light.
It was then that Moon Su Gyeong, having regained her senses, interjected.
“What did you do?”
“Silence! What do you mean ‘what did I do’? Are you taking the word of some outsider over mine—the First Disciple of Hyun Hyun Moon?”
“What on earth are you—”
Disappointment crossed Moon Su Gyeong’s face.
They’d lived together, seeing each other daily, for over a decade. She could read truth from falsehood in his expression alone.
The sorrow in Moon Su Gyeong’s eyes made Jwa Sang Cheon’s shame cut even deeper.
He whirled on Dam Ho and roared.
“Fine! I wanted to ride your beast. So what? What’s the problem with trying it once?”
“Problem?”
“Yeah, problem. You goddamn bastard!”
Rage consuming him, Jwa Sang Cheon forgot his fear and hurled a fist at Dam Ho.
It was no ordinary punch. It carried the subtlety of the Nam Myung Fist, Hyun Hyun Moon’s secret art.
A killing strike flew toward Dam Ho.
“Brother!”
Moon Su Gyeong screamed in shock, squeezing her eyes shut.
Boom!

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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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