Fist Demon of Mount Hua - Chapter 96

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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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Chapter 95. Dragons and Tigers Gather in One Place—2
Dam Ho’s brow twitched at the unexpected remark. At that, Gi Ye Hwa’s smile turned all the more alluring.
“This time I’m not taking payment in advance or changing the terms midway, so there’s no issue, is there?”
The memory of last time remained vivid in her mind.
She had merely added one more thing to the original price, yet Dam Ho had reacted so violently.
He always honors what he promises, but when the other party breaks their word, he responds with an intensity that seems almost excessive.
In short, as long as the original promise is kept, there’s no problem. That’s why she wanted a favor as payment rather than money.
Dam Ho asked.
“What do you want?”
“Help us just once, whenever we need it.”
“Why? Ha O Moon’s military strength shouldn’t be weak.”
“I’m not sure if you’re aware, but right now the area around Dong Jeong Lake is like the calm before a storm. Gu Dae Moon Pa and O Dae Se Ga are holding a gathering, and countless masters are arriving. There hasn’t been a situation like this in over a century.”
Because of this, Ha O Moon was now on high alert.
The number of martial artists arriving from Gu Dae Moon Pa and O Dae Se Ga already exceeded five hundred.
The Ak Yang Geom Moon, said to be the tyrant of Ak Yang, could be completely annihilated before a single night passed—such was their overwhelming force.
Naturally, not only Ak Yang but the entire Jianghu of Ho Nam was thrown into turmoil. Ha O Moon’s Ak Yang branch was no exception.
This was beyond what they could handle. No matter how great Ha O Moon was, they could not match a massive faction like Gu Dae Moon Pa.
Therefore, they needed countermeasures.
Gi Ye Hwa had chosen Dam Ho as that countermeasure.
Dam Ho possessed nearly perfect qualifications.
Formidable martial power, decisive execution, and a ruthless heart to match.
Continuing to trade with him would be a burden, but receiving help once when needed should pose no problem.
Dam Ho’s eyes narrowed.
He had immediately seen through Gi Ye Hwa’s true intentions.
‘She’s also calculating that she can discard me if necessary without consequence.’
Dam Ho and Ha O Moon were connected by transaction alone; there was no loyalty or personal affection between them.
“What will you do? It’s a fair proposal where no one loses.”
……
“All we want is one instance of your help while you’re in Ak Yang. You get to learn Jo Yun San’s whereabouts, and we gain a reliable shield. What do you say?”
“If I refuse?”
“Then I’ll have to find Jo Yun San’s whereabouts myself.”
Even as she spoke, Gi Ye Hwa was tense. If Dam Ho refused again and flew into a rage, Ha O Moon had no way to stop him.
Dam Ho did not answer quickly.
Gi Ye Hwa felt her lips go dry and her heart pound hard. Depending on Dam Ho’s answer, the course of action she would need to take would differ entirely.
Though she wished he would show some sign of emotion, Dam Ho maintained his silence. It was Gi Ye Hwa whose insides burned.
But she could say nothing now. The die had been cast; all that remained was to wait for the result.
After a long stretch of time, Dam Ho spoke.
“Fine. I’ll make the deal.”
“You won’t regret it.”
Only then did a bright smile bloom across Gi Ye Hwa’s face.
Ordinarily she showed little emotional change, but now joy was written plainly across her features. It showed how tense she had been.
For Dam Ho, too, it was not an unfavorable proposal.
He was not the sort of man to care what the world thought. He had already accumulated enough karma. Adding one more to the pile would change nothing.
“I promise you. I will find Jo Yun San’s whereabouts with greater priority than anything else.”
“Wait then.”
Dam Ho nodded and rose from his seat.
With business concluded, there was no reason to remain here.
Gi Ye Hwa watched his departing figure in silence.
Click.
At last the door closed and Dam Ho vanished from sight.
“He really is willful.”
Her heart grew complicated in many ways.
＊＊＊
A woman was climbing the stairs. The tan skin glimpsed between the tiger-striped vest called to mind a wild mare.
Her name was Hwang Hye Ryeong, and she was the daughter of Hwang Gyeong Moon, the master of all the Nok Lim Eighteen Strongholds.
Having grown up in the Nok Lim strongholds from childhood, she possessed a freer spirit than most. Yet this did not mean she was ignorant of the world’s ways or reckless.
Hwang Gyeong Moon had devoted great care to her education. He had appointed renowned masters from the Nok Lim strongholds as her teachers, and Hwang Hye Ryeong absorbed their teachings and demonstrated remarkable achievement.
Thanks to this, her martial skill ranked high even among the Nok Lim Eighteen Strongholds. But what set her apart more than her martial prowess was that she was quite beautiful, and moreover, possessed a sharp mind.
“So many have arrived.”
Her face, as she surveyed Ak Yang in all its corners, was filled with grave concern.
The streets were unusually crowded with martial artists today. From what she could gather, more than two hundred had already flowed into Ak Yang.
It was hard even to guess how many more would arrive in the days ahead.
No matter how it was dressed up, the Nok Lim Eighteen Strongholds were ultimately a band of brigands. Their true concern was not the constabulary, but the great sects—chief among them the Gu Dae Moon Pa.
Since the Demonic Sect’s fall, major sects like the Gu Dae Moon Pa had periodically purged the strongholds to win public favor.
Had not an exceptional martial artist like Hwang Gyeong Moon unified the Nok Lim Eighteen Strongholds, they would have crumbled to dust long ago.
For this reason, the strongholds kept their ears keen to the movements of the great sects. Especially during gatherings of this scale—they had no choice but to be vigilant. It was a matter of survival itself.
“What on earth brings them all together?”
Hwang Hye Ryeong felt she needed to know the reason. Only then could she devise a fundamental response.
Hwang Hye Ryeong walked and walked.
By now, she could navigate every street of Ak Yang with her eyes closed.
“Goodness, even walking grows wearisome.”
Hwang Hye Ryeong came to a halt by the shore of Dong Jeong Lake.
The sun was setting. The surface of the water, stained gold, dazzled her eyes with its glow.
Hwang Hye Ryeong stood motionless, gazing at the sight.
She had watched sunsets from the mountains many times. She had thought them unremarkable. Yet here, watching the sun sink into the lake, she felt an unfamiliar stirring in her heart.
“How beautiful.”
As the words escaped her lips unbidden, she noticed a man walking along the shore of Dong Jeong Lake.
Black hair, a dark leather coat draped over his shoulders—something about him arrested her gaze. Perhaps it was because he was limping slightly.
The man passed by her without acknowledgment.
“You…….”
Hwang Hye Ryeong began to call out but stopped herself.
A fishing boat was drawing toward the shore where she stood.
“Look! A boat’s coming in!”
“Father!”
A middle-aged woman and a boy who appeared to be her son came running down the slope from the lakeshore.
“Ha ha!”
The fisherman descended from his vessel and threw his arms wide open.
The boy bounded forward and leapt into the fisherman’s embrace. The fisherman caught him and held him close.
“You rascal—jumping around like that, you’ll hurt yourself.”
“Did you catch many fish?”
“Of course! Want to see?”
“Yes!”
The boy climbed down from the fisherman’s arms and clambered into the small boat. Inside lay a considerable catch of fish.
“Wow!”
The boy gasped with delight.
The fisherman and the woman laughed at his wonder.
It was an ordinary family going about ordinary life. Yet Hwang Hye Ryeong found herself unable to look away, so moved was she by the sight.
She came to herself only after a long while had passed. By then, the fisherman’s family had already placed their catch into a basket and were making their way up the slope.
“Ah.”
A basket hung from one of the fisherman’s shoulders, while his other hand held the boy’s hand. His wife followed at his side.
Hwang Hye Ryeong watched their receding forms for a long time. Only then did she notice she was not alone in watching them.
It was the man she had seen before.
Black hair, dark coat, and a limp—the same man.
He stood like a tree, utterly still, observing the fisherman’s family. Then, as if nothing had happened, he resumed his walk.
Tears welled in Hwang Hye Ryeong’s eyes.
“Why am I……crying?”
Bewildered by emotions she could not explain, Hwang Hye Ryeong felt her composure falter.
She wiped her eyes with her sleeve.
By the time she had dried her tears, the man in the dark coat had vanished from view.
“Who was that?”
The question hung unanswered when—
“Young lady!”
A gruff voice called from behind her. Hwang Hye Ryeong turned to see a familiar face.
It was a giant of seven feet, bearing an enormous Battle Axe across his back.
The moment the giant appeared, everyone nearby froze.
‘Gasp!’
‘What kind of gaze is that……’
The fierce visage and murderous eyes made hearts clench. People hurried to avert their gaze, afraid he might look their way.
At their reaction, Hwang Hye Ryeong let out a soft sigh.
“Sigh—that’s exactly why I wanted to keep him separate.”
The giant’s name was Muk Il Gwang. It was the title Hwang Gyeong Moon had given her as a guard.
After becoming the chief of the Nok Lim Eighteen Strongholds, Hwang Gyeong Moon had selected young, talented individuals from each stronghold and formed a single martial force. This was the Deung Ryong Dae.
When Hwang Gyeong Moon first announced the creation of the Deung Ryong Dae, all the strongholds had opposed it. There was concern that if talented individuals were drawn away from each stronghold, only empty shells would remain.
However, Hwang Gyeong Moon had replenished the military strength of each stronghold by the same amount as the talented individuals he had taken, and now, more than a decade later, no one spoke of that decision as a mistake.
The Deung Ryong Dae, having undergone rigorous training for over ten years, had grown into the Nok Lim’s greatest military force. Every time a problem arose in the Nok Lim, the Deung Ryong Dae stepped forward to resolve it, and so they now commanded complete trust.
Muk Il Gwang was precisely a martial artist from the Deung Ryong Dae.
By rights, he should have been the commander of the Deung Ryong Dae. But instead of taking that position, Muk Il Gwang had volunteered to serve as Hwang Hye Ryeong’s guard.
His appearance was that of a ferocious demon, yet in truth, his heart was purer and kinder than anyone’s.
But people had no interest in such inner qualities. All they saw was Muk Il Gwang’s outward appearance.
Most people would lose consciousness merely from the murderous gleam in his eyes. Especially timid children and women would often faint at the mere sight of him.
Because of this, he could scarcely accompany her anywhere. His striking appearance and murderous gaze alone drew the attention of countless people wherever he went.
For Hwang Hye Ryeong, who preferred to move as quietly as possible, Muk Il Gwang’s appearance was an inescapable burden.
“I told you not to come to Ak Yang if you could help it.”
“It was unavoidable, miss.”
Unlike usual, when Muk Il Gwang would have flushed with embarrassment, his expression now had hardened like stone.
Only then did Hwang Hye Ryeong sense that something was amiss.
“What’s wrong?”
“The movements of Heuk Su Jae are not ordinary.”
“You don’t mean—”
“Yes. They seem to have judged this the perfect opportunity. Geum Ho Jae and Baek Nok Jae are openly siding with them. Beyond that, I cannot say how many other strongholds have already fallen under Heuk Su Jae’s sway.”
Hwang Hye Ryeong’s complexion darkened at Muk Il Gwang’s explanation.
“How much time do you think we have?”
“There is still some margin, but not a great deal. We must return to the stronghold as quickly as possible.”
“Understood. But there is something I must do first.”
“I am aware. However, you must conclude it as swiftly as you can. That is why I came to tell you.”
“I understand.”
Hwang Hye Ryeong moved forward with a hardened expression. Muk Il Gwang followed silently behind her.
Within moments, they had disappeared into the crowd.

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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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