Fist Demon of Mount Hua ( Novel ) - Chapter 217
Chapter 217. Different Paths Lead to Different Destinations (2)
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“Damn! The stench is still lingering. Ugh! Ptooey!”
Cho Yeon-woon cursed and spat on the ground.
He shuddered as if recalling something horrific and hurried his steps.
Hae So-wol followed closely beside him.
“Don’t take it too hard, Brother Cho.”
Though she said this, her expression wasn’t particularly bright either.
“Are you alright, Miss Hae?”
“I’m fine.”
“Damn it all!”
“Brother Cho!”
“I don’t know why I always feel so disgusted when we meet them.”
“I understand.”
“Already lusting after merit.”
Cho Yeon-woon shook his head as if nauseated.
The atmosphere of the meeting inside the pavilion was terrible. Everyone was speaking indirectly due to formalities, but the content was simple.
They wanted to distinguish themselves by achieving merits in the war against the Demon Cult.
They saw the war with the Demon Cult as a golden opportunity to solidify their positions.
Troubled times always need heroes, and if one could achieve great feats in such a massive war, they could instantly become a hero of the murim.
If that happened, they could break free from Gu Mu-ryong’s shadow and be recognized as one of the top masters in the murim. Just like Dam-ho.
Though they were of similar age, no one in the murim considered Dam-ho on the same level as Gu Mu-ryong.
Dam-ho’s actions so far had been too extraordinary. That’s why he was recognized as one of the top masters in the murim, surpassing even the Nine Elders.
What Gu Mu-ryong desired was a reputation surpassing Dam-ho’s. Though no one said it outright, their eyes were full of ambition.
This included not only Nam Hak, who usually opposed Cho Yeon-woon, but even Jin Mu-yeong of the Wudang sect, who was considered the best among Gu Mu-ryong’s disciples.
They wanted to get information about Dam-ho from Cho Yeon-woon. Even trivial details that would be useless to others were precious to them.
Cho Yeon-woon became fed up with their persistent gazes and roundabout way of speaking.
“If you need fame so badly, why don’t you just fight on the front lines? Why do you need information about Dam-ho?”
“They’re probably afraid.”
“Of what? Dam-ho?”
“Yes. He’s someone who instills fear in everyone.”
“But it’s too petty.”
“It’s fortunate.”
“What is?”
“That he has someone like you, Brother Cho. He won’t be lonely with you around.”
“Hey! What do you mean?”
Cho Yeon-woon waved his hands with an embarrassed expression. Hae So-wol smiled faintly.
Hae So-wol envied Cho Yeon-woon.
At least he could express his feelings honestly. Unlike herself.
‘I’m no different from them. I too need to distinguish myself in this war for the honor of my sect.’
The Haenam sect, which had always been her pride, was now holding her back. She felt regretful about this fact.
Hae So-wol shook her head to clear her thoughts.
The annex came into view ahead. Following Cho Yeon-woon, they had arrived here without realizing it.
A strong smell of medicinal decoction wafted from the annex. Jong Ri-yeon was brewing medicine again.
“Senior Brother Cho.”
Just then, a woman of indescribable age approached Cho Yeon-woon. It was Dan Hwa-ran, the leader of the Secret Battle Faction.
She still called him senior brother since they had once trained together at the Hundred Battles Sect.
“You’ve worked hard.”
“Why are you here only now?”
“Did something happen?”
Sensing something unusual in Dan Hwa-ran’s voice, Cho Yeon-woon quickly asked.
“Sir Dam-ho and Sage Hyeon-geom went outside.”
“The two of them?”
“Yes!”
“When?”
“They left two hours ago and haven’t returned yet.”
“Damn it!”
Cho Yeon-woon reacted immediately.
Warning bells rang in his head.
He knew better than anyone that the relationship between the two was not good. If they fought again, it would be difficult to expect a good resolution like before.
“Where?”
“They went towards the open space to the east.”
“I’ll go check first.”
Cho Yeon-woon quickly ran in the direction Dan Hwa-ran indicated. She watched him disappear with a worried expression.
“That reckless fool. I hope he’s careful.”
Dan Hwa-ran’s voice was full of concern for Cho Yeon-woon.
Hae So-wol silently observed Dan Hwa-ran.
‘Miss Dan likes Brother Cho.’
There was an atmosphere that could be felt without words. It was in Dan Hwa-ran’s eyes.
Cho Yeon-woon used his lightness skill, hoping that no catastrophe had occurred. If Dam-ho accidentally killed Sage Hyeon-geom, it would be impossible to salvage the situation.
“Please…”
Cho Yeon-woon muttered as he entered the eastern clearing.
Suddenly, his steps halted. Something felt off.
The unusually heavy air and chilling sensation tickled the back of his neck.
Thud!
Just then, a hand grasped his shoulder.
“Dam-ho!”
Cho Yeon-woon brightened. The owner of the hand was Dam-ho.
In that moment, Cho Yeon-woon’s eyes wavered. The front of Dam-ho’s chest was slashed open. A streak of blood was visible between the cut fabric.
It was such a fine bloodstain that it could be mistaken for a simple red line if not examined closely.
The moment he saw the bloodstain, Cho Yeon-woon felt goosebumps rise all over his body.
‘A sword wound of unimaginable sharpness.’
Just as he was about to open his mouth, Dam-ho pointed to one side of the clearing.
There stood Sage Hyeon-geom.
With his eyes tightly closed, using his sword as a support, his appearance resembled a stone statue.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, wind blew around him.
Sage Hyeon-geom’s disheveled hair fluttered in the wind.
“What?”
The wind swirling around Sage Hyeon-geom suddenly stopped. And then came a moment of silence.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the air in the area was sucked towards Sage Hyeon-geom, causing Dam-ho and Cho Yeon-woon’s clothes to flutter violently in the wind.
“Ah!”
Cho Yeon-woon finally realized.
That Sage Hyeon-geom’s martial arts had advanced. The anomaly just now was a phenomenon caused by Sage Hyeon-geom’s enlightenment.
‘What kind of realization could he have gained?’
The atmosphere emanating from Sage Hyeon-geom was unusual.
Dam-ho gazed at Sage Hyeon-geom with deeply sunken eyes.
The way of humanity lies in the heart.
The sword of the heart is the sword of heaven.
These were the words Sage Hyeon-geom had unconsciously uttered while fighting Dam-ho. He had revealed his insight in a moment of sudden enlightenment.
Originally, even if others knew about one’s insights, they were useless unless the meaning was fully understood. But Dam-ho was different.
Sage Hyeon-geom’s insight had some similarities with the Heavy Heaven Heart Technique that Dam-ho had learned.
The Heavy Heaven Heart Technique, an ancient martial art of Mount Hua forgotten by people. Though it had now been absorbed into the Dark Soul Heart Technique, that phrase remained intact in Dam-ho’s memory.
Perhaps that’s why Sage Hyeon-geom’s insight caused great ripples in Dam-ho’s heart.
At that moment, Sage Hyeon-geom opened his eyes.
An intense divine light burst forth from his eyes. The piercing gaze that seemed to penetrate one’s chest soon faded.
Normally, Sage Hyeon-geom’s gaze was extremely intense. But now his eyes looked no different from an ordinary person’s. They even seemed more gentle.
Cho Yeon-woon didn’t know what realm Sage Hyeon-geom had entered. But one thing was certain.
‘Sage Hyeon-geom has crossed a barrier.’
No one could know what kind of barrier it was. It could be a low wall that even a child could cross, or it could be as high as Mount Tai.
Cho Yeon-woon was curious about what achievement Sage Hyeon-geom had gained. But he couldn’t discern anything from his outward appearance.
“Hoo!”
Sage Hyeon-geom took a deep breath, gathering all his energy.
He walked towards Dam-ho.
“Thank you.”
“…”
“I will never forget this debt.”
The moment Sage Hyeon-geom gained enlightenment, he was completely defenseless. If someone unknowingly disturbed him, his blood flow could have been disrupted and his heart vessels could have burst, causing instant death.
Dam-ho had stood guard for Sage Hyeon-geom during that time.
‘I lost. Completely.’
Sage Hyeon-geom smiled an archaic smile.
He didn’t feel bad about it.
“Hahaha!”
Sage Hyeon-geom suddenly burst into loud laughter.
There was no envy, no jealousy. It was a clear laugh like that of a child, without regret or obsession, spreading far into the sky.
‘Not bad.’
Dam-ho turned around.
***
Jong Ri-yeon was the first to greet Dam-ho when he returned to the annex.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine.”
“Really?”
Jong Ri-yeon examined Dam-ho’s body and discovered the sword wound on his chest.
“You’re injured again.”
“Mm!”
“Sit down for a moment.”
Jong Ri-yeon forcibly sat Dam-ho down and closely examined the wound. Then she was surprised.
“Is this really a sword wound? How can it be so sharp…”
“…”
The more she examined the wound, the more surprised Jong Ri-yeon became.
If the wound had been just a bit deeper, it would have not only severed Dam-ho’s heart meridian but also split his heart in two.
Jong Ri-yeon quickly applied hemostatic powder and performed acupuncture. Dam-ho didn’t move until she finished her treatment.
“Thank you!”
“No need to thank me.”
Jong Ri-yeon looked up at Dam-ho.
Dam-ho still had an expressionless face with eyes devoid of emotion. As if he were someone who didn’t know pain.
‘A person born to fight.’
Suddenly, she felt pity.
Dam-ho’s life had been a continuous struggle.
From the moment his village was devastated by bandits when he was born, there hadn’t been a single peaceful day in his life.
He fought to survive another day, and such days repeated endlessly. For over a decade.
Anyone who had such experiences would inevitably change their personality like Dam-ho.
Prioritizing one’s own survival and considering everything that opposes it as an enemy.
Only then did Jong Ri-yeon feel she could fully understand Dam-ho as a person.
‘This person is neither a devil nor a cold-blooded person without blood or tears. He has simply sealed away all unnecessary emotions to survive.’
The scent of blood emanating from Dam-ho’s body was evidence of his struggle to protect his life. Perhaps the blood scent would never disappear from his body in the future.
The murim was heading towards chaos.
It was impossible to predict how many more people would die in the war between the Demonic Cult and the Murim Alliance. In such a world, it was impossible for Dam-ho alone to live peacefully.
Who knew how many more hardships awaited him. And with Dam-ho’s personality, he would never avoid them.
Dam-ho would return with even more wounds.
Suddenly, Jong Ri-yeon slapped Dam-ho’s back with her palm.
Slap!
A crisp sound rang out.
As Dam-ho looked at her, Jong Ri-yeon said with a bright smile:
“Just stay alive no matter what. Even if your arm is cut off, even if there’s a hole in your chest, just stay alive. As long as you don’t stop breathing, I’ll find a way to save you somehow. Got it?”