Fist Demon of Mount Hua ( Novel ) - Chapter 255
Chapter 255 – Finding One’s Place After Coming Full Circle (2)
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The Murim Alliance headquarters existed in Yueyang by Dongting Lake.
Though the Murim Alliance was established here not long ago, its scale was tremendous enough to be called the greatest under heaven.
Numerous palace complexes visible above the high walls showed the Murim Alliance’s might. When the Murim Alliance was first established, they filled positions by drafting forces from each sect, but now their influence had expanded enough to raise their own warriors.
Especially with war breaking out against the Demon Cult, warriors and wanderers seeking refuge came to the Murim Alliance voluntarily. Thanks to this, the number of warriors stationed at the Murim Alliance already exceeded ten thousand.
The Murim Alliance’s might had reached its peak. But separately from that, ugly scars remained on the Murim Alliance’s walls and halls. They were traces of severe damage from the Demon Cult’s recent surprise attack.
The Demon Cult’s attack came like lightning. No one had expected their surprise attack. Fortunately Alliance Leader Nam Cheon-san led the elites to respond quickly and repel the enemies, but they still suffered heavy losses.
The number of warriors who died or were injured that day alone exceeded a thousand. It was truly enormous human casualties.
Setting aside human casualties, the biggest problem was that the Murim Alliance’s dignity had fallen to the ground. Because of this, the Murim Alliance’s atmosphere was very depressed.
After the Murim Alliance was attacked, Namgung Chang who had been at Shaolin quickly returned with his forces.
The Murim Alliance’s leadership was gathered in the Alliance Leader’s hall. The expressions of the leaders including Nam Cheon-san were extremely gloomy.
Since the great war with the Demon Cult broke out, the Murim Alliance had achieved nothing notable. Rather, they lost the Shaozhou branch, and couldn’t provide any help when Zhongnan Sect and Mount Hua Sect suffered bloody catastrophes.
The Murim Alliance’s reason for existence was protecting the murim from the Demon Cult, but by failing to respond properly they only lost trust. Because of this, the Murim Alliance’s leadership felt a great sense of crisis.
Silence filled the hall. Including Alliance Leader Nam Cheon-san, no one easily opened their mouth.
That’s how gloomy the atmosphere was.
After a long time passed, the first to speak was Alliance Leader Nam Cheon-san.
“Military Advisor.”
“Please speak, Alliance Leader.”
“You must have had a hard time visiting Shaolin.”
“What hardship? I just went and came back, that’s all.”
Namhung Chang smiled bitterly.
Leading support forces to Shaolin was entirely his judgment. He had predicted the Demon Cult would launch a major offensive against Shaolin.
Actually, the information he had gathered using the Murim Alliance’s intelligence organization also said so.
Shaolin was the core of the murim. If Shaolin fell, it would be no different from half the murim falling. So he went to protect Shaolin, but the Demon Cult struck unexpectedly at Zhongnan Sect and Mount Hua Sect.
Namgung Chang had no excuses even with ten mouths. Zhongnan Sect and Mount Hua Sect were members of the Nine Great Sects. Their collapse meant the contraction of Murim Alliance forces.
Nam Cheon-san looked around the hall’s leadership with heavy eyes.
“You all must know. That our Alliance faces its greatest crisis now. Because we achieved nothing notable in the war with the Demon Cult, talk about questioning the Murim Alliance’s usefulness is slowly emerging from some corners of the murim.”
“Who dares?”
“Is this true, Alliance Leader?”
The leaders who had kept their lips tightly sealed raised their heads and looked at Nam Cheon-san. At their appearance, Nam Cheon-san softly sighed.
“Sigh! It’s true.”
“Who dares speak of the Murim Alliance’s uselessness? Such people are traitors destroying the Murim Alliance’s authority. They must be rooted out immediately.”
The one raising his voice was Jang Hak, appointed as the Murim Alliance’s Outer Hall Master. His title was Heroic Wind Blade. He gained such a title for wielding a ruthless blade.
“Right. Such people are of no help to the Murim Alliance.”
“When we should unite as one, they plot division. We must never forgive them.”
Several warriors agreed with Jang Hak’s words. Nam Cheon-san shook his head at this.
“That’s not what’s important. What’s important is that the Murim Alliance has shown nothing in this fight. Like this, what warriors would follow the Murim Alliance? Military Advisor.”
“Yes, Alliance Leader.”
“What do you think?”
“It is as you say, Alliance Leader. We cannot continue like this.”
“Then what should we do? Setting aside other matters, Zhongnan Sect and Mount Hua Sect have taken heavy damage. They are both pillars of the Murim Alliance. Shouldn’t we support them somehow?”
“Regarding support for the two sects, we should be somewhat cautious.”
“Cautious? Are you saying we should just leave them be like this?”
“Both sects have powerful potential. Even without the Murim Alliance’s support, they can survive by their own strength.”
“Military Advisor.”
Nam Cheon-san raised his voice. Anger appeared on his face. But Namgung Chang’s expression showed not a trace of wavering as he looked at him.
“Please speak, Alliance Leader.”
“How can you say that now? Though Zhongnan Sect’s damage was relatively less, Mount Hua Sect took tremendous damage. According to intelligence, almost all their elders died and only young disciples barely survived. If we just ignore them, Mount Hua Sect will disappear into the back pages of history.”
“I understand your concern well, Alliance Leader. However, for us to support Mount Hua Sect, we must accept massive bleeding.”
“Bleeding?”
“Between Yueyang where the Murim Alliance is and Huayin County where Mount Hua Sect is, is over several thousand li. Physically and geographically, to support them we must expend massive human and material resources. Even accepting such enormous bleeding to support Mount Hua Sect, restoring their spirit in the short term is impossible. Then perhaps we should divert the resources and forces for supporting Mount Hua Sect elsewhere.”
“What?”
Nam Cheon-san’s face twisted.
Now Namgung Chang was blatantly refusing support for Mount Hua Sect.
‘Hah! Blinded by grudge against Fist Demon. To refuse support for Mount Hua Sect like this.’
The Murim Alliance’s Military Advisor needed to maintain colder reason than anyone. Yet because of personal grudge, Namgung Chang was giving nonsensical answers. The problem was that many were agreeing with Namgung Chang’s opinion.
“Sigh!”
Nam Cheon-san unconsciously sighed.
Namgung Chang looked at such a Nam Cheon-san and continued speaking…. “Mount Hua has tremendous potential. Even without the Murim Alliance’s help, they will surely rise by their own strength. So let’s divert the forces for supporting Mount Hua elsewhere.”
“Elsewhere?”
“With that level of forces, we can surely find the Demon Cult’s headquarters.”
“Hmm!”
“The moment we find the enemy’s headquarters, we launch a major counterattack. That is the only way to restore the Murim Alliance’s dignity.”
Namgung Chang’s confident voice echoed in the room, and everyone listened to his words.
***
After the great clash at Mount Hua, the war between Demon Cult and righteous sects entered a temporary lull. The Demon Cult suffered unexpected heavy losses at Mount Hua. Above all, four of the Seven Great Demon Masters being killed by Dam-ho was a major blow.
Four of the Seven Great Demon Masters dying was an enormous shock even to the Demon Cult. Time was needed to overcome the shock. Because of this, the Demon Cult restrained external activities and took time to reorganize their forces.
For the Murim Alliance and martial sects who had been heavily pressured, it was news as sweet as rain on dry fields. Thanks to this, they too could have leisure to gather their scattered forces.
Namgung Chang quickly returned to the Murim Alliance and reorganized forces, and Shaolin Temple and other Nine Great Sects and various family sects also gathered their forces while temporary peace came to the murim.
However, people knew. That when this brief peace they were enjoying passed, an unmanageable great storm would blow. Still, many enjoyed and rejoiced in the brief peace.
But there were sects and people who couldn’t enjoy the peace. The warriors of Zhongnan Sect and Mount Hua Sect who suffered the greatest damage were like that. The fall of Zhongnan Sect and Mount Hua Sect brought contraction to Shaanxi’s murim.
Small and medium sects and warriors restrained external activities, and because of this Shaanxi’s murim entered a long dark age.
Huayin County where Mount Hua was located also lost vitality. There was no life in the faces of people walking the streets, and streets and inns that would normally be bustling with people were empty.
A shabby carriage was entering such Huayin County streets. As if having traveled a long way, dusty haze was thickly gathered on the carriage roof.
As they entered Huayin County, someone revealed their face as the carriage window opened.
“Hmm!”
The one letting out a contemplative sound seeing lifeless Huayin County was Sage Hyeon-so. Jong Ri-yeon was riding beside Sage Hyeon-so.
“Mount Hua has lost its spirit.”
Sage Hyeon-so let out a sigh.
Muk Il-gwang returning to Mount Huang was just half a month ago. As soon as he heard from Muk Il-gwang that Mount Hua Sect had suffered heavy damage, he immediately set out to return.
Though they rode horses without rest, it took half a month. During that time, his heart had rotted with worry.
Mount Hua was his everything. Though he left Mount Hua due to conflict with Sage Hyeon-cheon, there wasn’t a moment he didn’t think of Mount Hua.
While passing through Huayin County toward Mount Hua, Sage Hyeon-so’s face wouldn’t brighten. Jong Ri-yeon watched such an Sage Hyeon-so’s face with a worried expression.
The entire way here, Sage Hyeon-so hadn’t properly slept even once. Naturally she couldn’t help but worry.
That’s when the driver spoke.
“We’ve arrived, Sage.”
The driver was Muk Il-gwang. Having traveled far in a short time, exhaustion was evident on his face. But his eyes shone clearer than ever.
“Hah!”
Sage Hyeon-so who got off the carriage let out a sigh.
The sight of Jade Spring Temple, Mount Hua’s gateway, completely destroyed entered his eyes. Usually numerous Mount Hua Sect warriors stayed at Jade Spring Temple, but now only ruins remained.
No human presence was felt, only evil energy was full. At the unfamiliar sight and eerie feeling, Sage Hyeon-so closed his eyes tightly.
“How did Mount Hua…”
“Are you alright, Sage?”
“I’m fine.”
Sage Hyeon-so tried to maintain a composed expression at Jong Ri-yeon’s question. But his pupils contained undeniable wavering.
Sage Hyeon-so and Jong Ri-yeon got off the carriage. The children Sage Hyeon-so cared for followed behind.
Sage Hyeon-so led Jong Ri-yeon and the children up Mount Hua.
Mount Hua’s difficult paths represented by Thousand Chi Hall and Hundred Chi Gorge remained the same. The beautiful scenery also remained the same. But there were no people.
Usually by this point climbing up, they would have seen at least dozens of Mount Hua Sect disciples. Though Mount Hua was wide and high, disciples were stationed throughout.
Sage Hyeon-so found Mount Hua’s silence unfamiliar. The Mount Hua remaining in his memories was always full of vitality. But such scenes had become distant memories.
Sage Hyeon-so climbed Mount Hua while trying to maintain a calm expression. But as he climbed Mount Hua, his expression gradually twisted, and finally when he arrived at Blue Dragon Ridge he was shedding tears.
“Original Heavenly Lord…”
Mount Hua Sect that had become like ruins spread before his eyes. The classical halls were either miserably collapsed or burned with only traces remaining. Sage Hyeon-so was speechless at the miserable scenery so different from the Mount Hua in his memories.
“Senior Uncle!”
A group ran from a ruined Taoist temple in the distance. Sage Hyeon-so recognized them.
“Woon Kyung, Myung Kyung.”
The ones running like wind using lightness skills were Woon Kyung and Myung Kyung. They immediately bowed their heads upon reaching Sage Hyeon-so.
“Senior Uncle!”
“You’ve returned.”
Their shoulders trembled slightly.
All the sect’s elders had died. Now the fact that they were Mount Hua Sect’s greatest elders weighed heavily on their shoulders. In such a situation, when Sage Hyeon-so who could be trusted and relied on as an elder appeared, their emotions unconsciously became excited.
Tears flowed automatically upon seeing Sage Hyeon-so’s face.
“It’s alright. It’s alright.”
“Senior Uncle!”
“Sob!”
Sage Hyeon-so patted their backs.
At that warm temperature and voice, the two felt an inexplicable sense of relief.
Sage Hyeon-so’s heart also ached as if being torn. But he couldn’t show sadness before the sobbing disciples.
He tried to speak calmly.
“Decades ago too, Mount Hua Sect suffered bloody catastrophe. Even when everyone said it was impossible, Mount Hua Sect rose. Having risen once, what’s to stop rising twice? Don’t be sad. Your senior brothers in the afterlife wouldn’t want you crying.”
“Yes, Senior Uncle.”
“Sorry for showing such an unseemly sight.”
Only then did Woon Kyung and Myung Kyung gather their excited emotions.
They realized.
What a great blessing it was to have an elder the sect could trust and rely on. Just the fact that Sage Hyeon-so was beside them made their hearts feel full.
Woon Kyung and Myung Kyung looked at Sage Hyeon-so’s face. Only then could they see the mystical energy in Sage Hyeon-so’s eyes…. The mystical energy-filled gaze that couldn’t be seen even in Sage Hyeon-geom or Sage Hyeon-cheon made Woon Kyung and Myung Kyung’s hearts comfortable. They thought if Immortals really existed, they would have eyes like this.
‘Has Senior Uncle realized the Way?’
Such a thought suddenly came. If they had such thoughts just from eyes, everyone would call them crazy. But the two couldn’t erase such thoughts. That’s how deep the mystical energy contained in Sage Hyeon-so’s eyes was.
Only then could they understand Dam-ho’s words.
Sage Hyeon-so clearly wasn’t someone who could step forward and lead the sect like Sage Hyeon-cheon or Sage Hyeon-geom. But just his presence alone was enough to unite Mount Hua’s disciples.