Fist Demon of Mount Hua ( Novel ) - Chapter 259
Chapter 259 – Time Flows Like Water (3)
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The woman removed her bamboo hat. Her hair like black silk flowed down over her shoulders like a waterfall. But she still kept the cotton gauze covering her face.
Eun So-cheong looked directly at the woman. The woman didn’t avoid her gaze. Her pitch-black eyes like obsidian were so deep their depths couldn’t be fathomed.
“Why are you going to Mount Hua?”
“I have someone to meet.”
“Who is it?”
“Sorry, Miss Eun. I can’t answer that.”
“Shouldn’t you answer at least that much when getting a free carriage ride?”
“You’ll naturally find out when we reach Mount Hua.”
“Hmm! Sister, you have many secrets.”
That’s when it happened.
“Young Lady! Is something wrong?”
Jeok Yong-cheon’s voice came from outside the carriage.
Silence briefly fell in the carriage.
Eun So-cheong looked at the woman with furrowed brows. But no ripples appeared in the woman’s obsidian-like eyes.
“Just talking to myself. Nothing’s wrong.”
“Understood, Young Lady.”
Jeok Yong-cheon’s presence moved away from the carriage.
The woman slightly bowed her head.
“Thank you, Miss Eun.”
“Tch! I had no choice. Seems I couldn’t drive you out by force anyway.”
Eun So-cheong grumbled in a low voice. Still, the atmosphere had softened considerably compared to initially.
Silence flowed between the two for a moment.
The woman silently looked out the window, while Eun So-cheong looked at the woman’s face. Though her true appearance couldn’t be seen due to the gauze, she thought it must be quite beautiful.
‘Was there such a woman in the martial world?’
Silver Family Castle had identified most famous masters in the current martial world. Being merchants, they had to be wary of those with martial power.
Thanks to this, Eun So-cheong also knew most famous masters in the martial world. But nowhere in her memory was there a female master with characteristics like the woman before her.
Though curiosity swirled in her mind, Eun So-cheong didn’t ask further. She felt the woman wouldn’t answer anyway, and they would find out after reaching Mount Hua regardless.
Eun So-cheong decided to think comfortably about it. Then her stiffly tensed body relaxed considerably.
The woman’s gaze turned to Eun So-cheong.
She too was quite surprised. Eun So-cheong was only fifteen or sixteen years old. Though not a child, still too young to be considered an adult. Yet her situation judgment was extremely quick and accurate.
‘Silver Family Castle’s future is bright. So quick to judge situations despite being so young.’
Others would have caused an uproar in surprise by now. That would have been troublesome for the woman too. But Eun So-cheong calmly assessed the situation and responded coolly. It was a seasoned response belying her young age.
The woman’s gaze turned out the window.
The merchant caravan was quickly heading toward Mount Hua.
‘Mount Hua. Where he is. I must meet him. Must!’
The woman bit her lip firmly.
Her eyes were full of anxiety.
Though Eun So-cheong didn’t know, she had to take many risks to come here. She had crossed the line between life and death to come here, beyond what could be expressed by simply saying she risked her life. Just to meet him.
The woman briefly closed her eyes. Fatigue rushed in like the tide from not resting properly until now. The string of tension loosened.
She fell asleep making steady breathing sounds. She looked so exhausted that Eun So-cheong didn’t dare try to wake her.
Though she didn’t know the circumstances, she could sufficiently guess the woman had come through quite a difficult path.
It wasn’t just Eun So-cheong’s imagination that she could vividly feel the path of hardship the woman had crossed. Eun So-cheong looked at the woman with wondering eyes for quite a while.
Even then, the merchant caravan was steadily heading toward Mount Hua. Just as Mount Hua seemed close enough to touch.
Suddenly the woman opened her eyes. Her obsidian-like eyes visible above the gauze were trembling.
She bit her lip firmly and muttered.
“Already?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Sorry, Miss Eun.”
“Yes?”
“I thought I shook them off but they’re on my tail.”
“What?”
“Keep heading straight to Mount Hua.”
“You need to explain the details…”
“My name is Eum Yu-kyung, Miss Eun.”
“Eum Yu-kyung?”
“When you meet Hero Dam, please tell him Eum Yu-kyung came looking for him here.”
“So you came to meet Brother Dam-ho?”
“Yes. Well then…”
Eum Yu-kyung put on her bamboo hat and leaped out of the carriage.
“W-what?”
“Someone jumped from the carriage. Check if the young lady is alright.”
Commotion arose outside.
Jeok Yong-cheon burst open the carriage door and entered.
“Are you alright, Young Lady?”
“I’m fine, Hall Master.”
“Just now a woman from the carriage…”
“She identified herself as Eum Yu-kyung.”
Eun So-cheong answered without panicking. She seemed to think for a moment before continuing.
“I think she briefly hid in the carriage to avoid someone.”
“Hmm!”
“We should leave this area as quickly as possible.”
“Understood.”
Jeok Yong-cheon answered with a hardened expression.
He hadn’t noticed a strange woman hiding in Eun So-cheong’s carriage. If Eum Yu-kyung had evil intentions, Eun So-cheong would have already lost her life. As the one responsible for Eun So-cheong’s protection, Jeok Yong-cheon had no excuses even with ten mouths.
Jeok Yong-cheon quickly went outside the carriage and gave orders.
“Go at maximum speed right now.”
“Yes sir!”
With energetic answers, the merchant caravan began racing down the main road.
Eum Yu-kyung who left the carriage raced quickly through the forest. It was a different direction from the merchant caravan’s path.
Though she left the carriage heading to Mount Hua, her target was still Mount Hua. Just her path had changed.
‘I thought too carelessly. To think they would follow this far.’
She blamed her own carelessness in letting her guard down at the last moment.
Swoosh!
That’s when it happened.
A fierce sound of splitting air rang out.
‘Hidden weapons?’
Eum Yu-kyung launched her body into the air while swinging her scabbard.
Clang clang clang!
Sparks flew from the scabbard as metallic sounds continuously rang out.
Eum Yu-kyung’s face twisted slightly. Dented coins fell to the ground. They were hidden weapons called Copper Coin Darts.
“That’s far enough, Holy Maiden.”
Suddenly five men appeared blocking her path.
Yellow, blue, red, black, white… Short dwarves wearing five different colored clothes. They had identical faces as if made from the same mold.
“Five Elements Demon Children. To think you followed all the way here.”
“Did you think you could be safe after daring to betray our cult?”
The dwarf in black clothes spoke coldly. He was Black Moon Demon Child, eldest of the Five Elements Demon Children.
“I never betrayed the cult.”
Eum Yu-kyung spoke coldly while removing the gauze covering her face.
“Hmph! Nonsense. The execution order for the Holy Maiden has already been sent throughout our cult. Think you can escape?”
The Five Elements Demon Children surrounded Eum Yu-kyung.
Eum Yu-kyung’s expression hardened.
The Five Elements Demon Children were renowned excellent warriors even within the Demon Cult. They were persistent and tenacious. Above all, they possessed cruel natures and excellent martial arts.
If she couldn’t kill them here, reaching Mount Hua would be impossible.
‘At least that’s fortunate? Not causing them trouble.’
Eum Yu-kyung thought of Silver Family Castle’s merchant caravan she had briefly relied on.
Though she briefly rode Eun So-cheong’s carriage out of necessity, she didn’t want her harmed because of herself.
That’s when it happened.
“Hmph! Worried about Silver Family Castle?”
As if seeing through her thoughts, Red Moon Demon Child spat out in a blunt voice.
“Think they’ll be safe after being connected to the Holy Maiden?”
“Then?”
“The Five Elements Destruction Squad has moved. They will never reach Mount Hua.”
“What?”
Eum Yu-kyung unconsciously clenched her fists.
The Five Elements Destruction Squad was an organization that killed Demonic Cult traitors. They were like hungry wolves who never let go of prey once targeted.
Shing!
“He is at Mount Hua.”
Eum Yu-kyung said while drawing her sword.
At the word ‘he’, the Five Elements Demon Children’s bodies trembled. But they soon continued speaking calmly.
“Hmph! No matter who he is, he can’t know what happens outside Mount Hua.”
“No need to answer. Attack!”
The Five Elements Demon Children attacked simultaneously.
Yellow, blue, red, black and white shadows descended on Eum Yu-kyung.
Rumble!
As they spread both palms wide, powerful energy rushed in like a tsunami. Eum Yu-kyung swung her sword protecting her entire body.
Falling Moon Divine Sword.
The secret sword technique passed down to only one person even within the Demon Cult was unleashed.
Swoosh swoosh swoosh!
The silver sword light formed a hemisphere protecting her from the Five Elements Demon Children’s palm energy.
The Five Elements Demon Children briefly couldn’t do anything to Eum Yu-kyung and circled around her body. But they weren’t anxious at all.
Time was on their side, not Eum Yu-kyung’s.
“Deploy Five Elements Heaven Shaking Formation.”
Under Black Moon Demon Child’s cry, the Five Elements Demon Children moved in perfect unison. The yellow, blue, red, black and white colors mixed together disrupting Eum Yu-kyung’s vision.
‘Five Elements Heaven Shaking Formation contains the principle of soul capture. Must not be captivated by it.’
Eum Yu-kyung half-lowered her eyes. She was trying to rely on hearing instead of sight.
At that moment Red Moon Demon Child rushed in.
“Kiyop!”
Along with a strange battle cry, powerful palm energy burst forth.
Eum Yu-kyung used the Blood Moon Rising from Water technique to protect herself while simultaneously attacking Red Moon Demon Child with the Moon Night Soul Cry move.
Bang!
“Kuh!”
Unable to withstand the opposing force, Red Moon Demon Child flew backward. Eum Yu-kyung rushed at Red Moon Demon Child as if to finish him in one blow. But her attack didn’t reach Red Moon Demon Child and instead she was knocked back.
Blue Moon Demon Child and White Moon Demon Child had intervened at the critical moment to save Red Moon Demon Child.
“No chance.”
“Stretch that neck long, Holy Maiden.”
Their voices shook Eum Yu-kyung’s spirit. But she wasn’t someone who could be neutralized by just that much.
Like a flower blooming in darkness, her body drew beautiful lines. Each time, sword energy burst forth like fireworks.
When they couldn’t temporarily suppress Eum Yu-kyung, Black Moon Demon Child spoke in an angry voice.
“Think you can escape our hands? Holy Maiden. No chance. Though you might escape, Silver Family Castle’s merchant caravan won’t. Just for meeting you, they will be annihilated.”
Eum Yu-kyung wasn’t someone who wouldn’t know they were saying this to disturb her mind. So she tried to maintain maximum calm.
“Hehe! We’ll kill all the men and cut off their limbs, and take the women back to our cult as breeders.”
“Just for the crime of meeting you, they will be annihilated. You bitch!”
Now they didn’t even maintain formal respect and kept shouting.
The Five Elements Demon Children’s voices dug into Eum Yu-kyung’s ears like heart devils.
She briefly thought of Eun So-cheong and gritted her teeth.
The moment she thought Eun So-cheong and the merchant caravan would be annihilated because of her, her movements broke down.
Black Moon Demon Child didn’t miss that momentary opening. His small hand that had slipped through the sword energy like a loach struck Eum Yu-kyung’s side hard.
Thud!
“Hah!”
Eum Yu-kyung’s eyes widened as she staggered backward. Faint blood traces appeared at her mouth. She had suffered considerable internal injury.
Black Moon Demon Child smiled with satisfaction.
“Heh! Even if he comes, he can’t save you.”