Fist Demon of Mount Hua ( Novel ) - Chapter 277
Chapter 277 – Thinking the Well Is the Entire World (2)
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Discord
Tang Yu-hon’s body, which had been flailing with his head buried in the ground, collapsed completely. And it no longer moved.
The martial artists of the Tang Sect widened their eyes. Their faces were filled with expressions of disbelief.
To them, Tang Yu-hon was akin to a deity. His death was equivalent to the collapse of their faith.
Dam-ho slowly straightened his back.
What had ended Tang Yu-hon’s life was none other than the Earth-Heaven Strike.
A faster, more powerful version of the Earth-Heaven Strike.
“You, you killed the Group Leader?”
“Urgh!”
The Tang Sect martial artists, regaining their senses, let out roars of rage.
“What’s going on?”
“What happened?”
Martial artists from the Tang Sect belatedly rushed out from Yellow Dragon Fortress.
“How dare you!”
“Kill him!”
Seeing Tang Yu-hon’s corpse, they charged at Dam-ho without hesitation. Nearby martial artists shouted in alarm, a bit too late.
“N-no!”
But their cries were already too late.
BOOM!
Once again, the devilish roar erupted.
A wave of air surged like a tidal wave in all directions, and three or four Tang Sect martial artists fell, reduced to bloody pulp.
Watching this scene, Eum Yu-kyung closed her eyes.
“Argh!”
“Ah, a demon!”
The desperate screams of the Tang Sect martial artists pierced her ears.
The sound of life fading away echoed incessantly, tormenting her.
BANG! BANG!
The sound of Dam-ho moving, the sound of death descending, continuously shook the air.
The screams of people piled up, and the air trembled. Then, suddenly, silence descended.
“…”
A world dominated by stillness.
A suffocating silence tormented Eum Yu-kyung.
“Phew!”
Finally, Eum Yu-kyung let out a sigh and opened her eyes. What met her gaze was the horrific scene before her.
Among the Tang Sect martial artists, not a single one had survived. The blood they shed stained the ground red. That flowing blood had already reached the spot where she stood, soaking it.
“Ahh!”
“How can this be!”
The Ga siblings, who had narrowly escaped the bloodbath and barely survived, were trembling uncontrollably. Their faces were filled with sheer terror.
Especially Ga Hye-so, whose skirt hem was soaked wet. Unable to overcome her fear, she had wet herself.
Ga Hye-so couldn’t even look at Dam-ho and kept her eyes lowered. Ga Cheol-ak was no different.
‘The, the Poison Dragon Group was annihilated…’
What kind of group was the Poison Dragon Group?
They were a formidable force even within the Tang Sect. All martial artists and sects in Sichuan Province feared the Poison Dragon Group, and they indeed possessed such power.
Yet, that Poison Dragon Group had been annihilated before their eyes. And by a single martial artist at that.
The poisons and hidden weapons that the Tang Sect prided themselves on had no effect on the man before them. Hidden weapons either burned up or were deflected before they could even reach his body, and poisons had no impact on him whatsoever.
He was, without a doubt, the natural enemy of the Tang Sect.
That’s when it happened.
“Urgh! You demonic fiend.”
One of the Poison Dragon Group martial artists, barely clinging to life, cursed at Dam-ho. His condition was utterly pitiful.
His chest was caved in, and his abdomen, pierced through, had his intestines spilling out. It was a fatal wound with no chance of recovery. The only reason he was still breathing was due to his intense hatred toward Dam-ho.
He was dying. Yet, even so, he cursed Dam-ho.
“Heaven will never forgive you. Heaven will…”
“If even you do not fear heaven, why should I?”
“…”
At that, the martial artist’s words were cut off abruptly.
The slaughter committed by the Poison Dragon Group at Yellow Dragon Fortress was of a kind that could never be forgiven.
They had lulled Yellow Dragon Fortress into a false sense of security by leaving room for negotiation, only to launch a surprise attack. The use of poison played a significant role in this. As a result, Yellow Dragon Fortress collapsed miserably without much resistance.
Poison has no eyes. It does not discriminate. Many people at Yellow Dragon Fortress lost their lives to poison. Among them were numerous children and women.
If the martial world were to learn of this, it would surely be condemned.
The martial artist wanted to make some excuse. He forced his lips to move several times. But in the end, his voice never left his mouth. His breath had ceased.
Dam-ho looked at the martial artist’s corpse with an indifferent gaze.
Even after killing so many people just moments ago, his breathing hadn’t become the slightest bit ragged, making his demeanor almost surreal.
“Phew!”
Eum Yu-kyung let out a sigh and shook her head.
It was a tragedy that unfolded in the blink of an eye. There was no room for Eum Yu-kyung to intervene.
She spoke to the Ga siblings, who were still sitting on the ground in a daze.
“The Tang Sect will pursue you. Hurry and escape Sichuan Province with the survivors.”
“Ah…”
“Hurry.”
Only after Eum Yu-kyung emphasized her words once more did the Ga siblings stagger to their feet.
Yellow Dragon Fortress was still burning. But there were many survivors inside. They needed to be saved. They had to be rescued and escape this place.
The Tang Sect was not a group that forgot grudges. No matter how small the grievance, they never failed to exact revenge.
Since the Poison Dragon Group had been annihilated, they would undoubtedly come after them.
The two entered Yellow Dragon Fortress, gathered the remaining survivors, and came back out.
By the time they emerged, Dam-ho and Eum Yu-kyung were nowhere to be seen. They had already left.
“Let’s hurry and leave this place.”
The survivors of Yellow Dragon Fortress abandoned the home they had lived in their entire lives.
Dam-ho and Eum Yu-kyung left the area where Yellow Dragon Fortress stood and headed west.
Eum Yu-kyung glanced at Dam-ho.
“The Tang Sect won’t stay quiet.”
“Probably not.”
“They are a group that never forgets a grudge.”
“I know.”
At Dam-ho’s calm reply, Eum Yu-kyung let out a deep sigh.
“Ha!”
If this matter hadn’t been related to Geom Yul-cheon, she wouldn’t have sighed so heavily.
She was about to say something more when Dam-ho spoke.
“Anyway, it’s something I had to confront at some point.”
“What do you mean?”
A look of doubt appeared on Eum Yu-kyung’s face. But instead of answering, Dam-ho simply stared ahead.
‘The Tang Sect.’
He recalled a very old memory.
There had been a time, long ago, when he was connected to the Tang Sect.
Back then, he had let it pass without much thought, but not now.
***
Tang Family
A member of the Five Great Families and known as the most insular group in the world. The village where they reside is called Tang Family Valley.
A place where only those with the surname Tang live. Outsiders are not allowed to enter without permission, and it is rumored to be one of the most terrifying places in the world.
Their influence spans the entirety of Sichuan Province, and even two of the Nine Great Sects, the Qincheng Sect and the Emei Sect, find them troublesome and avoid conflict whenever possible.
On the surface, Tang Family Valley looks like an ordinary rural village. The houses are unremarkable, giving no hint that it is home to one of the Five Great Families.
In the deepest part of Tang Family Valley stands a particularly large mansion. Unlike the other houses, this mansion encompasses a vast training ground and is the residence of the Tang Sect’s patriarch.
In a large room overlooking the training ground, a martial artist in his early fifties sat. His jet-black hair without a single strand of white, strikingly dark eyes, and skin as pale as a woman’s made him particularly striking.
Before him was a brazier with a kettle of boiling water on it.
Beside the small brazier were various tea utensils.
As the water boiled, the kettle emitted a misty vapor. The martial artist poured the water from the iron kettle into a bowl. Then he waited for the water to cool.
Once the water reached the right temperature, he poured it into a teapot where tea leaves had already been placed.
Trickle!
When the desired tea fragrance finally emerged, the martial artist poured the tea into a small teacup.
Though the process could have been tedious, a smile remained on the martial artist’s face throughout.
Tea ceremony and painting were his favorite hobbies, and during the time he indulged in these hobbies, he did not wish to be disturbed by anyone. However, his wish was ruthlessly shattered by a sudden voice.
“Patriarch! It’s Chu-wun.”
In an instant, the eyebrows of the martial artist, addressed as the Patriarch, twitched. But he quickly regained his composure and spoke.
“Come in.”
“Yes!”
With the reply, a sturdy man in his mid-forties hurriedly entered. His face was filled with urgency.
“Patriarch, right now…”
“Sit down.”
“But… Understood.”
The man, who was about to say something, quickly sat across from the martial artist upon seeing his expression. The martial artist handed him a small teacup.
“Take it!”
“Yes!”
“It’s Mengding Sweet Dew. It’s the first harvest of the year, so the flavor is exceptional. Drinking it will calm your mind.”
“Ah, understood.”
With his reply, the man brought the tea to his lips. Watching him, the martial artist also drank his tea.
Slurp!
For a moment, the room was filled only with the sound of the two men sipping tea.
In this peculiar atmosphere, the two drank their tea. Finally, when the small teacups were emptied, the martial artist spoke.
“So, what is it?”
“The Poison Dragon Group has been annihilated.”
“The Poison Dragon Group?”
The martial artist briefly furrowed his brow. For the first time, a faint trace of anger appeared in his otherwise emotionless eyes.
“Didn’t the Poison Dragon Group head to Yellow Dragon Fortress?”
“That’s correct.”
“Did Yellow Dragon Fortress have the capability to annihilate the Poison Dragon Group?”
“Absolutely not.”
“I think so too. Yu-hon, the leader of the Poison Dragon Group, isn’t someone who would be taken down so easily.”
The martial artist referred to Tang Yu-hon as if he were a child. Even so, the sturdy man showed no sign of discontent.
The martial artist before him was Tang Sa-il. And Tang Sa-il was the Patriarch of the Tang Sect.
He was over eighty years old this year. Yet, he appeared to be only in his fifties, with not a single white hair in his black locks.
His formidable internal energy that suppressed aging and his cold-hearted nature that never revealed his true intentions instilled fear even among the Tang Sect’s martial artists.
Unlike other families where the patriarch typically passed on the position to a successor upon aging, Tang Sa-il still remained the Patriarch of the Tang Sect, dominating the entire family.
His powerful presence completely controlled the Tang Sect.
Even at the tragic news of the Poison Dragon Group’s annihilation, Tang Sa-il showed almost no change in emotion. His demeanor even instilled fear in Tang Chu-wun, an elder of the Tang Sect.
After a moment of contemplation, Tang Sa-il finally spoke.
“Who is the culprit?”
“We don’t know yet. We are tracking them, so it will be revealed soon.”
“Send out the Soulless Wolves.”
“What?”
Tang Chu-wun’s eyes shook violently. That’s how shocking Tang Sa-il’s words were.
“Th-that’s too soon…”
“Are you questioning my words?”
“Gasp! N-no, it’s not that. I will release the Soulless Wolves.”
Tang Chu-wun hurriedly replied and bowed his head.
“Good! That’s all.”
Tang Sa-il gestured with his hand. Tang Chu-wun stood up and left the room.
Left alone, Tang Sa-il muttered to himself.
“Yes! Things have been too smooth until now.”
His gaze deepened further. A flicker of conflict appeared on his face but soon vanished.
That’s when it happened.
Bang!
The door opened, and a group of children rushed in.
“Grandpa!”
“Great-Grandfather!”
Children, only about five or six years old, fearlessly clung to Tang Sa-il.
In an instant, a bright smile spread across Tang Sa-il’s face.
“You little rascals!”
The children were his great-grandchildren. Even Tang Sa-il, who was cold to everyone in the family, melted before the innocence of his great-grandchildren.
“Hohoho!”