Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Rising Where You Fell (3)

Dam Ho's robes fluttered violently.

The devastating impact that pierced through his entire body drove Dam Ho backward, his feet carving deep furrows into the earth as he slid for a considerable distance.

Trickle!

Dam Ho circulated the Heavy Heaven Heart Method to endure the force. Only after the weight of his energy took root in the ground like a massive boulder did his body finally come to a stop.

Only then did his face, momentarily distorted by the pressure of the wind, return to normal, and he felt pain in his palms.

"M-Martial Uncle?"

Woon-ho's startled cry reached his ears, but Dam Ho did not answer.

His attention was wholly fixed upon the masked attacker.

Through the gap in the mask, he caught sight of two eyes that wavered for an instant. The expression suggested she had never expected her strike to be blocked.

"How dare you!"

The voice that flowed from behind the mask was as pure as jade.

'A woman?'

In that instant, the attacker struck again.

Swish, swish, whoosh!

In a blur, her hand multiplied once more into dozens of afterimages.

"Be careful, Ho-a. That is the Demonic Cult's Dark Heaven Blazing Palm."

From behind him, Sage Hyeon-so's desperate voice rang out.

Though more than twenty years had passed, Sage Hyeon-so remembered it clearly. Countless martial artists of the Mount Hua Sect had perished at the hands of the Dark Heaven Blazing Palm.

'The Demonic Cult, then. It is true.'

A tremor ran through Sage Hyeon-so's body.

Crack-boom!

As the palm swept forward, a thunderous explosion erupted. It was the phenomenon that occurred when the Dark Heaven Blazing Palm was deployed.

Sage Hyeon-so flinched, for it seemed as though Dam Ho's body would be torn asunder.

But Dam Ho did not waver.

His left foot was driven deep into the earth up to the ankle, and the image of him standing there recalled an unyielding ancient tree.

Woon-ho and the Second Generation Disciples beheld the sight with astonishment.

"How is this possible?"

Their surprise was momentary, and soon gave way to confusion.

The Dam Ho they had known was a cripple. Because of his disability, he had failed to properly learn martial arts and was cast aside even within the Mount Hua Sect.

Had he not been Sage Hyeon-so's disciple, he would not have received even the barest respect. Such was the insignificance of Dam Ho's presence within the sect.

Yet the sight Dam Ho now presented shattered every preconception and prejudice they had ever held.

Thud-thud-thud!

With both hands, Dam Ho deflected, deflected again, and met the Dark Heaven Blazing Palm head-on.

"Could it be… the Bamboo Leaf Technique?"

Woon-ho's eyes trembled.

The Bamboo Leaf Technique was a skill practiced by every Outer Disciple and above of the Mount Hua Sect. Woon-ho himself had learned it, even if only superficially, and knew it to some degree. But the Bamboo Leaf Technique he knew was nowhere near powerful enough to contend with a supreme art of the Demonic Cult.

Woon-ho and the Second Generation Disciples stood with their jaws agape.

"Has Martial Uncle been hiding his true strength all this time?"

Tap-tap-tap-tap!

Dam Ho's hands and the attacker's hands tangled together in a furious exchange.

Blood trickled from the corner of Dam Ho's mouth. As Woon-ho had guessed, the martial art he was employing was indeed the Bamboo Leaf Technique.

But using the Bamboo Leaf Technique to stand against the Dark Heaven Blazing Palm—a supreme art counted among the Demonic Cult's finest—was from the outset an impossible task.

Every time their palms collided, Dam Ho's internal organs shuddered. The shock that reverberated through his insides was inflicting grievous internal injuries upon him.

Yet Dam Ho would not retreat, for behind him stood his Master, Sage Hyeon-so. If his defense broke through, Sage Hyeon-so's life would be in mortal danger.

'Master!'

"Hmph!"

The opponent tilted her head and leapt back a considerable distance. Only then could Dam Ho catch his breath.

"Martial Uncle!"

Woon-ho and the Second Generation Disciples moved to approach, but Dam Ho raised his hand to halt them.

They did not yet understand the opponent's true strength. But Dam Ho, who had clashed directly with her, knew.

Her true power was far beyond what she had shown. Until he knew the full extent of her capabilities, drawing others into the fray was far too dangerous.

"Take Master and fall back."

"But…"

When Woon-ho hesitated, Dam Ho's gaze turned cold.

"As a First Generation Disciple of the Mount Hua Sect, I give this order—my first and my last. Leave this place at once."

Woon-ho and the Second Generation Disciples flinched.

Dam Ho, once known by the mocking nickname "Runless Hound"—the dog that could not run—had been the laughingstock of the Mount Hua Sect's disciples.

But in this moment, the oppressive authority and commanding presence he displayed were enough to steal their very breath.

"Martial Uncle!"

"No, Ho-a. I will never abandon you."

Sage Hyeon-so's voice echoed through the gorge.

"I know, Master. I know you would never abandon me."

"Just hold on a little longer. The other disciples will come to help."

At Sage Hyeon-so's desperate plea, Dam Ho shook his head slightly.

The battle was evenly matched. No one had the capacity to spare attention for this place. Not Cheong-heo the Sage, not Mu-gyeong…

Protecting Sage Hyeon-so was his burden alone.

"I will follow shortly. Please go ahead."

"Ho-a."

"I promise."

"You are certain of your promise?"

"Yes!"

"Then I will go. You are not the kind of child who breaks his word."

Sage Hyeon-so turned his body with no strength in his limbs. Escorting him, the Second Generation Disciples withdrew through the gorge.

Even as he walked, Sage Hyeon-so could not tear his eyes away from Dam Ho's retreating figure.

'Ho-a!'

Unbidden, tears welled in his eyes.

The masked figure launched herself toward them. In that instant, Dam Ho shifted one step to the side.

Flinch!

The masked figure's eyes narrowed.

Dam Ho was riddled with openings. Yet there emanated from him a solidity that more than filled every gap.

It was the unyielding will found only in one whose resolve was set like iron.

"Hah!"

The masked figure let out a long sigh.

Blood flowed throughout the gorge, and death had descended upon it.

Then, suddenly, she removed her mask. The true face that had been hidden beneath was revealed.

In that instant, Dam Ho's pupils trembled.

For the face concealed behind the mask was, unexpectedly, that of an extraordinarily beautiful young woman.

Jet-black hair that fell like silk in three cascades, set against a strikingly pale complexion. Delicate, refined features and eyes that felt colder than ice.

She spoke.

"Are you a disciple of Mount Hua?"

Dam Ho nodded silently. At that, the light in her eyes turned frigid.

"Fate has made us enemies, then."

"You are from the Demonic Cult?"

"The world calls us that, but we call ourselves the Divine Cult."

"The Divine Cult?"

"A far more pleasant name, wouldn't you say?"

"What is the Divine Cult doing in this place?"

"This place is called the Thousand Gold Demonic Prison. At the end of this gorge lies a colossal prison where the Divine Cult's sinners are held. That is our dwelling."

"The Thousand Gold Demonic Prison?"

"With no place left to hide on the surface, it was the last refuge we could find. And today, you have discovered us."

Dam Ho's brow twitched. The young woman's eyes grew colder still.

After fleeing from the war with the Central Plains, the Demonic Cult had hidden themselves here. And they had nurtured their strength. When supplies ran short, they raided merchant caravans passing nearby. Thus had they lived for twenty years.

"Do you dream of vengeance against the Central Plains?"

"There are those who do."

"And those who do not, from the sound of it."

"Think what you will."

The young woman assumed a combat stance toward Dam Ho. Killing intent billowed from her entire body.

"What is your name?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because you will be the first person I kill. I ought to remember your name, at least."

"My gratitude! Dam Ho. My name is Dam Ho."

"I will not forget it, Dam Ho. My name is Eum Yu-gyeong."

Snap!

In that instant, the young woman who had introduced herself as Eum Yu-gyeong launched herself at Dam Ho. She deployed the final technique of the Dark Heaven Blazing Palm—White Lotus Floating Snow.

The void was filled entirely with the shadow of her hands.

Simultaneously, Dam Ho's body shot forward.

His footwork resembled a battering ram charging at a city gate—Charging Step.

Crack!

A deep footprint was gouged into the earth as Dam Ho's body shot forward in a straight line. The disability of his left leg was no longer any hindrance.

The internal energy gathered through the Heavy Heaven Heart Method concentrated in his right fist.

Craaack!

What followed the Charging Step was the Fortress Breaking Fist.

Everything he had was poured into this single blow.

BOOM!

The Fortress Breaking Fist and the White Lotus Floating Snow collided head-on.

"Kugh!"

In that instant, someone was sent flying backward, spewing a fountain of blood. The figure that tumbled across the ground, drenched in crimson, was Dam Ho himself.

Countless wounds gaped open across his body, as though he had been slashed by a dozen blades. Some were so deep that bone was visible.

Dam Ho struggled, fighting to rise. That he still lived with such injuries was nothing short of miraculous.

But Eum Yu-gyeong's expression was far from comfortable.

Her gaze drifted to her left shoulder. The shoulder hung swollen and limp. Dam Ho's strike had dislocated it.

A chill ran up the back of Eum Yu-gyeong's neck.

'Had the force behind his strike been even a fraction stronger, my arm would have been torn clean from my shoulder.'

Her internal organs trembled. It was the precursor to internal injury. No—she was already injured. Her trembling legs proved as much.

'This man…'

Eum Yu-gyeong's gaze deepened.

Dam Ho was the first man to ever send a shiver through her body. The knowledge that she must kill such a person with her own hands filled her with sorrow.

"I'm sorry. Truly, I am sorry."

"Don't treat me as dead already. I'm still very much alive."

Dam Ho spat a mouthful of blood-tinged phlegm and glowered at Eum Yu-gyeong. Though he was utterly broken, the light in Dam Ho's eyes remained unbroken.

Though his wounds were so severe that even moving his body was a feat, Dam Ho's will was not so fragile as to be shattered by this alone.

It was then.

Rumble!

Suddenly, the entire gorge trembled, as though an earthquake had struck.

Eum Yu-gyeong let out a sigh.

"It has begun already."

"Begun?"

Swish!

While Dam Ho wore a look of confusion, a long cord suddenly flew forth and coiled around Eum Yu-gyeong's waist.

Eum Yu-gyeong was yanked into the air like a fish caught on a line, vanishing in the blink of an eye. The speed of it was such that Dam Ho could only stare blankly.

BOOM!

Immediately after, an explosion erupted on one side of the gorge.

At the sudden blast, Cheong-heo the Sage's expression changed completely.

"Heavenly Thunder Bombs?"

"Heh heh! We all die here together. Farewell!"

Cheong-heo's opponent let out an eerie laugh.

His eyes already bore the resolve of one prepared for death.

"Don't tell me—mutual destruction?"

"There is no longer a place for us in this world. If so, then we must all perish together. O Sacred Flame of Eternal Ages, look down upon us. We shall burn our bodies to come to your side."

"O Sacred Flame of Eternal Ages, look down upon us."

The demonic cultivators locked in battle with the righteous sects began chanting in unison, following their leader's lead.

At their disregard for death, Cheong-heo the Sage let out a mighty roar.

"They mean to destroy us all! Get out of the gorge at once!"

The righteous sect practitioners fled in terror, deploying their lightness martial arts in unison.

The Wudang Sect practitioners employed the Cloud-Riding Art. The Zhongnan Sect practitioners used the Floating Cloud Step.

Mu-gyeong, too, grasped the severity of the situation and cried out to his disciples.

"Everyone, use your lightness arts and get out of here!"

"Waaah!"

The Mount Hua Sect disciples poured their full strength into their lightness arts, and Mu-gyeong and Un-gyeong followed close behind.

"Ah!"

In that moment, Mu-gyeong paused his lightness art briefly.

"What is it?"

Following Mu-gyeong's gaze, Un-gyeong's expression hardened.

On both sides of the gorge, an enormous volume of earth and boulders was collapsing inward, and at the center of it all stood Dam Ho.

Dam Ho could only breathe in ragged gasps, unable to move easily. The injuries sustained in his battle with Eum Yu-gyeong had taken their toll.

Un-gyeong cried out.

"We must save Cheong-gyeong!"

"It is too late."

Mu-gyeong shook his head firmly.

"Senior Brother?"

"If we try to save Cheong-gyeong, we will die as well. We must abandon him."

"Cheong-gyeong is our junior brother as well. And you, Senior Brother, are our eldest senior brother. We absolutely cannot abandon him!"

Un-gyeong glared at Mu-gyeong. But Mu-gyeong was resolute.

"There is nothing I value above Mount Hua. Cheong-gyeong is important, but his worth is not greater than that of the other disciples."

"Senior Brother!"

Un-gyeong cried out as though vomiting blood, but Mu-gyeong did not so much as blink.

"I give this order as the Grand Senior Brother. Junior Brother Un-gyeong, use your full strength in your lightness art immediately."

"I… understand."

In the end, Un-gyeong obeyed Mu-gyeong's command.

He deployed his lightness art while following Mu-gyeong, casting one last look at Dam Ho. His eyes were filled with nothing but self-reproach.

'Forgive me, Cheong-gyeong. That is why I tried so hard not to bring you here. Do not forgive me for failing to save you.'

His figure, along with Mu-gyeong's, vanished among the collapsing boulders.

Dam Ho watched their receding forms in silence.

Though the roar of destruction was deafening, their conversation had reached his ears with perfect clarity. Perhaps the brush with death had sharpened his senses.

Cheong-heo the Sage had passed him by. His tightly bitten lips stood out with striking clarity.

He caught sight of Yeon So-ha gazing at him with a look of anguish. But she, too, did not dare approach him. After a moment's hesitation, she threw herself out of the gorge.

'I'm sorry.'

The Wudang Sect practitioners vanished, and the Zhongnan Sect practitioners receded into the distance. And finally, the Mount Hua Sect's members fled the gorge.

Some escaped unharmed, while others were crushed beneath the cascading rock and screamed. But their cries were quickly buried beneath the torrent of earth and stone.

Thus was Dam Ho left alone.

"Master…"

Darkness swallowed him whole.