Chapter 77

Chapter 77: Those Destined to Meet Will Always Meet Again (2)

Dam Ho's eyes narrowed.

Passersby on the street had transformed into assassins.

A merchant, an old woman—they drew short daggers and attacked Hae So-wol. The peaceful scene of daily life had abruptly turned into a fight for survival.

Hae So-wol's response to this sudden crisis was nothing short of dazzling. The instant her sword was drawn, fragments of brilliant light scattered in all directions.

Swish!

Hae So-wol's sword fanned outward, sweeping through the surroundings. The old woman and merchant were repelled by her sword barrier, sent flying backward.

Blood spattered from their chests. Hae So-wol's sword had already grazed them.

Azure Sea Severing Wave Sword—a sea-based sword technique that only an exceedingly select few disciples of the Hainan Sect could learn.

The Azure Sea Severing Wave Sword was a technique of perfect offense-defense unity.

Defense was attack, and attack was the ultimate defense—this was the sword Hae So-wol pursued.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Her sword carved through the air with exquisite grace.

Hae So-wol's waist bent with fluid elegance. Her sword pierced the very grain of the air.

Though outwardly dazzling to behold, the lethality contained within was beyond words.

"Ah!"

Bang Jin-bo, unaware of the situation, gasped simply at the visual spectacle. To his eyes, it looked as though a celestial maiden had descended from heaven to perform a sword dance.

But Dam Ho pierced through to the savagery and killing intent contained within. Whoever had first created the sword technique that Hae So-wol wielded must have been possessed of fearsome killing intent.

The relentless targeting of vital points in every strike made this evident.

The sword itself was flawless.

The problem lay in the one wielding it.

'Insufficient killing intent.'

This was a sword technique created for killing humans. But its wielder lacked the will to kill. As a result, the technique could not draw upon its full potential.

Hae So-wol's sword carried respect and courtesy toward human life. Because of this, even when she had opportunities to kill in a single stroke, she tempered her strikes, taking everything but their lives.

Swish!

Her sword cleaved through the air once more.

Each time, assassins fell, spurting blood. Every one of them bore deep sword wounds. Yet not a single one had lost their life.

Severing Wave Play, Sword Tide Overflow—these and other techniques were deployed in succession.

When Hae So-wol's sword dance finally concluded, no one remained standing in the area.

In the wake of the sword's passage, she stood alone. The breeze from Dongting Lake gently swept through her hair.

Such was the majesty befitting the epithet "Flower Beneath the Sea."

People gasped at the sight of Hae So-wol.

"Wow! Incredible!"

"Just who is she?"

They were curious about Hae So-wol's identity.

They had been captivated by the overwhelming martial prowess that had dispatched twelve assassins in the blink of an eye, combined with her dazzling beauty.

"Ah, she is the Flower Beneath the Sea."

"The swordswoman from Hainan Island? Then one of the Nine Dragons?"

Some recognized Hae So-wol by her plain purple hemp dress and her beloved sword, Byeok-sang.

Those who realized her identity cheered even more fervently.

The martial world celebrates heroes. When the object of admiration is handsome or beautiful, the support becomes even more blind.

Hae So-wol possessed outstanding martial arts and was extraordinarily beautiful. She naturally deserved the fervent cheers of the people.

Though the people cheered, Hae So-wol showed not the slightest excitement. Her cultivation was deep and broad—she was not so easily shaken.

"Ugh!"

The assassins who had barely escaped death writhed on the ground, clutching their wounds. Those who had attacked from hiding in the lake were likewise gravely injured.

Clang!

"Who sent you?"

Hae So-wol sheathed her sword and approached them.

Her gaze was colder than ever. But the assassins clamped their mouths shut and refused to answer.

Their eyes, fixed on Hae So-wol, burned with venomous hatred. She seized one of them and prepared to extract information.

In that instant, one of the assassins silently drew a round object from his robes. The moment Hae So-wol saw the iron sphere, her pupils trembled.

'Thunder Shock Bomb?'

Though she had never seen one before, she recognized it instinctively.

A smile played on the assassin's lips.

'You're coming with us.'

His eyes spoke those words.

The Thunder Shock Bomb, also called the Heaven-Shaking Thunder, was a weapon of mass destruction. Once detonated, everything within a thirty-zhang radius would be engulfed. Not only Hae So-wol, but hundreds of nearby lives would be obliterated in an instant.

"Madman!"

Hae So-wol drew her beloved sword, Byeok-sang, once more and charged at the assassin.

She realized her mistake.

'I was careless.'

Before she had left for the martial world, her master had warned her again and again that carelessness was fatal. But she had been intoxicated by her own superior martial skills and forgotten.

The price was devastating.

Even as she drew Byeok-sang and swung, Hae So-wol squeezed her eyes shut.

Boom!

In that instant, a thunderous explosion rang out and Hae So-wol's body shuddered slightly. But the impact was far less intense than she had expected.

Hae So-wol opened her eyes slightly. Before her, a dark shadow flickered.

Beyond the shadow, the assassin was seen hurtling toward Dongting Lake.

Roar!

In that moment, the true explosion occurred, and the shockwave engulfed her and everyone in the vicinity.

"Aagh!"

"Ugh!"

Many people were swept off their feet and sent tumbling across the ground. But not a single one had lost their life to the blast.

Hae So-wol pushed back her disheveled hair and straightened her back. Her face was filled with undisguised bewilderment.

She quickly looked around. Ripples and smoke rose from the lake. The Thunder Shock Bomb had exploded in the water.

Thanks to that, while some had been injured, not a single person had died from the explosion.

"Just who was it?"

She had closed her eyes for but an instant.

In that brief moment, the assassin holding the Thunder Shock Bomb had vanished, and the explosion had occurred in the lake. Someone had clearly thrown or struck the assassin into the water.

Hae So-wol hurried to the other assassins. Their faces had already turned black. They had bitten the poison capsules hidden in their mouths just before the explosion.

Hae So-wol suddenly thought of someone and looked around. But he had already vanished.

'That man.'

The man in the black robe who had been with the portly boy.

She recalled Dam Ho.

Dam Ho was leaving the area with Bang Jin-bo, away from the explosion.

"Brother!"

Bang Jin-bo called to Dam Ho. But Dam Ho did not respond.

It was Dam Ho who had sent the assassin clutching the Thunder Shock Bomb hurtling into the lake.

A Charging Step followed by a single Fortress Breaking Fist strike had launched the assassin into the water. Even in his dying moments, the assassin had not realized how he had died. No one nearby had even noticed.

Dam Ho had killed the assassin because Bang Jin-bo was present. Killing the assassin was far more efficient than trying to lead Bang Jin-bo away.

"Thank you, brother. It's because of me that you…"

Bang Jin-bo looked up at Dam Ho.

No one else might know, but Bang Jin-bo understood perfectly well how little Dam Ho cared about others' affairs.

He had moved solely for Bang Jin-bo's sake.

Dam Ho silently tousled Bang Jin-bo's hair with his large hand. Bang Jin-bo broke into a broad smile.

"That way."

"Hurry."

A group of martial artists was seen rushing over. They were warriors of the Yueyang Sword Gate. They rushed past Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo toward the site of the explosion.

It was not only the Yueyang Sword Gate. Every sect based in Eakyang was running toward the explosion. The entire city was in an uproar.

"Brother, over there."

How long had they walked? Suddenly, Bang Jin-bo pointed toward something.

A night market was in full swing where he pointed.

Countless vendors had lit their lanterns and were selling food. Though an explosion had occurred on Dongting Lake, nearly claiming many lives, here the revelry continued unabated.

Dam Ho was led by Bang Jin-bo into the night market.

The streets were overflowing with food. Street vendors had laid out their homemade dishes on wooden stalls, tempting the crowd.

Bang Jin-bo could not resist the vendors' enticements and ran off.

"Wow!"

An exclamation burst from his mouth. He quickly looked back at Dam Ho.

"Brother, may I try some of these?"

When Dam Ho nodded, Bang Jin-bo grew even more excited and bustled about. His hands were soon full of snacks from the stalls—steamed buns, savory pancakes, and more.

Dam Ho followed in silence.

Along the journey, Bang Jin-bo had been steadily growing. He loved food more than anyone and wished to make others happy with the food he created.

His heart was purer than anyone's, and he possessed a passion that Dam Ho could never possess, even if he spent his entire life trying.

Everyone yearns for what they do not have.

Perhaps that was the greatest reason Dam Ho continued to travel with Bang Jin-bo.

At that moment—

A man walking toward them caught Dam Ho's eye.

He was of average build, dressed plainly. But his appearance was not ordinary.

Most striking was his sculpted face—as though carved from marble, handsome and noble, with deep melancholy in his dark eyes.

He carried a large wooden box on his back, from which five sword handles protruded. The sight was reminiscent of a peacock spreading its tail feathers.

Many passersby focused their attention on the man's unusual appearance. Though many eyes were upon him, the man simply smiled and walked with ease.

The man passed by Dam Ho.

Dam Ho wrinkled his nose. He had detected an intensely pungent scent from the man.

'Blood scent.'

A metallic smell of blood that stimulated the senses.

Dam Ho turned to look. But the man had vanished into the crowd in an instant.

Following Hae So-wol, another unusual man bearing a strange wooden box had arrived. Experts were streaming into Eakyang one after another.

Whether it was coincidence or some force at work, the fact that they had all arrived at precisely the time he entered Eakyang was troubling.

He recalled something Sage Hyeon-so had once told him.

—There is no word more deceptive in this world than "coincidence." When the threads of countless causes are woven together to form the net of effect, what appears as coincidence is in fact inevitability. When such events occur, you must observe your surroundings carefully. For they are always accompanied by omens.

A wind was blowing from Dongting Lake.

It was the wind that had been blowing since the moment he entered Eakyang. Dam Ho hoped that wind would not affect him.