Chapter 109: Uninvited Guests Always Crash the Banquet (3)

The annihilation of the Northern Peng Family's fighting force became known to the world through the sole survivor, Peng Gwan-yeong.

Having narrowly escaped with his life, Peng Gwan-yeong had ridden through the night to reach Yoyang. He informed Namgung Chang of the Demon Suppressor's existence and the complete destruction of the Peng Family's forces, then collapsed into unconsciousness.

It was not only the Northern Peng Family.

Martial artists of the Wudang Sect who had been on their way to Dongting Lake had also been ambushed by an unidentified group. Fortunately, the Wudang Sect's forces had been robust enough to repel the attackers. But the damage the Wudang Sect sustained was considerable, and their arrival had been delayed.

The Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families had tried to conceal this fact, but they could not deceive the eyes of the countless people who were watching.

The rumor spread like a snowball, and eventually all of Hunan Province came to know of it.

Only then did people realize that the gathering of the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families was not for any ordinary meeting.

Something was happening in a place they could not see. That was why massive powers like the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families had convened a gathering.

People now began to take notice of the movements of the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families that had entered Dongting Lake.

As the situation deteriorated this rapidly, the most distressed of all was none other than Namgung Chang.

Losing the Golden Sword Squad to Dam Ho had been devastating. Having lost the very people who were to serve as his right hand, his range of action had narrowed considerably.

He had requested reinforcements from the Namgung Family. But the distance between here and Anhui Province, where the Namgung Family was based, was over a thousand li.

No matter how quickly reinforcements were dispatched, at least ten days would be required. During that time, what Namgung Chang could do was necessarily limited.

"Kuh!"

Namgung Chang bit his lip hard.

Though he was normally a man who rarely revealed his inner thoughts, now his anxiety was plain for all to see.

Before Namgung Chang sat Oh Gun-gi.

Oh Gun-gi's expression was equally grave.

"The Northern Peng Family's forces have been annihilated. So it truly is…"

"The Demonic Cult, I presume."

"Hmm!"

At Namgung Chang's answer, Oh Gun-gi let out a guttural sound and closed his eyes.

The last time the Demonic Cult had shown itself was twelve years ago. At that time, martial artists of the Wudang Sect, the Mount Hua Sect, and the Zhongnan Sect had ventured beyond the borders, where they fought a fierce battle against the remnants of the Demonic Cult and drove them back.

That was what the world knew, and most people believed it. But a few wise individuals did not take things at face value.

One such person was Namgung Chang. Another was Sage Cheong-heo of the Wudang Sect.

Sage Cheong-heo of the Wudang Sect had personally led warriors to the Thousand Gold Demon Den and fought against the remnants of the Demonic Cult. He therefore knew the circumstances of that time better than anyone.

He had grown suspicious of how readily the remnants of the Demonic Cult had chosen mass suicide, and investigated. The result revealed that the number of Demonic Cult members who had died at the Thousand Gold Demon Den was not, in fact, that large.

Sage Cheong-heo concluded that the Demonic Cult had withdrawn the bulk of the forces it had raised in this region. But he could not voice this judgment rashly.

Ultimately, Sage Cheong-heo secretly sought someone to assist him, and one of those people was Namgung Chang of the Namgung Family.

Though everyone else was skeptical, Namgung Chang believed Sage Cheong-heo's judgment was sound. The two joined forces and tracked the trail of the Demonic Cult.

After more than ten years of effort, they finally became convinced that the remnants of the Demonic Cult had entered the Central Plains.

If the remnants of the Demonic Cult were truly operating in secret within the Central Plains, the existing sects would be limited in their ability to respond. That was why they had sought to establish the Martial Alliance.

For years, they had met with and persuaded the leaders of the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families. Their tireless efforts had finally borne fruit, and a full-scale gathering was being held at Dongting Lake.

This was the reason the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families had assembled at Dongting Lake.

Sage Cheong-heo had led the establishment of the Martial Alliance out of a pure desire to protect against the Demonic Cult. Namgung Chang's position, however, was somewhat different.

He wished to lead the founding of the Martial Alliance so that the Namgung Family could gain greater benefits. And he hoped that the leader of the Martial Alliance would emerge from the Namgung Family.

This would be the first Martial Alliance formed in decades. If a leader emerged from the Namgung Family, its prestige would inevitably rise. And Namgung Chang, who had spearheaded the alliance's creation, would surely reap great honor as well.

"I was certain the Demonic Cult was operating within the Central Plains, but I never expected them to attack the Peng Family and the Wudang Sect. This was truly beyond my predictions."

Namgung Chang's eyelid twitched.

This much was now proven.

The Demonic Cult truly existed. And they were extremely uncomfortable with the formation of the Martial Alliance.

Oh Gun-gi looked Namgung Chang in the eye.

"Now that it has come to this, we must accelerate the establishment of the Martial Alliance even further."

"Yes, we must."

"We must summon all the sects that have entered Dongting Lake immediately. There is no leisure to hold a leisurely meeting at the Heaven's Best Pavilion."

"I am aware."

The voice with which Namgung Chang answered lacked strength.

If only the Golden Sword Squad were still intact, there would have been no reason to be outshone in a gathering with other sects. But now, all that remained of the Namgung Family in Yoyang were Namgung Chang and Namgung-su. They could not help but be overshadowed by the other factions.

For Namgung Chang, who had intended to lead the Martial Alliance's founding and firmly establish his position, this was a fatal blow.

'If only it were not for the Fist Demon…'

Namgung Chang clenched his teeth. But the moment Dam Ho's name crossed his mind, his heart pounded wildly and sweat poured down like rain.

'Kuh!'

In the end, he was forced to erase Dam Ho's name from his mind.

He convinced himself that now was not the time.

"Summon all the sects that have entered Dongting Lake. We will hold an emergency council."

"That is a wise decision. I will order my disciples to gather all the sects."

"Hmm!"

Namgung Chang nodded, but his eyes were vacant.

A visitor had come to the West Wind Guesthouse. The person he had met was Cho Yeon-woon.

Cho Yeon-woon's expression was grim.

"This is becoming a headache."

"What is it?"

Bang Jin-bo looked puzzled. Cho Yeon-woon scowled.

"You don't need to know."

"I don't want to know either."

"Then why did you ask?"

"It seemed like you wanted someone to be interested."

"Guh!"

Cho Yeon-woon's face contorted.

They had grown quite close by now. They knew a great deal about each other. That was why they could speak to one another without hesitation.

"I'm going to see So-cheong."

"Why So-cheong?"

Bang Jin-bo's eyes went wide. Cho Yeon-woon snickered.

"I heard So-cheong is also coming to the council today."

Instantly, Bang Jin-bo's expression darkened. Cho Yeon-woon felt an inexplicable thrill.

"Why is So-cheong attending the council?"

"I won't tell you."

"Tch!"

"Stop making that face and make me something to eat. I'm hungry."

"Hey! I'm not your personal chef. You're always asking me to cook for you."

"Aren't you being discriminatory? If So-cheong is hungry, you cook for her immediately. Why can't you do the same for me?"

"Is Dam Ho hyung the same as you, Yeon-woon hyung?"

"Then are we different?"

"We are different."

Bang Jin-bo answered without a moment's hesitation.

Cho Yeon-woon glared at him for a moment, then hung his head.

"I'm hurt."

"It's no use."

"Why do you keep treating me differently? Can't you just do it?"

This time, Cho Yeon-woon put on a pitiful expression. Bang Jin-bo let out a sigh.

"All right, all right."

"Heh heh!"

As though the pitiful expression had never existed, Cho Yeon-woon beamed.

Bang Jin-bo shook his head as he walked toward the stove.

"Sigh!"

The sound of his sigh echoed in Cho Yeon-woon's ears.

"What a good kid."

Cho Yeon-woon murmured as he turned his head.

A deep shadow had settled over his face, as though he had never been smiling moments before.

Dam Ho came into view.

Dam Ho was leaning against a tree with his eyes closed, his thoughts unreadable.

Cho Yeon-woon approached Dam Ho and dropped down beside him.

"Friend."

"……"

Dam Ho opened his eyes and looked at Cho Yeon-woon.

Eyes so deep and black that the bottom could not be seen. An ordinary man would have felt his knees buckle at the mere sight of Dam Ho's gaze, but Cho Yeon-woon spoke as though nothing were amiss.

"I'm going to have to step out for a while."

At Cho Yeon-woon's abrupt remark, Dam Ho stared at him.

He was a friend who spoke very little, to say the least.

"The Northern Peng Family was attacked by the Demonic Cult and nearly annihilated. The Wudang Sect also suffered considerable damage."

"The Demonic Cult?"

For the first time, Dam Ho spoke.

The weight carried by the word 'Demonic Cult' was enormous.

"Yes. That is what the sole survivor of the Northern Peng Family testified."

Dam Ho's eyebrow twitched.

The Northern Peng Family was one of the Five Great Families. Their fighting force could not have been weak. Yet they had been annihilated—which meant their opponent's military might was extraordinary.

"Because of this, the sects that have entered Dongting Lake have been placed on high alert. Grandmaster Namgung has issued an emergency summons to the key figures of every sect."

"……"

"That is why I feel I must attend as well."

"Why?"

"Why, you ask? You keep forgetting who I am, friend. I am Cho Yeon-woon. And I am the junior lord of the White Banner Association. With no Master here, I must attend in his stead."

"Does the White Banner Association have standing to participate in their council?"

"Tch! You are the only one who dismisses the White Banner Association so lightly. The Martial Artists of the East do not simply present the Hundred Battle Victory Banner to the White Banner Association for nothing."

The Hundred Battle Victory Banner was the token of victory in the war against the Demonic Cult. The sect that possessed it naturally stood at the forefront of the battle against the Demonic Cult.

"Therefore, I must naturally attend the council as well."

At Cho Yeon-woon's explanation, Dam Ho nodded.

Dam Ho did not know how great a value the Hundred Battle Victory Banner held. But he could sense how proud Cho Yeon-woon was of it.

"At least it is fortunate that sects like the Mount Hua Sect arrived safely."

"Has the Mount… Hua Sect entered Yoyang?"

"What? Are you interested in the Mount Hua Sect?"

"……"

"They arrived the day before yesterday, I heard."

Dam Ho's eyes narrowed.

Though he felt no longing for the Mount Hua Sect, his interest in them was not entirely absent.

"They're staying at a place called San-wol Manor."

"San-wol Manor?"

"It's an estate owned by the Yoyang Sword Gate. It's on the outskirts of Yoyang, so it should not be difficult to find."

Cho Yeon-woon had volunteered information that Dam Ho had not even asked for.

Having traveled across the Central Plains since childhood, Cho Yeon-woon had met countless people and accumulated a wide range of experiences. This had naturally honed his perceptiveness.

He instinctively sensed that Dam Ho was connected to the Mount Hua Sect in some way.

Most martial artists who made a name for themselves in the Murim had a clear lineage or affiliation.

Though there was a saying that a dragon could emerge from a stream, that too belonged to a bygone era.

Since the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families had established their positions, the hegemony of the Murim had always been theirs.

Centuries of systematically organized martial arts manuals, brilliant masters, and the optimal environment and support for learning martial arts—if common sects were walking along an overgrown path where one could barely see ahead, the disciples of prestigious sects were sprinting down a well-paved road.

With such a difference at the starting line, the destinations naturally differed. No matter how excellent a manual one might obtain, a martial art learned alone could rarely achieve great attainment.

Given these circumstances, the lineage of those who made their mark in the Murim was almost always clear.

Cho Yeon-woon himself would never have achieved his current attainment had he not met a great master like Jang Il-san.

Yet Dam Ho's martial lineage was uniquely difficult to trace.

The extraordinary martial arts that far surpassed all common understanding and the extremely refined physical body were not things that could be created overnight.

There had to be an origin behind the martial art that had produced his current attainment. And judging by Dam Ho's reaction, he likely had a deep connection to the Mount Hua Sect.

'But could he truly be connected to the Mount Hua Sect? His martial arts are far too different from theirs.'

Cho Yeon-woon shook his head.

There was still far more he did not know about Dam Ho than what he did know. But it was not an unpleasant feeling to have glimpsed one of Dam Ho's secrets.

'Well, it must be time to head to the council soon.'

Just as Cho Yeon-woon was about to rise—

"Time to eat!"

Bang Jin-bo's voice rang out heartily.

"Well, I suppose I should eat before I go."

Cho Yeon-woon sat back down.

'Damn you!'

In the distance, Bang Jin-bo was approaching with a meal tray.

Cho Yeon-woon's mouth watered involuntarily.

Wei Zong felt around the person’s legs with his one movable hand. The person didn’t stop him from doing so.

The sensation was strange.

Hard and thin.

It wasn’t a human leg but more like a wooden club.

Both of them.

“Prosthetic legs!”

Wei Zong looked up in a daze.

The person lifted the tip of his bamboo hat slightly.

When Wei Zong confirmed the person’s face, his expression gradually became distorted.

In contrast, the person’s expression was brightening.

The person smiled broadly and spoke in a surprised tone.

“Oh my, what a shock. Your face is so damaged I wondered who it was. Isn’t this Valley Master Wei?”

Wei Zong was so dumbfounded that he cried out.

“Mang Ryo!”

The person’s identity was Mang Ryo.

Wei Zong was stunned.

Rather than wondering why Mang Ryo was here, he was more puzzled about when Mang Ryo had become so strong.

“Heh heh, since when did you have the bad habit of calling people’s names carelessly? Tsk, when a person treats you with courtesy and respect, you don’t know your place.”

Mang Ryo smiled while holding Wei Zong’s arm and stepped on… with his hard prosthetic foot, he stepped on Wei Zong’s elbow and broke it.

Crack!

Wei Zong was in such pain that veins bulged in his neck, but he gritted his teeth and endured it. Since he had dislocated one arm himself to pull it out and the other arm had just been broken, he could no longer use both arms.

Actually, the dislocated arm could be used if he forcibly hit it against the ground or a wall to put it back in place.

Mang Ryo tilted his head again and said.

“You don’t need the other arm so you pulled it out yourself? You should have said so earlier.”

Mang Ryo trampled on Wei Zong’s lower back and grabbed the dislocated arm.

“No, no… don’t!”

Wei Zong got goosebumps. He knew what Mang Ryo was trying to do.

“Mang Ryo, you crazy bas…”

Crack.

Crunch.

All of Wei Zong’s body hair stood up at once.

This unpleasant and terrible sound coming from his own body!

Mang Ryo had pulled Wei Zong’s arm with all his might.

“Heave-ho.”

Wei Zong’s pupils turned red with blood.

“Aaaaaaaah—!”

Wei Zong’s waist arched like a bow.

Wei Zong let out a desperate scream as if his throat would tear.

Mang Ryo threw Wei Zong’s arm anywhere. The arm that should have been attached to Wei Zong’s torso was spurting blood and twitching in a puddle.

Wei Zong writhed his body wildly in pain. Blood flowed steadily from his torn shoulder, but his other arm was broken so he couldn’t press the blood vessels. Mang Ryo showed no signs of stopping his bleeding.

“Kuk! Kuaaaaaaah!”

Wei Zong thrashed about, then bit the tip of his silk shoe with his teeth to remove the shoe, and also bit his sock with his mouth to throw it off.

He gathered internal energy in his toes and forcibly lifted them to press acupoints near his shoulder. He had no choice but to struggle disgracefully in the mud, but there was no other way. It was better than dying from blood loss.

He could barely stop the major bleeding.

Seeing this sight, Mang Ryo laughed heartily.

“Writhing in the mud, you look just like a loach!”

A loach is a mudfish that plays in mud.

Wei Zong, with his hideous face and blue veins about to burst, cried out.

“You, you b*st*rd Mang Ryo! What grudge do you have against me to treat me like this! Was there any reason for you to treat me so viciously!”

“Huh? Do I really need such a reason just to tear off someone’s arm?”

Mang Ryo clapped his hands.

“Ah ah, no. There is one. There is indeed. I just remembered. Come to think of it, there was something to settle. I have a bit of an impatient personality, so I tore off the arm before settling it. This is embarrassing! Kekekeke!”

Wei Zong gritted his teeth and glared at Mang Ryo with bloodshot eyes.

Mang Ryo paid no attention to Wei Zong and exclaimed “Tsk” while shaking his head.

“A long time ago, you see, about eight years ago, when I had prepared everything perfectly, some loach b*st*rd… ah, sorry for mixing in curses. When I think of that time, emotions suddenly well up…”

“This, this b*st*rd…”

Mang Ryo brought his face close to Wei Zong as if telling a secret.

“Anyway, you see. That loach-like b*st*rd threw dirt on my perfectly prepared meal without consulting me, causing me to waste eight whole years. And after doing that, that loach-like b*st*rd laughed heartily and told me what? That his personality was impatient or something? He even used poison on me and laughed.”

Mang Ryo asked Wei Zong subtly.

“What do you think, Valley Master Wei? For such a damn b*st*rd, wouldn’t tearing off one arm be insufficient? Isn’t that right?”

“This… this…”

Wei Zong was so dumbfounded he couldn’t even speak.

He said it was something that happened eight years ago, but Wei Zong couldn’t even remember what it was. Yet Mang Ryo had been harboring this story in his heart all this time, saying Wei Zong had disrespected him.

“Hmm? But why do you have such a resentful face?”

“You b*st*rd, Mang Ryo! Don’t you know that’s why I’m asking!”

“Huh, the person you should resent isn’t me but Valley Master Wei himself.”

Grind.

“Where are you spouting nonsense…”

“Don’t you remember yet? Valley Master Wei blew up Stone Forest Gang’s mines back then, didn’t you? Don’t you remember?”

Wei Zong’s eyes narrowed. He remembered. Back then, Mang Ryo had run out like a madman and had been sprawled out in front of the collapsed mine shaft, completely out of his mind.

“Who do you think was inside that mine shaft? I had barely managed to drive him in there.”

Mang Ryo looked at Wei Zong with a blank expression.

Wei Zong had his suspicions.

Given how much Mang Ryo was saying, Wei Zong had an inkling.

Mang Ryo spoke in a regretful tone.

“The limping one, the limping one. The one who destroyed Poison Valley today and made the Valley Master’s face like that.”

Wei Zong got goosebumps.

But it wasn’t because he believed Mang Ryo’s words. He didn’t care about the words of such a crazy b*st*rd.

Wei Zong looked at his severed arm.

He had just realized again that there was another person besides the limping one. The one who had torn off people’s necks and limbs to kill them.

It was like lightning struck his head.

“You… you…!”

Wei Zong’s pupils shook as he looked at Mang Ryo.

Mang Ryo smiled slyly.

“What are you guessing to look at me with such eyes?”

“You, you b*st*rd! You did Iron Umbrella Sect…”

The sect leader of Iron Umbrella Sect and thirty disciples, plus two experts from Poison Valley, were killed by the limping one.

And the rest of Iron Umbrella Sect’s main mountain disciples were killed by Mang Ryo!

Not to mention the residents of the village where Stone Forest Gang was located!

‘This b*st*rd used the limping one!’

But Wei Zong couldn’t continue speaking at length.

“What about Iron Umbrella Sect? Hah, people shouldn’t be so obsessed with such small matters. When I see Valley Master Wei, I keep remembering that time. Emotions keep welling up.”

Mang Ryo suddenly punched Wei Zong’s eye socket.

Thwack!

It was pure physical strength without any internal energy.

Wei Zong’s head briefly went to the side and then returned to its original position. Wei Zong glared at Mang Ryo again with wide eyes.

Mang Ryo bared his teeth.

“I’ve become such a petty person, so please understand, Valley Master.”

Mang Ryo threw down his staff and grabbed Wei Zong by the collar. He pulled the collar to lift Wei Zong’s head and continued hitting him with his fist.

Thwack! Thwack!

“Kuk!”

Since there was no internal energy in the punches, he wouldn’t die from a few hits.

However, he could clearly feel the emotions embedded in them.

The fact that he was being beaten with bare fists was actually crushing Wei Zong’s pride even more.

“Ma, Mang Ryo, you b*st*rd…!”

Wei Zong’s already ruined face became even more ruined. One of Wei Zong’s eye sockets quickly swelled up.

“That’s why you shouldn’t act so smart. Why did you do such things without asking me? If you had just asked me one word first, this wouldn’t have happened.”

Thwack! Thwack!

“Because of you, I lost the guy I had caught right before my eyes and waited eight years, eight years.”

Thwack thwack!

“And then you laugh? You laugh saying your personality is impatient? You turn a person who worked hard into a cripple and then laugh?”

Thwack thwack! Thwack!

“Keep laughing, why don’t you? Laugh. Can’t laugh now? Huh?”

Thwack thwack!

Mang Ryo’s fists also got bruised and scraped, with blood forming. Wei Zong’s face became even more ruined accordingly. The skin that had already melted from poison was crushed and blood flowed steadily. His lips burst and his cheeks swelled. Blood burst and flowed again from his already crushed nose.

Only then did Mang Ryo stop punching and laugh.

“Uhahahaha! I feel a bit better! Indeed, people shouldn’t live with things buried frustratingly in their hearts. Right, or they’ll get sick from anger and die.”

Mang Ryo again spoke respectfully to Wei Zong.

“Come, come, Valley Master Wei. Let’s get up now.”

Mang Ryo lifted Wei Zong by the collar. Wei Zong’s mind was still intact. Even in the midst of all this, Wei Zong was glaring at Mang Ryo with venomous eyes.

“Hmm?”

While holding the collar, Mang Ryo swung his other hand forcefully and hit Wei Zong’s temple.

Smack!

Wei Zong’s eyes went blank after being hit properly in a vital spot. Wei Zong’s head dropped powerlessly.

Mang Ryo clicked his tongue disapprovingly at the unconscious Wei Zong.

“Geez, when a person is so stiff, they invite beatings. You should kill your pride when you need to and live.”

Kekekeke!

Mang Ryo laughed heartily, then picked up his staff. He then grabbed the limp Wei Zong by the collar and dragged him across the ground, crossing the inner courtyard.

* * *

The rain, weaker than before, hit Wei Zong’s face.

Wei Zong regained consciousness. Looking around with his burning face, he found himself dragged back to the front of the main hall.

The fishy smell of poison and the stench of blood wafted heavily.

The front of the main hall was quiet.

The fight seemed to have ended long ago.

They lost.

The poison sect members had been defeated in battle.

Mang Ryo threw Wei Zong down.

“I’ve brought the Valley Master.”

Wei Zong crawled on the ground powerlessly.

He could see the bamboo hat wearer some distance away.

Soon, righteous faction martial artists who had been binding surviving poison sect members nearby saw Wei Zong and flocked over.

Chu Hyo was among them.

When Chu Hyo saw Wei Zong, he frowned and immediately rushed over. He probably had many things to say to Wei Zong, or things he wanted to ‘do.’

But two of the bamboo hat wearer’s guard martial artists blocked his way. The other two were circulating energy, but both looked unwell. They had been affected by Wei Zong’s poison.

Anyway, Chu Hyo, blocked by the bamboo hat wearer’s guard martial artists, burst out in frustration.

“Who are you people to block my way!”

Neither the guard martial artists nor the bamboo hat wearer said anything. Chu Hyo looked toward Mang Ryo.

“Brother! I’ve been quietly enduring out of respect for your dignity, but I can’t stand it anymore. Who are these people to act like this from earlier!”

Most of the other righteous faction martial artists also seemed to agree with Chu Hyo’s words. They hadn’t helped in the fight and had just been watching quietly, so they couldn’t look good.

When Chu Hyo glared at the bamboo hat wearer with fire in his eyes, the bamboo hat wearer also looked at Mang Ryo once.

Mang Ryo scratched his head with his bamboo staff.

“Huh, it seems there’s some misunderstanding between us.”

“Brother! Didn’t you promise? That we would cut off Valley Master Wei’s head and place it on Sajin’s memorial altar!”

“I know, I know. How could I not understand that feeling? But there’s an order to things. You seem too excited from seeing blood. Calm down a bit.”

Mang Ryo suddenly seemed to remember something and looked around at Chu Hyo and the righteous faction martial artists, asking.

“But you all, are you alright?”