Chapter 125: The Fluttering of a Butterfly's Wings Summons the Storm (4)

Hwang Hye-ryeong and Muk Il-gwang were aboard the Cloud Horse Ferry, departing from Dongting Lake. The ferry entering the lake had been packed with people, but the one departing was utterly deserted—proof that far more were coming in than going out. Dongting Lake and 岳yang were like the maw of a ravenous demon, greedily swallowing everything under heaven.

The influx of manpower and materials had brought 岳yang an unprecedented boom, and warriors seeking a place in the Murim Alliance thronged the city like a living mountain. Conversely, there was hardly anyone trying to leave. Thanks to this, they had been able to find comfortable seats and rest aboard the ferry.

Hwang Hye-ryeong murmured, "The Murim Alliance really is something. It seems as though the entire martial world has gathered in one place. Not just the great sects—even the smaller and mid-sized sects have sent enormous numbers."

"Even so, they have preserved their core forces intact."

"Right."

Muk Il-gwang's words drew a nod from Hwang Hye-ryeong. When sects as large as the Nine Great Sects or the Five Great Families dispatched only a portion of their forces, their overall strength was not meaningfully weakened.

"I've seen and learned a great deal in a short time."

"That is fortunate."

Hwang Hye-ryeong's eyes turned toward the sun-dappled surface of the water. Confirming the Murim Alliance's true nature with her own eyes had been a major windfall. Once the Alliance was formed, it was as plain as day that the Green Forest would be the first target for extermination. The nail that sticks out gets hammered down. 'For the time being, I must suspend operations and keep watch over the Alliance's movements.'

The vast majority of the Green Forest's bandits were illiterate men who, overconfident in their own strength, frequently overstepped the bounds of propriety. Even when they plundered, they had to do so in a way that would not provoke the martial world's collective outrage. If they drew too much attention, many strongholds would fall, and far more Green Forest members would die.

Though she was returning home after achieving her immediate objective, Hwang Hye-ryeong's expression was not bright.

"What about the Black Water Fortress?"

"No word yet."

"Do you really think he will move?"

"The odds are fifty-fifty."

Muk Il-gwang's answer darkened Hwang Hye-ryeong's expression. Jo Yun-san was a deeply unsettling man. She recalled the first time she had seen him. All the fortress lords of the Eighteen Fortresses of the Green Forest had been invited to the Overlord's Stronghold for Hwang Gyeong-mun's birthday. Jo Yun-san had been among them. On the occasion of their first meeting, he had said, "You've grown." It was their first meeting, yet he spoke as though he knew her. When Hwang Hye-ryeong expressed her confusion, Jo Yun-san had excused himself, claiming he had made a mistake. But his eyes had burned with a cold, clear light.

Several years had passed since then, but the memory remained vivid.

"There is definitely something about him."

"What do you mean, my lady?"

Muk Il-gwang asked in puzzlement.

"It's just a feeling. Something doesn't sit right."

"What exactly troubles you?"

"This and that. It's all rather complicated."

Hwang Hye-ryeong leaned against the railing and gazed up at the sky. Muk Il-gwang watched her in silence. Normally, Hwang Hye-ryeong was an exceptionally cheerful woman, but there were times when she withdrew into her own world. In those moments, Muk Il-gwang would watch over her in silence. Lost in thought, Hwang Hye-ryeong was beautiful—so much so that it was hard to believe she was a rough woman who lived by the sword. It made her appear all the more lovely.

'My lady.'

He had loved her from the moment he first saw her. The reason he had fought so desperately to join the Dragon Riding Guard was, in the end, to be by her side. Muk Il-gwang felt that the present moment, being with her, was his greatest happiness.

While the two were lost in their respective thoughts—

"What is it?"

Suddenly, the people on the deck began to stir. At the commotion, Hwang Hye-ryeong rose from her seat.

"What's happening?"

Two ships were visible in the distance. Onboard, warriors in full battle array could be seen, radiating a murderous aura. The two vessels were heading straight for the Cloud Horse Ferry. Hwang Hye-ryeong's and Muk Il-gwang's expressions hardened. 'Could it be?' Their gazes met in midair. Aside from themselves, there was no one aboard the Cloud Horse Ferry special enough to attract the attention of martial artists. This meant there was a high probability that they were the target.

"Il-gwang?"

"The atmosphere does not seem right. I think we should prepare for the worst."

"Mm!"

Muk Il-gwang planted himself behind Hwang Hye-ryeong. Standing seven chi tall with two massive axes crossed on his back, his already fierce appearance became all the more intimidating.

The two ships blocked the Cloud Horse Ferry's path, forcing it to stop abruptly. As the ferry halted, warriors leapt from both ships onto the deck. The ferry's captain asked with a frightened expression, "I am the captain of this vessel. Why have you stopped us?"

Nearly thirty warriors had boarded—every one of them capable of leaping three zhang with ease. In the wide Murim, it was not easy to find such high-level martial artists gathered in such numbers. One of the warriors stepped forward.

"We are from the Murim Alliance."

"The Murim Alliance?"

"That is correct. We received intelligence that a spy from the Green Forest is hiding aboard this ship."

The one who had spoken so boldly was Namgung Su. At his words, the captain shrank back like a turtle. Having sailed Dongting Lake many times, he knew exactly how things worked here. Though the Murim Alliance had not yet been officially inaugurated, the influence of its name was immense. For those who ferried passengers across Dongting Lake, the Alliance's name was no different from the Reaper himself—if they offended the Alliance, they would be barred from the lake entirely.

The captain wisely stepped aside, realizing this was beyond his ability to influence. Namgung Su swept the deck with a sharp gaze. His eyes fell upon Hwang Hye-ryeong and Muk Il-gwang. No matter how much he tried not to notice, their appearance was too striking to miss. 'Just as the report described.' Namgung Su strode without hesitation toward Hwang Hye-ryeong and Muk Il-gwang, the warriors of the Namgung Family following in his wake.

Finally, Namgung Su stood before Hwang Hye-ryeong.

"I am Namgung Su of the Murim Alliance. Might the young lady tell me her name?"

"Why do you ask?"

"We have received intelligence."

"What intelligence?"

"That a spy from the Green Forest is aboard this ship."

"What does that have to do with us?"

"It has everything to do with us. We believe you are the Green Forest's spies."

"On what grounds?"

"Someone reported that a beautiful young woman and a man carrying an axe on his back had come to 岳yang to scout the Alliance's movements."

"What?"

"And before us stand two people who match that description exactly."

The corners of Namgung Su's mouth curled upward. Hwang Hye-ryeong's expression, in contrast, hardened. She did not know who had made the report, but these men already knew everything.

Namgung Su snapped his fingers, and the Namgung Family warriors surrounded Hwang Hye-ryeong and Muk Il-gwang.

"I would prefer that you not resist. But if you do, it's all the same to me."

Namgung Su grinned. Uncle Namgung Chang had explicitly warned him not to make contact. But at this moment, his mind was consumed only by the thought of claiming credit. In that instant, Muk Il-gwang stepped forward. The sheer presence radiating from his seven-chi frame was enough to make the Namgung Family warriors recoil.

"Without my permission, no one approaches my lady."

Heung!

Muk Il-gwang drew his two massive axes. The Namgung Family warriors felt as though a great bear had planted itself in their path. At that moment, Namgung Su's cry rang out.

"What are you waiting for? Subdue that brute!"

"Yaaaah!"

The Namgung Family warriors charged at Muk Il-gwang.

***

"Is this true?"

Gi Ye-hwa's expression was grave. Before her stood a neatly dressed man in a respectful posture. He was the chief steward of Cheonsang Tower, and also the deputy branch manager of the Haowu Gate's 岳yang branch.

"It came through a disciple we have embedded in the Green Forest, so it should be reliable."

"Mm!"

"Within the Green Forest, he is a celebrity that everyone knows. It is actually more surprising that his identity was not known until now."

"So he is that ambitious?"

"That is correct."

At the chief steward's words, Gi Ye-hwa massaged her temples. Before her lay a sheet of paper containing the intelligence she had received that morning. ―The master of the Black Water Fortress, one of the Eighteen Fortresses of the Green Forest, has been identified as Jo Yun-san. Even Gi Ye-hwa had not expected to obtain information about Jo Yun-san so quickly.

"And his current location?"

"He has been identified as currently passing through the vicinity of Hamning."

"He has not gotten far yet."

"What shall we do?"

"We must inform him. A deal is a deal."

"May I say something, Branch Manager?"

"Go ahead."

"Is it truly beneficial for the Haowu Gate to continue its association with him?"

"What do you mean?"

"From the way things are currently unfolding, it is highly likely that he will come into conflict with the Murim Alliance. If we continue our association, we may draw the Alliance's ire."

The chief steward's concern was entirely reasonable. The Haowu Gate's sphere of influence was vast, but its military strength was not. The Haowu Gate was, after all, nothing more than an intelligence organization created by the poor to protect themselves. The Murim Alliance was an absolute power. It was best not to make enemies of such a power—at least, that was what common sense dictated.

"That may be true. But it may not be."

"What do you mean?"

"There are occasionally people in this world who defy all common sense. Such individuals overturn the existing order entirely."

"You believe the Fist Demon is such a person?"

"Currently, he is the most likely candidate."

"Mm!"

"Pass the information to him."

"Understood."

In the end, the chief steward accepted Gi Ye-hwa's judgment and bowed his head. Just then—

"Branch Manager!"

A young girl who still looked very young burst into the room with a childlike voice. Gi Ye-hwa's brow furrowed slightly.

"What is it, Un-jeong?"

"There is chaos erupting at Dongting Lake!"

"At Dongting Lake? Why?"

"Warriors of the Namgung Family have clashed with a key figure of the Eighteen Fortresses of the Green Forest!"

"The Eighteen Fortresses of the Green Forest?"

Gi Ye-hwa and the chief steward looked at each other. A premonition stirred. Even as they exchanged glances, Un-jeong continued speaking.

"And within Cheonsang Tower itself, the movements of the Green Forest have been detected."

"What do you mean?"

"One of our guests became drunk and loudly proclaimed that he had come from the Black Water Fortress."

"Is that true?"

"That is what the courtesan who attended him told me."

"Mm!"

Gi Ye-hwa's expression hardened. She had the premonition that something was very wrong.

She said to the chief steward, "Convey this information to him. Every last detail. He will make the judgment."

"Understood."

The chief steward bowed and hurried out. Gi Ye-hwa closed her eyes. For a moment, darkness descended. But then a vision appeared—the entire world stained red with blood. And there stood Dam Ho, alone.

‘What? What?’

Zhuge Yan was flustered.

She couldn’t even make a sound. Come to think of it, she had thought she was speaking all along, but it was just her thoughts. She couldn’t even make a sound.

‘Huh? Huh?’

Fear struck her.

‘Why, why is my body like this? Why is this happening!’

Zhuge Yan couldn’t look anywhere else either. She had been unable to turn her head since earlier and could only stare at Jin Ja-gang.

The whole world was pitch black, and all she could see was Jin Ja-gang’s bright red eyes. She had the illusion that blood was flowing from the house-sized bright red eyes, wetting her ankles.

Only then did Zhuge Yan realize that her hands were trembling.

‘Am I intimidated? Me? By mere visible killing intent?’

Zhuge Yan had killed several times too. She had participated in several subjugations of bandits and river pirates and achieved considerable merit. She had chased fleeing, frightened bandits and cut their necks and stabbed their hearts to death. It was only slightly more troublesome than killing insignificant insects.

When she released some killing intent, bandits would sometimes wet themselves on the spot.

In Zhuge Yan’s memories of killing, only the perception of it being dirty remained.

So anyway, she too would be in the realm of visual killing intent. Did it make sense that she was being intimidated and threatened by visual killing intent of the same level, no matter how generously one judged?

But there was something Zhuge Yan didn’t know.

How many people would dare to reveal killing intent to kill Zhuge Yan of the Zhuge family, who was called one of the Three Dragons and Four Phoenix and received the Zhuge family’s favor?

Whether in sparring or fighting, opponents couldn’t think of killing Zhuge Yan because of the Zhuge family’s name alone.

Even if they could kill Zhuge Yan, they would have to bear the Zhuge family’s wrath that would pour down afterward. It wouldn’t just be a matter of the nine clans – the entire bloodline of the sect, including blood relatives, would be erased from the world without even a trace remaining.

So while there might have been those who showed killing intent to threaten Zhuge Yan, no one had ever revealed true killing intent.

Now, even though what Jin Ja-gang was showing was merely visible killing intent, Jin Ja-gang was truly thinking of killing Zhuge Yan.

Zhuge Yan was unfamiliar with such killing intent. This was also the first time Zhuge Yan had encountered absolute murderous intent directed at herself.

‘I will definitely kill you!’

‘Even if I have to throw away everything – my flesh, life, and pain!’

It was the voice thrown by Jin Ja-gang, who had crawled up from hell that humans couldn’t endure and survived tenaciously, covered in the blood of countless others. This terrible murderous intent of someone who would stake everything they had and charge to kill was something that Zhuge Yan, who had grown up pampered, absolutely could not endure.

‘I, I am… I am!’

Zhuge Yan trembled, her teeth chattering.

The bright red eyes were gradually approaching her.

If time had continued like that, Zhuge Yan would have allowed Jin Ja-gang’s attack without even being able to resist.

However, at that moment, a gap suddenly appeared in the world that the bright red eyes had imprisoned.

Shin Yung had released Mr. Jang’s wife and Rangrang. He blocked the long-faced warrior who had been beating Mr. Jang’s wife and Rangrang, and even opened the gate to let them escape.

It was a gap that Jin Ja-gang had shown at that moment. Zhuge Yan used all her strength to twist her body and escape through the gap.

Shin Yung commanded.

“Block him!”

The Zhuge family warriors came to their senses at the command and drew their swords.

Four warriors, including the long-faced warrior, rushed at Jin Ja-gang.

* * *

Zhuge Yan was gasping for breath with an expression of disbelief.

“Huff! Huff!”

Her whole body was instantly soaked with sweat.

She hadn’t been this tense and frightened recently. She was both embarrassed and her pride was hurt.

Grind grind grind!

Zhuge Yan ground her teeth.

“Sorcery! He’s using sorcery!”

It was an empty cry to no one in particular. Zhuge Yan glared at Shin Yung with fire in her eyes.

“You! Who told you to release the hostages!”

Shin Yung already knew that his master had been in a very dangerous situation just moments ago. It was because he had released the two that Jin Ja-gang’s killing intent toward the young master had softened.

But he didn’t say it directly.

“There’s nothing good about provoking the opponent, Young Lady.”

Slap!

Zhuge Yan struck Shin Yung’s cheek.

“Never act insolently toward me again in front of the enemy.”

“I apologize.”

Zhuge Yan drew up her internal energy and pulled out her soft sword. The soft sword gleamed and swayed flexibly.

“I won’t let this go.”

Zhuge Yan glared at Jin Ja-gang fighting the warriors.

* * *

Jin Ja-gang had been continuously maintaining the rotation of internal energy since earlier. He could see everything – the facial expressions of the four warriors, their stride lengths, and the directions their swords were coming from.

While maintaining the rotation of internal energy, his right-side movements also became much faster. Jin Ja-gang dodged the first sword strike rather leisurely.

Swish!

The warrior’s sword missed so ridiculously wide that it was embarrassing. The warrior also showed clear signs of confusion.

For a Zhuge family warrior to strike so poorly it looked almost like a complete miss!

This was because Jin Ja-gang, who wasn’t yet accustomed to his own speed, had moved excessively. Another warrior tried to help from the side to cover his colleague’s opening.

Jin Ja-gang ignored those two and targeted the long-faced warrior.

The long-faced warrior clearly remembered that Jin Ja-gang had said he would cut off his arm just moments ago.

“Don’t think you’ll just get away with it!”

The long-faced warrior thrust his sword first toward the approaching Jin Ja-gang. Jin Ja-gang rolled on the ground, secretly grabbed a handful of dirt, and threw it at the long-faced warrior.

Whoosh!

Dust clouds spread hazily.

Jin Ja-gang was well known for using poison techniques. The long-faced warrior thought Jin Ja-gang had used poison and was startled, dodging to the side.

Jin Ja-gang watched the long-faced warrior dodge, then immediately followed and raised his right hand to strike down like a sword. The internal energy that had been rotating fiercely in his body moved to his right hand.

It wasn’t the Parting Hand Arrow Shot technique. He had just poured out internal energy.

Crack!

The long-faced warrior’s shoulder collapsed under Jin Ja-gang’s hand blade infused with internal energy.

“Aaaaah!”

Jin Ja-gang grabbed the long-faced warrior’s leg, knocked him down, and climbed on top. Fear appeared in the long-faced warrior’s expression.

Thwack!

Jin Ja-gang headbutted the long-faced warrior’s face with his forehead.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

His nose collapsed and his face was crushed. Jin Ja-gang’s forehead was also torn and became bloody. But Jin Ja-gang didn’t stop.

The long-faced warrior’s struggling gradually decreased.

“Ugh… uuugh…”

Pitiful moans flowed from the mouth of the long-faced warrior whose face was almost caved in.

The other warriors slashed at Jin Ja-gang’s back with their swords.

Jin Ja-gang didn’t dodge. Two sword marks appeared on his back. They were clearly cut deep enough to see the flesh split open. Blood spurted from the split flesh.

But Jin Ja-gang neither dodged nor retreated.

He just turned his head to look back.

The warriors were intimidated by that indifferent, blood-tinged gaze. One tried to approach to save his colleague but suddenly spat blood.

“Kugh!”

“When did he use poison!”

When the warriors spat blood and retreated, Jin Ja-gang turned his gaze to the long-faced warrior. He stood up and stomped on the long-faced warrior’s fingers as if crushing them. The long-faced warrior’s fingers broke and he dropped the sword he was holding.

Jin Ja-gang picked up his sword. He drew up internal energy and put it into his arm.

A voice filled with killing intent and sharply split came from Jin Ja-gang’s mouth.

“Give me your arms.”

Fear appeared on the long-faced warrior’s face.

“Mer-mercy!”

But Jin Ja-gang stood over the long-faced warrior and struck down with the sword just like that.

One side, then the other side.

Until both arms of the long-faced warrior fell off.

The long-faced warrior convulsed a few times, having seizures, then gradually stopped breathing.

Zhuge Yan shuddered at the terribly obsessive and cruel scene.

“Mad-madman…”

She got goosebumps.

His martial arts weren’t proper, and his mind seemed strange somewhere too.

He had even persistently targeted and killed only the long-faced warrior. As if he had to keep his word to the end.

But Zhuge Yan was also a martial artist. She had not only undergone high-intensity training but also accumulated sufficient real combat experience.

Zhuge Yan took deep breaths and calmed her mind with the Zhuge family’s secret mental cultivation method.

Though she had been intimidated by the strange sorcery, she wasn’t at a level to be pushed back in martial arts.

“Everyone get out of the way!”

It was a shout at the warriors who weren’t helping and were uselessly hesitating after being poisoned.

The warriors retreated from Jin Ja-gang, bleeding from their mouths and noses.

Jin Ja-gang wiped the blood from his forehead with his sleeve. Then he stared directly at Zhuge Yan. His look said “Are you next?”

It was an incredibly arrogant gaze that treated Zhuge Yan as just one of the warriors.

When Zhuge Yan met Jin Ja-gang’s bright red eyes, she strangely felt her body shrinking again, but since she had experienced it once before, it was more bearable than earlier.

Shin Yung advised.

“Young Lady, don’t look into his eyes.”

“I know! He’s using sorcery!”

It wasn’t sorcery. That was pure murderous intent.

It was an illusion created by Zhuge Yan’s fear of death. Zhuge Yan just wouldn’t admit it herself.

Shin Yung knew this.

He too was confused by the unfathomable depth of madness he felt from Jin Ja-gang.

Human eyes show many things.

What thoughts they’re having, what kind of life they’ve lived, with what heart they view the world.

Present, past, and future are all contained within.

In that person’s eyes right now, only murderous intent exists.

Death in the present, only death in the past, and only death remaining in the future too – such terrible eyes.

You rarely see someone with such eyes in the human world.

They would be eyes you could only see in hell.

‘What kind of life has that person lived to be able to have such eyes?’

Even for Shin Yung, who had served Zhuge Yan as his master and handled all sorts of behind-the-scenes work that Zhuge Yan didn’t know about, these were eyes difficult to understand.

It would be best not to clash with such a person if possible. Especially eyes like Zhuge Yan’s, which had grown up seeing only good things, could never overcome such eyes.

But even so, Zhuge Yan’s martial prowess was by no means low. Though he hadn’t yet figured out how poison was being used or the methods of using poison, she still wasn’t Jin Ja-gang’s match.

Shin Yung believed in Zhuge Yan.

* * *

“Did you look down on me?”

Zhuge Yan ground her teeth and charged at Jin Ja-gang. Without any particular warning, she wielded her soft sword without restraint.

Clatter clatter clack!

One, two, four!

The soft sword that had been one split and instantly divided into four.

Jin Ja-gang was facing a soft sword for the first time. It swayed so dazzlingly that it was dizzying just to watch, confusing the eyes. It wasn’t easy to judge instantly where it was trying to attack.

A long sword mark appeared on Jin Ja-gang’s forearm. It seemed like a whip had struck, but he was wounded as if cut by a blade.

The wound stung.

Jin Ja-gang created internal energy and moved his body using footwork.

Clatter clack!

The soft sword bounced from bottom to top, from top diagonally, from diagonal to diagonal again. Each time the soft sword bent, bloody lines were drawn on Jin Ja-gang’s body.

It wasn’t simply cutting and slashing. When the tip of the soft sword curved and bounced in circles, it scooped out flesh like spooning.

Not long after the fight began, Jin Ja-gang’s entire body was already bloody.

Blood dripped down, with blood drops scattered in all directions.

If you use a soft sword well, it’s possible to subdue someone by just touching blood points, but she was deliberately inflicting pain.

“Where’s that poison you were so proud of? Hm?”

Zhuge Yan wiped her blood-stained lips and smiled. It wasn’t her blood but Jin Ja-gang’s blood drops.

Jin Ja-gang took a long deep breath and looked at Zhuge Yan with his bloody face.

“I already used it, but didn’t you see?”

Unlike earlier, Jin Ja-gang was much more stable. His tone had also returned to normal.

After being consumed by anger and becoming fanatical, he had finally returned to his right mind only after seeing blood.