Chapter 155

Chapter 155: Every Meeting Must Come to an End (2)

Since the founding of the Murim Alliance, all the pleasure quarters of Anyang had been enjoying an unprecedented boom. The Heavenly Tower, having established itself in Anyang, was also experiencing its greatest prosperity.

Though they had joined the Murim Alliance under the banner of upholding justice in the martial world, at their core, they were men overflowing with vigor.

Their energy far exceeded that of ordinary men, and their vitality was boundless. It was only natural that they would seek women. The easiest place in Anyang to take a beautiful woman to bed was the Heavenly Tower.

Thanks to this, the courtesans, the chief steward, and the servants of the Heavenly Tower had been screaming with joy at the flood of customers for quite some time.

"Hah."

Ki Ye-hwa let out a soft sigh.

Business was too good, and that too was a problem. There were not enough courtesans, and she had to bring in more from elsewhere.

Just yesterday, she had brought in courtesans from another branch of the Hao Sect. Since they came from such a distant place, there were countless concerns, from the courtesans' health to every other detail.

"Now I can finally breathe a little easier."

Given the nature of a pleasure quarter, once it had established itself, customers would not easily desert it. If she could win over the warriors of the Murim Alliance in the early stages, she would not need to worry too much about future business.

Ki Ye-hwa picked up the teacup on the table.

The fragrant aroma of tea cleared her mind and body.

Ki Ye-hwa sipped her tea for a moment and gazed out the window. For some time now, it had been raining in Anyang. Even the distant surface of Dongting Lake was being pelted by raindrops.

The scene of mist rising over the water was beautiful to the point of being mystical. But Ki Ye-hwa felt no particular emotion. Her mind was occupied by other thoughts.

"Where is he, I wonder?"

The man the world called the Fist Demon.

Because of her request, he had been compelled to rescue Hwang Hye-ryeong. Having saved her, Dam Ho had immediately vanished from the world.

"He must be at the Overlord Outfit by now."

Ki Ye-hwa considered this fortunate.

Had Hwang Hye-ryeong been captured or injured by the Murim Alliance, Anyang would have instantly become a battlefield. And the current boom would certainly not have continued.

Above all, sending the eye of the storm, Dam Ho, away from Anyang was the greatest achievement of all. Had he been here, she could not have enjoyed such peaceful days.

"My Lady."

At that moment, the chief steward called to her from outside.

Ki Ye-hwa's brow creased slightly at the interruption of her thoughts.

"What is it?"

"Well… the guest in the VIP room requests to see you personally."

"You know perfectly well that I do not meet guests in person."

"Yes! I told him so, but…"

The chief steward's voice sounded somewhat unusual.

Ki Ye-hwa finally opened the door. There stood the chief steward, his head bowed.

"Is it someone so important that you cannot refuse?"

"That is correct."

"Who is it? Who wishes to see this Ki Ye-hwa?"

"It is the Military Advisor of the Murim Alliance."

"The Military Advisor of the Murim Alliance?"

Ki Ye-hwa's expression hardened visibly.

She knew well that the Military Advisor of the Murim Alliance was Namgung Chang. The mere title of Military Advisor was already burdensome enough, but the man was also an Elder of the Namgung Family.

He was truly a titan among titans.

"Hah."

Ki Ye-hwa sighed involuntarily.

From the outset, she had no choice.

For those who lived and worked in Anyang, Namgung Chang's words were tantamount to a decree of life or death.

"You said the VIP room?"

"That is correct."

"Let us go."

Ki Ye-hwa left her quarters with the chief steward and headed for the VIP room.

The VIP room was located at the highest point of the Heavenly Tower. It was not a place that anyone could enter simply by having money. The people who frequented it held important positions in both the Murim and the government.

The courtesans assigned to the VIP room were the most beautiful and alluring among all the women of the Heavenly Tower.

The chief steward knocked on the VIP room's door and spoke.

"My Lady has arrived."

"Do come in."

A deep, resonant voice was heard, and the chief steward opened the door. The scene within was revealed.

Two middle-aged warriors sat facing each other. Though their faces were unfamiliar, Ki Ye-hwa identified their identities without difficulty.

'Namgung Chang, the Azure Star of the Left, and Oh Gun-ui, the Hundred Sword Swordsman.'

One was an Elder of the Namgung Family and an Elder of the Murim Alliance. The other was an Elder of the renowned Hainan Sect.

The arrival of a single one of them would have been enough to cause a stir throughout the Heavenly Tower, and now two such figures had come at once. Ki Ye-hwa could not help but feel anxious inwardly. Yet, contrary to her feelings, a radiant smile graced her face.

"Ki Ye-hwa of the Heavenly Tower greets the honored guests from the Murim Alliance."

Her voice was exquisitely clear, pleasing to the ears of all who heard it. But both Namgung Chang and Oh Gun-ui were seasoned veterans of the Murim. They were not enchanted by Ki Ye-hwa's voice.

Namgung Chang smiled and spoke.

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Ki. As you may already know, I am Namgung Chang, the Military Advisor of the Murim Alliance. That is my friend, Oh Gun-ui, the Hundred Sword Swordsman."

"I have long heard of your illustrious reputations. To have two such esteemed figures visit the Tower at once is more than this humble girl can bear."

"There is no need to be so modest."

"I beg your pardon?"

"As the branch leader of the Hao Sect, you are more than qualified to meet with us. Moreover, as the leader of the Anyang branch, you are one of the top three most influential figures within the Hao Sect."

In that instant, Ki Ye-hwa's expression froze.

Not many people knew her true identity. And the fact that the leader of the Anyang branch was one of the top three power brokers within the Hao Sect was known only to the inner circle.

'Where did the information leak?'

But there was no leisure to ponder at length.

"Please, take a seat. It is a pain in the neck to look up at you like this."

Ki Ye-hwa nodded and took her seat.

If they had come knowing the full truth, denial would be of no use.

"I did not come here simply to listen to the laughter of courtesans, it seems."

"Who could dislike the laughter of young, beautiful women? It is only regrettable that circumstances prevent me from enjoying it."

"If one does not spend time with courtesans in a pleasure quarter, is there any reason to visit?"

"As you can see, we are all getting on in years and cannot keep up with young women."

Namgung Chang spoke with a jesting air.

Though a faint smile hovered at his lips, his eyes gleamed sharper than ever.

"What a pity. Even the butterflies refuse the flower."

"One does not need to trifle with flowers to achieve one's purpose."

"Then what purpose brings you here?"

"I wish to meet with the Sect Leader of the Hao Sect."

"What?"

"I would like you to serve as the intermediary."

Namgung Chang cut to the chase without further circumlocution.

"Why do you wish to meet with the Sect Leader?"

"We would like the Hao Sect to join the fight for justice in the Murim."

"We are merely a gathering of lowly folk who banded together to survive. How could we possibly be of use? We would only fear sullying the good name of the Murim Alliance."

"Is there a distinction between high and low in a fight for the Murim? Put such worries aside. If the Hao Sect lends its support, it would be of great help in the battle against the Demonic Cult."

"What power could we lowly folk possibly possess?"

"Your intelligence network would be of immense help to the future endeavors of the Murim Alliance."

Namgung Chang was relentless.

Ki Ye-hwa turned her gaze to Oh Gun-ui, the Hundred Sword Swordsman.

Oh Gun-ui had not uttered a single word the entire time, keeping his eyes gently closed. Yet his hand never once strayed from his sword.

He was in a posture to draw his blade at any moment.

The message he conveyed was unmistakable.

'I will absolutely not tolerate any refusal of Namgung Chang's proposal.'

Depending on what decision she made, the course of the Murim Alliance's actions would change.

At that moment, as though reading her conflicted thoughts, Namgung Chang offered a word.

"We can become good friends. Do not think too hard about it."

His voice was sweet and gentle, like a demon's whisper. But the moment she accepted his proposal, the Hao Sect would be thrust to the very forefront of the war against the Demonic Cult.

For the first time in her life, Ki Ye-hwa regretted her own decision.

'I should have kept the Fist Demon.'

He would have been an excellent counterbalance to the Murim Alliance. He was an existence that even the Murim Alliance feared.

Ssss!

Oh Gun-ui made a show of drawing his sword.

She had never had a choice from the beginning.

The law was far, but the sword was near.

"Very well. I will send word to the Sect Leader."

"A wise decision. Your decision will save the Murim from the grasp of the Demonic Cult."

"But the decision belongs to the Sect Leader. I cannot make any guarantees."

"Do not worry. A Sect Leader of the Hao Sect should have the wisdom to read the times. Surely she will not make such a foolish decision as to bring about the Hao Sect's ruin."

Ki Ye-hwa closed her eyes.

***

"Gggghk!"

Jo Yun-san let out his final ghastly groan and moved no more. His breath had finally ceased.

While Dam Ho fought Yun Chung and the Dark Ghosts, Jo Yun-san had been locked in a desperate battle with excruciating itching.

He had tried his utmost to endure the itch, but in the end, he could not resist and clawed at his entire body with both hands. His skin had been stripped away and hung in tatters, but he continued to scratch. In the end, he had bitten through his own tongue and ended his life.

In the state of Jo Yun-san's corpse, it was difficult to find any trace of a human form. Dam Ho gazed down at Jo Yun-san's remains in silence for a long time.

Everyone held their breath.

The number of those who had died at Dam Ho's hands on this single day alone reached into the hundreds. And despite such a prodigious massacre, Dam Ho showed no sign of exhaustion.

"G-Grandmaster. Are you all right?"

The warriors of the Overlord Outfit finally rushed over to support Hwang Gyeong-mun.

They were the pure green forest folk who had not been co-opted by Yun Chung. They had been imprisoned by Yun Chung but were freed with the help of Muk Il-gwang and Hwang Hye-ryeong.

"I am fine."

Though his answer said otherwise, Hwang Gyeong-mun's condition was far from good. The poisoning with Scatter Energy Poison and the subsequent use of the Repelling Force had aggravated his internal injuries.

He needed to treat his injuries as soon as possible. And he needed to drive the Blood-Lung Poison from his body.

"Father!"

"Grandmaster!"

Hwang Hye-ryeong arrived at last, running alongside Muk Il-gwang.

Seeing that she was safe, a look of relief spread across Hwang Gyeong-mun's face.

What he had feared more than his own death was harm befalling Hwang Hye-ryeong.

"I am fine. Do not worry."

"Father."

Hwang Hye-ryeong embraced Hwang Gyeong-mun.

Father and daughter expressed their gratitude for each other's safety and felt the warmth between them.

Though they were not of the same blood, a bond stronger than blood existed between them.

"Please, climb onto my back."

Muk Il-gwang offered his back to Hwang Gyeong-mun. But the latter declined his offer.

"I am fine. I will walk on my own two feet."

Even wounded, he was a tiger. A tiger never relied upon others.

Hwang Gyeong-mun took a step forward on trembling legs. In the direction he headed, Dam Ho stood.

Only then did Hwang Hye-ryeong and Muk Il-gwang notice Dam Ho.

"O… Brother?"

Hwang Hye-ryeong's voice trembled involuntarily.

Dam Ho was so drenched in blood that his original form was nearly unrecognizable. Yet the fact that he remained unbroken even as a blood-soaked figure sent great ripples through Hwang Hye-ryeong's heart.

In that moment, hazy memories rose in her mind like a phantom.

A burning village. People turned to blood. And two men.

Though covered in blood, their faces as they fought to protect their family were somehow familiar.

She murmured involuntarily.

"Father. Brother."

And then she collapsed.

"My Lady!"

Muk Il-gwang caught her frail body in his arms.

Dam Ho's eyes took in the scene. The words she had murmured in that final moment as well.

Dam Ho's pupils wavered.