Chapter 417

Chapter 417 – Though Gathered in One Place, They Dream Different Dreams (2)

It was precisely the Hao Sect that had as many branch halls and divisions as the Beggar Sect. Although their activities had been greatly reduced after the Demon Cult seized control of Anhui Province and many branches had withdrawn, several branches were still thriving.

The Hao Sect branch Dam Ho sought was one of those thriving places. The Hao Sect here was disguised as a gambling house.

Once someone became addicted to gambling, they couldn't help but return to the gambling house even if their parents died. Outside, countless people were dying swept up in bloody chaos, but inside the gambling house was filled with fervent heat.

"Hurry up and throw it."

"Damn it! If I lose this time too…"

People blinded by gambling were glaring at the gambling tables with fiery eyes.

The sound of dice rolling could be heard everywhere, and exclamations from mahjong players burst forth.

The types of gambling were extremely diverse – dog fighting matches were even taking place in one corner.

"Damn it! Go for the neck."

"Yes! Bite the neck and twist it around, just like that…"

Madness rippled across the faces of people shouting at the top of their lungs while holding betting slips.

To them, the fall of the Namgung Family or the Demon Cult ruling the world didn't matter. Only the results happening at the gambling tables before their eyes mattered.

"Wahhh!"

"Ahhh!"

Exclamations and sighs, joy and sorrow crossed everywhere.

Creak!

The gambling house door opened and new figures entered, but not a single person gave them a glance. Their gazes were focused solely on the gambling tables unfolding before their eyes.

The ones who newly entered the gambling house were precisely Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo.

"This place is the Hao Sect?"

Bang Jin-bo's eyes, entering a gambling house for the first time in his life, were wide with shock. The interior was thick with smoke, and the human spectacle radiating madness within gave Bang Jin-bo a great shock.

Probably anyone seeing such a scene would receive the same shock.

This was a place where the bottom of human nature was revealed. What status they had outside didn't matter. The moment they entered here, they were all the same humans mad with gambling.

Dam Ho fully understood the shock Bang Jin-bo must have received. But he didn't deliberately speak to comfort him.

The martial world didn't only have glamorous and good aspects. Dirty things like mud puddles also existed, and this too was one aspect of the martial world.

For Bang Jin-bo to grow into a proper martial artist rather than a half-baked one, he had to naturally accept the fact that such places existed. That was why he had left the Namgung brothers outside and brought only Bang Jin-bo into this place.

That's when it happened.

"Wait there. How did you get inside?"

The Hao Sect martial artists who were monitoring to prevent incidents in the gambling house approached Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo.

Naturally there were those guarding outside the gambling house. When new customers visited, they would naturally inform those inside. But they hadn't received any word from the martial artists guarding outside. It was natural for them to think it strange.

Some burly martial artists approached with fierce momentum. Ordinary people would be intimidated just by their appearance. But unfortunately for them, Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo were not ordinary people.

Rather, the closer they got to the two, the more their faces contorted. Because they instinctively felt fear.

'Damn it!'

'What, what is this? Could they be Demon Cult members?'

Finally their steps stopped.

It wasn't their will. Their two legs were refusing to approach Dam Ho.

Their legs trembled, and cold sweat flowed down their spines. Suppressing the urge to scream, they looked at Dam Ho with fearful gazes.

'Different.'

'This man is different from us.'

The moment they met Dam Ho's emotionless gaze, this was the common thought that arose in their minds.

That's when it happened.

"Move aside! He's not someone the likes of you should deal with."

Someone came running hurriedly from inside shouting. It was a middle-aged man with a goatee and small build. The Hao Sect martial artists hurriedly bowed their heads to him.

"Branch Leader."

"Move! You bastards. Are you trying to kill me?"

"Pardon?"

"Get lost already."

The goateed middle-aged man burst into anger. Only then did the martial artists hurriedly retreat backward. Their faces clearly showed relief at being alive.

The goateed middle-aged man hurriedly approached Dam Ho, bowed his head and said:

"Welcome, Great Hero Dam. This humble person is Seo Il-myeong, branch leader of the Hao Sect's Hexian division. I sincerely welcome Great Hero Dam's visit."

Seo Il-myeong's impression was exactly like a rat. In reality his personality was also gloomy like a rat and he was quick-witted. Thanks to this, he was able to instantly recognize Dam Ho's identity.

'If I fail to please Fist Demon's mood, today will be the last day of the Hexian branch.'

He tried his best to smile as naturally as possible. Hoping his smile wouldn't offend Dam Ho's mood.

Fortunately, Dam Ho didn't seem particularly offended. Seo Il-myeong, who had been carefully reading his mood, cautiously opened his mouth again.

"Please follow me. I'll guide you to a quiet place."

When Dam Ho silently nodded, Seo Il-myeong took small quick steps to lead the way.

The place they entered following him was a small room located inside the gambling house. The room that reminded one of a secret chamber with all sides tightly enclosed was Seo Il-myeong's office.

"Please sit here."

Seo Il-myeong offered Dam Ho the seat of honor. Dam Ho sat without declining. Bang Jin-bo stood behind Dam Ho, while Seo Il-myeong looked at Dam Ho with the most respectful attitude possible, hands folded.

After staring at Seo Il-myeong for a moment, Dam Ho finally opened his mouth.

"I want to know the world's current situation."

"What specifically would you like to know?"

"The Demon Cult and Martial Alliance."

"Neither is difficult. Then I'll start with the Demon Cult. First, thanks to Great Hero Dam, the Demon Cult's power in Anhui Province has greatly weakened. With all their core forces wiped out, they're scattered without a focal point. Thanks to this, our gambling house has also become safer, so we're grateful for this."

As Seo Il-myeong said, the Demon Cult's power within Anhui Province had greatly weakened. Even their momentum that had soared to the heavens after annihilating the Namgung Family had been broken, and their forces greatly weakened, so they were retreating their power to the outskirts of Anhui Province near Hunan Province.

Thanks to this, people who had been oppressed by the Demon Cult's momentum were now breathing sighs of relief, and sects that had persistently resisted also felt much more breathing room.

"It can't be said to be completely stable yet, but compared to when the Demon Cult was ascendant, it's become livable. All of this is thanks to Great Hero Dam. Thank you, thanks to you I don't have to lose my job either, so I'm extremely grateful. Hahaha!"

"……"

Seeing Dam Ho's indifferent reaction, Seo Il-myeong realized his mistake and hurriedly continued.

"Yes! I'll stop the nonsense and move on to the next topic. Anyway, despite the failure in Anhui Province, the Demon Cult's forces still seem to be intact. The work of annexing the southern Central Plains is also continuing without rest."

Currently, the Hao Sect was doing everything possible to uncover the Demon Cult's reality. But the more information they gathered, the more the Hao Sect's despair only grew.

The Demon Cult's forces were truly beyond imagination.

They still had solid forces, and there seemed to be even more undisclosed forces.

"Recently, unusual movements have been detected in Yueyang."

"What's that?"

"Weapon-making workshops are running busily, and wagons loaded with provisions are entering in continuous lines. I believe Great Hero Dam also understands well what this means."

"They're trying to move large-scale forces."

"Correct. We also understand it that way. Weapons and provisions are absolutely necessary items for those preparing for war. And with this scale, it's enough for thousands of people to last over a month. It's truly enormous."

At Seo Il-myeong's explanation, Dam Ho's expression hardened. Seo Il-myeong continued while reading his mood.

"There will probably be a large-scale offensive of a different dimension than before. And that target is…"

"The Martial Alliance."

"Exactly. Our superiors also judge it that way. There will probably be a major clash with the Martial Alliance soon."

"Does the Martial Alliance also know this fact?"

"They didn't know until now, but they'll find out soon. We plan to secretly leak the information."

"You intend to intervene?"

"Don't we also have to survive? If the Demon Cult gains power, those who die are underlings like us."

Seo Il-myeong grinned, showing his yellowed teeth.

His words were true. In regions where the Demon Cult held sway, situations where the Hao Sect was oppressed were occurring. Because of this, dozens of branches had already closed. At this rate, it was obvious the Hao Sect's influence would shrink, so they too were taking action.

Dam Ho's gaze sank deeply.

Seo Il-myeong watched Dam Ho lost in thought and quietly opened his mouth.

"By the way, there's something else to tell you. This isn't certain but…"

"……"

"It seems the Martial Alliance has also secretly dispatched elite forces targeting the Demon Cult's main base."

Instantly Dam Ho raised his head to look at Seo Il-myeong. The moment Seo Il-myeong met Dam Ho's pitch-black pupils, he felt his heart ominously pounding and hurriedly turned his head away.

'Wh-what kind of gaze is that…'

Just from looking at his eyes, his breath was blocked and his mind went blank. This was another first-time experience.

Dam Ho opened his mouth.

"A suicide squad?"

"Based on the circumstances, that possibility is high."

At Seo Il-myeong's answer, Dam Ho's gaze rippled.

He had somewhat expected this from when they said they were reorganizing the suicide squad.

Human beings tend to repeat methods that were most effective in the past. Because they had organized a suicide squad in the past and seen excellent results, they think it will work this time too.

Conversely, those who experienced unexpected nightmares always prepare for them. Dam Ho thought the Demon Cult would be the same. If it had been such a careless place, they wouldn't have been able to recover their former strength in just a few decades.

The problem was that the suicide squad included many people Dam Ho knew.

Dam Ho asked.

"Yeon-woon?"

"He hasn't been seen at Shaolin Temple for a long time."

"He's moving with the suicide squad."

"It seems so."

Seo Il-myeong made an expression as if he had committed a crime.

'Yeon-woon.'

The suicide squad included many of Cho Yeon-woon's acquaintances. Given Cho Yeon-woon's personality, he couldn't have turned his back on them.

Where Dam Ho was located was the eastern end of Anhui Province. It was over a thousand li away from Yueyang in Hunan Province where the Demon Cult was. No matter how fast he rode, it would take more than seven days and nights. Most importantly, there was no guarantee he could enter Hunan Province without any conflicts.

Dam Ho's gaze sank deeply. Given this situation, it seemed he had no choice but to trust Cho Yeon-woon. Cho Yeon-woon had the ability to extract himself from any situation.

Then Bang Jin-bo, who had been silent until now, opened his mouth.

"Yeon-woon hyung will be fine. Who could do anything to the world's Drunken Cloud Dragon? I believe in Yeon-woon hyung."

At Bang Jin-bo's confident words, Dam Ho silently nodded.

He also trusted Cho Yeon-woon.

The current Cho Yeon-woon was different from the Cho Yeon-woon of three years ago. He had achieved incomparable growth and been reborn as a complete martial artist.

If he couldn't trust such a Cho Yeon-woon, there would be no one trustworthy in the martial world. Dam Ho trusted Cho Yeon-woon.

After that, Dam Ho continued to hear from Seo Il-myeong about the current martial world's situation.

After he had destroyed the Demon Cult's heavenly net, many things had happened in the martial world. Among them, the biggest news was that sects opposing the Demon Cult were beginning to appear one by one. They had all stepped forward gaining courage from Dam Ho's divine might.

That's when it happened.

"How dare you deceive me!"

CRASH!

A sharp shout followed by a loud noise came from outside the secret room.

"F-fighting!"

"It's a martial artist!"

Following that, people's screams echoed.

"What?"

Seo Il-myeong's complexion completely changed. Someone was causing a disturbance outside.

Having just overcome the great mountain that was Dam Ho, another disaster had occurred. Without even asking Dam Ho's permission, he hurriedly ran outside.

Bang Jin-bo looked at Dam Ho.

"Brother!"

"Let's go!"

Dam Ho went outside the secret room with Bang Jin-bo.

The first scene they saw upon going outside was people flying through the air and crashing to the floor. They were the martial artists who had blocked Dam Ho when he entered the gambling house.

In the direction they had flown from, a woman wearing a veil stood coldly. In her arms, one Hao Sect martial artist was held by the neck in each hand. One of them was Seo Il-myeong, who had just been explaining everything to Dam Ho.

"Great Hero, please!"

He looked at Dam Ho with a tearful face.

The gaze of the woman holding Seo Il-myeong's neck naturally turned toward Dam Ho as well.

"Are you also one of them?"

Her cold voice echoed through the gambling house. ​