Chapter 449 – Yet Hope is Not Abandoned (3)

Avici Hell was a place where living beings could not exist.

That place was entirely an ashen world. Heaven and earth were indistinguishable, and even time's flow couldn't be felt in such a place.

Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo tried to escape Avici Hell, but couldn't find a method. The still young Namgung brothers fell into despair, but Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo never gave up.

Bang Jin-bo believed Dam Ho would surely find a way.

Dam Ho wandered inside Avici Hell with Bang Jin-bo and the Namgung brothers. The consolation was that time's flow wasn't felt inside Avici Hell, so hunger wasn't transmitted.

No one knew how long they'd been in Avici Hell. Perhaps just a few days, or perhaps several years had passed.

This strange space confused people's senses, making normal judgment impossible.

Dam Ho thought perhaps Avici Hell wasn't a space within a barrier but some kind of crack in spacetime.

Because it was too vast a world and incomprehensible space to create with just formations.

He'd thought no living beings existed besides themselves. But there they met an unexpected presence.

A living person, precisely Gi San-wol.

Though unknown how long he'd been in Avici Hell, Gi San-wol was exhausted. No, he was mad.

Why he was trapped in Avici Hell was unknown. But certainly he'd been trapped in Avici Hell for a very long time.

The isolation of being alone, the fear of never escaping Avici Hell drove him mad.

When first meeting Dam Ho's group, Gi San-wol rushed at them madly. Madness exploded. The one who calmed his madness was precisely Dam Ho.

The primitive killing intent Dam Ho emitted blew away even his madness. Regaining his senses, Gi San-wol poured out cries filled with countless emotions.

He was someone who'd glimpsed even a little of Avici Hell's secret inner nature. Without him, Dam Ho would never have escaped Avici Hell.

Though escaping Avici Hell with difficulty, Dam Ho's expression showed no change. Rather his eyes sank even deeper than before entering Avici Hell.

Now wasn't the time to be overcome with emotion.

Because he couldn't know how the world had changed while he was trapped in Avici Hell.

After briefly looking around, Dam Ho whistled long just in case.

"Brother?"

At the moment Bang Jin-bo looked at Dam Ho with a puzzled expression, suddenly a black beast burst through nearby bushes.

Without a single stray hair, a pitch-black horse like ink, precisely Black Ghost.

Black Ghost rushed to Dam Ho as soon as seeing him, rubbing his large face madly. Dam Ho quietly patted such Black Ghost's neck.

Though unknown how long Black Ghost had been here, he looked better than expected.

Bang Jin-bo whistled just in case, but the white horse he'd ridden didn't appear.

"Well, it's fine."

Bang Jin-bo forced a calm expression.

Anyway, he'd expected it. Though quite attached, unless the white horse was a spiritual creature like Black Ghost, it wouldn't wait quietly here. But feeling lonely in one corner of his heart was unavoidable.

Dam Ho told Bang Jin-bo and the others.

"Let's go."

"Yes!"

They answered in unison.

Dam Ho led holding Black Ghost's reins. Bang Jin-bo and the Namgung brothers followed behind, with Gi San-wol bringing up the rear.

"Ohh!"

Gi San-wol kept exclaiming in admiration looking at Mount Tianzhong's green scenery. Moisture showed between hair covering his face. He was crying.

The warm sunlight felt on skin, gentle wind tickling hair, fresh air felt deep in lungs were things never felt while in Avici Hell.

'It's not a dream, is it?'

If it was a dream, he hoped never to wake as he followed Dam Ho.

Xiping was a fairly large county near Mount Tianzhong. Since the official road running north-south through Henan Province passed through, Xiping was always bustling with many people. But when Dam Ho's group entered, Xiping was just quiet. With hardly any people visible on the streets, the entire county looked eerie.

To Dam Ho's eyes such scenes looked strange, but to Bang Jin-bo and the Namgung brothers who'd been trapped in the gap, namely Avici Hell, for a long time, such scenery didn't register.

They only wanted to quickly enter a good inn, wash, eat their fill, and rest deeply. They entered the largest-looking nearby inn and secured a detached building.

Bang Jin-bo and the Namgung brothers quickly ran to the well and poured cold water over their bodies. Though well water was quite cold since the weather had become rather cool, they didn't care.

"Ahpu!"

"Ah, good."

"I feel like I'll live now."

Smiles appeared on their faces.

Smiles that seemed somewhat more mature.

Dam Ho and Gi San-wol sat on the bench in front of the detached building watching Bang Jin-bo and the Namgung brothers. The sight of three people bathing with clothes completely off unashamedly felt refreshing just watching.

Gi San-wol turned his gaze from them to look at Dam Ho.

Like a stone statue face. Expressionlessness showing no emotions inevitably gave people fear.

The same was true for Gi San-wol. Dam Ho's face first encountered after regaining reason was enough to give him chilling fear. But that was only when thinking from an enemy's perspective. If thinking of being on Dam Ho's side, nothing could be more reassuring.

Gi San-wol cautiously spoke.

"My lord!"

"I'm not your lord."

"I swore very long ago. To whoever saves me from that hellish place, I'll offer all my body and soul. This Gi San-wol will follow my lord with loyalty until death. If the oath I make now is false, my soul will never find peace and suffer endless torment in hellfire."

Gi San-wol looked straight at Dam Ho. Strange light flickered between hair covering his face. Gi San-wol's eyes were full of strange energy enough to bewitch the mind just by looking for ordinary people. But his gaze couldn't affect Dam Ho at all. Rather Gi San-wol showed a fearful expression at Dam Ho's gaze.

Dam Ho's deep eyes whose end couldn't be known were giving him thick terror. Like his soul being strangled. Betraying him or thinking other thoughts couldn't even be attempted.

Gi San-wol could no longer look at Dam Ho's face and lowered his head. Dam Ho indifferently watched such Gi San-wol then looked back at Bang Jin-bo and the Namgung brothers.

The three had finished bathing and were busily putting on clothes. Perhaps from bathing after a long time, the bright smiles on their faces didn't disappear.

Gi San-wol told Dam Ho.

"Now my lord should wash too. I'll wash later."

His attitude toward Dam Ho was so devoted it was rather burdensome.

Dam Ho walked to the well wordlessly.

When removing the clothes he'd worn until now, thickly accumulated dust fell rustling. The dust accumulated on clothes allowed gauging the time he'd been trapped in Avici Hell.

Removing his clothes revealed Dam Ho's naked body covered with countless wounds. Wounds upon wounds formed, and such intertwined wounds looked like armor.

Gi San-wol's eyes widened greatly.

Because the very fact humans could be alive after receiving such wounds was marvelous.

'What path has my lord walked?'

Though he'd heard the rough story from Bang Jin-bo, hearing secondhand and seeing directly had great difference.

The brand-like wounds carved on Dam Ho's body told what path he'd walked. So it inevitably felt more marvelous.

Dam Ho roughly poured water and put clothes back on. Though his body's moisture hadn't fully dried, briefly circulating internal energy turned it to steam and disappeared.

Finally Gi San-wol stood at the well. Many emotions crossed his face looking at water rippling in the well.

There he couldn't see this much water. Just seeing clear, transparent water let Gi San-wol realize he'd returned to Central Plains.

Gi San-wol reached toward the well. Then a strange phenomenon occurred. The calm water surface suddenly began rippling, then a water stream rose up by itself.

The water stream coiling in the air like a snake soon began swirling around Gi San-wol's entire body.

Swoosh!

The water stream swirled around Gi San-wol's entire body washing cleanly.

"Wow!"

"What's that?"

The Namgung brothers who saw this went wild. Bang Jin-bo was equally surprised.

Bang Jin-bo blinked then soon looked at Dam Ho. Curious about Dam Ho's reaction.

Outwardly Dam Ho's expression was the same. Still an insensitive face and gaze. But Bang Jin-bo who'd spent long with Dam Ho noticed his gaze differed from usual.

'Brother is surprised too.'

Actually Dam Ho was slightly surprised.

A master who reached absolute realm could display energy like Gi San-wol using the mystery of grasping objects from air. But doing so required very delicate energy manipulation. But no energy flow was felt from Gi San-wol's entire body. As if water was washing Gi San-wol by its own will.

Perhaps conscious of people's gazes, Gi San-wol smiled awkwardly and spoke.

"No need to be so amazed. It's a useless miscellaneous technique. Anyone can do it knowing the method, so I'll teach you later if you want."

"Really?"

"I want to learn too."

The Namgung brothers reacted first. To their eyes the sorcery Gi San-wol displayed looked very amazing. But the amazing sight didn't end there.

When Gi San-wol gathered fingertips sweeping up his hair, hair was cut rustling as if with scissors. Again no traces of using internal energy.

Bang Jin-bo muttered.

"Like shamanism or something?"

"Precisely it's sorcery."

"What?"

Bang Jin-bo blinked. At innocent Bang Jin-bo's appearance, Gi San-wol smiled and explained.

"Understanding nature's law and performing with technique. If martial artists draw in natural energy which is outer energy and process it into inner energy at the dantian to use, in my case I use outer energy as is. Then such tricks become possible. But since it can't compare to true martial artists' ultimate techniques, it's just a miscellaneous technique."

"Isn't using outer energy directly more amazing?"

"Theoretically one might think so, but since proper cultivation techniques don't exist yet, it's like a picture of rice cake. Well, even if proper cultivation techniques existed, meeting a martial artist at my lord's level renders it powerless, so can only call it a miscellaneous technique."

"Is that so?"

'Still, the slight consolation that time there wasn't in vain is being able to steal and learn such sorcery.'

Gi San-wol's last words only circled in his mouth, so Bang Jin-bo couldn't hear.

He cut his beard like he'd cut his hair. Then Gi San-wol's true appearance that hadn't seen sunlight for long was revealed under the sky.

"Ah!"

Seeing his face, Bang Jin-bo involuntarily exclaimed.

White and smooth skin showing how long he hadn't seen sun, delicate features were pretty enough to recall a woman. But he was definitely male. The flat chest visible through clothes proved he was male.

Not just Bang Jin-bo but the Namgung brothers also couldn't help being shocked at Gi San-wol's dramatic change.

Because of shabby clothing and disheveled appearance, they naturally thought Gi San-wol was an old man. So the sense of dissonance they felt was very great.

When Gi San-wol smiled, explosive alluring energy flowed out. The alluring energy he exuded was bewitching yet strange enough not to be seen as coming from a man.

Gi San-wol looked at Bang Jin-bo.

"Young master."

"Yes?"

"It seems I need to buy new clothes, would you come with me?"

"Me?"

"Yes! Since I'm out in the world after so long, I'm ignorant of circumstances. Only young master here can come with me."

"Ah, alright. Let's go."

"Thank you. Then I'll be back, my lord."

After cupping fists to Dam Ho, Gi San-wol walked outside with Bang Jin-bo.

Dam Ho wordlessly watched Gi San-wol's back.

A human trapped not in this world but in a crack for long. Yet his appearance hadn't changed from when entering Avici Hell.

Whether because of sorcery or being trapped in a space where time's flow wasn't felt was unknown, but either way it wasn't normal.

Gi San-wol had drawn closer to a demon rather than human without realizing.

'Sorcery wielded by a demon…'

[TL Note- The terminology may change a little, but it’ll be more accurate.]

However, Yelu Huan did not press Jin Ja-gang further.

“I heard the mad roar inside you earlier.”

“Your hearing is sharp.”

“In the thousand-year history of our cult, fewer than ten have subdued the demons in their skulls. Every single one became an absolute master whose name was etched in the religion’s history. Even though it contains the incantations of Toad Art, you who have subdued the demons in your skull have every right to be arrogant before me.”

“If that’s praise, I’ll accept it gladly.”

“I knew what kind of person you were from the moment we first met in prison. We made quite a good deal back then.”

“It wasn’t a bad deal. However, you owe me a debt. You used me to announce your appearance.”

“That’s right. I won’t deny it. That’s why I’m going to repay the debt I owe you right here, and propose one more deal in addition.”

“There’s only one thing I need right now.”

“I’ll tell you exactly that.”

Yeong-gwi looked at Jin Ja-gang in surprise.

Did he mean he would reveal the distribution route of the Five Paths Death Pill!

Jin Ja-gang asked cautiously.

“May I decide after hearing the contents of the deal?”

“A debt is a debt, and a deal is a deal.”

At that moment, Maheul came out from inside the ruined estate, covered in dust and carrying tea.

Yelu Huan ordered Maheul again.

“Bring paper, brush, and ink.”

“Yes!”

Maheul politely set down the tea and ran back into the estate.

While Yelu Huan leisurely drank tea, Maheul quickly found the writing materials and came out.

Yelu Huan placed the paper on Maheul’s back and wrote a few characters. Then he folded the paper and stuck it against a broken pillar protruding from the debris, driving the brush into it like an awl to fix it in place.

Yelu Huan pointed to the paper and said.

“He only delivered the goods as ordered. The goods came from ‘that place’… those were the dead man’s words. I’ve written where that place is on this paper.”

“You killed a person and made this place such a mess just to learn that one thing?”

“Do you think they would have answered obediently if asked? You don’t know how vicious merchants can be! People say the Evil Sect or Demon Cult are the most wicked in the world, but merchants are worse than that.”

Yelu Huan burst into hearty laughter.

“They have no good or evil. They deceive people and snitch on colleagues for a single coin. They poison their parents and sell their wives and children. They’re fools who would foolishly throw away their own lives rather than take a loss.”

Yelu Huan sneered at Jin Ja-gang.

“You wouldn’t know. Not just you, but other martial artists are the same. You think money comes out anywhere with just one swing of a sword, not knowing how precious money is or how viciously merchants behave to earn that money. Do you think you could have obtained what you wanted without using this much force? Even if you had come, it wouldn’t have been much different.”

Jin Ja-gang looked at Yelu Huan for a moment and then nodded in agreement.

“I understand. If that’s what you think, it’s not my place to interfere.”

“Good.”

Yelu Huan smiled and drank his tea. He threw the empty cup and broke it.

“Let me speak directly.”

Watching this, Yeong-gwi became tense and raised her internal energy, preparing for everything. If he were to propose unreasonable conditions, a fight could break out immediately.

In the tense atmosphere, Yelu Huan casually said to Jin Ja-gang.

“Hand over the salt that the Tang family took.”

Jin Ja-gang’s eyes narrowed upon hearing Yelu Huan’s proposal.

It was an unexpected proposal.

After thinking for a moment, Jin Ja-gang answered.

“That’s not for me to decide.”

“Don’t think of me as soft. I’m proposing this because I know you can do it.”

Maheul scolded from the side.

“Insolent brat! The leader is trying to bestow grace with his deep and broad heart, yet you dare refuse without even hearing everything!”

Maheul’s words made sense this time.

“I see. Then would you tell me what I can gain?”

Yelu Huan said.

“I’ll establish a branch of our cult in Sichuan.”

Yeong-gwi, who was listening, exclaimed in disbelief.

“That’s outrageous! Not only hand over the salt but also allow the Zoroastrian Religion’s branch to enter Sichuan!”

Yelu Huan pointed his finger at Yeong-gwi. An angry voice filled with internal energy rumbled out.

“Who told you to interfere? Woman.”

Tsk! Lightning Extreme Finger was released. Yeong-gwi raised her dagger to block it. At the same time, Jin Ja-gang extended his hand in front of Yeong-gwi.

The finger wind of Lightning Extreme Finger slightly deflected to the side.

Thwack!

The deflected finger wind simply pierced through the tip of Yeong-gwi’s dagger and disappeared after making a round hole in the ground.

Jin Ja-gang shook his tingling hand. Though it had hit his palm, a blue bruise appeared on the back of his hand. The finger wind was so strong that the blood had rushed backward upon impact. If his internal energy had been insufficient, a hole would have been pierced through his palm and more.

As proof, there was a circular hole at the tip of the dagger Yeong-gwi held. It was a hole made even after the force had weakened from hitting Jin Ja-gang’s hand.

White Ape made a commotion from the side.

“Kaaaak! Kaak!”

Jin Ja-gang looked at Yelu Huan and said.

“Please be patient. Do you want to abandon the deal?”

“Have you decided?”

Yeong-gwi shouted in shock and cold sweat.

“You can’t!”

Jin Ja-gang chose his words carefully and spoke to Yeong-gwi.

“The Zoroastrian Cult needs funds to expand their religious influence. That’s why they want the salt we recovered.”

“But if we hand over the salt, it will add confirmation to the rumors currently circulating! If that happens… not only the Tang family, but the Poison Sect family and Emei Sect will be finished.”

The salt convoy incident at Dujiangyan.

It was such a complexly entangled incident that the world only knew that the Zoroastrian Cult, Northern Heaven Evil Sect, and all sorts of groups had gotten involved and fought to steal salt from each other. Of course, rumors also circulated that Master Haewol had drawn in the Zoroastrian Cult, or that the Tang family was recovering ships to hide some conspiracy.

The Tang family deliberately did not respond accurately. Even when false rumors spread that the Tang family had colluded with the Zoroastrian Cult or joined hands with the Northern Heaven Evil Sect, they did not respond.

Rather than explaining everything in detail and having it constantly talked about, they chose the strategy of keeping quiet while taking advantage of the martial world’s chaos.

Most importantly, there was no point in telling the truth. Who would believe that Baek Li-jung, known as a great hero of the martial world, had joined hands with the Zoroastrian Cult? Rather, Baek Li-jung was someone who had tried to distribute salt for the poor.

Yeong-gwi asked again.

“And what about the promise to compensate the merchants for their losses!”

Yelu Huan clicked his tongue.

“Foolish woman. This is beneficial to the Tang family, not our cult.”

Yelu Huan tapped the paper stuck in the broken pillar with his palm.

“I said I heard from that Wang Ung fellow about where the Five Paths Death Pill came from. I made this proposal to you after that. Do you understand what this means?”

“That…!”

Jin Ja-gang stepped forward instead of Yeong-gwi.

“Don’t tell me you think even the Tang family’s power would have difficulty touching the mastermind?”

“Their organization is very solid and more deeply rooted than you think. Go confirm it yourself. However.”

Yelu Huan’s expression became serious.

“Even in the worst case, if we enter Sichuan, Sichuan can be saved. Pull back. And wait quietly at the Tang family estate. Our Zoroastrian Cult will become the Tang family’s shield.”

Martial sects and religious cults are completely different in nature. Sects have only a small number of disciples, but religious cults penetrate into the civilian population and create thousands upon thousands of believers and followers. That itself becomes an excellent breakwater.

Jin Ja-gang asked back.

“If I pull back… in the meantime, you plan to devour the Hungry Ghost King and absorb the plans to take the martial world into your hands, don’t you?”

A cold smile settled at the corners of Yelu Huan’s mouth, but it hardened stiffly upon hearing Jin Ja-gang’s answer.

“I refuse.”

“The reason?”

“You’re not thinking of just a branch, but of making Sichuan into an advance base. As a full-scale foothold for entering the Central Plains.”

“Even if I said there would be no harm to the Tang family?”

This time Jin Ja-gang sneered at Yelu Huan.

“Would there be any fool who would allow a heretic to build a house in their front yard and preach as they please?”

At the word heretic, Yelu Huan’s eyes turned cold, and Maheul fumed with rage from behind.

Yelu Huan looked down at Jin Ja-gang with cold eyes.

“With this, the debt between us is settled.”

“Where are you going?”

“Don’t demand patience and mercy from me any longer.”

Yelu Huan shouted.

“Maheul!”

Maheul bent at the waist with both arms hanging down, raised his head to the sky, and roared.

“Kraaaaa!”

Behind Jin Ja-gang, White Ape showed her fangs and howled back.

“Kyaaaa!”

Maheul rolled his eyes and grinned until his mouth split, stamping his feet. He swayed his body restlessly, waiting for the next command.

Yelu Huan commanded.

“Go wild.”

Instantly, Maheul kicked off the ground and charged at Jin Ja-gang.

Yeong-gwi blocked Maheul’s path.

“I’ll stop this one!”

“Where to?”

Maheul took a deep breath and unleashed a series of double palm strikes.

“Kwaaaaa!”

Tremendously powerful palm forces flew in bundles. Yeong-gwi lowered her body to dodge. The missed palm forces hit the remains of the main gate, instantly crumbling them and raising clouds of dust.

Yeong-gwi crawled along the ground and slashed at Maheul’s shin. Maheul raised both arms up and struck down at Yeong-gwi with both fists. At that moment, White Ape flew over Maheul’s head and swung her claws. Three lines of blood appeared on Maheul’s forehead.

Slash! At the same time, Yeong-gwi also lightly cut Maheul’s shin and quickly rolled away. Maheul’s both fists struck where Yeong-gwi had been. The ground crumbled as it was, and a mound of earth shot up. White Ape climbed up Maheul’s shoulder with her hind feet and wildly scratched his face with her front paws. Maheul’s face quickly became covered in blood. Maheul grabbed White Ape’s tail and threw her down to the ground.

Thud! White Ape hit the ground with her back crushing impact. Maheul kicked at White Ape. White Ape turned her body and ran away on all fours.

When Maheul missed White Ape, he lifted his cut leg and sucked the wound on his shin with his mouth, then spat.

“Ptui.”

He had sucked out the poison from the dagger.

“Hehehe!”

Though his face was covered in blood, he didn’t seem to care at all. After all, it was just one more scar among the countless scars on his body.

Meanwhile, Jin Ja-gang used the Reverse Afterimage Soul Movement technique to pass Maheul and fly toward Yelu Huan.

Yelu Huan was already turning around, trying to leave the estate. Jin Ja-gang struck Yelu Huan’s back with a palm using all his might. Yelu Huan only turned his upper body and blocked Jin Ja-gang’s palm with his forearm.

Thwack!

Yelu Huan spun his wrist and grabbed Jin Ja-gang’s arm.

Jin Ja-gang, with one hand caught, drew a poison needle with Heaven and Earth Eight Trigrams from his left hand. Then he tried to stab the poison needle into Yelu Huan’s armpit.

But…

Clatter.

The poison needle fell.

The strength left his hand.

“…!”

Yelu Huan smiled coldly.