Chapter 124: The Fluttering of a Butterfly's Wings Summons the Storm (3)

The man's smile held an air of nobility. It was the kind of smile that could draw admiration from anyone who beheld it. But though his mouth smiled, his sharp, gleaming eyes told an entirely different story.

A man who smiled yet did not smile at all.

At his arrival, Eum Yu-gyeong sheathed her sword and retreated. Only then could she finally catch her breath. The oppressive force Dam Ho had radiated had weighed upon her shoulders like a mountain.

"Martial Sister!"

"I waited for quite some time, wondering what was taking you so long. It turns out this fine gentleman had detained you. Ha ha!"

The man laughed easily. "You?"

Dam Ho took a step toward the man. But the man reached out and wiped the sweat from Bang Jin-bo's brow with his sleeve. The gesture was so natural they might have been old friends. But Bang Jin-bo, whose shoulder was clutched in the man's arm, could not move at all—like a frog before a snake.

Having carefully wiped away Bang Jin-bo's sweat, the man raised his head and looked at Dam Ho. He grinned.

"Good day. I was wondering why our martial sister was taking so long, and it turns out a handsome gentleman like yourself was keeping her occupied. But what are we to do? Our martial sister already has a prior engagement."

"Are you also from the Demonic Cult?"

"Strictly speaking, from the New Cult. My name is Sin Mu-wol. And you are?"

"Dam Ho."

"Ah! The Fist Demon!"

The man who identified himself as Sin Mu-wol exclaimed. But rather than genuine surprise, it felt more like mockery.

"What an honor. To meet the world-renowned great hero Dam Ho, the Fist Demon, in person. Wow!"

Sin Mu-wol kept exclaiming in admiration. On the surface, he appeared to be a carefree young man. But anyone who knew him even slightly would never think so. Sin Mu-wol's epithet was Peacock Ghost Sword. He was called so because, though he appeared as flamboyant as a peacock, he wielded his sword as insidiously as a ghost. The wooden case on his back was called the Peacock Sword Case for the same reason. The five swords it held each served a different purpose, and Sin Mu-wol could wield swords of varying forms with equal skill. One of these swords was in his hand now, and with every word he spoke, it swayed before Bang Jin-bo's eyes. It was an unmistakable threat—yet Sin Mu-wol never dropped his smile.

Dam Ho regarded Sin Mu-wol and spoke.

"If that boy is harmed, you die."

"Ah, I know. I have no intention of killing this child."

Though his words said one thing, Sin Mu-wol did not sheathe his sword. Dam Ho's expression grew even colder. His gaze was the kind that would stop the heart of an ordinary person. But Sin Mu-wol showed no sign of tension whatsoever.

"Please, calm yourself. I have no wish to make an enemy of you here. I simply want to leave this place quietly with my martial sister. Isn't that right, martial sister?"

"That's right."

Eum Yu-gyeong nodded and moved to Sin Mu-wol's side. Dam Ho watched the entire time. If he moved now, Bang Jin-bo would die. He might be able to kill the two afterward, but Bang Jin-bo could not be brought back.

"I'll let you go today. Leave Jin-bo."

"Thank you. I was rather nervous, but it seems you are a reasonable man after all. The rumors say you're impossible to reason with. Ha ha!"

Sin Mu-wol seemed to possess the peculiar talent of laughing while getting under people's skin. But Dam Ho's expression did not change, not even slightly.

Finally, Eum Yu-gyeong stood beside Sin Mu-wol. She asked via transmission.

―Where is the Golden Demon Lion?

―We lost him.

―You, martial brother?

―He is more cunning than I expected. I need your help, martial sister.

―Mm!

―And the sacred artifact?

―Not yet. But I've found a lead.

―We must retrieve the sacred artifact quickly. Only then can we stop the Cult Leader's solo campaign. I've received word that the Cult Leader has dispatched So Cheonsan.

―The Ten-Li Reaper? That monster?

―Yes!

Their conversation had occurred in an instant, and no one had noticed they were exchanging transmission voices—except for Dam Ho alone. Though they thought they were being discreet, every word reached Dam Ho's ears with perfect clarity.

'Sacred artifact? The Cult Leader's solo campaign?' It was an unfamiliar combination of words. He was puzzled, but Dam Ho did not show it.

Sin Mu-wol turned to face Dam Ho.

"You will keep your word, won't you?"

"I don't go back on what I say."

"I know. It's just that the world is so turbulent these days, and so many people change their minds. I merely wanted to confirm."

Sin Mu-wol removed his arm from Bang Jin-bo's shoulder. Only then did Bang Jin-bo let out a sigh of relief.

"Well then, be on your way, young friend. But for the sake of your health, you might want to lose a bit of weight. Ha ha!"

Sin Mu-wol slapped Bang Jin-bo's broad back. Bang Jin-bo grimaced but walked toward Dam Ho.

In the meantime, Eum Yu-gyeong and Sin Mu-wol departed the battlefield. Dam Ho watched them until they were out of sight. They did the same. Neither side let their guard down until the other had vanished. Only when Dam Ho was no longer visible did they employ qinggong and leave the area.

"I'm sorry, Hyung."

Bang Jin-bo bowed his head before Dam Ho. He felt as though he had become a burden to Dam Ho for no reason.

"It's all right."

"But…"

"There was nothing you could have done."

Though Bang Jin-bo had been taken hostage, Sin Mu-wol's skill was genuine. He was a classic example of the idiom "concealing a blade behind a smile." In some ways, he might be even more difficult to deal with than Eum Yu-gyeong.

Dam Ho harbored no regrets. It was water under the bridge. And as long as they walked the Murim, they would meet again someday.

"Let's go."

"Yes!"

The two set off once more. The establishment of the Murim Alliance was proceeding smoothly. The appearance of the Golden Demon Lion had, paradoxically, served as the catalyst for the Alliance's founding. With the threat of the Demonic Cult's invasion now a reality, the various sects sent a large number of warriors to岳yang, where the Alliance was being built. The Alliance's buildings were now largely complete. What remained was the formation of the detailed organizational structure and the selection of its leadership.

The leaders of the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families engaged in fierce debate over these matters. Though all agreed that the full power of the martial world needed to be unified against the Demonic Cult's invasion, they were unwilling to surrender even a shred of their own interests. The larger the sect and the greater their investment, the more fiercely they clung to their prerogatives.

Day after day, voices were raised and the atmosphere turned acrimonious. But as time passed, the Alliance's structure gradually took shape.

First, it was decided that the Alliance Leader would not come from the Nine Great Sects or the Five Great Families, but would be an outsider of great renown. This was to avoid the criticism that the Alliance's key positions were monopolized by the established powers.

The Alliance Leader's authority was truly formidable. In times of emergency, he could dispatch warriors to each sect, directly appoint the commanders of the Alliance's major special forces, and even issue a general mobilization order to the entire martial world.

However, the Alliance Leader did not possess unchecked power. To prevent the Leader's autocracy, the Council of Elders was established. The Council consisted of twenty members, the majority of whom were representatives of the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families. The Council could raise objections to the Alliance Leader's decisions, and with a two-thirds majority, it held the authority to remove the Leader from office.

This was the main outline agreed upon thus far.

"Whew!"

Namgung Chang let out a sigh. In just a few days, he seemed to have aged several years—the amount of mental energy he had expended was immense. The past few days had been like war for him. And he was not alone—most of the warriors gathered to discuss the Alliance's basic framework were in the same state. They had come to represent their respective sects' interests. The moment anyone's interests were even slightly infringed upon, they would pounce like wild dogs and fight tooth and nail. It was a wonder any progress had been made at all.

That any agreement had been reached was largely thanks to Namgung Chang. He had dedicated every ounce of his energy to mediating between the various parties. Of course, his intentions had not been entirely pure. He had to secure the maximum practical benefits while avoiding the censure of others. Especially after the loss of the Namgung Family's bodyguards at Dam Ho's hands, he had to be all the more cautious. Fortunately, through exquisite diplomatic maneuvering, he had achieved most of his goals. Meanwhile, the Namgung Family had sent reinforcements to replace their decimated forces. These new troops numbered several times those of the former Gold Sword Guard, and among them were warriors who would live and serve within the Alliance.

Only now could Namgung Chang breathe a sigh of relief. He could now trust these men and steadily increase the Namgung Family's influence within the Alliance.

"If only it weren't for the Fist Demon…"

A shadow passed over Namgung Chang's face. Though much time had passed since his humiliation at Dam Ho's hands, the memory had not faded. In fact, his fear of Dam Ho only grew with time. The problem was that he could not show any sign of it. He was a man who could not afford to appear weak. Namgung Chang shook his head and tried to chase away his thoughts.

"I should have a drink."

As his hand reached for the wine bottle on the table—

"Uncle."

A young man with a white cloth wrapped around his right hand burst in with a loud voice. It was Namgung Su, Namgung Chang's nephew.

"What is it?"

"Important intelligence has been received."

"Important intelligence?"

"Yes."

At Namgung Su's reply, Namgung Chang's brow furrowed briefly. He had wanted to spend some time alone in peace. But he quickly composed himself and asked, "What is it?"

"It concerns the Eighteen Fortresses of the Green Forest."

"Green Forest?"

"Yes! It is said that the daughter of Hwang Gyeong-mun, the Supreme Chieftain of the Eighteen Fortresses of the Green Forest, has entered 岳yang."

"What did you say?"

Namgung Chang's expression changed entirely. Hwang Gyeong-mun, the Supreme Chieftain of the Green Forest, was already a famous figure in the martial world. It was common knowledge that the mighty Green Forest existed because of him. If Hwang Gyeong-mun gave the order, tens of thousands of Green Forest bandits would be prepared to lay down their lives. Namgung Chang had heard intelligence that Hwang Gyeong-mun had a daughter whom he cherished above all else. He doted on her so much that he rarely allowed her out of his sight.

"Is this true?"

"It is intelligence from a verified source."

"Mm!"

"There are also eyewitnesses who claim to have seen her on the streets of 岳yang."

"Why on earth would she come here?"

Namgung Chang muttered in confusion. Hwang Gyeong-mun could not possibly be unaware that the Murim Alliance was holding its founding assembly here. The Alliance and the Green Forest were natural enemies. Yet he had sent his only daughter here—it defied all reason. After much deliberation, Namgung Chang reached a conclusion.

"Could it be that the Green Forest intends to undermine the Alliance from within?"

It was entirely possible. If a powerful supra-legal body like the Alliance was formed, it would strike not only at the Demonic Cult, but also at the Green Forest. A concentrated force needed an outlet, and the Green Forest was a convenient target. Indeed, Namgung Chang himself had been considering a demonstrative raid on a few Green Forest strongholds once the Alliance was established and stabilized.

Once he reached this interpretation, the various pieces of the puzzle fell into place.

"First, locate her. I will investigate the details afterward."

"Understood."

"And remember—locate her only and observe from a distance. Under no circumstances are you to make direct contact."

"I will do as you command."

Namgung Su bowed his head. His eyes gleamed sharply. After Dam Ho had broken his wrist, Namgung Su's reputation had plummeted. He had not been able to hold his head high since. This was his chance to restore his honor. He swore he would not let this opportunity slip away.

Jin Ja-gang naturally knew that Zhuge Yan would show such a reaction.

“As expected, I knew you wouldn’t believe me.”

“From the beginning, you’ve been spouting nonsense about Medicine Sects and telling lies with absurd stories?”

But Jin Ja-gang was serious.

“Earlier you said you believed me, but now you don’t. If you don’t believe my words, do you think others will believe me if I follow you?”

“I would believe if you said something that made sense. How can I believe when you’re spouting nonsense that doesn’t even sound like words?”

“Misunderstanding is your freedom, but now please go back.”

Sneer.

Zhuge Yan showed naked mockery with an angry face.

“You cowardly used poison on our warriors without any warning, yet you dare speak of Hero Baek this and that?”

“I’ve never particularly used poison.”

“What an amazing liar! Then did our warriors go crazy? Are they vomiting blood for no reason?”

“If you had really come with good intentions, I wouldn’t have refused.”

“What does that mean?”

“Before leaving the house, I crushed the stems of a plant called pinellia and placed them at the gate. The roots contain poison, but pinellia stems only have a very severe smell.”

Zhuge Yan and the warriors remembered the rotten smell from the gate.

“So?”

“Even if someone was about to enter a house without the owner present, if such a smell came out, anyone would stop first. They might wait for the owner to come. But you just barged in anyway. And then.”

Jin Ja-gang picked up taffy from the basket and chewed it.

Crunch, crunch.

“You searched the house without permission and even touched the taffy I made. If you had basic manners, if you had come looking for me with friendly intentions, you absolutely wouldn’t have done that. Isn’t that right?”

“Thinking of the lives of the Yunnan orthodox faction people you killed, you’re someone who deserves to be torn apart and killed right here.”

Zhuge Yan mocked Jin Ja-gang.

“But when looking for a murderer who massacred hundreds of people, you want us to be polite? Do you know what’s in your house? Moreover, you talk about manners just because we ate some of that tasteless, worthless taffy?”

“It wasn’t made to be delicious. It was made to punish those like you who are rude and full of hostility.”

“What kind of sophistry are you spouting!”

“The smell of pinellia stems was a warning. If you ignore the warning and come in, if you don’t stop at just entering but even touch other people’s belongings, then you’ll become uncomfortable like now. For example, if you carelessly eat other people’s taffy.”

“What?”

“Pinellia stems and taffy have very bad compatibility, so taking them together causes stomach discomfort. In severe cases, bleeding can occur. That’s all it is.”

Zhuge Yan was dumbfounded again. Come to think of it, for being poisoned, there were no particular symptoms other than discomfort. The warriors who had been spitting blood also looked fine now.

Jin Ja-gang completely erased the smile from his face.

“Other than what you brought upon yourselves, I haven’t caused you any harm. So please go back. This is the last warning. I showed you kindness once because you didn’t harm the patient in the room.”

“Pfft!”

Zhuge Yan openly laughed.

“Kindness? You arrogantly say you showed kindness?”

“That’s right.”

“If I don’t go back, you’ll use poison on me? No, you already have.”

Zhuge Yan’s mockery deepened.

Jin Ja-gang answered by not answering.

Even before entering the house, Jin Ja-gang had eaten pinellia to accumulate poison. And when he came in and ignored Zhuge Yan’s group while moving around the house, he had also set up poison in various places.

His opponent was said to have deeper internal energy than Shadow Bureau’s Goe Song. If they were to fight, Jin Ja-gang would have no choice but to use poison.

Zhuge Yan looked at Jin Ja-gang with complete mockery.

“You don’t care about our family or the name of the Martial Arts Alliance? Ah, you’re showing great spirit just because you killed a few poison sect nobodies in Yunnan. Then how about this?”

Zhuge Yan shouted sharply.

“Bring them!”

One warrior immediately ran out the gate.

And not long after, something happened that Jin Ja-gang had never expected.

The warrior returned with another warrior, dragging two people tied with rope.

The moment he saw them, Jin Ja-gang’s eyes widened greatly.

“P-please save us. Dad!”

“Honey! Honey, are you okay? Are you safe?”

With heart-rending screams, the people the warrior dragged through the gate were none other than Mr. Jang’s wife and daughter Rangrang.

Jin Ja-gang was confused about how the two who had supposedly gone to relatives’ house were captured here, but what made him even angrier was their condition.

They were clearly bruised from being beaten, their lips were torn and bleeding, and even their clothes were in disarray.

Mr. Jang’s wife and Rangrang were startled to see Jin Ja-gang, but soon looked away.

Jin Ja-gang, with eyes wide open, was momentarily so angry that he bared his teeth. Blood rushed backward. His fists naturally clenched and trembled with strength.

The long-faced warrior who brought the two reported to Zhuge Yan.

“They’re stubborn ones. No matter how much we beat them, they won’t tell us what they know.”

“Hmph. Those who protect evil faction members all deserve to die. Do you know how many people that b*st*rd massacred?”

At Zhuge Yan’s words, the shocked Mr. Jang’s wife and Rangrang cried out.

“We don’t know anything. Please save us!”

“Why are you doing this to us!”

The long-faced warrior kicked them.

“Be quiet, you things. Do you know whose presence you’re in?”

Zhuge Yan looked at Jin Ja-gang with mockery.

“They’re the wife and daughter of the man in the room. You seem to care for the man in the room greatly? Let’s see if you can use your specialty poison in front of these two.”

After learning that Jin Ja-gang was here, Zhuge Yan had investigated information about the Jang household. And mobilizing people to capture the fled Mr. Jang’s wife and Rangrang was no trouble at all.

Jin Ja-gang forced out a voice that wouldn’t even come out and asked.

“Why?”

Zhuge Yan answered much more leisurely.

“Evil faction should be treated appropriately for evil faction.”

“What did I do?”

“You carried out a large-scale massacre at Poison Valley. Not only poison sect members who joined the Martial Arts Alliance, but all the orthodox faction members too. Among them were people our family had friendships with.”

“I’ve said several times that it wasn’t something I did.”

“Again, again the same nonsense! I’m tired of hearing that now!”

Zhuge Yan pointed at Mr. Jang’s wife and Rangrang and shouted.

“Make those things talk! Make them tell everything they know!”

The warrior made cracking sounds with his fist. Fear appeared in the eyes of Mr. Jang’s wife and Rangrang.

“Tell the truth.”

“We don’t know anything…”

The warrior brought down his fist.

Thwack!

Mr. Jang’s wife was struck in the face and fell.

“Mom! Mom!”

“Aah! Please save us, please save us!”

“If you want to live, spill everything you know!”

Rangrang covered Mr. Jang’s wife with her body to prevent further beating. However, the long-faced warrior kicked over them.

“For Snake Scorpion Poison King, you’re too insignificant?”

Zhuge Yan mocked Jin Ja-gang again.

“If you want to save those two, either follow us, or if you want to live, hurry up and use poison. Is this all Snake Scorpion Poison King amounts to?”

However, Jin Ja-gang was no longer looking at Zhuge Yan.

“…will cut it.”

That’s what Jin Ja-gang said.

Jin Ja-gang’s eyes, narrowed like a cat’s, were glaring at the long-faced warrior past Zhuge Yan.

Chilling killing intent was emanating from Jin Ja-gang. The long-faced warrior felt the cold and hunched his shoulders while looking at Jin Ja-gang.

Jin Ja-gang spoke with a beast-like face.

“If you touch them one more time… I’ll cut off that arm.”

The long-faced warrior looked around, then seeing Zhuge Yan’s angry glare, raised his fist again. Then he beat Mr. Jang’s wife and Rangrang.

Thwack! Thwack!

“Aah! Ah!”

Hearing the screams of Mr. Jang’s wife and Rangrang, Jin Ja-gang’s killing intent boiled. Something hot surged from his stomach to the top of his head with rage.

Daily life was crumbling.

The daily life that had been Jin Ja-gang’s only comfort was being destroyed.

He was sad.

That the peaceful daily life of the Jang family was broken because of him.

He hated them.

Those who broke the daily life of the innocent.

The destruction of daily life was the same as destroying the life Jin Ja-gang had longed for.

Was this the ‘loss’ that Dan Ryeong-gyeong had spoken of?

That Mr. Jang’s wife and Rangrang were caught in their hands?

If Jin Ja-gang had listened to Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s words, would such humiliation not have come to Mr. Jang’s wife and Rangrang?

Jin Ja-gang realized something was about to snap in his head.

The appearance of the murderer who had craved blood when he first came out of the mine shaft was about to be revealed. The efforts of countless days when he had repeatedly told himself he wasn’t a murderer were about to come to nothing.

“Chivalrous Family Zhuge.”

Jin Ja-gang muttered.

“Heavenly High Wisdom, renowned family under heaven, Chivalrous Family Zhuge.”

“Huh?”

Jin Ja-gang bared his fangs.

“You people are not qualified to use that name.”

Jin Ja-gang exploded the anger he had been holding back.

“Uaaaaaaah!”

He accepted internal energy. The internal energy generated in his already heated body raged wildly.

Thud! Thud-thud-thud!

Sounds of blood vessels being damaged and bursting inside his body could be heard, and the blood vessels inside Jin Ja-gang’s one eye that had been injured by Wei Zong burst again. Jin Ja-gang’s eye became dyed with blood, turning bright red.

With one eye turned bright red, Jin Ja-gang bared his teeth and growled like a demon.

“Since you took it from me, I too will deprive you of your daily life!”

At the terrifying killing intent Jin Ja-gang emitted, the Zhuge family warriors froze for a moment. It was more viscous and terrible than any killing intent from demon heads or villains they had experienced.

However, Zhuge Yan was leisurely.

‘Oh ho, now you’re revealing your true nature?’

The killing intent Jin Ja-gang emitted was rough. Certainly, it wasn’t at a level that ordinary warriors, no, even warriors who had received proper training from the Zhuge family could endure.

But at Zhuge Yan’s level, such rough killing intent wasn’t frightening.

True masters emit refined killing intent.

So this was a low-level person.

It was just the final struggle of a somewhat troublesome low-level opponent.

Having seen countless masters at her family and the Martial Arts Alliance, Zhuge Yan even found Jin Ja-gang’s killing intent laughable.

There are typically three types of killing intent.

Visible killing intent, visual killing intent, and observational killing intent.

Visible killing intent refers to when the emotion of murderous intent shows in the eyes. Killing intent appears in expressions, such as eyes rolling back with anger or eye corners turning red. Even ordinary people who aren’t martial artists show visible killing intent when anger reaches its peak.

Visual killing intent is the aura emitted by those who have experientially killed people. Murder is against the way. Those who have entered the path against the way no longer hesitate when killing people, so they take murder lightly. Therefore, it has a different sense of intimidation from visible killing intent, emitting killing intent that makes opponents shrink.

Observational killing intent is at the extreme of killing intent but is killing intent that has already transcended killing intent. It’s a realm where murderous intent becomes natural through enlightenment of one’s true nature after much experience and deep insight. They know that if you want to kill someone, killing intent isn’t particularly necessary, and simultaneously, because they have the ability to kill people with killing intent alone, killing intent itself becomes meaningless.

Killing intent that negates killing intent through paradox.

That was observational killing intent.

In Zhuge Yan’s view, Jin Ja-gang’s level was the lowest.

‘At most visible killing intent!’

It’s killing intent that only amounts to expressing that he’s angry. He’s just revealed emotions of anger, nothing more.

‘How arrogant.’

Zhuge Yan became annoyed at having to scuffle with such a low-level person.

‘Acting like Snake Scorpion Poison King.’

She felt like she should catch whoever gave him such an inappropriate grand title and beat them up.

Zhuge Yan grasped the handle of the soft sword at her waist.

She had learned up to the seventh star of the Flying Wing Sword technique, known to be difficult even within the Zhuge family. The moment she unleashed one sword, she could make up to eight holes in vital points throughout the body.

It was the perfect sword technique to show what’s what to Jin Ja-gang, who was emitting killing intent strand by strand but showing nothing but openings.

But then.

‘Huh?’

Zhuge Yan couldn’t draw her sword.

No, she wasn’t even gripping the handle of the soft sword to begin with. She thought she was gripping it, but it was just an illusion.