Chapter 130: The Thread of Enmity Grows Ever More Bitter (2)

Thrum!

A wave of qi that shook the very soul of anyone who felt it washed over the battlefield, and Sage Cheong-gu's expression changed entirely. Sage Cheong-gu was a master who had transcended the peak realm. Yet even his stomach churned.

"What—?"

Sage Cheong-gu turned around. The Alliance warriors on either side had parted, and through the gap, a dark figure could be seen. With the setting sun at its back, the shadow stretched long, and an indescribable chill emanated from the black-clad figure.

Sage Cheong-gu tossed Hwang Hye-ryeong to the ground. She was no longer important to him.

"Who are you?"

"I-It is him. Dam Ho."

The answer came from Namgung Su. His face was white as a sheet. His lips had turned blue, and his body trembled like an aspen. The fear carved into the deepest reaches of his mind came alive the moment he laid eyes on Dam Ho. He bit his lip hard, trying to steel himself, but it was no use.

Sage Cheong-gu spoke with puzzlement.

"Dam Ho?"

"The Fist Demon. Also known as the New Stronghold Blood Saint…"

"Hmph! So it is that demon lord whose fearsome reputation has been spreading of late."

Sage Cheong-gu sneered. It was the name he had heard most often since entering 岳yang. But Sage Cheong-gu did not believe rumors. There was nothing easier to inflate than a rumor.

'The Fist Demon? Then is he not a demon lord? It is the Alliance's duty to eliminate demon lords.' If a single demon lord could be destroyed and hundreds of righteous men saved, that was precisely the role of sages like himself.

Step. Step.

Dam Ho walked forward. The Alliance warriors who had been surrounding the area retreated step by step.

"Why are you here?"

They could not fathom why Dam Ho had appeared. Dam Ho did not spare them a glance and walked straight ahead. His path led to Hwang Hye-ryeong. She lay in a pool of blood, writhing like a worm. The look in Dam Ho's eyes as he gazed upon her burned fiercely. He did not know why. The moment he saw her broken form, a violent rage surged from the depths of his chest.

"Grr!"

"Gasp!"

The warriors near him recoiled, their faces white with fear.

"Bro…ther…"

Hwang Hye-ryeong recognized Dam Ho and spoke. Her once-white teeth, stained red with blood, made the sight all the more wretched.

As Dam Ho moved silently toward her—

"Stop."

Sage Cheong-gu stepped in front of him. Dam Ho halted and looked at him. The moment their eyes met, Sage Cheong-gu flinched. He had never seen such deep, dark eyes—and within them, a single thread of killing intent.

Sage Cheong-gu hastily gathered his energy and assumed a combat stance. His body had reacted before his mind could catch up. Dam Ho's head tilted slightly.

"Move."

"I cannot. You are the one who should leave. This is the Murim Alliance's affair. Unless you wish to become the Alliance's enemy, you had best retreat."

"Murim Alliance?"

"That is correct. This is the Alliance's jurisdiction."

Sage Cheong-gu's voice was imbued with force. At this, the Alliance warriors found their courage.

"That's right! This is the Alliance's territory. We have no reason to fear him."

"He is only human."

The Alliance warriors gathered in the area began to murmur. A man who could do nothing alone could find courage in numbers. These were martial artists who had trained their entire lives. Their pride was immense—they had never had to defer to anyone. Their patience for bowing to a single person was not great. Their murmurs soon coalesced into a massive wave of killing intent that crashed toward Dam Ho. Hundreds of eyes fixed upon him alone.

An ordinary person would have been so overwhelmed that they could not even breathe freely. But Dam Ho smiled. If a twisted lip could be called a smile.

"So you refuse to move?"

"How dare you posture here?"

Sage Cheong-gu retorted without backing down. A frost-like aura was already emanating from his body.

'He is an ember. If left alone, his flame will spread elsewhere. Those who defy the order we have created will multiply.' Sage Cheong-gu was not taking such a hard stance merely because of Hwang Hye-ryeong. He saw in Dam Ho the spirit of a rebel. Dam Ho was a lone wanderer who did not submit to the existing order and lived as he pleased. If Dam Ho were an ordinary martial artist, it would not matter. But unfortunately, he was a master. If Dam Ho was left to run rampant, those who followed him in defying the established order would proliferate. The order created by the great sects and noble families was sturdy, but it also contained an inherent fragility—a vulnerability that someone like Dam Ho could exploit.

'The common people cheer for those who disrupt the established order. There will surely be those who follow him. I must cut the roots before that happens.'

In the very instant Sage Cheong-gu was secretly circulating his energy—

Boom!

Suddenly, a thunderclap rang out. Sage Cheong-gu's head snapped backward. His skull vibrated, the world spun, and he could not collect his thoughts.

"Ah!"

"E-Elder!"

The cries of the warriors sounded like tinnitus in his ears. Sage Cheong-gu blinked, not understanding what had happened.

"Gah!"

A searing pain shot through his chest, and in the instant he screamed, all his senses returned. Dam Ho's fist was buried in his chest. Had he not been secretly circulating his energy, the blow would have punched clean through.

"C-Cowardly…"

Whisssht!

In that instant, Dam Ho's fist hammered downward from above to below.

Boom!

Sage Cheong-gu's head snapped to the side. Teeth scattered, and blood stained his face and chest. His body toppled to the ground like a felled tree.

"……"

The suddenness of the event caused the heated atmosphere of the battlefield to freeze. Sage Cheong-gu lay on the ground, twitching and coughing up blood. His consciousness had long since departed. Compared to his earlier imposing demeanor, his current state was pitiful beyond measure. His breathing was faint and weak, and his life could not be guaranteed. Even if he survived, he would likely never again eat with his own teeth.

"Elder!"

"How dare you!"

The Cheongseong Sect disciples who had accompanied Sage Cheong-gu were enraged by the sight of his wretched state. They were on the verge of charging, but Dam Ho did not so much as glance at them. His eyes were fixed upon the blood-soaked Hwang Hye-ryeong.

Seeing her bleeding and gasping for breath stirred an inexplicable rage within him that he could not endure. This was the first time since he had entered the Murim that his emotions had been so agitated.

'Why? What is this?'

The question echoed in Dam Ho's mind.

"Br…other…"

Hwang Hye-ryeong's voice trembled, her breathing weak. Dam Ho hoisted her onto his back. Even in her dazed state, Hwang Hye-ryeong pointed toward Muk Il-gwang.

"We must take him too."

"Yes."

Dam Ho tucked Muk Il-gwang under one arm. Though he carried two people, he showed no sign of strain.

To the assembled warriors, Dam Ho's manner appeared contemptuous—as though he treated every one of them as straw men. They could not suppress their fury.

"Fist Demon!"

Namgung Su's cry rang across the battlefield. His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at Dam Ho.

"Do you comprehend what you have done? How dare you raise your hand against the Murim Alliance!"

"Murim Alliance?"

"That is right. The Alliance was created to protect the martial world's order against the Demonic Cult. And you—you have inflicted a grievous blow upon it. How will you answer for this? It is always men like you who are the problem! You care only for your own prowess and never consider how to use it for the good of the martial world—irresponsible rogues, every one!"

Namgung Su poured all his fury upon Dam Ho in a torrent of words. 'If only you did not exist… If only you had never appeared before me…' The fire blazing in his chest surged up to his head. His already bloodshot eyes now burned with madness.

Dam Ho's arrival had tangled everything. He had been the one to halt Namgung Su's once-promising life. Because of him, Namgung Su had suffered an indelible humiliation. But he had been powerless to resist. The Namgung Family's Gold Sword Guard had been annihilated by Dam Ho's martial might—it was truly terrifying. Dam Ho had even broken the spirit of his uncle, Namgung Chang. Namgung Su had been able to do nothing alone. But now, hundreds of warriors surrounded him—not only the Namgung Family's men, but warriors from the great sects and the Five Great Families, all mixed together. To turn them into enemies was tantamount to making enemies of the entire world.

"Hand over that woman immediately. If you refuse, there will be no place in the Central Plains where you can set foot."

"Young Master Namgung is right."

"If he continues to defy the will of the martial world, he must be declared a public enemy of the Murim."

Many voiced their agreement with Namgung Su. Their murmur grew like a snowball, swelling in an instant. But Dam Ho did not spare them a glance. He attended only to Hwang Hye-ryeong's condition on his back.

"Brother, how…"

"Save your breath and circulate your energy first."

"But…"

Hwang Hye-ryeong looked around with an anxious expression. Countless eyes were fixed upon them alone. No matter how strong one's courage, such a sight was enough to make the flesh tremble. But Dam Ho walked among them as though they were not there, giving them not a single glance.

In the end, Namgung Su's fury erupted.

"Can you not hear what I am saying? You worthless mongrel—"

"You don't have to shout. I hear every word."

"You—"

"And it seems you have forgotten my warning."

In that instant, Namgung Su felt the blood in his veins turn to ice.

How could he forget? That day's humiliation. Dam Ho's words on that day. Fear flooded in like a rising tide. But he did not flee. If he ran now, he would live the rest of his life under Dam Ho's shadow. That was worse than death.

Namgung Su screamed in a fit.

"Stop spouting nonsense and hand over the woman!"

"And if I refuse?"

"From this day forward, you are an enemy of the Murim Alliance."

"Amusing."

"What?"

"Who decides that? You? Or the people gathered here?"

Dam Ho looked around. The Alliance warriors flinched. In that moment, one of them cried out, "It is the will of the entire Central Plains!"

"That is right!"

One voice became ten, then a hundred. A strange madness had seized the gathering.

Dam Ho walked toward them.

Scrape! Boom! Scrape! Boom!

His distinctive uneven gait—dragging his left foot and stamping his right upon the earth—left a foreboding echo in their hearts.

"Grr!"

Namgung Su's face twisted. His mind told him to retreat, but his heart rejected the trembling.

"Attack! Show him that the Murim Alliance is the center of the martial world!"

Tap!

In that instant, Dam Ho kicked off the ground. His movement technique was the Charging Step. His weapon was the Fortress Breaking Fist. His target was Namgung Su. The look of horror on Namgung Su's face filled his vision with vivid clarity.

Boom!

Martial Arts Alliance Guizhou Branch.

Creak, creak.

A man in shabby clothes entered the branch manor, pulling a crude handcart.

As if they had received advance notice, those who had been waiting came rushing out from the inner courtyard in large numbers.

Baek Li-gwon, Baek Li-jung’s adopted son and eldest disciple, was among them.

Baek Li-gwon stood in front of the cart with his firmly set sword-like eyebrows and tiger eyes wide open. The cargo area of the handcart was covered with straw matting. Anyone could tell there was a human corpse underneath.

Shin Yung, who had come pulling the cart in a battered state, let go of the cart handle and prostrated himself completely.

Shin Yung spoke in a cracked voice as if spitting blood.

“Please kill me.”

The corners of Baek Li-gwon’s eyes turned red. Baek Li-gwon’s face trembled as he forcibly suppressed his emotions. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

“Please kill me.”

Even at Shin Yung’s repeated plea, Baek Li-gwon could say nothing.

The Zhuge family members also stood behind with tense expressions.

Baek Li-jung slowly walked out from behind and stood beside Baek Li-gwon. However, Baek Li-gwon didn’t move at all. Baek Li-gwon’s gaze was focused only on the straw matting covering the back of the cart.

Baek Li-jung commanded in a low voice.

“Open it.”

Only then did Shin Yung get up and go around to the back of the cart. Then he respectfully removed the straw matting.

Zhuge Yan’s corpse lay there. With her two hands neatly folded together.

Gasp!

Baek Li-gwon’s body trembled.

Baek Li-jung looked at Zhuge Yan’s corpse for a moment, then patted Baek Li-gwon’s shoulder and turned around.

As Baek Li-jung returned to the inner courtyard, he bowed his head deeply to the Zhuge family members, showing deep respect. The Zhuge family members also bowed back with sorrowful faces.

Even after Baek Li-jung returned, Baek Li-gwon just stood by the cart and looked down for a long time.

He didn’t blink even once, so his eyes were bloodshot and full of red veins.

The atmosphere Baek Li-gwon gave off was so heavy that even the Zhuge family members didn’t dare approach carelessly.

Baek Li-gwon watched Zhuge Yan for an unbearably long time, then approached her step by step.

“Sister Yan, Master has finally entrusted the Poison Valley matter to Sister Yan!”

“Ah, thank goodness. If I handle this matter well, Master will look favorably upon our relationship again, won’t he?”*

“Of course. The fact that Master had me recommend Sister Yan means he’s already half-approved of our relationship.”

“I will definitely capture Snake Scorpion Poison King by any means necessary. For brother’s sake, and for our sake too.”

Zhuge Yan had made such vows several times while in Baek Li-gwon’s arms.

Baek Li-gwon had been anxious about sending Zhuge Yan alone, but he couldn’t go with her.

Because he thought this was a test that his master Baek Li-jung had given to Zhuge Yan.

And it was just a matter in Yunnan’s martial world.

There would hardly be anyone in Yunnan’s martial world who could threaten Zhuge Yan, one of the Three Dragons and Four Phoenix, with force.

Moreover, it wasn’t a massacre carried out by someone with great martial arts, but an incident caused by poison.

If she just watched out for poison, there was no reason for her to be in danger.

No matter how he thought about it, there was no way she could die.

Even just tracking Snake Scorpion Poison King’s movements would be half a success.

Zhuge Yan, who had been assigned to such an easy task…

Had returned as such a cold corpse.

Baek Li-gwon’s nose still held the scent that emanated from Zhuge Yan’s body.

That Zhuge Yan had returned as a body that could never speak again, with a blackened face from poisoning, giving off the smell of a rotting corpse.

Baek Li-gwon could not accept this fact.

“Sister Yan…”

Baek Li-gwon called to Zhuge Yan with a trembling voice while looking at her.

However, Zhuge Yan didn’t look back at Baek Li-gwon with a smile as she always did. Her face was terribly contorted as if something had been so unfair and painful, and she was dead with her eyes wide open.

“Ugh…”

A groan escaped from Baek Li-gwon’s mouth.

And at that moment, like a dam bursting, Baek Li-gwon exploded with the grief he had been holding back.

“Uuuuu-heooo-eooo-eong!”

“Sister Yan! Sister! Yan!”

Baek Li-gwon’s pitiful wailing echoed through the branch manor.

Baek Li-jung, who had returned to his inner chamber, closed the window as if the noise was bothersome.

Seeing this, Mang Ryo said.

“How cold-hearted. Your disciple’s lover has gone to the yellow springs, yet you close the window because you don’t want to hear that crying?”

“There’s nothing more unsightly than a man whimpering. I hope he becomes a bit tougher from this incident.”

“Hmm… how heartless.”

However, Mang Ryo continued to observe Baek Li-jung’s face. His doubts wouldn’t easily disappear.

Because it was none other than Baek Li-jung who had sent Zhuge Yan.

Even though he knew this was bait to entrap the evil faction, and therefore knew there was a very high possibility the bait would die.

Yet he sent his disciple’s lover to die?

Simply because he hoped he would become tougher?

“Your expression… doesn’t look sad but rather pleased?”

Indeed, Baek Li-jung seemed to be smiling faintly.

“Does it look that way?”

Baek Li-jung chuckled softly and sat at the table in the center of the room. Strategist Sim Hak, who had been standing to one side of the room, quickly noticed and served tea, placing it in front of Baek Li-jung.

Mang Ryo’s face became even more puzzled as he watched such a Baek Li-jung.

No matter how he looked at it, it was strange.

Even with the window closed, Baek Li-gwon’s wailing could still be heard from outside.

Mang Ryo tested Baek Li-jung once more.

“At this rate, he’ll fall into demonic possession.”

Even at Mang Ryo’s words, Baek Li-jung was unconcerned.

“He should overcome that much on his own.”

Mang Ryo frowned while looking out the window. He couldn’t understand what Baek Li-jung wanted.

But then, someone from the Zhuge family came looking for them.

It was Zhuge Ming.

Zhuge Yan’s uncle and the real power known as the second-in-command of the Zhuge family.

Baek Li-jung nodded in greeting as if he had expected him to come.

“There’s no need to get up.”

Zhuge Ming strode up to Baek Li-jung and placed a map on the table where Baek Li-jung was sitting.

Then he said with a determined face.

“Our Zhuge family is ready.”

When Baek Li-jung nodded, Zhuge Ming looked at Mang Ryo and Sim Hak once each before leaving the room.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Mang Ryo limped over to Baek Li-jung and examined the map.

“What is this?”

It was a map of Yunnan.

Starting from Yunhua Village, there were markings showing movement.

It probably looked like the tracks of Jin Ja-gang’s movements.

But there were tiny markings densely drawn at specific points. Like maps used by the Ministry of War when commanding troops,凸-shaped marks were positioned everywhere.

The moment he saw this, Mang Ryo’s body stiffened.

“What… is this?”

“Don’t you know?”

There was no way Mang Ryo wouldn’t know.

He was just asking for confirmation because he couldn’t believe it.

Those densely spread markings were in the shape of trigrams spread in eight directions.

The Nine Palace Eight Trigram Formation that the Zhuge family was proud of.

That was drawn on the map.

“Heaven’s Net and Earth’s Trap?”

A Heaven’s Net and Earth’s Trap led by the Zhuge family.

Who was this net targeting!

Mang Ryo, who suddenly realized this fact, glared at Baek Li-jung with fierce eyes.

“How could you not give me even a word of notice…!”

Baek Li-jung calmly looked at Mang Ryo, who was glaring as if he would devour him.

Then he spoke as if talking to himself.

“Having destroyed Yunnan’s poison sects and even captured one of the Three Dragons and Four Phoenix, Snake Scorpion Poison King’s reputation will rise greatly…”

Mang Ryo’s eyebrows contorted.

Jin Ja-gang was still insufficient. This much wasn’t enough yet. He needed to grow bigger and ripen more to be worth devouring.

After all the pain he had endured because of this guy, all the effort he had poured in, how could he stop at just this level!

Mang Ryo was forcibly suppressing it, but anger rose and his head became hot.

Whether he knew Mang Ryo’s feelings or not, Baek Li-jung continued speaking.

“Weeds should be cut down quickly. If you leave them wrong, they become a plague and devour the host.”

Baek Li-jung’s words stabbed into Mang Ryo’s chest like a dagger.

Baek Li-jung knew. Mang Ryo’s thoughts.

Yet Baek Li-jung was trying to cut off Jin Ja-gang’s head while he was still unripe!

“Pavilion Master Baek…”

Just as Mang Ryo was about to unconsciously emit killing intent, Baek Li-jung looked directly at Mang Ryo and smiled faintly.

“I warned you. To cut ties with Sichuan.”

Mang Ryo’s heart nearly dropped.

His spine grew cold.

He had been so careful, yet how did he find out?

But if he showed it here, he would be the one to die.

He couldn’t lie to someone who already knew his movements.

Mang Ryo concealed his inner thoughts with superhuman patience and said.

“I made contact because I needed a useful antidote to suppress that guy’s poison.”

“Yet you still failed. It seems you couldn’t obtain anything useful.”

“As a result, that’s what happened.”

While hiding his boiling insides, Mang Ryo had no choice but to force a smile.

Mang Ryo’s mind became complicated. He couldn’t think of what to do at all.

However, Mang Ryo’s troubles didn’t end there.

Suddenly Baek Li-jung opened and read a bamboo slip, then handed it to Sim Hak.

“Continue with this that was suspended. Don’t proceed too suddenly.”

“Yes, yes. When would be good?”

“Next year would be good. Set the date around next year and hold the ceremony the year after.”

Mang Ryo’s expression changed.

“Ceremony?”

Sim Hak received the bamboo slip with both hands and was about to put it in his chest. Mang Ryo slyly reached out and snatched Sim Hak’s bamboo slip.

“Hey? What kind of behavior is this!”

Sim Hak rushed at him, but Mang Ryo blocked Sim Hak with one crutch. Every time Sim Hak tried to move, he touched his shoulder and pushed his knee, and he touched at such appropriate moments that Sim Hak could hardly approach.

Mang Ryo held the bamboo slip and asked Baek Li-jung in a cold tone.

“May I look? I can’t sleep lately when I’m curious about something.”

Baek Li-jung didn’t answer.

Not answering didn’t mean it was okay to look, but it meant he wouldn’t mind if he did look.

“Then, I’ll look.”

Mang Ryo deliberately made a long sound as he opened the bamboo slip.

“Give it here! I said give it back!”

Of course, Sim Hak kept rushing at him, but he couldn’t handle Mang Ryo’s pushing away.

The four characters written at the front of the bamboo slip:

Sword Empress Marriage

Seeing the characters, Mang Ryo’s face became strange.

Since the Sword Empress was already over sixty, surely she wasn’t planning to marry Baek Li-jung.

“Huh? Could this be…”

When Mang Ryo glared at Sim Hak, Sim Hak answered blankly.

“It’s about the eldest disciple’s marriage.”

“The eldest disciple, you mean that friend who’s wailing pitifully outside?”

“Is there anyone else?”

Only then did Mang Ryo’s doubts clear up.

Baek Li-jung had been eyeing the Sword Empress’s disciple as a match for Baek Li-gwon.

“From the beginning…”

From the beginning, Baek Li-jung had been planning to send Zhuge Yan to die. So that his adopted son Baek Li-gwon would be forcibly matched with the Sword Empress’s disciple.

Having the enraged Zhuge family capture and kill Jin Ja-gang with Heaven’s Net and Earth’s Trap was truly a bonus.

Baek Li-jung had said this was a kind of punishment for Mang Ryo not following his words, but in reality it was different.

Due to today’s events, the Zhuge family would gnash their teeth at the evil faction. And they would likely be active as the vanguard in the fight against the evil faction. Since Baek Li-jung had been advocating for the fight against the evil faction all along, the Zhuge family would end up moving according to Baek Li-jung’s intentions.

As a result, it was as if a reliable ally had been created to give strength to Baek Li-jung. This would be tremendous help for Baek Li-jung to expand his power in the future.

“Even so, to think of sacrificing one of the Four Phoenix to bring them to your side…”

Normally one would think of drawing in power through marriage, not by making them die to draw them in, right? If you make even a small mistake, you can’t know what might happen.

However, as a result, Baek Li-jung had obtained everything he wanted in one stroke.

At Mang Ryo’s words, Baek Li-jung’s smile deepened.

“Choking on food! Are you saying you won’t eat rice just because you’re afraid of choking?”

Seeing Baek Li-jung, who rarely showed expressions, smiling, the current situation must be quite enjoyable!

However, for Mang Ryo, who had been backstabbed because of this, it was nothing short of a bolt from the blue.

“Pavilion Master Baek…”

Baek Li-jung looked at Mang Ryo with an expression asking what he wanted to say.

Mang Ryo’s mouth split long like a demon’s and his eyebrows shot up. Mang Ryo smiled with undisguised killing intent and said.

“You turn out to be much more of a son of a b*tch than me, don’t you?”