Chapter 203: The Master Weeps, the Disciple Unleashes His Cry (3)

Deung Cheon-so's eyes were tinged red as he gazed upon the body covered in white cloth. His gaze, a mixture of killing intent and madness, was too terrifying to face directly.

"Cheon… san."

The corpse was none other than So Cheonsan.

Not just anyone—the Ten-Li Reaper, So Cheonsan, had become a cold corpse. Before they were both among the Seven Great Demon Masters, So Cheonsan had been Deung Cheon-so's closest friend.

Deung Cheon-so was enraged. At So Cheonsan's death, and at himself for failing to prevent it.

When he had moved to avenge his friend, the situation had already deteriorated beyond salvation. So he had been forced to retreat.

"I will… I will surely kill you."

Deung Cheon-so burned with hatred toward Dam Ho. His hatred was truly fearsome—even the warriors nearby trembled with fear.

A young warrior approached his side.

"It is regrettable that Master So has passed. He was not a man who should have died so meaninglessly."

The man offering words of consolation to So Cheonsan was none other than Jo Ja-kyung.

Jo Ja-kyung's gaze gleamed colder than it ever had before.

'The Demon Master of Despair.'

Since when had the warriors of the Demonic Cult begun calling Dam Ho that? Dam Ho's martial prowess, which had so utterly overwhelmed So Cheonsan, was truly terrifying.

At the moment Dam Ho had attacked So Cheonsan, Jo Ja-kyung had been searching for Cho Yeon-woon. That was why he could not aid So Cheonsan.

He had not even found his target, Cho Yeon-woon, and had been forced to watch helplessly as So Cheonsan perished from afar.

He felt both rage and terror simultaneously.

Rage at himself for having to witness So Cheonsan's death, and terror toward Dam Ho, who had slain So Cheonsan without mercy.

These incompatible emotions churned in the depths of his chest.

'If he sides with the Murim Alliance, our Cult will suffer a devastating blow.'

He clenched his teeth.

Last night's operation had ended in catastrophic failure.

The Demonic Cult's momentum was broken, and the morale of its warriors had hit rock bottom. It was the first defeat the Cult had suffered since returning to the world. The shock was all the more profound for that reason.

At that moment, someone walked into the room where they stood.

A man in his early forties, clad in a blue robe.

His skin was pale, as though he had never once been touched by sunlight in his entire life. In stark contrast, his deep, dark eyes stood out with particular intensity.

Overall, he had a lean appearance, but a serene atmosphere, like the surface of a deep lake, drew the eye.

Deung Cheon-so and Jo Ja-kyung showed mild surprise at the man's arrival, for he was not someone who should have been here.

"What brings the Heavenly Demon Cultivator to this place?"

The Heavenly Demon Cultivator, Sang Han-cheon—that was the man's name.

Though unknown to the wider martial world, the weight Sang Han-cheon carried within the Demonic Cult was by no means small.

He was the Cult Leader's closest confidant and the Cult's strategist.

All policies and operations of the Demonic Cult originated from his mind.

With the exception of the Cult Leader's closest attendants, the Black and White Envoys, and the last line of defense known as the Cult Guardians, he held a unique position that allowed him to command all others.

Even the Four Army Commanders and the Seven Great Demon Masters were compelled to obey his orders. As a central figure in the Cult's leadership, he was not the sort to move about carelessly.

Sang Han-cheon's gaze fell upon So Cheonsan's body beneath the white cloth.

"The Ten-Li Reaper is dead? We have lost a valuable asset."

His voice was cold enough to send shivers down the spine. It contained not the slightest trace of emotion, as though a lifeless puppet were speaking.

Both Deung Cheon-so and Jo Ja-kyung prided themselves on being hardened veterans who had survived every trial, yet Sang Han-cheon's voice gave them chills.

Deung Cheon-so asked, "What brings the Heavenly Demon Cultivator here? Should you not remain at the main stronghold?"

"It is the Cult Leader's command. He does not wish for this battle to drag on."

"Mmn!"

"But it seems I am too late. The Ten-Li Reaper dying so… meaninglessly. Who was it? Was there someone in Shouzhou capable of killing the Ten-Li Reaper?"

"Dam Ho killed him."

"The Fist Demon?"

"Yes."

At Deung Cheon-so's reply, Sang Han-cheon fell silent. When he did, his thin, blood-red lips became particularly prominent.

"The Fist Demon… Quite troublesome. First the Heavenly Poison Emperor, and now the Ten-Li Reaper."

"The Heavenly Poison Emperor? Don't tell me he too fell at Dam Ho's hand?"

"He did."

"Mmn!"

At Sang Han-cheon's confirmation, Deung Cheon-so's expression turned to one of disbelief.

The Heavenly Poison Emperor, Sa U-yeon, had been a special existence within the Demonic Cult alongside So Cheonsan—one of the few capable of mass destruction. His poison arts were formidable enough to make even the Seven Great Demon Masters wary. That such a man had died at Dam Ho's hands was deeply shocking.

Sang Han-cheon murmured, "Now it is certain."

"What is?"

"The Fist Demon is undeniably the nemesis of our Cult."

"Mmn!"

"If we do not kill him, our Cult has no future."

"I will kill the Fist Demon with my own hands. That will never come to pass."

Deung Cheon-so answered with killing intent blazing.

Sang Han-cheon stared at him intently. Deung Cheon-so returned the stare without yielding.

Jo Ja-kyung watched the two of them with a deeply contemplative gaze.

The scent of blood hung thick in the air.

The battlefield, already thick with the tension of imminent war, had heated up like a powder keg about to explode. And all of it because of a single man—Dam Ho.

With Sang Han-cheon's arrival, the Demonic Cult would concentrate its forces here. And accordingly, the Murim Alliance would commit its own strength.

The blood already spilled would seem a mere trickle compared to the mountains of corpses and seas of blood yet to come.

Sang Han-cheon murmured, "Things will not be boring from now on."

His indifferent voice left a deep echo as it faded.

***

Dam Ho's arrival had sent great ripples through the Murim Alliance as well. Among the warriors gathered in Shouzhou, he was the undisputed topic of conversation.

Though the majority had owed their lives to Dam Ho, they regarded him with fearful eyes. His martial power had been that shocking.

Whenever two or more people gathered, they spoke of Dam Ho.

"Is he going to remain in that cottage indefinitely?"

"Presumably. His master, Sage Hyeon-so, is there."

"Sigh! It is worrying. Before the Demonic Cult, it might be the Shouzhou branch itself that he ruins."

"What do you mean?"

"Did you truly not know?"

"Of course I don't know. Stop being mysterious and tell me."

"The Murim Alliance named him a public enemy of the martial world. The Namgung Family also suffered grievous damage at his hands. Surely it will become a great problem."

"But the Shouzhou branch owes its rescue to the Fist Demon…"

"Do not underestimate the pride of the prestigious sects that form the foundation of the Murim Alliance. They never forget even the smallest grudge. No matter how much they owe the Fist Demon, they will find some way to settle the score."

"Surely not?"

"Wait and see. I am certain of it."

The warrior spoke with such confidence to his skeptical friend.

The mood within the Shouzhou branch was that troubled.

Dam Ho was like a heated blade. He could be used to strike down the enemy, but to do so, one had to grasp the scorching hilt.

It was not an easy choice for anyone. That was why many chose to observe rather than step forward. But anyone with even a modicum of foresight knew that a crisis was not far off.

Dam Ho opened the door and stepped outside.

He had spent an entire day and night in conversation with his master.

It was mostly Sage Hyeon-so who spoke, and Dam Ho who listened. The old man repeated stories he had told many times before. Yet Dam Ho listened without a single word of complaint.

Relieved of his tension, Sage Hyeon-so had fallen into a deep sleep, as though he had fainted. Even in sleep, he had clutched Dam Ho's hand and refused to let go.

Dam Ho stood alone in the front courtyard of the cottage, gazing up at the sky. Not a single star was visible—it was as dark as his heart.

For the first time in thirteen years, he had found his master, and the old man had welcomed him just as warmly as before. The old man who accepted him, though the entire world cast him aside.

"Cheong-gyeong."

At that moment, a voice called to Dam Ho hesitantly.

He turned to see a middle-aged Taoist carefully entering through the gap in the ruined wall.

The instant Dam Ho saw his face, his gaze turned colder still. The middle-aged Taoist spoke cautiously.

"It has been a long time, Cheong-gyeong."

It was Un-gyeong.

Un-gyeong, whose face was ordinarily as cold as ice, now held emotions so complex they defied description.

No one had been more shocked than Un-gyeong when Dam Ho appeared on the battlefield.

Dam Ho's limp was the same as before. But the aura he exuded was incomparably more fearsome than it had once been.

Above all, the shock lay in his martial power.

The strength that had slain the Ten-Li Reaper, So Cheonsan, in a single exchange far surpassed anything Un-gyeong could have imagined.

The young, powerless Dam Ho of the past no longer existed.

Before him stood a supreme master called the Fist Demon. Even with their old bond, caution was unavoidable.

Dam Ho regarded Un-gyeong in silence. Un-gyeong managed a bitter smile.

"Have you been well?"

"……"

"You look well. That is a relief."

Even then, Dam Ho said nothing. Rather than anger at Dam Ho's coldness, Un-gyeong simply let out a soft sigh.

"Do you still resent me? Yes, I understand. You have every right to. The Mount Hua Sect did you nothing but harm."

"What is it you wish to say?"

"Cheong-gyeong."

"My name is Dam Ho."

"So it is."

At Dam Ho's frigid words, Un-gyeong sighed once more. But he quickly composed himself with a smile and continued.

"Yes, Ho-ya. I…"

"Still, I feel gratitude toward you. During my time at Mount Hua, you treated me coldly on the surface but were warm within. Compared to someone like Mu-gyeong, who was warm on the outside but abandoned me in truth, you were a hundred times better. But that does not give you the right to demand anything of me."

"I have no intention of demanding anything of you."

"What about the Mount Hua Sect? Does the Grandmaster also intend to demand nothing?"

"……"

Un-gyeong felt his words catch in his throat.

Dam Ho's question struck at the heart of the matter.

He had to admit it. Dam Ho was not merely a martial prodigy with powerful martial arts. He was a mature and perceptive man who saw through the ways of the world with the seasoned insight of a seasoned veteran.

Un-gyeong resolved to speak plainly.

"The Grandmaster thinks only of the revival of the Mount Hua Sect. If it means reviving the sect, he cares not for the means."

"I expected as much."

"If you were to… return to the Mount Hua Sect, the Grandmaster would spare no support, material or otherwise. He would also shield you from the pressure of the Murim Alliance."

Un-gyeong's lips trembled.

His body reacted on its own, for he was speaking words he did not wish to say. They were words he did not want to utter, but they had to be spoken. After all, he had been sent by the Grandmaster.

"A fitting position would also be given to Martial Uncle Hyeon-so, and the Mount Hua Sect would spare no effort in supporting you. That is all the Grandmaster can offer. I have come only to relay this message. Whether you accept or refuse rests entirely on your judgment."

With those words, Un-gyeong fell silent.

Dam Ho's expression remained cold.

Un-gyeong knew it already. He knew how meager his words were in meeting Dam Ho's expectations, and how devoid of reality they were.

On the journey here, he had wrestled with his conscience. But regardless of how the answer might turn out, he felt relieved to have delivered the Grandmaster's words.

Dam Ho's reply came immediately.

"Nonsense!"

"Yes, I understand."

"I will never return to Mount Hua of my own will."

"That is fine. Mount Hua is too small a cage for wings as vast and strong as yours. Fly as you wish. But be cautious—not everyone sees you favorably."

"What do you mean?"

"It means many people are targeting you. You surely know this already."

"It doesn't matter."

"Nevertheless, be careful. The world is not decided by martial strength alone."

Un-gyeong genuinely worried for Dam Ho.

When one was too strong, it was inevitable that one would break.

Dam Ho was too strong—so strong that Un-gyeong feared he would attract even greater threats.

Un-gyeong wished earnestly to offer advice. But he could not.

"You are doing something quite pointless, Un-gyeong."

The cold voice came from behind him.

"M-Martial Uncle?"

It was Sage Hyeon-geom, who had appeared out of the darkness.

Sage Hyeon-geom's icy gaze fell upon Dam Ho.

"How dare you not even bow when you see an elder of your own sect?"

In that instant, the air in the courtyard turned glacial.

“Thank you for your concern.”

Jin Ja-gang passed over Woon-jeong’s words with a light smile and looked at Taoist Bok-cheon.

“I will definitely obtain the antidote.”

The words were simple, but the path would never be smooth. Perhaps he might never return.

“Have a safe journey.”

Tang Ha-ran also greeted the people.

“I apologize for the many discourtesies.”

Woon-jeong felt regretful.

“I hope we meet again when fate allows.”

“You too, Taoist Woon-jeong.”

Jin Ja-gang looked up at the halls of the Qingcheng sect. In the end, he couldn’t meet Venerable Woo-am before leaving.

[TL Note- Venerable Woo-am was previously translated as Dark Venerable Master.]

In Taoist terms, this is commonly called fate not connecting.

Jin Ja-gang was not disappointed.

After all, Jin Ja-gang had barely built two dikes. Even if he received advice now, it was unclear whether it would help, and in fact, it was uncertain whether advice would even be given.

Though Taoist Bok-cheon had made a promise, he couldn’t wait indefinitely.

It was regrettable but unavoidable.

Bian Bu looked around the surroundings.

“But where did that girl Soso go?”

It was strange that the child who would be most regretful about Jin Ja-gang’s departure was nowhere to be seen.

But Soso soon came running out of the kitchen. Soso handed Jin Ja-gang rice balls wrapped in bamboo leaves.

They were warm.

Jin Ja-gang’s announcement of departure was much earlier than his usual morning time. There shouldn’t have been time to cook rice and make rice balls in between. Yet it was as if she had prepared them knowing in advance that Jin Ja-gang would leave.

“I’ll eat them well.”

Jin Ja-gang looked quietly at Soso. Soso smiled and nodded.

Soso also handed rice balls to Tang Ha-ran. Tang Ha-ran was a bit flustered.

When she was at the Tang family, this was a child with no presence whom she paid no attention to. A cute, younger sister-like child, but that was all.

But now, strangely, she felt special meaning in it.

“Th… ank you.”

When Tang Ha-ran awkwardly expressed her gratitude, Soso bowed deeply to Tang Ha-ran. Tang Ha-ran could instinctively know that this was not a greeting to her, but meant to take good care of Jin Ja-gang.

***

While going down the mountain, Tang Ha-ran spoke.

“Hey.”

“Are you using formal speech again this time?”

Tang Ha-ran wrinkled her nose and puffed out her cheeks.

“I’m being considerate since you’re going to act as my husband.”

“Just do as you used to.”

Tang Ha-ran spoke irritably.

“But do you know that child has feelings for you?”

Jin Ja-gang looked at Tang Ha-ran. But from that expression alone, it was impossible to tell whether he knew or not.

Tang Ha-ran sighed.

“You’re really more inscrutable than I thought.”

Tang Ha-ran walked ahead of Jin Ja-gang. Jin Ja-gang stood still for a moment, looked back toward where the group was, then turned around and began walking again.

Taoist Bok-cheon was silently watching their figures from a distance.

***

The frustrated Tang Ha-ran spoke first.

“Say something. Are you always this quiet?”

Tang Ha-ran wasn’t lacking in quietness either. However, Jin Ja-gang’s silence was more severe than Tang Ha-ran’s.

“It’s not like that. Just…”

Jin Ja-gang glanced back even after completely descending Qingcheng Mountain.

“There’s something bothering me.”

“What is it?”

“The Qingcheng sect people aren’t appearing. They should come out at least once.”

“That’s…”

Taoist Bok-cheon already knew that Tang Ha-ran had feelings for Jin Ja-gang. To some extent, he would have predicted that Jin Ja-gang would go to the Tang family.

As Tang Ha-ran thought about this, she remembered Taoist Bok-cheon’s words about presiding over the marriage, and her cheeks turned red.

She couldn’t help but feel embarrassed that her feelings had been discovered by someone else, especially by Taoist Bok-cheon.

So Tang Ha-ran no longer spoke to Jin Ja-gang.

However, Tang Ha-ran’s thoughts were largely correct.

If Jin Ja-gang accepted the marriage proposal, Jin Ja-gang would become a member of the Tang family. He couldn’t carelessly teach the Jade Void Nine Light Five Thunder Toad Technique to someone from another sect.

So Taoist Bok-cheon deliberately didn’t appear to avoid creating a complicated situation. Instead, he kept watching whether Jin Ja-gang would leave or stay.

Since Jin Ja-gang ultimately followed Tang Ha-ran, the promise had become virtually impossible to keep.

***

Mang Ryo also soon heard the news.

“He’s coming to the Tang family?”

However, Mang Ryo didn’t look surprised. Rather, he chuckled with delight.

“I didn’t give him the antidote and provoked him, so of course I knew he’d come. That’s your characteristic, isn’t it?”

Those encountering Jin Ja-gang for the first time might be flustered by his sudden actions.

But not Mang Ryo. Even surprising and extraordinary actions, when repeated, gradually reveal their patterns.

Wasn’t he the one who had already invaded the Poison Sect at age ten?

“Even so, you’re probably the only one in the world who would think of directly visiting the Tang family. Heh heh heh!”

The Poison Sect and Tang family couldn’t even be compared. It was like comparing a whale to a freshwater minnow.

Mang Ryo hurriedly prepared to return from Mount Emei.

He had to welcome the long-awaited guest, Jin Ja-gang… When Mang Ryo told Master Eun that he would be leaving.

Master Eun asked Mang Ryo.

“Why are you in such a hurry?”

“Ah, it’s because I’m facing a great matter of human relations.”

Great matter of human relations refers to marriage. Master Eun was delighted with surprised eyes.

“Amitabha! You mean there’s such good news? This is certainly worth celebrating. Which family is having such great fortune?”

“It’s the Tang family’s affair. Between Poison Dragon and Tang Ha-ran, granddaughter of the Flame King.”

Master Eun smiled gently.

“It seems we should keep this secret from our lioness.”

If Demon Buddha Myowol found out, she would certainly go and cause a ruckus.

“Well… if she comes as a wedding guest, we can’t stop that, can we?”

“My, what a mischievous person you are.”

Seeing Master Eun’s eye-smile, Mang Ryo felt his spine chill. If people knew what thoughts were contained in that pretty nun’s gentle eye-smile, they would certainly be shocked.

Master Eun said with a smile.

“Originally, the relationship between husband and wife is no ordinary special connection, isn’t it? They say it’s between people who were enemies who lost parents and siblings in past lives? Or people who received great kindness from each other.”

As expected, there was a barb in her words.

Then, before Mang Ryo could speak, Master Eun continued.

“Then shall I come along too? For nuns like me, it would be a matter without connection, but it’s interesting to watch others’ marriages out of curiosity about what kind of connection it might be. I’ll go to see Elder Tang Qing after a long time as well.”

“What about Master Myowol?”

At Mang Ryo’s question, Master Eun smiled gently.

“Our lioness is the type who wouldn’t miss such spectacles either.”

***

While eating the rice balls Soso had packed, Tang Ha-ran asked.

“You don’t seem to be using any special lightness technique, so why is your walking so fast?”

Jin Ja-gang was walking quite well following Tang Ha-ran despite limping somewhat. Not only was he fast, but he didn’t seem to tire easily either.

“It’s probably because it’s become a habit.”

“Does walking become faster just from habit… you’re really a strange person.”

Jin Ja-gang chuckled.

Even while grumbling, Tang Ha-ran glanced sideways at Jin Ja-gang.

She didn’t know why he laughed, but it looked good when he smiled.

She wished they would never return to the Tang family and stay like this forever.

However, that wouldn’t happen, and she couldn’t know what would occur once they arrived at the Tang family.

Jin Ja-gang’s purpose in going to the Tang family was… not really to marry her.

“Since I withdrew the marriage proposal, you still owe me one debt. I’d like you to settle the account precisely.”

“I remember.”

Jin Ja-gang soon chewed his rice balls with an expressionless face.

Tang Ha-ran ultimately gave up on the marriage proposal. Instead, she decided to accompany him by pretending that Jin Ja-gang had accepted the marriage proposal.

Of course, they agreed to be prepared to even hold the wedding ceremony if circumstances weren’t favorable.

Conclusively, since it was the same thing, it was ambiguous for Jin Ja-gang to distinguish what difference there was between accepting or not accepting the marriage proposal.

But since Tang Ha-ran insisted strongly, he decided to follow her wishes.

Jin Ja-gang resolved inwardly.

‘If the opportunity comes, I will kill the King of Hell Tang Qing without hesitation.’

He would absolutely not lose his purpose and drift in the middle.

Tang Ha-ran understood that Jin Ja-gang’s expressionless appearance was regrettable but unavoidable.

She should be grateful that Jin Ja-gang wasn’t angry or sharp.

Jin Ja-gang was going to the family that was the enemy of his sect and bloodline.

***

After several days of travel, Jin Ja-gang and Tang Ha-ran arrived at the Tang Family Great Compound.

Jin Ja-gang was amazed by the enormous size and unique structure of the Tang Family Great Compound.

It was like a castle.

Even outside the Tang Family Great Compound, there were countless houses that served as a kind of chevaux-de-frise. To attack the Tang family head-on, one would first have to eliminate the people from the Tang family’s vassal families living in those houses.

Naturally, people had already come out as if they had heard the news. Two maidservants waited in front of the main gate of the Tang Family Great Compound. One took Jin Ja-gang’s luggage, and the other handed him new clothes.

But instead of going with Tang Ha-ran, they guided him in a different direction.

“Miss, please go this way.”

Tang Ha-ran’s plan to find Mang Ryo as soon as she arrived fell through.

“Young master, if you go to your room, someone will help you wash. Please change into new clothes and wait, then we’ll guide you to the elders.”

Hearing the maidservant’s words, Tang Ha-ran looked back at Jin Ja-gang.

Jin Ja-gang showed no change in expression despite being in the heart of his enemy’s den. He didn’t seem nervous either.

Where did such boldness come from?

It seemed there was no need to worry about Jin Ja-gang. It was only time to worry about herself.

Tang Ha-ran took a light breath and bid farewell to Jin Ja-gang.

“Goodbye.”

Jin Ja-gang nodded in greeting.

“We’ll meet soon.”

A maidservant soon guided Jin Ja-gang. Jin Ja-gang followed the maidservant walking through narrow alley-like walled paths.

A maze.

Jin Ja-gang realized it the moment he saw it.

Wall patterns that looked different depending on the viewing angle. Shadows that subtly made people confused about the path.

Jin Ja-gang pretended to cough while putting his little finger in his mouth and biting it.

Crunch.

They walked for a considerable time. It seemed they had walked for at least half a double-hour. No matter how large the house was, walking that much didn’t make sense.

‘We’re going around the same paths several times.’

Jin Ja-gang had noticed early on. All the wall patterns were identical. Even taking different paths, it was difficult to notice.

However, Jin Ja-gang had already confirmed several times.

They were going around the same places several times in each area.

But he didn’t show it outwardly and just silently followed behind the maidservant. The maidservant wore a narrow-hipped court dress but had consistent stride length and steady steps. Her martial arts level seemed quite high.

Only after quite a while longer did the maidservant stop at a gate between the walls.

“This is where you’ll stay. When the bath water is heated, I’ll come to escort you again.”

The maidservant opened the door and stepped back.

Jin Ja-gang entered through the door. There was a two-room space with a small pond and garden.

However, Jin Ja-gang couldn’t go further and had to stop at the doorway.

Heh heh heh heh!

An unforgettable voice from memory.

Goosebumps rose all over Jin Ja-gang’s body.