Chapter 391 – Seeing Hell (1)

The one whose face was dyed red by the crimson fire demon was none other than Dam Ho. ​

THUD! ​

A terrifying gravitational force generated around his body. ​

The gravity pulled in not only people, but flames and air as well. ​

WHOOSH! ​

Flames and air mixed together to burn even more intensely. Hotter than lava bursting from a volcano. ​

Dam Ho stood in the center of it all. His appearance looked like a military commander existing at the very bottom of hell. ​

"Ahh!" ​

"What is that?" ​

People's movements stopped completely at the shocking sight they had never imagined. ​

Their eyes staring at the flames seemed about to melt from the hot heat at any moment. Yet they couldn't turn their gaze away. ​

Dam Ho's overwhelming presence forcibly captured their gaze and wouldn't let go. Unless Dam Ho allowed it, no one could turn their eyes away from him. ​

"Groan!" ​

"It, it hurts!" ​

Screams burst from people's mouths. Hot tears kept flowing. They thought it would be better to die so this pain would end. ​

That's when it happened. ​

Dam Ho's fist rose toward the void. Dam Ho's back curved like a bow, then his fist struck down toward the earth like lightning. ​

CRASH! ​

The sound of thunder echoed first. ​

People blinked their eyes. ​

RINGING! ​

In an instant the world appeared completely white, and noise echoed in their ears. ​

Their bodies had shut off the nerves to their eyes and ears to protect themselves from shock they couldn't handle. But before they could deduce such facts, tremendous aftershocks struck them. ​

WHOOOOSH! ​

A storm raged in the previously clear night sky. ​

The bodies of people who had been straining with all their might to resist the gravitational force pulling them were swept away by the storm in all directions. ​

"ARGH!" ​

"Save me!" ​

Screams erupted immediately after. ​

People rolled unsightly on the ground and were buried head-first. The dust that had risen thickly settled on their bodies. ​

It was a Star-Shattering Fist with advanced power from the existing Star-Shattering Fist. ​

It was like an evolved version of the Star-Shattering Fist. Its power far exceeded the existing power by several times. ​

Only after a long time had passed did people regain their senses and look around. In an instant their eyes widened as if they would tear. ​

The fire demon that had devoured the inn was extinguished as if by magic. Though considerable parts were blackened and burned traces remained, the flames were completely extinguished. ​

"What is this?" ​

"Gasp, gasp!" ​

Something had happened that they couldn't understand or imagine with their common sense. At phenomena beyond common sense, they didn't know how to react and just looked at each other's faces. ​

The first to react were the martial artists of Middle Heaven. ​

"It's a demon!" ​

"It must be a demon immortal threatening the world of the Venerable One." ​

The demon immortal they mentioned was a rebellious demon from the Demon Cult's scriptures. A rebellious existence opposing the Venerable One, the god of the Demon Cult. The demon immortal was the Demon Cult's greatest enemy. ​

"A demon immortal really existed." ​

"The teachings of the Divine Cult were true." ​

The people completely believed the words of Middle Heaven's martial artists. ​

Paradoxically, Dam Ho's existence had become proof of their faith. The people glared at Dam Ho with eyes filled with anger and hostility. ​

"Retreat, demon immortal! This is the land of the Venerable One. It's not a place for one like you to stand." ​

"We don't fear death." ​

They moved toward Dam Ho as if bewitched by something. Like moths flying into flames without knowing their place of death. ​

They believed the Demon Cult's doctrine like stone. ​

"Even if we die here, we will go to the Venerable One." ​

"Kill us if you will." ​

Their eyes even contained madness. ​

Living in this world was too difficult anyway. Pushed around by martial artists, high officials didn't even think of them as the same people. ​

A miserable life barely sustained by necessity without a ray of hope – if they could sacrifice themselves at this opportunity to reach paradise, what would there be to fear? ​

Rather, it was an opportunity they had been hoping for. ​

As the people approached Dam Ho like this, Middle Heaven's martial artists gradually retreated. ​

'We must not die yet.' ​

'We absolutely cannot die first before accomplishing our task.' ​

It didn't matter if ordinary believers died in any number, but high-ranking believers like themselves absolutely must not die. ​

"Kill me, demon!" ​

"No, kill me first." ​

Everyone was mad. ​

Madness blew away everyone's fear. ​

The people competed to tell him to kill them first. It was a sight that would make even martial artists with the most steadfast composure shiver. ​

That's when it happened. ​

SPLAT! ​

The head of the man who had been asking to be killed first flew off. ​

The sight of the head scattering into powder before their eyes was surreal. So people couldn't recognize what had happened and just blinked. ​

SPLAT! ​

"Gah!" ​

At that moment another man's head flew off. ​

Blood splattered, and they were covered with gray brain matter and bone fragments. The wet sensation and hot heat felt all over their bodies made them realize this wasn't a dream. ​

That shocking sight dragged people's reason back to reality. ​

"AHHH!" ​

"M-murder." ​

The reality they faced was truly horrible. ​

The world that had been blurry while intoxicated with madness became clear, and Dam Ho stood in the center of it. ​

He finally opened his mouth. ​

"You'll go to paradise if you die?" ​

SHUDDER! ​

Would this be what demon wails echoing from hell sound like? ​

The moment they heard Dam Ho's voice, people collapsed on the spot. Some trembled, while others soiled themselves. ​

Dam Ho's voice had the power to stimulate the primitive emotion called fear. ​

Dam Ho asked once more. ​

"Do you really think so?" ​

"……" ​

No one could answer his question. ​

Two headless corpses were still standing perfectly upright. That sight amplified people's fear even more. ​

The reality faced after the madness disappeared was frightening. ​

The people just trembled, not daring to open their mouths. ​

Dam Ho no longer looked at them. His gaze was directed toward several who were still standing fine. ​

They were Middle Heaven's martial artists who had been hiding among the people and cleverly inciting them. ​

Dam Ho's mouth opened and a chilling voice flowed out. ​

"So it was you." ​

The moment they heard his voice, Middle Heaven's martial artists' legs nearly gave out and they almost collapsed. But they too were masters who had learned the Demon Cult's martial arts. ​

They circulated their internal power to protect their vital points. ​

"Run!" ​

"Scatter!" ​

They scattered in all directions like grasshoppers. ​

By now there was no one in the martial world who didn't know Dam Ho had entered. It meant that while no one could match him in one-on-one combat, his lightness technique wasn't perfect. ​

Four people fled in different directions. Even a master of lightness technique couldn't catch all four. Much less Dam Ho with his inconvenient leg. ​

'Just one person needs to escape.' ​

'If even one survives to report to headquarters that the Fist Demon has come.' ​

They were confident. ​

Though their martial arts might be somewhat inferior, they were confident in their lightness technique alone. ​

As they expected, with four people fleeing in different directions at once, Dam Ho seemed to hesitate momentarily unable to make a decision. In that time the four quickly distanced themselves from Dam Ho. ​

THUD! ​

But that was their mistake. ​

Suddenly their bodies stopped in midair as if caught by invisible fishing hooks. ​

"……" ​

A moment of silence fell, then their bodies were dragged toward Dam Ho at unbelievable speed. ​

It was truly terrifying gravitational force beyond common sense. ​

It was the phenomenon that occurred just before unleashing the Star-Shattering Fist. ​

Dam Ho's Star-Shattering Fist had now reached completion. ​

Now he doesn't chase enemies. ​

He pulls enemies into range and kills them. ​

It was a new Star-Shattering Fist. ​

Dam Ho's back curved like a bow. ​

Middle Heaven's martial artists' eyes widened. ​

"S-save us!" ​

CRASH! ​

At that moment thunder echoed. ​

Middle Heaven's martial artists who had been dragged to Dam Ho became bloody pulp and bounced in all directions. ​

Everyone died. Leaving only one. ​

"Groan!" ​

He screamed while buried face-first in the ground. ​

He was barely breathing, but his condition was more miserable than death. His limbs were bent in grotesque directions, and his chest was pitifully shrunken like a punctured leather bag. ​

He was just gasping for breath like a fish out of water. ​

Dam Ho approached him. ​

Only then did he lift his head to look up at Dam Ho. ​

"Ugh! Fist… Demon." ​

"So this was the method?" ​

"What… are you saying?" ​

"Is this how you expand your influence? Dragging in unrelated people to use as shields." ​

"Hehe! If the weak want to survive, isn't it unavoidable?" ​

"……" ​

"Don't think this is the end. The foolish people will now turn to our side. And they'll become our spears and swords. Hehe!" ​

"Who came up with such an idea?" ​

The method of indoctrinating ignorant people to use them as sacrificial lambs was truly a demonic conception. ​

At Dam Ho's question he laughed. ​

His blood-stained teeth and gums, and mad eyes were scary enough to make viewers' legs go weak. ​

He spat curses at Dam Ho. ​

"Hehe! You alone can do nothing. On the day our cult unifies the martial world, the entire world will be your enemy. From ignorant children to women and elderly, all will be eager to kill you. Hehe! Can you handle it? Fist Demon… Gah!" ​

CRACK! ​

In an instant his head shattered and scattered in all directions. ​

Dam Ho had destroyed it. ​

Red blood dripped from his fist. ​

Dam Ho's eyes sank even deeper. In his pupils where darkness had descended, human emotions didn't exist. ​

The Middle Heaven martial artist's threat wasn't the slightest danger to him. ​

'The world becomes my enemy?' ​

It was already so now. ​

Except for Mount Hua Sect and a very few martial artists, he had virtually no allies. ​

The world was already his enemy. ​

There was no reason to fear just because a few more would be added. ​

That's when it happened. ​

"Brother!" ​

"Elder brother." ​

Bang Jin-bo and Hwang Hye-ryeong's voices were heard from behind. ​

Turning his head, he saw Bang Jin-bo and Hwang Hye-ryeong supporting Muk Il-gwang. Behind them he also saw Im Ju-ha, the Hao Sect branch leader, and her subordinates. ​

Though soot was here and there and they looked disheveled, they were alive and well. ​

"Elder… brother." ​

A hazy film seemed to form in Hwang Hye-ryeong's eyes, then they filled with tears. She entrusted Muk Il-gwang to Bang Jin-bo and approached Dam Ho. ​

Dam Ho silently embraced Hwang Hye-ryeong. ​

"Sob!" ​

Hwang Hye-ryeong poured out the tears she had been holding back onto Dam Ho's chest. ​

Indescribable relief overwhelmed Hwang Hye-ryeong. ​

Now this place had become the safest place in the world. Because Dam Ho was here. ​

"AHHH!" ​

"HIIK!" ​

Only then did the people who regained their senses flee in all directions. ​

'That person is the Fist Demon?' ​

Im Ju-ha trembled. ​

Only then could she understand why the world trembled at the two characters "Fist Demon". ​

He was fear itself. ​

Just before entering Sichuan.

A few days before the great undertaking, the leaders of the three Poison Sect Cliques, including Jin Ja-gang, gathered in one place.

Four people sat around a campfire in a small shrine.

But everyone had dark expressions.

Ro-gwan, Thousand Face Blade Master of Leper Mound, said.

“Fifteen. Three of them are first-class assassins.”

Yuk Ha-seon, Red Flower Immortal of Pleasure Heaven, continued.

“On our side, one hundred fifty. Of those, twelve skilled ones are first-rate.”

Tap Tak-yeon, mine chief of Coal Mining Office, also said.

“All twenty-seven of ours are elite. So the number who can directly fight King of Hell, adding Poison Dragon and all of us here, is forty-six.”

Silence continued briefly.

Yuk Ha-seon rubbed the pelvis where her missing leg used to be and said.

“Is it possible?”

No one could answer.

The reality was that even forty-six masters fighting one King of Hell Tang Qing would struggle to handle the match.

Tap Tak-yeon flapped his ears and brought up another topic.

“People have been talking a lot about who’s stronger after this Shaolin Temple Stone Vajra incident.”

Yuk Ha-seon said.

“The Tang family are the established powers of Sichuan. Though some question Shaolin Temple’s failure, many think the Tang family’s damage was greater than expected.”

“Breaking into the Tang family’s inner sanctum full of poison, hidden weapons, and traps, destroying dozens of buildings and killing over five hundred, that’s understandable.”

“But we know the meaning of the Stone Vajras not even getting to see the inner courtyard. Also that King of Hell isn’t such an easy opponent that he’d let them destroy thirty percent of the Tang Family Main House he painstakingly built.”

“The general public doesn’t know about the Stone Vajras’ existence anyway. Hidden by the Breaking Sect, their powerful martial strength was never revealed.”

Ro-gwan also acknowledged.

“Confirming Tang family internal information, barely any masters were among the dead. King of Hell deliberately sacrificed thirty percent of the outer courtyard halls and hundreds of vassal warriors to deceive public attention.”

Tap Tak-yeon said.

“If King of Hell had driven out the Stone Vajras without any damage, the Tang family would have drawn tremendous attention. But he deliberately took damage to confuse people. Also, by killing all the Shaolin monks, the Tang family gained the reputation of seeming weaker than Shaolin Temple but still not a place to underestimate.”

Yuk Ha-seon held out a wet piece of paper.

“This is a proclamation King of Hell personally wrote and threw to the martial world after defeating Shaolin Temple’s Stone Vajras.”

Everyone here except Jin Ja-gang already knew the proclamation’s contents.

Jin Ja-gang received and read the proclamation.

Our Tang Gate will not yield to any oppression and will steadfastly protect Sichuan…

Jin Ja-gang read the proclamation and was extremely impressed.

“As expected of King of Hell.”

This proclamation of just one line contained tremendous meanings.

Tap Tak-yeon asked.

“Did you discern King of Hell’s hidden intentions in the proclamation?”

“Yes.”

Jin Ja-gang said.

“First is Tang Gate.”

King of Hell had deliberately used the expression Tang Gate instead of Tang family or Tang Family Main House.

This was different from third-rate sects calling themselves ‘gates.’ Even Wudang Sect called itself a sect rather than Wudang Gate, meaning it was one school of Taoism.

Therefore, only when one established a family line and became an ancestor could they be properly recognized as a true gate in the martial world. And as an ancestor, they could spawn numerous schools.

The Tang family calling itself Tang Gate contained the ambition to become the only true gate among poison schools!

Elevating from the martial family Tang family to Tang Gate as a sect was the Tang family’s long-cherished wish. His true intentions were finally revealed to the world this way.

“Second is oppression.”

Also, Tang Qing defined Shaolin Temple as oppression, making themselves seem like victims. If one carelessly accepted the proclamation’s contents, they would unconsciously think well of the Tang family and see Shaolin Temple as tyrants who only used force.

“Third is Sichuan!”

That wasn’t all.

The phrase ‘will protect Sichuan’ was truly Tang Qing’s gambit thrown to the martial world and this proclamation’s greatest trap.

Tang Qing planned to use floods to bring plague to the martial world, thereby increasing the Tang family’s power.

Yet he pretended to have no intention of leaving Sichuan by saying he would protect it. At first glance, it seemed the Tang family would focus all efforts only on protecting Sichuan.

“Fourth is Shaolin Temple!”

Therefore, now people’s eyes and ears would turn from the Tang family to Shaolin Temple. Since the Tang family declared their position to protect Sichuan, with all Stone Vajras dead, people couldn’t help but be curious about how Shaolin Temple would respond.

In other words, the Tang family stepped aside from the center of controversy and made people’s attention focus elsewhere.

One proclamation King of Hell threw to the world.

Though just one sentence, King of Hell’s ambition hidden within.

Highly calculated words and sentences.

It was chilling.

This was rather proof that the monster they had to face was that much more powerful.

But in the eyes of the three Poison Gate division leaders, Jin Ja-gang who immediately grasped King of Hell’s intentions also seemed formidable.

Tap Tak-yeon clicked his tongue.

“Impressive.”

Ro-gwan and Yuk Ha-seon also nodded.

There was reason Tang Qing coveted him.

If someone had to replace Tang Qing’s position, only Poison Dragon Jin Ja-gang would be capable.

“At this point, I almost feel sorry for bringing in Poison Dragon.”

He could become King of Hell’s successor just by staying still, so was there really need to start a rebellion?

To Tap Tak-yeon’s words, Jin Ja-gang answered indifferently.

“It seems so.”

The three Poison Sect Cliques leaders looked at Jin Ja-gang in confusion.

They hadn’t expected him to readily accept what they threw out as empty words.

“What do you mean by that now?”

Jin Ja-gang looked at each of them and said.

“This great undertaking has failed.”

The atmosphere turned cold.

Ro-gwan of Leper Mound frowned.

“Do you think King of Hell will spare us if we give up now? There’s no law saying King of Hell couldn’t predict our actions. But he might not have known, surprisingly distracted by Shaolin Temple. If so, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity…”

“It cannot succeed.”

At Jin Ja-gang’s firm answer, the three leaders’ faces hardened.

“Why?”

“There’s no justification.”

Jin Ja-gang explained.

“Have you forgotten the great undertaking’s justification? Successive plan failures were the reason to oust King of Hell.”

“That’s right.”

“But King of Hell splendidly defeated the Stone Vajras. Moreover, if all the dead were only vassal warriors, not Tang family blood relatives, our justification will gain even less support from Tang family blood relatives.”

The three leaders finally showed expressions of realization.

Even if they succeeded in killing King of Hell Tang Qing, without justification they couldn’t gain internal Tang family support. Rather, this could become pretext for talk of subjugating the three divisions.

Tap Tak-yeon said.

“But we can’t retreat either. If we miss this opportunity, next time we’ll be purged and our organizations will all be absorbed into the Tang family.”

“I know.”

Yuk Ha-seon asked in her sharpest tone recently.

“Then what do you suggest? If you just say it will fail, is that the end? If we abandon the great undertaking, shouldn’t you provide alternatives for what to do afterward?”

“No. I said it would fail, not that we should give up. The conference schedule must proceed as planned.”

“What?”

“Abandoning the conference midway would completely expose our intent to use the conference to start something.”

“Even though proceeding with the conference means we’ll all die?”

“If you want to abandon conference participation, you’d have to flee right now and spend your lives hiding from King of Hell. I won’t stop you from doing so.”

Anger appeared on the three leaders’ faces.

“You’re looking down on us too much.”

“Whatever you’re thinking, considering us pawns on a chess board is very unpleasant.”

“We’ve already staked our lives. We just can’t act rashly because of dependents we must care for.”

Since all three leaders were masters, as the atmosphere turned dangerous, their internal energy naturally rose and the small shrine began to shake.

But Jin Ja-gang maintained a calm expression throughout and asked as if confirming.

“Have you really staked your lives?”

Tap Tak-yeon’s ears turned bright red.

“Are you testing us?”

Suddenly explosive momentum burst from Jin Ja-gang’s body.

Tap Tak-yeon, Ro-gwan, and Yuk Ha-seon were startled. It was infinitely hot and passionate energy. Yet his eyes were infinitely cold and his expression cool-headed. Looking into his eyes created the illusion of being sucked in and having one’s whole body freeze.

Yuk Ha-seon’s crushed leg throbbed, and unconsciously she couldn’t look at Jin Ja-gang’s eyes and slightly lowered her gaze.

It was truly tremendous intimidating presence.

‘Beast? No. This isn’t momentum a wild predator would emit.’

Tap Tak-yeon and Ro-gwan felt the same.

‘This is like…’

‘The same feeling as when facing King of Hell…!’

Killing intent!

It was killing intent. Jin Ja-gang was emanating killing intent!

“How dare you!”

“Where do you dare show killing intent!”

The three leaders raised their internal energy to not be overwhelmed by his momentum, but it was useless. Their shoulders shrank and fingertips trembled. Strangely, this was killing intent with weight that couldn’t be easily countered with internal energy.

Jin Ja-gang asked in a voice emanating cold air.

“I’ll confirm once more. Have you really staked your lives?”

The three leaders felt the terror of death.

Answer wrong and die!

All three leaders were dumbfounded. What exactly was Jin Ja-gang demanding of them!

Yuk Ha-seon bit his lip until it bled, then answered first.

“Yes.”

Ro-gwan and Tap Tak-yeon also answered in turn.

“There’s not an inch of falsehood in our determination!”

Jin Ja-gang nodded.

“Good. Then entrust your lives to me.”

The three leaders gritted their teeth and looked at Jin Ja-gang. They struggled to look into Jin Ja-gang’s eyes, forcibly suppressing their gaze that kept wanting to go downward. But each time Jin Ja-gang’s cold gaze touched them, chills ran down their spines.

Jin Ja-gang continued.

“Instead, I will take in the dependents you must care for.”

Each word carried tremendous weight.

Entrusting lives and taking responsibility for their affairs afterward wasn’t ordinary. If things went wrong and dependents were harmed, he would have to spend his lifetime avenging them in their place.

Suddenly, Ro-gwan realized.

“I forgot for a moment. How Poison Dragon got here.”

To avenge Medicine Sect.

Jin Ja-gang’s journey from remote Yunnan to now was all because of that.

So they couldn’t help but trust him.

Poison Dragon would surely keep any word he spoke.

Ro-gwan answered first.

“I already said I would entrust my life. No need to ask.”

Yuk Ha-seon also closed her eyes and answered.

“I will do so.”

Tap Tak-yeon hesitated briefly. Stroking his ear, he asked.

“Trying to push out the tiger called King of Hell, a dragon has entered. Let me ask one thing. What’s the reason for going this far?”

Jin Ja-gang answered.

“The current King of Hell is impregnable. Without going this far, we can’t capture King of Hell.”

It wasn’t wrong. Against King of Hell Tang Qing who defeated Stone Vajras and deceived the martial world with one proclamation, half-hearted measures wouldn’t work.

Tap Tak-yeon gritted his teeth hard.

“Damn it. Have your way then! Having come this far, what is there to hesitate about!”

Cold brilliance shot from Jin Ja-gang’s eyes.

“Good. Now your three lives are in my hands. And in return, King of Hell will have to give up the Tang family master’s seat.”