Chapter 102: To Move Forward Without Regret (2)

Namgung Chang's face was reflected in Dam Ho's retinas. The expression on Namgung Chang's face was painted with shock.

'He intercepted my telepathic transmission?'

It was impossible for any martial artist to eavesdrop on a telepathic transmission. That was Namgung Chang's understanding.

As if to answer his question, Dam Ho opened his mouth.

"You see, I spent a very long time in an underground space. It was a dreadful world where not a single ray of light could enter. But do you know what's funny?"

"……"

"In that place, even the smallest sounds became enormously loud. A single drop of water would strike the walls and amplify dozens, even hundreds of times. You cannot possibly imagine how agonizing that was."

Dam Ho's voice was very soft, and his words came out slurred. Yet somehow, they rang with perfect clarity in the ears of everyone present.

"Imagine this. For every moment of your life, you breathe and live, and without a single instant of rest, that sound continues. How would you feel?"

"……"

Namgung Chang could not utter a word. A strange sensation, as though he must not open his mouth, dominated his entire body.

Even as that moment passed, Dam Ho's words continued.

"I imagine you would go mad within three days. I did, too. I was on the very brink of madness. So do you know what I did? I plugged my ears with mud. But the sound still wormed its way in."

Dam Ho's voice carried no emotion whatsoever. Yet from his voice, people sensed an indescribable despair.

It was as though iron were being scraped right beside their ears, sending shivers down their spines. But not a single person could escape Dam Ho's voice. It was as though they were shackled by enormous chains, unable to move so much as an inch.

"I believe I spent about a year in that state of near-madness. But you see, the human body is truly remarkable. At some point, it began to adapt. I stopped hearing the sounds I did not wish to hear, and the sounds I wished to hear—I could hear them loudly, no matter how faint they might be."

"So… what are you trying to say?"

"Are you asking because you don't know?"

Dam Ho stared directly at Namgung Chang. At this, a cold trickle of sweat ran down Namgung Chang's spine.

'He heard that as well?'

He had never imagined that there existed a martial artist who could intercept telepathic transmissions. That meant Dam Ho had seen through his intentions.

A cold light began to flicker in Namgung Chang's eyes.

Dam Ho's ability to intercept telepathic transmissions was certainly unexpected. But Namgung Chang's mental fortitude was not so shallow as to be shaken by this alone.

"With such a flimsy excuse, do you think you can be forgiven for offending the Namgung Family?"

"Forgiven?"

"The Namgung Family never forgives any who have earned our enmity. It is too late to beg for mercy now."

"Do I look to you like the sort of person who begs for mercy from anyone?"

The corners of Dam Ho's mouth curled upward. Anyone with the slightest bit of perception could clearly see that it was a sneer.

Namgung Chang was a man of sharp perception above all others. His face hardened.

"That is enough insolence. It is not yet too late. Cut off your right arm. Then we might consider showing you a measure of leniency."

The thirty martial artists of the Golden Sword Squad surrounding Dam Ho bristled with sharp killing intent. But Dam Ho paid them no mind whatsoever.

Dam Ho raised his right arm.

The calluses on his fist were so thick they resembled armor.

"Cut it off if you can. But you had better be prepared. I will cut off your neck. I swear it!"

The instant Dam Ho's words ended, the air around them grew deathly cold.

"Guh!"

From the mouths of the Golden Sword Squad came stifled groans.

They were overwhelmed by the murderous aura emanating from Dam Ho and the savage killing intent that churned within the air around him.

Dam Ho's words seemed to contain the power of言靈—the spirit of language.

It felt as though what he said would inevitably come to pass.

That terrifying sensation made Namgung Chang shudder.

Namgung Chang cried out involuntarily.

"What are the Golden Sword Squad doing? Subdue him at once!"

At his shout, the Golden Sword Squad began to move.

"Subdue him!"

The commander of the Golden Sword Squad, Namgung Jung-mun, was the first to move with a shout.

Swoosh!

From his hand, the Namgung Family's sword art, Flash Lightning Thirteen Sword Thunder, was unleashed.

That was merely the beginning.

The Heaven Wind Lightning Sword, a technique passed down exclusively within the Golden Sword Squad, unfolded from every direction. Like dozens of bolts of lightning striking down, a storm of sword energy rushed toward Dam Ho.

"That man?"

Cho Yeon-woon let out a cry of alarm.

The Golden Sword Squad was an extraordinary fighting force, even among the Namgung Family's elite. Their combined formation was so powerful that even Cho Yeon-woon could not guarantee he could withstand it.

The situation was hurtling toward the worst possible outcome.

The provocation had clearly come from Namgung-su, but the Namgung Family was not the sort of faction to care about such distinctions. Yet neither could Cho Yeon-woon simply stand by and watch his friend fight the Namgung Family's warriors.

To become enemies of the Namgung Family was tantamount to becoming enemies of all Five Great Families. If he made enemies of them, there would be no ground left for Dam Ho to stand on in this world.

'How am I supposed to resolve this?'

Cho Yeon-woon felt frustrated with Dam Ho for having clashed with the Namgung Family without any plan. But he was not so lacking in loyalty as to abandon a friend he had painstakingly befriended.

His gaze suddenly drifted to Oh Gun-gi.

Oh Gun-gi, Hae So-wol's Martial Uncle and an elder of the Hainan Sect, was watching without intervening.

'If it were him…?'

While Cho Yeon-woon was racking his brain, the situation escalated.

Boom!

"Guh!"

With a thunderous sound, someone was sent hurtling backward. The man who was bleeding from the head and had lost consciousness was none other than a warrior of the Golden Sword Squad.

The Dragon Cloud Sword, once the pride of his existence, lay shattered. His left arm and chest had been crushed as though struck by a massive hammer. It was the Fortress Breaking Fist that had struck him.

Boom! Boom!

Again and again, thunderous sounds erupted. And the warriors of the Golden Sword Squad were sent flying in every direction.

"Damn it!"

The face of Namgung Jung-mun, commander of the Golden Sword Squad, twisted in agony.

Hummm!

The Dragon Cloud Sword in his hand was crying out. Though he had managed to block Dam Ho's blow, the price was that his entire arm had gone numb, and he could no longer hold the sword.

Namgung Jung-mun was forced to switch the sword to his other hand.

In the meantime, three or four more members of the Golden Sword Squad had been smashed by Dam Ho's fists and lay collapsed.

Boom!

"Argh!"

With a desperate scream, the youngest of the Golden Sword Squad, Namgung Se-gyeong, rolled across the ground. His torso had been torn nearly half apart, as though he had been mauled by a wild beast.

Fortunately, he still drew breath, but he was worse than dead. Even if he survived, he would never again be a functional human being.

Dam Ho had done this.

"You cruel wretch."

In that instant, Dam Ho's gaze turned to Namgung Jung-mun.

Chill!

In that instant, Namgung Jung-mun felt an inexplicable sense of danger and hastily leaned his body backward.

Whoosh!

Dam Ho's elbow grazed across Namgung Jung-mun's face. The flesh caught on the elbow was torn away, and a fountain of blood sprayed into the air.

"Argh!"

Namgung Jung-mun screamed involuntarily.

Half of his face had been ripped away, revealing the raw red flesh beneath. He staggered, screaming from pain he had never experienced in his life.

Whoosh!

In that instant, a fierce gust of energy swept over him as Dam Ho's kick landed.

It was the Demonic Bouncing Kick.

Crack!

Dam Ho's foot punched a hole through Namgung Jung-mun's chest.

"Guh!"

Namgung Jung-mun clutched his chest and staggered backward. Where his heart should have been, there was now a hole, through which the space behind was visible.

Dam Ho leaped over Namgung Jung-mun's body as it crumbled like a sandcastle.

Dam Ho charged in a straight line.

The face of Namgung Chang, contorted with shock, came into his view.

The Golden Sword Squad had been painstakingly cultivated by the Namgung Family. It was not an organization that should have collapsed so emptily. That was precisely why the shock Namgung Chang felt was beyond the power of words to express.

'Where did such a monster come from…?'

Namgung Chang's body trembled.

He too had mastered the Namgung Family's martial arts to their peak. But his opponent was a monster who had neutralized the Golden Sword Squad in the blink of an eye.

Shiver!

His body shook involuntarily.

A billowing black robe. Tossing black hair.

Between them, emotionless black eyes glinted.

It was as though a massive battering ram were charging straight at him, and Namgung Chang's eyes wavered.

'He was clearly limping…'

A question suddenly crossed his mind.

In that moment, Dam Ho had closed in to his very chest.

Swoosh!

The Fortress Breaking Fist, a strike capable of shattering a great wall, came hurtling toward him.

Namgung Chang recoiled in terror and tried to dodge. But Dam Ho's movement was far swifter than his reaction.

The fist that had been clenched suddenly opened in midair, seizing Namgung Chang's right arm. Then it twisted.

Crack!

"Aaaagh!"

A scream of agony erupted from Namgung Chang's mouth—pain unlike anything he had ever felt.

But Dam Ho's assault did not end there. Dam Ho's hand transformed into a blade and descended upon Namgung Chang's neck.

He intended to sever it cleanly.

In that instant, Namgung Chang recalled what Dam Ho had said.

That he would cut off his neck…

Dam Ho was trying to keep his promise.

Namgung Chang did not even dare to try to dodge. He shut his eyes tight.

Crack!

Namgung Chang tentatively opened his eyes. There, before him, was a familiar back.

"Gun-gi."

Standing before him like a massive whale, blocking his path with an enormous presence, was none other than the White Sword Guest, Oh Gun-gi.

Oh Gun-gi did not answer. No—he could not.

Hummm!

Just from blocking Dam Ho's blow, his sword hand had gone numb. But he betrayed nothing, maintaining a composed expression as he spoke.

"That is enough."

"They started this fight."

As though he had never been engaged in such violent movement, Dam Ho's breathing had not even quickened.

It was as though he were facing a beast that could run forever without ever tiring.

'Has there ever been such a man in the Murim?'

At best, he appeared to be around thirty years of age. That he had achieved this level of attainment at such an age was simply unbelievable.

Dam Ho's expression remained cold. But Oh Gun-gi, facing him directly, could sense the terrifying killing intent lurking beneath the surface.

'They call him Fist Demon for a reason…'

Since entering Hunan Province, the rumor he had heard most often was about the Fist Demon.

The limping martial artist who delivered death.

At first, he had scoffed.

It was his prejudice that a man whose physical balance was broken could never reach the peak. So he had assumed the rumors were exaggerated. But the man before him was real.

In fact, the rumors seemed to barely capture half of his true nature. The aura and killing intent that Dam Ho now radiated were the most terrifying things Oh Gun-gi had ever experienced.

It felt as though a volcano erupting with molten lava stood before him. Once it erupted, no one would be able to stop him.

Then Namgung Chang, who had regained his senses, shouted.

"Kill him. Gun-gi."

Namgung Chang's voice was filled with venom. But the emotion concealed beneath it was unmistakably fear.

Namgung Chang was afraid of Dam Ho. He was shouting in an attempt to shake off that fear, but Oh Gun-gi knew well how futile that struggle was.

Oh Gun-gi looked at Dam Ho.

"Will you withdraw? If you withdraw now, everything that happened here will be treated as though it never occurred."

"Who gave you the right to tell me to withdraw? He is an enemy of the Namgung Family."

From behind, Namgung Chang was shouting at the top of his lungs. Oh Gun-gi turned to look at him.

"Chang, I am not confident I can defeat him completely."

"Gun-gi."

"This is not a proposal for his sake. It is for yours."

"What do you mean?"

"I cannot guarantee that I can fully protect you from him."

"That's… impossible."

Namgung Chang's eyelid twitched.

The Oh Gun-gi he knew was not the sort of man who would show weakness before an enemy. Yet here was Oh Gun-gi, showing weakness in the face of the enemy.

'So he is that powerful?'

Namgung Chang's face turned pale.

If Oh Gun-gi could not handle him, then no one present could do a thing about Dam Ho.

"Chang, let us bury the grudge here. Do you not have more important matters to attend to?"

"Guh!"

Namgung Chang could not bring himself to answer and bit down hard. But Oh Gun-gi took this as acceptance.

He looked at Dam Ho.

"Will you withdraw now?"

Oh Gun-gi believed Dam Ho would listen to him. After all, this would represent a considerable concession from both himself and the Namgung Family.

But the answer Dam Ho gave far exceeded his imagination.

"Why should I?"

One of the young men who was Chu Sajin’s friend shouted.

“There’s a limping man inside that main hall!”

Chu Hyo ground his teeth and shouted.

“Is the one inside the limping man? Yes or no?”

Wei Zong snorted in disbelief.

“Huh, this is something. It seems there’s been quite a misunderstanding…”

“Whether it’s a misunderstanding or not, we’ll know if we ask him.”

After thinking for a moment, Wei Zong raised his eyes and gestured backward.

“Bring him here!”

The poison sect members looked at Cheon Gwon.

“Ah, why are you looking at me…”

When Cheon Gwon glanced around and his eyes met Wei Zong’s as he turned back, he flinched.

“Yes! I’ll bring him!”

Cheon Gwon kicked the bleeding and staggering Jin Ja-gang, knocking him down, then grabbed his neck and dragged him to Wei Zong.

Wei Zong grabbed Jin Ja-gang’s head and lifted it up.

“Now, look. Is this the limping man that Tiger Shield Sword is looking for?”

Chu Hyo didn’t know the face of the limping man who had killed his son. Instead, he had brought someone who could confirm the face.

A young martial artist walked out from behind Chu Hyo.

It was the disciple of the martial instructor who had previously told Chu Sajin about seeing a limping man heading toward Danya Mountain.

“Look. Is that the limping man you saw?”

At Chu Hyo’s words, the young martial artist swallowed dry saliva and looked Jin Ja-gang over. Jin Ja-gang had one eye severely swollen and his face was covered in blood, making him difficult to recognize.

But the young martial artist nodded vigorously.

“That’s the one I saw!”

Wei Zong tilted his head and pushed Jin Ja-gang’s face forward again.

“This guy’s face is so messed up that even I can’t tell if this is the same guy from before… But you say this face is right?”

The young martial artist ignored Wei Zong’s words and shouted.

“After I saw him, Young Master Chu followed him and met with misfortune!”

Wei Zong made an incredulous expression.

“You really recognized this face?”

It was a face that would be impossible to recognize unless you had known from the beginning, wasn’t it?

But having received the young martial artist’s confirmation, Chu Hyo ignored Wei Zong and shouted.

“If the Valley Master has no relationship with him, there should be no problem with me interrogating him! Hand him over to this side!”

Saying that the limping man killed Chu Hyo’s son while mentioning the relationship between Wei Zong and the limping man?

When someone speaks like that, it’s obvious. They’re trying to implicate him somehow. Whether he hands over the limping man or not, they’ve already decided that Wei Zong was behind it, so nothing would change.

Wei Zong was the one who used this method best, so how could he not know!

However, Wei Zong had more than one or two things to worry about besides the sudden actions of Chu Hyo and the righteous faction members.

This was because he had just realized that the bloodbath of the poison sects that had occurred so far was not the work of the limping man alone.

On top of that, the sudden attack by the righteous faction.

Could these things really be coincidental?

Wei Zong suddenly laughed.

“Kekeke!”

Chu Hyo put strength in his eyes and glared at Wei Zong.

“Stop laughing and hand him over quickly!”

“Kekekeke! Magnificent, absolutely magnificent!”

Wei Zong laughed like a madman. He laughed so much that the watching righteous faction martial artists were about to burst with frustration.

“Kekeke… Good. Very good.”

Wei Zong even shed a tear and said.

“I’ll hand him over. When you’ve come this far to ask, I can’t pretend not to know, so I should do as you ask.”

Then suddenly, didn’t he throw Jin Ja-gang forward!

Thud, clatter.

Jin Ja-gang tumbled down below the main hall.

“There, I’ve handed him over, so whether you boil him or roast him, handle it well on your own.”

Chu Hyo and the righteous faction martial artists were somewhat bewildered, not expecting him to hand him over so readily.

But seeing Wei Zong’s expression that said this was ridiculous, it was clear he hadn’t given him up with good intentions, so they couldn’t let their guard down.

Chu Hyo gestured.

“Lift him up.”

Two righteous faction martial artists came forward to try to lift Jin Ja-gang up.

“Pine scent?”

The two martial artists who had been approaching Jin Ja-gang suddenly stepped back in surprise.

“Ugh!”

The two martial artists suddenly felt nauseous and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood each.

Why would there be a pine scent for no reason!

“He, he used poison!”

Wei Zong creates special fragrances when using poison. That’s why his nickname is Hundred Fragrances.

Chu Hyo glared at Wei Zong with wide eyes.

“Hundred Fragrances! What are you doing now…!”

“Ah, don’t get excited. That was just a simple warning.”

“What?”

“Just know this one thing.”

Chu Hyo and the righteous faction martial artists stopped moving and looked at Wei Zong.

“You are not guests invited by this valley, yet you forcibly intruded into this valley, and even disrupted this valley’s event where we were hosting precious guests.”

“We apologize for that…”

Wei Zong cut off Chu Hyo’s words with a serious expression.

“What apology? Do I look like an idiot to you?”

“Valley Master Wei! Your words are too harsh!”

“Too harsh? You’re the harsh ones. You plan to interrogate this guy and eventually implicate me.”

The atmosphere in the hall instantly became heavy.

Wei Zong’s tone changed instantly.

“If you interrogate the limping man and learn nothing.”

Wei Zong paused and glared at the righteous faction members with wide eyes.

“You will learn why righteous faction nobodies have been unable to interfere with this Poison Valley’s events for decades.”

Poison Valley, which had been Yunnan’s hegemon for decades!

The righteous faction martial artists’ eyes showed tension at the intense hostility emanating from Wei Zong, the master of that Poison Valley.

Wei Zong waved his hand.

About a hundred warriors who had been outside the main hall surrounded the righteous faction martial artists in an encircling formation, raising their weapons under the command of Poison Valley’s masters.

Clank! Clatter!

The righteous faction martial artists also drew their weapons and faced off.

The two martial artists who had tried to lift Jin Ja-gang looked back at Chu Hyo as if asking what to do.

Chu Hyo glared back at Wei Zong and stepped forward with a deeply furrowed brow.

“I’ll interrogate him myself!”

Since Chu Hyo was the one who had gathered the people, the responsibility also lay with him.

Chu Hyo drew up his internal energy to prepare for poison and approached the fallen Jin Ja-gang.

Chu Hyo’s face was filled with indescribable killing intent. He bared his teeth as if he would devour Jin Ja-gang at any moment.

Jin Ja-gang looked up at such a Chu Hyo with blood-stained eyes.

Chu Hyo didn’t ask at length.

“Did you kill my son Chu Sajin?”

Jin Ja-gang just stared at Chu Hyo without giving any answer.

Chu Hyo’s eyebrows twitched.

“It looks like you were just about to be silenced. If you tell the truth…”

Chu Hyo stopped speaking and gulped. Saying he would spare his life was difficult even as a lie. His current feeling was that even tearing this guy apart right now wouldn’t be enough.

But he had to say it.

To not let Chu Sajin’s death become a meaningless dog’s death.

For revenge for Chu Sajin, his daughter-in-law, and his grandson who died without even being born.

Chu Hyo forced out his voice and said.

“…I’ll spare your life.”

Jin Ja-gang looked at Chu Hyo expressionlessly.

What was this person talking about right now?

He remembered who Chu Sajin was. He also knew that Chu Sajin had died later.

So he understood why they were interrogating him. He understood their desire to kill him.

But…

But what were all these people?

The righteous faction members gathered here…?

Was Chu Sajin’s death something that warranted all of them gathering and coming to Poison Valley?

Were Yunnan’s righteous factions such chivalrous sects?

Jin Ja-gang became confused.

These people were not righteous.

That’s why eight years ago, when the Medicine Sect people were dying one after another, these people didn’t step forward.

They were all the ones who kept their mouths shut.

Such people had risen up in anger over Chu Sajin’s death?

Moreover, there was no evidence anywhere that Jin Ja-gang had done it. The only fact was that he had acted in a way that could cause misunderstanding.

In the end, they had come all the way here relying only on Jin Ja-gang’s testimony…

Did that even make sense!

No matter how much he thought about it, Jin Ja-gang found it difficult to easily accept the current situation.

Jin Ja-gang slowly looked around at the righteous faction martial artists who had gathered.

Though they were surrounded by Poison Valley’s warriors, there was no fear in the righteous faction martial artists’ eyes.

Rather, they seemed eager for the other side to make the first move, showing murderous determination.

And at first glance, there was also a confident greed subtly hidden in their eyes.

Ah! That’s it.

Only then did Jin Ja-gang realize.

These people hadn’t gathered here for Chu Hyo’s son Chu Sajin from the beginning.

They had looked down on the weakened poison sect forces due to the destruction of the Four Great Poison Sects and flocked here like hyenas smelling blood.

To devour the poison sects.

The talk about Chu Sajin was just an excuse to attack the poison sects.

That’s also why Wei Zong’s rough tone mocking the righteous faction was like that.

Because he had known from the beginning the purpose of the righteous faction martial artists who had flocked here.

Since they were people who had come to devour his sect, his attitude had to be crooked.

Those who defend and those who would steal.

Haha.

Understanding the situation, Jin Ja-gang found it absurd. Of course, he didn’t open his mouth to laugh.

Only a hint of laughter appeared in his expression.

Misunderstanding Jin Ja-gang’s smile, Chu Hyo said in a small voice.

“Speak. Who ordered you to kill my son? If you just say that, you can live. Do you understand?”

Jin Ja-gang looked straight into Chu Hyo’s eyes. Chu Hyo’s eyes were burning fiercely. He said he would spare his life, but there was no sign he would actually spare him.

Chu Hyo whispered with a demonic face.

“I promise. If you don’t give me the answer I want, I guarantee that you will die in the most horrible way you’ve ever experienced in your life.”

Jin Ja-gang said nothing. Chu Hyo’s threatening voice also echoed hollowly only in his ears.

Chu Hyo’s threats posed no threat at all. He had already heard such talk several times from the poison sect people, even if not from Chu Hyo.

“Come on, quickly…”

Chu Hyo brought his face close as if he would devour Jin Ja-gang.

Then.

Drop.

A water droplet fell on Chu Hyo’s nose bridge.

Jin Ja-gang looked at the sky.

Drop, patter.

Water droplets also fell on Jin Ja-gang’s face.

Rain.

It’s raining…

Rain.

The rain Jin Ja-gang had been waiting for so long!

Finally!

Jin Ja-gang’s pupils filled with joy at seeing the raindrops falling from the sky.

But no one except Jin Ja-gang welcomed the rain.

No, the others barely paid attention to the rain falling in the first place. After all, rain wasn’t such a big deal.

Jin Ja-gang moved his body. His arms and legs, which had been paralyzed by the poison, finally had some strength in them.

He slowly got up and caught his breath for a moment.

Then Jin Ja-gang staggered back toward the main hall.

“Hmm?”

No one had expected such behavior from Jin Ja-gang.

Shuffle, shuffle.

Jin Ja-gang limped back toward the main hall.

“What is this guy doing…?”