Chapter 105: Dragons and Tigers Gather at the Lake (2)

Cho Yeon-woon was seated on the first floor of the West Wind Guesthouse. Across from him sat Oh Gun-gi.

Cho Yeon-woon found this meeting uncomfortable. It was not a gathering he had initiated—it was Oh Gun-gi who had arranged it.

But as a junior in the Murim, he could not refuse a meeting with a senior. And so he had reluctantly taken his seat.

Oh Gun-gi's expression was extremely grave. Cho Yeon-woon was well aware that the cause was Dam Ho.

'That man, as usual…'

Cho Yeon-woon secretly sighed.

Though it had not yet become widely known in the Murim, the incident that day had delivered a tremendous shock not only to Cho Yeon-woon, but also to Oh Gun-gi and Hae So-wol.

In no other place than the Murim—the elite warriors of the Namgung Family, one of the Five Great Families, had been annihilated by a single man. Under normal circumstances, this would have been a landmark event that would have shaken the entire Murim.

The reason it remained quiet was that Oh Gun-gi and Cho Yeon-woon had been scrupulous about keeping their lips sealed.

If word leaked that the Golden Sword Squad had been annihilated by Dam Ho, the Namgung Family would be unable to remain passive.

A full-scale war between the Namgung Family and Dam Ho.

The mere thought of it was horrifying.

No matter how powerful a single individual might be, he could not rival one of the Five Great Families. The moment the Namgung Family moved in earnest, Dam Ho would surely lose his life. But given the military might Dam Ho had demonstrated in annihilating the Golden Sword Squad, the damage the Namgung Family would suffer would be far from trivial.

They had to prevent that worst-case scenario at all costs, and so they had desperately guarded the secret.

Oh Gun-gi's expression was, without exaggeration, grave.

The shock he felt was incomparable to Cho Yeon-woon's.

Dam Ho's age was merely in the late twenties to early thirties. It was the age at which a martial artist should be riding the crest of the wave, yet he was in no way comparable to Namgung Chang, who had already earned renown in the Murim.

But Dam Ho had shattered Cho Yeon-woon's preconceptions, annihilated the Golden Sword Squad, and inflicted an indelible humiliation and wound upon Namgung Chang.

Namgung Chang would have to live in the shadow of Dam Ho. Whether he could ever escape that shadow, even Oh Gun-gi could not say.

After a long silence, Oh Gun-gi finally opened his mouth.

"You said he is Young Master Cho's friend?"

"That is correct."

"You have truly found a remarkable friend."

"He is a friend who is difficult to handle."

"I imagine so."

Oh Gun-gi nodded, as though he understood. But his gaze was colder than ever.

"I will not mince words. Who on earth is he?"

"That is…"

Cho Yeon-woon hesitated.

He wanted to answer, but he himself knew almost nothing about Dam Ho.

All he knew were the two characters of Dam Ho's name. He knew virtually nothing of his background or origins.

'How embarrassing. To have proclaimed him my friend, when I know so little.'

Oh Gun-gi's gaze sharpened further.

"I have never heard of such a martial artist before. The skill he displayed was far beyond what one would expect of a younger generation. Even Gu Mu-ryong would not dare compare himself to him."

"Well, that…"

"A master of his caliber has appeared as though fallen from the sky. Do you think that is possible?"

"It would be difficult."

"You know well the amount of investment and effort required to produce a single proper master."

Masters were not made overnight. Only with systematic support and immense investment could a being worthy of being called a master be forged in the Murim.

There was a saying that a dragon could emerge from a stream, but in the world of the Murim, such a thing was virtually impossible.

The reason the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families currently dominated the Murim was precisely this. They possessed centuries' worth of accumulated martial arts manuals, insights, and enormous wealth.

All of these elements harmonized to cultivate disciples into masters. They were called prestigious sects for good reason.

Given these circumstances, it was exceedingly difficult for true masters to emerge from sects that were not of the prestigious lineages.

Occasionally, an exceptional figure would appear and provide unexpected delight, but no one of Dam Ho's caliber, who defied all conventional understanding, had ever emerged.

"As far as I know, he is not affiliated with any of the prestigious sects or righteous families of the Murim."

Cho Yeon-woon's eyebrow twitched. He realized what Oh Gun-gi was suspecting.

"Are you suggesting he might be a member of the Demonic Cult?"

"That is precisely what I am suggesting."

At Oh Gun-gi's answer, Cho Yeon-woon's expression hardened.

The Demonic Cult.

It was the very synonym for terror that had drenched the Murim in blood decades ago.

At that time, countless martial artists had perished in the war against the Demonic Cult. Even now, the people of the Murim shuddered at the mention of the Demonic Cult, and anyone suspected of even a vague connection would be branded a public enemy of the Murim in no time.

"He is not a member of the Demonic Cult."

"You are certain?"

"I know his movements better than anyone. Though his methods are brutal, and in some ways savage, he has never once fought without cause."

"That alone is not sufficient to rule out his membership in the Demonic Cult."

"Young Master Namgung was the one who provoked him first. Had he not done so, such a tragedy would not have occurred."

"I am aware of that. The provocation clearly came from Young Master Namgung. But even so, his response was excessive."

"The Namgung Family's reaction was equally excessive, was it not? They attempted to kill him with the Golden Sword Squad simply because Young Master Namgung's wrist was broken."

"Hmm!"

"It was a fight to protect himself. Even if his methods were cruel, that is reason enough not to place all the blame on him."

At Cho Yeon-woon's words, Oh Gun-gi pressed his lips tightly together. But his expression still did not show full agreement.

Oh Gun-gi and Cho Yeon-woon stared at each other in silence for a time.

The one to speak first was Oh Gun-gi.

"Are you truly prepared to remain his friend to the end? If not, it would be better to part ways with him now. This is advice from a senior in the Murim. He will surely cause a great upheaval in the Murim and earn the enmity of many. There is little good that can come from remaining with him."

"I am sorry."

Cho Yeon-woon answered without a moment's hesitation. At his resolute demeanor, Oh Gun-gi furrowed his brow.

"So there is not even room for consideration."

"I have already accepted him as my friend. I cannot abandon a friend simply because the situation is somewhat unfavorable."

"Even if the White Banner Association suffers great harm because of it?"

"You still do not know the White Banner Association very well, do you?"

"What do you mean?"

"My Master despises above all else the sort of human relationships where one swallows sweet words and spits out bitter ones."

Cho Yeon-woon's voice carried strength.

His Master, Jang Il-san, had always maintained that a man must possess loyalty. In truth, Jang Il-san valued loyalty above all else and had never once abandoned a friend, regardless of the circumstances. He was a man's man.

One of the reasons he had stood at the forefront of the war against the Demonic Cult was that his closest friend had been killed by the Demonic Cult.

"Hmm!"

"If I abandoned my friend for fear of the Murim's reputation, my Master would be the first to strike me down."

"What a fool. You are… and your Master, too…"

"I am aware."

Cho Yeon-woon grinned and rose from his seat.

Oh Gun-gi gazed at him with a complex expression.

"You are truly certain? That he is not a member of the Demonic Cult?"

"I am. Would you like to know why?"

"……"

"My Master and I have been tracking the Demonic Cult for a long time, preparing for the day they might stir again. So we know better than anyone."

"Hmm!"

"You asked if I was truly prepared to remain his friend to the end. Then let me answer you thusly: this Cho Yeon-woon is prepared to lay down his life for his friend. Otherwise, we would never have become friends in the first place."

At Cho Yeon-woon's words, spoken with unwavering conviction, Oh Gun-gi could find no response.

"I would appreciate it if you would never again invite me to such a meeting. I have no desire to listen to attempts at sowing discord dressed up as 'advice.' Now, if you will excuse me…"

Cho Yeon-woon cupped his fists and exited the guesthouse.

Oh Gun-gi sat in silence for a long while. After some time had passed, he finally released a sigh.

"Phew!"

The sharp words Cho Yeon-woon had left behind lingered with a deep aftertaste, boring into his chest like a dagger.

***

Dam Ho was walking along Dongting Lake. Bang Jin-bo followed cautiously at his side.

After watching Dam Ho's mood for some time, Bang Jin-bo finally mustered the courage to speak.

"Brother!"

Dam Ho looked at Bang Jin-bo without a word.

"That day, when I intervened so presumptuously—were you angry with me?"

"I was not angry."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Phew! Thank goodness."

Only then did Bang Jin-bo release a sigh of relief.

That day, Bang Jin-bo had witnessed Dam Ho's madness and killing intent. The sight of Dam Ho that had frightened them all was still imprinted upon his mind.

But what Bang Jin-bo had feared was not that outward appearance. It was the fact that he had opposed Dam Ho's decision.

His greatest worry had been that Dam Ho might hate him for it. He had spent several days in anguish over it, and hearing Dam Ho's answer now made all that worry seem to vanish.

A smile appeared on Bang Jin-bo's face. But Dam Ho's expression remained unchanged.

Dam Ho suddenly gazed out over Dongting Lake.

In the distance, a small boat was visible. It looked lonely, floating alone upon the water's surface.

Dam Ho stood still, gazing at the boat for a long while. Bang Jin-bo stopped walking as well.

Bang Jin-bo studied Dam Ho's profile.

It was the face that all the world feared. But to Bang Jin-bo, Dam Ho's face seemed not frightening, but lonely.

Dam Ho suddenly began to walk. Bang Jin-bo hurried to catch up.

Dam Ho was still silent. And so Bang Jin-bo fell silent as well.

How long had they walked?

Suddenly, a smile blossomed on Bang Jin-bo's face. In the distance, he had spotted a familiar face.

"Sister!"

Bang Jin-bo waved his hand.

Dam Ho's gaze naturally followed the direction Bang Jin-bo was looking.

There stood a woman with a lively expression, wearing a tiger-skin vest. Dam Ho found the woman's face remarkably familiar.

After searching his memory for a moment, Dam Ho recalled having seen her at Dongting Lake some time ago.

The woman spotted Bang Jin-bo and hastened toward him with quick steps.

"Jin-bo."

The woman who greeted Bang Jin-bo with delight was none other than Hwang Hye-ryeong.

"Sister, it's been a while."

"Indeed. You've been scarce these days. Are you still staying at the West Wind Guesthouse?"

"Yes!"

"I've been meaning to come try the food you cook, but I simply cannot find the time."

"I'll be staying there for a while yet, so please come whenever you think of it."

"I'd love to, but I cannot stay here long."

A faint shadow passed over Hwang Hye-ryeong's eyes. But she smiled as though nothing were amiss, and Bang Jin-bo did not notice the change.

"By the way, who is this?"

Hwang Hye-ryeong's gaze turned toward Dam Ho. At this, Bang Jin-bo smiled broadly.

"He's the brother I told you about."

"Brother? Ah!"

After searching her memory for a moment, Hwang Hye-ryeong let out a small exclamation.

She promptly cupped her fists in a salute toward Dam Ho.

"Charmed. My name is Hwang Hye-ryeong."

"I am Dam Ho."

Dam Ho stared directly at Hwang Hye-ryeong. His gaze was so intense that she did not know where to put herself.

Bang Jin-bo asked.

"What is it, Brother?"

"It's nothing."

Dam Ho shook his head. But his gaze remained fixed upon Hwang Hye-ryeong.

A nearby elder from another poison sect kicked at Jin Ja-gang.

Using hidden weapons or spraying poison would have been convenient, but they couldn’t do that. If they did, others nearby might be harmed.

Moreover, since Jin Ja-gang had sprayed poison all over his body, they were reluctant to fight in close quarters.

Jin Ja-gang didn’t dodge this either. He crouched down as much as possible and took the hit with his shoulder and forearm instead.

Thwack!

Since it was a kick infused with internal energy, the arm that was hit felt numb and tingling, but Jin Ja-gang forcibly grabbed the foot.

“Uh… huh?”

Jin Ja-gang held the foot tightly as if embracing it and pulled out a needle to stab the soft back of the attacker’s thigh.

“Aaaaah!”

The elder from the small sect who felt the sting in the back of his thigh instinctively knew it was poison. He fell backward screaming.

As the elder frantically tried to press acupoints on his leg to prevent the poison from spreading, Jin Ja-gang pounced on him. The elder couldn’t press the acupoints and had no choice but to crawl away desperately.

Jin Ja-gang chased the elder closely, and behind him, Cheon Gwon was chasing Jin Ja-gang.

“You b*st*rd! Stop right there!”

Cheon Gwon was the most enthusiastic in chasing Jin Ja-gang, but Jin Ja-gang used other poison sect members as shields while running around. It wasn’t that he was just running away either – once someone showed a weakness, he would persistently chase them and target their life. Because of this, the poison sect members were busy watching each other nervously.

One person swatted his hand to avoid Jin Ja-gang who was charging at him.

A silkworm flew out.

Poison Silkworm!

If a poison silkworm attached itself, the skin would be damaged and poison would spread from there, paralyzing the limbs.

However, Jin Ja-gang chewed up the flying poison silkworm with his mouth.

Crunch!

He spat the chewed poison silkworm at the face of a poison sect member approaching from the side. Of course, that person dodged in horror.

“Cr-crazy!”

The poison sect members got goosebumps.

A mad dog. A mad dog that charged with the attitude that even if he died, he would definitely kill the person in front of him. Even while taking hits, he would persistently apply poison to his opponent.

So who would want to charge at that mad dog?

Right now, the righteous faction was waiting outside the main hall.

It was obvious that they weren’t coming up because they were thinking of watching the situation and coming up without having to waste their own strength.

The poison sect members just watched each other nervously, pretending to fight but then backing away. They were very passive in joining the fight, afraid of being bitten by Jin Ja-gang or getting in Cheon Gwon’s way.

Thanks to this, Jin Ja-gang sustained minor injuries but wasn’t driven into a major crisis.

Meanwhile, Wei Zong was in great pain.

His face felt like it was continuously burning, and his eyes wouldn’t open properly.

“Graaaah!”

No matter how much external medicine he sprinkled and applied, it wouldn’t get better at all.

Wei Zong forced his drooping eyes open and looked inside the main hall.

Like a loach muddying the water, Jin Ja-gang was moving around inside the main hall creating chaos. At first glance, it looked like he was running away from Cheon Gwon, but he was actually using Cheon Gwon as a shield behind him to interfere with others’ attacks.

The sight of over a hundred martial artists in the main hall floundering was quite a spectacle.

They couldn’t catch just one person, not even several!

It was truly a mess.

A mess among messes.

“I… was trying to accomplish great things with these kinds of people!”

Wei Zong ground his teeth furiously.

It was because most of Yunnan’s poison sects weren’t proper martial arts sects to begin with. Since there were many poisonous substances and using poison was more convenient than learning martial arts, there were many sects that dealt with poison. There were hardly any sects with outstanding martial arts or exceptional abilities.

The Four Great Poison Sects – the destroyed Stone Forest Gang, Shadow Bureau, and Iron Umbrella Sect – were the ones that had at least maintained the appearance of proper sects.

The void left by the destroyed Four Great Poison Sects was being felt this greatly.

With the remaining small and medium poison sects, they couldn’t even catch one mad dog… this was reality.

It was beyond belief.

Drip. Drop drop.

Water fell on Wei Zong’s face.

Wei Zong shook his head. He couldn’t even wipe his face with his hands, but water kept dripping annoyingly from earlier.

Drip drip drip.

“Damn it!”

Wei Zong looked up at the ceiling.

Water was leaking from the ceiling.

Drip drip, drip drip drip.

The water leak was getting worse and worse, making the roof practically useless.

“Which b*st*rds did such shoddy roof construction!”

Outside the main hall, it was raining so hard that visibility was poor.

However, the situation inside the main hall was becoming similar. Water kept leaking as if there were holes in the roof. Rainwater was falling from the entire ceiling as if someone was deliberately sprinkling water.

Patter patter patter.

However, most of the poison sect members except Wei Zong didn’t pay much attention.

That was understandable… when their lives were hanging in the balance, what did it matter if some rainwater fell or their bodies got a little wet?

Inside the main hall there was a mad dog, and outside the main hall righteous faction martial artists were waiting in droves – there was no reason to worry about a leaky roof. It was just a little annoying.

Thwack!

A striking sound rang out in the chaotic main hall.

Jin Ja-gang, who had been running around like a loach, was finally hit by a stray club.

He had been hit on the forehead by a birch club that someone had swung thoughtlessly.

As Jin Ja-gang tumbled, the poison sect members watched each other nervously before swarming toward him. But Cheon Gwon charged in first.

“He’s mine!”

Cheon Gwon had been chasing Jin Ja-gang for over an hour already. He was so angry that he couldn’t see straight. He pushed through the surroundings and pounced on Jin Ja-gang.

Cheon Gwon mounted Jin Ja-gang and strangled his neck with hands wearing leather gloves.

“How dare this bastard mock his elders? A rat-like b*st*rd who only runs around…”

“Kuk!”

Jin Ja-gang’s face quickly turned red from Cheon Gwon’s brutal strength choking his neck. Jin Ja-gang lifted his legs and hung on Cheon Gwon’s arm, then pushed Cheon Gwon’s chin with his feet.

It seemed like a motion to push Cheon Gwon’s head away to make him release his arms. Cheon Gwon also put all his strength into his neck to avoid being pushed.

When Cheon Gwon wasn’t pushed back by force, Jin Ja-gang pushed Cheon Gwon’s chin with his sole while rubbing his mouth and cheeks with his feet. His lips and cheeks were pushed around, making a funny expression.

Moreover, since rainwater was leaking from the ceiling, rainwater fell on Cheon Gwon’s face. Combined with Jin Ja-gang rubbing with his sole, Cheon Gwon’s face quickly became dirty.

“Ugh! Ptui ptui!”

Cheon Gwon got annoyed and struck Jin Ja-gang’s face with one hand.

Thwack! Thwack!

Jin Ja-gang’s nose also started bleeding. But Jin Ja-gang took that opportunity to reach out and scratch Cheon Gwon’s face. Three long streaks of blood appeared on Cheon Gwon’s cheek.

“This b*st*rd, I’ll kill you!”

When Cheon Gwon raised his fist, Jin Ja-gang lifted his legs high and pushed Cheon Gwon’s chin again. Since his posture was more stable than before, he pushed much harder. Cheon Gwon’s face was pushed back and his head tilted toward the sky.

The situation continued with Cheon Gwon strangling Jin Ja-gang’s neck with one hand while Jin Ja-gang held Cheon Gwon’s hand and pushed him with his feet.

Cheon Gwon’s neck was trembling from exerting so much force.

“Bring him alive!”

Wei Zong shouted.

“Bring him alive!”

But Cheon Gwon didn’t release his hands. He just continued strangling Jin Ja-gang’s neck in the same position.

Wei Zong became greatly enraged and shouted.

“Cheon Gwon, how dare you ignore my words?”

The poison sect members surrounding them had no choice but to stop Cheon Gwon.

“Gang Leader Cheon! The Valley Master is speaking.”

“Before the Valley Master gets angry, quickly…”

But the poison sect members stopped speaking mid-sentence and stepped back in shock.

Cheon Gwon’s eyes had turned milky white.

His pupils had rolled back as if the corneas were covered with something white!

“Krrk.”

Not only that, but blood foam was flowing from his mouth.

“Gang Leader Cheon!”

Cheon Gwon’s body slowly fell backward while rigid. Only then did the poison sect members realize that it wasn’t Cheon Gwon holding Jin Ja-gang, but Jin Ja-gang not letting go.

Cheon Gwon convulsed and died while spewing blood.

Jin Ja-gang also wiped his nosebleed and got up. Water dripped profusely from his wet body.

The poison sect members were horrified.

This was because no one had seen how Cheon Gwon died.

His sole? Was there poison on the sole that had rubbed Cheon Gwon’s face?

How exactly did he die?

Gulp.

The poison sect members swallowed saliva while wiping their rain-soaked faces with their sleeves. Some even licked the rainwater flowing down their faces with their tongues because their lips were so dry.

It was disgusting.

They had never seen such a person in their lives. Looking at his rough fighting, he wasn’t even a master, but he used poison amazingly well.

Before they knew it, fear had settled on the poison sect members’ faces.

“Now that I think about it, there’s been a strange smell somewhere…”

“There has been a foul smell since earlier.”

“It couldn’t be the smell of dissolved poison, could it?”

When Jin Ja-gang took one step forward, the poison sect members took one step back. They all tried not to get close to Jin Ja-gang.

Honestly speaking, at this point it seemed like it would be easier to break through the righteous faction martial artists outside the main hall.

Patter patter.

The main hall was enveloped in silence as they were hit by rain leaking from the ceiling.

Jin Ja-gang took a long deep breath.

“Whoo.”

Then he looked at the poison sect members surrounding him and raised his hand.

Flinch!

The poison sect members were startled, wondering what Jin Ja-gang would do again.

Jin Ja-gang said.

“Do you think you can live just by not attacking?”

“…?”

Why would they die if they didn’t approach?

The poison sect members were puzzled, but Jin Ja-gang made a murderous expression and muttered.

“See you in hell.”

It was a chilling farewell.

Of course, it seemed completely inappropriate for the situation.

But suddenly a groan burst out from among the poison sect members.

“Krrk!”

One person grabbed his neck, which was covered with bulging veins, and began frothing blood.

It was truly something that shocked the poison sect members.

“Aaaaah!”

That was the beginning.

One by one, poisoned people appeared here and there. Some screamed with eyes turned blood red.

“Krrk!”

“Wh-what is this!”

The poison sect members were greatly agitated.

Their colleagues who had been right next to them were being poisoned and dying.

When?

Jin Ja-gang had just stood still and only raised his hand!

When exactly had he administered poison that the poison sect members were being poisoned and dying!

But seeing poison sect members collapsing one after another everywhere, he must have done something.

The number that had started with one or two kept increasing.

“Krr, kraaaah!”

It was truly something that happened in an instant.

It was something that made even Wei Zong, who was watching from behind, bewildered.

“Grrr!”

Wei Zong ground his teeth.

Look at those poison sect members falling like bamboo shoots after rain, vomiting blood.

While Wei Zong, who was supposed to be a master of poison, couldn’t do anything, that limping b*st*rd was freely running wild and poisoning the poison sect members.

Even if those dying poison sect members weren’t very useful in terms of force, they were people who could control each region. Without them, it would be impossible to move Yunnan organically.

“Kraaak!”

“Uweeek!”

Meanwhile, the poison sect members continued to die.

They belatedly took all kinds of antidotes and bit poison-avoiding pills, but it was useless. Once poisoned and manifested, the effects were minimal. Moreover, looking at how they were dying, it wasn’t ordinary extreme poison.

In this case, unless one was a master with considerable internal energy, they couldn’t survive. They too would know this fact better than anyone. They had no choice but to take medicine with the desire to live…

But they would die anyway.