Chapter 156: Every Meeting Must Come to an End (3)

The betrayal of Yun Chung, Deputy Leader of the Overlord Outfit, and Jo Yun-san, Leader of the Black Water Outfit, sent massive aftershocks through the green forest.

Betrayalty was not an unfamiliar concept in the green forest. It was a world where strength ruled all.

In fact, among the leaders of the eighteen Outfits of the green forest, there were many who had forcibly deposed their predecessors and seized their positions.

It was the nature of the green forest that the strong claimed everything, and the green forest bandits accepted this as a matter of course.

But when external forces were involved in a betrayal, the situation changed. And when those external forces were the Demonic Cult, there was no need for further discussion.

The Demonic Cult was a target of revulsion not only in the Central Plains Murim but also in the green forest. When the Demonic Cult had swept across the Central Plains, thousands of green forest warriors had perished.

Even now, there were many survivors of the fallen among the green forest, and many who vividly remembered that day.

When the truth emerged that Yun Chung was in fact a member of the Demonic Cult and had been nurturing the Demonic Cult's warriors within the green forest, the entire green forest rose up in outrage.

The first to suffer were the leaders who had signed the joint petition. They protested that they had signed without knowing Yun Chung was a member of the Demonic Cult, but no one believed them.

From the Green Water Outfit and over ten other strongholds, the leaders were all replaced. A transformation of unprecedented scale had occurred.

The world was changing.

The one who felt this change most keenly of all was Muk Il-gwang. He had thrown himself into the task of rebuilding the Overlord Outfit in place of Hwang Gyeong-mun, whose internal injuries had not yet healed.

The betrayal of Yun Chung and the Dark Ghosts, along with the Dragon Ascension Corps, had cost the Overlord Outfit half its fighting force. The command structure, once so solid, had crumbled, and the people were in disarray.

Had Hwang Gyeong-mun been in good health, rebuilding would have been far easier. But unfortunately, Hwang Gyeong-mun was still in no condition to move about freely.

In the end, Muk Il-gwang had no choice but to step to the forefront.

He devoted himself fully to rebuilding the Overlord Outfit. Though he had refused the position of Corps Leader of the Dragon Ascension Corps for Hwang Hye-ryeong's sake, his standing within the Overlord Outfit was exceptionally high.

Muk Il-gwang reorganized the Overlord Outfit with remarkable speed, and as a result, the chaos in the green forest gradually subsided.

Dam Ho stood atop Mount Hwang, gazing down at the Overlord Outfit.

If the Overlord Outfit of a few days ago had felt deeply unsettled, the one before him now had clearly regained a measure of stability.

Though their influence would contract for a time, if a few more years passed in this manner, they would surely recover their former glory.

It was at that moment.

"Brother."

A familiar voice echoed in his ear.

He turned to find Hwang Hye-ryeong standing there. Her complexion was still pale.

Since collapsing that day, Hwang Hye-ryeong had not left her room. This was the first time he had seen her face since then.

"Are you feeling well?"

"I am fine."

"That is good."

Dam Ho nodded. Hwang Hye-ryeong gazed at him intently.

"Brother."

"…"

"You knew, didn't you?"

"What do you mean?"

"From the very first time I saw you, something felt strange. You were a slaughterer called the Fist Demon, feared by all for your fierce and violent nature, yet somehow I felt no fear at all."

Hwang Hye-ryeong's voice was remarkably calm. She was neither agitated nor emotional. She seemed more clear-headed than ever before.

Dam Ho looked at her in silence.

"Your eyes were the same. Though I was seeing you for the first time, your gaze felt strangely familiar. Others say your eyes are so terrifying that no one dares meet them, but I never felt that way."

"…"

"Why is that? I have always wondered."

Hwang Hye-ryeong's eyes demanded the truth. But Dam Ho was not yet ready to answer. So he could only remain silent.

"After meeting you, I kept having dreams. In the dreams, I was a baby who had not yet learned to walk."

The dreams were always hazy.

A strange man and a boy appeared, as did a middle-aged woman with a warm expression. But their faces were never clear, and they never appeared together. So she had never thought they were connected.

"When I was very young, my mother died. My father told me that the shock had erased my memories of childhood. And so I believed it… but then…"

Hwang Hye-ryeong's voice trailed off.

Even then, Dam Ho maintained his silence.

"That day… when the rebellion broke out at the Overlord Outfit. I saw that same scene again. A man holding a bow… and beside him, a small boy. That boy's face…"

Hwang Hye-ryeong reached out toward Dam Ho's face. Dam Ho did not avoid her touch.

Hwang Hye-ryeong caressed Dam Ho's face.

Starting from his forehead, she traced down to his nose, and stopped at his firmly sealed lips.

"It was your face. You looked twenty years younger than now, but it was unmistakably you. What happened? Why does my younger self appear in my dreams in the form of you? Is it really just a dream?"

Dam Ho closed his eyes.

"Please, answer me. Is it really a dream?"

"Your name…"

This time, it was Hwang Hye-ryeong who fell silent.

Her wavering pupils were fixed upon Dam Ho's lips. She waited for his words to continue.

"Your name is Dam Ga-ryeong. Your home was a small village in the foothills of Taebaek Mountain."

In that instant, Hwang Hye-ryeong recalled the words Dam Ho had once spoken in passing.

–It was just an ordinary village. Nothing special, nothing different. Just a simple rural village where the men farmed rice paddies and the women tended vegetable gardens, living out their days.

Hwang Hye-ryeong's pupils trembled.

Words she had heard without care at the time now pierced her heart.

"Then my dream was real? You truly are my brother?"

"Yes."

"How can that be!"

In that instant, Hwang Hye-ryeong's legs buckled.

Dam Ho caught her hand. The warmth transmitted through their clasped hands.

That warmth was not unfamiliar.

"Ah!"

"I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner."

"How… how? Sob!"

Hwang Hye-ryeong wept.

In her heart, she had perhaps suspected as much. But to have it confirmed directly from another's lips was a shock of an entirely different magnitude.

"How did it happen? How did I come to be Hwang Hye-ryeong?"

"You were…"

Dam Ho calmly related everything he knew.

His story went on for a very long time, but Hwang Hye-ryeong listened with patience.

From the Black Tiger Unit's attack on the village, to entering Mount Hua, and to the reason she had to become Hwang Gyeong-mun's daughter, he recounted it all without omission.

Tears streamed ceaselessly down Hwang Hye-ryeong's cheeks. And when at last Dam Ho's long, long story reached its end, her legs gave way and she sank to the ground.

Her small shoulders shook. Dam Ho held her wordlessly and gently patted her back for a time.

After a long while, Hwang Hye-ryeong wiped her tears and drew away from Dam Ho's embrace.

"Brother."

"Yes."

"Thank you. For remembering me and coming to find me."

"I'm sorry. That it took me until now to come."

"No. I at least lived comfortably as Hwang Hye-ryeong, while you endured all that suffering. Just the fact that you came is enough for me to be grateful."

"Thank you. For understanding."

"What will you do now? Can you not just stay here with me?"

"I'm sorry. This is not a place where I belong."

If he remained at the Overlord Outfit, life might have been comfortable. He was a great benefactor to the Overlord Outfit, quite apart from his blood tie with Hwang Hye-ryeong.

But the Overlord Outfit did not suit Dam Ho.

Dam Ho was not a man of the green forest, and he had no interest in a life of plundering the wealth of others.

His life had been forged in struggle.

The rough and untamed Murim was where he belonged.

Hwang Hye-ryeong looked up at Dam Ho's face.

Dam Ho's face, which instilled fear not only in enemies but also in allies, seemed somehow pitiable.

"Brother."

"Live your life as Hwang Hye-ryeong. You may forget the name Dam Ga-ryeong."

"I cannot do that. I will live as Hwang Hye-ryeong… and as Dam Ga-ryeong. As the daughter of the Overlord Grandmaster Hwang Gyeong-mun, and as the sister of the Fist Demon."

Hwang Hye-ryeong's voice was filled with unwavering conviction and resolve.

Just as Dam Ho, once he had made a decision, would never reverse it, so too would Hwang Hye-ryeong, once she had set her mind to something, never go back on her word.

Dam Ho reached out and stroked Hwang Hye-ryeong's head.

"Yes! Living that way would not be so bad. Live as you wish."

"Brother."

"But I have one favor to ask."

"What is it?"

"For the time being, I ask you to look after Jin-bo."

"What?"

"I would like to travel with you to the end, but I fear it would be too dangerous to take Jin-bo any further."

Setting aside the fact that he had become the enemy of the Murim Alliance, he had also forged a bond of enmity with the Demonic Cult. He had become the enemy of the two most powerful organizations in the Murim.

A harsh wind of blades was about to blow. In that biting gale, it would be impossible to protect Bang Jin-bo perfectly.

"All right. I will take full responsibility for Jin-bo's safety."

"Thank you."

"You are his brother. That makes him like a younger brother to me as well."

"Yes!"

Dam Ho nodded.

If it was Hwang Hye-ryeong, she would take good care of Bang Jin-bo.

"When will you be leaving?"

"Now!"

"What? Already?"

"The longer I stay, the harder the parting will be. If we must part anyway, it is better to do it quickly."

"Where will you go?"

"Mount Hua."

Dam Ho looked toward the northern sky.

An age of chaos was opening.

In an era of war, a martial artist was like a mayfly, unable to guarantee even a single day of life.

Dam Ho was no exception.

Though he had navigated it well thus far, should he encounter a stronger martial artist, he could lose his life in an instant. That was the world of the Murim.

Before such a thing could happen, he wished to see his Master.

If he could see Sage Hyeon-so, he felt he would have no regrets left.

No matter how the world might turn, no matter what his own fate might be.

"Brother."

"Take care."

Dam Ho bade farewell to Hwang Hye-ryeong.

Hwang Hye-ryeong watched as Dam Ho descended the mountain, his figure growing smaller with each step. Several times she reached out, wanting to hold him back. But in the end, she could not.

Twenty years was by no means a short time.

Now that they had finally reunited, they had walked too far along different paths to come together again.

She could not hold Dam Ho back. All she could do was pray for his safe journey.

Dam Ho disappeared from Hwang Hye-ryeong's sight.

In the distance, the Dark Horse came galloping, kicking up a cloud of dust. It ran along the steep slopes of Mount Hwang as though they were flat ground.

Dam Ho mounted the Dark Horse.

"Let's go."

The Dark Horse surged forward as though it had been waiting.

The sight of it leaping between the massive boulders was reminiscent of a mountain goat that grew only in the high peaks.

"Brother."

Hwang Hye-ryeong's shoulders trembled intermittently.

She fought to hold back her tears.

Though the parting was painful, she comforted herself with the thought that they would someday meet again.

It was at that moment.

"Brother!"

A familiar voice called from behind.

He turned to see Bang Jin-bo running toward him in a panic.

He had been tending to the Dark Horse and his own white horse in the stables when the Dark Horse had suddenly bolted.

Following the Dark Horse's trail, Bang Jin-bo had reached the summit, and there he saw Dam Ho and the Dark Horse receding into the distance.

"B-Brother?"

Bang Jin-bo's eyes wavered.

"Don't tell me…"

A foreboding feeling seized him, and Bang Jin-bo tried to chase after Dam Ho.

"Jin-bo."

Hwang Hye-ryeong caught his shoulder.

"Sister?"

"Brother does not want you to put yourself in any more danger."

"But…"

"It is time to let Brother go, Jin-bo. Brother wants you to stand on your own."

"Brother is…"

"Yes! It will be hard, but let's send him off with a smile."

Bang Jin-bo stood rooted to the spot like a stone statue, gazing in the direction Dam Ho had vanished.

"Is that truly what Brother wants?"

"Yes."

"If it is what Brother wants…"

Bang Jin-bo clenched his chubby fists tightly.

While resting for healing, Jin Ja-gang thought about many things.

Most of those thoughts were about Mang Ryo.

But no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t guess Mang Ryo’s purpose. It was certain that he had tried to use him, but he didn’t know why.

If it were someone who didn’t know him, that would be understandable. But Mang Ryo knew about him. He knew better than anyone that Jin Ja-gang was at most a half-wit who couldn’t even use internal energy properly due to blocked qi and blood channels.

Yet was there value in using him?

Rather, Mang Ryo had become much stronger than before. Jin Ja-gang felt a similar aura from him as he had received from Zhuge Ming.

In fact, he was very surprised. A martial artist who had been active in the frontier of Yunnan had gained an aura comparable to a Zhuge family master in less than ten years!

When Jin Ja-gang was chiseling with picks in the mine shafts and memorizing formulas and prescriptions he barely understood, Mang Ryo had become that strong.

So it made him think even more strangely. Why would Mang Ryo, who had become so strong, try to use him?

“Do I have such value?”

Jin Ja-gang asked Bian Bu, who had come to visit his room. Bian Bu knew the general situation from what he had heard from Jin Ja-gang.

Bian Bu looked at Jin Ja-gang with an incredulous expression. Jin Ja-gang had naturally expected the answer to be no, but Bian Bu’s thoughts seemed somewhat different.

“You destroyed the Extreme Poison Sect when you were ten years old.”

“I did.”

“Even our Lord couldn’t have done that at that age. Who destroys an entire sect at age ten?”

“It wasn’t done through martial arts.”

“That’s why it’s scarier. A ten-year-old brat with no martial arts used poison to massacre hundreds of warriors.”

Bian Bu particularly emphasized the words “unlucky brat.”

“That’s one way to think about it.”

“I honestly can’t agree with what the Lord said. That you’ve been overrated compared to your abilities.”

“Isn’t that wrong?”

“Martial artists sometimes have the habit of evaluating only by martial arts, but you’re someone who escaped the Nine Palace Eight Trigram Formation without anyone’s help.”

“But what the Zhuge family says is…”

Bian Bu answered clearly.

“The Zhuge family disparaged the vassal family’s Nine Palace Eight Trigram Formation as weak? That’s fucking bullshit. If it was weak, they shouldn’t have brought them. They brought them thinking they were sufficient, then when they got beaten, they spout nonsense.”

However, after thinking for a moment, Bian Bu added more words.

“But of course, there are rumors that the Nine Palace Eight Trigram Formation deployed by those with the Zhuge surname is more frightening.”

“Haha…”

“Anyway, don’t lose heart. You don’t need to take the Lord’s words too seriously…”

At that moment, Dan Ryeong-gyeong entered the room from behind Bian Bu.

“I’m sorry for interrupting while you were talking about me.”

Bian Bu froze mid-sentence.

“Uh, hahaha, how could that be? I was just saying that the Lord’s beauty and martial arts reach the heavens…”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong didn’t particularly care and said what she had to say.

“The Zhuge family’s dogs have caught the scent and are prowling around near here. We’ll probably have to move hideouts. Can you move?”

Jin Ja-gang sat up from the bed. Then he got down from the bed and stood.

If not for the bandages wrapped tightly around his entire body, he would have looked like someone who wasn’t hurt at all. Of course, he couldn’t not be in pain. There would be pain with every step. But Jin Ja-gang showed no sign of it.

“I can walk. What you’ve done for me so far is sufficient. From now on, I’ll manage alone…”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong said briefly.

“Words that deserve a spanking.”

Jin Ja-gang’s face turned red.

“…”

Rather, it was Bian Bu who grumbled. Bian Bu pointed to his own leg.

“The young man might not know, but this old servant’s flesh hasn’t even attached yet?”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong nodded.

“I understand. We’ll get a palanquin to avoid pursuit and go to a large town. We’ll depart as soon as we obtain one.”

Jin Ja-gang was quite surprised by Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s words.

“Dayi…”

Bian Bu answered.

“It’s a place two hundred li southwest of Sichuan’s capital.”

Sichuan Province was home to the famous Emei Sect and Qingcheng Sect among the Nine Great Sects of the orthodox faction, as well as the martial family Sichuan Tang Clan. Particularly, Dayi was located roughly midway between Qingcheng Sect and Sichuan Tang Clan.

Only two hundred li away. If masters with excellent lightness skills moved, they could travel from their main mountains to the large town in a single day.

A place incomparably more dangerous than here in Yunnan. Yet they were going directly into such a tiger’s den, so he couldn’t help but be surprised.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong said.

“The young hero would want to remain in Yunnan. But the young hero can no longer stay in remote, isolated places where few people come and go.”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong spoke again to Jin Ja-gang, who didn’t understand.

“Think about what happened to the villagers where Stone Forest Gang and Shadow Bureau were located. Lan Family Village would have met the same fate if it hadn’t been the young hero’s base.”

“Ah…!”

Jin Ja-gang felt chilled by those words. Innocent people had been completely massacred for whatever reason related to Jin Ja-gang’s involvement.

Even with Lan Family Village, Jin Ja-gang had naively felt relieved that such things wouldn’t happen because the Zhuge family were orthodox faction people. But hadn’t Bian Bu been different? Unlike Jin Ja-gang, he had been worried that slaughter would occur.

“Yunnan is too remote. It’s full of layered mountains, so even if something happens to a small village, there are no eyes to see. It’s convenient for those with malicious thoughts to run wild as they please. Whatever happens will directly result in damage to the villagers.”

Jin Ja-gang quietly listened to Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s words.

“Unfortunately, this is a place where my power doesn’t reach. And the young hero’s power is far too weak to protect those people. That’s why the young hero shouldn’t remain here.”

Jin Ja-gang agreed with Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s words. If he had already become a big shot in rumors, more people would come looking for him.

Then he would inevitably cause much more damage to the surroundings.

But even so, he still couldn’t understand why they had to go to a place near Sichuan’s capital.

“I understand.”

* * *

Baek Li-jung arrived belatedly at Lan Family Village, where Jin Ja-gang and Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s group had departed.

He had rushed at the highest speed possible, but he couldn’t do anything about the physical time required.

Baek Li-jung looked at Lan Family Village, which had been completely burned and only ruins remained.

Warriors from the Martial Arts Alliance mobilized from the branch were searching through the ruins and collecting evidence.

Baek Li-jung was keeping his mouth tightly shut and forcibly suppressing his anger.

Moreover, the Zhuge family, who should explain this incident to Baek Li-jung, had withdrawn after leaving a few warriors and a letter containing the full story. It was an action that indirectly meant they didn’t want to take responsibility for Baek Li-gwon’s matter.

Baek Li-jung tore up the letter as soon as he read it.

It contained nothing special, just the predictable story… The Silent Dragon had intruded into the Nine Palace Eight Trigram Formation deployed by our family’s vassal family, and Snake Scorpion Poison King, cornered, had escaped the formation. Our family lost many warriors and the formation collapsed, creating a difficult situation.

Afterward, Silent Dragon appears to have been defeated by Snake Scorpion Poison King. Due to the flames, this person arrived late and was blocked by someone called Mang Ryo in alliance with Shandong Enchanting Flower.

This Mang Ryo captured Silent Dragon and departed, threatening to cause harm if pursued, while Shandong Enchanting Flower took Snake Scorpion Poison King and fled.

Our family is currently doing everything possible to investigate Mang Ryo’s whereabouts while pursuing Shandong Enchanting Flower.

This person cannot help but feel regret about this series of events, and will gladly travel a thousand li to lend assistance whenever the Sword Pavilion Master requests it.

Baek Li-jung’s eyebrows trembled with anger as he recalled the nickname Silent Dragon. Silent Dragon was the nickname among the Three Dragons and Four Phoenix for Baek Li-gwon, who had a quiet personality and was calm.

“How dare they shift all their responsibility to this side?”

Baek Li-jung was angry but had no immediate recourse. Baek Li-gwon was talented in martial arts and was particularly the son and disciple he cherished. He had even cast out his cousin brother, who was Baek Li-gwon’s biological father, in order to properly adopt Baek Li-gwon as his son.

That son he had obtained was now in the hands of some nobody called Mang Ryo!

“If even a fingertip’s worth of harm comes to my son, you will all die. Even if I have to overturn half the martial world, I will definitely find him.”

Grind grind grind.

Baek Li-jung ground his teeth.

* * *

A small underground room filled with medicinal fragrance.

Baek Li-gwon lay naked and straight on a stone slab embedded with cold jade everywhere, emanating a chilly cold energy.

A middle-aged man had inserted needles into acupoints all over Baek Li-gwon’s body. After making Baek Li-gwon look like a porcupine, he let out a small sigh and stood up.

The middle-aged man looked at Mang Ryo, who was standing behind him, with a reproachful expression.

“You’ve caused quite a big incident.”

“An incident? This was all within my plan without deviating even an inch.”

“Even so, how could you bring him here? They’re already suspicious of us.”

“Even if they’re suspicious, as long as there’s no evidence, it’s fine. I brought him here to eliminate that evidence. If the poison had worked properly, I wouldn’t have had to do such troublesome work. How many times is this now?”

The middle-aged man frowned.

“I suppose you’re talking about Young Phoenix from last time, but Young Phoenix and Silent Dragon are children who were carefully built up from the foundation by their respective families. With such solid foundations, poison doesn’t penetrate properly and effects don’t come easily.”

“Then don’t say from the beginning that the effects are so good. If it doesn’t work on such people, what about the countless masters?”

“Huh, if this reaches the elder’s ears, it’ll be cause for alarm… Each and every one of these becomes experimental samples that help improve effectiveness. Don’t forget that what we’re making isn’t poison for a few individuals but for mass production.”

“Then I did well to bring him. You can examine this fellow and do whatever experiments or samples you want.”

“Ugh. Let’s say that’s the case.”

The middle-aged man, thinking he couldn’t win against Mang Ryo with words, closed his mouth.

“By the way, how is his condition?”

“He’s been detoxified to some extent, and if he receives proper treatment, he should recover without major side effects.”

“It won’t do if there are no side effects.”

Mang Ryo thought for a moment and said.

“I think I should meet the elder. Don’t you think it’s about time I met him once?”

The middle-aged man chuckled.

“Do you think the elder meets just anyone who wants to see him? He’s someone even we find difficult to meet. Don’t say useless things and consult with the young master. He seems to want to see Advisor Mang already because of the Poison Valley incident.”

Mang Ryo made an expression like he was chewing a sour persimmon. If it was because of the Poison Valley incident, good things wouldn’t come of it. But he couldn’t avoid meeting because of what he needed in the future.

He had to become stronger.

With his current martial arts, it would be difficult to create the things he was thinking of. Even if he had to make embarrassing requests, he had to borrow the Tang Clan’s power to become stronger.

“I understand. I’ll do that.”

* * *

Sichuan has various climate changes due to winds blowing from different directions each season. Particularly, clear days throughout the year don’t reach even two months, with short daylight hours and very humid conditions.

Because of this, Sichuan people are famous for overcoming the humid climate with spicy food, and thanks to this, martial artists based in Sichuan had particularly sharp and fiery temperaments compared to other places.

Due to the characteristics of people living in basin terrain, they had strong self-reliance and exclusive attitudes toward outside forces. The saying that they would die rather than bend was representative of Sichuan martial artists’ nature.

The fact that the three sects – Tang Clan, Emei Sect, and Qingcheng Sect – dominated Sichuan, which was full of such martial artists, was also an aspect showing how powerful the three sects’ strength and influence were.

Jin Ja-gang heard stories about Sichuan from Bian Bu inside the palanquin.

“How else would Qingcheng Sect be the only Taoist sect among the Nine Great Sects that hasn’t joined the Martial Arts Alliance?”

“What?”

It was truly surprising that despite being one of the Nine Great Sects, they hadn’t joined the Martial Arts Alliance.

“They’re such stubborn Taoists. They stick to principles… Rather than such talk, how should I put it? They extremely hate others’ interference. If you’re affiliated with a faction, there are cases where you have to do things you don’t want to do.”

“What about Sichuan Tang Clan and Emei Sect?”

“Both are nominally affiliated with the Martial Arts Alliance. However, Tang Clan has built up an independent force called the Poison Gate, and Emei Sect is a Buddhist sect so they have little interest in affairs outside Sichuan. Of course, this also means both sects dislike others’ interference.”

“Ah.”

“The reason we can go to Sichuan’s Dayi is also because of such things. The three sects are like kings in Sichuan. Those kings don’t want to be interfered with by each other, and they also don’t want to intervene in each other’s affairs. Dayi is… precisely where all their power reaches. A place where the influence of all three kings overlaps.”