Chapter 164: Evil Bonds Are Tenacious (2)

Su-cheon—"Heaven's Guardian."

Within the Namgung Family, heaven referred to the Family Head. The name Su-cheon meant the one who protects the Family Head.

The leader of the Sword King Unit had borne the name Su-cheon from generation to generation.

His original name held no meaning for him whatsoever. The moment he became the leader of the Sword King Unit, he abandoned the name given by his parents and became Su-cheon.

The current Su-cheon was no exception.

He was seventy-two years old. As the leader of the Sword King Unit, he was a veteran who had weathered every storm. Thirty years ago, when the Demonic Cult invaded the Namgung Family, it was he who had led the Sword King Unit to annihilate them.

The fact that he had held the position of Sword King Unit leader longer than any of his predecessors was proof of his exceptional ability.

Su-cheon was gazing at the corpses brought from the inn.

Not a single corpse retained its proper form. Through the wounds on the bodies, Su-cheon assessed the culprit's martial prowess.

"Except for Jang-gyeong, most of them were killed with a single blow."

Su-cheon felt a chill run through his chest.

The martial artists led by Namgung Jang-gyeong were, in their own right, masters acknowledged within the Namgung Family. That such masters had been killed without putting up any meaningful resistance could only mean one thing.

"A master… and one of unfathomable depth."

Su-cheon intuited that it would be a difficult fight. But he was not greatly worried.

Thirty years ago, he had withstood the elites of the Demonic Cult. He did not think the opponent would be stronger than the Demonic Cult.

Su-cheon asked a Sword King Unit member nearby.

"Where is he headed?"

"He is heading toward Hanshan. If we hurry, we can catch up by morning."

"The entire Sword King Unit will deploy."

"The… entire unit?"

"That is correct."

"You judge the culprit to be that dangerous?"

The total strength of the Sword King Unit was just over one hundred. Since two hundred years ago, that number had never changed.

There had been almost no occasion on which the Sword King Unit deployed in full. The most recent such occasion was thirty years ago, when the Demonic Cult invaded the Namgung Family.

Su-cheon answered calmly.

"I am merely preparing for the worst case."

"Understood. I will assemble the entire Sword King Unit."

"Make haste."

"As you command!"

The martial artist disappeared with his response.

Su-cheon rose to his feet.

"Whoever you are, you will come to regret having provoked the Namgung Family with every fiber of your being."

His low murmur carried a desolate chill.

***

Hanshan was not widely known, but its mountains were deep and thickly wooded, attracting herb gatherers and hunters alike.

Gwak San, who lived in a secluded corner of Hanshan, was a herb gatherer. But he had not always been one. His only daughter, Gwak Yeon, had at some point fallen ill and begun to waste away.

He sought out renowned physicians and had them examine her, but none could cure her.

Debts mounted, and in the end, Gwak San could endure it no longer. He entered Hanshan himself to find a cure for his daughter.

There was no corner of Hanshan he had not searched. Every herb he heard was beneficial to the body, he gathered and fed to his daughter. But Gwak Yeon's condition showed no improvement—it only worsened.

Until recently she could still walk a little on her own strength, but now she could not move even a single finger.

Gwak Yeon sat on a small chair in front of the thatched hut. Though it was only early autumn, she was wrapped to her neck in a thick fur blanket. Yet her complexion remained pallid and her lips were blue with sickness.

The deathly pallor on her brow suggested that the specter of death had already alighted upon her shoulder.

Gwak Yeon sat on her chair, gasping for breath.

She opened her small lips.

"Fa… Father!"

"What is it?"

Gwak San, who was beside her, asked urgently.

"Will she come today?"

"She will come. She said she would, so she will surely come."

"I hope so."

Gwak Yeon managed a sorrowful smile. At this, Gwak San felt as though his heart would tear apart.

He knew. That his daughter's life had precious little time remaining.

Her condition was so dire that it would not be surprising if she drew her last breath at any moment. Yet she was a filial daughter who tried to maintain a brave front, thinking of her father who would be left behind.

'Please hold on, Yeon-ah. If you die, your father cannot go on living in this world either.'

At that moment—

"Ah! She's here!"

Suddenly, Gwak Yeon rose to her feet. But before she could fully extend her legs, she stumbled.

"Y-Yeon-ah!"

Gwak San caught his daughter's faltering small body. But his face was full of joy. Where Gwak Yeon's gaze was directed, there stood a man and a woman.

A woman waving and running toward them, and an old man following behind.

It was Jong Ri-yeon and Hwa-no.

"Thank heavens."

A large tear rolled down Gwak San's cheek.

***

Dam Ho turned his head slightly to look behind him.

He could see Jong Ri-yeon running forward, waving her hands.

As she had said, the patient was in Hanshan. And so he had, unintentionally, accompanied her this far.

On the way here, Jong Ri-yeon had shown constant curiosity toward Dam Ho. But Dam Ho had not given her a single moment of his attention.

They were fated to part ways, and he believed he would never meet her again.

Dam Ho mounted Heuk-gui.

It was time to ride.

Heuk-gui began to gallop at terrifying speed. Dam Ho yielded his body to the horse.

After riding for some time, a forest of white birch trees appeared. Sunlight piercing through the birch grove created a dreamlike atmosphere.

Crunch! Crunch!

Heuk-gui's hooves striking the fallen leaves and pebbles on the ground produced a strange, resonant sound.

At that moment—

Swoosh!

Without warning, a sharp whistling sound pierced through the birch forest. Simultaneously, Dam Ho swept his hand.

Clang!

With a ring of metal, a bent arrow rolled across the ground. It was an arrow less than half the length of a normal one.

Whizz! Whizz!

The whistling sound came again.

Dam Ho kicked off Heuk-gui and launched himself into the air. The incoming arrows pierced harmlessly through the space where he had been.

"Go."

Suspended in midair, Dam Ho spoke. Heuk-gui seemed to understand and galloped off through the birch forest on its own. Meanwhile, Dam Ho touched down on the ground.

At that moment, round objects flew toward him from every direction.

Dam Ho's eyes narrowed. Since they had not come at the speed of arrows, he did not disturb them and simply watched their trajectory.

Psst!

The round objects that fell to the ground suddenly emitted green smoke. The instant he smelled it, nausea surged and a headache bore down.

'Poison smoke?'

Dam Ho ceased his breathing and circulated his internal energy to expel the toxic qi.

A thick cloud of poison smoke spread throughout the area. And from within the birch forest, black shadows rose to their feet.

The white birch trees and their black attire created a striking contrast. From their bodies emanated a sharp, killing intent.

'Swordsmen.'

The swords at their waists confirmed that they were swordsmen. But they were not merely carrying swords.

Some held crossbows, others threw hidden weapons, and still others wielded spears.

Each person carried at least two different weapons.

Though Dam Ho had roamed the Murim and seen countless martial artists, this was the first time he had encountered a group where each member wielded two or more weapons simultaneously.

'The Namgung Family?'

Dam Ho guessed their identity at once.

As he suspected, the newcomers were the Namgung Family's Sword King Unit. At their head was Su-cheon.

Su-cheon walked toward Dam Ho.

"So we finally caught up."

"……"

Instead of answering, Dam Ho stared at Su-cheon. Su-cheon met his gaze without flinching.

"Who are you?"

"You followed me without even knowing?"

Su-cheon furrowed his brow.

Disheveled black hair, tattered black robes, and a savage aura accompanied by bestial eyes that made the beholder instinctively recoil.

"The Fist Demon… is that right?"

Dam Ho's response was a smile—if a slight twitch of facial muscles could be called a smile.

"That is fortunate."

Killing intent filled Su-cheon's eyes.

Dam Ho was already the Namgung Family's sworn enemy.

Because of Dam Ho alone, the family's great plans had been delayed. Namgung Su had died. And countless martial artists of the Namgung Family had lost their lives.

Had they been an ordinary sect, their very foundations would have been shaken by such catastrophic damage. For that reason, there had been much discussion within the Namgung Family about assassinating Dam Ho, but unable to locate him, they could do nothing.

"You have run rampant without fear of heaven for too long, but that ends today. I shall put an end to your wicked deeds."

Su-cheon raised his hand. At this, the Sword King Unit raised its killing intent.

"These are the main family's elites—the Sword King Unit. If you compare them to the rabble you have faced before, you will be sorely mistaken."

"They all said the same thing. But in the end, they were nothing special."

"How dare you compare the Sword King Unit to such people."

"Do you think you are any different?"

Dam Ho asked.

Su-cheon's eyes reddened. He was enraged by Dam Ho's words.

"Subdue him. It matters not if you sever his limbs, as long as he still breathes. Subdue him quickly and return to the main family with the Sage."

"As you command!"

The Sword King Unit moved.

Whizz!

First, those carrying crossbows launched their bolts.

Dozens of bolts streaked toward Dam Ho. These were bolts fired not by human strength but by mechanical devices, their power multiplied severalfold.

Dam Ho swept his hand and deflected the bolts.

His eyesight and reflexes, honed in darkness, perceived the bolts flying at speeds invisible to the naked eye.

Clatter!

A pile of bolts accumulated at Dam Ho's feet.

Su-cheon's eyes gleamed.

"Quite impressive. But it is useless. This is only the beginning."

Whizz! Whizz!

The crossbows fired again.

The crossbows, painstakingly crafted by the Namgung Family's master craftsmen, could fire in rapid succession. Furthermore, spiral grooves were carved into the bolt tips and shafts, causing them to spin at terrifying speeds upon launch, doubling their destructive power.

The crossbow operators did not tire. They only needed to aim and pull the trigger. Conversely, those defending against the crossbows had to keep their nerves on edge, their muscles tensing with fear.

Clang clang clang!

Dam Ho's hands wove through the air in a dizzying array.

Blocking, sweeping, deflecting—a continuous series of motions unfolded in the blink of an eye. The bolts fired from the crossbows shattered or crumpled and fell to the ground.

The crossbow assault continued. Hidden weapon attacks were added to it. Tiny needles, so fine as to be invisible, rode the air currents toward him.

The Sword King Unit was less a group of martial artists and more akin to an army. Though they used swords as their primary weapon, they could wield crossbows, hidden weapons, and other specialized armaments with complete freedom.

Their purpose was to eliminate threats to the Namgung Family. To achieve that end, they did not discriminate between means or methods.

They valued efficiency over face, and the honor of the Namgung Family over individual feelings.

Despite the name "Sword King Unit," for them the sword was a last resort.

Dam Ho understood the true nature of the Sword King Unit perfectly.

These were not martial artists. They were soldiers.

Who knew how to wield every weapon at their disposal to crush the enemy.

Dam Ho knew another such being. It was himself.

Whirrr!

In that instant, Dam Ho's body oscillated at a frequency too fine and rapid to be seen by the naked eye.

A protective energy shield utilizing micro-vibrations had unfolded.

Clatter!

The crossbows and hidden weapons that had struck Dam Ho lost their force and fell to the ground.

At the frozen instant when everyone was rigid, Dam Ho unleashed Charging Step.

Whoosh!

His body tore through the air.

Crash!

And someone met their death.

The legendary battle between the Fist Demon and the Sword King Unit had begun.

Woon-jeong spoke with confidence.

“In Sichuan, no one can harm a disciple of Qingcheng Sect.”

“What if you go outside Sichuan?”

“I haven’t thought about that. My master still says it’s not time for me to leave Sichuan.”

Jin Ja-gang chuckled softly.

It was because the contrast with himself was too stark.

Thinking only of revenge, enduring hardships and tasting gall.

For eight years, he had saved even sleeping time to dig tunnels, had to sleep among rotting corpses, and with all his teachers dead, he had endured by memorizing incomprehensible texts without understanding their meaning.

Jin Ja-gang had to learn survival entirely on his own.

This was solely because Jin Ja-gang belonged to a small medicine sect called Hundred Flower Valley.

But disciples of great sects had completely different circumstances.

Like a mother protecting her young, the sect and masters protected them. A fence surrounded them until they could hunt sufficiently on their own.

Perhaps because of this, they seemed somewhat insensitive to external threats. Of course, their advantage was having martial arts sufficient to overcome dangers even with such insensitivity.

Jin Ja-gang envied them. Being born into such a sect. Having a sect and family members to rely on during difficult times.

“…!”

Jin Ja-gang was startled when Woon-jeong suddenly thrust his face close to Jin Ja-gang’s while he was thinking.

“What is it?”

“Are you perhaps… worried about me? That someone might ambush me?”

Woon-jeong showed a surprised expression.

“As expected, you are a good person.”

Jin Ja-gang found it absurd and laughed “haha.” It was a hollow laugh. By what standards did this innocent-looking Taoist call him a good person?

Only hollow laughter came out.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong had said.

To become a benevolent tiger and act like a divine dragon.

The benevolent tiger hides its claws, the divine dragon conceals its scales.

That was probably far from Jin Ja-gang. Jin Ja-gang was neither a benevolent tiger nor a divine dragon, but just a mad dog obsessed with revenge.

If disciples of great sects grew up comfortably and were insensitive to crises, he would use even that insensitivity as a weakness to succeed in revenge to the end.

That was what an asura who had crawled up from hell should do.

Jin Ja-gang’s claws had already protruded viciously like those of an asura, tearing flesh, and until they broke or wore away completely, they could never be hidden.

* * *

Woon-jeong openly followed Jin Ja-gang around.

He was basically honest and had no malice, but the goodwill that popped out without malice was sometimes irritating.

For example,

“Why did you go around killing so many people? No matter how I look at it, you don’t seem like someone who would do such things.”

He would ask such things directly.

“What I did and didn’t do seems to have become confused, so that’s how it became known.”

At Jin Ja-gang’s answer, Woon-jeong became serious.

“My master would never have lied to me!”

So when Jin Ja-gang gave up thinking it was no longer possible to communicate and remained silent, he would slyly approach and speak again.

“But is what you just said true? If that’s true, I’ll try speaking to my master about it.”

“Even if you speak to him, nothing will change.”

“Our master is someone who does what he says he’ll do. He’s different from others. He’s very righteous and reveres chivalry, though his weakness is that he can’t control his temper…”

Jin Ja-gang had already heard who Woon-jeong’s master was.

A martial artist called Taoist Bok-cheon, who was a disciple of the current Qingcheng Sect leader. His personality was so straightforward and his pride harder than iron, so he rarely lost even in arguments.

There were even rumors that the reason Qingcheng Sect hadn’t joined the Martial Arts Alliance was because of Taoist Bok-cheon.

“I’d appreciate it if you’d listen to me, but if you don’t believe me, the situation will become worse.”

“Well…”

Woon-jeong immediately understood.

“Master is kind to people he likes but merciless to others, so I understand your concern. But how do you grasp the key points so well? I get scolded every day for being obtuse… Master always says since you can’t do anything properly, just do what you’re told and train diligently in martial arts.”

Wasn’t that actually more frightening? If someone at the level of a Qingcheng Sect leader’s disciple was encouraging martial arts training, it meant he had that level of talent.

“Do I talk too much? It’s my first time talking with someone from the evil faction, so I’m curious.”

“I’m not from the evil faction.”

“Come on, I saw you coming out of an evil faction stronghold.”

“If you come out of a Qingcheng Sect hall, does that make you a Qingcheng Sect disciple?”

“Huh? That’s true too. How strange. Actually, I came down from Qingcheng Mountain for the first time last month, and I’d never seen an evil faction person before. So I thought evil faction people would be terrifyingly demonic-looking. Haha.”

Woon-jeong didn’t stop chattering after that.

“Why do you limp? Were you born with a disability?”

“You’ll stop killing now, right? If you keep killing, it’s hard to repay those sins while alive.”

“But what martial arts do you use? I’ve hardly seen you use any martial arts. Ah, such questions would be rude, wouldn’t they? Primordial Heavenly Venerable.”

For Jin Ja-gang, who always had to be alert to his surroundings, identify the positions and types of nearby objects, and prepare for battle in advance, this was extremely tiring.

The fact that he couldn’t properly train openly because of Woon-jeong was also somewhat difficult.

At least until leaving Dayi, it was somewhat comforting that the Tang family and Emei Sect couldn’t openly act because of Woon-jeong.

“Oh right, there’s something I’m really curious about. Yesterday at the inn, the Tang family person mixed poison in the rice, right? What would you have done if I hadn’t eaten it?”

Naturally, since it was safe to eat, he would have just eaten it.

Jin Ja-gang remembered Bian Bu and quoted his words in response.

“There’s someone wise who has lived long in the world, and he advised me. Don’t get involved with Tang family people and pretend not to know anything no matter what. So I was just going to pretend not to know and eat it.”

“Ugh! But it had poison in it!”

“I suppose eating poisoned food is better than getting involved with Tang family people.”

“Wahaha!”

Woon-jeong burst into loud laughter. Most people seemed to have similar perceptions about the Tang family.

“To think there’s someone with such insight. I’d like to meet them if I get the chance.”

“You can meet them if you go to the manor I came from.”

But at that moment, Woon-jeong’s expression became strange.

“Huh? Really?”

Jin Ja-gang looked at Woon-jeong.

Woon-jeong muttered to himself while watching Jin Ja-gang’s reaction.

“What’s wrong?”

“Uh, well. I mean… Ah! I don’t know if I should talk about this! Master didn’t tell me about that part!”

Jin Ja-gang had an intuition.

Something was happening at the manor.

“Please tell me.”

However, Woon-jeong wasn’t easily willing to open his mouth.

“I can’t. I don’t know if I’m allowed to say it or not.”

Then Jin Ja-gang left Woon-jeong alone and suddenly went into the forest and began digging a hole. Woon-jeong followed out of curiosity.

“What… are you doing?”

“I’m digging a cave dwelling.”

“What? Why suddenly a cave dwelling?”

“I’m thinking of settling down here and living for about three years.”

“What?”

Woon-jeong was flustered.

“I was ordered to watch over you until you leave Dayi! What am I supposed to do if you stay here for three years? He said if I do this job well, he’ll let me go out into the martial world.”

“Then will you tell me? What’s happening at the manor?”

Jin Ja-gang stared intently at Woon-jeong.

Woon-jeong pondered for a long time, but it seemed he couldn’t stay here for three years.

“Oh dear. Actually…”

* * *

Southern Guangxi.

Guilin’s Laozhai Mountain.

A paradise-like place where various strangely shaped peaks that had risen from the earth in ancient times like teeth jutted up along the Li River.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong arrived at the appointed place on Laozhai Mountain’s summit in a small palanquin with the Guangtou Brothers.

Mang Ryo was already at the octagonal pavilion on the summit. He was waiting with even a small drinking table set up inside.

Mang Ryo naturally made a cupped-fist salute and invited her inside.

“I was very rude before. I’ve warmed some wine, so please come and have a drink.”

However, Dan Ryeong-gyeong did not climb up to the octagonal pavilion.

She directed her gaze toward the stretcher covered with straw matting beside the octagonal pavilion and the two workers standing holding the stretcher.

“What kind of trick is this?”

“Didn’t I inform you in advance by letter? To exchange the Jin family boy and Baek Li-gwon.”

“So I’m asking why you suddenly changed your mind.”

“My mind hasn’t changed. From the beginning, I didn’t like Baek Li-jung, and I chose the most efficient method to save the Jin family boy from there. I wasn’t confident I could save him if I took him.”

Mang Ryo looked around at Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s side. Dan Ryeong-gyeong had ridden in an uncovered palanquin carried by the Guangtou Brothers.

“But where is the Jin family boy? Surely you didn’t come here empty-handed.”

“As you can see, I’m empty-handed.”

“Hmm? That’s a rather disappointing choice.”

“I don’t trust those who frequently change their words.”

“You’ve misjudged me. I’m someone who doesn’t know what lying is.”

Mang Ryo gestured.

Two workers wearing bamboo hats set down the stretcher and withdrew.

“Look. See whether I lied or not.”

“Is he dead?”

“See for yourself. It’s very difficult to continue being kind to someone who doesn’t keep promises. If you weren’t going to keep your promise, why did you come all this way?”

Mang Ryo grumbled. Dan Ryeong-gyeong gracefully stepped down from the palanquin and went to the stretcher.

“Ah, wait.”

Mang Ryo suddenly came down from the octagonal pavilion leaning on his staff.

Thump, thump.

“Let’s do this. I’ll compromise as much as possible, so just tell me where the Jin family boy is. You can do at least that much.”

“I don’t sell out comrades.”

“Comrades?”

Mang Ryo laughed loudly.

“Hehehe! So that was it! They said that boy was a killer raised by Shandong Enchanting Flower, and those words weren’t wrong.”

“What did you say?”

Mang Ryo was saying strange things that didn’t fit the situation, so Dan Ryeong-gyeong was puzzled.

But before she could ask more, Mang Ryo waved his hand as if shooing away an annoying fly.

“Go away. You came empty-handed and show no sincerity, so our deal ends here.”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s brow furrowed.

“You’re deliberately humiliating me.”

“Humiliation my ass, you’re not prepared to trade goods!”

Mang Ryo got angry.

“Stop acting rudely and either come have a drink and go back, or just get lost.”

The angry Guangtou Brothers tried to step forward. Dan Ryeong-gyeong raised her hand to stop them and walked forward.

Then she lifted the straw matting on the stretcher. Underneath, Baek Li-gwon lay with his eyes closed, motionless as if dead.

And the moment Dan Ryeong-gyeong raised her head, Mang Ryo flew at her. Mang Ryo struck at Dan Ryeong-gyeong with his staff.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong snorted.

“With that level of skill.”

She raised her delicate hand, unbefitting a martial artist, and pushed away Mang Ryo’s entire staff with just one hand.

Thwack, thwack thwack!

Mang Ryo flipped his body backward and kicked at Dan Ryeong-gyeong with his prosthetic leg. Dan Ryeong-gyeong tried to simply push away the prosthetic leg with her palm.

But at that moment.

‘Gunpowder smell!’

BANG!

One of Mang Ryo’s prosthetic legs exploded, showering dozens of small arrows at Dan Ryeong-gyeong.

From the recoil, Mang Ryo flew all the way to the octagonal pavilion’s railing where his body crashed, and he hung his arm over the railing and laughed.

“Hehehe, damn old man. Where’s the greatest craftsman? This thing couldn’t even catch a mouse!”