Chapter 186: Fate Flows in Unpredictable Directions (2)

Hyeon-gwang and Kwang-hae could only stare with mouths agape at the scene before them. It did not feel real.

On Sang-cheon, who had been overwhelming even the two of them with his power alone, the On Sang-cheon who had given them a nightmare—seeing him sent flying by a single blow from Dam Ho was utterly surreal.

Of all those present, the most shaken was On Sang-cheon himself, who had allowed Dam Ho that sudden strike.

He had hastily unleashed the ultimate technique of the Black Heart Demonic Hand to shield himself, but both his arms were swollen and his internal organs trembled.

On Sang-cheon twisted his body in midair and landed on the ground. Though he had been caught off guard, his response was that of a master who had reached the pinnacle. But the moment he touched down, his eyes went wide.

Whoosh!

Dam Ho had already closed in on the spot where he landed.

A charge as fierce as a battering ram, followed by the seamless Fortress Breaking Fist.

"Did you think you could be hit again?"

On Sang-cheon unleashed the Black Heart Demonic Hand's ultimate technique—Black Fog Piercing Heaven.

The black energy condensing in his palm took the shape of a spear and shot toward Dam Ho's brow.

Whoosh!

In that instant, Dam Ho's body blurred.

He had deployed his shield.

Ting!

Black Fog Piercing Heaven struck the shield and bounced off.

"Damn it!"

The outcome was beyond belief even as he watched it happen. On Sang-cheon staggered back in horror, but Dam Ho would not allow it.

Bang!

The Fortress Breaking Fist crashed upon On Sang-cheon's arm.

"Ugh!"

The pain of his arm snapping and dangling uselessly drew an involuntary scream from On Sang-cheon.

Naturally, charging forward was faster than retreating. On Sang-cheon's mistake had been momentarily forgetting that fact.

The consequence of that fleeting error was truly terrible.

Thud!

Dam Ho's pot-lid-sized hand seized his throat.

On Sang-cheon, his face a mask of shock, tried to shake off Dam Ho's grip. But Dam Ho's arm, strong as a steel vice, did not budge.

In that state, Dam Ho's body shot into the air. As though uprooting a tree, On Sang-cheon's body was ripped from the ground as well.

Both feet left the earth, and a dizzying sensation of weightlessness seized On Sang-cheon. Immediately after, his body was inverted.

Blood rushed to his head, turning his eyes red. The ground rapidly expanded before him.

Earth and Heaven Strike.

Dam Ho's unique downward slam, using the earth itself as a weapon, was unleashed.

"Kuh!"

On Sang-cheon drew upon every ounce of his internal energy to protect his entire body, twisting his head desperately.

CRASH!

The next instant, his body was driven headfirst into the ground.

Dust rose, and On Sang-cheon's inverted body convulsed.

His left shoulder had caved in. It was not merely dislocated or broken. It had been utterly pulverized.

On Sang-cheon barely managed to right himself.

"Hah… hah…"

Ragged breaths escaped him.

He did not dare voice his pain. Dam Ho stood before him.

On Sang-cheon had fought countless battles in his lifetime. But none could compare to the terrifying moment he had just experienced.

His heart felt as though it would burst. His mind had gone blank, incapable of thought. All of that was because of Dam Ho.

In only three moves, his opponent had driven him to a state of utter helplessness.

It was truly an overwhelming display of power.

"Wh-who are you?"

On Sang-cheon spat blood and asked.

It was not Dam Ho but Hyeon-gwang who answered.

"A cripple… You are Cheong-gyeong."

Hyeon-gwang, who had recognized Dam Ho, was trembling. But Dam Ho merely glanced at him once and did not bother to respond.

On Sang-cheon gritted his teeth.

'The Fist Demon?'

He was well aware of Dam Ho's reputation. But as with most rumors in the martial world, he had assumed the tales of the Fist Demon were exaggerated. However, the power he had directly experienced surpassed his wildest imagination.

Dam Ho's limp was no handicap whatsoever.

"The Golden Horse Master warned me to beware of you. It seems there was good reason."

In that instant, Dam Ho's eyes gleamed.

The Golden Horse Master was one of the few who had survived an encounter with him. Dam Ho remembered him clearly.

"Were you connected to the Golden Horse Master?"

"Kuh!"

Realizing his slip, On Sang-cheon's face twisted like a demon. His connection to the Golden Horse Master was a secret that must never be revealed.

He had only one option remaining.

Kill everyone here and silence them. But that was realistically impossible.

He had been confident in his own strength, but Dam Ho's power was on an entirely different level.

On Sang-cheon laughed. A laugh laced with sinister killing intent. But his eyes held no mirth whatsoever.

The laugh of one who had abandoned survival was desolate. He had given up on living. In exchange, he was determined to take Dam Ho with him to the grave.

"Hyah!"

He charged at Dam Ho.

Pop!

The veins on his face bulged grotesquely. It was the phenomenon that occurred when one reversed the flow of qi and blood.

Hyeon-gwang, seeing this, shouted.

"It is the method of mutual destruction! Dodge it, Cheong-gyeong!"

In truth, On Sang-cheon intended to perish together with Dam Ho.

Reversal Blood Explosive Demon Technique.

A barbaric method that detonated one's own body to destroy both oneself and one's opponent.

On Sang-cheon wrapped his remaining good arm around Dam Ho's waist and shouted.

"We go together, Fist Demon!"

At the very instant On Sang-crack!

Crack!

His head snapped to the side. Dam Ho's knee had struck his face. His nose and facial bones collapsed, and blood sprayed in all directions.

As On Sang-cheon's consciousness began to fade, Dam Ho drove him into the earth once more with the Earth and Heaven Strike.

Bang!

This time, his head struck first.

His skull shattered upon impact with the ground, sending bone fragments and blood flying. He never even had the chance to unleash the Reversal Blood Explosive Demon Technique.

That was On Sang-cheon's end.

"……"

A suffocating silence descended upon the scene.

Shaolin's disciples, as well as Hyeon-gwang and Kwang-hae, could say nothing as they stared at Dam Ho.

After a long while, a Shaolin monk muttered involuntarily.

"Impossible."

Disbelief filled his eyes. The same was true for the others. Everything that had unfolded before them felt like a dream—utterly unreal.

It was then.

"Cheong-gyeong."

Hyeon-gwang, who had been silent until now, spoke cautiously. Only then did Dam Ho turn his head to look at Hyeon-gwang.

The moment he met Dam Ho's gaze, devoid of all emotion and utterly cold, Hyeon-gwang felt a chill as though he had been cast naked into a winter snowfield.

Dam Ho's lips were set stubbornly. There was not a trace of respect or consideration for his elder.

"Cheong-gyeong… No, I should call you Dam Ho, since you declared yourself no longer a disciple of Mount Hua."

"What are you doing here?"

Only then did Dam Ho open his mouth.

His tone contained no respect or courtesy toward his elder. But Hyeon-gwang had nothing to say.

The martial world was a realm ruled by the strong.

Moreover, Mount Hua had long since forfeited the right to call itself Dam Ho's sect when it had abandoned him.

"Sigh!"

Hyeon-gwang let out a sigh.

For a man who had spent his entire life on Mount Hua, facing Dam Ho in this manner was almost unbearable. But he could not remain silent.

"As you can see, we came here to confer with Shaolin. Though we were detected by the Demonic Cult and ambushed."

"Master!"

At that moment, Ho-gyeong, who had been lying in the inn where Dam Ho stayed, came running toward Hyeon-gwang. Thanks to Jong Ri-yeon's treatment, he had regained consciousness.

"Are you all right, Master?"

"I am fine."

"Thank goodness."

Ho-gyeong wept.

Hyeon-gwang patted his back and said to Dam Ho.

"Thank you."

"There is no need to thank me. It was for the master's sake."

"Master? Ah, you mean Sage Hyeon-so."

"Yes."

In Dam Ho's heart, the Mount Hua Sect no longer existed. But Sage Hyeon-so was a different matter.

The Mount Hua Sect was everything to Sage Hyeon-so. Knowing this, Dam Ho could not pretend to ignore Hyeon-gwang's predicament.

If he had stood by and allowed them to perish when he could have saved them, Sage Hyeon-so would have been saddened.

Dam Ho asked.

"The master is well, I trust?"

"Sage Hyeon-so is…"

Hyeon-gwang hesitated.

In that instant, killing intent flickered in Dam Ho's eyes.

"Has something happened to the master?"

The killing intent that constricted his heart turned Hyeon-gwang's face pale. Dam Ho radiating killing intent was terror itself.

If he were exposed to Dam Ho's killing intent any longer, he feared his heart vessels would rupture. Hyeon-gwang answered hastily.

"Sage Hyeon-so is no longer on Mount Hua."

"What do you mean? Not there?"

"After you disappeared beyond the seas, Sage Hyeon-so also left Mount Hua."

"The master left?"

"He could not forgive Mount Hua for abandoning you. He vanished without a word. Because of this, the Grandmaster has also sent people to search for him."

"……"

"I am sorry. Mount Hua has truly wronged you in too many ways."

Hyeon-gwang bowed his head in apology.

His voice held genuine sincerity.

At that moment, Ho-gyeong interjected into their conversation.

"Cheong-gyeong, there is a high probability that Sage Hyeon-so is in Shouzhou."

"What do you mean?"

"The Grandmaster ordered Senior Brother Un-gyeong to find Sage Hyeon-so. And now Senior Brother Un-gyeong has been staying in Shouzhou for days. By all indications, it is likely that Sage Hyeon-so is there."

"In Shouzhou…"

Dam Ho's heart pounded fiercely.

He had always assumed the master was on Mount Hua. He could not imagine a life for his master apart from the mountain.

But his master had left Mount Hua. Everyone could guess the reason—it was because of Dam Ho.

'Master.'

He could not begin to imagine how much Sage Hyeon-so had suffered after leaving Mount Hua.

Ho-gyeong pressed his forehead to the ground.

Crack!

His brow split open and blood spattered. But Ho-gyeong did not care.

"I am sorry, Cheong-gyeong. Forgive me for turning a blind eye when you were rejected on Mount Hua. I did not know then how great your suffering was."

"……"

"You may curse my cowardice as much as you wish for apologizing only now. But if I did not do this, I felt I could not bear it."

Ho-gyeong wept.

Dam Ho looked down at him for a moment, then turned away.

Ho-gyeong raised his head and watched Dam Ho's retreating figure. He would have felt some relief if Dam Ho had at least cursed at him, but Dam Ho walked away without a word.

"Cheong… gyeong."

Ho-gyeong reached out to grasp Dam Ho. In that instant, Hyeon-gwang seized his hand.

"Master?"

"Do not. He is already a grandmaster walking his own path. Mount Hua's shallow fences cannot contain him."

Hyeon-gwang closed his eyes tightly. Ho-gyeong, too, was forced to fall silent.

Meanwhile, Kwang-hae's eyes were fixed on Dam Ho, trembling.

'That man is the Fist Demon, the public enemy of the martial world?'

The martial prowess he had witnessed with his own eyes far surpassed the rumors.

Stronger, and unbelievably cruel.

A shiver ran down Kwang-hae's spine.

The old Taoist was walking as if he had come out for a leisurely stroll, but his pace was by no means slow. It was a speed that would require a healthy adult to walk quickly and occasionally run to barely keep up.

Therefore, Jin Ja-gang also urged the horses faster to increase their speed.

The place where the old Taoist, who had been walking ahead for quite some time, arrived was a small hermitage on the mountainside.

During this time, the group had not said a word. Though the old man emitted no particular aura, he strangely created a suffocating tension.

Particularly, the expressions of Woon-jeong and Dan Ryeong-gyeong had remained the most rigid throughout.

The old Taoist stopped in the courtyard of the hermitage and turned around. He gestured for them to get off the carriage.

When Jin Ja-gang got off the carriage, everyone else followed suit.

At that moment, Woon-jeong hesitantly moved forward with his shoulders hunched.

The old Taoist glanced at Woon-jeong, then broke off a branch from a broom corn bush in the courtyard.

Then he immediately struck with the branch.

“Are you holding your head up stiffly thinking you did well?”

Thwack!

Woon-jeong didn’t dodge and was hit on the head.

“A disciple of Qingcheng stupidly became a hostage and brought outsiders straight into Mount Qingcheng?”

If it hadn’t been for Woon-jeong, the group might have been stopped before even entering Qingcheng Sect’s territory.

“Well, that is…”

“No excuses needed, you fool.”

Thwack!

“Please, let me speak…”

“I told you to watch Poison Dragon so he wouldn’t cause trouble, but instead you cooperated with him to attack an Emei Sect master and severely injure her?”

Thwack!

“Ah!”

After being hit three times in the same spot, Woon-jeong could no longer endure and cried out.

“Do you know how difficult this made things for the sect leader? Do you have thoughts or not? Bringing those whom the Tang family and Emei Sect are desperately searching for all the way here?”

“That’s why I’m saying it’s not like that…”

When the old Taoist swung the branch, Woon-jeong swayed his upper body to dodge. Woon-jeong’s upper body split into three or four blurred images. However, the old Taoist accurately struck one of them.

Again, a thwack sound rang out as the branch hit Woon-jeong’s head directly.

Seeing such a sound come from a broom corn branch that could be easily broken by hand, it was clear he wasn’t hitting with ordinary technique.

Soso even flinched every time Woon-jeong was struck.

“Ugh…!”

Woon-jeong even shed tears while clutching his head. A visible bump had formed on his head. The old Taoist scolded sharply.

“Still haven’t come to your senses and trying to make excuses?”

“I was wrong…”

“Quiet, you fool!”

When the old Taoist swung the branch, Woon-jeong desperately swayed his upper body more. His upper body split into five or six images, becoming faster than before. However, the branch also split accordingly. Rather, the number of branches increased much more, becoming dozens.

Thwack!

Once again, Woon-jeong was inevitably hit on the head. Just from the sound, one could tell how hard he was struck. Woon-jeong staggered and nearly sat down.

Woon-jeong protested.

“I’m not making excuses but apologizing that I was wrong, yet you still hit me – what am I supposed to do!”

“Just shut your mouth and stay back, you lacking fool.”

Whoosh!

The last strike with the branch was aimed at Woon-jeong who had fled and dodged.

“Stop hitting me, Master!”

Woon-jeong had unknowingly hidden behind Jin Ja-gang. Because of this, the old Taoist became even more displeased and his eyes narrowed.

However, the old Taoist didn’t even glance at Jin Ja-gang.

“Bin-do said…”

The old Taoist briefly lowered his head to look down and tapped his sole with the branch to shake off dirt.

“She must have told you. Never to meet again.”

Then the old Taoist straightened his already upright back even more, arrogantly raised his head, and looked at Dan Ryeong-gyeong.

“That if we met, she wouldn’t let it pass.”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong replied with her characteristic bewitching smile.

“It’s been a long time, Taoist Bok-cheon. How is your senior brother, Dark Venerable Master?”

“That name…”

The old Taoist, Taoist Bok-cheon, smoothed his disheveled beard back behind his neck, then forcefully raised the branch upward.

Whooom!

Suddenly the air became heavy and Taoist Bok-cheon’s Taoist robes swelled tightly!

Rumble rumble rumble.

A whirlwind rose from beneath his feet, carrying up dust and dirt.

He had gathered tremendous internal energy.

Unlike before when there had been no aura, he was now freely emitting killing intent and anger, making the rough torrent of emotions palpable. Taoist Bok-cheon’s internal energy also raged accordingly.

Bian Bu and Woon-jeong’s complexions changed greatly as their internal energy resonated with Taoist Bok-cheon’s and began raging, causing them to step backward. Bian Bu embraced the pale-faced Soso and retreated.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong didn’t retreat. However, since her internal injuries hadn’t fully healed, her complexion quickly became wan.

Jin Ja-gang also felt strange. Though he hadn’t raised his internal energy, his body grew hot, his hair stood on end, and his vision kept narrowing.

This feeling…

The feeling when meeting a master with incomparable skills!

The feeling that his life and death was as thin as paper, fluttering as if it would tear at any moment in the fierce wind!

At that moment, Taoist Bok-cheon shouted in a voice choked with rage while swinging the branch.

“I told you never to speak that name again!”

Crack crack crack crack!

The ground split.

Across half the courtyard.

From where Taoist Bok-cheon stood to the base of the peak across the way.

A length of dozens of zhang – a severance occurred in the skin of the earth, and for a moment, disconnection occurred in the things within.

Even the roots of plants that had been connected underground, and even the stream water.

Screech.

A large pine tree was cut vertically and fell to both sides. Mountain birds that had momentarily held their breath at the sudden calamity flew away in surprise.

Flutter, flutter flutter.

Everything quickly became quiet.

Even nature itself seemed cowed by Taoist Bok-cheon’s tremendous martial prowess.

The branch in Taoist Bok-cheon’s hand had burst and become tangled like hemp fiber from the middle.

Taoist Bok-cheon’s face was flushed as he worked his lips.

“Your attempt to hide here like moles after coming all this way using Bin-do’s disciple as a hostage was very good. For the sin of having a foolish disciple, Bin-do will also endure today.”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong silently listened to Taoist Bok-cheon’s words.

“This place is a hermitage where Bin-do achieved enlightenment in his youth. You may stay here until your physical condition recovers. I don’t care what you do. However, do not cross this line.”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong looked beyond the line. Since they were already deep within the mountain gates, in Qingcheng Sect’s territory, Qingcheng Sect’s main mountain was right beyond the line. The halls of Qingcheng Sect were directly visible.

However, a single line crossed from the hermitage courtyard to the path down the mountain and the roads leading to Qingcheng Sect’s main mountain.

It meant to stay only here no matter what they did, and not to come near Qingcheng Sect’s main mountain.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong stared at Taoist Bok-cheon for a long time before nodding.

“I shall do so.”

However, Taoist Bok-cheon’s anger hadn’t subsided as he threw the branch to one side of the courtyard.

“Remember this. Next time, absolutely never let me see…”

Meanwhile, Woon-jeong tried to sneak behind Taoist Bok-cheon. Then Taoist Bok-cheon stopped speaking mid-sentence and shouted.

“You stay there too! Don’t even dream of setting foot in the main mountain until these people all leave! You should know that if you cross that line too, I won’t let it pass!”

“M-Master…”

When Woon-jeong called his master with a tearful expression, Taoist Bok-cheon’s eyes blazed again.

“You lacking fool… Who’s your master! As if there was no one else to bring…”

Taoist Bok-cheon reached to the side and applied force.

A branch of the broom corn bush snapped and flew into Taoist Bok-cheon’s hand as if being sucked in.

Taoist Bok-cheon raised the branch high as if to hit Woon-jeong again.

But then.

Jin Ja-gang stepped in front to block him.

Jin Ja-gang boldly stood blocking Taoist Bok-cheon and only looked up at him with his eyes.

Bewilderment and anger simultaneously surged on Taoist Bok-cheon’s face.

Jin Ja-gang said.

“You also should not cross the line.”

Bian Bu, Soso, and Woon-jeong were aghast.

“…!”

For a moment, killing intent flashed in Taoist Bok-cheon’s eyes.

“You also?”

Jin Ja-gang wasn’t overwhelmed by Taoist Bok-cheon’s killing intent and calmly looked at him.

A murderous smile appeared at the corners of Taoist Bok-cheon’s mouth.

“Are you Poison Dragon?”

“That’s right.”

“Are you brazenly barging into someone else’s home and claiming ownership as if it’s your own land?”

“Didn’t you just say you didn’t care what we did?”

Taoist Bok-cheon’s killing intent deepened. His voice also sank ominously.

“If you act up and cross the ‘line,’ you might die.”

Goosebumps rose on Jin Ja-gang’s arms too. However, Jin Ja-gang didn’t retreat.

“Then you shouldn’t have said such things from the beginning.”

“I gave permission to stay temporarily, but I didn’t give permission to act arrogantly.”

“Does acting arrogantly require permission?”

“This fellow…”

Woon-jeong stopped Jin Ja-gang with a trembling voice.

“P-Poison Dragon benefactor… Please don’t be rude to Master and apologize.”

However, it was Taoist Bok-cheon who became angry.

“Are you, as a disciple of Qingcheng, begging for apologies from the likes of Poison Dragon!”

When Taoist Bok-cheon tried to take a step forward, Jin Ja-gang moved sideways to block him.

“You fellow…”

Taoist Bok-cheon was so angry his teeth chattered.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong also intervened.

“As a guest, causing a disturbance in the host’s home is not proper etiquette. Being shown this much consideration is already something to be grateful for, so young hero should stop as well.”

However, Jin Ja-gang looked directly at Taoist Bok-cheon without turning his head and answered.

“I came here to live, not to die.”

Taoist Bok-cheon ground his teeth.

“Did I tell you to die?”

“Drawing a line like this and leaving is no different from driving us out to die.”

At that moment, a strange light flashed in Taoist Bok-cheon’s eyes. After glaring at Jin Ja-gang for a while, Taoist Bok-cheon’s killing intent softened slightly.

“Right. That’s right. Your words are correct.”

Only then did Bian Bu and Dan Ryeong-gyeong realize why Jin Ja-gang had stepped forward.

“Ah!”

Taoist Bok-cheon had drawn a line.

He had declared that Qingcheng Sect wouldn’t interfere with what happened outside the line.

However, that wouldn’t apply only to Jin Ja-gang and Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s group.

Taoist Bok-cheon had defined them as outsiders from the beginning. That meant he would also stand by and watch whatever other outsiders did outside the line.

Those outsiders could include the Tang family, Emei Sect, and even the Zhuge family.

Momentarily distracted by Taoist Bok-cheon’s tremendous martial power, everyone except Jin Ja-gang had failed to realize this fact.

So when Jin Ja-gang told Taoist Bok-cheon not to cross the line, he wasn’t referring to the line drawn on the ground.

It meant not to drive them into a deadly situation under the pretext of a few words and then stand by and watch. It was no different from warning him not to spread word everywhere that Qingcheng Sect wouldn’t interfere with what happened outside the line, telling others to come capture them.

If Jin Ja-gang’s group entered within the line to avoid external threats, then Qingcheng Sect would act as originally warned.

Taoist Bok-cheon didn’t hide his emotions and expressed admiration.

“Clever. Worthy of being called Poison Dragon. Now I finally understand why people keep saying Poison Dragon this, Poison Dragon that.”