Chapter 105

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.