Chapter 123

Chapter 123: The Fluttering of a Butterfly's Wings Summons the Storm (2)

Eum Yu-gyeong's eyes, hidden behind the veil, wavered. The other's gaze was telling her: he knew who she was. It was impossible. At least, no one in the current Murim should know her true identity. She had only recently entered the martial world. Few knew her true nature, and none of them were here.

"Ridiculous."

She cried out firmly. Dam Ho answered indifferently.

"The Demonic Cult—or should I say the New Cult?"

"……"

In that instant, a slight tremor ran through her shoulders. Eum Yu-gyeong's gaze toward Dam Ho turned to ice. Dam Ho continued unperturbed.

"Your name is Eum Yu-gyeong, isn't it?"

"Who… are you?"

"You don't remember."

Dam Ho dismounted from the Dark Stallion. Even then, Eum Yu-gyeong had not recognized him. Dam Ho walked toward her and spoke.

"You've killed quite a few people since then, it seems."

"What?"

"Back then, I told you—I would be the first person you killed. So I would at least remember your name."

"That was… could it be?"

Eum Yu-gyeong's pupils shook violently. A very old, faded memory surfaced in her mind. The Heavenly Silver Demon Fortress. The last refuge of the Demonic Cult. The righteous sect warriors who had pursued them all the way there. And among them, a young boy. He, like the man before her now, limped slightly on his left leg. But the martial arts he had displayed were still seared into her memory like a brand.

"You are from the Mount Hua Sect… Dam Ho."

"So you remember now."

"How are you alive?"

"Is that what you want to know?"

"Yes."

Eum Yu-gyeong nodded involuntarily. She was in a state of profound shock. The Thunderfire Bombs used to collapse the Heavenly Silver Demon Fortress numbered in the dozens. The explosion had been visible from more than a hundred li away, completely burying the area. Yet he had survived.

Eum Yu-gyeong's eyes trembled. It was a story that defied common sense. But she had no choice but to believe it—the image of Dam Ho from her memory and the Dam Ho standing before her now overlapped to a significant degree. However, it was impossible to fully reconcile his current appearance with the past. Setting aside the outward appearance, it was his temperament that was different. It was as though a volcano on the verge of eruption stood before her. He appeared calm on the surface, but magma seethed within his chest, ready to erupt at any moment.

"I held on stubbornly."

"That is…"

"Right to the end—and so I survived."

Dam Ho smiled. Or rather, it looked as though he smiled—the corners of his mouth turned up ever so slightly.

Eum Yu-gyeong suddenly looked down at her palm. Moisture beaded on it—she was sweating. 'Am I nervous? I—' She had never once felt nervous since entering the world. She possessed exceptional martial skill and possessed the tenacity of one who had clawed her way out from the very bottom of hell. The warriors of the Central Plains had grown complacent through prolonged peace. They might be strong, but they lacked the will to fight. Such warriors could never make her nervous.

But Dam Ho was different. He was honed to a razor's edge. One wrong move in front of him and she would be cut down in an instant. Even a supreme powerhouse like Eum Yu-gyeong found his presence suffocating.

A man dressed entirely in black, his left leg slightly limping. Eum Yu-gyeong recalled a recent rumor about just such a figure.

"So you were the Fist Demon. How…"

The unspoken words—'did you become so strong'—remained trapped in her mouth. She was curious about many things, but she knew that no matter how many questions she asked, Dam Ho would not answer.

"I have one question."

"What?"

"What is your position within the Demonic Cult?"

"That I cannot say. It is classified."

"Is that so? Your saying that makes me even more curious."

Eum Yu-gyeong's face hardened. She had read the hidden hostility in Dam Ho's words.

"I would advise against it."

"What?"

"I have no desire to become your enemy."

"That is not your decision to make."

"Oh?"

"It is your answer that decides."

Dam Ho's words sent a chill through Eum Yu-gyeong's blood. She had read the killing intent in his gaze. Within those fierce eyes that seemed ready to erupt at any moment lurked a terrifying killing intent. Even within the New Cult she served, few possessed such murderous resolve.

Dam Ho's image brought a certain man to her mind. 'He may be on par with Yul-cheon…' But she quickly shook her head. The two men might appear similar, but they were fundamentally different. If Dam Ho was a savage beast, then Yul-cheon was a disciplined hunter. Who was stronger and who was weaker could not be judged rashly—but it was clear that they were two entirely different kinds of people.

Eum Yu-gyeong's hand gripped her sword hilt. Dam Ho's eyes narrowed.

"Is that your decision?"

"Personally, I regret what happened to you. But that is not sufficient reason for me to reveal everything."

Eum Yu-gyeong was resolute. Dam Ho nodded. He had expected as much. From Eum Yu-gyeong's entire being, a frost-like aura was radiating. Her killing intent was sharper than that of any martial artist he had encountered thus far.

Sheung!

She drew her sword. It was her declaration that she would speak no further. Eum Yu-gyeong disliked fighting without cause, but she was not the type to avoid battle. This was the sword that had taken the lives of Iron Crown Sage and countless Daoists. Killing intent was naturally soaked into her blade. Twelve years ago, before she had met Dam Ho, she had not killed a single person. But the woman she was now was different. She had carved her way out of hell, and much had changed. There was no longer any hesitation about killing.

Moon-Setting Divine Sword—a secret sword art passed down within the Demonic Cult through a single lineage. Legend held that one who had mastered the Moon-Setting Divine Sword could strike down even the moon hanging in the night sky.

Hooong!

Eum Yu-gyeong's sword emitted a hum. The air pricked at the skin like needles—an invisible wave of killing intent was stimulating the surroundings.

Dam Ho's gaze sank deep. Eum Yu-gyeong's aura was definitely sharper than any martial artist he had encountered before.

Pat!

Eum Yu-gyeong lunged at Dam Ho. Flowing Current Step—one of the Demonic Cult's secret movement techniques, also passed down through a single lineage. Like flowing water, Eum Yu-gyeong rode the current and closed the distance to Dam Ho in an instant.

Clang!

A metallic ring erupted before Dam Ho's eyes. It was the sound of Eum Yu-gyeong's sword clashing with his Silver Net Hand. Sparks flew and both of their bodies shook. The unexpected impact made Eum Yu-gyeong's body lurch. But instead of retreating, she pressed forward. Combat was all about momentum. She knew well that whoever yielded in the initial clash of spirits would never seize victory. She did not enjoy fighting without reason, but once a battle began, she had to become the victor. That was the law of survival she had learned at the bottom of the Demonic Cult.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Eum Yu-gyeong's sword and Dam Ho's Silver Net Hand clashed again and again. The Moon-Setting Divine Sword she displayed was terrifying. Whenever she detected even the slightest opening, her blade would lunge like a venomous snake at Dam Ho's vital points. Unlike other Central Plains martial artists, she did not wastefully project sword qi and squander her internal energy. Instead, she condensed her energy only at the moment of impact—a divine technique. A sword that was natural as water yet hard as rock—that was Eum Yu-gyeong's Moon-Setting Divine Sword. Severing Moon Flying Sword and Moon-Setting Blood Mountain's techniques were unleashed in succession. A relentless chain of attacks with not a breath in between.

An ordinary martial artist would have already lost their life by now. But her opponent was Dam Ho. Power gathered in his fist like a nail. Eum Yu-gyeong's face appeared before him. His Fortress Breaking Fist hammered down toward her. Eum Yu-gyeong raised her sword to block desperately.

Boom!

"Ngh!"

A suppressed groan escaped Eum Yu-gyeong's lips.

Crack!

Hairline fractures spread across the surface of her sword like a spider's web. Eum Yu-gyeong's expression changed entirely. A single punch from Dam Ho had altered the balance. And his aura shifted as well.

Chill!

At the very instant Eum Yu-gyeong felt a sense of crisis—

Pweeeeng!

Dam Ho's foot traced a strange arc and descended like a whip onto the top of her head. It was the Demonic Kick. Eum Yu-gyeong employed Reverse Current Step to retreat. Reverse, the opposite of Flow. Even as she withdrew, she did not forget to swing her sword.

Crash!

Two streams of sword energy collided with Dam Ho's Demonic Kick, and a thunderous explosion erupted. Both of their bodies shook. A line of blood appeared at the corner of Eum Yu-gyeong's mouth.

'Strong!' Her honest sentiment. A true master could gauge an opponent's level with a single exchange of techniques. Her sword hand ached. If her grip had been even slightly weaker, she would have dropped her sword. Dam Ho's fist carried a weight as heavy as a mountain. Each clash sent tremors through her very organs. 'At this level, he can truly be compared to Yul-cheon…' He was the strongest person she knew—one whose will could withstand any storm and whose strength rivaled Mount Tai itself. He was their spiritual pillar, a comrade and leader who could be trusted and relied upon. Because of him, they had made it this far. Eum Yu-gyeong had never thought she would meet another like him. He had been that unique a presence.

But Dam Ho, standing before her now, was shattering her preconceptions with his terrifying martial might. At this level, she could not guarantee victory without going all out.

The moment she reached that conclusion, Eum Yu-gyeong's eyes changed. Dam Ho smiled—a smile so cold it was chilling.

"It's about time."

Because of them, he had been trapped in the lightless underground for twelve years. Someone had to repay that debt.

Dam Ho clenched both fists and lunged toward Eum Yu-gyeong. But just then—

Whisssht!

An ear-splitting sound of something cutting through the air tore from behind. A murderous presence of terrifying magnitude pressed upon his back. Dam Ho's body spun like a top, his elbow and fist lashing out like a whip. A single strike of the One-Strike Wall.

Clang!

In that instant, accompanied by a metallic ring, a sword was deflected away. The deflected sword spun through the air and was caught by someone's hand.

Dam Ho's face hardened as he identified the sword's owner. The man had an average build and unassuming attire, yet he did not look ordinary at all. He held the deflected sword, his face as perfectly sculpted as a work of art, with deep, melancholy dark eyes. Behind him, he carried a large wooden case on his back, from which the handles of four swords protruded. Including the one he now held, the case was designed to carry a total of five swords.

But Dam Ho's expression had not changed because of the man's appearance. It was because the man had his arm draped over Bang Jin-bo's shoulder.

"Hyung!"

The man with his arm around Bang Jin-bo's shoulder smiled gently at Eum Yu-gyeong.

"Martial Sister, you kept me waiting quite a while."