Chapter 139

Chapter 139: The Wind Relentlessly Shakes the Branches of the Great Tree (2)

Huangshan boasted seventy-two peaks and two vast lakes. It encompassed three great waterfalls and sixteen streams, making its scale truly immense.

Among them, the most renowned was the Emerald Valley. Named for its jade-colored waters, the valley lived up to its name, with its luminous, jade-hued river forming a great stream that flowed on without end.

Dam Ho and his party had entered a small village at the end of the Emerald Valley. The village, such as it was, was home to barely fifty households, some two hundred people.

Even so, the village possessed a small inn that provided ample rest for weary travelers.

Dam Ho and his party decided to rest briefly at an inn so modest it did not even have a name.

Upon arriving at Huangshan, smiles appeared on the faces of Hwang Hye-ryeong and Muk Il-gwang.

Huangshan was now visible nearby. This was practically the outer courtyard of the mountain.

"Young Mistress!"

The innkeeper approached Hwang Hye-ryeong with a warm smile.

Though it appeared to be a simple inn, its owner was connected to the Overlord's Banner.

Many such inns existed around Huangshan. They served as the eyes and ears of the Overlord's Banner, reporting any suspicious individuals the moment they appeared.

The inn where Dam Ho and Hwang Hye-ryeong had stopped was one such establishment. Naturally, the innkeeper and Hwang Hye-ryeong were acquainted.

"It has been too long, Uncle."

"Haha! I heard you ran away again. Are you quite well?"

"Who told you that?"

"The news has spread throughout the vicinity of Huangshan."

"Hmph!"

At the innkeeper's jest, Hwang Hye-ryeong pouted her lips. Yet a smile still lingered on her face.

"Is everything well at the Overlord's Banner?"

"Of course! Who would dare provoke the Overlord's Banner? The Chief Banner Master is in good health, so there is nothing to worry about."

"Is that so?"

"I hear the Chief Banner Master has been quite worried. You should make your way up."

"I will, if you treat me to a delicious lunch."

"Haha! How could I refuse, on whose authority? It shall be served immediately."

The innkeeper laughed heartily and walked toward the kitchen.

Hwang Hye-ryeong leaned back in her chair and kicked her feet idly. She exuded a sense of ease.

Through the open window, the majestic form of Huangshan was visible. Though the peaks were shrouded in mist, in Hwang Hye-ryeong's eyes, they seemed as clear as day.

It was the place where she had lived for nearly twenty years. She remembered the location of every small stone and blade of grass with perfect clarity.

"It is good to come home."

Hwang Hye-ryeong's voice brimmed with vitality.

Dam Ho listened to Hwang Hye-ryeong's voice, yet his gaze remained fixed outside the window.

Jade-colored water reflected fragments of light as it flowed onward. The jade hue swirled even in Dam Ho's eyes.

With the Demonic Cult taking the field, the world was descending into chaos.

The countless sects that had sustained the Murim were now arming for war. They gathered resources, recalled disciples who had been away, and a pall of conflict hung over the entire martial world.

The common folk suffered greatly as well. With the martial artists on edge, the slightest misstep could result in a beating.

In such circumstances, the common people avoided venturing outside as much as possible, and the streets grew quiet.

Even those few who gathered in small groups worried about the future of the Murim.

The future they envisioned was bleak, filled only with darkness.

On the journey here, Dam Ho had seen and heard much.

The Murim was in turmoil, consumed by confusion.

Dam Ho observed all of it with a cold gaze. But he was not merely cold.

That night, something within Dam Ho had changed.

He could not pinpoint exactly what had changed, but change it had.

Dam Ho found this transformation somewhat unsettling. Yet he had carved a single word deep into his heart.

'Even should fierce storms come, a steadfast heart will suffice. I will not be shaken by any wind.'

Dam Ho felt that he could now meet Hyeon-so Sage. After his business at Huangshan was concluded, he intended to seek out Mount Hua.

He wished to speak with Hyeon-so Sage.

How he had lived.

He wished to ask.

How he should live going forward.

And he wished to share a cup of wine with Hyeon-so Sage. At last, he felt he could understand why his Master had drunk so much.

"Brother!"

Dam Ho's reverie was broken by the sound of Bang Jin-bo's voice.

"What is it?"

"Your meal has arrived. Please try it."

"Very well."

Dam Ho nodded.

Bang Jin-bo watched Dam Ho pick up his chopsticks and tilted his head.

"What?"

"No, it's nothing. You just seem a little different. Hehe! I suppose it's my imagination."

Bang Jin-bo scratched his head with his characteristic laugh.

From beside them, Hwang Hye-ryeong made a remark.

"When you look closely, Jin-bo, you really do seem to care for Big Brother."

"Me?"

"You pay such close attention to his every movement."

"D-do I?"

Bang Jin-bo's face reddened slightly.

"You're just like a real younger brother."

"Really?"

"Yes!"

"Hehe!"

"Could you really be that happy? Tsk!"

In the end, Hwang Hye-ryeong could not help but burst into laughter.

At that moment,

"What is so amusing?"

A booming voice suddenly echoed through the inn.

Hwang Hye-ryeong turned in surprise. The moment she recognized the face of the man standing at the inn's entrance, a radiant smile spread across her entire face like a wave.

"Father!"

"Tsk tsk! You little troublemaker."

The man clicking his tongue at Hwang Hye-ryeong was a man in his sixties. Though approaching twilight, his seven-chi frame radiated a presence as unyielding as a cliff face. He was none other than the Chief Banner Master of the Overlord's Banner, the Overlord, Hwang Gyeong-mun, who stood at the apex of the Eighteen Greenwood Strongholds.

Hwang Gyeong-mun spread his arms wide. Hwang Hye-ryeong leapt into them as lightly as a butterfly.

"You rascal!"

"Father! How did you come here?"

"How indeed? Word came that you had arrived at the base of the mountain, but when a long time passed and you did not come up, I came down to escort you myself."

"Hehe!"

Hwang Gyeong-mun rubbed Hwang Hye-ryeong's head with his large hand. Even as her carefully arranged hair was mussed, the smile did not leave her face.

The reunion of father and daughter brought smiles to the faces of all who watched. But there was one exception—Dam Ho.

His gaze deepened still further.

'So you are not Ga-ryeong, but Hwang Hye-ryeong.'

Only now did it seem he could fully accept that truth. And strangely, his heart felt at ease.

Hwang Gyeong-mun's gaze fell upon Dam Ho.

"And this is?"

"Ah! This is Big Brother Dam Ho, the Fist Demon."

"The Fist Demon?"

In that instant, Hwang Gyeong-mun's eyes flickered.

He might not have known the name Dam Ho, but he knew the epithet Fist Demon. No, it would have been stranger if he did not.

Dam Ho was that famous in the Murim.

People considered him a far greater martial artist than Gu Mu-ryong. He was recognized not merely as a rising talent, but as one of the supreme masters of the Murim.

Hwang Gyeong-mun clasped his fist in salute toward Dam Ho.

"I did not know we had such an honored guest. I am Hwang Gyeong-mun of the Greenwood."

"Dam Ho."

Dam Ho returned the salute.

"Haha! A pleasure to meet you. It is a great honor to meet the renowned Hero Dam, who has brought my daughter safely home. I do not know how I can ever repay this debt."

Hwang Gyeong-mun laughed heartily. Yet his gaze remained keen.

'So the Fist Demon lives up to its reputation.'

One who had reached the summit of a great mountain could easily view other peaks from there.

The realm known as, in a word, Supreme Ascension.

Hwang Gyeong-mun's martial prowess had reached the level of standing atop a towering peak and surveying the mountains beyond.

To Dam Ho's eyes, Hwang Gyeong-mun was a figure standing atop another summit. A mountain of solid rock.

That he had reached such a peak was enough to earn Dam Ho's respect.

"I trust my daughter has not been a burden to you, Hero Dam."

"Father…"

Hwang Hye-ryeong cast him a glare.

That she could look lovely even in annoyance made Hwang Gyeong-mun burst into a hearty laugh. He was the very picture of a doting father.

"Come now, let us not stand here. Let us go up to the stronghold. I have fine wine from last year. It should be worth drinking."

Hwang Gyeong-mun seized Dam Ho's hand and pulled him along.

His demeanor was so unpretentious that it was hard to believe he was the supreme ruler of the Greenwood. But Dam Ho understood his behavior.

It was a sign of confidence in his own strength. Because he was strong, he could afford to be at ease.

Stepping outside, they found several dozen Greenwood warriors waiting. They were Hwang Gyeong-mun's guards.

"Young Mistress!"

They lit up at the sight of Hwang Hye-ryeong. Hwang Hye-ryeong greeted them with a smile as well.

"Uncle Song, Uncle Yun, you came too!"

"Haha! We missed you so much, we came at once."

The Greenwood warriors chattered noisily. Their voices were loud enough, yet Hwang Hye-ryeong responded to each one without losing her smile.

It was not a forced smile, but a natural warmth that shone through. One could see how deeply she was loved by the people of the stronghold.

Hwang Gyeong-mun scowled at them and shouted.

"Shouldn't you be at the stronghold? What interesting sight drew you all out?"

"Oh, come now! When we heard the Young Mistress was here, we had to come out, of course."

"That's right, Chief Banner Master. The Young Mistress is our daughter too. Don't be so greedy."

The Greenwood warriors booed Hwang Gyeong-mun.

Such a scene would be unimaginable in any ordinary sect. But they were the freemen of the Greenwood.

They could converse freely with the Chief Banner Master and joke without reservation. They fit together remarkably well.

Hwang Gyeong-mun clicked his tongue.

"Tch! You scoundrels!"

Though his words were sharp, his expression was not displeased.

"Come, let us go up. Since we have an honored guest, we should slaughter a pig and a cow."

"Truly?"

"Have I ever deceived you? You wretches!"

"Waaah!"

At Hwang Gyeong-mun's shout, a tremendous cheer erupted.

"A feast! A feast!"

"It's been too long since we've had a good feast on meat. What luck! That stingy Chief Banner Master is throwing a feast!"

The hall was instantly filled with boisterous voices.

A smile touched the lips of Hwang Gyeong-mun as he looked at his people.

He had been thinking of holding a boisterous feast to boost morale. His daughter's return provided a fine pretext.

'One needs to eat well to have the strength to fight.'

Hwang Gyeong-mun turned and began walking toward the summit of Huangshan.

At that moment, an excited voice reached his ears. Turning, he saw the chubby boy standing beside his daughter, clenching both fists and muttering.

"Meat, meat!"

Bang Jin-bo's eyes were glistening with tears.