Chapter 184

Chapter 184: The Age of Dragons and Tigers (3)

Hyeon-gwang was one of the Hyeon generation elders of the Mount Hua Sect. Naturally of a quiet temperament, and the youngest among the Hyeon generation, he had rarely ventured into the public eye.

Because of this, even within the Mount Hua Sect, aside from the first-generation disciples, few knew of his existence.

Hyeon-gwang, who ordinarily rarely left the mountain gates, had not only done so but was now staying in Luoyang, Henan Province.

He was residing at the Hwayang Inn near the South Gate of Luoyang. The Hwayang Inn was the grandest and most splendid inn in all of Luoyang. It was a place that neither the poor nor vagrants dared enter.

Hyeon-gwang occupied a private wing of the Hwayang Inn.

"Hah! I never thought I would leave Mount Hua in my lifetime."

He let out a soft sigh.

"Is something troubling you, Master?"

Ho-gyeong, who stood nearby, asked.

Ho-gyeong was Hyeon-gwang's sole disciple. He shared his master's quiet disposition and had accompanied him to attend to his needs.

Ho-gyeong had spent his entire life on Mount Hua. This was the first time he had stepped beyond the mountain gates.

Hyeon-gwang looked at Ho-gyeong with a warm smile.

"It is nothing. Are you uncomfortable in any way?"

"No."

"I have caused you trouble by dragging you along."

"Not at all. I am glad simply to be able to stay by your side, Master."

"Your words alone are a comfort."

"I do not speak empty words."

"I know."

His disciple's sincerity momentarily made Hyeon-gwang forget his worries.

Hyeon-gwang had descended Mount Hua and come to Luoyang to make contact with Shaolin Temple.

Hyeon-cheon, the Grandmaster of the Mount Hua Sect, desired a closer alliance with Shaolin Temple. The reasoning was that by coordinating with Shaolin, the foremost power of the martial world, they could more effectively counter the Demonic Cult.

The key figures of the Mount Hua Sect were each occupied with important tasks and had no time to spare. Thus, Hyeon-gwang, who was relatively unoccupied, had been sent to discuss cooperation with Shaolin.

Ho-gyeong asked.

"Master, shall we ascend to Shaolin Temple tomorrow?"

"We will not be going to Shaolin."

"What?"

Ho-gyeong wore a puzzled expression. He did not immediately understand.

"Shaolin will send someone here."

"Here?"

"That is correct."

"Who?"

"I do not know the details, but will it not be someone of importance?"

"Would it not be simpler if we went up ourselves?"

"The Demonic Cult will surely have eyes on this place as well. If they learn that the Mount Hua Sect is making contact with Shaolin, do you think they will stand by idly?"

"I see."

Only then did Ho-gyeong nod in understanding.

Having spent his entire life within the confines of Mount Hua, Ho-gyeong was excessively pure. He knew nothing of the world's filth or its conspiracies.

Hyeon-gwang did not wish to stain his disciple with the grime of the secular world if he could help it. But with the world in turmoil, he could not cling to his own desires forever. That was a source of deep regret for Hyeon-gwang.

Hyeon-gwang gazed out the window.

With the emergence of the Demonic Cult, chaos was spreading across the land. Yet here in Luoyang, it was as though they existed in another world, the city blazing with light.

Though clearly diminished from before, countless people still strolled the streets, drinking and enjoying themselves.

Hyeon-gwang could not understand this. Having lived his entire life on the mountain, the sight of these common folk seemed alien to him.

"Oh, by the way, have you heard the news?"

"What news?"

"About Un-gyeong, Senior Brother."

"Hm?"

Hyeon-gwang tilted his head. Ho-gyeong continued.

"Un-gyeong is said to be staying in Shouzhou."

"What is he doing in Shouzhou? Did he perhaps find Sage Hyeon-so?"

"I do not know that much. He only sent word that he would remain in Shouzhou for the time being."

"Hmm!"

Hyeon-gwang's expression hardened.

Sage Hyeon-so was his senior brother. But they were not particularly close. They had different masters, and both detested anything complicated.

Because of this, even knowing that Sage Hyeon-so was suffering from the trouble of taking Dam Ho as his disciple, Hyeon-gwang had not helped or stepped forward. Those actions now weighed upon his conscience.

"I wonder if he is well. I hope nothing has happened to him."

"What could happen? He is an elder of the Mount Hua Sect, after all."

"But he does not practice martial arts. He has no means of self-defense, does he?"

"I cannot fathom how a disciple like the Fist Demon emerged from under a man like that."

Ho-gyeong also knew of Dam Ho.

The lame disciple of Mount Hua.

The elders had rejected Dam Ho, and the disciples had mocked him.

Shamefully, Ho-gyeong had been one of them. Looking at the lame Dam Ho, he had thought only that a cripple was tainting the waters of Mount Hua.

Because of this, when Dam Ho had been unable to return to Mount Hua thirteen years ago, he had not felt particularly regretful. He had even forgotten that Dam Ho existed.

The Dam Ho who had faded from memory came back to life only a matter of months ago.

The Fist Demon, who had struck down countless martial heroes and spread fear throughout the martial world, was in truth the shame of the Mount Hua Sect—Dam Ho.

At first, he could not believe the rumors. But when even Myeong-gyeong, the greatest genius of the Mount Hua Sect, acknowledged his defeat to Dam Ho, he had no choice but to believe.

Dam Ho, once scorned by all, had become an absolute master, acknowledged not only on Mount Hua but throughout the world.

Though he had been branded a public enemy of the martial world and rejected, his overwhelming power was undeniably real.

Hyeon-gwang let out a sigh.

"Hah! We were all wrong. How could Taoists who cultivate the Way have judged a person by his appearance and rejected him so?"

"I am ashamed. I too kept my distance from Cheong-gyeong based only on his outward appearance."

"Now they wish to bring him back to Mount Hua? I cannot fathom the Grandmaster's thinking at all. Moreover, did the Murim Alliance not designate him a public enemy?"

"Surely they think that is a price worth paying. After all, they do not completely trust the Murim Alliance."

"That may be so. People think they can have it both ways, but I never imagined Mount Hua would stoop to this."

As Hyeon-gwang shook his head…

Knock!

Suddenly, someone rapped on the door of the private wing.

Tension flashed in the eyes of Hyeon-gwang and Ho-gyeong, and then a voice came.

"Hyeon-gwang, this is Kwang-hae from Shaolin."

"Kwang-hae?"

Hyeon-gwang and Ho-gyeong exchanged glances.

The Kwang generation was the elder rank at Shaolin.

Hyeon-gwang hurriedly opened the door. Before him stood an elderly monk with a white beard that reached his chest.

Nine red precept marks upon his brow, and a wise light in his eyes.

Even without an introduction, one could instinctively know that this old monk was a僧 of Shaolin Temple.

"Amitabha! I am Hyeon-gwang from Mount Hua. It is an honor to meet such a great monk of Shaolin."

"Great monk is too kind. Ordinarily, Senior Brother Kwang-mun should have come, but he sustained unexpected injuries, so I came in his stead."

"Oh dear! What on earth happened?"

Kwang-hae answered with a bitter smile.

Though it had not been made public, Shaolin Temple had sustained severe damage. Not long ago, an intruder had inflicted grave injuries upon not only the One Hundred and Eight Arhats but also Kwang-mun himself. And So-cheon, once called the hope of Shaolin, had been gravely wounded and was still receiving treatment.

The culprits were only two. But in truth, it was one man who had dealt the damage to Shaolin. Because of this, Shaolin Temple was currently in a state of mourning.

Shaolin had insisted on holding the meeting in Luoyang precisely because they did not wish to reveal the battered state of the temple.

Behind Kwang-hae stood over a dozen young monks. They were the first and second generation disciples who had followed Kwang-mun. They watched Hyeon-gwang and Ho-gyeong with curious eyes.

Hyeon-gwang said to Ho-gyeong.

"Go outside and guard the entrance with them."

"Yes! Master."

Ho-gyeong answered and went out.

It was his master's intention for him to form connections with Shaolin's young monks during this opportunity. Ho-gyeong preferred solitude, but he could not disregard his master's wishes.

"Amitabha!"

Shaolin's young monks welcomed Ho-gyeong with smiles.

Once the disciples had all gone out, Hyeon-gwang and Kwang-hae sat down to confer.

The two represented the Mount Hua Sect and Shaolin Temple respectively. They each conveyed their sect's positions and began to harmonize their opinions.

During that time, Ho-gyeong was conversing with Shaolin's disciples at the main entrance of the private wing.

"How is Mount Hua? Being located at the forefront, you must feel quite insecure."

"That is true. Given the events of thirty years ago, we are especially sensitive."

"I see. With the Demonic Cult's attacks growing ever more fierce, it is a worry."

"The Murim Alliance should hold them back, should they not? After all, it is the one organization that gathers the power of the entire martial world."

"Amitabha!"

Both Shaolin and Mount Hua shared the same anxiety.

Above all, Ho-gyeong and Shaolin's disciples were still young. Youth brought vigor, but before a future that could not be guaranteed, their spirits inevitably shrank.

As they were exchanging words…

"Pardon the intrusion, but is this the place where the secret meeting between Shaolin and Mount Hua is being held?"

"Huh!"

At the sudden voice, Ho-gyeong and Shaolin's monks were startled.

Turning their heads, they saw a red-haired, red-bearded old man standing before them, grinning broadly.

Behind the old man stood over a dozen martial artists.

"Wh-when did you…"

Disbelief was written across Ho-gyeong's face.

Though they had been conversing leisurely, their senses had not been dulled. Yet the old man and his followers had approached right before them without being detected at all.

Had the old man so desired, their lives would already be forfeit.

Ho-gyeong swallowed dryly and asked.

"Wh-who are you, sir old man?"

"Ha ha! A disciple with no manners. I believe I asked the question first—is this where the meeting between Shaolin and Mount Hua is taking place?"

Ho-gyeong and the monks exchanged glances. The old man burst into hearty laughter.

"I suppose I asked an unnecessary question. With these bald heads right before my eyes. Naturally, you are from Shaolin Temple. And you must be from the Mount Hua Sect."

The old man was still laughing. But the instant Ho-gyeong and the monks saw that smile, they felt an indescribable terror and their bodies stiffened.

They used their qinggong to leap backward and shouted.

"Ambush!"

"Tch! Truly unmannered brats."

The old man waved his hand as though bothered. The gesture was simple, as though swatting away insects, but it contained a terrifying depth of cultivation.

BOOM!

The violent impact caused the air to explode.

"Cough!"

"Hah!"

Ho-gyeong and the monks vomited blood and dropped to one knee.

Black Heart Demonic Hand—the name of the martial art the old man had unleashed.

A technique passed down through a single lineage, it boasted fearsome power.

"Ho-gyeong!"

"Hyeon-cheon, Woo-cheon!"

Hyeon-gwang and Kwang-hae burst forth.

Seeing their disciples collapsed on the ground, they did not hesitate and unleashed their respective techniques at the old man.

Plum Blossom Clear Heart Palm and Enemy Annihilation Claw.

Both were supreme techniques even within the Mount Hua Sect and Shaolin Temple.

Crash!

A tremendous surge of energy from their palms hurtled toward the old man.

Boom!

But the martial arts they displayed were effortlessly shattered by the old man's Black Heart Demonic Hand.

"Kuh!"

"Amitabha!"

They were sent staggering backward, deep footprints carved into the floor where they had stood.

A bright smile spread across the old man's face.

"Useless resistance only increases your suffering."

"Who are you?"

Hyeon-gwang wiped the blood from his lips with his sleeve and asked.

"You already know. Why bother asking?"

"The Demonic Cult?"

"My name is On Sang-cheon."

On Sang-cheon neither confirmed nor denied. He simply wore an enigmatic smile.

From the other's reaction, Hyeon-gwang was certain he was a member of the Demonic Cult. No one else would have reason to attack them.

On Sang-cheon spread both hands wide. His palms gradually darkened. Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Hyeon-gwang and Kwang-hae exchanged a glance and attacked together.

Crash!

A thunderous roar echoed through the Hwayang Inn.