Chapter 371

Chapter 371 – Debts Must Always Be Repaid (3)

Blood spurted from Namgung Chang's seven orifices before he collapsed powerlessly. That was the end of Martial Alliance strategist Namgung Chang.

"Ah!"

Someone burst out in lamentation.

That was the beginning.

"For the strategist to end up like that……"

"He truly is terrifying. The Namgung family head, the Sword King Unit, and even the strategist – all of them killed by his hands."

"With this, the Namgung family has been completely ruined by his hands."

To the heroes, the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families were imprinted as iron fortresses that would never fall.

Their presence in the martial world was so overwhelming that they had never once imagined the picture of them collapsing.

To the extent that they couldn't even imagine someone challenging their stronghold that dominated the most prosperous provinces in the Central Plains. But today, before their very eyes, a great family belonging to the Five Great Families had fallen by Dam Ho alone.

The feeling of witnessing the fall of legends that had dominated the martial world until now wasn't as exhilarating as expected. No, it was rather frightening.

If Mount Hua Sect had helped, it might have been different, but all of this was accomplished by Dam Ho's strength alone.

Dam Ho was an existence far beyond their imagination, completely outside any standard.

No words could define him. At least not with words that had existed until now.

A martial artist like Dam Ho had never existed in martial arts history.

If one were to look for martial artists who were simply as strong as Dam Ho, there would be quite many. The first ones that came to mind were the founding ancestors of the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families.

They were those who had dominated their eras and created the starting points of today's great forces based on their tremendous martial power. But they were never alone.

Though not recorded in history, they had countless supporters and laid their foundations with their help.

Dam Ho was different from them.

He was thoroughly alone.

Of course, supporters like Mount Hua Sect and Cho Yeon-woon existed, but separate from them, he acted completely alone.

Dam Ho was an iron-blooded warrior with no negotiations and no retreat.

With his individual strength, he had brought down countless absolute masters and sects to stand in this position.

Dam Ho was a martial artist who had walked over mountains of corpses and rivers of blood. Everything he had accomplished until now was solely his own history.

Looking through all of martial arts history, no martial artist had walked such a bloody path as Dam Ho. Not even the successive cult leaders of the Demon Cult who reigned as beings of terror.

That's why he felt more frightening.

It was also the reason they couldn't simply cheer for a martial artist who was creating unbelievable history.

"Amitabha! Amitabha!"

Gwang-cheon closed his eyes tightly and continuously turned the prayer beads in his hands.

Though he had already heard and known about Dam Ho's unbelievable martial prowess, the intensity of shock felt from seeing it directly with his eyes was different.

His shoulders were experiencing slight tremors. He was still relatively well off. Gwang-mun, who had continued to oppose Dam Ho since he came to Shaolin Temple, couldn't even dare to look at Dam Ho directly.

'A demon thirsting for blood. How can a human……'

His shoulders and hands were trembling. He tried hard to regain his composure, but his body was already beyond control.

It was the same for the monks of Discipline Hall. Fear was clearly visible on their faces.

That's when it happened.

In a world where everyone was frozen stiff, there were three people approaching Dam Ho.

"Dam Ho!"

"Brother!"

"Big brother!"

They were Cho Yeon-woon, Bang Jin-bo, and Eun So-cheong.

Unlike the others, their faces were full of joy.

Especially Bang Jin-bo and Eun So-cheong even had tears glistening in their eyes. Dam Ho nodded silently as he looked at them. At this, the two broke into bright smiles.

They didn't care what expressions others were making. They were just happy to meet Dam Ho again.

Dam Ho silently comforted them. Meanwhile, Cho Yeon-woon approached.

"Yeon-woon."

"Now I have confidence."

"……"

"Confidence that I can help you."

Cho Yeon-woon smiled gently and extended his hand. Dam Ho nodded and grasped that hand.

***

"Phew!"

There was a woman wiping the sweat dripping from her forehead with a light sigh. A large man beside her looked at her with a worried expression.

"Are you alright, Miss?"

"I'm fine! It's just a little hot."

"Please tell me if it gets difficult."

"I'm okay."

The smiling woman was precisely Hwang Hye-ryeong. The large man accompanying her was precisely Muk Il-gwang.

The two were heading north after leaving Huangshan's Overlord Stronghold.

Though they were on the road to take refuge at Mount Hua on the orders of her father Hwang Gyeong-mun, her expression wasn't very bright.

Reading Hwang Hye-ryeong's heart, Muk Il-gwang comforted her.

"The Grand Leader will be fine. Don't worry, Miss."

"You think so?"

"I'm certain. The Overlord Stronghold is a natural fortress. As long as the Grand Leader and brothers are determined to defend it, no one can do anything to the Overlord Stronghold. Even the Demon Cult."

"Hearing Il-gwang's words gives me some comfort."

"It's not comfort. That's the truth."

"Right!"

Hwang Hye-ryeong nodded.

Only after confirming her somewhat relieved expression did Muk Il-gwang look around.

Though it had been quite a while since they left Huangshan, they still hadn't escaped Anhui Province. It wasn't because they were lazy. The chaotic situation in Anhui Province made it inevitable.

As the Demon Cult expanded its territory to the adjacent Jiangxi Province, a state of emergency was declared throughout Anhui Province. The leader of Anhui Province had traditionally been the Namgung family.

Though their power had greatly deteriorated after losing the family head and Sword King Unit due to Dam Ho, their position as leader of Anhui Province remained unchanged. This was why the martial families and sects of Anhui Province had no choice but to unite centered around the Namgung family.

Numerous martial artists were stationed on the main roads of Anhui Province. They were conducting searches with blazing eyes to root out Demon Cult martial artists.

Given this situation, Hwang Hye-ryeong and Muk Il-gwang's movements had to be cautious. Since there was nothing good about catching the martial artists' attention, they traveled only on roads with few people. Therefore, they still hadn't escaped Anhui Province.

"Once we get out of Anhui Province, we'll be able to pick up speed immediately. So don't worry too much."

"Right!"

Hwang Hye-ryeong nodded. Her face was being dyed completely golden by the sunset.

"Even though the sun is setting, it's still hot."

"You're right. It's sweltering."

"Will we have to sleep outdoors again today?"

"It seems we'll have to. There are no houses on this road. If we go about ten li in that direction, there's a suitable place. We can sleep outdoors there tonight."

"Il-gwang can handle that matter."

"Yes!"

At Muk Il-gwang's answer, Hwang Hye-ryeong smiled again.

He was truly an utterly honest man. That's why she trusted him. Almost on the same level as her father Hwang Gyeong-mun and older brother Dam Ho.

As Muk Il-gwang said, after going another ten li, a place suitable for sleeping outdoors appeared.

There was a hollowed-out area under a huge rock larger than most pavilions that would block any rain or wind. Nearby there was also a small stream, making it truly optimal terrain for camping.

"You must be tired, so please rest for a moment, Miss."

"I'll help too."

"No. I can do it myself."

Even when Hwang Hye-ryeong offered to help, Muk Il-gwang refused. He forced Hwang Hye-ryeong to rest and gathered firewood.

No matter how much it was summer, mountain nights were quite cold. Without lighting a campfire, it was perfect for catching a cold. And fire was absolutely necessary to chase away any wild animals and for cooking.

Muk Il-gwang skillfully lit a campfire and prepared for cooking. Though Muk Il-gwang was as large as a bear, people often thought he would be crude based on his appearance alone, but he was actually a very meticulous man.

He organized the surroundings so Hwang Hye-ryeong could rest comfortably before starting to cook. Though cooking amounted to making simple porridge using dried provisions.

Muk Il-gwang had learned to make simple dishes from Bang Jin-bo when he was at the Overlord Stronghold. All of this was part of his efforts to make Hwang Hye-ryeong even a little more comfortable.

While Muk Il-gwang was cooking like this, the sun completely set and darkness engulfed the surroundings. The temperature dropped sharply. The fact that it had been so hot just moments before felt like a lie.

But because there was a campfire brightly illuminating the surroundings, Hwang Hye-ryeong wasn't flustered. Meanwhile, Muk Il-gwang was steadily making food.

Hwang Hye-ryeong suddenly lifted her head to look at the sky. Then a sea of stars that seemed ready to pour down, filling the night sky, came fully into her vision.

"Ah!"

It was beautiful enough to naturally burst into exclamation.

Muk Il-gwang, who had been cooking, also briefly stopped moving and looked up at the sky like her. A smile similar to Hwang Hye-ryeong's appeared on his face too.

Others might call him a fool for how blindly he cared for Hwang Hye-ryeong. But Muk Il-gwang himself liked this aspect of himself. This moment together with Hwang Hye-ryeong was more precious than anything.

To Muk Il-gwang, Hwang Hye-ryeong wasn't simply the daughter of his lord. He harbored much deeper feelings. Just the fact that he was in the same space with her was enough for Muk Il-gwang to smile.

As the porridge boiled, a savory aroma spread around. Muk Il-gwang instinctively knew the porridge was done and took the pot off the campfire.

"It's ready, Miss."

It was when Muk Il-gwang was ladling porridge into a bowl.

Grumble!

Suddenly the sound of a growling stomach echoed through the darkness.

Instantly Hwang Hye-ryeong's face turned red as she said:

"It wasn't me."

"Miss?"

"I'm telling you it really wasn't me."

Hwang Hye-ryeong waved her hands, worried that Muk Il-gwang might misunderstand. At this, Muk Il-gwang frowned.

That's when it happened.

"I'm hungry! Can I get some food too?"

Suddenly a voice came from the darkness.

Muk Il-gwang shouted:

"Who's there?"

"Ah, I'm not a bad person. You don't need to be so wary."

A woman of mysterious age appeared from the darkness.

She was a woman in her late twenties wearing sky-blue robes. She was a stunning beauty with dreamy, hazy eyes as if she were dreaming. Even the surrounding darkness seemed to retreat at her appearance.

What was unique was the pipa hanging behind her back. The pipa dangling like an ornament added to her already mysterious atmosphere.

The woman's hazy gaze was fixed on the pot in front of Muk Il-gwang.

"I'm really hungry, so won't you share some with me? I'll repay you properly."

The woman grabbed her stomach with one hand and made a pitiful expression. At the woman's appearance, Muk Il-gwang was momentarily at a loss.

That's when Hwang Hye-ryeong stepped forward and said:

"Sister, come here. Let's eat together."

"Really?"

"Yes! Il-gwang big brother has big hands, so he made plenty of porridge. There's enough even if we eat together, so don't worry."

"Thank you! Little sister. You'll be blessed."

The woman smiled brightly and came over to sit down next to Hwang Hye-ryeong with a thump. Her appearance seemed very unpretentious.

Hwang Hye-ryeong first handed her a bowl filled with porridge.

"Please eat."

"Thank you!"

The woman didn't refuse and hurriedly ate the porridge. Muk Il-gwang looked at Hwang Hye-ryeong.

"Miss!"

"It's okay!"

Hwang Hye-ryeong smiled, but Muk Il-gwang couldn't smile.

'I didn't notice her approach until she spoke herself.'

Considering Muk Il-gwang's martial prowess, this was impossible. He didn't let down his guard and watched the woman. Then the woman lifted her head to look at him.

"You don't need to be so wary. I'm a good person."

"A good person?"

"Right! My name is Yo Sa-ran."

"Yo Sa-ran?"

Deep furrows formed on Muk Il-gwang's brow. It was a name he had never heard before. But he couldn't ask any more. The woman who had revealed herself as Yo Sa-ran had buried her head in the porridge bowl again and was eating hurriedly.

"This is really delicious. So delicious."

Her exclamation echoed through the darkness. Her voice spread far and wide, leaving a strange resonance.