Chapter 444

Chapter 444 – Avici Hell Opens (1)

Cho Yeon-woon suddenly turned his head to look beside him. Then he saw Eun So-cheong walking silently with her shoulders hunched.

Still young Eun So-cheong's appearance was pitiful. Dust had settled thick on her head and shoulders, and her face looked haggard.

Having lived in luxury her whole life as the young master of the great Eun Merchant Group, when would Eun So-cheong have suffered such hardship? Though clearly in considerable pain, she showed no sign of it.

Cho Yeon-woon thought she was admirable.

Though they'd escaped crisis with Geom Yul-cheon's help, not knowing when the Demon Cult might send pursuers, they'd traveled almost without rest for days. Too harsh a schedule for delicate Eun So-cheong to endure. Yet she followed Cho Yeon-woon without complaint. But exhaustion was evident on her face.

"Let's rest briefly. Coming this far, the Demon Cult's pursuers can't follow any longer."

Eun So-cheong raised her head to look up at Cho Yeon-woon.

"If it's because of me, it's okay. I can walk more."

"Not because of you. I'm tired. Everyone rest here briefly."

Cho Yeon-woon called loudly to the suicide squad. Then they sat down as if waiting.

"Huu!"

"Mmm!"

Low groans flowed from everywhere.

Though not saying so, they were quite exhausted. Simply not showing it for their comrades' sake.

Cho Yeon-woon approached Hae So-wol and Cheong-un.

"So Cheon?"

"Much better. But we need proper treatment."

Deep shadows covered Hae So-wol's face.

So Cheon's wounds that seemed to improve had reopened clashing with the Ten Soldiers, worsening throughout the journey. So Cheon was enduring with superhuman patience and profound power, but needed proper treatment.

"Amitabha! I'm fine. Don't worry."

So Cheon answered forcing a calm expression. But everyone here knew his wounds were serious.

Then Eun So-cheong approached saying.

"Please hang in there. Going a bit more north from here, there's an Eun Merchant Group safe house. We can receive proper treatment there."

"Really? A safe house exists?"

"Large merchant groups like ours prepare safe houses throughout Central Plains for emergencies. Since the future is uncertain, we prepare thoroughly. Fortunately, such a safe house exists not far from here. Outwardly unrelated to the main house, so we can stay safely for a while."

At Eun So-cheong's confident words, the suicide squad martial artists showed relieved expressions.

"Fortunate."

"We owe the Eun Merchant Group many times. We'll never forget this debt."

"Thank you so much."

The suicide squad members expressed gratitude profusely.

From the Martial Alliance to the Demon Cult, and from the Demon Cult to here, they'd become close with Eun So-cheong traveling together. They all felt indebted to Eun So-cheong and the Eun Merchant Group.

The survivors were all Central Plains' greatest prodigies. With most suicide squad members dead, they would certainly lead the future martial world.

Though gaining connections worth billions, Eun So-cheong felt no joy.

Though trying not to show it, she was extremely exhausted now.

'Jin-bo.'

The person she desperately wanted to see this moment was Bang Jin-bo. Somehow mustering strength to return to the Martial Alliance gave even a slim possibility of meeting Bang Jin-bo. Though Eum Yu-kyung warned her not to go to the Martial Alliance, nothing could stop her feelings toward Bang Jin-bo.

Cho Yeon-woon looked at such Eun So-cheong with pitying eyes.

Rather crying about difficulty would be better, but watching her endure gritting teeth throughout looked more pitiful.

Cho Yeon-woon recalled Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo. Then thought to himself.

'Don't worry. Somehow I'll safely deliver So-cheong.'

***

"Mmm!"

With a low groan, Nam Hak regained consciousness.

His unfocused pupils gradually cleared. Then blinking, he soon turned his head looking around.

First entering his view was a campfire burning alone in darkness. As his eyes adjusted to the firelight, he saw four people gathered around it. Among them, one man particularly caught his eye.

A man with an expressionless face wearing pitch-black blood-stained robes indistinguishable from darkness. Nam Hak recognized him instantly.

"Dam… ho."

Hearing his voice, Dam Ho turned his head to look.

Suddenly Nam Hak's face flushed red. Having despised and hated Dam Ho more than anyone yet receiving help and being saved by him was shameful. But he wasn't thick-skinned enough to ignore such grace.

Nam Hak forced himself upright. Then blood flowed again from wounds that had barely scabbed over. Though painful, he maintained a calm expression.

"Thank you. Thanks to you, I survived. I'll definitely repay this debt."

Once confirming his life was saved, Nam Hak's tone became confident. Though his sudden change in tone was irritating, Dam Ho didn't care.

"What happened?"

"I don't know either. I remember meeting some strange old man while escaping from the Demon Cult, but nothing after that. When I came to, I was being taken by them."

When he opened his eyes, his body had no strength. His power sealed, trapped in a large carriage.

Nam Hak pretended to remain unconscious while focusing on recovering power and observing outside the carriage. As a result, he learned his captors were Heavenly Evil Cult martial artists. Then watching for opportunity, once his internal energy somewhat recovered, he broke the window and escaped, that was his explanation.

Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo listened silently to his story.

Nam Hak excitedly described how terrifying the Heavenly Evil Cult was. As if thereby offsetting his shameful feelings.

"They're inciting conflict between the Demon Cult and Martial Alliance from shadows. We must quickly inform the Martial Alliance of their existence to prepare countermeasures. So I hope you'll help me return safely to the Martial Alliance."

Nam Hak confidently requested Dam Ho's protection. His initial shameful expression had completely disappeared.

Instead of answering, Dam Ho asked.

"What happened at the Martial Alliance?"

"The raid failed. Somehow they already sensed our presence and waited fully prepared. Most of the suicide squad died or were captured. At least because I remained last blocking enemies, quite many could escape."

Nam Hak calmly lied without blinking.

Thinking no way existed for his opponent to learn the truth anyway.

"Who escaped?"

"I can't know precisely either. If I hadn't been subdued by that strange old man, I could have known."

"Explain."

"What?"

"About the strange old man."

"That's……"

Instantly Nam Hak's face contorted.

Trying to recall the strange old man at Dam Ho's words, it was hazy like fog filled his mind. Though he'd clearly seen him, he couldn't remember the old man's face.

"That's……"

Nam Hak's face flushed red with sweat pouring. Dam Ho watched such Nam Hak indifferently.

"I can't remember. I think he said something. Urgh!"

Suddenly Nam Hak trembled violently foaming at the mouth.

"What?"

Bang Jin-bo and the Namgung brothers rose in surprise at such Nam Hak's appearance. They involuntarily stepped back.

His bulging veins and bloodshot eyes looked ominous.

"He, he was… Krrgh!"

Nam Hak collapsed face-down trembling.

Dam Ho stood up.

He no longer looked at Nam Hak. Because ominous energy was felt around since Nam Hak's convulsions began.

A chilling wind was blowing. Something invisible was causing wind to blow from Mount Tianzhong.

Like pricking nerves with thousands of tiny needles, unpleasant and irritating.

Dam Ho's eyes sank deeply.

Nam Hak rolling on the ground was no longer his concern.

Bang Jin-bo also sensed the ominous atmosphere, his face hardening. His whole body felt chilly as if feverish. The Namgung brothers' faces were deathly pale.

"Come here."

Bang Jin-bo embraced the Namgung brothers while stepping back. His response looked quite experienced. He was no longer a novice. An adult who judges situations himself rather than relying blindly on Dam Ho.

Dam Ho was silent. He stared at the darkness with firmly closed mouth. The darkness seemed to writhe like a living creature, approaching then circling around as if blocked by the campfire's light.

A bizarre scene never seen before. But Dam Ho's eyes showed no wavering.

A phenomenon impossible to occur naturally.

"Sorcery?"

As if proving Dam Ho's words, Dark Soul Cultivation Technique responded automatically.

Dark Soul Cultivation Technique contained the principles of Demonic Cultivation Method, the orthodox Hua Mountain Sect technique. Mount Hua's oldest and heaviest cultivation method, Demonic Cultivation Method was the nemesis of various evil energies, thus responding automatically.

"Urgh!"

Unlike Dam Ho or Bang Jin-bo, the Namgung brothers with still-weak internal energy retched at the sorcery's foul energy.

Bang!

Instantly Dam Ho stamped his foot hard.

A Great Earthquake Step concentrating power.

The earth shook as if an earthquake occurred. From the earth's shaking, the darkness encircling near the campfire greatly surged back. Then a strange figure hidden in darkness revealed himself.

A strange figure wearing bizarre clothes covering head to toe. He'd heard people in the Western Regions wore such clothes, but seeing it directly was a first.

As the darkness surrounding him was pushed back, he showed momentary confusion, but the strange figure instantly regained composure.

"Impressive. Fist Demon! To think you'd shake the Thousand Soul Evil Energy with mere stamping."

His voice like a crow's cry, rough and ominous, grated uneasily on people's nerves.

Pat!

Instantly Dam Ho moved.

Already deploying Charging Steps, he rushed at the strange figure.

Soul-Breaking Hammer exploded at the strange figure's chest, blowing a huge hole. The strange figure muttered as if absurd.

"Krugh! Truly rude as I heard."

With still-rough voice, the strange figure's body greatly surged then instantly melted like summer ice.

Dam Ho withdrawing his fist watched the melted strange figure's appearance and spoke.

"What fears you enough to project an illusion?"

The fist exploding at the strange figure held no feeling. As empty as punching air. Not a true body but an illusion.

Instantly the darkness behind Dam Ho greatly surged, and the strange figure appeared like magic. As if dropped from the sky.

Dam Ho left the illusion behind and looked at the newly appeared strange figure. Then the strange figure raised his head looking at Dam Ho.

"Mmm!"

"Hek!"

Seeing the strange figure's face, Bang Jin-bo and the Namgung brothers simultaneously cried out. The strange figure's face was vague as if lumped together. Like covered in fog.

Bang Jin-bo raised power concentrating on both eyes, but failed to penetrate the fog to recognize the strange figure's true face.

Even deeper shadows fell on Dam Ho's eyes.

"Heavenly Evil Cult?"

"Correct. My name is Ghost Demon."

The strange figure was precisely Ghost Demon.

Heavenly Evil Cult's second-in-command and one acting on the Leader's will. He'd personally revealed himself before Dam Ho.

Tremendous evil energy flowed from his entire body. Enough to instantly drive mad anyone who hadn't learned orthodox sect internal energy, his evil energy was that terrible.

Indeed, the Namgung brothers directly exposed to his evil energy had deathly pale faces, their bodies trembling as if epileptic.

"Did you track Nam Hak?"

"No, I came to see you."

"Why?"

"Would you believe if I said I wanted to see your face?"

"……"

"I'll be honest. I came to erase you from the world."

"Alone?"

"Really? Maybe if the Leader came? I lack confidence to handle you with force."

"Yet you came?"

"That's why erasing, not killing. By banishing from this world."

The fog covering Ghost Demon's face undulated freely. Seeing this, Bang Jin-bo and the Namgung brothers felt he was smiling and shuddered. That much ominous, unidentifiable energy was felt from Ghost Demon's entire body.

The evil energy Ghost Demon brought writhed like a tidal wave. But the evil energy dared not approach Dam Ho's vicinity, only swirling around. Dam Ho's energy blocked the evil energy's approach. So Dam Ho didn't greatly concern himself with the evil energy. And Ghost Demon knew that fact too.

No matter how tremendous the evil energy invading the area, without consuming Dam Ho it was meaningless.

Ghost Demon's eyes flashed.

"That's why I needed him."

Instantly Dam Ho's eyebrows twitched. Noticing Ghost Demon's gaze directed not at himself but someone else.

'Nam Hak!'

"Krrrrr!"

A bizarre scream burst from behind.

It was Nam Hak.