Chapter 500

Chapter 500 – Fist Demon of Mount Hua [End]

Epilogue

Everyone thought they'd dreamed.

Thought they'd heard auditory hallucinations.

Just as dreams dreamt in the dead of night disappear from memory upon waking the next day, people too forgot that day's memories. Especially those who'd been far from Mount Zhongnan had their memories erased even more cleanly.

But some people didn't forget that day's memories. No, couldn't forget. They were those who'd watched the crack open from closest range.

Cho Yeon-woon, Geom Yul-cheon, Bang Jin-bo, Jong Ri-yeon, Eum Yu-kyung, and Taoist Hyeon-so and others absolutely didn't forget that day's memories. Perhaps because Taoist Hyeon-so's immortal energy protected his party from energy flowing from the crack.

Right after Dam Ho entered, the crack closed.

As if asking when such a thing had happened, the sky returned to normal, and the crack couldn't be found even a trace.

People stared blankly at the space where the crack had formed. People waited hoping Dam Ho would come back out. But no matter how much time passed, Dam Ho didn't reappear.

Meanwhile Cheok Gwan-hyeol died, and most soul sorcerers mobilized to open the crack also lost their lives. Even those who barely survived were in poor condition and gasping severely. They held on a few more days then died.

The people who first acknowledged the fact that Dam Ho wouldn't return and left were Geom Yul-cheon and Eum Yu-kyung.

They had responsibility to clean up the ruined Demon Cult. Though they'd stayed on Mount Zhongnan in case Dam Ho returned, now they had to go back.

Geom Yul-cheon and Eum Yu-kyung bid farewell to Taoist Hyeon-so and others and returned to the Demon Cult again.

The next to leave was Cho Yeon-woon.

Just as Geom Yul-cheon and Eum Yu-gyeong had to clean up the Demon Cult, he had responsibility to clean up Blue Sky Alliance. Eventually he had to forcibly move his feet that wouldn't leave after staying a few more days.

Those who remained until last were Taoist Hyeon-so, Jong Ri-yeon, and Bang Jin-bo. They remained on Mount Zhongnan even after three months passed, just waiting for Dam Ho to return. But there was no telling when Dam Ho would return, and with Zhongnan Sect disciples who survived the great war returning, they had to vacate.

Zhongnan Sect's main mountain had collapsed, and countless disciples had died in the great war with the Demon Cult. They couldn't keep occupying space before those who had to rebuild the sect.

Eventually Taoist Hyeon-so, Bang Jin-bo, and Jong Ri-yeon too had to descend Mount Zhongnan.

During the time they stayed on Mount Zhongnan, the world changed rapidly.

The biggest change among them was that the Demon Cult changed to Divine Demon Alliance. As soon as Geom Yul-cheon officially took office as Cult Leader, he removed all religious color and used the name Divine Demon Alliance. Demon Cult mainstream martial artists violently opposed, but backed by the Thirteen Streams, he boldly carried out reforms.

After perfectly dominating Divine Demon Alliance, Geom Yul-cheon searched for Yeon Seol-hwa. To recover the astronomical wealth she was managing. But Yeon Seol-hwa's figure couldn't be found anywhere, and that much wealth also disappeared without a trace.

To continue establishing themselves in Central Plains required massive funds. The fight to determine Central Plains' hegemon required not only military power but also financial support. But there was no merchant group that would sponsor Divine Demon Alliance at a time like now.

Eventually Geom Yul-cheon had no choice but to move headquarters to Central Plains' southern end. Partly because of his promise with Cho Yeon-woon, but the biggest reason was insufficient funds to hold out in the middle of Central Plains.

Above all, during the Central Plains unification war, too many martial artists and sects were killed by the Demon Cult. When the Demon Cult's momentum pierced the sky, they held their breath, but when the sharp edge was broken by Blue Sky Alliance, resisters appeared everywhere.

They attacked Divine Demon Alliance martial artists doing external activities. As damage grew exponentially, Divine Demon Alliance too had to shrink. It was as if all of Central Plains had become Divine Demon Alliance's enemy.

In this situation, there was no reason to insist on Central Plains. Geom Yul-cheon led Divine Demon Alliance and moved to Yunnan Province, Central Plains' southernmost tip. Since there was a branch secretly made during the Demon Cult period in Yunnan Province, there was no problem.

If there was a problem, it was Diancang Sect, one of the Nine Great Sects. Diancang Sect was a local power that had established itself in Yunnan Province long ago. But after the great war with the Demon Cult, they were in scattered disarray. So even watching Divine Demon Alliance obviously establish itself in their front yard, they couldn't do anything.

Diancang Sect asked Blue Sky Alliance and Central Plains' leading sects for help, but the distance was too far to receive proper help.

Divine Demon Alliance didn't inflict any direct harm on Diancang Sect, but Diancang Sect's position in Yunnan Province gradually narrowed. Eventually, even to continue what lineage remained, Diancang Sect had no choice but to move locations.

For a sect that had reigned as regional hegemon in one area for hundreds of years to move was unimaginably difficult. But the long war had devastated all of Central Plains, and because of that, made many things possible that had been impossible until now.

Many of the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families that seemed eternal declined, or their sect lineages were completely cut off. Many worried about their void, but as if the martial world wouldn't tolerate empty seats, emerging sects arose to fill the void.

Emerging sects were mostly places that had shown sharp edges in the great war with the Demon Cult. They quickly expanded their territories taking advantage of the shaken existing order, and solidified them.

It was impossible without chaotic times.

The great war between Blue Sky Alliance and Demon Cult changed the martial world that way.

New order was born in the martial world, and at its center Blue Sky Alliance existed.

Alliance Leader Cho Yeon-woon wanted to disband Blue Sky Alliance since he'd achieved his original purpose of driving out Divine Demon Alliance, but faced many people's opposition.

The martial world was still chaotic, and many people wanted Blue Sky Alliance to maintain order. So Blue Sky Alliance couldn't be disbanded and continued to be maintained.

The place where Blue Sky Alliance established itself was Yueyang in Hunan Province.

Having passed through Murim Alliance and Demon Cult's main base, Blue Sky Alliance took root in Yueyang again.

Blue Sky Alliance became the new martial world's center that way.

***

Time was like flowing water, and human hearts were impermanent.

New order was born in the martial world and established itself. Old things were forgotten in time, and people poured interest only into new things.

The martial world changed rapidly, and many things changed from before. The change was so rapid that people rather couldn't keep up. But there were also places removed from such rapid currents of the world.

Lu'an located a few hundred li from Hefei, Anhui Province's capital city, along government roads was such a place.

On Lu'an's outskirts, where a fairly large river flowed, there was a small inn. The inn with the plain name Bang Family Inn was very cozy. Previously it was called Peaceful Inn, but after a new owner took over, it was given the name Bang Family Inn.

Tables numbered only eight, and rooms where guests could sleep only five.

Right in front, the river flowed and plum blossoms bloomed profusely in a picturesque landscape, but because it was in too remote a location, not many people visited this place.

In Bang Family Inn's front yard were three or four wide wooden platforms. On the widest platform sat a beautiful woman.

The woman who appeared to be in her early thirties had beautiful eyes full of wisdom. Her eyes were fixed on the riverbank before the inn.

At the riverbank where plum blossoms bloomed profusely, two boys were playing. The woman watching the boys had a deep, profound smile in her eyes.

Then a voice broke her tranquility.

"Has the second child already grown that much?"

"Ah!"

The woman exclaimed and looked back.

A man who appeared mid-forties was looking down at her while on horseback. The moment she confirmed his face, the woman slightly wrinkled her nose tip and grumbled.

She spoke deliberately coyly.

"What business brings Alliance Leader to such countryside?"

"It's been how long since I quit being Alliance Leader and you still call me that? Just call me big brother like usual."

The man laughed as he dismounted. Only then did the woman drop her coy expression and smile brightly.

"Big brother."

"You're living well, I see."

"How did you come without contacting?"

"What do you mean how? I came to see you and Jin-bo."

"Hmph! It's not because you missed his food?"

"Haha! That's right too. Since Jin-bo never comes, I have no choice but to visit, right?"

Despite the woman's nagging, the man burst into hearty laughter. Watching such a man, the woman shook her head slightly.

Could anyone guess that the man laughing so brightly had been Blue Sky Alliance's supreme leader until just recently?

The man's name was Cho Yeon-woon.

Blue Sky Alliance's first Alliance Leader and hero who saved the martial world from the Demon Cult's calamity. The woman conversing casually with such Cho Yeon-woon was named Eun So-cheong.

She was one of the few people who could converse informally with Azure Dragon Divine Hero Cho Yeon-woon whom everyone found intimidating.

She was the mistress of Eun Merchant Family said to possess the world's greatest wealth. Without Eun Merchant Family's help, Blue Sky Alliance twenty years ago couldn't have performed so well against the Demon Cult was the martial world's consensus. So many in the martial world considered Eun Merchant Family benefactors and treated them preciously.

Thanks to that, Eun Merchant Family underwent explosive growth and could accumulate the world's greatest wealth. But Eun So-cheong, the actual Eun Merchant Family owner, didn't show herself in the martial world afterwards and went into seclusion.

Many people were curious about Eun So-cheong's whereabouts, but almost no one knew her residence. Even fewer knew that she, the world's greatest tycoon, was in seclusion in such a cozy inn.

After briefly watching Eun So-cheong, Cho Yeon-woon suddenly shouted loudly toward inside the inn.

"You rascal! Jin-bo, what are you doing when your elder brother is here?"

His voice rang loudly inside the inn. Then shortly a middle-aged man came outside wiping wet hands on his apron.

"Goodness! If you came, just sit quietly and order food instead of making noise everywhere."

"Hehe! If elder brother came, you should come out smartly on your own instead of dawdling."

"Ah, really!"

The middle-aged man, Bang Jin-bo, glared at Cho Yeon-woon. But seeing Cho Yeon-woon's smiling face, he involuntarily smiled too.

"Welcome."

"What about the others?"

"Brother came first."

Bang Jin-bo answered with a calm expression.

Complex emotions crossed Cho Yeon-woon's eyes watching him. Bang Jin-bo who seemed only young had now become a proper head of household. The childishness disappeared from his face, replaced by middle-aged maturity.

"Ah! Uncle is here."

"Really?"

Then the boys playing at the riverbank discovered Cho Yeon-woon and ran over.

"Oh no! The rascals have discovered prey."

Cho Yeon-woon made a pretend scared expression.

The two boys who ran to the inn in an instant threw themselves into Cho Yeon-woon's arms.

"Haha! Uncle!"

"Uncle Cho!"

The boys clung to Cho Yeon-woon's neck and rubbed their cheeks vigorously. Then Eun So-cheong stopped the boys.

"You're bothering Uncle. Stop it."

"Haha! It's fine. You rascals, you're both solid like Jin-bo."

Cho Yeon-woon held the boys in his arms and spun round and round in place. At that sight, Bang Jin-bo and Eun So-cheong simultaneously burst into laughter.

The boys were children born between Bang Jin-bo and Eun So-cheong.

The eldest's name was Bang Won-ho, the second's name was Bang Sin-ho.

Bang Won-ho resembled Bang Jin-bo and liked cooking, and Bang Sin-ho resembled Eun So-cheong and was quick at calculations. Though their personalities differed, the brothers' affection was very good so they always hung out together.

Watching Bang Won-ho, a shadow suddenly fell over Cho Yeon-woon's eyes.

Won-ho, wishing for the tiger.

Bang Jin-bo had put his wish into his eldest son's name.

Excluding their parents, the person the two brothers liked most was Cho Yeon-woon. Cho Yeon-woon too cherished and liked the two brothers very much.

"Hahaha!"

Their laughter rang through the inn yard.

Bang Jin-bo and Eun So-cheong watched Cho Yeon-woon and the brothers laughing with smiles on their faces.

Suddenly a shadow fell slightly over Bang Jin-bo's face.

Because he knew the happiness he enjoyed now was due to someone's sacrifice.

'Brother!'

After that day twenty years ago, Dam Ho never appeared in the world again.

The world forgot Dam Ho, but Bang Jin-bo didn't forget Dam Ho.

Today's happiness he enjoyed was all because of Dam Ho. That the martial world could maintain peace and still exist was also thanks to Dam Ho. But human hearts in the world were heartless, and Dam Ho was being forgotten from people's memories.

That fact was regrettable, but since it was also the world's flow, he had to accept it.

Bang Jin-bo tried to smile.

Today was a good day.

Because it was the day they gathered once a year.

Following first guest Cho Yeon-woon, Taoist Hyeon-so arrived.

Twenty years had brought white frost to Taoist Hyeon-so's hair. Though his hair turned completely white, the mystic energy in his eyes deepened even more.

By his side attended a Taoist who appeared in his early thirties. The young Taoist's Taoist name was Su-gyeong, his old name Nam Seo-il. A disciple Taoist Hyeon-so took in his later years and Mount Hua Sect's current head Taoist.

"It's been a while, Jin-bo!"

"Mount Hua Sect disciple Su-gyeong greets Mount Hua Grand Master Uncle Bang."

"Welcome."

Though meeting after a year, they exchanged warm greetings.

Following that, Cho Yeon-woon greeted Taoist Hyeon-so.

"Welcome. You're a bit late today?"

"I was delayed a bit declining Woon Kyung's offer to attach escorts."

"Haha! Is Sect Leader Woon Kyung well?"

"Woon Kyung is always the same. You look good too."

"Thanks to everyone, I'm living well."

"Good!"

Taoist Hyeon-so smiled benevolently.

Bang Jin-bo thought that if there were eyes of one who realized the Way, they'd be like Taoist Hyeon-so's. That much, Taoist Hyeon-so's deep eyes were full of mystic energy.

The last person to appear at Bang Family Inn was a very beautiful woman. The woman with beauty that seemed to defy time's flow was Divine Physician Jong Ri-yeon.

She was riding Dam Ho's horse, Black Ghost.

"Sister!"

Eun So-cheong reached out to Jong Ri-yeon. Jong Ri-yeon grasped her hand and descended from Black Ghost's back.

"Little sister!"

"How are you still the same, sister? So beautiful."

"You don't look like a mother either, little sister."

"All thanks to the spiritual medicine sister gave. Our children are growing well without catching even one cold thanks to sister."

"I'm glad!"

Jong Ri-yeon smiled faintly.

A slightly regretful light rose on Eun So-cheong's face watching her.

Even though twenty years had passed, the solitude and longing on her face hadn't faded at all.

Her time had stopped twenty years ago.

Was it only Jong Ri-yeon? Everyone gathered here today was the same. At least others were resolving longing in their own ways and living in this world, but Jong Ri-yeon still couldn't escape Dam Ho's afterimage.

The world called her Divine Physician and showed respect, but it provided no consolation to her.

She lived in seclusion, completely walling herself off from the world. Not even Cho Yeon-woon or Taoist Hyeon-so knew where she was living in seclusion.

The day she showed herself to the world was only once a year, when gathering at Bang Family Inn.

"Welcome."

"Lady Jong!"

"Big sister!"

Taoist Hyeon-so, Cho Yeon-woon, and Bang Jin-bo greeted her in turn.

The last to join was Hwang Hye-ryeong.

Hwang Hye-ryeong came with Muk Il-gwang, accompanied by as many as four children. They were children born between the two.

The eldest was only sixteen yet his build rivaled Muk Il-gwang's. In the Green Forest, they already considered him the next Grand Chief.

They chatted and asked about each other's well-being.

Since they were each going their own way now, they could only meet once a year. So they had much to say.

Bang Jin-bo told them.

"Instead of doing this here, everyone please go inside. I've set out all the food inside."

"What about you?"

"I'll bring the fish porridge and come in."

To Cho Yeon-woon's question, Bang Jin-bo looked at a large pot boiling in one corner of the inn. Inside the pot, fish caught from the river in front of the inn were boiling with various seasonings. He'd made fish porridge with fish caught early morning with his two sons.

Cho Yeon-woon nodded and looked at Taoist Hyeon-so and others.

"Come come, let's go inside first. Thinking about eating Mount Hua Grand Master Uncle's food after so long, I came running without eating breakfast and I'm hungry. Haha!"

He led people inside the inn, and only Bang Jin-bo and Black Ghost remained in the front yard.

Bang Jin-bo quietly patted Black Ghost's neck.

"You're really something too. Even telling you to live freely, you won't leave missing your master."

Pururu!

Black Ghost closed his eyes and enjoyed Bang Jin-bo's touch.

After Dam Ho disappeared, Black Ghost too couldn't leave Mount Zhongnan for a while. As if becoming a wife-stone, he just stood like a stone statue without drinking one sip of water or eating one blade of grass.

If Jong Ri-yeon who couldn't bear watching hadn't taken Black Ghost, he would have stood like that forever.

Black Ghost's loyalty waiting for his master was enough to make people's eyes redden.

"You had a hard time coming far. Wait a bit. I've cooked warm feed for you."

When Bang Jin-bo whispered, Black Ghost wagged his tail as if understanding. Bang Jin-bo patted Black Ghost's neck again then walked to the pot.

He planned to first bring fish porridge to people waiting inside then take care of Black Ghost.

Opening the pot lid, spicy fragrance wafted out.

Boiling thoroughly for half a day, it was properly cooked.

When Bang Jin-bo smiled and stirred inside the pot with a large ladle, it happened.

Pururu!

Suddenly Black Ghost neighed.

Bang Jin-bo thought Black Ghost's reaction was asking for feed, so without looking back he said.

"Wait a bit. I'll bring it right away."

Dudududu!

Suddenly Black Ghost's hoofbeat sounds were heard. Running somewhere on his own.

Bang Jin-bo panicked and put down the ladle and looked back.

"Hey!"

Hwing!

The moment he looked back, intense wind blew. Plum blossom petals scattered in the wind.

Black Ghost's figure wasn't visible, hidden by dancing plum blossom petals. Bang Jin-bo waited for the wind to pass with a frown.

Shortly after, the wind passed and the scattering plum blossom petals settled on the ground. Only then was Black Ghost visible.

Far away, Black Ghost had his head buried in someone's shoulder.

'Who?'

Bang Jin-bo squinted hard. Because the person's face wasn't visible, hidden by Black Ghost's large head. But only the hand patting Black Ghost's thick neck was clearly visible.

Covered entirely in scars, that hand with calluses embedded like nails. The moment seeing those hands, Bang Jin-bo dropped the ladle.

Clang!

"Why?"

"What happened?"

People inside the inn were startled by that sound and opened windows. What their eyes saw was Bang Jin-bo's back standing blankly after dropping the ladle.

Their gazes turned toward where Bang Jin-bo was looking.

Black Ghost, and… he was there.

The End.