Chapter 105
Chapter 105
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: Dragons and Tigers Gather by the Lake (2)
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Cho Yeon-un sat in the dining hall on the first floor of the West Wind Inn. Sitting across from him was O Gun-ui.
Cho Yeon-un found the situation burdensome. It wasn't a meeting he had initiated; O Gun-ui had arranged it.
As a junior in the martial world, however, he couldn't refuse a seat set by a senior, so he forced himself to stay put.
O Gun-ui's expression was gravely serious. Cho Yeon-un knew full well it was because of Dam Ho.
'That guy always causes trouble...'
Cho Yeon-un let out a quiet sigh.
The incident hadn't yet spread through the martial world, but it had shaken not just Cho Yeon-un, but O Gun-ui and Hae So-wol as well.
The elites of the Namgung Clan—one of the Five Great Clans—had been massacred by a single man. In normal times, it would have been a seismic event rocking the martial world.
The reason for the silence was that O Gun-ui and Cho Yeon-un had clamped down on all information.
If word got out that the Golden Sword Squad had been wiped out by Dam Ho, the Namgung Clan wouldn't sit idly by.
A full-scale war between the Namgung Clan and Dam Ho.
The mere thought was horrifying.
No matter how strong an individual was, they couldn't stand against one of the Five Great Clans.
The moment the Namgung Clan moved in earnest, Dam Ho would surely lose his life. But considering the power he'd shown in annihilating the Golden Sword Squad, the Namgung Clan would suffer heavy losses too.
To prevent such a catastrophe, they desperately guarded the secret.
O Gun-ui's face was the picture of gravity.
The shock he'd felt dwarfed even Cho Yeon-un's.
Dam Ho was barely in his late twenties or early thirties. An age where a warrior might reach their peak, but nothing compared to Namgung Chang, who had already made a name for himself in the martial world.
Yet Dam Ho had shattered his preconceptions, wiping out the Golden Sword Squad and inflicting an indelible humiliation and wound on Namgung Chang.
Namgung Chang would have to live in Dam Ho's shadow from now on. Even O Gun-ui couldn't say for sure if he'd ever escape it.
After a long silence, O Gun-ui finally spoke.
"He said he's your friend?"
"Yes."
"You've got quite the friend."
"A friend that's hard to handle."
"I imagine so."
O Gun-ui nodded as if he understood. But his eyes gleamed with an icy chill.
"I'll get straight to the point. Who exactly is he?"
"Well..."
Cho Yeon-un hesitated.
He wanted to answer, but he knew next to nothing about Dam Ho himself.
All he knew was the man's name. He had almost no information on his background.
'Damn, claiming him as a friend is embarrassing now.'
O Gun-ui's gaze sharpened further.
"I've never heard of a warrior like him before. The skill he displayed couldn't possibly belong to someone of the later generation. Even the Nine Dragons can't compare."
"Well..."
"For a master like that to drop out of the sky like that—do you think that's possible?"
"It's unlikely."
"You know well how much investment and effort it takes to cultivate a true master."
Masters weren't made overnight. Only with systematic support and countless investments could someone worthy of the title emerge in the martial world.
The saying about a dragon rising from a stream existed, but in the world of the martial fringes, it was impossible.
That was why the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Clans dominated the current martial world. They had centuries of accumulated martial manuals, insights, and vast resources.
It was the harmony of all that allowed them to produce masters from their disciples. They weren't called prestigious for nothing.
Given that reality, producing a true master outside those prestigious factions was exceedingly difficult.
Occasionally, exceptions appeared, bringing unexpected excitement, but no one like Dam Ho—defying all common sense—had ever emerged.
"From what I know, he doesn't belong to any prestigious orthodox sect in the martial world."
Cho Yeon-un's eyebrow twitched. He realized what O Gun-ui suspected.
"You're thinking he might be from the Demonic Cult?"
"Exactly."
Cho Yeon-un's face hardened at O Gun-ui's blunt reply.
Demonic Cult.
The dreaded name that had drenched the martial world in blood decades ago.
Countless warriors had died fighting them back then. Even now, the mere suspicion of ties to the Demonic Cult made martial artists tremble, and it was only a matter of time before they were branded public enemies.
"He's not from the Demonic Cult."
"Are you certain?"
"I know his actions better than anyone. His methods are ruthless and fierce in some ways, but he's never started a fight without reason."
"That alone doesn't prove he's not from the Demonic Cult."
"Namgung Chang picked the fight first. If he hadn't, none of this would have happened."
"I know. Namgung Chang did provoke him first. But his response was far too excessive."
"The Namgung Clan's reaction was excessive too, wasn't it? They sent the Golden Sword Squad to kill him just because Namgung Chang's wrist was broken."
"Hmm."
"It was a fight in self-defense. No matter how brutal his methods, we can't pin all the blame on him."
O Gun-ui pressed his lips tight at Cho Yeon-un's words. But his face still showed he wasn't convinced.
O Gun-ui and Cho Yeon-un stared at each other in silence for a while.
O Gun-ui spoke first.
"Do you have the confidence to remain his friend to the end? If not, you'd be better off cutting ties now. This is advice from a senior in the martial world. He'll surely stir up massive waves and earn the enmity of countless people. Sticking with him won't bring you anything good."
"I'm sorry."
Cho Yeon-un answered without hesitation. O Gun-ui furrowed his brow at the sight.
"So there's no need to reconsider."
"I've already accepted him as a friend. I can't abandon him just because the situation turns unfavorable."
"Even if it brings great harm to the Hundred Battles Sect?"
"You still don't understand the Hundred Battles Sect."
"What do you mean?"
"My master hates relationships where you swallow the sweet and spit out the bitter."
Strength entered Cho Yeon-un's voice.
His master, Jang Il-san, always said a man must have loyalty. In truth, Jang Il-san valued loyalty above all and was a man's man who never betrayed a friend, no matter the circumstances.
One reason he'd charged at the forefront during the war with the Demonic Cult was that his closest friend had been killed by them.
"Hmm."
"If I abandoned a friend for the sake of the martial world's reputation, my master would kill me first."
"Foolish. Both you and... your master..."
"I know."
Cho Yeon-un grinned and rose from his seat.
O Gun-ui watched him with eyes full of complex emotions.
"Are you really sure? That he's not from the Demonic Cult."
"I'm certain. Want to know why?"
"..."
"My master and I have been tracking the Demonic Cult for years, preparing for the day they rise again. So we know better than anyone."
"Hmm."
"You asked if I have the confidence to remain his friend to the end? Then let me answer like this: This Cho Yeon-un would stake his life for a friend. If I weren't that kind of person, I wouldn't have become friends with him in the first place."
O Gun-ui had no words for Cho Yeon-un's conviction-filled declaration.
"Don't call me to a seat like this ever again. I don't want to hear petty divide-and-conquer tactics dressed up as advice. Well then..."
Cho Yeon-un clasped his fists in salute and left the inn.
O Gun-ui sat blankly in silence for a long while. Only after a considerable time did he let out a sigh.
"Hoo."
Cho Yeon-un's sharp parting words lingered like a deep echo, stabbing into his chest like a dagger.
***
Dam Ho walked across Dongting Lake. Bang Jin-bo cautiously followed beside him.
After glancing at Dam Ho's mood for a while, Bang Jin-bo finally mustered the courage to speak.
"Hyung!"
Dam Ho looked at Bang Jin-bo wordlessly.
"That day, I overstepped my bounds— you're not mad about it, right?"
"I'm not mad."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Phew! That's a relief."
Only then did Bang Jin-bo sigh in relief.
That day, Bang Jin-bo had witnessed Dam Ho's madness and killing intent. The terrifying image of Dam Ho that had chilled everyone still lingered vividly in his mind.
But what Bang Jin-bo truly feared wasn't that outward ferocity. It was that he'd opposed Dam Ho's decision.
He'd worried endlessly that Dam Ho might come to hate him for it, causing him sleepless nights for days. Hearing Dam Ho's answer now washed away all his anxieties.
A smile bloomed on Bang Jin-bo's face. But Dam Ho's expression remained unchanged.
Dam Ho suddenly gazed out at Dongting Lake.
Far off, a single small boat floated on the water, looking utterly lonely.
Dam Ho stood still, staring at the boat for a long time. Bang Jin-bo stopped alongside him.
Bang Jin-bo looked at Dam Ho's profile.
There was the face that terrified the world. Yet to Bang Jin-bo, it didn't seem frightening so much as lonely.
Dam Ho abruptly started walking again. Bang Jin-bo hurried to keep pace.
Dam Ho remained silent, and Bang Jin-bo fell quiet too.
How long had they walked?
Suddenly, a bright smile flowered on Bang Jin-bo's face. He'd spotted a familiar face in the distance.
"Noona!"
Bang Jin-bo waved his hand.
Dam Ho's gaze naturally turned in the same direction.
There stood a lively woman wearing a fox-fur vest. Dam Ho felt her face was strangely familiar.
Racking his memory briefly, he recalled seeing her by Dongting Lake not long ago.
The woman hurried toward Bang Jin-bo with quick steps.
"Jin-bo."
The woman who greeted him warmly was none other than Hwang Hye-ryeong.
"Noona, it's been a while."
"Yeah, you've been scarce lately. Still staying at the West Wind Inn?"
"Yes!"
"I need to try that food you make sometime, but I just can't find the time."
"I'll be there for a while longer, so come whenever you feel like it."
"I'd love to, but I can't stay in this area long."
A faint shadow crossed Hwang Hye-ryeong's eyes. But she quickly smiled as if nothing was wrong, and Bang Jin-bo didn't notice.
"But who's this?"
Hwang Hye-ryeong's gaze shifted to Dam Ho. Bang Jin-bo beamed.
"This is the hyung I told you about before."
"Hyung? Oh!"
Hwang Hye-ryeong exclaimed in realization after a moment.
She promptly clasped her fists toward Dam Ho.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Hwang Hye-ryeong."
"Dam Ho."
Dam Ho stared intently at Hwang Hye-ryeong. His gaze was so intense that she fidgeted uncomfortably.
Bang Jin-bo asked.
"What's wrong, hyung?"
"Nothing."
Dam Ho shook his head. But his eyes remained fixed on Hwang Hye-ryeong.