Chapter 120
Chapter 120
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 120
Chapter Title: The Threads of Fate are Inextricably Tangled in Unpredictable Ways (2)
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A lightly dressed woman was entering the inn.
Though her face was covered with a thin veil, making it impossible to discern her true features, the curvaceous figure revealed above her simple attire was more than enough to captivate the onlookers. Most striking of all was her seductive aura.
The people in the inn found themselves entranced by her presence, unable to tear their eyes away. Yet the woman seemed utterly accustomed to such gazes, casually scanning her surroundings without a care.
There happened to be an empty seat in the corner. She glided over lightly and took a seat.
The men watched her and whispered among themselves.
"Look at that figure. What a vixen."
"You said it. Sleeping with a woman like that would leave no regrets in life."
The men's eyes brimmed with lust as they stared at her.
Dam-ho gazed at the woman as well.
Her overwhelming presence made the reactions of the men around him understandable. But Dam-ho's eyes were different from those of ordinary men.
His gaze was cold and sharp.
While the lust-blinded men hadn't noticed, a sword hung from her waist.
It wasn't some decorative blade women often wore. Even at a glance, it was a well-balanced sword of proper weight. And the well-worn grip bore the marks of frequent use.
She was a swordswoman. Her steady gait and the intense gaze piercing through the veil confirmed his suspicions.
The innkeeper approached her.
"Welcome."
"Do you have any empty rooms? Somewhere quiet if possible."
The veiled woman's voice was as beautiful as her striking appearance.
"There's a private room in the back, but it's a bit rundown..."
"That's fine. I'll take the private room."
"Oh dear! But it's really shabby..."
The innkeeper scratched his head sheepishly. From his reaction, the room seemed to be in quite poor condition. Yet the veiled woman replied nonchalantly.
"It's okay. As long as it's quiet."
"Well, if you insist..."
Only then did the innkeeper nod reluctantly.
"Show me the room later. Food first, please."
"What would you like?"
"Noodles in soup, if you have them."
"Right away."
The innkeeper hurried off to the kitchen.
Now alone, the veiled woman looked around. The men who had been stealing glances coughed awkwardly and looked away.
As she shook her head slightly, her eyes fell on Dam-ho and Bang Jin-bo.
A flicker of interest lit up in her eyes. She had locked gazes directly with Dam-ho.
His pitch-black eyes were endlessly deep and inscrutable. No emotion could be read from them. It had been a long time since she'd encountered such a gaze, sparking her curiosity.
*Has there been an expert like this in Tongshan?*
She tilted her head.
At that moment, Dam-ho bowed his head and began eating. A twinge of regret passed through her, but she soon turned her attention away from him.
She looked out the window.
Far off, Mount Nine Palaces was visible. White mists wrapped around its waist, creating a picturesque scene.
It was while the woman gazed at the mist-shrouded mountain that the men by the window exchanged glances and rose from their seats.
They headed straight for the table where the veiled woman sat.
Among them, a fairly handsome young man addressed her.
"Miss, you seem lonely sitting alone. Why not join us?"
The woman looked up at him. He glanced at his companions and flashed a sly smile.
The man's name was Jo Kyung-yeom, a notorious playboy in Tongshan. With a wealthy family and good looks, he had seduced countless women.
Lust filled Jo Kyung-yeom's eyes as he eyed her.
*Fresh prey I've never seen before. Stripping this one down will be something special.*
It wasn't just her figure. His experience with many women told him she possessed an exceptional body.
Jo Kyung-yeom flashed his most charming smile. But her response was far colder than he expected.
"Get lost!"
"What?"
He furrowed his brow. She repeated herself.
"You're disgusting, so get lost."
"Ha! Listen to this. You talking to me like that?"
"No one else is sitting here, so who else would I be talking to?"
"I've lived this long, and Jo Kyung-yeom gets treated like dirt? Unbelievable. Brothers, what should we do about this?"
Jo Kyung-yeom looked to his companions.
The men stepped forward eagerly.
"This bitch has no manners. Women are supposed to revere a man's words like the heavens."
"Jo hyung's on a real losing streak. Can't even pick up a girl without getting shot down."
These men were warriors entrenched in Tongshan's underworld. They roamed with Jo Kyung-yeom, committing all sorts of villainy.
No woman who crossed their path escaped unscathed. They ravaged body and soul alike.
From the moment the veiled woman entered the inn, their wicked desires had stirred. They were prepared to pay any price to have her.
"Let's see that face. How pretty can it be?"
It was the moment Jo Kyung-yeom reached out to remove her veil.
Spurt!
Blood suddenly sprayed from the back of his hand.
"Huh?"
Jo Kyung-yeom blinked in confusion. Then excruciating pain brought him back to reality.
"Argh!"
He clutched his arm and rolled on the floor.
"You bitch!"
"Beat her!"
As the other men lunged in shock,
Spurt! Spurt!
Their shoulders and napes split open, blood gushing forth.
"Gah!"
"Uwaaak!"
The men collapsed writhing.
Only then did they realize how terrifying the woman was.
The wounds gaped sharply, as if sliced by a sword. Yet none of them had seen how she attacked.
She was a master beyond their wildest imagination. Far from something they could touch with their filthy desires.
The woman parted her lips.
"Still want to see my face?"
Jo Kyung-yeom and the men frantically shook their heads.
Their faces were ashen. They pressed their wounds desperately, but the blood wouldn't stop.
If it kept flowing, their lives were at risk.
Jo Kyung-yeom and the men knelt and begged.
"We were wrong. Please forgive us."
"Find a physician to staunch the bleeding, and you might live."
"Ph-physician?"
At her words, Jo Kyung-yeom and the men bolted out the door without a second thought.
The woman watched them go with an enigmatic smile. It was chillingly cold, but hidden by the veil, no one could see her true face.
Now the inn's patrons realized she was a fearsome expert and averted their eyes.
The veiled woman had clearly shown Jo Kyung-yeom and his men what happened when one tangled with a martial artist. She was no one they could dare lust after.
Bang Jin-bo was utterly stunned by her display.
"Hyung, that noona is amazing."
Bang Jin-bo hadn't seen how she wounded the men.
A glint appeared in Dam-ho's previously impassive eyes.
*"Find a physician, and you might live?"*
Perhaps.
If the physician was a divine healer capable of mending meridians.
The others hadn't seen how she inflicted the wounds on Jo Kyung-yeom and his men, but Dam-ho had.
The weapon she used was a pair of iron chopsticks from the table. She had wielded them too swiftly for anyone to notice.
Dam-ho had seen it clearly: the razor-sharp sword qi that formed momentarily over the chopsticks.
Her sword qi hadn't merely cut flesh. It had severed Jo Kyung-yeom and the men's heart meridians.
Her internal energy control was so exquisite that they clung by a thread.
The problem was that moving to find a physician would snap those fragile connections.
From the moment they laid hands on her, they were already dead men walking.
Suddenly, Dam-ho recalled the corpses of the Great Yuan Escort Agency escorts he had seen before arriving here.
*That was her handiwork too.*
The veiled woman was a swordmaster. And an exceptional one at that.
Having finished her meal, the veiled woman followed the innkeeper to her private room. As he had said, it was quite shabby. But it was neatly kept, suitable for a short stay.
"Hoo."
The woman sighed and removed her veil, revealing her true face.
Her skin was strikingly pale, as if she hadn't seen the sun in ages. Delicate eyebrows like brush strokes, black eyes like embedded obsidian. A straight nose and small, vividly red lips.
She possessed all the qualities of a legendary beauty. Moreover, she exuded a mysterious allure that drew souls in.
That was why she always wore the veil—to avoid drawing attention.
"Haven't found the item yet, but flies keep buzzing around. How much longer must this go on?"
After gazing out the window for a moment, the woman leaped into motion.
Atop Mount Nine Palaces stood the Nine Palaces Sect.
The current sect leader was True Person Iron Yang.
He had become leader in his early thirties and guided the sect capably for twenty years. Rumors said his martial prowess and Daoist cultivation were both profound, earning him widespread respect.
It was late at night, but True Person Iron Yang couldn't sleep. His heart raced inexplicably.
"Hoo."
Giving up on sleep, he stepped outside.
Normally, after sunset, a fantastical sea of stars unfolded atop Mount Nine Palaces. But tonight, thick clouds hid them all.
"Why so dark? This bodes ill."
True Person Iron Yang was an expert who could read the heavens. His decades of cultivation gave him that depth.
Yet tonight's omens were chaotic. He hadn't seen such turmoil in years.
"Is it because the Demonic Cult is rising again?"
The world was in upheaval due to the Demonic Cult. The Nine Palaces Sect was preparing to send forces to the Murim Alliance.
"How many will die this time?"
Decades ago, when the Demonic Cult last rampaged, True Person Iron Yang was a vigorous young warrior. He had fought alongside his sect brothers.
Fortune allowed him to survive to the end, earning him a spot in the final desperate squad.
He had endured the fiercest battles with that squad. No one knew better than he how terrifying the Demonic Cult was.
"But if the world's forces unite, we can prevail, right?"
It was then, as True Person Iron Yang tried to console himself.
Swish!
A faint rustle sounded—fabric brushing grass.
True Person Iron Yang turned. There stood a woman in light attire, radiating mystery. She was the veiled woman from the Wind Heaven Inn.
His eyebrows twitched.
The Nine Palaces Sect teemed with Daoists in training, including women. But none possessed her enigmatic aura.
"Who might you be, miss?"
"Are you True Person Iron Yang, leader of the Nine Palaces Sect?"
"I am... And who might you be?"
"My name is Um Yu-kyeong."
"I see. Miss Um. What brings you to the Nine Palaces Sect in the dead of night? You could have come by day, and I'd have welcomed you warmly."
Caution laced True Person Iron Yang's voice.
He knew she was no ordinary person.
Where he stood was the sect's central area. Three gates guarded the path, manned by vigilant disciples.
For Um Yu-kyeong to reach here undetected meant she was a supreme expert.
Um Yu-kyeong approached him.
"I have a question."
"Ha! Quite bold. What could be so urgent you'd climb the mountain at this hour?"
"If you know, please tell me."
"Ask away. I'll share what I know."
True Person Iron Yang subtly gathered his internal energy.
"The sacred object."
"What?"
"Our cult is searching for the sacred object you stole."
True Person Iron Yang's eyes wavered.
"N-no, could you be from the Demonic Cult?"
"Will you tell me? Where you hid the stolen sacred object."
Um Yu-kyeong's voice echoed calmly through the night sky.