Chapter 145
Chapter 145
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 145
Chapter Title: Section 7. Lay Out the Mat and Wait (2)
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The Repentance Cave was a small cavern located midway up one of the sheer cliffs on the northern face of Mount Hwang.
The entrance to the Repentance Cave connected to a narrow ledge barely wide enough for one adult to pass.
Guard that ledge, and no one could enter or leave—it was a natural fortress.
Dam Ho, shackled in golden horse restraints, looked around the inside of the Repentance Cave. The entrance was barred with iron grates as thick as a man's forearm, and the interior was so cramped that three or four adults inside would feel suffocated.
"Stay here until we open the door for you."
A martial artist from the Tyrant Stronghold said with a curt expression.
Dam Ho nodded and sat cross-legged on the floor of the Repentance Cave.
He had spent twelve years in the Thousand Gold Demon Prison. That place was a hellish void where not even a sliver of light penetrated from outside. Compared to that, this spot let in sunlight and felt downright cozy.
The Tyrant Stronghold martial artist watched Dam Ho for a moment before closing the prison entrance and stepping out.
He spoke to the martial artists guarding the ledge.
"Guard it well. Do not open it for anyone until the Total Stronghold Lord gives the order."
"Understood."
The martial artists replied vigorously.
Their voices reached Dam Ho's ears, but he paid them no mind.
The golden horse shackles on his wrists and ankles were quite cumbersome. For an ordinary person, just wearing them would dislocate limbs from the sheer weight.
Dam Ho ignored the golden horse shackles and closed his eyes.
He had survived far harsher conditions than this. Such restraints posed no real discomfort.
Dam Ho thought of Jo Yun-san.
Jo Yun-san was the epitome of a loyal hero and an opportunist.
Until now, he had lurked in the Black Water Stronghold, biding his time in patience.
Starting as a lowly bandit, he rose to stronghold lord—and even then, he thoroughly concealed his presence. With endurance and tenacity beyond ordinary imagination, Jo Yun-san had finally left his stronghold after years and come to Mount Hwang.
Just to see Hwang Kyung-moon? Or because of the Demonic Cult's appearance?
What a laughable excuse.
A man like Jo Yun-san never moved lightly.
Once he did, he demanded results commensurate with the effort.
For such a Jo Yun-san, he had laid out the mat.
Even removing himself as an obstacle to the man's ambitions.
Now, all that remained was to wait.
Dam Ho opened his eyes.
The golden horse shackles still restrained his limbs, an annoyance.
Suddenly, Dam Ho tried unfolding his Shadow Form Fist.
Shiiik!
The shackles kept throwing off his posture.
He had trained it thousands, tens of thousands of times—enough to perform it with eyes closed—yet even this minor change made the body's precision falter so easily.
Fortunately, Dam Ho was a man of strong endurance. Stronger than Jo Yun-san's, with stamina that never flagged.
He possessed the endurance and tenacity to repeat a single motion over ten thousand times. Above all, he despised wasting time idly.
Others might see this as a prison, but to Dam Ho, it was the safest training ground under heaven.
Dam Ho began practicing his martial arts with the golden horse shackles on.
Shishik!
Only the sound of his movements echoed inside the Repentance Cave.
***
"Ugh!"
Yi Ga-hun awoke with a scream.
Her face was so swollen it was unrecognizable, and her broken wrist bore a deep purple bruise.
She was not alone in the room. Jo Yun-san, along with Gwak Sam, O Jong-sam, and others, sat there.
Gwak Sam asked,
"Are you alright?"
"Ugh! That bastard! I'll kill him. I swear I'll kill him."
Yi Ga-hun screamed instead of answering.
Jo Yun-san and the others silently watched her outburst.
"I'll slice off his flesh and deep-fry it in oil, feed his eyeballs to the dogs. That bastard! I'll fry him in a cesspit! Who the hell does he think he is, breaking my arm? Yeah! I'll kill him. Kill him gruesomely."
She spewed curses unfit for polite ears for quite some time after that.
Once the storm passed, Jo Yun-san spoke.
"It's for the best, actually."
"What's best? My arm's broken—what's good about that?"
"Thanks to you, he's locked in the Repentance Cave. If he were still free, we'd have to delay the grand undertaking."
At Jo Yun-san's words, Gwak Sam and the others nodded quietly.
Dam Ho was just one man, but the pressure and presence he exuded surpassed any other expert.
They knew all too well the impact a single absolute master could have on the battlefield.
"They called him the Fist Demon, and damn if his temper isn't as foul as they say."
"I've never met a more despicable prick. Fist Demon, Fist Demon—we heard the tales, but I never imagined he'd be such a scumbag."
Gwak Sam and O Jong-sam chimed in.
As stronghold lords in the bandit world, they had done their share of deeds—good and bad—and met all sorts. Yet none could compare to Dam Ho.
Yi Ga-hun glared at Jo Yun-san.
"You're not thinking of just leaving him in the Repentance Cave because he's locked up, are you? If so, I won't follow you."
"Of course not."
Jo Yun-san nodded.
Even without her words, he had no intention of letting Dam Ho be.
'He definitely knows who I am.'
The problem was he didn't know who Dam Ho was.
He had countless enemies—more than grains of sand on a beach.
Leading the Black Tiger Unit, he had plundered indiscriminately, killing innumerable people in the process.
So many that he couldn't count them on his fingers. He could understand those connected to them holding grudges.
But the problem was those eyes.
A somehow familiar gaze. Yet it didn't quite come to mind.
Jo Yun-san habitually stroked the scar on his cheek. Strangely, it throbbed.
***
Tadak! Tadak!
Bang Jin-bo's knife danced nimbly across the cutting board, producing a cheerful rhythm.
Fresh vegetables were sliced, and gashes were made into the rough chunks of pork.
Chiiik!
Pig fat melted atop the sizzling hot griddle. Onto the oil-slicked surface went the prepped vegetables.
Pork poured over the wilting greens in an instant. Half a cup of liquor followed.
Whoosh!
Blue flames erupted briefly over the griddle before vanishing.
Sweat poured down Bang Jin-bo's forehead like rain. It stung his eyes, but he didn't blink once, focusing solely on the cooking.
Hwang Hye-ryeong watched Bang Jin-bo cook from the corner of the kitchen.
The flames from the hearth made the kitchen feel like a steamer. The scorching heat made even breathing difficult. Yet Bang Jin-bo showed no sign of strain, utterly absorbed in his task.
'Jin-bo is truly amazing.'
Young as he was, Bang Jin-bo's path of forging his own way gave even Hwang Hye-ryeong much to ponder.
At last, the dish was complete.
A simple stir-fried pork, but its aroma and appeal were extraordinary.
Bang Jin-bo opened the lid of the container. Inside were pre-packed rice and side dishes. Adding the stir-fried pork filled it to the brim without a gap.
"Done."
A smile finally graced Bang Jin-bo's lips.
He wrapped the container of carefully prepared food in cloth.
"You're something else."
Hwang Hye-ryeong shook her head.
The food Bang Jin-bo made was for Dam Ho. It was a prison visit, of sorts.
"Aren't you tired?"
"No."
Bang Jin-bo replied firmly.
The food given to those locked in the Repentance Cave was nothing but watery gruel. No one could regain strength from that slop.
As the saying goes, a man needs a full belly to exert his strength.
"Let's go."
Bang Jin-bo picked up the container and led the way.
Hwang Hye-ryeong nodded and followed. But the path to the Repentance Cave was far from easy.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Because someone blocked their way.
A man with a striking scar across his left cheek—Jo Yun-san—stood in the middle of the path, staring at them.
"Stronghold Lord Jo."
Hwang Hye-ryeong bit her lip.
Her eyes wavered.
She didn't know why. Whenever she saw Jo Yun-san, her heart always stirred uneasily, robbing her of composure.
Jo Yun-san's gaze shifted to Bang Jin-bo holding the bundled container.
"What's that?"
Bang Jin-bo hid the bundle behind his back. Jo Yun-san's eyes sharpened.
"You're not thinking of feeding the prisoner, are you?"
"Th-that's..."
Bang Jin-bo stammered in surprise. Jo Yun-san gave a cold smile.
"Prisoners get nothing but what the stronghold provides."
"But..."
"He's a grave criminal of the Eighteen Bandit Strongholds."
Jo Yun-san's voice carried a chill like frost, his eyes gleaming cold as a serpent's.
Feeling an ill omen, Bang Jin-bo stepped back hesitantly. Hwang Hye-ryeong stepped in front of him.
"Jin-bo is my guest. Don't treat him roughly."
"Even if you're the Total Stronghold Lord's daughter, you can't violate bandit code."
"Since when did Black Water Stronghold's rules become the code for all bandits?"
Hwang Hye-ryeong pushed back boldly, making Jo Yun-san's eyebrow twitch. The air in the area grew even colder.
"Are you taking the prisoner's side?"
"Jin-bo isn't a prisoner."
"But he's the prisoner's brother."
"Does that matter?"
"It does. A great deal."
"That's ridiculous."
"It is what it is—and it's not for you to decide. Bandit code decides. Those born and raised in the bandit world must never break its code. Ah, but you weren't born in the bandit world, so maybe it doesn't apply?"
Jo Yun-san murmured in a low voice, but it rang clear in Hwang Hye-ryeong's ears.
"What do you mean? I was born and raised in the bandit world."
"Do you truly believe that?"
The corner of Jo Yun-san's mouth curled up slightly.
His attitude—'I know something you don't'—shook Hwang Hye-ryeong's eyes like an earthquake.
Jo Yun-san was always like this.
Always looking down on her, acting like he held secrets. Meeting him was always uncomfortable.
Jo Yun-san chuckled softly.
"If that's what you think, keep thinking it."
His words could be interpreted many ways.
Hwang Hye-ryeong's eyebrows shot up.
"Are you mocking me right now?"
"Perish the thought. How could I mock the Total Stronghold Lord's only daughter? Especially while he's still so hale."
"So you'd mock me if not for my father?"
"You're overreacting. No patience at all. Tsk tsk."
Hwang Hye-ryeong bit her lip at Jo Yun-san's words. She couldn't win against him verbally.
Overwhelming humiliation dominated her. Jo Yun-san smiled down at her, as if savoring her degraded state.
At that moment, Bang Jin-bo grabbed Hwang Hye-ryeong's hand and said,
"If you're done talking, step aside."
"What?"
"It's Black Water Stronghold's rule, not the entire bandit world's, right? I need to bring food to my brother."
"How dare you!"
"This is Tyrant Stronghold. As a guest, show some manners. You're just a guest like me."
"You must want to die."
"If you can kill me, do it. And drop the nonsense about bandit code."
Bang Jin-bo glared at Jo Yun-san.
The fear in his eyes had vanished.
He was the brother of the Fist Demon, Dam Ho.
He had faced threats like this countless times.
'This fat bastard dares!'
An ugly expression crossed Jo Yun-san's face.