Chapter 187
Chapter 187
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 187
Chapter Title: Chapter 4. Fate Sometimes Flows in Unpredictable Directions (3)
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Jong Ri-yeon stealthily peeked at Dam Ho like a cat.
Her usually expressionless face revealed no emotions. It was like her face was encased in iron armor.
Jong Ri-yeon thought Dam Ho was angry. To others, it looked the same as always, but in her eyes, it seemed subtly different.
Right now, Dam Ho was angry. Extremely so.
'Is it because of his master?'
Ever since he heard from Hyeon Gwang Jin-in that his master was in Sakju instead of Huashan, Dam Ho had been like this.
He was so intimidating that she couldn't even approach him carelessly.
Jong Ri-yeon pursed her lips tightly and followed behind Dam Ho. Even she, who lived boldly as she pleased, knew when to read the room.
Dam Ho returned to the inn where he had been staying. But the inn he had stayed at was half-destroyed and no longer habitable. In the end, Dam Ho and Jong Ri-yeon packed their things simply and headed outside.
Fortunately, the stables were intact, so Black Ghost and Jong Ri-yeon's horse were safe.
It was when the two of them led their horses out.
"Amitabha! Patron, could you stop for a moment?"
Someone blocked their path.
They were none other than Shaolin's Gwang Hae and the young monks.
Dam Ho's gaze turned to Gwang Hae.
"What is it?"
The moment he met Dam Ho's eyes head-on, Gwang Hae flinched.
'What kind of gaze is that?'
Even he, an elder of Shaolin, felt a chill in his chest from the ferocious energy packed into it. But he was an elder of Shaolin. He quickly gathered his wits and spoke.
"This poor monk is Gwang Hae of Shaolin."
"So?"
"I know you're busy, Patron, but could we have a brief conversation?"
"......"
"We're not trying to bother you or hold you back. Just a moment of your time, please."
"I'm the Fist Demon."
"I know."
"The Murim Alliance has named me a public enemy of the martial world."
"That too, I know."
"And still you want to talk?"
"Amitabha! Yes."
Gwang Hae stared straight at Dam Ho. His eyes were so clear and pure that no other intentions could be glimpsed.
"Follow me!"
Dam Ho exited Luoyang's south gate, and Jong Ri-yeon and the Shaolin monks followed behind.
Once they reached a secluded spot, Dam Ho looked at Gwang Hae.
"Speak."
"Amitabha!"
A flicker of conflict appeared on Gwang Hae's face as he chanted the Buddhist invocation. But it was only for a moment before he continued.
"When you have time later, please visit our sect."
"Shaolin?"
"Yes."
"Why should I?"
"There's someone I absolutely want to introduce you to, Patron."
Dam Ho furrowed his brow. Perhaps misinterpreting it as displeasure, Gwang Hae hurriedly added,
"It won't be bad for you either, Patron. I stake the honor of Shaolin on it."
"Who?"
"I can't say right now. But I can assure you it's no one who means you harm."
"......"
Dam Ho stared at Gwang Hae. Gwang Hae met his gaze without flinching. His eyes held firm conviction.
Dam Ho was not foolish enough to fail to read the pure intentions in the eyes of an old monk who had devoted his life to the Buddha's teachings.
"I can't promise when, but if I get the time, I'll go once."
"Amitabha! That's more than enough. Thank you, Patron, for granting this difficult request."
"......"
"One more thing: we of Shaolin do not care at all that you're named a public enemy of the martial world. So please, don't worry about it yourself."
Dam Ho had saved Gwang Hae and the monks from the brink of death. Regardless of the world's judgment, the grace they received must be repaid. Especially for a righteous sect like Shaolin.
Dam Ho was undoubtedly a demon.
There was no mercy in his hands when dealing with Demonic Cult warriors. But that didn't mean his heart was tainted by demonic qi.
Though ferocious, there was no deceit in Dam Ho's eyes. No one whose heart was dyed black could have such eyes.
Moreover, he was a successor to Huashan Sect's true arts. No matter how much he rejected his sect and walked his own path, it seemed unlikely for one who received Huashan's orthodox teachings to fall into the demonic path.
"If you come to Shaolin and say you're looking for Gwang Hae, they'll guide you."
"Got it."
"Thank you for granting this difficult request."
Gwang Hae deeply bowed his head to Dam Ho.
For an elder of Shaolin, his influence was far greater than that of most sect leaders. His position in the martial world was the same.
The mere fact that Gwang Hae bowed to Dam Ho would shock the martial world.
Gwang Hae's gaze turned to Jong Ri-yeon.
"You too, Lady Divine, please come when you have time."
"Me too?"
Jong Ri-yeon widened her eyes. Gwang Hae smiled benevolently.
"I ask you kindly."
"Al......right."
Jong Ri-yeon glanced briefly at Dam Ho before nodding. Seeing her like that, Gwang Hae smiled faintly.
'Her forehead is smooth and full, brimming with vitality. She has the features of one abundant with good energy, like a great tree sprouting from within.'
Dam Ho said to Gwang Hae.
"Is that all?"
"Amitabha! Yes. Thank you for giving me your precious time."
Dam Ho looked at Gwang Hae for a moment before turning away. He intended to head straight to Sakju. Jong Ri-yeon followed beside him.
"I'm going with you."
The two mounted their horses and rode off into the distance.
Gwang Hae stood in place for a long while, watching them depart.
Then, his disciple Hyeon Cheon approached.
"Master, why did you invite him to Shaolin?"
"It wasn't my idea."
"Then?"
"Before coming here, Grand Master said there would be a new connection here. It might be a bad one, but if handled well, it could turn into a good one, so bring him to me. I thought it referred to a meeting with Huashan Sect, but now I think Grand Master already knew about this encounter with the Fist Demon."
"Such......"
Hyeon Cheon's eyes shook.
Shaolin had a living legend. Gwang Hae had just mentioned that legend.
***
The might of the Murim Alliance, viewed from the shores of Dongting Lake, was truly overwhelming. The countless halls towering like mountains were enough to take one's breath away.
After Divine Spear Nam Cheon-san became Alliance Leader, the Murim Alliance's prestige had risen even further. Many warriors, admiring his fame, had joined voluntarily.
The Strategist's Office was located in the heart of the Murim Alliance. Its master was Namgung Chang. Besides him, dozens of scribes were stationed there.
Their task was to sort and process the flood of information coming into the office, organizing it into a form easy for Namgung Chang to read.
Based on that vast information, Namgung Chang assessed the situation and devised operational plans for the Murim Alliance.
"Whew!"
Namgung Chang sighed and rose from his seat. His desk was piled high with letters.
The first thing he did after becoming Strategist was to build a systematic intelligence network. For that, he borrowed the power of Haomen and reached out to other sects.
He absorbed what he could, creating the Murim Alliance's own independent network. Though still in its early stages, in another year or two, it could become the most extensive in the world.
The problem was surviving until then. The Demonic Cult was provoking them across the Central Plains even now.
He couldn't fathom why they were provoking so broadly. It made his chest feel tight.
One basic principle of strategy was not to scatter forces needlessly. Yet the Demonic Cult was dispersing theirs, attacking sects across the Central Plains.
Namgung Chang couldn't understand it.
"What are they aiming for?"
Only by knowing the enemy's intent could he counter effectively, but without that, the war of attrition dragged on pointlessly.
Namgung Chang pressed his thumbs firmly into his temples. He could circulate his qi, but this was far more effective for clearing a muddled mind.
After pressing his temples for a long time, a cold light entered Namgung Chang's eyes.
He had suddenly thought of his home clan, the Namgung Family.
"Fist Demon...... That one man reduced the Namgung Family to ruins."
The Namgung Family's final bastion, the Sword King Squad, had been annihilated, and even Family Head Namgung Cheon-ma had returned with severe wounds from him.
The plan to bring in Divine Healer to treat Young Lord Namgung Mu-jin's qi deviation had also failed. The Namgung Family's atmosphere now was like a house in mourning.
Namgung Chang was the Murim Alliance's Strategist, but also a direct descendant of the Namgung Family. As the family's power waned, his position in the Alliance weakened too.
"Fist Demon...... He must be eliminated. By any means necessary."
He wanted to use the Alliance's power to remove Dam Ho. But with clashes against the Demonic Cult everywhere, pulling forces to hunt him was impossible.
No wonder there had been no moves to pursue him despite naming him a public enemy.
It was then, as Namgung Chang bit his lip hard.
"Strategist!"
An urgent voice came from outside the door.
Namgung Chang snapped out of his thoughts.
"What is it?"
"Urgent report from the north."
"Urgent report? Come in quickly."
With Namgung Chang's permission, a scribe hurried in and presented a red-sealed dispatch.
Namgung Chang quickly unfolded it. His eyes shook violently as he read.
"Is this true? That Qingyun Hall of Go Hyeon has been wiped out, and an unknown group is heading to Sakju."
"From the circumstances, they appear to be Demonic Cult forces. But their strength seems unusual."
"Hmm!"
"Qingyun Hall was still the hegemon of the Go Hyeon region, yet they were annihilated overnight. If this continues, the Sakju branch will be attacked from both north and south."
"How much force do they have?"
"We haven't identified that yet. But judging by how they wiped out Qingyun Hall in an instant, they must have considerable power."
"Ugh!"
Namgung Chang's face darkened.
Shanxi Province, where Sakju lay, had no giant forces like the Nine Great Sects or Five Great Families. There were many small and mid-sized sects, but their power was middling, unable to stand against the Demonic Cult.
Currently, the only thing in Shanxi that could oppose the Demonic Cult was the Murim Alliance's Sakju branch. If it fell, Shanxi would be seized by the Demonic Cult.
If the Demonic Cult were just a martial sect, controlling one province wouldn't be a big issue. Even giant sects struggled to extend influence beyond a single province.
But the Demonic Cult was a religious organization. Namgung Chang knew well how much power religion held over the common people.
The moment the grassroots turned to the Demonic Cult, their doctrines would spread like a plague across the Central Plains. Once it started, it couldn't be stopped. That was the power of religion.
"What forces can we send to Sakju now?"
"Our usable forces are currently dispatched to Yunnan and Shandong. Recalling them would take at least a month."
"Too late."
"Ah! Hero Cho Yeon-un of the Hundred Battles Sect is nearby. They could provide some help."
"Then dispatch him and the nearby sects to Sakju first. I'll send letters to Shaolin, Huashan, and Zhongnan requesting aid."
"Understood."
The scribe rushed out, leaving Namgung Chang alone.
"We can't keep getting dragged around like this forever. We need a solid countermeasure."
Bang!
Namgung Chang slammed his fist on the desk. Blood flowed from his knuckles, but he felt no pain.