Chapter 197
Chapter 197
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 197
Chapter Title: Chapter 8. Chaos is Like a Swamp, Drawing Everything In (1)
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“Phew! We’ve finally arrived.”
Cho Yeon-un let out a sigh of relief as he gazed at the main gate of the Sakju Branch in the distance. The disciples of the White Battle Sect who had followed him felt the same way.
“It was really a long journey.”
“Now we can finally catch our breath.”
Exhaustion was etched across their faces.
They were the type who would normally exchange lighthearted jokes without reservation. But now, they were too worn out even for casual banter.
‘Jo Ja-kyung.’
It was all because of the battle with the Burning Heaven Squad. Especially the fight against their leader, Jo Ja-kyung, which had pushed Cho Yeon-un to his absolute limits.
The result was a mutual defeat.
No victor, only losers—in that clash, both Cho Yeon-un and Jo Ja-kyung had sustained severe injuries. The same went for the battles between the Burning Heaven Squad and the White Battle Sect disciples.
Having tested each other’s limits, the emptiness and fatigue they felt were no joke. That made the journey here more grueling than any path they’d ever traveled.
“Brother Cho!”
As they entered the Sakju Branch, Hae So-wol was the first to greet Cho Yeon-un and the White Battle Sect disciples.
“Brother Hae!”
Cho Yeon-un’s face lit up with joy. It felt good to be welcomed by a familiar face, someone he shared a connection with.
Hae So-wol looked at Cho Yeon-un and the disciples’ ragged appearance, her eyes filled with pity.
“The road here must not have been easy.”
“You’re right about that. And it looks like you’ve been through your share of hardship too, Brother Hae.”
At Cho Yeon-un’s words, Hae So-wol’s expression turned bitter.
The elite forces of the Demonic Cult, led by the Great Power Overlord Demon Go San-woong, had inflicted heavy damage on the Sakju Branch. With so many dead or wounded, the place was steeped in a funeral-like gloom.
Among the dead were several warriors from the Haenam Sect, weighing even heavier on Hae So-wol’s heart.
Cho Yeon-un sensed the atmosphere as well.
“Haha! This mood is too dour. How are we supposed to properly stand against the Demonic Cult’s invasion like this?”
He forced a bright smile. But with no one responding, he soon looked awkward. Then, his eyes caught sight of one person.
“Who’s that?”
Hae So-wol followed Cho Yeon-un’s gaze. There stood a familiar figure.
“That’s Daoist Un-kyeong of the Mount Hua Sect.”
“Daoist Un-kyeong...”
“He’s that person’s senior brother.”
“Hmm.”
“His master is staying nearby. The Mount Hua Sect came to escort him back.”
“I see.”
“That’s how it is.”
“Hmm.”
Cho Yeon-un rubbed his chin with his hand.
Dam Ho’s fame had already shaken the world. Though branded a public enemy of the martial world, the benefits of recruiting him far outweighed the risks.
Even if the Mount Hua Sect, which had once ignored him, was now changing their tune, it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.
He saw Daoist Un-kyeong bowing to someone. Curious who could make a famed disciple of Mount Hua bow like that, Cho Yeon-un tried to see, but Un-kyeong’s back blocked the view.
At that moment, Hae So-wol smiled faintly.
“Let’s head inside. I’ll assign you quarters.”
“Yes!”
As he replied, Cho Yeon-un looked around.
Perhaps due to the many casualties, the air in the Sakju Branch felt unusually chilling.
His nose tingled. The lingering scent of blood still stimulated his senses, a testament to how many had died.
“Damn it.”
“You’ll have to get used to it. This is just the beginning.”
“The beginning?”
“Their forces are still gathering at Mount Hang. The moment they’re all assembled, the great invasion will come.”
“Why not strike first?”
“It’s not as simple as that.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ll understand once you’ve been here a while.”
Her words left many lingering implications.
Hae So-wol gave a wry smile and started walking.
***
“Thank you, Lady Jong Ri-yeon.”
Warriors with pale faces expressed their gratitude to Jong Ri-yeon. They were the ones abandoned by the Golden Martial Squad and left in the village.
Their faces were ashen without a trace of color, but vitality was slowly returning.
The villagers were the same. Those who had teetered between life and death from poison now had some blood returning to their cheeks.
“Ha!”
Only then did Jong Ri-yeon exhale in relief.
After desperately working through the night, she had finally produced an antidote for the villagers. But unable to guarantee its effectiveness, she had remained tense, monitoring their conditions. Her fatigue had reached its peak.
As her legs gave out and she collapsed into a chair,
“You’ve done well.”
A familiar voice came from behind.
Turning, she saw Dam Ho. The sight of him covered in blood and battered made her heart sink.
“What happened to those wounds...”
“It’s nothing.”
Dam Ho answered nonchalantly. Jong Ri-yeon shook her head briefly at his demeanor.
She rose and approached him. Standing before him, the thick scent of blood assaulted her nose.
She frowned slightly at the overwhelming smell, but soon began staunching his wounds.
Dam Ho silently watched her. Once she finished with the last wound and straightened up to look at him,
“It’s all done. You...”
Jong Ri-yeon couldn’t finish her sentence and collapsed backward. Dam Ho caught her waist and supported her.
Overwhelmed by extreme fatigue, she had fainted. Dam Ho lifted her in his arms and carried her to a bed.
As he laid her on the soft bedding, Im I-cheong’s son approached.
“Is sister okay?”
“She’ll be fine.”
“That’s a relief.”
Only then did relief wash over the boy’s face.
Im I-cheong followed, bowing to Dam Ho.
“Thank you. If not for the Divine Physician, everyone in our village would have perished. How can we ever repay this grace?”
Im I-cheong didn’t know where to put himself.
Without Jong Ri-yeon, the villagers would have been massacred. He knew full well the painstaking efforts she had made to save them.
“She did it because she wanted to. Give her your thanks when she wakes.”
“We will.”
After repeated bows, Im I-cheong left.
Next came the Golden Martial Squad warriors. Having recovered with Jong Ri-yeon’s help, they too offered their gratitude, just like Im I-cheong.
A mix of emotions swirled in their minds.
Their squad leader Yu Jin-moon and comrades had abandoned them to flee, yet they were saved by a complete stranger, Jong Ri-yeon.
After joining the Golden Martial Squad, their pride had soared to the heavens, believing themselves chosen to uphold the martial world’s justice. But now, their convictions wavered.
They were confused about what justice truly was, and what path served the martial world. Their expressions remained dark.
Once the Golden Martial Squad warriors left, Dam Ho finally sank to the floor. He hadn’t shown it, but his condition was dire.
The external wounds were severe, but the internal injuries were worse. He still hadn’t fully expelled Sa U-yeon’s poison.
Sitting cross-legged, Dam Ho began circulating his Dark Soul Heart Technique. He lost track of time, immersing himself in meditative trance.
As Dam Ho’s cultivation reached its peak, Jong Ri-yeon opened her eyes.
Lying on the bed, she blinked in confusion, unsure how she’d ended up there. But seeing Dam Ho cultivating right beside her, a warm smile spread across her lips.
Dam Ho, with blood crusts still clinging to his body, evoked the image of a fearsome demon. Yet she felt no fear—strange, indeed.
Unconsciously, she reached out toward him but stopped short. She realized he was cultivating.
Touching someone in cultivation could lead to qi deviation. In the martial world, it was an unspoken rule not to show one’s cultivation to anyone untrusted.
‘He trusts me that much, does he? This man...’
The thought stirred complex feelings in her. But they weren’t unpleasant.
Then, Dam Ho suddenly opened his eyes, breaking his cultivation. Their gazes met head-on.
Startled, Jong Ri-yeon blinked wordlessly. Her hand still stretched toward him.
“Y-You’re awake.”
“......”
“Nice weather, huh?”
Rain poured outside.
“......”
At a loss for words, Jong Ri-yeon squeezed her eyes shut. Her face flushed red as a ripe persimmon.
Dam Ho rose silently.
His entire body still felt pierced by hundreds of needles at once. But such pain was all too familiar to him.
He asked,
“How’s your body?”
“Feels fine after some good rest.”
“Then let’s move.”
Dam Ho stepped outside. Jong Ri-yeon stared at the door he’d exited through, her expression incredulous.
“You idiot.”
Shaking her head, she got up from the bed.
She’d said she was fine, but her body felt heavy. She barely managed to take a step.
Outside, Dam Ho was already preparing to leave.
Jong Ri-yeon wanted to stay a few more days, but she knew that wasn’t possible.
Even this remote mountain village had fallen under the Demonic Cult’s shadow. No place was safe.
The orthodox-demonic war was plunging the world into greater chaos. They needed to reach Sakju and Master Hyeon So before it was too late.
Though Jong Ri-yeon had antidoted them, the poisoned villagers still couldn’t move easily. Most were being nursed by fellow villagers and unaware of Dam Ho and Jong Ri-yeon’s departure.
Im I-cheong and his son had noticed and come to see them off. With their farewell, the two left the village.
Jong Ri-yeon glanced back to see Im I-cheong’s son waving vigorously. She waved back, then spurred her horse to catch up with Dam Ho.
Black Ghost galloped freely, as if venting long confinement. Dam Ho surrendered to the ride, lost in thought.
‘Is Master safe?’
What concerned him most wasn’t the martial world’s justice or order—it was Master Hyeon So. As long as she was safe, the world could spin as it would.
Jong Ri-yeon, following behind, had a deeply complicated look in her eyes.
“Ha!”
A sigh carrying equally complex emotions escaped her.
Somehow, she’d ended up traveling with Dam Ho and missed the chance to part ways. Now, going separate was unimaginable.
‘No choice. I’ll stick with him to the end.’
At some point, her gaze turned resolute.
The Black Ghost carrying Dam Ho had already pulled far ahead.
Jong Ri-yeon whipped her horse’s flank and shouted.
“Wait up!”
Her voice scattered in the wind.