Chapter 201
Chapter 201
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 201
Chapter Title: Master Sheds Tears, Disciple Roars Like a Lion (1)
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When that sound first rang out, everyone thought they had misheard it.
But it was no mistake.
Srrrk! Thud!
The footsteps echoed once more.
An irregular gait that sinisterly stirred the soul, stabbing into their eardrums—one foot stamping hard against the ground, the other dragging across the floor.
So Cheon-san's pupils trembled faintly.
The footsteps were nothing special, yet they grated on him inexplicably. Still, he suppressed his unease and prepared for one final pluck of the strings.
Boom!
The instant he strummed the pipa string, the footfall rang out especially loud. So Cheon-san flinched involuntarily.
Twang!
“Urk!”
The taut string snapped with a scream.
So Cheon-san stared down at his pipa in disbelief. It was made from heavenly silkworm thread, said to be the toughest in the world. No amount of strumming—tens of thousands of times—should have broken it.
The fact that this treasure had snapped plunged his mood to the depths.
“Who’s there?”
His eyes flashed fiercely as he sought the source of those ominous footsteps.
Far off, a man came into view, walking toward them.
One foot stepping forward, the other dragging behind.
Anyone could see he was lame. Yet the atmosphere felt off.
The air, which had burned so hot, the battlefield filled with madness—it all cooled in his presence.
The warriors of the Murim Alliance and the Demonic Cult, locked in fierce combat, halted their movements, unable to tear their eyes from the man. No, they couldn’t.
His overwhelming presence demanded their attention.
Regardless of their martial prowess, every warrior stared at him.
So Cheon-san, Deung Cheon-so, Sword Immortal Hyeon-jin, and True Person Hyeon So….
“Ah!”
The moment True Person Hyeon So caught sight of the limping man through the crumbled wall, his pupils shook violently.
Tousled black hair, a black coat fluttering ominously in the wind, and a slightly favoring left leg.
Too far to make out his face, yet True Person Hyeon So recognized him instantly.
His body trembled uncontrollably.
“H-Ho-ya!”
He reached out unwittingly, toward the distant Dam Ho. But of course, he couldn’t grasp him.
True Person Hyeon So pulled his hand to his chest and broke into sobs.
“Hic! Ho-ya!”
Hot tears streamed down his face, soaking his chest.
“Gramps! Waaah!”
Seeing True Person Hyeon So weep, young Ha Young burst into tears without knowing why.
“Ah! Finally….”
Cho Yeon-un, who had been desperately shielding True Person Hyeon So until now, let out a sigh of relief. The nightmare of that pipa performance was over, allowing him to catch his breath at last. But even he couldn’t look away from Dam Ho.
It was as if Dam Ho had become the center of the world.
His crushing presence drew every eye in Sakju upon him, yet his expression remained utterly unchanged.
Dam Ho slowly scanned his surroundings, as if searching for someone.
“Eek!”
“Ugh!”
Those who met his gaze shrank back involuntarily. But Dam Ho passed them by indifferently.
His eyes wandered, seeking someone, then locked onto a spot—the annex. Through the broken wall, a familiar face appeared.
Too distant to discern features, yet he knew it at a glance.
‘Master.’
Just as True Person Hyeon So had recognized Dam Ho instantly, Dam Ho spotted him right away.
Their gazes intertwined in the air.
‘Are you well, Ho-ya?’
‘Master!’
They read each other’s hearts through their eyes alone.
That was when Dam Ho turned toward True Person Hyeon So.
“Who the hell are you?”
A shrill voice pierced Dam Ho’s ears. So Cheon-san had already moved to block his path, glaring daggers.
Dam Ho’s brow twitched, but So Cheon-san pressed on regardless.
“Didn’t I ask you? Speak your identity, now.”
“……”
“You think you can just—”
It was the moment So Cheon-san’s voice rose.
Thud!
Dam Ho suddenly kicked off the ground. He unleashed Charging Step.
With no words, no warning, he shot forward like a battering ram. So Cheon-san recoiled in shock.
“Madman!”
But he was one of the Seven Great Demon Masters, a top expert even among the Demonic Cult. In his desperation, he plucked the remaining strings of his pipa.
Ting-a-lang!
A terrifying sonic wave crashed over Dam Ho.
His facial muscles rippled like waves, his clothes flapping wildly. His chest heaved, his heart meridian quaking—but the ferocity in Dam Ho’s eyes never dimmed.
Kwaaang!
Breaking through the sonic barrier, Dam Ho’s Breaking Sound Fist slammed into So Cheon-san’s torso.
“Ugh!”
So Cheon-san’s body slid backward. A faint trace of blood marred his lips.
The pipa in his hand lay shattered. He had barely blocked Dam Ho’s strike with it. But the crisis wasn’t over.
Shiiik!
Dam Ho’s second and third strikes came like a storm.
So Cheon-san hurriedly drew a jade flute from his robe and swung it. A cloud of energy surged forth, enveloping Dam Ho.
Kwaaang!
An explosion rocked So Cheon-san’s body.
In that instant, Dam Ho burst through the dust and charged again.
‘Wasn’t he supposed to be lame?’
Even in the chaos, So Cheon-san harbored that doubt. Dam Ho’s movements were too swift for any handicap.
Bang!
A Short Yang Strike hammered So Cheon-san’s body.
“Kuh!”
So Cheon-san staggered, swinging his jade flute. True energy now coated it.
Known as the master of sonic arts, he could still muster basic true energy with ease.
Puk!
The energy-infused flute struck Dam Ho’s shoulder. In that moment, Storm Demon Mirror erupted, dispersing the energy.
“Huh?”
So Cheon-san, expecting a fatal blow, faltered. Dam Ho seized the opening.
Grab!
Dam Ho crossed his arms and seized So Cheon-san’s collar. Earth Shaking Strike at the ready.
So Cheon-san’s body lifted into the air, feet dangling. His breath caught, face flushing red.
But as a peerless master, his reaction was brilliant.
Puk-puk-puk!
His jade flute hammered Dam Ho’s torso three or four times in an instant. The impact loosened Dam Ho’s grip.
Freed, So Cheon-san retreated hastily, raising the flute to his lips.
He meant to play Kill Heavenly Demon Sound.
While Ten Ri Annihilation Sound aimed for mass slaughter over a wide area, Kill Heavenly Demon Sound focused sonic waves on a single point—a lethal art for one-on-one combat.
Concentrating the full might of Ten Ri Annihilation Sound into one spot made it devastating.
‘Just once. That’s all I need.’
If he could play it, he might not kill Dam Ho, but he could deal a mortal wound.
But Dam Ho allowed no such chance. As if unharmed, his fist crashed into So Cheon-san’s side.
Bang!
A thunderous boom shook So Cheon-san. He blocked with his elbow, but his organs churned from the shock.
Shiiik!
Dam Ho’s leg whipped out like a flail.
So Cheon-san swung his flute instead of playing, shielding his body.
Crack!
Leg met flute.
Infused with inner power, the jade flute was harder and sharper than any weapon. So Cheon-san poured all his energy into it, ready to sever the leg. But far from that, his hand tore open, blood pouring.
‘What kind of body is this hard?’
No time to ponder—Dam Ho’s assault continued.
Right before So Cheon-san’s face, Short Strike Wall unfolded.
The shockwave blasted his eardrums.
Wiiiing!
Sudden tinnitus threw off So Cheon-san’s balance; he shook his head.
A split-second waver. But enough for Dam Ho.
Puk!
Short Yang Strike smashed his temple. So Cheon-san’s already reeling mind turned to mush.
‘Kill Heavenly Demon Sound…’
Even then, instinct drove him to play. One note could turn the tide.
In that moment, Dam Ho’s palm pressed to his chest.
Whooong!
Five Finger Rock Wave Mirror unleashed its energy.
So Cheon-san’s chest caved in a spiral.
“Keuk!”
Agony rattling his bones tore a scream from him. He had never felt such pain.
Dam Ho grabbed the staggering, defenseless So Cheon-san by the collar. Dazed, So Cheon-san sensed the Earth Shaking Strike coming again.
“You bastard!”
No leisure to play, he expelled his inner energy all at once for protective aura.
Crunch!
Dam Ho twisted one arm. It coiled like a corkscrew, bones shattering.
Splinters pierced through skin.
Pain beyond imagination scattered his energy. His protective aura vanished.
Dam Ho gripped the collar tight. Earth Shaking Strike unleashed.
Like a tree in a gale, So Cheon-san’s body soared. Legs flailing, it flipped and plummeted headfirst.
Kwaaaang!
A heart-stopping roar as he slammed upside down. Dust rose; the earth wailed.
“……”
Silence blanketed the field.
Friend and foe alike gaped.
The impossible scene before them struck them dumb.
So Cheon-san—one of the Seven Great Demon Masters, sonic arts legend who could slaughter all life within ten ri with one tune. Yet he hadn’t played a single proper note before Dam Ho ended him.
One Kill Heavenly Demon Sound could have changed everything.
But Dam Ho gave no such opportunity, overwhelming him like a tempest.
They saw it with their own eyes, yet it felt unreal—a nightmare unreal as fiction, enforcing their silence.
Despite that ferocious onslaught, Dam Ho’s breath remained even.
So Cheon-san’s inverted body slumped behind him, but Dam Ho didn’t glance back, just kept walking.
Thud! Srrrk! Thud! Srrrk!
His footsteps sent shivers through them.
True Person Hyeon So stood where he headed. Dam Ho’s eyes fixed solely on him, ignoring all else.
That single-minded gaze terrified them.
“Ugh! How can such a monster….”
“Couldn’t even use Ten Ri No Life.”
“The Despair Demon… has appeared.”
Demonic Cult warriors edged back, then turned and fled.
As they ebbed like the tide, Murim Alliance warriors caught their breath. But none fully relaxed.
They held their breaths, watching Dam Ho.
By then, he reached the annex.
“Master!”