Chapter 202
Chapter 202
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 202
Chapter Title: Part 1. The Master Sheds Tears, the Disciple Roars like a Lion (2)
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Deung Cheon-so's eyes gleamed sharply.
The moment Dam Ho appeared, he had sensed the danger and tried to help So Cheon-san. But he was caught by Hyeon Geom Jin-in and couldn't.
In the end, he could only watch powerlessly as So Cheon-san died at Dam Ho's hands.
So Cheon-san was not someone who should have died so meaninglessly. Among the Demonic Cult's warriors, he was one of the rare few capable of mass destruction.
That was why he had been treated as a precious asset within the Demonic Cult. Yet he died at Dam Ho's hands without much resistance. It was a fatal blow to the Demonic Cult.
Even for Hyeon Geom Jin-in, who had been locked in battle with Deung Cheon-so, Dam Ho's appearance was a shocking event.
As someone who had denied Dam Ho's worth more than anyone, the shock hit him even harder.
The opponent he faced, Deung Cheon-so, was one of the Seven Great Demon Lords, just like So Cheon-san. There might be slight differences in individual strength, but they were still considered peers.
While he had been evenly matched with Deung Cheon-so, Dam Ho had killed So Cheon-san in an instant.
To an outsider, it would look like Dam Ho possessed overwhelming power over Hyeon Geom Jin-in.
Hyeon Geom Jin-in could never accept that fact. No, he could never acknowledge it.
Acknowledging Dam Ho would mean denying his own life, where he had refused to recognize him.
Crunch!
A grinding of teeth echoed from someone's mouth—no way to tell who started it first. Realizing their mistake, Hyeon Geom Jin-in and Deung Cheon-so exchanged glances for a moment.
Deung Cheon-so spoke first.
"Shall we continue?"
"The mood is ruined. I'll let you go today, you Demonic Cult dog."
"You should consider yourself lucky. If it weren't for the Fist Demon, there wouldn't be a single living soul left in the Sakju Branch today."
"You've got a mouth on you."
"Time will tell who has the mouth. By the way, your life is about to get quite tangled."
"What do you mean?"
"You're not asking because you don't know, are you?"
Deung Cheon-so flashed a meaningful smile toward Dam Ho. In that instant, Hyeon Geom Jin-in's face twisted.
In that brief moment, Deung Cheon-so had pierced through the warped emotions Hyeon Geom Jin-in harbored.
"Keuheheh! Remember, the enemy of your enemy can become an ally, Hyeon Geom."
"That will never happen."
"There's no such thing as never in this world. 'Suspicion breeds dark ghosts.' The moment doubt takes root, demons grow in your heart. Uhahaha!"
Deung Cheon-so left with that meaningful laugh, leaping into the air and vanishing into the darkness in an instant.
Hyeon Geom Jin-in stared sharply, like a blade, in the direction Deung Cheon-so had disappeared. All desire to fight had vanished. Sheathing his sword, Hyeon Geom Jin-in turned around.
The chaotic battlefield had already entered the cleanup phase. Countless had died, but the Sakju Branch still stood strong.
Even with thousands of warriors mobilized, the battlefield had teetered on the brink—yet it was settled by a single person. It was a scene unbelievable even to eyewitnesses.
What hurt his pride the most was that the one who accomplished it was Dam Ho.
'To think a lame cripple like him...'
Flames ignited in his eyes. Flames named envy.
Dam Ho had already entered the annex and was out of sight. Yet Hyeon Geom Jin-in couldn't tear his gaze away from it.
***
"You rascal! Ho-ya!"
Hyeon So Jin-in embraced Dam Ho tightly. His aged eyes were misty with moisture.
"Master!"
Dam Ho reached out and gently stroked Hyeon So Jin-in's back.
The once clear and healthy figure was gone, replaced by a skeletal frame draped in thin skin, emaciated beyond measure. Yet the warmth remained the same.
The embrace that had always enveloped him so warmly was unchanged.
Dam Ho closed his eyes.
"You came well. You came so very well."
Hyeon So Jin-in's voice resonated in Dam Ho's chest.
It was a long time before the two separated.
As the intense emotions subsided, Hyeon So Jin-in gave an embarrassed smile. He seemed shy about having shed tears.
"May I come in too?"
At that moment, a ghostly woman entered. Following right behind was Jong Ri-yeon.
Hyeon So Jin-in asked.
"Who might this young lady be?"
"I'm Jong Ri-yeon. I traveled here with him."
"Oh! To think you have such a precious connection."
At Hyeon So Jin-in's words, Jong Ri-yeon beamed. His voice carried a power that put people's hearts at ease.
'This is his master? The disciple is so terrifying, yet the master is this kind.'
It felt quite contradictory. Their unfamiliar dynamic appealed to her. Especially Hyeon So Jin-in's appearance stirred her heart.
It reminded her of her own master, who had died a few years ago.
Then Cho Yeon-un approached.
"Hahaha! My friend."
"Yeon-un."
"Thanks to you, I survived. I really thought I was done for. Phew!"
At his jesting, Hyeon So Jin-in spoke.
"Young Master Cho protected us."
"I'm grateful!"
"What thanks between friends... Your master is my master, and my master is yours. Ah, maybe not? Anyway, it was only natural."
Cho Yeon-un rambled incoherently. That was how excited he was.
Dam Ho looked at him with eyes full of trust. The Hundred Battles Sect disciples around them gazed at Dam Ho with awe.
They had heard the name Dam Ho and the moniker Fist Demon, but they never imagined he was this fearsome.
The man who had instantly slain So Cheon-san, who had terrified everyone, didn't look human at all.
'Such a person is senior brother's friend?'
'Really?'
Incredulity shone in their eyes.
At this moment, Cho Yeon-un seemed truly great. Simply for being Dam Ho's friend.
"Hmph!"
As if savoring a sense of superiority, Cho Yeon-un's nose pointed sky-high. The Hundred Battles Sect disciples gave him a brief look of exasperation.
Hyeon So Jin-in took Dam Ho's hand and asked.
"How have you been all this time? The explosion buried everything—how did you survive?"
Dam Ho calmly recounted how he survived in the Thousand Gold Demon Prison and how he trained his martial arts alone.
Hyeon So Jin-in's eyes quickly reddened, welling with tears.
The life Dam Ho had lived without his knowledge was so precarious that it was hard to believe he survived alone in such a hellish place.
Dam Ho's calm recounting only made the reality feel more vivid. That was why the tears came.
Hyeon So Jin-in and the children wept endlessly, while Jong Ri-yeon and Cho Yeon-un held their breath, listening intently. As secrets unheard anywhere else, the shock they felt was even greater.
"So..."
Only then did Cho Yeon-un and Jong Ri-yeon understand how Dam Ho's rough, destructive personality had formed.
Anyone surviving twelve years alone in pitch-black darkness without a speck of light would end up that way. Honestly, they might have gone mad much sooner in his place.
"...That's how I lived."
"Aah!"
When Dam Ho's long tale finally ended, the people exhaled the breaths they had been holding.
This time, Dam Ho asked.
"Why are you here instead of at Mount Hua?"
"After sending you away like that, every day at Mount Hua was hell. Even reading countless scriptures filled my heart only with rage and hatred. I spent those days destroying myself."
Then one day, he realized he couldn't go on like this. So he left Mount Hua silently and wandered the world.
He met countless people and experienced the human realm.
"And I met these children."
Hyeon So Jin-in looked at the children gathered around him like chicks seeking their mother hen.
The children stared at Dam Ho with eyes full of curiosity and awe.
Dam Ho looked at each child's face one by one.
In his absence, they had filled the void left by their master. He felt no jealousy. Only gratitude.
Then the youngest, Ha Yeong, approached Dam Ho.
"O... oppa."
Fearless, she even climbed onto Dam Ho's lap. At Ha Yeong's innocent action, Dam Ho was momentarily at a loss.
Ha Yeong, sitting on Dam Ho's lap, looked up. Her unusually large, pitch-black eyes reflected Dam Ho's face.
"Ha Yeong thinks oppa is small."
"Aren't I scary?"
"Not scary."
"Really?"
"Not at all."
Dam Ho stroked Ha Yeong's head. Pleased, Ha Yeong giggled "Hehe."
That was the signal—the children swarmed around Dam Ho.
"Hyung!"
"Dam Ho hyung!"
The children called out to Dam Ho, vying for attention. As their voices rose, the room's atmosphere turned lively in an instant.
Cho Yeon-un exchanged glances with the Hundred Battles Sect disciples.
"Guess we should give them some space."
"Indeed."
They had some sense. There was no room for them here now.
They rose from their seats. Jong Ri-yeon followed suit.
Just before leaving, she glanced at Dam Ho.
Surrounded by children, Dam Ho's expression remained cold. But Jong Ri-yeon, who had traveled with him long, noticed the subtle difference from his usual face.
'At least with them, he can hold onto a thread of humanity.'
For some reason, she felt relieved.
This was their time now. Jong Ri-yeon gladly stepped out for their sake.
Jong Ri-yeon's expression hardened slightly right after following Cho Yeon-un outside.
A woman stood outside the annex.
She wore simple purple cotton robes. But unlike her plain attire, her beauty was striking.
Cho Yeon-un greeted her first.
"Young Lady Hae!"
"Young Master Cho!"
The woman, who gave a slight nod to Cho Yeon-un, was Hae So-wol.
Hae So-wol's gaze was fixed on Jong Ri-yeon.
She was the woman who had appeared with Dam Ho. For some reason, she piqued her interest. Jong Ri-yeon felt the same.
A subtle tension flowed between them.
Jong Ri-yeon broke the silence first.
"I'm Jong Ri-yeon."
"I'm Hae So-wol of the Haenam Sect, Lady Jong."
"Nice to meet you, Lady Hae."
"Did you come with... Hero Dam?"
"Somehow, we ended up traveling together to this place."
A faint crack appeared on Hae So-wol's face. The men didn't notice, but Jong Ri-yeon didn't miss it.
'She's conscious of him.'
Even now, Hae So-wol glanced toward the room where Dam Ho was. Jong Ri-yeon's face subtly hardened in response.
A strange competitive spirit stirred in her heart.
Sensing the awkward air between them, Cho Yeon-un deliberately grinned widely and intervened.
"Come on, come on! No standing around here—let's move somewhere else. Have some drinks, chat..."
"Will senior brother be buying the drinks?"
"Of course!"
The Hundred Battles Sect disciples chimed in with his jesting.
The mood heated up in an instant. Jong Ri-yeon and Hae So-wol got swept up in it and walked along, though their expressions remained stiff.
Leading the group, Cho Yeon-un suddenly looked back.
'Have a happy time, my friend.'
He sincerely blessed Dam Ho and Hyeon So Jin-in's reunion.