Chapter 213
Chapter 213
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 213
Chapter Title: Book 5. Men Navigating the Turbulent World (1)
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‘Cold.’
Myeongcheon rubbed his shoulders with both arms.
Goosebumps crawled up his spine, prickling his shoulders and the nape of his neck.
The air felt heavy. And frigid.
The moment Geom Yeol-cheon appeared, Dam-ho’s eyes changed. And the temperature in the room plummeted sharply.
It was as if the flow of air had stopped; his breath caught in his throat, and an immense pressure bore down on his shoulders and chest.
The taut tension was like a fully drawn bowstring. The room’s fragile peace hung by a thread, ready to snap at the slightest touch.
Thud! Thud!
Geom Yeol-cheon’s footsteps shattered the silence, resounding powerfully.
If Dam-ho walked with perfect off-beat steps, Geom Yeol-cheon owned the steady, on-beat stride.
His steps, vigorous like a tiger’s and backed by the sturdy power to leap at any moment, exuded the aura of a hegemon.
As Geom Yeol-cheon appeared, Dam-ho’s eyes began to gleam with a chilling light. The ferocity in that gaze made even Myeongcheon, who had been feigning calm until now, stiffen rigidly.
‘This man is...’
Terrifying.
Not just because of his superior martial prowess.
Dam-ho possessed something primal that shook a person’s very soul from its roots. Few could face him head-on and maintain clear thought and composure.
Geom Yeol-cheon was one of those rare few—the one man Myeongcheon trusted and relied on.
The warrior called Unyielding.
No hardship or adversity had ever brought him to his knees. His legs were as sturdy as those holding up the heavens, and his chest vast enough to embrace the entire world.
Geom Yeol-cheon was flaunting his presence without restraint. This was the first time he had unleashed his aura so freely. It meant he was acutely aware of Dam-ho.
Dam-ho was no different. The internal energy he had built through the Dark Soul Heart Technique churned wildly of its own accord. Geom Yeol-cheon’s presence had stimulated him powerfully.
At last, the two faced each other.
Geom Yeol-cheon spoke first.
“Long time no see.”
“Were we ever close enough for greetings?”
“Not complete strangers, either.”
“What do you want?”
“I wanted to see you.”
“Why?”
“Because I had to meet you.”
Any ordinary person would have been cowed by Dam-ho’s aura, perhaps even wetting themselves, but Geom Yeol-cheon’s expression remained utterly calm.
Yet Geom Yeol-cheon was tense to a degree. Not because of Dam-ho’s scariness, but due to the fear that their talk might break down.
“I know you don’t trust me. Still, hear me out just this once. If you’re not convinced after that, we can fight then.”
“......”
“I beg you.”
Words that seemed utterly impossible from Geom Yeol-cheon’s mouth emerged.
Dam-ho stared straight into Geom Yeol-cheon’s eyes. There was no servility or scheming in that gaze.
No one else might sense it, but Dam-ho could feel it clearly.
Dam-ho nodded.
“Speak.”
“Thank you.”
“No need for thanks. I’m just listening. Whatever judgment I make after is my own.”
Even at Dam-ho’s cold reply, Geom Yeol-cheon smiled. Knowing Dam-ho’s temperament well, he recognized that securing even this concession was a major victory.
“You hate beating around the bush, so I’ll get straight to it. Dark currents are flowing through the current Murim. These currents are inciting clashes between Murim and the Divine Cult. Your master’s ambush was their scheme.”
“Dark currents?”
“Yes. We’ve been tracking them for a long time. And only recently have we gotten close to their true nature.”
Geom Yeol-cheon’s voice was plain yet weighty. His straightforward speech, devoid of any flourishes, was enough to inspire trust.
“Tianxie—that’s the name of the dark current we’ve approached.”
“Tianxie?”
“More precisely, the Tianxie Cult. An evil cult that once swept through Murim before the Divine Cult. They’re the ones stoking the conflict between the Divine Cult and Murim.”
“......”
“The Golden Horse Lion you met in Oryang was also a member of the Tianxie Cult. He appeared at a critical moment, providing the spark for the Murim Alliance’s formation before vanishing. Without him, the Alliance’s creation would have been delayed greatly. We tracked the Golden Horse Lion afterward. He was our true link to the Tianxie Cult.”
The pursuit dragged on tediously.
The Golden Horse Lion was incredibly elusive. Tracking him was no easy task. But Shin Mu-wol tenaciously followed his trail, finally spotting him not far from this place.
“We finally subdued the Golden Horse Lion. But he was vicious to the end, rupturing his own heart meridians in suicide at the last moment. We found this in his possession after death.”
Geom Yeol-cheon drew a neatly folded note from his bosom and sent it flying toward Dam-ho. Leaving his hand, it fluttered slowly like a butterfly beating its wings.
It was a near-miraculous feat, impossible without profound skill. Yet Dam-ho snatched it casually, without a hint of surprise.
[By clashing Kwonma and the Demonic Cult, extend the Sakju conflict into a prolonged war.
—Heavenly Lord]
That was the note’s content.
Deep furrows formed between Dam-ho’s brows. The message was simple, but its implications were anything but light.
“They chose to kill your master to provoke you, deeming him your reverse scale.”
“......”
“If you clash with the Divine Cult, the war becomes a drawn-out affair. The longer it drags, the greater the losses for both the Divine Cult and the Murim Alliance, until they exhaust all their vitality. That’s what they want.”
“How do I know this note is real?”
“Weren’t you already suspicious? That’s why you sought out the Haomen. Don’t trust me—trust your instincts. Isn’t that how you’ve lived until now?”
Geom Yeol-cheon’s words struck home.
He wasn’t groveling or trying to persuade. He simply stated what he knew, calmly. Yet it pierced Dam-ho’s ears relentlessly.
“They’re behind all this. Provoking the Murim Alliance on one side, inciting the Divine Cult on the other. As long as they exist, those two forces have no choice but to fight until their full strength is spent.”
“Where’s the Tianxie Cult’s base?”
“If we knew, I wouldn’t be chatting idly with you like this. No one knows the Tianxie Cult’s base. Not even its members or scale. Sometimes, I wonder if I’m chasing a ghost that doesn’t exist.”
“It’s real, but undetectable?”
“Infuriating, isn’t it? That’s why I can’t reveal their identity clearly to anyone or get help. Aside from us, you’re the first to learn of them.”
Geom Yeol-cheon’s gaze on Dam-ho held not a flicker of hesitation. His eyes, tiger-like, occasionally flashed with blue light.
It was a gaze fearsome enough to make an ordinary man soil himself just from meeting it.
Dam-ho met it squarely. The ghostly ferocity in Dam-ho’s eyes exuded pressure no less than Geom Yeol-cheon’s.
Myeongcheon and Ya-no tensed at the sight.
‘I thought Brother Yeol-cheon was the unparalleled warrior moving this era, but Kwonma wields an equal presence and power. Murim’s future will turn on these two.’
It was a great shock to Myeongcheon as well, making him ponder heaven’s will once more.
‘Heaven is so capricious. Sending Brother Yeol-cheon to this land, then Kwonma as well.’
Myeongcheon shook his head quietly, watching the two.
Dam-ho asked.
“So what do you want from me? For me to fight at your side?”
“No. I know better than anyone that you’re not one to join hands with others.”
“......”
“Probably no one in this world understands you better than I do.”
“Ridiculous. No one understands me.”
“No, I do. Know why?”
“......”
“Because you and I are astonishingly alike. The only difference is that when life’s greatest crisis hit, no one reached out to you—but these people did for me. Without them, I’d have become a lone wolf like you.”
Geom Yeol-cheon’s gaze turned to Myeongcheon. It brimmed with trust.
To fully trust someone—staking everything on that faith—is no easy feat.
It was possible only because they had spent long years together, baring all to each other.
For Myeongcheon, Eun Yu-kyeong, and Shin Mu-wol, Geom Yeol-cheon would stake his life. And they for him.
Their bond, forged by willingness to die for each other, was incredibly tight, reflected plainly in their eyes.
“Like them, I trust you. As I said, we’re astonishingly alike.”
“Kh!”
Dam-ho’s lip twisted. The ghostly light in his eyes deepened.
The already rigid air grew heavier still. Myeongcheon and Ya-no could scarcely breathe.
“No more bullshit. Keep babbling nonsense, and I’ll smash that face.”
“......”
“Say clearly what you want. No more pretending to understand me.”
“I want nothing from you. Tracking the Tianxie Cult is my burden alone. I won’t impose it on you.”
“Then why summon me?”
“You need to know. Knowing and not knowing are worlds apart.”
Strength filled Geom Yeol-cheon’s eyes as he regarded Dam-ho. His gaze turned tyrannical.
“Doesn’t matter if you don’t believe me. By mentioning the Tianxie Cult, I’ve planted the word in your mind. That’s enough.”
“You met me just to say that?”
“Yes. Whatever judgment you make after hearing me is yours. But remember one thing: I’m not your enemy. If you can’t trust my words, kill me here—I won’t resist.”
“Elder!”
“My lord!”
Myeongcheon and Ya-no cried out in alarm at Geom Yeol-cheon’s words.
Dam-ho stared piercingly at Geom Yeol-cheon. Geom Yeol-cheon didn’t avert his gaze.
After a long silence, Dam-ho spoke.
“The Tianxie Cult?”
“That’s right.”
“If they truly ambushed my master, I’ll kill them all myself.”
“Then I’m grateful. It means I gain reliable firepower. But there won’t be any left for you. They owe me a debt too.”
“A debt?”
“Do you think I act only for some grand justice? I’m not that magnanimous. I believe blood debts must be paid in blood.”
Killing intent thickened Geom Yeol-cheon’s voice.
Protracted explanations didn’t suit him. He’d spoken this much only because it was Dam-ho.
Dam-ho asked.
“What’s your tie to the Demonic Cult?”
“A place I was part of... long, long ago.”
“No relation now?”
“The cult leader probably doesn’t even know I exist.”
“Then I can smash the Demonic Cult without issue?”
“Of course. However...”
“However?”
“The Demonic Cult isn’t to be taken lightly. The power they’ve shown the world is but a fraction.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Then it doesn’t for me either.”
Dam-ho read the sincerity in Geom Yeol-cheon’s words.
There might be unspoken parts, but nothing he’d said held falsehoods.
After staring long at Geom Yeol-cheon, Dam-ho turned away. The suffocating, terrifying aura that had crushed the surroundings vanished as if washed clean.
Only then could Myeongcheon and Ya-no breathe sighs of relief.
As Dam-ho exited the house, Geom Yeol-cheon let out a heavy breath.
“Phew!”
Among the many outcomes he’d imagined, this was the best. That alone was ample harvest.
Though unspoken, he’d been quite tense inside. Dam-ho’s aura had exceeded his expectations.