Chapter 214
Chapter 214
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 214
Chapter Title: Section 5. Men Navigating the Turbulent Times (2)
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“Big Brother! Are you okay?”
Myeongcheon approached and asked.
“I’m fine.”
“Phew! Why’d you take such a reckless risk showing yourself like that? I thought you were about to clash with him.”
“I had no choice. Still, we got the best outcome we could’ve hoped for, so that’s a relief.”
“Revealing the existence of the Celestial Church?”
“That’s right.”
Geom Yeolcheon nodded.
He gazed in the direction where Dam Ho had vanished.
“No one could have predicted his existence. Not the New Cult, not the martial world, not the Celestial Church, and not even me... He’s truly a perfect outlier. The fate of the martial world will hinge on whatever choice he makes.”
“Wouldn’t it have been better to pull him fully to our side?”
“Do you think that’s possible?”
“......”
“He’s an untamable beast. That unpredictability—never knowing which way he’ll bolt—is his greatest strength and power. And that very unpredictability will be our biggest asset.”
“Sometimes I think you’d make the better strategist than me, Big Brother. I get what you mean.”
“You’re our strategist. Without you, we’d just be a ragtag bunch.”
“Hey! Don’t say things you don’t mean. I’m not a kid anymore.”
“Who’d dare treat our little brother like a child? Ha ha!”
Geom Yeolcheon burst into laughter.
The tension built up from dealing with Dam Ho melted away with that single laugh. Myeongcheon grinned watching him.
Geom Yeolcheon reached out with a large hand and ruffled Myeongcheon’s hair. Myeongcheon didn’t erase his smile, clearly pleased.
But that lasted only a moment. Soon, both returned to their usual expressions.
Myeongcheon spoke first.
“Was that note earlier real?”
“What?”
“The one passed to Kwonma.”
“It was real. We got it from the Golden Horse Messenger.”
“You actually caught him.”
“We did. But the problem is, he was tougher than expected and took his own life once cornered.”
Geom Yeolcheon looked regretful.
If they’d captured the Golden Horse Messenger alive, they could’ve learned so much. But he’d ended it himself, and everything reset to square one.
It was regrettable that they’d have to start tracking the Celestial Church from scratch. But Myeongcheon saw it differently.
“Actually, it’s for the best.”
“What is?”
“If they learn the Golden Horse Messenger is dead, they’ll be on high alert.”
“So they’ll just hide even deeper, no?”
“Maybe. But based on what we’ve grasped of their tendencies so far, I doubt it. They’ll intervene in the current martial world crisis one way or another. Filling the void left by someone like the Golden Horse Messenger won’t be easy.”
“Is that so?”
“We need to change tactics. Up until now, we’ve been chasing them. Now, we make them come to us.”
“How?”
Geom Yeolcheon’s voice lowered.
Myeongcheon smiled faintly and continued. Geom Yeolcheon listened intently.
***
‘Geom Yeolcheon.’
Dam Ho’s mind was a whirlwind as he returned to the Sakju branch.
The intense afterimage Geom Yeolcheon had left in his heart lingered. Geom Yeolcheon’s presence was that overpowering.
Normally, Dam Ho would never heed words from someone like Geom Yeolcheon. But with his master ambushed and the connection to Yonggeom Manor severed, strong suspicions had taken root—just as Geom Yeolcheon said—so he acknowledged there was truth to it.
Dam Ho was brutal, but no fool. If he were, he never could’ve forged the current Lone Shadow Style.
Though he’d received help from True Person Hyeon So, building the Lone Shadow Style as it was had been entirely Dam Ho’s doing.
Dam Ho slowly retraced his memories.
He hadn’t noticed before learning of the Celestial Church, but once aware, the oddities piled up.
‘Hwa No.’
The old man who’d claimed to be Yeon’s protector after she saved his life. Yeon only knew he’d been rescued; his true background remained a mystery.
Hwa No had mentioned angels on his deathbed. Dam Ho had forgotten until Geom Yeolcheon’s words jogged the memory.
If Hwa No had spoken truth, then Geom Yeolcheon’s claims weren’t entirely baseless.
‘Celestial Church.’
Dam Ho’s gaze deepened.
Not just the Demonic Cult, but the Celestial Church too.
His actions now faced constraints.
Facing the Demonic Cult while always keeping the Celestial Church in mind. He’d have to be even more cautious.
Perhaps Geom Yeolcheon had calculated that far. You couldn’t force a beast like Dam Ho to heel. Best to hope he’d restrain himself through his own reasoning.
‘I’ll dance to your tune this once, Geom Yeolcheon.’
Just as Geom Yeolcheon was mindful of Dam Ho, Dam Ho was mindful of him. He was the only one who set Dam Ho’s blood boiling.
For now, they shared a goal and clasped hands, but Dam Ho didn’t believe the alliance would last.
As Dam Ho organized his thoughts and entered the Sakju branch, he spotted something in the distance.
Cho Yeon-un was deep in serious talk with someone. A female warrior whose face looked adorably cute at first glance.
Dressed in light green martial robes with her hair neatly tied up, her youthful charm lingered on her pretty face.
The woman spoke earnestly, while Cho Yeon-un nodded repeatedly. After hearing her out fully, he offered a fist salute, turned, and spotted Dam Ho.
“Ah!”
Cho Yeon-un lit up and rushed over.
The woman who’d been talking with him until then wore a disappointed look at his back-turned dash. But only briefly—she soon entered the hall.
“What happened? I heard you went into the city.”
“Something came up.”
“What?”
“Where’s Master?”
“Jongri Yeon is tending to him right now. They’re discussing security protocols with the Secret Burial Division Leader.”
“Secret Burial Division?”
“The woman I just met—Dan Hwaran—is their leader. It’s a covert group formed to protect the Alliance’s key figures. The Alliance deemed the situation critical and dispatched them.”
“Can we trust the Secret Burial Division?”
Dam Ho’s words carried layers of meaning. Cho Yeon-un wasn’t oblivious.
“It’s directly under the Alliance, so skepticism is natural. But you can trust Dan.”
“You trust her?”
“She’s the division leader now, but she once trained at Baekjeonmun. She was sent from her sect, the Soft Sword Sect, to gain experience. I know her better than anyone. I’d stake my life on it.”
Dam Ho nodded at Cho Yeon-un’s words. Only then did Cho Yeon-un smile.
The two walked side by side.
Dam Ho and Cho Yeon-un. An odd pair at first glance, yet somehow their companionship felt natural to onlookers.
Cho Yeon-un was one of the few who treated Dam Ho without reservation. His one true friend. Power-holders often approached Cho Yeon-un to indirectly reach Dam Ho. But he blocked them all, enduring backlash without complaint to Dam Ho.
Entering the annex, the first sight that greeted them was Jongri Yeon in the front yard, dozing off while boiling medicinal soup.
“Jongri Yeon’s worked herself ragged. Hasn’t left True Person Hyeon So’s side for a moment.”
She’d pulled two all-nighters. No wonder her body couldn’t hold out.
Dam Ho scooped her up. Yet Jongri Yeon didn’t wake. Exhaustion from two days of intense mental strain had her in a deep stupor.
“Mmm.”
Nestled in Dam Ho’s arms, Jongri Yeon smiled. Dam Ho gazed silently at her before entering the room.
He gently laid her beside True Person Hyeon So, covering her with a blanket. Jongri Yeon curled up tightly and sank into deep sleep.
Dam Ho turned to True Person Hyeon So. In a semi-comatose state, he seemed to be dreaming.
‘Master.’
What dreams haunted him? Dam Ho wondered.
He stared wordlessly. Known as the world’s cruelest, yet his eyes now flickered with rare warmth.
A gaze reserved solely for True Person Hyeon So.
Dam Ho gripped his master’s hand tightly.
The rough knuckles pained his heart. In all the time he’d been absent, his master had suffered just as much.
Metabolism slowed in the semi-coma, body temperature lower than usual. Yet to Dam Ho, even that felt warm.
Cho Yeon-un watched them silently.
Seeing the pair stirred thoughts of his own master.
‘Ah, I miss Master.’
They bickered daily, but Jang Ilsan cherished him. Without him, today’s Cho Yeon-un wouldn’t exist.
‘When will Master join us?’
Word via disciples: soon. Rumors swirled of many experts converging here too.
Much of the Alliance’s forces concentrated on Sakju. It had become the eye of the storm.
Cho Yeon-un left Dam Ho and True Person Hyeon So behind and stepped out.
“Haaah!”
He took a deep breath and stretched. Tears pricked his eyes.
Not just Jongri Yeon had overdone it. He’d barely rested amid constant motion, fatigue weighing heavy. Yet rest wasn’t an option.
He wasn’t merely a junior expert. As Baekjeonmun’s young leader, demands on him abounded.
“No helping it.”
Cho Yeon-un shook his head and walked on.
The Sakju branch buzzed with activity.
New barracks rose for reinforcements. Outer perimeter bristled with traps and formations. Patrols thickened, entry protocols tightened.
The branch was fortifying into a bastion—like a bristling hedgehog. Reassuring, yet oddly unnerving.
“Anywhere to snag some booze?”
Cho Yeon-un smacked his lips.
Work had kept him dry for days. Likely longer ahead. A pity.
As he walked—
“Young Hero Cho.”
A familiar voice called. He turned to a familiar face.
“Ah! Lady Hae.”
Hae So-wol approached lightly. Cho Yeon-un noted her steps heavier than usual. Her expression matched—grim.
“What’s wrong?”
“When you have time, come with me somewhere.”
“Where to?”
“A place neither you nor I will like.”
“Hmm.”
Cho Yeon-un frowned briefly at her vagueness but nodded readily.
“Alright, let’s go.”
“Thank you.”
“No trouble.”
Cho Yeon-un followed Hae So-wol. They arrived at a newly built small hall.
“Here?”
“Inside.”
Hae So-wol opened the door first and entered. Cho Yeon-un followed. Around a large table sat a group.
“Who are you people?”
Cho Yeon-un’s eyes widened.