Chapter 222
Chapter 222
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 222
Chapter Title: Section 8. I Leave No Regrets Behind (1)
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Jin Muyoung's body was slammed upside down into the ground. Everyone anticipated the gruesome sight of his head shattered to pieces. Damho's Earth Shaking Strike had been that overwhelming.
But contrary to everyone's expectations, Jin Muyoung's head wasn't shattered, nor had his breath stopped. That was because the spot his head struck wasn't the ground, but someone's chest.
"Cough!"
The man sprawled on the floor, vomiting blood along with ragged breaths, was none other than Cho Yeonun. He had taken the blow to his chest the instant Jin Muyoung's head was about to hit the ground.
Thanks to that, he prevented Jin Muyoung's head from shattering, but Cho Yeonun himself suffered a massive impact to his chest, shaking his internals.
For the first time, uncertainty flickered in Damho's eyes.
"Why?"
"Ugh... He... is essential to this battlefield."
"Yeonun!"
"It's... a request. If he dies, the... Wudang Clan will withdraw from this war. Then the Murim Alliance will be at an absolute disadvantage. So for the good of the jianghu, you can't kill Muyoung."
He had taken the shock meant for Jin Muyoung. Amid the pain that felt like his body was being torn apart, Cho Yeonun desperately tried to dissuade Damho.
It wasn't for Jin Muyoung. It was solely for the jianghu. Cho Yeonun's actions sobered everyone present. They also dispelled the madness that had dominated the arena.
Many felt ashamed at the sight of Cho Yeonun and bowed their heads. Even the Nine Dragons did.
"Yeonun."
"Cough! It's a request."
Vomiting blood once more, Cho Yeonun gazed pleadingly at Damho. Without another word, Damho stepped back.
Cho Yeonun was the one person he could call a true friend. When everyone else looked at him with eyes of fear, only Cho Yeonun approached without hesitation.
For such a Cho Yeonun to throw himself into harm's way and make this request—even a cold-blooded man without blood or tears like Damho couldn't refuse his friend's plea.
Instead, Damho's gaze turned to Jin Muyoung.
Having barely saved his life thanks to Cho Yeonun's intervention, Jin Muyoung couldn't bring himself to meet Damho's eyes and kept his head lowered. His shoulders trembled.
It was impossible to tell if it was from rage or shame. Despite having every reason to mock him, no one present dared to do so.
It wasn't that Jin Muyoung was weak. It was that Damho was too strong.
Only then did people recall that Damho had slain So Cheonsan, the pinnacle of the Seven Great Evils known as Ten Li No Life, in a single breath.
'That guy's not human.'
'A... monster.'
Irrepressible terror filled the eyes gazing at Damho.
People naturally fear the unknown. And if that unknown can't be clearly distinguished as foe or ally, the fear grows even greater.
That was the psychological state of the crowd here now. Damho, this unknown entity, couldn't be classified as enemy or ally. He acted on his whims, attacking even allies without hesitation if he felt like it.
How could anyone trust and fight alongside such a Damho?
He might be the most reliable ally if truly on the same side, but could they really consider Damho one of their own? The warlords thought not. Yet they said nothing out of fear of Damho.
Damho sensed the swirling emotions churning in the crowd below. Without another word, he turned and left. There was no reason to stay.
The martial artists hurriedly cleared a path in astonishment. A road opened before Damho.
Damho walked through them. Soon, his figure vanished.
"Whew!"
"Haa!"
Only then did suppressed groans erupt from all around.
Damho returned to the annex.
"You're back?"
Jong Ri-yeon greeted him with a bright smile. She was still unaware of what had happened at the grand tournament grounds.
"Where's Master?"
"The antidote is working smoothly. At this rate, he might wake up sooner than expected."
"Can he be moved?"
"Why?"
"We're leaving Sakju."
"What happened?"
"......"
"If we take a carriage, there shouldn't be any issues with moving him."
"Then we'll do that."
"Really?"
Jong Ri-yeon's eyes widened round.
"Yeah!"
"Where to?"
"Somewhere far away... a place where Master can recover in peace."
Damho's gaze turned to Hyeonso True Man.
The face of Hyeonso True Man, lost in a coma, looked serene. Damho stared at his face for a long, long time.
***
What happened at the grand tournament grounds that day gradually spread throughout the entire Sakju branch. Martial artists from great sects tried to cover up their shame, but not everyone's lips were sealed.
The fact that Namhak had belittled the ronin and clashed with Cho Yeonun became known. Many condemned Namhak.
Had Namhak won against Cho Yeonun, things might have been different. But his defeat caused his reputation to plummet.
Cho Yeonun, always undervalued compared to the Nine Dragons despite being called the Drunken Cloud Dragon, received a reevaluation this time. People now assessed him as equal to the Nine Dragons, perhaps even superior in strength.
Given the jianghu folk's love for rankings, Cho Yeonun should have originally supplanted Namhak and joined the Nine Dragons. Yet they didn't, because the Nine Dragons' reputation had hit rock bottom.
Jin Muyoung, implicitly their leader, had been crushed by Damho, and Namhak's disdain for ronin became public—leaving the Nine Dragons unable to show their faces.
Of course, it would be forgotten in time, but for now, public opinion of the Nine Dragons was poor.
The incident particularly troubled the Murim Alliance leadership. Rumors spread that the Alliance discriminated against ronin and small sects compared to great gates and five great families.
At a time when even uniting all jianghu's might offered no guarantee of victory, such rumors were fatal. Thus, the leaders decided to treat ronin and small sect martial artists equally to those of the great gates and five families.
It was an unavoidable decision for the Murim Alliance.
Now, Damho himself had become a massive burden to the Alliance. Not just because he crushed Jin Muyoung. His presence was too overwhelming; they couldn't ignore him.
No one knew when another such incident might occur. If it did, it would be hard to contain, and the Alliance's face would hit the dirt again.
They regretted losing Damho's strength, but carrying him was too burdensome. Thus, Damho became a hot potato.
A group arrived at the annex.
Branch Chief Gong Sonjung was there, along with familiar Daoists and martial artists with extraordinary auras.
"Lo...ng time no see."
The one who spoke first with difficulty was someone Damho knew well.
It was Cheongheo True Man, elder of the Wudang Clan.
His eyes on Damho held complex emotions beyond words.
Wudang's once-in-a-century prodigy, Jin Muyoung, had been utterly defeated by Damho.
Cheongheo True Man and Wudang were furious at first. But after hearing the full story, shame outweighed anger.
It was revealed that Wudang's promising prodigy had incited the warlords to forcibly expel Damho.
Other Wudang experts thought it understandable, but Cheongheo True Man saw it differently. He already felt indebted to Damho; now, only desolation filled his chest.
He understood Jin Muyoung's feelings to some extent. But not like this.
If they wanted him gone, they should have demanded it honorably. Not by inciting the warlords.
A mix of emotions crossed Cheongheo True Man's eyes.
He wanted to apologize. But he couldn't. He wasn't just an individual; he was a Wudang elder. Wudang's honor came first.
The other elders were angry at Damho. To them, Wudang's honor trumped the truth.
They opposed allying with Damho. They refused to dispatch Wudang experts to Sakju as long as he remained.
"Sigh!"
His sigh carried that much weight. But he couldn't just sigh forever.
He got to the point.
"As you know, the mood at the Sakju branch is poor."
"So?"
"Please... leave this place."
Damho's eyes narrowed at Cheongheo True Man's words. Avoiding Damho's gaze, Cheongheo continued.
"If you don't leave, Wudang will withdraw its forces from the Murim Alliance."
"......"
"I'm sorry."
Cheongheo True Man's voice trembled as he spoke.
"Wudang will withdraw its forces? Fine, let them."
A voice cold as ice rang out as the door opened. Someone strode in.
"Hyeon...geom True Man?"
The leadership's faces changed completely, starting with Cheongheo True Man.
The one who entered was none other than Hyeongeom True Man of the Huashan Sect. His title, Huashan's Foremost Sword, carried no less weight than Wudang's.
Gong Sonjung glanced at Hyeongeom True Man and said,
"What do you mean?"
"You're threatening to withdraw Wudang's forces unless Heavenly Capital leaves now? Fine. Huashan will fill the gap."
"H-Hyeongeom True Man?"
Gong Sonjung's face drained of color.
Hyeongeom True Man represented Huashan. His fame and presence rivaled Wudang and Cheongheo True Man.
With Hyeongeom unexpectedly taking a hardline stance, Gong Sonjung wasn't the only one in a bind. Cheongheo True Man was too.
In truth, withdrawing Wudang's forces over Damho wasn't easy. It would surely draw the jianghu's condemnation.
Yet they resorted to such a threat because Wudang had no room to retreat.
Hyeongeom True Man glared at Cheongheo.
"I'm disappointed, Cheongheo. Threatening to withdraw over something so trivial?"
"Immeasurable mercy!"
"Back when the Demonic Cult invaded long ago, you did the same. Made excuses and hung back. Preserving your full strength."
"That's..."
Hyeongeom's sharp words struck Wudang's sore spot, blocking Cheongheo True Man's response.
Long ago, Wudang had stepped back from the war against the Demonic Cult. Huashan filled the void, nearly facing extermination.
There were hidden circumstances, but that didn't erase Wudang's guilt.
"Let cowardly Wudang withdraw. Huashan will clash with the Demonic Cult again this time."
"Hyeongeom True Man, please calm down."
"Do I look calm? Persecuting someone over nonsense."
Panic was evident on Cheongheo True Man and the leadership's faces. As far as they knew, Damho and Huashan were no more than strangers—less than that. They never expected intervention. Yet Hyeongeom True Man's eyes held no hostility toward Damho, only warmth.
Those unaware of what transpired between Damho and Hyeongeom True Man had no choice but to be flustered.
"I've heard the story. Aren't you ashamed? A famed righteous sect's prodigy inciting warlords like that."
"That matter..."
"Quiet. So, what will you do? Still threaten to withdraw Wudang?"
Hyeongeom True Man's eyes blazed fiercely.
The gaze of Hyeongeom True Man, who had surpassed the wall, was so clear and pure that even Cheongheo struggled to endure it. From that, Cheongheo guessed Hyeongeom had achieved enlightenment.
'Hyeongeom True Man has broken through the wall?'
As one of Wudang's top experts, Cheongheo could recognize Hyeongeom's attainment.
Today's Hyeongeom differed from yesterday's. Cheongheo couldn't claim certain victory even staking his life. Offending such a Hyeongeom and Huashan was burdensome even for Wudang and Cheongheo.
As Cheongheo felt this dilemma,
"It's fine."
Damho's voice echoed through the room.
All eyes naturally turned to Damho, including Hyeongeom True Man's.
"What do you mean, fine?"
"I'm leaving this place."
"What? If it's because of their threats, there's no need."
"You think I'd care about their threats?"
"Then?"
Damho rose from his seat.
"It's simply not my battlefield."