Chapter 223
Chapter 223
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 223
Chapter Title: Section 8. No Lingering Regrets (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The next dawn, Damho loaded Hyeon So the Realized and the children into a large carriage.
Once the decision to leave had been made, there was no reason to hesitate.
Hyeon Geom the Realized and the Mount Hua Sect disciples watched Damho with complicated expressions. To them, Damho was an object of both love and hate.
Though Damho himself denied being a Mount Hua Sect disciple, they already considered him one.
The martial prowess and conduct he had displayed naturally commanded their respect. Yet even so, they could not hold him back. They knew his temperament well—once he made up his mind, he never went back on it.
Hyeon Geom the Realized approached Damho.
"Must you go?"
"I've already decided."
"Where do you plan to head? If you haven't decided, why not come to Mount Hua?"
"If my master recovers and wishes it. But not right now."
"Sigh! I was planning to take Hyeon So to Mount Hua myself... but the situation has changed."
Hyeon Geom the Realized let out a sigh.
He would have liked for Damho to join the Mount Hua Sect, but things in life didn't always go as one wished.
Hyeon Geom the Realized soon cleared his mind. Breaking through the wall that had blocked his progress had taught him one thing: everything had its own time.
Water might flow separate paths over long distances, but it always met in the ocean. Likewise, human bonds would connect in time. There was no need to rush.
"Farewell. I'll protect this place, so worry not."
Hyeon Geom the Realized waved his hand.
The gaze that had always been sharp as a honed blade softened like any other person's. Even the Mount Hua Sect disciples struggled to adjust to Hyeon Geom the Realized's dramatic change.
Knowing that softness could lead to greater strength, Hyeon Geom the Realized's eyes had changed as well. But the disciples' cultivation was still too shallow to grasp that.
Damho drove the carriage away from the Sakju branch.
Mount Hua Sect disciples, led by Un Gyeong, watched the receding carriage. Their eyes held complex emotions.
"Tian Jing, go safely."
"Si... Senior Uncle!"
They said an arm bends inward.
Witnessing Damho's rejection by the Martial Alliance warriors had instead fostered affection for him in their hearts.
Clap! Clap!
Some disciples formed a fist salute toward the departing Damho. The gesture spread like a wave through the group.
Damho suddenly halted the carriage.
A man and a woman stood blocking the road. Both were people he knew.
'Cho Yeon-un, Hae So-wol.'
The man was Cho Yeon-un, and the woman was Hae So-wol.
Cho Yeon-un approached.
"I wonder if you're leaving because of me."
"I'm only leaving because there's no reason to stay."
"Then I'm relieved."
The shock of blocking Jin Mu-yeong's attack lingered, leaving Cho Yeon-un's complexion poor. But the bright light in his eyes remained unchanged.
This time, Damho asked.
"Will you stay here?"
"Unlike you, this is my battlefield. My place. So I can't leave just yet."
"I see."
"When paths diverge, so do roads. I'll face the Demonic Cult here. The Hundred Battles Sect was made to fight the Demonic Cult."
Damho nodded silently, understanding Cho Yeon-un's pride in the Hundred Battles Sect.
The Hundred Battles Victory Flag, symbol of the Hundred Battles Sect, was a gift from the world's swordsmen for standing at the forefront of war. Cho Yeon-un cherished it more than anyone.
"Soon, the Hundred Battles Victory Flag will arrive here. Fighting the Demonic Cult beneath it—that is my entire life. This place is my seat of honor."
Cho Yeon-un smiled.
His master was coming here with the Hundred Battles Victory Flag. Cho Yeon-un awaited that moment.
This time, Hae So-wol spoke.
"Where will you go?"
"Somewhere quiet."
"I see."
Hae So-wol gazed steadily at Damho. Complex, subtle emotions swirled chaotically in her eyes.
Damho was the eye of the storm.
He could slaughter enemies with immense power, but the aftermath affected allies too. Even comrades couldn't approach him at ease. That was why he had to leave.
"At least send word. I'll come visit sometime."
"I will."
"Then, until next time."
Hae So-wol bid farewell first.
Regret lingered, but she decided against attachment. She turned away coolly. Cho Yeon-un followed.
Damho left them behind and set off.
Then, Jong Ri-yeon poked her head out the carriage window.
"No regrets?"
"Regrets about what?"
"Leaving them behind."
"They're not children. They're true warriors with unwavering convictions. Such people deserve respect for the decisions born of their beliefs."
Hae So-wol and Cho Yeon-un held firm convictions. They trusted their own strength and acted on what they believed right. Damho had no place to interfere.
Jong Ri-yeon nodded. She felt she understood Damho's words.
Jong Ri-yeon suddenly asked.
"But do we have a destination?"
***
The world churned in turmoil.
In Sakju, word was that full-scale clashes between the Martial Alliance and Demonic Cult had begun. Fierce battles raged daily, spawning rumors of countless casualties.
The war with the Demonic Cult wasn't confined to Sakju. Large and small conflicts erupted across the Central Plains, plunging the world into chaos.
The Upright-Demonic Great War was like an endless swamp, swallowing sects and warriors alike. Rumors endlessly poured in—of a hundred dead here, hundreds there.
It was an age of disorder. The war showed no sign of ending; instead, it escalated.
The winds of chaos engulfed the land, but some places lay just beyond its grasp.
One such place was the Green Forest.
In chaotic times, bandits should have run rampant, yet strangely, they were deathly quiet. Those fixated on the Upright-Demonic Great War had no leisure to question it.
On Mount Huang stood Baewang Stronghold, the Green Forest's head stronghold. There, Hwang Kyung-moon reigned as its overlord.
Recently, the Green Forest had suffered a grave calamity. Cho Yun-san, chief of Heuksu Stronghold, had incited other chiefs to rebellion.
Fortunately, Hwang Kyung-moon suppressed it, but the damage to the Green Forest was immense. Immediately after, he began reorganizing.
He banned plundering and selected new chiefs, spending breathless months in the effort. Time flew by.
In that span, the Green Forest stabilized, and Hwang Kyung-moon found some breathing room. Peace settled slightly over Baewang Stronghold.
"Haa!"
A boy slightly plump for an ordinary person lay spread-eagled on a hillside. Rough breaths escaped his lips.
His face was drenched in sweat, flushed red.
"Martial arts are tough, after all."
Yet a pleased smile lit his face.
The boy was Bang Jin-bo.
In just months, Bang Jin-bo's face had changed beyond recognition. Especially his weight loss—his jawline now showed.
It stemmed from cultivating the Five Elements Gentleman Art. The art Hwang Kyung-moon taught manipulated the energies of the five elements.
Mastering it required exquisitely precise internal energy control. One needed innate sensitivity to energy, catching even minor shifts.
These traits suited Bang Jin-bo well. Distinguishing countless ingredients' flavors and harmonizing them naturally honed delicate senses.
Bang Jin-bo used the finesse gained from cooking to sense and balance the five elements' energies. His efforts visibly slimmed him, lent gloss to his skin. Most encouraging: his tongue grew keener.
For a cook like Bang Jin-bo, it was the greatest gain.
"Hmm!"
Bang Jin-bo inhaled deeply. Fresh air pleasantly filled his lungs.
Then, someone approached.
"You seem in good spirits."
"Ah, Sister!"
Bang Jin-bo sprang up.
The one who approached silently was Hwang Hye-ryeong.
"Were you training in martial arts?"
"Yes!"
"You're diligent."
"I have to be, to help Brother later."
Hwang Hye-ryeong nodded at his answer.
Knowing Bang Jin-bo trained solely to aid Damho made her admire him more.
"Where's the Overlord Chief?"
"Same as always."
"Still training?"
"Yeah!"
"He's diligent too."
"That incident taught Father a lot."
"I suppose..."
Bang Jin-bo nodded vigorously.
The jianghu respected only the strong. Only the powerful had the right to speak. Feeling that keenly, Hwang Kyung-moon trained fervently.
Bang Jin-bo brushed off his rear.
"Let's go, Sister."
"No more training?"
"Not feeling it. I'd rather cook."
"Then I'm all for it."
Hwang Hye-ryeong smiled happily.
She had grown accustomed to Bang Jin-bo's cooking. Others' food tasted bland by comparison.
They descended side by side.
A breeze blew. The once-chilly wind now carried warmth.
'This summer will come unusually early.'
It just felt that way.
Then.
"Huh, Sister?"
Bang Jin-bo suddenly called Hwang Hye-ryeong.
"What?"
"There!"
Bang Jin-bo pointed down the mountain. Hwang Hye-ryeong's gaze followed.
Her pupils trembled.
A single carriage climbed the rugged slopes of Mount Huang. Baewang Stronghold had recently improved the road, but it wasn't easy for such a large carriage.
An average horse would collapse midway. Yet one horse pulled the heavy load up the steep incline without faltering.
A pitch-black horse, not a stray hair among its coat.
Snort!
Puffing hard yet unyielding, the sight widened Bang Jin-bo's eyes.
"Black... Ghost?"
He recognized it instantly. Hwang Hye-ryeong did too.
They exchanged glances.
"No way?"
Almost simultaneously, they dashed down the slope.
Bright smiles lit their faces. Leaning forward as if to tumble, they gripped the carriage side to stop.
"Haa! Haa!"
Panting roughly, they looked up. A familiar face sat in the driver's seat.
"Brother!"
"Brother!"
"Long time no see."
The man gazing down with strikingly black eyes was Damho. Bang Jin-bo and Hwang Hye-ryeong threw themselves into his embrace.