Chapter 234
Chapter 234
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 234
Chapter Title: Act 3. When the Wind Blows, the Era Moves (3)
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Swish!
The kitchen knife sliced through the bright red meat. Between the chunks of flesh split along the grain, stark white bone was visible.
Thud! Thud!
With the tip of the knife wedged lightly between flesh and bone and a gentle twist, it separated all too easily.
"Hmm-hmm!"
Bang Jin-bo hummed a tune as he wielded the knife.
Slash! Slaaash!
Each time the knife cut through the meat, a sharp whooshing sound echoed through the air.
The knife moved exactly as he intended. At a glance, it seemed as if the blade were a living thing, wriggling on its own.
Dam Ho leaned against a tree, watching the scene.
They were in a wild mountain near Gyesu, on the border between Anhui and Henan Provinces. Bang Jin-bo was butchering the rabbit that Mok Il-gwang had caught.
Dam Ho's gaze was fixed on Bang Jin-bo's knife.
He had bought it from a shabby workshop in Dongneung, he said. Clearly made of ordinary iron, yet an inexplicable sharpness emanated from it.
'He tempered the blade using only the inner energy focused in his fingers.'
It was hard to believe without touching the knife himself. The traces of the old man's power were vividly etched into the blade.
The edge where the old man's fingers had passed was condensed to an unimaginable degree. It was honed several times sharper, to the point where its keen edge could be felt intensely.
The knife had been refined to a level that a master smith could achieve only after thousands or tens of thousands of hammer strikes. He had never heard or seen such a method of channeling inner energy.
'Wind-Moon Lord, was it?'
A name he had never heard before. Yet it nagged at him strangely.
Dam Ho was a man of the jianghu. Roaming the rivers and lakes, he would eventually cross paths with the old man someday.
Dam Ho decided not to think about the old man until then. If it was fate, they would meet eventually.
"Brother."
Mok Il-gwang approached Dam Ho. As Dam Ho looked at him, Mok Il-gwang continued cautiously.
"Finding Jo So-hyeop won't be easy, it seems."
"What do you mean?"
"I asked around the local bandits, but after their defeat in Sakju, the warriors scattered in all directions. Some went to Mount Hua, others to the Zhongnan Sect, and the rest sought refuge in giant sects like Shaolin Temple. Even the Murim Alliance has no grasp of which warriors went to which sects. The information blackout is that severe."
Dam Ho furrowed his brow at Mok Il-gwang's response.
As he said, the northern Central Plains were in utter chaos right now. With Sakju fallen, all of Shanxi Province had come under the Demonic Cult's influence, putting neighboring Henan, Shaanxi, and Hebei Provinces on high alert.
Henan had Shaolin Temple, Shaanxi had Mount Hua Sect and Zhongnan Sect. These three sects had taken in the warriors who fled Sakju and sealed their gates. They were preparing for the Demonic Cult's invasion.
The Murim Alliance was frantically dispatching reserve forces to these three sects, but the distances were too great, causing delays.
"If Jo So-hyeop is still alive, he's surely taken refuge in one of these three sects."
"Which is most likely?"
"It's hard to judge."
Mok Il-gwang answered honestly.
Even among those, the three sects were the most probable, but there was no ruling out other sects entirely.
"It would be best to meet any warrior who was there. That's the only way to get accurate information. What should we do?"
"We head to Shaolin."
"Shaolin?"
Mok Il-gwang looked surprised at Dam Ho's answer. It was completely unexpected.
"Understood."
But he didn't voice any doubts.
Dam Ho had decided, so he would follow. That was Mok Il-gwang's way of thinking.
Fortunately, Shaolin wasn't far from here. If they pushed their horses, they could reach it in ten days.
It was then.
"It's done. Everyone, come eat."
Bang Jin-bo's voice rang out across the mountain.
Turning his head, he saw Bang Jin-bo calling them over with a small pot brimming with rabbit stew. It was made from the rabbit Mok Il-gwang had caught.
He had just been butchering it moments ago, yet in a flash, he had whipped up the stew. And somehow, he had even prepared appetizing steamed rice.
Mok Il-gwang couldn't help but marvel at Bang Jin-bo's skills.
"Wow! Camping in these wild mountains and having a feast like this. No one would believe it if I told them."
"This is basic."
Bang Jin-bo grinned. Now that he had some leisure, he seemed much more sly and cheeky.
Bang Jin-bo ladled a bowl of rabbit stew into each of their dishes.
"Whew! This is incredible."
Mok Il-gwang let out an exclamation despite himself. Dam Ho nodded in agreement.
Bang Jin-bo watched them enjoy his cooking with a happy smile.
A chef's greatest joy was seeing others savor the food he made. Especially if they were people dear to him.
"Hehe!"
Whatever the reason, he was glad to be traveling with Dam Ho. He hoped to be of help, even a little. And his food was certainly helping Dam Ho plenty.
Quality food supplied the body with ample nutrients, bringing it to peak condition. Dam Ho's body was in its best state right now.
His inner energy flowed smoothly, and vitality pulsed through every muscle fiber.
This was no mere meal—it was as good as a fine tonic. And Bang Jin-bo produced such meals at every turn.
Dam Ho looked at Bang Jin-bo.
"Thanks."
"Hehe!"
Bang Jin-bo rubbed his nose with a finger and laughed.
The next dawn, the three left the mountain and entered Henan Province.
Perhaps because it bordered Shanxi, Henan's atmosphere was heavy and subdued.
Warriors were everywhere on the streets.
They moved in groups, weapons at their waists, all heading in one direction.
Mok Il-gwang explained it to Bang Jin-bo.
"Shaolin Temple... They're definitely heading there."
"Shaolin Temple?"
"With Sakju fallen, Henan isn't safe anymore. Before the Demonic Cult's fierce waves, all but the greatest sects will vanish without a trace. With the Murim Alliance's aid so distant, the only places to rely on are giants like Shaolin. That's why they're flocking there to survive."
"Ah!"
Bang Jin-bo finally nodded in understanding.
Shaolin wasn't just the greatest sect in Henan—it was the greatest in all the land. With over a thousand years of history, it teemed with masters, and nearly every sect and warrior in Henan had ties to it.
Given the situation, Henan sects and warriors relied most on Shaolin. It wasn't for nothing they called it the North Star of Mount Tai.
It was while Dam Ho was carefully scanning the warriors' faces.
"Could you be Hero Dam, by any chance?"
An unfamiliar voice rang in Dam Ho's ear.
Turning, he saw a man in his late thirties standing under a large flag reading Morning Fire Merchant Group. Behind him were massive carriages and dozens of carts loaded with goods.
Confirming Dam Ho's face, the man hurried over.
"It's Hero Dam indeed. I'm Yun Sa-il, outer division chief of Morning Fire Merchant Group. We met once before."
"......"
"I never expected to see you here again."
"Why is Morning Fire Merchant Group here?"
"For business with Shaolin Temple. They liked our previous dealings and wanted long-term contracts."
"Long-term?"
"With so many people gathering, they must want stable food supplies. We're taking thirty cartloads of rice for now, but it won't even scratch the surface."
At Yun Sa-il's explanation, Dam Ho eyed the large carriages.
"Our young leader is here too. Would you like to see her?"
"Sure."
Dam Ho nodded and climbed into the carriage.
Inside sat Won Seol-hwa, the young leader of Morning Fire Merchant Group. She removed the veil from her face, revealing it.
A refined white complexion, blood-red lips, and seductive black eyes left a striking impression.
She smiled softly and spoke.
"Welcome, Hero Dam. It's been a while."
"So it has."
"Meeting here again—truly fateful."
Her smile lit up the carriage like sunshine. But Dam Ho stared at Won Seol-hwa without so much as a blink.
Ordinary people couldn't meet Dam Ho's gaze. Just looking into his eyes made their legs go weak. Yet Won Seol-hwa handled it effortlessly.
"Are you heading to Shaolin too, Hero Dam?"
Dam Ho nodded silently, and a flicker of light appeared and vanished in Won Seol-hwa's eyes.
"Unexpected."
"What is?"
"Pardon?"
Won Seol-hwa looked slightly flustered at his question. Dam Ho asked again.
"What's unexpected? Can't I go to Shaolin?"
"I just thought you wouldn't bother with a place like that."
Won Seol-hwa quickly composed herself and answered calmly. Dam Ho stared at her intently.
In Dam Ho's pitch-black eyes, swirling with ferocity, Won Seol-hwa's face—with its faint crack—reflected.
"Perfect timing, since you're going to Shaolin too. Why not travel with us?"
"You mean escort?"
"Yes! Wouldn't that be convenient for you?"
"......"
"We're going the same way anyway."
"Why go out of your way with me?"
"For safety."
Won Seol-hwa smiled brightly.
As Dam Ho furrowed his brow, she hurriedly explained.
"As you see, we're transporting a lot of food. In these chaotic times, anyone would covet it. Our own guards protect us, but it's still worrisome."
"So you want to use me as a bodyguard?"
"It's good for both sides, isn't it? We're safer, and you get an easy trip to Shaolin."
"......"
"It's not for free. We'll pay handsomely. What do you say?"
Won Seol-hwa's words were sweet temptation. The kind fatally irresistible to any man.
Dam Ho answered.
"Fine."
"Thank you."
Won Seol-hwa smiled again at his response. Still dazzlingly radiant.
Dam Ho gazed at her face a moment longer, then stood and exited. Once alone after he left, the smile vanished from Won Seol-hwa's face.
Her expressionless face, like an emotionless doll, was eerily frightening.
"Fist Demon... To meet again like this."
It felt as if Dam Ho's scent still lingered in the carriage. So intense it made her heart race. The unmistakable scent of a man, impossible to forget once smelled.
Won Seol-hwa felt her heart pounding several times faster than usual. She had to struggle to calm it.
By the time she regained her composure, Yun Sa-il's voice came from outside.
"Miss, may I enter?"
"Come in."
Yun Sa-il opened the door and entered at once. He got straight to the point.
"Are you really traveling with the Fist Demon?"
"Yes."
"How could you make such a decision...? The Fist Demon is not to be taken lightly. Making such a choice rashly..."
"I've already decided, Division Chief Yun."
"Under...stood."
Yun Sa-il clamped his mouth shut at Won Seol-hwa's firm words. He knew well her temperament: once decided, she never went back.
No matter what he said, she wouldn't reverse it.
Won Seol-hwa murmured.
"There's a saying: Keep friends close, enemies closer."
"Miss."
"The more dangerous the enemy, the closer you keep them to watch. This could turn into a blessing in disguise for us."
"Understood. If that's your will."
Yun Sa-il bowed his head. But his expression was far from bright.
'Fist Demon.'
The two words of Dam Ho's moniker stabbed his chest like sharp thorns.