Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: There Comes a Time When Everyone Must Stand Alone (1)
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The dust that had darkened the surroundings like a veil of night gradually settled.
But Ogio and the escorts didn't move. No, they couldn't move.
It was because of the man who emerged from the dust.
He was like a beast. His hair was a tangled mess, his beard covered his chest, and a chilling glint shone through the gaps.
He barely covered his privates with a ragged scrap of cloth, and around his waist was a small bundle wrapped in fabric.
"Huff!"
A beastly growl escaped through the man's lips.
In that instant, Ogio, Yupo, and the others flinched as a chill ran through their veins.
They sensed the breath of a savage beast in the man's ragged breathing.
It felt as if they stood naked before a ferocious predator. That's why they couldn't move.
'What the...?'
'Ugh!'
The man kept his eyes lowered, letting out rough breaths for a while.
With each exhale, the lingering dust rippled around him. Ogio couldn't easily open his mouth in the face of that hair-raising sight.
Suddenly, the beast-like man lifted his head and looked at them. In that moment, an overwhelmingly fierce gaze pierced their eyes.
"Urk!"
Ogio couldn't meet the man's stare and hurriedly bowed his head.
Just a glimpse of that look had his heart pounding wildly.
'What kind of killing intent is this...?'
Ogio, the chief escort of the Silver Lotus Merchant Company who prided himself on having seen it all, had never encountered anyone with eyes like that.
A man who could kill with a look alone—that's what Ogio thought.
After staring at them for a while, the man finally spoke.
"Who... are you?"
His voice was incredibly rough and hoarse.
If Ogio hadn't focused, he might not have understood—the man's pronunciation was that unclear. But right now, those words rang as loudly in Ogio's ears as a thunderclap.
Ogio hurriedly replied.
"I-I'm Ogio, the chief escort of the Silver Lotus Merchant Company."
"Silver Lotus Merchant Company?"
The man muttered as if hearing the name for the first time.
"It's a merchant group based in Nanju. We mainly trade goods to and from the Western Regions."
Ogio answered desperately.
He had no choice if he wanted to endure.
Beside him, Yupo and Cheongo were pale-faced, gripping their sword hilts. They were overwhelmed by the intense killing intent radiating from the man.
"So you're heading to the Western Regions now?"
"No. We're on our way back to the Central Plains."
"Good!"
The moment he heard the man's voice, Ogio realized he'd answered wrong.
"Mind if I tag along for a bit?"
"......"
He couldn't say no. The man's gaze was too terrifying.
It felt like his heart was shrinking.
Jo Sugwang, the master of the Silver Lotus Merchant Company, couldn't hide his puzzled expression upon seeing the strange man Ogio and the others had brought.
"Who's this?"
"I'll explain later. For now, he's agreed to travel with us to the nearest village."
Jo Sugwang furrowed his brow.
He saw the desperation etched on Ogio's face. Ogio was looking at him with pleading eyes.
"A-alright."
In the end, Jo Sugwang had no choice but to nod.
With Jo Sugwang's permission, Ogio sprang into action.
"Cheongo, fetch some clothes for him to wear."
"Got it."
"And..."
Ogio quickly scanned the surroundings. His gaze suddenly stopped on a baggage cart in the middle of the caravan.
He pointed at it with his finger.
"Senior, you can ride in that cart."
"Mm!"
The man who'd come with Ogio nodded.
The killing intent he'd emanated on the way here had sharply diminished. It was as if he'd reined it in himself.
Thanks to that, he didn't seem quite so frightening now, even if he looked odd. So Jo Sugwang and the merchants couldn't understand why Ogio and the others were fawning over him so much.
The man took the clothes Cheongo brought and walked toward the cart Ogio had pointed out.
"Mm!"
As the man approached, Bang Ugwang, the owner of the cart, frowned. The bizarre sight of him covering only his privates with a rag was odd enough, but the unique, rough aura emanating from his body was what really bothered him.
But this was a man brought by the chief escort Ogio himself. A mere cook like Bang Ugwang couldn't refuse.
"If the baggage hold is fine, hop in there."
The man nodded and climbed into the baggage hold of the cart.
"Hello."
The one greeting him was Bang Jinbo.
Bang Jinbo smiled brightly at the eerie man without a hint of fear.
"Hehe! My name's Bang Jinbo. Just call me Jinbo. Um... what's your name, big brother?"
At Bang Jinbo's question, the man briefly looked up at the sky, as if trying to recall his own name.
A moment later, he finally spoke.
"Damho. My name is Damho."
***
Bang Jinbo lay in the cart, peeking at Damho with wide eyes. Damho had his arm as a pillow, gazing at the sky.
The sky was an impossibly vivid blue. He had no idea how long it had been since he'd last seen such a blue sky. Strangely, though, it didn't bring him joy.
One would think his heart would race, but it felt like a lump of stone—utterly indifferent. As if he'd lost all emotions.
Suddenly, he felt Bang Jinbo's gaze. The boy was sneaking peeks at him like a stray cat.
Damho moistened his dry mouth with saliva.
After so long without speaking, even opening his mouth required serious effort.
Finally, a hoarse voice slipped through his lips.
"Do you know of the Demonic Cult?"
"The Demonic Cult?"
Bang Jinbo's eyes widened in surprise. But he soon nodded.
Damho's eyes, hidden beneath his wild hair, gleamed.
"How long ago did the Demonic Cult fall?"
Bang Jinbo glanced at his father, unable to answer. He'd heard of the Demonic Cult, but didn't know exactly when or how they'd been destroyed.
Catching his son's look, Bang Ugwang replied instead.
"From what I know, over thirty years. Exactly thirty-two, I think. But why do you ask?"
"......"
Damho didn't answer. He couldn't.
'Does that mean I've been trapped in the Thousand Gold Demon Prison for twelve years?'
A faint tremor ran through his shoulders.
He'd thought it was only five or six years at most. He'd figured a gap like that was tolerable in life.
But twelve years. Long enough for mountains and rivers to change, with two years to spare.
He'd come here at eighteen, so now he was exactly thirty. He'd spent nearly half his life in that pitch-black prison.
The golden years of his twenties didn't exist for him.
"Khuhuhu!"
A low chuckle escaped his lips. But the moment Bang Jinbo and Bang Ugwang heard it, their hearts plummeted.
Their faces turned ashen in an instant.
That wasn't all.
Neighhh!
The horses pulling the baggage carts suddenly went berserk.
"Urk!"
Even the escorts trained in martial arts felt their energy disrupted and hurriedly circulated their inner power.
"S-senior! Please calm down..."
Unable to endure it, Ogio pleaded, and Damho stopped laughing.
"Whew!"
Only then did relieved sighs erupt from all around. Among them were Bang Ugwang and Bang Jinbo, the owner and occupant of the cart Damho rode.
Their faces were ghostly pale. They never imagined the weirdo they'd let on their cart could unleash such terrifying killing intent.
'I picked up the Grim Reaper...'
Bang Ugwang looked miserable.
For the first time, he resented Ogio for shoving Damho onto his cart.
Damho clamped his mouth shut.
Even a slight tension in his eyes or a smile leaked killing intent. Whether it was from twelve years of isolation or the demonic arts from the Ten Thousand Demons Valley, Damho didn't know. Or care.
But those around him felt differently.
A tiger ignores a flock of sheep, but the sheep have no choice but to watch the tiger's every move. They couldn't tear their eyes away from Damho's slightest gesture.
'Where did this demon lord come from? We've met disaster.'
Jo Sugwang squeezed his eyes shut.
He resented Ogio for bringing this calamity, but on second thought, Ogio probably had no choice.
No matter how skilled Ogio was as chief escort, he paled against famous masters of the martial world.
The aura and presence from the man overwhelmed Ogio. Even if all the escorts attacked together, they wouldn't stand a chance against Damho.
Jo Sugwang could only pray Damho would leave as soon as possible. But against their wishes, Damho fell into a deep sleep.
Damho opened his eyes much later.
"Big brother, wake up."
Someone was shaking him. He opened his eyes to see Bang Jinbo looking down.
"What's the matter?"
"Time to eat."
"Eat?"
Damho sat up. In the middle of the plain, the carts were circled.
While he slept, Jo Sugwang had decided to camp. People prepared quietly, afraid of waking Damho.
Bang Ugwang and his son followed suit, silently preparing food amid the tense mood.
Those gathered around the campfire watched Damho warily. Damho saw the fear in their eyes.
He was the source of that fear.
He had no intention of threatening them, yet they saw him as a threat.
Damho said to Bang Jinbo.
"Bring my meal separately."
"Why not eat with us?"
"It's more comfortable here."
"Alright."
Bang Jinbo went to the fire with a reluctant expression. When he returned, a large wooden bowl brimmed with freshly made food.
"Dad and I made it. Eat up."
"Thanks."
Damho took the bowl.
A spicy aroma immediately tickled his nose.
"It's rice topped with stir-fried pork. Made it spicy Sichuan-style, so be careful."
"......"
"Hehe! I made it, so forgive me if it's not great."
Damho looked at Bang Jinbo. The boy grinned as if he'd never been scared of him.
Damho scooped rice and pork with his spoon.
His hand trembled.
He carefully brought it to his mouth. The sweet juices of the pork flooded his senses.
"How is it?"
Bang Jinbo's eager voice rang out. But Damho didn't reply.
Bang Jinbo's face fell.
"Not good?"
"No, it's delicious."
"Wow! Really?"
"Really."
Damho's eyes moistened.
How could it not be?
It was the first hot meal in twelve years.