Chapter 43
Chapter 43
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: The Wind Always Blows from Unexpected Places (3)
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Geum Jung-gwang and the laborers gazed desperately into the enclosure. Inside, the Black Ghost stood tall and proud. A sleek white mare circled around him, her well-proportioned body gleaming.
She was the finest-bred mare at the Golden Horse Ranch. She had come into heat right on time, perfect for breeding.
Even as she swished her tail and circled him, the Black Ghost stood impassively, showing no interest. Geum Jung-gwang's face twisted as if he might collapse from anxiety.
Over the past few days, they had brought countless mares into his stall. But the Black Ghost had not mounted a single one.
Wondering if none had met his standards, Geum Jung-gwang had brought out their absolute best.
"Please... this time..."
Geum Jung-gwang craved the Black Ghost's bloodline. Raising even one foal with that lineage would bring in a fortune and elevate the ranch's prestige.
As the saying went, southern ships and northern horses. The south relied on waterways and ships, while the rugged north depended on horses.
Most horse ranches clustered in the north, fiercely competing to breed superior stock.
A ranch's edge came from exceptional bloodlines. Unfortunately, the Golden Horse Ranch still lagged behind the top outfits.
That's why this breeding was crucial. Even one foal from the Black Ghost could sire many more.
In just a generation, the Golden Horse Ranch could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the elite.
"Please! Please!"
Geum Jung-gwang prayed until his hands felt raw.
As if his pleas had worked, the Black Ghost finally mounted the mare. Joy lit up Geum Jung-gwang's face.
"At last, for us too..."
He vowed to reward Damho handsomely.
Damho sat on a plain rock in the ranch's center, gazing toward the well.
Bang Jinbo was preparing food there. Having tasted his astonishing culinary skills, the ranch hands had become his devoted fans.
Over the past few days, Bang Jinbo had showcased his talents with all sorts of dishes. These were rarities in this barren land, shocking the palates dulled by rough fare.
In the end, Geum Gwancheon had granted Bang Jinbo free rein to cook during his stay, opening the ingredient storehouse.
Bang Jinbo seized the chance to prepare recipes from his father's cookbook. With endless supplies, there was no reason to hold back.
A genuine smile bloomed on Bang Jinbo's face—not forced, but pure delight in cooking.
The ranch women helped him, peeking over his shoulder to learn.
Another ardent follower trailed Bang Jinbo like a chick.
"Brother!"
It was Geum So-hye, the ranch's pampered princess.
Smitten by his food, she stuck to him constantly. Bang Jinbo doted on her in return.
It was a picturesque, happy scene. But Damho was nowhere in it.
No one approached Damho easily. The laborers steered clear. Instinct told them he was no ordinary man.
Then—
"Hero!"
Geum Jung-gwang came running breathlessly toward Damho.
Seeing the man's beaming face, Damho knew instantly he had succeeded.
"It's done! The Black Ghost finally mounted the mare..."
Damho could guess the rest.
Geum Jung-gwang announced the success with uncontainable excitement, his face wreathed in smiles.
"This is all thanks to you, Hero. I'll repay you properly."
"No need."
"A foal from a Pureblood Stallion like him—sects like Mount Hua or the Alliance will snap it up. They're expanding aggressively these days."
"Mount Hua?"
"We sell horses to the Central Plains once a year. Gansu and Shaanxi are the closest, so we stop by."
"..."
"These past few years, Mount Hua has boomed the most. We can't ignore them."
Geum Jung-gwang rattled on about Mount Hua without being asked.
"Since Hyuncheon the Realized became sect leader, it's probably their golden age. That prodigy Myeong-gyeong joined the Nine Dragons, and their influence has exploded beyond the old days."
Myeong-gyeong was Mount Hua's top young talent lately.
He proudly ranked among the Nine Dragons.
"The Nine Dragons?"
"The finest rising stars of the martial world."
Central Plains folk called this a blessed era.
Heaven had sent not one or two prodigies, but nine.
Each had already reached the pinnacle of the jianghu. With nine such warriors, the martial world enjoyed its greatest prosperity.
After the war with the Demonic Cult, the jianghu had recovered—thriving even more dynamically than before.
Martial halls sprouted everywhere, masters emerged in droves. The Nine Dragons stood out among them as emerging supreme experts.
Wudang's peerless sword Jin Mu-yeong and Shaolin's One Fist Mountain-Breaker So-cheon exemplified them.
Myeong-gyeong was one too.
Known as the Lone Sword of Mount Hua, his fame echoed through the land.
Geum Jung-gwang prattled on about the Nine Dragons, but it fell on deaf ears for Damho.
"What's the situation inside Mount Hua?"
"The situation?"
"The sect leader or elders' movements."
"Well, I'm no disciple, so how would I know? But as far as I hear, all's well."
Damho's eyes flickered for the first time.
That was enough. Even an unremarkable master like his teacher, as a Mount Hua elder, should be fine.
Geum Jung-gwang's eyes gleamed.
Having spent his life with horses, he had met countless people, overcome immense hardships. His instincts were razor-sharp.
'He definitely has ties to Mount Hua.'
He had said much, but only "Mount Hua" drew a reaction. Still, Geum Jung-gwang didn't dwell on it.
Mount Hua was one of the Nine Great Sects ruling the Central Plains. With connections everywhere, one link to Damho was no surprise.
Damho rose from the rock.
He walked off, leaving Geum Jung-gwang behind.
Geum Jung-gwang stared at his retreating back. That rock-solid frame, like an ancient cliff, seemed oddly lonely. His slight limp only added to it.
"Huh! Even a man that tough has such a side?"
***
"Huff... huff!"
Harsh breaths and the stench of blood escaped Sim Ok's lips. Her face burned red, her chest heaving wildly.
She steadied her breathing and glanced back.
Far in the pitch-black darkness, a few lights flickered. They closed in rapidly.
Dog barks mixed with shouts echoed.
"This way!"
"Unleash the dogs!"
Woof! Woof!
Sim Ok paled.
Already nursing severe internal injuries and no few external wounds, she had barely escaped here. Black Old Man had no such luck.
If he hadn't blocked Galaxy Star with his life, she wouldn't have made it this far.
'Miss, run!'
Black Old Man's desperate cry still rang in her ears.
Confident in her own martial arts, Sim Ok knew Galaxy Star was beyond her. Without Black Old Man holding him back at all costs, fleeing Blood Demon Village would have been impossible.
She had no idea what became of Black Old Man.
"I'm sorry, Black Old Man!"
Sim Ok wiped her eyes.
Usually fearless, now alone, she felt utterly lost.
Only then did she realize how much she had relied on him.
First, shake the pursuit and return to Blood Scale Veil. But they had cunningly sealed her escape routes.
Breaking through to return was impossible.
Sim Ok steeled herself.
"First, lose them."
With west blocked, east was her only option.
"Black Old Man, wait just a bit. I'll be back soon."
Sim Ok dashed east, unfolding her lightness skill. She vanished into the darkness in an instant.
Long after she left, a group appeared at her spot.
"Here."
They were West Heaven Villa warriors tracking her.
Leading them was Jo Hyeol-san, Galaxy Star's trusted aide.
"That stubborn wench. Escaping this far with those wounds."
Jo Hyeol-san clicked his tongue.
Even accounting for her as Blood Scale Veil's young leader, it exceeded his expectations.
"If she reaches Blood Scale Veil, things get messy. We must eliminate her first."
Galaxy Star had only gained the Blood Demon's saber arts so far. The true legacy eluded him. With the full arts, Blood Scale Veil would be no threat.
Galaxy Star dreamed bigger than ruling barren Xinjiang. He aimed to enter the Central Plains and found his own sect. With the Blood Demon's ultimate arts, even the Nine Great Sects would fear him.
They needed time.
Jo Hyeol-san asked his subordinate.
"What's ahead if we go this way?"
"Nothing until Gayok Hall. Oh, there's a horse ranch midway."
"Horse ranch?"
Urgency flashed across Jo Hyeol-san's face.
If Sim Ok got a horse there, disaster. If she crossed Gayok Hall into the Central Plains, tracking would be impossible.
"She could upend everything."
She already had a huge lead. He couldn't guarantee catching her before the ranch.
Even in crisis, Jo Hyeol-san's mind worked coldly.
He recalled useful reinforcements nearby.
"Send messenger pigeons. Rally everyone at the horse ranch. If that wench crosses Gayok Hall, the whole plan crumbles."
"Y-yes, sir. Pigeons away."
The subordinate scrambled to comply.