Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Section 6. When the Blood Star Shines, Everyone Holds Their Breath (3)
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A single bead of cold sweat trickled down Yi Sin-pung's back.
It was the kind of remark that could have been brushed off with a laugh. But Yi Sin-pung couldn't do that.
He had watched with his own eyes how Dam Ho kept his word.
Yet if he backed down now, crushed by Dam Ho's momentum, it would deal a massive blow to his prestige as the self-proclaimed hegemon of northern Gansu Province.
*This has gotten tricky.*
An incident he had been dragged into against his will.
At first, he thought it was just a simple grudge between individuals, but the situation was spiraling out of control.
Like sinking into a quagmire, his body was being pulled under relentlessly. If he didn't make a decision soon, he would sink to the bottom.
And once that happened, there would be no escape.
Dam Ho's gaze fixed on him was unwavering. Within those pitch-black eyes, not a shred of emotion could be glimpsed.
It was the first time he had ever seen eyes like that.
But one thing was clear.
*Someone with eyes like that will definitely keep their word.*
They were a rare breed in the world. And this was the first time he had encountered one.
"How dare you! Such insolence. It seems you have a death wish."
The one who reacted was No I-myeong, leader of the Blood Flower Squad.
No I-myeong could not stand by and watch Yi Sin-pung, the man he respected most, be treated this way.
Shiiiaang!
The Demon Subduing Staff slung across his back whipped toward Dam Ho.
Forged from solid iron, it weighed three hundred catties and was nearly ten feet long.
A single solid hit wouldn't just tear flesh or rupture muscles. It would shatter bones and burst organs—a weapon of tremendous power.
*I won't kill him. But I'll straighten out that attitude of his.*
He planned to smash the knees first.
Kwaaang!
In that instant, the world rang out. No, it was No I-myeong's head that rang.
No I-myeong's head snapped to the side, and the Demon Subduing Staff snapped in two, clattering to the ground.
"Keurk!"
His scream burst out afterward.
No I-myeong's eyes glazed over hazily. But his ordeal wasn't over yet.
Deok!
Before he knew it, Dam Ho's iron grip had seized No I-myeong by the collar. Then, as if caught in a whirlwind, his body soared into the air.
"Kuuk!"
Regaining his senses too late, No I-myeong clawed at Dam Ho's arm. In that moment, the world flipped upside down. Dam Ho spun in midair and slammed No I-myeong into the ground.
Earth Heaven Strike—a lethal technique—unleashed on No I-myeong.
The青stone floor rapidly filled No I-myeong's vision. His face drained of color.
"N-No!"
Kwang!
In that instant, No I-myeong's head collided with the floor. It shattered like a pumpkin against the unyielding stone.
Blood sprayed in all directions, along with grayish brain matter.
The shocking sight left everyone speechless.
Among them was Yi Sin-pung, master of Hongam Mountain Stronghold. His face had gone pale.
No I-myeong had been Yi Sin-pung's longtime retainer. As such, he knew him very well.
No I-myeong was not someone who could be killed so easily.
Dam Ho rose to his feet.
His eyes flickered with darkness. In that moment, even the surrounding air began to churn.
Dam Ho opened his mouth.
"I've made my choice. What about you?"
His hands were already stained red with blood.
A resolute strike without the slightest hesitation.
Countless warriors watched, but Dam Ho didn't care. It didn't matter if it was just Yi Sin-pung or every warrior in the hall charging at him.
His blood boiled throughout his body.
During his time trapped in the cave, a beast had grown within his heart.
A pitch-black, massive beast.
This ferocious black beast knew no compromise.
It was a vicious temperament that found satisfaction only in destroying everything that bared its teeth at him.
In that instant, everyone in the hall shivered, feeling a chill as if the temperature had dropped.
"Kuuk!"
"What is this?"
They had come thinking it was mere entertainment. But the aura and presence emanating from Dam Ho's body pressed down on them like an unbearable weight.
Yi Sin-pung felt it too.
He was a renowned master in Gansu Province. He had even earned great merit in the war against the Demonic Cult long ago, boasting exceptional skill.
But now, he was just an aged warrior. His former spirit had vanished long ago, and the fearless valor of his youth was nothing more than an old man's tale.
Dam Ho approached Yi Sin-pung and spoke.
"I've known it from the start."
"W-What are you talking about?"
"That you're a coward."
"Nonsense!"
"Hidden Forest Great Tiger... a great tiger lurking in the woods?"
The darkness in Dam Ho's eyes deepened. In contrast, Yi Sin-pung's pupils visibly shook.
Even then, Dam Ho's voice continued.
"Tigers never hide."
"What?"
"A tiger that has lost its wildness is no longer a tiger. From the moment you hid in the forest, you stopped being one. You were just pretending."
"W-What nonsense is this?"
"When was the last time you fought for real? When did you last bleed and give everything to defeat an opponent?"
"......"
"It was never."
Yi Sin-pung couldn't respond. Dam Ho's presence crushed him.
"That's why you force choices on others while refusing to make your own."
Dam Ho closed in until he was right in front of him.
Yi Sin-pung's face reflected in those black irises. The man mirrored there was no proud warrior.
Just a pathetic old man, gripped by fear and age. He looked decades older in an instant.
*I-Is that me?*
Yi Sin-pung couldn't believe it.
He hurriedly looked down at his hands. His fingertips trembled.
"D-Damn it! I am..."
"An old man who hid in seclusion because he's afraid to fight. That's you."
Dam Ho's words tore Yi Sin-pung's heart to shreds.
Even as their stronghold master was insulted, the Blood Flower Squad didn't move. No, they couldn't.
The moment they did, they would die.
Their instincts whispered it.
But they couldn't stay still forever. Win or lose, they had to act.
They waited for Yi Sin-pung's command. But he gave none.
It was then.
"That's enough, friend."
An unfamiliar voice echoed through the hall.
It was a heavy voice laced with powerful force.
All eyes turned toward the source.
"It's Nam Hak of the Kongtong Sect."
"The Heavenly Thunder Martial Guest."
Amid the murmurs, the newcomer was Nam Hak of the Kongtong Sect. Kongtong warriors followed behind him.
Nam Hak and the Kongtong warriors approached Dam Ho. The Hongam Mountain Stronghold warriors parted to either side, clearing a path.
Dam Ho's gaze shifted to Nam Hak as well. Yi Sin-pung, finally free of the pressure, let out a sigh of relief without realizing it.
Nam Hak strode straight toward Dam Ho.
True to his title of Heavenly Thunder Martial Guest, a heavy aura emanated from his entire body.
At last, Nam Hak stood before Dam Ho.
His eyes blazed with fierce fighting spirit as he met Dam Ho's gaze without flinching. He spoke.
"My name is Nam Hak. The injured Shang Han, whose arms you crippled, is my junior brother."
"So?"
"I heard all the details from him. You said Zuo Shangtian tried to steal your word? But even so, leaving him half-crippled was too much."
Nam Hak's eyes gleamed coldly.
His gaze, sharp as a honed blade, pierced through Dam Ho's body.
It held the unshakeable confidence of one who had never been broken by another.
He glanced around.
He saw the corpses of Jang Hak-gyeong and Mo Jung-hyeon. And Jo Gyeong-ui's body, who had died pointlessly after meddling without knowing the situation.
"Tsk!"
Nam Hak clicked his tongue.
Jo Gyeong-ui shouldn't have died so meaninglessly. Gansu martial world was already short on talent. Jo Gyeong-ui had been one of its finer prospects.
Losing him was a significant blow.
Nam Hak turned back to Dam Ho.
"Shang Han told me not to touch you anymore. He admitted they were clearly in the wrong."
"......"
"I agree. Regardless of the outcome, Zuo Shangtian of the Hyunhyeon Sect and those guys provided the cause. But that doesn't mean you get to kill them at will. The martial world has its own laws."
Nam Hak stepped closer to Dam Ho. The aura radiating from his body swelled like a snowball.
He was Nam Hak, called the Heavenly Thunder Martial Guest.
His internal energy was profound enough to rival even absolute masters. Few could stand unharmed against his presence head-on.
"Kuuk!"
Yi Sin-pung staggered back. Shock lit his face.
The internal energy from Nam Hak far surpassed his own.
*As expected of the Kongtong Sect's senior disciple?*
Over thirty years ago, during the war against the Demonic Cult, he had earned great merits but secluded himself in Hongam Mountain Stronghold because of the Kongtong Sect, which shared Gansu Province.
Others blabbered about him being the tyrant of northern Gansu or one of the two powers alongside Kongtong, but Yi Sin-pung knew it was nonsense.
Hongam Mountain Stronghold, which had built its strength in just fifty years, could not compare to the Kongtong Sect's foundation of centuries as Gansu Province's overlord.
Provoking them could lead to ruin overnight. That's why Yi Sin-pung had secluded himself to build strength.
Offering the Blue Moon Sword as a prize at the sixtieth birthday banquet was for the same reason.
As Yi Sin-pung retreated, Blood Flower Squad warriors rushed to support him.
"Are you alright, Stronghold Master?"
"I'm fine."
"With the Kongtong Sect's Heavenly Thunder Martial Guest stepping in, that demon won't dare act rashly anymore."
The Blood Flower Squad warriors chimed in one by one. But none brought comfort.
In that moment, Dam Ho's lips twisted. A dry laugh—it was clearly a sneer.
"The laws of the martial world."
"That's right! Things that must be upheld. You can't just kill people recklessly or stir up trouble. Right now, you're the one disrupting the peace in Gansu Province."
"So?"
"Come with me to the Kongtong Sect. We'll give you a fair judgment. Then no one will bother you anymore."
"A fair judgment?"
"Yes! Our sect elders and sect leader will decide appropriately. This is my final advice."
"And if I refuse?"
"Then we'll have to fight."
Nam Hak let his arms hang loosely.
Just that changed his presence. Like a massive granite boulder standing firm.
He seemed immovable even in a storm.
Dam Ho suddenly asked.
"What's my name?"
"Well..."
"If you're giving advice, at least know my name."
Nam Hak's eyebrow twitched at Dam Ho's words.
"You know the laws of the martial world, but not manners, it seems."
"Insolent!"
Nam Hak's eyebrow trembled violently.