Chapter 95
Chapter 95
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 95
Chapter Title: Dragons and Tigers Gather in One Place (2)
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95
Chapter 95, Part 7. Dragons and Tigers Gather in One Place (2)
Dam Ho's eyebrows twitched at the unexpected words. Gi Ye-hwa then flashed an even more bewitching smile.
"This time, I'm not asking for payment upfront or changing the terms midway, so it should be fine, right?"
The memory of the previous encounter lingered vividly in her mind.
She had merely added one extra item to the original payment, yet Dam Ho had reacted so fiercely.
He always kept his own promises without fail, but if the other party broke theirs, his response was excessively severe.
In short, as long as the initial agreement was honored, there would be no issue. That was why she sought a favor instead of money.
Dam Ho asked.
"What do you want?"
"Please help us just once, whenever we need it."
"Why? Haomen's forces aren't weak."
"You may or may not know, but the area around Dongjeong Lake right now is on the verge of a storm. The Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families are holding a conference, and countless masters are pouring in. Nothing like this has happened in the past century."
Because of that, Haomen was on high alert.
Just the warriors arriving from the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families already numbered over five hundred.
It was an overwhelming force capable of annihilating a hegemon like the Evil Yang Sword Sect overnight.
Naturally, not only Evil Yang but the entire Hunan murim was in an uproar. Haomen's Evil Yang branch was no exception.
This was beyond what they could handle. No matter how formidable Haomen was, they couldn't contend with giant sects like the Nine Great Sects.
That was why countermeasures were needed.
Gi Ye-hwa had chosen Dam Ho as that countermeasure.
He met all the perfect conditions.
Terrifying martial prowess, ruthless hands, and a cold-hearted nature.
Continuing transactions with him would be burdensome, but receiving aid once when needed should pose no problem.
Dam Ho's eyes narrowed.
He immediately saw through Gi Ye-hwa's intentions.
"She must have calculated that he could be discarded if things went south without much consequence."
Dam Ho and Haomen were bound only by transactions, with no loyalty or camaraderie between them.
"What do you say? It's a fair deal where no one loses out."
"......"
"What we want is just one instance of help while you're in Evil Yang. You get Jo Yun-san's whereabouts, and we gain a sturdy shield. What do you think?"
"What if I refuse?"
"Then you'll have to find Jo Yun-san's whereabouts yourself."
Even as she spoke, Gi Ye-hwa was tense. If Dam Ho refused and rampaged again this time, Haomen had no way to stop him.
Dam Ho did not answer easily.
Gi Ye-hwa felt her lips parched and her heart pounding fiercely. Depending on his response, the actions she needed to take would change.
If only he would show some flicker of emotion, but Dam Ho maintained his silence. It was Gi Ye-hwa who grew impatient.
But she couldn't say a word now. The die had been cast; she could only wait for the outcome.
After a long silence, Dam Ho finally spoke.
"Fine! Deal."
"You won't regret it."
Only then did a bright smile bloom on Gi Ye-hwa's face.
Gi Ye-hwa, who rarely showed emotional shifts, now had her joy plainly visible. That was how tense she had been.
For Dam Ho, it was a proposal with little downside.
He was not one to care about the world's gaze. He had already piled up sins aplenty. Adding one more changed nothing.
"I'll promise. Finding Jo Yun-san's whereabouts will take priority over everything else."
"Wait for it."
Dam Ho nodded and rose from his seat.
With business concluded, there was no reason to stay.
Gi Ye-hwa silently watched Dam Ho's back as he exited the room.
Thud!
At last, the door closed, and Dam Ho vanished from sight.
"He's so willful."
Her mind grew complicated in many ways.
***
A woman was climbing the stairs. The tawny skin peeking through her fox-fur vest evoked the image of a wild horse.
Her name was Hwang Hye-ryeong, daughter of Hwang Kyung-moon, the chief of the Green Forest Eighteen Strongholds.
Raised in the green forest from childhood, she possessed a freer spirit than anyone. Yet she was neither ignorant of the world nor reckless.
Hwang Kyung-moon had poured his heart into teaching her. He assigned renowned masters of the green forest as her teachers, and Hwang Hye-ryeong absorbed their teachings, achieving great heights.
Thanks to that, her martial arts ranked among the top within the Green Forest Eighteen Strongholds. But what made her stand out even more was her striking beauty and sharp intellect.
"So many have come."
As she surveyed Evil Yang, her face was filled with grave concern.
Today, the streets teemed with an unusual number of warriors. By her count, over two thousand had already flooded into Evil Yang.
She couldn't even guess how many more would arrive.
No matter how they dressed it up, the green forest was ultimately a band of bandits. What they feared most were not government troops, but the giant sects represented by the Nine Great Sects.
After the Demonic Cult's fall, such massive sects had periodically purged the green forest to win public favor.
If not for the exceptional warrior Hwang Kyung-moon uniting them, the green forest would have been scattered to the winds long ago.
Thus, they had no choice but to stay alert to the movements of these giant sects. Especially during large-scale gatherings like this, which directly concerned their survival.
"What on earth are they gathering for?"
Hwang Hye-ryeong believed she needed to find out. Only then could they devise fundamental countermeasures.
Hwang Hye-ryeong walked and walked.
She had traversed so much that she could now navigate Evil Yang's streets blindfolded.
"Whew! Walking like this is exhausting."
Hwang Hye-ryeong stopped by the shores of Dongjeong Lake.
The sun was setting. The golden-tinted waters dazzled her retinas.
Hwang Hye-ryeong stood blankly, gazing at the sight.
She had seen many sunsets from the mountains, so she thought it nothing special. But a sunset over the lake stirred new emotions within her.
"Beautiful."
As she murmured unconsciously, her eyes caught a man walking along Dongjeong Lake.
A man with black hair, clad in a black leather robe. For some reason, he caught her eye. Perhaps because he limped.
The man passed her indifferently.
"Um......"
Hwang Hye-ryeong started to call out but stopped.
A small fishing boat was approaching the shore where she stood.
"Whoa! The boat's coming in."
"Daddy."
A middle-aged woman and a boy who looked like her son came running down the hill by Dongjeong Lake.
"Haha!"
The fisherman disembarked from the boat and spread his arms wide.
The boy leaped into the fisherman's embrace. The fisherman hugged the boy tightly.
"You rascal. You'll hurt yourself jumping like that."
"Did you catch a lot of fish?"
"You bet! Wanna see?"
"Yeah!"
The boy climbed aboard the small fishing boat. Inside were a decent haul of fish.
"Whoa!"
The boy let out an exclamation.
Watching the scene, the fisherman and middle-aged woman smiled.
It was the ordinary sight of an ordinary family. Yet it was so heartwarming that Hwang Hye-ryeong couldn't tear her eyes away for a while.
She came to her senses only after some time had passed. By then, the fisherman's family was already loading the fish into baskets and heading up the hill.
"Ah!"
A basket hung from one of the fisherman's shoulders, his other hand holding the boy's. His wife followed beside them.
Hwang Hye-ryeong stared at their backs for a long while. Then she noticed someone else watching them.
It was that man from earlier.
Black hair, black robe, limping.
Like a tree rooted in place, he stared motionless at the family. Then, as if nothing had happened, he resumed walking.
Tears welled in Hwang Hye-ryeong's eyes.
"Why...... am I like this?"
Bewildered by her inexplicable emotional stirrings, she couldn't help feeling flustered.
She wiped her tears with her sleeve.
By the time Hwang Hye-ryeong had dried her eyes completely, the man in the black robe was nowhere to be seen.
"Who is he?"
As Hwang Hye-ryeong pondered.
"Miss!"
A rough voice suddenly came from behind. Turning, she saw a familiar face.
A giant over seven feet tall, with a massive axe strapped to his back.
The moment the giant appeared, the movements of people nearby froze.
'Gasp!'
'What kind of glare is that......'
His fierce face and murderous eyes made people's hearts shrink. They hurriedly bowed their heads, avoiding his gaze lest he look their way.
Seeing their reactions, Hwang Hye-ryeong let out a soft sigh.
"Sigh! That's why I told you to stay back."
The giant's name was Muk Il-gwang, the bodyguard assigned to her by Hwang Kyung-moon.
After becoming the Chief Escort Leader, Hwang Kyung-moon had selected young, talented prodigies from the Green Forest Eighteen Strongholds to form an elite force. The Ascending Dragon Squad was that very group.
When Hwang Kyung-moon first announced the creation of the Ascending Dragon Squad, all the strongholds opposed it. They feared that drafting their young talents would leave them as empty shells.
But Hwang Kyung-moon compensated them with equivalent forces, and after a dozen years, no one questioned that decision.
Having undergone grueling training for over a decade, the Ascending Dragon Squad had grown into the green forest's premier force. Whenever issues arose in the green forest, they stepped up first, earning unwavering trust.
Muk Il-gwang was a warrior from the Ascending Dragon Squad.
By rights, he should have been the squad's leader. But instead of taking that position, Muk Il-gwang insisted on guarding Hwang Hye-ryeong.
His appearance was that of a ferocious demon, but in truth, his heart was purer and kinder than anyone's.
People, however, cared nothing for Muk Il-gwang's inner self. They only saw his exterior.
Most quailed at his murderous glare alone. Especially timid children and women often fainted at the mere sight of him.
That was why they couldn't travel together. His standout appearance and killer eyes drew unwanted attention from crowds.
For Hwang Hye-ryeong, who preferred moving quietly, Muk Il-gwang's looks were a burden.
"I told you not to come into Evil Yang if possible."
"I had no choice, Miss."
Normally, Muk Il-gwang would blush and look embarrassed, but now his face was as hard as stone.
Only then did Hwang Hye-ryeong sense the unusual atmosphere.
"What's wrong?"
"The Black Water Stronghold's movements are suspicious."
"No way?"
"Yes! They seem to think this is their golden opportunity. Golden Tiger Stronghold and White Deer Stronghold are openly siding with them. Who knows how many other strongholds have fallen to Black Water."
Hwang Hye-ryeong's face darkened at Muk Il-gwang's explanation.
"How much time do we have?"
"There's some leeway for now, but not much. We need to return to the stronghold as soon as possible."
"Got it. But first, there's something I have to do."
"I know. However, you must finish it quickly. That's why I came."
"Understood."
Hwang Hye-ryeong moved forward with a stern expression. Muk Il-gwang silently followed behind.
They soon vanished into the crowd.