Chapter 99
Chapter 99
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: When Many Gather, Each Raises Their Voice (3)
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Eun Il-myeong's expression hardened rigidly.
If it came to martial prowess, the Nangong family and the Hainan Sect had no reason to feel inferior to anyone in the world. There was no way they had come seeking him and the Silver Pavilion out of need for force.
That left only one possibility.
'They want our wealth.'
He could feel Nangong Chang's burning gaze. Behind it, Oh Gun-ui's intense eyes gleamed fiercely.
Eun Il-myeong let out a secret sigh.
The Silver Pavilion held the greatest wealth in all of Hunan.
It was called the greatest in Hunan, but it wasn't far off from the Pearl Pavilion, which claimed to be the richest under heaven.
He had lost count of how many people and groups had coveted the Silver Pavilion's riches over the years. It was Eun Il-myeong who had protected it from countless schemes, swindles, and plundering attempts.
Now was the time to be cold and calculating.
"It doesn't seem like this is the place for such discussions."
"Is that so? I rather like it here. It's so open, perfect for speaking freely from the heart."
Nangong Chang looked around the annex with a smile.
His gaze suddenly paused on Eun So-cheong and Bang Jin-bo.
Nangong Chang judged Bang Jin-bo to be an unremarkable old retainer. The shabby figure holding a wine cup clouded his judgment.
In contrast, Eun So-cheong wore splendid robes that radiated the refinement of a prestigious family.
"Is this your daughter?"
Eun Il-myeong let out a low sigh in response.
He hadn't wanted to expose Eun So-cheong to these people, but he had no choice.
Eun Il-myeong beckoned her over with a gesture.
"Greet them. These are elders from the Nangong family and the Hainan Sect."
"Eun So-cheong of the Silver Pavilion greets the honored elders. I look forward to your kind favor."
Eun So-cheong clasped her hands in a formal bow.
"Ha ha! A pleasure. Your eyes are so clear and deep."
"Thank you."
Eun So-cheong offered a polite reply.
Her sharp mind told her this meeting was anything but ordinary.
She had to be cautious in every gesture and word. She couldn't give them anything to latch onto.
In the meantime, Eun Il-myeong was racking his brains furiously.
Nangong Chang and Oh Gun-ui.
Even one was a handful, but both had come together. The balance of power was off.
If only he had some time to prepare—but their sudden notice had left him with nothing. Perhaps they had planned it that way.
Suddenly, Eun Il-myeong's eyes sparkled.
Come to think of it, there were two unexpected masters here.
'What if I bring them in?'
He glanced subtly at Cho Yeon-un and Dam Ho.
Dam Ho still stared indifferently at Lake Dongting, while Cho Yeon-un watched them with intrigued eyes.
Eun Il-myeong gave up on Dam Ho.
The risk was too great. One misstep, and rumors could spread that the prestigious Silver Pavilion was tied to the demonic Fist Demon.
In these uncertain times, that burden was too much.
Unlike Dam Ho, Cho Yeon-un seemed safe to involve. Though mocked with the nickname Drunken Dragon, he was still said to rival the Nine Dragons.
Moreover, his sect was the Hundred Battles Sect. They had the Hundred Battles Victory Banner, inscribed with the names offered by every sect in the jianghu.
The Nangong family and Hainan Sect were among those listed. They couldn't ignore the Hundred Battles Sect.
Eun Il-myeong finished his calculations in an instant.
"Ah, I forgot to introduce these two. This is Young Hero Cho Yeon-un of the Hundred Battles Sect."
Cho Yeon-un frowned slightly at hearing his name announced but quickly smiled and bowed to Nangong Chang and the others.
"Cho Yeon-un of the Hundred Battles Sect greets the senior experts. My apologies for the late greeting."
"Oh! You're here too? What a pleasant surprise. I am Nangong Chang."
"I am Oh Gun-ui. A pleasure, Young Hero Cho."
Even as they exchanged greetings, Nangong Chang and Oh Gun-ui looked surprised.
They hadn't expected the Silver Pavilion to have ties to the Hundred Battles Sect.
Nangong Chang's eyes turned icy for a moment, but he recovered so swiftly no one noticed.
As Cho Yeon-un revealed his identity, Nangong Su stepped forward from where he had been standing back.
"I am Nangong Su."
"A pleasure to meet you, Brother Nangong. I am Cho Yeon-un, unworthy as I am."
Cho Yeon-un smiled and bowed.
While Cho Yeon-un greeted Nangong Su and the others, Hae So-wol's gaze was fixed on Dam Ho, who stood with arms crossed in the corner.
Black hair, black robes.
An aloof demeanor that ignored everything around him.
It all felt familiar.
Hae So-wol remembered: she had met him once before.
At Lake Dongting, when mysterious assassins had ambushed her, he had been there.
"Miss Hae, this is Young Hero Cho..."
Nangong Su, about to introduce Hae So-wol to Cho Yeon-un, paused as he saw her dazed expression.
By then, Hae So-wol had reached Dam Ho.
"Have we met before?"
"......"
"I'm Hae So-wol."
Instead of answering, Dam Ho stared at her blankly.
Their eyes met in the air.
In Hae So-wol's endlessly clear gaze and Dam Ho's bottomless depths, their reflections formed.
The moment their eyes locked, Hae So-wol felt a dizzying vertigo. His gaze carried a soul-crushing weight. But she didn't look away.
After staring at her for a moment, Dam Ho finally spoke.
"Dam Ho."
"A pleasure, Brother Dam."
Dam Ho nodded silently.
His demeanor seemed downright arrogant. Nangong Su frowned slightly at him.
Hae So-wol was one of the Nine Dragons.
It grated on him to see some nameless nobody acting so haughty toward her.
"I am Nangong Su of the Nangong family. If I may ask, Brother Dam, what is your sect?"
Mockery laced Nangong Su's voice.
Dam Ho's head turned toward him. He stared silently.
Thud!
Nangong Su suddenly felt a jolt like his chest dropping. The pressure from Dam Ho's eyes crushed him.
"Eek!"
Nangong Su clenched his teeth unwittingly. Thick veins bulged on his forehead.
Dam Ho's lips parted.
"No sect."
"Grind!"
Nangong Su ground his teeth. He felt insulted, as if Dam Ho was mocking him.
Someone exuding such aura without a sect? It was absurd. A warrior without a good master and sect could never cross that threshold.
That was Nangong Su's common sense—and the accepted truth for most in the jianghu.
"If you don't want to say, just say so. Don't drag some innocent sect into it."
"Brother Nangong."
Unable to bear it, Hae So-wol called out. But Nangong Su's agitation didn't subside easily.
Something about Dam Ho stirred his emotions. Yet he didn't know why he was so on edge.
Then Nangong Chang approached.
"Brother Dam, was it? A pleasure. I am Nangong Chang, as you see, from the Nangong family. Looks like you and the Silver Pavilion are close."
"No. He has no connection to the Silver Pavilion."
Eun Il-myeong denied it in alarm. Nangong Chang's eyes gleamed.
'Something's there.'
If Eun Il-myeong denied it so vehemently, it meant Dam Ho was a thorny presence.
He pondered deeply.
'A warrior in Hunan who makes even the Silver Pavilion uneasy... who could it be?'
Nangong Chang prided himself on knowing all under heaven, but no one came to mind.
Rummaging through his thoughts, he recalled a fragment of rumor from here.
The description matched the man before him.
"I heard an unbelievable rumor recently. A lone warrior wiped out the Western Mountain Manor beyond the sands. He stirred up a storm at Red Rock Manor too, and lately, he's been on a blood rampage in Hunan."
"......"
"The latest atrocity was probably killing the sect leader of Mount Heng Sect. Right? Blood Star Divine Strength. Or should I say Fist Demon?"
Dam Ho's eyebrow twitched. Nangong Chang smiled.
"Does it matter?"
"It does. You've committed senseless slaughter. Enough to incur the jianghu's wrath."
"Senseless slaughter?"
"Yes! Your path so far has killed so many, you could be called demonic without question. If not for these extraordinary times, you'd be hunted as a public enemy with no defense."
"Sounds like you'll make me one once this period ends."
"That depends on your actions going forward."
Nangong Chang smiled.
He figured Dam Ho got the point by now. Most would bow their heads at this.
Meanwhile, Oh Gun-ui scowled deeply.
Nangong Chang was more strategist than warrior. His skills were strong, but his senses were honed for analyzing foes and situations, devising countermeasures.
Oh Gun-ui, by contrast, was a pure warrior.
One who pursued the sword's ultimate essence.
In his eyes, Dam Ho's body was perfection incarnate.
Size didn't guarantee strength. Even the same build yielded different power limits based on training.
Through his collar, Dam Ho's muscles showed traces of extreme refinement. Each fiber was like elastic thread, ready to burst.
Oh Gun-ui itched all over.
He hadn't properly loosened up following Nangong Chang around, and now Dam Ho's presence boiled his blood.
But he had to suppress it. Nangong Chang's business wasn't done.
"If you don't want to be a public enemy, use your strength for the right cause."
"......"
Nangong Chang's eyes filled with force, overwhelming everyone in the annex.
"A great change is coming to the jianghu soon. It'll need the power of many."
"So?"
"I'd like you to volunteer for it. Use your force for good. Then the suspicious eyes on you will fade. Wouldn't talk of public enemy vanish naturally?"
"You want me as your dog?"
"How dare you!"
Nangong Su bristled at Dam Ho's words. His hand had already gripped his sword at his waist.
Ready to draw at any moment.
But Nangong Chang raised a hand to restrain him.
"Enough."
"Uncle."
"This isn't a place for bloodshed."
Nangong Su groaned reluctantly and released his sword. But his glare at Dam Ho lingered.
A savage storm seemed to brew in his eyes. Dam Ho didn't spare him a glance.
Dam Ho's gaze stayed fixed on Nangong Chang. Who smiled.
"Quite the sharp-tongued fellow. Good! That spirit is needed to navigate the brutal jianghu. But young friend, be careful. The jianghu changes abruptly—one who smiled at you yesterday may bare fangs tomorrow. Always stay vigilant."
"Got it."
Dam Ho's blunt reply made Nangong Chang's eyebrow twitch. But the seasoned jianghu man quickly regained his composure.
Nangong Chang turned to Eun Il-myeong.
"Silver Pavilion Master."
"Yes?"
"This hardly seems the place for serious talk. My apologies, but shall we move inside?"
"As you wish."
Eun Il-myeong had no choice.
He had witnessed the standoff—not quite a standoff—between Dam Ho and Nangong Chang. One wrong move, and it could look like the Silver Pavilion was clashing with the Nangong family over Dam Ho.
He had to change his plans.
"Please, come inside."
Eun Il-myeong led the way in.
Nangong Su's lips moved. He sent a transmission to Nangong Chang as he stepped forward.
—Uncle, you're just going to leave him be? It could make the Nangong family look weak.
—Assign shadows from the family to him.
Nangong Chang replied via transmission.
Transmission compressed sound for secret delivery. Outsiders couldn't detect it.
—Kill him?
—Watch him for now. He might be useful later.
—How?
Displeasure crossed Nangong Su's face.
—First Thunderbolt Heaven, now a blood-mad demon. Doesn't that paint a nice picture?
—Then?
—A fine driving force for establishing the Martial Alliance.
A meaningful smile played on Nangong Chang's lips. Nangong Su's scowl remained.
Nangong Chang entered the annex with Oh Gun-ui and Eun Il-myeong, leaving Nangong Su and Hae So-wol behind.
'Heaven aids the Martial Alliance. A perfect scapegoat appears right on time.'
Dam Ho watched Nangong Chang follow Eun Il-myeong inside until the end.
"Brother?"
Bang Jin-bo approached with an anxious look.
Dam Ho silently ruffled his hair. But his eyes burned fiercer than ever.