Fist Demon of Mount Hua Episode 14

Senior Brother Moo-gyeong faltered the moment he recognized Dam-ho.

“J-Junior Brother, are you all right?”

“I’ve gotten much better.”

Dam-ho’s voice carried no emotion whatsoever. Faced with such a cold response, Moo-gyeong could only wear an awkward expression.

And he wasn’t the only one.

Most of the Mount Hua disciples gathered outside the Jade Cloud Palace looked equally uncomfortable.

Not one of them had visited Dam-ho over the past year. They each had their own circumstances, circumstances they could hardly speak about, but that did little to ease the guilt they felt toward him.

“What have you been doing all this time?”

“Recovering from my injuries.”

Dam-ho’s reply was short and indifferent. From his detached tone, Moo-gyeong could immediately tell that he had no intention of prolonging the conversation.

“Hmm…”

Moo-gyeong scratched his head, unable to come up with anything else to say.

Just then—

“Are you also a disciple of the Mount Hua Sect?”

A soft, subdued voice cut into their conversation.

Someone had approached Dam-ho and Moo-gyeong, causing both of them to turn toward the speaker.

It was a young girl who looked a little younger than Dam-ho. Her features were neat and refined, while her well-developed figure contrasted with her youthful appearance. Most striking were her deep eyes and the calm, serene look within them.

Clad entirely in snow-white robes, her graceful beauty stood out all the more.

A trace of curiosity entered Dam-ho’s gaze.

He had never seen this girl anywhere in the Mount Hua Sect before.

Did the sect recently accept a new disciple?

However, her introduction immediately proved his guess wrong.

“My name is Yeon Soha. I am a disciple of the Wudang Sect.”

“The Wudang Sect?”

“I accompanied my master on his visit to Mount Hua. And you are?”

“Cheon-gyeong.”

“Are you a disciple of Mount Hua as well?”

“He is. He’s one of Mount Hua’s first-generation disciples.”

Moo-gyeong answered on Dam-ho’s behalf.

Hearing that, Yeon Soha gave a small nod.

“I see. It is a pleasure to meet you, Master Cheon-gyeong.”

Dam-ho merely acknowledged her with a slight nod.

For a brief moment, curiosity gleamed in Yeon Soha’s eyes.

There was something about Dam-ho that set him apart from every other Taoist of Mount Hua she had encountered.

Dam-ho shifted his gaze toward Moo-gyeong, silently questioning why someone from the Wudang Sect was here.

Understanding his look, Moo-gyeong explained.

“Well, as you can see, people from the Wudang Sect have come to visit.”

“For what reason?”

“I don’t know. They showed up rather suddenly…”

Apparently, Moo-gyeong knew no more than he did.

Dam-ho looked back at Yeon Soha.

She responded with a gentle smile.

“I’m afraid I cannot tell you the details just yet.”

Her eyes then drifted toward the Jade Cloud Palace.

Inside the palace, Sage Hyun-cheon sat facing a Taoist who appeared to be around the same age as him.

Despite both being Taoists, the visitor possessed an air distinctly different from those of Mount Hua. A Taoist cap rested upon his head, and the robes covering his body were embroidered with patterns of yin and yang and the Eight Trigrams.

His dignified presence was impossible to overlook.

Sage Hyun-cheon and the visiting Taoist exchanged smiles as they faced one another, but there was a faint stiffness behind both expressions.

At that moment, Sage Hyun-so entered the room.

“Sect Leader, you called for me?”

“Come in, Junior Brother.”

Only then did some of the tension leave Sage Hyun-cheon’s expression as he greeted him with a smile.

“What did you need me for?”

“First, allow me to introduce our guest. This is Sage Cheong-heo of the Wudang Sect.”

“The Wudang Sect?”

Confusion appeared on Sage Hyun-so’s face.

Still, proper etiquette came before his questions.

He clasped his hands respectfully.

“I am Hyun-so of the Mount Hua Sect. Greetings, Sage Cheong-heo.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Taoist Hyun-so. I am Cheong-heo of the Wudang Sect.”

Sage Cheong-heo stood and politely returned the greeting.

“What brings someone from the Wudang Sect all the way to our humble Mount Hua?”

“Sit down first. Sage Cheong-heo will explain the matter himself.”

At Sage Hyun-cheon’s urging, Sage Hyun-so took a seat.

Sage Hyun-so rarely concerned himself with the affairs of Jianghu.

Had he possessed even a little more interest in the current state of Jianghu, he would never have reacted so casually upon hearing Sage Cheong-heo’s name.

Sage Cheong-heo was considered one of the finest martial artists the Wudang Sect had produced in decades.

His mastery of Wudang’s swordsmanship was renowned throughout Jianghu, and some even claimed that his achievements were comparable to those of the First Sword of Hubei.

Sage Cheong-heo quietly studied Sage Hyun-so’s face.

His gaze carried enough weight to make an ordinary person uncomfortable, yet Sage Hyun-so did not avert his eyes.

Then, without warning, Sage Cheong-heo smiled.

“Amitabha Buddha! The Sect Leader spoke very highly of his Junior Brother, but seeing you myself, I find your bearing even more remarkable than I expected.”

“I am merely an insignificant Taoist with hardly any ability worth mentioning. Your praise is far too generous.”

Sage Hyun-so waved his hands dismissively.

A faint blush spread across his fair complexion, making him resemble a bashful child.

“He who possesses abundant virtue resembles a newborn infant.¹ Those whose virtue runs deep often retain the innocence of a child.”

At those words, Sage Hyun-cheon’s brows drew together slightly.

For Sage Cheong-heo of Wudang to praise Junior Brother this much…

Sage Cheong-heo was one of the most respected Taoists within the Wudang Sect.

His reputation came not only from his extraordinary swordsmanship but also from his extensive understanding of Taoist scriptures.

For a man of such standing to openly praise Hyun-so caused Sage Hyun-cheon to look at his Junior Brother in an entirely different light.

Meanwhile, Sage Hyun-so’s face had grown even redder.

He awkwardly changed the subject.

“But what matter has brought the Wudang Sect to our humble sect?”

“My apologies. I should have explained sooner. To be straightforward, we have come to request Mount Hua’s assistance.”

“Our assistance?”

“Yes. The matter is extremely urgent.”

Doubt flickered across Sage Hyun-so’s face.

Both Mount Hua and Wudang belonged to the Nine Great Sects.

However, the difference between their current positions within Jianghu was enormous.

The Wudang Sect was enjoying a period of unprecedented prosperity, whereas Mount Hua had only recently begun climbing out of its long decline and was preparing for its revival.

When comparing their influence and overall strength in Jianghu, Mount Hua could scarcely stand beside Wudang.

That made it all the more puzzling that Wudang would come seeking Mount Hua’s assistance.

“What sort of matter could possibly require our help?”

“That…”

For the first time, a troubled expression appeared on Sage Cheong-heo’s face.

Seeing his hesitation, Sage Hyun-cheon answered in his place.

“Signs suggesting the reappearance of the Demon Sect have been discovered.”

“The Demon Sect?”

Sage Hyun-so’s eyes widened dramatically.

He stared at the Wudang sage in disbelief.

“It is true. As difficult as it may be to accept, we have discovered signs that suggest they may have returned.”

“What exactly happened?”

“The Northern Road Escort Agency, operated by one of our outer disciples, was attacked while returning from an expedition. A group of unidentified individuals completely annihilated them.”

“What—!”

“Everyone was killed except for one person. The sole survivor was a young escort warrior named Im Ho-ryeong. Before collapsing, he managed to release a carrier pigeon. The message it carried contained only one warning—‘Attacked by the Demon Sect.’”

“The Demon Sect…”

Sage Hyun-so slowly shut his eyes.

His eyelids trembled faintly.

Those two simple words carried far too many memories.

And with those memories came fear.

A fear that once again began creeping into the depths of his mind.

How could anyone possibly forget that name?

Decades earlier, the Demon Sect had drowned Jianghu in blood.

Countless people had perished.

Numerous renowned sects had been erased from existence.

In order to drive back and ultimately destroy the Demon Sect, the factions of Jianghu had been forced to unite.

Even then, the war continued for more than a decade before they finally succeeded in annihilating their enemy.

The victory had come at an unimaginable cost.

Too much blood had been spilled.

Too many lives had been sacrificed.

“Are you certain it was truly the Demon Sect?”

“That is precisely what we must determine.”

“What?”

“We cannot announce the return of the Demon Sect to all of Jianghu merely because of a single message, can we?”

“So you intend to investigate the incident yourselves and determine whether the message was genuine?”

“Exactly.”

“Then why request Mount Hua’s involvement?”

“We require assistance, and the location where the escort agency was supposedly destroyed lies closest to Mount Hua here in Shaanxi Province.”

“So…”

“We have sent people to the Southern Edge Sect as well.² I am certain they will also agree to participate.”

“Mm.”

Only then did Sage Hyun-so understand why Sage Cheong-heo had personally traveled to Mount Hua.

Whether the Demon Sect had truly been responsible for the attack remained uncertain.

Yet simply investigating such a possibility was apparently too serious a burden for even the mighty Wudang Sect to shoulder alone.

Sect Leader Hyun-cheon finally spoke.

“Mount Hua has decided to accept Wudang’s request. We will dispatch some of our disciples to assist them.”

“Then why did you call me here?”

Sage Hyun-so looked genuinely confused.

Once the Sect Leader had already made his decision, there was little more to discuss.

Mount Hua possessed plenty of accomplished martial artists. Any number of them could accompany Wudang and provide whatever assistance was necessary.

But Sage Hyun-so was different.

He was a scholar.

He did not know martial arts.

That was precisely why he could not understand why the Sect Leader had summoned him for a mission such as this.

“I believe you should accompany them.”

“What?”

“As you know, more than twenty years have passed since the war against the Demon Sect ended. There are very few people left in Jianghu who still possess firsthand memories of that era. Even if traces of the Demon Sect’s martial arts are discovered, only a handful of people would be capable of determining whether they truly belonged to them.”

“So you want me to go there and identify those traces?”

“That’s right. You may not be a martial artist, but no one can question your knowledge or discernment. You should still be capable of recognizing them, shouldn’t you?”

“…Yes.”

How could he possibly forget?

He had personally helped retrieve countless corpses from those battlefields.

Among them had been the body of his own master, Heavenly Sky Sage.

The wounds left behind by the Demon Sect’s martial arts had been engraved so deeply into Sage Hyun-so’s memories that he felt he could recognize them even with his eyes closed.

Sect Leader Hyun-cheon gave a slow nod before turning his attention toward Sage Cheong-heo.

“Junior Brother Hyun-so serves as one of our sect’s scholars. His responsibility is to preserve records and commit important matters to memory. Given his knowledge and keen judgment, he should be able to tell whether this incident truly bears the marks of the Demon Sect.”

“That is reassuring. Since Mount Hua fought more fiercely against the Demon Sect than almost any other sect, I assumed you would possess the greatest understanding of them.”

“How generous of you to say so.”

A cold smile briefly crossed Sect Leader Hyun-cheon’s lips.

The instant Sage Cheong-heo saw it, he realized that his words had been careless.

Sect Leader Hyun-cheon’s voice grew noticeably colder.

“Are the elders of Wudang in good health?”

“They are… doing well.”

“Then cherish them while they are still with you. Make sure you do not end up regretting their loss after they are all taken from you at once, as happened to us.”

A strained expression appeared on Sage Cheong-heo’s face.

It lasted only briefly before he restored his usual composure.

“I will remember the Sect Leader’s advice.”

“I appreciate you overlooking the pointless grumbling of an old man whose time has already passed.”

“How could I take offense? Your words were spoken out of concern for our sect.”

“You may depart first thing tomorrow morning. I will make sure our disciples are prepared to leave by then.”

“If fighting breaks out, the Wudang Sect will stand at the front. There is no need for Mount Hua to concern itself too greatly.”

“That is reassuring to hear.”

Sect Leader Hyun-cheon then turned toward Sage Hyun-so.

“Moo-gyeong and Un-gyeong will go with you.”

“The two of them are your first and second direct disciples. Are you truly planning to send them both on the same mission? If something were to happen to them, Mount Hua could lose the very people meant to carry its future.”

“That is exactly why they must go. If they are to shoulder Mount Hua in the future, shouldn’t they first prove themselves capable of facing this degree of danger?”

“Hmm…”

Sage Hyun-so released a quiet sigh at the Sect Leader’s unwavering answer.

There was no hesitation in Sect Leader Hyun-cheon’s eyes. His determination had already been set.

Noticing Hyun-so’s concern, Sect Leader Hyun-cheon offered him a reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry so much. You will have the Wudang Sect and the Southern Edge Sect accompanying you. It is unlikely that anything serious will happen.”

“I understand. Then I will prepare to descend the mountain. However…”

Sage Hyun-so suddenly stopped.

He appeared to be weighing something carefully in his mind, causing both Sect Leader Hyun-cheon and Sage Cheong-heo to look at him with curiosity.

After a brief hesitation, Sage Hyun-so finally continued.

“I would like to take my disciple with me on this journey.”

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