Fist Demon of Mount Hua Episode 7
The Disciple Looks to His Master, and the Master Comforts His Disciple (1)
The winner of the first match was Seom-gyeong.
Using the Plum Blossom Scattering technique from the Plum Blossom Fist, Seom Gyeong completely neutralized Won Gyeong’s Seven Stars Sword Art.
Even after the match ended, Sage Hyeon-geom offered no comment and simply called for the next bout.
Victors were decided one after another, and joy and disappointment intertwined.
The winners rejoiced at the possibility of inheriting Hyeongeom’s martial insights, while the losers could only lower their heads in despair. A strange fervor filled the entire True Martial Palace.
The thirst for victory and the desire to grow stronger gradually consumed everyone’s reason.
Even Mu Gyeong, who wasn’t participating in the matches, could see the feverish atmosphere spreading.
Damho frowned.
During his five years at Mount Hua, he had never witnessed anything like this.
The Mount Hua Sect was fundamentally a martial sect, but it was also a Taoist order. Normally, an air of tranquility prevailed throughout the mountain.
Now, however, everyone burned with passion.
Was this intentional?
Did he create this atmosphere on purpose?
Damho looked toward Hyeongeom, who stood quietly at the edge of the training ground.
In contrast to the almost frenzied atmosphere around him, Hyeongeom remained as calm and composed as ever.
Perhaps sensing Damho’s gaze, Hyeon-geom turned to look at him.
The instant their eyes met, Damho felt as though two awls had been driven straight into his eyes. His body staggered under the pressure.
Yet he refused to avert his gaze.
A trace of surprise flickered through Hyeongeom’s eyes at Damho’s reaction.
Only for a moment.
Soon, his attention returned to the arena.
***
Han So-yu was currently fighting another first-generation disciple.
The Twenty-Four Forms Plum Blossom Sword unfolded from her hands.
Each time her pale fingers moved, it seemed as if plum blossoms were blooming in the empty air.
Meanwhile, her opponent was forced to retreat again and again.
Even Damho, who knew little about the Plum Blossom Sword, could see that her technique was both elegant and effective.
“Wonderful!”
Admiring voices erupted from every direction.
Yet Hyeon-geom slightly furrowed his brow, apparently dissatisfied with something.
However, most people were too captivated by Han So-yu’s performance to notice.
Slash!
At last, Han So-yu’s sword sliced through the front of her opponent’s robes.
Only then did the duel come to an end.
The defeated disciple stared blankly at the long tear across his chest.
If the blade had cut just two inches deeper, he would already be dead.
“Senior Sister, thank you for showing mercy.”
“You fought well too.”
The two exchanged formal courtesies before returning to their places.
Damho quietly watched Han So-yu as she returned to stand beside Mu Gyeong.
Senior Sister’s Twenty-Four Forms Plum Blossom Sword is incredible.
To execute the techniques with such elegance…
Very few people in Mount Hua could wield the Twenty-Four Forms the way Han So-yu did.
Because she was physically weaker than most men, she had developed her own style to compensate.
Even the same martial art could display vastly different power depending on the practitioner’s understanding and interpretation.
Though still incomplete, Han So-yu was gradually creating a Plum Blossom Sword style that was uniquely hers.
Her skill far exceeded anything Dam-ho had imagined.
Still, he felt no envy.
Though his progress was slow, he believed that one day he, too, would reach that level.
At that moment, Hyeon-geom’s voice rang out.
“The next match. Su Gyeong versus Cheon Gyeong.”
Hearing his name, Damho raised his head.
***
Su-gyeong was one of the most skilled martial artists among the first-generation disciples. With his extremely resolute and blunt personality, many of the second-generation disciples feared him.
Damho stepped into the arena.
Hyeon-geom frowned slightly.
He had noticed the faint limp in Damho’s walk.
Damho cupped his fists toward Su Gyeong.
“Senior Brother.”
“So it had to be you.”
Su Gyeong’s expression darkened.
He had hoped to face a worthy opponent and demonstrate his skills to Hyeon-geom. Defeating a cripple was nothing to brag about.
He looked at Hyeon-geom, silently asking whether the match should really go ahead.
Whether he understood or not, Hyeon-geom walked directly towards Damho.
“Cheon Gyeong.”
“Yes.”
“So you’re the disciple Hyeon-so accepted.”
“That is correct.”
“Hmph.”
Hyeon-geom’s eyes grew even colder.
Damho’s expression also hardened.
No more words were spoken, but he could clearly sense that Hyeongeom disapproved of him.
“You may return.”
“…”
“Did you not hear me? Go back.”
“May I ask… why?”
“You truly don’t know?”
“I do not.”
Perhaps he found Damho’s answer audacious; an icy chill filled Hyeongeom’s gaze. Although that gaze was terrifying, Damho did not back down.
After staring at him for a while, Hyeon-geom clicked his tongue.
“You have spirit. A man should possess at least that much courage.”
“But as a martial artist… you possess a fatal flaw.”
“Because of my leg?”
“Correct.”
The answer was exactly what Damho had expected.
Yet disappointment still welled up inside him.
He had believed that the greatest swordsman of Mount Hua would have a broader perspective than everyone else, but he was no different from the rest.
“My sword is not something a cripple can master
Hyeon-geom’s voice overflowed with absolute confidence in his own swordsmanship.
Each word tore at Damho’s heart.
Damho raised his head defiantly.
“I am also a first-generation disciple of Mount Hua.”
“If you are Scholar Hyeon-so’s disciple, then you should walk the path of a scholar.”
“If you do, you will one day earn the same respect your master enjoys.”
“Are you telling me to give up martial arts?”
“Haven’t you already experienced your own limitations?”
“You’ve spent years trying to overcome your physical handicap, haven’t you?”
Hyeon-geom’s eyes fell upon Damho’s legs.
Though hidden beneath his robes, his right leg was much thicker than anyone else’s.
No disciple in Mount Hua possessed a right leg like Damho’s.
It was clear how relentlessly he had trained.
Yet his left leg was frail and underdeveloped by comparison.
“No matter how much you train, such a severe physical imbalance can never truly be overcome.”
“You will never reach the highest realms.”
“Rather than wasting any more of your life chasing the impossible, find another path while you still can.”
“That is the only advice I can offer you.”
“I cannot.”
Damho answered without hesitation.
Hyeon-geom frowned.
Ordinary people would already have cowered beneath his gaze.
Yet Dam-ho remained unmoved.
Hyeon-geom admired such unwavering courage.
But choosing a successor for his legacy required a level of cold objectivity far beyond mere bravery.
“So… you refuse to back down?”
“At the very least, I want the same opportunity everyone else received.”
“So be it.”
“If your resolve is truly that firm…”
A trace of anger surfaced in Hyeongeom’s eyes.
Stepping back, he addressed Su Gyeong.
“Begin the match.”
“But…”
“Show the child reality.”
“It will be for his own good.”
“…Understood.”
Unable to disobey, Su Gyeong nodded.
He raised his fists toward Damho.
“Junior Brother… don’t resent me.”
He assumed the opening stance of the Five Elements Formless Fist, one of Mount Hua’s supreme martial arts.
Because it circulated internal energy according to the principles of the Five Elements, it was notoriously difficult to master. However, once mastered, it possessed terrifying power—enough for a single punch to shatter a massive boulder.
Taking a deep breath, Dam-ho took the starting stance of the Bamboo Leaf Hand. It was the martial art he had practiced the longest.
Though nowhere near as powerful as the Five Elements Formless Fist, he trusted it completely.
Han So-yo’s face turned pale.
“Will he be alright?”
“Shouldn’t we stop this?”
“Bamboo Leaf Hands can’t possibly stand against the Five Elements Formless Fist.”
“No one can overturn Martial Uncle Hyeon-geom’s decision.”
Mu Gyeong’s face was equally grim.
Yet there was nothing he could do.
Even Sect Leader Hyeon-cheon treated Hyeon-geom with great respect.
Someone of Mu Gyeong’s standing had absolutely no authority to challenge him.
Un Gyeong spoke coldly.
“Martial Uncle Hyeongeom is right.”
“It’s time Cheon Gyeong accepted reality.”
“Senior Brother?”
“How long will you let him continue dreaming?”
“Think carefully about what is truly best for him.”
Han So-yu bit her lip.
At that very moment—
Su Gyeong and Dam-ho collided.
Bang! Bang!
Their hands clashed repeatedly.
The first-generation disciples widened their eyes.
They had expected Damho to be blown away in a single exchange.
Instead, he defended surprisingly well against the Five Elements Formless Fist.
“Was Cheon Gyeong always this skilled?”
“Bamboo Leaf Hands is actually holding its own?”
Murmurs spread throughout the crowd.
The most astonished person, however, was Su Gyeong himself.
The rebounding force from Damho’s palms was far stronger than he had expected.
The fact that someone could contend against the Five Elements Formless Fist using nothing more than Bamboo Leaf Hands was unbelievable.
It also wounded his pride.
How dare you…
His eyebrows shot upward.
Tatatatata!
His hands began to move even faster. It felt as if the empty air was entirely filled with his fists.
It was Wood Conquers Earth, one of the ultimate techniques of the Five Elements Formless Fist.
Just as wood overcomes and destroys earth, the technique was filled with overwhelming Wood Qi.
“Urgh!”
The impact forced a muffled groan from Damho.
Yet somehow he refused to retreat.
Su Gyeong’s techniques were dazzling.
Damho’s Bamboo Leaf Hands, by comparison, were astonishingly simple.
But they were sturdy.
Just like his unyielding determination.
I was never wrong.
Damho clenched his teeth.
He wanted to prove that even with an injured leg, there was nothing preventing him from practicing martial arts.
Thud!
Su Gyeong’s fist slammed into Damho’s side.
Pain exploded through his ribs, twisting his expression.
Even so, Damho immediately countered with Bamboo Leaf Hands, shoving Su Gyeong backward.
Thump!
Su Gyeong’s face changed.
The strike carried almost no internal energy, so it caused little actual damage.
Yet he had never imagined Damho would manage to land even a single blow on him.
Boom!
Suddenly, Damho’s aura changed.
The lightness of Bamboo Leaf Hands disappeared.
In its place came crushing weight.
He had switched to Subduing Tiger Fist.
Using his left foot as the pivot, Damho stepped powerfully forward with his right and unleashed a devastating punch.
Bang!
The blow crashed into Su Gyeong’s forearm.
His arm immediately began to swell.
He had suffered an unexpected hit.
Su Gyeong’s expression darkened.
He stole a glance toward Hyeon-geom.
The old master’s face clearly showed dissatisfaction.
If he continued embarrassing himself, his chance of becoming Hyeon-geom’s disciple would vanish forever.
Damn it… I didn’t want to do this.
Su Gyeong’s movements changed.
His footsteps became as unpredictable as plum blossoms dancing in the wind.
It was Plum Blossom Steps.
Circling around Damho, he constantly shifted his position.
Damho planted himself firmly, using his left foot as his anchor while focusing entirely on defense.
But it wasn’t enough.
Su Gyeong advanced, retreated, and changed directions without warning.
Unable to keep track of the unpredictable footwork, Damho’s defense finally faltered.
Su Gyeong instantly exploited the opening.
Fire Conquers Metal, a killing technique of the Five Elements Formless Fist, struck squarely into Damho’s chest.
BOOM!
Damho’s body was sent flying backward.
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