Episode 28: There Comes a Time When Everyone Must Stand Alone (3)
Light Novel: Volume 2 Episode 28
Manhwa: Chapter 27-28
Chapter 1 Episode 28. There Comes a Time When Everyone Must Stand Alone (3)
Dam-ho lay down on his bed. But sleep did not come easily. Come to think of it, it had been quite a while since he’d properly slept.
Though the lightstone glowed faintly, it wasn’t enough to illuminate the entire underground cavern. Because of that, the distinction between night and day had grown vague, the boundary itself blurred.
By now, it didn’t matter whether he slept or not. Even if he didn’t sleep, his fatigue would recover on its own.
In the past, he had to sit in a lotus position to circulate his internal energy. But now, even if he stayed still, his energy would naturally flow on its own.
He couldn’t even recall when it had started to be that way.
In the darkness, the Heavy Sky Heart Technique had found a new path. As he studied the Demon Sect’s techniques, it was also influenced by them. As a result, the Heavy Sky Heart Technique had transformed beyond recognition.
Whether it was a progression or regression, he couldn’t say for sure. But one thing was certain. This was a new inner cultivation technique that had never existed before.
Dam-ho gave this new technique the name Dark Soul Cultivation Technique. He named it so because it was born from the darkness.
The internal energy accumulated through the Dark Soul Cultivation Technique was heavy and dark, and even without Dam-ho deliberately circulating his energy, it moved on its own, growing in size.
Whether he slept, moved around, or even ate, his energy naturally built up. Even now, at this very moment, the Dark Soul Cultivation Technique was quietly moving within him, cultivating his qi.
Dam-ho lay with his arm under his head, blankly staring at the ceiling.
The sun had set, so the room was dark. The ceiling was pitch black. Yet to Dam-ho’s eyes, it looked as bright as daylight.
Even darkness had distinctions. The darkness of the underground cavern was different from the darkness of the outside world.
Whereas the darkness of the outside world was light, the darkness of the underground cavity was infinitely heavy and dreary, just like the Dark Soul Cultivation Technique.
“Master…”
Suddenly, a muffled voice slipped out from Dam-ho’s lips.
There was longing in his voice. For the first time since he had emerged into the outside world, he showed a truly human emotion.
When he thought of his master, a corner of his heart always ached. He wanted to run to Mount Hua right now. He wanted to see Sage Hyun-so. But not yet.
His master had told him to come to Mount Hua only when he was confident that even a sudden gust of wind would not shake him.
He had to confirm it first. Whether he truly possessed the strength to remain unshaken by the world’s fiercest winds. Whether he could stand entirely on his own.
As he was lost in various thoughts, dawn was already breaking. In the end, Dam-ho came out to the dining area without having slept a wink.
The inn servant tilted his head.
He had clearly come out from the inside, so he had to be a guest, but the servant had no recollection of serving a guest like him yesterday.
“Who…?”
There had only been one guest yesterday. And he remembered bringing that man a knife and scissors.
“No way…”
“It’s me.”
“So it really was you. I didn’t realize you were this handsome.”
“And the meal?”
“Ah, yes! I’ve prepared it in advance, so please wait just a moment!”
As Dam-ho sat down at the table, the inn servant quickly ran toward the kitchen. He reappeared a moment later, a tray of food in his hand.
“Here are some lamb skewers, wheat flatbread, and flower cakes made from lamb. They should be fairly edible.”
As the inn servant was about to leave after setting down the food, Dam-ho stopped him.
“How long does it take to reach the Central Plains from here?”
“Are you planning to go alone?”
“Yes.”
“That won’t be easy.”
“Is there any reason I can’t go?”
“Word is that bandits have been rampant lately.”
“Bandits?”
“Yes! They roam around in groups, raiding small merchant groups and travelers. The damage has been severe. So don’t think of going alone. Gather some companions. It’ll be safer to travel in a group.”
“Okay.”
“Please think it through. Traveling alone for ten days won’t be easy.”
“Ten days…”
Dam-ho tapped the table with his finger.
“But if you truly wish to go alone, head over to the market. They should be selling supplies you’ll need for the road. Let’s see, what would you need? You’ll need a sandstorm cloak to avoid the dust, some dry provisions… Ah, and of course, a horse to ride.”
As he listened to the inn servant rambling on, Dam-ho finished his meal.
Turpan was a city with a very unique atmosphere. The cultures of the Central Plains and the Western Region had mixed to create something distinctly their own, giving the place a rich exotic feel.
Han, Yi, and Hui people lived together in Turpan, making it always bustling with people. Centered around the green liquor district, crowds would often gather for markets.
The scale of these markets was considerable, and if one looked carefully enough, they could find quite a few useful items, so said the inn servant. He also gave a detailed explanation of the local prices.
After committing the servant’s words to memory, Dam-ho stepped outside.
The streets were crowded with countless people. The voices of those haggling rang out loudly.
A deep crease formed between Dam-ho’s brows.
As a child, he had lived in a quiet mountain village. When he grew older, he was raised in the Daoist sect, the Mount Hua Sect. And before arriving here, he had lived only in an underground space devoid of human contact. To him, this noisy scene was deeply unfamiliar.
Dam-ho stood blankly in the middle of the road for a moment, unable to move.
There were no longer any restraints holding him back, no walls blocking his path. And yet, he couldn’t move so easily.
For the first time in his life, he had been thrown into the world alone.
No parents, no master.
Now, he had to stand on his own, by his strength alone.
He had to take a step forward.
Dam-ho began to move toward the world.
His first destination was the market the inn servant had told him about.
A place where countless people laid out their mats and haggled, each raising their voice to get what they wanted.
“Here are fine silk garments brought from the Central Plains!”
“We have spices imported from the Western Region!”
The merchants’ voices pierced his eardrums.
Dam-ho walked among them.
He consciously restrained his killing intent from leaking out and tried to soften the intensity in his gaze. Though still sharper than the average person, the oppressive aura that used to weigh down his surroundings had significantly lessened. Because of that, those who passed near him felt no discomfort.
The stalls were filled with objects he had never seen before. There were silks that looked luxurious, just as the merchants claimed, and jars whose purpose he couldn’t even guess.
Some were selling maps of the Western Region, oddly shaped and unfamiliar. Others sold all sorts of ornaments and trinkets.
Dam-ho took it all in with his eyes.
How long had he walked like that? Suddenly, he caught sight of a merchant selling clothing made from animal hides.
What drew Dam-ho’s attention was one particular black long coat among the garments on display. It had a wide fit like the sandstorm cloak and a collar that rose all the way to the neck.
His steps naturally led him to the stall. The merchant lit up with delight.
“Welcome!”
“These are for sale?”
“Of course! Which one are you looking to buy?”
Without a word, Dam-ho picked up the black long coat.
“You have a great eye. That one’s made from the hide of a great bear. It’s crafted from a single piece with no stitched seams, so it’s incredibly sturdy. Ordinary blades probably won’t even cut through it.”
There was a bit of the usual merchant exaggeration in his words, but the seamless look did make it seem exceptionally durable.
“How much?”
“Ah… well, let’s see.”
A flicker of hesitation appeared in the merchant’s eyes.
The black long coat Dam-ho had picked up was indeed made of real bear hide. It was undeniably sturdy, but unfortunately, this place wasn’t far from the desert.
No one wanted to wear a stuffy coat made of bear hide. That’s why it had been put out at a throwaway price. But seeing that Dam-ho actually liked it made the merchant greedy.
“Ten silver nyang…”
“……”
Dam-ho and the merchant’s eyes met. In that instant, the merchant froze as if turned to ice.
‘W-what kind of eyes are those…?’
Eyes as deep and black as an abyss with no end in sight and within them, not a trace of emotion could be found.
Shiver!
A chill ran down his spine before he even realized it.
He was scared.
The merchant quickly changed his tune.
“F-five nyang will do. That’s more than enough.”
“That will suffice?”
“Yes! Of course.”
Without any attempt to haggle, Dam-ho pulled out silver from his clothes and handed it to the merchant.
Dam-ho draped the black leather long coat over his body.
It fit him perfectly, as if it had been custom-made to his measurements. The merchant, who had briefly frozen at the sight, even let out a gasp of admiration.
“It suits you perfectly, sir.”
Dam-ho gave a silent nod.
Even without the merchant’s compliment, the bear-hide long coat was exactly to his liking. Though not visible from the outside, the inside of the coat had many pockets, making it highly practical for storage.
Dam-ho placed both the receipt and his silver inside one of the inner pockets.
While he was at it, he also bought a leather bag from the merchant. It had a generous capacity and looked like it could hold quite a bit of cargo.
Dam-ho went around the market, purchasing dry provisions and filling the bag. Before long, it had grown quite heavy.
He knew the approximate prices because he had already heard them from the inn servant. Most of the merchants quoted prices higher than what Dam-ho knew to be the market rate. But Dam-ho didn’t bother to haggle with them.
He didn’t feel the need to negotiate, and it wasn’t as if he lacked money.
The last place Dam-ho visited was the livestock market located on the outskirts of the market district.
There wasn’t an animal that couldn’t be found here.
From small animals like chickens and dogs to horses, cattle, and even camels—it felt like every creature in the world was gathered in this place.
As he entered the livestock market, the stench of animal droppings pricked at his nose. Even Dam-ho wrinkled his nose for a moment at the pungent assault. But he quickly adapted and continued walking deeper inside.
The horses were located in the innermost part of the livestock market. And there were many different kinds.
Some were incredibly large, and some had coats so red they looked like they were burning. Merchants clamored that their horses were all prized steeds, trying to get Dam-ho’s attention.
But Dam-ho ignored them completely and walked on in silence. The neighing of horses stabbed noisily into his ears.
Then suddenly, Dam-ho came to a halt.
There, he found one. Jet black, just like the long coat he wore. Unlike the others, it didn’t snort or thrash about. It simply stood there, calm.
It wasn’t particularly large, but strangely, none of the other horses dared to approach it.
Dam-ho stared intently at the black horse. In response, the horse let out a snort and walked toward him.
Prrr!
As the black horse approached, the other horses nearby flinched and quickly backed away in fright.
The beast stared straight at Dam-ho.
Its gaze was cold. So cold it didn’t even seem like the eyes of a horse.
A small smile tugged at the corners of Dam-ho’s mouth.
Because he liked the animal’s defiant gaze.
A chilling light briefly flashed in Dam-ho’s eyes. At that, the black horse flinched and turned its head away.
That’s when an unfamiliar voice rang out.
“Ho! Looks like that one’s taken a liking to you, friend. I’ve never seen it act like that before.”
It was a plump Hui man wearing a small hat on his head. He approached Dam-ho, sweating profusely.
“Hello, I’m Deung Won, the owner of this fellow. Do you like him?”
Dam-ho looked at the Hui merchant. The merchant grinned.
“Looks like you do. I’ll give him to you cheap, so go ahead and buy him.”
“……”
“To be honest, that one’s been quite the troublemaker. We somehow managed to catch him running wild across the plains, but he refuses to be tamed and won’t let anyone ride him, so he’s been nothing but a headache.”
“How much?”
“Oh! A bold one, aren’t you. Good! I’ll be generous. Just five hundred nyang in silver. That’s basically giving him away.”
Before the merchant could even finish speaking, Dam-ho pulled five silver notes from his pocket and tossed them over.
“That enough?”
“Ho! Not even going to haggle?”
A trace of regret appeared on the merchant’s face.
If he’d known the buyer would pay so readily, he could’ve asked for more.
Just as the merchant had said, the black horse had been a pain. A horse that wouldn’t let anyone ride it simply couldn’t be sold.
Quite a few people had tried to become its owner before, but the black horse had never allowed anyone on its back. That’s how foul-tempered it was.
Yet Dam-ho had paid without even attempting to ride it. From the Hui merchant’s perspective, it was only natural to feel reluctant. But he quickly changed his mind.
‘If that devilish beast refuses again, he might come back demanding a refund.’
Determined to seal the deal, he spoke firmly.
“I’ll throw in a saddle too, so go ahead and ride off. That horse is yours now.”
The Hua merchant took the saddle that was hanging off to one side, put it on the black horse’s back, and then walked away.
Dam-ho patted the black horse on the nape of the neck. The horse just let out several satisfied snorts, seemingly pleased.
Without hesitation, Dam-ho leapt onto the horse’s back. The merchant stepped back several paces, expecting to see Dam-ho thrown off. But contrary to his expectations, the black horse stood calmly, as if it had met its true master.
“No way!”
The Hui merchant’s jaw dropped.
Ignoring him, Dam-ho patted the horse’s neck and said,
“Your name is Heuk-gwi, which means Black Ghost.”
Hiiing!
The black horse neighed as if it understood.
And just like that, the black horse became the Black Ghost.
SoundlessWind21’s Notes:
If there are any errors, whether it be grammatical, spelling, translation, or website-related issues, feel free to let me know. (´◡`) Anyway, thank you for reading!