Appearance of the Heavenly Demon - Chapter 34

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 34
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“Father.”
Two days after arriving at Haneum Valley.
Namgung Hoyeon approached his father, Namgung Unhyeon, his expression clouded with worry.
“We’ve been followed.”
From that moment two days ago, Unhyeon had grown nearly silent.
He moved through the lower rooms as if nothing were wrong, ate his meals, walked among the trees—yet offered no real explanation.
The same held true in his chamber.
He either cultivated his Energy Cultivation or sat with eyes closed as though doing so, but his words had dried up.
Father must have his reasons.
With that thought, Hoyeon kept vigil beside him for two long days.
At last, unable to bear the silence any longer, Hoyeon approached his father.
“Please, tell me now.”
Who exactly are we being cautious of?
Unhyeon, who sat in crossed-leg meditation upon the bed, slowly opened his eyes.
His gaze settled upon his son’s worried face.
In truth, those two days had been a reprieve for Unhyeon to gather sufficient intelligence.
Time to discern the identities of those gathering at the inn, his son’s intentions, and the reason these people had taken no action.
And two days had proved enough.
Unhyeon had finally caught the thread.
Though those gathering at the inn were cautious, knowing the caliber of Unhyeon’s skill, not a single one could escape the reach of his Energy Perception.
Just as he had begun teaching Yeonwoo the Five Senses Cultivation first of all, Unhyeon’s senses were the finest beneath heaven itself.
“Is the Supreme Sword Emperor really here?”
“Yes. Along with his son.”
“Watch them carefully. Gwangchamdo will be arriving soon.”
He had caught the tail end of their conversation.
Unhyeon gazed upon his son.
– Hoyeon.
“…!”
Namgung Hoyeon’s eyes widened sharply.
He quickly grasped the situation and, bowing his head, assumed the formal warrior’s salute toward his father.
– Yes, Father. I am listening.
– Those men are warriors of the Padogun.
Gwangchamdo—the name by which men referred to the leader of the Padogun.
– …!
Hoyeon’s eyes flickered with uncertainty.
So many guests at this remote Haneum Valley—he’d thought it strange.
– But why would the Padogun….
Hoyeon’s gaze lifted suddenly.
A terrible suspicion blazed across his eyes.
– …Does this relate to Uncle?
Unhyeon nodded slowly and deliberately.
Hoyeon’s expression crumbled beneath a far greater shock.
– What I am about to tell you must never be spoken to anyone. Do you understand?
Hoyeon swallowed hard.
Then he bowed again.
– Yes.
– I did not fight the Heavenly Demon.
– …!
– I nearly died because of a plot your uncle, Namgung Mohyeon, orchestrated. And many warriors of Joongyeon were complicit in that scheme.
Namgung Hoyeon’s expression transformed from shock into disbelief.
Beyond shock lay utter horror.
– M-many warriors? Father, you faced an Elimination Squad formed through the Murim Alliance and….
– The majority of them took part in my death. They employed countless poisons, hurled projectiles, wielded their weapons without restraint.
On that day at Seolhon Mountain, Unhyeon had felt as though he had become the enemy of the entire Murim world.
It was warriors of the Murim Alliance itself—no one else—who had pursued him, leveled their blades, and poured forth their Killing Intent.
– What they sought to eliminate was not the Heavenly Demon, but me.
“….”
Hoyeon’s mouth hung open, trembling.
Words failed him. He couldn’t think of anything to say, any way to respond to something so utterly impossible to believe.
Only one thought occupied his mind.
‘Why?’
That elimination squad had surely included martial artists from prestigious families and sects.
Then why?
– Why would they target Father…?
– I don’t know either. It was entirely unexpected.
Likely a matter of power.
Unhyeon’s influence ran so deep he was spoken of as the next leader of the Murim Alliance, and there were many who envied him for it.
– Still, the reason doesn’t matter. What matters is that this conspiracy continues even now.
The presence of Padogun warriors stationed in this inn is proof of that.
Namgung Mohyeon and his followers still sought Unhyeon’s life.
So.
Unhyeon looked at Hoyeon.
– My son. Take this road to Kunlun.
– To Kunlun Mountain… is that what you mean?
The Kunlun Sect was located closest to the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains among all the major sects.
The sect nearest to those mountains that had not participated in the Demonic Sect purge.
‘The disciples were supposedly supposed to join, but they all fell ill with stomach troubles on the day of the purge.’
Because of that, they hadn’t been able to participate.
In other words, they hadn’t chosen not to participate—they were prevented from doing so.
‘At the time, I thought they were withdrawing out of fear of Demonic Sect retaliation, but looking back now, something feels off about it.’
Wasn’t the Kunlun Sect the one most eager to purge the Demonic Sect?
‘That alone isn’t enough to declare Kunlun trustworthy, but.’
Beyond that, the sect leader of Kunlun had deep connections with Unhyeon.
A man of integrity and principle, with a clear sense of right and wrong, and above all, one who harbored no appetite for power—a man of unbending character.
For now, he was the one Unhyeon could trust most.
– Go to Kunlun and deliver this letter to the sect leader.
Rustle—
Unhyeon handed Hoyeon a letter he had prepared in advance.
– He will surely offer his aid.
Hoyeon accepted the letter and nodded.
– The sect leader of Kunlun isn’t far from here. He’s leading the search for Father’s remains….
Hoyeon looked at Unhyeon.
Unhyeon gripped the hand holding out the letter with force.
Facing his father’s gentle smile, tears welled up unbidden in his eyes.
How much agony had Father endured, betrayed by those he trusted, threatened with death?
Thinking of all the time he must have spent alone, bearing that pain and loneliness in this remote Hundred Thousand Great Mountains with no one to turn to, Hoyeon felt only a crushing sense of guilt.
– I’ll return as quickly as I can, Father.
– Be careful.
– You as well, Father….
Hoyeon gripped his father’s hand tightly.
– Please, take care of yourself.
That night, under cover of darkness, Hoyeon slipped out of Haneum Valley.
The Padogun did not pursue him.
* * *
The Demonic Celestial Sect. The summit of Yohuasan.
A palace so filled with flowers of every hue and their fragrance that simply walking through it left one dizzy with intoxication—the resplendent Yohuagung Palace.
Yohuagung.
In the garden of its sovereign—serene yet dangerous—two figures were meeting.
A ornate pavilion stood upon a pond where colorful carp glided through the water.
Seated across a table laden with lavish delicacies and wine was the mistress of Yohuagung Palace, Yowhama-gun.
And a handsome man wearing a white half-mask,
An-yeongma-gun.
An-yeongma-gun smiled faintly, resting his chin on his hand.
“Wasn’t this something you enjoyed?”
Thin silk that left the contours of his face visible beneath.
Crimson lips revealed below the veil.
Elaborate robes that showed the shapes of his arms and legs while maintaining a restrained elegance.
At An-yeongma-gun’s words, Yowhama-gun’s red lips curved into a subtle smile.
“You come bursting in unannounced and expect to lecture me? What’s all this about?”
An-yeongma-gun pointed directly at Yowhama-gun’s face as he spoke.
“Gwanyun.”
Yowhama-gun’s expression did not waver.
“You liked him well enough, didn’t you? Or did you not?”
“Well, perhaps I did once. I’ve always favored men of integrity. But that was before he tucked tail and fled to the frontier.”
“So that’s it, then. Your reason for wanting to crush the Gwan house.”
Yowhama-gun’s lips curved into a smile.
“Is that all…?”
“I’ve sent assassins twice over.”
An-yeongma-gun spread two fingers.
“One group was barely worth mentioning—the sort who’d grovel at the mere sound of my name. The other…”
Behind the half-mask, violet eyes fixed upon Yowhama-gun with an icy gleam.
“That was you, wasn’t it? Mistress of Yohuagung Palace.”
“And so?”
Yowhama-gun tilted her head with shameless composure.
Her fingers, tracing her delicate jaw, possessed a beauty that surpassed any other hand.
“Does our proud An-yeongma really visit a place he’s never set foot in before, all because of that? Is that what you’re telling me?”
“How terrifying. A woman’s jealousy.”
Affection could turn to killing intent in a heartbeat—she’d made that abundantly clear.
And yet.
“I wouldn’t have come if it were merely that.”
“Which are you protecting? The Gwan household? Or the child?”
“Does it matter?”
“It might. Our interests could align differently depending on the answer.”
Yowhama-gun brought her hands together lightly with a soft clap.
“I do so enjoy finding harmony, you see.”
In every way.
Her lips curved upward once more.
Though her words and gestures seemed trivial, they carried an unmistakable allure befitting the mistress of Yohuagung Palace—each syllable, each movement suffused with seduction.
She was rightly called the most radiant flower of the Demonic Celestial Sect, and equally, its cruelest thorn.
“What if I said the child?”
“My, my—that would be a discord.”
“Do not touch him.”
Behind the half-mask, An-yeongma-gun’s violet eyes curved with a smile.
Though clearly a light one, an inexplicable weight radiated from him now.
“He will become the Heavenly Demon.”
……
Yowhama-gun’s smile faded in an instant.
For the briefest moment, her eyes took on the gleam of a serpent.
“A child so precious to our An-yeongma, then?”
“Yes. You can see as much from the fact that I’ve traveled here in person.”
“It is rather surprising. But what of it?”
Behind the veil, her eyes grew cold and sharp.
Yet in striking contrast, her crimson lips deepened with a darker smile.
“The more you say that, the more I wish to kill him.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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