Heavenly Demon Divine Saint - Chapter 40

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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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Chapter 40
“How much time remains?”
“Approximately two weeks, sir.”
A long exhale.
Smoke curled from between his lips, tinged with an eerie bluish-green hue—not mystical, but lethally toxic, like the essence of a virulent poison.
Do Je stood motionless at the window, gazing down at the street below, and tapped the ash from his pipe.
“So we’re still short seven people?”
“Yes. Communication with Changeung Trading Company has been severed, so we’re searching elsewhere, but suitable candidates are scarce.”
Hong Yi-gyeom continued carefully.
“Even if we exhaust ourselves searching, I cannot find anyone worthy of risking their neck. Perhaps we should lower our standards or simply begin with what we have?”
“Nonsense.”
Do Je’s voice drifted lazily through the dissipating smoke.
“In the gambling trade, the moment you lose credibility, ruin follows. Better to abandon the entire venture than proceed with substandard material.”
Hong Yi-gyeom asked, her voice tinged with concern.
“Then… what do you intend to do?”
“What else?”
The corners of Do Je’s mouth curled upward. A chilling gleam crystallized in his eyes.
“I’ll have to thrust my head into the Den of Demons itself.”
His gaze carried an aura so formidable it made observers’ blood run cold.
Though his distinctive inner cultivation revealed no obvious intent, Hong Yi-gyeom felt deeply uneasy.
‘Why… does this feel so ominous?’
He appeared ready to plunge into a gamble so perilous that even he could not predict victory.
In those eyes, dull as spent ash, a spark of vitality rarely flickered to life.
Do Je’s gaze turned toward her.
“First, investigate Changeung Trading Company thoroughly. The contract isn’t some beggar’s name—find out why they vanished, and if there are circumstances, where does such confidence originate?”
“…!”
“At minimum, their value must exceed The Demon Master’s reputation.”
His tone was grave, as if sheathing a blade of killing intent.
Hong Yi-gyeom’s expression hardened.
She knew her superior well.
His usual glib tone and casual demeanor were merely masks presented to the outside world.
Do Je possessed martial prowess counted among the finest in the Sect, and behind it lay formidable influence to match.
“Why do you hesitate? You’ve been practicing trivial techniques, and now your ears have gone deaf as well?”
Hong Yi-gyeom released a shallow sigh.
“That’s not the case… I understand.”
“A guest appears to be arriving. Prepare to receive them.”
“A guest?”
Do Je gazed down at the street with his hands clasped behind his back, having sensed an approaching presence that aroused his suspicion.
Sure enough, a group emerged, crossing the street below.
“How heavy his seat must be—the young master of the Cheon Family finally deigns to appear.”
* * *
Upon stepping into the Yunryong Pavilion—a sprawling gambling house that easily spanned five stories—Yi Ma-je came to an abrupt halt.
“We’ll wait here. Go on ahead.”
Cheon So-hyun regarded him with a puzzled expression.
“Pardon? You’re not coming with me?”
What had suddenly gotten into him? His hands didn’t appear to be itching for a wager.
Yi Ma-je shook his head.
“It would be better if you went alone. Your conversation might take a different direction with us present.”
“I see. Then I’ll be back shortly.”
His reasoning wasn’t without merit. After all, I had come to persuade him against the Cult’s decision, so my role was crucial.
Kang Hyun bowed respectfully.
“Safe travels, sir.”
“Right.”
As I ascended the staircase, I surveyed my surroundings.
‘Teeming with people—quite the crowd.’
Though I’d never entered the Main Hall, stepping into a gambling house for the first time proved remarkably novel.
The initial impression was far more intense than anticipated.
Waaaaaah!!
Countless patrons gathered in raucous throngs, each revealing their own brand of madness.
Some with bloodshot eyes glared at their opponents while hurling curses; others mocked and jeered, while still more prowled with sinister intent, searching for easy prey.
It was truly a den overflowing with demons in need of salvation.
Among this pitiful rabble, Do Je was likely the most representative specimen.
I’d heard he’d been obsessed with gambling since youth, so there was no room for doubt.
At that moment, a woman approached discreetly.
“Hmm?”
I furrowed my brow, studying this mysterious woman.
“What is it?”
“Haha….”
The woman laughed awkwardly at my guarded gaze.
“There’s no need to be so cautious. You are the Third Prince, are you not?”
“That’s correct, but who are you?”
Her presence was so faint it seemed to obscure her striking beauty—clearly the work of a martial technique favored by assassins.
“As for myself, I am Hong Yi-gyeom—idol of the Daegeui, keeper of secrets in Baek Myun Valley, and serving as both the right hand and living information network of Do Je. I’ve come to guide you.”
The woman called Hong Yi-gyeom’s eyes gleamed with a cool, crystalline clarity. She’d clearly prepared her introduction meticulously, yet something about it felt unnatural.
As I continued up the stairs, I replied.
“Quite the busy schedule you maintain. A pleasure, Cheon So-hyun.”
“Haha, you grasp the situation quickly. I’m grateful.”
“Lead the way.”
As we ascended, Hong Yi-gyeom kept stealing glances at me, observing me carefully.
Though she carried herself with boldness, her thoughts were in truth turbulent with confusion.
‘This person… no, wait. Is this really the Third Prince?’
A blood relative of the Cheon Family, someone so difficult to encounter that even a fleeting glance was rare. I had thoroughly familiarized myself with every detail of his background and even the portrait that the artist had sketched.
Yet I failed to recognize the Third Prince at first sight.
‘What an exquisite sight. Truly exquisite.’
Had he not been accompanied by Yi Ma-je, I would have simply assumed a remarkably handsome young man had come to visit.
His bearing, his physique, and the mature countenance that time had refined—all of it differed from what I knew.
“Is there something on my face?”
“Pardon? I beg your pardon?”
“I asked if there’s something on my face. You were staring quite intently.”
“Ah, forgive me. I simply found it difficult to believe… I’ve been quite rude. Please, come this way.”
A moment later.
At the brief invitation to enter, Cheon So-hyun stepped inside alone.
“You’re the Third Prince, aren’t you?”
A flicker of doubt crossed Cheon So-hyun’s expression as he faced Do Je.
“Yes… I am Cheon So-hyun.”
His sharp, well-defined features and the carelessly tousled hair caught my attention first. He appeared far younger and more refined than anticipated, which left Cheon So-hyun inwardly flustered.
‘Why does he look so… intact?’
I had expected to find a wreck of a man, his eyes bloodshot from gambling addiction. Yet the man before me appeared far too composed. Still, as a member of the Elder Council and a Demon Master, I maintained proper courtesy.
“Have you been waiting long?”
Do Je nodded.
“Quite a while, actually. One might say our positions have been reversed. Usually, it’s the one in need who digs the well, but I find myself holding the shovel.”
“…”
“I was curious what gave you such confidence that you vanished without a word. Well, if it was calculated, I’d say it was well-timed.”
At these barbed words, Cheon So-hyun met his gaze directly.
I had heard that the Demon Masters who survived long within the Demonic Sect, where the strong ruled absolutely, were inevitably twisted eccentrics of some kind. The sort who could display unhinged reactions even to the descendants of the Cheon Family.
Sa Ma-ryang had cautioned me about this several times, but Cheon So-hyun paid it no mind.
He smiled, drawing up the corners of his mouth.
“I worried we might be too late, so I’m relieved to hear it was well-timed. Now then, should I sit over there?”
His tone could have seemed disrespectful at first glance, but Do Je took no offense.
“Sit wherever you’re comfortable. Your spiritual energy has changed so dramatically that I wondered if some fool had come looking for trouble, but it’s unmistakably the Cheon Family.”
“I shall take a seat then.”
As Cheon So-hyun sat, Do Je settled across from him.
“Let me speak plainly—if you came hoping I would bow and scrape with proper etiquette, you’ve wasted your journey. If that’s what you expected, there’s no point in conversation, and it would be better for us both to end this now.”
He meant that if all the Third Prince had to offer was the weight of the Cheon Family name, there was no value in talking at all. He spoke this way because he understood deeply both why the Third Prince had come and how grave the matter truly was.
“Surely not. It seems you’ve confused me with my younger brother, who lacks refinement. Ha, there’s no need for concern.”
Do Je let out a soft laugh.
“So where are your companions? Why did you come alone?”
“They’re likely learning gambling by observation at the moment.”
“Gambling?”
“Yes, you seemed concerned the conversation might take a different direction.”
Do Je clicked his tongue and shook his head.
“Needless worry. That old man’s grown older and picked up nothing but useless concerns. Whether I accompany him or not doesn’t change my position.”
Cheon So-hyun regarded him intently.
“Have you hardened your resolve?”
That audacious question sparked something in Do Je’s eyes.
A gambler who had spent his entire life intoxicated by extreme danger and thrilling wagers—that was him. This response was far more interesting than any tepid reaction.
“It seems we both understand each other well enough. Very well, why drag this out? Let’s get to the heart of it. My position has always been consistent, and it will remain so. Though I do harbor a certain curiosity.”
“Curiosity?”
Do Je nodded.
“Why does the Third Prince of the Cheon Family oppose the Great Sect? What manner of person is he that someone like Yi Ma-je would be so captivated? Even if his neck were on the line, he wouldn’t gamble so recklessly.”
“….”
“These have been my questions all along.”
“I simply believe the Central Plains expansion is premature….”
Do Je cut him off flatly.
“Things were going well—why this? I didn’t ask to hear such hackneyed answers.”
He continued in a more subdued tone.
“Understand the situation clearly. When the year turns and winter arrives, a conquest war for the Demonic Realm will commence.”
“….”
“For some, it’s a liberation long yearned for; for others, it’s a festival that will quench an unquenchable thirst. The faithful are everywhere, whether driven by faith or ambition. I am no exception.”
Do Je’s gaze gleamed coldly.
“Setting aside capability or qualification—do you possess a cause great enough to overturn this?”
“Your words have merit, but I have no intention of abandoning my conviction. No matter how much I consider it, it still seems far too soon.”
“Too soon? Is it because of your own cultivation? Your growth is considerable, but even being generous, you’re nowhere near influential enough to sway the tide.”
“I’m not speaking of myself, but of waiting until the Cult Leader ascends to the position of Heavenly Demon. Then we could be certain of victory, and wouldn’t the war’s duration be shortened?”
“Ah, so you wish to prevent unnecessary casualties?”
“Precisely.”
“Presumptuous judgment. The Cult Leader’s realm is far beyond your comprehension. Even calling him one who has shattered the Martial Extreme Wall would be insufficient praise, yet you speak of him so carelessly?”
Cheon So-hyun answered calmly.
“It makes no difference. If the Demonic Realm is possible regardless of timing, then we must now consider losing even one fewer life. What meaning is there in achieving the Demonic Realm through the deaths of the many?”
His eyes grew distant and profound.
“It may bring joy in the moment, but only emptiness will follow.”
Of course, such a situation must never come to pass, and I would not allow it.
Even if I had to run myself ragged until my feet caught fire, I would prevent it.
For that, the aid of The Demon Master was essential.
Then Do Je’s energy suddenly turned savage.
“Emptiness… a word not easily overlooked.”
Tsk-tsk-tsk!
Do Je’s fingers slashed through the air.
Immediately, dense demonic energy seized the surroundings. Cheon So-hyun’s entire body trembled and quaked, his garments clinging to him as if pressed down by an invisible force.
“When did you begin harboring such thoughts?”
“…Ideology?”
“Precisely. You speak as though you care for the cultists, yet the only followers you concern yourself with are the weak, are they not? Neither I nor Yi Ma-je fall into that category. You speak of ideology that conflicts with the Divine Sect’s path to supremacy….”
The Blade Emperor Sect’s eyes gleamed with an eerie, bluish-green luminescence.
“You conduct yourself as though harboring compassion itself.”
It was the complete antithesis of the philosophy of strength that all cultists revered. For none other than a descendant of the Cheon Family to speak of compassion was nothing short of a betrayal of the cultists’ faith.
Tsk, tsk, tsk!
As the palpable hostility surged, Cheon So-hyun’s expression began to harden.

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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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