Heavenly Demon Divine Saint - Chapter 53

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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 53
Kang Hyun sat in the Waiting Area, his gaze fixed upon the Arena Stage. The Daegeui moved with military precision, tidying the tournament grounds.
“Is that one match finished?”
At the voice from behind, Kang Hyun turned his head. Cheon So-hyun, who had stepped away, had returned.
“Where have you been rushing off to, sir? I thought you might offer some encouragement when you came back down. Did you see how I handled that bear of a man?”
“Encouragement? Hardly. Your face nearly got crushed flat, and you’re saying things like that?”
“Nearly crushed? It was all calculated. I maintained the distance with precision while….”
“Enough. Let’s go eat. After hearing such dispiriting news, my appetite has completely vanished.”
“What? You won’t watch the next match?”
“Most of those showing their prowess now are likely mediocre. The real masters will conceal their strength and pass through quietly. There’s no harm in watching from the main rounds onward.”
“Hmm, I suppose that makes sense. Then please wait a moment, sir. I’ll inform my Master and return.”
“Very well.”
Kang Hyun rose from his seat and climbed the stairs.
As he made his way toward the Platform, he encountered Yi Ma-je descending.
“Oh? Master?”
“Where are you going?”
“The Third Prince and I are about to return to our Quarters. I wanted to inform you before we departed.”
“You won’t watch the remaining matches?”
“Well… the Third Prince said that if someone were skilled enough to warrant his attention, they would conceal their strength from the start anyway, so we might as well eat.”
Yi Ma-je nodded slowly.
“That’s not unreasonable. Very well, I cannot leave my post, so go ahead.”
“Understood.”
Yi Ma-je’s gaze lingered upon Kang Hyun’s face.
Dried blood crusted over torn skin. The wound was not deep enough to leave a scar, yet it was an injury that need not have been sustained.
“You’ve done well.”
“Sir?”
Maeng Sa-ryeon is a prospect in whom not only the Red Cloud Sect but also the Baekryeon Demon Sect places great expectations. Having received considerable support and training all this while, he was no easy opponent to overcome alone.”
It was unexpected praise. Kang Hyun scratched the back of his head and laughed.
“Haha, I did exert myself considerably. Still… I regret not being able to accomplish more.”
“Yet why did you refrain from using the Ice Technique?”
Yi Ma-je’s eyes grew dark and penetrating.
“I clearly instructed you that it was permissible to reveal it in this tournament.”
“Ah, about that….”
Kang Hyun’s words trailed off.
In truth, I had only drawn upon the Ice Technique when I infiltrated frigid energy into Maeng Sa-ryeon’s body through the Inner Circulation Method.
Beyond that, I fought using only Taoist techniques, controlling my energy meticulously so as to leave no trace.
“I understand your concern. Displaying family martial arts before countless spectators is no simple matter. Yet if the price of avoiding that is injury to your body, what good does any of it serve?”
“But, Master….”
At his firm tone, Kang Hyun’s pupils wavered. His lips, which had begun to form a response, pressed shut.
-An individual bears responsibility only for the mistakes born of their own choices. Why do you shrink back as though the failings of your predecessors have anything to do with you?
My Master’s words have always been etched deeply into my heart. They were like a lamp illuminating memories stained with mockery and contempt.
I understood profoundly how magnanimous my Master was—taking me in without question despite knowing my origins.
Crack.
Kang Hyun clenched his fists tightly.
That was precisely why I could not reveal it.
No, I must not reveal it.
The cheers and support pouring down upon me would transform into contempt in an instant. Those scornful gazes would fall not only upon me but upon my Master and the Third Prince as well.
“I was lacking. I misjudged that the Tao technique alone would suffice.”
Kang Hyun answered with a forced brightness, smiling.
“Next time, I’ll face my opponent more calmly and silence that bear-like brute. Haha. Please don’t worry yourself, Master.”
Yi Ma-je regarded that bravado in silence.
What more could I convey? There were many things I wished to say, yet it was a matter I could not impose upon him, having never experienced it myself.
“Very well… You’ve worked hard. Go on ahead.”
* * *
“Your complexion has brightened, having seen the lord you serve.”
Do Je offered Sa Ma-ryang a languid smile upon seeing him.
“Indeed. If you’ve finished your business, you should depart quietly. Why summon a busy man? Surely you’re aware the tournament is in full swing.”
“There remains a matter to conclude.”
Do Je tilted one corner of his mouth upward. Despite his relaxed demeanor, his eyes held a chilling edge.
“Is this the nature of a strategist—circling endlessly around words? I don’t dislike such things, but one must choose the moment.”
Sa Ma-ryang spoke calmly, meeting that piercing gaze.
“Yes, given that we are both occupied, I shall proceed directly. You are aware of Yu Baek, the Thousand-Faced Reaper?”
“I am. How could one not know of such an infamous figure?”
Yu Baek was one of the prisoners extracted by Gwak Ji-ryang, just as Yang Bong was.
A villain who murdered his lover—destined to become the next commander of the Black Wolf Brigade—and fled, subsequently committing countless murders before his name reached the wanted lists.
Despite information being shared between Baek Myun Valley and the Law Enforcement Hall, and pursuit teams being assembled, he had never been captured.
“A man possessing martial prowess sufficient to assassinate the previous commander would not have simply perished in the remote borderlands. Upon examining the circumstances, I have concluded that someone has already secured his whereabouts.”
“And you believe that someone is me?”
“That is correct.”
Do Je stroked his chin, scrutinizing Sa Ma-ryang from various angles.
“…Have I been mistaken?”
“Regarding what, sir?”
“You. Seeing that you’ve taken on the role of Inspector Chief, I judged you to be no fool despite your youth. Was that a mistake? I cannot fathom why you would ask such a thing.”
Do Je leaned forward, adding further.
“You have not come to me as the Association’s Inspector Chief, but as the Third Prince’s strategist, have you not?”
“That is correct.”
“Then therein lies my confusion. The treatment of criminals falls within the Inspector Chief’s discretion, and you surely understand that no better opponent exists to demonstrate the Third Prince’s capabilities. So why attempt to muddy these waters?”
“…”
“Or… have you no sense of how circumstances will unfold hereafter? If you do not even recognize the path that could serve as an outlet, then I would find myself quite disappointed.”
“I have caused an unnecessary misunderstanding. I requested this private audience because I judged that alone to be insufficient.”
Do Je’s expression shifted with doubt at the unexpected answer.
“…What?”
Sa Ma-ryang withdrew a piece of paper from his robes and handed it over.
“Please examine it.”
“….”
Do Je’s expression transformed as he reviewed the paper’s contents—from curiosity to intrigue, and from intrigue to deeper bewilderment.
“When you agreed to cooperate with the Inspection Bureau, I never heard mention of possessing something like this?”
Sa Ma-ryang answered without so much as a blink.
“Withholding information has been mutual, has it not?”
Do Je burst into laughter at such audacious candor.
“You possess a boldness that belies your appearance.”
Like calls to like, I thought—Sa Ma-ryang possessed the same provocative nature as the Third Prince.
“A death register, then… Yes, it would certainly be more effective to expose everything at once. In any case, I shall put it to good use.”
“Very well.”
“You depart immediately?”
“I must. I shall return before the closing ceremony.”
* * *
The preliminary rounds of the Turyong Tournament proceeded smoothly, and the fervor showed no signs of diminishing even after seven days had passed and the main tournament began.
The Baekmiangok Tavern in Baek Myun Valley buzzed with talk of nothing else.
“Ah, the day has finally arrived! I thought my neck would snap from the waiting. I would have welcomed someone knocking me unconscious to pass the time.”
“It was certainly a feast for the eyes. I’ve never experienced such excitement in my life.”
A Portly Middle-Aged Man nodded with exaggerated enthusiasm.
“Among all the competitors, the Third Prince left the deepest impression! Truly magnificent. The phrase about women throwing fruit until the carriage overflowed came to mind unbidden.”
“What does that mean?”
“Tsk, such ignorance. It refers to a tale where women threw fruit at a man’s beauty until his carriage was filled to bursting.”
“What nonsense. Why would the Third Prince pull a carriage, and why would women throw fruit? How disrespectful.”
“Sigh, hold your tongue and eat your meal.”
“Come now, enough idle chatter. So who do you think will shine in the main tournament? I had some success betting before, and I’m considering wagering again.”
“Well… aside from the Third Prince, those connected to Chuihon Hall and Kang Hyun stand out. Beyond that, the First Disciple of the Wuzhong Sect and his fellow disciples are quite formidable. I suspect they will….”
Before he could finish, the Portly Middle-Aged Man erupted, spraying spittle.
“You fool! You eat good rice and spout such nonsense? Have you already forgotten the humiliation those called First Disciples suffered? Did you not see them lose everything and shed tears of blood?”
“But still, they have their track record….”
“Betting on the Three Demon Sects again is not merely foolish—it’s the same as declaring yourself an idiot to the whole neighborhood. Moreover, if the Wuzhong Sect was insufficient with just one First Disciple and had to bring other disciples, that means they lag far behind even among the Three Demon Sects! And you’d wager money on them? You might as well give it to me instead!”
Crack.
On this floor of the Cha Hong-ru, a man clenched his fist.
He was Bae Cho-san, a disciple of the Wuzhong Sect.
Though he had deliberately chosen a quiet tavern, the constant barbs grating against his nerves finally drove him to his feet.
“Sit. Do you intend to quarrel with them?”
“If necessary, I must. No matter how freely they slander even the nobility behind closed doors, there are limits to propriety.”
“Enough. Whatever they say behind our backs matters little. What matters is you and your companions. Did you not all advance to the main tournament?”
“But, Master Moon Ju….”
Tak Mu-won, the sect leader of the Wuzhong Sect, waved his hand with a hearty chuckle.
“That’s enough. I am satisfied with that. My disciples have achieved results without injury—how could I not be delighted?”
Jong San, a dark-complexioned man, set down his cup and spoke.
“That’s right, Master. If we demonstrate our strength, those vicious rumors will inevitably fade away. All the infamy surrounding the Three Demon Sects—no, the Wuzhong Sect—will be completely washed clean.”
“…I understand.”
“I will give my all as well.”
“Of course you must.”
Watching his five disciples steel their resolve, Tak Mu-won smiled with satisfaction.
“Ha ha, excellent. I thought you were merely children, yet here you are, grown and ready to represent the sect. What a moving moment. I have long awaited a day such as this.”
He added with unmistakable contentment.
“If a disciple emerges to bring honor to the sect’s name before all the faithful, then truly… yes, I have vowed to transmit the Solitary Roar Divine Art to them.”
“…!”
The disciples fell silent, their breath held. Their eyes blazed with sudden yearning.
“Do you… truly mean it?”
“You will choose the successor through this tournament?”
Tak Mu-won nodded.
“Is there not a more perfect opportunity? We can observe their achievements thus far and their judgment in crisis, and the senior disciples need not shed blood against one another. It is ideal for selecting a successor.”
“…!”
“Moreover, if they prove their strength and achieve success while the Paihuang Sect and Jeok Un Moon face disgrace, even the elders will have no choice but to acknowledge them.”
The Solitary Roar Divine Art was a supreme technique that even Jong San, the first disciple of the Wuzhong Sect, had not learned.
And for good reason—it was the Wuzhong Sect’s greatest secret art, transmitted only to the sect leader.
Declaring a successor for the Solitary Roar Divine Art was equivalent to deciding the next sect leader in this very moment.
Thump. Thump.
The disciples’ hearts pounded fiercely, and a glimmer of killing intent began to dance in their eyes.
Observing this scene, Tak Mu-won rose with a satisfied smile.
“Let us depart now.”
And thus dawned the day of the Turyong Tournament’s main bracket.

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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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