Heavenly Demon Divine Saint - Chapter 77

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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 77
The next day.
“You’ve arrived?”
“Yes, have you been waiting long?”
Sa Ma-ryang rose from his seat and offered a respectful bow to his former superior.
“You summoned me without prior notice, so waiting was only natural. The tea here is quite exquisite—I lost track of time.”
“I’ve heard that those who serve in the Military Council must eke out their lives by dividing every moment into fragments, yet it seems you are not one of them.”
Medicine Hall Master Shin Yeon-hwa chuckled softly, her hands clasped behind her back.
“So, what brings you here?”
As she cut straight to the matter, Sa Ma-ryang spoke in a low voice.
“I have come to request your assistance with the refinement of medicinal herbs into pills.”
“Medicinal herbs?”
He withdrew a wooden box from his robes and offered it to her.
“Yes, it is fo-ti root. Please examine it.”
A soft click.
As Shin Yeon-hwa opened the box and inspected the fo-ti root, a subtle gleam crossed her face.
“I have never seen fo-ti root of this caliber before. The roots are thick and possess a reddish luster—it must be well over a century old. Such a treasure could serve as a spiritual herb on its own, yet you seek refinement into pills?”
Sa Ma-ryang nodded.
“I would like to request refinement into a Zhenji Pill.”
“A Zhenji Pill, you say? Setting aside the considerable effort required, concentrating the spiritual essence would yield at most two or three pills from something this size. Are you certain?”
“Yes, if possible, I would prefer it be refined into a single spiritual pill.”
Shin Yeon-hwa regarded Sa Ma-ryang’s haggard appearance for a moment before speaking.
“You should know that such things do not bend to human will. What is your price?”
Sa Ma-ryang withdrew a pouch from his robes and unfolded it.
Within lay an abundance of medicinal herbs with a faint blue luminescence—Hui Bi grass.
It was among the most precious materials valued by the Medical Authority, and due to its many applications, it was perpetually in short supply.
Shin Yeon-hwa let out a hollow laugh.
“Have you joined a merchant guild instead of the Military Council? Precious herbs pour endlessly from your robes. Is it true that the Blade Emperor Sect is so wealthy, or does it all come from that pouch of yours?”
“If there is anything else you desire beyond Hui Bi grass—whether rarer herbs or financial support—I will procure it without hesitation.”
“I wondered what you were getting at.”
“….”
“Your uncle certainly has a keener eye for people than I do.”
“…Pardon?”
“I once believed that living according to one’s nature and dying according to one’s nature was the will of heaven. Yet seeing you now, it seems that is not always the case. A heart twisted both inside and out—you are more than worthy of being called a talent of the Military Council.”
Sa Ma-ryang’s shoulders visibly stiffened.
“You know as well as I do that no material wealth can equal my time. With such perception, you must have realized that relying on old affection to make this request is impossible. So then, why do you seek my aid?”
Shin Yeon-hwa’s gaze shifted sharply.
“Are you trying to humiliate me again?”
Sa Ma-ryang’s fists clenched involuntarily.
Her words, delivered in that frigid tone, felt like daggers piercing his heart. She was someone he had respected without wavering, both in the past and now, and that made her words cut all the deeper.
So he knew everything all along.
In that moment, my worry crystallized into certainty.
“…It seems you’ve confirmed Il Jo-jang’s condition.”
Sa Ma-ryang swallowed hard, his head bowed low. An apology spilled from his trembling lips.
“I apologize. During the course of my investigation, I was forced to employ the Heavenly Spirit Technique.”
“Forced?”
Shin Yeon-hwa’s expression turned glacial.
As his superior, I had observed Sa Ma-ryang for a long time. He was as upright in character as he was stubborn in conviction, so even knowing he had used the Heavenly Spirit Technique for interrogation, I had consoled myself believing there must be circumstances beyond his control.
I had come to this meeting hoping to hear his final explanation, but his answer shattered my expectations mercilessly.
“Medicine is sacred and admits no compromise. It is not enough that you tortured someone with the martial arts I taught you—now you offer excuses that are worse than useless?”
“….”
“An investigation… Yes, it was all for the Sect, I suppose. I held my tongue about punishing an Inspector Chief who had rendered service, thinking it absurd, but coming here to demand favors and make requests crosses the line, does it not?”
The current Medicine Hall Master was a figure praised for achieving mastery at both extremes—the martial and the scholarly.
With innate talent, she had created martial techniques and earned the title of Great Master, once even prophesied to become a future Gwangmyeong Messenger.
But contrary to others’ expectations, she had chosen medicine, ultimately ascending to the position of Medicine Hall Master.
A promising talent from a martial family becoming a physician. The resistance from within and without was inevitable.
That is why I had grown fonder of Sa Ma-ryang, and why I was all the more disappointed.
“I believed your nature, your character, your convictions—all of it pointed toward the Medical Hall. You left your own family to study medicine, and I was moved by your resolve, so I even taught you martial arts. How did you become so changed?”
“There is no excuse. As you say, the person I was before would never have made such a choice.”
Sa Ma-ryang lifted his bowed head and met her gaze.
“But… even if I returned to that time, I would make the same choice again.”
“…What?”
“I believe that punishing the guilty is also a path to salvation, not just the practice of medicine.”
“Salvation? By punishing the wicked, you can save tens, hundreds of lives. Is that what you mean?”
“Precisely. Not only crimes already committed, but future threats as well….”
Shin Yeon-hwa let out a derisive laugh and cut off his words with finality.
“What nonsense you speak. What is your standard for evil? You judge by your own subjective measure, define it, and ultimately punish? By what right? Did you join the Military Council with that very purpose?”
Sa Ma-ryang shook his head.
“It is a conviction hardened by changing circumstances. I possess no absolute standard. Neither does anyone. Yet there are things that appear clearly even to my immature judgment.”
“What things?”
“I witnessed evil deeper and more concentrated than any Demon. Encountering cases and facing prisoners, I could not help but change.”
Shin Yeon-hwa regarded him silently.
There was no disagreement that Il Jo-jang was a criminal beyond forgiveness.
What perplexed her was Sa Ma-ryang’s demeanor. Even as he offered sincere apologies, there was not a hint of wavering in his conviction.
He carried himself as though, confident in his righteousness, he had nothing to be ashamed of.
What had he endured in that brief span to become so resolute?
In such a short time, the man had transformed completely, yet maintained that same unbending stubbornness as before.
All my questions converged into a single answer.
‘What is the Third Prince to him?’
I already knew his reason for joining the Military Council stemmed from the Third Prince.
“Did you commission the Crimson Extreme Pill to offer it to your lord?”
“Yes. The Young Master will soon embark on a distant journey. It will be akin to walking into a death trap, so I wished to lighten his burden even by a single step.”
“And the Alchemy Division was also your decision?”
“It was.”
Tap, tap.
Shin Yeon-hwa drummed her fingers against the table, lost in thought.
‘So she gave the hundred-year Fo-ti to Sa Ma-ryang.’
If it had been for her own consumption, there would be no reason to entrust it to the Alchemy Division.
The hundred-year Fo-ti alone would provide sufficient spiritual energy, and the very notion of requesting it from her would have been impossible.
‘How unsophisticated… and utterly unlike the Cheon Family.’
Her eyes flickered with questions, and for a fleeting moment, curiosity revealed itself.
“I am aware that no wealth can compare to your time, Master. Yet I proposed this commission because I judged the scales of our transaction to be balanced.”
“The scales are balanced?”
Shin Yeon-hwa’s voice trembled faintly as she pondered the meaning.
“This distant journey… do you mean to say you will leave the sect for the Central Plains?”
* * *
‘Disgustingly ostentatious.’
Cheon So-hyun shook his head with a weary expression.
Beyond the mountain ridge, the Cult Leader’s Hall jutted into view. Its splendor evoked a temple, and its grand scale remained utterly alien to me.
Moreover, as I drew closer to the main structures, I sensed the auras of dozens of masters bristling with vigilance. My recent growth made me acutely aware of how formidable the defenses truly were.
“Sigh.”
Lately, those around me regarded the Central Plains as a death trap and worried about my departure from the sect, but to my mind, the true death trap lay right here.
And indeed.
‘This will drive me mad.’
My gaze turned leftward. Seeing the grotesque figure approaching from afar, my brow furrowed involuntarily.
Why was that Demon appearing here?
Still, he was someone I needed to treat with courtesy, so I flashed a broad smile.
“My, it has been quite some time, hasn’t it? After receiving your help before, I’ve had no contact with you. How have you been faring?”
In truth, after sending word that I would visit the Cult Leader’s Hall, this meeting was hardly surprising.
“Has it truly been so long? All the news reaching the Dharma Protection Institute speaks only of the Third Prince, so I confess I’ve lost track.”
“Ha, I have indeed been quite busy.”
“Your cultivation has deepened noticeably—time has clearly passed. I myself have fared similarly. Recently, I’ve been rather content.”
The Gwangmyeong Left Envoy approached with a light gait.
It seemed he had recovered from his madness; his eyes were far clearer than before.
“Since we’ve met, there’s something I should tell you. Let us walk together.”
This mad Demon spoke as though we should merely exchange pleasantries, yet he maintained silence the entire way to the Cult Leader’s Hall.
Walking shoulder to shoulder, an unavoidable tension hung in the air. He was a figure whose true intentions I could never fathom.
“Third Prince.”
“Speak.”
The Gwangmyeong Left Envoy moved forward slowly before opening his mouth.
“What do you think the Cult Leader despises most?”
It was an abrupt question, but answering it wasn’t difficult.
“I’d say weak warriors, wouldn’t you?”
“Half correct. To be precise, he despises those born with talent yet despairing when faced with obstacles—those who remain weak despite their potential.”
Cheon So-hyun stopped walking and met his gaze.
“Sounds like you’re speaking directly to me.”
Gwangmyeong Left Envoy let out a laugh like grinding metal.
“Perhaps in the past, but not now. Though who knows what the future holds.”
“…?”
“If you wish to avoid humiliation, it might be wise to train a bit more before visiting again, wouldn’t you say?”
“What of it?”
Cheon So-hyun scoffed, making his refusal clear, and a faint smile crossed Gwangmyeong Left Envoy’s lips.
His bold response was exactly as expected.
“So what are you trying to say?”
“Do you know? The Cult Leader’s Palace contains various chambers within.”
“Chambers?”
“Training grounds the Cult Leader uses when meditating or refining the Heavenly Demon’s Meridians. Some contain formation arrays infused with Heavenly Demon energy, and the Third Prince will enter one of them.”
“…?”
“It will surely be an ordeal akin to death itself.”
Cheon So-hyun looked puzzled, and Gwangmyeong Left Envoy’s eyes narrowed.
“Surely you didn’t expect to venture into the Central Plains merely by concealing your cultivation? Since conditions were set, the Cult Leader won’t go back on his word, but if you truly believed that was all there was to it, I’d find that rather disappointing.”
“That couldn’t be further from the truth.”
The Cult Leader had simply said to return once I achieved the bright moon of the Red Palace Unobstructed Technique.
Since it meant the minimum qualification for leaving the sect, I had anticipated some trial, much like the martial power contest held before.
“Given the gravity of the matter, I’ve prepared myself for difficulties. Training in the Cult Leader’s own chambers—that’s unexpected.”
More precisely, Gwangmyeong Left Envoy’s attitude was unexpected.
From what I’d gathered, Gwangmyeong Left Envoy harbored such deep resentment toward those from the Central Plains that he would personally eliminate external intruders.
Wasn’t he the one I’d identified as the figurehead of forces seeking the Great Sect, one who desired war to annihilate the faithless?
Yet why was he leaking this information beforehand?
Cheon So-hyun asked directly.
“What’s your real point? Are you offering me advice now?”
Gwangmyeong Left Envoy laughed meaningfully.
“Since obstacles are inevitable, there’s nothing I can’t afford to share. It seems you believe I view the Third Prince with displeasure, but that’s a clear misunderstanding.”
“Is that so?”
“Quite the opposite—it borders on goodwill. How could I view with displeasure someone whose talent stirs rare interest in the Cult Leader?”
The Left Envoy’s lips stretched wider on both sides—a grotesque smile tinged with madness.
“Moreover, with such martial prowess, you’re unlikely to die of illness in the Central Plains, and conflict is highly probable. Wouldn’t it be natural for me to push your back forward?”
“My, that’s sound reasoning indeed. I’d have done the same.”
Cheon So-hyun nodded.
‘A true demon of madness, nothing less.’
It was a proposal both tempting and unsettling—for it amounted to nothing less than offering to help him escape safely to the Central Plains and become a spark that would ignite the flames of war.

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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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