Heavenly Demon Divine Saint - Chapter 89

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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 89
Dawn broke with torrential rain pouring down.
Thump! Thump!
Yu Yang-deok jolted awake at the sound of someone pounding urgently on the door. He stumbled to open it, and his expression hardened immediately.
“Ch-Cheon So-hyun…? What brings you at this hour?”
“My apologies for the early visit. Have you made progress on what I requested?”
His question carried the urgency of someone with no time to waste.
“Please, come inside first.”
* * *
“I’ll give you the proceeds from selling the goods. Please accept them.”
Yu Yang-deok pushed a heavy wooden chest toward Cheon So-hyun.
“I was careful with every transaction. Please cross-reference it with the ledger and verify nothing is missing.”
“That won’t be necessary. I’m sure you handled it well.”
The chest was crammed with stacks of receipts and pouches of currency. Cheon So-hyun took only one pouch containing silver coins, then pushed the chest back.
Yu Yang-deok’s expression filled with confusion.
“I’m leaving now, so use the rest yourself.”
“What? But I haven’t even properly entertained you yet… and why would you give me such a fortune?”
It was enough to serve as the Merchant Guild’s annual budget. He couldn’t fathom why it was being offered so freely.
“It’s not a gift without purpose. Use it to do good. Correct all your past wrongs and start fresh from the beginning.”
“…Start fresh? Do you mean the Merchant Guild?”
“Yes. The Young Guild Master’s condition will improve steadily. So before she regains consciousness, correct the things you’ll be ashamed to face her with.”
Yu Yang-deok stared at him with trembling eyes. Now only one pillar supported his entire existence.
His daughter, stricken by illness—the Young Guild Master, Yu Hyun.
The very name Yuhyeon Merchant Company had been born from his resolve to live without shame before his child, and he had always valued integrity.
But entangled with the Black Path, he had trampled that conviction himself, and shame had tormented him ever since.
‘Yet he says to correct it…’
Yu Yang-deok’s shoulders trembled.
“Cheon So-hyun, you seem pressed for time, so I’ll ask just one thing. Why do you show such excessive kindness to our guild—to me?”
“Didn’t I tell you? The merit you’ve accumulated returns to you.”
Yu Yang-deok could only stare at him, unable to respond.
‘How strange. Truly strange.’
Perhaps it was the way he bestowed favor repeatedly yet dismissed it as nothing. Or perhaps it was his simple manner of crediting the other party for his own deeds.
Though there was no connection whatsoever, the figure of his late master seemed to overlap with this young man.
—Ha, goodness returns as much as you give! Since Guild Master Yu has never neglected alms, wasn’t it karmic connection that brought me here? And I got to crush some bandits in the bargain.
He didn’t know why that conversation surfaced now, but one thing was certain: this was a connection precious enough to remind him of his master.
“Cheon So-hyun, wait… please wait just a moment.”
Without waiting for a response, Yu Yang-deok hurried out toward a chamber adjoining the office.
Moments later, he returned, breathing heavily, cradling a golden chest as though it were a treasure.
“Please accept this. It is the treasure of our guild.”
As he opened the golden chest, an unexpected object came into view.
I had anticipated rare elixirs or secret manuals, yet what lay within was a pristine white cloth, folded with meticulous care.
“What do you believe is the most essential virtue for a merchant, Young Master?”
“Hmm, perhaps discernment? The ability to read whether one’s counterpart is desperate or composed—that sort of keen eye seems crucial.”
“Ahem! That is true enough, but… I believe the ability to appraise the true value of things is paramount. Though I am foolish enough to have fallen prey to the Black Path’s machinations, there was a time when countless people called me a great merchant. It was all thanks to my eye for discerning the worth of goods.”
Yu Yang-deok carefully withdrew the cloth and extended it toward Cheon So-hyun.
“This is a treasure I discovered after decades of conducting commerce.”
What manner of cloth could possibly be considered a treasure?
Cheon So-hyun accepted the fabric with skepticism, running it through his fingers, when he suddenly froze in astonishment.
“Could this be… Heavenly Silkworm Thread?”
“You recognized it at once! Indeed. It is the miraculous substance known as Pure Heavenly Silkworm Thread.”
Cheon So-hyun examined the silkworm thread with an expression of bewilderment.
I had come specifically because I remained troubled by the thought that I bore some responsibility for what had befallen the Young Guild Master at the hands of the Poison Master.
Yet I had received an unexpected treasure.
Pure Heavenly Silkworm Thread was the legendary treasure of ages past—impervious to blades, resistant to projectiles and sword energy alike, and even capable of withstanding extreme cold and heat.
“I disposed of most of it to raise funds for inviting masters of Jianghu and renowned physicians, but this quantity should still prove useful. If it does not suit your tastes…”
“Not at all.”
Cheon So-hyun smiled softly and grasped the silkworm thread firmly.
“It would be improper to repeatedly refuse such kindness. I have lived far too many years without the luxury of choice, so I have no choice but to accept. I shall carry your generosity close to heart. Haha!”
“Then I am the one who should be grateful.”
Yu Yang-deok smiled with satisfaction and offered his farewell.
“Then travel safely, Young Master Cheon. I await word of your progress.”
* * *
Thump! Thump!
Cheon So-hyun unleashed his lightness technique, racing across the mountain ridge.
Though it felt somewhat like fleeing in the dead of night, I harbored no shame in it.
This was right for the Realm, for Shaolin, and even for the demons themselves.
Understanding Shaolin’s circumstances and breaking the seal to prevent war was the path that benefited all.
‘At this pace, reaching Anhui Province should take roughly seven days.’
With Ryu Jeong-hak absent, the vigilance had grown lax—a golden opportunity indeed.
Before conversing with Yu Yang-deok, I had already suppressed my presence and muffled sound using the Red Palace Unobstructed Technique, so I possessed considerable leeway.
After racing onward for some time, I traversed the sloping terrain, leaped over a massive boulder, and ascended the cliff face.
Just as I prepared to surge forward once more—
A chill brushed the nape of my neck, and Cheon So-hyun turned to look behind.
“Young Master, where do you rush off to with such urgency?”
Several demons clad in black garments stood ghostlike behind me.
“…I have pressing business. Do not follow. It is a personal matter.”
“Forgive my impertinence, but surely you do not intend to flee, as the heir of the Cheon Family?”
“Flee? What nonsense you speak! Use the more dignified term—I am merely training my lightness technique. But then again…”
Cheon So-hyun surveyed the faces of my guards.
“Only four of you? We have barely begun, and already half have fallen behind? Pathetic fools who cannot even master basic footwork—I cannot entrust my protection to such incompetents. You shall return along this path and severely reprimand those who have lagged behind.”
“I apologize, but there are no deserters from the Yuyun Faction. We maintain constant vigilance through rotating shifts….”
Boom!
Cheon So-hyun kicked off the ground with explosive force, creating distance between himself and the guards.
Part of me wanted to simply flatten them all and leave, but I quickly abandoned the notion and focused on my lightness technique.
If I became entangled with the guards and Ryu Jeong-hak arrived, it would be a complete disaster.
“Please forgive my rudeness.”
Sensing something amiss, Cheon So-hyun glanced back over his shoulder.
“…!”
A sword aura erupted like lightning, tearing through rain, stone, and timber as it surged forward.
Cheon So-hyun twisted his body desperately, and the sword aura carved through the earth, shaking the mountain wilderness. The depth of inner power behind it was formidable.
“So you’ve decided to abandon all pretense of protection? Planning to start your new life as an assassin?”
“That could not be further from the truth. Please understand—this too is a form of protection.”
Cheol Jo of the Yuyun Faction spoke with measured courtesy.
The Third Prince could not be allowed to escape under any circumstances. It would be the worst possible outcome—endangering not only the Third Prince himself but also the Divine Sect, which was currently sealed.
To prevent such a catastrophe, even the Guild Master had been dispatched for this mission. By any means necessary, the Third Prince had to be restrained.
Screeeech!
Cheon So-hyun leaped low to evade the sword aura, arching his body to slip past the successive attacks.
As the guards pressed their assault from their positions, Cheol Jo surged forward with a single powerful leap to close in.
Each time his blade clashed with Cheon So-hyun’s fists, sparks scattered through the rain. Meanwhile, the other guards exploited the openings to press their advantage.
‘They all fight exceptionally well.’
They were applying perfectly timed restraints to prevent me from unleashing my full martial prowess.
During several exchanges, sword auras occasionally grazed my arms, yet surprisingly, I felt no pain whatsoever.
‘Interesting.’
It was the area wrapped in the White-Grade Heavenly Silkworm Garment.
Its protective effect exceeded my expectations. What was even more remarkable was that as heat increased, its elasticity and hardness grew stronger, becoming increasingly resilient.
In essence, it could be utilized like armor gauntlets without issue.
‘Excellent.’
Cheon So-hyun’s eyes blazed with intensity.
In an instant, I sent two guards flying and burrowed into Cheol Jo’s embrace, then unleashed a burst of force.
“…!”
Cheol Jo parried with his sword aura, creating distance, and Cheon So-hyun used the recoil to propel himself away, fleeing urgently.
Boom! Boom!
‘Focus.’
Deploying Shaolin’s lightness technique, the Single Leaf Crossing the River, my entire body became weightless as a feather.
Had I ever moved this swiftly since my rebirth?
Yet I still could not shake the guards, and there was a clear reason for it.
Like wearing ill-fitting clothes, the form of the Single Leaf Crossing the River was clashing with my Spiritless Technique.
‘Damn it. Why is this happening again?’
The Single Leaf Crossing the River originated from the legend of Bodhidharma, the founder of Shaolin Buddhism, who crossed a river on a single reed leaf.
However, the posture of keeping the upper body upright and maintaining stillness was fundamentally incompatible with the Spiritless Technique.
The Demon’s Fist was inherently fierce and savage, much like Huashan itself.
It was far more fitting to shatter the ground beneath my feet and spread flames across heaven and earth than to employ refined technique.
‘Then I must change.’
I could not afford to waste more time on these guards.
I concentrated every fiber of my being on transforming the Unifying Path Crossing the River into its optimal form.
‘Amitabha Buddha.’
The martial arts of Shaolin Temple fundamentally originated from the teachings of Buddhism.
Most were born from interpreting scriptures and sutras, using the enlightenment of sages as koans to forge into martial techniques—thus they shared a common aspiration.
Emptiness.
The absence of self, the void itself.
All beings suffer regardless of their circumstances.
In pain, they despair that it will never end; in joy, they fear its loss.
Whether positive or negative, all sentient beings suffer by clinging to their situations—and Emptiness was the answer.
The teaching to release attachment and let all things flow away.
To recognize that everything passes, and to acknowledge that suffering does not grip me—I grip suffering.
This enlightenment resonated deeply within me now.
‘That’s right.’
I had already reached the summit once. Therefore, I had planned to climb the familiar path again and return to that peak.
But the moment I recognized that seeking the same view through identical means was itself attachment…
I suddenly understood that clinging to form and technique was also attachment.
A deep resonance filled the air.
Simultaneously, the dam of obstruction crumbled, and the circulation of my inner force began to intensify.
Following where that force led, my body shifted into a form utterly transformed from the previous Unifying Path Crossing the River.
It surged like a tempest, unleashing shockwaves in succession.
Though it seemed impossible they shared the same root as the Unifying Path Crossing the River, it never deviated from the framework of that principle.
From stillness within motion to motion within stillness.
Within the violent form lay an unshakeable tranquility.
‘…Did he achieve enlightenment in that brief moment?’
Cheol Jo trembled as he watched Cheon So-hyun’s receding figure.
After correcting his rigid stance through trial and error, he now accelerated further, widening the distance.
‘This will not do.’
Cheol Jo gripped his sword with grim resolve, intending to bind his opponent’s feet with a technique.
However.
A thunderous crash echoed.
Cheon So-hyun, who had been fleeing, suddenly planted his feet and stopped.
Before the guards could even slow their pace, he pivoted and charged directly at them.
“…!”
A solid fist swelled rapidly, filling Cheol Jo’s entire vision in an instant.
A violent impact resounded.
Cheol Jo barely managed to respond, but the relentless barrage of strikes quickly forced him into a defensive position.
“Your movements are far too rigid. It’s natural to hold back against an opponent of that caliber, but you should have been more vigilant about variables.”
I flicked my sword away and traced Cheol Jo’s vital meridians across his entire body using the Finger Technique.
“Add flexibility to your thinking. As you focus on stripping away the unnecessary, mastery will follow naturally.”
I continued with words that made little sense, then let out a soft chuckle.
“Then I’ll see you again later. Consider this my repayment for your instruction.”
“…!”
In the next moment, Cheol Jo’s demonic energy began to be drawn into my grasp.

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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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