Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect - Chapter 106

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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 106
The Sect Master lost his words in an instant.
‘The Number One Sect Under Heaven?’
It was utterly absurd.
In all of Huashan’s long history, the sect had never achieved such a thing even once.
Hyeon Cheong, too, seemed startled—he forgot to watch the sparring match and leaned in closer.
“Are you saying this sect could become the Number One Sect Under Heaven?”
If anyone else had said it, they would have laughed it off as nonsense, but because it was Cheon Hui himself, both men tensed.
Cheon Hui twisted the corner of his mouth at the intensity of their gaze fixed upon him.
“It’s not impossible.”
At Cheon Hui’s words, the Sect Master felt his heart suddenly leap in his chest.
‘Could it be… if it’s Cheon Hui….’
The Sect Master forced down the surge of excitement rising to his scalp and asked carefully.
“How so?”
“First and foremost, the position of Maehwa Sword Master must become so attractive that everyone desires it.”
“…The title of Maehwa Sword Master is what all disciples of Huashan want.”
“From what I’ve observed, it doesn’t seem like they want it quite so eagerly.”
Cheon Hui met the Sect Master’s eyes.
“If they truly wished to become Maehwa Sword Master, wouldn’t they have staked their very lives and continued sparring at any cost?”
“That is…”
The Sect Master swallowed his remaining words.
“You’re right. The number of disciples in Huashan who truly desire the title of Maehwa Sword Master has decreased markedly.”
And finally, he conceded the point.
“Then how would you handle it?”
Cheon Hui smiled slightly.
“I would grant exclusive benefits that only the Maehwa Sword Master receives.”
“Benefits…?”
“Yes. For instance, becoming Maehwa Sword Master could allow one to roam freely outside the sect, or to gain flexibility in observing certain rules.”
The Sect Master’s eyes narrowed.
“That’s nonsense. How can you grant privileges to just a handful of disciples?”
“But isn’t that precisely what makes it more effective?”
Before the Sect Master could respond, Cheon Hui poured out his ideas like a waterfall, each one carefully prepared.
“Even if it were merely honor, they scramble so hard for the title—but add actual benefits? Who wouldn’t be tempted?”
Hyeon Cheong, listening, nodded his head.
“Certainly a compelling proposal. There have been disciples lately who speak of wanting to return home.”
At Hyeon Cheong’s addition, the Sect Master felt a spark of interest, but caught himself and spoke.
“But it cannot be. If this sect adopts such a method, what will other sects think? They’ll point fingers and say our disciples are drawn by benefits, not by martial virtue.”
“What use is worrying about other sects’ opinions now? Did they help us when we were struggling?”
Cheon Hui snorted.
“And that’s precisely why we need strength all the more. Didn’t the Nine Factions and One Gang only resume contact with us after we brought down Baek Gwi Seong?”
At these words, the Sect Master’s mind reeled as though struck by a hammer.
It was exactly as Cheon Hui said.
Until just recently, the Nine Factions and One Gang had ignored Huashan entirely.
“I think Cheon Hui’s opinion is sound. What good is preserving tradition if this sect crumbles? How could tradition endure then?”
As Hyeon Cheong sided with Cheon Hui’s argument, the Sect Master’s frown deepened with conflict.
He stood at a crossroads.
Continue Huashan’s traditions as they were.
Or follow Cheon Hui’s words and forge Huashan’s glory anew.
The deliberation was shorter than expected.
“Very well. Let me consider it.”
Having drawn a positive answer from the Sect Master, Cheon Hui laughed to himself.
‘It’s promising, but it would be a shame if it ended here.’
So he went on to voice what he had already thought through.
“And there’s one more thing I’ve considered.”
“There’s more?”
The Sect Master’s expression grew complicated.
Anticipation warred with apprehension.
What opinion could it possibly be?
“Tell me.”
“Open the Mangyeong Pavilion so that outer disciples and some lay disciples from outside could access and read from it.”
“That won’t do.”
This time, the Sect Master spoke with finality.
It made sense—the Huashan Sect could not carelessly leak its martial arts beyond these walls.
“If martial arts carrying centuries of tradition were to be disclosed, I would have no face to show our ancestors.”
“Then what about newly created martial arts?”
“Newly created?”
Cheon Hui turned his gaze toward Hyeon Cheong.
“The martial manuals I’ve written myself—surely those are acceptable?”
Hyeon Cheong, grasping Cheon Hui’s intent, felt the corners of his eyes crinkle with amusement.
“Heh heh, I’ve kept them stored separately.”
“How many volumes, altogether?”
“Around forty or fifty, I’d say.”
The Sect Master’s eyes widened in shock at Hyeon Cheong’s words.
“F-forty or fifty?!”
“Surely that’s sufficient, wouldn’t you say?”
“W-well, perhaps that might work? If they’re martial arts of your own creation, even placing them in the Mangyeong Pavilion would be…….”
“No, no. Let’s simply have everyone read them all.”
What was the point of the Mangyeong Pavilion anyway?
‘If we leave them there, they’ll just keep gathering dust. Better to have anyone and everyone read them than that.’
No matter how precious a martial manual might be, if it sat treasured and forgotten, it was as good as nonexistent.
“And if we do this, we can also summon all the lay disciples scattered beyond our gates back to the sect, and strengthen our cohesion even further—it serves two purposes at once, wouldn’t you agree?”
The Sect Master’s eyes widened at this sound reasoning.
“……So you’ve thought this far ahead.”
“We’ve taken in new disciples this time, but there are still not enough of us, are there?”
The Sect Master could not help but express his admiration.
‘Heh heh, so this is how Cheon Hui thinks about the Huashan Sect.’
The Sect Master’s expression brightened.
“Very well. I shall do my best to convince the others.”
As the Sect Master spoke with a look of resolve.
“Oh, that’s right.”
Cheon Hui spoke as though something had just occurred to him.
“I almost forgot something important.”
At Cheon Hui’s words, the two of them pricked up their ears, wondering what proposal would come next.
“Keep the Maehwa Sword Masters at their current numbers. And beneath the Maehwa Sword Masters, create a position called Common Sword Master—once a year, anyone can challenge the Maehwa Sword Masters for their seats.”
Cheon Hui’s thinking was simple.
Why had the Tianma Divine Sect grown so strong?
Competition.
It was the competitive structure born from the doctrine of Supremacy of the Strong that had made the Tianma Divine Sect the Number One Sect Under Heaven, and he would follow that path.
But at those words, both the Sect Master and Hyeon Cheong flinched.
That sounded closer to a heterodox sect than an orthodox one.
“Hmm…….”
“A rank-seizing contest? That would be…….”
The two of them exchanged a look, falling silent as they regarded Cheon Hui.
It was an unconventional approach.
Yet on the other hand, it had a certain appeal.
Because if the Maehwa Sword Masters received increasing benefits while their numbers kept growing, it would become an administrative nightmare.
But by fixing the membership and instituting annual challenges, they could demonstrate that becoming a Maehwa Sword Master was no easy feat.
As the two of them sank into thought, weighing the merits and drawbacks of this clear-cut approach.
“What kind of nonsense is this now?”
A voice came from nearby.
“A rank-seizing contest?”
Cheon Hui, already aware of Cheon Hyang’s approach, opened his mouth.
“Just what you heard.”
“Pfft ha ha, seriously?”
Cheon Hyang burst into laughter.
“You’re really something, aren’t you? Talking absolute nonsense. The Maehwa Sword Masters already have plenty of standing as they are.”
“I think it’s still insufficient…….”
Cheon Hui trailed off and let out a smirk.
“Ah! Don’t tell me you lacked confidence? That would make sense, wouldn’t it? If the number of Maehwa Sword Masters decreases, your position becomes precarious too.”
Cheon Hyang’s expression hardened ever so slightly.
“……Is that a provocation, then?”
Cheon Hyang tilted her chin up as she spoke.
“Fine. So how about we settle this in a match—you and I—and see who’s right? You seemed confident enough to say it, after all.”
Cheon Hyang laughed softly.
She hadn’t actually expected Cheon Hui to accept the challenge.
But then.
“Very well.”
Cheon Hui rose from his seat.
“Really?”
Cheon Hyang’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Cheon Hui.”
“Hui.”
Both Hyeon Cheong and the Sect Master tried to stop him, but Cheon Hui had already moved.
“Let’s go.”
Cheon Hui kicked off the ground lightly.
In a single breath, he crossed the distance of ten zhang with his Light-Body Technique, and Cheon Hyang’s eyes blazed with shock.
“W-wait, Grand Master Cheon Hui?”
“Master Cheon Hui……?”
“What? Grand Master Cheon Hui, you say?”
Meanwhile, the Maehwa Sword Masters and Second-Generation Disciples were startled to see Cheon Hui appear suddenly.
“Gasp!”
“Ack! Why is Grand Master Cheon Hui…….”
Tears began to well in their eyes.
Several of them even convulsed.
The reaction of the First-Generation Disciples who belonged to the Maehwa Sword School was extraordinary compared to that of the Second-Generation Disciples.
“Th-that! The culprit who taught the Pavilion Master the Body Transformation Technique has come.”
“The nightmare of the Three Calamities Sword Technique……ugh!”
“After all the suffering we’ve endured.”
A dark, gloomy aura emanated from their bodies as they murmured quietly.
Seeing this, Cheon Hyang was taken aback.
‘Why are they acting like that?’
Cheon Hui was a jewel cherished by all of Huashan Sect.
But now?
Most of the disciples were convulsing at the sight of Cheon Hui.
As if they were facing someone they should fear and avoid.
While she was bewildered.
“Are you intent on a match?”
The Sect Master spoke to her.
“Yes.”
“Are you certain you’re ready?”
“Are you worried?”
Cheon Hyang rolled up her sleeves to show her arm muscles to the Sect Master, whose gaze held a note of concern.
“Don’t worry. I’ll hold back in my strikes.”
“No, what I meant to worry about was…….”
The Sect Master was about to say more when.
“Aren’t you coming?”
Cheon Hui’s voice rang out.
At that, Cheon Hui immediately bounded forward.
“I’ll go first.”
She leaped onto the Training Grounds and called out to Cheon Hui.
“I heard you learned martial arts from Grand Master Hyeon Do—you displayed quite an impressive Light-Body Technique.”
“Did I? It was nothing special.”
Cheon Hyang laughed softly.
From her perspective, having never witnessed Cheon Hui’s true martial prowess, his composed demeanor probably seemed unremarkable.
“Then I’ll let you have first move.”
Cheon Hyang, speaking in a low voice, raised both arms to her waist and pressed her lips together.
“Come on.”
At her words.
“Ah, that won’t do, Miss.”
“Miss! The first move…….”
Jeok Geom and Seol Ran, who had been watching from a distance, came to their senses and rushed forward to stop him.
“That’s nice, though.”
But Cheon Hui answered first, his eyes narrowing with amusement.
Then he drew upon the Plum Blossom Divine Art.
A roaring surge of power erupted from him.
Tremendous Inner Qi poured forth, and a dazzling brilliance exploded outward.
“…What?!”
Only then did Cheon Hyang sense something wrong, and she drew upon her Internal Force.
A sharp breath escaped her lips.
Forgetting the words she’d spoken about yielding first, she swung her sword with all her strength.
Maehwa Falling Immortal!
The fastest blade from the 24-Technique Maehwa Sword Method unfolded in her hands—but.
A piercing clang rang out.
Cheon Hui’s blade, drawn in an instant, shattered the Maehwa Falling Immortal and sent her sword spinning into the sky.
Cheon Hyang stared upward with a dazed expression. Her sword was tumbling through the air, far beyond her reach.
For a moment she watched it.
Thud.
The blade embedded itself in the ground before her.
Cheon Hyang’s eyes trembled as she looked back and forth between the sword and her own empty hand.
‘My full-strength Maehwa Falling Immortal….’
Her hand would not stop shaking from the shock of the impact.
“How… how did you…?”
Cheon Hui looked down at her with an incredulous expression and smiled.
“I believe that makes this my victory.”

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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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