Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect - Chapter 116

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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 116
Cheon Hui sat in an ornate chair, surveying the interior of the lavishly decorated room.
At a glance, everything screamed expense—exquisite craftsmanship on display.
And hanging prominently were ink paintings and calligraphy that lent the room an antiquated grace.
Some of them looked familiar.
Particularly the ink painting hung in the center.
And the crafted pieces scattered about.
‘Those were in the Tianma Divine Sect.’
As he examined ink paintings and decorative objects resembling those once offered as tribute in the past—
Creak—
the door opened and a middle-aged man entered.
“I apologize for the wait.”
The same middle-aged man who had stormed out through the gate moments earlier now set a teapot and cup, along with a small dish, atop the table where Cheon Hui sat.
Then he poured water with practiced ease.
Splash—
As the hot water filled the pot, a fragrant, subtly sweet aroma rose from it, soothing his nerves and sharpening his senses.
He savored the scent naturally.
Though he wasn’t ordinarily fond of tea, the aroma alone told him how refined the leaves inside must be.
“The fragrance is lovely.”
“Ha, I’m glad it pleases you.”
The middle-aged man smiled, covered the teapot, and settled into the chair across from him.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
He took advantage of the brief moments while the tea steeped to offer a greeting.
“I am O Chief Manager of the Tianxia Trading Company.”
“I’m Cheon Hui.”
“So you’re the young master Cheon Hui.”
O Chief Manager smiled at him.
And Cheon Hui, watching that smile, narrowed his eyes.
‘What is that smile?’
It was unsettling—not the simple warmth of greeting.
There was something far more complex woven beneath it.
“Ah, the tea should be ready now.”
O Chief Manager erased the smile cleanly and lifted the pot to pour.
“This is Junshan Yinzhen Tea. A single cup settles the mind and spirit, and I drink it regularly myself.”
O Chief Manager carefully set the full cup before Cheon Hui.
“Is that so?”
Cheon Hui took a single sip without much expectation—and his eyes flew open.
“Hm?”
He had never once thought tea could be anything special.
Tea, in his mind, ranked below even alcohol.
He’d dismissed it as such.
This tea was different.
‘This is actually delicious.’
Not merely fragrant, but clean on the palate.
A subtle sweetness touched his tongue, then slid smoothly down his throat with a gentle warmth.
“This has excellent taste.”
“Ha, I’m glad it suits your preference.”
O Chief Manager looked pleased at the response and slowly sipped his own cup.
They savored their tea in silence for a moment.
Clink—
Once he’d finished his cup, O Chief Manager called to the elderly servant outside to clear the dishes.
And only then—
did the real conversation begin.
“Might I see the Tianxia Trading Medallion?”
“Of course.”
Still lingering on the aftertaste of the tea, Cheon Hui drew out the gold token from his garments and handed it over.
“Thank you for your understanding.”
O Chief Manager took it carefully and examined it closely with sharp, discerning eyes.
His touch was cautious; his gaze as he studied the gold token was utterly serious.
‘Was it really that important?’
Cheon Hui tilted his head, watching O Chief Manager examine the gold token with deliberate care.
‘The Bi Poong Trading Company master said I could use it at any trading house…….’
Beyond that, there hadn’t been anything particularly important.
Just that showing the token at any trading company would get him some amount of money.
But seeing the Chief Manager’s scrutiny, it seemed like no ordinary token.
‘If it were just some common gold token, would he inspect it so carefully?’
The man before him was, after all, the Chief Manager of Tianxia Trading Company—which had maintained its position as the foremost trading house under heaven for a hundred years.
“Hmm, this pattern here……. Yes…….”
Meanwhile, O Chief Manager muttered to himself, meticulously examining even the smallest crevices of the token before giving a firm nod.
“Phew. The verification is complete.”
He exhaled deeply, then held the gold token reverently and returned it to Cheon Hui.
“It is indeed a Tianxia Trading Medallion.”
Cheon Hui took the token and asked, “So then…….”
“What now?”
“Let’s complete the transaction at once.”
“I beg your pardon……?”
O Chief Manager was taken aback by Cheon Hui’s sudden interjection.
“You’ve come to use the Tianxia Trading Medallion, haven’t you?”
Use it?
Cheon Hui’s eyes narrowed.
‘So it’s not something ordinary after all?’
From O Chief Manager’s reaction, Cheon Hui understood that this thing called the Tianxia Trading Medallion was far from ordinary.
And indeed, the Tianxia Trading Medallion was no ordinary object.
It was something unique in the merchant world—a sacred artifact bestowed upon those who challenged for the position of successor to Tianxia Trading Company.
‘I’m curious what this really is.’
Cheon Hui, unaware of its true nature, found himself deeply curious about what the Tianxia Trading Medallion actually was.
But for now, he swallowed the question.
Instead, he recalled his original purpose and spoke.
“I’ve come to sell something.”
“You wish to……sell something?”
O Chief Manager’s eyes widened.
There was only one reason someone would enter Tianxia Trading Company with the Tianxia Trading Medallion.
To challenge for the position of successor by using the medallion to become Chief Manager.
But the young man before him was different.
No—different didn’t begin to cover it.
He didn’t even know what the medallion was in the first place.
The tension drained from the room.
‘I was worried for nothing.’
He’d feared an additional rival might have emerged.
O Chief Manager himself was one who had used the Tianxia Trading Medallion to become Chief Manager of Tianxia Trading Company.
And that was hardly all.
All seven Chief Managers who existed within Tianxia Trading Company were those who had used the medallion.
And they were locked in fierce competition to become the next master of the company.
‘As long as he’s not a rival.’
Seeing O Chief Manager lost in thought, Cheon Hui moved quickly to resolve the matter.
“Why are you silent?”
O Chief Manager waved his hand dismissively. “It’s nothing.”
“Nothing at all.”
Cheon Hui knew there was something, but he feigned ignorance and spoke.
“Well then, let’s proceed with the transaction.”
“A transaction, you say? Could you be more specific about what——”
O Chief Manager asked carefully.
At the same moment, his eyes shifted.
The wariness that had filled his gaze vanished, replaced by a sharper light.
“I’ve come to sell some goods.”
“The goods you wish to sell, then.”
As he spoke, he pointed to the enormous bundle placed directly beside Cheon Hui.
“That would be it, yes?”
“That’s right.”

O Chief Manager clicked his tongue as he regarded the bundle.
‘I thought he’d come to use the Tianxia Trading Medallion as wrapping cloth.’
Truth be told, the moment he’d entered, that silk had caught his eye far more than Cheon Hui himself.
And rightly so—the silk was premium grade, worth at least two sets of Gold Ornaments.
It was the sort of precious fabric that even the wealthiest families hoarded like gold and jade.
Yet this young man before him had packed goods tight within such silk, only to toss the entire bundle carelessly onto the floor.
‘No ordinary person.’
Just as O Chief Manager was about to ask what lay inside—
“Let me show you first.”
Cheon Hui seized the silk before he could speak, and lifted it with a single deft motion.
“……!”
In that instant, O Chief Manager’s face went rigid.
Even at a glance, the bundle was roughly twice his own size.
Yet he lifted it as if it weighed nothing.
‘A, a martial master?!’
He was swallowing his shock when—
“This is all of it.”
Cheon Hui flipped the silk inside out.
“Wh—? Wh—? Wh——?”
O Chief Manager’s eyes snapped wide, his face flooded with astonishment.
Clatter-clatter-clatter! Clink! Clink!
Gold Coins poured out from the very beginning, followed by a cascade of gemstones.
And that was only the start.
“Is that Green Jade Stone? Heavens! And this——.”
Like a waterfall, each item that tumbled out was extraordinary.
Gold Coins, Silver Coins, Gold Ornaments, Silver Ornaments, and more.
Money in profusion, and rare gems and jewelry of surpassing quality kept spilling forth.
“Wh, what in all the—”
O Chief Manager’s jaw dropped open.
Moments later, the table had become a mountain of gems, gold, and silver.
No—even that broad table could not contain it all; treasures and coins spilled onto the floor, rolling about.
“Is that everything now?”
Cheon Hui, still patting dust from the silk, only now surveyed the table.
“Hm?”
He’d simply bundled everything without thinking, so he hadn’t kept count of what he’d brought.
But seeing it like this—
“Mm? There’s more than I expected.”
It was quite substantial for what a master of a minor sect would ordinarily possess.
Yet there was a reason for that.
Nearly half of it had come from the one who’d ordered him to kill So Hui Lord.
“Is, is that truly all there is——”
O Chief Manager, ignorant of the fuller circumstances, gasped in bewilderment.
The accumulated treasure was no trivial matter.
Not only in quantity, but most of it was of the finest grade.
With proper liquidation, the sum was enough to sustain a man in comfort for a lifetime.
“Are you wishing to sell all of this?”
“Yes.”
“……I fear it may be difficult to complete on the same day. The volume is rather considerable.”
Cheon Hui nodded in understanding.
Well, there was no help for it.
It was an answer he’d foreseen.
Even he, having brought it all himself, could sense that processing such a mountain of treasure would demand considerable time.
“Understood.”
Money now would be welcome enough, but he didn’t urgently require it.
‘As long as I have enough to eat and sleep soundly.’
Meanwhile, O Chief Manager swallowed hard.
And in that same moment, the seed of ambition took root.
‘No, with money of this magnitude——’
His eyes gleamed with avarice.
With this fortune, he had more than enough to execute the plan he’d long harbored.
Not O Chief Manager, but the ones above him. No—aiming even higher than that!
At that moment.
“Fine then. I’ll return tomorrow.”
Cheon Hui turned to leave.
“Wait!”
O Chief Manager caught hold of him.
“Is there something else?”
“It’s not that…….”
The manager paused, studying Cheon Hui carefully before speaking with deliberate caution.
“Would you perhaps consider entrusting this fortune to me?”
“I beg your pardon?”
Cheon Hui stared at O Chief Manager in disbelief at such an unexpected proposal.
All this wealth to someone he’d met mere hours ago?
Seeing Cheon Hui’s look of utter incredulity, O Chief Manager grew urgent and spoke with greater force.
“If you’ll only entrust this money to me, I’ll double this fortune within a year.”
“How could you possibly do that?”
“That—please give me a moment!”
With those words, the manager sprang to his feet and rushed out, shouldering past the door.
* * *
Whoosh!
When O Chief Manager returned moments later, he swept the money and jewels aside on the table and slapped down a sheet of paper.
‘A map?’
As Cheon Hui studied the map with its dense, detailed topography, the manager began to speak.
“First, I intend to purchase this land with your fortune.”
“Land?”
“Yes. I’ve had my eye on a plot in Shenxi for a very long time.”
The manager pointed to a spot with his forefinger.
Hmm? That place?
Cheon Hui’s eyes widened slightly.
It was precisely at the foot of Huashan—a small paddy field currently worked by squatter farmers.
‘How intriguing.’
Watching the manager point to somewhere entirely unexpected, Cheon Hui found himself genuinely interested.
“Why purchase that particular land?”
O Chief Manager saw that Cheon Hui’s attention had shifted and spoke with measured care.
“First, because it lies near the mountain path leading to Huashan Sect, and second, because squatter farmers live there, making it cheaper to acquire than other land.”
Well, that made sense.
Indeed, being remote and nestled deep in the mountains, the land was far cheaper than most.
Yet something didn’t add up.
The reason it was cheap was precisely because no one wanted to buy it.
“But what would you do with barren land like that? Farming?”
“No. I plan to build an inn here.”
“An inn?”
Cheon Hui let out a quiet laugh.
Building an inn in the middle of a forest, nowhere near a town—it was bound to fail.
“It would go under.”
“It may appear doomed at first glance, but I believe this place is precisely the most suitable location for establishing an inn.”
Unlike Cheon Hui, O Chief Manager radiated absolute confidence.
And the source of that confidence became clear from his next question.
“Are you well-versed in the ways of Kangho?”
Kangho?
The sudden invocation of “Kangho” made Cheon Hui tilt his head before he spoke.
“Somewhat.”
“The Huashan Sect’s prominence has recently risen to heights no other sect in Kangho can match. It began with the emergence of a remarkable master wielding the Huashan Divine Sword, and recently they’ve even opened their long-sealed Mountain Gate to accept new disciples.”
Perhaps because praise of Huashan Sect came from someone entirely unexpected.
Cheon Hui’s mouth twitched.
“Yes, yes. That’s true.”
O Chief Manager regarded the suddenly pleased Cheon Hui with some curiosity before collecting himself and continuing his explanation.
“In Kangho, when a sect gains renown, visitors flock to it. You need only look at the trading companies and sects that have recently come calling on Huashan to see this truth.”
As he spoke, he naturally drew out another sheet of paper and spread it across the table.
Cheon Hui’s eyes gleamed as he gazed at it.
Ah. You’ve done this properly.
The paper had accurate daily records of the number of guests visiting the Huashan Sect.
Dates, times, even headcount.
“And please observe this part carefully.”
O Chief Manager traced a finger across the paper.
“In recent days, the number of visitors has grown noticeably larger. Of course, the Huashan Sect cannot simply allow everyone inside except in special circumstances.”
Not just anyone could enter, certainly.
Though visitor numbers climbed, the Huashan Sect maintained its Taoist nature—deliberately insular by temperament.
For this reason, only a set quota could pass through each day.
‘Ordinary people can’t get in at all, after all.’
“According to what’s recorded here, roughly half of those who came to visit the Huashan Sect turned away without ever entering. Yet!”
O Chief Manager struck the table.
Thud!
“Despite this, the number of visitors has not diminished. If anything, it grows.”
Cheon Hui tilted his head.
“Why?”
“After investigation, I learned that recently, many come not to visit the Huashan Sect itself, but simply to witness the grandeur of the mountain.”
Cheon Hui found himself smiling faintly.
“Is that so?”
“The inns nearby are far from the Huashan Sect, requiring considerable travel time. But if we built an inn close to the mountain, wouldn’t all those who queue early to visit, as well as those who come merely to gaze upon it, naturally lodge with us?”
It was a sound argument.
If the Huashan Sect were one’s goal, it made sense to stay longer and see as much as possible rather than waste time traveling back and forth.
However.
“Can you really make money just from that? No matter how I look at it, it doesn’t seem like you’d earn much.”
The problem was money itself.
No matter how many guests arrived, an inn’s income had its limits—didn’t it?
Tables and rooms were finite resources.
At that moment, O Chief Manager leaned in very carefully, as if he had been waiting for this question.
“In truth, the inn’s primary purpose is not lodging and meals, but rather commerce with our guests.”
“Commerce?”
“Precisely. First, I shall arrange with the Huashan Sect to have Taoist Cultivators visit the inn once or twice daily. Then won’t throngs of people come to see the Sect’s masters, crowding our doors?”
Oh, that’s quite promising.
This was satisfying.
After all, he understood how common folk regarded the Huashan masters.
With admiration and reverence.
So yes, the inn would be packed.
‘But how does that connect to earning money?’
Right on cue, O Chief Manager continued.
“And this is the most crucial part—with the Huashan Sect’s permission, we intend to manufacture and sell items that anyone would recognize as belonging to the Sect……”
O Chief Manager’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Then he drove home the point.
The inn’s true purpose.
“Tourist Souvenirs, in other words.”

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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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