Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect - Chapter 143

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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 143
Xi Ning, the provincial capital of Qinghai Province.
Ringed by mountains on all sides and bisected east and west by the Huang River, it was renowned as a place where winter brought no bitter cold and summer stayed pleasantly cool—a comfortable refuge for those seeking to settle.
And that was far from all.
As a crucial waystation connecting Urumqi to the west and Lhasa to the south, it perpetually teemed with merchants and travelers, its streets alive with commerce wherever one looked.
Yet there existed one conspicuous exception.
The Great Hall, standing at the very heart of Xi Ning.
The residence of the Qinghai Provincial Lord, who governed and bore responsibility for the entire province.
The gate guards stationed at the Great Hall frowned as they regarded the youth before them.
“……Did you say you’ve come to see whom?”
“So Hui, the Provincial Lord.”
The guards’ expressions hardened.
In the same instant, both men swept their eyes up and down the young stranger with practiced assessment.
His features were striking.
Broad shoulders set at just the right angle, sharp cheekbones, and a handsome face that drew admiration as naturally as breath.
Any young woman would have turned her head for a second glance.
But that was the whole of it.
His clothes were ordinary, nothing remarkable about them at all.
The only thing that caught the eye besides his face was a pair of swords hanging at his sides.
That detail left the guards with a poor impression.
“Do you even know who the Provincial Lord is?”
“A lord is a lord, isn’t she?”
At the youth’s casual reply, the guards exchanged a glance and opened their mouths.
“I’ll relay the message inside for now.”
By all appearances, this youth knew nothing of So Hui the Provincial Lord, but one could never be entirely certain.
Perhaps, despite his shabby bearing, he truly did have some connection.
Though the likelihood seemed slim.
“But understand this much.”
The middle-aged gate guard fixed him with a sharp gaze and issued a warning to the youth.
“I will have given the Provincial Lord your name, but if she says she doesn’t know you, we cannot simply let the matter rest.”
To feign knowledge of imperial bloodline without truly knowing it was a grave crime under Imperial Law.
It was an offense worthy of death.
So he had issued this final warning.
“Got it. Now let’s get going, shall we?”
The youth remained unmoved.
For a moment, veins bulged across the guard’s forehead, but he swallowed his anger and turned away.
He whispered something to the remaining gate guard.
“Don’t let him run.”
“Understood.”
After issuing his orders to the remaining guard, he turned and entered the hall.
Watching the guard disappear inside, Cheon Hui surveyed his surroundings with a bored expression.
“Quite a crowd here.”
Unlike other provincial capitals in Zhongyuan, Xi Ning sat on a high plateau, yet it bustled with even more vitality than any city he’d seen before.
‘So that’s why Ma Noe said we’d need to take Xi Ning to conquer Zhongyuan.’
He recalled Ma Noe’s impassioned speech, delivered with veins straining in his neck.
―Xi Ning is the crucial nexus through which trade flows between Zhongyuan and lands beyond. If we dominate this place first, we can rapidly replenish the financial resources spent advancing into Zhongyuan.
By that reasoning alone, with so many merchants flowing through, there was more than enough wealth to be had.
Yet that was not all.
By isolating Qinghai from Zhongyuan, they could swiftly compel the Sichuan Dang Clan, the Emei Sect, and the Kunlun Sect to submission.
But that plan had come to nothing.
He had been the Sect Master then, and he’d had no interest in it.
‘Why would I bother going that far?’
That had been his sentiment at the time.
But now, thinking back on it.
‘Tsk, I should’ve tried it.’
He felt a faint regret.
‘If I’d fought Zhongyuan then, I would’ve witnessed far more techniques by now.’
As Cheon Hui smacked his lips in disappointment.
‘……Does someone like this really know the Provincial Lord?’
The gate guard watching Cheon Hui peer about like a country bumpkin let out a derisive snort.
‘If I run, he’ll strike me down……!’
The moment he tensed his eyes.
Footstep—footstep—
Just then, the sound of footsteps approached from behind.
“You’ve arrived……. Gasp!”
Thinking it was the palace attendant who’d gone in moments earlier, he turned his head—and froze in place.
What emerged was not the attendant, but a beautiful woman in an elegant, time-worn robe.
It was So Hui.
“M-my lord?”
So Hui walked past the startled attendant and moved closer to Cheon Hui.
“I was waiting for you.”
As So Hui greeted the young man with a soft smile, the attendant’s jaw fell slack.
‘So they really did know each other…….’
Cold sweat trickled down his spine.
He suddenly remembered how he’d treated the young man moments before.
Yet Cheon Hui paid him no mind whatsoever.
He spoke with an indifferent tone.
“Is everyone inside?”
So Hui nodded.
“You’re quite late, though.”
“Well, there were several matters along the way.”
So Hui wanted to ask what had happened, but swallowed the question.
This wasn’t the place to inquire.
“Follow me, please.”
She turned and led him inside.
Meanwhile, the attendant stood rigid, desperately hoping So Hui and Cheon Hui would simply pass without comment.
Perhaps that fervent wish was granted.
Fortunately, the two passed in silence, and he let out a breath of relief.
Then, belatedly, he tilted his head in confusion.
The way So Hui had greeted the young man was utterly unlike her usual manner.
“In all my time serving here, I’ve never seen my lord behave that way…….”
Had she ever welcomed anyone with such warmth before?
Not once. Never.
The attendant watched their receding figures and muttered softly.
“Just who is that man…….”
* * *
Cheon Hui followed So Hui into the Great Hall, walking beside her.
‘Surprisingly austere inside.’
Unlike its opulent exterior, the Great Hall’s interior was not lavish at all.
Though there were occasional glimmers of gold ornaments, they were so sparse they seemed almost perfunctory.
‘The Qinghai Provincial Lord, I heard, is of imperial blood……. Yet remarkably modest.’
As he walked in contemplation,
“……Did your errand go well?”
So Hui opened the conversation quietly.
Cheon Hui let out a soft chuckle.
He’d grasped the intent behind her sudden question.
“It went well. So you reached Qinghai Province safely, then?”
At his reply, So Hui’s eyes gleamed.
Simultaneously, she itched to ask him more, but held herself back.
This was the Great Hall’s corridor.
Any spy who’d infiltrated the province might be listening.
The conversation lapsed into silence.
Only their footsteps echoed through the quiet, and soon they arrived at a door.
A woman stood before it.
As if she’d been forewarned, she bowed in greeting as they approached.
“I have been waiting.”
After exchanging greetings, the woman lifted her head and met Cheon Hui’s eyes.
“Guest, before you enter, you must leave your sword with me.”
Cheon Hui regarded her coolly.
This was no different from the imperial palace.
He handed the two swords at his side to the Cold Woman with an impassive expression.
“Thank you.”
The Cold Woman received the swords carefully in both hands and stepped closer to the door.
“Provincial Lord. So Hui and a guest have arrived.”
A voice came from within.
“Let them in.”
There was no question of who they were or why they had come.
As if he knew everything already.
“Please, enter.”
As the Cold Woman opened the door and retreated with quick steps, the two walked inside.
They had walked perhaps ten paces when a chair came into view, set high before the room’s front wall, which was painted in red and gold.
A man in a golden Dragon Robe sat upon the lavishly decorated chair.
His health appeared poor; his cheeks were hollow and his frame gaunt.
As Cheon Hui’s gaze passed over him, it shifted.
An elderly man standing beside the Provincial Lord caught his eye—someone very familiar.
“You—you!”
The moment Shin Ui saw Cheon Hui, his eyes widened and a sharp voice spilled from his lips.
“You wretch! Why are you only now arriving!”
At Shin Ui’s outburst, the man seated in the chair looked at him in astonishment.
He had witnessed Shin Ui grumble countless times, but never shout.
Yet here he was, bellowing at the sight of this young man.
‘So Shin Ui treats him with such ease. So Hui said he was no ordinary figure, but now I’m even more curious.’
The Handsome Youth answered then.
“I’ve had much to attend to, so I’m late.”
Shin Ui’s face contorted.
“Much to attend to? Do you even know how many days have passed since that day?”
“However long it took, what matters is that I’ve arrived, does it not?”
“You insolent brat!”
Shin Ui’s fist trembled with fury.
Angry though he was, he had no real rebuttal. He had never set a time for the youth’s arrival in the first place.
Then.
“Ha-ha-ha!”
The man in the chair burst into hearty laughter at the bickering pair.
After a moment, his laughter subsided and he asked.
“Are you Cheon Hui?”
“You know well.”
“I had not expected you to be so amusing.”
The eyes of the Qinghai Provincial Lord deepened.
Though he had never seen Cheon Hui before, he felt a peculiar familiarity.
And with reason—So Hui and Shin Ui spoke of him so constantly that his name had become embedded in the Provincial Lord’s very ears.
He studied Cheon Hui for a moment, then spoke.
“Hmm. My daughter spoke truthfully—there’s an unpretentious bearing about you, and the bearing of a great man shows through.”
“I suppose I am somewhat like that.”
“Oho!”
The Qinghai Provincial Lord’s eyes widened.
Daoist Priests, as a rule, affect humility and self-deprecation. But this youth did not.
He accepted the compliment—nearly perfunctory in its delivery—as though it were only natural.
The Provincial Lord watched him with ever-deepening interest and parted his lips.
“My daughter said you’ve been of great help to her. She told me that without you, her life would have been in danger, and that Shin Ui would never have come at all…”
The Provincial Lord glanced at Shin Ui as he spoke.
“That scoundrel bringing me here? Hardly.”
Shin Ui thrust out his lower lip.
“I came of my own accord.”
‘Is that what he’s saying now?’
The corner of Cheon Hui’s mouth twisted slightly.
“Then you should simply remain here in Qinghai Province.”
Sensing an opportunity to rid himself of Shin Ui, Cheon Hui thought it a good idea and began speaking quickly. Shin Ui started with alarm.
“What nonsense are you spouting!”
“Why? You said you came because you wanted to be in Qinghai Province. Since you’re here, stay awhile longer.”

“This insufferable bastard……!”
Shin Ui struck his chest in frustration.
Why wouldn’t the man give him a straight answer?
If he’d only spoken kindly, a kind word for a kind word, they might have gotten along.
Meanwhile, the Qinghai Provincial Lord watched Cheon Hui toying with Shin Ui, his eyes widening with surprise.
‘To see Shin Ui, who ignored imperial decrees and wandered as he pleased, unable to move……’
The Qinghai Provincial Lord’s interest in this man called Cheon Hui deepened, but he quickly suppressed it.
Before indulging curiosity about his counterpart, there were more pressing matters to address first.
At that moment, the Qinghai Provincial Lord’s eyes gleamed.
Despite the weakness in his qi, the light in his gaze burned sharp and alive.
“Where was this background force you went to deal with?”
“The Gulong Bang.”
“The Gulong Bang……?”
The Qinghai Provincial Lord’s brow furrowed.
The Gulong Bang was a sect name that had been on many lips in Qinghai Province of late.
“You mean the sect that killed the provincial inspector?”
“That’s right. That’s the one.”
In an instant, the Qinghai Provincial Lord gnashed his teeth.
“……So now I understand why the inspector died in the Gulong Bang’s hands. He must have discovered they were the background force and was investigating when they struck. Those damned dogs……!”
‘What is he talking about? What? The inspector died investigating the Gulong Bang?’
Cheon Hui watched the Qinghai Provincial Lord vent his fury at an undeserving target, his lips twitching.
“The inspector was a spy.”
“What did you……?!”
The Qinghai Provincial Lord’s eyes wavered.
The inspector was one of the trusted men who had followed him for decades.
“A spy? Why……. What benefit could there be in doing such a thing…….”
“Je Dok Dong Chang promised him a position in the imperial palace, so he turned coat entirely.”
“Je, Je Dok Dong Chang?!”
“Why would he……father?”
At the mention of an entirely unexpected name, Shin Ui and the young lord So Hui gasped in shock—but the Qinghai Provincial Lord only let out a long sigh.
“So it was Je Dok Dong Chang……. So that’s how it was.”
His eyes sank deeper.
Hearing that Je Dok Dong Chang was behind it, every mystery dissolved in an instant.
‘If he’s the one behind this, everything makes sense. But why would he do such a thing…….’
He summoned the face of Je Dok Dong Chang from his memories, his lips moving silently.
“Is there anything else you’ve learned?”
“No. That’s all of it.”
The Qinghai Provincial Lord watched Cheon Hui shrug and answer, then nodded slowly.
This was enough.
More than enough.
At the very least, he’d found who was behind it.
“You’ve been of great service to me.”
The Provincial Lord spoke with sincerity.
If not for this man Cheon Hui, both he and So Hui would surely be dead.
Swish—
He placed his skeletal arm on the armrest and slowly rose to his feet.
Then, looking down at Cheon Hui, he spoke.
“If there’s anything you desire, name it. I shall grant you whatever you ask.”
It was a promise to repay kindness, but beneath the words lay an impure intention.
‘If I could bring this man under my command…….’
His eyes began to glint with avarice.
Anything he desired?
Cheon Hui fell into thought.
If anyone else had said it, he would have laughed them to scorn. But who was this man before him?
He was one who could shower him with a fortune if he desired wealth, or grant him office immediately if he desired power.
So most men would be pondering what to ask for in the face of such an offer.
‘But I don’t really want anything.’
Cheon Hui was not like most men.
Wealth? He had more than enough already.
Power? Who had he been in his past life?
He was the Absolute Heavenly Demon, the patriarch of the Tianma Divine Sect.
When it came to power, he’d tasted enough of it to find it sickening.
He’d thought of at least glancing at the Martial Arts Secret Manuals, but the guards lurking in the rafters, watchful and alert, dampened even that prospect.
‘Looking at them won’t be worth much.’
Cheon Hui, who had been deliberating, finally spoke.
“Perhaps you could offer patronage to the Huashan Sect instead.”
After all the choices he’d already made, he chose the last remaining option.
“Don’t worry about patronage. I’ve already prepared something in return for the Huashan Sect’s assistance.”
The Qinghai Provincial Lord smiled as he spoke.
“Is there nothing else you desire? What about an elixir of longevity? Or perhaps a legendary blade?”
He mentioned things that would make any martial artist in Kangho’s eyes bulge from their sockets.
“Patronage alone is sufficient.”
Cheon Hui answered flatly.
An elixir of longevity? A legendary blade?
Neither was necessary.
The Plum Blossom Divine Art had already reached its course; consuming elixirs would yield little gain.
And he already possessed two blades.
Meanwhile, the Qinghai Provincial Lord, unaware of Cheon Hui’s true circumstances, could not help but marvel.
“To have so little desire for material gain.”
He rejected offerings of money, elixirs, and legendary blades, asking only for patronage.
Such a figure could truly serve as an exemplar of a true Daoist priest.
‘I had thought the Daoist priests of Kangho were corrupted by the secular world…….’
The greed that had gleamed in his eyes as he gazed upon Cheon Hui had already vanished.
‘A man estranged from worldly affairs.’
He abandoned his intention to win him over through persuasion.
Such a man could not be swayed by money and power; the attempt would only drive him further away.
What he needed to do now was singular.
He need only grant what Cheon Hui had asked—and thereby maintain this connection.
“I shall prepare the patronage and send it to the Huashan Sect with all speed.”

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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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