Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect - Chapter 151

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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 151
So Heung Bo.
One of the three major sects that had recently dominated Yanan, with disciple rolls exceeding at least two hundred—a considerably large organization.
Moreover, just days ago it had moved a step ahead of the other two sects by joining hands with Yanan’s pleasure houses first, but…….
That was no longer the case.
For some reason, So Heung Bo had fallen silent since then.
“If only the Black Tiger Pavilion and Gui Yu Moon hadn’t butted in late, we would’ve taken it easily—but now those bastards have made their way here and are causing trouble…….”
“Why can’t we just fight? It’s those fools who came barging into land we claimed first and started their nonsense.”
The gatekeepers standing guard at So Heung Bo’s entrance grumbled and vented their frustration.
Just days ago, when So Heung Bo had joined hands with Fengyue Tower, it seemed as though the sect would soon seize control of Yanan.
But for some reason, the So Heung Bo Master had no wish to move further.
As a result, not only had the situation stalled, but the momentum they had built up so high had been dampened considerably.
“The Master surely has his reasons.”
“He is a man who thinks carefully, after all.”
As the gatekeepers recalled the So Heung Bo Master and tried to view things in the best light.
Thump—thump—
Hearing the approaching footsteps, they turned their heads.
There stood a familiar face.
“……The deputy leader of Ilwol Moon?”
“What’s he doing here?”
“Pfft, surely he’s not come to seek revenge or anything…….”
The gatekeeper who had been laughing scornfully suddenly stiffened, his words trailing off.
It was because he noticed the sect robes worn by the three people following him.
White robes with a crimson plum blossom embroidered upon them.
In all under Heaven, only one place could wear such robes.
“……The Huashan Sect?!”
“Damn it!”
Just as they began to panic.
“This is So Heung Bo, correct?”
Cheon Hui, standing before the gatekeepers, looked down at them and spoke softly.
The gatekeepers exchanged glances with Cheon Hui, swallowed hard, and cast a quick look at Ju Go Ryul.
Ju Go Ryul, who would have avoided their gaze in the past, now met their eyes directly and spoke.
“You don’t answer the question asked, yet stare like that—why?”
Ju Go Ryul, who would have cowered behind others in the past, now spoke with confidence.
‘That bastard!’
‘Acting so high and mighty!’
The gatekeepers gnashed their teeth.
Irritation surged at the sight of Ju Go Ryul acting cocky under the backing of a Huashan sect master.
Just as they seemed ready to kill him with their glares.
Thump—
Cheon Hui took a single step forward.
In an instant, the distance closed, and Cheon Hui stood right before them.
“Gasp!”
“……!”
The two, caught quite off-guard, broke into a cold sweat and looked up at Cheon Hui.
“So this is So Heung Bo? Or not?”
“Y-yes, it is.”
“Yes, this is So Heung Bo.”
In that moment, Cheon Hui’s demeanor shifted entirely.
The gatekeepers swallowed their breath and took a step back.
“……W-what exactly has the Huashan Sect come for……to visit our sect?”
“Why do you ask?”
Cheon Hui smiled mockingly.
“We’ve come to make you pay for laying hands on one of our affiliated sects.”
With those words, he kicked the gatekeeper.
Thud!
With a dull sound, the gatekeeper flew backward and crashed into the gate behind him.
Crack-crack-crunch!
The remaining gatekeeper turned his head.
The kicked gatekeeper lay on the ground beneath the splintered remains, a clear footprint marking his belly.
‘M-Master……!’
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
“What’s happening!”
“What’s all this noise!”
People poured out from inside.
Their appearance was menacing to say the least — most of them bore a scar on their face, as if deliberately carved there.
Cheon Hui opened his mouth as he regarded them.
“You two handle them.”
Rather than stepping in himself this time, he intended to let them build real combat experience.
‘I can’t be doing this forever.’
Jeok Geom and Seol Ran’s eyes brightened.
“Understood, sir.”
“Yes.”
The two drew their blades.
Shing—
As the sharp gleam of the Baekryeon Sword came into view, they squinted their eyes.
“These ones…….”
“Daoists of the Huashan Sect.”
“And…….”
All eyes fixed on Ju Go Ryul.
“Did he call for us?”
As they began to gather their killing intent.
Tap.
Cheon Hui pushed lightly off the ground.
Soaring high through the air, Cheon Hui passed over them and entered the building.
“Seize him!”
The moment someone shouted.
Thud.
They froze in place.
It was not of their own volition, but forced upon them.
Suddenly oppressed by an overwhelming pressure, their gaze turned toward its source.
There stood Jeok Geom and Seol Ran.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Your opponent is us.”
The two, their voices low and measured, then raised their blades and released a surge of momentum.
“Damn brats!”
“Have you lost your minds?”
“How dare you look down on us!”
Seeing the pair block their path, they gripped their weapons tightly and launched their assault.
“I’ll take the left side.”
“Got it.”
Seol Ran and Jeok Geom steadied their breathing.
Their eyes grew calmer and calmer, their pupils reflecting the figures rushing toward them.
“Slow.”
“They’re slow.”
Perhaps it was thanks to the trials they’d endured in the Plum Blossom Gateway Trial.
The two moved simultaneously toward their opponents, who seemed to them to move at a crawl.
Crash!
“……So these are the Maehwa Sword Masters.”
Ju Go Ryul stood transfixed, watching the scene unfold.
Jeok Geom and Seol Ran were utterly toying with dozens of opponents.
As he watched the martial artists scatter like autumn leaves each time the two swung their blades, his hand clenched into a fist without his realizing it.
‘If I had that kind of strength…….’
Then he would have solved this himself without having to beg for help.
But that was mere fantasy.
‘All because I neglected my martial training.’
He bit his lip.
When his father urged him to practice, he played every day instead.
Of course, there had been a time when he’d learned diligently.
But the moment he saw Hu Gi Ji Su, who had mastered the Ascending Martial Art from another major sect, he abandoned everything and simply wandered about.
No matter how diligently he trained, he could never match the footwork of those who had mastered the Ascending Martial Art.
But now he held his tongue.
What martial arts were these Maehwa Sword Masters displaying before him?
The Ascending Sword Technique?
Nothing of the sort.
It was the Hyeon Cheon Sword Technique and the Yuk Hap Sword Technique—both of which he knew well.
Their footwork was no different.
That too was the Seven Star Step he had learned.
Of course, the execution differed.
But that was merely the result of how thoroughly one had mastered the Seven Star Step.
‘I need to learn it all again from the beginning.’
It was around the time Ju Go Ryul made this resolution, watching Jeok Geom and Seol Ran.
“Is it this one?”
Cheon Hui kicked the door open with his foot.
Bang!
The door shattered completely, and the man inside frowned.
“Who are you?”
Instead of answering, Cheon Hui met the man’s gaze.
“Are you the So Heung Bo Master?”
“You insolent brat, with no respect for—Gasp!”
The So Heung Bo Master had been about to bellow, but the moment he saw Cheon Hui suddenly appear before him, he was seized by terror as if he’d glimpsed a ghost.
“Answer the question.”
A subtle aura of authority wove through his voice.
And his gaze quickly verified the Sect Robe the boy wore.
‘Maehwa…? Damn it all!’
The So Heung Bo Master instantly confirmed that this was no ordinary person.
‘If I provoke him, I’m dead!’
The instinct that had kept him alive in the Kangho for so long screamed a dire warning.
Obey his words without question!
He immediately clasped his hands together.
“Y-yes. I am indeed the So Heung Bo Master. Honored swordmaster, what brings you to So Heung Bo?”
Cheon Hui found it absurd, watching the So Heung Bo Master suddenly grovel and smile.
“Wait—weren’t you about to fight me?”
“Heaven forbid! How could a wretch like me challenge a great swordmaster?”
Cheon Hui could not help but marvel.
Of all the people he had met, this man surrendered faster than anyone.
And he did so while simultaneously lowering himself and declaring he had no will to fight.
“You’re quick to read a situation.”
“Ha, ha. I’ve always been told that, great swordmaster.”
The So Heung Bo Master scratched his head, chuckling nervously.
“B-but might I ask what brings a great swordmaster to visit So Heung Bo…?”
“To kill you.”
The So Heung Bo Master’s face drained of color.
“G-great swordmaster! What use is my death? Please, spare me!”
“I was going to, but I thought I’d reconsider for a moment.”
At his words, the So Heung Bo Master bowed his head.
“Oh, thank you! Thank you, great swordmaster! To spare a humble wretch like me…!”
“I didn’t say I’d spare you. I said I’d think about it.”
Cheon Hui spoke flatly and dropped himself into a chair beside him.
Then he tilted his head slightly and spoke.
“Looking up like this hurts my neck.”
“Oh!”
The So Heung Bo Master quickly knelt before him.
“I was thoughtless, great swordmaster.”
“You certainly appear to be.”
‘This insolent whelp!’
The So Heung Bo Master burned inwardly, but his face beamed with smiles.
“Ha, ha. Next time I’ll think before I act.”
“Will your mind manage that?”
“I’ll… try my best.”
‘You’re far more clever than that brute! Always trying to bash everything into submission like an idiot!’
He was silently belittling Cheon Hui when—
“So you’ve been touching the Ilwol Moon?”
“No, no! That’s not it!”
The So Heung Bo Master shook his head vigorously.
“How could we possibly lay a hand on an affiliated sect of the Huashan Sect?”
“Then why is the Ilwol Moon in that state?”
“That was the work of the Black Tiger Pavilion and Gui Yu Moon—not us!”
“You’re certain?”
“Absolutely certain!”
The So Heung Bo Master shouted with all his might.
“How am I supposed to believe that?”
“The Black Tiger Pavilion and Gui Yu Moon have backing forces behind them—unlike us at So Heung Bo. That’s why they can touch the Huashan Sect’s affiliated sects without hesitation!”
The So Heung Bo Master spilled everything he’d learned when joining hands with Fengyue Tower.
“Hmm, so they have backing forces?”
“Yes!”
“Who are they?”
“That much, even I don’t know well…….”
His credibility surged at that admission.
‘This complicates things.’
Cheon Hui stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Originally, he’d planned to wipe all three factions from existence. But circumstances had shifted.
If two of these factions had backing forces, simply destroying them wouldn’t be the end of it.
‘Even if I annihilate them, their backers will just puppet another faction and cause trouble again…….’
As he pondered, the restless So Heung Bo Master entered his field of vision.
At the same moment, Cheon Hui’s smile deepened.
“Don’t you want to take Yanan?”
The So Heung Bo Master’s eyes widened.
“W-what do you mean, sir?”
“Just answer the question.”
“Of course I want to take it!”
“Good. I’m planning to sweep away both the Black Tiger Pavilion and Gui Yu Moon anyway.”
The So Heung Bo Master’s eyes went round as saucers.
“Y-you mean the Black Tiger Pavilion and Gui Yu Moon?”
“Yes.”
Cheon Hui fixed the So Heung Bo Master with an intent gaze.
“You can handle the aftermath, right?”
“Of c-course! Just give me the opportunity, and I’ll take care of everything!”
A smile bloomed across the So Heung Bo Master’s face.
‘Crisis becomes opportunity, as they say!’
Beaming with delight, he kept bowing up and down, as if terrified Cheon Hui might change his mind.
“Thank you for this opportunity, sir!”
“Just don’t go near the Ilwol Moon again, and tell your disciples to go about without weapons. It’s not like you’re trying to show off your arms.”
“Understood!”
The So Heung Bo Master nodded so enthusiastically his neck nearly left his body.
To acquire Yanan, such trivial concessions were nothing.
It was precisely then—
“And don’t collect any taxes either.”
“P-pardon?”
The So Heung Bo Master was taken aback by the follow-up.
What kind of bolt from the blue was this?
“But, but sir. Without collecting taxes, I cannot operate So Heung Bo.”
“That’s your problem to solve, not mine.”
At Cheon Hui’s callous remark, the So Heung Bo Master’s expression turned dumbfounded.
“S-sir. Even so, that would be difficult…….”
“Can’t do it? Then I suppose it can’t be helped.”
As Cheon Hui began to reach for his sword—
“……I can! Haha. Upon reflection, it seems entirely manageable.”
The So Heung Bo Master forced out an awkward laugh.
“See? I knew you could.”
“Y-yes, of course, I can, I can do it.”
“Seems like I could manage it too.”
Cheon Hui rose from his seat with a smile.
Watching him, So Heung Bo Master felt as though blood tears might fall.
‘This man is utterly merciless!’
But that wasn’t the end of it.
“And if anything happens to Ilwol Moon, you’re to help without question.”
“……Yes? But we’re an affiliated sect, you see.”
“So what?”
Cheon Hui asked flatly.
“H-haha. I, I was just speaking carelessly. Of course we must help!”
The man answered with an expression of surrender.
‘I just need to finish cleaning up So Heung Bo and escape…….’
As he was about to recall the final method he’d thought of in his desperation—
“Oh, and don’t even think about running.”
Cheon Hui’s voice turned cold.
At that moment, So Heung Bo Master, thinking his true thoughts had been read, gasped and began waving his hands frantically.
“R-running? I never, never thought of such a thing!”
“Hey, I believe you.”
“H-haha! I’m grateful that the great hero trusts me so.”
“But you know, the world is unpredictable. Don’t you think?”
At those ominous words, a chill ran down So Heung Bo Master’s spine.
“I, I’m not sure what you mean…….”
Cheon Hui twisted the corner of his mouth into a smile.
“So just to be safe, I sprayed a little Cheonri Fragrance on you.”
Cheon Hui pulled out a bottle and shook it.
‘It’s actually an empty bottle…….’
An empty bottle he’d picked up on the way.
In other words, a deception.
‘He’ll have no choice but to believe it.’
Given So Heung Bo Master’s current state, he would accept this claim as absolute truth.
And just as predicted—
“……H-haha. You’re quite something, aren’t you, great hero.”
Cold sweat poured down So Heung Bo Master’s back.
‘Damn it! Where did he get that precious Cheonri Fragrance to put on me!’
Shadow fell across his face.
Escape was now entirely out of the question—he was utterly trapped.
Seeing the dejected man, Cheon Hui rose from his chair.
“Well then, I’ll be going.”
“……Please go carefully, great hero.”
Gritting his teeth, he bowed his head.
“Got it. I’ll come back next time to check.”
At the mention of coming back, So Heung Bo Master started in alarm and cried out urgently.
“P-please don’t worry about a thing!”
“All right.”
The moment Cheon Hui disappeared—
“Ngaaahhh!”
Having lost everything, So Heung Bo Master collapsed onto the ground and struck it repeatedly with both fists.
It was unfair—profoundly unfair.
After spending decades as a wanderer in Kangho, risking his life to save enough to found a sect, what was this now?
He had become utterly destitute.
“Everything I’ve accumulated in my entire life, that demon took it all in a single moment…….”
“What did you say?”
As So Heung Bo Master poured out his lament, he lifted his head slightly at the voice that reached his ear.
“Great hero……?”
“A demon? You mean me?”
“I, that is…….”
“You know, I think I need to show you what a real demon looks like.”
As Cheon Hui approached with a casual stretch of his hands, So Heung Bo Master’s complexion turned ashen.
“This kind of lesson works wonders for teaching people sense, makes things so much easier down the road.”

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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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