Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect - Chapter 171

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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 171
The Wulian Pavilion Master’s eyes trembled violently.
No—not just his eyes.
His entire chest was stirring.
“You know the Left-Handed Sword Technique……?”
“Yes.”
“How do you know such a thing?”
“It was in An Hyang Bi Dong.”
The Wulian Pavilion Master’s eyes widened in shock.
An Hyang Bi Dong was a repository of Martial Arts Secret Manuals hidden deep within Mangyeong Pavilion.
Even he had only heard of it by rumor and had never laid eyes upon it, yet Cheon Hui spoke of it so casually.
‘I heard that Senior Brother Hyeon Cheong cares for Cheon Hui, but to think he’d grant him access to An Hyang Bi Dong…….’
A flicker of emotion crossed his gaze.
Hyeon Cheong, the Mangyeong Pavilion Master, opened An Hyang Bi Dong so rarely that it could be counted on one hand.
This was the moment that revealed how much Hyeon Cheong trusted and believed in Cheon Hui.
Cheon Hui held the Wulian Pavilion Master’s gaze as it rippled like water, and spoke.
“If you’re thinking of deploying the Left-Handed Sword, it’s best to learn it properly. The application of Internal Force itself will be fundamentally different.”
The Wulian Pavilion Master frowned.
“Is it not simply a matter of executing sword techniques with the left hand?”
“If it were that simple, why would the Left-Handed Sword Technique be so rare? The Left-Handed Sword has a different character than ordinary sword techniques.”
Cheon Hui fixed him with a steady gaze.
“Haven’t you felt it yourself? Swinging the blade is manageable enough, but every time you deploy the technique, something catches and blocks you, doesn’t it?”
The Wulian Pavilion Master’s lips tightened.
He was right.
Wielding the sword with his left hand was clumsy, and when he tried to deploy the Left-Handed Sword—a technique still unmapped territory to him—
the flow kept stuttering and breaking.
As if it were being forcibly severed.
‘I thought it was because I wasn’t accustomed to executing sword techniques with my left hand, but was that not the case?’
The Wulian Pavilion Master’s expression grew complicated.
Observing that shift in his face, Cheon Hui shrugged his shoulders.
“If you don’t believe me, would you like to see how the Left-Handed Sword Technique differs?”
Cheon Hui drew his sword.
And grasped it with his left hand.
The gesture was so natural, as though the Left-Handed Sword were his native art.
“You’ve learned the Left-Handed Sword……?”
The Wulian Pavilion Master asked, eyes widening, and Cheon Hui let out a soft laugh.
Of course he had mastered the Left-Handed Sword Technique.
Though it was from a past life, not this one.
“Long ago.”
As he spoke, Cheon Hui’s blade moved.
“Just watch for now. You won’t be able to learn it right away.”
Inner Power infused Cheon Hui’s sword.
Beautiful plum blossoms bloomed from the blade’s tip, and their rich fragrance spread in all directions.
“This is the Nanhwa Pungryue Sword—the only Left-Handed Sword Technique of Huashan Sect that was in An Hyang Bi Dong.”
The instant those words ended.
Whoosh—
Plum blossoms unfurled through the empty air in the wake of the blade, mingling with a gentle breeze as they drifted away.
Scattered blossoms and wind-borne grace.
True to its name, a sight that captivated the eye with beauty.
Yet something felt strange about it.
Every footstep and posture form was executed with left and right reversed, creating a subtle dissonance that commanded the observer’s attention.
Swiftness and illusion unfolding through the left hand.
A sword technique that far exceeded expectation manifested before him.
‘……Did such a technique exist?’
It was a sword technique so brilliant and beautiful that it stole the eye without conscious effort.
Like a sword dance rather than a sword technique.
But that was mere surface.
Gulp—
The Wulian Pavilion Master’s throat convulsed sharply as he watched the technique unfold directly before him.
With each plum blossom that bloomed, such an intense and fierce energy radiated from it that the body trembled merely from witnessing it.
‘If I were to face this…….’
Blood spraying across the ground flashed before his eyes.
‘A terrifying sword technique.’
Beneath the elaborate beauty lay a sharpness that made his skin sting.
‘With swordwork this refined, and wielded with the left hand…….’
Perhaps a quarter of an hour had passed.
Whoosh―
Then Cheon Hui’s blade came to rest.
“Phew―”
The Wurian Pavilion Master, who had not blinked once to avoid missing even a moment of Cheon Hui’s swordwork, exhaled deeply.
“Well? Impressive, isn’t it?”
Cheon Hui asked, settling his sword across his shoulder.
“……Remarkable.”
The Wurian Pavilion Master could not contain his admiration.
To be precise, he admired two things.
First, the Nanhwa Pungryue Sword was a technique of extraordinary excellence.
Second, Cheon Hui’s skill in executing such a left-handed sword technique with such ease.
Cheon Hui, observing the astonished Wurian Pavilion Master, pressed further.
“This is the Left-Handed Sword Technique.”
The Wurian Pavilion Master swallowed dryly.
“It is certainly different…….”
“What will you do?”
“…….”
The Wurian Pavilion Master gazed silently at his right hand, which would not move no matter how hard he tried.
There was nothing to deliberate.
For a man who could not use his right hand, could there be a better opportunity than this?
“I will learn.”
“Good. But it may be quite difficult. That’s acceptable for you, yes?”
“That is hardly something one should hesitate to endure.”
The Wurian Pavilion Master spoke calmly.
“After all, I will be learning martial arts anew from the beginning.”
“Your resolve is admirable.”
A faint smile crossed Cheon Hui’s lips.
Just as he’d hoped.
Though the man had lost all he had accumulated, rather than despair, he burned with determination—how could one not be pleased by such spirit?
“But understand this: you cannot yet learn the Nanhwa Pungryue Sword.”
The Wurian Pavilion Master nodded, as though he already knew.
“I know. How could one master a sword technique without properly wielding a blade?”
“Then first, we’ll build your left hand’s strength and familiarize you with the sword through training.”
“‘Familiarizing the left hand with the sword’…….”
The Wurian Pavilion Master smiled ruefully.
He understood that such natural adaptation would take considerable time.
“To properly learn the Nanhwa Pungryue Sword, it may take quite a while.”
“No.”
Suddenly Cheon Hui’s lips tightened.
It was a smile brimming with confidence.
“If you follow exactly as I teach, it won’t take long.”
“Is that so……?”
The Wurian Pavilion Master’s expression brightened.
Seeing his face, Cheon Hui twisted his mouth slightly and whispered low.
“Yes. But steel yourself. It will be quite grueling.”
* * *
“……Hup!”
The Wurian Pavilion Master grimaced as he lifted the scabbard tightly bound with a boulder.
The boulder, as large as his torso, was tied to the sword’s tip, adding to its weight.
‘Was the boulder always this heavy?’
Veins bulged across the Wurian Pavilion Master’s forehead.
In truth, with his Internal Force, he could lift such a boulder whenever he wished.
But he could not do so now.
‘Cheon Hui ordered me to lift it with raw strength alone…….’
The Wurian Pavilion Master gripped his sword tightly.
And then.
Crack!
He gritted his teeth and applied force again.
Only then did the boulder lashed loosely to the sword’s tip quiver slightly as it rose.
“Ugh!”
A groan escaped him.
Sweat streamed down his forehead, and his back was already soaked through.
He wanted to let go immediately.
But.
“Lift it a bit higher,” Cheon Hui said from beside him, brooking no argument.
If someone had only heard his words, they might have thought he was mocking.
But seeing Cheon Hui’s form made the words sink in entirely.
He was speaking while holding the sword sheath with the boulder lashed to its tip with his left hand alone, as though it weighed nothing.
“You swing it up high like this. Such a simple thing, and you can’t manage it.”
Cheon Hui raised the sword high.
The massive boulder, as large as a man’s torso, rose easily, climbing until it reached Cheon Hui’s chest height.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The sound of rough wind filled the air.
Drip—
A single line of sweat trickled down the Wurian Pavilion Master’s forehead as he watched Cheon Hui swing the sword sheath with its attached boulder as though it were a mere branch.
“……Let me try.”
The Wurian Pavilion Master, speaking with effort, drew a deep breath.
“Ha!”
With a rough cry, he lifted the sword.
His muscles twisted, and the dampness spreading across his left palm felt like his skin was tearing, blood seeping through.
But he did not stop.
Boom!
The sword and boulder swung up with force.
“Good. You’ve done one now,” Cheon Hui said, finally satisfied.
“Do a thousand of these each day.”
The Wurian Pavilion Master’s voice trembled.
One swing alone was taxing enough; now he was to do a thousand?
“Is that too few? Then ten thousand——”
“No, no. A thousand will be fine.”
The Wurian Pavilion Master answered hastily.
He couldn’t guarantee he’d finish ten thousand even if he worked all day.
“Let’s start with a thousand a day, and once you’re feeling a bit steadier, we’ll move on to the next phase.”
Cheon Hui turned to leave as he spoke.
“I’ll be going on ahead then.”
Having shown the Wurian Pavilion Master a basic training routine, Cheon Hui left the Wulian Pavilion.
‘First, build raw strength, and the refinement will come later……’
As he walked, he was thinking through what other training methods he might teach the Wurian Pavilion Master in time.
“Cheon Hui!”
“Yes?”
Two women came rushing over urgently.
It was Hyeon Ryeo and Dan Mok Lin.
The two of them, haggard and breathless as they hurried near, immediately fussed over him.
“Are you all right? Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Is your body okay?”
Cheon Hui regarded them with some bewilderment, though their concern was understandable.
Among those who had returned after the recent operation, few had come back unscathed.
Most had only minor injuries, but……
there were some, like Jeok Geom, who had sustained serious wounds, so it was only natural they would worry about Cheon Hui’s delayed return.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
Cheon Hui answered curtly.
“Thank goodness.”

“I kept worrying about you.”
Just as the two of them let out a breath of relief, Cheon Hui’s gaze shifted to the left.
There stood the Sect Master.
“I’m glad you’ve come back in one piece.”
“You don’t look well at all, sir.”
At Cheon Hui’s words, the Sect Master laughed silently.
‘He must have gone through quite an ordeal.’
The Sect Master’s appearance was in tatters.
The dark shadows beneath his eyes hung so deep they seemed to reach down to his jaw.
His beard, usually so neatly kept, had split at the ends from the strain of worry, standing out like a horse’s mane.
“But I heard the operation failed?”
“Cheon Hui!”
Hyeon Ryeo called out to him urgently.
“It’s true.”
The Sect Master waved Hyeon Ryeo back and answered in a low voice.
“It was my mistake. Their strength proved greater than we realized.”
The Sect Master spoke with deliberate calm, yet his heart ached.
How many of his disciples had been injured in the failed operation?
As he forced a bitter smile—
“No, sir. It was my fault.”
A quiet voice broke in.
Perhaps it was the commotion.
The Wurian Pavilion Master, who had been training in Wulian Pavilion, approached while wiping sweat from his brow.
“If I had been stronger, the operation would not have failed.”
“No. You did your best.”
The Sect Master shook his head.
His eyes rested on the Wurian Pavilion Master’s right arm, which was held in a splint.
“Had I only assessed their hidden strength correctly…”
The Sect Master’s voice caught.
He tried to hold it back, but seeing that right arm, the bitterness came flooding up.
“I’m sorry.”
The Wurian Pavilion Master’s expression turned bitter.
The Sect Master’s pitying gaze hurt him more than anything else in the world could.
“Please don’t worry about my arm, sir.”
The Wurian Pavilion Master smiled.
“Fortunately, Cheon Hui has agreed to teach me a sword technique.”
“The Left-Handed Sword Technique…?”
The Sect Master looked at Cheon Hui in surprise.
“Is that true?”
“Yes.”
At Cheon Hui’s answer, the Sect Master’s expression brightened with relief.
“Thank heavens. Truly, thank heavens.”
Tears glistened in his eyes beneath his smile.
The Wurian Pavilion Master saw those tears and held back the sob rising in his own chest.
“So you need not feel any guilt, sir.”
“How could I not? Even if you master the Left-Handed Sword, everything you’ve built will have been lost…”
The Sect Master spoke stubbornly.
Cheon Hui, watching him, posed a question.
“But what will you do now? After suffering like this, you won’t just sit idle?”
The Sect Master shook his head firmly.
“How could I sit idle? Our disciples have been wounded…!”
His eyes gleamed coldly.
His usual gentle demeanor shifted, and quiet anger began to radiate from him.
“And since we launched a joint operation with the Jongnam Faction, those sapa cannot exist under the same sky as us.”
Everyone held their breath at the Sect Master’s words.
This was a declaration of intent to stake the faction’s existence and annihilate their enemies completely.
Cheon Hui watched the Sect Master’s fury unfold, nodding with deep satisfaction.
‘That’s it, that’s it. Of course that’s how it should be. The Sect Master knows how to speak his mind.’
Repay wrong with twice the force!
That was the principle and law of Kangho itself.
The Sect Master added to his words then.
“But not now, not immediately.”
He quickly dampened his excitement.
Part of him wanted to launch the operation again that very moment, but they had many wounded and lacked too much supplies.
If they moved recklessly, they would only repeat the same mistakes.
“Rather than rush forward, we will take the time to prepare thoroughly and uproot their foundation completely.”
‘Mm, he’s thinking clearly.’
Cheon Hui regarded him with satisfaction.
Had they failed, it would have been a bitter error, but this changed everything.
They had grown through that failure.
Yet there remained one small regret.
‘The Sa Gwi Bang Master, that one I’d like to deal with right now…’
Cheon Hui’s lips twisted slightly.
Seeing the state of Jeok Geom and the Wurian Pavilion Master, it galled him that this one remained unscathed for so long.
He wanted him reduced to the same miserable condition as the other two — no, worse, far more thoroughly shattered.
‘…I should slip away and finish him myself.’

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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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