Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect - Chapter 181

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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 181
Pungyeol Pavilion.
At the very top of Pungyeol Pavilion, the grandest and tallest pleasure house in Xi’an, four figures had gathered.
The Geumhui Branch Master.
The Sayugok Valley Master.
The Seophon Sect Master.
And a woman who had arrived from the Sagui Bang.
Excluding the mysterious woman, the sect leaders of the Shinju Sapae—those who rang across Shenxi with thunderous authority—had assembled in one place.
The Geumhui Branch Master fixed his gaze upon the woman who had come in place of the Sagui Bang’s leader and opened his mouth.
“We requested the Sagui Bang’s master, but…”
“As you know, the leader was injured.”
The woman’s lips curved slightly.
With that mere bending of her lips—she who had been utterly expressionless—came a chill so absolute it seemed to frost the very air.
“I had no choice but to come in his stead. But rest assured. I’ve already received all his authority.”
A voice too low to belong to any ordinary woman.
Yet the three sect masters who heard it felt their lips go dry.
‘So the Sagui Bang truly does have backing after all.’
‘This means we’re all puppets!’
‘Damn it. I never thought she’d come herself.’
The corners of the three men’s eyes tightened.
Though the Kangho revered them as the Shinju Sapae, they knew well that this reputation was not something they had earned through their own strength.
A fox borrowing a tiger’s authority.
They merely borrowed prestige from the power behind them—their actual strength was little different from that of a mere minor sect.
But this woman was different.
She was not the fox, but the tiger itself.
“But time is short, so shouldn’t we proceed with the matter at hand?”
The woman, having seized control of the room’s atmosphere in an instant, traced her lips with her tongue and spoke.
“Our leader’s condition still isn’t stable, so I need to return to him soon.”
At the woman’s words, which carried a hint of laughter, the Geumhui Branch Master’s brow furrowed, but he shook his head slowly with a sigh.
‘Sigh. What more can I say? We’re already in the palm of their hand, after all.’
The one who had been grinning bitterly now spoke.
“Understood.”
The Geumhui Branch Master then dispensed with further pleasantries and went straight to the point of why they had gathered.
“The reason I called you here is simple. Will you not join hands with us?”
The Sayugok Valley Master’s eyes narrowed.
“An alliance?”
The Seophon Sect Master followed, his expression showing reluctance to the proposal.
“I don’t believe there’s enough trust between us for such a thing.”
The Geumhui Branch Master nodded.
“I know. How could we build trust among ourselves? We’re all hollow shells, after all.”
His words came matter-of-factly.
Yet the expressions of the other two—excepting the woman—twisted, their brows drawing together.
He had struck the heart of the matter.
“What are you trying to say?”
“What exactly are you getting at?”
Both men’s voices rose slightly.
The Geumhui Branch Master regarded them steadily and spoke in a low voice.
“But even hollow shells must join their strength to stand against Jongnam and Huashan, must they not?”
……
……
As the two fell silent, the woman laughed.
“Ah, that’s clever.”
Pleased with how the situation was unfolding, she smiled brilliantly and curled a strand of her hair around her finger.
“The Sagui Bang agrees.”
With the woman’s answer coming first, the Sayugok Valley Master and Seophon Sect Master’s brows drew tight.
With Geumhui and the Sagui Bang united, the decision already lay with the two of them.
To join their strength together.
Or to fight alone.
And their choice naturally fell upon the safer path.
“A choice born of necessity, then.”
“Tsk. Fine then.”
Once both men grudgingly agreed, the Cold Woman twisted her lips and asked.
“So what now? We’ve joined forces, but will we simply sit idle until Jongnam and Huashan make their move?”
The Geumhui Branch Master fixed his gaze upon her.
Under that sharp scrutiny, the Cold Woman met his eyes without flinching, her expression utterly composed.
“Or do you mean to strike first?”
The room trembled slightly.
Or rather, it did not tremble.
But the chests of the three men present lurched so violently they deceived themselves into sensing the tremor.
Her voice, laden with Inner Force, was unsettling enough to shake them—but the weight of her words proved equally formidable.
There was a world of difference between uniting to counter Jongnam and Huashan, and launching a preemptive strike.
A brief silence fell.
None dared answer her question hastily; the matter admitted no easy reply.
For a moment they searched each other’s faces.
“Not at present,” the Geumhui Branch Master said, collecting his thoughts and speaking with measured gravity.
“Our current strength is insufficient to push back Jongnam and Huashan. I propose we first absorb all the smaller sects in Shenxi, then act.”
The faintly tightened expressions of the Sayugok Valley Master and Seophon Sect Master eased at once.
“A sound plan.”
“I agree.”
The two consented as though satisfied, and the Geumhui Branch Master turned to the Cold Woman, who had yet to speak.
“What say you?”
She curled her lips upward.
“Let it be done that way.”
“Then I take it we are all agreed to this covenant,” the Geumhui Branch Master said, closing the matter.
At his words, the Cold Woman rose from her seat and spoke.
“Ah, before I forget—I have pressing business elsewhere, so I’ll take my leave now. When preparations are ready, contact me separately, would you?”
There was a knowing weight to the word “separately” as she spoke it, and she flashed a smile.
Then—
Whoosh—
She vanished in an instant.
A ghostly disappearance, as though the very air had swallowed her whole.
“……!”
The three men started at the sight, but they held their breath and kept themselves from acting rashly.
How long they remained frozen, they could not say.
Only when the oppressive aura that had filled the room dissipated did their bodies sag, collapsing back into their chairs.
“Ugh.”
“I thought I’d die.”
“Haah.”
The three men exhaled their held breath with effort, then looked at one another.
In their hollow eyes lay the shared misery of those who had weathered the same peril—a mixture of sympathy and bitterness.
After gazing at each other in silence for a moment, all three let out a wry laugh and rose as one.
“Then I shall call upon you later.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
“Until our next meeting, then.”
* * *
In the days following the gathering at Pungyeol Pavilion.
A wind of blood began to sweep across Shenxi.
The Shinju Sapae, which had held its breath after driving back Jongnam and Huashan, lifted its head—and they showed no hesitation in their advance.
“Are they mad?”
“Is the Shinju Sapae truly waging all-out war against Huashan and Jongnam?”
“But they leave the affiliated sects untouched, so perhaps they’re trying to avoid them?”
“Even so, with them bearing down with such relentless momentum, can Jongnam and Huashan simply stand idle? A clash is inevitable.”
“They’re bent on their own destruction, it seems.”
All believed the Shinju Sapae’s conduct was like striking stone with an egg.
But one day passed, then two, then three, then four……
And some forty days hence.
Their judgment had shifted entirely.
The Shinju Sapae’s actions proved far more meticulous and swift than anticipated.
The sects and pleasure houses and gambling dens that had fallen under Baek Gwi Seong’s authority began swiftly to submit to the Shinju Sapae’s rule.
And several smaller sects crumbled helplessly beneath their assault.
Even Baek Gwi Seong alone had taken a minimum of five years to absorb all the Sapa sects of Shenxi—a task bordering on legendary in scope.
Yet the pace of the Shinju Sapae was incomparably faster.
No matter that they were merely the sects and minor factions once under Baek Gwi Seong’s dominion, the Shinju Sapae had brought every last one of them to heel in a mere two months.
Only then did everyone grasp that the Shinju Sapae were no ordinary force, but by then their reach had already begun to spread.
Soon they would swallow all of Shenxi except for Jongnam and Huashan, along with their affiliated sects.
And the tremors reached even to the Huashan Sect, which had been holding its breath in silence.
At Huashan’s mountain gate, sect masters and leaders of minor factions from the affiliated sects near Hwaam County had gathered en masse.
“Huashan’s strength is what we need!”
The Jinmu Pavilion Master cried out.
Rage burned within him.
The Shinju Sapae’s assault had reduced the Jinmu Pavilion to ash, and his family had been forced into hiding.
And that was far from all.
Most of those gathered here had been burned out like the Jinmu Pavilion, or else had their holdings seized by the Shinju Sapae.
“Sect Master!”
“Please, aid our sects!”
“At this rate, all of Shenxi is in peril!”
Desperate cries poured forth.
The Sect Master cupped his fists in salute and gazed upon the bowing sect masters, clearly troubled.
“Hmm…….”
But that hesitation did not last long.
“……Come in, then.”
Having wrestled with the decision, the Sect Master seemed to steel himself and opened the mountain gate.
At once, those who had been saluting broke into beaming smiles, their eyes bright as stars.
To be invited inside meant the Sect Master was willing to hear them out.
So they believed.
Creak—
The gate of Huashan swung open, and at the sight before them, several drew in sharp breaths.
So Huashan truly lived up to its reputation.
The mountain path was steep and treacherous.
Even those trained in martial arts could sense the difficulty of the ascent.
“Follow me closely, now.”
The Sect Master took a single step forward.
In that instant, he vanished from sight.
The Sect Master who had been before them mere moments ago was already halfway up the mountain path with but a single stride.
“Good heavens!”
“Such speed……!”
All gasped in astonishment.
Yet at the same moment, satisfied smiles spread unbidden across their faces.
“The Sect Master’s strength far exceeds what the Kangho knows!”
“We chose wisely in coming to Huashan.”
They exchanged glances, then began their ascent along the towering mountain path.
How long they climbed, they could not say.
“……Haah.”
Ragged breathing sounded from all around.
The mountain path of Huashan was brutal.
And mercilessly steep.
Each step demanded its toll.
By the time they reached the midpoint, their faces had lost all trace of ease.
It was then that the Jinmu Pavilion Master came to a halt.
He had reached the summit of the mountain path.
“Haah. At last……. Wait—?!”
As he caught his breath and looked up, the Jinmu Pavilion Master stopped mid-word.
“What troubles you?”
“Has something occurred?”
Those who had followed behind him stared in bewilderment at the Jinmu Pavilion Master, who had suddenly frozen—then they too looked ahead and went rigid.
Dozens of Daoists stood arrayed before them in formation, and from them there emanated such a sharp and piercing aura that the visitors felt their throats constrict.
“……Is this the true might of Huashan?”
“Such an overwhelming presence…….”
Their voices trembled slightly.
The strange formation displayed by the Daoists imposed such tremendous pressure that it felt as though they were facing a Divine Sword itself.
“With Martial Prowess of this caliber, even the Shinju Sapae wouldn’t stand a chance……!”
“We could take our revenge.”
Their faces were brightening when—
“Did you set up the formation properly?”
A flat voice cut through the air.
Following the sound, they turned to see a handsome youth with a sword scabbard slung across his shoulder.
The youth was flicking the scabbard toward the Daoists who had taken formation positions.
“Come on, then.”
Everyone turned to stare at the youth in bewilderment.
“Who is that?”
“He’s going to face the formation alone?”
As they gawked in disbelief—
Whoosh—
The moment the youth himself lifted the scabbard properly, the atmosphere shifted.
“……!”
Their eyes snapped wide open.
A fierce presence and aura that didn’t waver even facing dozens of Daoists alone.
“Was there ever such a person in the Huashan Sect?!”
“No wonder the Huashan Sect isn’t just any faction.”
As they gasped, experiencing such overwhelming presence for the first time in their lives—
“Very well. I’ll begin.”
Jeok Geom, who had set the Bi Geom Formation in proper formation, now wore the sharp gaze of the Bi Geom Dan.
He raised his sword high.
A momentum as if to split the very heavens erupted, and Jeok Geom let out a cry.
“Haaah!”
With a thunderous roar, the Bi Geom Dan members rushed at Cheon Hui in unison.
“My Inner Power distribution is fine enough now.”
The handsome youth, Cheon Hui, watched the Bi Geom Formation unfold with his cry and exhaled a sigh.
“Tsk, they’re being too straightforward about it.”
Cheon Hui spoke offhandedly and swung the scabbard.
Whoosh!
In an instant, dozens of sword shadows appeared, striking the heads of those who had been bracing themselves—
Thud-thud-thud!
And they tumbled to the ground.
“Oof! How, how did—?!”
“We deployed it perfectly……!”
As the Bi Geom Dan cried out in shock, Cheon Hui clicked his tongue and opened his mouth.
“Really? Perfect? There’s no such thing as perfect in this world. Didn’t I tell you before? I said to move more flexibly. Don’t just rush in because it’s the Bi Geom Formation—use unconventional attacks too.”
“Ugh!”
“Argh!”
Even as he spoke, Cheon Hui swung the scabbard, battering them repeatedly.
“That’s all I’m asking. Can’t you even do that?”
Cheon Hui, muttering under his breath, twisted his hand.
In that instant the scabbard underwent a subtle transformation, striking the heads of all the remaining Bi Geom Dan members in unison.
Smack! Smack!
Watching the members drop one by one, holding their heads, Cheon Hui shook his head.
“Honestly, this won’t do. Don’t even think about sleeping tonight. First, run three laps around Huashan, then Ma Bo…….”
“Gasp! P-please, anything but that…….”
“M-master. Could we sleep just tonight?”
The Bi Geom Dan members, who hadn’t slept for two days already, cried out in desperation—
“Then try blocking it properly.”
But Cheon Hui didn’t listen to a word they said.
“Was I asking for anything huge? I only told you to endure the Thousand Movements technique.”
“Eek! How is that easy?!”
“How is that not hard?!”
“Are you planning to lose again to the Shinju Sapae or whoever they are?”
“…….”
“And stop your whining. I’m the unit commander. When I say move, you move.”
Cheon Hui picked his ear and smirked.
“What’s with that look? Are you sulking?”
“…….”
In that instant, the Bi Geom Dan members who had glared so fiercely lowered their heads and sealed their lips shut.
Their fists clenched tight without them realizing it.
‘Bitter? Of course it’s bitter!’
Every answer to the question Cheon Hui had just posed was the same.
Seventy days into training.
Cheon Hui’s instruction was ruthless and relentless.
The moment anyone fell behind, he deployed not just the Byeontae Gi Gong, but countless techniques bordering on torture.
The merciless training was such that their tears would not dry from one day to the next.
Yet none of those gathered dared speak their true thoughts aloud.
This was because those who had already contradicted Cheon Hui or challenged him lay sprawled and trembling, unconscious.
But Cheon Hui, who had already read their hearts, let out a soft laugh.
“If you’re so displeased, then defeat me and become the Chief yourself.”
The Bi Geom Dan members bit their lips.
‘Defeat him? Is he serious?’
‘He’s saying he won’t give an inch!’
As the Bi Geom Dan members seethed inwardly, Cheon Hui drew his Sword Scabbard.
“Then let’s begin again.”
The scabbard moved, and in an instant, dozens of afterimages appeared and descended upon them.
Moments later, having rendered them all unconscious, Cheon Hui fastened the scabbard at his waist and turned his head.
“What brings you here?”
“Follow me.”
The Sect Master stepped out slowly.
The Sect Master, a soft smile on his face, stroked his beard and opened his mouth.
“Before we go to war with the Shinju Sapae, I need your counsel.”

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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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