Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect - Chapter 210

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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 210
“Then convey my words to them well.”
“Understood. Have no concerns.”
At Je Gal Seung Ho’s words, the Inn Attendant straightened with a crisp acknowledgment, then descended the stairs in quick, measured strides.
Just as the Inn Attendant vanished from sight.
Pour—
The sound of tea being poured mingled with a delicate fragrance that brushed against his nostrils.
Dan Mok Lin, who had picked up the teapot without his noticing, was now pouring tea into Cheon Hui’s cup.
“Senior.”
Cheon Hui took the cup she offered and sipped the tea.
It was astringent—not particularly fine tea.
But it was perfect for sharpening his appetite before the meal.
“Mmm, I shouldn’t have drunk that.”
Cheon Hui felt his hunger intensify and set the cup back down on the table.
‘How can they be so composed about all this?’
Je Gal Seung Ho, watching the two of them, shook his head in disbelief and glanced furtively around the room.
He could feel sharp gazes boring into them.
‘This is maddening. Absolutely maddening.’
Je Gal Seung Ho’s head was beginning to throb.
They had endured no shortage of tribulations on their way to the Tae An Inn.
Countless stares and whispered gossip, not to mention cutting glances and visible bewilderment.
And from some, even bloodlust.
It was hardly surprising—Tae An was currently filled with numerous members of the Bi Cheon Society, gathered to attend the sixtieth birthday celebration of the Je Gal Clan’s house master.
So when a Daoist of the Huashan Sect, one of the Nine Major Sects and Four Unorthodox Schools, appeared here, it was only natural that their attention converged upon him.
The one mercy was that he and his younger brother were traveling together, which prevented them from reacting too intensely through action.
But merely refraining from overt action meant nothing.
Whispered murmurs erupted from all sides each time the party passed.
Just as they did now.
“That fellow is a young master of the Je Gal Clan—so why is he traveling with Huashan Sect Daoists……?”
“Did the Je Gal Clan invite the Huashan Sect to the celebration?”
Je Gal Seung Ho pressed his forehead.
‘I shouldn’t have insisted on coming to the inn.’
He acknowledged his own misstep.
But this was entirely unforeseen, and he could hardly have prevented it.
Who could have guessed that this person before him would be a Daoist of the Huashan Sect?
“Sigh.”
As Je Gal Seung Ho exhaled.
“Brother, what troubles you?”
Je Gal Seong Hyeon, watching his sour expression throughout, asked with evident concern.
“Are you unwell?”
“You’re all right, though?”
“Pardon?”
Je Gal Seong Hyeon tilted his head in confusion.
At his tone and expression—as if he hadn’t noticed the focused attention at all—Je Gal Seung Ho pressed hard against his forehead and spoke.
“……Never mind.”
‘I’ve always known he lacked perceptiveness, but to this extent……’
A hollow laugh escaped his lips. In that same moment, he resolved to let it go.
‘What good is it for me alone to worry?’
The three of them showed no concern for those around them—why should he burden himself with their reactions?
He then reached for the teapot.
Pour—
Just as the four of them sat sipping tea, their sharp gazes turned away.
“Pengga, hurry now.”
“Understood.”
A man and a woman climbed the stairs.
The woman, whose bright voice had been the first to speak, gripped the arm of the dour-faced man beside her and swept her gaze across the room.
“Where is the young master of the Je Gal Clan……?”
With the arrival of these two, the gazes that had been fixed solely on Cheon Hui’s party shifted away.
“The Blade Dragon, Peng Cheol Wi……!”
“Then… surely that lady is from the Hwang Bo Clan……!”
Startled exclamations erupted from all corners.
The taciturn man was Peng Cheol Wi, one of the current Five Dragons Three Phoenixes, and the spirited woman at his side was his beloved, Hwang Bo So Hyeon.
Though they’d known these two would attend the banquet, Peng Cheol Wi and Hwang Bo So Hyeon kept so thoroughly to themselves that their sudden appearance in the inn sent ripples of excitement through the room.
More than a few watched with keen interest, wondering what would happen when they encountered the Daoists from the Je Gal Clan and Huashan Sect.
“Ah!”
Hwang Bo So Hyeon swept the crowd with her gaze, dismissing the stares with ease, and caught sight of Je Gal Seung Ho. She waved.
“Young Master Je Gal!”
Hwang Bo So Hyeon broke into a brilliant smile and rushed toward Je Gal Seung Ho’s table, with Peng Cheol Wi following in her wake.
She reached the table first, her eyes alight at the sight of Je Gal Seung Ho—then froze as she took in the Sect Robes worn by the others seated there.
“……Huashan Sect?”
The moment she registered Cheon Hui and Dan Mok Lin’s robes, uncertainty flickered across her face.
Click.
Peng Cheol Wi, arriving behind her, gently laid a hand on her stiffened shoulder and shook his head slightly.
Then he performed the Fist Salute.
“We greet the great master.”
Cheon Hui tilted his chin upward.
“Hmm, not troubled at all, I see.”
“What does sect affiliation matter?”
Peng Cheol Wi’s lips curved into a smile.
That broad, gentle smile softened the hard lines of his usually stern face.
“What truly matters is that the great master saved my companions and me.”
“I’ve thought so before, but you’re certainly the most levelheaded of your group.”
“Thank you for the praise. If I may not presume too much, would it be acceptable for us to join your table?”
“Isn’t that why you came over?”
“Well, that is true, but……”
Peng Cheol Wi’s eyes swept across the others.
“Ha.”
……
Je Gal Seong Hyeon laughed awkwardly when their eyes met, while Dan Mok Lin paid him no attention whatsoever.
Cheon Hui watched Peng Cheol Wi gauge the reactions of everyone except Je Gal Seung Ho and smiled wryly.
“You’re still prone to unnecessary hesitation. Do as you wish—sit or don’t. Besides, we invited you over for exactly this reason.”
Je Gal Seung Ho smiled sheepishly at Cheon Hui’s gaze and spoke.
“Young Master Peng, Miss Hwang Bo. Sit before the great master changes his mind.”
“Then we shall impose upon your kindness.”
He bowed slightly, then leaned toward Hwang Bo So Hyeon, who still stood rigid.
“Miss.”
“Oh!”
Startled by his whisper so close to her ear, her face flushed at the sudden attention directed at her.
But she quickly regained her composure and offered a proper Fist Salute.
“Forgive my late greeting, great master.”
“It’s fine. Now sit, if you’re going to.”
Cheon Hui spoke with an air of impatience, and Hwang Bo So Hyeon immediately took her seat.
A brief moment of awkwardness hung over the table.
While Je Gal Seung Ho and Cheon Hui knew one another well, the other four were still largely strangers to each other.
Sensing the need to break the ice, Je Gal Seung Ho began to speak.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you all. I am Je Gal Seung Ho of the Je Gal Clan.”
It was an abrupt introduction.
As everyone but Cheon Hui looked at him oddly, Peng Cheol Wi grasped his intention and quickly followed suit.
“I am Peng Cheol Wi of the Ha Buk Peng Clan. It is good fortune to meet you all like this.”
With Peng Cheol Wi’s introduction complete, the others understood the purpose and began introducing themselves in turn.
“I’m Hwang Bo So Hyeon.”
“Lin.”
“Ah, I’m Je Gal Seong Hyeon of the Je Gal Clan.”
Once the names had been exchanged, all eyes turned to Cheon Hui, the last to remain unnamed.
Peng Cheol Wi and Hwang Bo So Hyeon, neither of whom knew his name, watched with eyes as bright and searching as the sun itself.
“I’m Cheon Hui.”
The moment his name was revealed, both Peng Cheol Wi and Hwang Bo So Hyeon’s eyes widened in shock.
“Cheon Hui? Could you possibly be the Maehwa Divine Cooperator……?”
“Are you the great master who is the Maehwa Divine Cooperator?”
They asked simultaneously.
“I’m not entirely sure, but that’s what they call it.”
Cheon Hui answered without much concern.
Yet Peng Cheol Wi and Hwang Bo So Hyeon, who heard this, stood frozen as if their souls had fled their bodies.
Je Gal Seung Ho, watching their expressions, let out a hollow laugh.
‘It is rather astonishing.’
He had felt the exact same reaction when he first heard Cheon Hui’s name—or rather, his Sect Token.
‘Even now, I find myself doubting whether it’s real.’
Had anyone observed his conduct during their journey, they would find it difficult to believe he was a member of the Maehwa Divine Cooperator, or indeed, a Daoist of the Huashan Sect.
He was a man who devoured meat without restraint and wielded the ruthless techniques of an assassin.
Just as an awkward silence was about to settle over the room,
“Your meal has arrived.”
the Inn Attendant appeared with food, dispelling the heavy atmosphere.
With his arms full of dishes, the attendant set them one by one upon the table.
And shortly after he departed,
“No meat.”
Cheon Hui scanned the table and spoke.
The table held no meat dishes—only dumplings and vegetable preparations.
“And no wine, either.”
Cheon Hui spoke with unmistakable displeasure.
At this, Je Gal Seung Ho glanced at the Sect Robes Cheon Hui wore and offered an awkward smile.
“Since the great master chose to wear the Sect Robes, I took the liberty of ordering accordingly. Shall I place another order?”
Cheon Hui clicked his tongue.
“No. Since I’ve put on these robes, I suppose I should eat like this.”
At those words, Peng Cheol Wi and Hwang Bo So Hyeon snapped back to attention, regarding Cheon Hui with disbelief.
Did the precepts of a Daoist sect change depending on one’s garments?
But Cheon Hui paid them no mind, taking up his chopsticks and reaching for the dish before him.
“Mm, it’s quite tasty, actually.”
After subsisting on meat dishes, the vegetables offered a fresh and unexpected flavor.
After taking a large bite, Cheon Hui instinctively reached for something, then frowned.
“Ah, right—there’s no wine.”
Muttering his regret, Cheon Hui poured tea into his cup and wet his lips.
“Then I shall as well…”
Dan Mok Lin, who had been watching Cheon Hui eat, picked up her chopsticks.
She had said nothing, but her own stomach had been protesting the long fast.
As Cheon Hui and Dan Mok Lin began their meal, the others who were not yet hungry turned to conversation.
Hwang Bo So Hyeon turned to Je Gal Seong Hyeon.
“Are you truly the third son of the Je Gal Clan?”
“Yes.”
“You look quite different from how your brother described you.”
Je Gal Seong Hyeon’s eyes lit up.
“What did my brother say about me?”
“He said you were intellectually gifted—someone essential to the Je Gal Clan. But he worried that your body was frail…”
Her gaze swept across Je Gal Seong Hyeon.
There was nothing frail about him; he looked robust, even impressively strong.
‘He’s even larger than the Peng heirs.’
She shrugged and spoke.
“You don’t appear frail at all.”
At this, Je Gal Seong Hyeon turned his head.
“Brother! So you think highly of me!”
Je Gal Seung Ho, meeting his younger brother’s gleaming eyes, quickly unfurled his Folding Fan to conceal the awkward smile playing at his lips.
“I merely spoke the truth.”
“You’re embarrassed, aren’t you?”
Je Gal Seong Hyeon smiled at his brother’s reaction.
He knew well that Je Gal Seung Ho had a habit of unfurling his fan whenever he was flustered or shy.
Pleased by this exchange, Je Gal Seong Hyeon opened his mouth to speak.
“Brother has told me much about you, Hwang Bo Sojer and Peng Gongja.”
Hwang Bo So Hyeon and Peng Cheol Wi immediately leaned forward with interest.
“What did he say?”
“He said that Hwang Bo Sojer is a person of pure heart—that inside and outside are the same, which is why she is trustworthy. And he said Peng Gongja is dependable, someone he would entrust his back to at any moment.”
“Seong Hyeon!”
Je Gal Seung Ho looked momentarily taken aback by such candid words and called out to him.
“Mm, you think of me that way?”
“You’ve given me a fair assessment.”
Watching Je Gal Seung Ho’s flustered expression, Hwang Bo So Hyeon and Peng Cheol Wi laughed teasingly.
“I trust you too, Je Gal.”
“Ha, and I stand ready at your word whenever you need me.”
“Well, well.”
Je Gal Seung Ho scratched his head.
After that day’s journey together, he had kept in regular contact with these two, Mo Yong Sang, and Yang Se Ryeong.
And their bonds had grown steadily deeper.
Even he, who normally kept a mask on in his dealings with others, found himself able to lower his guard comfortably in their presence.
Perhaps this was what friendship truly meant.
Je Gal Seung Ho, growing a touch self-conscious, folded his Folding Fan, and Hwang Bo So Hyeon spoke.
“But Mo Yong didn’t come, did he?”
“He said there was business at the Mo Yong Clan.”
“That’s troubling. He was the one most eagerly anticipating this.”
“I did tell him to contact me if he needed help, but whether he’ll do that is another matter.”
Je Gal Seung Ho smiled wryly.
Of all those who had traveled that day, none had changed more than Mo Yong Sang.
He who had been proud and selfish now followed his friends more faithfully than anyone.
And since he was someone Je Gal Seung Ho cared for, it weighed on his mind that he couldn’t attend.
At that moment, Peng Cheol Wi’s expression hardened, and he spoke with care.
“But have you made contact with Shinchangyangga?”
Je Gal Seung Ho nodded.
“We exchanged letters recently. He apologized for not being able to attend, and said not to worry—he assured me they’ve recently concluded an agreement with Ilwol Moon.”
“Ah. That’s a relief then.”
Hwang Bo So Hyeon let out a long breath.
Watching her gesture, Peng Cheol Wi found a smile playing at his lips without quite realizing it.
And Je Gal Seung Ho missed nothing in that moment.
“Hmm, your relationship seems to be improving by leaps and bounds.”
Just as both grew embarrassed—
“You all seem to be enjoying yourselves.”
A cold voice cut through the air.
Looking toward where the voice came from, Dang Jeok was approaching with a smile, four bodyguards in tow.
“If it’s not too much trouble, might I join your table?”
The conversation that had been building momentum came to an abrupt halt.
Everyone except Cheon Hui looked startled, though none of them let it show.
Speaking for the group, Je Gal Seung Ho replied softly.
“My apologies, Dang. But this meal is already… arranged.”
Dang Jeok’s eyebrow twitched.
“So you’re choosing the Huashan Sect over the Eight Great Clans?”
Je Gal Seung Ho’s expression turned cold.
“That’s too harsh a way to put it.”
“Isn’t it the truth?”
Dang Jeok twisted his lips, speaking icily.
“Don’t be disrespectful, Dang.”
Peng Cheol Wi fixed him with a glare, his words sharp.
“Who’s being disrespectful? How is it that heirs of the Eight Great Clans are sharing a table with Daoist priests of the Huashan Sect?”
That was when it happened.
“You’ve got a real talent for killing the mood, don’t you?”
Cheon Hui set down his chopsticks and spoke.
“I told you once already—there won’t be a second time.”
Dang Jeok’s eyes flared with rage.
“So your true nature shows.”
“True nature, my ass. You’re acting out, so I’m dealing with you. That’s all there is to it.”
“I’ll tear your limbs from your body!”
At those inflammatory words, Dang Jeok immediately summoned his Internal Force—
“What are you doing!”
“Control your Internal Force!”
“We can’t have this!”
Je Gal Seung Ho, Peng Cheol Wi, and Hwang Bo So Hyeon rushed forward, desperately trying to restrain Dang Jeok.
But this only fanned the flames of his anger higher.
His neck, still sore from being seized by that cursed man, throbbed with an ache that wouldn’t quit—and now these so-called brothers from the Eight Great Clans were actually protecting that Huashan dog instead of him.
“You’re siding with a Daoist from the Huashan Sect?”
Dang Jeok hurled the words at them like daggers.
The others found the situation maddening.
Their real concern wasn’t Cheon Hui at all—it was Dang Jeok himself. Yet he remained oblivious, lost in his rage.
“Step aside. This is a personal matter between him and me.”
“Personal, you say?”
Cheon Hui’s eyes turned cold and sharp.
“So the Dang family has nothing to do with it, then?”
“Hmph. You think I’d drag my entire family into something like this?”
Dang Jeok’s lips twisted into a bitter smile.
“You alone are enough for me.”
“Is that so? This should be interesting.”
At that moment, everyone else present covered their faces with their hands and let out groans of despair.
‘……they’d given him a chance to back out gracefully.’
Then Je Gal Seung Ho spoke up urgently.
“Great Hero, please—don’t kill him. We’re in Tae An, and he’s a member of the Sichuan Tangga. Show mercy in your hands!”
It was a desperate plea.
Cheon Hui glanced at Je Gal Seung Ho, then replied with an expression of utter bewilderment.
“However reckless I may be, would I brazenly kill a young master of the Dang family in a place like this? I’m only planning to teach his hands a lesson. Just—appropriately.”
Just as Je Gal Seung Ho was about to release a grateful sigh at Cheon Hui’s answer, which at least showed some awareness of the situation, another sentence came tumbling out that made him catch his breath again.
“Right up until those lips of his beg for his own death.”

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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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