Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect - Chapter 217

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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 217
Clop-clop, clop-clop—
The carriage bearing Cheon Hui and Dan Mok Lin rattled along the Official Road, having left the Je Gal Clan compound behind.
Perhaps it was the rough terrain.
The carriage lurched and swayed now and then, yet inside all remained perfectly silent.
The reason was simple enough.
Cheon Hui sat with eyes gently closed, lost in meditation.
‘I can’t wait to see him again.’
His meeting with Pae Gun had been brief.
Two encounters, a handful of words.
That was all.
Yet it was enough.
‘Enough to know him.’
The corners of Cheon Hui’s mouth, which had been held rigid all this while, curved upward in the faintest smile.
Since beginning this new life, he had crossed blades with a great many masters, yet none had satisfied him.
Not even when he crossed the boundary between life and death with Baek Sa Sin, once called the Undefeated Master, nor in his sparring match with Jongnam Geom Seong, the Jongnam Sect’s finest.
Admittedly, both of them were exceptional masters, worthy of mention even against those he’d encountered in his previous life.
But that was all they were.
In the end, they remained at the Heavenly Martial Realm, unable to cross into the Beyond Heaven Realm.
But he—Pae Gun—was different.
His caliber, his martial prowess, his very existence itself.
He was a peerless master of the Beyond Heaven Realm, transcending the sky of martial arts known as the Heavenly Martial Realm.
‘Yes. Three hundred years have passed—there’s no way such a peerless master wouldn’t exist.’
The corners of his mouth rose further, drawing a clear arc, and soon a deep smile settled on his face.
A smile brimming with curiosity and fervor.
‘I need to recover my martial prowess from my previous life before he comes to Huashan.’
Cheon Hui hurried to examine his inner self.
The Inner Eye that suddenly blossomed swept through every corner of his body.
Thanks to overcoming the Yin-Yang Tai Ling Severed Meridian, his physical form was flawless and perfectly robust.
‘It seems all physical development is now complete.’
The Inner Eye turned toward his Lower Dantian.
While his internal force reserves couldn’t be said to exceed those of other Heavenly Martial Realm masters, through the Plum Blossom Divine Art—the supreme Heart Technique—he had accumulated nothing but the purest aura from all under heaven into his Lower Dantian.
The quality was distinctly different.
With less internal force than them, he could still overwhelm his opponents.
If others had observed this, they might have been struck dumb with astonishment.
‘Then what remains is enlightenment.’
Beyond the Heavenly Martial Realm lay the absolute stage.
To reach what they called the Mushin Realm, a profound awakening was necessary.
And specifically, an enlightenment regarding the Plum Blossom Divine Art.
It was no simple matter.
The Plum Blossom Divine Art was a Heart Technique he had created himself, and its depths were unfathomable.
He didn’t even know if it had an end.
‘Well, I’ll manage it as I go.’
Yet Cheon Hui harbored no doubt.
He had already stepped into that realm once before, and his mind overflowed with countless martial teachings.
Failure never crossed his mind.
‘For now, I’ll focus quietly.’
Having examined his inner form, Cheon Hui descended into deeper contemplation.
Down into that abyssal depth whose end could not be fathomed.
Meanwhile, Dan Mok Lin, who had been watching Cheon Hui lost in profound thought with quiet affection, suddenly stiffened.
‘This is…’
The tips of her fingers trembled faintly.
Her sharp and exquisitely sensitive energy sense had detected a subtle shift in Cheon Hui, now sunken in contemplation.
It was a change so delicate that it would pass unnoticed unless one looked with utmost care.
In that instant—
Whoosh—
An aura cleaner and purer than any other energy under heaven flowed from Cheon Hui.
Was this what the legendary luminous jade essence felt like?
As such pristine and crystalline aura poured out and enveloped the carriage, Dan Mok Lin found herself gazing at Cheon Hui with an entranced, unfocused stare.
Even as Dan Mok Lin felt herself slipping into a daze, the aura continued to spread outward.
The aura had already swallowed the carriage whole and grown so vast it could submerge everything within it—like a boundless ocean.
Just like the great sea itself.
‘Is this what my brother is capable of…?’
In that moment, as bewilderment began to replace the daze in her eyes.
Whinnnnny—
The carriage lurched to a halt.
“What is the meaning of this?”
Go Sam’s angry voice rang out.
Two horses and an old man had appeared and suddenly blocked the road. He opened his mouth to shout, then stopped short.
“You are….”
The Handsome Youth leaped down from his horse in one smooth motion and bowed deeply with respect.
“I apologize for blocking your path so abruptly.”
At that moment, Dan Mok Lin, who had been watching the outside from within the carriage, stiffened.
‘That voice…?’
She hastily craned her neck toward the window.
‘Grandfather and my eldest brother?!’
There, before her eyes, stood Dan Mok Chan and Cheol Shim Geom Ong, both staring at the carriage window.
The moment Dan Mok Lin’s eyes widened in recognition.
Swish—
Dan Mok Chan spotted her in turn, his eyes lighting up as he strode toward her with quick, purposeful steps.
“Lin. Might we have a word?”
“…Now, you mean?”
Dan Mok Lin’s expression grew uncertain as she glanced toward Cheon Hui across from her.
At that, Cheon Hui’s lips moved.
“If you’re going to talk, do it quickly.”
As he spoke, Cheon Hui slowly opened his eyes and met Dan Mok Lin’s gaze directly.
“Just make sure you finish fast.”
Dan Mok Lin broke into a bright smile.
“Yes.”
She then descended from the carriage.
Soon after, she and Dan Mok Chan disappeared into the nearby grove.
“So he noticed that, did he? Truly, his talents are among the rarest.”
Cheon Hui reflected on what had just transpired.
The inner power of the Plum Blossom Divine Art was the purest and most natural aura in all the realm.
Because of this, when he merely let his inner power seep outward like this, ordinary martial artists, no matter how close, would be unable to sense that aura—and yet she had discerned it.
‘And more than that, she adapted to it.’
It was a remarkable capacity for resonance.
And that very capacity would one day prove invaluable in transcending her current realm.
“One could call it the finest talent under heaven.”
Cheon Hui stroked his chin in contemplation, then turned his gaze to the side.
There, pressed against the edge of the carriage window, someone was peering in at him.
“What is it?”
“I wanted to see your face for a moment.”
Cheol Shim Geom Ong smiled gently.
“Your name is Cheon Hui, if I’m not mistaken.”
“Yes, well. That’s right.”
“A fine name it is.”
Cheon Hui let out a soft chuckle.
“So what is it you wanted to say?”
At his blunt question, Cheol Shim Geom Ong’s drooping brows twitched noticeably.
“Ha, you don’t mince words, do you?”
With a laugh, he released the horse’s reins and lightly vaulted down from the saddle.
‘His movements are remarkably agile.’
Cheon Hui’s eyes narrowed.
From the series of gestures he’d just displayed, Cheon Hui could discern which martial arts the old man ordinarily practiced.
One-Strike-Must-Kill.
He was surely a master who had honed a swift blade meant to claim his opponent’s life in a single stroke.
And his bearing—precise, efficient, cautious beyond measure—proved it.
“I found it strange ever since Pae Gun came to see you….”
His tone as he spoke grew sharp and penetrating.
“You’re quite strong.”
“I suppose I am.”
Cheon Hui nodded in agreement.
“But how did you sense it?”
“Truth is, I’m not certain even now. I can only feel it dimly.”
“It seems the Dan Mok Clan members all have sharp Energy Sense.”
“Ha, the Dan Mok Clan does have keen perception, but sadly I’m not one of them. I’m merely a guest, nothing more.”
“That’s strange. From what I can tell, I thought you were one of the Dan Mok Clan.”
“Did it appear that way to you?”
A smile bloomed across his lips.
It was brighter and clearer than any smile he had shown before.
After smiling quietly for a moment, he spoke.
“Would you have time for a conversation?”
Cheon Hui studied him intently.
His eyes were obscured by white brows, yet their gaze was palpable.
A chilling, razor-sharp force.
It was neither killing intent nor hostile aura.
It seemed to emanate from his very existence itself—or rather, seeping from his life was a murderous intent so profound it bordered on terrible.
‘This one’s a true Killing Ghost.’
A smile spread across Cheon Hui’s lips.
It was truly strange.
Such a merciful facade concealing something so utterly merciless.
“Of course.”
Cheon Hui stepped down from the carriage.
“Thank you.”
Cheol Shim Geom Ong smiled warmly.
It was a very gentle laugh.
Yet to Cheon Hui’s eye, that smile sat like a mask—utterly ill-fitting.
Then Cheol Shim Geom Ong glanced briefly at Go Sam.
Sensing something in that gaze, Go Sam leaped down from the driver’s seat.
“If the conversation might take a while, would it be acceptable if I fed the horses for a bit?”
Cheon Hui replied without tearing his gaze from Cheol Shim Geom Ong.
“Go ahead.”
“Much obliged.”
At once, Go Sam led the horse away and disappeared.
Soon only the two of them remained beside the carriage.
“Ah yes. I haven’t introduced myself to you. My name is Jong Gak.”
Having revealed his name quietly, Jong Gak uncrossed his hands from behind his back and lowered his head in a deep bow.
“Thank you for saving Lin.”
He slowly raised his head.
His eyes looking upon Cheon Hui held gratitude beyond measure.
“Because of you, that child can smile again.”
“If you’re truly that grateful, perhaps you could give me something as a token of appreciation later?”
Jong Gak’s brow furrowed.
“Didn’t Lin give you something?”
“That’s separate from this.”
At such shameless words, Jong Gak found himself laughing despite himself.
“Ha ha ha, all right. I’ll send something along later.”
After laughing for a while, Jong Gak changed the subject.
“But this is remarkable. For one your age to possess such martial prowess is astonishing enough, yet you also rival Shin Ui in medical skill—extraordinary.”
“Shin Ui is superior in medical arts.”
Cheon Hui spoke plainly.
The fact that he had healed Dan Mok Lin was merely because he understood her martial arts and constitution; the truth was that Shin Ui’s genuine medical expertise far surpassed his own.
“A true Daoist, I see.”
But not knowing those detailed circumstances, Jong Gak felt pleased at what he perceived as Cheon Hui’s modest acceptance. And then—
“What do you mean it won’t work?”
Dan Mok Chan came striding over, seething with indignation.
He shouted toward Cheon Hui, who leaned against the carriage, his face flushed with anger.
“Young Master!”
At that ringing call, Cheon Hui’s expression grew annoyed as he turned to look at him.
“What?”
“Won’t you spar with me?”
At the resonant voice, Cheon Hui scratched his ear and replied without interest.
“Why would I?”
Dan Mok Chan, who hadn’t expected an outright refusal, bit down hard on his lower lip.
“Are you afraid and backing away?”
Cheon Hui let out a small laugh.
It was a transparent provocation.
Just as he was about to dismiss it—
“If you’re not busy, why not humor us with a match?”
Jong Gak spoke up.
Interesting.
Cheon Hui’s lips twisted slowly upward.
“Hmm, well, I’d rather not just yet.”
“Is there something you want?”
Cheon Hui met Jong Gak’s eyes directly.
“I’ll do it if you’ll spar with me instead.”
“With me?”
“Yes.”
Jong Gak’s eyebrows rose sharply.
Soon after, he burst into laughter.
“Hehehehe, I like that.”
Having heard the answer, Cheon Hui immediately turned his gaze to Dan Mok Chan and spoke.
“What are you waiting for? Let’s begin.”
Dan Mok Chan was flabbergasted, but he quickly spun around and opened his mouth.
“Come with me.”
* * *
Moments later, the two of them stood facing each other in an empty field nearby.
“You won’t be sparring with grandfather today.”
Dan Mok Chan continued, his eyes flashing.
“You’ll be dealing with me.”
To Dan Mok Chan’s forceful voice, Cheon Hui opened his mouth with an expression of annoyance.
“Fine. Let’s just get on with it.”
At Cheon Hui’s dismissive attitude, Dan Mok Chan’s brow furrowed.
But the moment passed, and his face became stern as he took several steps back, creating distance between them.
‘How can Lin be interested in a worthless fool like this?’
His eyes swept over Cheon Hui sharply.
His face was decent enough.
But that was all—his character, his bearing, everything about him was distasteful.
‘I’ll expose your pathetic nature and open her eyes to the truth.’
Dan Mok Chan glared at him with grim resolve.
Meanwhile, at some distance from the two of them, Dan Mok Lin and Jong Gak watched them prepare.
“I should try to stop my brother…”
Dan Mok Lin muttered anxiously.
‘If only I hadn’t mentioned him…’
Dan Mok Chan had suggested the sparring match with an air of hurt feelings after failing to persuade Dan Mok Lin to return to the clan by mentioning Cheon Hui.
It was nothing but taking out his frustration.
Then Jong Gak smiled.
“Don’t you trust Chan?”
At the question, Dan Mok Lin hesitated.
“I trust my brother, but this one…”
Unable to say directly that Dan Mok Chan would lose, she faltered.
“Tsk, tsk. Who is he picking a fight with?”
Suddenly the sound of someone clicking their tongue came from between them.
Dan Mok Lin looked startled and turned to the side.
Cheon Yi Gae, with a wine bottle clamped in his mouth, was now sitting on a nearby rock.
“Elder…?”
Dan Mok Lin called out in surprise, but Cheon Yi Gae paid her no attention.
He simply opened his mouth while observing the two preparing to spar.
“You’re not going to stop him?”
Cheon Yi Gae leveled a jab at him.
“That bastard’s going to have a rough time.”
Dan Mok Lin started to say something in response, but Jong Gak spoke first.
“I’m aware.”
“So you’re not going to stop it?”
“Rather, I see this as an opportunity to temper Chan’s excessive confidence.”
“And what if he gets broken so thoroughly he never recovers?”
Cheon Yi Gae spoke in a mocking tone.
“Chan isn’t that fragile.”
Jong Gak remained unmoved.
Cheon Yi Gae, losing interest in the response, tossed the empty wine bottle he’d been holding backward.
“Tch! What a boring fellow.”
“When have I ever been entertaining to you?”
“When you first ventured out into Gangho—that was amusing. I still remember how you trembled at your first kill.”
“That was long ago.”
“Indeed it was.”
Jong Gak allowed a faint smile to cross his lips.
“So much time has passed. I never imagined then that we would become enemies like this.”
“Who could have predicted it?”
The two of them shared a bitter laugh simultaneously.
“But it was inevitable.”
“Yes, it was.”
Both stared into the empty air with expressions of melancholy.
‘So Grandfather and he knew each other all along.’
Dan Mok Lin, caught off guard by the apparent intimacy between the two men, looked back and forth between them in surprise.
“I yield first move to you!”
Dan Mok Chan drew his sword and cried out.
Confidence rang through his voice, and Cheon Hui let out a quiet laugh as he unsheathed his sword.
“How generous.”
Dan Mok Chan’s eyes sharpened.
‘I’ll simply give him first move—nothing more.’
His blade lifted slightly.
Immediately after, his feet spread to shoulder width, and an ethereal aura flowed forth.
One of the defensive stances of the Dan Mok Clan.
With the Cheonsu Sword Style deployed, a confident smile graced his lips.
“Yawn.”
Meanwhile, Cheon Hui, who had been yawning through what proved to be a rather lengthy opening stance, wiped away the tears gathered at the corners of his eyes with his index finger and asked:
“Are you finished preparing?”
The completely dismissive tone caused veins to stand out on Dan Mok Chan’s forehead.
But he quickly steadied himself.
‘I nearly fell for the provocation.’
There was no way he would do such a thing for no reason.
Perhaps he had no confidence in victory, so he was trying to shake his opponent’s focus.
‘But that won’t work on me.’
Dan Mok Chan’s eyes blazed as he opened his mouth.
“Come.”
At Dan Mok Chan’s confident command, Cheon Hui—who had been yawning for some time—raised his sword scabbard.
“Very well.”
The moment those words left his lips.
Crack!
Dan Mok Chan’s consciousness snapped like a broken thread.

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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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