Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect - Chapter 237

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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 237
The moment Cheon Hui’s party arrived at Huashan, they stopped at the Maehwa Inn instead of going directly to the Huashan Sect.
“The, the Huashan Sect!”
“Wahhh!”
The patrons resting at the Maehwa Inn rushed forward in excitement the instant they spotted the Hwa Ryeong Dan in their Huashan Sect Robes, then suddenly froze.
Something about their appearance seemed wrong up close.
Torn robes here and there, and vivid bruises marking their faces and bodies.
They looked as though they’d been thoroughly beaten, and the crowd grew uneasy.
Whinnnn—
The carriage lurched to a heavy stop.
In that moment.
“F, finally a rest!”
“No more martial training!”
The Hwa Ryeong Dan members stretched their arms toward the sky as if to collapse right then and there. And in that instant—
“We haven’t even reached the Huashan Sect yet, and you’re already thinking of rest?”
Cheon Hui, who had just descended from the carriage, turned his gaze upon them.
“Stand properly.”
The Hwa Ryeong Dan members instantly stopped their backward collapse and snapped upright.
“Yes, sir!”
“Understood, Master!”
Their expressions froze like statues.
‘I mustn’t provoke his mood!’
‘I must obey his commands without question!’
Having endured martial training of an intensity incomparable to when they’d first departed, sweat beaded on their foreheads.
Meanwhile, the crowd watching them stared at Cheon Hui in astonishment.
“Who, who is that man……?”
“Who? Don’t you know yet? That beautiful face and twin blades! Surely it’s Cheon Hui, the young master of the Maehwa Sword School!”
At someone’s words, the crowd’s eyes sparkled as they gazed upon Cheon Hui.
“Is he the Great Cooperator of the Maehwa Sword School……?”
“My, at such a tender age to have accomplished such deeds—truly remarkable!”
Exclamations poured from every direction.
Yet Cheon Hui paid no mind to the stares of those around him, and as O Chief Manager descended from the carriage, he asked.
“The items we commissioned from the Cheol Gi Bang have arrived, yes?”
O Chief Manager nodded.
“They’ve been placed in the back courtyard.”
“Ah, the back courtyard, you say…….”
Cheon Hui repeated O Chief Manager’s words and let out a soft laugh.
The moment that smile crossed his face, the watching Hwa Ryeong Dan members felt a chill.
“Follow me.”
Cheon Hui spoke briefly and gestured them forward.
The Hwa Ryeong Dan didn’t know why he was calling them along, but they scurried after his retreating back.
Moments later, when they arrived at the back courtyard of the Maehwa Inn, they tilted their heads in confusion.
An odd sight greeted them.
“Rings……?”
“Huh? Is that a sword?”
Scattered across the ground were countless Iron Rings, and some fifty blades lying peacefully on the earth.
Cheon Hui approached the nearest Iron Ring.
“Well now, superbly crafted.”
Studying the Iron Ring, Cheon Hui bent forward and lifted it with one hand in a smooth motion.
He turned the dull blackish Iron Ring, complete with its locking mechanism, this way and that before his eyes, then applied slight pressure with his fingers.
“Solid indeed.”
Cheon Hui’s expression grew satisfied.
“Good weight too. Yes, when you spend coin freely, you get your money’s worth.”
He tossed the ring lightly and caught it repeatedly before suddenly flinging it toward Cheon Hyang.
“Go on, catch it.”
“What?”
The moment Cheon Hyang caught the flying Iron Ring—
“……!”
The arm holding it dropped straight down.
“Huh?!”
Surprised by the unexpectedly heavy Iron Ring, Cheon Hyang hastened to exert herself and lifted her arm.
Cheon Hui watched her and asked.
“How is it? The weight suits you, doesn’t it?”
Cheon Hyang’s brow furrowed.
It wasn’t particularly heavy, but it was certainly not light either.
So “suited weight” wasn’t quite wrong, but rather than agree, Cheon Hyang voiced the doubt now forming in her mind.
“So why are you giving me this?”
“You really don’t know?”
…….
Cheon Hyang fell silent.
In truth, she had some inkling of it.
The rings were plainly fashioned to fit around wrists and ankles, after all.
She was not alone in her realization.
Dan Mok Lin and the members of the Hwa Ryeong Dan, quick to grasp the intent behind these objects from a mere glance, had gone ashen.
At that moment, Cheon Hui surveyed the group and spoke.
“Then shall we all put the Iron Rings on both wrists and ankles?”
Cheon Hui smiled thinly as he said it.
…….
Knowing refusal would be futile, Dan Mok Lin and the Hwa Ryeong Dan members shuffled toward the rings and each picked one up.
And in that instant.
“Huff! The weight…….”
“Ugh…… it’s heavy.”
Their faces twisted with dismay.
The weight exceeded their expectations, and they shot furtive glances at Cheon Hui.
“What are you doing? There’s no time.”
Only hurried words came in response.
Eventually, all of them closed their eyes tight and listlessly fastened the Iron Rings to their wrists and ankles.
“What, why is it so heavy?”
“Ugh! My bones feel like they’re going to snap.”
Groans echoed from all around.
After a brief moment.
“It’s too loose…….”
Cheon Hyang frowned deeply at the Iron Ring on her wrist, finding it quite uncomfortable.
Cheon Hui approached her.
“Hmm? It does seem a bit slack.”
Though he had fastened the lock firmly, Cheon Hui observed how the ring still seemed loose.
“If it stays like this, wielding a sword would be awkward too.”
Cheon Hyang quickly agreed, as if she’d been waiting for this.
At the same time, she suppressed an inward smile.
‘So he’ll tell me to remove it now, right?’
Cheon Hui nodded then.
“True enough. Swinging a sword in this state would only cause wounds.”
Cheon Hyang silently exulted.
‘Excellent!’
She spoke quickly.
“Right? Then let’s take them off for now and have them repaired later…….”
Just as Cheon Hyang’s expression was brightening in anticipation of his agreement, Cheon Hui cut her off.
“Ah, when would there be time for that?”
He promptly grasped Cheon Hyang’s wrist where the ring hung loose. As she looked at him in bewilderment at this sudden gesture.
“……Master?”
Screeeech―
A grating sound tore through the air.
The Iron Ring gradually contracted, and soon fit snugly around Cheon Hyang’s wrist.
“There we are?”
As Cheon Hui released her hand, the ring, now precisely fitted to her wrist, came into her view.
“……yes, yes.”
With that murmured reply, Cheon Hyang bowed her head low, and Cheon Hui, ignoring her entirely, turned his attention to those whose rings still seemed loose.
“Come, give me your hand.”
And just as he had done for Cheon Hyang, he adjusted and fitted the rings firmly.
Once Cheon Hui had tightened each person’s ring in turn, he nodded and spoke.
“Don’t think about removing it now.”
Hwa Ryeong Dan spoke in alarm.
“What?!”
“You mean keep wearing it?”
“Of course. Why else would I have made it and told you to put it on?”
At that, Hwa Ryeong Dan bit her lip.
‘Keep wearing this the whole time?’
‘I won’t even be able to eat properly!’
They exchanged rapid glances.
‘We’ll have to take it off later!’
‘Yes!’
As a few of them began to eye each other with newfound hope—
“Well, you can remove it if you’re able to.”
Cheon Hui shrugged as he spoke.
In that instant, all of them brightened.
“Really?”
“You’re saying we can take it off?”
“If you can manage it.”
Cheon Hyang and Hwa Ryeong Dan drew upon their Internal Force, straining with all their might against the iron rings clenched in their hands.
“Eeeee!”
“Aaaaaah!”
Yet no matter how much Internal Force they poured out or what desperate techniques they tried, the iron rings remained fixed, not budging a fraction.
Watching them, Cheon Hui smiled with knowing amusement and parted his lips.
“Those rings are forged from Kun Iron from the Southern Wastelands. If you possessed the skill and Internal Force to break through that, you wouldn’t need to wear these in the first place.”
At Cheon Hui’s words, all of them froze mid-exertion.
“Kun… Kun Iron?!”
Kun Iron was a metal so hard that even millennia-old steel seemed soft by comparison.
“How did you even manage to forge it into rings…”
“The Cheol Gi Bang did it for me.”
At that, they all squeezed their eyes shut.
If it were any ordinary smithy, it might be impossible—but the Cheol Gi Bang? More than capable.
‘He commissioned the Cheol Gi Bang to make these strange rings?’
‘He’s trying to kill us.’
Despair washed over them all.
With their current Martial Prowess and Internal Force, shattering Kun Iron was unthinkable.
And on top of that, Cheon Hui had fitted them precisely to each of their wrists and locked them fast.
The implication was unmistakable.
Only Cheon Hui could remove these tightly bound iron rings.
‘We’re finished…’
‘If only there were a lock we could pick…’
Cheon Hui swept his gaze across the despairing Hwa Ryeong Dan and clapped his hands lightly.
Clap! Clap!
The sharp sound drew their attention instantly, and Cheon Hui opened his mouth.
“Now that the rings are all fitted.”
He paused and pointed to the swords still scattered across the Back Courtyard.
“Pick up the blades. From now on, each of you will train with one of those swords.”
All of them swallowed hard.
Surely he didn’t mean sword training?
They looked at Cheon Hui with desperate hope in their eyes, but—
“What are you waiting for? Pick them up.”
His indifferent words fell on their ears.
‘Of course. Of course he did.’
Despondent, they moved their trembling hands—quivering from the weight of the iron rings—and carefully grasped the blades.
And the moment they tried to lift them—
“Ugh!”
“This… this is far too heavy…”
Hwa Ryeong Dan’s face contorted.
They were unbearably, impossibly heavy.
But Cheon Hui paid them no mind whatsoever and continued.
“Right, and gather everything else too. I’ll need all of it for the climb up Huashan.”
The members of Hwa Ryeong Dan’s faces darkened like death.
Each of them had been given only four Iron Rings and a single sword.
But to move everything that remained, each person would need to carry at least three times as much.
Just as they began to falter, unable even to lift their swords comfortably, Cheon Hui spoke.
“Don’t like it? Then let’s have the other disciples wait their turn, and for now, only Hwa Ryeong Dan trains first.”
“……?!”
The members of Hwa Ryeong Dan’s eyes widened.
‘What? Only us train first?’
‘That can’t be!’
Fire blazed in their eyes.
They should sink or swim together—that was the way!
They couldn’t possibly do this kind of training alone.
“We’ll carry it all no matter what.”
“Ha ha ha, how could we let only ourselves undertake such wonderful, such excellent training?”
Gritting their teeth, they seized the swords and Iron Rings from the floor however they could.
“Uuuugh!”
So heavy they swayed slightly, yet their eyes burned with resolve.
“W-we’re ready now!”
Seeing them, Cheon Hui smiled.
“Then let’s go.”
As Cheon Hui stepped forward, Hwa Ryeong Dan—clutching the Iron Rings and swords with all their might—followed him, struggling forward with each step.
And so they climbed Huashan.
With each thudding step, they left unmistakably clear footprints along the Mountain Path.
* * *
The Ja Ha Pavilion of Huashan.
Plink, plink—
A thin stream of water continued to flow, gradually filling an empty teacup.
As the pale yellow tea slowly filled the cup, a soft, delicate tea aroma spread rapidly through the Ja Ha Pavilion.
Just as the pavilion became saturated with fragrance, the streaming water stopped abruptly.
The yellow tea in the full cup rippled gently before settling into stillness.
‘This tea is just like Cheon Hui.’
Hyeon Sang, who had poured the tea, gazed at the cup, feeling the delicate aroma tickle his nostrils.
Tea filling a small cup.
A mere handful of sips, and it would vanish—such a small amount.
Yet the tea aroma it released filled the vast Ja Ha Pavilion completely, embracing everything within it.
‘Like Cheon Hui, who alone holds the Huashan Sect in his embrace…….’
Hyeon Sang’s eyes curved into a smile.
Thinking of Cheon Hui, he found himself laughing softly.
‘The Huashan Sect has changed so much because of him.’
What Cheon Hui had accomplished was too numerous to count on both hands.
The restoration of lost Martial Arts, changes like the An Hyang Dan, the destruction of Baek Gwi Seong, and his efforts in Shenxi driving out the Sapa—
It was all thanks to him that the Huashan Sect had gained its present fame and standing.
As he smiled, lost in thoughts of Cheon Hui—
“A fine tea aroma, Sect Master.”
A quiet voice reached his ears.
Pulled from his reverie, Hyeon Sang saw Hyeon Cheong beaming before him and smiled in return.
“I was worried it might be too mild compared to the tea senior brother usually drinks, but I’m glad it pleases you.”
“Ha ha, no, I prefer it this way. With age comes change—lately, strong tea doesn’t sit well with me.”
Hyeon Cheong, speaking with easy humor, reached out his weathered hand to grasp the teacup.
“Hmm.”
With eyes closed, Hyeon Cheong savored the tea.
Perhaps because these were tea leaves dried by the Sect Master’s own hands, they lacked the deep, rich flavor of the famous teas known throughout All Under Heaven.
Instead, they were simple and clean.
And even after drinking, the lingering delicate aroma that continued to tickle his nostrils naturally drew a smile to his lips.
Opening his eyes, Hyeon Cheong spoke.
“I had long heard that my Sect Master was skilled at drying tea leaves, but I never imagined such excellence.”
At his sincere praise, Hyeon Sang smiled humbly.
“I still have much to learn.”
“Do you have any leaves remaining?”
Hyeon Cheong carefully set down the now-empty teacup as he spoke.
“I’d like to share some with the disciples as well.”
“I’ll set aside a generous amount for them.”
Hyeon Sang’s smile deepened.
A few years ago, such a thing would have been unimaginable.
And no wonder—until just recently, Hyeon Cheong had been shut away in Mangyeong Pavilion, living a life cut off from the world.
But things were different now.
Not only was he teaching disciples, but here he was, making provisions for them.
It was a profoundly positive change.
“Thank you.”
“It’s nothing much.”
Hyeon Sang smiled warmly and asked one final question.
“How are the disciples progressing?”
“They’re keeping up reasonably well.”
Despite his measured words, satisfaction shone plainly across Hyeon Cheong’s face.
The moment Hyeon Sang saw that expression, his spirits soared.
If Hyeon Cheong wore such a look, they must have surpassed merely acceptable standards.
‘Excellent.’
Everything was progressing beautifully.
The first and second generation disciples had reached higher levels than before, and now even the third generation was keeping pace—how could he not smile?
Hyeon Sang glanced out the window.
The relentless summer heat had finally broken, and a cool breeze brushed across his cheek.
Summer had passed; autumn had arrived.
Not a cloud marred the sky, and as Hyeon Sang gazed at the heavens—higher now than before—a note of concern crept into his voice.
“They’re running a bit later than expected. I do hope nothing’s gone amiss…….”
“Cheon Hui is traveling with them, isn’t he? There shouldn’t be any serious trouble.”
“……That’s true.”
Hyeon Sang nodded with visible effort.
“Ah! Look! Sect Master!”
A booming shout shook the Ja Ha Pavilion.
Hyeon Sang and Hyeon Cheong turned their heads.
In the distance, Cheon Su, the deputy head of Jaeryeong Pavilion, was rushing toward them at full speed.
“What’s the matter?”
“They’ve arrived!”
Cheon Su caught his breath hastily, then spoke with gleaming eyes.
“Cheon Hui and Dan Mok Lin, along with Hwa Ryeong Dan, have reached Huashan!”
Hyeon Sang and Hyeon Cheong exchanged a glance and rose from their seats at once.
Shortly after.
Upon arriving at the Mountain Gate with Cheon Su, the two found the Huashan Sect disciples arrayed in formation.
Centered around Jeok Geom and Seol Ran, the Bi Geom Dan and Mu Hwa Dan were gazing down toward the base of the Mountain Gate.
How long did they wait?
Thump, thump.
A heavy sound echoed from the distance.
“What on earth is that noise?”
They tilted their heads in confusion, peering more closely at the area below the Mountain Gate.
The moment they made out the source with their own eyes, shock seized them all.
The Hwa Ryeong Dan ascending toward them looked nothing like their usual selves.
Clad in tattered Sect Robes, they were struggling upward with sooty Iron Rings and swords clutched in their arms.
“……What are those things?”
“Iron Rings? And swords too?”
Everyone stared in bewilderment.
“The, the Mountain Gate!”
Cheon Hyang suddenly cried out.
In that instant, the Hwa Ryeong Dan, who had been trudging up the Mountain Path with their heads bowed, suddenly snapped their heads upward.
Everyone held their breath.
Their eyes were tilted upward in an unsettlingly fierce gleam.
“Aaaaaah! Give us these things!”
“Can’t carry them anymore!”
“I won’t die alone!”
As the Hwa Ryeong Dan, their eyes wide and wild, drool hanging from some of their mouths, came into full view, panic seized all those standing at the Mountain Gate.
“Aaaaaah! Let’s go!”
At Cheon Hyang’s urgent cry, the Hwa Ryeong Dan began sprinting forward like madmen.
Thud! Thud!
As the Hwa Ryeong Dan bounded toward them, leaving footprints in their wake, even Hyeon Sang and Hyeon Cheong froze in shock.
Cheon Hui, who had been walking at a leisurely pace, spoke in a calm, satisfied tone.
“Ah, it’s a pleasure to see them striving to grow stronger together.”

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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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