Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect - Chapter 24

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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 24
The day after the great assembly ended, at the Hour of the Tiger.
Cheon Hwi slipped out of Mo Ok while the sky was still dark, well before dawn broke.
It was earlier than his usual rising, and yet his face was radiant with a clear, unmistakable smile.
Everything about him seemed different from usual.
Beneath eyes that gleamed with sharp anticipation, his pupils burned bright with hope, and the hair he ordinarily left loose and tousled now hung in a single neat braid that swayed with each step.
But what caught the eye more than anything was the martial arts robe he wore and the sword that dangled loosely at his waist.
“It’s not the finest blade, but this will do.”
He tapped the sword lightly, then lifted the corner of his robe to examine it, his smile deepening with genuine satisfaction.
“The robe suits me perfectly. I like it.”
The martial arts robe that Hyeon Yeo had prepared for him last night was a harmony of black and crimson—quite different in feeling from the red-and-white robes of the Huashan Sect.
Most striking was the plum blossom embroidered in deep red against a dark ground, creating an air all its own.
“Mm.”
As he walked, inspecting himself, he soon found himself standing on a small ridge and paused to take in his surroundings.
The hour was still early; the world remained dark, and the chill of the night air brushed gently against his cheeks.
Yet even that brought him joy.
Today was the day he would leave the Huashan Sect and see the Central Plains for himself.
“Then…”
Thump.
Speaking these words, he pushed off lightly with his feet.
But what happened next was extraordinary.
Darkness parted as he shot through the gap between them, leaving only a streak of light in his wake.
A single flash of brilliance.
He arrived at the great gates of the Huashan Sect from Mo Ok in a single breath and gazed ahead.
There stood four men and one woman.
They were the Plum Blossom Sword Inspectors who had been selected yesterday to carry out the mission to the Bifeng Trading Company.
“You gathered quickly.”
The five stared at Cheon Hwi, who had appeared as if from a mirage, their eyes widening in shock.
Only for a moment.
“Teacher!”
“You’ve arrived.”
The moment Jeok Geom and Seol Ran recognized who it was, they greeted him warmly despite their initial surprise.
Jeok Geom in particular, knowing that this mission was entangled with the Bifeng Trading Company, wore a broad smile at the sight of Cheon Hwi.
‘I’m relieved the teacher is coming with us.’
He let out a long, relieved breath.
For as difficult as he could be, his martial prowess and skill were beyond question.
“This student bows before Teacher Cheon Hwi.”
“We bow before the teacher.”
The remaining Plum Blossom Sword Inspectors, collecting themselves, bowed toward Cheon Hwi in the manner of Jeok Geom and Seol Ran.
‘A pleasing sight.’
Jang Mun In, who had been watching everything from above with an approving expression, then spoke with profound authority.
“Good—you have all assembled.”
The six of them lifted their gazes upward.
With their eyes fixed on him, Jang Mun In studied each of their faces intently.
Jeok Geom, Seol Ran, Jeok Jae, and Jeok Un.
And Jeok Bi as well.
All of them were reliable disciples.
Yet a small shadow of concern lingered within him.
None of them had ever journeyed to the Central Plains before, and they had never encountered the harsh tempests that filled the Martial Arts World.
‘A touch of worry…’
Then, when his eyes met Cheon Hwi’s at the last, that anxiety dissolved completely.
‘Ah, with Cheon Hwi there, there is nothing to fear.’
His heart lightened considerably, and Jang Mun In spoke in a grave voice.
“Your first journey into the Martial Arts World will be arduous.”
The faces of the Plum Blossom Sword Inspectors grew taut.
The thrill of their first journey mingled with the weight of their title as Inspectors.
Their expressions grew complex—anticipation and excitement over leaving the Huashan Sect soon, mixed with a quiet thread of apprehension.
“But do not worry excessively. You are Plum Blossom Sword Inspectors, are you not?”
Jang Mun In spoke words of encouragement to ease their tension.
Whether by his intent or some grace of fortune, strength kindled anew in the eyes of the Plum Blossom Sword Inspectors.
To them, the Plum Blossom Sword Inspectors were a source of pride and honor. Their eyes brightened as they nodded, and they cried out with force.
“Yes!”
At their spirited response, the smile lingering at Jang Mun In’s mouth bloomed wide.
No further words were needed.
“Take care of yourselves.”
As Jang Mun In closed with those words, Jeok Geom, standing in the center of the five Plum Blossom Sword Inspectors, lifted his head and answered respectfully.
“Understood.”
Watching Jeok Geom answer on their behalf, Cheon Hwi’s mouth twisted for a moment.
‘So Jeok Geom is the representative?’
Cheon Hwi thought it made perfect sense.
In truth, he’d said he would oversee them for the First Journey into Gangho, but that felt like such a hassle at the time.
Yet now, with Jeok Geom appearing to represent the Plum Blossom Sword Inspectors, how convenient it all was for him.
‘Whenever something troublesome comes up, I can just dump it on Jeok Geom.’
Cheon Hwi imagined Jeok Geom foaming at the mouth if he ever found out, then turned his head away.
“Cheon Hwi.”
“Hwi.”
While Jang Mun In spoke, Hyeon Do and Hyeon Yeo, who had been standing quietly in the background, approached.
“Oh? You’ve come.”
Cheon Hwi greeted them warmly as they drew near.
After five years of being close to them, his relationship with both had grown quite intimate.
“Are you truly certain about this?”
Hyeon Yeo was beginning to fret.
“Of course it’s fine, isn’t it?”
Hyeon Do interjected.
Hyeon Yeo’s eyebrows shot up sharply as she looked at Hyeon Do answering on Cheon Hwi’s behalf.
“Brother!”
Her voice rang clear and sharp.
She had opposed the decision to make Cheon Hwi the leader of the journey.
But unlike her, Hyeon Do and Hyeon Cheong had supported it, and in the end, Jang Mun In had raised both their hands and Cheon Hwi’s.
Hyeon Do let out a soft laugh, looking at Hyeon Yeo glaring at him fiercely, and spoke.
“What are you worried about?”
“Of course I’m worried.”
“Even though it’s Cheon Hwi? If it’s Cheon Hwi, then no matter what kind of person appears……”
Hyeon Yeo frowned and spoke.
“You know it too, brother. The Martial Arts World is a place where schemes and stratagems run rampant.”
“That’s true enough.”
Hyeon Do agreed with her words.
Just as she said, the Martial Arts World was a cruel and merciless place, where rules different from those of the ordinary world applied.
But precisely because Hyeon Do had watched Cheon Hwi closely all these years, he harbored no worries about the First Journey into Gangho—only confidence.
“But it’s Cheon Hwi, isn’t it?”
……
Hyeon Yeo fell silent.
She knew Cheon Hwi just as well as Hyeon Do did.
That Cheon Hwi possessed superior martial skill, and that his abilities were difficult even to guess at.
But knowing something in your mind and feeling it in your heart were two entirely different things.
To Hyeon Yeo, Cheon Hwi would always be nothing more than a fragile child.
Whoosh—
“That’s enough!”
Hyeon Yeo glared at Hyeon Do and spoke tersely, then abruptly turned away.
She then rummaged through her sleeve and pulled out a leather pouch, which she pressed into Cheon Hwi’s hand.
“Use this if anything happens.”
Cheon Hwi watched the two bicker for a moment, then immediately tucked the pouch into his sleeve.
“I’ll use it well.”
As Cheon Hwi received farewells and the necessary items for the journey from the two of them,
Thump—thump—
The Plum Blossom Sword Inspectors, who had finished preparing to depart, were also exchanging farewells among themselves.
“Wherever you go, whoever you meet, do not lose your pride as a Plum Blossom Sword Inspector.”
Mu Ryeon, who stood with the two, gravely instructed the Plum Blossom Sword Inspectors.
The Plum Blossom Sword Inspectors’ bodies stiffened.
Mu Ryeon was known throughout the Huashan Sect as a ruthless figure from whom no blood would flow even if pricked with a needle, and he was the one who put them through harsh training every day.
At that moment, Mu Ryeon’s expression shifted.
“But if your life is ever in danger, run without hesitation.”
The Plum Blossom Sword Inspectors were taken aback by Mu Ryeon’s worried tone.
The concern in his voice and manner struck them as something entirely foreign—he had always driven them forward with cold, relentless training.
“The most precious thing in all the world is your lives.”
Whether Mu Ryeon knew what they were thinking or not, he touched each of their shoulders gently, his hand movements soft as he encouraged them onward.
After they had finished exchanging farewells,
“Then we shall take our leave.”
The moment the time came, Cheon Hwi pushed open the gate and stepped outside. The Plum Blossom Sword Inspectors, arrayed behind him, followed, and soon they began their descent down the mountain.
Thud—thud—
Jang Mun In and the elders watched the six figures descend with vigorous strides, their expressions clouded with worry. They pressed their palms together in salute.
“Amitabha Buddha.”
“May they all return safely.”
* * *
More than half a month had passed since they’d set out.
Hamyang County, which had felt so distant when they departed, now loomed just ahead.
Jeok Geom, eager to arrive as quickly as possible, had spared no expense in hastening their journey.
Thrilled at their imminent arrival at the Bifeng Trading Company, Jeok Geom could contain his excitement no longer.
“Ha ha! Thank goodness we made good time by taking a boat—we’ve saved days on the road.”
Perhaps because he was returning to familiar territory, Jeok Geom’s face was alight with joy.
He drew closer to Cheon Hwi, who was walking beside him, and began chattering away.
“Master, do you know? Our Bifeng Trading Company is among the finest trading houses that span Shaanxi. Over the past twenty years, through the routes connecting Shaanxi and Shanxi, we’ve conducted a great many transactions—”
Jeok Geom was explaining the Bifeng Trading Company in great detail to Cheon Hwi.
And just beside them, Seol Ran kept pace, poised and ready to execute whatever command Cheon Hwi might issue.
From behind, Jeok Un, Jeok Jae, and Jeok Bi watched the three of them with expressions of bewilderment, their brows furrowed.
‘Why do Jeok Geom and Seol Ran keep watching for Cheon Hwi’s reaction?’
It was the question that hung unspoken among them all.
Throughout the journey, Jeok Geom and Seol Ran had been uncertain, constantly gauging Cheon Hwi’s mood.
As if they were approaching Jang Mun In himself.
Of course, they knew that five years ago at the Five Mountains Conference, Cheon Hwi had displayed a Divine Stance so remarkable that he had preserved Jeok Geom’s reputation from ruin.
But that was five years past.
At the Five Mountains Conference that had been held recently, the Huashan Sect had reclaimed its former glory, and its influence resonated far and wide.
Moreover, Jeok Geom and Seol Ran had demonstrated remarkable growth, approaching the very pinnacle of skill among the Plum Blossom Sword Inspectors stationed at the Huashan Sect.
Cheon Hwi, by contrast, had been silent.
So silent that, beyond what had happened five years ago, no one even knew his current martial prowess or how he was faring.
‘Five years have surely dulled the memory.’
‘What is their connection, really?’
‘Does Cheon Hwi know something about him?’
As the three of them struggled to comprehend the subtle relationship,
“In the past twenty years we’ve expanded greatly and built this new annex. We’ve also distributed grain to the common folk in the region—”
As Jeok Geom continued his explanation, Cheon Hwi raised his index finger and pointed westward.
“That way, right?”
Jeok Geom’s eyes widened in surprise.
“How did you know?”
“I can see it.”
“……!”
The Plum Blossom Sword Inspectors were astonished—Cheon Hwi spoke as though he could see through to the Bifeng Trading Company, which lay nearly two hundred paces away.
Yet Cheon Hwi showed no concern.
It was only natural to him.
“Hmm?”
At that moment, Cheon Hwi’s brow tightened.
“We need to hurry.”
“Sir?”
“There’s a fight happening.”
Jeok Geom’s face drained of color.
“I—I’ll go ahead immediately!”
Drawing on his inner energy, Jeok Geom swiftly deployed the Five Elements Plum Blossom Step and rushed forward.
“I’ll follow as well.”
Seeing Jeok Geom dash away, Seol Ran quickly rushed after him.
As the remaining Plum Blossom Sword Inspectors hurried to follow suit, Cheon Hwi watched them go, his lips curling as he sensed the aura emanating from the distant Bifeng Trading Company.
“Killing Intent…….”
After so long without feeling such a presence, Cheon Hwi drove his foot into the earth with a grin spreading across his face.

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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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