Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect - Chapter 250

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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 250
“Sect Master!”
“Sect Master! You’re safe!”
“Master!”
“Sect Master!”
Hyeon Sang watched as those calling out to him hurried forward in urgency.
It was Hyeon Do, Hyeon Jin, and Cheon Yu—the senior disciples of the sect—and their appearance could only be described as pitiful.
Their sect robes were drenched in sweat, and the leather shoes they wore were so worn and tattered that their grimy soles were plainly visible.
Had they not been wearing Huashan Sect robes, Hyeon Sang would have mistaken them for beggars from Gae Bang.
And at the head of the group, approaching with long strides, was one who radiated an overwhelming presence merely by being seen.
“Mmm…….”
Hyeon Sang let out a low sound in his throat.
Perhaps it was because he hadn’t seen him in so long.
Or perhaps because of his current state.
Even though Hyeon Sang knew the approaching figure was his disciple, when they drew near and faced each other, he felt overwhelmed by the ferocity etched into those features.
‘He’s grown even more formidable than before.’
Hyeon Do’s appearance was wild.
He seemed even more like a man of the wilderness than Nok Rim Dae Je himself.
And well he might—look at him now.
Tangled hair and a thick, unkempt beard spreading out in all directions.
His face bore such a ferocious expression that one shrank back at the sight of it, and it burned with barely restrained rage.
His sweat-soaked sect robe clung to his frame, only emphasizing the powerful muscles beneath.
Hyeon Sang offered an awkward smile to his imposing disciple.
“It’s been a long time.”
“S-Sect Master, what of the attack?”
At Hyeon Do’s urgent question, Hyeon Sang tilted his head and parted his lips.
“Nok Rim? They’ve been driven back. The news has spread far and wide by now—didn’t you hear?”
“Is that true?! Thank heavens…….”
Hyeon Do began to relax, then caught himself.
A retreat didn’t mean the matter was over.
“Then there are no wounded, or perhaps those who…….”
Hyeon Do couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence.
He didn’t want to speak the worst possibility aloud.
“You needn’t worry needlessly.”
Hyeon Sang understood his disciple’s heart and spoke with a gentle smile.
“There are no dead among our disciples.”
The moment those words left his mouth.
Thump—
Hyeon Jin and the other senior disciples collapsed directly onto the ground.
All the tension drained from them at once.
“We’re……alive then.”
“Phew, didn’t I tell you?”
As they broke into relieved laughter.
“But you arrived quickly.”
Hyeon Sang spoke as he looked at them.
The Murim Alliance was located in Hubei, far from Huashan. The distance was so great that arriving in four days should have been nearly impossible…….
“With danger afoot, how could we delay?”
At Hyeon Do’s words, Hyeon Jin and the other disciples sitting on the ground nodded weakly in agreement.
They had truly deployed the Divine Movement Technique with all their desperation.
Without pausing to eat or drink, driven by nothing but the thought of reaching Huashan as quickly as possible.
They hadn’t slept—only run.
Thanks to their efforts, they had crossed a distance that would normally have taken over ten days in just four.
Tap. Tap.
Hyeon Sang patted the shoulder of Hyeon Do, the only one still standing, and spoke quietly.
“……You’ve endured much.”
“Not I. Hyeon Jin and the younger disciples—they suffered most.”
Hyeon Sang nodded at those words.
“You’ve all endured much.”
As the disciples broke into weary smiles at Hyeon Sang’s words.
“It’s been a long time.”
A voice crept through the gap.
“Cheon Hui!”
Hyeon Do broke into a bright smile.
But he was not alone.
Hyeon Jin and the senior disciples, who had been sitting slumped on the ground, struggled to their feet and approached Cheon Hui with respectful greetings.
“It’s been too long, Master.”
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Master, please. Would you ever get hurt? If anything, the ones who fought you deserve our pity.”
“Ha, there’s truth in that.”
Cheon Hui’s eyes gleamed as he watched the senior disciples speak so warmly.
“Wait—all of you have exhausted your Internal Force?”
“We just kept running without stopping…….”
“The Internal Force drained away.”
Cheon Yu and the disciples answered with sheepish laughs.
Was it only their Internal Force that had been depleted?
Every inch of their bodies was utterly spent.
“Then, would you like to take some Spirit Medicine? It seems perfect for a situation like this.”
“What? Spirit Medicine?”
“You have Spirit Medicine?”
“Then of course we’ll take it!”
“You’ll give it to us?”
“Absolutely, we’ll take it.”
Starting with Cheon Yu, the senior disciples spoke urgently, afraid he might refuse.
“Why would I refuse Spirit Medicine?”
“Everyone would be desperate for it if they had none.”
“Here, take these.”
Cheon Hui immediately drew out An Hyang Dan pills from his robes and distributed them among the senior disciples.
“It looks unusual.”
“Did our sect have Spirit Medicine like this?”
Everyone tilted their heads in confusion.
They had never seen such pills before—so dark they gleamed with an almost sinister sheen.
“If you don’t want to take it, I can take it back…….”
“Once you’ve given it, it’s mine now.”
The moment Cheon Hui made a motion to retrieve them, Cheon Yu quickly popped the An Hyang Dan into his mouth and swallowed.
The rest followed suit and swallowed as well.
Hehehehe—
Cheon Hui smiled with a sinister glee, like a fisherman who’d just hooked a prize catch.
“Huh? Why are you smiling like that—Ugh!”
Cheon Yu, sensing something amiss in Cheon Hui’s enigmatic smile, opened his mouth to ask, but a sudden cramp seized his stomach; he doubled over, clutching his belly with wide eyes.
‘No, surely not…….’
His gaze swept across those around him.
Then horror struck.
It was not him alone.
All the disciples who had taken the pills had gone ashen, their faces draining of color.
And then—
Gurgle—gurgle—
Their stomachs erupted with thunderous sounds.
For four days they had eaten nothing; there was nothing to expel—yet their bellies rumbled on relentlessly.
Cheon Yu, unable to endure it further, gasped out his words.
“G-gasp, H-Hui. What exactly did you…….”
“Why, it’s Spirit Medicine.”
Cheon Hui replied with perfect composure.
“Though it does have a touch of toxin.”
“T-toxin?”
“No, it’s not strong at all. Just enough to cause a little stomach upset……?”
The world went dark before Cheon Yu’s eyes, and the same befell all the senior disciples.
It was their first return to Huashan in ages.
And this was how they arrived.
They gazed frantically about their surroundings.
And they saw.
The faces of the second-generation disciples, watching from a distance with pity.
‘If you know, you should tell them!’
That was when Cheon Hui’s voice rang out.
“Oh right, do you remember what I said before I left the Murim Alliance?”
‘Something he said before leaving the Murim Alliance…?’
Cheon Yu and the first-generation disciples’ faces visibly stiffened.
“Your skills haven’t improved as much as I expected.”
“That is… well….”
Cheon Yu laughed awkwardly at Cheon Hui’s follow-up remark.
For a few days after Cheon Hui left, they’d trained diligently enough, but their naturally laid-back temperament would out.
“I told you before that if your skills hadn’t improved, I’d increase the training intensity, remember?”
Along with those words, Cheon Hui grinned. Then he swept his gaze over Cheon Yu and the disciples before shrugging and adding more.
“We can talk about everything else later—first, let’s start with Breathing Cultivation. If you don’t master it now, you’re going to regret it.”
“……!”
Cheon Yu and the disciples flinched.
Regret it? That could mean only one thing….
They swallowed hard.
“What, you’re not doing it? Should I go fetch the Sect Robes instead?”
At those chilling words, Cheon Yu and the disciples—no one waiting for the other—dropped into cross-legged sitting positions.
‘No, no! I’ll be a laughingstock for life!’
‘Anything but that!’
The moment they all settled into their cultivation, Cheon Hui turned his attention elsewhere.
“Would you elders like some as well?”
Cheon Hui offered An Hyang Dan to Hyeon Do and Hyeon Jin, who stood awkwardly nearby.
“No, that won’t be necessary.”
“Ahem, I’m quite fine, thank you.”
Both men refused while breaking into cold sweat.
“Your Internal Force will accumulate considerably.”
At those words, both men were tempted for a moment, but then shook their heads firmly.
“Merely accumulating Internal Force isn’t everything.”
“Excess is as bad as deficiency.”
No matter how much Internal Force one amassed, without the ability to control it properly, it was nothing but useless ornament.
“I see.”
Finding their refusal awkward to press further, Cheon Hui clicked his tongue regretfully.
“Come to me if you need it later.”
As Cheon Hui was putting the An Hyang Dan back into his pocket, something seemed to occur to him.
“Come to think of it, this works out perfectly. I’ve been short-handed anyway, so if I put them to work while they train at the same time, it’ll be ideal.”
In that instant, Cheon Yu and the disciples trembled with a sense of foreboding, and Cheon Hui looked around thoughtfully before muttering to himself.
“Where did I put those Iron Rings and Iron Sword I released before the assault?”
* * *
Deep in the heart of the Murim Alliance.
In a quiet, peaceful chamber, two men sat across from each other at a single table.
One of them—a man whose hair was equally mixed black and white, making it impossible to tell whether he was elderly or middle-aged—spoke.
“Nok Rim has retreated.”
At the words of Je Gal Goong, the military strategist of the Murim Alliance, the eyes of Sim Ui Geom Hyeop, the Alliance Lord seated opposite him, narrowed to slits.
“Remarkable.”
The Lord’s voice carried a note of admiration.
“So Nok Rim has fallen to Huashan’s hand, just as Baek Gwi Seong did.”
“Nok Rim has not yet been completely destroyed, my lord.”
Je Gal Goong corrected him.
“There is a report that Nok Rim Dae Je escaped with his life.”
“Ha, what’s the difference?”
The Lord stroked his well-groomed facial hair thoughtfully before continuing.
“He attacked and then fled—it amounts to the same thing.”
“Still, as long as he lives, Nok Rim will eventually gather strength again.”
“No need for concern.”
The Lord’s voice turned cold.
Like the edge of a sharp blade.
“As a martial artist, he is already dead.”
At those decisive words, the strategist fell silent.
“But who drove back Nok Rim Dae Je? The Huashan Divine Sword is with the Alliance.”
“We haven’t confirmed it with complete certainty yet, but there is one person we suspect.”
“Who?”
“A martial artist named Maehwa Sin Hyeop.”
The Alliance Leader’s eyes grew grave.
“Maehwa Sin Hyeop… a name that shone when we fought for supremacy in Shenxi.”
“That is correct.”
“You have reason to think so?”
“When the Huashan Divine Sword and Bi Yeon Geom Gun attacked Baek Gwi Seong, Maehwa Sin Hyeop was there as well.”
At the strategist’s words, the Alliance Leader’s beard twitched.
“Heh, I thought there must be someone lending aid from the shadows. Has Huashan raised yet another master?”
The Alliance Leader’s eyes narrowed and opened, narrowed and opened again.
“I’m curious who this person is.”
“He bears the Sect Token of Cheon Hui and is a direct disciple of the Huashan Sect.”
The strategist answered readily, as if he had been waiting for the question.
“He is in his early twenties, I’m told, and also serves as the Chief Director of the newly established Third Division of the Huashan Sect.”
“Who is his master?”
“It is Hyeon Gang Ja.”
“The Plum Blossom Sword Swordmaster?”
“Yes.”
The Alliance Leader’s eyes widened slightly.
It was a name he had not anticipated at all.
“Interesting information indeed. Is there anything else?”
“That is all the known information.”
“That is all, then.”
The Alliance Leader’s voice grew quiet.
“Yong Ju Gae must have moved. It appears he used his influence.”
The strategist nodded in agreement.
“Since Huashan and Gae Bang have joined hands, they will have already cut off all information about him from that side.”
“I see.”
The Alliance Leader asked nothing further.
With the Gae Bang’s Master having used his influence, it was impossible to obtain more information.
“What of Sa Hyuk Ryeon?”
“They are beginning to waver somewhat.”
The Alliance Leader laughed aloud.
“Gha-gha-gha, even the Lord of Sa Hyuk Ryeon cannot endure this, it seems.”
“How could they?”
The strategist’s mouth twisted.
“They brought Nok Lim into the fold—a force they had always scorned—to maintain the balance of the Guzhou Three Powerhouses, only for it to end in failure.”
“The Huashan Sect is helping us.”
As the Alliance Leader spoke with a faint smile, the strategist’s brow creased.
“But a problem has arisen.”
“A problem?”
“Nok Lim’s attacks have intensified lately, and voices are rising among the young martial artists within the Alliance questioning whether we should step in. Some of the more aggressive ones are even arguing that we should fight Sa Hyuk Ryeon.”
The Alliance Leader’s eyebrows twitched.
“The plan will go awry.”
What he desired was the fracture of the Nine Major Sects and Four Unorthodox Schools.
But if a common enemy emerged like this, the Nine Major Sects and Four Unorthodox Schools would unite their strength.
While the Alliance Leader sat in quiet thought about this unexpected turn, the strategist leaned in close.
“There is something strange about this matter.”
The strategist paused briefly, gathered his breath, and continued with what he had left unsaid.
“Until not long ago, there was no such talk at all. But from a certain point onward, it suddenly grew quite loud. It is as if someone is deliberately spreading it.”
The Alliance Leader reacted immediately to that remark.
“Intrigue.”
The strategist nodded silently in agreement.
Seeing that nod, the Alliance Leader’s eyes gleamed and a cold smile played at the corners of his mouth.
“They want war with Sa Hyuk Ryeon. At last, they’ve shown their tail.”
The Alliance Leader fixed the strategist with a sharp look and asked.
“Is there a way to catch them?”
“There is one way.”
“Tell me,” he said.
“We’re convening a Martial Assembly council to decide whether to wage war against Sa Hyuk Ryeon.”
The strategist’s eyes narrowed to slits as he spoke.
“If they’re the ones who wish to see the Guzhou Three Powerhouses crumble, they won’t be able to pass up an opportunity like this.”

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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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