Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect - Chapter 262

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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 262
“Send messenger pigeons at once!”
“Tell all the disciples out on assignment to return immediately!”
The Murim Alliance was in complete upheaval.
War with Sa Heuk Ryeon.
Once it was formally decided through the Martial Assembly, everyone had no choice but to hurry.
Especially the martial artists from sects adjacent to Sa Heuk Ryeon, who sent out their messenger pigeons faster than anyone else, even as anxiety leaked from their words.
But not all were the same.
Some martial artists staying within the Murim Alliance could not hide their joy at the present situation.
“Finally, a chance to show what I’m worth.”
“An opportunity to build my reputation!”
Most of those pleased by news of war were younger martial artists.
Trapped for so long in the age of the Guzhou Three Powerhouses, they were sick to death of it, and none welcomed war more eagerly.
It was their chance to show the world the strength they’d built, their martial arts.
Young and brimming with ambition as they were, how could they not welcome it?
Those proud of their vigor lit up at the news that followed.
“The Separate Detachment, then……”
“The Alliance has drawn its blade.”
Everyone’s attention turned toward it.
Though hastily assembled, the detachment’s scope of operations and composition were extraordinary.
An independent unit of action.
And the commanders leading the Separate Detachment were none other than Ok Gi Rin and Maehwa Sin Hyeop, both renowned throughout the Gangho.
“What do you think, brother? What will you do?”
“Of course I’ll support them. How could men like us let this chance slip away?”
At this news, several lit up with fervor.
They were those who had failed to pass the Third Tier and Fourth Tier entrance examinations of the Murim Alliance.
Of course the mission would be perilous, but for martial artists who hadn’t made it into the Alliance’s Third and Fourth Tiers, it felt like an opportunity instead.
As word spread that the Separate Detachment would be established, young martial artists without affiliation began to gather en masse.
Meanwhile, Cheon Hui, who had just been designated as one of the two commanders of the Separate Detachments roiling the Murim Alliance, was……
“Pardon? You want me to lead the Separate Detachment?”
At Gun Sa’s sudden announcement, Cheon Hui was utterly flabbergasted.
“Are you unwilling?”
“Of course I am.”
Gun Sa spoke with an ambiguous expression.
“What reason do you have?”
“Well, there are several reasons, but the main one I don’t want to do it is……”
Cheon Hui paused mid-sentence, met Gun Sa’s gaze directly, and narrowed his brows.
“It’s bothersome.”
“Bothersome……?”
Gun Sa’s eyebrows twitched.
“You’re refusing this position for that reason alone?”
“That’s reason enough.”
Gun Sa studied Cheon Hui, who showed no interest whatsoever, and narrowed his eyes.
“Other sects have people desperate to take this post.”
At Gun Sa’s words, Cheon Hui fired back as if he’d been waiting for it.
“Then have those people who want to do it do it. Don’t force someone who doesn’t want to. Wouldn’t that be better for everyone?”
“But it won’t work.”
“Why not?”
Gun Sa’s eyes took on a calm light.
“Do you know who the other commander is?”
At the question, Cheon Hui let out a short laugh through his nose.
“I just found out I’m taking over the Separate Detachment. How would I know that?”
“Fair point.”
Gun Sa nodded indifferently.
“The other is Ok Gi Rin.”
“Ok Gi Rin? Ah! The Wudang Sect’s supposed supreme later generation master, and all that……”
That man is the other commander?
Cheon Hui knew Ok Gi Rin quite well.
After all, he was one of the three later generation masters whose name he’d heard until his ears ached.
‘And recently, people have been comparing me to him a lot too.’
As Gun Sa spoke, Cheon Hui recalled how he’d been comparing him to those who’d recently built their reputation.
“Yes, that’s him.”
He then added an explanation.
“In the current Kangho, there are few whose martial prowess and renown rival Ok Gi Rin’s. Perhaps Sa Heuk Ryeon Ju’s youngest disciple Heuk Ya Cha, or Je Gal Clan’s eldest son Cheon Yong—that’s about all. But recently, another name has been rising alongside theirs with similar frequency.”
Gun Sa looked at Cheon Hui with an even more intense gaze as he spoke.
“It’s you.”
When their eyes met, Cheon Hui let out an exasperated sigh, scratching his head.
So it’s about making his reputation higher, then.
Cheon Hui soon stopped scratching and opened his mouth.
“In other words, you’re trying to balance the two Separate Detachments by making me the sect leader with renown comparable to Ok Gi Rin’s.”
“Exactly.”
Gun Sa answered smoothly.
The balance between the two fell perfectly into place.
In fact, the Maehwa Sin Hyeop currently held a higher reputation in Kangho than Ok Gi Rin did.
This was hardly surprising—he had toppled the Nok Rim Dae Je and sent him fleeing.
No matter how much martial prowess Ok Gi Rin possessed, lovingly cultivated as he was by Wudang, his light paled before such an achievement.
But Ok Gi Rin possessed something that more than compensated for this.
‘Wudang stands behind him.’
Wudang and Huashan.
Of course, the Huashan Sect’s reputation had been rising recently, but the gap was stark.
Especially within the Alliance.
‘Currently, only two Daoist masters of the Huashan Sect remain in the Murim Alliance—the Divine Sword of Huashan and the Maehwa Sin Hyeop. Even if reinforcements come later, their numbers will never be substantial.’
Of course, the martial prowess of Huashan was exceptional.
The Divine Sword of Huashan and the Maehwa Sin Hyeop, who had brought down Baek Gwi Seong, possessed enough strength to claim victory against minor sects in direct confrontation.
But ultimately, small numbers remained a constant liability in any situation.
Especially in war—how crucial was numerical strength?
For this reason, regardless of the influence currently wielded by Huashan, their actual combat strength was clearly inferior, and this disparity would only become more pronounced once war began.
“Still, it’s such a bother, though…”
Gun Sa, observing Cheon Hui’s reluctant expression, brought out the words he had prepared to cajole him.
“Of course, I’m not asking you to do this without cause.”
The Separate Detachment was perilously dangerous work.
He would be stepping into the vanguard of war against Sa Hyuk Ryeon, with death lurking at any moment.
How could he simply overlook that?
‘A carrot is essential.’
Gun Sa recalled Cheon Hui as he had been yesterday when visiting the Murim Secret Repository, and his lips curved slightly.
“If you achieve remarkable merit in the Separate Detachment, I will petition the Alliance Lord to grant you entry into the Bi Cheon Library.”
“The Bi Cheon Library?”
Cheon Hui responded immediately.
He’d already felt pleased simply by encountering rare weapons in the Murim Secret Repository—if he could actually enter the Bi Cheon Library…
‘A bother, perhaps, but not unwelcome?’
Cheon Hui deliberated for a moment, then answered.
“Fine, fine. I’ll do it. This Separate Detachment business, whatever.”
“Thank you.”
“Thank me for what? You weren’t going to let me refuse anyway, were you?”
Gun Sa did not answer Cheon Hui’s query, which carried a hint of wry amusement.
But that was answer enough.
It was affirmation.
Cheon Hui, meeting Gun Sa’s unflinching gaze, parted his lips.
“In exchange, if you’re grateful, grant me one thing.”
“What is it?”
“I want to manage the Separate Detachment as I see fit. That’s acceptable, isn’t it?”
Gun Sa’s brow twitched.
“What exactly do you mean by that?”
“Nothing major. I’m going to run the Separate Detachment my own way, so I’d rather you didn’t interfere no matter what happens.”
“…In other words, you’re asking me to hand over all authority regarding the Separate Detachment.”
“Now we’re communicating well.”
“Authority, I see…”
Gun Sa fell silent as if pondering, closing his eyes before nodding shortly after.
“Very well.”
Wait—he’s actually granting this?
It was unexpected.
Though the Separate Detachment was a newly formed unit, it was ultimately a force under the Murim Alliance.
Yet Cheon Hui had never held an official rank within the Murim Alliance, and now he was being appointed as its commander—to do as he pleased was nothing short of extraordinary authority.
“As long as you perform your duties well, I have no complaints. But understand this: despite giving you such sweeping authority, should you fail to carry out your mission properly, you alone will bear that responsibility.”
“That much, I can accept.”
In that moment, Cheon Hui’s lips twisted into a smile.
Gun Sa sensed something unsettling in that expression, but he shook his head and cast off the unease.
Then Cheon Hui asked.
“By the way, have you found the intriguers?”
“The intriguers?”
Gun Sa turned to look at Cheon Hui with a surprised expression.
In their previous conversations, he’d shown no intention of involving himself in the matter, and since he hadn’t brought it up until now, Gun Sa had assumed he had little interest.
Yet here he was, asking about it.
“I haven’t found them completely yet. I’ve only singled out a few.”
Gun Sa answered calmly and added a comment.
“But why do you ask?”
Cheon Hui shrugged at Gun Sa’s puzzled expression.
“Just in case. Surely there are those among the intriguers who would want to join the Separate Detachment, are there not?”
Gun Sa nodded at Cheon Hui’s words, then spoke.
“Sorim, the Ami Sect, Kunlun, and the Sungmu School—we needn’t worry about those four.”
“You seem quite confident they’re safe.”
“They’ve been questioning whether I have any connection to the Bi Cheon Society. If they were intriguers, they wouldn’t bother with such suspicions.”
Gun Sa recalled their lingering scrutiny even after the Martial Assembly had concluded.
“Those four places, then…”
As Cheon Hui stroked his chin in thought, something suddenly came to him, and his eyes crinkled with amusement.
“But this is surprising. The Bi Eun Dang—I understand it to be your own instrument—they’re under suspicion too?”
“The Kangho is a place where you can be wounded by the axe you trust most. One must be most wary of those who are closest.”
Gun Sa delivered a loaded remark.
Ah, so that’s how it is?
Cheon Hui grasped the meaning at once and let out a soft chuckle.
To keep the suspicious ones near…
Then you suspect me too?
Cheon Hui, still smiling, looked at him and spoke.
“So that’s why you’ve left the Vice-Commander in place?”
“You need bait if you want the fish to bite.”
“Quite sturdy bait indeed.”
“The fish is rather large, you see.”
Cheon Hui nodded and changed the subject.
“But how many members are you thinking of for the Separate Detachment?”
“I’m considering up to five hundred.”
“Hmm, five hundred…”
Cheon Hui turned the number over in his mind, scratching his chin.
It was many if you thought of it one way, few if you thought of it another.
“There’s no need to fill exactly five hundred, is there?”
“Do as you please. But the more members, the better. Should numbers drop, there will be gaps that need filling, and it will be difficult to recruit anew each time that happens.”
Gun Sa’s voice was cold.
Or rather, bloodless—for he was treating human lives as mere numbers.
Yet Cheon Hui understood.
In war, people die—that is inevitable. In fact, one must be coldly rational about it.
‘Otherwise, later when someone dies, you won’t be able to handle what comes after.’
War was that ruthless.
Death or survival.
Only one of the two remained.
That was why the one directing from above had to grasp the consequences with absolute clarity.
To prevent the worst catastrophe—the living being dragged down by the dead and perishing in turn.
Then Gun Sa rose to his feet, as if he had finished all he had to say.
“I heard on the way here that Ok Gi Rin immediately began recruiting members for the Separate Detachment upon hearing of his command. You’d do well to hurry with your preparations too.”
With that, he offered one final counsel.
“Otherwise, you’ll lose all the remaining talent in the Murim Alliance to him.”
“Haven’t they all left already?”
But Cheon Hui countered with a smile playing at his lips.
“I’d wager most of the Alliance headed there instead.”
He didn’t need to see it with his own eyes. He knew.
The Wudang Sect was clearly backing Ok Gi Rin with everything they had.
And wasn’t Ok Gi Rin the kind of person who’d cultivated extensive connections across the other sects?
Their starting points couldn’t have been more different.
Cheon Hui’s smile deepened as he murmured.
“Besides, it doesn’t much matter whether talented people show up or not.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Exactly what I said.”
Cheon Hui chuckled and continued.
“I’m not holding my breath anyway.”
“……I see.”
Gun Sa, speaking softly, regarded Cheon Hui with an impassive gaze for a moment.
Then—whoosh.
He drew paper from his sleeve and held it out.
A map?
Cheon Hui was examining the intricately drawn map when his eye landed on one location marked by a large circle.
Gun Sa’s finger slipped into view, pointing to the very spot where Cheon Hui’s gaze had settled.
“That’s where the Separate Detachment will be quartered.”
* * *
“This place? Really?”
Cheon Hui lifted his head to look up at the pavilion before him, his expression clouding with displeasure as he clicked his tongue.
“Isn’t it too run-down?”
The first impression was decidedly poor.
Whether left abandoned for years or not, the pavilion’s eaves—and the gate standing right in front of him—were thick with dust and cobwebs.
Yet he sensed a presence from within.
‘Hmm? That energy…’
A faint smile crossed Cheon Hui’s lips even as the thought formed, and he placed his hand against the gate.
Then he pushed it open with force.
Creak-eeeeak—
The distinctive cry of old wood grated against his ears.
Soon the gate swung fully open.
Thump.
Standing in a courtyard overtaken by weeds, Cheon Hui saw a single figure.
‘For the aura he’s radiating, he’s younger than I’d have guessed.’
A strikingly handsome young man.
The youth, dressed in a Daoist robe of blue and white that evoked the Yin-Yang symbol, belatedly noticed Cheon Hui and his eyes sparkled.
“Amitabha Buddha.”
The young man murmured the traditional greeting, his gentle smile widening as he approached.
“So you are the Little Sect Leader Cheon Hui.”
“And you are?”
At Cheon Hui’s question, the youth’s expression shifted to one of embarrassment, and he scratched the back of his head.
“Forgive me for my rudeness.”
With that, the youth’s demeanor shifted. His face turned serious, and he performed a proper fist salute.
“Amitabha Buddha. This humble daoist is called Il Gwang of the Wudang Sect.”
Cheon Hui’s eyes narrowed slightly as he studied the youth who had just given his name, and his lips curled slowly.
‘So this is Ok Gi Rin.’

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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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