Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect - Chapter 263

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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 263
Ok Gi Rin’s sunburst.
One of the three Later Generation Masters under All Under Heaven, a masterwork honed with all the heart and soul of the Wudang Sect of this age—a jade among stones.
‘Unexpected.’
According to what Cheon Hui heard from the strategist, Ok Gi Rin was busy recruiting personnel for the Special Unit these days.
Yet for him to come all the way here despite that busy situation.
‘He must have some purpose.’
When Cheon Hui stared through him.
“It’s good to see you.”
Just then, Ok Gi Rin lifted his head.
With his crisp features and stalwart frame, he held a smile at the corner of his lips.
Whatever else might be said, his smiling face alone seemed perfectly suited to the epithet “Ok Gi Rin”—Jade Radiance.
Cheon Hui opened his mouth.
“What brings you here?”
It was a direct question.
‘Better to ask straight than dance around it endlessly.’
Ok Gi Rin hadn’t expected him to ask so bluntly right after exchanging greetings; surprise flashed across his face for a moment before he settled.
“Like Bin Do, having become a Special Unit commander myself, I came to see the face of Do—the other commander.”
Ok Gi Rin replied coolly.
“As fellow commanders of the Special Unit, wouldn’t it be better to become acquainted as soon as possible?”
He spoke with goodwill.
From now on, they would be comrades fighting together in an all-out war against Sa Hyuk Ryeon.
Judging that there was no harm in growing closer, he had carved out the time to come.
But there was something he had overlooked.
He had come without understanding anything about the man he was speaking to—Cheon Hui.
“Well, you’ve seen my face. That’s done then.”
Cheon Hui answered flatly.
Become acquainted?
There was no such intention from the start.
“Now, if you don’t mind—I’m about to start recruiting, so I’m rather busy.”
At Cheon Hui’s blunt words, Ok Gi Rin’s expression filled with bewilderment. It was treatment he had never received before.
Wherever he went, he had been welcomed, but this cold dismissal.
‘The atmosphere is quite different from what I’ve heard.’
Ok Gi Rin narrowed his eyes.
This was a name he had heard spoken often enough to make his ears ache.
The savior of Shenxi.
The new star of Kangho who defeated Nok Lim Dae Je.
And the man his own sect had recently been crying out to restrain and watch.
‘The Plum Blossom Divine Art user…….’
His eyes, fixed on Cheon Hui, grew endlessly deeper, shining with a luminous gleam.
He scrutinized him carefully to understand him, but could not fathom what lay within.
Despite standing right before him, all was dark—as if he were peering into an abyss.
‘……I can’t tell.’
Ok Gi Rin shook his head after all.
“Ha ha, you’re rather reserved, aren’t you?”
Having reached his own conclusion, Ok Gi Rin smiled and took a proper Fist Salute with courtesy.
“Then we shall meet again later.”
With those words, he withdrew without even waiting for Cheon Hui’s reply.
‘My purpose is already achieved anyway.’
He felt it sufficient merely to have seen Cheon Hui in person, whose name was carried on every tongue, and he promptly slipped out of the Pavilion.
Meanwhile, Cheon Hui watched Ok Gi Rin recede into the distance.
‘His martial prowess is exceptional, though.’
His gaze pierced through Ok Gi Rin.
The subtle Internal Force flowing from his entire being was intense and sharp—proof that he was not called “Ok Gi Rin” for nothing.
Especially, the depth of his Internal Force was considerable.
It was as if the Wudang Sect had fed him every elixir and wonder elixir under the sun; the depth of his Internal Force was immeasurable and vast.
‘That one called Cheon Yong already exceeded the Later Generation Master level, and this one is no small matter either.
.’
The Internal Force and Energy Waves subtly on display.
They had already transcended the framework of Later Generation Master.
But that was all.
‘His head’s completely in the clouds.’
Cheon Hui muttered sourly under his breath, regarding the young man with displeasure.
The Wudang Sect had cherished him so carefully that he remained utterly unspoiled, his spirit crystalline and pure.
In times of peace, such innocence might have been admirable—but in this moment, it was catastrophic.
Kangho, after all, was a world where one traversed the razor’s edge between life and death, a landscape of swords and daggers.
It was not weapons alone that could steal a man’s breath—three inches of tongue and cunning deception were just as lethal.
And yet the leader was naive?
What could be more dangerous than that?
‘Drowned in peace.’
Cheon Hui clicked his tongue—
“Hmm?”
He sensed a presence approaching from outside.
Not just one.
Dozens of presences, at least.
Cheon Hui’s gaze turned toward the Main Gate.
Dust suddenly billowed where Ok Gi Rin had long since slipped away through it.
Moments later, dozens of figures came rushing through the gateway in a clamor.
“Please, please accept me!”
“Master!”
* * *
Shortly after, the area before the Pavilion was swarming with people.
“This is more than I expected?”
Cheon Hui gazed out through the open Main Gate at the line that continued beyond sight.
The queue stretched so far that its end was impossible to discern.
“Let’s see.”
Cheon Hui surveyed those who had gathered.
Most of those in line wore unfamiliar Martial Robes—later generation masters, by and large.
Since they had not yet taken on leadership roles within their sects, they seemed to feel no hesitation about challenging this Special Unit.
‘First-rate caliber, roughly?’
Cheon Hui assessed their Martial Prowess with a sweep of his eyes.
He stroked his chin.
Their skill left him unimpressed.
But there was no help for it.
The finest later generation masters from each sect would already have earned their place in the upper echelons or taken on executive positions within their own factions.
‘Still, there are a few worth using.’
Cheon Hui’s eyes found a handful among them.
Not all riffraff had gathered here—a few carried a distinctly commanding presence.
‘Almost none from the Nine Major Sects and Four Unorthodox Schools.’
As expected.
Those who had come from the Nine Major Sects and Four Unorthodox Schools carried a weaker, fainter aura than the rest.
Still, a few caught his eye.
‘Gae Bang and Jongnam, and that one as well.’
Cheon Hui’s gaze fixed on three figures in turn.
A beggar clad in filthy rags who proclaimed himself of Gae Bang, and beside him a Daoist from the Jongnam Sect in Sect Robes, lost in quiet contemplation.
And a Daoist from the Cheong Seong Sect, emanating a dark and brooding atmosphere from head to toe.
‘There are a few among the rest as well.’
As Cheon Hui continued to study the gathered line, several of them began to shift restlessly.
“When do we start?”
“I wish we could begin soon.”
They were growing impatient.
And with reason—they had heard that Ok Gi Rin’s Special Unit had already filled most of its positions, so anxiety gnawed at them.
“I have to pass this trial…”
“I’ve staked everything on this.”
Determination flickered in their eyes.
A Special Unit for the vanguard.
It was undoubtedly a perilous assignment, one where lives hung in balance—but the rewards were equally substantial.
Watching these figures from different sects ignite with fervent hope, a smile played at Cheon Hui’s lips.
Then he opened his mouth.
“Welcome.”
A calm voice flowed out.
Yet those who heard it were seized by wonder and astonishment.
For the voice seemed to whisper directly into each person’s ear, burrowing deep into their minds.
‘Tremendous control of Internal Force!’
‘The rumors weren’t exaggerated at all……!’
‘We made the right choice picking the Plum Blossom Divine Art over Ok Gi Rin!’
Just as everyone trembled and flooded with joy at Cheon Hui’s casually demonstrated skill.
“I’m glad you’ve come to join the Special Unit, but there’s one thing you need to follow.”
The moment Cheon Hui finished speaking, everyone swallowed hard.
Their eyes asked silently: what could it be that warranted such dramatic buildup?
Cheon Hui smiled faintly and continued.
“You must follow my orders, no matter what they are. Even if they lead you into fire. If you can’t do that, you’re free to leave right now.”
The tension drained from the group.
“Phew, I thought it was something serious.”
“That much is nothing…….”
They exchanged glances and laughed.
Fighting on the front lines was what they’d signed up for.
Of course they had to accept that risk.
“Well then, I’ll take it that everyone agrees. If anyone refuses an order…….”
Cheon Hui paused mid-sentence and half-closed his eyes.
“Then be prepared for what comes.”
Everyone’s heart tightened.
Some began to wonder if they’d made a mistake in choosing to come here.
“You two at the front, come here.”
Cheon Hui flicked his fingers immediately.
The two youths standing at the very front of the Main Gate rushed forward as if they’d been waiting.
They grew nervous upon seeing Cheon Hui.
‘This is the Plum Blossom Divine Art…….’
‘The one who defeated Nok Lim Dae Je.’
Both of them marveled inwardly.
In their eyes, Cheon Hui was a dazzlingly brilliant figure.
Though he appeared to be around their own age, he had supposedly defeated Nok Lim Dae Je, a supreme master—how could admiration not well up inside them?
As a solemn atmosphere settled over the group.
“Huh? What are you doing? Aren’t you going to introduce yourselves?”
Cheon Hui tossed out the words casually.
The two of them flinched in surprise, snapped to rigid attention, and shouted loudly.
“Go Young Moon’s Ga Go Jeong!”
“Soong Mu Moon’s Na Jung Hwan!”
Cheon Hui gazed at them steadily as they bellowed their names.
Under his stare, both tensed visibly, their minds racing through possibilities about what test awaited them.
After he’d watched them for a while.
Cheon Hui smiled at the pair.
“You’re disqualified. Both of you, leave.”
Faced with the sudden verdict, the two stood dumbfounded for a moment before reacting belatedly.
“D-disqualified?!”
“W-what do you mean?”
As they cried out, their faces flushing red, Cheon Hui scratched his ear and waved them away dismissively as if annoyed.
“Disqualified is disqualified. Leave.”
At his words, Ga Go Jeong clenched his teeth, his eyes trembling.
“What is your reason?”
“My inclination.”
“What kind of——!”
“Is that even an answer?!”
As the two virtually shrieked at him, Cheon Hui spoke matter-of-factly.
“If you don’t like it, challenge me yourself for the position.”
…….
Ga Go Jeong found himself at a loss for words.
After a moment, he trembled.
“Understood!”
He ground his teeth and turned away at once.
“So the rumors were just hot air. They said Plum Blossom Divine Art was a master, so I rushed here ahead of Ok Gi Rin’s unit, and look at the state of things now.”
He continued shouting as he left, making sure the others could hear.
“You’ll regret this later!”
Cheon Hui watched him go, cursing to the very end, and waved a dismissive hand.
“Fine, so run along, would you?”
“……Tch!”
As Ga Go Jeong kicked at the hapless ground.
“Master.”
Na Jung Hwan, still unwilling to let it go, called to Cheon Hui with measured composure.
“Is that truly the only reason I’ve been rejected?”
“It is.”
“…….”
For a moment, Na Jung Hwan’s brow furrowed.
He too had come here drawn by the reputation of Plum Blossom Divine Art, and this treatment left a bitter taste in his mouth.
“I’m disappointed.”
His face hardened, and he turned away.
But Cheon Hui paid it no mind.
Instead, he looked back at those standing in line and flicked his finger.
“Next two.”
At those words, everyone flinched.
“Could there be predetermined candidates?”
“Has he already made his selection?”
A few murmured their suspicions.
And no wonder—he’d rejected them outright without any test, without any conversation.
As doubt rippled through the crowd.
“Amitabha Buddha. If I may be so bold, might this humble monk take the test first?”
“I will go.”
Two figures stepped forward with confidence.
They were from the Nine Major Sects and Four Unorthodox Schools.
A monk from Sorim and a Daoist from Jongnam approached Cheon Hui with steady strides.
“Amitabha Buddha. I am Ho Young of Sorim.”
“I am Go Goong of Jongnam.”
Cheon Hui swept his eyes over the two standing before him, their names spoken with evident pride.
Then a smile crossed his face.
Seeing that smile, both were certain they had passed.
“Rejected.”
The words fell from Cheon Hui like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
“What do you……?!”
“R-rejected, you say?”
Cheon Hui gazed at them unmoved as they struggled to comprehend, and spoke.
“Did you truly think I would choose based on your affiliations?”
Ho Young and Go Goong startled at the question.
But soon Go Goong collected himself with urgency and asked.
“Then why have you cast us down?”
“Why? What kind of ‘why’ is that?”
Cheon Hui, watching them still struggling to grasp the situation, let out a scoff.
“You simply displeased me.”

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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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