Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect - Chapter 270

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 270
A pavilion within the Murim Alliance.
“You’re asking me to personally oversee both Special Units?”
Vice Commander Seol Geom could hardly conceal his surprise at the sudden, unannounced proposal from Commander Je Gal Goong.
It was an altogether unexpected development.
And with good reason—the Special Units had been established on the Commander’s own initiative.
However hastily assembled, they were destined to operate at the vanguard of the Murim Alliance’s forces, and their reputation would surely grow in time.
He had assumed the Commander would oversee them directly. To hand them over to him instead?
Any other man would have leapt at the opportunity, but Seol Geom’s first instinct was suspicion rather than acceptance.
The man before him was no one else—his mind rivaled the sharpest in All Under Heaven.
He would not simply surrender his hand without reason.
‘What’s he scheming?’
Seol Geom studied Je Gal Goong across from him.
Despite the radical nature of his proposal, the Commander’s demeanor remained as indifferent as always.
His eyes, his expression, the very air around him—all of it.
Calm as still water, serene as a mirror.
And such composure only deepened Seol Geom’s suspicion.
“……Is there a reason?”
Seol Geom asked directly.
To hedge and dance around the subject would only expose his own misgivings.
Then the Commander’s lips parted.
“What reason would there be?”
His voice came flat and emotionless.
“I alone lack the time and capacity to command all the Alliance’s forces. I need to borrow your strength.”
Seol Geom’s eyes narrowed slightly.
The explanation made rough sense.
The Alliance’s ranks were hardly small.
Certainly the Commander could manage them all, but in wartime, with every hour pressing, even he would find it taxing.
Tracking unit movements, allocating personnel.
Monitoring Sa Hyuk Ryeon’s actions and schemes.
The sheer volume of information would be too vast for one man to process alone.
And in war, that was a matter of grave importance.
To convey information swiftly, to act decisively—that was the path to victory.
“If you refuse, I’ll find someone else.”
At the Commander’s quiet words, Seol Geom roused himself from his thoughts and spoke.
“I will take charge.”
Suspicion lingered, but he could not refuse.
The offer was too compelling.
“Good.”
As if he had already anticipated such a response, the Commander rose from his seat with natural ease.
“You’re leaving already?”
“I came for this conversation.”
“At least have some tea—”
The Commander, regarding Seol Geom as he reached casually for the teapot, simply turned away.
“Next time.”
With that, he wasted no moment, opened the door, and stepped outside.
Tap, tap.
The sound of footsteps beyond the closed door grew fainter and eventually faded away.
“……Special Units, then.”
Seol Geom murmured, reaching toward the documents on the table before him.
An unexpected force had fallen into his hands.
“I should examine this carefully.”
Still murmuring to himself, Seol Geom began to read the documents methodically.
The page was dense with writing.
Within this thin sheaf lay waves of information about the Special Units.
Pages turned rapidly.
Having read through all the documents in that brief span, Seol Geom set them down and picked up his whisk.
Tap, tap.
Light, rhythmic taps against his neck with the whisk, Seol Geom’s gaze drifted to two of the documents.
“Ok Gi Rin and the Plum Blossom Divine Art practitioners.”
His gaze fixed on the two names written at the top of the documents.
“This will prove quite troublesome.”
Seol Geom tapped the table with his whisk.
They were considerably delicate individuals to handle.
Both of them were currently earning formidable reputations throughout the Gangho.
Moreover, given the nature of the Special Unit, he couldn’t simply issue orders as he pleased.
“A double-edged sword, then.”
Seol Geom’s eyes narrowed.
Difficult though they were to manage, if he could harness both Special Units according to his will, the situation would shift considerably in his favor.
“And yet, there’s something truly remarkable about this.”
Seol Geom murmured, alternating his gaze between the two documents.
“How can they be so utterly opposed?”
Ok Gi Rin had distinguished himself from childhood and become widely known as one of Heaven’s Three Prodigies, while the Plum Blossom Divine Art practitioner had remained obscure until recently emerging as a rising master. That was only the beginning.
There was more besides.
The Wudang Sect, long-standing seat among the Nine Factions and One Gang, and the Huashan Sect, which had steadily pursued that position.
As if fate itself had arranged it, the two were diametrically opposed in every way.
“And on top of that, their methods of handling the Special Units differ greatly as well.”
Just as he was muttering to himself in thought.
“Sir!”
An urgent voice cut through from outside.
Seol Geom’s brow furrowed as he tilted the document in his hand slightly and parted his lips.
“What is it?”
The answer to his sharp question pierced through the door and struck his ears at once.
“The Plum Blossom Divine Art practitioner and the Special Unit have completed their mission and will soon arrive at the Murim Alliance!”
* * *
The Myeoljjeol Unit reached the vicinity of the Murim Alliance three full days later.
Considering it had taken merely half a day to reach Jeok Ho Chae when they first departed on the mission, this was a considerably delayed return.
But there were valid reasons.
Perhaps it was their first real combat.
Though there were no fatal wounds, most of the Myeoljjeol Unit had sustained injuries and could not deploy their full techniques as they had when they set out.
‘And we had to hand the Nok Lim brigands over to the authorities and collect the supplies.’
Cheon Hui recalled the aftermath he had attended to before leaving Jeok Ho Chae, and gently touched his side.
A bulging money pouch pressed against his fingers.
In that moment, Cheon Hui’s eyes curved with pleasure.
Even so, Nok Lim had accumulated considerable treasure and wealth at Jeok Ho Chae.
And Cheon Hui had taken the Myeoljjeol Unit with him to dispose of it all quickly.
This money pouch was the result.
‘Though we had to dispose of it at a loss due to time constraints, this isn’t half bad.’
Cheon Hui smiled, thinking of the promissory notes inside the pouch, then glanced back over his shoulder.
“Huff, huff.”
Ragged breathing and clouds of white vapor rose from all around.
The members of the Myeoljjeol Unit were sweating profusely despite the cold weather.
“Worn out by just this much.”
Cheon Hui muttered, observing them.
Several unit members widened their eyes at this, but quickly recognized Cheon Hui as the speaker and lowered their gaze.
It was the second day of forced marching.
Walking, running, walking, running.
Cheon Hui did not stop advancing unless someone collapsed from exhaustion.
It was grueling work.
But perhaps because of it.
Though the members had been mentally tormented by the shock of real combat, their minds had actually cleared from the continuous physical strain.
And amid the hardship of the forced march, they naturally supported one another, their bonds growing tighter and steadying their hearts.
Continuing thus through their trials, the Myeoljjeol Unit soon reached the City Gate.
The gate guardians were startled by the grimy appearance of the unit members, but when Cheon Hui mentioned they had completed their mission and returned, they nodded and opened the gates.
Creak, creak, creak—
The heavy city gates swung wide.
And in that instant.
“Huzzah!”
A roar of cheers erupted from all sides.
‘What? What is this?’
Cheon Hui narrowed his brow at the clamorous welcome, studying the gathered crowd before him.
Their numbers were beyond counting.
Ordinarily, a unit completing a mission would not draw such a throng, but circumstances were unusual now.
Five days after declaring war on Sa Hyuk Ryeon, they had just completed their first mission, and all eyes had turned toward them.
And now the newly formed Special Unit had proven itself—how could eyes not follow?
The Plum Blossom Divine Cooperation, known until now only by rumor.
And the Special Unit under his command.
These many had gathered out of reverence for them, waiting for their return after completing the first mission since the war began.
But as Cheon Hui, oblivious to all this, gazed at the assembled crowd in bewilderment—
“So that’s the Plum Blossom Divine Cooperator!”
“Wow! Just as the rumors said!”
The crowd whose eyes met Cheon Hui’s stirred and their eyes gleamed bright.
He looked exactly as the rumors described.
Tall and striking in bearing, sharp in countenance.
Though his expression held an arrogance unbecoming a Daoist, it possessed a certain charm.
Women in particular gazed at Cheon Hui with dreamy eyes, pressing their hands together.
But the moment they turned their gaze to the Special Unit members just filing in behind Cheon Hui—
“……The Special Unit?”
The high spirits collapsed at once.
Those following Cheon Hui inside looked exceedingly shabby.
Their garments were torn here and there, and between the rents showed the bandages wrapped around their bodies.
And with each step they took, the acrid stench of Wound-Healing Medicine wafted in all directions.
Faced with the sorry state of the Special Unit members, the crowd struggled to hide their dismay.
“Why are there so many people…….”
“How is this…….”
The Special Unit members themselves burst into bewilderment.
Then, belatedly feeling shame, their faces began to flush red.
On any other occasion they would have puffed their chests with joy at such a welcome, but their current appearance was far too wretched for that.
Just as the atmosphere grew awkward—
“It has been a while. Sohyeop.”
A quiet voice sounded.
Seol Geom, having cut through the crowd, stood before Cheon Hui and smiled with his eyes.
“I have now taken full charge of your Special Unit.”
“Full charge……?”
“Indeed.”
Seol Geom continued, his eyes still smiling.
“Though in practice, it amounts only to exchanging mission reports.”
At Seol Geom’s words, Cheon Hui narrowed his brow for a moment, then turned his head away.
“Let’s go to the Pavilion first.”
At that, the Myeoljjeol Unit members laughed awkwardly, then moved hastily to respond.
“Understood.”
“We shall see you later.”
After that the members shot off like arrows.
Rest after so long was welcome enough, but more so was the desire to escape the numerous gazes fixed relentlessly upon them.
Seol Geom glanced briefly at the departing Myeoljjeol Unit, then opened his mouth as he looked at the crowd.
“Shall we go?”
Cheon Hui followed at his heels.
All eyes converged upon them.
The crowd, witnessing the meeting between Seol Geom and Cheon Hui, swelled with anticipation and began to whisper among themselves.
The Vice-Commander and the Special Unit Commander.
Surely it was no ordinary matter.
Moments later, the two of them cut through the crowd and arrived at the Pavilion, moving at nearly a run.
‘It’s been a while.’
Cheon Hui recalled the time he had come here before to seize the Huashan Sect’s Pavilion.
“Allow me to introduce myself once more.”
Seol Geom spoke with formal courtesy.
“I am Seol Geom, and I have been entrusted with overseeing the Special Unit of Cheon Hui, Sohyeop.”
Cheon Hui nodded.
“Well, I already knew that much. But before anything else, let me ask you one thing.”
“What might that be…….”
“You did that thing earlier, didn’t you?”
“I’m not sure what you mean…….”
Cheon Hui glanced sideways at Seol Geom as he removed the acupuncture needle, his eyes narrowing slightly.
At that gaze, Seol Geom flinched.
The light that flashed in those eyes was colder than the winter air around them.
“……Yes, sir.”
Seol Geom, who had finally yielded to that stare, began to explain the situation.
“But it was all for you and the Special Unit. This was your first mission in the war with Sa Hyuk Ryeon—I didn’t think it right to simply let it pass without notice.”
“That’s all there is to it?”
“…….”
“It seems you have another intention.”
“Well, well. I can’t fool you, can I?”
Seol Geom smiled and shook his head.
“I wanted to draw attention to you and the Special Unit, to imprint your images on everyone’s minds.”
This was what Seol Geom had been aiming for.
The Special Unit was newly established.
There had been a need to make it known quickly.
Who you were.
Who belonged to the Special Unit.
“But I never expected you to return in such a state.”
Seol Geom, recalling the members of the Myeoljjeol Unit who had rushed off earlier, scratched his cheek with his whisk.
What he had anticipated was your triumphant return with the Special Unit.
But things had not unfolded so smoothly.
‘I thought that with you around, they would return without any danger…….’
Seol Geom, turning this over in his mind, spoke again.
“Looking at how badly the Myeoljjeol Unit members were wounded, it seems Jeok Ho Chae was quite formidable.”
Seol Geom spoke carefully, his tone measured.
One careless word could wound a warrior’s pride.
But Cheon Hui responded to such a remark with perfect indifference.
“They lacked experience.”
In a single phrase, Seol Geom understood exactly what had happened.
“You didn’t step in on purpose?”
“They need to build experience in real combat.”
Seol Geom’s eyes brightened.
‘So you mean to build their strength through actual fighting, not training?’
It was a method with no safety net.
But it was also the most efficient.
‘……You have nerves of steel. If even one of them had died, you would have been held accountable.’
As Seol Geom was mentally clicking his tongue.
“Oh, and by the way—it’s not the Special Unit. It’s the Myeoljjeol Unit.”
Cheon Hui smiled faintly as he spoke.
“Since I kept calling it the Special Unit, I decided to give it a proper name this time. The authority rests with me anyway, so there’s no harm in choosing a name as I see fit, is there?”
Seol Geom let out a quiet laugh at this.
“I have no objection. But it’s quite a fierce name. Myeoljjeol…….”
The term “Myeoljjeol” was typically used more by the unorthodox sects than by the righteous ones.
Yet somehow, it felt fitting.
After a brief silence, Seol Geom drew a sheet of paper from his robe and spoke in a low voice.
“Then shall we discuss the details of this mission now?”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————