Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect - Chapter 295
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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 295
The Mountain Gate of Bokho Temple.
Many had gathered in that place, which still bore the scars of incomplete restoration and lay in disarray.
“Travel safely.”
“Thank you for your help.”
As Myeol Jeol Dae, who had come for their mission, prepared to depart, people gathered to bid them farewell and offer their respects.
Dan Li Gwan Cheon made his way to Nam Cheon, who stood among the disciples of Cheong Seong Pa.
“Master, do you intend to remain at the Ami Sect?”
“If one comes to help, shouldn’t one help to the very end?”
Nam Cheon looked at Dan Li Gwan Cheon, who wore a white martial robe, and offered a gentle smile.
“No matter how far the Sa Hyuk Ryeon has fled, there’s no telling when they might return. So I intend to stay until the Ami Sect has found stability.”
“I see.”
Dan Li Gwan Cheon’s expression grew complicated.
Helping the Ami Sect was good.
But his concern for Cheong Seong Pa was unavoidable.
Click.
As if sensing these thoughts, Nam Cheon stepped closer and gently placed both hands on Dan Li Gwan Cheon’s shoulders.
“Cast aside needless worries and focus instead on the task before you.”
“But our sect is also in danger…….”
Nam Cheon saw the anxiety that Dan Li Gwan Cheon could not conceal and spoke at once.
“From long ago, what has the Sect Master always taught you? To uphold the Righteous Path that we possess, to rescue the common people — this is…….”
“……the Way of Cheong Seong.”
Dan Li Gwan Cheon murmured those words naturally, words he had heard hundreds, thousands of times.
Nam Cheon smiled gently at those words.
“Your task is not to worry about protecting our sect, but rather to drive out those who have transgressed — for the sake of the Righteous Path, for the sake of the common people.”
Dan Li Gwan Cheon closed his eyes at Nam Cheon’s tender words, his expression becoming calmer, then opened them again.
With anxiety erased and his gaze now bright and clear, he spoke quietly.
“I shall return.”
“Go safely and return safely.”
Having heard the reply, Dan Li Gwan Cheon turned immediately.
The fact that he did not look back showed the firmness of his resolve.
‘……For the Righteous Path, for the common people.’
Walking while recalling his master’s words once more in his heart, Dan Li Gwan Cheon arrived at the gathering where Myeol Jeol Dae had finished their farewells.
“You’re finally here? You’re late.”
Ho Gwang Gae, seeing him, grinned wickedly and draped an arm across Dan Li Gwan Cheon’s shoulder.
It was a remarkably intimate gesture.
Had Dan Li Gwan Cheon been the same as before arriving at the Ami Sect, he would have brushed the arm away at once, but now was different.
He merely narrowed his brows slightly.
Trust had been built, and intimacy had grown, from the fact that they had fought entrusting their lives to each other in the Grand Hall of the Ami Palace.
“So what will it be? Will you go with Myeol Jeol Dae, or will you return to Cheong Seong Pa?”
Ho Gwang Gae asked with a sly tone.
It was nearly mocking in its delivery.
“How could I return to Cheong Seong Pa of my own accord without the Chief’s permission?”
“Aw, you take the fun out of everything.”
At his straightforward answer, Ho Gwang Gae withdrew the arm from Dan Li Gwan Cheon’s shoulder.
Then he scratched the back of his head vigorously.
Bright white dandruff scattered in all directions.
Dan Li Gwan Cheon quietly stepped back and gave him a look of displeasure, but Ho Gwang Gae did not stop.
Rather, he scratched harder and spoke.
“But things are truly hectic. Only four days of rest, and already another mission.”
Along with his complaint, Ho Gwang Gae grumbled.
He had thought he would rest for a while and return to the Alliance, but another task had fallen upon him.
And it was no ordinary mission either.
A summons to bring down the Immortal Heaven Cult.
It could prove even more dangerous than the bloodbath at the Grand Hall of the Ami Palace.
Recalling the fierce battle from back then, his body trembled involuntarily.
But then he smiled faintly.
‘If the Chief is there, it should be safe enough.’
To him now, Cheon Hui was a special presence.
Trust that transcended ordinary belief.
He was certain that as long as Cheon Hui served as the leader, Myeol Jeol Dae would never fail a mission.
“Let’s just get ready. I heard the Cooperation Unit had horses prepared.”
Ho Gwang Gae spoke, gesturing toward the members of Myeol Jeol Dae.
“Come on, hurry! You don’t want to see what the leader does if we’re late, do you?”
As Ho Gwang Gae naturally began leading the Myeol Jeol Dae members forward—
“Amitabha Buddha.”
“I will not forget this debt.”
“I pray you travel safely.”
Cheon Hui gave a shallow shrug toward the Sect Master and the elders, who clasped their palms together in farewell.
“If you need anything in the future, get in touch.”
With that, he turned to leave.
Many eyes followed him as he moved.
Not only Myeol Jeol Dae, but also Dong So Gang—who had come to deliver the Summons Order—and the members of the Cooperation Unit stood in neat formation.
As Cheon Hui’s gaze swept across them, something struck him as odd.
Seong Ye Bin, the woman who had come with Dong So Gang, was not standing with them but rather at the Mountain Gate where the nuns of the Ami Sect gathered.
“Hmm? Isn’t she coming?”
“We can’t just leave the Ami Sect as is, can we? Seong and her unit will stay here for a few days to help with the recovery.”
An answer came from ahead in response to his murmur.
It was Dong So Gang.
“You’re not staying behind?”
I’d like to, truth be told, but given the circumstances, we couldn’t leave it that way. We decided one would stay while the other goes with you.”
As Dong So Gang finished speaking, he glanced briefly toward Seong Ye Bin.
Her expression was stoic.
But having traveled alongside her these past few days, he had noticed the dissatisfaction lingering beneath that mask, and now he scratched his head in awkwardness.
Originally, staying together was supposed to be their shared duty.
But the sudden arrival of the Summons Order meant one of them had to accompany Myeol Jeol Dae on this mission.
Since the Ami Sect consisted only of nuns, it made sense to leave behind Seong Ye Bin’s unit, with her as its female leader.
Seeing the awkwardness on Dong So Gang’s face, Cheon Hui promptly turned away.
It wasn’t a matter that held his interest anyway.
“Let’s go.”
Cheon Hui spoke curtly and began descending the mountain.
Myeol Jeol Dae quickly fell into step behind his brisk pace, and Dong So Gang, belatedly coming to his senses, along with the Cooperation Unit, began to follow Cheon Hui and his group down the slope.
* * *
The official road heading south from Sichuan.
A rarely-traveled path, but now dozens of horses thundered across it roughly.
And in the very center of that procession of mounts—
A single carriage rolled forward at swift speed, protected by the horses.
Inside the rumbling carriage.
Four men sat within.
Cheon Hui, Dong So Gang, Ho Gwang Gae, and Dan Li Gwan Cheon.
Dong So Gang could not tear his gaze from Cheon Hui, who sat across from him.
Cheon Hui of the Maehwa Divine Cooperator.
The figure who now shook All Under Heaven was remarkably youthful—barely more than a youth.
‘Could someone so young have truly accomplished feats so astounding?’
A hollow laugh escaped unbidden.
The rumors surrounding him were nothing short of preposterous.
The one who defeated Nok Lim Dae Je.
The one who took Nong Jil’s life.
He seemed far too young to be called the one who had surpassed those whose names and martial prowess echoed throughout Kangho—it seemed almost impossible.
‘Yet all of it is real fact, after all.’
Dong So Gang exhaled a silent sigh, clicked his tongue, and shook his head faintly.
Hadn’t So Un Satae told him directly?
That young Daoist of the Maehwa Divine Cooperator—his sword had ended Nong Jil’s life.
‘Having such a young master belong to the Murim Alliance is certainly cause for joy, but…….’
His eyes grew conflicted.
The appearance of a figure like Cheon Hui in the Murim Alliance was a blessing beyond measure, something to celebrate without reservation—and yet…….
He could not rejoice purely.
When he first stepped forth into Kangho, he too had been a martial artist dreaming of ruling Kangho and becoming supreme under heaven.
But that dream had not endured.
What kind of place was Kangho, after all.
Skilled masters were as numerous as grains of sand in the world, and talents surpassing them were equally abundant—so she had no choice but to abandon her dreams.
Still, she possessed a certain pride in herself.
After thirty-five years of dedicated cultivation, she had reached her current realm and position—that alone was worthy of respect.
Yet even that pride had crumbled.
All because of the young Daoist standing before her eyes.
The dream of becoming the greatest under heaven, which she’d been forced to relinquish, had manifested in the form of the talent before her. How could she simply be glad?
Jealousy stirred within her.
Her chest ached, her mouth tasted bitter.
‘How envious. If I possessed talent like that…….’
As her gaze began to dim, a lonely bitterness settling behind her eyes—
“I’d like to know about the Immortal Heaven Cult.”
A voice cut through the silence, sudden and clear.
It came from Cheon Hui’s lips.
Ho Gwang Gae responded as though he’d been waiting for precisely those words.
“One of the Five Devilish Gates—a heretical sect that rose to prominence over a hundred and thirty years ago. Its power is so considerable that most sects in Guizhou are said to follow the Immortal Heaven Cult’s teachings.”
Ho Gwang Gae answered without hesitation.
His tone carried the ease of familiarity.
“They seem quite powerful, then?”
“Among the Five Devilish Gates, their strength stands alone—far superior to the rest.”
Ho Gwang Gae’s brow furrowed as he continued.
“They have over twenty branch temples scattered throughout Zhongyuan, and their followers number well beyond a hundred thousand, it’s said.”
At Ho Gwang Gae’s words, Cheon Hui’s lips twisted for a moment.
‘More than a hundred thousand followers?’
Even at the height of the Tianma Divine Sect’s power, the number of followers had never exceeded one hundred thousand.
Yet this sect supposedly surpassed even that.
“The Immortal Heaven Cult reveres immortality itself, and their patriarch…….”
All the while, Ho Gwang Gae pressed on with his explanation, spittle flying as he spoke.
He was like a fish that had found water.
Ho Gwang Gae spilled out every scrap of information he possessed until the carriage came to a halt.
* * *
Five days had passed.
Perhaps because they had driven without rest.
Myeol Jeol Dae and the Cooperation Unit arrived at their destination a full day before the appointed time.
The gathering place designated by the Summons Order was Yi Bin in Sichuan province.
Myeol Jeol Dae and the Cooperation Unit departed the main road and entered a different path.
It was not the official thoroughfare, but it was broad enough.
How far had they traveled?
They arrived at a ferry landing where the vast undulation of the Yangtze River stretched before their eyes.
At that moment—
“Myeol Jeol Dae……?”
“So these are the Byeol Dong Dae who aided the Ami Sect this time. Well, I never expected them to be composed of such young masters of the later generation.”
“More importantly—is the Maehwa Divine Cooperator really in that carriage?”
Whispers rippled through the crowd.
Cheon Hui gazed out through the carriage window.
A throng of people milled about.
All dressed in martial robes, they stared intently at the carriage.
These were the warriors of the Murim Alliance, gathered to topple the Immortal Heaven Cult.
The carriage lurched and came to a stop.
“We’ve arrived.”
One of the Cooperation Unit members stationed on the driver’s bench announced their arrival, and Dong So Gang rose first.
“Then I’ll go ahead and take a look.”
With those words, he promptly descended from the carriage.
“Will you go first, my lord?”
At Dan Li Gwan Cheon’s question, Ho Gwang Gae, who had been about to step out himself, stood awkwardly.
He glanced carefully at Cheon Hui.
Cold sweat beaded his brow.
His expression showed he was worried about what might be said regarding his attempt to go first.
But Cheon Hui paid no mind to such concerns.
“No, go ahead if you like. Do as you wish.”
With that, Cheon Hui naturally reached over and collected the two swords he had set beside him.
Then, following Dan Li Gwan Cheon and Ho Gwang Gae, who had already descended at his word, he stepped down from the carriage.
“……Hmm.”
“That young master…….”
Various murmurs drifted through the crowd.
At the same time, gazes from all directions pierced toward him like needles.
Hundreds of people had gathered at the Ferry Landing.
All their attention had converged upon him.
Yet Cheon Hui remained unmoved.
Having led a hundred thousand disciples in his past life, such scrutiny was nothing to him.
Though they’d certainly gathered in impressive numbers.
As Cheon Hui watched the vast crowd obscuring the Yangtze River with an expressionless face.
“The Young Master?!”
“Clear the way.”
Commotion erupted ahead.
The distant clamor drew steadily closer, and the crowd split cleanly down the middle.
From between them, a figure approached with measured steps.
Step. Step.
A circular energy wave rippled outward from each footfall, seizing the space in an instant.
The aura of one who had ascended to a higher realm.
The martial artists nearby were overwhelmed by his energy presence and fell back.
In moments, a radius of fifty paces around Cheon Hui and the newcomer was empty of all others.
Stopping directly before Cheon Hui, the man met his eyes and smiled brightly.
It was a smile of genuine delight.
Cheon Hui, seeing him, let out a soft chuckle.
The one who had approached was familiar.
Choo Gye Gwang, the Wandering Sword.
This was the man who had come to Huashan Sect before and had even guided him to the Murim Alliance.
The Cooperation Unit commander, his smile spreading across his face, spoke in a low voice.
“It’s been a long time, Young Master Cheon Hui.”
“It has been a while.”
“Haha, I’ve already heard the rumors about you bringing down Nok Lim Dae Je.”
The Cooperation Unit commander’s smile faded.
“Is it true……?”
“Would I have reason to lie?”
“Hahaha, you’re quite reliable.”
The Cooperation Unit commander seemed satisfied.
Nodding vigorously up and down, he looked at Cheon Hui intently and opened his mouth.
“But fortunately, you’ve come at just the right moment. I was about to convene a meeting with the leadership to discuss the Immortal Heaven Cult’s attack…….”
“A meeting?”
“The opponent is the Immortal Heaven Cult. We cannot simply charge in recklessly, can we?”
Hmm, is that so?
Cheon Hui tilted his head.
In both his past and present lives, once he identified an enemy, charging in was precisely what he had done.
Then the Cooperation Unit commander turned and continued.
“Follow 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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