Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect - Chapter 52

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

Episode 52
Eleven days and one night later.
The party arrived at Huashan Sect’s Mountain Gate faster than they had departed, and the sight that spread before their eyes left them breathless.
“What in the world…….”
“Am I dreaming?”
The group rubbed their eyes.
The narrow, treacherous mountain path—where none but herb gatherers had ventured before—was now crowded with long lines of people stretching upward.
“Who are all these people…….”
“Why is there such a procession at our Mountain Gate?”
The Huashan disciples, witnessing this scene for the first time, pinched their own cheeks with vacant expressions, uncertain whether they were dreaming or awake.
“Ow!”
“This, this isn’t a dream.”
The one who had recovered first, a disciple named Jeok Geom, spoke up with a voice brimming with excitement. “I suppose word has spread through the region that the elder defeated the White Death God.”
His words tumbled out breathlessly.
“Hah! Of course!”
“That does seem to be the case.”
Everyone nodded unconsciously in agreement.
Though Jeok Geom had spoken first, all of them had sensed it dimly.
During their journey to Huashan, the way people looked at them—especially the martial artists among them—had been entirely different from before.
“It is all thanks to the elder and the Original Heavenly Worthy.”
“Infinite Buddha.”
Witnessing the procession climbing the treacherous mountain path, the party could not conceal their satisfaction.
Hyeon Do and Hyeon Ryeo in particular were lost in peculiar emotion.
“It has been so long since we saw such a sight.”
“It really has been ages.”
Their suppressed feelings surged up, and their gaze fixed upon those waiting in line, unmoving.
This was a scene they had witnessed daily before the Huashan Sect’s renown had fallen.
And it was also a sight they had once believed they would never see again.
“I never thought this day would come again.”
“I never imagined I would see this landscape again in my lifetime.”
Hyeon Ryeo’s eyes moved swiftly.
“At this rate, we will restore our finances.”
Her eyes sparkled like stars as she beheld those in line and received their offerings.
As the party sank deeper into their reverie.
‘A sight we haven’t seen in five years.’
Cheon Hui gazed at the procession with wonder.
It was a landscape entirely unfamiliar during his time at Huashan Sect.
In recent years, visitors were rare—perhaps once every other day, if that.
And when they did come, most offered pittances.
But now people were arriving in throngs, competing to make offerings.
It felt almost surreal.
‘So renown truly does matter.’
That was when it happened.
“Those, those people are…….”
“The, the Huashan Sect masters!”
“Is that true?!”
“Wh, where? I, I also…….”
Commotion suddenly broke out.
At someone’s cry, those in line turned their heads in unison, and their faces at once flooded with awe.
“Truly they are no ordinary sect. Behold that commanding presence and noble bearing.”
“Despite climbing such a steep and arduous path, not a single breath is out of place. They are surely immortals incarnate.”
“Even the young masters radiate such reverence and warmth. Surely the Huashan Sect’s fame shall grow ever greater.”
An outpouring of shameless praise.
Their voices were not hushed.
Rather, they were slightly louder, as if meant for the Huashan party to hear.
Glancing back, he could see the disciples trailing behind struggling to suppress grins.
‘To take pleasure in such obvious flattery.’
Just as Cheon Hui was about to look forward again.
“That is the Huashan Divine Sword, the great hero…….”
“As rumored, a fearsome—no, a most solemn and austere countenance.”
Cheon Hui, who bore the alias “Huashan Divine Sword,” tilted his head to study Hyeon Do intently.
“What’s the matter?”
“You’ve become quite famous, haven’t you?”
“Ahem.”
Hyeon Do seemed embarrassed by his current situation and let out a small cough just as the moment grew awkward.
“Infinite Buddha. We pay our respects to the celestial masters.”
Greetings came from here and there.
Hyeon Do and Hyeon Ryeo did not ignore them but bowed respectfully in return.
“Infinite Buddha. We are grateful that you have traveled such a distance to visit our humble sect.”
“We apologize for making you wait.”
“Oh, no, not at all!”
“There is no need to bow so low…….”
Those in line waved their hands in protest.
The renown of the Huashan Sect had been climbing day by day, reaching ever greater heights.
But what if the very center of that fame—the Huashan Divine Sword himself—expressed gratitude for the visit, and what appeared to be a fellow immortal bowed as well?
To mere merchants?
It was a sight that defied belief.
‘The Songnan Sect merely spoke of obligation while demanding tribute and casting us out. This sect is different.’
‘Truly different from the other schools.’
In that moment, the atmosphere softened.
“Hahahaha. This is nothing at all.”
“Indeed, there is an order to such things, is there not?”
Hyeon Do and Hyeon Ryeo smiled.
Their smiles were as gentle as clouds floating in the sky.
‘They seem quite like true masters.’
Cheon Hui gazed at them carefully.
It was utterly unlike their usual detached demeanor.
After exchanging pleasantries thus, they climbed for a time.
“We’ve arrived.”
The party reached the Mountain Gate.
‘It’s been so long.’
Cheon Hui gazed at the unchanged Mountain Gate for a moment before stepping inside.
This return came some sixty days after his Departure from the Martial Arts World.
* * *
The Sect Leader gazed out through the windows of the Zixia Pavilion at the long procession visible below.
“……A long-cherished dream has come to pass.”
In that instant, his expression softened.
Who could have foreseen it?
That the reputation and standing of the Huashan Sect, which had once declined, would rebound so dramatically.
Even just days ago, such a thing seemed impossible. And yet now it had become reality.
Heh. That it could happen at all…….
The door swung open.
“Sect Leader!”
His thoughts were cut short.
Yet a still broader smile spread across his face.
“You’ve come.”
The Sect Leader looked at Hyeon Do and Cheon Hui, who had appeared before him in the open doorway of the Zixia Pavilion.
It was all thanks to these two.
“We’ve finally done it!”
The Sect Leader smiled gently as he watched Hyeon Do cry out as if the heavens themselves were leaving.
“Hehehehe, I know. Calm yourself and take a seat first. Above all, I ought to hear from you directly about the situation as it truly stands, shouldn’t I?”
Hyeon Do took his seat, and Cheon Hui, following after him, sat in the chair beside him.
“Then I would like to hear the detailed circumstances from the beginning, understood?”
Cheon Hui, noticing the Sect Leader’s gaze upon him, squinted and pointed at himself with his index finger.
“I should speak first?”
At the Sect Leader’s nod, Cheon Hui sighed and began to speak, carefully recalling the journey thus far.
“There’s no need to explain the journey itself, correct?”
“If nothing of importance occurred, it matters not.”
“Then I’ll skip ahead.”
Cheon Hui spoke with an expression of relief.
“So when we arrived at the Bifeng Trading Company, we were already under attack, and caught in the flames…….”
The report continued.
The attack on the Bifeng Trading Company.
The destruction of the Overlord Gate and the revelation that Baek Gwi Seong stood behind them, as well as the breaking of the ghost-slaying squad.
“And then several days later, when Hyeon Do arrived…….”
“From that point on, I’ll take over the story.”
As Hyeon Do cut in, interrupting the halting narrative, Cheon Hui paused mid-sentence.
“Well, that works for me.”
Cheon Hui, who hadn’t been keen on recounting it all anyway, thought ‘perfect’ and readily deferred.
“When we arrived at the Bifeng Trading Company, I met Bi Yeon Geom Gun at the entrance.”
The Sect Leader’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“So you encountered him then.”
“Yes. During the time I spent with Bi Yeon Geom Gun…….”
Hyeon Do began recounting what had transpired, his expression animated.
‘This is going to take a while.’
Sensing that Hyeon Do’s account would grow lengthy, Cheon Hui leaned back against the chair and took a sip from the tea the Sect Leader had prepared.
After he’d sipped the tea a few more times.
“It was you, Cheon Hui?!”
Hearing his name mingled with a tone of alarm, he turned to find the Sect Leader staring at him with a grave expression.
“You were the one who first proposed surprising Baek Gwi Seong?”
‘What, you’re making a fuss over that?’
Cheon Hui answered without emotion.
“That’s right.”
The Sect Leader’s eyes twitched.
“Why on earth would you do such a thing?”
“He kept provoking us.”
“M-merely for that reason?”
“And he’s my enemy. Couldn’t put it off forever anyway, so I thought I might as well.”
The Sect Leader was left speechless.
“But to actually attempt to ambush Baek Gwi Seong…….”
“The timing was perfect too. He was careless anyway, so it worked out well.”
“Still, that……. Ugh. Never mind.”
At Cheon Hui’s flat tone, the Sect Leader pressed his forehead and shook his head.
“I’ll overlook this matter. But from now on, absolutely don’t do this again. I worry you might come to harm.”
“I’ll play it by ear.”
As he spoke, Cheon Hui took another sip of tea.
The Sect Leader felt a headache coming on at such an attitude, but there was nothing he could say.
‘Given Cheon Hui’s nature, he’ll do as he pleases…….’
“Sigh…….”
A deep breath escaped from his core.
‘How much he has changed.’
Whether it was rebellion against those frail days of his youth, or simply the result of learning martial arts, he had become audacious and reckless since then.
As if the person had been transformed entirely.
“So the rumors circulating in the world are wrong—it wasn’t just Hyeon Do and Bi Yeon Geom Gun who attacked Baek Gwi Seong, but the three of you together.”
“Yes.”
The Sect Leader closed his eyes for a moment.
Tapping the table with his index finger as if in thought, he nodded slightly and then asked Hyeon Do in a low voice.
“What happened after that?”
“First, in order to gather information about Baek Gwi Seong, we met with the Ninth Son of the Gae Bang.”
“The Ninth Son of the Gae Bang……?”
An unexpected figure had appeared, and the Sect Leader’s eyes flashed.
“Which of the Sons were you meeting with?”
“I’m not sure now, but at the time, I heard he was the ninth.”
“The ninth…….”
The Sect Leader shook his head.
There were twenty Sons of the Gae Bang in total.
He couldn’t remember each of them individually.
“Stop wasting time with tangents. Continue with your story.”
As Hyeon Do resumed his explanation, Cheon Hui reached for his teacup to pour more.
‘Already empty?’
Cheon Hui frowned and set down his teacup, watching the two of them chatter on with an impassive gaze.
‘When will this end.’
Their conversation was tediously one-sided.
Hyeon Do did most of the talking while the Sect Leader occasionally chimed in with agreement or curiosity.
Half-listening, Cheon Hui noticed their exchange gradually warming, deepening into something more engaged.
“Then…….”
The Sect Leader’s eyes narrowed slightly.
He studied Hyeon Do, who was grinning broadly, then shifted his gaze to Cheon Hui.
“How did the White Death God fall?”
“That, Master, would be better answered by Cheon Hui himself.”
“……!”
“Cheon Hui was the one who brought him down.”
The conversation’s arrow turned toward Cheon Hui.
He met the Sect Leader’s steady gaze and nodded once, his expression impassive.
“He simply died.”
“Huh…….”
The Sect Leader could not hide his shock at Cheon Hui’s blunt confirmation.
When he’d first heard the rumor that the White Death God had fallen, he’d assumed the three of them had combined their strength.
But that wasn’t it.
Cheon Hui alone had brought him down.
‘Remarkable. Truly remarkable. I knew Cheon Hui’s martial prowess was extraordinary, but to think he could topple the White Death God single-handedly……’
He could not conceal his admiration.
The boy was scarcely past his coming-of-age years.
Not only had he reached the Heaven Martial Pinnacle, but he’d felled the White Death God—one of the absolute masters who ruled the martial world.
It was like witnessing those called Heaven Beyond Heaven.
‘Even they, at that age……’
Suddenly his admiration shifted to concern.
In this current era of relative peace, the emergence of someone as strikingly powerful as Cheon Hui could make him a marked figure for the Nine Provinces Three Factions.
Like Hyeon Gang, the youngest disciple.
“So that’s why you erased the information about Cheon Hui.”
“Yes. When passing word to the Gae Bang’s successor, I altered the details. A lie is a grave sin, but for Cheon Hui’s sake……”
“You did well.”
The Sect Leader praised Hyeon Do, who had trailed off his words, expecting rebuke.
“Just as you thought—we must conceal Cheon Hui’s true capabilities for as long as possible. Even if discovery comes eventually, we must delay that moment.”
The Sect Leader glanced obliquely at Cheon Hui.
Despite being the subject of their discussion, Cheon Hui remained perfectly at ease.
As if entirely disinterested.
An awl in the bag, they say—one cannot hide forever what is truly sharp.
Cheon Hui’s brilliance was so luminous that his true nature would inevitably be exposed one day.
But should he surrender to that fate?
He had failed to protect the youngest disciple.
Surely he would not fail to protect his own student, Cheon Hui?
That could not be allowed.
‘By any means.’
The Sect Leader’s eyes deepened with resolve.
Then, as if suddenly aware of Cheon Hui watching, he spoke carefully.
“Still, I am sorry to you—to rob you of the chance to gain great renown……”
“Not at all. I don’t much care about such things. What good is a little fame if it doesn’t put food on the table?”
Cheon Hui, whom the Sect Leader had suddenly addressed, replied with utter casualness.
And he truly meant it.
‘What use is mere reputation at this level.’
To one who had once made his name across not merely the martial world but the Eight Sovereigns of the Nine Provinces, this present fame was beneath consideration.
Yet the Sect Leader interpreted Cheon Hui’s indifferent words and manner as an attempt to conceal emotion, and so he smiled bitterly and spoke.
“I truly am sorry.”
Then Hyeon Do suddenly thrust his face forward toward the Sect Leader, his lips trembling.
“But Master, we have finally—finally avenged the youngest disciple.”
The Sect Leader’s eyes slowly closed as he listened to the weight of emotion in Hyeon Do’s voice.
“Yes.”
Though the Sect Leader remained outwardly composed, he too had felt emotion stirring since the news first reached his ears.
And it rose in him still.
“……You did it.”
The Sect Leader spoke, pressing down the surge of emotion threatening to overflow like a waterfall.
His heart burned to cry out in jubilation, yet he had to preserve his dignity.
Soon he gathered himself and spoke again.
“You’ve truly…… endured much.”
It was a brief utterance.
But for Hyeon Do, it was enough.
He understood what had passed through the Sect Leader’s mind in that fleeting moment.
“Ha ha ha. Hardship? There’s no such thing to speak of. It’s all thanks to our Cheon Hui.”
Hyeon Do laughed heartily, his face bright with pride as he turned his gaze toward Cheon Hui.
Indeed, it was all because of Cheon Hui.
It was Cheon Hui who first proposed attacking Baek Gwi Seong, and it was Cheon Hui who brought down the White Death God.
Without Cheon Hui, they would never have achieved their revenge.
“Heh heh heh. Before the youngest disciple departed, he left a precious treasure here at our sect.”
Cheon Hui watched the two old men for a moment—uncertain whether they were laughing or crying—then opened his mouth.
“In that case, it seems we’ve said all there is to say. May I take my leave now?”

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