Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect - Chapter 53

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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 53
Cheon Hui returned to Mo Ok and sat at the edge of a steep cliff, gazing down at the world below.
The procession of bustling Huashan Sect Dosas, followed by merchants and martial artists struggling to keep pace, stretched endlessly.
Like a column of ants.
The sight of Huashan Sect beneath Yeonhwa Peak transformed with each passing day.
“The rumors must be spreading further.”
He gazed out with a satisfied expression.
“Master!”
Jeok Geom’s cry pierced his ears.
Jeok Geom, seized by some urgent matter, came rushing toward him, deploying the Bo Beop as he ran.
“Huff, huff. Master. A, a visitor has arrived.”
“A visitor? Who?”
“Well…….”
At that moment, a cool breeze drifted past as Muryeon Gakju appeared, his expression sharp and cold.
“Did you return unharmed?”
“Muryeon Gakju, sir?”
Cheon Hui regarded his arrival with a look of surprise.
‘Why would he come all the way out here?’
Cheon Hui’s question was natural enough.
He and Muryeon Gakju maintained a cordial relationship of sorts. They would often cross paths at Mangyeong Pavilion and exchange greetings.
But in all this time, Muryeon Gakju had never directly sought him out at Mo Ok until now.
“What brings you here?”
“I came because there’s something I wish to ask you.”
“Something you wish to ask?”
In that instant, Hyeon Cheong from this morning came to mind.
“What is it?”
“What kind of training have you been putting the disciples through—the ones who left with me?”
Muryeon Gakju’s eyes narrowed.
The Maehwa Geomsus he’d met today were completely different from before.
Not in their martial prowess or inner energy exactly—those remained the same—but in their bearing, their inner substance. That had transformed.
Just days into their time here in the Jianghu, disciples who had seemed naive only the day before had grown into proper Maehwa Geomsus.
As if…….
‘They had become different people entirely.’
Cheon Hui watched Muryeon Gakju, lost in thought, and posed the question with a puzzled air.
“They didn’t tell you what training they received?”
“They didn’t.”
Muryeon Gakju’s brow furrowed.
He too wished to hear the answer directly.
But when he’d asked the disciples what training they’d undergone, their faces had gone pale, and they’d only trembled in silence.
“So I had no choice but to come find you myself and learn what sort of training it was.”
Muryeon Gakju’s eyes gleamed with intensity.
Having witnessed his disciples’ growth firsthand yesterday, he’d been plagued by curiosity ever since.
‘What kind of training could produce such remarkable growth in mere days—or is it that the people themselves have changed?’
Even knowing he was imposing, he’d come directly.
“If you don’t mind, could you share that method with me as well?”
“Well, there’s no real harm in that.”
Cheon Hui watched Muryeon Gakju’s eyes sparkle and opened his mouth.
“I deployed the Byeonche Gongong.”
“Byeonche Gongong……?”
A whistle of astonishment escaped Muryeon Gakju’s lips.
“It’s a form of the Yuga Gongong that maximizes the body’s flexibility—quite effective, actually.”
Muryeon Gakju’s eyes widened considerably.
Physical flexibility was one of the most crucial virtues for any martial artist, yet mastering it was extraordinarily difficult.
But to maximize it—
Hearing the explanation, the reason for their remarkable surge in martial prowess became clear.
“So it’s an external energy practice, then.”
“More or less, yes.”
‘It’s different in some ways, but the results are the same, so it hardly matters.’
The explanation differed in substance, but Cheon Hui, finding the distinction tedious to clarify, brushed past it.
“Then could you demonstrate this Byeonche Gongong for me?”
“It’s fine enough, but it does have a drawback—it makes the whole body supple, you see.”
“A drawback……?”
“It hurts. Quite a bit.”
Muryeon Gakju, who had tensed considerably thinking this might be a serious problem, let out a short laugh.
“Pain is hardly a concern…….”
“W-wait, Gakju!”
Jeok Geom, who had been listening to the conversation from beside them, called out in alarm. His face had turned ashen, and he spoke with careful hesitation.
“That’s… that’s something you really shouldn’t do.”
“What are you talking about?”
Muryeon Gakju’s eyes narrowed.
“Do you truly think I’d be unable to endure something as trivial as pain?”
Jeok Geom swallowed hard.
But he did not give up.
“N-no, that’s not it. But it would be better if you didn’t…….”
“Silence.”
Muryeon Gakju cut off Jeok Geom’s words coldly and turned toward Cheon Hui. “I need to verify the efficacy of Byeonche Gongong myself as soon as possible—all this fuss is making me curious.”

“Very well. First, you’ll need to sit in the Gabu-jwa position.”
“Gabu-jwa, you say? Hmm, I understand.”
Muryeon Gakju complied with Cheon Hui’s instructions without resistance, settling into the Gabu-jwa position. Immediately, Cheon Hui’s hands moved like lightning across his pressure points.
Tap-tap-tap!
Surprise flickered across Muryeon Gakju’s eyes.
‘Such technique……!’
Muryeon Gakju, unaware of Cheon Hui’s true martial prowess, was struck by the speed of those hands—movements so swift his own eyes could scarcely follow them.
“Eighteen pressure points and Gi-maeks struck in such a brief moment…….”
But that was not all.
Cheon Hui’s hands grew ever more intricate and varied, and with each change, the light in Muryeon Gakju’s eyes transformed.
‘Impossible! Such speed—no wonder Jangmun and Hyeon had always cherished Cheon Hui so.’
Now, at last, he understood why those senior brothers had cared for and protected Cheon Hui.
‘The future of Huashan burns bright!’
A smile spread across his face, and warmth softened what had been a cold expression.
Just then, Cheon Hui’s hands stilled.
“It’s done.”
“Is it? But you said it would bring considerable pain—I hardly feel……. Aaaagh!”
In that instant, a sound burst from Muryeon Gakju’s mouth like a pig being slaughtered.
His entire body began to twist grotesquely, and veins bulged across his forehead.
Clench!
Gritting his teeth against the agony, his eyes went bloodshot as he muttered between clenched teeth.
“So… this is why they went pale whenever I asked what this cultivation was…….”
Now he finally understood their reactions.
Meanwhile, Cheon Hui regarded Muryeon Gakju with fresh eyes as he endured the pain.
‘Impressive—he’s actually tolerating it?’
He too knew how excruciating the pain of Byeonche Gongong could be.
“It’s… nearly over now.”
Cheon Hui immediately released the Byeonche Gongong.
With a soft crack, Muryeon Gakju’s contorted body snapped back into its natural shape.
“You’re the first person our Gakju has endured Byeonche Gongong for this long.”
It was genuine praise, spoken from the heart.
“Is… is that so?”
Muryeon Gakju managed a wry smile, then wiped the sweat beading on his forehead and moved his body experimentally.
“Truly remarkable results.”
He flexed and rotated his limbs, and found himself murmuring almost unconsciously.
His body felt lighter, his movements fluid and graceful.
The results were unmistakably clear.
He wanted nothing more than to apply this to every disciple of the Huashan Sect at once.
And yet.
‘Could the disciples even endure it?’
The pain had been so overwhelming that it negated every advantage.
‘I nearly lost consciousness.’
He swallowed dryly and looked at Cheon Hui.
“But when did you learn such a distinctive Yuga Gongong?”
“At the Mangyeong Pavilion.”
Cheon Hui lied without hesitation.
‘Who’s to know whether it exists there or not?’
“At the Mangyeong Pavilion, I see.”
Muryeon Gakju nodded, accepting the answer as expected.
Since it was already common knowledge throughout the Huashan Sect that Cheon Hui visited the Mangyeong Pavilion daily, he harbored no suspicion.
“Still, it’s remarkable. I didn’t expect those disciples to accept the Byeonche Gongong so readily.”
Muryeon Gakju paused mid-sentence.
It was because Jeok Geom had shown clear reluctance in that very moment.
“They wouldn’t have accepted it willingly, would they?”
“No, they wouldn’t.”
“How did you manage it?”
“I gave them a choice between two options.”
“A choice?”
“In practical combat, they couldn’t even wield their swords properly. So I suggested a training method that would actually be effective, but they refused, so I had no choice but to introduce this instead.”
The way Cheon Hui emphasized “no choice” made Muryeon Gakju’s face turn cold.
“Did you just say they refused the training?”
“Yes.”
In that instant, his eyes grew as ice, his brows shot up, and his teeth clenched.
“What training did they refuse?”
“Performing the Samjae Sword Technique ten thousand times.”
“Merely the Samjae Sword Technique… ten thousand times?”
Muryeon Gakju let out a gasp of disbelief.
He’d thought it was no ordinary training, but wielding the Samjae Sword Technique ten thousand times over?
The thought alone was appalling.
“Is that truly what happened?”
“Yes.”
Muryeon Gakju pressed his palm to his forehead.
It was certainly grueling training.
And yet.
“For them to refuse training nonetheless. Sigh—have I been too lenient with them all this time?”
As he sighed, he shook his head slowly.
“I apologize. I should have put them through harsher training, yet you did it instead. I’ve been helped by you.”
Muryeon Gakju smiled ruefully.
‘I’d hoped his frail body would keep him removed from the sect’s affairs…’
The Cheon Hui he’d known was a weak child.
Weak in body and weak in spirit.
But that was no longer true.
‘To willingly take on the role of villain for the disciples’ growth, even if he were to be cursed as unfit to be a Maehwa Geomsu…’
He was no longer merely a Dosa—he had transcended into a Dosa worthy of the entire Huashan Sect.
‘Gang I left behind a true treasure.’
A smile played across Muryeon Gakju’s lips.
“Ah, but before that…”
Trailing off, he drew close to Cheon Hui and whispered in his ear.
“Could you teach me that technique?”
“The Byeonche Gongong?”
Muryeon Gakju nodded.
“But as you can see, the pain is severe, so your disciples likely won’t enjoy experiencing it. Are you certain?”
“Haha. Then wouldn’t it be the same as with you? Let them choose—either perform the Samjae Sword Technique ten thousand times in a day, or undergo this Byeonche Gongong. The decision rests with the disciples, doesn’t it?”
In that moment, the corners of Cheon Hui’s mouth curved upward, and the light in his eyes shifted.
‘Oh. So you’re saying you’ll introduce it to the disciples after experiencing that pain yourself? Excellent.’
Cheon Hui’s eyes gleamed.
“Teaching it is simple enough.”
“Then I ask you to do so.”
“First, the qi-blood…”
Cheon Hui began to recite the Gugyeol of the Byeonche Gongong.
“So you stimulate the blood and gi-maek in that manner… is that how you loosened the muscles?”
As Muryeon Gakju listened, he let out exclamations of admiration at intervals throughout.
“You’ve memorized all of it, haven’t you?”
“I’ve memorized it all.”
Muryeon Gakju, who had committed every syllable of the Byeonche Gongong’s incantations to memory in a single sitting, nodded in acknowledgment.
“Thank you.”
Muryeon Gakju, offering his gratitude once more, met his eyes with an expression of satisfaction and relief.
“Should you ever find yourself in need of my help, you’re welcome to seek me out anytime. Or rather, if you’re ever bored, come visit whenever you like.”
“If I have reason to, I will.”
“Good. Do come by.”
Having heard Cheon Hui’s reply, Muryeon Gakju departed Yeonhwa Peak with a satisfied expression.
Meanwhile, Jeok Geom watched the receding figure of Muryeon Gakju and silently apologized to his disciples.
‘Forgive me for failing to stop it.’
A tide of regret rose unbidden within him.
He had tried every means to prevent the Byeonche Gongong from being transmitted, but it had been for nothing.
Muryeon Gakju’s resolve had been too firm.
“Infinite Buddha.”
As he was preparing to offer a lament, picturing the disciples who would soon suffer the torments of the Byeonche Gongong under Muryeon Gakju’s tutelage—
‘He was quite a remarkable one.’
Cheon Hui smiled with satisfaction.
Whether his disciples writhed in agony from the Byeonche Gongong mattered not to him.
What pleased him was simply that Muryeon Gakju, unlike the other dosas of the rival sects, had accepted the Byeonche Gongong without protest or refusal.
‘I should teach him something else the next time we meet.’
Who could have known it then?
That this brief encounter between the two would become the seed from which anguished cries would one day bloom across the Huashan Sect.

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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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