Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect - Chapter 61

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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 61
“So?”
Cheon Hui studied Yong Ju Gae carefully.
From the way he’d handled his internal energy just moments before—the precise control, the swift gathering of force—Cheon Hui could tell he was no ordinary figure.
‘Though I didn’t know he was the Patriarch of Gae Bang.’
Still, that revelation stirred little in him.
“So because you’re the Patriarch of Gae Bang, I should bow my head at once?”
“Y-you little—?!”
Seol Geom gasped at Cheon Hui’s flat response, but Yong Ju Gae himself seemed delighted, nodding his head vigorously.
“That’s right. A true martial artist of Jianghu ought to have that kind of spirit.”
“Sigh. I don’t even know anymore.”
Caught between the two of them, Seol Geom shook his head as if his temples ached, then stepped back.
“Good thinking. Now go.”
“When should I return, sir?”
“Come back after one Double Hour.”
Seol Geom nodded, then approached Cheon Hui and whispered near his ear.
“Will you be all right?”
Cheon Hui looked directly at Seol Geom.
“And what would you do if I weren’t?”
“That… I’m sorry.”
Seol Geom gave a bitter smile.
“There are no other summons, are there? Only this one?”
“This is all. After this, I intend to guide you to the Huashan Sect’s quarters where you’ll be staying during your time at the Murim League.”
“That’ll do, then.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
“I didn’t understand anything.”
“Ha.”
Seol Geom smiled awkwardly, glancing briefly at Yong Ju Gae.
“Though if the elder should have a change of heart, things might grow complicated…”
“No, don’t worry about that.”
Yong Ju Gae cut him off cleanly.
“Then I’m relieved.”
Seol Geom spoke with a weary face.
“I’ll take my leave, then.”
Seol Geom climbed the stairs, and the moment his presence slipped through the door, Yong Ju Gae opened his mouth.
“Now, shall we begin our conversation?”
The atmosphere in the room shifted at once.
“First…”
Yong Ju Gae, speaking with deliberate pause, withdrew a Scroll from his breast.
Then he unrolled it across the floor.
Scritch-scritch—
Yong Ju Gae pointed at the extended Scroll with his index finger and spoke.
“Read this.”
Cheon Hui’s gaze methodically swept across the densely written characters.
‘What is this?’
He narrowed his eyes, staring at Yong Ju Gae.
“…Information about me?”
“Correct.”
Everything from the Five Sacred Mountains Assembly five years ago to Baek Gwi Seong’s recent actions.
Then, upon reading the final entry, he stiffened.
Details about his stay at Mangyeong Pavilion, and that he was being taught by Jeok Geom and Seol Lan.
Information so precise it would be nearly impossible to know without access to the Huashan Sect’s inner circles.
“Why are you showing me this?”
Cheon Hui’s voice had turned cold.
The realization that Yong Ju Gae before him knew so much about him in such detail did not sit well.
“This is all the information I have gathered about you up to now.”
Yong Ju Gae’s expression showed clear dissatisfaction; he scratched the back of his head.
For a moment he scattered dandruff in all directions before staring at Cheon Hui with obvious disapproval.
“I’ve always prided myself on being able to collect everything about an ordinary martial artist from birth to the present day, yet learning about you proved almost as difficult as investigating an imperial figure. It was quite the hassle.”
Yong Ju Gae’s expression remained sour.
Ever since Jin Gae had informed him about Cheon Hui, he’d gathered every scrap of information he could find—but this was all that remained.
“I summoned you because I wanted to verify something about you properly. I needed to understand who you are, to speak so boldly between the Huashan Divine Sword and Bi Yeon Geom Gun, and what martial arts you possess to reduce Baek Gwi Seong’s gates to complete rubble in a single blow. And why someone’s been trying to erase information about you.”
“You’re putting it in a roundabout way, but essentially you wanted to know my real abilities, didn’t you?”
“If you want to simplify it, yes.”
Yong Ju Gae rolled up the Scroll he’d been holding, looking somewhat sheepish.
“And today I’ve confirmed it sufficiently.”
The moment those words left his lips, something remarkable happened.
Whoosh—
Flames burst forth from the Scroll in Yong Ju Gae’s hand.
Samadhi True Fire.
“With this, no information about you exists anywhere in the world except inside my head.”
Cheon Hui’s eyes widened slightly.
There was no falsehood in those words; his pupils remained steady, his breathing even.
“Why do such a thing?”
The answer came immediately.
“By erasing this information, I hope you’ll forget the discord that existed between the Huashan Sect and Gae Bang over the Plum Blossom Sword Squad.”
Yong Ju Gae blew the ashes away with a sharp breath, his gaze meeting Cheon Hui’s.
‘What? That’s what this was about?’
Understanding washed over Cheon Hui at once.
Cutting off the roots of future grudges before they could deepen.
This sort of proposal wasn’t uncommon within the Tianma Divine Sect in the past.
Yet a question arose.
“But why now? There would have been plenty of opportunities to settle this discord before.”
Yong Ju Gae chuckled heartily.
“As you say, there were many chances to settle it. But back then, there was no need to.”
“You certainly didn’t hold us in high regard.”
“Because I didn’t, back then.”
Cheon Hui’s eyes narrowed.
Yong Ju Gae made no effort to hide that he had looked down on the Huashan Sect.
As if it were the most natural thing in the world.
‘Yet even as one of the Nine Major Factions and One Alliance, he could dismiss us so thoroughly.’
He had sensed that the Huashan Sect’s prestige had fallen into decline, but he hadn’t imagined it would be to this extent.
“Then things are different now?”
Cheon Hui fixed his gaze on Yong Ju Gae and asked.
The reason he’d been summoned was simple.
Whether the Huashan Sect possessed value worth settling discord over.
He’d wanted to verify it firsthand.
“Of course they’re different now. With the Huashan Divine Sword that toppled Baek Gwi Seong, and you on top of that, how could they not be? Besides, the League’s circumstances are complicated too…….”
Yong Ju Gae scratched his greasy hair with an expression of deep complexity.
“Before the Huashan Sect grows even stronger, I need to nip any seeds of discord in the bud before they can take root.”
“Your decision came faster than I expected. I thought you’d probe a little deeper first.”
“I was planning to, originally.”
Yong Ju Gae stared directly at Cheon Hui.
“But since you’ve seen through the Bi Cheon Mu Young Shin Law, there’s no need anymore.”
“The Bi Cheon Mu Young Shin Law?”
Cheon Hui stroked his chin, recalling the Light Body Movement Technique that had erupted from below.
“Ah, that strange technique?”
“You saw through the entire form without even knowing what the Bi Cheon Mu Young Shin Law is.”
“There wasn’t much form to see through.”
“What kind of……. Never mind.”
Yong Ju Gae let out a sigh.
“Then this concludes our transaction. There is no more discord between Huashan and Gae Bang.”
“I can’t speak for what the others might think, though.”
Cheon Hui threw cold water on the agreement.
Yet Yong Ju Gae’s expression suggested he didn’t understand what Cheon Hui meant, and he gave a short laugh.
“The Huashan Sect will never be able to hold a different opinion from you.”
* * *
After concluding his business with Yong Ju Gae and parting ways, Cheon Hui arrived at the pavilion where the disciples of the Huashan Sect lodged, guided by Seol Geom.
“If any problems arise, please come find me.”
Seol Geom bowed to Cheon Hui and departed.
“…This is the Huashan Sect’s quarters?”
Cheon Hui muttered in dissatisfaction, eyeing the hall directly before him.
The hall was dilapidated and dreary.
Like a structure that had been used and then abandoned.
It stood in stark contrast to the other halls he’d seen while walking the grounds with Seol Geom.
‘So this is the standing the Huashan Sect has in the Murim League now?’
As Cheon Hui fixed his gaze on the hall,
“Hm?”
A voice came from above.
He looked up to see a familiar face on the second floor of the hall, beaming with a bright smile.
“If it isn’t Cheon Hui!”
A middle-aged man with a weary complexion leaped down.
In that moment, the tassel of a plum blossom-shaped sword at his waist swayed.
It was a tassel worn only by members of the Plum Blossom Sword Squad.
He descended lightly before Cheon Hui with smooth movement, his face bright with laughter.
“I received word that you were coming, but you’ve arrived faster than expected.”
“It’s been a long time since we’ve met.”
Cheon Hui returned the greeting.
This was Hyeon Jin, who had been sent to oversee the Plum Blossom Sword Squad.
“Hah. You’ve grown taller again.”
Hyeon Jin laughed, looking up at Cheon Hui.
He had been spending most of his time with the Murim League, leading the Plum Blossom Sword Squad members, though he would occasionally return to Huashan to pay his respects.
“But I heard that Hyeon Do was coming as well……”
“He has gone to meet with the Murim League Lord.”
“I see.”
A furrow deepened in Hyeon Jin’s brow.
“……Then he may end up staying there for a while.”
He let out a sigh.
“Sigh. I had hoped to receive his assistance, but it cannot be helped.”
Speaking with a bitter edge, he turned to look at Cheon Hui and smiled.
“But the timing works out well. The Plum Blossom Sword Squad has all returned and was just sitting down for a meal. Especially—Cheon Yu has been looking forward to seeing you.”
‘Cheon Yu?’
Cheon Hui’s mind worked.
Then he recalled something about the Sect Token.
“You mean the senior disciple, sir?”
Hyeon Jin nodded.
“Come along.”
Cheon Hui followed Hyeon Jin toward the hall. As his feet pressed on the creaking floor, Cheon Hui’s brow twitched.
‘Is this really quarters? Or a ruin?’
As he continued forward, eyeing the dilapidated state of the hall—worse than any inn—Hyeon Jin came to a stop.
“Here it is.”
Creak—
As the closed door opened, he saw several people seated around a large circular table.
“Welcome…Hm? Senior Hui?”
A tall young Daoist who had been greeting them stood abruptly from his seat.
At his words, the Plum Blossom Sword Squad members eating there looked toward Cheon Hui with startled eyes.
“Senior Hui?”
“Is that really Senior Hui?”
The eyes of the four Plum Blossom Sword Squad members seated at the table went wide.
Confronted with the robust figure of a young man so different from the Cheon Hui they had known, they burst with astonishment.
“Has your body recovered?”
“Are you well now?”
Just as their commotion was about to grow louder,
“Everyone, please be quiet.”
The young Daoist who had stood up first spoke with authority, bringing the noise to an end.
‘That must be the senior disciple.’
The one he guessed to be Cheon Yu approached.
“You must have had a difficult journey. Ah, but that’s not what matters now. You’ve come all this way and must be hungry—please, sit in that empty chair.”
Just as Cheon Yu said, Cheon Hui was indeed hungry, so he took the seat that was offered.
“It’s been a while, junior disciple.”
“How are you feeling now? Any lingering aches?”
The moment Cheon Hui settled into his seat, everyone moved to greet him.
“I know you’re all curious, but show restraint. Our guest has had a long journey to reach the Murim League—he must be exhausted.”
Cheon Yu spoke up, cutting them off.
The Plum Blossom Sword Squad members wore disappointed expressions but soon returned their attention to their meal.
The obedience was remarkably swift.
‘So they listen without protest… he must have quite a bit of influence.’
Cheon Hui glanced sideways at Cheon Yu.
Cheon Yu felt his gaze and met his eyes briefly, breaking into a smile.
‘Well, might as well eat.’
Cheon Hui immediately picked up his chopsticks.
After finishing the meal shortly after,
“Cheon Hui.”
Cheon Yu approached him.
He spoke before the Plum Blossom Sword Squad members who had been waiting eagerly in the background for a chance to talk with Cheon Hui.
“Come with me. I’ll show you to the quarters you’ll be staying in during your time at the Murim League.”
Cheon Yu led him to the very last room among the many chambers on this floor, then glanced to the side and spoke.
“This is the room where you’ll stay. My quarters are directly across, so if anything comes up, feel free to visit me anytime.”
With a light smile, Cheon Yu entered his room.
Cheon Hui, watching him go, stepped into his own assigned quarters and lay down on the bed.
Thump.
‘At least there’s a proper bed here.’
As soon as he lay down, his eyes closed without resistance.
Rustle.
After sleeping for some time, Cheon Hui stirred.
‘That presence…’
In the deep silence of the night, Cheon Hui slowly opened his eyes to the approaching footsteps.
“Did I wake you?”
He turned his head toward the voice.
In the window frame where moonlight streamed through, Cheon Yu stood shaking a small alcohol bottle.
“How about it? Care to join me for a drink?”

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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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