Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect - Chapter 66

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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 66
“What did you say?!”
The Nam Goong Clan retainers sitting all around suddenly shoved back their chairs and leapt to their feet.
Mention integrity, and you thought of the Nam Goong Clan.
Mention the Nam Goong Clan, and you thought of integrity.
But what was this? No gratitude at all?
Those who glared at Cheon Hui had veins bulging in their necks from the force of their anger.
“You wretched fool! How dare you spout such nonsense in this place!”
“So you’ve gained a little reputation lately and think yourself above all others, is that it?”
“To dare insult our household……!”
Their voices, growing hoarse from shouting, reached a fever pitch.
A mere Huashan Sect disciple had shown disrespect to the head of the Nam Goong Clan, and worse, within the Nam Goong Clan itself—the anger of those witnessing it was enough to shake the heavens.
But then.
“Did I say anyone could speak?”
Nam Goong In brought the commotion to an end.
Those who had been raging fell silent in an instant, grinding their teeth and swallowing their fury.
Nam Goong In, who had seized the atmosphere of the Nam Goong Clan with a single utterance, tilted his head.
“No gratitude, you say?”
Nam Goong In’s gaze pierced through Cheon Hui.
It was a cold, sharp stare—the kind that would make anyone who met it shrink back and avert their eyes.
‘What’s he staring at?’
Rather than cowering or looking away from his gaze, Cheon Hui met it head-on.
“I thought you were deaf, but it seems you heard that quite clearly.”
In that instant, the air shifted.
The Nam Goong Clan retainers said nothing in response, but killing intent began to seep upward from them.
Soon, as if a drop of water had fallen into boiling oil, murderous aura erupted violently and crashed down upon Cheon Hui all at once.
The moment the atmosphere turned savage beyond all control.
“My apologies, Lord Nam Goong. Might you find it in yourself to calm your anger for a moment?”
Hyeon Jin stepped between them.
Sensing that the tide was turning dangerous, he quickly offered his apology.
“I am deeply sorry.”
“My student is still ignorant of Kangho’s ways, and this unfortunate matter has occurred because of it.”
“We have been most discourteous.”
Following his apology, the Plum Blossom Sword Disciples chimed in urgently, one after another.
Their bodies trembled slightly.
‘Th-this really is the Nam Goong Clan…….’
‘I-I can’t breathe!’
Though they had stepped forward to prevent a fight, the killing intent pressing down from all sides felt suffocating.
‘……This is dangerous.’
When Hyeon Jin, who was faring somewhat better, noticed the Plum Blossom Sword Disciples’ faces going deathly pale, he bowed respectfully once more.
“My sect’s disciples are still young and lack proper judgment…….”
But his words were of no use.
“Words carry grave responsibility.”
Nam Goong In ignored Hyeon Jin’s plea.
Rather, Hyeon Jin was beneath his notice entirely.
His gaze fixed on one person alone.
Behind Hyeon Jin’s shoulder, he regarded only the foolish young priest who met his stare unflinchingly.
“A careless word can breed ancient grudges, and sometimes even determine the rise and fall of entire sects. Especially in Kangho, if one lacks power, one should not speak carelessly.”
“So you’re saying that if one has great power, one can speak however one pleases?”
As Cheon Hui answered with perfect innocence, Nam Goong In’s eyebrows twitched sharply.
“……Are you saying you have the strength to answer for yourself against our household?”
Cheon Hui swept his gaze across all those gathered within the Changtian Great Hall.
This much should be…….
“Sufficient.”
The air stilled in an instant.
Nam Goong In looked at Cheon Hui with quiet eyes, then let his voice fall like frost.
“Bold.”
“It’s not boldness—it’s just obvious.”
“Obvious, you say?”
As Cheon Hui spoke without backing down a single step, Nam Goong In fixed him with a stare.
Whirrrrr—
A young man swept forward in a graceful display of the Light Body Technique, materializing before Nam Goong In and Cheon Hui.
“Father, I shall take responsibility for this matter.”
“You?”
“Yes.”
Nam Goong Jin Gyeong, the second son of the Nam Goong Clan, spun sharply on his heel.
What’s this?
Cheon Hui watched as Nam Goong Jin Gyeong met his gaze directly, then suddenly brought both hands together in a cupped fist salute.
“I request a friendly match with you, junior.”
“No, that won’t do—”
Hyeon Jin moved to refuse, flustered, but Cheon Hui answered faster, smoothly.
“That sounds good.”
* * *
Above the Nam Goong Clan’s Training Grounds.
As Cheon Hui and Nam Goong Jin Gyeong took their positions facing each other across the arena, the space around the grounds filled with waves of fervent heat.
“Straighten out that disrespect!”
“Second Young Master!”
Of course, being the Nam Goong Clan, the support was entirely one-sided, pouring toward Nam Goong Jin Gyeong.
“So it’s come to this.”
“Hmm, Master.”
The deafening roar of encouragement left Hyeon Jin and the Plum Blossom Sword Disciples visibly deflated.
“Master, will this be all right? Your student has been recovering from illness until just recently…”
“Master, we must stop the match at once!”
Hearing the anxious voices of the disciples, Hyeon Jin’s expression darkened.
Each word they spoke voiced his own concerns perfectly.
And yet.
“It’s too late.”
The moment Cheon Hui accepted the match, there was no reason to stop it, no way to intervene.
‘I see. He’s genuinely angry.’
The clan master’s feelings made sense to him.
The young priest had spoken words of open contempt to him, the very master of the house.
And he’d done it right there, with all the clan’s people gathered around.
If he put himself in that position, he’d be furious too.
‘Still, this seems rather excessive, doesn’t it, Clan Master?’
His gaze turned toward Nam Goong Jin Gyeong.
The Azure Heaven Sword Dragon Nam Goong Jin Gyeong.
The muscles visible between his broad shoulders and his robes held a density like compressed steel.
Though not exceptionally tall, his massive frame made him appear larger than the taller Cheon Hui.
‘But that’s not all.’
Sweat beaded on Hyeon Jin’s forehead as he watched.
‘An aura of that magnitude…’
It was no accident, then, that he was counted among the Five Dragons Four Phoenixes—the most elite among the younger generation of the Bi Cheon Society.
The momentum he radiated was unmistakably fierce, brimming with overwhelming power.
‘The clan master must have summoned him deliberately.’
Hyeon Jin’s brow furrowed.
A friendly match to take responsibility for his words—that was the pretext.
But the situation was clearly developing exactly as the clan master intended.
“The opponent is none other than the Azure Heaven Sword Dragon. How can your student possibly hold his own…”
Someone’s comment made Hyeon Jin bristle.
“I already know that!”
The disciples stared in shock at Hyeon Jin’s uncharacteristic sharpness—he who never wavered, no matter what.
“Master?”
“I know Cheon Hui will have a hard time against the Azure Heaven Sword Dragon. But what am I supposed to do about it? Didn’t Cheon Hui accept the match himself?”
Hyeon Jin struck his chest as long-suppressed emotion finally burst forth.
Though he said nothing more, he was twisted with anxiety and frustration.
The disciples fell silent at once, their heads bowed.
“All we can do now is pray that nothing goes wrong…”
Hyeon Jin covered his face with his palm and muttered in despair.
“…Let’s just wait quietly for the match to end. Still, one never knows…”
Trailing off, Hyeon Jin blinked once and lowered his voice as he spoke to the disciples.
“If anything seems likely to happen during the spar, be ready to intervene.”
“……!”
The Plum Blossom Sword Disciples lifted their heads sharply.
Their eyes hardened with sudden intensity.
It was the word they had been waiting for, over and over.
At once they straightened their postures and prepared themselves to draw the swords hanging at their waists at a moment’s notice, their expressions rigid with focus.
“Understood.”
“We’re ready to move at any moment.”
Cheon Hui, standing across from him, studied Nam Goong Jin Gyeong as he hefted the wooden sword.
‘I never thought I’d see the Nam Goong Clan’s martial arts before the Nine Factions and One Gang’s.’
The situation was unfolding in a peculiar way.
He had come to the Murim Alliance to observe the techniques of the Orthodox Sects.
Yet here he was.
Instead of observing the martial arts of the sects within the Murim Alliance, he found himself watching the techniques of the Bi Cheon Society—and more specifically, the Nam Goong Clan, which had no connection to either.
‘Which martial art will he deploy?’
He dredged through his memory for the Nam Goong Clan’s techniques.
Though many came to mind, what he anticipated most was their swordsmanship.
The Azure Sky Boundless Sword Method, the Great Prosperity Sword Method, the Heavenly Wind Sword Method, and more.
‘They were quite impressive techniques, even back then.’
A smile full of keen interest spread across Cheon Hui’s lips.
‘Since the Nam Goong Clan didn’t fall into decline like Huashan, they’ve probably developed even further.’
It was then that Nam Goong Jin Gyeong took his stance.
“Nam Goong Jin Gyeong of the Nam Goong Clan.”
“Ah, Cheon Hui of Huashan.”
Having received the greeting, Nam Goong Jin Gyeong lowered his fist and drew the sword at his waist.
Shiiing—
Surely he was a young master of the Nam Goong Clan, for his blade gleamed with such sharpness that one could tell at a glance it was a Divine Blade.
“I intend to deploy the Flash Lightning Thirteen Sword Thunder in this spar.”
Speaking in a clipped tone, he stepped forward with his left foot and raised his sword.
Cheon Hui’s eyes flashed.
Flash Lightning Thirteen Sword Thunder? A new sword technique?
It was a martial art name he had never heard in his previous life or this one.
What could it be? If it’s “flash,” it must be a quick blade?
As Cheon Hui, delighted at the prospect of seeing a new martial art, began to grin.
“And what martial art will you use to face me, little brother?”
“I hadn’t really given it much thought…….”
Cheon Hui, pondering, drew his sword.
“Well, let me go with the Six Harmony Sword Method.”
“The Six Harmony Sword Method……?”
Nam Goong Jin Gyeong’s left eyebrow twitched.
The Six Harmony Sword Method was a third-rate technique even street children knew.
Yet he would face him with that?
“You don’t intend to use a higher-level sword technique? I’ve heard the Plum Blossom Sword Method is famous among those of Huashan.”
“I’ll use it if I need to.”
Nam Goong Jin Gyeong’s expression twisted.
“You have no manners. I’ll teach you proper comportment today.”
As his tone shifted, his sword flashed brilliantly.
The speed of his swing was so fast that afterimages trailed through the air before a thunderous Breaking Sound erupted.
Yet Cheon Hui simply moved his blade slightly, smoothly deflecting the incoming Flash Lightning Thirteen Sword Thunder to the side.
“……!”
Nam Goong Jin Gyeong’s eyes widened—he had not expected to be parried so effortlessly.
But he quickly regained his composure.
Immediately withdrawing his blade, he unleashed a relentless barrage of cuts toward Cheon Hui.
Ten exchanges of attack and defense unfolded in quick succession.
‘He’s tearing through the air to generate Thunder Qi.’
As he deflected the blows, Cheon Hui carefully studied the sword method Nam Goong Jin Gyeong was employing.
It was a technique that skillfully harnessed Thunder Qi—something normally too crude and difficult to control.
‘Hmm. Should I see more of it?’
Cheon Hui deliberately let the incoming strikes pass by with razor-thin margins, watching intently.
“Hah!”
“Cheon Hui!”
Meanwhile, the Plum Blossom Sword Disciples, oblivious to Cheon Hui’s true intentions, flinched with each swing of his blade.
“…Gasp! Did he… did he dodge it?”
“Phew—”
Cheon Hui pressed a hand to his chest as he evaded.
But the reprieve was fleeting; the tension only wound tighter.
Nam Goong Jin Gyeong’s assault was growing fiercer by the second.
“Will he be all right?”
“The opponent’s attacks are accelerating. He’s managing to evade for now, but at this rate…”
Cold sweat beaded on the foreheads of those watching the spar.
The Sword Technique that Nam Goong Jin Gyeong deployed was remarkably fast and refined.
Formidable enough to overwhelm even them.
Yet Cheon Hui, though visibly anxious, was somehow adeptly deflecting each strike.
“If only he doesn’t get cut in a vital spot.”
“Dodge!”
Just as they hung upon Cheon Hui’s every movement, scrutinizing the spar with bated breath—
“Master! I can’t bear this any longer. Wouldn’t it be better to act first rather than wait for disaster to strike?”
Gu Gyeom Wi, unable to contain himself, spoke up.
Cheon Hui had barely managed to deflect and evade, yet Nam Goong Jin Gyeong’s sharp blade seemed poised to pierce him at any moment.
“We cannot. If we move first, we’ll only provoke the Nam Goong Clan.”
Hyeon Jin replied in a hoarse voice.
He too wanted nothing more than to step in immediately.
But doing so risked transforming a friendly match into a battle for survival.
Just as they waited, biding their time—
“Hmph! Dodging about like a flying squirrel, I see.”
Nam Goong Jin Gyeong, watching Cheon Hui scramble to evade, let out a scornful laugh.
“But how long can you keep running?”
His blade grew fiercer still.
Whoosh— Whoosh—
The strikes faster than before.
Yet Cheon Hui sidestepped them with an almost bored expression.
‘There’s nothing more to see here.’
The Flash Lightning Thirteen Sword Thunder was undoubtedly a formidable technique, but the man wielding it—Nam Goong Jin Gyeong—was of far too low a realm.
Flash, Thirteen, Sword Thunder.
Properly executed, thirteen strikes of thunder should cascade forth in succession.
But what was this?
It was far too slow to be called Flash, and nowhere near the required Thirteen.
As for Thunder—
There was nothing but desperate flailing, fumbling sword strikes thrown about to achieve raw speed.
‘If it were someone who wielded the technique properly, it might pose a real challenge.’
His interest evaporating, Cheon Hui met the incoming blade head-on for the first time, striking back.
Clang!
With a sharp crack like shattering bronze, Nam Goong Jin Gyeong’s sword and body alike were hurled backward.
“How—how did you counter the Flash Lightning Thirteen Sword Thunder—!”
Nam Goong Jin Gyeong stumbled in shock, stunned not only that Cheon Hui—who had been frantically dodging—suddenly stood his ground, but that he’d actually deflected the strike.
“Well, it’s just a friendly match, so I can’t kill you.”
Cheon Hui, murmuring to himself, planted his stance firmly.
“Guess I have no choice. Here goes.”

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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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