The Heavenly Demon of the Blue Sky - Chapter 20

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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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Heavenly Creation Demon 020
Cheonghaegomwol. A lone moon floating upon the blue sea—such is the meaning of its name.
A name that resembles my own solitary figure, cast adrift beneath the sky of Namgung.
‘Of course.’
It was the blade I knew.
Namgung Gyeong, who stood beside me, reasoned why the clan’s treasure sword lay in this place.
During the time I was trapped underground, he had heard the account from Sa Domoo and now relayed it to me.
“When Sa Domoo became the vanguard and attacked Namgung, he was pierced by the former Clan Leader’s sword and has suffered a mortal wound unto this day. After the Clan Leader passed, might he have seized that blade and kept it at his side……?”
It was highly probable he had sealed it with dark arts and kept it near as a medium to manage his internal injuries.
“Just as one would expect from those wretched insects. Truly persistent creatures.”
And so, as time passed, it came into my possession—Namgung Hyuk, the new Clan Leader of Namgung and the child of Namgung Cheon.
“It seems Heaven has guided the Clan Leader here to lend its strength to Namgung’s resurrection……!”
My previous blade had just been reduced to ash, leaving my hand empty.
Whoosh—! I drew the Cheonghaegomwol lightly through the air.
As if it had always been part of my arm, it traced the body’s course and aligned itself with flawless perfection.
More than that, it received the Namgung vital energy flowing within me without the loss of a single trace.
‘Hmm.’
I had resolved to represent Namgung, and the blade’s Heavenly Creation essence pleased me.
Hmmm—! The sword itself seemed delighted to meet its new Clan Leader, humming low.
Then there was no need to hesitate.
Shlink—! Still too short to hang from my waist, I slung it diagonally across my back.
As I stepped out of the altar and into the open, it was as if a promise had been made—every eye turned toward me.
“The sword that represents Namgung has returned—this too is destiny……!”
The talented of Namgung clenched their trembling jaws and rejoiced quietly.
They gazed up at me astride the black horse, swallowing hard.
Whoom—! At the same moment, the blue robe I wore billowed magnificently.
I tapped the Cheonghaegomwol visible over my shoulder once and issued a short command.
“Let’s return.”
“Yes, Clan Leader!”
With our backs to the great flames consuming the remnants of the Blood Cult scattered throughout the temple.
Our company finally ended that long nightmare and took confident steps toward Hangzhou.

* * *
We pierced through the murky dawn mist and at last reached the gates of Hangzhou.
At the entrance to the city, Jang Ho and Hye Gwang came to a halt.
Since we each had different directions to go, we decided to part ways here.
Jang Ho smiled first and approached with clasped fists.
“Thanks to the Clan Leader, this beggar has shed his grime and grown. I shall repay this debt one day.”
Hye Gwang too folded his hands in respect and expressed hope that they would meet again soon.
“Now that the region is finally at peace, it is all thanks to the Clan Leader. Truly, it has been a meaningful journey together.”
“Spare the pleasantries. Go and hand over the ledgers I gave you to the Alliance properly. See that no loose talk emerges—handle it cleanly.”
My blunt reply drew hearty laughter from both men.
“Ha, we shall remember. We have countless questions still for the Clan Leader. We look forward to our next meeting.”
After parting with the two, I hired an inn on the outskirts of the city.
I intended to rest and wait until Dangsuk returned.
‘Even so.’
Looking at the talents of Namgung who had followed, I clicked my tongue.
From having their blood drained, their cheeks had hollowed and their frames bent.
“Tsk, sickly wretches aren’t exactly the symbol of Namgung.”
I called the innkeeper and tossed coins generously.
“Bring warming broths and meat stock, and heat the rooms well.”
“Ah, honored guest. We shall attend you with utmost care!”
The innkeeper bowed obsequiously and hurried away.
I then gestured at the talents huddled in the corner, all eyes downcast.
“Why do you all stare like drenched dogs?”
At my words, Namgung Gyeong and the others hung their heads in shame.
“Bodies in your current state are good for nothing. For now, eat what’s given, sleep like the dead, and recover. That’s all.”
“C-Clan Leader…….”
“You’ll need strength to rise again, to move forward—any strength at all. Don’t grate on my nerves with your whining. Stay in your rooms for now and learn to look human again.”
With that, I waved my hand dismissively and made my way toward the upper chambers.
I’d only said it out of genuine irritation and exhaustion—I still needed to refine the Jeol-eum meridian completely.
Yet when I glanced down without thinking, I couldn’t help but flinch.
“Oh, Clan Leader….”
“Your words may sound cold, but this is how you show consideration for us, is it not?”
“How can you be so deeply compassionate, so warm…!”
The talented men of Namgung, led by Namgung Gyeong, clutched their lips in overwhelming emotion.
They turned toward me with tender, ardent gazes.
‘…They’ve all completely lost their minds.’
Their blood must have run dry; now even their brains had frozen solid.
It was absurd, but it would be equally ridiculous to walk back down the stairs and correct their misunderstanding.
I turned away from their sticky, burdensome faces and shut the door.

* * *
At that same moment, on the outskirts of Hangzhou.
The sprawling mansion of the newly rich had become absolute chaos.
The truth of their collusion with the Blood Cult had been exposed.
“If anyone dares to smuggle out a single ledger, I’ll have their head on the spot! Search everywhere!”
Warriors dispatched by the Murim Alliance held torches high and combed through the place like lice.
Once all the upstart’s property had been seized, Dangsuk contacted the Alliance investigators and reported the damages suffered by Namgung.
Namgung’s kinfolk, as clear victims of abduction, demanded rightful compensation, and the Alliance acknowledged the claim, allocating a substantial portion of the confiscated estate to Namgung.
Thus a thick stack of bank notes fell into Dangsuk’s hands.
The task the Clan Leader had assigned had been executed flawlessly.
Yet thump-thump—his heart remained uneasy.
The Clan Leader was young, his color not yet fully returned from illness.
No matter how much poison he harbored in his heart, could he truly rescue the boy and the clan members safely from the seasoned remnants of the Blood Cult?
What if, driven by reckless impulse, he returned only as a cold corpse?
It was in the grip of this dread that Dangsuk’s fingernails were raw from biting.
“This is no trivial matter. Look at this letter we found in the mansion’s secret chamber.”
Two investigators from the Murim Alliance, who had been searching the residence nearby, approached with grave faces, conversing among themselves.
With held breath, Dangsuk overheard their exchange—and the content struck him like thunder.
“The upstart’s backer is none other than Sa Domoo, the Blood Wind Fiend!”
“What?! That merciless old demon has been lurking near Hangzhou all this while?!”
At those three syllables—Sa Domoo—Dangsuk’s face went pale as blank parchment.
He was the vanguard of the demons, the sworn enemy who had burned Namgung’s main house and slaughtered its people!
“This is grave. The Shaolin and Gaebang of Hangzhou, along with Namgung’s young Clan Leader, have already headed for the fiends’ stronghold, have they not?”
“Yes. The Alliance sent its main forces for reinforcement in haste, but I fear the worst has already come to pass.”
“So promising young talents will die in vain once more!”
As the investigators bustled about, Dangsuk’s legs gave way and he fell hard on his haunches.
‘Ah…I’ve driven the clan into peril yet again!’
That young Clan Leader who had struck him mercilessly and pursued him so savagely.
Yet beneath that harsh manner lay a heart-wrenching sacrifice—charging recklessly into danger to rescue the abducted kinfolk.
“Hah, and I’ve slipped away again, letting only myself survive…!”
He should have gone with him instead, to die together, orders or not.
Consumed by bitter remorse and self-recrimination, he hung his head in despair. Then—
“Wait? Look there! Why is the Alliance’s main force returning?!”
An investigator’s urgent cry, distant but sharp.
At that shout, Dangsuk shot to his feet.
Warriors bearing the Alliance’s banner appeared, churning up dust.
The investigators rushed out in surprise to meet them.
Two familiar figures strode in at the head of the warriors.
Jang Ho, the Branch Leader of Gaebang in Hangzhou, and Hye Gwang, the monk-warrior of Shaolin.
Dangsuk had braced himself for disaster, yet they walked in with shoulders thrown back and confident bearing.
“Branch Leader! What happened? Sa Domoo was supposed to be at the Blood Cult’s stronghold…!”
“Ha ha ha! The Alliance’s main force had no need to lift a finger!”
Jang Ho laughed heartily, reeking of wine.
“Namgung’s new Clan Leader personally destroyed the Blood Cult’s stronghold and cleanly severed the head of that demon Sa Domoo!”
Hye Gwang added his deep voice in support.
“Namo Amitabha. Namgung’s Heavenly Creation has risen again, elevating the glory of the righteous sects!”
At this unexpected announcement, everyone in the hall was struck dumb.
“What? The new Clan Leader of Namgung slew that Sa Domoo?!”
“That notorious elder? And now that sickly young master who’s barely turned fifteen?!”
Wooooahhhhh—!!
Silence shattered as astonishment and cheers erupted in a deafening wave.
And at the edge of that crowd.
“W-what…what…?”
Dangsuk, who’d been muttering as if his soul had fled, sprang up like a released spring.
“M-move aside! Clear the way!!”
He threw himself flat on the ground before Jang Ho and Hye Gwang, his clothes caked with dirt.
“Your Excellency! Lord Bun-ta! Then what of our Namgung people—what became of my son who was taken captive?!”
At his desperate plea, Jang Ho grinned and clapped Dangsuk on the shoulder.
“Set your mind at ease. Your Clan Leader brought them all out without a scratch on any of them.”
“He’s already entered the city with the clan members. Go now, quickly.”
“Sob…! Ah, heavens! The Clan Leader…!!”
They live! The Clan Leader, the clan’s bloodline, and my precious son—all breathing, all alive!
Overwhelmed, he clutched at the stack of bank notes.
Tears and snot streaming down his face, he bolted toward the city gates like a madman.
“Clan Leader! Kyeong! I’m coming! Ahhhhhhh!!”

* * *
Some time later. The inn’s back courtyard.
Whoosh—! The Cheonghaegomwol traced a graceful arc through the air.
After several days of rest, my vital energy circulated smoothly through the Jeol-eum meridian.
I could engage in genuine combat without strain.
Clang! I sheathed the Cheonghaegomwol and turned toward the inn.
I was just reaching for my tea when—
Crash—!
The inn door burst open and someone stumbled in, gasping for breath.
It was Dangsuk, his face a mess of tears and snot.
He looked around the inn, spotted his son, and embraced him fiercely.
“Kyeong…! My son!”
“F-father…!”
“You’re safe! Truly safe…! Heaven has blessed us, sob!”
“It was not heaven. The Clan Leader saved all of us!”
Namgung Gyeong wiped his reddened eyes roughly and approached me.
He knelt before me, looking up.
“Clan Leader! That you would rescue not just my son but all of our clan’s lost bloodline…! This grace—even if my bones shatter and my flesh tears, I shall never forget it!”
He drew out a bundle of bank notes and offered it with both hands in respect.
“While you risked your life in mortal combat, I too gathered the ransom as you commanded.”
I accepted the heavy bundle of notes with an impassive expression.
“You’ve brought a tidy sum. Well done.”
I tucked the notes away and continued without emotion.
“That settles the debt for the lives I saved. Now take them and go.”
“…Pardon?”
“What’s unclear? I saved your lives. Go back and live as you wish.”
I rose as though business were concluded and straightened my clothes.
“Learn from this: if you want to extend your lifeline even a little longer, abandon the name Namgung. You left the clan long ago—there’s no reason to carry that name now.”
My cold words made every listener’s brows furrow deeply.
Heads drooped in shame, powerless to respond.
“Are you…not holding us accountable for our past wrongs?”
Wrongs? I drew a cigarette from my pocket and lit it. “What wrongs should I hold against those who’ve already abandoned their clan? What profit is there in it for me?”
“……!”

“Repentance and self-blame in the ashes of what’s already burned—they won’t bring the dead back or restore the clan. The world is merciless enough without dwelling on the past. We must move forward simply to breathe.”
I exhaled a long plume of smoke and turned to survey Dangsuk and the Namgung people kneeling before me.
“My Namgung will advance anew, unbound by past glory or regret. Those who dress themselves in the hollow shells of a weak past will only be dead weight on that path.”
I tapped my shoulder once and moved toward the inn door.
“If you wish to linger, I’ll take my leave first. Live well.”
I was turning to leave when—thud! Bang!
Dangsuk and Namgung Gyeong blocked the doorway with a loud crash.
But it wasn’t only them.
Every survivor of the Namgung clan who had been staying at the inn threw themselves in my path, fell to their knees, and struck their foreheads against the ground.
“We were foolish! We were garbage who abandoned our bloodline’s honor and fled to save our own hides! But now that our Clan Leader has risked his life to save us again……!”
Namgung Gyeong’s voice shattered through tears that streaked his face.
“Never again! Never again will we abandon the clan and run! If you command us to discard it, we will gladly cast away the Namgung name itself, and if you order us to sear the mark of traitor into our very brow, we shall accept it! Only grant us the chance to repay your kindness at your side……!”

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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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