The Heavenly Demon of the Blue Sky - Chapter 23

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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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Azure Heaven Heavenly Demon 023
After entrusting the eldest, Yu Hwa, with strengthening the clan’s martial prowess,
I summoned the second daughter, Yeon Hwa, to assign her tasks.
“Open the inner courtyard and receive people. Set all the cauldrons from the kitchen boiling with warm broth so the refugees can thaw their frozen bodies, and build temporary barracks for shelter.”
Fortunately, the Main Residence had been rebuilt first and now served as a grand haven.
“Right, I’ll do exactly as you say. I was already preparing anyway.”
Working alongside the existing laborers, temporary barracks rose quickly.
Below them, the women of the household moved with tireless efficiency.
The savory aroma of cooked rice began to fill the entire courtyard.
But this alone would not suffice. I selected the most skilled craftspeople from the Namgung Clan and assigned them to work under Yeon Hwa.
“Temporary barracks aren’t enough to sustain a life. The burnt ruins of homes must be cleared away, and we need warm places to live. Sister, I want you to oversee this project.”
At my words, Yeon Hwa’s eyes widened with tension.
“Can I truly take on such an important task as rebuilding the village?”
“You have a keen eye and skillful hands. Just as you once drew a perfect Blueprint of the Main Residence, now sketch out a plan for the village. Think about how to arrange the houses so the roads run cleanly and the village appears neat and orderly. If you don’t understand something, consult with the experienced elders.”
I wanted her to fully unfold her talents.
This task would teach her much as well.
“Yes! If you believe in me that much, I’ll give it my all! I’ll create a village that’s both beautiful to see and wonderful to live in!”
Yeon Hwa clenched her fists with determination, then rushed toward the gathered household members.
“Elders, please come with me! Let’s first survey the terrain of the collapsed foundations and draw up a plan for the village roads.”
“What? Oh, no. Surely the lady of the Main Residence shouldn’t undertake such rough work…….”
The household members looked flustered at first.
But that hesitation was brief.
The moment Yeon Hwa took up her brush and drew out precise proportional diagrams, calculating efficient workflows and material loads,
the seasoned hands on the ground recognized her genius.
‘When promising talent meets experienced craftspeople, the results multiply.’
Next, I summoned the third daughter, Seol Hwa.
“Now it’s your turn, sister.”
“Yes, Hyeok. I’ve been waiting.”
Seol Hwa already held a thick Ledger and Writing Materials in her arms.
She had been thinking about her duties even before I called her.
“We’ve gathered people and received supplies. But if these aren’t managed properly, it’s all just a castle of sand. Right now, I need you to draw up a roster of names and record exactly how much Grain and Silver Coins came on the wagons.”
But that wasn’t all. I had an even more difficult task for her.
“And you’ll need to re-measure the lands whose boundaries have grown unclear after the Blood Sect’s attacks, then distribute which Farmland each person will work and tend. By next spring, when the first seeds are sown, there must be no margin for error whatsoever.”
I had servants work alongside Seol Hwa to aid her efforts.
Her eyes and fingertips moved swiftly at the task.
After stepping away briefly, she grasped everything I’d asked of her perfectly.
“Based on the amount of Grain we’ve brought, we can feed everyone two full meals a day and still have enough to survive next year’s lean months. The only issue is that we lack farming tools and work equipment, so it would help to procure those separately.”
She then had the workers organize the Grain and supplies into the storehouse.
“I’ve verified all the land deeds as well. I’ll keep the fertile plains below Cheonju Mountain as the Namgung Clan’s direct holdings, and for the barren outlying lands, we can offer several years of exemption from tenant taxes if people agree to clear and cultivate them—the Farmlands will recover much faster that way.”
It was a moment when Seol Hwa’s quick wit and exceptional talent shone brilliantly.
Even in the Demon Sect of my past life, such meticulous and shrewd minds were rare.
“Well done.”
A small but sincere word of praise tumbled from my lips without thought.
That light commendation became a terrifying spark.
“Oh! Our Hyeok!”
Yu Hwa, Yeon Hwa, and Seol Hwa—all gathered to give their reports—their eyes went wild.
Affection flooded their beautiful faces as they spread their arms wide.
“How can you be so good to your sisters! I want to bite you!”
They rushed at me with a terrifying momentum, skirts fluttering.
‘The Heaven Breaker, terror of the heavens itself, feeling fear?’
Panic-stricken, I took backward steps for the first time in my life.
If I got caught in that dreadful tide of affection, I might suffocate!
“St-stop! Don’t come near! I said you did well, not that you could touch me!!!!”
I let out a cry and bolted.
“Hyeok! Where are you going! Just one hug!”
“I’ll mess up your pretty hair if I catch you!”
Don’t you dare come closer or I’ll cut you!”
The majesty of the Heaven Breaker who once struck terror into the world had been abandoned long ago.
In the middle of the Namgung courtyard, brimming with the vigor of genuine reconstruction,
the young clan lord fled from his overeager sisters in a desperate escape.

* * *
After the commotion subsided, I made my way behind the main hall and found Uncle waiting there.
“What are you doing out here?”
“Ah, I was inspecting the wagons we brought. We got stuck in mud on the way.”
He had the practiced hand of someone who’d led merchant caravans; his way with the wagons was deft and sure.
The horses we’d brought along were lined up neatly, their coats brushed smooth and clean.
“I have work for you. I’d like you to use your strengths and move about outside.”
“Outside, sir? You mean to procure materials we lack?”
“That’s part of it, but it’s not merely running errands.”
I drew out a thin cigarette and lit it, fixing him with a cool, measured gaze.
“Now that the Murim Alliance has rounded up all the upstart merchants in Gangnam and their associates, the seat of the Great Merchant—the one who held sway over the whole region—sits empty.”
“Ah……!”
At the words “Great Merchant” that left my lips, Uncle’s eyes opened wide.
A man of the commercial roads recognized the meaning at once.
“I want those profitable enterprises they controlled transferred to the Namgung.”
In the jianghu, money was power and influence itself.
I couldn’t afford to play at being some spotless ascetic, clinging to hollow pride forever.
My Namgung would not suffer a single loss, unlike before.
“So you wish for me to lay the foundation of Commercial Routes perfectly, so that one day Namgung can operate a great merchant enterprise independently!”
“Exactly. Wealth is as essential as the sword, is it not?”
What good is a blade to a man starving to death?
Building and maintaining a force requires vast resources.
The Ten Thousand Great Mountain once had hundreds of thousands of disciples beneath its heel.
Absolute martial power alone could not govern such a massive organization.
Neither the bloodshed of war nor the struggle to survive bitter winters.
Both demanded enormous reserves of supplies and grain.
“The Orthodox Sect’s warriors affect nobility and disdain material wealth, but the moment the granary empties, they transform into beasts, tearing into one another—that is the nature of man.”
Not words a patriarch of a great orthodox house should easily speak.
Uncle drew in a sharp breath.
“That’s why I hold in high regard your resourcefulness—how you’ve built a merchant enterprise despite our house falling and being cast out to such a harsh place.”
“L-Patriarch…….”
“From now on, you’ll be responsible for managing the finances that make the Namgung turn.”
The words had left my mouth carelessly, without thought of using him.
Yet hot tears began to gather at the corners of Uncle’s weathered eyes.
“Born with martial blood in my veins, yet lacking all talent with the sword—it was a bitter shame. I grasped desperately at money, wanting to prove myself, to contribute to the family…….”
Old sorrows welled up; Uncle’s voice trembled slightly.
“All that returned was the cold gaze of relatives who despised me as a merchant, shunning me. And yet…….”
He wiped his tears with his sleeve, then looked up at me with a face suffused with emotion.
“For the young Patriarch to regard this worthless uncle’s humble skill as precious and indispensable—how could my heart not race?”
He’d lived his whole life looked down upon.
Now a new patriarch saw his true worth.
A man gives his life to one who knows him.
“Hah-ahhhhh! This Uncle shall set forth with joy!”
He hurried to prepare, radiating a formidable energy.
‘I barely said anything. Why does everyone die so easily for me?’
Watching Uncle’s receding back, I clicked my tongue softly.
In my past life in the Demon Sect, I’d crushed my subordinates beneath overwhelming fear and might.
The gaze they turned toward me was always thick with dread and awe.
But now? How different it was.
I merely issued commands for what I needed and used them.
Yet those around me became moved of their own accord, showering me with reverence.
Their fervent gazes felt strange and unfamiliar. I wasn’t adapting to them well.
‘Well, it is convenient, I suppose.’
Brushing off the thought lightly, I called over Namgung Gyeong, who was fidgeting with his Notebook in the distance.
“You.”
“Yes, Patriarch! You called for me?”
I addressed the boy who came sprinting over and bowed at the waist.
“You go out as well. Since you like to observe and keep records, scout the surrounding area thoroughly and document what you find.”
“Scout……? You mean, sir?”
“Yes, I heard that when Namgung fell, the hidden Rogue Bandits began to run rampant.”
When the tiger collapses, the stray dogs become kings and rampage.
Just like the Pian-gae Bandit Gang we crushed before.
To exterminate such vermin, we need to learn their bases of operation.
“Moreover, word will soon spread that I’ve eliminated the remnants of the Blood Sect. The region will fall into turmoil. We must know who bears goodwill toward us and who reveals enmity.”
Having crossed countless deathtraps, I’ve learned one thing above all: the vital importance of information.
“Wars are decided before blades ever meet—in the battle of eyes and ears. I entrust to you the most critical matter upon which our clan’s destiny rests. Do you understand?”
“Ah…!”
Namgung Gyeong exhaled sharply at my words, as though grasping something profound.
The clan’s most vital eyes and ears.
He seemed pleased that such a precious task had been entrusted to him alone.
“I, Namgung Gyeong, swear that even if my feet blister and my eyes blur with exhaustion, I shall place all movements in the Jianghu upon your palm!”
He carefully tucked the Notebook into his inner pocket, assumed a grave stance with a fist salute, and rushed out like the wind.
“Next. Where is Baek the physician?”
“Yes! Yes! Here, sir!”
The elderly Baek, carrying a basket of medicinal herbs, hurried forward.
“Starting tomorrow, five hundred people will be working their bodies hard. Ensure strict management so that no one falls ill with fever or minor ailments.”
“Of course, sir. I shall prepare the Shang Hua Decoction daily in great cauldrons to aid their recovery.”
“Good. And…”
I paused before continuing.
“Bring me the maps of Cheonju Mountain and its surrounding regions from the Main Residence archives.”
“Pardon? For what purpose do you need them?”
Baek tilted his head in puzzlement at the sudden request.
Instead of answering, I turned and gazed toward the rear of the Main Residence.
Cheonju Mountain rose through the clouds, its vast and towering peaks commanding an overwhelming presence.
“What reason would one need to examine the most precious thing the Namgung Clan possesses?”
Breathing in the majestic essence of Cheonju Mountain deep into my lungs, I spoke softly.
“The master of the clan has changed. I must inform this Spiritual Mountain that it is time to reveal what it holds.”
A thousand years of Namgung’s history had begun in the embrace of Cheonju Mountain.
In my past life, I bore the epithet of Heavenly Demon—one who breaks and shatters the heavens—but this is different now.
Now, upon this land turned to ash, I shall become the absolute force that tears open a new heaven for Namgung.
From Heaven Breaker to Azure Heaven.
Beneath a sky unmarred by a single cloud, I gazed upward at the distant peak, gleaming with perpetual snow.
“Azure Heaven opens anew—and so must Cheonju Mountain welcome its new master.”
Then I smiled, pulling the corners of my mouth upward, cold and sharp.

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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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