The Heavenly Demon of the Blue Sky - Chapter 32
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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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Changtian Celestial Demon — Episode 32
“What… what the hell…?”
Tang Suyeon’s lips trembled as she stared blankly at the retreating figure of the man disappearing into the crowd.
The treasured only daughter of the Sichuan Tang Family patriarch—a prodigy born with the era’s finest talent for poison and hidden weapons.
She who had grown up pampered and aloof, cherished all her life.
Yet she’d just heard a vulgar word she’d never encountered in all her years, and it left her reeling.
‘What did I just hear? Am I going mad?!’
Heat flooded her face.
Part of her wanted nothing more than to draw the Bisoo from her sleeve and drive it into that arrogant back, but a sharp, stinging pain shot through her fingertips, and her brow furrowed.
“Ugh…”
She clutched her wrist, swallowing a small whimper.
What she’d released during that hairpin duel was the Zuimeng Poison—a secret art of the Tang Family.
It was not lethal, but a treacherous energy that numbed the hand and brought paralysis the moment it made contact.
Yet that pale-faced man, his color scarcely recovered, hadn’t felt the numbing at all.
Instead, he’d compressed an impossibly fine thread of Qi into needle-like precision and struck an exact vital acupoint along her meridian channels.
In a single heartbeat—and without a soul around them noticing.
‘What was that power just now?’
It was no ordinary Righteous Path internal energy, flowing clear and straight.
For just an instant—but long enough—it had carried something alien and unsettling, like the gaping maw of a predator lurking in shadow, that sent a chill racing from her fingertips down her spine.
“Miss! Young Miss Suyeon!”
It was then that Tang Family guards came rushing through the crowd in disarray.
“Huff… huff. Didn’t we tell you it’s dangerous to slip away alone? If you keep abandoning us like this…”
Tang Suyeon ignored their fussing and scanned the marketplace.
The infuriating boy had already vanished without a trace into the throng.
“Miss? Your wrist is swelling! What happened?”
Only then did Tang Suyeon snap back to herself, her irritation boiling over. “A bee I don’t know the name of stung me. Why?”
“Yes, yes? A bee? In the dead of winter…?”
The escort looked bewildered, glancing about uncertainly, but Tang Suyeon dismissed him with a sharp turn, as if he wasn’t worth answering.
‘There’s no way such talent and skill could be common in the martial world.’
It so happened that the young masters of renown from across the realm had gathered here in Yungjoong for the Yongbong Conference.
Exceptional Qi, exquisite control, and that insufferable arrogance towering to the heavens—
all the pieces fit.
That despicable brat was surely one of the younger generation luminaries formally invited to this gathering.
‘Well, we’re bound to meet again at the Jegal Family Estate’s banquet hall.’
Behind the veil that half-obscured her face, her expression turned ice-cold.
That insufferable face—the one that had dealt her the first humiliation of her life, the one that had spat that vulgar word and vanished with such infuriating ease—was etched deep in her mind.
“I don’t know which family claims you, but we’ll see if that clever tongue of yours keeps wagging at the banquet.”
Her eyes blazed with poisonous intent.
The Chwiseon Pavilion—the grandest and largest inn in Yungjoong.
Within it, one of the most secluded and quiet private chambers had been reserved entirely for Namgung’s party.
It was a place secured to shake off travel fatigue before heading to the Jegal Family Estate.
Five days remained before the main gathering of the Yongbong Conference was to begin.
“Exhale…”
In the early dawn, stepping out into the broad courtyard of the inn, Namgung took a light breath.
In his hand was the Cheonghaegowol—a sword with a pure white scabbard and a blue blade.
‘I need to raise my proficiency with the Changtian Mayan Sword.’
Since there was the condition that it had to be used together with equipment, acquiring it required more focus than ordinary swordplay.
Thrip—! Whistle!
With a flick of his wrist, silver Cheonchami Silk shot forth from the Black Iron Concealed Weapon Gauntlet.
The needle drove firmly into a branch of a towering old tree that stood in one corner of the garden, and as the line pulled taut, his body was yanked upward in a graceful arc.
Dash! Tap-tap-tap!
Through the trees of the dawn-mist garden he moved like a spider, at times soaring like a swallow in flight, passing between them with effortless grace.
Each time he changed direction sharply using the line’s rebound, the blue sword light traced elegant arcs across the empty air.
“Ohhh…”
Yuhwa, who had woken at some point, sat on the veranda in wonder, letting out an exclamation.
“That’s incredible! Wielding the sword while performing acrobatics!”
He landed gracefully before her and shrugged as if it were nothing.
“My body’s weak, so I’ve relied on these tricks. Want to learn? If you’re my sister, you shouldn’t need such tools.”
“Really? You’d teach me?”
“Of course.”
My Internal Qi had risen considerably, and my proficiency with the Cheonpung Sword Technique had improved markedly as well. More than anything else.
“Come to think of it, this technique would suit you perfectly.”
“Me?”
“Yes. The existing Namgung Family arts carry grandeur and weight, so I had to significantly modify the forms to match your lighter frame.”
“That’s true. Thanks to your meticulous instruction, I was finally able to grasp it. I really do think you’re amazing!”
“Well, the Changgung Biyon Sword is the lightest and most graceful technique among all the Namgung arts. With your talent for dance, you’d be able to master it perfectly just by layering the dual-sword movements.”
Yuhwa straightened her posture at my words, her eyes bright with confidence as she gave a firm nod.
“Then I’ll train hard and protect you!”
“Good resolve. Draw your blades and step forward.”
I began teaching her the incantations and forms of the Changgung Biyon Sword on the spot.
“Relax your shoulders, let your toes touch lightly as a swallow skimming the water’s surface.”
I demonstrated all the forms of the Changgung Biyon Sword in sequence.
They were difficult movements that demanded constant motion and aerial acrobatics.
Yet as Yuhwa drew upon her talent for dance, she made them her own in no time.
“Good. Follow my lead.”
I launched the Cheonchami Silk skyward, and together we soared into the air above the courtyard.
Whoosh—swish!
“Look, Brother! Watch!”
Yuhwa arched her back fluidly, deploying the Changgung Biyon Sword’s second form—the Biyon Dohaе.
The twin blades traced a cerulean arc, spreading in all directions.
The thick morning mist in the courtyard split cleanly in two, and I seized the opening.
Ring—!
I twisted my right wrist, catching the Cheonchami Silk on a branch opposite me, and snapped my body back with force.
Through the most graceful and luminous trajectories of the Righteous Path, I cut through with the most cunning and covert footwork of the Demonic Path.
The Changtian Mayan Sword’s third form—the Unyon Talryeong.
A thrust so swift and hidden it was nearly invisible to the eye, piercing cleanly through the cerulean wind Yuhwa had created.
Ting, clang-clang!
Cerulean and brilliant violet blade light flashed in chaotic exchange.
Each time Yuhwa pushed off the ground to unleash a torrent of swift strikes, I answered from my perch on the Cheonchami Silk, carving through the blind spots with sharp, probing thrusts.
As our blades clashed, our trajectories interlocked with growing precision.
Somewhere along the way, a satisfied smile spread across my lips.
As our breathing reached its crescendo and the sword dance climbed to its peak—
Our eyes turned toward the massive garden stone resting in the center of the courtyard.
“Imagine it’s a rival. Attack.”
“Yes! Hyah!”
Yuhwa launched forward first.
She twisted in mid-air, crossing her twin blades in an X and slashing downward.
The Changgung Biyon Sword’s fourth form—the Biyon Gyoyik.
Like a swallow folding its wings and diving vertically onto prey, sharp and weighty X-shaped blade winds poured down upon the garden stone.
Crash!
It was a formidable blow, but the garden stone’s hardness was extraordinary.
It rebounded without even leaving a shallow mark.
Yuhwa landed heavily, her face etched with disappointment.
She looked up at me, suspended high in the air.
“Step back.”
With the sun at my back, I raised the Cheonghaegowol above my head.
It was time to test the final technique I’d awakened through training.
A deep hum—I drew the Changtian Demonic Qi from my Dantian to its absolute limit.
Simultaneously, violet wind rose up, beginning to coil around the long blade.
It formed into a towering shape—a raptor with massive wings and keen talons.
The Changtian Mayan Sword’s Ultimate Form—the Mayon Nakseong.
A demonic swallow falling like a star, descending with relentless fury.
Crackle-crackle-crackle!
Violet tempest swept down upon the garden stone with overwhelming force.
Boom—!!
With a deafening roar that split the eardrums, the massive garden stone shattered into fragments.
“……!”
“Ugh—!”
The dust cleared, and what remained was only me, standing alone with my blue martial robe billowing in the wind.
Yuhwa, who had been lowering her sword, along with Namgung and the scouts who came rushing at the sound of commotion, even the inn workers—all of them stood rigid as statues, mouths agape.
A sight impossible to believe came from a single strike.
“Hmph, I may have pushed too hard.”
I shook out my torn palms and slid the Cheonghaegowol back into its sheath.
Click—the sharp, crisp sound of the blade settling home.
Then, to calm the roiling heat within me, I drew out a cigarette and placed it between my lips.
Only then did I notice that everyone’s eyes had fixed upon me.
The sheer violence of the blow, far more spectacular than I’d anticipated, had caught me somewhat off guard as well.
I scratched my cheek awkwardly, addressing Yuhwa, whose expression had gone slack.
“Sister, do you suppose we’ll need to pay for that rock?”
* * *
At that very moment……
A young man, Ak Jin, carrying an iron spear as tall as himself slung across his back, grumbled toward the hulking figure beside him.
“Hwangbo, this is insufferable. Every inn in Yungjoong is booked solid. Surely the heirs of the Shandong Ak Family and the Hwangbo Family aren’t meant to sleep in the street?”
“Then why didn’t you insist we arrive earlier! And here you are whining about half a day’s legwork, when you claim you’ll carry on the Ak Family’s spear tradition—where’s your patience?”
The two youths’ dress differed sharply from the typical garb of other noble heirs.
Instead of silk brocades, they wore sturdy martial garments reinforced with beast hide.
And in their gait emanated a rough, unpolished presence.
It was the bearing of a martial family that had produced many celebrated generals.
Thanks to the deep bond their grandfathers had forged, standing back-to-back in past battlefields and facing death together, they had grown up from childhood striking fists like true brothers—intimate sworn siblings.
“If you have the breath to complain, use it to quicken your pace instead. There ahead is the Chwiseon Pavilion, the largest inn in Nanyang.”
“Ah, fine! Let’s go, then!”
Hwangbo Kang, throwing open the door of the Chwiseon Pavilion, bellowed out in his booming voice.
“Innkeeper! We require rooms.”
The innkeeper, startled by the resonant shout, scurried over with a bow.
His weathered face bore an unmistakable look of distress.
“Ah, my lord, what am I to do? Our inn has no more rooms to offer.”
“No rooms, even after we’ve sought out the most remote private quarters?”
As Ak Jin furrowed his brow in question, the innkeeper wrung his hands nervously and replied.
“The thing is…… yesterday evening, distinguished guests of the Namgung Family arrived from Anhui Province and rented the remaining private suites and annexes in their entirety. There’s simply nothing left, I’m afraid. My sincerest apologies.”
“Namgung?”
The eyes of Ak Jin and Hwangbo Kang met in the air.
Were they not the ones bringing the grandest rumors of late?
It seemed they had arrived early to attend the same gathering.
“Well, there’s nothing for it.”
He smacked his lips in disappointment and was about to turn away when—
“Hm?”
Hwangbo Kang’s footsteps halted abruptly as he caught sight of something through the slightly open door to the rear courtyard beyond the inn’s broad corridor.
A garden stone that should have stood large and prominent lay shattered to pieces.
As if crushed entirely under some colossal force and burst asunder.
To ordinary eyes it would appear merely as broken rubble, but to two men trained in practical martial arts, it spoke differently.
Hwangbo Kang, his face hardening, turned to the innkeeper.
“Innkeeper, was there perhaps a confrontation between masters here?”
“Eh? Ah, that garden stone, you mean? No, no.”
The innkeeper waved his hands dismissively in reply.
“This morning, the distinguished guests of the Namgung Family were practicing their martial arts when it happened. They were gracious enough to compensate us handsomely, but the stone rubble is so utterly devastated that the workers haven’t yet found the courage to clear it away.”
At these words, alarm flickered across both men’s faces. Hwangbo Kang’s lips trembled faintly as he turned to Ak Jin.
“Brother, could you crush that rock in such a manner?”
Ak Jin swept his gaze across the shattered remains and swallowed hard. Then, adopting an air of confidence, he spoke.
“It would not be impossible. With a sharp spear thrust relentlessly, I could certainly grind it finer than this.”
“Ha! Truly worthy of the Ak Family’s spear. I myself could do no less—with this Yanyuedao, striking down with force, I could shatter it just the same.”
The two were nodding in mutual admiration of each other’s prowess when the innkeeper, who had been hesitating, carefully spoke up.
“Sirs, if I may……”
“What is it?”
“Well…… the distinguished guests of the Namgung Family did not wield their weapons multiple times.”
“Then?”
“With just a long sword, striking once—that’s all it took to reduce Jegal Se to dust.”
“…W-what? What did you…?”
“With a single sword? One strike? That massive boulder was destroyed just like that?!”
Hwangbo Kang and Ak Jin’s jaws dropped in unison.
“……”
“……”
Like men who’d swallowed honey and lost their voices, they gazed back and forth between the remains of Jegal Se—barely anything left—and the innkeeper.
“The Namgung Family……”
Perhaps they were the most formidable house to watch at this gathering after all.
“This is getting interesting.”
“Indeed it is.”
Both their eyes gleamed with a trace of awe and the warrior’s fierce competitive spirit.
The breath leaving their lips had grown hot enough to push back the winter wind.
They turned and departed, bearing their massive weapons on their backs.
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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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