The Heavenly Demon of the Blue Sky - Chapter 57

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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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Cangqian Heavenly Demon 057
“Why on earth did the girl rush out like that?”
Clan Head Dang Baek Jin stared in bewilderment, his mouth hanging open.
“Ah…….”
Dang So Yeon finally noticed she was barefoot and hung her head in shame.
“Well, it’s just… I owe the Namgung Clan a life debt, so I was curious which creditor they’d sent!”
She blurted out the first excuse that came to mind, hastily covering her dirt-caked feet with her skirt.
Dang Baek Jin pressed his forehead and exhaled softly.
He fetched new shoes and quietly pushed them toward his daughter’s feet.
“Regardless, you must maintain your dignity. Put them on at once.”
Embarrassed, Dang So Yeon slipped on the leather shoes and edged closer.
“Father… might I also remain here to listen? I wish to keep watch over what the Namgung Clan Head is scheming by sending someone all this way.”
Oversight was merely the pretext; her eager, sparkling eyes betrayed her burning curiosity.
Dang Baek Jin found it exasperating, yet this was the first time his daughter had shown such keen interest in outside affairs, and he lacked the heart to refuse. He nodded.
“If that’s what you wish, then so be it. Have the messenger brought in!”
Moments later, the study door swung open to reveal a rugged man covered in road dust, striding in with vigor.
It was Namgung Gyeong, who had journeyed from the Namgung Clan’s main house in Anhui Province, up the Yangtze River to Sichuan.
“I pay my respects to the Clan Head. I am Namgung Gyeong, chief scout of the Namgung Clan!”
Namgung Gyeong announced himself in a ringing voice with a respectful fist salute.
Then he produced a silk wrapper and carefully placed it on the table.
“Before offering my greetings, my Clan Head instructed me to present this precious gift to the Dang Clan Head.”
“A gift from the Namgung Clan Head—for me?”
Dang Baek Jin, puzzled, untied the wrapper’s knot.
Inside lay peaches with pristine, snow-white skin tinged with subtle crimson hues.
“These are Cheonju Snow Peaches, only recently beginning to grow again on Cheonju Mountain. Though the sweetness is still slight as they are first-harvest, they bear the essence of the Sacred Mountain’s spiritual energy, and their distinctive fragrant aroma is incomparable—which is why our Clan Head took special care to send them.”
In truth, the order had been curt—”They’re still not even sweet yet, so lay on some flattery when you deliver them”—but after filtering through Namgung Gyeong’s own framing, it had transformed into “the sublime and boundless benevolence of a young Clan Head thoughtfully caring for neighboring families.”
“Ah, fruit carrying the essence of a Sacred Mountain.”
Dang Baek Jin’s interest kindled. He lifted one peach and took a hearty bite.
The crisp texture gave way to a clean, radiant fragrance that filled his mouth, and his eyes closed of their own accord.
“Indeed! Though not yet in season, what a subtle and profound aroma it carries.”
Pleased, Dang Baek Jin suddenly glanced at his daughter standing beside him.
Since childhood, Dang So Yeon’s skin had reacted sensitively to peach fuzz, turning red—she never ate peaches.
“So Yeon, you won’t be able to eat—wait!”
What in the world? Dang Baek Jin caught his breath sharply.
Impossible. The girl who detested peaches stood with her nose flushed crimson, eyes glistening with tears, clutching a Cheonju Snow Peach in both hands as though it were precious treasure, nibbling at it eagerly.
“You—are you really eating that? If it’s difficult, put it down! Why force yourself?”
“……Oh.”
Dang So Yeon only then realized she was savoring the Namgung peach while her nose ran, and she started, quickly hiding her hands behind her back.
Learning it was from the Namgung Clan Head, her hands had moved of their own accord.
Her face flushed crimson. She stammered an explanation, lips trembling.
“Well, it’s just—this is a precious specialty sent all the way from a prominent clan in Anhui Province! As the legitimate daughter representing the Dang Clan, how could I have tucked it away in a corner without even assessing the quality of such a gift!”
The excuse was transparently forced. Dang Baek Jin’s lips twitched in silence, at a loss for words.
‘Ever since she returned from the Yongbong Gathering, she’s been grumbling about the Namgung Clan Head at every opportunity…… Could it be?’
His daughter, who had always kept men at arm’s length, now blushed like a young maiden—an unfamiliar sight.
Though Dang Baek Jin felt a considerable shock, he found himself consumed with curiosity about the young Namgung Clan Head who had so quickly captivated his stubborn daughter.
“Hmm, in any case, we’re grateful for such a precious gift. You’ve traveled far and endured hardship—but what brings this visit?”
At Dang Baek Jin’s question, Namgung Gyeong straightened and began pouring forth an account of the arduous and glorious events he had witnessed, like a dam bursting.
“In truth, not long ago, a great crisis befell Shanxi. The Blood Cult reappeared and conspired with villains commanding beasts, seized the region, and drove the Seomun Clan to the very brink of annihilation.”
“The Blood Cult in Shanxi? And the Seomun Clan was targeted!”
Dang Baek Jin’s expression hardened, but Namgung Gyeong immediately spoke with a radiant face.
“There is no cause for concern. Our Clan Head joined forces with the Sandong Ak Clan and the Hwangbo Clan, leading elite cavalry to the field, and swiftly routed the enemy, rescuing all of the Seomun Clan’s people!”
“Is that truly so!”
Both Dang Baek Jin and Dang So Yeon cried out in astonishment.
The Namgung Clan, which not long ago was believed to have been annihilated, reduced to ash.
Yet now they had not only risen steadfast, but had even rescued the Seomun Clan from their own peril.
Even the Sichuan Dang Clan Head, who prioritized practical calculation over righteousness, felt his heart stir at such grand justice and noble conduct.
Namgung Gyeong continued, his voice burning with fervor.
“Moreover, while returning to Cheonju Mountain, our Clan Head discovered that the Blood Cult had desecrated the Jinzhu Yen Clan’s ancestral grave and stolen the bodies of past masters.”
“If they stole corpses, then Corpse Magic. The Blood Cult is attempting such dreadful sorcery once more…….”
Indeed, as befitted a patriarch, he grasped the root of the matter. Namgung Gyeong’s expression darkened as he replied.
“The Clan Head eliminated the Blood Cult’s elders, then thwarted the schemes orchestrated at the Yongbong Gathering. Now that the Seomun Clan has been saved as well, Namgung finds itself in even graver peril.”
Guarding the Martial World has become Namgung’s burden alone.
“And yet not a single member of Namgung has abandoned our duty. We merely prepare ourselves.”
Namgung Gyeong withdrew a thick leather pouch from his breast and offered it to Dang Baek Jin.
“The Clan Head regards the most troublesome aspect of confronting Corpse Demons to be the deadly poison layered upon the corpses. He urgently desires that we pursue countermeasures and research into this. Fortunately, when our Clan Head personally incised and saved the Seomun Clan Head’s leg—he who teetered on death’s edge from Corpse Poison infection—he collected a sample of the toxin for study.”
“He performed the incision himself to save him? Not merely a master of martial arts, then, but also versed in medicine?”
“Indeed. He is already known as the Cangqian Divine Physician and commands great respect from the physicians of Mount Tai. Yet even possessing such skill, our Clan Head found it difficult to immediately ascertain the composition and nature of this mutant poison’s formulation. Thus, recognizing that the Sichuan Dang Clan stands unrivaled under heaven in matters of poison and antidote, he has sent me—though inadequate—directly to seek your aid.”
Having heard the full account, Dang Baek Jin stroked his beard and fell into deep contemplation.
Though inwardly proud that the Dang Clan’s expertise in poison was held paramount, his family’s instinctive insularity reared its head.
“In uncovering the source of poison, none surpass our Dang Clan—yet as you know, we abhor external dealings.”
They had never once shared talent or secret techniques with outsiders. His reluctance surfaced quickly.
“I understand that the Namgung Clan Head possesses righteousness and profound intention. Yet should I send precious talents from the Dang Clan to a place marked by the Blood Cult, only to see them detained or swept into calamity, how could I bear such responsibility? Moreover, I cannot be certain they would receive proper treatment. I am already aware of how those around us regard the Sichuan Dang Clan with suspicion.”
He drew a firm line, making his family’s safety the paramount concern.
But Namgung Gyeong showed no intimidation; instead, his eyes brightened as he replied.
“Your concern, the Clan Head comprehends fully! We of Namgung, too, once believed that sealing our family’s gates in isolation was the only path. But when the Blood Cult drove us to the precipice of clan annihilation, we learned viscerally how precious the strength of neighboring allies becomes when facing catastrophic peril.”
Genuine conviction resonated in Namgung Gyeong’s voice.
“The Cangqian Clan Head who leads Namgung today has demolished those barriers. Even now, at Cheonju Mountain dwell Shaolin, the Beggar Clan, the Jegal Clan, the Hwangbo Clan, the Sandong Ak Clan, and the Seomun Clan—all invited as neighbors, gathered as one.”
“What? Those eminent orthodox sects—all of them assembled at Namgung?”
“It is so! Beneath the Clan Head’s measure, all work together to build the domain and watch over one another’s backs. Should the Sichuan Dang Clan also answer our summons and grace us with your presence, we swear to receive you with joy and offer utmost care!”
Namgung Gyeong could scarcely contain his fervor as he praised his Clan Head’s virtue.
“Furthermore, the Clan Head has already begun research into talismans and formation methods to counter the Blood Cult’s Corpse Demons. Should your clan assist in this endeavor, you too shall gain foreknowledge of the demons’ weaknesses and discover their countermeasures before future threats emerge. As a Clan Head bound to ensure your family’s safety, I humbly ask that you consider this favorably!”
This was no mere plea for aid. It was a rational proposal—to share the method of defeating Corpse Demons and bestow upon the Sichuan Dang Clan substantial advantage.
Dang Baek Jin marveled, yet his skepticism remained unshaken.
“Your eloquence and proposal are truly compelling… yet they remain words only. I have never laid eyes upon this supposedly magnificent Namgung Clan Head myself, and to trust on hearsay alone would be foolish.”
As if he had been waiting for this, Namgung Gyeong drew two objects from his breast and placed them upon the table.
One was a Jade Seal proving him to be Clan Head of the Namgung—the other, a worn and thick leather-bound volume.
“The seal, the Clan Head commands I present as a token of trust. This book… is a record of anecdotes that I have faithfully documented, witnessing his magnificent deeds while serving at his side, without a shred of falsehood.”
Namgung Gyeong extended the volume with reverent dignity.
“Read this, and you shall at once understand what heaven the Clan Head aspires toward.”
Dang Baek Jin’s eyes widened.
To send a clan’s seal was to send proof of sincerity itself.
More than that, he felt the truth in Namgung Gyeong’s bearing—a man whose eyes reddened with emotion merely at the thought of his lord.
“… You have traveled far and endured much hardship. I shall examine this letter and record with care. Rest now in the quarters prepared for you.”
Dang Baek Jin escorted Namgung Gyeong out with courtesy and closed the door.
In the study, only Dang Baek Jin and Dang So Yeon remained. He seated himself at his desk and carefully opened the worn volume Namgung Gyeong had left behind—the Records of Cangqian Patriarch.
“… What on earth is this?”
As Dang Baek Jin turned the first page, his lips twitched slightly.
Each page was crammed with flowery praise for his Clan Head.
[When the Clan Head uttered harsh curses, it was in truth a sacred scourge to prevent the household from falling into sloth……!]
[When the Clan Head extorted funds, it was to plant in the common folk the hope of repaying their debts……!]
‘This borders on zealotry.’
At first he clicked his tongue at the absurdity, but as he turned each page, Dang Baek Jin’s expression grew steadily more serious.
Beneath the exaggerated flourishes lay essential truths—and each one was righteous and profound.
“Remarkable… How upright must one be to command such reverence from those beneath him?”
As a fellow Clan Head, he felt genuine envy. And then it happened.
His daughter, who usually kept her distance from him and spoke in curt tones.
Dang So Yeon had edged close behind him, craning her neck forward.
“By heaven—he was afflicted with Meridian Circulation illness. To have saved me despite such a frail body…….”
She was thoroughly absorbed in the book’s contents, breathing heavily.
Dang Baek Jin glanced sidelong at his daughter.
“So Yeon. You met the Namgung Clan Head directly at the Yongbong Gathering. What manner of man is he?”
“Hmph! Gruff, arrogant, and utterly disagreeable.”
She spoke ill of him with a prim air, yet a small smile bloomed at the corner of her lips.
“… Yet unlike other men, he harbored no pretense or contrived appearance. He was honest and wise—even the Jegal Clan Young Master was left stammering before him. True, during the attack he treated me like mere baggage… but the warmth he offered was genuine.”
As she recalled those moments, her face took on a wistful tone.
“Moreover, he directly applied acupuncture to treat my swollen ankle, perfectly exposed the culprit to prevent chaos. He was truly remarkable…….”
Before she realized it, Dang So Yeon was pouring out her heart, when suddenly she caught herself and pressed both hands to her lips.
Her ears flushed crimson as she blurted out in protest.
“I, it’s just—! What I mean is, he’s someone who deserves trust, that’s all! Nothing more!”
Yet words held back burst forth in defiance of her covered lips.
“At the Yongbong Gathering, I owed a debt of life itself, and yet you sent mere bolts of silk as a gift? How does that preserve the Dang Clan’s dignity?”
She then hung on Dang Baek Jin’s arm, making her plea.
“Let me go. Please allow it.”
“What? What are you saying?”
“If it’s about delving into poison and researching it, I’m among the most gifted in the Dang Clan. I’ll take our finest talents to Namgung.”
Dang Baek Jin bolted from his seat.
“Absolutely not! Who are you? You are the sole, incomparable heir of the Sichuan Dang Clan and my precious daughter! How dare you suggest I send you toward a place where the Blood Cult’s attacks are the foremost threat!”
It was a father’s entirely reasonable objection.
Yet Dang So Yeon stepped closer still and made her case with pure logic.
“What good is sitting idle, sipping tea with useless men while the days slip away, when instead I could venture out and prepare myself? As the heir who will one day bear the weight of the Dang Clan, isn’t that the far wiser path?”
Dang Baek Jin faltered—this daughter of his, who had always merely whined and thrown tantrums, now spoke with reasoned precision.
“Moreover, if the legitimate daughter of the Dang Clan steps forth in person rather than sending an elder or a mere master, Namgung will perceive our sincerity as fundamentally different in weight—heaven and earth apart. We’ll repay our debt, yes, but this is also an opportunity to solidify our standing in the Martial World itself.”
And that was merely the beginning.
“With the Blood Cult ascendant, we cannot defend our house by simply barring the doors as we once did—surely you see that now. Namgung’s fall proved it. When even the Murim Alliance has grown corrupt, each faction thinking only of its own survival, to ally with Namgung is an act of genuine foresight. Look at how that cunning Jegal Clan has already positioned itself. It is time the Dang Clan moved forward anew as well.”
A speech as crystalline and flowing as a perfect stream.
‘When did my daughter become so eloquent?’
Dang Baek Jin stood stunned, his mouth agape, unable to speak for a long moment.
This headstrong child who once did nothing but grumble and fling daggers—she had somehow blossomed into a woman of such depth and vision, seeing through the currents of the world with remarkable strength.
“……Sigh. I’ve lost.”
Realizing he could not break her resolve, he exhaled deeply.
“I grant you permission. But know this—what Namgung seeks is knowledge of the Corpse Poison. Should danger arise, forget family honor, forget all else. Guard your own life above all.”
The fear of losing his daughter. Dang So Yeon broke into a radiant smile and bowed her head.
“Of course, Father! I shall remember and remember again!”
Once permission was granted, Dang So Yeon’s face lit with an excitement she had never known before, her feet dancing with barely contained energy.
“Oh, clothes! Yes, I must gather clothes! Namgung will be far colder than Sichuan, so I need a thick robe that’s elegant, not drab. Would a green skirt suit me? Or perhaps a purple short coat to show the dignity of the Dang Clan?”
Humming a tune, she bounded away toward her chambers.
“Heh, truly……”
Dang Baek Jin watched her gleeful form recede into the distance, pressing a hand to his brow.
A memory, old and distant, flickered across his mind.
The rugged peaks of Sichuan. A wife who came seeking him with nothing but love, bold and fearless.
“She’s the spitting image of her mother, truly.”
Dang Baek Jin murmured to himself, then rose from his seat and approached the corner of his study where a concealed mechanism had been installed.
Click—
The wall panel slid open, revealing a secret vault.
From within, he carefully withdrew a single box of blackwood.
As he opened it, daggers appeared—each one gleaming as though an entire night sky had been captured and scattered across their surfaces.
They were the greatest treasures of the Dang Clan, wrought from supreme forging technique and infused with inner force, their very name—the Silver River—a reflection of their starlit brilliance.
Dang Baek Jin’s fingers traced gently across one of the daggers, luminous as scattered star-dust, and his eyes grew tender with profound affection.
They had been the most cherished possession of his wife, who had long since passed.
After becoming a woman of the Dang Clan, she had revealed such talent that even the proud bloodline itself had been left speechless.
In her final moment, as life ebbed away, she had left behind words with a faint smile.
‘Should our child one day refuse to remain a caged bird and instead choose her own path forward of her own will……then, please, give her the Silver River as a gift.’
And now, at last, his daughter stepped forth to claim her own way.
“May this starlight……keep our child safe.”
In the quiet study, Dang Baek Jin’s prayer to his departed wife drifted softly through the air.

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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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