The Heavenly Demon of the Blue Sky - Chapter 64

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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 — Episode 64
In the underground chamber, a bloody stench and the sickening aura of dark sorcery swirled through the damp air.
Huddled in one corner, Jo Hak, an elder of the Blood Cult, rolled his eyes with frantic calculation.
He had passed seventy years of age, draped in a long robe woven from the finest silk.
Ten fingers glittered with expensive jade and gold rings stacked one upon another.
Between the deep wrinkles carved into his face, his serpentine eyes gleamed with oily cunning, and his cheeks protruded with naked greed—a living testament to how he had clawed his way through life.
In truth, Jo Hak had not always belonged to the Blood Cult.
His true origin was the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect, the sacred ground of demon teachings that once dominated the Shipman Mountain Range—where he had served as keeper of the treasury.
In those days, the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect had languished in chaos for long years.
The Supreme Lord, Pa Cheon Ma Jon, had passed from the world without naming a successor.
As the old saying goes, when the tiger who ruled the forest dies, the wolves and foxes run wild.
After that, various factions within the sect splintered and warred, each seeking to produce the next Heavenly Demon.
It was in this chaos that Jo Hak transformed himself into an illegal arms merchant.
He pillaged weapons from the sect’s own stores and lent them to the feuding factions, amassing immense wealth.
Then, when the Blood Cult invaded the Shipman Mountain Range, he did not hesitate for a moment—he threw open the sect’s gates and surrendered to them without delay.
A traitor and a turncoat, he had led the effort to subjugate the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect.
Yet he carried himself with shameless confidence, and he was the first to persecute the sect’s faithful, earning himself the high position of Director of Enforcement within the Blood Cult.
Afterward, he hunted down disciples who fled the Blood Cult’s tyranny with ferocious zeal, captured them, and branded them as slaves.
Horrors and exploitation that no one who shared the same sky could ever commit against their own kind.
The cruelty with which Jo Hak devoured the blood and flesh of his fellow disciples for his own wealth and comfort was so vile that even the Blood Cult’s own members shook their heads in contempt.
Jo Hak funneled the vast treasures and riches he accumulated in this manner to his superiors without cease.
In this way, he climbed to become one of the ranking elders.
All without a shred of sorcery or martial prowess to his name.
Yet there was one thing that eluded his control: the Blood Cult’s true talents, those with sharp tongues and sharper pride, refused to acknowledge him as their superior.
They ridiculed and despised him in whispers as a base traitor born of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect.
Sin Ma, commander of the Blood Spirit Brigade and former subordinate of Sadoum, was no exception.
He had ignored Jo Hak’s command to return to the sect, instead preparing to launch an assault on Namgung.
“Nothing remains but vengeance! I will devour Namgung Hyeok, who murdered my brother and my master!”
Sin Ma unleashed a howl of madness, raising his staff on high.
Before him lay the corpses of mounted warriors and massive wolves from the Mansu Demon Valley, which had perished in the fires of Shanxi, now stitched together into grotesque forms.
Leading hundreds of corpse demons and soldiers, he marched out of the underground chamber.
Jo Hak, who had been hiding in the corner, finally released the breath he had been holding.
“Phew…”
A subordinate who had been keeping watch approached carefully and asked.
“Elder, are you truly letting them leave just like this?”
At the cautious question, Jo Hak’s jaw clenched.
“What else would you have me do? They won’t hear a word from their superior—they look ready to cut off my head at the slightest offense. And their forces are substantial. There’s no way to restrain them now. For the moment, we have no choice but to watch and wait.”
He then stroked the jade rings on his fingers, and a cunning gleam flickered across his eyes.
“Yet there is a silver lining to this.”
“Pardon? I’m not sure I follow, Elder…”
“With such crude, swollen numbers, they march toward open war. Whatever conflict unfolds between them and Namgung, whichever side prevails, both will suffer catastrophic losses.”
A greedy smile crept up the corners of his mouth.
“If that fool Sin Ma wins, we merely wait until his strength is utterly spent, sever his head, steal the glory, and return to the sect—all while eliminating a disobedient subordinate and cementing my own position all the more.”
He had always survived by skulking safely behind the scenes, feeding on others’ blood. This time would be no different.
“Conversely, if Namgung prevails, exhausted from holding off Sin Ma’s corpse demons, they will be worn to threads. Then we need only emerge at the final moment and snuff out their last breath with ease. All of Namgung’s vast wealth and secret techniques will become mine. The sect itself could not finish what I will accomplish—and who would dare disrespect me after that?”
This opportunism was precisely how he had secured wealth and glory amid the chaos of a dying age.
“No matter which path unfolds, the victor in the end will be Jo Hak. Hehehehe.”
Satisfied with his scheme, Jo Hak contentedly stroked his goatee.
“Follow them in secret. Let’s go.”
Afterward, he trailed behind Sin Ma’s advancing forces at a distance, watching for his opportunity.
* * *
Not long after, at Namgung.
The desk in the administrative office was buried under a mountain of documents.
“This is the ledger from the merchant house, and this is the material consumption record from the workshops.”
Seol Hwa, who oversaw administration, sorted through the papers and reported without pause.
“Mm.”
I rubbed my tired eyes and quickly scanned the documents, stamping them in succession.
Knock, knock.
Just then, the office door opened with a cautious knock.
“Busy?”
It was Dang So Yeon, bearing an elegant jade tea set and cups in her delicate hands.
“I brought back fine tea leaves from Sichuan. The more tea is shared between people, the richer its flavor becomes and the better its aroma grows…… I remembered it and thought I’d bring some.”
But now mountains of paperwork were piled before me.
“I’m busy. Perhaps another time.”
Just as I waved my hand in refusal, Seol Hwa beside me swiftly cut me off.
“My goodness! For the precious jewel of the Sichuan Dang Clan to show such thoughtfulness by brewing tea herself — how could you be so heartless as to refuse?”
Seol Hwa cast me a meaningful glance, then deftly plucked the seal from my grip.
“I’ve finished approving everything that needed approval. I’ll handle the remaining documents myself. Our brother has been pushing far too hard lately — he should rest a while.”
With that, she stepped out of the office while giving Dang So Yeon’s shoulder a light pat.
“Go ahead, do your best.”
“Ah, oh…….”
Startled by Seol Hwa’s encouragement, Dang So Yeon’s shoulders trembled slightly.
In that same instant, one of the teacups on the tray slipped and began to fall.
It seemed it would shatter.
But just before it struck the floor, I moved forward with a light gesture and caught the teacup with ease before it could land.
“What exactly was she telling you to do your best at? Pouring tea into a cup — is that really something worth such fuss?”
I set the cup back on the table with a casual air, my tone deliberately indifferent.
At my words, Seol Hwa beside me pressed her palm to her forehead.
“Sigh…… I apologize for having such an insensitive brother.”
She offered Dang So Yeon a smile both affectionate and pitying, then gathered up a stack of documents and swept out of the office.
“……She does make a fuss out of everything.”
I turned the empty teacup lightly between my fingers.
“Staring at paperwork all day leaves me restless. I need some fresh air. I don’t mind drinking out here, do I?”
I walked toward the broad railing that opened beyond the office.
Leaning against the railing, the vibrant vista of Namgung spread before me in full view.
Dang So Yeon hurried over with the tray and took her place beside me.
She carefully poured the tea, filling my cup.
Warm, fragrant steam curled up before my nose.
I tilted the cup and faced the wind, but something about the way Dang So Yeon was looking at me seemed odd.
Ignoring the splendid view of Namgung entirely, she was staring intently at my face as I held the teacup.
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
“I, I was just wondering if it suited your taste!”
At my question, Dang So Yeon started in alarm and looked away.
I took a sip of the tea and savored it, then smiled faintly.
“Excellent tea. This is Mengding Ganlu from Sichuan, isn’t it?”
“What? Oh, y-yes! It’s not something one can easily taste — how did you know?”
I had lived a long time. It was only natural that I would have refined taste in tea.
Though I could hardly claim it came from a past life and expect to be believed.
“Simply an interest, I’d say. The leaves are delicate and brewing them correctly requires care — you did well.”
“Really? Well, there’s no poison in it, so drink at your ease…….”
Dang So Yeon’s face flushed at the small praise, and she turned her gaze toward the distant mountains.
For a time, a gentle silence lingered over the railing swept by wind.
Presently, Dang So Yeon opened her mouth to speak to me again, hesitantly.
“Um…….”
I raised a hand without speaking, signaling her to be still for a moment.
While Dang So Yeon’s expression grew puzzled, I narrowed my eyes and fixed my gaze on the dark, heavy clouds gathering above.
“……An unwelcome visitor.”
High above Namgung, in the distant sky.
A raven with black plumage circled ominously through the air.
It was no ordinary bird. A dark, sinister shimmer of the sort I could perceive since becoming aware of vengeful spirits clung around it.
Whee-! I immediately put my fingers to my lips and blew a sharp, piercing whistle.
In response, a keen hawk dove down from the direction of Eagle House.
With the grace of heaven’s king, it quickly gained altitude and bore down upon the ominous raven.
Keee-! The hawk and raven tangled fiercely in the sky.
They descended to ever lower heights, but the situation was not looking favorable.
An ordinary raven should have been subdued in an instant, yet this one gripped the hawk with talons of eerie, unnatural strength.
“Can you hit it from that height?”
I asked quietly of Dang So Yeon beside me.
“I’ll try.”
Dang So Yeon immediately drew a poison dart from her robe. The deep inner energy of the Dang Clan concentrated along the silver blade.
Shrriek—!
She hurled the poison dart with practiced precision. The silver flash tore through the air and pierced the raven’s body clean through.
Thud! The raven lurched violently from the impact and released the hawk it had been gripping.
Yet even with the poison dart lodged through its torso, the creature showed no sign of pain.
Not a drop of blood spilled as it thrashed its wings to flee.
“What—what is that thing? I aimed straight for its vital point, so how could it—”
Dang So Yeon let out a sound of disbelief.
“Take this.”
There was no time to waste. She thrust the teacup into his hands and planted her foot on the railing.
Pop!
In the same motion, she activated the Hidden Blade Gauntlet on her left wrist, anchoring the Heavenly Silkworm Thread tightly to the eave’s edge.
Using the rebound, she vaulted high into the open air.
Crack! Her left hand caught the plummeting hawk, and with her right, she drew the Azure Sea Moon from its sheath.
Whoosh! Violet Azure Heaven Demon Qi flowed down the blade,
the Azure Heaven Demon Flame Sword—Shatter Star Obscure Sun.
The raven attempting its escape was bisected cleanly by the flash and tumbled to the ground.
Tap. She landed lightly and gazed down at the corpse.
……
Even split in half, the raven convulsed grotesquely for a moment, then belched out a miasma of black filth and went limp.
Its eyes had already half-burst from their sockets and rotted to pulp. Beneath the feathers, its body had decayed until desiccated bone showed through completely.
Crimson characters were inscribed within—Blood Cult Sorcery carved into its flesh as a substitute for talismans.
“What—what in the name of—”
Dang So Yeon, having scrambled down after her, wrinkled her brow in horror.
“Don’t tell me… this too…?”
“Yes.”
She spat out the words, her voice low and sharp.
“The Blood Cult’s vermin have even corrupted flying beasts into Corpse Demons.”
The sheer depravity of it—even a beast’s final rest weaponized for use. Rage kindled in her chest.
She examined the hawk cradled in her arms; its wound was poisoned.
She reached into her robes and pulled out the Antidote developed by the Dang Clan, applying it directly to the wound.
Hiss!
The remedy worked immediately.
The creeping black venom thinned at once and drained away without force.
She dressed the wound with salve and entrusted the hawk to one of the Eagle House attendants.
Then, just as she turned—
Boom-boom-boom-boom—!
Suddenly storm clouds engulfed the sky above Cheonju Mountain, plunging everything into pitch darkness, and a tremendous rumble began emanating from all around.
The ground beneath the Namgung estate trembled. The walls cracked.
“What—what is happening!”
“Has—has Heaven’s wrath fallen upon us!”
The sudden tremors and ominous aura sent the people and martial artists in the compound into chaos and confusion.
Left unchecked, panic would spiral into full collapse.
Tap—!
In a single bound, she scaled the outer wall of the hall and leaped to the roof, to the very highest peak of the main residence.
There, beneath the Namgung’s blue banner unfurling in the wind, she stood.
“Steady yourselves, all of you!!”
The Lion’s Roar erupted from her throat, resonating thunderously across the whole of Cheonju Mountain.
The eyes of all those floundering in panic snapped upward in an instant.
“Have you forgotten the blood and sweat you have shed to prepare for a day such as this?”
In another life, leading hundreds of thousands of Heavenly Demon Divine Sect disciples across endless seas of blood, she had carved the command presence of a ruler deep into her very bones.
With eyes like ice and not a trace of hesitation, she issued her orders with perfect clarity.
She summoned Seol Hwa, Yeon Hwa, Han Seok San, and the physician below.
“The four of you will lead those unable to fight to the caves we prepared in advance on Cheonju Mountain. Evacuate there.”
Then she called for her uncle and Namgung Gyeong.
“You two will lead the merchant teams and scouts. Make certain our supply of Antidote and Talismans never runs dry.”
Those who had once fled to escape calamity were now entrusted with the most crucial role in defending Namgung itself.
“We shall not fail you!”
Their eyes reddened with resolve, they bowed sharply and dispersed with speed.
Next, she called upon Yu Hwa.
“Lead the Blood Spirit Brigade in holding this main residence. The help of our guests is invaluable, but ultimately this is Namgung’s fight. If we falter from fear, we have already lost. Give it everything.”
“The blood of our ancestors who died defending Namgung hasn’t even dried yet. How could I turn away knowing that?”
Yu Hwa, receiving the order, immediately drew her sword and rallied the warriors into formation.
Satisfied with their unwavering resolve, he turned to Hye Gwang and Jang Ho.
“Divide the Shaolin monks and the Beggar Clan members into units and establish defensive lines throughout Namgung.”
The sectioning and defensive preparations they’d made earlier now proved invaluable.
“Amitabha Buddha! We shall become an unshakeable wall!”
“Blast these dogs—we’ll crush every last head!”
Monks and beggars alike took their positions with perfect synchronization.
Next, he called upon Jegal Un.
“Lead the Jegal Clan scholars and prepare the formation barrier.”
“I swear on the name of Jegal—we will hold this formation!”
Jegal Un raised the White Feather Fan high and charged forward, leading the scholars.
Then he summoned Seomun Ho.
“Seomun, take your household members and climb the watchtower. We must prepare for any ambush or projectiles from the enemy assault.”
At the same time, he ordered every gate of Eagle House on the Cheonju Mountain cliff face opened.
“Understood, sir. Nothing shall breach Namgung’s Azure Heaven ramparts!”
He then called for Hwangbo Gang and Ak Jin.
“Take the mounted cavalry outside and harass their advance forces. Disrupt their assault.”
“Leave it to us! We’ve been waiting for a day like this!”
“Taishan’s iron riders will form a cloud to protect Namgung!”
The two giants roared, metal grinding against metal, and charged out on horseback.
Finally, he addressed the masked elites of Sichuan Dang Clan.
“The Toxin Resolution Corps assassins—climb onto the rooftops and ramparts. Shoot poison darts at every enemy that comes into view.”
At my command, Dang So Yeon gripped her poison darts firmly and nodded with fierce determination.
“So our moment has finally come? Watch the Dang Clan’s skill!”
Whoosh—snap!
She bounded swift as a bat up the walls and rooftops, claiming her vantage point.
The chaos lasted only an instant. In moments, overwhelming command seized control of everything.
This war, encountered after so long, still felt utterly familiar.
He turned his gaze again toward the source of the thunderous mountain tremor.
Boom-boom-boom-boom!
The hillside facing Namgung’s main gate finally collapsed like a mole’s burrow, crumbling into ruin.
From the swirling dust, a solitary figure emerged—cloaked and leaning on a staff.
“Hehehehe…… Kyahahaha!”
A grotesque, tearing laugh rang out, and crimson eyes flashed like fire.
Behind that figure, hundreds of Blood Cult assassins and a grotesquely twisted army of Corpse Demons drew breath with rough, labored sounds as they slowly came into view.
Suddenly, the curtain of war—of blood and flesh—had risen.

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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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