The Introverted Heavenly Demon - Chapter 104

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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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The Introverted Heavenly Demon Episode 104
Life and Death Duel
He had known all along.
As the leader of the Sea Sand Gang, how many impoverished people Seo Pil had saved and how many commoners he had fed.
All while defying the salt monopoly that filled the bellies of corrupt officials, and bearing the stigma of the Black Path in doing so.
When the Cheong Yun Merchant Group showed signs of moving to eliminate the Black Path, he had tried to sever their long-standing business relationship—likely because he could not bring himself to punish a disciple who was doing the right thing with his own hands.
Yet even then, he lacked the courage to openly stand with the Black Path.
Not until I stepped forward boldly to protect them.
“Now then, Yu Elder. This time, I shall ask the questions.”
“I, this is….”
“Do you understand what you are doing at this very moment?”
Yu Elder, as an elder of the Qingcheng Sect, surely understood the ecosystem of the Kangho Murim well enough.
The Righteous Martial Arts Society proclaimed justice and righteousness, outwardly staking their lives on cooperation, yet their arrogance—that only they possessed true justice—inflicted far greater harm.
How would he respond?
Surely he would not be shameless enough to persist even in this situation.
“As a prestigious orthodox sect representing the Righteous Martial Arts Society, our Qingcheng Sect shall suppress the Black Blade Gang here and now. This fact shall never change.”
I nearly forgot all dignity and spewed forth a torrent of curses.
My blood boiled anew at the shamelessness of those from the Righteous Martial Arts Society.
Yet Yu Elder’s words did not end there.
“However….”
“However?”
“Out of respect for the Yoon National Lord’s dignity, I shall not personally intervene in this matter. Gyeong Yun!”
“Yes, understood.”
“Gyeong Yun is the senior disciple representative of the Qingcheng disciples who have come here. Gyeong Yun, you shall step forward as the representative of our first-generation disciples.”
“I accept your command.”
“Yu Elder, what are you saying now?”
“It is simple. As I said from the beginning, we shall settle this matter according to the ways of the Murim.”
The way of the Murim—a one-on-one duel.
So the Yoon National Lord and Yu Elder would step aside, and those of the next rank would face each other in a one-on-one life and death duel.
“Between Gyeong Yun and the Minor Sect Leader of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect.”
Our representative was naturally meant to be me….
“If Gyeong Yun is defeated, the Qingcheng Sect shall withdraw as is. However, if Gyeong Yun emerges victorious….”
“…?”
“Then surrender one of the Palcheon Secret Chamber’s leaders to our custody.”
“What did you say?”
At the condition that one of the Palcheon Secret Chamber’s leaders must be surrendered in the event of defeat in the one-on-one duel, the Black Path faction’s leaders erupted in fury.
Yet no matter how enraged and flustered they became, it could not compare to my own position—I who must stake my life in actual combat.
But perhaps this was fortunate.
The more unreasonable their demands, the easier it would be for me to simply declare that I would not participate in such a duel.
And yet.
“Very well. Should the Minor Sect Leader fall in defeat, then take me captive.”
Seo Pil’s thoughtless remark shattered my carefully laid plan into pieces.
The anxieties that had gripped the Black Blade Gang—their fear that their leader might be seized by the Qingcheng Sect—evaporated in an instant.
My expression twisted involuntarily as I stared at Seo Pil.
This fool was repaying kindness with betrayal…!
“And you are?”
“I am Seo Pil, leader of the Sea Sand Gang.”
Yu Elder paused in contemplation before nodding his head.
With Seo Pil’s acceptance of the terms, the justification to eliminate the notorious Minor Sect Leader of the Demonic Cult was finally secured.
Moreover, it was clear they were well aware of the relationship between the Sea Sand Gang and the Sun and Moon Divine Sect.
So if they could capture the leader of the Sea Sand Gang, they would achieve two goals at once.
“Is this acceptable to you, Minor Sect Leader?”
Yun Tae Baek asked, but from my position, there was no way this could be acceptable.
I would have to face the foremost disciple of the Qingcheng Sect in a one-on-one duel with our lives at stake.
My honest sentiment was disbelief at how thoroughly everything had spiraled out of control.
But….
“Of course. It is exactly what I desired.”
As the Minor Sect Leader of the notorious Sun and Moon Divine Sect, I had no other choice but to fulfill that role.
I suppressed the trembling in my legs and forced my expression into one of fierce determination.
“Gyeong Yun! Come forward.”
Thus, a one-on-one duel between myself and the foremost disciple of the Qingcheng Sect was arranged.
It was a confrontation where the pride of both the Qingcheng Sect and the Sun and Moon Divine Sect hung in the balance, and upon which the very survival of the Black Blade Gang that dominated Chengdu depended.

* * *
Gyeong Yun, a disciple of the Qingcheng Sect, cupped his fists in salute before me, then drew the sword at his waist.
He then unfurled the opening stance of an unnamed sword technique.
Though his expression showed some tension, his piercing momentum, his finely conditioned physique, and his flawless posture all spoke to him being no ordinary opponent.
I exhaled slowly.
I too performed the courtesy of a cupped-fist salute before the duel, then brought my right hand to the Heavenly Demon Annihilation Blade.
The blade whispered as it left its sheath.
A chilling sound rang out as the blade scraped against the scabbard.
-It’s been so long since you tasted blood, hasn’t it? Your heart is racing, isn’t it?
For the first time in ages, I heard Cheon Ma’s voice echoing in my mind.
This was my first time engaging in a life-or-death duel with a master-level cultivator before so many witnesses.
Moreover, my opponent was a disciple of the Qingcheng Sect, famous for their swift and dazzling sword techniques.
Part of me wanted to cry out that we should stop fighting and resolve this through dialogue, but there was no turning back now.
‘His martial prowess appears to be at the early-middle stage of the first rank.’
I believed that even drawing upon Cheon Ma’s power if necessary, I would not be significantly outmatched in terms of objective martial ability.
But as Do Yul Instructor once told me, distinctions of rank—first-rate, second-rate, and so on—in duels between martial artists are merely reference points.
What determines victory is who possesses more practical combat experience and who can better exploit their opponent’s weaknesses.
“Since I am older than the Minor Sect Leader, I shall yield the first move. Please, come at me.”
“Then I shall not decline.”
The pressure of a life-or-death duel was novel, but since entering the Martial Arts World, had I ever fought without wagering my life?
Not only my own life but countless precious things belonging to many others hung in the balance of this battle.
With a sigh, I cast aside my weakness of heart.
From this moment on, I could think only of one thing: how to win, or rather, how to kill my opponent.
That alone consumed my thoughts.
“Hah!”
With a sharp battle cry, I surged forward rapidly toward Gyeong Yun.
Drawing upon every ounce of my inner strength, I brought the blade down toward him with the skill I had now mastered.
Clang!!
My blade and Gyeong Yun’s sword collided in mid-air, and a deafening metallic shriek erupted that felt as though it might tear my ears apart.
The Qingcheng Sect’s formidable swordsmanship was no mere rumor—from just that single clash, my hand gripping the blade trembled with a numbing sensation.
Judging that a prolonged fight would be disadvantageous, I did not relent in my offensive momentum.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
In an instant, three or four successive attacks poured down upon Gyeong Yun.
Drawing upon every sword technique I had learned and all the inner energy within my body, I unleashed a barrage of strikes, yet not a single one found its mark on his body.
Yet it was far from futile.
Though Gyeong Yun showed no outward sign, it was clear he had sustained considerable impact from blocking my repeated assaults.
His hands trembled visibly as they gripped his sword, and he had already retreated several steps backward.
“Waaaah!!!”
Exclamations and cheers erupted from the Black Blade Gang members watching the duel.
In contrast, the area where the Qingcheng Sect’s elders and disciples stood fell into a silence as complete as death.
I succeeded in pressing Gyeong Yun back in the first exchange, but the true battle was only beginning.
Once Gyeong Yun confirmed that the distance between us had widened, he steadied his breathing and adjusted his grip on his sword.
This time, before I could even move, he thrust his blade forward with lightning-swift speed.
‘Clear Wind Sword Technique.’
Gyeong Yun’s attacks, employing the signature swordplay of the Qingcheng Sect, were swift and dazzling.
The movements flowed like water—from a diagonal downward slash transitioning seamlessly into a piercing thrust.
He pressed forward with cunning combinations of feints and genuine strikes, forcing me to retreat two or three steps backward.
The moment my Heavenly Demon Returning Blade wavered slightly, exposing a gap in my upper body, Gyeong Yun seized the opening without hesitation.
Whoosh!
Confident he had found my weakness, Gyeong Yun unleashed the full power he had been concealing until now.
In an instant, his blade flashed brilliantly, and his sword—wreathed in terrifying sword energy—descended upon me like a thunderbolt.
Everything unfolded exactly as I had intended.
Slip.
The edge of my Heavenly Demon Returning Blade, angled slightly downward, received his strike.
‘Half Moon Return Blade Technique, Returning Moon Wheel Rotation.’
Crack!
.
.
My body spun like a top.
My Heavenly Demon Returning Blade, having absorbed the force behind Gyeong Yun’s strike, tore through the air and surged toward him.
The Half Moon Return Blade Technique, transmitted to me by the Dongbang Family Head.
A counter-strike technique for receiving an opponent’s attack—one of the most lethal techniques in all of Kangho.
Once unleashed, it was a devastating killing move guaranteed to sever the opponent’s lifeline.
“…!”
To maximize the power of the Half Moon Return Blade Technique and end this in a single stroke, I had devised and executed a strategy.
I appeared to be overwhelmed by his assault, luring him into complacency, and then deployed the Half Moon Return Blade Technique precisely when he attempted his finishing blow.
Though this was my first time using it in actual combat, all my countless practice sessions bore fruit—I executed this technique flawlessly, without the slightest error.
That is why the result unfolding before my eyes was so utterly unexpected.
‘He dodged it?’
My Heavenly Demon Returning Blade, having absorbed his force and spun like a top to release it, hung suspended in empty air.
Just moments before, with his stance already wavering, Gyeong Yun had been struck head-on by the Half Moon Return Blade Technique’s Returning Moon Wheel Rotation. Startled beyond measure, he had desperately arched his back.
As a result, the blade tip merely grazed the edge of his robe—his body remained unmarked, without even a scratch.
Yet Gyeong Yun himself seemed equally astonished that he had managed to evade the attack.
The moment he confirmed his neck was still intact, he retreated hastily as though he had seen a ghost, widening the distance between us.
His eyes still gleamed with shock and fear.
For a moment, both Gyeong Yun and I stood facing each other, our expressions mirroring disbelief.

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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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