The Introverted Heavenly Demon - Chapter 15

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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 015
Namgung Clan Estate
Jang Su Ryeon’s words sounded like praise, but they were actually quite troubling.
How much effort had Baek Yeon and I expended to perform the Minor Sect Leader’s vicious nature? How hard had we worked?
Song Mu Gyeong, one of the Three Commanders, had even sacrificed himself for this deception.
“What do you mean by that?”
The Sect Leader’s reaction was equally uncomfortable.
It hadn’t been long since he’d abandoned his suspicion that the Minor Sect Leader had been feigning cruelty to hide his weakness.
Yet hearing such words again left a bitter taste.
“Just this morning, he received medicine for his wounds from the Steward. Do you know what this child did?”
I felt a chill run through me internally.
I had overlooked the fact that Jang Su Ryeon had eyes and ears planted throughout the Sun and Moon Divine Sect.
“He healed the broken leg of a tiny baby bird, I hear. Such compassion for a small creature, such loving kindness. What a virtuous heart!”
She was far more terrifying than I’d anticipated.
While appearing to praise me, she was openly mocking me right before the Sect Leader.
“After treating the bird’s leg, he smiled and said, ‘Well now, do try to live well.’ Not only kind-hearted, but how adorable!”
“Wow, Brother! You’re truly angelic!”
Naturally, the Sect Leader’s expression was hardening as he listened.
He seemed firmly convinced that if the Minor Sect Leader—someone with such a virtuous heart—became the leader of the Demonic Cult, disaster would surely follow.
Sigh…
A silent groan escaped me.
The moment had come when I had no choice but to unleash the demon within.
“Hahaha.”
“Minor Sect Leader, what amuses you so?”
“I’m embarrassed that my small hobby has been exposed before you, madam.”
The Sect Leader’s gaze turned questioning, as if urging me to explain.
“I was the one who caught that bird and broke its leg. Only afterward did I treat it.”
“What are you saying?”
“Weak creatures are far more entertaining to kill slowly, after giving them hope to survive, than to simply end them. That’s what I meant by those words—do try to live well, until the moment you die by my hand once more.”
It was a lie, of course, but speaking it sent shivers down my spine—such truly demonic reasoning.
Jang Su Ryeon, who had been about to question my cruelty, was visibly flustered.
What mattered most was the Sect Leader’s reaction.
The Sect Leader, who had remained expressionless until now, seemed to have found my words perfectly suited to his tastes, his face breaking into a satisfied smile as he nodded approvingly.
But it didn’t end there.
“Lady. What do you think of this?”
As I turned my gaze to Baek So Cheong and called her “Lady” once more, not only her expression but everyone’s froze.
Baek So Cheong, feeling insulted again, widened her eyes and asked.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m asking whether, in your eyes, I appear to be a kind-hearted and adorable child.”
“Of course. How could it be otherwise?”
Baek So Cheong’s sharp words continued.
“First you called me ‘young lady,’ and now before my parents, you address me the same way. The Sect Leader’s illustrious legitimate son, the Minor Sect Leader, shows such courtesy to this lowly one—surely you must possess exceptional virtue and benevolence?”
Her tone, delivered with cutting sarcasm, sounded less like anger and more like sorrow.
Indeed, tears glistened in Baek So Cheong’s eyes.
I could say nothing and had no choice but to endure her reproach and condemnation.
To gain recognition from the Sect Leader… it was necessary.
“Baek Yeon!!”
But then something unexpected happened.
“There are limits to arrogance and audacity. How dare you call your sister ‘young lady’ in my presence!”
When the Sect Leader grew angry, the atmosphere became even more tense.
“I apologize, Father.”
I found myself apologizing without thinking.
Yet the one whose expression darkened most was none other than Jang Su Ryeon.
She had believed me to be a good person, but now she understood just how wicked the Minor Sect Leader truly was.
For the time being, no one would dare suggest that I was a good person.
“Mother. Since Father has called Elder Brother arrogant and audacious, isn’t this something to be proud of?”
“Hyeon, hold your tongue!”
As for my sister… someday the misunderstanding would be cleared and I would apologize.

* * *
The servants of the Il-Wol Divine Sect Headquarters moved busily from morning onward.
Servants carried tables and chairs, banners of the Il-Wol Divine Sect—rarely seen before—hung from the walls and pillars throughout the halls, and maidservants diligently swept and cleaned the floors.
The martial artists standing guard appeared tense.
Even the fire keepers who managed the flames in the Restaurant’s kitchen were being summoned here and there to run about.
It seemed as though preparations were being made for someone’s arrival.
As I walked near the Back Garden and observed this scene, I asked Young Ho Bin.
“Young Ho Bin, what is happening?”
“It appears the Namgung Patriarch will arrive this afternoon.”
Young Ho Bin was remarkably quick to gather information about what transpired within the Il-Wol Divine Sect.
Sometimes he even knew things before I, the Minor Sect Leader, did.
“Why is the Namgung Patriarch coming?”
The Namgung Clan was a family renowned in my world for representing the history, power, and prestige of the righteous sects.
It seemed word had spread throughout the sect that the Namgung Patriarch would visit the Il-Wol Divine Sect.
Yet I had not heard the reason for his visit.
Young Ho Bin glanced around to ensure no one was listening, then lowered his voice.
“My lord. I speak only based on rumors I have heard and my own conjecture.
“Tell me.”
“The Martial Alliance spy who attempted to harm the Minor Sect Leader on two occasions appears to be connected to the Namgung Family.”
“What?”
“The spy you captured previously confessed to his backer, and based on this, the Sect Leader and the Left and Right Luminous Messengers have taken action, or so I have heard.”
The Martial Alliance’s attempt to assassinate a Minor Sect Leader of the Demonic Cult was no ordinary matter.
But to think that the Namgung Clan, a core ally of the Martial Alliance itself, was involved in this.
Could a true great confrontation between the Demonic Cult and the Martial Alliance actually unfold?
No, if that were the case, the Namgung Patriarch would have no reason to visit this place.
Young Ho Bin continued speaking in a voice only I could hear.
“My lord. If the Namgung Clan’s visit to the Sect Leader is truly related to this incident, we should interpret it as both sides being willing to resolve this matter through dialogue. Given the gravity of their transgression, we must surely extract substantial compensation.”
In truth, I had been inwardly anxious about how the situation would develop, having witnessed two near-fatal assassination attempts on the Minor Sect Leader.
After experiencing such a brush with death, I couldn’t help but harbor anger toward the Martial Alliance, introverted as I am.
Yet I did not wish for war to erupt as a result.
If we could resolve this dispute through dialogue and secure my safety in the process, nothing could be better.
However.
“That’s unfortunate, really.”
“…?”
“They dared to draw a blade against me without fear, so I’d like nothing more than to sever the Martial Alliance Leader’s head immediately and exact my revenge.”
These words I spoke were heard by several martial artists and attendants nearby.
When I declared that I would “sever the Martial Alliance Leader’s head,” their bodies trembled visibly.
“We are in awe of such remarkable spirit, my lord!”
Young Ho Bin, his face moved with emotion, cupped his fist in salute and bowed his head.
In any case….
When the Namgung Patriarch arrives, will some new task fall upon me as well?

* * *
The Namgung Clan’s entourage arrived that very afternoon.
Nam Goong Jin Yu, the current Patriarch of the Namgung Clan, sat mounted at the head of the procession.
Some twenty martial artists bearing the family’s banners followed behind, with carriages and wagons trailing further back.
From the Sun and Moon Divine Sect’s side, Sect Leader Baek Mu Myeong personally came forward to receive the Namgung Patriarch upon his arrival at the Sect Headquarters.
The Namgung Clan’s procession came to a halt in the vast open ground before the Ilwol Great Hall.
As the Namgung Patriarch’s horse stopped, all the members of the Namgung family dismounted and knelt.
With the dignitaries of both sides arrayed in formation, the Sect Leader and the Namgung Patriarch stepped forward simultaneously.
I stood behind the Sect Leader, watching their figures in hushed silence alongside everyone else.
It was undeniably a tense moment.
This was a meeting between the leaders of two great sects of Kangho representing the Demonic Path and the Righteous Path.
Moreover, considering the awkward incidents that had occurred recently, it seemed as though something momentous might unfold at any instant.
“Sect Leader Baek. Thank you for the invitation. It has been a long time since we last met.”
“Patriarch Namgung. You have traveled far and must be weary from your journey.”
Yet Nam Goong Jin Yu and Baek Mu Myeong exchanged greetings more ordinarily than expected.
I learned for the first time that Nam Goong Jin Yu and Baek Mu Myeong had prior acquaintance, though it was hardly surprising given that both had been active in Kangho for so long.
The two men then gazed at each other with meaningful eyes for a considerable time.
“Sect Leader Baek. I deeply regret the series of recent incidents. Our family also bears considerable responsibility for this matter.”
“The grievances and debts of Kangho’s martial world cannot be settled with mere words. Since you have made this difficult journey, would it not be best if both sides spoke with candor and sincerity?”
What sort of conversation would pass between these two titans of Kangho?
How much evidence had Sect Leader Baek Mu Myeong gathered regarding this incident, and what would he demand of the Namgung Patriarch?
Would the Namgung Patriarch accept those demands?
The thought that my very fate hung upon the negotiation about to unfold between these two men set my heart racing.
“Your retainers should remain at the Guest House. We have prepared a banquet for you all, and we would be honored by your attendance.”
“We are grateful.”
Though Baek Mu Myeong was known as the King of Ten Thousand Demons—heartless and merciless—
his courtesy toward the Namgung Patriarch was impeccable.
In any case, listening to the exchange between Sect Leader Baek Mu Myeong and the Namgung Patriarch suggested that the rumors circulating in the world held at least some truth.
Yet both sides maintained their composure and demonstrated a willingness to negotiate.
Perhaps the Sun and Moon Divine Sect had not yet secured definitive proof that the Namgung Family orchestrated this entire affair?
“Then, Namgung Patriarch, shall we move to a more private setting?”
Sect Leader Baek Mu Myeong dismissed all his attendants—the Radiant Messengers and the palace lords alike—and entered the Ilwol Great Hall with only the Namgung Patriarch.
As I watched them withdraw, the tension that had gripped my chest gradually began to ease.
Contrary to my fears, no catastrophe had erupted.
Though the situation could shift at any moment depending on the outcome of the negotiation between the Sect Leader and the Namgung Patriarch, at least we had weathered the immediate crisis.
But then—
“Minor Sect Leader. I bring a command from the Sect Leader.”
Shortly after the Sect Leader and Namgung Patriarch had withdrawn, Jang Su Ryeon, the Sect Leader’s wife, approached me.
“Yes, Mother.”
“You are to attend the banquet this evening for the Namgung Patriarch’s retainers.”
“Yes…”
“Your sister and Hyeon will join you as well. However, as the Minor Sect Leader, you shall preside over the gathering.”
“Understood, Mother. Please have no concerns.”
I had tensed momentarily at the mention of the Sect Leader’s command, but I answered with confidence.
It was hardly a difficult task.
Had I not spent nearly two months refining both body and spirit since my rebirth from the Demonic Cult?
I had even brushed against death not long ago.
And yet—
Thump. Thump.
This was strange.
A banquet.
A gathering filled with unfamiliar faces, and worse still, the servants of the Namgung Family—people I found utterly uncomfortable around.
And on top of that, my sister So Cheong, whom I had embarrassed myself before not long ago—?
‘Preside over a banquet? Me?’
That was something only extroverts did—
This was truly the greatest crisis of my introverted life.
My heart had pounded as if it might burst when my turn for a toast approached during university retreats.
What should I even say? What if I froze and stammered?
Thump. Thump.
The more I entertained these thoughts, the more my heart—which had been calm mere moments before—began to race uncontrollably, as though betraying my composure.
Just as it had when I stood on the brink of death before the Assassin.

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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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