The Introverted Heavenly Demon - Chapter 16

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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 016
The Banquet
As the sun began its descent in the west, the Sect Headquarters’ Banquet Hall filled to capacity with figures from the Demonic Cult and the Namgung Family.
Dozens of rectangular tables were arranged, laden with exotic delicacies and rare delights.
Servants of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect moved diligently between the tables, ferrying food and wine.
I sat at the central table alongside Sect Leader’s wife Jang Su Ryeon, my sister So Cheong, and my younger brother Hyeon Yi.
The Namgung Family had mentioned that two of their members would be seated at this same table.
‘At least the Sect Leader and the Namgung Patriarch aren’t here—that’s a mercy.’
The Sect Leader and Namgung Patriarch appeared to have much to discuss in private.
While the Sun and Moon Divine Sect and the Namgung Family teetered precariously between war and peace, their households were hosting a leisurely banquet—the absurdity of it struck me as almost comical.
As they say in Kangho, the line between favor and enmity is thinner than paper.
Regardless, with both the Sect Leader and Namgung Patriarch absent, martial law dictated that I, the Minor Sect Leader of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect, held the highest position at this gathering.
‘Right… first I should thank the guests for taking their seats, and then…’
Long before the banquet began, I had been mentally rehearsing the opening remarks I’d prepared.
As the one presiding over the banquet, I needed to deliver both an opening address and a welcome speech.
Since my rebirth as the Minor Sect Leader of the Demonic Cult, this was my first time addressing such a large gathering.
The thought consumed me that I could not afford to appear timid or uncertain in my role as Minor Sect Leader.
Because of this, I had no mental capacity to notice what dishes were being placed, who was greeting whom, or any of these details.
“Here they come.”
The principal guests from the Namgung Family were entering the Banquet Hall.
A boy who appeared to be my age, with bright, intelligent eyes, wore a neat blue robe. Behind him followed a towering figure—the leader of the Cheon Young Dan.
“I am Namgung Eon, the fifth son of the Namgung Family. I am delighted to make the acquaintance of the esteemed members of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect.”
“Thank you for traveling such a distance. I am Baek Yeon, the Minor Sect Leader.”
After exchanging greetings with me, Namgung Eon took his seat directly across from me.
The dozen or so retainers of the Namgung Family who accompanied him all found their respective places.
Now it was time to begin the banquet.
“Ahem, ahem.”
As I rose from my seat and cleared my throat, the Banquet Hall fell silent in an instant.
Everyone watched with curiosity and anticipation to hear what the Minor Sect Leader would say before the Namgung Family.
Thump. Thump.
As countless eyes fixed upon me, my heart began to pound uncontrollably.
The executives of the Demonic Cult—the Left Elder and Right Elder—along with the various martial artists of the Namgung Family, all watched my every move and hung on my every word.
Thump. Thump.
This single statement I was about to make would define the Minor Sect Leader’s reputation, and it would reach the Sect Leader’s ears as well.
Since my rebirth, I had managed to leave a reasonably good impression on the Sect Leader, though I could not deny that luck had played no small part.
Yet this banquet was nothing short of the greatest trial for someone as introverted as myself.
What if I made a mistake here?
Might the disappointed Sect Leader judge me unfit for the position of Minor Sect Leader?
Thump. Thump!
The thought only made my trembling worse.
My legs trembled as though they might give way beneath me.
Yet I was destined to become Cheon Ma, the Minor Sect Leader of the Ilwol Demonic Sect, future sovereign of ten thousand demons.
I could not afford to display such nervousness before these people.
‘It’s fine. Just speak as I rehearsed and sit down. I can manage that much.’
I steeled myself with these thoughts and began delivering my prepared greeting without hesitation.
“Standing before you, whose martial prowess and learning far exceed my own, I am ashamed beyond measure.”
Midway through my opening words, something felt terribly wrong, and I faltered.
The assembled crowd tilted their heads in confusion.
‘Damn it all!’
My original prepared words had been: “Standing before you esteemed ones, I whose martial prowess and learning are lacking am ashamed beyond measure.”
It was a perfectly safe greeting—a young Minor Sect Leader displaying the virtue of humility.
But in my nervousness, I had reversed the positions of “I” and “you”!
It was an unbelievably ridiculous mistake.
“….”
The assembly sat in stunned silence, unable to comprehend the Minor Sect Leader’s shockingly arrogant opening words.
They could not fathom how to interpret what I had just uttered.
Some nodded with expressions that seemed to say, ‘Indeed, that is befitting of the Minor Sect Leader.’
But the real problem was only beginning.
‘What… comes next?’
My mind went blank from the shock of my catastrophic opening, and I could not recall a single word of what I had prepared.
Dozens of panicked thoughts raced through my consciousness in that brief moment.
What should I do? Improvise something? But what if I made another ridiculous mistake? What if I stammered and bit my own tongue?
In my spiraling anxiety, my entire prepared greeting vanished from my mind.
‘It’s all over now….’
Looking back, I had worked so hard since my rebirth.
Driven by the thought that losing my position as Minor Sect Leader would cost me my life, I had devoted myself entirely to earning the Sect Leader’s approval.
Yet it seemed all of that had come to nothing.
Of course it had. How could an introvert like me, unable to deliver even a simple toast properly, ever become the leader of the Demonic Cult?
I had been chasing an impossible dream from the start.
“Ugh….”
Just as I was about to lower my head in defeat, someone caught my eye.
Sitting at the Guest of Honor Table with me was Namgung Eon, the fifth son of the Namgung Family.
His face had flushed red and white in turns from my earlier words, his fists clenched so tightly they trembled.
The moment I saw his expression, words spilled from my mouth unbidden.
“Is something troubling you, Young Master Namgung?”
Namgung Eon surely interpreted my words as a deliberate provocation toward him and the Namgung Family.
Young though I was, as the fifth son of the Namgung Family, his pride must be formidable.
He looked ready to leap from his seat and confront me at any moment.
“Minor Sect Leader, I cannot help but think your words just now were….”
“Young Master!”
“Even so, surely we could—”
But the towering figure seated beside him barely managed to restrain him.
Everyone’s attention had converged entirely on the tension that had erupted between myself and Namgung Eon.
As a result, my greeting had become utterly inconsequential.
Seizing the moment, I hastily added whatever came to mind.
“Haha. The atmosphere seemed rather stiff, so I offered a jest. Surely a banquet should be lively like this, yes?”
I felt somewhat apologetic toward Namgung Eon, but thanks to this, the tension dissolved and my next words came naturally.
“The Sect Leader and our faithful have humbly prepared this modest welcome for our honored guests. I hope you will enjoy yourselves.”
I hastily concluded my remarks and took my seat.
The guests offered their applause, but with their attention fixed on Namgung Eon, no one seemed to pay me any mind.
Namgung Eon sat with a sullen expression, but as the guests began eating, even he ceased to draw their interest.
“Minor Sect Leader. Might you spare me a moment?”
Shortly after, amid the commotion, Left Elder Jang Hyeon Do spoke to me.
Puzzled, I followed him, and once he confirmed no one was nearby, he lowered his voice as he addressed me.
“Remarkable. I was impressed.”
“What do you mean, remarkable?”
“With a single word, you’ve rendered the Namgung Family utterly helpless, have you not? Moreover, I had intended to relay the Sect Leader’s orders, but observing your actions, it seems you’ve already grasped his intentions. This will make things easier.”
“The Sect Leader’s orders?”
“Indeed, Minor Sect Leader….”
I could not comprehend what Left Elder was saying, yet in that moment, I felt an ominous premonition that something grave was unfolding.
“The negotiations between the Sect Leader and the Namgung Family Head are not proceeding smoothly. It is certain that the Namgung Family orchestrated this affair, and we possess evidence, yet they continue to evade responsibility. However, the assassination attempt on you cannot simply be overlooked. Thus, the Sect Leader has issued his command.”
And only then did I fully comprehend why the Family Head had ordered me to preside over today’s banquet.
“At today’s banquet, you are to personally execute Namgung Eon, the fifth son of the Namgung Family.”

* * *
As the banquet officially commenced, time seemed to slip away in an increasingly chaotic blur.
Members of the Demonic Cult approached me one after another, offering their greetings without exception.
“Minor Sect Leader. I have always held deep admiration for your benevolence and grace. Seeing you in person, your heroic bearing truly lives up to its reputation.”
“You flatter me.”
After receiving the Sect Leader’s instructions, even amidst the chaos, I managed to fulfill my role as the banquet’s host reasonably well.
Most of those who approached me were simply seeking to curry favor with the Minor Sect Leader by exchanging a few words, so I merely needed to offer brief responses….
“Martial Artist, the Minor Sect Leader appears fatigued. Perhaps you could offer your respects another time?”
“Ah, quite right. Minor Sect Leader, I shall take my leave then.”
“Very well.”
Whenever a conversation threatened to grow lengthy, Young Ho Bin, reading my mind with uncanny precision, would interject and bring the exchange to a ghostly conclusion.
Thanks to him, I made no significant missteps after the initial encounters, yet I could not shake the heaviness weighing upon my heart.
The conversation with the Left Elder refused to leave my mind.
‘Kill the Young Master? How? And is it truly acceptable?’
‘I have already informed the disciples, so we can fabricate sufficient justification. As for what comes after, do not concern yourself. The Sect Leader has already considered everything.’
As the night deepened, the banquet too reached its crescendo.
The disciples’ servants suddenly began arranging the area before the Guest of Honor Table, and someone stepped forward to greet me before calling out.
“Ahem, if I may have your attention for a moment.”
It was Gwak Chun Soo, a steward belonging to Wol In Gung. He was the one overseeing the practical arrangements for today’s banquet.
“We have prepared entertainment for our esteemed guests visiting the Main Sect. Bring it forth!”
At Gwak Chun Soo’s command, a small girl emerged from among the servants, carrying a guqin as tall as herself.
“She is a child from a village near the Sect Headquarters who plays the guqin. She is renowned for her considerable skill, and we have invited her to grace this banquet with her talents.”
Namgung Eon rose to respond.
“A musician skilled with the guqin? I had heard that our family’s banquets never lack for such performances. We are deeply grateful for your thoughtfulness.”
The girl who appeared amid the warm atmosphere wore reasonably fine clothes, yet her small frame bore the marks of deprivation—her skin darkened by the sun, her body gaunt from poor nourishment, and her rough hands clutched an ancient, worn guqin that spoke of poverty.
“Begin.”
Gwak Chun Soo instructed the child, but she stood frozen under the gaze of countless eyes fixed upon her throughout the banquet hall.
The girl offered an awkward bow, then placed the guqin upon her lap and began to pluck its strings.
Ting, ting-a-ding, ting….
Yet her nervousness rendered the performance hopelessly unsteady.
The girl fumbled through passages she had already played, repeatedly struck wrong notes, and committed blunder after blunder.
Sighs and reproachful murmurs erupted from various corners of the banquet hall.
“Damn this wench!”
Unable to bear it any longer, Gwak Chun Soo rushed forward and stopped the performance.
Then he snatched the guqin from the girl’s hands and hurled it to the ground, smashing it to pieces.
“Ah….”
The girl watched her cherished instrument shatter, her eyes glistening with tears before they began to flow freely down her cheeks.
Seeing this, Gwak Chun Soo’s fury only intensified, and he suddenly struck the girl’s cheek with a harsh blow.
“What are you crying for? How dare you bring such shame upon me before the esteemed elders of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect!?”
Absurdly, the banquet hall, which had been drooping with lethargy until then, erupted into raucous laughter and merriment.
“Just as Steward Gwak said, what delightful entertainment!”
“Wahahahaha!”
A Martial Artist from the Sun and Moon Divine Sect seated at the banquet rose to his feet and cried out, prompting the others to burst into laughter in unison.
Meanwhile, the expressions of the Namgung Family’s guests and Namgung Eon grew increasingly cold and rigid.

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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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