The Introverted Heavenly Demon - Chapter 25

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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 025
At the Shrine
I remained concealed in the grass field for some time, observing the shrine and its surroundings.
First, it became clear that the shrine I had discovered was indeed the Sacred Sanctuary of the Myeong Cult.
A warm, tingling aura emanated subtly from the shrine’s center, reaching even to where I hid.
Just as with Seonghwa Hall and the Hall of No Mind.
It was the protection of Myeong Joon—something only I could sense, imperceptible to ordinary people.
‘The problem is those people….’
They weren’t merely gathered—they were throwing a celebration.
Some sat inside the shrine while others stood outside.
The loud, boisterous exchange of voices made it abundantly clear they were drinking.
Seeing some of them stagger, they had clearly consumed quite a bit already.
‘Wait. Now that I look closer, aren’t those people disciples of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect?’
I could make out their clothing in the flickering torchlight.
They weren’t dressed as formally as those at the Sect Headquarters, and none wore the long robes bearing the Divine Sect’s emblem.
However, the inner garments and trousers they wore matched exactly what the Divine Sect’s disciples typically dressed in.
Hmm… what was going on?
This only deepened my curiosity.
I had been told this shrine was not currently managed by the Divine Sect, so why were these disciples here?
Since they were definitely disciples, should I invoke the Minor Sect Leader’s authority and disperse them all?
As I pondered this matter—
“Kyaaaah!”
A sharp, piercing scream from a woman echoed from somewhere.
Startled, I glanced back to see a group of people approaching the shrine along the mountain path.
Curious about what was happening, I remained hidden and observed them.
“I told you to be quiet, you wench!”
A giant warrior gripped a village woman’s hair roughly, shaking her violently.
The woman was on the verge of tears from terror, while a small young girl clung desperately to the woman’s legs.
Behind them, another giant warrior followed, a massive club resting across his shoulders.
Bandits?
Only one possibility came to mind upon seeing them.
Two bandits were clearly abducting a conspicuous woman and her daughter from a nearby village.
Thump. Thump.
My heart began to race at the sight.
No matter how introverted and timid I might be, I could not simply stand by and watch.
Fortunately, there were eight disciples of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect stationed right at the shrine ahead.
The teachings of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect were founded on liberating the people and respecting life.
Though recently, some claimed these doctrines were merely invoked formally for the sake of power struggles against the Martial Alliance.
Still, they were disciples of the Sect nonetheless.
They would not stand idle while ruthless bandits abducted defenseless women and committed atrocities.
As I had anticipated, the moment the bandits and the mother and daughter approached the shrine, the rowdy group that had been feasting fell silent all at once.
One of them suddenly jumped to his feet and shouted toward the bandits.
“Hey! Why are you just now arriving?”
What…? What are they talking about?
“My apologies, Gang Leader. Today, strangely enough, we didn’t see a single woman on the mountain path.”
I stood frozen, unable to believe the sight unfolding before my eyes.
“Still, the woman we brought today is quite decent-looking. Hehehehe.”
“You madman… just one village woman and a snot-nosed brat? Will that even improve the taste of the drink?”
“Gang Leader, that’s why you should handle them gently. You need to let us have our turn too, right? Hehehehe…”
Words that I could no longer bear to hear continued to exchange between them.
Thump. Thump.
Without realizing it, my hand had gripped the hilt of the Heavenly Demon Slayer Blade at my waist with brutal force.
-Kill them all!!!!!
Perhaps my murderous intent had been sensed.
In an instant, Cheon Ma manifested at its second stage, and my vision flooded entirely with crimson.
‘Disciples of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect doing such things?’
More than anything else, the fact that members of the organization I belonged to were committing such atrocities filled me with rage.
When did this begin?
When the Sun and Moon Divine Sect was first founded under the name Myeong Cult, it could not have been like this.
Since my reincarnation as the Minor Sect Leader, I had read all the historical records and scriptures of the Divine Sect, so I knew this well.
Above all, if the doctrine had not been to protect the common people and aid the weak, the Sun and Moon Divine Sect could never have spread among the masses and grown its power as it has today.
As the organization grew larger and gained strength, the principle of the strong possessing greater power began to corrupt the disciples of the Divine Sect.
I could only believe this to be true.
But if that were the case, where had this corruption begun, and how far had it spread?
Thump. Thump.
-Why are you thinking so hard about this? Just kill them all and be done with it!
There was no more time for deliberation.
All the thugs inside the shrine were driven out.
The one called Gang Leader grabbed the woman by her hair and pulled her inside the shrine, then shut the door behind him.
To the original seven men, two more had arrived late.
A total of nine men now sat gathered around the bonfire in front of the shrine, resuming their drinking.
The girl child cried out for her mother, but was struck down by a punch from one of the men.
This was my chance—while they all had their backs turned or their noses buried in their cups.
Shing.
The Heavenly Demon Slayer Blade was drawn silently.
I drew upon the inner force of the Hyeon Ma Internal Heart Technique and crept toward them.
Once I emerged from the forest, I would be exposed to the firelight.
With my current strength, I knew that none of them could inflict even a single wound upon me.
But if it became a fight of nine against one, it might not be so simple.
So I had to move quickly.
Slash! Slash!
My blade cut down two men in an instant.
Warm blood sprayed from their bodies onto my face.
“What?!”
The men who had been drowsy with drink scrambled to their feet in panic, but it was already too late.
Without hesitation, my blade moved in succession, leaving long gashes across three more men’s torsos.
The next one drew the sword at his waist and attempted to resist, but it was futile.
My Heavenly Demon Sword Annihilation, swung down with full force infused with inner energy, split both his blade and upper body in two.
To cleave through even the opponent’s sword itself—the Heavenly Demon Sword Annihilation truly lived up to its legend as a divine treasure of the Divine Sect.
Of course, the difference in inner energy played a role as well.
-Blood scatters!!! Tear open the belly! Rip out the heart! Give me more blood…!
Having tasted blood, Cheon Ma could no longer contain itself and thrashed wildly within me.
My eyes turned crimson, and the world reflected in my vision became awash in red.
Blood sprayed from all directions, drenching my clothes and face.
This time, I did not reject the murderous impulse that Cheon Ma stirred within me—I accepted it.
I was anxious because I could not know what the outcome would be, but I had no other choice.
Barely ten seconds had passed since I emerged from the Grass Field where I had been hiding.
In that brief span, only one person remained standing on two legs besides myself.
“L-leader…!”
Realizing the situation was hopeless, he seemed to be calling for their leader inside the Shrine, but the words never left his mouth.
When the ninth man fell to the ground, the Shrine’s door opened.
“Damn it! What in the world is happening?!”
A man with disheveled clothes and a brutish, twisted expression stepped out.
He wielded a long greatsword in his hand.
Through the open door of the Shrine, I could see a woman lying unconscious inside.
She appeared to have lost consciousness, but she was not yet dead.
I turned my gaze toward the Mysterious Man.
There was something I wanted to ask him now.
“You… which organization do you belong to? How long have you been doing this?”
“What, what? What are you saying, you little brat?”
The man stepped forward cautiously, his greatsword raised and ready.
His eyes showed incomprehension, yet he seemed to be checking the condition of each of the nine men lying around him.
But it was pointless.
Once he confirmed that all nine had stopped breathing, the man fixed his gaze back on me.
“Ah…! Minor… Minor Sect Leader….”
He seemed to recognize my face.
It was not surprising.
If one was a Disciple of the Sect Headquarters, especially if one held a high position, it would be strange not to recognize the Minor Sect Leader’s face.
“I asked which organization you belong to.”
“Shut your mouth, you little brat… How dare you kill my brothers….”
From the moment I appeared, anger and fear mingled together on his face.
Seeing him come at me even after confirming I was the Minor Sect Leader, I suspected he had abandoned all hope upon witnessing the deaths of his companions.
He never revealed his identity to me.
But this was actually fortunate for me.
If the Sun and Moon Divine Sect had officially sanctioned such acts against commoners, or at least turned a blind eye to them, he might have boldly declared his affiliation.
But since he didn’t, it meant he himself knew he was committing a transgression.
“Die!”
He drew his long sword high and lunged at me.
From his stance alone, I could sense he possessed greater skill than the other men who had fallen before me moments earlier.
But it mattered little.
Having consistently trained in both the Hyeon Ma Inner Harmony Technique and the Hyeon Moon Thirteen Forms swordsmanship, combined with the manifestation of Cheon Ma, I had already reached the threshold of the first rank.
Unless one possessed the caliber of a hall master from the Five Palaces or Omun within the sect, this was a battle I could not lose.
Clang!
His descending blade was intercepted by my Heavenly Demon Annihilation Saber, which I thrust upward from below.
The fact that his sword didn’t shatter immediately showed he had put up some resistance.
A contest of pure internal force raged between us in mid-air for several seconds.
Crash!!
Soon his sword was sent flying into the air, landing inverted in the distant ground.
Sensing defeat, he spun around and attempted to flee with his back to me, but it was futile.
Before he could take two steps, my blade caught him, and he fell without even a final cry, never to rise again.
Thump. Thump.
-You enjoyed that, didn’t you? Wasn’t it exhilarating?
‘No. It wasn’t.’
-Hahaha! Isn’t it time you finally admitted it?
‘This isn’t what I want.’
-Liar! Look at your own face!
‘….’
It didn’t take long to defeat all my enemies.
But what came after was the real problem.
-Kill them…!
-Eliminate them all! Isn’t that what you want too?
-Kill them!!!!
A warning Myeong Joon had once given me came to mind.
Cheon Ma continues to grow stronger. If you don’t train, you might be consumed by it one day.
Even now, with the battle concluded, Cheon Ma screamed within me, thirsting for more blood.
I sat in a meditative position.
I steadied my breathing and composed my mind.
-I’m holding on for now, but how long can I truly endure this?
As I cycled the Hyeon Ma Inner Harmony Technique several times in that state, I was fortunately able to suppress Cheon Ma without difficulty.
The crimson glow that had tinted my eyes soon returned to normal.
So far, I had encountered no particular difficulties in controlling Cheon Ma.
Still, I needed to be cautious.
Though today’s circumstances were unavoidable, it seemed best to avoid summoning Cheon Ma or creating situations where I had to rely upon him in the first place.
I rose from my seat and first checked on the young girl lying collapsed near the hearth and the woman resting inside the shrine.
Though consciousness had not yet returned to either of them, both appeared to be in good health.
They had endured quite a shock, so letting them rest for a while seemed reasonable.
‘Sigh….’
Only then did I collapse beside the hearth and catch my breath.
Originally, I had intended to cultivate the Hyeon Ma Gyeong in the Sacred Sanctuary of Myeong Cult where no one would disturb me, but circumstances had become complicated.
Through an unintended series of encounters with multiple people and a fierce battle, I found myself utterly exhausted.
The moon, which had been hidden behind clouds, emerged once more and cast its light upon the earth.
The song of grass insects filled the quiet night.
I swept all the corpses scattered about into the surrounding forest.
Yet the metallic scent of blood lingered still.
‘I prayed to be left alone….’
The prayer went unanswered, but viewed differently, I had carved out solitude through my own strength.
I sat in proper meditation posture and closed my eyes.
The breeze flowing through the open window was refreshing, and in the stillness of the night, the sound of wind and grass insects intermingled.
That peaceful quietude pleased me greatly.

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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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