The Introverted Heavenly Demon - Chapter 27

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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 027
Siblings
In a single night, nine disciples of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect vanished without a trace.
One of them apparently held a rather high position within the Myeong Shin Palace.
The sect members who pursued the whereabouts of the missing disciples discovered their corpses in an old Myeong Cult temple near the Sect Headquarters.
Given the gravity of the matter, it seemed the Palace Master of the White Tiger Palace had personally initiated an investigation.
Even if it were revealed that I had committed those acts, it wouldn’t pose much of a problem.
Still, since the matter weighed on my mind, I could only remain vigilant.
After all, the very fact that I had ventured outside without the Sect Leader’s knowledge becoming public would be problematic.
“Young Ho Bin. If you hear any news regarding that matter, inform me at once.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Young Ho Bin seemed to suspect my involvement in the affair, yet he showed no outward sign of it.
In any case, my plan to visit the Myeong Cult temple for quiet cultivation had become considerably complicated.
Yet I could not afford to neglect my training.
I was practicing the forms of the Thirteen Lunar Phases Technique alone in the Training Grounds.
Last time, before Do Gyo Du and the Sect Leader, I had entered a state of transcendent focus due to nervousness, apparently moving those who witnessed it.
But even if the grandfather of transcendent focus itself were to arrive, martial arts ultimately held meaning only after one had firmly mastered the fundamentals.
Moreover, since acquiring the Heavenly Demon Slaying Blade, I wielded a saber rather than a sword, so I needed to refine the Thirteen Lunar Phases Technique to suit the saber as well.
The saber practice that began early in the morning continued until the sun reached its zenith.
My martial robes were drenched with sweat, and only when my limbs began to tremble did I cease my training.
‘I have become completely proficient with the forms… but I still don’t grasp the technique.’
The focus of my recent martial cultivation lay in channeling inner force through the saber.
As Do Gyo Du had once explained, to transcend my current second-rate level and reach the first-rate realm, I needed to master saber energy.
Saber energy… or should I now call it blade force?
Rather than merely wielding the saber while my body was enhanced through inner cultivation methods, it meant infusing my inner force itself into the blade to unleash formidable power.
The words came easily, but the fact that only those capable of wielding saber energy were classified as first-rate martial artists meant it was an extraordinarily difficult realm that few could attain.
Not only must one’s inner cultivation method be of the highest level, but one must also handle the saber as if it were part of one’s own body.
‘The saber is the saber and I am I… how am I supposed to make the saber part of my body?’
Yet so far, I had no inkling of how to accomplish this.
Baek Yeon’s physical body was still only twelve years old, so there was no rush.
But to gain the Sect Leader’s recognition and solidify my position as Minor Sect Leader, I needed to surpass this stage now.
‘Hmm… I must find the Myeong Cult Sacred Shrine and ask Myeong Joon about this.’
During my last outing, there were uninvited guests at the temple, so I had to return empty-handed.
Once the investigation concludes, I’ll need to seize an opportunity to venture out again….
“Minor Sect Leader. Is your training not progressing well?”
Ah, you startled me.
With my eyes closed and mind absorbed in thought, I hadn’t noticed anyone approaching.
Turning only my head backward from my seated position, I saw the figure of a woman who had drawn close to my side.
“Sister….”
It was none other than Baek So Cheong.
As always, she greeted me with a bright smile and clasped fists, but today there was a hint of shyness in that expression.
Her face, which had always been as transparent as white jade, now bore a faint blush, making her appear even more beautiful than usual.
She truly looked as lovely as a flower in bloom.
But.
‘Dangerous.’
Every time So Cheong approached me like this, my heart would sink as if it were plummeting into an abyss.
I was grateful for my sister’s warmth toward me, yet I had no choice but to push her away coldly.
“Spying on someone else’s training in secret—is this the way of Kangho? Surely it violates the principles of the martial world? How long have you been standing there?”
I narrowed my eyes and spoke in an icy tone.
A creature no bigger than a rat, yet arrogant enough to call himself a Martial Artist…
Even I found myself despicable enough to want to strike myself.
Yet So Cheong merely tilted her head slightly, her smile never wavering.
“Father instructed this sister to oversee the Minor Sect Leader’s training, you see?”
“What did you say…?”
It was unbelievable.
Not someone else, but the Sect Leader himself?
He told So Cheong to oversee my training?
When did this happen?
As I was contemplating how to interpret this statement, So Cheong’s words continued.
“From what this sister observed, it appears the Minor Sect Leader is about to begin cultivating Sword Qi… am I correct?”
“….”
Upon hearing this, I was inwardly astonished, yet I merely displayed an expression of displeasure befitting the Minor Sect Leader Baek Yeon.
Baek Yeon’s martial prowess was something everyone of note within the sect knew.
It was only natural that a Minor Sect Leader who had entered the Second Tier would progress to cultivating Sword Qi as the next stage.
Baek Yeon would certainly have thought the same.
“If that is the case, what of it? Do not interfere….”
“If you would not mind, might this sister offer you some guidance?”
However, at So Cheong’s following words, even Baek Yeon could not help but widen his eyes in surprise.
“You? Guide me?”
In truth, I knew very little about So Cheong as a person.
The only people within the sect with whom I conversed were Woo Sa, the Left Elder, Young Ho Bin, and a few Maidservants and servants.
While they occasionally relayed trivial matters concerning the sect to me, they never spoke of So Cheong.
Her status was somewhat ambiguous, so I found it awkward to inquire about her myself.
Until now, I had scarcely encountered So Cheong except at official gatherings where the Sect Leader’s family assembled.
Thus, I knew neither what my sister did all day nor whether she had ever cultivated internal energy or sword techniques.
Moreover….
“It would surely be beneficial to directly experience the sword qi of someone who cultivates the same internal energy method.”
What was she saying now?
Experience the sword qi of someone who cultivates the same internal energy method?
Could it be…?
While I stood bewildered, Baek So Cheong drew the three-foot blade from her waist.
She took a short breath, and the moment the sword tip in her hand trembled once, I sensed something extraordinary—
Tssss…
The inner force of the Hyeon Ma Heart Method flowed along the slender blade.
Though invisible to the eye, the current of qi was unmistakably palpable, flowing through her three-foot sword and throughout Baek So Cheong’s body.
Good heavens, this is genuine sword qi!
“Now then, Minor Sect Leader. Take the Heavenly Demon Slaying Blade and strike toward this sister of yours.”
It was extraordinary.
The fact that Baek So Cheong was cultivating martial arts was remarkable enough, but—
Eight years my senior, she was now twenty years old, yet she wielded sword qi with such fluidity and mastery.
This meant she had already accumulated over a decade’s worth of inner power, surpassing Young Ho Bin, reaching the level of a first-rate master comparable to the foremost disciples of renowned sects.
Witnessing this directly, I could now understand that the Sect Leader’s instruction for Baek So Cheong to guide me was far from mere words.
Of course, Baek So Cheong’s martial prowess could not exceed that of Do Gyo Du, but unlike him, she had mastered the Hyeon Mu Heart Method transmitted within the Sect Leader’s family.
There could be no better reference material for me to study.
“Hmm. Hmm.”
Yet considering the dignity of the Minor Sect Leader, I could not display astonishment before my sister.
I merely cleared my throat several times, maintaining composure as best I could, and rose from my seat.
“Considering your age, sister, there is nothing particularly remarkable about it. To claim that such meager sword qi qualifies you to instruct me…. Tsk.”
Had I been too harsh in bringing up her age to a woman?
Baek So Cheong pouted her lips and narrowed her brows slightly.
“Indeed. Compared to the Minor Sect Leader, it is rather insignificant….”
“However! As the ancients said, even a gentleman can learn something from a three-year-old child.”
I quickly recovered, fearing Baek So Cheong might sulk and leave.
I could not afford to lose this precious opportunity.
“Then, if I may be so bold, let this younger brother presume to test myself.”
Watching Baek So Cheong break into laughter, I raised the Heavenly Demon Slaying Blade and fixed my gaze upon her sword beyond it.
There was no need to worry that Baek So Cheong might be injured.
Even setting aside the sword qi itself, the very stance in which she held her blade and the level of inner power radiating from her entire being were clearly a step above my current self—I could feel it throughout my body.
I drew upon my full power and brought the blade down.
Clang!
My realm had grown far stronger than when I had struck the third training dummy Do Gyo Du brought roughly a year ago.
Moreover, I now wielded not a wooden sword but a true blade—the Heavenly Demon Slaying Blade itself, a treasure of the Sect.
Yet my strike was easily intercepted by Baek So Cheong’s three-foot sword.
It was not merely blocked.
The moment my blade met her sword, a tingling shock transmitted through it.
Though I was the attacker, the rebound force came back in full, and a numbing pain spread through my hand and entire arm holding the blade.
‘So this is what sword qi truly is….’
And in that instant, a single inspiration struck my mind.
Sword qi is ultimately one’s inner force extending into the blade itself.
Not the force extending from the hand, but the force originating from the dantian, flowing naturally throughout the entire body, must envelop the sword seamlessly.
‘The blade doesn’t become one with my hand. It becomes another limb extending from my body.’
I withdrew my energy and immediately sat in meditation, activating the Hyeon Ma Nae Hyang Sim Gong.
I wanted to internalize this sensation before it faded away.
Today, while training in blade technique, I had gained an unexpected enlightenment and managed to take a step forward.
Of course, this understanding was only possible because I had directly clashed with the blade energy that Baek So Cheong wielded.
As a quarter hour passed, Baek So Cheong stood nearby without a word, watching silently so as not to disturb my cultivation.
When I finally opened my eyes, I had intended to thank Baek So Cheong for her assistance in my training.
But when I caught sight of how she was looking down at me, I found myself unable to speak those words.
Baek So Cheong’s face was suffused with a warm smile, and her eyes revealed an emotion difficult to describe—a tenderness mixed with an affection so overwhelming it was almost unbearable.
“…!”
This was almost like… a mother’s smile?
“Ahem.”
After our eyes met, Baek So Cheong seemed embarrassed and let out a small cough, returning to her usual expression before unnecessarily adjusting her robes.
“Minor Sect Leader! This sister was quite astonished. Now I see you’ve modified the Hyeon Ma Gyeong to suit your own disposition.”
“Indeed. It is called the Hyeon Ma Nae Hyang Sim Gong.”
“It appears you stand on the threshold of perfection… You should be able to transcend the realm before long.”
“You speak as if you accomplished it yourself. How could I fail where you succeeded?”
“Haha. That is true enough.”
No matter how much I thought about it, Baek So Cheong’s behavior today was strange.
Even if the Sect Leader had instructed her to observe my training, it seemed there was more to it than that.
What had happened recently that caused her to take such sudden interest in me?
It was peculiar, but it was something I could never allow myself to welcome.
No matter who was present, the Minor Sect Leader’s composure must not waver.
Rather, precisely because she was here, I had to be even more careful not to reveal my true self.
“Enough of this tedious prattle. That’s all. I have no intention of continuing idle gossip with you any longer!”
“I apologize for taking up your time, Minor Sect Leader.”
As I issued a cold dismissal, Baek So Cheong withdrew the smile from her face and clasped her hands in a respectful bow.
“Minor Sect Leader, it was good to see your face today. I shall take my leave now.”
“…!”
No matter how much I pondered her reasons for treating me this way, one thing was certain.
‘A frightening woman. I must be cautious.’
For someone like me, who had to play the role of a vicious Minor Sect Leader, she was a threat unlike any other.
Therefore, I had no choice but to show Baek So Cheong an even more ruthless side of myself than before.
I muttered after her departing figure.
“Spouting nothing but flattering nonsense… I won’t listen to any more of it. Tsk!”
At my words, Baek So Cheong paused briefly, turned only her head to look at me, and with an expression both melancholic and wistful, she left the Training Grounds.
The vast Training Grounds were left to me alone once more.
Yet I found myself, without realizing it, turning over the words she had spoken to me again and again.
The expression on her face would not leave my mind.
‘It was good to see your face… she said.’
My heart ached even as it warmed—anxious yet somehow reassured.
It was a strange sensation I had never experienced before.

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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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