The Introverted Heavenly Demon - Chapter 28

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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 028
Investigate
‘I have urgent matters to discuss with the Minor Sect Leader. Please come to the Council Chamber.’
Upon hearing Woo Sa’s message, an inexplicable unease settled over me.
Unless one were the Sect Leader himself, it was customary for anyone with business to seek out the Minor Sect Leader directly rather than summon him.
Hoping it was nothing serious, I entered the Council Chamber to find two middle-aged men awaiting me.
One was Baek Ryung Hou, the Woo Sa who had summoned me, and the other was Woo Gang Hou, the Baek Ho Palace Master.
Woo Sa was one thing, but if the Baek Ho Palace Master—who oversaw inspections and disciplinary matters within the sect—had personally come….
‘Could it be about that incident from before?’
The Baek Ho Palace was investigating the case where ten disciples of the Divine Sect had been slaughtered in one place.
I harbored no regrets whatsoever about my actions that day.
Nevertheless, killing disciples without direct threat to one’s own life was forbidden—one of the gravest sins in our doctrine.
No matter that I held the rank of Minor Sect Leader, nor that my actions had been justified, some measure of rebuke would be unavoidable.
First, I would need to explain my unauthorized departure that night.
My heart thundered in my chest, and the timidity of my introverted nature threatened to surface.
“Minor Sect Leader.”
The moment I entered, both men rose respectfully, and I forced myself to speak, regarding them with effort.
“Summoning me back and forth from the crack of dawn? How am I supposed to maintain the Minor Sect Leader’s authority like this? Tsk!”
Regardless of my true feelings, such words now flowed naturally from my lips.
The Baek Ho Palace Master, suddenly rebuked by a twelve-year-old child, betrayed his discomfort.
However, Woo Sa, who met with me frequently, was accustomed to such behavior and showed no particular reaction.
After I took my seat, Woo Sa spoke with deference.
“Forgive me, Minor Sect Leader. This is a matter of considerable importance requiring strict confidentiality, which is why I asked you to come.”
“A matter of importance?”
Observing Woo Sa’s gravely serious demeanor, my anxiety deepened further.
“As you may have heard, Minor Sect Leader, not long ago ten disciples of the Main Sect were slaughtered at once by someone beyond the Chong Dan fence.”
Inwardly, I thought, ‘Here it comes,’ but I maintained an even more arrogant expression to conceal any hint of panic or anxiety.
“What does that have to do with me?”
“From this point forward, the Woo Palace Master shall continue. Woo Palace Master.”
“Yes.”
The Woo Palace Master rose and bowed once more to me.
I nodded with an expression of indifference, though inwardly I could not help but dread what would come next.
“Minor Sect Leader. I shall now report the findings from our palace’s investigation into the incident.”
The Woo Palace Master then explained the incident’s overview, how the missing persons had been identified, where the bodies were discovered, and provided a detailed description of the scene.
As the person directly involved, I already knew all of this, so there was nothing remarkable about it.
What mattered was what came next.
“Upon initial examination of the wounds left on the bodies, a notable detail emerged. Based on the height of the slain disciples and the elevation of the wounds inflicted…, the culprit appears to be a person of shorter stature than an ordinary martial artist.”
I had not anticipated they would examine the corpses so thoroughly.
Though my current height exceeded that of an ordinary twelve-year-old boy, compared to an adult man I was still shorter by roughly a head.
Of course, this alone would not be sufficient to identify me as the perpetrator, but it was also true that few possessed the capability to commit such an act.
The thought that they truly knew it was I who had done this and called me for that reason was gaining credibility by the moment.
The Baek Ho Palace Master continued speaking.
“This suggests the culprit could be a woman or perhaps a young boy. However, it would be difficult for a woman alone to kill nine disciples in one place. Considering all these conditions… there is one person we suspect as the perpetrator. Minor Sect Leader, do you perhaps know who that might be?”
As he spoke, the Baek Ho Palace Master regarded me with eyes that carried a subtle reproach.
Ah, I’m finished.
If I had known it would come to this, I should have simply confessed from the beginning that I had killed them.
“Though it may be presumptuous to say, judging by the Minor Sect Leader’s expression, it seems you had already foreseen this matter.”
“…That is correct.”
Where should I even begin explaining this to Woo Sa, the Baek Ho Palace Master, and the Sect Leader?
It was at that moment.
“The Woo Palace Master and I suspect this was the work of the fifth son of the Namgung Family… Namgung Eon.”
Upon hearing Woo Sa’s words, I tilted my head in confusion.
Why is he suddenly bringing him up?
“Namgung Eon?”
“Minor Sect Leader? Were you not aware?”
“Ah, so that fellow’s name was Namgung Eon?”
“…In any case, yes. That boy who swore loyalty to the Minor Sect Leader a year ago and took refuge in the Divine Sect.”
“Right, that one.”
“Hmm, he currently belongs to Myeong Shin Palace and outwardly appears to comply with the Divine Sect’s teachings, but according to the Woo Palace Master, suspicious circumstances have been evident from before.”
This was something I hadn’t anticipated.
Namgung Eon was involved in suspicious activities?
As I regarded the Baek Ho Palace Master with a puzzled expression, he explained with great confidence.
“For the past two months, Namgung Eon has been conducting missionary work in villages near Chong Dan. However, we have been keeping a close watch after obtaining intelligence that he has been secretly frequenting the Cheon San Faction while evading the sect’s scrutiny.”
“The Cheon San Faction?”
The Cheon San Faction was a mid-sized martial school based in Cheon San, where the Sun and Moon Divine Sect’s headquarters was located.
Though overshadowed by the nearby Konlun Sect and our own Sun and Moon Divine Sect, it was a martial faction that positioned itself as an orthodox Daoist sect with a strong secular inclination.
“Why would he be meeting with the Cheon San Faction?”
“While we cannot know the exact reason, given that he comes from an Orthodox Martial Sect background, he may well be plotting something with the Cheon San Faction. The killing of our disciples could be the beginning of such a scheme.”
The Baek Ho Palace Master’s expression clearly displayed his confidence.
Perhaps this had been foreshadowed from the moment someone from the Namgung Family took refuge in the Divine Sect.
The existing disciples could not help but doubt Namgung Eon’s true intentions and maintain distance in their hearts.
If Namgung Eon’s betrayal proved true, discovering it would become an achievement for the Baek Ho Palace.
‘I know better than anyone that Namgung Eon did not kill those people….’
Naturally, this was not a matter I could simply overlook.
It was I who had brought Namgung Eon into the sect as a disciple, and at that time, the Sect Leader had directly ordered me to monitor him, saying there could be no room for doubt regarding his loyalty.
If Namgung Eon was truly conspiring with the Cheon San Faction in some unsettling scheme, I would have no choice but to bear that responsibility.
“I have already reported these circumstances to the Sect Leader. The Sect Leader has commanded….”
I could anticipate the content of what Woo Sa was about to say without even hearing it.
“The Minor Sect Leader is to personally investigate the relationship between Namgung Eon and the Cheon San Faction, and if the betrayal proves true, you are to dispose of him as you see fit.”
This was truly an exhausting situation.
I could already feel my energy being drained.
But regardless of my inner state, I had no choice but to speak with the ferocity befitting a Minor Sect Leader.
“Punishment, Father? That hardly sounds like you. What fate awaits a traitor but death?”
Even as I spoke, Woo Sa nodded vigorously, as if marveling at the Minor Sect Leader’s overwhelming confidence.

* * *
Not long after, I departed through the Main Gate of Chong Dan and stepped beyond the fence.
It hadn’t been long since I’d snuck out alone late at night, and now I was making an official departure.
But this time, I wasn’t alone—I had Young Ho Bin accompanying me.
Woo Sa had offered to assign me several additional guards, but I declined.
When else would I use a personal guard if not for a moment like this?
Besides, today’s purpose was to discover what Namgung Eon was plotting with the Cheon San Sect.
Traveling with multiple guards would only draw more attention.
I removed the resplendent ceremonial robe I normally wore and donned only a simple pale blue tunic bearing no insignia of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect.
Young Ho Bin was similarly dressed in modest attire.
“Young Ho Bin, how do I look? Like an ordinary village boy?”
“Your clothing certainly suggests it, but….”
“But what?”
I must confess, my lord, that you appear far too refined for a village boy. Even the sword at your waist speaks otherwise.”
“Is that so?”
Hmm… well, Baek Yeon’s face was indeed pale and his features far too aristocratic.
I was considering whether to smear dirt on my face when my eyes met Young Ho Bin’s.
“….”
His face and bearing were the very picture of a rural youth!
Looking at Young Ho Bin’s appearance, I realized I’d been worrying needlessly.
“With you here, Young Ho Bin, I have nothing to fear.”
“!!”
“Still, just to be safe, don’t call me ‘my lord’ in front of others. Let’s say we’re brothers instead.”
“Yes, my lord.”
What did it matter if I didn’t look like a village boy?
This fellow beside me looked as though he’d just stepped away from farm work.
So there was no need to worry about drawing unnecessary attention.
“Now then….”
Walking alongside Young Ho Bin down the mountain path, I reflected on what lay ahead.
The Baek Ho Palace Master had shared intelligence gathered about Namgung Eon, and I had formulated my plan based on that information.
If we descended the mountain in this direction, we would eventually reach the gates of the Cheon San Sect near the foot of Cheon San.
Namgung Eon apparently visited the Cheon San Sect every time he was permitted to leave.
He had been granted leave this very morning and departed Chong Dan.
So today’s plan was to hide near the Cheon San Sect’s gates and catch Namgung Eon in the act as he emerged.
“Why does Namgung Eon keep visiting the Cheon San Sect? What’s your thought on it, Young Ho Bin?”
“My lord. It is difficult to discern the hearts of men, but in my judgment….”
“…?”
“Namgung Eon is not the sort of man to betray you.”
A sigh escaped me.
That was precisely the source of my frustration.
When Namgung Eon pledged his allegiance to the Sun and Moon Divine Sect a year ago, there was no doubt his oath was sincere.
I could not fault Young Ho Bin’s assessment that Namgung Eon was not a man capable of betrayal.
Yet in recent months, I had found little occasion to meet with him.
If his convictions had shifted, it must have occurred during that interval.
Had he grown disillusioned with the sect’s doctrine or its people?
As the fifth son of the Namgung Family, could he not ultimately abandon the Orthodox Martial Sects?
‘But I haven’t even confirmed he’s betrayed anyone. What good does this speculation serve?’
Lost in such thoughts, I arrived before the entrance to the Cheon San Sect.
Martial artists stood guard at the main gate, beneath the plaque bearing the sect’s name.
Young Ho Bin and I concealed ourselves in an inconspicuous spot, waiting for Namgung Eon to emerge.
As time stretched on, countless thoughts consumed me.
Should I confront him when he appears? What would I even say?
Surely it cannot be betrayal. There must be some reason he came here.
My final thought was a desperate hope that this was all a misunderstanding, that Namgung Eon would not emerge at all.
And as I harbored that thought, the gate opened.
“My lord.”
“Mm.”
Contrary to my hopes, Namgung Eon walked out.
And he was not alone.
Two middle-aged men of sturdy build emerged alongside him, passing through the gate and walking toward our position.
Their appearance matched precisely the image one would conjure upon hearing the name of a minor sect like the Cheon San Sect.
“They appear to be members of the Cheon San Sect. My lord, what shall we do?”
“We follow quietly.”
Young Ho Bin and I remained hidden.
As Namgung Eon and the Cheon San Sect members passed before us, I caught fragments of their conversation.
“If things proceed correctly in the village today…. The Demonic Cult will be finished. The young master will no longer need to remain in that devil’s nest.”
“The role the young master has undertaken is crucial.”
Concealed behind a great tree, I could not see Namgung Eon’s expression as he passed before me.
“…I am well aware of that.”
Yet his solemn voice evoked the very tone he had used a year prior when speaking to the Namgung Patriarch.
It was the voice of one who had made a grave and momentous resolve.

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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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