The Introverted Heavenly Demon - Chapter 36

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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 036
Until We Meet Again
The Heavenly Demon Slayer Blade, wreathed in an ominous crimson blade aura, swept through the air at a speed invisible to the naked eye, leaving only afterimages in its wake.
In truth, I had harbored hope that even if I couldn’t cleave Gwangheosan directly, I might at least sever the edge of his robes.
‘Ah… I fell just short.’
Gwangheosan had already retreated to a distance beyond the blade’s reach, and the fierce wind generated by the powerful blade aura merely rustled his long, flowing hair slightly.
Yet despite the simplicity and speed of that flawless technique, even Gwangheosan, who had been brimming with confidence moments before, felt his complexion shift dramatically.
“Remarkable. To have already reached the realm of blade aura at such a tender age. And that crimson aura….”
Gwangheosan did not finish his sentence, but his meaning was abundantly clear.
Among certain masters of exceptional inner cultivation, blade aura sometimes manifests with unique properties.
This alone indicated a realm of first-rate mastery or higher—a level no mere twelve-year-old boy should have been able to attain.
‘Two more strikes remain.’
I did not pause, continuing to circulate the inner force of the Hyeon Ma Nae Hyang Sim Gong throughout my entire body.
Whoooosh.
As the demonic energy circulating through the meridians of my body passed through the acupoints of the Conception and Governing Vessels, it vibrated with a subtle resonance.
It seemed that as the final stage of Hyeon Ma Nae Hyang Sim Gong cultivation, I had yet to achieve the reconfiguration of the Conception and Governing Vessels, and I felt this as my current limitation.
Yet now it was truly within reach.
Through a year of cultivation, I had come to understand that such phenomena were harbingers of the acupoints being twisted and reconfigured.
Slash!
As I unleashed the second technique, the blade aura, unlike the first strike, swept vertically and cleaved through the empty air once more.
Gwangheosan twisted his body with wondrous footwork and evaded it once again.
Though I succeeded in severing several strands of his hair, I still had not managed to graze even the edge of his robes.
And then.
Crack, crack, crack.
I felt several acupoints along the Conception Vessel twist and shift.
Was it because I had concentrated to the extreme in this moment of absolute crisis?
Or was it the influence of the Cheon Ma, raging on the verge of eruption?
In this brief span of two blade strikes, my cultivation of Hyeon Ma Nae Hyang Sim Gong was advancing at a steep and accelerating pace.
“Haaaah!”
With a sharp cry, I poured all my inner strength into one more strike of the blade.
Screeeech!
The effect of those reconfigured acupoints manifested immediately.
With the demonic energy now flowing with far greater precision through the newly positioned acupoints, the circulation of energy throughout my body became noticeably more formidable.
Crash!
Gwangheosan, startled, gritted his teeth and attempted to retreat further, but….
Following the diagonal slash of the Heavenly Demon Slayer Blade, the blade aura erupted with far sharper refinement than in the first two techniques, surpassing his speed of retreat.
It was a matter of mere fractions of a second.
The blade aura grazed past the vicinity of Gwangheosan’s left arm, which he had not managed to withdraw in time.
As the sound of the wind cutting through the air ceased, in the silence that followed—so profound that even the sound of a feather falling to the ground seemed audible—came Gwangheosan’s quiet sigh.
“Hah….”
“That was a bit short. But you touched me! Let’s do it again. Next time, I’ll make sure to kill you, yes?”
‘Wait.’
“Wait for what? If not now, then when…?”
He stared down at his severed sleeve, his expression still disbelieving.
Then.
“Ahahaha!”
I watched as Gwangheosan threw his head back once more and burst into mad laughter like a lunatic.
He had promised moments ago that if my sleeve was even grazed within three moves, he would let us go—and I had delivered, severing his sleeve within exactly three moves.
But a madman of his caliber might very well abandon all shame, break his word, and attempt to kill us all.
Thump, thump.
My heart pounded as though it might burst from my chest when Gwangheosan—no, Yu Gwan Ji—moved.
Swish.
“Truly, you exceed all expectations.”
He suddenly swept his robe back, dropped to one knee, and pressed his fists together before me in salute.
“This humble Disciple, Protective Dharma King Yu Gwan Ji, pays respects to the Minor Sect Leader. Please forgive my rudeness from moments ago.”
What?
“What… what did you just say?”
“Your surprise is understandable. I, Yu Gwan Ji, operate in the shadows of Kangho under the Sect Leader’s command with my identity concealed. I received orders to escort the Minor Sect Leader on this pilgrimage to the Holy Site, and so I have come before you thus.”
Remarkably, after revealing his identity, Gwangheosan’s previous murderous, crazed demeanor had vanished entirely. Now, kneeling on one knee before me with his head bowed, he spoke with perfect composure.
Wait, hold on.
So this Gwangheosan before my eyes is actually a Disciple of our Sun and Moon Divine Sect?
While everyone, myself included, remained frozen in shock, Baek So Cheong was the first to recover, her voice trembling as she asked.
“Did you say you are the Protective Dharma King?”
“Indeed, Miss Baek. It has been over a decade since I last saw you from afar in your childhood, and you have blossomed into a lovely lady.”
“Then you truly are the Purple Hall Dharma King Yu Gwan Ji, my senior?”
“I am merely called such for the meager skills I have cultivated… Ah, Young Ho, and Junior Namgung—please do not take offense at this senior’s harsh conduct moments ago.”
I too had read through all the Sun and Moon Divine Sect’s records without exception, so I was familiar with the position of the four Protective Dharma Kings.
Operating in the shadows under direct orders from the Sect Leader, their identities were known to no one save the Sect Leader himself. They undertook secret and critical missions throughout Kangho, beyond the confines of the Sect Headquarters.
In terms of rank, they stood just below the Left Elder and the Right Elder, yet by the nature of their duties, they were individuals who never fell short to anyone in personal prowess.
Yet the more I considered it, the more astonishing it seemed.
The famous Gwangheosan of Kangho was none other than one of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect’s four Protective Dharma Kings—the Purple Hall Dharma King Yu Gwan Ji!
“Then the reason Dharma King Yu appeared here today was…?”
“I was waiting for the Minor Sect Leader’s party to arrive, when I noticed you were being captured and tormented by Kunlun Sect disciples. I merely offered some assistance.”
“But why, why…?”
Namgung Eon repeated “why” and “why” like a broken doll, unable to form complete sentences.
The fact that he knew not only my and Baek So Cheong’s identities, but also Young Ho Bin’s and Namgung Eon’s, made his status abundantly clear.
Then why had he questioned whether we were from the Demonic Cult and threatened to kill us?
It was only natural that such doubts arose.
Gwangheosan—no, Yu Gwan Ji—smiled calmly and replied.
“Observing how the Minor Sect Leader fled without killing the Kunlun Sect disciples, I grew suspicious. It seemed unlike a Demonic Cult member. So I wished to verify whether you truly were the Minor Sect Leader.”
Yu Gwan Ji smiled faintly in response, but any semblance of a warm atmosphere… was not to be.
The air grew frigid, colder than merely tense.
‘He wanted to verify something?’
The demeanor Yu Gwan Ji had displayed moments ago, the thick killing intent woven through it—all of it remained vivid in my memory.
It was difficult to believe that everything had merely been an act.
If I had failed his test…?
Was it excessive speculation to think he would have truly eliminated all of us right here and now?
It was while I was scrutinizing Yu Gwan Ji with such suspicious eyes.
As he slowly turned his head, our gazes met directly.
The moment I saw Yu Gwan Ji’s eyes narrow with a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, goosebumps erupted across my entire body.
There was no doubt.
This man could have annihilated all of us right there and still had strength to spare.
“I apologize once more for my rudeness toward you, Minor Sect Leader.”
Yu Gwan Ji spoke.
“I have devoted my life to the Sect Leader and to the Sun and Moon Divine Sect. Thus, it is only natural that I wish to know what manner of person will carry on his legacy—whether you are someone worthy of my devotion. I merely wanted to confirm this. However, when you stepped forward to protect your subordinates and your sister… I must confess, I was rather disappointed.”
Yu Gwan Ji’s words froze the already frigid atmosphere solid.
Language utterly impure and unreasonable, at odds with his courteous tone and manner.
This brief exchange made abundantly clear what manner of man the Protective Dharma King Yu Gwan Ji was, and what he was attempting to convey to me now.
‘He may be loyal to the Sect Leader and the Divine Sect, but he has not yet acknowledged me as his master.’
I nodded at Yu Gwan Ji’s words without betraying any emotion.
“…I see. And after that?”
Yu Gwan Ji smiled and lifted the sleeve of his robe that my blade had cut earlier, shaking it slightly.
“I simply came to wish to see you again from time to time, Minor Sect Leader.”
It sounded as though he was saying something very specific to me.
‘If you do not prove yourself worthy as Minor Sect Leader, I can kill you whenever I wish for the sake of the Divine Sect.’
‘This time you barely passed, but do not let your guard down.’
At that moment, I reached a conclusion in my heart.
Whether Protective Dharma King or whatever else, this man was undoubtedly dangerous.
“There will likely be remnants of the Kunlun Sect lingering in the vicinity.”
Then Yu Gwan Ji spoke thus and rose abruptly to his feet, fastening the long sword he had been holding to his waist.
“Rather than this, we should make haste. I shall guide you from here to the Holy Site.”
“The Holy Site?”
“At a time like this…, Minor Sect Leader! We must return to Sect Headquarters at once.”
The Kunlun Sect disciples, who had been systematically dispersed and conducting checkpoints, might notice the disturbance and follow us.
After nearly being kidnapped by Kunlun Sect disciples, was there any real need to continue the pilgrimage to the Holy Site?
It was a situation where anyone would naturally think such thoughts.
I too desperately wanted to return to the comfort of my chamber at Sect Headquarters, pilgrimage or not.
And yet.
“We go.”
“Minor Sect Leader?”
“Should I, as Minor Sect Leader of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect, cower before the threats of mere rabble?”
“….”
“Had Yu Gwan Ji not appeared, those wretches would have fallen by my hand.”
This was a declaration of authority befitting my station as Minor Sect Leader—words that had become second nature to my tongue rather than merely rehearsed.
Yet this time, it was no mere bluster or pretense.
“Heh heh…, as it should be.”
This Protective Dharma King of the Demonic Cult was testing whether I truly possessed the qualifications of a Minor Sect Leader.
In my previous life, I would have naturally retreated at this juncture, but now I harbored no such intention.
“Yu Gwan Ji, allow me one final word.”
“Please, speak.”
I raised the Heavenly Demon Slaying Blade I had been holding and brought it close to Yu Gwan Ji’s throat.
Without concealing the fury I had felt while being toyed with by him, I fixed him with a cold, piercing gaze.
“As Minor Sect Leader of the Great Sun and Moon Divine Sect, I will not tolerate a mere disciple daring to draw steel against me.”
“…!!”
“Therefore, this is the last time I shall overlook your insolence. Do you understand?”
My voice carried such murderous intent that it seemed I might cleave his neck in two at any moment.
Confronted with that killing aura, Yu Gwan Ji’s head tilted askew in disbelief.
His brow twitched as though he had heard something incomprehensible, and the power he had suppressed flared anew.
“Minor Sect Leader, did you just say…?”
Baek So Cheong, Young Ho Bin, and Namgung Eon, whose tension had momentarily eased, now moved their hands toward their respective weapons.
The situation teetered on the brink of eruption.
I let out a soft laugh, my lips curling upward.
“So this is the form you desired. I understand now.”
Only then did I sheathe the Heavenly Demon Slaying Blade back into the scabbard at my waist.
“Ha…hahaha! Indeed, Minor Sect Leader.”
Upon witnessing this, Yu Gwan Ji threw his head back and erupted into wild, exultant laughter.
“As a mere disciple, I have been awaiting precisely this manifestation of you, Minor Sect Leader. I am grateful you have shown me this.”
I cast one final, meaningful glance toward Yu Gwan Ji, then offered a brief prayer for the fallen Kunlun Sect disciples scattered across the ground.
“The road ahead is long. Lead the way, Yu Gwan Ji.”
And so I began walking once more in the direction Yu Gwan Ji indicated.

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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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