The Introverted Heavenly Demon - Chapter 39

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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 039
Kunlun Sect
Ha Seung Ji, the Sect Master of Kunlun Sect, was an easy man to read.
‘Merely a doting father.’
The fact that I, standing before him, was the Minor Sect Leader of the Il-Wol Divine Sect—what the Orthodox Sects called the Demonic Cult.
The fact that the Kunlun Sect under his command had deployed an encirclement to capture me.
The fact that the madman known as Gwangheosan had fallen into a delusion, believing himself to be a disciple of the Il-Wol Divine Sect for reasons unknown.
The fact that the Sect Master of a vast martial faction, appearing to be in his fifties, was weeping pitifully before his much younger disciples.
None of it seemed to matter to him in this moment.
“Sob, sniff. Hic….”
Ha Seung Ji, unable to even think of wiping away the tears and mucus streaming down his face, wept with overwhelming gratitude that his daughter had not suffered even the slightest injury.
“This child is my only daughter, obtained with such difficulty, hic, Minor Sect Leader. I do not know how to repay the debt of gratitude for rescuing Yeon Ryeong, sniff….”
Is this what a father’s heart truly is?
When I thought about it, it was hardly surprising.
What must his heart have felt when he learned that a madman who had slain three of his disciples without cause had kidnapped his daughter?
The Minor Sect Leader of the Demonic Cult—whom he had sought to capture—had revealed the whereabouts of the madman who had taken his daughter, and I had rescued her from his grasp.
Moreover, when Gwangheosan, blinded by rage, had lunged at me, he could not have failed to notice that I had endured his attacks rather than evade them, all to protect his daughter.
Who could fault him for his prejudice and hostility toward the Demonic Cult melting away like snow, leaving only gratitude toward the Minor Sect Leader?
“Hic, ugh!”
“Father, please stop now!”
Ha Yeon Ryeong, unable to bear it any longer, stepped forward to restrain her father.
She had been repeating the same pattern since earlier—glancing at the ground, then at her father’s face, then at mine.
“Hmm.”
Feeling awkward, I deliberately turned my gaze toward Baek So Cheong, Young Ho Bin, and Namgung Eon.
“Sister, and Young Ho, Namgung—are you all uninjured?”
“Yes, Minor Sect Leader. We are fortunate to be safe.”
“You have all accomplished much. Thanks to you, both Kunlun Sect and we have escaped the clutches of that madman.”
Indeed, the success of this affair owed greatly to their willingness to follow my intentions.
No matter how mad he was, the opponent held a high position as the Protective Dharma King of the Divine Sect.
They could have objected to my plan to eliminate him with the aid of another sect—one that stood in opposition to the Divine Sect.
Yet not one of them hesitated to follow my decision.
It troubled me that Yu Gwan Ji had managed to escape alive.
I was also concerned about what reaction this would provoke when word reached the Sect Leader.
But from now on, these were political matters I, as Minor Sect Leader, would need to resolve.
For now, it was enough to take solace in the fact that I had escaped from his grasp.
“Minor Sect Leader, Minor Sect Leader!”
Good heavens, how long does this man intend to carry on? Surely he is old enough to know better.
Unable to bear it further, I spoke to Ha Seung Ji.
“Sect Master, I have merely done what was natural, and I am simply glad that your daughter is safe. Please spare me such excessive courtesy.”
“No, that is not it!”
Yet Ha Seung Ji shook his head vigorously, and instead raised his voice even louder before suddenly dropping to his knees and bowing deeply as he began to speak to me.
“Our sect was attempting to capture you and hand you over to the Martial Alliance. And yet, despite this, you not only refrain from blaming us for such actions, but instead bestow such profound kindness upon us. Ugh! This humble priest is so ashamed that I cannot even lift my head!”
Ah, so that was what this was about?
Though his words came unexpectedly, I had been meaning to inquire about that matter one way or another, so I was actually relieved that he broached the subject first.
But… the Martial Alliance?
“Did you say the Martial Alliance?”
“Indeed. We have heard that the Martial Alliance Leader has been taking considerable interest in the Sun and Moon Divine Sect. Our sect finds itself in a precarious position, having been leveraged by the Martial Alliance, so we thought that if we captured you and handed you over, we could resolve our difficulties. Ah! This humble priest is the most contemptible wretch under heaven, utterly shameless and brazen!”
As I listened to Ha Seung Ji’s confession, rather than anger, I felt a wave of relief wash over me.
I had been privately worried that the Martial Alliance might be involved in the kidnapping attempt against me, but it seemed that was not the case.
Indeed, if the Martial Alliance had been involved, the operation would not have proceeded so carelessly.
They might have sent masters capable of overwhelming even Yu Gwan Ji.
“Then, where did you obtain the information that I would be passing through this place?”
“We received an anonymous tip. Therefore, I myself could not fully trust it and was proceeding with considerable skepticism.”
Now the full picture of this incident began to crystallize in my mind.
The Kunlun Sect had obtained information from an unclear source that the Minor Sect Leader of the Demonic Cult would soon pass through Kunlun Mountain, and though they likely did not believe it entirely, they had deployed disciples to wait for my passage just in case.
And as a result, two second-generation disciples and one first-generation disciple had been killed by Yu Gwan Ji.
In such circumstances, having revealed the location of their enemy and even rescued his kidnapped daughter—how grateful and apologetic must he feel toward me?
His words about being too ashamed to lift his head made perfect sense.
‘I do not know what leverage the Martial Alliance holds over the Kunlun Sect…’
And some time had passed.
The elders and disciples of the Kunlun Sect who had set out to track Yu Gwan Ji returned to the cave all at once.
It appeared the pursuit had yielded no results; returning empty-handed, they bowed their heads to Ha Seung Ji with faces full of shame.
“Pay it no mind. That wretch has fled with his tail between his legs, so any man with a shred of dignity would not dare show his face near our Kunlun Sect again.”
By then, Ha Seung Ji, having recovered his daughter and composed his turbulent emotions, spoke with considerable authority.
Though his eyes remained bloodshot and his voice hoarse, making him appear more ridiculous than dignified.
After the matter was settled, Ha Seung Ji clasped his fists together in salute toward me once more.
“Minor Sect Leader. Since you have bestowed such tremendous kindness upon us, we cannot simply let you and your companions depart from Kunlun Mountain. Moreover, it would be dangerous for you to wander about in such circumstances, so please allow our sect to receive you as honored guests.”
To be honest, regardless of guest treatment or anything else, I desperately wished to return to Gwangmyeong Hall and rest.
Furthermore, as the Minor Sect Leader of the Demonic Cult, entering the Kunlun Sect Headquarters might be like walking willingly into the tiger’s den.
‘If I part ways with the Kunlun Sect now, I might encounter Yu Gwan Ji again immediately.’
I had already chosen the Kunlun Sect over Yu Gwan Ji, and there was no turning back now.
Rather, I needed to actively seek to build a relationship with them.
If only to prove to the Sect Leader that my decision to choose the Kunlun Sect over Yu Gwan Ji was the correct one.
“Thank you for the invitation, Sect Master.”
Thus the Minor Sect Leader and his entourage came to visit the Kunlun Sect as honored guests and benefactors representing the Sun and Moon Divine Sect.
The Kunlun Sect, which was counted among the ten great sects of the Kangho’s Righteous Sects.
‘This is truly a sight to behold.’
Perhaps this was unprecedented in the three-hundred-year history of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect.

* * *
The Kunlun Sect Headquarters was situated in a sprawling basin nestled deep within Kunlun Mountain.
Upon our arrival, the Kunlun Sect graciously offered us an entire guest pavilion.
That evening, they even hosted a grand banquet in our honor.
I and my entourage from the Sun and Moon Divine Sect were seated at the same table as Jang Mun Jin In, the Sect Master of Kunlun, and his daughter, Ha Yeon Ryeong.
Though the Kunlun Sect was composed of Taoist priests who cultivated the Way through Daoist practices, the evening table was laden with meat and wine, creating quite a festive atmosphere.
“I never imagined the Minor Sect Leader of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect possessed such remarkable virtue and heroic character.”
“You flatter me.”
From Jang Mun Jin In himself down to the lowest disciples of the Kunlun Sect, they all approached me in turn, offering similar words of praise.
Above all, they seemed deeply moved by the fact that I had not simply passed by those in distress, but had willingly braved hardship to aid them.
This was precisely what the Righteous Sects held as their highest virtue—the spirit of chivalry and righteousness.
“Should our sect’s hospitality prove inadequate or lacking in any way, I humbly beg your generous understanding.”
“On the contrary, I am overwhelmed by such lavish treatment and scarcely know how to conduct myself.”
After spending half a day in their company, I came to realize that the mindset of those from the Righteous Sects differed entirely from that of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect.
They seemed to live constantly preoccupied with how others perceived them, anxiously measuring themselves against society’s standards to ensure they could not be faulted.
If the disciples of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect lived under the oppressive weight of a fearsome Sect Leader and rigid doctrine, the disciples of the Kunlun Sect lived envisioning an unblemished image they had set for themselves.
“When that Gwangheosan wielded his blade against you, Minor Sect Leader, I was truly startled. For one so young to achieve such remarkable feats is extraordinary.”
As the guest of honor at the banquet, I merely sat and responded to the greetings offered by the Kunlun Sect disciples.
Yet in some ways, it was more exhausting than my time in the Demonic Cult.
“However, had Jang Mun Jin In not stepped forward, I would have suffered a terrible defeat. I am grateful once more.”
As the Minor Sect Leader of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect, I too had to maintain impeccable propriety.
As an introvert, spending time among many people always drained me, leaving me weary and depleted, yet the atmosphere itself remained warm and convivial.
It was just as the banquet atmosphere was reaching its peak.
“Ahem, Yeon Ryeong, rise from your seat.”
Ha Seung Ji, thoroughly flushed with drink, suddenly made Ha Yeon Ryeong, who sat across from me, stand up and said:
“It is somewhat embarrassing to speak of my daughter before our guests, but this child resembles the young appearance of the Protective Dharma King so closely, and she possesses both martial prowess and beauty. She has just turned thirteen this year. What do you think, Minor Sect Leader?”
What was he suddenly asking me for my opinion on?
The timing and subject were strange beyond measure, yet it was clear how much Ha Seung Ji cherished his daughter.
At thirteen, she was one year older than Baek Yeon at present, and standing before us, though her frame was slender, she was remarkably tall for her age—even slightly taller than I was now.
Of course, to me, whose mental age was already in the mid-twenties, she was merely a child.
Her eyes held an innocent yet somewhat sharp gleam, and her determined lips suggested that in a few years, she would likely be called quite beautiful.
My gaze drifted to Ha Seung Ji’s face as he unconsciously boasted of his daughter.
‘Hmm. Her mother must have been quite a beauty.’
It was at that very moment, while I was confidently imagining that Ha Yeon Ryeong’s mother—Ha Seung Ji’s late wife—must have been a remarkable beauty.
“Sob… sob…”
Then came a truly bewildering turn of events: Ha Yeon Ryeong suddenly burst into tears.
As all eyes had been fixed upon her, she began streaming tears like hailstones, constantly wiping her eyes, and not a single person in the banquet hall—not even those in the furthest corner—looked away from her.
“Yeon Ryeong, what is wrong now?”
“Sob, sob… I’m so embarrassed…”
“First, stop crying…”
“I don’t know. Damn it… Ahem. Father, I’m going to retire.”
With that, she expressed her displeasure about something in a manner rather coarse for a young lady of noble birth, then abruptly began to excuse herself from the Banquet Hall.
But then, as if remembering something, she turned back and offered me a respectful salute with both fists clasped.
“Ah, Minor Sect Leader. And honored guests of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect, I beg your forgiveness for my discourtesy.”
“Think nothing of it. You appear fatigued, so it would be best to retire and rest.”
With that, her face flushed crimson, she departed the Banquet Hall and returned to her Chamber.
“Sigh. Minor Sect Leader, I’m afraid she presented herself poorly.”
“Not at all. There must be circumstances at play.”
‘Circumstances that have little to do with me, I imagine.’
My words were a subtle way of saying there was no need to discuss this matter with me—or rather, a gentle plea not to.
Yet Ha Seung Ji, interpreting my words in the opposite manner, heaved a sigh as if the earth itself were collapsing, then proceeded to explain matters I had no desire to hear.
“Well… The truth is, Yeon Ryeong’s marriageable age is approaching, so some time ago we arranged a suitable match and betrothal for her. However…”
As talk of marriageable age and betrothals began to unfold, my mind rapidly grew suffocated.
An ominous premonition that energy-draining topics would develop—ones difficult for an introvert’s spirit to endure.
Besides, I knew little of such matters.
And yet.
“And then? What came to pass?”
My sister?
Baek So Cheong, who had been listening nearby, displayed the opposite reaction entirely, her anticipation for what would follow evident.
Her ears perked up and her eyes gleamed with interest.

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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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