The Introverted Heavenly Demon - Chapter 45

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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 045
How to Become Close with the Minor Sect Leader
Winter had passed through Gwangmyeong Hall once more, and spring arrived as it always did.
Baek Yeon, the Minor Sect Leader of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect, was approaching his thirteenth birthday.
Though I grew a year older, my daily routine remained largely unchanged.
Upon waking, I would head to the Cultivation Chamber to practice the Xuanwu Inner Heart Technique, then train my physical conditioning with Gyo Du at the Training Grounds.
The Hyeonwol Thirteen Forms had been refined even further as a saber technique rather than a sword technique, and by now I would never forget the forms, no matter how tense the situation became.
Well… probably not, anyway.
In any case.
The image of the Minor Sect Leader—dignified, graceful, cruel, and formidable—remained unwavering.
Some might find such a monotonous routine, spinning like a hamster wheel, tedious.
But for an introvert like me, a life without external activities or meetings with outsiders, filled only with predictable events, was not so bad at all.
That was right.
It had already been two years since I was reborn as Baek Yeon, the Minor Sect Leader of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect.
I was gradually adapting to this life.
To the practice of martial arts as a member of Murim—the cultivation of techniques and mindset that could kill at any moment.
I was slowly becoming accustomed to living surrounded by people who feared me yet wished to draw close, who respected me while remaining vigilant.
That day, too, I was training in the Cultivation Chamber as always.
Knock, knock.
As my training time came to an end, I heard a quiet knock on the door from outside.
“Minor Sect Leader. May I come in for a moment?”
It was Baek So Cheong’s voice.
“Enter.”
And as the door opened, it was not Baek So Cheong alone who stepped into the Cultivation Chamber.
“Minor Sect Leader, I hope we haven’t disturbed your training.”
“It is no matter. But… what brings you here?”
Ha Yeon Ryeong entered behind Baek So Cheong, and most notably…
“Mother asked me to look after her while she speaks with Grandfather.”
A small creature with bright, sparkling eyes, clinging to her hand.
It was Hwa Rin, the younger sister of Baek So Cheong and myself, born of Jang Su Ryeon.
“Hwa Rin! Go to your big brother.”
As Baek So Cheong released Hwa Rin’s hand, the child toddled forward, stretching both arms toward me.
She seemed to understand the word “big brother” and was whimpering as if asking to be held.
I began backing away slowly, but…
“My! Hwa Rin certainly does adore the Minor Sect Leader.”
“That cannot be.”
It was certainly bewildering.
In my previous life, I had only older siblings—never a younger one.
It was only natural that I didn’t know how to handle infants, and infants certainly never followed me.
Moreover, Baek Yeon’s appearance was rather fierce.
I possessed an intimidating presence that would make even adults nervous if they lacked sufficient composure.
It was strange that a pure, innocent baby would follow me without understanding anything yet.
“Look. She’s trying to go to the Minor Sect Leader rather than this sister, isn’t she?”
“Ga, ga….”
For me, who had to portray the cruel and merciless Minor Sect Leader, this was quite troublesome.
Even if Baek So Cheong might understand, with Ha Yeon Ryeong—an outsider—watching me, I couldn’t very well stand here coddling a baby.
Before I knew it, there was a wall behind me, and I had nowhere left to retreat from Hwa Rin.
But then….
‘Her front teeth are coming in? Goodness, her fingers are so tiny….’
In that moment, I could see Hwa Rin’s innocent, fair face, her round, sparkling eyes, and her chubby little hands and feet.
“Why don’t you try holding her?”
“….”
I hesitated for a moment, then extended both arms, slipped them between Hwa Rin’s small arms, and carefully lifted her into my embrace.
“Eekyaa!”
Hwa Rin giggled with delight at being held by her older brother.
Watching that laughter, I almost found myself smiling without realizing it.
“Aba, aba!”
“Sister, did Hwa Rin just….”
“My goodness! It sounds like she said ‘older brother’!”
“Abu, aba!”
“Isn’t that right? To my ears as well….”
Watching Hwa Rin’s small mouth move as she clearly pronounced “older brother,” my mind suddenly went blank.
I had nearly lost the dignity of the Minor Sect Leader.
“Hmm.”
I tried to manage my expression and set Hwa Rin down.
No, perhaps I should hold her just a little longer before putting her down.
The baby powder scent I felt up close, along with her cheerful laughter and expression, was lethal.
Before I knew it, my lips curved upward again, and a smile bloomed across my face….
“Ah….”
So Cheong, startled, turned around and gazed at me and Hwa Rin with a warm smile, her eyes curved like crescents.
It was Baek So Cheong’s “mother’s smile” that I hadn’t seen in a long time.
Now Ha Yeon Ryeong wore a similar smile as she looked at me and Hwa Rin.
Dangerous.
This was a dangerous moment.
This had to be Baek So Cheong’s scheme to expose my true self.
Of course, that wasn’t really the case.
But if I didn’t think of it that way, I wouldn’t be able to overcome this crisis.
“All she can do is babble….”
“Eekyaa!”
“Her vocabulary is remarkably simple, wouldn’t you say, sister?”
I steeled my resolve, hardened my expression, and deliberately uttered words as cold as ice.
Then I carefully set Hwa Rin down on the ground.
The moment her feet touched the floor, she reached out to me with reluctance, but So Cheong, smiling faintly, picked her up again.
I cleared my throat and spoke in a dignified tone.
“It seems my temperament is far too violent and cruel by nature, making me unsuitable for infants.”
Upon hearing this, Ha Yeon Ryeong tilted her head with a question mark in her eyes.
However, Baek So Cheong nodded as if in agreement.
“You’re quite right. It’s unfortunate, but since Hwa Rin appears frightened of the Minor Sect Leader, it would be best if I took her back now.”
“Fa—, Fa!”
Ha Yeon Ryeong tilted her head the opposite way, her eyes bearing an even larger question mark than before.
But what could Ha Yeon Ryeong possibly understand, having known me for barely a year?
She simply couldn’t know me as well as Baek So Cheong, who had understood Baek Yeon’s temperament since childhood.
Just how terrifying a person this Minor Sect Leader Baek Yeon truly was…!
“By the way, Minor Sect Leader. Are you making good preparations for the hunt?”
So Cheong, about to leave with Hwa Rin in her arms, turned back to speak before departing.
“Preparations? What’s there to prepare? Nothing particularly grand.”
“Still, since your Maternal Grandfather seems to have high expectations, wouldn’t it be good if you tried your best to achieve favorable results?”
Perhaps my expression revealed negative emotions upon hearing the word “hunt,” for So Cheong spoke gently, as if coaxing me, before leaving the Cultivation Chamber.
“Then take care, Sister. Miss Ha.”
After seeing off Baek So Cheong and Ha Yeon Ryeong, I sat down again and sighed.
In truth, the hunt itself was one thing, but doing anything with my Maternal Grandfather was a considerable burden for me.
Baek Yeon’s Maternal Grandfather—that is, Jang Su Ryeon’s biological father—was a man named Jang Yeon Hwi, the Merchant Guild Master of the Cheong Yun Merchant Group, one of the largest merchant organizations in the Southwest Jianghu Region.
He was usually too busy with guild affairs to meet often, but this time he had visited the Sun and Moon Divine Sect after a long absence, saying he wished to celebrate my thirteenth birthday.
The hunting event that the Family Head and his household would participate in was apparently initiated by Jang Yeon Hwi.
In truth, my birthday was merely a pretext; he had come to see his grandchildren Baek Hyeon and Baek Hwa Rin, born of Jang Su Ryeon.
What made my Maternal Grandfather Jang Yeon Hwi burdensome was not simply that he was a stranger.
He was an ambitious man who had inherited an unremarkable Cheong Yun Merchant Group and developed it into one of the influential merchant organizations of the Kangho in his generation.
Though he appeared kind to me on the surface, I could never discern what thoughts lurked beneath.
‘Tomorrow’s hunt will have the Sect Leader attending as well, so what could possibly go wrong?’
I tried to convince myself of this.
Perhaps because peaceful days had continued since the last pilgrimage to the Holy Site.
My instinct as an introvert, which sensed crisis, was screaming loudly that I should not go on any hunt.

* * *
On the way back after Baek So Cheong and Ha Yeon Ryeong met with the Minor Sect Leader.
Ha Yeon Ryeong, whose shoulders sagged as she stared at the ground while walking, suddenly let out a long sigh.
“Sister, what’s wrong?”
After deliberating several times whether to speak, Ha Yeon Ryeong finally asked Baek So Cheong.
“Sister, does the Minor Sect Leader dislike me?”
“Hmm?”
Before Baek So Cheong, whose expression turned puzzled, could even respond, Ha Yeon Ryeong’s words continued.
“It’s been almost a year since I’ve been at the Sun and Moon Divine Sect, yet the Minor Sect Leader shows no interest in me whatsoever.”
Hearing this, Baek So Cheong felt she could understand Ha Yeon Ryeong’s frustration.
Ha Yeon Ryeong was fourteen years old.
As a martial artist at such a crucial stage of development, she had left her sect, the Kunlun Sect, and remained at the Sun and Moon Divine Sect alone.
While the Sun and Moon Divine Sect cooperated as much as possible to allow her to train in martial arts, there was inevitably a difference from what she could learn at the Kunlun Sect.
Yet the only reason she hadn’t left the Sun and Moon Divine Sect was because of the Minor Sect Leader, Baek Yeon.
However, over the past year, there had been no progress in their relationship.
It wasn’t that the betrothal was the issue—he simply acted as though he had no interest in Ha Yeon Ryeong whatsoever.
“Just now, he didn’t even say a single word to me.”
After listening to Ha Yeon Ryeong’s words, Baek So Cheong fell into thought for a moment before speaking to her.
“No, sister. When you entered the Cultivation Chamber, the Minor Sect Leader greeted you warmly.”
“Greeted me warmly?”
Ha Yeon Ryeong recalled what Baek Yeon had done when he saw her just moments ago.
Baek Yeon had saluted Baek So Cheong with a fist salute, then immediately gave the same salute to Ha Yeon Ryeong.
After that, he asked “What brings you here?” and immediately turned his gaze toward Baek Hwa Rin.
“Is that what you call a warm greeting?”
Baek Yeon hadn’t even offered her a common greeting, and there was no smile on his face.
How could that possibly be considered a warm welcome?
Ha Yeon Ryeong’s doubt was justified, but Baek So Cheong shook her head and explained.
“The Minor Sect Leader is naturally someone whose expression becomes extremely dark the moment someone enters when he’s alone—it’s the same with anyone. But when he saw you, he showed no sign of rejection whatsoever. There are only a handful of people like that in all of Kangho Realm.”
As Baek So Cheong said this, she smiled with amusement as she recalled Baek Yeon’s usual demeanor.
“Only a handful? One of them is naturally you, Sister Baek….”
“Yes. Young Ho, the Namgung Prince, and my younger brother Hyeon Yi—besides them, only you.”
Though it seemed to make sense when she heard it, Ha Yeon Ryeong still couldn’t help but tilt her head in confusion.
So the Minor Sect Leader doesn’t smile or offer warm greetings to anyone he sees?
She knew he was a cold person, but to that extent?
“Moreover, do you remember what the Minor Sect Leader said when we left the Cultivation Chamber?”
“I don’t think he said anything special….”
“He said, ‘Take care, sister. Miss Ha.'”
“Oh, that’s right.”
“The greeting itself is ordinary, but what matters is that the Minor Sect Leader added a form of address along with his farewell. Outside of formal situations, that’s extremely rare. It means he regards you as someone close to him.”
“Really? Truly?”
“That’s right. And it’s not just that—during our stay, the Minor Sect Leader looked at and made eye contact with you at least seven times, didn’t he?”
“He… did?”
“For most people, making eye contact even twice is rare. So it means the Minor Sect Leader regards you very specially!”
In truth, Baek So Cheong had instinctively grasped the psychology of the introverted Minor Sect Leader with perfect accuracy.
However, Ha Yeon Ryeong, living in an era without the concept of introversion, found her words utterly incomprehensible.
“Then next time we meet, I should try to approach him more proactively.”
“No, no! Sister, absolutely not.”
Baek So Cheong hastily shook her head to dissuade Ha Yeon Ryeong.
Through her meticulous observation of the Minor Sect Leader over the years, she had come to understand that if someone forced their way closer to him, it would only make things more awkward between them.
Baek So Cheong fell silent in thought for a moment, then smiled.
“Sister, you want to grow closer to the Minor Sect Leader, don’t you?”
“Yes, Elder Sister.”
“Then do as I tell you.”
She then began explaining the methods she had discovered over the past two years for growing closer to the Minor Sect Leader.
The first method for drawing near to the Minor Sect Leader was….
“First, ‘approach naturally.’ But under no circumstances should you initiate conversation. Don’t get closer than necessary, and maintain an appropriate distance. And….”

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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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