The Introverted Heavenly Demon - Chapter 47

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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 047
White Tiger
I hadn’t actually anticipated that we would connect so smoothly.
The White Tiger lay completely flat before me, just as a dog would prostrate itself before its master, not daring to lift its head.
But the astonishing part didn’t end there.
‘Master understands… I do not wish to fight…’
In that moment, I could only be stunned senseless.
The White Tiger had somehow unleashed a mystical power and begun speaking directly into my mind.
‘The intruder must be slain…’
Though its manner of speech was quite peculiar.
Or rather, it would be more accurate to say the beast was not yet skilled at human speech.
The White Tiger was attempting to communicate with me in human language.
“Intruder? What do you mean by that?”
My voice trembled despite myself, but I forced myself to speak again with composure and authority.
“My sister and I are the direct descendants of the Sect Leader of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect, the rightful masters of this land.”
‘The intruder is a beast… I will not slay my master…’
Hearing its words, I could understand.
The intruder referred to the tiger it had just bitten to death.
It spoke as befitted a guardian deity protecting the Western Mountain Range.
Only then, observing Baek So Cheong’s condition, did I see that while she had lost consciousness from the White Tiger’s power, her breathing remained steady and she bore neither external nor internal injuries.
“Very well, I understand. My sister and I came here with my family to hunt a few beasts, but do not be too angry with us.”
‘The strong consume the weak… such is the natural order. Master follows the natural order… I protect my master…’
“Yes, you speak truly.”
It seemed fortunate that the White Tiger showed no immediate inclination to attack me or the Sect Leader Family.
But why did this creature address me as its master?
“Am I your master? Is that correct?”
‘Yes… Master’s aura… still weak…’
According to the legends of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect, the White Tiger was said to protect the sect, but there was no mention of it serving the Sect Leader Family as masters.
Then the reason the White Tiger responded to me and regarded me as its master must be…
It seemed to be connected to the Hyeon Ma Nae Hyang Sim Gong that I wielded.
I had just operated the Hyeon Ma Nae Hyang Sim Gong while intoxicated by the Mountain Lake, and if the White Tiger had responded to my demonic energy and been drawn here, discovered the intruding tiger, and rushed to attack it…
Then the White Tiger regarding me as its master was hardly an unfavorable development.
‘Master’s companions approach… I will not be seen by their eyes…’
“Very well. Now withdraw.”
‘I will watch over my master…’
With only those meaningful words left behind, the White Tiger vanished as it had appeared, leaving only the sound of wind in its wake.
I rushed immediately to Baek So Cheong.
“Sister! Are you unharmed?”
“Mmm…”
Baek So Cheong soon regained consciousness and looked around.
She looked just as confused as I was about what had just happened.
“What happened to the Tiger?”
“You don’t remember?”
“The Tiger appeared, and I was blocking the Minor Sect Leader….”
“…!”
As I was about to explain the recent events to Baek So Cheong, I heard the sound of people approaching from a distance.
The Sect Leader, his escort warriors, a wild boar loaded on a cart, and Jang Yeon Hwi arrived in succession.
“Minor Sect Leader! The Sect Leader has slain a wild boar.”
Jang Yeon Hwi pointed to the massive corpse of the wild boar, its life ended by an arrow, and laughed proudly.
But he soon realized that something was amiss and rushed over in shock.
What caught the eyes of those who had arrived was Baek So Cheong lying on the ground, and the Minor Sect Leader tending to her.
And a short distance away, the corpse of a fallen Tiger.
“A, a Tiger!”
“Minor Sect Leader…! How remarkable!”
Jang Yeon Hwi stood in shock with his mouth agape, alternating his gaze between the Tiger’s massive body and the wild boar on the cart.
As if trying to judge which was larger.
I regarded the scene with an expressionless face for a brief moment.
Then, turning my gaze from Jang Yeon Hwi toward the Sect Leader, I spoke.
“It was nothing. I shall present this beast’s hide as a gift to Father.”
After everyone present confirmed that Baek So Cheong’s condition was stable, they all marveled at the fact that I had slain the Tiger.
Yet only the Sect Leader was the exception.
The Sect Leader, as always, observed the scene with a composed gaze that seemed to pierce through everything.
He asked me nothing and said nothing, yet his eyes felt as though they knew everything.

* * *
After returning to the Sect Headquarters, the tiger I had hunted caused quite a stir for some time.
The wild boar that the Sect Leader had caught became the centerpiece of the banquet, while the tiger’s hide was flayed and presented to the Sect Leader.
Jang Yeon Hwi, who had led this hunt and was renowned as an avid hunter, made quite a fuss about how remarkable the day’s hunting results were.
He claimed that finding a father and son hunting both a wild boar and a tiger in half a day would be impossible anywhere in the entire Kangho.
In truth, it was not I who had hunted the tiger, but So Cheong had no memory of what happened after the tiger appeared.
Thus, it was only natural that the kill was attributed to me….
‘I couldn’t exactly tell people that the White Tiger had bitten it to death.’
I still didn’t fully understand why the White Tiger was reluctant to reveal itself to people.
In any case, Baek So Cheong recovered quickly without any lingering aftereffects other than failing to remember that day’s events properly, and resumed her normal life, which was fortunate.
But something more important happened the next day.
“Father, you called for me?”
Upon entering the Sect Leader’s Hall, the tiger’s hide from yesterday’s hunt was displayed elegantly across a table.
The Sect Leader sat in his chair, gazing at the tiger hide before lifting his head.
Then, in his characteristically cold voice, he spoke to me.
“This time, you showed restraint. Knowing your temperament as I do… it must not have been easy.”
The Sect Leader’s words would be difficult for a third party to understand readily.
However, I simply exhaled a quiet sigh and gave a small nod.
I knew exactly what the Sect Leader meant.
Moreover, I had anticipated that he would know about this matter, that he would summon me today because of it, and the extent of his knowledge.
“Since you did not intervene, Father, how could I presume to act rashly? Especially….”
I paused to gather my thoughts before completing the sentence.
“When it was my Maternal Grandfather who orchestrated the matter.”
The Sect Leader’s expression remained unchanged as he simply raised his right hand and absently touched the area around his chin.
Clearly, the Sect Leader’s thoughts aligned with mine.
This incident—or more precisely, the Minor Sect Leader being attacked by a tiger during the hunt—was no mere accident.
The White Tiger’s words to me about an “intruder” were the beginning of my suspicions.
The tiger that attacked me was not a species native to this forest, but one that had come from outside.
While it wasn’t impossible for beasts to enter from outside given that the hunting ground belonged to a vast mountain range.
But for a tiger to appear precisely when the Sect Leader’s party and I were far apart—wasn’t that far too coincidental to be mere chance?
That’s why I tested the high-quality bow that Jang Yeon Hwi had given me.
Sure enough, the bow was heavily coated with a scent that would attract massive predators.
The fact that Jang Yeon Hwi had attempted to kill me using an externally procured tiger, disguising it as an accident, was hardly surprising.
As I had just told the Sect Leader, without his intervention, it would be precarious for me to seek revenge.
The Sect Leader nodded as if he understood all my thoughts.
Then, slowly once more, but this time with slightly more emotion in his voice, he asked me.
“Are you curious why I remained silent even knowing your Maternal Grandfather tried to kill you?”
“I cannot say for certain, Father, but I suspect you have a greater scheme in mind for the Sect.”
“Half correct.”
The Sect Leader continued speaking.
“I could certainly punish your maternal grandfather and my father-in-law for this matter, but doing so would mean losing the Cheong Yun Merchant Group—a major asset of our sect. The greatest wealth in the Southwestern Jianghu Region cannot be dismissed lightly.”
“Yes, Father. Your words are most wise.”
“Then, how should we proceed?”
“This incident has given us leverage over my maternal grandfather. We must use it to our advantage.”
“Indeed.”
The Sect Leader nodded with satisfaction and continued.
“We need manpower and influence for our confrontation with the Martial Alliance. All of this flows from money, and money resides with the Cheong Yun Merchant Group. So we shall make a request to the Merchant Guild Master at a time when he cannot refuse—a request he cannot refuse.”
The Sect Leader’s words meant that the time had not yet come to present the bill we needed from Jang Yeon Hwi.
Given the Sect Leader’s nature, speaking in such terms also meant that bill was being carefully prepared.
“The Merchant Guild Master departs from Sect Headquarters tomorrow. There is a merchant assembly in Sichuan, or so I’m told. He has requested that you accompany him.”
I had thought it unlikely that Jang Yeon Hwi would make such a long journey to Sect Headquarters without purpose, and so it seemed he did indeed have one.
Though I still did not know what this merchant assembly entailed.
And the Sect Leader would not have mentioned this to me without reason.
“Minor Sect Leader, your thirteenth birthday approaches soon.”
“Yes, Father.”
“We shall hold the Divine Demon Assembly upon your safe return. Departure is tomorrow at the Hour of the Dragon. Go with So Cheong. You shall choose the remaining companions yourself.”
“I shall obey your command, Father.”
The Divine Demon Assembly is where the Minor Sect Leader receives recognition of their qualifications from Myeong Joon.
Until now, the Sect Leader had subjected me to trials before the Divine Demon Assembly to prove my worthiness as Minor Sect Leader.
This time, he would hold the assembly upon my safe return.
Thus the Sect Leader’s meaning was unmistakable.
Follow the Merchant Guild Master who seeks to eliminate you.
Uncover his schemes, and find evidence that will allow you to pressure him and extract a great price in return.
And return alive.
This was the substance of the trial the Sect Leader had set before me.
“However, might I ask one thing?”
“Speak.”
“If my stepmother were involved in this matter….”
The Sect Leader had been referring to Jang Yeon Hwi not as his “father-in-law” but as the “Merchant Guild Master.”
His intent was made abundantly clear by this choice of words.
But what of Jang Su Ryeon, Jang Yeon Hwi’s daughter?
If my stepmother were somehow entangled in Jang Yeon Hwi’s plot to eliminate me, the Minor Sect Leader, what should I do?
It was a delicate matter, yet the Sect Leader answered without hesitation.
“A foolish question. You already know the answer to that.”
“Yes, Father….”
I answered simply and departed the Sect Leader’s Hall.
The Sect Leader’s final words echoed in my mind.
‘You already know the answer to that.’
The Sect Leader had explained that his reason for not intervening despite knowing of Jang Yeon Hwi’s scheme was to “obtain something greater.”
More precisely, he had said that was “only half the reason.”
Then what comprises the other half?
The Sect Leader did not explicitly state it, but I could sense what he meant.
After all, he had conveyed this to me implicitly on numerous occasions.
If I could not overcome an assassination threat from a mere Merchant Guild Master—not even a martial artist—then I lacked the qualifications to serve as Minor Sect Leader.
And beneath that lay a deeper truth: if the Sun and Moon Divine Sect required it to triumph in their struggle against the Martial Alliance, even I, the eldest son and Minor Sect Leader, could be discarded without hesitation.
What then of his own wife?
All I could do was hope such a day would never come.
For Jang Su Ryeon was, before anything else, the mother of the siblings I cherished.
“Young Ho Bin.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Upon arriving at Jeokwol Palace, I issued orders to Young Ho Bin, who awaited me there.
“Tomorrow at dawn, I depart with the Cheong Yun Merchant Group. Make the necessary preparations. And summon my sister and Namgung Eon.”
“Yes, my lord.”
I sat alone in the quiet chamber.
Drawing forth the Celestial Demon Slaying Blade, I traced my fingertips along its razor-sharp edge.
Two years since my rebirth as Minor Sect Leader Baek Yeon.
Yet the Sect Leader’s trials continued unabated.
Or perhaps my ordeal to prove my qualifications as Minor Sect Leader was only now truly beginning in earnest.

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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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