The Introverted Heavenly Demon - Chapter 52

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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 052
A Trusted Subordinate
Poong Cheong Jin wore casual clothes—a loose, flowing robe instead of the martial garb he’d donned for his journey to Sichuan—though the sword at his waist remained constant.
He stood resolute in the dim alley, regarding both me and Young Ho Bin with a measured gaze before casting a sidelong glance at a man waiting deeper within the shadows.
Then he turned his attention back to me and opened his mouth to speak.
“Minor Sect Leader, I assumed you came at the Merchant Guild Master’s invitation today. Has your business not yet concluded?”
I hesitated briefly before responding, but resolved to step forward without reservation.
“Commander Poong, your timing is fortuitous.”
I pointed toward the mysterious man and issued a command to Poong Cheong Jin.
“Restrain that man.”
“What do you mean?”
Poong Cheong Jin’s eyes widened and his brow furrowed as he questioned me.
Young Ho Bin was the one who responded.
“Martial Artist Poong, did you not hear the Minor Sect Leader’s words?”
I saw Poong Cheong Jin’s eyes twitch, but instead of moving, he spoke slowly.
“There seems to be a misunderstanding. That man is a martial artist of the Merchant Caravan Guard Unit—my subordinate, in fact. Why would you order me to restrain him?”
As Young Ho Bin bristled, I raised a hand to stop him and stepped closer to Poong Cheong Jin.
“Not long ago, I witnessed that man on the street murdering innocent merchants alongside a band of others. Surely that is reason enough?”
“….”
Poong Cheong Jin stared at the man still standing there, bewildered, and bit his lip hard.
I pressed him further.
“Restrain him and interrogate him about the band of mysterious men who attacked the merchants that day.”
Poong Cheong Jin’s hesitation was evident, but it did not last long.
Without offering me a proper response, he began striding toward the man.
He stopped before him, exhaled deeply, then turned back to face me.
“Minor Sect Leader, are you certain this man truly committed such acts? You are sure?”
“If you cannot trust my word, step aside. I shall interrogate him myself.”
“No, sir. If you say it is so, then it must be so.”
With those words, Poong Cheong Jin fell silent and stared intently at the man.
The moment the man opened his mouth as if to speak to Poong Cheong Jin—
A blade flashed!
In an instant, the gleam of steel cut through the air, and Poong Cheong Jin was already sheathing his sword after a single, decisive stroke.
The man who had stood there moments before twisted his face in shock and agony, staggering backward.
Bisected at the torso, the man sprayed blood from his gaping wound, convulsed several times, and then moved no more.
“…!”
My shock was understandable.
But it was less anger than sheer absurdity.
“Commander Poong, what are you doing?”
“Ah, Minor Sect Leader, please forgive me. This is the internal code of our Guard Unit. Those who kill civilians must pay their debt with death….”
The moment he realized that my witnessing him would turn the situation against them, he executed a ruthless silencing—murder to cover murder.
Even for villains, I never imagined they would go this far.
But then again.
“Do you take me for a fool?”
Conversely, Poong Cheong Jin’s actions had crystallized one ambiguous truth into certainty.
The incidents where mysterious men had attacked and murdered merchants—at least twice, including that day.
It meant that not only this man who had just died, but the entire Cheong Yun Merchant Group was deeply implicated.
“What do you mean….”
“Young Ho Bin.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Now that it had come to this, I could not retreat.
No matter how formidable a late-stage first-rate master Poong Cheong Jin was.
“Restrain him.”
“Yes.”
“What are you saying now…, Minor Sect Leader. Is this truly necessary?”
If a fight broke out, even with Young Ho Bin’s strength combined with mine, there was no guarantee we could defeat him.
But did that mean I should tuck tail and retreat in such a situation?
That made even less sense.
“Silence.”
“Mi….”
“You not only admitted to using the Cheongun Escort Corps’ martial might to slaughter civilians, but you also insulted me right before my eyes.”
Poong Cheong Jin lowered his head and exhaled a long, heavy sigh.
When he raised his head again, his aura had transformed entirely.
“…Do you truly believe you can overcome me through force?”
Standing firm against the murderous intent of such a formidable master proved far more terrifying and difficult than I had anticipated.
But I am the Minor Sect Leader of the Demonic Cult.
I had known this instinctively for some time now.
It was acceptable to face an opponent I could not defeat through strength.
But I must never yield in momentum to anyone.
“Go ahead and resist. I’ll cut you down in a single stroke….”
One could survive defeat in combat, but the moment I appeared contemptible, my life would end.
—Kill—!!!
As this stage of Cheon Ma manifested, everything visible before my eyes dyed crimson with blood-light.
Under the influence of Cheon Ma, all the inner force within my body surged and roiled, beginning to circulate with quiet majesty.
Currently, my meridians were reconfigured inward throughout my entire body, save for three acupoints along the Governing Vessel.
“Ah, so that is the legendary Blood Eye I’ve heard of. You are indeed an amusing little one, as the rumors suggest….”
Poong Cheong Jin confirmed my Blood Eye and his gaze turned cold as he lifted one corner of his mouth into a smile.
No longer bothering to conceal his hostility, he lowered his stance and brought his hand once more toward the sword at his left waist.
Young Ho Bin likewise drew his blade and assumed a combat stance.
The situation hung on a knife’s edge.
Poong Cheong Jin’s sword was ready to unleash its fierce flames at any moment, and Young Ho Bin and I were no different.
That was when it happened.
“Tsk, tsk….”
From somewhere, a listless murmur slid across the frozen battlefield like a thin sheet of ice.
The footsteps that followed were heavy and unobstructed, yet moved with a leisurely pace that seemed entirely at odds with the current atmosphere.
A man had come to stand between Poong Cheong Jin and me.
Though of ordinary build, his protruding belly and waist, combined with his unstable breathing and posture, emanated none of the sharp spiritual energy characteristic of a martial artist.
Jang Yeon Hwi stood with his back to me, facing Poong Cheong Jin.
The man’s sloppy stance, riddled with openings, caused cracks to form in the tension that had seemed ready to explode at any moment.
The next instant.
Crack!
His right palm, swung with dry precision, struck Poong Cheong Jin’s face.
Crack! Crack!
Jang Yeon Hwi’s palm, which continued to slap Poong Cheong Jin’s cheek several more times, carried neither inner force nor killing intent, nor any emotion whatsoever.
Yet Poong Cheong Jin made no attempt to resist.
He hadn’t even drawn upon his inner energy to defend himself; his face, having taken the blows from Jang Yeon Hwi, had swollen crimson, and a trickle of blood now ran from his nose.
As everyone stood speechless, Jang Yeon Hwi slowly opened his mouth.
“You arrogant wretch of the Poong clan. How dare you glare with your hand on the sword’s hilt before someone of my standing?”
“Master….”
Poong Cheong Jin released his grip on the sword’s handle and withdrew his hand behind his waist.
He showed no resistance, no defiance, and seemed to harbor no thought of defending his actions.
“Will you not apologize to the Minor Sect Leader at once?”
The killing intent that had shrouded Poong Cheong Jin’s face had vanished without a trace.
He walked toward me with long strides and knelt down on the spot.
Placing both palms flat against the stone floor, he then drove his forehead down against the ground with a heavy thud.
“I have dared to display such disrespect before the Minor Sect Leader. My crime deserves death. I beg you to punish me.”
Blood seeped from his head where it struck the stone floor, staining the ground.
It was a pathetic sight, and receiving such an apology made me feel oddly humiliated instead.
I found myself unable to respond and could only stare at the scene before me.
Then Jang Yeon Hwi opened his mouth once more.
“A well-trained dog, though loyal in his usual conduct, occasionally lacks judgment like this. Minor Sect Leader, for my sake, I ask that you forgive him this once.”
Poong Cheong Jin remained motionless with his head pressed to the ground, yet I could see his shoulders trembling slightly as he listened to Jang Yeon Hwi’s words.
I suddenly came to my senses and spoke to Jang Yeon Hwi.
“Maternal Grandfather. There is something I must ask this man.”
“Ah, I am already aware.”
“You are aware?”
“Indeed. All that my subordinates have done was done under my orders, so there is no need to exhaust yourself questioning this wretch—you need only hear it from me.”
There was nothing different in the way Jang Yeon Hwi looked at me or in his demeanor.
“Let us go to a quieter place rather than speak here. I shall explain everything sufficiently.”
But all I could do was nod my head.
Jang Yeon Hwi’s face remained composed as he smiled.
Then he turned his head and looked down at Poong Cheong Jin, who remained prostrate on the ground.
From his robes, he withdrew something and cast it around the man’s head.
A hefty bundle of gold coins clattered to the stone floor with a jingling sound.
Poong Cheong Jin slowly extended his hand, grasping the bundle of golden coins that gleamed with a warm luster, and drew it into his robes.
“The night wind grows cold. You should depart.”
Jang Yeon Hwi, his lips curling into a bitter smile, exited the alley and began walking ahead.
Until Jang Yeon Hwi and I were no longer visible, Poong Cheong Jin remained prostrate in the desolate alley, his head bowed.

* * *
We arrived at the Cheong Un Trading Company Headquarters, situated not far from Pungwharu.
I had Young Ho Bin wait outside for a moment, then followed Jang Yeon Hwi’s guidance into the Company Master’s Office.
Jang Yeon Hwi took his seat before the desk and offered me a chair.
I recalled that Jang Yeon Hwi should have been spending time at the banquet by now.
“What of the banquet gathering?”
“There is no cause for concern. The true stage is tomorrow, after all.”
Yet Jang Yeon Hwi answered without hesitation, then tilted a wine bottle that rested upon the desk, filling a cup before leisurely taking a sip.
The distinctive fragrance of fine spirits wafted through the air.
“Minor Sect Leader. You likely already know, so I shall not speak in riddles.”
Jang Yeon Hwi fell silent in thought for a moment, then slowly opened his mouth.
“You must be aware that I had my subordinates kill several merchants.”
“Then it was indeed an order from my Maternal Grandfather?”
“It was.”
“Why would you commit such an act?”
Jang Yeon Hwi’s expressionless face turned once more to his cup as he poured another drink.
“The question is not how one does such a thing, but why. Would you not agree?”
When I offered no response, Jang Yeon Hwi posed another question.
“Minor Sect Leader. Do you know of something called Secret Fire Iron?”
Secret Fire Iron.
Though I had certainly never heard the term before, I recalled hearing someone speak of something similar.
The words muttered by the merchant poisoned during the attack by mysterious men, when he briefly regained consciousness.
Jang Yeon Hwi did not wait for my answer and continued.
“This substance is not produced anywhere in Kangho Murim, but is occasionally mined in the distant Western Regions. It appears to be nothing more than an ordinary mineral, yet when it encounters even the slightest amount of water, it explodes with tremendous force—a power incomparable to mere gunpowder. Or perhaps, since you are a martial artist of Murim, I should explain it thus?”
Jang Yeon Hwi’s eyes gleamed as though recounting an entertaining tale, and he raised his right hand, clenching it into a fist.
“If one possessed Secret Fire Iron the size of a fist alone, even the ten greatest masters of Kangho could not survive its explosion. Truly, it is an object capable of reshaping the very landscape of Kangho Murim.”

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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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