The Introverted Heavenly Demon - Chapter 61

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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 061
Last Stand
“Hahaha! Minor Sect Leader, I see you have quite the sense of humor.”
The atmosphere around us froze in tense silence, yet Jang Yeon Hwi showed not the slightest hint of alarm.
After a prolonged burst of laughter, Jang Yeon Hwi spoke.
“Finish me? Pray tell, how do you intend to accomplish such a feat?”
“By exposing what you’ve done, of course. Smuggling in Poison Iron in secret and distributing it, while framing the Mingxin Merchant Guild and attempting to have me killed.”
At my words, tension rippled through the merchants of the Cheong Yun Merchant Group.
Yet Jang Yeon Hwi remained unmoved, his face contorting into a sinister smile.
“No, no, that hardly answers my question. Let me ask again. We stand in the heart of Chengdu, far removed from the Sun and Moon Divine Sect’s headquarters. You alone… or even with your sister and your martial escort, four of you—what exactly do you think you can accomplish here?”
I had anticipated this level of resistance.
I had already devised a countermeasure.
“Don’t you see how many eyes from the Kangho merchants are upon us? If a clash erupts between the Cheong Yun Merchant Group and the Sun and Moon Divine Sect disciples before all these witnesses, it would hardly benefit you, would it?”
“Ah, is that so?”
Jang Yeon Hwi abruptly turned and strode purposefully up onto the Training Platform.
It was an unexpected move, yet no one at the Merchant Conference attempted to stop him.
The merchants who had been clamoring moments before fell silent, their eyes fixed upon Jang Yeon Hwi’s actions.
Standing atop the Training Platform, Jang Yeon Hwi gazed down at those below and bellowed.
“The Merchant Conference is suspended for now. Merchants in the rear, exit Pungwharu. Reconvene in one hour. What are you doing? Move!”
Jang Yeon Hwi’s sudden roar.
Yet this was a command from the man who would become the next leader of the Sangdo Alliance before the day was through.
Which merchant guild would dare refuse?
Remarkably, just as he had spoken, the merchants at the rear swiftly withdrew, filing out of Pungwharu in orderly fashion.
It was difficult to believe these were the same merchants who had been causing such commotion moments before.
Even the organizers stationed on the Training Platform evacuated Pungwharu, and within moments, the vast garden was emptied of all save the Cheong Yun Merchant Group and the Sun and Moon Divine Sect contingent.
Only then did Jang Yeon Hwi descend the Training Platform slowly and deliberately, positioning himself before me.
“The merchants’ eyes are gone. Do you still intend to make that exposure? Go ahead and try.”
I gazed upon Jang Yeon Hwi’s face, exhaled slowly, and spoke with solemnity.
“Merchant Master Jang. I shall grant you one final choice.”
At my words, Poong Cheong Jin, who stood like a shadow beside Jang Yeon Hwi, took a threatening step forward, but Jang Yeon Hwi restrained him and turned to me.
“Hahaha. How generous of you. Let us hear it.”
Jang Yeon Hwi continued laughing as though thoroughly amused, his composure unshaken.
“Relinquish your position as Merchant Master and surrender all rights to the merchant guild to the Sun and Moon Divine Sect. Refuse, and you and every leader of your guild shall face death.”
This time, not only Jang Yeon Hwi but Poong Cheong Jin and the other merchants burst into laughter.
After a time, Jang Yeon Hwi, whose shoulders had been trembling with mirth, suddenly hardened his expression.
“Minor Sect Leader, it seems you labor under a grave misunderstanding.”
He then turned and gestured toward the direction where his merchants had gathered.
At his signal, two figures dressed as merchants rose and approached.
The two men were concealed beneath loose merchant robes, yet the taut musculature beneath and the distinctive qi of martial artists could not be hidden.
Most tellingly, their gazes were sharp and merciless—unmistakably formidable individuals.
“It is late, but I should introduce them to the Minor Sect Leader now. They are distinguished guests from the Sichuan Poison Sect. Dang Bang Sa and Hae Dam, great masters of the martial world.”
Jang Yeon Hwi spoke the name “Sichuan Poison Sect” with unmistakable pride and satisfaction.
It was hardly surprising.
I had already known that Jang Yeon Hwi was secretly cooperating with the Sichuan Poison Sect while orchestrating this scheme.
“A bold attempt, Minor Sect Leader. According to the Merchant Conference rules, you may bring only one guard, so you must have thought that if you and your friends combined your strength, you could handle one member of the Poong family. Am I correct?”
The moment the Poison Sect members appeared, Baek So Cheong, Young Ho Bin, and Namgung Eon surrounded me protectively.
Yet their movements betrayed severe tension.
Jang Yeon Hwi continued speaking with a cruel smile playing at his lips.
“The two great masters from the Poison Sect are late-stage first-rate experts, and everyone knows the Poison Sect masters excel particularly in hidden weapons and toxins. As for this Poong family dog, he is also a renowned mid-stage first-rate master. His weakness is his obsession with money, but that hardly matters in this situation. Now then, how will your four manage to face these three?”
There was one thing Jang Yeon Hwi did not know—I was still not fully recovered from the poison and could not use my martial arts.
Therefore, it was only natural that early-stage first-rate Baek So Cheong, late-stage second-rate Young Ho Bin, and Namgung Eon, who was at best early-stage second-rate, could not stand against those three.
“Ah… how frustrating.”
I could not hide my true feelings and muttered these words aloud.
At my words, Jang Yeon Hwi burst into laughter.
“To lack such perception—clearly you lack the qualities to lead a merchant guild.”
However, had I possessed even the slightest foresight regarding what was about to unfold, I would have known that this situation was absolutely no laughing matter.
“!!?”
At the sudden turn of events, Jang Yeon Hwi spun around, his eyes widening in shock.
The two Tang Sect Masters who had been standing guard at Jang Yeon Hwi’s flank, ready to strike at any moment,
collapsed to the ground simultaneously without even a cry escaping their lips.
Everyone except me froze in place, and as silence engulfed the hall,
a tall stranger slowly emerged from among the merchants.
Though dressed as an ordinary merchant, his refined features, handsome countenance, and the inexplicable noble bearing evident in every step marked him as extraordinary.
This remarkable man came to a stop behind me.
“W-who are you?”
Only then did the alarmed Jang Yeon Hwi scramble behind Poong Cheong Jin and cry out.
The man regarded Jang Yeon Hwi with a smile and spoke.
“I am merely a wandering nobody of no consequence, so there is no need to know my name. I am not quite as skilled as the Poison Sect masters, but I have some talent with hidden weapons, and I have a troublesome habit of becoming violent when I see enemies threatening the Sun and Moon Divine Sect—though such a flaw hardly seems a disadvantage in this situation.”
I turned my head toward the man and offered a respectful bow.
“Yu Dharma King, you have traveled far. I am grateful for your efforts.”
“Minor Sect Leader, I am relieved to see you safe. Please forgive the brevity of this greeting given the circumstances.”
Yu Gwan Ji’s appearance here was unexpected, yet upon reflection, it was hardly strange.
Had the Sect Leader not taken even minimal precautions for the safety of the Minor Sect Leader’s party when sending them with the Cheong Yun Merchant Group, that would have been truly odd.
When I arrived at the Cheong Yun Merchant Group’s location moments earlier, I noticed a man hastily concealing what appeared to be a human skin mask, and that was when I realized Yu Gwan Ji’s presence.
It seemed he had employed his specialty—the art of disguise—to blend in as one of the merchants to infiltrate the Merchant Conference.
From the situation, it was clear that Yu Gwan Ji had detected the hidden Poison Sect masters and was waiting for the right moment to intervene.
“Yu Dharma King? Then is that man the Dharma King of Transformation?”
Though Jang Yeon Hwi might not know who Yu Gwan Ji was, he would certainly know of the four Protective Dharma Kings of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect.
Above all, the moment Yu Gwan Ji appeared, the two Poison Sect masters he had relied upon collapsed instantly—the situation had reversed in an instant.
Jang Yeon Hwi stood with his mouth agape, unable to speak, before suddenly crying out.
“Poong Cheong Jin! What are you doing just standing there! Seize those bastards at once—!”
Before he could finish his words, Poong Cheong Jin stepped forward with swift precision.
With a solemn expression, he cupped his fists toward Yu Gwan Ji and spoke.
“I have heard tales of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect’s four Protective Dharma Kings. They say their martial prowess ranks second only to the Sect Leader himself. Are you truly one of those Dharma Kings?”
Yu Gwan Ji answered with a cold smile, his composure unshaken.
“I am merely called by that title due to unremarkable skills. I too have long heard of the reputation of Poong Cheong Jin, the Swift Wind Blade. It is an honor to test my martial arts against yours.”
Following the customs of Kangho, Yu Gwan Ji and Poong Cheong Jin exchanged courtesies and stood facing each other.
Those watching felt the tension rise as two masters representing the Sun and Moon Divine Sect and the Cheong Yun Merchant Group now stood opposed.
A confrontation seemed inevitable, and all eyes were fixed on who would strike first.
Then, unexpectedly, Poong Cheong Jin spoke again.
“I understand the Dharma King employs a formidable flame technique. Would you be willing to demonstrate it?”
Yu Gwan Ji had been about to unleash his technique, but felt a sudden loss of momentum. Nevertheless, he accepted without much deliberation.
“There is no difficulty in that.”
As he spoke, Yu Gwan Ji released a surge of inner energy, and an inexplicable, fierce force began to coil around his entire body.
The force suddenly took the shape of flames, radiating such intense heat that it could be felt even from a distance.
As Yu Gwan Ji slowly raised his right fist, the energy concentrated there, emanating increasingly vivid light and heat from that single point.
Now visible were the flames bursting from his entire body and fist, shimmering with a subtle violet hue.
This was Yu Gwan Ji’s signature technique, the flame art known as the Purple Divine Flame Technique.
Even within the Divine Sect, I had only heard it mentioned in passing; seeing it with my own eyes was naturally my first time.
‘So this is the power of a peak master.’
Among Murim practitioners, there is a saying: first-rate martial artists still appear human, but from the peak realm onward, they transcend humanity and approach the superhuman.
To create flames by channeling inner energy—it was a level I could scarcely imagine in my current state.
The mere thought of facing such an opponent as an enemy made me dizzy.
“Remarkable martial arts indeed. I am grateful. Thanks to you, I have broadened my horizons.”
Poong Cheong Jin clasped his fists together once more in salute, then fell silent, his expression grave as he regarded Yu Gwan Ji.
I thought the battle was finally about to begin.
Poong Cheong Jin’s form flashed like lightning, and in an instant, he was directly behind Jang Yeon Hwi.
“Wh-what?!”
In a single motion, he seized both of Jang Yeon Hwi’s arms, rendering him completely immobile.
“Poong—you dare—!”
Jang Yeon Hwi’s face turned black with rage as he cried out.
Poong Cheong Jin answered in a low, measured voice.
“Merchant Guild Master Jang, have you not always told me that those who understand the currents of the times are true heroes?”
Jang Yeon Hwi’s brow furrowed deeply as he screamed.
Yu Gwan Ji, watching from the front, furrowed his brow with a peculiar expression.
Those around me, including myself, were equally astonished.
Yet, in a way, this was a fitting end for those two.
“All of you, kneel and pay your respects to your new master!”
As Poong Cheong Jin commanded the merchants of the Cheong Yun Merchant Group, every merchant who had followed Jang Yeon Hwi dropped to their knees and bowed their heads to the ground.
Watching this, Jang Yeon Hwi’s face laid bare the despair of having lost everything.
That was when it happened.
“Minor Sect Leader.”
I suddenly felt something soft against my back, and Baek So Cheong’s delicate hands wrapped around from behind, embracing my chest.
“Sister….”
I grasped her hands and gently removed them as I spoke.
“This is unbecoming of someone from the Sect Leader’s household. Please maintain your dignity.”
Speaking with solemnity, I squeezed her hands, and she smiled through eyes glistening with tears.
Young Ho Bin and Namgung Eon both wore relieved smiles.
I released Baek So Cheong’s hands and approached Jang Yeon Hwi, who was restrained by Poong Cheong Jin.
So he had been playing the fool all this time….
“Tell me, Maternal Grandfather. Have you finally found the will to speak?”

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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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