61 - Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect

Episode 61 "So, what are you saying?" Cheonhui stared at Yong Jugae. Just moments ago, having witnessed his skill in handling internal energy and the speed at which he gathered it, Cheonhui had suspected that this man wasn’t ordinary. 'Though I didn't expect him to be the Head of the Beggars' Sect.' But that realization didn’t really spark any deeper feelings. "Are you saying I should bow just because you're the Head of the Beggars' Sect?" "So, s-sir?!" Seolgeom was shocked at Cheonhui's indifferent response, but Yong Jugae seemed quite pleased, nodding his head vigorously. "That's right; a warrior of the Jianghu should have that kind of spirit." "Sigh. I really don't know anymore." Caught between the two, Seolgeom shook his head as if he had a headache and stepped back. "Well thought. Off you go." "Sigh. When should I come back?" "Come back in an hour." Nodding, Seolgeom approached Cheonhui and whispered in his ear. "Are you sure this is okay?" Cheonhui fixed his gaze on Seolgeom. "And if it's not okay, what will you do about it?" "Well... I'm sorry." Seolgeom chuckled bitterly. "More importantly, there isn't another place calling for you, right?" "This is the last of it. Afterward, I'll guide you to the place in the Martial Alliance where the Mount Hua Sect will stay during your time here." "That's good to hear." "Thank you for your understanding." "I didn’t say I understood." "Haha." Seolgeom, who had laughed awkwardly, glanced over at Yong Jugae. "However, if the elder changes his mind, things might get delayed..." "No need to worry about that." Yong Jugae cut in sharply. "That's reassuring." Seolgeom spoke with a tired face. "Well, I'll be off then." After Seolgeom climbed the stairs and the sound of his presence faded from the room, Yong Jugae opened his mouth. "Shall we begin our conversation now?" Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room shifted. "First of all..." Yong Jugae paused for effect before pulling a scroll from his sleeve. He unfurled it, letting the scroll roll across the floor. Thunk― Pointing at the lengthy scroll with his finger, Yong Jugae spoke. "Take a look at this." Cheonhui calmly examined the densely written scripts with his eyes. ‘What's this?’ Half-squinting, he glared at Yong Jugae. "…Is this my information?" "Indeed." From the Five Peaks Meeting five years ago to the recent incident at the Bai Gui City. He flinched upon reading the final entry. It contained even the details of his stay in Man Gyeonggak and his training with Jeok Geom and Seolran. Information so detailed that only someone from the Mount Hua Sect could know. "So why are you showing this to me?" Cheonhui's voice had turned cold. The idea that Yong Jugae knew so much about him was not a pleasant one. "This is the entirety of the information I have gathered about you." Yong Jugae scratched his head, seemingly dissatisfied. Scattering dandruff everywhere, he openly clicked his tongue while staring at Cheonhui. "For an ordinary warrior, I could gather an entire history from the day they were born to the present. Yet, digging into you was nearly as challenging as investigating a royal figure." Yong Jugae looked troubled. Since Jin Gae shared what he knew about Cheonhui, he had tried to gather all the information, but this was all he could manage. "I called you here to confirm who you truly are. To understand how you could speak boldly between the Mount Hua Godly Sword and the Swift Sword King, and what kind of martial arts could demolish the gates of Bai Gui City in a single day, and also why you are trying to erase your traces." "In simpler terms, you wanted to assess my capabilities, right?" "In brief, yes." Yong Jugae sheepishly rolled up the scroll again. "And today, I have seen enough." As he finished speaking, an astonishing event unfolded. Fwoosh― The scroll in Yong Jugae's hand suddenly caught fire. It was a Sammaejinhwa, a fierce flame technique. "With this, your information will cease to exist in this world, apart from what's in my own mind." Cheonhui appeared slightly surprised. There were no lies in his voice, his gaze steady, and his breathing consistent. "Why are you doing this?" The response came swiftly. "By erasing this information, I hope you agree to disregard any past discord between Mount Hua Sect and my Beggars' Sect over what surrounded the Plum Blossom Sword Hero." Blowing the ashes from the burned scroll, Yong Jugae locked eyes with Cheonhui. 'What’s this about? So that's what it was?' Cheonhui immediately understood the situation. He was cutting off the budding seeds of resentment before they grew into complicated ties. This type of proposal wasn't entirely unfamiliar, as similar situations had occasionally arisen within the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. Yet a question lingered. "Why now, though? Surely there have been plenty of opportunities to resolve any discord in the past?" Yong Jugae chuckled heartily. "As you said, there were numerous chances to settle things, but back then, it wasn't necessary." "You were overly dismissive." "That was then." Cheonhui narrowed his eyes. Yong Jugae didn’t shy away from admitting he'd once underestimated the Mount Hua Sect. It seemed entirely reasonable from his perspective. ‘Even as a fellow martial clan from the Nine Great Clans, they were disdained to this extent.’ Cheonhui had vaguely sensed the Mount Hua Sect’s waning influence but hadn’t realized the extent. "So things are different now?" Cheonhui asked, keeping his gaze fixed on Yong Jugae. The reason for his invitation was straightforward. To determine whether the Mount Hua Sect held enough value to settle disputes with. He sought to confirm this directly. "Of course, things are different. With the Mount Hua Godly Sword having toppled Bai Gui City and now you present as well, how could it not be different? Furthermore, the matters within the Alliance are also becoming complicated..." Yong Jugae scratched his greasy scalp, wearing a look of deep consideration. "We must remove any seeds of discord before the Mount Hua Sect strengthens any further." "Your decision seems quicker than expected. I thought you’d gauge things a bit longer." "That was my initial plan." Yong Jugae looked directly at Cheonhui. "But once you saw through the Flight of the Heavenly Shadow technique, that was no longer necessary." "Flight of the Heavenly Shadow?" Cheonhui mused, stroking his chin and recalling the bizarre movement technique that had surfaced earlier. "Oh, that peculiar technique?" "You managed to see through the Flight of the Heavenly Shadow technique without even knowing what it is?" "It didn't seem to have much substance." "What the... Never mind. That's settled." Yong Jugae looked exasperated, waving his hand dismissively. "With this, our deal is complete. There's no more conflict between the Mount Hua Sect and the Beggars' Sect." "I can't speak for everyone else, though." Cheonhui splashed cold water on Yong Jugae's declaration. But Yong Jugae just smiled as if he knew better. "I imagine Mount Hua won't have the luxury of holding a different opinion than yours." * * * After concluding his deal with Yong Jugae, Cheonhui followed Seolgeom's guidance to the building where the Taoist priests of the Mount Hua Sect were staying. "If there's any problem, please feel free to come to me." Seolgeom bid farewell to Cheonhui and left. "…So this is where the Mount Hua Sect is staying?" Cheonhui muttered with dissatisfaction as he scrutinized the building in front of him. The structure was outdated and gloomy. It looked more like an abandoned relic than a place of residence. It was a stark contrast to the other buildings he'd seen while walking around with Seolgeom. 'So this is the standing of Mount Hua Sect within the Martial Alliance?' As Cheonhui stared at the building, pondering this situation— "Uh?" A voice rang out from above. Looking up, Cheonhui saw a familiar face beaming down at him from the second floor of the building. "Isn't that Cheonhui there!" A middle-aged man with a weary expression leaped down. As he descended, the plum blossom-patterned sword tassel at his waist fluttered. It was a tassel only worn by the Plum Blossom Sword Sect members. Landing gracefully in front of Cheonhui with a smooth motion, the man smiled warmly. "I received your letter mentioning you'd come, but you arrived sooner than expected." "It's been a while." Cheonhui returned the greeting. The man was Hyunjin, who had been sent to oversee the Plum Blossom Swordsmen. "You've grown taller again." Hyunjin chuckled as he looked up at Cheonhui. Though he spent most of his time at the Martial Alliance, leading the Plum Blossom Swordsmen, he occasionally returned to Mount Hua for greetings. "And I heard Senior Brother Hyundo was coming with you…" "Senior Master went to meet the leader of the Martial Alliance." "I see." Hyunjin's brow furrowed deeply. "…Then he might stay there for a while." He muttered with a sigh. "I had hoped for some help, but it can't be helped." Despite his bitter words, Hyunjin turned to Cheonhui, smiling again. "But it seems you came at the right time. The Plum Blossom Swordsmen have just returned and were about to have a meal. Especially Cheon Yu has been eagerly looking forward to seeing you." 'Cheon Yu?' Cheonhui's mind whirred. He recalled his connection to a name. "Do you mean the Senior Brother?" Hyunjin nodded. "Come along." Following Hyunjin into the building, Cheonhui walked over the creaking floors, his eyebrows twitching. 'Is this a lodging or a ruin?' As he continued to step cautiously over the neglected planks, Hyunjin stopped. "Here we are." Creeeak— As the door opened, a large round table came into view, surrounded by people. "Welcome. Wait... Hui Brother?" A tall young Taoist they approached abruptly stood up, representing the group. His exclamation caught the attention of the rest of the Plum Blossom Swordsmen, who turned with wide eyes to Cheonhui. "Hui Brother, is it really you?" Startled eyes grew even wider. Although they knew Cheonhui, his robust appearance was vastly different, and it left them awestruck. "Is your health better?" "Are you alright now?" As their commotion began to rise. "Everyone, please keep order." The young Taoist who stood earlier silenced the room with authority. ‘That must be the Senior Brother.’ Cheon Yu, as Cheonhui presumed, approached. "It's been quite a journey. Ah, but first! You must be hungry after traveling all the way here. Please, take a seat at the empty spot." Indeed, feeling hunger pangs, Cheonhui sat in the chair Cheon Yu indicated. "Brother, it's been a long time." "Are you fully recovered now?" Barely had he taken a seat when cheerful voices surrounded him. "I understand everyone has questions, but let's hold back for now. Brother Cheonhui must be weary from his long journey to the Martial Alliance." Cheon Yu intervened again. The Plum Blossom Swordsmen exchanged looks of disappointment but soon refocused on their meal. They were admirably quick to manage themselves. ‘Obediently following; he must have quite the reputation.’ Cheonhui glanced sideways at Cheon Yu. Sensing his gaze, Cheon Yu shot a knowing smile. ‘Well, let's eat first.’ Cheonhui reached for his chopsticks without further delay. After a short while, having finished the meal: "Hui Brother." Cheon Yu approached them. He was quick to engage, outpacing the Plum Blossom Swordsmen, who were itching to converse with Cheonhui. "Follow me. I'll show you to the room you'll be staying in while you're here at the Martial Alliance." Leading Cheonhui down a hallway to the farthest room on the second floor, Cheon Yu casually glanced around before speaking softly. "This is your room. My room is right across the hall, so feel free to come by if anything arises." Offering a warm smile, Cheon Yu stepped into his room. Cheonhui followed suit, entering the room allocated to him and flopping onto the bed. Thud― 'At least there's a bed.' Once lying down, his eyes closed gently. Rustle― While Cheonhui dozed, he suddenly flinched. ‘That presence…’ In the stillness of the nocturnal silence, Cheonhui felt an approaching presence and gradually opened his eyes. "Are you awake, Brother?" Turning towards the voice, he saw Cheon Yu perched by the moonlit window, holding a small jug of alcohol and gesturing invitingly. "How about it? Would you care for a drink, Brother?"