79 - Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect

Episode 79 "Thank you." Pyo Guk-ju, who had been expressing his gratitude repeatedly, caused Yeon Gi to scratch the back of his head with a sheepish smile. "I was just doing what needed to be done." "Thanks to you and Hyuk Ryeon Cheong-hwa, there was no damage from the attack by Su-ryong-chae." "We were just lucky." Pyo Guk-ju looked at Yeon Gi standing in front of him and then glanced at Hyuk Ryeon Cheong-hwa, who was standing quietly in the corner. Thanks to both of them, the vessels of Dancheong Escort Agency could cross the Yangtze River without any trouble. "I'll definitely report this to the alliance." At that moment, a broad smile spread across Yeon Gi's face. It was the outcome he desired more than the words of gratitude. "Hahaha, thank you." As Yeon Gi responded loudly. "Truly, thank you. I owe my life to you, Yeohyeop." "I will not forget this grace." Before Hyuk Ryeon Cheong-hwa, the escort guards and craftsmen crowded eagerly. Her beauty dazzled the onlookers. In addition to that, her exceptional martial arts. To them, Hyuk Ryeon Cheong-hwa appeared to be the living embodiment of the legendary female hero they had only heard about. "I merely did what needed to be done." Hyuk Ryeon Cheong-hwa felt overwhelmed by the escort guards and craftsmen expressing their thanks one after another. '...It's always uncomfortable.' Despite having experienced this numerous times, she could never get used to it. The best she could do was offer them an awkward smile that didn't quite fit her. A while later, when Dancheong Escort Agency took their leave. "That was exhausting." Yeon Gi let his shoulders droop. Hyuk Ryeon Cheong-hwa nodded in agreement. Fighting was preferable to her rather than dealing with such matters; it was a grueling ordeal. "More importantly, where could Cheon-hwi Sohyeop have gone? We were in the middle of the river." "Humph. Probably swimming somewhere." Hyuk Ryeon Cheong-hwa cut in sharply. She wasn't fond of Cheon-hwi. To flee in the middle of a fight, who does that as a martial artist? However, unlike her, Yeon Gi didn't think he had escaped. 'He's more skilled than I am.' Cheon-hwi's martial prowess was exceptional. Though he hadn't seen him wield a sword, just observing his footwork briefly was enough to make an inference. It was at that moment. Whiiish— Suddenly, a hawk came swooping down from above. "That's the commander’s messenger hawk." Yeon Gi skillfully extended his arm. The hawk gently landed on Yeon Gi's forearm. "What could be happening? It’s rare for a messenger hawk to be sent for minor matters." Yeon Gi untied the paper attached to the hawk's leg and waved his hand lightly. The messenger hawk immediately took flight again. While watching the hawk rapidly disappear into the sky, Yeon Gi unfolded the paper and read it. "Che, Cheong-hwa Sojeo! They've found the location of Su-ryong-chae!" He shouted excitedly. "Is that true?" "Yes! And..." Yeon Gi, who was speaking enthusiastically, suddenly froze. "What's wrong?" Hyuk Ryeon Cheong-hwa, who was growing impatient waiting for his response, snatched the paper. "Location of Su-ryong-chae confirmed. And..." As she read the last line, her expression hardened. "Annihilation...?" In that instant, the faces of Yeon Gi and Hyuk Ryeon Cheong-hwa conjured the image of one person. "No way!" "No way!" * * * Bang! While managing paperwork as usual, Seol Geom lifted his head at the abrupt sound of the door opening and was momentarily startled. The person who entered through the door was someone who shouldn’t have been there. "Cheon-hwi Sohyeop, why are you here?" "I finished the mission, so I'm here." "Pardon? What do you mean?" Seol Geom was more than puzzled by the straightforward words of Cheon-hwi; he was astonished. "The mission I assigned to you was definitely to prevent Su-ryong-chae’s attacks for a month..." "They won't be attacking anymore." Cheon-hwi interrupted him. "They won't be attacking?" "Yes." Seol Geom couldn’t comprehend what he was saying. Was there a method to solve Su-ryong-chae’s attacks? If there was, it would have been dealt with long ago. Yet, the dubious solution he harbored was soon revealed by Cheon-hwi. "I got rid of Su-ryong-chae." "What?" Seol Geom's mind temporarily froze. It sounded like an absurd statement that Su-ryong-chae was suddenly gone. "What do you mean by..." "Really, can't you understand?" Cheon-hwi looked at Seol Geom with pity. "I wiped them out." "You mean Su-ryong-chae?" For a moment, Seol Geom wore a blank expression. It was a method he hadn’t considered. But soon, his demeanor turned icy cold. "It's hard to believe such a claim." Seol Geom spoke with a tone of skepticism. Su-ryong-chae was renowned among the 18 water brigands of Yangtze, and their main base was still unknown. Yet, he claimed they were eliminated. "Sohyeop, the location of Su-ryong-chae has never been disclosed." It was a statement demanding he not utter useless lies. However— "It makes sense." Cheon-hwi echoed, taking it a step further. "Who would have thought they'd base themselves in a cave?" "A cave?" It wasn't a place anyone expected. And because of that, momentarily, Seol Geom was convinced. Thinking about a cave explained why the patrols hadn’t found them despite scouring various Yangtze regions. "How did you find Su-ryong-chae?" "I rode on their ship." It was an unexpected and perfect answer. Trailing them would've sufficed, wouldn’t it? Yet, they had failed in chasing them before due to the fierce counterattacks they faced. 'To think he’d board their ship alone.' It was a bold move. Boarding a ship filled with enemies to reach Su-ryong-chae was akin to voluntarily entering the jaws of a tiger. "Weren't they attacking?" "They did." "Then how..." "Did you even listen to what I told you earlier?" Cheon-hwi eyed Seol Geom with a disdainful gaze. "I annihilated them." Seol Geom swallowed dryly. 'Is it really true?' Seeing Cheon-hwi's confident demeanor, Seol Geom's eyes wavered slightly. "Is there a way to verify your claim?" "Why would I tell an obvious lie that would easily be uncovered?" Seol Geom was left speechless. As he said, if Su-ryong-chae attacked again, the lie would immediately be exposed. "And I made sure to inform the Vice Leader of the Patrol Division about the location. They'll likely send a message once they confirm it." As Cheon-hwi recalled the encounter at the Yangtze ferry on his way back to Wulin Alliance after demolishing Su-ryong-chae, he remembered the middle-aged man he had met. Observing that he wore similar martial attire to Yeon Gi and Hyuk Ryeon Cheong-hwa, Cheon-hwi thought it wise to inform him, possibly entrusting him with dealing with the corpses. "You told the Vice Leader?" Seol Geom's eyes widened. To mention the Vice Leader of the Patrol Division led Seol Geom's doubts about Cheon-hwi to lean more toward certainty. 'Did he really destroy Su-ryong-chae?' Realizing the truth of Cheon-hwi's words, a wave of astonishment hit Seol Geom. Su-ryong-chae was notorious, its members skilled in martial arts, and its leadership was renowned. Figures like the infamous Heuk Ya-no, who once turned Qinghai into chaos, and Geulgi Bu, a former mountain bandit leader who voluntarily joined under the sway of Su-ryong-chae's chief. And above them all, the leader of Su-ryong-chae, Jakryang, also known as "Small Tiger, Great Blade." With admirable prowess and remarkable charisma, he elevated the once weak Su-ryong-chae to its current prominence. If he harbored ambitions, it was widely believed he could extend his influence beyond Su-ryong-chae and become a prominent master throughout Zhongyuan. '...And he killed them all.' If Cheon-hwi's words were indeed true, he would need to reevaluate his perception of him. ‘I already considered him dangerous from the power he displayed when meeting the Beggar Sect leader...’ Standing firm against the Beggar Sect leader's imposing aura alone marked him as someone worth noting, but he was proving to be more formidable than that. 'He could possibly be more skilled than the great disciples of the Nine Major Schools.' A rare martial genius indeed. It seemed Cheon-hwi was such an individual. 'Is this favorable for me?' A faint line appeared on Seol Geom's lips as he collected his thoughts. He had now formed an alliance with the Mount Hua Sect. For someone like him, having a talent like Cheon-hwi with Mount Hua was a blessing. 'And if Mount Hua's strength grows, the balance within the alliance could be disrupted.' He stifled a chuckle. To become a leader, he needed to unearth a hidden army. For that, a disruptor of the Wulin Alliance was necessary. And it seemed Cheon-hwi and Mount Hua were fitting for such a task. "Very well, I shall take Sohyeop's words as truth." Seol Geom said, pulling out some papers from his drawer. Upon flipping over a sheet filled with writing, a diagram of a pavilion was revealed. "If you could sign here." Cheon-hwi looked at the diagram. It was a classic and high-quality pavilion at a glance, but— "This isn't it." It wasn't the place he sought. "I plan to move to the former accommodations used by Mount Hua." "The former lodgings of the Mount Hua Sect you say..." Seol Geom's smile faltered. "That's currently home to the Zhongnan Sect." Seol Geom spoke with a hint of alarm. "I was told it was originally Mount Hua's property." "That was a long time ago." "That's why we want to reclaim it." Seol Geom quickly attempted to change the subject, clearly flustered. "Haha, Sohyeop. How about considering the east wing this time? It has just been refurbished and—" "Ah, wonderful." Cheon-hwi beamed a bright smile. However, observing this smile gave Seol Geom a sense of unease. And he wasn't wrong to feel that way. "Why not let Zhongnan have it instead?" "Pardon...?" "You said it's a better pavilion, didn't you?" "But... it's just—" "Why? Were you lying?" A glistening bead of sweat emerged on Seol Geom's forehead. "No, that's not it. The newly refurbished pavilion is indeed superior, but..." "Then it's settled. We happen to prefer the antiquity of our old quarters. It's amusing how things resolved so well." Cheon-hwi twisted his lips into a smile while locking eyes with an awkwardly smiling Seol Geom. "Don't you think so?"