91 - Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect

Episode 91 "Huff, huff." Cheon Hui frowned as he observed Shin Yi, who was visibly exhausted from climbing the mountain path, taking a break by the stone wall. “How did you find this place?” “The Medicine Hall Master told me.” “The Medicine Hall Master?” Cheon Hui's face twisted into a grimace. ‘Not helpful at all.’ Just as Cheon Hui's opinion of the Medicine Hall Master plummeted to new lows— “Hoo, hoo.” Catching her breath slowly, Shin Yi steeled herself and looked earnestly at Cheon Hui. “It’s a tremendous loss for you not to learn medicine.” Shin Yi spoke with a cautious expression. “Sometimes there are losses,” Cheon Hui waved dismissively. He had heard those words more times than he could count, to the point where he found them utterly tiresome. Despite the rejection, Shin Yi persisted. “Even the Chief Instructor agreed with this, didn’t he?” That's the problem. Cheon Hui furrowed his brow. He hadn’t expected the Chief Instructor to support it, and yet he urged Cheon Hui to study medicine for some reason. “Ah, yes, yes, I understand.” Shin Yi reacted to his positive response. “Then, what will you learn...?” “I’ll learn when I have time.” “What?” Cheon Hui unfolded his legs and replied. “I need to train in martial arts today.” “Then, when will you be done?” “That, I don’t know.” Shin Yi was slightly taken aback. “Then how about you learn a little before your martial arts training?” “Let me do my breathing exercises first.” As Shin Yi was caught off guard by the unexpected method of refusal— “Elder.” Sohi Lord and her group approached. Why are they here again? Nagan Peak mainly housed the elders of the Huashan Sect. It was a place only for esteemed guests. ‘Is everyone just dropping by now?’ At that moment, Sohi Lord caught her breath. Perhaps it was because she had climbed such a high peak. She brushed back her sweat-drenched hair, tied it again, and approached Shin Yi carefully. “Elder.” “I’m not going.” Cheon Hui watched Shin Yi with an incredulous expression. It was just like earlier between him and Shin Yi. “Hmm?” Then he stroked his chin. Shin Yi was completely immobilized by Sohi Lord’s persistent insistence. “If I pair those two together, maybe...?” Just when he thought it was a good idea— “What do you plan to pair?” A voice rose from below suddenly. Looking down, a young girl was staring up with sparkling eyes. “Ah!” She quickly turned to look behind her and said. “Wi Jin! It’s that person from before!” Wi Jin hurriedly rushed over and bowed his head respectfully. “I apologize. She’s still young and doesn’t know proper etiquette.” “Young?” Cheon Hui chuckled. ‘Not knowing etiquette because she's young? What nonsense.’ He didn’t believe it for a second. The girl appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen, but her martial arts were anything but ordinary. ‘They probably didn’t bother teaching her manners.’ Her displayed martial arts were from the Black Serpent Garden, trained mainly for espionage and assassination using beautiful women. The Black Serpent Garden raised abandoned women to employ allure as their primary weapon. Hence, instead of etiquette, they focused on martial arts training from a young age. ‘And those martial arts would mean...’ He recalled the unique techniques employed by the girl using silver threads. ‘They’re taught only to the Black Serpent Garden’s master.’ Cheon Hui scrutinized Solyeong carefully. ‘Hm, is this girl destined to become the new master of the Black Serpent Garden? She certainly has the skill, but she’s incomplete.’ At that moment, Solyeong met his gaze. “Huh? What?” Noticing his stare, Solyeong grinned innocently. “Nothing.” Cheon Hui immediately terminated the conversation. There had never been anything good from associating with the royal family. ‘They always lived their lives under the delusion of grandeur.’ Thinking about it brought a sense of unease. ‘To think they caused all that turmoil just because I didn’t submit.’ He remembered past events. Once fearing the power of the martial world, the royal family sought external strength to diminish their influence. The Demonic Sect refused them. The Demonic Sect served its Leader, not the emperor of the Central Plains. Other external sects, however, were not like the Demonic Sect. They desired to conquer the Central Plains, even if it meant submitting to the royal family. ‘Then why did they attack us?’ He shook his head. It was possible that the mere existence of the Demonic Sect was bothersome to them, but he couldn’t say for sure. ‘Well, because of that, we showcased our power and managed to live peacefully.’ Those were the days when he became the Leader of the Demonic Sect and made a name for himself. He had shattered the alliance of external sects that attacked at the royal family’s instigation and sealed their gates. That’s when he earned the moniker The Absolute Demon. He was revered as the ultimate power not only in the foreign lands but in the Central Plains as well. ‘But that caused its own set of problems too.’ The royal family, not wanting to admit their defeat, began to harass him relentlessly. Not openly, but secretly. ‘They even severed trade with our merchants, causing us significant hardship at one point.’ Thinking about it made his blood boil. Enough of that. He calmed himself. He was no longer the Demonic Sect Leader. There was no longer any need to be entangled with the royal family. “But to think that young master, no, Young Daoist, is part of the Huashan Sect.” Wi Jin spoke with a smile, as if he sought camaraderie. Cheon Hui responded quietly. “I wasn’t wearing Daoist robes back then.” “No, it’s just that...” Wi Jin trailed off. After surveying the surroundings, he leaned closer to Cheon Hui and whispered. “Did you really consume meat and alcohol...?” “Let’s keep that under wraps.” “Pardon?” “Let’s just forget it ever happened.” Cheon Hui spoke confidently. “You said you’d repay a favor, didn’t you?” “Well, yes, but...” “Then let’s consider it forgotten.” “...” Wi Jin’s jaw dropped. He had expected an explanation or an excuse but none came. Cheon Hui suggested covering it up as if it was the most natural thing. “Hahaha!” Seeing such authenticity, so rare in the royal circles, Wi Jin burst out in a hearty laugh. “Understood.” “Oh! And please keep this quiet.” Cheon Hui turned his gaze towards Solyoung. Recognizing the unspoken intent in Cheon Hui’s eyes, Wi Jin gave a firm nod. “Don’t worry.” With those words, Wi Jin stepped back. As Cheon Hui was about to return to his hut, Shin Yi tagged along. “Where are you going?” Following closely was Sohi Lord as well. “Please, reconsider.” “It’s unnecessary. This is more important.” Shin Yi spoke without even glancing at Sohi Lord and clung to Cheon Hui. “I’ll teach you something simple. It will only take a moment.” Sohi Lord's eyes narrowed as she watched Shin Yi pleading with Cheon Hui. 'Why is she looking at me like that?' While Cheon Hui sensed the penetrating nature of her gaze— "Elder!" The Medicine Hall Master came running, waving his hand. “Weren’t you supposed to help the Medicine Hall today?” Shin Yi’s nose twitched in irritation. “Is it already time?” “They’re all waiting now.” Shin Yi placed a hand on his forehead in exasperation. While looking at Cheon Hui, he said, “If you ever want to learn, come to the Medicine Hall.” “Yes.” Cheon Hui, disinterested, gave a half-hearted reply and glanced at the Medicine Hall Master. “Senior Brother.” “What is it?” “Did you reveal where I live?” The Medicine Hall Master, caught in the unyielding gaze of Cheon Hui's eyes, began to sweat. “He promised to help the Medicine Hall if I did…” Cheon Hui saw him avert his eyes, clearly recognizing his mistake, and relented. “I’ll speak to the Chief Instructor.” “Please, just this once.” “Tell the Chief Instructor.” “My disciple!” Although the Medicine Hall Master pleaded earnestly, Cheon Hui ignored him and made his way home. As he descended the mountain path, he suddenly halted. Sohi Lord and her entourage had been trailing him from earlier. “Is there something you need?” “Can we speak for a moment?” Sohi Lord asked while looking at Cheon Hui. “I don’t really have anything to discuss.” “Perhaps you're interested in Qinghae City?” Cheon Hui chuckled softly. Trying to lure me in? He immediately discerned the purpose. Failing to persuade Shin Yi, she was now attempting to use his attachment to lure him away. “No, I’m not interested.” Even after rejecting her, Sohi Lord did not waver. “If you visit Qinghae City, you can enjoy all the delicacies and fine wines.” Oh, delicacies and fine wines? For a moment, he slightly reconsidered. But then— ‘That’s not nearly enough to make me want to visit the royal-affiliated Qinghae City.’ Such trivial enticements held no sway over him. “I’m a Daoist, remember?” His blatant lie momentarily took Sohi Lord by surprise. “But back then….” “Pardon? When?” Cheon Hui feigned innocence seamlessly. “Have we met before?” Sohi Lord shut her mouth. Admitting they had met would mean retracting her words, a severe embarrassment for a member of the royal family. ‘I’ll need to find another way.’ Reluctantly, she retreated for now. “Alright. Let’s leave it for today.” With that, she departed with her entourage. “Tsk.” Clicking his tongue, Cheon Hui watched them leave, frowning. “Another bothersome leech.” * * * Cheon Hui returned to his quarters shortly after, only to find someone waiting for him. “You came back safely.” It was Hyuncheong. “…It’s been a while.” Just when he was hoping to rest a bit. “What’s the matter?” Cheon Hui asked as he glanced upwards at Hyuncheong with a patient, expectant gaze before collapsing into a seated position. “You didn’t come just for a greeting, I assume.” “Haha, as perceptive as ever.” Hyuncheong chuckled wryly. “I came seeking your help.” “Help?” Hyuncheong wasted no time getting to the point. “Could you assist in the training of the disciples?” “Huh? Training?” The unexpected request caught him off guard. “I heard from Mu Ryeongak Joo that you helped him.” Help? “That unique external breathing technique you taught…” “Oh! You mean the Transformation Breathing Technique?” “Exactly, that one.” “You want me to teach it?” “No, rather than the breathing technique, I’m hoping you could help with coaching. Being inexperienced at teaching the disciples, I encounter some difficulties. Would you be able to assist if you have the time?” Teaching. Normally, he would’ve dismissed such a request, but today he found himself slightly intrigued. ‘I’ve gauged the skills of the Plum Blossom Swordmasters already, but I wonder about the other disciples.’ For Cheon Hui, whose goal was to make their sect the strongest in the martial world, assessing the skills of the disciples was essential. ‘I should get a sense of their abilities.’ After a brief consideration, he nodded. “Let’s go.”