31 - Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect

### Chapter 31 The next day, the activities at the Bipung Trading Group started much earlier than usual. The servants were hard at work, dealing with the aftermath of yesterday's catastrophe—handling the corpses and repairing the damaged buildings within the trading group's grounds. “Let's all hang in there!” “I'll take care of repairing the pavilion, so could you handle the bodies?” As Jeokgeom made his rounds, greeting the servants, he muttered to himself. “Sigh, things have become complicated.” Their original mission from the Mount Hua Sect was to protect the Bipung Trading Group from the pressures of the Pawang Sect. However, things had taken an unexpected turn. They discovered that Baekgwi Castle was backing the Pawang Sect, making the situation something they couldn’t handle on their own. ‘I sent a letter to the main sect, but can we hold out until help arrives?’ He couldn't help but let out a sigh. Facing Baekgwi Castle, it was nearly impossible to withstand with their current strength. They would definitely need the help of the elders. For the time being, the only person who could protect the Bipung Trading Group and themselves was Cheonhui. “We have no choice but to rely on our teacher.” Deep in thought, Jeokgeom found himself standing in front of the room where Cheonhui was staying. He knocked on the door. Tap, tap. “Master, are you awake?” After a brief wait, he heard a rustling sound from inside. Shortly after, the door creaked open. Cheonhui, appearing rather disheveled, scratched his head and spoke. “Yawn, what is it? Is breakfast ready already?” Jeokgeom laughed awkwardly. “Yes, everything is prepared.” “Is that so? Got it.” Cheonhui immediately slammed the door shut. Jeokgeom was left staring at the firmly closed door in bewilderment, murmuring under his breath. “…I hope it’ll be alright.” A little later, inside the Bipung Trading Group’s pavilion. Munch, munch— Cheonhui was quickly devouring the neatly arranged dishes in front of him. He focused primarily on the braised pork dish, Hongshao Rou, and the spiced duck dish, Jiangban Ya. ‘The seasoning is perfect.’ He was quite pleased. The meal was even more sumptuous than the one from last night, satisfying him greatly. “Meat is indeed best in the morning.” The Plum Blossom Swordmasters smiled awkwardly. In front of them, there wasn’t any meat, just an array of vegetables. This was how it was supposed to be. Unless they were direct disciples, most of the main sect's disciples typically ate like this. Then, Jeokbi, glancing at his fellow disciples’ reactions, subtly reached for his chopsticks. As Jeokbi stealthily moved to grab some Hongshao Rou, Jeokjae glared at him. “Senior brother.” “Even Master is having some, so one piece wouldn't hurt…” “I'll inform the Master.” Jeokbi immediately withdrew his chopsticks. “Hahaha, just kidding. Just kidding.” Jeokbi laughed out loud, but inwardly he shed bitter tears. ‘That rigid fool.’ While Jeokbi was internally cursing Jeokjae, outside his thoughts drifted. “I’ve sent a letter to the Mount Hua Sect. We'll likely receive a reply in about ten days…” As Gok Gye-young, who had finished eating first, looked at Cheonhui and began to speak, suddenly, there was a commotion outside. Rustle, rustle— The distant sound of hurried footsteps approached, and the closed door swung open to reveal a man rushing inside. “Head of the Trading Group!” Gok Gye-young frowned. He had instructed not to disturb them during the banquet being hosted to honor their benefactors, yet the man suddenly opened the door. His previously calm demeanor changed entirely as he harshly scolded the man. “What’s so urgent during a meal?” Normally, the man would apologize and withdraw, but he spoke urgently instead. “Pa, Pawang Sect…” As the name 'Pawang Sect' was mentioned, Gok Gye-young’s expression instantly hardened. “Has the Pawang Sect attacked?” The mention of this caused the Plum Blossom Swordmasters and Yeonsuran to spring up from their seats. “N-no. The Pawang Sect…” Struggling for breath, the man hesitated before Gok Gye-young, unable to restrain himself, grabbed the man's shoulders and shouted. “What on earth happened to the Pawang Sect!” The man’s face paled under the pressure of Gok Gye-young's urgency, starting to tremble as if overwhelmed. Seeing the man verge on fainting, Yeonsuran and Jeokgeom worked to calm Gok Gye-young. “F-father! He might die!” Realizing his error, Gok Gye-young released the man and called out to him. “A-are you alright?” “Phew, I am.” The man, coming back to his senses, widened his eyes at Gok Gye-young’s words. In the slightly calmer atmosphere, Gok Gye-young carefully asked again, much more cautiously than before. “What happened to the Pawang Sect?” The man's eyes suddenly widened. “Th-the Pawang Sect has been annihilated!” “……” The room was in an uproar. “What?” “Anni-annihilated?” “What do you mean…?” Gok Gye-young, along with the Plum Blossom Swordmasters and Yeonsuran, were utterly shocked. Gok Gye-young asked again, needing to confirm. “Is that really true?” “Yes. I couldn't believe it either when I heard the rumors, so I went to see, and there were people gathered around. It seemed they were wiped out overnight.” Gok Gye-young’s mind went blank. The Pawang Sect was one of the top five strongest sects within Shanxi Province, home to five hundred disciples. But to be destroyed overnight… Suddenly, Gok Gye-young thought of one man. “What about the Sect Leader of the Pawang Sect?” “It is presumed that he has died.” An immediate silence filled the room. Who was the Sect Leader of the Pawang Sect, if not an unparalleled master within Shanxi Province? He was a remarkable strategist who elevated the sect to its current status. And he was dead? What kind of master could have done this… Simultaneously, they all thought of one name and shuddered. Swoosh— All their gazes, except for the man who brought the news, naturally focused on one spot. Munch, munch— Cheonhui, eyes narrowing at their stares, spoke while chewing. “What? Haven’t you seen someone eating before?” * * * At the Pawang Sect, a person clad in a cyan-and-white robe wandered around as if it were his own house. “So the rumors were true…” Ha Woo-jin's expression stiffened at the sight. After hurriedly making his way there upon hearing of the Pawang Sect's annihilation, the situation was far graver than he feared. Corpses were piled high everywhere, their spilled blood staining the dirt with a deep red hue. “…This is gruesome.” The man speaking wrinkled his nose in disgust. The mere act of opening his mouth assaulted his senses with the stench of rotting flesh. Covering his nose, he began to survey the scene. The state of the bodies was pitiful. Some had their heads crushed, others had broken necks. Yet others were riddled with holes, pierced by sharp iron shards embedded in their bodies. ‘Could these be hidden weapons?’ Ha Woo-jin picked up one of the fallen metal shards, scrutinizing it. Just then, a familiar voice interrupted his thoughts. “What brings the Swift Sword Master to a place like this?” He turned his head to see a middle-aged man with a sly smile standing at a distance. “…Concealed Blood Slaughter.” Ha Woo-jin dropped the shard and stood up. “And what brings you here?” “Oh, I was merely passing by on a task when I heard rumors,” the man replied with a laugh. “A task nearby?” Ha Woo-jin’s expression momentarily stiffened. The Concealed Blood Slaughter was known as one of the quadrant lords of Baekgwi Castle. If he was personally on task, it certainly wasn’t anything ordinary. ‘Could it be…’ Ha Woo-jin eyed him suspiciously. “Are you responsible for this?” “You think I did this? Hahaha!” The Concealed Blood Slaughter erupted in laughter. As Ha Woo-jin added to the conversation, “Is Baekgwi Castle feeling threatened by the Pawang Sect's growing power?” The laughter abruptly stopped. “You’re joking, right?” “Do you see it as a joke?” The Concealed Blood Slaughter's face grew icy. “Are you underestimating Baekgwi Castle?” “…Merely hypothesizing,” Ha Woo-jin replied. A subtle tension flared between them. Though neither pressed further nor escalated, knowing that crossing this line would mean total war. After a brief staredown, surprisingly, the Concealed Blood Slaughter was the first to back down. “After looking around, you should know I’m not the one behind this.” “…” Ha Woo-jin maintained his silence. He was already aware that the Concealed Blood Slaughter wasn't the culprit behind this massacre. Someone like him would not leave such traces. Ha Woo-jin turned sharply away. Since he wasn’t the perpetrator, there was no point in engaging him further, nor did he wish to share glances with anyone tied to Baekgwi Castle. ‘I need to find the culprit before him.’ Snapped to urgency by the Concealed Blood Slaughter’s arrival, Ha Woo-jin searched the corpses for any lingering traces of martial arts. Whoosh— Meanwhile, the Concealed Blood Slaughter directed his gaze elsewhere. He focused on a particularly gruesome corpse among the piled bodies. Its skin was shredded; eyes and innards spilled outward. The Concealed Blood Slaughter looked upon the body, once known far and wide as the Wheelblade's terror. ‘What exactly happened here? Not only has the Cold Noodle Ghost perished at the Bipung Trading Group, but the Pawang Sect has been wiped out.’ Despite the jesting words he exchanged with Ha Woo-jin, his mind was in turmoil. He had ventured from Baekgwi Castle to further their mission post-Pawang Sect task, yet now… ‘To be annihilated like this.’ He felt a parched throat in the face of an unexpected mission failure. And this failure came with severe consequences. The Cold Noodle Ghost was a sacrificial pawn, of no great concern, but the Pawang Sect had been carefully nurtured with considerable effort. As the Concealed Blood Slaughter surveyed the area, he picked up on certain clues. ‘Just one assailant…’ His brow furrowed. The nearby traces indicated that a single individual was responsible for the calamity… But there were too many perplexing elements. ‘There’s not a single trace of martial arts being used.’ His head spun with confusion. The Pawang Sect wasn’t a minor sect. Even for someone like him, eradicating such a force in one night would inevitably leave traces. ‘Who on earth could have done this…?’ While the Concealed Blood Slaughter was bewildered, Ha Woo-jin was equally lost. There were no signs of martial arts, but the marks left on the corpses were horrific. “Such brutal handiwork.” He grimaced in disgust. The method was vicious, and the traces left on the bodies indicated a one-sided massacre, suggesting hundreds were slaughtered with ease. ‘This isn’t the work of someone from the righteous sects.’ He concluded with certainty. But anyone who saw the state of the Pawang Sect would have arrived at similar thoughts. Having formed those thoughts, he turned to leave the Pawang Sect grounds. Simultaneously, the Concealed Blood Slaughter also began to move. ‘I must inform the Castle Lord.’ There was nothing more to gain from staying here. He needed to address the losses incurred from the downfall of the Pawang Sect. Soon after leaving the Pawang Sect, the two went their separate ways, thinking the same thought—that the perpetrator was likely a demonic or dark path practitioner.