33 - Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect

Chapter 33 Hidden behind the wall of the Bipung Trading Company, Yuk Hon (六魂) was secretly observing the Plum Blossom Swordsmen when his brow furrowed in frustration. A member of the Deathly Soul Squad (殺魂隊) under the command of the Baekgui Castle’s Mighty Warriors, he was executing orders given by their leader, Eunsuchamsal, before their departure from Baekgui Castle a few days ago. Surveillance of the Bipung Trading Company and assessment of potential threats. Among these tasks, his primary focus had been the surveillance of the Bipung Trading Company... To be precise, it was to evaluate the combat prowess of the Plum Blossom Swordsmen staying there. Thanks to his persistent surveillance efforts, he managed to gather considerable information about them. He learned they had come to protect the Bipung Trading Company from the Paewangmoon’s attack, that one of them was an heir of the company, and that they were newcomers, having recently become Plum Blossom Swordsmen. But now, he was plunged into confusion. 'Who is that guy?' The sudden appearance of a handsome young man among the Plum Blossom Swordsmen was enough to shake the information he had painstakingly gathered. He knew the identity of the young cultivator. From the very start of his surveillance of the Bipung Trading Company, he had focused intently on gathering information about that young cultivator. After all, the master of the Bipung Trading Company paid special attention to him, and the Plum Blossom Swordsmen treated him with utmost respect. But soon enough, he excluded him from being a threat. The reason being, he was considerably young and not even a Plum Blossom Swordsman. Moreover, his energy presence was faint. As if he had never learned martial arts. Thus, he concluded that Cheon Hui was merely a young pupil taken in by an elder with high rank, something not uncommon in the martial world. Now, however, he needed to correct the information he had settled on. 'Such formidable martial prowess...' Recalling the scene of the young man overwhelming the Plum Blossom Swordsmen, Yuk Hon gritted his teeth. 'Could this young boy be a grandmaster of the Mount Hua Sect leading the Plum Blossom Swordsmen?' His eyes trembled wildly as if struck by lightning. Why had he been relentlessly monitoring the Plum Blossom Swordsmen? It was because he believed a grandmaster leading them would accompany them, and he was searching for signs of this person. But despite the relentless efforts of the Deathly Soul Squad, they found no trace, resulting only in futile strife... It seemed he had missed what was right under his nose. The one he dismissed as just an ordinary cultivator had turned out to be a grandmaster. 'I suppose it's intentional. Who would suspect a young cultivator of leading the Plum Blossom Swordsmen?' Yuk Hon clicked his tongue, impressed by the cunning behavior unbecoming of a mere cultivator. 'Could he have mastered Tongjigong (童子功)? It’s said that those who practice it retain a youthful appearance despite aging... But why reveal such skills now?' As he mused, narrowing his eyes while studying the young cultivator, Cheon Hui... Swish— Cheon Hui turned his head. His dark eyes fixated on Yuk Hon, penetrating him with a sharp gaze. 'No way...' Momentarily at a loss for words, Yuk Hon shook his head. 'No, it's just a coincidence.' Gulping nervously, he tried to calm himself. He was perched at the end of a wall, at least fifty jang away, a distance where even he would appear ant-like unless he concentrated his internal energy solely on his eyesight. Rationalizing, he steadied his wavering head when suddenly. Flinch! His pupils trembled slightly. The young man was still staring directly at him as before. And now, with his index finger raised, pointing straight at him! 'Could he have...!' Sensing imminent danger, Yuk Hon urgently twisted his body, preparing to flee. Flash! A blinding red light engulfed his vision, followed swiftly by a loss of consciousness. "Did they send an assassin like that?" Cheon Hui, having finished off Yuk Hon, let out a derisive laugh. The would-be assassin had attempted to move stealthily using a concealment technique, but to Cheon Hui, it seemed like a poorly executed endeavor. 'Not even a fraction of the dirt under the nails of the assassins sent by the Invisible Sorceress (隱形魔女).' In times when he had no interest in leadership, six assassins dispatched by the Invisible Sorceress possessed unique abilities to deceive the senses of masters, with remarkable sixth senses too. Comparing this one to them was an injustice. "No matter how inadequate, they targeted me nonetheless." * * * Late into the evening, Tri-Hon gathered the members of the Deathly Soul Squad, his eyebrows furrowed deeply. The original number supposed to gather was eighteen. However, only seventeen had convened, meaning one was missing. "This time..." Setting out to identify the absent member, Tri-Hon's face twisted vehemently. "...Has Yuk Hon fallen?" With that single word, a heavy atmosphere descended. "Damn it…!" Suppressing the frustration rising in his throat with difficulty, Tri-Hon glared toward the Bipung Trading Company from more than a hundred jang away with narrowed, vexed eyes. Since the departure of Eunsuchamsal a few days ago, the Deathly Soul Squad had adhered to Tri-Hon's command, who was effectively acting leader. Yet, not showing up here? Opposing the Baekgui Castle with outright defiance. 'A sane man wouldn't ignore my orders and go into hiding.' Tri-Hon's eyes narrowed. It was clear that something had gone wrong with Yuk Hon. Until now, there had been no issues in carrying out missions while leading the Deathly Soul Squad. From the moment the mission to surveil the Bipung Trading Company was issued, something felt off. 'This is the third time someone's contact got severed while watching the company. And now it's Yuk Hon!' "What on earth is happening?" With a face contorted by frustration, Tri-Hon let out a voice tinged heavily with irritation. Naturally, the task of monitoring the Bipung Trading Company and gathering intel on potential threats was an order directly from Eunsuchamsal. Failing to execute that order? There would be only one outcome. Death. Yet, already, three members had lost contact. Moreover, one of them was Yuk Hon, a highly skilled member even among the Deathly Soul Squad, making the mounting irritation almost understandable. Chewing his nails in rising apprehension, he muttered while casting quick glances around. "The Plum Blossom Swordsmen? Or perhaps..." Just as he was contemplating potential culprits for such deeds. "It's not the Plum Blossom Swordsmen. With their level of skills, not only would they fail to detect Yuk Hon, but they also lack the subtlety to handle matters so quietly." Eleven Hon interjected. He was known for his stealth skills, much like Yuk Hon, in the Deathly Soul Squad. "So, has the fiend that annihilated Paewangmoon appeared again?" Tri-Hon's voice was edged with suspicion. The intensity made Eleven Hon flinch slightly, but he quickly shook his head in response. "...I don't know." Circling back to square one, Tri-Hon's forehead creased deeply. "In the end, we have no choice but to exercise caution." "May I investigate further?" "You?" "If I'm supported by three members, I can use my stealth skills to infiltrate deep within the Bipung Trading Company." "Hmm. I see." Tri-Hon fell into brief contemplation. The reason they hadn't penetrated the innermost parts of the Bipung Trading Company was due to orders from their leader, commanding them not to reveal themselves until his arrival. If he issued orders on his own and got discovered, there'd be no justification if heads started rolling. After careful consideration, he made a decision. "But make sure you're not caught." "Understood." Eleven Hon's eyes gleamed with determination. Shortly after, Eleven Hon and three other squad members made their way toward the Bipung Trading Company, while the rest disperse in different directions. Leading his team forward, it wasn’t long before Eleven Hon reached the wall of the Bipung Trading Company. He whispered with a steady gaze. "Erase our presence and hold your breath." The wall they had come to was merely a barrier to overcome, but Eleven Hon remained vigilant. Without any signal, the three dispersed silently. Watching the others fade into the shadows, Eleven Hon used his Concealment Technique, gradually suppressing his breath. Breath and presence diminished until he became one with the shadows, slipping into the Trading Company as if it were his own home. ‘…The company has grown indeed!’ ‘The master gave a substantial sum to Xiangyi's family…’ ‘Hey, aren’t the Plum Blossom Swordsmen so gallant and noble?’ Bits of information continually reached his ears. While piecing together snippets, when dinnertime approached, the compound hushed, prompting Eleventh Hon to scan his surroundings. 'There's still no significant information.' Eleven Hon's eyes deepened in disappointment. Despite gathering much, he learned nothing about the one who killed Yuk Hon. 'Did Forty-Nine Hon manage to gather anything?' Realizing additional intel was unattainable, he moved, hoping to gather information from other team members. Just as he was about to sense Forty-Nine Hon’s presence, he froze. 'Where… gone?!' The presence of Forty-Nine Hon, who had come with him, vanished. As though he never existed. 'When did he disappear? No, could it be!' Quickly turning his head, he spotted Thirty-Six Hon's lingering presence. Thankfully, Thirty-Six Hon was still there. 'At least he's…' Just as he felt reassured. "...!" Thirty-Six Hon's presence snuffed out. 'What is this…?' Eleven Hon's eyes quaked in disbelief. Now, only one presence remained—Twenty-Seven Hon, hiding silently some ten jang away. ‘The one who attacked Yuk Hon has appeared…!’ As realization hit, sensing the danger, he swiftly merged into the deep darkness and headed towards Twenty-Seven Hon’s location. ‘I need to team up with Twenty-Seven Hon first.’ Arriving at the hideout of Twenty-Seven Hon, he sighed in relief. ‘At least here the monster’s grasp hasn’t reached. That must mean it’s over there.’ As he was looking towards where Thirty-Six Hon had perished. Step— Step— Footsteps echoed softly, grating against his nerves, and Eleven Hon rolled his eyes in the direction of the sound. The young man clad in a peculiar mix of red and black dobo fell into his sights. '...Is that Plum Blossom?' Recognizing the plum blossom embroidered on the sleeve, a buried piece of information resurfaced in his memory. 'Wasn’t he the young cultivator accompanying the Plum Blossom Swordsmen?' Thump. The young man, Cheon Hui, stopped in his tracks. Gazing into a small pond nearby, he spoke out. “Another bug?” Even with no one visible, Cheon Hui's words were met with silence. Yet, he kept speaking. “How many are there anyway?” With those words, he raised his index finger. Thunk! An unseen force pierced through the pond. Soon, crimson waters surfaced, and a corpse floated up. “…!” Witnessing this, Eleven Hon swallowed his astonishment. The person hiding in the pond was Twenty-Seven Hon. 'Twenty-Seven Hon, with the sharpest instincts among the Deathly Soul Squad…' A few moments later, a body floated on the pond. Recognizing the corpse, cold sweat beaded upon Eleven Hon’s forehead. The corpse bore the same hole through the forehead as those slain by the Noodle Devil. ‘That person is the fiend!’ Eleven Hon felt breathless. At that moment, Cheon Hui lifted his gaze and said. "When are you planning to come out?" As his gaze fell upon the roof. Whoosh! A shadow flitted through the darkness in near-silent motion. Eleven Hon urgently relied on his Concealment Technique to flee the scene. "Where are you going?" But before that, a force shot from Cheon Hui’s finger pierced his throat. 'Unbelievable…' Eleven Hon’s train of thought snapped. Thud! As his body dropped mid-flight, Cheon Hui clicked his tongue in disapproval. “It seems they only sent half-wits from wherever they're from.” Seeing the body drop, Cheon Hui glanced around, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "It doesn’t seem right to leave it as is." It wasn't a pleasant sight, with the gory bodies scattered across and around the pond. "Let’s see." Cheon Hui approached the pond's edge. After a quick survey... "This seems good." Approaching a grassy patch near the pond, he waved his hand. Thunk! The ground erupted, forming a deep pit. "This should be deep enough." Satisfied with the sizeable pit, Cheon Hui hoisted the bodies effortlessly. Fling— After tossing all the bodies in, he waved his hand once more. The pit filled seamlessly, leaving no trace. "Perfect." Cheon Hui nodded in satisfaction at the transformed ground that showed no sign of disturbance. Just as he was about to turn away. "Master!" Jeokgeom hurriedly approached. Having applied a healing salve, the swelling around Jeokgeom's eyes and face had subsided. As he looked at Cheon Hui, he spoke, surprised. "The sound I just heard..." "I was just dealing with some pests." "...Pests?" "There seemed to be a lot of them today." Jeokgeom glanced around in confusion. Indeed, as summer approached, there were numerous insects flying about. "You're right about there being a lot, but why all of a sudden in the middle of the night...?" "It's fine now. I've taken care of them all." "Excuse me...?" Jeokgeom was bewildered by Cheon Hui's words. It didn't make sense, especially since insects were still buzzing all around. While Jeokgeom stood there, flustered… "What are you doing?" Cheon Hui asked as he strode forward, speaking to the still-dazed Jeokgeom. "It's time to eat."