34 - Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect

Chapter 34 "Now it's sort of acceptable." Cheon Hui looked down at the Plum Blossom Sword Masters sprawled on the ground, spreading their arms and legs out like a large star, and casually rested the sword sheath on his shoulder. The Plum Blossom Sword Masters were in a pitiable state. Their faces were swollen in various places, and their uniforms were dirtied with dust. Even the bodies hidden under the uniforms were surely in shambles. "Yes. Now you look like real warriors. A warrior should have eyes like that." Cheon Hui was more pleased with the change in their eyes than their physical condition. Perhaps the repeated thrashing was to thank. In the twelve days that had passed, a viciousness began to gleam in their eyes. And not just viciousness. In their desperate attempt to avoid the beating, they learned to deftly dodge, and their attacks became cautious, understanding that even landing one blow would end the sparring match. The improvement was remarkable. Their previously unfocused gaze now keenly analyzed their opponent's sword and martial arts techniques, and their swordplay became sharper and more efficient. However. "…Enough." "Please." "Spare me…." Tears blinded the Plum Blossom Sword Masters. They were acutely aware of their tremendous growth in just a short period. Yet what did it matter? Even now, they could barely sense the afterimage of Cheon Hui's sword. In contrast, when they swung their swords, all they found was a void. An insurmountable difference in martial prowess. The more they sparred, the more they keenly felt the gap with Cheon Hui. And then. Thwack! Thwack! "St-stop…." What awaited them in the end was nothing but beatings disguised as sparring and the accompanying pain. When the Plum Blossom Sword Masters lay groaning on the ground. "Now that your eyes have opened, shall we move on to the next stage?" At the sound of Cheon Hui's voice reaching their ears, despite their exhaustion, the Plum Blossom Sword Masters' faces finally brightened. "Finally…" "It's over." "Is it really true?" "Does this mean we won't be beaten anymore...?" "Oh! Thank the heavens!" Their tears of relief were akin to those shed at the first rain after a drought. Not because they were moving on to the next stage. But because they could finally escape these beatings. However, did they realize? That an even more grueling ordeal was about to begin compared to what they had gone through. "Now, get up." Cheon Hui instructed them to stand. "Ugh—" Despite still being in pain, the Plum Blossom Sword Masters grimaced as they staggered to their feet. Once they were all up, Cheon Hui spoke. "The most important thing, your eyes, have been opened…" The Plum Blossom Sword Masters focused intently, eager to hear more as Cheon Hui paused. "Let's move on to the next stage." "No way…!" "It's not that, right?" The mention of the "next stage" reminded Jeok Geom and Seolan of something, causing their faces to pale as they pleaded with desperate eyes. "But we already did it, didn't we?" "Senior, we already did it." "You know learning never truly ends, don't you?" Cheon Hui ruthlessly dismissed their pleas and continued his speech. "The next stage is about posture." "Senior, anything but that…." "Can't we just spar more instead?" The moment the word "posture" left Cheon Hui's lips, the two flinched. Yet Cheon Hui paid them no mind, turning to the other three remaining Plum Blossom Sword Masters with a question. "You three, do you know the Three Talent Sword Technique?" "Ah…." In an instant, Jeok Geom and Seolan went limp, collapsing as if their souls had exited their bodies. While the remaining three Plum Blossom Sword Masters stared at them in shock, Cheon Hui lowered his voice slightly to press them. "Don't you?" Under pressure, they responded hastily. "Yes, we know it!" "We do know it!" "Of course, we know it!" "In that case, you will practice the Three Talent Sword Technique ten thousand times every day from now on." The Plum Blossom Sword Masters instinctively rubbed their ears, questioning if they heard correctly, but as soon as they realized they hadn't misheard, they gasped in disbelief, crying out. "Ten, ten thousand times? That's impossible!" "How is it possible to do it ten thousand times in one day…!" "It's impossible!" "Impossible, you say? These two already managed it two years ago." Jeok Geom and Seolan shuddered. "Please, no more…." "I can't lift my arm. Please, just let us rest for today…." Recalling that time, they clutched at their hair and muttered dazedly. "So, would you like to try another method?" As Cheon Hui's lips twisted into a grin. "I'll wield the sword." "So will I!" Jeok Geom and Seolan drew their swords. Before anyone else could say a word, they commenced swinging their swords, and Cheon Hui nodded approvingly. Then, turning to the Plum Blossom Sword Masters, he asked. "Would you spare yourself this method and come over here?" At Cheon Hui's gesture, as the Plum Blossom Sword Masters hesitantly approached, Jeok Geom and Seolan looked at them with eyes filled with pity. Seeing those looks, the Plum Blossom Sword Masters suddenly realized something was terribly amiss and hurriedly spoke up. "I-I'll wield the sword too." "Senior, I'll also…." "Me too…." Yet their words were in vain. Cheon Hui, firm in his resolve, made it clear he wouldn't let them wield their swords. "It's too late." With Cheon Hui's forceful declaration, the three could do nothing else but sink back helplessly. "From now on, I'll demonstrate a technique called Transmutation Qi Work, originating from the Confucian Qi Work." With his explanation, he began moving his hands. Whoosh! Instantly, afterimages filled the air, and soon he deftly jabbed points on their bodies. "This technique involves pinpointing acupoints to relax the body's entire muscles and make them flexible, making it highly effective for shaping a martial artist's physique." Contrary to their expectations of horror, Cheon Hui's words brought a sigh of relief to their faces. But that relief was momentary; despite the acupoint strikes, nothing about them changed, so Jeok Woon cautiously voiced a question to Cheon Hui. "Does such a martial art truly exist?" "Why, does it seem implausible?" "Then why hasn't anyone mastered it?" "There's a problem with it, you see." Cheon Hui cut off, leaving them to wonder. The mention of “problem” caused Jeok Woon and the rest of the Plum Blossom Sword Masters to furrow their brows. “What kind of problem?” “It hurts a bit.” “It hurts?” “Is that all?” “How painful could it be…” “Comparable to bone-twisting torture?” “Bone-twisting torture?!” All three flinched in unison. What is bone-twisting torture, after all? It is so sinister and cruel that it is often reserved for the very end of interrogations. And to endure a pain similar to that was unimaginable. “I—I’ll wield the sword!” “I’ll use the sword!” “I’ll also take the sword…” Just as the three tried to rise. “I told you earlier. It's already too late.” Crack― A foreboding sound echoed around them. With uneasy expressions, they looked down at their own bodies where the sound emanated, eventually releasing screams loud enough to pierce the skies. “Aaaargh!” Their arms, legs—indeed, their entire bodies—were twisting grotesquely as if bugs were slithering inside them. Surveying the trio undergoing the full effects of the Transmutation Qi Work, Cheon Hui nodded with satisfaction, a smile forming on his face. “It's working perfectly.” The Transmutation Qi Work, a unique martial art he found in the Heavenly Demonic Library under the School of Form, was aimed not at enhancing skilled power, but rather at maximizing the flexibility of the whole body. ‘Just the right kind of external martial art for physical training.’ Cheon Hui nodded slightly to himself. He had tested it on Jeok Geom and Seolan three years before and had excellent results. Cheon Hui now turned his smile to the three of them. “How is it? Am I right? It’s exactly like that bone-twisting torture, isn’t it?” The ghastly nature of his words contrasted with his bright smile, causing the three to roll their eyes in disbelief. Grk― They gurgled in agony, staring at the three members now foaming at the mouth from pain, Cheon Hui’s eyes narrowed. “Already passed out?” Seeing the three who had lost consciousness and their screams silenced from the pain, he reached out and tapped the acupoints on their necks with his fingers. Flash! Instantly, their eyes snapped open. Forcefully awakened, they were plunged back into the depths of anguish, writhing on the ground. “Why are you passing out? I’m about to explain the Transmutation Qi Work, so keep your ears open.” His words were forceful, and then he began his explanation. “This is meant to make your muscles and bones flexible so when you swing your sword…” But perhaps the pain was too tormenting for them to actually heed the explanation Cheon Hui offered. The torment was too much; Cheon Hui’s explanations barely registered in their minds. About an hour elapsed. Thud― As the Transmutation Qi Work ended, the three twitched and finally buried their faces into the ground. In sync, Cheon Hui completed his explanation. “…Thus, it makes swinging the sword much easier. Hmm? What’s wrong? Get a grip. I’m doing all this extraordinary work because you said you didn’t want to train. Can you afford to faint?” Though Cheon Hui lightly jested, it fell on the deaf ears of the three who had already lost consciousness. And Cheon Hui had planned for this. “No choice, then. I’ll make sure to double the pain next time if you don’t memorize the explanation.” Announcing this to the three, who were essentially in the realm of unconsciousness, he turned away. Then he spotted Jeok Geom and Seolan, who had stopped swinging their swords and were looking at the trio with pity. ‘Oh, what have we here?’ Turning towards them, he spoke. “Do you two have leisure time?” “N-no, not at all.” In an instant, their faces flashed with surprise, and they swung their swords faster. “That's right, keep it up.” Whoosh― whoosh― With the heavy sound of their exertion different from before, Cheon Hui diverted his gaze. ‘They’re still there?’ Looking critically at the figures keeping a distant watch after he had supposedly gotten rid of them three days ago. “Looks like I’ll have to take them all down today.” * * * A shadowy group entered Hyamyang County. Whizz― whizz― The man at the front of the group, Eunsu Chamsal, who had returned from reporting the situation to the master of Baekgwi Castle, was not in a pleasant mood. ‘In the end, it’s all on me, huh?’ He recalled his meeting with the master of Baekgwi Castle. Dressed all in white from head to toe, the master had coldly issued orders as chilling as a block of ice upon hearing Eunsu Chamsal’s report. ‘Eradicate the Tempest Company from the world, as though taking over from the Paewangmun.’ Originally, Eunsu Chamsal and the Salhon Unit’s mission was to ambush and kill the Plum Blossom Sword Masters and the central figures of the Mount Hua Sect seeking revenge for the Tempest Company. But those plans were now unraveling. The surprise attack by the Paewangmun that was supposed to succeed without fail not only failed but also ended with the death of the Cold Masked Ghost, causing Paewangmun to fall at the claws of an unknown beast. With everything tangled from the start, the subsequent tasks couldn’t proceed. In the end, Eunsu Chamsal had to take it all upon himself from the beginning. Thus, accompanied by the Salhon Unit, he emerged from Baekgwi Castle for the first time in nearly two decades to put the plan into action. ‘A deep grudge from thirteen years ago indeed.’ Eunsu Chamsal gave a small, wry smile. The aim of nurturing the Paewangmun and gathering expert martial artists throughout Shaanxi was singular. To eradicate the Mount Hua Sect. This plan was to end the grievance with the Myeolsal Unit Leader and Myeolsal Unit and was a prime opportunity for the declining reputation of Baekgwi Castle to rise again. This was the Hua San Eradication Plan. ‘First, I need to link up with the subordinates left for surveillance and ensure the Tempest Company is wiped out without a trace tonight…’ Just at that moment, he spotted his subordinates and halted his light movement technique, causing the fifty members of the Salhon Unit following him to come to a stop as well. “Unit Leader.” Eunsu Chamsal narrowed his eyes as he looked over the Salhon Unit members now reduced to half of the initial team entrusted with the mission. “Samhon. Where are the rest?” Eunsu Chamsal’s icy eyes grew sharper. Faced with those freezing eyes that veered from cold to glacial, Samhon trembled as he responded. “We've lost contact with them.” “Lost contact?” Samhon lightly nodded his head. “We sent out individuals to monitor the Plum Blossom Sword Masters in the Tempest Company, but we’ve completely lost contact with them.” “Weren’t they just novices?” “Yes, the Plum Blossom Sword Masters are just barely crossing into the realm of proficient martial artists, far from reaching the pinnacle.” Eunsu Chamsal’s mind quickly raced through assumptions following Samhon’s words. “There must be an elder-class expert among them.” “We can’t be certain, but the possibility is high.” “So there is after all.” As if having anticipated this all along, Eunsu Chamsal furrowed his brow. Unexpected casualties had arisen even before the mission began. Pulling a mask from his robes and slipping it over his face, Eunsu Chamsal whispered. “The Lord has issued a new mission.” As soon as Samhon and the rest of the Salhon Unit heard this, they bowed their heads deeply. “Tonight, the Tempest Company will be erased from existence.” “At your command!” The eyes of the Salhon Unit gleamed with deadly confidence. Despite just hearing about the presence of an elder-level expert from Samhon, both Eunsu Chamsal and the entire Salhon Unit were assured of their inevitable success. It was only natural. Their opponents consisted of merely five Plum Blossom Sword Masters and one presumed elder from the Mount Hua Sect. In contrast, the Salhon Unit had the strength to annihilate entire martial sects in just one night. Failure was indeed a difficult feat for them. ‘It's been a while since our entire unit has mobilized.’ Eunsu Chamsal's lips curled into a chilling smile. Among Baekgwi Castle's three martial units, the Salhon Unit was the most secretive, a hidden weapon of sorts. Single missions were commonplace, but operating as a full unit was exceedingly rare. ‘Is it the first time since we wiped out the Ghost Blood Sect a decade ago?’ He recalled the night they dismantled the sect that once ruled Yulin County. A night stained with blood, where beautiful screams reverberated in the air. ‘I’ll get to spill some blood again.’ Excitement twisted his smile as he licked his lips in anticipation. Swish— A shadow suddenly emerged in front of him. “What are you doing here?”