44 - Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect

Chapter 44 “...Haha. Seems like misfortune has struck again.” Go Gyeong laughed bitterly. Once more, everything was in turmoil. The buildings he had painstakingly restored were now so damaged that even basic repairs seemed impossible, and the few structures that had remained intact were charred black from the fire. Just when he thought they might be on the upswing, fate was not smiling on him. ‘When on earth will I restore all this again?’ His head ached with the trouble. In that moment, he recalled his father who used to complain about the shameless rogues that roam the martial world. “Haah.” A deep sigh escaped him naturally. Especially after surveying the situation, it felt as if everything was going dark before his eyes. Maybe it was the midnight firefighting that left everyone utterly exhausted. He shook his head as he saw the servants sprawled on the ground, gasping for breath. ‘I can't let myself waver.’ As the head of the trading house, he couldn’t simply let everything fall apart. “General Manager.” “You called for me?” Anticipating his summons, the General Manager who had been standing behind him bowed his head. “Get in touch with the Uhyang Inn.” “Understood.” The General Manager nodded and retreated. “For another few days, we’ll need to spend some money.” Just as he was calculating the expense for housing the attendants at the Uhyang Inn. “Trading Master!” A voice calling from afar reached them. Right as the General Manager was about to turn his head. Whoosh! A powerful wind swept over him. In the blink of an eye, as he fluttered his eyes in the gust, a huge figure appeared before him. It was Hyun Do. Go Gyeong was startled at the ghost-like appearance of Hyun Do, but without showing it externally, he spoke. “It's a relief to see you're unharmed.” At Go Gyeong’s greeting, Hyun Do grinned wryly and said in a low voice. “Sorry for the late response. Knowing Baek Gwi-seong was targeting our trading group, we should have been on guard more than ever…” “It’s not your fault.” Go Gyeong shook his head. “How could this be the fault of Master Hyun Do? This is all the doing of Baek Gwi-seong and his vile people. Rather, I'm grateful you saved our trading house.” “Trading Master…” Hyun Do was so impressed by Go Gyeong’s graceful response that he was speechless. At Hyun Do’s pure reaction, Go Gyeong smiled. They say if the water at the top is clear, the water at the bottom will be clear as well. Hyun Do’s reaction mirrored that of the Plum Blossom Sword sect members, pure and pleasant to see. ‘My choice wasn’t wrong.’ As his trust in the Hwasan sect grew. “How is Hyun Yi?” “Hyun Yi?” Hyun Do tilted his head then remembered that Hyun Yi’s real name was Go Hyun. “If you mean Red Sword, he's severely injured but Chun Hui is treating him.” Go Gyeong turned pale. To someone ignorant of martial arts like him, the term ‘internal injury’ was frightening. “Is, is he alright?” “It’s not a serious injury. Just…” “The qi paths are twisted.” A voice interjected in between. Chun Hui, observing Go Gyeong's pale face, calmly added. “And he's almost recovered now.” “R-really?” “If you’re that curious about his condition, why don’t you go check the courtyard?” Go Gyeong was about to dash off but hesitated. “That kindness… this debt…” “Forget it and just go quickly?” “Ah, understood.” Watching Go Gyeong hurriedly run off, Hyun Do smiled in delight. “He’ll make a good father.” He then turned to Chun Hui. “You finished treatment quicker than I thought.” “It was nothing. I just had to adjust the twisted qi paths and give him some herbs for internal injuries, and he's better.” “Hmm, is that so.” Hyun Do nodded, puzzled. Not knowing medicine, he simply took Chun Hui's word for it. Yet, if the medical unit head had heard it, they might have thrown a fit. To quickly treat twisted qi paths, one must be adept in both acupuncture and medicine. “The herbs for internal injuries that the medical unit head readied before leaving must have been exceptionally effective.” Hyun Do chuckled, scratching his head. He recalled the argument they had over whether such preparations were necessary. ‘I must thank the medical unit head next time.’ As he was musing over such misconceptions. “By the way, Elder.” Chun Hui called to him. “Hmm? What is it?” “Where is Baek Gwi-seong located?” Instantly, a frown creased Hyun Do's forehead. “Why do you ask?” “Why do you think?” Chun Hui gave him a look of curiosity, then added with a chilling tone. “To take them down.” “To… take them down?” “If we stay idle, they'll keep gauging us. It’s best to uproot them entirely.” Chun Hui’s words were unabashed. Hyun Do asked, flustered. “Are you thinking of going to Baek Gwi-seong?” “To uproot them, I should, right?” “But they’re Baek Gwi-seong and Baek Sa-shin. We can’t just charge in recklessly.” “So, you’ll just leave them?” “No, that’s not my intention. Baek Gwi-seong, having targeted our trading group, means war has begun. We’ll inform the Hwasan sect and gather reinforcements, then engage in war.” Hyun Do’s reasoning was sound. The opponent was the colossal sect, Baek Gwi-seong. Thorough preparation was necessary. But. “If we wait, it could be too late. What if Baeksan Trading is attacked again during that time?” “Well…” Hyun Do found himself at a loss for words. He had only been thinking about the Hwasan sect, having overlooked Baeksan Trading’s future. “Better to raid Baek Gwi-seong as soon as possible, don’t you think?” “Well, yes, but…” Hyun Do inadvertently agreed. If word reached Baek Gwi-seong’s leader that their people were defeated, it would mean the beginning of an all-out war. However, if they moved against Baek Gwi-seong before the news spread. ‘Just as we were caught off guard earlier, the enemy might also be caught unawares…’ While Hyun Do contemplated. “You’ll just let them be?” At Chun Hui’s prodding words, Hyun Do firmed his resolve. “…Alright.” “Then, where exactly is Baek Gwi-seong located…” Chun Hui, having convinced Hyun Do, was about to ask for Baek Gwi-seong’s location when. “I’ll tell you along the way.” “What?” Chun Hui tilted his head in confusion, then remembered something and frowned. “You plan on coming too, Elder?” "What do you mean? Were you really planning to go alone?" "Yes. Weren't you planning to return to the Hwasan sect?" "No. I'm coming with you." "Elder, you should lead the Plum Blossom Sword members back to the Hwasan sect." "They're all capable of standing their ground without me. It should be sufficient even if I don't accompany them." Chun Hui squinted his eyes. Having Hyun Do tag along was simply a nuisance to his carefree roaming. 'Seems there's no avoiding it.' However, the thought of arguing was even more bothersome for Chun Hui, who sighed and said, "Fine, do as you please." "Hahaha, don't worry. Believe it or not, I've improved since before." Chun Hui shook his head, watching Hyun Do, who seemed to be under some delusion. "Then I'll tell them to return to the Hwasan sect first without us." As Hyun Do made this decision. "That can't be! It's a suicide mission!" Ha Woo-jin ran over, shouting. Overhearing the entire conversation, he immediately intervened. "Baek Gwi-seong is not just any sect. It's one of the six Huang Mun under the Black Serpent Alliance! By raiding them, you're essentially confronting not only their sect but the Hwasan sect as well. The two of you attacking alone—it's absurd!" His words were vehement and faster than usual in his excitement. Hyun Do blocked his path and said, "It’s already decided." "But Senior Hyun Do, if this goes on, the sect might lose you to the underworld." “That’s not going to happen.” "..." Ha Woo-jin looked at Hyun Do with a complicated expression, biting his lips. "Then I'll go with you." Ha Woo-jin said with determination. "No, that’s not necessary." Chun Hui bluntly refused. “This is between our sect and Baek Gwi-seong. You are not involved in this matter.” Hyun Do quickly added clarification. But Ha Woo-jin was relentless. "...I cannot lose my friend's disciple as well." "This could be a deadly task." "I understand that." Ha Woo-jin's voice was firm. Seeing the resolve in Ha Woo-jin’s eyes, Hyun Do nodded and turned to Chun Hui. "It seems better if he comes with us." "...Haah." Chun Hui sighed again. It was too late to dissuade them now. In the end, Chun Hui found himself repeating what he had said to Hyun Do earlier. “Do as you please.” Chun Hui then turned his head and asked, "Then tell us some information about Baek Gwi-seong." Ha Woo-jin answered promptly, "There are rumors that an informant from the Beggars’ Sect is wandering this area. If you ask him, you might get more detailed information than even from Hyun Do or me." * * * In front of the Uhyang Inn, a beggar was groveling in front of a middle-aged man. “Hahaha, so what happened to those attackers?” “What do you think?” The middle-aged man crossed his arms with a smug look, though the deeds he boasted of were not his own. “They were dealt with in a single stroke of the sword by him.” “Ha, haha…” The beggar, Jin Gae, laughed awkwardly while internally cursing the man. ‘He claimed to be a servant of the Baeksan Trading Group, so I thought I'd get some real information. Turns out he's just spouting nonsense.’ No matter how skilled a warrior was, such stories had limits. How could a single sword stroke instantly kill dozens? Achieving something like that would require mastery beyond unparalleled power—at least to the sky-reaching stage. ‘In Shaanxi alone, only two individuals have reached that stage—the leader of Baek Gwi-seong, Baek Sa-shin, and the chief of the Zhongnan sect.’ Yet, Jin Gae kept his thoughts to himself, believing any slip might cost him valuable information. ‘Keep calm. Just endure. There are dozens trying for the lead position in the Beggars’ Sect, besides me. Passing on this information could be a step forward.’ Calming himself, Jin Gae displayed the groveling behavior learned from years of living as a beggar and pleaded with clasped hands. “Could you perhaps tell me the Taoist’s honorific title?” “Ahem, that's rather a delicate matter,” the middle-aged man coughed and turned away. However, he glanced back slyly, seeking a hidden signal. ‘Ugh! Such greed, to take even a beggar’s scraps!’ Though fury boiled within him, a servile grin was already plastered on Jin Gae’s face. As quick as a fly on dung, he rubbed his hands together, begging. “Sir, I... am quite short on cash…” “Well, I guess there's no helping it.” The middle-aged man turned away coldly, prompting Jin Gae to bite his lip in frustration. Quickly rummaging through his pockets, Jin Gae pulled out a cherished trinket and offered it hastily. “How about this, in exchange?” Seeing the glint of the ornament, the man snatched it with lightning speed. “Hmm, this is…” Examining the trinket closely, he coughed exaggeratedly. “Uh-huh, I didn’t expect such a thing…” Snap— A vein bulged on Jin Gae’s forehead. “Is, is that so, sir?” “Hahaha, now, where was I?” “You stopped just as you were about to reveal the Taoist’s honorific.” “Ahem, indeed. His honorific is…” The middle-aged man continued. After unloading all that had occurred to the Baeksan Trading Group over the last two hours, he got to his feet. "…That’s the story." He glanced at the sky, noticing it was beginning to lighten. “Seems it’s already this late. I should be going.” “Please, travel safely, Sir.” Waving his hand, the middle-aged man departed. Once he disappeared, Jin Gae spat in the direction he left. "Ugh! Can’t even deal with this guy. He’s squeezed every last penny from this shabby beggar." Releasing the pent-up anger from earlier, Jin Gae felt slightly relieved as he dusted himself off and turned around. “’Chun Hui,’ was it?” “Since when did you manage to pick up a name like that?” A sudden voice made Jin Gae jump. Three Taoists stood before him. The young one in the middle approached slowly, curving his lips in a sly smile. “You must be Jin Gae, yes?”