57 - Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect

**Chapter 57** The next morning, while having breakfast with Hyun-do, Cheon-hwi attentively listened to the conversations around him. "What? The Xian Five Fiends are dead?" "Those scoundrels?" "But why did those scoundrels come all the way here? Didn't they flee in panic after causing chaos in Xian?" "I heard that the perverted one tried to assault a girl traveling with a great hero, and got what he deserved. They went after them for revenge and... " The man, who was excitedly sharing the rumors he'd heard that morning, slowly drew his thumb across his throat with a sly grin. "They got killed just like that." "Serves them right! Those scoundrels deserved heavenly punishment for their heinous deeds. Finally, they met their match!" Judging by how notorious they seemed, the inn, which had been abuzz with Hyun-do and Cheon-hwi's story the night before, was now bustling with a new topic, just overnight. "It's a pity for the owner of the Silver Dragon Delicacies. I heard the third floor was completely wrecked..." "How is that a pity?" The man speaking puckered his lips in frustration. "I went there this morning, and the hero who killed the Xian Five Fiends gave the innkeeper a handsome sum to help with the damages. He even compensated the staff. How enviable is that?" "Is that true?" The man listening expressed surprise. Martial artists—what kind of people were they? A shameless bunch, closer to the sword than the law. If they didn't like something, it was common for them to destroy a building and just leave. But money? As the two men discussed the amount of money, Cheon-hwi swallowed the noodles in his mouth. 'Looks like they handled it themselves.' Among the stories he heard, none mentioned him. It was merely said that the man and woman they had seen took down the Xian Five Fiends and handed over the heads. 'No need to worry...' Clack! At that moment, Hyun-do put down his chopsticks and glared. "To think such wicked men roamed freely in Shaanxi..." With an expression terrifying enough to scare demons, Hyun-do bit his lip. They were insidious and cynical individuals. "Later, I'll have to request from our senior sect brother to increase our sect's patrols." Watching Hyun-do, who was resolute in his determination, Cheon-hwi turned his focus back to their meal. Shortly after finishing, the two left the inn and set foot on the long road leading to Hubei Province. But their expressions were not very cheerful. "Horses are hard to come by." At Cheon-hwi's lament, Hyun-do offered a wry smile. "I should have secured some yesterday." Despite searching the streets to buy horses all morning, it was in vain. 'I apologize. A guest came a few days ago and bought all the horses,' the apologetic stable owner had said. Recalling the stable owner, Hyun-do shook his head. "I'll make sure to get some next time." Just then. Clip-clop—clip-clop— The sound of a rattling cart and hoofbeats came from behind. They turned to see a carriage approaching and made way. Then— Neigh! The carriage abruptly stopped. 'Huh?' Cheon-hwi squinted his eyes, watching the carriage come to a sudden halt, raising dust. From inside, he sensed a familiar aura. Creak— Just then, the carriage window opened. Through the slightly open window, a figure with a veiled face appeared. "It seems you were dining at Silver Dragon Delicacies last night." A very raspy, low voice that couldn't be forgotten easily was heard. 'Those people from yesterday?' As Cheon-hwi tried to get a better look at the veiled girl, Hyun-do's voice came through in a whisper. 『Silver Dragon Delicacies? What is that supposed to mean?』 Caught off guard, Cheon-hwi realized he'd been found out. '...Got caught.' 『Did you sneak out secretly?』 With Hyun-do's follow-up whispered question, Cheon-hwi shrugged and responded in kind. 『Yes.』 Realizing there was no point in hiding it any longer, Cheon-hwi confessed. 『Why did you do it?』 『Because noodle soup wasn't enough.』 『...Didn't I tell you to hold back whenever possible?』 With a sigh, Hyun-do shook his head. What concerned him more than anything was Cheon-hwi's exposure to the outside world. It wasn't about him sneaking out; it was that his presence might become known to others. 'Tsk. I could have avoided being caught.' As Cheon-hwi clicked his tongue, the girl's voice broke in. "May I ask where you are headed, if it's not too much trouble?" "Why do you ask?" "It's said that the world is vast, and since we had a brief encounter last night, I thought if we're headed the same way, I'd offer to travel together." "Travel together?" For a moment, Cheon-hwi's gaze fixed on the carriage. 'If we take this, we could travel comfortably.' "Amitabha. We appreciate the gesture, but..." "We're going to Hubei." Seizing the opportunity, Cheon-hwi quickly interrupted Hyun-do. "Hubei, you say? Perfect. We're on our way to Anhui. If you don't mind, shall we travel together partway?" "That is..." "Sounds good." Surprised, Hyun-do whispered hurriedly. 『They're strangers whose intentions we can't discern. And yet, you're allowing us to travel with them?』 『But it’d be nice to travel by carriage, right?』 『Are you going through this just to ride a carriage? Considering we don’t know what their intentions might be…』 『It’s fine. These two are the ones who took down the Xian Five Fiends last night.』 Hyun-do's eyes widened. Realizing that these were the heroes who dealt with the Xian Five Fiends, Hyun-do's guarded demeanor relaxed. Then he looked at Cheon-hwi sharply. 『But how did you know that?』 『Silver Dragon Delicacies was there.』 Just then, the carriage door creaked open. "I'll go in first." Sensing his chance, Cheon-hwi quickly entered the carriage. Inside, it was quite spacious—not only was the veiled girl there, but the middle-aged man they'd seen the night before was sitting alongside her. As Hyun-do boarded after him, the carriage began to move smoothly along. After some time had passed. Seated, Cheon-hwi observed the girl scrutinizing him through the veil. 'She really is strange.' Even seeing her again, her presence felt abnormal. As though she wouldn't care if she died at any moment. Meanwhile, the girl was contemplating Cheon-hwi. ‘It is indeed him from last night…’ Despite being right in front of her, the young man's presence seemed exceedingly faint. Beyond faint, it was as if he was transparent. ‘More accurately, his existence seems to have fused with the world around him.’ Her initial impression was correct after all. Yet, this realization also brought about more questions. ‘But why a martial attire?’ Her piercing gaze settled on the martial robes Cheon-hwi was wearing. His appearance was puzzling. Hadn't he been the one indulging in drinks and meat last night? ‘Could he truly be a Taoist priest...?’ As she examined the uncommon dark-red robe, she flinched upon noticing a familiar insignia. ‘Plum blossom?!’ The faint depiction of a red plum blossom on the black silk startled her. She turned her gaze to Hyun-do, inspecting his red and white robe closely, discovering a similar plum blossom emblem on the sleeve. ‘I can’t believe I didn’t notice this sooner.’ She bit her lip in frustration. There was only one sect in the world that was allowed to embroider a plum blossom onto their robes. Realizing the identities of the two, she respectfully bowed her head and introduced herself. “It is an honor to meet you. My name is Dan-mok Lin.” Hyun-do's eyebrow twitched. “Dan-mok clan?” “Yes.” “Do you know who we are?” “Who in the world wouldn't recognize the martial robes marked with the Red Plum Blossom?” “You have quite the mettle, traveling with your adversaries.” “Despite the division within the orthodox factions, our true enemy remains the demonic sect, as far as I know.” Hyun-do's eyes narrowed at her unwavering demeanor. Observing her steady stance, he offered his name in a low voice. “I am Hyeon-do.” To this, the reaction came not from the girl, but from the middle-aged man next to her. “The Divine Sword of Mount Hua!” Surprised, the man next to Dan-mok Lin exclaimed. As he observed the two conversing quietly, he found it hard to take his eyes off Hyun-do, now understanding who he was. He was taken aback. Even the mysterious young man he couldn't quite place was traveling with Hyun-do, who was at the eye of the current storm in the martial world. ‘I thought they were simply masquerading as Taoists.’ He had been cautious around them for a reason. Even though they wore martial robes, the youth indulged in meat and wine, which seemed suspicious in itself. Moreover, his companion, though clad in a martial robe, looked every bit the bandit. His growing suspicions found their answer now. ‘He matches the descriptions of the Divine Sword of Mount Hua perfectly.’ Eyes shaped upward, a strong nose, and a barely-grown beard—the man was exactly as rumors described. His previously rigid expression softened like melting ice, as even the bandit-like appearance took on a more refined aura. “Hahaha, to think I would meet the esteemed hero who is currently stirring the world here!” The middle-aged man wore a broad smile. “You may call me Dan-mok Jin-gang.” “The Iron-Sword Chivalry?!” This time, Hyun-do was the one thoroughly surprised. “Hahaha, Amitabha. I did not expect to meet the great Iron-Sword Chivalry here, either.” A wide smile spread across Hyun-do's face. Even someone like Hyun-do, who had secluded himself in the Mount Hua sect for a long time, had heard of the illustrious reputation of Iron-Sword Chivalry. “It is an honor to meet you.” Hyun-do expressed his admiration without reservation. Despite disliking the practical motives of clans, he made an exception for the Iron-Sword Chivalry. “I was truly impressed by your solo assault to bring down the Black Sand Society responsible for human trafficking a year ago.” “I have been equally impressed by your valor against the White Ghost Fortress.” “Haha, ‘True Person’ is too grand a title for me.” “If not you, then who else deserves the title of ‘True Person’?” As the two continued to exchange praises and the conversation flourished, Cheon-hwi watched the scene unfold with a bemused expression. “What is your appellation, young hero?” the girl suddenly inquired, her voice cutting through the chatter. Cheon-hwi turned his gaze, facing the fluttering veil right in front of him. “It’s Cheon-hwi.” She repeated the name ‘Cheon-hwi’ as if trying to etch it into memory before cautiously asking. “If it’s not too much trouble, may I ask you something?” “That’s convenient. I also have something I’d like to ask you, miss. Shall we each ask one question?” “Sure…” Just as she was about to respond, Hyun-do’s exclamation interrupted them. “Do you mean you’ve roamed the world for a year searching for the Divine Healer?” “Indeed. Recently, we heard a rumor of a sighting in Sichuan, which gives us a sliver of hope.” “Haha. May I ask why you are searching for the Divine Healer?” “Well…” Dan-mok Jin-gang hesitated, but Dan-mok Lin interjected in his stead. “It’s because of me.” Hyun-do’s eyes wavered, his heart naturally moved by the thought of such a young girl suffering an ailment. “What seems to be the problem?” “It’s her internal energy.” Dan-mok Jin-gang wore a troubled expression. “...About two years ago, Lin’s internal energy started dissipating unexpectedly.” “That’s preposterous…” Hyun-do's eyes widened in disbelief. Internal energy is a culmination of one's lifetime of effort. It doesn’t just scatter unless one is near death. “Although the elixirs periodically delivered by the family doctors extended her lifespan, the effects started waning three months ago, so now…” As shadows darkened beneath Dan-mok Jin-gang’s eyes, Cheon-hwi interjected, catching their attention. “So that’s it. I was wondering…” Their gazes all turned to Cheon-hwi, seemingly indifferent to their stares, as he studied Dan-mok Lin with a lack of interest. “Born with the Body of the Taiyin Qi Affinity and yet surviving this long? Seems you've been relying solely on elixirs.”