60 - Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect

Chapter 60 Shortly after, Cheonhui arrived at the entrance of the Murim Alliance and looked up in awe. 'It's incredibly large.' Even compared to the Heavenly Demon Sect, the Murim Alliance was larger. It was as if another castle existed within the infinite fortress. 'No wonder the elders were insistent on conquering Zhongyuan. Even our sect couldn’t afford such opulence.' The imposing architecture of the Murim Alliance wasn’t something made out of mere whim for the Heavenly Demon Sect's past ambitions toward Zhongyuan. 'Not that it matters to me now.' Cheonhui finished his thoughts. Thoughts of conquering Zhongyuan or the Heavenly Demon Sect no longer mattered to him, now a part of the Mount Hua Sect. 'I’m already too busy focusing on Mount Hua. What does the Heavenly Demon Sect have to do with me?' Seeing Cheonhui's surprised expression, Hyundo chuckled. 'It's always amazing the first time.' Anyone encountering the Murim Alliance for the first time would be thoroughly overwhelmed. Hadn't even he felt the same way before? "The Alliance hasn't changed from the past." As the two mumbled to themselves, they approached the massive gates. Swish! Two guards at the gate crossed their long spears. "Are you from Mount Hua?" "What brings you to the Alliance?" "We were summoned by the military leader." With these words, Hyundo handed over a letter. The guards examined the letter carefully, their eyes widening. "This is…the military leader's seal…." "Verified." Suddenly, the guards withdrew their spears and solemnly pushed open the grand gate. Groooom— With a loud sound, the massive gate opened, revealing the interior of the Murim Alliance. 'It's practically a small fortress inside.' Cheonhui was impressed as he observed the inside. Indeed, it was a castle within a castle. Numerous pavilions existed, connected by small streets sprawling in various directions. And many people as well. "What? The Divine Sword of Mount Hua?" "The Divine Sword of Mount Hua they say?" Attention from those near the gate was immediately drawn to them. Clad in various robes and attire, each individual's posture, rooted to the ground like statues, remained unchanged as they observed. 'We're now quite the spectacle.' Feeling the piercing gazes, Cheonhui turned his head slightly to look at Hyundo. By now, Hyundo was visibly flustered, clearly taken aback by the attention focused on him. 'He's not handling this well.' As Cheonhui pondered how to navigate the situation, the crowd suddenly parted. "You have arrived." Soon, a group emerged through the gathered crowd. Among them, a finely dressed young man took a step towards Hyundo, unfurling a folding fan. "We have been expecting you." Cheonhui scrutinized the young man's eyes above the edge of the fan covering his nose and mouth. ‘A sly fox is hiding.’ Just by glancing, it was clear this man had ulterior motives. Something unsettling. As he held that thought, the young man's eyes curved like a crescent moon, a gentle smile emerging. Yet it lasted only a moment before he diverted his gaze back to Hyundo. Clap! Subsequently, he folded up his fan with a snap and offered a polite fist salute. "I am Seolgeom, the deputy military leader of the Murim Alliance." "Deputy leader?" At Hyundo's question, Seolgeom smiled. "Yes, that's correct." "......I'm Hyundo of the Mount Hua Sect." "An honor to meet you." Cheonhui quietly watched Seolgeom. There was something off about the way his pupils seemed to writhe like those of a snake. ‘Such people need to be suppressed with force.’ As if sensing Cheonhui's gaze, Seolgeom smiled again. "If it’s not too much to ask, may I know the name of this young master?" "I'm Cheonhui." "A pleasure, Cheonhui." Just then— "Deputy leader." One among the group accompanying them called out to Seolgeom. "What is it?" "As mentioned earlier, we will guide Master Hyundo." "......Understood." Seolgeom wore a disgruntled expression but eventually nodded as if he had no choice. Turning to Hyundo, he spoke, "You should accompany those people." Hyundo's brow furrowed. "Weren't you supposed to lead the way?" "I would like to but—" Seolgeom gestured towards a tall pavilion behind them, shrugging his shoulders. "The ones up there have given orders, so I have no choice but to obey." Reluctantly accepting the situation, Seolgeom spoke curtly. "Oh, and Cheonhui, please follow me." Hyundo's face darkened. "Why are we being separated?" Although Seolgeom flinched at Hyundo's growling voice, he calmly replied. "The Alliance leader and the military leader wish to meet with you, not with Cheonhui." Hyundo's expression tightened. "Then why invite Cheonhui at all?" "Someone other than the Alliance leader has requested Cheonhui's presence." "Who could that be?" Glancing sideways at Cheonhui, Seolgeom whispered, brushing his folded fan against his cheek. "The Beggars' Gang." "The Beggars' Gang?" Cheonhui frowned. There was only one connection with the Beggars' Gang. ‘Did Jinga reveal my identity?’ At this, the same thought seemed to cross Hyundo's mind as two lines wrinkled his brow. "Why did the Beggars’ Gang call for him?" "I do not know the exact details myself." "Then why involve Cheonhui…." "You will understand once you get there." Seolgeom spoke, looking at Cheonhui. As Hyundo glared at Seolgeom— "We must go immediately." The men urged with urgency. "The Alliance leader is waiting." "Yes. Give me a moment." Assuring the impatient men, Hyundo turned to Cheonhui and whispered, "Be extremely cautious that they don't find out what you've done involving the Beggars' Gang." "I will be careful." Hyundo sighed. Cheonhui had no idea how dire it could be if his identity were revealed or how ruthless the Beggars' Gang could be. "Remember this well." "Yes, yes." "Make sure you do. Make sure." After stressing the importance until the end, Hyundo departed with the group. Once they were out of sight, Seolgeom muttered with relief. "Man, I really need to secure the position of military leader soon. Running errands like this is a bother." Having complained, he turned his gaze to Cheonhui with a friendly smile. "Shall we be on our way as well?" * * * “This is the place.” “The Beggars' Gang truly lives up to its reputation of being a ragged den.” Cheonhui observed the structure ahead with a look of distaste. The place Seolgeom led him to was a shabby old pavilion. It seemed as though the cracked walls and doors would crumble if touched. “Haha, that’s right.” Seolgeom laughed awkwardly and knocked on the worn wooden door. “Is anyone here?” “Who’s there!” Suddenly, a shrill voice pierced through from inside, assaulting the ears. '...Sound wave technique.' Cheonhui dispersed the auditory attack with his internal energy, then shifted his gaze. Ten steps away, a sharp presence was stealthily approaching. As it drew closer— “It’s me.” Seolgeom shouted while covering his ears with both hands, his frown deepening. “How would I know who you are just by saying that?” “It’s Seolgeom.” “What? It’s you?” In an instant, an old man emerged from the ground as if springing up. “So, what brings —— hmm?” The old man looked at Cheonhui, who stood beside Seolgeom, with a curious tilt of his head. “Who’s this lad?” “He’s Cheonhui from the Mount Hua Sect, who you mentioned before.” “Cheonhui? Did I mention that?” The old man scratched his oily hair with grimy fingernails, then suddenly clapped his hands as if remembering something. Clap! “Ah! This is the young one who accompanied Hwasan Divine Sword and Biyun Sword Lord when they brought down Baigui City.” The old man scrutinized Cheonhui intently. Cheonhui returned the stare. ‘Filthy.’ His immediate thought was simple. The old man was the embodiment of filth. ‘I'd rather not get close to him.’ His nose wrinkled involuntarily. The man's hair was clumped like dirt, sticking to his face, and his clothes were so unkempt that calling them garments was shameful. Thud— The old man took a step closer. Cheonhui grimaced and held his nose against the stench wafting from the man. “Could you please step back? The smell is overwhelming.” “What did you say?” In response to Cheonhui’s words, the old man's eyes widened, then he burst out laughing. “Hahaha! Seolgeom, did you hear what this boy just said?” “I wish you’d keep your mouth closed too.” Cheonhui frowned deeper. As the old man laughed, a foul breath gushed past Cheonhui's clamped nostrils, pressing against his brain with a throbbing headache. “...Huh.” The old man patted a dumbstruck Seolgeom on the shoulder, indicating the boy's audacity. “Hey, did you hear that? He’s telling me to shut up and step back. Hahaha!” The old man laughed so hard he almost rolled on the ground. After a moment, he wiped away tears from the corner of his eye. Seeing the display, Cheonhui shut his eyes tightly in disgust. 'Damn it! Shouldn't have seen that!' Though the liquid coming from the man's eyes was clearly tears, once wiped onto his fingers, it instantly turned into grimy filth. “So, you're the strange priest my worthless disciple spoke of? Indeed, you are an odd one.” The old man’s expression suddenly hardened. His earlier madness seemed like a façade as he fixed his gaze on Cheonhui with seriousness. “...Hmm. So you're from Mount Hua.” “What does that mean?” Seolgeom, regaining his senses, asked, but the old man's hand struck swiftly. Thud! “Ow!” Seolgeom clutched his head in pain. “What are you doing?” “Daring to pry information from a member of the Beggars' Gang deserves a beating, don’t you think?” Clicking his tongue, the old man chided. “Besides, we have a guest.” Suddenly, the old man turned and kicked open the worn-out door with surprising force, revealing a corridor. Bang! Despite its outer appearance, the door was sturdy as it swung open. “Follow me.” The old man stepped inside, and Seolgeom followed. Cheonhui watched them go, furrowing his brows. He wasn't enthusiastic about following. Just dealing with the foul-smelling old man was bad enough; who knew how much worse it could be inside. “It’s probably going to stink in there...” “No need to worry. It doesn’t.” A voice from inside interjected. Though it was a mere whisper, the old man seemed to hear it from afar, smiling as he turned his head. Witnessing the yellowed teeth between his rugged lips, Cheonhui made a skeptical face, as the old man nudged Seolgeom with his elbow. "Ugh. Alright, I get it." Seolgeom quickly added, “Despite appearances, it surprisingly doesn’t smell. Besides, if you don’t follow, this distinguished elder—” He quickly corrected himself. “—will persistently follow you everywhere, Cheonhui.” Cheonhui's face turned sour. ‘I've always despised these wretched beggars.’ The idea of being persistently pursued by a stinking elder was enough to make his head ache. ‘And it’s not like I can handle this the way I used to, by eliminating them.’ With a sigh, he muttered, “I’ll have a talk and leave.” “Understood.” The old man chuckled. Though Cheonhui still found him completely unreliable, he had no other choice and followed them inside. Thud— Thud— Contrary to its dilapidated exterior, the inside of the pavilion didn’t appear as old as expected. After walking a while— “This is it.” He stopped in front of a set of stairs. The sight of stairs descending made Cheonhui look puzzled. “Is this curious?” The old man chuckled. “This is the Murim Alliance’s Beggars' Gang branch.” The old man and Seolgeom descended while Cheonhui followed them down. To his surprise, the underground was quite spacious. An artificially created large underground space extended outward, with red cushions laid out at the far wall. The old man plopped down on one of the cushions. “Why don’t you make yourself comfortable instead of standing?” The two sat upon the cushions. As soon as Cheonhui sat, he asked, “So, why did you summon me?” “I was just curious.” “About what?” “About you.” Grinning mischievously, the old man replied, “After hearing from my deplorable disciple, I was more intrigued about you than the Hwasan Divine Sword.” Seolgeom was taken aback. “Did you summon a disciple of Mount Hua to the Murim Alliance just for something like that?” “Did you just call it ‘something like that’?” The old man’s voice suddenly dropped in intensity. "Do you know how the Beggars' Gang became such a powerful force? It's because of curiosity. Everyone in the martial world wonders: Who are the masters? What kind of person is he? What martial arts does he possess? By gathering all that information, the Beggars' Gang has grown into the massive organization it is today." "......" Seolgeom fell silent. Indeed, even before becoming one of the Nine Great Schools, the Beggars' Gang was renowned as a clan of intelligence. "Oh dear, I told you not to speak so lightly. How do you expect to succeed the military leader with such carelessness... Tsk, tsk." The old man cast a disappointed glance at Seolgeom before turning his attention back to Cheonhui. "Anyway, you came here without knowing who I am. You've got guts. But what if I was an enemy aiming to harm you?" "Were you?" "No, not exactly." "Then it’s fine." "......You’re quite composed." "I have reasons to be." "Do you, really?" In an instant, the old man's demeanor transformed. The room that once echoed with his jovial laugh was suddenly engulfed by his presence. “Gasp!” Seolgeom instinctively drew upon his internal energy. But as he struggled to withstand the overwhelming aura, his eyes began to redden. "Well, you're no mere talk." The master of the Beggars’ Gang withdrew his oppressive aura, his earlier enthusiasm seemingly deflated. "Isn't that a bit too much? Despite his youth, he's a disciple of the Mount Hua Sect." "Too much? Hardly." The old man snorted dismissively. "Look at him, he's completely unharmed." "Pardon?" Seolgeom turned his head sharply. "......!" He was stunned. A massive fissure had appeared around Cheonhui, who sat just beside him. It was astonishing—a disruption so significant that he hadn’t noticed it even when it was happening right next to him. Gulp— Seolgeom swallowed hard. "What are you up to?" "Do you even know who I am?" "An old beggar." Cheonhui no longer bothered with formalities. Since the old man had tested him, any pretense of politeness was discarded. "Hahaha! An old beggar, huh? While that's true, I’m known by a different name across the martial world." The old man chuckled. The youthful insolence and assuredness seemed to amuse him. He soon revealed his identity. "I am known as Yongjugai." Cheonhui's eyes narrowed at once. Even he couldn’t help but recognize the name Yongjugai. It was impossible not to. The leader of the Beggars' Gang—an extensive organization with an army of 800,000 under its command.