Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon - chapter 77

Chapter 77

Elsewhere, such as the Qingcheng Sect, many things were happening too.

Jang Seo-ah, the ‘Sword of Earth’, had left Sichuan months earlier under the orders of her master to investigate her junior brother’s whereabouts. After confirming Mae Hong-sung’s death, she came back to Zhongyuan after suffering through a number of hardships on the road. Without a chance to pull herself together, she returned to Mount Qingcheng with his sword in hand. All she wanted was to deliver this grim news to her master and her senior brother as soon as possible.

But when she finally arrived back at Mount Qingcheng…

What greeted her arrival was neither her master nor her senior brother, but their spirit tablets upon the shrine [1].

“Master! Senior Brother!”

She could not contain her tears and fell to the ground in mourning.

Jang Seo-ah had entered the Qingcheng Sect only after having lived a lonely and painful life as an orphan. At Mount Qingcheng, she met a family: she had her master and her martial brothers.

Being slow in cultivation, the Sword of Earth never earned the most attention. Of course, she also knew that her master had often swept over her body with a licentious eye.

But even so, he was my master… He has taken care of me since I was young. Instead of letting me die in the cold of winter, he took me in and gave me a new life.

But that person — no, her whole family — had died.

The loss that Jang Seo-ah felt was hard to put into words. Suddenly, she was alone in a world full of red roses. It was as if everything in the world was harmoniously intertwined, but she just couldn’t immerse herself within it.

She felt numb to the core and spent the next few days crying.

No, it wasn’t just a few days. Her grief lasted months.

She didn’t eat or drink properly. Thus, as time went by, she withered until her bones showed.

Some of the elders tried to comfort her. “Seo-ah… Please eat something. You’ve barely eaten or slept for the past months…”

“Elder…”

“Don’t worry. I’m fine…”

Of course, what they really meant was: “I’m just afraid that we might lose the last successor of the ‘Sword of Blue Clouds and Red Sunset’.”

Interestingly, Sang Seo-ah finally regained her senses half a year later thinking this very thought: Last successor… That’s right! I’m the last successor!

She grabbed her sword and went to find the elders, asking, “Who was the one who killed Master and Senior Brother?”

The elders shook their heads, “We don’t know for sure, but we simply suspect that it has to do with the Cult of the Heavenly Demon.”

“The Cult of the Heavenly Demon!” I’m Jang Seo-ah, the apprentice of the First Apprentice and the Sword of Earth of the Three Swords of Qingcheng.

It seemed that in this small province of Murim, an instance of revenge had birthed another journey for vengeance.

Back in the Cult, Woon-seong immediately left the Third Gate once he woke up.

With a thundering sound, a huge stone gate opened, allowing light to pour into the room.

Walking out, Woon-seong quickly passed through the mountains of the Inner Garden inside the Palace. He briefly stopped by the lake and glanced towards the pavilion where he and Chun Hwi had spent time when the Heavenly Demon had still been healthy.

…Master.

But now there was nothing to say and no one to talk to.

Turning away, Woon-seong focused on his current job. The place where I can meet the Unrecorded Demonic Group…

As he walked out of the Inner Garden, someone was waiting for him.

Sang In-hyo, who had been watching over Woon-seong since the Cave of Latent Demons, was now one of his trusted subordinates. He came to Woon-seong with new clothing, as if he had known that Woon-seong was training.

“We’ve been waiting for you, sir.”

Next to Sang In-hyo was Mok Dae-young, who was standing in for the Senior Strategist.

Woon-seong received the fresh clothes from Sang In-hyo with a nod. The clothes he currently wore had been soaked through with sweat and then charred by the Divine Flame.

Returning the destroyed set to Sang In-hyo he said, “There’s a place I need to go.”

“A place to go?” Sang In-hyo asked as Mok Dae-young also looked at him in question.

It seemed odd that Woon-seong had left the Inner Garden and sounded so urgent.

Woon-seong briefly said, “We may just be able to tip the power balance to our favor.”

Sang In-hyo and Mok Dae-young both swallowed some saliva. The Young Leader is not a man that tells lies…Then there must be a reason he believes that.

As they were thinking, Woon-seong had already started moving in a rush.

Sang In-hyo and Mok Dae-young asked, “Where are you heading?”

“The Cult’s Demonic Armory.”

“The armory? Now…?” Sang In-hyo still remembered going to the armory as a guide for Woon-seong, back when the Young Leader had just become a Great Demon and needed a new weapon. “But nobody is allowed inside the armory without the Leader’s permission.”

The ‘although he is poisoned, but Chun Hwi is still the Cult Leader’ was left unsaid.

Sang In-hyo quietly noted the speed at which Woon-seong was traveling, which was now well beyond the speed of a Great Demon.

“I know.”

“And you still insist on going?”

Woon-seong responded matter of factly, “There’s someone I need to meet there.”

“Someone you need to meet…?”

Mok Dae-young and Sang In-hyo followed after the Young Leader and tilted their heads at the same time, but Woon-seong did not answer the question. Instead, he just quietly sped up, eventually leaving the two behind.

Of course, Woon-seong was not randomly deciding to pay the Demonic Armory a visit.

“The day I entered the armory, there was someone guarding the place.”

Woon-seong had chosen the armory as the place to contact the Unrecorded Demonic Group because he knew that while he had not seen the man, a member had been there: Woon-seong had heard his voice.

That person must be it…

Woon-seong soon reached the place where the armory was visible. I’m here.

Shh!

Woon-seong suddenly stopped and dropped to the ground. He had stopped on the outskirts, such that he could enter the armory if he wanted. Instead of continuing forward, he broadened his senses.

Engaging qi sense!

His qi spread in a circle, allowing him to feel even the flapping of wings by the spirit beasts in the trees. In between this aura he felt a strange sensation, a blurry but unbroken presence.

Woon-seong smiled. Just as I expected.

It was then that Sang In-hyo arrived by his side.

Mok Dae-young, who was weaker in strength, arrived a little later. His presence was made known by some ‘huff huff’s and a billow of dust. The man was breathing hard after being forced to chase after the Demonic King-level Young Leader and a higher ranked Great Demon.

Woon-seong looked at the gorge below and shouted loudly at the surrounding area.

“I know there’s someone here. I’ve heard that a person of the Unrecorded Demonic Group is in constant standby near the Cult’s Demonic Armory.”

The wind blew as soon as he finished speaking.

Whaaaaah—!

Woon-seong’s clothing fluttered in the wind, but there was no response.

So they’re the Unrecorded Group for a reason. He was talking to martial artists that secretly supported the Cult from the shadows — the ones that even the Heavenly Demon, the top of the Cult, could not control. It only makes sense that they won’t respond to the Young Leader.

“So you’re not going to show yourself?” Woon-seong smiled and asked again.

Once more, there was still only the sound of the wind.

Mok Dae-young stared at him in confusion, not knowing what the Young Leader was going to do at all. What is he thinking?

On the other hand, Sang In-hyo was watching Woon-seong’s behavior carefully.

What neither the Young Leader nor Mok Dae-young knew was that Sang In-hyo was a member of the Unrecorded Demonic Group. Moreover, he was no ordinary member but an executive.

Cave of Latent Demons or not, Sang In-hyo had been closely monitoring Woon-seong the moment the youth had chosen the White Night Spear.

Woon-seong, the inheritor of the ‘Art of Six Seals and Destruction’ as well as the ‘Dragon Fang Spear of the White Night’, was finally going to do something.

Sang In-hyo’s eyes deepened as he observed.

As he watched, something amazing happened.

Woon-seong made a light huff, then said, “If you won’t show yourself, I’ll just have to make you!”

Suddenly, there was a fire that burned across Woon-seong’s body.

Whaaaah—!

The Divine Flame! An overwhelming presence and pressure that no demonic practitioner could dare stand up against.

Sang In-hyo bowed towards the flame, as was the instinctive reaction of every demonic practitioner. The same was true for Mok Dae-young.

As he bowed though, Sang In-hyo was still observing Woon-seong. So the Young Leader has already achieved the Divine Shaped Flame! As far as I know, he has yet to learn the Last Connection of the Divine Art of the Heavenly Demon…

Sang In-hyo was filled with surprise as he looked up and saw Woon-seong’s back. The fire wrapped around Woon-seong’s body like a cape. Ah… look at him… It’s as though Zhurong, the supreme-ruler of fire [2], has descended upon this world… But the truly impressive part isn’t his figure. It’s the grey fire!

Sang In-hyo trembled slightly as he remembered a figure so many years ago: “So, Sang In-hyo. Is this enough for the Unrecorded Demonic Group to approve me?” That was a memory of Chun Hwi from his youth. Sang In-hyo smiled softly. My Leader, the Young Leader is just like you.

The grey flame manifested by Woon-seong was one of the two symbols of the Unrecorded Heavenly Demon.

He must have found the teachings of the Unrecorded Heavenly Demon somehow. However, it’s still only half complete. I understand why the Young Leader came here. Although I have no idea how he knew that this Divine Flame was connected to the Unrecorded Demonic Group… One thing for sure is that the Young Leader is here to contact the Unrecorded Demonic Group.

Sang In-hyo shook his head. But that’s not enough.

Even the Vice Leader has obtained a half-complete Divine Flame. That is not enough to move the Unrecorded Demonic Group. If he truly wants to meet the Unrecorded Demonic Group… If he truly wants to obtain them… He must present a complete Divine Flame.

The moment Sang In-hyo thought about this fact, the flames dancing around Woon-seong changed.

Whoosh!

The flames expanded and drifted away from Woon-seong’s body. As it did so, the flames separated and floated into the air as a dozen balls of fire.

Sang In-hyo made a startled sound, “Huup!”

A confident statement came from Woon-seong, “Is this still not enough?”

Subsequently, through his senses, Woon-seong felt a presence moving closer to him. He smirked. Show yourselves, Unrecorded Demonic Group!

The presence he had been following suddenly disappeared, but then quickly returned, now joined by a few others.

Shhh! Tak!

With a whistle, a group of people appeared in front of Woon-seong out of a cloud of wind and dust.

The man in front observed Woon-seong just as Woon-seong observed him.

The man had a stuttering beard on his chin, with a scar across his lip and a wide forehead. An unfamiliar face, realized Woon-seong.

Then what about the clothes? Woon-seong noticed that the man’s black robe was made of quality silk. The word ‘Unrecorded’ was engraved clearly on the cuff.

His power is no less than that of mine… He must be at least as strong as the Ten Demonic Masters…!

Woon-seong’s eyebrows twitched.

However, the one who first spoke was the other. “So, you’re the one who presented the Divine Flame of the Unrecorded?”

Hearing these words, Woon-seong had the vague feelings that the other man had modulated his voice. It was possible that his voice sounded different over qi transmission, but he wasn’t sure. It was just a hunch that the man had changed his voice on purpose.

But that’s not important right now. What matters is that this man must be ranked high within the Unrecorded Demonic Group…

Once again, the trembling voice of the other man could be heard, “If so, show me proof.”

Instead of speaking, Woon-seong raised his hands.

Fwoom—!

The silent grey flame burned upon his arm once more. The flame lingered there for a moment before rising straight into the air in little balls of fire.

A flame. Not red, but grey… [3]

As soon as the fire appeared, Sang In-hyo, who had been standing behind Woon-seong, knelt to the ground.

It was not just Sang In-hyo.

In fact, the man dressed in black standing before Woon-seong had actually gotten to his knees faster than Sang In-hyo.

“I, the Tenth Group Leader of the Unrecorded Demonic Group, present myself to the Advent of the Unrecorded.”

Looking around, the man added, “This… is not a proper place to have a lengthy conversation.”

Raising his head, the man guided Woon-seong into a safe house. Once he entered the safe house, Woon-seong was brought through another passage.

The man in black walked at the front, leading Woon-seong. After that was the group from the Unrecorded Demonic Group and Sang In-hyo. Mok Dae-young also tagged along.

Woon-seong’s gaze turned to Sang In-hyo. So Sang In-hyo was also part of the Unrecorded Demonic Group. The moment I presented the Divine Flame, I sensed a change in his breathing. Mok Dae-young was frozen in awe, but Sang In-hyo didn’t do so.

Woon-seong turned around and looked at the man who was leading them forward.

The passageway forward was not long. At the end was a stairway.

The man opened another door, “This way.”

Once inside, a familiar space unfolded.

Woon-seong had only been here once before, but it was definitely a memorable space. Looking around, he noticed the unusual traces from his altercation a few months prior.

Woon-seong tilted his head. This place is…?

The man in black scratched at his face with his fingertips as he took his outer layer off.

Beneath the black robe was a set of white clothing.

In addition, his face peeled off.

[1] A spirit tablet is made during the funeral period and enshrined after the burial, with the name of the deceased person inscribed upon it.

[2] Zhurong (祝融) is the supreme-ruler of fire in traditional Chinese mythology, said to rule over the southern hemisphere.

[3] As a reminder, the color is being emphasized because the conventional Divine Flame is blood-red. The Divine Flames manifested by Joo Moon-baek and Woon-seong have both been grey colored. For clarity, the Divine Shaped Flame is just the usable form of the Divine Flame.