Heavenly Demon of Mount Hua

Chapter 25

—–CROW—– 

Deep within the Swift Wind Trading Company.

The place where the head of the trading company and his wife resided was in ruins.

Corpses littered the floor.

Intestines and blood painted the walls and floor.

The once bright and cheerful residence was now filled with a pungent smell of blood and a chilling silence.

“Sob.”

A man and a woman, witnessing the horrific scene, trembled as they embraced each other.

“…My wife.”

The head of the Swift Wind Trading Company, Go Gye-yeong, held his trembling wife tightly and looked at the man responsible for this carnage.

The middle-aged man, seemingly in his forties, had an unremarkable appearance, easily forgettable.

But Go Gye-yeong knew how terrifying this ordinary-looking man was.

Cold-Faced Blade Demon.

Nicknamed for his ghostly blade skills and impassive expression, he was one of the most renowned swordsmen in Shaanxi.

‘I heard the Hundred Ghosts Castle recruited him recently, but why is he with the Hegemon Clan? Don’t tell me…!’

Go Gye-yeong’s blood ran cold as a terrifying thought crossed his mind.

“So you managed to avoid a fatal blow.”

The Cold-Faced Blade Demon, covered in blood, plunged his sword into the abdomen of a mercenary who was still twitching after being struck down moments ago.

Thud!

“Cough!”

The barely alive mercenary coughed up blood, trembled, and then went still.

After confirming the mercenary’s death, the Cold-Faced Blade Demon stomped on the corpse and retrieved his sword.

Swish—

Blood spurted like a fountain, raining down on the residence.

“For a trading company that dominates Shaanxi, you’ve gathered quite a few skilled mercenaries.”

The Cold-Faced Blade Demon brushed back his blood-soaked hair and locked eyes with Go Gye-yeong, who stood across from him with a hardened expression.

Flinch!

Go Gye-yeong’s breath hitched as he met the Cold-Faced Blade Demon’s murderous gaze.

‘All the skilled mercenaries I painstakingly recruited over the past two years…’

Go Gye-yeong’s world went dark.

The five martial artists who had fallen at the Cold-Faced Blade Demon’s hands were all renowned mercenaries in Shaanxi Province.

But the Cold-Faced Blade Demon’s notoriety was well-deserved, as they all perished in less than a moment.

Trickle—

A cold sweat trickled down Go Gye-yeong’s forehead as he witnessed the unbelievable scene.

“…Sob.”

He snapped back to reality at the sound of his wife, Yeon Su-ran’s, voice and met her gaze, offering a reassuring look.

He then released her from his embrace, stood protectively in front of her, and said,

“…Do you think you can get away with this in broad daylight?”

The Cold-Faced Blade Demon let out a cold laugh.

“What if I can’t?”

“Do you even know who’s backing our trading company?”

“I know very well.  Mount Hua Sect, isn’t it?”

“…!”

Go Gye-yeong’s jaw dropped as he watched the Cold-Faced Blade Demon reply nonchalantly.

Committing such an act, knowing that Mount Hua Sect was backing them, meant they were prepared for all-out war.

Or…

“…You intend to kill everyone in the Swift Wind Trading Company.”

The Cold-Faced Blade Demon simply smiled in response.

Go Gye-yeong frowned at the sight of his pearly white teeth and said,

“I heard a rumor that you joined the Hundred Ghosts Castle recently.”

“Word travels fast.”

Go Gye-yeong bit his lip as he saw the Cold-Faced Blade Demon readily admit it.

His fears had become reality.

In the worst possible way.

“…Did the Hegemon Clan join forces with the Hundred Ghosts Castle?”

“Join forces?”

The Cold-Faced Blade Demon let out a chilling laugh.

“Do you think the Hegemon Clan is on equal footing with the Hundred Ghosts Castle?”

“That means…!”

Go Gye-yeong’s face turned pale.

‘The Hegemon Clan is under the Hundred Ghosts Castle!’

Countless pieces of information clicked into place in his mind.

“So the reason the newly formed Hegemon Clan rose to prominence was because of the Hundred Ghosts Castle’s support…?”

“Impressive.”

The Cold-Faced Blade Demon exclaimed in admiration.

Despite their brief exchange, Go Gye-yeong had grasped the meaning behind his words.

“Then the reason you attacked our trading company is to pressure Mount Hua Sect…”

“To think you built the Swift Wind Trading Company from nothing into such a large enterprise all by yourself. You’re quite perceptive.”

The Cold-Faced Blade Demon looked at Go Gye-yeong, who was trying to extract information despite the current situation, with a look of regret.

“It’s a shame.  Such a shame. If you had severed ties with Mount Hua Sect and accepted the Hegemon Clan’s offer, you wouldn’t be in this situation.”

“That would never happen.”

Go Gye-yeong said firmly.

The Cold-Faced Blade Demon seemed to have expected that and nodded slightly.

He had confirmed before the attack that Go Gye-yeong’s eldest son was a disciple of Mount Hua Sect.

The Cold-Faced Blade Demon approached Go Gye-yeong.

He had enjoyed toying with Go Gye-yeong, but it was over now.

He couldn’t waste any more time.

Step— Step—

Go Gye-yeong glared at the approaching Cold-Faced Blade Demon and said forcefully,

“…Mount Hua Sect will not stand idly by.”

“Contrary to your wishes, that won’t happen.”

The Cold-Faced Blade Demon’s smile vanished.

“As you said, the Swift Wind Trading Company will disappear without a trace today.”

After declaring his intention to completely eradicate them, he raised his sword high.

Drip, drip.

Go Gye-yeong stared at the blood-dripping blade and muttered,

“Things won’t go as you planned.”

“It’s not bad to die dreaming.”

The Cold-Faced Blade Demon narrowed his eyes.

Whoosh!

A chilling killing intent erupted from him, filling the residence.

“Ugh!”

As Go Gye-yeong’s face paled under the onslaught of killing intent, the sword descended.

Swish!

“Sob!”

As Yeon Su-ran, standing behind Go Gye-yeong, screamed and squeezed her eyes shut.

Clang!

Sparks suddenly flew.

The Cold-Faced Blade Demon, his sword blocked mid-swing, was thrown back and crashed into the bloodstained wall.

“Cough!”

He coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed weakly to his knees.

It had all happened in a split second.

“What…?”

“Sob?”

Go Gye-yeong and Yeon Su-ran, finally comprehending the situation, looked at the person who had suddenly appeared with dumbfounded expressions.

Fair skin and distinct features.

The handsome young man, dressed in black robes, looked around and spoke,

“What’s so big about a trading company?”

Go Gye-yeong, flustered by his unexpected tone, asked cautiously,

“D-Did you come from Mount Hua Sect?”

“Huh?”

The young man, Cheon-hwi, turned his head.

That face?

The flustered middle-aged man looked strangely familiar.

‘Huh?  Jeok-geom?’

The middle-aged man looked exactly like Jeok-geom.

The only differences were the wrinkles on his face and the marks of time.

Cheon-hwi looked down at him and asked,

“Are you the head of the Swift Wind Trading Company?”

“Y-Yes, I am.”

“Then he must be the enemy.”

“Mount Hua Sect?”

At that moment, the Cold-Faced Blade Demon regained consciousness.

Using his sword as a cane, he stood up and stared at Cheon-hwi, a sense of dread washing over him.

“How did you get in here? My men were outside.”

“Outside? Ah! Them?”

Cheon-hwi said, as if recalling something trivial.

“They were annoying, so I took care of them.”

“…!”

The Cold-Faced Blade Demon’s face hardened.

If what he said was true, he had dealt with his men so stealthily that he hadn’t even noticed.

‘They were men hastily assigned to me by the Hegemon Clan, but they were all first-rate mercenaries.’

His hand, gripping the sword, became sweaty.

The nervous Cold-Faced Blade Demon adjusted his grip and quickly scanned Cheon-hwi.

‘He’s not a Plum Blossom Swordsman.’

He examined Cheon-hwi’s sword and noticed the absence of the plum blossom insignia, a must-have for Plum Blossom Swordsmen.

That meant he was just an ordinary Taoist priest.

But he couldn’t let his guard down.

‘He’s not to be underestimated.’

He recalled the surprise attack from moments ago.

He had seen a blur, and then he had felt a sharp pain in his abdomen.

He bit his lip.

He tried to recall what had happened, but he couldn’t even begin to understand how he had been attacked.

‘What hit me? A punch? A palm strike? A kick? Or a shoulder charge?’

The more he tried to figure it out, the more uneasy he felt.

Not being able to see his opponent’s attack meant a significant difference in skill.

He was clearly facing a superior opponent.

‘Damn it! But I can’t run away.’

The Cold-Faced Blade Demon’s face contorted.

He wanted to run away, but his feet wouldn’t move.

Or rather, he couldn’t afford to.

‘If I fail this mission, he’ll kill me.’

The Cold-Faced Blade Demon shuddered.

It was known that he had been recruited by the Hundred Ghosts Castle, but that wasn’t the truth.

He had submitted to the Lord of the Hundred Ghosts Castle and was forced to obey his every command.

Even if it meant risking his life.

Recalling the middle-aged man who had overpowered him with overwhelming strength, he shuddered and adjusted his grip on his sword.

‘It’s better to face this guy than to run away and face him.’

He made up his mind and raised his sword.

He gathered all his internal energy from his lower dantian and released a cold glint in his eyes.

Boom!

The floor exploded.

He lunged at Cheon-hwi with blinding speed.

Closing the distance to a single meter in an instant, the Cold-Faced Blade Demon infused his sword with internal energy, and a chilling aura enveloped the blade.

Then he swung his sword like a whip.

Swish!

It was the manifestation of the Cold Soul Blade, a technique he had honed his entire life.

As the Cold Soul Blade, swung in the blink of an eye, was about to pierce Cheon-hwi’s abdomen, the Cold-Faced Blade Demon smiled triumphantly.

But his smile didn’t last long.

Grab—

Cheon-hwi grabbed the Cold Soul Blade.

The horrified Cold-Faced Blade Demon looked at his blocked sword and then looked up.

“…!”

His face turned pale.

Cheon-hwi’s eyes were colder than the chilling aura emanating from his sword.

“You have a death wish.”

Cheon-hwi said, extending his index finger.

At that moment, the Cold-Faced Blade Demon saw a plum blossom blooming.

Blood-red and terrifyingly beautiful.

And that plum blossom was the last thing the Cold-Faced Blade Demon saw.

—–CROW—– 

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