Chapter 4
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Left Envoy - Where is the Heavenly Peak?
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Snow was falling.
Over the course of eight seasons—two full years—Geum-gang had grown rapidly.
Her body, influenced by her martial arts, was transforming into something increasingly beautiful.
A physique that trained relentlessly every day gleamed smooth as jade.
Every inch of her was far from the rough build of a typical martial artist; she had the graceful curves of a fairy.
Her lower body had developed fully, accentuating her femininity.
A changing body meant progress in her cultivation.
And her martial arts were growing stronger by the day.
Ha Jin watched her disciple's growth with pride.
Flowing Willow Dawn Chronicle.
Somewhere in Luoyang, a wanderer named Jeong appears and sweeps away the demonic paths with all sorts of fortuitous encounters.
Volumes 1 and 2.
Even as the Four Demonic Legions were being crushed, the Demon Cult never showed its face.
It was mentioned only in passing.
And then Volume 3.
The Demon Cult finally begins to be mentioned.
'One of the Seven Strongholds of the brutal Four Demonic Legions, the Iron Sword Dan Ui-cheon. Before the Jeong who defeated him stood a man of clearly noble status. Introducing himself as the third prince of the Ming Dynasty, he warned of the Heavenly Demon's return and left with all sorts of gifts. As if to prove the man's warning, a Golden Hand Rakshasa appeared on Kunlun Mountain and stirred up bloodshed. After that, the Demon Cult vanished for nearly three years.'
The time when Ha Jin had brought Geum-gang was about two years ago.
By the end of Volume 3, the Demon Cult reemerges, hinting at a confrontation with Jeong.
From this passage, it seemed the protagonist 'Jeong' had about a year before clashing with the Demon Cult.
She needed to grow strong enough to survive until then.
After killing Dan Ui-cheon, Jeong absorbs an enormous number of fortuitous encounters.
'And gets stronger.'
Flowing Willow Dawn Chronicle was a tale of a wanderer, after all.
For him, the demonic paths would always be targets for extermination.
The past two years.
Ha Jin had taught her bits of the cult's doctrines here and there.
'Look into your heart and be true to its desires. Obsess, cling tightly, and you will reach the pinnacle.'
Observe the heart, be loyal to desire, persist unyieldingly.
Melt any desire into martial prowess.
The stronger the obsession, the closer to true demonic power.
Even the pure energy of the Golden Body Art became a demonic art through obsession with beauty.
A righteous martial artist would spot the obsession embedded in such arts at a glance.
Demonic arts weren't inherently evil, but the crimes committed by demonic cultivators were far too grave to expect lenient views.
And desires weren't limited to beauty alone.
Bloodlust. Rage. Sorrow. Envy.
Even far more vicious emotions were all permitted—that was the demonic path.
All martial arts influence one's nature.
Even Geum-gang could feel her own temperament growing more like Ha Jin's, so what of other demonic arts?
The stronger one grew,
the more they lost themselves to lust,
blinded by greed for wealth.
Uncontrolled demonic cultivators were truly madmen.
'Someday, I might harm others out of my own greed too.'
Geum-gang clenched her fists tightly.
This world often felt like a dream.
Maybe the real 'me' was lying somewhere, lost in a deep sleep.
'If I die here...'
I might wake up.
She didn't want to go back.
She didn't want to die either.
I want to live.
Live life on my own terms.
Under the dusky indigo sky.
Geum-gang continued her training until dawn broke.
The more she trained, the more Geum-gang sensed her body's structure subtly changing.
Her bones grew denser, her elastic muscles even more flexible.
Her normally soft body turned hard as iron with the slightest flex.
And the most dramatic change was this:
She could now control every single muscle.
The human body is divided into two main types of muscle.
Voluntary muscles, which move at will.
And involuntary muscles, which do not.
For her now, there were no such things as muscles beyond her will.
Want to move nimbly? She could make her own heart beat faster.
During a spar with Ha Jin, if her organs were damaged, she could staunch the bleeding with a flex.
Her control over her body sharpened, her internal movements felt in fine detail.
Her eyesight surged dramatically too.
From the flutter of tiny insect wings to vision in pitch darkness without a single light.
One day, a golden glow enveloped her body, and her mind cleared.
Anyone could tell.
This stage.
Geum-gang had entered the second stage of the Golden Body Art.
At this stage, she could rival even the second-generation disciples of major sects.
Considering first-generation disciples were typically around thirty, this was achievement enough to stun anyone.
Ha Jin, hearing the news, came rushing over as if about to smash the floor.
"My disciple! My precious disciple! Just two years. Two years! To reach this stage in such a short time. Even I didn't achieve this until my prime years had passed. Will my line end with me...!"
Geum-gang approached the deeply moved Ha Jin and bowed her head.
'It's all thanks to studying under you, Master.'
She wanted to bow properly and cup her fists in respect.
Live out the tropes of wulin history right here.
But Ha Jin wouldn't allow it.
If she acted all stiff and formal, out might come the 'training club'.
'Ugh, damn it.'
Geum-gang burrowed in close and looked up at Ha Jin.
"Mm. Did I do good?"
Life is hard.
To fail that one-in-a-million chance and end up doing this for life.
Or if she'd been a guy, would she have died back then?
Swallowing her embarrassment, she tilted her head and gazed up with wide eyes.
Ha Jin ruffled her hair wildly.
"Ahaha! Yes, you did great! So great! Now I get why the elders go crazy over their disciples."
From that day on, Ha Jin bragged about Geum-gang nonstop.
'Hmm. Though she's a girl, who knew she'd be so full of charm. It's getting annoying. Nothing like Third Elder's granddaughter. Right? Oh, not teasing.'
'Right Envoy, you gloomy old bachelor, get yourself a disciple. You've got time to spare rotting away in your empty quarters. No, you'd probably end up with someone just like you. Take it back.'
'Ah, my disciple's already reached the second stage, Cult Leader. Peak realm before fifteen. Is it her sect's excellence? Or is she just exceptional? I can't tell. I'm thinking of raising her as the next Left Envoy after me. Or maybe as a Dharma Protector? What do you think? She takes after me so prettily. Makes me blush like I'm gilding my own face. Attaching her portrait. Please reply.'
She sent letters bordering on exaggeration everywhere.
Of course, not a single reply came back.
There was a reason Ha Jin doted on Geum-gang so much.
The Golden Body Art was suited for women.
Originating from fairy garments, it was only natural.
Even practitioner Gwak Han hadn't reached its heights, likely due to being male.
Thus, the seamless heavenly robe Gwak Han dreamed of had never been achieved.
The Left Envoy had struggled to find a disciple because girls with the right aptitude were rare.
The perfect balance of yin and yang essence one was born with, and more.
An exacting art to even begin, finding a successor was no easy task.
So the girl before her now...
"Uwaaah! Let go!"
Was cute enough to die for.
And her speech was adorable too!
Forgetting it was her own influence on the girl's mannerisms, Ha Jin pulled Geum-gang to her chest and hugged her fiercely.
Squish.
A crushing pressure that choked the breath from her.
Ignoring it, Ha Jin shook her back and forth.
"No way! Not letting go! Baby. My baby. We won't have much time like this. Come spring, we head to the cult. So for now, let's enjoy it fully."
In the smothering embrace, Geum-gang's mind filled with thoughts.
The long-delayed entry into the cult.
With the date set, her heart felt heavy.
Seeing Geum-gang's expression, Ha Jin lifted her gently and set her down.
"Right, entry into the cult. I'd love to keep you tucked by my side forever, but we can't delay any longer. The time has come."
"Yes..."
"Aigoo. Baby. You've got to meet the Cult Leader, and someday the Heavenly Demon too. Should I stick right by you? No, maybe delay it a bit more? Hm?"
"No. I'm plenty mature. Master. What's the Cult Leader like?"
Cult Leader.
Flowing Willow Dawn Chronicle had strangely little on the Demon Cult.
To survive smoothly, she needed knowledge of it.
"The Cult Leader, huh. Mm."
The Demon Cult's power structure was divided between the symbolic pinnacle, the Heavenly Demon, and the actual ruler, the Cult Leader.
Typically, the Heavenly Demon lineage from the Cheon clan were treated as living gods, appearing only at grand events or ceremonies.
But as generations passed, the Heavenly Demon's authority waned, and since the Ming founding, they had become mere figureheads without real power.
The current Cult Leader was one of the Central Plains' twelve strongest experts.
She wielded influence comparable to a hegemon ruling the Heavenly Mountains.
Even dividing the Heavenly Mountains region into four domains under her rule drew no pressure from the imperial court.
It could only be seen as tacit approval from the imperial family.
Among all past Cult Leaders, she ranked among the top few in realm.
A legendary figure who, despite her youth, expanded the cult's power with profound wisdom.
She overthrew the previous Heavenly Demon—who was little more than a symbol—and earned the grandiose title of Demon Lord.
She fully seized control of the New Cult and sought to reshape the Heavenly Mountains...
But fortune wasn't on her side.
Freaks are sometimes born into the world.
A clan worshipped as gods.
As if proving the Cheon clan were heaven's kin, a celestial descended to earth one day.
Cheon Hong, daughter of the deceased previous Heavenly Demon.
Internal energy gathered in her breaths.
Her will manifested reality.
A demon whose every action defied reason.
At six years old.
Without any training, she displayed the Three Flowers Gather at the Crown phenomenon and entered the Flower Realm.
Rumors swirled that the Cult Leader hired peak experts from the Four Demonic Legions for an assassination, but only corpses of unknown origin littered before the Heavenly Demon Hall, and all remained eerily quiet.
The year Cheon Hong turned ten.
Visiting the Podalrab Palace with an envoy triggered an incident that terrified the entire Central Plains.
Before rumors of the young Heavenly Demon spread,
with the Cheon clan's prestige so fallen, the secret cult's monks dared to mock the little girl.
And with a single strike.
A casual swing erased the entire Podalrab Palace, propelling her to the Present Realm.
Though history had fewer than three who reached the Present Realm, everyone present accepted it.
A colossal force rivaling the North Sea Ice Palace crumbled in an instant.
A massive crater scarred the high mountain peak.
Standing alone was the girl, cloaked in pitch-black night.
An unbelievable event, yet spread across the Central Plains by cultists and merchants who witnessed it.
As rumors exploded uncontrollably, major sects and the imperial court sent investigators to verify.
All the busybodies chattered the same.
Demon God.
Even the imperial court, which suppressed martial artists from claiming titles like marquis, duke, or king, now called her the Sixth Heavenly Demon King in fear.
Among the masses, she became the Demon God, an object of awe and reverence.
Yes, that was truly the Demon Cult's golden age.
"Mm..."
Geum-gang pressed her cheek with her hand, deep in thought.
The Heavenly Demon's return...
Something about the Heavenly Mountains' Demon Lord...
Tsk.
There was one part she just couldn't wrap her head around.
"What's wrong, baby?"
Ha Jin leaned in to ask, and Geum-gang looked up at her with wide eyes.
Her personal signal for maximum curiosity.
"Master. I've got a question."
"Mm. So cute."
Ignoring Ha Jin's reaction, she pressed on.
"If it's their golden age, shouldn't they be aiming for the Central Plains?"
Historically, the Demon Cult sought to advance into the Central Plains.
Threatening enough with just the Cult Leader, a Present Realm expert made unifying the world entirely plausible.
Too strong to be merely biding time in the shadows.
The Left and Right Envoys alone could handle factions of the righteous sects.
Add the Cult Leader's Dharma Protectors, elders, and sect branches within the cult?
Not even the Central Plains' martial alliance would stand a chance.
Maybe even the imperial family...
"Mm. Sharp as ever. However..."
Ha Jin rubbed her temple, searching for an excuse.
Knowing the jianghu's secrets never ended well.
Did she have to drag this child into the cult's politics already?
"Tell me! Please tell me!"
The golden-haired beauty clung to her sleeve and whined; Ha Jin was helpless.
As she rubbed against Ha Jin's soft chest, Ha Jin pressed her temples and explained slowly.
"Mm. Simply put, factions have formed within the New Cult. This master wanted no part in either side, but avoiding it proved impossible."
'Ah, so even here it's political drama in the end.'
Though details were unclear, factions clashed within the Demon Cult.
Probably Heavenly Demon supporters versus Cult Leader loyalists.
A power struggle between the two.
Joining the Demon Cult felt iffy, but as the Left Envoy's disciple, it was inevitable.
Even if she escaped later, knowing the cult's inner workings was essential.
"This master's talking nonsense now. Baby, I'll tell you more when you're older."
Ha Jin patted her head and hastily wrapped up the talk.
Geum-gang didn't know her exact age but looked about fourteen or fifteen.
Young by modern standards, but in the wulin, already considered an adult.
Yet in the Left Envoy's eyes, Geum-gang remained that first little girl.
The one the Taoists had hidden away.
'Who'd have thought those old goats hid such a treasure. I had no intention of taking her, but fate finds a way.'
When spring came and peach blossoms bloomed, she'd take this child to the New Cult.
To that brutal place.
Unless she wanted her disciple treated as an outsider, no more delays.
Once at the cult, she couldn't keep her close like now.
Ha Jin wished for more snow, for this winter to last a little longer.