Chapter 65
As Cheonghyeon was about to take my hand and lead me forward—
“From the Tang Family? That green robe—then you must be…!”
“Hello! I’m Tang Biye from the Sichuan Tang Clan. The clan head is my grandfather.”
“Haha! So it’s true that Lord Tang himself arrived with his granddaughter! What a pleasure to meet you. I am Wi Sopyeol, the head of the Bihyung Trading Guild.”
People recognized me from the Tang family’s signature green robe and approached to speak.
“Hello, Guild Master.”
I’d heard of the Bihyung Trading Guild before.
Wasn’t it one of the guilds my aunt did business with? A rather large one, at that. The guild master, Wi Sopyeol, was known to be a skilled martial artist.
I never imagined I’d meet him here.
After exchanging a few words about paying respects to my grandfather, he soon departed. His tone was gentle and without any hint of arrogance.
He treated even a child like me with courtesy.
That was the kind of person Wi Sopyeol seemed to be.
After our brief talk, I felt a little more confident.
‘Maybe I don’t have to be so nervous after all.’
If all the adults here were like him, maybe I’d be fine even without Father or Grandfather by my side.
Of course—
‘Still, I wish fewer people would try to talk to us…’
Not because of me.
But because of Cheonghyeon.
He clearly wanted to get away from the crowded area as quickly as possible.
However—
“Do we stand out too much or something?”
Every few steps, someone recognized the Tang family robe or an acquaintance stopped Cheonghyeon to greet him.
Among them were a few elderly martial artists who even handed me little treats, saying I was adorable.
Naturally, our pace slowed more and more.
Thankfully—
‘At least no one seems overly interested.’
Or maybe… they were just trying not to be obvious?
I could feel curious gazes brushing over my sleeves.
“Hmm…”
In martial society, staring directly at another’s sleeves—where weapons are often hidden—is considered rude.
To do so implies a challenge to duel.
But—
‘What can I even say about it?’
I couldn’t tell them to stop staring.
They were all far beyond me in skill—veteran masters compared to a child like me.
Besides, I was still a child.
It was natural to be curious what I might be hiding up my sleeve.
If it were me, I’d probably sneak a look too.
“We’re here.”
At that moment—
Cheonghyeon stopped and finally released my wrist.
We had reached a quiet area, away from the crowd. I looked around.
Almost no outsiders were present—only Namgung family servants and attendants busily carrying things back and forth.
“Where are we?”
“Changryuji. The lotus pond in the center of the garden. Only direct descendants of the Namgung family are allowed here.”
“Is it okay for me to come in, then?”
“You’re an invited guest. It’s fine.”
With that, Cheonghyeon leapt gracefully onto the ornate pavilion above the pond.
His sky-blue martial robe fluttered like a bird’s wings.
“Then I’m coming up too!”
I quickly followed him up to the pavilion.
Sitting casually, gazing at the pond, he said,
“The adults probably have important things to talk about. We kids should stay out of the way.”
“How many guests came today?”
“Roughly three hundred.”
“That’s a lot!”
“Not really. There were more last year, for his birthday.”
He spoke indifferently, then turned to me.
“I told you earlier not to take anything out in the main estate, but here it’s fine.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your snake. It might get restless.”
“What if someone comes and sees it?”
“No one will. And it’s dark enough that they wouldn’t notice right away anyway.”
That was clearly his way of being considerate toward me.
But I shook my head.
“Thanks, but it’s okay.”
“Why?”
“My snake doesn’t like coming out much. And besides, Brother Dangnip told me not to take it out inside the Namgung estate.”
There was no need to go against his advice.
“Well, if you say so.”
Cheonghyeon nodded easily.
As he turned his head, a soft breeze ruffled his hair.
I found myself quietly watching him when—
“!”
“Huh?”
I sensed a faint presence nearby.
“The Demonic Sect’s movements are unusual?”
Tang Cheongi asked calmly.
Namgung Uiryong nodded.
“Yes.”
“Even so, most of their leaders were killed or replaced seven years ago. The ones left are just inexperienced brats—not worth worrying about.”
So even if something seemed strange, there wasn’t much cause for concern.
Moreover—
“After that incident, there hasn’t even been a Heavenly Demon among them, has there?”
The Heavenly Demon—
the supreme ruler of the Demonic Sect, the being who stood at the pinnacle of demonic martial arts.
A master who could see through all with the Demon’s Eye.
Anyone who fully mastered the Heavenly Demon Divine Art and ascended to that seat had long surpassed the limits of humanity.
An existence beyond human.
That was why the righteous martial world always kept watch for the birth of a new Heavenly Demon.
But—
“The position of cult master has been vacant for years.”
No one had reached that level.
No one had succeeded in forming the Heavenly Demon Body—the perfected demonic vessel.
Because of that, even hearing that the Demonic Sect was acting suspiciously did not alarm Tang Cheongi.
Without a leader, the Demonic Sect could not unite.
They were a group that revered strength and obeyed only overwhelming power.
Only a true Heavenly Demon could bind them together.
And since no such being existed now—
The sect was little more than an annoying anthill to the righteous clans.
A nuisance to be avoided, but hardly a threat.
However, Namgung Uiryong shook his head.
“I heard a new one has appeared.”
“I’ve heard rumors like that before—something about one of the Three Sub-Sects?”
At Tang Cheongi’s question, Namgung Uiryong shook his head again.
“This time it’s different. They say he’s young. The cult already calls him Little Lord.”
Tang Cheongi’s brow twitched.
Little Lord—the title given to the successor who precedes the Heavenly Demon himself.
Those who mastered the Heavenly Demon Divine Art to perfection would transform their bodies into the Heavenly Demon Body and rise to become the next Heavenly Demon.
But now, a new Little Lord had supposedly appeared?
Namgung Uiryong continued,
“It seems the Demonic Sect is preparing something to create a new Heavenly Demon Body.”
The Heavenly Demon Body—
the body that transcends humanity, the vessel of the Heavenly Demon.
Both men knew well what that meant:
A body that healed wounds instantly, restored shattered meridians, resisted all poisons, and could not be cut by any blade.
That was the Heavenly Demon Body.
In the Great War between Righteous and Demonic Sects long ago, countless warriors had been unable to leave even a scratch on it.
‘So they think this new Little Lord might actually succeed?’
According to the intelligence both the Tang family and the Martial Alliance possessed, many had once been candidates for Little Lord.
But every one of them had vanished before reaching that position.
And now, apparently, things were different.
Tang Cheongi’s expression darkened as he thought of the implications.
It would be a terrifying existence.
If a new Heavenly Demon were to be born, a storm of blood would surely follow.
“They’ll come down to the Central Plains soon,” Namgung Uiryong said.
“To gather the materials needed for the Heavenly Demon Body?”
“Yes.”
He nodded gravely.
“No one outside the sect knows exactly what those materials are—it’s a top secret even within the Demonic Sect itself. But one thing is certain: they’re searching for something here in the Central Plains.”
Namgung Uiryong met Tang Cheongi’s gaze.
“So whatever it is, we should remain vigilant.”
“None of their people have surfaced yet?”
“Only word that they’ll be moving soon.”
The two men fell silent.
A heavy stillness hung between them.
“!”
Startled, I turned toward Cheonghyeon.
“Cheonghyeon?”
