The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 109

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 109.
Bu Eunseol’s brow furrowed as she listened silently to Nam Goong Woon’s words.
“Why do you wish to travel with me?”
“There may be those in the Murim stronger than you, but at your age, few possess such mastery of the martial world’s intricacies as you do.”
Nam Goong Woon had immediately grasped that Bu Eunseol possessed not only exceptional experience in the Gangho but also remarkable insight.
“I am currently living as a wanderer.”
“I am aware. That is precisely why I have not registered as a wanderer either. I simply wish to travel together.”
He cleared his throat and spoke again.
“Of course, even if we travel together, you need not concern yourself with my expenses. If you wish, I could even provide funds.”
Bu Eunseol shook her head firmly.
“I must decline.”
“Please reconsider? Though I lack experience in the Gangho, I would prove quite useful.”
“Your lack of Gangho experience is precisely the greatest problem. Traveling with a greenhorn would hinder whatever I undertake.”
At her cold refusal, Nam Goong Woon’s head drooped.
As a confident direct member of the Nangung Family, when had he ever been treated with such disrespect?
Then Heuk Pyo suddenly exclaimed.
“Young Master, what if you took him on?”
“What do you mean?”
“Does the Shin Nyeo Gung not maintain considerable relations with the Nangung Family?”
Bu Eunseol made a thoughtful sound.
Many of the masters in Shin Nyeo Gung hailed from the Nangung Family. Because of this, even the reclusive Shin Nyeo Gung maintained frequent exchanges with the Nangung Family.
“Shin Nyeo Gung?”
Nam Goong Woon blinked upon hearing Heuk Pyo’s words.
“Surely you have not been tasked with antagonizing Shin Nyeo Gung?”
“No, that cannot be.”
Heuk Pyo spoke quickly.
“We have been asked to retrieve one of their possessions.”
“A possession?”
“Some sort of orb, they said. Apparently, it can be obtained simply by passing their trial. But how could outsiders like us ever navigate through all the mechanisms hidden within Shin Nyeo Gung?”
“Ah, that is no great matter.”
Nam Goong Woon smiled and pointed to himself with his thumb.
“My aunt resides in Shin Nyeo Gung, so I have visited there often. Entering Shin Nyeo Gung is nothing for me.”
Then he wore a faint smile.
“If you permit me to accompany you, I shall endeavor to assist with that task. What say you?”
Bu Eunseol pondered for a moment.
Forcing my way through Shin Nyeo Gung with martial prowess alone would be impossible.
For the first time since entering the Gangho, I had encountered a matter that could not be resolved by martial skill or strategy alone.
Yet if Nam Goong Woon’s words could resolve it, that would hardly be a loss.
“Very well.”
After a moment’s deliberation, Bu Eunseol nodded.
“Only while I work as a wanderer at Jeok Cheon Mak Ji.”
“Very well. Though I must confess, I still don’t know your name.”
“Seol So.”
Nam Goong Woon smiled faintly at this.
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Seol So.”
Shin Nyeo Gung.
Located in Wushan, Hubei, it was commonly known as Wushan Shin Nyeo Gung.
For ages it had been a forbidden sanctuary for women alone, though in recent times it had begun exchanging with various Orthodox Sects and martial schools.
Particularly since the daughters of the Nangung Family—who had once entered its ranks—had assumed key positions, the two organizations maintained close ties.
“Nam Goong Woon pays respects to the Master of Haehwa Hall.”
Within Haehwa Hall of Shin Nyeo Gung.
As Nam Goong Woon bowed deeply, Namgung Sae-ah, the Master of Haehwa Hall, smiled and shook her head.
“I’ve heard you’ve been wandering the Gangho.”
Nam Goong Woon had been a troublemaker since childhood, and even when he lived in the Nangung Family, he’d caused incidents severe enough to earn brutal beatings from the family patriarch.
Yet here he stood now, a grown man, visiting Shin Nyeo Gung. Namgung Sae-ah found herself reflecting anew on how time had changed him.
“So, what brings you here? And who are these people?”
“These are friends I’ve made in the Gangho—wanderers from Jeok Cheon Mak Ji. Seol So and his servant.”
“Wanderers? Why have they come to the Main House?”
“The reason is….”
As Nam Goong Woon continued his explanation, Namgung Sae-ah’s brow furrowed slightly.
“A treasure of the Main House?”
He’d brought men to Shin Nyeo Gung, a sanctuary for women alone, to obtain a treasure from the Main House?
She suppressed her anger and spoke carefully.
“We cannot give the Main House’s treasures to outsiders.”
“I’ve heard that if one passes a test at Shin Nyeo Gung, one can obtain some kind of orb?”
“A test? Surely you don’t mean…the Preservation Pearl?”
Namgung Sae-ah’s expression shifted strangely.
Like someone discovering an unidentifiable foreign object in their rice bowl mid-meal.
But Nam Goong Woon, failing to notice her expression, clapped his hands together.
“Precisely. If you would grant them the opportunity to take that test, they would be forever grateful to you, Aunt.”
Namgung Sae-ah, who had been staring intently at Bu Eunseol and Heuk Pyo, shook her head.
“I don’t think that will be possible.”
“Pardon?”
“They’re far too ordinary.”
“Ah, but that’s not so. This person recently dealt with Wang Jeong, who had terrorized the Buljeongsan region.”
At Nam Goong Woon’s response, Namgung Sae-ah said something unexpected.
“That’s not what I meant by martial prowess….”
Namgung Sae-ah, muttering something to herself, shook her head.
“In any case, it cannot be done.”
“Aunt.”
Nam Goong Woon clasped his hands together and pleaded with Namgung Sae-ah.
“To be honest, this time Bu Eunseol saved my life.”
“Your life?”
“Yes. I came here with her to repay that debt.”
“Hmm.”
Namgung Sae-ah sighed.
Though she held the position of Patriarch of Shin Nyeo Gung, she took pride in being a member of the prestigious Nangung Family.
She could not simply ignore the fact that her nephew had incurred a life debt.
“Mm.”
After a brief pause, Namgung Sae-ah fixed her gaze upon Bu Eunseol and asked.
“How old are you?”
“Twenty-three, ma’am.”
“Are you married?”
“Not yet, ma’am.”
“I see.”
Namgung Sae-ah studied Bu Eunseol, whose appearance had been altered by the Face-Changing Bone Technique, and nodded.
“Very well. I shall make the request on your behalf.”
“Thank you so much, Aunt!”
“There is no need for thanks.”
Namgung Sae-ah exhaled heavily and shook her head.
“That trial is no simple matter. You could very well lose your life.”
“That is of no concern.”
Bu Eunseol answered calmly, and Namgung Sae-ah nodded.
“Then let us proceed.”
Following Namgung Sae-ah’s guidance, Bu Eunseol and her companions entered Eunhyeon Palace, where So Gung Ju resided.
The place was adorned with a beautifully landscaped Flower Garden, and a distinctive building shaped like a water droplet stood within it.
Upon entering the structure, a spacious hall opened before them, and beyond it loomed a grand doorway draped with a beaded curtain.
“Please wait a moment.”
Seeing Namgung Sae-ah, Si Bi went inside to announce her arrival, suggesting that So Gung Ju received guests in this place.
“Hmm. This doesn’t seem right.”
Namgung Sae-ah gazed at Bu Eunseol and sighed softly.
“I know not your origins, but there is no need to stake your life on empty ambition.”
“What do you mean so suddenly?”
“In the past, many talented individuals sought to obtain the Boowon Divine Pearl. Yet most of them lost their lives.”
“Aunt.”
Hearing these words, Nam Goong Woon suddenly stepped forward.
“What if I attempt the trial first?”
“What are you saying all of a sudden?”
“I owe a debt to Bu Eunseol. If I pass the trial first and obtain the Boowon Divine Pearl, would that not give me the opportunity to repay my debt to her?”
Then Namgung Sae-ah spoke with a stern expression.
“You must not step forward under any circumstances.”
“Pardon?”
“Even with skill alone, success would be impossible, but the truth is, obtaining the Boowon Divine Pearl….”
At that moment, a soft rustling sound accompanied a faint shadow appearing within the curtain.
It was So Gung Ju of Shin Nyeo Gung, now seated before the curtain.
“Lady So Gung Ju.”
Namgung Sae-ah offered a light greeting, and a delicate voice emerged from behind the curtain.
“What brings the Master of Haehwa Hall here so suddenly?”
In that instant, the faces of Nam Goong Woon and Heuk Pyo flushed slightly.
The voice from behind the curtain was sweet and soft, as if lips were pressed against an earlobe while speaking.
“Who are these people?”
“My nephew and his companions. They wish to obtain the Boowon Divine Pearl, so….”
Then So Gung Ju spoke in a hushed voice.
“Even now… there are those who remember that promise?”
“It appears so.”
Turning her head, Namgung Sae-ah addressed Bu Eunseol in a measured tone.
“Come forward before the curtain.”
As Bu Eunseol approached, Nam Goong Woon quickly stepped forward as well.
“Wait! I should try too, I should give it a shot!”
“You fool!”
Namgung Sae-ah rebuked him with a stern gaze, and Nam Goong Woon spoke in a pleading voice.
“Please, Aunt.”
“You reckless boy….”
Though she wished to strike him across the face, she could not act rashly in the presence of So Gung Ju.
“Be silent and remain behind.”
Since childhood, Namgung Sae-ah had been called a woman of iron—her martial prowess was exceptional and her temperament fierce.
Faced with her stern gaze, Nam Goong Woon had no choice but to retreat once more.
“Would it be acceptable to grant this person an opportunity to obtain the Boowon Divine Pearl?”
Yet an unexpected answer came from behind the curtain.
“Please do not. It is an impossible trial, after all.”
Though the reason was unclear, So Gung Ju’s voice was filled with resignation and sorrow.
“Countless prodigies have challenged it thus far, but all have failed. I do not wish to see them injured for a futile endeavor.”
“I understand. Then….”
As Namgung Sae-ah nodded with a sorrowful expression,
“Nothing is impossible.”
Bu Eunseol stepped forward and spoke with confidence.
“Grant me the opportunity. I shall pass without fail.”
“Do you know what the trial entails?”
“I do not.”
“Then allow me to explain. You must break through the Twenty-Four Celestial Generals Formation, which the Palace Master herself installed in the Jaha Secret Chamber.”
Shin Nyeo Gung was renowned throughout the Murim for its mysterious formation techniques.
Though I had never heard its name before, since the Palace Master herself had established it, it must surely be an intricate and formidable array.
“The Twenty-Four Heavenly Formation is composed of twenty-four of our palace’s supreme formation techniques layered upon one another, and it includes a delusion array that penetrates the human spirit.”
So Gung Ju spoke from behind the curtain, her voice tinged with a sigh.
“Because of this, no matter how versed a person is in martial arts or formation techniques, they cannot break through it alone. Lightly, it causes hallucinations; severely, it can lead to demonic possession.”
She paused for a moment before continuing.
“I absolutely do not wish to recommend this. I would hope you reconsider this carefully.”
“Grant me the opportunity.”
“Even if you lose your life?”
“Yes.”
At Bu Eunseol’s resolute words, So Gung Ju spoke in a low voice from behind the curtain.
“If you desire it so strongly… the Master of Haehwa Hall may well permit you a chance.”
“I understand.”
As if his reckless nature had surged up again, Nam Goong Woon suddenly stepped forward, avoiding Namgung Sae-ah’s gaze.
“So Gung Ju, might you not grant me a chance as well?”
“You as well?”
Namgung Sae-ah’s eyes sharpened at this.
“Woon! I told you that you cannot!”
Despite her rebuke, Nam Goong Woon remained undeterred.
“One can only know the difference between long and short by trying, can they not?”
He straightened his shoulders and spoke with confidence.
“I am currently on my journey through the Gangho. If I shrink back and turn away from danger, I can never become a worthy member of the Main House.”
“Hmm.”
Namgung Sae-ah fell silent.
Only then did she realize that bringing her nephew, notorious as a reckless fool, to this place had been a mistake.
“Very well.”
At that moment, So Gung Ju spoke calmly from behind the curtain.
“Very well. If you desire it so strongly… then attempt the challenge.”
“Thank you!”
At Nam Goong Woon’s words, Namgung Sae-ah reluctantly bowed her head.
“Then we shall descend into the underground chamber.”
“Wait a moment.”
At that, So Gung Ju, who had been sitting behind the curtain, slowly rose to her feet.
“I shall accompany you.”
“So Gung Ju… you mean to say?”
“Since not only an outsider but also the Master’s nephew will be attempting the challenge, how could I merely observe?”
“To show such concern… I am truly grateful.”
As Namgung Sae-ah’s expression grew moved, Bu Eunseol, Heuk Pyo, and Nam Goong Woon exchanged puzzled glances.
―Is she truly so grateful merely for observation?
Namgung Sae-ah spoke in a low voice, as if she could see through their thoughts.
“If So Gung Ju observes alongside you, she can halt the formation midway. In that case, you will at least preserve your lives.”
“Ah, I see. How fortunate.”
Nam Goong Woon was chuckling when,
The curtain swept aside with a whisper.
A woman dressed in white as pristine as falling snow emerged slowly, flanked by two attendants, and stepped forward.
Her face was veiled in silk gauze woven from celestial silk, obscuring her features, yet the pair of large, luminous eyes that remained visible were tinged with a faint azure hue.
Beauty in its most extreme form.
With merely those eyes, she seemed to contain all the beauty the world possessed.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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