The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 115
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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 115.
Yeon So Ha was a pure-hearted woman, not one lacking in intellect.
She was convinced that Bu Eunseol’s rejection of her could only be possible because there was some other purpose behind it.
‘Her pride has been wounded.’
Bu Eunseol could sense it.
She had come here with her pride stung by the thought of being rejected, and that was why she had revealed her appearance. That much was clear.
She was the next Palace Lord to lead Shin Nyeo Gung. Her pride would be incomparably higher than that of an ordinary woman.
‘Sometimes honesty becomes a poison.’
Bu Eunseol had originally intended to speak with complete candor.
But if she did so in this situation, it would only serve to trample upon Yeon So Ha’s pride.
“It seems the Palace Lord of Shin Nyeo Gung does not favor me.”
Bu Eunseol continued slowly after her thoughts had settled.
“To be honest, I myself lack the courage to break the stubborn will of the Palace Lord of Shin Nyeo Gung, whose name resounds across Tianxia.”
“Is it because of your mother’s opposition?”
“Indeed.”
Yeon So Ha bit her lip as if she could not understand.
“Then why won’t you return the Bowon Jade Pendant? You know it’s a betrothal gift.”
“I shall answer that.”
At that moment, two figures approached from beyond the Pavilion. They were Yeon Ja Mi and Namgung Sae-ah.
“Palace Lord.”
“Mother.”
As Bu Eunseol and Yeon So Ha bowed their heads, Yeon Ja Mi spoke.
“I am the head of Shin Nyeo Gung before I am your mother. A position where one must always keep one’s public words.”
“I do not understand what you mean.”
“I have changed the betrothal gift I will give to your spouse.”
Yeon Ja Mi spoke in a calm voice.
“I said that only those who have passed through the Heavenly Twenty-Four Formations are worthy of becoming your spouse. And if you have someone you favor, I told you to give the Bowon Jade Pendant I gave you as the betrothal gift.”
Yeon Ja Mi, wearing a faint smile, spoke again.
“However, the Bowon Jade Pendant is actually not a good item for women rather than men, is it? So this time, I have changed the betrothal gift I will give you.”
It was a somewhat absurd statement.
But this method alone allowed her to keep her public promise without breaking it, and it made the Bowon Jade Pendant that Yeon So Ha had given to Bu Eunseol meaningless.
“Is that so.”
As Yeon So Ha seemed to accept everything, Yeon Ja Mi smiled broadly.
“You understand your mother?”
“Of course. If the Palace Lord does not keep the promise you made publicly, I would have no face before all the disciples of Shin Nyeo Gung.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“But I do favor Bu Eunseol.”
At Yeon So Ha’s sudden words, Yeon Ja Mi’s expression hardened.
Now it seemed that Yeon So Ha favored Bu Eunseol not because of pride, but because she truly liked her.
“Why?”
“I’m not sure. I just… I like Bu Eunseol.”
At that, Namgung Sae-ah, who had been sitting quietly, broke into a bright smile and nodded.
“Indeed, So Gung Ju has excellent taste.”
“Haehwa Hall Master.”
Yeon Ja Mi’s eyes flashed with anger as she glared sharply at Namgung Sae-ah.
Then, fearing the words might change, she demanded one more confirmation from Bu Eunseol.
“You wouldn’t dare break the promise you made with me, would you?”
“Not at all, my lady.”
Bu Eunseol deliberately adopted a fearful expression and bowed.
“Who would dare disobey the command of the stern Shin Nyeo Gung Master?”
“Good. That’s how it should be.”
As the Shin Nyeo Gung Master’s expression relaxed, Bu Eunseol immediately lowered her head.
“I shall depart from Shin Nyeo Gung immediately.”
“Mother, isn’t this too unreasonable?”
As Yeon So Ha spoke urgently, Yeon Ja Mi replied with a smile.
“You heard her. This wasn’t something I forced upon her—she chose to give it up.”
“But that’s only because she couldn’t dare defy you, Mother…”
“So Ha.”
Yeon Ja Mi spoke with a stern expression.
“You still don’t understand the world. The reason he seems acceptable is merely because he was the first to break through the Twenty-Fourth Gate.”
“That’s not true. Bu Eunseol is…”
“Yes, she risked her life to pass through the gate. At your age, such things may seem impressive, but that’s all there is to it.”
Despite Yeon Ja Mi’s explanation, Yeon So Ha’s expression showed complete disagreement.
Seeing this, Namgung Sae-ah, who had been wearing a sympathetic expression, suddenly approached Bu Eunseol.
“Bu Eunseol.”
“Do you have something to say?”
“Before you leave, show us your true self.”
At this sudden proposal, Bu Eunseol’s complexion hardened.
“My true self? What would that be?”
“I was the one who allowed you into Shin Nyeo Gung. So I’m entitled to make this request.”
Namgung Sae-ah spoke with a serious expression.
“It’s not difficult. Just show us once before you go.”
“Wait—you’ve been hiding your true self?”
In that instant, Yeon Ja Mi’s eyes grew sharp.
Shin Nyeo Gung was a place where outsiders could not enter. The mere fact that she had concealed her true identity until now could constitute a grave transgression.
“Is this true?”
Bu Eunseol hesitated for a moment.
But now that Namgung Sae-ah had made her intentions clear, I had no confidence in convincing the Shin Nyeo Gung Master.
“It is true.”
“Why?”
“It’s simply a matter of discomfort.”
“Discomfort?”
Yeon Ja Mi’s gaze grew sharper.
“Speak plainly. Now that you’ve entered this palace, this is not a matter we can overlook lightly.”
In that instant, Bu Eunseol’s eyes transformed as well.
I possessed not only tremendous courage but a constitution incapable of fear.
No matter that this was within Shin Nyeo Gung’s inner sanctum, nor that its Palace Lord was a formidable master—I was not one to cower before threats.
“Is it a crime to employ a technique simply because I find it more comfortable?”
“Of course it is. An outsider who enters this palace while concealing their true appearance can only harbor dishonorable intentions.”
Sensing the atmosphere grow treacherous, Namgung Sae-ah stepped forward toward Bu Eunseol.
“Eunseol. If you simply reveal your true face, I assure you there will be no further whispers.”
She spoke to Bu Eunseol with a serious expression.
“You needn’t reveal your origins. After all, we’re unlikely to meet again, are we?”
“Then what need is there to see my true face? By your own words, we won’t be seeing each other again anyway.”
“Very well, I’ll be honest with you.”
Namgung Sae-ah glanced at Yeon So Ha, who wore a melancholic expression, and sighed.
“I have always hoped that you and So Gung Ju would be properly matched. It’s because you seemed like the perfect pair for her.”
“….”
“Moreover, you have already seen So Gung Ju’s appearance. In the Murim, aside from those within this palace, you alone have witnessed her true visage so clearly.”
Namgung Sae-ah spoke earnestly to the unmoved Bu Eunseol.
“It hardly seems unfair that you should reveal your appearance in return.”
At this point, Bu Eunseol had nothing left to say. I exhaled deeply and nodded.
“Very well.”
Drawing in a deep breath and channeling my inner energy, I spoke again.
“However, once I reveal my true face, I will immediately depart Shin Nyeo Gung with my companions.”
“Understood. I will not stop you.”
Upon hearing those words, Bu Eunseol unhesitatingly released the face-altering technique.
A soft rustling sound.
As the facial muscles and bones shifted, the topknot came undone, and hair scattered in all directions.
And beneath the luminous moonlight, Bu Eunseol’s true visage was revealed.
“…!”
In that moment, time itself seemed to freeze around the pavilion.
The skin, bathed in moonlight’s reflection, appeared as though transparent radiance had seeped into it, while the eyes were sorrowful enough to bring tears—and breathtakingly beautiful.
Bu Eunseol’s appearance embodied the ideal that every woman had dreamed of at least once.
“Is that sufficient?”
At Bu Eunseol’s voice breaking the silence, Yeon So Ha and Namgung Sae-ah, who had been entranced, snapped back to awareness and blinked. Even Yeon Ja Mi, the Palace Lord herself, regained her composure.
―This person is no wanderer!
All three could sense it instinctively.
Bu Eunseol was no mere drifting wanderer but possessed an extraordinary background. Otherwise, there would be no reason to alter one’s appearance so drastically.
A low creaking sound.
In an instant, I reshaped my face and clasped my hands together.
“Then.”
As I turned to leave, Yeon Ja Mi spoke urgently.
“Wait!”
“Is there something else you wish to say?”
At my words, Yeon Ja Mi smiled with an awkward expression.
“What I mean is… if you have no pressing matters, there’s no harm in staying at the palace a while longer.”
I grasped her true intentions immediately and spoke firmly.
“I appreciate the Palace Lord’s kindness, but I shall depart at once.”
As I turned away decisively, Yeon Ja Mi had nothing more to say.
Then Yeon So Ha spoke to me.
“Seol, young lady. I won’t be changing the betrothal gifts.”
“What do you mean by that?”
At my bewildered expression, Yeon So Ha’s eyes curved like crescents.
“Come back once you’ve finished your business. To Shin Nyeo Gung.”
I shook my head.
“The Haehwa Hall Master just said there would be no further meetings between us.”
“That was a promise made by the Namgung Master, not by me.”
It was sheer stubbornness. Pure obstinacy.
I gazed at Namgung Sae-ah with resentful eyes.
But she avoided my gaze and maintained a faint smile, as if she had foreseen this very moment.
“There will be no such occasion.”
Despite my answer, cold as the north wind and bitter snow, Yeon So Ha kept her radiant smile.
“Not at all. We shall surely meet again.”
“That will not happen.”
Yeon So Ha watched my retreating back, her eyes brimming with confidence as if she could see into the future itself.
* * *
Inside the Office of the Su Gyeong Jeon Master at Jeok Cheon Mak Ji.
Dam Yoo Yeon, seated in her chair while writing correspondence, stared intently at the wooden box I presented.
“What is this?”
“Open it.”
Click.
As the box opened, a single bead stained a mesmerizing crimson revealed its enigmatic radiance.
It was none other than the Shin Nyeo Gung treasure, the Bowon Divine Pearl.
“How did you obtain this…?”
When Dam Yoo Yeon trailed off, I spoke calmly.
“How? You gave me the task, and I simply completed it.”
“But to obtain this pearl, one would need to…”
As she fumbled for words, I continued immediately.
“Precisely. It cannot be obtained without becoming the son-in-law of Shin Nyeo Gung.”
“So you’ve truly become the son-in-law of Shin Nyeo Gung?”
“You knew.”
A blade-like gleam poured from my eyes as I fixed my gaze upon Dam Yoo Yeon’s expression.
“You deliberately omitted information even though you knew.”
As she closed her mouth, I spoke coldly.
“Does Jeok Cheon Mak Ji intentionally conceal information to trap wanderers?”
Despite my piercing rebuke, Dam Yoo Yeon spoke with shameless composure.
“Information omission is commonplace at the Wanderer Market.”
She casually placed the jade token away and extended a silk pouch.
“Commonplace, you say.”
“Go to the Su Gyeong Jeon counter. I’ll pay your compensation immediately.”
“Very well. I shall take my leave.”
I nodded and turned to go.
“And I will spread word not only through Su Gyeong Jeon, but throughout all Murim information organizations—that Jeok Cheon Mak Ji deliberately omitted information while assigning work to a high-ranking wanderer.”
“What did you say?”
“Use that same excuse then.”
I turned my head slightly and smirked.
“Information omission is commonplace, after all.”
“Wait, wait just a moment!”
Dam Yoo Yeon rose from her seat in panic.
“Let’s talk for a moment.”
For the Wanderer Market, information and trust are paramount above all else.
No wanderer would accept work from a Wanderer Market that cannot be trusted.
If I were to spread such information throughout Murim, Jeok Cheon Mak Ji’s credibility would crumble in an instant.
“Is there more you wish to say?”
As I smiled with ease, Dam Yoo Yeon felt a chill run through her.
‘This one follows through on their threats.’
Reconsidering her approach, she stepped back and spoke in a gentle voice.
“I’m sorry. The truth is, I only learned about it after giving you the assignment.”
“…”
“I’m truly sorry. I acknowledge that the information I provided was insufficient. And as an apology, I will double your compensation.”
“Had I been a swindler come to extort money, I would have been delighted to hear that.”
“Then what do you want?”
“You should know well enough.”
Dam Yoo Yeon bit her lip.
“Do you truly intend to fight the Hoengkongbu Lord?”
“I do.”
“Why on earth?”
She shot up from her seat, her composure shattered as she cried out loudly.
“Why do you insist on fighting him? You have no grudge against him whatsoever!”
“Because I’m strong.”
“You’re insane!”
“Isn’t it you who’s insane?”
I gazed down at Dam Yoo Yeon as though observing a curious plaything.
“The one overseeing all operations of Jeok Cheon Mak Ji arbitrarily conceals information and puts wanderers in peril.”
Even ten mouths would have nothing to say.
Dam Yoo Yeon bit her lip and bowed her head once more.
“I’m sorry. I’m asking you.”
“For what?”
“Please don’t fight the Lord of Hoengkongbu.”
“Don’t tell me it’s because his body is weak.”
I laughed coldly.
“I already know his body isn’t weak.”
“That’s right. The truth is, he isn’t weak at all.”
Dam Yoo Yeon clenched her fists and cried out.
“The Lord of Hoengkongbu—no, my brother Cheon—when he uses martial arts, actually….”
“So that’s how it is.”
At that moment, a low voice resonated from outside the office.
As the door opened with a click, a tall man whose head nearly brushed the ceiling walked in slowly.
He wore a long, slender sword at his waist, his complexion was extremely pale, and he coughed softly.
It was Jeong Cheon.
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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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