The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 133

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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 133.
After learning metallurgy from Wang Gyeol, Bu Eunseol had joined the Dangsan Iron Family as a master craftsman through an introduction from the Hwang Family Iron House, where Wang Gyeol had connections.
She had obtained information that Yeon Myeong Jin, a Master of Great Righteousness, was staying in Jangsan Gorge near Dangsan, and that he frequently visited the Dangsan Martial Branch.
The problem was that Dangsan was essentially under the sphere of influence of Jongnam Mountain.
Disciples of Jongnam were everywhere—literally swarming the streets. In short, any careless action could expose her identity before she even engaged in combat, costing her life.
―I must first conceal myself within their territory and observe their movements.
After much deliberation, Bu Eunseol settled on becoming the master blacksmith of the Dangsan Iron Family.
And this plan had two distinct advantages.
First, the Dangsan Iron Family was a Blacksmith Shop that had conducted long-standing business with the Jongnam Sect’s Martial Hall.
Therefore, by working here, I could naturally gather information about the Jongnam Sect and the Masters of Great Righteousness.
The second advantage was the opportunity to examine the swords of Jongnam Sect disciples.
Since they primarily wielded fierce, aggressive blades, the disciples of Jongnam frequently repaired their weapons.
And by observing the damage patterns, I could deduce the techniques and variations of Jongnam swordplay to a considerable degree.
It was much like determining the cause of death by examining the wounds left on a corpse.
‘I must finish this quickly.’
Before I knew it, an hour had passed while I meticulously examined the blade.
Having identified all the traces embedded in the sword’s steel, I placed the long sword on the workbench and began the repairs.
* * *
“What is the meaning of this!”
In the VIP reception room within the Dangsan Iron Family.
Yeon Myeong Jin’s voice rang out loudly as he held the sword received from Bu Eunseol, who was disguised as a blacksmith.
“Why is the grip shorter and the guard missing?”
As Yeon Myeong Jin shook the scabbard, his eyes blazed with fury as he glared at Bu Eunseol.
“I asked you to repair the sword, not to alter its appearance as you saw fit!”
“I did not alter the appearance—I merely removed what was unnecessary.”
“What did you say? Removed?”
As Yeon Myeong Jin bristled and rolled up his sleeves, Lee Bok, standing behind him, wore a sinister smile.
‘So it comes to this.’
Bu Eunseol lacked aesthetic sensibility despite her dexterous hands, and she had a tendency to disregard the balance of appearance.
‘When the Master Craftsman learns of this, I too shall face punishment… but you will certainly be cast out of this place.’
Bu Eunseol spoke with an expressionless face.
“Your hands are smaller than those of ordinary adults. Yet you were using a grip longer and a guard wider than what others use, which must have been all the more inconvenient for you.”
“What, what?”
“Try using it first. If it does not suit you, I shall restore it to its original state.”
Yeon Myeong Jin’s expression twisted like that of a tiger, then he nodded.
“Fine! Excellent!”
Shing.
Yeon Myeong Jin, burning with anger, drew the sword—
“…!”
In that instant, his expression froze rigid.
The feel of the sword hilt that I had gripped thousands upon thousands of times had transformed completely.
“How is this possible?”
Blinking, I gazed at Bu Eunseol, unable to conceal my bewilderment.
“I’ve used this blade for ten years, yet it fits my hand far better than before.”
Yeon Myeong Jin tilted his head as he examined the sword’s edge, holding it at a slight angle.
“The shape remains unchanged, but the weight has shifted. It feels as light as holding a feather.”
“Then there are no issues, are there?”
“What?”
Bu Eunseol spoke in a low voice.
“I’m saying there’s nothing uncomfortable about it.”
Under ordinary circumstances, I would have thoroughly chastised the young craftsman for such insolent speech, reducing him to tears.
But now, with the sword transformed, my spirits soared as though they might take flight.
“There is… nothing uncomfortable.”
“Good then. I shall take my leave.”
As Bu Eunseol turned to go, Yeon Myeong Jin extended his hand.
“Wait.”
“Is there more you wish to say?”
“Would it be possible for you to repair other swords as well, besides this one?”
“The Dangsan Iron Family employs many craftsmen.”
“No, I mean you specifically.”
He cleared his throat and spoke in a hushed tone.
“I’ve entrusted my swords to the Dangsan Iron Family craftsmen many times over, but you seem to repair them most skillfully.”
In that moment, Bu Eunseol’s eyes gleamed faintly.
‘Perfect.’
At last, an opportunity had presented itself to examine swords bearing traces of Jongnam Sect swordsmanship to my heart’s content.
Yet seizing the opportunity too eagerly might invite suspicion. So instead, I regarded Lee Bok with feigned indifference and spoke.
“I do not decide which tasks to undertake.”
“Indeed, you are truly a master craftsman.”
Yeon Myeong Jin nodded with satisfaction, then addressed Lee Bok.
“Would it be acceptable to entrust this person with all sword repairs for the Martial Arts Training Hall?”
“To him? That would be…”
As Lee Bok’s expression grew troubled, Yeon Myeong Jin smiled and continued.
“Not just my sword, but those of the other masters as well.”
In an instant, Lee Bok’s eyes widened in astonishment.
The masters of the Dangsan Martial Branch of the Jongnam Sect are all direct disciples of the Jongnam Main Headquarters. To entrust their swords entirely to one person?
It would be equivalent to becoming the sole custodian of the blades wielded by the Jongnam Martial Arts Training Hall that commands Dangsan itself—the reputation of the Dangsan Iron Family would soar to the heavens.
“Of, of course.”
Lee Bok steadied his racing heart and clasped his hands together.
“If you entrust us with this, I shall do my utmost. Thank you.”
“Thank me? I should be the one thanking you.”
Yeon Myeong Jin glanced at Bu Eunseol and nodded as he spoke.
“I look forward to working with you going forward.”
Some time later.
Across from the Iron Weapon Workshop where the Dangsan Iron Family crafted weapons, a small Blacksmith Shop appeared.
It was Bu Eunseol’s personal Blacksmith Shop, dedicated entirely to repairing swords sent from the Jongnam Sect.
When my hands touched them, even ordinary iron swords became sharp as treasured blades, their density and balance corrected to perfection.
As the masters of the Jongnam Sect’s Martial Arts Training Hall, who dominated the Dangsan region, began singing my praises, even the Jongnam Main Headquarters heard the rumors and started sending swords one after another.
The swords of the masters at the Jongnam Main Headquarters were vessels containing the very essence of the Three Great Sword Techniques—something even Bu Eunseol, who had orchestrated everything, had not anticipated.
Deep in the night.
Alone in the Blacksmith Shop, I was sorting through the swords placed in the weapon storage box built into the side of my workbench.
“It’s a trace of the Chwiwoojum’s ten thousand heavenly ancestors.”
“This one bears the Scattered Flower Shadowless technique of the Piao Feng Sword.”
I was separating swords that bore traces of already-understood sword technique variations from those displaying new traces I had never encountered before.
Clang.
Finally finishing the classification, I dusted off my hands and moved to the workbench where brush and ink lay waiting.
Scratch, scratch.
I began meticulously recording the damage to each sword, the variations in technique, and the anticipated movements.
But for traces too faint or difficult to discern with the naked eye, I would wield the swords myself to test them, or match their blades against other damaged swords to compare.
‘The Jongnam Sect’s swordplay conceals gentleness within ferocity, and subtlety within sharpness.’
Holding a damaged sword, I swung it lightly.
The blade began to spin rapidly through the air.
Remarkably, the sword, firmly fixed to its hilt, rotated like a pinwheel.
‘This rotational technique, the foundation of Jongnam swordplay, causes the blade to twist severely.’
It was a different cause from the destruction my own Infinite Heaven Flow technique inflicted through overwhelming power.
‘The rotational force must be added to suppress lethality while increasing power.’
Twisting the sword again to spin it through the air, I suddenly released killing intent from my entire body.
I amplified the killing intent using the Diamond Jade Sword Scripture.
Shudder. Crack, crack, crack, crack, crack!
The soft sword technique, gentle as spring breeze, suddenly transformed into a vicious killing technique.
The blade that had rotated smoothly now spun ferociously, and from the sword that had moved in gentle arcs, sharp energy poured forth.
I had transformed the Jongnam swordplay into Demonic Path martial arts by infusing it with killing intent and tyrannical force.
‘The power may appear superior, but the subtlety vanishes.’
Orthodox Sect martial arts, particularly those of the Daoist lineage, inherently suppressed killing intent to an extreme degree.
Therefore, if one forcibly increased power or converted it to killing techniques, it would contradict the original sword intent, actually diminishing the subtlety.
‘The division between Demonic Path and Orthodox Sect martial arts was not without reason.’
Shaking my head, I gradually transformed the sword technique back to its gentle form midway.
Had any Murim practitioners witnessed this, they would have been astounded.
Even a grandmaster of martial arts would find it difficult to alter the sword intent of techniques passed down through generations.
Yet I was freely transforming the sword intent and executing the techniques with complete mastery.
Click.
Bu Eunseol sheathed the damaged blade with a bitter smile, shaking her head.
‘Had I fought without any intelligence, I would have lost every battle. I would have struggled greatly.’
The more I examined the fractured cross-section of the blade, the more I could only marvel repeatedly at the profundity of Jongnam Sect’s swordsmanship.
The Nine Sects One Alliance.
The martial arts of the prestigious Orthodox Sects, which had taken root firmly in the Murim for generations, proved far more profound and intricate than I had anticipated.
‘What a shame. I wish I could have witnessed Flowing Cloud Swordsmanship.’
The blades entrusted to the Dangsan Iron Family bore only traces of Standard Wind Swordsmanship or Gathering Rain Swordsmanship.
No traces remained of Flowing Cloud Swordsmanship, which was ranked as the supreme technique among the three great sword methods.
This was because once a practitioner reached the level of mastery required to cultivate Flowing Cloud Swordsmanship, they attained a realm where true energy and sword intent flowed freely, rendering their blades unbreakable.
“Sigh.”
After examining all the traces embedded in the accumulated blades, I exhaled deeply.
Looking out the window, I noticed the distant sky was beginning to brighten.
“When I think about it… there is hardly any difference.”
Suddenly, I wore a wry smile.
Repairing a damaged blade felt no different from preparing the corpses of fallen Murim practitioners for burial.
Preparing a corpse meant suturing wounds, grooming the body meticulously, and restoring it to its appearance in life.
Repairing a damaged blade likewise involved mending twisted and fractured sections, correcting the broken balance, and restoring it to its original form.
In essence, both returned something to its original state.
Life and objects forged from steel could never be the same, yet to me, who had long blurred the boundary between life and death, they felt remarkably similar.
“Bu, Master Craftsman. Are you within?”
At that moment, a middle-aged man in official robes entered the Blacksmith Shop with a low voice. It was Lee Bok, the overseer.
Upon entering, he set down a large bamboo basket onto the work table.
The basket was filled with refreshments—fine liquor with a potent aroma, fruits, and rice cakes.
“You’ve been working late into the night. Have some of this.”
For the overseer to personally bring refreshments to a mere craftsman was truly unprecedented.
Yet Bu Eunseol offered no thanks, merely nodding slightly.
In the past, Lee Bok would have grown furious at such a display or scolded me harshly.
But now I had become a treasure of the Dangsan Iron Family.
Even that arrogant demeanor now seemed to him like the temperament of a stubborn master craftsman.
“Are you not finding it difficult? It seems like work has been piling up lately.”
“It is manageable.”
“Perhaps it would be wise to gradually entrust repairs to the other craftsmen at the Iron Weapon Workshop?”
When Bu Eunseol did not respond, Lee Bok approached closer and spoke in a subtle tone.
“What I mean is… I thought perhaps you were beginning to wish to forge blades yourself.”
“Forge blades….”
Bu Eunseol’s long, dark sword-shaped brows twitched and rose.
“Are you asking me to forge blades?”

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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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