The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 140
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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 140.
Bu Eunseol finished her cultivation and gazed out the window with an expression of surprise.
“Has so much time already passed?”
A bright moon had already driven back the darkness in the distant sky.
‘This is the first time I’ve fallen into a state of oblivion while cultivating.’
I could cultivate in any posture and even sense external stimuli during cultivation.
Yet when I concentrated my mind against external sounds, I fell into a state of oblivion for the first time while cultivating.
‘It’s dangerous, but… it certainly has its advantages.’
Cultivating within that state of oblivion shortened the time needed to circulate my inner force, and my internal power felt noticeably deeper.
Feeling hunger, I rose to my feet and stepped outside.
Though I could have ordered food from the Star Courtyard, I made my way to the Inn again to satisfy the lingering regret from before.
“Welcome, sir!”
As I entered the Inn, young Jeomsoi spotted me and came scurrying over.
“Do you have a table?”
“Of course. Please follow me.”
Jeomsoi led me to a window seat on the third floor with the finest view.
There were still many guests, but not as crowded as before.
After ordering some appetizers and wine, I gazed out the window, lost in thought.
‘It’s already been two months since I arrived here.’
Not a single day had been wasted in preparation for the final confrontation with the Great Master that lay ahead.
Now only two months remained.
To obey the stern command of Ma Cheon Je, I had to face the Great Master again within two months.
A boisterous commotion arose.
Six men entered noisily.
“This Yunlai Guest House is famous for its views. You there! Give us a window seat.”
“I apologize, but there are no remaining seats large enough for all six of you.”
At Jeomsoi’s words, one young man from the group noticed Bu Eunseol sitting alone.
Startled for a moment by his appearance, as if sunlight itself lingered upon his features, the man soon nodded.
“There’s space over there.”
He strode forward and opened his mouth.
“The view on the third floor is the finest, yet there’s no room for all of us to sit together.”
The young man smiled, revealing white teeth.
“Would you mind moving to another table? In return, we’ll treat you to food and wine.”
“No.”
At my cold refusal, the young man’s eyebrows shot upward.
“Then, would money suffice?”
The young man placed a large gold ingot—worth at least forty taels—on my table.
“This should be enough to compensate you for moving.”
‘There seem to be many wealthy people these days.’
I sighed, recalling Gu Cheong Jeong, who had presented a bill.
Then I placed a banknote worth a thousand taels on the table.
“I’ll pay for your meal. Please dine elsewhere.”
In that instant, the Young Scholar’s pride was wounded, and he scowled fiercely.
“This feels like you’re looking down on us, doesn’t it?”
From his demeanor and tone, he was clearly no member of the Orthodox Sects.
“Or is it that having money means you can disrespect people?”
“That’s rich coming from you. Wasn’t it you who brought out money first?”
The Young Scholar, at a loss for words, swept his gaze across me and furrowed his brow.
“Why are you staring like that? Are you looking to spar with me right now?”
I wore no weapons, my features were refined, and my frame was slender.
To anyone’s eyes, I appeared as a scholar ignorant of martial arts. Because of this, whether they were Murim warriors, merchants, or ruffians—they always felt at ease provoking me.
“Or is it that having money means you can monopolize this scenic spot all to yourself? Hmm?”
Just as the Young Scholar’s provocations were crossing a line,
“What’s the matter?”
A woman who had just arrived on the third floor let out a surprised sound and approached.
“Young Master Bu?”
It was Gu Cheong Jeong.
As it turned out, these six men were the “old friends from Gangho with whom she had maintained long-standing relations.”
“Do you know this person, Cheong Mae?”
When the Young Scholar furrowed his brow, Gu Cheong Jeong spoke with a startled expression.
“The one who lent us the Seogang Pavilion is Young Master Bu.”
At that, the Young Scholar smacked his lips.
After all, he had just provoked someone who had shown them kindness.
“But what’s the trouble?”
At Gu Cheong Jeong’s question, the Young Scholar relaxed his frown and stammered.
“Well, there just aren’t any good seats available…”
“I see. That can’t be helped.”
Gu Cheong Jeong blinked as she looked at me sitting alone.
“Then let’s go somewhere else.”
“Somewhere else?”
The Young Scholar blinked before shaking his head.
“If we’re talking about the finest views at an inn, the Yunlai Guest House is surely the best. Where else could we possibly go?”
“What choice do we have? There are no seats…”
As Gu Cheong Jeong smiled with an awkward expression, the Young Scholar’s eyes suddenly gleamed.
Then, abruptly adopting a respectful demeanor, he approached me and clasped his hands together.
“I am Ma Han, the young master of the Sea Tower Sword Gate.”
The Young Scholar Ma Han gestured toward Gu Cheong Jeong and her companions.
“And my companions are all successors of the Cheong Hae Seven Sword Gates.”
The Cheong Hae Seven Sword Gates.
In Cheong Hae, there were seven sword families that carried on the legacy of the Demonic Path.
Originally, there had been little interaction between them, but recently the young sect leaders had begun gathering together and actively building relationships.
Because of this, the Murim had taken to calling them collectively the Cheong Hae Seven Sword Gates.
“So you are the heroes of the Cheong Hae Seven Sword Gates. I confess I was entirely unaware.”
Bu Eunseol feigned an expression of surprise.
Currently, I was in seclusion here to refine my martial arts and evade the Jongnam Sect’s pursuit.
There was no need to invite unnecessary complications during this time.
“Then Miss Gu is also a member of the Murim?”
“Yes. Actually, my real name isn’t Gu Cheong Jeong—it’s Gu Yang Cheong Jeong.”
Gu Cheong Jeong spoke with an apologetic expression.
“I apologize for the deception. It seemed you weren’t a Gangho martial artist….”
Gu Cheong Jeong lowered her head apologetically.
In truth, she was Gu Yang Cheong Jeong, the only daughter of Gu Yang Mu Gung, the sect leader of the Wind Shooting Sword Gate.
‘Now that I think about it, I’ve never encountered young members of the Demonic Path before.’
The Nangya Sect had no young disciples, and the only peers I’d met in the Gangho were the Ten Demon Experts and Sim Wol from the Demon Palace.
Yet seeing young members of the Demonic Path gathered here in the Gangho stirred something peculiar within Bu Eunseol.
“It is of no consequence. It is quite common for Murim martial artists to conceal their names.”
After all, I was already in hiding with my identity concealed. I had resolved to simply play along with their pace.
“I failed to recognize the heroes of the Demonic Path.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with a feigned expression of surprise.
“I shall vacate my seat. Please, dine here.”
“No, there is no need….”
As Gu Cheong Jeong—or rather, Gu Yang Cheong Jeong—reached out in alarm, Bu Eunseol waved a hand lightly.
“It is fine. I was about to leave anyway.”
“Hahaha. Now I see you are a person of some discernment. My gratitude.”
Ma Han laughed heartily while regarding Gu Yang Cheong Jeong.
With a single remark, he had claimed the seat, and now he gazed at her with an air of self-satisfaction, hoping for her praise.
“The seating is now resolved. Qing Mei.”
Yet contrary to his expectations, she furrowed her brow.
On the table where Bu Eunseol had been sitting, the prepared food and wine remained largely untouched.
“Ma Xiao Xia. This doesn’t seem right.”
She hastily followed Bu Eunseol’s departing figure.
“Young Master Bu.”
Gu Yang Cheong Jeong, who had hurried down the stairs after Bu Eunseol, blocked his path.
“I apologize. We shall leave, so please return upstairs and finish your meal.”
“It is fine. I have finished.”
“No. You even merely lent us the Seogang Pavilion, and I cannot impose further.”
She bowed respectfully.
“I am truly sorry.”
Bu Eunseol’s expression showed some surprise.
This was quite different from her manner when she had demanded the use of the Seogang Pavilion so brazenly before.
‘So she wasn’t entirely unreasonable after all.’
When Bu Eunseol’s expression shifted to mild surprise, Gu Cheong Jeong’s eyes widened as if to say, “When was I ever like that?”
“What is that look? Don’t tell me you thought I was the type to brazenly seize a seat and laugh without a care in the world?”
“Weren’t you?”
As Bu Eunseol let out a soft laugh, Gu Cheong Jeong’s expression turned aggrieved.
“The reason I was so determined to use Seogang Pavilion was, as I said, to honor a promise I made. It wasn’t for my own gain.”
“Either way, it’s fine. I can simply dine at Star Courtyard instead.”
Bu Eunseol offered a faint smile and turned to leave.
“Enjoy your meal with your friends.”
“Young Master Bu.”
“Wait!”
Just then, Ma Han descended the stairs and approached Bu Eunseol.
“What is it?”
“Well… I feel as though I’ve committed a terrible discourtesy. No matter the circumstances, I shouldn’t have taken your seat, you who arrived first.”
As Ma Han offered his apology, his gaze lingered far longer on Gu Cheong Jeong than on Bu Eunseol.
Bu Eunseol immediately grasped the meaning behind Ma Han’s actions.
‘He’s fond of her.’
I saw through his behavior at once—it was solely to make a favorable impression on Gu Cheong Jeong.
“Think nothing of it. Please, dine at your leisure.”
As Bu Eunseol smiled warmly, Gu Cheong Jeong’s eyes sparkled as if a brilliant idea had struck her.
“Then, why don’t we move to Seogang Pavilion instead and share a meal together?”
“Huh?”
As Ma Han’s mouth fell open, Gu Cheong Jeong nodded with determination.
“It’s fate, after all. We’re of similar ages anyway.”
In that instant, Ma Han’s complexion turned ashen.
In truth, he had been deeply wary of Bu Eunseol’s handsome features. Yet his attempt to make a good impression had backfired, drawing him back into the situation.
He felt like weeping.
“That wouldn’t be proper. How could I presume to share a table with the heroes of the Cheong Hae Seven Sword Gates?”
Though spoken half in jest, Gu Cheong Jeong took it as genuine—believing that Bu Eunseol had been intimidated by the renown of the Cheong Hae Seven Sword Gates.
“You seem to be descended from a noble house yourself, Young Master Bu… Why don’t we build a friendship here and now? We’ll become close, and I assure you it will be nothing but beneficial. Isn’t that right, Ma Xiao Xia?”
Gu Cheong Jeong turned to Ma Han with an innocent expression.
Seeing how the situation had developed, Ma Han reluctantly went along with it.
“Many renowned families across Gangho seek to establish relations with the Main House. Yet we have never been the ones to extend our hand first.”
In truth, compared to Bu Eunseol’s status as the successor of the Ten Demonic Gates, they were merely the heirs of a small sword family on the periphery of Cheong Hae.
It was rather like a wealthy merchant from the countryside boasting before a prince dwelling in a palace.
“I…”
Bu Eunseol had originally intended to decline.
But seeing the relentless gleam in Gu Cheong Jeong’s eyes, I found myself exhaling involuntarily.
‘She truly knows no surrender.’
Even if I refused, she would persist until she got her way—just as she had when borrowing Seogang Pavilion.
“Very well.”
Bu Eunseol sighed deeply and nodded her head.
“Let us proceed that way.”
Bu Eunseol moved with Gu Cheong Jeong and her entourage to the banquet hall of Seogang Pavilion.
Gu Cheong Jeong had servants bring forth an abundance of dishes and wine sufficient to fill the large table at the banquet.
“You expect us to consume all of this?”
At Bu Eunseol’s words, Gu Cheong Jeong’s eyes curved into crescents with delight.
“Please, leave nothing untouched if you wish. It is my honor to host you—eat your fill.”
As the guest of honor, Bu Eunseol found herself seated at the head of the table beside Gu Cheong Jeong.
Inevitably, she was forced to engage in pleasant conversation with her while dining.
At this, the eyes of the six young men seated at their respective places and drinking wine began to burn crimson with heat.
In each of their gazes burned the identical emotion.
That emotion was jealousy.
‘So that was it.’
Six men in total. Gu Cheong Jeong was the sole woman among them.
Moreover, being beautiful and spirited, these hot-blooded youths could not help but harbor affection for her.
‘Now I understand why the successors of the Seven Sword Gates continued to gather.’
The reason the heirs of the Seven Sword Gates, who had maintained no prior connection, held periodic meetings was none other than Gu Cheong Jeong.
And this gathering was a silent contest among the heirs to capture the heart of this beautiful woman.
‘Entanglement with this woman brings complications.’
Sensing the heated gazes of six pairs of eyes upon her, Bu Eunseol wore a wry smile.
And as expected, that ominous premonition became reality.
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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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