The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 145

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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 145.
Bu Eunseol drew a deep breath and shook her head slowly.
‘The principles of the world are all the same. Everything.’
Dang Gon, who had struck Blood Poison Valley to solidify his position as the Beggar King.
The Ten Demon Experts, who could become successors to the Demon Hall by slaying a Grand Master….
And Seong Ryun was likewise eliminating Ten Demon Experts to establish his footing within Gae Bang and secure an advantage in the competition.
“How amusing.”
“Pardon, what did you say?”
“Nothing at all.”
Bu Eunseol clasped her hands together calmly.
“Thank you for the information.”
The branch chief of the Yeon Ju branch from before had been reluctant to share information despite revealing himself as a fellow Guusal Unit member.
But this Yeon Ju branch chief had readily provided information once she demonstrated the Guusal Unit insignia. After all, it was entirely up to the individual administrator’s discretion.
“Think nothing of it. Everyone needs to survive, don’t they?”
The branch chief offered a weary smile.
Since Yeon Ju was also within the Orthodox Sects’ sphere of influence, it seemed that sacrifices among Guusal Unit members were frequent.
“Then.”
Bu Eunseol turned her body slowly.
Now, she would go to capture Seong Ryun, the Grand Master consumed by ambition.
Jeong Ju Village. This was a small village located at the gateway into Ha Nam Province.
“Buy some dumplings!”
“Pastries from the Western Regions for just five coins!”
The Market Street stalls were filled with the voices of merchants, the chatter of people, and the sounds of cooking.
Bu Eunseol stood atop a two-story building, looking down at the scene below.
Her gaze fell upon a small roadside eatery, where a man in tattered clothes sat alone eating.
It was Seong Ryun, the Grand Master of Gae Bang.
“He maintains the beggar’s station well.”
Bu Eunseol murmured softly.
Though Gae Bang was a den of beggars, they maintained their beggar status only because of their organization’s rules of conduct. They were far from poor.
The flood of information flowing from countless beggar networks spread throughout the entire Murim.
And since they roamed everywhere—mountains, remote regions, places others never ventured—they possessed knowledge of many undisclosed treasure vaults and rare treasures.
Some of these held value beyond measure, and through them, Gae Bang maintained a comfortable existence.
This was why the leaders holding important positions in Gae Bang often frequented high-end inns where a single dish cost dozens of silver taels.
‘He’s alone.’
Even scanning the surroundings, she saw no allies or supporters who could aid Seong Ryun.
‘For now, at least.’
Gae Bang was itself an excellent intelligence organization.
If one wished, anyone could hide and conceal themselves perfectly.
‘Young Poong Hyup would be ideal.’
Seeing him eat voraciously despite it not being mealtime, it was clear he intended to pass through the Young Poong Hyup area near Gaebong before the day was done.
The area near Young Poong Hyup was shrouded in dense forest, making it the perfect location to face him in combat.
But then,
‘Someone’s here.’
Bu Eunseol sensed someone concealed on the roof of the opposite Palace Hall.
‘A master from Gae Bang?’
To strike down Seong Ryun, I had to know both the scale and martial prowess of any allies he might have.
A faint shimmer.
Sensing they had been discovered, the figure hiding on the Palace Hall roof swiftly deployed their lightness technique and fled.
‘I must capture them.’
Bu Eunseol immediately rushed out of the inn and began pursuing them.
A sharp whistle of movement!
As I chased the fleeting shadow darting through the village, a puzzled expression crossed my face.
‘Not someone from Gae Bang.’
The fugitive’s lightness technique was not only blindingly swift but maintained a constant readiness for counterattack.
Neither Gae Bang nor the Orthodox Sects possessed such a fierce, aggressive movement technique.
Whisper, whisper, whisper, whisper!
As the shadow grew distant, I deployed my Extreme Speed Shadowless Technique with even greater velocity.
Whistle! Whisper, whisper, whisper, whisper!
Just as I, cutting through the air in my pursuit, finally closed the distance to the fugitive’s back,
A sharp slash!
Something keen suddenly pierced toward my brow.
This strike came with terrifying speed and struck from an angle I could not predict.
Even I, who had mastered the Night Beast Blade, could not anticipate it, and I desperately spun my body mid-air to evade.
“This is—”
Catching sight of the white-glowing whip that had grazed past me, I cried out.
“Yu Woon Ryong?”
The fleeing shadow then halted its lightness technique and descended to the ground.
Clad in tattered rags, reeking of a vagrant’s sour stench.
Yet his frame was massive, and his eyes gleamed with the sharpness of a sword’s edge.
It was indeed Yu Woon Ryong.
“Bu Eunseol.”
Yu Woon Ryong’s face had become far colder and sharper than before.
Even I could not hide my shock at this moment.
Yu Woon Ryong, who had clearly been the first to fail in assassinating the Grand Master.
After suffering grievous wounds and fleeing—his whereabouts unknown since then—he now appeared here in the guise of a vagrant.
“What happened?”
I asked in a low voice.
“I heard you were defeated by Gongdong Sect’s Grand Master and fled.”
Six months had now passed since I left Demon Palace.
Save for myself and Seok Woo Haeng, no one among the Ten Demon Immortals had yet eliminated their Grand Master, meaning the rest must have sealed their martial arts.
Wasn’t it widely rumored that Yu Woon Ryong had been defeated by a master of the Gongdong Sect whom Seok Woo Haeng had killed, and fled in disgrace?
Yet when Yu Woon Ryong reappeared, his martial power remained intact, and his qi cultivation seemed even more refined than before.
“I’m still fleeing. Even now.”
Yu Woon Ryong spoke matter-of-factly.
“Four months passed before the Demon Palace actually sent pursuers after me—to cripple the martial arts of the Ten Demon Experts who had failed to eliminate the master.”
He drew a deep breath before continuing.
“But by the time they arrived, I had already been struck by Pyeong Seo Woon’s Seven Wounds Palm, my meridians severed and my organs ruptured. I was on the very edge of death.”
Yu Woon Ryong bit his lip as the memory surfaced.
“So they took no action and left. They must have assumed I was already dead.”
He clenched both fists and spoke with frustration.
“That bastard Seok Woo Haeng probably followed me. He watched my battle with Pyeong Seo Woon and devised a plan to kill him.”
Bu Eunseol narrowed her eyes, her mind working through another problem.
She was calculating how Yu Woon Ryong could have survived with his meridians severed and organs ruptured.
“Bu Eunseol. Did you come to kill Seong Ryun as well?”
As Bu Eunseol nodded while lost in thought, Yu Woon Ryong let out a bitter laugh.
“From your appearance, it seems you haven’t been pursued. So it was you who killed Yeo Hwan Jin, the master of Songnan.”
“That’s correct.”
“Then you still have roughly two months remaining.”
Yu Woon Ryong spoke with a grave expression.
“But I have no time. So I will be the one to kill Seong Ryun.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m being hunted again. The pursuers have discovered that I’m still alive.”
“Who is hunting you?”
In that moment, Yu Woon Ryong’s eyes seemed to rain down hundreds of needles.
“The Melting Soul Great Division.”
“The Melting Soul Great Division?”
Bu Eunseol was startled once more.
So the pursuers sent to cripple the Ten Demon Experts were from the Melting Soul Great Division?
“Yes. The Demon Palace entrusted the disposal of the Ten Demon Expert who failed to kill the master to the
Melting Soul Great Division.”
‘So that’s why the division leader gave the order to face the master directly.’
As Bu Eunseol’s eyes narrowed, Yu Woon Ryong trembled with betrayal and rage.
“In the end, the Ten Demon Experts can never escape their shackles without killing a master.”
Yu Woon Ryong stared directly at Bu Eunseol, his teeth clenched as he spoke.
“Yield Seong Ryun to me. I must kill him.”
Bu Eunseol did not answer immediately.
It wasn’t that she disliked yielding. She simply knew well that Yu Woon Ryong’s strength was insufficient to defeat a master.
“Do you think I cannot defeat him?”
Yu Woon Ryong spoke as if reading the light in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
“I have crossed the threshold of death countless times while battling masters and evading pursuers. Those fierce struggles have granted me invaluable enlightenment.”
Bu Eunseol nodded.
The experience of fighting for her life against formidable opponents would prove to be invaluable.
“All this time, I have trained my martial arts relentlessly. I am not who I was before.”
When Bu Eunseol still offered no response, Yu Woon Ryong gritted his teeth.
“If you refuse, I will kill you first.”
“You would kill me?”
“I know. I cannot defeat you.”
Yu Woon Ryong had certainly grown far stronger than before. I could sense just how formidable Bu Eunseol had become.
“But if I’m going to die anyway at the hands of the Myeol Hon members, I’d rather fight you stubbornly. And if I manage to wound you in the process?”
Yu Woon Ryong spoke coldly.
“Could you face a Grand Master while wounded?”
‘There’s no choice.’
If she refused, Yu Woon Ryong would truly fight to the death.
It would be better to let him face the Grand Master without reservation.
“It would be such a shame to come all this way only to watch from the sidelines.”
At those words, Yu Woon Ryong grinned wickedly.
“Don’t worry. There’s a role for you too.”
“A role for me?”
“That gloomy fellow from Gae Bang may appear to be alone, but he’s actually under the protection of elite masters from Sal Gu Haeng.”
Sal Gu Haeng was an escort unit composed of elite masters selected from Cheong Juk Gae, which could be called the highest tier of Gae Bang.
Since they were primarily dispatched to protect important figures of Gae Bang during their travels, serving only temporarily, they were given the special designation of “Haeng” rather than “Dan” or “Dang”.
“The only reason you haven’t noticed is because they’re concealing themselves so meticulously.”
“How did you know?”
“I’ve been watching for an opportunity to kill Seong Ryun for over ten days now.”
“I see.”
“If you take on the masters of Sal Gu Haeng, I will kill Seong Ryun. What do you say, Bu Eunseol?”
There was no need for further discussion. The conclusion had already been reached.
Bu Eunseol slowly nodded.
“Very well.”
* * *
The sky was clear without a single cloud.
After finishing his meal, Seong Ryun left the village and entered the path leading to Young Poong Hyup. After walking for some time, he suddenly gazed at the distant sky and sighed.
“So it begins soon.”
He could feel it.
At some point, he had become aware of overt gazes and killing intent following him.
The elite masters of Sal Gu Haeng who were secretly protecting him also seemed to sense it, their movements becoming even more concealed.
‘If I eliminate one of the Ten Demon Immortals, my status within the Gae Bang will change completely.’
Seong Ryun, originally a second-rate disciple of Bun Ta, the Village Chief.
After competing with the most talented individuals in Gae Bang, he was selected as one of ten to take the Murim Alliance Grand Master examination. He passed five tests held by the Murim Alliance and finally became a Grand Master.
Afterward, despite receiving the status of Cheong Juk Gae, a candidate for the position of Gae Bang’s minor chief, due to his exceptional martial prowess, his origin remained that of Bun Ta’s second-rate disciple.
Within the faction, he lacked the foundation of support or the backing of elders.
However, as the current Gae Bang leader No Bong grew infirm, the faction began earnestly deliberating over which disciple among the Cheong Juk Gae would become the next leader.
The relatively younger provincial lords and branch leaders desired Seong Ryun—a martial artist of exceptional skill and generous temperament—to become the next leader.
Yet the powerful elders and faction heads opposed this, instead pushing forward their own chosen candidates from the Cheong Juk Gae.
Thus, the provincial lords and branch leaders supporting Seong Ryun devised this stratagem.
“What if we were to eliminate the Ten Demon Experts who have been disturbing the Murim of late? Should we dispatch even one of them, the elders would surely not object.”
Accepting this proposal, Seong Ryun deliberately exposed his movements and traveled to Gaebong, where the Martial Arts Tournament was to be held.
However, since Yeo Hwan Jin and Pyeong Seo Woon had been slain by those suspected to be among the Ten Demon Experts, he had stationed masters from the Sal Gu Haeng to prepare for any contingency.
Tap, tap, tap.
Dusk had fallen, and a cool mountain breeze swept across my head.
As darkness descended, Seong Ryun halted his steps and kindled a fire in a suitable location.
Originally, I had intended to traverse the mountain pass leading to Hanam before sunset using my lightness technique.
But when I sensed a faint killing intent trailing behind me, I changed my mind.
Before this day ends, my pursuer will reveal themselves. I would rest here and await my enemy.
‘I wonder who will come.’
From the outset, the Ten Demon Experts were no match for masters of the Great Righteousness—the martial gap was simply too vast.
As proof, four of the Ten Demon Experts had challenged masters of the Great Righteousness and been defeated.
Only the Ten Demon Expert from the White Horse Sect had fled after his loss, and merely two of them had succeeded.
‘I am different from Yeo Hwan Jin and Pyeong Seo Woon.’
Those two were favored disciples of their respective factions, so when they trained martial arts at the Murim Alliance, there was no ferocity to their cultivation.
But as a disciple who had struggled in obscurity, I devoted myself to martial arts more than anyone. Even should the one who defeated Yeo Hwan Jin and Pyeong Seo Woon arrive, I possessed absolute confidence in victory.
Whoosh.
The moment that thought concluded, a man in gray robes descended from the void before me.
“….”
His hair hung loose like a vagrant’s, and grime clung to his body, yet his eyes harbored an unmistakably sinister aura.
More striking than his gaze was the whip hanging at his waist.
The white whip, gleaming with a brilliance that dazzled the eyes, had its end coiled like a living white serpent, staring rigidly at Seong Ryun.
It was none other than the White Horse Whip—a weapon that only the greatest masters of the White Horse Sect were permitted to wield.

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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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