The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 167

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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 167.
Bu Eunseol’s gaze naturally remained fixed upon Dan Seo Ok.
This was the only way to naturally evade the scorching, relentless stare that Dan Wol Hon cast upon her.
“Then I shall take my leave now.”
As Bu Eunseol turned and clasped her hands in salute, Dan Wol Hon responded as though he had been waiting for this very moment.
“Yes. Go on then.”
He waved his hand dismissively, as though shooing away a bothersome fly.
“The clan lord has mountains of work awaiting him.”
“You’re leaving already?”
Dan Seo Ok, oblivious to the burning turmoil churning within Dan Wol Hon’s heart.
She approached Bu Eunseol’s side with affection and spoke.
“Since you’ve come all this way, won’t you stay a little longer?”
At this, Dan Wol Hon’s eyes, which had softened moments before, began to blaze once more.
Catching sight of that scorching gaze, Bu Eunseol shook her head firmly.
“It’s quite alright. I too have much to attend to.”
“Don’t you have time to share a meal with me?”
“I apologize. Perhaps another time.”
Regardless of his glowering, as Dan Seo Ok spoke to Bu Eunseol with such warmth, Dan Wol Hon’s eyes narrowed to slits, the corners shooting upward.
‘Raising them like precious jewels proves worthless. Utterly worthless!’
Yet something felt peculiar within him.
Dan Seo Ok’s flower-like beauty.
And Bu Eunseol’s refined visage bathed in sunlight—the two appeared as a perfectly matched pair of lovers.
‘Foolish thoughts. What does it matter? She’s merely a disciple of that wretched Nangya Sect.’
From the perspective of Ji Ma Bu Ju, who commanded the military forces of the Demon Palace, Bu Eunseol possessed only somewhat formidable martial prowess.
She was merely a disciple of a lowly sect maintaining the lowest rank among the Ten Demonic Gates, possessing neither influence nor wealth.
“Then.”
At that moment, Bu Eunseol clasped her hands in respect and turned to depart.
Dan Wol Hon, watching her silently, spoke to Dan Seo Ok.
“So Yok.”
“Yes?”
“Do you fancy that fellow?”
At this blunt question, Dan Seo Ok’s cheeks flushed crimson.
“What are you suddenly saying…”
“Hmm? No, no. Your father was merely curious. You were being so friendly with her.”
“Her martial prowess and inner strength run deep… and above all, she risked her life to protect me.”
“She seemed somewhat presumptuous.”
“That’s the bearing of a true warrior.”
“Isn’t her manner of speech and conduct rather arrogant?”
“She carries an air of majesty and dignity at all times.”
“Her appearance seems somewhat… like a tall courtesan’s brother. From a distance, she looks like a tall woman, doesn’t she.”
“They call that kind of man a peerless beauty.”
‘Just tell him outright that you fancy him!’
The more the conversation continued, the more wrinkles formed around Dan Wol Hon’s lips.
His cherished daughter had never been more irritating than she was today.
“I have matters to attend to as well… I shall take my leave.”
She hastily offered a bow and rushed toward Bu Eunseol without delay.
“Hmm.”
Dan Wol Hon shook his head as he watched her depart.
Then, unexpectedly, he recalled the image of Bu Eunseol wielding formidable inner power.
“Her inner cultivation is certainly the strongest among the successors.”
As he turned to make his way back to the Jipma Clan, his footsteps were slow and heavy.
“I should observe this succession struggle a bit longer.”
With profound eyes gazing toward the distant sky, he soon turned away.
Just as Bu Eunseol emerged from the Inner Quarters of the Jipma Clan and passed through the Flower Garden toward the exit,
“Are you leaving so soon?”
A clear voice called out from behind.
Turning around, I saw Dan Seo Ok approaching with quickened breath.
“Master Bu, your pace is truly swift. You seem to walk slowly, yet you keep growing distant.”
“Is there more you wish to say?”
“Yes.”
She smiled gently and gestured toward the expansive Flower Garden as she spoke.
“Could we walk together for a moment and talk?”
Dan Seo Ok had moved Ji Ma Bu Ju to show me great favor.
Even if I were to ask for something, it would be difficult to refuse, so a mere conversation during a stroll was far too simple a request to decline.
“Of course.”
I walked alongside Dan Seo Ok through the Flower Garden.
After walking for perhaps half a quarter of an hour, Dan Seo Ok, who had been lost in deep thought, slowly opened her mouth.
“I heard you had an audience with Ma Cheon Je.”
“That is correct.”
“Did Ma Cheon Je recommend that you go to Jeol Cheon Myul Ji or Moo Ha Soo Yu Jeong?”
Even I, who habitually restrained the display of emotion, could not hide my surprise this time.
“How did you know?”
“It is hardly a secret that Master Bu lacks a foundation compared to the other successor candidates.”
She smiled gently and spoke in a low voice.
“Moreover, before Master Bu arrived at the Root Sect, Ma Cheon Je summoned the other successor candidates all at once to the Holy Demon Pavilion.”
“Such an event did occur.”
“I have pondered why Ma Cheon Je summoned Master Bu alone to the Holy Demon Pavilion.”
As I nodded, Dan Seo Ok’s eyes sparkled as she spoke.
“Perhaps it was not merely to recognize Master Bu as a successor candidate, but possibly to teach you the method of obtaining the position of successor.”
‘Indeed. So she is a candidate for the next leader, as I heard.’
Dan Seo Ok had deduced much from extremely limited information.
This was possible not only because of her exceptional wisdom, but because she possessed a profound understanding of people’s temperaments and behaviors.
“Indeed. Ma Cheon Je instructed me to seek support from two places.”
“As I thought. Then you’ll visit Jeol Cheon Myul Ji first?”
“That’s correct.”
“I see.”
Dan Seo Ok nodded and spoke as she unfastened the necklace around her neck.
“I cannot speak for other places, but Moo Ha Soo Yu Jeong is a place that guards against men. Entering there requires enduring a terrible trial.”
She then extended the necklace toward Bu Eunseol.
“The master of Moo Ha Soo Yu Jeong shares a certain connection with me, so if you show her this, she will treat you with courtesy.”
The necklace Dan Seo Ok offered was strung with a small jade stone that gleamed with a bluish hue.
At first glance, it appeared to be a treasure of no ordinary worth.
“This is….”
Bu Eunseol had originally intended to refuse.
But the clarity and steadfastness in Dan Seo Ok’s gaze as she looked at me was so resolute that I could not bring myself to refuse her face to face.
“Very well.”
Bu Eunseol reluctantly accepted the necklace and fastened it around her own neck.
At that, Dan Seo Ok’s face flushed crimson.
She had not expected Bu Eunseol to place the necklace around her neck so readily.
“Go well and return safely.”
Return safely.
Those words were an expression of her earnest heart.
Yet Bu Eunseol merely thought she had spoken thus because this was the Demon Palace, and nodded impassively.
“Understood.”
* * *
Growing old is a most natural occurrence.
But from the perspective of the Demonic Path Sect, which pursues hegemony and profit, aging means the gradual loss of power.
Moreover, unlike the Orthodox Sects, which maintain bonds as tight as family, the Demonic Path Sect repeatedly gathers and scatters according to gain.
As evidence of this, unless a branch faction possesses considerable scale, the Demonic Path Sect does not establish a separate Elder Council.
Recognizing this problem, the Demon Palace created a sanctuary for the great demons who had been condemned by the Murim.
This was the hidden history behind the birth of Jeol Cheon Myul Ji, one of the Ten Demonic Gates.
A sanctuary for great demons—Jeol Cheon Myul Ji.
To enter this place, one must fulfill two conditions.
First, one must leave all of one’s divine techniques and secret arts behind in Jeol Cheon Myul Ji.
Their secret arts would be put to good use in cultivating future talents of the Demonic Path.
Second, only demons who have reached the realm of Extreme Demon, capable of suppressing murderous intent, may dwell here.
If demons unable to control their killing aura were to gather in one place?
It would surely result in a massive slaughter.
Clatter, clatter.
Bu Eunseol, who had departed from the Demon Palace by carriage, had at last arrived at Jeol Cheon Myul Ji.
Deep in the remote mountains.
Following the path where the river flowed, winding through mountain trails thick with crimson autumn leaves, one would discover a dilapidated yet expansive palace complex.
This was Jeol Cheon Myul Ji, where retired Grand Demon Masters rested in seclusion.
‘It appears quite peaceful.’
Bu Eunseol descended from the carriage and gazed up at Jeol Cheon Myul Ji.
Regardless of what lay beneath the surface, the outward appearance was remarkably serene—much like viewing the tranquil landscape of a remote mountain temple.
Creak.
Even after entering through the palace gates, there was no sign of Wi Sa.
With no choice, Bu Eunseol pushed open the door herself and stepped inside.
“…!”
Upon witnessing the interior, Bu Eunseol could not conceal her astonishment.
The exterior had appeared to be a crumbling, dilapidated estate….
Yet the inner halls were immaculate as if newly constructed, and grand sculptures stood erected throughout.
“Hmm.”
Bu Eunseol furrowed her brow as she surveyed the surroundings.
Murmurs of conversation echoed from various corners, yet not a single person moved about outside.
“Even worse than the Root Sect.”
Bu Eunseol expressed her assessment diplomatically and proceeded deeper inside.
Then, in the distance, she spotted a single-story building with its doors wide open.
Inside the open doorway, young men dressed as Wi Sa gathered together, with tiles and money piled high upon a table.
They appeared to be gambling.
‘Are the Wi Sa gambling during their duty hours?’
As Bu Eunseol stood bewildered, a young man in blue robes emerged from within.
He had barely passed his twentieth year.
Though his features were quite refined, his eyes lacked vitality and his expression appeared melancholic.
‘He doesn’t seem to be Wi Sa.’
“Pardon me, I have a question.”
As Bu Eunseol approached and spoke, the man furrowed his brow with an annoyed expression.
“Who are you?”
“I’m seeking someone to guide me.”
The young man then scowled as if he’d bitten into a hot pepper, muttering to himself.
“Another irritating visitor.”
‘Another?’
“Where have you come from?”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes gleamed as she posed the question, her mind working through something.
“Nangya Sect.”
“Ah. Nangya Sect.”
Though a disciple of the Ten Demonic Gates had arrived, the man showed little surprise, merely wearing an expression of utter indifference.
“Hmm. Let me see. Right now, there’s no one available to….”
The man gazed at the Wi Sa gambling inside the single-story building and slumped his shoulders.
“There’s no one else.”
The man gestured to Bu Eunseol with a resigned expression.
“Follow me.”
The Young Scholar, who had been leading the way with a leisurely gait, soon pointed toward a large gate at the eastern end.
“If you exit through there, you’ll find a gathering of those wretched immortals who cannot die, huddled together.”
“Is the master there as well?”
“Who knows.”
As if speaking itself were a burden, the man yawned and waved his hand dismissively, much like Jeomsoi would.
“You’ll have to go in and see for yourself.”
And before Bu Eunseol could respond, he abruptly turned and walked back into the palace grounds.
‘This is no ordinary man.’
Though his expression conveyed utter indifference, his gait was remarkably stable, and his eyes occasionally gleamed with a divine radiance.
Moreover, the fact that he referred to the demons dwelling in Jeol Cheon Myul Ji as “wretched immortals” suggested his station was quite elevated.
“Hmm.”
Bu Eunseol exhaled softly and stepped through the open gate.
A broad path lined with trees came into view. Following it further, a small village appeared.
At the Village Entrance stood a Pavilion, where two elderly men were leisurely playing Go.
“Pardon my intrusion.”
At Bu Eunseol’s words,
“Who might you be?”
One of the Go players—an elderly man with a serene countenance—blinked as he regarded Bu Eunseol.
Then the ill-tempered elder seated across from him glanced at Bu Eunseol and spoke.
“Who else? It seems another successor has been sent from elsewhere.”
In that moment, Bu Eunseol’s eyes brightened.
From the circumstances, it was clear that a successor from another of the Ten Demonic Gates had visited before.
“I am….”
Just as Bu Eunseol was about to bow with clasped hands, the ill-tempered elder tossed down his Go stones and grumbled.
“Blast it, I’ve had enough of leisurely games. I’ll come back next time.”
“Indeed.”
As the ill-tempered elder departed, the serene elder stepped out from the Pavilion and stood before Bu Eunseol.
‘A giant.’
The elder before me possessed an unpretentious and carefree demeanor.
Yet behind his back, the silhouette of a demonic deity formed in violet seemed to shimmer.
If Ma Cheon Je embodied nature itself, encompassing all things under heaven, this elder felt like a ruler of the underworld concealing all manner of wickedness.
“Hehehehe.”
The elder, observing Bu Eunseol’s startled expression, smiled broadly.
“Remarkable. At your age, you perceive this old man’s aura.”
“Are you the Phantom Demon, Elder?”
At Bu Eunseol’s question, the elder nodded.
“Indeed. I am Hyuk Gong Baek, master of Jeol Cheon Myul Ji.”
Illusory Demon, Hyuk Gong Baek.
He was a great demon master of the Demonic Path who flourished some sixty years ago, and one of the Mado Sipgyeol.
By current standards, he stood at the level of the Four Gods Seven Kings, making him truly a colossal figure.
“Bu Eunseol, former master of the Nangya Sect, pays respects to the lord.”
“So you were from the Nangya Sect.”
Hyuk Gong Baek, observing Bu Eunseol’s bow, smiled faintly.
“Indeed, among the Ten Demonic Gates, only the Nangya Sect exudes such freedom.”
Hyuk Gong Baek, chuckling softly, spoke to Bu Eunseol.
“Shall we stroll through this place’s Do Won Hyang while we talk?”
Do Won Hyang.
That place signified an ideal world where immortals dwelled.
As Bu Eunseol’s expression grew puzzled, Hyuk Gong Baek explained.
“Originally, this place bore the ominous name of Ten Thousand Demons’ Gathering Palace. However, it seemed unsuitable for a place where the elders rest, so I changed the name.”
“I see.”
As Bu Eunseol toured the village following Hyuk Gong Baek, she could not hide her astonishment.
All those dwelling in Do Won Hyang were elderly men with white hair.
Some were fishing, while others leisurely read books.
I had heard that all who remained here were great demon masters who once shook the Murim of Tianxia….
Yet they all lived unremarkable daily lives, appearing as ordinary old men one might see anywhere.
“What do you think? Of Do Won Hyang’s appearance?”
At Hyuk Gong Baek’s question, Bu Eunseol pondered briefly before speaking.
“It is entirely different from what I had imagined.”
“How is it different?”
Hyuk Gong Baek stepped closer with an affable expression.
His qi, as he gazed intently at Bu Eunseol, remained consistently peaceful and leisurely.
Yet that appearance stirred the heart far more than the form of a great demon master who could tear mountains asunder.
―To subjugate ten thousand without wielding one’s qi, and to sever an enemy’s life with a peaceful countenance.
This was the phrase that described Illusory Demon, Hyuk Gong Baek, the former Mado Sipgyeol.
“Give me an answer.”
Hyuk Gong Baek stepped closer still, asking with an affable expression.
“How is it different?”
Whoosh.
In that moment, Bu Eunseol’s hypersensitivity sounded an alarm.
Having reached the Empty Heart Penetrating Spirit realm and mastered the Rhombus Sword’s Wind and Cloud Harmony Formation, I respond with extreme sensitivity to killing intent.
The air in all directions grew heavy, and from somewhere, a faint killing intent seemed to tighten around my throat.
In that instant, Bu Eunseol recalled the time she had met Jeok Bung, the Elder Council Master.
‘Like the Elder Council Master, this is a demon master whose emotions cannot be discerned.’
Bu Eunseol could sense it instinctively.
If her answer fell short? Hyuk Gong Baek would unhesitatingly sever her throat.
Jeol Cheon Myul Ji.
This was no mere retreat for idle elders to rest.
It was a sanctuary for the Demonic Immortals who had once shaken Tianxia itself, and the lord who ruled this place—Hyuk Gong Baek—was a peerless Demonic Sovereign who surpassed even those great Demonic Immortals.
‘He would kill a candidate for succession to the Demon Hall over a single answer…’
Bu Eunseol’s gaze upon Hyuk Gong Baek grew even colder.
“Then answer me this.”
Drawing a deep breath, she spoke with deliberate care, her voice firm and commanding.
“It’s a complete mess… an utter disaster.”

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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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