The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 168

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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 168.
At the unexpected and shocking answer, Hyuk Gong Baek’s eyebrows shot upward.
“A mess?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
Uuuoong.
In that instant, the faint killing intent flowing from Hyuk Gong Baek’s body became overwhelmingly intense.
“What is the reason?”
“Because we are receiving treatment unbecoming of the Ten Demonic Gates.”
Despite Hyuk Gong Baek emanating a terrifying aura, Bu Eunseol instead wore a composed expression.
“In name, we are a sanctuary for demons. In truth, we are simply left to languish, no different from abandonment.”
Hyuk Gong Baek stared blankly for a long moment before suddenly narrowing his eyes into crescents.
“Hehehehe. Hahahaha.”
Hyuk Gong Baek, laughing lowly, nodded his head.
“You have audacity. Worthy of a disciple of Nangya Sect.”
Pleased with Bu Eunseol’s answer, the killing intent vanished like melting snow.
“Had you chosen only pleasant words to speak, I would have expressed my displeasure.”
As a Great Demon, he was describing what would have been an attempt to slaughter someone as merely “expressing displeasure.”
Hyuk Gong Baek, holding a faint smile, spoke again.
“But you spoke with honest candor, showing exactly what you are. Well done.”
And he released a deep sigh.
“All those dwelling here are Great Demons who once shook the Murim. No matter how high they have ascended in the Extreme Demonic Realm… they remain like bombs waiting to detonate.”
Hyuk Gong Baek spoke as he walked along a narrow path carpeted with fallen leaves, having passed through the village.
“So the Demon Palace established this branch to manage the Great Demons… but in reality, it is no different from a place of exile. They strip away the secret techniques and then abandon us to languish.”
“Have you made formal protests?”
“Protests? I should be grateful they created such a place at all. This is not the Righteous Path Sect, where every elder is meticulously served and master-disciple relationships are maintained.”
He continued speaking after drawing in the clear forest air.
“But whenever the Demon Palace selects successor candidates, the heirs of the Ten Demonic Gates suddenly visit this branch.”
Only after hearing this did Bu Eunseol understand why the young man at the entrance and the elderly man playing go had shown such indifferent reactions.
Ordinarily they paid no attention whatsoever, yet whenever succession disputes arose, they suddenly took interest as if nothing had changed.
Moreover, since this branch was created to manage Great Demons, the successor of Jeol Cheon Myul Ji could never enter the succession hierarchy of the Demon Palace…
So there was no reason for them to welcome a candidate for succession to the Demon Palace.
“Did you come here seeking the support of this branch?”
“Yes.”
“Then I shall answer you directly. To gain the support of this branch, you must first gain the support of the elders dwelling in Do Won Hyang.”
By now, Bu Eunseol and Hyuk Gong Baek had climbed to a hill overlooking Do Won Hyang.
“There are roughly eighty elders dwelling here. Though they appear gentle, they are uniformly demons who once overturned the Tianxia.”
After gazing down at Do Won Hyang for a long while, Hyuk Gong Baek spoke again.
“By the way, the successor of Hell Blood Sect visited before you arrived.”
“I see.”
“He summoned workers and had the dilapidated palace halls within this branch rebuilt anew, and for some time… he even stationed young attendants to serve the elders dwelling in Do Won Hyang.”
Only then did Bu Eunseol understand why the interior was so meticulously maintained despite the dilapidated and shabby exterior of the palace.
“So the inner halls were constructed anew.”
At Bu Eunseol’s words, Hyuk Gong Baek wore a subtle smile.
“If you become the successor to the Demon Palace, I promised to rebuild the exterior more impressively and station many young cultivators and servants here permanently.”
Hyuk Gong Baek spoke in a low voice.
“Thanks to that, more than half of the elders have decided to support the successor from Hell Blood Castle.”
“….”
“To be honest, this is a difficult task for you.”
Hyuk Gong Baek, who understood Nangya Sect’s circumstances well, wore a bitter smile.
“Even if you exhausted all of Nangya Sect’s resources, you couldn’t accomplish something of this scale. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Bu Eunseol could only nod in acknowledgment.
Nangya Sect, despite possessing formidable power, operated entirely self-sufficiently without external support.
In other words, no matter how much of Nangya Sect’s wealth she mobilized, it would never satisfy the great demons.
Moreover, Hell Blood Castle had already, however briefly, assigned young servants to attend to them.
Even if Bu Eunseol personally cooked and served them, the demons here wouldn’t bat an eye.
“I have one more question.”
Bu Eunseol, who had been deep in thought, slowly opened her mouth.
“It seems that gaining the support of the elders in Do Won Hyang doesn’t necessarily guarantee the support of Jeol Cheon Myul Ji.”
“Of course, there is a second condition as well….”
Hyuk Gong Baek’s eyes grew distant as he continued speaking.
“I’ll tell you about that only after you’ve fulfilled the condition of gaining the complete support of all the elders here.”
Hyuk Gong Baek, gazing at Bu Eunseol with pitying eyes, shook his head.
“After all, even the first condition might be impossible for you.”
Only then could Bu Eunseol grasp the situation.
“Then the successor from Hell Blood Castle must have failed to complete this second condition and returned.”
“Sharp. You’re right.”
Bu Eunseol, once again lost in deep thought, slowly spoke.
“Then would it be acceptable for me to stay in Do Won Hyang for a while?”
“Of course. The elders would be pleased to have a young person like you here. Young people rarely venture into this forest.”
Hyuk Gong Baek, as if recalling something, smiled ruefully and shook his head.
“Do you remember the small dwelling built at the foot of the mountain before entering this forest?”
“I do.”
“It’s been vacant and unused. If you don’t mind, stay there.”
“Thank you.”
Hyuk Gong Baek nodded and turned with a composed smile.
“Then, do your best.”
* * *
From that day forward, Bu Eunseol lived in the old dwelling at the foot of the mountain, some distance from Do Won Hyang.
And Bu Eunseol’s every move became the talk of the demons residing in Do Won Hyang.
―What on earth is this wretch from Nangya Sect planning to win our favor?
It was common knowledge among the Demonic Path that Nangya Sect’s finances were perpetually strained.
―You’ve decided to stay at Do Won Hyang? Ha, how fitting for a penniless disciple to make such a decision.
―Right. He’ll probably stay for a while, trying to curry favor and serve us hand and foot!
Yet most of the demons at Do Won Hyang remained skeptical of Bu Eunseol’s intentions.
The masters of the Ten Demonic Gates rarely visited this place ordinarily, but whenever the succession struggle began, they always came seeking supporters.
The demons of Do Won Hyang resented this pattern.
―At least that Hell Blood Sect bastard threw money around generously. This one plans to pay with his body instead… Don’t even spare him a glance!
―Agreed. No matter what flattery he attempts, we won’t budge an inch.
The eighty-some elders residing at Do Won Hyang shared a unified resolve.
How dare he arrive penniless to gain support from those who had once condemned the Murim itself?
They had made up their minds to show Bu Eunseol absolutely no interest, regardless of his actions.
But their expectations proved entirely wrong.
A day passed, then two, yet Bu Eunseol remained only in Mo Wok, never once appearing near Do Won Hyang where the demons dwelled.
―What in the world is that brat doing?
When four days had elapsed without a single attempt at flattery or even a glimpse of his face, the demons grew curious.
Unable to contain their curiosity, two of the demons—Hyeol Su Gwi Ma and Bang Gak—sought out Bu Eunseol’s quarters at Mo Wok.
“Ahem.”
They loitered around Mo Wok with exaggerated coughs, yet received no response.
Scritch, scritch, scritch.
Instead, the sound of wood being scraped echoed continuously from within.
‘What on earth is he doing?’
Unable to contain his curiosity, Hyeol Su Gwi Ma quietly slipped inside Mo Wok.
“Huh?”
His eyes widened the moment he entered.
The courtyard was piled high with timber, and before it stood Bu Eunseol, saw in hand, methodically shaping planks.
Whether borrowed from the warriors of Jeol Cheon Myul Ji, hammers, axes, and various tools lay scattered before Mo Wok.
“What are you doing here?”
Even as Hyeol Su Gwi Ma posed the question, Bu Eunseol continued sawing the planks without sparing him a glance.
“Are you deaf?”
Clack.
Then Bu Eunseol set down the hammer and turned to face Hyeol Su Gwi Ma.
‘What kind of eyes are those….’
Merely by setting down the hammer and meeting his gaze, Hyeol Su Gwi Ma felt a chill run down his spine.
‘Could this young one’s inner strength surpass my own?’
He shook his head.
No matter how much of a successor to the Ten Demonic Gates one might be, there were limits to the inner strength achievable at such a young age.
Convinced it was merely an illusion, he cleared his throat and spoke again.
“I asked what you’re doing.”
“Building something.”
“What?”
Bu Eunseol pointed to a stack of wooden planks piled to one side.
Hyeol Su Gwi Ma furrowed his brow and examined the planks she indicated with keen attention.
“That… what is that?”
Hyeol Su Gwi Ma’s eyes, which had been boring into the planks for some time, widened as if they might tear.
The wooden boards were roughly one and a half feet wide and six feet in length—approximately forty centimeters by one hundred eighty centimeters.
And on one surface, seven holes were carved in the pattern of the Big Dipper.
A flat wooden plank with seven holes bored through it…
Was there not only one such object in this entire world?
“Surely… you’re not making a Seven-Star Board?”
The Seven-Star Board.
A thin plank laid at the bottom of a coffin to fix the corpse in place.
It was precisely the Seven-Star Board referenced when people said, “When death comes, one’s body rests upon the Seven-Star Board.”
“Indeed.”
At this unbelievable response, Hyeol Su Gwi Ma’s eyes bulged wide.
“Why are you making a Seven-Star Board here?”
But this time, no answer came.
“Answer me at once!”
“Be quiet.”
“What?”
“I’m working. Leave.”
“What did you say?”
Hyeol Su Gwi Ma, about to shout in bewilderment, fell silent instead.
Bu Eunseol’s eyes, cold and frozen as she carved the wood, held such solemnity and gravity that they commanded reverence.
“This… this madman.”
Sensing that words would no longer suffice, Hyeol Su Gwi Ma snorted and departed.
―That one is making a Seven-Star Board?
Word of what Bu Eunseol was doing in Mo Wok—crafting Seven-Star Boards for coffins—spread through Do Won Hyang in an instant.
―That can’t be right. Bang Gak, that senile old fool must be spouting nonsense.
But then something even more absurd occurred.
Bu Eunseol was discovered felling all the parasol trees on the Back Mountain and fashioning them into rectangular box-like structures.
―That madman!
A long, rectangular box-shaped form crafted from parasol wood.
Without even seeing the completed form, was it not obvious what it was?
―He’s assembling coffins!
The eyes of the demons in Do Won Hyang inverted upon learning this fact.
Now it was clear—that madman from Nangya Sect was constructing coffins from parasol wood.
―Is he saying it’s time for us to die and enter our coffins of our own accord?
Word that Bu Eunseol was making coffins spread to Jeol Cheon Myul Ji in an instant.
Some demons, so enraged they had reached the realm of extreme demonic cultivation, spewed killing intent in torrents despite their advanced state.
―No matter how much of a master of the Ten Demonic Gates one is, hasn’t this gone too far?
In the end, several demons armed themselves and went searching for Bu Eunseol.
―Let’s kill that bastard before we die!
Just as the demons’ ferocity seemed about to explode,
―We’ll go take a look ourselves.
The lord Hyuk Gong Baek and his closest friend Gwang Sa, along with Poong Yeo Ryang, set out toward Bu Eunseol’s dwelling.
“I can’t make sense of what’s happening here.”
Hyuk Gong Baek, walking down the mountainside toward the dwelling with Poong Yeo Ryang, shook his head.
“Staying at the sect and crafting coffins? Surely that can’t be right.”
“What do you mean ‘can’t be right’?”
Poong Yeo Ryang ground his teeth as he spoke.
“If we hadn’t stopped Eum Gwae Ma Gyeom, that old man, from running off with his scythe raised… the situation would have become far worse.”
“Hmm.”
Hyuk Gong Baek swallowed hard.
The Bu Eunseol he had seen was not only remarkably clear-minded but also possessed unwavering resolve.
She was certainly not the sort of madwoman who would craft coffins within Do Won Hyang, where the elderly gathered.
Creeeeak.
As the dwelling door opened, a curse burst from Poong Yeo Ryang’s lips where he stood beside Hyuk Gong Baek.
“That insane bastard…”
It was true.
Just as the rumors had said, the courtyard before the dwelling was piled high with coffins crafted from parasol wood.
“This creature cannot be allowed to live! Where has she gone!”
As Poong Yeo Ryang rolled up his sleeves and looked around, Hyuk Gong Baek shook his head.
“Wait, calm yourself. This is not a matter to be handled so rashly.”
“Not a matter to be handled so rashly?”
“She is the legitimate successor of the Nangya Sect. Moreover, she has come to receive formal recognition as a successor candidate from the Demon Palace Lord.”
“Hmm.”
“Let us first hear what she has to say before deciding how to proceed.”
Though his words were measured, a violet mist coiled upward from Hyuk Gong Baek’s eyes.
If Bu Eunseol spoke nonsense, he was prepared to sever her neck with his own hands.
The Phantom Demon, Hyuk Gong Baek.
He was no benevolent elder. No matter what anyone said, he was a supreme demon of the Tianxia, ruling over Jeol Cheon Myul Ji, one of the Ten Demonic Gates.
Creeeeak.
At that moment, the dwelling door opened, and Bu Eunseol, carrying a load of parasol wood like a woodcutter, stepped through the wicker gate.
“What brings you here?”
At Bu Eunseol’s calm question, flames erupted from Poong Yeo Ryang’s eyes.
“What brings us here?”
Poong Yeo Ryang shouted and approached Bu Eunseol as she set down the wood.
“You! What exactly are you doing?”
His voice dripped with killing intent as he spoke.
“Why are you crafting coffins in this place!”

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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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