The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 196

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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 196.
Wi Cheon Gyeong could not hide his astonishment.
‘To discern martial prowess and inner strength merely by a glance—such a feat is only possible for masters who have transcended the Extreme Heavenly Realm.’
In truth, he harbored a grave misconception.
Bu Eunseol, who had long served as a Yeomsa operative, could perceive the physique and musculature of a person as clearly as if seeing through their garments, committing such details to memory as readily as one recalls a face.
I had simply discerned that the quadriceps muscles of Wi Cheon Gyeong and the other members of this squad were exceptionally well-developed.
‘Such musculature is capable not only of generating explosive power in an instant, but also possesses remarkable muscular endurance.’
As I finished observing the physiques of Wi Cheon Gyeong and his companions, I turned my gaze elsewhere.
There stood Hyuk So Jin and Jo Nam Cheon, along with the remaining candidates who had yet to be selected for a squad.
“The leader of the third squad shall be….”
In that moment, Hyuk So Jin looked at Jo Nam Cheon and broke into a smirk.
Since he was known to be my subordinate, he naturally assumed the position of third squad leader would fall to him.
“Jo Nam Cheon, you shall take command.”
Hyuk So Jin’s face twisted in an instant.
“Bu, Bu hyung? Then I am….”
“Hehehehe, you certainly have an eye for talent.”
Jo Nam Cheon looked at Hyuk So Jin and let out a satisfied laugh.
However, the smile vanished completely from his face at my next words.
“And So Jin, you shall be the deputy commander. From now on, when I am absent, all command falls to you.”
In an instant, Jo Nam Cheon’s face crumpled pathetically.
“Puhehehehe.”
Hyuk So Jin, his eyes narrowed to crescents, leaned his face close to Jo Nam Cheon’s and spoke with an ostentatious solemnity.
“From this moment forth, I shall call you Hasty.”
And as if nothing had happened, Hyuk So Jin’s sparkling eyes and innocent smile were nothing short of utterly detestable.
“Stop spouting nonsense and move aside.”
As the infuriated Jo Nam Cheon trembled with his forehead flushed and veins bulging,
“If I may say something.”
Wi Cheon Gyeong, who had remained silent until now, fixed me with an unwavering stare, his eyes obscured by his bangs, and opened his mouth.
“Why do you call the third squad leader by his proper name, yet refer to me only as Bangs?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You call me Bangs, yet you call him Jo Nam Cheon. That is what I mean.”
As Wi Cheon Gyeong spoke with defiant intonation, everyone around us wore expressions of shock.
He was always taciturn and reserved by nature.
“When we conversed, you introduced yourself and greeted only him.”
I swept my cold gaze across Wi Cheon Gyeong and the other members.
“What did you do besides say you didn’t want to be squad leader?”
In that moment, Wi Cheon Gyeong hung his head in silence, unable to respond.
Then, Won Se Moon stepped forward without reading the mood and spoke.
“My name is Won Se Moon.”
“Too late, Twin Blades.”
Bu Eunseol cut her off, and Won Se Moon’s face flushed crimson, then drained of color.
Yet, constrained by the dignity of his position as squad leader, he bit his lip and said nothing more.
“But why did you reorganize the squads?”
Jo Nam Cheon asked, and Bu Eunseol answered.
“Except in cases of all-out warfare, there’s no reason for all thirty of us to move together. From now on, each squad will undertake separate missions.”
“But… are you certain about this?”
Suddenly, Han So Woong, who stood behind Won Se Moon, tapped his chest armor and spoke.
“Going to Seomseong in this state, I mean.”
“What are you saying?”
Bu Eunseol asked, and Han So Woong grinned with a challenging smile.
“This mission has virtually no chance of success anyway, does it?”
He gestured toward the squad members who were either grinding their teeth or glaring at Bu Eunseol as if they wanted to kill her.
“There’s no need to handle things so arbitrarily and invite the resentment of the squad members.”
In truth, except for Jo Nam Cheon, Won Se Moon, and Wi Cheon Gyeong, most of the squad members wore expressions of obvious discontent.
The reason they could endure in the Demon Hall despite being troublemakers was simple.
Most of them possessed peak-level martial prowess capable of completing missions independently.
Even the Demon Hall treated them with caution, so the pride of the Mubon Squad members had swelled considerably. Yet now…
No matter that she had become squad leader by Ma Cheon Je’s command, to be treated like a neighborhood dog?
The majority of the squad members could not yet accept Bu Eunseol’s approach.
“It doesn’t matter.”
But Bu Eunseol only laughed coldly.
“This fight doesn’t require unified strength anyway.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Even if you gave me ten times the Mubon Squad’s numbers, we couldn’t defeat the Maban Sect in a direct confrontation.”
Han So Woong’s mouth fell open in shock.
Could it be that Bu Eunseol was going to Seomseong having abandoned all hope, resigned to whatever fate awaited?
“Then why are you leading the squad members to Seomseong? It’s a battle we’ll lose anyway.”
At this, Bu Eunseol gazed toward the distant sky and smiled faintly.
“Just do as I command.”
At that moment, all the Mubon Squad members wore puzzled expressions.
―What exactly is she?
All previous commanders had either tried to seize their initiative through martial prowess or issued orders by wielding authority.
But Bu Eunseol, despite her exceptional martial skill, did not flaunt it, nor did she rely on her elevated position.
Her indifferent and cynical nature, combined with keen observational ability and an enigmatic charm that subtly captivated hearts—
There was something unknowable about her, something that stirred their curiosity.
Curiosity.
Human relationships begin with curiosity.
The desire to know the unknown is an instinct inherent to all people.
‘Has it worked, at least?’
Bu Eunseol smiled as she observed the squad members’ gazes, filled with doubt.
‘These people will follow my orders to some degree. Out of curiosity about who I am, and what consequences such commands might bring.’
“We depart.”
As Bu Eunseol and Hyuk So Jin turned, the Mubon Squad members—their eyes glazed as if entranced—hurriedly fell into step behind them.
* * *
Luoyan Tower.
The most renowned tavern in Xian Prefecture.
While the surrounding scenery was magnificent, it was famous primarily for selling premium baijiu crafted by the master artisans of the Xifeng Brewery, a house renowned for their exceptional brewing—and at remarkably affordable prices.
The murmur of countless voices filled the air.
The interior of the three-story Luoyan Tower overflowed not only with sightseers but also with distinguished patrons who had come to savor fine spirits.
“….”
By the upper-floor windows, five martial artists sat rigidly at a table, drinking with stern expressions.
All wore azure martial robes, and at their waists hung swords adorned with plum-blossom embroidered tassels.
They were the second-generation disciples of the Hua Shan Sect.
Their teeth ground audibly.
The martial artists stared fixedly inward toward the banquet hall on the third floor, their jaws clenched.
Absurd nonsense was pouring forth from that direction.
“Do you know? Baek Mun Ryong, the third of the Ten Swords of Hua Shan, once worked as a mere stable hand cleaning our family’s stables?”
“Hehehehe. Why make such a fuss over that? Gu Dae Won, an elder of the Hua Shan Sect, once handled collections under my father’s money-lending operations.”
As the voices from the banquet hall grew louder, the Hua Shan disciples clenched their fists.
What madmen possessed such audacity to spout such drivel…
And to do so in Xian Prefecture, which could be considered the Hua Shan Sect’s sphere of influence?
“Patience. As the saying goes, even a king is cursed when absent.”
Bang Wook, the eldest among the seated second-generation disciples, spoke quietly.
“For a disciple of the great Hua Shan Sect to take offense at the drunken ravings of fools—there is nothing more absurd than that.”
At his words, Gok Sang Cheon, Bang Wook’s junior disciple, forced a laugh and continued.
“Your words are correct, senior brother. There is no need to react to every utterance of such madmen….”
Yet his words did not continue to completion.
From the banquet hall came a remark that could no longer be endured.
“Nothing remarkable, really. Do you know? Poong Won San, the current sect master of Hua Shan, that gentleman has served as a hired hand in our family for generations….”
The moment the sect master’s name was uttered, the Hua Shan disciples could no longer contain their fury and rose to their feet.
“What madman speaks such drivel in broad daylight!”
Bang Wook strode toward the banquet hall entrance and shouted.
“Whoever just spoke the sect master’s name—come out at once!”
The banquet hall door swung open, and a man with flushed cheeks staggered out.
“Who’re you?”
“We are disciples of the Hua Shan Sect!”
“Disciples of Hua Shan, you say….”
At Bang Wook’s declaration, the man’s vacant expression suddenly brightened, and he began to applaud.
“Then we are all one family, are we not!”
“One family? What nonsense is this?”
The man bared his yellowed teeth in a grin.
“Since you’re disciples of Poong Won San, who once served as a servant in our household, you’re nothing but servants yourselves….”
The man’s words never finished.
Bang Wook, his patience exhausted, launched a punch directly at the man’s face.
“Hmph.”
But the man let out a scoff and effortlessly dodged Bang Wook’s fist.
“For disciples of a servant, your fists are pathetically weak.”
As the man sneered while picking at his nose, Bang Wook’s eyes blazed like torches.
“Those who dare insult our sect deserve nothing but death!”
Shing!
The moment Bang Wook drew his blade, all the junior disciples behind him unsheathed their swords.
But the man merely smirked and stuck his head into the banquet hall, calling out.
“Hey, these servant disciples are drawing their swords to kill me?”
At that, armed men began filing out of the banquet hall one by one.
There were nine of them.
Moreover, each possessed sharp, piercing eyes and stood with perfect stability.
Only then did Bang Wook realize these were no ordinary drunkards—they were masters of the Murim.
“Who are you people?”
“We’ll answer with this.”
Crack! Smash!
The interior of the Inn became a battlefield of chaos.
Six disciples of the Hua Shan Sect, including Bang Wook, drew their blades and stood their ground with confidence.
What promised to be a fierce battle ended far more anticlimactically than expected.
“Ugh.”
It hadn’t even taken a quarter of an hour.
The six Hua Shan Sect disciples, including Bang Wook, lay crumpled on the ground, thoroughly beaten.
“You dare lay hands on our sect… and think you’ll escape Seomseong unscathed?”
At Bang Wook’s words, seething with fury, the man smirked and shook his head.
“You won’t escape.”
“What?”
“What fault could greenhorns like you possibly have? It’s all the fault of that servant who taught you so poorly.”
The man chuckled darkly, then knelt on one knee and forcibly seized the sword from Bang Wook’s waist.
“What are you doing!”
“Tell that servant this: we’ll be sightseeing around Seomseong for the next four days. If you want your sword back, come find us yourself.”
“A servant?”
“Poong Won San.”
Whoosh!
A cold, blade-like fury ignited in Bang Wook’s eyes.
This man continued to call the sect leader of Hua Shan a servant, mocking them all.
“So be it. I will make certain of it.”
Bang Wook swallowed the fury and killing intent that flowed ceaselessly through his throat, speaking through gritted teeth.
“If you call yourselves men, never dare flee beyond Seomseong!”
“Hehehehe. What unnecessary concerns you harbor.”
Won Se Moon, the man who had seized Bang Wook’s sword and now wore it at his waist, spoke with a laugh.
“This elder is a man of his word, so when I return, I shall certainly bring that servant with me.”
* * *
Jongnam Sect, Yuqing Pavilion
This was a small Daoist pavilion situated some ten li away from the Jongnam Sect Headquarters.
Originally, Yuqing Pavilion had served as a place for wall-facing meditation and deep cultivation, but now it functioned as the residence of Jin Ga Ryeong, the elder advisor to the Jongnam Sect Master.
Having retired long ago, he had withdrawn from the tedious affairs of the sect and now lived a hermit’s existence in this secluded place.
“Then today, shall I study the Lishan Go Records that the immortals themselves once played?”
For him, now over a hundred years of age, go was his sole pleasure in life.
He had even constructed a separate go room within Yuqing Pavilion where he spent his days playing.
―Murmur, murmur….
Yet from the vicinity of the Jongnam Sect Headquarters came the sound of many voices clamoring.
The faint mixture of shouts and curses suggested these were not the voices of Jongnam Sect disciples.
“Where has everyone gone?”
The disciples who should have been stationed around Yuqing Pavilion were nearly absent, with only So Dong, who handled menial tasks, moving about the courtyard.
Sensing something amiss, Jin Ga Ryeong questioned So Dong, who was sweeping the front courtyard of the pavilion.
“What is occurring?”
“Since around noon, ruffians have been appearing one or two at a time, causing trouble and demanding to test their martial skills against our sect’s first-generation disciples.”
“What? Martial skills?”
Jin Ga Ryeong felt perplexed.
From time to time, young people seeking to make names for themselves would travel between sects engaging in martial challenges.
However, such individuals typically sought out either reclusive masters or sects that controlled regional dominance.
No madman would dare approach a great sect like the Nine Sects One Alliance demanding a martial challenge.
“So our disciples have been drawn out because of this?”
“The elders say that most of the headquarters disciples are currently traveling through Gangho….”
“Hmm. I see.”
Feeling the disturbance, Jin Ga Ryeong waved his hand dismissively. After all, had he not long since withdrawn from sect affairs?
Entering the go room, he carefully opened a cabinet on one side.
Within lay a go board carved from five-hundred-year-old ginkgo wood and stones fashioned from jade.
Though he had abandoned even his beloved sword from his days traversing Murim, he cherished this go board and these stones so dearly that he polished them with meticulous care every single day.
Creak.
Jin Ga Ryeong, who had been smiling contentedly,
“….”
suddenly froze with his mouth agape like a crucian carp pierced upon a fishing hook, his eyes bulging wide.
The box that should have contained the antique go board and jade stones, radiating their aged patina, was nowhere to be seen. In its place lay a dark lump emanating a foul stench.
Its appearance was unmistakably that of cow dung…
And its smell and form were indeed that of cow dung.

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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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