The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 215
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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 215.
The old man’s piercing gaze intensified as he pressed further.
“What exactly is your purpose?”
“My purpose?”
The man chuckled softly before responding.
“You call yourselves beggars, yet you’ve abandoned begging entirely. Instead, you exploit the numbers of your so-called prestigious sect to peddle information like merchants. It sickens me….”
His words trailed off.
Whoosh!
The old man—no, Jeong No Sam, the leader of the Hobun Party—moved with the speed of lightning, striking toward the man’s Tiantu acupoint.
“Hmph.”
The man snorted derisively, twisting his body to evade the old man’s hand that clawed toward his throat.
But it was a feint. The old man, as if he’d anticipated the dodge, unleashed a barrage of over a dozen palm strikes in rapid succession.
Thud, thud, thud!
The man couldn’t escape the onslaught and took the brunt of the strikes across his entire body.
“Is that all?”
Jeong No Sam’s expression twisted as he continued his assault.
Despite his palm strikes landing squarely on the man’s body, there was no resistance—as if he were striking nothing but cotton.
“This bastard….”
Only then did he realize the man had feigned being hit while subtly redirecting the force away, and his mouth fell open in shock.
“Have you grown so old your strength has withered?”
The man grinned wickedly, clenching his left fist.
Whoooosh!
In that instant, with a terrible sound, the air around them seemed to be sucked inward before an overwhelming force erupted outward.
“Gasp!”
Jeong No Sam’s eyes widened in shock and disbelief.
Not only was the man’s strike blindingly fast, but the range of his force extended over ten zhang in all directions.
‘There’s no escape!’
Yet by sheer fortune, the force merely grazed Jeong No Sam’s cheek, instead completely cleaving a large stone lantern standing beside him in two.
Rumble, rumble, rumble.
Jeong No Sam stood frozen, staring down at the bisected stone lantern.
Gulp.
He swallowed hard involuntarily.
Had that force been directed at him, it would have been his skull that was split in two.
“From now on, beg honestly. Stop wasting time on such foolish schemes.”
The man smiled mockingly and turned to leave.
Jeong No Sam trembled uncontrollably, unable to utter a single word, his lips pressed tightly together.
* * *
The man staggered out and boarded the carriage waiting before the Seolhyangyeon.
Clatter, clatter.
As the carriage began to move, a brilliant gleam flashed across the man’s eyes as he reclined comfortably.
Crack.
In the same instant, my facial structure rippled like water, and the shape of my eyes and nose began to shift gradually.
Then a visage as celestial as a heavenly being slowly emerged. It was Bu Eunseol.
“Will this be alright, Young Master?”
Heuk Pyo, who sat at the reins driving the carriage, spoke with a worried tone.
“That frightened old man seems about to mobilize the Gae Bang masters immediately.”
“Those who work in intelligence organizations have one characteristic—they always act only after precisely identifying who their opponent is.”
“Since he is the Hobun Party Leader who reports information to the Gae Bang’s central command….”
“Exactly.”
Bu Eunseol gazed out the window, a faint smile playing at her lips.
“He will never act recklessly until he obtains accurate information about me.”
My ultimate goal was a one-on-one duel with the Beggar King.
However, the Beggar King rarely showed himself in the Murim and his whereabouts were so elusive that he was impossible to find easily.
―If I cannot find him, I will make him come to me.
If I publicly shook the Gae Bang and humiliated them, the Beggar King would surely seek me out.
As the first step, I exposed the Hobun Party’s corruption to Bu Zhong, humiliating them.
“But it is truly surprising. That the Gae Bang is actually so wealthy among the Righteous Path Sects.”
As Heuk Pyo let out a sigh-like sound, Bu Eunseol spoke matter-of-factly.
“Though the Gae Bang is said to be incorruptible, that is merely an image created beneath the shadow of the Nine Sects One Alliance. In reality, they are as greedy as their numbers are great.”
My eyes gazing out the window deepened with intensity.
“And by merely exposing that truth, I can identify the factions dissatisfied with the Gae Bang.”
Today’s work was merely the beginning.
From now on, I would systematically dismantle the Gae Bang’s power structure and draw out the Beggar King, wherever he crouched in hiding.
After that day.
Not only Bu Eunseol and Heuk Pyo, but also Hyuk So Jin, Myo Cheon Woo, and Yu Woon Ryong roamed Bu Zhong, deliberately provoking the Gae Bang’s key figures.
―I had to expose their personal information and humiliate them in places crowded with people.
Bu Eunseol had established principles even in how to provoke them.
The targets were the Gae Bang’s intelligence division or the heads of intelligence organizations who did not operate publicly.
And their corruption had to be exposed before many people without fail.
―The Gae Bang is rotten too….
The Gae Bang was known to be free of greed and pure in conduct.
But when my group publicly exposed their hidden corruption that had never been revealed externally, the Gae Bang’s reputation plummeted to the bottom.
Silence permeated the interior of Ihwajang.
Bu Eunseol, who had stirred up the Gaebong region, now sat locked away in the Palace Hall with Hyuk So Jin, Myo Cheon Woo, and Yu Woon Ryong, not venturing outside.
“What on earth is the Lord doing?”
After they remained shut in the Palace Hall for several days without emerging, Won Se Moon, feeling frustrated, asked Heuk Pyo.
“Why are those gentlemen also staying with him?”
“He is researching martial art foundations.”
“Martial art foundations?”
Heuk Pyo answered in a low voice.
“Until now, you three have done the same as the Master—you’ve provoked the Gae Bang masters and fought them without backing down. That’s why we’re all studying Gae Bang martial arts together.”
Bu Eunseol had deliberately challenged each Gae Bang master one by one, discerning the foundations of their techniques.
Whenever she encountered a technique she didn’t fully understand, she deliberately took a beating to learn it.
As a result, while she hadn’t grasped the true essence of Gae Bang’s martial arts, she had managed to uncover a substantial portion of the diverse techniques and variations employed by Gae Bang’s masters.
Now she was researching these findings together with Hyuk So Jin, Myo Cheon Woo, and Yu Woon Ryong, who had all fought against Gae Bang masters.
“That’s… possible?”
“Yes.”
Heuk Pyo spoke with a proud expression.
“In fact, the Master can even discern martial techniques to a considerable degree simply by observing the wounds on corpses.”
“Wounds… Ah, I see.”
Won Se Moon suddenly recalled how Bu Eunseol had taught not only the techniques of the Maban Sect to her subordinates in the past, but also the swordsmanship of the Jongnam Sect and Hwasan Sect.
“I thought she was simply well-versed in Orthodox Path martial arts… but it turns out she grasped them on the spot.”
“Heuk Pyo.”
At that moment, the door opened with a click, and Hyuk So Jin thrust his face through the opening.
“The Master says you should come in as well.”
* * *
Inside the Secret Chamber of the Palace Hall, candles burned brightly, and large sheets of paper were stacked upon the table.
On the topmost sheet were strange diagrams and lines drawn densely across the surface, which Bu Eunseol, Hyuk So Jin, Yu Woon Ryong, and Myo Cheon Woo were studying with grave expressions.
Upon entering, Heuk Pyo stood carefully to one side so as not to disturb the concentration of Bu Eunseol and the others.
“The martial arts of Gae Bang are terribly chaotic.”
Myo Cheon Woo, who had been examining the lines and diagrams, clicked his tongue.
These were all the Gae Bang martial techniques that Bu Eunseol had discerned either through fighting Gae Bang masters or by observing corpses.
The martial arts of Gae Bang were as diverse as the number of people who practiced them, with numerous techniques intermingled.
Bu Eunseol had spent a long time wandering the Murim, deeply studying Gae Bang’s martial arts—excluding only the two supreme techniques of Tagu and Hangyong.
“Regardless, it’s truly remarkable. To have stolen so many Gae Bang techniques in such a short time.”
“I didn’t steal them. I simply observed the traces left behind.”
Gongshim Tongyeong.
By utilizing Gongshim Tongyeong—the extreme sensory perception that could be called the pinnacle of the Beast Path—one could examine all traces that the eyes could never perceive.
“Hmm.”
After examining for a moment, Myo Cheon Woo’s eyes grew hazy.
Having studied the complex variations of Gae Bang techniques for so long, fatigue was beginning to overwhelm him.
Swish, swish.
At that moment, Bu Eunseol picked up brush and ink, densely filling the paper with diagrams and lines.
She had drawn the foundational variations of the Baekgyeol Palm Technique and the Shattered Heart Secret Hand—the techniques most commonly learned by Gae Bang disciples.
“Can you manage it?”
At Bu Eunseol’s question, Myo Cheon Woo nodded seriously.
“To about seventy percent.”
Myo Cheon Woo was a master of fist and palm techniques, having deeply cultivated the Extermination Palm.
He intended to perfectly transmit the palm and hand techniques of Gae Bang that Bu Eunseol had discerned to the Sa Yeong Dae.
“We need to raise it to eighty percent or higher. It must look like traces left by a Gae Bang master, no matter who observes it.”
Bu Eunseol possessed the ability to discern martial techniques through scars and traces.
With this capability, Bu Eunseol had brought down the Maban Sect. Now she intended to provoke the Gae Bang using the same method.
“Heuk Pyo.”
Only then did Bu Eunseol call to Heuk Pyo, who stood to one side.
“Yes, Master.”
“This is the Gae Bang’s secret movement technique, Swallow’s Dual Flight.”
This time, Bu Eunseol drew out one secret manual of divine movement and handed it to Heuk Pyo.
“It will be difficult alone. Call the squad leader and research it together, then transmit it to the members of the First Division.”
The squad leader was a nickname for Wi Cheon Gyeong, the commander of the First Division.
“Understood.”
Heuk Pyo carefully accepted the secret manual.
Then Bu Eunseol handed the secret manuals of Crane Tail Peak Technique and Dragon Spring Palm Technique to Hyuk So Jin and Yu Woon Ryong.
“Teach them to the members of the Third Division. Make certain no one suspects these are traces of Gae Bang masters.”
“Understood.”
As Hyuk So Jin accepted the secret manual, Yu Woon Ryong hesitated before asking.
“Bu Eunseol.”
“Speak.”
“How exactly does one acquire such an ability?”
Yu Woon Ryong shook his head as if he could not believe it.
“No matter how much you say it’s merely a variation of basic techniques… how can you discern the martial arts of each sect at a glance?”
“….”
“If all the masters of Nangya Sect possessed such ability, then all the greatest masters under heaven would have emerged from Nangya Sect.”
“It is not a secret technique of this sect. However, thanks to this sect’s martial scripture, I can observe more details.”
Bu Eunseol spoke calmly.
“I was Yeomsa.”
Yu Woon Ryong could not understand from those words alone. But gazing into Bu Eunseol’s eyes, he could dimly perceive the truth.
That such ability had not arisen simply from being Yeomsa.
Rather, it was achieved through effort that carved bone and resolve that could melt steel.
‘Indeed, that one would have been doing something even while butchering meat.’
As Yu Woon Ryong shook his head, Bu Eunseol spoke in a solemn voice.
“From now on, you shall lead Sa Yeong Dae and provoke the Black Gang—those criminal organizations harboring discontent with the Gae Bang.”
She regarded her companions with a grave expression.
“The Gae Bang grew upon the support of the common people. Should those people turn their backs, it will crumble beyond recovery.”
By exposing the Gae Bang’s corruption and bringing them shame, I could identify forces hostile to them.
They were precisely the Black Gang forces that ruled the back alleys.
The Gae Bang, wandering about begging, maintained close connections with the lower classes.
They had been covertly involving themselves in the interests of the Black Gang forces.
“Soon the Gae Bang will come seeking us of their own accord.”
At Bu Eunseol’s words, all those present nodded with conviction.
Now the contest to draw out the Beggar King would unfold.
* * *
A month later, the back alleys of Gaebong began to stir.
The Gae Bang had consistently suppressed the Black Gang’s influence in areas where honest merchants gathered.
Gaebong in particular saw even more aggressive intervention against the Black Gang, since it housed the Gae Bang’s headquarters.
But this time, as if the Gae Bang had made a deliberate decision to uproot them entirely, they systematically crushed the Black Gang operatives hiding throughout the city.
“What is the meaning of this?”
The Black Gang forces operating within Gaebong fiercely resisted the Gae Bang’s assault.
“What exactly have we done wrong?”
“Our organization seeks to eliminate the parasites who drain the blood of the common people!”
The Gae Bang’s masters attacked the Black Gang forces without mercy.
In truth, wherever commercial districts thrived, the Black Gang’s presence was inevitable.
The Black Gang had long resented the Gae Bang’s interference in underworld affairs, yet they dared not challenge one of the Murim’s great powers.
They had always submitted and bowed appropriately, but now the Gae Bang sought to eradicate them entirely?
“These damned beggars!”
Though the Black Gang resisted fiercely, they could not withstand the superior martial prowess of the Gae Bang’s masters.
Ultimately, the Black Gang forces operating in Gaebong had no choice but to cease their activities and scatter in all directions.
But shortly thereafter, a peculiar rumor spread through Gaebong.
The merchants connected to the Gae Bang had been exposed.
They maintained their livelihoods while passing along rumors and information they heard to the Gae Bang.
Thanks to their cooperation and connections with the Gae Bang, they received various benefits.
“So it was those bastards!”
The Black Gang forces, their resentment having accumulated, began to gnash their teeth and gather.
They started intimidating the tavern servants and porters who provided information to the Gae Bang, as well as the lower-ranked disciples.
No matter how powerful the Gae Bang was, they could not control every underworld incident individually.
As the information network maintaining Gaebong collapsed, the flow of intelligence reaching the Beggar Sect Headquarters naturally began to plummet.
* * *
In the secret chamber beneath the Beggar Sect Headquarters.
There stood the leaders of the Eight Paths who oversaw the Gae Bang’s information network, and Hae Poong, the deputy leader of the Gae Bang, with a stern expression.
As No Bong, the leader of the Gae Bang, grew weaker and more infirm with age, Hae Poong, the deputy leader, had taken on most of the organization’s duties.
“Everything that has occurred thus far was the work of the Sa Yeong Dae, a special unit dispatched from the Demon Hall.”
“The Sa Yeong Dae?”
“Indeed.”
Jeong Sam, the leader of the Small Beggar Sect, spoke in a grave voice.
“They say it is a third-tier special unit of the Demon Hall, recently established.”
He continued in that solemn tone.
“They purchased an entire abandoned manor on the outskirts of Bu Zhong and established it as their base of operations.”
“Hmm.”
“And they provoked the Black Gang forces who harbored resentment toward our organization, setting them against us.”
“I cannot comprehend this.”
Hae Poong shook his head.
“Then who were the masters who attacked the Black Gang?”
The masters who had attacked the Black Gang’s forces at that time all reportedly wielded the martial techniques of the Gae Bang.
Because of this, the Black Gang’s forces harbored resentment and moved through the back alleys, disrupting the Gae Bang’s intelligence network.
“That has not been precisely determined, but it seems likely not unrelated to the Demon Palace.”
Jeong Sam spoke while drawing in a deep breath.
“Perhaps the Demon Palace cultivated masters capable of mimicking our sect’s martial techniques in advance.”
“That cannot be.”
Hae Poong shook his head in disbelief.
“If that were true, it would mean the Demon Palace planned such matters long ago and cultivated masters who specialized in learning our sect’s martial techniques… That hardly makes sense, does it?”
As he shook his head, Lee Sim Hwa, the Beggar Squad Master standing to one side, spoke.
“It is possible.”
“What did you say?”
“In the Murim Alliance as well… was there not a master with the ability to replicate martial techniques once witnessed?”
“Hmm.”
Hae Poong narrowed his eyes.
There had long been rumors in the Murim Alliance of a mysterious master not only versed in Demonic Path martial techniques but also possessing exceptional ability in analyzing martial arts.
And the great masters had actually learned martial arts from this person, confirming the rumors to be true.
However, since he always wore a mask and revealed no position, his identity remained unknown.
“Then, could that not also be the work of the Sa Yeong Dae’s leader?”
Hae Poong shook his head.
“How could one compare such a mysterious master with some third-rank leader of the Demon Palace?”
He chuckled softly and continued.
“If he possessed such ability, he would not remain as a mere third-rank leader of the Demon Palace.”
After falling into deep contemplation for a moment, Hae Poong spoke with resolute conviction.
“There is no need for further deliberation. This master shall lead the Beggar Squad to Ihwajang.”
A solemn and piercing light blazed in Hae Poong’s eyes.
“And leave not a single one alive. Sweep them all away so the Demon Palace never attempts such foolishness again.”
As the Sub-Master Hae Poong’s stern command fell, Lee Sim Hwa clasped his hands deeply together.
“Understood.”
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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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