The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 234

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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 234.
Poong Yeo Ryang continued speaking with a deeply troubled expression.
“Hiding it won’t change anything. You’ll find out eventually anyway.”
“Whether I learn of it now or later makes little difference.”
“You really….”
“It’s fine. Truly fine.”
Hyuk Gong Baek offered a serene smile.
“If the truth will only bring suffering when revealed, then delaying that moment as long as possible is the wisest course.”
He then patted the shoulder of Poong Yeo Ryang, who gazed at him with such concern.
“Come now, let us see how much our grandson has transformed.”
I could scarcely believe my eyes.
My grandson, Hyuk So Jin—once perpetually cynical and indifferent to all matters—had become a composed and seasoned martial master, his gaze sharp and resolute.
“Grandfather.”
In days past, he would have rushed forward and embraced me without restraint.
But now he stood with dignified bearing, bowing respectfully with lowered head.
“Hehehehe.”
Seeing Hyuk So Jin’s newfound maturity, I burst into hearty laughter.
Was this not a bearing and composure I could never have imagined in the past?
At that moment, Bu Eunseol beside me clasped her hands respectfully.
“A disciple of Nangya Sect, Bu Eunseol, pays respects to the patriarch.”
“You have labored greatly.”
I placed a hand upon Bu Eunseol’s shoulder, my expression filled with emotion.
“Though I imposed such demanding conditions upon you… you have accomplished far more than I could have asked.”
Bu Eunseol shook her head calmly.
“You are too kind.”
“Hehehehe.”
I burst into hearty laughter once more.
In the course of a lifetime, one occasionally encounters a noble soul.
Bu Eunseol was truly such a person to me.
“But come, let us move to another chamber. A banquet has been prepared.”
Bu Eunseol and Hyuk So Jin departed San Cheon Jae and proceeded to Eun Hwi Gak, where the feast awaited.
As Hyuk So Jin walked alongside Bu Eunseol, surveying the surroundings, he spoke.
“Much has changed. Even I can see it.”
The circumstances of Jeol Cheon Myeol Ji, enriched by the wealth of Mu Ha Soo Yu Jeong, had become incomparably more prosperous than before.
All that was worn and aged had been replaced with new. Moreover, young attendants and servants had been hired to serve the demonic cultivators dwelling in Do Won Hyang.
“Patriarch.”
Young disciples passing by bowed deeply upon seeing me.
With formidable financial resources, I had not only recruited young masters from the Demonic Path, but also accepted young disciples eager to master the diverse martial arts of Jeol Cheon Myeol Ji.
“Come, be seated here.”
I guided Bu Eunseol to the place of honor and personally poured wine for her.
Upon entering the banquet hall, I beheld a grand table laden with delicacies and fine wine.
Seated in orderly rows on either side were young martial artists.
They were the young lords and vice-lords who would lead Jeol Cheon Myul Ji into the future.
As I surveyed the surroundings, my expression grew puzzled.
The great masters of Do Won Hyang—the very heart of Jeol Cheon Myul Ji itself—were nowhere to be seen.
“The elders of Do Won Hyang are absent, I notice.”
“Haha. Only you would think to search for those old men.”
Hyuk Gong Baek spoke with a low chuckle.
“How could I simply accept the kindness of Mu Ha Soo Yu Jeong without reciprocation?”
“Then….”
As Bu Eunseol’s eyes brightened with understanding, Hyuk Gong Baek nodded.
“I sent them to Mu Ha Soo Yu Jeong to personally transmit various demonic arts.”
Understanding Mu Ha Soo Yu Jeong’s circumstances well, Hyuk Gong Baek had commanded the masters of Do Won Hyang to impart their martial techniques.
Though aged and infirm, their inner strength diminished, they still possessed sufficient power to instruct others.
If the masters—veritable repositories of demonic knowledge—were to transmit their cultivation?
The martial prowess of Mu Ha Soo Yu Jeong’s disciples would surge dramatically in a short span of time.
Moreover, with the knowledge and experience gained from the pawn shop added to their instruction…
They would gain extensive insight without needing to venture into Gangho themselves.
“A difficult decision indeed, Lord Hyuk.”
Originally, Jeol Cheon Myul Ji had been a closed sect, exchanging with none of the Ten Demonic Gates.
At Bu Eunseol’s words, Hyuk Gong Baek smiled broadly.
“It is all thanks to you for opening that channel.”
He then exhaled deeply and spoke.
“Our sect’s membership in the Ten Demonic Gates existed solely out of necessity. This was the only place where aging masters with waning cultivation could reside.”
Hyuk Gong Baek’s voice carried profound regret.
“But thanks to you, exchange between sects has been realized. And the results are precisely what you see before you now.”
Exchange between sects.
It differed from mere bonds between individuals. When sects opened their hearts to one another and filled each other’s gaps…
The development that followed became too vast to predict.
“Lord Hyuk.”
At that moment, Woon Gyeom, the vice-lord of the True Guard, entered the banquet hall cautiously and whispered to Hyuk Gong Baek.
Hyuk Gong Baek’s complexion shifted slightly as he listened in silence, then he shook his head.
“There is no need to admit them. Send them back as they are.”
“But….”
Just as Woon Gyeom began to shake his head,
“Haha. Brother Hyuk. Why would you turn away your younger brother?”
The man who entered the banquet hall was of ordinary build with a goat’s beard—a middle-aged man in appearance.
Though his visage resembled that of a common ruffian, he was in truth Yu Hyuk Shim, one of the ten greatest masters of poison cultivation in Hell Blood Castle.
He was originally of similar age to Hyuk Gong Baek, but maintained his youth through the cultivation of fearsome poison arts.
“How did you enter this place?”
Hyuk Gong Baek’s brow furrowed.
Even if Woon Gyeom, the master of the True Weir, could not stop them, didn’t Gwang Sa and Poong Yeo Ryang—whose strength rivaled his own—stand at the entrance?
“Haha. Of course, I explained the situation to Elder Poong as well.”
“The situation?”
“I merely brought a precious gift to present to Elder Hyuk.”
Yu Hyuk Shim extended his broad sleeves and brought his hands together.
In that instant, a small wooden box appeared resting upon his palms.
“I heard that Elder Hyuk has been searching for crimson pipe leaves and azure jade—rare treasures indeed.”
Hyuk Gong Baek’s eyes trembled.
Only his closest confidant, Poong Yeo Ryang, among all of Jeol Cheon Myul Ji knew of this desire.
“Indeed. From Elder Poong’s perspective, what matters most is your wellbeing.”
Hyuk Gong Baek glanced around and gestured dismissively.
“This place hosts a banquet. Let us speak elsewhere.”
“Haha, very well.”
Hyuk Gong Baek turned to Bu Eunseol and spoke in a low voice.
“I shall be gone briefly. Continue drinking.”
“Understood.”
Bu Eunseol nodded calmly.
Once Hyuk Gong Baek and Yu Hyuk Shim departed the banquet hall, she spoke in a hushed tone.
“So Jin.”
“Yes.”
“Go and keep watch over the Master.”
Bu Eunseol’s gaze was grave and penetrating.
“There is nothing to worry about.”
Though Hyuk So Jin sensed something amiss, she forced a smile and spoke.
“Though the Ten Demonic Gates maintain no formal relations, our ties with Hell Blood Sect are not particularly strained.”
“Keep watch.”
Bu Eunseol spoke in a low voice.
“Ensure the Master does not make a grave error in judgment.”
Within the office of San Cheon Jae.
Upon a large table set for receiving guests rested a small wooden box.
It was the very box Yu Hyuk Shim had brought.
“This cannot be without cost.”
Hyuk Gong Baek’s piercing gaze swept across Yu Hyuk Shim.
“State your conditions.”
“It is simple.”
Yu Hyuk Shim spoke with a genial smile.
“You need only promise to remain neutral in this succession struggle and refrain from taking sides.”
“What did you say?”
“Bu Eunseol must never become the successor to Demon Palace. Such is the resolve of our sect.”
“Hehehehe.”
Hyuk Gong Baek’s raucous laughter abruptly ceased.
“Are you suggesting this lord speak with a forked tongue?”
His eyes crackled with violet lightning, as if struck by endless bolts.
Yet Yu Hyuk Shim maintained his unhurried composure.
“Supporting a successor is something that can be withdrawn at any time, is it not?”
A thin smile played at the corners of his lips.
“Your grandson has become a most excellent successor, or so I hear. But surely this is still the time when he requires the lord’s guidance and steady hand, is it not?”
“….”
“After all, this too falls within the realm of succession disputes. My sect will bear full responsibility for everything that unfolds henceforth.”
Yu Hyuk Shim spoke in measured tones.
“Jeol Cheon Myul Ji cares not who becomes the successor to Demon Palace, does it not? Now that your grandson has regained his senses… should not Brother Hyuk stand beside him to ensure he becomes a magnificent lord?”
“Mm.”
“Brother Hyuk’s cultivation has already reached the Celestial Realm. If you merely recover your body, you could easily live another fifty years or more.”
Yu Hyuk Shim’s gaze darkened as he gestured toward the wooden box on the table.
“This Azure Jade Elixir exists in only two copies throughout the Murim, and currently only my sect possesses it.”
“Hmm.”
After a moment’s silence, Hyuk Gong Baek rose from his seat.
In truth, his condition was grave—without the supreme elixirs and energy techniques of the Crimson Gaze Leaf and Azure Jade Elixir, he could not sustain his life.
Only Poong Yeo Ryang knew this truth.
To others, he had merely claimed to have collapsed from overexertion…
Yet somehow Hell Blood Sect had discovered it, and now Yu Hyuk Shim was using the Azure Jade Elixir to negotiate with him.
“Mm.”
After a moment’s silence, Hyuk Gong Baek turned his gaze toward the crescent moon visible beyond the window.
If he refused Yu Hyuk Shim’s proposal, he would not live to see that crescent swell into a full moon.
“If you cherish your beloved grandson, and if you care for Jeol Cheon Myul Ji’s future… should you not choose pragmatism over pride?”
“Mm. If my body recovers, living past a hundred years would hardly be remarkable.”
“Precisely, Brother Hyuk.”
“But do you think this lord would cling to his remaining years, break his word, and live in degradation?”
Hyuk Gong Baek gazed down at Yu Hyuk Shim with solemn eyes.
“Leave.”
A cold gleam flashed in Hyuk Gong Baek’s eyes.
Had this been the past, he would have struck Yu Hyuk Shim dead and seized the box, even with the Mountain Immortal watching.
But now his body was not in proper condition, and Yu Hyuk Shim had brought four hundred poison masters with him.
He could not yet expose Hyuk So Jin to such danger.
“Indeed, Brother Hyuk, you possess the pride befitting a leader of Jeol Cheon Myul Ji.”
Yu Hyuk Shim raised his thumb and gazed outward, a mysterious smile crossing his lips.
“But I wonder if your grandson shares the same conviction.”
In that instant, Hyuk Gong Baek’s eyes widened in shock.
He had failed to sense Hyuk So Jin’s presence, which Yu Hyuk Shim had detected?
Hyuk Gong Baek’s body was not in normal condition, and his martial prowess had diminished significantly.
A faint whistle cut through the air.
A piercing sound of tearing space echoed, and a tall silhouette slipped into the Office.
Hyuk So Jin, who had been eavesdropping from the roof while concealing his presence, immediately entered upon being detected by Yu Hyuk Shim.
Hyuk So Jin’s eyes, as he stepped into the Office, burned with a smoldering intensity.
“Grandfather.”
“It’s nothing serious. My health has simply taken a slight turn for the worse.”
Then Yu Hyuk Shim interjected abruptly.
“Were you unaware? The Lord is afflicted with Shattered Meridian Syndrome—a condition where the vital channels progressively harden and congeal.”
Hyuk So Jin’s vision darkened.
Shattered Meridian Syndrome.
It was a terminal ailment wherein the cerebral meridians gradually became obstructed. Initially, movement and reflexes would slow.
As the condition worsened, muscles and joints would ossify like stone, rendering the body completely useless.
‘Heaven was not satisfied with taking Father and Mother from me—now it seeks to claim Grandfather as well?’
Hyuk So Jin clenched his fists tightly.
What sin had the Hyuk clan committed that Heaven continued to inflict such calamities upon them?
“The only medicines capable of curing Shattered Meridian Syndrome are the Crimson Gaze Leaf and the Azure Jade Lotus.”
Then Yu Hyuk Shim spoke again.
“Throughout Murim’s history, only two Azure Jade Lotuses have existed. One was housed in Mu Ha Soo Yu Jeong but was lost, while the other remains in the possession of our sect.”
Hyuk So Jin studied Yu Hyuk Shim with a piercing gaze.
“So you intend to kill Bu here unless I comply?”
“I merely ask that you withdraw your support.”
Yu Hyuk Shim smiled thinly as he spoke.
“Should you simply promise to withdraw your backing, I shall immediately present this Azure Jade Lotus to you. Once you do, the Lord will recover his vitality and maintain his health for decades to come.”
Hyuk So Jin bit his lip.
Most martial artists afflicted with Shattered Meridian Syndrome took their own lives.
None wished to become a mummy—a living corpse with a paralyzed body, breathing but nothing more.
“As our sect knows well, the Demonic Path has always operated on pragmatism rather than sentiment, has it not?”
Yu Hyuk Shim spoke with a smile.
“Passionate loyalty is admirable, but surely what truly matters is the lives of one’s own blood.”
In that instant, violet radiance blazed forth from Hyuk So Jin’s eyes.
Had it been the past, he would have attacked without hesitation, unleashing his martial techniques.
But now was different.
From Bu Eunseol, Hyuk So Jin had learned not only coldness but also how to swiftly assess circumstances and make the optimal decision.
“Hyuk. Your expression suggests the Young Lord has a different opinion.”
“You are mistaken.”
Though he forced himself to maintain composure, violet lightning flickered across Hyuk So Jin’s pupils.
“My thoughts align with Grandfather’s.”
“Hmm. If that is both your wishes, then there is nothing to be done.”
Yu Hyuk Shim’s response was surprisingly acquiescent, as though he had anticipated this all along.
“Then, let us meet again next time.”
As I watched Yu Hyuk Shim depart as though nothing had transpired, a murderous intent surged within me.
If I mobilized the masters of Jeol Cheon Myul Ji, I could strike him down immediately.
But should I do so, an all-out war with Hell Blood Castle would inevitably unfold.
Moreover, having killed a master of the Ten Demonic Gates without justification, I might face sanctions from the Demon Palace itself.
“Well done.”
As Yu Hyuk Shim departed, Hyuk Gong Baek nodded and spoke.
“The moment we negotiate with such people, our sect is finished.”
A faint smile lingered at the corners of his mouth.
Had I been the Hyuk So Jin of old, I would have either accepted the proposal without hesitation to save myself, or lost my reason and rushed at Yu Hyuk Shim in fury.
But the Hyuk So Jin of now gazed upon the greater picture like a sect leader guiding his faction.
Should I betray the pacts between sects for such a shallow ploy?
Hyuk Gong Baek might preserve his life, but Jeol Cheon Myul Ji could never become one of the ten pillars supporting the Demonic Path.
“Why did you not tell me beforehand? I was ignorant of this….”
As I bit my lip, Hyuk Gong Baek smiled faintly.
“What difference would it have made to tell you? It would only have prolonged my suffering.”
“There is no need to worry.”
I clenched both fists and spoke.
“Now that I know where the Cheonghua Yeongok is, by whatever means necessary….”
As I continued, an inexplicable sense of discord swept through my mind.
It was like grasping something unknown only to have filthy sewage pour forth.
“So this was the plan all along.”
“What?”
“He never intended to give me the Cheonghua Yeongok from the beginning.”
My eyes widened. Only now had I seen through Yu Hyuk Shim’s sinister scheme.

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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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