The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 246

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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 246.
Yu Woon Ryong’s eyes turned cold at Bu Eunseol’s words.
“You investigated my background?”
“It wasn’t much of an investigation. The Demon Hall seems to keep separate records on the Ten Demon Immortals’ personal information.”
Bu Eunseol pushed the ledger on the table toward him.
Yu Woon Ryong quickly grabbed the book.
It contained detailed information about his origins and family circumstances.
Even the reasons why someone of his noble descent had chosen to join the Ten Demon Immortals were recorded there.
“Why do you have this?”
“You’ve officially become the commander of Sa Yeong Dae, receiving the Demon Hall’s stipend, and I’m your direct superior.”
Yu Woon Ryong’s rigid expression softened slightly.
It was natural for a superior to receive personal information about their subordinates.
Tap.
Yu Woon Ryong set down the ledger and spoke coldly.
“So?”
“You’re sitting out this expedition to Haenam.”
At the unexpected order, Yu Woon Ryong furrowed his brow.
“You don’t need my strength?”
“Not at all.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with utmost gravity.
“This time, your strength is absolutely essential.”
Yu Woon Ryong deepened his frown.
Bu Eunseol’s manner of speaking typically delivered the important point first, then explained the reasoning afterward.
While this kept conversations engaging, it left Yu Woon Ryong feeling suffocated by frustration.
“The lives of myself, Myo Cheon Woo, and everyone in Sa Yeong Dae may depend on this.”
Bu Eunseol continued her explanation calmly.
And Yu Woon Ryong listened in absolute silence, his expression grave.
* * *
Haenam Province Oji Mountain.
Though called a mountain, it was actually more akin to a range of connected peaks.
Moreover, there were numerous caves here, where settlements of the Myo clan’s cave-dwelling people formed small villages.
Life in the caves seemed impoverished, yet it was surprisingly comfortable in reality. The vast caverns stayed cool in summer and provided solid protection from winter’s cold.
Whiiiing.
A dry, withering wind swept across the mountainside.
The villages of Oji Mountain, which had always maintained a peaceful atmosphere, now thrummed with unprecedented tension.
Since early morning, dozens of martial artists had poured out, their eyes blazing as they ransacked the settlements.
They all wore black martial robes, their gazes sharp and their movements swift.
They were the Jeol Myeong Dae, the second-tier division of the Demon Hall.
“Nothing here either.”
As Gok Jin Dong, the commander of Jeol Myeong Dae, shook his head to leave,
A sharp whistle pierced the air.
At that moment, thirty-odd martial artists came climbing up the mountain path.
They all wore white robes, and the sword tassels hanging from their belts were dyed a deep blue.
They were the Jeong Geom Dae, one of the secondary sword units of the Murim Alliance.
As the Demon Hall forces and the Murim Alliance units came face to face, the villagers trembled with fear.
The standoff that had begun two months ago continued to this day. Moreover, as time passed, the conflict between the two powers grew ever more volatile—a powder keg waiting to explode.
The villagers knew all too well what would happen if these forces clashed.
Steel sang as blades were drawn.
The members of the Jeol Myeong Dae who had been searching the settlement immediately unsheathed their swords upon seeing the Jeong Geom Dae.
“Get lost. Unlucky bastards.”
Gok Jin Dong sneered at the Jeong Geom Dae.
“Coming like a pack of jackals with information our division obtained first.”
Then Gwak Rip, the commander of the Jeong Geom Dae, laughed coldly.
“What does it matter who learns the information first in the Murim?”
“What did you say?”
“Even if we learn late, what matters is the result, does it not?”
“That’s ridiculous.”
Gok Jin Dong spoke with eyes so cold they seemed to radiate killing intent.
“Are you trying to play word games with this division commander?”
“What, do you want to fight?”
“Fight? I’m talking about annihilating you completely.”
Gok Jin Dong’s provocation deepened the smile on Gwak Rip’s face.
“But did you get permission? If you act out of line, your superiors will bear all the blame, won’t they?”
“If I kill them all and bury them, what’s the problem?”
“Oh, that does sound amusing. A fine solution indeed.”
As Gwak Rip raised his hand, all the members of the Jeong Geom Dae drew their swords.
Steel whispered from its sheath.
Just as the two units were about to clash,
A sharp whistle cut through the air.
Dozens of martial artists descended from the sky with the sound of splitting air.
Roughly fifty in number, they wore the robes of the Demon Hall, and at their head stood a handsome young man of striking presence.
It was Bu Eunseol and her Sa Yeong Dae warriors.
“The Jeol Myeong Dae, then.”
Bu Eunseol recognized Gok Jin Dong and murmured, whereupon Myo Cheon Woo beside her spoke.
“Those others appear to be from the Murim Alliance?”
In that instant, Gwak Rip tensed greatly.
‘Was this a trap?’
The number of warriors who had suddenly appeared was at least fifty.
If they surrounded and attacked his unit, it would mean complete annihilation.
‘Damn! No wonder he was so bold in provoking us.’
As the tense Gwak Rip reached for the signal flare at his waist,
“Clear the path.”
Bu Eunseol commanded her unit members.
“Let them pass through.”
“Wait! What are you saying right now!”
Gok Jin Dong erupted in protest.
“You’re just going to let those Murim Alliance bastards go freely?”
“We didn’t come here to fight them.”
“What?”
“Will you take full responsibility for this matter?”
When Bu Eunseol spoke to him so casually, Gok Jin Dong practically jumped out of his skin.
“Responsibility? Have you lost your mind? How dare you speak to—”
Then Jo Nam Cheon sighed and stepped forward.
“Commander Gok. The Sa Yeong Dae came here with the qualifications of a First-Class Division.”
“What?”
“Don’t you see the rank insignia on our commander’s shoulders?”
Only then did Gok Jin Dong notice the commander’s insignia hanging from Bu Eunseol’s shoulders, and his eyes widened in shock.
When had the Sa Yeong Dae become a First-Class Division?
As he stood there, mouth agape and unable to speak,
“Go now.”
Bu Eunseol waved her hand dismissively toward Gwak Rip and the Jeong Geom Dae.
Gwak Rip could not comprehend Bu Eunseol’s attitude.
But seeing no hostility in her eyes, he clasped his hands respectfully.
“Then.”
As Gwak Rip and the Jeong Geom Dae departed, Bu Eunseol spoke to Gok Jin Dong.
“Where is the Cheon Sal Unit Commander?”
Gok Jin Dong’s eyes widened.
The fact that the Cheon Sal Unit Commander was directing all divisions here was classified information of the highest order.
‘Then this newly reinforced First-Class Division is the Sa Yeong Dae?’
It was enough to make him weep. The Sa Yeong Dae, filled with members from the Mubon Squad whom he had always dismissed and mocked, was now a First-Class Division?
Moreover, wasn’t Bu Eunseol herself merely a parachute appointment to the position of commander as a candidate for succession to the Demon Hall?
“I asked where he is.”
At Bu Eunseol’s words, Gok Jin Dong finally came to his senses and answered.
“Near Cheong Ryoo Cave.”
“Guide us there.”
“Y-yes, understood.”
After passing through a ravine with a waterfall cascading down in torrents, a series of folded geological formations came into view.
Venturing deeper, a vast open ground appeared before an enormous cave.
The area was densely packed with tents and temporary shelters constructed from wood.
Gok Jin Dong pointed to the central command tent.
“The Cheon Sal Unit Commander is stationed there.”
The Cheon Sal Unit.
It could truly be called the symbol of the Demon Hall itself.
While Am Cheon and the Melting Soul Great Division primarily handled unofficial operations, the Cheon Sal Unit took charge of missions that unfolded in the light of day.
Bu Eunseol drew a deep breath.
Within that inner chamber stood the Commander of the Cheon Sal Unit—the highest division of the Demon Hall.
“Hmm.”
With a low hum, I stepped into the camp without hesitation.
Unlike the cool air that had flowed outside, the interior of the camp was thick with an oppressive heaviness, like lead.
The space was remarkably vast, and at its center lay a long rectangular table.
Before it stood a figure, motionless, studying a map.
He wore a steel mask, his frame lean yet sharp—like gazing upon a blade dyed black from a distance.
This was Wi Moo Yeom, the Cheon Sal Unit Commander who shook the heavens themselves.
“Sa Yeong Dae Commander Bu Eunseol pays respects to the Cheon Sal Unit Commander.”
As I clasped my hands together, Wi Moo Yeom’s gaze shifted toward me.
In that instant, the air within the camp seemed to crystallize with cold.
‘He does not favor me.’
From Wi Moo Yeom’s eyes, I could discern a faint glimmer of hostility.
Perhaps it was only natural.
In the past, the Vice Commander of the Cheon Sal Unit had joined hands with Hell Blood Sect and sent Seo Jin Ha to the Jeong Mu Dae Hoe.
And such a thing would have been impossible without Wi Moo Yeom’s tacit approval.
―Think carefully. If you yield in this matter, you can seize an opportunity to owe a debt to both Hell Blood Sect and our Vice Commander.
These were the words of Seo Jin Ha, who had participated in the Jeong Mu Dae Hoe under the name Mu Sam Rang at that time.
But I rejected the proposal outright and obtained the Silent Sword.
As a result, Hell Blood Sect’s plan crumbled, and the Vice Commander of the Cheon Sal Unit lost face as well…
There was no reason for him, as Commander, to harbor goodwill toward me.
“I asked for an elite division to be sent….”
Wi Moo Yeom’s voice, flowing from within the steel mask, was very low yet resonated like a great bell.
“And you sent an elite division that you created yourself.”
I offered no response. His words were not wrong, after all.
Wi Moo Yeom stared at me for a moment, then pointed to the map upon the table.
“I will give you the Jeol Myeong Dae, a second-rank division, and the Dok An Dae, a third-rank division.”
And he spoke with solemn gravity.
“Stand ready near Gwan Mo Peak. Block all those attempting to escape through that location or seeking to enter Oji Mountain from there.”
An incomprehensible mission.
An elite division possessed both the capability and authority to take responsibility for any situation that arose.
Yet he was assigning me merely two divisions for a perimeter watch?
“Understood.”
But I asked no questions. There would be no point—he would not explain his reasons anyway.
“Execute it the moment you leave the camp.”
“Understood.”
Bu Eunseol clasped her hands together and immediately left the camp.
She returned to where the unit members were lined up.
“Commander, what did they say?”
When Jo Nam Cheon asked, Bu Eunseol spoke in a low voice.
“We’ve been ordered to guard the approaches to Gwan Mo Peak.”
“Guard a passage? Not conduct a search?”
In that moment, Jo Nam Cheon and the other unit members wore expressions of incomprehension.
To assign a first-rate unit that had rushed here at great speed merely to guard a passage?
Then Won Se Moon, who had been listening silently, furrowed his brow and spoke.
“Commander, something feels off about this.”
He scratched his head as he continued.
“Could it be that the Cheon Sal Unit Commander has taken a disliking to you because you’ve risen too quickly?”
Strictly speaking, that wasn’t entirely wrong either.
Currently, my status was merely that of a candidate for succession to the Demon Hall, competing with other heirs of the Ten Demonic Gates.
From the perspective of the existing Demon Hall martial artists, I had obtained the commander position by leveraging the backing of a legitimate heir of the Ten Demonic Gates.
And with my repeated rapid promotions, there was no way I could be viewed favorably.
“I’m not sure.”
Bu Eunseol answered casually, and this time Myo Cheon Woo stepped forward.
“Could it be a trap?”
“A trap?”
“Perhaps Gwan Mo Peak’s vicinity is a route the Murim Alliance’s sword unit moves through during their all-out assault, or the terrain is such that we could never hold it even if Gong Gong Sin Tu himself attacked.”
Myo Cheon Woo deeply furrowed his brow.
“So if things go wrong, they’re planning to make our unit bear the responsibility.”
That too was a reasonable point.
This matter involving Gong Gong Sin Tu was being directly commanded by the Cheon Sal Unit Commander, one of the three major units.
If the Cheon Sal Unit Commander failed, they would need a scapegoat to shoulder the blame.
In that case, I—a candidate for succession to the Demon Hall who had been promoted abnormally rapidly—was the most suitable target.
“That’s not it. If anything, it’s quite far from Oji Mountain.”
“Then what’s the reason?”
“Whatever the Cheon Sal Unit Commander is thinking, you don’t need to worry about it.”
Bu Eunseol answered without concern.
“We simply need to do what we’re assigned to do.”
“Commander, I’ll speak to the Cheon Sal Unit Commander about this.”
Then Wi Cheon Gyeong stepped forward.
He was the Cheon Sal Unit Commander’s half-brother.
Though their relationship was said to be poor, they weren’t estranged to the point of being unable to meet privately.
“That won’t be necessary.”
“Commander.”
“Don’t worry. I came here with the qualifications of a first-rate commander.”
Whatever was on her mind, Bu Eunseol smiled, baring her white teeth.
“Even if it were an order from the Cheon Sal Unit Commander, I as the commander of this unit bear responsibility for all actions taken.”
That smile shone so brilliantly it dazzled the eyes, yet the members who beheld it felt an eerie chill run down their spines.
For that expression resembled the smile of the Grim Reaper himself, toying with human lives balanced upon his fingertips.
―Well, the commander will surely handle it well enough.
The members exchanged glances with one another and nodded.
Bu Eunseol possessed not only profound strategic depth but also always prepared for various contingencies.
Surely this time too, she had a meticulously calculated plan.
“Relay this to Jeol Myeong Dae and Dok An Dae.”
Bu Eunseol spoke to her members.
“They have been placed under my command, so tell them to prepare for movement.”
At that, Won Se Moon stepped forward with a broad grin.
“I shall go deliver the message at once!”
Shortly after.
Gok Jin Dong, observing the members of Jeol Myeong Dae, contorted his face as if he had bitten into rotten fruit.
Won Se Moon had approached with a sly grin and delivered shocking news.
―Commander Gok! We’re now in the same boat!
From what he heard, the Cheon Sal Unit Commander had placed Jeol Myeong Dae and Dok An Dae under Bu Eunseol’s Sa Yeong Dae.
‘I had hoped to achieve great merit here!’
Moreover, the mission was merely to guard a single passage through which the Murim Alliance could advance.
‘Of all people, to be entangled with those bastards.’
Since being deployed here, Gok Jin Dong had hoped to distinguish himself and rise to the rank of First-Class Division Commander.
Yet now he found himself boarding Sa Yeong Dae, a sinking ship, against his will?
“Commander Gok.”
At that moment, Won Se Moon from Sa Yeong Dae came rushing over and shouted with a playful expression.
“Our commander says to move out immediately!”
Jeol Myeong Dae and Dok An Dae relocated to Gwan Mo Peak alongside the Sa Yeong Dae members and took up positions at that passage.
Bu Eunseol, seemingly intent on resting without pretense, had Jeol Myeong Dae and Dok An Dae guard the passage while positioning Sa Yeong Dae around the middle slopes of Gwan Mo Peak.
‘Perhaps this is for the better.’
Gok Jin Dong inwardly released a sigh of relief.
Being with Sa Yeong Dae was nothing but inconvenient. Especially since Won Se Moon and the others would relentlessly mock him.
Moreover, Bu Eunseol had issued an incomprehensible order.
―You may light fires and drink alcohol if you wish. Since no one will come here anyway, let the members rest comfortably.
Gok Jin Dong doubted his own ears.
She was saying they could light fires without worry since no one would come to this place…
And to drink alcohol was, in effect, openly defying the Cheon Sal Unit Commander’s orders, was it not?

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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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