The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 258

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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 258.
Sa Yeong Gak, Bu Eunseol’s Office.
Bu Eunseol observed Yu Hwa Ryeong as he entered, guided by the Water Gate Guardian Mo Gwang.
His martial cultivation had advanced tremendously, as though tempered by countless trials across the Gangho.
Yet his complexion appeared pallid, and his eyes brimmed with unspoken worry.
“Welcome.”
Bu Eunseol greeted Yu Hwa Ryeong with genuine warmth.
“How have you fared all this time?”
Her voice carried an unprecedented intimacy.
Yu Hwa Ryeong was the one who had approached her without hesitation after the Jeong Mu Dae Hoe concluded, drawing her into the Heavenly Sword Society.
And through his guidance, she had mastered the Diamond Sword Technique, that radiant beacon that illuminated her path through every crisis.
For this alone, Yu Hwa Ryeong deserved her warmest regard.
“Ah!”
Upon seeing Bu Eunseol, Yu Hwa Ryeong could not conceal his astonishment, his eyes widening.
“Can it truly be you… the same person who traveled through Sichuan with me?”
After exclaiming several times, he shook his head, swallowing his amazement.
“Through our intelligence network, I have long heard rumors of you shaking the Murim itself… but to think you would advance to such heights.”
Bu Eunseol’s appearance remained unchanged from when I had seen her in Sichuan.
Yet the martial force flowing through her entire being transcended all comparison to that time.
‘There are limits to human capability, and yet….’
Yu Hwa Ryeong drew a deep breath.
The speed of Bu Eunseol’s martial advancement was truly unprecedented.
“Moreover, I hear she has now become the Master of Sa Yeong Dae within Demon Hall….”
As Yu Hwa Ryeong continued speaking while observing Bu Eunseol in her formal Master’s robes, he let out a gasp.
“Forgive me. Forgive me. I have committed a grave discourtesy.”
Only then realizing his error, he clasped his hands together.
“Old memories surfaced unbidden… and I have spoken out of turn.”
A first-rank Master of Demon Hall transcends rank and station, conversing as an equal with the leaders of any sect.
As the flustered Yu Hwa Ryeong lowered his head, Bu Eunseol smiled gently.
“It is well. Speak as you are comfortable.”
“How could I dare.”
“I have not yet fulfilled my promise to the Heavenly Sword Society.”
Bu Eunseol regarded Yu Hwa Ryeong with clear, steadfast eyes.
“Until that promise is honored, I am merely a disciple of Nangya Sect—Bu Eunseol.”
―Until I fulfill my vow to the Heavenly Sword Society, I am but a disciple, regardless of what station I hold.
This is what Bu Eunseol was declaring.
“I see. You remain unchanged.”
Yu Hwa Ryeong trembled slightly, moved by profound emotion.
“Just as you were when we traveled through Sichuan together.”
He was genuinely moved to tears.
The Cheon Geom Hoe had extracted a price for transmitting the Neung Hyung Eo Geom to Bu Eunseol: a promise to kill one person.
Yet Bu Eunseol’s current station was that of the legitimate successor to Nangya Sect and a first-rank master of Demon Hall.
Even the Cheon Geom Hoe, whose wealth and influence rivaled the Nine Sects One Alliance, could not afford to touch such a figure carelessly.
Still, Bu Eunseol had not forgotten that promise, and she was demonstrating her resolve to fulfill it faithfully.
“My late master spoke thus as well.”
Yu Hwa Ryeong drew a deep breath and spoke in measured tones.
“He said you were one who would keep your word even if the heavens collapsed. That is why he transmitted our society’s secret martial arts without reservation.”
“Your late master?”
Bu Eunseol’s expression grew puzzled.
“You mean the Seventh Seat has passed?”
“Indeed.”
Yu Hwa Ryeong bit his lip and spoke as though spitting blood.
“By the hands of the one who destroyed our society.”
Bu Eunseol fell silent for a moment, her expression blank.
The one who had bestowed the honor of transmitting all the sword techniques of the Cheon Geom Hoe’s ten seats, yet slaughtered them all and fled.
A legendary Sword Demon whom Seok Song and Woo Hak had called “The Demon”—the Cheon Geom Hoe’s sworn enemy unto death.
Had they finally found him?
“You have found him?”
“We have.”
Yu Hwa Ryeong’s eyes gleamed with bitter anguish.
Now Bu Eunseol understood why Yu Hwa Ryeong’s complexion had been so poor all this while.
“I see.”
“Can you kill him for us?”
Bu Eunseol could not answer immediately.
Of course, she had no intention of breaking her promise to the Cheon Geom Hoe.
Yet in a month’s time, she would need to undertake the mission of commanding the Hyeol Mu Dan to annihilate Heuk Ryeon.
Moreover, was she not already resolved to set fire to Seonggacheoljang and pursue the forces that had manipulated Seok Woo Haeng from the shadows?
‘Perhaps this too is fate.’
Conversely, she had a month before her, and pursuing those who had manipulated Seok Woo Haeng could be done later.
And Yu Hwa Ryeong’s arrival felt like destiny itself.
―It seems I was never meant to reach the Cheon Geom Hoe.
The words spoken by Tan Wang and Beok Goong Ryung, whom I had met in Wu Huang’s Secret Vault back then, flashed through my mind.
“Is this matter perhaps connected to Tan Wang?”
Yu Hwa Ryeong’s expression shifted to shock.
“How could you know that? Wait… could it be…?”
He recalled the old rumor that Bu Eunseol, the successor of Demon Hall, had clashed with Tan Wang and perished.
“Did you hear it directly from him?”
Bu Eunseol, recalling those memories, shook her head.
“No. I merely heard that I had said I would visit the Cheon Geom Hoe, but ultimately missed the opportunity and could not go.”
“I see.”
Yu Hwa Ryeong spoke with a wistful expression.
“That person had quite close ties with Left Seat. He said he would help with this matter, but in the end, he never appeared.”
Only then could Bu Eunseol grasp the situation.
Beok Goong Ryung had been trapped in Wu Huang’s Secret Vault while pursuing her, and thus could not keep his promise with Seok Song.
‘It truly seems to be fate.’
Bu Eunseol nodded and asked matter-of-factly.
“Which sect does this person belong to?”
The reason the other talented individuals, excluding Bu Eunseol, had refused to receive the transmission of the Diamond Finger Sword Technique at that time was singular.
They could not identify who their enemy was.
For instance, what if this person were a family member, close friend, or senior of their sect?
If they made a hasty vow, they could not fulfill the promise.
“Is this person from the Demonic Path?”
At Bu Eunseol’s question, Yu Hwa Ryeong shook his head.
“No.”
“Then, this person must be from the Orthodox Sects.”
As Bu Eunseol sighed lightly, Yu Hwa Ryeong shook his head once more.
“This person belongs to no sect in the Murim.”
“What do you mean by that?”
As Bu Eunseol pressed for clarification, Yu Hwa Ryeong spoke with a meaningful expression.
“This person is an official of the government.”
Bu Eunseol could not hide her astonishment.
A formidable master who single-handedly slew the Ten Seats of the Cheon Geom Hoe was not a martial artist, but a government official?
‘If that is so.’
A strange intuition brushed through Bu Eunseol’s mind.
Perhaps this person from the Cheon Geom Hoe was connected to the one who moved the government to burn Seonggacheoljang.
“Very well.”
Bu Eunseol nodded without hesitation.
“Let us depart at once.”
A carriage raced swiftly out of the Demon Palace and onto Gwan Do.
Bu Eunseol and Yu Hwa Ryeong rode within it.
Their destination was a small village in Ro Ju, Sichuan. There, it is said, dwells one who brutally slew the Ten Seats, including the Master of the Cheon Geom Hoe.
‘The Heavenly Axis Flowing Technique….’
Bu Eunseol’s gaze remained fixed beyond the window, lost in deep contemplation.
Unless one possessed an innate talent for it, the Heavenly Axis Flowing Technique was extraordinarily difficult to master, and one could not reach the pinnacle without cultivating it from childhood.
According to Seok Song and Woo Hak, this person had mastered the Heavenly Axis Flowing Technique and could freely execute sword techniques without any restriction of movement.
For this reason, few martial artists in the Murim learn the Heavenly Axis Flowing Technique.
Setting aside countless superior martial arts, few would waste time from childhood on a flowing technique that might not even reach perfection.
“But how did you come to know that this person is in that village?”
“My master said that wherever this person appears, plague always spreads.”
Yu Hwa Ryeong’s eyes deepened as if recalling the past for a moment.
“That’s why our society has been searching for villages plagued by pestilence. Then, by chance, we discovered the village where the outbreak began, and the First Seat went there with Seok Sa Suk.”
“The Left Seat accompanied him?”
“Indeed. And I also joined them on that journey.”
His expression grew increasingly distorted as he continued.
“But thinking it far too dangerous, while I slept at the Inn, the two of them slipped away in secret to investigate the village. That’s when they encountered that creature.”
Yu Hwa Ryeong’s eyes blazed with an icy blue flame as he drew a long breath.
“But they couldn’t withstand that demonic being. In the end, Seok Sa Suk staked his life to stop him, and the First Seat barely managed to return to the Inn where I was staying.”
He clenched his fists and lowered his head as he spoke.
“But the Master was mortally wounded… and passed away after leaving me his final words.”
His eyes widened as he spoke, as if spitting blood.
“He said that creature is an official, and will soon appear in another plague-stricken village.”
“Such meager clues would make it difficult.”
Bu Eunseol, who had been listening silently, furrowed her brow.
“With only these two clues—that he’s an official and the plague-stricken villages—it would be nearly impossible to identify a specific person, would it not?”
“Don’t worry. Seok Sa Suk left behind a mark.”
“A mark?”
“Yes.”
Yu Hwa Ryeong spoke with a pained expression.
“The Master said that Seok Sa Suk, prepared to die, left the trace of the Neung Hyung Sword on that creature’s sword scabbard.”
Seok Song, determined never to lose track of that creature’s movements, secretly left the mark of the Neung Hyung Sword on the scabbard.
It was a defensive sword technique executed in a manner completely different from ordinary swordplay, so Bu Eunseol would surely be able to distinguish it.
“If the two of them had possessed the Innate Killing Intent like you do…”
Yu Hwa Ryeong clenched both fists tightly.
“They would never have fallen to that creature’s hand.”
Bu Eunseol nodded in agreement.
The mysterious Neung Hyung Sword that responds to killing intent—that wondrous sword technique had even perfectly blocked Geol Wang’s supreme skill at close range, had it not?
“The most crucial detail is missing.”
A sharp gleam flashed in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
“If the Seventh Seat said he was an official, surely he must have also mentioned which organization he belonged to. Did he not?”
In that instant, Yu Hwa Ryeong’s face turned ashen.
Now that he thought about it, he had known the official’s affiliation all along but hadn’t told Bu Eunseol.
“That creature…”
After a long silence, Yu Hwa Ryeong’s words came out haltingly.
“He said he belonged to the Eastern Depot.”
“The Eastern…”
A strange light appeared in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
The Eastern Depot—wasn’t it the most powerful special agency of the imperial court?
It wielded extrajudicial authority over arrest, judgment, and execution, with targets ranging from high officials and imperial relatives to founding contributors of the dynasty…
There was no escaping from their grasp.
“I apologize for not telling you sooner.”
In truth, it was only natural.
Killing someone belonging to the Eastern Depot was tantamount to making enemies of the entire government apparatus.
Yu Hwa Ryeong lowered his head as he spoke.
“Truth be told, I’ve been agonizing over this ever since I learned you were a candidate to succeed the Demon Hall.”
With his head bowed, he murmured softly.
“But if I revealed the Eastern Depot’s involvement beforehand, I feared you would refuse to help me….”
“That matters not. However, there is one thing I cannot comprehend.”
Bu Eunseol, arms crossed, furrowed her brow as she spoke.
“The Heavenly Sword Society possesses considerable wealth and influence. Wouldn’t you prefer to exact your vengeance with your own hands, whether against the Eastern Depot or otherwise?”
At Bu Eunseol’s question, Yu Hwa Ryeong’s head bent so low it seemed it might pierce the floor.
“When the two pillars and elders of our society ascended to immortality, the internal atmosphere shifted dramatically.”
He bit his lip as he continued.
“Most of our disciples wish to maintain the Heavenly Sword Society’s formidable wealth and influence. If we were to make enemies of the Eastern Depot’s officials…the society itself would not emerge unscathed.”
Only then could Bu Eunseol grasp the situation.
Seok Song and Woo Hak had made it their life’s purpose to avenge those who killed the Heavenly Sword Society’s leader and vice-leader.
But the disciples thought differently.
They wished to maintain the Heavenly Sword Society’s solid financial foundation—one capable of sustaining formidable intelligence networks without revealing themselves to the Murim.
Even if it meant abandoning vengeance against those who slew their masters.
“All the senior disciples hope the society will return to prominence. But if we kill the Eastern Depot’s officials, the society will shatter into pieces.”
Yu Hwa Ryeong could not lift his head, consumed by shame.
In the end, the disciples of the Heavenly Sword Society had chosen self-preservation over avenging their masters.
Realizing that Bu Eunseol was now the only means by which vengeance could be achieved, Yu Hwa Ryeong had come alone to the Demon Hall.
Desperately hoping she would honor her oath.
“Forgive me.”
“There is nothing to forgive.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with composure.
“I am merely repaying a debt.”
Patter, patter.
Yu Hwa Ryeong’s eyes finally brimmed with tears of gratitude.
From his perspective, Bu Eunseol was destined to ascend to the position of successor to the Demon Hall.
To honor a promise, she need not—and indeed should not—take the risk of killing an official of the Eastern Depot.
Yet Bu Eunseol honored her oath without hesitation.
It was because she valued integrity above honor or power.
‘Though she walks the Demonic Path, she possesses the qualities of a renowned hero.’
“Thank you.”
Yu Hwa Ryeong, wiping away his tears, spoke with a voice laden with bitter resentment.
“Kill him for me.”
Upon leaving Changsha Region, they descended from the carriage and immediately deployed their lightness technique.
After four days and nights of continuous travel, they emerged from Ho Nam and soon arrived at a market street before a small village in Sichuan.
Where the market street should have bustled with activity and vitality, only a desolate wind swept through.
Because the village was adjacent to where the plague was spreading, the streets had grown desolate, and an oppressive, barren atmosphere hung over everything.
“Wear this.”
As we passed through Market Street and reached the village entrance, Yu Hwa Ryeong produced a cloth that could cover the nose and mouth, offering it to me.
I accepted the cloth and wrapped it around my face.
Then, suppressing my presence entirely, I ascended to the roof of a grand manor from which I could survey the village below.
The healthy residents appeared to have retreated into their homes.
The afflicted lay in the Plague Isolation Camp erected in the village center.
“Please bear with me a little longer.”
“There, once the herbal decoction is finished, please turn it over.”
Yet within that isolation camp, a woman with her face veiled in cloth was constantly attending to the patients’ conditions and brewing medicinal broths.
‘Skilled hands.’
Observing her from a distance, I nodded in acknowledgment.
The woman appeared quite young, yet her movements in handling the patients were remarkably swift and precise.
The sharp aura emanating from her entire being suggested not only profound medical expertise, but that she was undoubtedly a martial artist of the Murim.
“I see no officials bearing the marks of the Eastern Depot.”
As I sent a telepathic message, Yu Hwa Ryeong focused his gaze and spoke.
“Even if not now, they will surely come.”
His eyes gleamed with certainty.
Yet contrary to expectations, as the day waned, neither the Eastern Depot nor even ordinary constables appeared.
Still, Yu Hwa Ryeong and I waited with patience, maintaining our vigil.
As night fell, dark shadows arrived in succession near the village.
They were pulling large carts, and they carefully loaded the bodies of those who had succumbed to the plague onto them.
Judging by their attire, they appeared to be villagers who had come to dispose of the corpses.
My eyes flashed as I observed this.
“This is strange.”
“What do you mean?”
“The villagers are carrying away the bodies themselves?”
“What is strange about that? They are villagers, so naturally they would collect the bodies within the village.”
I shook my head.
“Typically, the disposal of plague-stricken corpses falls to the coroners dispatched by the regional authorities.”
And with an expression of utmost gravity, I sent a telepathic message.
“The villagers absolutely cannot arbitrarily collect and dispose of bodies.”
“Is that so?”
In the meantime, the people departed the village, pulling the cart laden with corpses.
“These individuals are decidedly suspicious.”
As I discreetly pursued them, Yu Hwa Ryeong reluctantly followed in my wake.
Yet something was amiss.
Rather than burning the bodies at a distance from the village, they were leading the cart deep into the mountains.

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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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