The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 265

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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 265.
The night deepened.
The members of Sa Yeong Dae rested deeply at the Wind Shooting Sword Gate, preparing for the decisive battle to come.
Bu Eunseol sat in the study of Jeong Su Jae, brush in hand, researching the doctrines of Mu Hwang and Jeong Gak’s Deletion Secret Formula.
Merging two doctrines that had reached the pinnacle of Jeongsayang-do was a distant journey—one could not even guarantee it would be possible within a lifetime.
Therefore, whenever time permitted, I studied the doctrines diligently.
“Hmm.”
Setting down the brush momentarily, I turned my gaze toward the open window.
The moon hung luminously in the distant sky, and the Flower Garden adorned with exotic flowers possessed a profound elegance.
“I should have asked for a bottle of wine.”
After sitting in the quiet study for so long, my body felt sluggish.
Stepping outside, I walked slowly through the garden bathed in moonlight, eventually arriving at a small pavilion beside a Small Pond.
Frost-kissed leaves burn redder than February’s flowers.
Instead of a plaque, an inscription was carved into the pavilion’s pillar.
It was a verse from “Mountain Journey,” written by Du You, a poet from the late Tang Dynasty.
‘Frost-touched crimson leaves glow more brilliantly than spring blossoms in their prime…’
Gazing upon the delicate yet bold verse, I felt an exquisite exhilaration rise within me, as if I had downed a cup of potent spirits.
“Master.”
At that moment, a slender silhouette emerged from the opposite path.
Dressed in crimson robes and carrying a large wicker basket, it was none other than Gu Yang Cheong Jeong.
“What brings you here at this late hour?”
At my question, she lowered her head slightly.
“I thought you might feel peckish at night, so I brought some refreshments.”
Had an ordinary noble lady brought wine to a man alone at such a late hour, it would have been an audaciously improper act.
But since Bu Eunseol and Gu Yang Cheong Jeong were both martial artists of the Murim, they did not concern themselves with such trivial proprieties.
“I hope it suits your taste.”
Gu Yang Cheong Jeong smiled shyly.
The large basket she carried was filled with a large wine bottle, rice cakes, and fruit.
“I was just thinking of wine, as it happens.”
When I nodded readily, Gu Yang Cheong Jeong beamed with delight and set the basket down in the pavilion.
“Let me pour you a cup.”
Without hesitation, I drained the cup she poured in one gulp.
In that instant, my eyes widened.
A bitter yet potent liquid touched my tongue, and as it descended my throat, a fragrant aroma tickled the tip of my nose.
Though I had drunk no small amount of wine in my time, never had I encountered spirits so distinctive and strong.
“This is fine wine indeed.”
I let out an exclamation of admiration, gazing at the cup.
“What wine is this? The aroma is quite extraordinary.”
“It’s Cheong Hae’s specialty—Cheong Gwa Wine. I occasionally have a cup myself when sleep eludes me at night.”
Gu Yang Cheong Jeong’s eyes crescent into smiling crescents as she smiled.
In truth, the wine she had brought was the Hundred-Year Green Fruit Wine from Cheong Hae’s most renowned Cheong Hyang Wine House.
With a price so exorbitant it made one’s eyes bulge, and with only a handful of bottles remaining in existence, it was a masterpiece among masterpieces that even high-ranking officials could scarcely obtain.
Yet Bu Eunseol, unaware of this fact, drank it as casually as one would gulp down cool water.
“Truly excellent wine. Won’t you have some as well?”
“That’s quite alright. I don’t drink much ordinarily.”
Gu Yang Cheong Jeong, offering a considerate lie to put him at ease, picked up a piece of fruit.
“Sweet fruit pairs wonderfully with green fruit wine. Do try some.”
She extended the fruit so naturally that Bu Eunseol nearly accepted it without thinking.
“I’ll manage on my own.”
“Of course.”
Gu Yang Cheong Jeong smiled prettily, then popped the fruit she held directly into her own mouth.
She then sat beside Bu Eunseol, watching with contentment as he drank deeply.
After drinking repeatedly, Bu Eunseol emptied an entire bottle of the Hundred-Year Green Fruit Wine in less than half an hour.
“That was delicious.”
“Yes.”
She smiled brightly and gestured around the pavilion.
“Now that you’ve had a drink, would you care to stroll through Pung Rim Jeong? The scenery here is particularly beautiful under moonlight, and on nights when the full moon rises, it’s perfect for a walk.”
“Very well.”
The potent wine had settled in my stomach, and I was in the mood for a walk anyway.
Bu Eunseol strolled through the grounds of Pung Rim Jeong alongside Gu Yang Cheong Jeong.
Even as I gazed at the flowers scattering beneath the moonlight, my mind continued to contemplate the dharma relentlessly.
“Master Bu.”
At that moment, Gu Yang Cheong Jeong, who had been gazing at the pond, spoke hesitantly.
“There’s something I’m curious about. May I ask?”
I had already noticed that Gu Yang Cheong Jeong’s expression had been complicated throughout.
I assumed she would ask about martial techniques or sword methods, so I nodded.
“Ask whatever you wish. I shall answer to the best of my knowledge.”
But an entirely unexpected question tumbled out.
“Why did you risk your life to save us, when we had no prior connection whatsoever?”
A glimmer of hope flickered in Gu Yang Cheong Jeong’s eyes.
At that time, she had been stubborn and disrespectful toward Bu Eunseol, who had rented out the entire annex of the Inn.
Yet Bu Eunseol had not only overlooked her rudeness but had also saved her in that moment of crisis.
―Could it be that Master Bu harbors some affection for me?
Since that day, Gu Yang Cheong Jeong had been dwelling on one thought.
Could Bu Eunseol have been captivated by her fresh, youthful beauty?
Perhaps she had helped because there was at least some fondness there—or so she hoped.
“It was merely a whim.”
But the reply that came was a cold answer that shattered her heart into pieces.
“A whim…?”
“Indeed. At that time, it was my first encounter with young talents of the Demonic Path, you see.”
Bu Eunseol conveyed her true feelings from that time.
“At that moment, I could not reveal myself in the Gangho, so I had to secretly seek out and face masters of great renown who kept themselves hidden. In the process, I encountered many individuals, but it was the first time I had ever seen the young prodigies of the Demonic Path.”
Then, as if somewhat embarrassed, she gazed toward the distant sky.
“I felt a subtle kinship simply because they belonged to the Demonic Path. That is why I aided you.”
Bu Eunseol’s face, reflected in the moonlight, seemed to hold a faint luminescence.
Within her deep, elongated eyes dwelt pupils that were as clear and beautiful as if they could draw in one’s very soul, yet…
they were untouched by any emotion, utterly indifferent.
Gu Yang Cheong Jeong could no longer bear to gaze upon that visage and lowered her head.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For… everything.”
Great expectations breed great disappointment.
She had come to realize anew that Bu Eunseol was an unreachable heaven, and now she felt only anguish and bitter letdown.
“Then, rest easy.”
With that, she quickly turned and vanished into the darkness.
As Bu Eunseol watched Gu Yang Cheong Jeong’s retreating figure, no emotion flickered in her eyes.
Had anyone witnessed this moment, they would have been seized by a profound question.
Did she truly possess no emotions? Or had she devoted herself so completely to the martial way that she could no longer perceive the affections of others?
Without glimpsing into her mind, no one could ever know the answer.
“Hmm.”
Turning her gaze toward the distant sky, Bu Eunseol spoke in a stern, low voice.
“Come out now.”
Yet there was no response.
Then faint points of light bloomed across her entire form.
“I will not repeat myself.”
Whoosh.
Only then did shadows begin to emerge one by one from the darkness behind the pavilion.
Myo Cheon Woo and Wi Cheon Gyeong, along with Jo Nam Cheon and Won Se Moon. And Yu Woon Ryong as well…
They tumbled out like freshly harvested sweet potatoes strung together.
“All the sect leaders have gathered.”
Bu Eunseol regarded them with cold eyes.
“Were you holding a meeting here?”
A silence as profound as death descended upon the pavilion.
Then Jo Nam Cheon, who had been nervously reading the atmosphere, began scratching his head frantically.
“Well, we heard there was something amusing to see, so…”
“Something amusing?”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes, which had been suffused with solemnity, flashed sharply through the darkness.
“So I, your sect master, have become entertainment for your amusement.”
From her entire being flowed the momentum of a collapsing mountain and overturned earth.
In wartime, having secretly hidden in the very courtyard of the Wind Shooting Sword Gate to spy upon her, she seemed consumed by profound rage.
“No, sir!”
Jo Nam Cheon, unable to bear the suffocating atmosphere any longer, spoke urgently.
“It’s just that Myo Cheon Woo said there was something fun to see.”
In that instant, Myo Cheon Woo’s face turned pale.
“Who asked you to follow?”
“You said you were going to see something fun, so shouldn’t we go? From now on, all that awaits us is bloodshed.”
As Bu Eunseol’s solemn gaze fell upon them, Wi Cheon Gyeong and Won Se Moon nodded in agreement.
“That’s right.”
“We simply followed Myo Cheon Woo.”
“You disloyal bastards!”
Seeing his subordinates turning against him, Myo Cheon Woo erupted in fury, his face flushed with rage.
“I was a fool to trust such people as my comrades!”
He pointed accusingly, his expression one of bitter grievance as he cried out.
“From now on, even if something fun comes up, I won’t call you! You disloyal wretches!”
With another furious shout, Myo Cheon Woo vanished swiftly into the darkness.
Thus he had made his escape with remarkable ease.
―Such a method….
The remaining commanders stood with their mouths agape.
Myo Cheon Woo’s seamless exit was a technique so masterful that even Won Se Moon, notorious as a reckless scoundrel, could only marvel at it.
“….”
After a brief silence, Jo Nam Cheon spoke loudly.
“This won’t do!”
His expression deeply indignant, he shouted toward the spot where Myo Cheon Woo had vanished.
“No matter how strong his martial prowess is, this is too much! A junior commander throwing a tantrum at a senior commander? And right before a battle, no less?”
He then rolled up his sleeves with determination,
“I’ll reorganize the hierarchy right now!”
And with that, he too vanished in the direction Myo Cheon Woo had gone.
A true case of the student surpassing the master.
He had instantly grasped Myo Cheon Woo’s crisis management technique.
Then Wi Cheon Gyeong and Won Se Moon, who had been watching Bu Eunseol’s expression, spoke with grave seriousness.
“This looks like it’s going to turn into a real fight. They’re going to cause serious trouble.”
“Right, right. We need to stop them quickly.”
And the remaining two also vanished in a flash.
Bu Eunseol watched their departure and let out a weary sigh.
The battle that would unfold ahead would be fiercer than any they had faced before.
This was a moment when solid unity and cohesion were essential.
Judging by how quickly they had responded, it seemed fortunately that Myo Cheon Woo and his companions had integrated well among the Sa Yeong Dae commanders.
‘They must have built a strong bond during that time.’
As Bu Eunseol sighed, she suddenly turned her head.
There stood Yu Woon Ryong, still unable to leave, awkwardly rooted to the spot.
“Why won’t you leave?”
At Bu Eunseol’s question, Yu Woon Ryong’s face flushed crimson.
He lacked the shamelessness to fabricate excuses like the others, and so he found himself without a ready justification.
“You….”
Yu Woon Ryong’s face burned scarlet under Bu Eunseol’s piercing gaze, and he suddenly burst out loudly.
“Why are you singling me out like this!”
Flaring with anger, he spun around and vanished into the darkness.
“…Well learned indeed.”
Shaking my head, I gazed toward where Yu Woon Ryong had disappeared, my expression hollow with resignation.
Several days later.
A shadow clad in black garments rushed swiftly into Jeong Su Jae, where Bu Eunseol was staying.
It was Wi Cheon Gyeong.
Following Bu Eunseol’s orders, he departed from Wind Shooting Sword Gate each dawn and made contact with nearby intelligence networks.
Today, having received urgent news, he had returned like lightning.
“Master!”
Drenched in sweat, Wi Cheon Gyeong entered the Office where Bu Eunseol sat.
His voice carried an unprecedented urgency.
“It has begun!”
Catching his breath, he spoke once more.
“The main forces of Hyeol Mu Dan are currently driving deep into the heart of Heuk Ryeon.”
In that instant, Bu Eunseol’s brush stilled.
Until now, I had remained at Wind Shooting Sword Gate, waiting for Hyeol Mu Dan to launch their full assault against Heuk Ryeon.
Only when the two forces clashed violently could I infiltrate through the Nu River to reach Heuk Ryeon’s deepest stronghold.
“The moment has come.”
Rising from my seat, I spoke with solemn resolve.
“Assemble all our operatives.”
The Nu River originates in the Danggo Rap Mountains of eastern Cheong Hae and flows southeastward.
Since the waterway passes mostly through sheer mountain terrain, large vessels cannot navigate it.
However, near Yao Jian Plain, the river widens into a substantial waterway through which small merchant vessels can pass.
Heuk Ryeon had blockaded the approaches to Yao Jian Plain along the Nu River with chain-linked boats and stationed multiple patrol vessels.
They defended their main stronghold while collecting tolls from merchant ships passing through.
Yet even if one were fortunate enough to slip through, there was virtually no chance of large military forces entering Yao Jian Plain.
This was because the surrounding banks were fortified with multiple layers of highly trained troops and defensive installations.
Whoooosh.
A small merchant vessel, riding a favorable wind, cut smoothly through the waters beneath the moonlight.
A gentle breeze billowed the sails and the flag at the main mast, upon which was inscribed the character for Wind.
It was a merchant ship directly operated by Wind Shooting Sword Gate, one of the Cheong Hae Seven Sword Sects.
Unlike the Orthodox Sects, the Demonic Path sustains itself through force and wealth.
Wind Shooting Sword Gate had long profited enormously from salt smuggling operations along the Nu River.
The Cheong Hae Seven Sword Sects had been able to accumulate power in Cheong Hae across generations precisely because of the vast wealth generated by these smuggling enterprises.
Clang!
As we drew closer to Yao Jian Plain, the waterway abruptly narrowed.
Simultaneously, boats connected by thick chains came into view.
At the same time, two speedboats from Heuk Ryeon began slowly pulling alongside the port and starboard sides of the Wind Shooting Sword Gate vessel.
They were Heuk Ryeon’s boats.

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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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