The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 290

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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 290.
“In any case, I must apologize once more.”
Yeon So Ha bowed respectfully.
“The Lord advised me repeatedly to leave, but I was stubborn and chose to remain here.”
Lifting her head, she spoke with measured courtesy.
“All fault lies with me, so please do not reproach the Lord.”
Jin Seol’s eyes grew colder still.
The term she used—referring to herself as a concubine—was language a married wife used to humble herself before her husband.
Not only was Yeon So Ha employing grammar that didn’t quite fit, but she was also…
treating herself as a woman vying for another’s man?
“I didn’t come here to blame the Lord unconditionally.”
Jin Seol, having regained her composure, spoke in a gentle tone.
“It’s simply that the Lord of Muhonjung is my sect’s successor, and there are many complicated circumstances between us. So I hope you understand.”
In that instant, Yeon So Ha’s eyes gleamed sharply.
―This is a matter between us two who belong to the Demon Hall. Outsiders should not interfere.
Though her words and expression remained courteous, wasn’t that precisely what she meant?
A thin vein appeared on her forehead.
Yeon So Ha, her expression troubled, waved both hands in denial.
“No. The Lord may face considerable difficulties because of me in the future… how could I dare presume otherwise?”
In that moment, Jin Seol’s delicately arched eyebrows rose sharply.
―He and I will continue together for a long time, so I will keep interfering.
That was what Yeon So Ha was saying.
“So Gung Ju, you’re being far too considerate. There’s no need to worry so much.”
―How ambitious. Do you truly believe such a thing will happen?
“No. In the past, Lord Bu risked his life to meet me… so I’m simply doing the same.”
―Our bond is different from yours. We are destined to be together.
Since a moment ago, Bu Eunseol had been hearing phantom voices in her ears.
Though courteous words were being exchanged, entirely different meanings echoed through her mind.
“I have urgent matters to attend to and must take my leave.”
Like a master who had stepped into the realm of extreme transcendence, Bu Eunseol seized the slightest opening and tried to slip away quickly.
But that attempt ended in futile failure.
Because another woman was approaching from the opposite path.
Wearing a long robe that covered her knees and a black sash cinched tightly at her waist, she resembled from a distance a scholarly youth of refined bearing.
But as she drew near, a peerless beauty gradually revealed itself, as if carved from translucent jade.
It was Dan Seo Ok, the precious treasure of Dan Wol Hon and the Secret Lord of the Demon Hall, currently being discussed as a candidate for the next Grand Sovereign.
“Lord Bu.”
The beautiful woman in official robes flashed white teeth at Bu Eunseol in a brilliant smile.
“It’s been so long.”
“Who are you?”
“I’m Dan Seo Ok.”
Bu Eunseol caught her breath, studying the woman’s face once more with careful attention.
Dan Seo Ok, who had absorbed the Extreme Spirit Immortal Fruit and completely restored her body, had transformed entirely.
She had become so beautiful that one might mistake her for a celestial maiden descended from heaven itself.
“You are Dan Seo Ok, then?”
As Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened in astonishment, Dan Seo Ok bowed so deeply that her head nearly touched the ground.
「Thank you. For giving me the Extreme Spirit Immortal Fruit—a treasure worth my very life—without any conditions attached.」
She conveyed her gratitude through a whispered transmission, aware that Yeon So Ha and Jin Seol were standing nearby.
It was imperative that no one discover that Dan Seo Ok had been the one to consume the Extreme Spirit Immortal Fruit.
「Think nothing of it. I was merely repaying the debt for rendering the Qinghua Jade Lotus unusable.」
Bu Eunseol replied through the same whispered transmission, then opened her mouth to speak aloud.
“But what brings you here?”
“I came to apologize for the mistakes my father made….”
Dan Seo Ok gazed at Yeon So Ha and Jin Seol, a faint smile playing at her lips.
“And I heard that the Palace Lord had fallen into difficulty, so I came to help resolve the matter.”
Having spoken these cryptic words, she turned to Jin Seol and offered a greeting.
“Jin Sang Hwa. It has been a long time.”
“Dan Seo Ok.”
Jin Seol accepted the greeting somewhat awkwardly.
“I heard you had gone away for recuperation. Are you feeling well?”
“Yes, thanks to your kindness.”
Then she turned to Yeon So Ha and spoke again.
“I am Dan Seo Ok, overseeing the Milmil Territory in my sect.”
“So you are the young lady known as the Silver Jade Leaf.”
Yeon So Ha nodded in acknowledgment.
“I am Yeon So Ha.”
“Pleased to meet you, So Gung Ju.”
Dan Seo Ok then observed the cold sweat forming on Bu Eunseol’s temple and smiled faintly.
“Palace Lord Bu, I have something to tell these two. Would that be acceptable?”
“Of course. Please, speak freely.”
Bu Eunseol employed the Thirty-Six Stratagems for the first time in her life.
“I have urgent matters to attend to, so I shall take my leave.”
As I turned to depart in haste, a shocking revelation reached my ears.
“I apologize, but Palace Lord Bu and I have already exchanged betrothal gifts and are formally engaged.”
Thud.
In that instant, my body froze solid like a statue as I attempted to exit the Guest Hall.
‘She said she would resolve it….’
As I slowly turned my head, my eyes widened as if they might split.
‘Isn’t this just throwing gunpowder into a burning house?’
The moment I regained my senses and spun around in panic, Dan Seo Ok pointed at my neck with a triumphant expression.
“Look. The necklace around Palace Lord Bu’s neck is the betrothal gift I gave.”
A stagger.
For a moment, I felt the world spin dizzily, and my body swayed.
Jin Seol maintained an impassive expression, yet her gaze was fixed upon my neck like a blade.
Indeed, a delicate necklace hung about my neck.
It was merely a habit—I had never thought to remove it…
But in their eyes, it appeared as nothing less than a betrothal gift I had never set down for a moment.
“I apologize. Had I informed you beforehand, such an absurd situation would never have arisen.”
Dan Seo Ok clasped her hands together with an apologetic expression.
“Going forward, I shall ensure that no such scandalous rumors circulate about you, Lord Bu.”
Then she winked at me and sent a whispered message through transmission.
「Do not worry. It is merely a lie told to prevent Lord Bu from facing difficulties ahead.」
She possessed the cunning befitting a candidate for Chief Secretary.
Under the guise of assisting me, she had swiftly eliminated her rivals in a single stroke, and spread rumors of a betrothal…
She was hunting two rabbits with one stone.
「Simply answer that you understand. I shall never trouble Lord Bu.」
Dan Seo Ok was a frightening woman.
If I gave my assent, all the troublesome rumors that had accumulated would vanish cleanly.
But from this day forward, whether I liked it or not… I would be recognized as betrothed to Dan Seo Ok.
It was precisely like having my nose threaded through an invisible needle.
I wavered in conflict.
In that instant, the image of Dan Wol Hon’s face—blazing with fury as if spewing fire—flashed before me.
‘But now, eliminating these complicated rumors is more important.’
I could not refuse the poisoned apple Dan Seo Ok offered, even knowing it was poisoned.
I needed to escape this scandal as quickly as possible and devote myself to what lay ahead.
‘She is wise, so she will never trouble me by leveraging this promise.’
Just as I was about to nod in acceptance, having calculated nothing of Dan Seo Ok’s sincerity,
“Then, what betrothal gift did you receive?”
At that moment, a woman with a white-stained sword hilt hanging at her waist called out loudly from a distance.
It was none other than Ah Yeon, the Geomgak Successor.
“Ah, I apologize for intruding so suddenly.”
As the sharp gazes of the women fixed upon her face, Ah Yeon pointed at me and spoke coldly.
“I grew tired of waiting for Lord Bu.”
She had promised to spar with me at the Small Training Ground at midday today.
Yet as the appointed hour passed, she had not arrived.
Unable to wait any longer, she had sought out the Guest Hall of the Jamma Pavilion.
And there she witnessed women locked in a contest of wills, with me at the center.
In truth, Ah Yeon had not intended to intervene.
But upon seeing Dan Seo Ok employ her stratagem to crush two women in a single breath, a sense of justice compelled her forward.
“Who might you be?”
At Dan Seo Ok’s inquiry, Ah Yeon clasped her hands respectfully.
“She is Ah Yeon, a disciple of Geomgak.”
Dan Seo Ok’s eyes widened as she realized that Ah Yeon was the legitimate successor of Geomgak.
She had only recently returned to the Demon Palace from Hang Ju.
Because of this, she had merely heard in passing that a disciple of Geomgak had entered the sect, but she had not yet learned that this disciple was Geomgak’s legitimate successor.
“Betrothal gifts are meant to be exchanged between both parties, are they not?”
Ah Yeon regarded Dan Seo Ok with eyes brimming with confidence.
“May I see the betrothal gift you received from the Lord?”
At the repeated question, Dan Seo Ok’s gaze wavered.
Ah Yeon’s eyes remained still as a clear lake.
From that alone, I could discern that her wisdom was not inferior to my own.
What if she could not answer properly?
This lie would be exposed in an instant.
“I cannot show you.”
“Why not?”
“Because I promised not to reveal it.”
Dan Seo Ok believed that Bu Eunseol’s kindness toward her was genuine and absolute.
Otherwise, she would not have entrusted her with an elixir of ages past—a treasure that could grant the inner power of this sect in a single breath.
Dan Seo Ok refused to acknowledge that Bu Eunseol was a person who paid no heed to elixirs or treasures,
and that she had merely repaid a debt owed to Qinghua Yuanyu.
“Pfft.”
At that moment, Yeon So Ha burst into laughter.
Only then did Dan Seo Ok realize that her words were full of holes and utterly unconvincing lies.
“Lord Bu.”
Yeon So Ha stepped forward and looked directly at Bu Eunseol.
“Is what she said true?”
Yeon So Ha’s eyes, reflected in the sunlight, sparkled like jade stained crimson.
“Give me a certain answer—is Lord Dan your betrothed?”
She approached boldly and gazed directly into Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
“If that is the case, I will trouble you no further.”
Bu Eunseol did not answer. Rather, I could not.
If I were to tell such a lie to escape this moment…
I could not even begin to imagine what consequences would follow.
“Forgive me.”
Bu Eunseol lowered my head, my gaze unfocused.
I could not think of any way to unravel this predicament.
Though I had always been quick-witted and stronger than anyone in times of crisis,
I had no choice but to surrender.
* * *
Within the Jamma Pavilion, in the banquet hall.
There, centered around Yeon So Ha, sat Jin Seol, Dan Seo Ok, and Ah Yeon before a table.
“…That’s how it came to be.”
Yeon So Ha explained to them in detail how she had met Bu Eunseol and when they had become betrothed.
Of course, she conveniently omitted the part about how Shin Nyeo Gung’s Palace Lord Yeon Ja Mi had changed the betrothal gifts to drive Bu Eunseol away.
“I have never told a lie. If you doubt me, you’re welcome to mobilize all of the Demon Palace’s intelligence networks to verify.”
Yeon So Ha had added just the smallest grain of falsehood to the truth.
If she didn’t drive the wedge home firmly now, endless complications would plague them in the future.
“So what are you proposing?”
When Dan Seo Ok asked with a discontented expression, Yeon So Ha wore a confident smile.
“Since the Lord is a hero, he will naturally be admired by many women. And I am not a woman without understanding.”
She drew a deep breath before continuing.
“I would prefer such things never happen… but should they occur, I only ask that you remember I am his primary wife.”
Thump.
In that instant, Dan Seo Ok’s expression hardened. Yeon So Ha’s words were no jest to be laughed away.
“Are you telling me to become a concubine?”
When Dan Seo Ok bristled without hiding her true feelings, Yeon So Ha covered her mouth and laughed.
“I said I would prefer such things never happen.”
“That’s not worth hearing. You’ve just wasted my time.”
As Dan Seo Ok rose sharply and spoke coldly, Yeon So Ha continued.
“If you tear this apart without agreement, women seeking betrothals will line up afterward, and the Lord will face endless humiliation.”
Yeon So Ha gazed at Dan Seo Ok with eyes gleaming crimson.
“I will save the Lord from crisis. Exactly as he once saved me.”
Dan Seo Ok fell silent.
If she left now, Yeon So Ha would use the very method Dan Seo Ok herself had employed to prevent the spreading scandal.
Which would make Yeon So Ha Bu Eunseol’s betrothed beyond all doubt.
“What are you proposing?”
“That we settle this among ourselves, definitively.”
Yeon So Ha spoke from the heart.
“Honestly, I don’t want to create more rivals. You alone are already more than enough to handle.”
The world’s assessment had merely birthed the name “Three Beauties of Tianxia.”
All three were incomparably exquisite, each a match for Yeon So Ha in their own way.
Jin Seol held the upper echelons of the Demon Palace in her grasp, and Chong Gyo Ryeong actively championed her.
And Dan Seo Ok was the Demon Palace’s next commander-in-chief and the precious jewel of Ji Ma Bu Ju.
What of Ah Yeon?
She was so beautiful the moon itself would hide in shame,
and was she not a rising prodigy who had transcended “first among women” to challenge for the position of “first swordmaster of the Orthodox Sects”?
Yeon So Ha did not wish to create more rivals.
“What I’m saying is, let the four of us contain the scandal and create no more competitors.”
“I’m withdrawing.”
At that moment, Jin Seol rose and spoke.
“I have no intention of marrying the Lord of Muhonjung.”
“Are you being sincere?”
“Of course. However….”
Jin Seol’s smile was faint, yet confident.
“In the future, when you become the master of the Demon Palace, you will kneel before me and propose marriage.”
Having left those pregnant words behind,
“I shall reconsider then.”
she turned with an enigmatic smile and departed the banquet hall.
What manner of confidence was this?
How could she be so certain that Bu Eunseol would kneel before her and propose when she became master of the Demon Palace?
“Very well.”
Yeon So Ha’s clear voice broke through the reverie of those assembled.
The distant future held no importance for her.
She needed to address the pressing matters before her now.
“Since Jin Sang Hwa has withdrawn, three remain.”
“I am the same.”
Ah Yeon rose to speak.
“I came only to test my martial prowess against the Muhonjung Lord. I harbor no romantic inclinations toward him.”
“Even if the Lord were to kneel and propose?”
In that instant, Ah Yeon’s cheeks flushed crimson.
The image of Bu Eunseol kneeling before her with a solemn expression had surfaced in her mind.
Such a fantasy was unthinkable for a disciple of Hyun Moon.
‘What am I thinking?’
Ah Yeon shook her head vigorously and spoke with renewed resolve.
“Of course.”
“Then very well. As a disciple of Geom Gak, I trust you will honor that vow.”
Ah Yeon did not respond to Yeon So Ha’s words, and instead turned coldly to leave the banquet hall.
“Then it seems we two must decide between ourselves?”
At Yeon So Ha’s words, Dan Seo Ok deliberated at length. Finally, she answered in a low voice.
“However, I have conditions.”
From that day forward,
the rumors of the Demon Palace’s successor seeking a bride ceased entirely.
This was because word spread rapidly that Bu Eunseol had exchanged betrothal gifts with both Yeon So Ha, the Young Palace Lord of Shin Nyeo Gung, and Dan Seo Ok, the Secret Lord of the Demon Palace.
―Truly befitting the successor of the Demon Palace!
To grasp both flowers of the Orthodox Sects in her hands?
As rumors of her simultaneous betrothals to the two beauties spread, the people of the Demon Palace could not hide their astonishment and shock.
―The Secret Lord is one thing, but to also betroth herself to the Young Palace Lord of Shin Nyeo Gung, a sect with deep roots in the Orthodox Sects?
The people of the Demon Palace marveled at Bu Eunseol’s bold and unprecedented decision.
―Truly the Muhonjung Lord. Always stirring the winds of fortune!
At this point, only one question lingered in the minds of all:
―Then who is the primary wife?
The people of the Demon Palace were desperately curious about who the legitimate wife truly was, yet no information regarding the matter ever surfaced.
Yeon So Ha had already departed, and Dan Seo Ok refused to speak of it.
―That brat. Even so, he should have consulted with the Lords and made a decision together.
And when Baek Yeon of the Nangya Sect heard the rumors, he suppressed his disappointment and sent a letter,
―This fool is openly taking a concubine!
Furthermore, Dan Wol Hon, upon hearing the rumors, rushed to the Jamma Pavilion and caused trouble once more.
―Immediately assemble the entire Manmadang before the Jamma Pavilion! This time I will certainly destroy that bastard’s residence!
However, when Dan Seo Ok angrily declared she would never face him again if he continued such behavior,
terrified that he might truly lose sight of his daughter’s face, Dan Wol Hon never set foot near the Jamma Pavilion again after that day.
But Bu Eunseol herself remained utterly silent on the matter….
Yu Woon Ryong’s Office.
There, Yu Woon Ryong was composing a letter, while all the Lords, including Myo Cheon Woo, occupied their seats.
“How could he decide on two betrothed candidates and announce it like that?”
Won Se Moon sighed as he spoke.
“I cannot fathom what our Lord is thinking.”
“How would I know?”
Jo Nam Cheon leaned back in his chair, both hands clasped behind his head.
“Still, it was unexpected that he rejected Jin Sang Hwa. She would have been most beneficial.”
“The one who would have been beneficial was Ah Yeon of Geomgak. Her martial prowess is the strongest, after all.”
As Myo Cheon Woo spoke, Wi Cheon Gyeong shook his head.
“To be frank, I believe he should have taken all four of them as wives.”
At Wi Cheon Gyeong’s audacious remark, all the Lords opened their mouths wide in astonishment.
“Are you that kind of person?”
“What do you mean, that kind of person?”
“No, such a bold statement is unprecedented in the history of the Murim….”
Just as Won Se Moon was about to speak with a smirk,
“Hey!”
Yu Woon Ryong, who had been composing the letter, suddenly bellowed with veins bulging on his forehead.
“Is my Office a parlor for idle gossip?”
The Lords stared at him intently,
but soon, as if it were nothing, they simply turned their heads and resumed their chatter.
Yu Woon Ryong, observing their behavior, lowered his head.
The reason he had eloquently persuaded the Lords to select Ah Yeon, the Geomgak Successor, at the previous gathering.
In truth, it was because he hoped those wretched fellows would stop coming to his Office.
‘After all, Bu Eunseol, that woman will never marry!’
Yu Woon Ryong already knew the truth.
The rumor that bride price had been exchanged was the result of Bu Eunseol’s firm resolve to end this ‘betrothed candidate commotion’.
And it was the combined outcome of a ceasefire agreement between Yeon So Ha and Dan Seo Ok.
Yet these cursed fools, despite the rumors that Bu Eunseol had exchanged bride price,
were still huddled together in his Office, gossiping away.
“Aren’t you leaving?!”
Yu Woon Ryong called out again, but the Lords paid him no mind, huddling together with their heads bent close, whispering amongst themselves.
He collapsed into his seat with a heavy thud.
Slumped there, he gazed at the Ten-Section Staff Manual wedged into the bookshelf with a melancholic expression.
Then, in a voice of utter resignation, he muttered weakly.
“Please… go do this somewhere else.”

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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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