The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 302

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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 302.
Generally, embalmers avoid taking jobs from the Constabulary.
The reason was simple: the Constabulary paid only five coins per corpse for processing.
No matter how meticulously one performed the rites, no one offered gratitude, and it was far better to spend that time on other work.
So when jobs came from the Constabulary, embalmers would skip the rites entirely and simply haul the bodies to some remote hillside for burial.
But Bu Chanyang, the embalmer at Pyeong-an Funeral House in Hwangju, was different.
Even when handling the deceased with no living relatives, he performed the rites with utmost care, and when the burial garments fell short, he provided them from his own meager means.
Rather than burying the departed in any desolate place, he sought out sunny spots whenever possible.
Because of this, he struggled constantly to put food on the table, yet Pyeong-an Funeral House was filled with contentment.
For his two beloved grandchildren always worked with genuine joy.
“Grandfather….”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes reddened as she gazed up at the wooden plaque bearing the characters for Pyeong-an Funeral House.
The moment she escaped Saixiang, she had made her way to Hwangju to find Pyeong-an Funeral House.
Before tracing the whereabouts of Chil Ji Ma Do Bu Janyeong, she had decided to first search for those of her grandfather, Bu Chanyang.
“Our home… has become a ruin.”
The Funeral House had always been situated on the outskirts of a sparsely populated village.
But when the two elderly embalmers vanished without trace, it had transformed into a desolate, abandoned shell.
Creak.
Upon entering, all furnishings had been stripped away, and filth lay scattered throughout.
Thieves had taken anything of value, and vagrants had apparently dwelt here for some time.
Bu Eunseol gazed at a wooden table, half-shattered, in one corner of the room.
When night fell, an oil lamp would be lit upon that table.
And there, with dimming eyes, my grandfather would read books or mend the worn clothes of his beloved grandson.
Whoosh.
Bu Eunseol gently brushed the dust-covered table.
As her fingers touched the wood bearing the warmth of Bu Chanyang’s hands, she felt as though a gentle heat still lingered there.
After examining the house in silence, Bu Eunseol quietly stepped outside.
‘I’ll compare the traces of Chil Ji Ma Do and Grandfather, then search methodically.’
Bu Eunseol clenched her fists as she gazed toward the distant sky.
The grandfather she had believed to be an ordinary embalmer was actually a master of the Murim who had cultivated Shaolin’s highest inner power.
She could not simply overturn Shaolin and demand answers about his identity, so she would carefully retrace the past of these two men.
‘Grandfather never wished for me to become a martial artist.’
Bu Chanyang had taught her the Yeokgeun Scripture’s longevity secrets under the pretext of her playing with corpses, and had trained her mental fortitude to its absolute limit.
He had also imparted various martial knowledge and diverse learning through her study of cadaver anatomy.
Yet this was never because he hoped she would become a martial artist.
In fact, Bu Chanyang had never taught her even a single martial technique, and he had always shown her that the path of a martial artist rarely ended well.
‘He simply wished for me to navigate this harsh world without suffering misfortune, and to live a long life.’
Bu Eunseol could sense it.
He had taught her the Yeokgeun Scripture so that she would not fall ill and would enjoy longevity.
He had trained her mental fortitude because of the grueling life of an embalmer, forced to witness the tragic corpses of the departed throughout one’s years.
My analysis of corpses and mastery of human anatomy were merely knowledge passed down to restore the deceased to their appearance in life.
‘But the opposite has come to pass, Grandfather.’
Everything Bu Chanyang had imparted was meant to ensure health, longevity, and becoming Bu Zhong’s greatest embalmer—yet…
Paradoxically, it had instead laid the foundation for Bu Eunseol to become the greatest martial master.
Thump, thump.
Having departed the abandoned Pyeong-an Funeral House, Bu Eunseol climbed the slope of a nearby Small Hill.
It was there that Bu Eunseol had buried Bu Chanyang.
At that time, Bu Eunseol had been young and lacked strength. So among the places reachable by cart carrying the iron coffin,
she had found the most secluded, sun-drenched spot untouched by human feet and constructed the grave there.
“…!”
Bu Eunseol’s complexion turned ashen upon reaching the burial site.
A stone tower had been built from stones stacked at the place where Bu Chanyang was interred.
But the stone tower had already collapsed, and the grave itself had been excavated, had it not?
Boom!
Bu Eunseol unleashed her inner force to instantly overturn the earth at the burial site.
But there was nothing.
She had spent three days slowly and carefully digging deep into the ground back then, so no wild beast could have disturbed it.
Even if a wild beast had excavated the grave, it could never have carried away an iron coffin made of metal.
Someone had taken both the iron coffin and Grandfather’s remains entirely.
“Uuuugh.”
A vortex of true energy rippled outward from Bu Eunseol’s entire body, and her eyes burned crimson with bloodshot fury.
“What crime could Grandfather have possibly committed….”
Rumble, rumble.
Though not a breath of wind stirred, the trees within the forest swayed violently.
“Not even eternal rest will you grant him―――!”
As her anguished cry echoed through the forest,
Crash! Crackle, crackle.
Simultaneously, an intense blazing true energy erupted outward in all directions.
At the same moment, more than half the trees in the forest collapsed, and charred chasms opened across the earth.
Sizzle….
Rocks glowed crimson from the scorching heat, and trees burned to ash.
As her spirit returned to its original state, that devastating rage was expressed not through yin-yang equilibrium, but through blazing true energy of extreme yang.
“You have committed an act you should never have dared.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes, clenched with grinding teeth, became stained with the color of blood.
She had intended to complete her vengeance merely by eliminating Hyung Su, who had so brutally murdered her grandfather.
But her resolve had changed.
“Not only the one who killed Grandfather, but every last soul connected to him…I will send them all, without exception, to hell.”
Crackle, crackle.
Engulfed in blazing true energy, Bu Eunseol’s form resembled a demon buried within flames.
They had made a mistake.
Regardless of all else, I could not disturb Bu Chanyang’s eternal rest.
Even if the seas dried and stone crumbled to dust…
So long as we drew breath, the flame kindled within my heart would never be extinguished.
* * *
As dawn broke, I sought out the Inn.
Until my vengeance was complete.
And I would not return to this village until I had found grandfather’s remains.
Thus, one final time, I would visit the Inn where grandfather and I had so often gone, to trace the echoes of memory.
‘How much this place has changed.’
As the village prospered, the Inn had grown larger, and the young Jeomsoi of old had become a man of middle years.
“Welcome, honored guest.”
Jeomsoi, marked by a large mole upon his face and bearing a sour expression, bowed obsequiously upon seeing me and guided me to a seat.
“This way, if you please.”
As Jeomsoi led me to a window seat with an excellent view, he rubbed his hands together with inner delight.
‘A windfall, surely.’
Murim warriors who lived by the blade’s edge always ate well and spared no expense.
Moreover, they were generous with their tips, lavishing rewards upon those who served them kindly.
But Jeomsoi’s expectations shattered utterly.
“Two bowls of noodles, if you would.”
Despite an appearance befitting royalty, I ordered merely two bowls of noodles—no generous gratuity at all?
‘What is this?’
He had guided me to the finest seat, yet I ordered not a single vegetable dish?
Fine in appearance and dress alone—surely nothing but a pauper in disguise?
“Very well.”
Jeomsoi answered curtly and turned away with visible irritation.
“Be gone!”
Then, commotion erupted outside.
Peering through the window, I saw vagrant children sitting near the Inn, begging for alms.
And the manager was driving them away.
“Bah! Business is poor enough as it is! Cursed nuisance!”
My expression grew bitter.
This manager was the same man who had once driven Bu Chanyang and me away, saying we reeked.
‘Why do people never change?’
Shaking my head, I gazed down at the street below and called out in a loud voice.
“You there, manager.”
“Yes?”
“Send those children up here.”
“Pardon?”
“And come along with them.”
The manager’s face twisted in bewilderment at this strange request.
But when Bu Eunseol’s eyes flashed with an authority as unyielding as frost, the innkeeper had no choice but to send the children upstairs.
“The banquet hall should be fine—even if there’s a slight odor, it won’t trouble the other guests.”
“Pardon?”
“Send the children to the banquet hall and bring out every dish you can prepare for this table.”
As the innkeeper’s eyes widened in surprise, Bu Eunseol withdrew a note and placed it on the table.
“Keep bringing food until the children are satisfied. Don’t stop.”
“Ah, understood.”
The innkeeper seized the note with delight and quickly ushered the children into the banquet hall.
“Noodles are ready.”
At that moment, Jeomsoi set down two bowls of noodles on the table.
Bu Eunseol placed one bowl before herself and the other across from her.
―You stubborn thing. We finally come to an inn, and you order noodles?
Through the wisps of steam rising from the bowl, I could almost see Bu Chanyang’s gentle smile.
As those warm eyes and that tender voice came to mind… I missed my grandfather with an ache that pierced through me.
“Why not just give them money instead?”
At that moment, a clear, melodious voice reached my ears.
“Those children could have eaten their fill for months.”
I turned to see a beautiful woman in white, her lustrous black hair gathered in a neat topknot, gazing intently at me.
It was Jong Ri Sa Yu, the granddaughter of Chim Wang.
“It’s been a while.”
She flashed a brilliant smile, revealing white teeth.
Ever since the Underground Fortress incident, she had been pursuing my trail relentlessly.
But the Heavenly Sword Society had been restraining its activities in the Murim, and its headquarters remained unknown.
No matter how hard she tried, she could not discover my whereabouts.
Yet here, by what seemed like fate itself, we met by chance at an inn?
She felt like dancing with joy.
“It has been a while.”
When Bu Eunseol acknowledged her, she bloomed into a radiant smile.
“Have you been well?”
Bu Eunseol merely nodded lightly, her expression unmoved.
“Thanks to you.”
Her manner was so detached it bordered on cold, yet Jong Ri Sa Yu felt no offense.
She had experienced Bu Eunseol’s indifferent nature countless times before.
“But you know…”
She quickly took the seat across from Bu Eunseol, her eyes sparkling.
“If you’re going to help, wouldn’t it be better to give them money rather than buy expensive meals?”
Jong Ri Sa Yu was a perceptive woman.
Sensing that Bu Eunseol had no desire for conversation, she had deliberately steered the topic toward something that demanded a response.
“It seems better for them to eat thin rice gruel throughout the year on a full stomach than to gorge themselves for one day.”
“Large sums of money given to young vagrants will only be stolen from them immediately.”
Bu Eunseol spoke in a matter-of-fact tone.
“It’s not something I can help with for a lifetime. So allowing the children to eat their fill of delicious food… would be the greatest kindness I could offer them.”
Bu Eunseol, who had survived through begging since childhood.
I understood the lives of vagrants better than anyone else.
“I see.”
She nodded, regarding Bu Eunseol’s eyes—which seemed lost in nostalgia—with a puzzled gaze.
In truth, whether one bought a vagrant a meal or gave them money, it hardly mattered.
What she truly desired was to maintain an unbroken conversation with Bu Eunseol.
‘His manner of speech and expression may seem cold, but his heart is genuinely warm.’
Jong Ri Sa Yu’s eyes gleamed with deeper fascination.
Witnessing how freely he spent considerable sums even on vagrant children,
she could discern that beneath Bu Eunseol’s austere exterior lay a genuinely compassionate heart.
And she found that quality all the more endearing.
‘When I think about it, he risked his life fighting Gu Ju Hun to save me.’
Since Gu Ju Hun had blocked the exit, the confrontation was inevitable.
Yet she was embellishing even her past memories, convinced that Bu Eunseol had stepped forward solely to rescue her.
“But what brings you to this Inn?”
“There’s only one reason to visit an Inn, is there not?”
Only then did Jong Ri Sa Yu notice the bowl of noodles before Bu Eunseol, now completely cold.
“I apologize. I’ve interrupted your meal.”
“Think nothing of it.”
Bu Eunseol brought the cold noodles to his lips.
I had never wasted food in my life, and whether it was cold or warm made little difference to me.
Yet Jong Ri Sa Yu, wearing an apologetic expression, called out to Jeomsoi.
“Listen here. Bring two bowls of steamed rice, stir-fried vegetables, cold vegetable dishes, shrimp tempura, and a dish made with beef and pine mushrooms—one of each!”
And she winked at Bu Eunseol.
“Let me properly treat you as an apology.”
“There’s no need.”
“Don’t refuse. Meeting like this is fate itself. And you know, I have quite a lot of money?”
Jong Ri Sa Yu sat across from Bu Eunseol with a natural, unabashed expression.
“I could support one man I fancy for a lifetime… hehe, in any case, my Main House is far wealthier than people know.”
It was likely true.
The Chim Wang Family operated secret divisions to search for those manufacturing gunpowder.
Seeing that her beauty wasn’t working, she was subtly boasting of her background instead.
“But are you still searching for that enemy you mentioned?”
She asked while helping herself to the generously arranged dishes one by one.
“Well, the Heavenly Sword Society should soon begin its activities in the Murim.”
By now, Jong Ri Sa Yu was speaking familiarly without waiting for Bu Eunseol’s response.
She was among the greatest of heroines—wandering the Murim dispensing medicine while also searching for those who manufacture gunpowder.
Having finally found Bu Eunseol, whom she had been seeking all along, she was determined to solidify their connection without hesitation.
“….”
But Bu Eunseol simply continued eating her noodles quietly, as though she hadn’t heard a word.
“Oh, that’s right—now that I think about it, there was an epidemic that swept through Hwangju once in the past. Come to think of it….”
In that instant, Bu Eunseol’s indifferent eyes gleamed with sudden awareness. She had spent ten years here with her grandfather performing funeral rites.
But when had an epidemic ever struck this place?
“When did an epidemic ever strike Hwangju?”
As Bu Eunseol posed the question, Jong Ri Sa Yu laughed brightly and shook her head.
“Not recently. It would have been about forty years ago, I’d say?”
“Forty years ago?”
“I didn’t experience it myself—my grandfather told me the story.”
Jong Ri Sa Yu glanced around cautiously, then leaned forward and whispered softly.
“My grandfather came here to treat the patients when the epidemic broke out. What was it he said? He even fought against some terrifying wanderer with seven fingers….”
Thud.
Bu Eunseol rose abruptly to her feet without thinking.
Forty years ago. Not only had an epidemic ravaged Hwangju, but Chil Ji Ma Do Bu Chanyang had been here?

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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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