The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 307

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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 307.
“Ah, so you’re not one of them?”
The man spoke with a bewildered expression as Bu Eunseol calmly received the formless energy he had unleashed.
“You’re not from Heuk Pung Chae. What are you doing here?”
When Bu Eunseol offered no response, the man tilted his head again in confusion.
“Did you come because you heard the commotion?”
“….”
“Your aura surpasses the Transcendent Realm, yet I sense neither demonic nor righteous energy. It’s truly a state of being caught between two paths.”
Bu Eunseol couldn’t help but admire this assessment inwardly.
Caught between two paths.
It meant having traveled halfway down a road without yet deciding which direction to take.
This simple-faced man had read my aura and instantly grasped that my spirit wavered somewhere between the Demonic Path and the Righteous Path, belonging fully to neither.
‘A figure from the Orthodox Sects. Quite high-ranking at that.’
Bu Eunseol likewise analyzed the aura flowing from the man’s body.
From this, I could infer that he had mastered the orthodox martial techniques of the Righteous Path, one that emphasized the cultivation of qi above all else.
“Ah, so you came to deal with Heuk Pung Chae as well?”
Moreover, judging by the naturally commanding tone and bearing that permeated his presence, despite his unassuming appearance, he was clearly a person of considerable rank.
“Are you mute?”
At the man’s question, Bu Eunseol slowly opened her mouth.
“Do you hold a grudge against Heuk Pung Chae?”
“Hm?”
“You could have killed them without suffering. Yet you made them die in agony, avoiding the vital points.”
“No, I hold no grudge whatsoever.”
The man answered with an innocent expression.
“If they committed evil deeds, shouldn’t they suffer accordingly? Surely you don’t think these wretches should have been left alive?”
The man wagged his finger as he spoke with conviction.
“You may not know this, but these bastards kidnapped women and murdered innocent civilians. They’re not your ordinary bandits.”
“….”
“Are you one of those tedious types who believes that a butcher becomes a Buddha once he puts down his blade? The elders of the Buddhist Order and Daoist sects preach such nonsense endlessly, and that’s precisely why these villains continue to multiply.”
The man’s eyes, as he spoke without pause, were clear and bright, brimming with unwavering conviction.
It was evident he was utterly certain that everything he did was righteous.
‘This is not my concern.’
Bu Eunseol had no intention of passing judgment on the man’s beliefs.
“I shall take my leave.”
As Bu Eunseol turned to go, the man tilted his head and thrust his face forward.
“What, aren’t you curious about who I am?”
When Bu Eunseol still offered no reply, he chuckled and tapped the great sword on his back.
“Shall we test our skills? You seem quite capable.”
In ordinary circumstances, Bu Eunseol would have gladly crossed blades with this man.
But I was now a figure responsible for the fate of the Demonic Murim, and every action I took represented the Demon Palace.
I also needed to expose the identity of the Seven-Fingered Demonic Path and eliminate those who had disturbed my grandfather’s eternal rest as soon as possible.
There was no reason to cross blades with a man of considerable standing from the Orthodox Sects.
“We’ll do this another time.”
Having made my decision, I turned without hesitation and launched myself into the air.
“Is that so? What a shame.”
The man with his hands clasped behind his head watched me disappear into the distance, then turned his body.
But how could he have known?
This meeting of two peerless geniuses would be bound by a karmic connection so bitter that they could not share the same sky.
* * *
Upon entering Seong Do, I made my way to the bustling Market Street and ascended to an inn.
My criteria for choosing an inn were not luxury or grandeur.
I always sought places with spacious interiors and reasonable prices, where not only martial artists but also various types of patrons would gather.
Only such establishments could provide news of Gangho and the countless rumors that circulated through it.
“Welcome!”
Guided by Jeomsoi, I took a seat by the window on the third floor and ordered simple dishes and a bottle of wine.
‘I need to find another approach.’
Gazing out the window, I fell into contemplation.
Originally, I had planned to return directly to the Demon Palace and lead the inspection unit members to seek out the Saryeong School and White Horse Sect as the Lord of Muhonjung.
But upon deeper reflection, there was no guarantee that White Horse Sect and the Saryeong School would kindly reveal information from forty years ago to me.
‘Could I force their mouths open under the pretext of gratitude?’
But there was a problem here as well.
There was no assurance they would speak purely the truth as Jong Ri Sa Hyeon had.
If they provided false information, I would only sink deeper into confusion.
This matter required a more cautious approach.
Gulp.
As I was refilling my cup after draining the wine within it,
a faint sound of transmission reached my ears.
「Lord, this is Mu Heun.」
Mu Heun was a member of the Guusal Unit who specialized in erasing my traces and delivering information to me.
He was also a member with both the skill and experience to carry out critical missions.
「There is an urgent matter to report.」
「Speak.」
I transmitted my response and naturally refilled my empty cup with wine. Just as I was about to bring it to my lips,
「We have found a survivor among the Ten Demon Immortals.」
My hand froze as I brought the cup toward my mouth.
Yu Woon Ryong, Myo Cheon Woo, and Seo Jin Ha aside, all the Ten Demon Immortals were reported to have perished.
But I had believed otherwise.
The greatest geniuses who survived Hell Island would not fall so easily to the hands of great masters.
For this reason, I had long posted a survivor tracking mission for the Ten Demon Immortals on the Guusal Unit’s critical assignments, along with a substantial bounty.
To find any survivors who might still be alive.
For those who could not escape the shackles of the Ten Demon Immortals, forced to live in misery with their identities concealed.
And finally, I had found a survivor of the Ten Demon Immortals.
“Where is that place?”
“Near Chil Geom Ryeong. I shall guide you there.”
Bu Eunseol left the Inn without hesitation.
In one breath, she unfurled her lightness technique and departed the Village.
Then, near the Reed Field on the outskirts, a man in black martial robes waited in concealment.
It was Mu Heun, a member of the Guusal Unit.
A faint shimmer.
Upon spotting Bu Eunseol, he immediately unfurled his lightness technique.
Bu Eunseol silently followed in Mu Heun’s wake as he deployed his movement art.
Mu Heun’s shadow extended his technique endlessly northward.
His legs were long relative to his height, and he possessed a lean, agile frame.
While not quite matching Bu Eunseol’s Extreme Speed Shadowless technique, he wielded a swift and concealed movement art worthy of renown throughout Gangho.
‘The Guusal Unit harbors many talented individuals.’
Though they were said to be members whose names and very existence had been erased, their prowess rivaled that of elite warriors from major sects.
Yet each had erased their own name and existence for their own reasons—to earn substantial wealth—
Moving covertly through Murim, executing perilous missions.
‘Which sect’s disciple was Mu Heun?’
The moment one joined the Guusal Unit, even their affiliation with their original sect was erased.
Unless the member themselves revealed their identity, no one could ever know their information.
“With such skill, why not go to the Wanderer Market instead?”
Bu Eunseol subtly redirected her curiosity about Mu Heun in another direction.
“You could earn substantial wealth without risking your life.”
If it were merely about earning money, the Wanderer Market presented an alternative.
With Mu Heun’s prowess, he could have reached the rank of elite wanderer in his thirties.
There, he would need not erase his identity, nor execute perilous missions.
Yet why had he chosen the dangerous Guusal Unit instead?
Then Mu Heun sent a brief transmission.
“Because I have no desire to form companions.”
Only then did Bu Eunseol nod faintly.
Missions from the Wanderer Market rarely involved solo work; they typically required forming groups.
But the Guusal Unit allowed one to select missions suited to one’s abilities, and most could be executed alone.
Viewed differently, joining the Guusal Unit was the choice that allowed a warrior to earn the greatest wealth entirely alone.
‘Each has their own circumstances.’
Bu Eunseol said nothing more and followed in Mu Heun’s wake.
After running for some time, Mu Heun finally came to a halt at Chil Geom Ryeong.
Without delay, he headed toward the rightmost of the seven jagged peaks.
Upon arriving in that vicinity, a small, crudely constructed Mo Wok came into view before the Open Ground.
Upon arriving in that area, a small, crudely built Mo Wok came into view in front of the Open Ground.
It was a modest dwelling barely large enough for one person, with various medicinal herbs hung to dry scattered across the courtyard.
Anyone would recognize it as the home of a gatherer who lived in the mountains, harvesting and selling medicinal herbs.
“That’s the place.”
At Mu Heun’s telepathic message, Bu Eunseol fixed her gaze upon the dwelling.
Creak.
Just then, the door creaked open, and a tall man emerged, limping heavily with each labored step.
His clothes were tattered beyond measure, and his frame was gaunt and withered.
Had it not been for the cold, frozen gleam in his eyes, Bu Eunseol would have mistaken him for an ordinary herb gatherer.
‘Young Moon Ho.’
Bu Eunseol’s eyes sparkled as she beheld the man’s face.
The ragged man limping out was none other than Young Moon Ho—one of the Ten Demon Immortals of the Saryeong School, and the one rumored to have been slain by a master of the Hua Shan Sect.
Mu Heun, who had been observing Young Moon Ho intently, sent a cautious telepathic message.
“Shall I verify his identity once more?”
“There’s no need.”
Bu Eunseol sent a telepathic reply to Mu Heun.
“From here on, I shall handle matters myself. You may depart.”
The bounty Bu Eunseol had placed for finding one of the Ten Demon Immortals was a staggering five hundred thousand taels.
Now that Mu Heun had resolved this task, he would receive a fortune so vast he could spend it lavishly for a lifetime without exhausting it.
And having earned such wealth, Mu Heun would naturally retire.
Bu Eunseol offered her farewell matter-of-factly.
“You’ve worked hard all this time.”
Yet Mu Heun spoke with an embarrassed tone.
“I have many dependents, and there are still many expenses to cover.”
Bu Eunseol, grasping the meaning behind his words, nodded.
“I see. Upon your return, have your alias removed from the records and collect your compensation.”
“Thank you. Then I shall take my leave.”
Mu Heun departed quietly.
Bu Eunseol, who had been standing at a distance, slowly emerged from the forest.
Yet Young Moon Ho did not sense her presence, remaining crouched as he chopped the dried herbs.
A long scar ran from his left cheek down beneath his jaw, and below his neck lay a deep wound, as if pierced by something sharp.
The purplish discoloration of his skin suggested just how severe those injuries had been.
“Young Moon Ho.”
At Bu Eunseol’s soft voice, Young Moon Ho’s movements ceased.
Yet he did not lift his head to look at her.
Instead, as he had been doing, he continued slowly chopping the dried herbs with his cleaver.
“What brings you here?”
His gaze remained fixed upon the herbs, yet a quiet smile bloomed at the corners of his mouth.
“The successor of the Demon Palace visits this humble place.”
“You knew?”
When Bu Eunseol’s expression betrayed surprise, Young Moon Ho shook his head.
“Hehehehe. Wherever one goes, the talk is filled with nothing but your deeds. It’s impossible not to hear of them.”
“If you heard the news, why didn’t you return?”
Bu Eunseol had always regarded the Ten Demon Immortals as her own kind.
To free them from the shackles placed upon them, she had incorporated Myo Cheon Woo and Yu Woon Ryong into the Demon Palace and made them her subordinates.
If Young Moon Ho had heard the rumors, he could not have failed to hear that Myo Cheon Woo and Yu Woon Ryong had accomplished great deeds alongside Bu Eunseol.
Yet why had Young Moon Ho not returned to the Demon Palace?
“I couldn’t return.”
Young Moon Ho wore a parched smile.
“Seventy percent of my martial power had been lost.”
“Did you actually fight against a master of the Hua Shan Sect?”
“Of course. Otherwise, how would I have evaded the pursuit of the Melting Soul Great Division?”
He turned his head and glanced at Bu Eunseol.
“The Hua Shan sword technique is exquisite, but the Self-Consuming Divine Art was truly worthy of its reputation. The moment the blade’s edge touched my skin, torrents of inner energy capable of melting the meridians burrowed through.”
As he recalled those moments, Young Moon Ho’s eyes were stained with dark agony.
“I intended to sustain a fatal wound, but… this is what became of me.”
“You had prepared your escape in advance.”
“Yes.”
Young Moon Ho crouched down again and began chopping dried medicinal herbs with a cleaver.
“At that time, I had not yet grasped the ultimate truth of the Saryeong Spear Technique. I knew well that fighting a master in such a state would be suicide.”
Crunch, crunch.
Each time the cleaver blade touched the dried herbs, a crisp cutting sound echoed.
“Yet if I remained still, I would die by the hands of the Melting Soul Great Division… In the end, I devised one stratagem. To kill myself and vanish completely from the Murim world.”
Bu Eunseol, who had been listening quietly, nodded her head.
“You obtained a corpse beforehand and fought against the master of the Hua Shan Sect.”
“Correct.”
As Bu Eunseol deduced the method at once, Young Moon Ho let out an exclamation of admiration.
“When I think about it, you’ve always been sharp-witted. Because you anticipated things others couldn’t foresee, you were able to survive.”
Bu Eunseol possessed exceptional talent, but she always predicted circumstances in advance and prepared accordingly.
Had she not done so, she would not have survived until reaching the final confrontation alongside Seo Jin Ha, despite her reluctance to form an organization.
“Upon receiving the command of Chong Gyo Ryeong and leaving the Demon Palace, I immediately infiltrated the vicinity of the Hua Shan Sect Headquarters.”
Young Moon Ho stopped chopping and rose from his seat, brushing off his hands.
“There, I stole and learned the ultimate technique of the Dark Fragrance Sparse Shadow Sword—Clear Fragrance Rock Pine.”
“To leave proper wound marks on the corpse.”
“Exactly.”
Young Moon Ho, a smile playing at his lips, gazed at Bu Eunseol.
“I had hidden a corpse bearing the sword marks of Dark Fragrance Form near Cheong Seok Jeong in advance. And I had set various traps and formations along the path.”
“Hmm.”
“Days later, I ambushed Cheon Hwa In, a master of the Hua Shan Sect who was cultivating his martial arts while wearing a mask.”
As the urgent circumstances of that time came to mind, Young Moon Ho’s breathing grew rough.
“Cheon Hwa In. That man’s swordsmanship was truly formidable. Despite employing only ordinary Hua Shan sword technique, he easily blocked the opening moves of my Saryeong Spear.”
He took a deep breath and continued his story.
“As the initial technique exchange dragged on, he made a decision and unleashed the Dark Fragrance Shadowy Sword. After about ten seconds, he finally deployed the opening move of the Azure Fragrance Dark Pine technique.”
“….”
“I deliberately exposed a weakness and took the full brunt of his attack. Then, feigning a mortal wound, I fled desperately toward Cheong Seok Jeong.”
Bu Eunseol nodded as she listened to the tale.
Cheon Hwa In was a master swordsman of the Hua Shan Sect.
Whether he displayed the supreme techniques learned from the Murim Alliance or possessed hidden sword arts, he would initially attempt to defeat his opponent using Hua Shan’s greatest swordsmanship.
Young Moon Ho exploited this tendency by secretly learning the Azure Fragrance Dark Pine—the pinnacle technique among the Dark Fragrance Shadowy Sword’s opening moves, Hua Shan’s supreme sword art.
When he deployed that technique, he deliberately took the hit and made his escape.
“Cheon Hwa In pursued me with terrifyingly swift movement techniques, but the traps and formations I had set in advance prevented him from closing the distance.”
Cheon Hwa In broke through countless traps and finally reached the vicinity of Cheong Seok Jeong, only to discover a corpse killed by the Azure Fragrance Dark Pine technique.
It was a body Young Moon Ho had prepared in advance.
And in his joy, he immediately reported this fact to the Hua Shan Sect.
“Cheon Hwa In became the first person to slay one of the Ten Demon Immortals, so he must have been overjoyed.”
Young Moon Ho spoke matter-of-factly with a faint smile.
“Moreover, with the sword marks left on the corpse as confirmation, the Hua Shan Sect didn’t investigate deeply and had the Merchant Guild transport the body to the Saryeong School.”
Bu Eunseol nodded.
In the past, Young Moon Ho was known to be the first of the Ten Demon Immortals to be killed.
But in reality, he had ingeniously faked his own death and was the first to escape the shackles of the Ten Demon Immortals.
“Did you lose your cultivation then?”
Young Moon Ho smiled bitterly at Bu Eunseol’s question.
“Yes. I deliberately took the hit, and Cheon Hwa In’s inner force was far too profound. When I received one strike of the Azure Fragrance Dark Pine, my meridians suffered severe damage, and I lost about seventy percent of my cultivation.”
He shook his head and smiled as he looked at Bu Eunseol.
“Well, that’s how it happened.”
“There’s no need to worry. Now I can return.”
“Return?”
“Yes.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with a firm voice.
“Don’t worry. I will restore your cultivation as well.”
“Hehehehe.”
Young Moon Ho smiled faintly.
“Since the successor of the Demon Palace says so, it seems I truly can recover my cultivation and return.”
As he gazed at the distant sky for a moment, a faint tremor began to appear on his face.
Young Moon Ho quickly concealed the light of pain that flickered in his eyes and spoke with a resolute voice.
“But I will not return.”

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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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