The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 308
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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 308.
Bu Eunseol opened her mouth with a puzzled expression.
“Why?”
“Why, you ask?”
Young Moon Ho’s lips curved into an utterly serene smile.
“Isn’t tasting death once enough? Even if I recover my martial power, it won’t reach a level worth comparing to the others anyway.”
“Young Moon Ho.”
“Don’t look at me that way. I’m content with my life as it is now.”
He gestured broadly toward Mo Wok with a radiant smile.
“There are many fine medicinal herbs around this Chil Geom Ryeong. If I dig them up and sell them, I can earn enough for an occasional drink at an inn.”
His eyes, as he spoke, held the faint, twilight gleam of someone at peace.
“And when I grow older, I’ll meet a simple-hearted woman, build a home, have children despite our modest means, and live out my days… happily.”
A smile bloomed at the corners of Bu Eunseol’s lips as well.
In truth, she too had dreamed of such a life since childhood.
Even without wealth, even in straitened circumstances, if only she could live happily with her grandfather again…
She would abandon without hesitation all the status, martial prowess, and influence she now possessed.
“A fine plan indeed.”
Bu Eunseol nodded.
Young Moon Ho had already found his happiness.
To drag him into the blood-soaked Murim and Demon Hall would only destroy the life he had built.
“Then I shall take my leave.”
Without hesitation, Bu Eunseol turned away, blessing his happiness in her heart.
“Live well. Live happily.”
“Wait.”
Just as she turned to go, Young Moon Ho wiped his nose and spoke.
“Since we’ve met after all this time, why not share a drink before you leave?”
“A drink?”
“I’ve brewed a hundred-herb wine from the medicinal plants that grow around Chil Geom Ryeong. It tastes quite good.”
A faint smile graced Bu Eunseol’s lips.
She preferred wine to tea. And to drink with Young Moon Ho, the Ten Demon Immortal she had sought so long, would make that wine all the more fragrant.
“Very well.”
“Then wait a moment. I’ll fetch some provisions.”
“Just wine is fine.”
“But you’ve come all this way—surely I can’t offer just wine? Wait a little.”
As he shuffled toward the woven door, Bu Eunseol shook her head.
“Then I’ll catch a bird for us. Roasted over charcoal, it will make fine provisions.”
Young Moon Ho threw up his hands and jumped back.
“I dig for herbs in these deep mountains because I hate taking life. If I were to hunt birds, I’d have become a hunter.”
“So you won’t eat meat now that you’ve left the Gangho?”
“It’s not that—it’s that I don’t wish to wield a blade and harm animals with my own hands.”
“I’ll catch something.”
“It’s the same thing. If you hunt animals, the stench of blood clings to you as well.”
He had not only completely abandoned the Murim, but had become someone who, like a Buddhist monk, despised even the smell of blood.
“When I drink the Hundred Herb Wine, I become sensitive to the scent of blood… that’s all it is.”
As Young Moon Ho averted his gaze in embarrassment, Bu Eunseol’s lips curved into a faint smile.
“Then I’ll make the trip to the village. I’m faster anyway.”
Young Moon Ho chuckled softly.
“All right. Go ahead.”
Bu Eunseol descended to the village in one breath and returned with all manner of delicious provisions.
Fearing the wine might run short, she also procured a full barrel of forty-year-old yellow wine.
‘Will I ever be able to live like that someday?’
As Bu Eunseol recalled Young Moon Ho’s peaceful countenance, a smile bloomed across her own lips.
Young Moon Ho, who had harbored the ambition to reign at the pinnacle of the Demonic Path and participated in the Ten Demon Immortals plan.
He had finally broken through that brutal trial and become one of the Ten Demon Immortals, but it was merely the beginning.
Unless he slew one of the formidable Grand Masters above him in rank, he would inevitably face death himself.
Perhaps from that moment onward, he had grown disillusioned with this merciless Gangho.
And instead of expending all his strength to kill a Grand Master, he had prepared a plan to escape the Gangho.
And finally, he had quietly departed the Gangho, though he lost nearly half of his accumulated martial power in the process.
Yet his expression was more at ease than when he possessed formidable martial prowess, and he appeared genuinely happy.
―Seol Ah. This old man’s final request.
At that time, my grandfather Bu Chanyang, dying in a pitiful state, spoke these words to me with his last strength.
―When I am gone, flee far away.
That was not a request born from a desire for vengeance,
but rather Bu Chanyang’s final wish that I live an ordinary life.
Yet paradoxically, I chose a path diametrically opposed to that wish.
I unhesitatingly walked the blood-soaked road of vengeance, striving to become a martial artist second to none in the Gangho.
And not a single day has passed without me devoting myself entirely to finding Hyung Su, the one who killed my grandfather.
‘It is not the life my grandfather desired.’
I would sooner take my own life than share the same sky with that murderer.
Yet seeing Young Moon Ho’s peaceful existence, I suddenly wonder—is this path truly the right one? Along with my grandfather’s final plea.
My grandfather’s parting words weighed upon me.
‘Pointless sentimentality.’
Bu Eunseol shook her head.
I had merely allowed myself to be captivated by Young Moon Ho’s peaceful demeanor for a moment.
After parting with him, I must return to tearing through the Gangho, hunting for Hyung Su who killed my grandfather,
and the forces connected to him—I must seize their trail without fail.
Whoosh.
Bu Eunseol unfurled her lightness technique in one breath and ascended once more to Chil Geom Ryeong, where Young Moon Ho’s Mo Wok stood.
Clang.
The moment I arrived at the Mo Wok, I dropped the barrel of wine and provisions I had been carrying to the ground.
An unbelievable sight unfolded before my eyes.
“Ugh.”
Young Moon Ho gripped the greatsword embedded in his chest with both hands, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth.
And before him stood the Large Built Man, calmly driving the greatsword deeper into his chest.
This was the very same man who had shattered Heuk Pung Chae in a single breath.
“Oh? You are….”
The moment the man caught sight of Bu Eunseol and smiled warmly,
Clang!
Crimson sparks erupted above the man’s head.
Bu Eunseol’s ink-black sword, striking like lightning, collided with the man’s greatsword in mid-air, scattering millions of brilliant sparks.
It was extraordinary.
The man showed no sign of attacking whatsoever, yet he effortlessly blocked Bu Eunseol’s thunderous strike—a blow that descended like lightning itself.
“What a pity. So you were of the Demonic Path after all?”
Scrape.
This simple-looking man not only parried Bu Eunseol’s sudden strike,
but he was casually pushing back her ink-black sword, which channeled fifty percent of her internal power.
From that single exchange alone, his swordsmanship and inner strength proved to be no inferior to Bu Eunseol’s.
“You were concealing such overwhelming killing intent and rage beneath that serene aura.”
As the man murmured softly, as though peering into Bu Eunseol’s very spirit,
Whoooosh!
Hundreds of strands of pitch-black true energy erupted skyward from my body.
Fierce rage and murderous intent.
As these emotions seized my mind, the Serpent’s True Formation naturally unfolded.
“Die.”
Just as the razor-sharp true energy was about to engulf the man’s body,
Thud.
A dull sound echoed against my back.
Young Moon Ho, unable to endure the blood loss any longer, collapsed.
Splash.
Massive quantities of blood poured from his body, his Danzhong point pierced clean through.
“Where are you looking?”
Whoosh!
In that instant, the man’s greatsword curved unnaturally and swept toward Bu Eunseol’s neck.
Zing!
Yet the greatsword froze in mid-air, as though ensnared by invisible black threads.
The Serpent’s True Formation instantly reflected my will, transforming the true energy’s shape.
“Remarkable. To solidify inner power in such a manner.”
The true energy Bu Eunseol unleashed was not only as hard as diamond, but moved with the natural fluidity of a living creature.
“To freely transform such solidified true energy and maintain its form like a solid object… one would need inner power beyond imagination, wouldn’t they?”
The man, gazing at Bu Eunseol with admiration, nodded slowly.
“I need to prevent him from channeling his internal energy first.”
*Crack!*
The man swung his great sword, severing the qi threads woven by the Heavenly Binding Formation, then aimed once more at my throat.
*Boom!*
In that instant, crimson energy surged across my entire body,
*Whoooosh!*
and from my left fist erupted a devastating force that poured forth like Mount Tai itself.
I unleashed the Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara Palm—the ultimate annihilation technique of the Demon Severing Seven Forms, capable of shattering even a palace hall with a single strike.
“Ugh!”
Caught off guard by the tremendous power I unleashed at such close range, the man instinctively raised his great sword in defense.
*Boom!*
Struck by the Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara Palm, the man was sent flying backward more than twenty paces in an instant.
I had no time to watch his figure disappear.
“Young Moon Ho.”
I rushed to the fallen Young Moon Ho and struck the Blood Sealing Point on his chest.
Then, cradling him in my arms, I launched myself skyward using Counter-Flying Palm.
*Whoosh!*
Transformed into a streak of light, I shot past the village and headed straight for Seong Do.
I arrived at the manor where the Guusal Unit’s secret branch was located.
All members of the Guusal Unit execute missions that dance with death itself.
Therefore, skilled physicians always stood ready near the secret branch, and considerable medicinal treasures were kept in stock.
*Crash!*
Upon arriving at the manor, I thrust out a thunderous fist, smashing the gate open.
As a deafening explosion shook heaven and earth, the branch members and branch commander rushed out in shock.
“Y-you are….”
The Guusal Unit members were elite operatives who undertook the most covert and secretive missions.
Moreover, by order of the Guusal Unit’s Lord, my identity had been secretly transferred from the Chong Gyo Ryeong position.
Therefore, they all knew my appearance and features as their commander.
“Lord Commander, what brings you here….”
“The physician….”
As the branch commander approached with clasped hands, I cried out urgently.
“Hurry!”
The Guusal Unit’s Hanam branch was in turmoil from my sudden arrival.
The secret medicinal treasure vault kept in the branch was completely opened, and Hanam’s greatest physician—Yu Cheong Shim, whom one had to beg incessantly even while offering a fortune—was dragged out barefoot to treat the patient.
Yu Cheong Shim’s skill was as renowned as his reputation, and the branch had prepared the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Liquid, a miraculous elixir of resurrection.
Yet Young Moon Ho’s chest had been pierced by the great sword, causing massive blood loss, and his meridians had been violently shattered and severed by the overwhelming internal force.
Even if the Great Immortal himself had arrived instead of Yu Cheong Shim, there was no way to revive him.
“M-my lord….”
Yu Cheong Shim, his face drained of color, gazed at Young Moon Ho, whose breathing grew labored, then bowed his head to me.
Yu Cheong Shim looked at Young Moon Ho, who was breathing heavily with a pale face, then bowed his head to Bu Eunseol.
“I did everything in my power to treat him, but his condition was far too grave….”
Yu Cheong Shim trembled, not daring to lift his gaze.
Bu Eunseol’s eyes had turned completely crimson, and tendrils of black demonic energy shimmered across her entire body.
Having treated countless martial artists throughout his life, he could discern what manner of martial prowess Bu Eunseol possessed.
Her status and position were beyond imagination—he understood this much.
“I… I truly did my utmost.”
At that moment, Young Moon Ho, who lay upon the bed, opened his eyes faintly.
“Bu Eunseol.”
“Young Moon Ho.”
In an instant, Bu Eunseol’s eyes returned to their normal state, and she quickly supported Young Moon Ho’s body.
Then she placed her hand upon his vital point and infused her Anti-Extreme True Energy into him.
All I could do now was inject pure Anti-Extreme True Energy to extend his life even by a moment.
“It’s already over. There’s no need to waste your strength.”
Young Moon Ho tried to push my arm away, but I remained unmoved, continuing to infuse my energy.
As I ceaselessly poured my energy into him, my eyes remained as cold and still as always.
Yet to Young Moon Ho’s gaze, I appeared like a child struggling to hold back tears.
“Everyone knew it. That beneath that cold exterior, you were never truly that way.”
A smile crossed Young Moon Ho’s lips as he recalled those days on Hell Island.
Hell Island was a place the Ten Demon Immortals wished never to remember again, and yet…
It was also a place where bittersweet memories would surface.
A gush of blood.
As Young Moon Ho spat blood from his mouth, my eyes grew even darker.
“It’s fine. I should have died long ago anyway.”
Young Moon Ho forcibly swallowed the blood rising in his throat and spoke with a gentle smile.
“Rather, I’ve been fortunate to live this long….”
Then he shifted his body and slowly lowered my hand, which had been infusing internal energy.
And he smiled with incomparable gentleness and warmth.
“Isn’t that right…?”
Young Moon Ho’s eyes, laughing with childlike clarity, gradually lost their light.
Without the infusion of Anti-Extreme True Energy, his life force slowly extinguished.
“Do not blame yourself.”
Young Moon Ho knew.
That my death would cause Bu Eunseol profound self-recrimination. If she had not come…
She would spend her entire life wondering: what if I had survived?
“Such is the life of a martial artist bearing a sword. The past, the present, and the future…all are stained only with sorrow and misfortune.”
―Why do martial artists deny their past?
―Because the past of all those who bear swords is stained with sorrow and misfortune.
Only then could Bu Eunseol understand the meaning of what Bu Chanyang had once told her.
The lives of those in Gangho—past, present, and future—all require them to walk with the blood of countless others upon their hands.
And such a life is inevitably shrouded in sorrow and misfortune.
Bu Eunseol had lived such a life all along, and would continue to do so in the future.
The blood of countless people stained both her hands.
For that was the life of a martial artist.
Young Moon Ho drew a labored breath, then offered Bu Eunseol a radiant smile.
“Thank you… for finding me. Bu Eunseol.”
As Young Moon Ho spoke his final words, the smile lingering at the corners of his mouth gradually froze.
Thud.
In that same moment, his hand—which had been grasping Bu Eunseol’s—fell limply to the ground.
Young Moon Ho, one of the Ten Demon Immortals of the Saryeong School.
He possessed exceptional talent, yet his heart was far too tender to be a true martial artist.
Having lost his martial prowess and become a gatherer of medicinal herbs, he had finally found peace… only to have his life cut short by the attack of some nameless man.
“Young Moon Ho.”
Bu Eunseol gently grasped the limp hand that had fallen.
With trembling fingers, she closed his eyes.
….
And then, a faint smile bloomed once more at the corners of Young Moon Ho’s mouth.
That smile was so peaceful and tender, as though it illuminated the entire world with its gentle radiance.
But for Bu Eunseol, all light had vanished from her world. Her vision plunged into darkness far blacker and deeper than despair itself.
Rumble, rumble, rumble….
The earth trembled, and black demonic energy surged forth from her body once more.
This was unforgivable.
That man who had playfully thrust his great sword through Young Moon Ho, murdering him.
Even grinding his bones to dust one by one would not quench her rage.
Boom!
With an explosive sound, Bu Eunseol’s body shot skyward.
She became a single streak of black radiance, vanishing into the western sky.
She was returning to Chil Geom Ryeong to pursue that man.
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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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