The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 318

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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 318.
Yong Mu Gang drew a deep breath and asked.
“How did you find me?”
An ordinary person would have asked “who are you?”
But what mattered to him was how they had pursued him.
Until now, even seasoned assassins had failed to track his movements.
He was deeply curious how such a young figure had discovered this place.
“You seem curious.”
“I am.”
“Resolving this curiosity will ensure such incidents never repeat.”
When the man struck precisely at the heart of the matter, Yong Mu Gang forced a smile.
“That can’t be.”
“Let me explain.”
The man, who had been gazing out the window, finally opened his mouth.
“Every location where assassinations occurred fell within Jangyeol Bang’s sphere of influence.”
“”
“Of course, no one in Murim would pay attention to Jangyeol Bang’s territory.”
The man’s lips curved upward as he spoke.
“It’s a faction that only the disabled can join, and it had no connection whatsoever with Chaehwa Dae Do, who possesses divine techniques that shake Murim.”
“You couldn’t have found me with just that.”
At Yong Mu Gang’s question, the man smiled broadly.
“Your disability wasn’t exposed, was it?”
In that instant, Yong Mu Gang’s eyes widened.
Until now, not a single soul in the world knew his legs were disabled.
“No one would have suspected that Chaehwa Dae Do, who possesses such remarkable divine techniques, would have disabled legs.”
“”
“You must have practiced relentlessly to use the prosthetic leg embedded below your ankle so naturally. And…”
The man’s gaze became sharp as a blade.
“To evade pursuit, you killed your master, Dok Haeng Do, the only one who knew this secret.”
Thud.
Yong Mu Gang’s eyes widened as if struck on the back of his head.
It was the deepest secret buried in his heart.
Murdering one’s master was equivalent to murdering one’s parents.
Even for someone as reckless as Chaehwa Dae Do, if such a fact were revealed, he would receive no one’s aid and would have to live in isolation.
‘How could this man possibly know such a thing?’
Yong Mu Gang was so shocked he could barely breathe.
Yet, suppressing his racing heart, he asked calmly.
“How did you discover that fact?”
“Unique traces of someone using a prosthetic leg were always left at every scene where you committed your crimes.”
As the man pursued Yong Mu Gang, he had determined that his left leg was disabled.
In an instant, I grasped that the escape route that had vanished so suddenly was connected to Jangyeol Bang.
“Remarkable. That someone else would know the unique traces left by my prosthetic leg—traces even I myself am unaware of.”
Yong Mu Gang spoke, swallowing his astonishment.
“In all these years, not a single person has ever discovered that I am Jangyeol Bang Do.”
Yong Mu Gang drew out his words as long as possible.
He needed to prolong the conversation, to seize any opportunity to escape.
“The way you’ve meticulously investigated even the traces of the prosthetic leg tells me you’re no martial artist. Did you come from the Constabulary?”
The man gazed out the window instead of answering.
By the way his eyes fixed upon the moonlight, it seemed he was waiting for something.
Seizing his chance, Yong Mu Gang swiftly pressed a mechanism on the floor.
With a metallic click, poisoned projectiles erupted rapidly from the wall.
Boom!
In the same instant, he kicked through the door and burst outside.
But—
Yet as Yong Mu Gang attempted to unleash his movement technique, he suddenly felt his neck being torn asunder.
“Aaaagh!”
The man who had been standing in the room was now gripping the back of his neck.
A commotion erupted.
At the sound of the disturbance, everyone at Nong Ga Hong rushed outside.
Among them was Song Ok Bang, the matriarch known as the Great Mother of Jangyeol Bang.
“Who are you?”
Song Ok Bang glared at the man holding Yong Mu Gang’s throat and spoke.
“Do you truly know this is Jangyeol Bang’s headquarters and still commit such an act?”
“How amusing.”
The man let out a cold laugh and spoke.
“Do you even know who this man is before you harbored him?”
“It matters not. It is the principle of our organization that any disciple who requests sanctuary shall receive it without question.”
“That principle will need to change.”
A crimson light flickered in the man’s eyes.
“Otherwise, from this day forward, every branch of Jangyeol Bang, including this one, will be erased.”
Song Ok Bang fell silent.
Having lived sixty years through turbulence and hardship, she possessed the audacity to laugh even with a blade at her throat.
But as her gaze met his, an inexplicable dread bloomed within her.
A sound of wheels grinding.
Then two carriages bearing the insignia of the Kang Sang Pyo Guk rolled into the courtyard of Nong Ga Hong, and people began to descend.
The carriages bore flags inscribed with the character for “Steel.”
These were the carriages of the Kang Sang Pyo Guk, which had established itself near Nong Ga Hong.
At this unexpected turn of events, Song Ok Bang’s eyes widened.
Why would the Merchant Guild’s carriages enter the inner sanctum of Jangyeol Bang?
Song Ok Bang watched the middle-aged man descend from the carriage, her eyes blinking rapidly.
He was Jang Il Do, the leader of the Kang Sang Pyo Guk.
“Why has the Merchant Guild leader come to this place?”
Since Jangyeol Bang and Kang Sang Pyo Guk were situated in the same region, the two men were quite familiar with each other.
“I heard there was a package worth ten thousand taels here at Nong Ga Hong.”
At Jang Il Do’s words, Song Ok Bang tilted her head in confusion.
“A package in our organization?”
“Indeed. I already received five thousand taels as a deposit this afternoon.”
Around noon, a mysterious man had arrived at Kang Sang Pyo Guk.
And along with five thousand taels as a deposit, around the hour of the Rooster, he had signed a contract to move an item from Nong Ga Hong to the Ami Sect.
The distance to the Ami Sect was merely a hundred li.
Yet to offer such a substantial sum of five thousand taels as a deposit so readily? In these times when work was scarce, it was a commission one simply could not refuse.
“You’ve arrived.”
At that moment, the man restraining Yong Mu Gang spoke.
“This is the package.”
A whisper of steel.
The sword affixed to his back—Han Sung—was drawn. In that same instant, Yong Mu Gang’s head separated from his body.
Blood sprayed outward in torrents.
The man tossed the severed head to Jang Il Do without ceremony.
“Deliver this head to the Ami Sect. You will then receive another five thousand taels.”
In thirty years of merchant work, Jang Il Do had never been so bewildered.
To sever and transport the head of a Jangyeol Bang member within Jangyeol Bang itself?
The martial prowess of Jangyeol Bang members was unremarkable, but their relentless and brutal nature toward enemies rivaled even the Dang Family.
Song Ok Bang glared at the man and spoke.
“Do you understand what it means to kill a member of this organization within our own walls?”
Every organization had its codes, and to abandon them was to lose existence and dignity.
The martial sects guarded what were known as their iron laws with their very lives.
This was because once the iron laws crumbled, the sect’s dignity crumbled with them.
Jangyeol Bang had but one code.
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
No matter how weak the crippled gathered here, the number of Jangyeol Bang members scattered across Zhong Yuan was beyond counting.
Those who harmed our members stake their lives on vengeance. This is why Jangyeol Bang became a sanctuary for the disabled.
“Our organization exists across all eighteen thousand li of Zhong Yuan. Even if you are of royal or noble blood, you will surely pay the price for this deed.”
“Very well.”
The man answered calmly, and Song Ok Bang cried out.
“Reveal your identity! Otherwise….”
“Bu Eunseol.”
The man, Bu Eunseol, looked down at Song Ok Bang and spoke with solemnity.
“A disciple of the Nangya Sect. Bu Eunseol.”
In that instant, her eyes became mismatched.
In an instant, her pupils became mismatched.
“The… successor of Demon Hall?”
Song Ok Bang was deeply shaken.
The orthodox successor of Nangya Sect and the successor of Demon Hall, the Lord of Muhonjung Bu Eunseol.
Even if one could kill the blood of kings and generals…
One could not lay a hand on the next ruler who would command a million followers of the Demonic Path.
“From now on, choose your clients more carefully.”
Bu Eunseol spoke coldly.
“If you receive another Murim criminal like Yong Mu Gang, then the name Jangyeol Bang will cease to exist in Murim.”
At that, not only Song Ok Bang but also Jang Il Do, who had been looking down at the head, widened his eyes.
“This man is Yong Mu Gang of the Chaehwa Great Sword?”
“Indeed.”
Bu Eunseol gazed at the distant sky and spoke matter-of-factly.
“This man has long evaded pursuit through the dual identity of Jangyeol Bang disciple. The martial sects simply did not know.”
Song Ok Bang trembled.
She realized that Bu Eunseol’s words were not a threat.
What if they had known Yong Mu Gang’s true identity and kept it hidden?
Regardless of what Demon Hall would do, this young successor of Demon Hall would have certainly dismantled Jangyeol Bang entirely.
A sharp sound pierced the air.
Then, from the distant sky came the sound of splitting air, and dozens of martial artists in white robes entered Nong Ga Hong.
―Stop!
With a thunderous command, those surrounding the area were none other than Cheon Geom and the Yo Jin Geom Dae.
“Who are you?”
Cheon Geom’s eyes widened upon seeing Bu Eunseol.
He had searched through the eighteen thousand li of Zhong Yuan like sifting through sand to capture Yong Mu Gang. And finally, he had caught the trail at Jangyeol Sect, but…
Bu Eunseol was intercepting him again?
A faint smile crossed her lips.
Bu Eunseol gave Cheon Geom a cold smile.
And as she turned to leave,
“Everything I manage to accomplish, you obstruct at every turn?”
Cheon Geom scoffed and spoke.
“You make an effort, I’ll grant you that, but can you truly stop my ascent with such tricks?”
“Obstruct?”
Bu Eunseol smiled faintly and spoke.
“It seems you call the act of capturing a Murim criminal an obstruction.”
“Since when has Demon Hall captured Murim criminals?”
Cheon Geom raised the corners of his mouth and spoke.
“Moreover, Yong Mu Gang was an enemy that our Alliance has been actively pursuing. Why do you involve yourself?”
Bu Eunseol wore a cold sneer.
“What does it matter whether Demonic Path or Righteous Path captures those who commit evil deeds?”
Then Jang Il Do, the Merchant Guild Master who had placed the head in a box, bowed respectfully toward Bu Eunseol.
“W-well then, we shall deliver this to the Ami Sect.”
Cheon Geom, watching the scene unfold, bit his lip.
‘She did that on purpose.’
If Bu Eunseol had the Merchant Guild deliver the head, she would have caught Yong Mu Gang’s tail long ago.
But Bu Eunseol had deliberately waited for him to arrive, then captured him at precisely that moment.
“Ah, she used her head well.”
Cheon Geom laughed with a carefree expression, spinning around.
“When spreading word of such matters through Murim, using the Merchant Guild spreads rumors the fastest. Isn’t that right?”
“I suppose.”
At those words, Bu Eunseol smiled as if she had grasped something profound.
“Then when I send your head to Geom Joon, I should use the Merchant Guild as well.”
“Hehehehe. Hahahaha!”
Cheon Geom chuckled and nodded his head.
“I do so love your madness…”
But Bu Eunseol, ignoring his words entirely, launched herself into the air and departed.
‘That woman!’
As Bu Eunseol left without acknowledging him, sparks flew from Cheon Geom’s eyes.
Crunch!
At the same moment, Yong Mu Gang’s corpse was crushed to pulp.
Using his formidable inner energy, he obliterated the body in a single breath.
“So this is what it means to hold the advantage in an information war.”
Cheon Geom, who had worn a blank expression moments before, now smiled wickedly and nodded.
“Then from now on, I shall utilize this as well.”
A brilliant madness gleamed in his eyes.
Bu Eunseol had merely grasped his movements first and struck preemptively.
Then Cheon Geom could do the same—obstruct her every step by anticipating her actions.
“The situation shall reverse from now on.”
The Murim Alliance would certainly be scrutinizing the successor to the Demon Hall’s every move.
“You can look forward to it, Bu Eunseol.”
Cheon Geom bared his white teeth in a grin.
And from now on, he would return the same methods she had used against him.
* * *
The Jamma Pavilion Conference Hall.
There, Bu Eunseol, Yu Woon Ryong, and Myo Cheon Woo sat with their heads together.
“He took the bait.”
Yu Woon Ryong spoke.
“That madman isn’t focused on gathering merit through information—he’s pouring all his effort into uncovering your future movements instead. It would be far faster that way.”
“I thought he was just a lunatic, but he’s quite clever.”
Myo Cheon Woo laughed, and Yu Woon Ryong shook his head.
“He is no mere madman. Aside from lacking empathy for others’ emotions… his martial prowess and intellect are both flawless.”
“Hmph. Even so, it’s all within the Buddha’s palm.”
Myo Cheon Woo spoke while gazing at Bu Eunseol.
“So what will you do now? Everything unfolded as you predicted.”
Bu Eunseol deliberately intercepted Cheon Geom’s credit to provoke him.
And she had orchestrated this knowing that Cheon Geom would seek out her movements and attempt to obstruct her.
“I’m heading to Baek Mang Pung.”
“Baek Mang Pung?”
Myo Cheon Woo tilted his head in confusion.
Baek Mang Pung was a coalition of bandit gangs that dominated the regions around Yeon Won and Liang Shan in Sichuan.
What made them peculiar was that rather than plundering, they collected taxes from mountain villages under the guise of protection fees.
As the initially light levies grew progressively heavier, the villagers were said to be starving to death.
However, because Baek Mang Pung’s military strength was formidable and penetrating the remote high mountains of Sichuan would be necessary, there was no means to restrain them.
The very journey of leading a massive force to that place was a grueling and harsh undertaking.
“You’re going there in this bitter cold? And besides, isn’t Baek Mang Pung much closer to the Murim Alliance’s territory?”
Myo Cheon Woo, who had been listening, crossed his arms.
“Couldn’t you really lose the initiative that way?”
Then Bu Eunseol shook her head.
“It doesn’t matter. The objective isn’t Baek Mang Pung.”
At that, Yu Woon Ryong, who had been studying the map intently,’s eyes brightened.
“Wait, if it’s where Baek Mang Pung is located….”
After pondering something for a long while, he opened his mouth.
I knew Bu Eunseol possessed exceptional strategic acumen, but I never could have imagined she would construct traps by exploiting human psychology as her blind spot in this manner.
“You’re planning to exploit the situation there.”
“Exactly. Baek Mang Pung is merely bait.”
“You’re truly terrifying.”
Yu Woon Ryong shook his head as he spoke.
“Of course, this won’t be the end of the plan.”
“Of course not.”
Destroying a person’s reputation and honor is no simple matter.
Bu Eunseol intended to continuously layer schemes upon schemes to drag Cheon Geom into the abyss.
“This is merely the beginning.”
A crimson gleam flickered in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
“Before long, the Murim Alliance will voluntarily expel that madman.”
* * *
A wind that pierced to the bone was blowing.
The journey to Baek Mang Pung, which required endless climbing up sheer mountain paths, was truly an ordeal.
Bu Eunseol walked the endless high mountain road with the members of Sayoung Battle Division.
Yet something felt strange.
Considering Baek Mang Pung’s military strength, two divisions would have sufficed.
But Bu Eunseol had brought all five divisions of Sayoung Battle Division.
They were even carrying an enormous amount of supplies, as if preparing for a prolonged campaign.
How far had they climbed?
Ahead on the mountain path, dozens of masters clad in white robes were ascending.
They were Cheon Geom and the sword disciples of the Murim Alliance he commanded.
“Hahaha! So even you can’t help yourself this time!”
Cheon Geom, standing at the front, spotted Bu Eunseol’s contingent and deliberately descended to her position using lightness technique.
“What will you do? We’ve already claimed the lead.”
There was only one path upward, and the Murim Alliance’s sword disciples were ascending it first.
Unless Bu Eunseol and the Sayoung Battle Division engaged them in combat and defeated them, there was no way to surpass them.
“What a predicament—to come this far only to lose the advantage.”
Cheon Geom looked down at Bu Eunseol and spoke with playful mockery.
“Well, you’re welcome to attack right now if you wish.”
A chilling madness gleamed in Cheon Geom’s eyes as he grinned wickedly.
“If a righteous-versus-demonic battle breaks out here, that would be quite entertaining.”
“….”
Bu Eunseol said nothing and simply continued walking.
Cheon Geom then snorted dismissively and spoke.
“Playing it cool, are you? But inside, a thousand flames must be burning.”
He then deployed his lightness technique again, returning to his formation and shouting loudly.
“Those treacherous Demon Hall dogs might try to overtake us, so stay vigilant!”
Regardless of their antics, Bu Eunseol climbed the mountain path with unwavering composure.
Finally reaching the midpoint, a village came into view along with an open ground.
“Catch us if you can!”
As the village appeared and the path widened, Cheon Geom teasingly led the Yo Jin Geom Dae disciples into lightness technique.
“….”
Bu Eunseol made no effort to pursue them. Instead, I surveyed the village landscape.
The interior was devastated.
Most of the buildings had collapsed from landslides, and the people looked on the verge of starvation.
A bandit raid would have been far less destructive to witness.
“Listen, everyone.”
Bu Eunseol issued her command.
“From now on, repair the collapsed houses and distribute the provisions we brought appropriately.”
―Yes!
Martial artists trained in the martial arts could lift massive logs as easily as chopsticks.
Tap, tap, tap.
The disciples led by Wi Cheon Gyeong swiftly ascended the roofs and repaired the damaged sections,
“Please form a line! We will distribute food!”
Won Se Moon and his subordinates, laden with provisions, were distributing food to the villagers.
Jo Nam Cheon and others were personally distributing provisions to those with mobility issues.
“It appears it will take approximately four days to fully repair the village.”
Wi Cheon Gyeong approached and spoke, and Bu Eunseol nodded in acknowledgment.
“Restore it perfectly, even if it takes time.”
Bu Eunseol was well aware that the villages throughout the Yeom Won Region had suffered severe damage from the landslide.
And Cheon Geom, whose eyes had rolled back in his obsession to claim credit, would think only of surpassing her.
He would never spare a glance for the village’s plight.
‘No, even if he had the leisure, he wouldn’t do it.’
Cheon Geom was incapable of empathizing with others’ suffering or emotions by nature.
The sight of villagers in distress would never register in his perception.
“Martial Masters, why do you aid us when you have your own path to follow?”
The Village Chief stepped forward and spoke with a trembling voice.
“Shouldn’t you be racing ahead of them?”
The Village Chief had been watching the entire time as Bu Eunseol’s group and Cheon Geom’s group competed to ascend Baek Mang Pung.
Yet Bu Eunseol and her subordinates had stopped their advance and were now restoring the village instead?
“Eliminating Baek Mang Pung was always meant to protect the common people.”
Bu Eunseol spoke matter-of-factly.
“What meaning would there be in destroying Baek Mang Pung if people are dying in the meantime?”
“Ah…”
The Village Chief wiped away tears, his face filled with emotion.
Martial artists claimed to protect the common people by eliminating those who preyed upon them, but in truth, most sought only to expand their own influence.
Yet these warriors before him had truly come to protect the common people.
“Thank you. Thank you so very much.”
The Village Chief grasped Bu Eunseol’s hand, suppressing his overwhelming gratitude as he bowed repeatedly.

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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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