The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 320

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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 320.
Strange rumors circulated through the Murim Alliance.
―They say the disciple of Geom Joon, who became the lord of the Yo Jin Geom Dae, is actually a bit mentally unstable?
―That’s right. Even when he doesn’t need to use his martial arts, he apparently cuts with brutal excess.
―And he’s said to be extremely selfish too. The subordinates of the Yo Jin Geom Dae nearly lost their martial arts because of him?
As these unfavorable rumors spread one after another, the Murim Alliance found itself in a difficult position.
Cheon Geom in particular was a man who had become a sword lord through special favor from the leadership.
Yet with such damaging rumors emerging, they could not simply ignore the situation.
Baek In Cheong, the Azure Heaven Fan Sword.
He was one of the Seven Great Sword Masters of the Murim Alliance’s highest combat force, holding the position of Divine Position Sect Leader.
Baek In Cheong in particular had a special relationship with Geom Joon, and thus knew well how extraordinary Cheon Geom’s martial prowess truly was.
So when Cheon Geom expressed his intention to join the Murim Alliance, Baek In Cheong promptly appointed him as the lord of the Yo Jin Geom Dae under his command.
―To place such an exceptional successor as Cheon Geom under my authority!
Baek In Cheong had been delighted.
If a martial master as formidable as Cheon Geom entered his ranks, the Divine Position Sword Order would possess unquestionably the greatest combat strength among the Seven Sword Orders.
But the results were far from favorable.
Instead, unfavorable rumors about Cheon Geom spread further, and people began to question the very judgment of the Murim Alliance’s leadership.
Unable to endure it any longer, he summoned Cheon Geom to his office.
Chang Cheon Pavilion, Baek In Cheong’s office.
Before a spacious desk sat a middle-aged man with a refined and composed bearing.
His face was pale and clean, yet his eyes held an authority as sharp as frost.
He was none other than Divine Position Sect Leader Baek In Cheong.
And before him sat a large, powerfully built man with an impassive expression—Cheon Geom, known as the Golden Eye of Precision.
“Recently, unfavorable rumors concerning you have been circulating within the Alliance.”
Baek In Cheong spoke with a stern expression.
“To verify the truth, I personally questioned the members of the Yo Jin Geom Dae.”
He sighed deeply and shook his head.
“The members are guarded in their words, but their attitude makes it clear they do not acknowledge you as their lord.”
Baek In Cheong’s expression grew deeply troubled.
In truth, he had elevated Cheon Geom to the position of sword lord of the Yo Jin Geom Dae despite opposition from several members of the leadership.
Yet now only damaging rumors were spreading, placing him in an increasingly difficult position.
“You came to the Murim Alliance suddenly, spoke of your past circumstances, and expressed your desire to take on even a modest position.”
“….”
“And I, the sect leader, appointed you specifically as lord of the Yo Jin Geom Dae out of respect for Elder Geom Joon, overriding the objections of many leaders and even the members themselves.”
Baek In Cheong spoke again with forceful conviction, seeing no change in Cheon Geom’s expression.
“But if these unfavorable rumors continue to spread like this, I will have no means to intervene.”
Cheon Geom, who had been listening silently, suddenly brought up an unexpected matter.
“The Muhonjung, the successor of the Demon Palace, once employed such methods quite effectively.”
“Hmm?”
“When opposition and discontent from those around him grew severe, he instead silenced them by achieving even greater accomplishments.”
The successor to the Demon Palace, the Muhonjung Lord Bu Eunseol.
His legends were passed down throughout Murim like myths, so Baek In Cheong knew them well.
He was one of the Ten Demon Immortals and boldly ascended to the position of Demon Palace successor, yet found himself embroiled in rumors of wielding excessive power.
Then, suddenly, armed with extraordinary intelligence networks, he annihilated the Ohdok School, which had been kidnapping children.
After that, it was said that all the Demon Palace figures who had placed restrictions on Bu Eunseol’s actions completely vanished.
“Perhaps it would be right for me to step back as things stand. But if that happens, I would fail to repay the kindness the Sect Leader has shown me….”
Cheon Geom spoke with a faint smile.
“Even if I were to leave, shouldn’t I depart after accomplishing great deeds and leaving with honor?”
“That would be ideal, if possible.”
As an affirmative answer came back, Cheon Geom opened his mouth as if he had been waiting for this moment.
“Ultimately, I will deal with Heuk Ji.”
“Heuk Ji?”
Heuk Ji was one of the Four Great Calamities, a vicious evil sect organization that dominated the Black Dragon River region with distinctive martial arts and grand techniques.
To eliminate them would require the mobilization of forces equivalent to the entire Murim Alliance’s front-line strength.
“Surely you don’t mean to go out together with this Sect Leader?”
“How could that be? Of course, I must resolve it myself.”
“But aren’t the injured members currently recuperating?”
“The members are not necessary.”
Cheon Geom spoke with confidence.
“I will handle it alone.”
For a moment, Baek In Cheong fell silent.
He understood well enough how formidable Cheon Geom’s martial prowess was.
But to single-handedly dismantle a massive faction like Heuk Ji was simply impossible.
“Listen here.”
Baek In Cheong sighed and shook his head.
“Simply destroying a sect won’t prevent negative rumors from spreading. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Of course. That’s why I mentioned it would be the final step beforehand.”
Cheon Geom spoke fluently, as if he had already devised the entire plan.
“It so happens that a strange plague has broken out in the Heung San region.”
“A plague?”
“Indeed. Particularly in the Heung San region, there are many elderly people living in poverty and sickness.”
Cheon Geom’s expression turned serious for the first time.
“My master’s Mangsang Ilsik is a sword technique that cannot be executed without profound knowledge of the human body. My skills should surpass those of ordinary physicians.”
“You intend to go to the Heung San region and pose as a physician?”
“That is correct.”
Cheon Geom spoke with confidence.
“Even if I cannot cure them perfectly, if I remain there and provide medical care until the end, those within the Alliance will view me differently.”
Common folk revere martial artists most when they are saved from the hands of villains.
And when medical care is provided to the afflicted.
Seeking treatment from physicians requires enormous expense, and medicine costs are equally steep.
From the perspective of patients, martial artists were nothing short of immortals themselves.
Using their inner energy, they could instantly revive the sick or cleanly cure diseases.
The problem was that those willing to exhaust their precious vital force to heal others were extraordinarily rare.
“That’s not necessarily a bad approach, though.”
Baek In Cheong swallowed bitterly and furrowed his brow.
“Even if we suppress public opinion like that, what will we do about the discontent among our members?”
“Once public opinion improves, the members’ perception will change quickly enough, won’t it?”
“Hmm?”
“They praise someone for doing good deeds, then tear them apart when results aren’t favorable. In the end, people are all the same, aren’t they?”
Cheon Geom spoke with confidence.
“If we simply wait long enough, all the criticism so far will disappear, and we’ll regain our honor.”
Baek In Cheong, who had been listening silently, swallowed his exasperation.
Now he realized that Cheon Geom had no intention whatsoever of addressing his subordinates’ discontent.
‘He intends to climb higher. He has no intention of stepping down from his position.’
As Baek In Cheong turned over Cheon Geom’s words in his mind, he finally understood.
To Cheon Geom, his subordinates’ thoughts meant nothing. He merely wanted to suppress the negative rumors circulating, maintain his position as the Murim Alliance Sword Master, and…
accumulate accomplishments to ascend even further.
‘Master Geom Joon has raised his disciple somewhat poorly.’
Baek In Cheong internally sighed and shook his head.
Geom Joon should have taught him more about the ways of the world, rather than merely transmitting such formidable sword techniques.
Gangho was not a place where one survived simply by being intelligent or excelling in martial arts.
What martial artists unanimously call ‘Gangho experience’——
it refers to the process of enduring countless frustrations and trials, and overcoming them.
But Cheon Geom, who had rapidly advanced his martial prowess through exceptional talent, lacked such experience entirely.
‘He’s still young, after all… it can’t be helped.’
Cheon Geom was still young.
Not all young people could be as capable and clever as that successor of the Demon Palace.
‘If I teach him properly from now on, it should work out.’
Baek In Cheong made an inner resolution.
He would surely guide that talented young man down the righteous path.
But there was a situation he had yet to realize…
Cheon Geom was already deeply ensnared in the trap Bu Eunseol had set, floundering helplessly within it.
* * *
Jamma Pavilion, Conference Hall.
Bu Eunseol, Myo Cheon Woo, and Yu Woon Ryong sat with grave expressions.
“Everything is proceeding as planned.”
Yu Woon Ryong spoke with a forceful voice.
“Word is spreading of a strange plague in the Heung San region, and he’s preparing to tour there to restore his reputation.”
Myo Cheon Woo, arms crossed, wore a subtle smirk.
“Ha, with so many elderly people there, he must be quite delighted.”
Children and the elderly.
These two groups possessed the optimal conditions for overturning the world’s reputation.
Yu Woon Ryong shook his head and continued speaking.
“In the end, there’s no need to concern ourselves with the lower ranks. The idea is to overturn public opinion and appear favorable only to those in power—that solves the problem.”
“Are the preparations complete?”
When Bu Eunseol asked, Myo Cheon Woo let out a low chuckle.
“Already finished and standing by.”
He shrugged his shoulders as he spoke.
“Indeed, old ginger has quite the bite. Just as you said, they’re far from ordinary elderly folk.”
Myo Cheon Woo continued with a faint smile playing at his lips.
“That’s true. To survive to that age, they all must possess some hidden trump card.”
“But how are you so certain that Cheon Geom will head to Heung San, and why did you prepare for this?”
To Yu Woon Ryong’s question, Bu Eunseol answered calmly.
“Because it’s the easiest and most convenient method to overturn public opinion.”
Bu Eunseol gazed out the window, speaking as if to herself.
“Winning people’s hearts requires time and is no simple task.”
Bu Eunseol stared at the distant clouds drifting across the sky, her voice barely a murmur.
“He possesses exceptional martial prowess and is far from foolish, yet this fundamental truth will elude him his entire life.”
Bu Eunseol had anticipated Cheon Geom’s every move.
He would desperately seek to recover his lost honor faster than anyone else.
What if he were someone capable of understanding and considering others’ emotions?
He would have taken time to gradually correct his actions and way of thinking. He would have strived to earn people’s respect and admiration.
But Bu Eunseol knew the truth.
Cheon Geom was not such a man.
He would seek only the fastest and most effective method available to him immediately.
So Bu Eunseol deliberately spread rumors that a strange plague had broken out in the Heung San region.
She then divided a single Jade Restoration Pill—a precious elixir of the Hua Shan Sect—into many pieces and had twenty-five commoners consume them.
The Jade Restoration Pill was among the finest elixirs: when consumed by martial artists, it purified the organs and clarified the vital energy.
But when commoners without cultivation consumed such a potent elixir, its overwhelming medicinal potency caused them to fall inexplicably ill.
Bu Eunseol had spread the plague through the elixir, and Cheon Geom had eagerly snapped up the bait she had laid.
It was too perfect an opportunity to recover his honor.
It was proof that Cheon Geom lacked composure of mind.
He had to torment Bu Eunseol relentlessly. He was desperately clinging to his position as Sword Lord.
“But will it be alright?”
Yu Woon Ryong spoke with a worried expression.
“Even if we drag Cheon Geom down to the depths, his martial prowess is truly formidable.”
“Of course.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with unwavering conviction in her eyes.
“Through this affair, he will inevitably plummet into the abyss.”
And her eyes flickered with a blood-red light as fierce as flames.
“Soon, Young Moon Ho will pay the price for his cruel death.”
* * *
Yang Hyeon Village, in the Heung San region of the Murim Alliance.
This remote mountain hamlet was home to many elderly and infirm.
The cave dwellers’ nature prevented them from forming large settlements, and all able-bodied youth had departed for Seong Do.
Thus, the village consisted mostly of the elderly and herb gatherers who scraped by on meager harvests.
Yet good medicinal herbs grew abundantly here, drawing a steady stream of visitors.
That changed when rumors of a plague began to spread—the village became a ghost town.
A blue streak cut through the air.
Cheon Geom arrived in the Heung San region in a single breath, moving methodically through the scattered dwellings.
Since most residents were elderly living alone, the houses were built sparsely across the landscape.
Moreover, the elderly here possessed faint life signatures and were already afflicted with illness.
Even a master like Cheon Geom found it difficult to sense human presence without approaching closely.
“Hmm.”
After surveying the surroundings, Cheon Geom located a nearby house and entered.
“Is anyone here?”
“Who goes there?”
An elderly man lying in bed groaned softly in response.
“I come from the Murim Alliance. We heard there are sick elderly suffering from a plague.”
Cheon Geom spoke with commanding authority.
“I am Cheon Geom, Lord of the Yo Jin Geom Dae of the Murim Alliance. I have come to treat you.”
“I have no money.”
“There is no need to decline. I have come to treat you without charge.”
“Ah.”
At the word “free,” the old man’s eyes glistened with tears.
“Please, come in.”
“Thank you.”
Cheon Geom entered with a kind smile, pushing open the door.
The room was cramped, with the elderly man lying beneath a rough blanket.
Cheon Geom examined the old man’s condition carefully.
“Fever, perspiration, and coughing. Your tongue is yellowed and dry, your pulse rapid—it appears cold qi has invaded your lungs.”
Martial arts and medicine both stem from studying the human body; they are fundamentally aligned.
Geom Joon’s Ten Thousand Forms, One Eclipse technique pursued the most natural movements a human could execute.
Thus, it was a sword technique impossible to master without deep understanding of human anatomy—his skill was inevitably superior to any ordinary practitioner.
“I shall infuse my qi to accelerate your healing.”
By opening the meridians with internal force, natural recovery would accelerate.
With no medicinal herbs or remedies nearby, infusing qi to promote natural healing was the practical approach.
‘Complete recovery would consume considerable energy.’
Cheon Geom’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Once word spread of his charitable deeds, that would suffice. There was no need to heal them completely.
He deliberately released only a minimal amount of true energy, merely alleviating the symptoms.
“How is it?”
Though only a trickle, Cheon Geom’s pure true energy pierced through dozens of Blood Sealing Points in the old man’s body in a single breath.
Yet the old man lying prone spoke in a low voice.
“All you’ve got is bulk like a mountain.”
Then he suddenly began cursing and muttering.
“You bastard, you’re pathetically stingy. This isn’t treatment. You just came here to show off.”
The moment Cheon Geom sensed something amiss and widened his eyes, pure white smoke billowed up from within the hut.
‘Mountain Qi Dispersal?’
Flash!
A sharp gleam erupted from the smoke, targeting his throat.
Clang!
Cheon Geom’s reaction was equally inexplicable in its speed, blocking the radiant strike in a single motion.
“Who are you?”
Cheon Geom swept his hand and dispersed the mist in one breath, then lifted the old man’s blanket.
But the old man who had been lying there had vanished without a trace.
Though he immediately heightened his supernatural perception, he could detect no vital signs within fifty paces.
“Could it be… him again?”
In that instant, an ominous premonition flashed through Cheon Geom’s mind.
The thought that Bu Eunseol had set a trap to assassinate him.
“But that person was definitely an old man just now?”
No matter how skilled in disguise, one cannot hide the elasticity of skin and organs.
When Cheon Geom had performed palpation, the body had unmistakably been that of an elderly person.
“She knew I would come to Heung San and prepared in advance?”
Cheon Geom clenched his fists, irritation rising.
If Bu Eunseol had anticipated his movements beforehand, then naturally this entire Heung San region would be laden with traps.
“She’s telling me to leave. That I cannot restore my reputation.”
But that was impossible.
He had made bold proclamations to the Divine Position Sect Leader before departing. If he returned empty-handed like this?
There would be no justification left for him to remain in the Murim Alliance.
“Fine. I accept your challenge!”
Cheon Geom wore a serene smile.
“Whatever traps exist, I need only break through them.”
He was confident.
Whether assassins lay in wait or traps had been set.
Even if old men like the one before swarmed him in groups, he could handle them all.
“I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed, but I’m not leaving, Bu Eunseol.”
He snorted coldly, muttering in an icy voice.
“I’ll simply treat people regardless of what traps are laid.”
It would be impossible to disguise all the commoners in this Heung San region as assassins.
Cheon Geom continued his treatment while breaking through the trap.

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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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