The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 333

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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 333.
It was truly shocking information.
All the brutal blood catastrophes that had unfolded throughout Murim history were orchestrated by them?
How could such a thing even be possible?
So Ok Rim, alternating her gaze between Bu Eunseol and Seo Jin Ha, spoke again in a solemn voice.
“Those bastards lurk in the shadows, scheming as though they were gods themselves.”
“What evidence do you have?”
“There’s no need to dig into the distant past for proof. Just look at the current state of Murim.”
She spoke gravely.
“Do you think ordinary forces could instantaneously erase an entire sect or perfectly rebuild a destroyed one? Is that something common powers could accomplish?”
Bu Eunseol found herself nodding unconsciously.
They had colluded with Gwan Bu to cultivate Inhwa, rebuilt destroyed sects in an instant, and used them as puppets.
In short, they possessed the capability to silently annihilate thriving sects or discreetly eliminate them as they pleased.
Such feats alone proved they operated far beyond the scope of ordinary Murim powers.
“I have one curiosity, if I may.”
It was then that Seo Jin Ha spoke.
“Then over four hundred years, only you have perfected Seong Hwang’s martial technique?”
“That’s right.”
So Ok Rim licked her lips as she spoke.
“I learned this martial art through dying and being resurrected countless times. It’s that powerful, but equally difficult to master.”
“Then how exactly do you intend to find the descendants of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars who committed such atrocities?”
The fact that this truth had never been revealed to Murim meant their roots ran extraordinarily deep.
But how could So Ok Rim possibly find them?
“That’s why I sought out Shin San Ja immediately after perfecting my martial art.”
So Ok Rim shrugged casually.
“That old Buddhist monk, known as the Wisest in Murim, would surely understand the situation well.”
“And what did he say?”
As Seo Jin Ha fired off successive questions, So Ok Rim grew irritated and snapped.
“Who are you interrogating? Why are you only asking me questions?”
But Seo Jin Ha replied confidently.
“What you’ve said are far too shocking to accept passively, are they not? I must ask to verify the truth of your claims.”
Seo Jin Ha glanced subtly at Bu Eunseol, winked, and spoke once more with courtesy.
“However, once my questions are finished, you will speak honestly about what you know. I promise you this.”
In truth, Seo Jin Ha was asking on Bu Eunseol’s behalf.
If the blunt-spoken Bu Eunseol interrogated her, she would surely have a fit.
Instead, he had secured a promise from Bu Eunseol to speak honestly with So Ok Rim in return.
“Hmm.”
As she crossed her arms again as if resigned, Seo Jin Ha continued his questioning.
“So, have you found the descendants?”
“Only one location where they’re suspected to be hiding.”
“Why did you only find one?”
“Because I only have one Coin of Gratitude.”
Shin San Ja—known as the greatest sage of Murim and a fortune teller.
For the past thirty years, he would only answer questions if someone brought him one of the Coins of Gratitude he had distributed.
Therefore, if one failed to bring a Coin of Gratitude, even drawing a blade against him would yield no answers.
“So the Coins of Gratitude truly exist.”
Seo Jin Ha had only heard rumors of such things.
“But how did you obtain one?”
So Ok Rim spoke casually.
“Twenty years ago, Shin San Ja wandered through Murim and found all the descendants of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars. He gave each of them one Coin of Gratitude.”
“Shin San Ja did? What on earth for?”
Seo Jin Ha could not comprehend it.
Why would the man known as Murim’s greatest sage have sought out every descendant of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars?
And why would he have given them Coins of Gratitude that granted access to his answers?
“Why would Shin San Ja personally seek out the descendants of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars and give them Coins of Gratitude?”
“I don’t know either.”
As So Ok Rim spoke dismissively, Seo Jin Ha pressed further.
“Very well. Then, where is this place where the descendants of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars are supposedly hidden—the location you discovered through the Coin of Gratitude?”
“That… I cannot tell you.”
“Sae Oe Sect.”
Bu Eunseol, who had been listening quietly, suddenly grasped something and nodded.
“After hearing Shin San Ja’s words, you came to Seo Jang to find the sect harboring the descendants of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars.”
He stroked his chin and nodded faintly.
“He likely didn’t tell you the exact sect name, but rather described certain characteristics. That’s why you deliberately followed us here—to verify them.”
“What nonsense is this?”
So Ok Rim scoffed, and Bu Eunseol replied calmly.
“Didn’t you just say so yourself? That the moment you perfected your martial arts, you sought out Shin San Ja to find the descendants of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars?”
“That’s—”
“You wouldn’t have come all the way to Seo Jang just to meet some destined opponent. If Shin San Ja truly said such a thing, it would have been merely supplementary.”
At Bu Eunseol’s deduction, So Ok Rim let out a dismissive snort.
To infer so many facts from mere words—truly, the reputation of the Lord of Muhonjung that echoes across Tianxia was not undeserved.
“You’re spinning tales out of thin air.”
So Ok Rim thoroughly denied Bu Eunseol’s words and deflected.
Having someone peer into her inner thoughts was something her temperament could not abide.
“Hmm.”
A flash of brilliance gleamed in Bu Eunseol’s eyes as he sank deeper into thought.
“Yunhai Biyeok Palace… Ah, so that’s it.”
“What do you mean?”
When Seo Jin Ha asked, Bu Eunseol gazed at So Ok Rim and lifted the corners of his mouth.
“Shin San Ja likely said this: that sect is located in Sae Oe, and it is a sect surrounded on all sides by ice.”
So Ok Rim’s eyebrows twitched, and Bu Eunseol flashed a bright smile, revealing her white teeth.
“The next place we need to investigate would be Buk Hae Bing Gung.”
“Hey! That’s right! You’re sharp!”
As Bu Eunseol laid bare everything in her mind as if she had read So Ok Rim’s thoughts, he burst out loudly.
“From now on, you answer! I’ve told you everything.”
“Before that, let me ask one thing.”
“What now?”
“Buk Hae Bing Gung is a sect that doesn’t allow outsiders in at all. So how do you plan to investigate that place?”
“Why are you curious about that?”
“Because I need to know that to help you.”
Bu Eunseol held a faint smile.
“If you were only asking why I became Mu Hwang’s successor, I wouldn’t have revealed this much.”
“….”
“From the start of your story, you revealed information about the Eight Emperors and Three Stars without me even asking. Those must be secrets you absolutely cannot share from your position.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with confident eyes.
“That means you’re seeking help to find the descendants of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars, isn’t it?”
“My goodness. Another Shin San Ja has appeared in Murim.”
So Ok Rim’s thick veins bulged on his forehead as he glared down at Bu Eunseol with bloodshot eyes.
“I have decent connections with the Palace Lord and the Main House, so there’s no worry there. What I actually needed help with was the problem after Buk Hae Bing Gung. Satisfied? Are you satisfied?”
And he spoke with a huff.
“Now answer. How did you inherit Mu Hwang’s true legacy?”
“Fine.”
Bu Eunseol nodded and answered without hesitation.
“I happened to encounter Tan Wang and discovered Martial Emperor’s Secret Archive. And….”
After hearing the detailed story, So Ok Rim spoke with suspicious eyes.
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“What doesn’t?”
“If that were true, why would you bother learning Mu Hwang’s martial techniques? To become the leader of Demon Palace, you absolutely cannot learn the core methods of the Orthodox Sects.”
To reach the pinnacle of Demonic Path martial arts, one must never acquire the core methods of the Orthodox Sects.
This is because the probability of the Demonic Path supreme techniques painstakingly cultivated so far regressing is far too high.
“Moreover, you’ve clearly refined them with great dedication over a very long time.”
So Ok Rim had immediately grasped that he had never neglected cultivating the Thirteen Night Techniques.
“I can answer that.”
Seo Jin Ha, having understood the entire situation, shrugged his shoulders.
“His becoming the successor of Demon Palace was merely to operate a powerful intelligence organization. He never had ambition to become the master of Demon Palace in the first place.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“He became the successor of Demon Palace solely to operate a formidable intelligence organization.”
“An intelligence organization?”
“Indeed.”
Seo Jin Ha smiled faintly.
“He has no interest in position or status. He seeks only the information he desires.”
“What information is that?”
“Seo Jin Ha.”
As Bu Eunseol spoke quietly, Seo Jin Ha shrugged his shoulders.
“I cannot reveal more than that. It is a personal matter, after all.”
“Hmm.”
So Ok Rim regarded Bu Eunseol with eyes full of suspicion.
Any martial artist of the Demonic Path would naturally dream of ascending to its pinnacle.
Yet truly, not a trace of ambition or desire could be seen in Bu Eunseol’s gaze.
“Well, fine. Let’s assume it’s all true.”
So Ok Rim spoke while massaging her temples.
“Then from now on, you must help me find the descendants of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars. After all, what I desire from you is the power of an intelligence network.”
“Why should I do that?”
“Why? Because you are the successor of Mu Hwang.”
So Ok Rim had revealed all her hidden secrets to Bu Eunseol because he was the successor of Mu Hwang.
Regardless of others, Mu Hwang was one who dedicated his entire life to the stability of Murim.
His successor, having inherited the essence of such martial mastery, could not possibly be a cunning man, and would surely seek to protect Murim.
“Are you saying I must help you because I am Mu Hwang’s successor?”
“Is that even a question? Mu Hwang was falsely accused because of those bastards and had to abandon Murim of his own accord. Shouldn’t vengeance be sought?”
“I merely happened to acquire his martial knowledge. I cannot be called his true successor.”
“What?”
So Ok Rim’s mouth fell open at this unexpected answer.
The successor of a supreme master is determined by heaven itself.
Yet this heartless, unlucky wretch was Mu Hwang’s successor?
“Damn it! So I’ve revealed everything to you for nothing?”
So Ok Rim, expressing her frustration most vulgarly—that she had disclosed all she knew—bared her gums.
“Or are you planning to hear information worth your life and simply slip away without consequence?”
“….”
“Those bastards are manipulating Murim’s history and creating abominations, you know?”
But Bu Eunseol remained unmoved.
Feeling wronged at having revealed everything thus far, So Ok Rim attempted to persuade Bu Eunseol once more.
“You’ve seen it yourself, haven’t you? Those bastards kidnap children and commit acts that heaven and earth condemn. And they kill and bury people indiscriminately.”
“Hmm.”
Bu Eunseol let out a sigh.
Regardless of other matters, he had no intention of tolerating the kidnapping of orphans for experimentation or transformation into assassins.
However, he must first deal with finding his grandfather’s nemesis. In truth, that alone was an overwhelming burden.
He had no time to expend effort on seeking the hidden forces behind Murim.
“I will help you once.”
“Once?”
“Yes. I will devote my full strength to investigating Buk Hae Bing Gung. I will mobilize every power at my disposal.”
“Didn’t you hear me earlier? That’s unnecessary. I have connections with the Palace Lord, don’t I?”
“If mere connections with the Palace Lord were sufficient, I would have proceeded without concern whether I was the successor to the Demon Palace or the inheritor of Mu Hwang’s legacy.”
Bu Eunseol’s sharp observation drew a deep sigh from So Ok Rim.
“How petty! How utterly petty! For a man to be so small-minded!”
“I have much to accomplish. The Buk Hae Bing Gung is the most powerful sect in Sae Oe, is it not? A single favor would hardly be burdensome.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with measured composure.
“Upon my return to the Demon Palace, I shall mobilize our intelligence network to locate them. As the highest priority.”
“Ah, well…”
So Ok Rim ultimately clenched her teeth, revealing pink gums.
“Oh, thank you ever so much.”
She then hunched her back and thrust out her lips, bowing obsequiously before Bu Eunseol.
“Such boundless grace—I know not how to repay it! Ptui!”
Though she did not actually spit upon the ground, Bu Eunseol’s face twisted in disgust as she waved her hand dismissively.
“Filthy.”
“Oh, is that so? Does the lady not find spitting filthy, yet deem pettiness acceptable?”
Seo Jin Ha nearly burst into laughter at the sight.
Here was someone openly mocking Bu Eunseol, the successor to the Demon Palace, a woman of such glacial and lethal temperament?
‘How could a maiden of a noble house, versed in formidable martial arts, be more frivolous than a bearded bandit?’
Though the Murim was said to harbor countless eccentrics and oddities, he had never even heard in jest of anyone quite like her.
“In any case.”
Seo Jin Ha, barely suppressing his laughter, nodded and spoke.
“If what you say is true, we must first seek out the descendants of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars, who are suspected to be the hidden mastermind.”
So Ok Rim nodded at his words.
“Exactly.”
“Do you have any leads?”
“The Chilji Demonic Sect.”
So Ok Rim, gazing toward the distant sky, spoke words of shocking import.
“Whoever possesses the great blade of the Chilji Demonic Sect, which vanished so mysteriously, is likely the hidden mastermind.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened sharply.
The hilt of the Chilji Demonic Sect’s blade—Yeoro—was in Bu Eunseol’s possession. Yet the descendant of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars possessed its great blade?
“Who spoke of such a thing?”
At Bu Eunseol’s question, So Ok Rim scratched her cheek and replied.
“The old man, Shin San Ja.”
“The Chilji Demonic Sect vanished thirty years ago—he was the deputy master of the Main House, and his fate remains unknown. How could a descendant of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars possibly possess his blade?”
“A master of the Chilji Demonic Sect’s caliber disappearing without trace in an instant—that was surely his own design. If so, he would have hidden that unique weapon in a secret place.”
So Ok Rim spoke without concern.
“If there exists a force that dominates the Murim, might they not have easily discovered that hidden weapon?”
Her reasoning held merit.
Indeed, Bu Eunseol herself had obtained Yeoro, the beloved weapon of the Chilji Demonic Sect, through a similar process.
“How did Shin San Ja come by such information?”
“I don’t know either.”
Unlike So Ok Rim’s leisurely response, Bu Eunseol’s gaze grew increasingly sharp.
“What basis do you have for suspecting that whoever possesses the Chilji Demonic Sect’s weapon might be the leader of this shadow organization?”
“Because the old man Shin San Ja said so.”
Bu Eunseol bit her lip.
Wasn’t every thread of this investigation ultimately leading back to the same refrain: “Because Shin San Ja said so”?
At that moment, Seo Jin Ha, who had been listening thoughtfully, spoke to So Ok Rim.
“Possessing a blade of the Chilji Demonic Sect suggests the leader might be a descendant of Do Huang, the most enigmatic of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars.”
“Well, that’s possible, I suppose.”
Bu Eunseol, her arms crossed as she sank deeper into contemplation, asked again.
“Then where is Shin San Ja?”
“I don’t know. It took me a whole year just to find him, and barely at that.”
So Ok Rim stretched her lips into a thin line as she spoke.
“Actually, Shin San Ja said that my finding him was itself fate. He claimed that even if I possessed the Debt Repayment Jade, I could never have met him if the timing hadn’t aligned.”
Bu Eunseol fell silent.
Eccentrics like Shin San Ja not only avoided appearing in the Murim, but possessed the ability to elude pursuit with ease.
If Shin San Ja had chosen to meet So Ok Rim, it was surely by his own design.
‘Then I have no choice but to either obtain the Debt Repayment Jade or find him myself.’
The fact that Shin San Ja had mentioned the weapon of Chil Ji Ma Do Bu Chanyang.
This meant he possessed knowledge of Bu Chanyang’s movements and secrets that even Bu Eunseol did not know.
If information about the Chilji Demonic Sect became scarce and the trail went cold, then finding Shin San Ja could become a viable path forward.
“Let’s cooperate.”
Bu Eunseol nodded.
“In hunting down this descendant of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars who orchestrates the shadow forces of the martial world.”
“Hmm.”
So Ok Rim observed how Bu Eunseol’s eyes now gleamed with a brilliance entirely different from before, and she nodded in understanding.
“I see. So this is something that truly captures your interest?”
Her intuition was uncanny.
Recognizing that Bu Eunseol’s cooperation had shifted from obligation to genuine necessity, So Ok Rim swiftly adjusted her approach.
“But I have conditions too.”
“Conditions?”
“You’re going to return to the Demon Palace and handle matters there anyway, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“You’ll have many subordinates at the Demon Palace, won’t you?”
“Some.”
So Ok Rim nodded as if she’d expected as much.
“Like you just said, we’re cooperating as partners. That means we should be equals, right?”
“Get to the point.”
“Grant me a position free from interference by your subordinates. That way I can move about the Demon Palace comfortably, can’t I?”
“Hmm.”
Bu Eunseol, lost in deep thought, paused to stroke her chin.
If she wanted to grant So Ok Rim an official position, she would need to make a request to Chong Gyo Ryeong.
“Are you seeking a formal appointment procedure?”
“Formal? It’s only temporary anyway.”
So Ok Rim waved her hand dismissively.
“Let’s not complicate things. Let’s keep it simple.”
Then she spoke in a lower voice.
“Still, since she’s the successor, we can give her at least a temporary position. For example, a temporary martial instructor or something….”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes gleamed as she listened to So Ok Rim’s words.
A martial instructor temporarily invited to strengthen the martial prowess of Sayeong Hall?
No one in the Demon Palace could raise an objection to that.
‘She’s sharper than I thought.’
Though So Ok Rim’s manner of speech and demeanor seemed simple, her mind was far from dull.
Her seemingly straightforward and impulsive attitude was clearly a deliberate disguise.
Which meant…
Perhaps even the exchange just now was an intentional result orchestrated to her advantage.
‘It doesn’t matter.’
Whether So Ok Rim was clever or harbored hidden schemes made no difference to Bu Eunseol.
She would simply extract whatever information she could gain by helping her, and that would suffice.
“Very well. Let’s proceed that way.”
As Bu Eunseol nodded, So Ok Rim smiled and spoke.
“Excellent.”
And she broke into a wide grin, flashing her white teeth.
“I’m counting on you from now on.”

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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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