The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 360

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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 360.
“Hmm.”
Wi Ji Moo Ah, who had been standing Bu Eunseol upright and savoring the lingering essence of the tea for some time, opened his eyes.
The moment their gazes met, hundreds of thoughts flooded through Bu Eunseol’s mind.
It was not an intentional assault on her spirit, but rather because Wi Ji Moo Ah’s eyes maintained a state of perfect emptiness.
Hyun Ma.
The First Sword of the Demonic Path, wielding the most mysterious and profound power among the Samma.
Remarkably, he possessed the appearance of a middle-aged man, yet so youthful.
“Hye Sang, that fellow spoke such high praise of you. Indeed….”
Wi Ji Moo Ah swept his gaze across Bu Eunseol with mysteriously glimmering eyes.
“Ak must have been overjoyed. A successor capable of inheriting the power of Pure Enlightenment Divine Form and Illusory Transformation has finally appeared.”
Upon hearing those words, Bu Eunseol felt an extraordinary sensation.
An intuition that Nangya Pavilion Master Ak Moo Ryung and Hwawoo Sword Sect Master Wi Ji Moo Ah had clashed multiple times, with victories split equally between them.
“Your appearance is as divine as a celestial dragon, and women would line up for you. You are truly a dragon among men.”
At Wi Ji Moo Ah’s generous praise, cast forth once more, Bu Eunseol finally regained her composure and clasped her hands together.
“Bu Eunseol, disciple of Nangya Pavilion, pays respects to the Sect Master.”
Originally, Bu Eunseol had intended to invoke her status as the Muhonjung Master.
She had never harbored any intention of bowing to anyone.
Yet upon witnessing Wi Ji Moo Ah’s unassuming demeanor, reverence naturally arose within her heart.
“Good. How do you find life at the Demon Palace?”
“Thanks to the kindness of those around me, I manage to get by without difficulty.”
“Hehehehe. The fact that you speak of Demon Palace life so favorably suggests you do not appreciate tea.”
Wi Ji Moo Ah treated Bu Eunseol with the familiarity of a close friend he had made in the Gangho.
“The only fellow there who truly appreciates tea is that ruddy-faced old man. The rest merely drink mediocre Longjing and other such brews without much discernment.”
Bu Eunseol found Wi Ji Moo Ah’s tone so light and casual that….
She only realized much later that “that ruddy-faced old man” referred to Blood Demon Jeok Bung.
“Wait there for a moment. I shall prepare a cup of tea that will truly open your eyes.”
Without waiting for a response, he turned and began brewing the tea water.
Bu Eunseol had never once witnessed someone brew tea water with their own hands.
“Do you know? The process of making tea is much like cultivating martial prowess.”
Wi Ji Moo Ah spoke in a calm voice as his hands moved continuously.
“From the moment you roast the tea leaves picked from the field, extraordinary concentration is required. You must properly cure the leaves while maintaining the temperature so they do not burn.”
And without being asked, he spoke as if singing, humming his words.
“You must delicately control the intensity of the flame, maintaining the precise temperature suited to each moment of the leaves. The higher the heat, the more arduous this work becomes.”
Click.
Wi Ji Moo Ah turned and spoke again.
“The roasted leaves must be spread out to even the moisture and shape the tea properly. Typically, this process is repeated eight or nine times, after which you roast the tea once more to deepen its fragrance.”
Wi Ji Moo Ah offered Bu Eunseol a small tea cup with a gentle smile.
“Only through such arduous repetition does truly proper tea finally emerge.”
Bu Eunseol nodded in acknowledgment.
Wi Ji Moo Ah explained the process of roasting tea leaves, but in truth, he was expounding upon the principles of martial arts.
It bore a striking resemblance to Bu Eunseol’s approach—cultivating her martial prowess even while eating rice or sleeping.
“Come now, take a sip.”
Bu Eunseol did not decline and lifted the teacup to her lips.
“…!”
A peculiar flavor.
Just as a fresh, grassy note seemed to emerge, a rich, smoky aroma caressed the tip of her nose.
“How does it taste?”
Wi Ji Moo Ah observed Bu Eunseol from the moment she sipped the tea to the very end, his eyes gleaming with intensity.
It was no different from how the supreme masters of Murim enjoyed serving tea and relished receiving critiques.
“I am not well-versed in the appreciation of tea.”
Bu Eunseol spoke honestly.
“I have never truly savored tea before.”
“That would be expected.”
Wi Ji Moo Ah gazed into Bu Eunseol’s eyes with a tense expression.
“Yet surely everyone possesses their own palate? I would be delighted if you could offer your impressions as they come to mind.”
Bu Eunseol, who had been contemplating while gazing down at the teacup, spoke in a low voice.
“It carries both a fresh and a rich, mature aroma simultaneously.”
At this, Wi Ji Moo Ah’s eyes brightened, and he spoke softly.
“Rather abstract, I’m afraid. If you would, could you elaborate a bit more?”
In truth, while the flavor was distinctive, it held no particular appeal for Bu Eunseol.
Yet when Hyun Ma, supreme master of all under heaven, leaned in with such earnest inquiry, she had no choice but to explain in greater detail.
“If I must express it more precisely… it is like the fragrance of a maiden steeped in purity and a courtesan lost in drunken reverie dancing together in perfect harmony.”
“A pure maiden and a courtesan lost in drunken reverie dancing together in harmony.”
Wi Ji Moo Ah suddenly burst into hearty laughter.
“Hahahaha.”
After laughing for some time, he gazed at Bu Eunseol and nodded.
“You do not enjoy tea at all—in fact, you rather dislike it, do you not?”
“To speak truthfully, yes.”
“Yet it is fresh. Remarkably fresh in its expression.”
Wi Ji Moo Ah spoke with a smile playing at his lips.
“In my seventy years of appreciating tea, I have never heard such a witty and spirited description.”
Wi Ji Moo Ah was a master who had attained profound understanding of tea.
He would surely know countless expressions regarding tea fragrance.
Perhaps it was precisely because Bu Eunseol lacked such knowledge that her description felt remarkably fresh to him.
“These tea leaves are ones I have personally cultivated and harvested from beginning to end.”
The Hwawoo Sword Sect Master, strangely enough, referred to himself not as sect master, but as “old man.”
“Therefore, within these leaves are contained both my martial prowess and my spirit.”
Wi Ji Moo Ah spoke with a calm smile.
“Would you care to take another sip?”
How strange.
The moment I heard that martial prowess and spiritual essence were embedded within the tea leaves, the fragrance lingering in my mouth transformed entirely.
Sip.
Bu Eunseol drank the tea once more.
The liquid seemed to lacerate my tongue like a blade, yet suddenly it enveloped the wound with a gentle caress.
With a single utterance, he had seized complete dominion over both my spiritual essence and physical sensation.
‘This is Hyun Ma’s Wuji Scripture.’
As I swallowed the tea, a singular truth crystallized within me.
Wi Ji Moo Ah was purer than anyone else, yet precisely because of that purity, he was terrifying beyond measure.
Even when compared to Ak Moo Ryung, who could clash directly with Ma Cheon Je in isolation, his martial mastery showed no inferiority whatsoever.
‘Gak Ju’s illusory phantasm struck only at the spiritual essence directly.’
Yet Wi Ji Moo Ah, with merely a single phrase, had naturally seized control not only of Bu Eunseol’s spiritual essence but also her physical body.
‘Is he truly a step above Gak Ju, who can clash with Ma Cheon Je?’
How strange.
The world ranked the Three Demons in order: Human Demon, Hyun Ma, and Blood Demon.
Yet now, before my eyes, Hyun Ma’s martial prowess appeared overwhelmingly formidable—incomparably so.
‘If the world’s evaluation were mistaken, no one else would tolerate it, but the Nangya Pavilion Master certainly would not.’
The competitive spirit of the Nangya Pavilion Master in pursuit of martial perfection was unmatched by any.
Had he believed his own strength inferior to Hyun Ma’s?
He would have fought Hyun Ma to the death, concealing the disparity rather than facing Ma Cheon Je.
‘Which means….’
Bu Eunseol was seized by a terrifying conjecture.
What if he possessed not merely the ability to seize control of others’ spiritual essence and physical form, but rather perfect mastery over his own spiritual essence and body itself?
If that were true, then Wi Ji Moo Ah before me would grow infinitely stronger with each breath he drew.
For he would be able to command his own spiritual essence and physical body with absolute freedom, hour by hour.
“You sent me such a gift.”
Clang.
At that moment, Wi Ji Moo Ah placed a short blade upon the table.
The blade was identical to a short sword, yet the hilt was elongated like that of a great sword.
It was none other than Yeoro, the beloved blade of Chil Ji Ma Do Bu Chanyang.
“Now let me hear your account.”
A flash of brilliance ignited within Wi Ji Moo Ah’s eyes.
“Speak.”
Those four words carried countless implications.
And Bu Eunseol could intuitively grasp two additional truths.
Should I fail to offer a satisfactory account, Wi Ji Moo Ah would shed his pure visage and reveal the countenance of the Great Demon.
And the position of successor to the Demon Hall would offer him no shield whatsoever.
“The Demon Hall Master yet lives.”
In that instant, a chill emanated from Wi Ji Moo Ah’s eyes.
The air within congealed into frost, as though the space had transformed into an ice age in a heartbeat.
“He’s alive?”
“Yes, sir.”
“How amusing.”
Wi Ji Moo Ah continued smiling gently, yet his eyes flickered with what seemed like endless blue lightning crackling within them.
The sheer pressure was suffocating.
Bu Eunseol had torn through Wi Ji Moo Ah’s gentle facade with a single statement.
“If he were alive, it would indeed be a great revival for the Demonic Path.”
Wi Ji Moo Ah shook his head while laughing.
“That’s impossible, isn’t it?”
“How strange. Why would it be undesirable for Chil Ji Ma Do to be alive?”
In that instant, Wi Ji Moo Ah’s gaze shifted into something peculiar.
“Setting aside the fact that he vanished and disappeared for thirty years—isn’t this blade a forgery?”
His piercing eyes swept across Bu Eunseol’s pupils.
“Surely you don’t think I don’t know his weapons?”
“Of course, I have other evidence as well.”
“Then show me.”
“There is a condition.”
“A condition?”
Bu Eunseol spoke calmly.
“Release the restriction on Cheon Woon Gwang’s confinement.”
“Cheon Woon Gwang?”
“I hear he faces harsh wall-facing punishment merely for transmitting the Thousand Thunder Unmatched to me.”
Bu Eunseol spoke in a low voice.
“If you lift Cheon’s confinement and allow me to meet him, I will show you proof that my father is alive.”
Wi Ji Moo Ah’s eyes deepened.
Cheon Woon Gwang was merely a pretext. Now he understood the true reason Bu Eunseol had sought him out.
Rumors of Bu Eunseol pursuing Chil Ji Ma Do’s whereabouts had already spread rampantly throughout the Ten Demonic Gates.
And the Hwawoo Sword Sect had attempted to see through Bu Eunseol’s true intentions under the guise of his seventieth birthday celebration.
Wi Ji Moo Ah knew this, yet he had let it be.
He was curious why Bu Eunseol pursued Chil Ji Ma Do’s whereabouts, and what plans she harbored.
He had even been prepared to strike her down if circumstances demanded it.
Yet Bu Eunseol displayed an unexpected move—she had suddenly produced the blade of Chil Ji Ma Do, who had vanished long ago.
In doing so, both Wi Hyuk Gyun’s plan and Wi Ji Moo Ah’s own scheme crumbled entirely.
“So this was merely a toy to summon me.”
Ting.
As Wi Ji Moo Ah glanced at it, a clear sound resonated from the fake blade on the table.
“Whether this is genuine or false matters not—only I can handle such matters.”
“Precisely. This was merely an object to summon the Sect Leader.”
“You are reckless.”
There was a hint of praise in Wi Ji Moo Ah’s words.
Bu Eunseol spoke frankly.
“Would it not be beneficial to establish a good relationship with the Sect Leader through this opportunity?”
If Wi Ji Moo Ah were to lift Cheon Woon Gwang’s punishment at Bu Eunseol’s request?
Then the world would come to know that Hwawoo Sword Sect and Bu Eunseol shared considerable intimacy.
Hwawoo Sword Sect was the foremost of the Demonic Path.
Bu Eunseol’s scheme was to forge a connection with Wi Ji Moo Ah through this opportunity and thereby secure the backing of Hwawoo Sword Sect.
“Let me be candid with you.”
Wi Ji Moo Ah spoke calmly as he sipped his tea.
“I harbor little interest in the affairs of this sect, nor in the political currents of Murim.”
And gazing not at Bu Eunseol but into empty space, he continued.
“Those who view you unfavorably are not I, but the disciples of this sect.”
“….”
“So long as you do not drive this sect into a corner, I shall take no proactive measures against you. Do you comprehend my meaning?”
―A fledgling like you holds no interest to me, regardless of what you do.
This was what Wi Ji Moo Ah was conveying.
He harbored no concern for Bu Eunseol—not for Chilji Demonic Sect, but for her alone—and even should she cultivate a bond with him, Hwawoo Sword Sect’s stance would remain unchanged.
He had drawn a clear line.
“How reassuring that is.”
Despite receiving such a cold response, Bu Eunseol smiled with evident relief.
“I had worried greatly, thinking the Sect Leader viewed me unfavorably all this time.”
“….”
“But hearing you speak thus, my heart is considerably eased.”
―Hyun Ma aside, there seems to be no rival within Hwawoo Sword Sect capable of troubling me.
This was what Bu Eunseol was truly saying.
“Hehehehe. Hahahaha!”
Wi Ji Moo Ah suddenly burst into laughter.
“Thirty years ago, after my elder brother Bu disappeared, the atmosphere of the Demonic Path became dreadfully monotonous and dreary.”
The ‘elder brother Bu’ Wi Ji Moo Ah spoke of surely referred to Bu Chanyang of Chilji Demonic Sect.
“But now that someone resembling him has come to stir the Demonic Path once more… well, it seems there may be something worth observing.”
Wi Ji Moo Ah finally nodded, as though he had taken an interest in Bu Eunseol as a person.
“I shall offer you one piece of counsel.”
“I shall listen with utmost attention.”
“Never underestimate this sect. Particularly, the potential of Hye Sang is something even I, his master, cannot lightly guarantee.”
In that moment, Bu Eunseol felt something strange.
The one currently leading Hwawoo Sword Sect was known to be Wi Hyuk Gyun, the Chief Instructor.
Much like Dan Cheong of Nangya Pavilion, Wi Hyuk Gyun oversaw all major and minor affairs of Hwawoo Sword Sect.
Moreover, as he was called the Sword Demon, his swordsmanship was regarded as the finest of the Demonic Path.
Conversely, for the successor Wi Ji Hye Sang to seize control of Hwawoo Sword Sect would require at least a decade or more.
Yet Wi Ji Moo Ah had mentioned Wi Ji Hye Sang, the successor, as Bu Eunseol’s true rival.
What could possibly be the reason for this?
“It was a pleasure to meet you.”
At that moment, Wi Ji Moo Ah issued a dismissal gesture, signaling that their business had concluded.
Bu Eunseol tilted her head slightly.
“Do I not need to present evidence?”
“You already have.”
Wi Ji Moo Ah smiled faintly.
“If you believe there is no match for you in our sect save for the Old Master himself… then you must surely have inherited Bu Chanyang’s legacy.”
He continued matter-of-factly.
“Whether you met him directly or merely inherited his techniques, I cannot say. But the fact that you spread word through the Intelligence Organization seeking traces of Bu Chanyang suggests you’re pursuing something else entirely. How fitting for the successor to the Demon Hall.”
In that instant, I regretted two things.
First, I had not realized Wi Ji Moo Ah was such a transcendent figure.
Second, by lying that Chilji Demonic Sect was still alive, I had lost the chance to question him about it.
‘It was unavoidable.’
Once I entered Hwawoo Sword Sect, I had to meet Wi Ji Moo Ah.
These were things even I could not predict perfectly.
“Then I shall take my leave.”
I clasped my hands together and stepped outside.
As I descended the hill, dozens of people were waiting.
“I am Nam Poong Gwan, Vice Master of Gye Yul Dang.”
The middle-aged man at the front, Nam Poong Gwan, clasped his hands toward me.
“I shall guide you to where Master Cheon is.”
Less than a quarter hour had passed since I spoke with Wi Ji Moo Ah and descended to this place.
Yet they spoke as if they had heard everything that transpired.
‘So this is Hwawoo Sword Sect.’
Hwawoo Sword Sect was sending me a warning.
The moment one enters the sect, all words and actions are under surveillance.
There is no escaping their gaze.
‘The Sect Master truly has no interest in sect affairs.’
To dare place eyes and ears even in the Master’s quarters—I let out a bitter laugh and shook my head.
“Very well. Lead the way.”
Nam Poong Gwan guided me to a deep forest situated at the West Gate of Hwawoo Sword Sect.
Beyond a small waterfall, a modest hermitage stood in a sunlit clearing.
It was precisely the kind of place suited for an elderly recluse living in solitude, withdrawn from the world.
“Then.”
Nam Poong Gwan clasped his hands and departed, his duty fulfilled.
I walked slowly toward the hermitage.
“Pardon my intrusion.”
As I stood before the hermitage, the door opened and a middle-aged man in gray martial robes stepped out.
His long hair was carelessly bound up, and a bristling beard covered his face.
Yet his eyes gleamed with such intensity that gazing upon them was like witnessing a roaring tiger.
It was Cheon Woon Gwang.

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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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