The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 368

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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 368.
Ten days had passed since I began searching through the Gae Bang Headquarters.
Bu Eunseol and Nam Goong Woon, playing the role of beggars in this place, had uncovered considerable information.
No Bong, who was supposedly bedridden, was not at the headquarters—instead, he remained hidden somewhere in Gaebong, still commanding Gae Bang from the shadows.
And beyond No Bong, only Hae Poong possessed knowledge concerning the artificial inner core.
“The reason those who recovered the inner core came to Gaebong appears to be singular.”
Nam Goong Woon spoke with unwavering certainty after completing his investigation.
“Because the Leader, who has established his nest near the headquarters, oversees the inner core operations.”
As though my labors were finally bearing fruit, I observed countless details meticulously and drew conclusions that aligned with each observation.
“I share that assessment.”
Bu Eunseol smiled as he addressed Nam Goong Woon.
“Now we can finally abandon this beggar’s guise.”
The method of departing Gae Bang was deceptively simple yet profoundly difficult.
One need only inform the master who taught them, untie the knot, and return it—then it was finished.
The difficulty lay in the settlement procedures.
To leave Gae Bang, there existed an iron rule: one must abandon everything obtained within Gae Bang.
Though Gae Bang called itself an Orthodox Sect, its foundation was beggary. The organization’s rules were crude and simple, governed largely by the principle of an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
Therefore, the principle demanded not only the return of the knot received, but also the abandonment of all transmitted martial techniques.
If one had learned hand techniques, their hands would be crippled; if leg techniques, they would be made lame.
If one had learned inner cultivation methods, their martial power would be destroyed—such was the principle.
Yet when Bu Eunseol and Nam Goong Woon, who had only just become initiates, announced their departure, In Guk readily granted permission.
“You two may simply leave.”
They were the sort who could not master even a simple footwork technique in four days—something a child could learn in one.
Hae Poong had unilaterally decided they were worth training and inducted them as initiates, but that judgment had proven entirely mistaken.
“You’re returning to Fukken?”
“Yes, we are.”
“Very well, I understand.”
In Guk spoke with solemn gravity.
“However, once you leave this organization, you must never speak its name aloud. Furthermore, you must forget everything you have seen and heard here.”
He continued in a low voice.
“My disciples are scattered throughout Zhong Yuan, and they observe your words and actions as clearly as one reads a palm. Should you speak even a single careless word, you will lose your life immediately. Do you understand?”
At In Guk’s solemn warning, Bu Eunseol bowed once more. Nam Goong Woon merely smiled.
“Go now. I shall handle the rest.”
“Thank you.”
“Heh.”
As the two turned and departed, In Guk’s expression grew somewhat wistful.
Gae Bang now rarely encountered true beggars like these. And during the time spent teaching them martial arts, a certain affection had taken root.
“It seems they have not forgotten the Orthodox Sect’s true purpose.”
Nam Goong Woon murmured softly as I walked the mountain path after leaving Gae Bang.
“Leaving a sect is not an easy matter, yet he sent us off without hesitation.”
Bu Eunseol shook his head.
“If he had remained true to a beggar’s station, he would never have laid hands on an artificial inner core.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“A beggar who rolled about in the gutters somehow became a second-in-command of Gae Bang.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with unwavering conviction.
“That man In Guk—even if I wished to release him unharmed, Hae Poong would never permit it once he learned of this.”
“Surely not.”
Nam Goong Woon shook his head.
He believed that no matter how corrupted Gae Bang had become, they would never harm a disciple who had once served them.
“But why announce your departure formally? You could have simply vanished without their knowledge.”
“I told you already. Gae Bang may appear sloppy, but it is a meticulous intelligence organization.”
Bu Eunseol gazed toward the distant horizon as he spoke.
“Had I disappeared quietly, Gae Bang would immediately sense something amiss and investigate our every movement. Should they discover that one of us is the legitimate heir of the Nam Goong Family… complications would arise.”
Only then did Nam Goong Woon grasp the truth.
Had Bu Eunseol infiltrated Gae Bang alone, he could have vanished without trace—Gae Bang would never have found him.
Bu Eunseol had risked everything and formally departed Gae Bang solely for his sake.
Sniff.
Nam Goong Woon wiped his nose.
There was no need to thank Bu Eunseol for such things. He was his sworn brother, and Nam Goong Woon would follow him for the rest of his life.
Crunch, crunch.
Before long, Bu Eunseol and Nam Goong Woon had left the village and were walking the mountain pass toward the next settlement.
The sun was sinking low, painting the sky in shades of gold.
As the two crossed the pass and ventured into a densely wooded path,
Whistle.
A piercing sound of wind-cutting filled the air, and both Bu Eunseol and Nam Goong Woon collapsed where they stood.
Poisoned needles protruded from their necks.
Rustle.
From the undergrowth emerged a middle-aged beggar in tattered clothes.
It was In Guk.
Crunch, crunch.
He placed his hand against the necks of the fallen Bu Eunseol and Nam Goong Woon.
There was no pulse—they had already ceased to breathe.
Squelch.
As he withdrew the needles, black venom dripped from them.
The poison coating the needles was from the Seven-Step Severing Snake—a toxin that stopped the heart before one could take seven steps.
“Must it come to this?”
In Guk gazed down at the corpses, his expression twisted with anguish.
Though not particularly clever, they had been innocent and guileless disciples.
Their martial skills were still nascent, so he had naturally assumed they would be permitted to depart quietly.
Yet when the Deputy Leader Hae Poong received word of their departure, he issued an unexpected command.
―Have the disciples handle it quietly.
In Guk clasped his hands together in supplication.
They were truly ordinary beggars, innocent and simple-minded, who would never cause harm to anyone.
But Hae Poong remained unmoved.
―Our organization is currently achieving great things. We cannot afford even the slightest disruption or fracture.
Faced with Hae Poong’s resolute command, In Guk decided to handle the matter himself.
Rather than have the other disciples kill them in agony, he would dispose of the two cleanly and bury them in silence.
“Poor souls.”
Tears glistened in In Guk’s eyes.
Teaching martial arts had been frustrating and troublesome, but their utterly desireless and unattached nature had momentarily purified his heart.
“What sin could you possibly have committed? It is my fault for allowing beggars to set foot in this filthy and harsh Murim world.”
Muttering with anguish, In Guk drew out a single staff and began digging a pit.
After excavating two deep graves, he carefully buried Bu Eunseol and Nam Goong Woon, who had ceased breathing.
“In your next life, be born not as beggars, but as children of a noble household.”
Night had fallen, and moonlight descended from the sky.
After releasing a deep sigh, In Guk turned away.
And after about an hour had passed,
Boom!
Earth and sand erupted skyward, and simultaneously two figures emerged in the moonlight.
They were Bu Eunseol and Nam Goong Woon, who had released their reversed states.
“Gae Bang does have good people among its ranks.”
Nam Goong Woon gazed at the spot where In Guk had departed, his expression forlorn.
The two of them had walked calmly despite knowing that In Guk was secretly following them.
When he unleashed his poison needles, they immediately sealed the Blood Sealing Points to block the toxic energy, and used the Corpse Feigning Technique to play dead.
“It should be said that Gae Bang’s actions are separate from its members’ nature.”
Bu Eunseol’s gaze was equally somber.
In truth, among the disciples of Gae Bang that I had seen at Chong Dan, few were truly corrupted by evil.
It was simply that the leadership had fallen into corruption and conflict, causing the disciples to follow suit and take opposing stances.
“Now I need only find No Bong, who is hiding in Gaebong.”
At Bu Eunseol’s words, Nam Goong Woon spoke carefully.
“Do you mean just the two of us? Would it not be better to summon the intelligence operatives from the Main House?”
“If we summon intelligence agents into Gae Bang’s sphere of influence—especially the Gaebong division—they will immediately notice.”
“But if just the two of us search….”
“Do not worry. We should be able to find him easily.”
“How is that possible?”
Bu Eunseol gazed toward the distant sky and asked.
“What did the Gae Bang leaders at Chong Dan think of No Bong, the current organization head?”
“They wished to confirm whether his body had recovered and inquire about his current circumstances.”
“Then, if the disciples of Gae Bang cannot find No Bong, who remains in the Gaebong division, what does that mean?”
“That is….”
Only then did Nam Goong Woon nod, as if something had clicked into place.
“Then he must be hiding somewhere the beggars never venture.”
“Precisely.”
Bu Eunseol spoke in a low, measured tone.
“Despite the countless beggars swarming through Gaebong, we cannot find a trace of No Bong. This means he must be sheltering in a place where beggars cannot tread.”
The next day.
When Nam Goong Woon emerged from the Inn, he had transformed back into a well-groomed young master of a prominent family.
He had scrubbed away the grime that had caked his skin overnight and removed the yellowed dye and filth lodged between his teeth.
And when he changed into clean robes that carried a subtle fragrance, he felt like an immortal soaring through the heavens.
“Ah.”
Nam Goong Woon spread his arms wide, gazing up at the brilliant sunlight.
Wearing clean clothes, eating refined food, resting in an untainted bed—
These were things I had once taken for granted, yet now I understood how profoundly they could bring happiness.
“I never realized it could be this profound.”
Nam Goong Woon spoke while drawing a deep breath.
“It seems I was living a life blessed with more fortune than I deserved.”
Bu Eunseol held a faint smile.
“It is good to find contentment in life, but do not seek happiness through comparison. The more you do, the more barren your heart will become.”
Nam Goong Woon fell silent for a moment at these words.
Though brief, Bu Eunseol’s words carried the profound insight of an elder approaching twilight.
“You are right. One must not find happiness through comparison.”
When one’s gaze turns upward, one becomes infinitely small.
And when one’s gaze turns downward, one becomes infinitely great.
Such is the nature of human perspective, and of satisfaction itself.
“Are you satisfied with your current life, Bu?”
Nam Goong Woon’s question carried an implicit assumption that the answer would be yes.
But Bu Eunseol shook his head.
“Not at all.”
The meaning of happiness was utterly clear to me.
My grandfather Bu Chanyang, who gave me a name, taught me, and bestowed upon me boundless warmth—
The peaceful days I spend with him are the only true happiness in my life.
“Bu.”
Nam Goong Woon repeated the name with a sorrowful expression.
At the mention of happiness, Bu Eunseol’s eyes had turned white as ash—completely burned out.
It was the anguish of one desperately yearning for something that no effort could ever obtain.
“There are surely many things in this world that could bring you happiness.”
Nam Goong Woon spoke with conviction.
“Perhaps they simply remain invisible or unreachable for now, but that does not mean they do not exist.”
And he offered a smile brighter than the morning sun itself.
“So you will surely find them.”
Bu Eunseol possessed a nature that cast an endless melancholy and solitude upon everything around him.
Yet Nam Goong Woon remained untainted by that darkness, still carrying a radiant light within. And he shared that luminescence in all directions.
It was something I could never accomplish.
I could achieve or handle nearly impossible things in countless ways.
But to share such warmth and hope—that was something I could never do.
I murmured softly, deep within my heart.
‘May only brilliant light remain in his future.’
But how could I have known?
Nam Goong Woon was earnestly praying in his heart as well.
‘Heavens and earth, I humbly beseech you. Please grant Bu Hyung a life of happiness.’
Each person possesses different gifts.
If one fails to acknowledge this, envy of others’ blessings takes root, and that person too falls into misery.
These two souls disregarded what they themselves possessed, offering only prayers for each other’s happiness.
Because they harbored such noble hearts… in time, one would rise as a swordmaster standing at the pinnacle of the Orthodox Sects.
And the other would become a great master transcending both demon and righteousness.
* * *
Where do beggars refuse to venture?
The manors of emperors, empresses, and high officials? Or perhaps the gambling dens and pleasure houses where Black Gang forces gather?
Or the Merchant Guild filled with merchants? Or perhaps the pawn shops where money exchanges hands?
Or the Martial Halls that never open their doors to outsiders for fear of martial technique leakage?
The answer is anywhere fierce gatekeepers and sentries stand watch.
Besides, if one lingered carelessly and trouble arose, a few coins of alms could cost one’s limbs—or worse.
But there exists a place they avoid even more.
Remote manors and mountain estates geographically far removed from Seong Do.
Venture to such places seeking a meal or a few coins, find nothing, and one might starve on the return journey.
Beggars must circle and circle hundreds of times to earn a single spoonful of rice.
Thus, isolated estates were absolutely avoided.
Cheonhwa Mountain Estate.
This estate lay nestled deep within Cheonhwa Mountain, far removed from Seong Do.
The grand estate, cradled by a lake, emanated an ominous atmosphere.
Its master was Gwan Bi, the Gaebong Fist Master who once earned renown through the Empty Cloud Fist technique he personally created.
Yet he had retired long ago and now devoted himself to nurturing disciples to inherit the Empty Cloud Fist, dwelling in this mountain estate.
Beneath a night where moonlight blazed brilliantly,
two shadows overlooked Cheonhwa Mountain Estate. They were Bu Eunseol and Nam Goong Woon.
“I never imagined the Gae Bang’s leader would be crouching in that place.”
The two stood atop the mountain peak overlooking Cheonhwa Mountain Estate, conversing.
“This shadowy force’s reach is truly vast. To establish a hideout in Cheonhwa Mountain Estate with no apparent connection.”
Bu Eunseol and Nam Goong Woon meticulously searched remote estates near Gaebong—places no beggar would ever visit.
And they soon discerned that Cheonhwa Mountain Estate was the hideout where No Bong was concealed.
“It is not that their reach is vast. Rather, Gwan Bi, the master of Cheonhwa Mountain Estate, was likely a puppet of that force from the beginning.”
Bu Eunseol spoke in a low voice.
“Otherwise, there’s no way they would simply hand over their hideout.”
No matter how powerful Gae Bang might be, they couldn’t claim Cheonhwa Mountain Estate as a hideout without any connection to it.
Which meant Gwan Bi was undoubtedly in league with the mastermind who created the artificial inner cores alongside No Bong.
“That could very well be the case.”
As Nam Goong Woon scratched his head, Bu Eunseol continued.
“Though it’s more than just a hideout, given that martial artists who’ve consumed artificial inner cores are concentrated there.”
After their thorough investigation, the two discovered that Cheonhwa Mountain Estate harbored numerous martial artists who had consumed artificial inner cores, and the seeds called demon seeds had originated from this very place.
In other words, No Bong had established himself here under the pretense of illness, managing the artificial inner cores all along.
“This is precisely why Gae Bang is fracturing. The faction leader neglects his duties while responding to outside forces.”
No Bong had abandoned his responsibilities in the faction for a long time under the guise of illness.
Moreover, Hae Poong discovered that No Bong was collaborating with external forces to create inner cores.
And he himself was secretly recovering the artificial inner cores No Bong produced, building his own power base.
But since most Gae Bang disciples remained ignorant of this, both No Bong and Hae Poong appeared to be neglecting their faction duties.
“Yet I still cannot comprehend this.”
Nam Goong Woon shook his head.
“No Bong doesn’t seek a stronger Gae Bang, nor does he crave wealth or pleasure. Why would he orchestrate such a scheme?”
As faction leader of Gae Bang, one could enjoy power and luxury that would make even an emperor envious, if one so desired.
And No Bong showed no particular attachment to Gae Bang itself. So why, after reaching the highest position, would he devise such a plot?
“Perhaps he became faction leader precisely to accomplish this.”
Nam Goong Woon’s eyes widened as he grasped Bu Eunseol’s meaning.
“Are you suggesting that Leader No was a spy from the beginning?”
“It’s merely a possibility. They say spies are embedded throughout the Murim.”
“Hmm.”
Nam Goong Woon folded his arms and spoke.
“Dealing with them will require tremendous bloodshed.”
Cheonhwa Mountain Estate would be garrisoned with martial artists who had consumed artificial inner cores or demon seeds.
And since demon seeds grant tremendous power from the moment of consumption, their martial prowess would exceed what ordinary martial artists could handle.
“I shall request reinforcements from the Main House. Ah, no, wait.”
Nam Goong Woon scratched his head as he spoke.
“Everything discovered thus far has been through your efforts, so naturally Demon Hall should handle this.”
If Bu Eunseol accomplished this once more, his reputation would resound across all lands.
But Bu Eunseol calmly shook his head.
“I need no credit. Had I wanted that, there would have been no reason to join Gae Bang in the first place.”
“Pardon?”
“Let us simply deal with them first.”
“Then I shall request support from our Main House.”
“There’s no need to waste the Nam Goong Family’s precious strength.”
Bu Eunseol gazed down at Cheonhwa Mountain Estate with a distant look.
“Gae Bang has already committed irreversible acts. They must face the consequences of their own deeds.”
“What do you mean?”
“The board is already laid out, is it not?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“They were divided from the very beginning.”
Bu Eunseol’s lips curved into a subtle smile.
Then he began issuing various instructions to Nam Goong Woon.

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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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