The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 373

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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 373.
Bu Eunseol gazed intently at Namgung Jeong and opened her mouth.
“You’re determined to kill me, then.”
Namgung Jeong nodded calmly, acknowledging her words.
“That child possesses the finest talent and character in the Main House. The only reason he’s called reckless is because he hasn’t yet fully matured.”
Namgung Jeong’s eyes flashed with solemn intensity.
“So how could I allow him to become entangled with the leader of the Demonic Path and squander such a brilliant future?”
Remarkably, Namgung Jeong not only cherished him deeply but had already designated him as the next family head.
Then why did Nam Goong Woon believe his father despised him?
‘Their personalities are far too different.’
Bu Eunseol exhaled a long breath.
Nam Goong Woon possessed an outgoing nature, wearing his emotions openly for all to see.
Yet Namgung Jeong was the opposite—so taciturn that he never spoke his true thoughts aloud.
“Draw your blade.”
Namgung Jeong stood tall, extending his hand.
“I cannot strike down one who hasn’t drawn their weapon.”
Bu Eunseol was not one to refuse a challenge.
Especially if she could survive a confrontation with Namgung Jeong, the head of the Nam Goong Family and leader of the Eight Great Families—the insights gained would be immeasurable.
Yet Bu Eunseol sighed and shook her head.
“Let us end this.”
Namgung Jeong’s skill was not something to be taken lightly or faced carelessly.
If they clashed with full force, one of them would surely suffer a fatal wound.
“I shall depart quietly.”
Bu Eunseol turned away with a bitter expression.
She could not kill her sworn brother’s father.
In the end, she had abandoned even the debt of gratitude she so desperately needed.
“And rest assured.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with an expressionless face.
“After today, I shall never appear before Nam Goong Woon again. I stake my honor on this promise.”
Namgung Jeong found the thought peculiar.
The successor of the Demon Palace must desperately need to repay a debt of gratitude. Otherwise, she would not have traveled a thousand leagues to reach the Nam Goong Family.
Yet she was avoiding confrontation with him for Nam Goong Woon’s sake and to preserve the Nam Goong Family’s peace, was she not?
‘Could it be that she has truly sworn a bond of brotherhood with Woon?’
“Do you not need to repay this debt of gratitude?”
“I do. Desperately.”
To Namgung Jeong’s question, Bu Eunseol offered a withered smile.
“But rather than drive a nail through his heart for all his life….”
Bu Eunseol shook her head and spoke matter-of-factly.
“Open the mechanism. If I break through by my own strength, the Nam Goong Family’s masters will come rushing.”
“….”
“If that happens, the Family Head may find himself in a position where he must explain the relationship between myself and him, would he not?”
Namgung Jeong fell silent.
Bu Eunseol cared for Nam Goong Woon from beginning to end, and her actions did not seem like fabricated lies.
“So even those of the Demonic Path understand propriety.”
“Do you believe those of the Demonic Path are three-headed, six-armed monsters?”
“Has the Demon Palace not harbored villains like the Chilji Demonic Sect?”
A profound sorrow emanated from Namgung Jeong’s body.
“That is precisely why I cannot let you live!”
Shing!
Namgung Jeong drew his blade.
Yet he sensed something amiss. His reflexes and perception had dulled to a fraction of their normal sharpness.
“What is this?”
“I even considered a surprise attack to kill you.”
A biting cold swirled around Bu Eunseol’s left hand.
Glacial River Seal.
To prepare for her confrontation with Namgung Jeong, known as the Righteous Blade, Bu Eunseol had cooled the interior of the Weapon Storage.
However, since Namgung Jeong’s inner force had reached the realm of Winter Frost Immunity, he would merely perceive the air as slightly cool.
If she dulled his senses and reflexes so subtly before launching a surprise attack?
Namgung Jeong would likely face defeat the moment their blades crossed.
Creak. Crack-crack-crack.
The mechanisms of Na Seon Jeon, layered with solid metal, began to fracture.
Boom!
As the iron barrier finally shattered, a blood-soaked figure burst through.
It was Nam Goong Woon.
“Young Master!”
Behind Nam Goong Woon came Mok Han Jeong, Namgung Jeong’s loyal sword master and lord, rushing in urgently.
Nam Goong Woon had fought against Mok Han Jeong to restrain him, then shattered this Na Seon Jeon to force his way inside.
“Family Head! If you lay a hand on Brother Bu….”
At that moment, Bu Eunseol flicked her fingers with swift precision.
A soft, subtle wind strike grazed Nam Goong Woon’s vital point at his chest.
“Brother Bu, why….”
“Nothing happened. Do not be agitated. Rest well.”
Bu Eunseol, supporting Nam Goong Woon, spoke while looking at Mok Han Jeong.
“His injuries appear severe. Please support him and take him away.”
Mok Han Jeong blinked in confusion as he accepted Nam Goong Woon. Then Namgung Jeong nodded.
“Do as he says.”
With the order given, Mok Han Jeong bowed and swiftly disappeared outside Na Seon Jeon.
“Hmm.”
As an unexpected turn of events unfolded, Namgung Jeong let out a low murmur.
If Bu Eunseol had intended to put him in a difficult position, she could have simply allowed Nam Goong Woon to act freely and observed the outcome.
Yet he had worried about Nam Goong Woon’s injuries and quickly sealed the Blood Sealing Point before sending him away, had he not?
Such an action could never be feigned.
“I acknowledge that you are a person of principle.”
Fire blazed in the eyes of Namgung Jeong, who gripped the Golden Needle Sword.
“But I cannot possibly let you, the heir of Demon Palace, leave unscathed.”
“….”
“Forgive me!”
And with that, he thrust the Golden Needle Sword forward in an instant.
Boom!
In that moment, Bu Eunseol’s vision darkened, and I felt as though I had plummeted into the depths of a distant cosmos.
Simultaneously, an overwhelming force that seemed to pour from everywhere crushed down upon my body.
Emperor’s Sword Form.
The heavy sword technique of the Namgung Family—said to have reached the pinnacle among all heavy sword methods that descended upon the Murim—cascaded upon Bu Eunseol’s form.
* * *
Nam Goong Woon, who had been in deep slumber, slowly opened his eyes as he felt the agonizing sensation of his spine crumbling.
“Ugh.”
He groaned as he pushed himself upright.
The moment he emerged from Na Seon Jeon, Mok Han Jeong, the family head’s trusted aide, had attempted to restrain him.
Only then did he sense that something had gone terribly wrong.
He realized the family head’s reason for summoning Bu Eunseol to Na Seon Jeon—it was to quietly strike him down.
Nam Goong Woon’s eyes nearly rolled back in fury.
After barely shaking off Mok Han Jeong’s attempt to bind him, he immediately shattered the mechanisms of Na Seon Jeon with the Emperor’s Sword Form.
Yet with only three sword strikes, he could not completely destroy the mechanisms, so he poured every ounce of his power into the effort, prepared to burn his life force.
Then the panicked Mok Han Jeong unfolded his sword technique upon his shoulder.
When Nam Goong Woon still did not stop, Mok Han Jeong aimed for the Ming Gate acupoint and unleashed a heavy strike.
But something was strange.
The deep wound that had been carved into his shoulder had vanished without a trace, and the internal injuries had healed as though washed clean.
“Brother Bu….”
Only then did Nam Goong Woon regain his senses and look around.
Now he recalled that Bu Eunseol had sealed his acupoint.
“Given Brother Bu’s temperament, he must have clashed severely with the family head!”
Nam Goong Woon sprang up like a coiled spring released.
The Namgung Family was likely either in the midst of celebration or draped in the atmosphere of a funeral.
Bu Eunseol and Namgung Jeong.
If those peerless swordsmen clashed, surely one of them would suffer a fatal wound.
“Brother Bu… Family Head!”
Crash!
As Nam Goong Woon burst through the doors of the Palace Hall and rushed outside,
“….”
Two figures who had been drinking tea in the Pavilion standing before the Palace Hall stared directly at him.
Surprisingly, the two people were none other than Bu Eunseol and Namgung Jeong, who had taken on Seol So’s appearance.
“Brother Bu! Lord of the House!”
Nam Goong Woon’s eyes widened in shock.
Until he lost consciousness, those two had been locked in a standoff with their power drawn to its absolute limit… yet now they sat facing each other peacefully, sipping tea?
“You’ve awakened.”
As Bu Eunseol offered a faint smile, Nam Goong Woon blinked rapidly and spoke.
“What is the meaning of this?”
“The Lord of the House and I came to check on your condition, and we’ve been having tea while we waited.”
“So what you’re saying is….”
Nam Goong Woon turned his gaze toward Namgung Jeong.
His expression remained solemn and cold, yet somehow a glimmer of emotion seemed to shine through his eyes.
“You reckless fool. If your body had healed, you should have opened the door and walked out. Why did you have to break through it?”
Namgung Jeong spoke with his stern gaze fixed upon him.
“This is precisely why you’re called the Main House’s troublemaker!”
“Lord of the House.”
At that moment, Bu Eunseol furrowed her brow and spoke.
“Have you already forgotten our agreement?”
“Hmm? Ah.”
Upon meeting Bu Eunseol’s gaze, Namgung Jeong withdrew his stern expression.
Then, looking toward Nam Goong Woon, he spoke.
“Woon. How is your body?”
“Yes?”
“I’m asking if your injuries are alright.”
Nam Goong Woon doubted his own ears.
‘Woon? Did he just call me Woon?’
From childhood until now, the only names Namgung Jeong had ever called him were “you worthless fool!” or “you reckless brat!” and nothing else.
Yet suddenly, Namgung Jeong was calling him by his actual name.
“Lord of the House. Are you well? Are you not in pain somewhere?”
Nam Goong Woon approached Namgung Jeong and waved his hand back and forth in front of his face.
Normally, had he done such a thing, a lightning-swift slap would have struck his cheek immediately.
But Namgung Jeong had made an agreement with Bu Eunseol, so he suppressed his anger and simply watched.
“Something feels off.”
Nam Goong Woon stared at Namgung Jeong as if gazing upon a cursed doll radiating ominous energy.
Namgung Jeong, who should have already struck his cheek, was simply staring at him intently.
“Could it be… body possession?”
Tilting his head in confusion, Nam Goong Woon reached out both hands, grabbed Namgung Jeong’s lips, and pulled them open.
“Hmm? It doesn’t seem to be possession.”
“You reckless brat!”
As Nam Goong Woon engaged in such frivolous behavior, Namgung Jeong suddenly rose to his feet and shouted.
“This is why you….”
“Family Head.”
But the moment Bu Eunseol spoke again, Namgung Jeong’s body trembled violently.
His face flushed crimson, and he spun around abruptly, departing from the Pavilion.
“Take care of yourself.”
Those were the unbelievably warm words he left behind.
“Brother Bu.”
Nam Goong Woon approached Bu Eunseol with an expression as though he’d seen a ghost.
“Am I still dreaming?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Our Family Head… something’s wrong with him.”
“Hmm.”
Bu Eunseol smiled enigmatically and drained the tea from his cup.
Then, gazing toward the distant sky, he spoke.
“Tell me—what kind of person is the Family Head you know?”
“Well…”
Nam Goong Woon tilted his head and whispered in a low voice.
“He was desperate to devour me, constantly comparing me to my brothers and cursing me…”
As he continued, his head drooped.
“…He despises me greatly.”
“You’re entirely wrong.”
“What?”
Bu Eunseol exhaled deeply and spoke matter-of-factly.
“The Family Head loves you more than anything else.”
“What are you suddenly saying?”
“Because he cherishes and loves you so dearly, he governed you with coldness and severity. It was to awaken your talents swiftly and to transform your carefree nature into a character befitting the Family Head’s dignity.”
“Haha.”
Nam Goong Woon burst into hollow laughter.
“Brother Bu, that’s a truly unfunny joke.”
“Does it seem like a jest?”
“Of course it does.”
Nam Goong Woon bit his lip.
“When I was still a child, I broke a precious vase he treasured, and the Family Head beat me harshly before locking me in a storage room.”
“…”
“When I grew older, I stole plum wine hidden in the liquor storage, and the Family Head punished me by starving me for three days.”
With an absurd expression, he shook his head vehemently.
“How could such a man love me more than anything? Does that even make sense?”
A brief silence fell.
Only then did Nam Goong Woon realize his mistake and pressed his forehead.
“I apologize. I shouldn’t have vented my anger at you, Brother Bu.”
“It’s fine.”
“Bu Hyung, I’m not sure what wind has blown the Family Head’s way, but he is not the kind of person you think he is.”
“Hmm.”
Bu Eunseol crossed her arms.
The deep rift that had formed between the two seemed unlikely to heal easily, having persisted for so long.
‘This will take time.’
I had no intention of forcibly mending the relationship between father and son.
If an outsider were to intervene, it might only serve to damage their bond further.
“But how exactly did this happen?”
Nam Goong Woon asked with a puzzled expression.
“How could the Family Head treat Bu Hyung so cordially even after knowing his true identity? What happened?”
“Hmm.”
Bu Eunseol fell silent for a moment.
And I recalled the events of that time.
* * *
“I can never let you, the successor of Demon Palace, leave unscathed!”
As Namgung Jeong unleashed his thunderous declaration and raised his Golden Needle Sword, Bu Eunseol felt as though she were floating in the void for an instant.
What is the Heavy Sword technique?
It is a sword art that either pours forth overwhelming pressure to seal an enemy’s movements, or unleashes destructive force to shatter everything in its path.
But when Bu Eunseol faced Namgung Jeong’s Imperial Sword Form, I realized one truth.
The pinnacle of the Heavy Sword.
It was not about pouring pressure outward, but filling empty space with pressure to seal the enemy’s movements.
In other words, the Imperial Sword Form attempted spatial control—something no one had ever achieved with the Heavy Sword technique before.
‘I cannot move.’
As all the empty space around me filled with pressure, Bu Eunseol could not move a single finger.
In that moment, the sharp Golden Needle Sword was gently piercing through her brow.
‘An ordinary master would end here with this one move.’
Whoosh!
The moment I could not move even a finger, a faint light surged from Bu Eunseol’s body.
I had unleashed the Yeoui True Formation, which could manifest and release powerful inner force in any form.
Clang!
As the Golden Needle Sword and the blade formed by the Yeoui True Formation collided, a metallic resonance rang out.
At the same time, a circular shockwave rippled outward around Namgung Jeong’s body.
As Bu Eunseol blocked the initial strike with the Yeoui True Formation, the pressure controlling space shifted to crush down upon her body.
Whoosh!
But in that instant, a Black Sword was already in Bu Eunseol’s grip.
And I split the cascading force of the Heavy Sword into thin threads, dispersing it in all directions.
Using the mysteries of Half-Up Half-Down and the Two Heavens Reversal Force, I transformed the overwhelming pressure of the Imperial Sword Form that crushed heaven and earth into tangible form, spreading it thin like splitting bamboo.
“You’ve stolen the sword technique of the Righteous Path.”
Namgung Jeong perceived that the sword principle Bu Eunseol had displayed was Geom Jon’s Ten Thousand Forms Eclipse, and let out a cold laugh.
“Though I suppose that’s typical of those from Nangya Pavilion.”
Namgung Jeong, a sneer playing at the corners of his mouth, unleashed a torrent of pressure in rapid succession.
Crash!
Bu Eunseol countered without pause, deftly slicing through his Imperial Sword Form’s pressure into gossamer threads.
Exploiting the widening gap, she thrust toward Namgung Jeong’s throat.
‘This man masters every sword technique.’
The profundity of Reverse Heavenly Force could never be unleashed without understanding the nature and principles of the overwhelming external force pouring down upon oneself—it was the very essence of ascending martial arts.
Yet even as Bu Eunseol engaged in fierce combat, she grasped the secret principle of the Namgung Family’s Imperial Sword Form—channeling all one’s power through the blade itself.
She possessed a profound understanding of Sword Within Submersion Majesty, the sword principle of concentrating power.
‘If I continue displaying the Imperial Sword Form against such an opponent, I might as well be transmitting its mysteries directly.’
Only then did Namgung Jeong sense that Bu Eunseol’s comprehension transcended imagination, her ability to instantly grasp his sword principles operating on an entirely different plane.
“Excellent!”
Namgung Jeong himself was a swordsman who had devoted his entire life to the way of the blade.
Rather than faltering at Bu Eunseol’s unexpected prowess, he reversed his golden needle sword in mid-air, unleashing thirteen razor-sharp sword qi as swift and precise as swallows.
It was another supreme sword technique of the Namgung Family—the Yang Seol Cloud Thunder Sword.
Crash, crash, crash!
Fine, granular sword qi, scattered like dust across the ground, spiraled around Bu Eunseol’s body, boring into her vital points.
It was as though Mountain Sword and Whirlwind Sword had been fused into a single technique.
‘Distinctive.’
The Namgung Family had long ago established its own school through innovative sword methods.
Though rooted in Zhong Yuan swordsmanship, it diverged fundamentally from the Nine Sects One Alliance, representing a unique and alternative approach.
Clang, clang, clang!
Bu Eunseol swung her ink sword repeatedly, neutralizing the Cloud Thunder Sword’s techniques in succession.
Yet as the exchange of techniques continued unabated, Namgung Jeong felt an increasing sense of discord.
‘Something feels off.’
Bu Eunseol’s swordsmanship was of the highest caliber, and her inner force—far exceeding his own cultivation of over forty years—was being effortlessly contained.
But she only occasionally employed Reverse Heavenly Force’s mysteries. Was she not focusing solely on defense, abstaining from counterattack?
‘So she intends to hide her true intentions to the very end.’
Namgung Jeong let out a cold laugh.
He believed Bu Eunseol was maintaining a purely defensive stance, pretending to be a righteous and virtuous person.
‘But I am not one to be fooled so easily!’
With that silent declaration, Namgung Jeong unleashed the Yang Seol Cloud Thunder Sword once more.
Clang!
In that instant, the ink sword and golden needle sword collided.
As the clear metallic ring resonated, Bu Eunseol immediately deployed two successive sword techniques.
The first was as graceful as a phoenix soaring through the heavens, while the second was so mysterious and profound that its path could not be discerned.
‘What sword technique is this?’
Unable to decipher the technique in an instant, Namgung Woon had no choice but to follow the trajectory of Bu Eunseol’s sword path and intercept it.
Clang!
Once again, blade met blade, sending sparks cascading through the air. In that moment, a flash of enlightenment crossed Namgung Jeong’s mind.
‘So that’s how it is.’
A calligrapher’s mastery can be discerned from a single brushstroke, and a scholar reveals his learning through a single poem.
And a swordmaster, through their swordplay, can reveal the very essence of their spirit.
‘This person’s swordplay possesses formidable power, as if a dragon pierces through the void—yet it contains profound subtlety.’
Bu Eunseol’s swordplay was utterly upright and powerful.
It was a sword technique that only one with a clear and righteous spirit could ever unfold.
‘How shameful.’
Nam Goong Woon, belatedly grasping Bu Eunseol’s intent, bit his lip.
‘That I, the patriarch of this Main House who has wielded a sword my entire life, failed to perceive the meaning in this young person’s swordplay.’
Bu Eunseol had not been unfolding her swordplay to fight me all this time.
She had been pouring forth one righteous and clear sword strike after another to reveal her own upright heart.
Clang!
As blade met blade once more, Namgung Jeong stepped back a pace.
Astonishingly, this young person’s inner power surpassed his own.
Moreover, upon finally perceiving Bu Eunseol’s sword intent—which he had failed to grasp until now—Namgung Jeong felt confusion wash over him.
‘Hmm.’
As his focus scattered, the power of his swordplay naturally diminished greatly.
Thud.
Namgung Jeong finally lowered his golden needle sword to the ground.
And exhaling a deep sigh, he spoke.
“How shameful. I, the patriarch who has devoted my life to the sword, have only now awakened to sword intent.”
Click.
Namgung Jeong sheathed his golden needle sword at his waist and spoke with a bitter expression.
“I acknowledge that you have not been tainted by evil.”
And he spoke in a low voice.
“But our Main House has walked the path of the Righteous Way for generations, and I have no intention of forming ties with those of the Demonic Path. So… depart quietly as you came.”
“Is that all?”
“What?”
“I’m saying that’s all I could sense from your sword.”
Namgung Jeong furrowed his brow deeply.
“What are you trying to say?”
“What swordplay have you been unfolding until now?”
“Your swordplay?”
Namgung Jeong’s eyes widened as he pondered.
The swordplay Bu Eunseol had unfolded all this time.
Had it not utilized only the subtleties of Thousand Reversal Force, employing only defensive forms?
And those defensive forms were…
‘Could it be?’
Namgung Jeong’s eyes opened wide.
The swordplay Bu Eunseol had consistently employed.
Was it not a subtle variation of the Soaring Crane Graceful Sword technique that he himself had transmitted to Nam Goong Woon?
Bu Eunseol spoke with a solemn expression.
“The Family Head has devoted a lifetime to the way of the sword, so I trust you have grasped the true intent behind the swordsmanship I have displayed.”
In that instant, Namgung Jeong’s body trembled.
Only then did he awaken to the genuine essence of the sword that Bu Eunseol had woven into her technique.

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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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