The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 376

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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 376.
“Why are you leaving so abruptly?”
Nam Gung Heon’s face, illuminated by moonlight, appeared hauntingly beautiful.
“If not now, I won’t be able to leave at all.”
“I see.”
Nam Gung Heon sighed as he spoke.
“Then leave the Gratitude Seal behind.”
Bu Eunseol raised her eyebrows.
Looking back, Nam Gung Heon had urged the martial contest between Nam Gung Hwan and himself. Moreover, until now, he had been a mysterious figure whose martial prowess remained largely unknown.
Could he truly be the masked figure shrouded in mystery?
Was that why he knew Nam Goong Woon had given her the Gratitude Seal and sought to steal it?
“The Gratitude Seal is a treasure that Shin San Ja promised to give to the Main House.”
At Nam Gung Heon’s words, Bu Eunseol let out a soft laugh.
“Surely you don’t think I stole the Gratitude Seal in secret?”
Nam Gung Heon spoke with a bitter expression.
“I know that Woon gave it to you. But… he’s hardly still a naive child, is he?”
Nam Gung Heon spoke firmly.
“Shin San Ja’s Gratitude Seal is a martial treasure of incalculable value. No matter how much you’ve helped Woon, accepting such a thing outright would be shameless, would it not?”
“So.”
Bu Eunseol spoke coldly, surveying her surroundings.
“You’ve brought the Namgung Family’s sword brigade. To seize it by force?”
Though invisible, Bu Eunseol had already detected approximately fifty martial artists positioned around her, each radiating sharp, piercing energy within a thirty-zhang radius.
Nam Gung Heon spoke with an embarrassed expression.
“This is my own decision alone. There’s no need to invoke the Main House’s name.”
And he spoke with conviction.
“But for the sake of the Main House, I would endure a hundred curses and do it again.”
“Sigh.”
Bu Eunseol exhaled deeply.
Her gaze held a look of pity toward Nam Gung Heon.
Through this conversation, all the mysteries were finally unraveled. I had discovered which of the Namgung Family brothers was the Masked Assassin.
‘It wasn’t him.’
Nam Gung Heon, the second most likely suspect after Nam Gung Soo, was not the Masked Assassin either.
‘He was merely a subordinate.’
Nam Gung Heon asked Bu Eunseol, who was lost in thought.
“Is giving up the Gratitude Seal so painful for you?”
“Not at all. To be honest, if I could end this by giving up the Gratitude Seal, I’d simply end it.”
“Then give it to me.”
“I cannot.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with resolve.
“Giving up the Gratitude Seal won’t end this matter, and besides, Nam Goong Woon must be in danger.”
Nam Gung Heon’s expression twisted grotesquely.
“What in the world are you talking about? Why would Woon be in danger?”
“You’re merely his subordinate, so you would know nothing.”
Bu Eunseol turned her body.
She intended to return to the Namgung Family to rescue Nam Goong Woon, who must have fallen into a trap.
A sharp whistle cut through the air.
But dozens of martial artists descended from the void, blocking her path.
They were none other than the Hwan Sword Brigade, Nam Gung Heon’s direct command.
“How transparent your scheme is.”
Nam Gung Heon let out a contemptuous laugh.
“You intend to return to the Main House, inform the family head of this matter, and escape safely, do you not?”
Bu Eunseol sighed deeply.
Nam Gung Heon possessed only a handsome visage. Regrettably, his strategic mind and intellect were utterly unremarkable.
“What a waste of such a fine appearance.”
“What did you say?”
“With such a simple mind, are you not being manipulated by your younger brother?”
I had already seen through everything.
The Masked Assassin who had orchestrated Dan So Ok’s attack.
He was Nam Gung Poong, and he was controlling even Nam Gung Heon.
“That’s an unbearable accusation. Me, controlled by my younger brother?”
Bu Eunseol smiled faintly and spoke.
“The proposal for a secret duel between Nam Gung Hwan and Nam Goong Woon—you received instructions from Nam Gung Poong for that.”
At that time, I had been greatly surprised when Nam Gung Heon proposed the secret duel.
It was because someone had transmitted a message in secret, and only then did Nam Gung Heon propose it.
Nam Gung Soo was the eldest; there was no need to send him such a message through transmission.
Therefore, the only one who could have sent that transmission was Nam Gung Poong.
“I wonder what weakness he holds over you that you follow his instructions.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You received a transmission from him.”
In that instant, Nam Gung Heon’s expression hardened.
Detecting the emission of a transmission—that was something only the great masters who overlooked Tianxia could accomplish.
Yet this wanderer had sensed it?
“There is no more time to waste. Step aside.”
Bu Eunseol turned her body.
But Nam Gung Heon made yet another foolish choice.
“Stop her.”
The sound of rapid footsteps echoed.
Thereupon, some fifty members of the Hwan Sword Brigade surrounded Bu Eunseol.
The sword formations of the Namgung Family were supreme in the Murim, serving as the very foundation for the formations used by the Murim Alliance.
Nam Gung Heon believed that this Hwan Sword Brigade alone would be sufficient to suppress Bu Eunseol.
Flash!
But that thought shattered in an instant, replaced by brilliant light. Bu Eunseol’s single blade destroyed the sword formation in a heartbeat.
Crack, crack, crack, crack!
Simultaneously, a single radiant sword energy split into dozens of sword rings, beginning to strike at their Blood Sealing Points.
Blood Sealing Seven Techniques, Third Form. An application of the Half-Life, Half-Death Blade.
‘There’s no time!’
Thud, thud, thud.
Having felled fifty sword brigade members in a single breath, Bu Eunseol unleashed her movement technique with all her might.
Thump.
Nam Gung Heon, who had been watching, fell to his knees.
He possessed the finest appearance among the Namgung Family bloodline, yet his character encompassed everyone around him.
He had confidently declared that he could surpass Nam Gung Soo, whose cold temperament and minimal emotional expression set him apart, and become the family head.
But that expectation shattered completely.
Years ago, Nam Gung Poong had turned his sharp fangs—which he had long concealed—against him.
―It seems I’ll need to make my second brother my man if I’m to become family head.
Nam Gung Poong spoke with a bright smile.
―The first brother’s cold nature, the fourth’s arrogance, and the youngest’s reckless temperament make them unsuitable as family head candidates from the start.
Nam Gung Heon suddenly attempted to discipline Nam Gung Poong as an older brother, drawing his blade against him.
But Nam Gung Poong’s swordsmanship far surpassed his own ability.
Indeed, it was not inferior even when compared to the masters who dominated Tianxia.
―How is this possible?
Nam Gung Poong spoke with his eyes narrowed like crescents.
―I apologize, but from now on, my second brother must follow me faithfully. That is, if you wish to remain a member of the Namgung Family bloodline.
Nam Gung Heon was terrified.
With Nam Gung Poong’s martial prowess, he could kill him without anyone knowing.
Moreover, wasn’t he already controlling the elders and lords who supported him?
―It turns out Poong has been hiding tremendous martial skill. And he’s even won over several elders and lords of the Namgung Family, manipulating them with great finesse.
Telling Father such things would only earn his ridicule.
What father dislikes his son for being strong and capable?
―Second brother, do you understand the times now?
Nam Gung Poong, having discerned Nam Gung Heon’s thoughts, spoke with a smile.
It was only natural that the superior one became family head.
Nam Gung Heon had come to realize he could never surpass Nam Gung Poong no matter how hard he tried.
Soon, the same would be true for the first brother and the other younger brothers.
―If you follow my words well from now on, I’ll secure a position for you that won’t be unsatisfactory.
The Namgung Family had many positions where one could wield tremendous power without becoming family head.
And so Nam Gung Heon ultimately chose to follow the times.
―It seems Father has taken a liking to Woon.
But then, suddenly, Nam Goong Woon, who had been reckless and wild, crushed the Gae Bang’s conspiracy and returned in glory.
And it seemed that this displeased Nam Gung Poong.
“Second Brother, I believe it’s time we set Nam Goong Woon aside as well.”
Somehow, he had discovered that Namgung Jeong had obtained the Boeunjeon and learned that he had given it to Nam Goong Woon.
“Nam Gung Poong is coordinating with external forces.”
Only after witnessing how Nam Gung Heon monitored the family head’s movements as easily as reading a palm did he realize that Nam Gung Poong was connected to outside powers.
But it was already too late to reverse everything.
Nam Gung Poong would inevitably become the family head and seize control of the Namgung Family.
Nam Gung Heon had resolved to continue following him.
“In any case… it’s futile.”
Nam Gung Heon shook his head, gazing in the direction Bu Eunseol had departed.
No matter how extraordinary her martial prowess, no matter how brilliant her strategies.
She could never stop Nam Gung Poong, who not only received aid from external forces but had been orchestrating countless schemes for years.
* * *
Chui Hyeon Hall.
The palace where the Namgung Family head resided.
The courtyard before Chui Hyeon Hall was vast, and unlike other halls, it featured high stone steps.
The Namgung Family conducted all ceremonies and rituals before Chui Hyeon Hall, where the family head dwelled.
When issuing commands to departing brigades or awarding positions to prominent figures, they gathered before these steps.
Yet now, the courtyard before Chui Hyeon Hall held not the Namgung Family’s household members, but hundreds of blood-soaked martial artists forced to their knees.
Namgung Jeong stood towering upon the steps.
“So the Main House was truly this laughable.”
Murderous intent and contempt radiated from Namgung Jeong’s eyes as he gazed down upon the warriors.
“Did you find us so incompetent that external forces could infiltrate undetected for so long?”
The Namgung Family was foremost among the Eight Great Families, bearing the epithet of the Gangnam Martial Alliance.
With unrivaled information networks and influence, Namgung Jeong could scrutinize not only the affairs of Murim but also the internal workings of the Namgung Family from his office seat.
He had long been aware that impure forces had infiltrated the family.
The reason he had not rooted them out immediately was that he still did not know their purpose.
Second, he had been waiting for an opportunity to eliminate them all at once.
But then something strange occurred.
When Seol So, a wanderer who had been staying at the Main House, secretly departed, the infiltrated forces suddenly converged and launched a surprise attack on Chui Hyeon Hall.
However, Namgung Jeong, who had already sensed all these signs beforehand, immediately deployed his forces and subdued them in an instant.
The Namgung Family.
That the head of the Eight Great Families, this clan that commanded the forces of Murim in Zhong Yuan, could be overthrown by external forces was utterly impossible—completely inconceivable.
“Which faction do they belong to?”
As Namgung Jeong inquired, Hyung Dang Ju bowed his head.
“No matter how much we torture them, they refuse to speak. Their weapons, clothing, and even shoes are all untraceable.”
Namgung Jeong’s eyes narrowed.
The forces that had infiltrated the Namgung Family numbered around three hundred.
Despite obtaining advance intelligence, they possessed martial prowess formidable enough to require the deployment of the Namgung Family’s elite warriors.
Which faction could possibly have sent so many skilled martial artists?
“Hehehehe.”
Among the captured martial artists, the one who appeared to be the Leader wore a sinister smile.
“It would be wise to let us go unharmed, Lord Namgung.”
He bared his blood-stained teeth in a grin.
“Otherwise, your beloved youngest son will lose his life forever.”
In that instant, Namgung Jeong’s eyes widened dramatically.
“Hyung Dang Ju.”
“Yes.”
Hyung Dang Ju bowed his head and immediately dispatched his subordinates to verify Nam Goong Woon’s whereabouts.
The returning officer’s complexion had turned ashen.
“There are signs of abduction.”
“Hehehehe.”
The Leader of the masked assassins spoke with unwavering confidence.
“If you do not release us, he will die within the hour. We have locked him in such a place.”
“Where is that place!”
Hyung Dang Ju drew his blade and pressed it against the man’s throat, yet the Leader did not flinch.
“Do you think I will speak?”
“This bastard?”
As Hyung Dang Ju bit his lip, Namgung Jeong descended the stairs slowly.
He seized the pulse point at the kneeling Leader’s wrist.
Crack.
The Leader’s body began to contort grotesquely, and blood poured from his mouth.
He had unleashed the Seven Illuminations Organ Severance Technique—the most vicious torture method among internal energy extraction techniques.
“Aaaaagh!”
The Leader screamed, yet he was laughing.
“Hehehehe. No matter how much you torture me, you will not save your son!”
Just as Namgung Jeong’s expression shifted dramatically,
“Father!”
A shadow rushed forward in a single stride.
It was Nam Gung Poong.
“I have found where Woon is being held!”
“What?”
“I discovered it while pursuing the intruder who invaded my quarters. However, my martial power is insufficient to open the door there….”
As Namgung Jeong’s brow twitched,
Boom!
From the North Gate of the Nam Goong Family, an explosion erupted and flames shot skyward.
There were still remnants hiding within the Nam Goong Family.
“We must hurry! If we delay, we cannot save Woon!”
In that moment, doubt crept into Namgung Jeong’s mind.
Nam Gung Poong’s arrival was far too coincidental, and the fact that he had pursued the abducting remnants alone seemed deeply suspicious.
‘What am I thinking?’
Suspecting his own son—how could he?
Namgung Jeong shook his head, then shouted to Hyung Dang Ju and his retainers.
“Sweep out all remaining remnants of their faction with full force!”
Then he shouted to Nam Gung Poong.
“Where is Woon?”
Whoosh.
Namgung Jeong and Nam Gung Poong rushed forward like madmen, arriving at a Deep Forest Clearing far removed from the Namgung Family compound.
“It’s over here.”
Nam Gung Poong pointed at a boulder in the clearing and shouted.
“We must move that boulder to open the entrance.”
As Namgung Jeong drew upon his inner energy,
Rumble, rumble, rumble.
A boulder the size of a house shifted sideways with a low tremor.
Without laying a hand upon it, he had moved the massive stone—which appeared to weigh over ten thousand jin—through the sheer force of his formidable inner power.
Click, click, click.
As the boulder cleared away, a mechanical sound echoed from the ground, and a passage descending underground was revealed.
It was truly an ingenious mechanism.
‘To construct such a mechanism in secret near the Main House…’
Namgung Jeong could not hide his shock.
To build such an apparatus while evading the Namgung Family’s notice? These forces must have been preparing for this operation for at least several years.
Moreover, the fact that they had abducted Nam Goong Woon—not some other son—made it abundantly clear they had gathered deep knowledge about him as well.
Shing.
Drawing his blade, Namgung Jeong spoke to Nam Gung Poong.
“Return to the Main House and inform the Chief Steward of this discovery. Tell him to entrust all military command to the Silver Radiance Sword Brigade Commander.”
Without looking back, he launched himself into the underground passage.
Clang! Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
As he raced through the winding passage, countless hidden projectiles rained down.
Yet Namgung Jeong did not even defend himself, instead achieving unity of blade and spirit to break through in a single breath.
At last reaching the end of the passage, a cave sealed on all sides came into view. And at the far wall, suspended in shackles, was Nam Goong Woon.
“Family Head.”
“Are you unharmed?”
Namgung Jeong quickly surveyed the interior.
No enemies lay hidden, and no concealed mechanisms were detected.
Clang!
In an instant, he severed the shackles binding Nam Goong Woon’s wrists.
But with a loud metallic sound, only a deep groove appeared—the shackles remained intact.
“Shackles forged from Hyun Steel.”
Drawing upon his inner energy once more, a brilliant white radiance erupted from Namgung Jeong’s blade.
Boom.
With a deafening explosion, cracks spider-webbed across the rocky cliff.
Whoosh.
At the same moment, the wall where the shackles had been fixed crumbled entirely.
Namgung Jeong had brought down the stone wall in a single breath using the Heavy Sword Technique.
Thud.
As Nam Goong Woon collapsed limply, Namgung Jeong quickly caught him.
“Are you alright?”
“Family Head.”
Nam Goong Woon’s eyes were dim, and traces of blood stained the corners of his mouth.
It appeared he had suffered severe internal injuries from battling a formidable master.
“Don’t speak. Circulate your energy.”
Namgung Jeong extended his hand and began channeling his qi into Nam Goong Woon’s Dachu acupoint.
Tap-tap-tap.
Yet urgent footsteps echoed from deep within the corridor, drawing rapidly closer.
Namgung Jeong withdrew his hand momentarily, gripped the sword in his right hand, and gazed toward the sound with a tense expression.
“Father!”
But it was Nam Gung Poong who came rushing in.
He stood beside Namgung Jeong, drenched in sweat from head to toe.
“Why have you returned?”
“That is… an enormous force has already surrounded this entire area.”
“What?”
“We must flee immediately.”
Namgung Jeong looked at Nam Goong Woon, whose eyes were barely open, and shook his head.
“Stand guard for a moment. I’ll channel more qi to help him regain consciousness.”
“Understood.”
Taking a deep breath, Namgung Jeong turned and placed his hand on Nam Goong Woon’s Dachu acupoint once more.
Flash!
But Nam Goong Woon, whose vision had been fading, suddenly opened his eyes wide and cried out urgently.
“Family Head, be careful…!”
Thrust.
Before the words even finished, Namgung Jeong felt a pain as though heaven and earth were collapsing.
Turning around, he saw a sharp dagger embedded deep in the Shenzhù acupoint on his back.
Looking behind him, Nam Gung Poong stood with his eyes narrowed, staring at him.
The one who had ambushed him was none other than Nam Gung Poong.
“What a pity. Your Hyun Moon Qi was too thick, so I couldn’t strike the Shenzhù acupoint with perfect precision.”
Though he claimed he hadn’t struck with perfect precision, Namgung Jeong was now paralyzed to the point of being unable to move.
And with each breath, his power was leaking away.
The sharp blade was embedded deep near the Shenzhù acupoint, where the central nervous system converged.
Had his Hyun Moon Qi not protected him, Namgung Jeong would have either died on the spot or become paralyzed from the waist down.
“Poong, why would you…?”
“Why, you ask? You know full well.”
Nam Gung Poong’s expression grew sorrowful.
“Did you truly believe I wouldn’t recognize you, having murdered my own father and assumed his guise as his son?”

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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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