The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 388

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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 388.
A flicker of bewilderment crossed Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
‘And so many of them at that.’
The assassins of Baek Ryeol Sal Moon were exceptionally skilled, so even for the most difficult missions, they dispatched squads of five or fewer.
Yet now, wasn’t a force of some fifty assassins moving as one?
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
At that moment, a barrage of needles erupted from the Baek Ryeol Pavilion, pouring toward Bu Eunseol’s face.
It seemed they intended to kill her along with the girl called So Yo, having deemed her a witness.
Swish!
So Yo’s movement technique was extraordinary, and she instantly escaped the range of the Baek Ryeol Pavilion’s assault.
Thunk, thunk!
Simultaneously, she unleashed a volley of short arrows using her silver bow.
She wielded not the Baek Ryeol Pavilion’s signature needles, but ordinary arrows commonly used by assassins throughout Zhong Yuan’s Murim.
Thwack, thwack!
So Yo’s arrows never missed.
With each shot, assassins fell without fail, their vital points pierced clean through.
Thunk!
Moreover, her arrows did not fly in straight lines—they curved freely like living creatures.
‘Her archery is truly formidable.’
Bu Eunseol did not actively engage in combat, merely deflecting the incoming needles while observing So Yo’s martial prowess.
Ting, ting, ting!
As Bu Eunseol stood motionless, deflecting the needles while watching the battle unfold, the assassins’ attention and strength became divided.
So Yo seized the opportunity, deploying an unpredictable butterfly-like movement technique, felling the assassins one by one.
The assassins of Baek Ryeol Sal Moon fired their needles relentlessly, yet her movement was too erratic and swift for any to find their mark.
“Form the Blood Whisker Formation and surround her!”
Upon witnessing So Yo traverse the battlefield with such freedom, the assassins moved in chaotic coordination, weaving their formation.
Thunk! Thunk!
The assassins, now arranged in the Blood Whisker Formation’s grand configuration, unleashed a torrent of needles skyward from their bows.
The arrows falling from above created a circular wall that not only confined her,
but blocked all four directions, preventing her from deploying her elusive movement technique.
Clang! Crash, crash, crash!
She drew her short blade and defended against the descending needles.
Though the arrows grew more intricate and the formation’s power intensified, So Yo held her ground without apparent strain.
“That… that one.”
Bewilderment burst from the Assassin Leader’s lips.
The reason So Yo could endure so calmly within the Blood Whisker Formation’s confines.
It was because Bu Eunseol stood motionless, deflecting the needles with a bored expression.
“Because of that one!”
Originally, the Blood Whisker Formation was an absolute technique designed to confine a single master of exceptional skill.
Yet with Bu Eunseol calmly deflecting needles at So Yo’s side,
Their power and effectiveness had become as pathetic as a formation displayed in some third-rate Martial Hall in the neighborhood.
“The arrows never end.”
Meanwhile, Bu Eunseol, who had been continuously deflecting the Baek Ryeol arrows, also furrowed her brow.
I had thought the arrows they were unleashing would soon run out.
But the cascading arrows showed no sign of diminishing whatsoever.
“There’s no choice.”
Sling.
Drawing her dark sword, Bu Eunseol unfolded the Crescent Moon Radiant Form in one fluid motion.
“Scatter!”
The assassins cried out in alarm as a sword aura the size of a house descended upon their heads, retreating hastily backward.
But the colossal cross-shaped sword aura would not permit their retreat.
Flash!
The radiant blade energy that poured down shattered the solid walls of the blood formation in an instant.
Rumble!
With a thunderous roar, the formation scattered and the rigid formation collapsed in ruins.
So Yo seized the opportunity, spinning in circles as she fired short-range arrows, dispatching the assassins one by one.
“Ugh!”
“Kgh!”
One person breaking the formation at close range, another firing arrows from a distance—their coordination was flawless.
Thud thud thud.
In the end, more than half of the fifty-odd assassins collapsed to the ground as cold corpses.
At this rate, the annihilation of the entire force was merely a matter of time.
“Retreat!”
At the Assassin Leader’s cry, the remaining assassins deployed their movement techniques in perfect unison and escaped the battlefield.
Bu Eunseol did not pursue them, simply watching with calm composure.
“Phew.”
As all the assassins withdrew, So Yo breathed heavily.
In truth, her skill level was insufficient to perfectly handle fifty-odd assassins alone.
Had Bu Eunseol not joined the fight, I would have suffered grave wounds or chosen immediate escape.
Click.
Bu Eunseol slowly sheathed her dark sword and asked her a question.
“Why are assassins from the same sect pursuing you?”
“It’s none of your concern.”
So Yo maintained a cold expression, showing little gratitude despite Bu Eunseol’s aid.
“I see.”
Bu Eunseol nodded at the curt response.
After all, this was merely a fleeting connection. There was no need to show concern, nor any reason to understand the circumstances.
“Then.”
Leaving behind a brief word, Bu Eunseol calmly walked away and departed the Temple Hall.
Bu Eunseol continued moving without pause toward Nam An Bu, where Myo Ga So was located.
One would think she might stop at a village or Seong Do, enjoying delicious food and a comfortable inn.
Yet I continued to avoid populated areas, stubbornly choosing the lonelier paths.
The journey to Myo Ga So was far from short.
And the assassins who had attacked me would not give up—they would be watching for opportunities at every turn.
If I entered a city or village?
They would unhesitatingly use innocent civilians as shields to strike at me.
‘At this rate, they should reveal themselves soon.’
The assassins’ purpose was clear: to prevent me from passing through populated villages or cities.
In other words, they were waiting to create an opportunity to send a massive force all at once and finish me in a single blow.
Yet they still had not shown themselves.
‘Are they waiting for the right moment?’
But the moment I chose to travel the desolate roads, the ambush attempts ceased entirely.
‘That means they have another purpose. What could it be?’
Lost in deep thought while executing my movement technique, I gradually came to a halt.
I had spotted a dilapidated abandoned house in the distance.
Passing through the half-destroyed gate, I saw an overgrown courtyard.
The palace halls inside were nearly collapsed, but sufficient to shelter from the night dew.
“This will do.”
The sun was just beginning to set.
I decided to rest here for the night.
Crackle.
I gathered broken wood from the surroundings, lit a fire, and leaned against a garden stone scattered across the courtyard, closing my eyes.
In truth, I felt no fatigue whatsoever.
I could execute my movement technique continuously for four days without rest and suffer no ill effects.
But the enemy could appear at any moment, anywhere.
If I exhausted all my stamina and inner force in such a manner and arrived at Myo Ga So, I would be unable to respond to any sudden situation.
Especially since Shin San Ja was closely connected to the Orthodox Sects.
Even if he had brought the Debt of Gratitude Tablet, he might refuse to meet me, or this could all be a trap.
Therefore, I intended to arrive at Myo Ga So with my inner force and stamina fully replenished.
Whoosh.
Then, a sound of parting air echoed from the distant sky, and a small shadow entered through the gate.
It was So Yo—the very girl I had fought alongside against the assassins of Baek Ryeol Sal Moon.
“Hmm.”
Upon seeing me sitting with the fire lit, So Yo made a soft sound and stopped in her tracks.
Swish.
She turned to leave,
“There’s no need.”
My lips moved while my eyes remained closed.
“I won’t eat you.”
At those words, So Yo’s head snapped around, and she glared at me.
Her silver-tinted eyes gleamed with a lethal radiance, yet I remained at rest with my eyes closed.
“If you’re afraid, you’re welcome to leave.”
Had she been an ordinary martial artist, I would have offered her gentle reassurances to rest comfortably.
But I had seen through So Yo’s nature at a glance and deliberately provoked her.
Without doing so, she would refuse to rest here and insist on trudging through the night.
Thud, thud.
So Yo approached with a cold expression and passed by me.
She gathered firewood at a distance and kindled a flame.
‘Was this meeting inevitable?’
After pondering for a moment, I understood why our paths kept crossing.
She too was being hunted by the assassins of Baek Ryeol Sal Moon. Particularly, Baek Ryeol Sal Moon employs tactics of unleashing torrents of arrows.
If a battle erupted in the village, innocent civilians would surely suffer catastrophic losses.
She, like myself, was moving to avoid villages and Seong Do to prevent harm to the people.
Crackle.
Only the sound of firewood burning and sparking echoed through the night sky.
An ordinary martial artist would have called this fate and inquired about each other’s circumstances.
But neither I nor So Yo
asked anything.
And time passed in this manner.
Yet it was peculiar.
Though I was with a stranger in this desolate abandoned house, there was no discomfort—as if I were alone.
Kindred spirits.
Our temperaments and auras resembled each other in some indefinable way.
Thus, despite occupying the same space, we felt no awkwardness whatsoever.
Whoosh.
Then a sound of cutting through air echoed from the distant sky.
Simultaneously, fifty-odd martial artists clad in black assassin garb descended into the courtyard and surrounded us.
Swift.
So Yo opened her eyes and slowly rose to walk toward the assassins.
But this time, I stepped forward before her.
“It seems these are my guests this time.”
The assassins who had appeared now emanated an entirely different aura from those of Baek Ryeol Sal Moon.
I could discern at once that these were the assassins who had been attacking me all along.
“It seems they’re still not at full strength.”
I spoke calmly, gazing down at the assassins.
“Are you still unprepared? Or are you scheming?”
Swish.
The assassins drew poisoned blades instead of answering. Without hesitation, they rushed forward and began unleashing sharp sword strikes.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
It was remarkable.
These fifty-odd assassins possessed not only exceptional swordsmanship but also wielded a ghostly movement technique that bore a striking resemblance to that of the Baek Ryeol Sal Moon assassins.
They dispersed like phantoms across the battlefield.
The moment I attempted to unfurl my blade technique, they would scatter like mist, evading my strike range with uncanny precision.
‘These men…’
The movement technique they displayed—was it not the Yeon Pa Un Hui of the Soo Young Moon, renowned throughout the Murim for their exceptional movement arts?
‘It was the Murim Alliance after all.’
It was inconceivable that the Soo Young Moon, a mysterious sect that had historically kept itself hidden from the Gangho, would suddenly become an assassin organization.
After all, the Soo Young Moon had no grievances with me whatsoever.
Yet the fact that these assassins wielded the movement technique of the Soo Young Moon, a mysterious sect of the Righteous Path, suggested something else entirely.
It meant these were not disciples of the Soo Young Moon, but rather assassins of the Murim Alliance who had learned the movement technique provided by the Soo Young Moon.
Whoosh!
In that instant, the assassins launched another sword technique at me.
‘Are they trying to trace the marks of my martial arts?’
Though the assassins’ movement and sword techniques were formidable, they were not skilled enough to truly trouble me.
That meant they were expendable pieces.
By sending assassins who displayed such exceptional movement and sword techniques, they were likely observing my true martial power.
Or perhaps they were attempting to discern my combat patterns and habits.
‘Someone could be watching from somewhere.’
Scrape.
Without hesitation, I drew my blade and unfurled the Musan Cheon Ryu.
There was no need to expose my profound martial understanding by using the Bingha Cheon Ryu Gyeol, the Yeouui Jin Gyeol, or the Thirteen Night Technique.
But then, at that moment—
Piercing!
With a sharp whistling sound, a steel arrow shot through the gaps between the assassins who were executing their movement technique.
Thud!
With a dull sound, an arrow was embedded deep between the brows of an assassin who had vanished like mist.
So Yo, standing behind me, had used her bow to eliminate one of the Murim Alliance assassins.
Twang! Twang!
This time, two arrows shot forth in rapid succession.
The shadows of two assassins who had been circling around me while dispersed like mist were instantly revealed.
Flash!
Seizing the opportunity, I unfurled the Yuseong Chu Wol.
Piercing!
My swordsmanship had already reached a sublime level, allowing even simple techniques to contain countless variations.
Each movement of my blade created sword shadows that traced unpredictable paths.
Twang! Twang!
I altered my sword technique, weaving brilliant sword flowers across the empty air.
With each bloom, blood flowers blossomed from the necks of the assassins moving like mist.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
So Yo’s arrows flew without pause, sealing off the assassins’ movements.
Every time, Bu Eunseol’s silent blade followed with terrifying precision.
Thud. Thud. Crack.
The assassins who had been circling like ghosts around Bu Eunseol, concealed in shadow, now lay scattered across the floor as cold corpses.
Click.
Having dispatched all of the Murim Alliance’s assassins, Bu Eunseol sheathed her silent blade across her back and turned away.
“Why did you interfere?”
“Past debt.”
A terse reply.
It seemed she meant to say something like, “I was repaying a debt from before.”
So Yo, having secured her short bow across her back once more, turned without ceremony and departed the abandoned house as though nothing had transpired.
‘She’ll come again.’
Since the assassins pursuing Bu Eunseol had appeared here, the assassins of Baek Ryeol Sal Moon who pursued So Yo would soon arrive at this place as well.
She had left quickly to ensure Bu Eunseol would not be caught in the crossfire.
“….”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes narrowed as she watched So Yo’s departing figure.
‘She cannot escape alone.’
Baek Ryeol Sal Moon was among the most formidable assassin organizations in Sae Oe.
With them pursuing her relentlessly, So Yo might well face endless pursuit until her dying breath.
“Hmm.”
Bu Eunseol exhaled softly.
There were only two reasons a child so young would enter an assassin organization.
Either she had walked into it of her own accord, driven by starvation.
Or she possessed such exceptional talent that the masters of an assassin organization had abducted her.
Of course, neither path was one this small girl would have chosen.
“There is no choice.”
The Murim is merciless.
No sane person would aid a girl hunted by the fearsome Baek Ryeol Sal Moon.
To do so would risk not only one’s own life, but the very existence of one’s sect.
Yet by fortunate providence, such a person existed.
Not only was she far from lacking sense, but she was powerful enough that the survival of her sect was not a concern worth wagering.
“Why are you being hunted by assassins from the Demonic Path?”
Bu Eunseol followed after So Yo.
She had resolved to help her.
When a stone is thrown, a mountain is hurled in retaliation; when a cup of water is given, a well is dug in repayment.
Such was the iron law of the Ten Demonic Gates, of Nangya Sect.
“I will help you.”
Yet So Yo ignored Bu Eunseol’s kindness and walked forward in silence.
“Does it sound like a lie?”
“Stop caring.”
Though an icy response came back, Bu Eunseol found herself smiling instead.
When it came to having a cold and detached disposition, Shim Ui was second to none.
Had I been the Bu Eunseol of the past, I would have simply walked past her without a second thought.
After all, forcing aid upon someone who seeks none would itself be a form of coercion.
But now, I did not hesitate to save the frozen girl.
This was not the visage of a ruthless Demonic Path Grandmaster—it was the bearing of one who walks the path she believes to be righteous.
“You need not explain yourself. I will simply help you.”
“Why.”
“It is a debt from just now.”
“Not that.”
―The true reason you wish to help me.
Her gaze spoke these words to me without utterance.
When So Yo’s eyes fixed upon mine, I paused in contemplation.
She was no member of the Orthodox Sects, nor did she harbor even a passing interest in righteousness.
“I don’t know.”
It was the truth.
Not a desire to become righteous, nor a compulsion to repay debts. There was no pressing reason I must help her.
Even I myself did not know the true reason.
Realizing the sincerity in my words, a peculiar light flickered across So Yo’s eyes.
“How old are you?”
“Roughly… past twenty.”
I had been abandoned so young that I did not know my exact age.
At this, So Yo’s eyes gleamed.
“You’re young.”
“Young?”
“I’m roughly… thirty.”
At this unexpected answer, my eyes widened in disbelief.
Even being generous, she appeared to be no more than fifteen years old, yet her actual age exceeded thirty?
“Are you jesting?”
“Does it sound like a jest?”
As So Yo’s large eyes sparkled, I drew a deep breath.
She and I are of the same kind.
Neither of us possessed the temperament for jests or mockery, nor any reason to lie.
‘Did she consume the Youth Elixir?’
So Yo’s youthfulness was not merely the result of a unique constitution or delicate features.
She possessed the skin of a young girl—something no woman in her thirties could naturally have.
In that moment, a single thought flashed through my mind.
“Are you connected to Yunhai Biyeok Palace?”
Those who dwell at Yunhai Biyeok Palace atop Gorap Mountain, nourished by the spiritual herbs that grow there, cease their growth in their teens.
And they maintain that physique and complexion throughout their entire lives.
Perhaps So Yo once lived near Gorap Mountain before becoming a disciple of Yunhai Biyeok Palace.
Or perhaps I had gone mad wondering if they, like the disciples of Yunhai Biyeok Palace, had consumed the spiritual herbs of Gorap Mountain.
But no answer came.
As silence stretched between us, Bu Eunseol spoke.
“First, let us shake off these persistent pursuers.”
Baek Ryeol Sal Moon refused to relent, continuing to chase So Yo.
And the Murim Alliance’s assassins clung tenaciously to Bu Eunseol as well.
If we exploited this, we could buy ourselves sufficient time.
“….”
But So Yo remained silent.
It was a clear refusal.
‘There is nothing to be done.’
One cannot force aid upon those who claim they need none.
Besides, she was older than Bu Eunseol.
As a woman fully capable of bearing responsibility for her own choices, there was no reason for Bu Eunseol to interfere.
“Very well. Then what if we….”
Just as Bu Eunseol began to continue,
A sharp whistle pierced the air.
Once more, the sound of splitting sky echoed from the distant heavens.
This time, a hundred assassins surrounded the area.
They were the pursuers from Baek Ryeol Sal Moon.
“So Yo!”
The Assassin Leader roared, his voice thick with fury.
Bu Eunseol paid him no mind and tried to quicken her pace.
But she was forced to stop.
For the Assassin Leader had shouted this:
“Hand over the Boeunji Coin at once!”

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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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