The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 398

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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 398.
Having returned to the Demon Palace, I was attending to the numerous matters that had accumulated during my absence.
After meeting Shin San Ja, a new objective had crystallized within me. And to accomplish it, I would need to leave the Demon Palace for an extended period.
Moreover, Sal Soo from the Baek Ryeol Sal Moon, So Yo, and the child she had brought entered the palace around the same time.
Before departing for Shaolin, I had sent a letter to Yu Woon Ryong, instructing him on various matters to ensure So Yo and the child could safely enter the Demon Palace.
Upon receiving the letter, Yu Woon Ryong immediately dispatched Won Se Moon to send his division down into the Gangho.
And they escorted So Yo and the child into the palace, their arrival coinciding almost precisely with my own.
The child So Yo had brought resembled her like a sister, and her appearance was exceptionally adorable.
The problem was that Yu Woon Ryong had entrusted So Yo’s escort to none other than Won Se Moon of the Sayoung Battle Division.
Or rather, to the Demonic Path’s most notorious scoundrel.
―What exactly is your relationship with our Lord?
It seemed Won Se Moon had interrogated So Yo about various things while bringing her to the Demon Palace.
And So Yo had answered him tersely, which ultimately caused trouble.
―Our Lord intends to take lifelong responsibility for the daughter born between herself and the lady So Yo!
According to Won Se Moon’s account, I had been plagued by guilt over abandoning the child, and ultimately brought So Yo and my daughter into the Demon Palace.
―Can ivory come from a dog’s mouth?
Naturally, the Lords of the Sayoung Battle Division did not believe Won Se Moon’s words.
But So Yo’s manner of speech, her actions, and even her aura… were they not unmistakably similar to me?
Though her body was far too thin, her appearance was endearing, and she possessed the subtle, mysterious allure unique to people of her ethnicity.
Moreover, the daughter she had brought resembled her mother so closely that Won Se Moon’s account somehow began to feel persuasive.
Yet the person in question—myself—remained completely unaware of this situation.
Whisper, whisper.
Whenever I moved about the Demon Palace attending to duties, I received strange glances I had never encountered before.
They were not the admiration and reverence I had grown accustomed to, but rather an odd gaze that made the back of my neck itch peculiarly.
Though I found it puzzling, I dismissed it without concern.
During my vagrant years, I had endured contempt; during my time with Yeomsa, I had borne disdain.
Now, as the successor, I received admiration and respect, yet such things are but fleeting moments.
I had never lived conscious of others’ gazes. No matter how anyone looked at me, I walked with unwavering confidence and composure.
But this time, such behavior proved to be my error in judgment.
Had the majority of people regarded me strangely, I should have inquired into the reason.
Rumble, rumble.
As I made my way to the office to handle the accumulated duties since my arrival at the palace, something unexpected occurred.
Suddenly, all the Lords of the Sayoung Battle Division except Yu Woon Ryong came rushing toward me.
“What is the matter?”
In response to my question, Myo Cheon Woo, pushed forward by the Lords, cleared his throat and asked.
“So Yo has entered the palace with the child.”
“I am aware.”
As my calm reply came, Myo Cheon Woo seemed to have steeled himself and asked directly.
“Did you truly say you would take lifelong responsibility?”
He was referring to responsibility for the child So Yo had brought.
The two of them would spend their lives fleeing from Baek Ryeol Sal Moon, and I had to bring So Yo to the Sa Hon Dae as its deputy lord.
However, unfortunately…
I was not the type to explain such matters in tedious detail, and besides, I had a mountain of pending work.
Thus, I nodded with an expression of indifference.
“Indeed.”
A brief silence fell.
The Lords, including Myo Cheon Woo, narrowed their eyes and nodded.
Then, like insects scattering in all directions, they departed in a rush.
“Late though it may be, that was a manly decision.”
Myo Cheon Woo, who had been rigid, soon came to his senses and extended his thumb.
“I support you.”
And he too departed quietly.
Strange occurrences continued.
“Lord.”
As I sat in my office examining correspondence, Dan So Ok—who had not sought me out all this time—came to visit.
She immediately placed an envelope on my desk.
“It’s a letter from Elder Sister So Ha.”
“So Ha?”
Only after unfolding the letter did I realize it was from Yeon So Ha, the Young Palace Master of Shin Nyeo Gung.
―My husband is a hero of Tianxia, so I would never resent you taking three concubines. However, henceforth, should such matters arise, you must consult with me first, as the principal wife.
As I read through the letter, my expression became like that of someone who had discovered a giant fly in a bowl of soup.
“What in the world is this supposed to mean?”
“You went too far. How could you do such a thing to a sick child….”
Dan So Ok began to say something, then shook her head.
“At least Father is away on business in Gwan Oe, so that’s a mercy… but in any case, make absolutely certain that word of this does not leak beyond the Demon Palace. That’s all.”
Before I could say anything, Dan So Ok left abruptly.
Standing dazed, I furrowed my brow. What on earth was all this about?
Knock, knock.
At that moment, there came a knock on the door and the voice of Yu Woon Ryong.
“It is Yu Woon Ryong.”
“Come in.”
As the door opened, I saw Yu Woon Ryong, dressed in a scholar’s robe with a grayish hue, and a small shadow holding his hand tightly.
She appeared to be about seven years old.
A girl with a beautiful countenance and gentle eyes like those of a deer.
Yet she seemed to be suffering from a grave illness—her face was pallid, and her skin had taken on a sallow, darkened hue.
It appeared that without swift treatment, her life would be in peril.
I could tell at a glance that this was the child So Yo had brought.
“Preparations for treatment have been completed.”
At that moment, Yu Woon Ryong spoke with an exceptionally gentle expression.
“So Yo and Myo Cheon Woo, along with the Sa Hon Dae Lord, will arrive shortly.”
Both of them were transcendent masters whose internal cultivation exceeded two hundred years.
Add Bu Eunseol, So Yo, and Yu Woon Ryong to that, and we had five masters gathered with over three full decades of combined power.
“We were going to treat him at the prepared quarters—why did you bring him all the way here?”
“This child hasn’t eaten properly all this time, so his physical strength has deteriorated significantly. What if he can’t withstand the true qi we’re infusing into him?”
“That won’t happen.”
Bu Eunseol spoke calmly.
“I will oversee the infusion of true qi. I’ll regulate it carefully to ensure there’s absolutely no strain on his body, so there’s no need to worry.”
“But there’s always the possibility of ‘what if,’ isn’t there? Something could go wrong.”
“What are you trying to say?”
Yu Woon Ryong offered an exceedingly gentle smile and led the child by the hand.
“Hold the child in your arms once.”
“Why?”
“Why? That’s too much.”
Yu Woon Ryong spoke in a trembling voice, as if shocked.
“As a father, can’t you even do that much?”
“Father?”
“Yes.”
“Ah.”
Now Bu Eunseol understood everything.
There was no need to ask about the circumstances before and after. There was only one madman in the Sayoung Battle Division who would spout such nonsense.
“Where is Won Se… no, that twin-sword fool?”
* * *
Won Se Moon had nearly been thrown into the Underground Prison for the first time in Sayoung Battle Division history—for misusing his mouth.
Dan Seo Ok, her eyes flipped with great fury, had attempted to confine him to the Underground Prison using the authority of the Mikmil Commandant.
Had the Lords of the Sayoung Battle Division not rushed over and trampled and beaten him instead.
Had her anger not been appeased by that.
He would have been locked in the Underground Prison for a long time.
“Let us begin.”
Around the time Won Se Moon, thoroughly trampled, was lying in the Medicine King Hall.
The five gathered for the child brought by So Yo began infusing their internal power according to the secret method Shin San Ja had taught them.
Jo Nam Cheon and Wi Cheon Gyeong, though not strictly necessary, had heard about the infusion of internal power and were now standing guard with utmost seriousness.
“Done.”
After one hour, they ceased the infusion of internal power, wiped their sweat, and smiled with satisfaction.
The child’s dark skin had turned white, and vitality flowed throughout his entire body.
The Yin Severing Meridian that had threatened his life for so long was finally cured as if washed clean.
After that, So Yo became the Deputy Lord of Sa Hon Dae at Bu Eunseol’s suggestion.
Her temperament was calm and her insight was sharp. Moreover, she had mastered transcendent movement techniques subtle enough to follow Bu Eunseol discreetly.
Even searching through all of Murim, there was no one else qualified to be Deputy Lord of Sa Hon Dae besides her.
However, Sa Hon Dae was a secret intelligence organization that Bu Eunseol had established unofficially.
Therefore, she was not officially registered with the Demon Palace, and was only registered as a martial arts instructor of Jamma Pavilion, like So Ok Rim.
And the child So Yo brought became a servant helping with the menial tasks of the Jamma Pavilion.
However, that was merely her official position. Bu Eunseol summoned renowned scholars from the Demon Palace to teach her academics, arts, and martial techniques.
So that whenever she wished, she could leave the Demon Palace and choose her own path in life.
After completing all the accumulated matters, Bu Eunseol convened another Lords’ Council.
However, Mu Heun, the Lord of Sa Hon Dae, and So Yo, the Deputy Lord, did not attend.
As members of the Secret Intelligence Organization, they refrained from appearing publicly unless it was a matter of special significance.
Particularly So Yo required extensive training. The Sa Hon Dae that Bu Eunseol had established was unlike an ordinary intelligence organization.
Moreover, So Yo had lived in Sae Oe all her life, so she needed to learn about the political situation of Zhong Yuan’s Murim and various forms of knowledge.
And as Deputy Lord, she had to master the military strategies and formation techniques to command Sa Hon Dae, as well as numerous martial arts and skills.
It would be a very long process.
But once So Yo completed all her training, she would become a tremendous asset to Bu Eunseol.
Thump thump.
Won Se Moon, burdened by the debt he owed Bu Eunseol, entered the conference hall earlier than usual and took his seat.
Once the Lords had gathered, Bu Eunseol calmly explained everything she had experienced thus far.
“Contrary to what is known, Shin San Ja was not merely a sage of Murim.”
Contrary to what is known, Shin San Ja was deeply involved in Murim’s political affairs.
She revealed that he was a powerful figure capable of manipulating Shaolin, which is called the leader of the Nine Sects One Alliance, as he pleased.
In particular, she even presented the deduction that Shin San Ja was likely a dual identity—both the Alliance Master of the Murim Alliance and the highest expert of the Orthodox Sects, Jeong Cheon Je and Sin Do Mu Bi.
“Well, it’s true that the leaders of the Righteous and Demonic paths have always carried secret identities.”
Yu Woon Ryong, having heard everything, opened his mouth with a grave expression.
“But that might actually be a trap.”
“A trap?”
Myo Cheon Woo, sitting beside him, blinked, and Yu Woon Ryong spoke with intensity in his eyes.
“Shin San Ja is known as the most intelligent person in Murim, one who knows the most.”
“Well, that’s certainly true.”
“For someone like that to deliberately expose clues that would allow us to deduce his identity as the Alliance Master would be utterly foolish.”
At that, everyone in the hall nodded in agreement.
Shin San Ja was a person so brilliant that he could predict all of Bu Eunseol’s movements within Shaolin.
For such a person to carelessly reveal clues that would expose his identity? It made no sense.
Rather, the probability that it was an intentional act was far higher.
“Of course, the likelihood that he is one of the top figures of the Orthodox Sects is still high.”
Yu Woon Ryong spoke again.
“Sending an envoy to the Namgung Family to investigate the artificial core incident is one thing, but using Shaolin’s secret organization arbitrarily… that would be impossible unless his position is extraordinarily high and he shares an intimate relationship with the Shaolin Abbot.”
“Hmm.”
Myo Cheon Woo, with his arms crossed, shook his head.
“Now that I think about it, it’s terrifying. So all the factions of the Righteous and Demonic paths have spies embedded, and the leaders of Murim have simply accepted this as natural all along.”
The Lords nodded in agreement with those words.
Even when the spies who had been responding to external forces were exposed, even when incidents like the artificial core affair occurred,
Ma Cheon Je, the Murim Alliance Master, and the top figures of the Orthodox Sects showed no significant reaction—because they already knew of such things.
At that moment, Wi Cheon Gyeong, who had been listening silently, opened his mouth with a serious expression.
“Then, Lord, do you not suspect us?”
Wi Cheon Gyeong swept his piercing gaze across the assembly as he spoke.
“Could there not be a spy among us who has been turned by the Murim Alliance or those strange creatures?”
It was perhaps an odd thing to say.
Yet given everything I had experienced thus far, it was a reasoning with sufficient plausibility.
A brief silence fell.
Then I spoke in a low but resolute voice.
“I do not suspect you.”
In that instant, the eyes of Wi Cheon Gyeong and the other Lords began to ripple like waves.
Bu Eunseol is a person of such cold temperament and logical mind that she borders on ruthless.
Yet she was offering them unconditional, infinite support.
How could they not be moved?
“You have all lived as drifters all along.”
But with my next words, that emotion evaporated entirely.
“There is no force mad enough to employ you in treachery.”
The Lords of Sayoung Battle Division were Myo Cheon Woo and Yu Woon Ryong of the Ten Demon Immortals, who had been ostracized by their own sects.
And they were members of what had been called the Mubon Squad, for having no roots.
All of them had been rejected by their respective organizations and were people with no interest in the affairs of Murim.
No matter how great the wealth and power of a faction, no fool would select rootless vagabonds and employ them in treachery.
“Ah.”
Only then did the Lords, understanding everything, exhale a melancholy sigh.
I did not trust them unconditionally and infinitely—rather, I had sufficient grounds for trust.
“But there is one thing. Should we not give the child a name?”
It was then that Jo Nam Cheon spoke of something unexpected.
“The little child that So Yo brought here.”
At the mention of the small child So Yo had brought, smiles graced the lips of the Lords.
Within the Jamma Pavilion, where a desolate atmosphere always lingered, the innocent child simply going about her duties
had brightened the gloomy atmosphere of the Sayoung Battle Division’s warriors considerably.
It was not because of her appearance, but because of her nature, which seemed to embody all the purity and charm in the world.
“Even So Yo and everyone else have not given her a name, so we simply call her something like ‘this one’ or ‘that one.'”
“Hmm.”
I crossed my arms.
No matter what, it was certainly strange for a child registered in the Demon Palace to be called ‘nobody.’
It was then that Myo Cheon Woo spoke to Yu Woon Ryong.
“You are the Sang Hak Lord. Why not give her a good name?”
“Me?”
Yu Woon Ryong hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.
“How could I dare? Of course, our Sayoung Battle Division’s Leader should give her a name.”
“I could manage a martial technique name, but a personal name is beyond me.”
At my words, silence fell over the conference hall once more.
Won Se Moon spoke up.
“Since So Yo is like a younger sister to you, wouldn’t it be fitting to give her the surname So?”
“That works. What about the given name?”
Yu Woon Ryong nodded, and Won Se Moon hesitated.
He hadn’t thought that far ahead.
“Well, since her health has been poor until now… let’s call her Ok Rim, meaning she should grow strong and robust like Guan Yu.”
Smack!
“Hey, are you joking?”
Jo Nam Cheon struck Won Se Moon on the back of the head as he spoke.
“How can you just copy the name of the So Sect Leader?”
“W-well, then you come up with something!”
“Hmm. Keep the surname So, and for the given name… since her eyes are pretty, how about Pan?”
“So Pan? Really?”
Smack!
“Then how about So… No Gong, meaning she should diligently cultivate her martial arts.”
Smack!
“Or So… Bang Gwan, meaning she should see the world broadly and comprehensively.”
As Won Se Moon and Jo Nam Cheon took turns spouting nonsense while striking each other’s heads, the eyes of the remaining Lords grew noticeably darker.
―This is why the Realm Master trusts us.
Even if the Three Realms were an ignorant fool, she would never entrust these idiots with any schemes.
“We’ll decide that later.”
As the nonsense continued, Bu Eunseol rose from her seat and spoke curtly.
“The conference ends here.”
After concluding the Lords’ conference, I returned to my office.
But something felt odd.
I stared into empty space for a moment, then began searching through my office meticulously, like a thief who had stolen something.
I closed my eyes at times and lowered my body to carefully inspect the floor.
“Well constructed.”
Muttering softly, I approached the bookshelf and flipped over several volumes placed there.
Click.
Then one section of the wall flipped open, revealing a secret chamber.
The ceiling and walls were made of thick steel, so if the door were closed, even the most formidable master could not eavesdrop on conversations.
“Well? Do you like it?”
And inside the secret chamber, Yu Woon Ryong stood gazing at me with a smile.
“I’m genuinely impressed this time.”
Yu Woon Ryong looked around the secret chamber and shrugged his shoulders.
“You asked me to construct a secret chamber in your office before you returned.”
I had previously conveyed matters related to So Yo to Yu Woon Ryong, and I had also issued one additional covert order.
That order was to construct a secret and fortified chamber within my office.
And Yu Woon Ryong had faithfully executed that order, creating secret passages and a hidden chamber connected to my office and the conference hall.
Yu Woon Ryong possessed not only the authority to handle all matters during my absence, but also the privilege to freely access my office.
“That works.”
As I nodded and entered the secret chamber, the wall closed automatically with a soft grinding sound.
“But in the end… there is someone worthy of suspicion, is there not?”
At that moment, Yu Woon Ryong spoke carefully, his expression darkening.
“Among the Lords of our Sayoung Battle Division.”
A brief silence fell.
I exhaled deeply while gazing into the void and spoke.
“It is merely a possibility. Nothing is certain yet.”
In the past, when I visited the Hwawoo Sword Sect, Wi Ji Hye Sang had said this.
―Are you finding the descendants of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars well?
At that time, such information was known only to the Lords I trusted.
I had believed then that Wi Ji Hye Sang had learned of it by chance, and that his words were merely a scheme to fracture the unity between myself and the Lords.
But through this journey into Gangho, I came to realize it was far more than mere wordplay.
Only I and the Lords knew that I had set out alone to find Shin San Ja.
Yet as if waiting for this moment, the Murim Alliance and Jo Cheon Wang acted immediately in response, did they not?
―I trust you.
I had spoken these words to the Lords.
But it was a lie.
I had concluded that the probability of a traitor existing among the Lords was extremely high.

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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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