The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 408

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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 408.
Upon leaving the Murim Alliance, Bu Eunseol immediately visited the Seoha Branch of the Murim Alliance, where the Fire Essence Stone had been stolen.
“The Elite Division? What is that?”
However, the officials at the branch were completely unaware of the newly established Elite Division.
Not only had the establishment of the Elite Division failed to reach the branch properly, but Seon Woo Jin’s appearance and demeanor were far too ordinary.
Even after presenting the medallion symbolizing a Third-Rank Lord, the officials remained skeptical.
Creak.
Then a door opened from within, and a middle-aged man in indigo robes emerged, clasping his hands respectfully toward Bu Eunseol.
“You must be the Third-Rank Lord Seon Woo, dispatched from the Alliance to investigate the theft, correct?”
The middle-aged man was Choi Seung, who held the position of Vice-Director of the Seoha Branch, also known as O Cho Geom.
“Yes, I am Seon Woo Jin, overseeing the Elite Division.”
As Bu Eunseol clasped her hands respectfully, Choi Seung reciprocated the courtesy.
“I am Choi Seung, Vice-Director, acting under the Branch Director’s orders to assist with the investigation.”
He then extended his hand and guided Bu Eunseol forward.
“Please, come inside. I shall show you the way.”
“Thank you.”
Bu Eunseol smiled softly as she entered.
Before venturing into Gangho, I had instructed my officers to take one crucial measure.
Through the Mangyeong Jeon, I sent official letters to each branch, announcing my visit and requesting their cooperation.
‘Had I not sent word ahead, I would have faced considerable resistance just entering the branch.’
If I possessed the renown of someone like Cheon Hwa In, with backing from the Murim Alliance and a reputation throughout Gangho, then even as a Third-Rank Lord, I would always receive lavish treatment.
But I had neither backing nor renown.
Moreover, the Elite Division was merely a newly established Third-Rank Division of the Murim Alliance. Without sending official letters in advance, the investigation itself might have become impossible.
“How may I be of service?”
At Choi Seung’s words, Bu Eunseol replied.
“I need only to see the warehouse where the Fire Essence Stone was lost.”
“Of course.”
Choi Seung unhesitatingly led her to the Weapon Storage of the Seoha Branch.
Upon entering, a vast warehouse interior came into view, roughly one-third of which stood empty.
Because the Seoha Branch was situated entirely within Orthodox Sect territory, the variety of hidden weapons and fire implements was extremely limited.
Even what little existed was so sparse that it merely maintained appearances.
“There is quite a bit of empty space.”
“There is no particular need to fill it.”
Pride filled Choi Seung’s expression as he answered.
The Murim Alliance was an organization that concentrated the power of the Orthodox Murim. No matter how bold an individual or faction, they could not attack a branch.
‘A mess.’
Had this been a branch of the Demon Palace, Choi Seung and even the Branch Director would have lost their heads immediately.
But such matters of the Murim Alliance were not my concern. I smiled faintly and nodded.
“I see.”
“This is the warehouse where the Fire Essence Stone was kept.”
As Choi Seung unlocked the rusted Iron Gate with his key, a Stone Chamber came into view, revealing several metal boxes arranged in neat rows.
Among them was one empty space—clearly where the Hwajeongseok had been kept.
Bu Eunseol stepped into the Stone Chamber and examined the spot where the Hwajeongseok had rested with meticulous attention.
‘Even the investigators of the Constabulary would have done better than this.’
The interior bore not only traces left by the thief, but also countless marks seemingly left by the branch’s investigators during their own examination.
‘They’ve even destroyed the most crucial evidence—the footprints.’
Bu Eunseol let out a bitter smile.
This reckless approach to investigation was precisely why they had failed to uncover even the thief’s traces until now.
‘Though I suppose it’s unrealistic to expect a competent investigator to be assigned to a matter as trivial as the theft of a Hwajeongseok.’
Zing.
Bu Eunseol immediately activated her Gongshimtongyeong.
White light flowed from her eyes, and traces that had been imperceptible to the naked eye suddenly became crystal clear.
‘This is not the work of a professional thief.’
As Bu Eunseol examined the traces left behind in detail, her eyes narrowed.
It was rare in Murim for a major thief to infiltrate the Murim Alliance’s warehouse and steal from it. The only ones with any reasonable chance would be the professional thieves known as Shintu.
However, those called Shintu each possessed their own unique methods.
Because of this, Shintu would meticulously erase all traces left at the scene after committing theft.
Yet this place was densely covered with countless marks left by the perpetrator.
In other words, whoever had stolen the Hwajeongseok was a complete novice with virtually no experience in thievery.
‘A solo act by an amateur. This makes things easier.’
Through her Gongshimtongyeong, Bu Eunseol committed the thief’s physical characteristics and habits evident in the warehouse to memory.
“I’ve seen all I need. Thank you.”
“Is the investigation complete already?”
“Yes, it is.”
Choi Seung blinked, his expression bewildered.
“If you wish, I could show you the materials our branch gathered during the initial investigation.”
“No, that won’t be necessary.”
Bu Eunseol clasped her hands respectfully and spoke.
“Then I shall take my leave.”
Having departed the Seoha Branch, Bu Eunseol immediately deployed her lightness technique and headed toward the Hoehyeon Branch.
Based on the traces left in the Seoha Branch’s warehouse, the one who stole the Hwajeongseok was a martial artist with exceptional lightness technique.
Despite being a complete novice at theft, they had boldly infiltrated the Murim Alliance and unhesitatingly stolen the Hwajeongseok.
Shortly after committing the crime, they had struck the Hoehyeon Branch’s warehouse in succession.
After that, the thefts of Hwajeongseok had ceased. This meant that investigating the Hoehyeon Branch would reveal why the thief had stopped stealing the stones.
“Pardon my intrusion.”
Upon arriving at the Hoehyeon Branch, Chong Gwan and Buk Dae Seongsaeng were there to greet her.
“Are you the Elite Division Lord dispatched by the Alliance, Seon Woo So Hyeop?”
“Yes, I am.”
Bu Eunseol clasped her hands respectfully and spoke with courtesy.
“For my investigation, might I see the warehouse that was robbed?”
“I shall guide you there.”
Buk Dae Seongsaeng immediately escorted Bu Eunseol to the storage facility.
‘How different.’
Unlike the Seoha Branch, the Hoehyeon Branch was situated adjacent to a Demon Palace outpost.
Consequently, the Weapon Storage contained a considerable quantity of hidden weapons and armaments.
Moreover, the stockpile of Hwajeongseok stored here was dozens of times greater than what the Seoha Branch possessed.
‘At minimum, thirty jin.’
Bu Eunseol shook her head as she surveyed the empty metal chests.
The Hwajeongseok stored in this Hoehyeon Branch was ten times more abundant than in the Seoha Branch.
‘That’s why they never raided the Murim Alliance’s main storehouse.’
Thirty jin of Hwajeongseok was enough to incinerate roughly a thousand corpses simultaneously.
The thief had obtained more than their target amount from the Hoehyeon Branch, which is why they ceased their thievery.
As I examined the interior of the storage with my Gongsimtongyeong, a flash of insight crossed my eyes.
‘Undoubtedly, the same perpetrator’s methods.’
The one who infiltrated the Hoehyeon Branch’s Weapon Storage was the same individual who had ransacked the Seoha Branch’s storage.
Height approximately five chi and eight cun. Not only possessed exceptional lightness of step, but was a master who had cultivated either superior hand techniques or spear techniques.
The evidence lay in the traces of the sturdy iron gate’s lock and metal chest being shattered by mere finger strength.
‘This location appears to have been properly investigated.’
Unlike the Seoha Branch, the Hoehyeon Branch’s storage interior had preserved the thief’s traces without any disturbance.
Through this, I discovered not only the perpetrator’s physical characteristics but also a crucial clue.
‘In flight….’
A smile graced my lips as I bent low to meticulously examine the floor.
There remained not only soil but also faint traces of gravel and tree roots.
In other words, the perpetrator was not remaining in Seong Do but was in hiding deep within the mountains.
‘If they’re concealing themselves in the mountains to such an extent… they must certainly be pursued by numerous pursuers—either Murim factions or organizations.’
Yet this too left questions unanswered.
How could someone being pursued so relentlessly that they must hide in the mountains raid the Murim Alliance’s Weapon Storage in the process?
Unless they harbored a death wish, such a thing should be impossible.
‘Then there is only one explanation.’
The perpetrator must possess a desperate reason—one worth staking their life on—to obtain the Hwajeongseok even while being pursued.
‘Could the thief who stole the Hwajeongseok and the murderer who burned the vagrants to death be different individuals?’
I had consistently believed the probability was high that the thief who stole the Hwajeongseok and the murderer who incinerated the vagrants were the same person.
However, the perpetrator who stole the Hwajeongseok was currently under such persistent pursuit that they had to hide in the mountains to evade capture.
Could such a person have used the Hwajeongseok to incinerate vagrants?
Such actions were simply not something a fugitive being pursued by numerous hunters could undertake.
‘No, I must keep all possibilities open.’
In the first place, raiding a Murim Alliance branch’s storage while being pursued was already abnormal behavior.
When investigating any matter, one must always keep all possibilities open.
What if one arbitrarily closed off certain possibilities?
The entire deduction could be led completely astray.
“Thank you for your cooperation.”
Having finally investigated the Hoehyeon Branch as well, Bu Eunseol immediately dispatched letters to the Sa Hon Dae and the Elite Division.
―Investigate whether any faction throughout the entire Murim has sent large contingents of troops or pursuers.

She then rented a room at the most crowded inn in Geun Dong and took her rest.
Within days, replies arrived from both organizations.
“….”
Bu Eunseol’s brow furrowed as she read through the letters in her room.
According to the reports, not a single faction throughout Jeongsayang-do showed any signs of pursuing someone or mobilizing troops.
‘So it’s not a Zhong Yuan sect.’
Bu Eunseol judged it more likely that the culprit was being hunted by a Sae Oe faction rather than that some faction had been overlooked in the investigation.
‘This makes no sense whatsoever.’
According to the Murim Alliance’s investigation, the serial killer who had been burning vagrants to death recently had used Hwajeongseok.
However, having investigated two branches of the Murim Alliance, Bu Eunseol determined that the probability of the thief who stole the Hwajeongseok and the murderer who killed the vagrants being the same person was slim.
This was because the thief was someone who repeatedly fled into the mountains to evade large numbers of pursuers.
But what if the culprit was from a Sae Oe faction? What if there was a compelling reason to steal Hwajeongseok and burn vagrants?
Could they have committed such acts despite the danger?
This thought struck her with sudden clarity.
‘If large quantities of Hwajeongseok were needed, there would have been no choice but to target a Murim Alliance branch.’
Hwajeongseok could generate extreme heat in an instant, making it an extraordinarily expensive item.
Because of its danger, it was not something one could purchase in large quantities from the market, no matter how wealthy.
This meant the thief needed large quantities of Hwajeongseok, and targeting a Murim Alliance branch was an unavoidable choice.
‘There is a clear purpose. There must be a compelling reason for this.’
Bu Eunseol’s mind began to race at lightning speed.
The culprit’s theft of Hwajeongseok and burning of vagrants was not mere theft or hedonistic murder.
It was an action undertaken with a definite objective and purpose in mind.
‘Then…’
Bu Eunseol withdrew a map and spread it across the table.
‘If the one who stole the Hwajeongseok killed the vagrants by burning them… then naturally, they would have stolen the Hwajeongseok first, then set fire to the vagrants’ bodies.’
As Bu Eunseol stared at the map for a long while, a flash of insight crossed her eyes.
“They’re moving southward.”
Assuming the culprit was the same person, they had obtained the Hwajeongseok from the Seoha Branch and committed the crime in a village with vagrants in Geun Dong.
Then they moved to the Hoehyeon Branch and again sought out a nearby vagrant village to commit mass murder.
Following that path, it was undeniable that they were moving southward, stealing Hwajeongseok and burning vagrants to death.
“They won’t need any more Hwajeongseok now.”
Unlike the Seoha Branch, the Hoehyeon Branch had stored over thirty catties of Hwajeongseok.
Now the culprit was likely searching for a place where they could safely burn vagrants while evading their pursuers and the martial artists.
Lost in thought while studying the map, Bu Eunseol pointed to one location.
Wirakmun. It was a village similar to Myo Ga So, where sickly and aging vagrants gathered.
It was a place where few people ventured, making it ideal for avoiding the eyes of others.
Bu Eunseol narrowed her eyes.
If her suspicions were correct, the culprit would appear here.
* * *
Bu Eunseol unleashed a gale-like lightness technique and immediately headed toward Wirakmun.
As she ventured beyond the outskirts far from Seong Do, small hovels and crumbling thatched cottages came into view.
The village had a semblance of structure, yet filth and refuse lay scattered in all directions.
Most of the vagrants sat listlessly against the walls, their strength utterly depleted.
“Pardon me, I have a question.”
Bu Eunseol approached an elderly man who appeared relatively lucid among the countless vagrants.
“….”
Yet the old man’s eyes remained unfocused, as though he perceived nothing at all.
However, his body trembled intermittently, suggesting he feared Bu Eunseol.
‘How peculiar.’
Vagrants of such advanced years typically harbored little fear of Murim practitioners.
Yet this old man trembled before Bu Eunseol as if confronting a malevolent demon—was this not extraordinary?
“Have you perhaps witnessed anyone suspicious in the vicinity?”
As Bu Eunseol drew closer,
A wet sound.
The old man, still seated, lost control of his bladder. His entire body quivered like an aspen leaf, trembling without cessation.
The reaction was far too abnormal.
‘Could it be…’
Bu Eunseol brought her face near the old man and cried out.
“Where is he?”
“Uuu…”
“If you do not answer, more people will die.”
At Bu Eunseol’s cry, the old man’s trembling hand pointed toward a distant mountain.
A sharp burst of movement.
Bu Eunseol immediately deployed her movement technique, racing toward the mountain the old man had indicated.
Even employing the movement technique detailed in the secret manual Shin San Ja had provided, her body surged forward in explosive bounds of over ten zhang.
A deep rumbling! A heavy boom!
As she finally approached the forest’s edge, a low and ominous vibration resonated through the air.
Bu Eunseol discerned that it was the sound of formidable martial power being unleashed through palm strikes.
A swift blur.
In a single breath, Bu Eunseol entered the Deep Forest and arrived at the clearing where the vibrations originated.
There, charred corpses were piled high like mountains.
Before them, a Black-Robed Eccentric with disheveled hair and a Middle-Aged Man dressed as a beggar exchanged palm strikes at close range, their techniques flowing in succession.
‘Who is that?’
Upon recognizing the face of the Middle-Aged Man in beggar’s attire, Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened.
Could it be none other than In Guk, the one who had infiltrated Gaebang and taught martial arts to both herself and Nam Goong Woon?
A sharp whistle!
At that moment, a strange piercing sound erupted as white smoke began billowing from the Black-Robed Eccentric’s hands.
As the acrid smoke spread in all directions, In Guk panicked, and the precision of his palm technique faltered.
The Eccentric seized upon this opening, unleashing a barrage of consecutive palm strikes.
Boom! Boom!
Struck by two palm forces in the chest, In Guk was sent flying backward, crashing into a massive tree three zhang away.
“Stop!”
Bu Eunseol uttered a sharp command and instantly unleashed a flying blade.
Flash!
The blade was remarkably swift and precise, embedding itself directly in the center of the Eccentric’s chest.
Thwack!
Yet the Eccentric showed no sign of injury whatsoever, immediately deploying his lightness technique to escape skyward.
“I won’t let you escape.”
Just as Bu Eunseol was about to deploy her lightness technique,
“Cough.”
Black blood began pouring from In Guk’s mouth as he sat leaning against the tree stump.
“….”
Witnessing this, Bu Eunseol abandoned her pursuit.
In Guk was the most honest and sincere person she had encountered during her time in Gaebang.
She could not simply allow such a man to perish.
“Are you alright?”
She immediately approached In Guk and injected her inner energy into his Yingdai acupoint.
Whoosh!
As pure Anti-Polar True Qi flowed in, the fallen In Guk’s eyes fluttered open weakly.
“…!”
As Bu Eunseol injected her inner energy while examining In Guk’s condition, her eyes widened in shock.
The meridians of In Guk, struck by the Eccentric’s palm force, had melted away like taffy.
‘Extreme Yang Force?’
The Black-Robed Eccentric had remarkably wielded a palm force infused with Extreme Yang Force—a power so rare that few in the Murim had cultivated it, capable of melting even steel.
In Guk’s meridians had been completely dissolved by the Extreme Yang palm strike, leaving him in a state beyond salvation, even if the Immortal of Great Medicine were to arrive.
“Hmm….”
Was this the phenomenon of a final glimmer of light before death?
As Bu Eunseol continued injecting her Anti-Polar True Qi, In Guk’s eyes opened weakly with a groan.
“I am already lost, my lord. Do not waste your precious qi—please, go.”
Even as death approached, In Guk remained concerned that Bu Eunseol was wasting her vital energy.
“Who is that man?”
“I know not. He suddenly began capturing the vagrants of Wirakmun one by one and burning them to death here.”
In Guk gazed at Bu Eunseol with dimming eyes as he spoke.
“Innocent, pitiful vagrants, all of them.”
He lowered his head, his gaze growing hollow.
“I attempted to stop him, but in the end, I was no match for him.”
“You appear to have studied martial arts. Why were you living in this place?”
Bu Eunseol was curious why In Guk, who had mastered the exceptional martial techniques of Gae Bang, remained in Wirakmun living among vagabonds.
Then In Guk offered a faint smile.
“I did learn some martial arts in the past… but a beggar is still a beggar, is he not?”
When Gae Bang sealed its gates, In Guk eventually departed from Gae Bang.
He was a man who upheld the true calling of a beggar.
He refused to profit from his martial skills, instead taking up his begging bowl once more to solicit alms.
Wandering without direction, he eventually drifted into Wirakmun, a village of vagabonds.
Though he could not find the comfortable bedding and warm meals he once enjoyed within Gae Bang… simply escaping the desolate world of Murim brought him peace and contentment.
But when a mysterious eccentric suddenly appeared and attacked the vagabonds, In Guk risked his life to confront the figure and save them.
“Your eyes shine brightly.”
“….”
“Not long ago, I taught another beggar with eyes as clear as yours.”
In Guk spoke with an expression of anguish.
“But because he had set foot in this sinful Gangho… I had to kill him with my own hands.”
Tears streamed from his eyes.
Even unto the moment of death.
In Guk, a man of simple heart, remained trapped in the guilt and torment of having killed two innocent young beggars by his own hand.
Bu Eunseol took a deep breath and spoke in a low voice.
“They did not die.”
“What do you mean…”
Crack.
She immediately deployed the Face-Changing Bone-Shifting Technique, transforming into the appearance of the beggar who had once infiltrated Gae Bang.
“Do you remember? I am that old man No Sam.”
In Guk rubbed his eyes.
“How… am I dreaming?”
“I actually infiltrated Gae Bang as a Lord of the Murim Alliance.”
Bu Eunseol, observing In Guk’s shocked expression, found herself compelled to tell a well-intentioned lie.
“I heard information that Gae Bang was committing wrongdoings, so I posed as a beggar for a time to investigate.”
“An investigation…”
“Yes. My colleague who acted alongside me is also safe.”
Tears of joy flowed from In Guk’s eyes.
He had been tormented all this time by the guilt of having killed two innocent beggars.
Yet both were alive and well, and they had been Lords of the Murim Alliance?
When Bu Eunseol displayed the innocent gaze she had shown during her days as a beggar…
“I see. Indeed.”
Only then did In Guk finally release all his suffering, weeping with relief.
“What a blessing…”
These were tears of joy and relief.
“Truly, what a blessing…”
The light in In Guk’s eyes was slowly fading as he continued speaking.
Until now, he had been clinging to life solely through the grace of the Reverse Extreme True Qi.
The Extreme Yang Force had severed all his meridians, and even his organs were cooked beyond repair.
“Since you are a Lord of the Murim Alliance….”
In Guk spoke in a soft voice, a serene smile gracing his lips.
“Please, I beg you—capture that murderer so that no more innocent vagrants need suffer….”
Even as death claimed him, he remained consumed with worry for the innocent wanderers.
“…I entrust the rest to you.”
In Guk spoke these final words and breathed his last.
A radiant smile, serene as Buddha’s own, lingered upon his lips.
In Guk, once the Master of Gaebang yet who yearned to live a simple, peaceful life as a beggar—
He had finally departed the barren Murim, embracing the tranquil rest he so deserved.

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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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