The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 425

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 425.
‘I must remain composed.’
Hyuk So Jin, having regained his senses, asked in a measured voice.
“How many troops remain at the main base?”
“We have five contingents including the main force. If we include the newly arrived disciples….”
“They won’t do. Sending inexperienced disciples into actual combat will only result in catastrophic losses.”
The terror of the Shil Hon In lay in their relentless assault—they continued moving and attacking even with severed limbs.
A single moment of carelessness or mistake could prove fatal.
“Won Hong. Lead the contingent members and evacuate the younger disciples to Muk Lip Dong.”
Hyuk So Jin’s eyes gleamed as he spoke.
“And fortify Muk Lip Dong thoroughly. Not a single one of them must breach the interior.”
“I wish to fight as well.”
“The presence of Shil Hon In means there are those controlling them from behind. Protecting the younger disciples thoroughly is more critical than anything else.”
Hyuk So Jin spoke with cold, piercing eyes.
“I will annihilate these wretches with the remaining contingents.”
Screech.
Having completed his battle preparations, Hyuk So Jin stepped outside and widened his eyes.
The front courtyard of Youngsae Gak was crowded with elderly figures dressed in motley garments, all bearing weapons.
They were all demonic cultivators who had been staying at Do Won Hyang.
“Why are you here?”
Hyuk So Jin could not hide his astonishment.
Even those demonic cultivators who had been bedridden with illness or confined to their sickbeds.
They had all emerged armed and ready for battle.
“I heard the news. Some lunatics dosed with strange medicine have attacked the main base?”
Myeol Jeong Gwang Ja, the most troublesome of the elderly from Do Won Hyang, spoke.
“Well, that’s fortunate. Let’s loosen our joints for once.”
“These are not opponents for mere exercise.”
Hyuk So Jin spoke with gravity.
“The Shil Hon In are demonic creatures without fear. Moreover, they continue moving until their final breath….”
“All the better.”
Myeol Jeong Gwang Ja gazed at Hyuk So Jin with a smile.
“I was dying of boredom anyway, and now they’ve conveniently prepared a place for us to perish.”
“Elder.”
As Hyuk So Jin’s eyes darkened, Gwi Pyeon Ma Ong, standing behind him, spoke with a laugh.
“That mad old fool speaks truth. Our resting place should not be that decrepit sickbed, but the battlefield.”
Then Geum Myeon Hyeol Gwae, an elderly man of imposing stature, let out a hearty laugh and spoke.
“Heh heh. It’s been ages since I’ve tasted blood.”
The elderly who had been languishing on their sickbeds were suddenly brimming with vitality.
They welcomed the coming battle with eager hearts.
Not to die wasting away in bed, but to fall gloriously on the battlefield.
Haven’t I always lived dreaming of this very moment?
“To have become a white-haired elder like this… I never imagined I would cling to life for so long.”
At Yeol Hwa Dae Gwi’s words, the eyes of the Do Won Hyang disciples grew solemn.
The reason they had survived until now was precisely because they had wished for death on the battlefield.
Yet paradoxically, it was that very courage to die that had allowed them to live.
“Good. We’ve found our place to die.”
Eum San Ma Hyo, standing at the very back, laughed and shouted.
“We’ll hold back these grotesque creatures, so you strike the main force and make them retreat.”
“That’s right, that’s right! Don’t let the young disciples we brought in get hurt!”
Hyuk So Jin barely suppressed the tears pouring forth.
The disciples would rather die gloriously in battle than eke out a pitiful existence and perish.
Hyuk So Jin could not stop them.
How could he possibly prevent them from taking their final path?
Patter, patter, patter.
Yet in the end, thick tears fell from his eyes nonetheless.
“Very well.”
Hyuk So Jin quickly wiped away his tears and shouted loudly to the Do Won Hyang disciples.
“Then show us your true strength!”
And he bent his waist and lowered his head.
“I humbly ask this of you!”
Then the disciples smiled faintly.
The successor of Jeol Cheon Myul Ji bowed and bent his waist before them in respect.
They were satisfied.
What more could they possibly ask for?
―It’s time to depart now.
The Do Won Hyang disciples marched onto the battlefield with bright expressions, as if heading out for a pleasant excursion.
“Uuuuh….”
Hyuk So Jin, filled with sorrowful rage, stared after them with eyes wide open.
He was etching their dignified final forms into his memory.
“I will not forgive this.”
Rumble, rumble, rumble.
The earth trembled.
From the eyes of Hyuk So Jin, who had raised his head, violet lightning descended without cease.
“Never!”
Roooooar.
Simultaneously, violet radiance flowing from his body soared to the ends of the sky.
Divine Flame Demonic Qi.
The supreme ultimate technique of Jeol Cheon Myul Ji was being perfectly manifested through Hyuk So Jin’s body.
“I will show you the price of touching the main force!”
Rising to his feet, Hyuk So Jin led his contingent toward the battlefield.
To reduce those behind the scenes to dust in one fell swoop, and once again announce the might of Jeol Cheon Myeol Ji to the Murim.
* * *
Nam An, Byeok Gye Village.
Mu Mu was enjoying a rare luxurious meal.
It was thin noodles boiled in a rich broth.
The only daughter of the Sung Family Estate, Sung Su Ryeo, had arrived with her servants and was serving food to the vagrants gathered in Byeok Gye Village.
“Come now, there’s plenty of noodles, so please eat your fill!”
Sung Su Ryeo smiled as she served the beggars their meal.
Then she suddenly noticed a beggar crouching on a tree stump.
His tangled hair obscured his face, and through the strands, melted flesh and scabs clung thickly to his skin.
It was a visage so grotesque that a child would burst into tears at the sight, yet to Sung Su Ryeo’s eyes, he appeared as a man steeped in melancholy.
“Have you finished eating?”
Sung Su Ryeo approached Mu Mu, who sat leaning against the tree stump.
“I thought noodles would be better than cold rice. How was it?”
“….”
“Was it palatable?”
Even though she was the daughter of the great Sung Family Estate, Mu Mu offered no reply.
It was not out of disrespect.
He knew that once he began answering, the conversation would stretch on endlessly.
“Well, you’ve always been the silent type, haven’t you?”
Despite receiving no answer, Sung Su Ryeo nodded without seeming displeased.
“Then rest yourself.”
With a slight smile, she turned away.
Yet a faint smile lingered at the corners of her lips.
‘How strange this is.’
His face covered in burn scars, the kind of hideous appearance that would send one fleeing at night, yet he possessed it all.
His speech was harsh and grating, and despite being a beggar, he carried an arrogant demeanor—a man utterly devoid of sense, and yet….
Whenever I gaze into those deep, dark eyes, why does my breath quicken and my heart race?
‘Could it be that I actually possess such peculiar tastes?’
Though she had a reputation as reckless, her eye for men was quite discerning.
She had met many outstanding martial artists until now, yet felt no particular emotion from them…
Yet her gaze was drawn to this grotesque beggar?
No matter how much she pondered it, she could find no reason.
One thing was certain—those eyes.
She could only wish to gaze endlessly into the man’s eyes, which seemed to draw in one’s very soul.
From then on, Sung Su Ryeo frequently visited Byeok Gye Village, bringing her servants along.
The ostensible reason was to help the struggling beggars. Yet if that were truly the case, she need only send her servants.
The real reason she came each time—it was actually because of Mu Mu.
What troubled the beggars of Byeok Gye Village was this.
In such cold seasons, begging became difficult, and insects or beasts to consume were rarely seen.
But whenever she arrived, the beggars of Byeok Gye Village could enjoy warm rice or noodles—a happiness beyond measure.
Mu Mu, by contrast, found the situation unbearably inconvenient.
He was not particularly sensitive to cold, nor did he suffer greatly from hunger.
When my belly grew empty, I could manage by catching hibernating frogs or snakes and eating them well enough.
But whenever Sung Su Ryeo came bearing food, she would constantly watch me or strike up conversation—I felt an overwhelming urge to flee somewhere, anywhere.
Just like now.
“Why aren’t you eating?”
“I’m not hungry yet.”
“But beggars say they stuff food into their bellies regardless of hunger, don’t they?”
“That’s true.”
“Then why don’t you?”
Mu Mu, finding the conversation tedious, offered no further reply.
At that, Sung Su Ryeo’s gaze became even more blatant.
Having visited so frequently, she had come to understand Mu Mu’s temperament.
Since he disliked being stared at, if she simply kept gazing at him like this?
Eventually, he would answer.
“I can eat far more things than they can. So when I’m hungry, I can fill my belly.”
As Mu Mu’s lips finally parted, Sung Su Ryeo broke into a radiant smile.
“Ah, I see.”
Clop, clop.
Just then, a black-clad martial artist on horseback and a carriage came to a halt before the gathering of vagrants.
It was none other than the martial instructor Gyo Cheon Ak and a carriage sent from Sung Family Estate.
“Miss. The Estate Lord has taken great offense.”
“Why?”
“Did the Family Head not forbid you from ever returning to this vagrant settlement?”
“Has Instructor Gyo reported on me again?”
As Sung Su Ryeo’s brow furrowed, Gyo Cheon Ak’s expression grew grave.
“Miss. The vagrant settlement is truly dangerous. Members of the Black Gang frequent this place….”
“Instructor Gyo. I’ll be careful.”
“Miss.”
As Gyo Cheon Ak’s eyes grew ominous, Sung Su Ryeo lowered her head.
“I understand. I’m leaving now.”
Sung Su Ryeo waved at Mu Mu.
“Then I’ll see you next time.”
And with that, she boarded the carriage.
Yet Gyo Cheon Ak did not set the carriage in motion, instead fixing Mu Mu with a terrifying glare.
‘Is he truly sincere.’
Gyo Cheon Ak.
Originally, he was no ordinary martial artist, but rather the leader of a bandit gang operating throughout the Heuk Su Gang region.
That he had entered the Sung Family Estate as a martial instructor was solely because he had fallen for Sung Su Ryeo, whom he had chanced to meet at an inn.
For the first time in his life, genuinely.
Upon seeing the Woman, he had fallen in love, and his heart spiraled beyond his control.
When word reached him that Sung Family Estate was recruiting a martial arts instructor, he surrendered his position as vice-leader and immediately set out for the estate.
He applied in disguise, and thanks to the exceptional martial prowess he had honed through countless acts of slaughter…
He was finally selected as a martial arts instructor.
‘I believed that with time, I would surely become the son-in-law of Sung Family Estate….’
Gyo Cheon Ak had taught Sung Su Ryeo martial arts and believed they had developed considerable rapport.
But now he understood.
It had been nothing but delusion—she held no more interest in him than in that hideous beggar from the vagrant settlement.
‘Childish games are over.’
Gyo Cheon Ak bit his lip.
There had been moments when he believed he had become an entirely new person after meeting Sung Su Ryeo.
He had harbored ambitions of abandoning his wicked ways and living as the son-in-law of Sung Family Estate.
But now he understood.
A pine caterpillar must feed on pine needles to survive.
“Move out!”
The sharp command erupted, and the carriage departed.
As Gyo Cheon Ak rode alongside the carriage as escort, a cruel smile played across his lips.
Once Sung Su Ryeo and Gyo Cheon Ak had departed, Tung Bo approached Mu Mu and sighed.
“Mu Mu. It seems you won’t be able to stay in Byeok Gye Village much longer.”
Tung Bo had survived in this harsh world because he possessed sharper instincts than others.
The moment he saw the murderous intent in Gyo Cheon Ak’s eyes, he sensed immediately that he had marked Mu Mu for death.
“It appears so.”
Mu Mu nodded.
He too had discerned the killing intent in Gyo Cheon Ak.
And he had no doubt that if he disappeared, everything would be resolved.
* * *
Demon Palace, Sole Brightness Pavilion.
The office of Sect Leader Yeop Hyo Cheon.
A rare guest sat there—one who appeared only when the Demonic Council convened.
It was none other than Gong Ya Geuk, Lord of Hell Blood Castle.
“The abilities of Muk Hon Ryeong Ju are questionable.”
Yeop Hyo Cheon wore a subtle smile.
“That is the most refreshing thing I have heard in quite some time, Lord Gong.”
“Hehehehe. Isn’t that always the way with young people?”
Gong Ya Geuk’s massive frame belied his eyes, which crinkled into crescents.
“At first they shine with brilliance and wit, but eventually their limitations become apparent.”
He continued in an unhurried tone.
“Mu Ha Soo Yu Jeong, which steadfastly supported Muk Hon Ryeong Ju, has run dry of funds, and Jeol Cheon Myul Ji has been ransacked by mysterious forces.”
“Hmm.”
“When Mu Ha Soo Yu Jeong’s financial lifeline dried up, the Nangya Sect’s finances withered along with it.”
Gong Ya Geuk continued speaking with an expression of genuine amusement.
“In the end, the Muhonjung Lord’s abilities were merely achieved through assistance from various quarters. Now that the two factions uniquely supporting him have fallen into such straits, it becomes quite revealing.”
When Yeop Hyo Cheon showed no particular reaction, a sharp glimmer flashed across Gong Ya Geuk’s eyes.
“With the factions supporting the Muhonjung Lord in such a state, surely the successor’s position must be wavering as well?”
Yeop Hyo Cheon took a sip of tea and spoke.
“Then, what exactly are you driving at, Lord Gong?”
“I intend to formally propose a motion to replace the successor at the Demon Hall Council.”
In that instant, a chill swept through the Sole Brightness Pavilion.
Successor replacement.
This was not the first time in Demon Hall’s history.
However, such instances had typically occurred when the designated successor, recognizing their own inadequacy, voluntarily stepped down.
For the successor to the Demon Hall was not merely the next Lord.
They required the power and ability to subjugate the Ten Demonic Gates and the million followers of the Demonic Path.
And Bu Eunseol had already earned recognition for possessing such capabilities.
Yet to suddenly propose replacing someone already establishing herself in the successor’s position?
“Lord Gong Ya.”
Yeop Hyo Cheon spoke with a sigh.
“Can you truly bear the consequences?”
After a brief silence, he continued.
“The Muhonjung Lord is not one to simply overlook such matters.”
“Hahahaha.”
Gong Ya Geuk’s fleshy face broke into a broad grin.
“To hear such words from none other than the Chong Gyo Ryeong himself… how surprising.”
As his laughter subsided, Gong Ya Geuk’s eyes seemed to fill entirely with darkness.
“Was it not you, Chong Gyo Ryeong, whose heart burned most painfully when the Muhonjung Lord became the successor?”
Rather than answer, Yeop Hyo Cheon offered a faint smile.
That smile was far too deep and dark to reveal anything within.
“Then shall we hold the Demon Hall Council in a fortnight?”
After a long silence, Yeop Hyo Cheon’s lips moved.
“However, given the nature of this agenda, I cannot compel the attendance of the Sect Leaders.”
“Of course.”
Gong Ya Geuk rose from his seat with a satisfied expression.
“Then I shall understand that the Demon Hall Council will convene in a fortnight.”
He offered Yeop Hyo Cheon a light smile.
“Then.”
“Safe travels.”
After their brief parting words, Gong Ya Geuk rose his corpulent frame and waddled out.
Watching his departure, Yeop Hyo Cheon took another sip of tea.
“The fact that even that old demon has stepped forward… it confirms that the Lord has indeed met with him.”
Yeop Hyo Cheon rose slowly from his seat and gazed out the window.
“Summon the Guusal Unit commander.”
The moment his quiet command fell, So Ja Myeong, the Guusal Unit commander, entered the office not long after.
“You called for me.”
Though So Ja Myeong clasped his hands respectfully, Yeop Hyo Cheon’s gaze remained fixed beyond the window.
“Have we located the Muhonjung Lord yet?”
“Not yet.”
“What of Bi Young Gak?”
“The same. They say they cannot find any trace of him whatsoever.”
“Hehehehe.”
Chong Gyo Ryeong’s expression seemed oddly delighted.
“I wish more matters would unfold like this.”
“Pardon?”
“Isn’t it amusing? Hehehehe.”
Chong Gyo Ryeong wore a faint smile.
“That old man, shut away in Guizhou all this time, drags his weary body out and requests that I convene a Demonic Council—how delightful.”
“….”
“If he requests it, then I shall grant it.”
So Ja Myeong’s expression grew peculiar.
―The Chong Gyo Ryeong’s inner depths are like a well filled with black ink.
Suddenly, words Bu Eunseol had spoken at a drinking gathering long ago surfaced in his mind.
That description truly seemed accurate.
So dark and impenetrable that one could never fathom what thoughts churned within.
“Convey the Gong Ya Geuk’s will to each of the Ten Demonic Gates.”
“Understood.”
So Ja Myeong swallowed the questions blooming in his heart and clasped his hands.

* * *
As night fell, a biting north wind swept through once more, sharp enough to pierce bone.
The vagrant village lay in silence, its inhabitants lost in deep slumber.
Around the third watch, Mu Mu stirred awake within his makeshift shelter and slowly rose to his feet.
“….”
I gazed slowly across the hushed landscape of the vagrant village.
Though the time had been brief, I had grown deeply attached to this place.
Only Tung Bo had treated me kindly, but that was hardly surprising.
If beggars were not callous, who in this world would be?
For those whose greatest aspiration was a single spoonful of rice, I—who did not even beg—must have seemed endlessly contemptible.
“Then.”
I offered a silent prayer for the peace of the vagrant settlement, then turned to leave.
As I stepped beyond the Village Entrance and walked into the darkened path, a small shadow appeared before me.
It was Tung Bo.
“You’re leaving now?”
“How did you know?”
When I expressed surprise, Tung Bo crossed his arms and laughed.
“Kid, I’ve looked after you long enough. I can read you like a book.”
He then pulled a cloth bundle from his bosom and thrust it toward me.
“Eat this if you get hungry on the road.”
When I opened the bundle, it was filled with expensive jerky—the kind only martial artists could afford.
As I stared in astonishment, Tung Bo wiped his nose with the back of his hand.
“Don’t be shocked. I bought this jerky with money I’ve been secretly saving bit by bit.”
This quantity of jerky would have cost at least one silver tael.
And that money was something Tung Bo had accumulated through a lifetime of begging.
“I cannot accept this.”
When I shook my head, Tung Bo chuckled.
“It’s fine. I’m giving it because I want to.”
“Tung Bo.”
“I don’t understand it myself. Why did I grow so attached in such a short time?”
Tung Bo smiled and pointed to my eyes, visible through his disheveled hair.
“Damn it. It must be those eyes of yours. They stir something deep in a person’s chest.”
Tung Bo approached with long strides and pulled me into a tight embrace.
“Take care of yourself. And when you go elsewhere, treat people with more grace and courtesy.”
“….”
“We beggars must be far kinder and more perceptive than others…. That’s how we avoid getting beaten. Understand?”
My vision blurred.
Had it not been for Tung Bo, I might not have regained consciousness by the river.
Tung Bo had saved my life and given me much assistance in remaining here as a beggar in Byeok Gye Village.
A debt of life-saving grace.
To Mu Mu, Tung Bo was a lifesaver—his benefactor.
Mu Mu offered no words of gratitude, no promises to repay the debt.
He simply embraced the body that had embraced him.
In that gesture, I expressed my heart far more clearly than a hundred words ever could.
“I’ll escort you only as far as the next mountain pass. Let’s go.”
Tung Bo was a man of profound compassion.
Mu Mu could not bring himself to refuse, and together they set out down the road.
Only after crossing several mountains did Tung Bo’s footsteps finally cease.
“Travel safely then.”
“Stay well.”
As Tung Bo waved his hand, Mu Mu slowly turned his body.
―Ahhhhh!
But then, a harrowing scream pierced the air from somewhere.
Mu Mu and Tung Bo turned their heads, peering down the mountainside. Yet nothing distinct appeared to them.
“Did I mishear?”
As Tung Bo tilted his head in confusion, Mu Mu spoke in a low voice.
“A bandit gang has arrived.”
“A bandit gang? Where?”
“At the manor over there.”
“There? That’s where the Sung Family Estate is?”
Tung Bo’s eyes widened as he tilted his head in bewilderment.
But all that was visible was the faint silhouette of the manor. No people could be seen.
“You can see what’s happening there from here?”
“Go to the Constabulary and report it. Quickly.”
With that, Mu Mu bolted forward.
“Wait! If you go with bandits here, what will you do! What are you thinking!”
Leaving Tung Bo’s cries behind, Mu Mu raced down the slope like a madman.
Mu Mu knew it too.
That even if I went, I would only meet a dog’s death.
The reason was unclear, but upon hearing the agonized screams and discovering the manor’s servants dying… an uncontrollable rage surged within me.
‘Stay calm. I must stay calm.’
Mu Mu forced down the rising emotions as I ran.
It would take considerable time before Tung Bo could report to the Constabulary and the guards arrived.
Somehow, I had to reach the manor and buy time until then.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————