The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 437
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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 437.
Clop-clop-clop.
The carriage racing down Gwan Do was now entering Yeong Nyeong Bu.
Inside the carriage sat a man with a gentle expression, dressed in white martial robes, gazing out the window. It was Bu Eunseol.
Having escaped Nam Man, I was now passing through the tail end of Yunnan and heading toward Sichuan.
‘Things have unfolded better than expected.’
A smile played across my lips as I gazed out the window.
Jeok Mu Mi, who had become Palace Lord of Yeol Ha Sung Palace, immediately sent an envoy to the Murim Alliance to declare her intention to join…
With this achievement, I would surely be able to obtain the position of second-rank Lord in one stroke.
‘Once that happens, I’ll need to decide my affiliation.’
My eyes narrowed in contemplation.
Should I go to Deng Wu Dian after all?
Or should I go to Sungwi Unit?
The Seven Great Units of the Murim Alliance are truly the seven pillars that support the Alliance, wielding tremendous power.
Moreover, Baek Ri Mu Jo, the Lord of Sungwi Unit, held considerable affection for me.
I too felt an inexplicable warmth toward the Sungwi Unit Lord…
If I were to serve under him, I could rise in position stably without facing obstruction from other factions.
‘But…’
I drew a deep breath.
My purpose was not advancement.
I needed to expose the Sam Gye organization that had infiltrated the Murim Alliance and find the person suspected of being Hyung Su, the one who killed my grandfather among the Seven Great Unit Lords.
Stable advancement in position.
That was never what I desired.
‘What if I go to Deng Wu Dian instead?’
Yuk Jang Cheon is eyeing the position of Wu Tian Duan Lord, left vacant after Jo Cheon Wang’s retirement.
Because of this, he is desperately eager to accumulate achievements.
This is because in the Murim Alliance, the achievements of subordinates become the achievements of their commander.
Therefore, Yuk Jang Cheon has always desired to recruit outstanding subordinates, and he desperately needs a talent like Seon Woo Jin, someone who finally matches his requirements.
If I choose Deng Wu Dian?
Thanks to Yuk Jang Cheon’s desperate hunger for achievements, I would be able to monopolize various missions.
If I continuously accumulate achievements this way, and Yuk Jang Cheon finally becomes the Lord of Wu Tian Duan?
‘Then I could become the trusted aide of a Seven Great Unit Lord.’
From Yuk Jang Cheon’s perspective, I would have risen from the very bottom and accumulated tremendous achievements.
He would have no choice but to trust me more than anyone else.
Furthermore, his only outstanding talent under his command is his only daughter, Yuk Cheong Ah, and a few others. But he would never grant the position of Vice Lord to his own daughter or the aging Lords.
Perhaps I could even rise to the tremendous position of Vice Lord.
―Should I proceed safely? Or should I take the risk?
Upon reaching this conclusion, I didn’t even need to deliberate.
I had never intended to preserve my position in the Murim Alliance safely in the first place.
‘Most importantly, the fact that Yuk Jang Cheon is not a Sam Gye member is significant.’
What if the Lord of the Sungwi Unit, Baek Ri Mu Jo, were a figure of Sam Gye?
Perhaps I might be fortunate enough to lead Bu Eunseol into Sam Gye as well.
But I have no way of knowing when that time might come, nor whether such a position would hold any real significance.
Because Sam Gye only draws in those they deem necessary.
What if Bu Eunseol never ascends to a position of real authority?
Even if recruited into Sam Gye, I could end up as nothing more than chaff.
‘I will elevate Yuk Jang Cheon to Lord of Wu Tian Duan!’
Bu Eunseol made her resolve.
I would enter Deng Wu Dian, accumulate endless merit, raise Yuk Jang Cheon to Lord of Wu Tian Duan, and become his right hand.
This would grant me far greater power than growing stably beneath the Lord of the Sungwi Unit.
And if fortune favored me, it would become an opportunity to contact the upper echelons of Sam Gye far more swiftly.
‘The best outcome would be to draw the attention of Sam Gye before Yuk Jang Cheon reaches the position of Lord, and receive an offer of recruitment.’
As the successor to the Demon Palace, Bu Eunseol would inevitably bear responsibility for both the Demon Palace and Ma Do Cheon Ha, making it impossible for me to accept Sam Gye’s offer without reservation.
But as Seon Woo Jin, things would be different.
Even if I accepted their recruitment, there would be no constraints whatsoever.
Therefore, Bu Eunseol desired far more to be recruited by key figures of Sam Gye into a position of high standing than to ascend to an important post within the Murim Alliance.
“We have arrived.”
As the carriage came to a halt in the bustling city of Seong Do, the driver’s voice reached my ears.
Bu Eunseol opened the door and stepped down from the carriage.
But then—
Whoosh.
A strange sound of air being rent came from the distant sky.
It resembled the flapping of bird wings.
Yet in truth, it was a kind of signal by which the members of Sa Hon Dae announced themselves.
‘Sa Hon Dae, then…’
“You have worked hard.”
After paying the driver generously from the carriage, Bu Eunseol set out once more beyond the city of Seong Do.
She immediately deployed her lightness technique, moving toward the source of the wing-flapping sound.
Upon reaching a clearing deep within the forest, the sound of wings ceased entirely.
As Bu Eunseol surveyed the clearing, her gaze fixed upon a large boulder that rested naturally against the side of a great tree.
“It has been a while.”
Then a very small, quiet voice emerged from the boulder.
It was the voice of So Yo.
She had finally completed all her training, martial arts, and knowledge as Deputy Lord of Sa Hon Dae and emerged into the Gangho.
“Is your training complete?”
“Yes.”
Her voice was so faint it was nearly inaudible.
She spoke in a voice so small that only someone like Bu Eunseol, who had mastered the Beast Path, could hear it.
“There is no one near this area. There is no need to hide and speak like this.”
“One must always be cautious. And besides…”
So Yo’s voice was barely audible, tickling Bu Eunseol’s ears.
“I’m your subordinate, after all. Speak freely with me.”
“Mm.”
A fair point.
Though So Yo held seniority, she was not someone to be dismissed after a year or two, so it was wise to maintain the hierarchy.
“Very well.”
Bu Eunseol nodded and spoke calmly.
“But what brings you here? There was no need to come all this way to join us.”
Then So Yo’s voice emerged from atop a small boulder.
“An urgent matter arose, so I came here at once.”
“An urgent matter?”
“The Murim Alliance has secretly dispatched an investigation unit.”
“An investigation unit?”
“Because we obtained the alliance with Yeol Ha Sung Palace so swiftly. They found the process itself far too suspicious, so the upper echelon sent a special investigation unit.”
So Yo’s tone was measured, but her words carried a sinister weight.
“The special investigation unit is merely a pretext. We believe it’s highly likely that someone among the leadership sent an assassination squad instead.”
“An assassination squad.”
“Yes. When our unit investigated, we discovered that this special investigation team was composed entirely of individuals not officially registered with the Murim Alliance.”
A flash of light crossed Bu Eunseol’s eyes in that instant.
The Blue-Eyed Man, who had once belonged to the Murim Alliance, came to mind.
Despite his considerable rank and exceptional martial prowess, he had never been officially registered with the Alliance, yet he carried out assassination missions.
But now the Murim Alliance’s leadership had sent a special investigation unit composed of unregistered individuals?
“Sam Gye.”
Bu Eunseol grasped something and nodded.
Perhaps through this affair with Yeol Ha Sung Palace, Sam Gye had grown suspicious of the identity known as Seon Woo Jin.
Perhaps they sought to either thoroughly investigate Sam Gye lurking within the Murim Alliance, or to eliminate them entirely.
“Sam Gye, crouching within the Murim Alliance, must have made their move.”
“Exactly. That’s what we’re assuming as well. Though it may not be solely because of the Yeol Ha Sung Palace affair.”
“I see. I was too careless.”
Bu Eunseol wore a bitter smile.
“Whether or not it concerns Yeol Ha Sung Palace, this was a mountain I would have had to cross eventually.”
It seemed I had viewed the Murim Alliance as far too simple an entity.
Sam Gye has nested at the very apex of the Murim Alliance.
And from their perspective, upon discovering a promising talent, they might consider nurturing it greatly.
But conversely, they might also view it as a troublesome sprout.
“If they’ve established a stable structure, they would hardly welcome the emergence of new exceptional talents.”
So Yo nodded in agreement.
“Likely so. Sam Gye seems to desire maintaining the Murim Alliance’s internal organization in its current stable state.”
Sam Gye must have been greatly displeased by the rising prominence of this new talent.
Perhaps this special investigation unit was merely a scheme to find any pretext whatsoever and eliminate Bu Eunseol without a trace.
A third-rank Lord wandering the Gangho alone could easily fabricate reasons and evidence.
“We need to flee.”
So Yo spoke.
“We don’t know what they’ll do.”
“That won’t work.”
Bu Eunseol, who had been thinking for a moment, shook her head.
“If I evade their pursuit and secretly return to the Murim Alliance, I’ll immediately come under suspicion.”
Sam Gye would have perfectly tracked my movements and sent an investigation unit to predict my return route.
But what if I suddenly changed course and shook them off?
Not just Sam Gye, but all the upper echelons of the Murim Alliance could suspect me.
If that happened, I could be placed under constant surveillance for every move I made afterward.
“So you’re planning to confront them?”
“I don’t know. I can only hope it’s just an ordinary investigation unit.”
Bu Eunseol wore a bitter smile.
In truth, that probability didn’t exist.
If it did, I wouldn’t have been caught in the Sa Hon Dae’s surveillance network, and there would be no reason to investigate someone earnestly returning to the Murim Alliance in the Gangho.
“My dual identity is important, but not more important than my life.”
At So Yo’s words, Bu Eunseol gazed toward the distant sky.
I couldn’t intentionally shake off their pursuit, and yet I couldn’t accept false accusations or let them frame me either…
There was simply no way out.
“It’s a shame. If I could just get through this opportunity, I’d become a second-rank Lord and make my mark in the Murim Alliance, and Sam Gye wouldn’t be able to move recklessly.”
Bu Eunseol had only fabricated her movements to avoid suspicion from the Murim Alliance.
She had never truly considered Sam Gye, who had nested within the Murim Alliance.
The position of a Lord in a third-rank unit called a subsidiary organization guaranteed nothing whatsoever.
I should have acted with this in mind, but it was already too late.
“First, go find Seo Jin Ha and tell her this.”
Bu Eunseol drew a deep breath.
“Stop fabricating my movements for now. I may not be able to use Seon Woo Jin’s identity anymore.”
So Yo nodded with a grave expression.
She had grasped that Bu Eunseol was preparing for the worst scenario.
Rumble.
Yet suddenly, the clear sky seemed to be dyed in shades of gray.
At the same time, an inexplicable aura began to envelop the forest.
“Flee immediately.”
Bu Eunseol spoke while taking a deep breath.
“An incredibly skilled master has arrived. It seems they’ve come.”
Bu Eunseol could sense it instinctively.
The inexplicable aura that simultaneously covered the sky and the forest.
It was happening because a master with tremendous killing intent had sensed me.
“Yes.”
So Yo vanished completely the moment she answered.
Even Bu Eunseol, who had drawn out the Wild Beast Sword, found it difficult to sense her disappearance.
‘With a divine technique of that caliber, she could at least escape her body in any situation.’
So Yo’s training had been extensive.
That was because Bu Eunseol prioritized her safety above all else.
She had commanded Mu Heun, the Lord of Sa Hon Dae:
Do not allow her to leave the organization unless she reaches concealment techniques and divine movement arts comparable to my own level.
To journey through Gangho together.
That meant there was always a possibility of encountering enemies stronger than herself.
Therefore, only when So Yo’s divine movement arts and concealment techniques reached at least a comparable level could she escape safely, even if I myself were to fall.
“Hm?”
But something was strange.
As So Yo departed, the ominous aura spreading through the forest seemed to move in pursuit of her.
‘Could the target be So Yo?’
Flash!
Bu Eunseol immediately pushed the Wild Beast Sword to its absolute limit.
As her hypersensitivity expanded to cover more than a hundred paces, white light flowed from her eyes.
Flash!
And finally, sensing the aura pursuing So Yo in the distant sky, Bu Eunseol instantly unleashed her flying blade technique.
Rumble!
As the flying blade soared into the void, thunder suddenly roared across the clear sky,
Crash!
A white-tinged lightning bolt suddenly struck beside the boulder where Bu Eunseol stood.
Boom!
The boulder struck by lightning shattered beyond recognition.
Roooar!
At the same moment, another streak of thunder descended to the earth, and then a shadow in the shape of a single line became visible.
Flash!
Bu Eunseol immediately unleashed her flying blade technique once more without hesitation.
Since the enemy had revealed their hostility, there was no need to even ask for their identity.
Crackle.
But pure white flames flickered, and the unleashed flying blade stopped in mid-air.
The space where the white flames danced was distorted as if reflected in water.
It was as though time itself had ceased to flow in that place alone.
Snap. Crackle.
The flying blade shattered, and the shadow that had been surrounded by white flames and light gradually revealed itself.
It was a man with long hair flowing loose, dressed in black robes that shimmered with an eerie luster.
Standing over seven feet tall, his limbs were grotesquely elongated, evoking the image of a stretched wooden puppet.
Yet despite this, he did not seem weak in the slightest.
Rather, his entire body felt as solid and formidable as twisted metal.
What was distinctive was that her eyes were tightly shut between her long hair, where they should have been gleaming.
“There’s nowhere your hands haven’t reached, is there.”
The black-clad figure’s voice was so low and hoarse that it sounded less like human speech and more like the hiss of a serpent.
‘Tremendously powerful.’
Bu Eunseol’s senses screamed a warning.
She could not detect even a hint of the black-clad figure’s inner power level, let alone gauge it.
That meant they possessed strength equal to her own, or greater.
Where in the world had such a master suddenly emerged from?
“I shall show you mercy.”
The black-clad figure spoke with eyes still closed.
“If you tell me where the one who just fled has gone… I will grant you a painless death.”
Remarkably, the black-clad figure had clearly been pursuing So Yo, not Bu Eunseol.
To perceive So Yo’s concealment and stealth—something even Bu Eunseol herself found difficult to detect.
What in the world was this person’s true identity?
“A painless death, you say. How generous a grace you bestow.”
For now, Bu Eunseol was nothing more than Seon Woo Jin in identity. She spoke in a clear, melodious voice.
“But it seems there is some misunderstanding on your part.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with clasped hands and a respectful expression.
“I am a Lord of the Murim Alliance.”
“Yes, the Murim Alliance.”
The black-clad figure bore a thin smile.
“There are indeed many in the Murim Alliance.”
In a flash.
At that moment, the eyes he had kept closed all this while opened wide.
The pupils were transparent as white clouds, and within them, cyan lightning seemed to strike endlessly.
“Ones like you, cowering with your identities concealed!”
From the black-clad figure’s entire body as he spoke with sudden fury, lightning extracted from within clouds flickered brilliantly.
The radiance alone seemed capable of blinding the eyes, and within those white pupils, murderous intent and madness were intertwined.
A deafening boom!
Simultaneously with the sound of thunder, the space around the black-clad figure began to turn pitch black.
The aura flowing from the black-clad figure had incinerated all the undergrowth and trees in the vicinity to ash.
Bu Eunseol, watching this sight, widened her eyes in shock.
‘Swift Thunder Annihilation…’
Only then could she discern the black-clad figure’s true identity.
‘The Thunder God.’
Born with a Thunder Spirit Body, capable of wielding the most powerful force between heaven and earth—Thunder Spirit Qi—and…
Able to unleash infinitely the inescapable, destructive power of Swift Thunder Annihilation.
The Thunder God, one of the Four Gods Seven Kings, had suddenly appeared.
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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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