The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 447

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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 447.
After returning to the Demon Hall, Bu Eunseol remained in a state of despondency for some time.
The death of Hyul Geum Gang.
It reminded me once again of the merciless laws of Gangho.
Once you set foot in this place, no one can escape.
You must live forever within this hellish cage.
But what tormented me even more was not merely the laws of Gangho.
I had long understood the merciless nature of life in Gangho, and I had resolved to accept it willingly.
What truly tormented me was the betrayal of a close friend.
Through So Ja Myeong, I had already discovered that Myo Cheon Woo was a spy colluding with external forces.
But this time, I had hoped he would not leak information.
It was a path to bid farewell to my teacher’s final moments.
I had prayed that this time, at least, he would not expose my location, that he would not endanger my teacher during his penance pilgrimage.
But that hope shattered into pieces.
The moment I ventured into Gangho, assassins from Sam Gye attacked me immediately, and Hyul Geum Gang fell into danger.
If Hyul Geum Gang had not displayed such remarkable martial prowess contrary to expectations, if he had not become a force exceeding Sam Gye’s calculations…
I would already be a cold corpse.
‘Life, death, illusion, shadow….’
I closed my eyes.
Human life is finite, and we must make endless choices.
Because of this, human life is always filled with regret.
A choice once thought to be the best can become the worst as time passes.
A choice filled with despair can yield the finest results.
Human choices are invariably filled with regret….
Creak.
At that moment, the door to the secret chamber where I sat opened.
Then a shadow in a gray robe slowly approached.
It was Yu Woon Ryong.
“What brings you here?”
As I offered a dry smile, Yu Woon Ryong bit his lip and spoke.
“I was originally planning to do it myself.”
“What are you suddenly talking about?”
“I intended to strike down Myo Cheon Woo with my own hands from the start.”
His expression was more grave than ever before.
“That way, I could easily dispose of the traitor in the Sayoung Battle Division. But I realized that doing so would inflict a far greater wound upon you.”
“Yu Woon Ryong.”
“So I couldn’t do it.”
Thud.
Yu Woon Ryong collapsed heavily across from me.
“This matter has crossed the line. You exposed my whereabouts despite knowing full well the intentions in my heart.”
“….”
“There was a time when I hoped you would return like this. But through this incident, I’ve come to understand clearly. Myo Cheon Woo. That man is a heartless schemer.”
“How did you know?”
I looked at Yu Woon Ryong with weary eyes.
“I never told you.”
“So Ja Myeong, Lord So, told me.”
Yu Woon Ryong’s expression grew pained.
“He said that even if it meant your own death, you seem unwilling to lose a friend.”
So Ja Myeong understood my nature well.
Even if Myo Cheon Woo betrayed me.
I had not betrayed Myo Cheon Woo.
That’s why he had no choice but to inform Yu Woon Ryong of this fact.
Someone who could handle this situation with cold clarity and speak frankly to me.
Only a trusted friend of mine could do that.
“We don’t even need to step in.”
Yu Woon Ryong bit his lip as he spoke.
“If we hand the evidence to Hyung Dang, he’ll handle it himself.”
“….”
I remained silent, offering no response.
To Yu Woon Ryong’s eyes, I looked like a child enduring unbearable pain.
“Bu Eunseol!”
Yu Woon Ryong spoke in an angry voice, his anguish barely contained.
“I’m not speaking as your subordinate or strategist! I’m speaking to you as your friend!”
Yu Woon Ryong had never once used the word “friend” in front of me before.
He was my most trusted capable strategist and subordinate.
He had to handle matters with the same strictness and fairness that matched my trust in him.
But this time was different.
He had no confidence he could persuade me unless he spoke as a friend.
“Bu Eunseol!”
“There’s no need to be so angry.”
I offered a faint smile.
“…Myo Cheon Woo must have suffered too.”
The moment Yu Woon Ryong saw that gentle, fragile smile, his heart felt as though it were crumbling.
Until now, I had been a warrior of steel, never broken by any trial.
A composed commander who directed my subordinates calmly in any situation.
A brilliant strategist and tactician who found solutions even in the direst crises.
But now I was simply…
An ordinary man suffering from a friend’s betrayal.
‘Bu Eunseol.’
Yu Woon Ryong bit his lip until blood came.
I knew it too.
Though I appeared to be the coldest and most indifferent person in the world, in truth I possessed a heart far more tender and meticulous than anyone else.
And to those I cherished, I gave boundless affection.
That was precisely why I was crumbling.
Because someone I trusted without limit, someone precious to me, had betrayed me.
“Come to your senses, please!”
Yu Woon Ryong could bear it no longer.
The rage, sorrow, and despair that erupted from within burst forth as he seized my collar.
“Are you playing games about friendship now? After coming this far? How did we even get here!”
“….”
“There are countless things in this world to care about! If you kill that wretch, no one would blame you for it!”
“….”
But I showed no reaction whatsoever.
My eyes had turned ashen, devoid of any emotion—even the spark of life itself.
“Then what about… me!”
Yu Woon Ryong grasped me desperately, his breathing ragged.
“What am I supposed to do, having run forward looking only at you all this time!”
Finally, Yu Woon Ryong’s body gave way.
He too had been feigning indifference, but his heart had grown weak beyond measure.
Myo Cheon Woo—was he not the sturdy bridge that connected him and me?
Was he not always the one who brought wit and optimism, who gave strength to weary companions?
The betrayal of a trusted friend whom he had believed in so deeply… was unbearably painful and agonizing.
“I’m suffering too… you understand.”
As I watched Yu Woon Ryong collapse, a faint glimmer returned to my dimmed eyes.
Seeing his anguish, the final moment of Hyul Geum Gang suddenly came to mind.
I had worried and feared whether my penance pilgrimage, my final act of atonement, might only deepen the pain of Jeong Young Dae Sa.
And it was only upon reaching the destination that I understood—that had been the right choice.
I had not yet reached my final destination.
Yet I was already suffering and fearing.
And this weakness of mine… was now inflicting great wounds upon the heart of another cherished friend, Yu Woon Ryong.
“I’m sorry.”
Now understanding everything, I grasped Yu Woon Ryong’s shoulders.
“I haven’t even reached my destination yet… and here I am worrying as though I’ve lost the entire world.”
And I looked at him with eyes that were now strong and clear, unlike before.
“I’ve caused you needless suffering. Woon Ryong.”
“Have you come to your senses?”
“Yes.”
I offered him a painful yet radiant smile—the very smile Yu Woon Ryong had always shown me.
“If I don’t rise quickly, you’ll only suffer more.”
Those words made Yu Woon Ryong’s nose sting with emotion.
Even if I pretend the world means nothing to me, handling everything alone.
Even if I never speak of friendship or camaraderie.
Even if I assign every trivial and complicated task, making them work themselves to exhaustion… they trust me more than anyone else, understand me, rely on me, and worry about me.
If that isn’t friendship, then what is it?
“Good, then. I’m relieved you’ve come to your senses.”
“But.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with a commanding voice.
“Myo Cheon Woo’s matter comes later.”
“Hm?”
“We need to find out who’s behind him.”
“Who else would it be? Sam Gye, obviously.”
Bu Eunseol shook her head.
“Sam Gye is literally divided into three factions. And the Infinite Realm where Hyuk Ryeon Eung resides truly tried to kill me. I nearly died, in fact.”
“….”
“But through the Dang Family matter, I learned something. Not everyone I’ve encountered so far belonged to the Infinite Realm.”
“So.”
“Whoever recruited Myo Cheon Woo might not be the Infinite Realm—it could be the Cheonghae Realm, or some other faction entirely.”
“Like those who raised the Dang Family? That’s impossible.”
Yu Woon Ryong shook his head.
“Then why would they try to kill you?”
“What if killing me wasn’t the goal?”
“What do you mean?”
“Even if the Elder’s display of overwhelming martial prowess was unexpected, using merely a hundred assassins for such a golden opportunity seems far too careless for the Infinite Realm, wouldn’t you say?”
“Surely not.”
Yu Woon Ryong’s eyes gleamed as he spoke.
“Are you saying they’re helping you? Testing you deliberately, like they did with the Dang Family?”
Yu Woon Ryong’s mouth fell open.
If Sam Gye truly moved the world?
They would never miss this opportunity—they would have surrounded the entire region and deployed their mightiest masters with full force.
Finding a moment when Bu Eunseol ventured into Gangho alone had become genuinely difficult now.
Yet in truth, the number of assassins who attacked Bu Eunseol and Hyul Geum Gang was barely enough to escape with their lives—it had been perilously close.
“Hmm.”
Yu Woon Ryong, lost in thought, nodded his head.
“Now that you mention it, that’s true. It was far too convenient.”
He sighed and continued.
“If it were the Infinite Realm, they would have seized the moment and killed you instantly. Like that cursed Hyuk Ryeon Eung.”
The Infinite Realm had driven Bu Eunseol to the brink of death merely by Hyuk Ryeon Eung revealing his true nature.
And if they had seized this opportunity again, they would have brought an enormous force. That they squandered such a perfect chance in this manner simply didn’t make sense.
“So we catch the tail.”
“How? By now, not just Myo Cheon Woo but they’ve surely grown suspicious too.”
“That can’t be right. Myo Cheon Woo doesn’t seem like he’ll follow them anymore.”
“What are you talking about? Why would that traitor—”
“Didn’t you see it during the meeting? He was suffering.”
“Hmph. He was probably just worried about getting caught this time.”
Though I spoke those words, I knew the truth as well.
Myo Cheon Woo was suffering greatly from this incident too. It was clear he never wanted this outcome.
Yet forgiveness was impossible.
The fact remained that he reported to them even knowing he went to rescue Hyul Geum Gang.
“Perhaps Myo Cheon Woo will take some action because of this incident.”
Yu Woon Ryong nodded in agreement.
He understood Myo Cheon Woo’s nature just as well as I did.
“How are you planning to catch their tail?”
“We don’t even need to catch their tail. Myo Cheon Woo will handle everything on his own from the start.”
“That bastard?”
“Yes. Contact Sa Hon Dae and have them monitor Myo Cheon Woo’s movements. Then we’ll be able to catch their tail soon enough.”
A radiance like the sun flickered in my eyes.
“And I will make sure they pay the price for everything they’ve done up until now.”
* * *
Myo Cheon Woo, along with Yu Woon Ryong, serves as one of my closest confidants, responsible for the overall management of the Sayoung Battle Division.
While Yu Woon Ryong assists me and handles various administrative duties,
Myo Cheon Woo manages the members within the Sayoung Battle Division and directs the organization to operate more efficiently.
Because of this, unlike Yu Woon Ryong who is always buried in paperwork, he constantly travels in and out of the Demon Hall,
bringing back supplies and equipment needed for the Sayoung Battle Division.
In other words, Myo Cheon Woo doesn’t remain confined to the Sayoung Battle Division. In some ways, he ventures outside the Demon Hall even more frequently than I do.
As the sun began to set,
Myo Cheon Woo was venturing deep into a Market Street in Jang Sa Bu City.
He had placed orders for several supplies needed by the Sayoung Battle Division and was heading to a Tea House to enjoy his favorite Longjing tea.
Creak.
As he entered a small Tea House located in an alley, the Tavern Servant bowed respectfully in greeting.
“Welcome.”
“I’d like to enjoy tea in peace. Do you have a quiet room available?”
“Of course. Please follow me this way.”
Unlike Inns or taverns, Tea Houses attracted patrons who engaged in important conversations
or those who simply wished to enjoy their tea in tranquility.
Because of this, Tea Houses prepared quiet private rooms for wealthy patrons or those who appreciated fine tea.
Creak.
Upon entering the room, an elegant interior designed for tea appreciation came into view.
When the Longjing tea was finally served, Myo Cheon Woo slowly sipped the fragrant brew.
The clear, aromatic liquid tickled his nostrils and left a lingering taste on his lips, yet his brow remained deeply furrowed as if he had just swallowed bitter liquor.
Click.
Myo Cheon Woo set down his teacup with a furrowed brow.
“What is the meaning of this? This contradicts our agreement.”
He set down his cup again, his voice trembling with anger.
“You swore you would never put him in danger again. Why did you attack him once more?”
Silence hung in the air for a moment before a very small, low voice reached Myo Cheon Woo’s ears.
[Did you call me for something so trivial?]
“Answer me. Why did you break your promise?”
[It doesn’t seem like something you should concern yourself with.]
Though the voice was distorted in an eerie manner, it carried an unsettling calm and peculiar quality.
“Not my concern?”
[Plans always change depending on circumstances. Surely you’re not asking for a report every time?]
Myo Cheon Woo bit his lip.
“That’s nothing but sophistry, isn’t it?”
[Hmm.]
“What exactly do beings like you lack that you must manipulate him?”
[You speak carelessly. Words you cannot take responsibility for.]
As the dismissive reply came, Myo Cheon Woo clenched his fists tightly.
“I will withdraw now. If I continue further, he will begin to suspect me.”
[Lord Myo.]
The voice that reached him was thick with sighs and mockery.
[Surely you don’t think you can simply quit whenever you wish.]
“You believe I cannot?”
Myo Cheon Woo let out a scornful laugh.
“If I reveal your identities, it ends there.”
[Try it. That would be amusing.]
A brief chuckling sound echoed before the voice returned.
[But could he maintain his sanity even knowing all the truth?]
In that instant, Myo Cheon Woo’s pupils trembled violently.
‘That decision then… it would become an eternal regret.’
* * *
The Ten Demon Immortals’ plan.
The final destination of that plan was a slaughter on Hell Island.
And in truth, Myo Cheon Woo was destined to die there.
From the moment he arrived at Hell Island, he sensed that the final trial would be this massacre.
So he had gathered like-minded comrades beforehand, consolidating their forces, and when the slaughter began, he commanded his faction as their leader.
But Myo Cheon Woo had made a mistake.
He believed finding comrades whose hearts aligned with his was more important than raw ability. In a massacre, mutual trust was paramount, after all.
But an unexpected outcome unfolded.
Suddenly, the comrades he had trusted ambushed him.
“Why me.”
Covered in blood, Myo Cheon Woo reached the cliff’s edge while fleeing, and his companion—the one who had stabbed him in the lower abdomen—spoke as if he couldn’t believe what he’d done.
“You’re too clever and too strong. You’ll definitely use us like chess pieces and survive alone.”
Myo Cheon Woo was taken aback.
He had been the first to rally forces on Hell Island, and he’d willingly accepted even those without talent as comrades if their hearts aligned with his.
But as the fighting continued and they realized Myo Cheon Woo possessed talents incomparable to their own,
they convinced themselves that beyond mere jealousy and envy, he intended to use them as stepping stones for his own survival.
“These foolish bastards.”
Myo Cheon Woo found it utterly absurd.
Even if the slaughter had driven them to madness, how could they make such a ridiculous judgment?
How could he have ever trusted such empty-headed fools to survive Hell Island?
“I won’t die at the hands of idiots like you.”
Mortally wounded, Myo Cheon Woo twisted his body and hurled himself over the cliff’s edge.
Yet was it heaven’s mercy?
His body caught on a tree below, and his life was spared.
Or rather, his life was merely prolonged.
For with his lower abdomen and shoulder pierced through, he was bleeding out, dying slowly.
[What a pity. One of the most brilliant talents of this age.]
Then, as Myo Cheon Woo hung impaled upon the tree, bleeding toward death, a gray shadow materialized before him.
It was Sal Gwi, the Killing Ghost—created to oversee the slaughter smoothly, stationed within the designated regions of Hell Island to eliminate the candidates who remained there.
[Do you wish to live?]
At Sal Gwi’s words, Myo Cheon Woo nodded.
[Good. Then I shall make you one of the Ten Demon Immortals. But when the time comes, you must obey my commands without question.]
“Commands?”
[Indeed.]
Sal Gwi, regarding Myo Cheon Woo with a solemn expression, continued.
[Can you do this?]
At that, black resentment surged from Myo Cheon Woo’s eyes.
“An easy task.”
He had no desire to die with a knife in his back from those fools.
He would become one of the Ten Demon Immortals, and he would sever every last head from those bastards’ shoulders.
Sal Gwi kept his promise.
He immediately employed a spirit contract to heal Myo Cheon Woo, and he infused him with formidable martial power to ensure he could survive to the very end.
After that, Myo Cheon Woo took his revenge against the gang that had killed him, and he was soon recruited into even stronger factions.
And at last, he survived the slaughter and became one of the Ten Demon Immortals.
But after that, Sal Gwi gave no sign of contact.
Not when he fought a great master at Ma Cheon Je’s command, nor when he was imprisoned in the Destruction Spear Sect and subjected to wall-facing meditation.
Myo Cheon Woo eventually concluded that Sal Gwi had forgotten everything.
But that was a grave miscalculation.
[From now on, report to Bu Eunseol every detail of his movements.]
The moment Myo Cheon Woo became Bu Eunseol’s official subordinate, Sal Gwi appeared like a phantom and issued his command.
“I’m afraid I cannot do that.”
Myo Cheon Woo was a man of deep integrity.
When asked to become a traitor who would expose Bu Eunseol’s movements, he refused immediately.
[Are you breaking your promise?]
“Never.”
Myo Cheon Woo bared his neck before Sal Gwi.
Rather than betray Bu Eunseol, he would have his life taken back.
“Take back the life you granted me. Then we shall have no further debt between us.”
[Hehehehe.]
At Myo Cheon Woo’s resolve, Sal Gwi burst into delighted laughter.
[Indeed, a man of such deep loyalty would serve him well.]
“Serve? How can I serve while exposing his movements?”
Myo Cheon Woo scoffed, and Sal Gwi spoke.
[Do you think exposing his movements would necessarily harm him? It will bring him great benefit instead.]
“Benefit?”
[We shall make him stronger. Far more powerful, undefeated by anyone.]
Myo Cheon Woo could not comprehend this.
Why would Sal Gwi do such a thing? And who exactly did “we” refer to?
[As proof, I shall tell you something in advance.]
Sal Gwi uttered something shocking.
[Wi Ji Hye Sang, the successor of the Hwawoo Sword Sect and his greatest rival, will withdraw from candidacy as successor to the Demon Hall.]
“What do you mean?”
[Wait and see.]
Myo Cheon Woo was bewildered, but he chose to trust Sal Gwi’s words and waited.
And as he reported Bu Eunseol’s movements again and again, new enemies appeared before him.
Assassins from the Murim Alliance came, and first-class sword lords arrived to kill him.
Yet each time, Bu Eunseol overcame these trials and grew stronger.
Then something shocking occurred.
Wi Ji Hye Sang withdrew from the successor candidacy immediately, simply because he had failed to perfectly protect Gong Gong Sin Tu’s information.
“It was true, then.”
[Indeed.]
When Sal Gwi’s words proved true, Myo Cheon Woo became elated.
Each time he reported the movements, Bu Eunseol came under attack and faced danger.
But each time, he overcame the crisis and achieved tremendous growth.
“Could it be that you deliberately gave him trials to foster his development?”
[Well, something like that.]
It was not a direct answer, but hearing it, Myo Cheon Woo felt reassured.
And joy burst forth from him in laughter.
He had thought he was putting Bu Eunseol in danger, but instead they were deliberately giving him trials to foster his growth?
Then this was no evil deed at all—not for Bu Eunseol, nor for himself.
But that was merely an illusion.
Until the matter concerning Young Moon Ho arose.

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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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