The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 448

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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 448.
“We’ve discovered Young Moon Ho’s whereabouts through Sa Hon Dae. And he says he’ll meet with Young Moon Ho.”
While Bu Eunseol remained at Nang Rim Mountain, preparing to meet Young Moon Ho.
Myo Cheon Woo was also tracking those movements, relaying the intelligence he’d obtained from Sa Hon Dae to Sal Gwi.
And soon after, he received a shocking command.
“Leak Young Moon Ho’s whereabouts to Cheon Geom. Make it so Bu Eunseol and Cheon Geom fight to the death.”
Cheon Geom was a disciple of Geom Joon—not only possessed formidable martial prowess but was also a prodigy of the new generation blessed with innate divine strength.
At that time, Bu Eunseol could hardly guarantee victory against such a master.
Yet Myo Cheon Woo’s concerns extended beyond Bu Eunseol’s safety alone.
“Young Moon Ho has lost his martial arts, you said. We absolutely cannot use him as bait.”
Cheon Geom was a man who harbored extreme hatred for those of the Demonic Path, and especially despised the Ten Demon Immortals who had slain righteous masters.
If such a man were to discover Young Moon Ho?
He would never let him live.
“Bait is merely bait. He will not die. Because Bu Eunseol will protect him.”
In the end, Sal Gwi had concluded that Bu Eunseol and Cheon Geom must fight.
Myo Cheon Woo hesitated for a moment.
But ultimately, he succumbed to Sal Gwi’s persuasion.
Because until now, their words had never been wrong, and they had consistently developed Bu Eunseol according to their promises.
This matter too would surely become an opportunity for Bu Eunseol’s great advancement.
Myo Cheon Woo harbored no doubt, and ultimately leaked Cheon Geom’s location to the Ten Demon Immortals’ Young Moon Ho.
Of course, only after confirming that Bu Eunseol was with Young Moon Ho.
As long as Bu Eunseol was there, Young Moon Ho would never be harmed.
But it was a grave mistake.
Something entirely unforeseen had occurred.
Bu Eunseol had stepped out to the village for supplies, and in that brief window, Cheon Geom arrived and killed Young Moon Ho.
“What am I to do about this!”
Upon learning of Young Moon Ho’s death, Myo Cheon Woo protested frantically, but all he received in return were irresponsible answers.
“How could anyone have predicted that Cheon Geom would arrive and kill Young Moon Ho while he was away in the village?”
“Is that what you call an explanation!”
“In the end, things worked out well, did they not?”
Sal Gwi answered with indifference.
“Just as it has been until now. This trial will make him stronger.”
Only then did Myo Cheon Woo realize he had made a terrible choice.
They were nothing but madmen.
A being of flesh and blood, Bu Eunseol.
They regarded her as nothing more than a weapon or an object. They gave no consideration whatsoever to her condition or her heart.
“I was wrong in my thinking.”
From the start, I should never have become their pawn. I should have firmly refused the order and revealed everything to Bu Eunseol.
But now… everything was too late.
After that day.
Myo Cheon Woo sank into a maddening guilt, unable to accomplish anything.
He had tried countless times to confess this truth to Bu Eunseol.
But he could not.
If she discovered that Young Moon Ho had died because of him?
Bu Eunseol would never forgive him—and truthfully, forgiveness was impossible to deserve.
He could not even beg for absolution from himself.
In the end, Myo Cheon Woo had become nothing more than a puppet, unable to refuse Sal Gwi’s demands.
―I cannot endure this any longer.
Eventually, he reported Bu Eunseol’s movements to Sal Gwi—she who had gone to rescue his master Hyul Geum Gang—and demanded a definitive answer from the specter.
―I will report her movements as promised, but do not place her in danger again. If you do, my identity will be exposed. This is my final warning.
Sal Gwi accepted Myo Cheon Woo’s proposal.
But it was a promise that would never be kept.
Only then could Myo Cheon Woo truly understand.
Sal Gwi did not fear his identity being revealed.
Even unto death, the specter would never release him freely.
* * *
“There is no escape.”
Myo Cheon Woo stirred from his reverie, setting down his teacup as he rose from his seat.
“All of this is my fault.”
[It seems you have made a decision.]
The voice laughed softly, as though peering into his innermost thoughts.
[Revealing everything would not be an unwise choice. However….]
The eerie voice that reached him carried a note of amusement.
[Your master, whom you so desperately wished to protect, you could not save… You must be drowning in profound despair. Another great shock awaits you.]
Crunch.
Myo Cheon Woo clenched his teeth hard.
Bu Eunseol appeared cold-hearted, yet in truth she was remarkably tender and compassionate.
If she learned of his betrayal? If she discovered that Young Moon Ho had died at Cheon Geom’s hand because of it?
Her already wounded spirit could crumble beyond recovery.
“Yes, that would be so.”
Yet Myo Cheon Woo smiled, as though remembering something.
Bu Eunseol—she was one who overcame any trial.
Though she would suffer now, she would transform that anguish into nourishment and rise to even greater heights.
Myo Cheon Woo nodded with resolve, speaking with unwavering certainty.
“But she will surely rise again.”
With those words, he opened the door without hesitation and stepped outside.
Leaving the Tea House, Myo Cheon Woo returned at once to the Demon Palace.
He made his way directly to the Office where Bu Eunseol was staying.
As always, he wore his brightest demeanor—as her trusted friend and loyal subordinate.
“Are you busy?”
When Myo Cheon Woo saw Bu Eunseol calmly writing a letter with her head bowed, tears nearly spilled from his eyes.
Yet contrary to his true feelings, he spoke with a playful expression.
“How are you feeling?”
Bu Eunseol kept her gaze fixed on the letter as she replied flatly.
“Nothing much.”
“Good, I’m relieved.”
Myo Cheon Woo took a deep breath and produced a small envelope from his robes, sliding it across her desk.
It was a leave of absence request.
“I think I need to rest for about a month.”
Bu Eunseol never asked the reasons behind anyone’s leave requests.
Even if she herself couldn’t rest due to her busy schedule, she always hoped her subordinates could take their ease whenever possible.
“I seem to have exhausted my inner strength while practicing palm techniques…”
“I’ll inform Yu Woon Ryong. Don’t worry about it—just rest and recover. Things aren’t particularly hectic right now.”
Just as Myo Cheon Woo had anticipated, his leave request was approved without issue.
“Take care of yourself.”
Myo Cheon Woo gazed at Bu Eunseol, who was absorbed in writing her letter, a faint smile playing at his lips.
“I will.”
Her usual indifferent reply, that familiar tone—Myo Cheon Woo etched them deeply into his heart as he smiled and spoke.
“Then I’ll be going.”
He left the office and immediately departed the Demon Palace.
After using his lightness technique to escape Seong Do, he made his way toward a cave in the Deep Mountain Valley that he had long since marked as suitable.
A waterfall flowed nearby, and the place was untouched by human feet—ideal for quietly cultivating martial arts in solitude.
“Hell Island comes to mind.”
Myo Cheon Woo’s gaze grew distant as he looked upon the cave.
There, he had demonstrated exceptional talent in palm techniques and made many companions.
Yet they had betrayed him out of fear and terror, and the ones who truly became his friends were the outstanding talents who survived to the very end.
“Was it all meaningless?”
In truth, Myo Cheon Woo possessed a cheerful disposition and easily mingled with others, forming bonds.
But such actions held no real meaning. To truly cultivate genuine friendships, one had to become an exceptional and worthy person oneself.
“Pointless sentimentality.”
Stepping outside the cave, Myo Cheon Woo gazed toward the distant sky.
Until now, he had transcended the boundaries of the Exterminating Palm technique he had cultivated and created a new palm art entirely on his own.
In doing so, he had broken free from the stable confines of the Transcendent Realm and was rushing toward its pinnacle, yet he had not shattered that final barrier.
“The problem was me all along.”
If only he—the one reporting Bu Eunseol’s movements—were to disappear?
No problems would arise whatsoever.
Now that Sa Hon Dae was perfectly obscuring and protecting her tracks, even the Three Realms could not locate Bu Eunseol.
Naturally, if they couldn’t find her, they couldn’t manipulate her either.
“Bu Eunseol didn’t need to clash with that Killing Ghost.”
The Killing Ghost’s purpose was ostensibly not Bu Eunseol’s destruction, but her advancement.
The only thing inherent is the uncertainty that they would stop at nothing to achieve it, and could turn back at any moment.
“Moreover, we cannot afford to clash with them now.”
Bu Eunseol, a genius of the ages, and the Demon Palace’s successor—a figure of immense power.
To nurture them under one’s watchful eye?
In other words, Sal Gwi—or whoever stood behind him—possessed a strength that rendered even Bu Eunseol’s martial prowess and influence insignificant.
Even if a time came to clash in the future, now was decidedly not that moment.
“Therefore… this is the best course of action.”
Taking a deep breath, I began my cultivation.
From the foundations of inner energy to the spear techniques I had devised, and even the secret methods I possessed—I refined them all with meticulous care, then refined them again.
Before long, twenty days had passed.
Myo Cheon Woo, with his stubbled beard sprouting haphazardly, resembled a hunter dwelling in the mountains.
“This should suffice.”
This training had never been undertaken to acquire something new.
In truth, during my past training with my subordinates in Namhae, I had discovered the martial legacy of an ancient master who had once earned great renown.
It was the martial art of one of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars—the Fighting Emperor.
I had found the secret manual of the Fighting Emperor’s Killing Force.
—So the Fighting Emperor’s martial legacy had been slumbering here all along!
Myo Cheon Woo could not conceal his expression of joy.
According to Bu Eunseol’s words, the martial arts of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars all diverged fundamentally from the martial techniques of the current Murim.
They possessed a mysterious power that transcended the constraints and stages of martial cultivation realms.
And yet, one of these legendary arts had fallen into my hands!
—With this, I could defeat any adversary!
Myo Cheon Woo rejoiced greatly and secretly studied the Fighting Emperor’s legacy.
Whenever time permitted, I quietly grasped fragments of that martial technique.
And in this training, I sought to properly refine the Fighting Emperor’s art—something I had never once unleashed in actual combat.
That secret technique which I had never before demonstrated in battle.
So that I could wield it flawlessly at the decisive moment.
“Hah.”
Having completed everything, I gazed toward the distant sky.
“You all must have thought me an amusing puppet.”
Sal Gwi, who had saved me.
He would belong to some formidable sect—someone from the Sam Gye.
And he must have been confident my identity would never be exposed, for I had never revealed a single flaw or weakness.
But Sal Gwi had made a mistake.
—Wi Ji Hye Sang, the Hwawoo Sword Sect’s successor and my greatest rival, would withdraw his candidacy for the Demon Palace succession.
No matter how formidable the Sam Gye might be, no matter what power and influence they wielded.
The Hwawoo Sword Sect, which could be called the foremost sect of the Demonic Path—one could never force its successor to withdraw from the Demon Palace candidacy.
In other words, Sal Gwi could only be a member of the Hwawoo Sword Sect.
“Regardless, you have made a grave error in your choice of target.”
I had transcended such trivial concerns as life and death long ago.
All I truly desired was to spend a long time with Bu Eunseol, Yu Woon Ryong, and the Lords of Sayeong Hall who shared my convictions.
And I wanted to be of whatever help I could to Bu Eunseol, who walked forward bearing everything alone.
But now I have neither the means nor the right to do so.
Then what must be done now is to resolve what was begun—to repay the debt of life I was given.
At the very least, let the path ahead not be so desolate. Let us walk it together.
A faint shimmer of light.
Myo Cheon Woo unfurled his divine technique in a single breath and departed the Deep Mountain Valley.
Then he moved endlessly toward the east.
When at last he reached Seok Moon, where the Jinryeong Mountain Range came into view, Myo Cheon Woo ceased his lightness technique and walked slowly forward.
After walking for some time, a massive structure resembling a fortress began to appear in the distance.
It was none other than the Hwawoo Sword Sect.
“What brings you here?”
Wi Sa of the Hwawoo Sword Sect furrowed his brow at the sight of Myo Cheon Woo, whose wild beard and unkempt appearance made him look like a vagabond.
“Deliver this letter to the Sect Master.”
Wi Sa’s expression darkened at Myo Cheon Woo’s arrogant tone.
What manner of beggar was this, daring to present a letter to the Sect Master of the First Demonic Path—the sacred Hwawoo Sword Sect—without even revealing his name?
“State your name and affiliation.”
“If I tell you I am an agent commissioned by the Hwawoo Sword Sect to monitor Muk Hon Ryeong Ju, that should suffice.”
“W-what did you just say?”
Wi Sa’s eyes widened, and Myo Cheon Woo let out a cold laugh.
“There is no need for a mere Wi Sa to interpose himself. Simply deliver the letter to the Sect Master at once, unless you wish to hear rumors that the Hwawoo Sword Sect has brought shame upon its own honor.”
Even to Wi Sa’s eyes, Myo Cheon Woo possessed an extraordinary bearing and presence.
He did not appear to be a madman or one prone to idle talk.
“Wait a moment.”
Realizing that something grave had transpired, Wi Sa entered with a grave expression.
He immediately went inside and reported the matter to his superior.
As the Wi Sa Lord opened the envelope and examined the letter, his eyes widened.
Within lay not only the letter but also a jade token symbolizing the rank of a Second-Class Lord of the Demon Palace.
“This is a matter that requires immediate reporting.”
“Will you go to Geom Ma Pavilion?”
“No, I shall handle this myself.”
The Wi Sa Lord turned and immediately made his way to the Palace Hall where Wi Ji Hye Sang resided—the Yu Ma Pavilion.
The warrior guarding the Yu Ma Pavilion saw the Wi Sa Lord and asked.
“What is the matter?”
“There is a man who claims to be an agent commissioned by the Demon Palace to monitor the successor, and he has brought this letter.”
“What?”
The Wi Sa guarding the Yu Ma Pavilion took the letter and read it, then shook his head.
“Is he mad? Simply drive him away.”
“But he carried this jade token.”
When the Wi Sa Lord showed the Demon Palace’s jade token, the warrior’s eyebrows twitched.
“A person from the Demon Palace?”
“Yes, sir. According to my subordinates, his martial prowess is beyond ordinary. It doesn’t seem he’s a madman.”
Creak.
At that moment, the door to the Yu Ma Pavilion swung open, and a graceful shadow emerged.
It was Wi Ji Hye Sang, the next sect leader of the Hwawoo Sword Sect.
“Let me see it.”
Though he remained inside the palace hall, he seemed to have heard everything from outside. He approached calmly and extended his hand.
“Ah.”
After reading through the letter, Wi Ji Hye Sang wore a subtle smile and nodded.
“Tell him to wait at the pavilion near Unmong Lake, about twenty li from our sect’s main gate.”
Unmong Lake was a small body of water situated roughly twenty li away from the Hwawoo Sword Sect.
“Be respectful. Make sure not to commit any rudeness.”
“Yes, understood.”
A gentle breeze swept across Unmong Lake, a small body of water situated some distance from the Hwawoo Sword Sect.
Before the lakeside stood a modest pavilion where one could rest while admiring the surrounding scenery.
After receiving word from Wi Sa, Myo Cheon Woo turned and made his way toward the lakeside, some distance from the Hwawoo Sword Sect.
Upon arriving at last, a slender young man with delicate features stood before the pavilion, facing the wind.
It was Wi Ji Hye Sang.
Remarkably, despite having sent word to Myo Cheon Woo from within the Hwawoo Sword Sect, he had already arrived here first.
“My, my.”
Wi Ji Hye Sang turned as Myo Cheon Woo arrived, his expression shifting to one of exaggerated surprise.
“What’s with that appearance, Lord Myo? You look like some wild beast that descended from the mountains in search of food.”
He continued with a laugh and a jest.
“Surely you haven’t come seeking me because you’ve run out of provisions?”
Myo Cheon Woo stood in silence, saying nothing.
Seeing the solemn and grave expression on Myo Cheon Woo’s face, Wi Ji Hye Sang let out a sigh.
“What on earth are you thinking? You’re no three-year-old child, and you’re a lord of the Demon Palace who’s eaten his fill of martial glory. Yet you commit such absurdities?”
The letter Myo Cheon Woo had presented.
It was none other than a challenge—a declaration to face Hyun Ma, Wi Ji Moo Ah.

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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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