The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 457

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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 457.
The Elite Division, centered around Tae Mu Ryong, forgot sleep itself.
They began creating a map marking the territorial influence of Orthodox and Demonic sects affecting the Guizhou region.
While Murim possessed various maps marking hostile forces, maps simultaneously displaying both Orthodox and Demonic powers were rare to find.
Conflicts between Orthodox and Demonic Murim factions were virtually nonexistent.
Particularly because such clashes could escalate into massive confederation wars, both sides carefully avoided encroaching upon each other’s territories.
Creating maps that simultaneously marked enemies and one’s own forces—as military campaigns did—was an uncommon practice.
“It is complete.”
Four days and nights of gathering intelligence and materials through the Mangyeong Jeon and Guizhou’s intelligence networks.
At last, the Elite Division had created a map perfectly marking how all Orthodox and Demonic sects throughout Guizhou and their forces were distributed.
“Mm.”
Bu Eunseol, gazing upon the finally completed power map, nodded slowly.
The Elite Division members had drawn the power distribution faster and more meticulously than I had anticipated.
This itself was evidence that Tae Mu Ryong and Jeong Jong Do were leading their members exceptionally well.
“How does it appear?”
At Tae Mu Ryong’s question, Bu Eunseol, who had been studying the map, nodded.
“You have crafted it far more thoroughly than I expected.”
Even as I answered, my gaze remained fixed upon the map.
Tae Mu Ryong realized I had fallen into deep contemplation and clasped his hands respectfully.
“Then we shall take our leave.”
Only then did Bu Eunseol regain her focus and nod.
“There is nothing more for the Main Force to accomplish now. Allow the members to rest.”
“Understood.”
As Tae Mu Ryong and his members departed, Bu Eunseol gazed upon the map once more.
How much time had elapsed?
“The Plum Substitutes for the Peach.”
A smile bloomed at the corners of Bu Eunseol’s lips as she studied the map.
The Plum Substitutes for the Peach.
A proverb meaning that the plum tree falls in place of the peach tree.
Bu Eunseol had finally devised a certain stratagem to resolve this matter.
* * *
Meanwhile, heavy clouds of war gathered over the Guweol Mountain region.
Clashes between the Wei Long Party and Manmadang had occurred several times.
Fortunately, no bloodshed had erupted, yet tensions escalated further, approaching a hair-trigger situation.
At this point, Dan So Ok, who commanded Manmadang, grew increasingly troubled.
With her chin resting upon the table, she pondered stratagems to overcome this dire predicament.
Yet no matter how she deliberated, no clever solution came to mind.
“We cannot engage them in direct confrontation… nor can we drive them from the Yeoggyeong region.”
She pressed her forehead and shook her head.
The Wei Long Party remained in Guweol Mountain, prepared to wage all-out war.
Of course, the martial artists of Manmadang could easily dispatch the warriors of the Wei Long Party.
However, once war erupted, the Shin Wi Dan waiting in the shadows would inevitably intervene.
Should that happen, Manmadang would have no choice but to retreat without so much as a whisper.
“How am I supposed to protect the Yeoggyeong region without engaging in full-scale warfare?”
Dan So Ok shook her head.
No matter how she considered it, the task seemed impossible.
“Even if we were to win the battle, we couldn’t reclaim this Yeoggyeong region.”
What if Manmadang’s warriors displayed such overwhelming prowess that they even repelled the Shin Wi Dan?
Then a full conflict between the Orthodox and Demonic Paths would inevitably break out.
Currently, the Orthodox Sects held the advantage in Murim’s power balance, and the moral justification for this conflict lay with the Murim Alliance.
They could not wage full-scale war merely over control of a small region like Yeoggyeong, so ultimately the Demon Palace had no choice but to concede this territory through negotiation.
「Pardon me.」
At that moment, a faint transmission reached Dan So Ok’s ears, and a small shadow materialized before her eyes.
It was as though a phantom had materialized from thin air itself.
“Who are you?”
Dan So Ok’s eyes widened at the sudden appearance of the shadow.
It was a masked girl with an emaciated frame, pale skin, and mysterious eyes tinged with silver.
She was So Yo, the deputy commander of the Sa Hon Dae who constantly assisted Bu Eunseol’s journey through Gangho.
‘My internal energy has now surpassed even this level.’
I was no longer the sickly girl suffering from severed meridians.
Through the Golden Spirit Sword that Bu Eunseol had given me, I had acquired formidable internal energy, and through the exceptional martial techniques transmitted by Dan Wol Hon.
I had become a master second to none, yet I failed to detect even the presence of this small girl?
“Is something the matter?”
At that moment, Wi Sa, who was guarding the camp, heard Dan So Ok’s voice and hurried inside.
Whoosh.
In that same instant, So Yo vanished before Dan So Ok’s eyes.
“I heard the Ryeong Ju’s voice from outside.”
“I’m sorry. I was just lost in thought for a moment.”
Dan So Ok waved her hand, dismissing Wi Sa.
Floating gently.
All the while deliberately ignoring So Yo, who hovered suspended in the air above the tent with her arms and legs splayed wide.
“I see. Understood.”
Once Wi Sa had left, So Yo casually descended back to the ground.
Dan So Ok could not hide her astonishment.
‘How on earth did she perform such a technique?’
So Yo had, for just a brief moment, executed wind-riding flight with her arms and legs spread wide.
“What brings you here?”
Suppressing her amazement, Dan So Ok whispered in a low voice, and So Yo extended an envelope toward her.
「He asked me to deliver this to you.」
So Yo’s transmission was so faint it was barely audible.
Dan So Ok gazed down at the envelope, tilting her head in puzzlement.
“Then, does this mean Bu Ryeong Ju…?”
As she lifted her head to ask, her eyes blinked.
So Yo, who had been standing before her, vanished like mist.
Startled, Dan So Ok withdrew the envelope and spread it across the table.
‘What is this?’
It was a map depicting in meticulous detail the various demonic sects and their spheres of influence rooted throughout the Guizhou region.
‘Why would Ryeong Ju entrust me with such a thing?’
Dan So Ok felt a strange unease and examined the map with intense focus.
“Could it be…?”
After studying the map intently for some time, Dan So Ok’s gaze fixed upon one location, and her eyes gleamed with sudden understanding.
She too was a strategist of exceptional brilliance, one whose name was already being mentioned as a candidate for the next commander.
And so she grasped Bu Eunseol’s intention in a single moment of clarity.
‘With this method…’
Dan So Ok’s lips curved into a smile brimming with joy.
With this method, against the Murim Alliance whose eyes had gone wide with hunger to devour the Yeoggyeong region…
She could complete a stratagem that would ensure she suffered no losses whatsoever.
‘You sent this letter knowing that I had undertaken this task for you.’
Dan So Ok clutched the map tightly to her chest.
The moment she found herself in peril, Bu Eunseol had immediately provided her with a stratagem to escape it.
‘I am truly grateful to you, Seobangnin.’
She whispered the title she had longed to call him in her heart all this while, and nodded with firm resolve.
‘I will surely become the commander of the Main Force and stand beside you as your strength.’
Dan So Ok, having concealed the map within her robes, blazed with renewed determination.
There was no more time to delay.
She had to launch an immediate counterattack and deliver a devastating blow to that mole-faced Wei Long Party Lord.
* * *
“What did you say?”
Upon receiving his subordinates’ report, Yeon Ja Gang’s eyes widened in shock.
“The masters of Manmadang are coming to push directly against our main force?”
It was unbelievable news.
Dan So Ok, who had evaded direct conflict no matter how many times he provoked her, was now actually leading Manmadang’s forces toward him?
“So she was merely a candidate commander after all—a position gained through nothing but her family’s prestige and a pretty face.”
The Wei Long Party and the Elite Division were not even full combat contingents, and together their forces numbered merely eighty men.
Yet the forces Dan So Ok had brought from Manmadang exceeded five hundred.
Nevertheless, Yeon Ja Gang smiled.
That they were pushing forward meant only one thing:
They were providing him with justification to bring the Shin Wi Dan into the battle.
“Hahahaha!”
Yeon Ja Gang released a hearty laugh.
“Thanks to that foolish girl, I’ll make a great achievement.”
He then spoke to his subordinates.
“There’s no need to construct defensive lines—retreat immediately. Send a message at once to the Lords through the carrier pigeons. Tell them that Manmadang has launched a full-scale war!”
―The Demon Palace and the Murim Alliance are engaged in an all-out war in the Yeoggyeong Region!
This rumor spread rapidly throughout Murim.
The Yeoggyeong Region was not particularly prime territory within Guizhou.
However, it contained Guweol Mountain, a vital trade route through which numerous merchant guilds had to pass for commerce.
Thus, by controlling this area alone, the Hell Blood Sect reaped substantial annual revenues.
But the Iron Tyrant Lord of the Murim Alliance had been slain by a master of the Hell Blood Sect in that very place.
The Murim Alliance had stationed the Wei Long Party there to investigate the truth of the matter.
Legitimacy and power.
Since both lay with the Murim Alliance, I had naturally assumed matters would proceed with the Demon Palace yielding.
Yet the Mil Mil Territory Lord Dan Seo Ok, who had been conducting negotiations with them, suddenly mobilized the Manmadang under her command and drove the Wei Long Party from the Guweol Mountain region.
―If force is to be used, then so be it!
The Manmadang that Dan Seo Ok brought were masters of exceptional skill even among the Jipma Clan of the Demon Palace.
Ultimately, pushed back by them, Wei Long Party Lord Yeon Ja Gang immediately sought aid from the Shin Wi Dan stationed at the border regions of Guizhou.
―Sweep away those shameless fools of the Demonic Path!
With the Shin Wi Dan backing him, Yeon Ja Gang entered Guweol Mountain once more.
The masters of Manmadang constructed defensive lines to oppose them, but it proved futile.
Like sand before a tide, they were overwhelmed in an instant.
Inside the Wei Long Party’s camp at Guweol Mountain.
There, the Vice-Lord of the Shin Wi Dan, Gun Ok Sang, and Wei Long Party Lord Yeon Ja Gang were engaged in serious discussion.
“Vice-Lord, this is an excellent opportunity.”
Yeon Ja Gang was persuading Gun Ok Sang, the Vice-Lord of the Shin Wi Dan.
Thanks to the Mil Mil Territory Lord Dan Seo Ok’s show of force, he had gained justification to mobilize the Shin Wi Dan, which had remained in the background.
And he had already driven Manmadang beyond Guweol Mountain in one swift motion.
But Yeon Ja Gang was not satisfied with this—he intended to expel all Demonic Path forces within the Yeoggyeong Region, including Manmadang.
“Is there truly a need to go that far?”
Gun Ok Sang furrowed his brow as he spoke.
“If we drive them beyond Yeoggyeong, the Demon Palace might even send reinforcements.”
“That will absolutely not happen.”
Yeon Ja Gang spoke with confidence.
“The Demon Palace has already chosen the Mil Mil Territory Lord as the sacrificial lamb for this negotiation’s failure. She is the betrothed of the Muhonjung Lord, who weakened the Hell Blood Sect’s power.”
“Hmm.”
“Even if the Demon Palace sends reinforcements, the justification lies with our Alliance. They attacked our organization without clear apology or compensation.”
Yeon Ja Gang spoke with earnest conviction in his voice.
“If we can expel all Demonic Path forces, including Manmadang, from within Yeoggyeong, it will become a bridgehead that allows our Alliance to establish dominion over the Guizhou Region in the future.”
And he added one more thing.
“And that achievement will be yours, Vice-Lord.”
Gun Ok Sang wore a bitter smile.
He had never harbored any genuine desire to achieve merit, nor would accomplishing such feats significantly alter his standing.
It was Yeon Ja Gang himself who burned with an insatiable hunger to establish his own glory.
“I shall send word to the Commander and see what he makes of it.”
“If we do that, it will be too late. If we do not push Manmadang to its absolute limit now, Demon Palace will dispatch another executive to resume negotiations. Then even Ben Maeng will find it impossible to continue applying military pressure.”
Yeon Ja Gang spoke once more.
“We must strike immediately while this conflict rages. If we delay, such an opportunity will never present itself again.”
Gun Ok Sang exhaled deeply.
To expel the Demon Palace forces from Yeoggyeong would be no small victory.
“Can you take responsibility for this?”
Gun Ok Sang spoke with solemn gravity.
“If things go awry, can you answer for it?”
“Of course.”
Yeon Ja Gang answered with unwavering conviction.
“I stake my very life upon it.”
Gun Ok Sang gazed into Yeon Ja Gang’s resolute eyes and nodded.
“Very well. Proceed as you see fit.”
―Wei Long Party and Shin Wi Dan are driving Manmadang beyond the borders of Yeoggyeong!
Once again, shocking news rippled through Murim.
The moment conflict erupted, Wei Long Party and Shin Wi Dan moved with calculated precision.
Like an unstoppable tide, they began sweeping Manmadang and the Demonic Path forces from within Yeoggyeong.
Manmadang attempted counterattacks repeatedly, but their numerical disadvantage was severe.
Unable to mount any meaningful resistance, they were forced to retreat steadily beyond Yeoggyeong’s borders.
―Success!
As the bulk of the Demonic Path forces were finally expelled beyond Yeoggyeong, Yeon Ja Gang erupted in jubilation.
Thanks to the foolish Mil Mil Territory Lord, he had driven not only Manmadang but the entire Demonic Path contingent beyond Guweol Mountain and the Yeoggyeong region itself.
But how could he have known?
That he had stepped into a quagmire from which there was no escape.
―The retreating forces of Manmadang established their garrison near Jeok Su Gang.
Suddenly, shocking news arrived.
Manmadang, driven back repeatedly by Shin Wi Dan and expelled beyond Yeoggyeong, had constructed a defensive line near Jeok Su Gang.
Only then did the martial artists of Murim comprehend why Dan So Ok had deliberately provoked conflict despite knowing Shin Wi Dan stood behind Wei Long Party.
―She deliberately engineered this clash to gain justification for entering the Jeok Su Gang region!
She had deliberately maneuvered Manmadang into pushing back Wei Long Party, thereby providing Shin Wi Dan with pretext for intervention.
And having secured Shin Wi Dan’s involvement, she had foreseen that they would seize not merely the trade routes of Guweol Mountain, but the entire Yeoggyeong region.
Yeon Ja Gang was a man consumed by hunger for achievement.
He would never relinquish this opportunity—he would claim all of Yeoggyeong for himself.
Thus, he deliberately retreated, ceding Yeoggyeong.
And in doing so, he seized control of the Jeok Su Gang region—the buffer zone that had long separated the Righteous Path from the Demonic Path.
Originally, Demon Palace forces could never have entered the Jeok Su Gang region.
But fleeing Shin Wi Dan’s pursuit, they had no choice but to advance there—and none could voice objection to such necessity.
―The Murim Alliance gained little and lost much.
The Jeok Su Gang region was a prime trade route incomparable to Guweol Mountain.
Since merchant guilds flocked there, the finest pawn shops of Murim were concentrated in this area, and because the waters of Jeok Su were pristine, renowned distilleries stood packed throughout the region.
However, this place had never belonged to either the Murim Alliance or the Demon Palace, so the orthodox sects all refrained from encroaching upon it.
It was a sort of buffer zone.
Yet Man Ma Dang, led by Dan So Ok, could station itself here without hesitation.
Justification.
The Murim Alliance, which prioritized righteousness and propriety above all else, could never engage in—nor could it afford to engage in—battles without justification.
Dan So Ok and Man Ma Dang merely retreated as if driven out of the Yeoggyeong region by the forces of Wei Long Party and Shin Wi Dan…
They had simply withdrawn as far as the vicinity of Jeok Su Gang.
That is, since Wei Long Party had attacked out of greed, there was nothing to reproach them for.
But what if, after pushing Man Ma Dang out of Yeoggyeong, they pursued them all the way to Jeok Su Gang and attacked them there?
That would be nothing short of plunder, and they would forfeit all the justification they had maintained until now.
“How did this come to pass!”
Gun Ok Sang, seated at a table set up inside the camp, spoke to Yeon Ja Gang in a grave voice.
“Did we not end up surrendering Jeok Su Gang while trying to drive them out of Yeoggyeong?”
Gun Ok Sang’s voice was louder than before, and his eyes burned with indignation.
“How will you take responsibility for this?”
Man Ma Dang had merely fled to escape them.
If they pursued them again, claiming they were in Jeok Su Gang, then Shin Wi Dan would become not the vanguard of the Murim Alliance but plunderers.
“I suspected as much, but this was something I had anticipated.”
Yet Yeon Ja Gang spoke with an unbothered expression.
“I was aware they would move toward the vicinity of Jeok Su Gang by cleverly repeating advances and retreats.”
“What do you mean? If you knew that, why didn’t you stop them?”
To Gun Ok Sang’s words, Yeon Ja Gang replied calmly.
“The vicinity of Jeok Su Gang did not become a buffer zone between the orthodox and demonic sects for no reason, did it?”
Yeon Ja Gang explained methodically.
“The merchant guilds near Jeok Su Gang have long collected funds to hire wanderers to protect themselves. And near Jeok Su Gang lies Donghyo Seorang, Guizhou’s largest wanderer market.”
“Donghyo Seorang? Ah, I see.
“Indeed. It is a place once powerful enough to stand against Hell Blood Sect itself.”
Yeon Ja Gang had thoroughly investigated the forces in the Guizhou region from the moment he began negotiations in Yeoggyeong.
And even as he felt Dan So Ok retreating toward the vicinity of Jeok Su Gang through repeated advances and withdrawals, he made no particular move to stop her.
That was precisely because the Jeok Su Gang region was not a place one could simply enter on a whim.
“But surely they cannot wage open war against the Demon Palace?”
“Donghyo Seorang is no ordinary wanderer market. They have long stood in opposition to Hell Blood Sect. Even if they crumble, they will never surrender to the Demon Palace.”
Yeon Ja Gang spoke with a smile.
“And only if Donghyo Seorang resists and a great battle erupts will the main force have grounds to intervene.”
“Ah, indeed that would be the case.”
Gun Ok Sang nodded, uttering a sound of admiration.
If Man Ma Dang forcibly stationed itself in Jeok Su Gang and clashed with Donghyo Seorang, then?
Ultimately, the merchants and pawn shops throughout the Jeok Su Gang region would suffer severe damage.
Naturally, the Murim Alliance would seize the pretext of protecting merchants to deploy a massive force into the area.
In the end, Man Ma Dang would clash with Donghyo Seorang and accomplish nothing but waste their efforts.
“So that’s what this was about.”
Only then did Gun Ok Sang understand why Yuk Jang Cheon, the master of Deng Wu Dian, had sent Yeon Ja Gang to this negotiation.
He was a strategist whose intellect far exceeded his reputation.
“Then the Demon Palace will arrive soon, and we should prepare ourselves mentally.”
“This conflict will not be resolved in a short time, so there is no need to rush.”
At Yeon Ja Gang’s words, Gun Ok Sang nodded with a satisfied smile.
“I understand. In the meantime, keep a close watch on the movements of both Jeok Su Gang and the Demon Palace.”
“Of course.”
Just as Yeon Ja Gang was about to clasp his hands,
“My lord.”
the voice of his trusted aide Gu Jong Myeong reached them.
“The Lord of the Elite Division, Seon Woo, is requesting an audience with you.”
“Seon Woo, the Lord?”
Yeon Ja Gang’s brow furrowed.
He had repeatedly told him to stay out of this. Why was he suddenly requesting to see him?
“Very well, you may go.”
At that moment, Gun Ok Sang nodded and turned to leave,
“Please go in, Deputy Lord.”
Yeon Ja Gang quickly clasped his hands and bowed Gun Ok Sang out.
Then, in a cold voice, he said,
“Tell the Lord that I am busy.”
And he let out a scoff.
“As the so-called Lord of Intelligence, he must be analyzing Man Ma Dang’s visit to Jeok Su Gang to report back to me.”
Yeon Ja Gang knew the character of men like Seon Woo Jin well.
Outwardly docile, but in reality consumed by the desire to accumulate merit and climb higher as quickly as possible.
Which is why he was clearly trying to make it appear that he had a hand in this matter.
After all, he had managed to gain merit until now.
He could not return empty-handed without doing anything.
“My lord. Seon Woo, the Lord, is requesting your presence once more. He says he has matters regarding Jeok Su Gang to discuss with you.”
At the sound of Gu Jong Myeong’s voice, Yeon Ja Gang’s lips curved upward.
‘There you have it. I see right through the hearts of men like you, do I not?’
Because he himself was the same.
“Tell the Lord that I do not repeat myself. And….”
He spoke with a solemn expression.
“Should Seon Woo, the Lord, come calling again, send him away immediately.”
“Understood.”
This action would prove to be a painful mistake for Yeon Ja Gang.
Yet he remained oblivious to the truth—that he was already ensnared within the web Bu Eunseol had woven, thrashing helplessly against invisible threads.
Unaware of what horrors awaited him, he indulged in dreams of triumph and self-satisfaction.

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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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