The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 483

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

Chapter 483.
Dam Jeung exhaled deeply upon seeing Bu Eunseol kneeling there, clutching the sacred text to her chest.
Bu Chanyang.
He had earned renown as a peerless swordmaster of the Demonic Path, yet ultimately left behind only mysteries before vanishing without trace.
Concealing his identity, he had quietly departed the Murim and lived as a wandering ascetic.
Then one day, he was brutally murdered by an unknown fiend, though he left behind a legacy for the Murim.
That legacy was Bu Eunseol herself.
Neither the righteous sects’ greatest heroes nor the Demonic Path’s supreme masters could wield it completely—only he could.
He had left behind his own incarnation, capable of manifesting the Blood Dew Seven Techniques, that transcendent sword art.
“How mysterious are the threads of fate.”
What he had thought merely a fleeting connection—
That young prodigy who had risked his life cultivating martial arts within the cave at Jeok Yeon Ji had become a peerless swordmaster whose name shook the entire Murim.
And now that karmic debt had been sent once more to Blood Shaolin.
“Just as flocks of birds scatter in different directions when morning comes, so too do we part when we meet, and though we walk together for a time, we ultimately journey alone into the next world.”
Dam Jeung spoke with palms pressed together in reverence.
“Bin Seung was foolish and consumed himself in the flames of vengeance… but I pray you do not walk such a path.”
Though a disciple of the Buddhist Order, Dam Jeung had spent decades burning with the desire for revenge, pursuing the fiend.
In the end, he had not become Shaolin’s guardian deity, but rather remained bound to the past, unable to die with his fallen brothers.
He had become nothing more than a lingering phantom of Blood Shaolin, condemned to an existence he did not choose.
And for Bu Eunseol alone, he harbored the fervent hope that she would not follow in his tragic footsteps.
Click.
As he pressed the edge of the table, the wall of the meditation hall slid open, revealing a narrow passage.
It appeared to be a secret passage through which one could slip quietly out of Shaolin.
“You may take that scripture with you.”
Dam Jeung said.
“It was something Bin Seung kept separately, after all.”
Bu Eunseol, with palms pressed together, gazed at Dam Jeung and bowed respectfully.
“Then I shall.”
It was the one memento she could claim—something her grandfather had been unable to preserve during his lifetime.
A relic that could wash away the suffering and sorrow of a gentle wanderer’s heart.
As Bu Eunseol departed, a smile played at the corners of Dam Jeung’s mouth.
Simply by receiving the bow of respect from this young one, he sensed that Shaolin would overcome great tribulations in the future.
This young master would never live indebted to anyone.
Since becoming abbot of Blood Shaolin, Dam Jeung could take pride in having made the finest judgment of his life.
Rumble.
As Bu Eunseol emerged from the underground passage, the door sealed itself shut.
Dam Jeung gazed after her in contemplative silence.
Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he sighed.
“I pray they never cross paths.”
Shaolin had nurtured a young master who could rival that one.
And he was someone who would never tolerate a figure from the Demonic Path wreaking havoc across the Murim… which suddenly made me anxious about what lay ahead.
* * *
Upon returning to the Demon Palace, Bu Eunseol did not head to the Sayeong Hall, but instead made straight for the Holy Demon Pavilion.
Ever since becoming the Muk Hon Ryeong Ju, all my actions and duties were to be reported solely to Ma Cheon Je.
But Ma Cheon Je had been in seclusion all this time, so whether I entered the sect or took any action whatsoever.
There was no particular need to report it.
The same was true now.
Though I ventured into the Gangho, there was no need to report what I had done.
Yet I deliberately sought out the Holy Demon Pavilion nonetheless.
To report to Ma Cheon Je.
Or rather, to question him about this absurdity for the first time.
‘Ma Cheon Je must have known.’
Before I obtained the Yeong Gyu Ta Tong and the barrier of my spirit was erected.
That is, before I was attacked by Hyuk Ryeon Eung at the Wei Wang Residence. Ma Cheon Je must have peered into my spirit thoroughly.
Of course, even if he could not scrutinize every thought I harbored, he would have known at minimum that I burned with the desire for vengeance.
‘That my grandfather was Chil Ji Ma Do.’
Perhaps Ma Cheon Je already knew my grandfather’s true identity.
Yet the fact that he said nothing meant he was simply standing apart, watching my struggles with interest, did it not?
‘Was it amusing to you? My thrashing about?’
Looking back, becoming the successor to the Demon Palace was all Ma Cheon Je’s orchestration.
Despite receiving all manner of oppression and obstruction, he gave me opportunities to accumulate merit step by step.
Making me a successor that even the Ten Demonic Sect Lords could not deny, one that the Demonic Path itself had no choice but to acknowledge.
Of course, it was my own ability that allowed me to overcome all these trials and build my achievements.
But that it was possible at all.
That was because Ma Cheon Je saw through my abilities and character completely.
Had it been otherwise, he would not have so readily subjected me to so many trials.
‘I am not a puppet.’
Bu Eunseol, who had been walking with brisk steps, lifted my head.
As the Holy Demon Pavilion came into view in the distance, memories of what happened at Shaolin flashed through my mind like a lantern show.
‘Not just Dam Jeung, but even the current Shaolin Abbot himself. They might be nothing more than chess pieces on a board…’
Chil Ji Ma Do Bu Chanyang.
The peerless swordmaster who had dominated the Demonic Path was, in truth, a fictional demon created through the Absolute Demon Blade Plan.
Moreover, countless talented individuals had either infiltrated various orthodox sects or become shadows to aid him.
And this plan had been carried out in none other than Shaolin’s most secret place—the Blood Shaolin.
It is said that all who knew of this plan were subsequently killed.
But Bu Eunseol realized there was one critical flaw in this account.
The Buddha Venerable, Hong Hyeon.
A living Buddha over two hundred years old, the legendary patriarch of the Orthodox Path known as Shaolin’s legend.
Could he truly have been ignorant of the Absolute Demon Blade Plan?
Even if the previous abbot had died, would he not know everything?
Would Cheol Mu Hon and Hong Yeop, the former abbot, truly have proceeded without informing the Buddha Lord?
Of course, there was a possibility of that.
The Buddha Lord did not remain at Shaolin, after all.
But to advance such a critical plan while excluding someone of the Buddha Lord’s caliber made no sense, no matter how I considered it.
‘In the end, all matters concerning Shaolin will only be revealed by finding the Buddha Lord.’
I thought that merely meeting the abbot of Blood Shaolin would be sufficient to uncover the truth.
But now, having reached this point, I realized that only by meeting the Buddha Lord could I grasp the full picture.
“Ryeong Ju.”
As I finally entered before the Holy Demon Pavilion, the Wi Sa standing there bowed respectfully.
“What brings you here?”
“I have come to see Ma Cheon Je.”
“Ma Cheon Je is currently in closed meditation.”
Only Yeop Hyo Cheon, the Supreme Leader, could have an audience with Ma Cheon Je during closed meditation.
But I possessed one special privilege as well.
It was the position of Muk Hon Ryeong Ju.
“An urgent matter has arisen that gravely threatens the security of this hall. As Muk Hon Ryeong Ju, I must see Ma Cheon Je immediately.”
As I presented the Muk Hon Ryeong Ju token, the Wi Sa hesitated.
It was merely a right according to the regulations.
In all the history of the Demon Palace, not a single person had ever forcibly met with Ma Cheon Je during closed meditation using the token.
“I… I shall report this first.”
Just as the Wi Sa stammered and began to bow,
“Let him in.”
A clear, resonant voice like rolling jade pearls drifted from beyond the window of the hall.
The Wi Sa then relaxed, their expressions brightening with relief as they bowed.
“Please enter, Ryeong Ju.”
Upon entering the Holy Demon Pavilion, a vast Great Hall came into view where I could meet Ma Cheon Je.
I had always met Ma Cheon Je here.
And he had always left me in profound confusion.
‘This time, that will not happen.’
Having reached the sixth stage of the Inverse Extreme Heart Method, I possessed a formidable spiritual barrier that even masters of the Infinite Scripture could not dare penetrate.
Such was the strength of my mental fortress.
Even the illusory transformation power of the Nangya Pavilion Master could not affect the spirit.
No matter how formidable Ma Cheon Je was, he could no longer peer into my mind.
Whoosh.
Passing through the Great Hall, an elegantly appointed spacious guest chamber came into view.
As I finally stood before it, the door opened as if in anticipation, and a woman in a purple robe emerged.
“Welcome.”
It was not Ma Cheon Je who greeted me, but a beauty with clear, pristine features.
Her eyes were as cold and still as carved ice, yet within them lay a warmth that was somehow comforting.
It was Jin Sang Hwa, Jin Seol.
“Jin Sang Hwa.”
Bu Eunseol showed little surprise, calmly bringing her palms together in greeting.
She had already recognized that the crystalline voice flowing from beyond the window belonged to her.
“Ryeong Ju.”
Jin Seol returned the courtesy with equal composure.
Her appearance seemed somewhat leaner than before, and the cold, arrogant atmosphere that once surrounded her had transformed into something tinged with melancholy.
She had been betrothed to Sim Wol, a disciple of both the Blood Demon Jeok Bung and Man Bak Dang, only to meet a tragic end.
Sim Wol, poisoned with an artificial inner elixir by the traitor Hyuk Ryeon Eung, had become Sal Gwi—a killing ghost who slaughtered innocent people.
And it was Bu Eunseol who had uncovered these bitter truths.
At the time, Jin Seol had dismissed Bu Eunseol’s counsel and consideration, attempting instead to turn Sim Wol’s heart.
In doing so, she had only multiplied the suffering of the innocent.
Eventually, she had relinquished her position as Sang Hwa and entered the Holy Demon Pavilion where Ma Cheon Je resided.
There she remained, performing menial tasks while keeping herself hidden from view.
“Have you been well?”
As an awkward silence settled between them, Bu Eunseol inquired after her wellbeing.
“Thanks to your kindness.”
Jin Seol nodded with a composed expression, her thin lips moving softly.
“I hear you have urgent business.”
“Indeed. I have come seeking Ma Cheon Je, despite knowing he is in seclusion.”
“Ma Cheon Je is not here.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyebrows rose sharply.
Ma Cheon Je, reported to be in seclusion, was actually absent from this place?
Then was his seclusion merely a facade?
“Please enter his office.”
At that moment, Jin Seol spoke words that caught Bu Eunseol off guard.
“He has given permission for you to enter.”
“What do you mean by that, suddenly?”
“Ma Cheon Je knew that you would visit before long.”
Jin Seol spoke in a clear yet subdued voice.
“He instructed me to show you his office when you arrived, saying it would provide the answer you seek.”
My fist clenched involuntarily.
Ma Cheon Je.
He was still tracking my movements.
And predicting my actions as well.
In the past, I might have suspected some grand technique at work.
But now, having achieved spiritual unity, I was immune to any psychic assault.
That meant one of two things.
Either Ma Cheon Je possessed detailed knowledge of my every move and deed,
‘Or he was anticipating my every thought and action.’
Or you’re predicting all my thoughts and actions.
What is truth and what is falsehood—I cannot discern it now.
“Indeed. I am grateful.”
Bu Eunseol swallowed the torrent of questions and fury that threatened to erupt, her expression composed as she passed through the Guest Hall.
Ma Cheon Je’s office.
Only those of the highest station could meet with Ma Cheon Je in private—the Ten Demonic Sect Lords, the Chong Gyo Ryeong, or the Ji Ma Bu Ju.
These were individuals whose ranks were extraordinarily elevated, those with whom he could discourse on the affairs of the Murim as casually as one might discuss wine.
The door creaked open.
Bu Eunseol entered without hesitation.
She had expected the office of Ma Cheon Je to be filled with refined and ornate furnishings, suffused with an air of elegance befitting his station.
Yet the office before her differed little from that of any other high-ranking official.
The only distinction was that it sprawled ten times wider than a typical office, and the bookshelves crammed with volumes were likewise ten times more numerous.
Was it the sheer expanse?
The office bore no trace of the natural body scent that should linger in any inhabited space.
‘How peculiar.’
Bu Eunseol’s eyes gleamed as she approached the desk.
Ma Cheon Je possessed an unremarkable appearance, featureless as an ordinary elder, with a frame of modest stature.
Yet the desk and chair fashioned within this office fit perfectly when Bu Eunseol, who stood over six feet tall, took his seat.
‘As though crafted for someone else entirely.’
Was this meant to sow confusion?
It was possible.
Ma Cheon Je had never once granted Bu Eunseol easy answers, and every conversation with him ended in bewilderment.
Even now, the mere dimensions of the desk and chair sufficed to plant seeds of doubt in his mind.
“Or does it reveal another identity he employs?”
Shin San Ja’s true identity was suspected to be Jeong Cheon Je.
Thus, should Ma Cheon Je possess yet another persona, it would scarcely warrant surprise.
As Bu Eunseol observed the desk intently, a chaotic pile of correspondence caught his eye.
“Am I meant to read these?”
Correspondence addressed directly to Ma Cheon Je was virtually nonexistent.
This was because Yeop Hyo Cheon, as Chong Gyo Ryeong, handled nearly all matters of consequence.
Bu Eunseol boldly began to unfold the letters scattered across the desk.
“What is this?”
His eyes widened considerably before he had even examined half of them.
The contents were entirely unexpected.
“The Ten Demon Immortals.”
He bit his lip.
“They are attempting this once more?”
The Ten Demon Immortals plan—gathering exceptional talents regardless of lineage or sect, transmitting the supreme techniques of the Ten Demonic Gates.
Through this very scheme, Bu Eunseol had become a disciple of Nangya Pavilion and risen to become the successor of Demon Palace.
Yet Demon Palace continued to gather brilliant talents, confining them in a single place.
They conducted trials of life and death, assessing capabilities across every discipline.
However, unlike the Ten Demon Hall Conference.
The difference was that instead of teaching the martial arts of the Ten Demonic Gates and selecting successors, one would learn the martial arts of the Man Ma Yu Jin Pavilion and become a direct warrior of the Demon Hall.
“So that’s why the Man Bak Dang Master left for Gwan Oe so frequently.”
According to the contents written in the letter, Baek Jeon Cheon was listed as the person responsible for this plan.
In other words, he had taken the place of Hyuk Ryeon Eung, who had been the Sect Leader, and was conducting these slaughter tournaments to select outstanding talents.
“Why?”
Bu Eunseol’s pupils trembled.
Why would Ma Cheon Je deliberately place a document containing such information here?
If such a plan became known, Bu Eunseol would surely oppose it.
‘No, from the Demon Hall’s perspective, they cannot oppose it.’
The Ten Demon Hall Conference plan had ultimately produced excellent results.
I had learned that the abilities of talented warriors could not be fully understood through bone structure alone.
And I had selected Bu Eunseol, the finest talent.
Looking at just that one point.
From the Demon Hall’s perspective, there was sufficient justification to continue such conferences.
‘This is not a problem I can resolve immediately.’
If it was an issue that could not be solved right now, there was no need to worry about it.
Moreover, if this was a plan operated directly under Ma Cheon Je, I should not touch it rashly.
This was a matter to be discussed later at a Ma Jeong Council meeting, gathering the leadership.
“Hmm.”
Suddenly, a strange intuition arose in my mind.
Was Ma Cheon Je deliberately placing this book above my office simply to inform me of the Ten Demon Hall Conference plan?
Not at all.
Ma Cheon Je was not such a simple person.
He was someone who valued what was unseen over what was visible.
Moreover, he deeply despised and was wary of others revealing the truth to him.
The desk and chair heights that did not fit Ma Cheon Je’s frame, and this slaughter tournament similar to the Ten Demon Hall Conference plan.
I could be certain that these were not all that Ma Cheon Je wished to convey.
―Seek it out yourself. The truth lies in your own hands.
Ma Cheon Je had given me another test.
I was irritated. I was fed up.
But I had to endure it.
Because I could not yet defeat Ma Cheon Je.
Not through martial prowess, nor through power and subordinates, nor through any asset I possessed.
“Sigh.”
Taking a deep breath, I carefully examined my surroundings.
There was no need to deliberately invoke the Hollow Heart Technique.
Ma Cheon Je knew me far too well. Like a roundworm in my belly, he understood every single ability I possessed from beginning to end.
If that were the case, this would not be a test of my abilities.
It was surely a process to achieve the desired result.
‘Even if I find something, it will either be something arranged beforehand, or a truth that only deepens the chaos further.’
Ma Cheon Je was the embodiment of chaos itself.
Upon a single simple truth, he could layer countless deceptions.
With merely one word, he could pose a riddle that would remain unsolved even after years had passed.
‘Nothing.’
Even after searching for a long while, I could not discern what Ma Cheon Je truly meant to convey.
Instead, the confusion only deepened further.
Could he be telling me to stop the Ten Demon Immortals’ plan? Or was he asking me to uncover my own hidden dual identity that I had concealed all this time? What exactly was he hoping for?
As my mind grew clouded with confusion, the image of my grandfather suddenly surfaced in my thoughts.
To me, who could not even recall the faces of my parents, Grandfather Bu Chanyang was the only pillar I could rely upon and the sole sanctuary of my heart.
‘Grandfather.’
As I recalled my grandfather’s benevolent smile, I found myself thinking of the Buddhist scripture I had placed in my bosom.
‘The Buddhist scripture?’
In that instant, I discovered something peculiar.
Among the books arranged on the shelves of Ma Cheon Je’s Book Repository, was there not a volume whose appearance bore striking resemblance to the one my grandfather had annotated?

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