The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 521

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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 521.
“This cannot be.”
Seong Jo Young’s mouth fell open.
“They’ve laid formation arrays across this entire gorge?”
No matter how abundant the Cheon In Sect’s wealth might be, to blanket a gorge stretching over forty li with formation arrays in their entirety?
To install formation arrays throughout this place, even if they summoned dozens of formation masters, it would be impossible to complete in a short span of time.
‘They’ve been preparing for this battle since long ago, then?’
“Unbelievable!”
Unable to contain himself, Seong Jo Young dashed forward in a single breath and deployed his lightness technique.
His martial prowess was exceptional—unlike the Cheon Shin Dae members who stepped on protruding stones, he unfolded the Soaring Heavenly Ladder, ascending to the cliff’s edge in a single bound.
Whoosh.
Yet another formation array activated, and the cliff face he’d nearly reached stretched endlessly higher.
Splash!
Simultaneously, diluted Nine-Fold Poison cascaded down upon Seong Jo Young’s head.
Not only that, but rocks they hadn’t thrown before, along with projectiles sharp as steel whips, rained down all at once.
“Hmph.”
Seong Jo Young immediately drew his blade and conjured a broad sword barrier, deflecting the incoming projectiles and poison.
Zing!
Finally escaping the formation array’s influence and rising above the gorge, Seong Jo Young’s eyes widened.
The ambush force was nowhere to be seen, and beneath the dim sky, only the desolate cliff face stretched before him.
“Ahhh!”
“Ugh!”
Screams echoed from below.
The Cheon In Sect forces lying in ambush on the opposite gorge—
—were pouring projectiles and poison upon the Shin Wi Dan waiting below.
“They’ve covered even the cliff tops with formation arrays?”
Seong Jo Young heightened his perception and scrutinized the opposite cliff face intently.
But nothing was visible.
Yet poison and projectiles rained down like a downpour from below.
The ambush force was clearly concealed by the formations, launching covert attacks.
“These bastards!”
Seong Jo Young was a man of exceptional martial skill and bold temperament, but he lacked strategic thinking and adaptability.
Whoosh!
Seeing his subordinates trapped, he descended below, then leaped across to the opposite gorge.
“Where are you hiding!”
As he swung his blade, a powerful wave of inner force rippled outward in all directions.
But only mist dispersed in all directions—the ambush force remained invisible.
“Hah!”
Enraged, Seong Jo Young unleashed the Iron Thorn Primordial Spirit, the most devastating technique from his school’s signature Flying Swallow Sword Art.
Sharp blade qi scattered like petals, crackling sparks erupted, and a portion of the mist dissipated.
He unleashed a powerful sword aura, forcibly shattering the formation array that had been spread across the Gorge.
“How troublesome.”
Where the formation had been revealed, there were no people—only devices capable of spewing poison and noxious gas.
“Thorough. Remarkably thorough.”
Seong Jo Young’s expression grew hollow.
If such a powerful formation array had been installed across a gorge spanning forty li?
Unless an expert in formation dissolution arrived, he could swing his blade all night without breaking through the array.
Moreover, if he destroyed the formation in such a manner, the true masters of the Cheon In Sect could swarm in while he was occupied and ambush his subordinates.
‘There must be people stationed somewhere. But…’
He had no way of knowing how many enemies lurked here, and he could not afford to play hide-and-seek in this place.
Without a strategy to escape this crisis, the only choice was immediate retreat to preserve his forces.
“Fall back!”
In the end, Seong Jo Young had no choice but to order his subordinates to withdraw.
* * *
Muk In Hyeok, leading the cavalry of the Cheon Mu Dan, advanced toward Dan Yong County and entered the vicinity of Yangmun Mountain where the Cheon In Sect was located.
He was not only skilled in martial arts but also experienced in battlefield command.
He directed the massive force of three thousand Shin Wi Dan members as effortlessly as moving his own limbs.
His subordinates maintained strict discipline, advancing in orderly formation.
Yet as they entered the Village Entrance of the alley leading to Yangmun Mountain, an unexpected sight greeted them.
Countless people stood motionless blocking the path ahead.
They were not martial artists trained in the martial ways, but ordinary commoners living in this village.
Their number easily reached two to three hundred.
It appeared that all the commoners in this village had come out.
“What is the meaning of this?”
Yang Gwon, the commander of the Yu Geom Dae at the front, spoke to the commoners.
“Our unit must pass through. Clear the way.”
Then an elderly man who appeared to be the representative of the commoners clasped his hands together and spoke earnestly.
“Great warrior, the Cheon In Sect is not an evil place.”
“What do you mean by that?”
As Yang Gwon furrowed his brow, those behind the old man began to plead in unison.
“Please, we beg you not to harm the Cheon In Sect!”
“The Cheon In Sect has always helped us in our times of hardship!”
‘So they resort to this, do they.’
Muk In Hyeok, observing from a distance, nodded knowingly.
The young commander Seon Woo Jin had predicted that the Cheon In Sect would deploy a stratagem using commoners.
Of course, Muk In Hyeok had anticipated such tactics as well. Thus, he was hardly surprised that commoners now blocked the path.
‘A transparent ploy indeed.’
“Move aside!”
Yang Gwon called out loudly to the commoners blocking the way.
“The Cheon In Sect is an evil organization that lured innocent martial artists to their deaths! If you defend them, you will be treated as their accomplices!”
“Great heroes, if the Cheon In Sect falls, we fall with it!”
But the common folk would not listen to reason.
Yang Gwon issued several more stern warnings, yet they stubbornly remained planted in the path.
“This is my final warning. Clear the way!”
As Yang Gwon spoke with solemn gravity, the common folk trembled with fear yet did not budge an inch.
Eventually, he turned his horse around and reported to Muk In Hyeok, who waited behind.
“Lord Muk, these common folk are utterly unreasonable. I believe we must intimidate them into clearing the path.”
If we began entertaining every grievance from the common folk, there would be no end to it.
Rather than persuade them, Yang Gwon intended to display overwhelming force and compel them to move aside.
“No, wait.”
Muk In Hyeok, who had been contemplating something, spoke again.
“We must not lay a hand on the common folk under any circumstances.”
Then he addressed his men.
“Dismount from your horses, then use lightness of body to pass through.”
“Sir?”
“If we carelessly harm the common folk, it will only backfire on us. That is precisely the situation the Cheon In Sect desires.”
“But…”
Yang Gwon, who had hesitated, clasped his hands together as Muk In Hyeok’s gaze grew stern.
“Understood.”
In the end, the men dismounted and leaped repeatedly over the common folk blocking their path.
“Oof!”
“Ugh!”
But at that moment, the common folk blocking the way cried out in agony.
They had collided with the men using their lightness of body and tumbled to the ground.
“Do not block the way!”
Several of the men grew irritated as the common folk clung to their pant legs and shook them off.
*Thud!*
But something strange occurred.
Each time they callously brushed the common folk away, the people coughed up blood and writhed upon the ground.
“Uuuugh…”
The fallen common folk spewed bloody foam from their mouths.
Witnessing this sight, the other folk erupted in furious outcry.
“The masters of the Murim Alliance used martial techniques to kill innocent people!”
“They murdered the common folk!”
As the people shouted loudly, Yang Gwon called out in a booming voice.
“Stop spouting nonsense!”
The men had not even exerted their inner force—they had merely pushed gently.
Yet the enraged common folk seized Yang Gwon by the collar and began protesting vehemently.
“How dare martial artists strike people with such force!”
“You are human beings too, are you not!”
“You bastards! Come on, try to kill me too!”
As the commoners rushed at him all at once in protest, Yang Gwon found himself shouting loudly without thinking.
“Didn’t I say I haven’t used my full strength!”
Then he gently pushed back the commoners who were shaking him, using his inner energy.
‘This won’t do!’
Seeing this, Muk In Hyeok spoke loudly.
“Yang Gwon! Don’t retaliate!”
I had already anticipated that the Cheon In Sect would mobilize commoners to block the path.
But I never imagined in my wildest dreams that they would deliberately consume medicine to vomit blood or trigger seizures to cause trouble.
‘This is a scheme to spread rumors that the Ben Maeng has massacred commoners!’
Surely there must be members of the Cheon In Sect among the commoners.
But it was already too late.
“Martial artists are slaughtering commoners!”
“Kill us instead!”
The fallen commoners began screaming at the top of their lungs from the ground, as if they had been waiting for this moment.
Yang Gwon, flustered and at a loss, spoke to Muk In Hyeok.
“Lord Muk, they…”
“Enough.”
Muk In Hyeok shook his head with a devastated expression.
The streets had already become a battlefield, and some of the commoners were rushing at the warriors of the Shin Wi Dan.
This was not a spontaneous act, but rather a meticulously orchestrated performance—a theatrical drama planned long in advance.
“Now that the commoners have gathered like this and are deliberately causing trouble, passing through Dan Yong County to strike at the Cheon In Sect is already impossible.”
“Lord Muk.”
“We return to the main force first.”
Muk In Hyeok, speaking as if spitting out the words, immediately turned his troops around.
The Shin Wi Dan and Cheon Mu Dan returned to the Ha Seo Plains Region camp where the command headquarters was located.
They failed to break through the Cheon In Sect’s defensive line, just as Bu Eunseol had predicted.
They retreated here in flight without even overcoming the traps the enemy had laid.
“Everything has unfolded as Seon Woo Dae Ju predicted.”
Seong Jo Young spoke coldly, watching Bu Eunseol standing at ease.
“Since you foresaw everything, I trust you have a countermeasure as well.”
He added another remark, as if venting his frustration.
“The Ben Maeng’s vanguard has retreated so shamefully, yet you stand there smiling without any plan—surely that’s not the case.”
“Of course not.”
Bu Eunseol spoke calmly.
“As you must have sensed, the Cheon In Sect has been preparing for battle with the Ben Maeng for a long time. They likely anticipated that the matter of Geom Chong would be discovered.”
And she gazed directly at Seong Jo Young.
“I’ve heard they’ve installed massive overlapping formations in Jangsan Gorge and are spreading cheap, readily available poisons.”
“That’s right. So?”
“Regardless, we must break through. Tae Mu Ryong!”
At Bu Eunseol’s cry, Tae Mu Ryong and the Elite Division members who had been waiting outside the camp entered.
In his hands, he carried an enormous piece of cloth.
“How did it go?”
At Bu Eunseol’s question, Tae Mu Ryong bowed his head and answered.
“It was effective. In half a day, we depleted most of their poison vials and projectiles. I believe even if the Shin Wi Dan forces attack again now, we should be fine.”
“What do you mean by that?”
When Seong Jo Young asked, Bu Eunseol answered.
“No matter how abundant the Cheon In Sect’s resources and manpower are, it would be impossible to install formations across the entire forty-li gorge.”
“Not at all—they really did install formations across the entire gorge.”
“Did you really search the entire area thoroughly?”
Seong Jo Young could not answer Bu Eunseol’s words.
Fearing he would lose face if he lingered there any longer, he had simply withdrawn his forces intact.
“Based on the nature of the formations installed in the gorge, they likely prepared only for masters climbing up the cliff faces.”
Bu Eunseol spoke while pointing at the map.
“They would not have mobilized such vast resources and manpower merely to guard one passage of Jangsan Gorge.”
Turning her head, Bu Eunseol spoke to Seong Jo Young once more.
“They anticipated that you, Lord Seong, would retreat when faced with an unexpected trap. And they hoped you would deliberate further, and deliberate still, on how to break through this trap.”
Seong Jo Young’s face flushed.
He did not wish to admit that his insight and military strategy were inferior to a mere young lord.
“But is your reasoning not also mere speculation?”
“That is true. So I verified it.”
Bu Eunseol spoke while gesturing toward Tae Mu Ryong and the members.
“I had the main force unfold this large cloth and move through the gorge.”
“A cloth?”
“Yes. We defended only against the poison vials making contact with our bodies, and directly confirmed how many projectiles they could unleash and how many attacks they could launch.”
As Bu Eunseol looked at Tae Mu Ryong and nodded, he opened his mouth.
“Just as the Lord said, they only unleashed poison vials. There were no further projectiles or attacks like stones.”
Seong Jo Young’s mouth fell open.
Just as Bu Eunseol had said, the Cheon In Sect had, only once, created the illusion of a trap capable of stopping a large force.
It was nothing but a bluff.
Having heard the entire explanation, Seong Jo Young’s face burned with shame.
He had failed to assess the situation coolly, believing instead that a terrible formation lay across the entire gorge.
And he had judged that to pass through this gorge, he must absolutely destroy the formations and eliminate those lying in ambush on the cliff faces.
But it was merely a bluff.
No matter how vast the resources deployed to establish formations, it would be impossible to install formations across a forty-li gorge or position ambush squads throughout.
“Then we need only take this cloth and pass through the gorge, avoiding only the poison vials.”
“Correct.”
Bu Eunseol answered calmly.
“After a brief rest, you should immediately advance into Jangsan Gorge again.”
“Very well.”
Seong Jo Young nodded awkwardly.
Then Muk In Hyeok stepped forward.
“Just as you predicted, the common folk have mobilized.”
He calmly explained to Bu Eunseol the situation that had unfolded in Dan Yong County.
“They all appear to have been bought off by the Cheon In Sect long ago. If the Murim Alliance’s warriors attempt to force their way through, they’ll swarm like vengeful spirits and insist that the Alliance’s warriors attacked the civilians.”
Muk In Hyeok sighed and shook his head.
“The greater problem lies with the Cheon In Sect’s agents hidden among the common folk. As long as they remain, we cannot resolve this matter easily.”
Rumors that the Murim Alliance’s warriors had attacked civilians had already spread throughout the Ha Seo region.
The problem was that while fabricating false rumors was simple, uncovering the truth took considerably longer.
If we waited for the truth to emerge, the Cheon Mu Dan would be unable to pass through Dan Yong County even after a month.
“The Cheon In Sect gains the trust of the common folk through the grain they distribute as if bestowing benevolence.”
Bu Eunseol, who had already completed her investigation using the Sa Hon Dae, spoke up.
“In truth, evil sects and the people quickly harmonize, only to turn against each other just as swiftly. At first, they seem infinitely beneficial, but ultimately, they drain the people’s lifeblood.”
Bu Eunseol continued.
“The Cheon In Sect has already lost the people’s trust long ago.”
“Lost their trust? That’s impossible. Even I conducted an investigation, and there were no such reports.”
When Muk In Hyeok shook his head, Bu Eunseol spoke firmly.
“Information is like food. One must select the ingredients carefully, and old information spoils. Only freshly prepared information yields the true flavor.”
Muk In Hyeok had nothing to say and closed his mouth.
Just as Bu Eunseol said, the information about the Cheon In Sect was merely a reconfirmation of rumors he had known long ago through his subordinates.
“The truth is, the Cheon In Sect threatened that if fighting erupted with the Murim Alliance, Dan Yong County would become a sea of fire. That’s the only reason they joined forces.”
Muk In Hyeok reluctantly spoke honestly.
“I sensed something amiss and reexamined the details during my return. But even knowing such facts, there is no immediate solution to this problem.”
His voice carried a hint of irritation.
In truth, when such problems arose, strategists should analyze the situation from multiple angles and devise plans under the commander’s direction.
Seong Jo Young was never one to use his mind well, so his pride wouldn’t be wounded by such matters.
But Muk In Hyeok was different.
He was the Vice Commander of the Cheon Mu Dan, known to excel in both martial and scholarly pursuits, and he had experienced victory in numerous campaigns.
Yet Bu Eunseol grasped the situation as if she understood everything, and she provided solutions to Seong Jo Young smoothly—this subtle irritation was building within him.
“Slow your offensive and observe the situation calmly. Discontent will surely erupt. When division occurs, if you attack again, you will surely be able to bring them down.”
“Ha ha ha.”
Muk In Hyeok, who had waited to hear what she would say, burst into laughter of disbelief.
“Yes, that is the right method. But if we wait for that, the seasons will change, and our unit will have to farm here in the meantime.”
Despite his sarcasm, Bu Eunseol spoke calmly.
“Give me six days.”
“Six days?”
“Yes. I will resolve this within that time.”
“You can suppress such ominous rumors within six days?”
“Yes.”
“That’s absurd.”
Turning the minds of brainwashed commoners away from the Cheon In Sect and severing their ties to it was no task that could be resolved in a mere handful of days.
Yet she claimed she would accomplish it within six days?
“Would I dare speak such nonsense to you, Lord Bu?”
At Bu Eunseol’s audacious words, Muk In Hyeok’s gaze shifted.
“And if you fail?”
“I shall immediately relinquish my position as Acting Chief.”
“Then that suits me well.”
Muk In Hyeok spoke with a snort of derision.
“If you can shift public opinion within six days, then I, as Lord of this contingent, shall refrain from further objection to your words.”
Such words were a confession that he had never truly acknowledged Bu Eunseol as Acting Chief until now.
In other words, he was disregarding Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s authority as Commander.
Yet Bu Eunseol did not contest such matters. The fiercer the resistance, the more he would come to recognize her worth in time.
“In exchange, the warriors of the Cheon Mu Dan have their own duties to fulfill.”
“And what might those be?”
Bu Eunseol wore a subtle smile.
“Passion, sincerity. And a touch of labor.”

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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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