The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 532

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

Chapter 532.
She had told Seon Woo Jin only that the Infinite Realm was a secret organization that would destroy Murim.
But in truth, she knew far more about the Three Realms than she had revealed.
“I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about.”
Bu Eunseol furrowed her brow, her eyes narrowing to slits.
“That the Lord of Ben Maeng has grown under the meticulous plans of Cheonghae Gye?”
“You may call it certainty.”
“Then you must have evidence.”
Bu Eunseol laughed absurdly, stroking her chin.
“Evidence that even the Lord himself doesn’t know.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong spoke as though she had been waiting for this moment.
“It’s said that during childhood, the Lord never learned martial arts and was always occupied with Yeomsa work. Is that true?”
“It is.”
“That’s where the lie begins.”
“A lie?”
“Yes. Even if the Lord possessed heaven-sent martial talent, without systematic training in the martial arts from childhood, it would have been impossible to master the supreme techniques of Nangya Pavilion.”
A sharp gleam flickered in Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s eyes.
“I would stake everything I possess that the Lord received rigorous instruction from an exceptional master from childhood itself.”
Bu Eunseol smiled faintly.
In truth, that assessment was not entirely wrong.
My grandfather Bu Chanyang had transmitted to me the longevity secrets of Yeok Geun Gyeong, allowing me to accumulate vast reserves of true qi within my body.
Through Yeomsa work, I became intimately familiar with human anatomy and could easily discern the martial techniques of Murim practitioners.
Yet this was not intended to cultivate me as a master of Murim, but rather so that I might live long and happily as a Yeomsa.
But paradoxically, such education became indistinguishable from the process of nurturing a supreme master of martial arts.
“Will you deny it?”
Bu Eunseol, observing the confident Gong Son Dan Gyeong, exhaled sharply through her nose.
Denial would be pointless—she would not believe it anyway.
And it was true that I had received rigorous education from childhood, however unintentionally.
“This Lord does not lie.”
Bu Eunseol dismissed the matter with those words.
Then, looking at Gong Son Dan Gyeong, she spoke again.
“You suspect me of being Cheonghae Gye’s agent based merely on such reasoning?”
“You know better than anyone that it’s more than that.”
…
“Without Cheonghae Gye’s protection, the Lord would have been killed by the Infinite Realm’s hands long ago. They never spare those who oppose their banner.”
‘She has investigated every detail of my past.’
I survived and grew without being killed by the Infinite Realm’s hands early on for three reasons.
My growth far exceeded their expectations. And Hyuk Ryeon Eung’s confidence that he could manipulate me whenever he wished.
Finally, the existence of Cheonghae Gye, which stood in opposition to the Infinite Realm.
Gong Son Dan Gyeong, who had investigated my every move all this time, remained unaware of such deeper truths.
After comprehensively analyzing various circumstances, I concluded that Bu Eunseol was a member of the Cheonghae Gye.
‘Indeed, it was worth meeting her.’
Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s deduction was entirely off the mark, yet she possessed solid evidence.
That meant her intelligence network was every bit as formidable as Bu Eunseol’s.
That alone provided sufficient grounds for cooperation.
“How amusing.”
“Are you admitting it?”
“Not at all. I merely note that the previous Ryeong Ju harbored such suspicions constantly—wondering if perhaps the Cheonghae Gye was secretly aiding me.”
Bu Eunseol shook her head.
“But we have no connection with them. We simply oppose the Infinite Realm, so we make use of them.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong let out a soft laugh.
“It seems the Ryeong Ju hasn’t been monitoring the movements of Gwan Bu. Isn’t that so?”
“Gwan Bu?”
Bu Eunseol’s gaze turned glacially cold.
“What are you talking about?”
“Allow me to share two things.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s eyes narrowed into crescents behind her veil.
“In the past, the Infinite Realm mobilized enormous forces to search near the Wei Wang Residence. Yet that search operation was halted by interference from some faction.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong fixed her gaze directly upon Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
“Curiously, rumors emerged that the Ryeong Ju vanished precisely at that time, didn’t they?”
“….”
“Second. During Hyul Geum Gang’s atonement pilgrimage, there were groups that attacked the Ryeong Ju when she ventured into Gangho alone.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong wore a smile whose meaning was inscrutable.
“Were those truly the Infinite Realm?”
A flash of light streaked across Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
She had found it strange even then.
It had been the perfect opportunity to eliminate her, yet why send only such limited forces? Had they truly considered Hyul Geum Gang outside the realm of combat strength? That was the question that had nagged at her.
“So you’ve been investigating my movements all along.”
“Wouldn’t that be natural? The Ryeong Ju is a pivotal figure shaping the circumstances of the Demonic Path.”
“Does the Chief possess an intelligence network capable of tracking the Infinite Realm?”
“I cannot answer that.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes wavered noticeably.
If she remained passive, the initiative in this conversation would slip from her grasp, and she would be dragged along helplessly until the exchange concluded.
“Then perhaps it is you who should be suspected, Chief?”
“What do you mean?”
“That you, who have only just become Chief of the Murim Alliance, can detect the power currents of the Infinite Realm. Is that not extraordinary?”
“Just as the Ryeong Ju does, I too may possess an excellent intelligence organization, no?”
“Well, that could be so.”
Bu Eunseol smiled coldly.
“Yet how amusing—that you possess both honor and position, and yet lack justification.”
Justification.
What Gong Son Dan Gyeong fundamentally lacked was precisely that—justification.
Given her background and position, she could never have formed an antagonistic relationship with the Infinite Realm even if she tried.
“Yet despite this, she willingly bears every risk and wages war against the Infinite Realm…”
Bu Eunseol’s lips curved upward.
“If the Chief is not a member of Cheonghae Gye, then there is only one answer.”
And I fixed my gaze directly upon Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s eyes.
“She harbors a profound and bitter enmity toward the Infinite Realm.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong merely smiled faintly and offered no response.
Yet through this exchange, both Gong Son Dan Gyeong and I had effectively silenced each other.
We had each yielded control of the conversation once.
“In any case, since this is our first meeting, let us set aside further discussion of mutual suspicion.”
By using the word “suspicion,” she had acknowledged something.
In the end, she admitted that without concrete evidence, she had spoken based merely on circumstantial details gleaned from investigating my movements.
‘She grasped the details of Hyuk Ryeon Eung and the Elder’s story so precisely that I thought she operated an intelligence organization rivaling Sam Gye itself.’
In the end, only two things were certain.
That Gong Son Dan Gyeong possessed a secret intelligence organization similar to Sa Hon Dae.
And that Cheonghae Gye harbored such goodwill toward me that they would judge even that intelligence organization as allied with them.
‘Why does Cheonghae Gye show me such favor? Merely because they oppose the Infinite Realm?’
As I pondered deeply, Gong Son Dan Gyeong spoke.
“Now only the matter of acceptance or refusal remains.”
With those words, she fell silent.
As though the remaining decision was mine alone to make.
‘Hmm.’
I narrowed my eyes.
Under normal circumstances, I would never have met with someone like Gong Son Dan Gyeong.
Her inner thoughts are unpredictable, and she pursues endeavors that could crumble everything with a single misstep—all without hesitation or fear.
She resembled a madwoman charging toward destruction without pause, devoid of all caution.
In short, she was far too perilous a figure to grasp an outstretched hand.
“I accept.”
Yet I grasped the hand she extended.
Because as Seon Woo Jin, I remain at her side. As her confidant, I have the opportunity to spy upon her true intentions and thoughts.
“I shall cooperate with you in dismantling the Infinite Realm.”
“Truly?”
“Indeed.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s face registered genuine surprise for the first time.
She had harbored no expectation that Bu Eunseol would grasp her hand so readily.
Those possessed of keen intellect and caution do not seize an offered hand, no matter how favorable the terms.
They verify countless times, deliberate, predict, and only then decide.
Yet Bu Eunseol exceeded her expectations, accepting in a single breath.
“Then… there exists a hidden card of the Ryeong Ju that I’m unaware of. How intriguing.”
A chill ran down my spine.
The moment I granted permission, she had instantly grasped that this unknown card rested in Bu Eunseol’s hands.
“It matters not. Perhaps it is precisely because such a card exists that the Ryeong Ju and I, as collaborators, can join forces.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong spoke with a smile, as though merely obtaining Bu Eunseol’s cooperation was fortune enough.
“Then we must now devise a plan where neither of us suffers loss.”
Since we had agreed to cooperate in dealing with the Infinite Realm.
Jeok Yo Mun must also be handled, and Gong Son Dan Gyeong, as Chief, must not incur disadvantage.
“A simple matter.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with composure.
“I shall personally handle Jeok Yo Mun. If they truly maintain connections with the Infinite Realm and Shil Hon In, then it matters not if I destroy them.”
At this, Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s lips curved into a sweet smile, as though she had been waiting for precisely this response.
“Do so.”
‘So this was the answer she desired all along.’
I smiled bitterly to myself.
From the beginning, I had no intention of relinquishing Han Zhong’s sphere of influence.
I merely sought to confirm whether Bu Eunseol would genuinely oppose the Infinite Realm, whether she possessed the will to eliminate them…
That was all I needed to verify.
If she truly intended to destroy the Infinite Realm, then I would personally lead my forces to strike down Jeok Yo Mun.
From the beginning, the only way for both of us to maintain a honeymoon of mutual benefit without loss was…
For me to personally assault Jeok Yo Mun without deploying the Murim Alliance’s forces.
‘Truly, a terrifying woman.’
Suppressing my inner thoughts, I spoke with indifference.
“However, there is a condition.”
“Please, speak.”
“From all that I have heard, it seems the Chief surely commands an independent and formidable intelligence network.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s eyes narrowed.
Why had she consented so readily? Ah—it was to make an unreasonable demand.
To the head of an organization, intelligence is the very lifeline.
Should Bu Eunseol request its sharing, refusal would be inevitable.
“Then the negotiation is at an impasse.”
“Hear me out to the end.”
Bu Eunseol continued calmly.
“There exists a person whom my intelligence network cannot locate. If such is the case, then surely they must be connected to the Orthodox Sects… likely the Murim Alliance’s highest intelligence organization.”
“What do you mean?”
“Find me one person—Ya Gong.”
“Ya Gong…?”
Observing the hardened expression on Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s face, I smiled faintly.
“Indeed.”
The meeting between Bu Eunseol and Gong Son Dan Gyeong could be deemed mutually successful.
They had secretly confirmed their shared resolve to eliminate the Infinite Realm, even if it meant joining forces.
And Gong Son Dan Gyeong had kept her promise.
She had immediately located the master craftsman that Bu Eunseol had requested.
‘Just as I suspected.’
In Bu Eunseol’s hand lay
a letter sent through the Elite Division’s intelligence network by Seo Jin Ha, who was currently operating under the guise of Seon Woo Jin.
It had been sent by Gong Son Dan Gyeong.
Despite mobilizing every intelligence organization within the Demon Palace, Ma Geom Ja could not be found.
Indeed, he had been hiding discreetly under the protection of the Murim Alliance’s upper echelon.
He was living a new life under an identity provided by the Murim Alliance.
Armed with the information contained in Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s letter, Bu Eunseol wasted no time and set out for Yeon Wol Valley, where Ma Geom Ja was said to be.
Thud, thud, thud.
Upon arriving at Yeon Wol Valley, a small stone cottage stood before her, with a blacksmith shop constructed beside it.
At the workbench stood an elderly man with a scraggly beard, hammering steel upon an anvil.
His eyes were fierce and piercing, while his face and forearms were covered with dense scars.
Bu Eunseol could discern that these were not mere wounds, but the marks of severe torture.
This was none other than Ma Geom Ja, known as the greatest master craftsman of the Demonic Path.
“….”
Even as Bu Eunseol approached the workbench, Ma Geom Ja did not spare her a glance.
He merely exhaled a deep sigh and muttered softly.
“So you’ve finally found me.”
Though they had never met face to face,
his expression suggested he knew she was from the Demon Palace, even without looking at her.
Thud, thud, thud.
As Bu Eunseol stepped closer, he began hammering without acknowledging her presence.
Observing his hammering technique, Bu Eunseol could tell that Ma Geom Ja had not cultivated martial arts.
Yet his strikes possessed more power than those of a martial artist who had refined their techniques, and each movement contained profound subtlety.
‘Indeed, he is worthy of the Chong Gyo Ryeong’s interest in tracking him down.’
Bu Eunseol herself had once worked as a master craftsman.
Therefore, merely by observing Ma Geom Ja’s hammering motions, she could discern the extraordinary skill he possessed.
“I will not go.”
Then Ma Geom Ja’s lips parted.
“Simply draw your blade instead.”
“Do you know who I am?”
Ma Geom Ja let out a soft chuckle without even glancing at her.
As Bu Eunseol stared in bewilderment, Ma Geom Ja sighed.
Clang.
As he set down his hammer, a scorching intensity blazed from Ma Geom Ja’s eyes.
“Strike me down in a single blow instead. Even in death, I will never lay hands upon the Demon Blade again.”
Ma Geom Ja’s gaze was fixed upon the blade at Bu Eunseol’s waist.
Only then did Bu Eunseol recall the Salma Blade hidden at her waist.
Yet the demonic energy flowing from the Salma Blade was utterly absent.
Otherwise, she would never have worn it while bearing Seon Woo’s identity.
But Ma Geom Ja had sensed the blade’s aura and judged it to be a demonic sword.
‘Going forward, I cannot use this blade while bearing Seon Woo’s identity.’
If Ma Geom Ja could recognize it, then surely others could as well.
Should it become known that the Lord of the Murim Alliance wore a Salma Blade of unknown origin, it would invite tremendous suspicion.
“It seems you are laboring under a misunderstanding.”
Bu Eunseol placed the token symbolizing the Moo Hon Ryeong Ju upon the workbench.
“I am Bu Eunseol, the Moo Hon Ryeong Ju.”
“Is that so.”
Ma Geom Ja muttered with a hollow expression.
“Perhaps I should have gone to greet such a distinguished visitor.”
“What exactly has transpired here?”
At Bu Eunseol’s question, Ma Geom Ja’s brow furrowed.
“Why do you ask this old man such a thing?”
His eyes gleamed with profound contempt.
“Surely the esteemed lords of the Demon Palace would know better than I?”
As the cryptic exchange persisted, Bu Eunseol’s brow knitted tightly.
Despite clearly revealing her identity as the Moo Hon Ryeong Ju, Ma Geom Ja continued to respond with cold derision.
He feared not even death itself, and held the Demon Palace in utter contempt.
This suggested that some incident unknown to Bu Eunseol had certainly occurred.
“Regarding the Demon Palace…”
Just as Bu Eunseol was about to speak,
A faint whistle pierced the air.
At that moment, a peculiar sound of splitting wind echoed from the distant sky.
Spreading swiftly and covertly, it was clear that a master of considerable skill was approaching this place using lightness technique.
A sharp impact.
Dozens of martial artists clad in Murim Alliance robes descended before the Blacksmith Shop.
At their head stood a man of exceptionally sturdy, muscular build, his eyes wide and piercing.
‘So they did not intend to leave him in peace after all.’
These were martial artists of the Wu Tian Duan, the elite division of the Murim Alliance, and the one leading them was Gwa Geuk Cheon, the Dragon-Tiger Sword and vice-commander of the Wu Tian Duan.
Remarkably, some of the Wu Tian Duan martial artists had been stationed here to guard Ma Geom Ja after Jo Cheon Wang’s departure.
“I told you this would happen eventually.”
Gwa Geuk Cheon regarded Ma Geom Ja with eyes tinged with contempt.
“Ma Geom Ja. Did you grow weary of mountain life and wish to defect to the Demonic Path once more?”
Ma Geom Ja’s brow furrowed.
“What nonsense is this.”
“Otherwise, how could a member of the Demonic Path possibly infiltrate this secret place known only to the leadership of our Alliance?”
“You speak absurdities. How would this old man know such a thing?”
Perhaps it was because he was a blacksmith accustomed to working with steel.
Ma Geom Ja paid no heed to the glare from Gwa Geuk Cheon, the Vice-Commander of the Seven Great Units of the Murim Alliance that shook the heavens, and bellowed defiantly.
“Don’t drag me into your schemes.”
“Hmph.”
Gwa Geuk Cheon, a cold smile playing at his lips, alternated his gaze between Ma Geom Ja and Bu Eunseol.
“Do you truly not understand why the warriors of Ben Maeng rotate through this place every year for training?”
“What are you saying?”
“Ma Geom Ja. I received orders to kill you immediately if you showed any signs of making contact with those of the Demonic Path.”
Gwa Geuk Cheon spoke with a cold sneer.
“It would be troublesome if you returned to the Demonic Path and created the Demon Sword Demonic Way.”
“Heh.”
Ma Geom Ja wore a hollow smile.
From the beginning, Yeon Wol Valley was never a place where warriors secretly cultivated their martial arts.
It was merely a location where warriors were stationed year after year under the pretense of training, to take turns watching over Ma Geom Ja.
“So whether it was the Demon Hall or the Murim Alliance… there was truly no place for me to belong.”
“Hehehehe. Of course not. You were merely a useful tool—too valuable to discard, yet too dangerous to leave unattended.”
Ma Geom Ja sighed and hurled his hammer down.
All these years, he had received the Murim Alliance’s protection while crafting the blades they desired and repairing ancient weapons.
But it seemed they had squeezed everything they could from him over the past decade, and now he faced this bitter end.
“In the old days, I would have strutted about within the Alliance, holding my head high.”
Then a voice pierced the silence.
“Now you’ve lost your leader and stand alone, a pitiful outcast protecting a wretched old craftsman, is that it?”
It was Bu Eunseol’s voice.
“Is it not so, Vice-Commander Bu?”
In that instant, sparks ignited in Gwa Geuk Cheon’s eyes.
With Jo Cheon Wang’s departure, the Wu Tian Duan was effectively being dismantled.
Until a new Danjoo was elected, they would have to wait indefinitely.
So he had received orders to leave the Murim Alliance and train here in Yeon Wol Valley while protecting Ma Geom Ja.
“Who are you!”
At Gwa Geuk Cheon’s cry, Bu Eunseol removed her mask and boldly revealed her identity.
“I am Bu Eunseol.”
“Bu Eunseol?”
Gwa Geuk Cheon’s eyes widened.
“The Moo Hon Ryeong Ju of the Demon Hall, Bu Eunseol?”
The very one who had slain Jo Bi Woon with a single stroke and forced Jo Cheon Wang into retirement before he could avenge his son, thus leaving the Wu Tian Duan suspended in emptiness?
“Ahahahahaha!”
Gwa Geuk Cheon erupted in a laugh tinged with murderous intent.
“They say enemies meet on the Single Log Bridge! So it was you all along!”
A smile filled with joy spread across his face.
The reason he had accepted this mission in Yeon Wol Valley.
It was the Silver Shield Formation, the greatest sword formation of the Wu Tian Duan—one that could not be deployed without Mu Cheon Danjoo.
By perfecting the Silver Shield Formation, he intended to demonstrate that he possessed the qualifications to become the next Lord of the Wu Tian Duan.
And through relentless training, he had recently completed the Lesser Silver Shield Formation with roughly a hundred elite warriors under his command.
Yet here stood the perfect opponent to test it against, arriving of his own accord?
‘If I kill this man, I might truly become the Lord!’
Since this was someone even Mu Cheon Danjoo could not defeat, under normal circumstances he would never have dared to challenge him.
But with the Lesser Silver Shield Formation at his disposal, he could dispatch this man in a single stroke. Gwa Geuk Cheon’s face broke into a triumphant smile as he bellowed his command.
“Deploy the Silver Shield Formation!”
Whoosh!
In an instant, roughly a hundred martial artists erupted from the ground like sprouts, encircling Bu Eunseol.
Each of them wielded a long greatsword and carried an enormous shield that gleamed with silvery radiance.
The Silver Shield Formation.
Using massive shields that reflected light like mirrors, it completely severed vision and sensation,
and within that blinding white luminescence, it strangled the enemy’s life force—the Wu Tian Duan’s supreme sword formation.
Flash! Flash!
Even before the formation fully activated, Bu Eunseol’s vision grew hazy and her senses began to fade.
‘The Silver Shield Formation.’
I had studied extensively the formations employed by the Murim Alliance.
Each of the Seven Great Units possessed unique sword formations known only to themselves.
Powerful and intricate formations that could only be deployed under the command of their respective Lords.
And the Silver Shield Formation—
could only be deployed under the direction of the Wu Tian Danjoo, and to this day it boasted an undefeated record as the supreme formation.

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