The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 542

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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 542.
When Hyuk Ryeon Eung first encountered her, he had said this.
―I thought you’d use the Guusal Unit Lord, but instead you entrusted the Secret Intelligence Organization to some woman from an assassin’s background.
“While I was dealing with So Ja Myeong, I arrived earlier than expected.”
Only then did Bu Eunseol’s eyes flash with understanding as she grasped the situation that had unfolded before her arrival.
“To kill me, you would have had to strike down my eyes and ears first.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It was So Yo whom Hyuk Ryeon Eung discovered. She immediately activated the emergency contact system, and So Ja Myeong arrived at the scene first.”
Wheeeee!
A faint whistle pierced the air from somewhere.
It was as quiet as the footsteps of an ant, yet Bu Eunseol’s ears caught it with perfect clarity.
‘So Yo!’
Bu Eunseol instinctively recognized it as an emergency signal sent by So Yo.
Boom!
In a single bound, I leaped into the Half-Sky and unleashed my movement technique at full power toward the source of the whistle.
The Lords, including Yu Woon Ryong whose eyes had been blinking, immediately followed and launched themselves after me.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh… Crack!
Bu Eunseol gritted her teeth and doubled her movement technique with the power of the Twelve Stars.
From Bu Eunseol’s silhouette, moving silently through the Half-Sky, endless thunder erupted.
After running for a considerable distance, I finally arrived at the Bamboo Forest, where dense bamboo grew thick and verdant.
There lay a gray shadow figure bleeding profusely, and a Black Shadow pressing down on the abdomen as if attempting treatment.
They were none other than So Ja Myeong, the Guusal Unit Lord, and So Yo.
“So Yo.”
“Save the Lord first!”
So Yo, pressing down on the fallen So Ja Myeong’s abdomen, spoke.
“Hurry!”
So Ja Myeong’s abdomen was drenched with blood as if it had been slashed repeatedly, and his entrails were spilling outward.
“To protect me… the Lord protected me.”
Tears streamed from So Yo’s eyes, which were always frozen like the north wind.
Bu Eunseol retrieved a spirit pill from her bosom, fed it into his mouth, and immediately infused him with Reverse Extreme True Qi.
But there was no response.
He had lost too much blood to regain consciousness.
“So Ja Myeong.”
Bu Eunseol’s heart grew urgent.
And once more, I gathered all my strength and raised my inner power.
Then a transparent aura surged from my body and began to merge with the true qi.
The Crystal Divine Qi, brimming with the essence of water, had combined with the Reverse Extreme True Qi.
Whooom.
As the pure Reverse Extreme True Qi and Crystal Divine Qi were infused, a faint radiance bloomed across So Ja Myeong’s body.
“Ugh.”
A low groan escaped as So Ja Myeong’s eyes fluttered open.
Yet it was merely a fleeting moment of consciousness granted by the counter-qi and crystalline divine energy.
The massive blood loss combined with the fatal wound across his lower abdomen made recovery impossible.
Even if Hwa Ta or a celestial immortal arrived, there was no bringing him back from this.
“Ryeong Ju.”
As So Ja Myeong regained awareness and opened his eyes weakly, he smiled upon seeing Bu Eunseol.
“It has been a long time.”
“So Dae Ju.”
Bu Eunseol suppressed the grief and anguish rising in her throat, then poured all her strength into channeling crystalline divine energy once more.
“It is nothing.”
Yet So Ja Myeong gently grasped Bu Eunseol’s hand and shook his head.
“I am already lost. Do not waste your precious qi.”
“So Dae Ju.”
Bu Eunseol clenched her teeth.
She could not bear to send away those she cherished any longer. She refused to sacrifice those around her anymore.
Yet as time passed, they departed from her side one by one.
“Ryeong Ju.”
So Ja Myeong, gazing into Bu Eunseol’s eyes clouded with anguish, offered a threadbare smile.
“I can no longer serve you, it seems.”
“So Dae Ju.”
Bu Eunseol gripped his hand firmly and spoke.
“The three years we promised have not yet passed.”
Bu Eunseol had made a vow to So Ja Myeong.
That within three years, she would bring all of the Guusal Unit into the light.
That she would never let them live as nameless operatives again.
“Do not leave me.”
Bu Eunseol bowed her head and pleaded.
“I still need you. So do not abandon me….”
Deep compassion flowed from So Ja Myeong’s eyes.
Unrivaled beneath heaven, with talents in wisdom and martial prowess that none could match.
That successor of the Demonic Path—cold, indifferent, seemingly devoid of interest in worldly affairs…
Was in truth merely a youth overflowing with boundless affection.
“Hyuk Ryeon Eung… It seems his mind grew desperate from his repeated failures. He must have believed you still commanded the Guusal Unit….”
A gush.
So Ja Myeong could not finish his words before crimson blood spilled from his lips.
“I understand. Speak no more.”
“Please look after the operatives, Ryeong Ju.”
So Ja Myeong’s eyes grew dim as his life force waned.
“And when the great work is complete… please ensure they see the light. Let them not die as nameless operatives any longer.”
Even in his final moments, So Ja Myeong’s thoughts remained with the operatives who risked their lives fulfilling their missions.
“I understand. I give you my word.”
“Still, I’m grateful to have seen the Ryeong Ju one last time.”
“So Ja Myeong.”
“Even from Gu Cheon… I will watch over you as the Ryeong Ju who shakes all of Tianxia.”
So Ja Myeong gazed at Bu Eunseol, his expression radiant with a gentle smile.
As if blessing her path ahead.
His eyelids descended slowly.
And then he closed his eyes peacefully.
* * *
So Ja Myeong’s funeral was conducted with the highest honors of the Demon Palace.
Though he had been the Lord of the Gu Sal Dae, a secret intelligence organization not officially recognized by the Demon Palace…
His memorial tablet bore the title of Vice-Lord of the Muk Hon Ryeong, the Demon Palace’s surveillance organization and supreme authority.
So Ja Myeong, who had never officially registered his name with the Demon Palace.
In the end, he was able to die with his name inscribed as a senior official of the Muk Hon Ryeong.
The rain fell in torrents.
Even the heavens seemed to mourn his passing, weeping cold autumn rain upon the earth.
Bu Eunseol stood motionless beside his grave, like a stone monument, gazing upon his burial mound.
Originally, he had been a master from the Geuk Sal Mil Gak.
But to treat his lover who suffered from severed meridians, he had volunteered for the Gu Sal Dae, where great wealth could be earned.
He had processed missions with desperate fervor, accumulating his target fortune within three years, yet ultimately could not save his lover.
Afterward, he lost his will to live and attempted to leave Murim.
But somehow, he had grown accustomed to the life of the Gu Sal Dae, where one risked their life with every mission.
Eventually, he returned to the Gu Sal Dae and continued his work.
As time passed, he had become the Lord, responsible for all his operatives.
―I wish I could have retired them all.
Most of those who volunteered for the Gu Sal Dae faced circumstances like So Ja Myeong’s past—desperate need for great wealth.
Among martial artists, those who lived without financial worry were rare.
Only the infinitesimal few chosen by heaven to dominate all of Murim lived such lives.
Martial artists of mediocre skill lived their entire lives without ever touching substantial wealth.
Among the Gu Sal Dae operatives, some volunteered for their own riches and glory, or to commit murder freely.
But the majority…
Most volunteered for their impoverished families, or to provide funds to the Vagrant Settlement where they had once dwelt.
Or, like himself, to save a sick lover or family member.
And So Ja Myeong, who understood their hearts better than anyone, wished to earn them great wealth and allow them to retire as soon as possible.
But only a handful achieved that goal and departed. Most died in the line of duty.
―In the end, they die without even a name?
Ultimately, without a single name.
Watching his operatives die with only code names, So Ja Myeong made a single resolve.
He would give them all a place to belong.
I will definitely give them a sense of belonging.
To those members of the Guusal Unit who burned themselves like moths in flames solely to earn coin, I would grant them at least a proper burial ground.
“Were you in such a hurry?”
Bu Eunseol, gazing upon So Ja Myeong’s grave, spoke in a hushed voice.
“You said you would provide the members with a burial ground, yet why did you take that place first?”
―I apologize, Lord. Somehow I ended up claiming my spot before the others!
From somewhere, So Ja Myeong’s cheerful jest seemed to echo from the graveside.
“I’m sorry.”
So Yo, standing beside Bu Eunseol, spoke in a low voice.
“If only my movement technique had been faster, if only I hadn’t been caught by him….”
Hyuk Ryeon Eung had believed that Bu Eunseol’s Secret Intelligence Organization was still the Guusal Unit.
And he naturally assumed that the one who constantly remained by Bu Eunseol’s side and carried out missions was So Ja Myeong.
But it was So Yo who fulfilled that role.
Ultimately, Hyuk Ryeon Eung sought to find and kill So Yo, and So Ja Myeong, who sensed her emergency signal first,
engaged Hyuk Ryeon Eung in prolonged combat to buy time.
But he could not withstand his martial prowess and suffered a fatal wound.
“It is not your fault.”
Bu Eunseol spoke in a low voice.
“He cherished the members. And he found happiness in teaching them.”
When Mu Heun took command of the Sa Hon Dae, So Ja Myeong voluntarily lowered his position to become an instructor responsible for training the members.
So Yo was able to serve as Deputy Commander of the Sa Hon Dae precisely because of his instruction.
And So Ja Myeong must have taken great pride in risking his life to save So Yo.
“Let us return now.”
Bu Eunseol gazed upon the Sa Yeong Dae members standing in the distance.
They too were consumed with rage at So Ja Myeong’s death.
If they did not exact this vengeance, they would abandon the Demon Palace itself to hunt down Hyuk Ryeon Eung.
‘Wait just a little longer, Deputy Commander So.’
Bu Eunseol turned her body and cried out silently in her heart.
‘I shall return soon with Hyuk Ryeon Eung’s head.’
From her coldly turning form, a scorching aura blazed forth intensely.
All future plans were suspended. Her sole intent was to sever Hyuk Ryeon Eung’s head first.
* * *
Hwan Woo Jeong.
This place had once been a sanctuary for those who became crippled or wounded martial artists with nowhere else to turn.
But as time passed, the world grew harsh, and the philanthropists who stepped forward to aid the Murim fell away.
Eventually Hwan Woo Jeong fell into ruin, becoming an abandoned relic that no one visited, emanating a desolate atmosphere.
Creak.
Yet from the underground beneath Hwan Woo Jeong, a secret passage opened and a Black Shadow emerged walking forth.
An elderly giant with the build of a bear, the waist of a tiger, and eyes like a lion.
It was Hyuk Ryeon Eung.
“Hmm.”
Hyuk Ryeon Eung’s sharp eyes narrowed as he gazed upon the downpour.
“It has grown far too large.”
Watching the raindrops fall from the hazy sky, he recalled the swordsmanship Bu Eunseol had unleashed.
It was a blade technique that had reached the gentle realm of extreme perfection, with scarcely a flaw to be found.
Not only did it possess formidable power, but it remained incomplete.
When the time came.
That swordsmanship, like a coiled water dragon meeting rain and clouds.
Would one day ascend endlessly skyward, transforming into a true dragon.
“There is no helping it.”
Hyuk Ryeon Eung sighed.
Now that he had been stripped of his status as a Demonic Sage, he could neither command the Sa Ja nor deploy the forces of the Infinite Realm.
“Since I have already made arrangements with the Demon Palace, they will not grant her any opportunity to employ the Absorption Technique again.”
In truth, the plan to capture Bu Eunseol’s subordinates and destroy her alongside them.
Was the greatest strategy Hyuk Ryeon Eung could devise, a plan that should never have failed.
Yet Bu Eunseol had remarkably anticipated his schemes beforehand, and had created a secret method for all the warriors of the Sayoung Battle Division to shatter the Absorption Technique.
If he were to enter the Demon Palace again under these circumstances, he would surely be exposed.
“Then I have no choice but to topple that vaunted power first.”
Hyuk Ryeon Eung was a figure who had been active in the Demon Palace since before Bu Eunseol was even born.
Though he had since departed from that place, he possessed intimate knowledge of the Demon Palace’s nature and structure.
“That wretch has many enemies even within the Demon Palace.”
Hyuk Ryeon Eung wore a sinister smile.
“If I cannot sever your limbs directly, then I shall sever your power first.”
No matter how exceptional a person might be, consuming such a vast alliance as the Demon Palace required considerable time.
Moreover, those who bend but do not break are rarely without enemies.
Hyuk Ryeon Eung intended to shatter the staff of power that Bu Eunseol wielded.
“You may anticipate this, Bu Eunseol.”
A burning light flickered in the eyes of Hyuk Ryeon Eung as he murmured softly.
“After I dispose of you, I shall return to the Infinite Realm.”
He had spent decades as a senior figure in the Demon Palace, as the Royal Advisor to the Wei Wang Palace, and as the Demonic Sage of the Infinite Realm that moved the world.
Even if Bu Eunseol had restructured the Sayoung Battle Division and established a secret intelligence organization.
Even if she held the position of Moo Hon Ryeong Ju.
She could not escape the system of the Demon Palace, and had to conform to that organization’s laws.
This much he understood all too well.
* * *
A strange rumor suddenly circulated through the Demon Palace.
―The Moo Hon Ryeong Ju had been continuously deploying the Secret Intelligence Organization to covertly inspect not only the Orthodox Sects, but also the Demon Palace and the Ten Demonic Gates.
Yet this was hardly surprising.
For the head of the Demon Palace’s Inspection Bureau to refrain from covertly inspecting the Demon Palace and the Ten Demonic Gates.
Would be a dereliction of duty.
―Remarkably, the Moo Hon Ryeong Ju was a figure with ties to the Murim Alliance. The very reason he had continuously inspected the Ten Demonic Gates was because of this connection.
Yet the absurd rumors did not stop there—they only multiplied.
The whispers claimed he maintained close ties with the Murim Alliance.
―After all, had not the Ten Demonic Gates crumbled and weakened since his arrival?
It was a rather ridiculous rumor.
True, Bu Eunseol had indeed weakened the Ten Demonic Gates’ power to some degree.
But that had occurred through power struggles born from the process of solidifying her position as successor.
Or perhaps they had simply walked the path of self-destruction.
Besides, Bu Eunseol was destined to become the master of the Demon Palace in time.
Why would she need to forge a secret alliance with the Murim Alliance?
―It had to be mere gossip.
Most of the demonic cultivators refused to believe the rumors at all.
After all, it made no sense whatsoever.
Yet soon, something shocking came to pass.
The absurd rumors circulating within the Demon Palace became reality.
In the Jamma Pavilion, in Bu Eunseol’s office.
There, Hyung Dang Ju Yang Gu Eung and his subordinates surrounded Bu Eunseol.
“Muk Hon Ryeong Ju. Do you admit to contacting the Murim Alliance Master and leaking information about Bon Jeon, thereby weakening our forces?”
Hyung Dang Ju Yang Gu Eung—a man who never moved without concrete evidence.
He had come to detain Bu Eunseol.
Yang Gu Eung did not even wait for Bu Eunseol’s response before issuing immediate orders to his subordinates.
“Confiscate all documents in the Sayoung Battle Division!”
“What is the meaning of this?”
“The Murim Alliance Master? What are you suddenly talking about?”
The Lords of the Sayoung Battle Division, who had been watching Yang Gu Eung’s actions, rose to their feet.
“Lord Yang. Show proper respect to the Ryeong Ju and proceed according to protocol.”
Wi Cheon Gyeong stepped forward and spoke solemnly.
“Otherwise, we Lords will not stand idle.”
Should they forcibly conduct a search, they were prepared to use force without hesitation.
Yet what was strange was Bu Eunseol herself.
She simply watched Yang Gu Eung’s actions as though they had nothing to do with her.
“Ryeong Ju! Will you allow them to act freely?”
“We shall drive them out at once!”
As Won Se Moon and Jo Nam Cheon fumed with indignation, Yang Gu Eung asked again.
“Ryeong Ju, do you admit to these facts?”
Bu Eunseol, who had been watching with a languid expression, slowly opened her mouth.
“Even if I denied it, you would not believe me anyway.”
“Of course not.”
“Then you must have definitive evidence.”
“Otherwise, how could you dare to storm into the Jamma Pavilion where the Sayoung Battle Division resides?”
Yang Gu Eung, who had answered coldly, withdrew a single sheet of paper from his robes.
“Based on the evidence obtained by Hyung Dang, the Chong Gyo Ryeong has issued an arrest and detention warrant for Muk Hon Ryeong Ju.”
He set the document down on the table and spoke in a measured tone.
“Out of respect for the Ryeong Ju’s dignity, we will not use restraints. However, if you refuse this, we will have no choice but to proceed with regrettable measures.”
If the Chong Gyo Ryeong had authorized detention, it meant they had obtained solid evidence.
When Bu Eunseol offered no response, Yang Gu Eung turned to his subordinates and spoke with grave authority.
“Transport the Ryeong Ju to Mu Jeo Roe immediately.”
“Nonsense!”
*Shing!*
The hot-tempered Won Se Moon drew his twin blades.
“You dare transport the Ryeong Ju? I’ll send you to the underworld instead!”
Just as he moved to attack, Jo Nam Cheon held him back.
“Calm yourself! There’s a detention warrant! If you act like this, you’ll only make things worse for the Ryeong Ju.”
“Calm down? Are you saying we should just stand here and watch?”
*Thud thud.*
Meanwhile, Bu Eunseol rose from her seat and followed the Hyung Dang members outside.
“It’s nothing to worry about. Continue with your work.”
She left only those words behind.
All the Lords stared after her in stunned silence.
Eventually, Jo Nam Cheon turned to Yu Woon Ryong, who stood calmly, and asked subtly.
“Yu Dae Ju, it seems the Ryeong Ju is plotting something again. Isn’t that right?”
They all knew.
That Bu Eunseol had stopped consulting with the Lords in meetings and instead conferred privately with Yu Woon Ryong.
The Lords were no fools.
Myo Cheon Woo, who had suddenly taken leave and never returned. They also knew he was the spy who had been leaking information from the Sayoung Battle Division.
Fearing that similar incidents might occur, or that information could be compromised through the Lords’ mistakes…
Important matters were now discussed only with Yu Woon Ryong.
“Perhaps that’s the case.”
“Perhaps? What do you mean by that?”
Yu Woon Ryong sighed deeply.
“The truth is, there was no consultation at all.”
“No consultation?”
Jo Nam Cheon’s expression shifted to one of confusion.
“It’s fine, Yu Dae Ju. You can tell us. After all, it’s not something we need to know anyway.”
“Yes. Just tell us that the Ryeong Ju has a plan.”
When Won Se Moon also pressed him, Yu Woon Ryong shook his head with a pained expression.
“There is no plan.”
Yu Woon Ryong spoke with an expression of grave weight.
“And in this situation, even if Ma Cheon Je moves, there is no way to avoid punishment.”
“What do you mean?”
“The detention warrant has been issued. That means all the leadership, including the Chong Gyo Ryeong, has concrete evidence.”
Yu Woon Ryong lowered his head as he observed the ashen expressions on the faces of the Sayoung Battle Division warriors.
“There is not a single person in all of Murim who can save Ryeong Ju now.”

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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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