The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 565
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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 565.
Bu Eunseol could not comprehend it.
Cheon Am Seong and Cheon Sal Seong were inauspicious stars spoken of in astrology and Taoism.
They were merely used as metaphors in various contexts—not things that actually existed.
Yet Yang Seol Rin spoke of them as though they were all genuinely real, did she not?
“Are you saying the members of the Baek Ri Family possess such abilities?”
“Yes.”
“But the Baek Ri Family vanished without a trace.”
“That’s right.”
Yang Seol Rin delivered a shocking answer.
“That’s precisely why they disappeared.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“They destroyed themselves. Because of that power.”
Yang Seol Rin blinked her large eyes as she spoke.
“The terrible power to become Cheon Am Seong—not just one person, but the entire family possessed it.”
Bu Eunseol furrowed her brow.
If such a dark history existed regarding the legendary Baek Ri Family, why had such knowledge not spread throughout the Murim?
“If they possessed such power, why would they destroy themselves?”
“You’re surprisingly naive. Or perhaps you lack ambition.”
Yang Seol Rin crossed her arms.
“If each individual possessed the ability to dominate the entire Tianxia, would they really crouch down quietly like docile mice?”
Bu Eunseol nodded.
When one grasps a staff, one wishes to wield it.
If the members of the Baek Ri Family were truly so exceptional, countless people would have rushed to seize dominion over Tianxia.
“Does that answer your question now?”
Bu Eunseol fell silent.
All the stories Yang Seol Rin spoke of were unverified, yet they all sounded plausible.
“Then allow me one more question.”
“Hmm.”
Yang Seol Rin sighed before speaking.
“Fine. But this is the last one.”
And she added one more thing.
“And you’ll have to grant me two favors in return.”
“Understood.”
Bu Eunseol posed a question that pierced through the very heart of everything Yang Seol Rin had said.
“Why do you seek to find Cheon Am Seong?”
“Because it brings extinction.”
Yang Seol Rin gazed at Bu Eunseol with eyes that held an eerie glint.
“When Cheon Am Seong appears, the world ends. It is a prophecy passed down from the very beginning, a divine oracle.”
Thud.
Bu Eunseol felt as though she had been struck from behind.
It was because Bul Jon’s words suddenly came to mind.
―The Dharma Seeker Mo Ryun miscalculated when the prophecy would begin.
‘Apocalypse will surely come. But the timing is wrong….’
A chill ran through Bu Eunseol’s chest.
If everything Yang Seol Rin said was true.
Could it be that the time of apocalypse refers to this very generation? Such…
an ominous premonition seized her.
“That’s enough, isn’t it?”
Yang Seol Rin spoke loudly, her eyes blazing with intensity.
“You have nothing more to say?”
Bu Eunseol had harbored a question that kept surfacing repeatedly.
If all of this were true.
Why hadn’t such facts become known throughout the Murim?
“Allow me one more question.”
At Bu Eunseol’s words, Yang Seol Rin’s eyes widened.
“I refuse.”
“It’s less a question and more that I wish to hear your thoughts on this matter.”
Bu Eunseol gazed at her with eyes deeper and more profound than ever before.
“Would that not be acceptable?”
Bu Eunseol’s crimson-tinged eyes gleamed with a luster like dewdrops glistening in the morning sun.
Yang Seol Rin pursed her lips several times, but upon meeting Bu Eunseol’s sparkling gaze, she reluctantly pouted.
“What is it now.”
“Why have such stories not become known throughout the Murim? If you know of them, there must be quite a few others who possess such knowledge.”
“Hmm.”
Yang Seol Rin crossed her arms and assumed a grave expression.
“Do you know what the phrase ‘tip of the iceberg’ means?”
“Of course.”
“Explain it.”
“An iceberg is larger beneath the surface than what is visible above, is it not?”
“Exactly. That’s precisely it.”
Yang Seol Rin spoke with utmost gravity.
“What you see in this world is merely an infinitesimal fraction.”
“….”
“The Murim conceals far too many things. Few are those who have descended into the deep abyss to witness the true form of the iceberg.”
“The true form beneath the abyss….”
Bu Eunseol’s expression grew subtle.
In essence, the Murim visible now was not the whole—it was far greater and deeper.
‘It seems it truly must be so.’
Just looking at the Yang Seol Family standing before her eyes.
Even Bu Eunseol, who possessed the most comprehensive intelligence network of the Demonic Path and Murim, was unaware of this force hidden in the abyss—a hermit clan.
Which meant.
The current Murim might not be everything that appeared on the surface; there could be countless forces he knew nothing of.
‘Ma Cheon Je would know.’
Bu Eunseol could sense it intuitively.
Ma Cheon Je must have descended into that abyss and witnessed the true face of the current Murim.
“I see.”
Bu Eunseol nodded, his expression hollow as he spoke.
“I never imagined the Yang Seol Family could comprehend so much while remaining hidden from Murim’s view.”
And with an expression of genuine admiration, he clasped his hands together.
“Had I heard such things earlier, I would never have entered the Demon Hall. I would have sought out the Yang Seol Family by any means.”
It was praise for the Yang Seol Family’s greatness.
Yet it also contained another curiosity.
Why doesn’t the Yang Seol Family openly assert itself in Murim?—he had posed this question indirectly.
“You have a sharp mind.”
Yang Seol Rin perceived Bu Eunseol’s intent and let out a soft laugh.
“That’s right. The Main House has power, but we’ve never directly involved ourselves in Murim’s affairs.”
“To avoid the same fate as the Baek Ri Family?”
“There’s that aspect. But if you have power, you want to use it. So if we impose a restriction from the start—that we cannot openly enter Murim—then such things wouldn’t happen, would they?”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes narrowed.
He sensed that Yang Seol Rin was evading a direct answer.
“Then why are you involving yourselves in Murim affairs now?”
“If the world ceases to exist, what good is it for only our clan to survive?”
In short, the Yang Seol Family involved themselves only in matters concerning Murim’s annihilation.
In all other matters, they would never step forward to preserve the clan.
“Are all your questions answered?”
At Yang Seol Rin’s words, Bu Eunseol respectfully clasped his hands together.
“Please speak. I will aid you in whatever is needed.”
“First, we must find Jisalseong.”
“Jisalseong? Shouldn’t we find Cheon Am Seong first?”
“Cheon Am Seong hasn’t manifested with certainty. But Jisalseong has. Moreover, these beings appear periodically.”
“Periodically, you say…”
“Ah, this is a secret.”
Yang Seol Rin pouted her lips and whispered.
“The Main House has, for generations, imprisoned those who possessed Jisalseong to protect the world. That is why, since Hyeol Mu Geuk three hundred years ago, no one bearing the title of Great Killing Star has appeared.”
Hyeol Mu Geuk.
He was the last Great Killing Star recorded in Murim, having slaughtered countless commoners and martial artists beyond measure.
Yet after him, no one worthy of the title Great Killing Star had emerged in Murim.
So it was because the Yang Seol Family had been imprisoning those with Jisalseong all along?
“Why imprison them? Why not simply kill them?”
“You truly know nothing. If he dies, another Jisalseong will inevitably be born, won’t he?”
Yang Seol laughed with absolute confidence.
“But if he’s confined to the Main House’s Underground Prison for life, as long as he lives, the world remains at peace.”
The Yang Seol Family’s methods and philosophy were utterly bizarre.
Yet Bu Eunseol showed no displeasure, smiling and playing along.
“Impressive indeed. I hear those bearing Jisalseong possess formidable abilities.”
“Fool. Then why would we read fate at all?”
She delivered another shocking statement.
“The power of Jisalseong only manifests after adulthood, so we simply capture and imprison them before that.”
“You would imprison someone who has committed no crime?”
“If we wait until Jisalseong manifests, countless people will already be dead. We must capture them quickly beforehand.”
Bu Eunseol blinked.
I do not believe in fate.
Humans can endlessly develop and transform through their own efforts. This was also Bu Chanyang’s teaching.
Yet to confine someone to the Underground Prison for life simply because they were born with Jisalseong, before they’ve committed any crime?
Wasn’t that excessively cruel?
“That is an evil deed that should never be done.”
Bu Eunseol’s expression grew grave.
“Not even the Emperor himself has the right to imprison an innocent person.”
“Haven’t you heard of Hyeol Mu Geuk? If we let Jisalseong roam free like that and he harms people, it’s already too late by then.”
“He might not harm anyone. And it’s possible he might not even be Jisalseong…”
“Don’t worry. There’s never been a case where he didn’t harm anyone, nor one where he wasn’t Jisalseong.”
Yang Seol Rin’s eyes gleamed with absolute certainty.
Perhaps from the Yang Seol Family’s perspective, this stemmed from the noble conviction of protecting the world.
But from Bu Eunseol’s viewpoint, it was merely self-righteous arrogance masquerading as twisted justice.
“I know it seems strange. Honestly, even I don’t find it entirely convincing.”
Yang Seol Rin spoke with grave solemnity.
“But because of this, the world has remained stable, and our family has survived.”
“…”
“I believe only in that result.”
‘Their thinking resembles the Three Realms quite closely.’
In the Three Realms—or more precisely, the Infinite Realm—to save countless people,
they harm a small number of humans and conduct experiments with them.
Had I not heard the name Yang Seol Family, I would have mistaken her for someone from the Three Realms.
‘But.’
Bu Eunseol furrowed his brow.
Simply because I cannot agree with the Yang Seol Family’s philosophy doesn’t mean I can impose sanctions on her now.
I haven’t directly witnessed the Yang Seol Family’s misdeeds, and moreover, hasn’t she shown me goodwill and provided considerable information?
‘I cannot fault her family’s affairs at this moment.’
“If such are the rules of the Yang Seol Family, I have nothing to say about that.”
Bu Eunseol spoke as if she had no choice in the matter.
“But if I witness such things before my eyes, I will never tolerate them.”
“Do as you wish. There’s nothing for me to do in front of you anyway.”
When Yang Seol Rin answered without concern, Bu Eunseol exhaled deeply and changed the subject.
“Then you came out alone to find Jisalseong?”
“That’s right.”
“If Jisalseong is dangerous enough to threaten tens of thousands of lives, shouldn’t the Yang Seol Family have sent a large force?”
“That too is a principle of the Main House. Only one person can venture into Murim. That way, we avoid treading the same path as the Baek Ri Family.”
What if those with the Yang Seol Family’s abilities appeared in large numbers?
They would become targets of attention and envy among the Murim practitioners, and some might harbor ulterior motives.
That is why the principle is to send only one person into Gangho.
“If the Yang Seol Family, bearing the sacred mission of protecting the world, sent only you to eliminate Jisalseong… wouldn’t that be a rather insufficient response?”
“That sounds like you’re saying I can’t defeat Jisalseong?”
“You couldn’t defeat me yourself.”
Yang Seol Rin laughed heartily.
“The reason you could easily defeat me was for two reasons. First, because you possessed the Crystal Divine Technique, and second, because I had no intention of fighting you to the death.”
She exhaled sharply through her nose as she spoke.
“If I had used the technique of Absolute Boundary, you could never have escaped.”
‘A peculiar name indeed.’
The Special Divine Guard that Cheon Joon had brought before also used techniques completely unknown to Murim.
Names like Crystalline Jade Prison or Twin Light Seal were somewhat unfamiliar.
Which meant that the power Yang Seol Rin wielded was also
likely a technique that severely restricted an enemy’s martial arts or vital energy usage, or created a domain where only their power functioned.
‘It does seem to have a close connection to Imperial Palace martial arts.’
Bu Eunseol, dispersing the flood of questions, drew a deep breath.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that the Yang Seol Family and the Three Realms were somehow connected.
‘I must definitely investigate this point.’
Bu Eunseol fixed her gaze intently on Yang Seol Rin.
“By your account, most Murim practitioners could never stand against the Yang Seol Family’s techniques.”
“Of course.”
“Then why would the Yang Seol Family need to impose such restrictions on itself?”
“Hmm?”
“Just because one possesses great power doesn’t mean everyone will self-destruct like the Baek Ri Family…”
A sharp gleam flashed in his eyes.
“And Jisalseong isn’t someone related to the annihilation of Murim either.”
―You all seem to be subtly interfering in Gangho’s affairs, don’t you?
Bu Eunseol was now
indirectly pointing out the contradiction of the Yang Seol Family—that they claim not to involve themselves except in matters of annihilation.
“Hmm.”
Yang Seol Rin’s lips twitched slightly as she swallowed her response.
‘Is that why he’s not the true successor of the Demon Hall?’
He had consistently asked questions from a grand strategic perspective, and he always posed inquiries that struck at the heart of the matter.
“I thought you said your questions were finished.”
“….”
“You said you’d ask just one more, but how many have you actually asked? Why don’t you provide substantial help first, then speak?”
“My apologies.”
Bu Eunseol brought her hands together in an extremely respectful gesture.
“I will surely compensate you for the time I’ve taken. But I must ask this question.”
“Why?”
“I have a suspicion that the Yang Seol Family might be the head of the very force I’ve been searching for all this time.”
Yang Seol Rin’s brow furrowed.
She had grasped that the phrase ‘the force I’ve been searching for’ carried an extremely ominous implication.
“Are you repaying kindness with enmity now?”
“I’m trying to avoid repaying kindness with enmity.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with utmost seriousness.
“I merely hope that the Yang Seol Family has no close connection with the forces I oppose, or is not one with them.”
“What are you even talking about?”
“The Three Realms.”
Yang Seol Rin ceased her movements.
Her expression and posture seemed as though time had frozen in the space around her alone.
“Ha.”
Yang Seol Rin suddenly opened her mouth wide, then—
“Hahahaha!”
She burst into laughter, pointing at Bu Eunseol’s face with her finger.
Bu Eunseol simply stared straight ahead, whether she laughed or not.
That laughter would stop eventually.
And the truth would soon be revealed.
“Originally, I wasn’t going to answer no matter what you said.”
“….”
“But I will. Because you’ve actually made me laugh for the first time in a long while.”
Yang Seol Rin spoke with a smile at the corners of her mouth.
“Why would you, a Murim practitioner, oppose the Three Realms? That’s far too strange, isn’t it?”
Yang Seol Rin had uttered something utterly absurd.
“The Three Realms is on your side.”
Bu Eunseol could only wear an extremely bewildered expression.
The Three Realms is on my side?
What in the world did that mean?
“What do you mean by that?”
“I’ll give you a brief answer, so listen well.”
Yang Seol Rin spoke with conviction.
“First, the Main House has no connection whatsoever with Sam Gye. So don’t go making that sour face for no reason.”
“….”
“Second, Sam Gye could actually be considered the Main House’s enemy. They seek to protect Murim from an entirely different perspective.”
Bu Eunseol couldn’t comprehend those words.
‘Protect? Are they truly protecting Murim?’
Yang Seol Rin smiled as she observed Bu Eunseol’s bewildered expression.
“I told you. What you’re seeing is merely the tip of the iceberg.”
And she continued with a melancholic tone.
“I myself may only be glimpsing a fragment of it.”
In other words, Yang Seol Rin herself as well.
Had not reached the depths of the abyss below.
‘Sam Gye… is protecting Murim.’
Bu Eunseol rubbed her forehead as if dizzy.
If that were true.
Then everything she had done thus far would have actually harmed Murim instead.
‘I cannot take her words at face value.’
The matters Yang Seol Rin had spoken of so casually were all unknown to Murim.
And they were things that could sway the very fate of Murim itself.
“Then.”
With her thoughts organized, Bu Eunseol took a deep breath.
“Sam Gye, which I always believed was created to grip Murim in its palm and manipulate it….”
And she met Yang Seol Rin’s gaze directly as she continued.
“Was actually created to protect Murim from certain forces or entities?”
Yang Seol Rin’s eyes gleamed.
Bu Eunseol possessed not only a brilliant mind, but also the ability to draw countless insights from a single fact.
It was a remarkable perceptiveness that one would not expect to find in someone of her age.
“Correct.”
“Then the Yang Seol Family shares a common enemy with Sam Gye, yet… differences in how that enemy is dealt with have made them adversaries instead, is that it?”
“Perhaps.”
“Or perhaps those opposing Sam Gye are not only the Yang Seol Family, but another force as well.”
Bu Eunseol spoke in a low voice.
“For instance, the Joong Son Family or something like that….”
“That’s enough.”
Yang Seol Rin’s face, which had maintained a playful expression until now, turned cold and rigid.
“If we continue this conversation any further, you too… will become an enemy of the Main House.”
She spoke with absolute firmness.
“So, no more questions.”
Bu Eunseol nodded.
If she pressed further with questions, the goodwill she had built up until now would.
All turn to nothing.
“I understand.”
Bu Eunseol clasped her hands together respectfully once more.
“And thank you.”
Whether Yang Seol Rin’s words were truthful, I could not say.
But she had not deliberately twisted the information she knew to sow confusion, nor had she sought to profit from it.
Instead, she had answered with a measure of sincerity.
Thanks to that candor, I had managed to resolve many of the questions that had troubled me.
“Since the debt of gratitude seems certain….”
Seeing Bu Eunseol’s expression grow even more grave and solemn, Yang Seol Rin’s eyes became calm and serene.
“I simply hope this connection does not turn toward darkness.”
The bonds of Gangho are tangled like threads.
Good fortune can become enmity, and adversaries can become allies.
What the outcome will be… no one can know.
“I share that sentiment.”
Bu Eunseol nodded faintly in agreement.
Yang Seol Rin was no villain.
Yet there was no guarantee she would not become my enemy.
I too simply hoped that this connection would end as something good.
“Then how should I assist you?”
At Bu Eunseol’s question, Yang Seol Rin sighed and spoke.
Then Yang Seol spoke calmly.
“Ordinarily, finding Jisalseong’s aura should not be difficult, but it seems he has learned to conceal his presence during his long confinement in the Main House.”
“Would assistance from the Intelligence Organization I operate suffice?”
Bu Eunseol stroked her chin thoughtfully.
“Though he does not show himself to the world, if he understands the state of Murim well enough to operate at this level… it seems he must have connections to a fairly substantial intelligence network.”
“But if we add to that the intelligence network provided by the successor of the Demon Hall, would we not find him more easily?”
“I understand what you mean.”
Bu Eunseol nodded readily.
“While I remain in Gangho, I will arrange for all the organizations under my command to make their intelligence networks available to you.”
And she added one more thing.
“Furthermore, I will provide unlimited military support for the task of capturing Jisalseong.”
It was an extraordinarily generous offer.
Perhaps Yang Seol Rin might one day become my enemy.
But I intended to repay her kindness with something greater still.
“Military support? What if I end up clashing with the Orthodox Sects?”
“That would be preferable to you finding yourself in mortal danger or facing grave difficulties.”
Bu Eunseol remembered that she had come to Gangho alone, and so offered military support.
Yang Seol Rin made a thoughtful sound and nodded.
“It was worth sharing information with you.”
Taking a deep breath, she gazed toward the distant sky and spoke.
“I just wish Cheon Am Seong hadn’t appeared.”
Yang Seol Rin’s eyes darkened.
Cheon Am Seong.
That catastrophic existence said to bring annihilation upon the world—the fact that it had flickered, however briefly, weighed heavily on her mind.
‘Wait, Cheon Am Seong…’
Bu Eunseol’s heart raced.
What if, contrary to legend,
the people of the Baek Ri Family had been operating in secret like the Yang Seol Family?
Could it be that the man presumed to be my father, Baek Ri Mu Ha, was not from the legendary Baek Ri Family after all?
And if, beyond Baek Ri Mu Ha, there were others from the Baek Ri Family still alive, possessing such formidable power…
Could he be Cheon Am Seong, and could Hyung Su, who killed my grandfather, be his doing?
‘Baek Ri Mu Jo?’
The thought consumed me—that Baek Ri Mu Jo, called the Saint Sword among the Seven Great Pillars, might be a descendant of the Baek Ri Family, and that he could be Cheon Am Seong.
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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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