The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 573

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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 573.
Yeon Ja Gang, Lord of the Wei Long Party, belonged to Deungmu Hall.
Once, he had been the most promising figure in Deungmu Hall and Yuk Jang Cheon’s closest confidant.
But when a man named Seon Woo Jin arrived, he became yesterday’s news.
Not only did Seon Woo Jin possess superior strategic intellect, but he also wielded formidable martial prowess that Yeon Ja Gang lacked—coupled with youth and audacious ambition.
Yet opportunity had come knocking at his door.
With the death of Iron Sect Lord No Dok Cheong, a chance emerged to hold Hell Blood Sect and Demon Hall accountable.
And he had been selected to handle the negotiations surrounding this matter.
The Deungmu Hall Lord had even brought along that thorn in his side, Seon Woo Jin, but he remained confident.
He would achieve great merit through this affair and earn substantial trust.
Yet contrary to expectations, Yeon Ja Gang lost all honor and status because of it.
In negotiations that should have been impossible to lose, he inflicted massive damage, and lost the Cheon Su Region to Dan So Ok, the Mil Mil Territory Lord of Demon Hall.
This was a grave blunder that no method could repair.
Especially after ignoring the warnings of Elite Division Lord Seon Woo Jin, who had detected such signs beforehand.
When it became known that he had attempted to claim sole credit for the achievement,
Yeon Ja Gang suffered such humiliation within the Murim Alliance that he could no longer walk with his head held high.
Ultimately, he had no choice but to step down from his position as Lord, partly by choice and partly by force.
He entered Qing Ling Pavilion and became a document keeper, managing correspondence and official seals arriving at the Murim Alliance.
―Seon Woo Jin possesses something extraordinary.
But Yeon Ja Gang harbored a plan.
His becoming a document keeper at Qing Ling Pavilion stemmed from an intuition:
Seon Woo Jin’s involvement in everything that had befallen him.
―He is likely a spy sent from outside.
With Seon Woo Jin’s emergence, he received harsher condemnation than mere mission failure and plummeted into the abyss.
Yet independent of his conviction, Seon Woo Jin had been thoroughly investigated multiple times by the senior figures of the Murim Alliance.
No matter how exhaustively they searched, they found no evidence of espionage.
But Yeon Ja Gang refused to surrender.
―It is not that Seon Woo Jin is without fault, but merely that evidence has not been found.
He trusted his instincts.
He believed that Seon Woo Jin was simply meticulous enough to have concealed the evidence.
So he deliberately became a document keeper at Qing Ling Pavilion and resumed his investigation into Seon Woo Jin.
And finally, he discovered something peculiar.
―He handles correspondence with such secrecy?
The Seon Hwa Trading Company frequently sent letters of inquiry addressed to Seon Woo Jin.
Yet each time Seon Woo Jin received a letter, he disposed of it
as if handling classified documents, leaving no trace behind.
Of course, the letters might contain private matters, and given Seon Woo Jin’s meticulous nature, such behavior was possible.
But the fact that every single letter that arrived
was disposed of without a trace—so thoroughly that even Yeon Ja Gang, who had once led an intelligence organization, was astounded—
suggested something decidedly suspicious.
―There’s definitely something there.
Yeon Ja Gang, now certain that Seon Woo Jin harbored some hidden problem,
began intercepting every letter that arrived for Seon Woo Jin faster than anyone else, marking each one with a secret cipher only he could recognize.
As he repeated this process relentlessly, he finally uncovered decisive circumstantial evidence.
By chance, Tae Mu Ryong, the vice-commander of the Elite Division, had destroyed a letter meant for Seon Woo Jin.
And that letter bore none of the secret marks he had carefully placed on the others.
―Tae Mu Ryong—this man has also discovered Seon Woo Jin’s corruption, just as I have!
Having finally grasped the thread of truth, Yeon Ja Gang broke into an elated smile.
He began planning his approach to Tae Mu Ryong to launch a full investigation.
But in the meantime, Seon Woo Jin continued to accumulate merit.
He had become a rising star not only to Yuk Jang Cheon but to the entire Murim Alliance.
If he approached Tae Mu Ryong carelessly in this situation?
His investigation of Seon Woo Jin could be exposed.
And he could be silently murdered by this man without anyone knowing.
―There was a way!
After much deliberation, Yeon Ja Gang conceived a brilliant scheme.
Yong Myeong, the Lord of Yong Ban Jeon.
He was Yuk Jang Cheon’s rival and was currently vying to ascend to the vacant position of Mu Cheon Danjoo.
But when Baek Mu Sung suffered an unexpected injury during a mission and temporarily left the Murim Alliance, his position became extremely precarious.
However, if it became known that Seon Woo Jin was an external spy?
Not only would Seon Woo Jin fall,
but Yuk Jang Cheon himself could be stripped of power for failing to properly manage his subordinates.
And Yong Myeong would never let this opportunity slip away.
In the office of Yong Ban Jeon, Yong Myeong’s chamber.
“A scheme to topple the Lord of Deungmu Hall in a single stroke.”
Yong Myeong regarded Yeon Ja Gang, who stood before him with bowed head, with suspicious eyes.
A man who had once been Yuk Jang Cheon’s trusted aide, committed a grave error, and became a servant of Qing Ling Pavilion—now suddenly seeking him out
to reveal a golden opportunity to topple Yuk Jang Cheon?
“You were once a Lord of Deungmu Hall and served Yuk Jeon with loyalty, were you not?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“Moreover, after committing a grave error and causing harm to Yuk Jeon, you entered Qing Ling Pavilion.”
“That is true.”
Yong Myeong stared at Yeon Ja Gang, who answered each question precisely, his expression one of disbelief.
“Yet now you come to me claiming you’ll reveal a scheme to topple the Lord of Deungmu Hall? Why not simply admit you’re acting under Yuk Jeon’s orders to bring down my faction?”
“Of course you would be suspicious.”
“If you understand, then leave. I am a busy man.”
“At least hear me out first.”
As Yong Myeong turned to leave, Yeon Ja Gang spoke with unwavering confidence.
“My proposal brings only gain to you, Jeon Ju. There is no loss whatsoever.”
“Only gain, with no loss, you say.”
Yong Myeong furrowed his brow.
Though Yeon Ja Gang had fallen into disgrace, he remained the strategist of Deung Mu Jeon—a man of meticulous caution.
For such a person to brazenly stand in his way and make bold proclamations was extraordinary.
Yong Myeong stroked his chin, curiosity kindling within him as he nodded slowly.
“Very well. Let me hear what you have to say.”
“Seon Woo Jin, who serves under Lord Yuk. He is a spy planted by an external faction.”
“Seon Woo Jin? You mean that Elite Division Lord?”
“Indeed, sir.”
“Hehehehe. That Seon Woo Dae Ju is a spy?”
Yong Myeong smiled with hollow amusement, finding the claim absurd.
“We completed our investigation into him long before he became a first-rank Lord.”
“I am aware of that.”
“I see. Since you were demoted for refusing to listen to Seon Woo Jin, you must have harbored resentment toward him all this time.”
Rather than answering, Yeon Ja Gang slid a single document across the table.
It contained a list of all the letters that had been sent to Seon Woo Jin thus far.
“Nothing particularly remarkable here.”
“Please examine it more carefully, sir.”
At Yeon Ja Gang’s words, Yong Myeong studied the document again.
Then he noticed—one letter was missing from the list.
And it had been handled by Tae Mu Ryong, the Vice Lord of the Elite Division.
“You’re saying the Vice Lord fabricated and destroyed a letter addressed to Seon Woo Jin?”
“That is correct.”
Yeon Ja Gang spoke with unwavering confidence.
“My purpose in going to Qing Ling Pavilion was to investigate Seon Woo Dae Ju. And I personally managed all the letters addressed to him.”
Yong Myeong’s mouth fell open.
Qing Ling Pavilion was where all letters arriving at the Murim Alliance were received and sorted together.
To separately manage letters addressed to Seon Woo Jin was truly like finding a needle in a haystack.
Yet he had discovered every single one and marked each with a hidden sign.
“By always managing them separately and leaving secret marks, you could detect if the letters were tampered with in transit?”
“Precisely.”
“Madness. Do you know how many letters flow through Qing Ling Pavilion? And you were managing Seon Woo Jin’s separately all this time.”
“There was no other method available to me.”
Yong Myeong clicked his tongue in disbelief.
Yeon Ja Gang, the former strategist of Deung Mu Jeon, was renowned for his exceptional intellect.
But I had not known his obsession could run this deep.
“However, you must realize this hardly constitutes conclusive evidence.”
Yong Myeong leaned back in his chair with keen interest, looking down at Yeon Ja Gang.
“What exactly do you want from me, the Bon Jeon Lord?”
“I need the authority to bring Tae Mu Ryong into my fold.”
“Authority?”
“Deputy Lord Tae Mu Ryong must have discovered the irregularity in that letter and disposed of it in secret.”
Yeon Ja Gang spoke in a measured tone.
“There’s only one reason. If the Elite Division Lord is a spy, then the Elite Division itself cannot continue to exist.”
“He might have simply handled it quietly out of loyalty.”
“If his actions stemmed from genuine loyalty, he would have reported such a matter to Seon Woo Jin.”
“Hmm.”
Yong Myeong furrowed his brow.
“And then?”
“If I convey that I know of such facts, Tae Mu Ryong will be seized by unbearable anxiety.”
Yeon Ja Gang continued.
“And he will come to realize that even if he wished to protect Seon Woo Dae Ju, he cannot.”
The more Yong Myeong listened, the more intrigued he became.
“What comes next?”
“Then Tae Mu Ryong will have no choice. He will inevitably weigh which side favors him more. At that moment, if I present a favorable proposal, would that not suffice?”
“A proposal?”
“Indeed. If he brings evidence that Seon Woo Jin is a spy, we could offer him the position of second-rank Lord of Yong Ban Jeon, or allow him to bring his subordinates with him—such favorable terms.”
Yeon Ja Gang spoke with earnest expression.
“However, I lack the power and authority to make such an offer. That is why I have come to you, Jeon Ju.”
In essence, it was a scheme to leverage Yong Myeong’s authority to present attractive terms to Tae Mu Ryong and thereby obtain the evidence.
‘Fascinating.’
So the rumors were true—he had once been a strategist trusted by Yuk Jang Cheon.
He was indeed a man of considerable wit and cunning, just as the rumors suggested.
‘And truthfully, there’s no loss for me in this.’
As Yeon Ja Gang had assured, proceeding with such a plan would cost Yong Myeong nothing.
“I like it. Then let’s do this.”
Yong Myeong’s lips finally parted.
“If you bring me certain evidence and remove Seon Woo Jin and Yuk Jeon Ju from power, I will grant Tae Mu Ryong the position of second-rank Lord of Bon Jeon and allow him to bring his Team Members with him.”
When Yeon Ja Gang hesitated and did not answer immediately, Yong Myeong smiled and nodded.
“And I promise you the position of Lord of Eun Hyeong Dang.”
Only then did a brilliant smile bloom across Yeon Ja Gang’s face.
“Thank you.”
“But if you fail, or if word of this matter leaks to the outside, the Jeon Ju will have no connection to it whatsoever.”
“Of course.”
Yeon Ja Gang spoke with conviction.
“I will certainly bring evidence that Seon Woo Jin is a spy from outside, and I will ensure that Deung Mu Jeon Ju is held accountable as well.”
Tae Mu Ryong’s days were relentlessly busy.
Since Lord Bu Eunseol spent most of her time out in the Gangho.
He shouldered the training and command of the Team Members, as well as the overall operations and management of the division.
Of course, Jeong Jong Do assisted greatly with training and managing the Team Members.
Yet still, Tae Mu Ryong’s workload accumulated like mountains.
“Sigh.”
After finishing all his duties, Tae Mu Ryong entered the Study Room and settled deep into his chair.
His only pleasure after work was to meditate briefly in the Study Room.
But today, an unexpected visitor had shattered that joy in an instant.
“Come out.”
Tae Mu Ryong, gazing into the Study Room draped in shadow, spoke in a low voice.
“The fact that you’re not bothering to hide your presence suggests you have something to say.”
Then a gaunt figure emerged from the darkness.
An elderly man with a rat-like face and eyes that carried an inexplicably sinister gleam.
It was Yeon Ja Gang.
“What brings you here, Lord Yeon?”
“Lord? What lord?”
Yeon Ja Gang sat across from him at the reception table, grinning widely.
“I’ve become nothing more than a mere scribe handling others’ correspondence at Qing Ling Pavilion.”
“Yet you entered the Office of the Deputy Lord without permission, knowing full well your status.”
As Tae Mu Ryong’s expression hardened, Yeon Ja Gang shook his head.
“Don’t be like that. I came so quietly precisely for your sake.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve been through quite a lot of heartache lately.”
Yeon Ja Gang narrowed his eyes and smiled wickedly.
“Because of Seon Woo Dae Ju.”
Tae Mu Ryong furrowed his brow deeply, speaking in a cold voice.
“If you have no other business, I’d appreciate it if you would leave.”
“The letter from Seon Hwa Trading Company.”
Yeon Ja Gang spoke in an exceptionally low voice.
“You went to the trouble of creating an identical letter and had it destroyed.”
“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“You thought you’d handled it perfectly.”
Yeon Ja Gang wore a leisurely expression.
“But No Bu has been separately managing all the letters coming to Seon Woo Dae Ju this entire time. And he’s even placed secret marks on them.”
He smiled faintly, staring intently at Tae Mu Ryong.
“You were unaware of that fact.”
In that instant, Tae Mu Ryong’s expression turned rigid.
All the letters arriving for the Lord—he had been separately managing them.
And he’d even placed secret marks on them?
“You’ve already suspected it yourself, but Seon Woo Dae Ju is an external spy. The letter from Seon Hwa Trading Company would be a secret code for exchanging communications with them.”
“You’re speaking nonsense.”
“Are you denying it?”
Yeon Ja Gang spoke coldly.
“When the evidence is so obvious?”
“Hehehehe.”
Tae Mu Ryong let out a low chuckle instead.
“Did I appear so foolish to you? Or perhaps ridiculous?”
He spoke in a cold voice.
“If Seon Woo Dae Ju were truly a traitor and evidence existed, I would simply report it to Hyung Dang and be done with it. There would be no reason to seek me out directly, would there?”
What if Yeon Ja Gang possessed such evidence?
He would have already submitted everything to Hyung Dang and wouldn’t need to confront me at all.
“Hehehehe. They say a capable commander has no incompetent subordinates. It seems you learned well under him.”
Yeon Ja Gang burst into hearty laughter instead.
“But I never meant to mock you.”
“Then leave my office immediately. Your mere presence here is already an insult to me.”
“I’ll leave if you insist.”
Yeon Ja Gang spoke with a low laugh.
“But because of your foolish decision, the Team Members will lose their footing and scatter in all directions. They may even face interrogation from Hyung Dang before long.”
“….”
“No matter how you hide the truth, how long do you think it will last?”
Yeon Ja Gang spoke in a subtle tone.
“Once No Bu is convinced, it’s only a matter of time. Eventually, clear evidence will surface.”
“Then search diligently.”
“Yong Ban Jeon Ju made you a promise.”
When it seemed Tae Mu Ryong wouldn’t be persuaded, Yeon Ja Gang brought up the main point.
“He said he would grant you the position of Second-Rank Lord. And all the Team Members would be accepted as they are. You know this yourself, don’t you?”
Yeon Ja Gang was a skilled negotiator and eloquent speaker.
He didn’t rush, subtly provoking Tae Mu Ryong’s sense of justice.
“When it’s revealed that Seon Woo Dae Ju is a traitor, think about what situation not just you, but the Team Members will face.”
In that moment, Tae Mu Ryong’s eyes wavered.
What happened to him didn’t matter.
But I had to prevent the bright futures of the Team Members who had given blind loyalty from being blocked.
“Did you meet Yong Ban Jeon Ju directly?”
“Indeed.”
Tae Mu Ryong spoke as if he had made a decision.
“Did the Lord truly guarantee the Team Members’ positions?”
Yeon Ja Gang smiled.
After investigating through Yong Ban Jeon’s intelligence organization, Tae Mu Ryong proved to be an exceptionally righteous man with a strong sense of justice.
When he mentioned the Team Members’ welfare and future rather than his own interests, his resolve wavered exactly as expected.
“Of course.”
“How can I trust that?”
“You don’t trust people—you trust positions.”
Yeon Ja Gang spoke with conviction.
“Do you think the senior figures of the Murim Alliance are loyal to people? Not at all. They are all loyal to their positions to preserve them.”
Tae Mu Ryong nodded faintly.
Most of the commanders in the Murim Alliance were preoccupied with preserving and protecting their positions.
There were scarcely any who demonstrated loyalty without clinging to their posts.
Much like Yeon Ja Gang himself.
“Very well.”
Tae Mu Ryong spoke in a low voice, as if resigned to the situation.
“I shall bring you the evidence that Seon Woo Dae Ju is a traitor.”
“A wise decision.”
“However, first you must document your guarantee to preserve my position and that of my Team Members.”
“That is… an impossible condition.”
Yeon Ja Gang shook his head.
“Yong Jeon Ju has made it clear he will not intervene in this matter until you bring irrefutable evidence.”
“A hunting dog is boiled in the pot once the hunt is finished.”
Tae Mu Ryong spoke in a cold voice.
“From Yong Ban Jeon Ju’s perspective, wouldn’t it be far more convenient and presentable to punish me alongside Seon Woo Dae Ju, regardless of whether I keep my promise?”
A sharp observation.
From Yong Ban Jeon Ju’s standpoint, accepting subordinates loyal to Seon Woo Jin would be far less advantageous than
punishing all those who shared the same bowl with Seon Woo Jin in one fell swoop—and avoiding external scrutiny in the process.
If Tae Mu Ryong were to hastily provide the evidence?
Yong Myeong would never honor any promise.
“Moreover, you yourself might be deceiving me for your own benefit.”
“What do you mean?”
“You could secure only your own position while using me and my division as mere tools, could you not?”
That too was a sharp observation.
No one could know for certain whether Yong Ban Jeon Ju had truly made such a promise.
Or whether Yeon Ja Gang was fabricating lies in the middle, profiting solely for himself.
“A fair point. It is certainly possible.”
Yeon Ja Gang nodded, acknowledging the truth readily.
“I shall consult with Yong Jeon Ju again on this matter. In exchange, I must secure a firm promise from you.”
“A promise?”
“A promise that your resolve will not waver and that you will certainly provide that evidence.”
“Understood. Once I receive your promise, I shall bring the evidence immediately.”
Yeon Ja Gang exulted inwardly.
At last, the opportunity had arrived to topple the traitor who had cast him into the abyss
and the superior who had discarded him like a worn-out rag after decades of loyal service.
Suppressing the urge to dance with joy, he deliberately drew a deep breath and nodded.
“Then we shall meet again soon.”

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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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