The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 604

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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 604.
Jeol Jeong Gak, Bu Eunseol’s office.
“You’re referring to the Lord himself?”
Bu Eunseol regarded the martial artist who had arrived so suddenly with a puzzled expression.
A warrior from Jeong Ui Gak had come to summon her to the Grand Leader Council immediately.
As a first-rank Lord, she could not attend the Grand Leader Council under normal circumstances. This meant that what she had anticipated was finally unfolding.
‘It has begun.’
Bu Eunseol drew a deep breath.
She could not predict exactly how this would end.
It was something she had resolved to face from the moment she handed over Sa Hon Dae’s intelligence to Gong Son Dan Gyeong.
“Please come with us.”
The standing warrior extended his hand respectfully, and Bu Eunseol nodded.
“Understood.”
The Great Conference Hall within Jeong Ui Gak.
Under the presiding authority of Alliance Leader Buk Ri Seung, the Grand Leader Council had convened once more.
Various matters had been processed swiftly, and now only one agenda remained—the proposal raised by Byeok Yu Dang’s Lord, Neung Goong Cheon.
“Now only one matter remains.”
Buk Ri Seung’s gaze fixed upon Neung Goong Cheon, the Byeok Yu Dang Lord seated in the corner.
As he received that gaze, Neung Goong Cheon rose from his seat as if he had been waiting and spoke.
“I have just summoned the Seon Woo Lord, so he should arrive shortly.”
Creak.
Before his words had even finished, the conference hall door swung open, and a tall, gentle-featured man in white robes stepped into view.
It was Bu Eunseol, disguised as Seon Woo Jin.
“The Elite Division Lord, Seon Woo Jin, has answered the summons…”
“Stand over there.”
Neung Goong Cheon cut off Bu Eunseol’s words coldly, pointing to the center of the conference hall.
“Understood.”
As Bu Eunseol took her position at the center of the hall without protest, Neung Goong Cheon spoke with icy precision.
“As I mentioned, this matter concerns the Seon Woo Lord.”
He paused, surveying the assembled Lords before continuing.
“The ship was borrowed from Su Gyo Bang by Muk Hon Ryeong Ju, yet the payment records show it was made by the Seon Woo Lord.”
As Neung Goong Cheon finished speaking and nodded.
His aide distributed several documents containing various details to Buk Ri Seung and the assembled Lords.
“The Demon Palace’s successor, Muk Hon Ryeong Ju, used the ledger from Eun Ho Jeon Chang, the primary transaction point of the Seon Hwa Trading Company in Shanxi.”
Neung Goong Cheon continued his explanation for some time thereafter.
In summary, not only did the movements of the Demon Palace’s successor and Seon Woo Jin overlap.
Muk Hon Ryeong Ju had used the ledger that Seon Woo Jin herself used.
If such evidence were genuine?
This was no matter to be brushed aside with vague answers.
She would be immediately taken to Hyeong Dang for interrogation.
“I cannot fathom how such a thing could have transpired.”
As Buk Ri Seung fell silent, Neung Goong Cheon spoke.
“According to our investigation, Moo Hon Ryeong Ju used that money to rent a vessel from Su Gyo Bang in the Eastern Port.”
Neung Goong Cheon drew a deep breath before continuing solemnly.
“And that destination was none other than Youling Island.”
It was a perfect trap.
I had rushed to Youling Island to save Tan Wang.
In my haste, I had used a receipt from the Eun Ho Jeon Chang, which Seon Woo Jin uses.
It was a completely unforeseen blunder.
Murmurs rippled through the hall.
The conference room erupted instantly with whispered voices.
How could the most promising young prodigy of the Demonic Path possibly possess a receipt used by Seon Woo Jin and enter Youling Island?
Even as the atmosphere in the conference hall grew rapidly frigid,
I stood at the edge of the conference room, listening silently to everything Neung Goong Cheon said.
‘They took the bait beautifully.’
Byeok Yu Dang’s Lord, Neung Goong Cheon.
There was no way he would suddenly orchestrate such an affair on his own.
He was clearly being manipulated by some faction or hidden figure, carrying out their designs.
‘Whether Gong Son Chong Sa is the true mastermind will become clear with observation.’
All the information Neung Goong Cheon was presenting came from mobilizing both the Sa Hon Dae and the Jeol Jeong Dae—the two great intelligence organizations.
It was intelligence that Gong Son Dan Gyeong possessed.
But someone as meticulous and strategically gifted as she
would never merely put forward someone like Byeok Yu Dang’s Lord simply to topple a figure like Seon Woo Jin.
‘She has sent forth a mere herding dog.’
I nodded faintly to myself.
In truth, by the time I had rescued Buk Goong Ryeong from Youling Island and returned to Nangya Pavilion,
I had already recognized my own mistake in using the receipt incorrectly.
Yet I deliberately did not withhold this information from Gong Son Dan Gyeong and passed it along as it was.
First, because I had already prepared evidence using the intelligence networks of Sa Hon Dae and Jeol Jeong Dae to completely refute such accusations.
Second, because I wished to identify those within the Murim Alliance who harbored hostility toward or still harbored suspicions about Seon Woo Jin.
Including Gong Son Dan Gyeong herself, of course.
These were simply too tempting a bait to overlook.
“It is certainly suspicious.”
The Alliance Leader nodded.
“Seon Woo Dae Ju. Do you have anything to say in your defense?”
“Of course I do.”
Just as I was about to answer calmly,
“Please wait a moment.”
Neung Goong Cheon said something strange.
“Before hearing Seon Woo Dae Ju’s words, might I call upon a witness?”
“A witness?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
The Alliance Leader tilted her head in confusion.
“What witness are you referring to?”
“The Buk Goong Feudal Lord, who has recently become a Feudal Lord of the Ben Maeng.”
The Byeok Yu Dang Master regarded Bu Eunseol with a cold smile.
“He was present on Youling Island at that time, you see.”
In that instant, Bu Eunseol’s eyebrows shot upward.
‘So Sam Gye was behind this.’
With the Byeok Yu Dang Master’s position, he could not have discovered that Buk Goong Ryung was on Youling Island at that time.
If that were the case, then he was a member of Sam Gye.
Given that Seon Woo Jin operates an exceptional Information Division and maintains secret forces,
even if solid evidence were presented, he could certainly manipulate it.
So from the very beginning, he had summoned Buk Goong Ryung himself, devising a scheme to render that evidence unusable.
Bu Eunseol had claimed to have erased all traces of the corpses, but…
Sam Gye would have grasped the situation on Youling Island to some degree at that time.
‘I can only hope this is not Gong Son Chong Sa’s plan.’
Even if Neung Goong Cheon, the Byeok Yu Dang Master, were a member of Sam Gye, he was not the type of person who could devise such a meticulous scheme using Buk Goong Ryung.
In other words, behind this matter lay someone with a meticulous nature and superior strategic wisdom.
If that person were Gong Son Dan Gyeong?
Then naturally, she too would be a member of Sam Gye.
“According to our investigation, the Buk Goong Feudal Lord was indeed on Youling Island at that time, so he should be able to provide detailed accounts of what transpired.”
“Very well.”
The Alliance Leader nodded.
“Have the Feudal Lord brought in.”
At that moment, Bu Eunseol’s fists clenched tightly.
Buk Goong Ryung did not know Seon Woo Jin’s true identity.
But if he were to honestly recount everything that happened on Youling Island at that time?
All the evidence Bu Eunseol had prepared in advance would become unusable.
Creak.
The door opened, and an elderly man in white robes slowly entered.
His entire being was suffused with an aura as sharp as frost, and his eyes were long and piercing like a phoenix’s.
It was Tan Wang, Buk Goong Ryung—the one who had achieved unparalleled mastery in the martial world through the supreme inner technique of Naetangi.
“Alliance Leader.”
Buk Goong Ryung offered a light bow, and the Alliance Leader returned the courtesy.
“Feudal Lord.”
Neung Goong Cheon stepped forward, bowed respectfully to Buk Goong Ryung, and asked in a measured tone.
“Thank you for appearing as a witness.”
“Think nothing of it.”
“You were on Youling Island at that time, were you not, Feudal Lord?”
“Indeed.”
“And whom did you encounter there?”
Neung Goong Cheon, who posed the question, gazed at Bu Eunseol with the corners of his mouth curling upward.
―This wretch cannot escape.
This conference hall was not only filled with the Lords of the Murim Alliance, but also the Vice Alliance Master and Tan Wang.
Even if I were to tear through the roof and flee, there would be no evading their grasp.
“What this Pavilion Master witnessed on Youling Island was….”
The moment Buk Goong Ryeong opened his mouth, I found myself at a crossroads.
If I combined the Thunder Divine Technique with my ultimate shadowless speed, I could escape this place instantly.
But Neung Goong Cheon was a figure of the Three Realms.
Not only Buk Ri Seung and Tan Wang, but surely he had also positioned formidable masters throughout this vicinity,
or perhaps laid an impenetrable siege net around the Murim Alliance.
‘Yet I must leave first for the Elite Division members to proceed according to plan.’
Just as Bu Eunseol was about to draw upon her divine technique,
“…It was none other than Seon Woo Dae Ju.”
In that instant, silence flooded the conference hall.
The answer was far too unexpected.
Neung Goong Cheon, as if struck from behind, widened his eyes and asked.
“What do you mean? You saw Seon Woo Dae Ju?”
“Were you not asking whom I encountered on Youling Island?”
“The boat to Youling Island was chartered under the name of the Demon Hall’s successor, Muk Hon Ryeong Ju.”
“That’s right. He was there as well.”
“What is the meaning of this?”
Buk Goong Ryeong spoke with an unperturbed expression.
“That fellow came out of Youling Island seeking to cross blades with me. But unexpected intruders appeared, preventing our match, and he ultimately returned.”
Sparks ignited in Neung Goong Cheon’s eyes.
“You intended to cross blades with Muk Hon Ryeong Ju there?”
“Indeed. I happened to encounter that arrogant wretch near Seo Ho. However, there were far too many people about to engage in a satisfying match.”
Buk Goong Ryeong continued speaking calmly.
“So we agreed to meet on Youling Island after a fortnight to cross blades. Thus, he came.”
“Then why was Seon Woo Dae Ju on Youling Island?”
“There was reason enough for such a connection.”
“A connection, you say?”
Buk Goong Ryeong’s expression grew troubled.
“It is not a matter to be discussed here.”
Neung Goong Cheon pressed further with suspicious eyes.
“Why not speak of it?”
“There are circumstances that warrant discretion.”
“Speak plainly, Pavilion Master.”
“Hmph.”
In that instant, a chilling gleam erupted from Buk Goong Ryeong’s eyes.
“Are you interrogating me right now?”
As his fury manifested, a frigid atmosphere swept through the conference hall.
“Ahem.”
Unable to bear it any longer, Buk Ri Seung stepped forward with a deliberate cough.
“Master, since matters have come to this point, wouldn’t it be better to speak the full truth?”
He then gestured toward Bu Eunseol.
“If the facts remain unclear, that young Lord might find herself in a difficult position.”
“Hmm.”
Buk Goong Ryeong let out a reluctant sigh and opened his mouth.
“I summoned him as an observer.”
“An observer?”
“Indeed. By merely witnessing the confrontation with that arrogant fellow… I could gain immeasurable and profound insights.”
At that moment, Neung Goong Cheon interjected once more.
“What exactly do you mean by that?”
“You keep making me explain myself.”
Buk Goong Ryeong replied with a cold expression.
“Since I was to face a follower of the Demonic Path anyway, I thought to summon Seon Woo Dae Ju as an observer and give him the opportunity to comprehend the mysteries of the Nae Ga Tan technique.”
In that moment, Buk Ri Seung asked in surprise.
“Seon Woo Dae Ju was your disciple?”
Buk Goong Ryeong had never taken on any disciples until now, remaining a solitary wanderer of the Gangho.
Yet he had suddenly transmitted the Nae Ga Tan technique to Seon Woo Dae Ju. Did this mean he had accepted him as a disciple?
“There is no disciple to speak of. It was merely a momentary whim.”
Buk Goong Ryeong gazed at Seon Woo Jin—that is, Bu Eunseol—and smiled.
“When I was staying at the Jongri Estate, I happened to meet Seon Woo Dae Ju briefly. And while wandering the Gangho, I encountered him again by chance.”
A satisfied smile graced Buk Goong Ryeong’s eyes.
“Upon closer inspection, he wandered the Gangho alone and performed quite many admirable deeds.”
In that instant, the assembled members widened their eyes.
Seon Woo Jin was known to be the Lord of the Elite Division, the Information Warfare Division, and would venture alone into the Gangho to assess the martial world’s circumstances.
Yet during all that time, he had been performing such commendable acts that even Tan Wang Buk Goong Ryeong praised him?
“So that’s why the Elite Lord was always so busy.”
As Buk Ri Seung chimed in, Buk Goong Ryeong nodded.
“Given his exceptional talent and admirable character, I was seized by a momentary impulse and merely taught him the fundamentals of the Nae Ga Tan technique.”
“Then you defeated the Moo Hon Ryeong Ju? I’m puzzled why no rumors of this spread through the Gangho.”
At Buk Ri Seung’s question, Buk Goong Ryeong smacked his lips.
“While waiting for him on Youling Island and cultivating my martial arts, suddenly a massive force descended upon me and attacked. At first, I thought that cunning fellow had sent them…”
He continued with a bitter expression.
“But upon investigation, those forces were of unknown origin, employing strange methods… I nearly met my end. However, thanks to that Ryeong Ju of the Demon Palace and Seon Woo Dae Ju arriving at precisely the right moment, I survived.”
The Byeok Yu Dang Lord, who had been listening silently, opened his mouth.
‘So that’s why such traces existed?’
Buk Goong Ryeong should have originally been captured on Youling Island.
Yet he escaped safely, and all the masters and forces sent there were annihilated.
Upon examining the traces, it was clear that a formidable master had appeared and aided him—but of all people, it had to be Muk Hon Ryeong Ju, who came for a duel.
“Hmph, then why did you not acknowledge him at the Hero Monument dedication ceremony?”
Buk Ri Seung’s eyes widened.
“Seon Woo Dae Ju is practically like a disciple of yours.”
“A disciple? Did I not just say it? It was merely a momentary impulse.”
Buk Goong Ryeong gazed at Bu Eunseol.
“However, he has done much good all this time while consistently concealing his identity.”
He turned his gaze across the assembly and continued calmly.
“Because I respect that resolve, I chose not to acknowledge him. Yet neither have we formed a formal master-disciple bond.”
Neung Goong Cheon, who had been listening to the exchange between Buk Goong Ryeong and Buk Ri Seung, opened his mouth.
If things proceeded this way, would he not plummet into ruin for attacking Seon Woo Jin once more?
Neung Goong Cheon desperately wracked his mind.
‘No, could all of this be a lie?’
“Seon Woo Dae Ju.”
Then his eyes gleamed as he spoke.
“If all of Buk Goong’s words are true, then the Dae Ju should be able to use Nae Ga Tan Ki, should he not?”
“It seems this fellow suspects you quite considerably.”
Before Bu Eunseol could even respond, Buk Goong Ryeong spoke in a gentle voice.
His expression and gaze were as if addressing a truly cherished disciple.
“Show him.”
As Bu Eunseol turned his head, Buk Goong Ryeong nodded faintly.
‘He knew my true identity.’
I suppressed a bitter smile within.
Buk Goong Ryeong knew that Bu Eunseol was Seon Woo Jin, and he was helping to keep that identity concealed.
Yet this was not something we had arranged beforehand…
Buk Goong Ryeong had immediately sensed the situation and was improvising to handle it.
And the effect was remarkable.
No one would dare suspect a hero of the Orthodox Sects who had erected a monument in his own lifetime.
“Very well.”
In truth, I had never learned Nae Ga Tan Ki.
However, with over five hundred years of inner power, I could mimic such techniques without having formally studied them.
Boom!
As I flicked my fingers, compressed air erupted like cannon fire.
It was power I had created using my true inner strength.
Yet the assembly could only assume I had unleashed Tan Wang’s Nae Ga Tan Ki.
―So that was it.
Everyone in the assembly nodded in agreement.
Buk Goong Ryeong was the greatest righteous hero of the age, elevated to a monument erected in his own lifetime.
That being the case, since he had vouched for Seon Woo Jin.
Even if the Emperor harbored suspicions now, there was no choice but to believe.
“I… I was unaware of such circumstances.”
Neung Goong Cheon trembled violently.
My standing had already crumbled to dust.
Moreover, among the leadership of the Murim Alliance, many knew of Sam Gye and were wary of it.
In the end, this incident had inadvertently revealed that I belonged to Sam Gye…
Now there was no place for me to stand within the Murim Alliance.
“It is no matter.”
Bu Eunseol smiled toward Neung Goong Cheon.
“There is fault on my part as well, for concealing my identity and moving about in secrecy.”
“Is it not an action that the young warriors of Murim should emulate—to do good while concealing and humbling oneself?”
At that moment, Buk Ri Seung offered Bu Eunseol a look of profound satisfaction.
“Therefore, there is no need to feel remorseful about such matters.”
Not only Buk Ri Seung, but most of the Lords bore expressions of considerable emotion.
Seon Woo Dae Ju of the Elite Division.
They had known that he possessed keen intellect and exceptional martial prowess.
Yet due to his remarkably swift advancement and the attention it garnered, many harbored jealousy and resentment toward him.
But upon learning that he concealed himself and performed righteous deeds,
even those who had disliked him could not help but develop favorable regard.
“Seon Woo Dae Ju possesses such extraordinary ability and the temperament of a righteous hero, yet like Buk Goong Ryung, he conceals his merit, and thus these calamities befall him repeatedly.”
Buk Ri Seung spoke with solemnity.
“Should anyone henceforth attempt to slander Seon Woo Dae Ju, let them come with their necks bared.”
With those words, the conference concluded.
Neung Goong Cheon kept his head lowered, cold sweat streaming down his face.
All that remained for him was to be discreetly eliminated by Sam Gye, or to abandon the Murim Alliance and return to his homeland.
On a night where moonlight flowed.
Bu Eunseol and Buk Goong Ryung sat in a small tavern removed from the Murim Alliance, facing one another as they raised their cups.
“How did you come to know?”
Bu Eunseol’s question carried multiple layers of meaning.
Buk Goong Ryung set down his cup and let out a snort of amusement.
“Since No Bu entered Murim, how many do you suppose I have back-to-back fought?”
It was Buk Goong Ryung himself who had coined the term “Murim Solitary Master.”
And throughout his life, standing alone and unrivaled in Murim, the sole person with whom he had ever fought back-to-back.
That was Bu Eunseol.
“It was then.”
Bu Eunseol recalled something and smiled faintly.
At the past Hero Monument dedication ceremony, when greeting Yuk Jang Cheon, I remembered how he had patted my shoulder.
“Having refined the finger-flicked Inner Energy throughout my life, the sensitivity at my fingertips would surely be unmatched beneath heaven.”
Just as Bu Eunseol, having long served as an intelligence operative, could remember others’ physiques by sight alone.
Buk Goong Ryeong possessed the ability to distinguish people by the form and texture of the muscles beneath his fingertips.
“I know your shoulder and back muscles far too well.”
Moreover, Buk Goong Ryeong was a master of the highest caliber.
Having collided with and struck Bu Eunseol’s muscle structure countless times during their battles, he could discern it instantly.
“You’re not going to ask why?”
Bu Eunseol asked in a low voice.
“I could even destroy the Murim Alliance.”
“Hehehehe. If that were the case, the Murim Alliance would have been settled long ago.”
Buk Goong Ryeong drained his cup and spoke without concern.
“The Murim Alliance is rotten through and through anyway. And you’re doing something, aren’t you?”
He believed in her.
Not only that Bu Eunseol wouldn’t concern herself with political affairs, but that she was doing what was right.
“In truth, it’s not even the right thing, nor is it for the sake of Murim.”
As Bu Eunseol began to explain, Buk Goong Ryeong waved his hand dismissively.
“Don’t bother explaining every detail to me. My head feels like it’s already splitting as it is.”
At his words, Bu Eunseol exhaled through her nose and shook her head.
There was no need to voice what lay in her heart.
When one truly comes to care for someone, their innermost thoughts become transparent.
‘There’s no need to tell the old master about the Murim Alliance Lord just yet.’
Buk Goong Ryeong had always despised the Murim Alliance.
Having only recently become a Pavilion Master, he had yet to establish a firm foundation and support faction within the Alliance.
If he were to hear the stories of Jeong Cheon Je or Mu Jon, he might feel great confusion or develop an aversion to the Murim Alliance.
“I’ll take my leave.”
Buk Goong Ryeong, having emptied ten cups of wine, rose from his seat first.
“Now that I’ve become a Pavilion Master, there are various matters to attend to.”
Without looking back, he departed from the Inn.
Bu Eunseol watched his departing figure and smiled.
Now Buk Goong Ryeong would become a powerful backer who would strongly support her within the Murim Alliance.
Even in the worst case, she could achieve complete independence without relying on Gong Son Dan Gyeong or Yuk Jang Cheon.

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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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