The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 615
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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 615.
“What brings you to summon me to this place?”
Bu Eunseol asked calmly, her eyes surveying the surroundings.
“If you wished to see me, you could do so at the Murim Alliance.”
Seon Woo Jin was already known to be on intimate terms with Tan Wang, having learned his inner energy technique.
Since they were already together within the Murim Alliance, there was no need to summon her separately outside.
“Hehe. Even so, one must maintain the distinction between public and private matters, must they not?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I summoned you for an extremely personal matter.”
“Hmm.”
Understanding Beok Goong Ryung’s meaning, Bu Eunseol’s lips curved into a faint smile.
“How fortunate.”
“What do you mean?”
“I was planning to seek you out myself. There is something I wished to ask.”
Beok Goong Ryung’s expression twisted into displeasure.
“An elder? Since you belong to the Murim Alliance, address me as Venerable Lord.”
“When we are alone, let us dispense with such formalities.”
Bu Eunseol approached Beok Goong Ryung and posed her question.
“Do you happen to know a method to undo brainwashing?”
“Brainwashing?”
“What the Cheonghae Realm does is brainwashing. Most grotesque indeed.”
Bu Eunseol calmly explained how she had discovered the Cheonghae Realm’s secret facility and the methods they employed to enslave minds.
She even disclosed everything regarding Ah Yeon’s situation.
Apart from her closest companions, Beok Goong Ryung was the person Bu Eunseol trusted most implicitly.
He had stood alone against the Three Realms for countless years.
Moreover, he had long since cast aside all prejudices between the Demonic Path and the Righteous Path, just as she had.
Considering that he was a staunch Orthodox sect member and a renowned hero whose monument the Murim Alliance itself had erected.
His actions were unprecedented in the history of Murim—radical beyond measure.
“Hmm.”
Beok Goong Ryung’s expression grew complex as he listened silently to Bu Eunseol’s account.
Throughout his lifetime, he had pursued them relentlessly, yet had never even uncovered their true purpose.
In that time, Bu Eunseol had managed to discern exactly what experiments each of the Three Realms conducted, what each pursued.
Moreover, their experiments were far more grotesque and incomprehensible than anything Beok Goong Ryung had imagined.
“What in the world do they want?”
Beok Goong Ryung asked, his expression one of utter bewilderment.
“With such power and influence at their disposal, why do they obsess over such madness? Could they be preparing for war amongst themselves?”
“That seems unlikely. If war were their aim, they would have clashed catastrophically long ago.”
The power and influence of the Three Realms were immeasurable.
Had they truly collided, Murim would have been destroyed ages past.
“Rather, they all share the conviction that their actions serve to protect Murim itself.”
“Protect Murim? Those bastards?”
Sam Gye had been freely manipulating the forces of Murim and conducting cruel experiments all this time.
But what in the world were they protecting Murim from?
“From what I’ve learned so far, it seems there’s a force from the Abyss that either opposes Sam Gye or stands against their banner.”
“An Abyss force?”
Bu Eunseol relayed everything she had heard when meeting Yang Seol Rin.
“Hehehehe.”
Buk Goong Ryeong burst into hollow laughter as he listened to Bu Eunseol’s account.
The Three Families, known only as legend until now, were actively operating in Murim.
And Sam Gye was merely a force visible on the surface of Murim, while beneath them lurked the Abyss, which had remained hidden all along?
What in the world was happening?
“The tip of the iceberg.”
Buk Goong Ryeong gazed up at the sky and sighed deeply.
“So Murim is not everything we see after all.”
His expression was desolate.
He had long stood alone at the pinnacle of Murim and believed himself to possess broader knowledge and understanding than anyone.
But looking back now, he realized he understood the situation of Murim far less than the intelligence operatives of the Murim Alliance.
Bu Eunseol, observing the shocked Buk Goong Ryeong, changed the subject.
“That aside….”
He asked again with a grave expression.
“Do you know anything about brainwashing?”
“Hmm. What happens when someone is brainwashed?”
“I’m not certain of the details, but it seems not only their personality is added—their face and skin color change as well.”
“Not only is their personality added, but their skin color changes as well….”
Buk Goong Ryeong’s eyes deepened as he stroked his chin.
An old memory from a decade ago surfaced.
“Then was that the work of the Cheonghae Realm?”
“Do you know something?”
“There is one thing that comes to mind.”
His gaze grew distant as he delved into old memories.
“Twenty years ago, Jong Gu Ryeong, who was called the Wanderer of Heaven’s Edge, suddenly went mad.”
The Wanderer of Heaven’s Edge was a righteous hero of the Orthodox Sects and a master of the guqin.
“He went mad?”
“Yes, I discovered him burning down an entire village and immediately No Bu intervened. But contrary to what was known, Jong Gu Ryeong’s martial prowess surpassed No Bu’s.”
The Wanderer of Heaven’s Edge was called a righteous hero simply because he had connections with the leaders of the Orthodox Sects.
In truth, his martial skills were unremarkable.
Yet he had reached a level that surpassed Tan Wang, who stood unrivaled in Murim at the time and was undefeated?
“No Bu thought he had taken a drug that explosively released latent potential in an instant. But when I prolonged the fight, that wasn’t it. His martial prowess was genuine, and it was beyond what No Bu could possibly handle.”
“But how did he survive?”
“Wasn’t the Wanderer of Heaven’s Edge a master of the guqin? And the guqin he possessed was a genuine instrument crafted two hundred years ago by the Sang Gang master.”
Beok Goong Ryung continued speaking with a snort.
“He treasured that guqin as dearly as his own life. So No Bu resolved that even if he had to die, he would shatter that cursed instrument before his final breath.”
“….”
“Of course, in doing so, one might also discover the enemy’s weakness.”
Bu Eunseol couldn’t suppress a bitter laugh.
So this was why their spirits aligned so perfectly.
That unwavering obsession—refusing to abandon the fight midway, relentlessly seeking a path to topple the enemy—they shared it in their very bones.
“And what happened then?”
“No Bu feigned retreat under the barrage of his Misty Rain of Xiao and Xiang technique, broke through the chamber, and seized the guqin that lay stored within.”
Beok Goong Ryung’s brow furrowed as he recalled that moment.
“Then his face twisted into something grotesque, and his voice changed entirely. It was as if he had become a different person altogether.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened.
Hadn’t Ah Yeon, who pursued her before, undergo that same sudden transformation of face and voice?
“He shrieked and pleaded—begged that the guqin not be destroyed.”
“And what did you do?”
“Without hesitation, I shattered it. He screamed for a time, then gradually returned to his original self.”
“He returned to normal simply because the guqin was destroyed?”
“Yes. And he said this to me.”
―Like my teacher Sang Gang, I pursued mastery in both martial arts and musical arts. I made a grave error in my choices.
Tian Yai Merchant gazed down at the shattered guqin with sorrowful eyes.
―Now that my lifelong obsession and desire lie in ruins… I can finally reclaim my senses.
Then he gathered his inner force.
―I shall atone for my sins with death. I beg you—do not reveal my misdeeds to the Murim.
Before the words left his lips, his chest split open and blood erupted nearly a foot into the air.
He severed his own meridians without hesitation, choosing death by his own hand.
“Hmm.”
Having heard the entire account, Bu Eunseol’s eyes gleamed with insight.
“Then the way to break the brainwashing of one with a split personality is to destroy what they have yearned for their entire lives—their ultimate goal or deepest desire.”
At those words, Beok Goong Ryung smiled faintly.
‘This one truly is extraordinary.’
From merely a brief account of the situation.
She reached in an instant the very conclusion I labored months to derive.
‘This one can solve it.’
With such insight and analytical power.
Even the most bizarre circumstances would yield to her.
“No Bu also pondered it deeply for some time, and arrived at a similar conclusion.”
“Indeed.”
Bu Eunseol’s expression grew grave.
What Ah Yeon had been willing to sacrifice her very life to obtain.
What she had yearned for so desperately all these years—was it not my affection?
Which means, ultimately.
The object of her obsession. In other words, only my disappearance will break Ah Yeon’s brainwashing.
“Old Master.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with an expression of utmost gravity.
“Participate in this plan.”
“Participate in what?”
“We must save her, must we not?”
Beok Goong Ryung furrowed his brow with a bewildered expression.
“You’re not asking for help, but for me to participate in a plan? What nonsense is this?”
“Geomgak is an Orthodox Sect faction, not part of the Demonic Path.”
“Hmph. Did you ever truly distinguish between Orthodox and Evil in your heart to begin with?”
Beok Goong Ryung scoffed, though his expression grew serious.
Ah Yeon, the Geomgak Successor.
That she had become a puppet of the Three Realms was no trivial matter.
“Very well, what is this plan of yours?”
As Beok Goong Ryung asked, smacking his lips, Bu Eunseol replied with a grave expression.
“What she blindly desires is me. She has already openly declared that she threw herself into the Cheonghae Realm for that very purpose.”
“So? Are you suggesting marriage?”
“The opposite.”
Bu Eunseol took a deep breath before speaking.
“I will die before her eyes.”
Beok Goong Ryung’s expression went blank.
Die before Ah Yeon? Sacrifice my life to break her brainwashing?
“But to employ this method, I require your strength, Old Master.”
Only then did Beok Goong Ryung grasp Bu Eunseol’s plan, and he nodded.
“You intend to feign death deliberately.”
“Precisely. However, through brainwashing, her martial prowess and intellect have grown tremendously. She will not be deceived by ordinary means.”
Bu Eunseol wore a self-deprecating smile.
“But if someone of Tan Wang’s caliber were to act, could they not easily kill a mere successor of the Demon Palace like myself?”
Since killing Geol Wang, my martial achievements have never been publicly revealed.
Thus, the world believes my martial power barely exceeds the lowest rank among the Four Gods Seven Kings.
If Tan Wang were to act? They would certainly judge him capable of killing me.
“Even if I step forward, I doubt I could easily deceive that child’s eyes.”
Beok Goong Ryung spoke with a serious expression.
“Someone of such exceptional talent would surely verify your death.”
“Of course. But I possess a secret technique worth employing.”
Bu Eunseol drew forth the energy within my body with a mysterious smile.
Transparent light surged forth, and a wondrous aura spread throughout the surroundings.
“What is this?”
Beok Goong Ryung’s eyes widened in astonishment.
What Bu Eunseol had unleashed was a technique that only the Water Deity Neung Gyeong and Deputy Palace Lord Sa Cheong Ha could manifest.
Wasn’t it the Water Deity technique of Sinsugung?
“Now that I think about it, how did this even happen? I was planning to ask you about it back on Youling Island anyway.”
Buk Goong Ryeong’s expression turned bewildered.
“Why are you using the power of Sinsugung when you’re male?”
“It simply came to pass that way.”
“Speak plainly.”
“Why? Are you greedy for it?”
“You brat! Aren’t you curious? What exactly must one do to manifest the supreme purification technique of Sinsugung?”
Bu Eunseol reluctantly offered a brief explanation of how I had obtained the Water Deity technique.
It was the story of how Sa Cheong Ha, the Deputy Palace Lord of Sinsugung, possessed a narrow and cruel heart and attempted vicious deeds, only for fortune to turn in my favor through a twist of fate.
“Hmph.”
Buk Goong Ryeong’s mouth fell open.
That he, a demonic cultivator, could accept the essence of the Water Deity technique—the purest force in all of Tianxia?
Wasn’t that fundamentally impossible?
“Are you truly a demonic cultivator? How can you, who has learned demonic martial arts, accept the Water Deity technique?”
“….”
“Could you possibly be a Yin-Yang person?”
As Buk Goong Ryeong’s eyes widened, Bu Eunseol let out a soft laugh and waved her hand dismissively.
“Nonsense.”
“Then did you take masters from both the Orthodox and Demonic paths respectively?”
“What are you talking about?”
“If you can accept the Water Deity technique, then you’ve simultaneously mastered the supreme techniques of Jeongsayang-do, haven’t you?”
When Bu Eunseol didn’t answer, Buk Goong Ryeong’s mouth fell open.
“So it is true.”
“What does it matter?”
“If there’s someone capable of teaching a person of your caliber….”
Buk Goong Ryeong’s eyes widened.
“It’s Jeong Cheon Je, isn’t it? Am I right?”
“Are you mad? I am a disciple of Nangya Pavilion.”
“Then were you attempting a coup d’état? Only those plotting coups would dare the dangerous feat of simultaneously mastering the techniques of both Orthodox and Demonic paths.”
Orthodox and demonic martial arts cannot be mixed, and learning them simultaneously could cause one’s martial prowess to regress or their inner force to scatter.
This is why none but those plotting coups would risk their lives to master both paths.
“Save your sleep-talking for when you’re actually asleep.”
“Then what is it?”
“Drop your curiosity.”
“Tell me. Even if you were a disciple of Jeong Cheon Je, I wouldn’t mind. In fact, I’d prefer it.”
“If you’re going to keep spouting nonsense, I’m leaving.”
Buk Goong Ryeong stared at Bu Eunseol’s resolute expression, his lips moving wordlessly.
“It’s simply unbelievable. The successor of Demon Hall is openly serving as a Lord of the Murim Alliance….”
He shook his head firmly.
“If this fact becomes known, you’re finished in the Demonic Path. Do you understand?”
“If I’m finished in the Demonic Path, that would be your fault, Elder.”
“What nonsense are you spouting?”
“The only person who could betray me is you, Elder.”
“You brat! Who’s betraying whom? If I wanted to, I would’ve dragged you before the Alliance Lord back then and had you tortured!”
“Then why do you keep pestering me with questions? And torture? Are you the Chief of the Constabulary, Elder?”
After bickering for a long while, the two turned their gazes away from each other, their heads snapping to the side.
They differed only in age.
Like childhood friends who had known each other since youth, they argued without yielding a single point.
“Enough idle talk. Listen carefully.”
Bu Eunseol spoke calmly.
“One of the functions of this Crystal Divine Artifact is the ability to move the organs within the body freely.”
In the past, Bu Eunseol had faced the third gate of the Geom Chong of the Cheon In Sect.
Using the Crystal Divine Artifact to move her organs, she had defended against the piercing strikes and survived.
And she intended to use the same method to deceive Ah Yeon’s eyes.
“Target the heart precisely with the Purple Lightning Golden Ring. Then I will use this Crystal Divine Artifact to feign having my heart pierced.”
“Hmm.”
Beok Goong Ryung stroked his chin.
If someone as supremely powerful as Tan Wang had pierced the heart, no one would doubt it.
But there was a problem.
Tan Wang was Tan Wang.
“It’s impossible.”
Beok Goong Ryung shook his head.
“Even if the Crystal Divine Artifact could evade a direct hit to the heart… you would still suffer a fatal wound and die.”
Taking a deep breath, a golden ring flickered into existence before his eyes.
It was Tan Wang’s unique weapon—the Purple Lightning Golden Ring.
Whoosh!
Beok Goong Ryung pierced through a massive tree over ten zhang away with a single ring.
“Look.”
Bu Eunseol approached and examined the tree carefully.
On the front of the tree was indeed a small hole the size of the ring.
But the hole on the opposite side was as large as an adult’s fist.
“Purple Lightning…”
Beok Goong Ryung’s Purple Lightning Golden Ring contained not only the essence of Purple Rosy Thunder Force and Wind Thunder.
It also carried tremendous rotational power.
That is, the moment the Purple Lightning Golden Ring touched the body.
That immense rotational force would tear apart all the surrounding muscles and organs.
“Hmm.”
Bu Eunseol, gazing at the tree, fell into deep contemplation.
“Is it impossible to strip away the Cheonghae Realm’s energy and throw it?”
“Of course it’s possible. But.”
Beok Goong Ryung’s eyes narrowed.
“With such outstanding wisdom and observation skills, you would naturally be able to see through that I’ve removed the Cheonghae Realm’s power—what I call the Tanchae Technique.”
The Cheonghae Realm’s brainwashing doesn’t merely strengthen martial prowess.
Since it merges two personalities, observation skills and wisdom are enhanced as well.
Ah Yeon would be capable of immediately seeing through such deception.
“You speak truly.”
Bu Eunseol, lost in thought, shook her head as if resigned.
“But even if the odds are slim, I have no choice but to attempt it.”
“Why?”
“Because I must save her.”
Beok Goong Ryung asked.
“Why do you risk your life to save that girl?”
His eyes, fixed upon Bu Eunseol, grew impossibly sharp.
“Sam Gye will continue creating brainwashed individuals. Will you risk your life to free them every time?”
Sam Gye’s brainwashing was not limited to Ah Yeon alone.
And there was no reason for Bu Eunseol, a member of the Demonic Path, to risk her life for her.
“Elder, are you not mistaken about something?”
Bu Eunseol spoke with unwavering resolve.
“Surely you don’t think my reason for opposing Sam Gye is to save Murim?”
“Then why do you save her?”
“I have shared karma with Lady Ah Yeon multiple times. Therefore, I cannot stand idle while she is brainwashed and exploited by the Cheonghae Realm.”
I added with utmost solemnity.
“I simply do my best with what I am capable of doing.”
—I simply do my best with what I am capable of doing.
Those words echoed through Beok Goong Ryung’s mind for a long time.
Somehow my name had been inscribed upon the monument of heroes.
Yet I had never harbored pride in protecting Murim’s righteousness or in having done what was right.
Beok Goong Ryung as well.
Had simply done what I could and given my utmost effort.
“Yes, that’s right.”
Beok Goong Ryung, once again understanding what manner of person Bu Eunseol was, clapped his hands.
“Would No Bu have pledged to live some noble life? I merely accomplished what I wished to do.”
A smile of unprecedented lightness graced my face.
“Others praised me as righteous and heroic, but each time I felt chilled and nauseated.”
Beok Goong Ryung spoke with calm composure.
“I simply did what I wished to do.”
Pleased by those words, Bu Eunseol too wore a smile unlike any before.
“Precisely so.”
“You’re not only indiscriminate about right and wrong, but you also possess No Bu’s shameless pragmatism in getting things done… In that case, there is a way.”
“What do you mean?”
“There exists a perfect method to deceive that child without needing to steel yourself for death.”
Beok Goong Ryung recalled the face of a young man whose aura stood in complete contrast to Bu Eunseol’s.
If his prediction proved correct… the troubles of both young masters would be cleanly resolved.
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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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