The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 62

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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 62.
Bu Eunseol’s fingers tightened around the letter she held.
It was a fact utterly beyond belief.
Gong Sshi Ssang Ma had earned their reputation as masters within the Demonic Path over the past decade. Yet they were spies for the Murim Alliance?
“If you refuse.”
At Bu Eunseol’s words, the Masked Assassin’s eyes, which had been smiling throughout, turned cold as ice.
“You intend to refuse a Priority Order mission?”
“It’s bothersome.”
The Masked Assassin spoke coldly in response to Bu Eunseol’s answer.
“A Priority Order mission is essentially a command. Refusing it amounts to defying the Demon Palace itself.”
“Hmm.”
“You worked as a Guusal Unit member, so you understand well enough… the consequences don’t fall on you alone.”
Bu Eunseol narrowed her eyes.
Refusing a Priority Order could result in punishment for insubordination. Of course, being locked in a dungeon held no fear for me.
The real problem was that I was one of the Ten Demon Experts of the Nangya Sect.
‘If I refuse, the Root Sect will suffer the consequences.’
Moreover, Dan Cheong had gone to great lengths to help me become a Guusal Unit member.
If I were to refuse a mission directly ordered by the Demon Palace and commit insubordination? The fallout would inevitably reach the Nangya Sect and Dan Cheong as well.
“Do you intend to refuse?”
The Masked Assassin’s tone was playful, yet suspicion was subtly woven into it.
In that moment, a strange thought flickered through Bu Eunseol’s mind.
‘The Demon Palace suspects me.’
The Demon Palace housed countless masters.
Even if Gong Sshi Ssang Ma were spies of the Orthodox Sects, there were plenty of experts available to deal with them.
Yet they issued a Priority Order specifically designating me? It couldn’t be explained any other way than that I was under suspicion.
“There’s no choice.”
When Bu Eunseol accepted the letter without hesitation, the Masked Assassin’s eyes curved into crescents.
“A wise decision.”
The next day.
Rising early in the morning, Bu Eunseol dressed in traveling clothes.
Dealing with Gong Sshi Ssang Ma required careful consideration. They were not only formidable in martial prowess but also the leaders of the Ak Yang Branch.
What if someone had used high-level intelligence to orchestrate a deception? What if the Masked Assassin wasn’t an agent of the Demon Palace but rather a spy of the Murim Alliance?
‘Though that’s unlikely…’
Regardless of other factors, the Guusal Unit’s distinctive emblem was difficult to counterfeit.
The special ink used to mark it was manufactured exclusively within the Demon Palace.
‘I should verify it properly.’
Bu Eunseol unfolded her swift lightness skill and headed toward Gyerim.
That was where Gong Sshi Ssang Ma had beaten the Demon Palace’s spy to death. If so, the Guusal Unit’s Gyerim Branch would surely contain records and truth about that day’s events.
After traveling day and night without rest, Bu Eunseol finally arrived in Gyerim.
‘I need to find the branch commander.’
Thanks to Sang Ryang’s proposal, I could freely access the Ak Yang Branch’s information archives.
I knew better than anyone how the branch processed and stored its intelligence.
The Guusal Unit’s Gyerim Branch.
This was a place where the Orthodox Sects’ intelligence organizations wielded greater influence than the Demonic Path.
Consequently, the Demon Hall’s intelligence operatives had no choice but to conduct their activities in secrecy.
A dilapidated back alley just outside Seong Do.
The decrepit manor situated here was none other than the Guusal Unit’s Gyerim Branch.
Swish.
Deploying the Extreme Speed Shadowless technique, I infiltrated the manor with movements as ethereal as a phantom.
Disguised as an ordinary estate, the interior bustled with numerous people moving about their tasks. Yet not a soul detected my presence.
‘There’s a secret chamber here as well.’
Upon entering the palace hall marked “Ja Hyang Jae,” my eyes gleamed at the sight of bookshelves laden with volumes.
Creak, rumble.
As I haphazardly shifted the books wedged into the shelves, a hidden passage revealed itself with the grinding of metal.
“Is that you, Gihyeon?”
A low male voice called out as I emerged from the illuminated secret passage.
Inside, a portly middle-aged man sat sipping tea beside a table laden with documents.
He was Jin Dong, the branch commander of the Gyerim Branch.
“Who are you?”
Seeing a young man he’d never laid eyes on before staring him down, Jin Dong hastily reached for the mechanism beneath the table.
“It won’t do you any good.”
Tap.
I placed a long metal object on the table.
“I destroyed every alarm mechanism on my way in.”
Jin Dong fell silent for a moment, then narrowed his eyes.
“What do you want?”
“All information regarding Gongssi Ssangma that was in Gyerim four years ago.”
“Gongssi Ssangma?”
Jin Dong regarded me with a puzzled expression.
“Why would you seek information that’s utterly useless?”
“Just provide it. I have no intention of harming this branch.”
Tap, tap, tap.
I lightly tapped the floor several times.
It was the signal I used when circumstances forced me to reveal my identity as a Guusal Unit member.
“Which branch are you from?”
“You don’t need to know. Time is short—just provide the information.”
“Why should I provide it?”
Guusal Unit members must always conceal their identities, so there was no contact between members or between branches.
In other words, they need only obey direct orders from the Demon Hall itself.
“Because you must.”
Bu Eunseol drew her long sword with the speed of lightning, then sheathed it just as quickly.
A sharp metallic click.
The moment the blade settled into its scabbard, the teacup sitting before Jin Dong shattered into eight pieces.
“Refuse, and your head will be divided into eight pieces as well.”
“Even if the Guusal Unit operates recklessly, you’re saying you’d kill a branch director from another division?”
Jin Dong let out a soft chuckle before responding calmly.
“If this is reported officially to the Demon Hall, do you think you and your sect will emerge unscathed?”
Though members of the Guusal Unit operate alone with hidden identities, their organization is far from chaotic.
Should one kill a fellow practitioner of the Demonic Path or destabilize the system, severe sanctions could fall not only upon the individual operative but upon their entire sect.
Jin Dong, well aware of this fact, spoke with an air of confidence.
“I don’t know which rogue sect you hail from, but if you withdraw now….”
“I am Bu Eunseol of the Nangya Sect.”
“Nangya… Nangya Sect?”
A crimson gleam flashed across Bu Eunseol’s eyes as she looked down at Jin Dong.
“Killing a few small-time operatives like you carries no punishment for me. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Wait—Bu Eunseol? One of the Ten Demon Experts?”
The perpetual smile that had graced Jin Dong’s face froze in an instant.
He too was a director of an intelligence organization.
Bu Eunseol was the most promising rising star among the Ten Demon Experts, and intelligence indicated that even the Elder Council had taken notice of her.
To put it bluntly, killing a single branch director from Gyerim would bring him no consequences.
“Regardless of your status as an expert of the Ten Demonic Gates… the intelligence handled by the Guusal Unit can only be obtained by its operatives.”
“You lack intelligence yourself. Have you forgotten that I already proved my status as a Guusal Unit member?”
Bu Eunseol spoke in an icy tone.
“I am Agent Eighteen of the Ak Yang Branch.”
Jin Dong’s mouth fell open.
Over the past year, a legendary operative had appeared in the Ak Yang Branch like a comet, completing impossible missions.
Tales of Agent Eighteen’s exploits spread ceaselessly through intelligence circles.
And now that Agent Eighteen was revealed to be Bu Eunseol….
“You are Agent Eighteen….”
As Jin Dong’s mouth hung open wordlessly,
“Troublesome as it may be, I suppose I’ll simply kill you and take what I need.”
Bu Eunseol drew her sword without hesitation.
In that instant, a chilling aura permeated the secret chamber, and Jin Dong felt his neck freeze as though encased in ice.
“W-wait! I was just stunned for a moment!”
Jin Dong wiped away cold sweat and hurriedly rose, pointing toward one section of the shelving.
“I’ll find it right away. Please wait a moment.”
“Hmm.”
Bu Eunseol let out a low scoff and sheathed her blade, whereupon the oppressive aura that had been closing in from all sides dissipated.
Jin Dong unconsciously touched his neck as he spoke.
“All information kept in the branch is encoded in cipher….”
“I understand. I need only guide you to the Secret Chamber.”
I had already become an expert in handling information.
I had mastered both the methods of classifying high-grade intelligence flowing into the Ak Yang Branch and the cipher interpretation techniques used in the Demon Palace.
Even if I were to enter the Fengyun Corps of the Nangya Sect immediately, there would be no difficulty whatsoever.
“You may examine it here.”
Jin Dong, who had opened the Secret Chamber’s door, pointed toward one of the bookshelves.
I began to rapidly peruse the volumes stacked there.
“This is….”
My eyes widened as I meticulously searched through the intelligence that had been exchanged at that time.
At last, I had confirmed the truth with my own eyes.
―Every faction of the Orthodox Sects professionally cultivates spies. Organizations like the Demon Palace and the Murim Alliance go without saying.
Suddenly, the words Dan Cheong had spoken before I entered the Guusal Unit echoed in my ears.
―In disputes between individuals, victory depends on who draws their blade faster. But in conflicts between sects or factions, it depends on who operates a superior intelligence organization.
“So that was it.”
I closed the book and shook my head.
Even now, the Murim Alliance and the Demon Palace were engaged in a silent war.
* * *
After returning from Gyerim, I rested in my hideout for a day.
As evening fell, I purchased three large vessels of premium yellow wine and roasted chicken generously topped with ginger from Gyeong Ha Ru. Then I sent the young boy Jeomsoi to deliver a letter to the Hoehyeon Old Book Store.
―Tonight, let us share a drink in the Bamboo Forest near Seo Moon.
Dusk was already settling over the land.
A small pavilion stood in the Bamboo Forest that stretched beyond Seo Moon.
This pavilion had been built long ago for drunkards to appreciate the scenery while drinking.
But as fine taverns and wine houses sprouted up in the nearby area, no one visited this place anymore.
Splash.
Sang Ryang and Ma Woon, seated in the dilapidated pavilion, repeatedly ladled generous portions of yellow wine into large bowls.
Gulp, gulp.
As the yellow wine went down their throats, its potent yet fragrant aroma descended into their bellies.
“Ahh. This is truly wonderful.”
With a whooshing sound, bamboo leaves scattered on the breeze.
Sang Ryang, gazing up at the moon hanging brightly between the bamboo stalks, murmured.
“It’s remarkable what one discovers when living long enough.”
He took a light sip from his cup and spoke, looking at me.
“I never imagined the young master would invite us to drink first.”
“Indeed, that is so.”
Ma Woon, seated beside him, also spoke with a chuckling laugh.
“I never imagined in my life that I would receive such hospitality from the young master.”
“….”
As always, I simply drank in silence rather than offering a response.
“Do you know something?”
At that moment, Ma Woon smiled and addressed Bu Eunseol.
“Both Elder Brother and I often imitate the way you drink, sir.”
Bu Eunseol’s drinking method was always consistent.
Rather than gulping down spirits in one breath, she drank as if sipping tea—measured, deliberate, and unwavering in her pace.
Though it appeared slow, she never paused between sips, consuming far more alcohol than those who drained their cups in a single draught.
“Indeed. At first, it seemed like an odd approach… but the more I watched, the more I found myself doing the same.”
At Sang Ryang’s low murmur, Ma Woon broke into a grin.
“They say that when you grow fond of someone, you even begin to mimic their habits, don’t they?”
Yet Bu Eunseol remained silent, continuing to drink.
In less than an hour, all three buckets of wine had been completely emptied.
“Have I ever drunk with such satisfaction in all my years?”
As Sang Ryang exclaimed in wonder, Ma Woon nodded in agreement.
“Indeed, sir.”
For a moment, silence settled over the Bamboo Forest.
Sang Ryang, wearing a thin smile, gazed at Bu Eunseol and nodded.
“Well, the wine is finished. If you have something to say, speak it now.”
Both men already knew.
That Bu Eunseol had arranged this gathering to broach some difficult matter.
“Do I seem to have something to say?”
At Bu Eunseol’s question, Sang Ryang chuckled softly.
“It’s been nearly a year since we first met, hasn’t it?”
Ordinarily, Sang Ryang spoke to Bu Eunseol with formal respect.
But now, for some reason, he spoke with the ease of an elder, his tone relaxed and familiar.
“A year is no short span of time, after all.”
“Then you must also know that I am not one for idle talk.”
“True. You are taciturn. But you’ve never drunk so quickly before.”
Sang Ryang spoke matter-of-factly.
“When anyone wishes to speak words they would rather not, they borrow courage from the wine.”
“I see. I was unaware.”
“Speak, if you have something to say.”
“Very well.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes grew dark and somber as she spoke.
“Are you truly a spy for the Orthodox Sects?”

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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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