The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 677

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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 677.
Bu Eunseol, who had long served under Yuk Jang Cheon and Yuk Cheong Ah, handling various missions,
understood the temperaments of the two better than anyone else.
And she grasped in detail the subtle discord festering between them.
And Bu Eunseol, using Mu Gyeol,
had devised a plan to completely shatter the relationship between the two.
* * *
A few days prior, in Cheongmyeongdang, Mu Gyeol’s office.
“Approach Yuk Cheong Ah, the deputy lord of Yong Ban Jeon, and inform her that you have gathered evidence of when Yuk Jang Cheon could strike at her back.”
Bu Eunseol, who had come to Cheongmyeongdang, spoke to Mu Gyeol with confidence.
“If you claim to have come under the Alliance Lord’s orders to remove me from the Danjoo candidates, then propose we share the same boat… she would be half-convinced.”
Mu Gyeol remained silent with a dazed expression.
Only after a considerable time did he open his mouth with a puzzled look.
“How curious. Why would you make such a request of me?”
“Because you’re taking a different path than Mu Jon.”
―Be careful. Your master is not one to release the pieces he holds in his hand.
Previously, Mu Gyeol had sent this secret transmission to Bu Eunseol when they met at Eun Wol Gak.
That remark revealed that despite being master and disciple, Mu Gyeol did not follow his master’s will.
“You formed such an opinion merely from that transmission back then?”
“Despite being master and disciple, you attached the honorific ‘elder.'”
Just as Mu Gyeol was about to respond, Bu Eunseol cut him off.
“Of course, if you weren’t a formal disciple, you could address him as ‘elder.'”
“…”
“But there was absolutely no reverence contained within it.”
“Reverence?”
“In that word ‘elder,’ I mean.”
A brief silence fell.
“Hehehehe.”
Mu Gyeol chuckled at something amusing,
“Hahahaha!”
Then suddenly burst into hearty laughter.
“It seems you’ll be the one laying out the mat.”
In the end, Mu Gyeol, just as Bu Eunseol had anticipated,
admitted that he not only refused to obey Mu Jon but harbored another purpose entirely.
“Why don’t you ask?”
“Ask what?”
“Why I don’t remain loyal to my elder?”
“If I ask, will you tell me?”
“Hehehehe.”
Mu Gyeol offered a refreshing smile and nodded.
“That single statement alone… makes it worthwhile to grant your request.”
Mu Gyeol, wearing a benevolent smile, asked again.
“Still, I should hear the conditions.”
“….”
“If I grant your request, what will you do for me?”
Mu Gyeol presented conditions rather than a refusal.
It meant he would accept the proposal depending on what Bu Eunseol offered in return.
“Name what you desire. Anything at all.”
Truly, it was an extraordinary condition.
Mu Gyeol instead furrowed his brow and spoke.
“Anything… Can you truly handle it?”
“Had the stakes not been this high, I would never have considered moving someone of your caliber.”
At Bu Eunseol’s resolute answer, Mu Gyeol nodded and laughed.
“You certainly know how to negotiate.”
And with a satisfied expression, he rose from his seat.
“First, I shall fulfill your request. As for what I desire… I shall speak of it after the matter is concluded.”
“Agreed.”
And from that day forward, Mu Gyeol kept his promise.
He approached Yuk Cheong Ah as Bu Eunseol had requested, ultimately driving a wedge between mother and daughter that led to their ruin.
* * *
“Speak.”
Bu Eunseol, having finished her recollection, asked.
“What is it that you desire?”
“Is there any rush?”
Mu Gyeol smiled and raised his cup.
“Let us drink a bit more.”
“….”
“It is an excellent opportunity to understand you once more.”
Continuing, Mu Gyeol laughed, revealing his white teeth.
“If you wish to know a man, observe what place he frequents, what wine he drinks, and how he conducts himself after drinking.”
Mu Gyeol spoke calmly, having emptied his cup.
“Drinking inadvertently reveals far more information than one might expect.”
“A plausible observation.”
Bu Eunseol found herself intrigued by Mu Gyeol’s words.
“Then, what of me?”
“Do you wish to hear it?”
“I do.”
Bu Eunseol had never before heard anyone speak of her in such a manner.
Yet with someone like Mu Gyeol openly analyzing her, curiosity was inevitable.
‘Hmm.’
Mu Gyeol had originally intended not to answer.
But when Bu Eunseol’s eyes sparkled with childlike curiosity, he found himself unable to resist and spoke anyway.
“You’ve found a place that sells fine spirits at reasonable prices, so you must value practicality over pretense. And sitting by the window in such a quiet establishment—you’re not only constantly vigilant of your surroundings, but you also enjoy observing others.”
Mu Gyeol laid out his observations in detail.
“Furthermore, the way you drink from a large cup with such boldness suggests not only a high alcohol tolerance, but also that you’re either indifferent to food or don’t concern yourself with refined tastes.”
“That’s correct.”
When Bu Eunseol readily acknowledged this, Mu Gyeol continued.
“And despite drinking such a considerable amount, there’s no change in your tone or expression—which means your mental fortitude is exceptional. You don’t reveal your emotions, and you’re strict with yourself about your own mistakes.”
Remarkably, from a single drinking session, he had managed to discern Bu Eunseol’s temperament and character with considerable accuracy.
“Half correct, half wrong.”
“Wrong?”
“Indeed.”
Bu Eunseol spoke matter-of-factly.
“I haven’t truly learned to drink properly. I simply cannot afford to become intoxicated because there are still many things I must accomplish ahead.”
Mu Gyeol’s mouth fell open as he glanced beneath the table.
There stood twenty bottles of spirits lined up tightly. Even a master of Murim would show signs of intoxication at such a quantity.
Not truly drinking properly?
“I see, I understand now.”
Mu Gyeol shook his head as if he had grasped something.
“Yet it’s strange—despite such an atmosphere and fine spirits available, the drinking session remains so rigid….”
“….”
“Perhaps it’s because I’m not your close friend.”
Bu Eunseol offered no comment to that remark and drained the cup.
Mu Gyeol watched intently before speaking again.
“But something troubles me. If you intended to destroy Yuk Jang Cheon anyway, wouldn’t it have been better to obliterate him completely? Why deliberately leave him an opening?”
Mu Gyeol tilted his head in confusion.
“If you had simply opened the warehouse in the Secret Chamber and handed Yuk Cheong Ah perfect evidence, wouldn’t he have destroyed himself naturally?”
“There is no such evidence.”
“What?”
“I didn’t even know if such a warehouse existed, so how would I know what’s inside?”
Mu Gyeol’s jaw dropped in disbelief.
“So you had me tell her that Yuk Jang Cheon has a Secret Library and to search it? That there was evidence of fatal betrayal?”
*Splash.*
Bu Eunseol refilled the cup instead of answering.
Mu Gyeol could only stare intently at his unhurried movements with a dumbfounded expression.
“A suspicious man like Yuk Jang Cheon wouldn’t have a Secret Library hidden away? And he wouldn’t readily open it for his own daughter?”
*Gulp.*
Bu Eunseol drained the cup in one breath before continuing.
“If Yuk Jang Cheon had nothing to hide even from his own daughter, then the rift between father and daughter wouldn’t have opened in the first place because of someone like Seon Woo Jin.”
“So you drove a wedge between the two of them with nothing but a single suspicion?”
“A relationship devoid of trust shatters at the slightest crack.”
Bu Eunseol spoke while pouring wine into her cup.
“Moreover, the bond between mother and daughter has been fractured for quite some time.”
“Fractured? What happened between them?”
“Something must have occurred.”
Bu Eunseol offered another irresponsible answer.
“Though I wouldn’t know.”
Mu Gyeol felt something beyond bewilderment—it was almost absurd.
He had assumed she possessed an intricately detailed scheme, given how confidently she had set a trap for Yuk Cheong Ah.
Yet she had orchestrated their separation without knowing the true circumstances between mother and daughter.
She had shattered their relationship with nothing more than a trivial suspicion?
“Living long enough, I’ve discovered one immutable truth.”
Bu Eunseol drained her cup and exhaled sharply through her nose.
“Most humans never reflect on their past mistakes—instead, they endlessly repeat them.”
Tap.
She set down her cup and drew a deep breath.
“The mother and daughter were never truly close to begin with, their bond lacking warmth. That means something happened in their past, and surely they repeated that exact same mistake this time.”
Only then did Mu Gyeol grasp the full picture.
Bu Eunseol hadn’t recklessly laid a gamble-like trap for both of them.
Rather, she had exploited the fundamental truth that foolish humans repeat their mistakes, creating an opportunity for them to turn against each other once more.
“Indeed, the father treats his daughter as expendable, and the daughter exploits her father—a natural outcome.”
Mu Gyeol nodded faintly.
The strained relationship between Yuk Jang Cheon and Yuk Cheong Ah was something even the senior members of the Murim Alliance knew well.
“Then Yuk Jang Cheon will simply destroy himself from here on.”
“Not at all.”
A sharp gleam flickered across Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
“He is not the type to succumb to despair. Rather, the more trials he endures, the more he rises like a roly-poly doll.”
Even when the Gu Cheon Society—to which he had devoted his entire life—collapsed from internal strife, he did not despair. Instead, he and Yuk Cheong Ah took root anew within the Murim Alliance.
The mere fact that he had proven himself once again in this den of demons called the Murim Alliance meant Yuk Jang Cheon was no ordinary man.
“I see, you’re right.”
Mu Gyeol finally grasped Bu Eunseol’s true plan.
“So the only thing left is the third trial—you intend to elevate him to great heights and then make him fall?”
“Precisely.”
“Why? Do you have a grudge against Yuk Jang Cheon?”
“It’s simply something I decided long ago.”
Yuk Jang Cheon had treated his subordinates as disposable, and merely to gain favor with the senior members of the Murim Alliance,
he had coldly rejected Bu Eunseol’s request to protect Tae Mu Ryong’s safety.
From that moment, Bu Eunseol had resolved to elevate Yuk Jang Cheon to the highest peaks and then watch him fall.
Splash.
Bu Eunseol poured wine into her cup again and opened her mouth.
“I have one question as well.”
“Go ahead.”
“What do you intend to do going forward?”
Bu Eunseol could sense something from this entire affair.
Mu Gyeol possessed some sort of plan, and she was included in it.
“Not yet. I haven’t uncovered everything.”
Mu Gyeol spoke in riddles.
“Once I learn how to enter that place, I’ll ask you for a favor.”
“How to enter?”
“There’s such a thing, apparently.”
His words were incomprehensible.
But one thing was certain—Mu Gyeol regarded Mu Jon not as a master, but as an adversary.
“I also have another request.”
Mu Gyeol’s expression turned bewildered at Bu Eunseol’s words.
“You haven’t even fulfilled my request yet, and now you’re asking for another?”
“Since I’m already in debt, I might as well owe twice over.”
At Bu Eunseol’s audacious remark, Mu Gyeol frowned but replied.
“What is this request?”
“I want a private audience with Mu Jon. By any means necessary.”
“Why?”
‘There’s no need to mention that Jeong Cheon Je might still be alive.’
After a brief moment of contemplation, Bu Eunseol answered tersely.
“I have questions for him.”
Mu Gyeol stared at Bu Eunseol for a moment, then shook his head.
“Now that I’ve joined the Murim Alliance, it’s become impossible for me to see him.”
He smiled bitterly.
“I’ve stepped into the light now. He won’t show himself before me anymore.”
Mu Gyeol, who had held the position of Cheon Woo Rim Lord and received Mu Jon’s orders from the shadows, had become the Lord of Cheong Myeong Unit under the Mangyeong Jeon.
His name and face were now exposed in broad daylight, and he had become someone who could freely contact members of the Murim Alliance, including Bu Eunseol…
Which meant Mu Jon would never reveal himself before him again.
“Indeed, that makes sense.”
From his answer, Bu Eunseol grasped one truth.
Mu Jon either did not regard Mu Gyeol as a disciple, or he suspected him.
Otherwise, he would never have pushed out into the bright light a trusted disciple capable of accomplishing so much in the shadows.
He would never have exposed him like this.
‘Then perhaps I should simply ask directly.’
If Mu Gyeol and Mu Jon were at odds, then Bu Eunseol could at least ask Mu Gyeol:
—What is Mu Jon’s true purpose?
—Is Jeong Cheon Je still alive?
—Where has he been hiding all this time, and what has he been doing?
I could have asked about these things.
But I didn’t.
Mu Gyeol wouldn’t answer, and some matters were things even his disciple Mu Gyeol couldn’t know.
Above all, even this discord itself could be part of Mu Jon’s scheme.
“You look troubled. Why don’t we just drink some wine instead?”
As if reading Bu Eunseol’s thoughts, Mu Gyeol extended a wine cup.
“I’ve finished evaluating what kind of person you are.”
“There was a reason for this evaluation?”
“The favor I must ask of you is the most important matter in all of Tianxia.”
Mu Gyeol spoke with a grave expression.
“That’s why I had to understand exactly what kind of person you are.”
At this unexpected answer, Bu Eunseol fell silent for a moment.
But I didn’t ask what that favor was. After all, Mu Gyeol would entrust that task to me anyway.
Bu Eunseol and Mu Gyeol each emptied ten cups of wine afterward.
Mu Gyeol rose from his seat with a slightly flushed face.
“That was good wine.”
He waved his hand and left the Inn.
“I hope you become the Danjoo.”
Bu Eunseol stared blankly at Mu Gyeol’s departing figure.
What was really true?
According to Dam Jeung, Jeong Cheon Je was alive.
Dam Jeung was an exceptional master and had observed Mu Jon for many years. He would never have confused Jeong Cheon Je with Mu Jon.
Then Jeong Cheon Je was likely alive, just as Dam Jeung said.
Then why create the Eternal Ice Pavilion and leave a fake corpse? Did he perhaps hope to disappear completely through a false death?
‘If he’s alive, that’s actually better.’
If Jeong Cheon Je was alive?
Even without meeting Mu Jon, finding Jeong Cheon Je would reveal everything.
“After grandfather, now father too…”
I had merely tried to find Hyung Su, who killed my grandfather, within the Murim Alliance.
Yet I was swept up in the turbulence of Gangho.
And finally came to know my own complicated past—not just the one who killed my grandfather,
but I must also uncover the truth about my father’s death.
* * *
Because of the second trial,
the Murim Alliance’s evaluation of Seon Woo Jin changed completely.
―Seon Woo Dae Ju. He possesses not only martial prowess and wisdom, but also excellent reputation both above and below.
No matter how exceptional one’s abilities, without the power to draw people in, one cannot become a Danjoo.
Seon Woo Jin was receiving the evaluation that, despite his young age, he possessed sufficient qualifications to become a Danjoo.
―A truly outstanding talent has emerged from the main branch.
Seon Woo Jin, who ascended to serve the Four Gods Seven Kings at a young age and is now challenging to become the youngest Danjoo.
No one called him a hidden dragon of the Merchant Realm anymore.
He had become the representative young master of the Murim Alliance, and a promising candidate to become the next Mu Cheon Danjoo.
However, this brought unexpected consequences.
―Good things must be claimed first, after all.
Seon Woo Jin had become the most desirable bachelor among the young masters of the Orthodox Sects, and many began to covet him.
Yet because he had consistently spread word of Gong Son Dan Gyeong and his engagement, no one dared propose marriage negotiations.
Even his elevation to Danjoo candidate, even his forced transfer from Deungmu Hall to the Chief Inspector Division.
Wasn’t it all orchestrated by Gong Son Dan Gyeong herself?
Though never officially stated, the fact that the two were lovers.
Had spread as if it were established truth.
But then something unexpected occurred.
Suddenly, rumors began circulating that Seon Woo Jin and Gong Son Dan Gyeong were nothing to each other.
―Seon Woo Dae Ju and the Chief Inspector share only a professional relationship.
The source of that rumor was none other than Baek Mu Sung.
Since Baek Mu Sung was known to be on good terms with Seon Woo Jin, the claim carried considerable credibility.
Moreover, even as such rumors spread, when Seon Woo Jin responded with silence.
The people of the Murim Alliance felt bewildered.
But as time passed and both Seon Woo Jin and Gong Son Dan Gyeong remained unresponsive, the matter finally exploded.
―So they truly have nothing between them!
From the perspective of the masses, the long and prolonged silence of the two.
Was interpreted as nothing less than a complete denial of their relationship.
After that day.
Rumble, rumble, rumble.
The Team Members of Jeol Jeong Gak became frantically busy.
“Vice Lord! Another one has arrived.”
This was because marriage proposals flooded in ceaselessly from various sects and noble families.
Since he was already embedded in the Merchant Realm.
Rather than seeking out and persuading people from merchant guilds in distant Sae Oe with no connections.
They chose to directly pursue him within the Murim Alliance and proceed with the marriage negotiations.
This situation left Bu Eunseol in a predicament.
The Demon Palace allowed her to reject marriage proposals with decisive finality according to her will.
But the Murim Alliance was different.
Because of the atmosphere that valued status and hierarchy, she could not carelessly refuse proposals from superiors.
Those conveying marriage proposals to Bu Eunseol were at minimum figures of Jeon Ju rank within the Murim Alliance.
There were limits to outright refusal, and she found herself forced to meet each woman individually to decline.
Eun Wol Gak, in Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s office.
She, who had suddenly summoned Bu Eunseol, spoke in a calm tone.
“The profits of the Man Hwa Antique Shop have dropped significantly recently.”
And she spoke coldly.
“I need to inspect the Man Hwa Antique Shop and identify what the problem is.”
“Have a safe trip.”
“No. Seon Woo Dae Ju needs to go.”
“Me?”
Bu Eunseol found the request rather absurd.
At a time like this, she was supposed to inspect the Man Hwa Antique Shop and investigate why sales had declined?
Moreover, examining the sales trends was not something only Bu Eunseol could do.
Anyone could handle such a task, could they not?
“Do you dislike it?”
“It’s not that I dislike it….”
“If you dislike it, say so. I won’t force you.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong spoke in a voice as cold as falling ice crystals.
“Didn’t Seon Woo Dae Ju say so? That the Chief Inspector Division can no longer impose orders upon you.”
Bu Eunseol swallowed hard.
Though she couldn’t discern the reason, she could sense that Gong Son Dan Gyeong had become extraordinarily sensitive.
‘I cannot afford to make an enemy of her in this situation.’
Bu Eunseol must become the Danjoo, and for that, she needed her power.
“Understood. Then I shall depart the day after tomorrow.”
Bu Eunseol had already promised to meet with the daughter of the Beok Cheon Trading House the next day at Cheon Bong Jeon Ju’s request.
That was why she had suggested the day after tomorrow.
“No, it’s urgent.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong said.
“The Man Hwa Antique Shop’s sales are essentially the lifeblood of the Murim Alliance. Any delay only makes the Alliance’s finances more precarious.”
A slight drop in the Man Hwa Antique Shop’s sales would hardly bring the Murim Alliance to ruin.
Faced with Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s absurd logic, Bu Eunseol swallowed and reluctantly spoke the truth.
“In truth, at Cheon Bong Jeon Ju’s request, I have business at Seolhwa Pavilion tomorrow.”
“Cheon Bong Jeon Ju?”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong spoke coldly.
“Does Cheon Bong Jeon Ju hold higher authority than the Chief Inspector?”
“That is….”
Bu Eunseol was flustered, but soon nodded.
Actually, this worked out well.
She could use Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s order as an excuse to cancel the meeting.
“Understood. Then I shall seek Cheon Bong Jeon Ju’s understanding and depart immediately for the Man Hwa Antique Shop.”
As Bu Eunseol clasped her hands together and turned to leave,
“Wait.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong said.
“Let’s go together.”
“Together… you mean?”
“Yes.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong rose from her seat as she spoke.
“Now that I think about it, it has been quite some time since I last inspected the Man Hwa Antique Shop.”
“I can go alone. There is no need for you to accompany me….”
“It is necessary.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong spoke with unwavering resolve.
“After all, it falls under the duties of the Chief Inspector Division.”
Bu Eunseol drew in a deep breath.
To insist on inspecting the Man Hwa Antique Shop together at such a critical time? Was she truly so at leisure?
‘I see now.’
Bu Eunseol finally grasped Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s true intention.
‘She intends to nip the marriage proposals in the bud for my sake.’
Recently, Bu Eunseol had been unable to refuse the flood of marriage proposals and had been dragged along by them.
But if Gong Son Dan Gyeong openly visited the Man Hwa Antique Shop with her on a routine task?
In essence, Gong Son Dan Gyeong would be directly refuting Baek Mu Sung’s previous statement that they were ‘nothing to each other.’
‘From the Chief Inspector’s position, it would have been difficult to state openly.’
If they acknowledged a romantic relationship to cleanly resolve the mounting marriage proposals?
The Gong Son family would not remain silent, whatever else might be said.
Gong Son Dan Gyeong was attempting to resolve the marriage proposals by indirectly expressing her feelings toward Seon Woo Jin.
“Thank you.”
Only then, having grasped the full situation, did Bu Eunseol press her palms together.
“I will not forget your consideration.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s sharp, piercing gaze softened somewhat.
“The Seon Woo Dae Ju is so intelligent, yet when it comes to matters between men and women, it seems you truly know nothing at all.”
Bu Eunseol, feeling embarrassed, scratched the bridge of her nose.
“I hear that quite often….”
Knock, knock.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door, followed by the low voice of Vice Commander Song Ryeong.
“Chief Inspector. It is Song Ryeong.”
“Come in.”
Song Ryeong bowed respectfully to Gong Son Dan Gyeong before speaking carefully.
“A visitor has arrived.”
“A visitor?”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s eyes brightened.
Her position was Chief Inspector.
In other words, as a high-ranking official within the top ten of the Murim Alliance’s protocol hierarchy,
she could not meet just anyone who appeared unannounced; an appointment had to be made in advance.
“Without an appointment, they were admitted to the Chief Inspector Division?”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong spoke coldly.
“Turn them away.”
“It is… your younger sister who has come to see you, Chief Inspector.”
The Three Beauties of Murim.
Known to possess a beauty that transcends the mortal realm, the Three Beauties of Murim were the most enchanting and mysterious women in all the martial world.
And now, Gong Son Dan Ah, one of these legendary beauties, had suddenly graced the Murim Alliance with her presence.

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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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