The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 682

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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 682.
“Lord Seon Woo.”
From beyond the door came Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s gentle voice.
“Are you asleep?”
“No, I’m awake.”
Bu Eunseol hastily straightened her appearance and opened the door.
Gong Son Dan Gyeong stood there holding a small wooden tray.
Upon it were arranged various delicacies—rice cakes and fruits.
“I thought I’d bring you some refreshments.”
Her expression carried a hint of apology.
“You must have endured considerable hardship navigating the Cheon Sung Byeol Bu all night.”
‘I’m so grateful you understand—it brings tears to my eyes.’
Bu Eunseol swallowed her inner sigh.
I had heeded Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s request and willingly submitted to the trial designed to assess my worthiness as a prospective spouse.
Yet that place was far more than what the word “hardship” could encompass.
Had anyone else entered instead of me, they would have been reduced to bleached bones within moments—the gateway was filled with such treacherous trials.
‘Could she have even participated in its design?’
Seeing the apology and sympathy in her eyes, she clearly understood the extent of my suffering.
Considering Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s meticulous nature,
I wondered if perhaps, like Gong Sun Hwa Wook in her childhood, she had designed the Cheon Sung Byeol Bu herself.
“What parent would not seek an exceptional spouse for their child?”
“Calling it a search for a spouse might be too generous. The gateway Lord Seon Woo happened to enter and overcome… is at a level only the future leader of the Orthodox Sects could pass.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong knew that Bu Eunseol had entered the wrong gateway.
Yet Bu Eunseol was more startled by the specific words she had chosen.
“The leader of the Orthodox Sects, you say?”
“Yes. Father poured all his martial techniques and essence into that gateway, and he assured me that only someone who would become the leader of the Orthodox Sects could pass through it.”
Bu Eunseol’s expression turned blank.
“Then my survival was merely fortune.”
“Not at all.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong smiled beautifully.
“From the moment I heard there was a possibility you might enter that place when the Cheon Sung Byeol Bu collapsed, I believed in you. That you would pass through without difficulty.”
Bu Eunseol swallowed her bewilderment.
She was confidently asserting that I could overcome a trap designed for a future leader of the Orthodox Sects.
“I told you before. I believe in Lord Seon Woo’s latent potential.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong spoke calmly, as if reading my thoughts.
“Without that level of faith….”
Bu Eunseol naturally anticipated the words she had spoken before.
―I would never have chosen Lord Seon Woo over Master Mu Jon.
That was what she would say.
Yet instead, she spoke in a sweet voice.
“I wouldn’t have even considered bringing Seon Woo Dae Ju to the Main House.”
Her eyes and voice carried the tone of someone addressing a true prospective groom.
‘A dream.’
She was dreaming.
A sweet dream of bringing an exceptional lover capable of becoming the next greatest master under heaven, and receiving her father’s blessing…
And Bu Eunseol had made that dream come true.
‘But it’s time to wake up.’
Bu Eunseol spoke with utter composure.
“I see. The Chief once said that people can betray you, but ability never does.”
She wasn’t trusting Seon Woo Jin the person—she was trusting Seon Woo Jin’s ability.
Bu Eunseol had deliberately steered the conversation back to reality, however coldly.
“You must think me a heartless woman, don’t you?”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong, having seen through Bu Eunseol’s intent, offered a somewhat bitter smile.
“But anyone who has lived a life like mine would hold such convictions.”
‘Now that I think about it, what circumstances could have driven her to become an enemy of the Infinite Realm?’
Before coming to the Gong Sun Estate, I had certainly
assumed there must be problems within her family as well.
After all, it was rather strange for a talented woman like Gong Son Dan Gyeong to fear her family.
But upon actually seeing it,
Gong Sun Hwa Wook and his wife were noble and possessed both learning and virtue.
They were absolutely not the type to miseducate their children or incur anyone’s hatred.
Moreover, observing the household,
Gong Son Dan Gyeong was loved not only by her parents but even by the servants, and had grown up in an environment lacking nothing.
So why did she harbor such deep resentment?
“I’m sorry. Coming all this way and bringing up such complicated matters.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong picked up a piece of fruit with an apologetic expression.
“Try one. They’re quite sweet and delicious.”
“I’ll help myself.”
“Don’t refuse.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong spoke shyly.
“It’s because I’m grateful.”
Seeing that smile, Bu Eunseol’s heart ached somewhat.
Since arriving at the Gong Sun Estate, Gong Son Dan Gyeong had transformed from the cold and meticulous Chief into a shy girl.
Perhaps that was her true self, the one she kept hidden.
‘It’s not my concern.’
Whatever circumstances Gong Son Dan Gyeong carried, they were her personal affair alone.
It was neither my place to concern myself with them, nor should I.
“Today marks the end of it.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong spoke in a reassuring tone.
“When I return to the Murim Alliance tomorrow, I’ll become myself again. No different than before.”
“I understand.”
“And I’ll make you another promise.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong spoke.
“When Seon Woo Dae Ju is in danger, I will never turn away. After all, you helped me when I was in crisis.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
Bu Eunseol shook her head firmly.
“Even if I fall into danger, please don’t think of helping me.”
Perhaps someday in the future, Gong Son Dan Gyeong might feel compelled to honor her promise.
I harbored an ominous premonition that she might shoulder my peril in my stead.
“You must promise me this.”
As Bu Eunseol wore such a grave expression, Gong Son Dan Gyeong nodded with a dazed look.
“Very well. I swear that even if Seon Woo Dae Ju falls into danger, I will not intervene.”
Yet her words seemed amusing, for she chuckled softly.
“Seon Woo Dae Ju can be quite peculiar at times.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong found it difficult to suppress her laughter, breaking into a radiant smile that revealed her teeth.
It was a pure smile she had never shown before—one untainted by calculation or suspicion.
She stretched languidly.
It was as though she had just awakened from a long slumber.
“That was a sweet respite.”
Bu Eunseol fell silent for a moment, her expression vacant. And for the first time, she realized how beautiful Gong Son Dan Gyeong truly was.
* * *
The journey back to the Murim Alliance was not easy.
Bu Eunseol was treated as though she had become a true son-in-law of the Gong Sun Estate.
Not only Gong Sun Hwa Wook and his wife, but all the household members came to see her off.
Their faces were all radiant with joyful smiles.
The Cheon Sung Byeol Bu, which had been built to select a suitable son-in-law, had been closed.
That a place which took ten years to construct was shut down by Seon Woo Jin’s visit clearly signified that a son-in-law had been chosen.
In truth, it had been destroyed by Bu Eunseol’s power, but the household members, unaware of this fact, could only be overjoyed.
As the carriage departed, Gong Son Dan Gyeong returned to her cold demeanor.
The two spoke not a word.
It had been but a fleeting sweet dream.
Upon her return to the Murim Alliance, Gong Son Dan Gyeong threw herself into her duties.
And Bu Eunseol likewise exchanged identities with Seo Jin Ha and immediately headed toward Seo Jang.
The wind howled.
Without pausing to drink even a drop of water, Bu Eunseol deployed her lightness technique relentlessly toward Sera Uzi Mountain, where Guangyang Temple stood.
The map given by Gong Sun Hwa Wook was remarkably detailed, yet the terrain had shifted somewhat in places, revealing occasional discrepancies.
However, with her Gong Sim Tong Ryeong fully activated, Bu Eunseol encountered no significant difficulties and was able to locate Jeol Gok, nestled deep within Sera Uzi Mountain, exactly as marked on the map.
“Hmm.”
However, Bu Eunseol, who had pulled up the hollow pole, was able to find Jeol Gok, located deep within Sera Uzi Mountain according to the map, without any particular difficulty.
“Hmm.”
At the entrance of Jeol Gok, a massive boulder bore inscriptions in the Seo Jang script—characters so weathered they were barely legible.
They seemed to warn that this place was dangerous and one should turn back rather than venture inside.
A low hum echoed through the air.
The moment I stepped inside, mist rose from all directions, and a dizzying sensation washed over me as if the heavens and earth had reversed themselves.
‘A formation array derived from Zhuge Liang’s Eight Trigram Formation.’
Bu Eunseol methodically unraveled each layer of the formation according to the diagrams marked on her map.
Yet occasionally, she encountered phenomena that prevented forward progress.
It felt as though someone had deliberately altered the formation.
‘Has the formation changed on its own?’
Over the passage of decades, the surrounding terrain shifts. When that happens, the deployed formation array can transform as well.
Surveying her surroundings, Bu Eunseol advanced with measured, deliberate steps.
With a perfect understanding of how to dismantle such formations, she could adapt and press forward even as the array shifted.
A long, eerie whisper echoed through the mist.
As the fog began to dissipate, an overwhelming sense of dread seized her.
It was as if something that should never have appeared in this world was slowly revealing itself.
When the mist finally cleared completely, Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened in shock.
Before her stood an enormous boulder, towering to a height of roughly ten feet.
And embedded deep within its center was the Old Monk.
His face was covered in decades of grime and soot, as though he had never washed in all those years, and wild whiskers jutted out in every direction, obscuring his features.
Only the outline of his face remained intact; his body had become nearly one with the stone itself, making it impossible to discern whether he was alive or dead.
‘Is he dead?’
As I drew closer, I detected no signs of life.
Startled, Bu Eunseol reached out to infuse him with her vital energy, when suddenly—
A brilliant flash erupted.
The Old Monk’s eyes opened slowly.
Within those vast eyes, an enigmatic light flickered intermittently.
It bore a striking resemblance to the gaze of Jeong Cheon Je that I had witnessed at the hero monument dedication ceremony long ago.
‘He is blind.’
Though a mystical radiance danced within them, his pupils lacked all focus.
The Old Monk had already lost his sight.
Bu Eunseol wanted to speak, but her voice caught in her throat.
Before coming here, I had entertained countless possibilities.
Could this be Seo Jang Seung, who had stayed at Sa Ha Manor in my childhood?
If not, should I ask if he knew Baek Ri Mu Ha?
But then the Old Monk’s lips parted slowly.
“You have come.”
Remarkably, despite his blindness, the Old Monk seemed to sense and recognize Bu Eunseol’s presence.
“Do you know me?”
The Old Monk embedded in the massive boulder smiled faintly.
“Seeing that you possess the Crimson Dream Technique transmitted by Bin Seung… are you not Sword Glow?”
Whoosh!
The Old Monk suddenly unleashed his inner energy, creating a faint breeze around Bu Eunseol’s body.
He nodded, as if carefully examining her from top to bottom.
Remarkably, the Old Monk possessed a unique secret technique—he could spread the vibrations of his inner energy to substitute for sight.
“You bear a striking resemblance to your sworn brother.”
“Your sworn brother.”
Bu Eunseol took a deep breath and asked again.
“Do you know who I am?”
“Do I know you?”
The Old Monk spoke in a calm voice.
“You are Bin Seung’s younger brother, the son of Baek Ri Mu Ha, are you not Baek Ri Geom Ha?”
In that instant, Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened in shock.
Baek Ri Geom Ha.
That was my true name all along.
Spin.
The sky and earth seemed to whirl around me, and my legs lost all strength.
Barely grasping hold of my reeling mind, I asked again.
“How can you be so certain that I am Baek Ri Geom Ha?”
“Because under heaven, Bin Seung transmitted the Hong Mong Mi Ki to you alone.”
Hong Mong Mi Ki.
That surging energy that occasionally erupted in my mind—was it the power this Old Monk had imparted to me?
“Then who killed my father?”
“Jeong Cheon Je.”
The Old Monk spoke in a murky voice.
“Jeong Cheon Je Sin Do Mu Bi—he was the one who killed your father.”
Thud.
It felt as though the back of my head had been torn open.
Jeong Cheon Je. The foremost master of the Orthodox Sects had killed my father?
Dam Jeung had said that Jeong Cheon Je knew the secret behind my father’s death, but he never said he was the killer.
So he was the true culprit?
What in the world does this mean?
Why would Jeong Cheon Je kill my father?
Baek Ri Mu Ha, who was called the greatest master in Murim, was known to be of the Orthodox Sects.
‘The successor of the Three Realms.’
Shin San Ja had said that my father Baek Ri Mu Ha was the successor of the Three Realms.
Then was he killed because his identity as both an Orthodox Sect master and successor of the Three Realms was exposed?
“Was he cornered to Cheon Am Seong and killed?”
Without realizing it, I spoke those words.
After all, Dam Jeung, the abbot of Blood Shaolin, had said my father was cornered to Cheon Am Seong and died there.
In truth, this was an uncharacteristic slip on my part, but lost in confusion, I failed to notice it.
“Yes.”
The Old Monk spoke in a sorrowful voice.
“He drove your father to Cheon Am Seong.”
Bu Eunseol’s vision darkened.
Cheon Am Seong.
The Baek Pal Sung—known to be capable of destroying the Murim and bringing the world to annihilation.
So it was true that my father Baek Ri Mu Ha had died bearing the false accusation of Cheon Am Seong.
“How… how could he frame someone with Cheon Am Seong?”
“Your father possessed transcendent power capable of destroying the Murim. And more than that…”
The Old Monk paused, then sighed and shook his head.
“In the Murim, no one would doubt the words of the First Master of the Righteous Path.”
“Jeong Cheon Je…”
Blood-red light bloomed in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
At the same time, a suffocating killing intent rose from within.
“Then… my mother also died by his hand? My entire family?”
“Yes. Your father fought with all his strength, but there are traces that Jeong Cheon Je laid traps and employed every vile method.”
The Old Monk spoke in a heavy voice to Bu Eunseol’s cry.
“Jeong Cheon Je, Sin Do Mu Bi. He is no First Master of the Righteous Path—he is a demon. He brutally swept away Sa Ha Manor.”
The world spun.
My head reeled, and blood seemed to drain toward my feet.
Throughout all my martial training, I had never lost strength and fallen to my knees. Even when losing consciousness, my body had never given way beneath me.
But now I could not endure it.
I collapsed.
Bu Eunseol found herself on her knees, hands pressed against the floor.
“Father… Mother…”
I could barely recall my father’s face, but my mother’s face eluded my memory.
Only in the faintest recollection did I see my mother burning like a flame as she perished.
And that murderer was Jeong Cheon Je!
Bu Eunseol clenched her teeth.
‘I must regain my composure.’
Mountains of questions still remained unanswered.
There was no time to lose myself in anguish and despair.
“How did you survive?”
The Old Monk spoke then.
“We searched thoroughly, but found no one.”
“My father placed me in a secret facility and… erased all my memories.”
“If you lost your memories, how do you know that?”
Bu Eunseol explained that she had lost all her memories, but fragments occasionally surfaced.
“I see. So that was how it was…”
The Old Monk spoke in a low voice.
“It was an unavoidable choice. To save you.”
Bu Eunseol took a deep breath and spoke.
“Sa Ha Manor. That is where my parents resided, is it not?”
“It is.”
So it was as I suspected.
That ruined Sa Ha Manor was where my parents dwelt, the cradle where I was born.
“When Bin Seung heard that Sa Ha Manor had been attacked, he immediately sought it out. But it was already reduced to ruins.”
The Old Monk continued his tale.
“Yet he searched for you for a long time. Because you were never destined for an early death. Because the star that symbolized you shone brilliantly in the heavens.”
He pressed forward with difficulty.
“But even after searching all of Zhong Yuan, we could not find you. So I sought this place where the Great Natural Qi flows.”
The Old Monk drew a deep breath and spoke.
“This place is perfectly suited to complete the Transcendent Divine Transformation Technique.”
“The Transcendent Divine Transformation Technique.”
Only then could Bu Eunseol discern the Old Monk’s true identity.
“Master, you were the Patriarch of Wu Zong.”
Wu Zong.
A secret sect that branched from the Western Tibetan Esoteric School, employing unique cultivation methods to wield profound martial arts and mystical powers.
In particular, Wu Zong’s supreme technique, the Transcendent Divine Transformation Technique, was like Shaolin’s Prajna Transcendence.
It was known as a qi cultivation method that transcended the limits of Buddhist martial arts.
“Indeed. Bin Seung is none other than Tak Ma.”
The Old Monk, Tak Ma, smiled faintly.
“And at my brother’s request, I came to Zhong Yuan to treat you.”
Tak Ma means “savior of sentient beings” in the Tibetan tongue, and he was indeed a Living Buddha of Tibet who had saved countless souls.
He had formed a bond with Baek Ri Mu Ha, the greatest martial artist of the age, and came to treat his son, Baek Ri Geom Ha, who suffered from a frail constitution.
“From this moment forward, I shall serve you, Master.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with reverence.
If Tak Ma was sworn brothers with my father, then he would naturally be my uncle.
“You cannot remain here.”
But Tak Ma, who had been gazing at the distant sky, suddenly widened his eyes.
“You must leave this place at once.”
“What do you mean, Master?”
“Bin Seung has been here cultivating the Transcendent Divine Transformation Technique while concealing his celestial presence. If you remain, your identity will be exposed.”
“If my presence exposes it, then…”
“You are the Chief Abbot of the Baek Pal Sung, Cheon Gang Sung.”
“I am… the Chief Abbot of the Baek Pal Sung?”
All this time, I had harbored doubts about whether I might be Cheon Am Seong.
But to be called Cheon Gang Sung, the Chief Abbot of the Baek Pal Sung?
“Cultivate your strength. And seek out Jeong Cheon Je. He remains hidden in the Murim of Zhong Yuan, concealing his true identity.”
“Jeong Cheon Je is dead. I saw his corpse with my own eyes.”
Tak Ma’s eyes grew peculiar.
“How did you verify such a thing?”
Only then did Bu Eunseol’s mind snap to attention.
She recalled the critical fact that she must never reveal to anyone that she belonged to the Murim Alliance.
“Years ago, while wandering through Cheon San, I discovered a Secret Cave with a peculiar facility installed within it. And there, I witnessed the corpse of Jeong Cheon Je.”
“That is a fabrication.”
Tak Ma spoke with absolute certainty.
“Jeong Cheon Je lives.”
He gazed toward the Distant Sky, his eyes flashing with intensity.
“Leave at once. If time slips away, not only Bin Seung but you as well will face peril.”
“Why would I be in danger, Master?”
“Your Baek Pal Sung has not yet manifested its power. However, if you remain exposed to the Primordial Essence flowing through this place, your whereabouts will eventually be revealed.”
This was a place where Primordial Essence flowed.
If Baek Pal Sung existed here, it would immediately influence the celestial mechanisms of fate.
“It matters not.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with confidence.
“I have diligently cultivated my martial arts. Should I join hands with Master in combat, I could surely overcome any adversary.”
“This is not the time.”
Tak Ma’s expression appeared increasingly urgent.
“Their power is vast beyond imagination. Your martial prowess cannot yet contend with them.”
“Who are they?”
“Unknown. What is certain is that the Sam Gye faction and Jeong Cheon Je are one and the same.”
“Sam Gye and Jeong Cheon Je….”
“Yes. Within three years, I shall complete the Hwa Shin Il Ki and find you. Until then, grow stronger and wait.”
“Master.”
“Go now. There is no time.”
Tak Ma’s gaze fixed upon the Distant Sky, his eyes betraying urgency.
Bu Eunseol reluctantly nodded.
“I understand.”
Bu Eunseol bowed deeply.
“Until we meet again, please take care of yourself.”
“Yes, we shall meet in three years.”
Tak Ma rolled the massive stone back inside once more.
Bu Eunseol stared blankly at the sight before turning and exiting Jeol Gok.
She then swiftly fled Saek Rap O Rap Mountain.
Rumble! Whoooosh!
Bu Eunseol ran without pause for nearly two hours, desperate to ensure his safety.
Screech.
Yet suddenly, Bu Eunseol halted her movement technique and stopped.
A peculiar thought had flickered through her mind.
‘Father said he had abandoned his power of his own volition.’
According to my memories, Father had renounced his strength and cast aside his sword.
Yet how could he possibly fight Jeong Cheon Je?
‘Moreover, the Hong Mong Mi Gi was not transmitted—it was forcibly injected.’
The energy dwelling near my Nao Ho acupoint was not cultivated through any secret method.
It had been forcibly infused from outside by someone.
By Tak Ma, the Sect Master of Wu Zong and the Grand Master of Martial Arts.
There was no reason to distinguish between the words ‘injected’ and ‘transmitted.’
Moreover, the energy infused within my body was concealed so secretly that even I could find no trace of it.
Even when I employed harmony techniques.
The Hong Mong Mi Gi lay dormant so perfectly that it never manifested. Yet he detected it outright?
That was something even Tak Ma, were he the greatest master under heaven, could not accomplish—it made no sense whatsoever.
‘Then he did not judge my identity through the Hong Mong Mi Gi. He already knew who I am.’
In the end, Tak Ma had known I would come here.
And he had known beforehand that I was the child of Baek Ri Mu Ha.
‘A fake.’
I realized it in that moment.
Because I had failed to control my emotions, I had not seen through that Tak Ma was a fake.

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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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