The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 698

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 698.
“Chief Inspector.”
Mu Jon smiled faintly.
“You’ve chosen the optimal position.”
The Cheop Mil Won was an organization tasked with understanding and managing the state of affairs throughout Gangho.
It possessed authority identical to that of the Chief Inspector of the Murim Alliance—a position that had remained vacant for years.
Because one had to constantly grasp the situation within Murim, they could traverse Gangho at will.
And since they could execute independent missions, their freedom of action was extraordinarily broad.
Furthermore, in urgent situations affecting Gangho, they could command the forces of the Murim Alliance’s branches throughout the realm without reporting to the Alliance Lord—
In essence, it was a position wielding the power and authority of a single-sect leader. That was precisely the seat of the Cheop Mil Won’s director.
“But that’s impossible.”
Mu Jon shook his head.
“In the history of the Murim Alliance, there has never been an instance of someone under thirty ascending to the position of Cheop Mil Won director. If such an appointment were made, the opposition from the senior members would be beyond measure.”
“Yet there exists someone who ascended to the extraordinary position of Chief at merely thirty years of age, does there not?”
“The position of Chief is different. It can be replaced at any time according to the opinions of the senior members within the Alliance.”
Mu Jon spoke coldly.
“Because the Chief’s position could be replaced whenever unsatisfactory, there was scarcely any opposition from the senior members.”
And he continued.
“But the position of Cheop Mil Won director is different. Unless one commits a grave transgression, one can maintain that position for life.”
“You need not worry about opposition.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with measured, forceful clarity.
“The Cheop Mil Won is a position where one cannot exercise influence within the Murim Alliance itself. In the eyes of the senior members, it is widely regarded as a position where one merely wanders Gangho and suffers endlessly.”
“So the people of the Ben Maeng have truly become something else.”
“If that cannot be arranged, I shall withdraw here. Let each of us go our own way.”
These were not words spoken carelessly.
If Mu Jon did not grant her such a position, Bu Eunseol had resolved to leave the Murim Alliance.
“Hmm.”
Mu Jon stroked his chin thoughtfully for a moment.
It was he who was in desperate need.
Because there was a reason—a necessity—to keep Bu Eunseol at his side.
“The position of Cheop Mil Won director should suffice.”
“Grant me internal audit authority as well. Allow me to inspect within the Murim Alliance when necessary.”
“Hehehehe.”
Mu Jon laughed with exasperation.
“Why not simply demand the position of Alliance Lord instead?”
He spoke firmly.
“Do you think the positions within the Ben Maeng are child’s play? You ask for internal audit authority to be granted to the Cheop Mil Won director, as if it simply materializes at your whim?”
“It does materialize, though.”
Bu Eunseol regarded Mu Jon with piercing eyes.
“Which is precisely why the position of Alliance Lord exists.”
“If you were to attempt such a thing, the senior masters would immediately rise up and curtail the Alliance Lord’s authority.”
“That is already happening.”
“What do you mean?”
“More than half of the leadership has already withdrawn their support from an Alliance Lord who neglects the Alliance’s administrative duties.”
“….”
“As time passes, the Alliance Lord’s authority will either diminish further… or they will attempt to elect the next Alliance Lord ahead of schedule.”
A flash of light crossed Bu Eunseol’s eyes as she regarded Mu Jon.
“Is that not so?”
“You have truly become one of the Murim Alliance.”
Mu Jon nodded.
“If you understand matters to that extent, there is no room for negotiation. Are there no other conditions?”
Bu Eunseol’s expression showed slight surprise.
She had not expected Mu Jon to consent so readily.
“Surely you are surrounded by exceptional talents as remarkable as Mu Gyeol. Is there truly a need to go to such lengths?”
“Heh heh heh. Talented individuals are plentiful, certainly.”
Mu Jon spoke with composure.
“But a young prodigy who has reached the Choguk Dowon realm cannot be found even if one searches the entire Murim.”
That was the truth.
Though the world overflowed with exceptional talents,
finding a youth possessed of both martial prowess and wisdom equal to Bu Eunseol’s was exceedingly rare.
“You will come to understand soon enough. The Murim Alliance itself is an abyss.”
Mu Jon’s gaze grew distant.
Even he, who possessed martial arts rivaling Jeong Cheon Je and wisdom matching the greatest sage of Murim,
could not be certain of uprooting the forces of the Three Realms lurking within the Murim Alliance.
“There are no conditions, but I have one more question.”
Bu Eunseol, who had been lost in thought, spoke with piercing eyes.
“This may not be a question Shin San Ja should answer, yet you must answer it.”
“Speak.”
“How can you be certain that the one who killed my grandfather is among the Seven Lords?”
Bu Eunseol regarded Mu Jon with eyes of utmost acuity.
“Mu Jon. Can your actions be proven?”
This was a doubt that had been blooming in her heart all along.
How could Shin San Ja, who claimed to know everything,
be ignorant of the true identity of Hyung Su, who had slain her grandfather?
Why then had he given only the vague answer that it was one of the Seven Lords?
“I believe I have answered that question before.”
“That is not what I mean.”
Bu Eunseol pressed further.
“The easiest way for a criminal to conceal their guilt
is what Bu Eunseol stated deliberately, her eyes fixed upon Mu Jon’s.
“Isn’t that simply pinning your guilt on someone else?”
Mu Jon fell silent for a moment.
After staring into the void for a while, he nodded.
“Your point has merit.”
“You’re admitting it?”
“Yes. Your suspicion is certainly rational.”
He sighed and spoke coldly.
“Fine. I’ll answer you. First, my whereabouts cannot be proven. Because even if I present hundreds of pieces of evidence, it means nothing if you refuse to believe them.”
Bu Eunseol agreed.
No matter what Mu Jon said, without perfect physical evidence, she would never accept it as truth.
“Second, the reason I was certain about the Seven Lords is that No Bu also investigated who killed Chil Ji Ma Do—who Hyung Su is.”
Mu Jon turned his gaze and stared directly into Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
“And among the suspects with exceptional martial prowess, the only ones whose whereabouts remained hidden were the Seven Lords.”
He continued speaking calmly.
“In fact, on the day Chil Ji Ma Do was attacked, someone deliberately erased the whereabouts of the Seven Lords. Completely.”
Bu Eunseol took a deep breath.
A force capable of simultaneously and perfectly erasing the whereabouts of the Murim Alliance’s Seven Lords.
There was only one possibility—Sam Gye.
“You’re saying Sam Gye is behind this?”
“That’s my suspicion. Though I cannot find definitive proof.”
In the end, just as Mu Jon said… no matter which way she looked at it, Bu Eunseol had to destroy Sam Gye.
As if it were fate itself.
“Are there no other conditions now?”
After a long silence, Bu Eunseol nodded.
“That’s correct.”
“Good.”
Mu Jon spoke.
“Once the Lord’s Trial ends, I’ll promote you to the position of Cheop Mil Won’s leader. However, there are three conditions.”
“Three conditions?”
“Even if I promote you to Cheop Mil Won’s leader, if the higher-ups oppose it, that’s the end. You’ll need to prepare proof that you possess the qualifications for such a position.”
That wasn’t really a condition—it was simply what Bu Eunseol would naturally have to do.
“I accept.”
As Bu Eunseol nodded, Mu Jon spoke again.
“Second, you must lose in the final match. If you win, you’ll inevitably become a Lord.”
“Is the final trial a martial competition?”
“Yes.”
Mu Jon said.
“Most of the senior figures in the Alliance hope that Deng Wu Dian Ju becomes a Lord. So when I announce the trial, they’ll immediately reject it.”
A faint smirk crossed his face.
“And they’ll certainly propose a martial competition. Of course, if I pretend I can’t refuse and accept, there will be absolutely no room for gossip afterward.”
Bu Eunseol nodded.
Mu Jon possessed the keen intellect befitting one who carried the dual identity of Shin San Ja.
“And the third condition is….”
Mu Jon’s gaze turned razor-sharp.
“In granting you such a position, I require a safeguard for myself as well. Do you consent?”
In other words, he would place a leash upon me.
Bu Eunseol stroked her chin.
“Are you asking me to drink poison?”
“Poison or otherwise—that is for me to decide. I merely ask if you consent.”
“Very well.”
Bu Eunseol answered readily.
“I consent.”
Poison, restraint, any binding curse—I possessed the confidence to break free from them all.
“Excellent. The bargain is struck.”
As Mu Jon turned to leave, Bu Eunseol tilted her head.
“You’re not placing the binding curse now?”
“I already have.”
“You already have?”
A smile tinged with killing intent played across Mu Jon’s lips.
“I planted the Gu poison in the Elite Division members long ago.”
In that instant, Bu Eunseol’s complexion hardened.
“Why would you implant the Gu poison in them?”
“Even after becoming a Lord-tier organization, you never replenished your martial artists. Instead, you subjected them to endless training, molding them like elite special forces.”
Mu Jon spoke with a cold expression.
“Despite being suspected of sedition multiple times, Bu Dae Ju risked his life to protect you.”
“….”
“That degree of loyalty means your Team Members already know your true identity.”
Mu Jon continued with a serene smile.
“The harsh training you subjected them to was surely to ensure they could fulfill their roles even if they ever left the Alliance.”
In truth, the discovery of such arrangements was hardly surprising.
Mu Jon knew Bu Eunseol’s identity. Naturally, he would have thoroughly investigated the Elite Division members as well.
Having confirmed their loyalty and training standards, Mu Jon
had discerned that Bu Eunseol cherished them like family.
Crack.
Bu Eunseol’s fists clenched tightly.
Had he placed a binding curse upon me,
I would have accepted it gladly, even if it were unbreakable.
But to inject a vicious Gu poison into Team Members who had nothing to do with this?
‘If I lose my composure, I’ll be admitting my weakness.’
Bu Eunseol swallowed her rising fury and spoke calmly.
“Would the Celestial Sovereign of Tianxia truly swear allegiance to mere members of the Murim Alliance?”
“Once they have pledged their loyalty to me, they are neither Murim Alliance disciples nor Orthodox Sect members.”
Having reclaimed the initiative from Bu Eunseol, Mu Jon spoke with newfound composure.
“You are free to refuse. I will not compel you.”
“….”
“However, if you wish to maintain such power within the Murim Alliance while protecting your cherished subordinates… you must pay an appropriate price.”
Mu Jon was essentially taking the lives of the Elite Division members as hostages in exchange for granting unprecedented authority.
It was an effective method, one that demonstrated his thorough understanding of Bu Eunseol’s nature.
“Let me be clear—do not attempt to remove the poison.”
Mu Jon spoke with absolute confidence.
“This poison was crafted by No Bu with meticulous care. It cannot be detected without dissecting the body, and any attempt at removal will trigger immediate toxification.”
Poison typically works in paired male and female forms, preventing removal or antidotes.
Moreover, this poison was created by Mu Jon himself—a man who possessed Shin San Ja as his shadow—with extraordinary dedication.
As he said, it could not be easily removed, and it would possess numerous functions incomparable to ordinary poisons.
“There exists no method to simultaneously remove twenty instances of this poison. In the end, they become perfect hostages.”
“Precisely.”
“Will that suffice? What if I were to regard them as expendable?”
“Should such an outcome occur, I would conclude that my judgment has become clouded.”
Mu Jon’s eyes gleamed with unwavering confidence.
He had already grasped every facet of Bu Eunseol’s character and temperament.
“You speak as though driven by noble purpose… yet you resort to taking lives as hostages?”
“Does it appear cruel and petty?”
To Bu Eunseol’s scathing rebuke, Mu Jon merely straightened his shoulders and responded with assurance.
“Eliminating the traitors within the Alliance and destroying the Three Realms is not merely a matter of my life—it concerns the very survival of all Orthodox martial artists.”
“….”
“Did you truly expect me to employ only idealistic methods?”
Mu Jon’s expression grew more solemn.
“I placed my trust in you because I believed your sole purpose in joining the Murim Alliance was to avenge Bu Chanyang.”
“….”
“Had you spouted ideals of justice or spoken of righteousness, I would have cast you aside without a second glance.”
Bu Eunseol fell silent.
Those whom Mu Jon sought to oppose were the Three Realms—beings who had silently murdered the First Righteous Sect Leader and seized control of the Murim Alliance itself.
There was no conceivable way to confront them using only righteous and just methods.
‘So Mu Jon, too, is a man who pursues vengeance without regard for means or morality.’
Debt and grudge, blood battle, vengeance.
Once one has stepped into the world of Murim.
There is no escape from the hell these three words create.
“I have staked my life on purifying the Murim Alliance and avenging my brother.”
Mu Jon spoke with absolute resolve.
“If my methods displease you, or if you intend to obstruct me, leave now. I will not stop you.”
Bu Eunseol said nothing.
In truth, she had entered the Murim Alliance solely to find the enemy who had slain her grandfather.
There was nothing else she desired.
‘Wasn’t this precisely what I had anticipated?’
She knew well that Mu Jon would not readily grant her the position of Cheop Mil Won’s director, and that he would attempt to impose restrictions upon her.
What she had not foreseen was that he would use the lives of the Elite Division members as collateral.
‘Then.’
To detoxify her subordinates, who had already been poisoned with solitude, she would need to remain within the Murim Alliance for a certain period of time.
“Very well.”
“Then it is decided.”
Mu Jon spoke.
“Once the Lords’ Trial concludes, I shall elevate you to the position of Cheop Mil Won’s director. You shall wield the authority of a single-sect lord and roam freely throughout Gangho.”
“What of my investigative authority?”
“I shall grant you the rank of Chief Inspector along with the Purification Mandate.”
Mu Jon continued.
“However, it differs from the Muhonjung. You may only commence investigation with concrete evidence. Yet should you satisfy the precise conditions and invoke it… you could deliver immediate punishment as if combining both the Law Enforcement Hall and the Punishment Hall.”
Bu Eunseol nodded.
If this came to pass, she would have obtained a far superior hand than merely becoming one of the Seven Lords.
“I understand.”
“You ask nothing further?”
“What do you mean?”
“You have not inquired about the most crucial matter.”
Mu Jon spoke with unexpected candor.
“What my intentions are, and how long I shall protect your secret.”
This was precisely what Bu Eunseol had longed to confirm.
“True. My greatest curiosity has been your true intentions.”
Bu Eunseol admitted honestly.
“Should you harbor malice toward me, I must never remain within the Murim Alliance.”
“You do not need to ask now?”
“You too are one who rushes toward vengeance. Between us, trust is hardly necessary, is it not?”
Whether pleased by Bu Eunseol’s response.
Mu Jon smiled for the first time.
“Continue as you are—seek out the enemy who slew Bu Chanyang. I shall uproot the forces of the Three Realms entrenched within the Murim Alliance.”
A sharp aura poured forth from Mu Jon’s form.
“Thus your identity shall never be exposed.”
Though one could not claim he walked the righteous path.
Yet for the sake of vengeance.
He would commit any deed without hesitation, and could smile with satisfaction even as his body burned to ash.
The Path of Vengeance.
Mu Jon too walked the same road as Bu Eunseol.
“I understand.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with composure.
“However, once we each achieve our objectives, please detoxify the Team Members.”
“Very well.”
“Then I shall take my leave.”
Bu Eunseol offered a brief bow and turned without hesitation,
“The Eternal Ice Pavilion sustains damage the moment it is relocated.”
Mu Jon spoke matter-of-factly.
“However, now that I have obtained another Ice Crystal Jade, this Facility will be sealed.”
In essence, Mu Jon had issued the command to retrieve the Ice Crystal Jade so that Jeong Cheon Je’s corpse could be moved to a place where it would never be found again.
“There will be no further reason to return here.”
Bu Eunseol departed from the Facility without hesitation.
And as if nothing had occurred, she made her way back to her Office.
Tap, tap, tap.
Yet something felt amiss.
As I walked slowly forward, my eyes grew progressively colder, freezing over with each step.
‘Mu Jon, you too have been deceiving me while harboring your own hidden agenda.’
I had nearly believed him completely.
If such a man were to reveal all his cards and ignite his resolve for vengeance,
then no one could help but trust him.
‘He is certain that I possess no memories from my childhood.’
He likely confirmed this when I was raised by my grandfather.
After all, my memories of childhood spent with my parents had been completely erased at that time.
Perhaps he heard this fact directly from my grandfather, or perhaps he verified it himself.
‘Father used the Dark Divine Technique?’
As I journeyed through Gangho, I recovered fragmented memories from my childhood.
And one of them was… that Father had long ago abandoned the Dark Divine Technique.
He had even forsaken his own power.
Yet Mu Jon claimed that Father possessed the Dark Divine Technique and was driven to Cheon Am Sung because of it—
a rather pointless assertion.
In other words, he knows the truth about Father’s death… and he lied to me.
‘And if he brought up Father’s story, he should have also mentioned Mother’s.’
Mother was skilled enough in sorcery and mystical arts to teach Father the technique for sealing the Dark Divine Technique.
If Father was killed by Sam Gye, then Mother’s story should have come up as well.
In the end, Mu Jon knows multiple truths yet conceals them from me.
And the reason is surely his intention to manipulate me to his liking.
Just as Ma Cheon Je did.
‘There is no one in the Murim Alliance who truly acts for Murim’s sake.’
Mu Jon, who proclaims he will protect the Orthodox Martial World in place of Jeong Cheon Je,
is ultimately merely seeking something he desires.
Otherwise, he would never attempt to deceive or manipulate himself.
‘It will absolutely not unfold as I wish.’
Bu Eunseol gazed toward the Distant Sky.
‘Once I shatter the Murim Alliance into three pieces, I will come to understand.’
Bu Eunseol drew a deep breath.
If events proceeded according to her calculations.
The Murim Alliance, like the Demon Palace, would adopt a tripod formation, with power divided equally among three factions.
And only when power was thus divided and chaos reigned would an opportunity arise to elevate the Muhon Society to new heights once more.
* * *
“Sigh.”
Mu Jon, watching the place where Bu Eunseol had departed, exhaled a profound breath.
“In the end, I cannot penetrate that young one’s inner spirit.”
His eyes narrowed.
“I could only discern it through expression and gaze alone.”
Though he lacked Mok Bul’s ability to read the heavenly secrets, the identity of Shin San Ja was not created without reason.
He possessed insight and wisdom superior to all others, and understood not only the countless great and small affairs of Murim.
But also possessed profound comprehension of all manner of human nature.
He could not seize control of Bu Eunseol’s spirit, yet he was able to discern her intentions to some degree.
“Still, the wait has borne fruit.”
In Mu Jon’s hand, something glimmered faintly.
“The bloodline of the Baek Ri Family is certain.”
Mu Jon’s voice trembled with elation.
After gazing at the shimmering object for some time, he carefully concealed it within his robes.
“The power of the Baek Ri Family should manifest soon. Yet that strange energy within Noe Ho Hyeol leaves me powerless to act…”
Mu Jon.
In the end, he was not pursuing revenge against Jeong Cheon Je as anticipated, but rather executing an entirely different scheme.
“I need only wait a little longer.”
Mu Jon released a low breath through his nose.
“Baek Ri Geom Ha.”
Mu Jon, gazing toward the Distant Sky, narrowed his eyes.
“Until then, you must remain within the Murim Alliance, within my grasp.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————