The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 724

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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 724.
Bu Eunseol could not hide her bewilderment.
“Cheon Hye Sung? What do you mean by that?”
“Don’t make the Chief repeat herself twice.”
A murderous glint flickered in Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s eyes.
“I already know that the power you displayed on Po Seok Island is what we call Cheon Hye Sung.”
“Po Seok Island.”
With those words alone, Bu Eunseol could piece together the entire situation.
Gong Son Dan Gyeong had also secretly visited Po Seok Island and witnessed the battle with the Sword Demon.
She had discerned the reason for the earthquake that struck the island.
It was because of the power Yang Seol Rin had infused into the Gyeong Sung Jade.
‘Does the Chief possess the ability to distinguish the power of Baek Pal Sung at a glance?’
As Bu Eunseol fell into thought,
“You’d better answer well.”
Killing intent began to flow from Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s eyes.
“If even a shred of nonsense escapes your lips, you’ll die in darkness immediately.”
“You’re asking me?”
“Of course, if Seon Woo’s martial arts prove several times superior to my expectations, you might live.”
Her voice carried profound resentment.
“But you will certainly forfeit at least one limb.”
Bu Eunseol swallowed hard.
‘The Chief doesn’t speak idly.’
The formation arrays laid beneath this place surely contained the very essence of her lifetime of study in formation techniques.
Moreover, she had asserted that even if I proved several times stronger than her expectations, I could not escape unscathed.
Even if I unleashed the Jingang Jeol Hak, the outcome would be the same.
‘There is no other way.’
Bu Eunseol attempted to conceal as much as possible about the Gyeong Sung Jade.
But judging by Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s demeanor and gaze, if an unsatisfactory answer came back,
The formation would activate immediately, and according to her words, I would need to sacrifice at least one arm to escape.
Her analytical prowess was unmatched in all Tianxia, and she never spoke without certainty.
“It’s likely because of this.”
In the end, Bu Eunseol withdrew a bead from her garments.
It was the Gyeong Sung Jade.
“That is…”
In that instant, Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s eyes trembled violently.
A transparent orb resting in the palm of her hand.
She knew far too well what it was.
“How did you obtain this?”
Her voice carried multiple layers of emotion.
She clearly possessed deep knowledge of this artificial Gyeong Sung Jade.
‘Does she know about the Gyeong Seong Jade, the treasure of the Three Families?’
But satisfying his curiosity would have to wait.
If she gave a half-hearted answer, or if the response proved unsatisfactory?
She would immediately activate her formation without hesitation.
‘But I cannot tell her the truth either.’
If I were to explain exactly how I obtained it and how I used it, I would have to immediately reveal my identity as the Muk Hon Ryeong Ju.
“I obtained it from Wu Huang’s Secret Vault.”
After careful deliberation, Bu Eunseol spoke calmly.
“This pearl was inside Wu Huang’s Secret Vault.”
“Wu Huang’s Secret Vault?”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s eyes narrowed.
“You’re saying this Gyeong Seong Jade was placed there?”
“Yes.”
“Explain in detail.”
Bu Eunseol explained methodically.
In the warehouse installed within Wu Huang’s Secret Vault, there was honey from the Jade Bee and this single pearl.
‘This lie can never be exposed.’
Only the existence of the Gyeong Seong Jade was false.
The presence of Jade Bee honey in Wu Huang’s Secret Vault was the truth.
Even if she discovered and investigated Wu Huang’s Secret Vault, she could never distinguish fact from fiction.
“If you don’t believe me, I can tell you where Wu Huang’s Secret Vault collapsed so you can verify it yourself.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with the most aggrieved expression she could muster.
“Though it may have sunk into the earth and I cannot confirm whether the secrets remain intact, you should certainly be able to find traces of Wu Huang’s Secret Vault in that vicinity.”
Thus does one skilled in deception operate.
Always weaving falsehood between threads of truth.
For Bu Eunseol, it was an unavoidable choice to keep her identity hidden.
“Then Seon Woo, the Original Master, must know this pearl well?”
At Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s piercing question,
“I cannot say with certainty, but it appears to be a Wondrous Treasure that enhances one’s abilities.”
Bu Eunseol hesitated for a moment, speaking haltingly.
“There was no explanation about this pearl anywhere.”
“Then why did you think it was a Wondrous Treasure that enhances abilities?”
“Because after possessing this pearl, I was able to learn martial arts much more rapidly… and my perseverance and wisdom increased dramatically.”
“I see.”
Only then did Gong Son Dan Gyeong wear an expression of understanding, as if all had become clear.
Only then could she understand why Seon Woo Jin,
that ordinary figure who had been obscure in the Sae Oe Merchant Guild, had come to possess far superior abilities
compared to the exceptional talents who had earned renown in Murim long ago.
‘Looking back, he did not possess this level of ability when he first entered the Murim Alliance.’
Even if Seon Woo Jin was a talented individual and had gained fortuitous encounters from Wu Huang’s Secret Vault…
He was not such a remarkable figure as to enter the inner circle of the Murim Alliance in such a short time.
But if Gyeong Seong Ok was involved, everything made sense.
Of course, the truth of the matter was different.
Every time Bu Eunseol performed her duties under meticulous calculation, she enhanced that inherent ability, and
finally, through the pretext of Martial Emperor’s Secret Archive, she completed Seon Woo Jin’s martial prowess.
‘So in the end, he obtained Gyeong Seong Ok from Martial Emperor’s Secret Archive and his temperament and talent transformed to the level of the greatest under heaven.’
Gong Son Dan Gyeong, who could never know such facts, was piecing together the situation on her own.
Because she understood Gyeong Seong Ok well.
In the past, Chu So had also sealed his own temperament and abilities with this Gyeong Seong Ok.
‘Then was Mu Hwang a Heavenly Prodigy?’
In the current era, the person born as a Heavenly Prodigy is Hwa Soo.
But Mu Hwang lived four hundred years ago, so it would be strange if he were not a Heavenly Prodigy.
That he left behind a Gyeong Seong Ok containing his temperament for a successor to inherit his martial legacy when they later entered the Secret Archive
was a perfectly reasonable explanation.
“Just one more question.”
As all the pieces fell into place, Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s cold voice became somewhat softer.
“Then was the earthquake that occurred on Po Seok Island also intentionally caused?”
“That was not something I did.”
Bu Eunseol spoke honestly.
“In truth, I was on the verge of defeat in my confrontation with the Sword Demon. I had no choice but to draw upon my maximum power and attempt a counterattack, and in that process…”
Deliberately, she spoke in an uncertain voice.
“I felt a tremor from the orb, and then suddenly there was light and an earthquake.”
Bu Eunseol paused for a moment and shook her head.
“Whether that was truly the power of the orb or merely coincidence… I could not say for certain either.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong sighed deeply.
“I see.”
In the end, Seon Woo Jin did not understand the functions and effects of the Gyeong Seong Ok obtained from Martial Emperor’s Secret Archive.
It was clear that he had inadvertently unleashed its power.
“I understand what you mean.”
She took a deep breath and continued.
“It seems the Chief has made a grave misunderstanding.”
Of course, she would conduct a more detailed investigation into the truth of everything just said.
But for now, she had no choice but to acknowledge that there were no flaws in Seon Woo Jin’s account.
“I am relieved that you understand, but…”
Bu Eunseol spoke with an expression of absolute firmness and coldness.
“I will consider our cooperative relationship with the Chief to be at an end.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Did you not promise? That without certain evidence, you would never suspect me?”
“This situation warranted such suspicion.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong spoke with an apologetic expression, yet at the same time looking somewhat aggrieved.
“I never dreamed you possessed the Gyeong Seong Jade.”
‘So she was indeed one of the Three Families.’
Light flickered across Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
According to Yang Seol Rin’s account, the Gyeong Seong Jade was a precious artifact known only to members of the Three Families.
In other words, if Yang Seol Rin spoke truthfully, Gong Son Dan Gyeong was also one of the Three Families.
“So this Gyeong Seong Jade you keep mentioning—you’re talking about a pearl, correct?”
“That’s right.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong spoke with a slight cough.
“The Gyeong Seong Jade is a precious artifact that can alter a person’s temperament and generate mysterious power.”
“You continue to speak in riddles.”
“Riddles, you say?”
Bu Eunseol fixed Gong Son Dan Gyeong with a piercing gaze.
“Simply because I’ve heard the name and properties of a pearl I knew nothing about—must I accept that the Chief tried to kill me?”
Bu Eunseol could be called a master of improvisation.
By turning against Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s knowledge of the Baek Pal Sung and the Gyeong Seong Jade, and her suspicion of me,
I forced her to confess everything she knew.
“That’s…”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong had no response.
Whether or not she possessed the Gyeong Seong Jade, it hardly justified attacking me.
“Can’t you understand me, just a little?”
Cornered, Gong Son Dan Gyeong finally resorted to appealing to emotion.
“I can’t explain the details, but I had no choice but to suspect Seon Woo’s Original Master.”
“You’ve said similar things to me before.”
Bu Eunseol deliberately trembled and cried out with an expression of utmost anguish.
“That’s why I understood. The Chief promised never to suspect me again!”
And with all my strength, I began a performance filled with rage.
“Yet in the end, this is what comes of it. Now suspicion has turned to outright murder?”
Bu Eunseol clenched my fists, trembling.
“Mu Jon, playing the role of Murim Alliance Master, vented his loneliness to his subordinates about controlling me like a puppet!”
And I spoke with heightened emotion.
“The Chief tries to kill me outright—how much further must I understand?”
“Seon Woo’s Original Master.”
“There are circumstances! Everything is for Murim, so understand! If someone says this, must I always accept it unconditionally?”
Bu Eunseol’s anguished cry echoed around Mokdan Fortress.
Until now, I had never raised my voice to Gong Son Dan Gyeong.
But this time, I heightened my emotions and spoke with overwhelming force.
I needed to understand all her circumstances in this moment.
‘I’m becoming like the Chief.’
In truth, exploiting others’ emotions—
it was all something I learned from Gong Son Dan Gyeong. Now she was experiencing her own methods used against her.
“Then I shall take my leave.”
“Seon Woo, Abbot.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong quickly seized Bu Eunseol’s sleeve as she turned to depart.
“Please hear me out first.”
If I cannot convince Seon Woo Jin immediately?
Everything I have built thus far could crumble to dust.
“It will only take a moment.”
She swiftly displaced several stones from the ground.
The surrounding landscape shifted, and suddenly the area around Mokdan Fortress became shrouded in darkness as though night had fallen.
Likely from the formation designed for offense,
it seemed she had converted it into a defensive formation that prevented sound from escaping outward.
“Once you hear my story, everything will become clear.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s eyes grew somewhat darker as she continued.
“I was abducted by the Jung Sun Ga when I was a child.”
“What are you suddenly saying?”
“Please, just listen.”
After taking a deep breath, she resumed her account.
She spoke of being kidnapped by the Infinite Realm during her childhood and dragged to the Jung Sun Ga, where she endured unspeakable horrors.
However, she omitted the fact that she was not the biological daughter of Gong Sun Hwa Wook and his wife.
There was no need to reveal that.
“They committed such atrocities in the Jung Sun Ga merely to obtain something called the Cheon Ki Sung?”
Bu Eunseol was deeply shocked.
The Jung Sun Ga, once called one of the legendary Three Families, had perpetrated such cruelty?
“Could they also be connected to the Three Realms?”
Abducting children and committing atrocities—was this not similar to what the Three Realms did?
“No. The Jung Sun Ga has no connection to them.”
‘She seems to know quite a lot about the Jung Sun Ga.’
I wanted to ask more detailed questions about the Jung Sun Ga.
But if I pressed her persistently about matters unrelated to this situation, she might grow suspicious of me.
I had no choice but to change the subject.
“So you judged me to be a member of the Jung Sun Ga and summoned me here to attack?”
“That’s right.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong admitted readily.
“The Abbot may or may not know, but currently in Murim, a figure from the Yang Seol Family is operating in secret.”
She spoke sharply.
“And she is someone who was abducted along with me by the Jung Sun Ga. However, she did not recognize me—perhaps she has lost her memories.”
“How could you have recognized her when you were only about seven years old at the time?”
“The scars on her body are wounds she received from losing to me in combat.”
Bu Eunseol shook her head in disbelief as she pondered this.
“A member of the Yang Seol Family being abducted by the Jung Sun Ga…”
“I know it sounds absurd. But I swear to you, it’s the truth.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s eyes blazed with an intensity that could melt steel.
Bu Eunseol had spent considerable time with Gong Son Dan Gyeong, so she could read her true intentions from her expression alone.
‘She’s not lying.’
Bu Eunseol took a deep breath.
If everything she said was true, then Yang Seol Rin and Gong Son Dan Gyeong absolutely needed to meet.
“But how did you manage to locate someone from the Yang Seol Family? If you had a way to contact them, you should have been able to easily gather information about Jung Sun Ga as well.”
“Until now, I’ve been continuously tracking the whereabouts of the Infinite Realm and Jung Sun Ga. But then I received intelligence that someone from the Yang Seol Family had appeared in Murim.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong explained Bu Eunseol’s curiosity in detail.
If she left even a shred of doubt, she would never win over her heart.
“At that time, Baek Ri Dan Ju secretly contacted me with a covert proposal.”
“A covert proposal?”
“If you tell me where Jeong Cheon Je is in seclusion, I will maintain a cooperative relationship with you for life.”
Another astonishing revelation flowed from Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s lips.
“Baek Ri Dan Ju suspects the current Jeong Cheon Je—that is, Mu Jon.”
“That’s certainly possible.”
Bu Eunseol was hardly surprised.
The Seven Lords, being candidates for the next Alliance Master, were those who had observed the Alliance Master more closely than anyone.
But since Mu Jon assumed the role of Jeong Cheon Je, subtle things had changed in ways both seen and unseen.
It was entirely reasonable to harbor suspicion.
“It was around the time I was pursuing a plan to capture the Yang Seol Family member who had appeared in Gangho—so Baek Ri Dan Ju’s proposal wasn’t unwelcome.”
At that time, Gong Son Dan Gyeong had deliberated carefully.
She had promised to accept the proposal if she could bring Yang Seol Rin to her.
But Baek Ri Mu Jo had failed to capture Yang Seol Rin at the time, and so that proposal ultimately became void.
‘So her ultimate goal is definitely Jung Sun Ga.’
Bu Eunseol, turning over the story she had been told, asked carefully.
“If it’s true that you were kidnapped for such a long time in your childhood—an event rarely seen in Murim—why hasn’t it become known?”
“There’s a reason I cannot tell Seon Woo. But everything I’ve told you so far, I stake my entire being on—it is the truth.”
She wore an expression of anguish, as though coughing up blood.
“Not once have I ever forgotten my desire for vengeance against Jung Sun Ga.”
‘Is that so.’
Having heard everything, Bu Eunseol was finally able to resolve a question that had puzzled her all this time.
‘That’s why when I went to the Gong Sun Estate, that’s why the servants said such strange things.’
When Bu Eunseol had visited the Gong Sun Estate back then,
she had overheard passing servants murmuring that it was fortunate her younger self had returned safely.
It seemed they were speaking of how Gong Son Dan Gyeong, who had been kidnapped by Jung Sun Ga, had returned safely.
Of course, the truth was that the real Gong Son Dan Gyeong had died at Jeol Gal Seo Won, and the current Gong Son Dan Gyeong was actually her adopted daughter, So Min.
“Now do you understand why I did what I did?”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s voice carried emotions that had been absent until now, layered and complex.
It revealed that, transcending rank and station, she was speaking the genuine truth of one human being to another.
‘I’ve heard enough.’
After organizing my thoughts, I brought my hands together and bowed respectfully.
“Please forgive me for speaking so coldly without understanding your circumstances.”
I had deliberately pressed her with that harsh tone.
Partly to honor Yang Seol Rin’s request, and partly because I had been curious all along to understand her situation.
‘It’s understandable why Miss Yang Seol would be misunderstood.’
Now I understood everything Yang Seol Rin had said.
The Yang Seol Family, which was known to have completely disappeared along with the Baek Ri Family, was actively operating in Murim…
From Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s perspective, suspecting Yang Seol Rin of being in league with the Jung Sun Family was perhaps only natural.
“It must have been a secret you kept hidden at all costs, so I’m grateful you spoke honestly.
“It wasn’t just out of goodwill.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong suddenly fixed me with a cold, piercing gaze.
“Seon Woo, you have now learned a secret that no one else in this world knows.”
“….”
“And learning someone else’s secret is something you must be prepared to stake your life on.”
It was a lie.
In truth, she was still hiding much.
Her exact circumstances and origins.
And even the shocking information about Murim forces obtained from Chu So, who had been Cheon Ki Sung, and from the Jung Sun Family…
But I would hear all of these stories from her only after more time had passed.
“I understand what you mean.”
Grasping her intent, I nodded.
Learning someone’s secret could make you their closest confidant.
But it could also make you their first target for elimination.
If it interfered with their grand ambitions, or if there was even the slightest chance the secret would be revealed?
Then those who knew the secret must be killed first.
“That answer doesn’t reassure me.”
“I apologize. I will take your words to heart, Chief.”
I spoke with utmost sincerity.
“May I take my leave now?”
When Gong Son Dan Gyeong gave no answer, I bowed once more.
“Then.”
“Seon Woo.”
Then her voice reached me.
“Is there something you wish to say?”
“Will things between us remain unchanged?”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s eyes were calm, yet a hint of fear flickered within them.
Afraid that my feelings might have shifted.
Afraid that we could no longer maintain our cooperative relationship as we do now.
‘Is it sincere?’
Her bearing was captivating enough to stir the soul, yet Bu Eunseol’s chest grew cold instead.
Gong Son Dan Gyeong had thus far struggled against formidable enemies—the Infinite Realm and the Jung Sun Family.
Such a talented woman now showed weakness and relied upon her?
Bu Eunseol concluded it must be a calculated move.
‘How frightening.’
From Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s perspective, Seon Woo Jin would likely become an important pawn in her future revenge.
She had deliberately revealed her vulnerable side to me.
“Of course.”
At Bu Eunseol’s reply,
“I’m relieved.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong offered a somewhat forlorn and melancholic smile.
“Then please return. I have some matters to attend to here.”
Those matters, no doubt,
involved recalling the Secret Intelligence Organization she had summoned in secret.
“Understood, then.”
Bu Eunseol turned away.
Her expression darkened considerably as she departed.
It was not because of Gong Son Dan Gyeong.
What was certain was that the Yang Seol Family and the Jung Sun Family had not vanished—rather, like the Three Realms, they were conducting covert Murim activities for some hidden purpose.
That was what terrified her.
The Baek Ri Family.
Even that clan, which was her own bloodline… could they too be tainted by darkness?

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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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