The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 731

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

Chapter 731.
‘Time is running out.’
Bu Eunseol felt her urgency mounting.
Only half a day remained.
Moreover, Mu Jon was not someone who would leisurely spend time attending the Council of Elders.
There was no telling when he might arrive at this place. If that happened, she could return empty-handed without finding anything.
Click.
Bu Eunseol immediately entered the room to the right.
It resembled an office, with a desk and various garments and clothing.
There were also tools that appeared to be used when engraving the emblem of Boeun Hall.
‘So this truly was Shin San Ja’s hideout.’
Bu Eunseol opened the drawer of the desk.
Inside, she found a square iron chest emanating auspicious energy.
‘There is no way to open it.’
The iron chest was like a single lump of metal, without any seams or gaps.
Much like the Eternal Ice Pavilion from before.
Zing.
Bu Eunseol drew upon the Gong Sim Tong Ryeong once more.
‘A method of opening by infusing a specific force.’
The way to open this iron chest did not involve applying physical force, but rather seemed to require infusing a very special kind of energy.
After pondering briefly, Bu Eunseol drew upon the Cheon Ui Sim Gyeol, but it was useless.
‘Time is running out.’
Bu Eunseol felt her urgency intensifying.
She did not know whether this iron chest belonged to Mu Jon or Jeong Cheon Je.
But if it was kept in such a secret cave, it surely contained something of great importance.
Whoever had created it must have applied a very special method to ensure no one could easily open it.
No matter how brilliant Bu Eunseol’s wisdom might be.
An iron chest with a secret mechanism deliberately crafted by an exceptional figure like Mu Jon or Jeong Cheon Je.
There was no way to open it in such a short time.
‘And I cannot take it with me either.’
One of the things Mu Gyeol had emphasized repeatedly was that she must never leave any trace of someone having entered this place.
If Mu Jon discovered signs of intrusion?
He would conduct a thorough investigation of everyone in her vicinity.
And Mu Gyeol could not escape suspicion either.
“It must be a martial technique after all.”
―Is there any martial technique that Jeong Cheon Je specifically instructed you to learn or master?
Bu Eunseol had asked Mu Gyeol this question before coming here.
Perhaps Jeong Cheon Je had created a special mechanism or device that required a power only master and disciple could manifest.
This thought had occurred to her because of it.
After all, Mu Jon had also installed a special mechanism in the underground of Yeongak Dojeon that could be accessed through the Moo Gong Jin Gyeong.
“The Shaolin Seventy-Two Techniques include eleven superior methods that you must master without fail.”
Upon hearing this response, Bu Eunseol said nothing more and left the room.
Among the Shaolin Seventy-Two Techniques, the supreme martial art that held the highest position was none other than Prajna’s Great Power.
And by tremendous fortune, Bu Eunseol possessed this power as well.
However, she could not manifest it intentionally—it only awakened when her body reached the brink of collapse while drawing upon her vital essence.
*Crack.*
As I drew my inner power to its absolute limit, my body teetered on the edge of destruction from the chaotic energies within.
*Whoosh.*
Then Prajna’s Great Power activated of its own accord, and a magnificent golden radiance emanated from my body.
The moment I channeled that power directly into the iron chest,
*Click.*
With a metallic scrape, the rectangular iron chest’s surface opened.
Which meant this iron chest was
most likely not Mu Jon’s, but rather Jeong Cheon Je’s.
“A key?”
Remarkably, the chest contained a single key that gleamed with a dark luster, and
a single sheet of paper, thin as a dragonfly’s wing, rolled up and torn.
‘The Spring and Autumn Records.’
Bu Eunseol immediately unrolled the paper.
I sensed instinctively that this thin document was likely the final will Jeong Cheon Je had left hidden within the Spring and Autumn Records.
“This is…”
Upon unrolling the document, Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened.
―Baek Ri Mu Ha is the guiding star of Murim. I shall sacrifice my very body to ensure his survival.
Staring at the characters inscribed upon the torn paper, Bu Eunseol furrowed her brow.
“What does this mean?”
Jeong Cheon Je had tried to save my father?
Then did he die attempting to save him? Or did he have a prior connection with my father?
“Moreover,”
this paper was not in its complete state.
As if it had been destroyed by the collision of tremendous forces, the torn edges appeared shattered, and
the remaining portions were equally thin as a dragonfly’s wing.
Did that mean Mu Jon had attacked someone to seize the Spring and Autumn Records, obtaining only a fragment?
*Zing.*
But at that very moment, a low vibration resonated from Bu Eunseol’s chest.
Through the Resonance Pearl, an enormous wave of vital energy had been detected.
‘Is it Mu Jon?’
*Click.*
Bu Eunseol carefully closed the iron chest.
Then, after stepping outside, I began arranging the books that had been in the library back into their original order.
‘There is no time.’
At last, having organized all the books, he rushed out of the Cave.
Whoosh.
Finally emerging from the Corridor connected to Chae Woon Valley, he descended the slopes of Daebyeol Mountain.
‘I must escape this area quickly.’
A tremendous roar echoed across the heavens.
Yet with a faint sound of air splitting, an immense aura descended upon the entire region.
‘Too late.’
Whoosh.
Bu Eunseol drew upon her inner power with all her might. Immediately, a deep chasm began forming beneath her feet.
She had deployed the Earth Concealment Technique.
Swiftly.
As she entered the ground while unfolding the Ghost Breathing Method, the pit naturally sealed itself closed.
Having ascended to the realm of Serene Clarity, she emitted no trace of inner power whatsoever, and with the Ghost Breathing Method deployed besides.
No matter how formidable a master might be, they could never detect her presence.
‘But the opponent is Mu Jon.’
A prodigy of martial arts who had mastered all Orthodox Sect techniques flawlessly, approaching the realm of Jeong Cheon Je.
Bu Eunseol could never afford complacency.
A deep rumble shook the earth.
The clear sky darkened, and finally a gray silhouette emerged near the mountain slopes.
Mu Jon. Dan Mok Ki.
Currently serving as the Alliance Master.
An absolute master of the Orthodox Sects had revealed himself at Daebyeol Mountain.
“….”
Mu Jon silently surveyed his surroundings.
With his arrival, the bird calls and insect sounds that had filled the air vanished, and even the wind held its breath.
Mu Jon gazed into the dense Forest with transparent eyes.
Though it appeared casual.
Through his transcendent senses, he meticulously examined every ant and grain of sand hidden within the Forest.
“Was it merely an illusion?”
Despite opening all his senses, he detected nothing.
Mu Jon shook his head and turned his body.
“But… there is no need to leave this unease unresolved.”
A whistling sound.
A faint sphere began forming in Mu Jon’s right hand.
All the air within the Forest was drawn toward his palm, and the earth trembled as if struck by an earthquake.
He was wielding Infinite Power to obliterate the entire Forest without a trace.
‘Not merely the Forest, but the very earth itself could be overturned.’
Bu Eunseol, concealed beneath the ground with the Ghost Breathing Method deployed, steeled her resolve.
Transcendent senses were not limited to the surface realm alone.
Bu Eunseol herself could easily locate even a mole burrowing underground if it were within forty paces.
Mu Jon’s hypersensitivity would surpass even Bu Eunseol’s.
If the unease persisted even after sweeping the Forest clean?
He would undoubtedly overturn the very earth beneath it.
‘Can I endure against Mu Jon?’
Mu Jon was a supreme master rivaling Ma Cheon Je himself.
Fortunately, I possessed confidence in my divine techniques, but the problem lay in Mu Jon’s power being utterly unfathomable.
I could not even be certain escape was possible.
Kwaaaaa.
As a grotesque sound erupted and Mu Jon’s hand stretched toward the Forest,
Gooooo.
A strange sound of air splitting echoed from somewhere.
Simultaneously, a white shadow glimmered in the distant sky,
Kwaboom!
It descended to the ground, scattering soil and dust in all directions.
It was a white-robed shadow enshrouded in light so majestic and sacred that not a speck of dust could approach it.
None other than the Sungwi Unit Lord—the Holy Sword, Baek Ri Mu Jo.
“Hmm.”
Baek Ri Mu Jo exhaled softly and surveyed his surroundings.
Yet there was no one about.
Remarkably, even Mu Jon, who had stood there moments before, had vanished without a trace.
‘Why has he come to this place?’
Mu Jon, having merged his body with nature and concealed himself in an instant, was greatly startled.
The Secret Cave of Chae Woon Valley bore Shin San Ja’s identity.
It held countless secrets unknown to Murim, and even the refined essence of power itself.
But if discovered by a master of Baek Ri Mu Jo’s caliber?
The identity of Shin San Ja could never be used again, and the countless treasures hidden in this refuge could be plundered.
“Strange.”
Baek Ri Mu Jo, examining his surroundings, furrowed his brow slightly.
Though Mu Jon, who could be called the current foremost of the Orthodox Sects, had concealed himself discreetly,
He sensed something amiss and continuously extended his hypersensitivity outward.
‘Should I kill him?’
Mu Jon, hidden in concealment, was inwardly conflicted.
Though Sungwi Unit Lord Baek Ri Mu Jo was said to be a formidable master, if I set my mind to it, I could certainly kill him.
‘But.’
Mu Jon bit his lip.
The Seven Lords must never be touched. To do so would unleash consequences even I could not handle.
‘Since he has come, the Sungwi Unit will arrive shortly.’
Though Baek Ri Mu Jo arrived first, he would not be moving alone.
The warriors of the Sungwi Unit would follow in due time.
‘Then I shall wait.’
Mu Jon erased all traces of his presence and observed Baek Ri Mu Jo.
And that standoff continued endlessly.
* * *
‘He came after all.’
Bu Eunseol, who had deployed the Ear-Listening Technique beneath the earth, sensed the standoff between Mu Jon and Baek Ri Mu Jo, and an inward smile played across her lips.
She had installed the Sound-Concealing Formation in advance to account for Mu Jon’s earlier-than-expected return.
But that was not the entirety of her preparations.
No matter how effective the Sound-Concealing Formation was.
Given Mu Jon’s exceptional lightness of step, there remained the possibility he would block her escape routes before she could flee.
‘That is why I deliberately leaked information to Baek Ri Dan Ju.’
A man called the Sage of Murim.
She did not believe he would defend his secret sanctuary with mere mechanisms and traps.
As she pondered this, a conversation she had heard from Gong Son Dan Gyeong suddenly surfaced in her mind.
―It seems Baek Ri Dan Ju is searching for the Alliance Leader’s secluded training location.
Which meant that perhaps Baek Ri Mu Jo.
Had a high probability of suspecting the true identity of the current Murim Alliance Leader, Mu Jon.
―Currently, is there anyone in Murim who can stop Mu Jon?
According to the known martial rankings.
Only Ma Cheon Je’s arrival could contain Mu Jon.
Yet Bu Eunseol had consistently noted that despite Mu Jon’s wariness toward the Seven Lords, he refrained from striking them down.
―It was unlikely that all Seven Lords possessed the caliber of martial skill to warrant Mu Jon’s caution.
Particularly, the abilities of Mu Cheon Danjoo Jo Cheon Wang and Tong Cheon Danjoo Yang Dae Ryang were not especially formidable.
Had Mu Jon wished to eliminate them covertly, it would not have been impossible.
―Then could it be that Mu Jon harbored some covenant or constraint that prevented him from touching the Seven Lords?
After careful deliberation, Bu Eunseol had subtly leaked information to the Sungwi Unit, thereby luring Baek Ri Mu Jo to this place.
Moreover, Baek Ri Mu Jo possessed the formidable status of Sang Je.
‘If Mu Jon and Baek Ri Dan Ju were to clash, it would be doubly advantageous.’
If two transcendent beings were to collide?
Through that confrontation, she could verify the true martial prowess of both Mu Jon and Baek Ri Mu Jo.
‘But it seems they will not fight.’
Bu Eunseol, who continued to deploy the Ear-Listening Technique beneath the earth, felt a pang of disappointment.
Given Mu Jon’s nature, he would never engage Baek Ri Mu Jo in combat within his own sanctuary.
“….”
Still, time continued to flow.
Baek Ri Mu Jo, much like Mu Jon before him.
Had not discovered the hidden one, yet the unsettling sense that something existed here kept him from turning away.
‘It is because of me.’
Bu Eunseol finally grasped why Baek Ri Mu Jo did not depart.
Mu Jon had employed the Infinite Capacity to conceal his presence perfectly, so even a master of Baek Ri Mu Jo’s caliber would perceive nothing amiss.
Yet the reason he remained was likely because of her, the one in hiding.
As a result, even Mu Jon found himself ensnared, forced to remain hidden and motionless.
Tap, tap.
Even as Bu Eunseol deployed the Guisik Daebeop—a technique that suspended all bodily functions while maintaining a single breath—cold sweat seemed to trickle down her spine.
Merely existing within the sphere of Baek Ri Mu Jo’s hypersensory perception, she felt a suffocating pressure bearing down upon her.
‘Even my mind must not waver.’
Bu Eunseol steadied her spirit once more, maintaining the Guisik Daebeop in silent concentration.
By now, the sun was beginning its descent toward the horizon.
At the entrance of Daebyeol Mountain, Mu Jon and Bu Eunseol remained in hiding, their breathing suppressed.
Baek Ri Mu Jo stood with eyes blazing, his vigilance absolute.
As the sun finally dipped below the horizon entirely,
‘Anyone capable of leaking confidential intelligence to Ben Jeon must possess a formidable intelligence network.’
Baek Ri Mu Jo’s eyes narrowed as he fell into contemplation.
‘I sense something, yet I cannot locate its source…’
Finally, he drew his sword.
Unable to pinpoint the source of his unease despite heightening his senses to their limit, he was resorting to his final measure.
Just as Mu Jon had done.
Gooooo.
Pure white light concentrated upon Baek Ri Mu Jo’s blade.
He was about to unleash the Seong Geom—the Dok Moon sword technique—to completely annihilate the entire region.
Crackle, crackle, crackle.
The moment he drew his sword, not merely the forest but the very earth itself trembled.
―What should we do?
In that instant, both Mu Jon and Bu Eunseol, hidden in the shadows, found themselves in turmoil.
Once Baek Ri Mu Jo’s Seong Geom was unleashed, there would be no hope of escape.
If their identities were exposed, everything would be lost.
Flash!
Yet at that very moment, a tiny speck of light burst forth from the trembling earth below.
“That is…”
Baek Ri Mu Jo’s pupils dilated.
Could it be the Baek Jeon Geum Seo—the legendary spirit beast of legend?
Whoosh.
As Baek Ri Mu Jo extended his hand, the Baek Jeon Geum Seo alighted upon his palm as though recognizing its master.
It was an extraordinarily adorable creature—a mole with fur as white as snow and eyes gleaming with golden light.
“So you were the source of my unease.”
The Baek Jeon Geum Seo is known as the King of Ten Thousand Beasts.
Though small enough to rest upon a palm, it moves with the speed of lightning.
Its body is as hard as steel, such that even tigers the size of houses flee in terror before it.
―Kiiiii.
The Baek Jeon Geum Seo emitted a distinctive cry, reminiscent of an eagle’s shriek.
“To obtain such a treasure unexpectedly.”
Baek Ri Mu Jo, having secured the Baek Jeon Geum Seo within his robes, allowed a satisfied smile to grace his lips before turning away.
A sharp whistle cut through the air.
And in the next moment, he vanished into the distant sky.
After considerable time had passed, Mu Jon, who had been concealed, emerged with a soft sound.
“Had it not been for the Baek Jeon Geum Seo, the worst possible situation would have unfolded.”
Taking a deep breath, he gazed toward the distant sky.
“He could send the Sungwi Unit to investigate again.”
Baek Ri Mu Jo was a man of considerable suspicion.
Since there was no way to know when he might return, I had to flee this place quickly while he was gone.
A soft rushing sound echoed through the forest.
In an instant, Mu Jon’s form dissolved like mist and vanished.
A low rumbling tremor shook the ground.
As Mu Jon departed, the earth within the forest collapsed inward with a circular depression, and a shadow suddenly erupted from beneath.
Bu Eunseol, having withdrawn her Ghost Concealment Technique, now deployed her Earth Concealment Art to reveal herself.
“Had Baek Ri Dan Ju not arrived, I would have been discovered.”
Cold sweat drenched Bu Eunseol’s spine.
This place was Mu Jon’s secret hideout and the repository of Jeong Cheon Je’s legacy.
What if Mu Jon had detected my concealment?
Our cooperative arrangement would have shattered instantly, and he would have moved to eliminate me to protect his secrets.
“That was genuinely perilous.”
Had I not discreetly leaked information to the Sungwi Unit as insurance?
I might have been killed by Mu Jon.
“Indeed, one must never incur debts carelessly.”
Taking a deep breath, Bu Eunseol shook her head and turned away.
Though I had failed to extract any significant intelligence,
I still needed to return to Mu Gyeol and report what I had discovered.
―Reorganize the intelligence network.
Before returning to the Murim Alliance.
Bu Eunseol issued orders through So Yo to her entire intelligence organization.
―Cease the focus on tracking the movements of the Seven Lords of the Murim Alliance, and integrate the Muhon Society—which controls intelligence regarding the Wanderer Market—with our intelligence organization.
Bu Eunseol recognized that countless secrets still lay scattered throughout Murim, unknown to her.
She felt the necessity of establishing a far more formidable intelligence apparatus.
―Immediate integration with the Muhon Society is difficult. During the organizational restructuring process, there is a high probability that our intelligence flows could be detected by external intelligence organizations.
Despite Mu Heun’s negative response, Bu Eunseol remained resolute.
―We shall proceed gradually over time. It is not something we can accomplish immediately anyway.
Bu Eunseol understood well that integrating three intelligence organizations was currently impossible.
Moreover, the process of integrating these organizations could expose our intelligence flows or their contents to hostile forces through interception.
Yet the attempt had to be made.
Only then would it lay the groundwork for future success, and
the Muhon Society’s intelligence organization, having grown into a massive coalition, would be capable of completely absorbing both the Sa Hon Dae and the Elite Division.
And Bu Eunseol added further instructions.
―Ensure information flow remains undetected. For now, cease all communications through the intelligence network. The risk of interception is simply too high.
―Understood.
Having issued these reorganization orders, Bu Eunseol returned to the Murim Alliance.
She immediately sought out Mu Gyeol’s office in the Cheongmyeongdang.
“…That is what transpired.”
Bu Eunseol relayed to Mu Gyeol all the intelligence she had uncovered at the hideout in Chae Woon Valley.
There, among the findings, was a torn piece of paper left behind by Jeong Cheon Je.
On it were written passages where he had assessed Baek Ri Mu Ha as a constituent figure of the Murim.
And there was also an iron chest containing a single key.
“A key.”
Mu Gyeol’s eyes grew distant.
He regarded the word “key” with far greater gravity than the matter of Baek Ri Mu Ha.
It seemed he was recalling something Jeong Cheon Je had spoken of during his lifetime.
“Thank you.”
After hearing everything, Mu Gyeol expressed his gratitude to Bu Eunseol, though not without a warning.
“But henceforth, never manipulate the Seven Lords of the Ben Maeng again.”
Remarkably, he already knew that Bu Eunseol had leaked information to Baek Ri Mu Jo.
“The Lords who remain are all formidable warriors whom my master himself acknowledged. Moreover, each possesses extraordinary talents, as he said.”
“If you understood the capabilities of the Seven Lords so well, why not have designated the next Alliance Master already?”
“Of course.”
Mu Gyeol spoke with unexpected candor.
“My master had already chosen a successor. One whose martial prowess may be lacking, but who possesses integrity and a true warrior’s spirit.”
Bu Eunseol could guess who he meant.
“Surely you speak of the Wu Tian Duan Lord?”
“Precisely.”
Mu Gyeol confirmed it.
“My master had always envisioned Jo Cheon Wang, the Wu Tian Duan Lord, as his successor. He believed that any deficiency in martial skill could be remedied through proper guidance.”
Bu Eunseol’s mouth fell open.
Astonishingly, Jeong Cheon Je had selected Jo Cheon Wang as his heir over a decade ago.
‘I understand now.’
Jo Cheon Wang possessed the weakest martial prowess among the Seven Lords.
Yet he remained untainted by factional allegiances and was a man of principle and honor.
Otherwise, merely to avenge his son, he would not have resorted to such crude tactics against Bu Eunseol.
He would not have felt such profound shame as to relinquish his position and become a wanderer.
“So it was thus.”
Bu Eunseol felt an inexplicable sense of remorse.
The Murim Alliance harbored few truly virtuous individuals.
But Jo Cheon Wang, the Wu Tian Duan Lord, understood righteousness. Had he become Alliance Master, the Murim Alliance might have transformed once more.
“The only regret is that Mu Jon shows no inclination to reform the Murim Alliance.”
Mu Gyeol’s expression grew dark.
In truth, even while Mu Jon played the role of Jeong Cheon Je,
he possessed sufficient power and ability to transform the Murim Alliance into a somewhat better organization.
Even if he could not touch the forces entrenched in the Abyss of the Murim Alliance,
he could simply reorganize the internal structure and elevate righteous individuals to positions of authority.
But Mu Jon did not.
This meant that his efforts were solely for the security of the Orthodox Sects, and
his claim to maintain balance between factions in place of Jeong Cheon Je
was likely untrue.
“Let me ask you one thing.”
Bu Eunseol posed a question that had lingered in her mind all this while.
“Is the Murim Alliance a den of Sam Gye?”
Mu Gyeol wore a cryptic smile.
As if he had known all along that Bu Eunseol would ask such a question.
“Well.”
He offered a somewhat ambiguous response.
“That could depend on one’s perspective.”
“What do you mean?”
“I say this because I know how you perceive Sam Gye.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes gleamed.
“Then you’re saying Sam Gye is a good place?”
“What good or evil exists in a Murim organization?”
Mu Gyeol’s gaze, fixed upon empty space, became transparent.
“In the end, everything merely moves according to each person’s fate.”
“You’re becoming like them—speaking in riddles without substance.”
….
“If you don’t wish to answer, then don’t.”
Bu Eunseol turned away coldly.
“In any case, I shall take my leave.”
As Bu Eunseol turned to go, Mu Gyeol spoke.
“There is something I must tell you.”
He drew a deep breath and opened his mouth.
“Even if it were not for the words your master inscribed in that iron chest, I had already surmised to some degree that your father was a good man.”
….
“And I thought—if your father was a good man, then surely you too must be a good person.”
“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
Bu Eunseol furrowed her brow.
Mu Gyeol’s eyes grew sharp as a blade’s edge as he delivered words of shocking impact.
“The Baek Ri Family endures.”

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