The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 738

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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 738.
“Your martial prowess is formidable.”
Ma Deung swallowed his astonishment and shock, drawing his blade.
“You’ve concealed all your techniques.”
Ma Deung was the Blood Sect’s premier assassin.
Not only was his martial skill extraordinary, but he possessed profound mastery of martial theory.
He perceived that Bu Eunseol’s deliberate, measured swordplay was not actually slow.
Rather, through the mysterious principles of the blade, she had obscured every technique.
This was why her sword forms appeared sluggish.
“I must stake my life on this.”
Ma Deung cast aside the woman he’d been holding,
and in a flash—
he unleashed a lightning-swift killing strike upon Bu Eunseol.
Bu Eunseol moved to counter immediately, but his form had already vanished.
Ma Deung, who bore the alias “Crimson Owl,” had cultivated not only a secretive movement technique
but was also a orthodox assassin versed in the hundred lethal methods.
The moment he appeared before Bu Eunseol,
he unleashed dozens of hidden projectiles, then in an instant circled behind her back to strike at her unguarded side.
Clang!
Bu Eunseol had no time to turn her body.
She twisted her sword arm behind her back to block Ma Deung’s assault.
Stagger.
Yet she seemed unable to withstand the reverse force channeled through his blade, stumbling backward heavily.
From that single clash of weapons alone, as Bu Eunseol staggered and gasped for breath, Ma Deung’s eyes gleamed.
“You’ve suffered internal injuries!”
Having instantly grasped her condition, he smiled with sinister satisfaction.
“If I drag this out, you’ll collapse on your own.”
Recognizing that Bu Eunseol’s body was not in normal condition, he widened the distance and began circling, launching only hidden projectiles.
A moment passed, then an hour’s worth of time….
Yet the young man who seemed about to collapse at any instant persisted like an undying corpse.
Though his breath seemed ready to fail at any moment, his eyes remained fixed and still as a frozen lake, radiating a chill that seemed to pour forth.
When their gazes met, Ma Deung felt his spine turn cold.
‘This is a master I absolutely cannot face head-on.’
After all, he was merely an assassin—he only needed to complete his contract.
Ma Deung swiftly deployed his movement technique to retreat, then pressed the pressure point on the fallen woman’s body and held his blade to her throat, shouting:
“Drop your sword!”
Fearing Bu Eunseol might attempt some trick, Ma Deung unhesitatingly drew his blade across her neck.
Crimson blood streamed down her skin.
“If you don’t drop it, I’ll sever your throat immediately.”
Thud.
Bu Eunseol had no choice but to hurl the Muk Hon Sword to the ground.
“Hehehehe!”
Ma Deung seized the opportunity without hesitation, and in a flash, he thrust toward Bu Eunseol’s throat.
A sharp sound rang out.
Then something extraordinary unfolded.
Bu Eunseol, who possessed barely enough strength to wring a chicken’s neck, suddenly employed the Empty-Handed Blade Seizing technique.
Had she not grasped the blade itself?
Blood dripped down.
Though she had barely caught the blade, her lack of inner force meant she could not fully seize it—her hand was cut.
“Hehehehe.”
When Ma Deung saw Bu Eunseol grasp the blade,
“One without inner force shouldn’t attempt such techniques.”
Instead, he recognized this as a golden opportunity, and amplifying his power, he drove his body forward with overwhelming force.
Thud, thud, thud.
The Empty-Handed Blade Seizing technique could only capture a fleeting moment to grasp a weapon bare-handed—nothing more.
As Ma Deung pressed forward with his formidable inner force, the blade in Bu Eunseol’s grip gradually slipped free, nearly piercing her chest.
“Die!”
When their noses nearly touched, Ma Deung bellowed and unleashed his maximum power.
Yet a strange phenomenon occurred.
Crack.
Suddenly, the blade pressed against Bu Eunseol’s palms shattered.
Drawing upon every last drop of the ten years of inner force remaining within her body,
she unleashed the Blade-Breaking Absolute technique, shattering the sword’s spine in one decisive strike.
Whoosh!
Bu Eunseol seized the broken blade fragment and instantly wielded it like a swift sword.
The motion was so natural and swift that Ma Deung could not possibly evade it.
Thwack.
“You are….”
Ma Deung stared down at the blade lodged in his throat, his eyes wide with shock.
“A master from that place.”
The Blade-Breaking Absolute technique.
It was from thirty years ago.
Was this not the technique created by In Ma Ak Moo Ryung, who had continued his martial contests bare-handed without weapons?
Splash!
As Bu Eunseol withdrew the blade fragment from his throat, blood erupted.
Ma Deung’s eyes rolled back, and he breathed his last.
Thus ended the fate of Ma Deung, the Blood Sect’s foremost assassin, who had once plunged the Murim into terror.
“Haah. Haah.”
Bu Eunseol drew in ragged breaths.
That final Blade-Breaking Absolute technique had consumed every last drop of inner force remaining within her body.
In short, I had completely exhausted every last ounce of my inner force.
‘I cannot remain with this merchant caravan.’
Having dealt with Ma Deung and the assassins, the Blood Sect would undoubtedly come seeking revenge against me.
I absolutely could not travel with this caravan.
Stagger.
Bu Eunseol picked up the Muk Hon sword that had fallen to the ground and attempted to move past the caravan.
Then, unexpectedly, I locked eyes with the woman lying collapsed on the ground, her blood sealing point suppressed.
The trained guards had been slain by the Blood Sect’s assassins.
At this moment, I was the only one here who could release her blood sealing point.
‘There’s no helping it.’
Bu Eunseol approached the woman again and reversed her grip on the Muk Hon sword.
“Forgive me, but this will hurt a little.”
I lacked the inner force to precisely strike a blood sealing point.
With no other choice, Bu Eunseol brought down the pointed pommel of the sword with all her strength against the woman’s blood sealing point.
“Ahhh!”
With a cry of pain, the woman’s blood sealing point was released.
Yet immediately after, tears welled in her eyes as she curled her body inward.
The pain had been sharp enough to draw tears—struck with a pointed pommel against her blood sealing point with full force.
“You.”
The woman whose blood sealing point had been released called out to Bu Eunseol.
But I was already walking away with faltering steps.
“Does this person truly possess no inner force?”
The woman stared after Bu Eunseol’s departing figure with a bewildered expression.
A master of such caliber striking a blood sealing point with a sword pommel to release it?
Then this person possessed no inner force whatsoever?
“Who exactly is that person…?”
Though her blood sealing point had been suppressed,
she had witnessed the blood duel with Ma Deung clearly with her own eyes.
Bu Eunseol’s swordsmanship was a terrifying technique she had never witnessed once in all her years of martial training.
Yet no inner force at all? How could such a thing be possible?
“G-Great Swordmaster.”
At that moment, the merchants bowed toward the departing Bu Eunseol.
“How can we ever repay such kindness?”
Bu Eunseol walked on without even glancing their way.
Faced with such cold and distant demeanor, the merchants dared not speak further and could only bow their heads.
“Your manner of speech belies a kind heart.”
Before Bu Eunseol, who was struggling up the mountain pass, a clear and melodious woman’s voice suddenly rang out.
She had already deployed her lightness technique to get ahead and wait for Bu Eunseol.
“You were deliberately cold to them so the merchants wouldn’t be drawn into danger, weren’t you?”
“….”
“The Blood Sect will inevitably pursue us later.”
Bu Eunseol offered no reply, moving forward in silent determination.
Without the ability to employ lightness martial arts, I had to create distance between myself and the merchant guild—however slight.
Otherwise, the Blood Sect’s pursuers might target the guild instead of me.
“I cannot fathom how someone with swordsmanship as refined as yours could be utterly depleted of inner force.”
When Bu Eunseol continued to offer nothing but silence, she exhaled a weary sigh and spoke.
“I apologize for the trouble. My intention was simply… to repay a debt.”
She then withdrew a small token from her garment.
“My name is Ye Eoryeong.”
Bu Eunseol showed no reaction.
Left with no choice, she pressed the token into his hand.
“At any pawn shop, present this and they will give you whatever sum you desire.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes narrowed as she gazed upon the token in her palm.
‘So she was from the Yonghua Merchant Guild.’
What she had offered was a token from the Yonghua Merchant Guild, one of the ten great merchant houses of Zhong Yuan.
‘Given her age and surname, the probability that she is the guild master’s only daughter is quite high.’
It was said that Ye Dae Am, master of the Yonghua Merchant Guild, had but one daughter.
She was renowned for her talent and beauty, and possessed a peculiar fondness for mischief—so much so that she often disguised herself in male attire and wandered about.
This woman before me seemed to be precisely that Ye Eoryeong.
“Are you perchance the daughter of the Yonghua Merchant Guild Master?”
“Yes, I am. And you?”
“Merely a wandering vagrant.”
“Even a vagrant must have a name, surely?”
Bu Eunseol swiftly redirected the conversation.
“Judging by the fact that you placed a contract with the Blood Sect—that motley collection of rabble—you likely didn’t limit your commission to just one organization.”
I offered the counsel calmly.
“Rather than waste time giving me this token, you would be better served hurrying to Seong Do now to hire bodyguards. That would at least increase your chances of survival.”
“Don’t you wonder why they attacked me?”
“If the guild master’s daughter is being hunted by assassins, the reason is obvious.”
“Obvious?”
Bu Eunseol spoke with measured calm.
“Rebellion.”
Ye Eoryeong had nothing to say, her head bowing in defeat.
Just as he had surmised, her uncle Ye Dae Gwang had indeed risen in rebellion, holding all of guild master Ye Dae Am’s family hostage.
In the chaos, only she had managed to escape, and now she was making her way to find Song Gang, the master of the Geumdo Sect, who had sworn brotherhood with her father.
But Ye Dae Gwang had already stationed assassins along the road to the Geumdo Sect, determined to hunt her down.
“Your voice sounds youthful, yet your manner of speech is that of an old sage who has weathered countless hardships.”
At Ye Eoryeong’s words, Bu Eunseol—who had been lost in profound thought—suddenly reached out.
“Remove your outer robe.”
“Pardon?”
“Remove your outer robe.”
Ye Eoryeong startled visibly and stepped back, clutching her garment tighter.
“What are you saying all of a sudden?”
“Just take it off.”
There was no trace of impropriety in Bu Eunseol’s eyes—only solemn determination.
‘Her body must be in poor condition; she needs the outer robe.’
Despite her sharp tongue, Ye Eoryeong possessed a remarkably gentle heart.
When she removed her long robe and handed it over, Bu Eunseol accepted it and turned away without ceremony.
“Now go.”
“But why would you want a robe you won’t even wear….”
Seeing her confusion, Bu Eunseol sighed and explained.
“Take this path to Seong Do and exchange your clothes for those of a beggar or vagrant.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with grave finality.
“If you wish to live.”
Then she turned away immediately.
Ye Eoryeong stood dazed for a long moment before her brow furrowed.
“Change my clothes….”
After all, she had summoned this bandaged man only to repay a debt of life.
She had given him the Yonghua Merchant Guild’s token and clothing—her obligation was fulfilled.
Tap.
Ye Eoryeong immediately deployed her movement technique and vanished down the mountainside.
“Ptui.”
Once she was gone, Bu Eunseol removed the cloth from her mouth and spat out the blood she had been holding.
The internal injuries from the clash with the Blood Sect had deepened considerably.
But it mattered not.
Trials only made her stronger.
Even during her time among the Ten Demon Immortals, she had volunteered for missions without mastering a single martial technique.
And it had been the same ever since.
Never once had she begun a task with abundance or security at her back.
Trials had always poured down upon her.
She had always pursued victory from the brink of annihilation.
Having walked this thorny path for so long, even now—
Even with every ounce of strength drained from her body, she felt neither fear nor despair.
“Her nature is pure, but her experience in Gangho is far too limited.”
Bu Eunseol shook her head, watching the direction Ye Eoryeong had departed.
Hunting hounds were the most common tool employed by pursuers.
The assassins had been able to track Ye Eoryeong precisely because they had likely made the hounds memorize her scent.
But if she herself moved while wearing Ye Eoryeong’s robe, and Ye Eoryeong changed into different clothes—
Then perhaps Ye Eoryeong would have a far greater chance of reaching her destination safely. That was why she had demanded the robe at once.
‘Regardless, the Blood Sect will pursue me anyway.’
Ye Eoryeong repaid the debt by giving her the Shadow Token, and without even understanding why, she unhesitatingly removed her clothes to help.
That alone was enough for me to judge.
That she was a good person, and worthy of my aid.
Even a single sip of water owed, I would repay by digging a well. That was my iron principle.
Four nights had passed without notice.
During that time, I moved with extreme caution, frequently taking rest.
A little further and I would be able to enter Ha Nam Province.
But within it, who knew what troubles might unfold.
Even if my inner force could not recover, I restored my physical stamina completely for any contingency.
“Huff, huff.”
Despite arriving at Seong Do, I deliberately avoided the villages and moved through the mountains instead.
Assassins like those of the Blood Sect, who undertake such unsavory work without hesitation, would surely have contingency plans for failure.
‘I killed Ma Deung and over a hundred assassins, so they will certainly pursue me.’
Recalling something, my eyes gleamed sharply.
‘It would be fortunate if only the Blood Sect pursued me.’
Ye Dae Gwang would have spared no expense to ensure the rebellion succeeded.
The probability was high that he had placed contracts not only with the Blood Sect but with other assassination guilds as well.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
Then, from a distance, the sound of wind reached my ears.
In that instant, my eyes narrowed.
It sounded like tree branches being rubbed by the blowing wind.
But I discerned that it was actually numerous masters simultaneously unleashing their lightness technique.
‘Four days would be enough time to find traces. But.’
My eyes darkened.
Those approaching now.
Possessed a momentum entirely different from the Blood Sect of before.
“Years lived for revenge. Life and death have become distant and vague….”
Drawing the Muk Hon Blade, I gazed toward the distant sky.
“Now all that remains to me is a single sword.”
An ordinary diviner boy.
Had somehow become a great master shaking the Demonic Path and Murim.
Yet revenge remained unfulfilled.
Bearing grave internal injuries, I wandered the Gangho alone.
And now I had to lead this broken body into a battle where my life hung in the balance.
“….”
The forest held the same appearance as before, yet the air hung heavy as lead.
Though invisible to the eye.
The assassins were already densely concealed throughout the forest, prepared to attack me.
Whoosh.
Then a faint wind blew toward me from the front.
At the same moment, a figure wielding a sharp sickle emerged from the ground like a phantom.
“….”
I observed my opponent in silence.
Because aside from the mask worn by assassins, the clothing was that of an herb gatherer.
Even carrying a bundle of freshly harvested herbs on their back.
Had the mask not been there, I would have truly believed them to be an herb gatherer.
“How peculiar.”
In the eyes of this herb gatherer-disguised assassin, a faint shimmer wavered.
“An assassin with no inner force destroyed the Blood Sect?”
Remarkably, the assassin had assessed my physical condition at a glance.
“The world has fallen into decay.”
I murmured softly, a hint of mockery in my voice.
“So an herb gatherer became an assassin out of financial desperation?”
Flinch.
The assassin’s eyes flashed with brilliant white light, clearly offended by my words.
“Speak no nonsense.”
“….”
“A death warrant was simply issued to us who merely gathered herbs.”
“A death warrant issued to herb gatherers…”
In that instant, my eyes rippled like water.
I recalled the assassin groups that descended upon the Murim.
“Are you an assassin of Dangsaeng Gate?”
Dangsaeng Gate.
A prestigious assassination sect passed down for centuries, seeking children of exceptional talent and cultivating them early into elite assassins.
What made them unique was that they returned these elite assassins to the world to live ordinary lives.
Sometimes as butchers, sometimes as beggars.
And when necessity arose.
They selected from among them those certain to succeed in their missions, entrusting them with the assassination.
Unlike assassination sects that indiscriminately wielded vicious hidden weapons and poison-coated blades, they were truly the orthodox assassination sect of Zhong Yuan.
“Remarkable. You discerned our sect’s identity from mere clothing.”
My eyes flashed at the assassin’s words.
Only rumors had circulated.
The assassins of Dangsaeng Gate, that secretive sect which had never revealed its true nature, now stood before me.
I nodded as if understanding something.
“Because I move only through the deep mountains, a contract was placed upon you herb gatherers.”
The assassins of Dangsaeng Gate—Si Bi, Jeomsoi, merchants, diviners, beggars, and others.
They did not disguise themselves for assassination; they actually lived the lives of the lower classes.
And when a death warrant was issued, they mobilized immediately, and even the most formidable masters could not withstand their attacks.
Because it was difficult to prepare defenses when one could not identify them as assassins.
And because they possessed intimate knowledge of the terrain and circumstances of the assassination site, their success rate was extraordinarily high.
“That’s right.”
Sal Soo nodded.
Dangsaeng Gate had discerned that Bu Eunseol moved only through the deep mountains.
They had issued an execution order against Bu Eunseol to the assassins living as herb gatherers, those who knew the geography of Geun Dong well.
“To have slain the Blood Sect’s assassins single-handedly, you must possess formidable swordsmanship indeed.”
Sal Soo regarded Bu Eunseol with cold eyes.
“But martial prowess and assassination technique are entirely different matters.”
“….”
No matter how extraordinary your martial arts, you cannot withstand our sect’s assassins who have mastered the One Hundred Eight Killing Methods.”
Jeong Gwang radiated from Sal Soo’s gaze.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
In that same instant, black projectiles poured forth from behind Sal Soo’s back.
Though only one enemy was visible to the eye,
all the assassins disguised as herb gatherers in this entire region had already mobilized to come and kill Bu Eunseol.

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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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