The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 74

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

Chapter 74.
Ok Ho Bang’s complexion shifted.
In that instant, Heuk Pyo’s words came flooding back to him.
―If you wish to see Donghyo Seorang obliterated entirely, feel free to proceed!
“Bu Eunseol… she’s a master of Nangya Sect?”
“Indeed.”
‘If that’s the case, wouldn’t she be more than capable of sweeping away Donghyo Seorang entirely?’
The masters of Nangya Sect were universally formidable.
With merely a handful of them descending upon a place, they could obliterate even a powerful martial faction in its entirety.
And if one had dared to lay hands upon a disciple of Nangya Sect? Not even the grandfather of Donghyo Seorang would escape without a trace.
“W-why would one of the Ten Demon Experts of Nangya Sect…?”
Overwhelmed by shock, beads of sweat formed upon Ok Ho Bang’s brow.
“Why would a master of the Ten Demonic Gates come all the way to Donghyo Seorang in Guizhou to participate in the Jeong Mu Dae Hoe…?”
His muttering ceased as his eyes snapped wide open.
“Could it be that Nangya Sect views Donghyo Seorang unfavorably?”
Mu Sam Rang shook his head.
“Nangya Sect generally refrains from involving itself in the affairs of the martial world. Whether Donghyo Seorang dances or destroys itself, they would scarcely spare it a thought.”
“Then it matters not, does it?”
Ok Ho Bang spoke, as if recalling something.
“If she is truly a disciple of Nangya Sect, shouldn’t she be fighting against you instead?”
“That cannot be.”
“Why not?”
At Ok Ho Bang’s question, Mu Sam Rang’s eyes curved into crescents.
“Because she is my friend.”
* * *
A campfire blazed before the desolate Abandoned Temple.
Crackle, crackle.
Around the flames, strips of meat threaded upon branches dripped with fat as they roasted to golden perfection.
Heuk Pyo, who had been watching Bu Eunseol’s expression intently, pouted his lips.
“Why must we dine in such a place when there are perfectly good inns nearby?”
The vicinity was dotted with fine establishments, each staffed with skilled cooks.
It wasn’t as though they lacked funds either. Bu Eunseol had spared no expense in procuring fine spirits and delicacies before arriving at this location.
“Young Master.”
“I told you to rest at the inn and not follow me.”
“But I must eat dinner as well.”
Heuk Pyo spoke bluntly.
“The sustenance and lodging of a hired vagrant are the employer’s responsibility. It is an unwritten law of the martial world.”
As Bu Eunseol silently reached into her robes to retrieve her purse, Heuk Pyo shook his head.
“Ah! Never mind. You’ve purchased so much already—I shall simply partake.”
Bu Eunseol had procured a large flask brimming with ten-year-aged liquor and roasted chicken sufficient to feed five grown men with plenty to spare.
“I didn’t buy this to feed you.”
“Then you’re saying you’ll eat all of this alone, sir? That’s simply too much!”
As Heuk Pyo rambled on, Bu Eunseol closed her mouth, finding it tiresome.
Yet her silent gaze held a certain softness—as if she were tracing through memories.
Rustle.
The sound of fallen leaves crunching beneath footsteps reached them. From the brisk, wide-strided gait, it was clearly a large man.
“Made you wait.”
When Heuk Pyo turned his head, the Masked Assassin stood before him, draped in a dark crimson cloak.
He towered well over six feet, his arms unnaturally long like a primate’s. The piercing gleam in his eyes visible through the mask evoked the image of a wild beast.
‘Why is he here?’
Heuk Pyo nearly leaped from his seat in shock.
The Masked Assassin who had appeared was none other than Mu Sam Rang, who had forfeited his match against Bu Eunseol.
“Sit.”
But Bu Eunseol, as if she had been waiting, gestured to the seat across from her.
Thump.
The moment Mu Sam Rang sat without hesitation, Heuk Pyo quietly shifted away.
As he drew near, Heuk Pyo felt as though transparent needles pierced his entire body—a searing pain.
‘Up close, he’s an even more formidable master.’
“Take it.”
Bu Eunseol tossed a gourd flask, and the Masked Assassin slowly unwound the cloth covering his face.
Whoosh.
In that instant, the surroundings seemed to brighten.
Remarkably, Mu Sam Rang possessed features so refined they could rival those of a beautiful woman.
Gulp, gulp.
After drinking deeply from the flask for a long while, Mu Sam Rang tossed it back to Bu Eunseol.
“Fine spirits.”
“Have you been well?”
“Hehehehe.”
Mu Sam Rang laughed as he spoke.
“When did you recognize me?”
“When I heard you had forfeited.”
“You recognized me just from hearing I’d forfeited?”
Bu Eunseol drank from the flask and smiled faintly.
“You can hide your face, but not your voice.”
Bu Eunseol’s smile was peculiar.
With merely a subtle curve of her lips, it was as if a frozen lake thawed and warm spring breezes rippled across the world.
“How is it? Hell Blood Castle?”
At Bu Eunseol’s question, Heuk Pyo’s body, crouched at a distance, flinched.
‘Mu Sam Rang is a master of Hell Blood Castle?’
“Nothing special. Just cultivating poison techniques while consuming bizarre toxins until one’s breath runs out—that’s all there is to it.”
Mu Sam Rang took another swig of alcohol and chuckled softly.
“Truth be told, fighting back-to-back with you on Hell Island was far preferable to this.”
Mu Sam Rang’s true identity.
He was none other than Seo Jin Ha, who had stood back-to-back with Bu Eunseol on Hell Island and combined their strength.
Recognized for his innate talent in poison arts and admitted into Hell Blood Castle, why had he emerged in Gangho as Mu Sam Rang?
“Why…”
“I completed the Poison Immortal technique far too quickly. The sect had two other successors already marked as heirs.”
Mu Sam Rang—or rather, Seo Jin Ha—answered matter-of-factly, as if he had anticipated Bu Eunseol’s question.
“When my poison cultivation scripture showed signs of surpassing theirs, the successor factions convinced the Sect Lord to send me to the Demon Palace. Officially, it was an order to gain the prestige befitting a Ten Demon Expert of Hell Blood Castle, but…”
Seo Jin Ha took another drink from the gourd bottle, his expression turning bitter.
“They were worried. If I continued to demonstrate superiority over them, the Sect Lord might choose me as his successor instead.”
The Ten Demon Experts possessed talent so extraordinary.
All of them, after entering the Ten Demonic Gates, had been subjected to the wariness and scrutiny of the successor factions.
“Well, it doesn’t matter now. I’ve already joined the Cheon Sal Unit, so I belong to the Demon Palace now.”
Cheon Sal, Myeol Hon, and Amcheon.
These three units were not merely gathering places for the Demon Palace’s finest elites, but also wielded tremendous authority.
Thus, the moment one entered that place, the probability of becoming a high-ranking official of the Demon Palace was considerably high.
“The Hell Sect Lord showed you consideration in his own way. He didn’t keep a prodigy like you and instead sent you to the Demon Palace.”
“Who knows. Perhaps the Sect Lord was also concerned that the succession structure of Hell Blood Castle, which he had carefully arranged beforehand, might crumble.”
Yet when Seo Jin Ha spoke of the Hell Sect Lord, warmth flickered in his eyes and expression.
In truth, from Hell Blood Castle’s perspective, it was tantamount to gifting a prodigy of unparalleled martial talent they had nurtured to the Demon Palace for nothing.
But the Hell Sect Lord had willingly sent Seo Jin Ha away, and he in turn held deep respect for the Sect Lord who had shown him such consideration.
“Speaking of which, seeing you makes me realize anew how terrifying Nangya Pavilion has become.”
Seo Jin Ha, changing the subject, smiled calmly.
“How exactly have you grown so formidable in all this time?”
Seo Jin Ha sensed that a faint aura enveloping Bu Eunseol’s entire being now surpassed his own.
“I simply made efforts in my own way.”
“Still, you must be fond of Nangya Pavilion. The person who barely spoke three words, cold as ice, is now chattering away like this.”
“Did the Demon Palace send you?”
At Bu Eunseol’s question, Seo Jin Ha drew a deep breath.
“Strictly speaking, yes. Hell Blood Castle conducted a covert transaction with the main organization. In a sense, I’ve been sold here for a time.”
“I see.”
With those few words, Bu Eunseol grasped the entire situation.
“No matter how beneficial holding the Martial Arts Tournament may be, it’s not easy to hand over the Divine Sword to a complete stranger.”
Seo Jin Ha, smiling bitterly, asked a question.
“Are you planning to compete in the finals?”
When Bu Eunseol looked at him as if the question were obvious, Seo Jin Ha shook his head.
“Forget about the Divine Sword. The champion of this tournament is already decided anyway.”
“The champion is already decided?”
“Guizhou is Hell Blood Castle’s sphere of influence from the start. Why would the greedy Ok Ho Bang offer the Divine Sword as the championship prize? He was always planning to present that sword to Hell Blood Castle.”
Seo Jin Ha drained another long sip of wine before speaking.
“Your opponent in the finals, Yang Myeong. He is the patriarch of the Blood Ghost Party within Hell Blood Sect.”
He wiped his mouth and continued.
“And I came here on the Deputy Patriarch’s orders to assist in recovering the Divine Executioner Sword.”
Despite hearing such shocking information, Bu Eunseol’s expression remained unmoved.
Lost in deep contemplation while gazing at the distant sky, I spoke in a low voice.
“So I’ve caused you to disobey your superior’s orders.”
“Hehehehe. You’ve truly changed. That cold and heartless you, worrying about me?”
Seo Jin Ha shrugged in apparent surprise and shook his head.
“You’ll catch some flak, but there won’t be punishment. After all, it’s impossible from the start for a Cheon Sal Unit member to fight a disciple of Nangya Sect.”
Seo Jin Ha tossed a gourd flask toward Bu Eunseol and spoke.
“In any case, give it up.”
“Give it up?”
“Divine swords aren’t so rare in the martial world. There’s no need to make an enemy of Hell Blood Sect just to obtain a single blade.”
Bu Eunseol answered only by taking a long drink from the gourd flask.
My visage, illuminated by moonlight, was beautiful yet possessed a coldness without equal.
Seo Jin Ha, observing my profile, furrowed his brow.
“Think carefully. If you yield in this matter, you can create an opportunity to owe debts to both Hell Blood Sect and the Deputy Patriarch.”
Yet Bu Eunseol remained silent.
In truth, Seo Jin Ha knew this well.
That there was no compromise in Bu Eunseol. That I walked only my own path in silence. That I was truly a person of cold and heartless nature.
Truly, a being of absolute indifference.
“Very well. Who could break your stubbornness?”
If nothing else, to speak such words meant Seo Jin Ha could be called my friend.
To know that my stubbornness could not be broken—that was certainly to understand me truly.
“May I say one more thing?”
After taking a deep breath, Seo Jin Ha whispered something in a low voice.
* * *
Crash! Thud thud thud.
A table crafted from sandalwood shattered into dozens of pieces with a thunderous sound, scattering across the floor.
“Nangya Sect?”
A sinister voice echoed through the dark secret chamber.
Before the broken table stood a middle-aged man with a pallid complexion and eyes sliced upward at sharp angles.
This was Yang Myeong, the patriarch of the Blood Ghost Party of Hell Blood Sect—the Poison Hand Flying Demon.
“Bu Eunseol, she is one of the Ten Demon Experts of Nangya Sect?”
Opposite Yang Myeong stood a man wearing a black robe and mask, positioned by the window where moonlight streamed in. It was Seo Jin Ha.
“That is correct.”
“Why would a Ten Demon Expert participate in the Martial Arts Tournament?”
“I do not know.”
“You don’t know?”
“Who could possibly know the true intentions of Nangya Sect?”
At Seo Jin Ha’s leisurely response, Yang Myeong’s eyes narrowed sharply.
“But why did you forfeit?”
“The Ten Demon Experts are disciples directly cultivated by the Ten Demonic Gates. I cannot fight against them, can I?”
As Seo Jin Ha continued to speak as if discussing someone else’s affairs, murderous intent flickered in Yang Myeong’s pupils.
“You’ve been watching the Jeong Mu Dae Hoe this entire time. You must have known he was from Nangya Sect? Why did you give up without consulting anyone?”
“At that time, I truly intended to fight.”
Seo Jin Ha smacked his lips.
“Even after dealing with Seo Mun Gyeong, I thought it would be worth a match… but when I actually stood on the Combat Stage, I decided against it.”
“Damn!”
Finally, Yang Myeong’s temper exploded.
“This task was something I barely managed to undertake after the Hall Master personally petitioned the Sect Leader!”
Yang Myeong, Master of the Blood Ghost Party.
He was an ambitious man who aspired to become a commander of Hell Blood Castle in the future. That was why he had volunteered for the retrieval mission of the Eternal Sage Divine Sword, which he didn’t need to undertake.
Yet Seo Jin Ha, who belonged to Hell Blood Castle, had acted on his own without consultation and nearly ruined everything?
“If you knew that bastard was one of Nangya Sect’s Ten Demon Experts, you should have reported it to me in advance!”
It was only natural that Yang Myeong was furious.
Though the position of Blood Ghost Party Master wasn’t particularly high, Yang Myeong was nonetheless affiliated with Hell Blood Castle, one of the Ten Demonic Gates.
When Yang Myeong entered the Jeong Mu Dae Hoe, all the martial artists condemned him.
―Isn’t this tournament completely rigged?
A master from Hell Blood Castle, which controlled Guizhou as its territory, competing in Donghyo Seorang’s Jeong Mu Dae Hoe?
It appeared as nothing more than a blatant attempt to seize the Eternal Sage Divine Sword.
Fortunately, rising masters like Bu Eunseol and Seo Mun Gyeong had emerged, heating up the tournament’s atmosphere, but cold gazes were still directed at Yang Myeong.
“According to the original plan, I should have lost to the unknown master Mu Sam Rang and settled for second place!”
Yang Myeong ground his teeth and cried out again.
“But because you acted on your own, even if I win the championship, it won’t look good, will it?”
“You?”
This time, Seo Jin Ha’s eyes, with arms crossed, burned crimson.
“Master Yang. Do I still appear to you as someone belonging to Hell Blood Castle?”
“What?”
“My affiliation is the Cheon Sal Unit. I came to assist with this mission under the orders of the Vice Master, and I have no connection whatsoever with Hell Blood Castle.”
“Seo Jin Ha. Have you completely forgotten the grace of those who raised you?”
“The grace of raising me?”
A deep green light flowed from Seo Jin Ha’s eyes.
“You tried to drown me in the Poison Abyss multiple times to prevent the succession structure from collapsing? And when I didn’t die, you attempted to assassinate me using masters from the Seven Poison Hall?”
When Yang Myeong said nothing, Seo Jin Ha let out a scoff and turned away.
“I went to the Cheon Sal Unit under the Sect Leader’s orders. And with this, my connection to Hell Blood Castle has ended.”
Seo Jin Ha walked past Yang Myeong and slowly moved toward the door.
“I’ve forgotten both gratitude and resentment. So don’t provoke me any further.”
Bang.
The moment he stepped out of the Secret Chamber, a murderous intent flickered in Yang Myeong’s eyes.
“There’s no helping it.”
In the darkness, Yang Myeong’s body shimmered with eyes ablaze as a faint mist rose from his form.
Fsssssh.
The tables that had fallen to the floor began to dissolve silently as they touched the mist.
A truly terrifying poison technique.
“First, I’ll eliminate the stray dog from Nangya Sect, then deal with that worm Seo Jin Ha.”

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