The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 77

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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 77.
Ok Ho Bang.
He was the treasurer of Donghyo Seorang, managing every coin that flowed through the organization.
However, four years ago, when Rang Ju entered closed-door cultivation, he entrusted Ok Ho Bang with complete authority to operate Donghyo Seorang.
This was because Ok Ho Bang possessed an exceptional talent for finance, a keen eye for identifying talent at a glance, and the sharp judgment to place each person in their optimal position.
With Ok Ho Bang taking the helm as Rang Ju desired, Donghyo Seorang flourished even more magnificently.
Commissions poured in from every corner of Zhong Yuan, and skilled wanderers competed fiercely to join Donghyo Seorang.
―Why not make Donghyo Seorang my own before Rang Ju returns?
As Donghyo Seorang rose to prominence as an emerging power in the martial world, Ok Ho Bang harbored dark ambitions.
He resolved to build his own faction so thoroughly that even when Rang Ju returned, there would be no place left for him to stand.
―Recruit wanderers of exceptional skill and great ambition!
He sent his subordinates to seek out and recruit wanderers who possessed outstanding martial prowess and harbored desires to make their names resound throughout the martial world.
Most of them were individuals of questionable character or those who had committed serious crimes, but Ok Ho Bang paid this no mind.
―After all, aren’t wanderers those who engage in unsavory work?
Ok Ho Bang promised these gathered wanderers high positions and generous wealth.
And among the wanderers, he successfully brought four of the Eight Great Wanderers—the eight most exceptional wanderers—under his command as his own instruments.
Thus, having obtained both money and power, Ok Ho Bang began to manipulate Donghyo Seorang entirely to his liking.
Within Geum Hwa Hall, in Ok Ho Bang’s office.
Four wanderers in distinctly different attire stood within, their swords drawn and ready.
They were none other than Ok Ho Bang’s trusted subordinates among the Eight Great Wanderers who dominated Donghyo Seorang under his command.
“How should I handle this situation?”
Ok Ho Bang’s expression twisted with frustration.
“The Eternal Sage Divine Sword was originally meant as a tribute to the Lord of Hell Blood Castle. I did manage to create quite a stir through the Jeong Mu Dae Hoe, but… this unexpected woman, Bu Eunseol, has ruined everything.”
“Well, given how things have turned out, shouldn’t we simply hand over the sword?”
Gwi Gyeom, a wanderer standing by the office window, spoke.
“The woman has already won the championship, and countless martial artists witnessed it. We can’t very well go back on our word now, can we?”
“Words are easy. Do you think Hell Blood Castle will accept such an explanation?”
As Ok Ho Bang answered irritably, Hyeol Chu, seated across from him, spoke.
“But didn’t the other faction leader voluntarily forfeit the match? Since he himself withdrew, there’s no obligation to hand over the sword, is there?”
“The faction leader will retrieve the sword, yes. But the promise to present the Eternal Sage Divine Sword to Hell Blood Castle must be honored.”
“Is that so? But why did he forfeit in the first place…?”
As Gwi Gyeom trailed off, Ok Ho Bang spoke with a gloomy expression.
“That’s the part I don’t understand either. After the finals, he simply left Donghyo Seorang without a word…”
A heavy silence descended upon the office.
Ok Ho Bang had requested a close cooperative relationship with Hell Blood Castle to maintain even greater power going forward.
But if things went wrong from the very beginning like this and he fell out of their favor? It would become difficult to continue operating in Guizhou.
“Then what if we give him a different sword instead of the Eternal Sage Divine Sword?”
At Hyeol Chu’s suggestion, Ok Ho Bang shook his head.
“I already sent someone to propose exactly that… but he insisted we hand over the Eternal Sage Divine Sword as promised.”
“Then the conclusion is clear, isn’t it?”
Beside Hyeol Chu, the woman Hwa Ran, who had been toying with the iron railing, etched a venomous smile across her face.
“Will you give me the Divine Sword as promised, or will you not?”
Gwi Gyeom, observing the murderous glint in Hwa Ran’s eyes, spoke as though bewildered.
“You’ve lost your mind. Did you not witness the martial prowess he displayed when battling Seo Mun Gyeong? I cannot speak to other contests, but that duel was genuine.”
“Hmph. Is there anyone here who has risen to this position through martial skill alone?”
Hwa Ran placed a hand upon her slender waist and spoke.
“Bu Eunseol—that mere fledgling may possess extraordinary martial arts, but at heart, she is nothing but a novice to Gangho. Once she tastes my beauty and the allure of Blissful Ecstasy Powder, she will have no choice but to yield, will she not?”
At this, Ok Ho Bang waved both hands in protest.
“A beauty trap must never be attempted. Should it fail, my reputation would be utterly ruined.”
Hwa Ran’s lips pouted.
“Force will not work, seduction will not work. Then what method remains…?”
As the conversation threatened to spiral into repetition, Baek Myeon, the burly man who had stood silently in the corner until now, finally spoke.
“Then only one path remains.”
“What is it?”
At Hwa Ran’s question, Baek Myeon flashed his white teeth in a grin.
“All the schemes we have devised thus far.”
* * *
Bu Eunseol walked through the interior of Donghyo Seorang alongside Heuk Pyo.
The wanderer’s market, which wielded influence throughout the Guizhou region, was flourishing like the moon in its eternal cycle.
Just as the crescent moon swells into fullness, it was experiencing tremendous prosperity.
“That place is where the health of contracted wanderers is inspected. And that is a shop selling provisions and antidotes. And that is for wanderers departing beyond the sect….”
Heuk Pyo, walking beside Bu Eunseol, explained the various corners of Donghyo Seorang as though he were a tour guide to some famous landmark.
“Yet why does the master not show his face when hosting the Jeong Mu Dae Hoe right in his own courtyard?”
At Bu Eunseol’s question, Heuk Pyo’s smiling face suddenly turned rigid.
“That is….”
Heuk Pyo, wearing an awkward expression, answered in a low voice.
“Donghyo Seorang is currently being operated by Jeon Ju Ok.”
“Jeon Ju?”
“Yes. Lord Rang Ju has been in closed-door cultivation for four years now. Before his departure, he entrusted the management of Donghyo Seorang to Jeon Ju Ok, who had been overseeing his finances.”
Heuk Pyo, his brow deeply furrowed, continued as he surveyed Donghyo Seorang.
“Since Jeon Ju Ok took over the management of Donghyo Seorang, the atmosphere of this place has changed considerably. In the past, though small in scale, everyone was virtuous, and they lived and cared for one another like family. But now….”
“Now?”
“The organization has grown significantly, but criminals and vicious murderers have increased in number. The Eight Great Wanderers who became Jeon Ju Ok’s subordinates…well, now that Yeop Hwa is dead, they would be the Seven Great Wanderers.”
“The Eight Great Wanderers?”
At Bu Eunseol’s words, Heuk Pyo spoke with a grave expression.
“It refers to the eight most skilled wanderers within Donghyo Seorang. Four of them have already become Jeon Ju Ok’s subordinates.”
As they conversed, they had arrived before a large structure erected on the western outskirts of Donghyo Seorang.
It was the Great Armory, which stored vast quantities of weapons sufficient to arm every wanderer in Donghyo Seorang.
“My lord. This is the Great Armory.”
“Hmm.”
Bu Eunseol gazed up at the Great Armory, constructed from dark, weathered stone, her eyes narrowing to slits.
“You’re telling me a divine blade is stored here?”
“In truth, I’m uncertain of the exact location where the Eternal Divine Blade is kept.”
“A sacred weapon coveted by every martial artist in Gangho, stored in an armory…”
Bu Eunseol shook her head, her eyes narrowing further.
“Tournament prizes are typically awarded immediately upon victory. I fail to understand why it would be transferred in such a manner.”
At Bu Eunseol’s words, Heuk Pyo rubbed his nose with an awkward expression.
“Truth be told, our organization has never offered such a tremendous treasure as the Eternal Divine Blade as a prize before. This particular reward was personally procured by the Patriarch as a private treasure.”
As Heuk Pyo continued speaking and attempted to guide Bu Eunseol toward the Great Armory, Wi Sa, who stood guard there, blocked their path.
“The Patriarch instructed that only Miss Bu, the champion, may enter.”
“That’s quite alright. I have a formal contract with the young master—”
“Only Miss Bu may enter.”
At Wi Sa’s words cutting off Heuk Pyo’s protest, Bu Eunseol nodded.
“Wait outside.”
“But… surely—”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes, which should have remained cold and composed, now burned with a crimson flame.
Heuk Pyo swallowed hard as their gazes met.
‘Something is going terribly wrong.’
“Please follow me.”
Wi Sa then guided Bu Eunseol into the Great Armory.
As the massive iron doors swung open, a deep metallic boom echoed forth. Examining the door’s cross-section, the thickness appeared to be roughly a foot or more.
Wide open.
As the armory doors parted, an immeasurable array of weapons lay displayed across the vast, cavernous space.
The weapons, arranged in precise rows, each emanated a sharp, lethal aura.
In the corners stood heavier siege weapons—massive crossbows and catapults—the kind used on battlefields.
“Quite impressive interior.”
Bu Eunseol let out an exclamation of admiration.
Ordinarily, Wi Sa should have responded with joy or pride, offering explanations. Yet the guide proceeded with a tense expression, offering nothing more.
Clang. Rumble.
The Great Armory’s scale was truly vast and deep—Bu Eunseol passed through several sealed doors.
Each time they traversed a section, Wi Sa awkwardly pulled torches mounted on the walls to light the way.
Observing this behavior, Bu Eunseol’s eyes gleamed with understanding.
‘So they never venture this deep into the inner chambers under normal circumstances.’
Creak.
At last, they arrived at a small training hall.
A weapon rack occupied roughly three zhang of empty space, with several tables arranged about. It appeared designed for brief martial exchanges or seated discussions.
“Welcome, Miss Bu.”
And before the tables stood a man in white robes and a woman of such ethereal, almost sinister beauty that she seemed otherworldly.
“I am Baek Myeon, keeper of the Great Armory.”
“I’m Hwa Ran.”
The two men and women bowed respectfully to Bu Eunseol.
Bu Eunseol returned the courtesy with a measured gesture, then spoke in a low voice.
“Where is the Divine Sword?”
“It is being retrieved. Since it is stored deep within the Great Armory, disengaging the mechanisms takes time.”
Baek Myeon gestured toward the table and spoke with proper deference.
“Please sit here and wait for a moment. We have prepared Bishan’s Day-Moon tea for you.”
Bishan’s Day-Moon tea was a premium variety rivaling Geommi Mountain’s Five Dragons tea and West Lake Dragon Well tea.
As he spoke, Hwa Ran set a teacup down on the table from the side, wisps of hot steam rising from it.
“Please, be seated.”
As Bu Eunseol took her seat, Baek Myeon and Hwa Ran lifted their teacups and spoke.
“We congratulate you on your victory, Bu Eunseol.”
Then the two of them took a sip of tea.
But Bu Eunseol merely stared at them without touching the tea.
“Does the Day-Moon tea not suit your taste?”
At Baek Myeon’s question, Bu Eunseol gazed down at the Day-Moon tea, which emanated a clear and refreshing fragrance.
“It is fine.”
Then Hwa Ran asked carefully.
“Shall I bring a different tea?”
“No. Do not concern yourselves.”
Bu Eunseol spoke in a low voice.
“I will simply wait for the sword to arrive and take it then.”
Then Baek Myeon and Hwa Ran exchanged glances.
In truth, the Day-Moon tea served to Bu Eunseol contained a potent powder called Ecstasy Bliss Dust—a drug that induced powerful hallucinations and lustful desires.
‘I knew she had an odd temperament, but I never expected she would not even taste the tea we offered.’
The first scheme was the honey trap.
Feed her the Ecstasy Bliss Dust mixed into the tea, and once the hallucinations and lustful urges took hold, Baek Myeon would excuse himself from the room.
If Bu Eunseol succumbed to Hwa Ran’s seduction at that moment, they would lead the wanderers in to catch her in a compromising position and strip her of her championship title.
‘There is no help for it. Then to the next stage…’
Baek Myeon had no choice but to tap the table and speak.
“Is the Divine Sword still far away?”
Soon after, a low voice came from outside.
“The Wi Sa have brought the Divine Sword.”
“Bring it in.”
The door opened and two Wi Sa carried in a large metal box, setting it on the table before departing.
As Baek Myeon carefully opened the box, a magnificent sword lay within, its blade gleaming with brilliant light.
“This is the Divine Shadow Sword.”
The Divine Shadow Sword, reflected in the firelight, was like a work of art.
The blade, tinged with a faint golden hue, bore mysterious dragon-like patterns engraved upon its surface, and along the crossguard connecting the blade to the hilt, blue-glowing gems were set.
“So this is the Divine Sword.”
At Bu Eunseol’s murmur, Baek Myeon blinked his eyes.
“Does it not suit your fancy?”
Bu Eunseol let out a soft chuckle, then suddenly unleashed a piercing gaze that gleamed with an icy chill toward them.
“If that qualifies as a divine blade… then there would be no weapon in the martial world that isn’t divine.”

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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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