The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 772
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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 772.
Demon Hall, Jam Ma Gak. Great Conference Hall.
Upon hearing that the Murim Alliance Gizhou Branch, which had been preparing for an assault,
had voluntarily withdrawn its forces and departed, Yu Woon Ryong and Myo Cheon Woo exchanged glances of astonishment.
“This… is actually working?”
―The Muhon Society branch must be constructed adjacent to the Murim Alliance’s sphere of influence.
It was what Bu Eunseol had said when selecting the location for the new Muhon Society Wanderer Market.
If this were a place where Demon Hall and the Murim Alliance were locked in a power struggle?
They would have faced attacks from both sides and could never have begun construction in the first place.
But if they began in a region that even the Murim Alliance paid scant attention to?
They prioritized justification and placed great emphasis on their public image.
They would obstruct the market’s establishment, yes—but they would not openly employ force or slaughter the workers.
―Moreover, it had to be a location where common folk could eventually establish their livelihoods.
Jeok Cheon Mak Ji, the predecessor of the Muhon Society, was among Zhong Yuan’s largest wanderer markets.
Because of this, even if built in a remote location, it could sustain itself—but a smaller market was another matter entirely.
Without any foundation, the market itself could not be maintained.
It could not be built on barren wasteland; it absolutely required a location where commerce had already taken root.
Yet places where commerce flourished naturally fell within the spheres of influence of either Demon Hall or the Murim Alliance.
For a nascent coalition like the Muhon Society to force its way in and establish itself in such a place was nearly impossible.
That was why Bu Eunseol had resolved to create an entirely new commercial district and establish the wanderer market there.
―Where there is employment, commerce follows.
It was obvious that the Murim Alliance would not sit idle while watching the palace hall being constructed.
Therefore, Bu Eunseol had anticipated destruction from the outset and instructed the carpenters to focus only on laying foundations and building frameworks.
Given the considerable scale of the wanderer market, they would feel a profound sense of crisis merely from seeing the framework erected.
And as expected, the Murim Alliance either hired the Black Gang
or came to the village each night, systematically destroying everything the carpenters had built.
As this cycle of work repeated endlessly, even the Murim Alliance grew weary.
Eventually, instead of increasing the frequency of attacks,
they began blocking the entry of materials into the area and intimidating the incoming workers.
The longer construction was delayed, the more astronomical the Muhon Society’s losses would become.
And indeed, the Muhon Society suffered tremendous losses.
Yet that very process
became the catalyst for countless workers and merchants to gradually gather in this place.
―That village was originally where retired carpenters had settled… As buildings were endlessly destroyed and rebuilt, more and more people would come to learn their craft.
This was the stratagem Bu Eunseol had devised.
―Winning the hearts of common folk with money does not last long. They must build their own homes with their own hands.
And her stratagem worked precisely as intended.
As construction progressed relentlessly, retired carpenters once again plied their skills,
and young people eager to learn from them flocked to the site.
As people gathered, food vendors appeared, and gradually a commercial district began to take shape.
Particularly, the carpenters developed techniques to refine damaged materials into usable condition.
Before long, this village had become a renowned place where one could learn carpentry.
―Once the Wanderer Market enters this territory.
We will maintain commercial rights while driving out the Dark Path gangs attempting to collect protection fees and stall taxes.
When the Muhon Society made yet another unprecedented proposal, the merchants and common folk were overjoyed.
With circumstances having reached this point, when the Murim Alliance deliberately attempted to destroy this place, merchants and carpenters alike risked their lives to drive them out.
Seok Gang was a strategist well-versed in military tactics, yet he was helpless against such methods.
What martial artist in this world would create employment to swallow territory?
Until now, no such schemer had ever been found in the Murim.
“Bu Eunseol. What exactly is that woman….”
After finishing his recollection, Yu Woon Ryong shook his head in disbelief.
What kind of life had she lived
to become so versed in worldly affairs?
What education had she received
to devise such ingenious stratagems?
“Give up trying to understand that woman.”
Myo Cheon Woo patted Yu Woon Ryong’s shoulder.
Then, with a slight smile, he spoke with conviction.
“It’s easier that way.”
The smile on Myo Cheon Woo’s lips resembled the laughter of an old man who had abandoned all worldly concerns.
He had long ago
given up trying to comprehend Bu Eunseol’s wisdom and martial prowess.
“I, I suppose so.”
Yu Woon Ryong, bewildered, shook his head.
“Oh, that’s right.”
Then Myo Cheon Woo recalled something and took a deep breath.
“We have business to attend to in that place anyway.”
“What?”
He withdrew a letter from his garments and handed it to Yu Woon Ryong.
It was a correspondence sent by Bu Eunseol.
As Yu Woon Ryong read through the letter, his eyes gradually lost focus.
“This is….”
He spoke to Myo Cheon Woo with a trembling voice.
“How far ahead did she see this? Does this even make sense?”
Myo Cheon Woo shook his head and replied.
“Likely, she conducted a thorough investigation from the moment she planned to establish the Wanderer Market. She’s always been meticulous by nature.”
“Even so… she’s not a fortune teller, yet she predicted this far ahead?”
Then Myo Cheon Woo smiled once more and patted Yu Woon Ryong’s shoulder again.
“…Yes.”
“What?”
“Give up.”
Myo Cheon Woo displayed a smile as pure and innocent as a child’s.
“Then… it will be easier.”
* * *
―Wi Cheon Gyeong oversaw the training of the newly reorganized Bi Ma Dae, while Won Se Moon and Jo Nam Cheon took charge of training the martial artists newly assigned to the Sayoung Battle Division.
Finally, when the Wanderer Market, created by the Muhon Society, was established in a village in Gi Province.
The Bi Ma Dae under Tak Il Hon’s command.
And the newly recruited martial artists of the Sayoung Battle Division began their training.
Particularly, the martial artists newly assigned to the Sayoung Battle Division.
Could be described not as warriors of the Demon Palace, but rather as direct subordinates of Bu Eunseol.
Therefore, they sought to remain in places that belonged to neither the Demon Palace, the Murim Alliance, nor any other faction’s sphere of influence while beginning their training.
Won Se Moon, Jo Nam Cheon, and Wi Cheon Gyeong, including themselves, trained the Sayoung Battle Division’s martial artists without missing a single day.
They possessed abundant combat experience and could be called seasoned veterans who had survived every battlefield.
Therefore, excluding Myo Cheon Woo.
There were none equal to them as instructors for training the newly arrived martial artists.
In a small village near the Wanderer Market of the Muhon Society in Gi Province, dusk was gradually settling in.
Thud, thud.
At that moment, three men entered the village.
The man on the left carried dual swords on his back, with whiskers jutting out sharply.
His eyes were fierce and his frame sturdy, resembling the very incarnation of a fierce warrior.
It was Won Se Moon.
And beside him walked a man with disheveled hair and an expression of weary indifference.
His frame was slightly smaller than Won Se Moon’s.
Yet his build was even more compact, like gazing upon a massive heavy weapon.
It was Jo Nam Cheon.
“My whole body aches.”
Jo Nam Cheon muttered while placing his hand on Won Se Moon’s shoulder.
“When will we ever escape this hellish cycle of training?”
For martial artists who had received a certain level of training, it sufficed to impart the subtle principles of martial arts or higher-dimensional enlightenment.
But basic training was different.
Only endless drilling, and more drilling.
Therefore, they had to shout themselves hoarse teaching every day and personally demonstrate techniques.
Moreover, they ran alongside the trainees, observing each martial artist’s mental fortitude, managing their physical condition.
And instilling a sense of belonging.
Won Se Moon and Jo Nam Cheon’s martial power had already reached a stable level, capable of sufficient cultivation through meditation alone.
Yet like newly hatched chicks.
They were exerting themselves frantically alongside martial artists receiving their first training, so exhaustion was inevitable.
“You must steel yourself.”
Won Se Moon also wore a melancholic expression.
“Given Ryeong Ju’s nature… he’ll command training until we grow old and die.”
“Isn’t that right?”
Jo Nam Cheon also shook his head with a gloomy expression.
“If I’d known it would come to this, I should’ve had the Bu Dae Ju teach that greenhorn instead.”
Thump, thump.
At that moment, a tall man appeared like a ghost from behind them.
“Don’t say such things.”
The handsome man with a tall frame and cold eyes as still as a lake placed his hands on both their shoulders and spoke.
“Physical training through movement occasionally strengthens one’s martial prowess all the more.”
His lean frame gave him the appearance of a scholar rather than a martial artist.
It was Wi Cheon Gyeong.
“Never forget that without a solid foundation, even the tallest tower will crumble.”
He gazed toward the distant sky, his eyes carrying a touch of melancholy.
“Since you were born as a martial artist… you must train for your entire life.”
“Hmph, who doesn’t know that?”
Jo Nam Cheon jutted out his lower lip and shook his head.
“But the ones I’m teaching just happen to carry Won Se Moon’s bloodline. That’s why I’m dying from exhaustion.”
“What do you mean, carrying my bloodline?”
“These fools don’t think with their heads at all—they try to solve everything with their bodies.”
Thwack, thwack, thwack.
Won Se Moon and Jo Nam Cheon began grappling, seizing each other by the collar.
Wi Cheon Gyeong, watching them, waved his hand.
“Work hard then.”
“Why? Aren’t you coming?”
Won Se Moon and Jo Nam Cheon, still grappling, rushed over and pulled Wi Cheon Gyeong’s arms.
“Since we have the chance, let’s have a drink together.”
“Right, we haven’t had a single drink together all this time.”
Every time training ended, Won Se Moon and Jo Nam Cheon would rush off to drink.
But Wi Cheon Gyeong would simply rest in his quarters after training.
Not once had he joined them for a drink.
“No. You two drink among yourselves.”
When Wi Cheon Gyeong waved his hand, the two men shrugged helplessly.
“Fine, fine.”
“Well, if you don’t want to, there’s nothing we can do.”
The two men shrugged their shoulders and hurried off toward the tavern.
Wi Cheon Gyeong watched the two of them scurrying about like children and shook his head.
“When will those fools ever mature?”
As he turned toward the Inn where he was staying, he suddenly gazed at the Tea House visible in the distance.
“Hmm.”
He hadn’t had a single day of rest while training the Bi Ma Dae.
Watching Won Se Moon and Jo Nam Cheon saunter off to drink, swaying their hips.
For once, he felt inclined to indulge in a bit of luxury.
“Buy some flowers, sir.”
As I walked toward the Tea House to have some tea, the Flower Girl who had been standing there came scurrying toward me.
Her clothes were worn and her face was smudged with dirt, yet her eyes were beautifully shaped.
A basket filled with flowers sat at her feet.
It seemed she was selling flowers at the Tea House, where the more respectable people of the village came and went.
“Sir, please buy just one flower.”
Wi Cheon Gyeong gazed at the girl’s bright, sparkling face and asked as if he had no choice.
“How much for one?”
“One coin, sir.”
“Give me one.”
Taking the single flower, Wi Cheon Gyeong let out a sigh.
Judging by the flower’s condition, it would likely wilt by tomorrow or the day after.
Moreover, it seemed she hadn’t sold even one until now, as the basket still held flowers piled high.
“Just give me all of them.”
Understanding my meaning, the girl shook her head.
“It’s all right, sir. Even if you buy just one…”
“No, I have a use for them.”
At my words, the girl spoke with a trembling voice.
“Eighty coins, sir.”
“Very well.”
Wi Cheon Gyeong smiled generously and reached for the coin purse at my waist.
In that instant, my expression hardened.
No matter how much I searched, the purse was gone.
‘Those damned bastards!’
Suddenly, the bare-faced images of Won Se Moon and Jo Nam Cheon flashed through my mind.
While pretending to guide me as we drank earlier, they had secretly removed the coin purse from my waist.
‘Because I’ve been drinking heavily every day, they wanted to take me along since I had no money.’
No wonder they had been unusually friendly and clingy.
These scoundrels had used the lightning-fast techniques they had mastered through harsh training all this time to strip my purse clean.
‘I won’t let this slide!’
Swallowing the rising curses, Wi Cheon Gyeong, after some deliberation, pulled out a small piece of metal from my garment.
“This should be worth a considerable sum.”
It was orichalcum and mithril that had been left over from creating a statue in honor of Bu Eunseol in the past.
“This is called orichalcum and mithril. It’s rarer and more valuable than silver.”
Wi Cheon Gyeong placed it in the girl’s hand.
The metal was so heavy that the girl staggered under its weight and could only let her arm drop.
“Sir, sir…”
“Take it to the Blacksmith Shop over there, and you should be able to get at least a hundred silver taels.”
“No, sir.”
At the word “hundred taels,” the girl hastily waved her hand.
“Eighty copper coins is more than enough.”
“It’s fine. I simply dislike leaving debts unpaid.”
Wi Cheon Gyeong gazed toward the Pleasure House and offered a bitter smile.
“Those bastards—my so-called companions—stole my purse to buy drinks just moments ago. That’s why I’m giving you this instead.”
As Wi Cheon Gyeong, who appeared so dignified, muttered the words as if spitting them out, the girl found herself giggling despite herself.
“One of them has whiskers jutting from his face, and the other is quite large with fierce, piercing eyes, yes?”
“That’s right. You know them.”
“Around this time of year, they always dash off to the Pleasure House.”
The girl suppressed her laughter and spoke.
“Then please come back here tomorrow.”
She extended the heavy silver and gold coins toward him with both hands, offering a radiant smile.
“Please take them back.”
“I don’t accept debts.”
True to his origins in the Mubon Squad, Wi Cheon Gyeong possessed a stubborn streak.
Seeing the resolve in his expression, the girl nodded.
“Then I’ll keep these safe until tomorrow.”
“Good.”
Wi Cheon Gyeong nodded.
“I’ll come early tomorrow.”
He then shouldered the large flower basket the girl had been carrying and walked away with a leisurely gait.
Having lost his purse, Wi Cheon Gyeong could not visit the Tea House and instead returned to the Separate Annex of the Inn where he was staying.
He placed the large flower basket on the table and began arranging the flowers in vases scattered throughout the room.
Yet even after filling the vases, flowers still remained abundant, so Wi Cheon Gyeong arranged them in various places.
“That’s better.”
Once the interior was adorned with flowers, the dreary atmosphere transformed entirely.
In truth, one could drink tea here as well.
But those who truly appreciated tea never drank it at an Inn—they always went to the Tea House instead.
The Tea House’s tea was of superior quality to what the Inn offered, and more importantly, it possessed the Tea House’s distinctive serene charm and atmosphere.
Though somewhat regrettable, arranging flowers throughout the room like this had noticeably improved the ambiance.
Creak.
Opening the window to savor the essence of autumn wind,
Thunder rumbled, and sheets of rain poured down.
Suddenly, a downpour descended like a deluge.
‘Fortunate.’
Since he had bought all the flowers, the girl must have returned home with peace of mind.
She would not have been caught in the rain.
Wi Cheon Gyeong sipped his tea leisurely while listening to the sound of the rain.
The next day.
Wi Cheon Gyeong went to Won Se Moon and Jo Nam Cheon, who had stolen his purse to drink themselves into slumber.
Using prepared writing materials, I drew large turtle pictures on their faces.
And on their backs, I inscribed the characters “Wang Ba Dan”—meaning “bastard’s spawn.”
“Phew.”
Wi Cheon Gyeong emerged with a refreshed expression and headed to the Pawn Shop to retrieve more funds.
Bu Eunseol provided unlimited financial support for mission-related expenses.
However, regarding salaries—both for herself
and for the Team Members—she was strict and rather stingy.
Yet Wi Cheon Gyeong came from a prestigious martial family passed down through generations, so he possessed considerable wealth.
Thus, even during his time with the Mubon Squad, he had always paid for the Team Members’ drinks.
Returning near the Tea House, Wi Cheon Gyeong surveyed the surroundings.
The Flower Girl who sold flowers was nowhere to be seen.
‘Has she caught a cold?’
Wi Cheon Gyeong shook his head and entered the Tea House.
Upon seeing his appearance, the Tavern Servant guided him to a seat on this floor with the finest view.
“Where is the child who sells flowers around here?”
When he asked the Tavern Servant bringing tea, the man shook his head.
“I’m not certain. She seems to come out every day, though.”
Indeed, the Tavern Servant had no reason to pay attention to a street flower girl.
Rumble, rumble.
But then, in the distance, officials in official robes suddenly appeared, moving through various parts of the village.
Looking closely, they were constables from the Constabulary.
“What are they up to now?”
As Wi Cheon Gyeong furrowed his brow, the Tavern Servant gazed outside the window and spoke.
“More children disappeared last night.”
“More, you say?”
“Yes. Throughout Gi Province, children have been disappearing frequently for several years now.”
The Tavern Servant sighed.
“The Constabulary has investigated multiple times, but they haven’t caught the culprit at all.”
“Hmm.”
“Moreover, most of the victims are children of poor commoners or vagrant youngsters… so the investigations are conducted rather carelessly.”
“I see.”
Wi Cheon Gyeong gave Jeomsoi a small tip for his thorough response.
“Several years, you say.”
His gaze deepened as he stood with arms crossed, staring into the void.
Children had been disappearing for several years.
He instinctively sensed a high probability that this was the work of Sal Gwi, who was committing serial murders.
“Wait—a child, you say?”
Seized by an ominous feeling, Wi Cheon Gyeong left the Tea House and began searching the village thoroughly.
And near a crumbling Abandoned House, he discovered a small piece of metal.
It was the fragment of wire and steel wire I had given to the girl.
‘Kidnapped?’
Wi Cheon Gyeong’s eyes rippled like water.
The girl had certainly been abducted.
Perhaps she had deliberately dropped the metal object from her possession.
Or perhaps it had fallen from her during the abduction itself.
Flash!
A brilliant gleam burst forth from Wi Cheon Gyeong’s eyes.
He was practically the intelligence commander of Sayoung Hall, having spent years analyzing and refining countless pieces of information.
Moreover, he possessed analytical prowess and strategic wisdom rivaling Yu Woon Ryong himself—so much so that he assumed command of Sayoung Hall in times of crisis.
As he meticulously combed through the surrounding area,
he discovered the perpetrator’s footprints and several crucial clues.
“Judging by the stride length, the culprit stands approximately six feet three inches tall.”
Wi Cheon Gyeong’s eyes gleamed with piercing intensity.
“The deeper impression of the right footprint suggests a left-handed swordsman from the martial world, carrying a heavy burden near the right hip.”
In truth, such clues alone would make identifying the perpetrator difficult.
But fortunately, a crucial clue remained: the left-handed sword technique.
Left-handed swordsmen were exceedingly rare in the martial world.
“If it’s a left-handed swordsman operating within Gizhou… I should be able to find them without much difficulty.”
Of course, among the Killing Ghosts, some deliberately operated in distant regions to avoid pursuit.
But if they had only targeted vagrants and children from poor families within Gizhou?
They would either be small-time thugs lurking in the outskirts of Geun Dong within Gizhou,
or descendants of influential families who would never face official investigation without substantial evidence.
And with this clue…
I could certainly apprehend the culprit.
“The Seo Mun Family?”
In the separate annex where he was staying,
Wi Cheon Gyeong’s eyes narrowed as he spoke privately with Woo Gyeong, the Sa Hon Dae member who had brought the information.
The person matching the remaining clues
was the youngest of the Seo Mun Family—one who had periodically made secretive nocturnal excursions and concealed his comings and goings from the family.
Seo Mun Gyeong alone fit the profile.
‘Wasn’t he once a figure who briefly made a name for himself as a Sword Demon?’
Seo Mun Gyeong.
Though the Seo Mun Family was renowned for formation techniques, he had been born with a rare talent for the sword.
Under the family patriarch’s full support,
he had received sword instruction from numerous masters since childhood.
When he came of age, the Jeong Mu Dae Hoe was held at Donghyo Seorang, with the position of Spirit Sword Immortal at stake.
Seo Mun Gyeong entered without hesitation and displayed remarkable skill.
But unfortunately,
Bu Eunseol from Nangya Sect, who had just stepped into the martial world for the first time, also participated.
In the end, he suffered a crushing defeat before even making a name for himself in the martial world… and vanished from sight.
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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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