The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 790
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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 790.
A piercing stare that seemed to bore through me.
As I observed the expressionless woman from the Needle Pavilion, I tilted my head to survey my surroundings.
But there was no one nearby.
‘She came alone to see me?’
No matter how I thought about it.
A Medical Woman who managed martial robes would have no reason to appear at this late hour.
She had come to the isolated Jeol Jeong Gak in the North Gate Bamboo Forest and now stared at me sitting in my office.
[Do you have something to say?]
After deliberation, I sent a telepathic message to the Medical Woman.
A nod.
As if she had been waiting, the Medical Woman nodded with that same piercing expression.
‘Something is amiss. If she had come intentionally, she would have announced herself first.’
Though I sensed something wrong, I had no choice but to step outside.
As I emerged, the Medical Woman slowly walked deeper into the Bamboo Forest.
After walking for some time, we reached a secluded clearing. She turned around and spoke in a low voice.
“Your perception is remarkable. With such skill, it makes sense you survived Gwon In’s hands.”
The woman’s voice was low and clear, yet her eyes were vacant.
It was as if she were sleeping with her eyes open.
‘Soul Possession Technique?’
Someone had deployed a possession technique on the Medical Woman, and was clearly speaking to me through her mouth.
“A strange possession technique indeed.”
“It differs somewhat from possession. A secret art unknown to the Murim, one might say?”
Remarkably, the woman was not mechanically reciting memorized words.
It was as if someone’s consciousness had inhabited her body and was conversing with me directly.
‘This is impossible.’
I was greatly shocked.
No matter how masterful one was with possession techniques.
One could command actions or relay messages, but never engage in immediate conversation like this.
“There is nothing surprising about it. The Murim contains many wondrous techniques beyond imagination.”
“You are speaking through her body?”
The Medical Woman—or rather, the mysterious person who had subdued her—understood my thoughts and continued speaking at ease.
“Precisely. I listen through her senses and respond immediately.”
A flash.
In an instant, my pupils turned pure white.
The one who had sent the Medical Woman was hiding nearby, deploying the possession technique.
Yet within a hundred paces around me, I could find no one concealed.
“It is futile. I am not in this vicinity.”
“If you wish to speak with the Original Heaven’s Master, reveal yourself.”
“There is no need for such hostility. I merely wish to offer you counsel.”
“I have no reason to speak with someone who hides their identity.”
As Bu Eunseol turned to leave, the Medical Woman spoke coldly.
“Gong Son Dan Gyeong. Even though her life hangs in the balance?”
I froze.
At those words, I had no choice but to stop in my tracks.
“Why are you targeting the Chief?”
“Not at all. It is not I who targets her.”
There was a hint of playfulness in the Medical Woman’s voice.
What sorcery was this?
The woman was transmitting even the emotions of the one who had deployed the technique.
“Then who is targeting her?”
“Do you not already know?”
“Incheon? Or are you speaking of Gwon In?”
“Hehehehe. It seems she has told you everything.”
The Medical Woman shook her head.
“Gong Son Dan Gyeong. She is not the type to share information she knows with just anyone.”
“….”
“In any case, if you wish to keep her alive, it would be wise to distance yourself from her now.”
The Medical Woman spoke again.
“If you continue to disturb her heart, she will eventually be put to death.”
“I do not understand your meaning.”
“I would not think you so foolish as to fail to grasp my words.”
Of course, I understood perfectly well what the Medical Woman meant.
But it could not be.
Had not Gong Son Dan Gyeong always treated me with cold composure and restraint?
She had never shown me any particular emotion.
That she harbored feelings for me? It was absurd.
“It seems you are laboring under a misunderstanding.”
I spoke calmly.
“The Chief and I meet without any personal sentiment between us.”
“That is merely your perception.”
Only then could I discern the identity of the one manipulating this Medical Woman.
“You are the one who lured the Chief here. Someone she knows well.”
“Oh, did she speak of me?”
“No, she did not.”
I spoke honestly.
“She sought to conceal your identity, even at the cost of her own life.”
That answer seemed unexpected.
The Medical Woman fell silent for a moment before speaking again.
“Since you have spoken truthfully, I shall do the same.”
And she continued speaking in a resolute tone.
“If you continue to unsettle her heart….”
The Medical Woman paused briefly before continuing.
“I dare predict that she will ultimately perish. Because of you.”
Bu Eunseol’s face hardened.
It was far too ominous a statement to dismiss lightly.
“You must remember this well.”
“Why would she die because of me….”
Instead of answering, the Medical Woman extended a gleaming orb.
“What is this.”
As Bu Eunseol gazed upon the orb,
Whoosh!
The orb suddenly vanished, and millions of points of light scattered outward.
The radiance swiftly filled the entire Bamboo Forest, then disappeared completely as if nothing had transpired.
“What was that.”
Bu Eunseol asked, but the Medical Woman’s eyes had gone vacant and hollow.
Thud, thud.
She slowly withdrew from the Bamboo Forest as though nothing had occurred.
The moment Bu Eunseol sensed something amiss and moved to pursue her,
“This is….”
Only then did I realize my body was faintly shimmering.
The mysterious light that had adorned the entire dark Bamboo Forest was lingering upon my form.
Zing.
And simultaneously,
An alien sensation flooded my mind—as though something incomprehensible was being forcibly injected into me.
It felt strikingly similar to when I had received the Heavenly Jade from Yang Seol Rin, infused with Cheon Hae Sung’s power.
“Was this a trap.”
My heightened senses were sounding a subtle alarm.
I had lowered my guard, thinking she was merely communicating through the Sect Speech technique.
Yet she suddenly deployed some incomprehensible grand technique?
Whoosh.
The light vanished swiftly.
And with it, the Medical Woman’s unpleasant words echoed through my mind.
“She will die because of you.”
Bu Eunseol stared into the darkness with an unfocused gaze.
I had never unsettled Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s heart.
And she had never shown me any affection either.
‘One with such power would not speak nonsense.’
Had her emotional state changed in ways I failed to perceive?
“Is she still within the Murim Alliance.”
No matter how formidable one’s martial prowess, infiltrating the Murim Alliance and placing a soul-binding technique on a Medical Woman was no simple feat.
But if the perpetrator were an insider?
They could approach the Medical Woman with ease, and deploying the soul-binding technique in secret would present no difficulty whatsoever.
“It wouldn’t be Sam Gye.”
If it were someone from Sam Gye?
They could mobilize the countless hidden organizations concealed within the Murim Alliance.
There would be no need to go through the trouble of placing such a bizarre soul-binding technique on the Medical Woman just to relay a message.
“The fact that they went out of their way to deliver this warning to me and then departed…”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes narrowed to slits.
It was certainly not Sam Gye, but rather a new force that had emerged, and they had taken notice of the man called Seon Woo Jin.
“My collision with Gwon In was orchestrated by them as well.”
The one who had spoken through the Medical Woman’s lips
was someone no intelligence organization scattered throughout Murim could possibly know about.
They were aware that Seon Woo Jin had clashed with Gwon In and survived by his hand.
That much was certain.
They were undoubtedly the one who had ensnared Gong Son Dan Gyeong and orchestrated the collision between herself and Gwon In.
‘I will catch you.’
Returning to her office, Bu Eunseol
mobilized the Sa Hon Dae and the Elite Division to investigate the Medical Woman who had approached her.
If a soul-binding technique had been placed, there must be someone who had approached her in secret.
She intended to capture the mastermind behind this through that person.
―There was no one who had approached that Medical Woman in any particular way.
However, the one who manipulated the Medical Woman had completely concealed their tracks and left no trace whatsoever.
Of course, considering that this was a force that had never been revealed in Murim until now,
it would actually be strange if they were easily discovered.
But why would they deliberately use the Medical Woman’s mouth to approach me and leave such a warning?
‘That light.’
Bu Eunseol suddenly understood.
Their purpose was to pour that light upon me through someone I knew nothing about.
Knock, knock.
At that moment, Tae Mu Ryong entered the office.
“Lord. An order has come down to inspect each branch of the Murim Alliance.”
He spoke in a low voice.
“Since it is merely a formality, I do not believe Your Lordship needs to go personally.”
Bu Eunseol was occupied with various matters, so Tae Mu Ryong had come to recommend replacing her with Seo Jin Ha.
“No, I shall go and see for myself.”
“Your Lordship will go personally?”
“Indeed.”
Currently, Seon Woo Jin was under the attention of some force whose purpose remained unknown.
Therefore, I absolutely could not exchange identities with Seo Jin Ha.
“The work should be finished by tomorrow, so let us venture out together.”
“Myself as well?”
Tae Mu Ryong’s face brightened in an instant.
Until now, the only official mission he had undertaken with Bu Eunseol was when they went to settle accounts with Hell Blood Sect long ago.
But to venture into Gangho with her?
‘An inspection with the Lord…’
A smile played at the corners of Tae Mu Ryong’s lips.
It was something he dared not ask for, yet had desperately hoped for.
“In truth, such a task could be handled by the Deputy Lord himself. Your position in the outside world as Deputy Director of Cheop Mil Won is that of a Lord-class figure.”
“That… is true.”
Tae Mu Ryong had been rapidly promoted alongside Bu Eunseol and was receiving treatment befitting a Lord-class figure of the Murim Alliance.
With his status, no one would object if he went in place of Seon Woo Jin to inspect the Murim branches.
Thud, thud.
But then, a low sound of footsteps echoed from somewhere.
Tae Mu Ryong turned his head in confusion, only to notice that the tightly closed door had opened.
“When did this open?”
And just as he reached out to close it,
Boom. Boom.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps that shook the earth itself was heard.
Creak.
At the same time, the open door swung wider, and an enormous shadow that seemed to touch the ceiling appeared before their eyes.
At the same time, the door swung open wider, and a massive shadow that seemed to touch the ceiling appeared before his eyes.
“Huh?”
Tae Mu Ryong lifted his head.
And there stood an old man whose age was impossible to discern, possessing tremendous musculature and taut, glistening skin.
“Who are you?”
At Tae Mu Ryong’s question, the old man chuckled and gave his shoulder a light tap with a hand like a cauldron lid.
“You’re out of your depth, boy.”
“Cough!”
In that instant, Tae Mu Ryong spat a clot of blood from his mouth.
From merely the old man’s touch on his shoulder, his meridians felt torn asunder, and he suffered catastrophic internal injuries.
“Shall we settle this here? Or will you leave quietly?”
Bu Eunseol’s pupils dilated sharply.
Gwon In.
The leader of the Gwon In Faction who had once sought to kill both Gong Son Dan Gyeong and her.
He had suddenly stormed into the Office of Jeol Jeong Gak.
“How dare you act so recklessly in this place.”
Bu Eunseol’s gaze turned glacial.
“Have you come to bury your bones here?”
Regardless of how formidable Gwon In’s martial prowess was, this was the Murim Alliance.
He could never ransack this place alone.
“Hehehehe.”
Yet Gwon In burst into laughter instead.
“It matters not. If you wish, sound the alarm. Call the Seven Lords or the Alliance Master himself.”
Gwon In flashed a wide grin, revealing yellowed teeth.
“By the time they arrive at this hall, every subordinate of yours will be dead. And the Original Heaven Master will slip away unscathed.”
Gwon In seemed to have obtained reliable intelligence that Seon Woo Jin cherished his subordinates as dearly as his own body.
“You know no restraint.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes blazed crimson.
For a master of the Mujik Gyeong, infiltrating the Murim Alliance would be no difficult feat.
It was possible to threaten her without regard for consequences.
But Gwon In had committed an unforgivable act.
He had used the lives of her subordinates as leverage—not her own.
“Very well. Let us step outside.”
“Lord, this is unwise.”
Tae Mu Ryong realized the old man was a master beyond imagination and tried to dissuade Bu Eunseol.
“You must never face him alone.”
“It is fine.”
Bu Eunseol gently caressed Tae Mu Ryong’s shoulder.
With a resonant hum, scorching energy suffused his entire body, and his displaced organs returned to their proper places.
The Clear Heart Nourishing Meridian and Purge Filth Strengthen Sinew techniques of the Yeok Geun Gyeong had healed him in a single breath with exquisite precision.
“Tell no one—not the subordinates, not anyone outside. I will return after dealing with that old man.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with firm resolve.
“This is an order.”
If Tae Mu Ryong were to summon the forces of Sa Hon Dae, the Elite Division, or the Murim Alliance?
There would be no way Gwon In could escape unscathed.
“Understood.”
As Tae Mu Ryong lowered his head, Bu Eunseol spoke coldly to Gwon In.
“Follow me.”
“Hehehehe, well reasoned.”
Upon leaving the Murim Alliance with Gwon In, Bu Eunseol immediately unleashed her movement technique.
Within moments, she had escaped the Haenam region entirely and arrived at a desolate plain where no one dwelled.
She came to a halt.
Stopping her technique, Bu Eunseol regarded Gwon In and asked.
“Why did you seek me out?”
“So you are Cheon Ki Sung.”
Gwon In spoke with a faint smile.
“That Cheon Ki Sung whom Ben Cheon searched for so desperately.”
In that instant, I understood.
What that light the Medical Woman from Needle Pavilion had cast upon me was, and what its purpose had been.
‘So that was it.’
The deliberate manipulation of the Medical Woman to appear before me.
While there may have been intent to converse, it was also designed to give Gwon In another opportunity to kill me.
It was some sort of scheme.
“You believe I am Cheon Ki Sung?”
“Are you afraid?”
“How foolish.”
Bu Eunseol’s expression turned hollow.
“The Incheon faction is truly nothing special. To be so easily toyed with by others.”
“Hahaha! Your tongue is quite sharp. You have a talent for roundabout insults, don’t you?”
Gwon In chuckled and nodded.
“I know. There’s no way someone like you could be Cheon Ki Sung.”
“….”
“Someone must have orchestrated this. Trying to use Ben Cheon’s hand to kill you.”
Bu Eunseol could not comprehend.
Now she realized that Gwon In had come to the Murim Alliance risking his life, all while knowing she was not Cheon Ki Sung.
“Then why did you come?”
“Because there was still a possibility.”
Gwon In smiled with satisfaction.
“If you survived my hands at such a young age, you must be hiding considerable martial prowess, wouldn’t you?”
Gwon In smiled with satisfaction and swallowed hard.
“Moreover, word has it you possess keen intellect. Perhaps you may not be Cheon Ki Sung, but you could be one of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Experts concealing your true strength.”
“Is the Old Master’s objective Cheon Ki Sung and the Eighteen Thousand Saber Technique? Or is it to break Jin Ma’s seal?”
“Hehehehe. Even now you’re trying to extract information. You’re a clever one.”
Gwon In changed the subject.
“Ben Cheon’s objective is you. Since entering Gangho, you’re the most appetizing specimen I’ve encountered.”
His eyes gleamed with madness.
It was a madness similar in texture to that which Ak Moo Ryung pursued in his martial way.
Gwon In had discerned that I had cultivated extraordinary martial prowess, and had come with genuine intent to strike me down.
“Very well.”
Realizing that further conversation was meaningless, I nodded.
“Let us cross blades. Until one of us falls.”
“Hahahaha!”
Gwon In burst into wild laughter, appearing utterly delighted.
“Excellent. In a hundred years, you’re the first young one to speak so defiantly to Ben Cheon.”
He continued chuckling as he spoke.
“You’re not thinking of fleeing midway through, are you?”
“Does it seem that way?”
“It could be.”
A flash of light streaked across Gwon In’s eyes.
“Let me warn you in advance—if you attempt to escape, I will immediately go to the Murim Alliance and execute every last one of your subordinates.”
“Hehehehe.”
A low laugh escaped me, and killing intent that could tear Gwon In’s body asunder flowed from my eyes.
“Do you believe everyone in this world fears you?”
“What?”
“It’s quite the opposite.”
Thump.
I ceased laughing and drew upon my inner power.
Hundreds of stones rose into the air before me.
“I will establish a formation that neither of us can escape from until one’s life is extinguished.”
“A formation?”
“Indeed. So that outside interference cannot disrupt our duel, so that mid-battle escape is impossible. Do you consent?”
I spoke coldly.
“Given your slippery nature, I suspect you’d flee in a cold sweat if faced with death. That’s why I ask.”
“Hehehehe.”
Gwon In extended a finger toward my face and burst into wild laughter.
“Kahahaha! So you’re a madman after all!”
And he nodded with satisfaction.
“Excellent, truly excellent. Let it be so.”
“It will take half an incense stick, or perhaps a full one. I must establish a formation that cannot be broken under any circumstances until one of us is dead.”
“Hehehehe. Do as you wish. I shall wait.”
“Very well.”
Bu Eunseol extended her hand.
Crack!
Hundreds of stones scattered in all directions, spreading outward in a perfect circle spanning dozens of zhang in radius.
Clatter, clatter, clack.
As Bu Eunseol drew upon her inner energy once more, the positions of rocks and trees throughout the area shifted.
This was the secret transmission formation technique of Nangya Sect—
a formation from which neither combatant could escape until one lay dead, and from which outsiders could witness nothing of the battle within.
The Life and Death Struggle Formation had been deployed.
Whoooosh.
As the formation finally activated—
the sky darkened.
Colossal boulders thrust upward, the earth fractured with countless rifts, and the landscape transformed into a desolate wasteland where gray sand swirled through the air.
“How peculiar.”
Gwon In’s eyes narrowed as if he had grasped something.
“How does this wretch from the Murim Alliance’s Cheop Mil Won possess the formation techniques of the Ten Demonic Gates…?”
Boom!
Gwon In’s words died unfinished.
In a flash, Bu Eunseol hurled a punch that struck his face with brutal force.
“You talk far too much.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes blazed with violet radiance, and black mirage-like energy began to coil around her entire body.
The true martial techniques she had been unable to fully unleash while maintaining her identity as Seon Woo Jin—
she was about to display them all.
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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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