The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 803

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

Chapter 803.
“Are you serious?”
At Hyuk So Jin’s question, Hae Yeon offered a faint smile.
“Who knows.”
“Palace Lord Hae, you certainly are… spirited.”
“You mean that’s strange?”
Hyuk So Jin extended his thumb with an awkward expression.
“Rather than strange, I mean there hasn’t been anyone in Zhong Yuan’s Murim as groundbreaking, bold, and unconventional as the Palace Lord.”
“Yes, I suppose that could be true.”
Hae Yeon’s smile carried a certain melancholy at those words.
“I thought I had succumbed to the poison and died, yet here I am, stepping back into the world after a hundred years… it seems my nature has changed somewhat.”
And with a desolate gaze, she looked up toward the distant sky.
“Now, the only person in this world who remembers me is Hyang Elder alone.”
Upon hearing those words, Bu Eunseol.
Could faintly discern why she had not severed Hyang Elder’s neck.
Though Hyang Elder was of extremely advanced age.
She must have feared killing the only person who remembered her.
Especially after spending a hundred years locked in a crystal coffin in a comatose state, poisoned by extreme toxins, only to awaken…
Her anguish and solitude.
Perhaps no one in this world could truly understand.
“Could you not come to know others from this point forward?”
Bu Eunseol spoke as if to console her.
“Rather than those who remember you from a hundred years ago, those who will remember the Palace Lord as you are now.”
“Thank you.”
Hae Yeon held a parched smile.
And she could perceive that Bu Eunseol, unlike her cold expression, possessed a warm nature.
“I’ve spoken too much needlessly.”
Hae Yeon said.
“In truth, what this Palace Lord desires is but one thing.”
“Speak.”
“If you simply acknowledge that you are this Palace’s Grand Ancestor, that will suffice. Can you do that?”
Speaking as naturally as flowing water, Bu Eunseol nearly found herself nodding without realizing it.
‘What eloquence that draws out one’s very soul.’
Bu Eunseol shook her head as if it were out of the question.
“How could such a thing be possible?”
“It’s fine. I say again, you need only acknowledge the title of Grand Ancestor.”
Hae Yeon spoke words that were unexpected.
“I will never constrain you. I promise you this.”
Remarkably, she was saying she desired only the name of Grand Ancestor, not Bu Eunseol herself.
Had Bu Eunseol only recently ventured into Gangho, she would have readily accepted such an offer.
However, having witnessed the women repeatedly changing their words throughout this time, I firmly shook my head.
“I’m afraid that would be rather difficult.”
“How cold-hearted.”
Hae Yeon pouted slightly, speaking as though disappointed.
“Surely you don’t think I would merely speak thus and harbor some hidden scheme?”
Bu Eunseol wanted to say firmly, “Yes, I do,” but held her tongue.
“It’s not that I suspect you, but as a disciple of Nangya Pavilion, it would be troublesome to register my name with another sect, not the Demonic Path Sect.”
“Ah, the Demonic Path Sect. I see.”
Hae Yeon lowered her head as though disappointed.
Then, as if something occurred to her, she spoke while gazing at Hyuk So Jin.
“By the way, aren’t you the young master of Jeol Cheon Myul Ji?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Has your lord not suffered from some grave ailment?”
Hyuk So Jin nodded vigorously, greatly startled.
“That’s correct. My grandfather’s health was not well. How did you know?”
Hae Yeon narrowed her eyes.
“A hundred years ago, the Palace Lord told me that the Hyuk Family, which leads Jeol Cheon Myul Ji, has suffered from poor hearts generation after generation.”
She spoke with a distant gaze, as though recalling memories from that time.
“So they were always searching for divine medicine that could cure such ailments.”
“Indeed.”
Hyuk So Jin nodded calmly.
“But now he is well. Thanks to Bu Brother’s help, my grandfather has made a complete recovery.”
“Still, he must be a source of worry given his advanced age?”
“Well…”
Just as Hyuk So Jin was about to blink.
Hae Yeon nodded toward a disciple standing at a distance.
Thereupon, a disciple of Wind Divine Palace dressed in pristine white robes entered the Great Hall carrying a large wooden box.
Within the open box lay a ginseng in the shape of a child, white as snow.
It was none other than the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng.
“The Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng.”
Hyuk So Jin’s eyes widened.
Was this not a priceless treasure that could not be purchased even with gold?
“Have your lord brew this and consume it.”
Hae Yeon offered a benevolent smile.
“Then he shall enjoy a lifetime of health and longevity.”
“Is that truly so?”
Hyuk So Jin’s voice trembled with emotion.
“Thank you, Palace Lord.”
To bestow such a priceless treasure without reservation for the health of the grandfather he loved most in this world?
There was no gift that could bring greater joy than this.
“Bu Brother.”
At that, Hyuk So Jin approached Bu Eunseol with an exceptionally serious expression and spoke.
“It is merely a matter of raising your name in rank, is it not? The Palace Lord has his dignity to consider, so let us simply elevate your title to Grand Duke.”
With a single eternal snow flower, Hyuk So Jin’s eyes had become completely unguarded.
“In truth, Bu Brother’s temperament is somewhat cold, but he is genuinely warm-hearted. When I think about it, only someone as spirited as the Palace Lord could be the perfect match destined by heaven to tame Bu Brother. In my opinion, you should visit Nangya Pavilion Master at once….”
As he continued his endless nonsense beside me, I fixed my gaze upon Jegal Seowoon.
―Do you not owe me a debt?
Jegal Seowoon owed me a debt.
Therefore, I judged he would not simply stand by and watch this crisis unfold.
“The Palace Lord certainly is impatient.”
Unable to withstand my burning gaze, Jegal Seowoon stepped forward with an expression of resignation.
“Is there not an old saying that good matters should not be rushed but handled slowly? Would it not be better to discuss that matter at a leisurely pace?”
After all, this place was Wind Divine Palace, and at present, this was a battle I could only lose.
Therefore, the wisest course was to acknowledge defeat quickly and plan for the future.
‘Indeed.’
I regarded Jegal Seowoon with an expression of admiration.
His skill in rapidly analyzing situations was exemplary.
His attempt to avoid provoking Hae Yeon while swiftly extricating himself from this difficult position was truly worthy of a strategist of the Je Gal Family.
“You said you are the young lord of the Je Gal Family?”
“That is correct.”
“Wait a moment.”
Hae Yeon stepped outside the Great Hall for a moment and spoke to a disciple.
Shortly thereafter, one disciple brought forth an ancient iron chest.
When it was opened, a feather fan gleaming with silver light lay within.
Upon the handle, the characters “Small Celestial Silver River” were engraved in relief.
“This is a treasure that entered the original palace long ago, and I heard it has deep connections with the Je Gal Family.”
In that instant, Jegal Seowoon’s eyes widened as if they might split.
What lay within the iron chest.
It was none other than the Crane Feather Fan—the divine treasure the Je Gal Family had long sought!
Trembling.
Jegal Seowoon grasped the Crane Feather Fan with trembling hands.
If he returned with this divine treasure, the lifelong aspiration of the Je Gal Family?
Even the stubborn family lord would forgive him generously, and there would be no more conflict.
“Are you giving this to me?”
“Would I have brought it merely for you to gaze upon?”
“Thank, thank you so much!”
Jegal Seowoon prostrated himself before Hae Yeon.
The Crane Feather Fan could be said to be the very symbol of the Je Gal Family.
Because the family had lost this divine treasure, successive family lords had always carried a burden of guilt in their hearts.
Yet to resolve the Je Gal Family’s sorrow in an instant without any price?
All he wanted was to kneel before Hae Yeon and prostrate himself hundreds of times.
“Palace Lord!”
At last, Jegal Seowoon spoke with a voice trembling with emotion.
“From this day forward, the Je Gal Family shall become a steadfast companion to the Wind Divine Palace!”
Then, pointing at Bu Eunseol, he cried out loudly.
“Of course, the Palace Lord’s lifelong companion shall be the Ryeong Ju!”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened.
So even Jegal Seowoon had completely fallen under Hae Yeon’s spell.
“Well spoken.”
Hyuk So Jin seconded the sentiment with an expression of utmost gravity.
“Throughout all of Tianxia, it seems there is but one person worthy of being Bu Brother’s consort—the Palace Lord Hae herself.”
Then Jegal Seowoon seized upon those words.
“Is the Ryeong Ju not destined to become the Grand Patriarch who unifies the Demonic Path? To accomplish great deeds henceforth, you must be paired not merely with one as formidable in martial prowess as the Palace Lord Hae, but with someone of vast wisdom and magnanimous character.”
The two of them chattered away like comedians trading jests.
Hae Yeon smiled with bashful delight.
Bu Eunseol, by contrast, felt a chill run down her spine.
Was it not said that aged ginger burns the hottest?
Hae Yeon was not clinging to Bu Eunseol or currying favor with her.
Instead, she was winning over their acquaintances in a single stroke, urging them toward a union with herself.
“Since the two of you speak so persuasively, I cannot refuse.”
Everything aligned perfectly.
Hae Yeon spoke with a somewhat bashful expression.
“However, this is a matter for life, so let us merely register the name for now and settle the rest gradually.”
And she turned to address Bu Eunseol.
“You possess both status and reputation in your own right, so I shall not require your seal or oath.”
Bu Eunseol offered no response.
Even if she arbitrarily acknowledged the title of Grand Patriarch, there was no one who would recognize it.
But Hae Yeon had not become the Palace Lord of the Wind Divine Palace by mere chance.
“However, witnesses shall be necessary.”
“Witnesses?”
Instead of answering, she nodded toward a corner of the Great Hall.
A disciple of the Wind Divine Palace came scurrying over and presented a sheet of paper each to Hyuk So Jin and Jegal Seowoon.
Upon it was written that Muk Hon Ryeong Ju Bu Eunseol
had become the Grand Patriarch of the Wind Divine Palace Lord Hae Yeon,
and there was a signature column confirming their witnessing of this arrangement.
“Of course.”
Before Bu Eunseol could even speak,
Hyuk So Jin and Jegal Seowoon were already signing their names and affixing their seals with lightning speed.
They resembled puppies crowding around their master, lacking only tails to wag.
“Very well.”
Hae Yeon accepted the seal with a radiant smile and gently stroked both their heads.
“You may return now.”
Then she turned to Bu Eunseol and spoke.
“I entrust this to you.”
Bu Eunseol could only gape, speechless.
With the witness’s seal already obtained,
it was now an established fact that she had become the Grand Ancestor of the Wind Divine Palace.
“I shall visit the Demon Palace soon. We shall meet again then.”
“That is not acceptable.”
Bu Eunseol shook her head firmly.
She absolutely had to prevent her from coming to the Demon Palace.
“Do not worry. Do you think I am going to boast about becoming Grand Ancestor?”
Hae Yeon spoke with sparkling eyes.
“As I mentioned earlier, I merely wish to visit the Palace Lord and inquire about the truth regarding the death of the previous Palace Lord.”
That was hardly believable.
It was obvious she was using Ma Cheon Je as a pretext to stamp her seal once more upon the Demon Palace.
Yet on the surface, she was merely investigating the cause of the previous Palace Lord’s death—there was no justifiable reason to stop her.
‘Her eloquence is simply beyond compare.’
Bu Eunseol had no choice but to concede defeat.
Hae Yeon possessed an extremely meticulous nature, and once she set her mind to something, she would push it through relentlessly.
And she possessed the bewitching rhetoric to accomplish it all.
“Very well.”
Bu Eunseol could only acquiesce.
This was enemy territory, and the situation was already disadvantageous.
If she took any further action here, she would only sink deeper into the quagmire.
“Then.”
Bu Eunseol bowed respectfully and departed the Great Hall.
“Bu Brother, let us go together.”
“Indeed. It is a shame to part like this—shall we not share a drink?”
As the two men chattered away,
Flash!
Bu Eunseol’s gaze turned glacial,
Whoosh!
and without so much as a glance at them, she immediately unfurled her divine technique and departed the Wind Divine Palace.
* * *
“Well done indeed.”
A cold voice echoed through the darkened Secret Chamber.
“You said to trust the Infinite Realm and see it through to the end, yet in the end, they vanished without a trace.”
The voice resonated loudly through the chamber once more.
“The Empress Dowager is greatly displeased by this. She says we entrusted the task to incompetent fools.”
The voice emanating from the Secret Chamber belonged to none other than Wang Ryang, the Grand Eunuch.
Dong Chang maintained deep ties with the Infinite Realm and wielded considerable influence over the Emperor alongside the Empress Dowager.
However, the Infinite Realm that had been supplying them with vast resources and manpower gradually lost its strength.
Before long, it vanished entirely.
In the end, Dong Chang became like a dog chasing chickens—futile and desperate.
“There is no need for concern, Grand Eunuch.”
The eunuch, who had been prostrating himself, spoke carefully.
“Has not a force far more powerful than the Infinite Realm extended its hand to us?”
“Incheon… was that the name?”
“Indeed, Grand Eunuch.”
The eunuch spoke in a hushed voice.
“They are said to be a faction that has dominated the Murim for ages. Moreover, they possess such formidable power that they stand opposed to the entire Sam Gye, including the Infinite Realm itself.”
“What is it they desire?”
“Nothing.”
The eunuch lowered his head.
“They claim to desire nothing whatsoever.”
“Hmph. Those who claim to want nothing invariably want far more.”
As discontent filled the Grand Eunuch’s voice, the eunuch spoke in haste.
“They are those whom even the powers of the Murim revere. However, due to various circumstances, they remain hidden from sight.”
“I have heard such nonsense before.”
As the Grand Eunuch who oversaw all intelligence in Tianxia, I had heard tales of the Baek Ri Family, Jin Ma, and Incheon.
But such accounts were far too grandiose and absurd.
They were nothing more than baseless legends whispered throughout the Murim.
“The people of the Murim forever weave fantastical tales under the guise of legend.”
“Would it not be all the better if they were mere boasters? They have pledged unconditional cooperation to the Empress Dowager, after all.”
The Grand Eunuch spoke coldly.
“And then?”
“First, we shall deal with the matter of the Grand Academician.”
“You mean Yu Jung Poong?”
“Indeed.”
Yu Jung Poong, the Grand Academician of the Inner Cabinet.
He was the Emperor’s most trusted loyal minister and one who constantly checked the Empress Dowager and Dong Chang.
Particularly because he criticized the Empress Dowager’s interference and actively worked to root out corrupt officials.
To Dong Chang, he was a thorn in the side.
“You can eliminate him? How?”
“Did the Crown Prince not recently fail to perform his court duties?”
“Hmm.”
The Grand Eunuch’s eyes gleamed in the darkness as he grasped the eunuch’s scheme.
“Is such a thing possible?”
“Of course, Grand Eunuch.”
The eunuch bowing before him spoke rapidly.
“Their power is truly formidable. Even if the Geum Ui Wi were to protect him entirely, they would handle it without difficulty.”
“Hmm.”
“Even if they fail, there is no loss—only gain.”
The eunuch lowered his head.
“If they succeed in this matter, it would prove that we possess an extraordinary master capable of defeating even the greatest sect leaders of our age.”
The Grand Eunuch gazed out the window for a moment, lost in deep contemplation.
“Excellent.”
Turning his head, he spoke with solemn authority.
“If Yu Jung Poong is eliminated without a trace, I shall personally petition the Empress Dowager on your behalf.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
As the eunuch raised his head after bowing, the Grand Eunuch had already vanished like mist.
“It is done.”
The eunuch smiled, baring his white teeth.
“If the Empress Dowager makes contact with them… the plan will proceed even more smoothly.”
This matter was as good as accomplished.
The Eight Immortals Heaven.
One of those terrifying masters had agreed to act.
Yu Jung Poong was already as good as dead.
* * *
Yu Woon Ryong was the busiest person in the Sayoung Battle Division.
If one were to list all the matters he handled, it would fill an entire volume of books.
Especially recently, he had become even more occupied.
The first reason was Bu Eunseol’s recent movements.
Of late, she had been conducting herself with such independence and secrecy that even the Sa Hon Dae could not track her.
And Yu Woon Ryong, sensing intuitively why Bu Eunseol was acting this way,
always maintained readiness to assist her.
“What in the world is happening now?”
Upon receiving a report from the Sa Hon Dae
that they could not locate any recent traces of Bu Eunseol,
he shook his head and let out a heavy sigh.
“She must be handling something dangerous alone again.”
Yu Woon Ryong’s expression grew troubled.
Whenever her subordinates faced danger or
when a terrifying supreme master appeared as an enemy, Bu Eunseol invariably concealed her movements and
handled everything independently.
Moreover, given that she had visited the Nangya Pavilion multiple times, it was clear she herself faced a grave crisis.
“Then I must complete this quickly.”
The second reason was through the Mental World—
the secret to confronting masters of boundless martial prowess beyond imagination.
It was all because of completing the Heart Eye Mirror from the Jiyugeunyeo.
“This was fortune indeed.”
Yu Woon Ryong had actually obtained a tremendous opportunity a year ago.
A way to shatter the boundaries of reality itself.
An ancient mystical relic and secret tome inscribed with methods to drag enemies into the Mental World.
He had acquired the Jiyugeunyeo.
It was thanks to work he had begun to help Bu Eunseol.
If there were mysterious forces passed down through generations in Murim, then surely the ancient sages and iron-willed masters would have written about them.
―Bring me every ancient text from the Old Bookstore in Zhong Yuan. Even miscellaneous writings will do.
Yu Woon Ryong had acquired ancient texts through Sa Hon Dae, and whenever time permitted, he would visit the Old Bookstore in Seong Do to peruse tens of thousands of volumes.
And through sheer coincidence.
He obtained a bizarre ancient text called the Jiyugeunyeo from the Old Bookstore.
It was written in oracle bone script, with seemingly mundane and tedious diary-like entries listed throughout.
But Yu Woon Ryong discovered that not only was a specific cipher system applied between the ordinary sentences.
But when the illustrations scattered throughout were reflected in a mirror, mystical dharma teachings became visible.
―There is something more.
After checking multiple times.
There were dharma teachings that could be found by tilting certain characters or subtly altering their colors.
The Heart Eye Mirror.
The dharma teachings in the Jiyugeunyeo were created by ancient sages.
Utilizing true learning and mystical sorcery, along with the subtleties of martial arts.
The Heart Eye Mirror was inscribed—a mystical true learning that could confront enemies through the Mental World.
―I must complete this myself.
If I were to give it to Bu Eunseol?
He would be unable to do anything else while deciphering it.
And if I were to share this with the other Lords? The mystical teachings of the Jiyugeunyeo might leak to the outside.
―The teachings are incomplete, and there are far too many places that need work.
Moreover, the condition of the tome was imperfect, with portions of the teachings missing.
Ultimately, Yu Woon Ryong combined the various martial arts secret tomes and true methods Bu Eunseol had transmitted.
And the principles of martial arts he had researched and the subtleties of true learning, continuously refining the techniques of the Heart Eye Mirror.
―It must be completed.
Currently, incomprehensible super-masters were appearing one after another in Murim.
If they all wielded Infinite Realm power or stood upon the Choguk Dowon?
A situation where even military superiority would mean nothing.
Only by completing this technique could he face them.
Knock knock.
At that moment, a knocking sound came from the door along with a low voice.
“Lord, it is Mu Gwang.”
“Enter.”
The door opened and his adjutant Mu Gwang approached with a cautious expression and spoke.
“There is someone requesting an audience with the Lord.”
“Requesting an audience?”
The phrasing was rather peculiar.
Yu Woon Ryong tilted his head slightly and replied curtly.
“Tell me what they want.”
“Well, they made a discreet request.”
Mu Gwang scratched his head as he spoke.
“They said they are a martial artist from the Lord’s household.”
“What?”
“They said it would be difficult to deliver a letter to the Lord, so they came directly to Ben Jeon.”
In that instant, Yu Woon Ryong’s eyebrows shot upward.
He had severed ties with his family long ago and had no involvement in household affairs.
He had only sought out his father, Yu Jung Poong, to resolve the matter of the Cheon In Sect in the past.
And they had reached a certain degree of reconciliation.
Yet now, unexpectedly, a martial artist from the Main House was searching for him?
‘Something has happened.’
Yu Woon Ryong took a deep breath and nodded.
“Where is he?”
After receiving the location from Mu Gwang, Yu Woon Ryong made his way to a private room in a quiet tea house situated some distance from Seong Do.
The space was secluded, allowing for conversation without concern for the attention of others.
“Jang Gang.”
Yu Woon Ryong’s eyes widened at the unexpected sight.
A middle-aged martial artist already seated in the private room.
During his miserable childhood, he had not been swept up in the household’s atmosphere.
Was this not Jang Gang, the martial artist from the Geum Ui Wi who had quietly looked after him?

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