The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 804
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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 804.
“It has been a long time, Young Master Yu.”
Jang Gang gazed at Yu Woon Ryong with a radiant smile.
“Seeing you grown so splendidly fills my heart with profound emotion.”
Jang Gang was a guardian from the Geum Ui Wi, remarkably loyal and capable. Beyond that, he had secretly cared for Yu Woon Ryong during his childhood when the boy was scorned, dedicating himself to his protection.
That Yu Woon Ryong could grow safely was no exaggeration to attribute to Jang Gang’s guardianship.
“I have always heard tales of your remarkable deeds, Young Master.
“What brings you here?”
Yu Woon Ryong felt an ominous premonition stirring within him.
Jang Gang, who never left Yu Jung Poong’s side through rain or snow, constantly protecting him from countless perils—
had suddenly sought him out.
“What has happened?”
“The matter is this.”
Jang Gang’s expression darkened considerably.
After hesitating briefly, he spoke to Yu Woon Ryong.
“I hesitated to inform you, fearing it would burden you, Young Master.
“Speak freely. What exactly has occurred?”
Jang Gang opened his mouth with great caution.
“Your father faces grave danger.”
“Father?”
Yu Woon Ryong’s eyes gleamed sharply.
There was but one person in all of Tianxia who would dare target the Grand Counselor most trusted by the Emperor.
“The Empress Dowager is making her move.”
“Indeed.”
Jang Gang sighed heavily.
“The Crown Prince, who departed for recuperation… the Empress Dowager now hunts him.”
The Crown Prince had long suffered from a skin affliction and remained in poor health.
Taking advantage of the moment when the Infinite Realm collapsed and the Empress Dowager’s power waned, he departed for treatment—
Yet unexpectedly, the Empress Dowager swiftly allied with another faction and immediately began targeting the Crown Prince.
Seizing the Crown Prince would grant her an excellent opportunity to manipulate the Emperor himself.
“The Crown Prince’s faction has learned of the Empress Dowager’s designs and is breaking through the blood route to return to the Imperial Palace… but the outcome remains uncertain.”
“Then.”
“Precisely.”
Jang Gang bit his lip.
“As circumstances grew dire, your father became the bait to protect the Crown Prince.”
Yu Woon Ryong grasped the situation immediately.
The Empress Dowager sought to commit all her strength to capturing the Crown Prince in this opportunity.
Yet she could not openly mobilize vast forces, so she would dispatch her finest masters to seize him.
But what if Yu Jung Poong, that perpetual thorn in her side who always spoke uncomfortable truths, suddenly appeared as bait?
The Empress Dowager’s faction would find it more certain to seize Yu Jung Poong than to pursue the uncertain whereabouts of the Crown Prince.
I would rather choose Yu Jung Poong, whom I can kill with certainty.
“In the end, the Crown Prince descended to the Seo Ho Estate under the pretext of observing the sentiments of the people.”
Jang Gang spoke with a pained expression.
“Knowing the Crown Prince’s intention to become bait, His Majesty sent the Geum Ui Sip Pal Young, but… it is a situation where we cannot guarantee his life.”
“Has the relationship between the Emperor and the Empress Dowager deteriorated to that degree?”
In truth, the power struggle between the Emperor and the Empress Dowager was nothing new.
However, since the situation within the Murim alone was overwhelming, Yu Woon Ryong had not been paying attention to the imperial court’s movements.
“It seems the root of the problem lies in the Empress Dowager’s faction insisting on their own candidate for the position of Protector General this time.”
Jang Gang wore a bitter expression.
“In the end, the Emperor firmly refused, and it appears the Empress Dowager is determined to take revenge.”
“However, has the power of Dong Chang, which could be called the Empress Dowager’s instrument, not been greatly weakened? Due to the collapse of the Infinite Realm.”
The Empress Dowager wielded the formidable Dong Chang, and Dong Chang received substantial support from the renowned Infinite Realm.
But now that Bu Eunseol had destroyed the Infinite Realm, the Empress Dowager’s influence, and consequently Dong Chang’s prestige, had no choice but to decline sharply.
“The moment the Infinite Realm collapsed, those who had been waiting approached Dong Chang.”
Jang Gang spoke with a sigh.
“They possess power and influence even greater than the Infinite Realm once had… and have become arrogant once more.”
“Who are these people?”
“Nothing has been revealed yet, but they are said to be a mysterious organization that had never been exposed in the Murim until now.”
“A mysterious organization.”
Yu Woon Ryong fell into deep contemplation for a moment.
Then he asked calmly.
“If the Crown Prince volunteered to become bait, would it not be relatively simple to stop the assassins?”
The Geum Ui Sip Pal Young are among the finest masters in the imperial court.
Moreover, it was clear that those attempting to assassinate Yu Jung Poong were from Dong Chang.
If they properly detected their movements, they could even preemptively eliminate the assassins.
“If Dong Chang has colluded with Murim forces, it would not be difficult to detect and eliminate them in advance.”
“That is correct. We operated our intelligence organization with that in mind and were able to locate their base quite easily.”
Yu Woon Ryong’s eyes gleamed.
“It must have been information deliberately leaked by Dong Chang. They would also be curious about the power of the forces allied with them.”
“That is correct. We reached that conclusion as well. In any case, we identified the location and sent troops.”
Jang Gang spoke in a trembling voice.
“But in the end, they were all killed by a single person.”
“A single person?”
Yu Woon Ryong’s eyes gleamed.
To uproot the forces allied with Dong Chang, he must have sent enough military force to sweep away even considerable sects in an instant.
Yet such masters were killed by merely one person?
“Surely not.”
“It appears to be a master from the Mujik Gyeong.”
“That cannot be.”
“I am certain.”
Jang Gang took a deep breath and spoke.
“Even if a master of the Four Gods Seven Kings’ caliber had arrived, we possessed forces capable of holding them back. Yet a single individual slaughtered them all.”
“Who is this person?”
“We have yet to uncover their identity. However… they wield a spear stained crimson with blood as their weapon.”
“A spear.”
Yu Woon Ryong’s eyes narrowed.
Many masters in the Murim wielded spears.
But no known master of the Mujik Gyeong employed a spear.
If Jang Gang’s words were true… a new master of the Mujik Gyeong—one who had never appeared in the Murim until now—had emerged.
“Indeed, if this is a master of the Mujik Gyeong, there would be no need to command vast armies. They could handle the matter quietly.”
Yu Jung Poong, the Grand Academician of the Inner Court, was a figure symbolizing integrity and enjoyed the absolute support of the common people.
Moreover, he was currently guarded by the Geum Ui Sip Pal Young, among the most formidable generals in the realm.
If one were to lead a massive force to assassinate him, complications would surely arise.
But a master of the Mujik Gyeong?
There would be no need to mobilize vast armies—they could accomplish the assassination silently and cleanly.
“The Minister is scheduled to arrive at the Seo Ho Estate in ten days. Of course, this information has not yet spread.”
“So we have ten days.”
“Indeed. The Minister’s official purpose is an incognito inspection to gauge the sentiments of the people. But in truth, he chose such a place to avoid bringing harm to anyone.”
Jang Gang gazed at Yu Woon Ryong with an earnest expression.
“Now, our only hope rests with you, young master.”
A moment of silence fell.
Yu Woon Ryong sat in deep contemplation, his expression grave.
If a master of the Mujik Gyeong came to kill his father, Yu Jung Poong…
To stop such a person, one would need an equally formidable master of the Mujik Gyeong.
Currently, those known to have reached the Mujik Gyeong in the Demon Hall were Ma Cheon Je, Chong Gyo Ryeong, and Elder Hall Master Jeok Bung.
Of course, Bu Eunseol had reached the Choguk Dowon, but there was no guarantee she could achieve victory against a true master of the Mujik Gyeong.
‘If I deploy all forces of the Sayoung Battle Division, we could hold them back.’
If we mobilized every warrior of the Sayoung Battle Division and fought with absolute desperation…
Even a master of the Mujik Gyeong could be stopped.
But the problem was the casualties.
How many of the Sayoung Battle Division’s warriors would perish to stop this assassin… the calculation was simply impossible to determine.
“Does the Demon Hall not possess many formidable warriors?”
Jang Gang spoke carefully.
“Beyond Ma Cheon Je, there are other exceptional masters. Surely they could hold them back.”
Yu Woon Ryong offered a bitter smile.
To mobilize a master of the Mujik Gyeong for his personal affairs was simply unthinkable from the start.
‘Moreover, this is not even a matter of the Murim, is it?’
Yet Jang Gang came from the Gwan Bu and did not fully understand the nature of the Demonic Path.
Or perhaps he did understand.
Which is why he had come to him so desperately, pleading to save Yu Jung Poong.
After a long silence, Yu Woon Ryong nodded as if he had made a decision.
“I understand. I’ll handle this matter myself.”
“Thank you, Young Master.”
“There’s no need for you to thank me, Uncle Jang.”
Jang Gang was his bodyguard, but he was still his father in every sense.
There was no reason for him to offer thanks.
“I’ve always waited for the day when the youngest Young Master and the Lord would reconcile. After the Lord met with His Majesty the Emperor previously….”
As Jang Gang spoke with excitement, Yu Woon Ryong cut him off.
“Uncle Jang. Time is pressing, so please return first. I’ll prepare a few things and then head to the Seo Ho Estate.”
“Yes, yes. I understand.”
After Jang Gang left, Yu Woon Ryong returned to the Demon Palace.
Seated in his office, he fell into deep contemplation.
“A master of the Mujik Gyeong.”
No matter how much I thought about it, there was ultimately only one thing I could do.
Swish, swish.
Brush in hand, I sat and wrote continuously for quite some time.
After writing relentlessly for nearly two hours, I finally set down my brush.
“Mu Gwang.”
And I called my subordinate Mu Gwang in a low voice.
In case such a day ever came.
I had trained him diligently.
To fill my absence, to shoulder the complex duties and management of the Sayoung Battle Division… I had created another shadow to stand in my place.
“You called for me.”
As Mu Gwang entered, I handed him one of the papers I had been writing on.
“Take this.”
“This is…”
Mu Gwang’s eyes widened.
What I had handed him was a leave of absence request.
“I’ll take my accumulated leave. In the meantime, handle all matters in my stead.”
“Two months?”
Looking down at the paper, Mu Gwang’s eyes grew wide.
Since I had never taken leave before, I could take three months if I wished, not just two.
But I had never even considered using my leave.
Without me, the Sayoung Battle Division wouldn’t function.
“Is it too long for your liking?”
“No, it’s not that… I’m just worried whether I can do it well.”
“You can do it.”
Despite my encouragement, Mu Gwang scratched his head.
“It seems impossible. I’ll inform the other Lords beforehand and ask for their help instead.”
“Mu Gwang.”
Yu Woon Ryong gazed into Mu Gwang’s eyes with an expression of utmost solemnity.
“You must handle this alone.”
“Alone, sir?”
“Yes. That is precisely why I have been teaching you so diligently all this time.”
“Master.”
“Do not worry. You will do well.”
Yu Woon Ryong offered a smile as gentle as a spring breeze, uncharacteristic of him.
“Trust in your own abilities.”
And he spoke in a kind voice.
“And tell no one that I am taking leave. Those fools will be absolutely insufferable about it.”
Rising from his seat, Yu Woon Ryong gestured toward the books laid upon the table.
These were the ones he had been writing continuously until now.
“I have written them down in case there are matters you find difficult. They will prove helpful if you review them in your spare moments.”
And he gave Mu Gwang’s shoulder a light pat.
“There is also something I have left in the place where I always keep important documents. You must complete it in consultation with Myo Cheon Woo.”
“What is it, sir?”
“You will understand when you see it. If you believe it impossible to complete even with Myo Cheon Woo, show it to Ryeong Ju.”
Yu Woon Ryong waved his hand dismissively as Mu Gwang was about to ask further.
“I have already informed the Team Members in advance, but this leave is truly meant for rest. Do not attempt to track my whereabouts under any circumstances.”
“Understood. Please have a restful journey.”
“Very well.”
Yu Woon Ryong patted Mu Gwang’s shoulder once more and left a brief parting word.
“Take care of yourself.”
He departed the Office slowly, a faint smile lingering on his face.
Mu Gwang stood dazed, watching that figure for a long while.
The bright smile of Yu Woon Ryong, reflected in the sunlight, had somehow pierced his heart.
“I must not waver.”
Mu Gwang shook his head.
With Yu Woon Ryong absent, the Sayoung Battle Division would soon descend into chaos.
To prevent such a situation, he now had to execute his duties with absolute precision.
* * *
Having departed the Demon Palace, Yu Woon Ryong spent considerable resources.
He secretly purchased elite mercenaries with deep expertise in formation arrays and mechanical mechanisms.
And at the entrance to the Seo Ho Estate where Yu Jung Poong would be staying, he began covert preparations.
‘No method exists to defeat a master of the Mujik Gyeong.’
If the assassin truly were a master of the Mujik Gyeong?
Without bringing all the martial artists of the Sayoung Battle Division and Bu Eunseol, victory against such a master would be absolutely impossible.
‘But mutual destruction is not beyond possibility.’
Those who have reached the Mujik Gyeong are not gods.
Until now, Yu Woon Ryong had handled information on countless supreme masters.
I delved deeply into research on the Mujik Gyeong—a state of non-action—and the phenomenon known as Mujik Yeokryeong.
And the conclusion I reached
was remarkably similar to what Bu Eunseol had always maintained.
One need not ascend to the Mujik Gyeong itself to shatter Mujik Yeokryeong.
Most crucially, within a space like the Mental World, even they were no different from ordinary mortals.
And in truth, these very principles
were the crux of the Sim An Gyeong—the Mental World that I had been continuously researching through the ancient tome Gi Yu Geum Yo.
‘Though it is not yet perfectly complete.’
The Sim An Gyeong remained unfinished, yet I had no choice.
‘Even in its incomplete state, deploying the Sim An Gyeong requires numerous mechanisms.’
I commanded elite mercenaries and countless laborers
to ceaselessly install formation arrays in a secluded forest some distance from the Manor.
This was the foundational work I had researched thus far to manifest the Sim An Gyeong.
The assassin would surely enter the Manor through this very place.
My father Yu Jung Poong must have chosen this Manor with only a single entrance to buy time against enemy attacks.
‘Just a little more.’
I harbored neither fear nor regret.
Confronting a master of the Mujik Gyeong alone was nothing but a vain dream.
Yet because I had gained the fortune of obtaining the mysterious ancient text Gi Yu Geum Yo, I held hope that I could shatter this calamity.
Thus, forgetting even sleep,
I repeated the endless cycle of researching and installing formation arrays day and night alongside the mercenaries.
However, since my face was somewhat known, I disguised myself as an ordinary martial artist when directing the mercenaries.
Five days later.
A bearded Middle-Aged Man approached me as I crouched in the forest surrounding the Manor, writing something.
He was a master of mechanical formations and the elite mercenary I had hired.
“It is complete.”
The mercenary spoke with an exhausted expression.
“From the entry route to this Manor through to every location you desired, all work is finished.”
“You have labored well.”
I immediately produced an envelope containing promissory notes.
“I have added a bit more than promised. Please distribute it to your colleagues as well.”
The mercenary counted the promissory notes within the envelope and nodded.
“You are more generous than expected. My gratitude.”
And he departed with his companions.
Thereafter, I continued to invite specialists from various fields and ceaselessly installed mechanisms throughout the forest.
I spent money like water, expending it all,
and when issuing instructions, the matters became so intricate that eventually I compiled them into written documents for distribution.
Thus another four days elapsed.
“It is done.”
I wiped the sweat from my brow and let out a cry of exultation.
Though imperfect, I have completed the Sim An Gyeong in my own way.
My face had grown haggard from not sleeping a single moment during this time, and dark circles shadowed the hollows beneath my eyes.
Yet my pupils gleamed like jewels with unprecedented brilliance.
“What remains now is the will of heaven.”
Yu Woon Ryong lifted his gaze toward the Distant Sky.
In two days, my father Yu Jung Poong would arrive.
Dong Chang’s intelligence network was woven throughout Zhong Yuan.
Likely, shortly after his arrival, assassination attempts would commence immediately.
Assassins from the forces seeking alliance with Dong Chang—masters of the Mujik Gyeong.
“Let me review this once more.”
Yu Woon Ryong inspected the conditions within the Sim An Gyeong that had been constructed along the Mountain Path leading into the Manor.
The Sim An Gyeong.
It displayed the landscape of Yu Woon Ryong’s own heart.
Separate from that, a new realm called the Mental World had been created.
Rather than the name Sim An Gyeong (心眼鏡),
The term Sim An Gyeong (心眼境) seemed far more fitting.
“In its own way, it is flawless.”
Surveying the surroundings, I offered a faint smile.
“With this, it should rival the Mental World of Shin Nyeo Gung itself.”
In the past, Bu Eunseol had told me
Of the mysterious gateway created by Yo Hui, the founding ancestor of Shin Nyeo Gung.
There, rather than reality, a Mental World layered new reality upon the existing one unfolded,
And though one remained only briefly, two days of time had allegedly passed.
And I
Had completed the space of this mysterious Sim An Gyeong—not reality itself, yet all that transpires there becomes reality.
Even various mechanisms to battle enemies of tremendous power.
“I wish Mu Gwang and Myo Cheon Woo could have joined forces to complete it.”
I regarded with regret how Bu Eunseol, consumed with endless tasks,
Had nonetheless researched various formation techniques so that her subordinates would not lose their lives in vain.
And through fortune, I had obtained
The Ki Yu Geum Seo—a technique capable of creating the layering effect of a Mental World without ascending to the Mujik Gyeong.
A new formation technique, a new principle of Ki, the pinnacle of Qi Men Dun Jia (奇門遁甲)—the Sim An Gyeong.
Yet despite a year of effort, it remained incomplete.
I had left the Sim An Gyeong in a secret location for Mu Gwang and Myo Cheon Woo to complete in the future, but…
Whether they would complete it or pass it to Bu Eunseol remained uncertain.
“Through this matter, I shall draw closer to completion.”
This matter was not merely to save my father, Yu Jung Poong.
The Sim An Gyeong.
This would become the technique to reshape the landscape of Sayoung Battle Division and Murim henceforth.
And to complete this incomplete dharma in the future,
I needed to accumulate information and data through real combat against masters of the Mujik Gyeong, fighting again and again, to complete the Sim An Gyeong.
Through my death, I would leave a foundation for Mu Gwang and Myo Cheon Woo to complete the Sim An Gyeong.
Yu Woon Ryong closed his eyes.
Now he was imagining the interior of the Sim An Gyeong he had constructed and conducting a final inspection of that place.
Thud, thud.
As one walks into the pitch-black space,
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Countless shuriken rain down like a storm, then immediately pass through the enemy’s body transparently.
In truth, they were not real shuriken at all—merely devices to signal that this space was an illusion.
Thud, thud.
Continuing to walk slowly, a colossal labyrinth with walls stretching to the ceiling comes into view.
The enemy would advance directly through the walls without hesitation.
After all, they could only conclude that the labyrinth’s walls were illusions as well.
Crash.
But upon venturing a certain distance inward, there exists a point where the body can no longer pass through.
Meticulously crafted real structures are interwoven throughout.
Moreover, these structures were extraordinarily solid, and doors that opened and closed arbitrarily had been constructed.
Yu Woon Ryong opened his eyes again, a smile playing at his lips.
“Naturally, they would attempt to destroy everything here.”
For a master who has entered the Mujik Gyeong,
such sturdy and massive walls could be shattered as easily as corn stalks.
Ultimately, they would obliterate all these troublesome obstacles in one fell swoop.
“When that happens, the true power of the Sim An Gyeong will be unleashed.”
The master who enters the Sim An Gyeong would soon conclude that this space is one where illusion and reality are intermingled.
But unable to distinguish them perfectly, they would collapse everything at once.
In that moment, the Sim An Gyeong would become a mental world dominated by me.
Because the very belief that illusion and reality are intermingled is the condition that triggers the Sim An Gyeong’s function.
“Within this Sim An Gyeong, even a master of the Mujik Gyeong would be able to fight on relatively equal terms.”
Yu Woon Ryong closed his eyes once more.
The image of fiercely battling a master of the Mujik Gyeong appeared in his mind due to the Sim An Gyeong’s effect.
But as the battle continues in this manner?
Eventually, the master of the Mujik Gyeong would perceive that my actual martial prowess is not so remarkable.
That I can only endure because of the Sim An Gyeong’s function.
For a master who has reached such heights of martial arts, this would be an extremely irritating situation.
And at that moment, they would unleash a transcendent power—Mujik Yeok Ryeong—capable of collapsing the interior of this Sim An Gyeong in one stroke.
“Then it ends.”
A brilliant radiance erupted from Yu Woon Ryong’s eyes.
The Sim An Gyeong’s final function.
By unleashing the ability to reflect the tremendous power the enemy has unleashed, I could strike them down in a single moment.
“Even if it succeeds….”
Yu Woon Ryong gazed toward the distant sky, a faint smile playing at his lips.
“In the end, I am destined to perish.”
The Sim An Gyeong remained incomplete.
Even if he deployed it to slay Hyung Su, the caster would inevitably meet death.
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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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