The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 814

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

Chapter 814.
“The Hwawoo Sword Sect.”
As if the entire Tianxia lay beneath her feet.
Bu Eunseol’s gaze, fixed upon the majestic grandeur of the Hwawoo Sword Sect, wandered aimlessly through the void as though searching for purchase.
‘Then he was not merely a pure member of the Hwawoo Sword Sect.’
Though the Hwawoo Sword Sect possessed exceptional masters, none had refined the Poison Technique to the realm of Poison Mastery Perfection.
‘If that were not the case….’
Mujik Gyeong.
If it were that power transcending the Boundless Martial Doctrine, one need not cultivate the Poison Technique to achieve it.
Perhaps one could wield a Poison Technique equivalent to Poison Mastery Perfection.
‘Then.’
Even if the Hwawoo Sword Sect harbored countless unknown masters,
there was only one person capable of wielding such an ultimate realm of Mujik Gyeong.
At last, Bu Eunseol grasped the true identity of that young one.
“Wi Ji Moo Ah.”
One who manipulates a body like an empty shell, wielding power approaching Mujik Gyeong.
That could only be Hyun Ma, the Sect Master of the Hwawoo Sword Sect—Wi Ji Moo Ah.
There was no other possibility.
‘No, this cannot be.’
If Hyun Ma Wi Ji Moo Ah were the leader of the Inbiyin, nothing could be more chilling or infuriating.
‘I must verify this.’
Bu Eunseol did not hesitate and immediately walked toward the gates of the Hwawoo Sword Sect.
The two Wi Sa guards stationed at the gate changed countenance the moment they beheld her face.
Yet as their eyes met, they offered respectful salutations.
“What brings you to visit our sect?”
“I have come to see the Sect Master.”
The Wi Sa guards paled visibly.
Though unknown to the broader Murim, Bu Eunseol had once severed the financial lifeline controlled by Wi Ji Hye Sang.
That no conflict had erupted was because
Wi Ji Hye Sang’s espionage network planted within the Sayoung Battle Division had been exposed,
and above all, the mediation of the Chong Gyo Ryeong had allowed the matter to pass quietly.
Yet from the Hwawoo Sword Sect’s perspective, they could only harbor extreme hatred toward Bu Eunseol.
And now the very architect of their grievance had arrived unannounced,
seeking their Sect Master, who had remained hidden within the sect like a divine dragon, never showing his face?
“Please wait a moment.”
The Wi Sa guard on the left hurried inside in alarm.
He appeared to be informing the Wi Sa Lord of her visit.
After a considerable wait, a middle-aged man who appeared to be the Wi Sa Lord emerged from the gate and offered his respects.
“I am Jung Wook, Lord of the Jeong Sim Hall.”
Bu Eunseol’s status as the successor to the Demon Palace was exceedingly elevated.
This was why the Hwawoo Sword Sect sent Jung Wook, the Lord of the Reception Hall, to greet them—not Wi Sa, the sect’s supreme leader.
“It is an honor to meet you.”
Jung Wook offered a somewhat perfunctory greeting, his tone measured and calm.
“Please follow me. The Sect Master awaits.”
This was unexpected.
I had assumed he would avoid this meeting by any means necessary.
Yet remarkably, Hyun Ma—who had remained in complete seclusion—had agreed to see me.
Footsteps echoed softly.
The Hwawoo Sword Sect was the largest of all demonic sects, with disciples numbering ten thousand strong.
It rivaled the combined strength of five or six major Murim factions.
When guests of the highest status visited, the sect employed carriages kept within its grounds.
During my previous visits, such courtesy would have been standard, and by now I certainly held a position worthy of such treatment.
Yet Jung Wook had not brought a carriage, instead leading me forward at a leisurely pace on foot.
‘A fitting arrangement, I suppose.’
But I had never sought special treatment, nor could I afford to expect it in these circumstances.
From the Hwawoo Sword Sect’s perspective, I was someone they would gladly tear to pieces.
That I had come of my own accord meant they would wish to mobilize every force at their disposal to strike me down.
In truth, I should be grateful that Wi Ji Moo Ah had permitted this visit at all.
“Ryeong Ju.”
As we proceeded deeper, a young attendant awaited us.
“From this point forward, this child will guide you.”
The attendant appeared to be a servant who accompanied Wi Ji Moo Ah directly.
Wi Ji Moo Ah had completely withdrawn from the sect’s affairs, living in virtual seclusion.
Thus, few could enter the place where he dwelled.
Only someone who resided there could serve as a proper guide.
“Very well.”
As the young attendant took the lead, I resumed my walk.
Along the way, senior disciples and masters of the Hwawoo Sword Sect stared at me from a distance with murderous intent, or whispered in hushed tones.
I paid them no mind, walking forward with perfect composure.
‘I wonder how the Sect Master will react.’
How had the master of the Hwawoo Sword Sect, the greatest of all demonic sects, become an Inbiyin?
Could the Hwawoo Sword Sect itself be a den of the Inbiyin organization?
Or did he possess yet another identity?
‘In any case, it seems most accurate to view our current relationship as one of cooperation with the Inbiyin.’
“Please ascend here.”
The attendant then pointed toward a tall hermitage.
It was a small hermitage located on the back mountain of the Hwawoo Sword Sect.
It appeared to have been built as a place for cultivating inner strength or meditation.
“The Sect Master resides there?”
In the past, Wi Ji Moo Ah had been fond of tea, and had constructed a small dwelling solely for the purpose of tea drinking.
Yet suddenly, he had changed his residence to this desolate hermitage?
Could it be that he was cultivating his martial prowess anew?
“Indeed, sir.”
Si Dong bowed respectfully.
“I see.”
Then he turned and departed.
Bu Eunseol gazed up at the hermitage for a moment.
After pondering for some time, I began to walk.
Step by step.
Yet with each footfall, strange thoughts erupted from within my mind.
What if the one crouched in that hermitage was not Wi Ji Moo Ah at all, but someone entirely different?
What if Hyun Ma had vanished long ago? Such was the peculiar imagination that seized me.
It was an absurd thought, certainly.
Yet I could not fathom how the young one leading In Bi In could be the same person as Wi Ji Moo Ah.
It was an attempt to force reality into some comprehensible shape.
“Come inside.”
As Bu Eunseol stood before the hermitage, a low voice called from within.
Creak.
I pushed open the weathered door and stepped inside.
Within, a man clad in a sleeveless garment was carving wood with a small blade.
The muscles of both arms were bronzed, and his long hair was carelessly bound up.
Upon a small table sat several gourd bottles, and it seemed that as he carved the wood,
he was indulging in drink.
“It has been long.”
As the man brushed dust from his hands and turned, I opened my eyes wide.
Until I saw his back, I had believed him to be not Wi Ji Moo Ah, but rather a martial artist of the Hwawoo Sword Sect dwelling here.
For the aura emanating from his body was utterly unfamiliar.
Yet it truly was Wi Ji Moo Ah.
‘He has changed so completely.’
I could distinguish people not only by their faces but by the form of their bodies.
Wi Ji Moo Ah had possessed an elegant frame, with slender lines and exceptionally pale skin.
But now he had become a middle-aged man with bronzed skin and eyes like a wild beast?
Moreover, though he had already passed seventy, his profound inner strength had granted him the appearance of a refined scholar like jade.
Yet now he bore the visage of a swordsman drenched in blood.
His appearance had transformed so drastically
that I would not have recognized him from a distance.
‘He is cultivating a new martial art.’
I could sense it.
Since reaching the Mujik Gyeong, Wi Ji Moo Ah had not trained martial arts by moving his physical body.
Rather, he had achieved the Way of the Sword through meditation alone.
But perhaps he now.
To cultivate new swordsmanship, I moved my body under the scorching sun and refined my martial arts.
Through this, I seemed to have acquired eyes like a beast and bronzed skin.
‘Remarkable.’
Wi Ji Moo Ah’s disciplined physique was more beautiful than a polished gem and appeared harder than a precious blade.
It was like a masterpiece crafted with all of a god’s devotion.
And that seemed to prove.
That Wi Ji Moo Ah was transcending the boundaries of the Mujik Gyeong.
‘No, I am certain.’
Bu Eunseol could sense it intuitively.
That he too, in his own way, was surpassing the Mujik Gyeong.
“I have been discourteous.”
Only then did Bu Eunseol realize.
That she had been gazing raptly at Wi Ji Moo Ah’s physique with her mind adrift, and she bowed respectfully.
“Your disciple, Bu Eunseol, pays respects to the Sect Leader.”
“It is no easy feat.”
Wi Ji Moo Ah smiled faintly.
“Even if human potential is boundless, there must surely be limits.”
And he offered words of praise.
“How is the Ryeong Ju’s potential so limitless…”
Wi Ji Moo Ah perceived that Bu Eunseol had admired the realm he had achieved.
And that she had gazed upon his body as if entranced by it.
“You are too kind.”
Even at Bu Eunseol’s modesty, Wi Ji Moo Ah nodded as if in admiration.
“Had I not witnessed the battle between Ak Moo Ryung and Ma Cheon Je in the past, I would have gladly considered you my worthy rival.”
Ak Moo Ryung and Ma Cheon Je had clashed several times in their youth, and it seemed Wi Ji Moo Ah had witnessed those battles.
“You are surpassing what those eminent masters achieved in their youth.”
It was reverence for the martial realm that Ma Cheon Je and Ak Moo Ryung had attained.
And it was also the highest praise for Bu Eunseol’s martial prowess, transcending generations and paths.
“But what is the matter?”
Wi Ji Moo Ah offered a smile without malice.
“Until now, there has been no one to touch this sect, so we have been quite safe.”
Though the words seemed barbed, such jesting was in fact.
Not a reproach toward Bu Eunseol who had attacked the Hwawoo Sword Sect, but rather a consideration that treated her warmly.
“I apologize.”
“Apologize for what? Would not any follower of the Demonic Path break the blade that threatens them?”
Wi Ji Moo Ah waved his hand dismissively with an unconcerned expression.
Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened.
Such a broad and magnanimous heart.
Was something not even seen among Taoist priests who cultivated the Way or monks who practiced austerities their entire lives.
‘Hyun Ma.’
Bu Eunseol released a deep sigh from within her heart.
Despite having reached the pinnacle of the Demonic Path’s martial realm.
He did not walk the path of tyranny; instead, he was known to employ martial arts of extraordinary subtlety, much like a Taoist priest of the Orthodox Sects.
And what made this possible was.
A foundation of unfathomable spiritual depth and an inscrutability of heart that lay beneath it all.
“How fortunate—I was growing weary of solitude.”
He picked up a narrow-necked bottle that rested upon the table.
“I was just wondering how to find a drinking companion in this remote hermitage, and here you are.”
Then he tossed the bottle to Bu Eunseol.
Tap.
As Bu Eunseol caught it, Wi Ji Moo Ah broke into a smile, baring his white teeth.
“It is not fine liquor, but it is passable enough to drink.”
“Did you make it yourself?”
“It came to be that way, somehow.”
It was remarkable.
Those who favored tea generally did not favor alcohol.
Wi Ji Moo Ah, who had personally cultivated and roasted tea leaves to suit his own palate.
Now he was brewing alcohol with his own hands?
“I shall drink it with gratitude.”
Bu Eunseol took a sip from the bottle.
The liquor was less potent than expected and mild, smooth and pure like the wine offered upon an ancestral altar.
“How is it? The taste?”
Bu Eunseol nearly let out a laugh.
In the past, Wi Ji Moo Ah had insisted she drink the tea he had made.
And then asked her to critique its flavor, receiving her assessment with utmost seriousness.
And now, was his gaze not identical to that moment?
“It is mild and smooth. There is a subtle, refined flavor as though tea were blended into it.”
“Hehehehe. So I have been found out.”
“You truly did blend tea into it?”
Wi Ji Moo Ah drained the bottle in one gulp and spoke.
“I have devised a method to enjoy both excellent alcohol and tea simultaneously.”
It was an absurd notion, yet Bu Eunseol’s smile deepened rather than faded.
Wi Ji Moo Ah was a master of the Mujik Realm who had wandered the Murim for a lifetime.
In other words, he was like an artisan who revered the old ways and adhered to a single method for ages.
For such a man to unhesitatingly blend alcohol and tea in such an unconventional manner?
Then surely his sword at this moment.
Had transcended the limits of techniques and martial arts that had never appeared in the Murim.
“Come.”
Wi Ji Moo Ah extended his arm to Bu Eunseol once more.
Gulp, gulp.
Like a parched man, he drank a large quantity in one go.
In contrast, Bu Eunseol took only a short sip.
Just by watching how they drank,
one could discern that the two possessed fundamentally opposing temperaments.
Perhaps the same held true in their martial cultivation.
“But what brings this on so suddenly?”
Though Wi Ji Moo Ah’s skin tone and physique had transformed entirely, he had become an even gentler person than before.
Bu Eunseol sighed briefly.
This unassuming Wi Ji Moo Ah,
and Hyun Ma, who moved his body anew for martial prowess and honed his blade—
the notion that they were In Bi In, one who experimented upon and manipulated human flesh, was utterly incomprehensible.
‘Have I been mistaken?’
Wi Ji Moo Ah and the young In Bi In boy differed entirely in speech and demeanor, with not a single point of correspondence.
“There is something I wish to ask.”
“Speak freely.”
“While leading the Hwawoo Sword Sect, foremost among the Demonic Path sects, have you harbored dissatisfaction for some time?”
―Did you join forces with such powers because of discontent with the Hwawoo Sword Sect?
This was an indirect expression acknowledging
that Wi Ji Moo Ah was the boy who had conducted the In Bi In experiments.
“Dissatisfaction, you say.”
At Bu Eunseol’s subtle question, Wi Ji Moo Ah stroked his chin with a grave expression.
“You have only led a coalition. You have yet to operate an independent singular sect, so perhaps you cannot comprehend.”
He tilted the gourd bottle again and drank deeply.
Clink.
Setting down the bottle, he spoke with a smile.
“Leading a sect cannot be described as satisfactory or dissatisfactory.”
Wi Ji Moo Ah’s eyes, now sharpened, gleamed as he spoke.
“One must discard the emotions and sentiments felt by the individual. A sect’s master must devote all his strength solely to ensuring the sect’s prosperity.”
He regarded Bu Eunseol with an enigmatic smile.
“That is the destiny borne by one who leads a sect. Though among the Ten Demonic Gates, there are two—myself included as the current sect master—who have brought their sects to ruin by becoming consumed with personal ambitions.”
Amused by his own words, he burst into hearty laughter.
A sect master consumed by personal ambitions—
that referred to In Ma and Ak Moo Ryung, who entrusted all sect duties to Dan Cheong and repeatedly underwent closed cultivation.
And Wi Ji Moo Ah himself, who had delegated all responsibilities to Wi Hyuk Gyun.
“If a sect master focuses solely on prosperity, might there not be a considerable chance of falling into ruin instead?”
“Reflecting upon the history of Murim, countless sects have arisen, maintained their lineage, and then vanished—this is the natural course.”
Wi Ji Moo Ah’s smile held a certain hollowness.
“In other words, a sect is merely a sect, and the cycle of flourishing and decline repeats eternally. A sect master does nothing but exert all his strength, and the rest is the will of Heaven.”
‘He concedes so easily?’
Though he had spoken in somewhat roundabout terms.
Wi Ji Moo Ah’s words transformed my suspicions into certainty.
Considering the straightforward yet meticulous nature I had observed in Wi Ji Moo Ah until now.
This behavior was rather difficult to comprehend.
‘Does he possess such confidence? Or perhaps….’
I never overlooked even the smallest evidence, and I possessed the power to uncover that Wi Ji Moo Ah was In Bi In.
Yet why was he speaking in a manner that seemed to transform my suspicions into certainty instead?

―The factions of Murim are merely factions of Murim. They can change at any moment and disappear just as easily.
Moreover, the implication of his words was.
That even the Hwawoo Sword Sect, called the foremost faction of the Demonic Path, held no regard in his eyes?
‘For the sake of his objective, he could even discard the foremost sect of the Demonic Path without hesitation.’
I was bewildered.
Yet I did not reveal this confusion and nodded my head.
“I see.”
And I pressed my palms together respectfully.
“Thanks to you, my curiosity has been satisfied.”
There was nothing more to ask Wi Ji Moo Ah now.
From this point forward, I need only perfectly track his movements and expose that he is In Bi In.
“Thank you for taking the time to speak with me.”
“Think nothing of it.”
“Then I shall take my leave.”
I bowed respectfully, and then.
“Muk Hon Ryeong Ju.”
Wi Ji Moo Ah spoke in a low voice.
“The factions of Murim and their leaders have been moving according to profit for quite some time now.”
I nodded my head.
Just as he said, the leaders of the Ten Demonic Gates such as Gong Ya Geuk of Hell Blood Castle and Kang Yang Cheon of White Horse Sect in the past.
Had been revealed to have quite close connections with Sam Gye or to exchange frequent communications.
“From the beginning, the Demonic Path is about venerating power. Perhaps one should not expect loyalty or ideology in the first place.”
Wi Ji Moo Ah sighed.
“To gain power, to obtain authority. Employing all manner of schemes or colluding with other forces is… something commonly seen even in the Demon Palace.”
I swallowed a dry smile and spoke quietly.
“I agree with your words, Sect Leader. But if all the leaders of Murim are obsessed with profit and power….”
I paused briefly and shook my head gently.
“Then that would seem rather bitter in its own way.”
“Is that so.”
“The fine wine was well enjoyed.”
I bowed once more.
“Then.”
Creak.
As Bu Eunseol departed the hermitage, silence descended upon the interior.
Wi Ji Moo Ah’s expression as he watched her leave was peculiar.
It seemed as though he were forcibly suppressing laughter, yet simultaneously appeared to be restraining anger.
Knock, knock.
At that moment, someone rapped upon the hermitage door and spoke in a low voice.
“Are you present?”
That voice belonged to none other than Wi Ji Hye Sang, the Sect Leader of the Hwawoo Sword Sect.
“Enter.”
As Wi Ji Moo Ah spoke calmly, a figure with features as refined as jade slowly revealed himself.
Though his appearance was remarkably feminine, his eyes were slanted upward as if torn toward the heavens, and a sallow gleam flickered within his pupils.
No trace of his former visage remained.
Had Bu Eunseol witnessed him, she would not have recognized him as Wi Ji Hye Sang.
“What brings you here?”
This was strange.
Why did Wi Ji Moo Ah not address his grandson Wi Ji Hye Sang with casual speech?
“I heard that the Moo Hon Ryeong Ju of the Demon Palace visited and departed.”
At those words, Wi Ji Moo Ah sighed deeply, then opened his mouth with an expression of utmost gravity.
“Is there still need to concern ourselves with such grand techniques?”
His gaze burned with intensity capable of melting steel, and his voice carried absolute conviction.
“Our sect is already sufficiently formidable.”
It was a bizarre affair.
Why did he address his own grandson with such deference, as though speaking to an elder?
“Can you truly speak such words after witnessing that Moo Hon Ryeong Ju?”
Wi Ji Hye Sang sighed and shook his head.
“Life is fleeting, and it is not easy to compensate for insufficient talent. Our sect still has far to go—it is absolutely necessary.”
Wi Ji Hye Sang smiled coldly.
“And do not forget the past so easily. It has been merely three hundred years since the Jeok Family departed and the Wi Ji Family began managing the Hwawoo Sword Sect.”
Wi Ji Moo Ah’s only response was a melancholic expression.
Wi Ji Hye Sang shook his head and offered a bow.
“Then I shall take my leave.”
“…Are you satisfied?”
To Wi Ji Moo Ah’s cryptic question.
“It is merely a process.”
Wi Ji Hye Sang, turning his body, spoke in a low voice.
“Strength can tear down all boundaries and make two into one.”
As Wi Ji Hye Sang turned his head, he let out a snort and smiled faintly.
“And I believe I have reminded you several times not to use formal speech… I hope you will be more careful going forward.”
Having added one final remark, Wi Ji Hye Sang turned again and departed.
“Even when we are alone, you know.”
At those words, Wi Ji Moo Ah swallowed a smile of utter desolation.
“There is no sect in this world where the young speak disrespectfully to their elders.”
A pause.
At those words, Wi Ji Hye Sang’s footsteps halted for a moment.
Yet as if he had not heard them, he slowly departed outside.

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