The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 816
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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 816.
Bu Eunseol’s expression turned blank.
“Protecting the Murim….”
“Indeed.”
“What in the world was he doing that warranted such a claim about protecting the Murim?”
Beok Goong Ryung shook his head.
“I asked him the very same question. But he pleaded that it was a matter which absolutely could not be disclosed to outsiders, and begged my understanding for his silence.”
“So what did you say?”
“Well, I couldn’t discern the details, but when the Jeong Cheon Je of all people was on the verge of kneeling before me… I had no choice but to consent. Yet ever since that day, it has been difficult to shake the conviction that the Murim Alliance was rotten to its core.”
“I see.”
Only then did Bu Eunseol finally resolve the two lingering questions that had plagued her all along.
Why Beok Goong Ryung despised the Murim Alliance so deeply, and why he spoke of its corruption.
‘It is understandable, truly.’
She had witnessed the Jeong Cheon Je—once the very symbol of integrity—wielding his authority to shield Mu Jon from consequence.
Beok Goong Ryung could only conclude that the Murim Alliance itself was fundamentally corrupted.
‘So the bond between Jeong Cheon Je and Mu Jon was far more than sworn brotherhood.’
The fact that Jeong Cheon Je had revealed to his sworn brother Mu Jon the secret passage connected to the Gunkon Pavilion.
It was not merely to facilitate clandestine meetings, but rather the two were collaborating on some grand design.
‘It will all come to light soon enough. As it always has.’
Jeong Cheon Je and Mu Jon could not possibly be ignorant of the abyssal forces within the Murim—figures like Jin Ma and the Baek Ri Family.
If they truly had undertaken some task to protect the Murim, then it would inevitably surface before long.
“So you intend to leave the Murim Alliance for the sake of your subordinates’ safety?”
“Yes. I came seeking Hyung Su, who slew my grandfather. But I fear I can endure no longer.”
“Your grandfather?”
“Chil Ji Ma Do Bu Chanyang.”
In truth, Bu Eunseol had long wished to reveal her circumstances honestly to Beok Goong Ryung.
But since he had said there was no need for detailed explanations, she had refrained from speaking of it.
Now, however, the moment had come when she must speak, whether he wished to hear it or not.
“He was my grandfather.”
Beok Goong Ryung’s eyes widened.
Chil Ji Ma Do Bu Chanyang.
Though his final station was Vice-Master of the Demon Palace, in truth he was a transcendent grandmaster who left countless marks upon the Murim.
Was he not a great slaughterer who massacred innumerable souls?
“You claim to be of his bloodline?”
“I do. Yet contrary to what the Murim knows, the deeds of my grandfather as I understand them differ considerably.”
Bu Eunseol calmly explained what she knew of her grandfather’s true actions.
For she could see the glint of hostility kindling in Beok Goong Ryung’s eyes.
He had slaughtered so many without discrimination, regardless of righteousness…
In truth, among those of the Orthodox Sects, there were scarcely any who did not harbor hatred for Chil Ji Ma Do Bu Chanyang.
“…You would have little reason to fabricate such a tale.”
After hearing the entire account, Beok Goong Ryung nodded in agreement with Bu Eunseol’s words.
“It’s not as though I witnessed it myself.”
Truly remarkable.
Among those who traversed the Murim, there were scarcely any who had never laid eyes upon my Grandfather.
Yet Beok Goong Ryung alone.
Not once had he ever crossed paths with my Grandfather.
“Who in heaven’s name could have slain such a master swordsman?”
“To be precise, Hyung Su did not kill him. My Grandfather surrendered his own life to protect me.”
Bu Eunseol clenched her fists tightly.
“Of course, there must be circumstances unknown to anyone behind it all. Even the martial masters who dominate Tianxia have failed to discern the cause.”
With a sigh, she recounted how my Grandfather had died, what distinctive characteristics Hyung Su possessed.
And how the Gwi Il Gye had even taken my Grandfather’s corpse… she explained everything in meticulous detail.
“An unbelievable marvel, or rather, a most peculiar mystery.”
Beok Goong Ryung’s expression grew dazed.
His mind reeled from the shock of hearing such a staggering tale all at once.
“Do you happen to know anything related to Hyung Su?”
At Bu Eunseol’s question, Beok Goong Ryung, who had been lost in deep contemplation for some time, shook his head.
“Though No Bu wandered the Murim extensively, I have never heard of anyone who mastered the Demonic Sword Technique to its pinnacle, studied the Tianzhu Flowing Technique, and used Sa Hyang as a concealed weapon.”
“Indeed.”
“But one thing is certain.”
Yet Beok Goong Ryung spoke something unexpected.
“Perhaps Hyung Su acquired those three conditions specifically to contend against Chil Ji Ma Do.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Had a Demonic Path master slain Chil Ji Ma Do Bu Janyeong, he would have earned renown comparable to the greatest of the Demonic Path… and had an Orthodox Sect member done so, the honor would have been immeasurable.”
Beok Goong Ryung continued.
“According to your account, Chil Ji Ma Do achieved absolute invincibility that even the supreme masters of his era could not approach. Yet the one who killed him conceals this and lives as though dead and silent?”
“….”
“Moreover, would one truly believe that Sa Hyang’s concealed weapons could penetrate a master of Chil Ji Ma Do’s caliber, and thus wear them? There must have been a special reason.”
Bu Eunseol, who had been pondering deeply, opened her mouth.
“Are you saying those were conditions necessary to kill my Grandfather?”
“Otherwise, who would attempt to assassinate a master of Chil Ji Ma Do’s stature alone?”
Beok Goong Ryung’s words held merit.
No matter how formidable Sa Hyang’s concealed weapons or the toxin of Corrupt Flesh Severing Blood were, they could not possibly have worked against Bu Janyeong.
Yet Hyung Su deliberately employed such things, and even left distinctive traces of the Demonic Sword Technique and the Tianzhu Flowing Technique.
This suggested that these were not Hyung Su’s specialties or characteristics.
Rather, it was more accurate to view them as special conditions designed to intimidate or kill Bu Janyeong.
After remaining lost in profound thought for some time, Bu Eunseol spoke again.
“That may be true, but could they not simply be a high-ranking member of the Sam Gye who favors using Sa Hyang’s concealed weapons, or perhaps a subordinate of Jin Ma?”
“Jin Ma? Who is this Jin Ma?”
When Beok Goong Ryung asked in return, Bu Eunseol wore a bitter smile.
Only then did I realize I hadn’t discussed the most crucial matter until now.
“It seems while you were with the Murim Alliance, you truly devoted yourself solely to nurturing the next generation.”
Beok Goong Ryung let out a sound of acknowledgment upon grasping Bu Eunseol’s meaning.
“At this age, did you truly believe I would suddenly operate an intelligence organization and involve myself in the affairs of the Murim?”
“I understand. In any case, this Jin Ma…”
Bu Eunseol began once more to explain in detail the legends of Jin Ma and the subordinates under its command.
After listening to the entire account for some time, Beok Goong Ryung’s jaw fell open in disbelief.
“Are you truly asking No Bu to believe such a tale now?”
Beok Goong Ryung’s reaction was entirely natural.
Had anyone in the Murim heard such words, not a soul would have readily accepted or believed them from the outset.
The legends of Jin Ma were precisely that.
They sounded not only preposterous but overturned all existing knowledge and understanding.
“Until now, all the hidden forces of the Murim and the supreme masters who possessed formidable intelligence organizations have known of these facts.”
Bu Eunseol wore a bitter expression.
“I have always been one to pursue hidden truths.”
“Truth, then.”
Beok Goong Ryung’s face flushed with shame.
Throughout his lifetime, he had stood alone and unrivaled in the Murim, accomplishing countless deeds, yet ultimately he had failed to obtain ‘influence’ and ‘information.’
Because of this, whenever he heard Bu Eunseol speak, his past years sometimes felt hollow and futile.
“Well, I merely tried to do what good I could in my own way, did I not?”
Bu Eunseol, having discerned Beok Goong Ryung’s heart, spoke as if to console him.
“In my case, those who stole my grandfather’s corpse were already touching the depths of the Abyss itself. From the beginning, I had no choice but to cultivate and operate an intelligence organization.”
“Consolation is unnecessary. My generation has already passed, after all.”
Since meeting Bu Eunseol, he had come to feel that his era had ended.
Because of this, even the fierce and fiery temperament he once possessed had nearly vanished.
“In any case.”
Beok Goong Ryung waved his hand as he spoke.
“What is certain is that Hyung Su is neither Sam Gye nor this Jin Ma you speak of.”
“How can you be certain?”
“Intuition. If Hyung Su were a master of the Heavenly Realm, there would have been no need to undertake such troublesome measures.”
A master capable of fighting my grandfather alone?
There would be no reason to troublesomely employ the hidden weapons of Saixiang.
Or the Tianzhu Flowing Family Technique, and such bizarre Demonic Path swordplay.
“The sword techniques of the Chilji Demonic Sect are known to have never been broken by any method. Yet Hyung Su deliberately left such traces.”
His deduction was sufficiently plausible.
“In short, the fact that Hyung Su learned the hidden weapons of Saixiang and the Tianzhu Flowing Family Technique, and employed bizarre Demonic Path swordplay unseen in the Murim…”
Bu Eunseol spoke calmly.
“…suggests a high probability that it bears some connection to my grandfather.”
“Precisely. Perhaps it is…”
Beok Goong Ryung’s expression became grotesque as he continued speaking.
I never expected that log-like fellow to show surprise—it wasn’t something I sought.
After all, his emotional expressions were limited to mere flickers of his eyes and eyebrows.
But now, looking at him…
He wasn’t listening intently to my story as I’d assumed.
Instead, wasn’t he observing my expressions and gaze with subtle intensity?
Only then did Beok Goong Ryung recall a certain truth.
This man possessed an extraordinarily brilliant mind.
One that surpassed even Gong Son Dan Gyeong, who had no equal in wisdom and strategy.
Such a person could never fail to perceive what I myself was beginning to understand.
“Why did you offer clues about Hyung Su, who killed Chil Ji Ma Do, while observing No Bu’s vital signs and expressions?”
In that instant, a flash of light streaked across Beok Goong Ryung’s eyes.
“Were you testing me just now?”
Only then did he realize why Bu Eunseol had listened so intently to the analysis of Chil Ji Ma Do’s death.
She had been testing him.
“To determine whether even No Bu belonged to their faction?”
Beok Goong Ryung’s body trembled with rage.
What if he had been a follower of Sam Gye or Jin Ma?
He would never have offered such an analysis; instead, he would have subtly redirected suspicion toward rival forces.
“I wouldn’t call it a test, exactly.”
Bu Eunseol shook her head.
“I merely wished to understand what you thought of Grandfather’s death.”
“I’ve already investigated everyone within the Murim Alliance, and before leaving, weren’t you trying to interrogate me?”
“Why do you think that? I was simply sharing my circumstances.”
Bu Eunseol shook her head.
“I could only confirm your thoughts through conversation.”
“That’s exactly what a test is, you fool!”
Beok Goong Ryung’s eyes widened.
“I entered the Murim Alliance because of that man, yet you were doubting me?”
Despite the age difference, he had considered them kindred spirits transcending generations.
For her sake, he would have gladly helped, even in matters of mortal peril.
She was the one person he trusted beyond all political considerations.
And yet she had doubted him?
“I have nothing more to discuss with you.”
“Elder.”
“I understand. Given your circumstances, you could trust no one. Rather, you shouldn’t have trusted anyone.”
Considering everything Bu Eunseol had endured,
trusting anyone at all was virtually impossible.
“But listen here.”
Beok Goong Ryung met Bu Eunseol’s gaze directly, speaking each word deliberately.
“There are times in this world when one must show absolute faith.”
Beok Goong Ryung was a quintessential exemplar of the Orthodox Sects.
Yet he had placed his trust in Bu Eunseol, the successor to the Demon Hall, heeded her words, entered the Murim Alliance, and even became a vassal under her command.
But Bu Eunseol still did not trust him—she continued to calculate and analyze his every move.
If that were the case, then such a relationship could no longer be sustained.
“I shall take my leave.”
As Beok Goong Ryung rose from his seat,
“Elder.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with utmost gravity and solemnity.
“If this relationship were to end between you and me alone, I would never have sought to discern your true intentions.”
“What nonsense is this?”
Contempt blazed from Beok Goong Ryung’s eyes.
“Who else stands in this chamber besides you and me?”
“Henceforth, you shall become the Alliance Lord, commanding and bearing responsibility for countless lives. At the very least, we must establish with certainty that you are neither a pawn of Sam Gye nor of Jin Ma, must we not?”
“Alliance Lord?”
Beok Goong Ryung snorted derisively.
“Are you telling me to become the Lord of the Murim Alliance?”
Before Bu Eunseol could respond, he spoke with resolute finality.
“Wake from your delusion. I shall never become the Lord of the Murim Alliance.”
“Not the Lord of the Murim Alliance.”
Bu Eunseol’s voice resonated with solemn majesty.
“I have named it the Changcheon Alliance.”
“The Changcheon Alliance?”
“Indeed.”
A brilliant gleam erupted from the depths of Bu Eunseol’s gaze.
“A new Orthodox Sects confederation. For those who are truly righteous.”
Beok Goong Ryung stood utterly dumbfounded.
A new Orthodox Sects confederation, suddenly?
“What are you saying? Are you telling me you would establish a new Murim Alliance?”
“Yes.”
“It is impossible.”
Beok Goong Ryung shook his head with an expression of utter absurdity.
“Do you know why the Murim Alliance is the Murim Alliance?”
He spoke with solemn gravity.
“Because all the sects that have maintained their lineage through generations in the Murim are registered within the Murim Alliance. It is absolutely impossible for a new confederation to emerge from the Orthodox Sects.”
Beok Goong Ryung exhaled a weary sigh.
“Of course, entities like the Yangguang Murim Alliance and the Gangnam Martial Alliance have been established. But the reason they amount to nothing more than the scale and confederation of a single sect is precisely this.”
And he clicked his tongue.
“Yet now you suddenly wish to create a confederation of the Orthodox Sects? And you, a denizen of the Demonic Path, no less?”
“It is not I who shall create it.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with measured composure.
“It will be created by martial artists of the Murim Alliance who remain untainted by external forces, including the Old Innkeeper.”
“What did you just say?”
Beok Goong Ryung’s eyes widened.
A new coalition formed by martial artists belonging to the Murim Alliance? That was utterly absurd, was it not?
“And if I truly suspected you, I would have employed different methods.”
Bu Eunseol extended her right hand.
White qi flowed from her body, and an otherworldly wind swept forth.
“What is this?”
“The Heart Sutra of Heavenly Deception.”
Bu Eunseol spoke calmly.
“Until now, I have had countless opportunities to employ it in secret. Yet I have never once used it.”
“….”
“Not even in this secret chamber, when I revealed all my circumstances to you.”
Had I truly suspected Beok Goong Ryung?
There would have been no need for lengthy words—I would have simply invoked the Heart Sutra of Heavenly Deception.
But Bu Eunseol had not.
She too had been placing genuine trust in him.
“How did you learn Jeong Cheon Je’s Heart Sutra of Heavenly Deception?”
“Grandfather transmitted it to me through the Radiant Light Heart Method. In my childhood, my body was so frail that even when Grandfather infused his vital energy into me, its effects were fleeting.”
The tension that had gripped Beok Goong Ryung’s expression finally eased.
Bu Eunseol had not been suspecting him.
Rather, because she trusted him, she had shared these secrets with him.
“I merely sought to discern your true intentions in order to elevate you as the master of the Changcheon Alliance. Should matters go awry, innocent martial artists would lose their lives.”
“I understand what you mean, but that is impossible.”
Realizing he had misinterpreted her profound intentions and reacted with anger, Beok Goong Ryung felt embarrassed.
He redirected the conversation back to the matter of the Changcheon Alliance.
“Do you truly believe you can recruit martial artists from the Murim Alliance as easily as plucking dried persimmons? If you attempted such a thing, even without the shadow forces intervening, Mu Jon, who serves as the Alliance Master, would roll up his sleeves and step forward.”
The Orthodox Sects were not lenient toward rebellion.
Moreover, if such a thing were to occur—extracting their forces to create a new coalition?
Naturally, the Murim Alliance would mobilize all its strength to prevent it.
And Mu Jon, serving as Alliance Master, would absolutely never tolerate it.
“I will handle that matter myself.”
Bu Eunseol said.
“I have been preparing for this since long ago.”
“Surely you are not planning to coerce Mu Jon?”
Beok Goong Ryung’s expression grew worried.
“I know your martial prowess is formidable. But you must never underestimate him. He is regarded as the strongest in the Murim, save for Jeong Ma Ssang Cheon Je.”
And he added:
“Moreover, with the dual identity of the First Sage of Murim alone, he is an adversary you cannot easily contend with.”
“Do not worry. Such a thing will not happen.”
“Fine. I won’t concern myself with that aspect… Find someone else suitable for the position.”
Beok Goong Ryung spoke with finality.
“I have no desire to become the leader of any sect or alliance.”
“That is impossible.”
“Why?”
Bu Eunseol spoke with equal firmness.
“If not you, Elder, who will lead the truly righteous individuals within the Murim Alliance who practice virtue and benevolence?”
“What?”
“Must I watch them remain in this rotting Murim Alliance, exploited by the forces of darkness?”
“That is—”
When Beok Goong Ryung found himself unable to continue, Bu Eunseol waved her hand dismissively.
“Now that you know all these secrets, remaining in the Murim Alliance is no longer safe for you either.”
To know such secrets was to invite danger in equal measure.
Beok Goong Ryung could no longer remain comfortably within the Murim Alliance.
“So trust me and lead a properly established Righteous Path alliance for once.”
“You cunning creature—you plan to make me a puppet, don’t you?”
“With that temperament of yours? I’d threaten to quit after just a few words.”
“You know me well.”
“Then you’ve agreed.”
“When did I?”
Bu Eunseol spoke in a voice that was profoundly low and serious.
“The Righteous Path needs someone like you, Elder—a truly genuine righteous cultivator. So do your best.”
“A truly genuine… righteous cultivator.”
Beok Goong Ryung’s expression grew distant.
He had wandered the Murim for ages performing good deeds, yet never cultivated connections with the leaders of the orthodox sects.
He had always traversed the Murim alone.
That was precisely because there were no truly genuine righteous cultivators, as Bu Eunseol had said.
Therefore, such words—
—resolved a longing he had harbored for so long toward the Righteous Path forces.
“It’s a plausible plan, but it still won’t work.”
Beok Goong Ryung said.
“Even if we extract the Murim Alliance’s forces, we cannot form a proper alliance. How many truly righteous individuals exist within the Murim Alliance, as you yourself have said?”
“Who said anything about taking only the Murim Alliance’s forces?”
Bu Eunseol explained calmly.
“I’ve already secured the backing of the Nine Sects One Alliance and the Eight Great Families as substantial supporting forces. Have no concerns on that front.”
“What did you say?”
“Oh, and one more thing.”
Bu Eunseol wore an unusually playful smile.
“A person called Seon Woo Jin, the Sword King, will also be joining there, so please treat him well.”
“What? What?”
Beok Goong Ryung’s eyes went wide as saucers.
The moment I stepped outside the Murim Alliance, the identity of Seon Woo Jin became absolutely unusable.
Because that identity was given by Mu Jon.
The instant I left the Murim Alliance, Mu Jon would immediately expose that Seon Woo Jin was Bu Eunseol.
If it became known that the leadership of the Demon Hall had been operating as a core member of the Murim Alliance?
It could even spark a war between the Orthodox and Demonic paths.
Yet she dared to join a new Orthodox alliance with that very identity and operate openly within it?
It was absolutely impossible—even if the heavens themselves split in two.
“What exactly are you plotting?”
“Rest assured. It will only benefit the Orthodox sects, never harm them.”
Bu Eunseol stood with her hands clasped behind her back, radiating the bearing of a supreme master.
‘This woman….’
The moment Beok Goong Ryung gazed into Bu Eunseol’s eyes, he felt himself plummeting into an endless abyss.
It was as though eons were flowing past, and an overwhelming majesty pressed down so heavily he could scarcely breathe.
Only now did Beok Goong Ryung truly understand.
Bu Eunseol’s martial prowess had transcended even his own.
‘Surpassing No Bu?’
As she released her aura, his chest tightened and cold sweat beaded on his brow.
The light flowing from her gleaming eyes swelled ever larger, as if it would devour his entire being in a single breath.
It was the aura of those who surpassed him….
The bearing of supreme masters who had transcended even the furthest reaches of the Extreme Heaven Realm and could wield the power of the Mujik Realm.
“What happened during all this time?”
Beok Goong Ryung’s question trembled with a mixture of reverence and dread toward Bu Eunseol, who had shattered the boundaries of her previous martial stage.
“Could it be… you’ve reached the Mujik Realm?”
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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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