The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 830

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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 830.
Mu Jon had once again withdrawn from the Murim Alliance under the pretense of closed-door cultivation.
Such a decision would erode the support of martial artists within the Alliance and drive public opinion toward the extreme.
Yet Mu Jon was a man who acted with strategic precision, one who saw through the shallow psychology of the masses.
He understood that if the figure at the center of controversy remained within the Alliance, the flames of discord would only grow fiercer.
He knew that enduring criticism in exchange for temporary seclusion was the wiser path.
Of course, his withdrawal served purposes beyond merely quelling the chaos.
In his absence, he wished to observe how the factions lurking within the Murim Alliance would respond.
He needed to discern who truly followed him and who stood in opposition.
“Sigh.”
Mu Jon gazed toward the distant sky, releasing a profound breath.
Having dismissed even his closest subordinates, I sat alone in a remote mountain village, attempting to compose my turbulent mind.
My once-rigid spine now curved under an invisible weight, and my eyes, fixed upon the void, were hollow and empty.
Like a wounded beast cowering in its den, I could no longer bear the suffocation and lightly deployed my movement technique to ascend the mountain.
Before long, I arrived at a cliff deep within the mountains and reclined against a boulder, the moonlight my only companion.
“Has my mind grown so dull with age?”
The departure of Seon Woo Jin, Gong Son Dan Gyeong, and Beok Goong Ryung from the Murim Alliance.
The formation of the Changcheon Alliance—none of this had been foreseen.
“Why does Heaven refuse to understand my heart?”
Because of this incident.
All the grand plans I had cultivated over the years had crumbled, and I had lost the prestige befitting an Alliance Lord.
Yet what tormented me most deeply.
Was that there was not a single soul to whom I could bare my true feelings.
‘It was never merely for my own selfish desires.’
The betrayal of Yi Je, whom I held more precious than life itself, and the manipulation of countless others.
These were done not for my own advancement, but for the greater good.
Because ordinary methods would not suffice.
Because I understood the ‘laws’ that the common people could never comprehend.
‘And yet Mu Gyeol was his disciple.’
The betrayal of my beloved disciple Mu Gyeol was equally devastating.
Despite having numerous loyal subordinates, I had never truly trusted others, always harboring suspicion.
But toward Mu Gyeol, I had opened my heart.
Otherwise, I would never have entrusted him with the many covert operations I was conducting.
Yet Mu Gyeol was Yi Je’s disciple.
He would never forgive me.
Whoosh.
As I rose to my feet, a hollow sigh escaped from my eyes.
“When did I become the villain of Tianxia?”
I wished to summon Mu Gyeol and ask him.
―Do you truly believe I coveted Yi Je’s martial prowess and stole it from him?
But that was impossible.
After the incident involving Seon Woo Jin and Gong Son Dan Gyeong, Mu Gyeol had secretly slipped away from the Murim Alliance and completely vanished from sight since then.
Since I knew well the intelligence organization I operated, there was no way I could ever trace his whereabouts unless he wished it.
Zing.
Then, suddenly, faint lights began gathering behind the space where Mu Jon stood.
What initially appeared as microscopic points of light gradually expanded, and their forms and colors continuously shifted.
As the light grew increasingly radiant.
A form began to take shape at the center of it all.
The form gradually became clearer, and like something rising from water, a human silhouette began to materialize perfectly.
Mu Jon’s eyes widened involuntarily.
No matter how fractured his spiritual consciousness was.
To fail to sense someone approaching right before his eyes? How could such a thing be possible?
‘Could it be Ma Cheon Je?’
Currently, Ma Cheon Je was the only master in Murim capable of deceiving his perception.
‘No, that’s not it.’
The shadow before me was emanating an otherworldly energy wave that could not exist in this world.
And that energy wave was freezing the surrounding air and pushing all existence into darkness.
[Mu Jon, Dan Mok Ki.]
But the shadow enveloped in radiance spoke words I had not anticipated.
[Will you become the Heavenly Lord of Mushin Heaven?]
Mu Jon’s pupils rippled like waves.
Mushin Heaven.
It was the domain of Jin Ma, and
transcending the Human Heaven that overwhelmed the supreme masters of Murim.
Was it not one of the Four Divine Immortals?
‘The Four Divine Immortals have appeared in Murim?’
For three hundred years, the Four Divine Immortals had not appeared in Murim.
Yet they suddenly appeared, and moreover, they had decided to make me their successor?
“The reason they haven’t appeared until now—could it be not due to a restriction like the Human Heaven, but rather to search for a successor?”
At my words, the shadow let out a cold laugh.
[You know quite a lot.]
And with an indifferent tone, it nodded.
[From the perspective of the Original Heaven, that’s one way to see it.]
Mu Jon’s eyes gleamed.
From the manner of speech, the shadow was not the Heavenly Lord of Mushin Heaven himself, but rather a subordinate conveying the message.
“Are you saying the Heavenly Lord of Mushin Heaven has designated me as his successor?”
[Something like that. You would inherit the power of the Original Heaven.]
Mu Jon took a deep breath.
Even the Human Heaven alone consists of terrifyingly powerful masters beyond what Murim can handle.
Yet the Four Divine Immortals, incomparable to them, were making me their successor?
“I have no idea what you saw that made you place me among the Mushin Heaven. Did you perhaps watch over me all this time?”
[Dan Mok Ki.]
Shadow spoke with irritation.
[You need only answer yes or no.]
‘Mushin Heaven, is it.’
If I could obtain the power of Mushin Heaven, I could restore in an instant all the plans that have crumbled until now.
Moreover, I could suppress at once those decrepit elders of the Elder Council who have been acting so arrogantly.
‘But I do not know how much these people understand about me.’
“I refuse.”
Contrary to his true thoughts, Mu Jon spoke coldly.
“What would I lack that I should become a servant of Jin Ma?”
Outwardly, he was versed in all martial arts, and with Jeong Cheon Je gone, he was the foremost of the Orthodox Sects.
To become a servant of Jin Ma, who sought to destroy the world, was utterly absurd.
[Is one who lacks nothing the same person who has been desperately searching for the Baek Ri Family’s Secret Library?]
Shadow uttered words so piercing that Mu Jon’s face flushed.
[Frantically seeking the key that could break the Baek Ri Family’s seal.]
‘Fortunately, my role as Jeong Cheon Je has not been exposed.’
Under the guise of Shin San Ja, Mu Jon had been ceaselessly searching for the Baek Ri Family’s Secret Library.
Jin Ma, wary of the Baek Ri Family, must have been searching for the Secret Library far longer than that.
Therefore, it was hardly surprising that Jin Ma’s servant had noticed my search for the Baek Ri Family’s Secret Library.
‘I need power now.’
Mu Jon clenched his fists tightly.
How had I come this far….
I had even betrayed Yi Je, who saved my life, and driven him into the abyss of death.
I could not end it here like this.
“How curious.”
Suppressing the turbulent thoughts swirling in his mind, Mu Jon narrowed his eyes with an expression of composure.
“You would grant the power of Jin Ma to one who seeks the power of the Baek Ri Family? Is the Mushin Heaven Master’s heart truly so generous?”
[You certainly talk much.]
Shadow spoke coldly.
[I know why you are scheming. But in any case, the Master will come to know everything.]
‘Not “come to know” but “will come to know”….’
As Mu Jon’s mind spun with the speed of light,
[It is only because you have unhesitatingly sacrificed those around you and endured to the end in the Covenant that this fortune has come to you at all….]
Shadow turned his body away with an attitude of having nothing to regret.
[Since there is no answer, I take it as your refusal.]
‘That means I am not the only candidate for successor.’
Mu Jon clenched his fists tightly.
Rather than grasping the Baek Ri Family’s Secret Library, which I might never find,
Becoming one of the Four Divine Immortals immediately was, no matter how many times I considered it, the far superior choice.
‘But becoming a subordinate of Jin Ma….’
The martial artists of Murim did not know.
What it meant to become a subordinate of Jin Ma.
But Mu Jon knew.
He understood what it meant to become a subordinate beyond Incheon, and what consequences would follow.
‘No, I can overcome that.’
Having finally made his resolve, Mu Jon spoke calmly.
“I will do it.”
Mu Jon cried out once more toward the Shadow.
“Take me to Mushin Heaven.”
[It is not a matter of taking you. You must go yourself.]
“Where is that place?”
The Shadow spoke in a low voice.
[Youling Island.]
Youling Island.
That place was where Tan Wang and the righteous heroes once waged a brutal slaughter using the Ten Poisons of the Inner Realm as bait…
And where Bu Eunseol had secretly obtained Bu Chanyang’s sword hilt and the Blood Dew Seven Techniques.
[Do you have the courage to go.]
Mu Jon nodded.
“Of course.”
For now, this was the best path forward.
All the plans I had devised until now had crumbled to dust.
If I became the Lord of Mushin Heaven, I could recover everything in one fell swoop.
* * *
Changcheon Alliance, Great Conference Hall.
There sat a middle-aged beauty with sharp eyes, dressed in white robes as pure as snow blossoms.
She was none other than So Young Hwa, the Sect Master of the Snowflake Sect.
When the Changcheon Alliance’s faction war began, she came seeking Seon Woo Jin, who had become the Elite Division Lord, as if she had been waiting.
“Sect Master.”
Bu Eunseol, disguised as Seon Woo Jin, greeted her warmly, and So Young Hwa spoke.
“I hope you have been well all this time.”
So Young Hwa could still not gauge Seon Woo Jin’s cultivation level,
Yet seeing him, who subtly carried the bearing of a great master, she nodded with satisfaction.
“Yes, have you been well too?”
“I have.”
“The reason this Sect Master has come to find you is to discuss the matter of eternal alliance.”
So Young Hwa spoke with utmost solemnity.
“Rejecting Shin San Ja’s advice to never sever cooperation with the Murim Alliance and joining the Changcheon Alliance was… because of Hyang Yi. She insisted she must follow her husband.”
She gazed at Bu Eunseol, disguised as Seon Woo Jin, and spoke with perfect composure.
“Now that our Sect, having broken the seal and just begun to stretch, has joined this new alliance and staked our survival, you too must give a definitive answer, must you not.”
Bu Eunseol had never once asked the Snowflake Sect to contact her about joining the Changcheon Alliance.
Yet the moment she heard rumors that Seon Woo Jin had joined the Changcheon Alliance, she promptly had the Snowflake Sect join as well.
Now she was pressing him for a decision.
“Sect Master, I—”
“Ah, forgive me. I’m not asking for a definitive answer right now.”
As So Young Hwa cut him off, Bu Eunseol recalled the circumstances of that moment once more.
The people of the Snowflake Sect simply never listened to anyone’s words for more than a sentence or two.
That was their nature.
“Hyang Yi will arrive here soon. You need only give that child a clear answer.”
So Young Hwa’s expression turned bitter.
“That’s precisely why the original Sect Master came here.”
It seemed even the fiery-tempered So Young Hwa could not dissuade her daughter’s stubbornness.
‘This is troublesome.’
So Eun Hyang was blind with affection, and her temperament was far more volatile than even the unpredictable Demon Immortals.
Her nature burned with a fury that could not be measured by ordinary standards.
Simply because I had not given her a definitive answer in the past,
had she not slaughtered all the elders of the Murim Alliance and then raised a blade to her own throat?
It was no mere threat.
She was truly capable of executing such words into action.
“This time, you should make a clear decision one way or the other. Even I, her mother, cannot control that child.”
So Young Hwa rose from her seat.
“Oh, and the original sect will be participating in the Grand Sect Tournament as well.”
“Sect Master, I—”
“Now I must go see the Buk Goong Alliance Master. Speak with her well.”
And before I could even respond, she turned and vanished.
‘Hmm.’
Bu Eunseol fell into deep contemplation.
I had overcome every trial without surrender or despair,
and could unravel even the most difficult problems with ingenious schemes.
But matters of the heart were different.
‘I understand nothing.’
Through the matter of Gong Son Dan Gyeong, Bu Eunseol had come to feel it acutely.
I could not fathom or predict a woman’s heart.
‘Grandfather.’
The face of Bu Chanyang naturally came to mind.
Even my grandfather, who understood and anticipated everything, had given me no teachings whatsoever regarding women.
‘Perhaps grandfather too suffered from the same affliction as I do….’
And I entertained an absurd thought.
‘Perhaps he never found the answer to it, even in his twilight years.’
Knock, knock.
At that moment, a knock sounded at the conference room door.
Bu Eunseol instinctively sensed that So Eun Hyang had come to find her.
“Who is it…”
The door swung open.
Before Bu Eunseol could even finish asking, the door flew wide open and a beautiful woman dressed in a pale pink palace gown walked in.
Her long black hair, lustrous and flowing, cascaded down to her waist, and her skin was as transparent as white jade, with eyes of striking black and white clarity.
In particular, her eyes sparkled with countless hues whenever light touched them, evoking the mysterious beauty of starlight scattered across the depths of a deep lake.
It was So Eun Hyang, the Sect Master of the Snowflake Sect.
“My husband.”
Upon entering, So Eun Hyang approached Bu Eunseol and suddenly embraced her.
As her soft arms wrapped around me, a sensation as gentle as holding clouds enveloped me, and the fresh scent of fruit brushed against my nose.
“I missed you.”
As So Eun Hyang buried her face deep in my chest and nuzzled against me, my body stiffened like stone.
“My husband?”
Only then did Bu Eunseol come to his senses, gently pushing her away and offering a respectful bow.
“I trust you have been well, Sect Master So.”
“What kind of greeting is that?”
So Eun Hyang gazed at Bu Eunseol with eyes full of disappointment.
“Anyone watching would think you were greeting a complete stranger.”
“My apologies. I am…”
“I know you lack boldness. But I think it’s time for that to change.”
“No, I have no intention of…”
“No, I do. I intend to be more proactive myself.”
So Eun Hyang cut off Bu Eunseol’s words and laughed, revealing her white teeth.
For a moment, the dark interior of the conference room seemed to brighten considerably.
But in stark contrast, Bu Eunseol’s complexion visibly darkened.
Her relentless and shocking remarks continued without pause.
“After all, we’re about to become husband and wife.”
Perhaps somewhat embarrassed, So Eun Hyang lowered her head and twirled her hair between her fingers.
‘I must regain my composure.’
Bu Eunseol spoke with utmost calm.
“The Changcheon Alliance has now undergone its founding ceremony. Sect Master So.”
“Which is why we must marry quickly.”
She cut off Bu Eunseol’s words once again.
“During the unstable period of a newly founded sect, rival factions like packs of hyenas might try to take their own bite.”
“There is no need for concern. The Alliance Lord Buk Goong Ryeong possesses great virtue, and has formed close alliances with numerous sects and families…”
“It’s not just about the Changcheon Alliance.”
So Eun Hyang interrupted again.
“Though the Snowflake Sect has joined the Changcheon Alliance, I still lack justification to remain here for long. So the only way is to hold the ceremony quickly.”
“Sect Master So.”
“Are you refusing me?”
“That’s not what I meant….”
“I’m only joking.”
So Eun Hyang spoke with a playful wink of her large eyes.
“My lord told me to wait until everything is finished, didn’t he?”
“….”
“I’ll wait for you even until I become a wrinkled old woman.”
Bu Eunseol felt as though his mind might scatter entirely.
She would push him into the flames only to drag him back out and comfort him. Her skill at draining a person’s very soul was comparable only to Ma Cheon Je’s mastery.
“What is that expression? Surely you haven’t forgotten your promise?”
Bu Eunseol had indeed spoken those words. And she had never once broken a promise she had made.
It had been said to protect Seon Woo Jin’s identity at the time.
Once such words were spoken, the promise had to be kept without fail.
‘Can I ever live an ordinary life after my revenge is complete?’
There were many women who gazed upon me.
But I had never once reciprocated their affection.
It was not simply a matter of liking or disliking, but rather that I could not guarantee my own survival.
Looking at the grand scheme of things with utmost clarity, the probability of death far exceeded the probability of success.
‘Above all, am I not someone undeserving of happiness?’
I had walked the path of asura, drenched in blood, always for the sake of revenge.
Could I truly leave behind the tangled web of debts and grievances in Gangho, establish a family, and live happily?
Bu Eunseol could say with certainty.
That such a thing could never come to pass.
“Have your feelings changed?”
As my eyes grew infinitely darker, So Eun Hyang drew closer.
She was quite tall.
The difference in eye level between her and me, who stood well over six feet, was scarcely a hand’s breadth.
And in those large eyes shone pure sincerity and deep affection.
No matter how reckless or fierce her temperament, her feelings toward me were genuine.
―Do not follow in your grandfather’s footsteps.
Suddenly, the words of Neung Gyeong, the former Shen Shui Gong Master, came to mind.
She had shed tears like pearls while thinking of my grandfather, and had entrusted me with these words.
―You must live a life different from his.
It was an earnest plea to meet someone I loved and build a happy family without fail.
At that time, I had answered that I would.
But only now did I truly understand.
That I was undeserving of happiness.
Yet the reason I had spoken those words was…
Because deep within my heart, there existed a yearning to build a happy family.
“Palace Lord So. I shall speak to you with complete honesty.”
After settling her heart, Bu Eunseol spoke.
Not as Seon Woo Jin, but with her original gaze and manner of speech.
“Only now do I realize that I too harbor a desire to build a family of my own.”
“Then why not do so?”
“I cannot. Because I lack the qualification to do so.”
Bu Eunseol cut off her words decisively, opening her mouth with an expression of utmost gravity.
“To build a happy family is something I dare not even imagine.”
Bu Eunseol’s voice and gaze were infinitely melancholic,
Like a child weeping alone in a landscape where all things in the world have vanished.
Even the reckless So Eun Hyang could not speak easily once Bu Eunseol’s bearing and gaze transformed.
That infinitely sunken gaze and solitary atmosphere revealed
What treacherous battlefields she had traversed, what bitter self-reproach and anguish she had swallowed to survive.
“In truth, I do not wish to interfere with your affairs.”
After a long silence, So Eun Hyang spoke with utmost seriousness in her eyes and voice.
“Simply receiving confirmation like this from time to time is enough for me to be happy.”
As Bu Eunseol began to speak, she shook her head and whispered in a low voice.
“I came only to hear you speak of keeping that promise from back then. Nothing more.”
“So Eun Hyang.”
“Is it not possible?”
So Eun Hyang’s eyes sparkled like shattered jewels.
“It must seem strange to you—that I cling to you and cherish you simply because you saved me. Is it not?”
Bu Eunseol found herself nodding unconsciously.
So Eun Hyang had not seen her true nature, nor had she witnessed any remarkable martial prowess or background.
She had simply fallen in love with a Lord of the Murim Alliance.
“Women sometimes sense destiny. And we believe in it.”
“….”
“I am certain that you are my destiny. And I believe that the end of this waiting will surely come.”
‘Can one truly love someone so deeply from but a single encounter?’
Bu Eunseol sighed deeply.
So Eun Hyang did not love her blindly, but rather held a deep affection born of her own conviction.
And the women who had shown her affection until now must have been the same.
All had believed their connection with her to be fate. That is why they could be so bold.
“But one cannot impose such belief upon another.”
Then So Eun Hyang spoke.
“I understand. I will consider the betrothal void.”
Though her nature held both wickedness and purity in equal measure, So Eun Hyang was certainly a good woman.
She understood the darkness hidden in Bu Eunseol’s heart and would no longer force her affection upon her.
“I am grateful.”
Bu Eunseol expressed her gratitude sincerely.
“For understanding my circumstances.”
“But since we’ve come this far, you can show me, right?”
So Eun Hyang spoke with her large eyes wide open.
“You promised. Next time we meet, you said you’d show me your true face.”
―Next time we meet, please show me your true appearance.
When leaving the Snowflake Sect, So Eun Hyang had indeed said such words.
But I had never explicitly agreed to it.
Because after saying that, So Eun Hyang had left first.
“Sect Master So.”
“The fact that you’re still maintaining the same appearance even in the Changcheon Alliance means you intend to keep that identity, doesn’t it?”
Bu Eunseol couldn’t hide her bewildered expression.
“After nullifying the engagement, there’s no particular need to see your face….”
“I want to see it. Is that not allowed?”
“If your true identity becomes known to outsiders, it could cause great turmoil.”
“Do I look like the type who would spread your true face all over town?”
So Eun Hyang turned her head as if feeling hurt.
“I’m truly disappointed. To think you saw me as that kind of woman.”
Knock, knock.
Then, from outside the door came the sound of knocking again, followed by Jeong Jong Do’s voice.
“Lord, the Palace Lord of Yeol Ha Sung Palace is requesting an audience.”
Jeok Mu Mi, Palace Lord of Yeol Ha Sung Palace.
When I was a third-rank Lord of the Murim Alliance, I received an invitation and entered Yeol Ha Sung Palace,
and through the guidance of Yeolha Seongjun, I obtained the Yeol Ha Great Perfection Technique.
And I helped Palace Lord Jeok Mu Mi save Yeol Ha Sung Palace from crisis when it was controlled by the Three Realms.
Thanks to that, I brought Yeol Ha Sung Palace into the Murim Alliance, and recognizing that merit, I was able to continuously advance through the ranks.
―If our palace’s strength is needed in the future, please feel free to request our assistance.
On the day I left Yeol Ha Sung Palace, Jeok Mu Mi said this to me.
―That is the condition for making peace with the Murim Alliance.
Jeok Mu Mi showed deep loyalty even while knowing I was not a person of the Murim Alliance, and knowing I had another identity,
and I had been quite moved by it when I left.
And now that I’ve transferred my registration to the Changcheon Alliance under the identity of Seon Woo Jin, she comes directly like this?
“Receive her with proper courtesy.”
At my words, the door opened and a beautiful woman dressed in brilliant crimson robes that seemed to blaze entered.
It was none other than Jeok Mu Mi, Palace Lord of Yeol Ha Sung Palace.
But I had not yet realized.
The moment Jeok Mu Mi appeared.
The corners of So Eun Hyang’s eyes standing behind me… were rising all the way to the heavens.

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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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