The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 861
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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 861.
At the unexpected response, Seok Gyeong Ja spoke with an expression of incomprehension.
“Are you referring to that evil one?”
Gwi Jin Ja shook his head.
“To call him evil—there is neither demonic energy nor wickedness in his eyes, is there?”
“But wasn’t that the same with The Demon?”
Seok Gyeong Ja bit his lip.
“Surely he is cunningly masquerading as virtuous, and will annihilate Ben Rim once more.”
“You speak of one who shows mercy even to Eumsal Ibaek-in?”
Seok Gyeong Ja turned his head away.
As Gwi Jin Ja had said, the Eumsal Ibaek-in were
merely unable to move due to damaged joints, their lives unharmed.
To control one’s power and injure only the joints of an attacking enemy is far more difficult and demanding than severing a neck in a single stroke.
Through that single move, Gwi Jin Ja had discerned Bu Eunseol’s virtuous nature.
“Perhaps she deliberately conceals sinister intent and acts this way.”
“Enough. Had she intended to kill us, there would be no question—she could have slain us all.”
“But how—”
“Look.”
Gwi Jin Ja pointed to Bu Eunseol and spoke.
“At the energy flowing through her body.”
Seok Gyeong Ja observed Bu Eunseol intently for a long while.
They were all descendants of the sages, and
not only had they mastered knowledge from all times and places, but they could perceive energies that ordinary people could not sense.
“I perceive nothing particularly remarkable, however.”
Seok Gyeong Ja shook his head.
No matter how carefully he examined her, there was no distinctly perceptible energy.
“Your cultivation is still insufficient.”
Gwi Jin Ja clicked his tongue.
“If you cannot feel it, then naturally you cannot know it, can you?”
At this Zen-like response, Seok Gyeong Ja blinked.
He then heightened his perception and observed Bu Eunseol again, yet she possessed only the most ordinary energy.
He could find no distinctive characteristics whatsoever.
“This disciple does not understand. There is nothing remarkable—only that she is utterly ordinary….”
As Seok Gyeong Ja continued speaking, his eyes widened suddenly.
Utterly ordinary.
How could a master who had cultivated such formidable martial arts possess ordinary energy?
How could she be
completely ordinary, even more so than a herbalist or woodcutter?
“Ah, I see now.”
Seok Gyeong Ja finally nodded, as if enlightened.
“Everything is completely intertwined, you see. There are limits to what can be hidden.”
There are boundaries to concealing what exists.
But when things are perfectly mingled together, their traces become impossible to find.
It mirrors the profound principle of the highest martial arts.
At Seok Gyeong Ja’s murmur, Gwi Jin Ja shook his head.
“It is not mere mingling. Disparate and opposing forces embrace one another, achieving a balanced harmony.”
Gwi Jin Ja spoke while gazing at Bu Eunseol.
“The aura of this person operates like the mysteries of yin and yang—when one flourishes, the other wanes. And in this world, there exists only one force capable of achieving perfect equilibrium.”
“What is that?”
“The Demon’s Dharma Art.”
Gwi Jin Ja spoke.
“Only the Demon’s Dharma Art can perfectly command such mingled forces.”
Thump.
Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened.
The Old Innkeeper had spoken the same words before.
‘Am I truly descended from the Demon’s bloodline?’
Bu Eunseol drew a deep breath.
Every circumstance pointed to my being of the Demon’s blood.
‘But.’
Analyzing the situation with cold clarity, I shook my head.
‘Could they all be mistaken?’
Though the world might not know.
Grandfather would have known the truth.
If I were the blood of the Demon—destined to destroy Murim and plunge the world into chaos?
He who cherished the life of every leaf and insect.
He who treated even the corpses of the dead as if they were living people—he would never have raised me.
‘Of course, it’s possible Grandfather raised me because he had confidence in suppressing the Demon’s Dharma Art.’
But there was a second, more certain reason.
Ma Cheon Je himself.
If the sages could discern at a glance that I was of the Demon’s bloodline?
There was no way Ma Cheon Je would have failed to perceive it.
He who repeatedly entered seclusion to topple the strongest in Murim’s depths.
He would never have allowed such a spark—one capable of turning all Murim into a sea of fire—to remain untouched.
“That cannot be.”
Having organized my thoughts, Bu Eunseol shook my head.
“If I had inherited the Demon’s bloodline, even if the world did not know, Ma Cheon Je would have known.”
At Bu Eunseol’s words, Gwi Jin Ja shook his head.
“Martial artists could not possibly know.”
And he spoke in a cold voice.
“Only the sages of Ben Rim, who have studied not merely the knowledge existing in this world but people across generations, could discern such a thing.”
“If we’re talking about people.”
“Then naturally, the Baek Ri Family and Jin Ma are included as well. They are undoubtedly people too.”
He continued speaking with a composed expression.
“The sages of Ben Rim can perceive the energies that exist in this world, as well as various forces invisible to ordinary people.”
“Then you’re truly saying I possess the aura of Jin Ma.”
“Of course.”
And he pointed to Bu Eunseol’s arm.
“Your left arm is faintly enveloped in the aura of mixed demonic arts, is it not?”
“My left arm.”
Only then did Bu Eunseol grasp the situation.
Before arriving here, I had encountered an old man.
A retainer of the Jin Ma Family had attacked me.
And as a result, a portion of the mixed demonic aura had been absorbed into my arm.
Gwi Jin Ja had sensed it with ghostly perception, and had even detected the fact that multiple forces were intermingled within my body.
Because of this, he could not help but be certain that I was of Jin Ma’s bloodline.
‘It would be better to speak honestly and seek answers.’
Between the drooping eyebrows of Gwi Jin Ja, which hung like willow branches, small eyes were visible.
They were as clear and transparent as a child’s, appearing absolutely nothing like those of an evil person.
Taking a deep breath, Bu Eunseol recounted everything in detail.
“I happened to defeat an old man who could be called a retainer of the Jin Ma Family. It seems that at that moment, a portion of the force called the mixed demonic aura was absorbed.”
After listening to the explanation for some time, Gwi Jin Ja shook his head.
“No matter how extraordinary martial arts one has learned, one cannot absorb the mixed demonic aura.”
And he spoke decisively.
“There exists no human who can mingle countless forces within their body and yet remain intact without bursting.”
Bu Eunseol was left speechless.
A human who had mingled countless forces within their body without bursting.
Was that not referring to myself?
“I learned the martial arts of Jeong Sa Ma Bul all at once, and…”
Taking a deep breath, I opened my mouth calmly.
“Within my body dwells the power of three of the Sam Sin Gi.”
“What did you say?”
Gwi Jin Ja shook his head as if he could not believe it.
“How is such a thing possible?”
“I do not know. It simply came to be.”
Gwi Jin Ja spoke with a solemn expression.
“Such a thing does not occur by chance. And it absolutely does not happen in a short span of time.”
He continued speaking.
“If what you say is true, there must surely have been a process by which you came to possess such power.”
“A process.”
Bu Eunseol wore a dazed expression.
Suddenly, it occurred to me that if I spoke with Gwi Jin Ja, I might be able to understand the truth of my own existence.
‘Since I’ve already said this much, I might as well tell everything.’
The fact that I existed at all.
From the moment I learned I was merely a shadow deliberately created by Baek Ri Mu Ha.
I had completely abandoned any questions about the circumstances of my birth.
But now that I had encountered this sage who seemed to know everything…
I found myself wanting to ask about the tragic nature of my own existence.
“In truth, I was an orphan taken in by my grandfather. Then a vicious man killed him… and I ventured into Gangho to seek revenge.”
Bu Eunseol recounted the details of her past life and circumstances.
“As I continued my journey through Gangho, I was constantly mistaken for someone from Cheon Am Sung, and until recently, I was certain I was of Baek Ri Family bloodline.”
“The Baek Ri Family?”
“Yes. I thought I was the bloodline of Saha Chamber’s master, Baek Ri Mu Ha… but I later learned I was merely a shadow created to protect the true Baek Ri Family bloodline.”
Bu Eunseol shook her head with a bewildered expression.
“But now that I’m told I’m of Jin Ma’s bloodline… honestly, I don’t even know who I am anymore.”
Gwi Jin Ja’s expression went blank.
This young man, whom I had been certain was of Jin Ma’s bloodline, possessed such a convoluted history.
“Since you’ve spoken so candidly of your circumstances, I shall be equally forthright with you.”
Gwi Jin Ja spoke with measured composure.
“Thirty years ago, Ben Rim was annihilated by the Chilji Demonic Sect… and the surviving sages, including Ben Rim’s master, eventually made the difficult decision to retreat into Cheop Chae Mountain.”
Gwi Jin Ja spoke with steady calm.
“Only this Cheop Chae Mountain possessed the absolute extinction formation capable of perfectly defending against his attacks.”
“Then…”
As Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened in realization, Gwi Jin Ja nodded.
“Precisely. All the intelligence Ben Rim possesses about Gangho remains frozen at the point of thirty years past. Should Ben Rim ever venture into Gangho… his location could be exposed.”
Gwi Jin Ja released a deep sigh.
“Therefore, I cannot speak with certainty about the blood calamity of Saha Chamber you mentioned, nor about Baek Ri Mu Ha, who was called the greatest master of Gangho.”
Baek Ri Mu Ha’s activities coincided with the period when my grandfather withdrew from the world.
This was why Hyeonja Forest possessed no accurate knowledge of Saha Chamber’s blood calamity or Baek Ri Mu Ha.
“However…”
Gwi Jin Ja began to share a remarkable revelation.
“If Baek Ri Mu Ha truly is a descendant of the Baek Ri Family as you say, he could never have established a manor called Saha Chamber and lived peacefully among ordinary people.”
“Why is that?”
“The Baek Ri Family is known to have vanished three hundred years ago in an instant… but the truth is different.”
A profound light emanated from Gwi Jin Ja’s eyes.
“They merely changed their organization and methods. Using the secret techniques of the Absolute Boundary, they concealed their identities and scattered throughout Gangho, taking root in various places.”
“Using the Absolute Boundary to secretly take root throughout Gangho…”
This aligned with what Sa In, whom I had met at Wind Divine Palace before, had said.
Which meant the Baek Ri Family had not disappeared at all.
Even now, at this very moment… they were secretly maintaining their lineage somewhere in Gangho.
“Previously, I encountered someone called Sa In, one of the Eight Immortals Heaven and a subordinate of Jin Ma.”
Bu Eunseol spoke in a low voice.
“And he spoke of the Baek Ri Family as if they were a scourge upon Gangho.”
Gwi Jin Ja nodded.
“If we must be precise, both the Baek Ri Family and Jin Ma are beings that cannot be divided into good and evil, so he spoke that way.”
“Why is that?”
“Jin Ma’s Subordinates have never inflicted any great harm upon Murim. Of course, they have constrained the power of Murim practitioners, manipulated them, and even killed some… but it hardly qualifies as a true calamity.”
Gwi Jin Ja sighed.
“Conversely, the Baek Ri Family would unhesitatingly commit any act whatsoever to eliminate Jin Ma and his Subordinates. In truth, there are whispers that the Baek Ri Family orchestrated several of the calamities that have befallen Murim.”
“If they are merely whispers, then they have not been confirmed as fact?”
“Among the ancient secret records, there exist documents containing such accounts. But the truth—no one can know it.”
Bu Eunseol’s expression grew vacant.
If those words were true.
Then there was ample reason to consider the Baek Ri Family—those capable of committing any atrocity—as evil itself.
‘Wait.’
Something feels wrong.
Gwi Jin Ja had said that Jin Ma’s Subordinates had not committed such harms.
Then what of Jin Ma himself, their leader?
According to the records left by Yo Hui, the ancestral founder of Shin Nyeo Gung, was he not spoken of as a Demon from primordial times, and as Evil itself?
‘And Rim Ju maintained a favorable attitude even knowing I possessed the Demon Sealing Dharma Artifact.’
A chill ran down my spine.
The thought struck me that Hyeonja Forest might itself be a stronghold of Jin Ma’s Subordinates, or perhaps his followers.
‘Was I too hasty?’
Until now, I had always been able to instinctively distinguish good from evil, and that intuition had never once failed me.
Overconfident in that instinct.
I had carelessly revealed my origins and circumstances to Gwi Jin Ja.
“Hehehehe.”
But then Gwi Jin Ja said something unexpected.
“It is understandable to think such things. But do not worry.”
With a faint smile, he continued calmly.
“Ben Rim has maintained neutrality for generations. I was merely speaking from that perspective.”
Remarkably, he had read my thoughts completely.
“If doubt remains, say no more. What I have heard from you will never be disclosed—you need not fear.”
My suspicion of Gwi Jin Ja stemmed not merely.
From the fact that he maintained a favorable attitude despite knowing the Demon Sealing Dharma Artifact surrounded me.
‘No matter how enlightened a sage might be… could he truly treat the grandson of the enemy who so brutally slew his martial brothers with such kindness?’
Hyeonja Forest had been exterminated by my grandfather, and these people were survivors who lived through that destruction.
No matter how enlightened one became.
Could one truly show such tenderness to the grandson who inherited the enemy’s legacy?
“The answer to the question you are asking now will be given after all our conversation is finished.”
Gwi Jin Ja continued to see straight through Bu Eunseol’s heart.
‘He is someone I can trust.’
Bu Eunseol’s intuition rose to the surface once more.
Just as it had felt from the beginning.
I became certain that Gwi Jin Ja was a trustworthy person.
Besides, what could be called the most crucial secret—
I had already revealed everything about the power intermingled within my body.
At this point, stopping the conversation
or doubting him
would yield nothing.
“Then… is there a possibility that I could be Jin Ma’s bloodline, just as that old man said before?”
At Bu Eunseol’s words, Gwi Jin Ja offered a faint smile and extended his hand.
“Let me examine you once more, clearly. Come into Ben Rim.”
At Gwi Jin Ja’s words, Seok Gyeong Ja shook his head in alarm.
“Master. Have you forgotten that he is Bu Chanyang’s grandson?”
“I merely wish to converse. He is certainly not someone who would bring harm to Ben Rim.”
“Then would it not be better to speak here instead?”
Seok Gyeong Ja spoke earnestly.
“Rather than bring him into Ben Rim, you might as well take my life.”
Gwi Jin Ja sighed.
Seok Gyeong Ja’s concern was not without reason.
Like all the people of Hyeonja Forest, he was someone who had survived by the skin of his teeth from the hands of Chil Ji Ma Do.
And Hyeonja Forest’s true formation had not yet been deployed.
What if he were allowed inside and suddenly turned hostile?
They all knew they could never stop this young Grand Master with such terrifying martial prowess.
“Very well. Then we shall examine him here.”
Murmur, murmur.
In the meantime, the disciples of Hyeonja Forest gathered one by one at the entrance.
Before long, a group of roughly forty to fifty people had assembled.
After surveying the gathered disciples, Gwi Jin Ja approached Bu Eunseol closely.
He examined my five senses clearly, then inspected my bones and frame, and finally extended his fingers to take my pulse like a physician.
“Huh.”
Each time Gwi Jin Ja switched fingers, he let out an exclamation.
“This is impossible.”
“What do you mean, sir?”
“You are neither of the Baek Ri Family nor Jin Ma’s bloodline. From the start, you possess an extremely ordinary body that cannot accept celestial techniques or demonic magic arts.”
Gwi Jin Ja furrowed his brow.
“Yet I cannot fathom how such a thing is possible.”
“What has gone wrong?”
“Simply put, you possess an extremely ordinary body, and yet…”
Gwi Jin Ja continued, as if unable to comprehend.
“Thanks to seamlessly blending all manner of forces, you’ve developed a body capable of accepting any energy whatsoever.”
Then he spoke with a solemn expression.
“Such a body cannot be artificially created. Even if a method existed, it could never be accomplished in a short span of time.”
Gwi Jin Ja’s eyes narrowed.
“Unless one underwent training from childhood to blend the secrets of Jeong Sa Mu Hak and the heart methods together.”
Bu Eunseol swallowed dryly.
Just as Gwi Jin Ja said.
From childhood, I had been infused with the secrets of Jeong Sa Mu Hak and the heart methods.
But that was merely.
My Grandfather’s earnest efforts through various means to correct my frail body.
I only learned after becoming a Gangho martial artist that even the breathing techniques and everything else were martial arts methods.
‘To think those very things were like training to transform my body into one capable of accepting any force whatsoever.’
I was bewildered.
‘Could it be that Grandfather intentionally did this?’
Bu Eunseol clenched her fists tightly.
No, that couldn’t be.
Until his final breath, Grandfather had only wished for me to live an ordinary, happy life.
It was absolutely impossible.
“My body has always been frail.”
Bu Eunseol answered, regaining her composure.
“So Grandfather infused me with various forces.”
“A frail body, and so various forces were infused… I see.”
“Then wouldn’t there be a chance this happened coincidentally?”
“If another martial artist had experienced this, I might have called it coincidence as well.”
Gwi Jin Ja stared intently at Bu Eunseol.
“But Bu Chanyang, a supreme master of unparalleled martial arts, could not have failed to calculate such things.”
A sage like Bu Chanyang.
Could never have carelessly transmitted power and martial arts without comprehending such principles.
Which meant, in the end.
Bu Chanyang intentionally infused conflicting forces ceaselessly…
transforming Bu Eunseol into a body capable of accepting any force whatsoever.
As if knowing you would one day become a martial artist.
As if anticipating you would learn countless martial arts.
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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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