The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 862

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

Chapter 862.
Bu Eunseol, who had worn a dazed expression for some time, shook her head.
“If it was intentional, then surely there was a profound purpose behind it.”
Even if Grandfather had done such a thing, it would have been only for her sake.
“If you’re so certain of it, then there’s no harm in thinking that way.”
Gwi Jin Ja’s expression was subtle.
Seeing that look, Bu Eunseol felt uneasy. It felt as though she were doubting Grandfather.
‘I should stop asking about my past karma.’
The more I unraveled the threads of my own fate, the more I found myself doubting Grandfather.
Rather than continue down that path, I resolved not to ask any more questions about the past.
‘Let me forget the blood calamity concerning Sa Ha Manor.’
In the past, my longing for my parents had been so desperate.
After discovering Hyung Su’s true identity, finding my roots had been what I yearned for most.
But now I no longer cared.
There was only one thing that mattered.
That the people dear to me around me would not be harmed.
The most urgent task at present was to deal with the Executor.
“There is one last thing I wish to ask of you, Ryeong Ju.”
Bu Eunseol took a deep breath and spoke in a clear voice.
“The truth is, I came here to deal with the Executor.”
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
The moment the word “Executor” left Bu Eunseol’s lips, the sages around her began to stir in astonishment.
They had never before heard a martial artist directly mention this mysterious being, which they had only read about in ancient texts.
“Might I receive an answer to this?”
Gwi Jin Ja shook his head.
“Ben Rim values karmic bonds deeply.”
And he spoke in a low voice.
“The reason I left Jeok Cheong Ja in the Gangho was precisely for that reason.”
Gwi Jin Ja asked again.
“To deal with the Executor means to kill him, does it not?”
“If possible… yes.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with resolve.
“The Executor has appeared and is touching those close to me.”
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
At Bu Eunseol’s words, several sages whispered in disbelief.
―The Executor is targeting those around this young woman?
The Executor was not something that appeared merely because one’s martial prowess was high.
It was an existence that sanctioned even the mightiest of masters—those powerful enough to break the laws themselves.
Yet the Executor had come for this young person?
“I see.”
Yet Gwi Jin Ja showed no surprise, merely nodding in acknowledgment.
“There are several methods to resolve the Executor’s pursuit.”
Bu Eunseol’s expression brightened considerably.
Even coming to Cheop Chae Mountain, she had harbored no great expectations of finding a solution so readily.
Yet to discover an answer so swiftly? And not merely one method, but several at that….
‘Then at the very least, one of them must be a way to absolutely neutralize the Executor.’
“The first is to create an original power or martial art—something that has never once appeared in Murim, with no similar precedent whatsoever… thereby evading the Executor’s targeting.”
It was an utterly unexpected approach.
By innovating an original power or martial art, one could evade the Executor’s pursuit?
‘Then does that mean Jeong Ma Ssang Cheon Je and Sammasamjon both escaped the Executor?’
The supreme masters of the current age did not rely on techniques passed down through generations.
They wielded martial arts that had never before appeared in Murim—original creations of their own design.
Then were they originally free from the Executor’s restraint?
“That is a condition impossible for me to fulfill immediately.”
The martial arts Bu Eunseol had mastered were supreme techniques that had reached the pinnacle of their respective domains.
Yet none of them were creations born from her own originality.
The Musang Cheon Ryu style synthesized the sword techniques of Nangya Sect, and the recently created Gangho Yeon Pa style similarly borrowed from Geom Joon’s Natural Sword.
The Seven Fist Techniques traced their lineage to Gwon In.
The Flexible Will True Seal, Thirteen Night Techniques, Sword Void Profound Origin, Lightning Thunder Unparalleled, Capable Form Sword Style, and Blood Dew Seven Techniques—
all were supreme secret arts of masters past or present.
Even harmony itself was a recreation of Pa Cheon Hwang’s technique, adapted from the methods created by the Holy Sword Baek Ri Mu Jo.
Because she had received one fortuitous encounter after another—opportunities that others might only obtain once in a lifetime, if at all—
she had never even attempted to forge her own original techniques.
She had lacked even the time to perfectly digest all the martial arts she had learned thus far.
“Is there no other method?”
“Of course there is.”
To Bu Eunseol’s question, Gwi Jin Ja revealed a solution most bizarre and unsettling.
“If you willingly abandon the person you currently love most, you can escape the Executor’s pursuit.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“It is said the Executor finds his targets by perceiving the color of one’s spirit.”
Gwi Jin Ja spoke with perfect composure.
“Should you lose a beloved and fall into despair, that color vanishes entirely, or so the tales tell.”
“That is similar in principle to mastering the secret of eliminating emotion.”
“Precisely. One who despairs and suffers ultimately becomes emotionless.”
Had Bu Eunseol heard such an explanation upon first entering Hyeonja Forest, she would have dismissed it outright.
Yet Gwi Jin Ja perceived her spirit with perfect clarity—something no one else could penetrate.
That mysterious ability alone lent his words immense weight and credibility.
“Is there yet another method?”
Gwi Jin Ja’s lips curved into a bitter smile.
“According to all known accounts, those two are the only methods that exist.”
Bu Eunseol’s expression grew somber.
As the Rim Ju of Hyeonja Forest and one said to possess knowledge of all things in this world,
there could be no method beyond this. In the end, I had failed to discover any approach I could employ immediately.
“I understand. Thank you.”
As Bu Eunseol showed signs of departure, Gwi Jin Ja’s eyes gleamed.
“Will you employ the second method?”
“How could that be possible?”
“Then you intend to seclude yourself in a quiet place and create an original martial art.”
“Something like that.”
Bu Eunseol gazed toward the distant sky, her eyes filled with profound silence.
“I shall wander the Gangho alone, create new martial arts, and pursue the Executor’s trail….”
After drawing a deep breath, she continued.
“And I shall strike down those who commit such cruel acts.”
“Kill the Executor? That is an impossible task.”
Gwi Jin Ja shook her head.
“Even the Baek Ri Family and Jin Ma cannot eliminate the Executor. They are part of the Law itself.”
“What is this Law?”
“Precisely what the word implies—the Law. It is like an unchanging truth.”
Gwi Jin Ja answered calmly.
“The Law cannot be explained by anyone. Just as the sun rises in the morning and sets in the evening—it must occur, yet we know not why.”
“I see.”
That answer was the same as Man Wol’s.
Which meant… perhaps Gwi Jin Ja also understood the Law but chose not to speak of it precisely.
‘I cannot force an answer.’
Swallowing my thoughts, I clasped my hands together respectfully.
“I believe nothing is truly impossible.”
And I bowed with utmost courtesy.
“I am grateful for your kindness.”
Hyeonja Forest had been destroyed by my grandfather, yet barely maintained its lineage.
Still, Gwi Jin Ja had recognized my karmic roots and shown me such generosity.
Even a hundred bows would be insufficient repayment.
“Why do you not ask that question?”
Gwi Jin Ja asked.
“Why does the Rim Ju show such kindness to you, despite being Bu Chanyang’s grandson?”
Truthfully, I was curious, but I dared not ask.
For Gwi Jin Ja had shown me such immense favor without apparent reason.
“I suspect there must be a profound story, but I dare not presume to ask….”
[It was the Rim Ju’s mistake.]
Then Gwi Jin Ja’s calm voice transmission reached me.
[They touched something that should never be touched, and Chil Ji Ma Do sought to prevent it.]
Bu Eunseol was greatly startled.
She had touched something in Hyeonja Forest that should never be disturbed?
[Cheon Ki Sung.]
Gwi Jin Ja transmitted his voice with an expression of anguish.
[The king of the sages and the guide of truth—we artificially brought him into existence. To create a world for the sages.]
Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened in shock.
Cheon Ki Sung was artificially created? Then Chu So—was he a monster fabricated by Hyeonja Forest?
[From generations past, even from ages long forgotten, Ben Rim’s objective has been to create Cheon Ki Sung, a leader to guide the sages. And thirty years ago… we finally completed the preparations for it.]
A profound shadow fell across Gwi Jin Ja’s eyes.
[But when the Chilji Demonic Sect learned of this, they systematically destroyed all the spiritual beings, spiritual lands, and spiritual plants, and struck down Ben Rim.]
[….]
[An artificially created Cheon Ki Sung would be no different from unleashing a calamity that could annihilate the world itself.]
When Bu Eunseol said nothing, Gwi Jin Ja’s expression grew apologetic.
[Yet I could not bring myself to reveal such truth to Ben Rim’s disciples. If they learned the reality… they would not endure the despair and sorrow.]
‘So that was it.’
No matter how benevolent a person might be, a blood feud with an enemy who slew one’s martial brothers—a hatred that could never be reconciled.
And to accept that bloodline would be nearly impossible.
Yet the reason Gwi Jin Ja treated Bu Eunseol with such care and answered all her questions was…
because Hyeonja Forest bore a grave sin against the Murim.
[Then Chu So—he was created by Hyeonja Forest?]
[Chu So?]
[Yes. He is the Cheon Ki Sung of this generation.]
At Bu Eunseol’s words, Gwi Jin Ja’s eyes narrowed.
[The sages of Ben Rim who carried out such work fled into hiding long ago to escape Bu Chanyang’s assault. However….]
He gazed toward the distant sky, as if to speak of something, then shook his head.
[This too is the will of Heaven, so Ben Rim accepts it with humility.]
Though his words were somewhat cryptic,
Gwi Jin Ja’s expression was so tormented that Bu Eunseol refrained from pressing further.
“Pardon me, Rim Ju.”
At that moment, a young man in his prime carefully stepped forward from among the sages gathered behind Gwi Jin Ja.
Though his appearance was rather ordinary, his eyes gleamed with a mysterious radiance so brilliant it could be seen clearly from ten leagues away.
The youngest disciple of Hyeonja Forest, yet possessed of extraordinary wisdom—Han Sang Ja.
“If it pleases you, I wondered if I might convey to him a method to resolve this matter.”
Han Sang Ja rubbed his hands together with a smile as he spoke.
“Would that be acceptable?”
His demeanor was precisely that of a mischievous grandson making a request of his grandfather.
But at that moment,
“You’re trying to sneak out again!”
A middle-aged man seized Han Sang Ja’s ear with a sharp rebuke.
It was none other than Han Sang Ja’s master, Jeok Cheong Ja.
“My apologies, Ryeong Ju. It seems this fool still clings to his delusional dream of venturing into the Gangho.”
Jeok Cheong Ja stretched Han Sang Ja’s ear.
“You’re always going on about leaving for the Gangho. Did you think I wouldn’t notice you eavesdropping on all the news from the Murim?”
Gwi Jin Ja gazed upon Han Sang Ja’s face.
His ears were large as Buddha’s, his eyes gentle and serene, his face bearing a fullness of flesh, and his five features were perfectly proportioned.
To any observer, he was a youth blessed with the most auspicious countenance.
“What method?”
When Gwi Jin Ja asked, Han Sang Ja spoke with confidence.
“Did that small sect not say they would eliminate the Executors who harm them?”
Han Sang Ja spoke boldly.
“The Executor is called law itself, but it is possible to find the one who commands it.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Celestial Fragrance Body.”
Han Sang Ja smiled, revealing his white teeth.
“If we bring that person here, could we not confront it using the methods described in the Profound Heavenly Principle Record?”
Understanding what Han Sang Ja was suggesting, Gwi Jin Ja nodded faintly.
“If the Celestial Fragrance Body is willing to take the risk, such a method might indeed be possible.”
“Ryeong Ju. What exactly is this young man talking about?”
To Bu Eunseol’s question, Gwi Jin Ja did not answer, instead gazing toward the Distant Sky.
“Perhaps this too is fate.”
Gwi Jin Ja sighed softly and nodded toward Han Sang Ja.
“Go with him.”
“Ryeong Ju! This cannot be allowed.”
Jeok Cheong Ja spoke in alarm, but Gwi Jin Ja shook his head.
“Why not?”
“But….”
“If one could escape fate, that too would be welcome.”
Jeok Cheong Ja, about to say something, bit his lip and bowed his head.
Like Gwi Jin Ja himself,
he was a sage who could read the celestial signs, and he knew why the Hyeonja Forest had been annihilated.
“I understand.”
Jeok Cheong Ja sighed deeply and nodded toward Han Sang Ja.
“I shall grant permission.”
“Thank you.”
As Han Sang Ja bowed respectfully, Bu Eunseol approached and asked.
“How can you possibly stop the Executor?”
“I will explain as we depart.”
Seeing Han Sang Ja move forward without hesitation, Bu Eunseol shook her head.
“You cannot go with me. You too will eventually fall to the Executor.”
“You came seeking answers from Ben Rim, which suggests time still remains, does it not?”
Han Sang Ja spoke with the certainty of a fortune teller.
“There is no need to rush this matter. We must devise a plan that is both flawless and meticulous.”
Han Sang Ja’s expression was somewhat playful, yet his eyes held a profound wisdom.
Bu Eunseol, resigned to the inevitable, drew a deep breath and nodded.
“Very well.”
She then pressed her palms together toward Gwi Jin Ja and the elders of Hyeonja Forest.
“I offer my deepest gratitude for your assistance.”
At that moment, Han Sang Ja scratched his head and spoke.
“Would it be permissible for me to take the Infinite Light Codex and the Celestial Avian Divine Scripture for this undertaking?”
The Infinite Light Codex was the greatest treasure of Hyeonja Forest, capable of measuring every concept that existed in the world.
And the Celestial Avian Divine Scripture contained the most profound knowledge held within Hyeonja Forest.
“That cannot be. Those must remain in the original forest….”
Jeok Cheong Ja attempted to stop him, but Gwi Jin Ja nodded in agreement.
“Yes, we shall need those for this task.”
[Ryeong Ju, there is a possibility that he could find them.]
Jeok Cheong Ja transmitted his concern, and Gwi Jin Ja replied.
[It matters not. He will never find them. Indeed, he will have no need to.]
In the meantime, Han Sang Ja returned from his swift journey to Hyeonja Forest, a large cloth bundle now secured upon his back.
He had already retrieved the books and treasures and returned with them.
“Thank you.”
Han Sang Ja then spoke with a bright smile.
“I shall use them with care and return them safely.”
He then bowed respectfully to Gwi Jin Ja and his fellow elders.
“Then I shall take my leave!”
Fearing that Jeok Cheong Ja might change his mind, he quickly followed Bu Eunseol outside.
Jeok Cheong Ja watched the two depart and released a heavy sigh.
“Was this not an unchangeable fate?”
To Jeok Cheong Ja’s anguished question, Gwi Jin Ja replied calmly.
“No, it shall change.”
Gwi Jin Ja shook his head.
“That one possesses the power to reverse destiny itself.”
“What do you mean?”
“His arrival was entirely unforeseen. Moreover, he possesses the most ordinary body in all of Tianxia.”
“The most ordinary….”
As if awakening to some realization, Jeok Cheong Ja’s mouth fell open, and Gwi Jin Ja offered a faint smile.
“Yes, so it shall surely succeed. Have we not already lived as long as we needed to?”
Jeok Cheong Ja’s expression grew solemn.
In the past, the Chilji Demonic Sect had severed the lineage of Hyeonja Forest.
But was it not said that fate repeats and cycles endlessly?
Gwi Jin Ja had maintained the lineage steadfastly, all the while knowing these truths.
To nurture a single seed of hope.
And that seed of hope would become Han Sang Ja.
“From today onward, there is no need to guard the Entrance.”
Gwi Jin Ja spoke to Seok Gyeong Ja, who stood at a distance.
“You have labored well all this time.”
“Why is there no need to guard it?”
Gwi Jin Ja offered an utterly barren smile.
“It is the natural order of things.”
“The natural order.”
Seok Gyeong Ja’s eyes became transparent with understanding.
He had dimly grasped the meaning behind Gwi Jin Ja’s words.
“Ryeong Ju, surely not….”
He tried to speak, but Gwi Jin Ja was already walking away into the distance.
* * *
After leaving Cheop Chae Mountain, Bu Eunseol boarded a boat with Han Sang Ja and returned slowly.
It was to engage in a deeper conversation with him.
“How exactly do you intend to deal with the Executor?”
In response to Bu Eunseol’s question, Han Sang Ja began to explain with eloquent clarity.
“The Heavenly Fragrance Constitution is unknown throughout Murim, yet it possesses a special physiology capable of perfectly resonating with the spiritual essence emanating from another’s soul.”
“Spiritual fragrance?”
“To put it simply, you might call it a person’s aura. After all, an aura can be understood as the fragrance of the spirit itself.”
According to Han Sang Ja’s explanation,
an aura is indeed a kind of spiritual fragrance that flows from the soul,
and the Heavenly Fragrance Constitution perfectly captures all the spiritual fragrances that emanate from human beings.
And if one desires, one can perfectly mimic the spiritual fragrance emanating from another person’s soul.
“So you mean to create a person with an aura identical to mine and use that to lure the Executor?”
In truth, Han Sang Ja was a Dharmic title, so his surname was not Han.
Yet when a young Grand Master renowned throughout Tianxia called himself by such a familiar name,
Han Sang Ja nodded as if pleased.
“Precisely. Ryeong Ju, your wisdom is indeed as the rumors suggest.”
Unlike the sages of Hyeonja Forest, who were ignorant of Gangho affairs,
he had repeatedly ventured out in secret, and thanks to that, he possessed considerable knowledge of Murim’s circumstances and its prominent figures.
Yet he did not know of the Appearance-Breaking Technique,
so at first he had not recognized that Bu Eunseol was the renowned Muk Hon Ryeong Ju.
“The Executor distinguishes people by the color of their spiritual essence. Thus, whether one employs reverse techniques or hides anywhere, it can always be found.”
“How did you come to know that?”
“The Executor is one of the mysteries that even Ben Rim continuously researches. There are considerable research materials and texts regarding this entity.”
“Then you must possess quite a bit of information about the Deep Abyss Force as well.”
“The Deep Abyss Force—you mean the forces that have not revealed their appearance? Of course.”
Han Sang Ja laughed with composure.
“Otherwise, why would Hyeonja Forest have left behind illustrations in the Gangho depicting the Executor’s nature?”
Hyeonja Forest was not merely a place that researched and advanced all knowledge scattered throughout Tianxia, but a sanctuary devoted to the pursuit of truth itself.
Given that they had illustrated the Executor’s behavior in picture books to enlighten the world, it was only natural that they possessed abundant research materials and information regarding such an entity.
“In any case, returning to the matter at hand… what if there existed a person whose spiritual essence bore the exact same hue as Ryeong Ju’s? How would the Executor respond?”
Han Sang Ja posed the question, then swiftly answered it himself.
“Then surely merely turning the surrounding figures into puppets would prove insufficient, yes? The Executor would absolutely feel compelled to verify this directly.”
Bu Eunseol, observing Han Sang Ja’s delighted expression, suddenly grasped something profound.
Hyeonja Forest.
They were scholars who researched all knowledge in the world and pursued truth itself.
And Han Sang Ja was likewise a sage of that place.
In the end, the Executor—this entity that had been giving Bu Eunseol such a headache—
was merely a delightful research subject that he would inevitably uncover one day.
“Could you not simply send two Executors?”
“The Executor takes on only one target at a time, it is said. The secret to tracking spiritual essence likely involves achieving resonance with the target’s own spiritual essence.”
Han Sang Ja explained rapidly.
“But since a person cannot suddenly become two, the Executor would have no choice but to verify this matter directly.”
“Would confirming it from a distance not immediately expose the deception?”
At Bu Eunseol’s words, Han Sang Ja’s eyes curved into crescents of delight.
“And is that not precisely why I brought the Thousand Gold Divine Scripture and the Boundless Radiant Secret?”

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