The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign – Chapter 381

‘To think she’d make such an expression!’

From a distance, Shim Wol’s eyes glinted with jealousy.

In his presence, Jin Seol had always been impassive, speaking only what was necessary in clipped tones. Even during their engagement ceremony, her expression hadn’t changed.

Yet, just by meeting face-to-face, she was visibly shaken, unable to control her emotions?

‘Just until I obtain the Demon Emperor’s martial art!’

Shim Wol gritted his teeth.

From the start, as Jeok Bung’s disciple, he had strategically joined Manbak Hall to become Majeon’s next successor.

Manbak Hall was closer to the sect’s leadership than any other place, overseeing various sect events. By handling tasks there and making an impression on the leadership, he could secure a significant advantage in the succession struggle.

“The Ten Demon Warriors plan is starting.”

But things went awry from there.

The Demon Emperor suddenly initiated the Ten Demon Warriors plan.

And he pitted the selected warriors against the Great Righteous Masters and, further, against the competitors of the Ten Demonic Sects.

‘The Demon Emperor intends to choose a successor from the Ten Demonic Sects and the Ten Demon Warriors.’

Elder Sect Leader Jeok Bung reached a conclusion.

“Originally, I planned to recommend you as a successor candidate… to make you the master of Majeon. But that’s no longer possible.”

The Demon Emperor and the Elder Sect Leader each had the authority to nominate a successor candidate. Jeok Bung had intended to pit Shim Wol against the Ten Demonic Sects’ competitors, but he changed his plan.

Bu Eunseol.

The outcome was too obvious if Shim Wol faced that unfathomable prodigy.

“From now on, focus on winning Jin Seol’s heart.”

Jeok Bung revealed a great secret to him.

Marrying Jin Seol would grant him the Demon Emperor’s exclusive martial art—an astonishing piece of information.

“Just steal a woman’s heart to become the foremost demonic master?” Shim Wol protested.

Jeok Bung replied coldly, “For now, it’s uncertain, but that Nangyang disciple will surely become the successor. His talents go beyond mere martial prowess.”

Jeok Bung had instantly recognized Bu Eunseol’s exceptional nature.

Though his physical foundation was average, he possessed innate martial talent, exceptional intellect, and wisdom and insight rivaling Jeok Bung’s, despite being over a century old.

And as Jeok Bung predicted, Bu Eunseol ascended to the successor’s position. Even without the support of the Ten Demonic Sects, he was steadily solidifying his position.

“Here’s everything about Jin Seol’s personality and preferences.”

Jeok Bung handed Shim Wol a box filled with scrolls.

It contained details about her favorite things, food preferences, preferred speech, and behavior—everything related to her.

‘Like a courtesan selling his body.’ 

Shim Wol clenched his teeth. What Jeok Bung was asking him to do was no different from a male courtesan’s work.

‘No, I must do it.’

But thinking of Bu Eunseol cooled his heart.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t match Bu Eunseol’s martial prowess or intellect. This was the only way to obtain the Demon Emperor’s martial art and rise to the position of the foremost demonic master.

“I… understand.” 

Shim Wol took the scrolls.

Thereafter, he memorized the contents hundreds, thousands of times. Through painstaking effort, he crafted the speech, demeanor, and aura Jin Seol would like.

And finally, he won her heart and became engaged.

Yet, that greedy successor was now casting eyes on a woman who would soon be another man’s wife.

“Bu Eunseol.” Black resentment burned in Shim Wol’s eyes as he gritted his teeth. “If you’re going to play like this, I’ll have to get dirty too.”

In reality, Bu Eunseol had only greeted Jin Seol.

But to Shim Wol, blinded by jealousy, it looked like a sinister attempt to steal his fiancée.

“I’ll use every method to bring you down!”

Shim Wol’s eyes blazed like a volcano, consumed by jealousy.

***

Blood Demon, Jeok Bung.

The great demonic master who once destroyed everything in his path had grown old.

He withdrew from the martial world, becoming the highest elder of Majeon, the concentrated force of the demonic path.

There, he wielded immense power.

Power.

It was more addictive and desirable than opium.

Jeok Bung had leveraged the subtle discord between the Ten Demonic Sects and the Demon Emperor, the sect’s supreme powerhouse, to hold significant sway.

But things had changed.

Majeon’s successor, Bu Eunseol.

His emergence began to shake Jeok Bung’s ironclad authority.

Originally, Jeok Bung maintained close ties with the Ten Demonic Sects’ leaders, acting as a mediator between them and the Demon Emperor. But when Bu Eunseol appeared, the Demon Emperor, as if his work was done, delegated sect affairs to the Chief Instructor and entered seclusion.

And Bu Eunseol, unfazed by the Ten Demonic Sects’ pressure, challenged them, subduing them one by one.

This left Jeok Bung with little to do.

And he instinctively knew that if Bu Eunseol became the sect’s master, he would be relegated to an old man in the background.

“I chose the wrong disciple.” As Jeok Bung sipped tea at the table, a bloodthirsty glint flickered in his eyes.

He already had three disciples, all in positions he desired, supporting his power.

And finally, he took in his youngest disciple, Shim Wol, to cap his ambitions. But contrary to expectations, Shim Wol had achieved little—blocked by the wall that was Bu Eunseol.

“In the end, it comes down to obtaining the Demon Emperor’s martial art.”

In the past, Jeok Bung believed he was unbeatable and once considered himself the world’s greatest.

But meeting the Demon Emperor shattered that pride.

He was a chaotic force, unaffected by Jeok Bung’s “phenomena.” 

As long as the Demon Emperor existed, Jeok Bung realized he would always be second.

“I’ve spoon-fed him this far; he’d better perform.”

 But if Shim Wol married Jin Seol, the story would change. Inheriting the martial art of the foremost demonic master, surpassing even Jeok Bung?

Shim Wol’s martial prowess could rival or even exceed Bu Eunseol’s.

The successor’s position was always contestable. Hadn’t Bu Eunseol declared he’d accept any challenge?

If Shim Wol’s martial art surpassed his and Jeok Bung built a force to oppose the Martial Soul Command Lord, Shim Wol could seize the successor’s position in one fell swoop, granting Jeok Bung even greater power.

Knock, knock.

A low voice followed the knock. “Master, it’s me.”

It was Shim Wol.

An unscheduled visit.

Shim Wol had always called Jeok Bung “Elder.”

But recently, as he began receiving the True Martial Art, he boldly called him “Master.”

‘He’s grown.’

“Come in.” Normally, Jeok Bung wouldn’t have permitted an unscheduled visit.

But now, he welcomed it gladly.

Shim Wol was soon to inherit the Demon Emperor’s legacy, becoming a treasure that would bring him immense power.

“Well,” Jeok Bung said, lightly brushing the teacup’s lid. “How’s the preparation going?”

His voice sounded almost affectionate.

But as it resonated, Shim Wol felt his insides burn and his bones shrink.

Blood Demon, Jeok Bung.

This great demonic master, whose killing intent and martial prowess reached the heavens, infused even a single word with overwhelming energy.

“Well…” Shim Wol’s expression was grim, prompting Jeok Bung to widen his eyes.

“What’s the matter?”

Clink.

As Jeok Bung flicked the teacup’s lid, Shim Wol swallowed hard and said, “Bu Eunseol.”

“Bu Eunseol?” Jeok Bung’s face soured at the mention of his name. “What about him?”

“He seems to be targeting my future wife.”

Jeok Bung narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”

His voice grew thinner, but the pressure intensified.

Shim Wol, barely holding himself together, said, “Just now, he met Jin Seol. In that brief moment, she was visibly shaken.”

Shim Wol clenched his fists. “Perhaps they spoke through sound transmission.”

“Hmph,” Jeok Bung sighed, his expression one of pity. “Didn’t I tell you to hasten the marriage? Why have you been dragging your feet?”

At Jeok Bung’s scolding, Shim Wol forced a smile. “Winning her heart wasn’t easy.”

“…”

“You know how cold her personality is, Master.”

“Hmph,” Jeok Bung snorted, displeased. “The Martial Soul Command Lord does nothing, yet women line up, enchanted…”

He didn’t finish, but Shim Wol understood.

‘His disciple, despite all efforts to win a woman’s favor, is taking too long.’ Shim Wol suppressed his humiliated feelings and bowed his head.

“I’ve done everything you asked to win her heart, haven’t I? But…”

“Enough. Stop there,” Jeok Bung cut him off coldly.

Shim Wol’s eyes burned with anger as he kept his head bowed.

They had once been close.

Though young, Shim Wol had the potential to inherit everything from Jeok Bung.

But Bu Eunseol’s arrival changed everything.

‘Inadequate.’

His once-proud disciple suddenly seemed lacking and insufficient. No matter how much time passed, Shim Wol showed no sign of surpassing Bu Eunseol, a mere Ten Demon Warrior.

In the end, Jeok Bung devised a plan to use Jin Seol to reach the Demon Emperor.

Yet even that was being delayed.

‘Stingy old man. Whose fault is all this?’

Shim Wol wasn’t without grievances.

Jeok Bung had raised him as a warrior but withheld his ultimate techniques.

The excuse was that Shim Wol’s skills weren’t sufficient, but to Shim Wol, it seemed Jeok Bung was hoarding his secret arts like a miser.

‘If he’d taught me the True Martial Art sooner, this wouldn’t have happened.’

Shim Wol swallowed his rising anger.

He had recently received Jeok Bung’s exclusive martial art due to his enhanced skills from handling Jin Seol’s matter. But it was a supreme technique requiring at least ten years of refinement. Shim Wol was deeply dissatisfied with the belated transmission.

“Master, this isn’t something to take lightly,” Shim Wol said, suppressing his frustration and bowing again. “If Bu Eunseol learns her secret, he could ruin this.”

“Ruin it?” Jeok Bung looked at him with disdain. “If he were the type to take a woman for martial arts, he’d have joined me long ago.”

Jeok Bung’s gaze was as cold as a glacier. “He’s a true martial artist, pursuing the ultimate path without distraction. Even if he knew the secret of the manual, he wouldn’t bat an eye.”

Jeok Bung was stingy with praise.

Even when he saw Do Cheonlin, the most talented of the Ten Demonic Sects’ successors, he only said, “Pretty good.”

Yet when it came to Bu Eunseol, he showered him with unmatched praise.

In front of his own disciple, his rival.

“Even if Bu Eunseol knows Jin Seol’s secret?” Shim Wol asked.

“Not just knows—he likely already does,” Jeok Bung scoffed. “He’s met the Chief Instructor and probably heard everything about Jin Seol.”

“You know him better than your own disciple,” Shim Wol said, clenching his fists.

“Didn’t I always tell you? To face an enemy, you must first understand them,” Jeok Bung said coldly.

Shim Wol bit his lip, swallowing a surge of emotions. “Regardless, if he interferes, everything will fall apart.”

“Is that even worth saying?” Jeok Bung’s eyes blazed red. “If you can’t overcome even this, even with the Demon Emperor’s martial art, you’ll never become the sect’s master.”

Crack.

Shim Wol’s spine creaked under the immense pressure of Jeok Bung’s voice, his bones shrinking.

“I… understand,” Shim Wol said, biting the inside of his lip until it bled, bowing his head.

Humiliation.

Every word from Jeok Bung was an indelible insult.

It wasn’t wrong, but to Shim Wol, it was unbearably humiliating.

“I’ll handle everything myself. Everything,” Shim Wol said, straightening his bent body with a creak, clasping his hands, and leaving respectfully.

Jeok Bung shook his head as he watched. “He’s gone astray.”

Shim Wol’s strength was his wisdom and intellect, not martial talent.

But Bu Eunseol’s presence had caused him to lose his composure and brilliance, trying to emulate Bu Eunseol instead.

“Yet… his power has more than doubled.”

Normally, Shim Wol would have collapsed under Jeok Bung’s pressure.

Yet now, he stood firm until the end.

“From his eyes, it’s not self-generated but externally acquired.” Jeok Bung, who had raised Shim Wol, instantly deduced that his enhanced power came from an ingested elixir. “At least his rapid progress is fortunate…”

Jeok Bung frowned.

Unless Shim Wol reached the Supreme Heaven Realm soon, even mastering the Demon Emperor’s martial art would be futile.

He hadn’t taught Shim Wol his ultimate techniques because they required at least the Supreme Heaven Realm to wield.

Shim Wol had broken through the Peak Realm’s barrier with external power, so Jeok Bung had reluctantly passed on his techniques, but they were still incomplete.

“He wouldn’t have secretly taken something like the Supreme Spirit Elixir.” Jeok Bung’s eyes blazed like a volcano as a thought struck him. “No matter how I think about it, I raised one disciple wrong.”

Clicking his tongue, Jeok Bung calmed his anger and sat back down.

He sipped the cooled tea, its fragrance lingering, but the aftertaste was bitter.

***

For once, Bu Eunseol went out with the Death Shadow Corps captains to the banquet hall of the Radiant Flower Inn.

It was both a farewell for Nine Deaths Squad Leader So Jamyeong and a rare chance to dine together.

After the meal, Bu Eunseol and the captains left the inn, their faces tinged with reluctance.

“Lord, there’s a great tavern nearby,” Won Semun said, his face full of regret. “How about another drink there?”

“You mean the Joyful Pavilion?” Jo Namcheon asked.

Won Semun nodded. “Yeah, that place. It’s perfect for a drink.”

The Joyful Pavilion was adorned with a beautiful garden and a small pond. With pavilions around it, one could drink while enjoying the moonlit view by the window.

“Sounds good,” Bu Eunseol said, nodding.

Won Semun led the way like a guide. “Come on, follow me!”

At the Joyful Pavilion, a waiter led Bu Eunseol’s group to the third floor. It was the most scenic spot, reserved for the wealthy due to its high cost.  

As they ascended, they saw a distinguished man and a beautiful woman seated by the window.

It was Shim Wol and Jin Seol.