The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign – Chapter 445

Bu Eunseol unleashed his lightness skill, heading straight for Yunnan.

Pushing his Swift Beyond Shadow to its limit, he moved as if employing the legendary Ground-Shrinking Step, darting forward with incredible speed.

Whoosh!

Without pausing to drink even a sip of water, he continued running relentlessly until he finally reached the vicinity of Nanhua in Yunnan.

“This way,” Soyo said, guiding him into the forest before immediately vanishing.

Bu Eunseol had ordered her to guide him only to the area where Blood Vajra could be found and then leave. If Blood Vajra detected Soyo’s stealthy presence and mistook her for a guard, he might immediately take his own life, as he was a man who kept his word.

“Good work, Soyo,” Bu Eunseol said.

Spreading his heightened senses wide, he once again exerted his lightness skill.

‘Is that the place?’ he thought.

Sensing a large number of presences, Bu Eunseol swiftly moved toward a forest clearing. Upon arriving at a deep forest clearing, he saw dozens of people surrounding a bloodied monk.

It was Blood Vajra, encircled by martial artists who bore grudges against him.

‘Thankfully, he’s safe,’ Bu Eunseol thought, immediately hiding behind a tree to conceal his presence.

If he revealed himself in such a situation, Blood Vajra might strike his own vital point and end his life.

“Blood Vajra, do you remember me?!” a pockmarked man wielding an axe shouted, his voice dripping with rage, as if spitting blood. “I am Han Sang of the Iron Axe Sect, who lost my only elder brother to your hands!”

Blood Vajra nodded and said, “I know. Scholar Han Sugyeom died by my strike.”

Han Sugyeom had challenged Blood Vajra to uphold justice in the martial world after the monk had killed numerous righteous martial artists. But he was no match for Blood Vajra and died instantly from a single strike.

And now, his younger brother, Han Sang, had come to seek revenge.

“Are you prepared?” Blood Vajra asked, raising his severed left fingers to his right hand in a gesture of prayer. “Take your revenge. I will not resist.”

“Don’t mock me!” Han Sang roared, drawing his axe with a furious expression. “You slaughtered the heroes of the martial world, and now you play the monk?!”

Han Sang swung his axe, aiming for Blood Vajra’s neck.

But Blood Vajra stood calmly, eyes closed, unwavering.

Clink.

In the end, Han Sang stopped short of striking, unable to follow through.

“My brother lived his life doing righteous deeds and showed mercy to those who did not resist!” he shouted, his voice trembling with frustration. 

“How could I betray the principles he upheld his entire life for the sake of revenge?!”

Boom!

He swung his axe, shattering a distant boulder, and turned away.

Next, a burly man with massive fists stepped forward and shouted, “Jo Wook of the Swift Water Escort Agency was my younger brother. You killed him!”

“That’s right. Jo Wook died by my strike,” Blood Vajra replied.

Speaking calmly with his back straight, Blood Vajra’s appearance was utterly wretched. For over a month, he had been beaten and cut by countless righteous martial artists, leaving no part of his body unscathed.

The burly man, with a pained expression, slapped Blood Vajra across the face.

“My brother lived proudly as a righteous martial artist and never killed those who did not resist,” he said.

Slap! Slap!

Tears streamed from the man’s eyes as he struck Blood Vajra’s cheeks.

“You’re alive because of that, Blood Vajra! Tch!” he spat, turning away after spitting in his face.

Watching from afar, Bu Eunseol let out a deep sigh.

For martial artists, enduring such humiliation was worse than death. Yet Blood Vajra stood stoically, his expression one of calm endurance.

Next, an elderly Taoist with a Wudang sword stepped forward.

It was Jin-in Chungyeop of Wudang.

“Blood Vajra, you killed my master, Jin-in Unheo. Do you remember?” he asked.

“Yes, Unheo died by my hand,” Blood Vajra confirmed.

“Why did you kill my master?”

“He believed he could reform me. But he failed, and I attacked him.” Blood Vajra spoke words he had never uttered before. “This humble monk has never attacked anyone first in my life. The only evil deed I committed was killing Unheo.”

Blood Vajra closed his eyes and lowered his head.

“If I hadn’t struck first, I would surely have been defeated.”

Shing.

Chungyeop Jin-in drew his sword.

“Blood Vajra, I’ve dreamed of the day I would take revenge on you. But by the time I entered the martial world, you had returned to Nangyang Pavilion, so I could not fulfill my wish.”

Blood Vajra closed his eyes silently.

Chungyeop Jin-in swung his sword toward Blood Vajra’s neck in a single motion.

Clang! Shatter.

But the sharp blade shattered like brittle candy before it could reach Blood Vajra’s neck. 

Chungyeop Jin-in had infused his energy into the sword, breaking it to pieces.

“My master suffered, believing a prodigy had fallen to the demonic path, and risked his life to reform you,” he said.

“…”

“And now that he has finally succeeded, how could I ruin his legacy?” 

He looked to the distant sky and turned away.

“Let this end the bad blood between you and our sect.”

Bu Eunseol, watching from his hiding place, was deeply moved.

Wudang was truly Wudang.

Realizing Blood Vajra’s sincere reformation, Chungyeop Jin-in had halted his revenge, honorably upholding his master’s legacy.

And Bu Eunseol was not the only one moved.

Rustle.

Over half of the martial artists who had witnessed the scene turned and left.

Inspired by Chungyeop Jin-in’s noble actions, they recalled one fact.

Blood Vajra had never attacked anyone first, except for his fellow disciples at Tianlong Temple.

Those killed by him had attacked first, either to reform or punish him.

In the end, his only crime was defending himself.

A long silence fell over the forest.

Then, a one-eyed woman approached Blood Vajra.

“Do you remember Iron Mask Jo Uijeong?” she asked.

“I remember,” Blood Vajra replied.

“He was my husband.” The one-eyed woman drew her sword and said, “He had no connection to you. Why did you kill him?”

Blood Vajra hesitated briefly before clasping his hands. “This humble monk has no words.”

In truth, Iron Mask Jo Uijeong was renowned as a heroic figure in the martial world, but he was secretly a man obsessed with women and wealth.

He operated an intelligence network, sowing discord between sects and profiting from information.

He was killed by Blood Vajra because he had led his subordinates to attack him for fame.

If these facts were revealed, Jo Uijeong’s reputation would plummet.

Blood Vajra chose to remain silent to protect the honor of the deceased.

“When my husband died, all my foundations crumbled. Bandits took everything, and I lost my eye,” the one-eyed woman said, stepping closer. “But Blood Vajra, you suddenly pretend to reform and undertake this Penance Journey to Yunnan. And the martial artists who believed you forgave you with a spit or a single strike.”

‘Dangerous,’ Bu Eunseol thought, gripping a hidden dagger as he saw the murderous intent in the woman’s eyes.

He realized she had come to truly kill Blood Vajra.

“I will never forgive you!” she screamed, as if spitting blood.

She strode toward Blood Vajra, raising her longsword high.

The sword was an exceptionally sharp treasure, one even Blood Vajra’s formidable inner energy could not withstand.

Watching from afar, Bu Eunseol reluctantly prepared to throw his dagger.

No matter what Blood Vajra might say later, he had to save him first.

Clang.

A clear metallic sound rang out as the woman’s sword was knocked away.

But it wasn’t Bu Eunseol’s dagger.

Among the martial artists who hadn’t left, a woman in yellow silk picked up a stone and deflected the sword.

“Sohon Mirang, you are utterly shameless,” the woman in yellow said, stepping toward the one-eyed woman, Sohon Mirang, with a sigh. “Unlike his public reputation, Iron Mask Jo Uijeong committed many evil deeds. He set a vicious trap for Blood Vajra and attacked with his subordinates, only to be killed.”

“…”

“Yet Blood Vajra said nothing to protect his honor. Knowing this, how can you seek revenge?”

Astonishingly, the woman in yellow knew all of Jo Uijeong’s misdeeds and the details of his death at Blood Vajra’s hands.

“Though called Blood Vajra, except for Unheo, he never attacked anyone first,” she said, gazing at Sohon Mirang with her beautiful eyes. “Moreover, your downfall wasn’t due to bandits. You tried to seduce the Blood Peng Gang Leader, only to have all your wealth stolen, didn’t you?”

“What, what did you say?”

“And your eye injury came from trying to seduce Nam Jaryong, known as the Righteous Blade of the Martial World, only to be wounded by his fiancée, Chojeong.”

“Who are you to meddle in others’ affairs?!” Sohon Mirang shouted, unable to contain her rage, raising her sword toward the woman in yellow. “Stay out of this!”

“I came to seek revenge on Blood Vajra too. Doesn’t that give me the right to interfere?” the woman replied.

“You…”

“I can’t stand by and watch someone falsely accuse and kill him. The real avengers are elsewhere.”

Sohon Mirang trembled but dared not swing her sword.

She instinctively knew she could never defeat the woman in yellow, whose body radiated the sharp, intangible aura only master swordsmen could emit.

“You’ll regret this!” Sohon Mirang spat, immediately using her lightness skill to flee.

The woman in yellow turned to the remaining martial artists. “Is there anyone here whom Blood Vajra attacked first without reason?”

Her words were met with silence.

Not a single person had been attacked by Blood Vajra without provocation.

“Aren’t you here for revenge?” Blood Vajra asked, his expression solemn as she defended him. “If not, leave.”

“No, I came for revenge too,” she said, approaching him. “You once fought a swordswoman known as the Eternal Regret Swordmaster and inflicted a fatal wound.”

“That’s right. I remember,” Blood Vajra replied.

“You thought she attacked you for fame, but in truth, she sought revenge for Sima Yu, the righteous hero known as Ghost’s Bane.”

The woman in yellow looked at Blood Vajra with a stern expression.

“But you gravely injured her simply for attacking you. Do you acknowledge this?”

“I do,” Blood Vajra said, bowing his head. “At the time, having just completed my divine technique, I was consumed by the demonic path and could not control my killing intent. I disregarded the value of others’ lives and misused my martial arts.”

“In the end, the Eternal Regret Swordmaster died from the wounds you inflicted, all because she sought revenge,” she said.

Blood Vajra clasped his hands. “Your words are correct. I will not resist, so take your revenge.”

The woman in yellow shook her head. “Killing those who attacked you or joined the demonic path doesn’t make you an absolute villain.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“I only came to confirm whether you’ve truly reformed or if you’re planning to stir up another bloodbath.” She let out a deep sigh. “But you’ve sincerely repented and are willing to risk your life to atone for your past.”

She slowly turned away. “Killing you would only tarnish my name for slaying someone who didn’t resist. I’ll stop here.”

With those brief words, the woman in yellow turned to leave. 

The martial artists, meeting her solemn and noble gaze, all turned and departed. Some had come for genuine revenge, but most sought the fame of killing Blood Vajra.

Yet, moved by her dignified presence, they all left.

‘It was her,’ Bu Eunseol thought, watching from his hiding place, breathing a sigh of relief.

While others might not know, he recognized the woman in yellow. He had long seen the white-dyed scabbard of her sword.

It was none other than A-Yeon, a disciple of the Sword Pavilion.

‘She came because of me,’ Bu Eunseol realized. He felt a deep gratitude toward A-Yeon for the first time. 

‘Knowing the Elder is my master, she came to help.’

A-Yeon had always felt indebted to Bu Eunseol.

When she challenged him to a spar at the Suppressed Demon Pavilion in the past, she had questioned the terrifying depth of his inner energy and asked what method he had learned. At the time, Bu Eunseol had honestly told her he had learned the inner energy method from Blood Vajra at Nangyang Pavilion.

When she learned that Blood Vajra, akin to his master, was in danger, A-Yeon had willingly stepped in to help.

‘Thank you. I won’t forget this debt,’ Bu Eunseol thought, deeply moved and grateful.

When A-Yeon called out Sohon Mirang’s wrongs and persuaded the remaining martial artists, saving Blood Vajra from danger, he was so overjoyed he wanted to rush out, embrace her, and express his thanks.

As everyone left, a thick silence settled over the forest clearing.

Blood Vajra, standing still for a long time, let out a deep sigh.

“Come out,” he said in a low voice, looking directly at the tree where Bu Eunseol was hiding.

“Bu Eunseol.”

Bu Eunseol, still concealed, couldn’t hide his astonishment. Blood Vajra’s body was in tatters after enduring countless trials on his journey to Yunnan.

With neither his inner energy nor his body intact, how could he have noticed?

“Elder,” Bu Eunseol said, emerging from behind the tree and bowing deeply. “How did you know?”

Having surpassed the realm of Return to Simplicity and reached the state of Clear Mind and Tranquil Heart, Bu Eunseol’s stealth was such that even a master of the Limitless Realm would struggle to detect him.

Yet, despite his severe injuries and lack of intact parts, Blood Vajra had sensed him immediately.

“Though my body is exhausted from the journey, my spirit has become clearer, and my senses sharper,” Blood Vajra said calmly, looking at Bu Eunseol.

“I could feel the ripples of your emotions from afar.” 

Astonishingly, he hadn’t detected Bu Eunseol’s presence but rather his uncontrolled emotions.

It was as if he had attained the Buddhist supernatural power of Heavenly Eye, one of the Six Divine Powers.

“I believe I clearly conveyed the message,” Blood Vajra said.

“That’s why I came alone,” Bu Eunseol replied, lowering his head, unable to meet Blood Vajra’s solemn gaze.

“You are my master, who taught me an inner energy method as vital as life itself. It is only natural for a disciple to escort his master on his final journey.”

“A master,” Blood Vajra murmured, sighing as he looked to the distant sky. “I’ve said repeatedly that it was merely a promise with the pavilion master. There is no debt or gratitude between us.”

“You may call it a debt, but to me, you gave me the strength to survive in the martial world,” Bu Eunseol replied.

“Strength to survive?”

“A newborn cannot grow alone. You raised me and gave me the strength to thrive in the martial world. How could I betray that gratitude?”

Blood Vajra took a deep breath.

The face of his master, the abbot of Tianlong Temple, Jeong Yeong, flashed in his mind.

Jeong Yeong had raised Blood Vajra, who arrived at the temple wrapped in swaddling clothes, as both a master and a parent. His Penance Journey to Tianlong Temple was to kneel before Jeong Yeong and atone, even if he could never again be a disciple.

And now, Bu Eunseol was saying he followed to uphold the duty of a disciple to his master.

How could he stop that?

“Your tongue has grown smooth from living by the sword,” Blood Vajra said.

“All thanks to you, Elder,” Bu Eunseol replied.

Realizing this was permission, Bu Eunseol smiled with relief and approached Blood Vajra’s side.

Whoosh.

At that moment, his heightened senses sounded an alarm. A massive number of people had laid an inescapable net around the area.

He didn’t need to see them to know.

They were assassins from the Three Realms.

‘So, they made that choice,’ Bu Eunseol thought, looking at the distant sky with a lonely expression.

‘Myo Cheonwoo.’

The only ones who knew Bu Eunseol had ventured into the martial world to protect Blood Vajra were the captains of Death Shadow Pavilion.

And he had long known that among them, Myo Cheonwoo was colluding with outsiders.

So Jamyeong, the commander of the Nine Deaths Squad, returned by the Chief Instructor, had been secretly tasked with finding the spy among Death Shadow Pavilion’s commanders, a task he had brilliantly completed long ago.

Swish, swish.

Meanwhile, the forest was completely surrounded by black-clad assassins encircling Bu Eunseol and Blood Vajra.

Their numbers were roughly a hundred.

Judging by the aura emanating from them, these assassins were on a different level from those Bu Eunseol had faced before.

‘Or perhaps they’ve decided to end it this time,’ Bu Eunseol thought, his eyes darkening as he assessed the situation.

If they had intended an ambush, there had been plenty of opportunities before.

But the assassins only revealed themselves after Bu Eunseol met Blood Vajra.

They had calculated that the injured Blood Vajra could not use his martial arts effectively and that Bu Eunseol would prioritize his safety.

In other words, the mastermind behind this had the strategic foresight to predict Bu Eunseol’s distraction due to Blood Vajra…

And knew his personality inside and out.