Heavenly Inquisition Sword Novel - Chapter 288
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Episode 288: Demon Son of Heaven and the Heaven of the Kings
Clink, clink!
A clear sound rang out from the bell as if it had been waiting. It was the first time in forty-nine days that the bell’s sound had been heard.
A slight trace of relief crossed the face of the Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors. She had been worried that something terrible had happened during all this time, but it seemed that was not the case.
A soft voice was heard in the air.
-Mother, did you call for me?
“Yes, has anything happened during this time?”
Her face reflected the hope that something had indeed occurred. She had waited forty-nine days with that expectation, so something had to have happened.
-Many things have happened.
At that moment, the Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors swallowed hard. Cheong Ryushin knew well what she desired. And that very Cheong Ryushin had said that many things had happened. Although the Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors was excited, she struggled to maintain a calm expression.
“Tell me what has happened.”
-Hahaha…
Instead of answering, Cheong Ryushin laughed. Her laughter echoed for a long time. The Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors wanted to press Cheong Ryushin to speak but held back. She did not want to appear impatient. In these types of situations, the needy party always ends up losing.
And the patience of the Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors overcame Cheong Ryushin’s laughter.
-Do not be surprised, Mother. The underworld ruled by King Yama is just an entrance. Beyond it, there are many worlds, like the twenty-eight heavens in the three realms mentioned in Buddhism.
Cheong Ryushin began to reveal the secret of the underworld that the Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors so desperately wanted to know.
“Then, what world did you see?”
-I saw a place called the Heaven of the Kings. That place is so far from the underworld that it took me forty-nine days just to go back and forth.
“If you only saw the Heaven of the Kings, how can you be sure that there are many other worlds?”
The Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors looked into the void with suspicious eyes. Sometimes, spirits lied, so it was important to discern the truth.
-A king who recognized me there told me so. So it must be true.
“You met a king?”
-Yes. He called himself the Demon Son of Heaven. He is one of the many Kings who rule the Heaven of the Kings.
The Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors nodded slightly. If he had that status, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to recognize a spirit bound by an Elme.
After a moment of reflection, she decided to get to the point. Talking with spirits consumed her energy, and she felt the fatigue.
“Is there a path to immortality in the Heaven of the Kings?”
For the Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors, achieving enlightenment meant freeing herself from the cycle of reincarnation and living eternally, in other words, immortality.
-Yes.
The Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors suppressed the urge to scream with joy.
“Then tell me how I can achieve it.”
-I don’t know. But there is a way for you to find out.
“How can I learn?”
-The Demon Son of Heaven said that if you summon him into this world, he will teach you.
The Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors nodded indifferently. Being one with King Yama, she did not fear any opponent.
“Then tell me how to summon the Demon Son of Heaven.”
-With your power, it won’t be difficult.
Cheong Ryushin taught the Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors a special ritual to summon the Demon Son of Heaven into this world.
“Are you saying I just need to draw an inverted pentagram and sprinkle it with the warm blood of a black goat?”
The Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors frowned.
It seemed too simple compared to the process of becoming a Demon Warrior. Could it be that easy to summon a King from the Heaven of the Kings, a world farther away than the underworld?
-Haha, I thought the same. But the Demon Son of Heaven told me that the drawing contained immense power that distorts the harmony of the universe.
“Oh! You mean the drawing invokes the power to challenge heaven? Interesting, very interesting.”
The Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors quickly understood the secret of the drawing. Although she knew it contained the power to challenge heaven, she did not feel uncomfortable or doubtful. In fact, as the Celestial Demon Queen, she liked the idea of challenging heaven even more. After all, the power of the Sacred Artifacts was also related to challenging heaven.
“You’ve done well. Now rest.”
-Yes, Mother.
When Cheong Ryushin fell silent, the Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors wrapped the bell in a cloth and put it away. As she turned, her face was flushed like that of a young girl.
The Celestial Demon Queen was not close to immortality either. What she truly desired was to reach the state of enlightenment, something akin to immortal ascension.
‘Ah, I should have asked if there were Immortals in the Heaven of the Kings…’
She was too embarrassed to summon Cheong Ryushin again to ask that. Perhaps she should check the next time she summons her.
With a feeling of dissatisfaction, the Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors descended the mountain gently.
Henan Province.
Zhengzhou.
Chilihwa Village.
Late at night.
Namgung Yeon, the Incomparable Among Ten, couldn’t fall asleep and finally stepped into the courtyard. Suddenly, she looked up at the night sky and saw that the first Northern Star was fading. That star, called Tianshu or also Tanlang, was the ‘central axis of the sky.’ If it was losing its brightness, it was a sign of great calamity.
Namgung Yeon sighed as she read the sky.
“Ah!”
The main pillar of the sky was collapsing. By calculating its location, she saw that it was at Pungji Mountain.
Quickly, she returned to her room, shook her hexagrams, and drew a stick.
She spread the hexagrams on the table and saw that the trigram Huo Di Jin formed. Jin means ‘advance.’
The axis of the sky was trembling, and it indicated to her that she should not wait any longer and move forward.
What was happening at Pungji Mountain?
The next morning.
Namgung Yeon suddenly announced the departure of the exploration team. The masters of the team, who had been relaxed, quickly packed their things. And after breakfast, the exploration team left the Alliance. They moved with the speed of lightning.
Everyone in the Alliance was surprised by the quick movements of the exploration team, especially Hyeok Munchun from the Haksanchae. As he walked down the path, he couldn’t help but observe Yeon Jeokha.
‘Do they know I’m involved? No, that can’t be.’
He prayed that they didn’t know. The indifferent faces of Yeon Jeokha and Shim Tong assured him that they didn’t.
‘Phew, it seems I’ve gotten away with it.’
Although he had incited Hyeol Haedo, he hadn’t planned the assault. No one could know that he had been the instigator.
Hyeok Munchun felt relieved and stopped worrying.
After walking for half an hour, Hyeok Munchun, who had been walking thoughtlessly, suddenly wondered why he was there. He discreetly asked Guiyeong Ja.
“By any chance, were you the one who included me in the exploration team?”
“No. It was the Grand Inspector who selected you.”
Hyeok Munchun’s heart suddenly sank. He couldn’t think of any reason why the Grand Inspector would have selected him.
“Why would the Grand Inspector choose me?”
His voice trembled slightly. If it was related to the incident with the courtesans, the consequences would be terrible.
“How would I know?”
Guiyeong Ja responded irritably. He was also uneasy about the sudden inclusion of Hyeok Munchun.
The men of Nokrim kept talking about the punishment that Hyeol Haedo and Song Hacheong had received. It was the most horrible punishment in Nokrim’s history. They said they would even have to urinate sitting down now.
As a result, the Grand Inspector had gained a reputation for being extremely cruel. Some said he was more ruthless than the Great Chaeju. That reputation had overshadowed his heroic deeds, highlighting his wickedness.
Guiyeong Ja was very upset about it.
Meanwhile, the sky was clear, and the sun was shining.
When the sun was at its peak, Yeon Jeokha, who had been walking vigorously, glanced at Namgung Yeon.
“Sister, aren’t you hungry? Why don’t we eat something?”
“Yes.”
With Namgung Yeon’s approval, Yeon Jeokha called out to Jang Mudeok, the Apprentice of the Supreme Tao.
“Grandpa Mudeok! We’re hungry, so let’s eat here.”
At Yeon Jeokha’s call, Jang Mudeok stopped and turned around. Although the nickname ‘Grandpa’ felt strange to him, it didn’t bother him. Yeon Jeokha was younger than his own grandchildren. Even his beloved Jang Pado was older than him, although he had recently died at Pungji Mountain.
“Alright.”
Jang Mudeok responded briefly and headed for the shade.
Since the Mugeuk Sect had closed its doors, he avoided people. Now he was more comfortable and relaxed being alone.
The Three Immortals of Kunlun and the two bandits also dispersed.
Guiyeong Ja and Hyeok Munchun sat far away from Yeon Jeokha.
Just as Hyeok Munchun was about to unpack, Yeon Jeokha called him and Guiyeong Ja over.
“Hey! You two, come here.”
Feeling a pang of guilt, Guiyeong Ja and Hyeok Munchun obeyed without a word.
When they got closer, Yeon Jeokha asked Shim Tong.
“Old Shim, did you bring what I asked you to keep?”
“Of course.”
Shim Tong pulled out a package from his bag and untied it. A sharp smell spread out.
The unpleasant odor reached Hyeok Munchun, who held his breath and took the package Shim Tong offered him.
“What is this?”
Hyeok Munchun couldn’t refuse and accepted it. He thought they were giving him spoiled food to throw away.
Anyone would have thought that.
But then he heard something that left him stunned.
“I brought it for you two. I bought a lot of food a few days ago and had leftovers. It would be a shame to throw it away, so don’t refuse and eat it.”
“Grand Inspector, this is…”
“Refusal is not an option.”
Alarmed, Guiyeong Ja quickly intervened.
“Haha. We appreciate your consideration, but we also brought our own food.”
“Keep it safe. It will take at least fifteen days to get to Pungji Mountain.”
“In this weather, any food will spoil in a few days. This food also seems to be spoiled.”
“I know. I have eyes and a nose too, you know?”
“Then why are you giving us spoiled food?”
“Ah, you don’t want to eat? Then, would you like me to kick you like I did with Hyeol Haedo and Song Hacheon?”
“Oh! Why would you say something like that…?”
Terrified, Guiyeong Ja stammered.
“Why? Explaining the reason will irritate me. Can you bear it?”
“…”
Guiyeong Ja looked at Yeon Jeokha and then at Shim Tong, who was emanating a murderous intent. It was clear that they already knew the truth.
Guiyeong Ja realized that there was no point in continuing to pretend.
“…We will eat it with gratitude.”
Yeon Jeokha watched as Guiyeong Ja and Hyeok Munchun returned with the package of food.
“I’ll be watching you.”
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