The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign

The child was an orphan.

He was abandoned so early that he didn’t even have a name.

That was until he met Fu Zhanyang, an Mortician who specialized in funerals for those who died alone.

“I thought you were hiding in the snow…”

It was winter. The north wind blew strongly.

Fu Zhanyang extended a hand towards the child, who was curled up under a snow-covered tree.

“Won’t you come with me?”

The child, who had been sitting with an unfocused gaze, extended his hand that appeared more like the frozen flesh of fish.

And that child took Fu Zhanyang’s surname and was given the name Eunseol (Hidden Snow).

** * * * **

Peaceful Funeral Home.

A small funeral home that mainly buried the dead with no relatives or those who were reported and deemed alone.

Inside the Peaceful Funeral Home, the body of a middle-aged man was laid on a wooden mortuary table.

In front of the body were a white-haired old man and a small child.

They were none other than Fu Zhanyang, the mortician who ran the Peaceful Funeral Home, and Fu Eunseol.

“Hmm.”

Fu Eunseol was examining the body laid on the mortuary table with a very serious gaze.

“Eunseol.”

“Yes.”

Fu Eunseol, who had been observing the body carefully, opened his eyes wide.

With skin as white as snow and dark pupils, his appearance could easily be mistaken for that of a girl if his thick eyebrows were shaped like a crescent moon.

Now, tell me what you see.”

“Let me take another look.”

But despite his beautiful appearance, Fu Eunseol’s voice was cold and low.

A low, dry voice. It was much like the bitter winter wind.

“Hmm.”

Fu Eunseol made a contemplative sound as he examined the body closely and then spoke.

“This person seems to be from the martial world.”

“The martial world?”

“Yes. Judging by the uniform muscle mass, it seems he practiced martial arts from a young age.”

Fu Zhanyang, who had been smiling, blinked in surprise.

“Why do you say that? He’s skinny, and there are no calluses on his hands.”

Fu Zhanyang shook his head and pointed to the corpse’s hands.

“Swordsmen who practice swordsmanship always have calluses on their palms. But there are no such marks on this person.”

Swordsman who trained daily acquired natural calluses from the tight sword grip.

But the body in front of them had hands as soft as a woman’s. There was no trace of calluses.

“There are martial arts in the world, like the Broken Jade Hand or Divine Iron Hand. After mastering those special techniques, the calluses will disappear.”

“So, are you saying this person was a master of a special hand technique?”

“No.”

Fu Eunseol confidently shook his head.

“This person did not master such techniques.”

“Then why doesn’t this swordsman have the characteristics typical of other swordsmen?”

“Because he is a master of the Grounded Flash Sword.”

“Oh. Why do you say that?”

Fu Eunseol smiled and pointed to the left thigh of the middle-aged man’s body.

“This person’s left leg is unusually well-developed, like that of a master of kicking techniques.”

“But couldn’t they simply be a master of kicking techniques?”

“No. It’s certain that he mastered the Grounded Flash Sword, which requires the lower body to be firmly planted on the ground to be initiated.”

Fu Eunseol pointed to the muscles in the left leg of the middle-aged man’s body, which lay silently on the mortuary table.

“If he were a master of kicking techniques, the muscles on his buttocks and the front of his thighs would be more developed to add power to his kicks.”

Fu Eunseol pointed to the soles and calves of the body.

“But in this person, only the muscles at the front of the left calf are the most developed. That’s proof that he mastered the Grounded Flash Sword.”

“Hahaha.”

Fu Zhanyang patted Fu Eunseol’s head with a pleased expression.

“There’s nothing more for this old man to teach you.” 

It was always like this.

While cleaning the corpse, two of them would discuss the cause of death and what might have been the fatal injury.

“Even a master of the Grounded Flash Sword couldn’t avoid the Shadowstrike Dart in the end.”

Fu Zhanyang pointed to the neck of the body.

There, the wound spread wide like the wings of a butterfly.

“They must have released the Shadowstrike Dart just as he was about to use the Grounded Flash Sword and severed the carotid artery in one breath. There were probably two opponents, both masters of throwing weapons.”

Fu Zhanyang clicked his tongue and muttered softly.

“To execute a Grounded Flash Sword strike, you must always be cautious of the opponent’s final move.”

Fu Zhanyang and Fu Eunseol began cleaning the corpse with care, and while they did, they talked about various things

“Haha, this time it’s a crime of passion.”

The next body laid on the mortuary table was that of a young man, whose face had been brutally mutilated.

“The resentment must have been extreme. That’s why such a wound was inflicted.”

Fu Zhanyang and Fu Eunseol began the embalming process with care.

Growl

Finally, after placing the corpse in the coffin, a loud rumble echoed from Fu Eunseol’s stomach, signaling the end of the work.

“Hahaha. Your stomach clock is always precise.”

When Fu Eunseol lowered his head in embarrassment, Fu Zhanyang looked up at the sun that had risen high in the sky.

“How about we have dinner at an inn tonight for a change?”

“No, let’s just have noodles. I’ll make delicious ones for you.”

When Fu Eunseol calmly shook his head, Fu Zhanyang’s expression darkened.

A mortician who took care of the deceased. 

They were considered the lowest of the low and treated even worse off than commoners. 

Moreover, the stench of death never seemed to leave their bodies. 

People pointed fingers at them, calling them unlucky, and they were often shunned away at inns. 

Knowing this, Fu Eunseol rarely left the Peaceful Funeral Home.

“Alright. Let’s do that.”

The two sat on a bench and started eating their noodles. 

Although the only side dish was pickled radish, Fu Eunseol found it delicious and ate happily. After all, it was warm food that he couldn’t have dreamed of eating during his orphaned childhood. 

And more than that, there was his grandfather, Fu Zhanyang, who looked at him with a warm gaze.

“What are you looking at?”

“Oh. It’s nothing.”

Fu Eunseol was content. He wished that those days would continue, that this life would last forever.

* * *

Late at night.

A lamp was lit in the single room of Peaceful Funeral Home. 

Fu Zhanyang was sitting at a wooden table reading a book, while Fu Eunseol was sound asleep in a corner of the room.

“That’s incorrect.”

“Hmm?”

“It wasn’t a stab from behind; the weapon was fixed in place and then pushed through.”

Even in his dreams, Fu Eunseol was analyzing the cause of death while performing his duties as a mortician.

“This boy… He’s truly a godsend in the art of embalming.”

Fu Zhanyang looked at him with a gentle smile. He was his grandson. He cherished him more than anything, a child so precious he’d never want to let him go.

In truth, he had never married or had children. But after bringing Fu Eunseol into his life, he had come to understand the true meaning of life.

He found true happiness and warmth.

Rustle.

Just then, he heard a distant sound of buffeting wind. 

But with his sharp hearing, Fu Zhanyang guessed that it was the sound of air being cleaved by someone moving at incredible speed using light footwork.

“…”

Fu Zhanyang’s face turned cold as he stood up.

“Good intentions never come uninvited, and those who come are never with good intentions.”

After quietly extinguishing the lamp, Fu Zhanyang stepped out of the room. He slowly opened the front door and walked outside.

Whoosh.

As the eerie wind blew, the already dark sky appeared a shade darker.

Standing still in front of the gate, Fu Zhanyang closed his eyes. 

Although it looked like he was deep in thought, in reality, he was using the pinnacle of the Eavesdropping Through the Void Technique to scan every inch of the area within 300 meters.

“So that’s how it is.”

When Fu Zhanyang opened his eyes again, his expression was grim. He went back inside and woke up Fu Eunseol.

“Eunseol.”

“Yes? What is it?”

“Shall we play with corpses again tonight?”

“At this hour?”

Fu Zhanyang spoke to the sleepy Fu Eunseol in a gentle voice.

“This time, it’s a bit different. You absolutely mustn’t come out until the sun rises.”

“Until the sun rises?”

“Yes. If we succeed this time, I’ll get you that ceremonial robe and peachwood sword you’ve been asking for.”

“Ceremonial robe and sword?”

Fu Eunseol’s eyes lit up.

Due to his young age, Fu Eunseol didn’t have a proper ceremonial robe and sword, so he constantly pestered Fu Zhanyang about it. 

However, Fu Zhanyang always refused, saying that he wasn’t old enough to use a ceremonial robe and sword.

“I’ll get started right away.”

As the excited Fu Eunseol tried to enter one of the standing coffins, Fu Zhanyang waved his hand.

“This time, you’ll be getting into the iron coffin.”

“Iron coffin?”

The iron coffin was, as the name suggests, a coffin made of metal. A long time ago, when Fu Eunseol asked about its purpose, Fu Zhanyang had said, “This is the coffin your grandfather will use when he dies.”

“No, I don’t want to. The iron coffin…”

Sensing something strange, Fu Eunseol shook his head, but Fu Zhanyang gave him a gentle smile.

“Don’t worry. This is just a test to see if I should buy you that ceremonial robe and sword.”

“Really?”

“Of course. When has your grandfather ever broken a promise?”

As Fu Zhanyang softly patted his head, Fu Eunseol nodded with a bright smile.

“Alright then!”

Clang!

As Fu Zhanyang watched Fu Eunseol climb into the iron coffin, his eyes grew misty.

‘The boy…’

Rustle.

Just then, he heard the sound of air being sliced again, and the smile that had lingered on Fu Zhanyang’s lips turned chilly.

Step! Step!

With a cold expression, he walked out the main gate and stood there like a statue.

How much time passed?

“”Seven-Fingered Demon Sword, Fu Zhanyang.”

A low voice reached Fu Zhanyang’s ears.

“You’ve finally been caught.”

When Fu Zhanyang opened his eyes, a man dressed in black was approaching with an upright posture. His light-footwork technique was truly astonishing.

“Seven-Fingered Demon Sword.”

Fu Zhanyang let out a deep sigh.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve heard that name.”

Seven-Fingered Demon Sword, Fu Zhanyang. 

The greatest swordsman in the demonic path. 

A martial arts maniac who cut off three of his own fingers in his quest to perfect a tyrannical sword technique. 

He hunted down countless righteous warriors and even secluded grandmasters, and slaughtered them mercilessly. 

This demon, who once made the martial world tremble in fear, had risen to the position of vice leader in the Demon Palace.

It was a rank that signified the pinnacle of martial achievements.

“Is that really how you wanted to live?”

The man in black looked at Fu Zhanyang with a chilling smile.

“After abandoning your position as the vice leader of the Demon Palace, you disappeared… Only to hide like a rat, performing the work of a mortician that even beggars disdain. It’s ridiculous.”

“Hahaha.”

Fu Zhanyang let out a low laugh and shook his head.

“I took up the work of a mortician to atone for the wrongs I committed.”

“Atonement?”

“For those who died at my hands, all in the name of protecting peace in the martial world.”

As Fu Zhanyang continued speaking, a somber look filled his eyes.

“But the Martial Alliance has once again… created someone just like me.”

Fu Zhanyang could tell that the man in black was now doing exactly what he had once done.

“Indeed. It would be inconvenient for them if I were alive. After all, I’m the greatest stain on the righteous faction.”

“If you know that, then take your own life.”

“In the end, you too will be discarded just like I was. Miserably at that.”

“Stop worrying about things that don’t concern you.”

The man in black spoke with a confident expression.

“Do you really think I’ll end up like you, a tool used to slaughter righteous masters?”

“The fate of spies who hide their true identity, roam the martial world, and massacre masters is always the same, isn’t it?”

In reality, Fu Zhanyang wasn’t the mad killer who slaughtered righteous masters; he was a double agent, a spy painstakingly nurtured by the martial alliance.

“For a long time, the Martial Alliance has created double agents like us to eliminate righteous factions that were thorns in their side, to reshape the righteous factions to their liking, and to rule over the martial world.”

“You certainly talk a lot.”

“I speak from experience acquired by walking the same path before you.”

The man in black sneered.

“Are you asking me to treat you like a senior?”

“How could that be? In the world of espionage, there’s no such thing as hierarchy.”

Fu Zhanyang shook his head with a bitter smile.

“I’m advising you to stop doing such things while you still can.”

“That’s touching enough to bring tears to my eyes.”

The man in black shook his head and took out a token from his waist.

“Fu Zhanyang, just because you went through that, don’t assume that others will suffer the same fate.”

The token held by the man shimmered in myriad colors. It was smudged with the words ‘Star Guardian.’ It was the insignia of the Star Guardian, one of the Seven Great War Clans of the Martial Alliance.

“I’m not like you. I didn’t hide my identity and instead openly joined the Martial Alliance. My future is bright, and I’ll be on the fast track to success.”

The man in black smiled with ambition.

“If I take care of you, I might be rewarded with the position of vice-leader, or maybe even the leader himself.”

“I see.”

Fu Zhanyang exhaled a heavy breath.

“You really are different from me.”

The man in black was indeed different from Fu Zhanyang. 

He wasn’t just a tool raised by the Martial Alliance to follow orders; he was baring his fangs to devour the Martial Alliance itself.

“Now that you understand, die peacefully,” the man in black said coldly.

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